Thank You Secret Pal!

I arrived home last night, and found I had received a package. I finally got a chance to pick it up today, and it's from my Secret Pal! I'm so excited. It's soooo cute and St. Patrick's day themed (which just happens to be one of my favorite days.)
I got a wonderful candle, Jelly Beans (!!!), Cascade Sierra, a teddy bear (!!) and stickers,all in delightful shades of green.
I wish desperately I could post pictures this minute, but that can't happen until I steal ambrrr's camera, perhaps nearer the end of this week.
The yarn is absolutely gorgeous. I don't actually think I've ever seen Sierra. I have no idea what I'll do with it, but it's already inspiring me to hunt for the perfect pattern.

Thank you so much Secret Pal! You're amazing.

<3 uhlissa

Update! Pictures:

Sleepless

Hi. I know it appears once again that Ambrrr has taken over completely, but I'm here, I promise. I was out of town for the past week, which is why it's almost two am and I'm not tired. I was in California, and I thought I had done a great job of not getting too adjusted to the time zone, but I was wrong. Actually, all the caffeine may have something to do with my wakefulness.
The trip was super fun, though not at all productive.
The day I got there, I finished my first Hedera sock. I barely knit after that. Today I did about eight pattern repetitions. It's coming along. Slowly.
On a more positive note, I finished reading a book I've been reading since school started in August. I didn't mean to be so slow, I just never have time to read for fun. Or if I do have time, I choose to knit.
Hopefully later this week I'll have more interesting things to say, and perhaps some Hedera pictures.
I did deliver the shawl to my mom, who absolutely loved it. So, that was awesome.
Also, I had knit my friend Whitney a calorimetry, and now her boyfriend is begging me for a hat. Fun, but not on the top of the priority list.
Priorities this week include:
-actually doing all my homework
-not failing my accounting test on thursday
-finishing this sock, cause i'm tired of it?
-getting re-adjusted to central time
I think that's it. There are probably other important things.
Oh! Like sending my secret pal gift! I found some super fun secret presents on my trip, and I can't wait to get them sent. Maybe after Secret pal is over, I'll fill y'all in.
Also, knitpicks updated their site, and all I want to do is buy yarn. Uh oh.
<3 uhlissa
I know this post is all over the place. I'm feeling very scatterbrained. It might be the time thing, it might be my overactive mind thinking too much about things it just shouldn't even consider. Who knows.

You guys. Really.

Guys, we need to talk. Seriously.

I was so enthusiastic about Pomatomus! I was all "Oh my gah, I simply cannot wait to knit this sock. Cookie A. is a genius. Honestly. And all that Koigu! Fantastico!"

Guys. I have failed us.

While Ms. A is still an amazing genius genius, Pomatomus is kicking my arse in a serious, intense fashion. The pattern itself was not hard after the first repetition, but it takes me so long to do one that I just cut out a pattern repetition of Chart A entirely. I've just started on the heel flap, which seemed so much easier using Magic Loop. I forgot how much DPNs tends to poke you and try their hardest to slit your wrists. Oh man.

I'm putting it on the back burner for now, as not only do I have some intense studio work due this week but there's a Brotherhood Retreat for my architecture fraternity Alpha Rho Chi this weekend. Anyways, enjoy some pictures of me knitting on the way to and from the APX National Convention in Memphis this weekend. Hurrah and sadness!


I took the photo above on the way there. I'd only just cast on a week before, and done the ribbing. I think I mentioned this already, what with the messing up and whatnot. That's at one pattern rep, I believe. And also something like 4 hours.


Here's Pomatomus on the way back, at two pattern reps and the beginning of the heel flap. My hands were hurting so bad I thought they'd fall off. I stopped soon after this.


A little close-up of the stitches. I really love the way they look all scaly, it's really fascinating. In the sun it looks like I am making some sort of fabric fish. Weird.

<3 Ambrrr

Stitch For Senate

I believe, truly believe, that this is a worthwhile project. No matter where you fall on the matter of the war in Iraq, you can only support your position this way. Or at the very least express your position.

I think next time Uhlissa and I order from KnitPicks, I'll be picking up three skeins of Swish Superwash in Coast Grey and a 32" US 6 circ. That way, if Sherrod Brown (the Ohio Senator I'd like to send my helmet liner to) decides to send his to a soldier (as I hope he will), they don't have to worry about any special washing or something.

Please support our troops! They need all of our prayers/good thoughts/handmade knits to help them through.

<3, Ambrrr

A Contest! I love contests! Drinks all around!*

So Mme Shelby informs me that to participate in a CONTEST (which I love to do) I must do two things:

1. Make sure you know where my SP10 Questionnaire is, and
2. Post one of my current projects.

Well, as Uhlissa mentioned in an earlier post, we put links to our SP10 Questionnaires in a sidebar item, right near the top. Mine is here, and I'll try to remember to post when I update it.

