sassyknit

Announcing Skyler

2006-12-02T08:28:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to proud mommy and daddy, Lia and Fery! Skyler is wearing my hand-knitted sweater from Erika Knight's book.

Acquirements

2006-07-12T07:57:00.000-04:00

4 skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino
1 skein of Rowan Handknit Cotton
5 skeins of Elsebeth Lavold Cotton Patine
3 skein of Koigu

Various Denyse Schmidt fabrics and some other with Marimekko fabric on the background

That's all the craft related items that I buy in Nashua and New York. I didn't get to visit all the yarn shops, only one realy big store in downtown Nashua and Purl in Soho. Unexpectedly, Purl is very small, but the yarn is stacked from floor to ceiling. Of course, the choice is not so large but you can find every yarn to knit stuff from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I got the Koigu there, lots of lovely color option. I haven't found LYS around here that carries Koigu. What a shame!

Off on a Vacation

2006-07-01T20:50:00.000-04:00

Quick news: knitted Trellis Scarf 70%, bought yarns on sale at LYS, and cast on for Hot Pants (Rebecca 27) in Framboise Rowan All Seasons Cotton. This cotton is great, I love the texture, somewhat like cotton velour.

I'm off to the East Coast tomorrow morning. Bye now, see you in about a week or so.

On Nothing

2006-06-24T07:25:00.000-04:00

No knitting activity at all after Apricot Jacket is done. It's not my fault I have nothing to knit (Trellis Scarf is conveniently forgotten). I've ordered some yarns from my LYS, but it haven't arrived yet. Why didn't I buy yarns from the internet, you ask? I just prefer my LYS where I can hold the exact yarn. Maybe next time.

In two weeks, I'll be in NYC.Imagine all the shopping that can be done! I want to go to Soho, where there is Purl and Purl Patchwork. And then Habu Textiles and School Products. Of course, there will be some sightseeing. We want to walk the whole length of Central Park, if it's possible. Also the whole length of Brooklyn Bridge. I should prepare my comfortable footwear.

Today, we're going to a friend's wedding. I'll be wearing a dark orange silk skirt and flesh-colored lace blouse with a bustier underneath. The lace blouse has a row of beading on the neckline. I'll be doing my hair up with some pale pink pearls studs. I'll try to take pictures if I have the time.

Happy weekend!

Apricot Jacket

2006-06-20T07:45:00.000-04:00

Click for bigger picture, ignore my jammies

The classic Apricot Jacket, 7 skeins of Berroco Touche, with major modifications. I shortened the sleeves, as you can obviously see. I have to recount the stitches from the original pattern and it worked out well. This would be more wearable in summer than the long sleeve version. The yarn is wonderful for cotton, actually it's cotton and rayon blend. Not too shiny and not too crisp, but a little bit splitty. What do you think of my version of Apricot Jacket?

By the way, why does my pictures always look grainy? Does anyone know how to lose the graininess?

Another One

2006-06-19T07:56:00.000-04:00

Guess what? Our bird move away to give way to another family! A new mama bird is nesting on our flower pot now. She already got one egg laid on Sunday morning. The flower pot must be a high demand place for birds. Words got around that it's a great spot for raising babies haha...

"You know, I have my babies in this beautiful spot with purple flower. Sure, sometimes those big creatures pour water on us, but still it's always nice and sunny, and we don't get that much rain on our feathers. My babies are getting bigger, so anyone can have my old place. It already got a nest too, so you can move right in." -mama bird #1 to other mama birds-to-be.

More Teal Gable

2006-06-15T08:07:00.000-04:00

Green Gable, 2 skeins of Cotton Fleece in New Age Teal

I'm knitting the smallest size plus 4 extra rows for the yoke area. I don't want my Gable to squash me. For the body, I did 3 paired decreases and 3 paired increases on each side. I don't know how long the sweater's supposed to be in the pattern, I use the masurements of my favorite tee and it's about 14 1/2" from underarm to the cast off edge.

This is perfect. Do you think I can wear it in the hot and humid days of summer? Not that it matters now, it's still spring in here.

Sad News

2006-06-14T11:59:00.000-04:00

Our bird is not here anymore. Yesterday afternoon, my husband tried to water the plant. He does that regularly, sometimes the bird just stay in her nest, watching cautiously and sometimes she flew away for a while and then flew back again after the watering is done. It's the same usual watering process yesterday, but this time she flew away with her two baby birds. Well, not baby birds anymore, more like teen birds. They didn't come back.

We don't know what happen to them. I'm hoping that they find a new place, our flower pot is getting a little bit crowded, not enough space for three grown up birds, even the dad come over quite a few times. I'm sure they just move to a bigger and better place.

My Teal Gable is done this morning. Right now, it's blocking on the carpet by the sofa. It fit perfectly before I washed it. Let's hope it will stay that way tomorrow.

Teal Gable

2006-06-13T09:18:00.000-04:00

One Gable on the way

The gable looks very promising, I can't wait to wear it. Meanwhile, I'm interested in this. She always makes wonderful piece with simple stockinette stitch and top down knit. I hope the gauge match the yarn that I already frogged out of Somewhat Cowl.

Trellis Scarf is on hold while I put all of my efforts on Gable. By the way, it's already 45%.

As Promised

2006-06-08T09:39:00.000-04:00

Here's my skirt, the sewing is not so neat, the hem is not finished, and it needs ironing, but I still can model it for you.

Simplicity 4496

New project

For extra pictures, here's my Green Gable all bunched up on the table. When I got home after buying the Cotton Fleece, I just realized that I chose the same color as the knitted pattern. I printed my pattern in black and white (ink cartridge crisis) so no any reference whatsoever with the Zephyr gals in choosing the color. Unintentinally, this is my first time knitting with the intended yarn and color. This project is soothing to the hands and eyes compared to Trellis Scarf. I just knitted a few rows while watching Domino. Choco is hot!

Sewing Magic

2006-06-07T12:45:00.000-04:00

I made a skirt this morning (Joann fabric, Simplicity 4496). Just one quick post, I have to go out right now. Modeled shots tomorrow, I promise.

In Search of...

2006-06-05T07:36:00.000-04:00

.. a new sofa! And the contenders are Lilleberg, Karlanda, Camden, and Shelter. Not all can be tried out though. The Pottery Barn one is only available online, although I already received a fabric swatch. CB2 only have stores in Chicago so If I'm interested to try sitting on it, might as well go to Ikea to try out the other two.

Meanwhile, let me show you Trellis Scarf, 30% knitted.

Can you see our bird's nest in the background?

Mama Bird

2006-06-02T07:26:00.000-04:00

There's a bird that's using our hanging flower pot as her nest. She already got one baby bird hatched and another one coming along. Is this a good omen or what?

Knitting is going steady, you won't see any results this time though because I'm just too lazy take pictures, put it up on Flickr, and put it here. Maybe after some modeled shots. I'll give you descriptions only for now.

I'm making Apricot Jacket (Rebecca 27) with some serious modifications. I just need to sew the sleeve to the body. Trellis Scarf is knitted up to 25%. Those are the knitted stuff, and next are the unknitted.

Baby sweater is neglected somewhere on my closet, I have to finish this before I visit the mommy-to-be in New Hampshire in July. Somewhat Cowl is about to be unraveled when I have the time. It's just not working out for me, I don't think I would ever wear it. Prairie Tunic is also cancelled, also not working for me.

