2 posts in one day?

yeah, i'm getting NO work done today... :) But, next week will completely be work-work-work. So, I found these today... this is my motivation for trying KoolAid dying this weekend (any hints, please post them!):

The top photo is Mountain Colors , in their "Yellowstone" colorway...

The second photo is from Kaleidoscope, and it's Cherry Tree Hill (predictable, but who am I if not a Cherry Tree Hill lover?) in "Indian Summer". I cannot WAIT for autumn to arrive!

Tonight, I have to think about which stitch markers to send to KnitWitMomma --- we're hosting a stitch marker swap, party of two! :) I love her stitch markers, so I might have to send her some extras of mine to make up for her VERY pretty ones... go look at them! She's going to be selling them at her LYS... i think she should put a little PayPal button on her blog...(did you hear me?).

Is it Friday yet?

Ughh...not yet. How come the office is humid too? We have AC, but it's still muggy as all get-out in here. Oh well... will have to sit in the walk-in cold room in the lab for the afternoon...it's a perfect 4 deg C in there.

Oh, knitting? Well, first: thank you to my voters! I did go ahead with a tank top. Grumperina, I had to heed the call of this yarn...not the red/white/blue. I am still going to make the red/white/blue one (because I have a ton of those colors in cotton that just scream "tank top").
















What do you think? You have to FEEL this yarn. Imagine if you could take your favorite t-shirt (y'know the one that is perfectly worn, that makes you feel good and comfy whenever you put it on? mine is a t-shirt I "appropriated" from PC when we first started dating...little piece of t-shirt heaven) and have it made into yarn. People: this is THAT yarn. It's by dl.ve. and it's called Cotton Club. (I am going to have to find this one online, soon!). I bought it out of the sale bin at my LYS. The whole thing (6 balls of pink, 4 of blue) cost me $6. Yup. I am going for a "oh-hell-just-knit-a-tank-top-it-can't-be-that-hard" pattern...from my head. I am not knitting in the round b/c I was wary about the jogging of the colors. And for those that have met me in person, these colors are perfect for my dark hair and blue eyes, no? I am little worried about the horizontal stripes, as I am a *big girl* but overall, the look is cute, so I'll roll with it.

And lastly, a few pictures from the yard... now that these greet me every morning, I KNOW that it's summer.









Happy knitting Thursday! ~mini

Drumroll please......

IT'S DONE!

Ok, so here are the specs:
Pattern: Chickami from Knitty
Size: Medium (38 inch bust)
Yarn: Classic Elite Flash in Monterey Magenta
# of skeins: 5 total at 98yds each
Modifications: added 1 inch (7 rows) of stockinette before the hip shaping in order to add length. I also did the straps a little different; on the knit rows, I knit all 5 stitches BUT on the purl rows, I slipped the 1st stitch purl wise, purled 3, slipped the last one purl wise. It will help it lie a little better and makes it 1) wider than I-cord but 2) smaller than the wide straps listed in the pattern (they looked a little TOO wide for the overall look of the cami).
What I Learned/Would Change: I didn't like this yarn. At all. It split, it had a zillion knots in each skein and it was difficult on my hands at times. I really liked the pattern though and will be making another one in a different yarn for myself.

Next up...I dunno. I am going to have a vote. Leave me a comment with your vote!
1. PC's black cabled Cotton Ease pullover
2. cute little 4th of July tank for me (I am pulling for this one!)
3. Sockapal-2-za socks

Have a great Tuesday!
~mini

SnB, new dress... *almost* FO....

What more could you ask for in a weekend? Hmm... well, PC asked for a new MP3 player: asked and answered. I asked for new dress: in my hot little hands. SnB...well, that was better than I ever imagined! PC gave me a little push in the right direction ( I think he wants me to stop talking about knitting and "be interesting again") and I really do love it! I knew it would be good for me to find a group to knit, chat and have fun with. Little did I know, how great these ladies would be. I had a great time!

(i'll see you all there NEXT sunday too!)

I am NOT GOING TO BITCH ABOUT THE WEATHER. I'm not. Everyone else is doing that for me. And I live in Boston, so the questions of the day are "hot enough for ya?" and "ohh..the muggies have returned?" *sigh* get new jokes people. Overall, this is a slow time for my business... so it's a nice calm monday.

