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Argh. My stupid image hosting site is doing file maintenance. Hence the lack of photos. Anyhoo...I started some Opal lollipop socks for me. The self-patterning yarns still manage to mesmerize me and keep me from getting bored. Well, on the first sock anyway. heh. I haven't really worked on anything else and I think I will probably do some cross stitch and some sewing this weekend. I have a long overdue cross stitch round robin to get in the mail and I'm planning to sew a top for my work holiday party. I bought some pretty burgundy-ish satin, which will probably be a real pain to sew with, but should make a cute dressy top.
posted by Stephanie at 8:40 AM

 

posted by Stephanie at 4:16 PM

 
Oops. I was going to take some FO pics today, but I was too busy watching football. THE PACKERS ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

Anyway, I'm still working on koigu sock #2 and last night I started the Lion Brand Imagine vest. It's funny how I like wearing acrylic sweaters but I don't like knitting with acrylic yarn. Oh well, my mom loves anything that she can throw in the washer and dryer a million times.
posted by Stephanie at 6:56 PM

 
I forgot to mention the knit-gifts I received for Christmas. Most importantly, I got my ballwinder from DH. In addition, my mom put some little things in my stocking like stitch markers, bobbins, and yarn needles. My mom also got me a JoAnns gift card so of course I had to go there today. They're having a great sale right now (I might actually go back tomorrow for some fabric). Today I bought 3 patterns ($.99 each), some Lion Brand Imagine to make a vest for my mom and some Lion Brand Pound of Love for a baby blanket.

I finished the garter stitch scarf. It's warm and long (which of course I don't need in SoCal...but it's cute). I should finish those koigu socks but right now I'm thinking about starting something new. Like usual.
posted by Stephanie at 8:23 PM

 
Well, my mom and sister are on their way home. We had a great time. I forgot to take a picture of my sister's cabled beanie, but as you can see here she did like the socks I gave her for Christmas.

I finished the second baby sock so that little set is all ready to go. I started koigu sock #2 and I'm on the foot (boring). I also started a mindless garter stitch scarf using some leftover LB Homespun held together with some Bernat boucle stuff that was left over from my "top secret" sweater. I received some xmas money and I'm still thinking about what I want to spend it on. Ideas?
posted by Stephanie at 3:03 PM

 
All is well with the family and the celebrating and the shopping and the eating!

Knitting. I finished my sister's hat and she loves it. I will have to snap a picture of her wearing it. I made one green baby sock and one green baby hat with white trim and a white pom-pom. These are for the same baby who got the Italian flag baby sweater. I just have to finish the second sock. I finished purple koigu sock #1. My sister has knit 2 beer cozies and one chunky hat. Now my mom is saying that we are getting her in the mood to knit. Hee!
posted by Stephanie at 10:14 AM

 
Yay--my mom and sister are here! We are having a great time so far. My sister has already put me to work baking bread and knitting her a hat. hee. I showed her the wool beanie I knit for my BIL and of course she said I should make her one. And of course I immediately started rummaging through my stash and asking her what color she wants. You know, cuz she doesn't already have several knit hats and I certainly don't have anything else to knit at the moment. Ha. She wanted and ivory beanie with little cables, so I started last night with some Emu Superwash dk from elann.
posted by Stephanie at 9:05 AM

 
Whew. It's only Thursday morning and it's been a long week. I've been working full days and then coming home and cleaning (yes, our place was a real mess to start with). The good news is that today is my last day of work for a while and my mom and sister arrive tonight!

Not much knitting news. I found out that our work Christmas party is "black tie optional" and realized that I have nothing to wear. I looked through my old magazines yesterday and thought about maybe knitting a dressy tank sweater or something (I have until Jan 11). But, maybe I will just sew something instead or wear something I already have and lots of fake diamond jewelry. I just realized that I didn't knit a single stitch yesterday. Poo!
posted by Stephanie at 8:38 AM

 
If you want to get some cute knitting/holiday stuff from cafepress, you can still do so in time for Christmas! Today is the last day for standard shipping so hop to it!

Me, I'm busy working and thinking about my mom and sister's visit. I'm working some extra hours this week so I won't have to work much (next week) while they are here. The problem is, that makes for less time to clean, go to the grocery store, and plan menus. It will be interesting to decide what to eat since we all have different dietary requirements. In a nutshell: no sugar, no white flour, no meat, no dairy (except cheese), no mushrooms, no beans. I think that about covers it. Oh, and nothing terribly spicy. If you have some great recipes that fit this criteria, please email me (see left). heh.
posted by Stephanie at 5:00 PM

 
Yes, I ordered some yarn yesterday. No, I did not go off my yarn diet. I received some early Christmas money and I had a little fun at elann. I ordered enough Peruvian highland wool for a sweater and enough Baby cashmere for a pair of socks. Wheee! I think any other Christmas money I receive will have to go into my Stitches West fund.

Last night I knit on my koigu sock and watched It's a Wonderful Life. I'm sorry, but I love that movie. I even cried at the end (yeah, as if I didn't know what was going to happen). heh.
posted by Stephanie at 7:54 AM

 
The beanie is done and so is my Christmas knitting! I did start a pair of koigu socks for my mom yesterday, but that's a no-pressure project. She already has plenty of gifts under the tree, but if I happen to finish these while she's here I'll stick them in her xmas stocking.

Last night was my boss's holiday party and of course he had to mention that baby Lorenzo would sure love a knit blanket. Right. Well, maybe after the holidays and after I finish the felted diaper bag.
posted by Stephanie at 2:50 PM

 
I went to SnB last night and had a good time with Heather & Suzanne. And, how could I forget that Starbucks has my favorite seasonal drink--the gingerbread latte? (I had decaf & soy)

I am cruising along on the beanie...I tried it on DH last night while it was still on the needles and decided that it's ready for decreasing. I expect to finish it today and then I will be totally done with Christmas knitting. Oh yeah, I also have to do laundry today and give the dog a bath. feh.
posted by Stephanie at 8:40 AM

 
I think I have a cold. I have so many allergies that it's hard to tell, but that would explain why I've been unusually tired the past few days. And my nose is stuffier than normal, so right now I'm drinking some Winter Aid tea. It has ginger and other stuff good for the respiratory system.

I've decided that I really don't want to finish the aran pillow, which was the only Christmas present I had left to knit. So I decided that BIL's gf will get this scarf, and I am knitting a beanie for BIL using Fortissima sock yarn. I feel much better now.

I'm done with work for the week and don't go back until Monday morning. Woohoo! Tonight I'm going to the SnB at Starbucks and tomorrow night is my boss's Christmas party. Saturday morning I have a PCOS breakfast meeting to attend and Sunday is the big Packer/Charger game (DH is a Chargers fan. And the game is in San Diego, but we couldn't get tickets unless we wanted to pay double from a scalper. poo). In between all that I have a lot of cleaning to do. My mom and sister will be here in a week!
posted by Stephanie at 1:58 PM

 
Crabby. The felted bucket-o-chic will have to wait--until after the holidays probably. I tried starting it last night but decided that it's a bit too fiddly and I just don't have the patience for it right now. Then I went back to the mindless stockinette of my Sierra sweater, but had to stop because my right elbow is bothering me again. argh.

I want to stay home and knit all day, but I have to go to work. I probably couldn't knit anyway because of my elbow. I have tons of cleaning to do and we are having plumbing problems for the eight millionth time. It's not anything we're doing--it's the ancient pipes in this apartment building.

I think I need coffee this morning.
posted by Stephanie at 8:01 AM

 
Ok, I gave in and decided to join the bucket-along. I bought BonneMarie's pattern this summer, but never got around to making one. I'm thinking felted.....

