Friday, May 14, 2010

friday potpourri

A pilgrimage for more yarn is in order for my gargantuan crochet project (betcha didn't see that one coming!), so I'm keeping busy with wee little sweaters for now:
pattern: Baby Kina, by Muriel Agator
size: 6 months
yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino #34007, 2 skeins
needles: Clover US 4 16" DPNs
on ravelry

notes:
Super easy and very cute pattern! The construction is just perfect. I predict that I'll make many more of these as shower gifts. I love knitting with Baby Cashmerino, too, and it comes in such a beautiful color palette. The yarn was purchased at Chix with Stix, a very friendly and well-stocked yarn shop in Forest Park. I don't get there nearly often enough, as I'm not a huge fan of driving on the Ike (AKA I-290). If you're from Chicago, you know what I mean...

When knitting the row after buttonholes, I knit the buttonhole YO through the back loop, which wasn't the best idea, as the resulting buttonholes are awfully small (and they're quite close together). Using a 16" circular needle also wasn't the wisest plan -- everything felt bunched up and tight.
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another little sweater in progress:
Elizabeth Zimmermann's Tomten Jacket. I'm using "moss"-colored Knit Picks Swish DK from ye olde stash. Miles of mindless garter stitch ! I started one of these using some precious handspun long ago, but ran out of yarn and abandoned the project.

I'm still agonizing over what color to paint our bedroom tomorrow. It's down to Frozen Pond, Clear Pond, and Ozone. Blueish-greenish-grey? or greenish-blueish-grey? It probably doesn't make a substantial difference... Paul's no help with decision-making, as he's color-blind and detests painting to boot. ;-)
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Kylie has devoted much of her free time this spring to a new hobby:
Ripping tufts of fluff out of her cat bed with her teeth, then spitting them out vigorously! The polyester fluff carnage is absolutely amazing. She doesn't seem to mind wandering around covered in fluff either. That girl...
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things I'd like to make:

- happy hangers, by Dottie Angel (look at Alicia's! Everything she touches is just magical)
- crocheted stash baskets, a free pattern on the Purl Bee blog
- felted knitting basket tutorial via Martha Stewart (Paul has a beautiful Irish aran cardigan that he won't wear b/c it's just too itchy. Also, it lends a bulky, Michelin Man-like look that isn't terribly attractive).

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things I find intriguing:

- this New Criterion review of Wigs on the Green, a new-to-me Nancy Mitford book (but not new in general, of course -- 1935)
- Laura Bush on Larry King Live, supporting gay marriage and the right to choice
- The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls -- I highly recommend it, and it's a good book to think with when it comes to family, priorities, and self-responsibility

16 comments:

VILLE'ART ATELIƊ said...
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peaknits said...

Glass Castles is on my pile - I read the other book she wrote about her grandma - Broke Back Horses - very good! Darling sweater!

Caffeine Girl said...

LOL! The kitty is very funny!

Love the baby sweater. I've got to try one of those. Maybe then I'd be able to finish a sweater for me.

My book group read Glass Castles, too, and it's one of the few choices that everyone enjoyed.

Gigi said...

What a sweet baby sweater, and I'm looking forward to seeing your Tomten sweater!
And thanks for more good book recommendations. Have you finished "Nightingale Wood" yet? What did you think?
Blessings,
G

Katie M. said...

Nancy Mitford is on my summer to-read list. Thanks for the link! Alice the cat is pulling her hair out; I much perfer the basket-destruction. Also: cute!

Andi said...

That little sweater is adorable. Going to need to check out some of those books-thank you!

Kathy said...

I'm in the throes of baby knitting myself; I might have to try this pattern out to break up the 5-hour sweater monotony. Your cats great and I know you posted awhile ago, but I love the cat cartoon... perhaps I shouldn't love it given how many times I'm said, "Kitty!"

nicole said...

That baby cardi is adorable!!!

As far at the paint goes, I think whichever swatch is "bluest" is the one you should go with, given how much you love that colour (my bedroom is blue and I love it, so soothing).

Chris said...

Very cute cardi! Kylie, you silly girl...

Hope the painting went well - curious to hear which color you went with. :)

Oh, thanks for the links - Ha! Laura Bush must be SUCH a disappointment to her family. YAY!! :)

elizabeth said...

Silly kitty!

I think I'd go for the blueish/greenish/gray, but since I have no idea what other colors you're using, what do I know! Ha. I love a freshly painted room! (although it's all me - my husband hates to paint too)

Dee said...

Someone once told me to tape the paint chips to the wall, in several different places (as the light is different on different walls). Over a few days remove the rejects and usually you come down to one or two choices. I've often ended up with something very different then my first instinct. Good luck.

Sharon said...

I liked Glass Castle as well. I started to say "enjoyed" but that would be the wrong work. Interesting since it opens here in rural Nevada. Love the baby sweater! Love your nutso cat :)

Funny - the word verification if "biali," which is a Jewish bread like a bagel and I ate my very first one last October in New York. I'll stick with bagels.

knitseashore said...

Maybe Kylie is under stress with the move?

What color did you decide on for your bedroom walls? It's hard to say without knowing what kind of light you have in there.

How was Nightingale Wood? That is on my TBR list and it sounds like a fun read! Will look up the Nancy Mitford one too!

sula said...

Adorable sweater! And I can't wait to see what color you chose. Would you decide for me too? ;)

JanuskieZ said...
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La Cabeza Grande said...

The sweater is awww-dorable! No two ways about it.

Poor Kylie. Looks like she's wearing a fluffy white bow if you glance quickly. Perhaps her new behavior is stress related to the move, as suggested by another comment.