Showing posts with label Wicked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wicked. Show all posts

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Rhinebeck - When it's nice, do it twice!!

Last weekend I went to Rhinebeck for the second time, and it was such a blast.

So, I was told by the lovely weather people that it would be 56 degrees out. I remember that I wore my Central Park Hoodie the year before, and although I had a sweater to wear already, I was set on trying to finish my second CPH just in time for the festivities.
Here is a picture of it in pieces, laid out on my hotel bed. My buddy Deborah told me I was crazy, and that I surely was.
I pulled an all-nighter to seam the shoulders, finish the hood, and create the buttonband. I got halfway through the buttonband, but had no time to seam the sleeves. I also did a 3-needle bindoff for the hood, as I was in a rush. Now that I look back at it, I don't like the seam in the middle of the hood, so I will rip it out, and kitchener the hood. No matter how many times we hear this saying, we seem to never learn this lesson "Haste makes waste". Enough said.

So, as bleary-eyed as I was, I still managed to wear my Wicked sweater. Here is a picture of me wearing it, accompanied by Tawana in her Juliet sweater. The photo is a little slanted, but I think it looks cool. This photo was taken at the ravelry party. It was a lot of fun, but the weather was sooooo cold. I spent most of the time in the heated tent, except for when they were calling out raffle prizes. But, I didn't win :-(.


I spent some time with Deborah, who I barely get to see as much. We used to have knitting lunches all the time, and then I had to change my hours at work, so that doesn't happen anymore. But we got to spend an awesome weekend together, and kept saying "Let's not talk about work". Here is her getting some affection from a llama.


And here petting some yarn. She plans to make this a future purchase, once she finds the right pattern. It was super expensive, but super worth it. There was enough to make a sweater entirely on one skein. Anything that minimizes weaving in ends is a winner in my book. Yet, it is only truly worth it if you had the right pattern already chosen and ready to be swatched. And based on the fact that we are planning future yarn purchases, this sign couldn't be any more appropriate.

Here are some new friends I made, along with Deb and Kim. We had a blast gushing over yarn, and tasting all that wine and cheese.
Ravelry Name Rollcall - Angelny29, Boringknitter, Smush, YarnyOldKim, Craftivore.



And a good friend that I hadn't seen in a really long time. Sahara!!

And best of all, here are all of the goodies!!! Yarn, dessert wine, natural soap, maple sugar cotton candy, maple peanut brittle, honey roasted almonds, and more yarn.
Closeups of goodies.
MMMMMMMalabrigo Silky Merino in Dill. Last spring I bought a pair of slacks for work, and haven't worn them yet because I didn't have the perfect sweater to wear with it. This is the exact color of a pinstripe in those slacks. I bought a sweater's woth, with plans to make Victoria from Twist Collective. I know I sound super anal about being matchy matchy with my yarn and wardrobe, but hey, I got this for about $9.95 a skein, so I had to make sure it was well worth it. (Bargain Alert!!!!) I have to thank Tawana for pointing out the shop that sold it. I had blindly walked past it on day 1, and made sure I didn't miss it on day 2.
I also picked up the color Amoroso to make a nice cowl for myself.

And some in the Viena colorway to make a Crofter's Cowl for mommy.
Another booth that was not-to-be-missed was The Fold, where there ws a plethora of Socks That Rock.

I picked out Mossy to make some socks for my mom. Hmmmm.. maybe she will appreciate knitting more after she slips into some cozy socks. Hopefully we will be able to convert her in a few months.....or years.....it's taking a while. aarrgghh!!!

I also got this Rare Gems color. It looks like a Raven Color that went wrong. I don't care. It is still gorgeous. I can't wait to see how it knits up.

Here is a Raven Color that went right. LENORE. I love the bit of purple that peeks through. I am thinking of Pomatomus, but I am not sure yet.

