D is for Door

My Door. My door knob. Welcome Home, Cristi! Today was the day I closed on my first home. It's a small condo, but it's mine, all mine.

Mid-Month Dishcloth KAL

The pattern is called "Lacy Squares" and was the mid-month KAL at the Monthly Dishcloth KAL I joined a couple weeks ago. It's really cool the way it works. Twice a month, the moderator sends out a few rows (8-10 rows or so) of a pattern for a dishcloth. It's like a surprise KAL. You don't know until a couple days into the 7 day KAL what it's going to look like. I used some Peaches 'n Creme from Wally World (which, IMO is much softer and better than the Sugar 'n Creme) and it will be for my new kitchen! I've decided no more nasty sponges. Ew.

It Felt Random

That's what I'm calling my bag. The "It Felt Random" bag. I finished off the main body of the bag Monday night, and I'm working on the I-Cord handle now. It will be felted this weekend. Here's a peek: I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether or not I should post a pattern. Though it was inspired by the Booga Bag, the only thing it has in common with it is the shape and folding for the handles. Should I? Or Shouldn't I?

41 Hours.

That's how long Odessa was in my possession before my friend (remember my photographer friend?) snagged it for her lovely daughter. That's fine, I have plans for another one for me anyway. This time, I'm going with that Elizabeth Lavold Cotton I bought way back when I first picked up knitting (again). Remember this sorry thing?No, of course you don't. That was way back when I had no readers. That was supposed to be a dishcloth. Pretty expensive dishcloth. I use it to clean my glasses. It's so soft. I think it would be perfect for an Odessa. I'm hoping it won't bother me along the hairline. I keep forgetting that everytime I wear a hat, I itch. But cotton doesn't seem to bother me. So we'll see. In other news, I've been flying along on the next Booga inspired bag. I'm pondering posting the pattern since I've made so many extensive changes to the original, it's really not the same bag. But anyway, check out the new bag's progress: I used the Random Stripe Generator for the stripe pattern this time. I've very excited for it. Yay! But I really must get back to the Jaywalkers. ETA - and before I forget. Let my wish my Secret Pal good luck on finishing her Olympic Knitting. She's knitting a beautiful Veste Everest from Interweave Knits. So, how was my guess?

Egg Head

Odessa is finished! And it looks really funny on me! Seriously, I've never worn a skull cap before, and I'm not sure I should. But it turned out really cool! And guess what yarn that is? Red Heart Soft Baby. Oh wait, I told you that already when I mentioned I was recycling the yarn from Clapotis. Well, much better as this! I just love the way the pattern appears from simple increase and decreases. Not a purl anywhere in sight, well, except the ribbing on the bottom, but still. When I think about the similarity of Aihblinn: And think of how differently a similar look was acheived, once again, I am amazed at knitting.

Power Day!

Power what? Well, it wasn't a snow day. I had a half-day at work today because the power was out at work. The whole plant. Something about an electrical fire in the peanut department or something. All I know is that my first order of business for the day was to go buy flashlights. Then I got to sit by the light of an electric lantern and knit. Yay! Knitting at work! And it was ok! I sat and answered the one phone that was still working in our department, and waited. I finally got to go home around noon. In other news, last night I went to a new knitting group that I found through MeetUp. I met 5 new knitters, and found out about yet another group that I'll go check out next Wednesday night. It's nice to get out of the house more and meet new people. Now to get out of the house to meet more men. Hmm. I shared a few of my stitchmarkers, worked on my jaywalker a bit, and started my next felted purse. When I got home, I worked a bit more on Odessa (I'm now at least halfway done). Today was the first day of my mid-monthly dishcloth knit-alone (see sidebar for linkage) and since I couldn't print out the first set of instructions at work, I started yet another swirl dishcloth while I was there. When I got home I started the knit-a-long one. So wow, now I have Odessa, another purse, Jaywalkers, and 2 dishcloths on the needles. Ahh! Hopefully I'll finish up Odessa tonight to show off in tomorrow's entry. Wee!

