FO: Square Cake

I sewed up Square Cake last night. I was feeling sort of lazy, so I hand-sewed the lining, and I really like how it turned out.

Talk about cutting it close! The lingerie shower is this afternoon, which is when I'm gifting it.
Details:
Square Cake, by Jairlyn Mason, Knitty
Yarn: Tilli Tomas in Hope, less than 1 skein
Size Size 6 dpns, size 4 circ
Time:3 weeks
Gift for Terra's wedding
I enjoyed this pattern, and if I make another, I won't buy the Tilli Tomas yarn again, I will use smaller needles, and I won't get lazy with the straps like I did. The yarn is so expensive, and the sequins made things a little difficult. They got stuck on the yarn when I was seaming, and made the knitting a little slower than I would like. The finished product looks nice though, so I guess it was worth it. I like the fabric I chose for the lining-it's very girly, which I think is what the recipient would prefer.

I hope she likes the purse. She asked for something she could use on the big day, for her makeup and such. I know she will probably also use it on her honeymoon, and when she goes out.
All in all, I think this is a pretty successful gift. :) We'll see how she likes it.
After I finished the purse last night, I picked up Something Red (and Yellow) and got a few more rows knit. I started a second stripe of yellow, and I probably only have about 2 inches left on the body. Maybe I'll be able to start the button band this week.

Socktastic

Eventually, you just have to try. A practice run is wise, as there's a smaller investment of materials, time, and energy. If you keep an open mind during said test run, you just might realize you'll do better than you think.
I made a baby sock. It's really cute. The whole heel flap thing seems less daunting now. It makes sense, this sock construction. I'm not ready to jump into toe-up socks just yet, but I think I could easily tackle a full-size pair of top-down socks without pulling all of my hair out.

I should probably get back to Square Cake now. I'm still working on the handles. One week left! Socks will have to wait.

Thanks, mom!

I know I posted about my mother's venture to Turkey and Paris, and shamefully, I haven't posted about her return, or the very sweet gift she brought me back. It doesn't mean I'm not appreciative. Given that my mother knows virtually nothing about yarn, she did really well. I can imagine her walking around in the open markets, telling random vendors that she's looking for yarn because her daughter is a knitter. So cute. :)
My mother had a fantastic trip and discovered things she never even knew existed. I'm so proud of her, as this was her first international trip (except a quick trip to Mexico when she was in high school).

Here's a picture of the yarn she brought back for me. I'm thinking I'll make some hats (including one in purple for my mom). Mom, thank you so much for thinking of me on your trip, and always.

It's a sister thing

This morning, Jill came over, and instead of what we were supposed to do, we decided to go buy hair dye instead. We piddled in Target for an hour or so, picked our color(s) (technically, they're different, but they were essentially the same color), and back at my place, Dean dyed our hair.
After:

This is the darkest my hair has ever been. I love it. We had fun, made yummy sandwiches (with avocado!), and I knit while she played Katamari (she's addicted). It's been a good day.
Last night, I found a nice fabric to line Square Cake with.

I wanted something delicate and dainty, since it is such a special occasion. Here's the progress so far:

I've only got about 10 more rows before the handles, so I'm feeling pretty good about my deadline.
Finally, here's some other fabric I've purchased in the last week:

Fat quarters I purchased on etsy (along with two half-yards of fun fabric).

I also bought this gorgeous print, which I plan to use for a dress or shirt. I'm sort of embracing yellow and orange, which I used to think washed me out.

Speechless (not really)

Sarah is the best. Not only did she let me vent about the killer week I had (last week), as well as griping about the future (bridesmaid responsibilities), she also surprises me with a little pick-me-up. Coming home from errands on Saturday to find this was such a treat:

The bridezilla graphic is amazing, and she sent me some awesome etsy treats. The soap smells amazing, and made the yarn smell good as well. Yeah, did I mention the yarn? Amazing. I've never used handspun before, but I can't wait.

It's so gorgeous. Sarah made a hat with it, which she wore on our New Mexico trip, and the fabric it makes is really fun.
Thanks again, Sarah.

Weekend Ramblings

The weekend was unusual, and so much fun. I'm still sick, but I didn't let it stop me from getting out and seeing some old friends. Friday night, I helped celebrate the 50th birthday of a wonderful woman, Rho Jo. I've known her since I was in kindergarten, as her oldest daughter was one of my first friends. She's hilarious.

She's second to the left, and I'm second to the right.
Two things: 1)Is it just me, or does the guy next to Rho Jo look like a certain political figure from recent history? and 2)There was a theme of tropical/cowboy, which is the reason for the attire. I'm not sure why I thought tequila shots were a good idea, but they did help my throat! However, cheering for the birthday girl all night did not help. I saw lots of old friends, but spent the most time with Rhondy and Ceci. I stayed much later than I planned, and it was worth every minute.
Saturday, Dean and I did some spring cleaning, shopping, and decided to take advantage of the gorgeous day by grilling. We invited Rhonda and Ceci to join us for chicken, burgers and grilled veggies. The three of us got so wrapped up in looking at old yearbooks (hilarious!) that they decided to stay the night. I had so much fun with them; I don't have very many girlfriends, but these girls are special.
Yesterday was spent knitting, playing computer games, and some food.

I only drank one beer, as I still have a cough, but other than that I'm feeling pretty good.
I managed to wind the yarn for Terra's wedding present, and cast on yesterday afternoon.

Sequins make winding difficult, so I did it carefully by hand. This yarn is too expensive to snag! I'm enjoying the pattern so far, but I'm only about four rows in. My goal, which is probably completely unrealistic, is to complete the purse by the last weekend of the month, in order to give it to her for her shower. If not, I will have to finish up the following week, but the drop-dead date is May 3rd.

Yucky

Since Saturday, I've been blessed with a sore throat, which progressed into a cough, general stuffiness, and general grossness. I don't get sick very often, so I really shouldn't complain. The shitty part is that I was home two days from work (usually a good thing, right?), but I didn't even have energy to knit. All I could do was stay in bed and watch a little crappy TV in between naps.
I'm still plugging away at Something Red (and Yellow), but it's hard to see progress on the looooooonnngg rows of ribbing. I finally decided to do one increase row, and I think it's going to fit nicely.
I've also done a little bit of embroidering in the last few days-it's really fun. When I make some progess, I'll show it off.