Oh. Hi.

So I might've ignored my blog for a whole summer, but that doesn't mean I can't just jump in without excuses and post, right?

…Right?

Well something that happened in my absence was my birthday. And people not only saw fit to get me birthday gifts, they saw fit to get me really awesome birthday gifts.

And I treated myself on some things as well :)

Cascade Heritage Sock in Blood Orange

And introducing my new best friend: the Canon PowerShot SX120 IS

Meanwhile!

As the snow continues to lengthen both February and my school year (ugh), the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet Festival has lengthened the yardage in my stash :D

Mo and me, respectively, knitting and simultaneously displaying our favorite FO's (what else would you wear to a knitting convention?!)

It was my first PKaCF, and oh man…the display room even smelled like yarn. We had such a blast. All the people we met were so nice, and the goods were heavenly!

Speaking of goods:

As soon as we walked in we were given free yarn: a good sign.
Two skeins of Berroco Plume FX that I have no idea what to do with, but free yarn!!!

And with Cascade as a sponser, that meant MORE free yarn. Two skeins of 220 wool in Steelers pride colors and a free pattern for a hat that were given to me by the kind lady at the booth even though I lost my ticket = a very happy MJ.

The catch buy of the day!

Knitting Notions Classic Merino Supersock in a succulent Pear mmmmm.

I will never get tired of staring at it/drooling on it/petting it/sleeping with it (kidding on the last one) <3

Of course we found time to sit back and knit in public, heh. Funnily enough, these WIP pictures are out of date already! You can check out Mo's delicious Traveling Women here, and as for the lump in my picture, here's how it grew:

After it acquires blocking and buttons, official FO pictures will arrive, promise!

Have a yarn apple.

Act naturally

In between speed-knitting a birthday present for a friend, I've been petting some yarn.

Two skeins of Araucania Nature Wool in an earthy celery color.

My favorite thing about yarn cakes is the whirpool on top!

And two skeins of Noro Silver Thaw.

That I really want to knit up.

This yarny news is a bit late, considering these four skeins were purchased over the New Year's holiday in Pawling, NY, but as the weather around here has been so utterly gloomy it's been hard to take pictures that aren't drably colored. All the snow melted and everything just looks…blah. It's my least favorite part of winter :/

Riiiiiip

You take too long, you never lie flat, and you need to bulk up. Sayonara, Haruha.


Mmm, yarn carnage.

Impulse buys

Caron Country in Soft Sunshine and Foliage


The Office, Season Four (my collection is complete mwahaha)


Regina Spektor~"Fidelity" from Begin to Hope. This song is so addicting. Play count is at 11 already 8|

This post is brought to you by summer and boredom. Next up is a discussion of art and the trials of lace, to please all you creative types. We're also overdue for some books, aren't we?

My current state of mind: presented in comic form

I have art classes galore scheduled for this summer. It's a good thing pencil stains come out easily (not so much for lead poisoning though
:P ).

FO: Trompe-l'œil

What was I doing on the drive to Niagara? What else?

Vortex from the latest Knitty. Knit and finished in a day :D
Beware my flat hair.


Funny enough, in a last minute packing rush I stuffed the pattern printout, the needles, the leftover balck wool from my dad's hat, and a ball of random white yarn I found at the bottom of the basket with my stuff. I started knitting, but an hour into the trip I realized I was running out of white yarn fast, even though at the start the ball had been larger than the black wool!
There was a Jo-Ann in the shopping center where we stopped for drive-in lunch. My parents relented, I ripped back, and the day was saved with Paton's Classic Wool in Winter White xD

I highly recommend this pattern. The short row pattern is quick and easy to memorize, and who's doesn't love stripes?

Much-loved gloves

Recently became just "glove".

These were crafted last summer for my mermaid-loving cousin (who recently turned seven :) ). After almost a year of wearing them nearly everywhere, she was quite upset to have lost the left one. So upon receiving the remaining one to check the size (because I am always modifying things and never WRITING DOWN WHAT I DO *headdesk*), I went to search for the original green yarn I used.

To find there was none left.


So let's see how close I can get :P

FINALLY

Traditions by Debbie Mumm for Jo-Ann in Heather Haze

Beautifully soft and a lot cheaper than Noro ;)

Serenity Sport Weight by Deborah Norville Collection for Premier Yarns in Cafe au Lait

Lovely color and such a great deal I couldn't resist stocking up :D

It's too bad I made a vow to actually finish something before I break these in. *sigh*
BUT WHO CARES I HAVE NEW YARN!!!

Did you ever…

get into that mood where you obsessively look for patterns online because you are lazy and don't feel like finshing stuff you already started and get into that mood where you MUST CAST-ON NOW but you don't have the needle sizes specified and then you realize that doesn't matter as long as you get gauge so you're relieved somewhat and then you realize you really don't want to cast-on anything because at the moment all the yarn you own is uninspiring and so you look online for beautiful pictures of beautiful yarn you don't have and really want to have but you are poor and your schedule is full and trying to keep you away from it?

In conclusion, if I don't go yarn shopping soon, I might just kill myself.

x|

Theory

I've been very much into color combinations lately…

Art class assignment: Create a sketchbook to illustrate your concept of dreams.
Inspired by Banksy.


The quotes are taken from a 2009 Carnegie International exhibit we visited. Overall really fun to work on :)

Potential colorwork item (I have yet to decide on a pattern :P ):

Leftover yarn to be combined! I really, really want to try my hand at colorwork (especially with my knitting friends making awesome things with it!). Possibly a hat, to match my blue coat…

Painting class project:
Inspired by Edgar Degas.


Along with those and other WIP's, I've gotten back into the swing of things, starting with THE RAVELYMPICS SOCKS FROM THE SUMMER. THE. SUMMER.
Second Sock Syndrome is a cuuuurse :(

Surprisingly, I still remember how to knit

Slightly blurry proof:

4 lace repeats of the body there. The lace pattern is surprisingly easy and now it's getting a little . . .

Dull.

Go ahead, groan and shoot me. I am a lazy-butt knitter :P

But I have GOODS!!

Mwahaha more yarn for me to fondle! I am possibly thinking of a hat for this one.

(And *cough* sit at the bottom of my stash basket while I go and not knit *cough*)

FO: Caroline's Hand, Hearts and Tulips (plus New York on the 4th recap and YARN!!)

So first up: a finished pair of fingerless gloves for my cousin (note the fancy typewriter-typed tag ;) ).

A close-up of the embroidery:

And since I've been so busy with short stories and stormy weather and summer, I've haven't posted about our Fourth of July-inspired visit with the Donovans. Featured in this trip was a visit to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty!
It seemed smaller than I pictured.


But which one is the real one?

Ellis Island was cool, too. I love the 19th century (they have cool graffiti!)





Plus New York City is filled with spontaneity, including dance contests with conga lines, medieval sword fights (in kilts?!), and unknown film projects.



And now *drumroll* the latest addition to my stash . . .
MALABRIGO LACE!!! IN ORANGE!!!


Thanks to the very nice woman who helped me out at Knit One on Sunday (sorry I didn't get her name, but she was spinning and had brown hair and was petite and was working when we visited, half and hour before closing time :P )!

Whew, well before my server crashes from all the picture uploads, I'm signing off. Later!