Been working on Cleo... I'm actually almost done:
I actually just have to finish the bottom lace band, and then
sew the peices together. I also have to sew in some elastic, which is something I've never done before. Alison takes her stuff to the seamstress near kidstown. Maybe I'll try that with this elastic instead of ruining it myself...
I e-mailed Flying Fingers yesterday... I want to take the YARN BUS:
Bevin and Sooner definitely convinced me with their photo essay of their excursion. Basically, the yarn bus picks you up in the city and drives you upstate to the store. For free. You have to write to them to get a voucher, though, which I did yesterday. I'm going in May when I'll be back home. I'll keep everyone posted about this, especially since I am super-psyched.
Cleo!
Who is Cleo? Well,
Cleo was the
Knitty surprise of Summer 2003. How retro! I really enjoyed making the
Chickami so I figured I'd try another sexy tank top. This is the yarn I'm using:
It's some
Soy Silk that was hand-dyed. I got it from our SnB holiday party this year. It's nice to work with and it's fun to think that I am going to be
wearing tofu. I guess I'm one of the few people who can say THAT!
Here are the triangles that will hold my chest (
I hope):
My favorite part is the i-cord tie. It's all
rainbow-y! The colors blend in a cool way. This is the best picture I could get, but you can kind of see it in the top one too.
Right now I am up to the band and the body. The band has a weird lacy pattern. It's called "chevron eyelet" and you can check it out in
the picture. It's kind of just eyelets in the shape of the letter V. See if you can spot it in this close-up:
It's subtle. There are some subtle eyelets in the triangles too.
I just have to rant a little bit about the INOX circular needles that I'm using. I'm not a huge fan. Maybe I am spoiled by the addis I used for my last project, but there's something wrong with the INOX cord. It's
so twisty! I know, I know, dip it into boiling water... Hey- I am
so lazy that I can barely weave in ends! I don't want to become Chef Illanna for my knitting needles! I don't know... I don't think I'm going to buy these needles again. Just not worth it for me...
Completed! Sweet Victory!
First of all, I am super excited today because I finished my
CHICKAMI!! There is some information about the yarns I used in
this post and
this post. Basically I used size 3, 6, and 9 circulars. The yarns are Skacel Fiori and Soy Silk Chenille. The 3's were for the soy silk edges, the 6's were for the soy silk body and the fiori edges, and the 9's were for the fiori body. Sorry if that doesn't make sense :) Here it is, my first completed tank top EVER:
I wanted it to look like the soy silk was grass and that the flowers were growing in a field on the grass. It kind of makes my boobs look like they're blooming. Sorry for the visual folks but I had to say it. It's not blocked yet, but I am going to block it so it gets a little longer and narrower.
I mentioned in my last post that I finished Max's socks. He LOVED them. I realized later, that they kind of look like the sock version of the
Team Zissou hat from Life Aquatic. I'll let you decide:
Max's feet are very happy in that picture. You can't tell, but they're smiling.I have a new project but I'll post the pictures tomorrow so that it doesn't take 2967 years for my blog to load. Seeya tomorrow!
How Much?
On Wednesday I was waiting for the bus near school on Mill Ave. I was knitting Max's socks (which I finished since then) while sitting on a bench. A truck drove by and the passenger whistled at me. Then, all of the sudden, I hear someone scream "
HOW MUCH?" They were screaming at me! He screamed again "
HOW MUCH FOR THE SCARF?!?!?!"
First of all, yelling "
HOW MUCH?" at a lady is inappropriate. I am tolerant and even raunchy sometimes, but nevertheless, HOW MUCH definitely has the prostitute feel to it. Second, I was knitting SOCKS. Not a scarf. And to answer the question, about $500. Socks are ALMOST priceless, but for $500 I'd knit socks for anyone. Except for that guy who screamed "HOW MUCH."
Here are some pictures of the guys who were whistling/screaming:
Just kidding. That's Nick Nolte and the Menendez Bros.