The new Magknits is up. How 'bout this one?

About that New Hampshire trip, we will be visiting a lot of places too. Niagara Falls, Maine, Boston, and NYC! All packed up in one week of driving. I hope I have enough time to linger in yarn shops before my husband lost his patience. I've planned to go to Purl, School Products, and Habu Textiles. I haven't checked on the Boston yarn shops though. Lots of planning to do!

I'll put up more photos as soon as I take it hehe...

Lace Lace and Lace

2006-05-17T09:21:00.000-04:00

I'm speechless, I'm just glad that it's there and it's faultless

Fascinating Trend

2006-05-16T08:01:00.000-04:00

Have you ever clicked on Google Trend? I just found out that it's fun. What else can I compare?

All In A Day's Work

2006-05-12T22:42:00.000-04:00

I refuse to give up on Trellis Scarf, I re-casted this morning. Tonight, I'm few rows short for the first trellis repeat. Everything went well all day during the border pattern and first rows for trellis pattern. Then... tonight when I picked it up again after dinner, I lost one stitch! Where is it? I'm just too tired to try and find it. Lace knitting is quite stressing on the eye, on the mind too for that matter.

I did find that using Inox needles is much more helpful than Addis Turbos, they have more grip on the yarn, just like Master Eunny said on her Majoring in Lace article. I also read somewhere on someone's blog that she used a ton on stitch markers to mark every pattern repeat. Those two tips works great. I must confess that I toke off my markers in the end, that's why I lost one stitch.

I will devote myself to Trellis Scarf again on Monday. No knitting activity this weekend. Tomorrow, I'm visiting J. Crew and for Sunday there's a baby shower. I'm not giving away the 1824 Cotton baby cardigan at this shower. It will be saved for another friend.

Slumping

2006-05-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

Is slumping the correct word for no knitting activity since last week? I've completely frogged the Trellis Scarf-to-be. Apparently there's more than one or two mistakes and you can see it clearly, especially after the trellis lace began. Maybe I should try an easier pattern to start my lace experience. How about Kiri?

The 1824 Cotton that I got from Jackie is already knitted into baby cardigan for a friend. Only one more sleeve to knit. It's a wonderful yarn. Working with it reminds me of popcorn somehow. I still have to find the perfect button for it.

Yesterday I went on a day trip, which meant I drove 20 minutes to Dublin and go to all the places where I want to spend my money on. I was hoping to get a top and a pair of shoes. Alas, nothing was good enough to tempt me. The only thing that I bought yesterday is a headband from Banana Republic that looked similar like this except it's from white eyelet fabric. That got me to think that J. Crew had a lot of headbands in tie fabrics. Those are perfect to tame my unruly bangs. Then I browse around their website and decided that I want to be preppy a la J. Crew! I don't want to be hippie or nautical, just preppy with polo shirts and chinos and pleated skirts. I'm even thinking to knit an argyle top. Isn't that just the most wonderful colour combination ever! I'm still excited with the whole preppy thing, I may sound a little ambitious.
I'll get that J. Crew headband first and we'll see what happens when I really see all of their clothes in person.

Enough preppiness, back to the lack of money spending yesterday. I did spent some money on Target. I got Mrs. Meyer's and Method hand soaps. They smelled so divine! Makes me want to wash my hands all the time. I've tried Method dish soap before in pink grapefruit. Oh, you'll positively smile when you wash your dishes.

Combining the lack of knitting and money spending, I resisted the temptation to go to the yarn shop! It's my punishment for not touching any of my projects. Don't worry, I'm only grounding myself until this weekend. Besides, I got Rebecca 27 from Lori's destashing to dream on for the rest of the week. They have an argyle top in orange and fuchsia, and also the famous Apricot Jacket.

Other non-knitterly things, we received a pair of free ticket to the Columbus Zoo and another pair for CAPA Summer Movies. They're acting as an apology from the cable company because we have a few wrong charges last month. I have a suspicion that everybody's receiving it regardless of wrong charges or not. It doesn't really matter anyway, we have free tickets! My candidates are are Brigadoon, Casablanca, Giant, and The Man that Knew Too Much.

Hope my post entertains you, even though there's no pictures. I'm ashamed to show my lack of knittingness. Well, I'm off to yoga class now.

Ta daaa...

2006-05-08T14:56:00.000-04:00

Ooh, what a big box from my angel!

I just got my package this morning. My heart is still fluttering because I'm just too happy. I'm in love all over again with this Secret Pal exchange. Maybe I'll sign up again for SP9. Oh, I almost forgot, my wonderful angel is Jackie. Please check out her blog. Words can't express my gratitude for you, Jackie! Here's all the lovely stuff that she sent me.

What a coincidence, I secretly want to try some 1824 Cotton

I almost scream with happiness when I saw the scrapbook kit

Save the best for last, One Skein!

Once again, I say thank you! I love everything. I'm considering to bring everything to bed with me tonight hehe...

On the sidelines, I've cast on for Trellis Scarf from IK Spring '06. The beginning border is just done, with a mistake or two. I already frogged a few rows and decided that I'm not going to frog it again since I can't find those mistakes unless I observe stitch by stitch carefully. I promise myself I won't try to look for mistakes as long as the stitch count is correct and every yarnovers are there. Anyway, here's a lovely example of the finished piece. I added three more pattern repeat, so it will be a little bit wider.

Confusion

2006-05-05T21:56:00.000-04:00

I want to make a smock for Tie One On from a Japanese sewing book. I already cut the fabric, do pintucks for the front side, and join the shoulder. Now I'm stuck, I don't understand how I'm supposed to do to hem.

Tonight, my husband's coworker had dinner at my place. She's a certified Japanese translater and even she didn't understand. She doesn't sew though, so she called her mom in Japan rightaway. The mom didn't understand either. I'll just have to do what I think is right, perhaps a bias tape or something.

The translater friend wants a felted bowl too. Maybe I'll go to the yarn shop on Monday or Tuesday. Final thing, my angel sent email that my package is coming soon. Yay!

Quickie Project

2006-05-04T11:40:00.000-04:00

This is sheepy inside the bowl-to-be, next to two cherry tomatoes-to-be

I knitted this bowl from One Skein just in a few hours, felt it in the washing machine, and it's done. Really fast! Now I need one in another colour. I'm thinking Lamb's Pride Bulky in purple or orange.

Sheepy is happy to sit inside the bowl

I also sewed two pillowcases for our futon in black and white toile. No pictures because I'm not completely satisfied with the result.

For My Secret Pal Angel

2006-05-01T13:18:00.000-04:00

Here's my new and improved questionnaire.

Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? High quality is not a must, but natural is.

Do you spin? Crochet? I can crochet.

What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I made my own needle cover but it didn't really work because I just threw everything in my basket.

How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I've been knitting quite constantly for about a year, more or less. But I learned knitting around five years ago. I consider myself adventurous intermediate.

Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, it's here (on my husband's name).

What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Right now I'm in love with baby scents (but no too powdery) and grapefruit.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? No chocolate for me. The only sweet stuff for me is Japanese cookies and snacks. Yan Yan, Collon, Pocky, Genji Pie, Caramel corn, or Xylitol.

