Success!

Look! I swatched something! And to make it even more astounding, I swatched it right!

This is the gauge swtach for my next big project. I'm going to make Ilga Leja's Sea Urchin, a very open top with 3/4 length sleeves and a Sea Foam Wave pattern that moves in two directions. It looks rediculously easy to knit .. which probably means it won't be, but hey. Can't blame a girl for dreaming, right? I'm making it out of some of the Peruvian Baby Silk from Elann, which is an alpaca/silk blend.



I finished the bag at last. It's a lovely little thing, too. It'll definitely get plenty of use, especially since it's stretchy. And it has renewed my desire to knit bags out of grocery bags, too. Talk about the perfectreusable grocery bag!

I have gotten many compliments on my Peacock Bag though. Granted, most of them were from family members .. but they count too! I know they wouldn't tell me if something looked like crap. But still .. it's nice to hear something really looks good.

Ravelry Details - Peacock Bag
Ravelry Details - Sea Urchin Top

Saturday Jason took me to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens. It was a lovely time. If I hadn't managed to drain my camera battery for the third time by leaving the camera attached to the computer, I could show you some of my favorite pictures. But since the battery is dead again ... I have to charge it. Again. I have to be able to take pictures of the flowerbeds in the front yard anyway, now that those are completely planted.

My answers below...

Here's what the formatting means:

Bold = have already tried this
Italicized = Plan to try this
Unemphasized = Have no desire to try this

• Afghan
• I-cord
• Garter stitch
• Knitting with metal wire - I have the cutest pattern for candle holders .. just need time to try it!
• Shawl - *looks at her stash* So much yarn for shawls, so little time.
• Stockinette stitch
• Socks: top-down - I will. Next year, if not before then, I will cast on my first sock.
• Socks: toe-up - I will do this too.
• Knitting with camel yarn - And quiviut too!
• Mittens: Cuff-up
• Mittens: Tip-down - Someday, yes, though I don't even usually wear mittens.
• Hat - Monkey hats count, dammit!
• Knitting with silk - This gets both because I've knitted with silk blends, but not pure silk. Yet!
• Moebius band knitting - I do plan to try this, though it's all kinds of intimidating.
• Participating in a KAL - This gets both because I have both participated ( dishcloths ) and plan to do more. They're kinda fun!
• Sweater - Still working on. But I started, so I can count it!
• Drop stitch patterns
• Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn - Need to find something to do with it, but I will .. and hopefully, mine won't melt!
• Slip stitch patterns - Looooove mosaic knitting!
• Knitting with banana fiber yarn - Jason got me some too .. can't wait!
• Domino knitting - Do huh? Though, I did find links. Looks like it's similar to mitered squares, but it's a little more complex. I smell a book I might want.
http://www.amazon.com/Domino-Knitting-Technique-Vivian-Hoxbro/dp/193149911X http://www.interweave.com/knit/books/domino_knitting.asp

