Grrl’s been busy…

Internets, I’m behind. I’ve been bad about blogging and reading the blogs I love - ahem, lurve - according to bloglines, I have 209 posts to read. I have photos for my “G” that need to be uploaded and all kinds of goodies to share. Seriously. For this quick, photo-less update, I’m going to do a good, bad and ugly list.

Good: Cherie v.2.0 is almost finished. The front, back, and sleeves have been knit, blocked, and seamed. All that remains is the pick up game for the neck band. Seriously. I got my groove back with this sweater and she has been so much fun to put together.

Bad: I spent most of the time I could have devoted to finishing Cherie v.2.0 this weekend on playing around with my sewing machine. Okay, not really bad from any angle other than the knitting angle. I should have something to share in a few days…

Good: Pink Martini. Saturday, the Mr. and I made our way up Parley’s Canyon and into Park City to attend the sold out Pink Martini concert. We had no idea that it would sell out - everyone we have mentioned Pink Martini to has looked at us like we were nuts and was all, “um, pink who?”

During Andalucia, the lead singer picked up a cowbell and started tapping away. The Mr. turned to me and said, “More cowbell!” (If you haven’t seen the SNL skit, click the link) A little later, they played U Plavu Zoru. It was absolutely amazing - by far, my favorite song of the night. Seriously, this was one of the best concerts I have ever been to. All ten members of the little orchestra seemed to be having a blast, and really love the music they were playing. And the trumpet player with the really long hair - so talented. The lead singer is incredibly beautiful and has an amazing voice. Oh, and the pianist has a blonde mohawk and looks like Butters from South Park - too cute!

Unfortunately, the songs are no longer streaming on Pink Martini’s site, so I don’t have links to share.

Ugly: After the concert, we were ushered out side exit of the Eccles Center which is attached to Park City High School. The school was under construction and half of the parking lot was taken up with portable class rooms. The sidewalks were littered with mud and construction debris. The crowds were a little pushy and I didn’t make the jump over one of the mud puddles. My foot was sucked past the ankle into the construction mud and pulling it out resulted in splatters up the back of my pants. Construction mud is the worst. Luckily, the Mr. had some cardboard in the trunk that I could sit my muddy ass on and place my muddy feet on.

Good: The mud came out of my pants, embossed leaves socks, and pink pashima. It took a night of soaking, but all is good and mud free.

Good: I picked up my Ribby Cardi again and have been making mad progress on it. The back and right front are finished and I’m plugging away on the left front. Seriously, Internets, my knitting groove is back.

More good than bad or ugly, we like that ’round here.

Proof that I’m feeling better

I’m starting to kick the grump bucket, even with this morning’s sideways snow, the one that gave all the local skiers good wood. I am not a local skier nor am I a lover of the white stuff when it’s on my driveway, but I’m just so plucky today. Maybe it’s the pink pashima? Perhaps the mascara?

Ya’ll! I found one little black sheep tape measure sitting in a bucket packed full of white sheep at my favorite quilting fabric shop. I couldn’t resist bringing him home with me!

any ideas on a name for this cute fella?

Also, I managed to pick up some fabric. Take a look-see at the purple and gray

I managed to take a photo of the too-big-toddler hat for the SNB grrls.

seriously too big

While at stitch and bitch, Heather gave me this lovely bag, which I managed to photograph horribly… the sides really don’t flare out like the dreaded side boobs, they are triangle shaped like the sides of the bag I made for Susan. Very chic!

mmmm… i *heart* gray blue

Perhaps I should move on to some much neglected knitting…

i’m too lazy to pull the goods out of the shitty kitty proof plastic

sockapaloooza pal, we almost, almost, have a pair

sleeves started

During the Oscars Sunday night, I started charting out the sleeves as written in the Rowan pattern I’m sort of working from. The sleeves have a bell shape that works due to the length of ribbing. Since I had shortened the length of the ribbing on the body and planned on starting the stockinette earlier on the sleeve as well, I decided to re-write the sleeve and knit something that will fit the way I like a sleeve to fit - no bells. With all the changes and tweaking I’ve done, I don’t know if I can still call the sweater Cherie. Inspiration counts, right?

So, right now, Kally and I are having a mini battle over who gets the mouse.

if i sit on your toy, you’ll have to pay attention to me!

Well, not this time shitty kitty. This time, I win. I.Win.

woman, the war is far from over!

KADD is serious…

On Saturday, the Mr. was busy playing with a new toy of his - perfect opportunity to get my knit on. While he was drilling away and making all kinds of noise, I finished my Embossed Leaves socks, did a little happy dance and ventured into the office to show them off. A few minutes later, he made his way into the kitchen to take a few photos of his old toy… I begged him to take a picture of my newly finished socks, to which he replied: You know, your blog is going to start attracting the foot fetish crowd with all these pictures of your feet. Could he be anymore perfect!

so pretty and so hard to photograph!

