Money Shot...this has nothing to do with knitting...or porn

And now for the money shot....er shots



Look at the speckles on that pouch! (that almost sounds naughty)



It decided to open up today, and what a day for it. It's really dark and rainy outside, so it was really hard to get a good picture. Forget about taking it without a flash. But that's ok, I'm just glad it happened on a day that I was off work so I could get a picture with natural light.

Stranded

My Endpaper Mitts are coming along nicely. I just started on the thumb gusset. I've gotten used to using 2 strands of yarn, and I think I'm getting a lot faster at it. Here's a new picture of my progress.

These mitts have opened up a whole new realm of knitting for me. I've now started scouring Ravelry for more stranded glove patterns. So far I've found 4 that I really want to knit: Corazon, the Anemoi Mittens, the Squirrelly Swedish Mittens, and the Norwegian Snail Mittens. I think the squirrels will be my next project...along with my Chevron Scarf. Ooo...but I'm also looking forward to Anne's cashmere mitts. Gah...so many to choose from. My Ravelry queue is huge.

In other news, my Phrag Silver Eagle is blooming. The flower isn't completely open, but of course I have pictures. Pictures were a bit difficult to take because the petals are still pretty closed up which caused a lot of shade on the rest of the flower, but you get the idea.



I've also included a picture that was taken with the flash. The flash flattened everything out a bit, but you can see the color better when I use it.

This is my first blooming Phrag so I'm really excited about it.

I also have a couple of shots of my N. rafflesiana. It's been pitchering reliably for the past few months. See...sometimes you can grow lowlanders on a window sill. Oh, and the hair stuck on it is from my pets. When you have 3 dogs and 2 cats, hair gets stuck on everything.




That's all for today...enjoy

FO heaven and Mitten Love

I finally have pictures of my finished Orchid Mitts and Snow on Cedars Mitts. Plus, I finished my Bellatrix Socks and have pictures of those too. I'm doing good with the pictures this week.

First the FOs:



Orchid Lace Mitts
Start: October 2007
Finish: November 5, 2007
Needles: US 1 bamboo DPNs
Yarn: Fearless Fibers Merino Lace weight in Rubicund colorway (1 skein)

I love these mitts and wear them constantly. Fearless Fibers Merino Lace Weight is some of my favorite lace weight yarn. It's super soft, and the colors are gorgeous. You may remember that I also used it for my Japanese Feather Scarf (which I also wear constantly).




Snow on Cedars Mitts
Start: November 3, 2007
Finish: November 20, 2007
Needles: US 1 bamboo DPNs
Yarn: Wooly Wonka's Merino/Tencel Sock Yarn in Sagebrush and Cedars colorway (purchased as kit)

That picture doesn't really flatter those mitts. Here's a close-up of the yarn and stitch pattern:



I really enjoyed knitting these, I just couldn't put them down. Unfortunately, my gauge was off just a tiny bit, which made them just a little baggy in the hand. It's not much, and you can't tell from my picture because it goes away with blocking, but it seems to come back with wear. Of course, it's something that only I would notice, but it causes me to reach for my Orchid Mitts more. So, I'm thinking of giving them to my mother-in-law because they fit her perfectly....and she loved them.





Bellatrix Socks
Start: November 23, 2007
Finish: December 6, 2007
Needles: US 1 for ribbing and US 0 for everything else
Yarn: Pigeonroof Studios Superwash Merino Sock Yarn in Poison colorway

I love these socks. This was my 3rd pair of socks, and I'm getting better at making them fit right. In fact, I think these fit perfectly. They don't end up stretching out too much when I wear them. You've probably noticed, but I like tight socks and mitts. The dropped stitch pattern was a lot of fun to knit and the yarn was perfect for it. I really enjoyed seeing which part of the yarn would be in the next "nub". Actually, I've become pretty addicted to Pigeonroof Studios sock yarn because of these socks.

Now for the new projects:

After I finished my Bellatrix socks, I actually made some progress on my Honeybee. Not a ton, but progress is progress, right? I'm almost through the bee hive section on the first half of the stole; I've only got 2 pattern repeats to go. Then I get to move on to the swarm. I'm really looking forward to the swarm section, I've heard it's a lot of fun.

