tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-170787582024-03-07T13:36:23.282-08:00I think I'm gonna purlknitting, crafting and now some baby tooCaseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-9058794621892282332008-02-02T17:33:00.000-08:002008-02-02T17:38:21.223-08:00Follow me!I've been working on a new venture (explains my absence) and, because of it, I'm moving blogs! Come visit me in <a href="http://thinkingmama.wordpress.com">my new home</a>, won't you? I explain it all over there and I have a <span style="font-weight: bold;">CONTEST</span> to celebrate! Don't forget to add my new blog to your rss reader. I don't want you to be left out!<br /><br />Blogger, you've been alright but I'm outta here! <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-71481076411857173892007-12-25T23:15:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:34:40.166-08:00Merry Christmas!Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you had a fabulous day. We stayed home and it was so nice. I got some fabulous knitting-related gifts that I'll share with you later but for now, I want to show off my Christmas knitting. I finished my BPT earlier this months and it has been a most wonderful Christmas sweater.<br /><br /><br />I opted to forgo the hood and I'm really happy with it. I used just about 5 skeins of Cascade 220. I didn't do the i-cord edging either. Instead, I did 2x1 ribbing, so it isn't very obvious ribbing. I liked the neat edge that the i-cord gives but didn't want to deal with trying to get it not to roll. I also changed the sleeves a little by not decreasing as much. I did 10 decrease rows instead of the 13 (I think) the pattern called for. I did one sleeve with the specified decreases and it was way too tight at the wrist. I also lengthened the sleeves and body just a little. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz-_3fsjiFy7iDU2ODm7GuVn-F89iMs-Iscl11s4La2bIgBCqp2s7sYTK7EgH3CYMOdz63F79_XkZaKNOIZ-FJFUIRUn6HoHXjdcTwRkQ3gcXPJI90Exw4q9DDWSjqwUx88eD4A/s1600-h/bpt+front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz-_3fsjiFy7iDU2ODm7GuVn-F89iMs-Iscl11s4La2bIgBCqp2s7sYTK7EgH3CYMOdz63F79_XkZaKNOIZ-FJFUIRUn6HoHXjdcTwRkQ3gcXPJI90Exw4q9DDWSjqwUx88eD4A/s320/bpt+front.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148177327970298722" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVREhPq3bdPiiCff4p_AGexSehfg0Y5S-rBg6VcAJfClXWFTnj0CrKeBF7lB9ob1fp9SV0mbcmU4s5k0zOj1hUfXTXXc46dCvYj1-FBpF0fVtG_28NjqXQQBZUok13gV6jaIUrQ/s1600-h/bpt+back.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVREhPq3bdPiiCff4p_AGexSehfg0Y5S-rBg6VcAJfClXWFTnj0CrKeBF7lB9ob1fp9SV0mbcmU4s5k0zOj1hUfXTXXc46dCvYj1-FBpF0fVtG_28NjqXQQBZUok13gV6jaIUrQ/s320/bpt+back.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148177323675331410" border="0" /></a>Here I am cutting down my Christmas tree, being careful not to get any sap on the sweater! For the collar, I just picked up stitches did 2x1 ribbing as well and continued the cables to the edge. have I said that I love this sweater?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyryKeUBOkxefJgb6c508CLyUr_2JjOWJxJzPgyCUeDtgiZaeZEqhmluNViGRvL8BHaI_KFA4CElsY6VhKX_Cl-iXHoPYGSa5cAgIDW3p4LUpXXYtZqhX_zGfvy89VZyy7eyF9jA/s1600-h/bpt+side.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyryKeUBOkxefJgb6c508CLyUr_2JjOWJxJzPgyCUeDtgiZaeZEqhmluNViGRvL8BHaI_KFA4CElsY6VhKX_Cl-iXHoPYGSa5cAgIDW3p4LUpXXYtZqhX_zGfvy89VZyy7eyF9jA/s320/bpt+side.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148177327970298738" border="0" /></a>I also have been furiously knitting a stocking for the babe. I really wanted her to have one this year, even though she wouldn't know the difference.This is me knitting furiously at about 2 in the afternoon today. I wouldn't let Mike open his stocking until she had hers all done so I was under some pressure. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2hODByFjaMUIzSFMVz_O3WqSwwhxFLElTMnjGvFoSzlWkRb-EXHafyusOw07uP0xOLC3CNWSvMWgjBRRu5wx4U6LuJhtgDTpMFQf9_FOiApeAFuejotHPYSg0oQ4FaYTq6IR2w/s1600-h/DSC01335.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO2hODByFjaMUIzSFMVz_O3WqSwwhxFLElTMnjGvFoSzlWkRb-EXHafyusOw07uP0xOLC3CNWSvMWgjBRRu5wx4U6LuJhtgDTpMFQf9_FOiApeAFuejotHPYSg0oQ4FaYTq6IR2w/s320/DSC01335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148180720994462610" border="0" /></a>I decided on the stocking from this year's holiday IK. I used Wildfoote sock yarn (double-stranded) in red and white and also a little bit of Knit Picks Essentials in the cranberry color. I used the darker red for the middle few rows of each chart. I didn't do the top row of snowflakes and put her name on it instead. It needs a good blocking but I love, love, love it and am so happy I finished it before Christmas was over!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVLq7bsOjsprsKLF5I6wBpPvyjc-47HsYoB3POU4GwOgnXwwLimooASsTe7Wv5MhC2ud9pOS8p7__cQHuyVDi8wuHFqvUkcxP6MoZx2CMY_o3VLJvVaFSwtQKE3QBgi2zUMLlyA/s1600-h/DSC01343.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVLq7bsOjsprsKLF5I6wBpPvyjc-47HsYoB3POU4GwOgnXwwLimooASsTe7Wv5MhC2ud9pOS8p7__cQHuyVDi8wuHFqvUkcxP6MoZx2CMY_o3VLJvVaFSwtQKE3QBgi2zUMLlyA/s320/DSC01343.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148180038094662530" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-11059500272192262422007-12-02T21:10:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:34:42.239-08:00I Survived, BarelyThanksgiving week was madness! A 600 mile road trip, 2 families, 2 Thanksgiving dinners (thankfully on 2 different nights), tons of family, several baby meltdowns because of an inability to sleep in a strange place and, to top it all off, my husband's high school reunion. Whew, I'm tired all over again just thinking about it. It's taken a while to recover. As nice as it was to see everyone, I'm really happy we're staying home for Christmas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ8RcZHadvOGXcRrtti978vCDZ_Nb83D_DuX4DV6Eb9baXhges9O_ztStWwt-hzQRi4kQE7hARcxtdEmuXFb_TXByWFLt6bK4nX9EPgBcmgQYQQHYjTauRUySG83Wxt_85sn-UHA/s1600-r/reunion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mZpkYyYhFpCgJGr70ZGwOtDRubIZr_Lry_3l9Bjf0z4JHEpWKmhPMtJbQMK8-y0h9uo4JdLeCNmra3F3P2ChIGA2JK33eexrbF8_e9-mHfGtQu0M1J1qHSECoT4scBPZcYCnwQ/s200/reunion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139986140025438882" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">Sidenote: I was unenthusiastic to say the least about going to the reunion. To make it worse, we get to the place in SF and it's right next door to a YARN STORE! Oh, how I wanted to break in and spend a couple hours knitting in my $400 party dress (of course I didn't spend</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> that much- $32 at Nordstrom Rack!!) while Mike talked about the good ol' days with people I didn't know. It wasn't that bad, though , and I even got the compliment of all compliments</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> from a stranger- the coveted "You just had a baby?! You look amazing!" So it was pretty good after all. </span><br /><br />I did get a fair amount of knitting done. My bpt only needs a zipper sewn in and then I'll show it to you. I did cheat and wear it today with a pretty pin to close it. I will sew in the zipper. I will.<br /><br />In the car, on the way to California, I started knitting the Spiral Scarf from Knitting Nature. I'm using <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/12/gifts-galore.html">yarn I dyed</a> a year ago and I've wanted to knit this scarf with it ever since I saw the pretty shades of blue and green that appeared. I'm really excited to finally be knitting it!<br /><br />I'm pretty sure there's an error in the pattern, even though it's not on the official errata for the book. I hate that. Each hexagon is 1 stitch smaller than the previous one so there are basically 2 patterns- one for hexagons with an odd number of stitches per side and one for even numbered sides. The problem is for odd numbered sides. The directions say to knit, purl across, ending with a knit stitch. The problem is that now the next side starts with a knit stitch so there are 2 columns of knit stitches next to each other . <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4JVLAf2oF_UbCuhVhzgelBDYYZEwvppCM4MuoE5WXjp-1vjFkvBtq3pJ7Lmt5f_m2QW38ppNfGomI9s2YCh21Yzlim-gAlI-wX6J3AVIQIJAdJWIkPvtURJ58QwepMHeRQWWaMQ/s1600-r/spiral+double.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpOsIS634FRZ3ABWXMrMTBAHyKkrSRlo3O4Lr30GpB8kVHlSRE0zjtdvE6wz6qBfPCIsSMb4dgwJJurSF6RvjBhV5rnGGrUmjqi8O8q5DAclt0GgWYGkwuyw8owTY7MS8HUGI4g/s320/spiral+double.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139984151455580802" border="0" /></a>It messes up the ribbing and looks bad on the reverse side as well. It doesn't look that way in the photos in the book.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1q6KftlCb2j6HOyHHMZ5Z-g24M96W_c4dBqncK5HGQ1D_uotqD1BowRR5N2hqCKuOqpWqx0_eJL6cJ4w4_l7FJrFAaib21wZmYNB85g39fFpY88faow_WXjkuDHt1TwYV_voi5w/s1600-r/spiral+troughs.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVNg62WW4OLU1OD-wLgGuSIpSr-OAEU7nw8_2wF0LBDyKzt98KFVun9Rg5MqUGuhFPlmSi6UJCQ0fJmo0wsqUIVGVVlrb30lVW3Qk2zcwwIRR6GABkjIWvVUbuybM69GAyWYnVw/s320/spiral+troughs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139984151455580818" border="0" /></a>So, the next time I started and ended my rows with a purl. Yes, there are two purls stitches in a row, but the last 2 stitches of each side are knit together on every round. This means that after the first row, it's a regular 1x1 rib. Perfect, right?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9-bcmcpiCLnNNufP6WT8e6bWa_DSZz5dCZKipTyjS8mWTPCT15xOh8xU6_NBXAC6CN7vM0axVuKLNz6w5fY5Nnk9emLUypWehIdizt7vmZJy4TKHeEZF7t22NAkKknz-Pp8rOQ/s1600-r/spiral+bar.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTsnw04QBtNW8Qakf1jbKiS6ypXosXhBKlSlNLHtIJJtlSO6qbgjk72Ks7aKLJkeYbyK2A-F6xfVME_hPSObjnkCnFXqaeaLK8dMxm1H1W8QFwFQ0UV9NsFtO4LPvcKTJvUsb5w/s320/spiral+bar.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139984129980744290" border="0" /></a>That pesky purl stitch makes an unsightly purl bump in an otherwise pretty column of knit stitches. I just wasn't happy with that. So, I tried again. I still started each side with a purl stitch but I knit the last 2 stitches of each side. On the second row, where the decreases begin, those 2 knits are knit together and everything else falls nicely into place. See?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmVpQAcbg6ZNEIi6iUVofYNc8z1O2kq4Wc68jJoyw1OD6gDiTWsr1krq_z8xtHaphyphenhyphenFp8GQ4pxu6TpwcymCEI0TJ2UaaWylhjWyHdGI0fKAcYEOLs87aMz0jr8tTdMx_7DMbjAjg/s1600-r/spiral+corect.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZtyh4AAiHIejRBH3osASu1_fHsgAlae5b6oogbcK7R0gtxEOoRbLWxoH51cIIGgvHNU43xJRuVe63W1BLq_-wWRqDQDz6fOpRmRtJzrZv4YHNj9AvWdxD3GCuhdFHdhi53vMp5w/s320/spiral+corect.