PfPP (Acryonym for "Package from Secret Pal")
It's ok... I can make my own acronyms. I got home from the gym and I had a package! It's from my secret pal. Check it out:
Hmmm... very VERY nice! First off, how did you KNOW that I love Alpaca Grande?? HOW!?! It's so soft and pretty. Also, I think I am going to make the Airy Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts out of that Kitten yarn. I used to see that yarn for sale and think hmmm... I wonder if it's made of kitten?
It's possible you know. As I was opening the package, a wonderful smell hit my nose. Those candles are in the cutest package, but more importantly, they smell awesome! Japanese Quince. I never even heard of it, but i think i LIKE it. I love this whole package. Thank you secret pal!
Yarn Diet, Needle Binge
First of all, I just tripped over the stupid child "fence" at work, while grabbing myself a fat-free snack. That's what I get for watching fat grams...
Well...Yarn diet isn't the same thing as needle diet, RIGHT?
I received the book "
Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles" in the mail the other day and I am determined to learn this method.
I needed to order some needles, because I don't have any two circular needles that are the same size. Usually I buy one length of circulars, and then stretch or smush according to how many stitches are on the needle. I really like addis, so I ordered size 2 circulars in 16" and 24" lengths.
But then I realized I should order a little more to make shipping worth the money. C'mon everyone does this. Fess up. So I got a few more
8" and
12" circulars too. I really like these small circulars because they are small and they are nice for doing sleeves, socks, and other small tube-shaped things.
I got these needles at
World Knit, which has a lot of fun international knitting things. These needles were only $4.25 and $4.50...good prices. Just beware that Japanese needle sizes are VERY different than US and UK sizes. Here is a great sizing guide that I use, that I got from
Tata Tatao. You'll probably need to click it to see the big size, unless you're superman.
I got an e-card from my secret pal yesterday, saying that a package is on it's way! I am so excited. I know that I say that every day about everything, but seriously. This is great. She sends the coolest e-cards too! Back to studying/working/listening to the Wiggles....
I don't know what to name this post...
Yesterday I went out with some awesome
Craftster people to a coffee shop called "Coffee Talk" in Mesa. That place is CUTE! Coffee Talk had a delicious looking "caramel apple cheesecake" that I REALLY want to make now. I showed restraint and didn't eat any though.
Chris invited me, and I always have fun and get inspired when I hang out with her. She is making an AWESOME fairisle sweater with Noro and "Flatula" (Filatura di Crosa). I love meeting crafty people- these girls were knitting, making bracelets, making craisy daisies, and all kinds of other fun stuff. I would LOVE to join these creative mamas again!
Next, check out the new addition to the sidebar. I put a weather thingie so that everyone can drool over the beautiful weather. In all fairness, today is the nicest day all week, because it's been pouring. In the summer you can all laugh at me though...
OK, down to business:
I don't think I'm going to make it. I have to make that second sock look like the first one by tomorrow night. Now I know what all you crazy christmas knitters were dealing with. I won't be done by tomorrow- it's impossible. On the bright side, though, I got Max 2 colanders, a drink mixer, and a homemade valentine. Then on Tuesday I can whip out the socks and amaze him.
Test knitting stuff: I finished that tank from the last post and submitted it to
Southwest Trading Company on Friday. Jonelle liked it, and she rewarded me with these bad boys:
It's 100% bamboo and it's a lot softer than I would have expected. I got a pattern to make a skirt with this yarn, but it might become a tank top instead... we'll see.
Jonelle gave me a new project to test knit. This one is a lot harder and it's going to take me a WHILE, I can tell. It's the kind of project that makes you have to count out loud while doing the patterns. I'm sure Max loves hearing me say "One, Twooooooooo, Threeeeeeeeeee." Look at all this yarn that goes into this pattern:
I felt like I was robbing
SWTC when I left with all that yarn. The project is a little t-shirt/tank top/sweater. I'm not really sure how it's going to look when it's finished. I saw an example of it, but it's hard to tell what shape it will be. The pattern is "feather and fan" which is very fun. here is what I have so far:
The picture isn't so great because you can't see the different yarns and the pattern that well. Eventually I'll have enough done to show a better example. Once Max's socks are done, I can work on this one full time.
