Thursday, October 28, 2004
the great pumpkin, charlie brown
started on some red mittens from lamb's pride bulky last night. nothing much to say about them, but i hope to have some new pics up next week.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
weekend madness
since i was watching so much tv this weekend i got a lot of knitting done. the chevron scarf is just about done and i worked some more on the cabled one. my friend also knits (but she says she only does it around me) and has been working on a really pretty ribbed scarf for awhile now. she finished it this weekend and wore it out to dinner on sat. we took some pictures with her camera but she has to email them to me.
i also started the knitting bag from the hollywood knits book. i got it from my local library and the bag uses two knitting needles as handles. it worked up super fast in lamb's pride bulky. i have a ton of the stuff in the stash but not in any colors i wanted to use. so i actually went to suss design (open sundays!) and got a skein of black to use with some leftover charcoal grey yarn. since it's been kind of cold here lately things are taking a long time to block and dry. hopefully i will be able to seam it up tonight. and i recently ordered hollywood knits style from overstock.com and it just came yesterday. you're going to think i am a dork but i got it because gina torres is in it and she was in the tv show, firefly, that i am now obsessed with. plus there was a bag pattern in there that i really liked. it's similar in tone to weekend knitting but i prefer weekend knitting over this one. but some of the stuff is really cute and it wasn't a bad price so i am ok with it. plus- db sweeney is in it. hello- the cutting edge! "toe pick!"
i am sorry i am without camera. i know it sucks and if you actually read this, i commend you.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
moist
the weekend was spent hanging out with good friends and watching lots of tv indoors. actually did go see team america on friday and it's damn hilarious. love those south park boys. this movie is not for those easily offended and have no sense of humor, be warned. the songs made us laugh out loud. the theme song goes, "america, fuck yeah!" and that's a pretty good indication of how the movie is. it's very tongue in cheek and we had a good laugh.
started a small cabled scarf using rachael's good ole cabled scarf pattern. just using some navy lamb's pride worsted i got when i first started knitting. i ripped out my noro multidirectional scarf to make a chevron stripe scarf. i just didn't think i would ever wear the other one so rip it goes. i wish i had pictures to show you but my roommate just went home for a couple of weeks and took her camera with her. so i will be photo-less for awhile. :(
Friday, October 15, 2004
balls
orange labrador scarf (sorry i don't have a better name)
yarn: crystal palace labrador
needles: us 15
pattern: good ol' seed stitch
i finished this scarf last week but haven't gotten around to putting up a pic until now. it's quite lacy and bumpy and i really like it. now i just have to wait for it to get cold enough in la to actually wear it. or go someplace cold for the holidays. :)
and here's bobbie bear in his finished glory!
pattern: blue sky alpaca bobbie bear
yarn: cascade pastanza (i think)
needles: us 5
i had a heck of a time picking up the stitches around his butt area. it just didn't look too great. i didn't take a picture of it but oh well, i tried my best. and the embroidery on his face is kind of whack because i don't know how to embroider. i used worsted yarn so he only ended up being about 7-8 inches tall instead of the 2 feet he is supposed to be. i'd love to make him in the bulky alpaca someday. too bad it's so expensive.
i made a ribbed hat from some rowan big wool in the stash two nights ago. i just needed a quick fix and something mindless for tv watching, you know? i don't have anything mindless right now for watching movies and stuff so i gotta get something started. oh and i ripped bloom back. i kept ending up with the wrong number of stitches and it was just annoying. not sure if or when i will start her up again. it's so cute but do i really wear vests?
last night i was out late at a bowl a thon for a great organization called coachart. they're a non profit that gives children with life threatening diseases free lessons in the arts. it's just great and the bowl a thon was a lot of fun. i am such a bad bowler and my arm hurts today. it was all worth it though for that one strike. hope everyone's fridays fly by. i am going to see team america tonight. yay- i've been waiting for it to come out and it's supposed to be hilarious! have a great weekend!
Monday, October 11, 2004
laundry fresh
a little bit of knitting done. i did a some secret knitting for my secret pal, so i can't show it to you. also picked up bloom again after working out what the heck the pattern was talking about at the neck shaping. i really want to make a nice scarf from pam allen's scarf style book. there is one made with 4 ball of karabella aurora 8 that is lovely. they all are, really.
i love the fall. bring on the pumpkins and cold weather!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
mixed nuts
i re-started the bikini bottom from stitch n bitch. i just found at that my friend who i was making the bikini for is moving to albany, ny after the new year and i'd like to give it to her before then. not that she is going to need a knit bikini in the winter of ny, but i'd still like to finish it. let's see if i can defeat the intarsia heart this time.
