A Little Lace

The teal blue lace was whispering my name in the middle of the night and somehow I purchased the pattern for the Featherweight Cardigan the next day.



It's a fairly simple pattern which is what I think my brain can handle right now, but the interesting thing about this will be the collar. Should I be concerned about picking all those stitches? humph, I'll worry about that when I get there.



Amazingly all 1500 yards of the lace is balled up in the one little cake. Even with 1500 yards of lace... I'm still pondering if I'll need another project for my up and coming trip to the sunny side of the states. I should be fine, but what if...

FO: Cedar Leaf Shawlette

Pattern: Cedar Leaf Shawlette by Alana Dakos

Yarn: 2 skein of Oasis (Purplexed and Purple)

Needles: US 6 circular needle

Started: March 18, 2010

Finished: March 25, 2010

Not too much to say about this little gem. It's simple lovely and just drapes fabulously.



I chose to integrate the variegated color way with the solid and I love how it gradually flows from the pink to purple.

It's also kinda cool that I have extra yarn left over so I could make myself another;)

Kiss Me Because I'm Irish!

As I was posting up these pictures to show off all the goodies I've been picking up... I noticed a theme. Hummmm. Perhaps because it's March? Perhaps I have Spring Fever.



It all started with the bag. Namaste Laguna in lime that I picked it up at the Loopy Ewe. That website is really is a great place to just swoon. Please note that the Cedar Leaf shawlette is well under way in this photo, but currently I can say it is blocking!! Dude. Under a week from start to block. Not even enough time to fully get the project on my Ravelry page.



Then on one awesome day I stalked the site to see if I could. and. I. did. SCORE some Wollmeise. If your not familiar with the yarn... it is very sought after. To the point where it's become a controversy. I don't plan on selling this yarn on ebay just to make a huge profit. No, I've got some plans with this little awesome bundle of greenness.



Then while outside taking Hello Daylight photos in the evening!! I glanced over to my dead patch and noticed the glorious signs of spring. Tulips. Lovely tulips that Miss Mac and I planted not that long ago in the fall. sigh. Green, green everywhere... I love it.



Then while perusing ebay, I notice this book and decided Why Not. I'm still daydreaming about which pattern to wrap my mind around. I really want to do some color work. I'm feeling the spark come back ya'll!



Last but not least is this little mug that makes me smile every time I take a sip. So then I had this dream the other night where I got a black sheep tattoo with the green clover and all! How funny would that be? Check out the Black Sheep Collection... I want it all!!!

It's a Dry Heat

I should have bought the mug because this was the first thing out of every one's mouth once they heard I was heading to Arizona. I get... I did it too, but having been there I can see why people say it. Yet it's so much more.

My cousin got married on the most beautiful day that a bride could ask to have.



Walking down the isle to Metallica's Nothing Else Matters makes me just love her even more. Congrats to you both!



No matter where you turn... you've got these beautiful mountains just draping the sky and making even the most mundane strip mall look heavenly.

If you interested in looking at more photos just check out My Photo Set.

Having some time to spare during the afternoon, we headed out for a short trip about Phoenix to get some photos of cactus and mountains. During this I got the opportunity to visit Knit Happens.



I fell in love from the moment I laid eyes on the outside of the store. If you clicked on the above link to their blog, the photo in the top header really explains it all. Isles of yarn, knit samples draped at every turn and this awesome work station which is just barely seen in the photo along the bottom. It can sit tons of knitter and the super cool thing is the custom table has sunk in crevices so knitters can put a run-away ball of yarn. Totally Cool!



Yarn. Knit. Love.

It really does explain it all. Ever in the neighborhood of Scottsdale, check it out.



This is a huge sign on the building as your walking towards the door... How awesome can this get? They need to seriously sell these as smaller car window stickers;)

I did pick up something lovely...



Filatura di Crosa Centolavaggi lace weight in dark teal. I'm itching to cast on this stuff... Perhaps I should;)

Totally Distracted

This weekend happened so quickly that I'm glad I took some pictures, because I could have easily thought it was based off of a hallucination from the drugs for my teeth... damn root canal.

The last we meet, I was contemplating a new project.



I ended up taking the Oasis yarn. The soy yarn is interesting to work with and it feels softer in the ball then actually knitting with it. It has a tendency to lay flat like a ribbon yarn, but I don't think it will stay that way once it's blocked.

I had two skeins in solid purple and one that was variegated with a blend of pinks. I decided that I would ultimately do the boarder leafs in the solid, but wanted this blend effect to happen along the way. To get this effect I switched yarns every two rows then added more rows of the solid as I got closer to end.



