hipy papy bthuthdth thuthda bthuthdy

Pooh looked on admiringly.
"I'm just saying 'A Happy Birthday,'" said Owl carelessly.
"It's a nice long one," said Pooh, very much impressed by it.
"Well, actually, of course, I'm saying 'A Very Happy Birthday with love from Pooh.' Naturally it takes a good deal fo pencil to say a long thing like that."
"Oh, I see," said Pooh.
~from A.A.Milne's Winnie the Pooh and Eeyore's Birthday

My birthday was spent watching movies and winding balls of yarn using both of my birthday presents. You saw the little couch yesterday and today I would like to introduce you to pressie two:


Helen says, "Hello! Hello, Hi! I help."

Yep, her name is Helen (sounds helpful to me) and so far she has helped a lot. In fact, I am having a difficult time not winding up all my skeins. I have so far kept it to the few hand-dyed yarns that I really really really want to use (the shawl and two I got at MDS&WF).

I also got The Little Book of Scarves, for help with Christmas presents.

It is a cute design: a sturdy little box full of pattern cards (so you just take the specific card you are working on with you). There are not really any earth-shattering revelations as far as design, but what I really like is that for each scarf that features a pattern repeat the base multiple of stitches is listed so one can easily widen or narrow the scarf. I am surprised how often this helpful bit is left out. Many of the designs are so simple that "pattern" seems a bit of a stretch, but there are a couple of nice lace motifs and a great example of Feather and Fan done with the beautiful (and dear) Prism Light Stuff.

In knitting news: I have another FO!



My little Bottom's Up is done! The top is a little wonky for my taste, but I attribute that to using the slightly bulkier Kitchen Cotton. In any case, my nephew, at three years old, will hopefully not notice.

I am also on the very heels of the End of the Right Front... so maybe Monday will bring more Salt Peanuts news.

The weather here has been perfect. I hope it keeps up through next weekend: I will be volunteering with some coworkers at the National Race for the Cure. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

ready for feng shui

Here is my fabulously gooshy new lounge act. I don't even mind knitting on That Damnable Bucket when I sit on this wee couch.

Don't worry, I will get something colorful up on that wall soon. In the meantime, the comfort alone should improve the consistency of my stockinette stitch.

slow and steady

wins the race? More like gets bored and resentful.

I have had to take a break from the Bucket. It is killing my hands. Now, I knew that it would because everyone who made this out of kitchen-y cotton said it would. Even Bonne Marie herself said not to use it. But I am stubborn and willful. [sigh]

See? Bad things happen when you try to use up the stash. I should've gone with my first instinct and purchased a Colinette Poncho kit (and then remembered I was making a bucket hat and purchased some yarn for that too).

In other news, Salt Peanuts is languishing with an almost-done right front, and the Eyelet Cardi is moving forward again at its sloth-on-quaaludes pace.

I am hopefully having a little loveseat delivered today. I have never owned a new loveseat (or couch, but we only have room for the apartment version). I am turning 31 on Saturday and figured it was about time to stop sitting around on folding chairs or lumpy futons. If all goes well, tonight I will be nestled in big cottony cushions with my feet up on a matching ottoman finishing up that right front. Cross your fingers.

and a bit more enthusiasm

...in brief:

I had a fabulous time with the Arlington, VA Stitch 'n' Bitchers. I only wish they were a bit closer, but I will be making an effort to get to at least every other meeting, because they seemed a friendly and supportive bunch. (Not to mention a cool group of women!)

Here is the lovely silk and wool for the shawl that will become my next gift to me:

I got the pattern from the most helpful Dorothy at Fiddlesticks. Owing to her service, speed, and nice packaging, I envision her getting more of my business!

My forty dollah camera surprisingly doesn't do the color justice (ha!) but take my word for it, it is a deep violet/grape blending through a dusty lilac and rose to darkish raspberry. It should be a lovely Autumny wrap.

Once I am done with the Salt Peanuts knitting... I got as far as the "at the same time" nightmare section of the right front last night at the SnB, and then only one basic sleeve (as basic as Ms. Avery can make one, anyway). Then I will begin my Lotus Blossom. She's no Charlotte, mind you, but she's allll mine!

At the SnB last night, Debbie mentioned the super cool Russian Join technique, and while it is probably not the best way to join summery cotton or tape yarns, we will be back into DK wools and such soon, so here is the link she passed on to the group: Russian Join**

**[And a hearty thank you to Vicky Peterson ("Mama Bear") for the great instructions in the first place! Be sure to check out her ingenious method of turning an electric mixer into a ball winder.]

Another WIP and some unfettered enthusiasm

I could hardly stand it. What, a whole week with only the two never-ending cardis?! But finally, the clouds broke, I reached my last increase and put one whole Eyelet Cardi sleeve down.

And because I apparently canNOT get enough of Bonne Marie's patterns, picked up a Bottom's Up Bucket for my nephew. Against all the sage advice on the blog circuit, I am using kitchen cotton (because it is what I had and I am making a concerted effort to use up some of the stash at least) along with some Classic Elite cotton. I just tonight finished the double strand... and I have a blister on my index finger to prove it. I had a lovely leather half-thimble for my thumb (which exploded from over-use on the Metro about a half an hour ago) but my index finger wanted to rough it. This is a tough cookie, boy! I am even concerned that my addi Ts won't last till the crown decreases, they are already so kinked at the connections from my mighty death grip.



Also, this weekend, my new knitty pal Lara (aka vibegrrl) and I took a trip over to Knit Happens! They are like the Saks of LYS's... so much Colinette and Jo Sharp and Debbie Bliss-erino and Rowan OH MY!

I had a tough time not buying one of everything (and two of a couple things), but luckily I was able to vaguely recall that things like rent need to be purchased as well, so I limited my enhancement to: Jo Sharp's The Holiday Island: Summer pattern book, two balls of D Bliss's cotton angora in a lovely muted fuschia, two balls of Lana Grossa Binario in Black (wasn't sure what to do with this—total impulse buy—but then I saw a cute little scarf on the KH blog... maybe that, or little evening mittlettes, or I could always go back and get two more and make both!) Oh, and two addi Ts for good luck. Like how I say "limited"? Sheesh.

The shop had a gorgeous shell floor model from the Jo Sharp book, knitted in her super soft Soho Summer Cotton. And I knew I had to have it (the picture is of the ¾ sleeve version, imagine it as the softest drapiest shell ever). But, at nearly $7 a skein even a shell was a bit steep. I figured I would get the book now and find a substitute yarn later. WELL, the knitting universe obviously wants me to make this shell, because later that night while I was surfing around comparing prices on Soho Summer (out of curiousity), what should I find at Personal Threads, but a 40% off sale on... Soho Summer! Needless to say I am not one who just spits at fate, so some of the lovely Thyme is on the way.

All the drama of more freakin' cotton and stash enhancement was way overshadowed by the fun trip there with Lara, the lovely lunch at Cosi (tandoori chicken salad—delish), and the narrow escape from Old Town's one-way streets. Our next adventure will hopefully involve KIP and pedicures à la Veronik Avery (for those of you following along, that means at the same time)! It was really excellent to be able to talk to someone besides my Sweet Baboo about knitting. Can we say it again? YAY blogs!

Now, it is practically tomorrow and I haven't flashed my shawl-to-be OR blabbed onandonandon about how much fun the SnB in Arlington was... so, please, if you haven't flipped the channel yet, stay tuned...