Couldn't resist

Yup! I couldn't resist it any longer...here is the pattern and the yarn (the yarn was originally for the Simple Knitted Bodice). I read the pattern, it's a bit confusing, I'm sure it will all make sense once it's on the needle. Oooh....gotta hurry with my other UFOs. Sis, do you want to do this one together? Our little KAL?

Just heard the news, we'll probably get 6~12" snow tonight. We've been so lucky that there has been no snow the whole November. Well Snow day=Knitting day, so I should be happy, right?

Sahara is here!!

I've been waiting to get this pattern ever since I saw the Stitchdiva's newsletter. Finally it's available for download. I love all 3 versions! I think the hardest part will be deciding which one to knit "first" =)

I actually haven't download it yet, I really need to finish my Bubble pullover and Clapotis first... Well, I can at least "study" the pattern and maybe start shopping for the yarns or maybe give my dear hubby a hint...X'mas is coming....

Clapotis

I started another project, the "Clapotis". I'm using the Lorna's Laces' Lion & Lamb in Black Purl colorway. I originally used it for the Stitch Diva's Cardi Wrap, (I got the yarn from Ebay at $25 per skeins, very good deal); I did my swatch and the wrap still turned out too big, silk drapes....be ware! Well, I frog the whole thing and here is the Clapotis.
















I don't want a huge Clapotis, so I only did the "increase rows" section 6 times, I'm on "straight rows" section now, I did 2 drops already, you can see it at the top right corner. This one goes fairly fast, love it!

I didn't abandon my Bubble pullover, it's just I don't have time to block the sleeves yet (I was too excited to block the SWT). Next week, I should have time to do the blocking, I sure want to wear it before the Spring comes. ^O^

Swallowtail Shawl Finito!

After cast off. All wrinkled up.

After 20 minutes of "bath", on the blocking board with wires.

Off the blocking board. Unbelievable what blocking can do!

Budding lace.

Lily of the Valley lace.

Peak edging lace.


Yarn: Misti Alpaca Lace Weight (100% Baby Alpaca) 1 skein (437 yards) #8501 Green Meadow
Pattern: IK Fall 2006
Needles: KnitPicks Option size 4/24" circular (Love Love Love)
Size: 44" on top, 23" center down (after blocking)
Start: October 20, 2006
Finish: November 15, 2006

Yeah!! All finished!! After that little "surgery", it was smooth sailing till the end. Here are the photos of my very first lace project. This is the first time I use the wire to block lace too, very easy to use. I like it especially for the pointy parts, they turned out very pointy, eh?! The finished size on the pattern is 49" at the top, I pulled mine very very hard, I can only get to 44" (I was afraid I will break the whole shawl). I still haven't decide whether I'm going to keep it or give it as a X'mas present, well, I've got till 12/24 to decide.

Aaaaaaaa....Grrrrrrrrrrrr

I can't believe I did this!!! This is the last purl row of the Lily of Valley lace chart 2, while I was watching CSI, I dropped a stitch (欲哭無淚)! I tried to act quick and pick up what was dropped, too late, 1 st became 2 sts then became...I don't know anymore!!!


Well, I thought about rip back to the lifeline and start over, but I so don't want to, I took out my crochet hook, 2 #3 double point needles, and start to "fix" this mess. Voila! Can you tell?

Don't ask me what I did, I know I won't be able to do it again :-P
Now on to the last pattern chart...

SWT closer to finish

Yeepii!! I finished 6th rows of the Lily of the Valley Border 2 chart, so excited!! I was so worried about the p5tog (after the nupp), I'm really really really glad I used the Knitpicks Option needle #4, the sharp tip really helped; Addi won't do it. I did the p5tog as sl2p, p3tog, then pass the sl2p over, it looked kind of sloppy, but I think the blocking will fix it. Another 22 rows, yeah!!

Hooray to "This and that"

Couple days ago Coloursknits wrote "This and That". Hooray to that!! I'm into all kinds of crafts too, I can't imagine my life without crafts. I've done cross stitch, Chinese knotting, paper cutting, beading, rubber stamping, crocheting and of course knitting. I almost forgot all of my past FOs that were non-knitting. Here are some of them;






Few years ago I was all rubber stamping, I went to stamping demos, classes and even drove to neighbor state to be at a stamp show. After my little one (he is 3 now) was born, I kinda had to give up on stamping (at least for a while), stamping needs a lot of time and space which I didn't have back then. And on a trip to SFO, I saw a flight attendant knitting a scarf using eyelash yarn, I knew I found a new hobby. I went to my mom's house and dug out all my knitting supplies, went to Michaels and got myself whole bunch of Lion Brand eyelash yarns and knit knit knit. I went from eyelash scarves to ponchos to sweaters, I'm happy with this hobby, I love that I can carry my projects almost everywhere and work on it anytime (but not my stamping). I still love stamping, I still pay attention to what's new in stamping world, if there is a "star" teacher (like Tim Holtz) showing up at Carolina Moon, I'll sign up immediately. Oh, I really miss my stamps...

My avatars

I love playing my Avatars. After having my little boy, Boy, do my figure change. I'm so out of shape, and even worse on camera. There is some saying in Chinese, "There is no ugly women just lazy women" (I'm not sure if English has something like this). Well, I admit, I'm lazy, super lazy, and I love food. Every time I finished a knit object, tried on, I so want to go out and buy diet pills, but I know better not to try those pills, who knows what's in those pills (I guess I rather use the money to buy yarn). Actually I would go on food diet than yarn diet :-p
Where am I going with this? Oh, I was playing with the Avatars, it's fun, I get to try on clothes that I would never wear (I'm too fat), and different backgrounds (no budget to travel around the world), and accessories (I can't afford). I put a scarf on (my avatar) today, a turquoise one, that reminded me the weather is cold enough I can start wearing my scarves.

