Out of Touch

Sorry, I've been so out of touch lately. Also, I'm in the Deep South right now, where we only have dial-up at my inlaws so posting pics is um, let's just say it's not an option right now.

I've had a lot going on both exciting and nerve-wracking.
Gosh, there's so much I want to show and tell you all that I don't know where to begin...

I'm still working on the Lotus Blossom Tank. I've finished the lace and the front and I put it on waste yarn and tried it on. It fit!!... Whew.... It's going to be sooooo pretty. I'm excited. I'm now working on the back and I have to do 9 inches of stockinette, not-in-the-round, using two balls of hand wrecking cotton. Ugh. I’m up to about 5 inches here.

I can’t wait for this to be finished. I totally need to put sleeves on it though, and then I need to get off my extra-round duff and start working out again, cause this just ain’t alright!!

My mom came into town last week for our annual Enormous Birthday Bash (more later), so we've been hanging out. We were going to go to knitting class last thursday at 3 Bags Full but then DH asked if I wanted to go look at a new car.

Now, you know you’re a knitting addict when you have to stand there and THINK about whether to go car shopping or go to knitting class.

Hence the following conversation:

“ I can’t believe you have to THINK about whether to go to knitting class or to buy a new car!!!!” says DH

“OOOHHHHHH!! BUY a new car, why didn’t you say so??! Before you said, ‘look’”.
(Dear reader, I need help on these bloody sleeves and just looking at a new car wasn’t my idea of fun.)

“Well, if they won’t give it to us for invoice, then we’re walking away.”

“Oh, of course we are. I’m not interested in paying more than invoice either.”

“OK, so when can you come home?” (I was getting ready for work, you see)

As early as possible, but probably around 4:00. (Dear Friends, I made it until exactly 3:10 p.m. and then said to my co-workers, “I can’t standit anymore, I’m going home”.)

It wasn’t until quite a while AFTER I woke up and had the above conversation with my wonderful husband that I remembered that it was my birthday that day!! (Crazy Aunt Purl and I are exactly the same age…. we share a birthday) And only then because my mom remembered and wished me Happy Birthday. Sheesh, think I’m a little busy?

Later, around 2:00, DH called to see when I was coming home and said “How’s things today?”

“Well, it’s my birthday….” I said quitely.

“Oh. Yeah. It is your birthday isn’t it?? (chuckle) Happy Birthday.” We were both so wrapped up in the whole buying a car thing that we totally forgot.

So, we went to the dealership and DH was standing in the lot grousing about how he wasn’t going to deal with “Slick” and blah blah blah bluster bluster bluster. I walked into the Building with Mom and walked up to the desk with The Lady and several salesmen standing around. (You know there’s always a desk with “A Lady” in the Dealership).

“HI!!!” says I, in my most cheerful voice.

“Hi!” Say the wary looking salesmen and The Lady (who incidentally, looks like she smokes too much)

“I need to talk to your most laid back salesperson.”

“Why?” mutter the even more aprehensive looking salespeople.

At this point Dear Reader, I turn around and point to my husband who is out in the lot yapping on his phone looking very serious (he was making party plans for the upcoming weekend).

“Because my husband hasn’t had dinner yet.”

This broke the ice and made everyone laugh. At which point a kind of schlumpy gentleman named Mike introduced himself with “I’ll do it... Hi, I’m Mike and I’m laid back.”

He was even gracious enough to walk out into the parking lot and introduce himself to my husband and say “Hi. I’m Laid Back.”

Three hours and much laughter later, we drove out with the car we wanted which we had paid invoice price for. Oh yeah, and we were starving….

Here’s a little more knitting for your viewing pleasure. Oh yeah, and my Innishmore yarn came.

This Blog as a Graph

Sorry, no update pics of Lotus Blossoms today, but here's a cool pic of the Words Wits n' Wool website as a graph.



I picked this up off the Mason Dixson knitting and their pic was so pretty I wanted to see what mine looked like... so there you have it.

Have a lovely afternoon.

Nellie n' The Lotus Blossoms

Sounds like a girl-band from Scooby Doo doesn't it? And then they start disappearing and there's a ghost and a mummy and a big kitchen for Scooby and Shaggy to ransack...

Right. Focus.

On the knitting front I'm trying to be more like Alyssa and go on a yarn diet.... (we'll see how long that lasts). But there's a very good reason for it. I spend an enormous huge extravagant A LOT of money on yarn and knitting books n' stuff each month. Let's say almost enough for a car payment. Yeah, a nice car.... SOOOOO, I'm going on a yarn diet.

See, I want a new car. Yep, Ole' Nellie The Red Rocket (a.k.a my 98 Red Jetta) is gettin' up there in years. Her saddle bags and wrinkles are starting to to become more than just character lines. Oh yeah, and she's startin' to get the dreaded "Old Lady Smell". Now, don't get me wrong, not all Old Ladies have The Old Lady Smell. But when they've got it: you know they've got it.

Yeah, there's a pin hole in the front wheel well and when it rains a lot well, she's a little ripe. Enough so's that my DARLING husband gets into Nellie and says "Whew!! Did you rip one in here??!!" (Darling, isn't he??)

