Zoo day

The little one and I headed out to the zoo this morning. I had planned on going this weekend anyway, but finding out that there was a fleece festival sealed the deal.

Danny took a pic in an egg...I have a picture of him in the same egg when he was less than a year old.


He pretended to be a turtle, a must for every zoo visit.


We fed some alpaca (I wonder how many OTHER people want to correct people telling their kids to pet/feed the llama when the sign clearly says alpaca...).


There were a lot of fibery fun for kids to do, including kool aid dyeing, making felt balls, finger knitting and crocheting, spinning and weaving. (click the felt and drop spindle pics to see Danny's results)




Danny tried the weaving. He loved it. He told me we should have "one of those things so we could do that at home." (click to see what he was working on closer up)


I told hubby that Danny thinks we should have a loom, and the need for a wheel to provide yarn for the loom. I don't think he bought it though...

And what was the mama doing other than taking photos for the blog? Why, working on a sock of course! These are Spey Valley socks from Knitting on the Road, in Trekking, what else?


I've done these before, Trekking as well, but the cuff was a bit too tight. So I did the cuff ribbing/pattern in size 2s, and switched to size 1's for the leg. We'll see how that works out.

Oh, and a big thanks to Susann for sending me the Trekking. Over the next couple of posts, I should have pics of the other balls of Trekking for you to drool over.

Eh.

I started the entrelac socks. I don't mind doing the entrelac. I actually quite like it. But, on size 1 dpns? Eh. Not liking it so much. This is what I have so far.




I put the socks down in favor of the Trellis Scarf in the most recent Interweave Knits. I'm using Handmaiden Silk Floss that my WONDERFUL SP sent me in the Knitty SP5. It's coming along wonderfully. 'Cept, the last several rows, I can't seem to keep the correct number of stitches on the needles. Makes me want to throw it across the room.



Today was Administrative Professionals Day (say it with me folks, Secretary's Day). The boss came back from lunch carrying a vase of flowers. What's noteworthy about these particular flowers? Well, he picked the vase to match the color of my fingernails (a baby blue). But the vase has a mint green stripe, and he was quite upset that it didn't match. It's funny. Ok, maybe just to me. In any case, I got to play with the zoom feature of my camera...

H is for:

Yesterday, my brother met me at work. He was picking something up from me. On the walk to the train, he told me he was going to grab dinner, and I should join him. Why? "Because it's the best hamburher I've ever eaten." So, I joined him at Lucky Burger.



H is for hamburger, though when I started taking pics of the food, my brother said that the burger shouldn't be used for H, as it was a cheeseburger. Smartass.





The burger was just ok, though the fries dipped in their "lucky" sauce....mmmm. No pics of them...they got eaten too fast. :)

2 years

Happy Blogiversary to me! It's been 2 good years. I've shared lots of projects, made lots of friends. I was wary about starting a blog, but I've had nothing but a good experience, and I look forward to more years of blogging.

The moment you've all been waiting for...who wins the Brooks Farm? Well, the total number of jelly beans is.....375. The only one close to that was Laura. I have your address...it'll be in the mail this week. Congrats to Laura! Commenters like Terby, Trek, Karen, and Wendy (oh Wendy, tell your kids I'm sorry they didn't guess correctly) and all the other lurkers...keep on commenting...Thanks for coming by, but don't stop because I have given away the yarn. It's good to know that there are people out there that read.

Now, finished objects:

A finished cardi:

This was knit with 7 skeins of blue, 1/2 skein of green Misti Cotton, and size 7 needles. The sleeves are a bit poofy at the cap, and a smidge too long, but it's nothing that I can't live with. I haven't put the buttons on yet, but here are the buttons I'm going to use:


Hey, what's that under the cardi? A finished Picovoli!

Yes, it needs a bit of a block, especially those picot edges, and the ends need to be woven in. Stats on Picovoli: 6 skeins of Knit Picks Shine in coral, size 3 circs, and finished (minus the weaving in of ends and blocking) in 8 days. I loved this one...I may have to do a couple more in different colors.

A dinosaur from xtreme-knitting( click pic for another view).

Bronty was knit with some random cotton I found in the stash. I know that the fabric is too loose and the stuffing shows thru, but the little boy getting Bronty? He won't care a bit. Stegs is indisposed at the moment, and doesn't want to be photographed just yet.

Well, since the big knitting has been finished, I started looking for something new to challenge me. Instead of picking up the shawl again to work on, I bought a new book and cast on immediately for something in it. I bought Socks, Socks, Socks. I have mentally dog-eared a bunch of patterns, but have started on this one:


Yep, entrelac socks. Toe up. I have problems. But I can admit it. My progress so far (I'm using Trekking, surprise, surprise):


I can't wait to see how these progress.

