What the heck is Blogshares?

I've decided to spare you my original post which was written in Yoda-speak . Fun it is but confused you might be. I'm a little delirious and when I'm delirious things get comical. This is only aided by the fact that I live alone and have no one to stop me or tell me that certain things aren't as hilarious as I think.

The massive heat and my All-White outfit have left me drained (and delirious) and in no mood to do anything, much less blog the past few days. Wednesday was 105 degrees and yesterday we got a cold front and it was only 98. Woo-hoo! Cold-front baby! (Can you tell I'm trying to be postive about the literal hell I'm living in.)

Here's what I've been up to....

I did a Blingo search on my blog name and got some interesting stuff. The weirdest is a site called Blogshares. I'm not quite sure but it looks like a site where people trade imaginary stocks based on a blog's performance. They get prizes and such based on their trading. There are quite a few knit-blogs on there. Did you know this existed and how come I'm not getting a cut of the action?

Here is the explosion of white stuff all over my floor.


I'm almost finished and have just one more piece to make tonight. I can give you a sneak peak at the purse I made.


The full outfit will make it's blog debut on Sunday.

Thanks to the crazy thunderstorm last night I got a little unexpected knitting time. When lightening is so bright that it looks like daytime, it's best to turn off and unplug everything. Here is my progress on Gem.





I'm off to place my order for my Clapotis yarn. Hopefully this purchase will leave me with a sense of satisfaction which will stop me from going to the LYS after work today. Yeah...I know...who am I foolin? :)

By George, I think I've got it!

First we will start today's post with a little segment called:

Friendly Tips For Everyday Living

Tip #1
When the heat index is 105-108 degrees, one should be very careful when getting into a car and handling a seatbelt or other metal objects that have been baking for 8 hours in an unshaded parking lot. Otherwise, one may get a new "tattoo" in the shape of said seatbelt or metal object.

Tip #2
Even if the heat index is 105-108 degrees, one should NOT dress like you are going to a nightclub or the local park/pool, when going to work. For one, your place of employment is most likely air-conditioned, and two, people like me will laugh at you when you are walking through the hallway.


Moving on...

I think I have found the solution to my Clapotis yarn dilemna. I was already to buy the SWTC Bamboo when Heather brought it to my attention that I may not like the fabric that it makes. This was the reason I liked the Lion and Lamb more. I like that it is 50/50 wool/silk. After remembering something I had seen awhile back I came up with an idea...

8 packets of Red Kool-Aid and this



I found this on The Wool Peddler website at $16.00/skein. At this price I can get the color and texture I want for my Clapotis. I'm so excited!!!

Now I just have to hold out until payday Friday before I order it. I'm trying a new "one purchase per paycheck" budget. My yarn spending was getting a little out of hand.

Choices, Choices

I have been working on my All-White design so I have no knitting progress to show you. Instead I'll talk about my latest dilemna. Oh..the choices!

I have it in my mind to make Clapotis. I don't know why but I'm drawn to this thing. I've been fighting the urge. I didn't want to just be joining the Clapotis "bandwagon" and I'm not big on variegated yarn but I really do like this scarf.

Now here is where I have my dilemna. Which yarn do I choose?

There is the recommend Lorna's Laces Lion and Lamb in Flame



or STW Bamboo in Tequila.



The problem is that I really like the Lion and Lamb but I can't bring myself to spend $27/skein. I'm going to reduce the width of the pattern so I'll only need 2 skeins but that's still $54. To me, that seems like too much for a scarf. Sweater, yes...scarf, no. The Bamboo is $13/skein or $26 for the whole scarf. Much more reasonable.

Which would you choose?

Very tricksey my precious!

