Not Bad if I do say so myself

Well I have finsihed spinning another 4oz of roving and I am just so proud. The purple that I have in my Etsy shop also came out wonderfully but the colors in this BFL from
Abstract Fiber just pop. I cannot put this in my shop as this was a gift in the first place to just spin and then I moved and it accidently became a part of my stash. So I figure the only right thing to do is to gift it to someone else.

Lace Lace Lace

Well I said a few months ago that I hated lace and now I cannot stop. I was totally hung over yesterday. I have learned that there are now three things I can do while in that state, sleep, watch TV and knit. It requires so much of your attention that you forget the ailement. I'm hooked. Time for more addis

Quick Note

I have been bad about blogging but I have been really busy. Its weird that when you have the most to talk about you don't have the time to blog it.

I finally found a decent part-time job to tide me over until I get my "big-girl" job. A bit scary that I am not that concerned about that. Wish I had an explanation.
I have had a couple of wholesale jobs and custom work on Etsy which has also kept me busy AND I actually dusted off the sketchbook. I've been alittle upset with myself because I haven't made anything that I have come up with and lately I have had a million ideas and sketches and made nothing. Just saw a you tube video with Russell Simmons where he said that if you leave your ideas inside you they'll make you sick.

I have felt sludged. Time to clear out.

FO and Spun Sugar

I am feeling highly accomplished this week as I finished the menacing all STST Bolero that I complained about in the last post. All 19 inches and some ribbing came to a close on Monday night. I don't have any pictures of the sweater in action but here she is just before the finish line.
I'd like to thank the ladies in the Malabrigo Junkies forum and Addi Turbos for this accomplishment. Anyway..I actually did do a Rockyesque run around the kitchen with my fists in the air while singing "Eye of the Tiger" after casting off the final stitch.

I am in love with the sweater. It is my first real FO. The yarn was not my favorite to begin with. I allowed myself to start a project with acrylic because it was my first. In the mean time I fell in love with "better" yarns, natural fibers and even worked in my LYS. But as I finished it I really began to take to it and the entire sweater. I love it more for the pride it allows me than the actual sweater. Isn't that why we do this?

Well now I have these empty needles. Pointless waist. (lols)What makes it worse is that I have nothing that matches. I have patterns but nothing inmy stash to start them or I have stash but the wrong size needles. I cannot really buy anything else because I just purchased yarn and needles to make this sweater from Vogue Knitting Fall 2008.
Now this is not a picture from Vogue but from this
site. I hope that's enough credit to use thier picture. Well I want to make that actually into this This is from
Chickdowntown. The link takes you to a video where you can see the sweater in action. I really like this site for fashion ideas. The items are a bit expensive. In fact, this sweater isn't even offered on the site so they are just forcing my hand. Well both of them and some sticks. And thats the problem, I have no sticks. I NEED 10.5 circs and they are on thier way from the land of wienerschnitzels as we speak. The yarn will be a yummy alpaca from my LYS that my mother actually chose. Her eye is so differnt from mine but never wrong. I was going for white but she insisted I use this Bug Baby instead.. So as I impatiently await my new needles I will spend more time spinning.Here is a pic of some BFL that I was playing with last night.














Just a pic as this post is getting way tooooooo long













What an improvement from this:

Sew Fun!

Returning to the Midwest has forced me to rethink my wardrobe. Actually I need to make clothes and knit sweaters and fast. Being a much faster sewer than a knitter I figured I would start with sewn items and the knitted items will manifest as I have time and need a break from the sewing machine.

Pattern Review always has a sewing contest going on. Right now there is a pattern stash contest. Basically you make as many items as possible from the patterns in your stash in two months time. Well there are three weeks left which will leave me time for about two items but I figure if I have a couple show stoppers I might have chance. Honestly, I am not terribly concerned about winning. I like the idea that I have a dead line and its just fun to get involved.

For the first item I am modifying the sheath dress of Vogue Pattern 8138 to a really hot number that I found online. I can't post it now of course but stay tuned. Here is the starting point

For the second item I may just make Built by Wendy #3964 In a black knit.

The STST bolero should be completed this week. The right sleeve is down to the final decreases. I can smell the ribbing now!

Where do I begin

Well I am crawling out of my emotional hole into the sunshine. During my brief emotional hibernation there was much time for knitting and sewing. I broke in new needles and dusted off the sewing machine.

As far as new needles while working at Knit/Purl I learned about Addi Turbos. (this site ships them for free*wink*).Of course I had heard of them but was never moved to try them. I was also curious about knitting on circulars since I had two projects where hundreds of stitches were bunched up on straight needles.

With my discount I purchased a 32in pair of 9s and 16in pair of 5s. Call it placebo effect or whathaveyou but my stitches look smoother and more uniform after using the new Turbos. These are what I would call performance needles. I learned to knit on something that someone gave me because she wanted to get rid of them. I was happy to learn on those but I am ecstatic to KNIT with my Turbos. I'm sold.

What was even more divine is that I received a booklet on Magic Loop from my partner in the Falling For Ewe Autumn Yarn swap. I got halfway through a sock and now have the hang of the loop and it use it for all things joined. Socks are another story. Lets just say I enjoy knitting socks about as much as tweezing my eyebrows.

The turbos are so wonderful they make finishing a bolero in ALL ST ST enjoyable.

I should actually take another picture. This is misleading because you cannot see that this thing is almost a wingspan worth of stockinette stitch save 4 inches of ribbing on the left sleeve. I am slowly and happily working my last 19inches to the right sleeve. I started this project about 8 months ago and once I admitted that it bored me to tears it went into the UFO pile. Well with new Turbos and a thread on Ravelry about finishing menacing sweaters I am closer to an FO.

While sewing I have designed two new bags that I am selling in my Etsy shop. Both are more practical than anything but I thought they were pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

The first is a project bag. Haven't thought of a cute name for it but it holds that entire sweater project that I am working on. The more I use it the more I need to make more for other projects. They are great for toting your project to meetups.



My second little project I call a Purling Pouch.

Its basically a U shape where one handle folds over the other. I love it because it ends up looking like a clutch. There are more pictures on Etsy

That's it for now. goodnight.

Catching Up

I have been spanked for not blogging but I have to admit that I have had alot going on that I am not particularly happy about. The big engagement that I had just did not work out so I have moved back to Chicago. I am happy to be home. I have missed the big city and all its culture for the past four years.

The west coast is beautiful but I guess I am a midwestern girl through and through.

Of course the first thing I look for in coming home were yarn and fabric shops. There are plenty of great fabric shops all over the place. I am especiall excited about Vogue Fabrics. There are plenty of yarn shops but I will miss Knit Purl. It was a great place to work for the short time that I was there. I will be doing alot of online ordering from there for sure.

Ok. Well I will def have more to post as I get situated at home. More projecs, more life, mo betta!

Peace