SP7 scarfette, new nephdog and godson...all in one weekend

Remember when my SP7 got me that wonderful yarn in my first SP package ever??I made it into a cute little "scarfette" (not long enough to be a scarf). I have been wearing the heck out of it (see evidence below). I wore it to work, I wore it to dinner for Aik's thirtysecond birthday, I wore it to visit my new nephdog Lenin, and I wore it to see our godson. It is a multi-purpose scarfette!

scarfette in the car; scarfette close-up; lenin; lenin, lomester and scarfette..

acting gangsta(rabbit?) goofy; such a cute puppy! (tony-can-we-get-one-pleeasseee!)

real gangsta of the hizzhouse; aik, lomes & scarfette; our godson being goofy; gangsta and godson

Fashion mistakes that happen when you drink too much wine.

Pattern: Scarfette by moi! (actually, it is just 3 rows garter stitch and the rest is the "King Charles Brocade" pattern from "The Knitters Bible".

Yarn: Twisted Sisters "Jazz" - 100% Fine Merino Wool - 2 - 50gm skeins.

I will stick to knitting - tankyouberimach!

My cousin - whose name will remain anonymous - is getting married soon. She asked me to "make her something blue" that she could carry with her on her wedding day. My mom, who is (highly) supersticious told me not to give her a handkerchief because that is bad luck and means that the friendship would end. To make her "a little rose instead". Now, she failed to come up with a good place for my cousin to pin a blue knitted rose on her beautiful gown. (Her shoe does not count mom) So, I decided to make her a handkerchief instead. I talk to her everyday and get into arguments with her every other day, so I know that my friendship with her would not end.

I went to a yarn store near my house, and talked to the lady, who sold me some verrryyyy thin yarn and some size 0 needles. I tried for an entire weekend to knit every other kind of lace I found in my ever growing collection of pattern books, but could not master it.

I cannot tell you how discouraged I was. Maybe cause I was on a deadline (I wanted to give it to her for her Bridal Shower) or maybe cause I had never tried Lace before, but I could just NOT do it!

So my mom and I found a book on Tatting, and I gave that a try.

Finished results:





















Pictures were taken in the car, on my way to the Bridal Shower, at a stop light, so please excuse the bad images. It is not perfect - AT ALL... and I prefer knitting. But I made it for my favorite (way older) cousin who I love very much, so this project was worth every single second of frustration.

One last note: My cousin PROHIBITED me from posting pics of her on this here blog... So, here is me, and someone who may be my cousin, and another person who may be my other cousin (whose permission I have not asked to post her image anywhere).

Love you cous!

Who's got the best SP? ME me meee!

I came home late Saturday night to find that my SP had sent me yet another amazing package!

I forgot to take a picture of the box, but as always it was decorated with cute stickers. In it there was a kit to make a Glamour Scarf - complete with an adorable pic of her mom (hi SP7's mom!), and bamboo needles! I have never knitted with bamboo, I CANNOT wait! Also, ther was a kit to make salsa.. I LOVE mexican food like no other (thank god tony's mom is mexican!); a cute bracelet made in India from one of her (and mine) favorite stores 10,000 Villages; an adorable card holder, and a "lefty bumper sticker." In a letter she sent me that I never blogged about. we discovered that her and I share the same political leanings, so she felt comfortable sending it to me. I was going to put it up on my bulletin board at work - but I do not think that the goverment contracting firm that I work for would appreciate that - do you?

Nosy People!

I love reading blogs because it allows me to be NOSY! There is nothing better than seeing other people's homes, families, pets, commutes, office spaces, etc., etc., etc.

So, I am sure there are some nosy people that ready my blog... so here is a little peek:

My knitting spot on the couch...

The little table next to my knitting spot on the couch...

My current knitting project... (yarn provided by my favorite SP7)

Closeup!!

Now stop being nosy and get back to work!

History of a Bolero Jacket

When I first received the Debbie Bliss Simply Soft , I knew that the Bolero Jacket would be my very first non-scarf/non-hat project – and the first project made just for me. I ordered my yarn from The Knitting Garden, and that is when the saga of the Bolero Jacket started. They are very responsive, and nice, but the yarn took FOREVER to arrive. I was getting pretty anxious for a while, seeing that I really wanted to wear my Bolero Jacket this year.

Finally the 13 skeins arrived. YIPPEEE! I cast on the following day and went to town. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky is so soft and lovely to knit with, I could not stop! (Mind you, up to this point my biggest yarn splurge was on Caron Simply Soft, so Cashmerino was, naturally, bliss).

Knitting the front, back and sleeves were a piece of cake, ribbed for the cuffs of the sleeves, just plain old stockinette for the rest. When I started the collar, so did my problems. I HATE picking up stitches, probably because I am a perfectionist, and I want to make sure that everything is 100% evenly spaced, and perfect, and there are the same number of picked up stitches per inch, yada yada, yada. After trying to be perfect about 5 times, I just did my best.

The problem was that although wrapping rows makes sense to me now, it did not make sense to me then. So, when the pattern said to wrap the next two rows, I thought this meant that I had to do the whole thing twice. (This would mean that I would do FOUR short rows – not TWO). On a Saturday evening, after a leeetle bit of wine, and after the half way point for the collar I started to see that I was going to run out of yarn. I started cursing the pattern, because I was 100% positive that Debbie had miscalculated, and it was not 13 skeins I needed, but 15, and if only they had stated it correctly, I would not be in this predicament, and man was I upset!

