Backlog of Knits

One of my knitting goals for 2008 is to complete some of my many UFOs. I've started a few projects in the past year or so which I've completely deserted for whatever reason. These projects are always in the back of my mind when I start something new, but for some reason I never pick them back up.

I'm at the point where I either want to finish these projects or send them to the frog pond. The guilt is getting to me! Here are a few of the oldest listed from least to most guilt-inducing...

All Season Shell

I posted about this one way back in March, and I don't think I've knit a stitch since then. There are a couple reasons for this. First, I'm not sure it's worth spending a lot of time knitting something out of this yarn which I purchased at a going-out-of-business sale (Lion Brand Microspun). Second, I converted the pattern to be knit in the round, and I made a mistake lining up the ribbing. Of course, I didn't take any notes about this! Finally, it's not warm enough to wear sleeveless here. I think this one is a definite candidate for ripping.

Flora from Knitty

It basically just needs a button! This is also knit from kind of a cruddy yarn, but I'm not sure why I never took that extra step and just bought a button. I think I need to check my button box soon!

Hourglass Sweater

This is a project that is hanging a little more heavily over me. I am this close to ripping all this work out. For one thing, my gauge is off. I'm a pretty loose knitter and generally go down at least on needle size. For some reason, I convinced myself I was getting gauge on the suggested needle size. Not quite. I'm pretty sure it would still fit, but it would be a little loose.

I really love all the finished Hourglass sweaters I've seen, but I've noticed a few other projects lately that I think would look nice in this yarn--Smoke, which is actually a cardiganized version of Hourglass, and Sayuri Sweater from Sensual Knits (the last picture on Amazon). I still need to think about this one some more, but I hate to waste this yarn (Noro Cash Iroha) on something I don't really love.

Cambridge Jacket from Interweave Knits

Of all my UFOs, this is the most guilt-inducing one! When I began this sweater for my husband well over a year ago, things were progressing really quickly. I finished the back in practically no time. By the time I got to the front though I lost steam, set it aside and haven't picked it up since.

I actually really love this pattern, so I really need to force myself to restart it. I've occasionally tried to distract Joel with other knits, but he keeps asking about it:) I'm going to start working on this one up soon.

This list does not even include a number of more recent projects (ahem... Forecast, Tree Jacket, Becoming the Bag Lady, Trellis Scarf, Snicket Socks and Marilyn's Not So Shrunken Cardigan) which haven't seen much action, but I'm not giving up on them yet either. The good news is that many of these projects are nearing completion. Time to start knitting!

Sock of the Month: It's a Monkey!

One of the most enjoyable parts of my recent trip (aside from visiting family and friends, of course!) was all the time I had to knit. There was plane time, car time and even a little downtime at our destinations.

I brought along a few projects, but only worked on one--a new sock. I cast on shortly before takeoff and never wanted to put it down.


This is my first Monkey sock, which I was able to finish before the end of the trip. I had high hopes of getting a good start on the other sock on the plane trip home, but that was not to be (never get sick on a plane!!!).

I have managed to finish about half of the other sock though, and hopefully, by the end of the weekend I will have a pair. I'm hoping to contribute these to the Sock A Month KAL, so that is my motivation to finish.

I joined this group with some reservations, since I have a tendency to get bored and not finishing things until much later. I think I should be OK for the first couple months though. I already have a languishing Snicket, so I should be in good shape for February at least. After that it may be all bulky slipper socks though!

Happy to Be Home!

Our trip to the Midwest was a lot of fun, and I even managed to survive the cold! I'm glad to be home though--this vacation was a major whirlwind of activity. First, we visited our friends in Chicago, which made me a little homesick. After two days there, we headed to Wisconsin to visit family for a few days. This was the most relaxing part of the trip.

From there we ventured to Iowa for my sister's wedding. I managed to find a yarn shop along the way, where I picked up a few skeins of yarn...

Alpaca with a Twist Fino -- so soft!

Louet Gems -- the color is off here

The morning after our arrival, my sister and I traveled to a local spa for Sonoma mud wraps, massages, manicures and pedicures. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. It was so relaxing and also lots of fun to hang out with my sister. I'm not really a spa person, but I think I could become one after this!