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I do scrapbooking and just started sewing.

What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) Right now I'm into Diana Krall and Michael Buble, but I'd love to try some new age or easy jazz, or something like that. Yes, my computer does play MP3s.

What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I'm in a stashing mood so anything will do, except for bright primary colours.

What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I've been married since 2004. No pets.

Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wore hats and gloves the most. No scarves unless it's very windy and no ponchos at all.

What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Don't have any yet.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Acrylics!!!

What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Baby stuff for a friend.

What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sweaters, although I hate the finishing process.

What are you knitting right now? Prairie Tunic from IK Spring 2006.

Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes.

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars.

Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? No preference.

Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, I don't think I need one. I like the process of winding the hank into a ball by hand.

How did you learn to knit? From my mom. She'd been knitting for forever and finally I took some interest and I asked her to teach me.

How old is your oldest UFO? Two or three weeks, the Somewhat Cowl.

What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Sanrio characters, Hello Kitty, Chococat, Badtz Maru, I don't remember what else.

What is your favorite holiday? My birthday and Christmas.

Is there anything that you collect? Paper stuff, crafting supplies, cute Japanese stuff.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None, I just bought them if I found some interesting pattern.

Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? One Skein and Rowan Kid Silk Haze to make armwarmers from the book.

Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Someday, I want to learn to knit socks. For now, I'm quite happy.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Not yet. I'm size 5.5 about 8.5 inches.

When is your birthday? August 17.

Imagine...

2006-04-30T19:07:00.000-04:00

Indian Lake on a cloudy Saturday

Fishing went okay. Nothing special with Indian Lake, it's cloudy so I couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of the lake. My husband lost two of his baits. One got stuck in a tree and the other one got stuck on the rocks by the lake shore. He didn't catch any fish, but his coworker did. It's not a satisfying trip for him. As for myself, you can read later on.

I checked out One Skein this morning from the library. Lovely little book, there's just so many possibilities that I have to contain myself. Make everything with just one skein! I can try out all those expensive yarns that I would never even consider buying. I can just imagine Lorna's Laces, Kid Silk Haze, Blue Sky Organic Cotton, Rio de la Plata, Koigu PPM, or any kind of Noro. Oh, my! Thank God my husband almost never read this blog, he don't really have a clear idea how much money I spent on yarn.

Prairie Tunic is progressing quite well. I brought it to Indian Lake yesterday with the result of 8 total rows for the front side. Still along way you think, eh? But that's very good, because I had planned to put it down after finishing the back side. So I congratulate myself for my determination hahaha...

Lost and Found

2006-04-29T10:55:00.000-04:00

My pal got her package! Yay! I'm glad that it got to her safely, even though a week late. Where did it go during the week? We'll never know.

Today we're planning to go fishing Indian Lake. By we, I mean my husband will be fishing and I will be reading or knitting. Maybe I'll take some pictures too.

Happy Saturday to everyone!

Better Things To Come

2006-04-28T11:43:00.000-04:00

An old church in Semarang, Gereja Blenduk

Finally some news on SP thing. My hostess is gonna find me an angel to replace my missing spoiler. I already know who my missing spoiler is, but better not to say who it is. Anyway, I thank you who's going to be my angel! And for Cecily, I will try to find something this weekend to make up for the missing package.

The backside of Prairie Tunic is done. My gauge is way of off, row wise. How is it possible? Stitch wise is ok, but my row gauge is off by 10 rows. Well, I just added few extra rows and just see what happens after I sewed it. So, no pictures because it looks really ugly now. Curled up everywhere and uneven knitting.

My friend just got pregnant. I already checked out a lot of baby knitting books to make something for her. I have some dark grey dk weight yarn. I'm not sure if it's the appropriate baby color, but I don't really like the idea of pastel color on babies. It just seemed too much. Maybe some organic cotton would be nice, I might be tempted not to give it away then.

Dark grey Jaeger merino and Rowanspun aran from Beeknits

Not So Good

2006-04-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

Bad experience with USPS. The package that I sent for my SP last week, still hasn't arrived, even though it said so on the track and confirm. And my other SP (the one who's supposed to send me package) seems to be missing. Where are you SP? Can you guys tell me what to do in this situation?

I've cast on for Prairie Tunic. I've stopped working on everything else, Somewhat Cowl and my smocking. This is not good.

Pictures Galore

2006-04-21T07:34:00.000-04:00

My auntie's book from the 70's

Another old book from auntie

Amigurumi Style, bought in Singapore

This is a very cool sewing book, bought in Singapore

Another sewing book, bought in Jakarta

Zakka for baby, bought in Jakarta

Attemps on smocking, doesn't look very neat in close-up

Finally some yarn porn, Jaeger Siena, Australian wool, and lace weight merino

Still Jet-lagged

2006-04-20T14:09:00.000-04:00

I've come back on Monday morning, after a total of 48 hour trip. Whew! So it's understandable if I'm a little jet-lagged until now. This morning I woke up at 4, so I finished reading on Soong Dynasty. Pretty good, if you omit all the political details. It's an old library book and the hardcover is shedding all over my white bed linens.

I haven't done any knitting since I got back. I have no knitting mood whatsoever. But I do have the mood for yarn shopping. I've bought Rowanspun Aran from Jade's destashing and some lace weight merino yarn from my LYS. Even with no knitting mood, I want to stash some yarn to make something, someday. Especially some lacy shawls and summer cardigans.

I've been trying to do smocking. The result is pretty good, but doesn't really look like the one in the Japanese craft book. Well, as long as people don't see what it's supposed to be, I'll get along fine.

By the way, this morning in my LYS, I weared my Apple Green Bolero and received many compliments on it.

I'll be posting pictures soon. I have to charge the battery first. This post seemed very random. I kept jumping at differnt things. Blame the jet-lag.

In Transit Again

2006-04-16T01:34:00.000-04:00

I'm in Taipei again. But now I'm almost home! Only 30 more hours to go hehe...

As sson as I'm home, I have to finish Somewhat Cowl (one more arm and sew the collar), buy Something Red kit from kpixie, and sew, sew, and sew. I bring a lot of fabric with me and two Japanese sewing books. I hope I can sew well enough. I also have to send the long overdue SP package to my pal. Of course I still have to do the usual stuff, cooking and cleaning the apartement, and everything. No more holiday for me.

By the way, I did meet with one knitter in Singapore, it's Lois. Thank you for taking the time to meet me. Wish we can meet again soon.

Shopping Report from Singapore

2006-03-31T06:09:00.000-05:00

Knitting related things: 9 balls of off-white Jaeger Sienna, 10 balls of some pale green Australian Wool, and two Clover Bamboo needles.

Other craft things: two Japanese sewing books and one Japanese plush toy book.

Fashion related things: lots and lots of new clothes, one pair of fabulous green velvet peep-toe pumps, and one red washed leather satchel from TopShop.

Muji things: fabric tote bag, two plastic pencil boxes, and sticker (In case you don't know what Muji is, it's a no-brand store from Japan. They have a small shop in MoMA).

That's all, I think. I have little money left to spend.

Indonesia

2006-03-16T08:49:00.000-05:00

I've been here for a week and I've spent a quarter of my spending limit. I still have four more weeks to go! I haven't even went to Singapore yet. But I spent most of it for good reasons, to pay my visa, dentist apoointment, and a new pair of glasses.