I ran to the computer and decided to order the yarn on ebay, since it had taken so long with The Knitting Garden, and I was desperate to finish this. I found a seller that promised delivery within 2-3 days and I quickly placed my order for 3 more skeins. (I figured a little extra would not hurt anything except my wallet). Problem is, wine (the leeetttle bit that it was) does affect your reaction time, your reading abilities, and decision making abilities as well.

Monday morning, when I was checking my email - although, of course, not at work - I saw that I had ordered MERINO chunky, not Cashmerino Chunky. Now, some of you may think, “Who cares! Pretty close! Just finish the darn bolero jacket already!”. And let me tell you, I thought of it for a nano second. But this is my first sweater, and I wanted it to be as perfect as possible. So, I went online - not during work hours, of course - and found another seller that sold the correct yarn. Now, this seller, who shall remain nameless, stated that said yarn would be delivered within 2-3 days in the US, and up to 10 days internationally. I expected the yarn in 3 days, it did not arrive. After 5 days I wrote a very nice email asking where it was and received no response. Another email later yet no response. I waited 10 days, just to give the seller the benefit of the doubt, no response. So I filed a claim on paypal. Of course at that point she contacted me. Needless to say I cancelled the order with this seller. (Is this story getting too long?). I ordered the yarn from supercrafty and received it two days later. (Thanks supercrafty!).

Anyways, long story just a little bit longer, it was at this point, that I decided to try out the Bolero Jacket to see its progress. (At this point the should seams were joined and the collar was well on its way). I thought the collar looked a little big, but chucked it up to inexperience with garment construction and knitted about 6 more rows, but the collar started to look like a cape! I reread the wrap instructions and it is only at this point that I figured out what the heck Debbie was talking about! ARGH…. So I frogged the collar….and picked up the 200 or so stitches again….

I finished it a few days later, after a lot of trial, a lot of tribulation, and a lot of happiness! My first project for me was DONE… The sleeves are a bit long and big. But then again, my arms are a little bit too skinny.

My modeling pics did not turn out so good, so there were several photo shoots, and yes, I will attach as many as I want! I already wore it to work...twice.

Me and my Cashmerino Chunky; Undoing my humongo collar - a sad moment

attempt to look cute # 435; Gangsta Bolero; attempt to loook cute #859


Mom made me pose once... ...twice.... ... More than 3 times, but I will spare you

Too long sleeves; Tony happy that the Freakin' bolero is FINISHED; A girl, her mom and her bolero

Pattern: BOLERO JACKET Debbie Bliss Simply Soft
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky
55% Wool
33% Microfibre
12% Cashmere
Approx. 70 yds/50g
Weight: Chunky
Machine Washable
Gauge: 3.5 sts/1inNeedle: US 10.5
Notes: My very first sweater/jacket! Whatever! It is a bit big, the sleeves are a big long, but might block it again and see what happens. My mom suggested putting it in the dryer, but I am scared to do that…

Eli is a STAR!

When my old friend Michelle told me she was expecting I was shocked! When Michelle and I became friends in high school she was the one friends my parents were nervous for me to be around. We stayed up late, stayed out late, spent entire days together at the mall, pool, wherever. We pretended we were hot fashion models and took ridiculously hysterical photographs (I will spare you the images... trust me...) She was my "wild friend". (Note: My parents always liked her... she was just the craziest ones of my friends).

We had kept in touch off an on during our college years. I would find old notes we had passed to each other in the hall and always made me very nostalgic, and I would track her down. One of the last times we talked I found out she was getting married. SHOCKER! The last person in the world that I would expect to get married first was her. She seemed so happy when we talked, and I could tell she had found a great match and was excited about her new life.

A few months ago I received our high school newsletter which includes a "where are they now" section. It said that Michelle was expecting her first child, a boy. Again, SHOCKED! Thankfully this time, I had an email for her. I contacted her and kept in email touch while she was anxiously waiting for her little boy to join them.

I would write here the exact date when he was born, but I cannot find it in our listing of emails. But needless to say I could not wait to meet him, and of course I could not wait to knit something for him! Since I knew they were coming to visit soon, I wanted a small project, but I could not find anything inspirational online, or in my books, that could be done over a weekend. So I created my own! I made Eli a hat! I have been wanting to try working with two colors, so I found a pattern for a star on knitty.com, and incorporated it. Now, this is one lucky kid... this hat is going to fit him FOREVER... because since I wanted it to be a surprise, I kinda guessed on the measurements, and it turned out a bit big..... (I will update with piictures once Michelle sends - ahem ahem!).

So here it is, "Eli is a star" hat :

PS: The bolero jacket is finished and gorgeous and soft and I wore it to work yesterday. The pics. of me modelling it... not so gorgeous and soft. I will do another fashion shoot and post soon!

Doctor Detail

My brothers are entrepeneurs.

. Now Pabs's business is growing more and more!

For a couple of years he has been building and molding his car detail business, and it is really taking off! Every day he calls me and tells me how many referrals he is getting, and the potential employees he is interviewing. AND HE IS 18!

So if you live in the Northern Virginia area, and need your car detailed, (even if you do not need it) call Dr. Detail! 703-447-8150

(Oh - and if you have a problem with your computer call 703-250-2580)