Half Done....

It seems that I am perpetually half way there! With what? School, one final down, one to go. I have 100% in the class before the written exam, & I know that I missed one question; "what is simultaneous contrast?". I SWEAR that I don't remember EVER reading that terminology in the book, or even EVER HEARING it!!! I made something snappy up, but when I checked the book AFTER the exam, my desperate attempt at an answer wasn't so much close. **in case you are wondering... Simultaneous Contrast is when two complimentary colors are placed next to each other, intensifying each respective color, rather than mixed together which would neutralize the colors.** DUH! I should have guessed that. It does make perfect sense. ANYWAY...
My final project was to explore the concept of visual rhythm using one design, & 6 different color schemes (monochromatic, analogous, triad, complimentary, double-complimentary, & the tints, tones, & shades of one primary color). My design was a lamp. I had a ton of fun working on this project. I love mixing paint, creating colors, & putting them together in a composition.

Next final is on Friday. It'sfor textile sciences, open book, & no sweat!
KNITTING NEWS....
Also half done is Chris' birthday gift, the fingerless gloves. I completed one glove on time for his actual birthday, last week. The second glove is actually about 3/4 of the way finished. I am also half way through a 2nd belated birthday gift for him, (for obvious reasons I cannot yet post a photo). I am really wanting to start a couple of other gifty items for various folks, but my elbows hurt so bad already from all of the painting & cutting, that I don't dare sit down & knit for a couple of days. It super sucks!

one more week...

Friday is the last day of school for both Chris & myself!!! We plan to lay around on the couch, watch movies, drink wine (me) & beer (him) & order the cats to make food for us!
I have been knitting a little bit here & there. I have one & half fingerless gloves done as one of Chris' birthday gifts (photos to come, I promise). I am making these gloves with all five digits fingerless, he doesn't smoke cigars, or anything else, thank god!! He just spends long hours typing on the computer for school & his hands turn blue in the freezing cold!
His birthday was last week, & I presented him with the one glove, so that now I can work on the second one more openly. It royally sucks trying to secretly knit something for someone that you live with, who doesn't work, or go to school everyday now that he is home everyday studying for finals!! At the creak of a floorboard I found myself frantically cramming my project, double pointed needles akimbo into the couch, under my sweater, or under a cat! I mean how in the hell would I explain knitting a giant man hand sized pair of fingerless gloves? So One & half gloves later.... I am free to knit in freedom. I am knitting one other belated birthday gift still. He knows that I am working on something... but doesn't know what... so I suppose the suppressed knitting will continue... rats!
I leave you with this glorious sight....

Knitting For Dummies...

Okay, dummies is NOT the PC term. They are called mini mannequins, & I made their outfits. I knit up little hats, scarves, & even a muff. I also made the felt skirts & ultra hip mod abstract cape type tops. I flopped on the second skirt, the purple & white one, hate it. But the blue with the flowers... I want one in my size! Love it. WHY did I decide to clothe these little people? They are for a window display at work. The neighborhood is having a block contest between the stores for the best holiday window.
Mae, my super cool coworker (who used to be an architect & yes, I will be raiding her brain once drafting classes start) & myself were at the shop til 1:30 AM last night working on the window. It looks good. Really good. There are ice skating sheep & everything. I will take a photo once the window is complete.
**This photo is best viewed bigger.**

I'm still Alive!!

And YES, I am still knitting. School is plugging along. Finals are coming up, last day of school is the 16th. I don't think I like the quarter system. It's gone by WAYYYY too fast. I have learned a lot, but I wonder how much more I could have gotten out of it had there been more time. Right now I should be working on one of two projects that are due tomorrow, but I just don't feel like it!! Ugh
I finished the Chunky Print hat, it took me two & half episodes of Law & Order:SVU. It's too big, too loose. I have a big melon, so I usually have to up the size of hats for myself, usually just using a bigger needle. There was no pattern, I guesstimated a gauge & knit it up.... I was way off. Why didn't I try it on half way through, you may be asking? Because Law & Order + knitting transports me into another dimension where I am apparently just plain dense! I am debating felting it, or just ripping it out & starting over. What do you guys think? If I don't do SOMEthing sooner than later.... It will just wind up tossed in a corner & forgotten about, & it's much too cute for that!

