Hello and goodbye

Just a really quick post to let you know what I'm working on these days. I mean, really, how long has it been since I posted an FO, or a WIP? A while.

We're off on a little vacation for a week, so hopefully I'll have something to show for myself when we get back. I foresee lots of knitting time! And maybe even some dye experiments...

(Just a warning. The pictures that follow are horrible. It's a cloudy day, and I'm taking pictures while packing. I'm just sayin...)

So, first off, I have finished the first sock for my Sockapalooza 4 pal.

She requested shorter socks, so I knit only two repeats of Chart A instead of three. Oh, right and the pattern is Pomatomus, knit in Artyarns Ultramerino 4 color 110.

I'm also doing MS3, but am falling a bit behind. Clue 3 was posted yesterday, and I'm about 10 rows into Clue 2.

Mmm... blobby, mushy, unblocked lace. Fabulous. I am using Ornaghi Filati Merino Oro color 731. I decided against beads.

The buttons FINALLY got sewn on my Pudorosa, but the man is out of the house today. So no modeled pictures this time.

I attempted to take a picture of myself in the still almost complete Orangina, but I won't torture you. I only have a couple more inches of ribbing, so hopefully it'll be finished soon.

I am taking yarn with me to start on Joy, and I might need your help on the bead dilemma. Again, I will hope for progress soon.

Be good, have fun and I will talk to you in a week!

Pudorosa pattern!!

I just received the ok to post the pattern for Pudorosa from Tejemanejes.

Click here for the pattern!
ETA 8/17: The link was broken for a short while. Hopefully we won't have any further problems.
ETA 8/21: Well, that didn't help. Let's try again!
Please contact me if there are any issues. Thanks!!

The pattern is in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format. Adobe Reader can be downloaded for free from http://www.adobe.com/.

Pudorosa means "modest," which I think is a perfect name for this little neck warmer. It's a super quick knit. I used some Prime Alpaca left over from the Swallowtail Shawl, and some black buttons I found in my stash. I hope to have pictures soon.

Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, etc. about the pattern. This was my first attempt at translating a knitting pattern, so it may need some polishing. I tried to do a straight translation, without any "tech editing," but I did end up modifying the way the instructions were given a couple of times, for the sake of clarity. I didn't change the actual stitch pattern or anything though.

I hope you enjoy it!

Catching up...

Hi, it's me. Remember me? I'm still around.
There has been knitting, but I have no photographic proof. So, I'm just going to ramble.

You know that theory that everyone has a twin? Like a doppelganger, but without the evil? I think I've found mine. I have no idea what she looks like, but Larissa of Meathead fame is my twin. In fact, I think we might be the same person.

Why?

Well, first off, we have the same name. And when I say same, I mean both first and last.
We are both married to men with the initals M.J.B.
She works for a library foundation, and I will work for a library someday.
We were both born in May.
We both live on the west coast. She lives in a city I've never been to, but one that I imagine myself moving to someday.
And, duh, we both knit. And blog about it.

I'm still a little shocked about this.

Do you have a "twin"?

In other news, I have made a lovely English translation of this little neck warmer pattern from Tejemanejes, a new Spanish-language Knitty type magazine. I am waiting for their permission to post it. I know they have a Creative Commons license, but I just want to make sure. Better safe than sorry and all that. Hopefully I will get the ok in the next few days.

And, I know this is going to shock all of you who commented on my last post, but I'm going to start swatching for Joy as soon as Orangina is finished. So close.
I've decided to participate in MS3, so that should take care of my lace yearnings for a while.

ETA: Ali's having a contest. Go check it out!!

What next?

I have all these projects floating around in my head, and I can't decide which to do first.

So your task, should you choose to accept it, is to leave a comment telling me which of the following you think I should do next.

After I finish Orangina... of course...

First is Joy from Vintage Style. The yarn will be Rowanspun 4-ply in Sludge.



Next, is Frost Flowers & Leaves from A Gathering of Lace. The yarn is Jagger Spun Zephyr in Sage.


Then, the Scarf (with edging 21 and insertion 25... whatever that is) from Victorian Lace Today in Schaffer Anne.


And finally, the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from Interweave Knits Spring 07. The yarn is Rowan Calmer in Khaki.


