Blah blah

What horrible weather we're having here. What's up with the 65 deg temperaturs? More so, what's up with the gale force winds pushing me and my forester all over the place. At least some of the salt caked on it is getting washed off a little from this rain.

Anyhoos, I've been working on my hourglass sweater. I have a really good feeling about this one. There isn't much to it yet, so there's no sense is photographing it. I'm wondering how the finishing will go, since this will be my first try at hemming a knitted product. That seems weird to me.

But, tonight I promised myself I will work on my MIL's Saxon Scarf. That takes first priority over anything else. I'm also pondering b-day presents for my Dad and brother who share the same birthday shortly after christmas. I know what I want to make my dad. Any suggestions for my brother? He isn't a scarf person, or a hat person. *head exploding*

I ordered tickets to the Nutcracker ballet today. I got a coupon from my Enjoy the City (thanks, mum) book for buy one get one free. It's one of my christmas presents, te he!

Back in the Saddle with Some IG

Alrighty, everything's back to normal here for the most part. Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. I've got a ton of yummy food to eat for the rest of the week ;)

So, I started working on an IG project (Instant Gratification-acronyms are your friend). I have a ton of Rainbow Boucle yarn I got from Joann's in my stash and I wanted to try a little experiment with this thing called Magic Loop. I've been seeing it everywhere, and it looks pretty nifty. To bandwagon I went. Basically it allows you to knit small circumference projects like hats and socks using a long circular needle. NO DPNs!! Yes, that's not a typo, long circular needles. I like this idea because I have a Denise Interchangeable set and using magic loop means I'll almost never have to buy dpns.

The technique itself is rather easy. After you get used to it, you can knit as fast as you would trying to juggle a bunch of dpns. So... I decided to make a hat out of my Boucle. I didn't use a pattern I pretty much eyeballed it. I knitted a swatch up, got my gauge, measured the circumference of my fat head, did some math, magic looped 6 inches and some k2togging later, I have this:



Sorry, for the bad pic. But you get the idea. Magic Loop is AWESOME! Try it!

DIE DPNS, DIE!

Pre-Thanksgiving Post

Ok, this will be my last post until after Thanksgiving. I have so much stuff to do to prepare for the holiday. I just don't have time for you people. :P LOL, seriously though. This is what I'm up to.

The Dayflower Scarf is a bust. I just wasn't liking the way it was turning out. And blocking wouldn't help because the yarn is 80% acrylic and everything I read said that blocking won't work on acrylic yarns. But that's ok, because I think I'm onto something better. I whipped out Encyclopedia of Knitting(EoN), and started toying with some stitch patterns. I'm making a super special MIL scarf all on my very own. So this is my brainchild, the Saxon Scarf:



It's just a long ass Saxon Braid, but I like it. Hopefully, my MIL will, too. Not everyone's into the celtic thing. I just followed the pattern instructions and added some 2x2 rib edge and border. This will be a long knit, cuz there's lots of cabling.

I got my copy of Last Minute Knitted gifts from the library today. YEAH!! This book is really cute. I paged through and looked at the pictures, but I haven't actually read any of the patterns yet. But here's one of the many items I like:



It's the silk cami (pay no mind to the model's pointy boobs). Me likes!

And here is the reason why I borrowed the book: The Hourglass Sweater



I'm pretty sure I'm going to make this from the blackberry yarn. It's fitted, simple, and I just think this will work better than you-know-what did.

Finally, today I received a GENUINE Belgian chocolate bar from an aquaintance who just returned from... yup, Belgium! How thoughtful. Thanks, Dennis (who is from Belgium btw) Check it out:



Cool! And despite what people may tell you, Big Nuts are actually quite sweet.

GOBBLE, Gobble...

Saturday Edition

Well, I've had a good two days. We successfully got the mattress moved in (thanks to my officemate and her pick-up). No injuries were reported. Actually, the mattress wasn't that heavy considering it's a queen size. Oh well. The old mattress is in the spare bedroom with all the new bedding on it. Yeah, so now our spare bedroom looks nicer thane the own we actually sleep in. The spare room is also where I keep my crafty stuff and my sewing table, which had to be rearranged to make room of for the bed. I also commandeered (at the suggestion of Mr.V) an empty computer stand which is now small storage shelves. So now I have a little crafty corner all for my very own:



He, he. It looks so cute. But normally I do my knitting downstairs on the couch or in our bedroom. Plus, in order to save money on heating (we have natural gas), we've turned down the thermostat as low as it can go. We shut the door to our bedroom to keep the heat in there. So it's f-ing frigid in that room right now. We're pretty much heating this place with our own body heat. I can take it. We ordered a space heater, but it's on back order and should arriving soon (yeah right, that two-week back order is now a three-week back order). I guess I've got to play popsicle until then...

