Saturday Sky

The Lava Bar Contest winner is m. from mega(k)nits! Congrats! I'll mail out the prize next week. Please let me know how (if) you like it.

Knitting Needle Bracelet

How cool is this bracelet?!? Made by Liana Kabel in Australia, its cool enough that I found myself checking the shipping info! Shipping is to anywhere in the world. Hmmm... that's about $33.55 in US dollars. Tempting.

10 Knittery Things you didn't know about me

Following the lead of Grumperina, I'm challenged (seriously, it was a challenge) to come up with 10 Knittery Things that you don't know about me. Erin probably knows about most of these but here you go:

1) The loss of my knitterly innocence occurred within the first year of knitting. I was working on a lace stole for my sister using Moonlight Mohair. The yarn label said "MACHINE WASHABLE" and despite the 28% mohair, I believed it and stuck it in the washing machine. It felted.

2) There are 59 feeds in my knitting blogroll, but usually more than 100 unread posts at any given time. When I'm on vacation, it usually goes up to 200-300 unread.

3) My needle case is skulls and roses on the outside and red silk on the inside. I spotted the same skulls and roses fabric on Scrubs as The Todd's surgery cap.

4) I have made my own knitting needles out of bamboo skewers and pine dowels from Home Depot using a pencil sharpener and sandpaper for the points, buttons and beads for the ends. Had to ask my Dad to re-sand the points for me because my sandpaper wasn't fine enough and the yarn still caught on the rough spots.

5) There is only one project I have ever ripped back to yarn, a "pocket purse" in sparkly gold yarn that was endless rows of stockinette stitch that could not hold my attention even after I transferred it to new rosewood needles. I started it last June and finally ripped it back last month. It had been over a year people!

6) The first thing I knitted after my "learn how to knit" piece was a kerchief for myself. I then proceeded to make many more since they were easy and quick. Usually I wear these on Friday or whenever my hair is not looking its best.

7) My first lace project was using a pattern from The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches, size 15 needles, and Manos de Uruguay cotton stria yarn. I was totally winging it. I made a stole for a friend's 30th birthday. It was full of mistakes and the pattern meandered all over the place but my friend thought it was great.

8) Strangest place I have ever knit is in the dentist chair waiting for the anesthetic to work. When it did, my hands and fingers started tingling and I had to stop knitting. At the time I was working on my MIL's cardigan. Go figure.

9) My yarn chest is divided by colour. At any given time, the blue section is almost always the most full.

10) The most ambitious project on my to do list is the Icarus Shawl using the darkMerino Lace yarn from my secret pal. I'm not ready for it yet, especially since I have so many other projects on my to do list, but mostly I need to work up the courage to use this fine yarn. Don't say it Erin - I'm not ready yet.

Check the links for pictures!

Lava Bar contest

I received the Lava Bar a few weeks ago but with my diet, it was hard to find a way to fit in 280 calories. But then I didn't eat much one day and decided to treat myself with the ice cream and "the world's first liquid chocolate bar." The people at Lava Bar suggested I try it over ice cream and so I did. Add 110 calories.

So how did it taste?

It's good, but... it doesn't taste like chocolate syrup, rather it's a cross between melted chocolate fudge and chocolate brownie batter. And there's a slight after taste that I can't identify. From the ingredients, your guess is as good as mine. Over ice cream it clumped and became more fudge like but for me, that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

Max took one taste and decided he didn't like it. Ringing endorsement indeed.

Would I buy it? No, probably not.

So, now here's the contest part: Who wants to try it? I have two more Lava Bars. Leave me a comment between now and Friday at midnight. I'll randomly choose a winner and announce the winner on Saturday.

Saturday Sky wink

Yesterday

Red Scarf Project
Yesterday was the first red scarf lunch at work. There were three of us for this first meeting and we were all starting our scarves. For mine, I used size 5 circular needles and cast on 88 stitches (since most college students in their first year this year were born in 1988), joined in the round, knit 3 rows of seed stitch, and then switched to stocking knit. I was hoping that the seed stitch would keep the bottom from rolling up but so far it still is... maybe I didn't do enough rows. I'm using Red Heart Soft and Red Heart Super Saver, alternating every row to produce stripes.

