Afghan Stitch
Hey ya'll. I just finally figured out how to work the Malabrigo I got at the 4th of July sale. I thought I would felt it, but I just never liked the way the colors pooled. It was just too blobby stripy. Today I watched this show about Walter Cronkite on PBS and while I was sitting there I decided to see what it looked like crocheted. Slightly more interesting. I tried a few hundred stitch options, but I discarded most of them as being too maw-maw/ granny square looking.
On a whim I gave afghan stitch a shot, and BINGO! We have a winner. I learned to crochet before I learned to knit (about 30 years ago), and the very first stitch I learned was afghan stitch. I think all the cool kids are calling it Tunisian stitch or something now. Well, anyway, I don't actually have an afghan hook (one of those 14" long crochet hooks with a yarn stop at one end), so I was really just playing around with the stitch just to see if it would even work on a regular hook. Um, not only did it work, it looks like a million bucks! The way the color pools in that blobby stripy way totally works with the afgahn stitch.
I have to use a long afghan hook to make the bag I have in mind because of the width of the front and back panels, so I went to two yarn shops today to get one. Can you believe I couldn't find one in either place? I ended up going to the place I get most of my needles- eBay- and ordered one. It's been years since I posted a picture up here, but I promise as soon as I get a swatch worked on the new needle I will post it up here.
After I got all that done I worked some more on painting my new cabinet/ table/ shelf system I am putting together. I've been painting for months I feel like, between my furniture and now this. I'll be glad when it is done, but it will be a few more days. I have a couple more coats to go. I ordered some white laminate to put on the top of the cabinet/ table, so I have to put that on too. It won't arrive until Aug 2, and I am going camping in Big Sur for next weekend, so it wont be finished next weekend, unless I figure out a way to be in two places at the same time.
My sweetie is coming home tomorrow. He went to surf some secret spot in Mexico with some buddies for the weekend. This involves driving about 8 hours south of Tijuana and sleeping in some bushes by the side of the road. I love camping but this is too extreme for me. I need a real shower and potty.
Where we're camping in Big Sur next weekend they have these amenities. They also have a massuese that will come to your campsite to give you a massage right there on the spot.
Sigh
Ya'll, I spent the evening knitting and watching the Jenna Elfman film festival on Lifetime. I had a whole list of chores I needed to take care of tonight, and didn't do a darn thing on the list. Oh well. There's always tomorrow... Crap, it's 11:43, I have got to go to bed. I have to get up in about 5 hours. Later ya'll!
Furniture stuff
I went to ikea and home depot and ACE hardware this weekend and got
pieces and parts of shelves and cabinets and hardware and lumber and
stuff to make a craft table/ storage unit for my new place. It's
coming along nicely. A bit more carpentry work needs to be done and I
need find some cool formica to top it, but it is going to be awesome
when it is finished. I can't wait to get it all set up and sew on
it!!!
+kac
Dust ruffle woes
Ok, I am having issues with the dust ruffle fabric. I can't find anything I like. A bolt of inspiration needs to come down from the blue and conk me on the head.
Who else besides me is glued to the tv watching the Israel/ Hezbollah war play out? I'm trapped in front of CNN like its an I Love The 70's marathon...
+kac
Gotta love it
I *love* living in Santa Cruz. I got up this morning, made a pot of coffee and took a cup of it with me for a long walk along the ocean (just a block from my little nest over here). It's such a nice day over here, I didn't need to wear a parka like I usually do. And then I got to sit in the hot tub when I got home. What could be better than that? And now I get to go to work to a job I adore and really, I have to say it's like I won the lottery!
Malabrigo
I started swatching my new malabrigo yarn this weekend. It knits like
it's teflon coated! I wonder how it will felt. I should probably felt
my swatch too, since I plan to make a felted bag with it....
I finished my duvet and put it on the bed. Boy does it look nice! Now
I've decided I don't like the fabric I got for the dust ruffle, so I
need to find either a coordinating fabric to go with the stuff I decided
I hate or something new altogether.
+kac
Didn't finish
I had dinner with some folks from work tonight and I didn't get home
till almost 10. By the time I got my clothes changed and had a cup of
tea it was 10#0 and too late for sewing, so my button holes will have to
wait.
I have a 6 am meeting tomorrow. That's in about 7 hours. Yawn.
+kac
Almost done
I'm nearly done with my duvet cover. It's all stitched up, I just need to put in the buttonholes and stich on the buttons to close up the bottom opening for my comforter. I could probably do it tonight, but I am just tired enough I am making stupid little mistakes and that spells disaster with a buttonhole... I'll finish it tomorrow. I'll start in on my coordinating dustruffle next week I think. In the meantime I am going to keep working on some knitting WIPS (ribbi cardi and another felted bag for me) and plan out how I am going to piece together my throw pillows.
Sunday I am co-hostessing a baby shower for my girlfriend Brin, and on Saturday evening my
surf club is having a beach party down at Manresa (yep, the same Manresa that the legwarmer pattern in the new knitty refers to). I'm really looking forward to both events, actually. It'll be fun to hangout and knit with some different folks than I usually knit with.
Laying out the fabric
I just put together the fabric pieces for my kaffe fassett duvet cover.
Tomorrow I will stitch them up. I'm pretty excited about how it is
going to look.
Speaking of kaffe fassett, I was watching The Josh Kornbluth Show and he
was wearing a shirt made from Kaffe Fassett's paperweight fabric line
from a few years ago. It looked great!
+kac
Nothing to report
I have nothing to say today really, except that I have a crack in my
nail that is too close to the quick to cut or file and it gets caught on
my yarn every single solitary stitch I knit. A band aid doesn't help
much because it just makes me unable to use my finger for knitting at
all. It's tough to be me, isn't it?
+kac
5th of july
My parents left to go back to Arkansas today. They were supposed to
stay another week, but they got homesick and off they went. I miss
them!!!! The only bright spot here is that I can sit in my chair (with
the lamp I just rewired) and wor on ribbi cardi.
I also went to Round Robin and picked up some fat quarters to piece
together a patch-worky pillow. I also picked up the latest Vogue
Knitting and knitscene. There are three sweaters in knitscene I want to
make. The interview with Elanor Lynn in knitscene was great- I LOVE
the vine sweater she made. I want that! Why doesn't vogue knitting
have more edgy and hip work in it? So much stuff in there says dumpy
dowdy maw-maw, I just don't get it.
Ok, time to run down to the point and checkout the surf (which has been
FLAT lately) and the sunset. Bye.
+kac
3rd of july
I'm just getting back from watching some early fireworks here in my
neighborhood. It was fun watching the kids with the sparklers. I
remember doing sparklers and snakes and all that stuff like it was
yesterday
My mom and Dillon helped me move my furniture around again and now my
place looks a gajillion times better than before. I am sooo bad at
decorating. I have ideas but I can't get them to execute well for some
reason.
I went to the 20% off sale at Knitting Arts today. I got 3 balls of
green and brown hand dyed wool and some handles to make myself a felted
bag and I also picked up some treats for my secret pal. I hope ahe
enjoys them.
+kac
Family fun
Since my brother got to town Thursday we"ve been having a blast. We saw
The Fixx at the Boardwalk and ate a mountain of junk food, stayed out
way too late after that, and then went to the flea market this morning.
Now its time for the beach. My knitting is going to the beach with me,
but is is kinda hot so I'm not sure if it'll get touched.
Sorry for the inconsistent posting and half-assed commentary when I do
post, btw. I've just got all lot on my plate with my family in town
right now is all. They'll be here a week and then I have nothing else
to do with my time except knit. And continue to settle in to my new
place. I need to make my bedspread...
+kac