So, here is the BIG question of the day:
DOES THIS DRESS NEED A SHRUG?
The dress (a Filene's less than $50 find, by the way) is for the wedding of PC's best buddy that I have to attend next weekend (right after the 4th). Hmm...it comes with this:

I think the sweater screams: SOFIA PETRILLO. don't you?

I am not sure if 1) I want to try to rush through a shrug for this or 2) that it actually needs one. I know, summer in Boston- I should be ok. But you know how the reception halls never want the bride to be "too warm"? Also, I don't particularly care for my upper arms (they jiggle) and that might mask it. Any opinions? Help me out here people! PC- stop reading here- I am also a little worried b/c of the whole "skinny women" that will be attending the wedding. I know, I should "love who I am" but c'mon... we all get a little self-conscious. I am hoping to just fade into the background at this one. I don't know PC's friends very well and while the couple getting married is very nice, I don't know them real well either. I will let you all know how it goes. But, let me know about the shrug thing! I have the OSW (one skein wonder) from Glampyre- the pattern that is. I would want to make this in pink. Probably Calmer or something similar.

Chickami update: damn near done! I will have a picture tomorrow... and a FO!

Dinner menu tonight: Halibut steaks on the grill with zucchini, squash, and corn on the cob.

Happy knitting Monday!

~mini

Can you say love?

Sorry, PC... but there is a new love in my life. Nope, he's not taller than you. Not cuter than you. Not richer than you. Not even smarter/funnier/better-kisser than you. (not that anyone can be any of these things better than you). THIS is my new love:

what do you think? It's "hair" in Kona Superwash from NoNoKitty
and I love it. It makes me happy. I am waiting to buy it though. Maybe it'll end up in my Christmas stocking this year. *ahem hint hint hint* and this is what i would like my dying to turn out like. We'll see.
Oh, and for your viewing pleasure today, I have added some cute photos that I have taken in the past year:

This was out my window during the big BLIZZARD this winter. Not much fun, but even funnier if you realize that it took us about 2 hours to figure out HOW to get out of the house. All doors and windows looked like this.

And random quilting stuff:

My cousin was having a little girl and I made this as well as a handknit sweater/bootie combo in the same peach for her daughter-to-be! She loved it and I think the colors are great for a little girl. Such a change from pink, pink , pink. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE pink. But not everyone does. The photo on the right is the close-up of the quilt. I thought doing a "folksy" hand embroidery (meant to look like little girl drawings and coloring) would look cute and I chose the brightest pink that was in the print fabric for a good contrast. What you can't see is the peach embroidery work that I did on the print fabric itself. I didn't want to take away from the print, but needed to keep up the "theme" of quilting it all together. I even did a little rustic whipstitching when I did the borders. Overall, I LOVED this quilt. It helped me through a tough time (mom was in the hospital for 5 weeks) and it kept my hands busy. Someday, my cousin's daughter will ask her mom, "who made me that quilt?" and she'll tell her "someone who loves you very much." Heck, my clothes might not always match,but I have a good eye for quilting colors! :) *patting myself on the back* The photo on the left was the quilt just prior to me finishing it up, so please excuse the messy ends.

No more posts until Monday. :( Have a great weekend! Hopefully, I will be able to tell you all about my first SnB (if I am brave enough to go).
happy knitting weekend!
~mini

So, how's that yarn diet?

"umm...not so good".
I finally ordered from KnitPicks, but it's for trying out some dying with KoolAid. I am excited! While PC is at a bachelor party, I will be KoolAid dying with the help of my mom(whom I need to enlist). But, today, WEBS sent me an email with the new closeouts. I have decided to make the "other men" in my life (two older brothers) scarves and hats for Christmas this year. They didn't get handknits last year, so I thought this was a good year for them. And I wanted to make them with decent yarn, but not spend a fortune. I also have this mad plan to have all the christmas-y stuff done before Turkey-day. Think it'll work? Then I will only have "fun" shopping to do, like toys for PC and miscellaneous children who land on our list. Also, this should be the first Christmas in our own apartment, so there needs to be plenty of 'cuddling and staring at the beautiful tree' time built in to the schedule.

