Finished.

I finished my Shalom Cardigan.
And I love it.

I decided to make it long sleeved, so I had to order a few more balls of yarn. Including the wait time, I had this sweater done in just over 2 weeks, while simultaneously battling a bad case of knitting ADD.
In all, I used about 9 skeins, and the total cost for this sweater is less than $30. Can't beat that, considering that the yarn for my Central Park Hoodie cost right at $100 (don't tell husband), and it took me 7 weeks to complete.

As I said in my previous post, most mods are per Ishi. However, I decided to add sleeves. To do this, I started with the 50 stitches (per mods), dec 2 st every 12th rnd twice, then dec 2 st every 6th round 8 times. I knit 15 rows, then added 3 garter ridges around the cuff to tie into the garter hem. This yields a sleeve that is about 13 inches at the upper arm, and about 8 inches at the cuff.

While knitting this, I hit a sort of knitting milestone-

I broke a needle.

The cable just came right out of the end of my Knit Picks Options. I've never had that happen before, and I've used these needles heavily since I got them for Christmas last year. Hmph.

Today Husband and I went to see Twilight. I read the books, then convinced Husband to read them. Of course, he didn't like them nearly as much as I did, but he did want to go see the movie.

Now, about the movie....

Edward Cullen (Rob Pattinson) was, of course, scrumptious.

His acting skillz, however, were not. He seemed like he was reading his lines and not really acting like Edward. Also, having read the series- well, let's just say a few times- I was really disappointed in all of the inaccuracies in the movie. But I guess that comes with the territory of movies based on books.

The filming was so-so, and you could really tell this was a low-budget flick. It's too bad these people had no idea how big this movie would be, because I think they could have put a little more money into it and made it a ton better. My advice- if you're not totally obsessed with the series already, wait for the DVD.

Oh well.

Edward was nice to look at anyway.

I HAVE been knitting...

...more than usual, actually. Since I finished school last month, I have so much more time to knit, and I love it! Especially now, since the weather is actually behaving seasonally. I think the high for today is supposed to be 45. It may finally be fall here in Kentuckiana.

So, here's a picture of what I'm currently working on:

Pattern: Shalom Cardigan (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Cascade Bollicine Revolution

This yarn was on clearance at WEBS for less than $3 a ball. I bought enough to make the cardigan, but as I was knitting this bulky yarn on size 11 needles, I decided that a short-sleeved bulky sweater isn't really practical for me. So I decided to make it long sleeved. I called WEBS to ask if they could match the dyelot. And ya know what? They did. Which really surprised me. As far as mods go, I followed Ishi's lead, with the exception of adding sleeves. Love this thing so far.

Now, on to my Gathered Pullover.

It's done!

Obviously, it's not a long sleeved sweater, but I'd had it with working sleeves on this thing. I tried following the pattern, and it got me into trouble. Then I tried just picking up stitches around the armhole to make sleeves, but that didn't work out either.
I ended up with a bunch in the armpit area and a sleeve that was a bit too tight on the upper arm. This caused the shoulders to pull downward and make me look like I was trying out for Flashdance. No thank you.

Now on to my Stirling Cloche.

I really love cloches. They look so sleek and sophisticated. I found a really cute one in my One Skein Wonders book and decided that I would actually order the yarn called for.
Big mistake.
I hate boucle yarn. I don't know why I thought this would be any different. I can't ever tell if I'm knitting into the stitch or just a loop of the boucle. So what do I do? Why, I order it in black, to make it even harder to tell what I'm doing.

The pattern advises you to hand felt this cloche in very hot water. My bathroom sink was a mess, because this yarn sheds like nobody's business, and it bled. Terribly.

After hand felting it twice, it still came out waayyy too big around, and that's saying something: I have a huge head (It's hard to tell in this picture, but, if there was a rogue wind anywhere near, it would send my hat flying). I decided to felt it in the washer, and the yarn was still bleeding.

And then it was too short.

Meh.

On another note, we went to the Big New Comedy Club (names may have been changed to protect the innocent) downtown last night to see Norm MacDonald. It was a good time, and the comedians were all pretty funny.

The club, however, rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it's just because I'm used to the Comedy Caravan, which has that local feel to it. Anyway, this Big New Comedy Club books only the big names in comedy, which equates to big ticket prices. That's OK. I expect that.

What I don't expect, however, is for said Comedy Club to tell me that I have to purchase at least 2 drinks while watching the show. Seriously? Didn't I already fulfill my obligation to them by purchasing a ticket??! I pay, you make me laugh. End of commitment, right?

And what would they do if I didn't purchase 2 drinks? Would they hold me hostage until I did? Am I naive? Is this standard practice around here? In all honesty, there's a good chance that I would have had more than my 2 beer minimum, but that just irritated me to no end.