The next day was the wedding...

My sister's bouquet and dress.

My husband and I pre-wedding.

The ceremony was very nice, although a bit nerve wracking. We spent 1.5 hours rehearsing the night before, but I still don't think anyone really knew what they were supposed to do. It all went very well though--no major mistakes! My favorite part of the evening was dancing at the reception.

It was all over too quickly, and the next day we headed back to Chicago for the night before flying back to San Francisco the next day. I was looking forward to a quiet flight with lots of knitting, but unfortunately, that was not to be!

I woke up the morning of the flight feeling a little queasy, and promptly threw up after my shower. Things just went downhill from there, and I spent the majority of the flight sick in the bathroom. Not a fun way to spend a 4+ hour flight! It was pure misery, and I spent half of last week home sick from work and the other half feeling only slightly better and trying to recover.

Things are finally back to normal though. On the bright side, I did manage to get a little knitting done on my days off from work. I started a new pair of socks over vacation, so I was able to work on that--more to come on the socks soon.

I also have a new FO to show, which was actually completed before we left.


Pattern: Fingerless Mitts, my own pattern
Yarn: Karabella Soft Tweed

After making Le' Slouch, I still had quite a bit of yarn left over, so I decided to make a pair of fingerless mitts. Basically, I cast on 24 stitches on size 10 needles, worked 33 rows in garter stitch and bound off. Then I seamed up the side, leaving a hole for the thumb, and voila... a finished mitt. I completed both in a few hours--a super simple and fun project.

I'm pretty sure that I still have enough yarn to make another pair--the yarn went much farther than I predicted.


Now I'm just looking forward to seeing what everyone has been up to and knitting!

Looking Back... and Forward

2007 was a year of big changes for me. Moving from Chicago to San Francisco was definitely the biggest! I started a new job that I actually like--that may be a first for me. I also traveled to a lot of new places. All in all it was a great year.

I also did some knitting...

1. Buttony 2, 2. Le' Slouch, 3. Waterfall Scarf, 4. Birdy Buddy Bag, 5. Basket Weave Rib Socks, 6. Diagonal Rib Socks - Complete!, 7. A Sweater For All Ages 2, 8. Silk Lace Scarf from Stitch and Bitch Calendar, 9. Dashing Complete!, 10. Elfish Toes, 11. Two-tone Ribbed Shrug Back, 12. Yarn Detail, 13. Center Square, 14. Cupcakes, 15. Camisole Tube, 16. Cables in Chamonix--Complete!, 17. Finished Garter Scarf, 18. Sunkist Cardi, 19. Unbiased, 20. My First Socks

I learned to knit when I was in high school, and have picked it up off and on since then. It's only really been in the past couple of years though, that I've really stuck with it. I feel like I've really learned a lot in the past year, which is really exciting to me.

Over the next year, I'd like work on some knits with more complex textures--I'm loving cables right now--and also do some colorwork. I'm also hoping that I find a little more time to spend actually knitting--sometimes I think I spend more time thinking about knitting than actually doing it. That should help reduce my ever-growing stash, too!

Our trip to the Midwest is almost here. We are leaving for Chicago Saturday morning. I'm very excited to be headed back there, as I have been really homesick lately. Joel keeps telling that I won't miss it as much once I feel the cold--we shall see:)

After a couple days in Chicago we are heading to Wisconsin to visit family, and then we are going to Iowa for my sister's wedding. I can't wait to see everyone, and as you can see, I'm going to have a lot of driving/plane time for knitting. Now I just have to decide what projects to bring!

See you in a week!

Happy New Year!

There hasn't been much time for knitting in the past month, but I somehow managed to fit in two more FOs before 2007 ended!


Pattern: Buttony from OhMyStars
Yarn: GGH Savanna

I am so happy this sweater is finished. When I first began this, way back in September, I intended for it to be a quick project that would only take a few weeks to finish. The body flew by, but then I got to the sleeves. By that point, all the stockinette was getting a little dull. So it sat. I finally finished the knitting in early December, but then I was faced with all those buttons!

So I finally got my act together, and I'm very glad I did. It is warm and cozy, albeit a bit Flash Dancey in the neckline. The perfect sweater for just hanging out and relaxing in.

