As Seen On TV

I think this is the same hat Mia Michaels was wearing during the 1st episode this season of "So You Think You Can Dance". It's from Urban Outfitters. I wish I knew how write out a pattern just from looking at something. This hat is so cute and I fell in love with it when I saw it on the show. I've looked in my stitch dictionary for a similar lace pattern but couldn't find anything. Any ideas? I want this hat. Let me rephrase. I want to knit this hat. I don't want to pay $25.00 for something I could potentially make myself. Besides, they only have it in this colour and I want to make it in my new Cascade 220 Heather Tweed. Oooh or maybe my new Malabrigo. I just got goosebumps from the mental picture of how pretty it would be!!

I Fill Up at Chevron

I can't stop! This one reminds me of flames or a sunset. It reminds my hubby of Halloween. It's freaking sweet. It wasn't always this purty though. The red/black skein is the original intended colour. The orange is not. The skein I'd planned on using with the red/black is a beautiful mix of teal, tan, light blue and white. Can you imagine? That paired with the red/black? Gorgeous. No, not so much.

It reminds me of a Navajo blanket. There's just far too much going on for it to be pretty. The Halloween Fire Sunset is much easier on the eyes. I just don't like what the dark yarn is doing to my poor needles.

Aaah Chevrons

So so so so so so pretty. I love this pattern so much. The one on the top still needs to be blocked, but I couldn't resist posting a photo. The one on the bottom is an experiment in colour. My daughter thinks it's ugly. I think it's got a little Dr. Seuss flair to it. Next up will be another in two different colours of Claudia Handpainted, just purchased over the weekend. My poor Central Park Hoodie and Hexacomb Cardi may never see the light of day and I don't even feel guilty. This pattern is way too much fun!

Pattern: Chevron Scarf by Domesticrafts

Yarn: (#1) Claudia Hand Painted

(#2) Patons 4-ply Cotton

Praise the UPS Man

I've been having a very emotional day. The PMS monster has engulfed me. I cried 3 times and shouted at my lovely hubby before I even left the house this morning. In the moment, I was SURE I had ample reasons to be so upset. It felt as though the entire world was out to get me and I had decided everyone around me was completely irritated with me. To top it all off, it took some incredible maneuvering to get my jeans to button. On the way to work I realized this wasn't the case at all. I'm just in the midst of a horrible PMS attack. Once I got to work the day didn't get much better. There wasn't much to do so I spent a good part of the day reading news stories. The same stories. Over and over. Around 12:30pm I was granted a reprieve from my day o' emotion and boredom, when the blessed UPS man walked through the door.

This is my much anticipated Malabrigo in Terracotta and Verdes. It certainly lives up to it's reputation of being supremely yummy. I could, however, live with out the blast of eau de massengill that shot up my nose when I took it out of the bag. Damn, that must have been a big ass vat of vinegar they dyed these skeins in. I'm sure it will come out when washed but...so do I wash it before I knit with it or after? I'm not so sure I could stand to knit with it smelling like it does. It's pretty freaking bad. That aside, I'm so glad I ordered this wool. It's going to knit up beautifully. I'm going to visit my Mum this weekend and I can't decide if I want to start something new with the Malabrigo or the 220 I got yesterday. I really should only take WIPs with me but I know myself...I won't. The pull of a new project is too great. I'm dreading driving to my Mum's though because the traffic on the way is always atrocious on holiday weekends. I usually avoid it and stay home but as emotional as I've been these past two days, I really need some Mummy time. So I'm braving the congested roads and making the trek up the mountain.

I'm Down With the Brizzown

I love the UPS guy. He brings me lovely presents to relieve the stress of a hectic work day. He's supposed to bring me one tomorrow as well. He's awesome.

And All You Gain and All You Make

I truly am a Yarn Ho. I can't stop myself from buying it. It's the damn sales. No, no, that's a lie. I don't just buy it on sale. I buy it full price as well. Do they have rehab for yarn addicts? I probably need to go. Maybe it's like one of those celebrity rehabs and I can get massages and play tennis day after day, while healing my addictions? Sounds alright to me. As long as I can sneak in my knitting.

In the past week I have purchased quite a bit of yarn. Some came from the local yarn shops in Prescott and some was ordered online and hasn't yet been delivered. (The anticipation is killing me!!).

These were purchased at an lys. I also bought two skeins of Claudia Handpainted (YUMmy!!).

