Afghanery

When I first started knitting, after doing the requisite straight scarf and attempts at small glove and hat projects, I tackled an afghan project called Lover's Knot Afghan.  It was all cables.  It was really a beautiful pattern, and it was a great way to practice this knew found skill of mine (and cables) so.. i picked up some gray cotton yarn and set to.  (Turns out, gray yarn is perhaps not the best choice for this pattern, but oh well...its a soft yarn and I'll like it anyway.)  I got about 1 full repeat in (which is about 24 rows), maybe a little more, and then said "wow..this takes forever.. i wanna do more fulfilling projects I can actually finish!" and immediately dropped it onto some scrap yarn and buried it in my yarn drawer.

Two years later...

After slowing down on my knitting a lot, no longer racing through projects like there's no tomorrow, I'm looking at my pile of unfinished pieces and deciding what to work on.  I finished up the noro scarf - very pretty.  Frogged the sluagh Ipad bag - my first attempt at self designed fair island (also my first fair island bit.. probably should have done someone else's design first, huh?) did not go so well.  Looked at the two lace scarves I had started - one red one pink - and decided I wasn't in the mood for lace yet.  What else did I have out there?  Well, there was the lime green sweater I never finished... but the only stuff i have left on that is the difficult sleeve set ins, and I'm not ready to tackle that.  What about that afghan I put off way back when??  Dig around in my drawers and pull out this beautifully soft supple afghan bit and get to work.

I had to find the program I'd used to organize the rows (the two different block sets repeat at different rows, so you have to use some sort of marker to know which row your on for which pattern.. or write the pattern completely over as a 48-row-repeat rather than a 16-row and a 24-row repeat.  Its confusing.)  I then found a better version of the program and input it better.. making it easier.  And now I'm on row 62 or so, almost triple what I'd had set aside.  Its not going to be as wide an afghan as I might would have liked, but it'll be nice enough.  And the yarn is sooo nice, I think it'll be a great cuddle blanket.  It'll just take.. y'know.. forever..to finish.  But hey, tons and tons of cable practice!!

Boho Dice Bag Finished

I finished the Boho Bag last night and shoved my dice into it.. and you know what? I like it, I like it a lot.  I still have a million ends to weave in, but figured i'd do that during this week's game; and for now..it holds dice (and loose ends) just fine.

Knitting again

11 months.. has it really been that long since I last posted?  Wow.  I will admit, I took a break from knitting for something like 6-8 months.  Probably March of last year was about when I took my break.. and I didn't pick it back up with any seriousness till about Christmas...on a trip up to Boston to visit Ryan's family.  But, that did the trick of reminding me that I love knitting :)

We were all packed and ready to head out on a plane that evening, and I head off to work for the day.  While working.. I realize that I didn't pack anything to do for the trip other than a single book.. and that just won't cut it.  So what would be better?  I must find a knitting project I can take!!  A quick inventory of my ravelry projects reminded me that I didn't have anything in progress other than my big sweater that made me take a break from knitting in the first place.. so I needed to figure out something else... something that I could do with what yarn I had in stash.  And probably a scarf of some type that would ease my way back into knitting again.   I also remembered that I had a couple balls of Knitpicks' Aloft yarn.. and that'd make a beautiful scarf!  So I did a really quick search on ravelry for a nice scarf pattern that would play up the mohair of the aloft yarn.. and found Dancing Cranes Stole.  Beautiful pattern in mohair aloft?  Yes please!

I'd say I got about 1/3 of the way through during my trip to Boston.  Its *red*.  I knit on both plane rides, and pretty much all day Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  So glad I was smart enough to think of that. :-)

So, since the holidays, I've been working on different projects here and there.  I have sort of worked on the Dancing Crane scarf.. but not enough to make much progress on it.  Sometime in January, my local yarn store held a giant sale.. with everything 50% off.  Call me a sucker, but it drew me right back in..even though I have lots of yarn already.  But I never had bought any of the more expensive yarn since it was all just so..well.. expensive! *grin*.  So I went in.. intending to get something, but having no project in particular in mind.  I waffled over some gorgeous cashmere.. but decided in order to get enough to make anything, it would still be too expensive (damn you cashmere!).  Instead, I settled on some Noro Silk Garden.  I grabbed 10 skeins of colorway 319, which goes from black to gray to purple to green to mustard back to green back to purple.  Its really pretty.

