the quacking fiber addict

I present, for your amusement and my own humility, a picture of my chipmump cheeks (a chipmunk with mumps)...

Wow, could I look any more ridiculous?

Good news? I am finally able to eat hot/ real foods again. I just managed some mini mozzarella balls (bless Mum and her funky grocery lists). Mum's even promised me lentil soup... I never thought I'd say it, but at the moment I never, ever, want to see (much less eat) ice cream again.

Other, knitting, news. 4 rows on the pair of Jaywalkers done. I've also swatched for the official wraplan pattern. And drawn up schematics (much appreciation for that term of mechanical drawing in high school). Since Emmos has offered to test the pattern for me, I'm waiting for her response to get to pattern writing.

The blog's sidebars have been updated (long overdue). I got rid of the WIP list, because (let's be honest) I'm bad at updating it and tons of smaller projects never made their way onto it. And, since the single FO list was becoming unmanageable, I went to the yearly FO lists that are so (understandably) popular across the blogosphere..

And, I think I'm going to sit and watch Dad and Emm roll up the carpets now (the area rugs are going up North tomorrow, I think). I'm a bit nauseous from the antibiotics and lovely opiates, and the puter isn't making it better.

But, I think that's everything.

Oh, and I LOVE this Shibui bag. Seriously. It deserves a post of it's own.

Labels: designing, knitting, personal vanity, template update, wraplan

I look like a chipmunk with mumps, but all is well. Thank you, everyone, for your well wishes and kind words. I really, really wish I could just eat solid food, right now.

Otherwise? Not too bad. Even better news... actually, I have a lot. First, I received two images from my sister of baby T in her new sweater, the prototype wraplan - making it an official FO:


I'm definitely going to have to change the pattern - the button band was completely wonky and the edge kept curling (despite ribbing), but it looks cuter than a bug's ear. Project specs:

• The pattern: my own
• Knitting start date: I have no idea. December-ish, 2006?
  
• Finish date: March 25, 2007
  
• The yarn: Jo-Ann's Bellezza "Smania" (which, incidentally, I do NOT recommend)
  
• The needles: US 5's Denise needles
  
• The size: 12 month old, 24" (ish)
  
• Knitting techniques: continental, flat body, DPN sleeves, intarsia for baseball-sleeves.
  

And the other good news? Sheila, kind soul at Journey Wheel, contacted me to let me know that one of their customers is selling her DT Journey Wheel (w/ case and extra bobbins) for much, much less that I'm scheduled to pay for the new one. She offered to have Jonathan look it over and fix it up for me, before sending it over - IF I want it.

Of course I want it! Hopefully, I'll actually get it. How cool is that? I love these people, they're very friendly and trying so hard to help me (and all their customers) out.

And that is all. Now we're set to go and watch a movie, while my face swells even more. I should get a picture of this. Give everyone over the nets a laugh.

Labels: baby T, finished object, knitting, The Move, wraplan

To make up for the fact that I'm having trouble forming coherent sentences, here're a bunch o' pictures of what I did today:

I weeded. A lot. 3 enormous piles (+ several smaller ones) of weeds to take to the landscaping place tomorrow. If you're not impressed, I can exhaustedly inform you that I pulled out enough weeds to fill the back of Dad's pick-up. I am so tired.

After several hours of battling weeds, bugs, and thorny-Devil's-Snare-like plants I proclaimed that I was giving up for the day and going to sit down somewhere without potting soil. As I got settled in to knit, I decided to check on baby T's wraplan. Imagine my complete horror when I saw that the damn sleeves had bled in ways never seen outside of my nightmares. The backs of the sleeves were different colours than the fronts! There was pink dye everywhere.

Now, I admit that red is the hardest dye to stabilize, but there are limits. Dammitall. I swore loudly, stomped upstairs to tell Dad, and grab my camera. Here it is being soaked in a hot, soapy bath for the 2nd time:


And here it is after 30 mins, during which we ate dinner, and look at that water:


Just... *snarl*. I rinsed it several times. The dye still ran. I'm soaking it again in a hot, soapy bath. We'll see if it stops running tomorrow. This is utterly shameful. Never, ever buy Smania from JoAnns. I make allowances for cotton, but this is just tacky and cheap. And, on top of that, the sleeves are a completely different colour than the yarn I bought, and no longer match the buttons. I'm not livid... yet.

Let's give it a day.

After snarling a bit more, I went back to knitting. Emm, Dad, and I watched Countdown with Kieth Olberman while I worked on my left Spock:


I am about 2 rows away from the toe. That's the good knitting news I have. Well, that and a very brave knitter has offered to take on my pattern for me. I need to email her back... I need to email everyone back, to be honest. I'm also as far as the button placket on the pattern and should have it ready for a couple of test sizes soon. I refuse to allow errata anywhere in a pattern.

Is it 11 pm already...? Oy.

