Matador

I have a new finished project and I'm not sure how I feel about this one.

I did a swatch and tried to modify the pattern to work with the gauge of my beloved Misti Cotton I bought in Cali about a month ago. I had moderate success and it does fit, but not as well as I'd hoped. My mixed feelings probably have something to do with the fact that as soon as I bound off I showed it to my husband and his reaction was, "Eehhhh." As in "it's not bad but not good either" noise men make in lieu of actual verbal communication. I'll let you judge for yourselves. Forgive the casual attire, unwoven in ends and conspicuous shower curtain that are the trademarks of my photography.


Pattern: Matador from KnitScene
Yarn: Misti Cotton
Mods: Gauge, height and a few mistakes here and there

Back from Vacay!

So, as if you didn't know, Morgan and I went to Alaska on vacation while Emma went to visit Auntie and Co. in Colorado. We flew into Anchorage on Monday night, goofed off around town with Sally visiting, hiking and eating until Friday night. Then we drove down to Seward with Naomi and her brother, Billy. We had a totally awesome time of adult activities, sleeping in, eating great food, sampling the local brews, hiking on mountains, hiking on glaciers, hiking around glaciers, sea kayaking and other such tomfoolery. :)

Now look at lots of pretty pictures and drool.

It rocked! It rocked so much that I think Morgan wants to move to Alaska. We got back home and he says to me, "It's just so hot here." I then do a double take because my beloved is from New Mexico, land of hotness, and it's only 91 degrees at said time. I totally agree that anything above 85 degrees is way too hot but I was shocked. All in all our good times were due in large part to our friends, Sally and Naomi, who went out of their way to show us what awesome people they are and what a cool place they live in. :) Peace!

Central Park Hoodie

I have been a busy busy bee this week and this is the last of my projects to show you before my trip...maybe.

My Central Park Hoodie!




And yes, I know I am no good at taking pictures but I do try.

Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Fall 2006 KnitScene Magazine
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heather in Lavender #2422, 7 1/2 skeins
Needles: US 6 & 8
Modifications: My gauge was a bit smaller than the pattern's so I knit a size 44" bust but it's closer to 40". I knit the body in one piece and the sleeves in one piece so I wouldn't have to seam them. Excellent! I also made the ribbing on the cuffs only 3" instead of 5" because it just seemed like too long of a cuff. The buttons are iridescent shell buttons and I would have preferred wooden ones but I just didn't find any that struck me. This hoodie is probably going to need a strip of ribbon behind the button holes to stabilize it but I haven't gotten that far and I might never. All in all, a lovely knit that went fairly quickly. This is my first finished adult sweater and I am rather pleased with it. :)

Now I'm ready to go to Alaska!

The Seven Year Quilt

It's done! It's finally done! Hot off the sewing machine I bring you :::drumroll please::: The Seven Year Quilt. No, that's not the pattern name, that's how long it took me to make this quilt. Everything has a story and it's about time this quilt had it's story told.

Over Christmas break in my freshman year of college (99' - 00') I worked at a guest ranch where another girl on the staff was making a puff-pillow quilt in her spare time. I thought it was lovely and since I was missing one of my best friends from high school I though I would make Sally one. Looked easy enough to make. Ha ha.

That January I took myself down to the fabric store and bought lots of fabric to make Sally a quilt. Now I know I really should have asked that girl how she was making this quilt before I dove in head first. *sigh* I botched it up and it was not to be. Over the next 3 years I attempted to will this quilt into being anytime I could steal a sewing machine long enough to work on it. Still, no dice. In 2003 I finally tore the little pillows apart and gave away what I couldn't tear up. In 2005 I was gifted a lovely old Pfaff by my mother-in-law so there was a light at the end of the tunnel. In 2006 I began a new concept and re-made the quilt top. Here I stalled in the fall because I had no idea how to go forward from there and I was terrified of messing it up. This week, with our impending trip to see Sally in Alaska, I bucked up and tied the quilt and just sewed the edges. The saga ends now.

