Friday, June 22, 2007

Super Secret Project Preview



this is my super secret project, and since it has no distinguishing features I thought I'd send out a preview. I love the color even though I have never been an orange person, persay, but this is not even the only orangey project I am working on. The rib and cable socks(pic below) are sort of orange too. So there it is, nearly done but not put together enough for anyone to steal the idea-I plan on submitting it to Jimmy Beans Wool pattern contest.

packing for bus knitting

Seeing as how I never do anything in a timely manner, I waited until hours before my bus is leaving to even think about packing. I ran into a huge problem, however; I want to finish so many UFO's that they consume more space than my clothing. I packed all my clothes for two weeks of travel, plus the miscellaneous toiletries, snacks, etc. in under 15 minutes. The knitting projects are going on two hours now. Do I have enough of that yarn to finish that project? Do I need DPN's at all in this project? Should I copy down the pattern onto notecards so I don't need the whole book? And so on and so forth. These projects will be completed, plus the few hats, baby things, and coffee cup cozies that I plan to work in as future gifts on hand. Is Greyhound going to let me take two carry-ons and two checked bags, since my yarn has to be with me, and everything else can be tossed underneath?
P.S. I am taking along my copy of Welcome to the Knit Cafe, because my sister and I plan to go there while I am in California, and I want autographs. From knitters. and maybe Susan Mischer!

Monday, June 18, 2007

another oneskein bag

I am slowly but surely falling in love with Leigh Radford's designs. I made another of the one skein bags, the one that is pictured below in Red/Brown, with a few modifications. First of all, the bag is lovely, but not big enough for my MaryPoppinsEntourage of Goodies that is with me at all times-this problem was solved by double the number of pleats to make room. Secondly, the bag is knit on large(r) needles that I would normally work with, and I was afraid that things would start slipping out between the stitches-so I lined the whole shebang with gold silk(also gives it a designer feel!) This time around I left the world of animal fibers and worked with that kitschy recycled silk (that constantly breaks (argh)) and a silk-rayon-pretty-because-its-shiny ivy green yarn that I had hiding in the bottom of one of my yarn bins. I LOVE THE RESULT!!!

P.S. I am getting excited about my upcoming trip, considering taking along some of my pattern books so I can get them autographed-I am truly a knitgeek!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

coming soon...

Sorry its been awhile. I occasionally have to be reminded that I am a student, and this week has been evaluations week-that's finals week, for those of you that attend a traditional university. In any case, I've been knitting like a fiend, but I am working almost exclusively on a new pattern-my own pattern-that I would like to enter into a contest. The project is top secret until it is complete, although all of the kids that I work with have seen the piece daily for the last eight or so days(they were sworn to secrecy first). So, no new pictures-everything is on hold until next Friday, when I board the Greyhound for a pennypinchers trip down to the Southwest and can knit nonstop for 2 days, since there won't be much else to do.

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

return to the land of alpaca yarn.....

Today-actually about 12 minutes ago-I found out that I had received a scholarship to study in Peru next Fall....it is not by chance that I applied for this particular scholarship in that particular country. For those of you who actually read your yarn labels, about 70% of the beautiful animal fibers that we love to knit with come from....drumroll please....PERU! A couple of months ago I had my first love affair with a country, because not only do Peruanos knit constantly, the men knit in public (and quite a bit more than the women, coincidentally), and if you are in the right place at the right time, you can make some wicked scores. My best find in the ten days I was there was an enormous 5,000 yard cone of buttery soft PoppyRed alpaca yarn, directly from the farm...I actually purchased a new duffel bag just to bring it back stateside, as my carry on of course. So, to avoid me dragging this on any longer (I still can't believe how much yarn I brought back) I will cut myself off and go search for international shipping rates....

Sunday, June 3, 2007

no longer the procrastaknitter

This weekend, while working, I completed both of the {one skein} bags I had been working on. The stash bag is favulous, the bauhaus bag (spiral rib) looks excellent in the colinette, and I may need to change my name....no procrastaknitter could finish three projects in under one week. Granted they are all smallish, but this is a big step. Now its back to the baby shrug and my mohair hoodie!

Friday, June 1, 2007

one skein purse, miahs hat, gloves, rib/cable socks, and a partridge in a pear tree















please don't laugh...
here's some old completed projects
some new projects
and an I spy game all rolled into one
who can find the jack kerouac?