Nine more days!

I FEEL LIKE I AM ABOUT TO CRAP MY PANTS.


I haven't had a major fiber fit until about half an hour ago, but now I feel as though my insides are being torn to shreds over this yarn and this pattern. Not that I want to make one for myself (we'll see how much Oro I have left over), this would be for Gramz. My month-long period of abstinence has gone without a hitch thus far, but I fear that I may crack.

The Complete Gift List:
Aunt Leenie: I really have no clue. I'll have to ask mom for ideas. Gloves?
Gram: Print O' the Wave stole
Grandpa: One of those funny street urchin hats. "Charles Dickens Chic," to borrow a phrase.
Karl: A 'Do Rag with a little motorcycle on it. Maybe I'll embroider "Caio!" under it in fancy script. Hahaha.
Josh: Probably a sweater vest with buttons (even though I hate them). He'd be cute in one.
Lorii: Leg warmers, but I really want to make her a felted beret and scarf. Featuring bees.
Momz: No idea. I should get on that, shouldn't I? Maybe a pretty scarf with beads.
Suzy: A beaded purse in purples and blacks.
The Boys: Hats. Orange for Andrew, Red for Dylan, and I think green for Tyler.
Uncle Bob: Socks. He got jealous when I made some for Grandpa's birthday. Probaby in navy blue.
Uncle Chris: Simple Fisherman's hat in a light blue. Maybe with some wave detail. It will suit him.

If I'm not crazy by christmas I might make Shelley and Eddie's twins little bears or something. That's a lot of "might."


The Very Incomplete Shopping List:
One (gigantic) skein of Ornaghi Filati Merino Oro
1.75mm 32" circular needles

The Monster Strikes AGAIN!

I decided to go on eBay tonight. Just to look, you know? To compare prices on drop spindles and spinning kits... I didn't mean to spend MORE money on fiber or tools or anything... but... I ended up buying a cute little spindle kit with 2oz of dark green roving and another 4oz ball of blueish green roving.

The good news is that I'm going to be a spinner soon. The bad news is that my total fiber/needle/tool expenses for the week are now totalling about $70.

As of the time this entry is posted, I vow to spend NO MONEY on yarn or knitting supplies for the next month. I am abstaining from fiber-related purchases until August 26, 2006. And after Aug. 26, winter gift shopping will begin.

Speaking of winter gift shopping, I was thinking that if I get to be any good at this spinning thing, I could give my grandmother a skein of hand spun yarn for christmas. I just don't know what she'd make with it. Fat Karen and What's for Dinner (Josh's parents) will probably get scarves.

Goodnight, don't let the moth larvae bite.

I've Created a Monster!

Actually, I've created a DPN case. I took pictures of it, too. But the pictures are far away on the downstairs computer, so I'm not going to post them tonight. It came out real cute, though.

On Friday night I ordered two skeins of allhemp6 (in cinnamon and pumpkin) for this project. It'll be my first hat, and my first venture in to the so-called "wonderful" world of circular knitting needles. I like the look of the hat, and I really like slip stitch knitting, so it should be a good project for me.

I've been working on a stash-busting one-hundred-percent-acrylic log-cabin-style afghan. I might give it to a family member for the holidays, but I have no idea who. Other gift plans include: Hat and mitten sets for little bro, and my cousins, and an afghan for mommy.

I'm having a having a hard time typing.

What is this?

I have plans. Really big plans. Plans to design, to create, to learn.

But... I always seem to have such a hard time getting off my ass and DOING anything.

So I avoid construction. I avoid anything that takes real effort or concentration. I stop when I hit any sort of snag or slow down.

But I'm trying.

I'd be much more interested in updating this if I remembered to take pictures.

Aw, crap.

I did it again. I put down another project. The sweater vest? Yeah. It just wasn't working the way I wanted it to. Plus, I knew I didn't have enough yarn to finish it.

There is good news, though! A few days ago, while I was trying to sleep, I remembered what kind of yarn I was using for the vest. The unknown yarn (which I figured was cotton), turned out to be Bernat Cottontots. It's really cute stuff. Nice and smooth, but still soft. I bought this stuff YEARS ago (and probably trashed its band the moment I did) so it was quite a happy accident that I remembered.

So even though I don't CURRENTLY have enough yarn to finish my vest, I will hopefully be making a trip to a well-stocked yarn store soon. All I have to do is find one in my area.

Anywho, in the meantime I am busying myself with yet ANOTHER woolease project. A wee baggie waggie. Maybe a tote bag, maybe a little clutch. I haven't decided. The colors are Mink Brown (warm brown with tiny specks of red and green, and little blackish fuzzy things) and Natural Heather. There'll be a cabled natural edging. I want to incorperate the knitting with some machine sewing. We'll just have to wait and see how this turns out.



I HAVE TO GET RID OF ALL THIS YARN. I HAVE TO. STASH REDUCTION OR DEATH.

Irina: I assure you I was not drunk when I wrote my last entry. I was merely crazy with lack of sleep.

I've been workin on a swea-ter

ALL THE LIVE LONG DAYYYYYY.


That's right. I'm in the process of swatching for a sweater. A sweater VEST. It will have double helix-esque cables on it. The details are top-secret, but I can say that it will be hella cute and hella pink. I taught myself how to work traveling stitches and I'm putting that knowledge to use in a garment of my own design. This project will be pretty challenging, considering that I've never made anything this big.

Words look really funny right now.


Do Do-do Do-do Do Dooo-do
Dooo Do-do Do Dooo

If I were a ball of yarn, I would knit up at about 200st/in

Sockie, sockie, socks.

They're so nice to knit. Unless I'm knitting for my grandfather, apparently. I messed up again on the first round of toe decreases, and had to rip back (that was some of the bitchiest frogging I've ever done). Those damned socks are so close to completion that I can almost taste them. Not that I will taste them. That would be rude, considering that they are a gift.

I started on the second sock of my pair a few days ago, and they're coming along quite smoothly.


Wish List Update!! I was pokin around the interwebz and decided on some items that I want. These include, but are not limited to:

• Knit Picks: Simple stripes, Parade, and Dancing sock yarns
• Den-M-Nit Pure Indigo Cotton yarn
• Regia 4 Strato Color yarn
• Shorter Size 1 (2.25mm) Straight Needles (the ones I have are long and IMPOSSIBLE to handle dainty lace edgings with)
• Size 1 (2.25mm), Size 2 (2.75mm), and Size 3 (3.25mm) Lantern Moon Double Pointed Needles
  
• Sensational Knitted Socks, by Charlene Schurch
• Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush
• Knitting on the Road, by Nancy Bush
• Kaffe Fassett's Pattern Library, by Kaffe Fassett

YAY THINGS I HAVE NO MONEY FOR!!!

On another note, I referred to Josh as a ball of expensive Merino/Silk blend today.