This weekend I did the final finishing (blocking and buttons) on Rambling Rose:
I absolutely adore it, except that it is WAAAYYY too big.
You can't really see it in the photos, but the armholes hang way too low and it's definitely a lot more roomier than needed.
However, have no fear! This is a bit premature, but it’s going straight into my “pregnancy pile” (stuff I’ve shrunk out of since I’ve lost some weight). It’s actually going to be FAB with a baby bump someday.
DETAILS: Rambling Rose, Interweave Knits Winter 2006 Knit Picks Andean Silk in Chestnut, 11 skeins Size 6 straight needles Raveled One other small FO to share. Another Quickie Baby Sweater.
DETAILS: Quickie Baby Sweater, from D-Made Paton's Classic Merino Wool in Cognac Heather, less than 1 ball Size 10.5 straight needles Raveled
I swear almost everyone we know who is married is having kids right now. Luckily, all I needed was a weekend at the cabin, snowed in, to get this finished.
I'm interrupting the Italy posts (only 4 more to go!) for a "regular" post. This has been the most perfect weekend in the 'No - high 60's, clear skies, nothing on the calendar to do... So I:
I got a nice little surprise this weekend. M's grandmother was at a yard sale, and she scored me a whole lot of vintage knitting needles for $1. However, I am probably the most excited about this set:
It's a Boye set from 1974 according to the back of the pouch. It has 5 sets of dpns, sizes 1,2,3,4,5 and 3 sets straight needles (missing sizes 1 & 3), along with a darning needle and 2 small holders. I love it!
This did not come without a price, however. As I was sorting through all the needles on the living room floor, Matt lept off the couch to check on the sprinklers in the yard and landed directly on a size 3 dpn. In his toe. About a quarter inch. I freaked the eff out (I'm going to be such a great mother, huh?) Luckily it was nothing some gauze and a few beers with dinner couldn't fix.
Besides that, the rest of the weekend was filled with NO OBLIGATIONS, and lots of happy houring and lounging around. Here's my sister enjoying some college football, wine, and the company of the doggy cousins.
I knitted.
and baked.
Nothing overly complicated - Just some Pilsbury Yellow Cake with Fudge frosting. My step-brother was in a car accident a couple weeks ago (he's ok, minus some gnarly injuries to his hand that we're confident he'll recover from), and just hasn't been able to get his appetite back because of the pain medication. We had him over and he mentioned that for some reason these cupcakes sounded good. How could I say no to that? This is all that remains after he left. There were 24 to start with!
That was last weekend. A really great time doing a whole lot of nothing. Unfortunately, this is a week full of a whole lot of things :(. However, I am hoping to get Rambling Rose finished up. I've just got the yoke and bands left. Just in time for the weather to go from 103 to 93. That's practically jeans weather.
What a few days it has been around here. Exhausting, yes, but it's weeks like this I just LOVE working at the University. It's hard to REALLY explain the culture around here when it comes to the U's athletics and the Valley's loyalities (Lisa knows what I'm talking about!) Being in the Central Valley without a lot of other 'teams' around, residents around here (whether your are an alumni are not) love, LOVE their bulldogs.
Anyhow, I know you didn't come here to read about baseball or listen to me brag about the school I work for - but this really is an amazing story. To give you an idea:
- First team to score more than 16 runs twice (19 vs. Georgia, 17 vs. Rice) - Tied for most runs scored in the College World Series (62) - Had a .309 team batting average (only fourth time since 1980 that champ has finished above .300) - Hit 14 home runs as a team, the highest total since 1998 and third all-time (seven different players homered for Fresno State) - 20 strikeouts by Justin Wilson, led this year's CWS - Most losses (31) by a championship team - Lowest-seeded team to win an NCAA championship in any sport. They've said if this were the NCAA basketball tourney, we would have been seeded 89th and came back to win the whole thing.
It is truely remarkable. I love it.
So as you can imagine, I have not done much knitting at all this week. On top of the Wonderdog mania, we FINALLY bought a new car. My old car, the Suzuki, was at that turning point in the road (as I discovered while on a recent road trip) - we either needed to pour some money into her (60,000 mile service, new keyless entry, new belts, etc). Instead, we were lured by a great financing rate and bought a new one: an Acura MDX.
I. LOVE. THIS. CAR.
It talks to me (Reynaldo, as I call him), has XM radio (SWOON!) and leather/sunroof/powerEVERYTHING, and it like 10,000 times nicer than any car I've ever owned. We bought used, so it's already appropriately worn in, and DID I MENTION I LOVE THIS CAR?!?
Anyhow, I've got 4 WIPS in constant rotation so I'm not making much progress on ANY of them. Rambling Rose, Terracota Tank, Watery Cardi, and Merlot Socks have all been knit on in the last 48 hours. Really? What the hell is wrong with me sometimes.
On a closing note: a few nights ago we gave Katy a bath and finally taught her "SHAKE". Here's a little tibbit of that:
[click to wineandneedles.blogspot.com to see video]
I am HIGHLY embarrassed to say I've started another sweater.
Knit Picks Andean Silk on my grandma's old size 6 straight needles.
I think I was in a knit funk because I haven't turned out anything but st st for like the last 2 months. I saw this sweater and was like OH - LACE! Oh - Scallops! Prrrretty!
I am also embarassed to say I am JUST now getting around to putting stuff from the wedding (4 months ago!) away.
[click for notes]
Lots of organization and persistance going on around here, I tell yah.
