sidetracked...

so, remember those plans i had to start the shrug out of my shine sport? well, some yarn came in that i ordered for the oblique sweater! and it came along with some harmony needles so i just had to try them out! thus began the oblique. and let me tell ya, it's a doozy! not only am i following a pattern very closely, i have 5 different sections going on at the same time that i have to pay attention to! ahhh! this is a recipe for disaster. i've only had to rip back a few times...my yo's were getting a little crazy. but i think it is turning out really nicely, and i really like the yarn. i always think wool of the andes will be alot itchier than it really is. it's pretty soft, and i'm sure it will be very warm.

and the harmony needles...ooooooooh the harmony needles. i love them! not only are they pretty, but they are smooooooooth! i chose sapphire heather after staring at the colors for the better part of an afternoon. i knew i didn't want to do black, but it's so weird, i don't really know what colors i like. i'm not sure how that's possible. if i had to choose a favorite it would be black...but i don't know if that counts. it's the new york in me, i swear! so anywhos, i went with blue, and i think its bright and pretty. here's a peak:



in other news, i got a surprise present from my bf! i showed him some things i liked on etsy awhile ago and he remembered and bought me a ring. i love it! its made with real butterfly wings (that died of natural causes!!!)...and you know i love big jewelry, so i'm in love...



and don't mind me! i always look like i just woke up! :)

happy friday. <3

(5)2 books in 52 weeks...

knitting has totally taken every free moment i have, even the ones that used to belong to reading! oh how i miss reading. i have been practicing my 'knitting without looking' skills and i am getting much better! i even bought a little thing that holds my book open for me, love it! so i'm hoping with these powers combined.....i shall become a knitting/reading fool. i recently joined the '52 books in 52 weeks' group on ravelry for some motivation. i think i'd be more of a 25 books in 52 weeks, if i really get in gear!

so i went to the library (paid my $10 late fee, oops) and checked out this bad boy:



Hurry Down Sunshine, by Michael Greenberg

i'm reading during some 'down time' at work.....don't tell. i'm only 20 pages in, and so far i know it is about the mental breakdown of the author's young daughter...we'll see how it goes! and we'll see how many rows i have to rip back by knitting and reading ;)

oscar knitting injuries

last night i got to enjoy the oscars, i was really excited to seem them, even though i didn't see one nominated movie all the way through. oh well! i had my knitting all ready to go, and i think i sprained my ring finger or something, it's killin' me! it hurts from the knuckle all the way down the back of my hand. but i knit on, i'm such a warrior. ;) my favorite part of course was the red carpet, in case you missed it here are a few of my favs of the night...

Penelope Cruz, wearing a dress twice her age, love it!


Natalie Portman, i'm usually not a pink fan, but this looks amazing on her.


Miley Cyrus, she may only be 10 years old, but she can pick a dress! it look to weight about as much as her...


Freida Pinto...lovely color


Emile Hirsch, best accessory of the night, his white knot.


and the eeeeeeeeek! moments of the night:

Amanda Seyfried, oh noes, those bows!!!!!


Beyonce, i think she's usually a hot mess, so this isn't so bad.


Heidi, too futuresque.


Jessica Biel, not flattering, looks like an apron!


ok, that's enough of me being judgeymcjudgerson over here.....knitting to come soon!

dove love

yay it's friday! not much planned for the weekend just lots of knitting....and no more chocolate! i'm not even a big chocolate person, but i've been eating it like its going out of style since valentine's day. as a result of my chocolate consumption i leave you with this little gem...



i just checked my email and found this litte surprise:

Your Knit Picks order shipped 02/20/2009!

even they seem surprised! lol. i ordered on wednesday, now THAT'S better. last time i ordered on a sunday they shipped it out the next friday...no joke! they heard my cries! hehe

sweet relief!

i have this horrible habit of ordering yarn and then when it arrives i have NO idea what project it was intended for. o.m.g. i received 6 skeins of shine sport in harbor about a month ago, and it is lovely. but first of all, i can't remember the last time i have knit with sport weight, and about 600 yards of it?! oh my. so it's been sitting there, staring back at me, and i have finally remembered what it was for, weeeeee!