I think it looks cute with a few buttons open, too...


I made a couple small modifications--adding some waist shaping and length to the body, and also working fewer decreases in the sleeves for more of a straight effect. Overall, I'm very happy with it.

Last week I began a quick project in preparation for my upcoming trip to the very snowy Midwest...


Pattern: Le' Slouch by Wendy Bernard of Knit and Tonic (pattern is on side bar)
Yarn: Karabella Soft Tweed

This was such a quick and fun project. It only took two nights to knit--gotta love that. The yarn is very nice. I think I have enough leftover to make some fingerless mitts, too. We'll see.

Hopefully, this will help to keep me warm on our trip. I'm starting to get very worried about the cold. When I first moved to San Francisco (almost a year ago now) I thought the weather here was very mild. I saw people wearing winter coats, scarves, hats, etc. in May, and I thought they were crazy. Then I adjusted to the weather, and now I'm one of those crazy people!

So I'm not sure I can handle January in the Midwest anymore! I am looking forward to the snow though:)

Happy New Year! I'm wishing everyone has a year filled with lots of joy and peace.

Alpaca for the Holidays!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday with their families and friends!

My husband and I enjoyed a very quiet Christmas this year. Because we are traveling to the Midwest for my sister's wedding in a week and a half, we decided not to travel for Christmas. Instead, we spent Christmas Eve in a nice hotel downtown where we could relax and enjoy a great meal. Mmm... the food and wine were great, and we ended the meal with a delicious goat cheese cheesecake which has me curious to try this recipe.

Christmas day we headed back to our apartment, opened presents and relaxed. I received some great presents, including a new knitting book and a gift certificate to one of my favorite local yarn stores. We also enjoyed another great meal--if I do say so myself!--mexican lasagna, cauliflower-chili gratin and chipotle-cheddar mashed potatoes. Yum! I enjoyed that for lunch today, as well.

Before we left the hotel, Joel took some pictures of my new scarf...


Pattern: Waterfall Scarf by Linda O'Leary ( from the book 101 Designer One-skein Wonders)
Yarn: Misti Alpaca Baby Alpaca Hand Dyed

While I can't say that this scarf was particularly enthralling to knit, I am very happy with the end result. I love this yarn--so soft and the colors are beautiful. I've used the bulky non-hand dyed version before, and I know that I'll use it again. As a matter of fact, I already have the lace-weight version set aside for a swallowtail shawl.


The scarf ended up being fairly long, but I wanted to use up all the yarn. Perfect for wrapping up in! I'm perpetually cold here, so it will get a lot of use.

I should have another FO soon, if I ever attach those buttons on Buttony. I guess I just need to buckle down and do it!

That's LA for Ya!

My husband and I spent this past weekend in LA. He works in a very small office (2 people, including himself!), so we were invited to the LA branch's holiday party. The party on Friday was fun, but the best part was that we got to spend the rest of the weekend checking out the city. It was my first time in LA and Joel's second, so there was a lot to see.

Saturday we went to Hollywood and checked out the stars on the Walk of Fame. We also had a lot of fun at Graumans's Chinese Theatre.

A not very good picture of the theatre!

It was really interesting seeing the size of some of the stars hands and feet. Some of the women's were absolutely tiny--they must have been very petite!

We also checked out the men. John Wayne had tiny feet...


But Sidney Poitier's are huge...


From there we headed up to Mulholland Drive for some beautiful views of the city. It was clear and cool--very lovely weather. You can see a little of the hazy smog the city is famous for in this photo.


One of the coolest things we did was attend an Academy screening for the movie Juno (very good--go see it!). Apparently, Jake Gyllenhaal and Reese Witherspoon showed up to a screening the week before, so we were hoping to see some celebrities. Alas, all we saw were aging Academy members who looked like they last worked in the industry about 20 years ago--but it was still fun.

We also really enjoyed The Farmer's Market, which was across the street from our hotel. It had lots of food stalls and even live music. We spent Saturday night there and went back for breakfast! It's definitely worth a visit if you're in LA.

It really was a packed weekend. We also tried the frozen yogurt at Pinkberry--yum!--and drove around Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, Malibu, Santa Monica and Venice Beach. I attempted, but failed to make it to any yarn stores though:) All in all a very fun trip, and I really liked LA-- I wasn't sure I would!

