Uh-oh.

I currently have over 170 knitting and crochet projects queued on Ravelry. That's a whole heck of a lot. Some are small, some are big, some are easy, some are complicated, but they are all things that I want to make. So what's a girl to do?

Find a new hobby, of course.

I was looking at Lolly's blog, and she has taken up weaving. My dad made me a little loom when I was small - it was big enough to make a skinny scarf. I really liked it, and I think he still has it in his basement. I was thinking of fetching it and giving it to the Banana. I began to do a little research, and there are plenty of places (well, two to be exact) to learn to weave in southeastern PA - the Philadelphia Guild of Handweavers in Manayunk, and The Mannings in East Berlin. Both are reputable and have a long history of producing magnificent artists. Then, I posted on a Ravelry group that I was interested in learning, and dontcha know that there is a woman living not far from me at all who has volunteered to let me borrow her rigid heddle loom and book to learn before I buy! How generous is that!

And then I got to thinking, well, if I'm going to weave, and I already knit and crochet, why shouldn't I just spin my own yarn?

So of course I called my father and casually mentioned that a drop spindle would be easy and cheap to make, and how fun it would be to have one. ;o) My dad's good with the woodwork.

Why oh why can't I just sit at home and craft all day? Wah. This working nonsense is for the birds. I'm sure WT would agree - he would like to sit at home and play his guitar and watch Steven Seagal movies. But we sort of like to eat and have heat and stuff like that, so off to work it is.

At least I get summers off. ;o)

Snow day = FOs

Hey everybody! Banana and I had a snow day yesterday. Now generally I'm not a big fan of the snow, but when it means I get a three-day weekend I LOVE it.

Needless to say, I got some crocheting and knitting done!

I finished my second Tiramisu Blanket, pattern by Alicia Paulson. I made it with Red Heart Heathers, and I'm pleased with the outcome. I managed to lose some stitches in the middle, so it's not really square, but the edging helps disguise it. All in all, a lovely little blankie that will hopefully keep baby Gavin warm whenever he gets here.

This was a quick, lovely little knit. This is the Baby Bib o' Love from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Instead of making two straps that meet in the back, I made one to come all the way around front, because when you're trying to put a bib on a baby in a highchair or bouncy seat, you inevitably end up pushing their heads forward, and they generally don't like that. All it needs is a button and it's done. This took me about 2 hours and less than one skein of Lily Sugar 'n' Cream.

Here's another one. I like the greens. I think I'll put a little elephant button on it. ;o)

I've made a considerable amount of progress on WT's vest considering I'm not the fastest knitter in the world. I do love stockinette, it goes so quickly! I really like this yarn too - it's Cascade Sierra. It's pretty soft and not splitty and easy on the hands.

And here is one of the gorgeous roses that WT gave me for Valentine's Day. Yay for flowers!

The Next Big Thing?

You really have to love Ravelry. I mean seriously. Everyone should join, even if you're not a joiner (coughhackAnneMariecoughhack). I saw a pattern for this groovy little capecho (Now who pronounces this kuh-PAY-cho? Like I did the first time I saw it because it was like Spanish or something? But no, apparently it's cape-cho, because it's a cross between a cape and a poncho. Who knew? But I digress.) on Ravelry called Sherblet. I was delighted to find out that it was a free pattern! So of course I queued it and began to look at the other patterns offered by the same person. Turns out this person is actually people, named Robin Dodge and Rachel Clarke, and they've started a website called MetaPostModernKnitting. They just published their first issue, and they have six patterns, all for free! They will publish two 'official' issues per year, but will also published things in dribs and drabs between issues. They also take submissions.

I love it! Go check it out!

And now for something fun

Stuff

Things are going. I got to go out on a date with my husband last Friday, which was awfully nice. We went to Totaro's in Conshohocken, a lovely little restaurant tucked away in an unassuming neighborhood with a wine list to die for and food that is fabu. I had lobster mac and cheese (seriously, that's what it was called): penne pasta with cheese and cream and butter and chunks of lobster. Yum. WT had lobster and veal. More yum. It was nice to sit and talk and drink and just have fun.

Saturday and Sunday I got to spend time with my gals down the shore in Ocean City, NJ, which is one of my most favorite places in the whole world. Five of the girls from knitting group and I rented a HUGE place at 27th and Asbury. We talked, knitted, drank, knitted, ate, and knitted. A good time was had by all. The only drawback was that I couldn't stay for longer.

