Ladies and Gents..May I Present to You.....

....Knitter and Finished Object. Woo frigging HOOOO!!!! I am so incredibly proud of myself for finishing this one. This poor dear was lolling around in the graveyard with only one arm, for about a month. I took pity on it yesterday and brought it out to give it the sleeve it so desperately deserved. To top it off (because I was feeling especially guilty) I gave it a lovely steam bath to polish off it's stitches. It was so worth it. Blocking took it from shabby to classy. Love it! The only thing I don't like is the neckline. Far too wide for my tastes. If I made it again I'd change that bit so it was a tad more fitted. I love Jennifer Beals. I loved her in Flashdance. I highly doubt she ever danced around the stage in her tights, having water thrown on her, whilst wearing her black tights and 100% wool, long -sleeved sweater.

Pattern: Boatneck Bluebell Sweater, from Fitted Knits

Yarn: Patons Classic Merino in Bright Red - 4 Skeins

P.S. I don't know why some of my photos look blurry when I post them to my blog. If you click on the photos, they come up nice and clear. If anyone knows how to fix that I'd be one happy girl if they told me the trick.

It's Not You, It's Me

First of all, let me say Thank You to Maryse for so kindly giving me this....

It made MY day.

Let's sit, shall we?

Hi, my name is Claire, and I think I may be a commitment-phobe. My many unfinished projects are crying to me from the graveyard (Hall Closet), "Finish meeeeee...it's only a sleeeve". I walk hurriedly past them on my way to visit the yarngerie closet to pick out the skeins for my next idea. It's a problem ladies. But there's nothing quite as exciting as the prospect of a new project. Imagining the finished sweater being worn to work. Your co-workers beside themselves with your talent. The yarn. Oh the yarn. Picking out yarn is second to none. The buttery soft merino. The heavenly sheen of the hand-painted silk. It's worthy of a happy girl jig everytime. Then the casting on. Those first few rows are so gleeful. The finishing of a project creates the same type of giddiness, but with an overtone of fear. You see, my mistakes happen at the end. A decrease row gone wrong, a sloppy bind off. All those hours of sweat and stitches are flushed down the toilet. Starting a project with ease and without stress is so much more enjoyable than crying over a crooked seam.

How I envy all of you who get to experience the joy of parading around in your newly finished garments. Hearing, "Oh my God, I didn't know you could knit, will you teach me? Barb, did you know ______ could knit? She knit this!". To all of you...you give me hope. For the day I finally get on the stick and finish those motherbleeping sleeves!!

Ripple the Night Away

Meggie's Ripple Blanket - 90% done
Originally uploaded by clackerdine73

From the photo, one could almost be led to believe that the never-ending ripple is almost done. Alas, it is not. Soon though. I think I only have about 12 inches until it's the length I want. I only drag this thing out when I'm feeling guilty. My 11-year old daughter will give me a look that says, "I'll be married and having babies before this damn blanket's finished", and then out comes the ripple for an hour or two. I hope she realizes the sacrifice I'm making. I could be working on my Gathered Pullover, you know? Priorities.

Gather Round.....

If I ever finish this and it fits...I will love this sweater forever. The merino style from Knit Picks has been in my stash for several years now. I knew that I'd find the perfect project for it one day, and Ladies...the Gathered Pullover is it. Who would've thought the eternal highway of stockinette would bust ass so quickly? I feel like I'm coasting through the rows. My enjoyment was doubled when I got to the cable section. This is my very 1st time following a chart and I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised with how easy it is. I almost prefer it to written instructions. Maybe my brain enjoys the ease of processing shapes instead of words. I think we took some test in High School about that. I wonder if I did well on it?

Fancy a game of tag?

This is my first time being tagged. Yea!

4 Jobs I've Held:

Wearer of awful uniform at Arby's (1st job)
Hotel Maid (2nd and most horrible job)
Mortgage Underwriter
Senior Loan Processor

4 Movies I've Watched Over and Over Again:

Girls Just Want to Have Fun (Gotta love Sarah Jessica Parker dancing in a Catholic School Uniform)
Dawn of the Dead
War of the Worlds
Signs

4 Places I've Been:

Spain
Washington D.C.
San Diego
Minneapolis

4 Places I've Lived:

Sheffield, England
Prescott, AZ
Pella, IA
Phoenix, AZ

4 TV Shows I Watch:

Grey's Anatomy (OHHHH I love this show)
American Idol
Family Guy
The Office

4 Radio Shows I Listen To:

No answers to this one...don't really listen to the radio

4 Things I Look Forward To:

My daughter coming home from her Dad's house
Getting a package of yarn in the mail
Seeing my dogs when I get home from work
Starting a new knitting project

4 Favorite Foods:

Moussaka
Salmon w/honey glaze
A REALLY good steak
Yorkshire Pudding

4 Places I'd Rather Be:

No where...I'm happy being home!

4 People I email regularly:

Ashleigh
Mum
Brittany
Uncle Mark

4 People to Tag:

How the heck do I tag someone? ;)