finally finished

I have a wonderful, busy life. I'm also constantly juggling knitting projects, consequently projects don't get completed in a timely manner! But I did finish my Lisa Knits scarf in Cash Vero and I love it. The yarn is soft and knitted up nicely. I started this project in May or June, and since I wasn't exclusive, it seemed to take forever.


Oh, and I'm still up to my old tricks... working on my first sock in Sockotta, a slouchy cap in Knitpicks tweed, a baby blanket in Knitpicks, a baby hat in Cash Vero, a scarf in Lorna's Laces, and a crocheted vest also in Lorna's Laces. Languishing in the closet are the preemie blanket and Feather & Fan shawl. Wanna bet which one I'll finish first? (I don't even know...)

all the other stuff

There's always so much to do! I feel like I'm busier now than when I had both kids underfoot (plus was a working mom). Last year it was all about the wedding. This year I spent several months planning and making 24 preemie isolette covers for the hospital.

Hopefully, now that this project is finished, I'll have more free time.



I'm hurriedly knitting on my Cash Vero Lisa Knits scarf for the Green Planet Yarn fashion show. I discovered a huge mistake on Monday - I got mixed up on which row I was on, and knitted 5" of the wrong sequence - the pattern is a 12 row repeat. Aargh! It was the kind of error that just had to be repaired.

We had a huge storm here yesterday in the Bay Area, and I used the time to just sit here at home and knit away.

Real life has kept me busy these past few weeks. Also, I got on FB which is a huge time chomper - but the nice part is "finding" my cousins and old high school friends, so that's been good.

The Veronique Lace cowl is completed! It was a slightly difficult pattern, and maybe not written as well as some, but I managed to follow it anyway. I learned a lot from my numerous mistakes, and it didn't take me too long either!





Have also been busy with Sonny Boy's 21st birthday (yikes!) and all that goes with that event. Last of all, I'm back at work, so there isn't as much knitting time. But I plan on taking advantage of this afternoon's knitting group so I can progress on my scarf for the fashion show.

time marches on and when can the knitting happen?

Vacation was fun! Every morning I'd get up and sit in the early morning sun of the Sierra Nevada, drinking tea and working on my projects. There was also a shady porch that was perfect for knitting and reading.

They aren't completed but need to be because my good news is that I'm going to be in the Green Planet Yarn fashion show in October! But that means I have to finish the Veronique Lace cowl and the Lisa Knits scarf before then.



It's about 2/3 finished and looks yucky, but once it's blocked, I'm hoping it'll improve!

Have been busy working in the garden. I'll only have one Red Delicious apple this year (and not even that if the wicked squirrels and rats get it first).



My amaryllis belladona (AKA n*k*d ladies) are blooming after I planted the bulbs 2 years ago. They're so pretty and they herald our family's August birthdays.



We've been working on making 25 preemie isolette covers. Slow going!

A knitter from the Sunnyvale group made a whole bunch of hats and blankets for the preemies at Children's Hospital.



And finally, I really shouldn't have, but I bought some Silk Garden at Green Planet today, partly because I had a stressful morning at work (and the stress really is intense when you've been away for 8 weeks and then get inundated with it), and also because I found a great entrelac scarf pattern from Crazy Aunt Purl.



Two skeins are lot 302, and 2 are 304, but I think they're similar enough that I can alternate them.

lots of safety lines

I'm off to the mountains for a few days to enjoy some much needed R&R. Am bringing along the cowl, shawl, and scarf, all festooned with safety lines! (I've just been making too many mistakes and they are real lifesavers.)

Will have at least 1 FO to show off upon my return!

a bit proud

I'm quite pleased with myself for figuring out a tricky part of the Veronique lace cowl. I couldn't figure out how I kept losing a stitch when the pattern calls for a "shifting" of the lace (my knitting teacher assured me that the shifting part makes the lace pattern look more attractive).

I probably spent at least 6 hours ripping back (thank God for safety lines) and trying again. I was so determined I wasn't going to let it kick my backside! And I finally could decipher what the designer really meant!

A small thing, I know, but my brain is happy to have been expanded, and now I think I can really crank this thing out.

a pleasant discovery

While putting things away in the craft closet I happened upon the Knitpicks Feather & Fan shawl I started either last spring or the year before. Why did I stop working on it? Probably because my friend's son was about to become a father, so I switched to a baby blanket and baby sweater, then forgot all about it.



On SnitNKnit I learned a tip about tying up a shawl while knitting it.



I think the yarn's Elegance, a blend of silk and alpaca, and it's luscious to knit. I'm excited all over again about this shawl!

Here are 25 pieced tops for isolettes. I have to design a pattern and then trace it on each top. Then we'll stack the "sandwich", pin carefully, topstitch, then cut the whole thing out. I'm awaiting the shipment of backing and blackout fabric (for the middle) - can't do anything else until then.




This is what summer's like in the Santa Clara Valley.