On Monday, Banana and I went to one of those places where you can paint your own pottery. Sheesh, talk about expensive. Surprisingly, my dear daughter painted a princess bank. I painted a spoon rest. My father and I often talk of splitting the cost of a pottery wheel and kiln. I do so love to work with clay. Although clay and yarn are probably not a terrific mix. Oh well. Maybe when we move into our country estate and have a barn (hahahahahaha) Dad can move in and we'll have an art studio. Which of course will be next to WT's recording studio.

I started making a vest for WT in Cascade Sierra, and I'm really happy with the progress I made thus far. I like the Sierra - it's nice to work with. The vest is very simple, a free pattern from Berroco. I had originally wanted to make either the River Forest Gansey by Jolene Treace or the Cobblestone by Jared Flood, but I currently don't have enough yarn for either of those, so a vest it is. WT is happy because I'm making something for him. :o)

I also need to get started on a sweater that I've been promising the Banana for months now. I have some Ella Rae Classic Print in greens, lavenders, and pinks for her. I'm going to use the sweater recipe from Ann Budd's Knitter's Book of Handy Patterns. It will be the first time I'm using this, I hope I don't screw it up too bad!

I am about 95% done my second Tiramisu blanket, and then I can get started on two Baby It's Cold Outside sweaters to go with the blankets. Hopefully I can get these done before the babies arrive!

I have knitting group tonight, which is always something to look forward to.

***

This is generally a difficult time of year for me. I hate February. It's so grey and damp and cold and just... bleh. My mother's birthday is coming up, and I miss her. I can't go outside. My house is dirty. Blah blah blah. I'm sick of winter and it's not spring yet. Carlos, one of our cats, has decided that when the alarm goes off at 5 am it's okay to jump on my head and stand on my chest with his pointy little paws, even though I don't get up until 6-ish. The cats are messy. They knock shit over. Kvetch kvetch kvetch. I want it to be sunny and warm so I can open the windows and air out the house. I want to eat fresh blueberries.

Okay. Enough complaining. Have a great day! ;o)

Tee hee - most excellent bumper sticker

Toys

Yay! I got my Labbit!

Eating his yummy popsicle. Cherry? Raspberry? We'll never know for certain.

What labbit doesn't enjoy some fresh grass?

He would be right at home at a Phillies game this summer. Hey! That gives me an idea...

He can wear his gas mask as we drive by the sewage treatment plant just off of I-95.

I had to pick up the Banana early today because her school let out at 11:30 am. It wasn't even snowing yet. Crimy. So we got home nice and early and what did I do? Laundry? No. Pay bills? No. Wash dishes? No. Clean the kitty litter? No.

I made Dulcinea a new outfit! How cute is that? I got the patterns from the Blythe Yahoo! group. I didn't even have to sew it, I just glued everything. I'm fairly happy with it.

'Kay, that's it for now. As you were.

I'm a blogging fool!

Woo hoo! I've been busy. Let's start with the yarn room (WT would call it the music room - I supposed it depends on your point of view). I was getting pretty sick of the way it's been looking recently, so I organized it.

Before

After

Much better, isn't it? I actually have a much better handle on what's in my stash. Even when this was organized before, it was pouring out of the bins and on the floor and all. Now it is neatly confined. I filled two and a half kitchen trash bags with yarn I don't want - it will be donated locally to a women's shelter. I also got together 2 smaller bags full of yarn to be swapped at my knitting group's third birthday party. Yay!

And look! I finished something too! This here is your basic garter stitch scarf. I had two skeins of The Fibre Company's Savannah DK in lime and rose, so I knitted until it was all used up. I changed colors every two rows. I'm happy with it. It lays flat, and it's comfy and warm and pretty. Sometimes simple is the way to go.

I think I like the 'wrong' side better than the 'right' side. The yarn has a rustic feel that I like.

I found this pink hat while organizing my stash. I made it on a loom about two years ago. Banana liked it, so she gets to keep it. It's made out of some really soft acrylic stuff.

I crocheted this hat about 3.5 years ago. It was one of the first hats I ever crocheted. Banana likes this one too, so she's going to keep it.

Look! Unazukin! Aren't they cute? When you ask them a question, they nod or shake their heads. Kind of like a Japanese magic eight ball, only cuter.

This is the last yarn I bought. No more new stuff until 2009. I usually don't buy 100% wool, but I fell in love with this colorway. I have about 600 yards, so I'm thinking I'll make a cropped sweater or something.