i also got a bunch of new knitting books in the other day. i joined the crafters choice club, which is basically like bmg music club but for crafting books. i got 5 (gasp!) books at once. lemme tell you, i was in heaven. i received scarf style by interweave, debbie bliss junior knits, simple knits with a twist, the new edgings book by nicky epstein, and hip to crochet. i haven't look through everything thoroughly yet but the scarf style is brilliant and junior knits looks really cool. love debbie bliss. on sat, received a package from sp3 full of goodies. i keep forgetting my camera but i'll have pictures soon. thanks sp3!
an another note i have to admit that i have become addicted to the tv show firefly. it lasted only one season and everyone was telling me that i should watch it. finally got disc 1 on netflix, watched it, got disc 2 and am now hooked. it's such a fun show and i love the dynamic between all the characters. i am so sad knowing that once i blow through all the dvds, there will be nothing left. actually they just filmed a movie version of the show so hopefully that will tie up all the loose ends. i need to buy the dvd set now.
more stuff to buy and no $$. c'est la vie.
Friday, October 01, 2004
it's a rainbow
i started this scarf over the weekend. i had this yarn in my stash and just never got around to making anything with it. it's thick thin wool crystal palace labrador. the color is utterly luscious and tangerine. it's done in seed stitch to show off the texture of the yarn. i quite like it.
here's a closeup of the stitch. nice and textured.
and this is my friend bobbi bear. i like the fact that there isn't much to seam on him, but i am so not good at picking up stitches. i think it just looks bad. there needs to be a whole chapter on picking up stitches from different sides, with pictures! frustration.
i finally got the killers cd. i have been wanting it forever and am grooving to it at work. so much good music around lately. need to get the new joss stone and interpol sometime, too. hope everyone has a great weekend.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
jungle green
went to the post office today to send off my part of a trade for a fleece artist thrum mitt kit (so excited) and let me just say that going to the post office is a practice in patience and tolerance. in line with me was also what could possibly be the most annoying woman on the planet. clad in a pink, velour sweatsuit (who looks good in these?), she was unprepared, rude, wore too much perfume, and had a huge sense of entitlement that made me want to smack her upside the head. i don't know where these people come from but sometimes i think they like to congregate at the post office. sheesh.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
bookmobile
and of course i have knitting add so i started a quick new project this weekend. it's a slubby orange scarf in crystal palace labrador. i bought the yarn for it awhile ago but never got around to starting it. i've gone through one ball and have one more to go.
and we lost our mail key this week. we only got one so my roommate and i have been leaving it on the table, etc. but it has since disappeared. i actually think i lost it since i was the last person to get the mail last week. left a message with the manager but no word yet. i just hope the postman doesn't get mad at us for a full box. he might just give us junk mail from now on. :(
Friday, September 24, 2004
look ma, two hands!
i finally finished my mom's green mitts and they are ready to send off. not much has gotten done this week. it's just been one of those work weeks where it just drags on forever. i can't believe that it is finally friday. i am so so happy.
this is a close up of the sierra quatro yarn. it's 4 ply with different colors. it's a very nice yarn and i would definitely work with it again.
and i've been going a little book crazy. found a 40% off coupon for joann's and used it at two stores. got katharina buss' big book of knitting and nancie wiseman's book of finishing techniques. love knitting books. i really want a big stitch dictionary book now. and i also joined crafter's choice and ordered a boatload of books. somebody stop me!
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
secret pal III strikes!
ooh look what i got in the mail the other day- present from my sp3. it included two luscious skeins of mohair from halcyon yarns in the brightest, most fun colors. also included was a kickass lip balm (how did you know i was addicted to the balm, sp3?) and a cool card. i've never used mohair before so this should be a treat! thanks, secret pal!
that reminds me that i really need to send my secret pals some pressies. i have stuff for them, i just need to package it up and get to the post. lazy me.
FO! finally pics of the hermione hat i finshed last night. it's still blocking on my floor but these pics will give you a good idea of what it looks like.
here is the start of the ribbing and then- tada! unblocked and super skinny. after a nice warm wash in eucalan, however, it softened right up. now it'll fit a human head.
pardon the crappy lighting but it was the best i could do this morning. the pattern was very well written and as it was my first cable project, i think i did ok. dpns and cabling hurt the hands a bit but it was worth it. it really only took me about a week, doing it on and off at night to finish it and it looks so much more complicated than that. it's gonna go in the christmas gift drawer. see how early i am starting?
Monday, September 20, 2004
nummy
tomorrow i have pics of the almost completed hermione cable and bobble hat. the weekend was tiring, as i was running around trying to surprise my friend for her birthday. sunday was spent building shelves and hanging stuff for the new place, and we still have tons to do. however, we did manage to see both wimbledon and ass captain (aka sky captain) and both were highly enjoyable. wimbledon is quite a cheesy romantic comedy but it's great to watch paul bettany in a starring role. the way they shot the tennis was cool, too. and ass captain was phenomenal from a technical viewpoint, as the cgi sets looked very good. i liked the whole look of the movie and the story was pretty good. it has excellent pacing. very different and cool.