Have you seen elann's 2 newest yarns? I think baby cashmerino and baby silk are both going on my Christmas list!
posted by Stephanie at 5:40 PM

 
I am freaking out because my mom and sister are arriving in only 10 days!!! Not because I don't like them, but because I have so much to do before then. Mainly--cleaning! Our apartment is so tiny that we just have stuff everywhere. And um, apparently I have a lot of yarn and fabric (who knew)? We did rent a small storage space and we hauled a bunch of stuff over there so that helps. There's still a lot more to do, though. I also ordered a feather bed to put over the futon. My sister will have to sleep on it and the matress is pretty lumpy and uncomfortable. This should help. So far we have the following things planned: Sea World, Del Mar fairgrounds holiday of lights, Sunday brunch harbor cruise. Then of course there will be lots of shopping and eating and drinking. Yay!

Yesterday I continued working on my Sierra sweater. It's boring, but I am enjoying it. Relaxing, I suppose.
posted by Stephanie at 9:56 AM

 
I finished my mom's slippers. They aren't the most beatiful things, but they are really comfy and warm. They should serve her well through the rest of the northern Wisconsin winter. I couldn't hold back any longer--I started a sweater for me with the Peruvian Sierra. The pattern is from an old Rowan mag, but it's really just a simple st st v-neck pullover. This yarn rules. I got out the aran pillow and knit a few rows, but I just didn't want to work on it. I guess because it's the last xmas present on my list and I really should get it done. I could never knit for a living--I would hate it.
posted by Stephanie at 3:47 PM

 
Oh my God. Look at what I got in the mail today. It was knit by the lovely and talented Karen, and she decided that she didn't like it. So she let me have it!! Is that great or what? I don't think I've had something that someone else knit since my Grandma made me legwarmers in the 3rd grade.

Last night we watched a great movie called The Whaleriders and I worked on the Lamb's Pride Bulky slippers that I started for my mom a while ago. I hope to finish this weekend and then I will decide if I want to just send them to her or wait and give them to her for Christmas. Might as well wait, no? The more presents, the better! (and she has wool socks to keep her tootsies warm until then)
posted by Stephanie at 11:34 AM

 
Pic day!
Here are the finished fortissima socks for DcousinIL. This is the first time I actually tried to match the patterning.



Here are the 2 bulky hats I knit for the hat-a-thon. The one on the left is 2 strands of acrylic held together using BonneMarie's pattern. The one on the right I made last night and it's Lion Brand Thick N Quick and I made up the pattern.



Finally, I decorated our little artificial tree yesterday



I have the day off today. Of course I should clean and go grocery shopping, but I think I will knit (suprise)! Well, I have the excuse that I need to finish Christmas gifts. Really just the aran pillow. I'm still working on Stornoway--I guess just to see how far I can get by Christmas. I am 11 1/2" into the body.

Oh, and here's an article about my boss (Dr. Pellecchia) that was in yesterday's paper.

posted by Stephanie at 10:59 AM

 
I am this close to finishing another Christmas present. I just have a few more rows to finish up the fortissima socks for my cousin-in-law. woohoo! Then all I have is the aran pillow for the BIL & gf (I'm not counting Stornoway anymore).

Shame on me--last night I was looking for patterns to make myself a sweater with that Peruvian Sierra that I got from elann. I found a basic v-neck pullover pattern in an old Rowan mag that looks perfect and fits my gauge (which was way different from the ball band, btw, but I've seen other people say the same thing so phew).
posted by Stephanie at 7:59 AM

 
Yesterday my coworker was still talking about the baby sweater. She even called her mom in Italy to tell her about it. Her mom wanted to see a pic so I gave her the link and she emailed it to her parents. Don't you just love it when someone really appreciates a knit gift?

I had yesterday afternoon off so I did some knitting on Stornoway. I'm a little bummed, though, because I don't think there's any way it will be finished for Christmas. I'm only 11 inches into the body and I don't start the gussets until 13 inches. sigh. Oh well, I guess it can be an anniversary gift or a Christmas gift next year. I already bought DH a back-up present for this year.

Um, I started another project as well. Someone on the knitlist was kind enough to send me some Harrisville wool in shades of brown, so I am making a felted diaper bag for my coworker (using the pattern in _Knitting for Baby_).
posted by Stephanie at 8:49 AM

 
Presenting the Italian flag baby sweater:



I presented it to the mom last night while my group was having beers at the Hilton (we were at the lounge of the Torrey Pines Hilton because it's right across the street from where I work and no, the mom wasn't having beer). She absolutely loved the sweater and no one could belive that I made it. My boss went on to tell me that he wears a size large sweater. Yeah, right.
posted by Stephanie at 7:06 AM

 
I finished the Italian flag baby sweater. Yay! Unfortunately, the batteries on our digital camera are dead so I can't post a pic. I'm not totally happy with it. I had to rip out the collar once cuz I messed up, and now it looks a little wonky. The sweater is white and then the collar is green because I ran out of white. It looks kind of crappy where I picked up the stitches for the collar; if I had just used white it wouldn't really be noticeable. Oh well. It's still cute and of course the intarsia flag is the most important part!
posted by Stephanie at 8:34 AM

 
This will be short today. I've been staying away from the computer lately because I've been having trouble with a tendon in my right arm. Too much knitting and mouse clicking, I think. Knitting: I'm working away on the Italian flag baby sweater. I finished the back and I'm about halfway through the sleeves. I would like to finish this over the weekend and then present it to my coworker Monday night when my group is having a beer in La Jolla. I also knit a quick bulky hat for the hat-a-long.
posted by Stephanie at 9:11 AM

 
Yesterday was one of those days. You know--when you oversleep and the rest of the day just kind of spirals down from there? Anyway, today's a new day, I got up when my alarm went off, and I'm having green tea and a fat-free blueberry scone. Also, today is payday and the last day before a 4-day weekend. It has to be better!

My Peruvian Sierra yarn arrived from elann yesterday and it's wonderful. The color (eggplant) is really even better than it looked on the monitor. I started swatching last night using a 4.0mm needle instead of the 4.5mm suggested on the ball band. Apparently my tension is getting tighter (thanks, Alice Starmore) because I got a bunch more stitches than they did (like 22/4 in instead of 19). That's weird because I usually have to go down 1 or 2 needle sizes to get the recommended gauge. Believe it or not, I think I will even do a second gauge swatch today (with 4.5mm) and see how that looks/feels. Amazing! I hardly ever make one gauge swatch! heh. I'm thinking this is going to be a pullover for me, but I haven't decided exactly what it will look like. Probably something simple. I only ordered 15 skeins and I'm already paranoid that I won't have enough yarn. Oh well, we'll see. This is elann's own yarn so I'll just have to hope that they keep it in stock for a little while.

Time to make lunches and get ready for work. Hopefully I won't have to work a full day today. Then I can get home and knit! Oh, and start preparing for tomorrow. It's just me and DH, but I'm cooking my first-ever Thanksgiving turkey!
posted by Stephanie at 7:48 AM

 
Hmmm. Somehow I didn't do much knitting over the weekend. What did I do? Um, watched football, went grocery shopping, sat around. I worked on my LL sock a bit--I'm on the heel flap right now. I'm off work this afternoon and I have a few hours until I have to go to a doctor appointment so I think I will work on Stornoway for a while. Then of course there will be sock knitting in the waiting room of the dr.'s office.
posted by Stephanie at 2:49 PM

 
I lied. I didn't sew or knit yesterday afternoon. I cleaned a little and napped a lot. Oh well, I think both were pretty important.

Here's the hand knit sweater I got at Goodwill. I put in a zipper to make it a cardigan/jacket.
BEFORE:



AFTER:






posted by Stephanie at 10:41 AM

 
Meh. Still tired. And I only knit for about 20 minutes yesterday on a break at work. Today I'm off, though, so I'm hoping to work a little on Stornoway. I also need to finish up the sewing project I'm working on (velour leopard print jacket) because I need to clean off the dining room table so we can actually eat from it.