Still having no real plan on what to do with it.. i did some noro project searches..and found a pretty scarf that I would like to do.. so I started working on that.  Its Bias Lace Scarf.  Simple, quick, and shows off the colors great.  That used up 3 skeins.  So now I have 7 left.  I seriously considered making a Lanesplitter skirt, which might likely use up all of my remaining 7 skeins, but decided I'd likely never wear it.  And I wasn't absolutely certain 7 skeins would be enough.  Plus, I found this pattern for a Boho Bag which was just amazing!  I needed a new dice bag and have always wanted to try entrelac... soo, 3 skeins have been dedicated to my new Boho bag :)  I'm currently a little more than half way through my first skein of the Boho bag, and I think I've really gotten the hang of entrelac - Yay me!!  And it looks so awesome.  I think I ended up choosing too large a size for this bag to really satisfy my dice-bag needs, but seeing as I have more skeins left-over, I can always make a second smaller one if this ends up being too big..and have this bigger bag for other uses and/or giftings.

I'm very glad to be back to knitting, and find it oh so relaxing.  I'll try to take some pictures of all these projects soon to share.

Whirlwind

This past week has been something of a whirlwind for me. I haven't felt like i've had much slow-down time in quite a while. And not all of its been good.

And I had written an entire post about this.. then realized that I don't really feel like screaming and yelling at people I consider friends so openly. So I deleted it.. and posted it on my more private blog. If you are one of those friends, and have the wish to learn the nitty gritty not so nice parts of my opinions that may or may not include you, ask me to send you a link to that other blog.. and I will. But I don't feel like being quite so open where everyone can read unless they are prepared for it.

In other news, that I will share... Ryan's grandmother passed away yesterday. She went easily, though unexpectedly, and I know we will all miss her. I packed Ryan off on a plane this morning so he can attend her funeral services. I decided to stay home, as I did not know her very well and he is going to be there for quite a few days - that it'd just be better if I stayed home. Besides, we've got a kitty recovering from surgery and my parents are also coming up to visit.. and the other cat..and the dog.. and the fish..and the turtle... we have a lot of animals - lol.

But, that's a while without Ryan. I'll miss him. But him going up there is good for him. I know losing his grandmother was hard on him. I will miss her as well. Rest in peace, Therese.


And here's hoping to a better weekend this week.

Lacking in the knitting

So yesterday was my first time to pick up my knitting again in a little over a week. Ever since I had to rip out 20+ rows in my Primrose (Friday before last), I sat my knitting down and didn't pick it back up. I took a week off. Honestly, I can also lay the blame on a new game the hubby has been trying to get me to play with him - Rift. Its another mmo similar to world of warcraft. Less players, and a major story-event-based game. I've pretty much just played that when I get home. Although there was my Idol nights.. where I sat on the couch and watched them sing their flu-infested hearts out.. when I would normally be knitting.. and I just didn't. I think I just haven't gotten up the nerve to try the row-counts again on that sweater. Its intimidating me. I just that I'm going to lose track of what row I'm on because I'm watching tv.. or doing something else.. and lose track and have to start that section all over again. Its like I need a pattern as a basis to count with in order to not lose my place. Basic stitches are somehow difficult for me to count. I dunno why. Grrrr.

