Mr. Greenjeans KAL --The Beginning

I'm immersed in my KAL for the Sleeves Off and Buttons On Ravelry Group. The project is Mr. Greenjeans, a top-down cardigan. This is the first time I've done a top-down sweater. I have no idea why I haven't done so before. It's way faster then bottom-up, is knit in one piece instead of several (meaning minimal finishing, which I hate doing), and best of all, I can try it on as I go along to make sure that it fits.

I'm also smitten with the yarn, Araucania Atacama. It's hand-dyed alpaca and knits up so nicely, I'm already dreaming of living in this sweater, even though I'll be finishing it at the hight of summer.

I was at first very doubtful that I'd actually finish this sweater by the end of July, but barring unseen circumstances, I think I'll make it. It's going quite fast so far. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I'm off of work till the 28th. Even with a baby, household work, internet distractions, etc., there's a lot more time to knit without the stinky old job interfering.

Can't wait to be able to post the finished project... Gotta get back to knitting!

Ants in His Pants

Here's another soaker made from Michelle's pattern. I designed the ant motif, which you can probably see best in the picture below. I can't decide if the ants are decipherable or not. Drew says they are. At any rate, I'm happy with how the soaker turned out. I tell you, I cannot get enough of knitting them lately.
And apparently, I can't get enough of taking lots of pictures of the finished project. Here's a bunch more, for your viewing pleasure:





And just a final word about wool in the summer. It seems like an odd thing to put on your child, but I tell you, they are way more breathable than plastic. I haven't conducted a scientific study, but it seems as though they don't trap as much heat in as plastic (either disposable or wraps over cloth). And they are way lower maintenance than you would imagine. We air them out between uses, but they never smell. Wool is amazing!

Schoolmarm Vest

Love it! Love it! Love it! But man, what an ordeal to get this thing finished. I had to rip back twice and it just seemed to take forever to finish (note to self: a large garment crocheted with a size D hook will not be a quick project). I think I'm a slower crocheter than I am a knitter, even though most people report the opposite to be true.

At any rate, it's done, as of today. And the weather was happy to cooperate with me as it was cool enough to wear it comfortably all day. Leave it to the Pacific Northwest to provide us with wool-friendly mid-summer days. It's a mixed blessing here, folks.

If you're reading this entry because you are about to begin this project, please note: I used the smaller hook only for this project. The pattern calls for getting gauge with the bigger hook, but this is inaccurate. The D is the only hook necessary for this project.

These are the leather buttons I found at the Rotary Auction last weekend. They were the perfect touch!
This is a great, close-fitting vest which will be perfect for work. Thankfully, today was the first day of my vacation, so I won't have the occasion to wear it in a work setting till the end of the month. I'm hoping to knit a lot during my time off, beginning with another soaker for the boy. And I'm really hoping to join the kal for the Sleeves On and Buttons Off Ravelry group this month. I am not a knit-along kind of gal as I am given to procrastination, but I'm trying to reform my ways. So I will try my best to finish Mr. Greenjeans by the end of the month. No promises though :)

SnB Reunion

Yesterday was my monthly Stitch n' Bitch (SnB), but it was no ordinary get-together. Our founding member, Heather, is visiting from South Korea, where she's been living for the past year. Another of our group, Sandra, will be heading off to join her there in just a few weeks. The six of us haven't all been together for a Stitch n' Bitch in over a year. Not only was it lovely to be with all of these wonderful friends (and a rare night out for me sans Silas), but the setting, the picturesque country home where Heather is house-sitting, was a perfect backdrop for our little shindig.

What a spectacular evening. Wish I could have stayed later, ladies!

slim pickins'

I usually look forward to the Rotary Auction because there is always a lot of great yarn. This year, however, was quite disappointing. I got a small selection of mystery yarn, including some handspun wool, but really, nothing too thrilling. The biggest find was probably the jar of gorgeous old leather buttons, three of which will go perfect on the schoolmarm vest I'm currently working on. Other than that, and a few nice things for the kiddo, the auction was a bit of a let down. Well, there's always next year.

Yarn Fairies Inc.

Dear anyone who will listen,

I quit my job today.
I have never felt freer.
And what's even better, the good people at Yarn Fairies Inc. have offered to pay a generous salary (with benefits of course) to knit full time!

Wow, I can't believe my luck! The stars must all be aligned for me!