well this post doesn't have much knitting content but more tomorrow. i am going to watch my friend play some softball tonight. so wish her team luck!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
dagnabbit
i have started the cable part of the hermione hat and it seems to be going ok. had a false start but was able to unknit back to the point where i screwed up without much incident. i keep trying to knit when my roomie is in her room watching tv and sticking it under a pillow when she came out. and now thanks to yarn harlot, i have thoroughly become obsessed with making thrum mittens. of course i cannot make them for myself (i live in los angeles) but they would make a great gift for my friend in scotland. every time i go there i freeze me little fingers off so i think she would appreciate some mitt goodness. but i can't spend any more money on yarn right now. sniff.
and i was just watching dead like me the other night (on in demand, so i was watching i think episode 2 season 2) and when george goes to the police station, she finds someone who has been stabbed with knitting needles. as the perpetrator said, "he had it coming".
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
wizards and cables and bobbles oh my!
yes i started a new project, but this one has a reason. my roomie's birthday is this sat and i thought she would love this hermione hat, being the potter fanatic that she is. i haven't done any cabling before and am excited to try out my new cable needles. this pattern is from atypically.net by the way. maybe i can make her a gryffindor scarf to go with the hat for christmas.
it's cascade 220 in 8895 (bright red) and i started with a size 6 needle but it looked like it was too big so i went down to 5 dpns. yeah i am loosy goosey with the yarn.
i also forgot yesterday that i put up a bunch of stuff on the stash page. i've been buying way too much stuff lately.
haha- yay for ioan curiousity. it's pronounced YO-an GRIFF-ith for those who don't know and he's welsh. i think knit nut and i are going to start a craze.
and i have internet at home now. woohoo! this is a great day. i'll try and post some progress on the hermione hat later tonight. i hope to at least finish the ribbing so i can get to the fun stuff.
Monday, September 13, 2004
last picture show
the goods: we have some tasty little candies, those fun bubbly type stickers, two cool pens, shiny silver thread from avril (i think i can mix this with my habu thread and make something really cool), and a crochet necklace kit. oh but i save the best for last. these have to be the cutest erasers ever made:
they're mini sushi! can't get much better than that. thanks, secret pal! you're the best!
now onto some wips for you. this is the beginnings of bloom from rowan 36. it's taking me awhile to finish, as 5s are quite small for me and they're aluminum needles. i really don't like aluminum needles. they make that clacking noise that is like nails on chalkboard to me and they're slippery as hell. but i got a big lot of straights on ebay (my starter set) so i use them. note to self: get bamboo straights in the sizes you don't have. anyhow- here is a very small part of bloom:
i am using lana d'oro tweed in aubergine and it's very squishy and nice to work with. the flecks are kind of fun, too. i do like me some tweed once in awhile. next up is that dog sweater i have been working on for gonzo. i have seamed everything and all i need to do is the leg ribbing, but i am lazy. the back ribbing flares out a bit but i picked up the correct number of stitches. hm i should just redo it but i am not going to. i can bet you that my dog will wear it for a combined time of 5 minutes in the next 5 years. he's fidgety and does not like to wear things other than himself.
see the little leg openings need ribbing. i think the seam looks ok but i have no idea if i am doing it right or not. well he won't mind if it's a bit off.
these are the gloves i am making for my mom in cascade sierra quatro. it goes with a scarf and cap i made her but i already gave those to her. for these gloves, i started off with a pattern but found it to be wonky so now i am just winging it. she's my mom so she'll wear it no matter what, right?
and this next picture is for knit nut, who has a thing for ioan gruffudd just like i do. i think he is extremely talented (and cute) and i am happy to see that he is getting some attention. this was from the fantastic four panel at comic-con. so sad that we couldn't get closer but this is still pretty sweet.
on behalf of ioan, happy monday!
Thursday, September 09, 2004
a little nuts
roommate: who are you? where do you live?
crazy lady: you know! you know! all day walking in my head!
roommate: no- i've never seen you before. do you live next door, below us?
crazy lady: you know! son of a bitch!
roommate: hey- i'm no son of a bitch. i'm a girl!
crazy lady: you are destroying the world! you work with satan! son of a bitch! all day with your computer. turn it off!
roommate: we don't have our computers hooked up yet. you can come see.
crazy lady: i hear it! fuck you! son of a bitch!
and this basically continues as she walks back down to her apartment. seems our showering was disturbing her so she decided to pound on the bathroom window slats so hard that they broke. thank goodness no one was inside the shower at the time. and apparently all that pesky walking to the fridge and bathroom for the last week is making her go insane (if she wasn't already). so we've called the property manager and we are going to file a police report tonight. it kind of creeps me out because she's already shown a violent side. hey- i just sit at home and knit, not do aerobics at night. metal sticks aren't that loud.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
back in the saddle again
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
i do like natural fibers but acrylic can be good if used wisely (rowan asc, calmer, phildar yarns). not a huge fan of red heart but lion brand has a good selection.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
bought a starter spinning kit that i haven't used yet and i want to learn to crochet because it seems like there are so many nice crochet patterns out there lately.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
allergic to any furry animals (but i have a childhood dog that lives with me parents and still kiss and hug furry creatures- even if they make me itch). pollen, dust, and strong smells are icky!
