Monday, January 30, 2006

two scarves in one weekend

school is back in session. my classload was too heavy (17 units) so i dropped a class and now i'm down to 14 units, but i'll still end the semester a unit ahead. so it's all good.

between classes i managed to knit a few stitches here and there and i knit under the table in my ecology lab for a solid hour. sah-weet.

so thar she blows, ribbon scarf #4, the product of knitting during classes.



the photo's a little dark, sorry. i wore it to trader joe's and a random lady grabbed my scarf and said "it's so cool, i had to touch it" and then walked away. freakin' hippies. alright, i was hugely flattered.

on saturday i got some scrumptious chunky frog tree yarn. as soon as i got in the car i knit a swatch. and lo, a swatch was born.



i found the perfect pattern for the goods, "heart" from knitty.com's special breast cancer awareness month issue. i cast on, and took off. i'd forgotten just how quick US 15's and chunky yarn went. i couldn't stop. i knit and knit and knit and then wham, a scarf was born. i'm in lust.



i heart "heart".

oh, and you better believe these scarves are mine, mine, all mine! MWAHAHA!

Sunday, January 22, 2006

NANO!

my amazing husband bought me an ipod nano for being a good wife! how awesome is that?
i plugged in the tiny jukebox, thanked my hubby the way a good wife does, and what next? knit a case for it, duh.



i used some frog tree yarn, and i found the perfect button for it too. the thick cloth case that comes with the ipod fits inside the knit case for extra protection.



i've been busy lately, so not much has been accomplished with my knitting.

ribbon scarf #4 is in the works.



i finally started the weezer tote straps, but there's not much to show for it.



sad news, school starts back up tomorrow. ick. full time school + 16 hrs of work + married life = very little knitting time. but i know better, we all know better; there's always time for knitting.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

my first crocheted object



it's a potholder. typical. lame. but at least it's not a barbie doll dress toilet paper roll cover. those are lamer. i never understood why anyone would ever make those. so tacky.

close up of some flawless hooker skills. haha.



this project only strengthened my love for knitting. it's so much prettier. crocheted objects are just so bulky. as i read in stephanie pearl-mcphee's Yarn Harlot, crocheting uses three times more yarn than knitting, and only burns eighty Calories per hour compared to knitting's eighty-five Calories per hour. that adds up over time, i swear.

anyhow, i'm ready to pick up my sticks again and stuff the hooks in a dark corner of my yarn closet for quite a while.

frog tree

i haven't wanted to hoard anything like this since i was a kid after the candy had just burst out from a pinata. frog tree yarn is lusty and delicious. i bought three skeins at my LYS with plans to make some mitten-esque hand warmers for my friend Katherine. i started knitting a swatch and i suddenly couldn't stop thinking about what colors i should buy next. horror struck me when i realized i wouldn't be able to go to the yarn store again until monday. it's my yarn candy. i LOVE it.

look at this beautiful 100% alpaca sport weight loving.



i've also come to grips with my need to own some crochet hooks. each time i fall in love with a knitting pattern i notice a small edging or aplique that calls for the crocheted beast. i'm folding, and i'll be learning a few techniques soon (i think). i bought three bamboo hooks, and some size four dpns for my frog tree yarn :)



oh, how could i forget! i re-organized my knitting closet. it's beautiful. but i did realize that i have less knit-worthy yarn than i thought. this is good and bad. i've just discovered yarn candy, but my post-christmas budget is in the negatives. i'll just buy two shades of green...

Thursday, January 12, 2006

three musketeers and a geisha

i had an amazing time in hawaii! i sunbathed and read memoirs of a geisha (which took away from my knitting time), i went whale watching, played glow-in-the-dark miniature golf, hiked through a bamboo forest to a waterfall and much much more. definitely one of the best vacations ever. i was so happy to play with paula while i was there too. we had a really great time, but i must admit, i'm really happy to be back at home in chico.

whilst in a cabana in maui, i finished the body of the weezer tote. i'm pretty excited, but i'm a little concerned with my handstitching skills, er, lack thereof.



i cut and pinned the asian-style fabric (memoirs of a geisha must have been fresh in my mind).



then backstitched the hell out of it. or something like that.



now i just have to knit two straps, line them with fabric, attach them to the purse and stitch the fabric lining snugly inside the tote. um. this is going to be a really late christmas present. meh.

on the airplane i worked on ribbon scarf numero tres. aqui esta:



look at how pretty the three musketeers are!



currently on the needles:
Rowan Butterfly (pictures coming soon)
Ribbon Scarf #4 (for me!)
Pasha the Penguin, for husband
Straps for the weezer tote

over and out.

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

sweet, sweet vacation

i have never needed a vacation as much as i do now. what a Godsend.

i'm in HAWAII!!!
see?



right now i'm going to work out in the gym with my mom. Husband is scuba diving at Molokini until noon. the best part about today though, is that Paula arrives at 1:45! i'm going to pick her up at the airport because her friend's (3rd?) car blew up. so that's cool. she's hanging out with him all week, but i'll reserve a few time slots to play with her :)

ok work out time now.