Sooo....

So lets start with the fact that I lost that beautiful hat below. Yes lost, gone, never to be seen again.

Me, being the genius that I am dropped it on the train. I sent pics to the lost and found, but they didn't have it. Of course they didn't, why would anyone return my beautifully handcrafted hat. Would they care that Entrelac is a serious challenge for me? Would they care that I really love that hat? Nooooooooooooooooooooo!

So instead of making the matching scarf, I will be making another hat {{sigh}}.

I decided to start Sesame sweater over. It's nothing like getting half way through a project, and realizing that you made it two sizes two small. I guess in my mind I was smaller. Well this will be my last long sleeve sweater until next year. As you can see, it's coming along.



It's funny how you improve your knitting skills over time, but it doesn't occur to you until you realized that you just used an advanced technique. Below are two big improvements for me.

Carrying yarn up the sides (less finishing, yay):



Russian Join (this is my next best friend, also being filed under less finishing).



As far as my spring project...I have several projects in my Ravelry queue. I've been eying this bag for some time now. This would be the perfect knitting bag. I'm thinking that I can do it with a solid/variegated combo. I'm also going to make a wristlet, b/c my company acts like they have stock in Air Conditioning. Nothing like stiff fingers, while you're attempting to type.

I did finish my other hat Belle. It is the cutest thing ever!

Can I tell you that I haven't finished my Cycling Aran. The only thing I have to do it bind off the neck, and sew the zipper. Isn't that sad? I don't know why I can't just get it over with already.

Anywho, have to go.

Back

I have totally abandoned my blog. It's just that all my free time goes to Ravely. That site is soo addictive. It has to be one of the best thing that has ever happened to knitting. I have to make some major changes to blog. I just realized that if you use internet explorer, you have to scroll all the way down to the bottom just to see the right hand column. I'm soo mad about that. I'm thinking of taking my site to another blogging environment. This is the second time that this happened. I fixed the issue before, after countless hours of sifting through tags in the templates. I know I could pay someone else to do it, but I'm a techie and really hate admitting defeat. Especially since I'm a Safari/Firefox user, who avoids IE like the plague.

Anywho, catch up time. I just finished my first entrelac project. Wait let me clarify, it wasn't my first attempt. It was my first finished entrelac project. For some reason, I can't get the process to click. So I basically wing it after the 2nd row. The directions always make sense until the second row. By the time I made it to the end of this hat, I was so making it up. I finished the hat in stockinette, and topped it with a pom pom to hide it. All in all it came out rather cute.
Now here's the kicker of all kickers. After spending 11 long days of hard work on this hat....I lost the damned thing a week later. Dropped it on the train. Do you know how mad I am right now. Nj Transit told me to check back b/c it take 3-4 business days for the lost and found items to make it to the hoboken station

Anywho, have to go now

Catch up time

Ok, it's time to play catch up. I will edit the post tomorrow with pics, but I'll give you all of the details tomorrow.

First things first! I somehow screwed up my page again. And I have no clue of what did it b/c I just realized when I attempted to open my page within IE. I usually pull up the blog via Firefox, and it looks just fine. What is that about anyway? If the code is off, how come it's only off for Internet Explorer? This really urks me to no end. So now I have to play 'where's waldo' looking for that one bracket that threw the whole dern page off. I may just pay to have someone look at it. I feel like such a failure as a techy, but my 'lazy' wins every time {{sigh}}.

Ok, I got a chance to go to Rhinebeck again this year. I saw some Ravelry folks, but couldn't go to the party b/c I did the bus ride thing up there. I had some much fun this time around. My friends ending up backing out on me, but by fate I hooked up with Deitre (a fellow knitter from the morning train ride). She told about the bus ride, so I didn't have to take the train myself. Yaaay me.

