Packed and ready to go

I'm all packed and ready to head to VA for the baby shower. I'm leaving this afternoon to avoid the oncoming storms that Ernesto may bring.
Hopefully everyone (in the US) will have a great rain-free holiday weekend.

See you Tuesday.

Friendly Tip: When Disaster Strikes

I used to do a segment on Wednesdays called "Friendly Tips for Everyday Living". Due to recent events I feel it's only fitting that I resurrect FTEL.


Friendly Tip #20

When placing things in the microwave be sure to set the timer correctly. There is a big difference between 30 secs and 3:00 minutes.



Editted to Add:(It's the blue Wilton's chocolate used to make the candies for the baby shower.)

Cables and candy

I suspect that come this spring we will all have had cable overload. Last year socks, this year it's cables. Mind you us knitter's have been doing the cables for a long time now, but since the greater fashion world has deemed them cool again, you will see them everywhere.




I picked up a copy of the NY Times this past Sunday and inside was the special Fall Fashion magazine. Imagine paying $1000+ for a cable sweater. Get your cable needles ready folks, it's gonna be a cable-intense winter.



I've been getting ready for my friend's baby shower this weekend and it hit me that I don't really know what I'm doing. I don't have any friends with babies and I haven't been to many baby showers. I've been looking up the games to play and since I'm not an overly cutesy person, the games are looking real cheesey to me. I went to buy decorations and my brain almost imploded from all the cutesy bears and babies. Uck!
Luckily the mommy-to-be isn't the cutesy type either so she won't mind that I'm keeping it light on the gushy-mushy baby stuff.

I've decided some of the decorations will be baby bottles filled with blue and white candy. Originally I wanted Jelly Belly Beans, but at $6.99/pound, I'm going with the Wilton make-your-own candy instead. Candy will be the party favors as well.

This is taking a lot more work than I thought.

Sunday specials

It's been one of those weekends people.....It's time to clean a little house.

Like many things in life, I'm of the mind that if you try something and it's just not working for you then you must move on. I bought this yarn with great things in mind and no matter how we try, me and this yarn have come to the conclusion that we must part ways. Our relationship was not meant to be.

Originally, out of frustration, I was just going to give this yarn away but then I stopped and thought about it. Something good must come from our split so here is what I've decided.

I'm going to sell these yarns for relatively cheap and all of the money** will go to buy supplies for the knitting club at the Raleigh Girls Club. If you are seriously interested in either of these two offerings, leave a comment. First come, first serve. I will send you a Paypal invoice and the yarn will be on it's way to a happy new home. Sound good?

** I will pay the shipping for US residents. International, we'll have to negotiate. You pay half, I pay half, or something like that.




Nashua Creative Focus Worsted -75% Wool/ 25% Alpaca - 220yds/100g/3.5oz
3 new skeins, 2 partially used and 1 rewound ball from the 2 used balls
$20 US TAKEN!







Rowan River Tape - 52% Nylon/48& Acrylic - 126yds/50g
12 balls unused
$25 US TAKEN

It's all relative

Many times before I've said that I thought that Koigu KPPPM is an overrated yarn. But after dealing with this Regia Cotton Surf, I may be a little easier on the KPPPM. Regia Cotton Surf is like knitting with sandpaper. It's hard and rough. I've been working this sock for G-ma for a while and I think that may be the reason it is taking me so long.



I bought some Koigu KPPPM the other day (yeah, yeah, I know. Summer of Stash blah blah blah - more on that in a minute)and it's a reprieve from the Regia.

I will say that starting this sock has gotten me back on a sock kick. It could also be because the days are starting to get shorter and I start to feel the onset of the autumn weather.

As for the Summer of Stash, I'm totally over it. I made it this far and I'm proud but I don't care any more. I was in the store looking for yarn for pattern submissions and I saw the Koigu and liked the colors. Once I did that I didn't really care about SOS anymore. I bought some yarn off of Ebay last night and I don't even feel guilty.

A bug's life

It seems that the running theme at Knit Nite last week was bugs. Somehow, both Wednesday and Thursday, the topic of bugs have come up. Chiggers and Ticks , it's enough to freak this city girl out. Like I've told everyone else, growing up in Cleveland we had black ants, spiders, flies, mosquitos, and lightening bugs. That's it. I don't do nature so I can rarely identify and don't really want to identify any other type of bug.


It would only be fitting that this greeted me as I left my apartment Saturday morning.



In case your wondering it's a preying mantis . I only know this because of the National Geographic specials I watched as a child. So that you know (and can laugh)I screamed and it took me 15 minutes to leave without thinking it would attack me. It sat in that same spot all day , or at least until 10pm when I got home, and turned it's head everytime I opened the door.

