Purls and Pugs

The light I call Sizzle

Alright, I've complained about the Chic Cowl a little bit and how it's just too....too. That's all I've got, people. Anyway, Saturday I had to go into work for a code release, and it's not really a work day, so I could bring in some knitting. Since I have been leery of actually ripping the Cowl, I decided to start a different project. So, I cast on for Sizzle. I'm using Tess' Designer Yarns Cascade Silk Worsted weight in a lovely pink color.

I can't remember how much this yarn cost at Stitches, but what ever it was, it was worth it! It's so soft and nice. It knits up stockinette really nicely and I bet it would be great with cables. And I've been flying on my Addi Turbos with it. Flying so much, in fact, that I am almost done with the back.

Amanda, why are you making a sleevless shirt in the middle of the worst winter Chicago has seen in years? Well, I'm hoping that this will be done for my trip to Florida in February. Since I am turning 30(!) this year, and since it's so freaking cold and miserable here, BFF and I are heading to sunny Florida for an extended weekend to celebrate Valentine's Day and my Big Birthday. I figure that going from below zero temps to 70s will make sleeveless very appealing. And it's a pretty sexy little sweater! What is a better way to celebrate turning 30 than with a sexy little number like that?

I love riding the train, but...

...there are some downsides. One of them is the when the lady that smells like cheese sits next to me. Then she passes out and drops her water on my foot and wakes me up from my peaceful nap. Oh, and I can't stand those roller bags! The get in the way and cause more problems than they are worth.

But, I love the train because I can do things like knit, read, and nap. My usual morning routine is that I will do an email or two on my blackberry, knit until the conductor checks tickets, and then nap until we get into the city. This gives me about 30 minutes of knitting and 30 minutes of nap. On the way home I usually read the Red Eye and then either read a book or knit until I can't keep my eyes open and then take a nap. The only downside of this routine is that I've become a little dependent on these naps two times a day. When I have a day off, I just can't keep up! I wonder why I can do so much more during the week, and then I remember that I get two daily power naps.

So, what kind of knitting have I been up to? Well, I've got this Chic Cowl that I am beginning to loath. I love clear, concise directions. I do. But the directions for this thing are copious! There are so many directions that I tend to miss some important ones. So here, I was supposed to only do so many increase rows for the arms and I've done, well, double that. So, I need to rip (and keep track of the lace row I am on). But I'm just not in the mood to rip. I just want it to be right. This is the second time I've messed this sweater up due to too many directions. I'm sure it will be a great sweater when I finally finish it, but, damn, it's frustrating. Maybe I'll get to the right point tonight...or maybe I'll just let it sit there one more night.

New Sweater Tuesday

 I did promise a new sweater, right? So, here is Tang. I'm really liking it! I do like set-in sleeves, but I also love top-down, so this really is the best of both worlds. It's more fitted than the raglans usually are and also a little more classic. I have a feeling I'll be making a bunch of these. I already have a design floating around in my head with some of this and some of that. 

Here I am modeling it at Hooter's. My friends won a wing party for getting 25

restaurant stamps in a passport for Hooter's 25th Anniversary. Who can pass up free wings?! Certainly not me. And they were yummy! BTW--who else thinks my boobs look monstrously huge in that pic?

Pattern: Custom Knits -  Tang
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers - 9453
Needles: Knit Picks Options &  Addi Turbos size 7 & 8
Notes: I followed the pattern to a T-no mods. It's a great fit and would recommend it to anyone to try!

It's F-ing cold!

I'm sorry for the implied expletives, but you know, I feel that captures the true essence of how cold it is and how I feel about it. Our temps for the last few days have been somewhere around -25F. That's actual temp, people. I'm not even telling you about the wind chill. My mom mentioned something about Alaska being warmer, and I didn't believe her, so I checked it out. It is 43F in Anchorage, AK today. 43! That seems tropical. Did you ever think that anyone would consider going to Alaska in the winter to get away from frozen tundra weather in the Midwest? I didn't, but I am...

So, the weather makes it hard to do anything except stay indoors. There has been some knitting progress on the Chic Cowl and Tang. Actually, I hope to finish Tang this weekend since I'll be stuck inside for part of it. It is supposed to get up to a balmy 23F on Saturday, so I might venture out, but there is not that much left to do on Tang other than the rest of the second sleeve and the turtleneck treatment. I've been "spit-splicing" (love this technique), so there are not that many ends to weave in. Watch and get excited for a possible finished sweater!

Stay warm this weekend, everyone!

Oh, dear! It's a blizzard...