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5139984129980744306" border="0" /></a>Perfect. By the way, this is the real color of my yarn. Pretty, no? It reminds me of a slightly foggy day at the beach. I love it. You probably haven't even made it to the bottom of this post but one day you just might want to knit this scarf and you'll Google it to see if there's a pattern error or if your hexagons are supposed to turn out differently. You'll find this post and then you'll thank me. I hope.<br /><br />EDIT: I love Ravelry! Nora Gaughan herself replied to me to tell me that I was right and no one had pointed that mistake out to her yet! I'm just excited that she "talked" to me. <br /><br />Knit on, people.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-75241610575250571812007-11-16T14:23:00.000-08:002007-11-16T14:25:12.772-08:00Check it out, I'm famous!I'm on Craftzine! Check it out <a href="http://www.craftzine.com/blog/archive/2007/11/knit_apple_cozy_pattern.html">here</a>. I feel so special. Craftzine has some great projects. Y'all should take a look.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-34415317690236076912007-11-16T09:28:00.001-08:002008-12-11T10:34:42.686-08:00pants for the baby seamstressSilly baby loves chewing on the tape measure. She tries to eat my patterns too. Yum, paper. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5DVj_zRhfyOPs_oZWz_66WxXQkKIDnCyg3zjnhFoNnY62YMEvlssOzSo2Bu_oNNZYSIHZXnbWw4GRZ2eOCF2rFrM5Tc5qkZl39X_-rdMm0WqX-2_nWlpj-i77V7qjoFjDPrnqA/s1600-h/pants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY5DVj_zRhfyOPs_oZWz_66WxXQkKIDnCyg3zjnhFoNnY62YMEvlssOzSo2Bu_oNNZYSIHZXnbWw4GRZ2eOCF2rFrM5Tc5qkZl39X_-rdMm0WqX-2_nWlpj-i77V7qjoFjDPrnqA/s320/pants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133492416527266402" border="0" /></a>These are the Perfection Pants from Wooly Wonder. We use cloth diapers so these wool pants (longies in cloth diaper speak) are the waterproof outer layer and they're warm and snuggly soft. I used Knitpicks Merino Style. The light blue is called Tidepool and was left over from my ogee tunic and the dark blue, Frost, was in the stash too.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbZv4ZX0uLkh67UbXN3xVNDrwrdvHnC6oG4FsiRkWyQ2X8DOH9DF1Y8hOuq1IPUJugks1VvXDFX6lbUWJ4TXbLklTD1I4l6pllYWnqX7KqMKOPsQIOb1L9gckB4p8pJEEPiRYLg/s1600-h/pants+close+up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFbZv4ZX0uLkh67UbXN3xVNDrwrdvHnC6oG4FsiRkWyQ2X8DOH9DF1Y8hOuq1IPUJugks1VvXDFX6lbUWJ4TXbLklTD1I4l6pllYWnqX7KqMKOPsQIOb1L9gckB4p8pJEEPiRYLg/s320/pants+close+up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5133493232571052658" border="0" /></a>I didn't have enough of the light blue to finish and I didn't want an abrupt change to the dark blue so I opted for a slip stitch pattern to make it pretty! I love slip stitching! I'd never done colorwork like this before and it was so easy.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving next week! We're off to California for the whole 2-turkey-dinner-shuffle-back-and-forth-between-2-houses-until-we're-exhausted-<br />and-the-baby's-cranky kind of holiday. It will be great. Really, it will. Oh yeah, I also get to go to Mike's high school reunion. That I'm not too excited about but I'll survive.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-41303690328620777572007-11-07T07:21:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:34:44.123-08:00Take TwoOr: Why it just might be in my best interest to spend all waking hours surfing Ravelry.<br /><br />It's getting cold here and I decided to knit a headband since it's hard to wear hats with all of my hair. I picked <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTcalorimetry.html">Calorimetry</a> because it looked easy and cute. It was easy. I knit it in a day and a half, which is pretty impressive since I don't have much time to knit because little sesame demands most of my attention. I then tried it on and it was too big. Not just a little loose but covering-my-whole-head-like-a-giant-knitted-multicolored-toupe too big.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenRZUxGH43zu4FotIW1FoSAHPbxt9gN7FUKkjCP6KIBe4_JJpyu77ma38BBZHwixg4OEW1BvL7OfT5W1oR4zqdk16GhQOl0Bz96JMJDSOMxBKws8SuB7ABfy3LaJyOeiPYaChRw/s1600-h/calorimetry+short+rows.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenRZUxGH43zu4FotIW1FoSAHPbxt9gN7FUKkjCP6KIBe4_JJpyu77ma38BBZHwixg4OEW1BvL7OfT5W1oR4zqdk16GhQOl0Bz96JMJDSOMxBKws8SuB7ABfy3LaJyOeiPYaChRw/s320/calorimetry+short+rows.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130125257046997346" border="0" /></a>Here's where ravelry comes in. I looked the pattern up on there and discovered that out of the thousand or so people who have knitted it, a great majority found that it came out way to big. I hate that! It's one thing to have it be too bog for me but when it's that many people, something is clearly wrong with the pattern. Was she designing for a freakishly large head and didn't tell the rest of us?<br /><br />Silly me though I was spending too much time on Ravelry. Clearly it wasn't enough, though. It had the power to help me make a properly sized Calorimetry the first time around but I didn't take advantage. Lesson? Look stuff up on Ravelry before I knit it! My knitting time is precious and should not be wasted by frogging and reknitting!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIZOPXFnVcD7yJgU_TswOQ7fo9ZJM1yF4y8Tg8u5-D09Q4fiACOrmBBj9XydrxqkCJfOfPA-G-r8iuHYKHtFUv5EC_wJg41_7Sbft95VHVXpoPDRe413Cj5G7ofHI83lWWTNPg/s1600-h/calorimetry.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLUIZOPXFnVcD7yJgU_TswOQ7fo9ZJM1yF4y8Tg8u5-D09Q4fiACOrmBBj9XydrxqkCJfOfPA-G-r8iuHYKHtFUv5EC_wJg41_7Sbft95VHVXpoPDRe413Cj5G7ofHI83lWWTNPg/s320/calorimetry.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130125244162095426" border="0" /></a>The pictures are all of the good one (which I knit in only a couple of hours, by the way). I cast on 96 stitches instead of 120 and worked 6 pairs of short rows. It's nearly perfect. The yarn is a mystery. ! got it from a secret pal and I lost the label. All I remember is that it's wool with a little acrylic blended in and it's hand-dyed.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiuW-_5a9BhwR4xPwo8WymsJEa-Ig3Zulm1bIbCw9j4DJldZDpVru4G3D7LeeHvMuiD4bvEQQ4OptdCaFyyi2QHhBPOeX-KGFY8OOZM5l8NgmLYNDRH9ghj3pRC2VRNvql-BxHw/s1600-h/calorimetry+close+up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidiuW-_5a9BhwR4xPwo8WymsJEa-Ig3Zulm1bIbCw9j4DJldZDpVru4G3D7LeeHvMuiD4bvEQQ4OptdCaFyyi2QHhBPOeX-KGFY8OOZM5l8NgmLYNDRH9ghj3pRC2VRNvql-BxHw/s320/calorimetry+close+up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130125252752030034" border="0" /></a>Here's something I finished a while ago but can finally show you because it's been gifted. The pants and the silly little baby scarf are knit with Jo Sharp Desert Cotton Aran. The yarn feels nice and is washable so that's good for baby but I don't think I'll use it again. It's made up of what seemed like a million little plies and it got super twisted and kinked up when I was knitting it up. It was really annoying! I used <a href="http://www.knitty.com/issuesummer05/PATTcargo.html">this pattern</a> but omitted the cargo pockets. The little guy should grow into them soon.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJzVqnCnttySsl0xXXJ6PWH0_ndQBUW6FaF9nw4YX63xp9K0ps97GH05CzV8PyC9H9CzeYBN6X6yCWQeNje9YgNto9HKAeNet7g1UglGNf2CTHmAEmNCme78HmYVmNaYQN5-ltg/s1600-h/elliott's+pants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJzVqnCnttySsl0xXXJ6PWH0_ndQBUW6FaF9nw4YX63xp9K0ps97GH05CzV8PyC9H9CzeYBN6X6yCWQeNje9YgNto9HKAeNet7g1UglGNf2CTHmAEmNCme78HmYVmNaYQN5-ltg/s320/elliott's+pants.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5130125265636931954" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-81641114709684517172007-10-31T18:39:00.000-07:002008-12-11T10:34:44.737-08:00Happy Halloween!<span style="font-weight: bold;">I hope you're all having a great Halloween!</span> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisw-3CYbb_VDpIsZswt-6moP_WaTtq57CCaYFgsPAWDsTIOlSwY0A7V0kx_0b1oMEBuNsYVPT7vFfMY972uNL0TsXaFX5upBslLLDp1NSGHAkWJAtOQndc5FxlFOJU9hPPyEhgw/s1600-h/Holding+a+Pumpkin.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisw-3CYbb_VDpIsZswt-6moP_WaTtq57CCaYFgsPAWDsTIOlSwY0A7V0kx_0b1oMEBuNsYVPT7vFfMY972uNL0TsXaFX5upBslLLDp1NSGHAkWJAtOQndc5FxlFOJU9hPPyEhgw/s320/Holding+a+Pumpkin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127682353393983346" border="0" /></a>We grew pumpkins this year and were very excited about it but we didn't get a chance to carve any of them! Between having the baby to deal with, I mean take care of, and being out of town last weekend, there just wasn't any time. It's a little sad but sesame is so cute that it's worth it to have her around.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>I fixed her hat. I went the route of frogging an inch or so, decreased and reknit those rows. Then I turned the hat over and the smaller side is the bottom! It was annoying to have to redo but now it fits. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-fEfYq7Twsq22XmL1zt4kU1tf707I-woj-Iq77g5Z0P6vZ84vSivF_mGy_UlguC_fznTAtyt5lQQi3lQVbqlw1jwQe73eDA71_YBEvn3ioIDoAMPqv3rya1i_Pa5qrNaBOl8tQ/s1600-h/tri+cornered+baby+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-fEfYq7Twsq22XmL1zt4kU1tf707I-woj-Iq77g5Z0P6vZ84vSivF_mGy_UlguC_fznTAtyt5lQQi3lQVbqlw1jwQe73eDA71_YBEvn3ioIDoAMPqv3rya1i_Pa5qrNaBOl8tQ/s320/tri+cornered+baby+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127682353393983362" border="0" /></a>I used Knitpicks Shimmer in the color Happy Dance. It's triple stranded since that's how I knit my clapotis and this was the leftover yarn. I used size 4 needles and it made a nice, soft fabric for baby's head. I wanted just a few more rows on the top so I used some sock yarn leftover from my over-the-knee socks.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlKW8xStbzuQI2RulcZAr1Lo8IaCX7CwuOpWG1SCXfAvr22xhBMmy-Q1VG8F-RNtp_wk-w3oL5YxBbimyL8wRwmLNlJZ77_kNnEZSXjEu6u0sCM2fhmzMHL_4n316VCnHNLsqaw/s1600-h/tri+cornered+hat+top.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVlKW8xStbzuQI2RulcZAr1Lo8IaCX7CwuOpWG1SCXfAvr22xhBMmy-Q1VG8F-RNtp_wk-w3oL5YxBbimyL8wRwmLNlJZ77_kNnEZSXjEu6u0sCM2fhmzMHL_4n316VCnHNLsqaw/s320/tri+cornered+hat+top.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127682357688950674" border="0" /></a>P.S. I'm on Ravelry now!! Come visit me! I'm caseyk.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-69760185903293633142007-10-29T15:52:00.000-07:002008-12-11T10:34:45.639-08:00Am I the last one on earth?Am I the last person out there who has knit a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Clapotis</span>? I did this summer and now I know what all the fuss was about. What a great pattern!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbtZONASYAeYsI_shY8aqGTm_nvb0Vx4UO5c-RRaPeoZ2ANtDVfQx18DwJmYXhnd6SrTXxucRMJruBtv5RxdxeqyEviOqPKAFmWPutaiq4lc5OKBXTGeF9ekleKOyoG-tTwsjSA/s1600-h/clapotis+action.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbtZONASYAeYsI_shY8aqGTm_nvb0Vx4UO5c-RRaPeoZ2ANtDVfQx18DwJmYXhnd6SrTXxucRMJruBtv5RxdxeqyEviOqPKAFmWPutaiq4lc5OKBXTGeF9ekleKOyoG-tTwsjSA/s320/clapotis+action.