This morning I went to the acupuncturist and she loves my hand-knit socks. I was wearing a pair of Opal Mexikos and she just raved about them. I would consider knitting her a pair for Christmas, but I don't really know her shoe size and don't want to ask! Maybe a little sock Christmas ornament then. The receptionist had a hand-knit bright pink wool scarf and she said a good friend made it for her. She was totally amazed by it and it was just a long strip of garter stitch.
posted by Stephanie at 2:40 PM

 
Whew, this working stuff is hard (and I didn't even work 8 hours today). At least I got to knit on my lunch hour. It was a beautiful day here in San Diego (70s and sunny) so I ate my leftovers quickly and then went and sat on a bench outside. I cast on a sock for me (yeah, I need a new wip like I need a hole in the head) with Lorna's Laces shepard sock in "Country Christmas".

I have a pounding sinus headache so I don't know if I'll make it to the knitting meetup tonight. I think I'd rather crash on the couch with a hot towel over my head. Or maybe take a bath. Toodles!!
posted by Stephanie at 5:08 PM

 
Yarn Diet.
As you can see from the new button over to the left, I have joined other bloggers in a yarn diet. This should be no big suprise considering the fact that I'm only working part-time and not making any money, but I feel the need to make it official. Gifts, of course, don't count. And when my mom comes here for Christmas and wants to take me shopping for my gift we will go directly to the LYS. I also just spent my bday yarn gift certificate from DH on some Peruvian collection Sierra from elann. I bought enough eggplant to make a sweater for me.

I don't have to go in to work until this afternoon so I think I will go put some vegetarian chili in the crock pot and then knit on Stornoway. Have a good Tuesday!
posted by Stephanie at 9:51 AM

 
Ugh. Today was one of those Mondays when I should have just stayed under the covers in bed all day. Oh well, I did just accomplish something that I'm quite happy with. I took the beautiful hand-knit fair isle sweater I got from Goodwill, cut it down the front, and put in a separating zipper. I love cardigans and I wear them so much more here cuz I can take them on and off. It's really a nice sweater and it fits well. Pics to come.
posted by Stephanie at 8:47 PM

 
Hey, who stole my weekend? I didn't really do anything exciting. Did some sewing, some knitting, some cross stitching. Went to Goodwill and found a few nice wool sweaters. The Hello Kitty pjs are done and I really like them:




I started a new sewing project. I had some leopard print stretch velour that I bought a few years ago and the idea was to make a jogging suit (or whatever you want to call it--basically a jacket and pants). I didn't quite have enough fabric so I decided on a jacket and knee-length skirt instead. The skirt is done. The jacket is cut out, but is on hold because I need to pick up a 20" separating zipper.

On the knitting front, I'm working on Fortissima Colori sock #2. I'm on the heel right now so I'll be happy when these are done and I can mark another Christmas gift off my list.
posted by Stephanie at 9:53 PM

 
Well, I'm now 10 inches into the body of Stornoway



I guess I am making some progress even though it doesn't seem like it!
posted by Stephanie at 3:06 PM

 
Hey, there's nothing like a big cup of coffee and a day off to make a girl feel good. I definitely have a cold, but at least I can stay home all day and do nothing. Yesterday afternoon I ended up doing a little bit of knitting on Stornoway and a lot of napping. Today may be more of the same.

Here, I share with you two recipes that I'm hoping to make today. Oatmeal cookies (I will add raisins) and hummus (this stuff disappears in our house almost as fast as cookies)!
posted by Stephanie at 10:01 AM

 
Phew, I'm beat. I've actually been working pretty hard this week, which of course I'm not used to. I think I'm also coming down with DH's cold. Ack. But the good news is that it's Thursday afternoon and I'm off work until sometime on Monday. Wooo!!! I think I will change into some jammies, make myself a cup of tea, and settle in for some knitting. I really need to work on Stornoway some. If that makes my head hurt I may just have to work on some socks. There's a SnB at Starbucks tonight, but I'm not sure if I'm up to it.
posted by Stephanie at 2:33 PM

 
Well, I had a pretty darn good birthday yesterday. I only had to work from 9 until 1 and DH took me to a sandwich shop by the ocean for lunch. Then I headed directly to JoAnn's to spend some birthday money on fabric. There were some good sales going on so I got some nice stuff. Corduroy, felt, velour. Then I came home for a long bubble bath and then dinner with DH. Oh, and DH got me a yarn store gift certificate and I am still thinking about what I want to spend it on.

I have a boring 4-hour safety meeting at work this afternoon. I'm thinking I should bring a sock to work on or else I will never survive. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
posted by Stephanie at 7:34 AM

 
Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeee!
posted by Stephanie at 7:46 AM

 
I finished fortissima sock #1. I think I will cast on #2 tonight during the Packer game (go Pack)!!! I started a new sewing project--Hello Kitty flannel PJs. They are going to be so cute I can hardly stand it.

Happy Birthday to my mom!!!
posted by Stephanie at 5:53 PM

 
Pic day. First, here are the fraternal Packer socks. I'm going to send them to my sister.



Here's my mom's goofy acrylic cell phone case



That's about it for knitting. I'm very close to finishing fortissima sock #1 (xmas gift). Oh! I almost forgot--I started a pair of wool slippers for my mom using Lamb's Pride bulky and the pattern in Knitting Pretty. I was just talking to mom yesterday and it's really cold in northern Wisconsin and she had to get out her wool socks and hat!

I did some sewing this weekend and finished up the flannel jumper dress



It looks much better on, but I didn't feel like modeling. It has snowflake fabric down both side seams and 2 little iron-on snowflakes at the bottom. Cute, no?

And finally, an adorable picture of Jackson. He thinks it's cold when it gets below 70 degrees. He actually slept like this all night last night.


posted by Stephanie at 11:32 AM

 
Oh my gosh, I got lots of goodies in the mail yesterday. First, I got my birthday present from my mom (early--yes, she said I could open it) and she got me this and this. Yay! She also threw in a skein of Christmas glitter vareigated yarn so I'm making her a cell phone cozy with it. Then, I received my copy of the new Green Mountain Spinnery book (which I love) and my skein of hand-dyed sock yarn from LynnH (yum)! Oh, I also got my cafepress order of this and this. Wheee!
posted by Stephanie at 10:44 AM

 
I haven't felt much like knitting lately. I guess I'm just getting used to actually having to leave the house everyday again, plus my allergies have been really bothering me lately. That's one bad thing about southern California--it's always allergy season.

Yesterday I did drag out Stornoway for the first time in a while. I really don't think I will finish it by Christmas, but I think I should try. As a matter of fact, I think I will go work on it for a little while before I get ready for work.
posted by Stephanie at 7:30 AM

 
mmmmmmm....I'm having apple pie and coffee for breakfast. ssshhhh! don't tell my doctor! My pie turned out perfectly and I figured I deserve my favorite breakfast ever since I'm actually going to work a full day today.

Last night I did a little bit of mindless sock knitting, but not much. Have you seen the new Simply Knit 2 book? Go here for a review...I think I may have to buy it with my birthday money.
posted by Stephanie at 7:36 AM

 
Well, I made it through day 2 of the new job. I was there for a whopping 2 hours today. I saw the plan for my next 2 weeks and um, it looks like they want a ton of stuff done in only 15-20 hours a week. We'll see.

I'm continuing the sewing on the jumper and I think it's going to be really cute. Of course since it has snowflakes on it I should probably wait until after Thanksgiving to wear it.....Oh, and I finished the flower washcloth. It's cute, but I don't know if I will be making another one. Knitting those 5 little petals is kind of irritating.



There is apple pie in the oven and I am trying to decide what to make for dinner. I love fall!
posted by Stephanie at 5:42 PM

 
YAY PACKERS....WOOOOOO!!!!!

My first day at work was just fine. I was only there for 3 hours and I was just filling out paperwork, getting my lab coat, rearranging stuff in the lab, etc. I go back tomorrow afternoon to start my first experiment--they aren't going to waste any time!

Last night I did a bit more sewing. I making a jumper/dress from some dark blue/grey flannel. I cut out the pieces a long time ago and *ahem* the size would now be too small for me so I'm having to do some adjustments. I'm putting a panel of snowflake print fabric down the sides and I think it will be really cute.