I did work on my sock last night though. Still absolutely love the malabrigo sock yarn - and the colors of Abril are gorgeous!! And I turned my first heel last night!! I even slipped it on my foot and it fits great :D So now I just have to take the cuff up as high as I want it..and I'll have my very first sock done. Yay! I only screwed up on that heel once - cuz I didn't read the instructions right the first time. Looking at it a second time and I knew what I'd done wrong, and it was simple enough to fix. Works for me. I can definitely do that again a second, third, fourth + time. For, y'know, that next pair of socks I do. Toe-up (where I knit the toe first then continue from there, as opposed to cuff-down) is definitely an easy way for me to do it. Dunno why you'd ever do cuff down and not use magic loop :D


On to other news - anyone else loving this season of American Idol? They are all so damn good!!! I was a little sad with the performances this past week..but half of them were really sick. And so their voices didn't carry as well, of course. Though Lauren belted through her flu and did a fabulous job anyway. And I can't help it, but I'm in love with Scotty McCreary. He may sing country, but that deep voice just has me hooked. Of course, I also really like Casey - and his performance of Smells like Teen Spirit just has me shell shocked. I am also impressed with James Durbin - his rendition of Judas Priest was really good too. Who knew we'd have such amazing and varied talent this year. Although I think Pia has them all beat just by pure vocal skills. She's like the new Whitney Houston/Celine Dion/Mariah Carey all rolled up into one. Damn that girl can sing. I hope every single one of these people make records when they get off of Idol. They all deserve it.

Well, okay, I don't think Ashton deserved a record..she was too "overdone". We've seen her like before, and she didn't have anything special to bring to it. Boring. And Karen, although she had some potential, was just outshone by everyone else in the competition. I think my next choices for voting off are: Naima, Paul and Thea. Once we get down to .. what is that.. Top 8? Then those will be the real stars. I've been voting for like five of the contestants each week. I have no idea who I'll vote for when it gets tighter than that.

And that is my Idol experience :D

A perfect day

Saturday could only be called one word: "Perfect".

The morning began by getting picked up by D&W to head out to a Chocolate Festival. That's right - a chocolate festival. $15 and you get 10 samples of super-special super-delicious super-decadent chocolate. Count me in! It was a bit of a drive to the festival, but that was okay, because I always like catching up with D&W - the one couple that actually still likes hanging out with us. Only thing that could have made the day better was if the hubby had had the day off from work, but work with what you got.

By the time we got to the festival, the next "wave" was sold out, so we bought tickets for an hour later, then set off to enjoy downtown Grapevine shopping. And let me tell you, downtown Grapevine is incredibly quaint, especially considering its proximity to the greater DFW metroplex. And that was when we got to enjoy the absolute bestest part about Saturday - the absolutely gorgeously breathtaking..75 degree weather!! It was sunny, a little breezy..and 75 degrees of beautiful. Couldn't ask for better weather, and it just made everything better. I love spring. Love love love it.

So in our escapade around downtown Grapevine, we stopped at a few stores..but one in particular had us entranced. It was the Grapevine Olive Oil company. They make all these different flavors of oils and vinegars. And they had bread available so you could try them all!! I fell in love with a "Cinnamon Pear Balsamic Vinegar" and D fell in love with a "Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar" - appropriate for the festival we were about to enjoy. So we just had to buy them. And then we find out we can get them refilled at a lower rate in the future - nice!! We'll just have to get back there when we run out..which I'm sure will be soon.

After dropping off our finds at the car, we headed back to the festival. We got our little trays..and headed in. So the room with all the chocolate had waaay too many people in it..but.. the chocolate was well worth it. I know I had some tiramasu of delicious, a chili chocolate pudding of the yum, several chocolate chip cookies, an orange tart that was quite orangey, and some toffee..of zomg!! The toffee was sooo good..that I just had to go back and buy more. Sigh. I'm a sucker for toffee - grin! The rest of it was uber delicious too.. just the toffee beat out all the rest for me. I think most people really liked the chili chocolate pudding though.

