Vancouver in Pictures

Parrot tulips at the Granville Island Public Market


Sea turtle drifting by at the aquarium


Dolphins take flight



Granny square bus!

Any Vancouverites out there who can tell me about the crochet bus wrap? I didn't see any text at all on my side of the bus. Just crochet. Info on buses here and here. Thanks Tammy.

Bye!

I'm heading to Vancouver this weekend. I'll be back next week!

New 'Do

Short and sassy*, like me.



*Okay, I'm more like medium and bitchy but whatever.

Doubleknit #17

It's up.

Diminished Diminishing Ribs

Diminishing Ribs has been a pleasingly fast knit so far. On Wednesday night, however, I began the first ribbing (after separating off the sleeves and knitting straight for 4 inches). I didn't have the right number of stitches. After counting everything up I discovered that I hadn't cast on the correct number of stitches under one of the sleeves. It was random and odd and incredibly annoying to have to rip out four inches of the sweater. I'm on the road to recovery now. I will also need to cut off the collar and reknit it when I'm done because it is super-duper-extra-crazy-floppy. I think I'll need to go down at least three or four needles sizes to make it look decent. So with that in mind I'm planning on going down a few needles sizes when I get to the ribbing on the body. This yarn is so slack that it will stretch quite a bit anyway.

Auburn Camp Shirt

Pattern: Auburn Camp Shirt by Chrissy Gardiner, IK Spring 2008
Yarn: Zephyr
Needle: US1 Addi Turbo Lace
Notes: I can't believe it's finally done! Almost a year in the making, this sweater was a slog. I tried to get a modeled shot last night but the camera battery was dead. (Hey kids, when you're done playing with the camera turn it off!)

The only changes I made were to shorten the collar by about half an inch. I thought the original was a little too floppy, Peter Pan-ish. I also made the sleeve tabs 4 stitches shorter because I didn't want them to stick out so much.

Whew. It's done.

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

What the hell happened here?



It looks like someone burned a sweater down and all that's left is this charred wreckage. Someone better board it up before any children or small animals get trapped inside.

What's Up?

The Auburn Camp Shirt is done. Buttons sewn on. Completely, totally done. I don't have pictures. My schedule has been changing lately and I don't have any time during daylight hours to take pictures. Or to blog. I joined a new gym a few weeks ago and am very committed to getting back in shape. I'm doing the Couch to 5k program and am just about done with Week 2. So I won't make any apologies for not blogging as much or as well as usual. Getting fit is more important.

I picked up my Giant Latvian Mitten Cardigan last night after the last ACS button was sewn. I got maybe four rounds done while at knitting last night. It's about 13" long now. Only a few more inches until I cast on the sleeve steeks.

My Diminishing Ribs is growing so fast. It's my at-home-watching-tv knitting and I have less than an inch to go before dividing for the sleeves (it's top-down). Bountiful Bohus will have to wait for this one to finish up I think. Once I get momentum on a project I try to ride it out.

So that's what's new with me. What's new with you?

Interweave Crochet Preview

It's up. There's some seriously cute stuff in there.

I Love You, Sleeve

I picked up my barely-started sleeve for Bountiful Bohus yesterday and took it out with me. I knit on it on and off during the day. Wes and I were planning on going to the movies* and I realized if I could get past the cable rib I could knit the plain part of the sleeve at the theater. When I got home from the movie I was magically exactly where I needed to be to start the increases. I worked on the increases when I got home and now they're all done.



After the creeping pace of the ACS this feel nothing less than miraculous.

I also started Diminishing Ribs from the latest IK. I'm using Cotton Angora from my frogged Mia cardigan. I swatched and got gauge but I'm worried that my ribbing will get a lot looser as I knit. I may just switch needles on the fly.

*We saw I Love You, Man and it was hilarious. It's not (entirely) the infantile, gross out comedy the ads make it seem. It is a little but mostly it's a very funny look at male relationships. It cuts very close to the bone. Possibly too close for Wes who discovered that he and the main character share a bit more in common that he was comfortable with.

I Had My Doubts

It's finally off the needles. It's all knit up and the ends are all woven in. I have my buttons. Hallelujah, it's a miracle. Can I get an amen?

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

Let's talk about the placement of design elements. You have to keep human anatomy in mind. You can't just slap things on a sweater willy-nilly.

This one could have been a cute tree frog instead of a toddler with a serious case of mastitis.



This could have been a "I'm a cute little lamb" onesie. Instead it's a "I'm birthing my first lamb. Someone get the shepherd!" Not right. Just not right.



And who thought "child being devoured by a hippo" was a good look?

Wacky Sheepy-ness

Rebecca alerted me to this bit of fun with sheep via Swiss Miss.



As Wes observed when watching it, "Some people have too much time on their hands."