Oh, and their food's over-priced.

Bitter much? You betcha.

Halloween

I can't tell you how long it's been since I dressed up for Halloween. Well, maybe I can. I was Elvira in 2000, when I worked at a pretty seedy joint.
So, to make up for lost time, I dressed up not once, but twice this year.
On Halloween, I dressed as Amy Winehouse. I know I'm not a cracked-out rock star, but hey, it was fun. I drew trashy tattoos on my arms and wore more eye makeup on one night than I usually do all year long.

Steph as a scarecrow

I thought I'd done a fairly good impersonation, as several people knew who I was right off the bat. But, I guess the huge hive-hair, tons of eyeliner, and shirt that has Winehouse's album name on it wasn't enough for some. Someone didn't get it, because "Amy Winehouse is skinny."

Ouch.

So, on Saturday, to make it easier on everyone (and my self-confidence), we dressed as a couple that everyone should recognize:

But in case you didn't get it, we were Fred & Wilma Flintstone. I think Husband makes a great Fred.

Kevin the Strangler thought so too, and he wanted to off him with his cut-off piece of extension cord.

The Magician and his assistant didn't want any violence. They were just there for the party, man. Oh, and to do some tricks.


The Economy and the Bailout package were there too. Those greedy people, eating up our Retirement and taking money from the little man...

People at this party were from all over the world. This Frenchman decided that he needed to bring his Maid to the party with him. I don't know this for sure, but I think they have more than just an employer-employee relationship.

The party was fun, but you know, a party just isn't a party until someone catches on fire.

Seriously?!

Here's Tom the magician, pointing out his dad's back. He caught on fire either from the fire pit on the deck or from a candle on the railing. His Thing 1 costume was obviously NOT flame retardant.

The general consensus was that it could have been much worse if it weren't for the Travelocity Gnome, who put the fire out. With his hands.

How's that for service? I bet Priceline wouldn't send William Shatner to do the same.

It's been a busy week.

We had to drive to South Carolina Monday to attend Husband's grandma's funeral (he's OK, and she's in a better place now). It's about a 7 hour drive from here, which would not have been a problem at all, except that we had to make the same trip the very next day. We literally left the funeral and drove home on Tuesday, getting home at about 11 pm, exhausted and sick of the car. We probably would have stayed an extra day, but we had a very important appointment today (more on that in a minute).
While Husband drove, I knit.

pattern: Thorpe
yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky
I knit this entire thing (with the exception of the braids) on the way to SC. The pattern is really easy, and I think I like top-down hats a lot. The only complaint I have with this hat is that it's a bit tall. On me. Which may not be the case for those with normal heads. Since becoming a knitter, I've realized that I have a rather large noggin, circumferentially speaking. S'okay though. I can deal.

On the way home, I cast on for another cowl. Does this yarn look familiar? It's the remainder of the skein I used to make the Sunset Cowl. I love this one too.
The pattern is a simple eyelet pattern that is easily memorized. It's knit up like a very short scarf, and the ends are seamed together. I probably would have gotten this finished on the trip home, but it got dark, and I don't knit well if I can't see.

Looking at this picture, you'd think I'd be struggling to get air. Really, it's not as tight as it looks: It's not snug at all. It is cuddly and warm though.

Now, about that important appointment...
Goodbye foggy window panes... Hello-

Installer guy.

I Kinneared him. And I thought I had actually gotten away with it, until he looked over at me like I was a weirdo. Ahem.

Anyway, look!

I have locks!! And who has locks? Why, those whose windows actually open!!

OOOH! And look what else! I have SCREENS!!!

Huzzah!

No more birds in my house, thankyouverymuch.

FOs of 2 (very) different types

OK, I've noticed that, contrary to the name of this blog, there hasn't been much knitting action goin' on here (on the blog, I mean). There has, however, been some bitterness goin' on.

FO Type 1- Finished Objects
I have been knitting. Quite a bit, actually, so I have some things to share.

First, we have the Turn A Square hat I made for Dylan. It is made from some Debbie Bliss Rialto I had in my stash (yay for stashbusting!).

I did like the pattern, but I couldn't get the whole "jogless stripe" thing to work for me. There is a jog up the back of this hat where the color changes, but honestly, does this look like a kid who cares that there's a jog in his color changes?

I don't think so either. He just loves his new hat.

Next, my new favorite winter accessory, the cowl. This is the Crofter's Cowl (Ravelry link), made of Mmmmmmalabrigo. Yummy yarn, lovely color. This was a very quick knit- it could be knit in one productive afternoon- but it sat for a few days while I got up the courage to Kitchener it together. I'm not entirely happy with the way that turned out, because you can totally see the seam. If I knew beforehand that there would be a visible seam, I would have just sewn it together and saved myself quite a bit of time. But, I don't guess it's that bad considering it was my first attempt at Kitchener stitch. Overall, I really like this cowl. I think it will get lots of wear just as soon as the weather decides to stay cool.