It's a bit of a let-down to have this project over and a relief to see it put together and looking charming. I know it's nothing special to ya'll but this quilt holds some of my soul (and plenty of my pet's hair). Sally is eagerly anticipating it's arrival and I can't say I blame her. At least I know she'll love it and I can tell you, Sally must be the most patient friend there is. :)

Baby Booties

Pattern: Saartjes Booties
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease (I've been using a lot of Lion Brand lately totally on accident)
Needles: US 3

I've finished the baby booties for my step-brother's new baby boy! They are sooo cute and they just went in the mail this morning. :) The pattern was really simple and only took me two short evenings of sitting and TV knitting. I love the little buttons for Dylan, they just seem so "Little Boy Blue" to me. I hope they enjoy them. I'm always afraid the booties will be too small so I have to go measure them against Emma's 1 week-old foot print just to make sure. *sigh* Was she really that little? As an added bonus, Morgan always gets this cute "baby" smile when I show him baby booties. Just like the ones he used to give me when I was pregnant and he played with the belly or when Emma was itty bitty and sleeping. He still gives her that smile when she's wrapped up in a towel after a bath and just her little pink face is showing. There's just nothing like a baby.

The things kids say

My daughter amazes me. Lately she's been sneaking into the pantry and taking foodstuffs out and bringing them to me if she wants some. (Peanut butter is now a big hit in this house.) Yesterday she did this and brought me a bag for cereal saying, "Tooties!!" and desperately wanting some. Imagine my shock when the bag she brought me was a bag of Tutti Fruitis and I had never before used those words. I'd never bought them before and they've been sitting in the bottom of the pantry since Friday. I know a 19 month old can't read but this was still the funniest thing. How did she manage to pick the right name for them and call them Tooties?


I also have some pathetic news to report. I taught Emma to cuss. I was trying to give her some medicine the other day and she managed to dribble this pink goo all down the front of her and all over the carpet. "Sh!&" was my response. Sadly, it was also Emma's. The next day Morgan and I are cooking dinner and Emma starts walking around the kitchen chanting her new word. Morgan looks at me and asks, "Is she saying what I think she's saying?" My reply, "I hope not."

You see, Morgan is a mechanic and often his mouth lives up to that expectation. I was really sure Emma would be learning foul language from him since he is, shall we say, not so careful about what he says and I try really hard to watch my mouth around her. But no, the honor of teaching our daughter her first swear word goes to yours truly. *sigh* Someday I might get this Mommy gig straight but by then she'll be ready to move out.


Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Emma discovered markers...and she looooves them! Just a reminder, unless the package says they're washable, not all Crayola markers are washable. Ask me how I know.

Striking Gold!

A few months ago I told you all about this awesome find of vintage sewing patterns and pattern books at a garage sale. Now is your chance to share in the bounty, my friends. I went through the whole box and decided to sell whatever doesn't fit me or I really don't have a use for. The result: an e-bay listing of 8 items starting at 99 cents.

I put a link to the listings on the upper right corner of the page, next to my yarn shop link, so please feel free to check it out. Just as a teaser and to refresh your memory, here are some images of what I'm selling. I think the pattern books would make such awesome wall art if you were to take the pages out and frame them. Enjoy the eye candy!

So Much Fun!

I swear, I really do have ADD in the craft department. After spending all week in California watching the Home & Garden channel I have this desire to decorate and paint and stuff. Morgan doesn't really seem to be on the bandwagon with the whole moving Emma to a bigger room so I can decorate it with all sorts of Peter Rabbit stuff. Right now she's in this tiny room which is okay because she's tiny and so are her bed and belongings and we have this larger empty room that's supposed to be a guest room. The catch is that we don't even have a bed for the guest room and even if we did it would get used like 3 times a year at best. So why keep our daughter in the itty room when I can go wild with stuff I already have and decorate her a bigger room?

What's that you say? Don't I have other projects I should be focusing on? You mean, finishing that Central Park Hoodie, knitting those baby booties for my step-brother's new arrival (Hey Dylan! You're an adorable baby and Auntie Lisa will make you those booties before Christmas...but it's still too warm right now for booties anyway so you can wait, right kiddo? *wink*) and knitting Nick's stuffed monkey for his 1st birthday (Aug 19th)?

Ah, why stick to one project when I can try to do all 3 simultaneously. Besides, I need something to knit on the flight to Anchorage and back. :)

Little Shop of Horrors

I swear, my garden is something out of Little Shop of Horrors. The rhubarb is in there somewhere but the rest of the garden has been overrun by the pumpkin plants. Seriously, this is a 15' x 15' patch that is covered in pumpkin plants and it's even been branching 4' plus into the yard!!!! I'm even a little nervous to have Emma play too close to it because who knows if it might try to eat her. I have no idea why nothing else is growing in there but I've already been brokering deals with the neighbors to trade their raspberry shoots for some of my pumpkins this fall. I have this strange feeling you'll see me running a road-side stand of pumpkins or maybe a stall at the farmers market. How did this happen?