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





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The body of Rogue is finished! I think I need to take a bit of a break from it though, cuz I'm having some pain in my right arm. Maybe I will do a little bit of sewing (I have lots of cute maternity patterns, and my regular clothes are already getting a bit snug).

Goodbye 2004. I'm sure I will always remember this as the year that my first baby was conceived. Waaaay better than remembering it as the year I got pregnant, got fired, then had a miscarriage. Argh.

We don't have any big plans for tonight. I can't drink and the weather is cool and rainy. I have an apple pie in the oven and later I'm making a big dinner. What a boring old married couple are we!

posted by Stephanie at 3:42 PM

 
YAY
I'm making a bit of progress on Rogue. I finished the back and I'm currently working on the neck part of the front. Once I finish that it's just one (giant, cabled) hood and one sleeve. Woo!

BOO
This summer I bought yarn from elann so my sister could knit her very first sweater. Alas, she has run out of yarn (with one sleeve to finish) and elann doesn't have any more in that color. If anyone has a skein of Schoeller Stahl Volare in 6714 chocolate truffle, please let me know!

posted by Stephanie at 3:35 PM

 
Yes, I survived the holidays. On Christmas Eve, I did some baking and then DH & I opened presents and watched the Packer game (go NFC North champion Packers woooooo)! I made spinach lasagna for dinner and then we drove up to my MIL's house (we figured there would be less traffic than on Christmas day). Christmas Day we ate, exchanged gifts, and watched the Laker game. We also told DH's family about the baby and they were very excited.

As far as knitting is concerned, I did get one knitting-related gift and it was great. The fabulous Karen sent me some yellow cotton and some yellow wool yarn (to make baby things, of course). I also got some cash, but the only yarn purchase I made so far was 2 balls of sock yarn from eBay (1 trekking, 1 Regia). With all the baking and some sewing and cross stitching, I haven't been knitting much at all. I've been working on the pink Opal sock and I'm almost to the toe shaping on the first one. Brenda asked what Opal I was using. I don't know the name of the group, because I got this yarn a few years ago when I ordered a big box of Opal from Germany. But I can tell you that the ballband says Farbe (color?) 194 and Partie (lot?) 2804. Hope that helps.

In other news, we had a prenatal appointment this morning and I finally got to meet my OB. She was really nice and we like her a lot. She was just planning to listen to the baby's heartbeat with the doppler, but she couldn't find it. So I wouldn't panic, she hurried and got the ultrasound so we got another free look at the baby! Woo! It actually looks like a baby now and all is well


posted by Stephanie at 2:49 PM

 
Merry Christmas!


posted by Stephanie at 9:17 AM

 
Sock drama

Before:


After:


Now:


Ahh. I feel much better. I also worked on Rogue a bit this morning.
posted by Stephanie at 10:07 AM

 
Yesterday I cast on 2 new socks. Today I have decided that I don't want to knit socks anymore and I still don't feel like working on Rogue.

The new socks.
1) The beaded socks for the six socks knitalong. I finally decided on some dk orange/rust koigu and some tan stone-look beads that I had in my stash. I'm happy with the combination, but I'm not thrilled with the way I am putting the beads in the knitting. mneh.
2) A plain pair of self-patterning socks--lane cervinia forever jacquard (super-cheap from elann). The problem--the main colors are red, green, and navy, so they feel too much like another pair of xmas socks. mneh.

Maybe I just need a nap.

posted by Stephanie at 1:45 PM

 
YAY, my Christmas socks are done!



Now I can wear them several times this week! :) Of course, I'm immediately thinking about what socks to start next. Looks like I will do the beaded socks from the six socks knitalong. Right now I'm rummaging through my beads and my sock yarn trying to make a decision.

YAY, I got a temp job. It starts in January and will last for 4-6 weeks. The pay is very good and it's non-toxic (ie, safe for pregnant babes). I'm so happy about that.

YAY, my early pregnancy symptoms are starting to subside (mainly the fatigue and morning sickness). I have a bit more energy to get things done. Yesterday I sewed a matte jersey maternity dress that I can wear now if I want to (it's not obviously a maternity style) and I made some cinnamon-roasted almonds (yum). This morning I took the dog for a long walk and did some stretching so that's out of the way for today. I'm craving oatmeal cookies so I think that's what I will be baking this afternoon. I also printed out a recipe for peanut butter dog biscuits (you know, for Jackson's xmas gift), but I'm not sure if I will get to those today.