Speaking of scarf, I was reading the Clapotis KAL last night, I want to make one ever since I saw it on Knitty, but was afraid of getting tired of it and it becomes a UFO. There are like 90 pages in that KAL, you can find some really great looking Clapotis, yarns used for this scarf/shawl/stole are Artyarns Regal Silk, Koigu, Paton SWS (Michaels' sale this week @ $5 each), SWTC Bamboo, Blue Heron Rayon Metallic yarn (one of my fav), Noro Silk Garden (WEBS overstock sales), Brilla, Lorna laces Lion & Lamb, Malabrigo... Amazingly, these yarns are all different weights, but they all worked out, some heavier suitable for fall/winter, some are really light and airy for spring/summer, after seeing all FOs, you would want to make one for fall and one for spring and one from each different color ways. I like it better with varigated color yarns, I'm thinking Paton SWS or the Lion & Lamb,or the Regal Silk, the Rowan Tapestry is yummy too. I'm adding this to my to-knit list, like the 8th or the 15th?

LBT Finished!

Lotus Blossom Tank by Sharon Shoji (IK 2006 Summer)

Cast on: sometime in August 06

Cast off: 11/4/06

Finished size: 33.5

Yarn: SWTC Bamboo, color White, 3 balls

Needles: Denise #5, #6 & #7, Addi #3 cir.

I did my gauge swatch in Denise #7, it was right on, so I started my lace pattern in #7 needle. After 9 rows, it looked kinda big, from my past experiences, my FO often turned out a little big on me, so I switched to #6 till end of 3rd repeats. And then I did the rest of the lace pattern in #5, I wanted the top to be longer than the original design, so I did total of 5 lotus lace pattern repeats. I was following the LBT KAL (I didn't join the KAL) through out, and from reading the posts, I learned how to "modify" the design to my liking. I did my St. sts section for 12.5" (verses 10") so it will not show the undergarment. And also from my dear sis, I did the front neck decreases 5 times (verses 4 times), and then changed to #3 needle, knit 3 rows, BO all sts knitwise, by doing this I avoid the rolling problem that most of the knitalong-ers had. Over all, I enjoyed knitting it, it turned out exactly the way I wanted (thanks to you, sis)! I really like this top, I wish I was thinner thou...sigh... Anyway, I can't wear it until spring/summer next year, diet (hehe...food or yarn)?!

Progress report

Lotus Blossom on blocking board, this is the first time I use the "wire", I use 2 wires for the side seams, worked pretty well. As of today, I finished the neck trim/band and one arm hole, just one more arm hole, I'll be done with this baby. I tried it on, no rolling at the chest area, good good good!


Swallow Tail Shawl, I'm on the 11th repeat of the budding lace, my first lace project, it looked so small, I'm a little worried, maybe I should do 19 repeats, but will I still have enough yarn (I only have 1 ball of this Misti Lace)?


This is my Bubble pullover sleeves, I'm so tired of St. sts, 1 more inch to go then I can start the decrease. I'm going to try to finish these sleeves this weekend (still waiting for my yarns from WEBS).

Look what I got today

I received this from Sarah's Yarn today, I am so satisfied with them, excellent pricing, fast delivery and check out the packaging. Each yarn is individually bagged, labeled with yarn information and yardage. I gave them two thumbs up!! Definitely will order from them again.


The one on the top is the JaggerSpun super fine Merino, color Chanel; bottom left is the JaggerSpun Zephyr, color Fuchsia; bottom right is the JaggerSpun Zephyr, color Lilac. Yap, all in the purple (or kind of purple) family.



Now, this is a surprise for me, I order "1" color card (JaggerSpun Zephyr $3), and I got all these! Just to name a few, there are Artyarns Regal silk, Supermerino, Ultramerino 8, and other JaggerSpun lines. I think I got all the yarn samples she carries, that's gotta be worth like around $20~$40 (consider $3 per color card from her website). You gotta love Sarah's Yarn!!

StitchDiva's Sahara

I received StitchDiva's email last night, look at this, it's gorgeous!! This one is designed by Wendy Bernard. I like her patterns, it's so well written, and always provides options (no sleeve, short sleeves or long sleeves), I love options, and it's a top-down sweater! Hooray!!! I just love love love kintting from top down. I hope the pattern will be available for download soon!!! This sweater used Tilli Tomas's yarns again, I have to start saving money to buy yarns for this. Or maybe I should start my X'mas wish list?! Hey, I still got that Aqua Zing Pure and Simple, I was planning on using it to knit another SKB, since my first one is pretty much a test sweater. Maybe I could use it for this, I'll have to wait and see how much yarn is required for this beauty.

Still knit knit knit

Don't have any picture to show, I'm working on my Bubble pullover sleeves, boring St sts, feels like taking forever. The pattern says to knit 6" ribbing, then 12" St sts, then starts decreasing for the cap, and that is another 7", total of 25"!! I'm somewhat petite, 25" is way too long for me. I think I'm going to knit just 9" for the body of the sleeves, since I'm so tired of St sts, I like that idea a lot. ^_^
I also ordered 3 more balls of yarns from Webs. I read Amy's blog, she had to buy more yarns for her Bubble pullover (I'm using the same yarn). I originally bought 13 balls (after calculation), I used 7 balls for all those pentagons, and the sleeves I'm working on (I'm knitting 2 sleeves at the same time), I'm only half way, and I already used 1 ball for each sleeve. I still have bottom ribbing and "huge" collar ribbing, I definitely need more yarn. I just hope Webs still has the same dye lot...