not the best news:

not the best news:

I finally faced the music and realized that I have a serious problem
with my internet connection, not just that service was out. So instead
of wasting my time on the phone again! I ordered the CD and it will be
here in 7-10 business days. So in the meantime still no pictures,
though I've been shooting like crazy.

visions of overalls are dancing in my head!

visions of overalls are dancing in my head!

I'm getting serious this weekend with a couple of sizeable shrubs and
putting a tomato garden where they used to be (will have used to be?).
If everything goes as planned I'll have a handsome heirloom tomato
garden complete with complimenary basil and some artichokes on the side
for future harvests. If everything does not go as planned I will need
to call professional gardeners about the shrubs.

Also, Saturday morning I get to attend the tree planting clinic put on
by Roseville Urban Forestry Foundation. They give Roseville Power
customers free shade trees after an initial demo and on site
consultation. Pretty cool, huh? I am getting two gorgeous Goldenrain
trees for the front yard and one little Saucer Magnolia (known as
Princess Trees to me and Julie) for the backyard, hopefully it will
provide shade right on my air conditioner when mature.

new knitty

new knitty

I love "bad penny," "honeymoon," and "rosebud." Now, if only I could
swing a honeymoon in Italy! (or actually a date of any kind)

it's sort of like I live in Tuscany sometimes

1. go to middle of the day step class with the stay at home moms (this
is not the most Tuscany part)

2. get a pedicure with sister and friend, godson picks out colors

3. buy a half flat of strawberries on the side of the road

4. make strawberry shortcake from scratch, including real whipped
cream

5. eat Indian food with sister and best friends

6. knit in the car

7. get a look at the coolest tangerine kitchen in the world, I hope the
pictures will turn out

8. play with sister's puppy

9. spend a day wine tasting in Napa with sister and favorite people in
the world, weather is perfect

10. have morning coffee with grandma and talk about tomatoes

11. buy jars for summer canning: strawberry jam and pickles

12. make quilt panels

13. pose for highly gifted photographer buddy

Ok, I snuk in an extra day and took Friday off since my sister was in
town. I still feel all sparkly.

Can I just say that after today's luncheon party at work, the only thing I am fit for for the rest o

Can I just say that after today's luncheon party at work, the only thing
I am fit for for the rest of the afternoon is taking off all of my
clothes and curling up on my side underneath my big puffy white
comforter. The comforter needs to be pulled up over my head so I can
sleep quietly without the sun getting in my eyes.

I'd also like to admit that I unbuttoned the top button of my pants,
right here, at work.

Um, I put in three tomato plants over the weekend. People always talk trash about Sacramento, but s

Um, I put in three tomato plants over the weekend. People always talk
trash about Sacramento, but seriously, how many people out there can
actually feel like they're getting a late start on tomato season by
planting actual plants on March 21st! I put in Early Girls and I made
sure to rip off the bottom set of leaves and plant them lower so they'll
have extra roots to feed the yum yum tomatoes this summer. And in case
you think three plants sounds skimpy, I'll be doing a giant bed in the
back full of heirlooms and romas for sauce, I just haven't had time to
rip out the sod yet. Have I mentioned how much I love summer?

tech geek meets crafty geek

I swear, it's ridiculous how much I love this stuff:

http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/underwood/

not my fault

well I've felt pretty bad about how little I've been updating my blog
and how I haven't had any good pictures or anything. I finally realized
last night that there's sort of a reason for this: my home internet
service has been down for like a week so I can't really do pictures or
anything snazzy. So that's why. It really has very little to do with me
being lazy or boring if that's what you think. And 80 degree weather
isn't distracting at all!

Well I finished the pocket flap on the Rogue and I think I'm on row 26 of the body underneath the po

Well I finished the pocket flap on the Rogue and I think I'm on row 26
of the body underneath the pocket. Other Roguers will know what I mean,
the rest of you will not. But I think the number of Roguers is in the
90s so probably a lot of people really will know. My boss finally
decided the color of the yarn is "coral" which I like better than
"salmon" as I was calling it. Fish may not be a good look. Since the
color is a bit sensitive I've been waiting to get a good bit to shoot in
good light before posting a photo.

The feeling of Spring is making my head all happy and dreamy but so far
the feeling hasn't worked it's way down to my fingertips. The
creativity is tingling all over but not prompting any action yet.

spring

doesn't it seem like all things are possible in spring! Everything will
come true in its own time, slowly uncurling toward the sun. Sacramento,
my chosen homeland, is enjoying a glorious week of perfect weather. I
feel I might burst with the excitement!

update!

I have finally started Rogue and after a bit of a false start (13 rows
on U.S. size 4 needles with 20 extra stitches?!!) I am on row 5 of the
body. Yes, technically that only means that I have done 5 body rows but
now that the pattern is started things are zipping along beautifully. I
got exact gauge on U.S. 5s but I wasn't sure about what size of the
pattern to make. The smallest size would have been snug but the next
bigger size I think would have been too big. I decided to knit the
smallest size on U.S. 6. It'll give me a little extra room and I won't
have to knit a whole garment on 5s, that's just a little too small for
my taste. Oh, and my kool-aid dyed wool is knitting up very nicely with
a subtle variegation that's muted by the fact that I'm holding two
strands together.

