Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville…

Well, not wastin’ away, and not in Margaritaville. But you get the idea. I’m going on Spring Break!

And I’m going with 7 guys.

Now before you start raising your eyebrows at me, one of the guys is my lovely boyfriend Tyler. And the rest are friends of mine and his. We tried to get some girls to come along, but failed; lots of people had to work and/or were broke. I am only semi-broke; therefore, I am going :)

We’re leaving on March 8th for Destin, FL. I just got confirmation this morning from the house owners we are renting from, that our week there is secured. Tyler is sending the deposit for $500 tomorrow morning.

Here’s where we are staying. Drool and be jealous.

In light of the vacation, I’ve decided to embark on a diet/workout routine so that I can look better in my bathing suit. So far I’ve been at it for about a week; it’s really not so bad. The hardest part is the toning exercises; they are killer! I’m using the program from Glamour’s website; it’s nice to be able to log my workouts and my meals all in one place, neatly. (I’m a little anal-retentive about logging things). And so far I’ve stuck to it pretty admirably. Even at Steak and Shake, where their milkshakes are practically orgasm-inducing.

Here’s to a skinnier, healthier me!

A Wooden Alpaca?! (and also, an FO!)

Yes, I know it sounds strange, but I did indeed receive a wooden alpaca for Christmas this year, from my dear friend Kiwi Kaitlyn, with help from KB. They both stapled, wrapped, cut, and sawed a handful of raw materials into a wooden alpaca that also doubles as a needle holder. Sure, he only holds three pairs of needles (and I have well over 20 pairs by now) but he’s so cute and clever and soft (yes, I’ve petted him) and I just love him to pieces.

His name is Harold.

I love his little ears! So cute!

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And in other news, an FO. Yippee!

Pattern: Official Kittyville Hat, Kitty Schmidt
Made for/Occasion: Me/Just because
Size: N/A
Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran (80% Wool, 15% Silk, 5% Cashmere; about 93 yards); 1 skein Licorice
Needles: US 7
Started: January 2008
Finished: January 2008
Comments:This was an extremely quick knit, and it should have been, too, because it’s my third attempt at the pattern. And on top of that, it comes with a story.

The tale of the Kittyville Hat begins with my first attempt at a knitted garment, ever. I had done some practice swatches with cheap-o acrylic from Walmart (Red Heart brand….shudder….) and wanted to move onto something more ambitious, like a hat or a pair of gloves. My birthday was just around the corner, and my friend Katie wanted to get me some yarn, because she knew I had just started knitting (her mom was actually the one who taught me how). Anyway, she got me some Baby Alpaca Brush in a mauvish-pink. It was gorgeous and soft and lovely, but not suited for the Kittyville Hat at all. Sigh. I wish I had known that at the time; the hat turned out floppy and too-big (because I knitted it on 8’s instead of 7’s for some bizarre, unknown reason) and it was pink, so it was immediately christened the pig-hat by all my friends. Not a very flattering look!

Months later, and a little bit knit-wiser, I embarked on a second Kittyville attempt. This time the hat turned out neater, but a mite too small for my largish head. So it sat, for a good long while, in a plastic storage bin, until it occurred to me that Katie, with her smaller head, might enjoy it. And I was right! She loves it.

So, this final hat, version #3, is mine. I knit it with aran instead of worsted weight yarn, with a bit of silk for softness, and it turned out absolutely lovely. Sure, I get odd stares for being 21 and having cat ears on my head, but I think that’s part of the allure of the Kittyville Hat. And it sure does keep me warm. I may be a dog person at heart, but I’m not afraid to release my inner kitty.

Mrrraaoow.

FO: Anemoi Mittens

Yay, my first FO of the new year!

Pattern: Anemoi Mittens, Eunny Jang
Made for/Occasion: Me/Baby, it’s cold outside!
Size: Small
Yarn: Sandnes Garn Lanett (100% merino wool; about 215 yards); 1 skein each white and black
Needles: US 2
Started: November 2007
Finished: January 2008
Comments: I’m so glad these are finished! Everyone “oohs” and “ahhs” every time I wear them too :) I didn’t make any modifications to the pattern that I remember, except to substitute the US 2 needles for the US 1’s called for in the pattern for the cuff. My wrist is skinny, but it ain’t that skinny!