Also, there were some discounted mill ends, that were for sale "as is". I found my favorite color combo, pink and gray. Yay!! I already have a pair of Air Max '95's from eons ago that they will match. I know, there I go being matchy-matchy again. I can't help it.

And, last but not least, I got 3 skeins of this gorgeous Decadent Fibers Creme Brulee. Silk and Merino. MMMmmmMMmmmmm. I plan to make Wisteria out of this. This too, is from the Twist Collective magazine.













Don't miss the last few days of my contest. There is stills some time to make a comment for entry.!!!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

I've been MEME'D!!! - Twice!!

I got Meme'd by Vanessa first, and since I took too long to answer it Hope sent me the same Meme. I love both of you ladies, but I am only going to post the answer once. Hehe!! Here goes!!

The rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged me
2) Mention the rules
3) Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about myself
4) Tag 6 other bloggers by linking to them
5) Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment that lets them know they’ve been tagged
The meme:


1- I am an avid collector of shotglasses, and get them anytime I travel to a new location. However, I have never drank any shots from them, because I am more of an occasional wine sipper. So, why do I keep buying them?

2- My favorite color is pink, as you all know. When I was little I wouldn't dare drink any milk unless it was pink (Strawberry Quik).

3- Now, as an adult I cannot drink milk from a carton or plastic cup. It must be in a glass with ice.

4 - I hate apple juice. When I was 2 I had open heart surgery, and another right before kindergarden. I distinctly remember them giving me a pill with apple juice in a plastic cup. Since then, I can't even stand the smell of it. But I like apples, apple pie, apple turnovers, hot cider, and applesauce.

5- I have a fear of bugs crawling into my ears when I sleep, so if there is so much as a fly that enters my house in the summer, I will hunt it down and kill it before I go to bed. Hairspray is my weapon of choice.

6 - I sing with a band, and am not really nervous to perform in front of a crowd of strangers. But if 2 of my close friends ask me to sing on the spot, I get extremely nervous.

So, I am tagging these beautiful blog friends.


So, you must be wondering if there has been any knitting going on. The answer is yes!! Any FO's ? Sorry.. not this time.

I am still working on my sleeves for Wicked. They are just taking forever. Right now, it is not picture-worthy because it doesn't look much different from the last time.

I managed to redo my sleeves for Hey Teach, and they actually look like they will fit properly. Yay!!

Look at how nice the pattern is coming out. Yay!!
I also started something today, but it's a secret. Shhhh!!! It's a bit lacey, and I like it. I just may have to make a second one for me. Oh!! And I made those stitch markers too. There is no secret in that. LOL!! This picture is supposed to be turned the other way, but blogger has a mind of it's own sometimes.
Happy Knitting!

Monday, September 1, 2008

A Birthday Gift!!

I am so spoiled. Look at what came in the mail today?


Chicagopurl has officially spoiled me.

I've gotten a pencil case that I will use for my little knicknacks. A Starbucks card, and Stitch holders.
2 skeins of Interlacements Tiny Toes in the "Grape Harveast" colorway. 2 skeins of Knitpicks Essential Sock yarn in the "Riviera Multi" colorway. Handmade soap.. mmmm.. smells delicious.

Knitpicks needles for magic looping my socks, Crochet hooks, Rice Krispie Treats (my favorite), gel pens!!
Grapefruit scented Eucalan, a diary, post-its and a notepad.

This gorgeous, gorgeous bag big enough to hold everything. It is huge, and sooo cute.


And this cute Starbucks mug. It is super-duper sized.




Here are all my goodies altogether. Thank you so much!! I feel so special. She went all out to send me a special, memorable gift and I am extremely grateful for it. All I could say was "WOW" everytime I opened something. Then the oohs and aahs came, and the high pitched voice. Haha!! Now, y'all know my favorite color is pink, but I have decided to branch out of that for a minute because all of my stuff seems to be monochromatic. I mentioned I like Teal, and she just took it and ran with it. I love everything. I don't care if it got here in September. What matters most is the thought and love that was sent in the package.