Tricksey it is, that Lara Summer Yarn. I tell you, it has mind-altering powers. My original cast-on was supposed to be for a swatch but the hypnotic images of the splitting yarn tricked me into just starting the tank. I meant to swatch, I really did. As I hit about the 28th row something in my head said, "This isn't right. It looks too small". I did a mini-swatch on US3. Then came the Charlie Brown type "ARRRGGGHHH!". 26st/4in. Not good. I'm supposed to have 23 st/4in. So frog I did and tonite I get to start over. I think the yarn goddesses are telling me to get different yarn but Rowan Glace doesn't come in the pretty shade of pink I want so I shall continue with this stuff.

Other crafty goodness

I spent a little time working on my design for the All-White Party next week. Want a peek at what I did last night....



I made a sequin applique. (I can't tell you what I'm making yet but I can give you bits and pieces.)

New toys



Look what was waiting for me when I got home yesterday. It's my birthday present from my parents. I only mentioned the swift and said I didn't really need a ball winder but my mother ignored that and got it for me anyway. In her words (and a sarcastic tone), "I just know you don't want that ball winder but I'm sure you'll use it." The woman knows me well. And like with KnitPicks, we have learned a valuable lesson. Pay for the good shipping. This took the full 14 days to get to me.


Everyone have a good weekend. Stay out of the heat (it's HOT e.ve.ry.where !!!) and drink lots of water!

It's the splits!

This yarn is the worst, and I mean, THE WORST!!! Do you see it? Please tell me you see it? Share my pain. This is the Lara Endless Summer from Elann. It's "supposed" to be a knock-off of Rowan Cotton Glace but since I have used Cotton Glace before, I can tell you that this yarn bites! This stuff splits so bad it's infuriating. I could tell before I even finished my cast-on for Gem, that this stuff was bad. I want to throw this stuff across the room but I am determined to make this tank with this yarn because if I don't use it for this project I will never use it. And what's worse is that I have about 8 more balls of this stuff for another project.

I may hate this more than I hate Fun Fur and coming from me, that's a real bad thing.

"Suck it in"

That is one bit of wisdom that my G-ma (grandmother) has given me. She came up in the day of self-repair and home remedies. A woman told her if you suck in your stomach it will train your stomach to stay flat. It does work...when you remember to do it. (G-ma even has a method for straightening your teeth without braces and it works!)

I say all of that because, while I thank you all for your nice comments, please know that there was a bit of sucking in, special angles and arm placements in yesterday's picture. After losing 20 pounds and 2 dress sizes I'm a little more confident with my body but I still have my off days. And this brings me to my next point....

Here is the Rebecca #6 sweater with a really "tight" shot.



(Ignore the curled collar. I didn't block it before modeling it.)

I think I was delirious or high or something when I decided to make this. I don't know where I thought I was going to wear this other than around my apartment. It's a cute sweater and I love the yarn but I'm a little to old to wear this out of the house. Even with G-ma's advice I don't think this one is going to see the outdoors. Maybe I'll try it with a tank underneath it.

One..Two...Knockout Punch

I think I live in the Twilight Zone....

I'm a different breed of woman and I know this. I like a lot of "guy" things that some women don't, like sports. This is a result of growing up on a street with mostly boys. For the most part this has never been a problem. It usually works to my benefit because it helps me relate to men better. And trust me when I say that "It's a good thing".

Well...since I've moved to the Twilight Zone Raleigh-Durham area, I have encountered a strange breed of men. The type that aren't into normal guy things, like boxing. There was a middleweight championship boxing match on Saturday and I, for the life of me, couldn't find not one man that wanted to see the fight, let alone, knew it was coming on. Everywhere else I've lived, I've never had a problem finding men to watch a boxing match with. And when a match is pay-per-view, it's kinda important to find a group of people willing to split the cost. I'm sure there were a few men that thought I was joking but I take my boxing seriously. Hot, sweaty, testoterone-filled men...what girl wouldn't ???



So Saturday night, I cozied up on the couch, ordered my boxing match for $49.95, and had some quality knitting-boxing time. A strange combination, but it works for me. My dad and I had a friendly bet going and I won. One free Cheesecake Factory dinner coming right up!!!

