Craptina

Shipping Off in Style

Last week Prink and I made these........


With inspiration from Jess we made a whole shebang of these cute bags. However, Prink is such a super sewer, we didn't look at the tutorial except to oogle over her cute prints. Definitely a good guide, if you're interested in making one of these guys yourself.

Next week this gal and some friends are off on a big vacation, so projects bags were required.  Marie , Big A, Joe and I are of to Morocco! We'll be there for 11 days to experience some culture, weird food, and some possible desert camping. Jess has been a big help with guidence and advice since she was there just a few months ago. Check out her picture gallery, it's pretty cool.

I've got some jaywalkers on the needles for trip, and that should hold me for awhile. In other knitting news, I've cast on for Glee and I'm in Stockinette Hell. I'm currently up to 324 sts, and I'm increasing every RS row until there are 384. (!@$!@#^) Then I can get psyched to work in the eternal round of never ending stitches. Ugh. This project is going to take awhile, but the end results look worth it. Check out how cute Carrie looks....

Oh, and I finished the front side of the Pink Tea Raglan. No photo to share for a blob of pink seed stitch. I fear that the projects I have chosen are much too repetitve. Something should be done about that. Casting on for the Dollar and a Half cardigan is a must upon returning from vacation.

So I'll leave you with these photos before my departure, since I love my cats so much and they crack me up all the time. 

I swear there was water in the water dish...but I bet this was more tasty.....

                                                                                       

No....this is the best way to get a drink!

Whatever initially interested her in the drawer wanted her to stay....
















                                                                                                REALLY STAY.....

Almost off the wagon

Well, I binged. I'd been holding pretty steady on my yarn diet but I buckled this past week and purchased yarn. Twice. It wasn't sock yarn. However, this was not a complete lack of restraint because I did follow the rules. The problem is that there's too many patterns I love and the stash yarn isn't fitting all of them!! (strange, I know.) I used the gift card the spiders gave me for my birthday for some delicious Rowan Calmer, in a deep purple. I've already casted on for Glee. Lisa is working on the same project with different yarn, so she, Carrie and I will all be Glee sisters soon.

My second gluttonous yarn purchase was done in Long Island, at Knitting on the Lamb. I spent Saturday with Ann (left) and Flair-the-blogless-wonder.

Flair and I work together; she's a sales rep for a vendor. I love it when she comes in to talk printing and yarn. She should really get a blog, though. For now Ann and I will just keep nagging. We spent the day hanging out in Ann's yarn shop and I used my get-out-of-jail-free for some Berroco Denim Silk and some Eculan too. mmmmm. I'm swatching for the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from the Spring 07 IK. I haven't officially casted on yet, but will very soon soon.

While at Knitting on the Lamb on Saturday, I finished up the horns on a hat for baby Diego. His mother specifically requested horns. I thought I might show you just how these knitted horns are made.....

Cast on 10sts, double stranded. The thicker the yarn the better. I'm using up some Brooks Farm here (to match his pullover)

I knit in stockinette for 6 rows, then decreased on each end of every right side row. This will form a triangle.

Sew the ends together, and you got yerself a horn!

Here's a photo of the end result, a cheap shot, really. It looks much more tough in person; too much like rabbit ears on a basketball cap. Pony- I promise it'll fit him.

In other news, I started working on the Green Tea Raglan, also from the Spring 07 IK. I'm using some Art Fibers Phyz. So I guess this is the Pink Tea Raglan, you could say. I'm getting gague perfectly, and it's out from the stash, which is what matters. It's all seed sts, so I won't bore you with a photo. I've also got some jaywalkers on the needles, mostly for subway knitting. Lucy totally loves the way the Claudia's Handpainted is striping and so do I!

We Now Continue for Our Regularly Scheduled Blogging

Yowzaa!! It's been a long time since my last post. The delay from the blog was caused by some serious running around these past few weeks. I swear there was not one slow day where I had time to sit and write. However, that has not stopped the knitting, which there is LOTS to show.  Let's start with the FOs......

The Sienna Cardigan completed!
Pattern: Sienna Cardigan, from the Fall 2006 Interweave Knits
Yarn: Wool Ease worsted weight
Needles: Size 8 Addie Turbo
Time: About two months
Mods: As previously blogged, I worked the back and front panels at the same time, basically to avoid seaming. However, I ended up purchasing this book and if you don't have it GO GET IT. I've never been very good at seaming, but this book was fabulous. I am so proud of my shoulder seams :) Prink helped me pick out the buttons at M&J.
Notes: For all the G.D. stockinette, I'm really happy with this sweater and can't wear it enough. 

 

Oh yeah, some Jaywalkers!
Yarn: Lanna Grassa
Needles: Size 1 DPNs
Time: About 1.2 months
Notes: I made these for Big A, hence the hairy legs.

So one of the reasons for the delay from blogland was our anniversary. Big A and I made it a full year. We had a big party at the end of February sice it was also our roomate's birthday. I made big A the jaywalkers as a gift. For my present he gave me this drawing:

He took my things, my favorite things and drew this still life from pencil and charcoal. After a year of dating and even living together, he hasn't let me see his portfolio from art school, but I knew he was good. Here's a close up of the drawing, for all of the stunning details.

There's more to show and tell, but I don't want to overwhelm you all so sit tight, more coming soon!