Winter Nightmare

The weather outside is frightful...







We definetely do not have one of these inside of the apartment...



So I'm making a pair of these:



Simple design from the Ann Budd series of patterns in a book. I've been trying it on as I go and realized last night that the fingers are too short, so I'm going to have to rip them out. I don't mind. This project is lightening fast and damn there easy. If only I didn't have so much homework...

Some More Hats

I have carefully reviewed what you all have said about the hat/pattern situation and after thinking about it, I felt that I would be taking the credit for something I really just arranged. I wasn't being a designer, I was being a improviser. I didn't like how that sounded, so I'm not puting up the instructions for how to make that hat on my blog. I think the first pattern (and matter fact, all the patterns) I publish on this blog should be something that I created, not something I copied.


Hat City

So remember that my boyfriend is a knitter and he was knitting on this hat? Well he finally finished it:



Sorry I don't have a picture of him wearing it but I'm so proud of him and he seems to be very happy with the result. Did I mention that he designed this hat all by himself? He never swatches either, but he is so creative. Unfortunately, my boyfriend doesn't knit as much as I do because he's always busy with school work, but I love the fact that he loves to knit and wishes that he had more time for it.

This is another one of these, but this time I did it on the proper needles size (US 11) so that it would fit my head.



Just to let you know, it does not fit my head, in fact, it's too big. Then I realized that I didn't like how the decreases at the top looked on my head. So in the end, this pattern was fun to knit, but not fun to wear. Don't you hate that?


Confession

So I haven't knitted anything for the past week. Mainly because like my boyfriend, I'm swamped with school. Plus I'm feeling a bit apathetic toward finding a new project. I'm still working on these stockings and I have a scarf project that really is not a scarf project that I care to finish this year (it's just something I pick up if I don't have anything else to do in my apartment I don't in habit). Truthfully, this weekend it's going to have to be all about the homework because I've been procrastinating and I feel really guilty when I choose to knit and my homework is no where done. In other words, in order to truly enjoy knitting, I have to finish my homework. And for knitting, that's a sacrfice I am willing to take.

New Hat

So remember this? Well it became a hat because I was running out of yarn fast. What do you think? Personally, I love the hat! It fits my head pretty snug and I like that my first intarsia project came out looking good. Here's a close-up of the pattern.



I finished this baby on Sunday night and wore it to work the next day. Many of my co-workers liked it and were amazed when I told them that I had made it. My boyfriend suggested that I place the pattern for it on my blog. At first I thought that would be a great idea but then I thought that many of the ideas for this hat weren't mine. Like the intarsia motif and the manner in which the hat was made (I got help for the decreases at the crown from this book).

Still I like the hat and it was my first time doing intarsia and I think I did a pretty damn good job. So my question is if you recognized that you "borrowed" alot of the style elements of a piece you designed, can you really call it your own or are you a cut-and-paste kind of designer? I know that if you've been reading this thing from the beginning you would find out that one of the things that I would like to start doing for this blog is designing patterns and publishing them here. So let me hear your take on this situation. Is is copyright infringment? Would I be stealing? You decide.

I'm Back!

I know it's been a long time since we've last talked. Here's a short run down of what happened while I was gone.

1) Last week classes started so I had to get organized fast.

2) This past weekend I went to New York to celebrate my parent's 25th wedding anniversary. It was a formal gala with many family members (most of them I forgot their names but can I get points for remembering their faces?).

3) Returned to Michigan with a shit-load of homework to do (homework and spending time with family don't seem to mix very well).

4) The wireless router in the house shut down so I'm typing this on my boyfriend's PC (not my beautiful Powerbook).

5) Oh yeah, and I haven't knitted anything since Thursday.

6) Yes I'm going thru withdrawl from not knitting in such a long time. Today, I found myself making the motion of knitting something without having any project in my hand while I was reading!

8) I read all of the comments that you guys left and believe that I will implement some of your suggestions (like signing up to bloglines and getting a hit counter). I like organization, but it may have to wait till the weekend (when I'll have more time).

7) Last, but certainly not the least, I've been published.