A Little Thursday on Your Wednesday

It took two days to knit the first cuff for the ACS. If I can squeeze in some serious knitting time today and tomorrow I could possibly have a finished sweater on Friday. Could. Can't promise anything. And I need to wait for Erin to get back from California to school me on sewing on buttons. I'm terrible at it.

So in the meantime I will try to win your love with this. It is the fall runway show for Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. As a lover of Muppets I can't decide if I love it or hate it but either way I'm pretty sure you won't see much else like it. Please don't eat or drink while watching this. I don't want to be responsible for any gunked up keyboards or choking incidents.

Trouble With Twitters

Since I'm only half-way through my first sleeve tab I'll share this very funny animation about Twitter.*

(Enbedded link not working. Video is here.)

*Don't worry, Twitter. I still love you.

In Lieu of Knitting, a Book Review

I finished Kate Atkinson's One Good Turn after months. I enjoyed every moment of it. Atkinson writes wry, funny, miserable, dark stories. I laugh out loud at her narrator's snark. I love her. The book is the second in a trilogy of sorts starting with Case Histories and ending with When Will There Be Good News? I started the third book (a holiday gift from Wes) immediately and am loving it as well.

I should finish the second side of the ACS collar tonight--only half an inch to go. Then on to the sleeve tabs. Inching every so slowly closer to the finish.

Friday Night Video

This video of Elmo and Ricky Gervais is not at all safe for kids but totally hilarious.



via Jezebel

This Might Really Happen

The Auburn Camp Shirt is seamed and looks like an actual sweater. One side of the collar is underway. Little sleeve tabs also need doing.

But I also cast on another sweater. I can't only have sweaters on size 1 and 2 needles around. It's the Bountiful Bohus from More Big Girl Knits. Coincidentally the same designer, Chrissy Gardiner, as the ACS.



Cascade 220 in Vandyke Brown. Ah, simple knits in a big gauge. Can't wait.

Fake News Tidbit

Area Dad Botches 'Princess Bride' Quote

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

I tell you. Fashion Week(s) is like some wonderful gifts that keeps on giving. I have barely scratched the surface and look what's there.







Gentlemen, Thom Browne has some interesting ideas for you for fall. See them all here.

The Classics Endure

via Fail Blog

New Knitty

The new Knitty is up. I didn't get an email...

Doubleknit #16

It's up.

It is Done

The pieces, at long last, are all knit. Now the endless finishing.

Nothing Much. You?

So the Auburn Camp Shirt is making for very dull blogging. I could show you the tiny, little sleeve I've been knitting furiously on but...you don't care. I've started the cap shaping. In fact, I was so excited to start last night that I skipped ahead in the instructions and ended up ripping out about an hour's worth of work. I think I should be able to finish the sleeve tonight at Purlygirls. At least that's what I'm telling myself. Then it will be on to all the seaming of the itty, bitty stitches. And the sleeve hems and the collar. And, and, and.

Wes and I saw Watchmen this weekend. Read the book instead. It's more interesting and has less wooden performances. Oh, and don't bring your children. Some guy brought a little girl into the theater and I wanted to stand up and yell, "Get her out of here!" It's a very, gory, disturbing, violent movie with sex and nudity thrown in too. Leave the kids at home. Please.

Conversations I've Had This Weekend

1)
Younger Son: What's tacoback?
Me: Tacoback?
Older Son: Tapenade!

2)
Older Son: When was Shakespeare alive?
Me: The 1600s.
Younger Son: Were his movies in black and white?

Finding Satisfaction in the Little Things

It doesn't look like much but this is the back, both fronts and one sleeve done with the other sleeve started on the Auburn Camp Shirt. I'm seriously stoked and feeling like I might finish this. Soon even.

I went to the gym three times so far this week. I've got some kind of throat crud today so I'm taking a day off. Also a new Trader Joe's is opening today right next to the gym (same parking lot)and I'm sure it will be insane over there. But that also meant that the Trader Joe's by my house was deserted this morning. Last week I couldn't find a parking spot on Friday morning. This week I got the spot closest to the door. The aisles were clear. I strolled and looked at everything instead of darting in, grabbing essentials and fleeing for my life.

Sometimes really small things make a huge difference.

Thursdays are for What the Hell is This?

I think I'll call this week, "The Layered Look: When Enough is Enough."







Come on, you can do better than that. I can still see the model under there.

Forward Movement

I went to the gym today for the first time in a long time. A seriously long time. Well over a year. I worked out for 45 minutes and feel pretty good.

This means I didn't have time this morning to take a picture of my knitting. If I had had the time I could show you that I finished both fronts and the back of the Auburn Camp Shirt. And I cast on for the first sleeve. I can see an end to this project now which is very exciting.