The only sad thing is that I seem to be unable to join any Yahoo
groups. I can't sign up, I think I may have some type if cookie blocker
that won't let the right secret things happen for me to get in. So I
can't participate in the Rogue Yahoo group. I know there are a bunch of
people making this but the only one I've seen is Claudia (link to be
added later) who is already practically finished. I think she's my
hero.

Since I haven't done anything interesting lately, here's a pic of something interesting I did a month or two ago. This is my friends Leah and Allyn's pug Miles. Allyn designed his spiffy ocean camo jacket and I helped with the execution. Click here for a side view of the jacket including the general stars Allyn added. We're very proud of this jacket since we designed it from scratch and custom fit it to Miles, who is not even 1 yet and not the most patient model. This is the second in a series of coats we've been making for Miles, the first was a khaki ripstop nylon with black fleece lining, it was a more basic model without a collar.

p.s. I'm finally swatching for Rogue. Boy, that February's a killer! I think the arrival of Girl Scout Cookie Season has helped immeasurably.

February: When all the juice is sucked out of life.

February: When all the juice is sucked out of life.

I have a very big weekend coming up. My new roommate is moving in, my best friend is coming over, a

I have a very big weekend coming up. My new roommate is moving in, my
best friend is coming over, and I have a blind date with a librarian on
Sunday night at Thai Basil. Plus it's supposed to be rainy so we'll
have a big fire in the fireplace and hot cocoa and a trip to Grandma's
to top it all off. Marie loaned me her swift and ball winder so I'll
wind my double dyed Rogue wool as well. The color didn't turn out
brooding, but I'd call it zesty now.

Note: If you ever want to get a phone call, just dump four big
cannisters of kool-aid into the sink, get it all wet and sticky and
grody, and spread it on everything up to your elbows. The phone will
ring immediately and repeatedly.

Oxymoron

Well, the Rogue yarn came out of the microwave pink. The pink is
definitely an improvement over the dingy ecru the yarn was when it
showed up from ebay. But I sort of feel like "Rogue" and "pink" are
opposites. I had hoped for a brooding ruby red. It is very embarassing
buying bulk kool-aid along with your organic milk. It is more
embarassing to buy two big canisters and then have to go back in two
days for two more big canisters.

p.s. Elizabeth Arden beware: the sweet smell of kool-aid blended with
the wintery smell of wet wool should not be featured in any designer
fragrance. Ever.

I'm in and I already feel so behind. But who cares, have you seen the pattern? It's gorgeous!

Here's the new kitchen floor I did over the weekend. Just feel the love! Here's a picture of during, when I had the appliances out. You can kind of see the old stuff underneath. Not too cute. This stuff is really cheap, it's actually self adhesive and I've swept about 14 times since I tidied up on Sunday, it shows everything. Basically all you have to do is a bunch of prep, and then lay it down. I probably spent 50% of the time on prep including taking the appliances out, ripping all the molding and carpet edging, and sweeping and mopping so the adhesive would stick to the floor instead of the dirt. Then I only spent 10% of my time putting the squares down and the last 40% cutting all the little edge pieces. My friend Jaya came over to help me put the appliances back so that actually only took a sec. To tell the truth, the carpet isn't neatly tacked down yet, but I'll get there. I really love the results, I love the graphic crispness. Here's Sabine enjoying the floor, she also has an appreciation for graphic cripness.

p.s. Right now I have yarn in the mircrowave, the Rogue finally arrived!

Don't you love it when you go to your high school prom and you're having all this drama with your fr

Don't you love it when you go to your high school prom and you're having all this drama with your friends, the person you trusted the most just betrayed you, and then a choreographed group dance breaks out in the middle and everybody has an awesome time rocking out? I do. At least I love it when that happens on teeny bopper movies shown on cable while I'm putting a new floor in my kitchen.

to doctors

Doctors: if a patient comes in to see you with a problem SHE is having, please do not regale her with tales of how you had a similar problem but did not treat it because your life is so much more important. Seriously, I do not think this treatment method is reccomended in Medical School. And I think the reason it is not recommended is because it is pointless and kind of rude.

Love!