Alex's Birthday
Last night Max and I went to my friend Alex's surprise party. He was totally surprised! His girlfriend Natalia made dinner and the birthday cake. Everything was yummy, I tried everything and was just careful not to have too much. Alex and Slav did not hold back at all - a great compliment to the chef I think! Alex liked the card and the present we got for him.

Cambridge Jacket
Since I was out last night, I did not get a chance to work on the Cambridge jacket.
Limedragon asked, "What color are you knitting Cambridge in?"
Not something I would have picked for myself or to even knit with but it's all about the recipient, right? I'm using Lion Brand Woolease in Cocoa. Every time I pick it up to knit, it hits me - this is the perfect the colour is for this recipient. I'm pretty sure that person doesn't read this blog but just in case, better not to say.

This hat is too small

Not swell. That's what I get for not swatching. Testing on two adult heads (me and Max), it does not fit. Still, it's super cute! I think it might fit my little cousin. I asked my Mom to measure his head for me.

I'm going to try again on size 6 needles and follow the directions for size M. Probably without the ear flaps and tassels. And maybe this one will be just right.

Also, started on one of the Cambridge jacket sleeves. I measured the gauge after I had knit a few rows... I had to frog it and start over on smaller needles.

Saturday Sky

Also, have you seen this commercial from Kashi? Free granola bar!

Reading

One of my co-workers asked me for my top 5-10 recommendations of classics/current nonfiction/fiction/cultural awareness literature to read.

The first authors that came to mind were Michael Ondaatje and Anita Shreve. I've read many of their books. Though the subject matter they write about is vastly different, they both have a beautiful way with words.

My favorites by Michael Ondaatje: In the Skin of a Lion, The English Patient (the book is very different from the movie), The Cinnamon Peeler (poetry), and Anil's Ghost.

My favorites by Anita Shreve: Sea Glass and The Pilot's Wife.

I also enjoy reading about asian culture: Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden, The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata, and Obasan by Joy Kogawa.

And lastly, I suggested that she also try: Rebekah by Orson Scott Card, Sarah by Orson Scott Card, Rachel and Leah: Women of Genesis by Orson Scott Card, Knitting: A Novel by Anne Bartlett, and The Shop On Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber.

Currently reading A Map of Glass by Jane Urquhart.

87%

Here's a picture I took over the weekend:



I'm so close to the end! My goal is to finish this weekend so I can start casting on some other projects. I've been dying to start but I know if I do, it will take even longer to get this done. At my mother's request, I won't be doing the fringe so when the knitting is completed all I'll have to do is weave in a few ends.

The sheep tape measure is from my SP8, limedragon. That's actually the end of the tape measure, so I had to grab my old one to measure out the last two inches.

Fall Knitty

All in all, a really great issue! Although I didn't enter the calendar contest, I'm really curious to find out who won and the photos of course. And I love the yarn in the header! Just beautiful.

Most Favorite
- Sherwood (especially the small child wearing it!)

Favorites
- Avast
- Lizard Ridge
- Cable net (except that heel flap and gusset)
- Diamante (again with the heel flap and gusset)
- Tamarah (how cool to have a pattern named after you!)
- Quick picks (the knitting version of "I want that")
- We can rebuild it by Lorraine Smith

Also like
- Lucie
- Serrano
- Sox on 2 stix
- Back to school
- Woolly acres shetland sheep by Kate Atherley with Denny McMillan

Maybe but not sure
- Cactus Flower
- Extreme knitting: 2 socks in 1 (this sound so scary... not sure I'm ready)

Recommendations
Encouraged by Amy Singer, I offer my suggestions... would love to see an all-Canadian issue one day... maybe released on Canada Day featuring patterns from Canadian designers using Canadian yarn. It would be a way to celebrate Knitty's history. Also, the archive is quickly expanding and will eventually become unwieldy. I'm not sure if a redesign is in the works but it would be something to think about.