In knitting news, I've started the Dayflower scarf. And restarted, and restarted, and restarted. UGH! So many misfires! This is my first lace so I have to get used to actually paying attention when I knit. For you new comers, this baby isn't for me (first act of selfless knitting) it's for my MIL. I hope she likes it. I'm using LB Wool-Ease, and I'm wishing I picked something different now. The lace isn't showing very well even on size 10 needles, plus it's splitting like a mofo. This is what I have so far:



Maybe I'm being too critical.

I got an invite to a knitting group (see comments in previous post)! They meet Saturdays at Starbucks. Thanks, ErleCa! I'd like to try it and see what this stitch n' bitch stuff is like. Check out the welcome pic on there MSN group site:



Love it! ~Lata

My Birthday Says: I ROCK!!

Your Birthdate: September 1

You are a natural born leader, even if those leadership talents haven't been developed yet. You have the power and self confidence to succeed in life, and your power grows daily. Besides power, you also have a great deal of creativity that enables you to innovate instead of fail. You are a visionary, seeing the big picture instead of all of the trivial little details. Your strength: Your supreme genius Your weakness: Your inappropriate sensitivity Your power color: Gold Your power symbol: Star Your power month: January

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Ha! This is funny. Hmm... I'm definately not a leader. I'm just don't care to be. But thanks for the compliment. According to this beauty I'm a "supreme genius" whose "powers grow daily". Cool for me, but might not be a good thing for you. *laughing diabolically* Ahem...

I hate Gold. Stars are cool. January is alright month, but it's kind of cold and snowy here during that time. But, January is nice because you can finally relax after all the hub-bub of the holidays. I do consider myself creative, but looking at the Blackberry disaster it's safe to say I almost never see the big picture.

I've started the Dayflower, but after reading a thread from craftster about this I have to start over. That's ok though I'm only like 10 rows into it. My copy of Last Minute Gifts should be at the library, hopefully, by tomorrow. My current status is "in transit" which is a good thing.

Tonight, I get to play mover. I'll hopefully (weather permitting) be getting a new mattress, which with the use of my officemate's pick-up and Mr.V and I's brute strength, we will be moving into our second floor bedroom. The old bed (which sinks so bad in the middle you have to climb out of it in the morning) is being banished to the spare bedroom where guests can now enjoy climbing out of it. *again, laughing diabolically*

Confessions of an Imperfect Knitter #2

Being an imperfect knitter doesn't just apply just to your actual knitting product. It can also apply to the choices you make when deciding WHAT to knit. Here is my second Imperfect Knitting confession: I never pick the right things to knit (also applies to sewing and store bought items). Especially, when it comes to clothing items. I am a sucker for cute things, and I never actually think about how they will look on me. As much as I hate to admit this. As much as I hate to think about the time and patience and effort I put into this project. Blackberry was a VERY wrong choice for me. These pictures were taken at about 9:30 last night:


Note: I am sooo not photogenic so I will normally crop my head off in pictures

Except in this one...Bad Hair DAY!

Laying on the bed, the sweater is cute. On me, it's football padding. Mr. V thinks I look like a green Matador. And I think I have to agree with him on that. *SIGH* Sooo... This is what Blackberry looks like as of now:




It is partially deconstructed and ready for it's next incarnation. When I get depressed about all the time I wasted, and my insistance on perpetuating this viscious cycle of bad fashion sense, I try to think about the positive things I took from this endeavor: I learned how to bobble, wishbone cable, and I got more practice at picking up stitches and seaming.

So I must search for another sweater for this lovely, slightly chunky, green yarn. I'm thinking the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I put a hold on a copy at my library and will hopefully have it in a few days. Any suggestions?

Eh, it's Monday

Well, I didn't finish my Blackberry this weekend like I hoped. But I got darn close. I have several more rows of ribbing to do and then some more ends to weave in. Then, I'll be done. Next, of course, is Dayflower scarf. But I've also been pondering other projects as well. After dayflower, I'm going to knit a few things for the Rescue Mission like I said. Maybe I can get some people at work to donate some of their homemade winter wear, too (we have quilters in our office, someone's got to either knit or crochet). I feel bad asking though, we already have a donation box for the SPCA, the food bank, and a box for the Tree of Love thingie for the Salvation Army. With all the goings-on in the world I think there's going to be some definite donor fatigue this season.

