Unfurnished Brooklyn

Hush Hush, Sweet Charlotte's Web

Must resist... have...to...finish...Cheb's...second tank....

Ok, I'll just wind out the skeins. That's it.

Really, I'll just knit a few rows. That's all. I swear. And then, back to the the other projects.

This is what did me in

...and not the goopy-eyed picture.

Doesn't help that she's named after a flower. Cari is wily, I'll give her that.

**ok, hopefully you all can see the image now. Zero tech skills, I tell ya.

I'm all chingalaka'd out

Yes, I went back again. I'm taking the samba class mid-week so I can take a different class on Sundays. Combine that with my 2 hour power-walks in the morning, and I'm whipped.

The guy who teaches the class remarked that I'm in better shape than the first class. He described my first attempt by miming someone keeling over and gasping for air. I really don't think I was that bad...

Anyway, we have a great post by Wendy detailing how to line the Sueet bag. Thanks so much for doing it! With pictures and everything. You rock. And check out her Sueet, knit mosaicly. If mosaicly ain't a word, it oughta be.

Deb has finished hers, and it looks great. Check it out.

Me lay down now. Me have a headache all over.

Oh frabjous day!

It was a day, and there was good in it.

But first, the not so good: last week I had to go to my orthodontist for an emergency appointment. Apparently, one can break the wires of one's braces; I did not know that. Maybe I was a bit too enthusiastic with the electric toothbrush... anyway, I had to get it replaced. My doc had another apointment, so she had someone else replace the wire. Unfortunately the new doc didn't do as good a job, and the wires jut out a bit and stab into my mouth. Of course this doesn't happen while I'm there in the office- it happened when I got home. So I just put extra dental wax over it, but sheesh. Yesterday, before I put in the wax, I laughed at something Cheb said and gaffed myself. It was like hooking a fish: my lip was caught on the wire. Owie. Tomorrow I'm going into the city to pick up my cap and gown- I'll swing by and have MY doc fix this stupid wire.

On to the good news: I gots mah package! From Threadbear! Woo hoo!! Koigu!! It's for the Charlotte's Web shawl, in a colors put together by Rob and Matt called Koi Pond. Gawjus, I tells ya.
(click for a bigger picture)

Apparently I'm so excited about this I've forgotten how to speak proper English. Who cares- I gots Koigu!! My photo doesn't do it justice; it really is a nice colorway. And yet again, red has creeped into my yarn stash. After years of avoiding red. There's a message in there somewhere....

I've one strap left on my Sueet. I've done the bindoff; I skipped ahead because 69 rows of garter on 5 stitches just drove me nutty. I couldn't do it twice in a row- I needed a buffer. And I realized I haven't gotten the fabric out for the lining. I know it exists; buried in my closet beneath all the yarn is my fabric stash. I have some mudcloth scraps that might work, though I was planning to use scraps from a dress I made for years ago. It is an African print, reddish-brown fabric with a gold pattern throughout.

Now that I think of it, this thing won't get lined until Thursday. But I can at least finish the rest of it tonight.

Cheb is watching cartoons; we just got home and this is my check-my-email-then-slap-together-dinner time (extended to brag abouts mah Koigu!). There's a commercial on for a Johnny Mathis greatest hits album. Now, I'd expect a cartoon channel's ad time to focus more on, oh I don't know, candy or toys or something. Not Johnny Mathis. But then again, It's not for me to saaaaaayyyy.....

Coincidence? I think not

Em and I both finish our tanks, and it just so happens we finish in time for Fleet Week. Meet the Fleet, indeed.

We have a completed Sueet by Debbie (not Deb, though she's nearly done as well).

I've done the short straps of my first bag (I'm making two). The second I think I'll make a bit smaller, so I'll probably only use one ball of Suede. I plan on being drunk the night I use it; I'll want something I can wear on my wrist to lessen the chances of losing it. Oh I've got it all figured out, man.

I completed most of the bag while watching Russian Ark; if you're interested in the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, definitely rent it. It's an incredible look at the art collection, a quickie history of Russia, and even a little dialogue between Old Europe and the New Russians. Beautiful. I've been meaning to see it for a while and it was worth the wait. Think I'll even buy a copy. Makes me regret canceling my trip to Russia, but I really don't wait to go with all the family drama going on over there. Nuh-unh. Nope. Nyet.

Hey, Sailors!

Em's looking good in her (appropriately named) Meet the Fleet tank. I haven't blocked mine yet; my poor little steam iron died of neglect. I fire it up maybe once a year. Ah, well. Now I can buy one of those steamers I've had my eye on. Better for blocking, since a few wrinkles on my clothes don't bother me at all.