I spoke to Chicagopurl on the phone when I received my package, and realized how special long distance friends are. The "girl talk" started immediately and it felt really good to speak to a woman who is a little older and wiser, yet has such a young, fun-loving spirit. She has encouraged me to keep on doing all those things that make me happy, and to keep reaching for the stars.

She has encouraged me to make the Plath Cropped Cardi in a knitalong with her. So, I guess that means I have to finish up some stuff on the needles, huh? Does anyone else want to join? I have also been thinking about making Hey Teach for my fall wardrobe. I just have to pick a color. Any ideas???

Here is my latest update on my Wicked. I just have to attach the pocket, and finish the sleeves. On my first sleeve, I have completed about 5 inches. I have 12 more to go. I know that this will be a really warm sweater, and since I have about 2 full skeins of Ultra Alpaca left, I can afford to do the long sleeves. I am loving how this sweater is coming along, and it feels very soft, so I am happy with that as well.

There is even more news. I recently changed my schedule at work. It was a change that needed to be made for me to be able to have more yarn money. I want to apologize to all of my friends at the various after-work knitting events. I will miss hanging out with you guys. However, we can definately do a weekend thing, as long as our schedule permits. Nothing is written in stone, and change is the only constant in life. But, I can guarantee you that since I will be home in the early portion of the day, there will be more knitting, stitch marker, and jewelry making going on. A really good friend mentioned to me that my first love is working with my hands. I think he may be on to something. LOL!!

Enjoy the day! Happy knitting everyone!!!


Sunday, August 24, 2008

Ravelympics Update - No medals

I tried very hard to work a miracle, but there was just too much to do yesterday. I had lunch with Tawana and KJ, and we knit in Starbucks for a while. (Check out the cute Sit N Knit onesie!) KJ kept trying to bite the yarn. Hehe! She has two teeth starting to show themselves. I think we have a superstar knitter in the works.

I also had to help set up for a friend's surprise birthday party at around 6:00 pm. That totally cut into my knitting. I am a night owl, and my most productive hours are in the evenings. So, I am home today, all partied out, hungry, tired, and with an unfinished sweater and sock. :-(

I woke up this morning at 9:00 and tried to finish my sock since it was straight stockinette. I thought at least I could get 1 medal. But, I was averaging 1 inch every hour at that small gauge at 64 stitches 2 at a time. I figured that if I worked on the sweater, I would be working even more stitches, considering the pocket, sleeves, and rest of the body. I could have rushed it and made a short sleeved sweater with no pocket. But, that is not what I really wanted, so I will graciously bow out of the competition.

In the next 4 years, I will plan it better. During the course of these past 2.5 weeks, I have been sidetracked by gigs, rehearsals, stitch-marker and jewelry making, work, and promoting a party. Serious killing of my knitting time. Oh, the mixed blessing of being multi-talented. Knitters are always hopelessly overcommitted.

So, what's next for me? Tomorrow is Flatbush SNB. I will go there and work on my sweater as long as the swelling on my knitting needle jabbed finger goes down. The sock will remain my commuter knitting project. I can still enter it into Summer of Socks. Oh, did I mention I have a gig tonight too? It starts at 6 PM. I guess I should get going. I have to wash and restyle the hair so that it can be stage ready. More updates tomorrow!!

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Marathon knitting!!!

With a little less than 26 hours left before closing ceremonies, I am putting in all my effort. My pointer finger is sore from the jabbing of my left knitting needle. However, I think Nastia Liukin and Shawn Johnson may have been sore a few times, and that didn't stop them from winning medals!!

Here is my progress so far.