I ordered some Filatura di Crosa - Ultralight in a gray and a black. (Gray for R and Black for J)... I ordered 600 yds of each for a whopping $24 per brother. Not bad. I am happy. :) I figure that is enough to make a watch cap and a decent scarf for each of them... with wiggle room for cables and ribbing. It's a 53% Alpaca 22% Wool 25% Nylon blend, so it'll be warm and soft. Very important. Also, not machine washable, but that's ok. They send their suits to the cleaners so these can go too. :) Or at least be dropped off by me for some TLC. I am hoping it's not TOO fluffy, but I don't think it will be. Even 100% alpaca I have knitted with has behaved fairly well once knitted... in the skein- a different story. But the idea is to have these done before October.

No pictures today. :( I have been busy, but just too busy to pop pictures. Check out the Subway Knitter's newest modification of the Madeline sweater!
Happy Knitting Thursday!
:) mini

Movin' Right Along...

Foot loose and fancy free....
Getting there is half the fun....

Why is it that Muppet songs stick in your head for so long? The entire time I was working on the Chickami last night, I was humming the "movin' right along" song. I used to love the Muppets. We would be allowed to stay up an hour later to watch them when I was kid. I think it was because my parents used to love them too! I remember my dad dancing around in my living room singing the silly songs with us. He used to love the two old guys in the theater seats. My favorite was Miss Piggy (PC knows why). So, there we were, 3 kids in pajamas, all ready for bed, eating ice cream and dancing to the Muppets.

Speaking of my dad, I didn't do any "Father's Day Tribute" to him on my blog. I love my dad. I am the only girl and the baby of the family (can you say spoiled?) and I will always be my dad's princess. My dad worked very hard when we were kids, often having two jobs because he was in construction during the recession. So, there were often times when he would not be home for dinner or when we went to bed. Alot of times, my mom would have us in bed at 6 p.m. on nights Dad worked because when he got home, we would get up and play with him. Yup, playing flashlight tag at 11 p.m. on a school night in our backyard, getting our pajamas filthy. And my mom laughing. We were always the most important things in Dad's life. When I graduated from college, he cried. He was so proud. Mom's pretty cool too, but that is a different story for a different day. I think that I am the person I am today because my parents believed in me and kept me always feeling loved.

Well, onto knitting! I was busy last night and no, I didn't get through the increases yet (tonight!). Here is my progress shot from this morning:

The sheep is telling you it's 7 1/2 inches!
A close up of the waist decreases:

So, yes... I am movin' right along (oh, this song will be in my head forever).
And finally, a picture of what's in the hanging baskets next to my deck:

Since today is a typical summer day in Boston, I thought this would cheer me up. Oh, a typical day here? Kinda muggy... and it's going to rain. Again. If one person around here talks to me about drought or water conservation this summer... I think I'll have to attack them with my dpns!

Happy Knitting Wednesday!
~Mini

The Question on my mind is....

Did she (SIL) like the sweater? I dunno. My brother spoke to my mom and said she liked it. I haven't heard. To be honest, I rarely hear from my brother and SIL, but I am going with the answer that I like best: yes, she loved it... will treasure it always. :) *grr* Once, just once... I would like to be there when someone gets my handknits.

My mom's Chickami is coming along nicely. I am about 5 inches in now... past the decreases, onto the increases (tonight...they will be done tonight). So, I have a few projects that I would like to complete before the end of July. Yup, the whole "sweater with a deadline" thing really kicked my arse (oh my gosh, i pulled a "harlot") in to gear. So, here's the list (no pics today... it was a rough morning):

1. Champlain Socks... I only have 1 left to knit and it's 1/2 way done.
2. 2nd tivoli t-shirt for me (in Turino Silk... the stuff that Jane sent me)
3. mom's chickami
4. one hat/scarf combo for the "boy's gifts for x-mas"
5. 2nd chickami for moi
6. sockapal-2-za socks in the BRIGHT colors.
7. my felted bag... that never ends. does anyone know if the Bartlett yarns shrink width or length the most? I am *almost* done with this bag. Almost.
8. a 3rd tivoli for the Other Jane (potential future MIL.. PC's mom), but am iffy on this one... I think I might do the hourglass sweater for her
9. start the hourglass sweater for me.

