one Versatile Little Accessory

I have a small group of test knitters working out the kinks in this one, and it should be available soon.

Here is version one:

The sleeves are shorter, as is the waist ribbing and the neck edging is one row narrower, giving a "saucy" silhouette.

Version two:

Longer sleeves, and deeper ribbing all around makes this one more "office friendly." (Also, I will be cleaning that mirror very soon.)

The VLA (which also stands for "Very Large Array"--the radio telescope that she's named after) is knit at a gauge of 3.5 stitches / inch. The first size medium was knit with three hanks of Colinette Skye, and the second, 6 balls of Rowan Kid Classic (held double). The pattern sizing will be XS - 2X. She's a top-down, try as you go, no-seaming number. Uses one or two cute buttons.

Let me know what you think!

In other news I finished my astronomy class, so the bus knitting has been renewed in earnest. Sock number one is almost done, and number two is done past the heel:

Pirates, bikes, and enabling

The weekend started off right with some pirate action. A friend of mine is a CSI in Austin, and this last week was "city employee appreciation week." She was a doll and invited me and a few other friends along to watch Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in Zilker Park on Friday evening.



On Saturday, I rode the Danskin bike course with my training group. We had to be at Decker Lake ready to ride at 7 am.


(this is what "way too early" does to my otherwise poised and polished look (bwahahahaha))


Here we are, halfway done, getting some advice on our anaerobic capacity and how it relates to the hill coming up (short version: it will kick our ass, so be prepared).

After the 12 mile bike ride, Rachel wanted to bounce some ideas off me re/ her clapotis. (Isn't the yarn LOVELY??)

On Saturday afternoon, I started to fix this:

I dropped a stitch about a mile away from the current progress. Should I ladder it up or just tack it down w/ some spare yarn? Any thoughts?

Sunday was for swimming. There will be NO pics of that. But I did get a good workout in, and then at home w/ my BBE I started a new project. Which is RIDICULOUS. But I will post pics of that tomorrow.

Between swimming and startitis, I made a quick trip to my LYS to help a new knittin pal get some gear for two new projects. Maybe she will post about them in Ravelry (hint, hint, if you're out there, R). I showed remarkable restraint at the wall of Koigu. Also in the bins of angora. Side note: I would REALLY like a bed made of a silk/angora blend.

Ice, Ice Baby (now with even MORE pictures)

This post is brought to you by a high pressure system of cold air and precipitation, and a severe case of cabin fever. I have been in a hotel room for most of two days now... Here's how I got here.

Last Sunday, I headed north for work... While on the plane, I finished up some socks for my Valentine:



And as soon as I got to my hotel, I finished up a hat for Valentine's Dad:



The next night, the snow started:


I didn't make the hat, it was a gift

And later that evening I met up with one of the stylish and talented locals:


The locals really know how to coordinate

We had some tasty sushi and fried ice cream. The snow continued, and the fancy local and I met up the next night for a carb fest of noodles:



And the next morning... this morning, the airports were closed, my flight was rescheduled. And I started some new wristers:


The holiday inspired the cable pattern, if they rock I will post the finished pattern

Today, I have been working off a laptop and a cellphone. I am stir crazy. My hotel has no workout facility so I am completely keyed up. Hopefully my flight will take off tomorrow and I can see my cats and my BBE soon.