So here we are. Two months later. I'm a random blogger. I'm okay with that now.

Here are the rest of my squares.

Entrelac

A Granny Square pattern from the Lion Brand site

Circles to Squares, also from the LB site

Yarn blending

More yarn blending

A Mario mushroom from a chart I found on Rav

My own random creation

Same Granny Square pattern

I think they turned out pretty good! 

Squuuuuuaaaaare ONE!

Please, someone else tell me you remember this...

*cue music*

This was probably the most interested in math I ever was or will ever be again in my life.


Today's video brought to you by my first square in the Rainbow Connections swap on Ravelry.

It didn't really take any time to knit up, except for the mitered corners. I wasn't sure how many stiches to pick up. Remember, math is not really my strong point, despite my dogged devotion to Square One as a child.... I mostly just liked the songs....
After a few tries I was happy with the result. A purple single crochet border really rounded things off and made it neat.
I'm not a big fan of my color sequence, however. I didn't really think it through before going for it and also, since this is my first square, I wasn't sure how the colors would look together. The yellow really stands out. In future squares I'm going to try and use this to my advantage, as I fear it could be a distraction.
Next square is an entrelac square. I used my garter stitch gauge as a jumping off point for how many stitches to cast on, but seeing how garter is completely different from stockinette and how entrelac itself is just plain weird, I have no idea what the actual gauge will be. I guess we'll find out! :-)

Just in case you were wondering...

... I still exist! Isn't it crazy how the days fly by? And how things change? I was reading back at the begining of the blog, and in January, I had plans to blog every week (didn't happen), move to Colorado (on the back burner), and publish my knit wear designs (might still happen).
I got a really great raise in March, which allowed for extended stay in California. Forever? I'm not sure. I really fell in love with the Springs when I was there and can't wait to go back in September.

Me at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, CO March 2010

My best friend Stacia and I at Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, CO March 2010

On the knitting front, I made considerable progress on a new sweater in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky, which I really love working with, but then it got way to hot to even consider having a large pile of wool on my lap, so I've set that one aside for now. I went to go back to it the other day and couldn't remember where I was in it, so I will have to return to it when I have a little more time to focus.
For now, I'm involved in two swaps-- a Lion Brand swap and a Vanna's Choice Afghan Swap called Rainbow Connection. For the first one, my partner is from the Bronx and I will send her one item knit with a Lion Brand yarn (already complete!) and then some goodies in the same color. I will post some more details once I've sent it to her, so I know I won't spoil the surprise.
The second one is a little more complicated but super cool. This is how it works:
You join a swap that is open and interesting to you. They have different themes like George Clooney (manly colors) or Carribean (tropical colors).
Idealy it is you and twelve other people. You each make 12 squares in the colors designated and send one to each person. Then, at the end, you have twelve and sew them all together and have a blanket-- tada!
Before all this swapping madness, I had kind of fallen behind in my knitting. Here are the last few things I made:

A handbag with a badly sewn zipper

A cotton teddy bear with a big heart

A hat, also with a big heart.

That's all for now...

Two Sweaters

Gosh, where does the time go? Manybe I should revise my goal to blogging once a month, as that seems to be the trend here. I also will not be moving to Colorado this year, but possibly next year, as we are attempting to save up some money.

In recent news, I have finished my first sweater! It actually only took me about ten days to knit, and that wasn't even working on it every day. The fact that I used size 13 needles might have helped! The yarn wasn't the fanciest--Lion Brand Hometown USA, which is 100% acrylic--however, it worked up really nice and was super soft and drapey after I washed it. I really just wanted the expirience of sweater-making without the huge investment and I think it turned out pretty well. Of course, the temperatures are now in the 80's in beautiful Southern California, but oh well. It will be nice for next winter and also for next week, when I fly to Colorado Springs to see Stacia! Woo!



While browsing sweaters on Ravelry, I came upon this beauty. I have to say, this is a really impressive piece of knitting. Instarsia is kind of tricky in the first place, but facial renderings are especially difficult. Just in case you wanted to have a giant picture of President Obama's face on your chest-- now you can! My question is... why would you want to?

