Tuesday, March 30, 2004

I'm so Swift!

Went back to Cloth & Clay to get more yarn for Queenie, and I've come to a conclusion. I need a swift.
This isn't cutting it anymore.

(By the way, if anyone can tell me how to do the neato-mosiquito pop up window thingies, I would be ever so greatful).


Our weekend visitor is back for the evening. He and Isis have a playdate. Here he is trying to pretend that he is an actual cat and not the spawn of Satan:



Isis was not impressed to have her space invaded for so long:



You know, the lampshade thing works for a while, but the skeins are so long, they evenually fall off the lampshade and I have to wrap them around a chair. Or Tekgrrl. A ball winder I could live without, but Lordy, I want a swift! Tekgrrl said once that she would make one for me, but I'm wondering if she only said that because her arms were tired! I could make my own ball winder, but it seems like too much work, when I don't mind if I'm not using centre-pull balls.

Has anyone found a link to make their own swift? Or a Niddy Noddy for that matter?

Knitting and spinning use such fun terms.



Sharvanne purred at 9:54 PM
|

+++++

Saturday, March 27, 2004

I'm a Slut...

A project slut that is. I can't seem to finish anything without starting something new.

Case in point: Still need to turn the heel and do the leg ribbing on my second Regia sock, but I have the Army sock on the go, and I bought a new color of the Bernat Sox yarn for anther pair.

A second point: the Vamp is, as we speak, sitting beside my knitting chair (really, it's Tekgrrl's chair, but it is perfect for knitting. I also take pictures of my work on both the chair and the matching ottoman), while in my lap at this very moment is Queenie.

At least I have an excuse for the second point. Matt's coming up next Saturday from T.O. for the engagement party, and I'd like it to be finished by then. But something tells me it won't be.

Here are some pictures from the Royal Collage Livestock Fair that we went to last weekend...

First off, if everyone remembers, my sister was racing a duck in an obstacle course. I would say that both she and her partner were racing a duck, but from what I saw, the other girl wasn't really doing much.

These are all the ducks in the pen:


And here is a duck running the course - not my sister's as we got little videos of her duck running, but you get the idea:



There were other animals there too, the actual serious livestock fair animals - cows, pigs, horses, and the most adorable little lambs I have ever seen:



Oh. And Isis' birthday was last Monday (I don't always have the time or the motivation to go through the whole picture-posting process during the week)! Katie (whose farm Isis came from) brought over "birthday cake" made up of a layer of tuna covered in vanilla icecream and sprinkled with Pounce treats. It went over really well:


*Sniff* my baby's growing up into a big girl.




Sharvanne purred at 5:50 PM
|

+++++

Friday, March 26, 2004

Good Grief... it's Friday

So Tekgrrl and I got a fabulous new apartment!!! It's big (for a one bedroom), cheap, utilities included, right across the street (almost) from the big bus terminal, and there's a convience store in the lobby. Midnight munchie run, anyone?

I would like to say hello to everyone who's visiting here as a result of my decision to discontinue my Live Journal. Too much work.

And I'd like to ask my sister how she's managed to look at this site over 16 times today. Bored much?

Work is going okay, I claimed one of those boxes that copy paper comes in. There should be many boxes coming in this month from the printer, so we should be okay for moving boxes. I have to go through my clothes tomorrow and sort out what I'm keeping and what is going to Goodwill. Of course this will be version 1.0 and I'm sure it will change.


In knitting news, The Vamp is just waiting for a zipper and a belt. I've been working on the belt while riding the bus. So much easier to knit a long, boring, 6 stitch belt in garter with DPN's.

I think I've also mastered the intricacies of continental purling. SO much faster. I'm practicing my new skills on the Fag-Bag, which I've affectionatly named "Queenie". If it turns out okay, and people are interested, I may post the pattern, somewhere.


And thank you so much to Karen for linking me in her blog. I feel so special, darling, thank you.

Tekgrrl has gone out to see some band, Skinny Phat or something. So I'm alone with Isis, and her cousin Rudy, who is visiting. They go from lovey-dovey grooming to full out WWE, tear your face off kind of fighting. Great. And now they're in the bedroom. I guess I'm not sleeping tonight.


Sharvanne purred at 10:21 PM
|

+++++

Wednesday, March 24, 2004

Wednesday

I really should update this more often. I mean, I wish all of *my* favorite blogs would update everyday, so why shouldn't I?

The Royal Collage Livestock Fair was, uh... interesting. By this, I mean boring. But the duck races were fun. For the first half hour. The next hour and a half wasn't so much fun. Pictures will be coming as soon as I get some time to crop, upload and post them.

The Vamp is almost done. I'm just knitting on some moss stitch bands to attach the zipper to.

But I'm going to have to rip out the shawl collar. It looks fugly.