4. How long have you been knitting?
only about 8 months.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
yes
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
apple, jasmine, nothing too strong
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
definitely. i love chocolate and gummi candies (haribo is the best), red vines, cookies....the list goes on. i am not a huge fan of dark or white chocolate. it's milk all the way, baby.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
draw, play guitar, photography, creative letter writing
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD)
indie rock and folk/pop. the yeah yeah yeahs, garden state soundtrack, rachael yamagata, the cure, the killers are some examples. yes i can play mp3s.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
i like all colors. have been into bright green and lime lately along with purple tones and pink.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
live with one roommate and 1 fish, kai.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
to not have to wake up to an alarm and to live near the ocean.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
rowan asc, big wool, thick and thin yarns, brown sheep
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
100% scratchy acrylic or wool, novelty yarns that are too crazy
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
toys (teddy bears and animals), phildar, rowan big wool and ribbon twist
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
scarves, toys, sweaters, and i want to get started on socks
17. What are you knitting right now?
bloom from rowan 36, doggie sweater, mittens for mom
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)
they're alright but i think they would be a disaster on me.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
bamboo straights or addi turbo circs. have been wanting to try addi bamboos, though.
20. How did you learn to knit?
friend taught me the knit stitch, mom taught me the purl, the rest was from stitch n bitch and the web.
21. How old is your oldest UFO?
about 6 months. it's the hearts bikini from stitch n bitch.
22. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
i like stitch (from lilo and stitch), south park, the simpsons, wallace and gromit. favorite animals are dogs (pugs and weiner dogs are my faves), hippos, frogs, and bunnies.
23. What is your favorite holiday?
christmas and halloween.
24. Is there anything that you collect?
what don't i collect? magazines (knitting and non), books, comics, yarn, pens, postcards, gnomes...
that's it for that. hope it was helpful to my secret pal.
well i am back at work. i took yesterday off to drive back to la. i left at about 4pm and got back a little after 9pm. why does the drive back always seem so much longer than the drive there? but i had a wonderful long long weekend with my mom and dad. i got to play with my dog, gonzo, and knit knit knit away. i gave my mom her scarf and hat and still need to finish one mitten for the set. she knits, too, and is making a beautiful sage green sweater with some tlc boucle stuff. i don't know how she knits with it because i tried and it's just too curly and slippery for me. i also made a couple of hats using lion thick & quick wool. it's so fun to knit things on huge needles. i made the little shrug from the cover of rowan's big just got bigger for my mom's friend. i took a picture of my mom in it just to see how it looks. and my digital camera is still broken so you'll have to wait until i finish the roll. sorry.
we also went to knitting arts for their labor day sale. i managed to come out of it with 10 balls of ggh somoa. 6 in purple and 4 in pale lavender. not sure what i am going to make from it just yet but i would like to get my hands on the new rebecca 28. love all the new fall mags. i am also dying for the 2003 phildar fall catalog. must get it before everyone sells out of it. i also got something for my secret pal, so i can't share.
i watched a whole lot of movies this weekend, too. see the sidebar for all of the air conditioned fun that my mom and i had. i also got a chance to visit the san jose museum of art, where one of my favorite artists was having an exhibit. the exhibit is "nothing ever happens" by yoshitomo nara and it was great.
this image was in the show, along with sculptures, drawings, and paintings. love love his stuff. the girl on my profile sidebar is also a nara image. so if you live near san jose, go see the show. admission is free so you have no excuse. hope you all have a wonderful wednesday!
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
on the road again
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
lightning strikes twice
i finished larissa's meathead hat. i wanted to snap a picture for you so i could post it later but my roomie's camera was in her car and i sent it off today. so no pics of the meathead. i hope it came out alright. i also knit some more on my mom's second glove. i think i have second glove syndome, if there is such a thing.
the apartment's looking a little better. we still have no gas and the a/c is still broken but what are you going to do?
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
i'm a meathead
tried to sew up the dog sweater last night. that was a bit of a disaster. i know lots of people hate to finish and now i know why. i had such a hard time and finally only had an inch or so that i can actually use. the rest was ripped out. what kind of stitch do you use to stitch together ribbing? hmmm. but i want to get this done by the weekend so i can try it out on my dog over the holiday.
in unpacking news, we tried to organize and put out our dvd collection. both of us have a lot of dvds, not to mention old vhs. took us almost 2 hours to go through them all and weed out the doubles, alphabetize them, and put them on a shelf that is way too small. we didn't even get to the tv series dvds and the vhs. yes we like to stay at home and watch movies. how else would i get any knitting done?