My new coworker is having a baby in January (she is who I will be replacing) so now I have an excuse to knit a baby sweater. Her & her husband are from Italy so I am going to make a little pullover with an Italian flag on the front. I think it will be really cute. I just went to Michaels and bought some Woolease in red, white, and green. I tried to go to Knitting In La Jolla today after work but found out that they are closed on Mondays! pout.
posted by Stephanie at 2:32 PM

 
I've been doing some more sewing. Actually just finishing up some things that I started but didn't quite finish. Now that the weather's a little bit cooler I can actually wear something other than t-shirts & shorts! I finished up a pair of organic cotton flannel pull-on pants and a fleece cardigan. Cozy!

I haven't been much in the mood to knit, but today I did start one of those cute flower washcloths from the new IK. I'm using some variegated cotton, though, cuz I felt like lots of color.

Big Packer game tonight and big first day at work tomorrow!
posted by Stephanie at 3:43 PM

 
Lots to talk about today. First. The good news is that I am employed (finally!) and the bad news is that it's only part-time. Oh well, what's a girl to do. The plan (cross your fingers) is that it will switch to full-time in about 3 months if everything goes well. I am the new chemistry research associate at the Burnham Institute. The projects sound interesting so here's hoping I will like it and won't mind how horribly I'm getting paid! I start Monday morning.

Second. I opened a cafe press shop with some fun Christmas/knitting items. I'm always a sucker for anything holiday-related and it was fun creating the items. Check it out if you get a chance.

Third. Check out Lynn's new websitewith her hand-dyed yarns. Gorgeous. I already snagged a skein for myself.

Fourth. Yesterday I did some sewing. Jackson is a warm-weather-loving dog so the combination of him getting a buzz cut and the weather turning cool (60s) makes him shiver. He likes this fleece jacket, but of course that's for Halloween so he needed some more. I went to JoAnn's, picked up 2 more fleece prints, and made him 2 more shirts. He loves them. Oh, I also made this really cool travel jewelry pouch that rolls up. I used some leftover fleece fabric and it turned out really cute (pattern from an old JoAnn etc magazine). I will include it with my mom's package of birthday gifts and she will love using it when she comes to visit me for Christmas!
posted by Stephanie at 8:30 AM

 

posted by Stephanie at 8:15 AM

 
Last night I got a copy of the new Stitch N Bitch book. The guy at Barnes & Noble looked at DH funny when he bought that and a motorcycle book. heh. I love it and you can read a review in this week's Knitters Review. I already finished a project from it (in honor of the job I think I got)



If you don't have the book yet, I wil tell you that it will be a wristband after I sew it up. Hee!

This morning I was doing a little aromatherapy/soap-making-type stuff as evidenced here:


posted by Stephanie at 10:45 AM

 
I started this aran pillow in Lion Brand fisherman's wool. It will be a Christmas present for my brother-in-law and his girlfriend. They are very hard to shop for and they are planning on buying a new condo soon. In addition, the gf likes to sew and seems to really appreciate handmade items. I'm almost done with all my Christmas shopping & knitting! Except, of course, for Stornoway. As I am only 8 1/2 inches into the body, that might be next year's Christmas gift.
posted by Stephanie at 8:02 AM

 
Here's a photo of my sister's Christmas-gift-scarf



it's over 6 feet long and since it's wool & alpaca it should be really warm.

I've been working on Stornoway a bit and here's a close-up with the new beaded stitch marker I got in the mail



the marker is from here.

This afternoon is the interview for the low-paying, part-time job that I don't really want. sigh.


posted by Stephanie at 8:24 AM

 
San Diego Fires. Luckily, we are not close enough to any of the fires to be in danger. It's still very scary. I sit glued to the tv news watching all the horrific footage and getting updates. I woke up yesterday morning and the sky was grey and orange and there was ash falling everywhere. There was so much smoke and it was eerily quiet when I had to take the dog out (no cars, no people, no nothing). It's also quite warm with humidity in the single digits and we have to keep all windows shut with no air conditioning. Not pleasant. I haven't been doing much knitting because it's hot and hard to concentrate.

I'm trying to start back on a fitness program, but of course I can't go outside today. I think I will go pick out an exercise tape to do before it gets too hot.

I was supposed to have another interview today, but I think it will have to be postponed. Everything is closed and we are supposed to stay inside and off the roads.
posted by Stephanie at 9:04 AM

 
This morning I completed the ADA 5 mile walk for diabetes. It was fun. When I woke up early this morning I wasn't really looking forward to it as it was dark and foggy and I was going alone. But of course once I got there I was glad that I went. Lots of friendly people there all walking for a cause and of course the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Thanks to everyone who sponsored me--I raised $365. If you would still like to donate to diabetes research, you can click on the link to the left and I can turn in donations thru Oct. 31st. Also, you can get a jump on your holiday shopping and help fund diabetes research by checking out the ADA gift of hope catalog.

I think I might spend the rest of the day knitting. I think I deserve it.
posted by Stephanie at 11:37 AM

 
Ta da!



I am quite pleased with this set and I think it will make a nice gift. Inside the soap sack is some 'relaxing lavender' soap that I made.

Yesterday I started 2 new projects (for me) so I frogged 2 old projects. I started my yellow lace scarf and a hoodie using Lion Brand Homespun. I had 3 skeins of bright pink and 3 skeins of bright turquiose Homespun that I got out of a clearance bin like 5 years ago. I decided I wanted a cozy hoodie that I could throw on all the time and not have to worry about it being to heavy or not washable, etc. I'm following a pattern in the first issue of Knit-It magazine. It will certainly be bright, but it should be cute.
posted by Stephanie at 10:23 AM

 
Here is the finished old shale washcloth



and this will be the soap sack once I sew it together



Another Christmas gift out of the way! I just have to make the homemade soap to go with it and this will go to Anthony's aunt.

Oh, I finished yet another Christmas present last night. The wool/alpaca seed stitch scarf for my sister. It turned out cute and it will be really warm. It's blocking right now so I will take a picture of it after it dries.

Today I'm going to start a new project for me. My mom actually bought me the yarn and the pattern for Christmas last year. It's a Seaman's scarf using yellow cashmere/silk blend from K1C2. yum!
posted by Stephanie at 9:55 AM

 
Sigh. I didn't get the job. Oh well, more knitting time for me. Maybe I'll finish DH's Christmas sweater after all.
posted by Stephanie at 1:54 PM

 
Well, I think the interview and seminar went pretty well. And I even got a free lunch at a nice Italian seafood restaurant. Now the waiting begins.....

I finished the old shale soap sack to go with the washcloth. It's kind of small so I'm wondering if I will be able to fit a bar of soap in there. We'll see. Right now I want to go veg in front of the tv and do some comfort knitting to de-stress!
posted by Stephanie at 2:21 PM

 
Look how cute these are -- mini spinning wheels! I think I need one.
posted by Stephanie at 12:07 PM

 
I finally bought a copy of the Fiber Trends bathing beauties pattern. It's washcloth & soap sack sets in fingering weight cotton so great for gifts. Yesterday I made the Old Shale washcloth using some organic softball cotton I got off eBay. It's really pretty, although it turned out smaller than the one in the pic. I also started the Old Shale soap sack. I'll post pics later in the week. Right now I need to go do some reading and prepare for my seminar tomorrow. ACK!
posted by Stephanie at 10:01 AM

 
I finished the slides for my talk and I finished 2 socks. Too bad the socks are from different pairs--the first domino sock and the first Dale packer sock. I would post a pic, but today I'm too lazy to post a pic of something that's not really an FO.

