What a wonderful Knitta-Que weekend!!

Firstly, I must say that the Sisterfriends Knitta-Que was amazing. I had so much fun. I want to personally thank Chante and Sahara for planning it and making it possible. I also want to thank them for the lovely gift I recieved for helping out with the flyer. Sahara had a grab bag of goodies, and I picked this book, mainly because I have this sweater obsession now.

Here is a picture of Sahara working on a beautiful lace piece.

Here is a picture of Chante happily spinning. Yes the wheel really was moving that fast, and the camera caught a glimpse of it.

Also, here is Chante's coworker Kim, working on a pair of socks. She made the best carrot cake ever, and even though the cream cheese frosting splattered on me as I was trying to get it out of the pan, it was not a big deal becaue it was so sweet and scrumptious.

Here is Tawana, a fellow Brooklynite who has been my friend through this blogworld for a few months now.

This was the first time that we got a chance to meet face to face, and I am so happy. We are actually working on the Central Park Hoodie at the same time. I am persistently trying to get her to change her mind about putting it in hibernation, but she has this pretty little thing called a baby growing inside of her that is making it difficult. She is working on a little pair of Koigu socks in the picture, and I am sure she has so much more ideas for cute baby sweaters. Hey, how about a mini Central Park Hoodie so baby can look like mommy??? It will still be sweater weather when the baby comes along. I know, I won't give up!!

Also, in attendance was N'joya from the Harlem Knitting Circle. She was a joy to talk to as always. I am really feeling the color scheme that she has going on. Okay, my next project will be a size 15 needle project, because I am getting super jealous. LOL!!!

Speaking of projects, here is the update on my Snuggle Sweater.

Only 1 and a half more pattern repeats to go before I start the armhole decreases. This project is going by really fast. The pattern changes colors really quickly, so I am not getting bored. One even better thing is that the pattern comes from Knitting magazine (British) from March of 2006, and many knitters in the US have never even heard of it. This means that I will have a one of a kind sweater this winter... FINALLY!!! By the way, I touched a marked down designer cashmere sweater in Daffy's today, and it elt like Brillo compared to my Snuggle sweater. My goodness, and I didn't even block it with my lavender scented woolwash yet. I think I may get arrested by the fashion police for wearing this sweater too much. Rowan RYC/Cashmerino DK rocks!!!

My Stitch N' Pitch Review

First, let me say that I had many preconcieved notions about baseball, and thought it was a boring sport, and couldn't understand how and why so many people were into it. However, after Stitch N' Pitch, my feelings have changed.
This is the view from my seat. I sat next to Saunielle and very close to Chante and her son Jamal.

Here is an unsuspecting picture of Chante knitting her sock, and Jamal posing and smiling. Isn't he so adorable? Chante, I will say once again, that you are an excellent mother, and he is a wonderful child.

He even participated in the knitting festivities. Wow, I am impressed. He was so dedicated too!!Here is a picture of Jamal, Chante, and our fellow Sit N' Knit member Allena. She is wearing the gorgeous Limited Edition Sit N Knit /Stitch N Pitch T-shirt that I took too long to order, so now I am jealous that I don't have one. ( Jealous in a good way, of course)

Here is a Candid shot of Sit N' Knit organizer Anne-Marie and I, knitting and chatting away.

We were talking a bunch of nonsense at this time, so the facial gestures are a little wacky. But, nonetheless, whatever we were saying was hilarious. People on the train car were staring. I am not sure if they were really interested in what we were saying, or the fact that our lips and our needles were moving at top speed, and we did not make any mistakes.

Now for my thoughts on the game. I was pleasantly surprised that the time actually flew by. Baseball is so much slower on TV. I loved the little entertainment things that they did every time there was a break between innings. While I was watching the game, I explained a few things to Saunielle, and realized that I knew a lot more about baseball than I thought I knew.

So, in essence I had a lot of fun, and will be going to the next Mets vs. Braves game in September with one of my friends who is a die-hard Mets fan. He already warned me that I cannot bring my knitting. But, I don't listen to what men tell me to do, and I feel that if I am making a pair of gloves for him, as he kindly requested, then he will just have to deal with it. :-) More updates on that in about a month.

What a day! What a day!!

Okay. So I have many names for today..."Transit Hell".."Stupidity Unfolding".. "A tree gets plucked out of the ground by a Giant in Brooklyn"..

First...My transit ordeal.

I was supposed to take the Express Bus going into Downtown Manhattan, get dropped off near Battery Park, and walk to work within 5 minutes, log in to my computer, go to the Cafeteria for some coffee and a bagel, and then mosy on up to my desk and start to appease the bankers so that they can effectively make money for our company. WRONG!!!!!

I got to the bus stop, and was informed by two ladies that the bus I was supposed to be on just left.. actually two of them back to back. So I was pissed at a level of 4. Then, four buses came..Two midtown, and 2 running express to Downtown Brooklyn. I was pissed at a level of 6 by this point. I was advised that the 2 and 3 trains were not running, so taking the train was pointless. All of the midtown buses were packed, so I waited for the Downtown Brooklyn bus that was empty, and hopped on, hoping that I would transfer to a Downtown Manhattan bus at the checkpoint. So, we get to checkpoint and there is a mob of people. I call my cousin who goes online and informs me that even more trains are shut down, and I should just get to the bridge and walk to work from there...which would have probably been a 30-45 minute walk.

So, I figured, if I am going to walk, and stay away from the mob, I should get some food. I went into a breakfast deli place only for the sweet man working there to tell me that there was no meat whatsoever, so I could not have my egg sandwich with turkey bacon, or bacon, or anything else. The stove wan't even turned on, so I left. I was pissed to a point of 8 by this time.

A downtown bus appeared to the rescue and had room for about 5 people, standing room only. I jumped on with the speed of a gazelle. The bus started to move towards the Prospect Expressway, and that is when I saw this:

I was on a total state of shock. The jolly green giant that pulled it up damaged some really nice cars too, but the bus was going so fast that I didn't get a pic.

So, as I am riding on the bus, and I see other buses packed with other people, I saw the "Stupidity unfolding". There was a woman actually sitting in the stairwell of the bus, while we were on the highway. Hello??? Do you want to fall out and watch your skull crack open? What do you think the "no standing in front of white line" is for? So, I guess acts of God causes the MTA to shut down, and people to forget all about safety. Then, about 2 seconds later, I see some men riding in a blue van, with no rear passenger seats, with the rear door and the passenger door OPEN. Hmm... free A/C anyone??? Another potential skull-cracking incident.

On to the knitting, now!!!
Today was Stitch N Pitch, so I decided to begin a new pattern that was an easy stitch (Stockinette) for the purpose of mindless knitting while watching the game. I am starting my Snuggle Sweater. Here is the prepwork:

And since my office was a Ghost town, here is a progression of my work.

11:00 AM

5:00PMAfter Stitch N Pitch

I must say, that this yarn is quite lovely. It is extremely soft, and the pattern has just enough color changes to keep me interested.

So, I pose a question.

- The rows are even numbered, until I get to one specific color that calls for 3 rows. So, all the yarn is carried to the right on the "Right Side" of my work. So, do I (Gasp!) cut the yarn that takes up 3 rows, instead of trying to carry it ? I will have to begin the next color segment on the Wrong side. How do we fix that?

Happy Birthday to me :-/

So, I have been unable to work all week due to an emergency trip to the hospital that resulted in a minor surgery that required anesthesia. No need to get deep into the details. It was very painful, but now the worst is all over. But, the crazy part is .... it all happened the day before my birthday, which was the 22nd. The doctors were really nice to me, and they took care of me. One of the nurses even said a prayer with me, so I thank her for that. So, my birthday was happy in the essence that I was alive and painfree. I wanted to have this party at a really trendy lounge, but instead spent it with family and a few close friends. But, that was actually the best thing, because I got to spend some quality quiet time with the people I care about.

So, in the time that I had to stay at home resting, my mind just kept buzzing. I started to design a webpage as well as a logo and a flyer for an event that a friend is having. And, I have come to realize that when people don't interrupt you, you can really get a lot done. I was able to finish my Central Park Hoodie sleeves (will post pics soon) and make some progress on my Falling in Love Sock. So, I started thinking of my next project. I want to make the Better Sweater, as seen on Knitty Gritty, and designed by Stephanie Japel.

As a birthday gift to me, I did some shopping. Knit New York had a sale, and I just had to go in there to pick up some Cascade Magnum (lime #9481). It was 10% off, and I entered a raffle to win a $100 gift certificate. Geez, I hope I win, because I saw a lot of really nice yarn that I wanted to get my hands on. Hmmm... as if that was not a given. Here is the latest addition to my stash. That color will definately be a welcome addition to my wardrobe, once the sweater is knit up.