Now, these are in NO PARTICULAR order. I just did a quick post-it of stuff I want to get done and out of my house. I think I might toss in a Soleil for good measure. I have plenty of time for knitting b/c it's nice out and I am making time for ME. :) (proud of me honey?)

Ok, since today is the first official day of summer.... we had a huge outdoor ice cream party at work! How great is that?

~Mini

Weekend Knitting

*yawn* G'Morning!
Friday was quite the day! After work, I headed over to Wild and Woolly (Lexington Center) with incomplete sweater in hand for some help. Thank god for Jean. I had put the crochet edging on the sweater and well, it didn't look right. No amount of blocking was helping this one! *sigh* So, I put a simple (just shy of 3/4 inch) garter border and well, it looks great! (yes, the neck lost the "squareness" slightly, but it's a good look for my SIL)

Here is the whole sweater!

Pattern: Tivoli T-shirt by Grumperina
Yarn: Classic Elite Provence
Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch, 7 rows per inch
Modifications: added 3/4 inch garter to all edges to prevent rolling- picked up 3, skipped 1 on all edges.
What I Learned/Do Different: well, I would definitely do a different cast-on method, probably a cabled cast-on rather than a knit cast-on.

It was all wrapped with care instructions and sent along to my SIL. Hopefully she loves it! :) I washed it by hand on Friday night and tossed it into the dryer. I used plain ole' laundry detergent and the "tumble" setting on the dryer.

So, I went to Wild and Woolly, right. Do you think I escaped without a yarn purchase? Nope. Friday's trip I bought some sock yarn for me (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Wisteria), a new circular needle case, and some new Inox needles. Saturday's trip (did I mention I dragged PC there?) I bought more Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn...but NOT FOR ME! Nope this is for my Sockapal2za buddy. :) I am hoping she likes it...it's very BRIGHT.

I also started a new project (this one will be a quickie): the Chickami from ChicKnits:

Got gauge? I DO! First try! It's 5spi, 7rpi--- perfect! The yarn is Classic Elite Flash, Monterey Magenta (#6134). I originally bought it to make a Clapotis, but Mom mentioned that she LOVED the Tivoli, but wondered what a tank top would look like...so, the Chickami was born. :) I am NOT loving knitting with this yarn. Casting on (cable) was a PITA. So, this is a marled yarn and then 3 strands twisted are VERY much separate. It's like knitting 3 stranded. But, once you get in the groove...you are ok. I am through one skein and onto #2. I have about 15 rows done (I am adding an extra inch for length as noted in the pattern).
Thanks for all the suggestions and help! (Especially Grumperina).
:) Happy Knitting Monday!
~mini

Sweater-with-a-deadline.....

It's DONE!

Well, kinda done. I need to finish up the edging a little. It rolls. Grumperina told me that it might be too loose of a cast-on. Next one, I will cast-on looser. yes, you heard me: NEXT ONE. I am going to be sneaky about it... I need to cast on another project so that PC doesn't think I am just going to make t-shirts all dang summer. :)

So, the rolled edge question: what do I do? SIL is NOT savvy when it comes to knitted garments (she's NOT a knitter)and I don't think it's completely fair to ask a non-knitter to block their items and/or iron the hems down. Nope, this puppy should just behave! So, there are some options:
1. Single crochet... this is what it looks like:

not impressive...:(

2. Add garter border by picking up stitches and doing 4 rows of garter--- this could be tricky with the square neck... any ideas?

3. let the edges roll and tell her it's trendy. (won't work)

4. Rip out and re-knit in 1 day (what are you nuts?)

5. ask all of you for help....
here are two more photos (the close up is of the great inc/dec incorporated in the pattern)



On a side note: my neighborhood was a hot bed of excitement last night. Armed robbers attempted to hijack a Brinks truck in the North End, then using a series of 4 get-away cars, landed a mere 3/4 mile from my home. I guess it was a pretty tense afternoon. Kids were kept in school for an extra several hours, people escorted from their homes...but here's my question: now what? Seriously, if you were the armed robbers: now what? You DIDN'T get the money. You DIDN'T make a clean get-away. They have ONE OF YOU in custody (ooppss...checked the news: two in custody). Now what? I am thinking that they will go right back into Charlestown (the FBI knows that is where they are from) and well, no one will ever say another word. Charlestown is funny like that. Ask anyone who grew up in Boston in the 1980s...that place is like that. So, that is my two-cents for the day. This weekend will be knitting, tv, shopping(boy do I need some clothes!) and a brief trip to Beadworks in Cambridge...have a clapotis coming up and I need markers!

