Thought for Today

I'm not the first to use this quote in reference to knitting, but it resonates with me so much, I wanted to share it:

In Hell there is no other punishment than to begin over and over the tasks left unfinished in your lifetime. Andre Gide

Better start taking my vitamins! The technical difficulties have been resolved and the Lotorp bag is back on track. I just have to finish the last diamond and knit the strap.

I think I've found the perfect hat for my chauffeur service:



Yes, I've finally lived long enough to be an embarrassment to my child!

here's a link to the free pattern

Can I get an intervention please?

Would someone please stop me. This yarn, Kauni Effekt, is one of the "hot" yarns on the internet now. Yarn Harlot mentioned it on her blog a couple days ago. If you buy 2 skeins you can easily knit a faux fairisle cardigan. Now, of course, I want to get some. I live in L.A., aka the last heat stop before Hell and Arizona. The yarn is a hand dyed somewhat scratchy shetland type WOOL from Denmark. It comes in huge skeins of approx. 1,200 yards. This fact alone should discourage me from buying this since I get annoyed winding Cascade 220. I am a person who has been warm her whole life, summer is approaching (it was 90 today, some would say it's here) and I may be experiencing hot flashes. I still want the yarn. call 1-800-Imalunatic. I can already hear certain friends of mine screaming...


In other news, things are really coming along on the Larger than Life bag. I've got one side completely sewn together, one side to go. You can see the lining fabric lying there on the table. As others have said, this bag really is larger than life. So large that the plastic needlepoint canvas sheets that I bought to stabilize the bag are too small! I am now mulling over other ways to firm up this bag. Maybe fusible interfacing attached to the lining? I was in Jo-Ann's this evening to look at interfacing, but it was so hot and stuffy in there, I had to leave. They had this ultra firm interfacing called Peltex, has anyone tried that?

Weekend wrap-up

It's been a fun weekend. Saturday, I inadvertently participated in World KIP day. I went to my favorite yarn store, Unraveled, and was happy to discover Janice Rosema, the uber-talented freeform crochet & knitting artist sitting at a table there, surrounded with gorgeous yarns and projects. Janice is usually teaching, so it's unusual to get to just sit and hang out with her. Spending time with Janice, her various completed pieces and just general fabulousness is a mind bending experience. Whenever I get to spend time with Janice, I generally end up racing home with a thousand different ideas...Saturday was no exception. Janice is teaching a new class called Geometric Freeform Knitting on June 23 at Unraveled. check it out--it's a beautiful piece.

Speaking of Unraveled, it's a great yarn store. Starting on Tuesday, June 12th, they're having a sock yarn sale. Colinette Jitterbug, Sockotta, Koigu and all other sock yarns will be on sale. While you're there, you can get an entry form for their flip flop contest. A cool way to kick (get it, kick?) off the summer! If we want to have the luxury of local yarn stores, we need to support them, especially this time of year when things start to slow down. Unraveled has the most beautiful interior that I've ever seen in a yarn store. There are comfy chairs in a very inviting seating area where you can knit the time away. Unraveled has a friendly, talented staff and, oh yes! Beautiful yarns. drop by and get some sock yarn and say hi to Christine and company. I'll be there waiting on the couch.

Sunday afternoon, H and I spent a couple enjoyable hours with Knitdad. Our little excursion involved a mountain, a barn and yarn... There may have been a little yarn acquisition...I'll never tell. :-) It was a lot of fun as always.


Finally, today is my mother's birthday. My whole immediate family, all six of us, three generations, had a party. We had dinner at a favorite italian restaurant, then returned to my mother's house for cake, cards, gifts and general carousing. There was even a crown involved. (contractual obligations prohibit me from showing my mother from another angle. In other words, she'd kill me!)

Happy Birthday, Mom! you're the best.


It has been a very nice weekend indeed.

Larger than Life...

Things are rolling along on the Larger than Life bag. Eight squares done, four to go. After that, I have to crochet the sides/bottom and assemble.