Or maybe not. OK, I didn't quit my job, I just really REALLY wanted to. But since I really REALLY can't, I thought I'd pretend a bit in order to salvage the thin line connecting me to sanity at the moment.

Maybe Yarn Fairies Inc. will one day be a real company (paying knitters real money to knit!) rather than just a figment of my imagination. Women used to make an income that way, damn it! I say, the time has come again!

Sincerely,

Amber

a roll-neck giraffe sweater is born

This is the roll-neck giraffe sweater from soft + simple knits for little ones by Heidi Boyd. It's a very easy pattern and knit up fast. The gauge and schematic measurements were a bit off in the pattern, but because I tend to knit tightly, it actually worked out for the best. Fits him now, but should fit him into the winter. I am loving how it looks on him and as it's a cotton blend, it's perfect for our chilly northwest summer mornings. Wouldn't you know it, though: The long string of 50 degree overcast weather we've been having since, well, January, ended the very day I finished this sweater.

I used the yarn called for in the pattern, which is Berroco Love It, a cotton, acrylic, poly blend. It makes a comfy sweater, to be sure, but I'm a little out of love with working with synthetic yarns. Sigh. It's not your fault ,Berroco Love It. You can't help what you're made from. It's me, not you. I am a hippie at heart, but you wouldn't have known that when I purchased you with my credit card and high speed internet connection. You could never have guessed that I wished you were really 100% organic cotton colored with natural plant dyes in a facility running on power produced from windmills.

Anyways, our affair was fun while it lasted, and the giraffe sweater you helped make totally rocks. I won't forget you!

World Wide Knit In Public Day

Today is World Wide Knit In Public Day. As I'm going solo most of the day with my 15 month old while Drew is in Seattle, I probably won't get much of an opportunity to participate. Maybe next year. For now, I just wanted to give a shout-out to all of my knitting comrades. Knit on!

Tag, you're it!

I just got tagged by Michelle. I've seen this whole tagging thing on a bunch of blogs lately and the funny thing is, just yesterday I wondered if anyone would ever tag me. Nah, probably not, I thought.

So, for those of you who read the last several lines and have no idea what I'm talking about, here are the rules for a tagged blogger (a tagee?) to follow:

The tagee answers the following questions about herself. The tagee then tags 5-6 other people and lets them know they’ve been tagged. When you post your answers, let the person who tagged you know.

So, let's get started:
1. What was I doing 10 years ago?

In June of 1998, I had just finished my junior year of college. I was double majoring in Anthropology and Comparative Religions. I was also practicing Tibetan Buddhist meditation and was working for my awesome Buddhist teacher and Tibetan translator, Dr. Robin Kornman. My job description was quite varied, with duties that included gardening, housekeeping, editing, errand-running, and making the house ascetically pleasing so that dralas (Tibetan spirits) felt like they could land on objects around the house during translation session (no, I'm not joking).


2. What 5 things are on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order)?
1. Quit my job so that I can knit full time (not gonna happen, but who ever gets through everything on their to-do list, anyways).

2. Win a billion dollars so that I can afford to quit my job and knit full time (this might happen, anything is possible).

3. Get through the intarsia part of the giraffe sweater I'm knitting for my kiddo (this might happen, the night is young).

4. Wash a load of diapers (already done! cross one thing off of my list!)

5. Snuggle up in bed between my husband and son (on my to-do list everyday, because it is just so doable).

3. What snacks do I enjoy?
I'm addicted to these Greens+ protein bars. The ones with peanut butter and chocolate are so amazing, but they're really expensive, so I'm trying to cut back. My excuse for consuming them in bulk quantity is that I'm a nursing mom and a vegetarian, so I have to get my protein and calories somehow, right?
I am also a big fan of kettle chips and these little organic truffles that come in a green box that I'm sure are meant to be shared amongst a group of people, rather than eaten just by me.

4. What would I do if I was a billionaire?
That's so funny, because becoming a billionaire was on my to-do list today! What a coincidence. I'm glad this question was included, because now I can figure out my plans before the high of winning all that money overwhelms my ability to distinguish right from wrong.

I've actually thought of this before, which is why Michelle's response to this question made me smile. It is exactly my plan too, believe it or not. I want to build a totally green off the grid house for my family and give money for my friends to do the same as well. I'd probably have one more child and maybe adopt another one as well. I'd also make my stash completely organic/fair trade. I've been thinking lately about yarn made from who knows what by people making who knows how much money, using who knows what chemicals and dyes. And think of the sheep, won't anyone think of the sheep? I think there definitely needs to be a greater variety of organic yarns, so since I have a billion dollars, I might as well design many many new ones.

