boo for lack of internet on weekends.

today I’m supposed to be getting my match for the CASP2 over at the knittyboards. no word yet on who I get to spoil on the cheap. then tomorrow, sign ups begin for the what’s your sign? Leo’s ought be worshiped summer fling SP (also at the knittyboards). *sigh* I will find a way to get online tomorrow. ooh, I need to go get some books from the library. hopefully they’re open tomorrow. then my CASP won’t realize that they’ve been neglected and automatically assume I’m the one doing the neglecting.

in other news, I went to the Saint Paul City Ballet’s St Cloud Gala last night. because my Irish dance school was invited to dance there. and they did a beautious job. but really, it was about the ballet dancers. and they were pretty good. the pianist though. omg! he played Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and was amazing. even more amazing - he was 11 years old! I swear, no one in the piano recitals I endured was in as a kid played that well. that boy has talent. (though I would have preferred he played something that didn’t send visions of airplanes and clouds into my mind. damned 80s/90s advertising. which airline was that?)

I’m taking a break from the socks at the moment. they are travelling with me though, so they might yet get worked on tonight. we’ll see. anywho, I’m currently working on the steering wheel cover for the Jetta. my Saturn was purple, and my fav color is purple, so naturally, I bought purple yarn to make it. now, the Jetta, nice as it is, is teal. I’m still making it in purple (though wondering if I should have gone for teal. ah, well, the purple will match the dash lights). I’ve got about 7″ of glorious garter stitch worked since 6:15am (there’d be more if I could type and knit at the same time. alas, I cannot.) I like knitting on larger needles (if it were a sock, I’d have most of the foot done. more details: it’s based on the pattern in the SnBN book (though I don’t actually have the book, so I’ll be faking it. how hard can it be though, honestly?). using Paton’s Allure (think that’s the pattern yarn too). 5″ wide (CO 16 sts) on size 10.5 bamboo. might be done by the time I’m back to work on Tuesday. ooh, wouldn’t that be nice. I could use a FO about now.

so, the other night when I broke the challenge, I went to Needlework Unlimited to use the gift card and work on filling up the punch card. I got 4 skeins of Rowan Denim for Tasha, Barbara Walker’s 3rd stitch dictionary, and a legwarmers pattern by Oat Couture.

Saturday, dh & I went to see Bodyworlds at the Science Museum. it was a really interesting exhibit. (the veins/arteries only ones were really bizarre, but cool at the same time).

anywho, on the trip to the museum, I swatched the Denim. and, like the Svale, I’m getting the required sts in about 3 1/2″ instead of the 4″ it should be. *sigh* let the math begin.

in sock news, I finished the heel of sock #2 this morning on the bus. and it looks TONS better than the first heel. I didn’t really remember what I’d been shown in the class, so I followed the instructions in Sensational Knitted Socks. it turned out wonderful - no holes! so I’m thinking I’ll frog the first heel and make it bee-yoo-ti-ful too. and then I’ll start the cuffs on both of them (well, I’ll probably start the cuff on the 2nd one tonight, cuz there’s nothing else to knit on the bus home).

tonight, I’m going to do one arm/side seam on Eli’s sweater. and maybe the other one too, depending on how things go.

I also need to figure out what I’m doing for my trip down to Madison June 3rd.

ok, finally managed to remember to bring my pics to work so I could upload them.

wool. on a sheep. looks like a cloud, no?

hey, what’s my wool doing over there?

so cute! I think that one’s an alpaca

hehe. I love this one!

bah, bah, black sheep …

check out those horns!

hey, you’re not leaving without me, are you?
(he was standing on the gate as we were leaving)

more sheepy pics in the gallery

I caved. I need to reset the counter (after work, but I thought I’d better document this before I forget). I bought yarn after using my free day for the month. I had to though. Bo Peep’s Wool has Kidsilk Spray in the color I need and exactly the number of balls I needed on sale. so I had to buy it. while I was at it, I bought a few balls of Dale Dalletta on clearance as well. I’ll probably by more when I go book shopping at one of the LYS tonight. Might as well take advantage of the screw up, eh?

the red socks are making some nice progress. I’m finally working the short-row heel on the second sock. and I’ve decided to use one of the cable patterns from Sensational Knit Socks for the cuff on them.

I’ve also started swatching for Calla. I got the Dale Svale in a sort of brown color (I think one site calls the it ‘carmel’), in an attempt to have something that goes with an orange skirt I have. my gauge is off though - I’m trying to decide if I’m better off switching needle size (I like the way it looks on the 5s I’ve used) or trying to rework the pattern to my gauge. I’m also planning to alter it a bit - I want to leave the back plain and make the straps a bit wider (I’m thinking maintain the cable width), and I’m going to try and knit it in the round. seaming is not my friend.

although, I did finally persevere and attached the first sleeve on Eli’s sweater. I think it’s off by a wee bit, but I don’t think it’ll be noticeable once the side seam is finished. yay! I’m hoping to have it done by the end of the week so I can mail it off along with Lilin’s birthday present (and Melanie’s soaps).

in other news, I had a lot of fun at MN Sheep & Wool this weekend, despite the rain. there was lots that I wanted to buy, but it kept ending up in the “but what would I make with it?” category, so I ended up not buying. I did get some handspun sock yarn - one’s a nice solid green and the other is natural with lots of color speckled thru it (as Nancy says, it looks like the inside of a crayon box). should I ever learn to spin, I think the fest will be truly dangerous (I petted some camel ‘wool’ - SO soft). I also got a book on knitted tams that I’d seen and fallen for at one of the LYS - it was on sale, couldn’t pass that up! (Knit Picks palette sampler box is in my future for working those, I think). I also stopped at Sheepy Yarn Shop to check out their anniversary sale. I was again tempted by a lot of yarns, but didn’t end up buying any. I did see a nice lacy cardigan in a brown yarn on display - I think it’s what I’ve been thinking I want to make for wearing over tanks and stuff for work (when the AC gets to be a bit much). so I need to go back and figure that out. I also went to Three Kittens and got the above mentioned Svale and something from Ironridge? and to All About Yarn where I picked up some Malabrigo for the felted basket pattern and some Cascade 220 for the felted snowmen patterns that I bought at Yarnover. (I got a gift card from my boss for my one-year anniversary, I had to put my free-day to good use!)

so many projects - I need to get knitting!