This thing looks like a bathrobe. Not what I was going for. So, back to the frog pond goes the collar, and I'll put something a little less grandma-ish on it instead.


Sharvanne purred at 6:39 AM
|

+++++

Saturday, March 20, 2004

Anticipation.

If you'll notice. I'm up REALLY early on Saturday. Why? Well, my parents are coming in an hour to take Tekgrrl and I to the Livestock Fair at my sister's school. She's training a duck to be in an obstacle course. I'll take pictures today.

I'm going to tell them today about the engagement. We'll see what happends.

Needless to say, I'm nervous.

In knitting news, I finished the second front of the Vamp, started the ribbing on the second HUGE bell sleeve, and hope to have most of it finished this weekend. But we'll see how long the collar takes. I was wanting to make two separate collars, one black, on with the Boa yarn, but I think I'll make a black, "permament" collar and figure out some way to make the second collar so that I can remove it when I want.

I'm looking forward to the Fag-Bag. Should be fun.


Sharvanne purred at 7:04 AM
|

+++++

Thursday, March 18, 2004

Picture day!

Well, I thought that since I haven't had the time for updating much this week, I would show off what I've been up to this week.

For starters, I took out the scrolly-thingie I had for blog links. It annoyed me that I had to wait until the button I wanted to click on came up. So, until I figure out a better way to do it, this is what I've got.

I had a good time on Monday. Basking in my newly-engaged state, I went super domestic. I missed Tekgrrl, because she was in class all night, but I did get some stuff done.


On my way home, I picked up some wool (!!) from Cloth & Clay (my LYS). It's really nice, and was only $4.99 for four ounces (272 yards!!!) of worsted weight. I'm making the ultimate Fag-Bag for my best friend. His birthday is next week, and he's coming up from Toronto for our engagement party in April. It's going to be a felted messanger bag that I'm designing for him.

The white is for me... I want to make Sophie, from Magknits. I'm going to dye the yarn with KoolAid for first. It will be faboo!



When I went to ball up the skiens, I noticed it would be hard to do, seeing as how I don't have a swift. Instead I came up with draping it across the old-school TV tray stand... Isis is mighty interested.



This is what happens when you let bread dough rise for 2 hours. Oops.



This is my progress on the Army sock. It is working up so quickly, and I love that by using short rows for the toes and heels, the pattern is very very very easy, and I don't have to look at a pattern.



And last but not least for the pictures, Tekgrrl and I celebrated our 2nd year anniversary of being together on Monday so I bought her flowers. As you can see, they are squished into the last available space that A) isn't covered in crap and B) is inacessable to the cat.




Yesterday, I picked up my Mary Maxim order! It had enough (I hope) yarn to finish the Vamp, as well as needles and one full pound of Sugar and Cream worsted weight cotton (black of course). I'm using it to design a new shirt that I can wear to work... But I'm not allowed to touch it until the Vamp, Fab-Bag, and the 2nd Regia Sock is done. This is starting to get rediculous... I took a total of THREE different projects with me in my knapsack today.

Good Grief, Charlie Brown!


Sharvanne purred at 9:00 PM
|

+++++

Sunday, March 14, 2004

BIG NEWS!!!

Sorry, most of this is not knitting related.

But...

Tekgrrl and I are engaged!!!!!!!

It happened yesterday, we were going out to celebrate being together for two years, and after I got dressed and came into the living room, she got down on one knee and asked me to marry her!

I said yes, ran downstairs to get her ring (the big purchase we'd been saving for), and said a little something cute, and slipped the ring on her finger.

Wanna see what they look like?

This one is Tekgrrl's:


This one is mine:



Life is grand!


In knitting news, I finished the heel of the sock I was making, tried it on (good thing), only to find that the foot was about two inches too short. My mistake for using the measurements of a different sock, using a different type of yarn, and a different heel.

All together now: DUMBASS!

So I frogged back to before the short rows started and I'm working on it again. Really, I'm not upset, because I managed to get almost half a sock done yesterday. This is knitting up so much faster. I love 3.00mm sock needles!


Sharvanne purred at 12:56 PM
|

+++++

Saturday, March 13, 2004

Owie owie owie!!!

My back has been twinging lately, but I've thought nothing of it.

Now I'm thinking.

Isis was somewhere she shouldn't have been this morning (on a shelf full of breakable stuff at 6am), and I jumped up to get her. I also wrenched my back.

When I got up to pee, I couldn't even pick my clothes up off the floor. I had to fling them toward my hands with my feet. I also couldn't lift up the toilet seat. I used the same foot-flinging technique.

Still not clueing into the fact that I should be in bed, not up and about, I tried to climb the stairs. I got up one step before screaming, finally going back to bed, while Tekgrrl tired to talk me through it. It eventually got better, so I've been working on the Army sock to console myself. And a little bit of codeine doesn't hurt, either.