After working on the Honeybee for a few days, I decided I had to cast on some mitts. I love mitts, especially fingerless ones. So, I decided to make a mitten version of the Pomatomus Sock using Pigeonroof Studios Superwash Merino Sock Yarn in the Seaweed colorway, but I decided to be difficult and make my own version instead of using the ones available. I really hope it works. Instead of going down a needle size and using thinner yarn, I decided to cut back the number of pattern repeats and cast on 48 sts. I hope it looks right. I'm really anxious about the thumb. I have books and patterns laying all over the place so I can cross reference thumbs. I really want to do a gusseted thumb on the palm of the glove, which means I will have to do left and right gloves. Right now I'm still on the wrist, and I'm just hoping to cross the thumb bridge when I get there.

I also started swatching for the Endpaper Mitts last night. I'm using Knit Picks Palette in Golden Heather and Salsa Heather. I originally wanted those colors because I wanted to knit them in warm fall colors. When I received the yarn, I was super excited to realize that I had accidentally ordered Gryffindor colors. So, I get to make nerdy Harry Potter Endpaper Mitts! This is my first stranded colorwork and I'm a little slow and clumsy with the second yarn in my left hand, but I'm getting the hang of it. I was really surprised to find that although I'm usually a loose knitter, I seem to be a tight knitter with colorwork. Usually, I have to go down a needle size, sometimes 2, but this time I had to go up a needle size. Seriously, I was shocked.

Anyway, I think that's about it. I hope everyone has a good weekend!

Knitting and Movies

I've been knitting like crazy lately. The Snow on Cedars Mitts are finished, and I'm now working on the Bellatrix Socks (the site the Bellatrix pattern is on is currently disabled, so the only link I can give is the Ravelry link). I've already finished the first sock, and am about a quarter of the way through the second, but I haven't taken any pictures yet. Actually, I'm really behind on pictures, I still need to take pictures of my completed Orchid Mitts and Snow on Cedars Mitts. In my defense, I tried to take pictures earlier this week, but I took a couple and my camera battery died. So...I'm hoping I can get my husband to help me take pictures today. I've been delaying the mitts pictures because I would really like to have pictures of me wearing them instead of them just laying out, and I will need my husband to help me with that. I just feel bad asking him to stop what he's doing to help me take pictures for Ravelry and my blog. We both work full time, and by the end of the day, we don't actually get very much time to do the things we enjoy doing. I feel bad pulling him away from his hobbies to help me take pictures of mine. Plus...think of all the knitting I could do in the amount of time it takes to get really good pictures! ;)

I'm already planning my next project. I'm having trouble deciding between the Pomatomus Socks and the Endpaper Mitts. I've never really done any colorwork so I'm leaning towards the mitts, but I have the perfect yarn for a pair of Pomatomus socks. Hmm...decisions decisions. I guess I will see how I feel when I get done with Bellatrix. I could always start them both *evil smile*.

We watched Perfume: The Story of a Murderer last night.
It's an awesome movie, I highly recommend you see it. It's a bit unusual, but very good. I found out after we watched it that it was based on a book. So, now I'm hoping I will get the book for Christmas. Books are always better than the movies. Speaking of movies, I can't wait until Sweeney Todd comes out this month. I saw the play several years ago at The Pocket Theater in Dallas and loved it. Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Bonham Carter will do wonderful things for this story.


Enough rambling from me. I hope everyone has a good weekend.

Return

See...I'm still alive.

Lately, I've just been knitting and reading like crazy. I'm reading the Harry Potter books for the first time. Yesterday I was out sick, and I ended up reading for 90% of the day. I finished off the last 200 pages of the 5th book, and started on the 6th. I did take a small break to work on my Spring Shawl Surprise swatch, but I will get to that in a minute.