With the Embossed Leaves off the needles and the Shetland Triangle ripped, I didn’t know what to knit on next. I had the Jaywalkers on the needles… but really wasn’t interested. The yarn is a little rough and I can only work on them a little at a time, otherwise my fingers totally cramp up and I become Capitan Ornery Pants. Nobody likes Capitan Ornery Pants. Y’all know what that means, don’t ya? Time to start a new project. I really tried to wait until my sockapaloooza pals’s yarn arrived to start another pair of socks, but I had a ball of Koigu calling out to me and Susan’s new pattern. I have to say, after a few repeats, I don’t think I like it. I like the pattern and I like the yarn, but together…

is it really is too damn busy? what does the internets think?

I took Cherie and the Jaywalkers with me to SLC SNB Sunday Edition. I’ve since made progress on both, but I’m rather bored. A little bit of a tangent here, I knit while watching Assault on Precinct 13 last night, and now I’m all “bad-ass motherfucker(s)” about everything. Kally, Cherie and Jaywalker #1 are sick and tired of being called bad-ass motherfuckers right about now, but the homework, like Ethan Hawke’s Sarge, loves the reputation.

cherie is sweet as pie

the heel is flappin’ but not turned

Would it be the knitting blahs or KADD? Or is it just a downright February funk? Could spring seem any further off? I’m trying my hardest to fend off the urge to start something new - STR should arrive in the mail shortly and I can get started on my sockapaloooza’s socks. I’ve finally decided on the pattern - yet another pattern that is floating all over blogland right now… any guesses…

ms. kally is waiting for your guesses… in my chair…

Gossip

So, Kally and I had a little chat yesterday. Well, it was more like a big gossip session than a chat. I wasn’t feeling too well, so she kept me company by sitting on my lap and telling me all kinds of stories while I worked a little on my secret knit project. Kally is always in the know and she felt it was a good time to share some dirt with me.

Kally told me all about the lady whose dog really likes the tree outside our office window, the lady who never picks up her dog’s business. Well, she took her dog for a walk the other day, stopped at his favorite tree, the one right outside our office window, and she totally didn’t pick it up. Kally insisted it was a good thing for the dog that she doesn’t know how to use the phone, because she can read the sign that threatens a $500 fine for not picking up dog poop, you know, the sign with the phone number of who to call to report those who don’t pick up poop, you know, the sign with all the free poop bags attached to it, yeah, she can totally read that sign.

dogs are so messy!

As far as progress goes, I finished the back of Cherie v.2.0,

please ignore the wrinkles

turned the heel of the Embossed Leaves Sock #1,

and almost finished SuperSock #1, only a toe remains.

Oh, there’s that secret knit project too. Here’s a hint:

Cherie Version 2.0

Last night, I knit up a swatch with the pink Cashsoft, gave it a bath and set it out to dry. Then, I pulled out my trusty calculator, the pattern, some graph paper and a pencil. By the time I had the original pattern drawn out on the graph paper, my swatch was dry and it was time to start putting it all together on paper….

I cast on for Cherie Version 2.0 with a single strand and a few small modifications that will ensure a good fit.

I’d cross my fingers, but they are too busy knitting!

Also, I finished the log cabin socks on Christmas Eve, but forgot to take any pictures. So, without any further ado, here’s an “action” shot…

And something just for fun…

Math…

The older I get, the less impulsive I am and I tend to think about something over and over before I take any type of action. Then, there are some days where I wonder what I have done with my brain; some days when my complete lack of thought seems to cloud everything over and it can be days before I realize just how clueless I’ve been. One very specific thoughtless day was Friday, December 30th.

When I realized I had gauge, I was so excited to get started on Cherie that I didn’t take stock of the yarn I had on hand. After finishing the back, I looked into my bag of yarn and realized that I used almost half of my Cashsoft. Out comes my trusty calculator (a much older version of this bad boy, ’cause, you know, knitting is, like, totally scientific) . . . a few quick calculations - and several goddamn motherfuckers - later, I realize I am at least four balls short. Four. Balls. Short. Four! I didn’t take into account that I am holding the yarn double stranded, so I really only have six hundred something yards rather than the thirteen hundred something-or-other yards I thought I had. DOH. Where, oh where, did my little brain go? Where, oh were, can it be?

So, I’m ripping and re-working with my trusty calculator by my side. Here’s hoping that third time’s the charm…

May I PLEASE have some of that yarn…

New Project

Time for a new project, something to keep me busy during my winter break. I’ve cast on Cherie from Rowan’s Vintage Knits.

I decided to use the Rowan Cashsoft 4 ply Weather that I purchased earlier this month, two strands held together to for perfect gauge.
Originally, I had started working the 4 ply in a sweater of similar style (influenced by Cherie, Union Square Market Pullover and Jemima), totally making things up as I went along; but (there’s always a but, isn’t there?) I couldn’t stand the needles. The circular join on the aluminum set I have is terrible and the point is way to sharp! Each time I had to coerce the yarn past the join, I worried that I was manhandling the beautiful Cashsoft. Switching from the cold join-challenged needles a bamboo set caused a gauge change - for some reason, I have a death grip when working with aluminum. A good ripping was in order and a few swatches later, I finally made my mind up and started on Cherie…

Yummy!