There's Hope For My Garden!

Look, I made a tomato!

I cannot tell you how awesome this is for me since I killed everything in my garden last year (well, so did the solid week of 110 degree weather, but I probably could have saved them).

It was very yummy. One tomato doesn't go very far on a salad, but it was a very ceremonious (is that a word?) experience.

So last night I dragged Matt to two different craft stores looking for the yarn to make this:

It is the Glorious Colors Afghan from a Lion Brand Catalog I got awhile back. I recently picked it up again and fell in mad, mad love. So much so that I basically designed the spare bedroom/craft room around it. The yarn is Jiffy, knit doubled on size 17 needles. The perfect project for a 100-degree F-No summer.

However I'd like to give Lion a swift kick in the gnads because apparently 1/2 the colors required are not available in store and I cannot take advantage of Joann's $1.99 sale.

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Speaking of the house, internal walls are up!

3-Day Weekend Hangover

I love/hate 3-day weekends. They give you enough time to totally veg out and relax, but that makes getting up at 5:50am for work the next day THAT MUCH HARDER. Seriously. I'm still sleeping with my eyes open.






We were up in Yosemite for my semi-but-not-legally-but-someday-might-be-step-brother's wedding. Despite living an hour away and having a cabin 1 mile from the entrance to the park, I haven't made it up to Glacier Point in about 4 years. So Matt and I took a drive and did the usual Memorial-Day tourist thing. Living this close and having the mountains so prominent in my life, I forget that people travel from all over the country and the world to see Yosemite. We probably heard 7 different languages and saw cars from 10 states in the brief time we were there.

Lots of wine was drank, good food was made, and sleeping was done.

However I didn't do a lot of knitting because my dumb ass did this. There's been copious amounts of cross-stitch going on instead.

Headed For The Hills

This afternoon Matt, Viva, and I are heading for the hills again. I just CANNOT wait to get out of here. Work hasn't been particularly demanding, but I just need to mentally and physically check out for a few days.

Hope you have a stellar weekend full of knitting, sunshine, mojitos; and don't forget to remember what we are celebrating.

See ya'll Tuesday.

Die Evil Death Snake

Thank you THANK YOU for all the nice comments on $1.50. If you've been reading/commenting here for any amount of time you know I suck at responding to comments, 'cause that's how I roll. But they are totally appriciated :)

I haven't given the zipper a go yet because I've been mentally dead when I get home at night. Summer hours, 90-degree weather, and 2 golf tournaments in 6 days will do that to you.



Friday was a memorial tournament for my sister's boyfriends dad, and last night was the F-No State soiree. My most stellar moment of either event was nailing a 30 foot putt. Or this shot:



While this did nothing to help the team, it was the only 150-yard drive I managed to get off the ground and the sucker lodged in a dead stump just to the right of the fairway. I was not about to go retrieve it because I had been warned by Matt "not to go in the high grass without a club [because of Rattlesnakes]". I was not about to do battle with a poisonious snake. So there it sits.

Speaking of snakes, my sister and I did manage to (accidently!) run one over with our golf cart. Um yes, I will never be playing out there again (HI! TOTAL paralyzing fear of snakes over here!) We screamed louder than should have been legal on a golf course.

So to sum this up: 1) No knitting due to mental incapacity 2) I really need to work on teeing off and 3) I hate snakes.

The end.

Everything Fits

Dollar and a Half Cardigan



Specs:
Dollar and a Half Cardigan
Interweave Knits Spring 07
6 balls Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Truffle
Size 6 + 8 Addi's
Mods: LOTS. Made up a 38inch bust size. Knit the Cable panel over 4 more stitches than the other front. Shortened the sleeves by about 4 inches. Knit the "flat" portions in ST ST, instead of reverse ST ST like the pattern, which was an un-intentional design flaw. Added 4 extra rows between each cable twist. Threw out the directions on how many stitches to pick up for neck band and went with what felt right. 4 buttons instead of 3 for extra closure.

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Next up:

F-No State Tweed, merely awaiting a zipper. Which reminds me - can anyone recommend a good resource for inserting a zipper? I've already tried once and it turned out like crap.

Next is the V-Neck Shell, 1 ball of Cotton Ease Deep. I love this yarn for summer knitting (and whoa boy is it summer here - we're sitting firmly in th 90's already)


But my knitting now has competition. I picked this up on a whim and now I can't stop. Must. Cross-stitch....

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Fruits of the Garden
Quite possibily the best looking Basil I've ever grown. Pesto anyone?

The Keeper of the Garden protects my tomatos with her death stare.

Yet Another Post Sans-Camera

Still no camera guys - and I so desperately want to show you $1.50! To any of you knitting this sweater, my #1 piece of advice is ERROR ON THE SIDE OF SMALL. I didn't think this would close, but I am so glad I went with my instinct and kept it on the fitted side.

Tonight I will finally get to Matt's camera and upload. Promise.

Let see what else have I been doing.... knitting (cotton ease), gardening (tomatos + basil), drinking wine (Trader Joe's namesake Chardonnay - yummy!), golfing (twisting my ankle), cooking (see recipe below), longing for vacation, attempting to adjust to summer hours (can't believe I'm writing this at 6am). Also, starting to get super-antsy about the house getting done:


The wind is blowing in a very non-flattering direction in this photo - I swear I'm not with child!Also note twisted ankle. Only I would incure an injury on a low-impact golf course.
In absence of any real knitting content, here's a new recipe I made up last night:

Basil-Shrimp Pasta in Pink Sauce
2 cups (uncooked) small-tube pasta
1 cup TJ's Pomodoro Sauce
1 cup Chardonnay
3/4 cup Mini Salad Shrimp, frozen
4 T. Light Whipping Cream
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 T. Minced Parsley
1 t. Red Pepper Flakes
8 large basil leaves, cut into strips
Fresh Parm. for shaving

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside

Heat wine in a large skillet w/ garlic, parsley, and red pepper. Bring to a simmer. Add Shrimp (still frozen), and stir until shrimp soften, about 3 minutes. Add Pomodoro Sauce, Cream, and Basil. Stir until heated through.