Knitting is Magic

Magic, I say! Lookee: Meet Odessa. Isn't she lovely? Isn't she wonderful? Guess what yarn that is? Betcha can't guess. It's the Ghetto Knitter in me showing her cards is what it is. That yarn is Red Heart Soft Baby. You know what it used to be? Nasty-old-lady's-Clapotis. Now it's something pretty, for me. And it's getting gauge! Yay! You know what else is getting gauge? The Jaywalkers. You know what barely fits on my foot? The Jaywalkers. You know why? Because I'm an idiot and didn't bother measuring my ankle. I'm going to wash it after I'm done the one to see if maybe it'll loosen up a bit. If not, well, my sister is going to have some pretty snappy looking socks. In dishcloth news, I finished up a couple over the weekend. If you care, here's the most recent one as shown in the latest Creative Knitting magazine. I brought the Booga Bag in the my LYS today. It's not being displayed, but that's ok. They're displaying my scarf - with my picture up next to it and everything! Maybe they forgot about saying they wanted to display it, but I'm fine with it not being shown anyway. I want to use it! I bought some more Cascade 220 while I was there in fun Lime, Teal and Dark Pink colors. Just you wait for the latest felted bag creation! You know, I keep calling it a Booga Bag, but after all the modifications I made to it (Width, height, grommits, yarn, use of yarn) it's really my own. This next one, I have something lurking in the back of my head for a new unique pattern. We'll see.

You Can't Touch This!

I was a bad neighbour today. You know why? Because I got the hammer out. And what on earth would a need a hammer for? This: My Booga is Blocked, Grommited and Handled. I am in love. Check out the side view: And from the top: I really like the way adding the Grommits really "finished" it off. I'm so proud!

Booga Bag is Blocking!

Yay for alliteration! I had a great time hanging out yesterday after work at my LYS just sitting and knitting my Jaywalkers: with Remi. She told me about this new program she came up with for their customers. They have so many coming in to show off what they've done, that they decided to give a 10% discount to the customers that let them display their finished objects made with yarn purchased there and an easily accessable pattern. She asked if I would display something (since I'm such a new knitter yet so accomplished - it encourages other new knitters to try new things too!). I was so flattered! I offered my entrelac scarf that I made back in October. It was the 2nd object I had made by following a pattern, and my 4th project overall. I brought it in today, Remi took my picture modeling it, and is setting it up for display! Wow! And while I was there today, we felted my Booga Bag. Dummy me forgot to take the usual pre-felting pic, so I'll remind you what it looked like before with a pic of it in progress: I used Cascade 220, and modified the pattern by casting on 50 stitches instead of 34, and knitting 50 rows for the base instead of 34. The height was 96 rows instead of 64. Here's the felted bag blocking. It turned out so well! Now I know that you have to do more than one row of a color for it to really show, but the effect is still really cool. They want to display this too! Yay!

For Bezzie Hee hee. And if you don't know what that refers to, you really should read THIS POST and the comments. Then go to her blog, and read my response to it. hee hee. In knitting news, I finally cast-on that second pair of socks. If I didn't mention it before, I ripped out the first draft of the 2nd pair. Now, this beautiful yarn will be Jaywalkers. It took me a while to get them cast on (The first time, I forgot and just knit the first whole row instead of the K2P2 ribbing - D'oh!) and then I finally got going, and screwed up row of the pattern and had to tink back. Then I got to this one double decrease that just didn't want to happen. I had to get the crochet hook out 3 times for the same DD. Geez. It's moving along now. I have about an inch and a quarter done (yes that includes the ribbing) so I should make decent progress tonight. I hope I don't have to pay too much attention tonight. It's Survivor night. And nothing comes between me and Jeff Probst.

Score!

At my Stitch 'n Bitch (yeah, I said it - take THAT SFSE) last night I discovered that, contrary to the voices in my head (big surprise) the Hancock Fabric down the street from where I work is still open. Not only that, they have Lion Kitchen Cotton and apparently a slew of other Lion Brand Yarns. I'm a sucker for Lion Brand. So I went to check it out after work today, and SCORE! See that? It's Cotton-Ease! And Magic Stripes! And I got it all cheap! Yay! The Magic Stripes were just over $5 each (on sale - normally they're just under $7) and all the Cotton-Ease was $3.11 EACH! I didn't know this when I found it. I snatched up every skein they had thinking it was nearly $4 a skein. Yay! Now I can horde it away, waiting for just the right project for it. And I did find the Kitchen Cotton, not a bad price on that either. About $3.25 I didn't buy any of that though. But I know where I can find it when I use up all the Sugar 'n Cream I have. Now to find somewhere to put it...

My First SP6 Package!