Ok, which strikes your fancy? I'd love to know! And feel free to say why if you so desire.
Thanks!

Ms. Marigold

Behold, Ms. Marigold!

I know I say this about everything I knit, but this was a really fun little project. The yarn is delicious; a little splitty, but it's delicious nonetheless.

Pattern: Ms. Marigold from ZephyrStyle

Yarn: About 4 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed Color 005 (Pink Beige)

Needles: Size 5 Denise circs, Size 3 Inox circs.

Mods: I didn't do the ruffle... It's just not me. Instead, I picked up and knit three rows in k2, p2 ribbing.

Comments: I love the construction of this piece. Reading the directions before I cast on was very confusing. I couldn't see how it was going to work. But I kept the faith and blindly did what it told me, and it all worked out.

Like Leah was saying just yesterday, a stitch count would be nice. Since it's not provided, I had to do some simple math to make sure everything would work out. I ended up increasing the body by two stitches just below the waist so the ribbing at the bottom would work.

I also had to do some math to make sure the ribbing around the V-neck and the arm holes would come out even. I wanted the ribs at the bottom of the V to both be knit stitches, so I needed a multiple of 4+2. I had to do a little fussing to make it work, but I'm really pleased with the way it turned out.

Most important to me was getting the V to join in the right place. Not too high and not too low. I have seen some examples of both around the blogosphere/flickr/ravelry. I knew that this was a crucial factor in the wearability equation. Luckily, this pattern allows for trying on midway, so I think I got it pretty close to where I wanted it.

All in all, awesomely wearable in this warm weather we're having!

Ok, up next. I'm going to re-re-re-resurrect Orangina. I only have about 3 inches of ribbing left but I. Just. Can't. Finish. It. Arg!

Then, some Sockapalooza socks, and you'll get to help me decide what else. Stay tuned!

P.S. Thanks for all your kind words of congratulation for the Man. You are too sweet!

Long weekend - in pictures

I'm still here... Ravelry will be the end of my knitting and my blogging. Crazy addicting.

On Saturday, the man did this:

While I looked on from here:

and worked on this:

(Picture was taken yesterday morning. There's lots more now.)
What is that shapeless blob?, you ask. Well, it's Ms. Marigold in Elsebeth Lavold Silky Tweed color 005 (a la NotFunky). The yarn was on sale. I couldn't resist.
This has to be the quickest knit ever. I cast on Thursday evening, and am zooming right along. (Are those famous last words or what? We shall see.)

WINNER!!!

Vanessa is the winner of a skein of lovely Lemongrass!



Thanks everyone for playing!!



Now, some stats, just in case anyone's curious:
I had 19 people enter. I eliminated any second comments left by someone who had already been entered.
I used this random number generator to draw the winner's number.
I had 11 requests for Jade, 4 for Lemongrass and 4 for G-Rocks.




I think this will have to become an annual event. Come back and play again next year!!

And now for something completely random...

I have been tagged by both Christy and Kellie for the 7 Random Things Meme.

So here goes. Quick, before I get tagged again!

(Oh, wait, here are the rules: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and need to read your blog.)

Ok, ready?

1. I don't own a TV. Wait. Let me rephrase - I have never owned a TV. My mother hasn't owned a TV for as long as I've been alive. But I love watching TV shows on Netflix. We watch DVDs on our computer, and we have a portable DVD player.
Yeah, so, all those small talk conversations at work about that one episode of CSI, or what happened on American Idol last night? Way over my head.

2. I went to college way over on the other side of the country, only to find out once I got there that I have lots of family connections to my alma mater. My great-grandmother graduated from the same college in 1902 (exactly 100 years before me). Her father, uncle and younger sister all went there, and her father taught Romance and Germanic Languages there.
Now I know why it felt like home when I first visited. Kinda creepy.

3. I was a Romance Languages major. (Is this freaking you out yet?) I had planned on majoring in International Business, but they wouldn't let me specialize in more than one region. So I developed my own major, and took all kinds of crazy classes in French, Spanish, Italian and Latin. (Oh, and I once found a book in the library with a bookplace saying it was donated by my great-great-uncle.)

4. When I was born, my parents had a 40 acre sheep ranch. We moved away when I was 5, so I don't really remember it. But now? It sounds like heaven!! All that wool? Fabulous.