I brought more yummy yarns home from work. This getting paid in store credit for knitting samples is genius! I really don't feel like I am spending any money! Can you see my sick obsession with tweed is still festering?! The watery-bluey-greeney Yorkshire Tweed Aran that I made the last kitty hat with went on sale, & there were only 2 balls left... I HAD to bring it home! & the Yorkshire Tweed dk in that specific green was the last one, HAD to bring it home too! No immediate plans for the blue tweed, the green dk I am thinking a small neck tie, cravat type of thing, maybe with a simple cable, or leafy design.

And then there is the Blue Sky Bulky... MMMMMMMMM! This stuff is so ridiculously soft, & the colors are spot on PERFECT!!! These guys have already begun the journey to their new life as a scarf knit lengthwise. It will be the worlds bestest scarf; blue+brown+creamy white+super soft+ super stripey+super warm!!!
Other Knit News... 3/4 of the way done w/ secret shop project. I actually did an entire shop sample & forgot to snap a picture. Two ther shop samples in the wings. & a few secret gifty things are brewing!

It's been awhile...

I am still kinda sick. Can you believe it?! I can't. I feel pretty okay most of the time, but my throat hurts all of the time still, & I have been loosing my voice. Monday was the worst, I woke up & couldn't talk at all.
But on to important things.... School & knitting.
Let's start with school. The big news is that I have officially decided to change my major. After thinking about it long & hard, & debating it for over a year, I have chosen Interior Design over Fashion Design. So I had to drop a couple of classes that won't transfer into ID. That means no more fashion sketching or Survey of Western Art. It will be drafting & architecture classes from here. I was really bummed because I was really enjoying those classes, but I am sure that I will LOVE my new classes even more! Dropping classes has given me more time to knit, work, & be sick. : )

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Knitting news... The laptop bag was done last week, I've been super lazy about getting photos posted.
I started the bag mid September, & finished it early last week. It was knit with a single strand, I usually double strand everything to be felted. It's all that cheapo KnitPicks yarn (mist, iron ore, & stream). That stuff felts so dammed nicely, and you cannot beat that price! Chris decided he did not want the handles cut into it, so you will have to imagine it with the cute handles. After seaming & before felting it measured 21" x 15 1/2". After felting it was 17" x 11". I was really happy with the colors, and the overall felting of the bag. I think if I were to do another one of these I would double strand for extra thickness. It is pretty thick, but you cannot have enough protection for your laptop. Chris tells me that it has been very popular with his fellow law students, they are calling it a "laptop condom". What professional lawyers to be!! It was about half way through knitting it when I realized the one major problem with the devil-may-care, caution-to-the-wind style of random striping that I am so fond of... The bottom of the bag is seamed & the stripes are SOOOO mismatched! I was surprised that it bugs me only a little bit. I want to make one of these for "my" laptop, but I don't know how soon I can face another long leg of boring knitting.
Other current knits... Three samples for the shop, one shop project, two secret projects, & ummm.... That cannot be it. I am sure that I am forgetting something else!
Now I am off to write a research paper for my Textile Sciences class. I chose gingham. That may sound boring to most of you, but I just love gingham. It's a comfort fabric for me. Gingham makes me think of picnics, apple pie, grandmothers, old flour sacks, & that famous golden brick road! I caught a few moments of The Wizard of Oz the other the night, right when Dorothy meets the scarecrow. The title of my research paper on gingham is "Somewhere over the Rainbow". I know.... I am a dork! : )

ACTUAL knitting news!!!

WHAT in the hell is she sitting on?!! Is she really just hovering there? How uncomfortable, not to mention unnecessary. And doesn't he know that pipe smoking will stunt his growth?! How old is that guy anyway?!

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ANYWAY... I am feeling mostly better... I think! I went to the gym today & nearly fell over. I kept getting dizzy & loosing my balance, & then my trainer sent me home. How pathetic! UGH
But the good news is that I am getting a lot of knitting done. In addition to working on the latest secret shop project, I have finished another sample for the shop. It's called Kid Slique from Prism Yarns, it's a strand of mohair & a shiny goldy strand of nylon/rayon. I didn't think I'd like it at all. I thought it would be a pain in the patootie to work with. It was a dream. So easy to work with, & it looks soooo pretty!
I started another sample for the shop, Rowan Spray & I don't understand why it's $16.75 a ball for a wool/acrylic blend yarn. And the bigger question is WHY is Rowan even doing a wool/acrylic yarn?! AND it even FEELS like cheap acrylic yarn!! You can feel the "spray paint" on the spongy yarn. Has anyone else come across this new Rowan yarn? Is it just me? And then I have finished a couple of projects that have been lingering at the bottom of my knitting basket for a very very long time. Remember the rust colored leaf stitch scarf? Think really far back... Yeah, I finished that one. Forgive the WIP photo. It looks just like that, but well... Finished. It's SUPER long, when I put it around my neck the ends hit way below my knee! Maybe I will snap a photo later.
And then I finally finished the worlds most boring project, the laptop bag. I have to seam it & felt it. It's sooooo HUGE! I swear I could have wrapped it around me as a skirt.
And I have been working on the Bubbles scarf. OH MY GOD! Talk about pain in the butt yarns!!! I just want to scream, I HATE knitting with this stuff! But I LOVE the way it looks! And these colors are so amazing together. It's so soft, and wow, I just cannot wait to wear this one!