Packers....feh.
posted by Stephanie at 1:05 PM

 
I'm still stressing out about the big interview on Tuesday. I'm the kind of person who procrastinates and stresses out the whole time because I'm not prepared. Now, if I were to just work on the darn talk I wouldn't have to be quite so stressed. But this is how I've always been. I'll find any excuse I can to get out of writing the talk. Oh, I simply must scrub he sink right this second! You get the idea. What I really should do is knock out all my slides this afternoon then I can relax tonight and tomorrow and spend Monday reading and brushing up on things. We'll see.
posted by Stephanie at 1:51 PM

 
I am knitting sporadically, but I'm mostly consumed with worrying about this job possibility. The good news is that they called and they want me back for a second interview. The bad news is I have to be interviewed by 4 or 5 more PhD chemists. And I have to give a short seminar on my past research. Ugh, am I back in graduate school? This is very irritating because 1) this is usually only necessary when applying for a PhD-level job (I have a masters degree) and 2) this isn't even a permanent full-time position!!! So I will be working on this seminar for the next few days and knitting socks in between to try and keep me calm.
posted by Stephanie at 10:35 AM

 
So, yesterday I was cleaning out my sock drawer. Why, you ask? Well, it's not something I do on a regular basis, but I didn't have any room for my new koigu socks so I figured I needed to do a little organizing. Look what I found:



Isn't is a beautiful sight?!?! I have 13 pairs of hand-knit socks! I even have 2 more pair that are worsted weight and they're not in there cuz I wear them as slipper socks. Does this mean I have enough socks? (please say no)
posted by Stephanie at 9:28 AM

 
I finished my koigu harvest cable socks (and don't they look just stunning with my jammies?)



Of course, I immediately had to cast on for a new pair of socks because heaven forbid I have a single set of US1 dpns without a sock! These are just plain st st using some patterned black & white Fortissima Colori 1000. They will be a Christmas gift for Anthony's cousin--the one male I know who appreciates hand-knit socks.

I really have a lot of other stuff to do, though. Namely, my interview went well yesterday and now he wants a research summary. It has to be 3-5 pages and it has to make me sound like a frickin' genius! Heh. I also have a cross stitch I need to work on for a round robin. I think it was supposed to be mailed out last week. Oops! Then there's laundry, errands, etc, etc, etc.
posted by Stephanie at 10:00 AM

 
As you can see, I posted a pic of my koigu scarf yesterday. I also wrote up the pattern and sent it to the knitlist and I will post it here as well.

FAST ONE-SKEIN LACY KOIGU SCARF

Stephanie Mrse

1 skein koigu
US 17 needles

Cast on 19 sts.

Row 1: K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3
Row 2: K6, yo, K2, ssk, k2tog, K2, yo, K5
Row 3: K3, purl to last 3 stitches, K3
Row 4: K5, yo, K2, ssk, k2tog, K2, yo, K6

Repeat rows 1-4 until scarf is desired length. I only used about
half a skien; the scarf stretches a lot with blocking.


posted by Stephanie at 10:33 AM

 

posted by Stephanie at 7:03 PM

 
My sister is knitting again. I think the cold, damp Washington weather has her pretty motivated. She just recently finished her second hat (for her boyfriend) and he loves the fact that it was custom made and it fits perfectly. :) She said she bought some green wool to make scarves as Christmas gifts for 2 of her friends. Now, I know how much she loves her hand knit socks so I think I will uh, introduce her to that (insert evil grin here). I'm sending her the learn to knit socks booklet that I started with and some Superwash Emu dk (from elann) in a colorway that she won't be able to resist.

I finished my lacy koigu scarf and started a pair of Packer socks. The scarf is blocking right now and I will post some pictures soon. The Packer socks are made with some Dale Falk in green and gold that I purchased at Velona last year (and don't ask me about the Packer game--it's too traumatic).
posted by Stephanie at 10:22 AM

 
I'm still plugging away on Stornoway whenever I get the chance. I'm about 8 inches into the body, which isn't too bad. Once I get to 13 inches I get to start on the gussets.

I've been sucked into the koigu addiction. Ever since I started up on those ufo koigu socks I am reminded how much I really like this yarn. The colors are so great!! I had one other skein in my stash and it has great rainbow colors. I kept picturing a really open lacy scarf type thing (more decorative than for warmth, of course, but hey--this is San Diego)! So I picked a simple lace pattern and some big fat needles (US 17) and cast on last night. I think I like it.....I'll see how I feel as it progresses.
posted by Stephanie at 9:54 AM

 
Well, I gave in and made my first pair of Los Lobe Hose yesterday:



Aren't they adorable? They are a little bit of a pain to make, but they work up quickly and they're so cute. I will definitely be making more for gifts (as soon as my finger heals from being poked by that tiny metal dpn)! BTW, in case you're interested you can get the pattern and needles here.

In other news, I have a job interview on Tuesday! Now, this is my first interview since I left my job in the beginning of June and it's at my dream company. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
posted by Stephanie at 10:14 AM

 
Socks. I finished my sister's Christmas gift socks. I used this pattern, Lorna's Laces worsted in mineshaft, and Bernat Muskoka for the black accents.



I also finished the cuff on my first domino sock



Now, I just need to finish up my second koigu sock. But, I really want to start some Los Lobe Hose tiny sock earrings......





posted by Stephanie at 11:03 AM

 
This is what I think of our new governor.
posted by Stephanie at 10:54 AM

 
DH and I got up early this morning and voted. If you are a CA resident, don't forget!!! Then I had breakfast at McDonalds, went to the Post Office, and browsed at Michael's. I didn't get anything knitting-related, but I did get a neat new crochet magazine. It's called "BH&G Simply Creative Crochet" and it has some cute items in it. I will force myself to learn how to crochet eventually!!

I am continuing on those domino socks. I can't stop making squares--it's addictive! I had to make 8 to go around my ankle (instead of 7) and now I'm on the second row. Btw, that LL yarn is actually called embers.
posted by Stephanie at 12:04 PM

 
Hey, you'll never guess what I did--I started a new sock! Susan posted this cool free pattern and I just had to try it. I dug around in my stash and decided on some Lorna's Laces (I think it's called flames?) and some solid grey Regia. This is the first time I've ever tried domino knitting and it's kind of fun.


posted by Stephanie at 4:02 PM

 
I made a little bit of progress on Stornoway yesterday, but I'm taking a break from it today cuz DH is home. I decided to work on the mate to this sock. The colors and the pattern look a lot better in person. The pattern is called Harvest Cables by the sock guy and I got it from the files at socknitters. The color matches the pattern quite well, eh?

PACKERS ROCK!!!
posted by Stephanie at 2:54 PM

 
Ouch. This morning I woke up with my left hand stiff and sore. That means I did a lot of knitting yesterday! I took a photo of Stornoway. The pattern shows up much better in person, but you get the idea. You also get the idea that I really need to get cracking if I want to finish this by Christmas!

I was working on the Feb socks, but didn't like what I did so there was frogging. Then I put them away and took out the Lorna's Laces ww cabled socks that I started for my sister. They are going fast so I expect I will have them finished this weekend.

Last night we went to the mall. Look at the incredibly cute new tshirt I got!
posted by Stephanie at 7:44 AM

 
I love handknit socks!

Now, I certainly can't complain about the weather here in San Diego. It's gorgeous. But, I'm a Wisconsin girl and I must admit that I prefer my jeans, hand-knit socks, and a comfy cardigan to flip flops and board shorts. I'm so glad it has finally cooled off a little bit so I can start wearing my handknit socks again. Yesterday I wore my orange halloween t-shirt and my new orange and yellow koolaid socks. Today I'm wearing my Regia cotton plus fair isles (ok, with sandals--Birks). Makes me want to start another pair for myself right now. But ummm....I have lots of Christmas knitting to do. Off to watch Jerry Springer and work on Stornoway!


posted by Stephanie at 4:08 PM

 
Yesterday I frogged 2 ufos and started a new project. Um, I guess that's progress? I frogged my sister's brown alpaca socks and the fisherman's sweater I started. Now they are becoming a very warm scarf for my sister. I am using 2 strands of Lion Brand fisherman's wool and two strands of the brown alpaca. I'm using size 17 needles and doing simple seed stitch until I decide it's long enough.

Last night I went to a "women in bioscience" meeting, which is basically a networking event with free food and drinks. The problem is, there were lots of people like me who are unemployed but hardly anyone who is actually hiring. Sigh. The strawberry margarita was good.

You have to check out this blog.....it's hilarious!
posted by Stephanie at 8:04 AM

 
FOs!