5. I think my parents are the coolest.
My dad is the funniest, most level-headed and most fun-to-be-around guy that you will ever meet (in my humble and not at all biased opinion). He would do anything for his family and does it without expecting anything in return.
And my mom is the most creative and hard working mom in the world. She is a glass-blower, olive-grower, knitter and mom extraordinaire! She and my step-dad totally landscaped their backyard for our wedding, and are have 4 more weddings scheduled for this year.
She will be getting hand-knit socks for the rest of her life for that one!

6. In both high school and college I was a pole-vaulter on the track team. I was never very good, but I had a lot of fun.

7. I tore one of my ACLs pole vaulting in college. And I tore the other one skiing in high school. If you can avoid it, don't do that. It really hurts. And the surgery to fix it? Not so much fun either.

Ok, so I am tagging Ariel, Stacey, Jena, Kathy, Susi, Amy, and anybody else who wants to be tagged. (Don't feel obligated!)

ETA: Oops, I guess I should have looked at who Christy tagged. Sorry ladies :)

It's not too late to enter the contest! Comments entered before tomorrow night (Saturday 5/19) at midnight will be considered. Good luck!

EXTRA! EXTRA!!

The very merry un-birthday un-blogiversary contest has finally arrived.

The prizes came in today's mail, so the contest will begin!!!

Up for grabs are one skein each of Socks That Rock Lightweight in Lemongrass, G-Rocks, and Jade.

Simply leave a comment by 12:01am on Sunday, May 20th letting me know which colorway you choose! I will choose and announce the winner's name on Sunday.

Mmm... Lemongrass

Yummy... G-Rocks

Delicious... Jade.

Isn't it hard to choose??

Come one, come all. And good luck!

One year older...

Thank you all for the birthday and blogiversary wishes. It really means a lot to have such a large community of like minded people surrounding my little place in the internet. You are all wonderful. Thank you for being here.

I spent a nice, long weekend with my family. We spent my birthday and Mother's Day together, and watched my graduation online. Even though I couldn't be there "for reals" it was nice to hear my name.

This was the first birthday that was difficult for me to celebrate. Maybe it's just part of getting older, but I didn't want it to come this year. Time seems to be speeding up, and passing me by. How can I be in my late 20's already? How can my 5 year college reunion be this summer? and my 10 year high school reunion next summer? Many cousins and friends are having children (all boys - what's up with that?), buying houses, settling down. It seems a little late at this point, but can I please stop growing up?

Oh well. Nothing I can do... At least my family approves of my knitting habit. See here for proof.


As I mentioned a few posts back, I made Roza's Socks for my mom for Mother's Day (Here is the Ravelry link for those with acocunts).

These were a really fun little project. I had to fly through the project to get them done in time.

Taking inspiration from Christy, I made a star toe (found here) instead of the toe called for in the pattern. What a relief! No kitchener! Love it.

ETA: Oh yeah, the pattern specs. Duh.

Pattern: Roza's Socks by Grumperina from Interweave Spring '06
Yarn: 1 sk. Sundara Sock yarn in Lenten Rose (Petals Collection colorway)
Needles: Size 1 Susan Bates dpns
Mods: Just the star toe.

I haven't forgotten about the contest. More info will be forthcoming as soon as the prizes arrive!

Blogiversary!!

Oh my gosh. Today is my blogiversary and I almost forgot! I have been so preoccupied with an event happening tomorrow (more on that at a later date, maybe) that I haven't been paying attention.

So, that, and Saturday is my birthday (and Nova's too!).

There's so much going on that I think we need a contest!! Don't you?

I am taking a few days off of work, and going out of town. So while I'm gone, get your contest-winning hats out, and come back next week for the big prize reveal and entry guidelines.

Have a great rest of your week, a great weekend and Mother's Day! Talk to you soon.

Sockapalooza 4

Oh yes, I am one of the ONE THOUSAND crazy knitters who signed up for Sockapalooza 4.

I have my pal's info, and purchased some awesome yarn for her socks. She asked for pink, and boy is she going to get it! Now to find a pattern...
I have been looking at Monkey, Charade, maybe Jaywalkers, or maybe something toe-up... I have emailed her to see her preferences, but do you have any suggestions?