Well, folks, I guess it's that time of year, again. We have more snow in the forecast. Ironically, I am watching the original The Shining on tv right now. I can only imagine how Jack felt being trapped in that hotel with all that snow...I'm sure the crazy ghosts didn't help either! :-)

Anyway, we've been in that cycle of snow, deep freeze, snow, deep freeze, snow...well, you get the point. Sometimes I can get Princess Yoda to play in the white, cold, wet stuff and it's really cute! Here she is on Saturday just about the time we got up. I tried to get her to play with me, but she really wasn't into it. Here is was kind of chasing me, but after the picture was taken decided against it. To be honest, I don't blame her. We did just get up!

"They" are forecasting a blizzard for us Tuesday and then below zero (F) immediately following, so I'm not sure what's going to happen. I'm sure I'll be shoveling my yard so someone can go potty. Right. Stay warm and dry!!

New Sweaters

So, here it is- a completed Something Red. In my case, it's black, and I'm pretty happy with it. It's fuzzy, warm, and comfortable. In fact, I wore it out yesterday with BFF in one of the snowstorms we've been having. While we were sitting in our restaurant eating, I was beyond warm! Part of it was that the heat was up really high, but the other part was the warmth of the sweater. I even went into IKEA without a coat-just the sweater and was fine with the walk from the car to the store.

The one thing I wish I would have done was make the smallest size instead of the second size. I think I am still learning my 'new' body a little when it comes to knits and what size I should make. This one fits well, but just not perfectly, ya know?

Pattern: Knit and Tonic's Something Black
Yarn: Valley Yarns Florence - Black
Needles: Knit Picks Options size 7
Notes: I made the size Small (the second size) and did not make many mods to the pattern. The only mod I made was to pick up more stitches in the underarms and then to continue decreasing the sleeves until I was happy. It's nice and cozy!!

Who wants more Yoda?

BFF and I were staying in last night and watching tv when Yoda decided she wanted to get in on the cuddly action. She managed to get her rolly-polly self wedged in between BFF's legs while he was stretching out on the couch. Man, she's got it rough, doesn't she?

Don't worry, I didn't forget about modeling my finished Something Red Black. I ordered a new memory card from Amazon and am waiting for it to get here!

Robin had posted this meme on her blog, and I thought it would be a good inventory to do. Being in a new year means that maybe I can check some more things off the list...Feel free to post your answers, too, but let me know so I can read 'em!

The items I've accomplished are in bold:

1. Started my own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than I can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
10. Sung a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightening at sea
14. Taught myself art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown my own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught myself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoor)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant (Does Starbuck’s drive-thru count?)
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (I was in one, but it didn’t go anywhere!)
47. Had my portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (Maybe I should get vaccinated?!)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Rode an elephant

Sexy!

I joined the Sexy Knitter's Club Knit-a-long for this quarter. Instead of doing a particular pattern, they are going with a technique. The winner is cables, so I decided to start the SweaterBabe Chic Cables and Lace Cowl. The rules is that 25% of the item must have cables, and I think that cowl is big enough to count! I'll also be doing the longer sleeve version, so there are cables on the sleeves as well.

I've already begun it using my Cascade Cloud 9 that I purchased for the Fitted Knits Elizabeth Bennet Cabled Cardigan, but decided not to make because of the Puffed Sleeve fiasco. It's basically the same sweater, just with longer sleeves and some cables. Anyway, I'm using the Cloud 9 doubled. I'm loving this yarn!! It's so soft and seems to be doing really well with the cables.

After completing one and a half repeats of the cowl, I realized that I was doing the cable all wrong. I blame, oh, me, since I didn’t really read the directions since I wanted to get right to knitting it. So, now I ripped back and have gotten back to having completed one repeat (12 rows). At least the cables look like cables now!

I really was busy over the holidays...

I was so busy, in fact, that I was unable to really post anything until now. My "To Do" list has been growing every day! Well, let's talk about the things that I have completed, not those things that still need to be done.

Here you can see that I've finished a top-down short-row sleeve on Tang. Because of the nature of Stockinette Stitch, the shoulder area was rolling onto the sleeve "seam" a bit. As you can see in the picture, there is a dark spot there because I wet it (and took a pic) and let it dry like that. The rolling has stopped, magically!

I tried it on, and I'm really happy with the fit. Of course, I need to do sleeve #2 and the neck, but this is feeling like a pretty quick knit. I do recommend trying this technique for those of you who might be bored with raglan sleeves or want to try something different. It's not a difficult thing to do as long as you follow the directions.

I've also finished Something Black, and I had taken modeled pics. BFF and I had a photo shoot the other day, and I had a good one I wanted to use. When I went to upload the pics to my computer, my memory card (for the digital SLR) was corrupted. I'm a little perturbed by this, but I think memory cards are cheap and I can do another photo shoot this weekend. You'll just need to wait...can you stand it?!