Update: my boss's wife is expecting a girl in the fall...oh the fun I will have knitting for that! pink...pink...pink...frilly...frilly...frilly... I think she'll deserve a Miss Dashwood, don't you??


Let me know what y'all think!
Happy Knitting Weekend!
~mini

Dear Secret Pal....

I think I am in love.....
with the book you sent me!

I have been drooling over this book at Barnes and Noble! AND she sent me an adorable card (I forgot to get photo) AND a yummy fruit smoothie recipe! (I love to cook/bake/experiment in the kitchen....and I just bought a watermelon...hmmm)

So, to my SP5: I said it once, I will say it again: YOU ROCK! And you were right, I have done some stash acquisition lately and I found 4 projects in the book to use for stash depletion! :) The HourGlass Sweater is on the list...using the cotton/silk in lime that I got from ThreadBare? What do you think? I love that the silk would really add some "bounce" to the cotton.

No pictures of the sweater-with-a-deadline yet... I am through the waist decreases... they are so cute! Thanks Grumperina! So, at lunch maybe I can get into the increases... I just found out that SIL (the intended for the gift) will not be coming up this weekend. Nope, so, I will give the sweater to my dad to hand off to my brother (her hubby) to give to his wife (my SIL) at the golf course on Sunday. *panting* did you get all that?

Side Note: my family seems to have a good "curse" of genetics---we get VERY old. My great-aunt passed this weekend and this evening is her wake. (as you know, my Grampy passed in March also). I feel blessed that I am able to have the older generation of my family around for so long... I feel like I got to know them as "fellow humans" rather than just "my old aunt" or "Grampy" b/c well, anyone who knew Grampy knew he was so much more. It's just a thought, but I realize how lucky my brothers and I were to have grown up a few mere streets away from our grandparents (both sides) and to have cousins and family within 45 minutes. PC has the same "close knit" feeling in his family... close relationships with parents, granparents, aunts, uncles... I am hoping that this is something we might be able to pass to our kids someday- that strong feeling of family.

Enough with the deep thoughts...
Happy Knitting Wednesday!
~Mini

Camping and Knitting

Well, anyone living in New England knows that camping is like breathing for some of us--- it MUST be done. PC and I are those people. We love sleeping in the tent, making the campfire, swimming in unknown ponds/lakes/rivers. To us, it's the perfect vacation. BUT (yes, this is a BIG BUT) camping has no A/C. None. Nature is it's own A/C when you are camping. And usually, it's not a problem. Go to the lake all day, get a sunburn, knit, read, eat sandwiches, swim, swim, swim. Head back to camp...the sun goes down, put on jeans and sweatshirt b/c it just became 40 deg in one hour. This weekend... I swear it stayed 80+ degrees (F for all the Canadians out there) ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT. We couldn't BREATHE it was so hot. But, we made the best of it.

So, super sticky body that is pouring sweat + mercerized cotton knitting that is to be a gift= no knitting. I did some (like 4 rows) at the campfire on Saturday night, but I actually prefered sitting and chatting with PC and watch him poke at the fire than knit. So, Sunday night when we got back (and last night) I worked more on the "grumperina" t-shirt with a deadline. I am 2 rows away from the waist decreases. I think I can get all the decreases and increases done tonight. I will still need to wash and block this one after I add the crochet edging. Any ideas? Should I go "decorative"? perhaps a faux picot? or should I KISS (keep it simple, stupid) and do single crochet? The sleeves and the neckline roll right now and the recipient might not appreciate the "handmade" look of that... and I want this person to like it.

Give me some feedback!

Oh, and in the midst of all this- I got a very large SP5 package out the door to my pal yesterday. :) I hope she'll like it! This is a lot of fun! Oh, and MY SECRET PAL has left me some comments about checking my mailbox---ooohhhh the excitement builds! I haven't received said package yet, but already I know that my secret pal rocks. How do I know? Call it female intuition, but I think my SP is pretty damn cool. I can't wait to find out who you are!

