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!

Don't Eliminate Me, I'm Knitting!

Earlier this week we went to see a Giant's game, and my husband failed to mention that it was Stitch and Pitch Night! Actually, we were in the stadium for a while before I realized what was going on. It wasn't until they showed some knitters on the scoreboard screen, that I figured out what was happening.

So I didn't bring any knitting, but I'm not good at knitting in public anyway. I get too distracted by everything else that's going on. It was pretty interesting anyway though...


Also nearby was a woman who had knit her whole family matching hats...


I couldn't get a picture of the actual knitter, but she was was wearing a handknit scarf in Giant's colors as well. My pictures are really bad. Blame it on a couple of beers and low-light conditions--not a good combination.

I only saw one other knitter in my immediate vicinity--I think most of the knitters may have been concentrated in a special area. They showed a group knitting Giant's baseball gloves at one point. It was pretty funny.

My Snicket sock is progressing slowly. This pattern requires a lot of attention, but the result is very impressive. At least I think so!


The yarn is one I had never heard of before: Rio de la Plata. It is kettle-dyed in Uruguay. I love the subtle color variation you get in yarn dyed in this way.

My one annoyance with these socks is the needles. They are Addi DPNs, and they are just too long. It's makes for very awkward knitting, especially on such small needles. I don't have many smaller size DPNs, so I may have to invest in some if the sock knitting is going to continue!

Socks to Keep Me Warm

My socks are finished... just in time to keep my warm during another cold, foggy stretch! Actually, I shouldn't complain too much--we have had a few nice days here and there. Last Saturday it was in the 70s, and it felt like a heat wave. Plus, it's getting closer to September every day, and I hear that's when it starts getting summery here.

I probably obsess about the weather a little too much (my husband thinks so!), so I will move on to the socks.


Pattern: Diagonal Rib Socks from Knitting Daily
Yarn: Koigu KPPPM
Needles: US1 DPNs

I enjoyed everything about these socks. The pattern was easy to memorize and follow, and the yarn was beautiful. I love the tonal variations, and the socks are so warm and soft. This was my first time using Koigu, and I'll definitely use it again. In fact, I've already picked up some more:)


My least favorite part is always the kitchener stitch. I'm never quite sure if I'm doing it correctly. I followed the directions, so I will just have to assume I did it right. The toes haven't fallen apart on any socks I've knit yet--I guess that's a good sign!


My only disappointment is that I have so much yarn left over. I didn't have nearly as much as the pattern suggested, so I took 3 inches off each leg. I could probably have gotten at least another inch out of what I have left. I'm not sure what I can do with such a small amount--maybe I'll make an iPod cozy or something.

I've definitely been bit by the sock bug after knitting these. In fact, I've already cast on for another pair!

Lots of Knitting Going On!

I've been doing a lot of knitting over the past few days. My husband has been feeling under the weather (that's actually a major understatement!) with some wisdom teeth issues, so we have been hanging around the house trying to relax. We never made it to the play last weekend (somewhat of a relief since it was cold and drizzling) or did much of anything, actually!

I managed to add a few inches to my cardi. I was so happy to set aside the sleeves--that made for much quicker knitting. The rest of the body should move fairly quick.

I also began my second Diagonal Rib Sock. The leg is progressing quickly thanks to the easy to remember pattern. I'm looking forward to wearing those socks soon!

One thing that is slowing me down on both of these projects though: the new scarf I cast on for...


The pattern is the Trellis Scarf from the Spring 2006 Interweave Knits, and the yarn is Malabrigo Lace, which is just amazing! It is so soft. I'm really loving working with it. This is the first time I've used Malabrigo-although I've heard a lot about it's wonderful qualities-and I definitely plan on trying the standard variety at some point.

This is my second lace project, and it's much more challenging than the first, which basically consisted of YOs and K2togs. The pattern for this scarf has a crazy stitch called the "7 into 5 cluster", which is: K7tog, leave stitches on needle, YO, Knit same 7 together again and leave on needle, YO, knit same 7 together once more and slip stitches from needle. Needless to say, it is pretty difficult to K7tog. I had to use a crochet hook to draw the yarn through the 7 stitches. Thankfully, this stitch only appear every 8 rows!

The true color of the yarn is closer to this...

Sort of a strawberry color

I realized last night that all my current projects are on size 3 or smaller needles. I may need to do something super bulky next. I do have a couple of sweaters that I haven't worked on for a while though, so I if I feel the need for some instant gratification I can always pick up one of those!

