a kind of finished object

I finished my Saratoga Sunburst inspired purse. Sort of. Kind of.I had trouble attaching the handles. I think I just don’t own good enough thread. But I safety pinned on the handles so I could take the bag around. Hmm, I bet it shouldn’t go through airport security. They probably don’t like safety pins. Of course, half the handbags out there have heavy metal chains on them. I wonder what security does with those.

a nfo

Check this out. I’m so excited about the way it felted! Tonight, I’ll attach the bag handles and I’ll take it with me on my trip to Portland. I might have to add one snap to the bag so nothing falls out of it. Also, I’ll have to locate a sweater shaver and do a little triming.

I really like the way I set it up to dry and I do think it’s drying much more quickly than it would otherwise. Those are two metal cookie racks and a cookie pan. The pan prevents the racks from spreading apart and catches the drips. There were a lot of drips! The racks are tied together at the top with some Noro ends.

Also, when I was hunting around on the Mason-Dixon knitting blog, I discovered that Ann and Kay are going to be in Portland Wednesday night at Abundant Yarn! If only my husband will let me/take me, I can go! I’m also supposed to be having coffee with a friend, so I hope it will all work out.

Whee. That would give me a huge chance to meet Portland and Oregon knitters before I move. The other thing was that they were collecting urls of Portland knit bloggers, so I can add them to my list of all knitting things Oregon…

catching up

This is what I’ve been up to.

These are some squares made from Noro Kureyon inspired by Amy Swenson, the designer behind indiknits‘. The pattern I’d been eyeing was the Saratoga Sunburst, felted handbag. I saw one someone else had made and had to have something like it! It’s slow because I can’t count to 100 and I keep losing the 5th needle. Seriously, I can find my size 0 needles more easily than one 11. What’s with that?

some sheepy fun

I did some knitting, but there’s really nothing to show you. I cast on for another One Skein, One Day Wonder Hat and am thinking about writing up some picot tips for you all. There are two reasons I’m knitting up another hat. First, my mother-in-law needs one. Second, there was one thing I didn’t like about the first one and I’m fixing it in this one. If it comes out right, I will work on writing up the pattern for you all and writing up one in baby/children’s sizes. I’m pretty sure that a skein of Lorna’s Laces will make one adult and one baby hat, so I just need to work out the smaller hat using the remainder of the yarn. Wouldn’t that be cool? Of course the pattern will be free, but I’ll probably put down a suggested donation figure to subsidize my yarn habit. I’m also thinking about writing up a mitten pattern with picot edging so you can’t have a matched set.

I blocked a few more Lizard Ridge squares and there are four more left for me to block before I can start sewing. I also took the skein I’m using for the border up to the yarn shop and wound it into a little cake using the ball winder.

I’m also making some mitered corner squares out of Noro Kureyon for a little felted bag based on a pattern by a designer whose name totally escapes me at the moment. I have nothing to show you at the moment due to the oppressive darkness and my own lack of courage in facing the great outdoors.

In lieu of actual knitting content here is some sheepy fun for you.

i grew up in bahstan

I have two conflicting announcements that I have before I get briefly sidetracked.

If you are looking for the rules to Yarn Diet 2007, please go to that blog. If you aren’t about to embark on some kind of yarn diet and you live in Minnesota, I heard that Three Kittens Yarn Shoppe is having a sale until Thanksgiving to make some room for some newer yarns.

Every kid growing up in Bahstan grows up immitating the accent if they haven’t got it naturally. I actually had it for a while. When I was a kid I had this wicked Bahstan accent. I used to ask other kids to pass the mahkers and so on. My father thought this was hysterical. My father is from New York and my mother is from Vermont. But, I grew up in Rozzie. Roslindale is just south of JP (Jamaica Plain) and south of Southie. Really, it’s just past the end of the Orange Line.

I started a private school in the fourth grade and the accent disappeared rapidly. I don’t ever remember being teased about it; I just know it went. It pops back up from time to time. For example, when I saw The Departed, I couldn’t stop local speak for an hour. So when I saw this quiz on January One, I had to take it. As an aside, the movie is awesome.

sunday update

I took a picture of a hat I made for my husband in 1997 (after he lost the orginal). It’s chenille of all ridiculous things and made on Size 2 needles. I’m at a loss for fiber for him. The chenille works because it’s knit at a tight gauge and it’s more or less meant to keep heat from escaping his head, although generally it goes on my head when we’re out because I haven’t got a hat made yet for me. In a way it’s the only pattern I ever wrote or adapted. I think I actually measured his head when I did it.

home again jiggety jig

I’m home and no plans to fly anywhere for at least three weeks. I was invited (ahem) to join two reunion committees and will fly off to at least one of them in September. I ended up on the reunion committees for both 15th high school reunion and my 10th college reunion at the same time. I did NOT take time off. My alma mater, Oberlin, decided to do reunions in blocks so that you can hang out with some other people that you went to school with. I liked this setup. At least I’ll be able to get some knitting done on the plane and maybe even during planning meetings.

The wedding was beautiful. I’d love to post some pictures for you, but words will have to suffice as my camera battery has vanished. No battery, no uploading ability.

The reception was held at Lighthouse Point in New Haven, CT. It features a beautiful lighthouse, a sandy beach and a carousel. The carousel was in operation during the wedding so we had a lot of fun riding around on it in our good clothes. They also had the Bob Hughes Big Band play, as the bride’s father is a member. They were fantastic.

I’ve been working some more on the felted ipod holder pattern and hopefully it will be done sometime this week. I’m on the third version and I plan to felt it tonight and then try it out for size. I’m also going to knit the ipod earbud cosy as shown here, but I’ll have to get some of the worsted weight Brown Sheep first. My understanding is that they will no longer tangle. I just want them to match my ipod. For more information, check out Arabella and Ellipse. Both posted a completed set on Flickr.