But maybe everything that dies someday comes back
Put your makeup on, fix your hair up pretty
and meet me tonight in Atlantic City...
Hello! We are back from Jersey, where I had SO MUCH FUN visiting Cara!
Cara is such a fun person, and her husband and sister are awesome too. I had a really great time and am so glad I went.
Things I learned on my trip to Jersey/NY:
1) Cara walks really fast. I pride myself on being a fast walker - I can't stand people who walk slow especially when they are "in my way". But now that I'm carrying extra weight, I almost could not keep up with her! And I love that.
2) The 10-second rule does not apply to NY city streets.
3) If the band for the top of your knee high sock can fit around your head -
It's too big.
4) Ferries are fun!
And look! The Statue of Liberty!
5) I can spin! Ok, not well, but I did it. Cara's a good teacher.
And here's my handspun:
It's not beautiful, I make much prettier yarn on a spindle, but it's only the second time I have done it. I can't wait to get a wheel!
6) NYC is really big, but they have the tiniest. bathroom. ever.
I'm standing in front of the toilet here.
Hardly room for a pregnant woman, I assure you.
7) If you put me in a yarn shop, I will buy yarn:
Here's some Habu Bamboo I got, gorgeous and so soft. I'm going to have a real dyer dye it for me.
And here's a pic of the front room at Habu, where they make such beautiful stuff!
8) If Cara has a STASH SALE, I will buy yarn. BTW, go over and see what she has left!
I got the following - some Firesong yarn:
and some angora for a tiny blanket for a tiny high energy person.
9) I can finish a sweater on a trip if I knit hard and fast:
My sister comes up this weekend, and then I'll have pictures of her wearing it, yay!
10) Cara can twist my arm into starting a pair of knee highs:
Koigu. These are gonna be GOOD. Even if I do have fat calves.
Knitting update:
Lastly, an update. Peaches is rockin' right along:
But Bridie had a snafu:
Looks okay, huh? Well, it's way too big. Despite checking gauge, I'm getting 19 st instead of 22 to 4", which of course will never fly. Had to rip those 6 inches of sweater out. SO. SAD. But after a knit fest last night I am almost back to where I was.
Hope you all have a good week!
At this moment, you mean evvvvvvverrrrrrything...*
So much time, so little to do - strike that, reverse it.
Hi. It's fun to have new things to do and start! Like what? Like this:
Um, yes. Didn't tell you about this one. Well, that's cause we just decided to do it today. Called "Peaches", by Kim Hargreaves. Using the fabulous Cotton Glace I bought off Stashy McStasherton. And here's a swatch:
I love this color. NOW. I know those of you who come here know that's not news. But, it's hard to capture the real color. It's not just a light blue, it has a shiny tiny bit of silvery slate to it. Grey, but not grey. OOOOH. I love it.
The pattern is from A Treasury of Rowan Knits, that a non-knitting friend gave me a few years ago, and so far the pattern is going well, for once. I haven't been able to knit from this book until now. That friend that gave it to me was a dear. I hope he is well.
Elspeth.
On to the not-so-good. This pattern, Elspeth, from Rowan 37, is making me INSANE. I had heard all over blogdom that it was troublesome, but I mean it SUCKS.
It's hard to tell you just why without you seeing the pattern, but suffice it to say the following.
1) There is no selvedge stitch, and it's a lace pattern.
2) They start and stop the pattern in ways that leave you with a yarn over at the end, or beginning. Clearly, you can't END or START with a yo. Hello.
3) Because of this (and because they also start you with a k2tog where you only have one stitch) if you do what they say your stitch counts will be WAY off. You will think you are a bad knitter, but it's NOT YOU. It's a bad pattern.
4) They only show you one repeat and leave you to your devices to figure out where to start again. The X-Tremely cool Jen has great help for this issue.
Here's my beef. And you can skip if you don't want to hear me complain. But if Rowan is asking people to spend their hard-earned money - at $55 a year for membership - we DESERVE well-written and well-proofed patterns. It's that damn simple. What a waste.
That having been said, I am going to muscle it out, because I can, from experience. But I would caution you all about this pattern - if you are not experienced you will probably hate it and spend your time frustrated. It's makes me so mad, too.
Here's a pic of the pattern so far. It is pretty, I'll give those Rowan losers that much:
And a close-up:
She's a super geek, super geek, she's super geeky...
I got a new ipod:
And yes, that is me watching Season 6 of CSI on it. I LOVE IT. I am such a nerd.
I was lucky enough to get a new Macbook to go with it, but haven't gotten to use it much, cause I have to transfer everything from my previous computer to it. But it's pretty sleek. It's black and stealthy.
Almost done with the Vintage Knits purple sweater - one sleeve to sew in. Hooray!!!
*Our dear Lee Ann is convalescing. And we are SO GLAD she is doing so well.