And then there were two.

Check it out. My awesomeness knows no bounds today. I went and finished another of these things. (You can click on the pics for larger sizes) The yarn is Keohinani's very first handspun. She dyed it too, if I remember right. I've been waiting for something awesome to come along for this yarn and like magic it finally did. The buttons are more from Suzanne. I'm really diggin' on having two buttons, it feels more stable to me. I altered the pattern this time, I took it down 12 stitches but did the same number of rows. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have. I was trying to ensure that I had enough yarn but as it turns out I have more left over than I used. Not enough to run through it one more time with the right number of stitches of course; just slightly more than half. I like it, I just wish it was wider over the ears. I did start a Swell vbut I'm going to frog it first thing. I hate that pattern. It's very badly written, blech. A shame since I love the wave pattern (despite the fact that it's got you traveling the yarn 8 sts in one spot). Maybe I'll try to incorporate it into something else. Well, it's already tomorrow, I'm going to bed!

Ta-Da!

So I dropped everything I was doing to knit up this Calorimetry for my upcoming trip to Maryland. It's supposed to snow, highs in the 30's. I've never seen snow. I've never been any colder than 40 degree weather. I'm freaking out. Anyway, I knit this up in an evening. I did mine on US7's though the pattern calls for US8's because I wanted it smaller. The button I used was a cute wooden toggle button that either Rain or Suzanne sent me. I know it came from an awesome UK knitty, sorry gals, I can't remember which! I used the second to last ball of the Knit Picks Andean Silk (in Cranberry) that Megan sent me. I'm thinking of making another out of some handspun Keohinani sent me but I'm afraid there won't be enough. The pretty green/blue/purples are begging to be something and it's SO soft. Maybe I should just try it... I need to make a proper hat and I was going to make Swell but EVERYONE had a problem with the pattern so I'm to scared to start it. Suggestions are welcome. P.S. Like my pink chenille robe? I love to dress up for you.

Nephew Destined for Clown College.

I'll give you a tiny sneek peek of my soon-to-be-new nephew's sweater (Auspicious Coincidences from Compassionate Knitting) that I started yesterday. I'm not sure if I was possessed or if baby sweaters are just THAT speedy but I'm almost through the body and onto the sleeves. The thing is a riot of color. I'm pretty sure the only place it wouldn't be an eyesore is at a clown college. The Bright Freaking Orange* trim isn't going to make matters better. Oh well, my sister will love it because it's striped, orange, and insane. I may have it finished by the end of the week since I'm knitting in the ends as I go to avoid the mad number of ends on the thing. *The orange is so bright that on a pervious project I had to put it down every few minutes to readjust my eyes. I started seeing blue everywhere because of that whole negative image thing. It's so bright that it should come with some kind of a warning label telling you not to stare directly at it since, like the sun, it causes blindness, as opposed to the sweater that just makes you WISH for blindness. Keohinani had a meme that required actual thought! I decided to run with it, consider yourself tagged if you feel like being tagged. Rules: Use the 1st letter of your name to answer each of the following...They MUST be real places, names, things...NOTHING made up! If you can't think of anything, skip it. Try to use different answers if the person in front of you had the same 1st initial. You CAN'T use your name for the boy/girl name question. Your Name: Sarah 1. Actor: Sylvester Stallone 2. 4 letter word: sock ( bet you thought I'd go for a REAL 4 letter word, didn't ya?) 3. Street name: Sisson St. (It's in Boston) 4. Color: sage 5. Gift/present: sweets 6. Vehicle: Suzuki Swift 7. Tropical Location: St. Bart's 8. College Major: Sociology 9. Dairy Product: Smetana 10. Thing in a Souvenir Shop: snowglobes! 11. Boy Name: Seth 12. Girl Name: Sally 13. Movie Title: Silverado 14. Beer: Schlitz heh 15. Occupation: Smarmy Salesman 16. Flower: Snapdragon 17. Celebrity: Susan Sarandon 18. Magazine: Seventeen 19. U.S. City: Springfield

Get a job, Mom.

I've finished the back of Veste Everest and it's perfect. Seriously, it looks like someone else entirely knit the thing. That ought to skyrocket my pride up into the overconfident stratosphere leading to all manner of trouble with the front, don't you think? Well, I can't be too proud with Darth around to knock me back to reality. Today he asked (for the zillionth time) when we'd be going to Disneyland. It finally broke down and gave him a more straight answer than the one I had been using ("When Lola Beans gets bigger, so you can both ride the rides.") and said, "Disneyland costs a lot of money and we don't have a lot of money." Then he told me to get a job. Fantastic. You know me, I told that kindergartener in no uncertain terms what exactly my job entails and how if I wasn't here to do my job that he'd be really sad, unclothed, lonely, etc. You know, really put him in his place. He started crying. Fantastic. By the time we got to school he was over it, though through the course of the conversation he got more upset before he got better. I suppose I didn't have to tell him that he had 12 more years of school to look forward to before college and that he has to go to college to make lots of money so he can take his kids to Disneyland but somehow, it just came out. I never know the right thing to say so I think I'm just trudging through life trying to say the MOST wrong thing. On to the knitting: I'm planning projects. My new nephew to be is getting the Auspicious Coincidences Baby Sweater from Compassionate Knitting (If you take a look at the inside pages, it's the top left on the very first page of pics). I have a bunch of cotton oddballs that are perfect for this thing so I'm forgoing the Ninja Suit idea for the time being in favor of the idea that will only cost me $4.50 (a few extra whole balls to use for the trim). I have succumbed to the awesomeness that is Eunny Jang. I will be knitting up her Endpaper Mitts for my mom sooner or later, I just ordered the yarn. If I don't completely suck at those I'm going to make a go at the Anemoi Mittens even though I have absolutely no need for mittens basically ever. I can't help it, they're just so freaking awesome! If I go really insane I'll also make ones that have earth, water, and fire motifs. I don't anticipate anyone needing to worry about that happening. I don't think I'll even make it to buying the pattern letalone knitting it up or designing my own. I have an Aran sweater to design and knit this year.

