Getting Close....

My cat likes to keep track of my knitting and ensuring that it doesn't go anywhere....I had to wrestle the sleeves from her to throw them in the sink:

Witness, the Olympic Sweater in the sink with a splash of Soak Aquae. Apparently I need a larger sink because I couldn't get the whole sweater submerged...but I was too lazy to give the kitchen sink a good scrubbing....and the bathtub seemed like overkill.

With notes and measuring tape in hand, I blocked the body out to size...

And then I tackled the sleeves. And if you're thinking "boy, those sleeves sure look long"! Well...now you know why I don't knit too many sweaters for my husband ;)

Seaming is reserved for Sunday, as all the pieces need to be properly dry before hand...we'll see how long I wait before starting as finishing has never been my favorite part of sweater knitting...which would be why I opt for seamless as much as possible ;)

Fronts Moving Through!

When last we checked in, I had a back finished...I am still a bit further along than what I'm showing....but I'm thinking this might wind up being a close finish anyway due to some more false starts and some seriously lost knitting time due to a run in with a bunch of roller coasters followed by a drug induced stupor (hello dramamine)

Knit in about a day, I finished off the right front...

A day later, I had the left front done....and after several different trials, I had the shoulders seamed...and sure enough, if this doesn't bloom and stretch as I expect it to, it will make a great cardigan for me ;)

Progress Check

Cast on during opening ceremony on Friday, February 12.

I'm sad to report there were several false starts - the first of which was casting on and completing the ribbing on the Wrong Sized Needles. *sigh*. So back it went, ripped right back out and started over with correct needles...even remembered to switch to appropriate needle size once ribbing was complete - the saving grace? Big yarn and a minimal amount of knitting at hem.

Next false start: Pattern error in row 1! That's right folks, pattern error and no published errata. I thought for sure I was going bonkers, but I counted the number of stitches accounted for in the pattern, and sure enough, not all stitches cast on were accounted for - was able to figure it all out based on subsequent rows....

3 days later and here we are:

The back is finished :) I sure hope the gauge swatch does not lie, because I need this to stretch and widen before I do all the assembly.

The Right Front has now been cast on...with a repeat of the comedy of errors that started the back *sigh*

17 days.

In case you weren't paying attention, the 2010 Olympics started last week....as did the Knitting Olympics :) Last winter olympics, I finished off a sweater, then tore it back and finished it again... I'm hoping for somewhat less drama this time around :) (if you're curious about the whole thing, check out February 2006 in the archives)

The plan of attack for this Olympics? A cabled cardigan for my husband from this book:

Men's Knits: 20 New Classics. Unfortunately, I haven't a photo of the sweater in question -but if all goes well, you'll see it soon enough as it comes off the needles :) I did some preparation for the event by winding the yarn and swatching. Including washing and drying the swatch in question - I've been surprised with several sweaters where they grew incredibly during the washing that I really should know better by now...

All the yarn was wound onto the same ball.....I sure hope it's enough! Stay tuned for updates :)

Plagued by Frogs

Lucky for me, this is not my olympic knitting project...though maybe they ought to be seeing as they've been stranded on the needles for so long. I've been working on these since March 2008 according to Ravelry. I recently picked them back up and was knitting along making fantastic progress...or so I thought. I was looking at them more closely, and had been wondering why the gusset was taking so long...and to my horror, I realized I picked up 2x the number of stitches I should have on the heel flap. No wonder the gusset took so long! Of course, I didn't realize my mistake until just after the gusset was completed and I was onto the arch shaping (wondering why it didn't correspond at all to my arch...now I know!) - so they've been frogged clear back to the heel flap - I've managed to finish the gusset again, though these are now going to sit on the end of the couch awaiting the completion of this year's Olympic Knitting project...stay tuned :)

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

And happy Sweetie Day too ;)

We're celebrating with DimSum and dumplings - what about you?

Unfortunately....

...most things in the desert *do* have spines. But they still make for some pretty fascinating subject matter. I adore the colors of this agave - frosty green with the pinky purple spines. Maybe I should get out the dyepots again....because there is something simply soothing about that color pairing.

Also: A sonoran desert favorite - the accordion pleats of a saguaro cactus. I'm guessing with the recent rains the pleats aren't quite so deep anymore :)

Not Everything...

...in the desert has spines.

Before spotting this lichen, I had no idea it could appear in blue. Most lichens I have ever spotted have been green, or yellow, or brown...but never before have I seen blue. Of course we had to snap a photo :)

Surprisingly, to me anyhow (when I first arrived out here), there are a number of grasses in the desert as well. They tend to sprout up quickly, covering the landscape in green, but then quickly mature and dry - unfortunately providing lots of fuel for wildfire season. I still find them pretty though, even in their dried/dormant state.

In case you're wondering whats up with the macro photos, we got a new lens over the holidays and are busy trying it out :D There are only so many photos of the cats I can post (or that they will tolerate me taking), and I thought you might find these a nice change of pace.

Fuzzy and Prickly?

