Snooze N Cruise (SNC) is this weekend for my sailing club. I always look forward to SNC, it may rain, but I don't really care.

I am bringing my pink Cotton-Ease yarn to work on the 'Apricot Sweater.'

Last night I did something "empowering." I replaced the float mechanism in my toilet all by myself. If you need a plumber, I charge $200 per hour.

This plant cheered me up Wednesday... I hope I can remember to water it as it wants. I need to pick up some Miracle Grow also. I don't want to be a plant killer!!


I am moving along on the cabled baby bootie - it's going to be so cute, that people who see it will not be able to stop themselves from going "Awwww, how cute!"

I've been experimenting with different ways to hold my needles so not to rub my nerve. Also, I forgot to mention a knitting incident. When I was working on this on Monday, I tugged it upward to gain more yarn slack and poked my eye with one of the needles! I was shocked for a moment and was relieved at my luck for not puncturing my eyeball! I'll tell you, knitting is an extreme sport. Watch out.

And... I have a FO! I introduce to you Mr. Sheep. There is no plan for Mr. S, but he is full of stuffing and ready to do whatever sheep toys are meant to do. I think he needs to take a walk on the green grass outside pretty soon. He is a little disabled, his back legs flop down like he would rather be sitting.


Last item of news: I got past my hang up with my NW lace shawl!!!! I just had to follow the pattern more literally I guess. What helped me was I put a stitch marker after every repeat (18 times) so I could see what was happening. Big sigh of relief!

My fingertip is still a little numb. I tried knitting with those needles again and found the needle rolls hard along this part of my finger, causeing a nerve to be "pinched."



Maybe if I wear a tube of material around that spot it will help? I tried hold the needle against ny fingertip, but it rolls dow to that spot again. I am blaming this all on metal needles. They are a curse. I hope the baby that wears these pretty socks won't be cursed!

Last night I started a swatch for the Apricot Sweater and haven't had a chance to see how it went.

Lucky me, J moved my hard drive to the Shuttle. This little PC is the size of 2.5 Seattle phone books stacked up. My flat screen monitor sits on top. The best part about the Shuttle is that it is so quiet that I can leave it on all the time instead of having to turn it off every time I am done with it. It's worth that entirely.

I have a numb fingertip! I started the cabled baby booties from the newest Interweave Knits and since I am using size 0 metal dpns, I am really hoping this clears up, because it's no fun! The bootie will be super cute, I'll just have to pace myself or maybe find a new way to hold the needles.

I stopped by Hancock Fabrics today and got my strawberry cream 'Cotton-Ease' for the Rebecca Magazine No. 27 sweater I have been drooling over. Karen in the eastside group made it an now I have to also!
I also went to Costco today - I meant to look at digital cameras but didn't. Instead I got snacks, "The Joy of Cooking," and ate a polish saugage with sauerkraut. I was eying the 450 watt KitchenAid mixer. It was the best brice I've seen. I really don't need to be making more baked goods though. Or do I? I hear it kneads bread for you. That's nifty, especially since I don't have counter space to knead dough.

Tonight I am going to go to Innebandy alone, I don't think that J can run very well since he hiked to Camp Muir on Sunday. I am eager to try out the new professional floor hockey balls I ordered. It will be fun.

Did I mention that my PC at home died? It seems dead anyway... I think I killed it. I saw the powerstrip plug as hanging out of the plug a tiny bit, so I pushed it it better and that turned off my PC. Now it won't turn on! I assume my hard drive is OK, so I'll be transfering it to "Shuttle." My silent PC upgrade as soon as I get the guts to take the covers off.

Other fun stuff: Saw Poncho Sanchez and his Latin band Friday night.
Taught sailing all weekend...
Ate at Tutta Bella - "best pizza in Seattle" - very YUM!

Last night (unrelated to my PC problems) the power went out in the condo complex, and who know how much further down the block. I was in the dark for 2 hours! I lit all my candles and started knitting on a long put aside project.

I did 10 rows on my Branching Out scarf and sewed together my sheep ears.

I e-mailed Fibertrends and there is no problem. Sounds like I have a personal issue I can't overcome with this shawl. So sad.

It's gorgeous out today - afterwork I am going to attempt to jog a 5K at the Bellevue Park loop. Maybe my headphones will keep me entertained. I am tempted to get the Sandisk mp3 player, it looks better than the iPod Shuffle. My cheapo radio is lame and distracting.

