(Marsh)Mallow

I got to see one of my favorite pups a few weeks ago, the beautiful Mallow dog, who was freshly shaved for the summer.

I visited with Sarah and Austin to celebrate Sarah's graduation (for a second Bachelor's degree), and while I was there, Sarah made these incredible cupcakes.

They are Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Banana Frosting.

People, these are delicious cupcakes, and I could seriously have eaten a bowl of the forsting. It was so light and airy (Sarah reduced the amount of powdered sugar by a whole cup, and you could probably use even less without missing it), and looked like, you guessed it, marshmallow.

I'll have some crafty FOs to share with you soon. Enjoy your weekend!

Casting On: Red Hedera

I couldn't resist.

This skein of Madeline Tosh sock yarn has been sitting in the stash since last fall.
Granted, I have several projects on the needles, countless skeins of yarn, sitting patiently in the stash, but this gorgeous red hue was calling to me. I blame Lolly and of course, Project Spectrum. It got me thinking about red. Lolly said it best when she talked here about being mindful. Take a moment. Breathe. Enjoy the color in your life.

So, I did. I took a moment, and this weekend, I cast on for a long-admired Knitty A pattern, Hedera.

I love the simple four row repeat, and I LOVE the rich, saturated red.

I worked on this briefly on Saturday, while I was in Austin. Up next, I'll have some pictures to share from Sarah's graduation party. She made incredible food and Vodka-Thyme Lemonade. Whoa. That's the only word for the lemonade. And also, delicious.

I didn't cheat, I swear

I have a new skein of gorgeous handspun yarn. I didn't cheat, though. As promised, I have not purchased any yarn in 2011.

I did, however, trade my old sewing machine to my good friend Sarah, and in return, I was able to pick one skein of her lovely spinnings.

I chose this. I think I may have gotten the better end of the bargain. The yardage is between 350 and 400 yards of DK weight. The colors are incredible. I forgot to ask about the original fiber dyeing, but yep, I'm in love.

On a related note, when I went to Austin a couple of weeks ago to visit Sarah (and make said exchange), we went to Hill Country Weavers, one of my favorite yarn stores, and all I bought was the new Knitscene magazine.
No yarn.

I picked up, I contemplated, but in the end, my purchase was less than ten dollars.

Willpower. Who knew?
Although, fabric is an entirely different story.

Another sewing FO: For Rhonda

My good friend Rhonda moved into my townhome complex just about one year ago. It's pretty awesome having a friend (a knitter, a kitty sitter, a running buddy) so close, and soon after she moved in, I planned to make her some pillows as a housewarming gift. One year later, I'm here to show them off.

Friday, when I got home from work, I ironed, cut and placed my pieces. Saturday morning, I sewed them up. I think the whole project took my about 5 hours or so-not bad!

I used two half yards of Deer Valley fabric by Joel Dewberry (purchased on Etsy from Fabric Closet. This is one of my favorite lines. I also used a fat quarter I purchased at the Hen House last year. For even better stash-busting credit, the red ribbon was a purchase from at least five years ago. I used the entire 1.75 yard cut I had.

The white sashing on the paned pillow is bias tape, which I ironed flat before using. I really like the effect.

These pillows also feature zipper enclosures, which my previous pillows lack.

Sarah has requested some pillows for her new abode, so there are definitely more of these in my future.

FO: Muddy Maroon Cardigan

The cardigan is done. I have pictures to prove it. Pictures of me wearing it. Wanna see?

Now with 100% more smirky face!

We went to D.C. this week to meet the new baby (the squirrel sweater was well received!), and I convinced my guy to snap some photos of me while we were seeing the sights. Speaking of, I've got some vacation photos to share with you as well.

I'm really not digging the hair in this picture, but that's what new haircuts are for, and I've got one coming up soon.

The handspun yarn yoke is Mud Creek, which I received as a gift from my good friend Sarah. It's been in the stash for two years, and I just wanted to find a pattern that would really showcase it's beauty. I think this sweater accomplishes that. Elliott helped me choose the body yarn, and I think the maroon Northampton, also from the stash, is a great choice. I started this sweater in December, over my Christmas break.

I found the wood buttons at Joann's a couple of weeks ago, and finished sewing them on last week, in preparation for the trip.