Trying to Stay Warm: Summer in San Francisco

The fog has rolled into our neighborhood over the past few day, and it is thick. I never saw fog like this until I moved to San Francisco. The fog here is usually pretty high , and you can see it moving through the air in thick wisps (it's a little ghostly). When it's really thick it hangs at street level, and you can feel a fine mist when you walk through it (which makes for a lot of bad hair days).


This is a view from our living room window. Our apartment is at the back of the building, and on a clear day you can see the ocean (20+ blocks away) and off the the right you can see Golden Gate Park (a couple blocks away). Our current view is about one block out.

As you might imagine, it's pretty chilly. Perfect weather for staying inside with a cup of tea and some knitting! This morning I finished my first Diagonal Rib Sock.


I'm really happy with how it turned out. This fit is perfect, snug but not tight, and I love the subtle variation in the yarn. I shortened the leg portion of sock by several inches, because I wasn't sure I'd have enough yarn. I could have added at least an extra inch though--I have a sizable amount left over. Now I just need to knit the second sock and at least my feet will be warm.

Tonight we are going to see an outdoor play. We went to see Richard III at the same place about a month ago, and it was freezing. People were wearing down jackets, wool hats and mittens. We were totally unprepared (it was June--summer is supposed to be hot!), but thankfully we had a blanket in the trunk of the car.

I'll be ready tonight. This will be a good excuse to wear some of my handknits. There's nothing quite like alpaca in July. I may end of looking like a miss-matched dork, but at least I'll be warm!

A Little Progress

The past two weeks have been really busy. Our friends were in town from Chicago, so we had a lot of fun hanging out and showing them around. While they were here, we headed up to Mendocino/Fort Bragg--another beautiful California area!

We spent a lot of time in the sun, and I got burned a few times. Anytime I'm in the sun for more than half an hour, even with sunblock, I will burn. I know it's bad when strangers start commenting. Now I'm peeling, and it's not a good look!

I have managed to get a little knitting done. My cardi is coming along--I'm almost ready to join under the arms.


I really like knitting anything in the round, especially from the top down. I am at my least favorite part though. It seems like there are a million stitches in every row, and it's taking forever. Only an inch or so to go until I set aside the sleeve stitches. I'm getting impatient!

Beginnings of a Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan

After finishing my scarf, I wanted to start a new project, something big. By big, I mean a sweater. Although I have a few big projects going already (one of which I'm thinking about restarting), I wanted to use some of my new yarn. So yesterday I cast on for Marilyn's Not-So-Shrunken Cardigan from Knit and Tonic.


Not the greatest photo, but it is a top-down raglan and smooshed onto a 24" needle, so there's not much room to spread it out. I'm using Silky Tweed and really enjoying it so far. It's a soft pink with bits of hot pink, white, orange and a touch of grey.

I had to go down three needle sizes to get gauge! Generally, I start out by going down two sizes (apparently, I'm a very loose knitter), but three is a lot. I think I've mentioned before how much I hate swatching, but I really hate ripping more, so I tend to do mini 1-inch swatches, 2 at the max. This method hasn't really failed me yet, so I don't foresee any 4-inch swatches in my future.

Yesterday was spent reading, watching movies and starting my cardi. It was the perfect day!

At Long Last.... Finished Silk Lace Scarf

I can't believe this scarf took me a month and a half to knit. Every time I worked on it I seemed to make a lot of progress. I just never really seemed to get anywhere. Scarves are just not very exciting to knit--even lacy, silky ones.

Pattern: Silk Lace Scarf by Darlene Joyce from the Stitch and Bitch Calendar
Yarn: Shadyside Studio Wools Raw Silk

This was my first time knitting lace, and I really enjoyed it. I picked the perfect pattern--it really was simple. It's the perfect kind of lightweight scarf that I'll be able to wear year round.

The yarn was very nice as well--my first time knitting with 100% silk. Very decadent. The especially nice part is that I have enough left over to make another (small) project.

All in all, I'm very happy with my scarf, although I can see by the photo that I need to trim the ends of the fringe:)


Last weekend we ventured out to Mt. Tamalpais for a little hiking. (Happily, everyone refers to it as Mt. Tam, because I still haven't figured out how to pronounce that.) We left our chilly neighborhood all bundled up, but by the time we finally made it to the top it was, as they say, hotter than the blazes. Whew... I've grown accustomed to constantly being chilly, so it was a bit of a shock to the system.

The views were amazing, albeit a bit hazy. If you maximize the picture, you can probably make out San Francisco in the top right corner. This shot is looking toward the bay; the ocean view was even more hazy. I can only imagine the views from there on a clear day--it must be absolutely amazing.