Belated Pictures

I finally figured out how to get the pictures off of my cell phone. It only took me four days. Not bad.

This is Purl with Jackie from Saturday. It's fun to see her with a bigger dog. It doesn't happen often.This is one of the MANY wheels owned by the exes mom. It is double treadle, and there are all sorts of other special things I am supposed to know about it, but I don't. The wheel I have that is currently never being used is a loaner from the mom.

And finally...

This is the homespun. It will soon be joining my stash. The mom (sorry, don't want to use real names, but don't really know how to refer to his family anymore) loves to spin, but doesn't knit. She's had surgery on both wrists for carpal tunnel, so she really can't anymore. Luckily she likes to give the yarn away, so after I left a note saying how pretty it was I was told I could have the yarn. Yeah!

In other knitting news, I got several rows into Orangina when I noticed that it looked huge. I normally wear a medium, so that's what I cast on for. When I looked at the pattern I realized I should be knitting a size small, so I frogged what I had. I'll start again tomorrow. Also, my cousin is coming to stay with me for a few days while our mother's go to the quilt show in Paducah KY. She has already shown an interest in yarn and knitting the last few times I saw her, so I'm hoping I can further that habit in her!

On moths

I had a moth fly in my ear tonight and get stuck. There's not much else to the story, other then that it did finally find its way out, where it was promptly smashed by a neighbor.

When the elephants come marching in...

The exes parents have a big dog. She's a St. Burmese Mountain Dog that they got when Purl was 1 because they loved Purl. (Purl's a rottweiler / St. Bernard mix, Burmese are in the same family as both breeds. Supposedly both breeds come from Burmese). Anyway, his parents went out of town for the day and are going to be gone for over 12 hours, so they asked if I could come let Jackie out for a bit. I get to do laundry and bring Purl, so I said sure. Purl and Jackie love each other, because neither dog gets to play with other dogs their size often (his parents also have two small poodles. Jackie's head is bigger then these dogs bodies). Purl is not used to be outside by herself, so she keeps coming to the glass window and looking for me. Getting her here was also a problem - she does not like the PT cruiser. She refused to come near the car once she realized I was going to make her get in it, then slipped out of her collar when I tried to drag her over the the car. I even through treats in! Eventually I just picked her up (she weighs 80 + lbs. this is not easy to do) and put her in the back. I haven't figured out how I will get her home yet.
I am swathing for orangina in the blue king tut while I'm here (and looking at all gorgeous home spun his mom as made in the past few months. I do miss the home spun. I forgot my camera, so no pictures unless I can figure out how to get pictures from cell phone onto my laptop).

To sir, with love

I have a problem. I have three different, beautiful types of yarn (I know, since when is this a problem).

From left to right: Royal Bamboo color 5, King Tut Cotton in light blue, and Zitron Samoa in color 37

I also have three great patterns. (Orangina and the Lotus Blossom Tank are the last two). The problem is that I can't decide which pattern to knit with which yarn. Right now I am leaning toward using the King Tut for the Orangina, the Samoa (which is this gorgeous blue/black color. I am in love with it) for the Lotus Blossom, and the Royal Bamboo for the Ribbed Openwork Tank. I guess I better start swatching so I can decide!

P.S. The sock is progressing nicely. I just got the stitch markers in, but am debating knitting a heavy wool sweater while it warm out.

Expansion

Wow. It's been a week again. Sorry about that. I have very little progress to show you, but I will make up for this with LOTS of pictures. I am about 6 inches into the l'il red riding hoodie, but I have decided that since it requires 6 stitch markers, and I just ordered these 6 stitch markers, I have to wait for them to come in before working on it any more. Yes, I do have plain ones that will work just fine, but they are plain. And boring. Luckily the new ones were shipped today, so I should have them fairly soon.

The color in the first photo is more accurate.

I turned the heel on my plain vanilla trekking sock (yes, I am still on the first one. Why do you ask?), picked up the stitches for the gusset, knit a few rows, and realized that the heel flap was WAY to short. I keep trying to make 2 inch heel flaps so that it forms a pretty square, but sadly, this does not work. So I ripped back to the heel flap and added an inch(Those who know me are shocked by this. Typically I refuse to rip, no matter how bad the mistake. For something like a short heel, normally I would live with it. I think this is a sign I am growing. Maybe I'll go work on the scarf. On second thought, fixing a sock heel is enough growth for now).

I am also working on a pair of pants for baby G. Last year I had a lapse of judgment and ordered enough knit picks shine to knit a shrug for myself. This was not the lapse. The lapse was ordering it in a bright green shade. I wear browns, and reds, and earthy tones. Not bright apple green. However, baby G's mom loves green, and the pattern calls for 2 skeins of knit picks shine, so I will get to use some of my stash.

I went on a yarn crawl on Friday with Deb and blog-less Sarah to celebrate both of their birthdays. We started and knit and caboodle on main street here in St. Charles. Here is the wall of cascade I gushed about earlier. It still amazes me. I swear I walk into this place and get overtaken by the wool fumes. I need to just get my paycheck direct deposited to their account. I bought yarn to finish the before mentioned sweater and a skein of sock yarn - I showed considerable restraint. Purl likes the sock yarn too, see, she arranged it artistically for me. It's Jitterbug and is beautiful. It has already been re-skeined. Our next stop was Knitorius. Unfortunately, it took us way to long to get there, so it was our last stop. We meant to go to another store after this, but getting lost took over an hour of our time. Here I got enough King Tut's cotton to make a summer sweater, and a skein of Lorna's Lace in black Purl (yes, I admit the name is why I bought it.I'm a sucker for things that make me think of my dog).