Anywho, I was in heaven. A bus full of knitters is the best. There's no strange looks. Someone isn't going out there way (meaning: seeing you with your ipod, and deep in concentration) to get your attention just to say 'what are you doing?' or my favorite 'you should make me a _______.' If you knit in a public, I'm sure you can fill in that blank. I don't want to sound like a snot, but to me that's the same as interrupting someone while there reading to say something dumb like...'that's a good book hunh?' That burns me, b/c I'm a reader the way I'm a knitter. I think there should be a general rule. IF THE IPOD IS ON, I AM NOT INTERESTED IN TALKING TO YOU! Nothing says introvert like having your head down, and music blasting in your ears. I can see if people wanted to have an actual conversation, then I'm all for it. But don't be an arse! It's really okay not saying anything, when you have nothing to say.

Sorry, had to pull out the soap box for a minute. Anywho, the ride up there was peaceful. I got a chance to work on the Cycling Aran. I've been working on this thing forever. Well not forever, but I kept loosing steam. The cable section was fast, and kept me busy. By the time I got to the sleeves, I was so over it. I'm 50% done w/ the 2nd sleeve now. Once that's done I will only have to do the neck band and sew that baby together. I'm in serious danger of running out of yarn; which is unusual for me. Luckily Accents On Knits has more. I can’t wait. There are so many projects I want to start, it’s ridiculous. My queue on & off ravelry is insanely long.

I got a chance to look at Twinkle’s Big City Knits. I absolutely love this book. Out of the whole book, I will have to say that there are only 2-3 patterns that I don’t want to make. And that’s not even a definite no, that’s just no for right now. Loves It! I managed to score some yarn for a couple of those patterns at Rhinebeck. I also, scored yarn for an entrelac stole that the lady at the booth designed. But I’m thinking that I rather make Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style or this. I’m not sure about my entrelac skills, but hell it’s worth a shot. So, will basically be knitting every chance I get.

Well not every chance I get b/c the night time belongs to my latest acquisition. I didn’t just by yarn (and really fatty food) at Rhinebeck. I managed to score…(drum roll please {{insert drum roll here}}) the Kromski Sonata. Yes, that’s right. I got a brand new Spinning Wheel. I feel like I’m on a game show. Tell her what she’s one. Haha, I’m kicking coffee for a bit. You have to bear with me. I absotively posolutely love my wheel. I managed to get started on my own. I downloaded some basic how to, but nothing out there explains why the yarn doesn’t feed onto the bobbin. I tried adjusting the break. I assume I’m adjusting the tension. Any thoughts, anyone? I think I’ll take it to Knit Knack to see if can get a quick lesson on getting started.

K, have to go now. Promise to have pics by the end of the week.

Over, and out.

Viese

It's been awhile...

Wow, it's been a while. I kind of fell off with the blogging thing. I read other blogs daily, but just didn't have the energy to update mine. And it's all due to LAZINESS! But that is okay, I'm back. I'll try to update more often now.

Lets play catch up, shall we. I just moved. I still live in Maplewood, but I moved around the corner. I'm back on my own. It's been hectic for the past month. I have absolutely no furniture. Which is kind of cool, b/c now I can pick all new stuff. It's coming along. I have to buy a new laptop, after I buy furniture. Everything will come together soon.

I'm knitting the Lovely Lace Socks from Interweave, I forget which season it's from. Here's a progress shot.



I'm resolving to actually finishing these before I start anything else. So far it's torture.

I signed up for Ravelry. Pretty cool website if you ask me. I haven't figured out how to get pics up there yet, but I will one of these days.

Oh, please be on the look out. Moving made me realize that I have......Oh it's just so hard to say.
{{sigh}} I HAVE TOO MUCH YARN! There I said it. It's bad when you have 3 over sized storage bins, and still have more yarn to pack. I'm not even talking neatly placed. We're talking stuffing to the point that the lid doesn't close. Which brings me to my point. I'm going to sell some of this stuff. I'm not quite sure how much of it I'm going to sell, but some of it must go.

K, gotta go.

Viese

I guess I'm a designer now

I's a designer now! (ala Color Purple).

Well I won't go as far as to say that I'm a full fledge designer, but I did design a cabled scarf for my friend Reema. She wanted to make a Cabled scarf for herself, and wasn't sure what to do. So I came up with a simple pattern with seed stitch border. I'm pretty proud of myself. It's a scarf but I did it from scratch. So here's the pattern if anyone wants. I did the wrote it out as well as charted.