Just Wondering

You ever wonder how many people read your blog? I know all the blogs you see on my side bar I check almost everyday. I don't think any of them have a ticker to show how many people have accessed their site or anything. Whenever I talk about it with my boyfriend, he always tells me to base it on the amount of comments I get per day. He says that at least 10% of blog readers leave comments. The most comments I've ever gotten (excluding myself) is 8 and it is from this post I wrote awhile back. So if 8 people posted that day, does that mean that 80 people read my blog that day? In reality, on average I get about 3-- 4 comments (no I didn't actually do the math, that's a guess). So does that mean that about 30 -- 40 people pass by to check on my knitting and my life everyday? I don't know.

I guess what I'm really saying is that this blog is a public journal that I keep intimate with a couple of people due to the fact that only a couple of people comment on a regular basis. It would be great if more people would like to come apart of the circle of commentors but it's not a factor in how I would write this blog or if I would continue writing it. Frankly, I don't think more comments mean more readers (or Internet Friends as I like to call them) just more comments. Sometimes people make 2 or three comments a day (like on this blog) which can fill up a comments section very fast. Truthfully, I'd still write even if no one reads this thing.

So to solve my inquiry, I would just like for anyone who reads this post today to leave a message in the comments, just so that I get an idea for how many people read this thing. And if you feel more comfortable writing in Spanish, don't worry. Te entiendo (I'll understand).

My Goodies

As promised, what I got at the yarn store last Sunday:




From left to right, Cashsoft DK from Rowan (don't know the color), a ball of Kidsilk Haze from Rowan in Shade 9241, and a skein of The Great Adirondack Yarn Company, Inc. in the Soxie Cancun colorway.

My two favorites are the sock yarn and the Kidsilk. It's pretty expensive ($9, and that's the sale price) but the yarn is to die for. This yarn is perfect for next to skin wear like a scarf or some gloves even. Very delicate and girly. Every time I rub it on my neck, I purr like a cat and simply melt like butter. The sock yarn is my favorite too because I love the colors. Deep purple with a splash of tropical turquoise, bright yellow, and neon green. The orange (more like peach) yarn will become this hat.


Intarsia Freak

Here is what I've done so far with my New Year's Knit-Resolution:






The hat was done in a day. Unfotunately it's too small for an adult's head so I'm giving this to my boss so that he can give it to his son. I used size 10 US instead of size 11 because I didn't have any and I'm a loose knitter anyway, but my assumptions didn't work. When it comes to things fitting, I'm not stressing over a hat. If it doesn't fit me, I'll give it away. However, a sweater for me, is another story. I take my time with the swatch, wash it, and then measure it to make sure everything is perfect before I even start to knit. Sweaters are special to me. I don't want to F' those up.

Back to the hat. I'm sure you guy's have seen the pattern. Very easy and very fun.

The second picture is a baby sweater that was originally designed for a 9 inch bust teddy bear. The pattern can be found here. I altered the pattern by adding 11 inches to the bust making it 20 inches around so that it fits a human baby. Also, I might have to make this a vest because the original pattern is a sweater, but I only have 2 balls of yarn. If I still don't have enough to make a baby sweater out of it, I'll just turn it into a hat and give it away if it doesn't fit me (even though I totally love the design).

Truthfully, I like giving hand knit things away. It's refreshing to my soul and clears my stash for new yarn. Giving away your knit items is like purging junk out of your house (though the knit items are never junk no matter how awful they look). Someone's trash is always someone else's treasure.

I've Been Taged

Last week, I was tagged by the editor of this fine publication. Lately, this "Six Weird Things About Me" MeMe has been floating around bloglandia and since I've been tagged, here's my contribution to this useless yet entertaining ritual.

1) I absolutely love watching infomercials. I especially love laughing at the horrible acting and how the marketers make it seem as if you really need their product. My favorite kinds are the ones that sell useless kitchen gadgets or excercise programs/equipment.

2) I have a keen sense of smell. So much so that certain smells take me back to very specific moments in my life. I can't explain it now but if you're around me and I smell something familiar, I will tell you in the middle of our conversation, even if it has nothing to do with what we are talking about.

3) I start to itch whenever I see or even think about lots of small holes that were stabbed in wooden surfaces. I get the same feeling about small bugs crawling around in a small area like ants.

4) I'm a meat eater that does not eat much meat. I live with my boyfriend and his brother, who is a vegetarian so we don't really cook a lot of meat. Even when we go out to eat, I don't eat many meat dishes either.