Thursday, October 28, 2004
the great pumpkin, charlie brown
started on some red mittens from lamb's pride bulky last night. nothing much to say about them, but i hope to have some new pics up next week.
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
weekend madness
since i was watching so much tv this weekend i got a lot of knitting done. the chevron scarf is just about done and i worked some more on the cabled one. my friend also knits (but she says she only does it around me) and has been working on a really pretty ribbed scarf for awhile now. she finished it this weekend and wore it out to dinner on sat. we took some pictures with her camera but she has to email them to me.
i also started the knitting bag from the hollywood knits book. i got it from my local library and the bag uses two knitting needles as handles. it worked up super fast in lamb's pride bulky. i have a ton of the stuff in the stash but not in any colors i wanted to use. so i actually went to suss design (open sundays!) and got a skein of black to use with some leftover charcoal grey yarn. since it's been kind of cold here lately things are taking a long time to block and dry. hopefully i will be able to seam it up tonight. and i recently ordered hollywood knits style from overstock.com and it just came yesterday. you're going to think i am a dork but i got it because gina torres is in it and she was in the tv show, firefly, that i am now obsessed with. plus there was a bag pattern in there that i really liked. it's similar in tone to weekend knitting but i prefer weekend knitting over this one. but some of the stuff is really cute and it wasn't a bad price so i am ok with it. plus- db sweeney is in it. hello- the cutting edge! "toe pick!"
i am sorry i am without camera. i know it sucks and if you actually read this, i commend you.
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
moist
the weekend was spent hanging out with good friends and watching lots of tv indoors. actually did go see team america on friday and it's damn hilarious. love those south park boys. this movie is not for those easily offended and have no sense of humor, be warned. the songs made us laugh out loud. the theme song goes, "america, fuck yeah!" and that's a pretty good indication of how the movie is. it's very tongue in cheek and we had a good laugh.
started a small cabled scarf using rachael's good ole cabled scarf pattern. just using some navy lamb's pride worsted i got when i first started knitting. i ripped out my noro multidirectional scarf to make a chevron stripe scarf. i just didn't think i would ever wear the other one so rip it goes. i wish i had pictures to show you but my roommate just went home for a couple of weeks and took her camera with her. so i will be photo-less for awhile. :(
Friday, October 15, 2004
balls
orange labrador scarf (sorry i don't have a better name)
yarn: crystal palace labrador
needles: us 15
pattern: good ol' seed stitch
i finished this scarf last week but haven't gotten around to putting up a pic until now. it's quite lacy and bumpy and i really like it. now i just have to wait for it to get cold enough in la to actually wear it. or go someplace cold for the holidays. :)
and here's bobbie bear in his finished glory!
pattern: blue sky alpaca bobbie bear
yarn: cascade pastanza (i think)
needles: us 5
i had a heck of a time picking up the stitches around his butt area. it just didn't look too great. i didn't take a picture of it but oh well, i tried my best. and the embroidery on his face is kind of whack because i don't know how to embroider. i used worsted yarn so he only ended up being about 7-8 inches tall instead of the 2 feet he is supposed to be. i'd love to make him in the bulky alpaca someday. too bad it's so expensive.
i made a ribbed hat from some rowan big wool in the stash two nights ago. i just needed a quick fix and something mindless for tv watching, you know? i don't have anything mindless right now for watching movies and stuff so i gotta get something started. oh and i ripped bloom back. i kept ending up with the wrong number of stitches and it was just annoying. not sure if or when i will start her up again. it's so cute but do i really wear vests?
last night i was out late at a bowl a thon for a great organization called coachart. they're a non profit that gives children with life threatening diseases free lessons in the arts. it's just great and the bowl a thon was a lot of fun. i am such a bad bowler and my arm hurts today. it was all worth it though for that one strike. hope everyone's fridays fly by. i am going to see team america tonight. yay- i've been waiting for it to come out and it's supposed to be hilarious! have a great weekend!
Monday, October 11, 2004
laundry fresh
a little bit of knitting done. i did a some secret knitting for my secret pal, so i can't show it to you. also picked up bloom again after working out what the heck the pattern was talking about at the neck shaping. i really want to make a nice scarf from pam allen's scarf style book. there is one made with 4 ball of karabella aurora 8 that is lovely. they all are, really.
i love the fall. bring on the pumpkins and cold weather!
