Knitting, sewing, cross stitching, my life in general.





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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