And my newest UFO (sigh) is Pomatomus by Cookie A. Again with the Koigu, as well. God, I love this yarn. It's so soft and cushy and knits up so well. I'm using my US 2 Clover Bamboo DPNs again, which feel a little off after the Addis. Much stickier than I remember. Which is good with this sock pattern, as I am having a heck of a time with it. I just started today at work, so not much has gotten done. I think I'm on.... row 7 of the Chart A pattern. I messed up the twisted rib by doing k1tbl, p1 instead of p1, k1tbl. It's not a huge deal, but just aggrivating.

Mas mas photos!!



I'm experimenting with the settings on my camera, trying to get a more accurate color. This Koigu has a lot of variated blues, from bright sky to violent violet. It's gorgeous. I'm hoping it'll bring out the scaliness of the Pomatomus pattern.


For some reason (probably the fact that I have sweaty, gross hands) this particular Koigu stained my fingers a little. Nothing major.

*And if you can link this to the quote I destroyed to make it, you win my own personal contest.

<3 Ambrrr

Mas Photos! Mas Photos!*

Pattern: Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies
Needles: Addi Turbo Circular US 2, 32"
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM, dye code P118A dye lot 603, 1 and 1/4th of a skein
Modifications: Instead of DPNs I gave Magic Loop a shot on this one. It IS Magic. I adore it.

So these are the Magic Loop Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies. I am in love with Magic Loop. As you can see in the photo above the way I had them situated on the needles allowed me to have the very small, very slight ladder running down the sides instead of down the front and sole of the footies.


Even though they look like different sizes they actually are the same, and fit really really nicely.


Here's my god-awful Kitchener stitch, which somehow always starts with a purl stitch (on the left) instead of just knit across the row. *tear*

And I figure, it IS the Heels 'n Purls Knitting Society, right? They're not black, but they'll do. Also, they're made of pure awesome.

<3 Ambrrr

*As always, click to embiggen the pictures.

Ready, Set, Knit

Ready, Set, Knit, originally uploaded by Wakeful Dreamer.

The summary of our Saturday A+ Adentures!

Pictures and Updates.

I updated some older posts with some beautiful pictures.

Pictures of the shawl and progress on my Hedera socks

Actually, I realized I haven't really posted about much else. Here's the Monkey socks that I finished a while ago. They're made of of Knit Pick's Memories in Pansy, which I love.









Also, the weather here is gorgeous. Ambrrr and I enjoyed an adventure of sitting on the balcony enjoying the sun (among other things, that I'll let Ambrrr update you on.) Here's me basking in the glorious sun.










I'll update later this week from San Francisco!

<3 uhlissa

Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies FO (and some in progress)

As previously mentioned I actually finished these a few weeks ago and have just now gotten around to posting photos. Also included are some photos of the in-progress pair I've got on the Addis.


Pattern: Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM, one skein, dye code P118A, dye lot 603
Needles: Clover Bamboo DPNs US 2
Modifications: I accidentally made my second sock shorter than the first, nothing very aggrivating. That way I also have a little bit of yarn left over in case my second pair goe haywire on me. You can see the finished one from the second pair on the right.

I've already washed these in the washer and then threw them in the dryer. As you can see they're not as gem-bright as they were when they were first finished, but they're still deliciously soft and comfortable. Koigu is amazing.

These were a fun little project, they go very quickly. I'd be done with the second pair if I didn't have so much work to do. Here's a shot of the last sock still on the needles, in Magic Loop, working on the heel flap.

<3 Ambrrr

KP Update

Firstly, I don't mean to scare anyone off of KnitPicks with my last post about my laziness and inability to check things before I send them. KP is still way affordable and the customer service lady emailed me back explaining that "pending" meant it was somewhere on a truck about to be shipped. Which it has, and the whole "Grovecity is the exact distance away from where I live in Ohio from Leetsdale, PA" situation is going down again. Hopefully Mum will get it soon and can send it to me.

So, of course, I'm wondering what to work on over Spring Break. Most likely I'll be giving Pomatomus a crack, as socks are easy-peasy to knit in the car.

Back to studying for my midterm tomorrow, I guess. D:

<3 Ambrrr

Done!

This week is productive...at least as far as knitting goes. (School's a whole 'nother story.)I just finished the shawl I was making for my mom. I'm kind of disappointed because as soon as I bound it off and picked it up, the weight of the shawl created a whole new shape. I measured it while it was in progress and it was working out correctly, but now it's more square than rectangular. I just laid it out on my bed, and stretched it out right , and it's about 26" x 46" which is perfectly fine, but when I try to wrap it around myself, gravity makes things complicated. I think it'll be ok, because my mom is a much smaller person than I, but I'm still irritated. I'm choosing to focus on the positive though. The positive is that it is very soft and cuddly, and will make a good lap blanket if nothing else. I used Cameo Bulky by Hobby Lobby's brand Yarn Bee in the color "azure stone." It's beautiful. I used five 74 yd skeins knit on 15s (quite a change from knitting on 2s a few days ago!). I still have five skeins sitting in a box with no purpose. Oh well. I bought it super cheap on sale this summer. Pictures will be taken soon, before I take it to California to gift to my mom.

Pictures!