The whole time I was there certain songs kept popping into my head, including one my husband had written and performed with his sister when he was nine. They even made a taped recording which my mother-in-law still has a copy of! Some of the lyrics:

"Rockers! Knockers! LA! LA! Food Nutritionists? LA! LA! That's LA for ya! LA! LA!"

It is quite funny set to music. Yes, he was very talented at such a young age:)

I haven't had much time to knit in the past week, but I did manage to almost finish my scarf on the flight home...


I just need to drop those remaining stitches and this scarf will be complete.

Super Cute FO: Birdy Buddy Bag!

This may be my cutest knitting project ever...


Pattern: Buddy Bag
Designer: Anny Purls
Yarn: Bernat Satin, plus some leftover yarn for the leaves

This pattern was so much fun to knit, and I just love the end result! So cheerful and cute (how many times can I say cute in one post)!


There were a few very minor issues. All the little pieces were a bit fiddly, and the long i-cord was a bit tedious to knit (only because I hate knitting i-cord), and I think I could have improved my finishing of the pocket. The acrylic yarn was a little squeaky and scary.... but overall it was a super fun project and a great, versatile pattern.

The bag was a present for my nephew Aidan who, along with his mom and dad, visited us for Thanksgiving. We had a lot of fun with them, although I was sick and cranky for most of the visit.

I managed to get a few action shots...



I think he liked the birdy!

I have lots more to come soon. Buttony is blocking and awaiting buttons and Forecast is almost complete--sans sleeves. I've also started a new scarf in preparation for our upcoming visit to the Midwest in early January. Hopefully, I'll have more FO's to show soon!

Lots of Knitting but No Pictures to Show!

Hmm... it has been a while since I've posted. I'm very impressed by people write daily or near daily posts. A lot of times my mind is just a blank, and the daily minutiae of my life is just not that exciting (trust me). I've actually had a lot to say and show lately, but Day Light Savings has completely thrown me for a loop.

I just haven't been able to take any good photos since the time has changed. The complete lack of daylight after work has thrown me a little off course. Plus, it's usually pretty foggy (they call it the marine layer!) in the morning here, so that is not an option either. It's just hard to take good (knitting) photos with a flash. So I'll just tell you about the knitting, and I'll intersperse that with some vacation photos that I never got around to posting.

A beautiful view in Yosemite

I'm almost finished with Buttony--only part of one sleeve to go. I still need to find the perfect buttons, too. The thing that is slowing me down is that I've picked up a few new projects along the way.

Another Yosemite photo: The deer are very tame there.
This one was maybe 10 feet away.

I've joined a couple knit-alongs. The first is the Sexy Knitters Club. I'm knitting the Tree Jacket with Malabrigo, which is just amazing. I haven't gotten very far on this one. The turtleneck is complete, but that is it. Judging from the photos on the website, I'm a little behind. I had to set this one aside though to work on some more pressing projects.

On to Las Vegas: the mirrored wall at Beatles Love.
What an awesome show!

I also decided to participate in the NaKniSweMo KAL (Knit a Sweater in a Month). For some reason it didn't occur to me that I should knit the Tree Jacket as my sweater, thereby killing two birds with one stone. No. Instead I decided to knit Forecast. Its actually coming along really well--I'm about to divide the body and sleeves. The bobbles really slow things down though. Its going to be a challenge to finish this in one month (although that is the point!), especially since we have family visiting for a week around Thanksgiving.

More Las Vegas: a beautiful
glass installation (Chihuly?) at the Bellagio.

I'm also working on a secret project. If you have access to Ravelry, you can check it out here (still no photos though).

The ever-classy Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
Definitely my least favorite part of Vegas,
but we saw a lot of cool neon signs.

That's about it. Oh, and I got a ball winder and swift, but that is a separate post! I have lots of new yarn to show, too. So I guess my goal this weekend it to take lots of pics!

FO: Basket Weave Rib Socks

After a long FO dry spell, I finally have something show off!