When Knitwear Attacks!

Charlie's Angels battling the most dangerous case of them all.... BAD KNITWEAR!

Intermission.....

Things are bit crazy still.... I am still pretty sick, if anyone sees one of my lungs laying around please return it to it's rightful owner. I am having some major revelations with school. No folks I am not dropping out, & I am not failing out, I am doing very well actually. I will fill y'all in once I finalize the gritty details.
In the meantime... Please enjoy this fine advertisement for "South-of-the-Border Knitwear!!! AYE-CARUMBA!!

How I spent my Halloween...

This was the second project due in my color & design theory class. It was A TON of work. They gave us really crappy gouche paints to work with. The stuff was stiffer than a teenaged boy on prom night! The blue paint did NOT want to play with the white paint. The more water I added so the blue would spread like a teenaged girl on prom night, the more washed out the color became! I had to have 8 grades of blue fade into white. So that dark blue really had to come straight out of the jar with minimal water added. Next project... a complete color wheel. wooo hooo!

I haven't spoken much about it on here, but I have been coughing non stop for the past 3 weeks. Although I was sick with a yucky throat thing right before school started, I was pretty sure this was just allergies because last year at this very same time of year, I started coughing non stop. The doc thought I had asthma & put me on asthma meds which made it twice as bad. It was this time last year that we moved into the place we are at now. We finally came to the conclusion that it was likely the giant-pain-in-the-ass-constantly-dropping-a-shitload- of needles-pine tree in our front yard that was causing my pain & suffering. (& I do believe that is the technical name for that particular pine tree) Well this year it seems that the added stress from school has turned my innocent allergy into a very bad lung infection. I went to the doc on Monday, & now I am on antibiotics, UGH! I also went back to acupuncture! AHHHH! I LOVE acupuncture! My coughing seems to be slowing down already. My chest and throat still feel like the little alien dude is trying to claw his way out.... but I am spending more time meditating & DE-stressing, so I hope to be better soon.

Get Your Meme On!!!!

I am honored to have been tagged by the God-Mother of Kid Silk Haze, Kate!! Every time I am at work & am lovingly picking up the thousands of tiny balls of KSH that eternally slip out of their cozy cubby & fall to the cold floor below, I think of Kate.
I was wondering when one of these meme things would come my way. And here it is....
Also please keep in mind that I am on very limited time to type this up... i.e. Forgive the lack of whitty banter.

what is your all-time favorite yarn to knit with?
Top pick, I love that Proud Lamb, it just feels soooo good in my hands, & the colors are amazing! I am currently working with Malabrigo for the first time, & all I keep thinking is how I want to make myself a bed out of the stuff! The colors of Manos are to DYE for! And I am quickly becoming a Rowan snob.

your favorite needles?
Straights- the colorful vintage aluminums that I have begun to collect. I get extra excited when the color of the needles matches or compliments the project I am working on.
For dpns- definitely the shorty bryson bryflex. I will never use a long dpn again.
Circs-I have been converted to the pricey side, Addis.

the worst thing you've ever knit?
It's soooo embarrassing!!! Ugh! How about my Oscar the Grouch Scarf.... Ugh, shudder. What can I say, I was still working with Lion brand yarns, & I had only been knitting for a couple of weeks.

your most favorite knit pattern? (maybe you don't like wearing it, but it was the most fun to knit.)
I really had a lot of fun with the MSCS. Aside from that particular yarn being so much fun (I never knew what color was going to come streaming out the ball next), that stitch was a ton of fun. Unlike ribbing or even seed stitch, it never got boring. I would like to incorporate it into a hat or some other non scarfy thing. Someday, when knitting is on my daily radar again! : ( I also loved making socks, and of course my true faves are the felted bags!!