5) Even if I go to bed as late as 3 am, I'll still wake up between 8 am and 9 am. Maybe after years of cramming for mid-terms and staying up all night to finish homework, my body needs less sleep.

6) I hate being called "African-American" simply because I've never been to Africa and nothing about me is African. "Black" is also too harsh because it makes it seem as if people who identify themselves as "White" are complete opposites of those who identify themselves as "Black". I know that many of my ancestors were African, but my culture is Guyanese, not Sudanese or West African. Personally, I think we should all be allowed to be called "American" without hyphens.

So thats my contribution. TAG! YOUR TURN!

Happy New Year

I know it's a day late, but my New Year's was pretty uneventful. I didn't get drunk like most of the world did (personally, I don't like getting very drunk, just tipsy once in awhile) and me and my boyfriend went to bed at 10:30 after watching a boring Chicago Bears' game.

The weekend was very well spent though. We went on a road trip to a far away mall because I wanted to and I got some pretty yarn at a LYS in Indianapolis (pictures of what I got later). The store is HUGE. I don't know how they afford the rent on such a large store but they had tons of people in there (it was an end of the year sale). The store provided shopping baskets from a local drug store for patrons to hold their yarn in while they shopped. They had a big screen TV there too so as soon as football came on, my boyfriend sat right on the couch in front of it (though he's a knitter, he's still a man who loves football). I even kept on budget (under $50) and I left the store happy and proud of myself.

We continued the day at the local mall and made some purchases. That evening we came home and ate a big homemade dinner. Yesterday we got some much needed housework done (Spring Cleaning, grocery shopping, etc.). We ended the day with another big dinner and some champagne to celebrate the new year. I even made some of this bread.

Today it's back to reality and my work. I know this post sounds boring, but I wanted to give you guys an update on my life.

In the Spirit of the Holiday...

I have a New Year's resolution for my knitting. I feel as if I've been knitting simple stockinette items for the past year. Though they look beautiful, they don't stretch the imagination or keep me entertained for very long. So I've decided that I'm going to do something I've never done before -- Intarsia. I've done colorwork before (stripes) but nothing that could amount to a picture on my knitting or an intricate design. I'm just afraid that I might fail at it so I haven't tried it yet. But there is this one pattern that I'm dying to try and would love to make one day. Not only does it have Intarsia but it has steeking too! So once the Christmas knitting is done (yeah I only have one sock left for my mother) I can focus on more challenging projects.

Short Christmas Message

I know most of you are away from a computer right now and more invested in family and friends, which you should. However I would like to personally wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year (and if you celebrate something else around this time, I hope that you have a Happy Holiday as well). Right now I'm in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, a city 1 hour north of Toronto. I'm with my boyfriend's family and they are so cool. I love coming by to see them. Today is Christmas Eve Day (the day before Christmas Eve) so today we're just going to see some friends, wrap some presents, and bake some cookies.

And of course knit a bit. Today we'll be working on this hat that my boyfriend finished back in September. He lost hope in it after trying it on because it was too small. I told him it was very easy to fix and that I will help him. Well that was 3 months ago. He hasn't knit anything since (he doesn't like to knit more than one thing at a time). So now that my boyfriend, who use to be an enthusiastic knitter is feeling down on his skill, I must now rescue him to ensure that he is as fanatical about knitting (if not more) than me. I'm doing this for our future, people!

Anyway, from Cananda, Season's Greetings, Happy New Year, Feliz Navidad (Espanol), Feliz Natal (Portugues), Joyeaux Noel (Francais), and Happy Knitting!

Holiday Tips

There are only 5 days left before Christmas. Are you ready? I know many of you are knitting Christmas presents this year (or Chanukah or Kwanzaa or whatever holiday you celebrate this year) and maybe the pressure is getting to you. Here are my knitting holiday tips.

1) Instead of giving everyone you know a handknit item, reserve them for special individuals or for someone you know would appreciate it. Nothing is more of an ego booster to a knitter than a receipient of their knitted goodness actually appreciating and then wearing the garment they've knitted.

2) Keep items small. Think hats, mittens, toys, baby booties. If you must knit something big, knit it for someone close to you like your mother or husband and make sure you have plenty of time to do it (yeah this would have been more useful 6 months ago).