But most importantly, it gave me a chance to finally finish this....



That's me modeling the Rebecca #11 sweater, courtesy of my new tripod which I bought Sunday. I was a responsible adult and skipped a trip to the LYS and bought a much needed tripod instead.

On Sunday I spent a little quality time with the Rebecca #6 sweater and two of my favorite men Will Smith and Adrian Grenier.

I have to finish the collar tonight and I'll have a picture to show tomorrow. It really feels good to finish things.

Cotton-Ease Tally

I bring to you my final Cotton-Ease tally. I can say "final" because I just bought the last few good colors left in the whole Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area.


12 Black
9 White
4 Light Blue
4 Yellow
2 Red
2 Orange
1 Light Purple
34 Balls of Cotton-Ease

It's not as much as I thought I had.
I'm considering making Hike from Rowan 37 with some of my black, and a long-sleeved NBaT with the white and red.


Progress



I finally have some progress to show on my Rebecca #11 sweater. I only have about 2 inches left. I'm feeling a little overpowered by all the orange. I was trying to pick something different but I've never really been an orangey person so it's not really sitting well with me. What do you think?



What's that mess on the floor you ask? It's the unseamed and soon to be frogged Summer Tweed tank. I decided to just start all over. I think I'm going to reduce the number of stitches and add some ribbing to keep it from rolling.



Now on to this KnitPicks shipping business. I ordered some yarn July 1 and accepted the free shipping offer. It is now July 15 and I just received the box. Where were they shipping it from? Siberia? I've had packages from England arrive faster than this. I think my package was sitting somewhere on a camel's back making the slow trip to Raleigh, NC. The shipping said 5-14 days but I didn't think it would really take that long. Next time (if there is a next time), I'll pay for the 3-day shipping.

Welcome to Obsession-ville

I have fully arrived in Obsession-ville. A place where you can never get enough of a good thing.

Of course we all know I love knitting but now I'm obsessed with knitting blogs. In fact I think I'm more of a knit-blog stalker. It started with me stubbling upon Wendy's** blog when I was looking for a knitting pattern back in March. Now I can't be stopped. I'm always on the search for a good blog. Not all bloggers do a daily update so I need enough of them to get a good fix on a daily basis. And don't be fooled by that small list on the side. That's only a partial list of my favs. One day I'll update it with my bloglines list.


**In case I've never said it before, Wendy is my blogging idol. Reading her blog inspired me to start my own. The girl is a blog legend already. She's bad!!!! (Insert Michael Jackson music here.)

And for another side note, I'm officially one of the "cool" kids now because I finally got accepted to the Knitting Blog webring. YEAAAHHH!!!

I don't have any knitting progress to show because I haven't taken any pictures. I have 1 sleeve left on the striped Rebecca sweater and 1.5 sleeves left on the other. Maybe I'll take some pics tonight to show you.

I'm off to Hancock Fabrics to track down some Cotton-Ease. And before you say anything...it's not for me. It seems my SP is not aware of the upcoming CE shortage and I'm going to surprise her with some. So I'm going with the intent of getting it for her. What will it hurt if I buy a few skeins for myself while I'm there? (wink wink).

The hunt is on for Bryspun Circulars

This weekend I learned that the needles make all the difference.



I normally work with aluminums but have recently started using Bryspun needles. Dpns for socks and US6 & US8 for other knitting. To make the striped Rebecca sweater I had to use US3 & US4 so I switched to my Boye Needlemasters. While I consider these needles to be one of the best gifts I've ever received (Thanks Mom!), I've learned that aluminum is murder on my wrists. Someone suggested Bryspuns to alleviate my wrist pain, and they were right. It's great because that means no more pain. It's also bad because I may have to leave behind my beloved aluminums. I achieve great speed on aluminum and I hate to lose that to plastic but I think my wrist have the finally vote on the matter.

Now the bigger problem is that none of the stores in the area carry Bryspun straights or circs. I've found I can get straights at Elann but where can I get circs? Any suggestions?

