I am totally in shock over here- I finished knitting something!!!

I started this sweater last spring but then it got too hot to knit with wool. Plus, Ravelry snatched all my knitting time and wouldn’t give it back.

Luckily, with the weather getting a bit crispier (at times) here in Boston the last couple weeks, I haven’t been able to resist any longer and Forecast finally got off the needles.

(color is wonky for some reason in the 1st image- others are more color accurate)



Pattern is, of course, Forecast by the lovely mommy-to-be Stefanie Japel.

The yarn is Plymouth Tweed in 5320, burgundy/ dark plum.

More details here on Ravelry! (Sorry for those still waiting!!)

Hi, everyone! I can’t believe it is Wednesday already- I feel like I just got back from Maryland but so much time has passed already. Woosh!!

Anyway, to avoid further delay in posting pictures from MDS&W, I am just posing a slideshow. (some of these pics I borrowed from others in my group- of course now I forget which ones below to whom- gah.)

You can go to my flickr set here to see details from all the pics!

And what did I buy? Nothing! haha, just kidding.

Again, details in my flickr set. (I know it is annoying but I am just swamped with Ravelry stuff!)

BMFA SHEEP TO SHOE KITS!!! YAAAY. I have been scouting for that Lucy one on the right since I saw Kristi’s beautiful singles. oooh. Somehow two walked home with me…

I will write another post soon about Ravelry- I know that everyone is eager to get in and start playing!

Super crazy around these parts… I have been trying to write this post for days and days. (I know same old blogger lament.) So, I am going to post it on a Friday night. What? Yes, I am a loser. What of it?

I have been taking some new pictures of some of my old FOs- I was pleased with how this pic turned out- it is my first pair of socks from back in 2005 that I never took a finished picture of for this here blog. You people know how hard it is to take pictures for own feet, right? This is the best one out of about 30 that I took.

I have been collecting some new knitting books for my big project… really just an excuse to buy knitting books. Don’t tell Casey. (oops.)



While have been away, I finished the hat for my brother’s friend. Turned out pretty cool! I ended up using Karabella Aurora 8. There was a lady in the yarn store trying to tell me not to get the bright red but i just had to. I think it looks good…. whatever, haters.

It looks kinda grey here but it is actually more brown than grey.

I started by using Jessica’s Cashmere Ribbed Hat pattern but sorta made it up at the end because I was using a different gauge of yarn. It turned out okay. Kinda funky at the top but it works.

Here is the scarf my mom made to match the hat- go mom! She did stripes- I am so proud.




Also while I have been MIA, I got the sweetest package from Sarah, the plucky knitter. We have just started chatting not that long ago and I love her. She has a boston terrier that I know would be Bob’s best friend and just got herself a brand new, adorable, website. (go say hi!)

She sent me this lovely pale aqua Posh knits sock yarn- the color was seriously difficult to photograph. This was the best I could do. Next to it is a picture I snagged of her address label. So jealous! She has Boston address labels!

On a completely random note, I am bummed that Stephanie does not seem to be coming to Cambridge anymore- I put it on my calendar when she first announced her tour dates. Le sigh. I guess I will just have to trek out to Webs, what a shame. bwahahaha….

Okay, Casey and I are off to drink Maya‘s Steve’s booze. (is that correct english? oh well.)

Gosh, I don’t know what happened here, last week got away from me. It is not that I didn’t have anything to post about even… I swear there is a time warp going on in this apartment! Not enough time in the day and Daylight Savings doesn’t help matters either.

Early last week, Bob had a visitor. It is Dolly from next door again- her mommy had to go down to NJ so we had a boarder for a couple days. Bob looooved it- the two of them get along so well.

Me, I didn’t enjoy the visit so much. Let’s just say that there was some sort of stomach bug going around and I spent the whole time cleaning up after one or the other. (dab up, take dog out, mop floor… repeat repeat)

It made it a bit hectic finishing up my last couple swatches for Jackie‘s book. I had the hardest time, not with the cables, but with a SHOULD BE simple seed stitch diamond pattern (bottom right). I think I questioned my intelligence more than once during those couple days!

They are done and to Jackie now though- whew!

After I finished blocking the swatches, I was so happy to knit on something else… something more fun than squares! (Not that I am complaining, happy to do it.)

Introducing… my very own Forecast!

I have been wanting to cast on for this ever since I saw Winnie’s (often cited!) adjustments of Stefanie’s pattern.