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!
I am a test knitter (among other things)
Hello, I am a test knitter, nice to meetcha (meetcha means "meet you" in Queens-ese which is what I used to speak in the motherland, AKA Flushing NY).
Anyhoo, doesn't "test knitter" sound very official and proper? I finally have something cool to put on a business card. When I was little, I made some business cards that said "Illanna, "Official Kid." I was even corny back then. Now my business cards say "Illanna, "Test Knitter Extraordinaire." Just kidding. They still say "official kid."
I signed up at the Stitch n Bitch Holiday Party to be a test knitter for
Southwest Trading Company (of Soy Silk fame), and when I got picked to do it, I did a little dance. Very exciting and glamourous, no? Here is what I made with the test pattern:
I realize it's still on the needles, just like EVERY OTHER PROJECT. It took me one weekend to get that far, and now I just have to finish the last little top part. Quick knit. I like the color. The yarn, "Diva," is very soft and sparkly too. The best part is that I am the test knitter (or did I mention that already).
I am going to the
Southwest Trading Company Headquarters (which is about a mile from my little apartment) to give them this garment and get a new test knit.
***Secret Pal news: I love doing secret pal. I ADORE my secret pal-ee (receiver) and my secret pal-er (sender) is super awesome. We should do some sort of secret pal reunion someday in a central location like Kentucky. That way we could all meet eachother....
Just a tip for my secret pal: UPS is really bad in my area, and it can take weeks to get a package from them. The post office is the best way to send me things. If UPS is the only convenient way, please let me know that you are sending something that way, so I can look out for it and let you know if it doesn't come at all.
Yarn Porn from Ebay
I bid on some Lobster Pot yarn on Ebay and I won. I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. The auction started at $7 so I bid on it. I figured "hey, maybe there's a small chance that no one else bids." And then the impossible happened...
I won this yarn porn for $7.
$7 for my most favorite yarn EVER, which normally retails at $20!!!! This one is the lobster pot bulky, and there are 115 yards of it. It's usually expensive because A) It's the softest yarn in the entire world (in my opinion) and B) It's hand dyed in a lobster pot and hung to dry in the salty Cape Cod air (in the label's opinion).
The only place I have ever seen this yarn (besides this auction) is
Purl Soho, which carries the entire line of Lobster Pot
Bulky,
Worsted, and
Cashmere. Yes, cashmere.
So now what? What do I make? I decided to make a scarf:
It's still in progress (hence the needles which are size 15 by the way) but it's looking good. The other yarn I used is called Be Sweet Ice Cream. The website I linked to is not up and running yet, but it says it's coming soon. I have never seen this yarn except at Jessica Knits, which is where I bought it. It's a variegated mohair/angora/other stuff yarn, and the colors and textures change as you go through it. There are curly mohair parts (the pink stripes) ribbon parts (the blue ones second from the top) and some angora stripes (I think thats the rest). This scarf is soft and I'm proud of it.
I know I've been gone for a while. Just tired and weak/crappy/blech feelings. I finished one of Max's valentine's socks and finished a tank top that I'm test knitting for
a yarn distributor, but I think I'll post those pictures tomorrow. I know, I'm holding out on my wonderful readers... sorry sorry.
PS Hi SECRET PAL!!!
TWO, count 'em TWO RAOKs
I really waited a long time to get into RAOK. I kind of wondered if it was worth the wait at the time. IT DEFINITELY IS. I got 2 RAOKs this week. You are all so incredibly kind.
First, from
Jody, I got this beautiful clay yarn ornament:
I can't wait til you come back to Arizona so we can all knit together again. Thank you so much for thinking of me and sending me such a pretty RAOK. I hung it up in my room!