Sweater Sprint - Wicked Sweater
In Trinidad, we have a saying that goes "No rest for the wicked". I stayed up until about 4 AM working on this. The only reason I stopped was because I fell asleep with it in my hands. Yesterday morning, I was still working on the yoke, and now I am up to the waist shaping decreases. I have to continue down until the body reaches 11 inches from the underarm before I work the edging. I am already past the 4 inch mark, so I really feel good about this one. I still have faith that I can do it.

sweater_sprint_waist


Sock Put - Toe Up Socks
I have about 5 inches left before I get to the cuff. This yarn is not as soft as the yarn that I am using on the sweater, so it is not as nice to knit with. I will save this for last. I should have known better and used some prettier yarn. However, I bought this Lion Brand Magic Stripe yarn in my early days of knitting, and I am stashbusting before Rhinebeck.

So I am planning to meet Tawana and KJ for lunch and knitting in the park. We will see how that plays out.

OK, enough of this typing. My sweater needs me. Happy Knitting everyone!!!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Wicked Mistakes

Here is my Wicked sweater progress as of yesterday.
I have been trying to make progress on my Wicked sweater, but I keep running into dumb mistakes. I guess the whole idea of trying to rush it through makes me forget to properly read directions, and have common sense. The first incident occured on a day I set out to go to the hair salon to get some knitting done whilw I was waiting for my hair to dry. I was on the raglan increase portion, and all I had to do was kfb in the stitch before and after the 4 markers that were positioned at the arms. So why the heck did I do the increases at the marker that marked off the round? I didn't even have a darning needle to help create a lifeline, so I got fed up and ended up ripping out the whole thing. So, as I casted on again, I made it back to the raglan increase and thought it was smooth sailing. That is when I saw this...... (my apologies.. the picture just rotates , even when I don't want it to)


An increase at the row count marker again, only this time it was 7 rows below my current row. I guess that's what I get for trying to watch a movie in the dark, and knit at the same time. So, I had to do a little surgery....

So, I figured I would try to complete my sock since the wicked sweater was giving me so much trouble. Then I ran into this problem........

It turns out that there was an unwanted yarnover that must have sneaked in when I was wrapping and turning the short row heel. But, I was able to fix it. Here is my current progress as of today. Hopefully I can finish the sock this evening. Good thing it is all stockinette. Whew!

All in all there are 3 days to go, and I still have to complete the yoke, body, waist shaping, pocket and sleeves of my sweater. Well, good thing I don't have to seam anything. Sheesh!!! I really want that medal for finishing in 17 days... well it will really be a medal for finishing in 3 days, if I can get it. I still have faith and hope. That never dies!!!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

My knitting Weekend/early week

This past Saturday was the SisterFriends Harlem Knittaque in St. Nicholas park. We had a blast. However, I don't remember getting much knitting done, because I was STUFFING MY FACE SO MUCH!!! Ian, those ribs were soooooo delicious.

Honestly, I did try to knit... for real. See?? This is where I left off Saturday Night.
Then the unthinkable happened. I found two sections of the crossed rib that were not crossed. I got so upset that I ripped it out. After casting on again about 3 times later, I finally got it crossed perfectly. Then, I felt the fabric, and figured that it felt way too loose. So I ripped it again....to cast on with a size 7 needle. This is totally not good. This is like the US gymnast whose only event was the uneven bars because of her ankle injury, and she fell off. How am I supposed to finish this sweater???

The next day, I went to the Flatbush SNB, and I made progress. Maybe it happened because I didn't have that grill tempting me every 2 seconds, or the fact that I had a nice Chocolate Chai latte, or the fact that KJ was sitting across from me and just smiling with her sweet face. Who knows, but in either case.... I made some progress, and have progressed to the Raglan shaping portion of the pattern.

Here are some more pics from the weekend.

Chante showing off her shrug.
I get some sweetface time.
Happy Mommy (Tawana) gets in some knitting time.KJ getting some Pinkberry time. Yes, we are getting her addicted from an early age. 6 months and already a pinkberry fiend.




Here is my Ravelympics Progress as of today.

Sweater Sprint - and yes, I did make myself a pair of Ravelympics 2008 Stitch Markers

Sock Put
I know, I know. I've got a long way to go.