The Day After

Wow, it's been, what, another month or so since I last blogged? And I have not been just sitting around (although there was a lot of that, too). First off, let me just say that I'm going to blog at least once a week from now on. Actually, I should have said only once a week, but I said at least because who knows what will come up that just begs to be blogged.

So, every Wednesday, I'm going to take pictures of my current WIPs, update them on Ravelry, and then talk about them here. Sound good? Then let the tradition begin.

Since I last blogged, I have two new FOs. I finished my Evenstar Gloves, which I absolutely love. The length on my fingers is really comfortable, and I love the cables. Now it just needs to be cool enough so I can show them off.

Speaking of cool enough... I finished Francis Revisited! This is my very first sweater, and I'm so happy. I wore it today to pick up my school schedule (more later) and it was great. Except for when the cloud cover burnt off and I was wearing a 100% wool sweater in August in Southern California. Lucky for us, our days have been really cool, so I didn't melt. But it's very comfortable =]. (I'll put up a picture after I get someone else to take one of me.)

Yesterday, Diana, Sierra, and I went to Eva's for some yarn shopping. When Diana went to Poland, she was heavily disappointed in the lack of good yarn at her local yarn shops. Which explains her binge yesterday. I won't say the dollar amount, but three hanks of Malabrigo, two balls of angora blend, one hank of Colinette Jitterbug, and some bamboo DPNs were in her shopping bag. I, on the other hand, was more restrained and more broke. If I had the cash, I would have bought yarn to make a sweater from an old issue of Vogue. Instead, I looked for something pretty, and I looked for something pretty, and I looked for something pretty. Eva's is filled with pretty, so I wanted to pick out something that really spoke to me. Of course, we all know that when the wool fumes get to you, it is damn near impossible to think. I couldn't remember what was in my queue for the life of me.

About five minutes from closing, I looked in a bag and found a beautiful hank of Malabrigo. I fell in love with the color right away and went off to buy it. I tell myself that it is my treat to myself for getting my learner's permit (though I can't drive until Saturday, which is my first Behind the Wheel lesson). The colorway is Ibiza, which is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea. The picture doesn't do it justice. What looks like white has a slight yellow tint, and of course, the blues are amazing.

Also since I last blogged, I've cast on two new projects - the Shipwreck Shawl and the Star Crossed Slouchy Beret (which I'm just calling my Star Crossed Beret. I can do that.). Well, what can I say? I love both, but neither have a fantastical tale yet. But that is yet. The projects are young, and there is plenty of time for adventure.

Also, a little update. My "New Purse" which is a Drops pattern is really coming along. I started this in November, but I hope *crosses fingers* to finish all the knitting before school starts. The lining and the buttons may come after school starts, but I'm okay with that.

So, speaking of school, I got my tentative schedule today. And surprise, surprise, it had issues. My US Gov't & Econ classes weren't on my schedule. Instead, it said "See Counselor," which my mom and I did. Well, some people, instead of signing in, went straight to my counselor and talked with her for at least 20 minutes, even though I had signed in and my mom and I were waiting. Mom was really not happy, because she had to go to work right after I got my schedule fixed. Well, we finally got in there, and we came up with a solution. My US Gov't class was added every other day, and I'll have to take Econ online or at the community college. But, that means I get out of school early every other day. Of course, all of this will change if Spanish 4 becomes available every other day, which I hope not, because I want the early day and I'm not ready for Spanish. =D

Wow, that was pretty long. I promise it won't be too long next week, though I probably will have a lot to talk about.

Catch ya later!

-Sami

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday.

Knit night was a lot of fun. Diana and I met a whole bunch of people who were lovely to be with. I found a few of them on Ravelry, and we have a lot on common. It's pretty exciting to know so many people in the physical who can add to an impromptu ode to cables.

I was able to go last night as well. We oo'd and awe'd over each other's projects and sympathized with each other's problems. Hopefully next week I can bring Sierra with me (she was already busy this week).

Tuesdays seem to have become my knitting days. In one of my favorite knitting fiction series, Chicks with Sticks, Tuesday is the day for knitting classes and then knit night. During the school year, knitting club met on Tuesdays. Now, I attend this knit night, which meets on Tuesdays. I guess it's my day.

I finished the body and cowl of Francis Revisited. This is such a quick pattern, I finished the body in only a week. I can't start the sleeves yet because I don't have US #10 DPNs. Hopefully, my mom can take me to a LYS on Friday so I can get working on them and finish soon (not that I'll be able to wear it, it's so hot here). She was going to take me earlier, but she had a lot of work to do.

Even though I'm 16, I don't have my liscense (because I'm a lazy butt), I don't even have my learner's permit. I'm nearsighted in my right eye, so even though my vision is good with both eyes, I'd still fail the eye exam without glasses, which I just ordered on Friday. They'll arrive at the end of July, so I have to wait some more before I'll be able to drive myself to yarn stores and knit night.

I finally finished my first Evenstar glove. I love it, it turned out great and looks great. And I have started the second one, no SGS (second glove syndrome, closely related to second dock syndrome) for me!

I also finally bound off on the garter stitch scarf I kept going for when I just wanted to knit and veg. However, I just got sick of it taking up space on my little table reserved for WIPs in my room, so it's done!

In non-knitting randomness, look at this little guy. Actually he (or she, I don't know how to sex lizards) wasn't that little, he was a pretty good sized lizard. Apparently he wasn't satisfied with climbing the outside wall and that it would be good to climb up my window screen. Nice for me, because I got a few good pictures out of it.

Well, that's about it for now, I'm outta here.
-Sami

P.S. My dog, Sunny, says hi.

Sweater Times

The heat of summer has reached my little part of Southern California. It hasn't gotten into 3 digits yet, but is hot enough that working on my new sweater is a no-no in the middle of the day.

About 5 days ago, I swatched for Francis Revisited with my Aurora 8, the yarn I was dying to use. After washing and blocking my swatch (I was a good swatch knitter =]), I measured it for gauge and I happily got both stitch and row gauge. High fives with Diana ensued.

And on the other side of the knitting basket (do you like that semi-clever little phrase I just came up with?), there was my dad's sweater. Was being the opperative word because I frogged it today. I started it last November as a combo birthday/Christmas gift. I got stitch gauge, but not row gauge, and I never blocked my swatch, so the measurements weren't even too accurate. I also hadn't worked on it since, oh let's see, probably January. My gauge has definitely changed since then, and I only had the front and part of the back done. So I used my ball winder to super-frog it (another of my ball winder's virtues) and now it is, once again, just a bunch of yarn. I'll restart it when school starts again (and I'll be an upperclassman!! Er, woman).

Peace out,
Sami

P.S. Diana and I are going to try to go to a knit night tonight, I promise I won't chicken out this time.