I think it's time to get back to my Hedera socks. I don't really plan to spend too much time on them this week, but I probably will. They also should be airplane knitting and vacation knitting. I'm afraid I'll probably finish them before all of that, so I plan to pick a pattern for the gorgeous red Frog Tree suri brushed i bought a few weeks ago. I think it will make the most delicious socks (clearly my new favorite). I'm thinking something lacy but simple.

<3 uhlissa

p.s. - i really wanted to order from knit picks soon, but ambrrr scared me out of it with her last post.

p.p.s. - sorry, ambrrr, i didn't mean to post right after you did. hopefully everyone will realize we like to update all the time and check back a few posts for still-fresh posts.

Why I Should Never Buy Things

So I did order that yarn, as I so expressly forbid you from allowing me to do, and now there's hell to pay.

Last night I purchased the Knitpicks Shine Sport in River, but forgot to change my address to my university one instead of home. I realized this the second I pressed the "order" button, and sent two emails right away - one explaining my predicament and another containing my order number and customer number as soon as I received them.

Today I got a reply, stating that they "couldn't catch" the order and that it was shipping to Ohio. That's it.

Now I know that I should have checked the address before shipping, but there was no option to. Since I was signed in I would have had to go to my customer account, change it there and THEN place my order. There was also no option for me to cancel my order, even though when I looked a second ago it's still listed as "Pending." Not shipped, pending.

I sent another email asking if there was absolutely nothing that could be done, as I'd rather not pay to have it shipped again. And they've already charged my credit card.

But honestly, what?

Disappointedly yours, Ambrrr

Why, Interweave Knits? WHY?

So last Saturday was another A+ Adventure, but this time Uhlissa and I spread our knitblog fun to realms outside of our LYS and Juan's Flying Burrito.

That's right, we went to Metairie.

Met'ry is home to Barnes & Noble, Two-Story Target and also an IHOP. All of these were on the agenda, and boy howdy was it fun. Although the very thought of another IHOP omlette is making me woozy. Delicious, but so gigantic!

Anyways, the main reason for this Met'ry A+ Adventure was to procure Interweave Knits' Spring 2007 issue. Eunny Jang has an entrelac sock in there that is to die for, as well as an amazing step-by-step on entrelac itself. But here is the project that is going to ruin my life: the Clementine Shawlette.

It. Is. AMAZING. I must have it! I have been staring at different sport-weight yarns for the past hour and a half instead of working on my studio project. It's taken over my life. This might in fact be the project I'd bring with me to APX convention. Oh man. It's taking everything in me not to order some yarn right away. Please, please stop me.

....

But check out this yarn. I think I like Night Sky and Grass. .... STOP ME!!

fretfully yours, Ambrrr (<3)

Le Edit:

OK, it's now a given that I am going to do this thing. Sigh. It's gonna be blue, too, 'cos now I've gone and joined Project Spectrum. What is my life coming to?

New Knitty, New Obsessions

The new Knitty went up today (maybe yesterday - I haven't been checking too diligently...), and I am in love. I'm always in love when I find new patterns, so it's not that surprising,really.

New items on the list of objects to eventually knit or covet forever or are just inspiring in general:

Carolyn cardigan
bmp socks
Ester sweater
Dashing wristwarmers
Queen of cups socks
Clessidra socks

I think my favorites are the last two pairs of socks, mostly because I've become obsessed with sock knitting.

I had gotten about three inches into my Hedera socks when I decided it needed to be frogged. I had decided to overlook the fact that I had repeated the same row of the lace pattern at one point, making an odd row that stood out quite a bit in my mind, but when I was missing stitches on all 3 sides, I called in quits. I don't know how I lost so many stitches, but I'm not worrying about it, and am just four rows back into the cuff.

I've also been working on a shawl for my mom. It's going pretty quickly. It's weird working on size 2s, and then switching to 15s to work on the shawl. It's about half-way done, and I'm hoping to finish it in the next week and a half when I head to California to see my mom. It was going to be a birthday present, but that didn't happen, so I'm hoping to surprise her with it for no real reason, other than she's awesome and totally deserves it.

I promise there will be pictures soon. As Ambrrr said, illness has consumed everyone we know for the past few weeks, but we seem to be getting better. When we're well again, pictures will be posted.

<3 uhlissa

Oh man.

Uhlissa and I have been down with the sickness, y'all. In an intense fashion. :<

Last Saturday was another successful A+ Adventure, as I purchased (and wound myself, with Uhlissa's help and watchful guidance!) more KOIGU to fuel the KOIGU MADNESS. It's gotten ridiculous at this point. I don't even have a sock pattern in mind for them. I think they're going to be my travellin' socks, as I go to Alpha Rho Chi's National Convention in Memphis TN March 22 - 25. Something fun to knit in the car, whee!

Let's see, where did I leave off? I haven't done much knitting as the hacking/coughing has taken up most of my time. A second pair of BMGFs are on the Addis.... and the Dreamswatch and Camera Cosy are still on their respective needles. TOO TIRED TO THINK ABOUT IT.

OK, time to work on studio until I collapse. Later friends!

<3 Ambrrr