Catching Up!

I kept avoiding posting because I have all these pictures I want to share but really NEED to set up a photo storage account to link to and I really just NEVER take the time to figure all of that out…I mean, I need knitting time here!

That said there’s been a lot going on here in our little world. Pride was the 29th and as usual it was a great day with great friends! Not so great was the mini van that had parked directly behind us blocking our exit…bleh!

Work is very hectic for us both and most evenings we’re exhausted but I still manage to knit. I finished the gargantuan entrelac market bag and took it to my LYS to felt it. I LOVE how it turned out! I’ll post pics later today, I swear! I also finished the purple socks pictured below and I cast on another sock in an absolutely gorgeous yarn by Lorna’s Laces called Hawaii. The pattern for it is here: http://www.knitlist.com/00gift/japanese-feather-socks.htm I’m hoping that the white will really make the pattern pop – the purples and blues are really short segments within the yarn.

I am also working on the Adara Rainbow Shawl but in 3 colors instead of 12. I can’t do all those pinks and stuff, I am a green kinda gal so I picked 3 in the green/blue spectrum. It’s my first (successful so far) attempt at lace techniques and I am finally getting to know the pattern well enough that I’m not constantly ripping out as much as I knit! I’m starting to worry already about the size – it doesn’t look big in the picture but I’ve used 1 ball (of 12) and it is already like 20 inches wide when I stretch it a little! And yes, my gauge swatch was right on even though it says the gauge isn’t critical. I may end up with a triangular blanket, who knows.

The sock monkey has been adventuring – he traveled to Lincoln Park via bicycle recently and stopped with us on the way for pizza. Soon there will be pics of him in his travels! I also was assigned my 'traveler' in the Virtual Knitter's Vacation Swap and have been shopping for her already!

Friday Monkey

Yanno, I'm starting to think of Monkey as Mon-key in the same way Shrek says "Don-key". Scary. Here is the relaxing Friday night Monkey doin his (my) thing.



Tomorrow is World Knit in Public Day and supposedly Chicago knitters have a big gig going on at Millenium Park. I have this vision of hundreds, no Thousands of knitters working away on projects together all afternoon. I'm going to toss my bike and knitting on the train and go check it out for the afternoon. God knows I need to spend 4 solid hours working on this bag in order to be caught up for my next class lesson on Tuesday evening. We're doing the Market Squares Bag from Bags-A Knitter's Dozen. It's an entrelac style so I'm getting huge experience picking up stitches and more stitches and yet MORE stitches.

I have finished the last increase row and have started the decreases with Tier 7. I'm convincing myself that I WILL get to Tier 15 by Tuesday. After all, they're getting smaller each row, right?? Right. (help) Here's a shot of the bag as is..a big knarly mess in a beautiful Noro Kureyon.

Journey

I taught myself to knit last October - I can't remember why but there was a big 'reason'. I used to crochet but that's history, let me tell you. I got tired of squares and rectangles pretty quickly but couldn't master things like picked up stitches and such on my own. I realized I had to do it.

I had to...

Find a LYS that didn't scare me and find a class. EGAD.

Chicagoland actually has a wealth of stores and I'm blessed in that. Visiting them and finding a comfort zone with the staff took a little more for me. Finally, Loopy Yarns seemed to fit the bill after a visit and I emailed the owner explaining exactly what I'd taught myself. She recommended a sock class which I LOVED!!