Pattern: Basket Weave Rib Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch
Yarn: Panda Cotton

I am so happy with how these socks turned out! The Panda Cotton was wonderful to work with--very soft and stretchy. I will definitely be using it again, and on size 2 DPNs the socks progressed very quickly. Pink and green is one of my favorite color combos, as well.

The color is more accurate in the second picture...


The sole was done in reverse stockinette, and is called the "princess foot"--so called because the flat knit stitches are more comfortable to walk on than the purl bumps. I have yet to test this theory, but in any case, I think this sole looks nice with the basket weave pattern.

As I was admiring the socks last night, I commented to Joel about how bright they are. He said that he'd like a pair of bright socks, too. I don't think pink and green is quite what he is looking for, but now I'll have to be on the lookout for some neon yarn (his words) suitable for a man. Hmm...

San Francisco Sightseeing

My sister's visit was super fun. We spent the first day in Sonoma sampling wine. Poor Joel was the designated driver, and he wasn't feeling well. He did a lot of sniffling but didn't complain too much. Thankfully, he recovered quickly.

We spent the rest of her visit touring the city and local area. My favorite part was the day we rented bikes to ride around Golden Gate Park.

A couple views at the Japanese Tea Garden--one of my favorite places in the park.

We live 2 blocks from the park, so we spend a lot of time there. Of course, you can see a lot more territory on bikes because the park is huge. I think we will buy some eventually.

We also went to Moss Beach, another one of my favorite local spots. When the tide is low you can walk out on the reef and check out the marine life. We lucked out and arrived at just the right time.

We saw lots of birds and harbor seals, but not much marine life other than a huge and scary looking starfish. We also saw a crab who we hope made it back into the ocean.


Kris made it home safely after a very long flight. We are traveling to the Midwest in January for her wedding--I can't wait.

The day after she left, Joel and I climbed up to Grandview Park to check out the sunset. The views are just beautiful from there and the sunset was one of the best we've seen lately.

Looking toward the Marin Headlands



Looking toward the ocean.

Last weekend was spent knitting and cleaning out my closet. I finished a sleeve on Buttony--one more to go and I'm done. Yeah!


I didn't feel like working on the other one right away, so I began my second basketweave sock. I forgot how quickly the first one went.


I've finished the cuff since this picture, and I'm ready to start the heal. Hopefully, I will finish this sock or my sweater soon, because it has been a long time since I've finished anything!

Almost Buttoned Up

After hardly knitting at all for a month, I've been knitting a lot this past week. The body of Buttony is finished, and it looks promising so far.


I just need to finish the sleeves. Hopefully, that will go quickly as well.

The button in the photo is not the one I'm actually going to use. I was testing the button holes for size, so now I have something to shop with. Having to find the perfect buttons and then sew them all on is the sort of thing that may drag out the completion time of this sweater a little.


My sister is visiting from Iowa this weekend and part of next week. I'm really excited to see her. She recently quit smoking and has a self-professed addictive personality, so I may try to hook her on knitting instead. Wish me luck!

Long Vacation

I haven't really been on vacation for a month, although I did take a long break from blogging. The past month has been a whirlwind of activity--from visiting family to a Las Vegas trip to an extremely busy job. So I have been left slightly reeling, especially in regard to work which has left me exhausted.

It has been a fun month though. We hit all the fun spots with our family, including Yosemite which was very beautiful. Las Vegas was fun, albeit expensive and smokey (yikes!). Photos to come (as soon as I can sort though them).

I've also taken a break from knitting somewhat, partly from being too busy and also just a small needed change of pace. Of course, that didn't last too long, and for the last 2 days I've been obsessed with a new project--please ignore all the unfinished ones:)


It is the Buttony Sweater and will be perfect for fall, which is strangely the warmest time of year here. I finally got my invite to Ravelry, which is where I saw a few versions of it. I even had the perfect yarn! It is progressing quickly, so I'm loving that.

I'm also loving Ravelry so far. I haven't had a chance to enter many projects yet, but I have spent a lot of time checking out everyone's FOs and finding lots of new patterns to knit. It is so cool to see all those knitters in one place, too. There sure are a lot of us!

Looking Forward to Summer

Things are a little crazy here. We have family visiting in two days, and there is so much to do! Of course, we are waiting until the last minute to do everything, too. Why plan ahead when you can be totally stressed out in the end? That seems to be our philosophy.