Update before the weekend

Thanks to the crazy storms courtesy of tropical storm Cindy, I did a lot of knitting last night but I don't have any pictures. Using electronics in this type of storm was a definite no-no.

I finished the front and back of the Rebecca #11 sweater and I started a sleeve. I've adjusted the pattern to knit as much of it as I can in the round. I hate purling. For as much as I like the other sweater (#6), I'm not making good progress. I'm out of denial....I'm a st-st type of girl. The sweater is cute but takes a lot of work.

I'll try to finish one of the two sweaters this weekend but I also have to start designing an outfit for an upcoming "All-White Party". I have something in mind so I need to get started.


And before I go... my prayers go out to everyone in London, and everywhere else in the world where cowardly people do stupid things like harm innocent people. Note to the knuckleheads: If you are opposed to something and believe that strongly in it, then be brave enough to directly confront the person or problem for which you have an issue. Affect change. Don't create more problems. Nothing will get solved by you blowing up buses. That ends my rant.

Have a great weekend.

Random

I'm about to ramble a little so bare with me. I have a lot of random thoughts running around in my head.

Progress

Here is my progress on the Rebecca sweater #6.


I started another Rebecca sweater #11.



Thanks SP!
My SP came through again and sent The Vogue Knitting Companion! I was contemplating what to do with my 50%off coupon to AC Moore and almost bought this but I held off. I'm glad I did b/c the mailman dropped this off Tuesday. (Instead I used the coupon to get Scarf Style.)

New Knitty

I'm slightly disappointed at the new Knitty mag. Nothing but men's stuff. I'm sure this will come in handy one day but since I don't really make stuff for men I not all that excited. I'm sure all you married and attached ladies will benefit. It is definitely a good thing for all the men knitters out there. I know they feel a little neglected in the pattern department.

Haloscan and Bloglines

Haloscan isn't registering the correct number of comments. Boooooo for Haloscan.
Bloglines isn't registering my feeds until days laters. Boooooo for Bloglines.

New Projects and Other stuff

I'll be taking a break from knitting in August but not really. In order to save my wrists from the fateful Carpal Tunnel, I'm going to avoid large projects. I'll only be working on socks. I'm going to finish up the two Rebecca sweaters and one Rowan top before then. My list of things to knit after the break is already growing.

Thanks to Lu's great idea, I have ordered some KnitPicks Dye-your-own yarn for the IK Kate Gilbert Union Square Market sweater. This will be my first attempt at dyeing yarn but it doesn't sound too scary since I'm not doing any fancy striping. I haven't decided on the colors but I have time b/c I'm not starting this until September.

Bad Bad Summer tweed

In my avoidance to recap my strange weekend I forgot to tell you about one of the most important mishaps. The Limey Summer Tweed tank decided to have a mind of it's own. I bet you didn't know that Summer Tweed "grows". Yup...grows. It may be my fault because I only did a steam block and not a full wet block. As I was wearing it Saturday the bottom decided to flair out and start rolling. I was horrified. I tugged at the thing all day. I'm in denial because I think I'm going to have to rip the whole thing apart and start over. Does anyone have suggestions on how to rip out and re-knit the bottom only?

Listen to the voices

My trip to Wash.DC. was bad. Not good bad, but for real bad. Don't ask for details because I'm trying hard to forget. There was no one thing that went wrong but the sum total of it all was just bad. On Thursday, the voice in my head told me I should just stay home but I didn't listen. I wish I did. I did stop into StitchDC's Georgetown location, but my mood was so off that I didn't buy anything. And you know it's bad because Debbie Bliss yarns were on sale.

I did get to finish the front of the Rebecca sweater and now I have to start on the sleeves. I don't have any pics b/c I don't have the strength to take and post them. I contracted something funky so now I have a case of laryngitis which is making me irritable. I have all of Tuesday off from work so I'm going to get some rest and maybe start a new project. I need some mindless stockinette in my life.