I finally got the yarn as a christmas present from my parents- isn’t it gorgeous? I love the yarn too- a little scratchy but I wanted something with a bit more meat to it than some soft merino. It is Plymouth Tweed- kpixie has a more accurate color picture on their site. (It is more like my forecast pic than the yarn pic.)

I posted this picture over on Jessica’s (kerflop) flickr group, honest photography. I just had to take it when I finally found Bob after he was missing for a while the other day. He was happy as a clam, in a nest of clothes.

Casey and I constantly struggle over keeping our walk-in closet tidy. Even after we got the closet system from Ikea, mysteriously a huge pile accumulates on the floor. (Those nasty closet gnomes- coming in here and throwing the clothes on the floor!)

We did have to clean it up though because my parents came into town for a visit. It was a nice one- very low key and I certainly appreciated that. We had a couple nice meals out and I thought again how nice it is to be able to host them in our own home.

We did a lot of knitting together- my mom, Kyle’s girlfriend Erica and I. It was fun! My mom and I were working on the chemo cap and scarf for my brother’s friend that I was asking about the other day. (I will post about that project later.)

I only took one picture though- here’s my mom as we made breakfast together: cuteness!

I also came clean to my parents about this here blog this weekend- as I discussed before, I never got around to telling them about this site and it always felt wrong. It went as well as expected- they seemed a bit sad about it but we will work through it, I am sure. (hi, mom and dad!)

Well, Casey and I better go to bed. Our schedule has been crazy for the last few months while we are working on this project together. Here is an example of how much Casey is juggling:

Lots of windows open! Gives me a headache just thinking about it. Here’s hoping it all works out to be worthwhile.

I have been seriously hormonal the past couple days- like crying at the drop of a hat hormonal. It pisses me off. I am like a bipolar patient: one minute laughing hysterically and the next crying.

Casey and I have been working on this huge project together also and we have not been doing very much fun stuff lately- spending all of our free time working together. Which is fine, temporarily, but we sure needed our vacation last week to get recharged.

Maybe some silly sunshine will help you if you are also feeling a bit like a fussy bucket this monday morning?

We went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for one of those drink, eat and sit on your ass vacations. (Gee, wonder why I gained 5lb? hmm… Mysterious.)

But first, we had to fly there. Me no likey fly in airplanes. So, I self-medicated.

It was worth it though- look at those beautiful mountains! And the blue sky! (Project Spectrum, does this count? I have never done PS before- haha)

Well, the extra poundage could have something to do with all the margaritas, pina coladas and GUACAMOLE. I think I ate my weight in guacamole. SO GOOD.

The hotel, Velas Vallarta, was really nice, definitely the best all-inclusive place I have ever been. The food, as I mentioned, was excellent. They had good booze, not that no-label stuff and they have waiters that deliver food to you while you were sitting by the pool or at the beach. They also brought you frozen grapes hand towels at the end of the day- so nice!

So what did I do sitting by the pool being waited on? Knit of course!

I knit and read, read just, and then knit and listened to podcasts. (love the podcasts!) Also, two clothespins are great for securing books so you can read and knit at the same time. Don’t ever tell me I never had anything useful on this blog.

So what did I knit? The Melody’s Shawl from Morehouse Merino that I bought at Rhinebeck, of course! It was a great vacation project because you don’t have to think and it scrunches up super small in a carry on.

I knit so much that I actually finished it. There she is, all done!

At the end of the pattern, you bind off all the stitches, except for the 16 stitches in between the two twisted stitches. Then you rip out those stitches! RIIIP!

It was completely terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. The stitches stay- with no problem whatsoever… very cool. (I guess for the same reason that the twisted stitches secure the dropped ones in clapotis, now that I think about it.)
I was so excited I started flapping it around but none of the other vacationers were that interested. I even showed Casey’s sisters and mom but their reception was lukewarm- where are my knitting buddies when I need them? haha

Casey’s family was a little more enthusiastic when I wore it that evening to dinner. It was wonderful to wear down there in the air conditioning at dinner but not too bulky for the heat either. I have also been wearing it here as a scarf and it is super warm too. Horray!