Pattern: Reema's 'Leaving on the Next Plane' Scarf
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride
Instructions:
Abbreviations:
Sl = Slip
St(s) = Stitch(s)
Cn = Cable needle
CO = Cast On

C4f = Sl 2 sts to cn & hold in front, k next 2sts, then k 2sts from cn
C4b = Sl 2 sts to cn & hold in back, k next 2sts, then k 2sts from cn













Pattern:
CO: 26 sts
Row 1: *p,k* Repeat ** to the end of row
Row 2: *k,p* Repeat ** to the end of row
Row 3: p, k3, p8, k2, p8, k2, p, k
Row 4: k, p3, c4b, c4f, p2, c4b, c4f, p2, k, p
Row 5: p, k3, p8, k2, p8, k2, p, k
Row 6: k, p3, k8, p2, k8, p2, k, p
Row 7: p, k3, p8, k2, p8, k2, p, k
Row 8: k, p3, k8, p2, k8, p2, k, p

* Repeat rows 3-8 until desired length.

This will be in a link on the sidebar later. Oh, I have this pattern in a word doc for anyone that ones it. Just email me: altaviese@gmail.com

I don't have any progress pics, but will have some by the weekend. More like Sunday b/c I'm going to the Billion Dollar Babes event Saturday. So much for budgeting!

Later,

Al

Happy Halloween!

Happy Hday to all who celebrate it.



Okay, this spinning thing is not as easy as I thought it would be. I can get the yarn to twist, but I can't get the drop spindle to...spin. I twist it on my leg, but as soon as i let it go it turns in the opposite direction unwinding everything. Not quite sure what I'm doing wrong here. I'll have to watch the knitty gritty show again.

In other news, I have more pics to upload but blogger keeps timing out. Luckily, there's other options.

So I bring you Rhinebeck part deux:



Can you tell how much I bought?

Oh, I finally bought a swift and a yarn meter.


Now I will officially be able to sell some of the oddball yarn in my house.

And last but not least, here is the Tahki pattern I've been working on. It seems like it's taking forever!

A Basket Full of Firsts...

Ahh, the first time. The excitement, the anticipation, the feeling of conquering something for the first time.

Well over the past couple of weeks, I had...well, a basket full of firsts. Yay Me.

While working on my sock (my first sock), I managed to conquer the whole heel/gusset/instep thing flawlessly (so shocked). And here's the product of that:

I'm quite proud of myself for that one. Now to only finish the darn thing. And one day, get to the other one.

I received my first order from Hancock fabrics. Loving them right now.
So I get this wonderful box yesterday, and look at what's inside.....I had to stop working on my No-Sweat Pants b/c I ran out of yarn. Of course the Bella Vista colorway was discontinued. But after some serious searching, I found it at hancock fabrics. Yay them. So here's the pic of what I've accomplished so far with this pants.




It's coming along, I may have them done before the winter is over.

This oversized tomato was only 99 cents. Definitely a first. I thought I was only getting this small cushion box. When I opened the box i was so happy. I can put all kinds of stuff in that bad boy.










Nice right?

anyway, the ultimate first went down this past weekend.....Rhinebeck! It was a first definitely not the last. I met up with a Jee from SNB yahoo group, and we carpooled it up there. It was a great drive. The leaves had already turned, and it was gorgeous. I don't have many pics, b/c when I got the I lost my mind. I did manage stop and and check out the mini zoo.


Oh, another first.....I saw a Kangaroo up close and personal.Isn't he the cutest? It was pretty cool. There were Lemur monkeys, but all I could think of was Madagascar. 'I like to move it move it,' haha. See...
I was tried feeding goats. I'm sorry people, but having a goat tongue going across your hand has the be the nastiest feeling in the world. EWWW!

Now on to the good stuff:

I'm just going to post a couple, you guys can check out my flicr (look to the right) for additional pics. Nice

I spun my first bit of yarn. What do you think?

I also bought books, but I can't upload the pics b/c blogger sucks.

Gotta go, will post later