I know my pal has my info because I saw a referral from Alison's database on my sitemeter... I am so tricky.

(Oh, and if you're keeping track, yes, I did break my stash diet to buy pink sock yarn. So there!)

I *heart* Koigu

My how times flies. We are in the process of switching ISPs at home, and it has taken me this long to take pictures of my Chevy and then get them on my flash drive and bring it to *gasp* work with me (sh!!!) to post this. I hope we get our Internets back up soon.

In the mean time, I have finished my Chevron Scarf. I love the colors even more now that it's finished. I can wear it every day because it goes with everything.

I can wear it with a caramel colored sweater.
I can wear it with my black coat.

I can wear it with my favorite blue velvet jacket.

Fabulous! Love it. I'm so glad this became a 'fad' in the knitblog world, because otherwise I probably would never have made it.

Ok, specs:

Pattern - Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts

Yarn - Koigu KPPPM in colors P506 and P436. A little over a skein each.

Needles - Crystal Palace Daisy straights - Size 5

I am working on a few projects. My April UFO resurrection is Orangina, of which you've already seen a little black bit. The ribbing is slogging along, so I'll be finished soon.

My mom has asked for socks for Mother's Day, so I started Roza's Socks for her. First in the Tofutsies my SP sent me, but the gauge was all off, so I started again last night in Sundara's Lenten Rose from the Petals Collection. Hopefully this will go better.

Altogether, lots of 3x3 ribbing. Lovely.

Since I don't have more knitting pictures, I'll show you some from a little hike to Bernal Hill we took a few weekends ago.

What a lovely view. The only problem with it is that I can see my office building. Not so nice on the weekends!

There was a guy flying the hugest kite. Hard to tell in the picture, but it's about 8 feet tall.

Until next time - have a great day!

ARRRR!

So, a pirate walks into a bar, and the bartender notices something strange about him. The pirate asks the bartender for a drink, and the bartender says, "Um... Mr. Pirate, sir, is that a steering wheel in your pants?"
And the pirate says... (wait for it...) "Aye, and it's drivin' me nuts."

Ok, one more... What's a pirate's favorite restaurant? ARRRRby's!

I think you probably know by now what this is leading up to, and don't think I'm launching a career in stand-up...

Aye, maties, it's an FO!



Pattern: We Call Them Pirates, free from Hello Yarn
Yarn: Random acrylic blend from the stash, and Rowan Calmer for the lining
Needles: Size 3 bamboo
Mods: I made the lining only about 1" instead of the 2.25" length designated in the pattern. It fits just perfectly this way, instead of being a smidge too tight.

Overall, this is a great project. I feel like I learned a lot about fair isle, and my gauge is much more even on this than on the Endpaper Mitts.

I am officially a two handed fair isler. I just can't get the hang of holding both colors in one hand.

Now that it's complete, I realize I must have changed the dominant color in the middle, and then changed back. It's hard to see in the right side, but I can definitely see it in the guts. Do you see it? In the middle skulls, the white was being carried over the black, and on the top and bottom ones, the black was carried over the white.


I'm sure it's one of those things only knitters notice.

Once I got my momentum, I really had fun with this. I finished it about a week ago, and the Man has been wearing it constantly ever since. I'm so glad he likes it!

Book Meme!!

Look at the list of (100) books below.
Bold the ones you’ve read.
Italicize the ones you want to read.
Leave blank the ones that you aren’t interested in.
Movies don’t count.

Stolen from Sarah at Bella Knitting.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry) - I hadn't heard of this one, but it looks good!
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving) -I have this one, just haven't read it yet
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25 . Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie(Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. Bible - I've read parts of it, but not the whole thing
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) - I have this one, just need to get to it
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) - I think Atlas Shrugged was enough for me!
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davies)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez) - I tried this and couldn't do it - I think it's time to try again!
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

Excuse me for being so brief, but I have some reading to do...

UFO #3

Well, here we are again. End of the month, time for a UFO!

You saw a sneak of this earlier in the month, but I didn't tell you what it was. (*ahem* emphasis on was)

It's the super lacy Tiger Eyes sock from Socks! Socks! Socks!. This is about as far as they got. I can't put my finger on it, but the pattern just wasn't doing it for me.