Here's a peek at my tank.

Sueet-a-long

Lynette gave some great advice for those who don't (or can't) sew a lining in the bag: iron-on hem tape. I might use that, since I'm far too lazy to drag the sewing machine out of the closet and set it up. But maybe we can get Wendy to post a walk-through of seaming anyway. And check out the fab yarn she's using for her "Sueetone."

Can I 'fess up here? I haven't really started. Made a mini-swatch, but that's it. Yesterday I went to Knitting Hands and bought the green Berrocco Suede for a second bag to match my dress. I plan on actually starting today after I seam the Fantasy Naturalle shell I started weeks ago but lost track of. the yarn was going to be a jacket from a Phildar pattern, but I changed my mind. Then I found this pattern in my All Seasons Cotton pattern book, and knit the back, and then cast it aside. Why do I do that? But i felt this sudden urge to finish it, so Sueet has been delayed. And so what?

So, upcoming projects: two Sueet bags, Katia Idea Jeans tanks for Cheb, Katia pullover for myself, and then... well... you see... there was another Threadbear incident. Involving Koigu. That's all I'm saying.

Sueet!

So, I'm ready to pick up the needles and start my Sueet. How 'bout you?

I am using Wild Bill (brown), but I've decided (already!) to make a second in green. I need a small bag to match the green tiki dress that I'll be wearing on my birthday next month.

For those of you knitting along, are you lining the bags in fabric, or leaving it as is? Do tell. I'll be lining both bags, though I do need to find a green fabric for the second.

Today: back to the orthodontist (braces tuneup), and then I have 5 pages on the publishing industry due tomorrow morning. I think I work better under stress, which I guess explains why I always wait til the last minute to do anything. Heh.

No apologies

Nope. Haven't posted photos of Karlsro or Drifter. Or the poncho, which I've paraded around the city a few times and I like it without fringe. Up to the strappy part of the Calmer tank, but I really need to get cracking on a final paper for a class.

Crush Boy is dragging things out- he flagged on something he was supposed to return to me (on purpose, I think), so now I have to meet him next week. Dang. But- I have learned a new way to get over someone: write about them in the most overly dramatic, flowery prose possible. The kind the Harlequin Romance people would think too over the top. By the second page I was laughing so hard, I realized how ridiculous this crush is.

I thought of posting a line or two, but it would certainly come back to haunt me when I am a Rich and Famous Writer.

I love Bugs Bunny cartoons. Cheb is watching them now; I can recite whole episodes, I've seen them so many times. This exchange cracks me up so much:
Name? Shropshire Slasher.
Occupation? Shropshire Slasher.

It doesn't take much to amuse me, does it?

I'm gonna blog that man right outta my hair...

Ok, I'm going to fess on up. I've had a crush on someone who is unavailable. I knew nothing would come of it, and I expected nothing from it. In fact, had said crush informed me he'd broken up with his longtime girlfriend, my reply would've been "see ya in a few months; I'm not Rebound Girl, you know."

But it was fun. Innocent fun, that is. Coffee, talking about school, proofing each other's stories. Most of our conversations centered around his relationship; somehow I became his personal Dr. Phil. And now the semester is over and I'm not going to see him anymore and I feel like crap. I rationalized it all: well, hanging out is fun and that's all it is (we didn't communicate outside of school), so where's the harm? Well, I found it.

Crushes used to be fun, even the ones that existed only in my head. Wha hoppen??

Did I mention I'm a drama queen?

So, to move on, I'm making the cover tank from Vogue Knitting (this'un) in red Rowan Calmer. Va-va-va-voom! The back is done and already this tank is screaming, hey sailor- new in town? I bought the yarn last year to make one of the patterns in last summer's Rowan magazine, but it was a bit too steamy for me. But, according to the wise and witty Rachael, no top is ever too red or too lowcut. So it is on.

I still exist...

I've just been busy. And tired.

But I'll leave you with this:

It's so gorgeous, I don't even have to knit it. I can just throw it over my shoulders.

I met up with Em at Seaport Yarn on Saturday, Cheburashka in tow. I really thought Cheb was going to take out a whole rack of yarn, she was so worked up. I guess she was happy to meet someone who shares her love of the color pink. Em was looking spiffy in her Gigi. I saw that beautiful Alchemy boucle the last time I was there, and it seems I got the last skein. Why am I gravitating towards red? I never wear it, but it is creeping slowly into my stash....

Drifter and Karlsro photos tomorrow. Heh.