April's Projects Coming Along Nicely

Lest you think I've totally forgotten about blogging, I'm back. Not that I haven't had anything to say this past week but I've tried to spend time actually knitting rather than just talking about it. So to that end, here are the results:



I finished the back of Diane and am maybe 25% done with the front. Don't look too closely at the picture, there are definitely some "oops" that I am correcting with the front piece. The side twisted rib panels are curling in a bit but when they are blocked, you will see the shaping for the armholes more clearly. The shaping is actually achieved within the stockinette panels and not in the rib. I thought this was clever yet simple.

Now I'm going to confess something. The following photo shows the pieces of a sweater that I started last summer - a variation on the Shapely Tee from White Lies Designs. It's knit in Reynolds Gypsy, a 100% mercerized cotton that's got a pretty heathered sheen to it.



This project has been my sweater from hell. The original yarn was something completely different. Then I tried knitting the sleeves from the top down. I gave up with that idea but knit 3/4 sleeves from the cuff up instead. Now I'm fighting with the neckline - I've already ripped out the first attempt at a garter stitch neck because I picked up too many stitches, even though I was following the pattern. I'm determined to finish Shapely this month, in addition to Diane.

Other projects I've started include Heidi's Tote by Black Sheep Bags and Sitcom Chic from the Spring 2003 Knitty. As for the latter, I've been meaning to knit this for the past 2 years. I'm just now catching up with all of those patterns! I started SC yesterday at Sierra Ski Resort. My brother, his girlfriend, Karl and anothe friend went up for the last day of skiing this season (didn't I say that in an earlier post?) and it was beautiful. Actually, they skiied. I knit all day in the lodge.

On Thursday, I attended my first Guild meeting - the Camellia City Stockin'ettes. Oh, it was quite interesting. Most of the ladies there were older than me, but that wasn't the eye-opener. It was the heated argument (20 minutes) about how to have "Show and Tell" - should everyone show only their FOs or their WIPs, and how much time would be allotted? It was, as Beth mildly put it, a hot button among the members. I will not go into the discussion details but many feathers were ruffled. I'm not sure the outcome was to everyone's liking...seems like it will be brought up again, but at least it everyone can think about it for another month. Otherwise, the meeting was good. The Guild has their own library and I picked up a copy of Confessions of a Knitting Heretic. I spoke with Beth, Kaedean and Sandi again, plus finally met Ms. Violet, who's been great about giving me the scoop on all the other knitting groups in the area (hey, I'm planning to go to the Stitch 'n Bitch next Thursday at the Naked Lounge). Anyways, I'm excited about the Guild because of all the cool workshops they're planning to have. I'm there!

Oh, and one last thing about the Guild...there seemed to be a preponderance of socks being knitted (Violet showed me her latest using KnitPicks yarn). Now, I'm not a sock person. The only times I wear socks are in the winter, to bed on cold nights, when I go for a run and when I ski. However, the teeny DPNs may just be my undoing...I am too curious about knitting with DPNs so I'll have try the socks at some point. I'm thinking next month for my May project.

This afternoon is too beautiful to spend inside the entire time, so I'm heading off to the golf course. We've been asked to join a golf tournament and I haven't hit since last year so I need some serious time at the driving range.

Blogging, Knit Guilding and Gardening

I'm having a drink. Here it is, Sunday, and I've been working on digital photos and this blog for most of the day. My new button alone took 2 hours - grab it, will ya? I hope someone will use it. I have Photoshop Elements 3.0, which I am beginning to adore. Being an impatient person, I didn't take the time to read through the wonderful Short Courses manual until now. Instead of being intimidated, I should've realized that PE3 is perfect for a nitpicky, detail-oriented, organization freak..uh...person like me who loves to put everything in categories and lists.

I have three CDs chock-full of pictures since 2002. I managed to upload only the first CD of photos to the catalog and tag them. Tagging!! I love it!! What a concept!!

Creating the button was frustrating but educational. You can go to GRSites Button Maker if you don't have image-editing software. I picked up this tip from the ever clever Agnes. If you do have Photoshop, you can create your own button. Basic steps if using a photograph:

• select your image
• edit/enhance your image (you may need to crop so that it's basically rectangular)
• save this as your baseline
• resize to button dimensions (something like 1"x.5")
• save this as your baseline button
• you may have to close and re-open baseline button image
• use the Text tool to layer your text onto the image
• save your button as a GIF or JPG

In knitting news, I attended a knitting group at Coffee Republic yesterday. It was kind of intense. Amid the serenity of many ladies knitting away socks and scarves, there was a buzz of excitement. I was in awe of the complicated projects these women were working on...Beth had a lovely lace pattern from White Lies using bamboo yarn...Sandi and Carol were knitting socks on such teeny needles...Kaedean was holding up samples of a reversible cable...Barbara was putting on a show and tell about felting purses. I was enthralled by it all. So of course I joined the Sacramento Knitting Guild (aka Camellia City Stockin'ettes) and then rushed to Babetta's for my 10% member discount. And I promptly bought several skeins of Manos del Uruguay.

Hence my button. The background is Manos del Uruguay in colors #113 and #32.

I dig Manos because it's a Fair Trade company. I think that's very important. Yes, the yarn is expensive. However, Fair Trade means the final product was produced with environmentally sustainable processes, the middleman is cut out and 90% of the profits go directly back to the cooperatives. My coffee is the same way - don't laugh - Fair Trade organic coffee is the best!

Finally, two more happy events this weekend. First, Carolina is in the NCAA Championship Final by way of beating Michigan State. It was a nail-biter for me in the first half and I'm sorry to say that I was quite snappy at half time. Poor Karl. However, I made up for it after Carolina won. Second, I spent some quality time in my garden tending to my riotiously overgrown herbs. I let the parsley overtake their borders so I cut them back furiously (hopefully I won't regret that later). The mint was just atrocious. I really had to fight with the original plant because it spread all over. Tip: do not grow mint in your yard, it will grow like a weed! Keep it in containers! I trimmed the oregano and the flowers close by - Blue Marguerite and something that looks like a mum.

OK. I'm having another glass of wine. For you Sacramento-area readers, the Ironstone wines are very tasty. The Symphony Obsession is crisp and sweet.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!

Sarah Orchid

Sarah, my perennial bloomin' orchid. She's done it again and she's gorgeous. Sarah took her sweet time opening up, as always. It's exciting to me to watch an orchid bloom...the process is so drawn out and the anticipation is delicious. A flower spike first appears as a small nub at the base and it often resembles the tip of a root. Then it starts to grow upwards, at first bright green before becoming a woody brown. Once the spike reaches its full length, tight little flower buds form at the tips. The buds become fuller and fatter until finally they burst open, but slowly, like butterfly wings. The buds normally open one at a time and take a few days to open completely.

Sarah used to be completely white, but since she's been in the company of some purple and pink orchids she has developed a slight pinkish tinge on the upper petals. Orchids are social plants and grow healthier when they're in a bunch together. I have 5 phals and they are all in bloom. Karl says that when they're in their "growing period" I spend more time fussing over them than I do about the cats...or him for that matter.