Today

Today my armpits smell like zebra stripe gum. I ran out of my usual deodorant and resorted to some free sample size thingy that came with some body wash or some such nonsense. It's supposed to be 'fresh scent' but all it really smells like is chewing gum that will lose it's flavor in about two seconds. How can I take myself seriously when I smell like candy? Not to mention the whole hunger-triggering thing that happens whenever I lift my arms to do anything. It's really kind of weird.
I'm about 3 inches away from binding off on my cardigan and then on to the sleeves. I'm also off to finally choose a button for my split neck short sleeved tee from Fitted Knits. It was my first knitted garment for myself and I'm ready to give it a good blocking once I've got the button sewn on. That way the split won't curl in on itself. I'll post a pic once that is all ready to wear. Wish me and my sweet pits happy button hunting!

Couldn't come sooner...

100_0019
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

Friday that is. I'm so glad and excited to knit since the goal for the weekend is to finish the cardi. Post-work I'm heading over to the interurban for some destressing action due to running. Tout-suite. This is a new thing which is working out pretty well now that my knees are healed. This will be the second run this week and it's a good thing too, all of this knitting is making the derriere conform to the sizable dimentions of the the sofa. Yikes. So run, then knit, and hopefully some rollerskating on Saturday. Ahhhhh...le weekend.

Update

The previously promised updated pic from the short-sleeve cardigan. I joined under the arms last night and am just about done with the 'knit even' rows before I start the center back shaping. I really really like how the increases for the sleeves look (even though I had to frog about 6 rows because of a screw up). This is working up so fast I can hardly believe it, even with a bulky feeling yarn I'm amazed! Even though it's acrylic it feels pretty good and I can foresee a lovely future with layering this Fall. I'm not sure what's next on the knitlist but I did order Fifi for the Sexy knitter Club KAL. Maybe some
Elann Esprit is in my future...hello cables.

Angry Kitty

kitty hat
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

This was my second knit project, the Kittyville hat from Stitch n' Bitch. I used 2 skeins of Mission Falls 1824 Wool in a pretty coral-pink color. The photo doesn't show it but there are pom-poms at the end of the i-cord. Fun stuff. This is NOT for me, but a gift for the littlest sis for this upcoming Holiday season. I'm totally ahead of the game, and um, apparently in need of some eyebrow grooming in this photo.
I've been making lots of progress on my short-sleeved cardi. and while I'm not crazy about acrylic yarn it is actually working up fairly soft and squishy. Updated photos soon.

Finished!

The socks, they are finished! Voila! Although the pattern name is Flame Wave socks I will call them Papel, er, one week socks. I cast on Saturday of last week and finished them last night. I think I'll block them as the top scalloped edge has a tendency to roll down but other than that they are ready for stowing in the cedar chest until Christmas. I used 2 balls of Cascade Fixation in size 5 dpns for the upper calf shaping and size 4 for the ankle and foot sections. The only problem I had was that the yarn is so stretchy it takes a little bit of work to figure out the tension so that the yarn isn't pulled super-taut while you work your stitches. I've decided I really like knitting socks as they're small and portable and any lace pattern works up quickly since the repeat is short.

Next on the knit list is the short-sleeved cardigan from Fitted Knits.

I'll be swatching this tonight post-Sunday-afternoon cleaning frenzy. I'll be using Lion Brand Jiffy (I know, I know, it's acrylic.) Mohair look yarn that I picked up while on vacation in California. At 2.49 a skein I couldn't resist, especially since it 's machine washable and I have a strange dislike of dry cleaning anything. The color is Chili and the gauge on the tag matches exactly the Cascade 128 that the pattern actually calls for. I love exact substitutions. It's not as super soft and luxurious as real mohair but who would say no to a 15$ sweater that feels pretty damn good?

Exactly!

First thing this morning I ran into this article in Newsweek called: Stop Setting Alarms on My Biological Clock.
It really is the culmination of all my frustrations about mothers and/with children. I would love to have a child, someday. I would love to teach them manners when it happens, and boundaries, and all that other stuff that I think is common sense but it seems isn't. I thought for a long time I had a general dislike of children because they made me uneasy and sometimes annoyed. But now I know it wasn't really children in general but children in public whose parents can't or won't control/admonish/lovingly reprove/set boundaries for their offspring. I love children who are well-mannered and listen to their parents, who know how to say hello to an adult and not go into a paroxysm of crying or screaming when their wants are shot down. I love love love kids. I want one someday. I think parenting is the hardest job on the planet and I have a deep respect for people (like my mommy) who raise children who become responsible and thoughtful adults. Read it, you'll see.

Le Premier

Sock # une. C'est finis. I have only to block and cast on for le seconde. No second sock syndrome here, I'm rockin right on to the next. Hooray for socks! Easily transportable and won't make a lap full of hot during the summer and another Christmas gift in the cedar chest for this coming season. Can't get better than that. Satisfaction in the form of footwear.

Color Work It

colorwork bag
Originally uploaded by zombiegirl1

This is another FO from this past week when I broke my knees. It's my first colorwork knit and I had a lot of fun figuring out how to knit with both fingers and carry yarn and all of that. The pattern is from Handknit Holidays by Melanie Falick and I used Cascade 220 in a mulberry-ish heather and a pinkier solid. It worked up super fast on #8 circs, I think in about three days, and I blocked it and let it dry around an empty flour jar which helped ease the puckering from any tension issues I had working with the two yarns. After it was done I weighed it to see if I had enough yarn from those two skeins to knit another one for my SIL for Christmas. I sure do! It'll be in the opposite color scheme though, with the pinkier shade as background and the darker color for the pattern. I hope it works out well. Hooray for color work!

Up She Goes

I hurt my knees really badly last weekend on cracked Downtown Seattle pavement. I've been gimping around ever since. I finally felt as if they were getting better and then yesterday I knelt down to get something and realized that both of my ankles were swollen as well, when I do something I do it wholeheartedly apparently. No skimpy skinned knees for me, I have to twist an ankle and chalk the stiffness up to the knee injuries. Long story short I've kept my feet up all weekend which while annoying on it's own has led to some major knitting progress.
I started with some Cascade Fixation (cotton/elastic) that was in my stash from last year and decided to try knitting socks. After thumbing through Favorite Socks from Interweave Press I decided on the Flame Wave socks by Ann Budd which coincidentally calls for my specific yarn. Hooray! After a couple cast-on/ frog sessions I finally got the hang of the lace pattern (first time working with a chart and with lace). The color is actually a little more periwinkle than the photo shows but I'm just starting the heel flap and hopefully by the end of this evening I'll have turned the heel. Up go the legs, down goes the sock.

The Right Stuff

I feel like the new kid on the block, I've finally decided to graduate from the myspace blog. I wanted to wait and see how often I posted on the other (we'll call it practice) and to get my blogging fingers limbered up for this action. It also seems like a huge step because my idea about the content for this blog is totally different than my usual ramblings and ravings. This is first and foremost a blog for my crafting and especially my newest and current obsession of knitting which I'm not sure my other readers were quite so ecstatic about. The name of this blog is a little misleading, I don't consider myself hip although I am a knitter. The name I wanted (knitalicious) was already taken and I liked the way the i's in this one are alliterative. Kind of rolls off the tongue. I've yet to link up my flickr pics so you'll just have to return for that...already hooked ya haven't I?