The pattern is Melissa LaBarre's very famous Garter Yoke Cardigan, which can be found in the 2008 Fall/Winter Knit1 magazine. The pattern is very straightforward. I really didn't make any modifications, except that I knit the sleeves differently. The first sleeve is a little too loose around my upper arm, as I prefer more fitted sleeves. When I knit the second one, I started decreasing more rapidly to achieve that look. They don't match exactly because of this, but it's not really that noticeable. I cast on with the Northampton and knit three rows with it before switching to the Mud Creek. I'm really please with the way it turned out. I can actually see myself wearing this, and that's not the case with some of the items I've made in the past.

I've decided not to cast on for anything new right away. I've decided to follow in yarndude's footsteps, and tackle a looming UFO.
My Central Park Hoodie, started in June 2008 is going to get finished. Just in time for summer.

Raveled

Stash Enhancement: Always a good thing

Okay, okay, so I've bought a little yarn in the last few months. I've also destashed quite a bit on ravelry, so that makes up for it, right? Up first, from Weezalana's destash, two skeins (purchased at different times) of sock yarn:

Some Hazel Knits Artisan Sock, which I've been dying to try

and some Yarntini in Peaknit.

I've actually been contemplating using these yarns together, maybe for a Daybreak Shawl(?).

I also scored some Sundara Sock Yarn, in the Delphiniums colorway.

My biggest purchase in the last few months was seven skeins of Silky Wool, purchased from Twisted Yarns in Spring.

I love this yarn. It's so soft.

Finally, I had a girls weekend in Austin a couple of weeks ago.

Sarah, Rhonda and I checked out Gauge, and I found this Robincat Handspun lace. It's a gorgeous, silk/wool blend.

My current obsession

Over the holiday break, I cast on for this sweater.

Even though I've committed to 10 shawls this year, among other things, this is all I want to knit right now. The pattern is the super awesome Garter Yoke Cardigan, by Melissa LaBarre. I finished the handspun portion (just knit until I ran out), which is Mud Creek yarn I got as a gift from my good friend, Sarah. Now I'm using maroon Northampton for the body. I tried it on, and so far everything fits very well. I'm almost finished with the first sleeve, then I'll do the second, and finally, finish the body.

Thoughts on a button color? I don't want to distract from the handspun, which is definitely the highlight of the sweater. Hmmm. At least I have some time to figure that out.

I love a seamless sweater!

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.

Home

Sarah and I had a blast in New Mexico. We hit seven yarn shops in four days. It was amazing. I have lots to say about the trip, but let's just let this picture speak for itself. This is after four of the seven shops:

Enough said. I will give more details on my stash additions soon, but I also have my something red (and yellow) to show you. I made lots of progress on the trip, so here's me with the sleeves on scrap yarn this morning:

Yep-very exciting. I'm debating doing little cables instead of ribbing at the bottom, as you can see Fancie Pants did here. I'm not sure yet. I will be adding another yellow stripe just above the ribbing/cables, or near the bottom of the garment, as well as on the sleeves.
That's all for now. More stash and trip pictures to come.

Santa Fe: stash and WIP update

Good morning! Sarah and I are in Santa Fe. We arrived Sunday and we've had such a wonderful trip so far. We've had amazing food, met lots of nice people and of course, purchased stash enhancements. Yesterday, we visited 2 local yarn stores, Miriam's Well and Needle's Eye. Each one had great selection and very knowledgeable owners. At Needle's Eye, I bought some patterns and this:

Araucania Nature Wool, 4 skeins, Rust
I'm not sure what it will be, but the color is gorgeous with slight variations.
At Miriam's Well, I bought two types of yarn: Crystal Palace Taos in Sedona, 2 skeins

and Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine, 8 skeins, 4 each of honey and faded blue

I've been working on my SOmething Red and Yellow, although the progress seems slow as the rows get longer and longer.

We've had fantastic luck with restaurant choices. I've eaten some green chile chicken stew, blue corn cheese enchiladas, potato crusted salmon with leeks, and a wonderful calzone. Mmm. I've also tried a couple of local beers, always a plus. :)
Today, we're driving to Taos and tomorrow, we head to Albuquerque.