I was tempted to add it to the baby sweater I finished this weekend.


This is the 6-12 month Pirate Sweater from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots , without the pirate. I didn't have any green yarn, otherwise there would have been a big green bug on this sweater.

New Rules -blogstyle
I want to say a couple of things about my blog etiquette.

Comments

I've been debating on a way to uniformly respond to comments. I used to just reply through email but sometimes I think others would like to hear the response too. So I've decided to start responding to comments directly in the comment section. If you ask a question or expect a response, it will most likely end up there. I'll only answer through email if it something of a personal nature.

Reader gallery - yeah or nay

Some have asked if I'll have a reader's gallery. My answer is probably not right now. That is because I'm using blogger and that would require I start a seperate blog. If I can reorganize my flickr account then I may reconsider sooner. What I will do in the meantime is post any pictures that someone sends me of a finished Saunshine design.

I have a picture that Jal sent me of her finished Calla which I plan on posting in the near future. I had to send my "new" laptop in for repairs because it was overheating, so I don't have proper photoediting software. She knit it in black and I want to alter the pic so you can really see how go it looks.

Some healthy debate: Copyrights vs Copycats

What's life without a little healthy debate? Everyone can't always agree but I do enjoy when people can intelligently discuss something. With this in mind I'd like start a little debate if you will.



Last week I received an email which said(and I'm paraphrasing):

I don't understand how you can be so protective of your copyrights but so clearly copy someone else's work, i.e. Missoni. Are you aware of the contradiction? You didn't just use it as inspiration, you copied the entire dress.

And the person later wrote:

It's just too bad that Missoni lost out on a sale and think if everyone that saw the dress just went out and copied it. That's why I think copyrights need to be protected


Before I tell you what I said, I want to say that I respect the person that sent it. Most people wouldn't pose the question at all. We had some discussion over the issue and I thought it would be interesting enough to continue the subject with all of you.

Now onto what I said and what I think (in list form for easy reading)

• My dress was made for personal pleasure and I do not intend to sell the pattern.


• If I decided to sell the pattern I could because by the legal copyright laws, you can only copyright a picture you have taken, instructions for a pattern (the written word), or a drawing but you cannot copyright a concept or design . You can patent a process/method of making something but not the idea of what you are making (I can make a spoon out of steel but you can make a spoon out of plastic). You can trademark a sign/logo but not a style


• By copying the look of the dress I have not enfringed on any copyright,patent, or trademark laws. I did not duplicate their process for making it (machine knit),use their design plans/pattern, or stamp it with a Missoni label.


• What you could call me is a copycat(my words) or a knock-off artist.


• Making knock-offs is not illegal and is the basis of most of the clothing you buy at retail stores.
  
  Almost all low-end RTW (ready to wear) garments are a knock-off from a major designer.
  
  
  (This dress is from Forever 21 and is the 2nd version that have seen of the dress above. The first I saw was an even better match.)
  
  If you were to buy a sewing pattern, most of those are knock-off designs.
  
  
  
  Heck, let's keep it all the way real. You, like I know, there are a few knitting patterns out there that bare a striking resemblance to my Ruby and Diamonique patterns, all of which surfaced after my pattern was released. Same idea/concept, different pattern, no copyright enfringement. No copyright enfringements, no complaints from me. It's the nature of the business.
  

Now don't get me wrong, I don't make a habit of making knock-offs. You can ask my sister how many times I refused to copy someone else's work. I think that it does show a lack of originality. However in this case, with the fact that I saved $1720, you can call me a copycat. I'll just be a copycat in the cute Missoni knock-off dress.

So what's your take on this whole thing? Agree or disagree, I'd like to know.

Finishing School

The weather was fabulous here in NC over the weekend so I made sure to get out and enjoy it. Of course that meant that some knitting went by the wayside. Instead I made this weekend about finishing some projects.



First up was the Urban Aran Cardigan. (Excuse the crappy pic. I was in no mood for dealing with the tripod).I'm awaiting the zipper I ordered but otherwise it's a FO. I'm not used to such a loose fitting article of clothing but it actually fits quite nicely. I made the size medium.


Thanks to JoAnn's sale on buttons I finished up the baby cardigan from my future godchild.



Aren't the button's adorable? I'm working on the matching hat now.


I also finished up the blanket. It's not perfectly square and has a tendency to curl but I think it's good enough.


And in clearing out items I came across this.



This is the beginning of some socks, using Regia Cotton Surf, for my G-ma which I started in April. I'm thinking I should finish these soon too.

Best week ever!

