I’ve been reading Harry Potter. Not the new one, however, I’m currently reading the 5th. I began the 1st on my trip to Missouri this month and should be onto the 7th by next week. I can’t wait! Additionally, I went to see the 5th movie yesterday and loved it, despite its differences from the book. I loved Luna’s sweaters: the purple crochet in the forest and the blue knit in the Dept of Mysteries. ( I will look for pics while I write this post)

Anyway, what I’ve been knitting this sunny week:

Clapotis

Cotton makes for an excellent beach knit. I’ve made quite a bit of progress. The plan is to have this done by August 15 for (beach) grandma’s birthday.

Adventure Bag

I know this is a hideous picture, but it’s almost done!! I bound it off last night, but I also put the stitch holders in the wrong place, so I’ll definitely have to fix it. Probably during the 12-hour car trip home tomorrow, while reading HP5! I can’t wait to finish this bag- I’m thinking bottomless pit for all of school’s must-haves.

Swatching for Sideways Socks

This is what I worked on during the HP5 movie, so the sideways socks should be cast on pretty soon. They’re going to replace the Cable Nets as my sock in progress since those were just too fiddly for me.

And now, some Friday eye candy:

I left yesterday for Missouri, to visit my mom’s family. We’ve been spending the day lounging by the pool with a various assortment of mixed drinks.
Me? I’ve been knitting. The Regal Silk Sweater to be exact. I have one more pattern repeat before I have to bind off for the front neckline!!
In the car yesterday, however, I spent my time finishing off a couple skeins of Cascade 220 on the Noni Adventure Bag. My aunt has a top-loading washer (we don’t) so I may have a few FO’s to show before long.
Anyway, I probably will not be able to post until Wednesday.
So keep on knitting, I know I will be. How else do you keep sane with family? Especially when you’ve been chosen to be the designated driver on a wine-tasting tour?

I’ve caught the bug: socks are all I can work on this week. The weather finally cooperated for a Cable Net photo shoot.

I hate working with size 0 wooden needles- I’m afraid I’m going to snap them in two every stitch. I’m also having some issues with the Fortissima Socka, it’s a little scratchy. I’m sure once they’re washed, they’ll soften up immensely.

The cables, however, I’m loving. It’s so fun to see the design come alive with each row. Once I fixed some of the beginning issues, the rows are “flying” by, or as much as a charted cable pattern can on size 0 needles. Here’s another quick shot of the cable crossings.

Cable Net Socks

I’ve been knitting on my socks quite a bit these past few days, but I keep forgetting to take pictures. And today, it’s raining. So it will have to wait until tomorrow.

The charts for these socks have been kicking my ass- I hopped into the socks and Chart A, when I was supposed to use Chart B. Luckily, the charts are nearly identical except for the last 10 or so sts; but I understand them now and just have to finish fixing some mistakes on previous rows, which is taking a lot longer than I bargained for.

New Sock Yarn

I went to one of my favorite stores yesterday and bought some sock yarn for my pathetic sock stash.

Panda Cotton in Rosewater (socks for my mom)

Any thoughts on what pattern would work well with the Panda Cotton?

Regia Tweed in Green (socks for Hunter)

Regia Silk in Burgundy (socks for me!)

While I was at the LYS, I had a job interview! So I may work there part-time and it’s right next to school next year!

Other Goodies

Hunter took a two-week canoeing/fishing/hiking trip in the Boundary Waters starting in Minnesota through Canada back around to Minnesota. He had a great time and even thought of me enough to bring home a few souvenirs:

I also got a t-shirt, but it’s such a great color that I want to take a picture when it’s sunny.

Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!

This has been going around and I didn’t have much to post about today, so…
Legend:
Stuff I’ve done/am doing
Stuff I’d like to do
Stuff that I’ll probably never do

Afghan- for my dorm and I started one that’s now lying in the UFO pilo
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
Shawl- Hidcote’s on the needles
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk- currently
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL- the only one I’ve actually finished the pattern is the Central Park Hoodie
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with Bamboo yarn- waiting to be able to afford enough for Interweave patterns
Two end knitting- not sure I know what this is?
Charity knitting- something I’ve been meaning to do, but I always get distracted. I’m a selfish knitter.
Knitting with soy yarn- just waiting till I can afford enough for an Interweave pattern
Cardigan
Toy/Doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn- once I am a better spinner
Slippers- making the bf some for Christmas, will buy the yarn soon
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental Knitting- recently learned and now I can’t do English because it takes so much longer. Very glad I made the switch
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)- getting better every time
Lace patterns- my lace abilities are still lacking, but they will improve, with practice
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf- not so many anymore
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money- but not selling knitted items, maybe owning a yarn store
Buttonholes
Knitting with Alpaca
Fair Isle Knitting- maybe if I tried again, it would look better
Norwegian knitting
Dying with plant colors- this appeals to the naturalist in me
Knitting items for a wedding- probably just for my own, but you never know
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting- I didn’t finish, but I tried, half-heartedly
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male to knit- still trying to convince the bf to let me teach him, one day he will, he just doesn’t know it yet
Bobbles
Knitting for a living- that would be cool, but will probably never happen
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously- what I need to do to banish my SSS
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured Knitting
Kitchener Bind Off
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching- something I need to be more consistent about
Long Tail CO- my favorite
Entrelac- LOVE Eunny’s socks
Knitting and Purling Backwards
Machine knitting- for some reason I feel like this is a sell-out, no offense to those who machine knit, cause I might get bored one day and fall in love w/ it
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn- why does this make me feel so clever sometimes? especially when there’s no pooling
Stuffed Toys
Knitting with Cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with Linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows- I need to get more comfortable with short rows, stat, they are much quicker than heel flap/gusset
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug- Mason-Dixon rugs are on my to-knit list
Knitting on a loom- I tried this once, but couldn’t get the hang of it
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift- does it count if the gifts are ALWAYS late?
Knitting for pets
Shrug/Bolero/Poncho- got a few from Lace Style on my to-knit list
Knitting with dog/cat hair- I think I draw the line at domestic pets, if I have goats, alpacas, no problem
Hair accessories- made a headband once, not sure what other hair accessories I’d knit
Knitting in public- always!!