Enjoy the holidays!!
posted by Stephanie at 11:32 AM

 

Two cross stitched Christmas ornaments.
posted by Stephanie at 10:18 AM

 

Sweatshirt for me using hello kitty Christmas fleece. I {heart} it.
posted by Stephanie at 10:17 AM

 

$5 Old Navy maternity tee + iron-on letters from Michael's = tee that looks just like the $50 ones that are selling online.
posted by Stephanie at 10:15 AM

 

Poinsettia pins. The one on the left is made from craft store felt and beads. The one on the right is knit from leftover stone cotton. There was one other, but I already mailed it off!
posted by Stephanie at 10:13 AM

 

Baby bunting and hat made from some leftover holiday fleece. This is a 6 month size, so maybe it will get some use next Christmas!
posted by Stephanie at 10:11 AM

 
Yay, my Christmas stuff is all done!! People laugh at me when I start knitting xmas presents in March, but hey--it works for me. I knit a few gifts, sewed a few gifts, and purchased a few gifts at good prices throughout the year. This is a very good thing since we're broke at the moment, especially with all the cash we will have to shell out for the new apartment.

Anyway, presents are all done, wrapped, and mailed (I just made my last trip to the post office *shudder*). Christmas cards have been mailed and my little decorations are up. Yesterday I even made fudge and sewed a hello kitty Christmas fleece pullover for me. All that remains is some baking--I will probably save that for Christmas Eve so I can bring some goodies when we visit the in-laws on Christmas day.

Knitting--I haven't work on Rogue. I worked a bit on the xmas socks and last night I started a pink baby hat using Sirdar Snowflake dk (I have a friend who is due to have a baby girl on Jan. 4. Looks like she may come early, though)!

posted by Stephanie at 2:48 PM

 
Hey, do you have any old cell phones, pagers, or PDAs lying around? If so, here's a great way to recycle them and raise a little money for the charity of your choice!

Knitting news. I haven't been doing as much as I'd like because I'm having some pain in my left hand/arm. I'll blame it on pregnancy. On Rogue, I did get to the part where you separate for the front and the back. I've also been playing around with making some knit poinsettia pins (which led me to making one from felt as well).

Oh, it looks like we found a new apartment. I'm happy about the place, although the thought of packing and actually moving is a nightmare. We have too much stuff!!!! I think I will be putting a few things on eBay over the next few days.

posted by Stephanie at 1:17 PM

 

Yay! The boot socks are done (I just finished weaving in the ends this morning). So my Christmas knitting is done (except of course for Rogue, which I'm sure I won't finish in time).

posted by Stephanie at 9:12 AM

 
What have I been doing lately?

Well, morning sickness has finally hit me. I must say I'm pretty lucky though--it hasn't been much of a problem up until now and I haven't actually thrown up yet. Just feeling nauseous and dizzy. A lot.

I feel like I have a lot of knitting and sewing to do before Christmas and I'm getting nowhere fast. I finished stitching a small xs Christmas ornament for me and my Regia Christmas sock #1 is done. Hmmm, do we see a theme here? I'm supposed to be working on projects for other people! I think my goal is to finish the boot socks this weekend. And maybe do some sewing.

I did go to SnB at Starbucks Thursday night. That was fun. I worked on my xmas sock and chatted with some nice gals. I had a decaf soy latte and had to leave by 8:30 cuz I couldn't stop yawning. Oy.

posted by Stephanie at 9:33 AM

 
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care....



This is at my sister's place. I knit stockings for both her and her boyfriend (of course, I knit them at different times so I never thought about the fact that hers is way bigger than his)!

posted by Stephanie at 6:09 PM

 
I took care of the Christmas decorating situation. Sort of. Monday I took a trip to JoAnns where all their Christmas stuff is already 50 or 60% off. I got a little tabletop artificial tree, a tiny strand of lights, some ribbons, and a few other things. I only spent about $20 and I feel much better about not having the regular tree and all my other decorations. The living room is definitely more festive.

Over the past few days I did some knitting on my Regia Christmas socks while waiting at the clinic with DH. He got a nasty infection and they couldn't figure out what was going on, but they loaded him up with antibiotics and he's feeling a bit better already. I've also been working on Rogue and the boot socks.

I have homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven and later is our first big prenatal appointment. Wish us luck!

posted by Stephanie at 8:39 AM

 
It's 10:00 on a Monday morning and I'm in my jammies eating oatmeal. I never said being unemployed didn't have it's perks!

