Monday, March 30, 2009

music i'm listening to lately...

we're going old school, my friends.

baby's on fire, the venus in furs (from velvet goldmine).


where did you sleep last night, nirvana.


strange form of life, bonnie 'prince' billy.


rebel girl, bikini kill.


sink to the beat, cursive.

a sweater for spring...

i am, generally speaking, a winter knitter. i like wool, cascade 220 wool and lamb's pride and thick scarves and sweaters with emphasis on the SWEAT. with my dreams of spring, though, and a massive sale at the local yarn store, i picked up seven skeins of cascade cotton something-or-other dk weight in what i can only call "skin color." or, i guess, the color of caucasian skin that has not seen enough sun in months.

i kind of can't believe i MADE this. i love it so, so much. it's just avant-garde/ugly enough, too. i like ugly-pretty things, i guess. it's from the latest norah gaughan pamphlet, the frond pattern.
090330. frond pullover.

090330. frond pullover.

also? my earrings match my tights today, which makes me a little inappropriately thrilled.
090330. frond pullover.

snotty.
090330. frond pullover.

finally, i had some truly amazing bedhead yesterday morning. thought i'd share.
090329. my outstanding bedhead.

Sunday, March 29, 2009

baby boy blues...

i've got the baby boy blues. well, no, not really just yet, but still.... my brother and sister-in-law are due in july, and they are not going to find out the sex of the baby until it's born. so the nubbin/the munchkin is getting a whole lot of handknitted, asexual items.

baby #2: my friend kerry has found out she is having a boy! okay, at least i know i can work on boy-specific items. i FINALLY cleaned out my ridiculous stash of yarn a couple of weekends ago. seriously, it took me four hours to go through it all, rewind, requisition, pitch, and organize. during that time, i managed to put together a bag of "baby boy knitting" happy fibers. i'm proud to say i picked it up today and started the baby boy blues sweater from leftover cascade 220. i am so happy with the color... my lowlit room does not do it justice, so we'll just have to wait for daylight and a finished project for that part. however, i can tell you i have been thrilled with the colors as i've been knitting. i can't believe i started this evening and it's really nearing completion already. ah, the joy of teeny tiny clothing.
090328. baby boy blue sweater in the works.

baby #3: my friend lei is also expecting, though she's due a bit later... september or october, i think? still no word on whether baby will be a boy or a girl. see, i am fully aware that healthy babies are a good thing no matter what. i have nothing against baby boys - they are lovely and necessary, just as much as baby girls are in this topsy turvy world of ours. however, from a strictly knitting standpoint, you just can't make the adorable frilly frocks for the boys. the boys get the short end of the knitting stick, even as wee babes. i will do what i can... but i long to have at least ONE of the three aforementioned babies turn out to be a girl so's i can knit up my ridiculous queue of ADORABLE baby girl knits. dammit all to heck.

also and totally unrelated? i just got back from a work trip to san diego, which also included an unexpected stopover in denver last night. whee! i was going to SAN DIEGO, so i didn't pack a coat, making me rather ill-prepared for below-freezing temperatures upon arrival at 9:00 last night in denver. luckily, i purchased a cheesy san diego sweatshirt i may never wear again for $15 at the airport, anticipating my extended layover. i got home almost 24 hours after i had expected to and am now so, so glad i am home. my cat is in my lap as we type/read - i guess he's glad, too.

oh! and my whole point with that was that, the one time i DON'T bring my camera ANYwhere, i go to an awesome place. no photos of SD! however, i give you the slightly belated self-portrait of the week. my brother gave me these shoes on may 18, 2002 - which was both my 22nd birthday and graduation from college. i still has them and i still loves them.
090328. self portrait day.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

spring has sprung! (knock on wood)...

i slept in LATE today, then decided i would only feel better about this day if i made the most of it. so i went for a long walk in the sunshine and the warmth - 3.35 miles, according to mapmywalk.com. lordy lou, i love that website. it's a tad addictive, i must say. i saw crocuses coming up and blooming, little balls of red buds on the trees, and green, green grass. i miss green things. living in a town that has lots of gray limestone, it just makes it that much grayer out all winter long. it's like there's a sheet of tracing paper held up over your eyes all winter.

yesterday, i did end up going to the local yarn store and picking up some buttons. the diminishing rib cardigan is MUCH improved, in my opinion, with the buttons. so i give you the completed little guy. i think i'll actually get a lot of wear out of this one - i wasn't sure at first, but i'm warming up to it quite nicely.
090314. diminishing rib cardigan - all buttoned up.

chillin'.
090314. diminishing rib cardigan - all buttoned up.

closeup of the buttons. i just did a little crochet chain for the loop, then sewed four of them in at about 4" apart.
090314. diminishing rib cardigan - all buttoned up.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

diminishing rib cardigan! (sort of) completed...

i finished the diminishing rib cardigan in the new interweave knits. i say "finished," but i have decided it really needs some buttons. i just can't do the open, swingy thing with this cardigan. it gapes open rather unpleasantly, so today i'm off to the local yarn store for more yarn for a different project, as well as 4 sassy, chunky buttons. will post photos later, promise!

this was knitted up with lion brand cotton ease in hazelnut. i am a little in love with the color... it reminds me of spring dirt. yes, dirt.
090313. diminishing rib cardigan, pre-buttons.

also! self-portrait thursday seems to have officially moved to friday. i just never think about it on thursday! we'll see if i cycle through every day of the week in this manner.
3.6.09.
090306. self portrait thursday... er, friday now.

3.13.09. the day after the bonnie 'prince' billy show. fantastic.
090313. self-portrait friday.

although he didn't play this song at the show, i had forgotten how much i loved this song. palace music, new partner.


in other knitting news, i'm almost done with the back of the frond pullover. i am hoping to be in love with this sweater - if i can figure out how to do the "frondy" parts...

Sunday, March 1, 2009

two posts in two days? insane.

just a quick post while i am feeling minutely better. i am so freaking sick... i honestly do not remember being this sick in my life. either i'm very healthy or i'm a wimp.

anyway, i finished sewing up a hooded baby sweater and pair of pants for my sis-in-law's baby shower in chicago this weekend. figured i should post 'em!
090301. baby seed stitch jacket.

and a new pair of baby pants - these are so freaking soft.
090301. kanoko baby pants.