It's been so long since I posted, I guess I should fill you in on my knitting. My Honeybee Stole is coming along slowly but surely. It amazes me how quickly some knitters can knit really complicated lace shawls, and the truly amazing thing about it is that they usually also have other projects they are working on at the same time. I've finished my Orchid Lace Mitts, and am halfway through my Snow on Cedars Mitts. I don't have any pictures yet of my completed Orchid Mitts, but they are gorgeous. I love them, in fact I've already worn them a few times on chilly mornings and once at our local hockey team's game. I'm having second mitt syndrome with my Snow on Cedars, but I'm determined to finish. It's nothing to do with the pattern or yarn, its me. I think it's because I went on a bit of a yarn shopping rampage, and now I want to start working with my new yarn. I just have to ignore the Siren's call of my new yarn. Ok, so maybe I did end up using some of the new yarn to work on my Spring Shawl Surprise Swatch, but that doesn't count, because the pattern clues don't start until January. To be completely honest, I was dying to knit something yesterday, but I was feeling so bad that I was concerned I would mess up anything I worked on. It seemed like the perfect time to work on a swatch....after all it's just a swatch. Plus, it gave me the perfect excuse to use my brand new Malabrigo Lace yarn (the Siren I couldn't ignore). I've never knit with Malabrigo yarn before, and now that I have, I have no idea how I existed without it. It's so soft, and the colors are gorgeous. I bought 4 skeins each of two different colors (Vaa and Taureg) because I couldn't decide which one I wanted to use for my Spring Shawl.

Vaa:


Taureg:


I'm worried that Vaa will end up being too dark, so that's the one I'm swatching with right now.
Next I will probably do a swatch with Taureg so I can compare and decide which one I like more.

Sorry about the long absence.

Japanese Feather Scarf

My Japanese Feather Scarf is officially done

knitting...with pictures

Ooo....look....I finally posted a few pictures!

I finished my Japanese Feather scarf...well...I still need to block it. Hopefully I can do that today. I really loved that pattern. I was a little sad when I finished it. I knit it with Fearless Fiber's Laceweight Merino, which is awesome. It's my favorite yarn. I used the Hendrix colorway. Here's a picture unblocked.



Last Sunday I started working on my Orchid Lace Mitts with Fearless Fiber's Laceweight Merino in Rubicund. They are coming along great. I can't believe how fast they are knitting up, I'm nearly done with the first mitt. I'm really enjoying this pattern, I can already tell that I'm going to be sad when I'm done with them.



I've put my Honeybee stole to the side for a little bit. I'm not enjoying my Addi Lace Turbos very much. It's my first time working with them, and I just don't like it. There really isn't anything wrong with them, I'm just not enjoying them. I really prefer wood over metal, and I think that's the whole problem. I ordered a set of #5 circulars from Jenkins Woodworking, and I plan to move my Honeybee onto them as soon as I get them. I'm sure once I have needles I enjoy, I will work on it a lot more.



Speaking of bees....

Elizabeth

Last night we saw Elizabeth: The Golden Age. It was great, I highly suggest you see it.

Quickie

Sorry I've been quiet for awhile. I promise a longer post soon.

Guess what....I received my Ravelry invite!!

travelling and knitting

I spent Tuesday night through Friday morning in Ft. Worth. Despite living in Dallas for several years, I had never been to Ft. Worth. I keep hearing how wonderful Ft. Worth is from everyone I work with (we have an office there), but I have to admit, I just don't get it. Downtown was neat, but not neat enough to move there for. I think the things I really liked the most about it were JenningStreet Yarn, Kalamata Restaurant (in our hotel), and Reata Restaurant. The yarn store was the best. To me it's just another city. I've never understood how people get all enamored with a city, it's just a city. You will get bored there too. Eventually the newness wears off, and you end up enamored with another city. Anyway, I still like Dallas more. We visited with my Dad, and then we visited with Mike's sister in Arlington. I liked that area, it was a nice suburb. But, it wasn't really anything extraordinary. It had most of the same types of stores we have. It did have more restaurants, but that's to be expected. It just seemed like a nice place to live. I would be happy living there, well, except that I hear they have tornadoes, and tornadoes freak me out. All in all, we had a really nice trip, but we were ready to get home. We really missed all of our animals.
I'm still plugging away on my Japanese Feather Scarf. It's coming along great, and I'm really enjoying it. My kit arrived for the Honeybee Stole last Saturday, and I can't wait to start on it, however, I am forcing myself to wait until I finish either my Math Whiz socks or Japanese Feather Scarf. I hate to admit this, but my poor Math Whiz socks have been very neglected since I started on my scarf. But I will finish them. I came home from Ft. Worth to find my Fall Interweave Knits waiting for me. I absolutely fell in love with the sweater on the cover. So, I ordered the yarn, and I will start working on that soon as well. I ordered the Berroco Peruvia that the pattern called for, but I ordered the Sea Turtle color instead. Wow, my to knit list is getting huge! Once I finish off what I am working on, I think I will work on Honeybee and the sweater at the same time. Of course I also want to knit the Delicato Mitts. Hmmm...maybe I can have three projects going at once (I usually set myself a limit of 2).