I got an email today from my Sp\P7 host reminding me to wrap up the last package. Well, I'm still here. So for my giftee, Cecily, please be patient. I'll be back on Monday, April 17. Hopefully I'll mail the last package on Tuesday or Wednesday. I already bought something for you in Taipei.

About my gifter, I don't know what happen to her. She sent me a virtual postcard that I couldn't open. I've sent her an email to explain this. That's pretty much the last time I heard from her. I hope you're still there. Please give me some news to let me know of your plan.

There's no knitting activity in Indonesia. I think it's because of the humidity. Even though I'm using cotton, it's just too hot to sit with a bunch of stuff on your lap. Instead, I've eaten a lot of stuff and visited the acupuncturist and went to a hair salon. This is a great place to get pampered without paying a lot of money.

I don't know how many people visited my blog because I can never see my site counter in here. If anyone from Singapore is reading this, I'll be in Singapore from Saturday, March 25 to Wednesday, March 29. Please leave a comment if you wnat to meet up somewhere.

In the Middle

2006-03-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

I'm in Taipei, 11am Tuesday morning local time, 10pm EST Monday night (maybe). It's a 12 hour transit. I'm bored to death. I didn't bring any knitting with me because I'm working on Somewhat Cowl with Addi Turbos. I'm not sure if it's allowed or not in the plane. I've read all of my magazines, stuck on two sudoku puzzles, and ate a bar of Quaker Oatmeal. I have to find some food and kill another 6 hours. Can't wait to get to Indonesia already. And I miss my husband so much...

Up On The Chair

2006-03-03T07:59:00.000-05:00

Going snowboarding in a freezing Sunday morning (2 weeks ago)

More Progress

2006-03-02T15:33:00.000-05:00

My Somewhat Cowl is coming along, finally. Right now I'm about 4 inches on the body part. The pattern just told you to make a straight tube from armpit to waist. I saw other people making this sweater on their blog and they put decreases. So I worked out my own measurements and I'm plan to make a total of 7 paired decreases for each side. I'm gonna worked out the increases for the hips when I get there.

Neat decreases under the armpit

Seems like a perfect fit when I tried it on

Progress Report

2006-02-23T20:16:00.000-05:00

Front side of Squarey is done. Now I have 10 rows for the backside. Somewhat Cowl is progressing slowly, too slow for me. Too many stockinette stitch! I'm still a little more than halfway on the raglan increase. There's still 5 more inches to go. I'm getting bored already. But I HAVE to finish this before I went back.

Today I have lunch with two new friends. One doesn't want to have anything to do with knitting and the other one wants to start again after seeing my Sweater with Wide Collar. We went to Temptations in Dublin and she (the friend that knits) had a great fun. She found a pattern but didn't have the time to find the yarn because she need to pick up her kids. I just sat in one of the tables and chatted with a nice old lady. It's really great to interact with other knitters. I wish I could do it more.

New Projects

2006-02-22T10:07:00.000-05:00

I've started to knit two new projects, Squarey from Jess Hutch and Somewhat Cowl. I hope both will be done before February ends.

Squarey in Lamb's Pride Worsted, I love the green stripes

Somewhat Cowl in pale blue gray Tahki Cotton Classic

Meet My New Friends!

2006-02-17T09:06:00.000-05:00

On the background is the green monster that I got at Plush Rush. The bear is from Jess' booklet (which is unfortunately no longer on sale). Both of those are from December. I made the dark blue Juju for husband. The head is not completely round, looks a little bit like pumpkin head. His ugliness doesn't prevent him being in the picture because he's new. I'm gonna banish him to some dark place where I can't see him. Finally, the small yellow thing in the middle is Odd Fellow. Another cute little thing from Jess. I plan to make one more today, it's either Spherey or Dolly.

My SP got her package yesterday and she's happy. That makes me happy too. I can't give you pictures, but I can tell you what I send. One hand-kntted thing, one hank of yarn, and candies because it's Valentine. I still have to make one more thing for her and send it before I go back.

Fiery Apple Bolero

2006-02-14T08:52:00.000-05:00

Here it is!

Pattern: Fiery Bolero, Interweave Knits Summer 2005
Yarn: RYC Cashcotton in Apple, 3 skeins

I added the lace pattern (from Rebecca 29) and shorten the sleeves by 4 stitches. I've been wearing it around the apartment and the mohair is starting to appear. It's not shedding though, I didn't see any on my tee. It's so soft and fuzzy but you can still see the stitches. I want to make this again and add some more length to the body because this is really small.

Next project is Somewhat Cowl. I've ordered the yarn from my LYS, Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Nymph. I placed the order last Saturday, I hope they have it before February ends because I want to wear it in Indonesia, if it's not too humid.

Last weekend, I checked on the weather in Indonesia and Singapore. Everyday, the hi-s are around 90s and the lo-s are around 70-s. Humidity from 89% to 95%. Whew, few years ago I didn't really care about the weather, now it seems like it's too hot! I'll have to bring bottled water everywhere.

Where?

2006-02-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

I've been looking at my balances and everything. Apparently, during the last 6 months that I have moved to Ohio, I have spent over $700 on my craft supplies! So far, I have finished Picovoli, Hourglass, husband's sweater, Bolero Jacket, Sweater with Wide Collar, and Fiery Bolero, also some small stuff like plush, pouch, headband, and scarf. Those would take up more than $350 (based on my rough calculation). I also have maybe 4 or 5 cuts of fabric, none of those is over a yard. An alphabet stamp set that I got in Chicago, scrapbooking papers, giftwraps, tissue papers, and ribbons.

I think that's it. So where did all the money went? If I gave it a little more thinking, the average spending is about $100 per month. So it is possible. I need to knit much much slower so I don't have to buy yarn that often.

Because I Love Sesame Street

2006-02-12T18:33:00.000-05:00

Snuffleupagus
You scored 52% Organization, 53% abstract, and 50% extroverted!

This test measured 3 variables.

First, this test measured how organized you are. Some muppets like Cookie Monster make big messes, while others like Bert are quite anal about things being clean.

Second, this test measured if you prefer a concrete or an abstract viewpoint. For the purposes of this test, concrete people are considered to gravitate more to mathematical and logical approaches, whereas abstract people are more the dreamers and artistic type.

Third, this test measured if you are more of an introvert or an extrovert. By definition, an introvert concentrates more on herself and an extrovert focuses more on others. In this test an introvert was somebody that either tends to spend more time alone or thinks more about herself.

You are somewhat organized, both concrete and abstract, and both introverted and extroverted.

I bet you didn't think you were Snuffleupagus. Let's find out why.

You are both somewhat organized. You have a good idea where you put things and you probably keep your place reasonably clean. You aren't totally obsessed with neatness though. Alloyius Snuffleupagus (and all Snuffleupagus') is not sloppy by nature, but he moves so incredibly slowly that it is impossible for him to be totally organized.

You both are about equally concrete and abstract thinkers. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course. Snuffy generally has very basic interests, but he explores his abstract sensitive side when he plays his snuffleflute.

You both are somewhat introverted. Originally Snuffleupagus was very shy and was only Big Bird's invisible friend. However as he has aged he has started to build new friendships with new characters. Like Snuffy, you probably like to have some time to yourself. However, you do appreciate spending time with your friends, and you aren't scared of social situations.