Since I'm not married or in any type of romantic relationship, I have this whole weekend for personal party. What I've decided to give myself for Valentine's day is a new vinyl kitchen floor in a black and white checkerboard pattern. The weather looks kind of iffy this weekend, but I hope for sun so I can get some good pictures of the process.

p.s. when will my yarn arrive? I keep seeing pictures of started Rogues, they're torturing me!

looking good

I got my eyebrows waxed on Friday and the woman was so thorough she made sure to rip some of the skin off of both of my eyelids. In addition I have a nice booger-posing zit sticking out of my nose and stress induced hives on my eyes making me look like I got punched in the face. I know you're wild with desire but, Gentlemen, try to control yourselves.

signs from the universe

Reasons why I should get a dog:

1. Just reread Pam Houston's "Waltzing the Cat." That book always makes
me want a dog.

2. Went to book club for "Waltzing" and Gail had a new dog, so mellow.

3. Chicknits dog discussion.

4. I do have my own house now, with fenced in yard. (except for the
part that blew down in a storm last month)

I grew up with dogs. I'm not a cat person now am I? Am I?

did anyone ever watch that show called Sledge Hammer? I just remembered that. It would be on Satur

did anyone ever watch that show called Sledge Hammer? I just remembered
that. It would be on Saturdays or Sundays when I was a kid (we did not
have cable) but it looked too crappy even for me to watch. I've never
heard anyone mention it, then or now.

let's get physical, physical

Tonight I start a thrice weekly (that's right, I said "thrice") Step
Aerobics class! Since I am not overweight to start with, I anticipate
that by the end of the month I will be totally toned and buff. How could
I not be? This is so exciting! I also think that by the end of the
month, when I am toned and buff, it will be Spring and I can start
wearing skirts and tank tops. There may be a slight break in my logic.

baby steps

1. Over the weekend I did a little stripey to put under my arm on that
cabley number I was working on in the fall that was too small. I tried
sewing it together and it looked terrible, I think I need to use real
finishing techniques for this one. This is particularly true becasue
I'm attaching a ribbed panel to a body piece that is ribbed at the
bottom and then reverse stockinette stitch to the armpit. With a little
waist shapping thrown in. Just typing that makes me think I should've
matched the strip to the pattern on the body piece; but I ribbed it to
make it extra stretchy. I think I need to rip.

2. Last night I free motion quilted another panel on my grandma's
quilt. It was one of those sessions when my machine decides to do all
this grody stuff on the actual quilt after I've tested the stitch on my
practice piece and it looks great. I hate that! But only two more
panels left.

that's it!

I hereby ban anyone from Iowa from coming within 50 yards of me!

This is a picture of the cool cup I made at Petroglyph. My boss took me for my birthday (belatedly, we've been busy) and it was so fun! They play 80's music and you hang out and paint until closing. We had wanted to bring adult beverages but apparently there was an "incident" and they don't let you do that any more.

Iowa

For the last few years people have been coming into my life continuously who have some connection to Iowa: either moving there, moving from there, grew up there, etc. Living in California, this is sort of a big coincidence. Each of these people has ignited either a little or a lot of hope in me and each time it has been disappointed. I used to say Iowa owed me something and I was waiting for it to pay up, now I wonder if it just hates my guts and what I might have ever done to it. Another chance is coming up, we'll see what happens.

After catching "Weird Science" on cable over the weekend, I've decided that Anthony Michael Hall in

After catching "Weird Science" on cable over the weekend, I've decided that Anthony Michael Hall in pretty much any 80's movie is my IDEAL BOYFRIEND. He's sweet, funny, intelligent, dorky, and pretty much worships his chosen lady. Plus he has that adorable lispy way of talking. I acually had a pretty (read VERY) racy dream about him on Monday night that my cat interrupted at a very inopportune moment.

This is my weekend project. The short, and really only, version is that I painted the hallway, then put up a piece of lace and spray painted over it like a stencil. (can you see my cool shower curtain! it was a housewarming gift from Marie and Natashia) I think it turned out cool, it kind of makes me wish I still had the kind of parties where you make out in hallways because what else is there really to do in the hall?

Click here for a picture showing the green stuff from a distance with the glitter in the entry doing it's thing! Pay no attention to the mess, but do note the elusive Sabine on the little couch.

Cautionary note: spray paint is one bad mother. If you get it on anything it will not wipe off with a damp rag. It will however blow all over the place and coat everything with a fine layer of green dust. I still have spray paint on my hands in spite of exfoliating strenuously and my thumb is raw from pressing down the button. Also, make sure you get enough lace. I have a 12" problem to solve.

inexpensive things that I am too scared to buy because of the Mortgage Monster:

inexpensive things that I am too scared to buy because of the Mortgage
Monster:

Moleskine journal
Buela, Yoko CD
Thicker than Water CD
Koigu for new Chicknits hat
new Chicknits hat pattern
Acrylic paint

If you know anyone who is looking for a room to rent in Roseville
(Sacramento Area), please email me. I'm looking for someone to rent a
room in my house. I'm really nice, honest!

reading

The Da Vinci Code (you'd think I'd remember how to spell davinci now
that I'm over halfway through the book, but no.)

This book is perfect for the winter version of 'beach reading:'
Hybernation Reading! A page turner that will NOT let you get out from
under the blanket on the couch, you have to keep reading it. So fun!

p.s. I did work on a special crafty project over the weekend but I
don't feel like I have a great finished picture yet so you'll have to
wait. But it did turn out cool. It also turns out that I have green
paint in my ear this morning as well as up my nose?

for the weekend:

cheap lace, 3yds
blue glitter . . .

you'll see!