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126895827302688130" border="0" /></a>I used Knit Picks Shimmer in the Happy Dance colorway. I triple stranded it and the result is a lovely fabric with a lot of drape. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDD8PddHWv9gFD8-o1eY74tku8IX0AWsT5R6TyZeuwnWP13DU7EBwavXngFZbAn_MERGrLYTjKyO0j_ZvuWLRmov8gD05ZRsw68AJtE5wGvoZpgsGLhUOtl2s6-7lT3qSOScU5A/s1600-h/clapotis+close+up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDD8PddHWv9gFD8-o1eY74tku8IX0AWsT5R6TyZeuwnWP13DU7EBwavXngFZbAn_MERGrLYTjKyO0j_ZvuWLRmov8gD05ZRsw68AJtE5wGvoZpgsGLhUOtl2s6-7lT3qSOScU5A/s320/clapotis+close+up.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126895831597655442" border="0" /></a>It's thick enough to really keep out the chill but it's light and airy at the same time. I love it! The alpaca and silk is a fabulous combination. I could wear this every day.<br /><br />I had a little bit of yarn leftover and I decided to use it to knit the baby a hat. We went to visit my dad this weekend and I knit it while I was there. I was distracted by visiting with all my relatives and, of course, by a crying baby, so I didn't try it on her while it was in progress. Bad decision.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwg65SBLsU72qacE3duGVej_U3xasFhzvnAk_2ssJGhVDIL0zjJu82VTRXwTbRajqt9SGjYgnv9yHbfXbntjZ0RYx04Bg_6fbcxrT98a3-mPmAbDz_mj_rX1ngyVC1SLTqWdHfVw/s1600-h/clapotis+hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwg65SBLsU72qacE3duGVej_U3xasFhzvnAk_2ssJGhVDIL0zjJu82VTRXwTbRajqt9SGjYgnv9yHbfXbntjZ0RYx04Bg_6fbcxrT98a3-mPmAbDz_mj_rX1ngyVC1SLTqWdHfVw/s320/clapotis+hat.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126895835892622754" border="0" /></a> It's really cute but a little too big around. The best thing to do would be frog it and start over but I have so little time to knit nowadays that I don't know if I can do that. I thought of taking out the top seam and frogging an inch or so, then decreasing for a few rows when I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">reknit</span> it. That way, I can flip it over and have the narrower "top" be the bottom so it's snug around her head. I can seam the cast on edge to then be the top. Or, I could just leave it alone and knit a chin strap to keep it on her head. What do you think?<br /><br />Here's a picture from our trip. This is the southern CA part of my family. That's my 94 year old grandpa on the right! I'm so happy he got to meet his great granddaughter. My dad is next to my grandpa. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK_m2iG21zFcSsJVIB_UTD5DwQcJHVIizy093Eil_uqCdZj2IS9DKe_ATZ__75r1NmrQLXJ0s9rQ2Qkd8Mwd-TsmiFhYlwg4bEDKzkmtTp7tgysguRttyfNx3_2eGTh0lYq862g/s1600-h/glallaghers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK_m2iG21zFcSsJVIB_UTD5DwQcJHVIizy093Eil_uqCdZj2IS9DKe_ATZ__75r1NmrQLXJ0s9rQ2Qkd8Mwd-TsmiFhYlwg4bEDKzkmtTp7tgysguRttyfNx3_2eGTh0lYq862g/s320/glallaghers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5126895874547328434" border="0" /></a>To see more cool photos (some of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">fam</span>, but mostly not) visit <a href="http://meghangallagher.blogspot.com/">my cousin's blog</a>. She's an amazing photographer!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-72615111724739293852007-10-18T14:50:00.000-07:002008-12-11T10:34:46.830-08:00Darn dog!My dog has done the unthinkable. Something he's never done in the 3 wonderful years that I've had him. He ate my knitting! And not just any old knitting- the first thing I managed to complete since <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sairshe</span> was born! I was so happy to have finished something and then, before I could even block it, stupid Bradley ate it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlmioNd4neIjhxiuH2OpMDHPnVGhSsTtUvOEO-QlBHqtrcMOqLjKRaFcs5rXGvP_B9wzKKEufFtw1pLd8XjwntBFI7EIuuYulGl8Kkh9aLvQH1XzP-oMlmWwwBn61lCakmxiijQ/s1600-h/eaten+scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlmioNd4neIjhxiuH2OpMDHPnVGhSsTtUvOEO-QlBHqtrcMOqLjKRaFcs5rXGvP_B9wzKKEufFtw1pLd8XjwntBFI7EIuuYulGl8Kkh9aLvQH1XzP-oMlmWwwBn61lCakmxiijQ/s320/eaten+scarf.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122798171553488770" border="0" /></a>It was a pretty lace scarf knit with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Kidsilk</span> Night. A little fuzzy, a little glittery, and now totally ruined. Impossible to frog. Nothing can be salvaged. It feels terribly wrong to throw <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Kidsilk</span> in the garbage. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">think Bradley's</span> suffering from a disastrous combination of baby jealousy and boredom. I would feel sorry for him if he hadn't EATEN my scarf!! And he <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">occasionally</span> gets to curl up on my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Boppy</span>. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5xSdp5A9Xe1ECJBy7gtoGFIXT1xfo8Gb-_sMKiqX-KoqwoBasezDtY1WOOJaC0v9bJs0skZ4uJpYrG6np0tS2Mwonp2_jy8Nsu1rmmf137Nq9cPq8AF17_x8lgXB9uSv-eWNtA/s1600-h/bradley+boppy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc5xSdp5A9Xe1ECJBy7gtoGFIXT1xfo8Gb-_sMKiqX-KoqwoBasezDtY1WOOJaC0v9bJs0skZ4uJpYrG6np0tS2Mwonp2_jy8Nsu1rmmf137Nq9cPq8AF17_x8lgXB9uSv-eWNtA/s320/bradley+boppy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122801074951380898" border="0" /></a>Is that so terrible? Is it, Bradley?! No, I thought not. DON'T eat any more knitting!<br /><br />My current project (that is staying far away fro the dog) is <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall03/PATTbpt.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Bpt</span> </a>from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Knitty</span>. I'm using Cascade 220 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Quatro</span> in the Jamaica colorway. The color is so pretty in real life. This picture doesn't quite capture it. It's much more green but it's cloudy and blustery outside so I can't get good light for a true picture. I'm doing a turned hem instead of the applied I-cord and I'm undecided on the hood. I'll decide when I get there. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkR50NQL8y7OWvL8aZIlsx1_n1jfIdMuMgqa5pvdyhlf5R9UlLGVGK8HnZyzJynRZ0sEUeG4mc9BSLfKOj9ikFtC4rOiemgiHomuB9mwuZ8COlTa0RiTmbftCe_GdY7EqQJsymw/s1600-h/bpt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVkR50NQL8y7OWvL8aZIlsx1_n1jfIdMuMgqa5pvdyhlf5R9UlLGVGK8HnZyzJynRZ0sEUeG4mc9BSLfKOj9ikFtC4rOiemgiHomuB9mwuZ8COlTa0RiTmbftCe_GdY7EqQJsymw/s320/bpt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122798167258521458" border="0" /></a>Here is proof that the girl is going to be a knitter! We went to an alpaca ranch last weekend and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Sairshe</span> loved them! With this kind of beginning, how can she not grow up loving fiber? That's Snow White that she's petting and you can see her cute little baby next to her.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfRuGDxyzosCB8o0vzveJ5ixrrNAbqlSaztecrEGtCEmROTFCSeqGB9Kxy93vDyOK5kT0u1EktcB92HpzoUu8mFNOuDZAt2GFrjL-1WtabgYSODsi203D71lZMC99vvDCSrpYOg/s1600-h/petting+an+alpaca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdfRuGDxyzosCB8o0vzveJ5ixrrNAbqlSaztecrEGtCEmROTFCSeqGB9Kxy93vDyOK5kT0u1EktcB92HpzoUu8mFNOuDZAt2GFrjL-1WtabgYSODsi203D71lZMC99vvDCSrpYOg/s320/petting+an+alpaca.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122798175848456082" border="0" /></a>P.S. I hope you like my new look! I decided that it was time for a fresh start and there's nothing like some pretty flowers to get you through the cold, gray seasons.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-5354092996079776002007-10-12T13:59:00.001-07:002008-12-11T10:34:48.050-08:00When I last left you . . .. . . I was about six months pregnant and knitting and working and waiting for baby. A lot has changed since then! I got busy and then I got tired and then I got hugely pregnant and cranky. I was focused on getting everything ready for the little girl and though I was still knitting, blogging got dropped from my to-do list.<br /><br />I'm back now! I'm not working (for now at least), not waiting for baby (because she's here!) but I am still knitting. Well, I should say knitting again because there were several months there that I wasn't even doing that.<br /><br />Between the end of February when I last left you and the end of May, nothing much happened except that my belly got bigger and bigger so I'll just recap the highlights since then for you.<ul><li>Baby Sesame was born in the morning on June 2 (only 3 days late) and it was amazing and fabulous. Thanks to <a href="http://hypnobabies.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hypnobabies</span></a>, I had a wonderful, relatively short labor and a natural birth. Little Sesame was a whopping 8 lb 13 oz and we named her <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sairshe</span> (it's pronounced like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">seersha</span>). It's a Gaelic name (we changed the spelling a little) that means freedom. Here's a picture of her when she was 3 weeks old. I can't believe she's 4 months old already!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw_jONkNmXh2SHt_b0IoeobNqXLG9nti3ph-1rsA-Mfl6vfwIdNCtPW0mJk8RcMj_CbrWwYtt_jo8iN2HQQYRQetWsZcJyw8XiJH0ymB8b2iY7-oXwlDQ12egmFK_F_Pjw-EtdA/s1600-h/happy.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtw_jONkNmXh2SHt_b0IoeobNqXLG9nti3ph-1rsA-Mfl6vfwIdNCtPW0mJk8RcMj_CbrWwYtt_jo8iN2HQQYRQetWsZcJyw8XiJH0ymB8b2iY7-oXwlDQ12egmFK_F_Pjw-EtdA/s320/happy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120578173435756242" border="0" /></a> I haven't yet decided how comfortable I am putting pictures of her out in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">internet</span>-land for everyone to see but you at least get this one!</li><li>I quite my crappy job! It was a glorious day. I even had an exit interview with HR where I got to tell them how terrible their employees are treated. It felt nice. I will have to find another job in a month or so but I'm trying not to think about it yet.<br /></li><li>I finally finished my frost flowers and lace shawl/blanket. I really only use it as a blanket. Since I left for the hospital at 2am, I brought it with me. I loved having it wrapped around me while I waited for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Sairshe</span> to make her entrance. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAts2ZJD09GfEQBN_9YcwL45IGWMeGyyLKAHs8naSNsmzBP43ymLAFI74D6ZGTS97FK65FZpCN16KcPfJ_97FEXMJ4i4azYcp-Z5gzpYau8JJrW9H-PJTvy5A9KuLKp8eD-WsqLg/s1600-h/ff&l+DONE%21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAts2ZJD09GfEQBN_9YcwL45IGWMeGyyLKAHs8naSNsmzBP43ymLAFI74D6ZGTS97FK65FZpCN16KcPfJ_97FEXMJ4i4azYcp-Z5gzpYau8JJrW9H-PJTvy5A9KuLKp8eD-WsqLg/s320/ff&l+DONE%21.