So, the chickami and the trekking socks are done. As a matter of fact, the chickami is in the washing machine right now and I'm planning to wear my new socks to a meeting tonight. Yay!

Last night I took out another ufo--the February socks from the sock calendar. I am doing them in Lorna's Laces sport in the 'valentine' colorway and they are to be my grandmother's Christmas gift. I think I will also do some frogging in the next few days so that will trim down my ufo list considerably!
posted by Stephanie at 9:56 AM

 
I was working on Stornoway this morning and I decided that my life would be much easier if I had a 40" US2 addi turbo (duh). So I ordered one from elann and I will work on other things until it gets here. I was too lazy to go searching at local yarn shops (since it's a somewhat unusual needle) and elann is always fast. In the meantime maybe I can finish up my trekking socks?

I'm still debating as to whether I want to knit my mom or my sister a sweater for Christmas this year. Maybe with chunky yarn? Or maybe I will just concentrate on Stornoway for this Christmas and do a few little things like socks as well. I'm thinking about doing and Alice Starmore aran for my sister for next Christmas.

Definite Christmas presents 2003:
1) Pocketbook slippers for gramma F (done)
2) Stornoway for DH (10%)
3) socks for other gramma (30%)
4) felted tote for sister (done)
Maybe for Christmas 2003:
1) woolease boot socks for dad (50%)
2) socks for sister: red emu (50%), LL mineshaft (40%), alpaca (20%)
3) socks for mom
4) socks for cousinIL
5) something for auntIL
6) leaf cravat for MIL
7) BIL?
8) BIL's gf?

posted by Stephanie at 1:53 PM

 


posted by Stephanie at 10:00 PM

 
I'm still plugging along on the trekking socks and Stornoway. I did a lot of knitting yesterday while DH and some friends were at the Padres game.

I'm thinking of taking a spinning class that starts this week, but I'm a little afraid! The last thing I need is another expensive hobby that takes up space. hmmm...
posted by Stephanie at 11:26 AM

 
Oooh, it's only Saturday afternoon and I'm already having a great weekend. Last night I made dinner and then we went to the movies. We saw Lost in Translation, which is awesome. DH & I both liked it and that never happens.

This morning I went to an orientation meeting for people who want to volunteer at the San Diego Humane Society. I'm very excited about volunteering there and I knit on my trekking sock for the entire 2 hours.

Then for lunch today we went to a new restaurant in Pacific Beach that I didn't even know existed. I had tofu happiness and DH had vegetarian tamales. It was really good and I loved the ambience.
posted by Stephanie at 2:33 PM

 
Last night I went to SnB in Hillcrest. It was fun. Heather and I were there, and we just happened to sit next to someone studying who is an avid crocheter and knitter. Then a new person came who apparently found out about us from Heather's web page. I worked on my trekking 'summer' socks and had a soy chai latte.

I ordered a ball of sock yarn from eBay and received it yesterday. The woman actually hand-paints self-patterning fair isle designs. Can you imagine? I bought the autumn colorway so it will be interesting to see how it works up.
posted by Stephanie at 9:52 AM

 
90 days till Christmas! If you're making gifts, you'd better get crackin'! I've decided I really need to focus on Stornoway during the daytime. That baby is sloooooww going.

Also, one month from today I will be doing the American Diabetes Association 5k walk for diabetes. Don't forget to go here to support me and donate to a good cause!
posted by Stephanie at 8:35 AM

 
Last night I picked up my chickami and decided that I should probably finish it while it's still warm enough to wear it. Besides, I think my wip/ufo list is a little out of control at about 27. And that's not even counting all the sewing and cross stitch projects. And the wedding scrapbook that's sprawled all over the dining room table.
posted by Stephanie at 9:56 AM

 
Last night I finished trekking sock #1 and cast on for #2. Yay!

As promised, here are some pics. First, the cross stitch towel that I'm mailing off to Debbie M.



Second, the yarn MIL brought back from Croatia. When I was looking to buy some mercerized cotton to make Cleo, I noticed that a couple of the really high-quality brands are made in Croatia. So, when MIL took her trip this summer I asked her to keep her eye out for some. Well, either they export all of it or she just didn't go to the right stores. But hey, free yarn is free yarn. And it has cool Croatian labels (actually one is from Czechosolvakia)



I have 2 balls of the pink on on the right, which is a shiny cotton/viscose blend. I want to make something for MIL and Melinda suggested the leaf cravat from IK a while back. I think that's a great idea and I should have just enough yarn. The one on the left is a sort of nubby cotton/acrylic blend and I have 7 balls of it. I have no idea what I will do with it, so it will probably have to marinate in my stash until next summer. A tank maybe?

Last night I decided to try making candy for the very first time. Since we lived in Louisiana for 6 years, I decided to make DH's favorite--pralines (a New Orleans classic). They turned out perfectly and I was so excited. I think the key to it was actually using the candy thermometer I bought at the dollar store



DH took most of them to work to give to his non-worldy friends (ie, they probably haven't heard of New Orleans, let alone pralines. They didn't even know what sorbet was).





posted by Stephanie at 11:04 AM

 
I spent most of today running errands (drugstore, grocery store, Target). Tonight I'm just watching Monday night football and trying to finish up trekking summer sock #1. I also just finished a cross stitch towel for an exchange.

DH brought back some yarn that MIL got for me in Croatia. I'll post some pics and info tomorrow.
posted by Stephanie at 6:45 PM

 
I didn't get much knitting done yesterday and Stornoway didn't even move from the tote bag it's hidden in. I did take out a ufo--my trekking socks in the summer color. I worked on them while watching Iron Chef last night. Pretty colors.

I worked on the wedding scrapbook and it's actually more fun than I thought it was going to be. I do not need another crafty hobby, though. I will stick to big occassions only!
posted by Stephanie at 5:23 PM

 
Back of Manos vest, blocking:


posted by Stephanie at 12:00 PM

 
Whew. I did a lot of knitting yesterday and I'm almost done with the back of the Manos vest. For some reason I am determined to finish this thing in record time. We'll see. DH is planning to visit his parents this weekend so I should spend some time working on Stornoway while he's gone.
posted by Stephanie at 8:39 AM

 
Photos, as promised:





I started something new today. I have four skeins of Manos del Uruguay in rust (from that frogged garter stitch shawl) and I wanted to make a vest. So I'm using a pattern from Summer '02 IK that's a knit version of a polar fleece vest. Cute. I'll probably need more yarn, but I can just order that later since they don't do dye lots. I like the natural color variations anyway.

posted by Stephanie at 4:22 PM

 
I do believe I am starting to feel better. Hopefully for good this time.

Yesterday I finished two things!! My KoolAid socks and my acrylic Packer beanie. I'll post pics tomorrow.

Started sewing a fleece shirt for my mom {or for me if I can't bear to part with it).


posted by Stephanie at 7:42 PM

 
Well, I finally went to the doctor yesterday and they have no idea why I'm still feeling like crap. They basically told me to wait it out. It's a good thing I'm not working right now because I don't think I'd function very well.

I'm continuing on Stornoway when DH isn't around. I have to take a lot of breaks when I get tired and/or dizzy.

I have a new project--putting together a scrapbook for our wedding. I'm actually not very creative when it comes to things like that so I'm looking at books and magazines for guidance. I bought a scrapbook at Michael's last night.
posted by Stephanie at 10:39 AM

 
Buy some pretty jewelry for a good cause (I suffer from PCOS)!
posted by Stephanie at 12:37 PM

 
Yay, I finished the bottom ribbing on Stornoway! I did the increase row and now I'm halfway through setting up the first pattern row (and I'm using 8 million markers).

In other news...I thought I had a great job interview in the works, but the company feels that I'm overqualified. Hello, I've been unemployed for 3 months now and I need a job! Two years ago when I moved here, everyone wanted someone with more experience and now I suddenly have too much experience. *sigh* Well, at least it seems like companies are actually starting to hire again. I have another possible job interview this week, but it's for a temporary position.
posted by Stephanie at 9:31 AM

 
I did knit some on Stornoway yesterday. I think I have about 2 3/4 inches of the 3 inches of ribbing dones. woohoo!

