New projects!

So much has been going on! I went to Cape Cod last weekend to visit my grandparents. My grandma is the reason I started knitting. She knit me this awesome poncho and I couldn't figure out how it worked, so I started trying to figure it out. Do you want to see how awesome my grandma is? This is what she's in the process of knitting:


She bought the yarn from Knit Picks and it came with a pattern for a vest that was on the cover of the magazine. She's never done steeks before, so she's kinda nervous about that, but it looks absolutely beautiful (and crazy!).

While I was there, I asked her to help me out a bit. I found some adorable fabric at Purl Patchwork a few months ago. I've never sewed before, so I wanted to sew something simple (I chose a skirt) and I knew my grandmother knows how to sew (she's made a lot of quilts). So it took us just a few hours to whip up this little number:


I LOVE how it came out! I love the mushrooms, the style, all of it! Do you want to see the invisible zipper?


I totally feel like I need a sewing machine now and I want to do like all these projects and everything. I loved how instantly it gratified my need for an FO, and how it's like...(this is going to sound stupid) real clothes!!!

Pretty much all I did while I was on that little mini vaca was knit. I mostly knit the clapotis, which is now finished. Here's a still WIP shot. I have to block it still.


My grandparents live on a lake...which is what that is in the background there (not sky). I'm taking Friday off of work, but hopefully, I'll already be packed by then so I can just set to blocking things. First on the blocking table is Icarus. I'll be making my bed before I go and then I'll soak and pin Icarus out to block. When I get back from BM, She should be wearable!

I think I'm going to steam block the clap, because, let's be honest here kids, I don't really care if the clap is perfect or not.

I've started a couple new projects (OMG this is the longest post ever) - which can be seen from my ravelry page. :) Jack Sparrow's Favorite Socks are on my needles right now. I just started the Fair Isle bits:


I saw the colors together at the store and knew they had to be together. This is my first time doing a toe up sock, and I must say, I like it a lot better than cuff down. I tend to get excited when i get towards the toe, which means I start decreasing too early and all of a sudden I end up with socks that are too small for me. Well, these are bound to fit perfectly as long as the fair isle doesn't end up getting too tight. The yarn is Koigu KPM. I've never used it before, but I must say that I really like working with it. At some point, I'll post a hierarchy of sock yarns. This one's in the top 5 for sure!

IK vs. VK

I got my fall issue of Interweave Knits today. Without having really looked through it in detail, I can say that there are a TON of sweaters in this issue that I really need to knit.
in order of appearance in issue

• Placed Cable Aran (though, I'll probably have to lengthen it)


• Tangled Yoke Cardigan (I think this is the one I most want to knit from the issue)


• Cinnabar Pullover (I love the linen stitch on the cuffs and the high neck will keep me warm this winter!)


• Cobblestone Pullover (you know, for the next time my brother wants a sweater...)


• Sweet Heart Vest (cause I think I'm all about vests this year...)

This is a significant improvement from the last issue (wool hats and aran sweaters in a summer issue!?? what were they thinking!!??), and I'm pretty confident that Eunny's gonna do a great job. Even if I do miss her blog updates. I must also say, that I don't terribly mind the new layout. It makes sense. I just wish they'd go with a sans serif font for everything. I think it'd keep them edgier.

Also, I picked up a copy of the Fall 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting. I'm not a huge Vogue Knitting fan. I think they follow fashion trends too much, which makes their magazines in general too dated. I picked this one up mostly for the articles. There's an interesting one by Lilly Chin on how to knit knits that flatter yourself and another one is an interview with a bunch of knitting "celebrities." There were a couple others, but I haven't gotten to them yet. Anyway, like I did for the Fall 07 IK, I should go over the list of projects in Fall 07 VK that I'm interested in knitting. For some reason, this issue didn't strike me as much as the IK did. Maybe it's just because I'm looking for more stockinette (dude, I've been knitting texture ALL YEAR LONG!)

• 16 Deborah Newton's honeycomb hoodie


• 31 Gayle Bunn's Diamond Cable Tunic


• 34 Susan Haviland's Crossover Neck Pullover (probably the only one here that i feel like I NEED to knit it it and soon!)


• 35 Jenn Jarvis's Hooded Cable Tank

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What are these?!


They're the stitch markers from Icarus!! But...you may ask, why aren't they on the needles with the rest of Icarus?

Well, that's because Icarus is no longer on the needles!!! Here she is looking like a lump of yarn on a table:


Yup, it only took a year to complete her, but she's finally done! I have my knowknits bag back for a new sock project and markers for any other projects (ahem, clapotis) that i might want to work on. She needs to be blocked, but that's going to have to wait until I go to Burning Man when she'll have time to laze about on my bed un-hindered by her human creator.

Well, I'd like to post on what I've started to knit (a pair of pirate socks and a clapotis), but it's going to have to wait because this is the longest week ever and I totally need some shuteye.

Hoping to tide you over for just a little longer...

I'm so almost done with Icarus. I've got three more rows to do before I CO. I haven't taken any photos of it because it seriously looks like just a blue blob of laceweight alpaca. It's extremely soft though. The idea was to complete it before I head to Burning Man on August 24th. That way, it'll have enough time to block on my bed before I come back.

So until then, I've got some more tattoo ideas! I decided the tattoo's going to be my gift to myself for my birthday towards the end of September. Here's all the ideas I had:


Those are all the ideas I sketched up. Two of those really stand out in my mind as to what I want...that random piece of paper over there on the left, the cable that looks like a knit stitch. That's the image I want to go around my left wrist.

If they seriously can't do that (I've been told that it's impossible, but I really don't believe them, below is the other option


I'm toying with the idea of having the banner there or leaving it off, based on the fact that I'm not sure exactly what I want it to say. I want the ball to be a color too, but I'm not sure if I want it to be a red or a purple...maybe even green.

So what do you think?