My friend and sister-from-another-mother, Fay Lynn of Marvels of Knitting, gave a really nice mention of our new blogs (Hannah and her Mother and mine) on her blog today. Thanks a lot! My readership may soar above 5! Actually, I think FL is feeling guilty for torturing me for months with her Chevron scarf. I resisted as long as I could. I forced myself to stop pairing Koigu colors looking for a good combo. But when I saw (fondled) the finished scarf last Saturday I was finally hooked. This pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts has spread around the internet faster than a case of chicken pox in a kindergarten class. Just google "chevron scarf" and you'll see what I mean.



I just happened to buy 2 skeins each of Lorna's Laces sock yarn in Tickled Pink and Envy. Guess I'll have to cast on for the scarf.... just to be polite...

There are 7 days left of 10th grade. I hope I make it.

Knitting ADD

We have recovered from the drama of last Friday. I think my mind actually relaxed some time Saturday afternoon. Anyway, it's over. H took the SAT on Saturday (imagine "Sunrise, Sunset" playing in my head). I hung out for a while at Unraveled with the gang.

I've had to put the Lotorp bag on a brief timeout because it's killing my hands. To make a bag that is really nice and firm, I'm having to knit a bulky wool on size 9 needles. I've knit up 3 skeins of the Iro, and it's also pretty warm to have sitting on your lap in Southern California in June. I'll be able to pick it up in a day or so. Until then, I've been crocheting more squares for the Larger than Life bag. My philosophy is to aggravate as many muscle groups as possible. ;-)

My increasingly severe case of Knitting ADD continues to flourish. I literally want to make EVERYTHING! The Op Art bag in the new "Knitting Never Felt Better" book (see below) sent me scurrying to find suitable colors in my Lamb's Pride stash. Then, there's the Tuscany Shawl from "No Sheep for You." I've seen several beautiful completed Tuscany's online this past week done in Handmaiden's Seasilk yarn, which I just happen to have. I need more hands.

Finally, my good friend M is flying off to teach at the big Bead & Button show tomorrow. For beaders, this is Stitches, Maryland Sheep and Wool and the Super Bowl all rolled into one. Have a great time!

Why I heart my mailman

Lookie lookie what came in the mail today!! Knitting Never Felt Better by Nicky Epstein. The sub-title of the book is "A Definitive Guide to Fabulous Felting," and I have to agree. If you are interested in felting, this book is for you. This book is especially for you if you've made a few felted bags from some of the great commercial patterns around and are itching to come up with something unique. The best part of the book are the before and after (felting) swatches. There are tons of these and they are so helpful. My head is just buzzin' with ideas. I had been a little disappointed in some of Ms. Epstein's recent designs, so I am thrilled that she has left the felted swan bags behind and moved on to more fashionable designs.

Once more with feeling

Why is it that the simplest projects get you? Do we get cocky? over confident? is it just too simple? or am I just a short attention span MORON? I mentioned that I was knitting the Sursa shawl for the second time. This shawl could not be simpler. It is a triangle with a very simple reverse stockinette ruffle. The body of the shawl has been done for some time, so I thought do the ruffle quickly and get on to another project. wrong! Ruffle attempt #1 - I increased too much and ended up with a wildly ruffled edge that stood out from the shawl (think: the most extreme potato chip scarf attached to a shawl's edge). When I say "stood out" I mean literally standing out from my body. My knitting buds looked at me in horror at the thought of undoing all those stitches. But no, it wasn't the way I had envisioned it, so I ripped it out. Ruffle attempt #2 - I successfully achieved a soft ruffle that I really liked. I was winding up the last row before binding off last night when something caught my eye. Huh? I looked a little closer. The reverse stockinette ruffle was not reversed. Now, it was suggested to me that I just ignore it. Since I am a perfectionist and just a little bit cranky, I could not. So, once again the three balls of ruffle yarn were wound up. I am now on Ruffle attempt #3. The ruffle is both reversed and gathered appropriately. things just may work out....but let's not tempt the fates, ok? I'm throwing salt over my shoulder as I write this.

