Kiri progress and Q hook shawl swatch

Here is as far as I've been able to get on the Kiri Shawl. I really like this pattern as it's easy once you get the hang of it. Now I wish I had started it in lace weight yarn rather than worsted, although I know I'll like the feel of this when it's done.


Last Sunday, my knitting group, Las Vegas Knitters, attended the 5 hour yarn event at Michael's craft store. We were asked to sit and make squares for a charity afghan and just lend our presence to the event. The highlight was meeting a really neat lady named Katerina from Australia, who is a craft buyer for stores there. She sat down and made a couple of squares with us and we just chatted about the differences in what's "in" here and there. I even gave her some help on a Q hook poncho in one of the Lion Brand pattern books. I had to come home and swatch my version of this poncho. It's quite similar but not exact and I'd rather have a shawl than poncho. Unfortunately, I don't have enough of this yarn to complete this shawl but have a few balls of Moda Dea Eden that would do nicely. It's a quick project since the hook is so large. We'll see how far I get on this seeing that I'm also working on the Kiri and One Skein Wonder variation, oh yeah, I'm also starting Tubey for the Knitting Olympics. Sheesh!

Yarn Event @ Michael's

This upcoming Sunday we'll be at Michael's craft store at the corner of Pecos and Russell Roads in Las Vegas. Stephanie has been in contact with the store manager and anyone who shows up for this event will be given the yarn to make the charity squares as well as a 25% discount on our own yarn purchases. Too cool! Hope anyone in the area will come and join us.

An Aha! Moment

Last night I cast on for the Kiri Shawl by Polly Outhwaite (again) and, after following the written instructions, decided to try working from the charted instructions just to see what kind of trouble I could get myself into. You see, I was afraid of following charts and would put aside a pattern I really loved just because I would have to follow a chart. I was watching The Bachelor in Paris and just thought "what the heck". I really like the chart now. I get it! I haven't f*&%ed up yet!

I'm trying to make life easier by putting markers before and after the center stitch and I'm using a row counter. I don't know where all my row counters have disappeared to but luckily I finished my second Clapotis last night (yippee!) and freed one up. Unfortunately, this row counter didn't fit on this pair of needles I'm using for the Kiri so I just threaded it through a piece of yarn and wore it around my neck. Functional but fugly. You know, I'm anti-fugly, if I can do anything about it. So here is my solution





I'd like to re-string it onto silk cord later but I don't happen to have any in my beading box.

I have committed to knitting the Tubey sweater from the latest edition of Knitty for the Knitting Olympics. I think I'm going to do it in Patons Classic Merino or, if I can get some in time, Wool of the Andes from KnitPicks. Thanks Yarn Harlot for putting this KAL together! Go Team USA!

Happy Sunday!

Chris and I are on our way to the park. It's a beautiful sunny winter day here in Las Vegas. It looks a little breezy outside but other than that, just a gorgeous 57 degrees. Of course, I'm bringing my knitting (the modified OSW) and my iPod and let him play to his heart's content.

I have a picture of the book thongs that I've made
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And here is one of the iPod cozies that I made. Up until this morning it didn't have the fur trim but I felt compelled to add it.
Alrighty ya'll, I'm off to the park!

I'm such a frickin' geek!

I know I'm behind the times, just getting an iPod and all, but I never imagined that there are knitting podcasts! Here are the web sites to the ones I've found thus far. Are there more?
Secret Knitting
KnitCast
CastOn
Knitting News Cast
The Fiber Cast

We got a new camera last night. Anthony and I got our gift cards together and bought it. At least I can add pictures until I can get mine fixed. Yippeee! After playing with it for a few minutes Bernie announced that he wants one of his own. He'll probably have it tomorrow. So much for delayed gratification.

Last night (until 3 a.m. this morning, actually) I made a few pair of earrings, some stitch markers and a few book thongs. They're addictive.
The red and green ones were designed by my little Christopher. He asked me to wear them and now I have to choose just the right outfit to match. Later in the evening he said I can send them to my sister, Gina. Should I be hurt?

Back but not quite back in action

I've been back from Hawaii for a week and a half now but I don't like posting without adding pictures and came back from vacation with a broken digital camera. It sucks! Luckily, I was able to get my pictures from my memory card, just can't take any new ones.
Proof that I was knitting on vacation. My sister, Gina, got home from working her 12 hour shift at Kaiser Hospital at about 8 a.m. that morning and took us all to the beach in Waimanalo. Here is a picture of Gina sleeping on the beach while we frolicked about in the frickin' cold water. It didn't bother the kids one bit!I was working on the One Skein Wonder for her daughter, Devan. I managed to finish it in a few days (hey, I was on vacation!) and gave it to her for Christmas. I started a camoflauge print one for her while there but didn't finish it until I got home. I managed to get it in the mail within two days of completion which, Gina will tell you, is completely out of character for me. Normally, Devan would have to wait until next Christmas or until Mom comes to visit and could bring it back home.

Funny thing about that care package that I mailed. In the box I sent Devan's OSW, some Bath & Body antibacterial hand soap for Mom and Gina (there is no B&B in Hawaii!) and some Peet's coffee for my sister, Nellie. Unfortunately, I don't think I told Mom that the coffee was for Nellie, although I told Nellie to go over to Mom's and get it. Mom called me the day after receiving the box to thank me for the soap, to tell me that she didn't tell Gina it came in yet, and to say that her SO, Pete, really liked the coffee!! They thought it was cute that the coffee was Peete's and it was for Pete! I felt bad because not only did I not include anything for Pete but that I would have to tell Nellie about her coffee. My cousin told me that they don't sell Peete's coffee in Hawaii but when I told Gina about the mix-up, she remembered seeing it at Foodland and ran out to get 2 replacement bags for Nellie. Whew!

Now that I'm back, I've started a OSW for myself. Since I am considerably larger than my niece, I made adjustments to the pattern and will give mine long sleeves and more ribbing. I hope to have my camera back in action by the time it is finished.