I've picked out my dream digital camera and have made a deal with myself that for each day I excercise, I get $10 towards it. For now I can only dream of my new Fujifilm Finepix F10.

I have finished objects!!

My clapotis turned shrug




Janell and I pose with our Cable-8 sweaters - we thought they'd be the same, but look how different they turned out!




And, Jen finished her clapotis!


I just need stuffing for my sheep to finish that up... I tried to figure out my problem on my NW shawl last night before bed. the problem is I have the correct # of stitches and the pattern doesn't use them all! I need to look for corrections.

I finally got the coolest wedding photo from Leslie. I was in her wedding last July and here we are posing as "bad girls" in the bathroom of Gonzaga University. Isn't it perfect how the bathroom matches our dresses? Or maybe she meant for us to coordinate with the bathroom...

I finished up Clapotis #2 last night am a almost done sewing it together to be a shrug. It will still work as a scarf, if I don't put my arms through it.

A photos of Mara, Leslie & I before we left Spokane this weekend.



Mara reports the socks on circulars is easy peasy! I look forward to trying it!

I worked on sewing up my sheep toy last night. He's a little big, but that's OK. I'm not quite sure how his face fits on, but it will come to me.

I made it on the permanent Innedandy list - so from now on, every Tuesday I'll be playing floorhockey and getting a great workout.

Lots of knitting and some decent progress this weekend.

I am VERY far on my Clapotis #2 which I've decided to make into a shrug since it's too wide and bulky for a summer scarf.

My Carla sweater sleeves are not good. They are too wide. I will have to alter the pattern for them to fit correctly I guess. Bummer.

We went to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho just to visit a knitting store. It was sort of worth the trip and it was fun just checking out the little cute main street they have.
Mara and I each got a 24" #2 circular needle to share a set for making 2 socks on 2 circular needles at the same time. It's our own mini co-op!
I also picked up the Felted Clogs pattern I've been meaning to buy.
Leslie got some cute pink polar weight yarn to make her first hat. She almost finished before we headed back to Seattle.
We also found out there is a better knitting store in Spokane than we thought and will have to return to Spokane to visit Leslie again and check out that store.

I am now sewing my sheep toy together. I am not crazy - the pattern is wrong in the beginning. When I fold the sheep in half - one of the back legs was wrong - it should have been a mirror image. So... I cut it off and knit it on in the reverse direction. Since this is seed stitch, it shows, but at this point, I just want to finish it up.

This afternoon I'll be riding to Spokane and knitting on Carla. As a fall back project I've brough Clapotis #2 and started the Branching out scarf from the new Knitty. I don't know why I had to start ANOTHER project at lunch yesterday. The great thing about my habit of starting new projects is that it's with yarn I already have - I didn't go out and buy it. So no harm done. This is the year of the de-stash and I'm in deep.

I am so close to the end of my sheep body and now have another logic hangup. I really wish I had a better photo of these sheep pieces to go off... that would really help. The first hurdle was passed by just letting it be and later it was visible that it was OK.

I'll be knitting in the car on the way to Spokane, WA tomorrow afternoon. I think I'll be bring 5 projects to ensure I don't get stuck without a working project.

For now - I am heading out to lunch to work on Carla sleeves.

My friend Jen has a blog now... only one entry so far. MSN is eager to catch the blog-train.

Yesterday I was determined to get the last piece (was first piece) of my sheep toy done. I found that I have followed the pattern exactly and it just doesn't look right! So frustrating. I will bring it tonight to SNB and hopefully someone can point me in the direction of sanity.

Playing Innebandy last night helped clear my mind, but was totally exhausting. It was 3 on 3 and no substitues! 1 hour of running on the court really tucked me in. Good news, I made 2 goals!! I am totally loving this sport. J's tips in practice before the game help a ton. My private coach is such a star ;) Now I just need to save up for my own stick...It's called the "Canadien Avenger." I think I'm ready for 'elite' level ;) For now, I am ordering 4 balls to donate to the team bag and a DVD.

Friday - dinner and knitting with the girls was had at my place. I have all the Sheep Toy parts finished except the main body. I'll have to restart that piece, since the haunches don't seem right.

The rest of my knitting time this weekend was spent on 'Carla.'

