Oui je tricote!

2005-07-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

I almost impress myself with my new stash-reducting skills.
I finished the Filtes King Kim cardi/vest/top/whatever... I had originally intended it for the Ruffled Top in the Spring/Summer 2005 Knit1 mag. Yeah, that didn't work out. I didn't like the neckline or the armholes or the gauge of the yarn... I kept the picot crochet around the bottom and the sleeves, but wrote my own pattern for everything else. I realized today that I've never followed a knitting pattern as written. I've always changed something, if not written it myself.

I also finished my first felted bag out of Lamb's Pride Worsted - in colors Onyx [black] and Lotus pink [hot pink] - it's cute, and the perfect size for carrying around my new Harry Potter book [which I'm now reading for the second time]

Pics coming soon. I don't have batteries for my camera, oops.

I leave for camp on August 1st. I'm already planning which knitting projects to take ;] Do you ever have an idea that pops into your head out of nowhere and won't go away? That happens to me with knitting projects *all - the - time*. The other day I was thinking about life and my impending vacation, and all of a sudden the idea pops into my head that I need to have a One Skein Wonder out of Calmer in powder pink. How RANDOM is that? It just took over me & I suddenly HAD to have it. So I'm considering buying the yarn now and taking it with me camping, or waiting until after camp and taking it with me in a couple of months to San Diego to see Jamie. LYS doesn't carry it so that makes things more complicated, but what can ya do?

As for real life... I went to the DMV on saturday, and *after* waiting for an hour for my number to be called, with 10 numbers left til mine... the power shut off. At the DMV. Blahh. It was out for about maybe 25 minutes, but it was probably good for a lot of people, because half the people left when the power went off. Although the startline to get your number was extremely long, the lines for everything else moved very quicky, and we were out within 15 minutes after that. Funny story though :]

On the Needles: Chinadoll Top out of Karabella Tropicana. *not* my own pattern :] heh.

2005-07-11T16:47:00.000-07:00

I'm almost done with Filtes Kim Top. I started out working with the Ruffled Top pattern from Knit 1 - but I had to work it at a big gauge which didn't flatter the yarn as much as I'd liked, and I had to make a million alterations to the pattern, so yesterday I ripped it all out and started from scratch. And by scratch, I mean smaller gauge, different neckline, different straps, different armholes, much longer, and the only thing I'm keeping the same as the Ruffled Top pattern is the crochet around the edges, 'cause I like that.

I finished the back last night and I'm halfway done with the first front. It's going to be so pretty. If it weren't for the bright barbie pink color of the yarn, I'd of died from boredom from all the rows of stockinette. 12" of it.

I ordered the yarn for my Harry Potter Scarf yesterday. If only LYS carried yarn in those colors, I'd be on my way.
My plan is to practice my "knitting while reading skills" with the HP scarf while reading Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, and wear the finished product to the 4th movie when it comes out in the fall.

hmmmmmm...

2005-07-08T17:12:00.000-07:00

It's taking over my room.

This is YESTERDAY's haul. One day.
35 skeins Rowan Cork, 3 different colors.
3 skeins Rowan Summer Tweed, to make Ginger from the Summer Tweed Collection [already had 1]
10 skeins Filatura di Crosa Orchidea

:X In all fairness, I got the Cork for an excellent price [about 50 cents each, mad discounts.] and I bought the Rowan Cork Collection book so I have projects for them. I'm making Maggie with the deep burgundy color ["Plush"] - it's gorgeous.

Also, in all fairness, I WILL use up all of this yarn. I have projects for 90% of it, unlike the last time I went on a yarn binge [I still don't quite know what I'm going to do with 550 yards of bulky black alpaca. I'm working on a lacy shoulderwrap, but that's only going to take 220 skeins at the MOST.] - but it sure does seem like a lot, with how much I've bought the past week.

I was going to list it all, but I can't bear it.
Thank goodness for discounts. Truly.

I love yarn.

2005-07-03T18:51:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad blogger. I admit. But, but, but, I have some fun yarn news :]

Knitting projects these past few weeks have been few. A couple purses [one which will be felted] - but my big project purchases have been saved until this week. My LYS Summer Sale started Saturday! Wee.