I just got home from my Stitch 'n Bitch meeting and what do I find waiting for me? My very first SP6 package! (First SP package ever for that matter.) If you're wondering what SP means, then how did you find this blog? Pretty much everyone I know that reads it frequents the Knitty Coffeeshop boards lol. SP is "Secret Pal" it's like a secret santa only not just for Christmas. Anyway, look! See that chocolate? It's white chocolate. My favorite! And there's white chocolate truffles in there too! I've never actually had truffles before, so that's a treat! I can't wait to try one! That yarn in the front is "Rio De La Plata" Handspun and Kettle Dyed 100% Wool. There's 140yds of it there. I have no idea what it will be. A felted bag perhaps? A hat? I just don't know! It's so pretty! I love the colors. I also got the new issue of Interweave Knits, which I actually haven't bought yet. I can't wait to flip through that! And a pad of very pretty recycled paper fom Hallmark. The card she sent was very cute too. And talk about nice hand writing! I wish that were a clue. If only people typed like they wrote. I do know that my SP is in Deleware. Or do I? Was it sent from another source? Is my SP trying to through me off? Hmm...Well, whomever she is - I do know this - I love her already! What a great package! Thank you SP!

Mo-Mo - My Hero!

Pretty impressive hero huh? Here's the story. It was a beautiful day yesterday. I took advantage of the sun and mild weather to scrub out the litter boxes with some soap and water and let them dry in the sun. While I'm doing this, I leave the kitchen door open so the cats and come outside and enjoy the weather. (First mistake) I also decided to clear the patio of all the dead leaves that had gathered over the last couple months. (Second Mistake) Ripple came outside and sat in the sun for a bit, then wandered back inside rather intrigued by something going on behind the love seat. Uh-oh. The last time that happened after I'd been outside with the door open, that meant a mouse made it's way in. I started picking stuff up off the floor so I could see what was going on. And there it was. A teeny-tiny gray mouse. I ran to the kitchen to grab a strainer to trap the little guy. When I came back, it was no where to be found. Dammit. I tore the living room apart, no mouse. I admonished Ripple for not being a better hunter. I went upstairs and found Morris snoozing in a sunbeam. I picked him up and brought him downstairs and said "Find the mousey!" He looked at me like I was an idiot and promptly jumped up onto his pillow on the love seat and slept for the next 5 hours. Later on, just before half-time of the superbowl. I still hadn't seen that damn mouse again. I thought maybe it ran back outside and was gone. I went to the kitchen to get a drink, and there it was! I ran from under the dishwasher to under the fridge. Crap. How am I gonna get it out from under there? I tried a stick, that didn't work. I tried moving the fridge out a bit, that didn't work. Then I thought "A-ha! I'll spray it out!" What to spray though? The water bottle was upstairs, and anyway there's conditioner in it for my hair, and that'd make the floor all slippery, and I can't get under the refridgerator to mop up the water after anyway, so that'd be all moldy and gross. We don't want that on a new kitchen floor 3 weeks before a move. I looked under the sink at all the spray stuff I had. "OxyClean, no, gotta wipe that up. I need something I can spray and forget about. A-ha! Bug spray!" I bought this stuff because it was safe around pets. So I thought "Hey, I can spray it out with this, trap it, and set it free outside!" So I started to spray away. And it worked! The mouse came out, soaking in the stuff, not looking too healthy. (Third Mistake) And promptly squirmed back under the dishwasher. Damn. Now, I have to get it out from there. This thing is probably going to die, and I can't get under the dishwasher, so it needs to come out. I find the hole it crawled in and try again with the Bug Spray. It worked again! I'm a freakin' genius! An evil one, but genius none-the-less. I trapped the mouse. "Poor little guy, you don't look so good. It's only been a minute or so, maybe if I rinse it off you, you'll be ok." I slipped a piece of cardboard under the strainer, and went outside with it. I got a cup of lukewarm water and poured it gently over the mouse. "Please, don't die. Please be ok. I didn't mean to harm you. Honestly!" I moved it out into the grass and went back inside. About 15 minutes later, I went to check on it. "Uh-oh. You haven't moved. You're eyes aren't open. I'm a murderer! Ahh!" I felt so bad. I went back inside, depressed and upset with myself. I pick up my Booga Bag and start to knit. Thirty minutes later, half-time is over, the Rolling Stones stopped sounding like crap (only because they stopped playing) and I notice Ripple running around, trying to catch something behind the TV. "Must be a bug or something. I caught the mouse." I put down the Booga Bag and look behind the TV. "Dammit. Another mouse." Morris stirs, and jumps down from the Love Seat where he'd been blissfully ignorant for the past 5 hours of anything mouse-related, he gives a big old yawn and stretches. I move the TV, and a mere number of seconds later, I hear a scraping in the corner of the room. It's Morris! He's caught mouse! "Morris! You got it! Good job buddy! Where the hell were you 5 hours ago when this all started?" I managed to get an empty cup and coax Morris into dropping the mouse so I can trap it. Now, he wouldn't leave the corner where he'd caught it (except to stalk around the couch while I found the cup) so I was stuck with my hand holding th ecup down, and no paper within reach for me to slide under the cup and trap the mouse. And Morris wouldn't leave the cup alone. He knew his prize was inside. Problem was, this was no box of Cracker Jax. The only thing within reach was the surround sound speaker. So I put that on top of the cup and found the nearest piece of sturdy paper I could. Success! I run outside and put the mouse down onto the concrete. A little damp, and I think I saw a puncture wound in his side, but he scurried off as fast as he could. I was so proud of Morris. I gave the boys a treat and I've been calling Morris "Mo-Mo My Hero" ever since. I swear he puffs up with pride when he hears it. Good boy, Morris.