If you've never watched the pop culture show Best Week Ever on VH1, then you should know that they discuss the weekly happenings in the news and entertainment and then decide who is having the best week ever.

Well I must say that I am having the best week ever.

Exhibit A:
One finished dress and a slew of great and funny comments. Thanks for all of the complements. Some of you had me laughin too. To answer a few of your questions: It is my own free-form design, there is no pattern forthcoming, and I won't be lining the dress. I just plan to wear a slip underneath. And just for Wanietta I will on numerous and random occasions, twirl around and strike a pose the first time I wear it.


Exhibit B:



My copyright registration for my first set of patterns. Mailed in March, and after 6 months, officially registered. It takes some time but is official from the date they received it.

Exhibit C:





The yarn for my first ever book published pattern. Yep, that's right. I'm gonna have a pattern published in a book thanks to Kerrie from MagKnits. It's a book for designs using handpainted yarn and will be published by October 2007.

So yes folks, I'm having the best week ever.

I hope all of you have the best weekend ever. See ya Monday!

That girl's a bad mutha....shut yo mouth!

Missoni-who? I don't need no stinkin' $1800 Missoni dress. Who needs Missoni when you have Miss Saun. (He he he...I'm a little delirious with delight. Can you tell?)

Here it is....



Now that it's done, I'm kinda pleased. I was fearful of the fit up until the point I pulled it over my head but everything worked out okay.



I still need to weave in the ends and do some crochet edging but I will tackle that later this week. I think this may be my second longest WIP. I don't think I'll let anything languish that long again.

My kooky sister hinted at wanting me to make her one. Of course she was met with delirious laughter before she completed the sentence. Then all I said was "NEVER again". There are some things you don't make twice and this is one. It's an one and only original and it shall stay that way.

Now I just have to find a place to wear it . I think this would be a little much for a trip to Le Target or Le Walmar.

Fear and anticipation

Ha! All you crazy kids actually think that being a Stash Slasher means I can't buy new yarn. Bwwwwwaaaahaaa. Yeah right. Soon as this S.O.S is over I'm headed straight for the crack house...oops I mean, LYS.
The real reason I'm doing it is because I want new stuff but can't justify buying until I create some space for it. I haven't joined a Secret Pal swap in awhile and really don't think I should until I tackle some stash. Thus the concept of the Stash Slasher.



Okay onto the true subject of today's post.

Have you ever had something that you anticipated and feared at the same time. I came to the conclusion that this is how I feel about "The Dress" and why I kept putting it off.

I fear:
-That I might mess it up
-That it won't turn out like I hoped
-That attempting a free-form design was truly the nuttiest thing I've every done.
-If I finish I'll actually have to weave in all the ends
-That tons of stockinette curls and I can't keep it from curling (it's cotton, remember, no real blocking will work)


I decided last night to bite the bullet and finish. I still have one back strap to go. I have no clue if this will fit and at this point, I don't think I care anymore. If it's too small I'll just forgoe a couple of meals so I can fit into it cause there is NO WAY I'm going to redo it and I'm NOT giving this thing away to anyone.

I'm going to finish the strap tonite and try it on. If I'm feeling confident, I might even take a picture.

Delirium

Say hi to my new spoon.



It's a kool-aid spoon that came with my big bag of Splenda. I've been carrying it around the house like it's a toy.

Needless to say that the heat is really starting to affect my mind. I can't really concentrate on much. I hate A/C and it's making me sick but sitting outside is beyond intolerable. I'm not even going to talk about knitting because it's all been sporadic and haphazard. I think I'm working on 4 different things right now. What ever my mind can handle for that second.

I can tell you this. I have had a revelation. Even though I'm a part of the Summer Of Stash I feel like it's not really going to be effective in depleting my stash since I'm not making much progress on anything. I have it in my head that I'm going to try to cut my stash down by half in the next year. Do you think it can be done?


I've even made a funky button to remind me. Only the heat could make me think of such crazy things.

No show and tell

Hey everybody. I don't have any progress pics because I have nothing to show. It was a crazy weekend. I helped a friend move on Saturday which totally wiped me out. The heat was a killer. Sunday I did nothing. I was absolutely lazy. I worked half a sleeve on Urban Aran and did no work done on the dress. I did finish my submission for Magknits but I'm not convinced and may need to take another stab at it. I'll know for sure after it's done blocking.

Hopefully I'll have something more to show tomorrow. I'm supposed to have golf lessons today but with the predicted heat index of 110 degrees I'm not sure how that will work out. If it gets cancelled then I'll get in some good knitting time. If not then I suspect I will come home and pass out from heat exhaustion.

Everybody stay cool, drink lots of water, and check on your loved ones and pets.