3) Don't cry and complain about knitting for others. You placed it on yourself to knit 10 scarves with lacey details for all of your family.

4) If you're one to ruin a holiday because you're more concerned about getting everything done in time for the big day, you're missing the point of this holiday season. This is the time to relax and enjoy family and friends. If you find yourself overwhelmed, step back from the knitting, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and chill out with some loved ones.

5) Some great last minute gifts (and I mean the day before) are baby items or really small ornaments to hang on a tree. These wrist warmers are also great and can be made in many colors to fit everyone's tastes.

6) If you are half way done through a project and you know you won't finish it in time for Christmas, go out to the store and buy something else for that person. They don't have to know that you are knitting a sweater (or rather that you failed to get it to them in time for Christmas). By gifting them something else, you'll have more time to finish that sweater/hat/mitten/whatever and can get it to them next Christmas or for their birthday.

7) Instead of knitting for your family and friends, why not give your knitted goodness to people that actually need it. The Salvation Army, Good Will, or any other local charities in your area are a good place to start. International relief organizations would except your gifts as well.


I hope that these tips helped you guys put things more into perspective. Remember that there is more to Christmas than knitting. There's house cleaning and cooking too. So when Christmas day comes, if you have everyone's present all wrapped under the tree ready to go, great. But if you didn't finish a sweater for your Aunt Mary or didn't have enough time to complete a hat for your mother, don't stress over it. Have an alcoholic beverage, relax with your family, and act like a kid again.

Cookies and Needles

So I know it is Tuesday but I wanted to tell you guys about my weekend. I baked some cookies:



The recipe is found here and they are called Jam Thumbprint Cookies and they are delicious. Though the recipe calls for raspberry and apricot jam, I also used some blackberry jam. And if you don't like any of those, you can substitute with your favorite jam like orange marmalade or strawberry. The recipe is super easy but the result is very hollywood (at least in my opinion). I can't stop eating them.

I also managed to finish the second baby sweater for my co-worker.



This and the smaller version shall both be delivered this Thursday.

I have finally started a sock for my mother.



I'm using Elisabeth Lavold Silky Wool in a deep eggplant. I like the yarn but I'm not sure if the stitch pattern I've chosen would stand out. I know I don't want to do a plain stockinette stitch mainly because I'm craving for something more complicated and fun. I'm thinking cables but not a common stitch (I've done enough of the divide some stitches in half and switch them on the needle. Very nice but very boring). Any suggestions?

It's Finally Over!!!

So Wednesday I had my last final for the semester. I didn't get my report card but I got enough feedback from my teachers to know that I past all of my classes this semester. One wasn't so hot of a grade ("C") but it was a general education requirement and a "C" is the minimum you need to past the class. I could care less right now because everything is done and I could now focus on the Christmas knitting.

But before we enter that realm of craziness, I present to you the semester socks:



Made out of Trekking XL, I used Clover Bamboo size 1 US needles. I call them "Semester socks" because they took me this whole semester to make them. I really only knitted these socks in 2 classes and sometimes I brought it to work with me but more often than not, I was in class with these socks. Nothing special. Simple stockinette with a simple pattern (I got help from this book). About the colors not matching, I could care less about that too. When it comes to self striping in socks, it doesn't matter to me that they don't match. I'm more happy that I have a pair of hand knitted socks.


Sock Woes

So I love handknit socks. I've never knitted them with anything but wool so I don't know how other fibers would feel on my feet. Though in the winter time wool socks are superior to cotton, I find that if you wear wool socks in a work environment where you are walking and moving about a lot, your feet start to sweat and I don't like how the socks feel on my feet anymore. Does this ever happen to you guys?

So I've decided that it doesn't make sense to wear wool socks in doors. They are best suited for frolics in the snow or when you're going to be at home relaxing. My socks are special to me and I like to wear them as long as I can, you know.


Stripes Again

Question: Do you think that changing the stripe sequence on the sleeves of this sweater is a good idea? Here's a pic:



This is the second sweater I'm making for my co-worker. I have another week to finish this but I think I'll be done with it by Saturday (If I stay faithful to it that is). The reason why I changed the stripe sequence is because I had to weave in so many ends for the body and I didn't feel that all those weaved in ends would look good in a small sleeve for a small toddler sweater. In other words, I got lazy.