Anyway, that's all.....time to go water the plants.

Boozing and knitting

I am so happy it's the weekend. Although I really need to work on our banking (balancing the accounts, entering and filing receipts, general yucky stuff), I'm glad I can do it at home in my pjs and sleep as late as I want.

It seems to be cooling off outside; there is actually a cool breeze in the mornings. When I say cooling off, I mean it's getting semi bearable outside. It's in the low 90s instead of the high 90s or low 100s.

Our company had a party Thursday night. It was a ton of fun, however I learned a very important lesson...drinking yourself stupid on a week night is NOT a good idea. It may seem like a good idea at the time, but it seems like a horrible idea when your alarm clock goes off the next morning. It's okay though, pretty much everyone was trashed, so we all got to be miserable together yesterday. Consequently, last night I fell asleep on the couch at 9pm, and stumbled to bed around 10. I haven't been to bed that early in a looong time (since maybe middle school). Midnight has been my normal bedtime for years.
I got a new betta fish. They were table arrangements at the party, and I took one home with me. I was pretty impressed with myself, even though I was drunk, I was able to pick one of the prettiest ones (of course that was all before the after party, which is where my drinking really picked up). So, that brings me back up to two betta fish again.
I've been trying to find myself a new signature drink lately. I used to drink dirty martinis (Bombay sapphire only), but last New Years Eve I had a wee accident with about 7 of them (that's according to the people I went out with because I thought I only had 5), and now I can't stomach gin. So, I am on the hunt for a new drink. I've pretty much fallen in love with Patron, which is kind of strange because I had a wee accident with tequila (my first drinking accident) when I was 17. I guess I'm over it. I would like to add a disclaimer, when I say wee drinking accident, I don't mean I had to go to the hospital or anything serious like that, I just mean that I ended up sick. So, lately I've been drinking Top shelf margaritas. I wish I would have fallen in love with a cheaper alcohol, because drinks involving Patron are not cheap. I only drink margaritas when I'm out and about (which is not that often...I prefer to stay home and knit). If I even drink when I'm at home, I have a glass of red wine. I've really enjoyed Bohemian Highway Cabernet Sauvignon lately. It's a cheap wine, I got it at World Market for $5 or $6, but it's really good. Mike even loves it, and he's pretty particular about his wine. And it's from California, we don't usually do American wines. Our tastes are usually European....Spain or France. Anyway...it's good. If you are looking for a good cheap wine, try Bohemian Highway. They also have a Merlot and Chardonnay which we have not tried yet.

Ok...on to knitting. I'm still working on the Math Whiz Socks and Japanese Feather Scarf. Anne has a new kit she is working on with Wooley Wonka Fibers for October that I'm probably going to purchase. It's a pair of mits that have a tree and snow lace theme. Kind of a Christmas type theme. She wrote a couple of blogs about them that included in progress photos here and here. My Honey Bee kit should be arriving today! I'm really excited about it. I ordered the Tupelo Gold colorway, and in pictures it looks gorgeous. I hope the mail man gets here soon!

The new Knitty is up! So far I love Roam, Urchin, Totally Autumn, and Woodins.

I think that's about all. Sorry there aren't any pictures today. I'll try to post some soon.