Labels: overdyed, socks, The Move, wraplan

Now welcom somer, with thy sonne softe
That hast this wintres weders over-shaker
And driven awey the longe nightes blake!
(attributed to Chaucer, sung by the Mediaeval Baebes)

Before we get to the terrifying weeds, let us rejoice over a finished object! (and sun, sun is good) I finished the wraplan for baby T tonight! It's currently blocking in the laundry room, but here's a pic of it after being steamed for the purposes of being photographed:


It's done! It's done! Project specs:

• Yarn: JoAnn Sensations Bellezza: Smania
• Gauge: 5 sts/ inch on US 8's
• Size: 12 months/ 22" (I think, I'd have to check)
• Started: I have absolutely no idea
• Finished: March 25, 2007
• Recipient: baby T

I'm gonna try and send it by the end of the week, and demand a modeled photograph. I still haven't gotten a pic of little D in the gansey, and I need to mention that to A.

Stuff that happened earlier today:

1. As I went through my Peace Corps medical eval forms I noticed that one of the forms wasn't signed by my general practitioner. I will. Not. Scream.
2. I actually, finally!, got a load of laundry done.
3. I got a nasty splinter in my foot whilst weeding and paring down The Beast (also known as our passion fruit vine):

I also managed not to scream when I saw these little pests on the side of my garden waste bin:



At the sharp pain in my foot and severe heeby-jeebies, I went inside. Sat down and knit (finished) baby T's wraplan. While working away, Dad and I watched 3 episodes of Planet Earth. It was really good. The photography was amazing. And Sigourney Weaver makes a great narrator.

Then we watched the series finale of ROME. Twas good. But, I feel incumbent to mention, not entirely accurate. But good. Poor Vorenus. I also have to mention that I didn't like how they made Augustus seem like a sociopath. But, again, otherwise quite good. It's sad to see it end.

Also, I have to agree with Maura. I think that An Inconvenient Truth would have been better (and a little less, well, manipulative) without Gore's life story and personal tragedies on display. That was just tacky.

And that is all. I think I shall spin a bit.

Labels: finished object, gardening/ weeding, knitting, wraplan

“Rain! whose soft architectural hands have power to cut stones, and chisel to shapes of grandeur the very mountains.”
Henry Ward Beecher

Sachi was right. There IS a yarn store in Olympia. Unbeknownst to me, we had gone by it a great many times. Mostly because it's called Canvas Works I tended to ignore it:


Considering the large sailing community (and boat-making, as well), I had thought it was, well, you know, a store that sold canvas. Silly me ^_^ Another reason I hadn't given them a second glance is the fact that they're located in the more industrial section of town, see?, the neighbors:


Every time we walked or drove by, I was busy focusing on getting to somewhere more, ah, picturesque. Yes, I know, I'm shallow. But, if you look in the picture above, you can see the dome of the state capital building. Olympia is pretty small, and you can see the dome from nearly anywhere in town.

Anyway. I went into the store and tried not to moan. They had some exquisite yarns that I can neither afford nor find the space for. The sales lady (very nice, very helpful) immediately showed me to the sock yarns. I was a bit disappointed by their small selection (of sock yarns). But, that disappointment was quickly assuaged when I wandered into their book section. Oh... my. I didn't even know where to start. So, I let my eyes wander, and they immediately zoomed in on the lace books.

And do you know what I found?? A copy of Creating Original Hand-knitted Lace! OMG. I have been searching for this book for ... wow, over six months at least. Maybe a year. No one carries it. No one has heard of it. They HAD it. In hardback. At 30% off the price on Amazon. I snatched it up and tucked it under my arm, as I wandered the store some more. They also had a HUGE button collection (sigh), but I limited myself to buttons I needed. Specifically for baby T's wraplan. They had pink and green buttons that matched the yarn I'm using! (yes, I have the colours committed to memory, heaven help me). So, I grabbed 8 of them and then forced myself to stop looking, as I was over-budget already. I escaped with my finds (the saleswoman agreed that the buttons were squee!-worthy) and I nearly skipped home. Here's a pic of them on Mum's porch:


A last note on the LYS, Canvas Works. I really liked them, they were very nice. They had a great selection. I wouldn't recommend them for knitters on a tight budget, though. Their prices were a bit high. But, otherwise, I really liked them.

Relating to the title of this post. I did bring an umbrella with me. I didn't use it, because the wind was so high it nearly turned the poor thing inside-out. I just toughened up and tried to ignore the chill. On the way home, the rain and wind got worse, so I was extremely happy to arrive. Of course, 1/2 an hour after I had settled in, the rain stopped.

It figures.

Just like in San Fransisco.

I must have angered the rain (and wind?) g-ds at some point. Some sort of ritual sacrifice or something must be in order. Chocolate, maybe?

Oh!, in other news, my Hogwarts Houses Swap partner, Laural, received my parcel today! Here are her pix. And here's one of mine:


The hoodie: I painted and appliqued a Gryffindor crest (t-shirt) I had (it was entirely in greyscale and needed some colour desperately) to a hoodie, along with a House patch, and embroidered around the crest with red and gold floss (A and K were bemused watching me embroider during American Idol). The DPN case: made from faux-suede, lined with Indian cotton (don't tell Mum I raided her quilting stash, but it was the perfect colour!), and with velvet trim - I have to say, was really pleased with the whole thing, it came out so lovely and it was my first DPN case. I also included some Gryffindor coloured DPNs I found at St Vinny's. The Canary Creams? I couldn't resist. And the yarn I got at Full Thread Ahead.

I'm so pleased because the hoodie fits Laural perfectly, and she seems to like everything else. Yay!

Labels: craft swaps, lace, LYS review, travel, wraplan