Christmas Knitting

I know a lot of you guys are giving handknit gifts this year. I love knitting for my family. It gives me an opportunity to be creative with my gift giving. Plus it keeps me away from crazy holiday shoppers in the mall. I love that I don't have to go to a busy, crowded mall for gifts. I just head over to my quiet, close to home LYS, shop for yarn at my leisure, and actually have a conversation with other shoppers about things that I care about, like yarn and knitting. Holiday knitting can be stressful but I think because the whole process of knitting, from buying the yarn, picking a project to match the recipient, to knitting and finishing the item is relaxing.

Unfortunately, I won't be home for Christmas. I'm going to my boyfriend's parents in Canada to celebrate. I'm no wear near done with the knitting (3 more baby sweaters, and something for my parents) and Christmas is only a week and some days away. Seeing that I'm going home in January 2007, I figured I could just give my presents to my family then. That way I'll have more time to knit them, less stress this holiday, and as a bonus, I'll be able to see their reactions to the gifts. I'm sure they'll appreciate them (at least in front of my face!).

So that's all for now. As always, happy knitting!

Studying

Thanks for all the comments about my sweater. I love making sweaters. No matter how long they take me (usually 2 months), I still love the fact that I have a garment that I could wear and not just put around my neck or on my head. What pushes me to finish a large project like a sweater is the day that I could actually wear the sweater.



No that is not a picture of me but that is how I will look for the next few days. This week is finals week and so if you don't hear from me in a couple days, you know why. You can find me under a sea of books, papers, pens, and of course my laptop.

Thankfully, this will all be over this Thursday.

CPH: Done

Here are some pictures of my finished CPH:

Front




Back




Closeup




I'm very proud of this little number. It is the first cardigan I knitted for myself and the second sweater of the year (the first was a purple disaster back in April). The sweater is incredibly warm. I sewed on the buttons on Wednesday night and have been wearing it ever since. I chose yellow buttons because they were so cheerful and and matched the color of the sweater very well. After 2 months I finally have a cardigan that I can see myself wearing everyday this winter (or at least till I make another sweater in another 2 months).

Now I'm off to the Christmas knitting. I still haven't started my mother's socks nor the sweaters for my twin nephews. If I have time, I might even through in another sweater for my 6 month niece (I made a sweater for her in June but hadn't gifted it yet and I believe it's too small for her now) and possibly some Fetchings to go with my little sister's pink wavy scarf.


News Flash

Just to let you all know, the new Winter 2006 edition of Knitty is out. I knew that it was bound to come out soon. Ever since December started I've been checking out the site several times a day. I haven't browsed the the site yet but I definetely will and probably tell you my favs and not so favorites in a later post.

As always, happy knitting, especially to those of you in very cold, snowy areas of the worlds.

No Clever Title

So I wanted to post yesterday but I forgot to take a picture of my wet CPH. Now it is in my apartment blocking (my boyfriend didn't like the fact that my wet sweater was on his dry floor). I don't have a picture of it but I did finish the actually knitting of my CPH. Now all there is to do is wait till it dries, sew on the buttons, and try it on. Can't wait!


Career

Sunday was my best friend's birthday and she told me some exciting things about her career path. She has an associates in accounting and is working on a Bachelors. I'm so proud of her but when it came to my job report, it was dull. I told myself that I was going to continue school after my May 2007 graduation to get an MBA (that way I can defer my loan payments). I was thinking I could just stay in dull ass Michigan and keep working in the warehouse that I only make $8.50 in (great for a poor college student, not for a woman with a yarn addiction and a college degree). She has finally convinced me to stop downing myself and my abilities so I'm looking into getting a higher paying job in six months that requires me to use my skills like speaking Spanish.

Lately I haven't been practicing Spanish and they say if you don't use it, you'll loose it. My experiences traveling were valuable enough but they would more profitable to me if I could get paid to do what I love. So wish me luck on the job front. I think I'm going to start applying now and see what happens.


Blocking

Now back to the knitting. When I blocked my CPH on Sunday, I realized how similiar wool is to my hair. Six month ago when I had the 'fro, I would sometimes try and go for a more put together look by slicking my hair back into a ponytail. Now for a neat ponytail, I had to go through a process in which I would wash my hair the night before, then put some hair product (usually coconut oil or gel) to keep my hair in place and then tie a cheap $1 satin scarf around head very tightly so that as I slept at night, my hair wouldn't look sloppy the next day. The next morning I would wake up to smooth shiny hair and feel proud that I actually took the time to fix my hair up that day.