I purchased Knit Picks Memories in the Geranium colorway. I'm going to make socks! At least, I'm going to try to make socks. We'll see what happens.

I bought Universal Yarn Co.'s Pace in blue and dark gray to make socks for WT. He likes the colors, as they are nice and manly and they match his work clothes. And at $3.50 a ball, who can resist?

I was going to post pictures of the Memories and Pace, but Blogger is being an asshole and I don't have the patience to try to format anymore tonight. Maybe next time.

So there you have it. FOs, stash, organization, and unazukin. Yay!

One more time

Maybe it'll just be one more time this year. But yes, I'm starting another yarn diet. I went to Crafty Me in Conshohocken today to buy sock yarn and dpns, and perhaps some other pretty yarn, but now I'm done. Last time I went for about 4.5 months without purchasing yarn. This time? I'm going all the way to New Year's Eve baby. That's right. More than 10 months without a yarn purchase. Think I can do it? I think I can. Help me out peeps. This is the Year of Stash for Me. By the time I will allow myself to buy yarn again, Banana will be in first grade, I'll have a new job, and God knows what else will be different. Oh wait, I know - I'll have more money. Because I won't be spending it on yarn.

Woo hoo, wish me luck, here I go!

An award? Pour moi?

Thanks to Liz, Ann, and Mo over at Crossroad Knits for giving me this!! And now I get to give it out too.

All a y'all make me happy, and I check your blogs a LOT. So here you go!


Knits and Pieces
Des Aiguilles et du Fil
Moonstitches
Neither Hip nor Funky
Through the Loops

WTF

So my dad comes over yesterday, and we're talking. As some of you may know, I would like to lose some weight. I'm not overweight, but I'm not where I want to be. None of my clothes fit well anymore, and so on. Anyhoo, I'm talking to Dad, and he says to me, "Well, my jeans felt kind of tight, so last week I finished up all the snacks in the house, and since then I've lost 5 pounds."

insert sound of steam coming out of my ears

So my dad cuts out snacks for one week and loses 5 pounds. That reminds me of the Cathy comic strip where Irving wants to lose some weight, so he skips lunch and loses 33 pounds. Why in tarnation can't I do that? Gah.

***

I got my Spring 2008 IK yesterday, and the patterns are even better up close than on the website. I know a lot of people are unhappy because they feel that all of the patterns look the same, but I like them a lot. And two of the features were shot in Philadelphia! Woo hoo!

***

Our knitting group is in the 2008 Stitch 'n' Bitch Calendar! I think we are August 20th (Anne Marie, correct me if I'm wrong). It's a great picture - too bad our fearless leader isn't in it, for crying out loud.

***

Yesterday was Banana's kindergarten play, which was pretty much the cutest thing ever in the whole world. The kiddies did a great job. Banana was a leopard. She did really well saying her lines; in fact, all of the kids did. No crying, no breakdowns, nothing. The songs were great. Who knew that kindergarten was as much fun for the parents as it is for the kiddies?

***

I've been working on a simple garter stitch scarf, and I must say I'm quite pleased with it. It's pink and green, kind of a little too Lilly Pulitzer for my taste, but the yarn is kind of rustic, and I like that about it. I got it on sale at Loop - two skeins of The Fibre Company's Savannah DK. There's a fair amount of veggie matter in it, but it doesn't bother me much. I'll post pics soon, I'm almost done.

That's about it for now, talk to you all soon!

I loves me some kitsch

Okay, so you should all know by now that I have a Blythe doll named Dulcinea. Here she is in all her glory:

However, I'm starting to find myself attracted to more than just Blythe. I love a lot of Japanese kawaii-type things. Below we have some more.
This here is a Labbit. He is designed by Frank Kozik and can be found on the Kidrobot website, which is really a hoot. Labbits come with four different items that you can stick in their mouths. I do love the popsicle.

Here is an unazukin. You can 'ask' them questions and they will 'answer' you by either nodding or shaking their heads. I just think they're cute, and there is a nearby company called Firebox which sells them for a reasonable price. You can also find them on eBay.

So yeah. I'm into dolls and toys. Am I regressing? Perhaps. But at least I'm regressing in a fun, safe way. And I'm still knitting and crocheting and bathing and going to work and taking care of my child and husband and cats, so I don't think it's time for an intervention just yet. ;o)