I came home with:
. 10 skeins Noro Silk Garden #86 [had 1 had home, still deciding on pattern]
. 9 skeins King Kim in "barbie pink" [my terminology] for the 'ruffled top' in Knit1.
. 2 skeins Crystal Palace Splash [matching colorway to my Shimmer tank, i'm gonna make a shoulder wrap to wear over it in the winter.]
. 2 skeins Filatura Di Crosa Orchidea [bought as a gift for a friend. She'll love it. I taught her how to knit, and she's totally addicted, but can't afford to spend more than a few dollars here and there on yarn, so most of what she has is cheap acrylic. I'll be buying a few skeins more to give her during the sale.]

I went crazy, but there's still more I'd like to buy. I'm just deciding on what exactly I really want.

I started the Ruffled Top last night, and already have about 5" of the back done. It's easy peasy, stockinette. The challenging part will be the crochet picot edge, but I'll figure it out.

And being that I haven't yet made plans for Independence Day [which is TOMORROW], unless one of my friends calls last minute [which happens much too often], I'll have plenty of time to knit tomorrow as well :]

Have a safe holiday!

2005-06-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

Finally, week late pics of my Shimmer tank :]
Self designed pattern. First one ever. I'm proud :]

Next up: Felted bag [hot pink and black, using Lamb's Pride] - my first ever felting project, unless you count a few swatches I did a couple days ago.
& probably Ginger from Rowan's Summer Tweed. I bought and wound a skein of it in the color Vanity that I fell in love with a few weeks ago, to see if I liked working with the yarn - I've heard not so fabulous things about it, but me - I LOVE it, I had no problems knitting with it at all, and I like the unique texture. I like it a lot. Infact, even though the tank top only calls for 4 skeins in it in my size, I'm tempted to buy a full bag of 10, or maybe even more. I love having full bags of yarn. It's part of what inspired me to buy 9 skeins of Shimmer even though I was almost positive I'd only need 6 at the most. 9 was all LYS had and I liked buying them all.

In my head I'm justifying it as, "Well, I can have a Summer Tweed OUTFIT. A tank and a jacket to match!" - but I don't know if I would want to do two projects in the same yarn. We'll see. I just want the bag.

I want to make another post for this, but I got a package from my WONDERFUl secret pal! I should really take pictures, but I'm without batteries. She [or is it he?] sent me a wonderful package with some great smelling candles, candle holder, body scrub [I used it this morning, and my skin feels great] - annnnd some awesome Bone Knitting Needles, which are totally fun, and.....the best of all of all of all of all.....Sweater Design in Plain English by Maggie Righetti. I adore it. Adore it. It's going to be so useful. I had listed it somewhere on the Secret Pal quiz thing, in the part where it asks what books I've been wanting or something like that, but I didn't expect to get it at all. I also got a cute postcard included in the package, and a nice book mark :]

As for the person I'm secret pal to...I'm having fun spoiling her secretly :] Can't leave any big hints, but I'm on the hunt for another interesting package to send. My secret pal has inspired me :]

Hope life is well.

2005-06-12T09:46:00.000-07:00

I finished my Shimmer tank on errrrr...Thursday? I'll have pics ASAP. I wore it out last night but I didn't get home until 1am and I was too tired to take any. But, all I have to say, is that it's freakin gorgeous and I adore it...and if someday I have a hot date who wants to take me to a fancy resturaunt, I will so wear it with high heels and a black skirt. I have the pattern for it as well - I designed it myself so the pattern is completely original, the only real inspiration I had from another pattern was for the straps. They cross in the front or in the back, it's reversible - so an x-back or x-...front? tank.

I love the feeling of accomplishment I recieve after finishing a project. I want to make a little shoulder mini-poncho, capelet thing to match my tank, because Crystal Palace's Splash has a matching colorway to the Shimmer, and that way I could wear it even in the winter, or on chilly nights ;]

I didn't take home the Rowan Summer Tweed, because the LYS only has one copy of the pattern book and it's being reserved for someone else. I could just order the darn thing but it's less convenient. Plus, I have enough yarn at home to keep me occupied for the rest of the weekend, and then some - and I have a big paycheck coming my way, and credit for more yarn. And a million ideas for things I want to make.

Aside from yarn, I'm looking to buy a keyboard set. I crave music, and I want to broaden my horizons beyond singing. I know I can pick it up quickly once I have keyboards available. I hear music in my head all the time, it's my drive.