Anyway, here's what I'm contemplating for future projects:

• Broadstreet Mittens from Knitty - I love my mittenettes but the weather around will soon start requiring more coverage. Better jump on the bandwagon.
  
• Big-Bad Baby Blanket from Stitch n' Bitch 1- for my future neice/nephew due in May
• Hooded Baby Bath Towel- also for future neice/nephew. I saw this cute thing on a recently discovered free knitting pattern directroy call Knitting Pattern Central. i love free patterns.
  
• Thomas the Tank Engine something- I'm thinking a kid-size blanket with the characters on it (somehow). This is my own brainchild, and I will hopefully be done in time for my Thomas-crazed nephew's b-day early next year.
  

That's about all I can think of to yack about at the moment. But here's one of the... more interesting thoughts I had recently I'd like to share with y'all:
"Technically, shouldn't girls who wear size 0 be invisible?" Am I alone on this?

It's FIESTA time!!

Imagine if you will a beautiful Sunday morning. Sunny, not too cold (considering geographic location). Mr. V had just finished eating his waffles I so lovingly made for him (as I do every Sunday). We sit down to watch an episode of INUYASHA. Great episode. They kill somebody off and their arch nemisis gets stronger. We get ready to watch another, content in our weekend laziness, and then...

The party starts on the next door balcony! That's right! A party at 11:30 AM on SUNDAYYYY!! What the F$$K!! Don't they know that obligatory fiesta-time is Saturday night? Maybe their clocks are wrong. And what a treat this is, my friends. Loud music is the genre of spanish dance and hip-hop. Fireworks. Yes, whistle poppers being shot off a second floor balcony in the middle of a city. That's not a safety hazard. Noooo.

Last night (or morning) I was awakened by a lover's quarrell taking place down the street. But because it was the ONLY thing stirring at that time of night, it sounded like they were right inside our bedroom. FUN! Sometimes, I really look forward to winter around here. People stay inside, windows and doors are shut. This neighborhood actually gets somewhat tolerable.

So, we're not watching more Inuyasha. But, thankfully they've stopped. I'll cross my fingers and hopefully, they won't start again. Blogs make ranting so much easier.

Anyone else have bad neighbor stories to share?

Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Knitting

I found this puppy at a Borders Outlet store over Halloween weekend for only $5.99 (god, I love bargains). I vaguely remember seeing this featured on Knitty.com? and when I paged through it at the store I knew I had to have it. It's a resource book, mainly. It has some patterns, but what makes this book a gem is the glossary of knitting stitches complete with instructions in chart and written form. Talk about inspiration! Everything from rib and moss stitches, to cables, laces, and so on. Now I can make all my knitting fantasies come true... (did I say that out loud?). Ahem, ummm...I highly recommend.

I didn't pay full price for this and neither should you. Check your local Borders Outlet (I heart you Borders Outlet) if you have one at your nearest outlet mall. If not, check the bargain book tables (you know where they are) at your local Borders. It might be there. You never know. If all else fails, start dropping hints to your friends and family. Christmas is coming afterall.

Speaking of winter stuff: We might be getting our first snow shower of season this week. Oh Golden Snowball, will you once again be ours?

All In the Family

I talked to my Mum the other day and I found out something really cool. My mom's done craft shows. Her and her b/f (who does woodworking) did a show a while back and plan to do more. My mom is crocheter and has been for years. That's so cool!! So we were chatting a bit about what kinds of things to make and pricing and what not. She sells lap-blankets (?) for between $30-50. The whole thing gave me warm fuzzies. She's going to teach me some crocheting techniques (take two on that she showed me once when I was younger, didn't have the mind for it then) when I visit over Thanksgiving. I might try and get a pic of us crafting together. How cute! (ok, try not to puke).

I'm resisting the urge to jump into the Dayflower Scarf before Blackberry is done. I'm kind of on a "one project at a time" policy. But I might be breaking that policy so stayed tune.

Goal for this weekend: finish Blackberry. Me: the little knitter that could. ^.^

Charlie and The Chocolate Factory

Let me start off by saying that the original version of this movie starring Gene Wilder is one of my favorite movies from childhood. I still enjoy watching that version, even today. But from the perspective of today's youth that version is understandably going to seem dated and hokey. It screams 70's. So I understand the reasoning behind Tim Burton's update just recently released on DVD. I thought this version was entertaining in its dark humor and psychadelic setting. I'm a huge Johnny Depp fan so I loved his take on the character of Willy Wonka. He took that character and made it very much his own. Very Johnny.