Well, more knitting photos tomorrow. I PROMISE (scout's honor)
Happy Knitting Tuesday!
~Mini

What happened to Wednesday and Tuesday?

Did I completely miss them? Oy. This is gonna be a long two days for the weekend. We are off to camping (real camping, with a tent.) this weekend starting Friday night. Yes, we know about the thunderstorm warnings, but we figure, what the heck...we'll risk it. And usually, it rains when we camp, so what else is new?

So, have I been knitting? Kinda. I am knitting a NEW project (I know- startitis here I come), but this one has a DEADLINE! It needs to be done before next Friday, but it's ok. It's a pretty simple knit. I am making Grumperina's T-shirt! So far, so good. Started last night around, oh umm..10 p.m.? And I am 3 "sets" of increases away from finishing the raglan part (yes, I tend to knit slowly). This morning I had 2 hours of uninterrupted knitting time at a local Starbucks. Why? Well, no, I still have a job and a life, but this particular morning, PC needed to be at work for 5 a.m. Yup, you read that right- FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. In Boston. MBTA train service in our area begins around 5:20 a.m. so the bus-orange-green combo that usually services him well wouldn't be an option today! What's he doing that early? Well, today is Harvard's graduation (NOTE: to all Boston people: STAY AWAY FROM HARVARD SQUARE TODAY) and the company PC works for is one of the vendors. And it's his job to stay there all day and make sure all his stuff is where it needs to be at the right time, yada yada yada. Unfortunately, Harvard rules state that on graduation day, all vendors need to be in the "yard" before 6:30 or 6:45 a.m. Then the whole dang place is "secret card access and snooty things like that" only. So, PC should have a card that will let him go eat, get coffee for him and the "guys" and other things. PC is a tired man today- worked 'til 8 last night and then up at 3:30 this morning. And tonight, he needs to pack the truck with me so that we can leave straight from work. Yup, he'll be completely dead once we get the tent up.

So, me being the "one with the car", I had the opportunity to drag my sleepy butt up at 3:30 this morning and drive him to work. Since I was up and well, there was no way I could get back to the house, sleep, take a 2nd shower and get to work off the 128 belt. So, I went to Starbucks and knit. Here's what I did:



The color is pretty true in this photo. But notice that sheen? Yup, it's the one, the only: Classic Elite Provence. I had ordered 5 hanks from WEBS, but only 3 "survived" the ball winder fiasco one night. I still have the other 2... and I want to make a purse with them, but it's a task of unwinding and untangling and well, right now: I DON'T WANNA.



My knitting is currently being hauled around in a mini knitting bag:

this is inside:

see my sheep? hee hee. I made inside pockets for this to hold the sheep, a gauge tool, stitch markers, and patterns. :) I am making this t-shirt using INOX needles and I have to say: I am in love. For the price, they are "as good" as Addi turbos. At half the price. The gauge is 4.75 per inch, but I am a little smaller...probably 5.25 but that's ok: the person for this sweater is not a 36 inch bust but all other measurements will be proportional. I did the maths...it will be ok. :) I like working with a size 6 needle. The stitch definition with this yarn is good, but it's easy to see when your tension is off. Grumperina: the pattern is superb! She adds really great little comments in the pattern to help you out.

I will be modifying this to make myself one, with long sleeves. I will be using the BRIGHT LIME green that I got a few weeks ago. I think it'll be cute with a skirt or jeans and very appropriate for work and stuff. One the one I have on the needles now, I would like to add single crochet around the neck and sleeves and bottom. Perhaps it'll lie flatter. I did a standard knit cast-on, after trying several cable cast-ons. I would like to learn the crochet cast-on or the provisional cast-on...anyone have good directions? Also, my first SP5 present is going out tomorrow or Monday (depends on how much sleep I need tonight)---- YAY!

well, now that I am at work, I should probably work. Go check out Norma today... her dog's "letter to the public" is hysterical!