"Quit talkin' smack about my car!! She's a good girl and has taken good care of me!!"

"She's got 3 and 3/4 tires in the grave..."

"Get out."

I love my hubzind.

I'm going on a yarn diet, because I would rather have a new car and if I quit spending my hard earned ducats on yarn I might be able to get one sooner. (Did I mention that I got my shipment from Elann.com? She eez Beouuuteeefullll, she eez.)

Lotus Blossoms Progress
I've made it to the stockinette stitch part!!! Woo Hoo!!

Course, I'm a little nervous about being on St st, cause that's where I usually lose patience and let a project drop.

Oh yeah, and I went to Mosaic Yarn Studio this weekend and got three more hanks of the same yarn (different dye lot) so that I can add on short sleeves.

Even though the camera greyed out the color, you can kinda see the tiniest difference in the two balls. The one on the left is the original and it's just a fraction more intense than the one on the right. It's actually even less obvious in day light but all the same, I can see it. So, now I'm knitting with two balls at a time. Thank goodness the Lace part is over. The last 10 rows of lace were an adventure with two balls of yarn.

What do you all think in the way of sleeves? They're going to be top-down to just above the elbow. I'm thinking about starting a bottom up round with a lace repeat, and then kitchener-ing the two together, but I'm afraid that might be too much lace and draw unnecessary attention to the arms. What about a tiny picot edging?

GROUP

Finally, Group night is tomorrow and I'm probably going to be late (like 30 minutes late). All the same, I hope you all can join us!

Border's in Wilmette, IL @ Lake and Skokie from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Cafe!

Be there or be square!

Lotus Blossoms and Clematis Blossoms

Just a quick Update to show progress.... I'm hoping to get the 5th repeat and start the stockinette for the bust. I'm also thinking about ordering 4 more skeins and attaching elbow length sleeves with a single lace pattern repeat at the edge. But boy, if I'm going to do that, and have it to wear by the 2nd of July, I better get crackin'!

The Clematis is Comtesse de Bouchard and even Hubbo says it's the prettiest clematis he's ever seen! Woo Hoo!! The reason it's so much prettier than the other ones we have is because I actually picked and ordered this one as opposed to the other three we have that I got as box plants from Jewel (the grocery store)! Gratuitous kitty pic....


Have a loverly weekend!

Peonies and Lotus Blossoms

I love me my Peonies!

So my second peony bush bloomed on Tuesday, just like I thought. Then these horrible storms started coming through with "Nickel-sized hail". Well you know I just HAD to run outside and cut the two blossoms that had already opened so they didn't get ruined buy the rain!!

Wednesday morning, here's what I saw out my window. So, beautiful!! And the color in the shot below is true to their actual color. I know it looks like I just cut out paper flowers and laid them on the bush what with the way my camera handled the color changes and all...I don't know the variety so I can't help there but it's got a kind of spoiled fruit smell about it. Despite its beautiful color, I can't help but wish it smelled good, too. But the pale pink one (yes, there was only one) smells heavenly and spicy!

Lotus Blossoms

I also figured that since this is primarily a knitting blog that I should show you all (y'all, for short) some "knit stuff".

Voila the Lotus Blossom Tank! The color is truer in the above pic than in the pic below. I'm seriously thinking about doing this again if it fits nicely. I'm pretty sure it's going to fit properly because I'm on gauge and I measured around my (ahem) lower middle and even on the smaller needle for the main body, the width should be perfect. Since they have you start up one needle size, the width should be even a little roomy for the first 9 rows (about midway up the first repeat). If it fits nicely, I'm hoping to wear it to our god child's christening in S. Carolina in Early July. I'm not so sure about the no sleeves thing tho.... I don't really want my lily white wings flapping in the air-conditioned breeze. Maybe a wrap too? Oh yeah, and if it's even the teeniest bit tight around the bustages, I'm going to rip back and do short rows.

If you squint, you can see the lotus blossoms here, below. I'm on the third repeat and for the largest size it takes about 1 ball per repeat.
I really like the way this cotton works up, so I just picked up a whole bunch of Sonata Cotton on sale from Elann.com in Coffee Bean, Light Turquoise and Silver Sage. I got 20, 10 and 20 hanks respectively. I'm hoping that this will be enough for a tank (plain) and maybe a cardigan sweater set, but I'm guessing that I'm going to have to order more. (Yeah, and I'm going to knit these when??) My guessis that one of the three colors I won't like so very much and I'll be able to send it back and buy enough cotton to make one sweater set in all the same color.

Oh, and just so's you don't think that I've completely dropped the ball on that beautiful Alice Starmore Inishmore, I'm still waiting on the yarn from Webs. They told me it would be about two more weeks since it was a special order..... boy, the things we will endure just to get yummy yarn for less than sticker price!

Yeah, and Lady E, she's still on the needles too. I love, love, love, the way she looks and I'll be so excited to wear her when she's finished, but man... can we say Boooooorrrrriinnnngggg? Every time I look into my knitting bag I see her smiling face and I reach for a different project. Bleah. Must finish Lady E before the guilt becomes all consuming!