Today I got another RAOK in the mail. This one is from
Lynn. I never saw your blog before today, but I LOVE it! So anyway, I shook the box, and I said to myself "hmmm... sounds like yarn." And it was. I think it's so funny that yarn has a sounds. It kind of has a non-sound... but I digress. Here is the yarn and homemade card:
First of all, this yarn is TO DIE FOR. Better than chocolate. It's like buttah. It comes from
WoolSoup which is a family business that processes and dyes all their own wools. Lynn wrote in the card that I posted
a picture of some yarn that I liked and it reminded her of this yarn that she had. The colorways really do look similar! I'm not sure what I'll make yet... maybe a shawl?
Last night I got together with
Alison to catch up on
Knitty Gritty and to knit (of course). I had such an awesome time. Alison has such cute dogs and one of them, Orange, really liked me. He kept kissing me. Alison posted a
picture of Orange flirting with me... I was about to say something and when I opened my mouth, Orange gave me an open mouth kiss. I little gross, I know, but that's why I was making the face.
Thanks again for the beautiful RAOKs and to Alison for letting me
make out with your dog come over and watch Knitty Gritty.
Fun Knitting Fact Thursday!!
Hello there! Last week I started a new weekly column called Fun Knitting Fact Thursday. Every week I am going to find something interesting (to me at least!) about yarn or knitting in general, and post about it.
Today's Fun Fact is about
Mission Falls:
Mission Falls is a Canadian company that makes 2 yarns: 1824 wool and 1824 cotton. These yarns are beautiful, and soft to boot! BUT, did you ever stop to think what 1824 means? Originally I thought it was an important year? Maybe it was about the election of 1824 when Andrew Jackson was voted into office? I was so wrong....
1824 is the GAUGE! According to the
Mission Falls website, Mission Falls is a true Aran weight yarn (18 stitches, 24 rows...get it?) with an incredibly soft hand. So, not only do we never have to remember the gauge (it's already in the name) but their cotton and wool lines are interchangable! That means that Clara knitter in Toronto can make the same sweater as Sara knitter in Tucson, and not freeze her bejeezus off!! Brilliant...
While doing my research, I found this not so fun fact about 1824 cotton:
Better stock up!! The best online retailer I've found is
Camilla Valley Farm. The 1824 Cotton costs $4.30 and the 1824 Wool costs $4.45. There are definitely a LOT of others though, so shop around.
By the way, this is just a public service announcement. Mission Falls didn't pay me or anything, but that would probably be pretty cool. I just thought this fun knitting fact is interesting...
...and I approve this message.
First of all, I changed my comments to
Haloscan and all of my previous comments got deleted. It didn't say they would be deleted... they just were. At least I still have my friends? Well, if anyone knows how to get my comments back, or at least read them again, please let me know.
Have you ever thought about making your own ginger ale at home? Me neither! Max made some and it's DELICIOUS! Ginger ale is really just ginger, water, and sugar. It's way better than the stuff from the stores, too. The best part? WE SPIKE IT WITH WHISKEY, BABY!
Yummmm... Jim Beam... it's what George W. Bush used to drink in the 70's!
If you're more of a recipe person, like I am, I've got the recipe right here. It's from
Emeril Live.
Homestyle Ginger Ale & Bourbon
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sliced ginger
- 10 cups soda water
- 4 cups quality bourbon
- Ice cubes
- 16 orange wheels, for garnish
Combine sugar, water, and ginger in large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Once sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and let stand until cool. Strain through a fine sieve.
In a large pitcher, combine the cooled ginger syrup with the soda water and bourbon. Stir to combine. Fill 16 tall glasses with ice and top with the ginger-bourbon mixture. Garnish the rim of each glass with an orange slice and serve immediately.
Mmmmm....On the bottom of the recipe, there are instructions for an individual serving. Drinking bourbon alone? Not such a healthy habit, huh? Enjoy!