And the camera is back!

All that lovely stuff is from Pam. She sends a fantabulous package doesn't she? Some of the stuff isn't even there, the kids had already high-tailed it with the candy bracelets and little pills that turn into animal shaped sponges when you put them in water. They could have died from the awesomeness, by the way. Both of them love stuff that turns into other stuff. Does anyone else remember how fast you could transform a Transformer as a kid only to grow up to totally suck at it? That's what I learned from Christmas: Mom can't figure out the Transformers for crap. Anyway, Pam sent me a ton of stuff including some Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) which I've wanted to try, frou frou smelly vanilla stuff, bomb homemade hot chocolate mix and marshmallows (one of my son's favorite things), a spiffy new knitting bag, the aforementioned treats for the kids, and last but not least: my very own pair of knitting gloves! I was totally stoked to get them I've been thinking of cannibalizing and old sweater to make some mitts for my freezing fingers but now I don't have to. Truly an awesome gift that I was practically giddy over. They room in my knitting caddy so that I can pull them on when the temperature drops. I'm toying with the idea of moving one of the fingers over because I had no idea I used my right ring finger while I knit but I do. Though now that I'm working on something other than the socks for RTK, it's not as much of an issue. The naughts (size 0 DPNs for the uninitiated) really got tangled up but I think it's because there were so many as oposed to just the two size 7s I've got going now. Yeah, I've got a dead line for Veste Everest so the other sock can wait a bit. To tell the truth I'm still mad that I had to rip out that beautiful top to replace it with plain old boring ribbing. Okay, I didn't even rip it out, I had to cut it off and pray I didn't lose the whole damn thing. As you can see I didn't but I'm not in a huge hurry to start the next one. It's one of those projects you can't take with you since you carry the yarn through most of it you have three balls attatched to tangle up around each other.I've included a nice close up of the yarn here so you could see the pretty colors. I really do like them, so at least something worked out. Red Todd Kidd tried this one on and ended up wearing it the whole night, it was pretty funny. I mentioned the peg-leg to him but I don't think he's going to go for it. Of course one of you all pointed out that if he did have a peg leg I'd probably have to knit it a cozy. I fell off the ground last night. I was walking out to the car to put groceries away and just fell right off the walk into the grass. Yet, somehow I still managed to slam both my knees down on the concrete. That's the kind of thing that never happens when you're by yourself but when you have both your parents, little brother, best friend, and husband standing there... How was that for a non sequitor? Lastly, I'll leave you with the begginings of Veste Everest for my MIL. She likes red but rather than the darker tones I enjoy she likes the really bright reds. I'm using Patons Decor because it's soft, bright, and washable while still containing enough wool that it will block well. If this turns our well I'm going to use the same yarn in a white or off white for my mom's aran sweater if I ever get around to it. I've discovered that I do like cables. They don't vex me like lace work or color work. I've been having a fairly relaxing time knitting this up so far. Though, now that I've said it, I'm sure disaster looms just ahead, you know how that goes.

I wish I could show you what I've been up to...

...but I can't. I left my camera at my sister's house on New Year's and so I can't quite show you the sock I made for Red Todd Kidd. Yes only one, he has a peg leg as all good pirates do. Okay not really but after doing an 80 stitch sock that I ended up having to rip the beautifully braided top out of because it was too small to get over his heel, I'm not ready to cast on for the second one yet. What I can show you is the pattern picture from Folk Socks, so that's what I've done here. Look to the left and marvel at the socks that look remarkably unlike the one sock I have just completed. My version is in the yarn called for (Wildfoote, which is a little splitty but liveable) but in different colors. I've used Zane Grey ( a similarly tweeded looking yarn for the main color), Black Orchid (as called for), and Gunsmoke (instead of white). I also went up a needle size and I'm glad I did because there's no way these would have fit otherwise. I got to do a bit of colorwork with these, the braided pattern on the top is done by switching colors while purling which tangles the yarn like crazy but makes for a beautiful result that can cut off the circulation of any man's leg with little effort. It's something I'll definately try again for a sleeve detail or something but never for the top of a sock! Also, I hate the heel in these. Luckily RTK is fine with it and that's all that matters to me. These shall be his lucky socks. They will get him a fantabulous new job. I have decided it. Also in the works is Veste Everest from IK Fall 2005. I'm going to my LYS today to get the yarn for it. It's for my MIL for her birthday in February. I think I'll be able to do it since I'm pretty good with cables and it doesn't have sleeves. I'll be adding a bit of length to it as I don't think she'll be hot for wearing a belly shirt (oh, I wish you could view my mental picture of that). We'll see how I do. I've been actually knitting since October after being so patchy about it in the past year, I'm excited to see if I can finish some real projects this year.