I must admit that I'm a bit bummed about this whole moving thing. Technically, we have until Feb 1st to move, but it's more likely that we will move around January 1st. That means trying to find a new place, trying to scrape up enough money for all the deposits, packing, packing, and more packing. Then of course there is moving, which I can't really help with since I can't lift anything heavy. Plus, there's really no point in hauling all of my Christmas decorations out of the storage space--that's just extra stuff to repack and move later. And I was really in the Christmas spirit this year--I guess cuz I'm so happy I'm pregnant and since I'm not working I thought I would have plenty of time for endless decorating and such. Oh well. I think I will go buy myself a poinsettia and a cheap strand of lights and that will have to do. Luckily my wrapping paper and my Christmas cds weren't in storage.

Knitting. Yesterday I got Rogue out and started working on it again, thinking it would be nice to actually finish it by Christmas and send it to my sister. Of course, that may not happen and I'm ok with that. I may just tell her about it and get it to her as soon as I can. She will understand. Right now I have one sleeve done and a good chunk of the body (which is done in the round). The problem is that I'm sure that big hood will take some time. The only other gift I need to finish is the pair of boot socks for DH's cousin. The first one is done and I cast on the second one. I'm using worsted, so they go quickly. Oh, I also have a few sewing things on my to do list as well.

Oh, the new knitty is up. There are some really cute patterns, but I really can't start anything new until at least January!

posted by Stephanie at 9:57 AM

 

The blue socks that went home with my mom. Elann sock-it-to-me yarn. Garter stitch short row heel from Lucy Neatby's sock book.
posted by Stephanie at 9:41 AM

 

Garter stitch scarf knit with the mystery yarn that I koolaid dyed this summer.
posted by Stephanie at 9:39 AM

 

Jackson modeling the apple (tomato) hat.
posted by Stephanie at 9:37 AM

 
Well, now blogger won't let me upload pictures. grrr. I'm wondering if I should just give up on blogging or switch to another host, like typepad. I know I shouldn't complain about a service that's free, but it's still annoying.

As far as knitting goes, I'm just working on my Regia Christmas socks. Yesterday I was at Michael's and I bought a ball of some Bernat yarn that looks like Eros. I knit up the neckerchief pattern that was on the ball band. What a pain in the butt (oh yeah, that's why I don't knit with this stuff) and I'm not really that pleased with the end result anyway. Well, I'm trying to block it out right now so we'll see if that helps. I was planning on this being a stocking stuffer for my mom.

I'm working on a cute snowman cross stitch right now--it's someone else's piece for the round robin I am in. It's fun to work on and perfect for this time of year. I'm looking forward to getting my piece back--the baby afghan with the baby dinosaur alphabet!

In other news, we may be moving to a new place soon. We are not looking forward to it, but I guess it will be better to do it now (rather than right before or right after the baby is born).

posted by Stephanie at 1:40 PM

 
Grrr. I'm starting to dislike Blogger. Between our archaic dial-up and Blogger's slow load time, it's been very hard for me to get on and post.

Anyway, I dropped my mom off at the airport yesterday afternoon. We had a great time while she was here. We did some shopping (she finished all of her Christmas shopping), saw a movie (Bridget Jones), ate (a lot), watched football, and even did some knitting. We made a trip to a LYS and had fun checking out baby patterns. Mom bought a new pattern book and immediately started on a super-cute fuzzy baby bathrobe using some yellow Sirdar Snowflake that was in my stash. I bought the Ann Norling fruit hat pattern and some stone cotton and made an apple (or a tomato, as DH claims).

I finished a few other things along the way (hopefully I can post pics tomorrow). I finished the blue socks made from elann Sock It To Me Puzzle and gave them to my mom. I also finished the garter stitch scarf I was making with my kool-aid dyed yarn (that needs a good wash and blocking now). I finished one toe-up sock using the yellow and green koigu from Stitches (my Packer sock), but I'm not really pleased with it. I'm thinking about frogging it.

In the meantime, I think I will start a nice mindless Christmas sock (with my Regia banner color in red, white, and green). The new pattern was announced today for the Six Sox Knitalong, but I'm not terribly excited about it. It's knitting with beads. I might have to put that one off until January--I have too much fun Christmas stuff to work on.

posted by Stephanie at 8:23 AM

 
Little Brogan has arrived! Go take a peek and wish Peggy the best.

posted by Stephanie at 7:52 AM

 
How ironic--I just checked my blog and the ad across the top was for elann. I've been meaning to post a snarky entry about them and some recent dealings. But, it's Thanksgiving Eve (heh), and that wouldn't really be in the spirit of things, would it? Let me just tell you that the Schoeller Stahl Micro Cable they sent me is not bulky weight.