most valuable knitting technique?
no doubt about it, it's "unknitting", or "tinking". is that a technique?

best knit book or magazine?
Loop-de-Loop is the most beautiful, even though the models strongly resemble aliens.
the Fall issue of Interweave Knits was rockin!

your favorite knitblogs?
You know who you are!

your favorite knit-along?
I have never belonged to a knit-a-long. : ( & I don't have much time for one now. Maybe in 2 years, after school.

your favorite knitwear designer?
Kim Hargreaves has the keenest eye for what I will call bold femininity! I quite enjoy Teva Durham. And I've gotta give a shout out to my gals at work!! They are very creative & inspiring!

the knit item you wear the most? (how about a picture of it?)
You can "wear" a purse, so.... I would definitely say it's my big buttonhole bag. I LOVE those bags. I get tons of compliments, they are just the right size(s), & I made 'em!!

tag time!
hmmmmm.... how about...the knitting ultimate knitting Goddess, Janis. I miss her, & the Wednesday night crew! And the ever so sweet Whit. And then there is Beaky. Read how she got the name Beak, it is so sweet & funny!

Secret Project #2

I double dog dare you to say these aren't the most FABULOUS yarns ever! Okay, so they aren't the MOST FAB EVER. But man oh man, I super dig these colors. Malabrigo is so damned soft!!! Really, truly, so damned soft! You can practically SEE how damned soft this is in the photo. Go ahead, touch your screen, you know you want to reach out & cuddle this yarn!! This is "Frank Ochre". I really like Frank, he's a great color. To compliment Frank there is Rio De La Plata in # TS92. I have been eyeing TS92 for a long while now. Sadly these yarns will not be with me for very long. These are the next secret project I am knitting for the shop. I may have to opt for keeping the end product of these yarns after the shop is done displaying them, rather than being paid for knitting them. Ooooh, what a dilemma!

Things that make me REALLY HAPPY....

The first time I set foot into Article Pract as a customer I fell in LUST with this folding knitting basket. The colors, the design, the vintage fabric, the fact that it was meant to hold my other true lust, yarn. Since working there my lust has grown. Last week I received my very first "payment" (gift certificate) for knitting shop samples. It burned a hole in my wallet for a few days... I pondered what to spend it on. I could have bought more yarn with it. But I don't have time to knit as it is, it would only bum me out to bring new yarn home, well... For like 2 minutes maybe. BUT... A cool new basket to hold my beloved yarn, yeessssss! It was perfect. And I really have coveted this basket since day one. I am not totally sure how I have resisted the temptation of just buying it before now! But it's home now, & we couldn't be happier. Note the adorable fabric both inside and out. And the ultra cool & useful pockets in the inside. My circs now have a real home.
Happy thought No. 2... My Boyfriend, punkrawkboy, & his love for my cats. They are now OUR cats, they have been since they first met Chris. I knew he was a keeper when despite his allergies to cats, he would pick them up & talk to them & play with them! Makes my heart happy! Final Happy thought... I decided to make myself eggs for dinner, this is the college life once again! I was tired & grumpy after an afternoon of failed attempts at sketching the 3/4 pose! I cracked two eggs into the pan. Alas, one of the eggs was a "double yoker"!!! This reminds me of my grandfather. When I was a very little girl (5 or 6, maybe 4) I lived with my mother's parents in San Diego for a little while. In the winter my Grandfather would pack us all up in the van & drive an hour up into mountains where it was snowing lightly. There was this adorable little town (Julian) with an apple store. All they sold was fresh baked apple pies, fresh pressed apple cider, apple turnovers, apple butter, candied apples, etc. What in the hell does that have to do double yoked eggs you are asking?? Well, along the way was a bakery, Dudley's . People lined up for an hour to buy the best, yummiest, freshest, most amazing breads from Dudley's bakery. And what does THAT have to do with double yoked eggs you ask again?!! I'm getting there!! Just get the hell off my back!! On the way home from a full day in the snow, sipping hot apple cider & smelling fresh baked bread (they also had really good cookies!) there was this little roadside shack, literally a little hut with a straw rooftop. This little hut sold double yoked eggs. My grandfather LOVED fried eggs, over easy, he loved sopping up the yoke with bread!!! He taught me to use bread, as a utensil, egg yoke, marinara sauce, biscuits & gravy (thanks for passing down the addiction to carbs Pop!). When we got home that evening we would have double yoked eggs & fresh Dudley's bread for dinner! Yes eggs for dinner! : )
And I don't know how they knew the eggs were doubled yoked. I would like to think that because it was 30 years ago it wasn't a chemically altered thing. So unless you have a natural explanation of it... Let's not talk about the how or why!

