Losing Steam

I picked some of the last tomatoes today.

I'm gung-ho on the garden in May and June, but I tend to lose steam and let it go during the hot days of August and the busy back-to-school of September.

(Transition to knitting, using garden as metaphor)

(See, I'm getting arty on you in an attempt to show yet another photo of the shawl that doesn't look very different from the last one.)

Similarly, I'm losing a little steam on the shawl. I haven't been a one-project girl like this since the Knitting Olympics! Every row is 500 plus stitches, and it doesn't look very different from day to day.

But I still love it and will soldier on. The goal is finished shawl by this weekend....

Finish-itis

I'm so tempted to do another shawl post. "Day nine and still lovin it." But in reality, now that each row of the shawl is 400+ stitches, progress may not be blogworthy.





How about something completely different? Under the theme of finishing up some UFOs, I've been on a tote bag bender again.

Green Kaffe Fasset stripe, one of my favorite fabrics in years. And look at the lining! Does a happier fabric exist in this universe?
This one is for my mom, and long overdue. She requested a subtle black print. Your wish is my command, m'lady.
Pocket:
This little red one is shorter and wider than my usual pattern, I modeled it after a Target bag that ends up being the one I use a lot for knitting projects. Now I just need to start a red sweater to match my bag....

These last two I just listed in the shop:You can see detail shots of them there. There's still a lot of good yarn over there too, so check it out!

You guys crack me up. I had totally forgotten about the Kinnearing, but you are right, that’s exactly what I did! I believe it was similar to a maneuver used by a criminal to steal my husband’s credit card number a few years ago, but that’s another story. Kinnearing for good: blog socks. Kinnearing for evil: stolen credit card numbers.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about (Hi Mom!) check out the Harlot’s hilarious post.

And, YES! I was the Lime and Violet featured yarn yesterday! Yay! Thank you Peachy!

And, did you check out my ad in Knitty?!?! Speaking of Knitty, can we have our quarterly discussion about which patterns you all are going to knit? I’m really loving the sweaters in this issue. I have my eye on Tussie Mussie, Mr. Greenjeans, and possibly Roam without the hood. Or maybe with, but smaller. What I am really attracted to in that pattern is the slipstitch- imitating-darts. So great!

And lastly, it’s day six and I’m still loving my Waves in the Square……

Whoops, one more thing..... I'm working on a new quilt today and I was thinking of a designing a quilt tutorial. Remember when I promised a tutorial of a quilt from your kid's artwork? I haven't forgotten. So I was looking up on the DIY channel to see if my Uncommon Threads episode on quilt design was going to be re-run soon, and discovered that the other episode, 3-D Infusion, is on *TODAY* At 1:30 eastern, on the DIY channel. Catch it if you can!

Mission: Birthday Socks

Date: Saturday
Time: 2pm
Place: Soccer Field
Mission: Weave in ends. Wait for soccer game to be over, congratulations all around, and snack ingestion. Get home and package up socks. Get to post office by 3pm.

Realization: There won't be time for a blog photo of completed socks!
Solution: Casually place socks in grass. Pretend to take photos of son playing soccer. Gradually lower camera and photo socks instead.

Mission Accomplished.

Knitting Knewsflash

Day Two of Waves in the Square shawl and I can't put this one down!

Thank You, Finishing, and Starting

Thank you to everyone who gave me ideas for styling Unflattering Pink Cardigan. You mean, I should try it on over something other than my pajamas?! Who knew?




Yes, over a monochromatic arrangement of top and bottom, I like it much better. I've even worn it in public. I thought about taking a picture of it on, but after 3 tries, I'm giving up. It set me back a week in blogging. That's what kills me, getting the pictures.



Moving on, I have one more thing on my knitting list to finish up before I dive into the new fall projects. It's yet another textured cotton cardigan. (I will be the charter member of Cute-Cotton-Cardigan-Anonymous.) I started it after I finished Belle, because I just couldn't get enough of the Mission Falls Cotton.

It's the Bay Cardigan from the Mission Falls "Simple" pattern book. Mission Falls 1824 cotton in white. I've decided to make 3/4 sleeves and change the neckline from v-neck to crew neck so it is a little different than Belle. (Like, really, it's white. Isn't that enough of a difference already!?)

I have now had completely enough of the 1824 cotton, so have my hands, but I'm soldering on to finish this pup because I would love to wear it! Today!

Moving on.... I did cheat on my little plan and start one thing already. It's lace, so it's completely different. Waves in the Square shawl by Sivia Harding (of Diamond Fantasy Shawl fame.) I love the way this shawl is square in the back instead of pointy. Sophie's Toes yarn in Deep Rose. It's nice to settle into a project that I'm in love with again....

Whew.

Dear Teacher, the reason I've been absent is....

Last Monday was our wedding anniversary, but you might remember from last year that Dave's dad died on our anniversary so it is also the remembrance of that, one year later. I didn't expect Dave to take it very well, and he didn't. To make it worse, I had some not-so-nice thoughts about how ruined our anniversary now is. I know it's just a day, but when you've been through a lot in 15 years, it's nice (I didn't appreciate how nice it really is) to have one day set aside to think about the past and appreciate everything. Well, maybe next year.


In addition to worrying about Dave all day, our sweet old neighbor died early that morning. So, when I wasn't worrying about Dave, or having my petty anger, I spent a lot of time thinking about their family. Sad. I cooked and baked in the 90 degree heat.


Than add to the worry pile: my daughter got sick, and I had a friend hospitalized. Did I mention the bat in my attic?


Crazy.


My mom was here most of the week to help me with the kids since they aren't all in school yet (my youngest starts preschool TODAY!) and I am prepping for a big month at Sophie's Toes. I have an ad coming out in the new Fall Knitty (!) and I don't really know what to expect but I want to be prepared. I wanted to do a big update for my regular customers before the ad came out (that was Tuesday) and then re-stock the shop (that will be tonight) before the ad came out so it looked spiffy when new people stopped by. I don't know exactly when it will be published, they don't tell you what day it will come out (no, not even the advertisers!) It's a suprise, so I'm winging all this.


I think I've held my breath for about 10 days straight. But now that the regular shop update is done, I can breathe again and just watch the Knitty website (obsessively) to wait and see my ad! So, it's been: worry worry worry, dye dye dye, worry worry worry, skein skein skein. It's pretty hard for me to blog when I'm in such a state. But now, with last week behind me--things are much better.


Whew.


So, here's my measly offering in the knitting category. It actually goes along with the theme--it's just: okay. It's a very pretty sweater and the yarn is fabulous. But it was an impulse project and I kind of knew all along that it wouldn't be flattering on me. I really, really should not wear cropped sweaters. I feel like a hippo wearing clothes that got shrunk in the wash. Not a good feeling! Does not inspire confidence!


I don't really feel like making the effort to re-work it, I want to call it done and move on. So the jury is out on whether I will ever wear it, frog it, or give it away.

Pattern: Eyelet Cardigan from Blue Sky Alpacas

Yarn: Blue Sky Cotton color 617 Lotus

Other info: Size 40, 5 skeins yarn, #6 Bryspun needles, I did not change the pattern one bit.

Comments: Cute pattern, love the yarn, not flattering on me, in summary: eh.