So after the chocolate.. we headed over to California Pizza Kitchen - my favorite pizza place - because, well, we were in town, and its otherwise hard to make it there cuz there is only 2 in the entirety of the metroplex!! You may ask - how the hell could we eat after all that chocolate?? Well, see, we were smart, and planned this lunch, so that we would know not to eat all our chocolate. No no, we took a tupperware full of chocolate home with us. For later enjoyment - and so that the hubby could have some too. And the pizza was a very nice break to the day.

We then headed to a miniatures store/warehouse that is semi-nearby to that part of the metroplex..because, well, we were on that side of the metroplex, and we normally aren't. ((And for those not used to the DFW metroplex..let me just say that it is enormous. It'll take you 1-3 hours to cross the whole thing, dependent upon time of day. We try not to cross the whole thing very often.)) Anyway, I picked up this mini. I picked up another one, with a bad-ass elemental cloak looking thing... but I can't find a picture of her. Not sure why. D's going to paint them for me - in exchange for some fingerless gloves. Need to start looking for a pattern for those for her.

Following the miniature buying spree (on D&W's part, more than mine), we headed back to their place to wait for my hubby to get off work so we could play games. We played a new game they bought.. Mansions of Madness. The game seemed near impossible to beat. I hate games like that.. I get that Cthulu games are supposed to be all about the horror.. but I still like to beat games. So not sure how I feel about that one yet. I didn't enjoy my time playing it that night. But it may just have been first-try vibes. I ended up grabbing my sock that I'm knitting to help keep my anger in check. Yay for knitting calmingness.

But, all in all, the entire day, was just perfect. Hang out with my best friends.. enjoying gorgeous weather..eating chocolate... playing games.. Perfect.

Birthday Present from Hubby

So my birthday is next Tuesday, but hubby decided to get me my birthday present a week early. We both have bad habits about doing that. I haven't taken a picture of it yet, probably should.. but.. he basically bought me between 10-15 skeins of yarn (some very weird stuff.. including chinchilla and fancy fuzz stuff), and he "hung" them up on the wall in the middle bedroom with these hook things. It was quite cute, really. But he said that I get to have that wall - and we're going to build some diamond shelves all along that wall so i have it for yarn storage!! I know the shelves are the *real* gift, and the extra yarn is just fun stuff to try, but I really appreciate all of it. I can't wait to hit Home Depot and buy the materials so we can try working on the shelves soon. But I'm doubly happy that he considered my knew yarn love for a birthday present. It is definitely warming. And I must say - he doesn't have the worst taste in yarn, even if most of it is acrylic since it came from a big box store.

In other news, I'm doing my darndest not to cast on yet another project. I keep itching to, mostly cuz this sweater really does go on and on and on and on and on... as sweaters tend to do. And I keep wanting to work on something else. Well, in truth, I did cast on another project... my first pair of socks, done in gorgeous malabrigo sock in Abril. But I did that cast on mostly to learn a new knitting technique so I could try working on his ipad bag... Not my fault that the sock technique turned out to be a piece of cake and now I'm loving loving loving knitting the sock!! Probably has something to do with the absolutely luscious yarn in the most perfect of colors. >_> <_<

So the ipad bag has been put back on the waiting list. I need different needles. The two pattern ideas I had for the bag just did not end up working out.. at all. The first pattern simply didn't work when I shrunk it down to ipad size. The second idea (the magic loop idea, which is why i cast on the socks first to learn the technique) requires a much longer and more flexible cord than the one I have currently (in that size needle). So, that pattern is back on hold till I can get to the Woolie Ewe. At least he can't much complain about me needing yet another set of needles..since its for him XD.

I'm pretty sure the next pattern I pick up is going to be my attempt at colorwork. Its the last major technique that I've been wanting to learn, and I have the pattern and the yarn to do it.. just need the time in my queue to get it going. But there is this other shirt thing I would like to work on too... I also get this feeling that I'm going to be knitting this Primrose sweater forever!! And not because the one that is almost done will never get done..it will.. but because I think I have two requests by others for that exact sweater. Lol. We'll see how quickly they buy the yarn I suppose for me to start on it.