However, I think I still prefer Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka better. Gene Wilder's WW was eccentric. Johnny's is just plain weird (goofy, I might say). Either way, this version will probably become a classic for today's generation. And it's a welcome change from all that fluffiness in most children's movies today.

Confession of An Imperfect Knitter #1

So I've decided to confess something I was holding back from everyone. I pretended that all was well with Blackberry sleeve #1. But this is a lie. I confess. I am an imperfect knitter. Take a look:



Notice anything? Take another look, I'll wait.


My cable set is a bit far to the left. It's really noticeable when you look at the cap of the sleeve. Notice anything else? The fifth cable up is a wee bit bigger than the others.

Here starts my confessions in imperfecting knitting. Now, will I frog it and start over? HELL, NO!!! Will anyone really care when it's all said and done? I know I won't. That's all that matters.
Here's another progress pic for those in the KAL




Ciao, suckas!!

LOST upset (caution: spoilers)

And the white girl gets it!! So I was wrong. I am very surprised. So I guess the rumors were true. Furthermore, I've heard that she [Maggie Grace/Shannon] was offered a part in the upcoming X-Men 3. To which Mr.V replied: "To bad, I was looking forward to that movie". Needless to say, Shannon wasn't his favorite character. I got a little worried though. 2 minutes to go in the show and it looked like either Sayid or Shannon were gonna get it. Thankfully, Sayid is staying (though I can't help but to feel bad for the guy). I also really dig how they killed her off. He he. Now will somebody please punch Michelle Rodriguez in her head (maybe they can knock some acting talent in her). Ok, onward...

Sleeve 2 on Blackberry is coming along nicely. Though I do think that I need to invest in a ball winder. These sleeves are bottomless pits of yarn, and I'm getting tired of unwinding a skein and winding it back into a handy center-pull ball. Bobbles are no longer the devil, though. I'm rememering to actually make them (crossing fingers, no jinxing!). And they're getting prettier if I do say so myself. Pics coming soon.

I did my first run on my Pre-New Year's Resolution. It went ok, though I only made it to 25 mins on the hill run. *shakes head* So pathetic. I have my work cut out for me. Why can't I run like I do in my dreams? Fast, smooth, and I NEVER get tired. That *pause* would be great.

LOST death and a Pre-New Year Resolution

So blackberry is inching along, literally. I was able to finish the first sleeve last night after many knit-backs and even a chunky frog. As it turned out, I got a bit overzealous with the sleeve and knit it to about 21 inches before cap shaping. Silly me. So I frogged back about 4 inches. The nice thing is after a few decrease row repeats you can stop doing the bobbles (which are the DEVIL). Hopefully, the second sleeve will move on a lot smoother. I will have lots of pics for construction and finishing. I might be able to finish this by the end of next weekend *crossing fingers*

Now, on to more pressing matters. LOST will be starting up again tonight after a two week break. And this episode should be a doozy. It seems the island is small afterall, and since they keep adding more characters, someone's got to go. Who will it be?? Answer: No one important and no one anyone really cares about (remember Boone?). There is a rumor that Maggie Grace (aka Shannon) is leaving the show to pursue other interests. But, I don't think the show will be wanting to let go its primary eye candy so soon. My money's on Rose. We've been seeing her a lot lately which could only mean one thing: You're gonna die, bitch!! We shall see.

Among knitting and LOST obsessing I also regulary workout (insert applaus here). Nothing noteworthy really. Just something to keep my ass from looking like cottage cheese, and my jeans fitting comfortably. I did two 5Ks last summer. I finished, that's all. And with the holidays swiftly approaching I'd figure I spruce my running skills so I can easily shift into training after New Years. My goal: run a 5K in 30 flat. I run it now in about 34 min. Not impressive, but considering the country I live in (and how fat we are) it's something to be proud of. But the virgo in me wants improvement. So I read this article. I think this will work. It's a quality versus quantity thing, which is perfect for the holiday season. Anyone want to join me?

Bannerama!

Don't mind me, I'm just to lazy to sign up for free picture hosting...

So, a skein of Red Heart Supersaver Multi-Colored found its way into my stash. It's pretty itchy feeling and the colorway isn't the prettiest. But it's grown on me, and you can softened yucky acrylic by washing and drying with fabric softener. It works, really. Not soft like cashmere but better. So, what did I make with this funky yarn? Funky accessories, der! Observe: 1 pair of mittenettes (fingerless gloves) from Midnight Knitter, 1 Edgar scarf from Knitty, and 1 belt (my very first original design):


I love the mittenettes, I love them whole bunches. They're very convenient because I can actually function without taking them off. Convenient. The Edgar scarf was fun to knit because you do the shaping in the middle on the scarf (nerd alert!). The belt, well, it should be a little thinner and it rolls a bit, but other than that... me likes. *pats self on back* What do you think?