Happy Knitting Thursday!
~mini

Bad Knitter... great weekend

So, absolutely NO KNITTING this weekend, no matter how much I tried! Friday night was all about eating pancakes and catching up with PC. Saturday, after a relaxing morning of a mani-pedi combo (I'm such a girl!), we went off to this place:
Roger Williams Park Zoo in Providence, RI
Oh, did I take pictures? Like you had to ask!
Believe it or not, this is a SHEEP:

Weirdest looking sheep I have ever seen, more like a goat,but the sign said "sheep." Now, my observation was to PC "those are scarf size sheep." Onto more animals!
We missed the morning bath for these guys, but they were still amazing.

PC took a picture of me that morning:

No wait... that's not me! But, the hair this weekend was quite similar. These weird little birds were "babies." And they were trying to break through the glass to get to little kids' fingers. They were cute, but I was worried they would hurt themselves.
Now for my favorites! I am in LOVE with giraffes, even own two pair (thanks honey!) of giraffe socks...a stuffed giraffe...two giraffe statues... all things giraffe are ok with me:

cute, huh?

mmm...bushes!

"at least get my good side!"

What a great weekend! We also went all the way through the North End of Boston on Sunday and watched some bocce ball, some baseball and a lot of sunbathers! It was a great weekend...my PC is the best! We are REALLY going camping this weekend! YAY! And the weather here is acting a little wonky... so, we'll see if we are packing shorts and swimsuits or sweatshirts and rain gear, either way...it'll be great!
happy Knitting Monday and drop me a line, let me know how your weekend was!
~Mini

Stash photos for my adoring fans!

Yeah, I know... "adoring fans"? PC thought that was pretty funny too. He also thinks I was a little star-struck meeting the great Alison yesterday. But, he is very supportive. After all, knitting is not so bad for an obsession... I mean, I get something out of it at the end, right? Well, it could be worse, I could drink. I do drink, but not in the "cozy up with a bottle of Jack before noon" kind of drinking I could be doing, if not for my wee bladder and complete inability to hold my liquor. So, therefore, I would not be a good alcoholic, so I will be a good knitter. :)

Here's the loot:

yarn lounging on the deck. (hey, everyone else had fabulous photos of their yarn outside, their FOs outside...it's finally nice enough in Boston..so, the yarn went outside.)oh, how much did I buy?
16 of these:

2 bags (13 in one and 14 in the other)of this:

Yes, it DOES seem like a lot for the orange, but it has a purpose. One, the yardage is only about 100m (~110yds)and I have a 48 inch chest. :) (remember, these are both a blessing and a curse)

Purple "Bingo" is destined for greatness as a wrap style top...I am thinking a crossover top with a fitted bottom... kind of kimono style, but it will still be a pullover. I will try to find a photo.

Orange "Numero Uno" is for Numero Uno...ME! She will be a beautiful aran-style cabled sweater. And a hat/mitten-glove/scarf combo for the winter.

Both yarns have the advantage of being superwash b/c well, I love machine washable. And the colors will complement my coloring (think black Irish to extremes: dark hair, pale skin, blue eyes...you'd never guess I am 1/2 Norwegian!).

No knitting last night- dinner out with PC...yummy Chinese food. It's so hard during the week with him... I miss him so much! We live just a mere 1/2 or 3/4 mile from each other but with his commute by the time he gets home, he wants to eat dinner (I've usually just finished) and we're exhausted. I cannot WAIT until we can find an apartment! Oh, to all the Boston people out there... We are looking for a 1 br in Arlington/Somerville/Medford/Malden for under $1000 per month in a decent neighborhood, with parking and MBTA access... Do you think this place exists? If so, email me! I need to be able to park my car (I drive to work) and he needs to be able to get to the MBTA easy (preferably the red line). We love Teele Square, but it's so pricey now! Arlington seems like a good match for us. Hopefully I will finish the tank top this weekend... everyone is back from traveling and sick days, so no more work knitting while reading journal articles. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.

I am sending out a package to my SP this weekend...I hope she likes it! To my secret pal, I bought 12 skeins of the lime green AV yarn, destined for an "early fall" sweater...something I can layer lightly with...any suggestions? I like V-necks and am not afraid of cables!

happy knitting Friday!
See you on Monday!
~Mini

Baa baa black sheep.....

have you any wool?