Link: Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo

Good News (--or Bad News for My SP?)

2006-02-10T17:18:00.000-05:00

I'm going back for holiday in Indonesia for a month! Yay! It's actually for 5 weeks, starting in early March to mid April. I'm sorry if I put any pressure for my SP. You're welcome to send your package any time you like. My husband is still gonna be here so he can receive it for me and I can open it as soon as I'm back.

As for my giftee, I'm gonna send her one package before I leave to explain everything and I will send one more package after I got back. Hopefully I'll find something in Golden Dragon or Kinokuniya in Singapore (I'm going there with my mom). Anyway, I just prepare another package for her. It will be sent early next week.

Cherries

2006-02-08T08:56:00.000-05:00

I got one! Apparently I'm too paranoid. It's only sold out on Target.com. They have a bunch of these at the actual store. Well, not a big bunch, maybe only 6 or 7. But I have one now!

Dreams, Hopes, and Wishes

2006-02-07T14:24:00.000-05:00

I wish for this cubby hole to appear in my apartment, complete with endless supply of yarns, fabrics, papers, and every crafting tools and notions that I might ever need. All organized neatly in vintage containers. I wish...

This is actually a picture from one of my Japanese craft book (ISBN 4-177-43064-3). I love looking at it and daydreaming about the possibilities.

The Luella clutch that I posted about a few days ago is sold out! How am I gonna get one of those cute thing?

On The Way

2006-02-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

One Fiery Bolero coming up soon!

This is the knitted piece as of 10 am this morning
(after about 4 days of knitting, frogging, and reknitting)

Getting Better

2006-02-05T15:45:00.000-05:00

It's been a week since I posted. Not so much going on this week. Our tax return is done and on its way to the government. I started two new projects, Bad Juju and Fiery Bolero. I need to make one more arm and finish the juju head, embroider the facial feature and heart, and it will be done. This is for husband, he likes that kind of things.

I cast on Fiery Bolero on Wednesday using the yummy apple green RYC CashCotton. The yarn is soooooo soft and fluffy and warm and everything! I love it to death! I was gonna use it to make Somewhat Cowl, but I just can't see myself wearing it in green. So, it's gonna be a lovely little shrug for summer.

This bolero pattern seems to be coming along quite nicely. I'm thinking to make another one in Cotton Fleece. Red would be nice, or deep purple. The hard thing is none of my LYS carried it. There's this one Ebay store that sells almost every colour of Cotton Fleece, but I can't imagine the colour just by watching the monitor. I haven't decided what colour I want for Pale Blue Jacket either. Why do we have so much colour to choose for?

I found this little coin purse by Luella. It's just too cute! They have the clutch too. Anyone wanna buy it for me? hehe...

We went snowboarding today, the longest that we've ever stayed there. I'm getting better! I can zig zag but not too far because I get tired easily. I never would've guessed that I could be this good. I'm proud of myself.

*Edit* AAAARRRGHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I just had to frog 6 inches of Fiery Bolero!! I didn't do one yarnover way down there so I HAD to rip it. Oh yeah, I do an all-over lace pattern from the Wrap Cardi in Rebecca 29. I don't want to just do a big boring piece of stockinette stitch. I got my inspiration here. Of course my lace pattern is not that elaborate. That's why I had to rip out 6 inches of my hard work--I already done like a hundred tiny frogging on the first few inches because I kept making mistakes--this is quite a setback.

One more last thing, last night I was pretty upset because I can't solve this one particular sudoku puzzle. I hate sudoku right now.

First Meme

2006-01-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

Oh my God, my first meme. Someone I didn't even knew tagged me. I only knew today when I scrolled down on my entries and looked if I have any comments (sorry, Kim). Apparently I have quite a few, I didn't think anyone would be kind enough to leave a comment! Thank you for those who do! Here's the meme...

Four jobs in my life [best to worst]:
Well, I only have one job so far (I'm too spoiled)
1. Cashier at the mall's food court

Four movies you could watch over and over:
1. The Fellowship of the Ring
2. The Two Towers
3. The Return of the King
4. Pride and Prejudice (from A&E)

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. All CSI
2. All Law & Order
3. Monk
4. Charmed

Four places you have lived:
1. Surabaya, Indonesia
2. Marietta, GA
3. Marysville, OH
4. That's it

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Indonesia, of course (all of Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara)
2. Singapore, Beijing, and Shanghai
3. New York , Washington, Atlantic City, Philly, Orlando, Detroit, Indiana, Chicago
4. Mexico City

Four websites you visit daily:
1. Yahoo Mail
2. My blog
3. My SP's blog
4. Friendster

Four of my favorite foods:
1. Rawon (Indonesian food, somekind of soup)
2. Empal (another Indonesian food, somekind of deep-fried beef)
3. Ice cream (coffee, choc chip, and pistachio)
4. I don't know...

Four places you'd rather be right now:
1. My hometown, Surabaya
2. Atlanta
3. Singapore
4. Somewhere in Europe

Four Bloggers I am tagging:
I don't know anyone in the blogging world, so I'm tagging everyone who reads this. Please tell me when you do the meme, so I will get new friends!

BTW, what is a meme? I mean, I know what it is, but what does the word meme mean?

Beautiful Sweaters

2006-01-28T11:56:00.000-05:00

The photo is a little bit unfocused. But the sweater looks nice, doesn't it?

*Edit*
Pattern: Simply Soft by Debbie Bliss
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Buly in Onyx, exactly 6 skeins

This one is focused but the sweater looks frumpy. But it is supposed to look like that, judging by the photo in Rebecca.

*Edit*
Pattern: Rebecca 29
Yarn: Jaeger Merino DK in pink, about 7 1/2 skeins

BTW, does anyone know what the correct way to block and sew all the knitted pieces? Is it block piece by piece first then sew or sew first and then block the finished sweater?

Accomplishments

2006-01-27T20:30:00.000-05:00

I'll start with last Saturday, my Bolero Jacket is done. I finished it quickly while my friend is sitting and waiting on the couch. It was a pretty warm day for winter and the jacket holds up quite well. Even at night when the wind is getting stronger it's still pretty warm but I have to held it with my hand to keep it closed tough.

Then I spent the whole day Monday to make baby booties for husband's coworker's new baby girl. I happen to have Melanie Falick's Knitting for Baby checked out from the library so I made a pair of booties with double pointed needles. It's not really a whole day, more like 6 hours. I'm using the same dusty pink Jaeger Merino DK for the Sweater with Wide Collar. I also made some kind of lunch bag from vellum paper to wrap it.

Yesterday I finished the Sweater with Wide Collar, washed it, spin it on the washing machine, and blocked it on some towel spread out on the carpet. Tomorrow evening I'll wear it for Chinese New Year dinner at my friends' house. I'll take some photos tomorrow before I left.

Wow, a lot of finished things this week. And I also try to do the tax returns in between! Oh, I also sent the first package to my SP this morning. Silly me, I forgot to take any pictures! I just hope she post some photos on her blog. One last thing, I have bought the Somewhat Cowl pattern this afternoon and will be casting on soon (maybe next week), I still have something on the needles for my SP. It's already half way done!