We'll see, we'll see :]

2005-06-01T16:42:00.000-07:00

I'm in total lust over Rowan's Summer Tweed in Vanity. I have an inkling it will mysteriously hop into a shopping bag for me on Friday ;] Well, atleast it's payday - and I only need 4 skeins for a tank top! [regardless that I have to buy the book with the pattern to the tank as well... which is $2 more than another skein, shh]

I'm about 3/4 done with the back for my Shimmer tank. I need to name it something. My immediate instinct is Goddess tank, but Vogue Knitting already has a tank called that, and their pattern was partially my inspiration for how I'm doing the straps.

I can't wait to finish it. I hope it turns out alright. If it doesn't, I'll rip back and start over, but I'm hoping I don't have to, it's going to be so CUTE the way I'm picturing it.

I have some cotton yarn in my stash that I want to use to make Phoebe from the Spring Interweave Knits. I saw the knit-a-long online and got inspired.

I really have plenty of yarn in my stash that I should be using up [it's not THAT much, but for me? it's a lot. I try to stick to 1 or 2 projects that i'm working on at a time.] but it's mostly a skein or two, not enough for a garment. I'm proud though. I've got a shrug in the making out of some KnitPicks Crayon, and Cascade 220 Superwash, both stash yarns I had no other use for. I'm making the second sleeve.

Ooh I could talk about yarn for ages and ages. But alas, I've got to get back to the real world now ;]

2005-05-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

SP5 has begun! I got my pal's info today, as well as a message from my secret pal :] I'm so excited, it's gonna be so much fun.

My phone died on Sunday night. I went out with a bunch of friends and they decided to go swimming... well, me being dressed in nice church clothes, with nothing to change into, I decided I would just dip my feet in. So I did. Then they took out the football and it just loved to come over and splash big piles of water in my face, and all over my pants, so after my pants were dripping wet I decided, "What the heck, I'll just get in, I'll wash my clothes when I get home." so I, erm, jumped into the pool.
As soon as I did, I froze with realization..."omg...I have my CELLPHONE in my pocket =O" I yelled, getting up out of the water as fast as I could, and frantically reaching to get my cellphone. It sounded like it was posessed, it was making these crazy growling sounds and flashing on and off....and then it wouldn't do anything at all. I took the battery out and towel dried it, but it didn't seem any better. When I got home I tried plugging it into the battery charger, and it just made the effect of the growling noises even worse. Then, it died. It wouldn't do anything at all. I almost threw it away but decided to let it sit overnight.

Monday morning, I got up and put the battery back in...and it turned ON. Everything back to normal. Oh my goodness it was such a blessing, I had been looking up cellphones on Verizon's website [the one that I have now is prepaid, no insurance, so I would have to buy a new one.] and it was going to cost me a big $ to get a new one.

From what I can tell all is well. My phone has been through so much. It has marks from all the times it's fallen out of my hand or my pocket and onto pavement. I call them "battle wounds". Sometimes it happens.

In knitting news, well, I've been really busy and didn't do a whole lot of knitting this past weekend, but I'm about half way up the back of my Crystal Palace Shimmer tank. I finished my Sugarplum Fairy tank, all but crocheting around the neck and armholes. That part for some reason, makes me hesitate. Seaming? no problem...but crocheting around the edges, ehh that can wait. Plus, my Shimmer yarn is just so tempting. It's freakin gorgeous. I think I'm off to spend more time with it now. Mmmm.

Since I'm making up the pattern for that myself, I'm probably going to pick up some Rowan Summer Tweed to make a tank with an already made pattern, on friday [payday, wee!] - there's this gorgeous purpley color I'm in love with.

Hope all is well.

2005-05-21T13:26:00.000-07:00

margarita presidente :]

Chili's Night, fun like it always is with my friends. Deciding what to order in 15 seconds flat is always grand, annnnd I had everyone admiring my pretty new yarn :]

Off to knit :]

stash enrichment

2005-05-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

:] I made a few purchases today.

-9 skeins of Crystal Palace Shimmer in Scuba Print. I'm making a tank top with it, and I know I won't need this many, but it's what was there so I bought it all just incase. I'll exchange it if I have too many and don't have any inspiration for another project.
- Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns
- 2 skeins Crystal Palace Party in Black. These are for a wide scarf for my mom, using the Magic Growing Scarf method.

I was messing around swatching, using different stitch patterns with the Shimmer. No pictures can describe it's beauty, it's so yummy :]

I also got 3 skeins of SouthWest Trading Company's Bamboo the other day, a gift :] And some beautiful cotton/rayon blend in a mix of colors. No pictures [yet].