Well, maybe not. Behold, the Teddy Bear Cholla - so named because from afar, it looks fuzzy...but in reality, it's densly packed with long sharp spines! Should you have the misfortune to ever get a segment stuck on you, take care in removal, so-as to not further get yourself stuck! I normally wear trail runners while hiking, though if I know I'll be a cholla-dense region, I'll usually opt for more rugged footwear, just in case I am not paying attention and wind up stepping on or kicking one of the fallen segments.

This healthy specimen was found in the Superstition Wilderness, on one of the First Water loops. I'm looking forward to further hiking before the weather seriously warms up - due to the rain, I'm guessing we'll be having one heck of a wildflower season!

Happy House Elves :)

I finally finished a pair of slippers for the Mister - the delay was only due to my getting terribly distracted. Once I buckled down (thanks to an afternoon of football at a friend's place) I finished off the toes and cuffs, and fed them to their feltastic washing machine. 15 minutes later, I was wringing them out and blocking them to shape over my shoes :D Due to the cool weather here, they stayed damp for a bit, so we were able to perfect the fit before they fully dried.

Unfortunately, they haven't seen much wear, I suspect I may have missed the coolest part of our winter...ah well, they're ready and waiting for the next cold snap!

Down the Rabbit Hole

Look! Snow, flirting with the desert! Somehow January has nearly passed me by. It feels like I've blinked and ta dah! It's February! How does this happen?! (and no, I haven't been whiling away all my time playing with my iPod ;) ) Stay tuned, I'll share a finished object (sadly not the Squirrel mitts, which have been languishing in one of my numerous knitting bags) and perhaps some lovely fibers from some very talented dyers (no, not me - and not for the shop either....I've been enhancing my personal stash, dreaming perhaps of another handspun sweater).

In the meantime, there have been some updates to the shop - most notably a bunch of new patterns and 5" tips for the interchangeable Hiya-Hiya set. Check out all the new goodies here.

Priorities

Look! My first FO in 2010 - a custom case for my my christmas present. I'm calling it practice for my Squirrel Mitts. Nevermind that I've still got some other knitting that I'm supposed to be working diligently on.

For more photos, pop on over here.

Here's to...

A healthy and prosperous New Year full of good fortune!

I keep this blue fish in my car - fish in my culture are a symbol of abundance and plenty - so perhaps the car isn't best place - but it's kinda one of those "lucky talisman" kinda things...

in the spirit of out with the old and in with the new, we say farewell to my trusty steed. The car I purchased fresh out of college and I have parted ways after 13+ faithful years and over 185k miles. The fish has been moved into a new fishbowl:

one that happens to be matchy matchy :D

Farewell, 2009!

As the year draws to a close, I find myself first wondering where the time has gone so quickly, followed quickly by positive hopes for 2010.

As December winds its way out, I'm enjoying some quiet time spent with my family, away from the craziness that is work and real life all combined. The crazy in the air seems to have (hopefully) worn itself out, and I find myself looking at a lot of things wrapping themselves up nicely.

The last year has been rewarding and challenging in different ways than years past - this year, I focused much more on my engineering career, rather than on dyework. I took on a new role, and it's proven to be challenging and rewarding, though it leaves me with much less energy to do production runs of dyeing.

It appears that while I have been knitting, I was nowhere near as prolific as years past...though I have to say, I think I churned off some pretty good projects, including an array of spectacular socks, a variety of sweaters and cardigans, and some stunning lace, if I do say so myself ;) Not to mention a wee bit of whimsy thrown in at the last minute :)

I attempted the 365 project, but sputtered out somewhere between 100 and 200....I definitely think those that complete the project are fantastically dedicated :) I also tried hooping - and while I've gotten much more proficient at keeping the hoop up, I'm no good at tricks...and I've discovered it takes a surprising amount of space to actually hoop and attempt tricks (I also discovered that my house apparently does not have such a space, and my cats do not enjoy my attempts at learning hoop tricks). Now that I've reached my mid-30s I figure I can throw caution to the wind, chop off my hair, and sample extensions of various hues - I'm ending the year with burgundy highlights :)

I'm looking forward to the "fresh beginning" that is associated with a new year - I hope to get back outdoors, renew my love of dyeing, learn new knitting tricks, and not go too insane with what I see coming down the pipe at work :D

Best wishes to all of you, for a most excellent 2010!

I can't resist...

a wee woodland creature, immortalized on a mitten. I cast on for these shortly before Christmas, managing only a cuff before getting sidetracked. Now that I have some time away, I am endeavouring to knit away and make solid progress before the new year. You know. Because a girl who lives in a low desert valley apparently needs Squirrel Mittens.

A Last Minute Visit

...from the elves.

I think they left their shoes behind.

For those that celebrate, I hope your elves were kind to you this year!

Swift...

...and squooshy! Behold what became of the handspun yarn cakes - details here!

Wishing...

...you a warm and wonderful day with your family. We're celebrating with naps :)

Happy Holidays!

Best wishes to all of you this holiday season. May you all be healthy, well fed, in good spirits and humor. Thank you for visiting my wee space on the internet - I appreciate each and every one of you! Cheers!

Christmas Knitting....

After having spun up those two yarns recently, I had to wind em up into yarncakes...1) so I could see how they looked in cake form and 2) so that I could start knitting with them immediately! Yes, they've been transformed...but I can't say anything more until after the holidays ;)