Totally unrelated thing: husband went to the doctor today. He fell pretty hard last week while snowboarding and have been having chest pains all week long so he went to get some questions today. Well, the doctor only gave him some ibuprofen and that's it! He's not satisfied with the doctor so we''l just see how he feels this weekend.

Thank You!

2006-01-25T08:58:00.000-05:00

I got a package from my SP last night! Thank you SP! I love the book, one of my favorites. It's Simple Knits with a Twist. Sorry there's no photos beacuse I already ripped away the box. I promise I'll put up photos of the next package.

Once again, thank you SP! Oh, one more thing: SP, I used to live where you live now! I miss that city so much, especially all the food.

I think there's too much exclamation point because I'm just too happy.

Progress Report

2006-01-20T23:31:00.000-05:00

Quick update on Sweater with Wide Collar: lower ribbing is done, now I'm about 20 rows on the stockinette stitch part. I'm doing both of the sleeves at the same time. It's kinda hard to manage two skeins of yarn at the same time. It kept tangling around with each other.

I need to finish sewing the Bolero Jacket tonight because I want to wear it tomorrow. We're going out lunch (me and husband) and maybe Easton Mall afterwards so I want to show it around.

It's pretty warm here in Ohio so when we went snowboarding tonight, it's very slushy. I got new bruises on my knees. I'm too lazy to wear knee pads. I still don't have any photos of myself snowboarding. I need a proof or something to show everyone that I can do it.

How are you SP? Just wanna say hi! I wonder what are you gonna be sending me?

Yummy Yarns

2006-01-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

I went to The Yarn shop again last Saturday and I got 9 skein of yummy RYC Cashcotton in Apple, it's a fancy name for green. It will be The Somewhat Cowl. But ONLY after I finished all my UFOs.

I'm wondering how big a stash can be and still be considered healthy? I want to add some more yarn to make the Pale Blue Jacket. Of course it's not gonna be pale blue. I'm thinking Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece would be nice for summer, especially since I already spent some money on Cashcotton. The Yarn Shop don't have enough skeins in the color that I like, so I'll think about that after I used up my stash. I have enough yarns to keep me occupied for a month or two.

I already made up my mind to at least do 2 secret projects for my SP7 pal. One is easy but need some planning and the other will be something new. If you read my previous entries, maybe you can guess one of the projects. And there's still one more secret project that I'm still considering. All I can say is that it's something soft.

The Sweater with Wide Collar is progressing successfully, although not as fast as I wanted it to be. I'm done with the backside and just casting off for the right shoulder for the frontside. Knit the shawl collar for another 14 cm and then do the left side. And there's still 2 sleeves to be made! Whew, feels like a long way to go. I'm debating whether to knit the sleeves at the same time or make them individually but in circulars so no seaming for me.

Sunny Day

2006-01-12T10:18:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I woke up with sunshine on my windows. Last week maybe, but it just seem like a loooooong time ago.

I got my SP7 match yesterday!!! I've already sent email to my giftee and received email from my gifter. I have some ideas on how to spoil my giftee. I'm not exactly sure because she didn't blog much about her knitting lately. Well, I just have to read her blog again then.

My WIP right now is the Sweater with Wide Collar from Rebecca. Not so much pattern that I want to make in the magazine but I'm really interested in the Pale Blue Jacket (scroll down to Rebecca 29). Isn't just pretty? I'm thinking maybe this is THE sweater that I should splurge on. It's either GGh Scarlett like the one they use on the magazine, or Rowan Cotton Glace. I haven't decided what color I want the jacket either. I want some color that I can use day or night for spring and summer.

But I'll save it for later. I'm gonna spent my time knitting the Wide Collar Sweater. I'm using the dusty pink Jaeger Merino that I got from the sale at my LYS. Right now I'm doing the armhole shaping for the backside. I've already frogged it a bit yesterday because I made a wrong calculation. I was so surprised when I first got the magazine because the pattern is so vague. It just said decrease every 2nd row, or increase evenly 8 times. Thank God, I'm not math-challenged. We'll just see how it turned out later. Oh, and I simply don't understand the instructuons for making the shawl collar. Maybe it'll make more sense once I knit it. No trying to make socks for me this week, or next week for that matter. I'm just gonna do the lovely pink sweater.

One more thing, my giftee said on her questionnaire that she would love to receive a hand-knit socks. Pressure, pressure, pressure!!

Counterpane Pouch

2006-01-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

Pattern: Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick
Yarn: Jamieson Sock yarn in Red

The pattern is quite easy and gives beautiful result. I just love the scallops. I've sewn a lining inside with fusible interfacing so it will hold its shape. I think I will add a wrist strap so I can use it as a wristlet. The book told you to buy a longer zip to be used as the strap but I don't think that pretty enough. So maybe I'll make an I-cord or something else, haven't thought about it. That's reserved for some other day. I'll just use it inside my bigger bags now for small change, lip gloss, or whatever. More photos on my Flickr (on the sidebar).

I still have to sew my Bolero Jacket!!! Oh, why? Why should I sew it? Why can't I just use it rightaway after knitting? And where's my Rebecca 29? I paid for it on Thusrday, so where is it now?

Official from SP7

2006-01-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

OK, I didn't know that SP7 is gonna have their own official questionnaire. So, here goes...

Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? I am a yarn snob but only in parts because my budget won't let me. So now I just use basics like Cascade 220 and Lamb's Pride. Yes, I do avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand.

Do you spin? Crochet? No spinning and just a tiny little bit of crochet. But I considered myself very knowledgeable in crochet. I can read a Japanese crochet pattern that is.

What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I just made my own needle cover from some fabric. I am planning to make some more once I found the appropriate fabric.

Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Yes, it's here (on my husband's name).

What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Nothing in particular, but I'm kinda partial to lavender, white tea, sandalwood, and ginger.

Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? No chocolate for me. The only sweet stuff for me is Japanese cookies and snacks. Yan Yan, Collon, Pocky, Genji Pie, Caramel corn, Xylitol, I don't remember what else.

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I do scrapbooking and just started sewing. I love to buy all kinds of paper. Giftwraps, tissue paper, scrapbooking paper, notebooks, journals, envelopes, cards, stationeries, and everything that's paper-related.

What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand? I already have red, heather blue, and dusty pink on my stash. I would love some more yarn or knitted stuff in off white, grey, red, pink, and blue. Mind you, not just any grey, red, blue, or pink. It's light heather grey, like the one they usually use for sweats and running shorts. The perfect red is like the Coats and Clark zipper in Bluberry Red or Burberry Red (it's almost like a burgundy). This is the easiest example beause I just bought some to be matched with my yarn. The pink is not baby pink. I hate baby pink. I like a really pale one or a dusty one. The blue is kinda easy. I like almost any kind of blue as long as it's not greenish. I'm sorry if I sound kinda picky-picky, but most of my friends don't have the same color preference like me so it's hard to get the right kind of color from them.

What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I've been married for a year. No pets.

Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? I wore hats and gloves the most. No scarves unless it's very windy and no ponchos at all.

What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Don't have any yet.

What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? Acrylics!!!

What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Sweaters for me, me, and me. I'm a selfish knitter. I already have 3 sweaters on my mind. I also want to make a knitted babe.

What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Sweaters, although I hate the seaming-up process.