I'm proud because it didn't take me two hours to decide what yarn I was going to buy, like it usually does. :]

&&&&& a few more rows and I'm done with my Sugarplum Faerie tank :] I'll do the seaming hopefully tomorrow or Sunday so I can wear it on Monday when I get my hair done! Woohoo!

2005-05-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I'm not a yarn snob, but I do prefer the higher quality yarns & definitely natural fibers. I use some craftstore yarn [right now I'm working on a tanktop in LB Cotton Ease] because I'm a young student with a budget, but I also splurge on the namebrands like Rowan, Berroco, Crystal Palace, etc ;]

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I'm learning to spin as soon as I get a drop spindle [shoot I already have a growing fiberstash!] and I do crochet, although not anywhere near as much as I knit. I have a feeling that might change after the new SNB comes out for crochet, I'm not a fan of most crochet patterns I've seen.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) My only allergy is milk, although I sure wouldn't protest if there was a way to create milkfiber yarn! ;] Yarns with a high mohair content tend to make me sneeze, so I suppose that counts, too.

4. How long have you been knitting? Since last autumn. It's a quick addiction.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Nope!

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Rose and lavender, but I'm not really picky.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? :x mhhmmm

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? If I haven't tried it, I would in a flash. Knitting's my prime craft, though.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love everything from hiphop to alternative rock to gospel. The only thing that I'm not too big on is country, but even I love me some Martina McBride at times :] I also love 70's and 80's dance music.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I've been diggin' the purples lately. Also, blue tones & pinks. Bright colors are my friend... and I don't discriminate against pretty much any color. Although I prefer not to knit with black, I tend to get bored.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I live with my mom [I'm still in highschool] and I have one pet rabbit named Sawyer :]

12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know) I'd like to be accomplished in some kind of career [possibly in the areas of psychology, music, midwifery, or journalism. I haven't decided yet], but that's not *the* most imporant thing to me. I'd love to eventually study music/worship at a bible college or a university, be a wife and mom, travel, and have money to feed my yarn addiction ;] Who knows how that will turn out.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Any cotton blends, right now. I've been dying to try Rowan's Calmer but my LYS doesn't carry it. I'd have to say as far as texture, probably Rowan's Cotton Rope, or Trendsetter ScoubiDu.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? 100% acrylic, generally.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Tank tops. Cottons blends. Anything I can design myself.

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Tank tops. Big enough but not too big. Purses, but I'm kinda "pursed out" right now.

17. What are you knitting right now? Tank top out of LB Cotton Ease. I'm trying to finish that ASAP before I start a new project.

18. What do you think about ponchos? I made one, it was fun, especially since I used size 11 needles. The bad thing is that I used a mohair blend yarn, which not only makes me sneeze but is also too warm for Vegas summers.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circular! I have my Denise set and I love it to death.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I like them all at times. Bamboo for straights, mostly. I love my plastic Denises.

21. Are you a sock knitter? Not yet. I can't find purple-purple sock yarn. Only semi-purple or light purple.

22. How did you learn to knit? I was set to teach myself, had a book, needles, and yarn...I was out with friends and had a few minutes to sit and try to figure it out, but after a little while of unsuccesfully trying, I was getting so frusturated that I threw down my needles and yarn and said loudly, "I HATE knitting, it's SO hard!" - and, like the voice of an angel, my friend Brittany said "I knit, I can teach you how" - so she showed me how to do the knit stitch and my life has never been the same :]

23. How old is your oldest UFO? I've only been knitting since last autumn. My oldest UFO is a hat I started in I think February, out of cashmere I bought on super discount at my LYS, it's at the point where I need to start decreasing, but I can't find my DPN's, so it was set to the side. I'll finish it...eventually... ;]

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Favorite animal, probably a rabbit, tiger, or panda :] Bird, Robins.

25. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas! I love the holiday season :]

26. Is there anything that you collect? Besides yarn? LOL. No, not really :x Harry potter memorabilia.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None, I haven't developed any loyalties to knitting magazines yet, I buy whatever magazine grabs me, which alternates issue to issue.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on? Sweater Design in Plain English, by Maggie Righetti

In other news, I finished the back & am almost finished with the front of my Sugarplum Faerie Tank [so named after the color of the yarn i'm working wtih ^_^].

Yes I have been knitting!

2005-05-14T23:28:00.000-07:00

yes, i've been knitting.

the color isn't 100% accurate, it's a bit less bright, but it's beautiful. It's going to be this beauty...[regardless of the fact that it's a pattern from Knit1, some of their things are kinda cute.]

