sick of being sick...

i started getting under the weather on tuesday. here it is, saturday, and i really don't feel a heck of a lot better. a little bit... but not a lot.

right now, i'm watching "home for the holidays," my favorite holiday movie (along with "love actually"). robert downey, jr., is hilarious, although clearly high on something. oh, rdj, you are ridiculous.

i've been busy with the knitting, of course, in preparation for christmas and just, you know, in general. i went to the yarn store yesterday to get some more yarn for a sweater i'm knitting, but i neglected to pick up the yarn i need for one of my dad's christmas presents. d'oh! oh, well - guess i'll just have to go back!

anyway, here's a general "making stuff with my hands and two sticks" listing of the current/recently completed projects: first, another copycat hat and a christmas present for someone near and dear to me.


next, a sweater i'm making for myself. i had leftovers of both colors from my pseudo-ski sweater, so i figured, eh, why not. i'm very loosely following my version of the anthropologie-inspired capelet pattern, only i'm making this in pullover form. and, of course, i'm keeping notes, so if it works out, i'll post the pattern notes soon!


and, finally, i started the genius, new give a hoot mittens pattern! one down, one to go. again, this is a gift for someone who has been clammering for me to make her mittens since, oh, last christmas or so. these'll get little buttons for eyes, too.


that's all for now! time for some cold medicine and coffee... and "home for the holidays" and probably some more knitting on the couch. oh, and perhaps some napping.

point me towards the ski slopes!

when i finally got my copy of elizabeth zimmerman's "knitting without tears," i jumped right into that sweater for my dad... but the whole time, my eye was being drawn again and again to the fair isle yoke sweater. it reminded me of being a little kid, of vintage, early 80's winter, mittens, and hot chocolate all wrapped up in sweater form. so i decided it was high time i made something for myself.

i just finished the underarms and weaving in all the ends, and i am SO FREAKING PROUD of my pseudo-ski sweater! like, i haven't been this proud of a knitted object in quite some time. i think it's mostly because i followed the zimmerman "recipe" for a yoke sweater, but you know how that goes... it could turn out exactly as you had hoped, or it could turn out all wonky, too long, too tight, etc. i purposely made the body quite fitted and, wouldn't you know - it worked! fitted in the body, long arms, and the shoulders even fit my big ass girl shoulders. hooray!





look! fair isle!


and more details and me looking, erm, dreamy? spacey?

halloween recap...

okay, this is purely photo/costume-based. i was really proud of my costume. me as the operation game guy!


and me and my favorite married man, james (who was dressed as the bearded lady).


in knitting news, i'm making myself a ski sweater. you know, crazy, ridiculous, snowflake pattern around the top and all. only i don't think i'm going to do snowflakes... it'll be more awesome than that.

let's break it down, okay, people?

presidential election results:
is mccain president?

is obama president?

november 4!

so nervous! so excited!

also? i heart daylight savings time...

but only in the fall. i HATE spring daylight savings time. indiana just started doing daylight savings time last year, so now we're on eastern time year-round.

i got up early and went for a walk. it's beautiful out, and i know it won't be beautiful out for much longer. things i love this morning: coffee and leaves and scarves and sweaters. and my cat, boombox.


our cemetery is pretty amazing.


elizabeth fell down.


burning leaves.


favorite doorway(s) in town.


a sea of color.

part deux...

i had some leftover forest green yarn from my dad's christmas sweater, and i LOVED the slouchy copy cat hat pattern... so i had to make one for myself! voila, people.

a knitting machine!

i started a new hat yesterday for a dear friend's birthday. and i finished it today. i used the slouchy copy cat hat pattern, but went down one needle size for the main part of the hat to limit the slouchiness. i LOVE the fake cables, and i think i need to make myself a sweater using this same stitch pattern. yes, indeed.

look! so pretty! i had leftover yarn from my mom's february lady sweater, so i used that - cascade 220 heather in spring. it reminds me of lettuce.




time to send it off in the mail to denver!

first bit of christmas knitting DONE!

DAD, if you happen to read this blog ever - stop now!






okay, that's the warning. i've been MIA working on this sweater and, at the same time, my mom's christmas sweater, which is also almost done - i'm on sleeve two as we speak. anyway, back to the sweater in question. i kind of love it... but i hope it fits him. like, i REALLY REALLY hope it fits him. the neckhole is a little tight... we'll see, i guess. i just have no idea, and probably won't until he tries it on christmas morning. so it goes.


he's tall, thus the length in the body and arms.


i really love this design. it's the elizabeth zimmerman "pattern" for the seamless saddle shoulder pullover, which basically is a recipe for a sweater. you enter all the measurements, gauge, etc., and voila! you have a sweater that (hopefully) fits! i'm definitely planning on stepping it up and making the seamless hybrid for myself one of these days. or a nice yoke sweater with some fancy neck decorations - like little birds. or geometric shapes in a riot of colors. although i could probably use a plain old sweater more than i could a crazy ski sweater, well, knowing me, i'll make the ridiculous ski sweater first.

sweater weather has arrived, my friends...

i love sweater weather. i love the smell of fall, dead leaves in the breeze. and sunshine that's still a little too warm, but suddenly there's a crispness to the air, a lack of humidity that tells you things are changing. i went to the farmers market yesterday morning, attempting to reinvigorate my taste buds. those pesky taste buds have been lulled to sleep as of late. i bought an acorn squash, locally made bratwurst and chorizo, goat cheese with fennel and dill, and a purple pepper and light green pepper simply because i liked their colors. this morning's breakfast was chorizo, eggs, and purple pepper with a little salsa and sour cream on the side. not too shabby.

in knitting news, i have undertaken the rather ambitious project of making my mom and dad a sweater each. i'm not so worried about mom's - i'm making the february lady sweater in a crisp, light yellowy-green. it reminds me of lettuce a little bit. i think the pattern will be fairly forgiving as far as sizing goes, so no prob, right? that's what i'm hoping, at least. i'm nearing the end of the body and only had one slight mess up, caused by bringing in to craft night at christian's house and somehow losing my place in the lace pattern.

my dad's sweater makes me a bit more nervous. i've never made a sweater of any sort for a man. i'm going to keep it simple, stupid, and either go with the vanille pattern or the seamless hybrid. the yarn came in the mail the other day - a dark forest green heathered wool. the color, at least, will be gorge.

i also FINALLY finished and sent off jes' san diego-friendly hat (using the pi topper chemo hat pattern). god, i don't know what my mental block on that one was, i just couldn't seem to get it done and in the mail. but here be it:


i love the way the top of the hat turns out with this pattern. ceeeyute.


also? i've recently gotten addicted to sol seppy, specifically this song. sol seppy was in sparklehorse, who i also love and adore. so yeah, here's the musical pick of the day: sol seppy, "move."