Thursday, October 07, 2004
mixed nuts
i re-started the bikini bottom from stitch n bitch. i just found at that my friend who i was making the bikini for is moving to albany, ny after the new year and i'd like to give it to her before then. not that she is going to need a knit bikini in the winter of ny, but i'd still like to finish it. let's see if i can defeat the intarsia heart this time.
i also got a bunch of new knitting books in the other day. i joined the crafters choice club, which is basically like bmg music club but for crafting books. i got 5 (gasp!) books at once. lemme tell you, i was in heaven. i received scarf style by interweave, debbie bliss junior knits, simple knits with a twist, the new edgings book by nicky epstein, and hip to crochet. i haven't look through everything thoroughly yet but the scarf style is brilliant and junior knits looks really cool. love debbie bliss. on sat, received a package from sp3 full of goodies. i keep forgetting my camera but i'll have pictures soon. thanks sp3!
an another note i have to admit that i have become addicted to the tv show firefly. it lasted only one season and everyone was telling me that i should watch it. finally got disc 1 on netflix, watched it, got disc 2 and am now hooked. it's such a fun show and i love the dynamic between all the characters. i am so sad knowing that once i blow through all the dvds, there will be nothing left. actually they just filmed a movie version of the show so hopefully that will tie up all the loose ends. i need to buy the dvd set now.
more stuff to buy and no $$. c'est la vie.
Friday, October 01, 2004
it's a rainbow
i started this scarf over the weekend. i had this yarn in my stash and just never got around to making anything with it. it's thick thin wool crystal palace labrador. the color is utterly luscious and tangerine. it's done in seed stitch to show off the texture of the yarn. i quite like it.
here's a closeup of the stitch. nice and textured.
and this is my friend bobbi bear. i like the fact that there isn't much to seam on him, but i am so not good at picking up stitches. i think it just looks bad. there needs to be a whole chapter on picking up stitches from different sides, with pictures! frustration.
i finally got the killers cd. i have been wanting it forever and am grooving to it at work. so much good music around lately. need to get the new joss stone and interpol sometime, too. hope everyone has a great weekend.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
jungle green
went to the post office today to send off my part of a trade for a fleece artist thrum mitt kit (so excited) and let me just say that going to the post office is a practice in patience and tolerance. in line with me was also what could possibly be the most annoying woman on the planet. clad in a pink, velour sweatsuit (who looks good in these?), she was unprepared, rude, wore too much perfume, and had a huge sense of entitlement that made me want to smack her upside the head. i don't know where these people come from but sometimes i think they like to congregate at the post office. sheesh.
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
bookmobile
and of course i have knitting add so i started a quick new project this weekend. it's a slubby orange scarf in crystal palace labrador. i bought the yarn for it awhile ago but never got around to starting it. i've gone through one ball and have one more to go.
and we lost our mail key this week. we only got one so my roommate and i have been leaving it on the table, etc. but it has since disappeared. i actually think i lost it since i was the last person to get the mail last week. left a message with the manager but no word yet. i just hope the postman doesn't get mad at us for a full box. he might just give us junk mail from now on. :(
Friday, September 24, 2004
look ma, two hands!
i finally finished my mom's green mitts and they are ready to send off. not much has gotten done this week. it's just been one of those work weeks where it just drags on forever. i can't believe that it is finally friday. i am so so happy.
this is a close up of the sierra quatro yarn. it's 4 ply with different colors. it's a very nice yarn and i would definitely work with it again.
and i've been going a little book crazy. found a 40% off coupon for joann's and used it at two stores. got katharina buss' big book of knitting and nancie wiseman's book of finishing techniques. love knitting books. i really want a big stitch dictionary book now. and i also joined crafter's choice and ordered a boatload of books. somebody stop me!
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
secret pal III strikes!
ooh look what i got in the mail the other day- present from my sp3. it included two luscious skeins of mohair from halcyon yarns in the brightest, most fun colors. also included was a kickass lip balm (how did you know i was addicted to the balm, sp3?) and a cool card. i've never used mohair before so this should be a treat! thanks, secret pal!
that reminds me that i really need to send my secret pals some pressies. i have stuff for them, i just need to package it up and get to the post. lazy me.
FO! finally pics of the hermione hat i finshed last night. it's still blocking on my floor but these pics will give you a good idea of what it looks like.
here is the start of the ribbing and then- tada! unblocked and super skinny. after a nice warm wash in eucalan, however, it softened right up. now it'll fit a human head.
pardon the crappy lighting but it was the best i could do this morning. the pattern was very well written and as it was my first cable project, i think i did ok. dpns and cabling hurt the hands a bit but it was worth it. it really only took me about a week, doing it on and off at night to finish it and it looks so much more complicated than that. it's gonna go in the christmas gift drawer. see how early i am starting?
Monday, September 20, 2004
nummy
tomorrow i have pics of the almost completed hermione cable and bobble hat. the weekend was tiring, as i was running around trying to surprise my friend for her birthday. sunday was spent building shelves and hanging stuff for the new place, and we still have tons to do. however, we did manage to see both wimbledon and ass captain (aka sky captain) and both were highly enjoyable. wimbledon is quite a cheesy romantic comedy but it's great to watch paul bettany in a starring role. the way they shot the tennis was cool, too. and ass captain was phenomenal from a technical viewpoint, as the cgi sets looked very good. i liked the whole look of the movie and the story was pretty good. it has excellent pacing. very different and cool.
well this post doesn't have much knitting content but more tomorrow. i am going to watch my friend play some softball tonight. so wish her team luck!