Add pasta and stir again to re-warm pasta. Serve in bowls with shaved Parm. I suggest adding a tangy green-salad and Chardonnay.

Makes about 4 main-course servings.

ENJOY!

An Ode to Cotton Ease

After 3 days of doing battle with the Plymouth Fantasy Naturale, I threw down the gauntlet and ripped the whole thing out. Talk about no give what so ever - no time for that BS.

So in a desperate need to re-start it and limited access to the stash (about 80% of it is packed up, not to be seen again until we're settled in the new house - the only stuff that is traveling with me this summer is stuff to A) finish up WIPS, B) Linen for the Tuxedo Top and C) some Cotton Flamme bought on impulse at the Little Knits Cotton Sale. ), I had a burning need to get some more Cotton Ease. Since we didn't make it by Barnes and Noble before heading to the familys house last night (being on-time is SO over-rated), I asked if we could run by Micheals instead on the way home (I'll get the magazine tomorrow). Of course, I bring this up at 8:35pm, when Micheals closes at 9:00pm, and we are 20 miles away.

So Matt was a champ and shunned the speed limit/highway patrol and gosh darn it, we walked through the door at 8:50pm. Walked out 5 minutes later with 4 balls of CE in Taupe. Re-cast on, and yes, this is MUCH MUCH better.

Oh and PS.... I finished $1.50. I love it. I have no photos. Soon, I hope.

And because no post is complete without photos. I leave you with a photo essay I call "what I would do if I money grew on trees"

The End.

My Camera Died and I Think Cotton Fleece is Cursed

1) My camera finally crapped out on me. I knew it was coming, seeing as it had been producing photos that were blurry, filled with odd lines, and/or tinted lavender. I may buy another one with my tax return money (that has STILL not arrived.... minor detail) or Matt's will be put to use until Christmas. Seeing as we have a Refrigerator to buy, I should probably save the $$$.

Speaking of a fridge, is it sad that I secretly kind of want this? You can organize your freezer! Think of it as Ravelry for your food.

2) Last night in the living room: Complete button band on $1.50. Marvel at how great it looks. Attempt to push button through hole. Button refuses citing lack of space. Curse sweater, rip out button band. Begin to wornder if this batch of Cotton Fleece is possessed and destined for failure.

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On another note:
Does anyone have the newest issue of IK laying around, and wouldn't mind looking up the needle size and gauge for the Sleeveless Tuxedo Pullover? Matt doesn't know it yet but we are stopping by Barnes and Nobel to pick it up on our way to his parents tonight, and you better bet I'll be casting on right then and there.

Just In Time!

I've spent the last two nights seaming up sweaters. With the AC blasting and a fan in my face. My timing is just so fantastic I don't know what to do with myself.

I now have 3 items all in the "waistband/neckband" stage: $1.50, Sideways Spencer, & F-No State Tweed. We've hit 96 degrees for the last two days and I don't think we're looking back. I'm glad I'm speeding to finish these bad boys so I can wear them.... in October.

F-No State Tweed, being 20% and 80% ACKrylic (which is actually quite divine... I'll do a post on the yarn, Patons Chunky Tweed, someday), might have a chance of showing up in Yosemite for my Semi-but-not-legally-but-someday-might-be-brother-in-laws Wedding over Memorial Day, but the others are probably headed straight to the "handknit sweater drawer". Just in time!

This being realized, I cast on a new top this morning that I might be able to wear sometime in the next 6 months. I'm using the recommended yarn in a Taupe-like color, but went up a needle size because my subconcious told me to. Very splitty and hard on the hands, but will look awesome with my white prarie skirt and sparkly earrings.

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In house news - Foundation!

More Excitment Then We Would Have Liked

OK so posting an FO was a bit ambitious. Seaming $1.50 took for-freaking-EVER last night, so after taking these all I was able to do was pick up the stitches for the neckband.

So. Close.

Preliminary thoughts are that I really like it thus far. I've made a ton of changes to the pattern: First, i've read a lot about the "Michelin Man Effect" of this sweater, and I wanted it super-fitted like in the magazine so I made it in a smaller size and knit the arms drastically shorter than as written. As you can see, the arms worked out PERFECTLY, but I may have over-compensated a bit on the body. I don't think I'll be able to wear this closed without some serious chest-gapping. I also knit the "flat" portions in ST ST, instead of reverse ST ST like the pattern says (best un-intentional design flaw EVER). Lets see anything else... oh yes, I added four extra rows between each cable twist.

My co-pilot during the seaming process:

Still lethargic...

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On an un-nerving note:

We had a campus shooting at a major student housing complex last night. All the students had to be evacuated to the dining commons 3 days before finals - which is just awful. Given the recent National events, we're all a bit shaken up around here. I just don't understand what drives kids to do this.

edited to add: Making National headlines. And this was over a Playstation Game Console - it just makes me sick. What the hell is wrong with people. It's becoming hard to work today.

Where Did This Come From?

Somewhere along the way this weekend, I got a burst of Inspiration to finish up some neglected WIPs. Just in time for the mercury to hit 90+ degrees.

I have impeccable timing, I tell you.

I will have photos tomorrow... hopefully of an FO!

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Viva is particularly lethargic from the heat these days.

We Have Pipes!

We Have Pipes!


By my calculation, those have cost us about $850/piece so far.