I also started a new project. A while back, elann had Neveda Misty for ridiculously low prices. It's a fuzzy acrylic/nylon blend that is actually very very soft. I bought 2 bags--light blue to make something for my mom and gold to make something for me. So I did some swatching and decided I liked it quadruple stranded on size 11s. So I'm making sweater #19 in the latest Vogue Knitting for my mom. I'm thinking that later on I will make a big comfy pullover for me with the gold--the fabric is really soft and comfy.
posted by Stephanie at 7:41 AM

 
Well, I thought I was better but apparently I'm not. I spent the majority of yesterday in bed and feeling terrible. Ugh. I haven't done any knitting other than a few rows on Kool Aid sock #2. DH is at the Charger game today so I plan to lay on the couch, watch football, and maybe knit some on Stornoway if I don't pass out.
posted by Stephanie at 12:12 PM

 
I can only work on Stornoway for so many hours before that tight gauge starts to make my hand hurts. I can't work on it when DH is home anyway, but he's not home much!

Last night I finished kool-aid sock #1 and I guess I will start #2 today. I forgot how fast socks go in worsted weight.
posted by Stephanie at 7:04 AM

 
Still working on the ribbing of Stornoway. 316 stitches, in the round, 2x2 rib, on US 1 needles, 3 inches. Ack! Will I ever get to the good part of the sweater?

Yesterday I did some sewing and made a little baby jacket from some knit fabric I got on clearance at JoAnns. It's funny because you think since it's small and for a baby it will be so easy & fast. Then you realize that you still have to go through all the steps and do all the details, just in a tiny size. It's really cute, though. Last night I hand-sewed on the velcro closures while watching Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

Stephanie's top 5 favorite tv shows (not counting NFL football, which is a no-brainer)
1. Queer Eye for the Straight guy
2. Iron Chef
3. ER
4. Healthy Home & Body, Mind, and Spirit (Health network)
5. Jerry Springer (I have no shame)
posted by Stephanie at 10:40 AM

 
Yay! I am finally feeling better and I did a lot of knitting yesterday. First, here is the completed 5HBS. I still need to add the buttons and I've decided on some cute Beatrix Potter ones with the rabbit holding a carrot (the color of the yarn is carrot. Too cute, eh?)

Then I started over on Stornoway. I am excited to actually do a big, complicated project (and complete my first Starmore). I am keeping it a secret from DH so last night I started a pair of plain socks for me using my kool-aid dyed yarn. I am already to the gusset decreases...woohoo!
posted by Stephanie at 7:54 AM

 
Ack. I cannot seem to shake this bug that I have and now DH is sick as well. I am better, but still feeling dizzy which makes it hard to knit!

I did manage to start this new baby sweater, though. It's a version of the 5 hour baby sweater which I hadn't tried yet. I'm using a skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd worsted in NS carrot. I love this yarn sooo much. Not only is is really soft, but the near solid has wonderful subtle color variations.
posted by Stephanie at 10:47 AM

 
First of all, here is some Patons classic wool that I dyed with Kool-Aid. I used 3 packs of orange and 3 of lemonade (there is some yellow, although it's hard to see it in that photo).

And here is the completed baby sweater. It's still wet so the color looks a little darker than it really is.

Last night I started a pair of baby booties/slippers from _Simple Knits for Cherished Babies_. I'll probably end up making everything in there at some point. Oh, I'm using some leftover Regia.
posted by Stephanie at 1:49 PM

 
Whew, I just finished the baby sweater. It went fast but the finishing was still a lot of work! I just washed it so I'll try to post a pic tomorrow when it's dry. I'm feeling better than yesterday, but still not great so I think I will plop in front of the tv for the rest of the night.
posted by Stephanie at 7:02 PM

 
I haven't done much of anything over the past few days because I haven't been feeling well. I did start a baby sweater--the chunky cardigan in Simple Knits for Cherished Babies. I'm using some red Debbie Bliss Cotton Silk Aran that L. sent me. She hated it and I can see why. Mainly, it twists all up onto itself while you are trying to knit with it. Winding it into a ball first did not help. But, this is a small sweater so I think I will be able to finish it and I think it will be quite cute. I really like that book.
posted by Stephanie at 5:13 PM

 
I did a bunch of stuff yesterday. Sewing. I finished my shorts and they're wearable, but not great. I've decided that I do not like sewing with ribbed knit fabric. Regular knit fabric is ok, but when it's ribbed it's just too stretchy to sew with. Then I finished up the skirt that will be for my mom for her birthday. I made a decorative pillow using an old pumpkin needlepoint that I got on eBay for a dollar or two. I will try to post some pictures tomorrow. Oh, I also took a piece of green patterned fabric that I had and put it around the bottom of my craft table (using velcro), like a skirt (but not gathered). That way I can pile lots of stuff under it and it looks less cluttered. Knitting. I made some progress on my chickami. It's nice, mindless knitting.

This morning I wasted a lot of time trying to sew and outfit for a tiny stuffed pig that I have. It doesn't really have a body like a pig, though--more like a teddy bear or whatever. Anyway, she now has a cute skirt but no top. Maybe I need to knit her a sweater. I went to JoAnns because I needed more velcro. I was so excited to spot some flannel Hello Kitty fabric, but they only had a about a yard left. I asked if they had any more and they said no. Apparently it sold out fast. I bought what was remaning and also a yard of some cute printed knit fabric (baby clothes)?
posted by Stephanie at 4:47 PM

 
Yesterday was one of those days where nothing goes right. I got out Stornoway to work on--it's about a million stitches in the round and all I had done was cast on and work one row of ribbing. Sometime yesterday morning I managed to pick up the circ and start knitting back in the wrong direction. sigh. So I frogged it and put it away for the day. Then I decided to sew myself a pair of simple shorts. Well, the fabric was a really stretchy knit and my sewing machine was just not liking it at all. I changed out the needle and things got a little better, but I really don't think the resulting shorts will be wearable except for around the house. After that I had a headache and really didn't do anything for the rest of the day. Let's hope today will be better! I think I will go take Jackson for a walk right now and then I will decide what to work on.
posted by Stephanie at 9:51 AM

 
Jackson loved the dog park. He got to run around like a maniac and socialize with other dogs. He was the smallest dog there, but he can definitely hold his own. No one could believe that he is 8 years old because he has so much energy.

Yesterday I did some sewing. My mom bought me some Green Bay Packer fleece while I was home so I made this vest

and this Christmas stocking

I'm trying to decide what to work on today. I'd really like to sew myself a new pair of shorts (since I have like 2 pairs), but I also want to get out Stornoway. Hmmmm...
posted by Stephanie at 10:18 AM

 
Yay, I finished the baby bonnet yesterday!! After the lace border I did the rest of it in garter stitch. Then, after I sewed it together I picked up stitches along the bottom edge. I did an eyelet row so I can weave a ribbon tie through it. I am really pleased with it. It's also nice to be able to ignore the pattern and do it the way I want to and have it turn out. Ah yes grasshopper, you are becoming a real knitter. snort. I will post a picture after it comes out of the wash.
posted by Stephanie at 9:03 AM

 
I really feel like knitting today. That's a good sign. We have plans to take Jackson to a nearby dog park today, but otherwise I think we will just relax. Now, what to work on? Maybe the baby bonnet. It would be nice to actually finish something.
posted by Stephanie at 9:14 AM

 
DH & I had a fun day today. We had a picnic, hiked in Torrey Pines State Reserve, and then walked in the ocean. It's so fun to have a 'vacation' right in the middle of town!

I did some frogging on the bonnet because I didn't like the way it was looking. I think I may adjust the pattern and just do the lace band around the face and then do the rest of it in a simple rib pattern or maybe even garter stitch.

Tonight I'm making Tofu Fajitas (from Dr. Andrew Weil's cookbook) and then we're having leftover fresh no-bake blueberry pie. Yum!
posted by Stephanie at 4:16 PM

 
Progress continues on the baby bonnet. It's fun and of course goes fast since it's so small. I hope to finish it this weekend.