The birds, the bees, and the knitted

I'm still working on the Math Whiz socks, well actually, I haven't touched them all week because I started on the Japanese Feather Scarf. I'm using Fearless Fiber's laceweight merino in Hendrix, which is gorgeous and super soft. I really can't say enough nice things about Deb's yarns, they are wonderful, and she seems like a great person. Here's her blog. Back to the scarf...I love it. I can't wait for it to be finished (and for it to get cold) so I can wear it. This is actually my first lace piece, so I'm really excited about it. I was intimidated by it at first, but it's going well. The pattern is actually really easy. I'm mildly concerned about blocking it, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there. It's actually inspired me to do more lace knitting, so I finally bought the Honeybee Stole. I actually bought the kit because it just seemed easier that way, and I really loved one of the colors they were offering it in. I still have no idea what I will do with a stole, but I guess I will figure that out later. It's just so pretty. Mike keeps saying that stoles remind him of old ladies, but I think it's all about how you wear it. He does agree that the Honeybee is a beautiful stole though. I have plans to break apart the pattern and knit scarves with the different types of bee sections, but I'm going to make the whole stole first.

Speaking of bees, we found a drone honey bee yesterday. Mike taught me a lot about drones (his father used to keep honey bees when he was a kid). I had no idea that drones didn't have stingers. Also, he said that once they mate, drones are not allowed back into the hive. So basically they die. I wanted to know more...well actually I just was looking for drone pictures...so I looked on wikipedia. Turns out, Mike didn't have it quit right. Maybe his father didn't know, or maybe his father didn't tell him the complete truth because the complete truth is terrifying, especially to a boy in elementary school (although his parents seem pretty open...so I doubt that). It's not quite as terrifying as preying mantis mating habits, but terrifying none the less. Here's why they die after mating:
"Should a drone succeed in mating it will soon die because the penis and associated abdominal tissues are ripped from the drone's body at sexual intercourse."
The drone we found was obviously dying, you could tell because it was having trouble flying. Nature is strange.
On the pleasant side of nature, the butterflies are out. They are beautiful. They don't seem to be afraid of people, or much of anything, although I'm sure they're afraid of something.

It occurred to me that I have never mentioned my pets on here. I have 3 dogs (Italian Greyhound, Papillion, German Shepherd), 2 cats, 1 leopard gecko, and 1 betta fish. Yeah, we're crazy animal people. I love my pets...they keep me sane. Ok, well sometimes they drive me a little crazy too.

I'll leave you with a few pictures. Here are some teasers for the Math Whiz socks, my small stitch markers, and one of my orchids.






*note: I did not create the Chinese kitty stitch markers, I bought them from Acloset and restrung them on my own findings. Those are for my personal use, and would never be sold on etsy (assuming I ever get my shop up and running). I would love to make stitch markers with those Chinese lucky cat beads, but I can not find a source for them. If you know of a place I can order them, please let me know.



Auf Wiedersehen!

Nudibranch

Since finding this pattern on etsy, I have become completely fascinated by these little guys.

Knitted verson (image from hansigurumi on etsy):



Real version (all photos taken from wikipedia, so proper credit is given to the artists over there...linkie) (click for huge):









They are gorgeous. However, I did a search on nano-reef.com, and it seems they are a bit of a pest for reefkeepers. They like to eat Zoanthids. Pest or not...I think they are beautiful.

I will probably get the pattern.

Oh, and really, I will post pictures of the math whiz socks. I just keep getting distracted.

Another Quickie

What is the best type of shoes for a knitter:



Oh yes...those are sheep....and they will be on their way to my house on Tuesday. Thank you Zappos.

My blog makes me sound like a compulsive shopper, but I promise I'm not. I just really like etsy, and I tend to shop when I'm extremely stressed, and trust me...with my parents separation/divorce among other things I have going on in my life...I am really stressed.

Wee update

I finished the first Math Whiz sock the other night. I started on the second one the same evening, and I'm making pretty good headway on it. The sock is perfect. It fits great, and the design looks really nice when it's on a foot. I plan to post pictures when I'm done with both of them, but I may give you a sneak peek before then.

I came home yesterday evening to find my Momma Bear Yarn Swift and Ball Winder sitting in my kitchen (the hubby brought it in when he got home). It is awesome! I ended up winding 4 balls of yarn last night, and it took no time at all. I decided to re-wind a ball that I had already hand wound, but that didn't end up working too well. It wound, but the ball looks sloppy compared to the others.

That's all for now.