I promise to try and be better this week about blogging. I can't promise I actually will, though.

Wip it...

Thanks for the wonderful comments on Something Red. I wore it to work yesterday, and I was right about the coziness. I am going to have to move the button in - it just looks too big when I wear it. No biggy, it will only take a minute to move. I've already started on my next project - L'il Red Riding Hoodie from DomiKnitrix. I'm using two strands of Cascade 220 in a dark navy instead of the yarn it calls for. I had to go down two needle sizes in order to get gauge, which makes it really thick and dense - this will definitely be another really warm sweater! Perfect for the start of summer in St.Louis.

Something Red - Picture Heavy!

I finished knitting Something Red on Thursday night. I am so excited and can't wait to wear it. It was too wet still on Friday to wear to work, and I really have no reason to dress up on the weekends!

Here is a picture of the second sleeve while I was still working on it


This is the first sleeve, after it was finished


The finished sweater all layed out

Close up of the button. I bought it at a local quilt store called patches. I wish I had set it in a little bit more, but for now it will do. If I decide it bugs me too much I will cut and reattach it.

The raglan shaping/sleeve detail. This is the part of the patten that I really love. Well, that and the neck, and the button band, and...

The cuff

And finally, me modeling my first sweater!

I waited until I saw my neighbor Betty taking her miniature poodle, Emily, out this morning. As soon as I saw them come out I ran downstairs with my camera and sweater and begged Betty to take a picture! My neighbors are pretty used to this by now, and Betty crotchet's, so she was more then happy to help. I lucked out in the neighbor department at this place!

Pattern Specs

Pattern: Something Red by Wendy Bernard
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Silk Alpaca in color 25012 (a deep plum color). I used between 9 1/2 and 10 balls.

Mods: I made the top part of the sweater a little longer then called for. I think I have an extra long torso. I also used different yarn, but that's it.
Thoughts: I love this pattern. It was well written and easy to follow. The sweater is gorgeous, and the yarn is so soft. Overall, it seems really cozy, yet dressy enough that I can wear it to work. Chances are I will make this again.

At Last!

The knitting portion of Something Red is complete! It is soaking right now, and needs to be blocked. I still have to sew the button on, but the knitting is finished! My first sweater!

Grace Kelly*

I started a new job yesterday. I still work for the old company, but part time just doesn't cover enough. I could fit more hours in there, which would mean I would still have nights and weekends off, so I am considering it. But the new place as benefits for pt employees. I figure I'll give it another day or two and then decide. I really like having weekends off for fun stuff, like art openings, yarn crawls, and traveling!

It is freezing here now. Hard to imagine that just last Sunday I walked on the KT trail and took all those pictures! Speaking of...

On the right side of the trail there is a little waterfall. Since it always has water in it, even when there has been no rain for month, I'm a little dubious of its orgins, but it is still pretty to look at. I don't worry about the source too much, it's not like I'm going to drink from it or go for a swim.

Across from the water fall there is a memorial bench. It always has fresh flowers.
Purl found a stick on the trail. She does so much better on walks when she has something to carry. It keeps her from smelling everything there is to smell.
She's so proud!

I keep fight the urge to go back to the new yarn store. I really want to go get more of the cascade Jewell - maybe a sweaters worth? I should probably finish the one I'm working on first!

*The title has nothing to do with this post, but the song has been stuck in my head all day

For such a big dog....

Purl is a big weeny. I took her for a walk yesterday. It was our normal route, so just around the blog. It totals two miles, and normally is not long enough to put even a dent in Purl's energy levels. Yesterday, about half way through, Purl found a nice tree with lots of shade and laid down. She was done. Today, she refused to go out in the rain. Granted, it was a torrential down pour, but still. Weeny.

This is the view at the bottom of the hill from the parking lot to the trail. Usually there is a nice breeze from the river, which keeps it from being too hot.

View from the top

She's Crafty

My mom is a quilter. The first quilt she ever made was for me - the Ohio Rose - and was beautiful. When I graduated from high school she made graduation quilts for me and my my two best friends (I am still friends with both of these girls. We graduated almost 7 years ago, and have were friends in middle school in one case, and in preschool in the other. This is something I take both pride and joy in). In my opinion my mother is very talented, and has created some very beautiful and useful quilts, including this one, which now hangs on my wall.

She also made a wall hanging of Purl.

I have had this one for almost a year and just now got around to hanging it! When mom made it Purl had a collar with rhinestones on it, so mom used silver and black material for the collar! (I am very upset by the fact that I can't find a sparkle color big enough for her anymore! Big dogs need bling too!)

She made the quilt I use on my bed out of flannel material. It is so comfy!

Really, this one is just an excuse to show how Purl sleeps. This cracks me up!

I love that I finally have stuff on my walls that are not prints! I have had the same art prints up since I was a sophomore in college. It was defiantly time for a change. I'm hoping that I will be able to start saving a little bit of money each pay check to buy real art to hang up.

In knitting news, I finished the first sleeve on something Red. I know this is a bad picture, but none of my neighbors were home and I wanted to show it off!

This,

Has become this.

I got tired of unknitting rows only to find more mistakes. I still love the pattern, and plan to start over again as soon as I finish Something Red. The weather is perfect right now for a light-weight shawl worn over a tank top.

Finally, Purl and I went for a hike on the KT trail today, and I took lots of pictures. I will save those for now. Maybe I will use them in later posts so I have pictures to share for a while. It was a beautiful day, and the KT trail is gorgeous this time of year. Here is a picture of Purl has we leave the apartment. It's her first time in the cruiser, and she is not too sure about it. I had to help lift her in!

She the tail tucked? Poor girl.