"Tammy Needs..."

Saw this on Whit's blog and thought it was too funny. I am giving up my magic 8-ball & my horroscope scrolls! So I went to the ALL KNOWING, ALL POWERFUL (sounds like a swift that I have met before) Google Gods and entered "Tammy needs", and this is what Google told me:

• Tammy Needs information by January 1st (sooner would actually be better.) (no joke, this is from doesthislookinfected.com)
  
• Tammy Needs to settle something in herself (ummm... duh!)
  
• Tammy Needs to know a performance installation that incorporates autobiographical text, original music and audience interaction and asks the following questions:
  -What is the difference between country music and performance art?
  -What does a fifty five year old, trailer trash, ex-heterosexual, ex-famous country and western singer need to learn in order to become a contemporary lesbian performance artist?
  ( I don't have the energy to make something this elaborate up, but I must admit that my curiosity is now peaked.)
  
• Tammy Needs your prayers and good wishes (this came from The Wicca, Witchcraft, and Paganism Community. & please don't pray for me, just think positive thoughts.)
  
• Tammy Needs a caregiver (who doesn't!?)
  
• Tammy Needs more opportunities to be creative. (now this is getting a wee bit bit spooky.)
  
• Tammy Needs all information by January 5th, 2003 in order to post it on the website. (that was ALL information people! I am obviously late, so hurry up!)
  
• Tammy Needs to find a better boyfriend. (This one is WAYYY off base. No question about it, I HAVE the BEST boyfriend in the entire world!!!)
  
• Tammy needs constant care. (and that is exactly the reason why my boyfriend is the best! ) : ')
  
• Tammy needs a great deal of support, and workers need to be attentive to Tammy's need to process her grief slowly. (Can someone tell me what I am grieving over?)
  
• Tammy needs a fan blowing on her constantly because she has difficulty breathing. (no comment)
  
• Princess Tammy needs a MAJOR reality check (whatever!!!)

I'm Feeling Sketchy! + color & design class!!!

It's been 6 days since my first sketching class and I think that I have shown some pretty damned good progress! I still need lots & lots & lots of practice, but at least I 'm in the right ballpark now!! Last week I felt like I was supposed to be playing ball, but I was stuck holding a frisbee. Now when I look at my first sketches I am totally blown away, and proud of my progress!!
I met with a tutor (another fashion sketching instructor at the school) yesterday, and it was like instant clarity. She was awesome, & all of a sudden, stuff was clicking, my hands were doing things with a pencil that I never thought possible, & my freakishly tall girls started to look a slight bit more human. I say a "slight bit" because they just aren't human with those freaky long legs! But that's the way they are supposed to look. I have 20 sketches due tomorrow, 15 front poses, & 5 back poses. I am still super intimidated by the back pose.
I had my first color & design class. Look at all of the cool stuff that I got. There is more to come. Some of the tools & supplies were back ordered from the book store. My first assignment is to create a design using positive & negative space.

What about knitting you all ask? Yeah, "What about knitting?!!" I DO touch yarn when I am at work, and that's about the extent of it for this week. With all of the sketching, my hands & wrists are beyond exhausted. And since I don't really want to have a second surgery on my elbows... I have decided to not push it.

I've Got A Secret....

Well gang, I'm letting the cat out of the bag, literally & figuratively!!! The secret tweed hat project for the shop is DONE! I couldn't resist. I just had to do it. I had to make a tweed kitty hat. I struggled (for about 20 seconds) on whether to make it in a black, brown, natural, or other color that an actual cat might be. Then the super dreamie Rowan Yorkshire tweed aran in watery, grabbed me by the chi chis & it was a done deal right then & there! Lucky for me & my cat hat, Mae, another lovely AP employ, did her tweed hat in Donegal pumpkin tweed & had enough leftover for me to contrast the mice & ears. So what do you guys think? We put it in the window today & I gleefully listened while folks commented on how damned cute & adorable it is. And of course... I mean come on... it's a watery blue tweed cat hat, complete with dead mice!

