The Tango Merino*

* Inspired by Tango Maureen

I spent a ridiculous amount of time this weekend debating what to buy (and tallying the results to the informal poll, which Grace won). This is my problem: I'm so old-Armenian lady sometimes!!! Spending money is super-hard for me to do (hel-lo! I think 40$ is expensive for a pair of pants!), even when I have it (lets put it this way - I probably could have bought a used car with the money I got back).

So here I sat, all weekend, with my shopping cart loaded up over at Knit Picks. It's this same tango I dance with every potential online purchase: This or that, that or this. I put you in, I take you out. I go back and the end of the day and do it again.

So I compromised.

I just bought it all.

8 skeins Gloss in Pumkin for Thermal
16 skeins Wool of the Andes in Coal for Street Smart Cabled Hoodie
12 skeins Andean Silk in Cinnamon for Ariann

Grace isn't on that list because I realized with everything else I have planned, a sweater of that heft would never make it into queue this year. Also, I have 9 balls of Andean Silk in Cream packed away, and I'm thinking I might use that if it goes well with Ariann, so I need to wait until I am reunited with it in October.

For extra kicks I addressed it to Matt. Can't wait to see the look on his face when he gets to go to the office at his apartment complex to pick up a giant box of yarn.

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On another note, I finished the V-Neck Shell last night.



V-Neck Shell from Plymouth Design Studio
3 balls Cotton Ease, Taupe (like exactly 3. I have about 4 feet of yarn left)
Size 6 and 8 Needles
Mods: None, except I knit the small size to make up for Gauge.

You don't get the larger view of the front because I don't want my chest taking up your entire screen. Sigh.

This needs about 3-5 inches of legnth to make into daily rotation. That or the girls need to suddenly shrink to a size B. I'm not sure what to do because I DEFINITELY dont want to take it apart on the top, but dont know if I can do it at the bottom because of the seams. Help. Anyone. Buller? Buller?

I picked up Glee again. I am reunited with my love of Silky Tweed

*Note the yarn take-over of Matt's kitchen table.

Rhetorical Questions

1) Can someone, anyone, familiar with the Boston Area recommend a) a good oyster bar and/or seafood restaurant and b) a Yarn store near the Boston Park Plaza?

2) If you had $$ from a long-overdue tax return burning a hole in your pocket, would you buy yarn for this, this or this?

3) Is is possible to knit a 20x22 inch square on size 8 needles by tomorrow night?

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.

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!