There are a lot of charities and causes out there and I'd probably give to several that I really feel closely aligned to--environmental, anti-war, literacy, orphans, puppies. You know. Fight the good fight (pacifistic fighting, that is).

Oh, yeah, and it probably goes without saying, but, I'd quit my job so that I can knit full time.

5. Where have I lived?
I was born and raised on the west side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My parents still live in the same house, in fact. I moved all the way over to the east side of Milwaukee and lived in various locations near the University during undergrad and grad school. In 2003, I accepted a job in Silverdale, Washington over the phone, and sight unseen, my husband and I decided to jump ship and head west. We've been renting a sweet little house on Bainbridge Island ever since.
In addition, I often live inside my head. I keep a beach house there.

I guess I should follow the rules and tag other people. It makes me feel a bit like I'm sending chain mail, but that's part of the fun, right. So, I'm tagging the following people who probably don't want to be tagged. Maybe the billion dollars I'm going to win today can help persuade them to respond. The new tagees are: Beth, Jessica R, Jessi L, Amelia, and Alias Polar Bear. Have fun, kids.

Thus it begins

This is shaping up to be a super easy sweater. I'll be starting the intarsia section soon, but it doesn't look too daunting. This is a good project for me right now. I'm feeling the need to de-stress after the kiddo's in bed with some no-brainer knitting. In fact, I had a crappy day at work, and I'm so desperate to forget about it that I turned on the tv and am watching Nashville Star. It's horrible. Truly. It's one of those shows you watch with someone similarly-minded so that you can make fun of it together. My husband just asked "what happened to real country?" but that's like watching American Idol and asking what happened to real rock. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day at work and I won't feel the need to purge brain cells by watching reality tv while I knit. But wait, isn't that talent show with Jerry Springer on on Tuesdays?

Finally!

Silas played Vanna White for me this afternoon, showing off my newly arrived yarn. What a great day! Both my Webs and my Knitpicks orders arrived--FINALLY. I don't have the time to list off every single yarn and it's intended purpose right now, but I can tell you that there's enough yarn for 2 sweaters for Silas, a vest for me, 2 pairs of socks, and several soakers and longies. I am set (for a while)! Now all I need is 3 extra hours in my day or the ability to knit in my sleep.

First up on my queue--a roll-neck sweater with an intarsia giraffe for Silas made with Berroco Love it.

While I wait for my yarn to arrive...

...I am working on a Scarf for Beatrix, which is a knit along through the Belle of the Ball Podcast.

I've made progress on this since this picture was taken, but I still have well over half to go, so it's not zooming by. Still, it is an easy lace project and is turning out to be quite pretty.

I got this cone of mystery yarn from someone in the local library knitting circle I used to attend pre-baby. She didn't like it, apparently. I was uncertain about using it. I wasn't sure how the variation in color would work with the lace pattern, but I'm pretty pleased with it, so far. I originally started the project with a black fingering weight wool yarn, but I soon abandoned it. I couldn't see the pattern at all with the dark color, plus, it was a hot day and I couldn't stand the feel of wool on my hands.

I'm looking forward to seeing this project completed, but I'll probably work on it in between some other projects. Don't know yet if I'll keep it or give it away as a gift. We'll see...

I might have bought some yarn this weekend

I could resist Web's Annual Sale no longer.

Atari Toddler Space Invader Soaker

This is the Pea Patch Diaper Wrap pattern, size XL. I decided to add a few space invaders, courtesy of the bmp sock pattern from knitty. The sock pattern also has a chart for the little shooter that you use in the video game to stop the alien onslaught. I thought about adding that as well, but it would have been placed right on his butt and I think it would have been, well, let's just say that he has enough shooting out of there.

The two shades of gray are made from our sheep's wool. Thankfully, these are large on Silas, so they should fit for a while to come.

BREAKING NEWS! The knitbook featured in podcast

I'm so excited! My humble, little blog was featured in this week's Belle of the Ball Podcast. Thanks, Michelle, for recommending it, and thanks to the Belle of the Ball Podcast for featuring it. Be sure to check it out! It's a great knitting podcast out of Graham Washington that I've been listening to for a few months now.