Update

First thing is a picture! Holy crap, right? This was a Xmas present for Josh - it's knit pick's wool of the andes - bulky, colorway Redwood Forest. The pattern is called The Corrugator. It's an awesomely easy, slip-stitch pattern, that I loved doing. It ended up being about 5.5 feet long and took two skeins of yarn on size 10 needles.

After that I finished Saroyan, which I used Plymouth Happy Feet in a variegated green colorway which I adore. I still have to block it and take pictures of it, but I love how it turned out from just finishing knitting it, so I'm sure that it will only get better once it is blocked.

I went to LYS to check out what they had - which I gave in and bought more Malabrigo sock yarn (Caribeno) and Mini Mochi (Rainbow). I've been making arm warmers out of the mini mochi - which are my own design. Lacey for the Northern CA winters that I'm going to have to get used to.

I have a crap ton of blocking that needs to be done, a shawl for one of my bff's wedding, a second go at the lacy arm warmers (so I can write up the pattern and have it test knitted), and whatever else catches my eye for projects. Also, will focus more on patterns this year if I need to buy knitting stuff, rather than buying more yarn. Do NOT need more yarn right now.

Labor Day

So I've been picking up quick projects to keep my brain and hands busy. I finished a hat for the monkey, as well as a sleeveless sweater for him. I'm not sure if I'm up for knitting a Mojojo costume for him for this halloween, but maybe next. I see many holiday costumes being created for the big eyed monkey.

So I picked up Saroyan to start. I wanted something simple yet pretty to play with. As I've started knitting it on my green happy feet yarn, I realize that I would have loved to put beads on it. I thought about it and I just might try making a larger version (or slightly different version by continuing with the increase rows and cutting out some of the straight section. Plus I have some Plymouth Zino just crying for me to use - and some lovely butterscotch colored beads to go with it.

Still working on the worsted weight version of Vixen. I really should put Saroyan aside and finish the other one, but it's one of those knitting projects I'd rather use for during a movie, so I won't keep getting up and down and hate being in the middle of a row trying to finish.

I'm sure other knitters experience the on sight "Mine" some yarns scream at us. And then we bring the beloved yarn home and boom, it gets wound, stuck in a bag and stashed away, hoping that one obsessive day on ravelry, or a day when knitty updates. Looking for free patterns to add to the knitting repertoire. So I've done weird things on impulse and just knitted something out of my head and stuck it somewhere.

Now I look at other people's finished knits and read about how they entered their knitting in the state faire. Hell, I never considered doing that, but now there is this desire for me to go out and find a state fair to enter something I've done. It also pushes me toward figuring out how to show off my already finished pieces around the house. Considering we'll be moving soon, I'll wait until we settle at a new place. I think it could be fun, even if I do have to try to stick with color themes. :D

Knitting for Monkeys

I've been inspired! By a tiny Beanie Boo Monkey, who has been dubbed Lymon D. Coconut. He now has a hat and I'm working on a tiny monkey sweater for him. He's adorable and I'm knitting teenie things.

Other than knitting for the monkey, I've finished a shawl, in the midst of working on another one of the same type, but in a different yarn weight. One picture has been taken of the noro shawl, which Murphy modeled for me (un-blocked for now). Now the rest need to be taken.

Had a minor catastrophe. Found a moth worm. T_T Grrr. Shoved things in bags that weren't already in bags, got a new rolling plastic storage things and threw in a bunch of cedar blocks. Doesn't seem like too much has been gnawed on, thankfully and the great amount of my yarn is already bagged or otherwise put away. Thank the stars.

Mothers, knitting, and kitties

Welcome to my journal, diary, blog, - my station of muse-driven letters.

I've been trying to figure out how to start this thing - keep scrapping and throwing away what I begin and putting off the inevitable. How hard is it really to say this is my blog - about my knitting and my cats? I want some perfect beginning, that introduces me in full, that makes the world see who I am and my worth. No delusions of grandeur.

But I figured out how to start it.

Today is Mothers' Day. I sent my mom a card the other day, and I called today to wish her and my great aunt (my other mom) a Happy Mothers' Day. Both of them said thank you and my mom asked where I had found such a sweet card and said how much she appreciated it. I talked to both of them and read them the latest news on a dear friend's daughter that is fighting cancer. Both wanted to hear what her father had written, and both were saddened by what they heard. It was the way it was written that hit all three of us - not all of us think of what a father's love is like, and this showed it in full. My aunt then told me that the cards I had sent recently were beautiful, not just the card, but what I had written. I blushed and thanked her and she told me I needed to write more, that she feels I have true talent. I used to write a lot when I was in high school and over the years I've stopped, I've hidden from something that I really didn't need to do. Oh, the stories and worlds are still there, just in my head now and not on paper.

So here I am again, actually writing, this time about my cat and my knitting. I'm a lot more certain of my knitting than my writing, but the only way I can get better at either of them is to keep doing them. So this is my journey, should you care to follow it. Welcome.

I love you, Mom. I love you, Aunt V. Thanks for being my inspiration today.