Finally, I finished my Rusted Root!!

I cast on for this sweater 5 times before I got it right. I had some issues with reading the pattern/pattern comprehension/sizing. There were so many stitch markers on this thing, I didn't know what was going on. Do I increase here? or just before the lace pattern and not after? (Just so you know, don't increase at the "special markers" and you'll do fine. Really.)

This sweater started out red. Once I got the pattern down, I knit until the join beneath the underarms and I tried it on, just to be sure I was on track.

I wasn't.

There was no way this things was gonna fit over the girls, so I had to frog it and go up a size. Guess what? I didn't have enough yarn. But that's OK. I really wanted it in blue (I guess).

On to FO Type 2- Flying objects.

I'll give you a minute to figure this one out on your own.

No, I'm not referring to the roosters on my tablecloth. I'm referring to the freaking bird perched on said tablecloth.

I like nature. Really, I do. Just not in my house.

How did this happen, you ask? If you know me at all, you know that not a single window in my house is operable. This means that any time I want fresh air, I have to leave the back door open, which has no screen. This leaves my door open to... well... birds. Usually they just hop in a few feet from the deck but turn around as soon as they realize they're not outside. This one just came right in and made himself at home. He didn't want to leave. I had to chase him for a good 5 minutes, during which time he hid behind my refrigerator. I had to pull the stupid thing out to get him to leave. Thank goodness it's on wheels.

Oh, and if you're interested in knowing, I'll have all new windows Wednesday!!

The Black Hole

On Thursday afternoon, a Louisville woman made a shocking discovery- the Black Hole was found to be located in the dash of her Toyota Camry sedan.

The discovery came after the woman left Stevens & Stevens deli, after enjoying a wonderful lunch. She came upon her car and noticed nothing suspicious; that is, until she sat down in her car.

At that very moment, reality sank in. The Black Hole sat staring at the woman as she tried to make sense of what she was seeing.Slowly, the cold, hard facts began to make sense: The Black Hole had always been present in the Camry; however, until that point in time, it had been hidden by the presence of a nearly new JVC stereo.

Her mind reeling, the woman began putting together the clues she found at the scene. All of the doors to the Camry remained locked, except for the front passenger door. It is presumed that someone, perhaps a skilled thief, used a tool known to the underground world of thieves as a Slim Jim, to unlock the door. Then, the thief removed the stereo, being careful not to disrupt the Black Hole that was hiding behind it, thereby allowing this gaping area of nothingness to be seen.

The woman, who is still a bit shocked that such an event occurred in mid-afternoon at a crowded deli, had nothing nice to say about the Black Hole. As a matter of fact, the woman reports that she would rather have the view of the Hole covered by a replacement stereo.

Unfortunately, the thief who made this shocking discovery possible was not available for an interview.

I should start charging admission.

I live in a neighborhood with lots of trees. I have 2 wooded lots beside me, and about 4 behind me. So, I understand that there will be bugs. I know this. However, I did not think I would be living in the freakin' Herpaquarium.

Exhibit A:
Enormous Stagg Beetle. How do I know what kind of bug this is? We have this site bookmarked on our computer, that's how.
This thing flew in while Husband had the door open. It sounded like a helicopter was preparing for landing in my house. thwockthwockthwock

Also, we've had our fair share of spiders, including this hairy thing. Yep, there was a fight that night ("No, YOU get it out of here! I'm not touching it!").

So today, I'm minding my own business, getting ready to do laundry when I notice something scurry across the carpet-

Exhibit B:

Seriously??! A flippin' lizard?!

I really should start charging an admission fee.

Crochet? Nay.

While I was at the Knit Nook the other day, Jane was crocheting a really cute hat. I asked her a few questions about the stitch she was doing, and she kindly came over to my chair and ran through a brief how-to-crochet demonstration. I was so inspired that I went home and tried to remember what Jane had taught me.

I thought I was doing fairly well. I cast on chained 40 stitches, and intended to do a washcloth. After a few rows, I realized that I was losing stitches somehow. Of course, I was attempting to do something that I don't know how to do, completely from memory, so that should come as no surprise. I thought that I could just increase, like I would in knitting, but I ended up with this ruffled edge.

At that point, I thought that maybe a nice crocheted border would tie it all together nicely. As I was going around the bottom, I found..... well, what the hell is this little leg sticking out? How did that happen?


Hmmm..... Looks suspiciously like something you may find on a map of the U.S.....

I need crochet help.