So, here are the top 10 things I thankful for (not in any particuler order)

1. Living in beautiful sunny San Diego, California
2. A sweet, sweet husband
3. Hobbies I love
4. Time & stash to work on those hobbies
5. This baby in my tummy!
6. My mom (who arrives tomorrow afternoon--woo)!
7. My sister (who is always worrying about me and checking up on me)
8. Enough income to get by
9. The eternal love of my doggie, Jackson
10. The special knitting friends I've met online.

Now, I need to get back to cleaning the apartment and thinking about tomorrow's menu (yes, I will actually be cooking).

posted by Stephanie at 9:25 AM

 
Big News

Well, I have some big news and I finally feel like I can share it. I'm pregnant!

Today I am 7wk1d and we had an ultrasound this morning--we saw the heartbeat!! So, we've made it over the first big hurdle and we now have a 95% chance of ending up with a baby. We've been very nervous, but we are trying to think positive. My due date is July 10. So now you know why I've been so tired lately. Hee.

posted by Stephanie at 1:19 PM

 
I know--I've been a bad blogger lately. I have lots of excuses: blogger has been giving me trouble, I've been tired, I've had a lot on my mind, etc, etc.

I started a new cross stitch project. It's a discontinued Country Companions kit called 'Christmas Shopping'. Very cute (Ed the hedgehog carrying home his Christmas shopping parcels). I actually did a tiny bit of knitting last night--I pulled out the garter stutch scarf I started with the yarn I kool-aid dyed. Oh, and I did sew a Christmas tote bag for my mom (she arrives one week from today WOOO). Sorry, no pics. Too much effort. Heh.

posted by Stephanie at 10:04 AM

 
Still no knitting going on here. I worked on a few holiday gifts over the weekend (cross stitch & sewing), but some of them are secret so I can't tell you about them here. The thing I can mention is the apron that I made for DH's aunt. I really couldn't think of anything for the longest while, but I think I ended up with a pretty nice gift. I bought an off-white canvas apron from Michael's and then sewed on a cute cross stitch I did. It's of an angel holding a box of cookies. She loves to bake, especially cookies, and she like angels. So there ya go.

Nothing else exciting going on. The Packers won yesterday (*barely*), woo! I've been really tired lately, so I'm off to take a nap!

posted by Stephanie at 2:49 PM

 
Long-ish post today, for once

I had a very nice birthday yesterday. I seriously didn't do much of anything, other than cross stitch and take a trip to JoAnns (they are having a sale right now and I seriously scored on some clearance fabric that was an additional 50% off). DH took me out to India Palace for dinner (yum) and we had Malai Kofta and Mattar Paneer (not sure about the spelling, but I'm too lazy to look it up). They brought out a little birthday dessert (DH asked them to put a candle in it, but I don't think they knew what he was talking about), and then afterwards we went to starbucks for some decaf (did I mention that I am obsessed with decaf gingerbread lattes)? mmmmmm

Knitting booty. I received some nice gifts from some very nice people. My sister got me the new sock calendar and my mom sent me a skein of Schaefer Anne. Lori & Jenn sent me some pale yellow laceweight yarn along with a cool shawl pattern (they secretly bought it while we were at StitchesEast)! I used some bday money to do a little bit of yarn shopping at elann, and I may do a bit more shopping at Patternwork's big anniversary sale.

I haven't been knitting much, lately. Not in the mood for some reason. I have been doing some cross stitching, though, and here are the two Christmas cards I made from some free mag kits


posted by Stephanie at 10:29 AM

 
Happy Birthday to meeeeeee!
My plan for today: lie around the house, knit/cross stitch/sew, eat sherbet. Tonight: DH is taking me out to my favorite Indian restaurant.

posted by Stephanie at 7:06 AM

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!
posted by Stephanie at 7:36 AM

 
Yay! Stitch N Bitch Nation is out! Here's how my yoga mat bag looks:



posted by Stephanie at 11:59 AM

 
Not much knitting news here. I finished the first blue sock and I cast on the second one. I must say that I like that short-row garter stitch heel (although my wraps in the beginning were a little loose).

I've been doing some cross-stitching for a round robin. I'm working on someone else's piece and it's boring, but I should get it finished up fairly quickly.