Maybe now

I've had the nagging feeling for about two or three weeks now that I
need to get a journal going again (my "little book" as a friend used to
call it disgustedly!) and that I need to start drawing and in particular
painting. I've actually never painted and only drawn in college back
when I started as a design major. Back then I didn't trust myself to
make art right out of my body so I tried to hide in things like
photography: I hoped the image would make some sense on its own and I
wouldn't have to actually create anything. The whole thing freaked me
out so much that I switched to writing. I guess it's taken this long
for me to get comfortable.

Winters Tale

I think my ancestors hybernated during the winter. It may be that I am
descended from bears insead of primates. The only thing I have been
able to motivate myself to do lately is cook, soup primarily and a
little hot cocoa, so I have tasty things to eat while snuggling on the
couch under a blanket. And while I hybernate crafty visions swirl:

Wall mural depicting medieval unicorn
Green hallway paint, using lace as a stencil
Covering the house in jasmine come spring

what I needed to hear

"One composes within oneself one's true place of origin."
-Rilke

Thanks Ms. Smith
http://www.kerismith.com/blog/archives/000052.html

when I see things like this . . .

href="http://www.bolgenlaw.com/2004_01_01_blogarchive.htm#107409600253389877">Pumpkin
Spice

It really makes me want to work on the sweaters I've started and never
finished.

So far so good. Here's a highlight of the quilting on Grama's quilt. Like the part on the top left where I'm ripping? Free motion quilting is very difficult to rip because the stitch size isn't regulated and can get really tiny. I'm not sure if you can tell but the flowers are done in red thread and the crazy stuff is purple.

Creating Magic

I watched that movie "Autumn in New York" on cable over the weekend. I think that's the name, with Winona Ryder and Richard Gere? How many times can this story be told? But my point is that once again one of these crappy romantic films has a kick ass set designer. I need to recreate the magical hanging mobile in Winona's character's room. It looks like it's made by dangling at least 40 strings of decreasing lengths of silver and crystal beads from a 2' long bar and putting windchimes on the bottom. Then hang in the middle of your gigantic New York loft. You can breeze through it when feeling magical or bump into it to add a note of charm to your clutziness: say when that fetching stranger three times your age happens to call, catching you off guard.
It could happen, you're creating magic!

Here's a pretty blurry picture of the cool faux finish I ended up doing in my bedroom. I used the technique called "colorwash." Which involved putting the glaze on with a brush and blending in a cross hatching "X" motion. I really like how it turned out, now I'm not depressed about my paint every morning when I wake up. I used Maroon glaze over the paints I already mentioned: a total of 3 coats. The good news is that the glaze didn't take longer than the regular paint.

p.s. I did some real work on grandma's quilt this weekend and I forsee it being done by the weekend!

searching for magic

searching for magic

maybe this will help?

dannygregory.com

art begets art

I finally got up and started the final painting of my bedroom. I had
initially painted it a dark hot pink: "royal love." The coverage was
really streaky but I called it fine for the time being because I had a
housewarming to get ready for. Last night I painted a coat of "purple
passion" on top of it and the color is much mellower and spicier at the
same time. Like it knows it's sexy and doesn't have to shout. The
coverage still isn't perfect so I think I'm going to try putting a glaze
over so it will be textury on purpose. That felt so good that this
morning in the shower I had a million quilt ideas including a design for
the baby quilt I'll be making and a free motion pattern for grandma's
quilt (still not finished!).

You see that? That's the crack in my toilet tank. According to my uncle, it's the culprit behind the stinky old lady smell in the house. That's good because it should leave now that I have a new toilet. Sorry not to have more inspirational pictures after such a long slacking period. Apparently I only shot one of my recent projects and the lighting wasn't very good.

Happy Holidays to you all! And if you quilt and haven't tried free motion quilting, make it your new year's resolution, you won't regret it!

how beautiful are these:

http://www.supermaggie.com/thingstobuy/main.php?l=scarves%2Cskinny

And how much would l love to be able to make them! Maybe I will try
with some wool roving my mom bought so I could learn how to spin. 3
years ago.

life is crazy, hope you all are well.

It seems to me that Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger are a bit old to
be playing teenagers?

This is a little of what I'm working on for the special little show I'll be in on December 10th at 6:30 p.m. (Mark your calendars if you'll be in the Sacramento area.)
I got my Brother 1500, for Professional Use Only, machine back from the shop and man does it fly on the freehand machine quilting.

Here's what Simon's been doing over the holiday weekend:


We're babysitting a very little kitten for the next week, Simon thinks babysitting means eating.