But that is the least of my worries right now. I'm sure this scene can be found in thousands of homes across the Louisville Metro area right now. Nonetheless, it is still disturbing.These things are not meant to be this empty.

Vote!!

I, like 301,000 other people in the metro area, am without power. What a great way to spend the first day of my vacation, and my 7 year wedding anniversary, huh?
Anyway, I am here at my mother's house, perusing the internet, and I stumbled upon this.

So far, Kentucky is in the lead. We all need to vote and get our kids some books!!

Sweater, interrupted.

I've been working on this Gathered Pullover for quite a while now. Well, to be completely honest, it sat for a while, being neglected, because it can be rather difficult to convince myself that knitting a wool sweater in 95degree heat is a good idea. Anyway, I did convince myself to pick it up again, hoping it would be done just in time for fall weather. I finished the body a couple of days ago, and finished one sleeve yesterday. I decided that I would probably have more motivation to knit the second sleeve if I seamed the rest of the sweater together, and had to look at it with only one sleeve missing. So, I seamed the shoulders and pinned my finished sleeve in until..... what the hell?? What am I looking at, you ask? Well, I am showing you the sleeve (which is at the top of the photo), and the body of the sweater (at the bottom). On a perfect normal sweater, the two of these ends would match up. But on MY sweater? Not so much.

There's gotta be at least an inch of extra fabric on the body. I had to get a bit creative in the seaming of my Central Park hoodie, because the sides were about 1/4 inch longer than the back. But this? I doubt that all the creativity in the world could make this seaming look decent. I seriously doubt this is what they meant when they named it the Gathered Pullover. Perhaps I'll end up with a nice wool vest....

Needless to say, I was a bit upset. I had to throw put down the sweater, take a few deep breaths, and cast on for something that didn't require much concentration.

Squares for Erika's afghan

Aahhh... Much better.

inked!

I've been wanting a tattoo for several years now. But, I know how I am, and I tend to change my mind a bit. I really didn't want to be stuck with something for the rest of my life, and not be in love with it. So the deal I made with myself was that if I still wanted the same tattoo when I turned 30, I'd get it. This is what I'd wanted:

I wanted it to be red with black shading, about an inch tall, and on the lower part of the back of my neck.
30 will be here Saturday (ugh!), so I went to Acme Ink yesterday to get my fleur de lis. When I described this to the guy doing my tattoo, he didn't think that was a good idea- something about red being blotchy, I'd look like a cardinals fan, and the tattoo would be disproportionately small for that big a body part. He convinced me to go larger, and incorporate the red on a smaller scale. But, once he was done with the black and grey, he said "huh, I think I like it just like this, it looks good with your pale skin." (Wait... should I be offended?)
Anyway, after looking at it, I decided he was right- it looks great!

So, despite my previous apprehension of large tattoos, this is what I ended up with, and I LOVE it! Damn, Slim, you're freakin' good.

(Just an FYI- it's really had to take a picture of the back of your own neck. I had to use 2 mirrors and hold the camera, hence the funny looking shoulder blades.)

a true veggie burger.

This is the ultimate summertime meal. I've been waiting all season for this.

A veggie sandwich (or in this case, burger, as we were out of the good bread) made with homegrown tomatoes and cucumbers, slathered with a generous serving of Miracle Whip. Yummy!

Weekend in the country

We went to see Husband's grandparents this weekend. They live about 4 hours away in Eastern KY, out in the country. I always enjoy visiting them, because we hardly get to see them, and since my grandparents live so far away, they are kinda like my surrogates. Also, it is always so relaxing there, like time moves slower and there's never any rush for anything. I guess that's how country folk live.

The grandparents have a huge garden, and I've been waiting all summer for some fresh produce. Well, you can't get any fresher than 'pick it yourself,' so that's just what I did. I picked lots of green beans and some tomatoes and cucumbers. I've never picked beans before; the vines really irritated my skin. But, the short-lived rash was worth it:

When we got home, Husband and I spent about an hour breaking, stringing, cleaning and freezing the beans. Guess what we're having for dinner tonight (and tomorrow night, and the next night....)?

I had quite a bit of knitting time this weekend, something I really needed. It's always so relaxing in the country, and when I'm there I don't feel guilty about knitting when so much other stuff needs to be done around the house. I can just sit around and knit while I'm visiting with the family.

I finished the body of my Gathered Pullover and cast on My So Called Scarf. The pattern was a bit confusing, but I found an awesome tutorial, which made so much more sense to me. I'm using Misty Alpaca. This is the first time I've used this yarn, and it won't be the last! It's so yummy! I just want to pet it...


I would've gotten so much more done if I didn't have to stop every few rows to admire it. I just love this pattern and this yarn together.