Argh. An entire post, gone. Poof!

I had a nice meaty post up yesterday, and blogger seems to have lost it completely. Dammit. Anyway, it was mostly bitching about the 2 socks on 2 circs I'm trying to do, which today in talking with my LYS friend, I've decided to rip out. You see, I'm pretty sure I flipped it inside out after the first two rows. I persevered thinking it would fix itself. But no, even though I've tweaked it, it's not looking right. And I've picked the wrong pattern for this yarn anyway. I'm going to take one off the needles and do a few rounds of stockinette to find my gauge, and hopefully be able to do the Jaywalker socks instead. This yarn will look great in that pattern! You can see what I've done so far: I don't really want to rip that out, 1 x 1 cuff on Size 1 circs, 2 at once - not fun. But I know I'll be faster doing them one at a time. Seriously. I think I actually jumped into something a little fast. I'll wait after a few more pairs before I jump back on the 2 at a time bandwagon. In other news, the Booga Bag is nearly there too: Just 18 more rows to go and I can bind off (I've done just a couple more rows since I took this pic yesterday). I made more progress sorting stuff and throwing a ton of stuff away this weekend than I did on knitting. But I thought about it!

Thanks for the memories...

It's meme time! Saw this one on labeanknits blog and thought it'd be fun. So, have at it! Make me laugh!

If you read this, if your eyes are passing over this right now, even if we don't speak often, please post a comment with a COMPLETELY MADE UP AND FICTIONAL MEMORY OF YOU AND ME. It can be anything you want--good or bad--BUT IT HAS TO BE FAKE. When you're finished, post this on your blog and be surprised (or mortified) about what people DON'T ACTUALLY remember about you.

Clapotis, I Wash My Hands of Thee.

See that over in the sidebar? Clapotis is gone. Nope, didn't finish it. I'm not going to. Not with the yarn I started with, nor for the person I started it for. That project is dead to me. I didn't particularly care for the person I was making it for, and that person's son is no longer a friend anyway. Again. This guy has, for the millionth time, come to the realization that there's no way in hell there will be a romantic relationship between us. He's got kids older than me. Seriously, what was he thinking? I've always been up front with him, and always treated him as a friend. Nothing more. Now that friend is gone. But, oh well. We move on. And I had grown to hate that Clapotis anyway. Now I can knit it out of a yarn that I like, and know that it's for me. I just might finish it that way. In other project news, my Booga Bag is shaping up. I'm making it bigger than the pattern calls for (50 stitches instead of 34) and, using Cascade 220, I'm doing a random stripe pattern. I'm pretty happy with it so far. Using algebra (my 8th grade teacher would be so proud) I've determined that means I need to knit it 94 rows tall to maintain proportions. Let's see how that works out. I hope to be done this weekend. As for My So-Called Scarf I do believe that's going to be an ongoing project for a while. I'm not aiming to finish it until next winter. I do a couple rows here and there, and put it back down. I'm using wooden needles, and I think that's slowing me down. The yarn is Lionbrand Landscapes, and I'm thinking it'll be much easier on metal needles. But, I really wanted to use my wooden needles for something. Dammit. I guess this means I need to switch. Maybe then I can get it done a bit quicker. I'm not really worried about it though. It's for my Arizona-bound sister so I know she won't care if she doesn't get it until Christmas. Next to go on the needles? Care to guess? If you guessed "another pair of socks", you're a winner! Yay! And what do you win, you ask? How about a cute pic of the fuzzy butts: