Lamb Chop!

I'm back, with a much better outlook towards my knitting. Thanks for the sympathy... I hope I don't have to go down that road again. After some (ok, about 1/2 a bottle) wine, encouragement from Matt, and a great new idea for the yarn, I ripped out the bobble cardigan. All of it. I had come up with a great new project so I wouldn't resent the little yarn cakes that it became, and I should have some photos and more information about it soon.

I also allowed myself to use my credit card (after paying it off about a year ago, I RARELY use it unless in extreme cases, like self-medicating myself after a bout of yarn-hatred) to buy more Cotton Fleece in the SAME dyelot so I can give the cardi another go next year, and while I was at it added about 8 more skeins in various colors for that project I will unveil soon.

---

Last night I came thisclose to finishing up on Aline; I've got about 1/2 sleeve to go. Ends are woven in already, so this can make an debut very, very soon.

---

Inspired by Lolly and needing a new sweater to replace Bobby-Jo Bobble, I purchased Glee from Zeypher style, to work in some recycled E. Lavold Silky Tweed in a deep burgandy color.

My mojo is back!

---

I also had the most interesting weekend I've had in awhile. Matt and our friend Peter decided that it would be an interesting project to roast an entire lamb, My Big Fat Greek Wedding Style, at Matt's parents house in the country. I'm surprised this didn't bother me, being the girl who gets teary-eyed when I see a dead squirrel on the side of the road. I think turning it into an objected named "lamb chop" instead of thinking of a frolicking lamb helped.

However, instead of embedding I'm linking some movies for those of you who don't mind watching the process:

1) The Unveiling of Lamb Chop (I'm taping and you can hear me talking in the background)
2) Fresh off the fire (Matt's taping this one)
3) "Peter goes Soprano" is the final cutting of the meat. If you listen carefully, you can hear our friend Chad tell him to "save a leg for my grandma". My friends are such a hoot.

I did my part making the lamb dance while he was being marinated, looking shocked when the thing came of the spit, and making everyone drinks. My mother would be so proud.





I still can't believe we did this.

We All Have Our Bad Days.

This was my night:

- Sulk at not being able to find additional yarn in matching dyelot to finish sweater.
- Throw pieces of said sweater at boyfriend.
- Pick up and finish sleeve of sweater #2 (i.e. F-No State Tweed), only to realize that you forgot to do increases on one side until 1/2 way up.
- Throw it at boyfriend and insist he rip it out (which he does, because he may or may not be scared of my needles at this point).
- Move on to secret project, knit about 30 minutes, try it on, realize it is WAAAYYYY to big, even after a gauge-swatch and acurate math.... rip it out, throw ball of yarn at cat.
- Swig Drink glass of wine, go to bed ready to cry.

I hate knitting right now.

Help Me Help Myself

I'm an idiot. I've already posted this on the Livejournal Knitting Group but....

On a whim, I picked up some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece from my stash and started knitting away on the fronts and the sleeves of the Bobble Cardigan (see entrys below). Because it was a fairly dark color, I wasn't desperately concerned about the fact that I needed to buy a few more skeins of yarn, figuring the dye lot couldn't be THAT far off (you know where this is going, right?!?). Yeah so it was. After finishing up the front and 1/2 of two sleeves, I went to add the new skein and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't even think ripping and re-knitting strategic pieces would make this work.

So I'm sending this SOS message -
I desperately seeking 3 skeins (or less - whatever you might have) of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, Color CW-825 Truffle, Dye Lot #010. If you think you might have some in your stash, I will trade you the 3 balls I have in Dye Lot #014, and throw some extra special stuff in there for your trouble.

Please pass this on if you know of anyone who can help. My email is delia dot ann at gmail dot com.

Thanks all.

There May Be a Happy Hooker in All of Us

I got an email about how I transport Viva all over California like she's a dog. Well here you go:

I have to take special care that she can see me at all times, and usually about an hour in, if I'm not driving (and sometimes if I am), I let her out to sit in my lap. I keep waiting for her to freak out, pee in the car, or do something equally infuriating, but in 4.5 years, she has yet to do any of these. What an awesome cat.

I had a pretty low-key President's Day Weekend, which was desperately needed. Friday night Matt & I had date-night dinner at another fabulous downtown restaurant. Saturday we stayed in and had some ricotta-stuffed chicken, drank champagne, and watched a somewhat-funny episode of SNL (please tell me you've seen D*ck In a Box!) Sunday was spent gorging on Tri-Tip and Frei Brothers Chardonnay at the church BBQ, and Monday I was finally productive and got some things done around town. My mom, who had been in the hospital since Wednesday, was finally released so I spent most of the day getting her situated back at home (nothing super-serious, someone upstairs decided she needed a "mandatory vacation").

With all the down time, I hardly knitted. Why you ask? I was too busy crocheting!


Emy, who's blog I can't seem to access, posted me some great instructions on how to take my SC up a notch to HDC for the bobble cardigan. So I'm making a dish towel out of some Lion Cotton for practice (I also made a food-mat for Viva in SC to get-reaquainted with the hook... photos later).