School Daze.... 1 & 2

I'm baaack! Lemme catch ya' all up on the last couple of days. The first photo is of the ever popular, often sought after FIDM tote bag. Anyone who lives or spends any time near downtown S.F. has seen these bags, usually in packs of 4 or more at a time. In fact whenever someone asked WHERE I would be going to school & I told them FIDM, one of the first things out their mouths would be, "OH WOW! You are going to be one of those hot chicks that carries those cool bags!!" Yep, that pretty much sums ME up, "hot chick with a cool bag". The photo on your right is one of the FABULOUS (Stephanie, that was for you!) views from our FABULOUS balconies at school. FIDM occupies the 4th, 5th, 6th, & 7th floors of a big ole building in downtown S.F., Union Square, i.e. the shopping mecca. I took this photo while I was waiting for my first class to begin, that is I took a break from knitting to take this pic.
So here is the rundown: (note, each class is 2 hours & 45 minutes long)

• Fashion Sketching I -Thursdays @ Noon, Room #730, Instructor Teresa Lehane...

I hope that you all know how much I love you, and that is the ONLY reason I am willing to humiliate myself by showing off my first "fashion" sketches. I have never really sketched anything before. I had to draw a dozen or so garments as part of my application project in order to get accepted into this program, I have doodled, and.... Yeah, that's pretty much it! So these pathetic excuses for "fashion" sketches are in fact my FIRST attempt at sketching with any kind of instruction. NOTE>>>these are "fashion" sketches, i.e. they are SUPPOSED to look like aliens, it's called the "nine head figure"<<< I will admit, I was nervous in class when the instructor asked how many of us sketched or drew everyday, & 1/3 to 1/2 the class raised hands.... UGH! BUT... My new friend Stephanie (If you're reading, Hi Stephanie!!), who is amazing in the realm of sketching, is in the same class!! So I felt much better having her near by. She offered to teach me to sketch in exchange for me teaching her to knit! No Problemo!! When I left class that day, I was feeling a bit concerned about my potential. A day later, I stand back & look at my maiden voyage into sketching & am pretty happy about my FIRST go at it. There is a sketching tutor that I plan to spend some with. I KNOW that I can do this, & do it well DAMMIT!! The instructor is very nice, she played the soundtrack to "Pulp Fiction" while we worked. btw... Our first homework assignment, sketch 20 figures in a week. Was anyone counting how many times I used the words "sketch" or "sketching"?

• Success Seminar -Thursdays @ 3 P.M. Room # 601 Instructor shall remain nameless...

the short story here.... I am going to do everything in my power to get out of completing this course!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is no photo for this class, just close your eyes & picture a HUGE deep paper cut, squeeze the juice of an entire lemon into it, then sprinkle some salt. So anyway, I went into this class with a very open mind, thinking, yeah this might be cool. NOT!! It is designed to help new students assess themselves & identify & strengthen their study habits, learn to balance school, social life, work, and manage stress. I have been school before, I have worked as a manager in the adult world for 15 years . This class is a fat waste of my time. I am pretty sure that I am older than the teacher, & I use the word "teacher" ever so loosely! The other students in this particular class.... I won't go there! Anyway......

• Textile Science for Fashion Design I -Fridays @ 8:30 A.M. Room # 414 Instructor Julie Stonehouse...

I really enjoyed this class today! The photo below is of my text book (the big ass blue binder), my textile swatch book (172 swatches, which we all had to affix into the book & then write in the info about each & every swatch), my picker (which is the magnifying glass thingy with a gauge type ruler to count individual threads), & my textile dictionary!
I was GIDDY!! The instructor is super cool, & she grew up in my hometown. She "collects" movie clips that reference textiles, so she played a clip from the movie "Young Frankinstein". Anyone have any idea which clip that would be??? I will reveal it in my next post! The other students were friendly. Julie asked us to introduce ourselves & say what our super power would be if we could choose. Most people wanted to be invisible, fly, or read minds, all very cool things. But one gal said that she would want to be able to heal people because she hates to see people sick or in pain. I nearly welled up & cried right there, it just don't get any sweeter! Overall this has been the most pleasant class yet, I am in LOVE with the subject matter, & I don't have to stress over sketching anything! ; )

Yarn Porn Quickie...

I don't have a lot of time this week to jabber on the way that I normally do. Orientation was on Monday, it was a hoot that I will detail later. Classes begin tomorrow for me, & I am a bit nervous. My first class is at 8:30 tomorrow morning. It is Sketching for Fashion Design I, there are 3 or 4 sketching classes over the 2 year program. I cannot draw worth a hill of beans!! That only means that I have TONS of room for improvement! right? hehe, nervous chuckle.
In case I won't be back here for a few days, I did want to share some pictures of the newest members of my fiber family...