Last night we saw the movie Ray. It's really good. Go see it.

posted by Stephanie at 8:40 AM

 
Since my sister requested a new pair of mittens, I wanted to make sure that she has a pair as soon as it gets cold. So, I knit these using some Rowan Plaid that Karen gave me and this pattern



I'm still planning to make those fair isle ones that I ordered the kit for, but I haven't even recieved it yet so who knows when those will get finished.

In other news, I received the new issue of IK and I think there are several nice things in there. I'm actually thinking of starting the lace knee-highs, using the early birthday present that my mom sent me (A beautiful skein of Schaefer Anne from the knitting zone).
posted by Stephanie at 1:30 PM

 


posted by Stephanie at 7:36 AM

 

The blue sock I'm knitting from elann yarn. I actually did a different heel. It's from Lucy Neatby's book and it's called a short-row garter stitch heel or something like that. Fun!
posted by Stephanie at 3:49 PM

 

Here's a fabric tabletopper I made yesterday. I got the kit from the quilting shop in my mom's hometown ( I didn't actually quilt it, though).
posted by Stephanie at 3:48 PM

 

Trekking XXL socks in the autumn colorway.
posted by Stephanie at 3:46 PM

 

Here's my current progress on the body of Rogue.
posted by Stephanie at 3:45 PM

 
(note: no photos again today since DH left the camera at work).

So, I've been cruising right along on the body of Rogue. Well, fast for me anyway. It's really a fun pattern--a cable to keep you interested, but not so many different cables that it's a chore. If I finish this before Christmas my sister will be a happy, happy girl.

I also finished my Trekking XXL socks in the autumn colorway (I [heart] them and they are for me me me). I immediately went to my (large) sock yarn stash to pick out some new sock yarn. I decided on some Sock it to Me (from elann) puzzle. It's got blue & teal stripes, alternating with the little grey & white fair-isle type pattern. I love having stash! I love knitting (and wearing) socks!

Oh, I almost forgot. My (fabulous) secret pal was Libby. Go check out her blog here.

posted by Stephanie at 4:06 PM

 
I have the bestest secret pal, neener neener

I just received my final package from my secret pal. She totally rules. DH has the digital camera so I can't show you a picture, but I will tell you about all my goodies.

• The Noro book by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton (you know, the one with Klaralund in it)
• The Fiber Trends Sunshine & Sails pattern (to make cute cotton bath sets of soap sacks, face cloths, and back scrubbers)
• Cute monogrammed notecards (brought to you by the letter S)
• A great cross stitch kit (it's of a cute, fat sheep!)
• And finally, everything was wrapped in some great cotton fabric with lots of multicolored little sheep (can you say, new sewn knitting bag)?

See, I told you my SP is the bestest.

posted by Stephanie at 5:21 PM

 

I finished the first Rogue sleeve. Yay! I blocked it and the gauge/size came out perfect. Yay! For some reason I couldn't get a decent picture of the entire sleeve, so here's a close-up of the cable. I'm planning to cast on for the body right now.
posted by Stephanie at 9:01 AM

 
I know this sounds cheezy, but sometimes it's the little things that make you happy, ya know? Today: knitting Rogue, post-season baseball, rain, and chocolate velvet coffee.

posted by Stephanie at 3:30 PM

 
Well, I started Rogue yesterday. I'm making it for my sister and I'm using Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool. I started on a sleeve and so far it's pretty fun. I'd take a picture, but it's dark and rainy here again today (no, I'm not complaining).

I also swatched for the cardigan in Men in Knits that I was planning to make for DH. Lucky for him--I don't like the yarn I bought. It's got mohair content and it sheds all over the place. Off to eBay with that!

posted by Stephanie at 1:39 PM

 
Aside from some crummy virus (which is going away), I appear to have contracted startitis again. Yesterday I started a scarf from the wool I kool-aid dyed this summer. Then I swatched my alpaca/cashmere from stitches, but realized that I probably do not have enough for a pair of mittens (heavens, my sister can't get only one pair of hand-knit mittens)! I also want to knit my sister a sweater for Christmas (which I doubt will get finished in time, given all my other projects) and a cardigan for DH (which he doesn't really want). Sigh.