I'm using Wendy's pattern, and I love it so much! Short rows are my friend.

Still waiting for the rest of my yarn to arrive so that I can finish the Vamp. This is what it looks like right now... a cat bed.


I want to be able to wear it before it gets too warm. On the other hand, it is too cold to wear it now as a jacket. So I guess it all works out. Especially if it keeps up what it's been doing since last weekend:


Keep in mind it had be 16C the day before!!!

I spent a LOT of money on something for Tekgrrl, but something else needs to happen before I post far and wide about it. Check out my Livejournal if you are really that interested.

Isis is very excited:


How can one little cat snore so much?


Sharvanne purred at 12:44 PM
|

+++++

Wednesday, March 10, 2004

Total Inspiration

I am loving Glampyre!

I mean, seriously, I haven't finished reading her blog archives yet (I'm a dork, I like to read all of the archives first), but she is such an inspiration. She makes me think about wearing colour again (big news for me, I assure you, I am more the dark and mysterious type).

I am so jealous of everyone who can buy so much nice yarn. The only "proper" yarn I have aquired is for the Regia socks. I know I am missing out by using almost exclusivly acrylic, but I love the creative process, why waste good yarn on experiments when you don't know how it's going to work.

I have several sweater ideas, but I'm thinking I'm going to need Knitware's help for the armholes.

Question: Am I able to consider a sweater my design if I used a template for things such as armhole construction? Would I be able to submit something to Knitty if I used some of Knitware's numbers?

I think I want this book. Has anyone else read it? Are there any other titles on sweater design that I should know about?

Come on, people, I know that there are a few who are reading this (thanks to Stefanie of Glampyre for making me feel loved!), and I'm betting that several of you are knitters (not just my friends, who think I'm weird and domestic). Help a girl out! :)

Sheesh.

I love all you bloggers out there, though. So much inspiration.



Sharvanne purred at 8:00 PM
|

+++++

Monday, March 08, 2004

Well...
The Vamp right front is done, and I only have a little over a ball left to do the left front, a second sleeve and the shawl collar.

Methinks there is not enough yarn.

I'm making myself wait to order more though, there is an expense coming up that I will talk more about next month, and I need all the cash I can get at the moment.


Sharvanne purred at 9:35 PM
|

+++++

Sunday, March 07, 2004

Ooooo...

New online knitting magazine: Magknits

Seriously, if you haven't seen it yet, check it out. It's new, and I haven't read the entire site yet, but the patterns are cute (think I want to try the sophie felted bag) and fun.

Don't get me wrong though, I still love Knitty, it's just the more, the merrier!

Isis says that my new layout much better befits her beauty. She has such a big head...



Sharvanne purred at 10:32 AM
|

+++++

Saturday, March 06, 2004

Whew... Finally...

Found this skin on Blog Skins, it's called "shadowlight: my cat blog". I added a picture of Isis instead of the one that shadowlight provided, played around with the margins, and basically copied and pasted the code from the old layout.

Whee!!!! I think this looks so much more fun.

In knitting news, I finished the back of the Vamp Cardigan, and have started on the right front. It turns out the the yardage calculator on Knitware was off. I originally ordered 15 balls, and I think I'm going to need at least another 8 or 9. Harumph. At least it's only $2.87 a ball. I just hope that they dye lots are close enough that it doesn't show. I would have more done, but I was somewhat incapacitated this afternoon, so I didn't get much knitting time in, but now reality is starting to make sense again.

I have a question for everyone... Tekgrrl says that I can't call the Vamp Cardigan a cardigan because cardigans are supposed to end at your waist. The Vamp ended up bellow my knees. I think it is still a cardigan because it opens up the front. Who is right?

I've been thinking about adding side seam and possibly patch pockets with a belt. I guess if I'm going to run out of yarn anyway...


Sharvanne purred at 10:54 PM
|

+++++

Wednesday, March 03, 2004

Yawn...

I've been so tired lately, that knitting puts me to sleep. At least, I can't knit on the bus anymore.

Bus time is when I work on my socks. That's why it takes so bloody long, as I only ride the bus for about half an hour per day. Actually, that's not fair. I knit socks at the doctor's office, or lunchtime of when waiting for class to start. But regardless, I don't knit on my socks as much as I probably should.

Besides, I'm itching to finish the back of the Vamp. It seams like miles of stokinette stitch, at least when working on sleeves or fronts, the increases and decreases happen more often. I like hitting milestones like that.

However, the end of the back is in site, and even though it's acrylic, it's very soft and warm. Hopefully I'll finish it to wear in the spring in place of a coat.


Sharvanne purred at 5:54 PM
|

+++++