On it's way to me from Yarnzilla are 4 skeins of Malabrigo. Two in Verdes and two in Terracotta. Regular price $11.95. Sale price $7.17. YOWZA!!!! These will be my first skeins of Malabrigo and I'm so incredibly excited for them to arrive. From what I've heard, it's heaven to knit with this wool.

From Webs, I'm patiently waiting for multiple skeins of Cascade 220. Regular price $7.00. Sale price $4.89. See....there's no way I could pass that up. 1 skein Heather Tweed. 1 skein Doeskin Heather. 3 skeins Celery. 2 skeins lime heather. 4 skeins Summer Sky Heather.

The Celery is most likely going to be for another Wicked Sweater. This time with a pocket. Green is one of my favourite colours and I think the celery is such a lovely shade. The lime heather will end up as Koolhaas or maybe I'll make Koolhaas out of the Malabrigo and the lime heather can be an Irish Hiking Scarf? Ooooh that's a good idea!! What do you think? The Doeskin Heather is for Gretel from Ysolda. Lovely pattern. I haven't made one yet but have been coveting it for quite some time. The Summer Sky Heather is for Zephyrstyle's 28Thirty
Yes, it's likely that I will be 84 years old when I complete all these projects.

In the midst of this shopping frenzy, I have actually been knitting. If I was a good knitter, I would be working on my Hexacomb Cardigan. Since I'm actually quite naughty, I haven't touched it. Instead I've been working on the Central Park Hoodie. I'm knitting it with Cascade 220 Superwash that I bought from Webs. It's a lovely colour named Turtle and I'm really enjoying both the yarn and the pattern.

Next up is the Chevron Scarf from Domesticrafts. What a fun project...and the Claudia's Handpainted Yarn is wonderful. It's so soft and the colours are effing gorgeous!!

And last but certainly not least, I actually finished something. My 11-year old Niece, Ashleigh, has been wanting me to knit her shrug for quite some time. I finally got off my lazy arse and made her one. She picked out the colours and I hope she enjoys it.

Pattern: One Skein Wonder by Glampyre

Yarn: Random acrylic (I know...I know...don't judge me) ;)

Phew...this post was exhausting. I should blog more regularly and then I won't have the post that went round the world and back.

Happy Knitting!!

Branching: To embroider with a design of foliage or flowers

TA DA! Finished...finally. My Mum is now trying the pattern in the same brand of yarn, but in a gorgeous dark purple. I can't wait to see the finished scarf. She was trying to knit it last night while we watched "P.S. I Love You". After ripping it back at least twice, she now believes me that it's not a pattern intended for mindless TV knitting.

Pattern: Branching Out by Susan Pierce Lawrence

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in Chalk (1 skein)

Keep Calm and Carry On

This pattern hurts my brain. I want it to be done in a bad way. Actually, it's really not a very hard pattern. My overly analytical Virgo brain makes knitting it much more difficult than it really is. Splitting the back & fronts AND shaping the neck and armholes interrupts the hexacomb pattern. Due to this I'm finding it hard to calculate where in the pattern my rows now start. I'm sure I'm waaaay over thinking it (as I do with everything) and as a result I'm not enjoying this as much as I should. I practically have a panic attack on each row. I'm using every ounce of my willpower to push forward and finish this thing. I can do it. I can do it. If I repeat that will it help? It's worth a try.



Pattern: Hexacomb Cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 2008
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton Ease in Taupe

Yin and Yang

In my relatively short knitting career, I have to come to find, for every failure there is a success. For every tear shed, a cry of joy. One cannot exist with out the other. It's quite the test of emotion. On the yin of this circle may I present Something Green. This is the 3rd garment I have attempted with this yarn and the 3rd disappointment. I give up. The pattern is fantastic. I have seen so many finished objects that fit. Mine is not one of those. The sleeves are huge. Enormous.

I'll probably frog it. Let's face it, I won't wear it. There's just SO much extra fabric. It's just not flattering. Wah. I'll be sulking over this for a while.

Pattern: Something Red by Wendy Bernard

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted

On the yang side, I finally finished Branching Out. It's blocking on towels in my daughter's bedroom. I am so excited to finish this one. It's been in the works for a LOOOONG time. I'm talking years. Here's a blocking photo for now. Tomorrow I will proudly post a modeled shot.