What are you knitting right now? I'm currently in between projects. I still have to seam up my Bolero Jacket from Debbie Bliss Simply Soft, sigh... and I'm still waiting for my Rebecca 29 magazine. After it arrived I already have the yarn on my stash to make the Sweater with Wide Collar.

Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Yes please!

Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars.

Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Clover bamboos and Addi turbos.

Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No, I don't think I need one. I like the process of winding the hank into a ball by hand. I know it's slow but it's comforting to me.

How did you learn to knit? From my mom. She'd been knitting for forever and finally I took some interest and I asked her to teach me. Because we only have Japanese books in Indonesia, I held my yarn in my left hand. I know how to held the yarn in right hand but it seems awkward for me.

How old is your oldest UFO? None!!! I'm so happy about this. I just finished sewing my husband sweater last Thursday.

What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird? Sanrio characters and that's only because I like the stuff, not the character. For example, if I need a pen, I would chose the shape and the function first and then chose the character.

What is your favorite holiday? My birthday and Christmas.

Is there anything that you collect? Paper stuff, crafting supplies, cute Japanese stuff.

What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? None, I just bought them if I found some intersting pattern.

Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? RYC yarns, Alterknits by Leigh Radford, Knitted Babes, and Holiday Handknits by Melanie Falick.

Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? How to knit socks. I just checked out Knit Socks! from the libary today. I have some yarn so I guess I'll try it next week.

Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Not yet. I'm size 5.5.

When is your birthday? August 17, that's Indonesia's independence day (my home country).

Wow, looking back at the questionnaire that I filled out last month and the one I just finished I realized how I've changed in one month. I hope I will still feel the same in the next 3 months, or if not I'll just fill out another questionnaire.

Yarn Craze

2006-01-02T22:27:00.000-05:00

Today I stopped by at The Yarn Shop to buy some Lamb's Pride Bulky for my Bolero Jacket. Apparently they're having a sale! It's 20% off everything in the store. Everything! So I just went kinda nuts and grabbed everything. I gave my bag to my husband and he just sat patiently in one the chairs. In the end, I bought 4 skein Lamb's Pride in black, 9 skein Jaeger Merino in pink(to make Sweater with Wide Collar from Rebecca), 3 Cotton Fleece in heathery blue, #3 single point needle, and #4 double point needle.

Tomorrow I plan to flip through every book, magazines, and online patterns to think of what yarn I might need for future projects. I've already set my eyes on some Rowan Denim.

Oh, Buckeyes win tonight against Notredame. My husband watched the game at his friend's house and I tagged along. I brought my knitting with me, of course. I'm making the Counterpane Accessories Pouch from Handknit Holidays. One side is done and I'm half way through the second side. I already bought some fabrics on Sunday for the lining and for the bags from the new Japanese craft book. Lots of craft plans for this week.

Chicago Trip

2005-12-30T13:04:00.000-05:00

My husband and I went to Chicago from Monday to Wednesday, and one day in Indiana. The only tourist destination that we went to is Shedd Aquarium, and the most part of the trip is for shopping. I got a wallet from Banana Republic, sweater, jacket, and hoodie from H&M, and a lot of craft stuff. Here's what the craft related things that I bought.

There's three Japanese craft books, Fall 2004 IK, 4 skeins of Jamieson sock yarn, rubber alphabet stamps from Paper Source, and templates for making envelopes. The Japanese books I got from Mitsuwa and the yarn from Stitches and Scones. Lots of lovely things... I'm just so happy. I'll give you a sneak peek of some of the things that interest me.

This is from the knitting book. Lots of pattern that's wearable, maybe. And here's from the other books.

The ISBN numbers are 4-408-62742-9, 4-8347-5303-8, and 4-277-43064-3.

Greetings

2005-12-24T17:43:00.000-05:00

Happy holidays to everyone, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and everything!

Knitting Basket

2005-12-19T20:56:00.000-05:00

I just finished making a knitting needle cover today. It really makes me happy ... sob ... it's made from fabric remnants from my Ikea pillowcase and fat quarters from JoAnn. And my monogram on the front. No closing yet because I can't think of any, so I just fold it and put it inside the basket.
There it is with five skeins of colorful Lamb's Pride to make Jess Hutch's stuffies, one skein of Caron, my notions box, and the half finished bolero jacket peeking out. I buy that green caron yarn at Walmart yesterday because the color seems Christmas-y. It will be returned as soon as possible because the sight of it just knida offends me. I think I am part yarn snob now.

There's also that small yellow thing where I poke my scissors and crochet hook. It's called knit cushion, some kind of pin cuhion for knitting. I just found out that there's such a thing! I see it in some knitting magazine, Knit Simple or Simple Knits, I don't really remember. Well, the pattern is for sale here. But I don't think I want to spend $6 for that pattern. So I googled it and found a free one! Here's the free pattern. There's supposed to be four circles, I'm still making the fourth one in bright green.

Isn't it the inside lovely? And it's pretty neat too considering I just began using sewing machine in November.

The outside of the cover with my monogram and the half finished bolero jacket. My LYS kept running out of the yarn! I still need to buy four more skeins. What a bother! It's a good thing I don't really care about dye lots. I was planning on wearing it this holiday. My husband and I want to go to Chicago. It would be nice to wear it on top of some beaded tops. I just have to wait until next year to finish it.

Resolution

2005-12-09T22:09:00.000-05:00

After filling out the questionnaire the other day (btw that's for Secret Pal 7, more on this later), I dare myself to take a peek at my oldest UFO. It was supposed to be Fiery Bolero from IK Summer '05. I made it from Jaeger Trinity with 2 strands held together. Because this is my first sweater, I didn't bother to make a gauge swatch. Boy, I learn that the hard way. I've frogged it three times and it still didn't fit right so I just dumped it in the corner of the closet.
Finally, I took it out two days ago and frogged it once again. I happen to have Alterknits with me (just borrowed it from the library last week), and there's this one project that uses Jaeger Trinity! Is that an omen or what? It's a tanktop with a sewn lace up panel on the backside, the Modern Bustier. Even though I don't really know what I'm gonna wear it with, I just thought, what the heck, I have the yarn anyway. So I cast on on Wednesday morning. Knit endlessly this two days, and tonight I'm starting on the straps.

I still have to buy the silk fabric and eyelets to totally finish it.

Now an exciting news: I'm joining Sercet Pal 7! I'm so excited about it. What kind of match would I get? Will we have the same interests? This is my first Secret Pal so I don't really know what to expect. I'm just very very excited. I can't wait until January.

Questionnaire

2005-12-07T14:43:00.000-05:00

Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
If I have no budget whatsoever, yes, I am a yarn snob. But because that's not true, then I just use basic yarns like Cascade 220 or Lamb's Pride. I've been meaning to buy some expensive yarns like Rowan or Debbie Bliss but never have the heart to do it.

Do you spin? Crochet?
I crochet a little bit before I learned knitting. Now, I prefer knitting only.

Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Dust is my biggest enemy.

How long have you been knitting?
I first learned knitting in college from my mom in Indonesia. So that's about 4 or 5 years ago. I never did any serious project. What knit wear can you use in a tropical country? After I move to the US last year, I started again and have never stopped, unless for the occasional boredom.

Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes I do, but it's on my husband's name because I'm too lazy to make my own Amazon account. It's here.