Can I just say that Eunny Jang is a genius? Her patterns are stylish, fun to work with, and entirely rewarding. I’m thinking about doing her Ivy League Vest next.

I made a few tiny (yet noticeable) mistakes while knitting these, but most were made in the first mitten, and all were because of rushing, rushing, rushing. I’ve discovered that I’m not as much of a perfectionist as I previously thought; the goof-ups don’t really bother me. The thumb, surprisingly, was the most difficult part. I had a hell of a time following the chart for some reason, which resulted in some uneven and mismatched rows. But oh well. I love them anyway, and they have been tested in the cold (it snowed this morning–perfect!) They were successful in keeping my fingers toasty warm :)

Buyer’s Remorse

The Sunrise Circle Jacket by Kate Gilbert has been catching my eye here and there all over Ravelry.  Those who have knit the pattern have definitely raved about its ingenious design and flattering fit, so I thought I’d give it a try (as soon as Tree Jacket is done; I’m not knitting two sweaters at once, mind you!)

I came across one knitter who used Debbie Bliss Aran Tweed.  Okay, I thought, Debbie Bliss is a respectable yarn brand; surely I can’t go wrong with buying it online (which is something I rarely do…I like to feel my yarn before buying it!)  I found an Ebay yarn store that was selling the skeins for $3.50 a piece, when they normally go for $7.95, so I thought, hey, that’s a pretty good deal for a sweater! After shelling out $13 extra dollars for shipping (the seller is in the UK, I’m in the US) I sat back, thoroughly pleased with my exceedingly savvy purchasing skills.

Or maybe not. Turns out, when reading the reviews for Aran Tweed, it’s an incredibly itchy yarn that isn’t at all pleasant to wear.  My heart sinks even as I think about it.  I don’t like itchy sweaters!  And spending all that time making a sweater that I know is going to be torture to wear is a travesty.

My only hope is that I can soften the sweater after it’s knit up; I’ve read on a few blogs that soaking it in a water/hair conditioner mix will do wonders.  Fingers crossed!

The FO Post

So, here it is: the proof of my extensive and incredible productivity in one (alas, not all) aspect of my life. It’s the FO post!

First up is the hat I knitted for Tyler.

Pattern: Cable Knit Cap, Head Huggers
Made for/Occasion: Tyler/Christmas
Size: n/a
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca (50% alpaca, 50% wool; 215 yards), Fern
Needles: US 6
Started: December 2007
Finished: December 2007
Comments: I was worried because Tyler is picky, but apparently he loves it. The hat turned out warm, stretchy, and handsome on his red-headed hair. It’s pretty cool to see him whip it out, rather than his ugly, acrylic, Walmart-Blue toboggan hat.

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Pattern: Buttony Sweater, Oh My Stars
Made for/Occasion: Me
Size: 38″
Yarn: Plymouth Baby Brush Alpaca (80% alpaca, 20% acrylic, about 110 yards), Eggplant Needles: US 10
Started: December 2007
Finished: December 2007
Comments: Wow, my first sweater! It fits nicely, is super soft and warm, and will actually become a functional part of my wardrobe, I think. Pretty good for a first try! And the buttons turned out adorable. I’ve gotten some nice compliments on the color and construction of this piece. Overall, I’m very happy with it.

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Pattern: Endpaper Mitts II, Eunny Jang
Made for/Occasion: Mom/Christmas
Size: Medium
Yarn: Sandnes Garn Lanett (100% merino wool; about 215 yards); 1 skein each pink and green
Needles: US 1 for the cuffs and US 3 for the body
Started: November 2007
Finished: December 2007
Comments: These were knitted for Mom, and they turned out much better than my first pair. Apparently all I had to do was go up a needle size!
**Pictures to come!**

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Pattern: Naughty Squiddie, Island of Misfit Patterns
Made for/Occasion: Tim/Christmas
Size: n/a
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport (100% wool, 184 yards), Stone and Bamboo
Needles: US 7
Started: December 2007
Finished: December 2007
Comments: My first felting project, which I did by hand in the sink. I’m excited about how it turned out. Although, there’s something vaguely and disturbingly phallic about that squid….even more reason for Tim to like it!