Saturday we moved J's 16' Prindle Catamaran (un-named boat) to the UW storage lot at the WAC. I was a haven for spiders at Sand Point Sail before we moved it. Hopefully the UW spiders won't be as fat. I am voting to name the cat "Tiki Party." But J didn't know what tiki meant.



Portia and I painted this crest yesterday - what a project! It turned out great. I am sure our sorority will appreciate their alumni even more now. I am so thankful for her mom's projector and me being able to get a good image and being able to print it to transfer paper.

Here is my feedback on the Cable-8 pattern from Interweave Knits...

I stopped about 6 rows short, mine was becoming too long.

The first time I crocheted the edges it was a little loose, crocheting those crocheted seams together gave the effect shown on the top



on the bottom is where I crocheted on the edge EVERY OTHER stitch rather than every stitch. Then I whip stitched the seams together rather than crochet them together. (I did crochet the shoulder seams together as called for)

See the difference!


Next I tried the crochet edge on the sleeve... I might have done it too loose, but I think it looks much nicer without any edging. The single crochet that went over that area on the sides looks fine for finishing. I am leaving it without any more crochet.
Here is a photo of one side crochet, and other without



If you are making this an think that it might be a little snug when you hold the first piece up to you, no worries, the crochet edging adds an inch to each side. Mine fits just right. Also consider not crocheting anything except one round of the arm holes after finishing like a normal knit garment. I'm not sure I see the benefit of crocheting all edges. At the shoulders, the cables don't connect with the crocet interupting at the seam.

I started ANOTHER project last night. The Sheep Toy from Rowan Book 28
I wish I could see an example better than the photo from the book. It's hard to see the back legs, which is where I am uncertain that it is working correct.

I am already confused, I really didn't want another project that I got hung up on.

Carla is still going well though. I just am not sure how I am going to alter the arm pit yet. More challenges face me.

I started my Tech Writing class last night- it should be good. My group project is to explain very simply how to install new memory into a PC.

Tonight...more Innebandy (floorball).

Angela and I displaying our Cool-Aid dyed yarn yesterday.



Mmmmm.... Smells like CHERRY!

I am moving nicely along on Carla, I am excited that the gauge is right on. I like how the yarn is working out also. It's ONline - Linie 15 - Orlando in Graphite.

I have crocheted my Cable-8 together - but the crochet makes the side seam really bulky. I think I am going to re-edge the sides with a tighter tension and hand stich them together rather that crochet them together. I like the neckline though. Many loose ends to hid - not looking forward to that part.

I dyed 2 skeins of Merino Style - FOG with Black Cherry/Blue Rasberry. They turned out pretty - a light red. I think they can become socks.

I checked out the Hilltop Yarns Sale and was surprised it wasn't crowded. They had a lot of good discounts, I don't think Rowan yarn is ever cheap enough for me though. I got some striping sock yarn that should be fun and a Rebecca Magazine.

I have a rental car for the week - it's a big one. A Dodge MAGNUM. It's like a futuristic Brady Bunch vehicle. It's so long, the rear windshield looks 20 feet away in the rear-view mirror.

Rain is still in the forecast, so no big plans yet for the weekend.

Tonight I start my "Techincal writing" class. I hope it's not boring. Maybe if I sit FAR in the back I could knit - I don't think that's likely though.

Scary: I have 9 projects in progress at the moment. Lock away my yarn!!

I've finished the knitting on my Cable-8, now it's crochet from here on out. I'm not as confident in my crochet skills, but it will happen.

Last night I went to my condo's annual meeting and am SO glad I brought a knitting project! I would have been in torture without. It was interesting hearing the banter of miscommunication and accusations over an amendment. It's too bad only 23% of the owners were represented, it could have gotten really roudy!
I started another clapotis, it's all I could come up with at the last minute. I am using a pink cotton on size 10. I will again make it skinny and this will be great for summer, OR a gift :)

After I got home, since I had gotten my yarn out, and wanted to put away some stuff, I ended up STARTING another sweater! Carla from Rowan - I am using a linen tape. It's actually knitting up pretty nice. I decided to start on the sleeve and have no idea if my gauge is correct since the gauge is given in pattern. We'll see.

Another rainy weekend ahead. I see yarn dying on my horizon! I am going to turn a mauve pink yarn to red with Kool-Aid. And some white yarn to something creative.

Tonight is "Hotel Rwanda" at the Big Picture in Seattle. My favorite movie theater.