Boy is it chilly around here! Bob is driving me nuts because it is too cold for us to go down to the dog park and he wants to play fetch all day long. I know, it is not his fault.

I’ve been reading a bunch since the beginning of the year. I got some books for Christmas and have a couple that I borrowed. I also have a part of this site where I write up the books I’ve read- not tons of detail about them but the links go to Amazon anyway. Thought it might be fun to talk about reading a bit since I haven’t done that in a long time.

The first, Brother to Dragons, Companion to Owls was a nice little futuristic story- not wonderful but entertaining. A good library book, I think.

The second, White Teeth, I am sure everyone has seen or already read. I hate to say it (sorry Maurene!) but this one was painful for me to read… I just didn’t identify with any of the characters. I know people love it but I just couldn’t get into it.

I did enjoy Case Histories- rather dark but good. The Observations was a good historical story of an Irish girl in 1800s rural Scotland. I love Scotland and Ireland so it was fun for me.

Lastly, I am reading the bible. It really is as good as people say- I want to knit the EZ way. How can you not? She is so convincing- I am a convert.

Speaking of knitting, I found a jaywalker at the bottom of my knitting basket!

I have turned the heel and am dreading when I get to the toe- I still can’t graft to save my life. The yarn is Ellen’s Half Pint Farm.

This post kinda sucks and I feel bad- go watch this… you won’t be sorry.

Since we moved into our new apartment (the first home we have ever owned) I dreamed of a few things. A room to hold my yarn, painting walls a color other than white, a walk-in closet, and a dishwasher.

I did get the first couple:

The dishwasher has always eluded me though… Our kitchen is hideous. We knew this when we moved in but we are going to renovate it, just as soon as we save up enough money. (please!!)

Until then, we have a half-sized dishwasher that I have been too afraid to use since it has stained the wood floor enough already. The dishwasher leaks like crazy and since our place was rented before we owned it, it just was never fixed.

I am the main dish washer in the house, mostly because I do it much faster than Casey and he hates it. I have gotten so impatient doing the dishes and so lazy that they just sit around for days on end- gross. So, I have started being inventive with the dishwasher leaking issue.

Me so classy. Does the job though…

I have been watching Labyrinth as I type this- it was one of my favorites from when we were kids. My brother and I would beg our mother to rent it every single weekend.

So fun- if Casey is bothered by me randomly blurting out my favorite lines, he isn’t showing it.

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.

Never let drunk people dress you.

The funniest part of this is seeing Casey bouncing around in his (hand-knit) hat. too cute

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.

Beautiful…

I love pretty much every pattern in there. yaay!

(from what I can see from the leeeetle pictures)

Off to renew my subscription… wasn’t so sure I was going to for a little while there.

Thanks, Cosmicpluto!

Oh boy, I am so excited!

I booked my room for SPA. Yaaay!

(SPA is the annual Spa, Knit and Spin get-together from the New England Textile Arts group, for those folks who haven’t heard of it. It is taking place is Portland, ME on Saturday and Sunday, February 17th and 18th.)

I wasn’t able to arrange my room before now because we are going on the annual vacation with Casey’s mom and his sisters and they just made our reservations for Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (oh sunshine! I cannot wait to see you! with sunscreen and a big hat.)

I am super relieved that I am able to go to SPA because I think it is going to be really fun, especially after hearing about it from so many other New England bloggers, like Kate. The messages from the NETA people on the message board are all very positive and welcoming and the group has that reputation among knitbloggers as well.

I am mostly excited to meet some more spinners since I don’t really have any spinning friends near me. (Look, I got my first wheel! I am enthusiastic and no one cares! gah, I am such a dork.)

My Vicky and I have been getting along pretty well. I spun some angora (um hard!) and some silk (see both below) and I am doing okay so far, I think, but it will be really nice to get some feedback from real spinners. The information I have learned so far has been from the spinning books that I talked about in my last spinning post.

I was lucky enough to get to see a few great spinners and knitters at a knitting get- together at Jackie‘s house on Saturday… they were all super nice about my first yarn and what I have on my bobbins so far, thanks ladies.

I had no idea there were so many great bloggers in Boston. Well, I guess I did but haven’t really hung out with them before… very fun. Maya and I were talking on the way home about how we spent over 7 hours at Jackie’s without realizing it. Good thing her hubby is such a good sport!

On the left is some bright pink merino from handpaintedyarn.com (Malabrigo people) and the other two, left: angora and right: silk, are from Amy Boogie of Spunky Eclectic.

Ack! I have run out of bobbins! That is all of them up there… darn.

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