sock kal started.


I have started my two socks on two circs for the For the Love of Socks knitalong. I ordered the yarn and needles from Red Bird Knits. Unfortunately, only one of the sets of circular needles was in stock, and I'm still waiting on the second set. I was eager to start the kal though, so I cast on with my new 2.25 mm bamboo needles and my old 2.5 mm metal ones. Who's going to notice a 0.25 mm difference? It was actually better to have two different needles because the first time casting on for two socks on two circs was a bit confusing. When the new needles arrive I will swap them in.

The yarn is Lang Super Soxx in a red multi. I tried to line up the stripes and took great care to cast on at the beginning of a white section... too bad the white section on one ball was half as long as the white section on the other ball! Grr. But I couldn't be bothered to redo it. Matching the stripes is not that important to me.

photo styling tips.

From Etsy: Give Props: How to Style Your Photos

Found via the Crochet Me blog.

the secret is out!


The super secret gifty project has been gifted! Little Maddie doesn't look too thrilled about it, in fact she looks a bit scared, but I think she was having a stare-down with the cat.


Overall, I am quite happy with this project. The stitch pattern is gorgeous and the yarn is very soft and knit up nicely. It washed up well too, which is important for baby items.


My only complaint is that I didn't make it to the right dimensions. It is quite wide, and stretches width-wise. After I'd knit about 8 inches, I considered frogging it and casting on with fewer stitches, but didn't because it had taken me a long time to knit that much. I couldn't imagine starting over! But it would have worked out better in the end. As I was getting close to finishing it (waaaaay past the deadline of Maddie's birth in October), the blanket seemed huge but still not square and I thought it would go on forever. At some point I had to make the call to cast off.

As a bonus, I knit faster now that I've done this blanket.

Details:
Pattern: Elegantly Simple Baby Blanket by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer
Yarn: Bernat Satin Solids in Banana, about 5.5 skeins
Started: September 2007
Finished: February 2008

party inspiration.

I randomly found this post on the Snapdragons blog (isn't that what the internet is all about?) and it has inspired me to host a meze party. Wouldn't that be a perfect get-together for the bellydance girls? Or for my non-dancing friends, as I had been considering having a party at which I would perform for them - nothing outrageous, just one or two songs, it would be good practice for me - and this menu would fit the theme very nicely.

I would omit the meat dishes, of course, and probably scale down the number of dishes so that I didn't go crazy trying to prepare everything. But can I just say - YUM!

Snapdragons: Meze party how-to
More photos found here: Meze, the morning after

jury frivolity - finished!


I finally got around to sewing up the Frivol (Ravelry link) hat, which I knit while on jury duty in mid-January. To be honest, I thought it would be too small and that's why I was putting off finishing it. If it's not sewn up, no one will know that it's too small! I used the same logic with the Lululemon pants that I got for Christmas - they looked too small, so I put off trying them on because then I would have to return them. Turns out they fit perfectly and I love them. Same with the Frivol hat - it fits T-man just fine! Now I have to make one for myself...

Pattern: The Frivol Hat by Debi Tuttle
Yarn: Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in Linen
Needles: 4 mm

I also did the finishing on the secret gifty project (weaving in the ends). It just needs washing and blocking, but the true challenge will be making a date with the recipient to actually hand it over! We've had some scheduling issues these past few months.

sock kal starts on monday.

Two posts in one day? Hell yeah. It's feast or famine with my blogging.

I am sooooo excited to be start my first knitalong with the For the Love of Socks yahoo group. We are knitting 2 socks at once on 2 circular needles. No more second sock syndrome! (if only they were toe-up... next time) I took the opportunity to do a little online shopping, since I don't have two matching sets of circs, and bought a few skeins of sock yarn too. Nothing crazy. It was my first online shopping experience and it sure was easy! And not as guilt-inducing as shopping in person. Weird, non? I love browsing and fondling the yarn in shops, but the purchasing part can be stressful. Maybe because it's so hard to decide what to buy! Anyway, I am looking forward to receiving my package in the mail.

let it snow.

It has snowed a lot here in the past week. Usually it melts before we get the next dumping! I have to admit that I like the snow... sure, it's a pain trying to get to work, but I don't drive so I don't care if the roads are bad. The streetcar zooms along on its track. My main annoyance is all the "condo people" that don't dress properly for the weather (heels? hello?? have you looked outside?!) and then crowd on the streetcar instead of walking 2 blocks to the subway station. They usually block the doors to get out too. Grrr.

Yesterday I walked to and from dance class and troupe practice. I really hustled to troupe practice, since two other troupers were going to take TTC and we were having a little race (in my mind, anyway ha ha). One other girl ended up walking too, and we beat the TTC rider by a good 5-10 minutes. Trudging through the snow was a real workout, and there were some icky moments when the wind was blowing right in my face. But mostly I felt great! The snow was so beautifully white and fluffy and I felt alive.

T-man let Roxy outside on the deck last night while I was getting ready for bed. She is such a snow cat! She was chasing snowflakes and not bothered at all by the cold and wet. There is a reason for all that fur.

TGIF.

Sorry about the lack of posts this week! I haven't been all that busy. Just uninspired, I guess. The lack of caffeine is to blame! There have been some rough days this week, but I'm feeling pretty good today. Lively and awake.

OK, so the only item that I can cross off my list from last weekend:

• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Pretty sad! I went shopping for fruits and vegetables in Kensington Market, but I didn't wash and prep them, and that was the whole point. Alas.

Here is a picture of the living in the midst of the stash organization. It was a mess, and truth be told, it's not totally cleaned up yet. cringe

There were a few unfinished projects in the stash pile. One crochet purse that is done except for attaching the handles, and the handles are ready to be attached. I found one finished wine cozy and one that needs embellishment. All the parts for a Pasha the Penguin.

It was fun to photograph and document everything. Not sure if all of my yarn counts as "stash" since there are lots of little bits of things. I put aside some of the bits and bobs to donate, and I'm already working on a few charity projects.

Looking forward to the For the Love of Socks knitalong that is due to start on Monday! My first KAL. The theme is 2 socks on 2 circs, but I might try 2 socks on Magic Loop, otherwise I'll have to buy some new circs. (which wouldn't be so bad, I kinda want to do that anyway!)

to do this weekend.

Crafty...

• Finishing - sew up jury Frivoli hat, weave in ends on the gifty project, weave in ends on the work socks
• Darn the heel of my first toe-up socks (I think a moth got to them - found the hole the first day I wore them! grr.)
• Stash organizing - put aside yarn to be donated, rip out unfinished projects, etc. Also photograph and document for Ravelry.

Other stuff...

• manicure and pedicure
• buy lots of fruits and veggies and prep them all in the fridge (after dance class on Sat.)
  

I got my hair cut yesterday, and my stylist told me that after he goes grocery shopping, he immediately washes the fruit and cuts up the veggies so that everything is ready to eat. Eureka! That makes it so much easer to grab a snack. I already know that prepping food in advance saves so much time, but when do I find the time to prep it? Hopefully this will become a new habit.