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120619722949377810" border="0" /></a>I also knit a lovely <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">clapotis</span> but I don't have a picture because I left it at a friend's house.<br /></li><li>I entered knitting in the state fair! I won 8 1st place ribbons and 5 2<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">nd's</span>. It was awesome!</li><li><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ravelry</span>!! So cool! Okay, at least it seems really cool. Since I've been out of the blogging loop, I only recently was made aware of it so I'm still on the waiting list. Hopefully I'll be a member soon!<br /></li></ul>To catch up on my knitting life, here are some things I knitted for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Sairshe</span> before she was born. I've forgotten most of the details now so this it a little bare-bones. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9v22J0TvrculSSM8iOEbmQ7z7J0xioZjnd06dV2LAapotHpCbnTVazxq4FEggL2qmZEQo__vD0SVoXZkFJqMk_VWrDwr_eMQkcMFzdZ6_ueZoCHAEap57849f1xFQcOQKfuUSQ/s1600-h/shrug.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib9v22J0TvrculSSM8iOEbmQ7z7J0xioZjnd06dV2LAapotHpCbnTVazxq4FEggL2qmZEQo__vD0SVoXZkFJqMk_VWrDwr_eMQkcMFzdZ6_ueZoCHAEap57849f1xFQcOQKfuUSQ/s320/shrug.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120578186320658178" border="0" /></a>This is a little shrug and the pattern is from some Debbie Bliss book and I think it's even knit with Debbie Bliss yarn. Does anyone do that anymore?!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm21L6TDi9d7I_jyVUkeEK6oa4k9mjHv0krXAesdYxf4oLM8nsp74JfRQ9ObkSgyOpI8YDCL2FlDN5oE2UYSRm6Su_jiRAu5yIHT2hpvnpAJ_ITdLFSU1pFM6od4rplEbZf5tnyA/s1600-h/anouk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm21L6TDi9d7I_jyVUkeEK6oa4k9mjHv0krXAesdYxf4oLM8nsp74JfRQ9ObkSgyOpI8YDCL2FlDN5oE2UYSRm6Su_jiRAu5yIHT2hpvnpAJ_ITdLFSU1pFM6od4rplEbZf5tnyA/s320/anouk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120578177730723554" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Anouk</span> from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Knitty</span> made with some long forgotten cotton. I started it years ago for an acquaintance's baby. Needless to say, I never finished it for her. Good thing I had a girl baby!<br /><ul><li><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDfYAZ9I1sSZLyDfp4BXYtZ1CVz_6JNN5JzaiLwJBgu9ksrtkeleWzqO9mnxAZJWeNN14qNSUaiv3VVWcK_iSYiZTVlBKWkZt-iO6nbmuwRKSlulL_6PzZWP78e2NcfLZ2GGYEQ/s1600-h/blanket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDfYAZ9I1sSZLyDfp4BXYtZ1CVz_6JNN5JzaiLwJBgu9ksrtkeleWzqO9mnxAZJWeNN14qNSUaiv3VVWcK_iSYiZTVlBKWkZt-iO6nbmuwRKSlulL_6PzZWP78e2NcfLZ2GGYEQ/s320/blanket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5120578186320658162" border="0" /></a></li></ul> This is a blanket knitted with Rowan <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">dk</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Handknit</span> Cotton. I think the yellow color has been discontinued. I love the ruffly crocheted edging! I'm think I'm mostly impressed that I remembered how to crochet something.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-46756894702117902072007-02-21T20:42:00.000-08:002008-12-11T10:34:49.544-08:00Bigfoot BunnySesame has her first stuffed animal! I knitted this mess in a little over a day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLc-hv27plDU6CEXmCXmKIsLgJLnapGMK2HGwM3ybzGk1myoGnO-uhmqIu0jl-hjVFpY8GltClm5gMXItzQN-C5uZ-0KngbFUkDsySN6Ug2UZWbzC09QkDGGfQXb3r1V_pRd0iQ/s1600-h/bunny+before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLc-hv27plDU6CEXmCXmKIsLgJLnapGMK2HGwM3ybzGk1myoGnO-uhmqIu0jl-hjVFpY8GltClm5gMXItzQN-C5uZ-0KngbFUkDsySN6Ug2UZWbzC09QkDGGfQXb3r1V_pRd0iQ/s320/bunny+before.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034214853235882994" border="0" /></a> but little did I know that it would take me a lot longer to turn all those pieces into this!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a87aUUMZ0sXhF2-L_HB1ghJU6mGc-_uu0zcLhV-s1q2WeQBD1x-6oqsDRk6MnEFesLObOBhUHqWMnCfa519Q4I6S-5F103pqYPY8hIHwNjVjRPwUkaQJ3TWgmB9AOuO7zuzMgQ/s1600-h/bigfoot+bunny.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a87aUUMZ0sXhF2-L_HB1ghJU6mGc-_uu0zcLhV-s1q2WeQBD1x-6oqsDRk6MnEFesLObOBhUHqWMnCfa519Q4I6S-5F103pqYPY8hIHwNjVjRPwUkaQJ3TWgmB9AOuO7zuzMgQ/s320/bigfoot+bunny.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034214853235883010" border="0" /></a>Sewing, stuffing, sewing some more, taking an ear off, sewing it again. It took so much longer than I thought it would but it's so cute, it was worth it. It's the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">bigfoot</span> bunny from Zoe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mellor's</span> book Knitted Toys. The main yarn is Lorna's Laces shepherd worsted in the colorway safari. It was given to me by the very nice <a href="http://www.midnattgry.blogspot.com/">Sarah</a>. (Go visit her and congratulate her on her good news!) It was lovely to knit with, as all Lorna's Laces yarns are. I wanted something fluffy and soft for the feet and ears so I broke down and bought some icky acrylic. It's Caron Bliss and while it feels kind of wrong to pair such nice yarn with cheap, crappy yarn, the effect is worth it. Hopefully sesame likes it. I did already take the rest of the skein of white fluffy stuff to the goodwill, though. I don't know who was happier about getting it out of the house- me or Mike. I have turned him into a yarn snob.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorpelqXYjnoKBJIw250y6-F5KBXlFL0qoO772f2LTZxrqk8pa_pSNMp7doo6eQaqAXnHazPgsGcKg3wBYESCYrHQBMh09Y91DHHbgOAbfDQT_oBqFk2rjoJB8gEeQnCjnVeHLiw/s1600-h/bunny+tail.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorpelqXYjnoKBJIw250y6-F5KBXlFL0qoO772f2LTZxrqk8pa_pSNMp7doo6eQaqAXnHazPgsGcKg3wBYESCYrHQBMh09Y91DHHbgOAbfDQT_oBqFk2rjoJB8gEeQnCjnVeHLiw/s320/bunny+tail.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034214857530850322" border="0" /></a>Speaking of Mike, my newest project is a sweater for him. I have both sleeves done but it wouldn't make for a very exciting picture so I'll wait to show it to you. I've also pulled the frost flowers and leaves shawl/blanket out <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">of </span>the basket and started working on it again. I have added one whole repeat. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4cWpZdk64j7YKQ6gidvbubneV3wN_aIZgx7aisAFhX1S4oLT0KDKt9MJ6MVN5OQaiWnNBBpZxJ_ev2wmsjUmjcUA0U5GXKn7r6Hb-NV8fXZ5hzGD1KvYB2ajAGJnZIv3iPgivQ/s1600-h/ff&leaves+again.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic4cWpZdk64j7YKQ6gidvbubneV3wN_aIZgx7aisAFhX1S4oLT0KDKt9MJ6MVN5OQaiWnNBBpZxJ_ev2wmsjUmjcUA0U5GXKn7r6Hb-NV8fXZ5hzGD1KvYB2ajAGJnZIv3iPgivQ/s320/ff&leaves+again.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5034214857530850338" border="0" /></a>Still a long, long way to go. At this point, each row is almost 1000 stitches long and altogether, I've knitted almost 58,000 stitches on this darn project! No, I didn't count them all. There's a frost flowers and leaves yahoo group and someone figured out all the stitch counts and made a spreadsheet. I'm not that crazy.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1170655445933771042007-02-04T21:25:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:40:10.264-07:00Busy, busyI've been so busy knitting that I haven't had time for blogging. I've also had a hard time actually taking pictures of my knitting so that I could have something to show you.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/656054/maternity%20sweater%20park.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/591066/maternity%20sweater%20park.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is the Mommy Snug sweater from last summer's IK. I made the smallest size and knit one set of short rows for the belly. I figure it's only going to be cold for a few more months so I don't need it to be too big. The only change I made to the pattern was to lengthen the sleeves. Does anyone else always have to do that too? I used Knitpicks Wool of the Andes. It's the 1st time I've used that yarn and I really like it! It's soft enough to wear against my skin. This picture was taken at the dog park but you can't really see the details and I don't even look pregnant!<br /><br />So, I took another picture. This is a different day and it was really cold and windy and I just wanted to hurry up and get the picture taken. That's why I have a stupid look on my face. But you can see the buttons on the side. When I knitted the sweater, I didn't think about having to sew on 14 buttons. 14! I hate sewing buttons but I managed to get it done. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/396267/maternity%20sweater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/722036/maternity%20sweater.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also knit Mike a new hat since he claimed his <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2005/12/snow-and-knitting-go-together.html">grey one</a> doesn't match his brown coat. Apparently green is a much more fashionable choice. He wanted a tank on it so that's what he got. It's made with a mystery alpaca yarn. I lost the label. If you need to know, I can probably figure it out but you probably don't care that much. He likes it and now he doesn't have to be a walking fashion faux pas with his grey hat and brown clothes. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/37319/tank%20hat.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/678207/tank%20hat.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also knit a cardigan for sesame. Well, it started out as a cardigan for my coworkers baby. Her shower is in a few days. I kept thinking of things to add to the cardigan to make it cuter and tonight I realized I needed to keep it. I'm not really that close to this particular coworker and it just seemed too nice to give her. It would have felt awkward to give someone I don't know very well this little cardigan that clearly took a lot of time and effort to make. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/181587/sesame%20cardigan.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/293877/sesame%20cardigan.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>So sesame gets it! Since I do need a gift, I'm going to part with the Miss Dashwood I knit for sesame. I have another skein of that yarn so I can knit another for sesame.<br /><br />I used Bernat cotton tots and followed the pattern for the kimono cardigan in the summer 2005 issue of IK. The Ik cardigan is in garter stitch but I don't really like knitting garter stitch so I altered it for stockinette. To keep the edges from rolling, I sewed satiny blanket binding to the inside edges. It'll be soft against little baby's skin.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/133507/cardigan%20ribbon.