i had some BIG plans for that yarn! well, not really...it's for a shurg, the shoulderette shrug to be exact. and i am glad that i am documenting that fact here and now, because you know i'll forget! ;)

i love the versions i've seen on ravelry that are drapey, very cute. i'm itching to cast-on, i think because i just finished two smaller projects, and let's face it, i always want to cast-on. i finished that scarf/hood/thing, and another itty bitty project that has yet to be revealed! *wink face*

the shoulderette will be the mini version of the pimlico shrug i am working on, which is taking its sweet time. i think i'll cast-on tonight at knitting! and tonight is sarah's baby shower! so, yay. :)

pics to come later!..........

the payoff

so, the heelhead scarf is dunzo! weeeee! and i must say, it's not half bad, but i don't think it was worth the heartache. i'm a sucker for a hood though. i hope that the recipient likes it, the hood is pretty big, but i like things nice and slouchy.

now i get to work on my pimlico shrug, the body is about half done, and then onto 10 inches of ribbing along the outside, which is about 300 sts. (oy.)

and i get to work on my knitting of choice, the log cabin blanket! yay!

here's a peek at the scarf:

scarf from H-E-double hockey sticks

yeah...you know what i'm talkin' about! i am knitting the scarf from hades!!!! it is such a nightmare, after my dad's christmas scarf i thought i was going to put scarves behind me! but oh no, i had to be lured in by someone offering $. aahhhhh! i am such a sucker for the almighty dollar. anywhos, i am knitting the heelhead scarf for a friend's wife, it's basically just a scarf with a hood. sounds simple enough...but i have had to rip back at least 3 times. i think its because i went from my nice, easy, soothing garter stitch blanket, to having to pay attention and count every single row. i have 5 blocks done on the moderne log blanket, and am on my 'june' block. but i set it aside to get this scarf done...even though we are entering some nice weather (hopefully!).

well here is the scarf in question...if you see it on the streets, watch out. i mean, just look at those horns! and that arrow....aka tail, hehehehe.

to-do lists gone wild

so you know how yesterday i mentioned i already started knitting my mom's christmas present? i forgot to mention i have already started a list of what i want to knit everyone (immediate family & friends) for christmas AND birthdays this year. i have an (un)healthy obsession with to-do/to-knit lists. i have started writing down ideas for projects and yarns that i would like to use. now, don't let this fool you, i have never done this before. i'm usually trying to bust something out two days before christmas, but this year will be different! (uh huh.) so here is what i have in mind so far:

christmas
mom-moderne log cabin blanket. started!

dad-blanket?

alex(brother)-scarf/hat

adam(brother)-guitar strap

bf's mom-?

bf's dad-log cabin socks

grandma-hemlock ring blanket

grandpa-felted clogs

birthdays
dad-felted clogs

bestfriend-hemlock ring blanket

grandpa-log cabin socks

grandma-felted clogs

alex-blanket?

adam-blanket?

so that's a pretty rough idea...and you can see the trouble i am trying to get myself into. ;) i'll update this as i go! but this list is me shooting for the stars! wahoo! and here's a preview of what my mom's blanket will look like...kind of... :)

head start!

happy new year! kind of late, but better late than never! believe it or not, i have begun to knit for christmas next year. that's right folks....i am knitting 11 months in advance. i decided to make my mom the moderne log cabin blanket, and if i only wanted to do a block a month i would have it done around october, and in plenty o' time for christmas. well i am already on to the may block because i have fallen head over heels in love with garter stitch. i thought the pattern would be pretty boring, but it is my favorite thing to knit on! the color changes keep it interesting, and i already have ideas for making myself one.

i'm using cotton-ease, and i really, really like it. i wanted to do something machine washable, because you KNOW my mom will throw it in there even if i tell her not to. so i figure i should play it safe. if she felted my blanket into a washcloth i would have her head. :) so anywhos! its been all blanket all the time over here. i started it about a week and a half ago and here is the progress so far....p.s i love that you can use the blanket whilst knitting it, perfection!