First, I'd like you to meet "Good n' Plenty". Rowan is quickly becoming my favorite member of our fiber family tree. They call her Chunky Print, but this little vixen, strutting her sassy stuff in sweet shades of pink, with just a hint of bad girl black is sure to be a heartbreaker! She will most likely grow up to be a hat to set off my new houndstooth coat. So back to her namesake... Was I the only one who loved those candies? My entire family HATED them. Now I admit, I was never a huge black licorice fan... So maybe it was just a color thing back then too! Now that I think back, I enjoyed looking at them, arranging them, & then REarranging them by color, more than I enjoyed eating them.

And the child that I swore I would never have... My prior fiber prejudice has been set straight!! Yes folks, I took in a happy, healthy, bouncing baby of Noro Big Kureyon in color # 9. And there is no mistaking my love for her, she is NOT a store sample being knitted up for the trade of greater, prettier, smarter, more talented yarn, she is mine, and I will love her as my own. She has no immediate plans or aspirations, we are currently just enjoying her presence.

And then there are the twins, the "wild one" & the "snooty one". Obviously they are not identical, but they sure do set each other off beautifully. (the adoption of these two was sponsored by Monica Kim. It was her gift certificate who made this union possible) Wild child, Bubbles, originates from Prism in St. Petersburg, Florida. She is a custom dyed yarn, "Alpine", & 100% nylon. In fact it was her lipstick colored cousin, Tulle, that I worked on for a store sample a few weeks ago. And then there is little Miss Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, well everyone already knows all about her & her pretentious background. These two will certainly be lifelong companions, loosely knit friends, who will make appearances around my loving neck.

Fancy Arms

The stats...

Start: 9/13

Done: 9/27

Yarn: Manos #'s 36 & 68

Needle US #8

Pattern: from AlterKnits by Leigh Radford

I finished these guys Tuesday evening. I settled on 2 different ribbons; the blue silk which is laced in them now, it's a direct color match, right down to the striation of the shades of blue, and the purple ribbon that I was using to "test" the gloves. I kinda like the purple, I find myself saying that more & more these days. Certain shades of purple have been calling to me. Anyway, I quite liked the purple ribbon with the blue & green of the gloves. I like the idea of changing the ribbons with my mood! Now I am ready to start another pair of these, they were fun!! I have had requests for these as xmas & birthday gifts.
Chris' lap-top bag is dragging along! I feel kind of bad complaining about it. I don't want Chris to feel bad, but since he never reads this I will just say it, this is the single most boring project I have tackled yet!! I am just barely past the 1/2 way point, & I have 21 more inches to go. Note the size reference, the stitch gauge laying in the middle of the vast expanse of stripey yarn! When I hold it up in front of me, it looks the front panel of a skirt. I am very happy with the colors, the stripes, and all that. I just wish it would knit itself!!!
My throat still feels like I swallowed a porcupine! Remeber those comercials with the kids that drew pictures of their cold symptoms? There was one where the kid had a running faucet for a nose, or the kid that was breathing fire out his mouth, and he said "my FROAT is on fire!" I am just glad that I am getting this sickness out of the way now! Monday is orientation, Tuesday is a mandatory job fair, & Thursday is my first day of class!! Nervous!!!!
Today I am laying low, knitting some more stripes on the laptop bag, & working on the secret tweed hat.

The Yarn Bandit!!