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/596880/cardigan%20ribbon.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Last but not least, little sesame will need socks- cute socks! This pattern was also in the summer 2005 Ik but several similar baby socks are free online at Interweave Knit's website. These are with Wildfoote sock yarn and I used size 0 needles. Before I knit them, I thought these might become my baby shower gift of choice (I have 3 pregnant coworkers!) but that won't be the case. I realized I don't like using size 0 dpns, and I like cabling using size 0 dpns even less. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/551432/XOXO%20socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/920352/XOXO%20socks.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It sure made for some cute little socks, though!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1169052874728122062007-01-17T08:39:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:40:38.170-07:00Sesame is . . .A girl!! I was actually really anxious about finding out baby sesame's gender. It's not that I was hoping for one or the other, but I found that I kind of liked not knowing. Then I realized that when I found out, I could start knitting cute baby boy or baby girl clothes. We're thrilled that sesame is a little girl (for the record, we would be just as thrilled with a little boy) and little girl knits are so cute!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/455261/miss%20dashwood.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/886184/miss%20dashwood.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Take this <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/PATTmissdashwood.html">Miss Dashwood</a> hat from knitty. (Even if you're never going to knit this hat, it's worth clicking on the link just to see the adorable baby modeling the hat.) It snowed yesterday so I got to stay home and knit. It was great. I knit this hat out of Knitpicks Main Line. It's 75% cotton, 25% wool. The picot cast on took an eternity but it's so cute that it was totally worth it. The pattern has ear flaps on the hat but since sesame will be born in the spring, I don't think ear flaps will be necessary. I used almost an entire skein and if I'd made the ear flaps, I'd probably have needed to use part of a second. I hope sesame likes it. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/548794/sesame%20punching.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/496127/sesame%20punching.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is my favorite picture from the ultrasound. Sesame is punching me but I know it's out of love.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1168319136892998882007-01-08T20:42:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:48:07.048-07:00A month!I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted! This is what I've been doing.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/699563/pier.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/839499/pier.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Vacationing! We spent Christmas at the beach in L.A. this year. My dad lives 2 blocks from the beach and the weather was a nice change from the freezing Portland temperatures! This photo was taken on Christmas Eve. It was so warm! It's been hard adjusting to Portland again.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/331442/pelican.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/96866/pelican.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>All my Christmas gifts were received well. My Aunt Judy loved her <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/09/flock-and-fiber-and-finished-things.html">scarf</a> and happened to be wearing an outfit that matched it when she opened it! The story is that My Aunt Karen was jealous and wanted one for herself. She was out of town for Christmas so she didn't open her gift from me until a few days later. She was really excited to find this:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/677844/karen%27s%20scarf.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/991347/karen%27s%20scarf.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm happy that my aunts liked the scarves! My mom loved her blanket too. I was so glad to finally finish it that I wrapped it up before taking a picture. Sorry.<br /><br />Now that Christmas is over, I've been knitting for myself. I finally finished my Over-the-Knee Socks, though not by the Christmas deadline I had set for myself. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/412128/finished%20socks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/585050/finished%20socks.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>They are so pretty, if I do say so myself! I have also started a new sweater for myself. It's a maternity sweater from last summer's IK. I'm using Knitpicks Wool of the Andes and I'm really liking it. The bump in the front is because it has short rows under the bustline to accommodate a baby belly. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/279643/sweater%20front%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/824669/sweater%20front%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Here's a modeled picture of the front. I can't believe I'm half done with being pregnant! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/256152/sweater%20front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/482034/sweater%20front.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>One good thing about being back from my beach vacation is that I get to go to the doctor tomorrow and see if baby Sesame is a boy or a girl! I'm really excited but a little nervous too. We call the baby Sesame because when I first found out I was pregnant, I read that the baby was as big as a sesame seed and the name stuck. It's a lot bigger than a sesame seed now but my family is starting to think that maybe the baby should actually be named Sesame!<br /><br />I need to say a great big THANK YOU to my secret pal! She got me a ball winder!! I have already used and I love, love, love it. I don't know how I went this long without one!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1165687033782378472006-12-09T09:26:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:43:12.243-07:00Gifts galoreI'm getting my Christmas tree today and I've been planning my Christmas gifts. Hopefully I'll be ready to give them when the big day comes!<br /><br />First things first. Here's my Christmas gift to myself. You should never overlook yourself in all this holiday planning. I'm making the <a href="http://savannahchik.typepad.com/photos/handknit_holidays/stockings.html">over-the-knee stockings</a> from the book Handknit Holidays. The cable ribbing is what (supposedly) keeps them in place above the knee and the darker line you can see running down them is actually a little cable lace pattern. The lace runs down the back of them, mimicking a fancy stocking seam. I'm using Knit Picks Essentials sock yarn and it's treating me fine so far. I think I can get them both done by Christmas. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/612587/ovk%20sock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/703599/ovk%20sock.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I'm giving my aunts pretty lace scarves this year. One is getting the <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/09/flock-and-fiber-and-finished-things.html">trellis scarf</a> I finished a while ago. I bought some beads to add to the ends of the points to fancy it up a little. I have another skein of the same yarn so my other aunt is getting a similar scarf that I recently started. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/410446/cathedral%20lace.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/191415/cathedral%20lace.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The pattern is from the cathedral lace afghan in the Interweave Holiday issue and I added a wavy edging.<br /><br />Next up is a blanket made of old, felted sweaters. It's really big and I haven't started sewing the squares together. I'm kind of afraid to start because I'm worried it will be harder than I'm anticipating. When it's just all planned out, it seems so nice and simple. I'll let you know if it really turns out to be nice and simple. I think I'm going to give it to my mom. It seems like her kind of colors. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/704432/blanket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/509480/blanket.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I finished my yarn-dying class. Here are my skeins! I'm in a hurry (Mike's rushing me to go out and get our tree) so I won't take the time to dredge up from my memory what dyes I used. If you want to know, just ask and I'll try to remember. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/704073/dyed%20yarn%20week%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/196764/dyed%20yarn%20week%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The one on the left is a skein I dyed last week. It's the one on the right in the last picture- the one that's yellow and grey and green. That's right, the ugly one that you were all too kind to point out. I decided I hated it so I took it back and dunked the whole thing twice in the indigo dye. Now it has really pretty shades of blue and blue-green and it's one of my favorites! It's great to able to fix your mistakes by just dunking it in another color. I think I'm goint to knit the hexagon scarf from Knitting Nature. It's probably not quite enough yarn but I'll figure something out.<br /><br />Lastly, another gift for me! My lovely secret pal sent me some gorgeous yarn, candles that didn't make it into the picture and some candy that is already eaten. Thanks secret pal! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/736028/sp%20yarn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/1899/sp%20yarn.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1164859844312196412006-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:43:56.958-07:00Answers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/71886/dyed%20minis.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/223536/dyed%20minis.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Hi readers. The 2 questions I got about my last post were: Where did you get the elephant buttons? and Who is the lucky baby that gets the sweater?<br /><br />I got the buttons at a store here in Portland and I don't remember the brand. Sorry to disappoint those of you who wanted to buy then online. They're probably there somewhere but I don't know where.<br /><br />The baby is, or will be, MY baby! My lack of knitting and blogging lately is because I have been feeling really sick and tired. I think I went almost a month without knitting because all I could do was sleep or lie on the couch watching stupid tv. I'm starting to feel better now so I'm happier and slightly more productive.