Now how is wool like what I just described? Well, whenever you block a sweater, you have to make sure that it dries in the way you want it to and the only way to do it is by moving it around to the measurements you want it to be (length, bust, etc.). Once you have the shape you desire for the garment, you just leave it there to dry and try not to move it until it is dry. In other words, my hair is the sweater, when wet it is blocking, with some gel or coconut oil and a head scarf, I set my hair just like with a sweater you squish small or stretch it out for a certain look and keep it flat on the floor for stability in its drying season.

Just a thought I wanted to share with you guys.


Extra Tidbit

I almost forgot. Last post alot of you guys were interested in the yarn that I used for my "hooker socks" aka very tall socks. I bought it in August at Stitches Midwest in Chicago from the WEBS booth. The yarn is called "Primo" from Filatura di Crosa and I got a good deal on them (about $2.50 a ball). I'm also using some Debbie Bliss in the same weight and some left over black yarn from Argentina. Unlike many yarns that have muted, subdued colors, these Primo colors are vibrant and rich in pure color. The yarn is squish and soft and maybe they're at WEBS on sale. If you're interested in making something out of them, send them your money and get some lovely yarn. They yarn is basic but it's still cool to me. They are also machine washable so they can withstand pretty much anything.

That's it for now. It will be snowing all week in Michigan and the temperature will not get higher than 25 degrees. Man, I got finish my socks!

I've Been Kniting

Last Tuesday (sorry for keeping this from you guys for so long), I got a wonderful package from KnitPicks filled with some Swish Superwash yarn in Red Pepper, Light Coral, Truffle, and Capri. Here's some yarn porn:



The Red Pepper and Light Coral will be baby sweaters for my coworker's daughters. He is paying me for this venture (yes!) and the Truffle and Capri will be gifts for my twin nephews. Here is a pick of what I accomplished with the Red Pepper and Light Coral this past weekend:



I love the result of how the stripes came out. Not too babyish but still very girly in my opinion. BTW, this yarn is soft, durable, and great for projects for children or something for yourself. Maybe in the future I'll purchase some more Swish for myself, after I get through the rest of my stash that is (I still have yarn from my trip to Argentina this past June that I have projects for that I haven't started yet).


Reality Check

So I did say that I wanted to make my mother a shawl a couple weeks ago but as we get closer and closer to Christmas, I'm realizing that a shawl won't be possible. In fact, I don't think I'll be done with the shawl by time January when my parents will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. So I was searching thru my stash and realized that I could make my mother something just as meaningful as a shawl and hopefully a bit more useful. This past August I went to the Michigan Fiber Festival and picked up some of this stuff for myself:



It's Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool in an eggplant purple. I loved the color and felt that they could be some luxurious socks for me. But now I'm thinking my mother would love them even more (she's a luxurious kind of woman). So I'm making socks for my mother this year. The benefits are obvious: less time to knit them, less stress, and most importantly, I feel that my mother would appreciate a pair of handknit socks than a handknit shawl.

This does not mean that I won't be knitting this shawl. I've never knitted lace before and the shawl is very pretty. Maybe next summer when I have more time.

More Stripes

I think have an obsession with stripes. Here is some progress on these very tall socks I'm working on:




I love how simple the pattern is but I would prefer to call them "Hooker Socks" than "Very Tall Socks." The length of them remind me too much of hooker boots.

I don't have a clever way to finish this post today so I'll just say, "That's it for now!"

Turkey and Yarn

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I'm pretty excited about today. Outside of summer vacation and Christmas, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year because I love food just as much as yarn. This Thanksgiving, I'm staying in Michigan and going over a friend's house for some good food and good times. Sadly, I won't be able to see my family, or eat the Guyanese food I've grown up with (Guyana is the only English speaking country in South America as were ruled by the British till 1965 when it got it's independence).

Right now I'm working on some baby sweaters for a coworker. Pictures later (my friend is asleep on the couch right now and I don't think he'll be happy to be awaken by my camera flash or clicking noises). The yarn is Knitpicks Swish in Red Pepper and Light Coral. At first I didn't like the colors together but knitted up in simple stripes changed my mind.