Ohhh yeah. I started it Wednesday, and I'm nearly done with the back [i've knit a LOT more since this picture was taken.], and then I've got to knit the front & buy ribbon. It's all in ribbing, easy as cake, with some decreasing along the way. I'm making mine longer and connected above the back opening where the ribbon is, so that if I don't WANT to wear the ribbon, I still can pull it off.

I've also been spending quality time with my friends ;]

...Am I the only person who likes to sleep next to yarn or knitting? It's like a teddy bear, only better. Especially if it's soft, like a cotton/cotton blend. Yummmm.
Worked all day today, I'm about ready to drop dead. I really will write a real entry...;] soon

2005-05-09T20:15:00.000-07:00

So mother's day was suprisingly nice. I took my mama to Claim Jumper's for dinner, and we spent a while there talking. Their Cheesecake is awesome.

mom, me.

I decided to finally use up the giftcard I got for Ulta...um, at Christmas time. Yeah. It's taken me that long...but I got some nice eyeshadow.

Mom said it looks "trailer parkish", but it's cool, it's cool. I also got lipstick, blush, eyeliner [non-liquid, because i've found that liquid eyeliner defaults to making me look like a racoon within an hour], and some nailpolish. Exciting!

I found out after I got home, that my friend Aaron had been sitting two tables in front of us the whole time. What a nerd. Did he say hi? No. But he made sure to let me know *online*, after I got home.

In crafty news, I'm working on my crocheting skills. I'm making a bag in the colors of my favourite football team - the Denver Broncos. This is the biggest thing I've ever crocheted, which tells you a little about my crocheting skills hah. I definitely like knitting more. My other crochet FO's include a wristband, and half of a scarf [which is more of a NSFO...not so finished object. heh]

And, I'm in love with Knitpick's Shine - It's so flippin soft. Mmmmmm.

2005-05-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Leave it up to me to realize after the TV's been on for an hour, that it was on Spanish news the whole time.

Taylor graduated from Marine's bootcamp yesterday, and got back in to town I'm guessing last night? It'll be nice to see him again. He's only here for 5 days, then off to spend some time with his family in Wisconsin, then off to job training.

Our friendship was so good. I don't know if it will ever be like it was before, but I love that boy so much, he's family to me.

Happy mother's day to all of you mothers out there. What am I doing to celebrate? I'm taking my mom out to dinner tonight.

2005-05-07T23:22:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you just how much I love my city? I took a trip over to China the other day..okay, not really China, but it could have been for how far it was. Yes, it was still in Las Vegas... but it was past the strip - and anywhere past the strip is really, really far.
So, I went with my pastor and Shameka, to visit Big Al - he's a man who has been speaking at our church once a month for the past few months, and he's fabulous. He's short, stocky, hispanic, and he loves to talk about his "gangsta" past. He's fun to watch, and is a great motivator. Well, he got in a biking accident a week and a half ago, and has been in the hospital since. He's doing alright, but he totally wrecked his shoulder, and they're keeping him there until his blood count stabilizes.
Of course, the hospital he was staying at was on the other side of town - past the strip. It took us about a half hour to get there, and a half hour back... but me? I loved every minute of it. I love seeing that part of the city. The strip is surrounded by all kinds of small businesses that have been there forever - little french resturaunts, cafes, consignment shops, beauty salons. Small apartments with wind chimes and small gardens out on the balcony...and then there's the strip itself. The Rio, the Bellagio, Caesar's Palace, the Luxor. All uniquely beautiful - masters of arcitecture. I love seeing it, in all of its eclecticness.

On the way back, I shot some pictures out of the back window, but I couldn't capture the beauty. It's a shame - but maybe it's better that way. There's nothing like standing at the bottom of a building almost 1,150 ft high.

In knitting news, I'm a quarter stitch to 4" off on Soleil, but I've decided that after ripping back the lace 3x, and after finally getting past it and knitting 6" of the pattern, and then realizing that my gauge changed 2 stitches to 4" and having to rip it out and gauge on size *4's*... if it's a bit loose, I'll give it away or save it for when I'm in the early stages of a pregnancy. By my calculations, the quarter of a stitch to 4" extra, will only make the finished measurements 1-2" difference from that of Soleil for the 36" chest sizing. And I don't care. I will figure out something.
I've also decided to join Secret Pal 5! I'm excited about that, I love shopping for other people, and I love suprises.