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November 28, 2007
Lady Eleanorette
I finished all my Christmas knitting! As a reward, I started a project for myself. I got 7 balls of Reynolds Odyssey for 50% off from Simply Fibers. I planned to knit the Here and There Cables scarf, but the wierd cable pattern wasn't working for me, so I started a small Lady Eleanor instead. I've never done entrelac before, and the pattern directions are really clear. The variegation in the yarn is pretty subtle, but I really like it.
On another note, the new job is going well! I'm definitely learning a lot, and I'm still adjusting to the new schedule (leaving the house about an hour earlier every morning!) but I feel good about it.
Posted by zarah at 6:37 PM | Comments (4)
November 27, 2007
GO TIGERS!
Oh yeah..... we're number one! Everybody cheer for Mizzou this weekend to win the Big 12 Championship, okay?
(This picture was taken the weekend before Thanksgiving. I was in Columbia for my cousin's wedding, so we took a little campus tour before the ceremony. I was the only one not wearing Mizzou gear, so I snapped the photo of my husband, mom, and sister in front of the columns.)
Posted by zarah at 8:39 PM | Comments (3)
November 14, 2007
Which yarn are you?
Here's something to distract you while I get adjusted to my new job!
You are Dishcloth Cotton.You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.
Take this quiz!
Hmmm...."born to clean"? I don't think so. But the Mason Dixon gals can't be all wrong about dishcloth cotton, so I won't be too offended by this result. (Although I will admit to going back and retaking the quiz, with the same results! I guess I really am too practical to notice.)
Posted by zarah at 10:11 PM | Comments (5)
November 7, 2007
FO: Central Park Hoodie
The parade of finished projects continues!
Project Details:
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie by Heather Lodinsky
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy, 5 skeins
Needle Size: Size 8 Denise circulars (knit flat)
Pattern Modifications: I carried the cable up the back of the hood, just for fun. Other than that, I followed the pattern exactly.
Time to knit: About one month - started and finished in the month of October!
Final impressions: I love this sweater. I'm still up in the air about whether to put closures on it or just leave it open. I didn't put buttonholes in, but I might still do toggles if I find some good ones.
Posted by zarah at 6:12 AM | Comments (12)
November 5, 2007
FO: Cobblestone Sweater
I actually finished this sweater over a month ago, but I made Matt wait until closer to his birthday to see it!
Project Details:
Pattern: Cobblestone Sweater by Jared Flood
Yarn: Peace Fleece DK weight yarn, Sheplova Mushroom, 5 skeins
Needle Size: Size 7 Denise circulars
Pattern Modifications: None!
Time to knit: August 2007 - September 2007
Final impressions: The yarn is a little bit scratchy, but it makes a nice knit fabric that is really warm. (Oh, and the yardage is amazing!) I think the final product fits Matt well. I did some weird bind-off that makes the neck a little inflexible, but he says it's fine once it's on. I'm already thinking about Matt's next sweater - knitting it all in the round really makes it go fast!
Posted by zarah at 6:13 AM | Comments (13)
November 1, 2007
Santa Fe Day 3 & 4
My big event for Vacation Day 3 was driving to Taos to visit La Lana Wools. It's a really amazing yarn shop where all the yarn is designed specifically for the shop. They're all dyed with natural dyes and the colors are amazing.
I got 2 1/2 skeins of Phat Silk Fines in a coral color (dark madder) and 2 skeins of Forever Random Fine in a blue-green colorway.
On Halloween night, Matt and I drove around Santa Fe madly trying to come up with last-minute costumes. Of course, every costume shop had been picked over - it was a sad sight. We finally ended up at Target, where we raided the accessories aisle (black beret for Matt, huge purse and ridiculous hat for me) and went as a beatnik and a starlet.
Santa Fe Day 4 was supposed to be a tour of the sights and tastes north of Santa Fe. We started out with lunch at Sugar's, a roadside diner near Embudo, NM. It's really, REALLY good - get the Sugar Burger if you're ever in the vicinity. Next, we visited the Sanctuario of Chimayo. This is the "Lourdes of America," and as much as I don't understand it, there seemed to be a lot of people there who genuinely believed that the dirt from the floor of that church would heal them or their relatives.
After that, we drove about 20 minutes towards Nambe Pueblo to hike around Nambe Falls and Lake. Unfortunately, we didn't get the memo that the park had been closed for the season. So... we turned around and heade back towards Chimayo. We had plans to eat dinner at Rancho de Chimayo, but we needed to kill a couple of hours and there's not a whole lot to do in that rural part of the world. There's basically houses, mountains, one restaurant, and a bunch of gift shops selling Indian pottery, jewelry, and rugs. It's really nice stuff, but it's either super expensive or pseudo-Indian crafts made in China. So, normally we don't even bother going in these shops, but we were desperate.
He had several spools of different colored wool to create the multi-colored pattern. It actually reminded me a lot of intarsia knitting, with the edges of each color block overlapping just a little to join the different sections together. The close-up is from another loom - there were about 6 looms in the store that various weavers in the community can use. Weaving is a major cottage industry in northern New Mexico, and large rugs or wall-hangings sell for around $3,000. (Luckily, pictures are free!)
Posted by zarah at 9:31 PM | Comments (5)