Isn't it lovely? I really enjoyed my trip and I'm hoping to sort through all the photos soon. The view was such a distraction that I left my pattern on the plane and didn't realize it until my Mom asked about my project. sigh. At least I knew the pattern well enough that I didn't need it.



This lovely tulip was a gift from Miss Mac (she made Daddy buy it). Too cute!

Knitting Slump

No. I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, why do you ask. phsst. whatever.

I'm in a mood. Sassy and full of attitude. My real concern is my lack of the thrill to knit. Most days... correction. Everyday since I can remember, I've yearned to hold the needles and yarn. Lately, not so much.

I'm really just going through the motions by continuing on my blanket squares. It does give me a sense of accomplishment to knockout a few additions, but I need more out of my knitting.

What I need a new project. Checked my queue on Raverly for something to pop out but after going through each one on all 6 pages. blank. Oh Hell. Now what? So I head to my magazines. Old ones and new ones. Nada. On to the books.... still no thrill.

I'm of the mind set that because I knit for pleasure and not as a job then I need to enjoy it. Otherwise what's the point?

This weekend I will just so happen to be in Arizona for a wedding. Kinda excited to get away to warmer weather and around family that I don't often get to hang with. Their a hoot and I know this will be highly enjoyable.

So with quick trip in front of me I think I need to plan a new project. Something portable. Something fairly easy... not color work that needs to be ripped and then carefully placed back on the needles - ask me how I know. not fun.

Plus I want some WOW factor too. I'm going to be at a wedding and knitting blanket squares is so far from cool. So below are a few yarns in my stash that are more on the "Oh Look How Lovely"...


Southwest Trading Company-Oasis - DK weight - 720 yards

For this soy silk I was thinking perhaps of the Cedar Leaf Shawlette


Buffalo Earth - Sport weight - 200 yards

This perhaps as Meander Mitts... unfortunately I don't own the Vogue Knitting, Fall 2009 magazine... so perhaps an alt fingerless glove patter would be Fetching from Knitty.


Buffalo Luxury - Lace weight - 330 yards

I'm really smitten with this yarn, but I just can't possibly think of a lace project that isn't too difficult or can handle the small yardage. I'm certainly not doing Isbel again... not that I didn't like the finished object. I can't justify the constant swearing that will be spewing from my mouth... not good a weddings;)

Any suggestions for patterns... I'm at a loss.

Take Your Giraffe To Work Day

How many of you participated in the Take Your Giraffe To Work Day?

When I noticed that Susan B. Anderson was doing a book signing at Nina's... I dubbed March 5th Giraffe Day!



After a short trip on the Chicago Blue Line, we ended up in Wicker Park with Nina's just two blocks away.



Susan is sweet and super friendly. You can see she is truly proud of her books, as she should be. The entire store was filled with the Itty Bitty toys and it was fantastic to see and feel them in person. The store was fairly busy when I got there, but within the hour it was crammed full of knitters.



Geoffrey has a huge crush on this little sweetheart. It was a good thing that she was shy because he was trying to talk her into climbing. She wasn't having it.



On the way home he kept asking when was he going to come out and play again!



Not until he learned to behave;)

Just Keep Knitting...

Picked up this sweet metal for making my goal in the Ravelympics and some how I just can't stop. Which ultimately is a good thing because oh-sweet-momma there are tons more squares in my future.



Snow is melting here in Chicago and the sky is super blue. Great day for a little stroll with the camera.

Who Did It?

Why are my children trying to look innocent? Yet pointing at each other. Something is fishy. Why do you ask??



Because I would like to know who bent my size 8 Susan Bates straight?

Any guess on who the culprit is?

Winning The Gold

Even with cramped fingers, a sore back and a slight case of blurred vision at one point... I made it just in time to win the gold.



It was not an easy feat to have 100 squares done on my Left Over Sock Yarn Blanket. At one point I had six little squares all on one needle trying desperately to speed things up.

I do have to thank the family for allowing the every growing pile of laundry to go unnoticed. I did manage to feed them semi-healthy meals while my fingers were working some magic, but housework was not even a thought. It might take me another 17 days to get the house back to a presentable state;)

On a personal note, dearest daughter, I know you love this blanket soooo much that you can't stop looking at it, but honey it's not going on your bed. ever. The same goes for my husband. Yes, I know we share a bed... that still doesn't count.



These are all of the left over bits that I have. I think I'll be needing more.