This is the glitter I put in my entrance. Basically you open the door and see glitter. Again, this is way cooler in real life because it's very subtle and best at night by lamp and firelight, and I'm not the world's best photographer under those circumstances. Here's a shot of how it looks in daylight, no big whoop. I applied the glitter by blowing it on out of my hand when the paint was still wet. It was my best friend's mom's idea, thank you Marianelle! I love this because I keep imagining myself getting ready for a hot date and applying lipstick in the glitter. Not that I ever have hot dates or wear lipstick, but it could happen.

the longing

oh how I wish I could make Buckets and Buckets of chic this holiday
weekend! Instead I must finish quilting my sweet little grandma's
quilt. I will be so happy when grandma is snug under this quilt and I
can make anything my heart desires!

It's my counter after I prettified it. Here's a before picture. Not too cute, eh? I sanded it down, primed and painted and sealed. With a little glitter along the way. I can't really figure out how to photograph the glitter without making the flaws on the counter really obvious, so I didn't. You'll just have to take my word that there's an abundance of gold glitter on each flower!

And guess what I learned at Lowe's today when I went to get the new tile for the bathroom? There's now glitter you can put in your grout! It's called Spectra Lock Dazzle. Check out this link for a little more info. Sparkly shower stall?

I believe the bucket-o-chic (link to be added later since I can't remember how to do my tags correct

I believe the bucket-o-chic (link to be added later since I can't
remember how to do my tags correctly) was ahead of it's time. Last year
I thought it was cute, but cute like I have other things I'd prefer to
make. Now it dominates my knitting thoughts. I imagine it felted with
all of my leftover wool, striped with fur as Claudia suggested in the
rockstar link I previously sighted, and knit regularly with the rest of
the tealy turquoisy yarn to match the scarf my mom is getting for
Christmas. Ah The Bucket, how I love thee. And it's blogalicious, look
around, the love has spread far and wide.

Now that I'm up and running but without a lot of time to post, here's a teaser:

how much do I love

how much do I love
these socks.

and href="http://brainylady.blogspot.com/2003_11_01_brainylady_archive.html#106908105241907975">look
how cute when brainylady made them.

I'm posting remotely and don't want to access Blogger for help with my
tags. I hope the links show up correctly.

well it looks like I actually need to replace my internet card, not the modem, just the card. Now I

well it looks like I actually need to replace my internet card, not the
modem, just the card. Now I'm in such a quandry: should I replace it
for 50 bucks or for twice the price go wireless? And yes, I do have a
laptop, but I just bought a house, I'm not really into spending money on
my computer right now.

While we wait out the cable search I'd like to share my shopping experience from last night. I deci

While we wait out the cable search I'd like to share my shopping
experience from last night. I decided I needed some new clothes for
fall so I went to the mall to regular stores (I hardly ever do this but
about once a year I really need new clothes that aren't from the thrift
store or somehow created by me). I had no trouble finding shirts in the
regular sizes: S, M, L, XL. But the only pants on display, indeed the
only pants in two stores were size 2. In one store there was an extreme
preponderance of size 00, whatever that may be. I must say I find it
hard to believe that I'm the largest person who needs pants at a size 8.
I realize there are specific stores that cater to larger women (the
divas) but I did not realize that I should start going there. And who
are these women who wear size XL shirts and size 00 pants?

hi, just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive and well, just not in cyberspace. My home com

hi, just a quick note to let you know I'm still alive and well, just not
in cyberspace. My home computer needs a new cable before I can post the
decorating story that is unfolding in my new house. I'm posting
remotely right now and all I can say is that I have used glitter two
times (2x) already.

my dear friends,

my dear friends,

badcat has really not been that fun lately, but it will change next week. I have not been posting or knitting or actually doing anything regularly lately because I've been wallowing in the stressed out frenzy that is buying your first house. But I move in Sunday (God willing!) and am planning to paint and clean and decorate like a crazy person for a full week. I'll be doing lots of crafty stuff like refinishing formica counters and possibly laying linoleum and I'm planning to document the whole thing here. This is so exciting!!

The cables are blocking and I have jumped on the bandwagon: I'm going to do a poncho too. Since I already bought the Rowan Plaid book I'm going to do Zephyr in some Lion Brand Homespun that I bought at a Michael's on impulse. I figure with a poncho it doesn't matter as much if it's a crappier yarn since it doesn't need to breath like a garment with sleeves (read underarm issues!).

Sorry about the mess around the cables. I wanted a shot that shows the paint in here. Tomorrow I will paint the apartment white again in preparation for my moving date. Every time I do this I think the same thing: "They will rue the day!" The world already has too many white, ecru, beige, and sand walls.

Oh, and I couldn't resist this. Don't look if you have "delicate" sensibilities

In keeping with my intense love of fall I'm obsessing over apples. I plan to make a trip up to Appl

In keeping with my intense love of fall I'm obsessing over apples. I plan to make a trip up to Apple hill in the next few weeks and would like to buy one of those apple corer/slicers with the hand crank if I can afford it. I love those!

Does anyone know the difference between Apple Crisp and Apple Brown Betty?