At least I have dinner in the slow-cooker (vegetarian chili) so that's one less thing I have to worry about today. We actually need bread, but I'm so lazy that I don't want to go to the grocery store. I may actually bake bread instead (my version of lazy means that I would rather stay home at all costs).

posted by Stephanie at 10:45 AM

 
Hey, do you need an excuse to buy some lovely pink yarn? Well, Rosies' yarn cellar is donating money to breast cancer research if you buy any of this great yarn. Speaking of excuses to buy yarn, my sister requested a new pair of mittens for Christmas. So, this was a great excuse for me to order one of these kits. Yay and yum!

I've been sick since Friday so I haven't been knitting the Garden shawl. Sick + lace knitting = frogging later. I did finish the first chart (leaf lace A) on Friday, though. yay! I'm anxious to get back to it when my head doesn't hurt so much.

In other knitting, I turned the heel on the second Trekking autumn sock. I'm also starting to think about Christmas gifts so I started a pair of worsted weight socks for my BIL. He wears a size 14 so there's no way he's getting fingering weight socks! Not this year anyway.

It's raining today and San Diego and I love it. This weekend was the first rain we've gotten in something like 180 days. Crazy! I like having it somewhat dark and cool--it actually feels a bit like autumn. Southern Californians freak out whenever it rains and get in 40-car pileups and stuff. I hope none of them ever have to drive in snow!

posted by Stephanie at 11:33 AM

 

Fluted bannister socks are done! Pattern from the six sox knitalong. Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Fall foliage. US 1 needles. 70 sts for leg and 60 sts for foot. I think I'm going to send these to my mommy.
posted by Stephanie at 9:43 AM

 
My exciting day so far (hey, I'm just glad that I got off my butt and did something)

ate soy yogurt while checking email/blogs
made DH's lunch
put homemade cranberry coffeecake in the oven
took dog for a long walk
unloaded & loaded dishwasher
had coffee & coffeecake
knit about 4 rows on the garden shawl
vacuumed
looked through want ads
cleaned out & organized kitchen cupboards containing food
took out garbage
took out recycling

later:
eat lunch
make grocery list
go grocery shopping
knit
make dinner
maybe go to Stitch N Bitch at Starbucks

wow, my life is exciting. I'm starting to sound like someone I know.....

posted by Stephanie at 1:14 PM

 

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting
and do it all the time. While finishing a piece
is the plan, you still love the process, and
can't imagine a day going by without giving
some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation
involves leaving ample space for the stash and
supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn
ends and you begin.


What Kind of Knitter Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

posted by Stephanie at 8:57 AM

 

The view from our condo in Atlantic City.
posted by Stephanie at 3:04 PM

 

Martha binds off her shawl while wearing it!
posted by Stephanie at 3:02 PM

 

Lori can knit lace lying down!
posted by Stephanie at 3:00 PM

 

Here's everyone (except me) knitting at the dining room table.

posted by Stephanie at 2:58 PM

 
I'm back and I had a fabulous weekend.

The highlights:
Thursday: Starbucks coffee & cheese danishes with Lori & Susan at 7am. Knitting on the balcony of the condo. Homemade ziti by Jen. Chocolate birthday cake for Susan.
Friday: Stitches Market. Meeting Deb Stoller and seeing what my yoga mat bag pattern will look like in the new book. Knitting and chatting with everyone.
Saturday: More knitting on the patio. Champagne. Jen's lentil & cabbage soup.
Sunday: Knitting while watching ESPN. Back home.

Stitches Market
This was my first Stitches Market so I was a bit overwhelmed. I took off on my own like a crazy woman and cruised through the booths 2 or 3 times in 2 1/2 hours.
What I bought:
something for my secret pal
2 sks koigu in green/yellow
2 sks of some incredibly soft alpaca/cashmere (www.alpacafiberexchange.com)
Cherry Tree Hill Super Glitz sock yarn in winterberry (plus a pattern for it)
Hunt Valley cashmere kits: bootie & bonnet set, triangle lace scarf.

Knitting
I spent the entire weekend knitting socks--Trekking XXL (autumn) & fluted bannister. Shortly I will have 2 new pairs of socks. When I got home, the yarn had arrived for my garden shawl (I had to get birches instead of winterberry) so I started on that yesterday. I'm loving it so far.

I will post a bunch of photos tomorrow!

posted by Stephanie at 7:55 AM

 
I hate to be a whiner (ya right), but today has been one of those days. And it's only lunchtime. I have a headache, a stomachache, and a pinched nerve in my shoulder. This morning I made banana bread and I forgot to add the sugar (blech). So I just feel crappy all around and I still have lots of non-fun stuff to do before I leave for N.J. I have to bathe the dog, go to the post office, go to the pet store and buy dogfood, clean the kitchen, and pack. Then I have to get on a plane at 9pm and I won't arrive until 6:30 tomorrow morning. ugh!