Thursday, September 16, 2004
dagnabbit
i have started the cable part of the hermione hat and it seems to be going ok. had a false start but was able to unknit back to the point where i screwed up without much incident. i keep trying to knit when my roomie is in her room watching tv and sticking it under a pillow when she came out. and now thanks to yarn harlot, i have thoroughly become obsessed with making thrum mittens. of course i cannot make them for myself (i live in los angeles) but they would make a great gift for my friend in scotland. every time i go there i freeze me little fingers off so i think she would appreciate some mitt goodness. but i can't spend any more money on yarn right now. sniff.
and i was just watching dead like me the other night (on in demand, so i was watching i think episode 2 season 2) and when george goes to the police station, she finds someone who has been stabbed with knitting needles. as the perpetrator said, "he had it coming".
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
wizards and cables and bobbles oh my!
yes i started a new project, but this one has a reason. my roomie's birthday is this sat and i thought she would love this hermione hat, being the potter fanatic that she is. i haven't done any cabling before and am excited to try out my new cable needles. this pattern is from atypically.net by the way. maybe i can make her a gryffindor scarf to go with the hat for christmas.
it's cascade 220 in 8895 (bright red) and i started with a size 6 needle but it looked like it was too big so i went down to 5 dpns. yeah i am loosy goosey with the yarn.
i also forgot yesterday that i put up a bunch of stuff on the stash page. i've been buying way too much stuff lately.
haha- yay for ioan curiousity. it's pronounced YO-an GRIFF-ith for those who don't know and he's welsh. i think knit nut and i are going to start a craze.
and i have internet at home now. woohoo! this is a great day. i'll try and post some progress on the hermione hat later tonight. i hope to at least finish the ribbing so i can get to the fun stuff.
Monday, September 13, 2004
last picture show
the goods: we have some tasty little candies, those fun bubbly type stickers, two cool pens, shiny silver thread from avril (i think i can mix this with my habu thread and make something really cool), and a crochet necklace kit. oh but i save the best for last. these have to be the cutest erasers ever made:
they're mini sushi! can't get much better than that. thanks, secret pal! you're the best!
now onto some wips for you. this is the beginnings of bloom from rowan 36. it's taking me awhile to finish, as 5s are quite small for me and they're aluminum needles. i really don't like aluminum needles. they make that clacking noise that is like nails on chalkboard to me and they're slippery as hell. but i got a big lot of straights on ebay (my starter set) so i use them. note to self: get bamboo straights in the sizes you don't have. anyhow- here is a very small part of bloom:
i am using lana d'oro tweed in aubergine and it's very squishy and nice to work with. the flecks are kind of fun, too. i do like me some tweed once in awhile. next up is that dog sweater i have been working on for gonzo. i have seamed everything and all i need to do is the leg ribbing, but i am lazy. the back ribbing flares out a bit but i picked up the correct number of stitches. hm i should just redo it but i am not going to. i can bet you that my dog will wear it for a combined time of 5 minutes in the next 5 years. he's fidgety and does not like to wear things other than himself.
see the little leg openings need ribbing. i think the seam looks ok but i have no idea if i am doing it right or not. well he won't mind if it's a bit off.
these are the gloves i am making for my mom in cascade sierra quatro. it goes with a scarf and cap i made her but i already gave those to her. for these gloves, i started off with a pattern but found it to be wonky so now i am just winging it. she's my mom so she'll wear it no matter what, right?
and this next picture is for knit nut, who has a thing for ioan gruffudd just like i do. i think he is extremely talented (and cute) and i am happy to see that he is getting some attention. this was from the fantastic four panel at comic-con. so sad that we couldn't get closer but this is still pretty sweet.
on behalf of ioan, happy monday!
Thursday, September 09, 2004
a little nuts
roommate: who are you? where do you live?
crazy lady: you know! you know! all day walking in my head!
roommate: no- i've never seen you before. do you live next door, below us?
crazy lady: you know! son of a bitch!
roommate: hey- i'm no son of a bitch. i'm a girl!
crazy lady: you are destroying the world! you work with satan! son of a bitch! all day with your computer. turn it off!
roommate: we don't have our computers hooked up yet. you can come see.
crazy lady: i hear it! fuck you! son of a bitch!
and this basically continues as she walks back down to her apartment. seems our showering was disturbing her so she decided to pound on the bathroom window slats so hard that they broke. thank goodness no one was inside the shower at the time. and apparently all that pesky walking to the fridge and bathroom for the last week is making her go insane (if she wasn't already). so we've called the property manager and we are going to file a police report tonight. it kind of creeps me out because she's already shown a violent side. hey- i just sit at home and knit, not do aerobics at night. metal sticks aren't that loud.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
back in the saddle again
1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
i do like natural fibers but acrylic can be good if used wisely (rowan asc, calmer, phildar yarns). not a huge fan of red heart but lion brand has a good selection.