In lieu of any photoworthy knitting progress, here's my little darling taking a nap on a Sunday afternoon.

glitter is having their now annual scarf drive. give if the spirit moves you:

glitter is having their now annual scarf drive. give if the spirit moves you:

scarf drive

I love fall so much this year! October may be my new favorite month in Sacramento. The weather is

I love fall so much this year! October may be my new favorite month in Sacramento. The weather is beautiful, mid eighties every day and cool at night. I leave my windows open all day and night to enjoy the crisp air. It's starting to get windy so the fallen leaves swirl around in the streets. Special thanks today to the bloggers, Pioneer Melissa and Ms. Alison Blue who posted pumpkin pictures. The weather is just perfect now for a snuggly cabled sleeveless turtleneck. I'm up past the armpits on the back, so hopefully by the end of the week I'll have one.

I got too cocky! I made my first cabling mistake and didn't find it until 1.5 repeats later. Oh the humanity! Well, actually it wasn't that bad and I think I ended up picking up the stitches correctly and finding my correct spot again after I frogged without too much trouble.

I'll keep tugging along. I'm pretty excited to finish this one. Marie has given me her copy of "The Purl Stitch," to look at so this time I might actually use bona fide finishing techniques.

And you thought there was nothing cool on badcat anymore. Check it out! My first cabley foray and I think it's going pretty well. Of course it is too narrow. I'm making the back just a couple of stitches wider and I'll see if I need to do little strips for under the arms when I'm done. It's going to be a turtle neck tank top dealy and I want it to be very wearable so I don't want it to be too tight.

too busy to live.

too busy to live.

Here's a recap of the wedding:

took the red eye
was asked three times why I'm not married
went out for bachelorette night
woke up four hours later for manicures
was asked why I'm not married
rehearsed and ate dinner
woke up at 6 to get hair done
was asked why I'm not married and why I'm so white
stood up for my friend at her beautiful wedding
came home

I will knit again one day.

Oh, the best part: Both the bride and my grandma cried over their quilts!

Did anyone see the season finale of Gilmore Girls? Jess's dad's girlfriend's house is my dream hous

Did anyone see the season finale of Gilmore Girls? Jess's dad's girlfriend's house is my dream house, I loved the set design. It got me back to thinking about gold for a living room color but I'd cozy it up, make it rosy like a color called Orient Blush my friend Kim used on a guest room.

I didn't want to leave without posting a little something about the cables. I must say, I'm tickled to death with how cabley they are! The width is a problem. I worked a single pattern repeat of each of the cable patterns to come up with my numbers but I'm two inches short. I may end up knitting a little strip to go up each side in the underarm, we'll see after I have a front and a back to fit. The ribbing looks good with the cables and the shell seems to be telling me it wants to be a turtleneck.

I had written a very engaging and insightful post but Simon just walked over the keyboard and made it go away. Here's a picture of my friend's cat, Whitey, on the quilt we're doing for the wedding.

well without further ado, or pictures, I'm off to a weekend in L.A. to see my Aunt and Uncle who are

well without further ado, or pictures, I'm off to a weekend in L.A. to see my Aunt and Uncle who are considering painting their house "Colonial Gold." This does not sound like a good idea to me so when they said they wished I was there to help them decide, I said I'd come. I hope to get a lot of sleep, purchase two books for my languishing book groups, and have a lot of cabling to show for myself when I get back. If they don't take my needles away.

This is two and a half inches of 2x2 ribbing I started for the new snuggly cable shell. I'm not sure it's working for me. I'm afraid it's going to be poofy right where I don't really want to be poofy, all ruffly evidence to the contrary. I keep waffling on whether to keep it or not. I guess the only thing to do is to forge ahead and see how it goes. Please feel free to leave a vote if you're so inclined.

Just for fun I thought I'd show a picture of my tub directly following the RIT shame (which hardly turned out to be satisfactory I might add). Consider yourselves warned.

I have two quilts to make before I leave town late on September 17th. Oh, and I'll be in L.A. this weekend. No sweat!

Here's a little peek at the one for my grandma's 75th birthday. The picture's crappy because it was taken at midnight when we realized that the next step that I (that's right it was my fault) had planned was not going to work, at all. And before you get too impressed, please note that the center medallion with the applique was designed and created by my talented mother.

Well here it is, and I'm sure you can see why it needs to be called tuttu and not some dry acronym. It's my first ever finished knit garment. Needs blocking but I wanted to wear it.

And here's a quickie of Simon in the car with some bastard material that I need right away but that refuses to darken up even after two times in the dye vat.


I made a hard decision today. I need time to figure out this whole dye game but I need this fabric for my friend's wedding quilt. The wedding's on September 20th. Right now it's in the tub with RIT! This action is basically against my religion but that's what I'm doing. It's like 22 yards so replacement is not exactly in the budget.

I just checked on it, and it's not that dark still. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm contemplating violence.

looby

looby

Dyeing Expose!