Summer Projects
I have cast-on/swatched/purchased yarn for 3 different summer tops:

White Silk Sweater from Rebecca 33

I even took it with me to NC for Memorial Day:

This pattern is originally written to be knit flat in two pieces, but I wanted to knit it in the round, so I had to re-chart the lace, cast-on, etc.

Collared Tank from KnitSimple Spring/Summer 07

Cotton Twist

Rusted Root

Cotton Fleece

Summer Socks

After I modeled for Loopville, I bought some yarn (and they gave me a discount!)


I’m hoping to make nona’s sideways socks

I have been intrigued by everyone’s random things and found many of them to be like mine, so I tried to find some original ones (I know I’m too random).
Here goes:
1. I am a night person. Whenever I want to get things done, I start around 2 am and work, work, work until it’s done. If I try to do it during the day, it doesn’t get done.

2. I love French. I watch movies and TV shows in French whenever I have that option. I also love to listen to French music and sometimes translate songs and sing the lyrics in French. Also, I have a list of French knitting terms and sometimes I will read that for fun as well.

3. I hate heat. For a southern girl, that makes things tough. My pale skin and blonde hair is linked to my Norweigan heritage which prompts me to carry SPF 50 in my purse and offer it to friends whenever we go on an outdoor adventure.

4. I am a very idealogical person and believe that I will be able to do everything I want to in my life. Making my own beauty products, making my own clothes, baking bread, cooking with food from my garden, spinning my own yarn, having my own sheep, being completely sustainable while traveling EVERYWHERE as I begin school studying International Business, etc. You name it, I probably want to do it.

5. One of the most gratifying feelings to me is parking perfectly in a tight spot. Why? I don’t know, but whenever I execute a perfect parking job I feel strangely proud of myself.

6. I have a fear of finishing knitting projects. Sewing seams, weaving in ends… it all scares me. I am a perfectionist and I always want my knitting to be perfect. The finishing/seaming of a knit reveals to me whether or not I’m happy with the project. Usually, there’s something “glaring,” but I suck it up and know that if it was perfect, I probably wouldn’t be as happy with it.

7. I am an avid reader, or at least I used to be. Knitting has taken up a lot of my reading time and I have ADD, which makes it hard for me to concentrate on audiobooks. So, I now own more books that I have NOT read than I have. Luckily, I have learned how to knit and read, so this summer I hope to finish MANY of the books I own!!

Oh, it’s been a very busy week. Graduation, which included lots of family in town, left little time for blogging this week. I do, however, have some knitty news.
My new project:

A great felted bag for summer made with Cascade 220 (my first experience with this yarn and it’s been a good one).

Next, I went to my LYS and they currently have the Vogue Knitting Summer 2007 trunk show in town. Since they have the trunk show, there will be a piece on a local show and I will be modeling one of the garments tomorrow on tv!! I’m very excited and it’s also one of my favorite patterns of the issue.

Anyway, more pics, thoughts, and a whole lotta bag progress coming your way very soon!

That can only mean one thing.
Yes, the Central Park Hoodie is finally finished and I wore it tonight! And I just realized that it also coincides with green for Project Spectrum!

Cast-on: November 14 ,2006/ Finished: May 13, 2007
Pattern: Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene Fall 2006
Size: 36″ and fits great!
Yarn: Plymouth Encore Worsted color #1233 , 4.5 skeins
Needles: 4.5 mm(US 7) and 5.5 mm(US 9) Clover Takumi for the body and 4.5 mm Knitpicks Options
Modifications: I read the double cable chart backwards on the back, so I made the sleeve cables match.

For a bit of randomness, I found this after emptying out the purse I took with me to Europe last summer. Which is perfect cause my lips have been cracking so much lately.

Finally, I got my own computer: such a gratifying thing. Before, I had to share with the rest of my family and sometimes they had more time-consuming important things to do than my blogging- they’re Muggles, they wouldn’t understand.

Last night, I caught up on the last two episodes of Lost. While I watched Lost on my beautiful new Mac, I decided I needed some mindless knitting. The Multi-Yarn Shawl is perfect: row after row of plain old stockinette.
I’m really hoping having my own computer will make blogging so much simpler, and already I think it does. Still learning the Mac, since I’m an ex-PC user. Wish me luck! Everyone have a great weekend of knitting!!