Anyway, I'm making a Green Bean Casserole. Truthfully, I've never even heard of this dish before until this year, while watching Food Network (one of my regular channels). Apparently it's as American as apple pie. It's pretty simple and easy to make but most people have told me that it taste great so I will attempt to be an American for a day and make this very traditional dish for a very traditional holiday.

Gratitude

This weekend was really rewarding. After a semester of weekends filled with homework, I finally didn't have much school work to do this past couple of days. So you know what I did, right? Knitted till my hands hurt, of course!

Sorry, I don't have pictures yet. I don't believe I've progressed enough on my CPH to actually post a picture of it. It would be like Deja Vu.

I also gifted these striped socks to my friend who jumped up and down and gave me a big hug out of excitment. In other words, it was a good reaction and one I did not expect. It only confirmed to me that knitting is just as exciting as all day football on Sunday.

This week is Thanksgiving (Thank God!). That means there is only 2 more weeks of school left, then finals. I'm so excited to be half way done my senior year. Maybe now that I'll have more time, I'll start on my mother's shawl. We'll have to see.

Dreams

I had to tell you guys this before I skipped on over to class. Last night I had a dream that I was gifted some yarn. The yarn was lace weight and a dusty rose color. Throughout the dream I held it in my hands, wondering what to do with it. I woke up before I decided. What do you think this means? Just something to have fun with.


Weekend Plans

I just realized that I only have 3 more weeks of school. This weekend I will be working on my CPH as well as some socks for me. I haven't started my mom's shawl yet, but if I don't get it done by Christmas, I'm not worried. My parents will be celebrating their 25th wedding Anniversary and I could just gift it to her then.

As always, have a good weekend and Happy Knitting!

Making Paper

I have to admit that there is a little part of me that likes to knit mainly to be recognized for my talents. I can't sing very well (even though some of my friends would argue that I do), I damn sure can't draw, and I definitely cannot do complicated math. Lately, though, my knitting has been noticed more by non-knitters. Whenever I tell them that I made whatever the object they are admiring, their eyes get wide with amazement and then they are really impressed. Whenever non-knitters compliment my knitwear, they always ask if I could make it for them. In the past I would have told them that my time is more valuable and that I would rather teach them. Most would retreat and say, "Nah, I don't have the time." or "It looks hard!" in which I would say, "Well then, I guess you wouldn't be getting a handknit hat/scarf/wristwarmer/whatever any time soon!"

My paradigm has since changed and now I'm knitting for money. A coworker saw a lavender hat I made a year ago and liked it so much that she told me she wanted one for her grandaughter. Another coworker saw me working on some socks last week and immediately wanted me to knit him 2 sweaters for his 2 girls. I'll show them the goods when they show me the money!

Now, this isn't the start of some multi-million dollar company (seeing that even if I quit school and do this professionally, I can only knit so much). I do, however, enjoy the fact that people are willing to pay me for something that I love to do anyway.


The Answer

Justine (as you can tell, she JUST got this blog started) in the comments of the last post told me that a friend of hers was a fanatical knitter (like the rest of us) and will be traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina this month. Remember in July when I talked about the knitting scene out there? Well I tried to contact you privately but that didn't work, so I will answer your question here. There are several yarn shops on this one street called Avenida Raul Scalabrini Ortiz. Here is the website of one of them.. I forget the cross street, however, on this website, if you click the word "Nosotros" you will see the address of this store, which is at the beginning of the yarn mecca. When your friend gets to Buenos Aires, I suggest she asks for directions to this store. If she finds that store, she will also find all the other yarn stores, which are packed close together. If she's a frugal traveler, the subway or bus is way cheap (about 80 centavos per ride) and pretty reliable (this is during the day, I don't know anything about the night schedule). In terms of language barriers, most of the people in Buenos Aires know some English but I would still suggest that your friend know some key knitting words (yarn-lana, cotton-algodon, needles-agujas) just so that she's not confused about what she's paying for and gets the best out of her experience.

Hopefully this information is helpful to your friend, Justine. To the rest of you, thank you for the advice on the future blocking of my CPH. I believe I will go with what Gray said. I'll iron the edges for sewing and then block the whole garment when it is finished.