Not wanting to make my weekend completely knit-free, I whipped up the pattern-of-the-moment last night in some left-over Knit Picks Merino Style in Nutmeg. I used size 8 needles, only cast on 104 stitches, and did 2-less short rows. It still turned out a little big, but I have a freakish-small head.


Sorry for the horrid-photo quality; I'm running late this morning and didn't have a chance to fiddle with the settings.

One last comment: Have you been to the clothing section in Target lately? Their GO International Line is featuring designs from Proenza Schouler, which are FABULOUS. I got this blue-striped shirt, and a few other pieces yesterday. I love bargain shopping!

Love, Mountain-Style

The fugly sock grows:

I'm pretty damn pround of that short-row heel, seeing as I figured it out without any directions! While drinking wine! I'm going to keep going till I run out of yarn, maybe with a picot bind-off for some interest.

Much of this sock was completed in the mountains this weekend. Much debaucle also took place in the mountains.


[Viva really got a kick out of this...I swear...]


[Yet another photo of Matt mock-swigging from the bottle. Really... are we getting too old for this?]
Unfortunately, it rained the whole damn time. We were at over 5,000 feet and not one inch of snow. And I was looking forward to making snow angels!!

A whole lot of good food, ridiculous conversation (no, I DON'T think it would be fun to have a curling match in the rain!!!), lots of wine and hours of endless entertainment provided by Viva E. Cat.

[Beaming death rays while perched high above the activity below....]
I also think I set a record for amount of knitting completed in one day. Behold the Bobble Cardigan:

I finished up the front prior to departing, but did both of those sleeves together in one day on Saturday. My craptastic camera is blurring the color so it looks like dead leaves but I promise the actual color, Truffle from Brown Sheep, is much more vibrant.

Finally, a happy V-Day to blogland. To be honest, I really don't like this holiday - too much pressure and too many expectations. In college, it was an excuse to party it up on a weeknight (that's another story for another day), but I've turned into a sappy-in-love chick for some reason this year. We'll be staying in, grilling lobster, drinking champagne, and I'll probably get all cuddly and Matt will make fun of me. Just the way I like it!


Love you babe! Thanks for a fantastic 8 months

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, To the Mountains I Go....

I snapped this driving to work this morning - it's not very clear in this photo but the mountains were GORGEOUS and in very clear view. When it's been raining and the fog is washed out, it's amazing how close they appear. In more immediate view are the F-No State vineyards, just beyond the the Enology/Viticulture department.

We are looking at the base of Yosemite Mountains, where Matt and I will be in about 6.2 hours. I cannot freaking wait.

My Own Special Brand of Fugly

I secretly wanted to live the 70s. I love the clothes (Frye boots, Denim Jeans Converted Into Skirts, Flower Power, Corduroy!) that everyone else thinks should die along with the decade, the music (marry me, Tom Petty!), the social activism, and lets face it - I have an inner hippie screaming to get out. My choice of college had was influenced a bit by this.

And I am in love with these hideous, green-orange-yellow socks.


Had an itching to start a pair of socks since I haven't knit on anything smaller than size 6's in a loooonnnngggg time. I bought this Jawoll Superwash Sock yarn in where else? Santa Cruz. It's pretty fugly knit up. But it is going to look FIERCE as some knee high socks.

[I also learned the Magic Cast-on for this. NEAT!]

So you want a list? I'll give you two,

Neau, Part II

This is the Bobble Cardigan from Vogue, in the same issue as Fres*o State Tweed, done in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece from the stash. Keeping true to my MO, I did not buy enough of this the first time around, so at some point I will need to get about 3 more balls. Because I like to make things complicated like that.

This is the new home project(which has been ripped and re-knit many, many times to date).

I haven't quite decided what I am going to do when I get to the crocheted border part, which seems like a million years from now, since I can barely SC and this has instructions for HDC or something like that. Nicky Epstein and the big ol' book of edges better have some help for me.

2007 Goal Setting - Whereas Delia attempts some organization in her life.
WIP LIST
February -
[ ] Fres*o State Tweed
[ ] Bobble Cardigan
[ ] Something for Mom's B-day
[ ] Aline - WIP
[ ] Secret Design Project
March
[ ] Bobble Cardigan
[ ] Socks for Matt
[ ] Sideways Spencer - WIP
[ ] Aline - WIP
[ ] Secret Design Project
April
[ ] Bobble Cardigan
[ ] Sideways Spencer - WIP
[ ] Aline - WIP
[ ] Secret Design Project
[ ] Forecast from Knitty
May
[ ] Dad's Cal Pride Socks - WIP
[ ] Forecast from Knitty
[ ] Opera Scarf
June
[ ] Recycled Silk Bag - WIP
[ ] Lace-Up Corset Tank

Yarn Shopping List:
[ ] 10 Balls Andean Silk
[ ] 2 Balls, in 2 colors (4 total) of Andean Treasure
[ ] 1 Hank Blue Sky Alpaca & Silk
[ ] 3 Skeins Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Truffle
[ ] 1 Hank Recycled Silk
[ ] Undisclosed amount of Black Euroflax Linen
[ ] Size 7 Addi Turbos