So despite the 4 plane rides, it was a great vacation… wish I was back in that sunshine with my sweetie!

or, alternate title: Spa, Knit and Spin 2007

It is 3:30 in the morning on Monday and I am up because we are flying to Mexico today- wee! but I couldn’t get on the plane without a quick Spa post…

I had such a wonderful time- spun, knit and met some super nice people. I don’t have time to take pictures of all my loot (like I said in the title, I really do have an Amy Boogie problem… I may not be able to capture it in one photo) but I will do it when I get back.

I was so overwhelmed that I completely forgot to take pictures actually AT the event, but we made our own mini- Spa at the Hampton Inn.

There was much loving of fiber going on. I don’t know whose idea it was to put it on their heads but it is pretty funny. Stitchy, Elisa and Jackie

crap, ran out of time- see ya in a week!

Okay, I have had super good meal and a couple glasses of really good wine and I thought that title was too freaking funny. hehehehehe Okay, I am cracking myself up here.

I am focusing.

I knit this hat (among 3 others so far) for Kate’s Childrens Hospital knitathon. I am hot stuff in it, I realize that, but try to imagine it on a child. Good size? I am guessing that it will work?

I even have my mom in on the action. She got a box of pink fun fur and is working her way through it. Gotta love momma.

A little while ago, I cast on for the Corset Pullover from the Spring 2003 Interweave.

I think I was mostly in love with the neckline and the texture of the front panel- isn’t it cool?
It was even cooler in person. I love how you just put in a row of purl stitches and it makes it look like a grid, like magic!

I was knitting with Karabella Aurora 8 and to get gauge (post-blocking) I had to use size 4 needles instead of the size 8 that is called for in the patern. Ouch, huh? That is really how much Aurora 8 blooms once you get it wet. And yes, I checked it multiple times- I have never swatched so much for a project ever.

After knitting almost the entire front panel, I really had to be honest with myself. I was not really feeling the love for this sweater… Do I really wear anything like this top? Would it look good on me? I guess not. Even though I really wanted it to work, it just wasn’t.

So I frogged it. Makes me a little sad looking at that pretty panel but it just had to be done. Better to do it now than do the whole sweater and then decide that it wasn’t really “me.”

I feel a bit proud of myself about it… like I have come a long way as a knitter. Just because I am proud of the knitting that I did doesn’t mean that the garment is really going to work. I can knit something even better that I would actually wear, right?

So what will my next sweater be?

I could always go with Knitty’s new offering- Thermal by Laura Chau of cosmicpluto. (The stitch pattern is nearly identical- she doesn’t have you knit through the back loops on the knit stitches but it may make that sweater look even better.)

I am thinking maybe Rapunzel or the Mermaid Mesh.

hmmmm…. Probably Rapunzel- looks like a challenge.

Seasilk by Hand Maiden. Colorway: Sangria

70% Silk, 30% Seacell (fiber made from seaweed) 400m/ 100g

This yarn was a gift from my parents for Christmas. I have been wanting to do another lace shawl and had admired the scarf Kathy made out of this yarn.

The saturated color is just gorgeous and the hand feels incredible… so smooth to knit. I have cast on for an Icarus shawl. (will post a pic when it is more impressive) I have had to alternate rows from each skein because there is a significant difference in the two skeins, which doesn’t really show up in the pictures here. (No dyelots- each skein is different.) I am hoping that carrying the yarn up one side will not make the edge too inelastic to block the lace as needed.

You can buy it at Colorsong Yarn.

updated to add: And yes, it does smell like the ocean.. very interesting. I will let you know what happens to the scent after I block it. You know, eventually.

Can finally post my first FO of the new year… my KMKS bag. The yarn is soysilk but the colors seemed better in the skein… hope Sarah liked it. The colors may be meh but the yarn is just fabulous.

I made up the pattern- did a log cabin rectangle on the bottom and then worked a twisted knit stitch at each of the joins and the corners.

Turned out pretty cute, I think.

I also got my own package in the mail!

Look at that haul, huh? I musta been a good girl this year.

My KMKS spoiler was Kelle and she did a great job on the bag, didn’t she? (fair-isle!) Thank you, Kelle! I was super excited to see the frog tree alpaca and the Soak wool wash. I want my handspun to smell nice and I am loving the floral one.

Love this swap idea, Scout and Bev… I have been having a good time looking at the bags everyone has made. Have you seen Dorothy’s? wowee!

Bob gets a little jealous when I photograph anyone but him… as I was taking the shot above, this is what I saw when I looked to the left. Yeah. (those bully sticks are just gross when they get chewing them…eeeew.)

Gawwwd, get out of the way.