confession time

I went to the Purlescence sale yesterday. I was trying to stay away, but I was holding out hope that All Seasons Cotton would be on sale, so I could get some to make Manon. It wasn't, but I found some Maizy  and Puffin that I liked, for socks and a baby blanket, respectively. Then I broke down and go the All Seasons Cotton too. I am accumulating sweater quantities of yarn. I need to get on the ball and start knitting sweaters faster.

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I am not sure who will get the Puffin blanket. My friend who is currently pregnant is more of a natural fibers person. I might make her a Moderne Log Cabin blanket, like the one I made for Stefan, from Pakucho. Someone else will get pregnant for me to make them a blanket, I'm sure.

I also wore my Tomato yesterday. I was going to wear it on Friday for HK, but Friday is preschool day with Stefan and I didn't really want paint and/or play dough or any of the other things the preschoolers were like to smear on it.


So while I was at Purlescecne, I picked Sandi and Nathania's brains about fit adjustments. Sandi measured my shoulders and helped me measure bust in the front versus the back, so I know how much more fabric I need. I noticed in wearing the Tomato that the shoulders are slightly too big and that the side "seam" where the shaping is gets pulled forwards and the sweater bags slightly in the back. I have a lot of adjusting to do! I think that Cookie was right recently when she pointed out that since I change patterns so much, maybe I should just start from scratch. I am going to get some knitwear design books out of the library and do that sometime soon, I think. I hope. You know, in my copious free time!

I seem to have a touch of startitis, so here's a shot of the Montego Bay Scarf that I started in BMFA Bambu. It's soft and lovely and I have no idea what I'm going to do with it.

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ripe tomato!

I finished my Tomato tee today! (Ravelry project details.) I'm very pleased with it. I have to say that I was a bit anxious how it would turn out when I tried it on before washing it. It just looked droopy and not very flattering.

But, Pakucho is magic in the washing machine. All the knitting evens out and it shrinks about 10% into a wearable garment!

I am quite pleased with it. Someday, I think I want to use this yarn to make a long sleeved cardigan. I was going to say cabled, but I already have one of those, so, I'll just have to keep thinking.

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on chocolate tomatoes and bringing things out of hibernation

I am a sneeze away from being done with my Organic Chocolate Tomato tee. I've been quietly knitting away on it. It's hard for me to tell if it's going well, since it will shrink 10% when I wash and dry it the first time. It doesn't look great now, but hopefully that will change. I also have mixed feelings about the colorwork, but I think I will like that much better after washing as well. Washing fixes everything!

The thing washing won't fix is that the ribbing on the one sleeve I finished is too loose. I'm going to reknit it with smaller needles. Cookie helpfully pointed that out to me, but was kind enough to also warn me not to show her my sweaters, because she'll always find something wrong. Duly noted, Cookie!

I have also pulled my Lotus Blossom Tank out of hibernation. It was actually pretty much finished. I had sewn the shoulder seams and just had to finish around the edges and it was done. But, it wasn't right. I did two sets of short rows for the bust and that was too much. In addition, I hadn't knit far enough on the sides so it did some ugly angling things. I ripped back to right before I started the second set of short rows and I'm moving forward. It might even be done in the right season!

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road trip knitting

We drove up to Portland this week to visit family. That's 10 hours of Erik driving for me to knit! Well, I drove for a few hours on the way up, but I did get a lot of knitting done. On the way up, I finished my Mingus socks, knit a couple of fish tawashis for the boys and knit part of a dishcloth that ended up being ripped out. On the way back, I made a lot of progress on my Chocolate Tomato.

long drives are good for knittingfinished socks!fishie tawashi

In other news, the views on the way were amazing. I continue to be astonished by the California landscape.

Then when were in Portland we drove out to see Multnomah Falls and I learned just how gorgeous Oregon's scenery is as well.


The kids brought their umbrellas and were hoping to get splashed by the falls.

niels got a ride downstefan and his "brella"

There are also gorgeous views to be had of the Columbia River Gorge. Of course, the photographs don't do it justice.

Then there was the drive home, which involved snow and below freezing temperatures! Talk about crazy.

snow on our bumperit was 27 F up there

Nuts!

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