This picture is the best I think. I got the most vibrant color (see the corner) when I bound a smaller piece of fabric before soaking in the soda ash solution and then pouring dye on top.


Here is the result when I presoaked the fabric unbound and then scrunched it into a small container and poured dye on top. This piece of fabric and the last are bigger than the first. The color is choppier and there's an even amount of white and color.


And finally, this example is a larger piece of fabric that I scrunched into a small container dry and doused with dye. I poured in enough dye liquid to almost cover the fabric. After about 12 hours I poured a concentrated soda ash solution in with it. It's a lot dreamier, more of a wash and I'll probably use this for an under dye if I want something just a little more interesting than flat color.


The main thing that I'm still stumped on is the vibrancy issue. I may just not be using enough dye but there's a lot of colored water that I'm washing out when I rinse.

Well I crafted my little heart out over the weekend but I have very little to show for it because of this badboy (excuse the crappy picture). I ruffled and then I ripped and then I reruffled and then I bound off. Then I tried to pick up around the neck and then I tried a couple more times, then I finally did pick up the neck, and did an edging and the neck shrunk, severely. I swear I finished this thing for 20 hours and it's still not done with rolly top edges!!

Dying went great, I'll do a little expose on what I learned soon, the light's just not good tonight. And my colors still aren't the most vibrant but now I know how to get certain effects.

On Saturday I thought I was so close to finishing that bastard the SNS that I let myself get some new yarn for a new project. And here's what a much recovered Simon did to my new Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran:



I'm going to hold it double stranded with some Unger fluffy by Reynolds in the same color, whatever that is. They look really pretty together and look so special in the cable patterns I swatched! I'm stealing the cable patterns from
this free pattern to do a little shell. Here's what I'm thinking:

I love it on Trading Spaces when the people cry when they see their rooms, that just kills me.

Here's a picture of Simon after the big day. And yes, that is my dish sponge he's using for a pillow.

Click here for a shot of the elusive Sabine, my kitty who is not always ready for her close-up.

I'll be updating the site a little this weekend. I already started adding a list of links to neat free patterns I've run into around the web. These are patterns I either like and want to try, or already tried and will probably want to make again. Let me know if anyone thinks this is against the rules, if there's an etiquette rule I'm breaking here I'll take them right off.

almost forgot. My place will be in the Sac Bee, Interiors section tomorrow.

almost forgot. My place will be in the Sac Bee, Interiors section tomorrow.

What kind of lame blogger doesn't post for a week? Well there's very little point explaining or whin

What kind of lame blogger doesn't post for a week? Well there's very little point explaining or whining about it. Let's just say I suck and move on.

Everyone say a fond goodbye to little Simon's little balls. He will be neutered on Friday poor thing, no idea what's going to hit him.

I'll be home all weekend with him convalescing. I am planning on finishing the SNS and dying up a storm. I've decided I really need to do a test grouping of different dye methods since I read about so many and although I'm thrilled with the results I've gotten so far, I'd like to know what technique will give me the most vibrant colors. I'm also stoked to dye some stuff indigo and see what a little bleach pen looks like on it.

I must say I'm quite giddy at the prospect of three days home alone crafting with no interuptions. Seriously, I don't have any money so there's nothing I can do but stay home and work on stuff.

Leslie brought me back a blessing necklace from Mexico. It's a necklace with a little pendant on ea

Leslie brought me back a blessing necklace from Mexico. It's a necklace with a little pendant on each end, one to go down in front and one to wear behind your neck. Now shrinky dink fever is back and I want to make these with shrinky dink pendants. That will be an excellent rainy day this fall project!

No real knitting news, frogged on the SNS and stripey scarf.

Here's a quickie of the stripey scarf I started using a pattern from a "Designs by Judith" pamphlet. I like the whole diagonal stripe deal, but the sample I saw had diagonal ends too. I think I like the diagonal ends better and I'll have to rip.
Click here for a picture of the long suffering SNS on. Pretty cool, huh? I can't believe I didn't think about trying it on before. Now that I put it on and realize it's going to fit perfectly and turn out perfect I feel way more confident about finishing it.

I'm so boring this week. I did the square for my $5 quilt (not due until next week thank you very m

I'm so boring this week. I did the square for my $5 quilt (not due until next week thank you very much), I worked a couple of inches on one of Julie's socks. That's pretty much it. I've been so embroiled in this whole house-buying-without-money thing that I've had nothing to give to anything creative. I have been rereading "To Kill a Mockingbird." Boy, do I love that little Dill!

"That's how we do it in the O.C., Bitch!"

"That's how we do it in the O.C., Bitch!"

What a quality show!

Here's a sneak peak of what the photographer got. Should be pretty cool so check out the interiors section of the Bee one of these days.

I'm now officially avoiding the little SNS, can't take the pressure! So I ordered some new pretty sock yarn. And I started this little diagonal scarf using Noro Silk Garden, but now I think it might be too scratchy for a scarf. Anyone have any experience using Silk Garden for something that goes next to your skin?

