Crazy Pirates and Crazy Ideas

I.won.something!! yayyy!!! CraftPirate Macoco had a contest that guaranteed a prize to whoever could guess what the pattern on her quilt was. I am not a quilter. But I am a googler!! So I googled and I googled and I found it.

So Macoco sent me this:

Gorgeous - isn't it? And I must agree with her - the little baby alpca drawing is so cute, it makes it even more irresistable. The problem is, I think Macoco is one crazy pirate. Look at what she writes in her note:

ummm.... ya... not so much! I am not knitting this gorgeous yarn into a gift for someone else... pffttt! crazy pirate, yarn is for me!

Now for crazy stunts. This past weekend, I ran a half marathon with Tony's younger sister. If you do not believe me, look at these ridiculously ugly pictures taken my marathon officials.

HA!! I did it. Ok, now this was only a half marathon, not a full marathon, which I will be running Oct.29, but man although it was tons of fun, it was not that easy. It may have had to do with the fact that the whole course was hills and windy roads - but still! Anyways, I am ultra-proud, and a major show-off, so wanted to share that with you guys. And because I am ultra-proud, I am not going to share my horrible time with you guys. Just a word of caution: go to the bathroom before you run a long distance race - i am just saying...

Last but not least, SAP3 is completed. Here is a sneak peek:

Suertuda!!

A while ago Vik had mentioned that she had been wanting the 2006 Pattern by Day Calendar. Since I have it, I told her I would send it to her, and when the year finished, I would send her the rest of the patterns. No biggie, just doing something nice for a fellow knittter, and an Argentina!

She completely shocked me by sending me a thank you gift! You know I love getting packages, but there is something to be said about getting international packages! Look at the postage! That flag is so pretty...

Next to the postage is a bracelet that she sent that I cannot wait to wear next World Cup when Argentina once agains tries to reclaim their rightful place as World Cup winner (c'mon boys!).

Also included in this surprise package were some yummie chocolates and my most favorite cookies ever - TITA! Weird how a bite of a chocolate covered cookie can transport you back in time to when you were 7 and as a treat your mom would give you a TITA. YUM.... My favorite was a potholder that she made by herself. I did spend a while trying to figure out the pattern, but then gave up. I will have to google it.

Thanks Vik! What a lovely surprise.

Also an update on the SAPs. I finished SAP2, and am working on SAP3. Take a look at a sneak peek of SAP2:

I told you - no baby/no FO pictures that are visible. I am now finishing up SAP3 - and man o man is it cute! Ava is going to be one lucky well dressed baby.

I am also working on my Gatsby Girl Pullover from the last Interweaves. I love how this looks, but this is my first time doing lacey stuff and it has taken me a while to get a hold of the pattern. There are some mistakes on the back (which I just finished) but the untrained eye cannot see them, and my hair will cover them, so I am letting them be.

It is really pretty isn't it? I am using yarn that my first secret pal, ms. f.pea, gifted me a few months ago, and which I was able to find on ebay - same color and everything for a not so expensive price. I like the color - its like a muted coffee brow - and cannot wait to wear it. Either to dress up some jeans, or to the office.

The back so far is looking very pretty. I do wish that was the size of my waist - but it is not. The ribbing makes it look so much smaller than it is. See how stretchy it is?

ms. marigold

I have had this completed for oh so long. I have worn it to work, to tony's parent's house, out for a drive. But I never took good enough pictures, so I did not want to post about it. This blog has been neglected for a while, so I regardless of how I feel about the pictures, here it is - ms. marigold.

I decided to not do the crochet sleeves, cause, ha - I don't know how to crochet! Plus, I thought that it looked too "girlie" and I did not think I could pull off that look. I love the color, and the neckline, I even tried it with an "office" look (see picture below). It will look great in the fall and in the winter as a vest - don't you think? The only problem I have with this one is that I do not know how to bind off loosely. My cast off edge is way too tight, and it makes the bottom kinda roll under. Does that make sense? Does anyone have any other ideas on how to bind off loosely?

Anyways, overall a nice lovely, easy knit. I am obsessed with knitting in the round from top to bottom, and get kinda annoyed when my favorite new patterns are knit the conventional way. Maybe one day I will get good enough to convert my own patterns.

More pics (cutest little brother ever - eh?):













Pattern: ms. marigold from zephyrstyle
Yarn: 4 skeins Knit Picks Elegance in Grass
Needles: (size 6 needles) Denise Interchangeables
Alterations: I did the sleeves in a 2k2p rib for 5 rows, as opposed to the crocheted (sp?) sleeves the original pattern called for.

Et tu meme?

I have no idea where that title came from...

I have been tagged by ms. Schrodinger!! Here it is - a book meme.

1. One book that changed your life:
All books change my life, while I am reading them, as I am at work wanting to read them, as I sneak in a few paraghraphs at night wanting to find out what is going to happen. I am not one of those people that can put a book down if they are not into it. Even if I am not grabbed immediately, I need to read it all!

Not to be all knittydorky, but probably Stitch and Bitch had a huge impact, cause it got me obsessed with knitting.

2. One book that you've read more than once:
I read Matilda by Roahl Dahl like a quadrillion times. And Little Women by Louisa May Alcott too. Now that I am older, there are too many books I want to read, so I feel guilty rereading.

3. One book you'd want on a deserted island:
That is too hard, and an unfair question - that is like asking a mother to chose its favorite child.

4. One book that made you laugh:
The Confessions of a Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella was hysterical!

5. One book that made you cry:
Tons! But the one I remember is Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. I was crying like a baby and I went down to have dinner with my family and they were all worried about me.

6. One book that you wish had been written:
Any Harry Potter book - what a money making machine!

7. One book you wish had never been written:
Any book I was forced to read while getting my masters.

8. One book you're currently reading:
Agents of Innocence by David Ignatius. As soon as I am done I start El Nino Envuelto by Elsa Bornerrman. Anther book that I read 1000 times. My dad just bought it for me again, I cannot wait to read it.

9. One book you've been meaning to read:
AGHH... can't answer that either. Come to my house and you will see two book cases of "been meaning to read".

10. Tag 6 people:
The pressure the pressure!! If you read my blog, tag yourself, and let me know.

Oh! By the way -- FO pics coming soon!