Thursday/Friday musings

As a stay at home mom (read: chauffeur, cook, crisis counselor, personal shopper, teenage girl wrangler and scullery maid), I was happy to learn that I have an unpaid salary due of $138,095 annually. Woo hoo! Imagine all the yarn that could buy! Even though I'm not receiving my due, I'm still buying yarn and starting projects like my last name is Rockefeller.

Here are my current projects (will add photos ASAP):
Larger than Life Bag - 3 squares done. This pattern calls for Koigu Kersti, but I'm using a Louisa Harding cotton as I previously mentioned here. The squares are fun to make and I love the colors.


Sursa Shawl from Noro book No. 2, Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton Collection for Noro book No. 2. This same pattern book has the Klaralund sweater which swept through knitting blogdom like wildfire a couple years ago. This is actually the second one of these shawls that I've made. The current one is made of Silk Garden Lite (one strand) with a tweedy yarn, GGH Polo, for the ruffle. Everyone I know has made several of these shawls.


Ripple Blanket-Yes, I am a lemming, following Posie Gets Cozy & Yarnstorm on the crazy ripple trail (links to their blogs in the sidebar). I saw their blankets and it was all over. I HAD to make one. The KAL for this is aptly named the "No End in Sight Ripple-along." For me, it's rapidly becoming the "Money Pit" blanket. I'm using every nice merino wool I can find, e.g. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino DK and Rialto, KFI Sublime (a new yarn, very lush), Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK, Rowan Cashsoft DK, Cashcotton and so on.. So far the ripple has gobbled up about 20 skeins of yarn. You do the math, it's a beautiful but pricey blankie. Note: the colors in this picture are not accurate. I'll have the journalism ace take a better photo for me.


New Noni Patterns - the Hydrangea bag and the Fuchsia Market bag. Nora Bellows has some winners in her new Spring 2007 collection. I think my head may have actually exploded a little when I first saw them. Have the yarns and patterns, just haven't cast on yet. (see above job description). Nonibags website, click on "collections"

whew! There's also various freeform crochet projects, another shawl and a Koigu Oriental Jacket. No rush on the Oriental Jacket, I figure I'll be buried with it, haha. Tomorrow I'll talk about the projects I want to do next. The first of which will be to figure out how to add a second set of hands to my body.

Hi, my name is Lisa and I have an addiction to all things yarny.

Rainy Days and Mondays...

Actually, the rain part is just wishful thinking. We have had no rain--in fact, record amounts of no rain. I think I will eventually end up somewhere where they have lots of rain, e.g. Seattle. It just seems wonderful from our parched perspective.

As far as Mondays go, it was a pretty good one. After school, H (my daughter, 16) and I dashed over the hill to Black Sheep Knittery in Hollywood. Those of you who know L.A. know that this is the same general area where the Griffith Park wildfire was last week. Anyway, they have had the Sale that Does Not End going for several months, now it features even deeper discounts. It's crazy, I tell you! Here's a peek at the loot:


My part of the haul was a few skeins of Koigu, 8 skeins of Cotton Fleece, some Colinette Fandango and some Classic Elite Provence. I would tell you what I paid for it, but I don't want to make you cry. It was so cheap, I felt guilty on the way home. Ok, a little guilty.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I love Koigu. I could easily open "Lisa's House of Koigu." I recently finished the Spanish Dancer Shawl from Knitty.com. I love it! It is so light that I think I could actually wear it without moving to an arctic clime. The color is P436, purple, lavender, sage green and shades in between. I think that it is impossible to accurately describe any Koigu color, there's such depth to them.


Anyone out there doing the Larger than Life Bag from the new Interweave Crochet magazine? I've just started. One square down, using Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton. I have no idea what makes this "nautical," but it's nice yarn. Similar to Tahki Cotton Classic or Clip.

Ok, that's all for now, except for the gratuitous cat photo. This is Scout, our wonderful, goofy cat. His favorite places to hang out change every week or so. This week's fav is behind the dining table, using H's Easter basket as a pillow. And no, he's not fat, he's big boned.