I haven't knit much lately, but I did start a new pair of socks.


The first one went so quickly, just a few days. I'm using Panda Cotton, which is very nice. The colorway is Strawberries-Limes--I love the pink and green combo.

Our relatives will be here for about 10 days, and then three days later Joel and I are going to Vegas. I can't wait! I'm not really a gambler--I always seem to lose all my money almost immediately. What I am looking forward to is the spectacle of it all (I've never been there), the pool and the heat... and drinking some frou frou drinks at the pool in the heat. Can you tell I've been missing summer?

Knitting in Slow Motion

I have a serious case of knitter's ADD lately, and I'm finding it hard to focus on any one project. This weekend I picked up a cardi that's been sitting neglected for a while and added a few rows.


I'm ready to start a set of decreases. It's turning out a little larger than I thought it was going to, but it think it will be fine in the end. I know I'll wear this sweater a lot, but it's not very exciting to knit at this point. Lots of stockinette and a small gauge--good for TV and movies though!

The neck has a rolled edge, one of my favorite details...


It was really a stretch for me to get a few good photos today. For one thing, our apartment is a total disaster. I'm a very bad housekeeper--it's really quite sad. We are having guests in a few weeks though, so at least it will be clean soon!

Also, it's really hard to photography yourself. I do have a tripod, but I was feeling lazy. For each of these three photos, there were about six others that were blurry, made me look like I had a double-chin, etc. Not very flattering.

Then there were photos like this one...


... which seems to have focused more on the wall behind me! That is a watercolor I did in college--it's actually a copy of, I believe, a Ralph Going's painting. I always loved photorealism, but it's not easy to capture that style in watercolor!

Plays, Plays, Plays -- and a Snicket Update

I have been busy lately, not neccesarily with knitting though. Last Saturday we went to see two plays. It was a bit much for one day, but it was fun anyway. My husband works in the theater business, so we see a lot of plays.

The second play was at Cal Shakes, which has an outdoor ampitheater. They have such a beautiful setting there.


The picture really doesn't do it justice. It is set in the East Bay hills, and there is a lovely picnic grove in the other direction. We've been there three times this summer, but haven't actually picnicked apart from wine (a must!) and snacks. It gets pretty chilly there--you can see the fog rolling over the top of hills. Plus it's near our favorite Mexican place in Oakland (which is dangerously near a great yarn store).

I have been making progress on my various knitting projects, with not much exciting to show. My purse is all stitched together, except for the handle. It has been sitting in this state for about a week. I just need to suck it up and figure out the crochet trim. What can I say, I'm easily intimidated by crochet!

My Snicket sock is progressing slowly, but surely. I'm doing an alternate heel, inspired by this lovely version. This is a leap of faith for me, as I'm still not the most confidant with sock construction, but it seems to be turning out OK.


I'm ready to pick up stitches for the gusset--cross your fingers for me that it turns out. I'm also slightly concerned that this sock will be a little snug. It's not a very stretchy. I really love this pattern though, so I'm hoping for the best!

Sneak Peek

Lately, I have all I can do to restrain myself from casting on for about a million different projects. There are way too many cute things to knit out there! I usually try not to go too crazy though, or I won't be able to finish anything. My three current projects are all moving very slowly, even though I have been working on them consistently. I think that may be part of the issue.

Earlier this week, I picked up a copy of the new book The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for All Seasons. I have one of their other books, and I've been waiting for this one to come out. This new book has a lot of really cute patterns. I like reading the stories that accompany each pattern, as well.

After looking through the book a few times, I started to wonder if I had any yarn I could use for any of the patterns. (I also started searching the internet for some of the yarns they used, but thankfully I restrained myself!) I had a skein of Cascade 220 leftover from the Two-Toned Ribbed Shrug I made a while ago, and it seemed like it would be a good fit for "Becoming the Bag Lady", a cabled bag.


On size 8 needles, this is moving very quickly. I finished the front in about a night and a half. Tonight, I'm starting the back. Cables are so much fun to knit, especially simple ones like these that don't require too much concentration.

I'm not sure how practical a purple, handknit bag will be, but I'm loving the instant gratification!