Blackberry is progressing, however I now have concluded that BOBBLES ARE THE DEVIL!!

PS- I watched "The Merchant of Venice" last night. Quality movie. Can you ever go wrong with Shakespeare?

Blackberry and Nuns

Well I cast on the sleeves for my blackberry yesterday and decided after much deliberation that I will include the bobbles. I'm still a little wary because mine kind of look like boobs with nipples. They're not really pretty. But maybe they'll get better as I progress. Cabling is going alright. These aren't too pretty either, but overall it's coming along damn well. Check it!

The color is about right (on my comp). It's called country green, but it's more like a muted teal?!


The craft fair at the catholic school was cool. Mr.V and I were very surprised on the number of crafter's there. And a lot of people had some really creative things to sell. The pricing was surpsingly low. I kept thinking they could charge a lot more. But, it's just a local thing and I guess people won't want to pay too much. I think I could do the craft fair thing as long as I sell things that aren't hats, mitts, and scarves. That's ok. I have lot of ideas *rubbing hands diabolically*

Sadly, I saw no nuns or priests (weird). I saw a picture of Bishop though.

Karin- thanks for anti-spam help and the sidebar link- Mwahh!

CrazyCat & Sally Sue- Fortunately I was spared the trauma of catholic/christian school, but a lot of my friends weren't. Cheesy ministers scare me anyway. Craft fair would be a great way to raise some money for your school, Sally Sue (think community service credit). If you fill 1oo tables for $20 each, that's $2,000 right there. Then you can run a bake sale, food stand, or sell some of your school merchandise to raise more. Can we say senior trip money?

Goodbye, Dragon Inn

Now, this isn't about knitting, but I feel the need to discuss this. Last night, Mr.V and I watched the second of two movies I borrowed from the local library (what a I like to call a poor-man's rental). The first movie we watched the other night was a great movie called "The Reckoning" starring Willem Dafoe and Paul Bettany. An orginal and surprisingly complex movie of which I was really pleased with. A movie I would be happy to own. Let's say the second movie did not follow in the first's footsteps. It's a Chinese film called "Goodbye, Dragon Inn". From reading the description I thought the movie concept was rather interesting. This movie was sooooooooooo slow and seemingly pointless. It's one of those artsy type movies that just gets too caught up in being artsy that it falls flat on its ass in a pile of horseshit. This is the first time we EVER watched an ENTIRE movie in fast forward, and it was still slow. I could count on both hands the number of lines of scripted dialogue. The rest of the speaking came from the movie Dragon Inn (the original version) playing in the background. Just sad. Thankfully, I didn't pay anything to watch it (thanks OCL!). And don't think that the movie "Dragon Inn" will be bad. It's not. It's a martial arts classic. I own and love the 1992 re-make starring all the best and brightest in Chinese cinema.

Pheww, alright. Glad that's out of my system. I'm just looking out for y'all. :)

Not Another Knitting Blog??!!

Yes, ladies and gentleman, I'm joining the bandwagon. Welcome to eat-sleep-knit, where you can read about my adventures in knitting, sewing, and some of my random thoughts (discretion advised). I've been knitting for about 3 months. I've been sewing for over a year. Knitting fits me better I think due to its portability, complexity, and history. (did I mention that I'm a dork?) And now I'm ready to build my very own shrine to the craft. *idiotic smile* Here's me modeling my funkay mittenettes from Midnight Knitter:



I have yet to figure out how to get one of those nifty progress bars I see on a lot of knitting blogs. I WANT!! Comments anyone? But here's what I'm working/planning on:

Blackberry, from Knitty.com - I'm about to cast on the first sleeve. I have the back and front pieces done. Pics coming soon. I'm using Lion Brand Jiffy in Country Green. I'm no yarn snob. I'm following the Craftster KAL

After that, I'm planning a day flower scarf for my lovely mother-in-law in LB Wool-Ease.

Then I'm hoping to knit some warm stuff for the Rescue Mission, hopefully in time for Christmas.

So, what's ado today... I'm going to a craft fair at a local catholic high school to see what's up and get some info. I've been pondering the whole craft fair thing. But I have a lot of questions. Plus, maybe I'll pick up some cool stuff. Mr. V wants some home-baked goods so he will be accompanying me (what a sweetie).

A lot of people I've met who've gone to catholic schools now have a fear/hatred of nuns. Is that true?