The yarn is Lenten Rose from Sundara's Petal Collection. It's a beautiful dusty purple. I must find a more appropriate pattern. I'm thinking maybe Roza's Socks; Grumperina's addition to the Spring Interweave. We shall see.

Oh yes, and you might have noticed the little ticker on the sidebar. It's true. A yarn diet. Yikes. It will end right around our first wedding anniversary. What a way to celebrate!

Scarf crazy

Happy Monday!

Back to work after a very productive knitterly weekend. First, the man and I went to Oakland to visit Article Pract. You may remember that Kathy (my SP9 spoiler) sent me a gift certificate way back when. I had never been there before, and the man couldn't pass up an east bay adventure, so Saturday morning we headed over to check it out. What a fabulous little store!
I bought Koigu for the Chevron Scarf (everybody's doing it!), and had the man pick some yarn for the lining of his Pirate hat. I was really impressed by his choice. Set loose in a yarn store packed to the gills with suitable choices and what does he pick? Rowan Calmer! Is good taste in yarn inherent? or has he just been hanging around me and my stash for too long?
I also chose some Crystal Palace Daisy needles for my scarf. I hardly ever knit with straights, but they were purple. How could I resist?
After our shopping spree, we needed some sustenance. Vanessa had recommended the pizza place next door to Article Pract, but they weren't open. We found a deli across the street which was fabulous! Quite a line, but worth the wait.

When we got home, I immediately jumped in and did this. I love the way the colors are coming together.

This is Koigu KPPPM P508 and P436.

ETA: How about some better pictures of this beauty?

In the past week I also whipped up a So-Called Scarf. I knit it up with 2 skeins of Malabrigo Worsted in Jewel Blue and size 11 Denise needles. What a fun pattern! It's really easy to memorize, but creates a fabulous texture.



Of course, now that it's spring I decide to knit scarves. Go figure.

On sewing

Seeing all these knit-bloggers show off their sewing projects (you know, like her, and her, and her, and her, and her, and... ok I'll stop) has lately given me new naughty urges. Not that I don't already have enough going on. Ahem.

Anyway, sewing is not a new-to-me craft. Although I don't think I've mentioned it previously, sewing was actually my first love. I learned to sew at around, oh, probably 7 years old, on my mom's Bernina 830. I received one just like it as a high school graduation present. Living in a tiny apartment in the city, however, is not terribly conducive to creating luxurious and laborious sewn garments. I would have to tell the man, "Eat your dinner on the couch! The dinner table is covered in fabric, and I can't have you getting crumbs on my masterpiece!" which is ok every once in a while, but not good for an obsession. He puts up with yarn in every available nook and cranny, but would definitely object to a sewing machine taking up permanent residence on the dining table.



So, last weekend, while he was out of town, I gathered my supplies and did this.

While far from complete, this is Amy Butler's Weekender Travel Bag pattern in her fabrics from the Forest collection.

It was such a joy to drag my machine out of the closet, fire up my iron and get this much done. I hadn't realized just how different these crafts are, and how much I enjoy both for different reasons.

Sewing, for example, seems so definite, so final. You cut out your pattern (!!!) and there's no going back. Cut it too small? Tough - go buy more fabric. With knitting you can usually just give a swift tug on the working end of your yarn and undo all kinds of mistakes. Or just throw your piece off a tall building and watch it unravel itself. You know you've wanted to at least once. Try doing that with a sewing machine and see what happens. (No, don't. I was kidding).

Besides that, sewing is dangerous! You use a heavy machine that can easily poke holes in your fingers, a hot iron, and sharp pins. Even the pointiest metal dpns have nothing on the dangers of sewing.

Anyway, the point of all this is that you'll be seeing more sewing around here. Hope you don't mind. After I finish the Weekender, this is next. (Also seen here.)

Knitter's ADD

Pomatomus complete

Pattern: Pomatomus by Cookie A. from Winter '05 Knitty

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Georgetown

Needles: Size 2 Clover bamboo dpns

Mods: None.

This is a really great pattern! The lace is a little complicated, but not completely unmanageable once you get a rhythm going.

I'm a total Lorna's Laces convert! This stuff is awesome. And they're totally cute with my new Mary Janes, even if I do say so myself.

ETA: For those interested, the shoes are by Palladium, and can be found at Zappos. Enjoy!