Swell

I went shopping for yarn with Max again this weekend to find something to make a hat for him. On Saturday we went to the Springwater Fiber Workshop. He's SO particular. And even though he found the colours he liked, one was blue 100% merino finger weight and the other was a charcoal grey cotton-wool blend of worsted weight. I'm glad he cares so much though. Gives me hope that he'll wear it even though he's always hot. On Sunday we went to Knit Happens.... and success! Here's what Max picked:



With help from the staff, we decided that with a little math, I should be fine using these two different yarns together since they are they same gauge. The main part of the hat will be charcoal and the waves will be the blue Mission Falls. Probably won't start working on it right away because I actually need to do a swatch. (And finish Lady Eleanor, and start working on a sweater for Christmas, and...)

Saturday night after we got back from the boat cruise, I started working on the Swell hat for Max's brother. The peace sign in the earflaps are very subtle but that's probably good for an electrical engineering student. The yarn is soft and the colours are nice. I've joined in the round and it's going pretty quickly. Helps that I brought it with me on the subway this morning!

Saturday Sky

This evening, Max and I went on the Odyssey cruise. It was with Max's work but we met some nice people and had a good time.

For dinner I had the Roasted Duck Confit (Slow Cooked Duck with Natural Juices and Aged Tawny Port served atop a Double Ripe Plantain Torte and relished with Dried Island Fruits and Candied Walnuts) and the Baked Portabella Purse (Marinated Portabella Mushrooms with Sauteed Spinach and Julienne Peppers baked with Imported Cheeses in a delicately wrapped Flanky Butter Crust). Had the Apple Praline Crisp for dessert, came with vanilla ice cream.

Birthday hat

One of my co-workers' son is having a birthday party this weekend so I quickly made this hat:



The colours are more true in the second photo, definitely more blue than pink. I cast on yesterday morning, knit on the commute to work, at lunch, on the commute home and I finished it last night before I went to bed. Loosely based on the umbilical cord hat in Stitch and Bitch. I gave the hat to my co-worker today and she absolutely loved it!

Labor Day weekend

Saturday we went shopping for yarn. Bought some for the practice hat:

Hung up some art in our front hallway:

Monday we went shopping at World Market and found two great finds. I've been looking all over the place for Wild Gardens hummus. It's shelf stable and light on the garlic (for Max), recommended by Jennifershmoo. Can't wait to try it out later this week. And Max found a piece of furniture for our office. All the way from India. We spent part of this evening putting it together. Erin helped!


And naturally there was knitting throughout the weekend. Lady Eleanor is now 51" long. That's almost 75% done!

Saturday Sky

Another cool day - hurray!

Ready for the cooler weather

Today is overcast and rainy. This morning on the way to work it was actually pretty cool. Only a high of 69F/20C today. My office still has the air conditioning on and so I put on a zippered hoodie as soon as I arrived. But instead of mourning the end of summer, I warmed up some chicken noodle soup for lunch and put on some Christmas music. Now I feel all warm and toasty. Can't wait to get home and do some knitting!

I've been working on Lady Eleanor. Just joined a new ball the other night. The stole is about 3 feet long now. On Saturday, I'm going shopping for some yarn for a sweater for someone in my family for Christmas - and Max is coming with me to pick out something so I can make him a hat! It will be the first item I've ever knit for him. Very exciting. I'm going to practice (since I'm still new to knitting with two yarns) by making one for his brother. Marvin will get his when he comes to visit us for Thanksgiving. Max will get his at Christmas.

Red Scarf Project
Unless you're reading the RSS feed by email or have subscribed through Bloglines, you've probably noticed the new button on the right for the Red Scarf Project. I've recruited some friends to join me, including fellow blogger Erin. She even helped me destash some red yarn left over from a cardigan I made for my MIL. I have a small group at work too! They all agreed right away and I was able to share some red yarn with them too. (There was alot left over!) My group at work willl be meeting once a month to knit during lunch until January when we mail the scarves in.