I Fell Halfway in Love

It has been a while since I posted, but good news. I completed 1 side of my Falling In Love sock today, and in order to prevent Second Sock Syndrome, I immediately casted the second one on.

I almost had a heart attack today, because I bound off, cut a tail in the yarn, then tried on.... and it would not go on. Of course, I bound it off too tightly. So, I then did it all over again, loosely, and it was perfect.

I have to visit the hair salon tomorrow, so that will be about 2 hours of knitting while I wait for my hair to dry. Long plus thick hair is a mixed blessing. I hope that is enough time to get past the heel. We will see.

So, I have been taking some pictures of my stash to get some artwork for a flyer that I am creating. This is the raw, un-photoshopped version.

While doing this, I remembered that there was a specific project that I bought this yarn for. It is from a magazine published in the UK called "Knitting", the March 2006 issue. It was designed by Jean Moss, and I think this sweater is so adorable. It uses Rowan's Cashsoft DK yarn, so I know it will be super soft and supple once it is knit. Here is my swatch being blessed by the angels. OK so, I know my swatch is not the full 4 inches in length, but I figure if I use the specific yarn that the pattern calls for, and the actual needle size, I should be okay. I plan to knit the 34" size. I am not going to be crying about the fit later on, because the yarn is being blessed by the angels. Someone, tell me you have faith along with me. Can I get an AMEN!!!

Here is what the sweater will look like. I substituted some colors, so that I can get a more "pinkish" sweater. There is a sky blue, brown, and red that I have replaced with wine, fuschia, and lilac. I have a pair of pink boots that would match this baby perfectly. You know I am a fashionista at heart.

I give up!!!! This is crazy

So, I thought it would be so clever to use a yarn from my stash to make my Sidewinders for my knitting meetup group. However, they have become a pain in the neck, and I am about to give up.

I finally learned how to do a skp and a ssp, so that is not where my issue lies. It is always great to learn a new skill. but looks at this picture..... this is supposed to be the slip stitch edge of my sock.

Now, where did my stitches disappear to? I am supposed to have 38 stitches in this portion, and I only have 34. What happened? I am so fed up with this pattern...it's driving me crazy.

A note to my fellow Meetup participants. I sincerely apologize for this, but I am going to have to back out of this one. I am not emotionally sound enough to handle this pattern, because every time I try to knit I get into a fit of rage, and knitting is supposed to be a relaxing thing. Who ate my stitches.... and why do I feel like I can't see anything with this yarn? I am going nuts, and I have better things to knit with my time. This is the last you will see of this sidewinder. Toe up socks rule in my book!!! This one is going in my NTFO's.... Never to Finish Objects.!!!

Now, I am off to finish my Falling in love sock that I have neglected for a trial at this pattern. I applaud anyone who has made it through the challenge. Epecially Chante, who made it through the pattern in less than 1 week. God has given you a great gift.

I know you missed me!!!

I know it has been a hot minute since I have posted, and for that I apologize. I have been extremely busy. So, first I will tell you what has been keeping me away from my needles.

Aside from knitting, my other passion is singing. I don't usually tell many people because they ask me to sing on the spot, and I get extremely nervous. However, when I am singing for a bunch of strangers in a huge crowd, it is okay. So, I recently linked up with a band called Tropic Topic, because they were looking for a singer to add to their lineup of talented performers. So, here is a clip from YouTube of a performance we did at a Street Festival in Fairlawn, NJ.

Now, I said that I love to sing...but driving to gigs cuts into my knitting time.... If I were rich and famous, then I would have a big tour bus, and a state of the art knitting room in there too, so I can get into my zone on the way to a performance. But, this is the real world ladies and gents, and I do not have a cheauffer, stylist, or makeup artist. So, you just gotta do what you gotta do... while the wool suffers.

In the meantime, I have beeen working on some socks.

Here is the progress of my Falling In Love sock. I am still on the first side.

:-(

Just about 2 more inches to go.

I have also started a pair of Sidewinders with my Sit N' Knit Meetup group. This sock is a real challenge for me, because I cannot see where it is going just yet. But, I am still pressing on. More updates soon. Well, I must also comment on the Austermann Step yarn (from my stash). It feels wonderful when you are knitting with it. Very smooth and soft. Maybe the niceness of the yarn will help me to get over the wonkiness of this pattern. I feel that the pattern was written properly and thoroughly. I am just having a hard time seeing how it gets created from the side. I should be a pro by the time I get to sock #2. Also, I am interested to see how this self striping patterning looks, so that will keep me going.