In other news, I have decided to do the American Diabetic Association Walk for diabetes coming up in October. Click here to see my personal webpage (dontions to the cause are greatly appreciated)!
posted by Stephanie at 3:00 PM

 
Well, instead of working on one of my 8 million wips/ufos, I started something new yesterday. ;) I'm making the baby bonnet from Vogue KOTG Baby Gifts. I'm using some Katia Mississippi in pale green and so far it's looking really cute. There's nothing better than lace that's easy to do!
posted by Stephanie at 7:35 AM

 
I'm back from vacation. It was very relaxing and it was great to spend time with my mom. I didn't do much knitting other than a few inches on my chickami. I finished 2 small cross stitch items and did some reading. We did visit the yarn store in Rhinelander, but it wasn't anything too exciting.

I have lots of errands to run today and I should do some cleaning and laundry. I don't know what project to work on next, although I'm thinking about getting Stornoway out. It's still a bit hot for that, though. I also have some new sewing projects in mind and a special cross stitch for DH. So much to do, so little time. I can't possibly get a job! ;)
posted by Stephanie at 11:43 AM

 
On vacation thru Aug. 26!
posted by Stephanie at 11:55 AM

 
Oops, I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. My bad. It's just that I haven't been feeling well and I haven't done much of anything. I haven't even been doing much on the computer other than checking my mail. Over the past several days I've managed to knit 3/4 of a garter stitch dishcloth and that's it. Oh, and I finished up the cross stitch exchange piece I was doing.

I'm leaving for Wisconsin on Tuesday (I'm going to hang out with my mom for a week) and I'm trying to decide what projects to bring with me. Maybe my chickami or just some washcloths. And some cross stitch and books.
posted by Stephanie at 7:28 PM

 
Here's the cross stitch I finished the other day. I'm really pleased with it--now I just have to decide how to finish it.



Yesterday I ordered some organic cotton from elann in avocado. I'm going to make their cables and lace cardigan. I've been waiting for this yarn to come back!
posted by Stephanie at 1:03 PM

 
I still don't feel much like knitting--I think it's the heat. I've been working on some cross stitch and I will try to post some pictures tomorrow. I finished a design that spells out our last name and now I'm working on a piece for a Round Robin.
posted by Stephanie at 5:02 PM

 
Sorry I didn't post over the weekend. I have lots of excuses, but mainly it's just been too hot to do much of anything. Saturday we did drive up to San Pedro and DH's aunt gave me a big bag of yarn that she wasn't going to use. Half of it is "vintage" acrylic (from Sears!) and the other half is some oddballs of wool without labels. I started a scarf for his aunt with the acrylic. I'm doing it lengthwise in garter stitch and adding some coordinating oddball yarns from my stash. Then I'm doing the thing where you just leave the ends as fringe. I hope it will make a nice Christmas gift. I haven't decided what to do with the wool. Maybe some Kool Aid dying or socks or both!
posted by Stephanie at 4:52 PM

 
Phew! The knitting bag is done:



It took a long time to sew it up and do the lining and everything, but I'm really happy with it. I even used a cute handpainted butterfly ceramic button that I bought at a yarn store in Long Beach about 5 years ago.
posted by Stephanie at 12:30 PM

 
Yay! I received the cotton yarn from Karen and I finished the knitting of the Rowan knitting bag. I washed it and it's drying right now. I just need to sew it up and put in the lining, etc. I think it will be pretty cute. Otherwise, nothing too thrilling going on. I'm working on a little cross stitch that I started yesterday and I also finished the sewing on a pair of shorts. I need to finish up some of these UFOs that are lying around!
posted by Stephanie at 11:56 AM

 
Mom's bday sweater in-progress:



It's all bunched up on the circ, but you get the general idea. So far I'm pretty happy with it.
posted by Stephanie at 2:06 PM

 
I am so pleased with myself. It's 2:00 and I've already finished a long list of chores/errands. Seriously, this housewife stuff is hard work! ;) Now I plan to spend the rest of the day knitting away and not feeling the least bit guilty. But what to work on?? I'm in 'too many projects overload', as usual. I have 3 or 4 small sewing projects that I'd like to get out of the way so I can put my sewing machine away and reclaim our dining room table. Of course I have my 23 knitting wips/ufos and then yesterday I cast on for my mom's birthday sweater. I actually did some math and a little sketch and off I go. I'm doing it in the round up to the sleeves since I want to do a band of fair isle along the bottom. It's fun, although Red Heart certainly isn't my favorite yarn to knit with.
posted by Stephanie at 2:16 PM

 
Knitting. I almost finished the Rowan cotton knitting bag and I ran out of yarn. Hmmph. Luckily, Karen has a partial leftover skein that she has been sweet enough to offer me. Hopefully this UFO will be an FO in no time! In honor of today's pre-season Packer game, I cast on a hat last night. I'm using up some green and yellow acrylic I had lying around, but it really is yucky to work with. We'll see if I can actually finish the hat or not.

Cross Stitch. I spent most of yesterday working on a towel for an exchange. I forgot to take a picture of it before I packaged it up for mailing, though. D'OH!
posted by Stephanie at 8:16 AM

 
Knitting. In case you haven't seen it yet, here is the free tote pattern from Interweave Knits. I actually do like it and the story behind it. I ordered some cotton fleece mill ends from paradise fibers to make it (in different colors) for a grand total of $13.50 instead of the $35 retail. Totally unrelated, here is a really cool hat pattern that someone posted on ample knitters. I think it's really cute.
posted by Stephanie at 2:26 PM

 
Knitting. I'm continuing to work on the cotton bag. It's a relatively small bag, so it's going quickly. The bottom and one side are now finished and I just started on the second side. I'm just hoping I don't run out of yarn! I'm using the leftovers from a Rowan sweater I made last year. Speaking of Rowan, colourway has all the new fall Rowan & Jaeger stuff on their website. drool, drool. I'm making up my bday & Christmas lists!!!
posted by Stephanie at 11:54 AM

 


Sewing. Here is the sundress. I finished it last night, but I didn't wear it to dinner. It still needs a few minor alterations to the top and I just didn't have time. I think it turned out really cute, though.

Knitting. I think I will take a little break from sewing and get back to knitting. Today I dug out a UFO--a knitting bag from Rowan dk handknit cotton leftovers.
posted by Stephanie at 2:21 PM

 
Sewing. I am putting in the zipper on the sundress so it looks like it will be ready to wear to dinner tonight. It is turning out really cute.

Cross Stitch. Here is the cross stitch pillow I made earlier this week for an exchange



I also started a towel for another exchange.

Knitting. I think the only thing I worked on yesterday was my trekking summer socks. I'm making them anklets so they will go pretty quickly. I think my favorite thing to knit is plain st st socks with patterning sock yarn!
posted by Stephanie at 11:12 AM

 
Sewing. I started a sundress for me. It's sleeveless and uses 4 different pink floral print cotton fabrics. It should be really cute. It would be nice to finish it in time for a dinner date Wednesday night, but it's not a big deal if I don't.

Knitting. I started 2 new things since my last entry! Karen was kind enough to pick up two more colors of trekking XXL sock yarn for me in the 'summer' and 'fall' colorways (I already did spring..my Easter socks). So naturally I had to start the summer ones right away. Then, I started to panic about Christmas gifts so I decided to cast on for DH's Stornoway. But now I feel like my wip/ufo list is really getting out of control (even for someone who is unemployed) so I have to make some sort of plan.
posted by Stephanie at 10:48 AM

 
Sewing. Mom's tank is finished. Here is the front:

and here is the back:

I was going to wait until I went home to give it to her, but in Wisconsin summer is practically over by then. So I'm going to mail it to her tomorrow and maybe she will have a warm day or two when she can wear it. I'm thinking about making a sundress for me next. Or maybe a fleece jacket. Then I can take that to WI with me and not have to worry about finishing the braids sweater! heh.
posted by Stephanie at 1:42 PM