• Twisted stitch patterns
• Knitting with bamboo yarn - Got the yarn, just need to knit the poncho before the little girl is too big!
• Two end knitting - Not to my … hey .. yes! I did this with my first Ball Band Dishcloth!
• Charity knitting
• Knitting with soy yarn - Yes please! And corn too!
• Cardigan
• Toy/doll clothing - Monkey Hats!
• Knitting with circular needles - Totally .. like all the time.
• Baby items - Only because I have a few actual friends that have them.
• Knitting with your own handspun - I won't say I plan this because I do not think I have the patience for spinning. But one never knows.
• Slippers - Someday. Probably felted, even.
• Graffiti knitting - I love the idea. I so want to, just to have done it.
• Continental knitting - I have totally tried. But my hands don't like it.
• Designing knitted garments - One day. I will design my own.
• Cable stitch patterns - Looooove cables.
• Lace patterns - Usually love lace. I need a better system for keeping track of where I am though.
• Publishing a knitting book - I have an idea in mind. Just need to see if I can implement it. Oh yeah, and learn to design my own patterns.
• Scarf - This gets both because I have done them, and plan to do many more. Nyah.
• Teaching a child to knit - Not unless I teach Savannah.
• American/English knitting - Wha?
• Knitting to make money - Yes please!
• Buttonholes
• Knitting with Alpaca - This gets both because I've knitted with blends, but not pure alpaca. Have some though!
• Knitting with Angora - I totally added this because it should be there! And I plan to, definitely!
• Fair Isle knitting - Someday. Probably in socks or mittens!
• Norwegian knitting - Isn't this Fair Isle?
• Dying with plant colors - This sounds -soooo- fun!
• Knitting items for a wedding - My sister and niece have to get married -someday-.
• Household items
• Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars
• Olympic knitting
• Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
• Knitting with dpns
• Holiday-related knitting
• Teaching a male how to knit - Nyah. Even if Brandon has a girl card, I taught Jason!
• Bobbles - I'm sure they have a use.
• Knitting for a living - This would be a dream come true for me right now.
• Knitting with cotton - All the time. I always have at least one dishcloth on some needles somewhere.
• Knitting smocking - Eeew. Oh .. but wait .. pillows. This is a maybe.
• Dying yarn - Cannot wait to try this.
• Steeks - Scarey, but I'll try it. One day.
• Knitting art - I agree with B .. knitting is art!
• Fulling/felting - Love felting.
• Knitting with wool - Love wool.
• Textured knitting
• Kitchener BO - For socks, this is almost a necessary.
• Purses/bags - Of course!
• Knitting with beads - Several projects, in fact!
• Swatching - A necessary evil.
• Long Tail CO
• Entrelac - Scarey, but I so want to.
• Knitting and purling backwards - If this is twisting stitches? Yes. If not .. umm .. wha?
• Machine knitting - Like Brandon, it's cheating, but cheating I can get behind in some instances.
• Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegating yarn - Variegated yes. Self-striping eventually. Probably not self-patterning though.
• Stuffed toys - Bunnies!
• Knitting with cashmere - Mmm. Yes please. Even a blend will do me fine.
• Darning - Once I've made my own socks, definitely.
• Jewelry - I made a bracelet! Just need a clasp.
• Knitting with synthetic yarn - I learned on it!
• Writing a pattern - Goes along with the knitting a book. I want to .. but will I ever get that good?
• Gloves - Eventually, yes!
• Intarsia - Scarey, but I wanna do it!
• Knitting with linen - Talk about dishtowels!
• Knitting for preemies - Only in the case of charity knitting, but sure.
• Tubular CO - I'll try it, if nothing else.
• Freeform knitting - If this means that silly scrumbling thing, no thank you.
• Short rows - In socks, no doubt, if nowhere else.
• Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers - I even found the perfect fingerless mitt pattern. And these are different than fingerless gloves, B. Fingerless gloves have half-fingers.
• Pillows - Because one day, I'll have furniture that needs pillows.
• Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine - Knitty.com rules!
• Rug
• Knitting on a loom - Weaving, yes. Using a knitting loom? No.
• Thrummed knitting - Another thing I had to look up, but it has potential.
http://fiberfreak.blogspot.com/2006/01/thrum-de-dum.html
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2004/09/15/mitten_what_mitten.html
• Knitting a gift - So many.
• Knitting for pets - Isis needs cat toys, after all!
• Shrug/bolero/poncho - I have at least a poncho in the works. And I need a shrug!
• Knitting with dog/cat hair - Interesting idea, but I don't have a dog/cat that I could get enough hair from in my lifetime.
• Hair accessories - I will try again with the knitted scrunchy.
• Knitting in public - All the time!

*yawn*

I'm -so- tired. And, why yes, it is 5:00am. And yes, I've been up already for hours, tossing, turning and flopping in the bed. And disturbing Isis. (Jason sleeps through anything, luckily!) Who granted was a sweet kitty and tried grooming me to help me get to sleep. It didn't work. I finally just roused myself, and came down to discover that the thing that had been on my mind all night was true, and I found my blue pattern/color-card binder. Yeah. I think that's what kept me up all night. Whee.

That and dreading going to Weight Watcher's this morning. And now I want to go even less, because all I want to do is friggen sleep. I'm annoyed now, growly and grumpy and not in the mood to deal with the yuppy moms at the meeting, and certainly not in the mood to deal with the too-cheerful new leader, Lucie. Who is Canadian. And I like her, normally. She knits, in fact. But today .. right now .. I don't want to deal.

Random knitting sidenote: I started my very first Mason Dixon Ballband washcloth, and I'm as hooked as everyone else. This knits so fast! I'm going to take ti back to bed with me as I wait for Jason to wake up so I can tell him I'm not going to the meeting because I need to friggen sleep. Oh yeah, and who else loves the fact that Knit Picks now lets you pay 70-cents less and download their patterns, rather than buying them and having to wait for the pattern?

In other non-knitting news, because I've no desire to try to post coherently about my knitting at this ungodly hour, we have not one but two delightful outings planned this week. First, Sunday we're going to see a production of Rent in Charlotte. Jason and I saw the show on Broadway and I loved it, so when I saw it was coming here I had to get tickets. And then on Tuesday we're going to a weaving class at the LYS we love to shop at, creatively named The Yarn Shop, by Rainy Day Creations. That's the whole name, yes. But the ladies are very sweet, and Jason got us all a lesson and we're going Tuesday. I'm so thrilled! I think the class includes rental of a loom too, which will be interesting. I may not get much knitting done!

One more side note: About the picture in the previous post; it's not snow, nor is it from the wintertime. I took that picture on our trip up the Blue Ridge Parkway last OCtober. The reason the trees are covered in ice is because of what's called a hoar frist, where moisture in the air/fog/clouds freezes on contact with the trees/grass/ground. Cool, isn't it?

I'm going back to bed now, aided by a little blue pill. (Tylenol Sleep - no painkiller, just sleep-aid. My hero!)