I think I am sick. My throat hurts, my skin hurts, & I feel like I am running a fever. I left the house earlier to go get some more airborne. I was gone 10 minutes, 15 tops. I suppose it was just a matter of time. I have been knitting for about six months now, and after all, he is a cat, just doing his mischievous cat duties!!!
I came home to the sight of Rosco laying on the couch, drunk on yarn! His eyes were glazed over, he was breathing long & shallow, you could HEAR the pur from across the room, I SWEAR to you all, he was smiling! There was an evil satisfied grin on that cats face!!!
There was a single strand of pink yarn that began wrapped around the darling Rosco, as I followed the strand, then immediately my brain shifted, trying to remember if I am knitting anything pink!!! Did he frog something that I have been working on??!!!! I couldn't remember! AAAACCCK!!! So I follow the strand from the living room, to the dining room, into the kitchen, and down the stairs into my sewing/crafty room. YEP...pink yarn is strewn everywhere. Just like in cartoons, it's wrapped around the legs of tables, under & over things, a big huge pink cobweb of cat doom. As I walked & took pictures, Rosco was at my feet, then one step ahead of me, he began to yell at me... He was offended that I was undoing what he had spent all of five minutes creating!
The stunner for me, & I am not sure why I was so surprised, was that he had gotten up on my cutting table (3 1/2feet high) , INTO a basket overflowing with neatly wound yarn cakes (i.e. no loose tempting ends that may tempt kitty to screw around with them), way down in the bottom of the basket, and chose a bright pink cake of lamb's pride worsted. He hunted this particular yarn!!! It wasn't laying around in his sight line! It's good to know that of ALL the colors to choose from, my big gay cat went for the hot pink! : ')
He followed me around the room, squawking at me the entire time that I was unwinding his handy-work. I just kept unwinding, telling him to "stick a sock in it" every few minutes! After a few moments had passed, I was just hysterically laughing! And know my throat hurts worse than it did before. More hot tea for me!

Back to School Shopping!!!!

Heidi & I went shopping today, Target & then the mall! like, oh mi god!!! Totally! Fer SURE!!
I got this RAD coat! It's cheapo Target, but oh so cute!!! Black, pink & sooo amazingly soft!! It fits like a dream too! Not too shabby for $50. Did I mention that it's as soft as silk!!! Please ignore my dorky face in the picture! I asked Chris to only photograph the coat.
Then I got a new pair of kicks at Old Navy! $9.50!!! Yes, I said $9.50. They are green & adorable! I didn't even know it, but I appear to be on a bit of houndstooth rampage!

My-So-Called-Scarf... DONE!!!

I finished something!!!! this yarn has been such a pleasure to work with! And it just looks so damned good!!! This stitch is really fun to knit!

The stats...
Start: 8/28
Done: 9/23
Yarn: UniKat # 01 22377
Needle US #15

I am almost done with my Lace-Up Fingerless Gloves from ther AlterKnits book. (the first photo is the best representation of the actual color)
I have one glove completed, & I just need to finish the thumb on the second glove, weave in a couple of ends, block 'em & lace 'em up! I am so in love with that blue manos (# 36, mallard)!! I went shopping yesterday for ribbon. That has been the single most difficult part of these gloves!! I did find a couple of possibilties. And as it turns out, the "stunt double" ribbon that I was using to test out the gloves with.... I kinda like it the best so far. I will try to get some pics up of the ribbons later today or tomorrow, so you can all share your thoughts with me.


I am still plugging away on my secret tweed hat project for the shop, the world's most boring project (laptop bag), purse straps for skully bag (haven't even started), the long forgotten leaf stitch scarf, and about 3 samples pieces for the shop. And I have a very very long list of things that I MUST get started on!!

DONE: Tulle Drop Stitch Sample

Tulle Drop Stitch Sample
Originally uploaded by punk rawk purl.

Feeling a bit under the weather today. Kinda flu-ish. Here is a bit of knit to share. I didn't have enough tulle to start another repeat of the drop stitch thingy I had going. So I made pom pom's. I am a sucker for pom pom's. Besides, I was really curious to see how they would look in tulle... I think they look cool!
OK... I am going to go to work now. Maybe immersing myself in yarn at work will make me feel better.

The Best-est Yarn Pal Ever...

Yahaira is THE COOLEST, SWEETEST, RADEST yarn pal EVER!!! She knits the most amazing things, I am in awe of her. A few weeks ago she sent me a very cool yarn-o-gram! And today I check the mail, and find yet another happy red envelope! I had no idea, totally not expecting it whatsoever! Oh how I LOVE surprises!!!! Especially when the surprise is yarn, gorgeous beautiful, lucious yarn!!!!! For my birthday Little Ms. Wonderful sent me a little treat, a skein of collinette point 5 in mist! She does not know this, BUT... I have been drooling over the collinette for a couple of weeks now, (we sell it at the shop I work in). It's like she read my mind! While at work I keep petting it, cooing at it, flirting with it a bit, but I have remained shy, not sure how I could possibly make that sexy yarn look as good as it does in its natural skein state. As with the cotton & microspun that Little Ms. Wonderful sent last time, this once again is nudging me outside of my yarn cocoon. My mind is already swimming with plans for Miss Mist Collinette.
Yahaira, THANK YOU!!!!! You are so sweet!