The good news is that I'm going to have a fantastic weekend. I love my knitterly friends, and they are kind enough to get up that damn early to pick two of us up at the airport.

In other happy news, I finished my sweater! It needs a good blocking, but that will have to wait. I need to put it in my suitcase so I can wear it all weekend! Here's a terrible bathroom pic (I'm the only one home and this color photographs terribly anyway)



The yarn is Peruvian Sierra from elann. 80% highland wool, 20% alpaca. The color is really a dark purple-ish with bits of red. And the sweater fits perfectly! It's a bit oversized, but that's how the pattern was written, which I like.

posted by Stephanie at 1:13 PM

 
I finished up the sewing on my mom's Christmas table runner and a strawberry shortcake flannel shirt for me. I'm pleased with both of them, but too lazy to post photos.

I'm this close to finishing my Peruvian Sierra pullover. Looks like I will be taking it to New Jersey after all. Yay! (I might have to skip the blocking on the front, though. oh well).

posted by Stephanie at 1:23 PM

 

Here's my fluted banister sock in progress. I'm using cherry tree hill supersock in fall foliage. The pattern is kind of mneh, but the yarn is yummy! 
posted by Stephanie at 12:00 PM

 
Did I mention that I'm going to Stitches East next week? I am so excited. This will be my first time going to any of the Stitches conventions. I'm not planning on taking any classes--I just want to shop the market! But, more importantly, I'm meeting up with several friends and we have rented a big house in Brigantine, NJ. I can't wait...it will be sort of like the retreat we did in March, but with fewer people. Ahh, yarn shopping, eating, drinking, and knitting with good friends. Seriously, does it get better than that? I'm leaving Wed. night and returning Sun. night. Woohoo!

I'm thinking I should finish up my v-neck pullover to take on the trip. It's not that it's so interesting that it needs to be shown off, but rather it will be warm and comfy and I have very few handknit sweaters of my own. Plus, the color kind of goes with everything.

posted by Stephanie at 11:25 AM

 
Lazy day today. I finished up my fleece jacket, had 2 short phone interviews, and picked up a few things at JoAnns. I just printed out the new sock pattern for the six sox knitalong (fluted banister socks by Laura Gallagher) and I am trying to decide what yarn to use. Ok, I'm off to watch the Padres game.

posted by Stephanie at 6:50 PM

 
I've been doing some sewing. I have all these great fabrics just piled up in my bedroom and they are calling my name (especially the seasonal ones, which I am a silly sucker for). I started a simple table runner for my mom--it has 2 different fabrics (1 on each side) and little red tassels at the end. I can't finish it though, cuz I need to call my mom and get the exact length of her table.

Right now I'm making myself a jacket using some Green Bay Packers fleece that my Grandmother sent me last year. It will be perfect for when we go to the sports bar and they have the air conditioning cranked!

Possible news this week on a new job--totally different from what I was doing before. But I'm quite happy about it. I'll let you know.

posted by Stephanie at 2:58 PM

 

The making waves socks for the Six Socks Knitalong (we are supposed to have them done by Thursday, so I just made it). The yarn is Lorna's Laces sockwt in Lakeview. 72 sts, US 0 & 1.5 needles. 2 pair down, 4 to go! 
posted by Stephanie at 1:43 PM

 

This is a little fall xs ornament that I just finished for an exchange. 
posted by Stephanie at 1:40 PM

 
I give up.

Last night, after a relaxing day of screaming at the tv while watching 3 football games, we found ants in our kitchen. Yes, ants. Yuck. We've lived in this apartment fot 3 years and I've never seen a single ant. As a result, I am blaming possible messy new neighbors (surely it couldn't be my poor housekeeping skills)?!

Anyway, we spent a fair amount of time ripping apart the kitchen, cleaning, spraying, etc. This morning (after a trip to the dollar store for sponges and rubber gloves), I got back to the cleaning, spraying, and trying to put the kitchen back together. Finally, I swept and mopped the kitchen floor (to get rid of dead ants, natch) and went to take a shower.

When I got out of the shower and got dressed, guess what was waiting for me on the kitchen floor? Well, dog puke of course! And not just one pile, but 2!

Seriously, is this how my week is starting out?

P.S. My making waves socks are finished!

posted by Stephanie at 1:54 PM

 
Yesterday I did some sewing and I started another pair of socks (you didn't actually think that I would finish the making waves socks before starting something new, did you)?