What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Lavender, herbs and spices. But no cinnamon! That's the one smell that I can't stand.

Do you have a sweet tooth?
Only milk chocolate for me. But I can live without any chocolate. My preferred sweets are Pepperidge Farm cookies, Jello, Haagen Dazs, and Japanese cookies.

What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
I just bought a sewing machine this Thanksgiving. So far I have made something that I want to put on Month of Softies. My 'someday' project is a quilt. I also do some scrapbooking and card making. But it's put on hold because I feel like if I'm gonna fill up the whole album then I must do it in one go. I can't stop in the middle of the album and pick up my knitting. I also love to cook but I hate the prep.

What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I'm not sure what kind it is. Currently: Diana Krall, Seal, Michael Buble, George Benson, Greenday, Nine Inch Nails, and The Killers. Yes, I'm MP3 compatible.

What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
My wardrome is separated in three parts (this is just for tops): blacks, whites, and creams, blues and greens, and reds, pinks, and purples. And somewhere in between maybe there's one or two orange. I guess I like all kinds of colors depending on my mood. But no fluorescent colors. Right now I want to make a pink sweater. I don't know why but pink just seems so yummy. For my home, I like accent colors like red, black, and brown.

What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I've been married a little over a year now. Baby plan should start soon, maybe. No pets for me.

What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
To have a beautiful home that I decorate and renovate myself. Well, my husband too. This is the five year plan. After that, no thoughts yet.

What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
No favorite yarns since I only use Cascade or Lamb's Pride. I'd like to try Debbie Bliss Cashmerino And Rowal Wool Cotton, though. I've also tried some KnitPicks yarn and the recycled silk yarn. I don't think I want to use them again.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Acrylics, polyester, fibers that shed a lot, and itchy fibers.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
Jess Hutch's creatures and all other knitted toys. And a pink sweater!!

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Something that requires minimum finishing, like knitting in the round. And is there any magical way so that I don't have to weave in those loose ends? Also small projects so I can feel the instant gratification.

17. What are you knitting right now?
Bolero jacket from Debbie Bliss Simply Soft and finishing my husband's sweater from Simple Knits with a Twist. If it's possible, I always try to make only one project at a time.

18. What do you think about ponchos?
It's definitely a no no. But there's one circular poncho in Handknit Holidays that looks so gorgeous. I like it more as a skirt though.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circular only.

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Anything will do. But Addi Turbos are the best. Right now I'm mostly using Clover interchangeable needles. It's an old set that I got from my mom. I don't know if they still make it or not.

21. Are you a sock knitter?
No, but I want to make one someday.

22. How did you learn to knit?
My mom taught me in college because I asked her to. She's been knitting as long as I can remember and finally I'm interested in knitting after crocheting since junior high. I always tought that knitting is way more complicated than crochet. Maybe in some ways it is, but it gives more beautiful result too!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
6 months probably. I've frogged it three times and I still don't like it. It's sitting there in the corner of the closet. I really don't like talking about that. It's making me feel guilty.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Nothing special, but I have a lot of stuffed animals. Tiger, whale, penguin, Pink Panther, chicken, Sullivan from Monster's Inc., teddy bear, classic Pooh and Piglet, and bunny. Most of them are put in the highest shelf in the closet except for the bunny, penguin, whale, and monster.

25. What is your favorite holiday?
The one that enables my husband to stay at home.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Pretty stationary and cute Japanese stuff. I also like to print out free knitting patterns of the things that I want to make someday. It's neatly organized in a binder. So on some days I just flip around through it and daydream.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
Nothing, I buy them only if I'm interested in making some patterns.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
It's on my wish list

Report

2005-12-05T09:56:00.000-05:00

The workshop is not free, I did not read everything on the website. But it's still ok. I love Lily's Rooster!
I walked around in Short North afterwards. Stopped at On Paper and bought some blank cards and gift tags for Christmas gift wrapping.
My UFO (hubby's sweater) is almost done. All the knitting part is over. I just need to sew up up everything, weave all the loose ends, and probably make the neck shorter. So maybe another 2 weeks? It will still make it for my Christmas deadline.

Saturday Morning

2005-12-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Woke up at 8 this morning. Have to go to the car dealer with husband. Then help a friend to move. Then, hopefully at 5, I will be a the Plush Rus h yay! I'm really excited about their free workshop. Now, I just have to see where the place is on Google.

shoe addict

2005-12-01T13:15:00.000-05:00

Can you tell a person's character by their shoes?

long long time...

2005-11-30T11:50:00.000-05:00

I am deeply ashamed that I never updated the blog. But at least the reason is that I'm busy making stuff! And don't forget that I also have to move from Atlanta to Columbus ...

Anyway, here's the things I've made so far since my move in August

Picovoli t-shirt
Hourglass sweater
Bunny from Jess Hutch's website
and a few small things, like a crochet slipper and a crochet box
and one UFO, man's sweater from Simple Knits with a Twist

The reason why it's a UFO is because I'm discouraged from finishing it. The intended receiver (a.k.a. hubby) complains that it's too itchy. Well, I am using Reynold's Lopi so maybe there's some truth in what he's saying, but ... let's just hope I'll finish it before Christmas, or at least before winter ends in Ohio!!!

I also have a lot of wish list, that is things to be made. But I better not put it here, just in case I'm not making it. So, as soon as I finish something I'll definitely post something, I hope ...

Ohio!

2005-05-27T12:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm off to Columbus tomorrow. It's a long drive from Georgia, 10 hours on the car... sigh...

Finished Stuff

2005-05-22T19:07:00.000-04:00

Here's all the things I've knitted this year. There's only two, actually. I need more projects and more time!
The first is a penguin toy. It's supposed to be called Pasha (from Knitty), but my husband called it Pingu. So that is the name. The other one, that I just finished today is Unbiased. I really love the yarn! I couldn't wait to wear it after I washed it today, so I went grocery shopping with a slightly damp bag.

2005-05-22T18:43:00.000-04:00

Unbiased, finished today!

2005-05-22T18:42:00.000-04:00

Pingu, finished April

Lost in Atlanta

2005-05-22T00:16:00.000-04:00

First planned visit to my LYS. I've been planning to go to Strings and Strands since a long time ago but never get a chance to. Next week I'm going to Ohio, so I feel like I have to visit my LYs first before going to LYS in another state. I got lost there, the streets are always confusing here in Atlanta. Or is it just my sense of directions? I did print the map from Google but forgot to bring it...
I went there today with two projects in mind, the Drop Stitch Shrug and the Fiery Bolero, both from Interweave Knits Summer 2005. Didn't find anything that I like because I'm too overwhelmed by all the yarns. I'm still not used going to yarn stores so I always get confused. Tonight I've done my research and I've decided what yarn I'm gonna try to find in Ohio.

Cascade Pima Silk
Katia Fanny
Classic Elite Attitude
Rowan Summer Tweed
Debbie Bliss Cathay

Actually, one of the patterns call for Alchemy Synchronicity. But it's $18.50 per skein! I don't have the heart to buy yarn that expensive. Maybe after I've made something useful and wearable...

First Entry

2005-05-20T08:51:00.000-04:00

My first blog ever! I never write anything, anywhere, anytime. So this is a tiny baby step for me.