Check out Marie's badass bag over at knitti me. Gorgeous!!

Baby steps to finish the SNS: I did 6 rows waiting for the car wash. More room cleaning, I guess my apartment is going to be published somewhere and the photographers will be here Saturday morning so I'm freaking. I live in a one room studio that is far from show room quality (and by "far," I mean "the opposite of"), I'm starting to get really nervous!

And more dying, I did the rest of the bed sheets in Amethyst and Rust Orange. They look great in the tub. I want to do a new duvet cover before the photographers show up. What could be more fitting for a fiber artist than a hand dyed duvet cover, right? And Kim did promise she'd call me a "fiber artist" in the article. I love being called a "fiber artist!"

Last night I worked on my most difficult creative project to date: cleaning my room!

Last night I worked on my most difficult creative project to date: cleaning my room!

Well the bed sheets got dyed again. Once again, they're in the tub. I've actually been pretty productive this weekend. Got a bunch of blocks knocked out with my friend Kim for our friend's wedding quilt. I got the new yarn and stuff I've been waiting for so I guess I don't have any more excuses I'd better get to gettin on the SNS.

Pictures someday :)

today is bring your kitties to work day. Oh what a wonderful day!

today is bring your kitties to work day. Oh what a wonderful day!

Look! I'm dying bed sheets! Here they are relaxing in the tub. I think they're getting another dose. I want them to be more of a deep violet but this is a good start.

tip to young dumb people everywhere: Check your credit before you want to use it. It could be erroneously screwed like mine. I'm on a mission to clear my name! (at least of the stuff I didn't do)

I guess I lost a post.


Here's Simon with the special dyed yarn for my cleo someday when I get the right needles. I'm stalled on projects and waiting for orders to come in. Here's the scoop on the .BNS. I think I'll call it the SNS instead of the previous options in honor of the silly little sweetheart neckline. And I'm out of yarn to finish the back and waiting for that too. I'm afraid the only thing for it is a chickami. I think tomorrow I'm going to look for yarn. Hee hee!!

You know what saying seems to be coming back into common usage lately: when you say "something is th

You know what saying seems to be coming back into common usage lately: when you say "something is the poor man's something better."

As in, my vet today: "A laser pointer is the poor man's walking the dog." But I have a cat.

I'd never even heard that expression before and now I've heard it four times in a week.

Ok, I'm at the armhole/neckline shaping on my v-neck version BNS. The v-neck is going to be a giant gaping sweetheart neckline to try to squeek by with the yarn I have left. So here goes! Did I mention I've never done any type of neckline? on anything?

In non-knitting news I'm going camping this weekend: our 4th annual trip to Lake Berryessa! It's freakin' hot here and I am glad to be getting out of town to spend some quality time in the lake, well marinated in beer and barbecue sauce. Thank the good lord!

I'm at the fourth set of increases on my BNS! I'm coming up on the part where I'm going to be making it up for the v-neck, very scary. Plus the yarn will be tight since I highjacked most of it for Cleo (the dyed yarn turned out awesome, I'm not going to post until I get a picture that can do it justice). So I ordered one more skein of Breeze in a "robin's egg blue" color. I'm going to do the crochet edging in the light blue and try to do a little fluttery cap sleeve thingy maybe.

Also, when I ordered the extra skein I ordered a Crystal Palace Circular needle. According to Megan, they're awesome, so now I can't wait to get them.

Up there with Simon is my BNS, still at the waist shaping. I think I've accomplished everything on my weekend list so far. When the cotton dries I'll shoot the poor tortured stuff so you can see what some bleach and procion dye will do to perfectly good yarn.

Here's a picture of the pillow top I'm doing for Shawn for my grandma's birthday present to her. I still have to do the quilting and put a back on it. I'm really happy with it so far. Shawn's a hippie type, very in to mysticism and nature and she's loved unicorns since she was a little girl. I got copper colored thread to do the quilting. You know that feeling when you're making something for someone that you think they'll really love? that's how I feel about this. And grandma liked it.

to do this weekend:

to do this weekend:

sell beaucoup crapola for beaucoup moola at garage sale

make breif appearance at book club to share the fact that I do not enjoy non-fiction, even if it is Barbara Kingsolver

consult with grandma regarding free motion quilting for her commissioned projects

stew estimated leftover Breeze into a new and different colorway for Cleo(!) swatch


guess I'd better get busy

How much do I love this! Can you believe how adorable! I'm hoping I can use my Crystal Palace Breeze leftovers, once I torture them into a fabulous new variegated color, double stranded to knit this.

Works in progress, pictures will come, I promise:

BNS (v-neck version) - finished with decreases haven't started increases yet.

Pretty pillow for Shawn from Grandma - top pieced and sandwiched, not quilted yet.

weekend highlight:

weekend highlight:

dancing to Bob Dillon with my god son's arms wrapped around my neck.