I was packing up all my knitting goodies - preparing to start Lucetta on Christmas Eve...I double checked the pattern one last time to make sure that I'd be bringing everything I need.

I did have everything, but the tension gauge indicated that the yarn should be doubled.

I was doubtful that if I didn't have enough for Glad that I would have enough for Lucetta.

So, I left it all at home and went on my way with my two almost finished projects.

On the drive, I finished Wright. I couldn't wait to try it on, so I switched tops in the car. It's so cute!

And this past week as I was finishing up the Drops Cabled Cardigan, I got nervous that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish the piece, so I bought the LAST skein from Elann. It's on it's way with the knit.1 with the boatneck sweater that I've been coveting.

The body of the cardigan looks good, but the sleeves look horrible. I'm going to rip them out to the where the cable pattern stops and re-knit them. I knit them a size too big, plus I may improvise and make use less increases.

I started Dave's UCLA scarf:

And I started the Starfish Shawl! CO 730 stitches - join in the round - being careful not to twist the stitches - and cross your fingers and hope for the best - because it was a crap shoot with all of those stitches squished on to a 24" cable. Yikes!!

getting it wright

My Glad wrap has been set aside, alas I will not have enough yarn. *sigh*


I'm going to rip it out and try Lucetta, from Rowan Studio 4.

Mind of Winter posted on Ravelry that she used only less than 800 yards to complete hers!
I'll be printing out and using her pattern corrections faithfully! >>thank you!!<<

I'll be doing that as soon as I get done with Wright.


Which I have had to rip and now re-rip
to-get-the-decreasing-"every other RS row"-but-not-really-because-I'm-knitting-it-in-the-round
twice.

Wet, Garden State

I thought maybe it was just the standard answer for knitters who wanted to knit on planes, but apparently it's the standard answer for astonished travelers who sit next to knitters on planes.

A gentleman with a thick New Jersey accent said, "They let you bring those one the plane?!"
I said, "Yes, you're the third person to ask me that."
He said, "They don't let you bring a FRIGGIN bottle of water on the plane, but you can bring those."

And even though I was using two sticks, I overheard a man behind me telling his friend that I was "crocheting." He then nudged me and said, "They let you bring those on the plane?!"

I was making great progress on my projects until I realized that I failed to bring the additional circulars with me that I needed to continue....

home sweet home

life is busy
I don't blog much because I don't knit that much
but this should get you up to speed

we went to LA yesterday for a baby shower
I made booties, but forgot to take a picture, anyway, the important thing here is that after the party, I went to Wildfiber!

When I saw that picture on their website yesterday, I said outloud, "Holy crap."

That place is amazing. Natasha came up to me and commented on my Chevron Scarf.


I originally bought Koigu to go with with it, but found some Nature's Palette that worked better.
So I brought my Koigu


with me in hopes that I could find it a friend.
We did!



I want to make some socks and want to strategically incorporate this bit of color somewhere....I'm thinking maybe the top part of the foot. TBD... And note to self...want to try Magic Loop Cast On and garter stitch toes and heels!!

I also found a great Rowan Studio Issue 4 pattern book.
I particularly like Iras and Portia!

I also got birthday presents for my sister-in-law, but I can't say what they are because she reads this blog! :-)

They had some Socks That Rock there, and I deliberated over it, but wasn't in love with the colors that they had, so I stepped a w a y from the STR.

It felt so good to be back in LA. I remember the first time that my uncle drove me there. The minute we got in to Santa Monica, I felt instantly at ease, like it was where I had always belonged. The minute my feet touch the ground there, all is right in the world.

As I left Wildfiber, I saw a guy was riding his bike down the street. He seemed to have all of his worldly posessions attached to this bike. I noticed him right away because he had a Home Depot plastic gallon container turned upside and attached to the front of his handlebars. As he was riding along, he was playing his "drum."

I got sidetracked in Santa Monica by a pair of shoes. [They didn't have my size :-( ]

And finally made it to A Mano Yarn Center.

It was much smaller than I had imagined - they had a lot of great yarns. They had the laceweight Malabrigo which was so incredibly soft I thought I was going to faint.

I found a better yellow for Dave's UCLA golf club covers.



The new Cascade is a little more yellow than the Elann yarn that we bought, which is more gold.

And as I was getting ready to check out, I noticed that they had some Lorna's Laces. And I almost plotzed when I saw that they had the Tuscany color way. Did I ever mention that I met Lorna.

In Oakland she came up to the Argosy booth and said, "Hi I'm Lorna Miser, I just wanted to introduce myself." We were replied, "Hi. Nice to meet you."

We had no idea who she was, just thought she was being nice.

Then she says, "I'm Lorna Miser. From Lorna's Laces."

And we like, "HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh My G-d! HI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Bowing ensued and we were completely star struck. :-)

She complimented Melissa on her yarn and Melissa was over the moon. It was pretty fantastic!

I told Lorna that I had really wanted to buy her Tuscany colorway for my trip to Italy this past year. She told me that she made the colorway for a friend, who was going, or had been... I can't remember which...

In any case, I couldn't leave the store without it.



I'm thinking maybe I'll make another Clapotis out of it, *crossing fingers,* and hopefully this one won't felt.


You like the shawl closure*? I designed it and my dad handcrafts them! They're made out of different woods, lots of different colors. And they're for sale! If you're interested let me know, I can post more pictures. Or wait to see and touch at Stitches - we'll be there!

* This shawl closure is a one of a kind - he got his hands on some ebony and only made two. The other one was a special order.

When I was checking out, Shannita commented on my Chevron Scarf. She said, "You got that here, right?" And I said, "No, actually, I've never been here before. I'm from Orange County, and wanted to come here because I met Jerry/Twisted Knitster when he came in to La Petite, when I was working there, and I read his blog and he always mentions your store."

We had a brief conversation about a few yarn stores that are closing, she mentioned that someone had come in to the store and bought the same color combination for the Chevron Scarf,about more men knitting, her store being filmed, and the upcoming Knitty Gritty shows on men knitting. You GO BOYS!!

And last but no least, I am busy working FT...but, I do knit, really, I do.

I finished my self-striping socks. And I am working on the two most tedious projects EVA.

Glad - I'll let you know if I'm glad I started this project or not. Subtituting Argosy Haiku 2-ply (cashmere/silk) in Pale Wedgeood for the KidSilk Haze.



And a Drops Cardigan in Alpaca.