A quickie

Weekend knitting accomplishments:

- 1 of 2 dinos knit and stuffed. The other is half stuffed.
- VK Cardi blocked/seamed. Needs buttons, which I will get tonight.
- Picovoli. Significant progress made, since it was the project I took to the park to sit in the sun with while the little one ran around like a crazy boy. If I purchase a needle tonight (left mine home), it will be finished tonight.

Pics tomorrow, along with the how many jelly beans in the glass...and the winner of the Brooks Farm yarn. Unless someone else guesses between now and midnight EST tonight, there is only one of you closest to the correct number!

If I write it, I will do it

My list of to do's for the long weekend:

- finish knitting dinosaurs, seam and stuff
- block and seam VK cardi
- make significant progress on Picovoli

I had a drs appt. this morning, and I did about 2 inches on Picovoli. Only to realize that I screwed up the number of cast on stitches at the arm, and had to rip back all of the work I did. And of course, as I'm putting 168 live stitches back on the needles, they call me in. I almost asked for a few more minutes to continue to put them back on, but I didn't. And I didn't lose any stitches. Go me!

Keep those guesses coming for the Brooks Farm yarn!! And to all you lurkers, keep on commenting...I don't bite....hard. :) See you on Monday with an update on my weekend knitting.

G is for..., and other things.

G is for garden. I live on the 3rd floor of a house. My landlord lives on the first 2 floors. The garden is nothing like I would think would exist in Brooklyn, NY.


The tree that you see is a pomegranate tree. In the back there, is this:

Click to see the fishies closer up.

Not pictured in the garden photo is a cherry tree, with edible cherries in the spring. The landlord also grows grapes and tomatoes and god knows what else in the back yard. Amazing things grow in Brooklyn.

Yesterday, I met up with Bean at the Point. We saw Pauly Shore buying coffee. No pics...he's not as hot as Keanu Reeves. But we saw John:


Bean and I started the same project, Picovoli. Bean's:


Mine:


My Misti cotton cardi is almost done. I'm on the last few rows of the cap shaping on sleeve island and then its onto blocking and seaming. I forsee a seaming party for one this weekend.

Lastly, my 2 year blogiversary is next week, and since it's close to Easter, I thought I'd play a game with candy: Guess how many Jelly Belly jelly beans there are! Click the pic to see the jelly beans close up.



The person that gets closest to the exact number of beans will win one hank of Brooks Farm Harmony, a mohair/wool/silk blend, 500 yards.


In the event that more than one person guesses correctly, I will pick the winner at random. So, guess away. Use the comments, or email me (link in the sidebar). Contest ends Tuesday, April 18th.

A new project

I mentioned a couple of posts ago, that I had gotten some new yarn and started a project with it already. This is the project:



I bought Misti Cotton to use wih the cardi (Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2004), and started it immediately. The cotton is SO nice to work with, and since it's on size 7's, knits up quickly. So quickly that I have already knit the back and the 2 front pieces and am on the sleeves. The back:



I'm trying something new and working both sleeves at once:


Do you like the colors? I love the green and blue together...


A little birdie named Helen sent a package to me. I helped her find video hosting, and she sent me a little something as a thank you. Totally uneccesary, but look at how lovely this yarn is!! Thanks Helen!!

Valerie is a wicked enabler

Valerie and I went to a yarn sale today. I didn't bring a bag with me to carry yarn; I didn't realize the amount and didn't think there'd be that much I'd want. Little did I know.

6 skeins of French Tweed by Unger (100% wool)


6 skeins of French Tweed by Unger, another colorway


3 skeins of Alpaca, and 6 skeins of Filatura di Crosa Valentino (wool/cotton blend)


11 balls of Filatura di Crosa Sympathie, a mohair wool blend


5 balls of Filatura di Crosa Kinair, a goat hair/nylon blend which is OH so soft.


13 balls of Anny Blatt 100% angora


And this was my biggest score.

That's 30 balls of 100% angora for $20. Twenty dollars. Oh my.

And because I keep forgetting to post them, my Pomatomus socks, and my Sockapaloooza Jaywalker socks in Schaefer Anne. Pomatomus socks are in Trekking.

Flash the Stash!

Happy Flash the Stash Day!

Click on each pic to see whats inside the drawer/basket.





















From my new hiding spot, behind my tv:




Now, when I was cleaning up and getting together the baskets/boxes to photograph, I found this stuff:

That's some REALLY bad acrylic yarn that I bought for I don't even know what, yarn that I got at Rhinebeck in 2004 that was so incredibly difficult to work with, and the beginnings of a French Market bag from when the pattern was really "hot". I'm not sure what to do with it all. Any suggestions?

And that my dear knitty friends, is my stash. There are a lot of oddballs and leftovers, and not a lot of "sweater's worth" of stash, but I'm happy with it.

There is one more bag of yarn, something I bought this week, and have already started knitting with, but haven't taken pics of. And considering I'm posting this with uhm, just a bit of alcohol in my system, I'm in no position to take pics. You'll get them next post. :)