Equally impressive is this guy. A true feat of not only knitting, but design skill. Although I am not an active supporter of our President or his policies, I am almost tempted to try this one, just to see if I could do it.

"Obama-rama" sweater designed and knit by Laura Birek. "Inspiration" scarf designed and knit by Laura Chamberlain.

What've you been doing lately?

After a long and frustrating battle with fair-isle gloves (which I eventually lost), my knitting life has enjoyed a vibrant resurgance in the past few weeks. For Valentine's Day, Husband recieved a hat, made in two hours no less!
I used Wool-Ease Thick and Quick, which I have decided is my new favorite yarn because it is both super soft and super SUPER fast! I actually made two hats between the evening of the 13th and Valentine's Day-- on the first one I somehow calculated the gauge wrong and ended up with a hat that was 30" in circumfrance! No one has a head that big! So, I ripped it back and whipped out this baby in no time flat.

Also for Valentine's day, I crocheted this little envelope. It's really not that exciting, except that I had asked a question about it on a Ravelry board and it was answered in Episode 60 of Yarncraft. I thought that was pretty cool-- Hey Mom, they said my name on a podcast! I put two little Reeses Hearts in it and gave to my Honey along with the hat. I'm not exactly sure what he's going to do with a purple crocheted envelope, but I'm sure he'll come up with something creative.

Going back to the end of January, I made these little handwarmers out of some amazing expensive yarn that was given to me on Ravelry. It's a wool-silk blend, which makes them delicously soft and super warm. They're a little delicate, however and don't handle my everyday wear and tear very well. I am a little rough on garments. I'll have to be more gentle with them. Maybe give them a nice bath in some wool soak.

My next big project a sweater. I know, I know, a sweater is big and scary, but I am using fast yarn and big needles, so at least if it's aweful I won't have slaved over it for months just to discover that it won't fit. I'm using Lion Brand Hometown USA in color Washington Denim. It's kind of slate blue. I think I like it, but by the end of the project, I'll either love it or think it's the ugliest color ever. We'll have to see how it goes. I'm also not using a super-fancy expensive yarn for the same reason stated above-- at least if it sucks, I won't have wasted yards and yards of precious fiber. This sweater is kind of a test run. If it turns out well, maybe I'll try a nicer yarn and more sophistocated patern.

That's all. Diego and Carmel say goodnight.

There's No Place Like Dome

...and other innovative ways to decorate your small space.

Culva Canopy Bed $1,790
rusksliving.com

Super cool. Not particularly practical. Also, if you can afford this bed, you can afford a bigger apartment. Seriously.

FUSION table and 4 chairs $299

ikea.com

Affordable and cute. It kind of looks like a little box when all of the chairs are pushed in. It's a bento box table!

Multi Pack Desk and Hutch $251

morehome.com

I definitely need a desk like this. It would be slightly cooler if it had drawers. However the green color puts you an instant state of zen, causing you to overlook any shortcomings.

Goal Updates

1. Move to Colorado. I have set definite dates for my first visit and Husband and I have begun to call moving companies to get a hold on how much it will cost to move all of crap across the country. I must say I was really shocked. It starts at $1100 and goes up from there. Maybe we sell all of our worldly possesions and live in solidarity with the poor for the first few months.

2. Develop and publish my own yarncrafting designs. I have been making preliminary sketches and done some preliminary swatching as well. I have several good ideas--my biggest obstacle now is being able to afford the yarn for my prototypes. Finding the right yarn is tricky, too, because I have some very specific colors and gauges in mind, so finding the yarn that fits the bill can be a challenge. Also, I have been watching Project Runway. I'm not sure how that relates, but I thought it could count towards my goal in a designer-y way.

3. Blog once a week. We're here, aren't we? My cats knocked over a glass of water near my camera dock, so the pictures might not happen for a while, but I can still entertain you all with my dazzling wit.