Yup- 3 BIG bags full! YAY! Did some *minor* stash enhancement this morning. Yup, this MORNING- as in before work. It was great! I hit an LYS sale that started at 7 a.m. And on the way there, after dropping PC at the train, I was thinking: "should I ? or shouldn't I?" Well, I am DAMN happy I did! Not only did I get 3 BIG bags of wool (yes, one of my first experiences foraying into the "this-sweater-will-cost-more-than-100-dollars-but-i-made-it-damn-it" world), but I met Alison. Yup, in the flesh. She was spotted by several others too. Can I just say a few things (especially if you are reading this Alison!)?
1. super nice
2. absolutely adorable
3. even better in person

It's weird, because you *feel* like you know these people... these knitbloggers that you read. But, in real life, you have no idea. They could be nice on the blog and evil in real life. (hopefully, not ever true, but possible) I felt like a starstruck teenager. Now, I tease PC about not being able to make intelligent sentences when he is confronted with certain "members of a band" (that we have had the occasion to actually speak to), but today was my turn. I couldn't think intelligently. At all. So, I made random comments and hopefully didn't offend her. Well, as The Harlot would say, "at least I didn't say arse." ha ha ha

Now, I have met Alison. I wanted to hug her and say "you are the reason I knit socks. You are the one who told me where to start, what to do... I have warm comfy feet b/c of you!" and then re-hug her. It would've been weird. She probably would have been nice, but taken my plate number. ( I know I would have). So there you have it. I bought wool at 7 a.m. in a real store, with real people. And I searched through bags of discontinued, marked down yarn with Alison.

Yes, I did call PC IMMEDIATELY afterwards. 1. to give the financial damage update, 2. to tell him that I met Alison! He was very excited for me (he's been trying to get me to work up the nerve to join the Knitsmiths, a knitting group) and thinks I completely broke a barrier today. I bought good wool for ME and I approached a complete stranger and didnt' pass out. So, Alison, I raise my coffee cup to you! Hopefully, you made it out of Lexington Center with some great deals, some good yarn, and some new friends! Oh, and I would've recognized you without the boys anyday!

happy knitting thursday!
New stash photos tomorrow... i promise!
~mini

Finally...some knitting!

Last night, I had 3 hours of undeserved knitting time. 3 hours all to myself. *sigh* It was lovely. This is how I spent my 3 hours of Mini-knitting-can-finally-work-on-something-time....
hour #1 started laundry and picked up a bit... finally put some clothes away
hour #2 started knitting on Champlain sock, but said "bo-ring" and picked up the neglected ribbon tank
hour #2 1/2 working on tank and watching NCIS on t.v.
hour #3 realize I haven't been knitting b/c I am completely absorbed in NCIS.
head off to bed.

I did get another 4 inches on the ribbon tank...it's knit from side to side so that is a large amount of space, but it's a "big knit" on 10.5 US needles. I am still trying to figure out how my 2nd ball of ribbon is lasting longer than the 1st.... are the yarn gods helping me by preventing me from another trip to credit card hell (Michael's...it was the ONLY place that had it, and it was on sale)? Maybe...

So, my SP dropped me a comment saying that she'd like to see my ThreadBear purchases. Well, time for some yarn porn...
This is the Adrianne Vittadini (I KNOW I must have spelled this wrong, but the yarn is at home...y'all know what I mean)...it's cotton/silk/and viscose? ( i think this means rayon)

And this is the Classic Elite yarn that I decided to substitute in for my Mom's clapotis (I am so not linking that again... y'all know where to find it)

Aren't they pretty? So, a good part of last night was "petting time" for my yarn. While trying to photograph it, I had to touch it to move it and well, it was definitely yarn porn. I will NOT use the AV yarn yet, though. I am pattern searching... the gauge is 5 st/inch on US8s... any suggestions? Sometimes I have a hard time finding patterns that fit b/c I am "not svelte." And I have boobage. Which is the reason PC tolerates my insanity sometimes. I have a theory that sometimes he puts up with me b/c he can zone out and stare at "the girls." Just kidding!

Last night, I worked on a secret project for my SP! This is going to be so much fun! :)

Oh, and Jenn? I linked you today! I love reading her blog, so you should go over and check her out. :)

Happy Knitting Wednesday!
~mini