2. Do you spin? Crochet?
bought a starter spinning kit that i haven't used yet and i want to learn to crochet because it seems like there are so many nice crochet patterns out there lately.
3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
allergic to any furry animals (but i have a childhood dog that lives with me parents and still kiss and hug furry creatures- even if they make me itch). pollen, dust, and strong smells are icky!
4. How long have you been knitting?
only about 8 months.
5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
yes
6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
apple, jasmine, nothing too strong
7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
definitely. i love chocolate and gummi candies (haribo is the best), red vines, cookies....the list goes on. i am not a huge fan of dark or white chocolate. it's milk all the way, baby.
8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
draw, play guitar, photography, creative letter writing
9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD)
indie rock and folk/pop. the yeah yeah yeahs, garden state soundtrack, rachael yamagata, the cure, the killers are some examples. yes i can play mp3s.
10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?
i like all colors. have been into bright green and lime lately along with purple tones and pink.
11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
live with one roommate and 1 fish, kai.
12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
to not have to wake up to an alarm and to live near the ocean.
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
rowan asc, big wool, thick and thin yarns, brown sheep
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
100% scratchy acrylic or wool, novelty yarns that are too crazy
15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
toys (teddy bears and animals), phildar, rowan big wool and ribbon twist
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
scarves, toys, sweaters, and i want to get started on socks
17. What are you knitting right now?
bloom from rowan 36, doggie sweater, mittens for mom
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us)
they're alright but i think they would be a disaster on me.
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
bamboo straights or addi turbo circs. have been wanting to try addi bamboos, though.
20. How did you learn to knit?
friend taught me the knit stitch, mom taught me the purl, the rest was from stitch n bitch and the web.
21. How old is your oldest UFO?
about 6 months. it's the hearts bikini from stitch n bitch.
22. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
i like stitch (from lilo and stitch), south park, the simpsons, wallace and gromit. favorite animals are dogs (pugs and weiner dogs are my faves), hippos, frogs, and bunnies.
23. What is your favorite holiday?
christmas and halloween.
24. Is there anything that you collect?
what don't i collect? magazines (knitting and non), books, comics, yarn, pens, postcards, gnomes...
that's it for that. hope it was helpful to my secret pal.
well i am back at work. i took yesterday off to drive back to la. i left at about 4pm and got back a little after 9pm. why does the drive back always seem so much longer than the drive there? but i had a wonderful long long weekend with my mom and dad. i got to play with my dog, gonzo, and knit knit knit away. i gave my mom her scarf and hat and still need to finish one mitten for the set. she knits, too, and is making a beautiful sage green sweater with some tlc boucle stuff. i don't know how she knits with it because i tried and it's just too curly and slippery for me. i also made a couple of hats using lion thick & quick wool. it's so fun to knit things on huge needles. i made the little shrug from the cover of rowan's big just got bigger for my mom's friend. i took a picture of my mom in it just to see how it looks. and my digital camera is still broken so you'll have to wait until i finish the roll. sorry.
we also went to knitting arts for their labor day sale. i managed to come out of it with 10 balls of ggh somoa. 6 in purple and 4 in pale lavender. not sure what i am going to make from it just yet but i would like to get my hands on the new rebecca 28. love all the new fall mags. i am also dying for the 2003 phildar fall catalog. must get it before everyone sells out of it. i also got something for my secret pal, so i can't share.
i watched a whole lot of movies this weekend, too. see the sidebar for all of the air conditioned fun that my mom and i had. i also got a chance to visit the san jose museum of art, where one of my favorite artists was having an exhibit. the exhibit is "nothing ever happens" by yoshitomo nara and it was great.
this image was in the show, along with sculptures, drawings, and paintings. love love his stuff. the girl on my profile sidebar is also a nara image. so if you live near san jose, go see the show. admission is free so you have no excuse. hope you all have a wonderful wednesday!
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
on the road again
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
lightning strikes twice
i finished larissa's meathead hat. i wanted to snap a picture for you so i could post it later but my roomie's camera was in her car and i sent it off today. so no pics of the meathead. i hope it came out alright. i also knit some more on my mom's second glove. i think i have second glove syndome, if there is such a thing.
the apartment's looking a little better. we still have no gas and the a/c is still broken but what are you going to do?
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
i'm a meathead
tried to sew up the dog sweater last night. that was a bit of a disaster. i know lots of people hate to finish and now i know why. i had such a hard time and finally only had an inch or so that i can actually use. the rest was ripped out. what kind of stitch do you use to stitch together ribbing? hmmm. but i want to get this done by the weekend so i can try it out on my dog over the holiday.
in unpacking news, we tried to organize and put out our dvd collection. both of us have a lot of dvds, not to mention old vhs. took us almost 2 hours to go through them all and weed out the doubles, alphabetize them, and put them on a shelf that is way too small. we didn't even get to the tv series dvds and the vhs. yes we like to stay at home and watch movies. how else would i get any knitting done?