<br /><br />I've been knitting my frost flowers and leaves blanket but it doesn't seem like I'm getting anywhere. It's quite repetitive.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/792269/ff%20%26%20leaves%20spread%20out.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/745468/ff%20%26%20leaves%20spread%20out.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I took it off the needles and spread it out so I could see that it really has gotten bigger. It's about 2 1/2 feet square so I still have a ways to go. It was fun to see it all spread out but it took almost an hour to get all those stitches back on the needles!<br /><br />My other project has been dying yarn with natural plant dyes. I'm taking a class at Abundant Yarn & Dyeworks and it's super fun! I think I'm hooked. The little skeins at the top of the post are tiny mini skeins I dyed at the first class so we could practice. They're tinier than they look in the picture. I could maybe knit one baby bootie out of each one. Any ideas for what to do with them?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/1600/959574/dyed%20yarn.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/1219/1638/320/384394/dyed%20yarn.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>These are my skeins from the last class. The blue is indigo, the pink is cochineal (actually a bug, not a plant) , the yellow is osage orange and the purple is logwood. I don't remember what the other dyes were. Next week I get to dye the rest of my yarn and I can't wait!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1163047504949958832006-11-08T20:34:00.000-08:002007-10-30T11:44:27.673-07:00I've been knitting!Remember me? Not only do I still know how to knit but I've been knitting again!<br /><br />I picked up my frost flowers and leaves shawl/blanket and have started working on it again. I was surprised at how easily the pattern came back to me. Even though I hadn't worked on it in weeks, I don't have to look at the pattern very often. I'm going to put it on scrap yarn soon because I have no idea how big it is! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ff%26l%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ff%26l%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It doesn't look much different than the <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/09/family-knitting-happy-weekend.html">last photo</a> I posted but trust me, it is.<br /><br />I also knitted this quick baby sweater last weekend. It's Inca Cotton and I wish I had enough to knit myself a sweater with it. It's so soft! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/baby%20sweater.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/baby%20sweater.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I found these adorable elephant buttons and they really finish the sweater. I sewed a ribbon to the inside so the buttons wouldn't pull on the stitches too much. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/baby%20sweater%20buttons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/baby%20sweater%20buttons.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> That's all for now! You'll be hearing from me more regularly now that I have things to show you! There's nothing like the cold, rainy fall weather to make me start knitting again.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1161051382084065932006-10-16T19:03:00.000-07:002006-10-17T22:20:35.616-07:00A Day (or 2) LateSo, I joined Secret Pal 9 and I was supposed to have my answers to the all important questions posted by Sunday. Needless to say, that didn't happen.<br /><br />I haven't touched knitting needles in over 2 weeks now! I think that's a record for me. My rusted root was coming along nicely. The weather was still warm and I put it on scrap yarn so I could try it on. It looked fabulous and I thought to myself "I can totally finish it before the weekend is over." That was nearly 2 weeks ago and it's still on the scrap yarn.<br /><br />Life is beating me right now and I have no energy for anything once I get home from work. I want to knit but I just can't pull myself out of my stupor of tiredness. Now it's cold, which I am enjoying, but I fear I've lost my chance to wear rusted root this year. I could fix my ogee tunic, though. That would be productive. Hopefully I'll pull myself out of this funk soon. I really do want to knit again!<br /><br />Okay, the questions. They're pretty much the same as those from the last round of secret pal so if you feel like I'm repeating myself, I am. <span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?</span><br />I love soft yarn. Alpaca, cashmere, merino, any soft wool. I don't like acrylic in large quantities but have seen some nice blends.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?</span><br />I have a case for my straight needles and my circulars are all dumped in a drawer. I would like to organize them better.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?</span><br />I've been knitting for 4 or 5 years and I'm entirely self taught. I'd say I'm advanced. I feel like I could pretty much knit anything that I wanted to. I don't mean to sound cocky but I'm pretty good at following patterns and I've tried a lot of things.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?</span><br />Nope.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)</span><br />I love natural scents like vanilla and lavender. I like citrus too. I hate really sweet scents and things that smell artificial.<br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153); font-style: italic;">6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?</span><br />I like really dark chocolate. The darker the better. I'm not a chocoholic, though. I could kind of take it or leave it. I like fruity candy too like gummy bears and starburst.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?</span><br />I love to sew and I took a drop spindle class and even made some (lumpy) yarn but I definitely wouldn't call myself a spinner.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? </span><br />I can listen to mp3's and the only music I really don't like is country. I have pretty eclectic taste in music and am open to new things.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?</span><br />I love color. While I wear grey, brown and black, they're not my favorites. There's nothing I really dislike.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?</span><br />I have husband who knows everything there is to know about knitting except for how to actually knit. I have a super cute dog, a fluffy bunny and 2 cats.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?</span><br />I love scarves! I wear mittens occasionally. I'm particular about hats because my hair is usually out of control and hats look dumb stuck on the top of my crazy hair. I do have a few that I love, though. I do not like ponchos.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?</span><br />I like to knit sweaters but I've been knitting a lot of lace lately as well.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">13. What are you knitting right now?</span><br />I'm trying to finish rusted root and the frost flowers and leaves shawl from A Gathering of lace.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?</span><br />I love them!<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?</span><br />I don't really have a preference. I use whatever seems to work best for the yarn and project.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?</span><br />No, but I wish I did.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">17. How old is your oldest UFO?</span><br />I started a baby blanket about a year and a half ago but then decided I would never finish it in a timely manner so I gave a different gift. Now, I'm just waiting on the right baby to come along so I can finish it.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">18. What is your favorite holiday?</span><br />I love Christmas and Thanksgiving. Oh, and my birthday!<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">19. Is there anything that you collect?</span><br />Other than yarn, I collect floaty pens. I don't know if there is a better name for them but they're the touristy pens that have little scenes and people or a boat or train or something floats back and forth when you tilt them.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?</span><br />I subscribe to Interweave knits. I'm sure there are thing I'd like to have but I can't think right now.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?</span><br />I would like to try more fair isle but buying so many colors for one project seems daunting.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?</span><br />I have knit socks but I wouldn't call myself a sock knitter. I wear a size 7 1/2.<br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">23. When is your birthday?</span><br />January 20th.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1159588645378586102006-09-29T20:20:00.000-07:002007-10-30T11:46:14.936-07:00Flock and Fiber and Finished ThingsI finished the trellis scarf! This is the first lace item I've knit that looked all bunchy until I blocked it. It came out so pretty that I'm rethinking my plan to give it away. I don't really need it, though. I want to put some beads on the ends of the points like I did with the <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2005/12/another-finished-gift.html">wavy scarf</a> I knit last year but I'll wait to do that until I know who it'll be for. The picture is shadowy. The true color is the deep purple in the upper right corner.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/trellis%20done.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/trellis%20done.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Last weekend I went to the Flock and Fiber Festival with my friends Lisa and <a href="http://glutenfreeknitting.wordpress.com/">Kirsten</a>. We saw a lot of animals and a lot of fiber! Even Lisa, who's not a knitter, had fun. At least until she saw people buying really ugly shirts and was disturbed.<br /><br />We saw a lot of great yarn and a lot of great fiber that made me with I could spin. The highlight, though, was the animals. Alpacas are the cutest!! Just look at this one munching his hay. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/alpaca.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/alpaca.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>How could you not want to take him home?<br /><br />This pretty trio was for sale. Each a different color. I wanted them. I still want them. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/alpaca%20trio.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/alpaca%20trio.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The weirdest animal was the Jacob Sheep. Look at all the horns! We weren't allowed to pet them. It was probably so we didn't get impaled by all the horns. They looked friendly but we followed orders. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/jacobs%20sheep.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/jacobs%20sheep.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I got a great deal on some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. They were seconds so each skein was only $3! I have been wanting to knit <a href="http://www.zephyrstyle.com/catalog/item.cfm/2367447/3289215">Rusted Root</a> for a while now so I bought some cotton fleece and started knitting. It's a quick knit so hopefully I'll get to wear it before the weather gets really cold. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/rusted%20root.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/rusted%20root.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I also bought a big skein of organic Inca cotton and knit a quick little washcloth. It's so soft! I wish you all could feel it! The pattern is from Mason-Dixon Knitting but the pattern is free on the web (that's how I got it!) <a href="http://home.earthlink.net/%7Ebrooks7/pats/MasonDixonDishcloths.pdf#search=%22mason%20dixon%20washcloth%20pattern%22">here</a>.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/cotton%20cloth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/cotton%20cloth.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1158625244138948442006-09-18T16:46:00.000-07:002006-09-19T09:10:41.590-07:00Family + Knitting = A Happy WeekendI brother came to visit for 5 days and we had a really good time. This was his 1st time visiting Mike and I in the 5 years we've been married so it was nice to have him at our place for once! We did the grand tour of Portland and the gorge, ate a lot of food and had a nice time. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/me%20and%20ryan.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/me%20and%20ryan.jpg" border="0" /></a>Ryan was even so kind as to wait patiently for me to finish seaming my ogee tunic before we went out one day because I really wanted to wear it. The only thing I like about the sudden cold, cloudy weather that's hit Portland is that I can wear my sweater! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ogee%20river.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ogee%20river.jpg" border="0" /></a> It needs a little tweaking, though. I need to redo part of the shoulder seams so you'll have to wait a little longer for a better picture and I'll have to wait to wear it again. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/sp3.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/sp3.jpg" border="0" /></a>In addition to my new sweater, I also have a new knitted bag! My lovely secret pal, <a href="http://mama-knits.blogspot.com/">Nicole</a>, knitted me a fabulous felted bag using Peace Fleece. She even sent me the leftover skein along with a bunch of other great things. Thank, Nicole, for being a great secret pal!<br /><br />I'm still working on the diamond trellis scarf, one repeat at a time. My new project is the Frost Flowers and Leaves shawl from A Gathering of Lace. I'm not really knitting it as a shawl, though. I'm using <a href="http://www.elann.com/productdisp.asp?NAME=elann.com+Devon&Cat=NEW&ProductType=5&Count=49">Devon</a> from Elann. It's 100% wool that they call unshrinkable. That seems like it should mean superwash but they say to handwash it. It's really soft and nice to knit. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ff&l.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ff%26l.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>The color is called mineral green but Mike insists it's blue. Whatever it is, I like it! It's sport weight so I'm making a light blanket instead of a shawl. I love the look of shawls but don't really see myself wearing one anytime soon. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ff&l%20close%20up.0.jpg"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ff%26l%20close%20up.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1157945124801318332006-09-10T20:06:00.000-07:002006-09-10T20:25:24.820-07:00Oliver is cuteOliver is so cute!! He's my new bunny. His color is called chocolate but he's really a light orange. I don't know who comes up with the names. Here he's eating weeds like a good little bunny.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/oliver.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/oliver.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Since Kathy asked, here is some info about angoras. (If you're not interested, skip this part) They are more work than your average bunny. He lives outside but has a roof so he doesn't get rained on. Since they have so much fur it's important they don't get wet. They also don't do well in the heat. Again, because of all the fur. When it's really hot, we freeze a liter bottle of water and put it in the cage so the bunny can cool off. They also require brushing so they don't get mats in their fur. We'll see how this guy does but once they're over a year, most don't need to be brushed more than once a week. Different angora breeds need different amounts of brushing- it depends on how many guard hairs they have- and individuals vary too. They are the softest bunnies you'll ever feel and I love petting Oliver!<br /><br />Besides knitting, my project this last week has been painting my bathroom. My bathroom used to be terrible. Here's the before:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/bathroom%20before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/bathroom%20before.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It doesn't look that bad until you see the walls up close.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/nasty%20wall.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/nasty%20wall.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It's wallboard with wallpaper attached. (It's popular in trailers and manufactured homes. Classy stuff.) It was super old and dirty and we couldn't take the paper off because it's fused to the wall so we had to use a nasty oil-based primer to cover it all up. Fumes filled the house for days. How I love inhaling chemicals. It was all worth it, though, because now my bathroom looks like this. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/bathroom%20after.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/bathroom%20after.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>The color is called spring rain and it reminds me of a robin's egg. I love it! No more dirty, nasty walls! We even had this pretty print that matches perfectly.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/bathroom%20picture.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/bathroom%20picture.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I haven't been neglecting my ogee tunic. I started seaming it together the other night and it's coming along slowly but surely. It's still summer so I'm not in a big hurry to finish it. It's not like I'll get to wear it soon. It's looking like it'll fit nicely and I am excited to see it all finished! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ogee%20seaming.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ogee%20seaming.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1157608998987279972006-09-06T22:34:00.000-07:002006-09-06T23:03:19.093-07:00Proof is in the pictures (a.k.a. Why I love the fair)I had so much fun at the fair on Sunday! I took lots of pictures, petted lots of animals and ate lots of sugar. I told you before that I won ribbons so here is the proof.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ribbons%203.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/400/ribbons%203.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>My <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/02/d-is-for.html">river stole</a> only got third but everything else won a blue ribbon! They hung my <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/01/all-for-me.html">backyard leaves scarf</a> backwards so no one got to see the pretty pattern. They also really packed the things in the cases. My <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/03/hurry-up-spring-weather.html">soleil tank top</a> was barely visible and The lace on the bottom was almost completely hidden. I'm not complaining, really. I won ribbons so I'm happy.<br /><br />My bread also won a blue ribbon! I love baking bread and last year I entered a recipe I had never made before. Bad idea. This year I entered my favorite recipe and it turned out great. It looks a little weird in the picture but remember people- at this point it has been sitting out in the open for almost 2 weeks. It looked beautiful the day I dropped it off. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/bread.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/bread.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Other Oregon State Fair highlights included:<br /><br />My friend Amber eating a fried snickers bar. Hey, someone had to do it and it wasn't going to be me. After the funnel cake and giant sno cone, I couldn't eat anything else. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/snickers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/snickers.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>(For the record, she liked it but doesn't think she needs to eat one again. Mike feels the same way about the one he ate last year.)<br /><br />I think these are the cutest tomatoes ever! I'm glad they won 1st place.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/tomatoes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/tomatoes.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>There was an entire display devoted to vegetables with faces. This was my favorite. Do you think it's "supposed" to be a seal?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/seal%20potato.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/seal%20potato.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This won the most unique vegetable award. I wish I had a vegetable that unique in my garden!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/most%20unique.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/most%20unique.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is a "cute vegetable." I think that's fair code for smallest vegetable. This bitty carrot lost to a teeny ear of corn.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/cute%20carrot.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/cute%20carrot.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Baby piglets (is that redundant?) are so cute!! They were sleepy. I wish I could have picked one up and squeezed it- not too hard, of course. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/piglets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/piglets.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This fluffy bunny won the award for "Best Wool." It looks well deserved.