She’s a study in pinks and blues. I’m curious about when this whole “gangsta” thing is going to be over with her and her friends.  Anyway, I knit those in Louet Gems, caribou and aqua.  I guess I used fingering weight?  It used to be called Louet Gems Pearl.  That’s how long those things were on the needles – I forgot the yarn.  Nice.

I knit a sweater for Senor. He was cold and it’s way easier to knit a sweater for him than it is for Poopsie, The Fat Assed Beagle.

Doesn’t he look smart? Don’t worry, the pink is less humiliating than the fact that he no longer has balls. I did that up in some cheapo Lion’s Brand cashmere blend I had laying around. No pattern. I knit a ribbed tube, heh heh heh, with a rollneck and two button holes for his arms. It fits perfectly and he doesn’t even attempt to get it off. If his garments are even the slightest too big – most store bought clothes are – he’s out like Houdini.

Let me see…I got some picks of the neck steek on Fyne right before I realizd I had fucked up the placement by one stitch and had to rip it back

Things are going much better now but I am worrying about how to do the back neck steek. I am trying not to think about it ’til I get there. I know. Good luck. I’ve been dreaming about the god damned thing.

Lastly, Grandma. Swan Lake was a huge hit. She ran all around her retirement home showin’ the ladies. They oohed and aahed over the stitches and the beads and the fact that her Granddaughter knit it BY HAND! Big gold star for Holly! She’s excited to wear it everywhere but especially while she’s smokin’ the other residents at cards.

I started another hat for Mr. but no pics at this time. Later.

Now it’s back onto Fyne so that I can hopefully wear that sucker on Thanksgiving. I think it will bring out the purple in my hair.

I’ve been working away on the Fitted Tank. I knit the whole front but then decided I am not as big as I think I am, frogged the whole thing and reknit in the medium size. I swear, in my head I am 200 pounds. I spent all of last night finishing off the neck and armholes. The neck shaping on this sweater is just plain ugly. You get lots of steps and after trying the recommended purl bind-off finish I ripped it out. It just didn’t smooth things out enough. So I went with a single crochet edging for everything. I looks pretty good and lays pretty flat. Once I got the neck done I did slip it over my head to make sure I could get it on. One thing that isn’t imaginary is that I do have a big melon. I like to think it’s because I have an unusually large brain but I seem to be the only one to go with that theory, but I digress. It went over my head. Because I am freaky anal about getting things just right, I crocheted and tinked and crocheted again until I was satisfied with my stitches and the spacing and all of that. Hopefully later on I’ll have pics of the finished product, but right now I have this:

that’s it waiting for sewing up. The color is nowhere near accurate as Mr. fucked with enhanced the picture. It’s less garish than that in real life. Trust.

I’ve also got a pic of the lace RSC socks I finished a while back

they turned out pretty well actually. When I can I’ll get pics up of the latest RSC shipment. Really cool colors this time. Of course, I still have to finish up the last shipment. No excuse. I’ve only got like, four rows to go but spent a lot of my time catching up on MS3 which still isn’t finished but there isn’t any rush on that. Eventually.

I was knitting happily along on the stole this afternoon when the mail came. In it was the new issue of Interweave Knits. I started to flip through real quick before I set it aside but I got completely sidetracked. This issue is full of patterns that I would knit and that doesn’t usually happen. I typically see a pattern or two that I would think about knitting but this issue seriously has me thinking about which yarns and in what colors to use. I promptly decided that when this stole is done I will do no more such knitting until I’ve got my fill of winter knitting out of the way. But first I gotta get a cotton sweater out of the way. The yarn and pattern arrived while I was on vacation and I am itching to get started. I haven’t yet knitted a sweater so I want to start with something easy and this looks like it’ll fit the bill nicely. It also looks quick which appeals to me too for a first time sweater. I should be able to wear it non-stop, too. So that’s the list: catch-up MS3, finish RSC Solstice Slip, get Mr.’s socks on the needles and start the cotton sweater. I might have to quit my day job.

that would be all of Clue #1, Chart A!  Woo!  I suck!  It’s really not my fault.  First I had to wait for all the appropriate supplies.  Got those.  Here’s a little detail:

Mr. took these pics so the work isn’t stretched at all.  He’s totally paranoid about messing up my WIPs, which I appreciate.  I think I am doing pretty well considering it’s my first big lace project.  I just follow the pattern and it’s really just variations on knit & purl, right?  Then I spent last weekend on my bike:

Saturday we rode to  Clarkston.  That was somewhere in the 25+ mile range.  That trip was kind of spur of the moment so we had no padding.  Sunday we put on the padded shorts and rode out to Stone Mountain.  That’s 35 miles roundtrip.  Mr. was laughing about how “that’s not too bad” when it finally dawned on him that we felt so worn out because it was 35 miles on fixed gear bikes.  35 miles of pedal, pedal, pedal.  The last few miles were just hunker down and get it done.  My legs were tired, I was gritty and my hoo-hoo was numb.  But I did it.  I love riding my bike.  I plan to ride my bike everyday we are at the beach.  That should be awesome since it’s flat and I can go like hell.  In between bike rides I plan to knit on my stole, get some sun and work on my alcoholism.

Then, too, the last three nights have been taken up with movies in my park, some IFC thing.  Tuesday was Raising Arizona, Wednesday was Princess Bride and tonight is Napoleon Dynamite.  So I have been sitting out there and knitting on my RSC sock.  I can’t pay attention to a chart, gab and drink so sock knitting is the natural alternative.  Y’all keep your fingers crossed that the rain is done for tonight.   If it does rain at least we won’t be far from home.

I am using Jagger Spun Zephyr in Sage with clear rainbow beads on Addi Lace #4 needles. I had to order everything as I haven’t ever done a lace project like this – simple lace socks are it for my experience so far – so I had nothing in the stash that was appropriate. Since I jumped on the bandwagon at the last minute having to wait on orders put me ever further behind. I had to put in two bead orders too, since none of the colors I bought in the first round worked with the yarn. I have to say though that all of the vendors I used are excellent. Sarah’s Yarns, The Beadwrangler and Yarn and Fiber all got my orders to me in three days or less – from order to my door. That’s better than pretty damned good. So, I’ve got my swatches done and am ready to cast on. I am really looking forward to this.

Wild kingdom continues around the house. Snakes, Voles and more lizards

It’s a baby and it was hiding in my Dahlias

Hopefully it will eat up some of the garden spiders. I know they can be a sign of a healthy garden but they are everywhere and I usually end up noticing them only after I’ve got web all over my hands. Ick. Sorry, Charlotte.

Off to start Clue #1.