Yet more impusle shopping and a bit of knitting neurosis

I'm getting excited about my etsy shop again. You don't really have to click the link...my shop is still empty. I was scared for a while, but I think I'm getting better now. I've come to the decision to sell the pendants that I have made (and have millions of) as well as stitch markers. I've been making prototype stitch markers for myself and I've really enjoyed using them. It's still going to be a little while before I get up and running because the hubby still has to design my shop, and I now have to get a bunch of supplies for stitch markers. Plus we have a ton of pictures to take. But hey, at least I'm working on it again.

My Math Whiz sock is coming along. I'm about to start working on the toe of the first sock. It's a great pattern and I've really enjoyed knitting it. The only complaint I have about it is the heel. I was completely baffled by the heel, but that may have been me. This is my first short row heel, so it probably was me. Upon completing the heel I promptly ordered Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' book on socks which arrive yesterday. I spent a while looking through it, and while it was completely overwhelming for a sock newbie, I finally found the step by step instructions and they looked easy. After I finish my Math Whiz socks, I plan to try out a plain sock using her instructions so I can hopefully understand what I am doing better. I'm excited about this book because it should teach me how to make a sock without a pattern, which then means I can buy a lace book and start making my own patterns! I have to admit, her heel sounds a bit easier than the heel in the Math Whiz pattern, but like I said, it's not the pattern, it's me. Apparently wrap and turns give me panic attacks, even though she writes out step by step how to do them. I really think the problem is that I don't understand what I am doing when I do a short row heel. I don't like just following the pattern line by line, I like to know the concept of how each line is forming and shaping the garment. I think that's why I nearly had panic attacks during the heel on the Math Whiz. I had no idea what I was doing or how it was supposed to look. Yeah...I'm neurotic.

I really really love my knitting bag from Piddleloop. I love it so much, I've already ordered another one:

It fits my sock project with room to spare, so I think it would be big enough to hold a scarf but probably not big enough for a stole or shawl, and definitely not big enough for a sweater. Seriously, order one of her pouches, you won't regret it.

I've finally squared away an orchid order with Woodstream Orchids. You usually end up having to email them and they tell you the availability, so it takes a little while to square away an order. I'm really excited because I am finally getting my holy grail of orchids. I have been fighting with myself about whether or not to get it because if it dies, I will be crushed. But, I finally decided to get it:

Phrag Tickled Pink

I am also getting this (they have a minimum order requirement). As you can tell, I have a thing for the pink ones.


Paph Kevin Porter
(Both orchid images are from woodstreamorchids.com)

That's all.

impulse buys, knitting, and a little bit of emo

Continuing with the impulse shopping, here's my newest etsy purchase:



honeybee

There is a 2-4 week turn around on it because she makes it to your size, but I think it will be worth it. I'm soooo excited about this ring....I know its just a ring, and I shouldn't be this excited about a ring, but I am. I love it. Oh..and I also really need to get one of those sea urchin skeletons, they look really cool. I can remember seeing them as a kid at stores when we were at the beach, but for some reason I never bought one. I think maybe I thought they were creepy, but I have since embraced creepy....I guess. I seem to remember they were sort of fragile, maybe I was just worried about breaking it.

Here are the completed Monkeys:



Pattern: Knitty's Monkey
Yarn: Knit Picks Risata in Grass
Needles: #2 Clover 7in DPNs

I now really want to knit these mitts, but I think I am going to make her delicato mitts first, mostly because I already have the pattern. As far as I can tell, her patterns are awesome. I am working on the Math Whiz socks, and they are going great. The pattern is easy to follow, and well written. Plus, her blog is fun to read and it has lots of pretty pictures.

On an unhappy note:
I have mentioned that I am going through a hard time lately. I don't really want to air my dirty laundry on a blog, but since I have alluded to it already, I might as well give you the gist. My parents are getting a divorce after 30 years of marriage. It sounds simple stating it like that, but its not. I really don't want to go into details about the whole situation, so we will leave it at that.

Sporadic...yeah right

Ok...so maybe I will be posting just a bit.

In a fit of "Oh My God I Can't Cope With This" shopping I have purchased these things for myself (all from Etsy):



Unearthed


Piddleee




courtneyRS


And for my Mom:

Unearthed

So...it seems I will have a few packages soon.