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/best%20wool.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/best%20wool.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> The cutest bunny at the fair was a baby English Angora that won 3rd place and then came home with me! Yep, I bought a bunny from a 4-H'er and he's really fluffy and cute. I don't have a good picture yet but when I do, I'll show him off. <br /><br />I hope all of you had the chance to go to a fair this summer. If not, go next year! It'll be tons of fun, I promise.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1156742659741089232006-08-27T22:07:00.000-07:002006-08-27T22:24:19.763-07:00Fair Ribbons!I have had some really crappy stuff happen in the last few weeks but still . . . I didn't realize how long it had been since I've posted. I apologize and if I haven't commented on <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> blogs lately, I will be back soon. I'm doing better now.<br /><br />So, the fair!! Mike and I went to a concert at the fair lastnight (The Decemberists, Violent Femmes and Cake- <span style="font-style: italic;">So Good!!</span>) but on our way to the concert pavilion, I made him run through the home arts building, looking for our entries. I couldn't be at the fair and not find out even though we didn't have much time to get to the concert. Out of 5 knitted items, I got 4 1st places and one 3rd! I also got a blue ribbon for my bread but the judge thought my jam was "sticky." At least that's what she wrote on the back of my card. Oh well. Mike got a blue ribbon too! I think I'm more excited than he is. I'm going back next weekend to actually go to the fair so I'll scope it out better and take pictures then.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/scarf.2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/scarf.2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I finished knitting my ogee tunic and it's really pretty and sems like it'll fit well but I won't know for sure until I block it and sew it all together. I think I've finally cleared enough space in my messy house to block it so hopefully that'll happen soon.<br /><br />This fine piece of knitting is the <a href="http://www.interweave.com/knit/interweave_knits/preview/2006_spring.asp">trellis scarf</a> from the spring IK. It's Shadow from knitpicks that my fabulous secret pal sent me a while back. The color is called vineyard and it's more of an eggplant color than the picture shows. I started this on the plane back from El Salvador and didn't think I was going to continue knitting it because of the K7tog! But, I got past that and knitting 7 stitches together really isn't that bad. It helps that it makes a pretty pattern. <br /><br />I hope you all had a great weekend. This is my last weekend ever of having to work both Saturdays and Sundays, so that helped get me through it!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1155530184010464712006-08-13T21:25:00.000-07:002006-08-14T21:47:20.413-07:00Catching upEverything is ready to be taken to the fair tomorrow! I'm so excited. I hope I win a ribbon! The only thing missing from my pile of entries is the ogee tunic because all I have finished are the sleeves and this: <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ogee%20front.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ogee%20front.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>It's coming out really well and I changed it from a tunic to more of a standard pullover with the addition of some waist shaping. A-lines just don't work for me. Here's a detail of the cabling. It's so pretty! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/ogee%20close%20up.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/ogee%20close%20up.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>(<span style="font-style: italic;">A while back Anna posted a comment asking about the gauge for the ogee tunic. I don't have her email address so here's the answer to the question she asked. The stated guage deson't seem to match up with the number of stitches you cast on and the measurements you're supposed to get. The math doesn't work out right, but everything turns out fine. The edges of the pieces have a small amount of ribbing, lace and cables, which apparently changes the gauge just enough that you end up with the right measurements even though it seems like you have a lot of extra stitches. So, my advice to Anna, and anyone else who is thinking of knitting this, is that as long as you get the same guage as stated, trust the pattern's stitch numbers and measurements. It works out.</span> )<br /><br />Backing up a little, here's a picture of me knitting the second sleeve in El Salvador. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/El%20Salvador%20knitting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/El%20Salvador%20knitting.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> The cute yellow building is the hotel we stayed at in Apaneca, a little town in the mountains. Rocking chairs and hammocks- what more could a knitter want? Okay, maybe cooler weather so that I actually felt like knitting, but I didn't want to be picky. <br /><br />Finally, here is a finished picture of the pillow I knitted for my friends that got married. I am still finishing the second, but the 1st one had a special assignment. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/pillow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/pillow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>As part of the ceremony, they got lassoed together. As my friend Cindy said, "I't like a unity candle but we get lassoed together instead." Yep, those are exactly the same. Anyway, they needed a pretty pillow to kneel on so my gift was very fitting. You can just barely see the corner of my (their) pillow below.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/wedding%20pillow.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/wedding%20pillow.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I had to fancy up the pillow a little for it's big day. I folded the flap inside and then safey pinned some ribbons to the inside so I could tie it closed. To make it look balanced, I tied some bows and pinned them to the other end as well, keeping the pillow case snug around the pillow. The happy couple loved it! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/wedding%20pillow%202.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/wedding%20pillow%202.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Last but not least, my secret pal deserves a huge thank-you shout out. I got this great package, along with a stitch pattern book that didn't make it into the photo. I got some soap (I love cute soaps!), pretty needles, felted tweed to make the knucks from the latest knitty, and some really pretty hand-dyed yarn that I've already started swatching. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/sp%20package.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/sp%20package.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Thank you, secret pal and good luck to all you knitters who entered things in your local fairs this summer!!Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17078758.post-1154905285162193762006-08-06T15:47:00.000-07:002006-08-06T18:12:02.750-07:00Picture TimeIn no particular order, here are some pictures of El Salvador. I know you came here for knitting content but I don't have any pictures of knitting to show you right now. I do have pictures of knitting in El Salvador but those will have to wait for another day. I am making progress on my Ogee Tunic and even (with lots of wishful thinking) entered it in the fair. I really don't think It will be finished by then because I didn't take going on vacation into account when I planned out my state fiar knitting. I have other things to enter, though, don't you worry! As I said, I did knit in El Salvador, just not very much.<br /><br />This was my 1st (and last) view of El Salvador as it's the view from the airport window. Getting off the plane, it was immediately apparent I wasn't in the US anymore! It was a great feeling.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/view%20of%20El%20Salvador%20from%20the%20airport.2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/view%20of%20El%20Salvador%20from%20the%20airport.2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Mayan ruins near the location of my friend's wedding site. It's the rainy season so we were caught in a rainstorm there. The ruins in El Salvador aren't as big as those in Guatemala or Mexico and they're not completely excavated yet, but still interesting to visit. For me, the highlight was learning how they used to make indigo dye.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/Mayan%20ruins%20at%20San%20Andres.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/Mayan%20ruins%20at%20San%20Andres.jpg" border="0" /></a> The wedding was fun! That's <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/03/hurry-up-spring-weather.html">my soleil</a> tank top that I knitted and the <a href="http://gonnapurl.blogspot.com/2006/06/summer-fair-time.html">skirt</a> I made. I didn't set out to wear a totally handmade outfit. It just worked out that way.<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/Cindy,%20Camilo,%20Mike%20and%20I.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/Cindy%2C%20Camilo%2C%20Mike%20and%20I.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>This is Apaneca, the highest town in El Salvador. We spent a few days there and it was really nice. It was cooler and less humid than the city, which was a nice break. If you look closely at the picture, the bright orange house on the left is where we stayed. The hills are covered with coffee trees as it's one of the coffee growing regions in the country. <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/Apaneca-%20the%20orange%20building%20on%20the%20left%20was%20our%20hotel.%20%20Coffee%20is%20grown%20on%20the%20mountain%20in%20the%20background.1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/Apaneca-%20the%20orange%20building%20on%20the%20left%20was%20our%20hotel.%20%20Coffee%20is%20grown%20on%20the%20mountain%20in%20the%20background.1.jpg" border="0" /></a>This is Moke and our guide from the hotel taking us on a hike through a coffee plantation and the surroinding beauty. We were on our way to see some old Mayan statues that are on the property. Everything was so green and pretty thanks to the rainy season. <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/1600/on%20a%20hike%20through%20a%20coffee%20plantation.0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1219/1638/320/on%20a%20hike%20through%20a%20coffee%20plantation.0.jpg" border="0" /></a>It was really fun and I will show what I've been knitting soon.Caseyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01599918584791900008noreply@blogger.com6