Travel and such

This afternoon, my mom leaves for a 17-day trip to Turkey and Paris. She's never been out of North America, and she's excited/nervous/scared. I'm jealous/envious/excited for her. :) She asked me what type of souvenir I'd like, and after some serious thought, I requested some yarn, if she comes across any. I imagine that especially in Turkey, wool is plentiful and easy to find. I was going to write down for her specifications for yarn I'd like, but this morning, I told her to just look and feel, and that she is perfectly capable of picking something good. Also, of course, I told her not to spend more than she wanted to, because, as we know, you can easily throw down an arm and a leg for some yarn.

Sunday, I leave for New Mexico (just one state over, so not quite as exciting as Turkey and Paris) with Sarah. I'm really excited to be off work for a week, go to yarn shops, knit, eat good food, and just have some girl time with Sarah.
I still haven't figured out what I'm going to take to work on, but I started Something Red and even though it will be a large project, it would be good for a trip like this, where I'll have lots of time over the week to work on it. Whether I bring it or not, I will also be bringing some sock yarn to start practicing. I think this trip is the perfect time to learn, and not just because Sarah will be there to help me. ;)

I lied (see post below)

Since I had to find a knitting related present for Sarah, I of course, scoured some of my favorite websites to find something special for her. In doing so, I of course stumbled upon some yarn I had to have for yet another desired FO. So my post below was a total lie, even though I really thought (kind of) that I could hold out until Christmas. Eh, such is life.
I'm going to see my beloved grandparents this weekend. We always have a blast. They live on a farm, I get to feed animals, we have a bonfire at night, a fire in the fireplace, delicious food, eggnog, you name it. I'll be driving home, but I think I'll have knitting time on the way up this afternoon. Plus, since my grandparents go to bed at the crack of sunset, I'll be able to work on some stuff in the evenings. I'm hoping to finish Jan's hat, Jenny's fetching(s), and maybe start another Christmas project. As much as I'd love to work on my CPH, I know I really need to use this time to work on Christmas presents.
Happy turkey day!

Success! Twice!

Very productive weekend (and fun too!). I knit like crazy. Sarah helped me finish Fetching (my first FO!). They look great. THEN, I finished the Raleigh Hills hat I started earlier in the week. I sewed it up and everything. It looks fantastic. I was planning on giving it to my mother, but since it's my first hat, I think I'll knit her another one so I can wear my knits with pride. :)

The hat was a great first choice. The cables look lovely (I love, love cable work!), and I really enjoyed sewing the hat up from a flat piece.
Here's me, beaming with pride in my new hat.


Sarah made tons of food and we looked at patterns, knit, and watched Seinfeld and Simpsons DVDs. Nice relaxing weekend.

I'm trying to figure out what to make next.

Road trip

The boy and I are going to see Austin and Sarah this weekend. It was supposed to be a Halloween extravaganza, but several people canceled, and since Dean and I fucked around on our costumes (or lack thereof), there will be no official soiree. I think Sarah is still planning making yummy treats though. And the great thing about so many people canceling is that now Sarah and I can knit to our hearts' content without offending or insulting any non-knitters (besides the boyfriends, but they can entertain themselves! Before work this morning, I was trying to get my knitting supplies together and Dean laughed at me, saying, "we're only going to be there a weekend". He doesn't understand that I may change my mind about what I want to make, or I may spend time on several new projects. Geez.
So, here's what I'm taking with me for the weekend, in hopes of making some real progress:


I started this earlier in the week, and hope to give it to my mom with the scarf I'm making. They don't quite match, but she loves all things purple, so I think she'll look past that fact.I have one thumb left on my first fetching pair, and Sarah's going to help me conquer it. I'm hoping to make several pair of these for xmas gifts, so I've got to get it under my thumb. Har.

I'm taking my soft lux in green, to make Natty, by Wendy Bernard.

I'm also taking a couple balls of Berroco touche, which I'm very eager to try. I'm hoping to make the Zephyr Style tree jacket. It looks so lush and soft, so I hope it's a good choice for the project.

Finally, I'm bring my first ball of comfort, in hopes of starting the tahki sweater I've got my eye on found here on ravelry
Okay, so perhaps, I'm being a little ambitious. :\ We'll see.

Intro post

Earlier this year, my future sister-in-law introduced me to the world of knitting. I was instantly hooked, and since then, I've been buying up yarn, reading patterns, attempting new stitches, etc. Knitting is just what I needed. I have other hobbies, but nothing I'm so wrapped up in as knitting. So thanks, Sarah. You're a great teacher, and hopefully, someday we will open that yarn store. :)