The sewing project is a gift so I can't show you a pic. I finished it up yesterday afternoon and you'll just have to believe me when I tell you that it's fabulous.

Last night I was feeling tired and a bit brain dead and I realized that I didn't have any mindless st st socks on the needles. gasp! So I pulled out some Trekking XXL in the autumn jacquard colorway (I told you I'm a sucker for anything fall) and started those. Naturally, I've already made the summer and the spring colorways, and I really like them (and I kept them for myself)! These will be for me as well (duh).

posted by Stephanie at 1:18 PM

 
I've been plugging away on my making waves socks. Can you believe that I'm actually working on one thing exclusively until it's finished? Yes, it happens every once in a while. Anyway, I finished the first sock and now I'm working on the heel of the second one. The pooling of the colors is completely different in this one and it's kind of irritating. And I'm not the type of knitter who cares about matching up my self-patterning socks or anything. Am I the only one who feels that Lorna's Laces colorways have gone downhill since they were bought out?

I'm getting ready to start a *big* lace project. Nevermind the fact that I haven't finished the 2 other lace shawls I started. ahem. But I'm knitting this shawl along with my dear friend Lori so maybe I will actually be motivated to finish it. It takes 2300 yards of laceweight yarn, so yesterday I ordered this in the winterberry colorway. Today I got an email stating that CTH will be dying my yarn today or tomorrow. Now that's service. And the price can't be beat!

posted by Stephanie at 8:26 AM

 

Christmas gift #2 is finished (for my sister). This is handpainted sock yarn from eBay seller lotusblossom (over the rainbow yarns) in the colorway coral reef. I really like this yarn and I think I might have enough left over for another whole pair of socks! 
posted by Stephanie at 9:53 PM

 

Yesterday I finished these baby booties...aren't they just the cutest? I used the pattern for Ugg baby boots that was on Knitty Gritty (diynetwork.com) and Berocco Suede yarn. The trim is some unlabeled stuff (snowflake, maybe) that I got from the GSRP. Fun!

posted by Stephanie at 11:38 AM

 

pumpkins! 
posted by Stephanie at 1:43 PM

 
I [heart] autumn.

It's definitely my favorite season. I grew up in Wisconsin so while the autumn leaves were beautiful, the season was always too short and it meant that the cold, long winter was just around the corner. Here in San Diego, we don't really have fall at all. It's just sort of an extended late summer, I guess. But, every year I still make caramel apples, go to the pumpkin patch, drink apple cider, etc. Oh, and watch football (and we won't talk about what happened to LSU or the Packers over the weekend).

This summer I already purchased several pieces of fall/halloween fabric. Now I'm trying to decide what to do with them. Today I went to JoAnns just to look at their autumn decorations and such. I came home with a few goodies--a doggie halloween costume (heh), a pumpkin spice candle, a spiderweb halloween candle.



posted by Stephanie at 1:31 PM

 

These are the socks I just finished. They are Regia Ringel, 64 sts, US 1 needles. They are made for a man with a size 12 shoe, so that's why they look so huge! I do believe this is my first completed Christmas gift (never mind the fact that I started them in March. ahem). 
posted by Stephanie at 3:57 PM

 

This is the cross stitch table runner I finished last week. As you can see, 2 of the images are going one way and two are going the other way. That's for people on either side of my table. Hee! 
posted by Stephanie at 3:54 PM

 

Well, the deadline to finish the making waves socks (for the 6 socks knitalong) is fast approaching (Sept. 30). I figured I should gaet mine out and start crackin'--I'm still on the first sock! Oops! 
posted by Stephanie at 3:08 PM

 
I'm back from Hollywood and I had a fabulous time. It was so fun finally meeting Vickie in person, hanging out with Karen & Vickie (and knitting), and actually taping Knitty Gritty.

I arrived at the studio at 8am on Monday and right away I saw Carol Duvall! She tapes her show right next to where Knitty Gritty tapes and I was so pumped (yes, I've turned into a DIY/HGTV groupie, yes, I've been watching the Carol Duvall show for years). I met the producer & director of KG and the other knitster and got 'miked'. The actual taping took 2 1/2 hours, which really flew by (of course, I was knitting most of the time, so that helped). I can't wait to see the actual episode (which was on socks, btw), but it won't be on until next year sometime.

Here's me, Karen, and Vickie after we finished taping


posted by Stephanie at 8:37 AM