Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,600 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 60 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

He eats your socks.

He lies sullenly in the sun (thinking of darkness).

He tells you ugly lies with his tiny, mutated mouth.

Ted is a prototype for a pattern that did. not. work. But you know… Einstein started with fudge = square pie which we all know is not true. So my first attempt at creating this pattern ended up with an evil hand puppet. No big.

As a side note, have you ever tried to take an action shot of a hand puppet on your own hand. Hard. Hurt your wrist kind of hard. Just saying.

Glow in the dark corset shirt from Maya in the Moment:
I think it looks just as awesome in the light. I love how she used simple lines and designs to make it look like a fitted piece. It shapes nicely without actually doing anywork! Oh how it gives me ideas…

Coffee Table Library from Design*Sponge:
Everyone needs a coffee table right? Right? Well, I want this one. I’m such a dork that I think I actually gasped out loud when I saw it. Of course, there is that little snag that I gave away almost all of my books. Maybe I can put yarn in it.

And last but not least, the best poster EVAR:

from Sad Little Crown on Etsy.

I am buying this poster the second I have a real job and new apartment. I must have it. In red. On my wall. I’m thinking this is the last thing I want to see before I walk out the door in the morning and the first thing upon entering. You know, to set the mood.

That’s it ya’ll. Just a taste for now, so I can spend some extra time working up a free pattern. I added last minute Christmas presents because, well, it’s me. So if anyone is up for learning a few techniques you may not know yet, stay tuned. I’ve just got to get my ducks in a row and get Adobe to stop HATING me.

Now let’s touch on one of our favorite topics: knitting. Specifically the sheer lack of knitting posts this year. Guys, I have to tell you something. I’ve knit more this year than ever. Since I’ve been in PA, I’ve put all my other knitting to shame. The only reason I haven’t told you about it was because I had a vicious bout of sickness. It was called something that sounded like hazy, and maybe started with an L.

Moving on. Remember the first care shawl I knit? Well, I was knitting two at the time. Actually, #2 didn’t work out, so I knit three. Plus, the recipient sometimes reads this blog, so I couldn’t talk about it until it was knit and sent. Check and check.

I liked it so much I nearly kept it. Also, I really wish I could get an action shot of this one *ahem* so you could see how well it draped and the dramatic stripes of color. It’s a sassy little thing.

I’ve got a ton of things waiting in the wings, but I’m taking it one day at a time. I’m busy with Christmas knitting that I’d like to have done and sent before I move in November. Also, I’m turning into a basket-case trying to job hunt. Ugh. Nevertheless, I will try my damnedest to come around more often so we can chat.

Before I go, what is everyone else making for Christmas? I feel like I’m going to run out of knitting ideas by next year.

It hurts us even saying that.

My t-shirt quilt has been in the works forever. I had so much good work done on it, but there was a ways to go. This is a must-do thing. Actually making it will get rid of a lot of scraps to dwindle my fabric pile, make me find a few more shirts to donate that won’t fit in it, and get it off my list. I like when projects for me reduce the amount of craft stuff on hand.

Can I share a secret?

It’s half done. This is just some layout ideas that the cats… well layed on, but I’m way past this stage now. I’m almost done with the piecing. I’m going simple with this, mostly due to general laziness and lack of real sewing skill. I’m going to make a very thin, easily portable yet HUGE blanket using other scrap fabric I love. Then it’ll be an quick tie-off project instead of quilting it and voila. I’ll keep you posted because this one has to get finished. Felix promises.

I offhandedly decided to check out a yarn store today on my way to a craft fair in Lititz, PA. It’s called the Ball and Skein in the Brickerville shopping plaza. Doesn’t sound like much right? However the place was packed and here’s what you see as you come in from the back parking lot.

This is the freaking courtyard.

And here’s public displays of knitting.

Not only that, I picked up 5 skeins of Ella Rae Bamboo silk that is heavenly soft and 50% OFF! What?! Oh hey, guess what? I bought a ball winder on e-bay that showed up. This morning. For my yarn. Yep.

His name is Ted. Doesn’t he look jaunty with his cocked hat?

So I got to work dragging my stool and supplies to the porch because did I mention it’s beautiful outside today? It’s beautiful outside today. Then my yarn went from this

to this

to oops

to this.

There’s a learning curve without a swift. Still, I got to know my yarn intimately (it sheds) and my ball winder (he rocks) and then I ended up with my first little yarn cake ever.

I’m so proud you’d think I built the damn thing from clay and spit and toe clippings. It’s that cool.

So despite the fact that I completely forgot it was knit in public day, the yarn gods smiled on me anyways so I could still participate in my own way. Now I’m going to wind more yarn and start eating some of the 4 pounds of candy I got at the Candy store in Brickerville.

Yeah.

BP (before Pennsylvania), I acquired a pair of Speed Stix as a gift. You know, those knitting needles as big around as your legs? Well, I discovered that these are, in fact, the shit. I love them. All of a sudden, a random pile of pretty yarn could be morphed into something chunky and colorful and awesome. Which brings me to this scarf.

Originally, I was making it for sale. Then I got attached. As in once it was around my neck, I wouldn’t take it off. Well, not just around my neck really. See this scarf is taller than I am. It must be wrapped at least six times around your neck to avoid breaking said neck in a terrible, messy accident. Actually, I have problems keeping it ON my shoulders no matter how many times I wrap because it’s so huge. Still…

Destashing is a freeing thing. I ended up using more than a dozen yarns to create this piece, starting from the dark blue-ish black of a night sky and transitioning up to that pink-ish blue of early morning. Plus, there is sparkle and fluff. Those two things can never be bad.

It’s weird that I still have a pile of stuff I haven’t shown you guys and it’s been… months? Yep. I’m all on top of this thing.

I am home right now at 9 am instead of work. You can tell by the counter that the time on this blog has always been WAY wonky. Anywho, so there’s been a BOMB threat that’s closed off most of downtown. In fact, the threat is in my parking garage. Hopefully, they’re just protesting the monthly price. So let’s go to my happy place instead before they call me back into work.

As I mentioned before, I added two shawls to my list along with my vest. I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish my April challenge then, but it’s okay. There are two women more deserving of shawls than I need my vest. Still, I’ve completed this one, have started the second, and even had time to work on the vest. I knit like a fiend, yo.

I had some gorgeous grey Lion Brand Thick and Quick Chenille in my stash. Since I had three skeins, I was saving it for something. This was it. I searched ravelry for some ideas and found the Fall Down Shawlete by SISO Designs.

The bulk of this shawl was knit in two days on 11s, so anyone can make this in under a week if you want to. The finishing may be a bit hard to make out, but you should be fine if you go slow and really try to understand the process. Otherwise, quick, easy, and very pretty. I hope it’s big enough since I only used two skeins.

I found that the first skein of Chenille was fine, but the second seemed to shed in my hands like crazy. I’m not sure if I was rougher on the second one or it’s just one of the irregularities of that ball. And it does squeak. I don’t care what people say, it’s soft but it squeak. It’ll kind of set your teeth on edge. The end was worth it though. It’s very soft, very pretty, and hopefully will wash relatively well. Exactly what I was going for. Now wish me luck on #2.

Or bracelet. Or headband, or anything you can wrap it around. It’s the little things that make me happy, and accessories are definitely one of them. You can’t tell from the pictures, but if I loop it once around my neck, it reaches my thighs. Yep. It’s one of my new favorite things.

Strand some beads onto sari silk yarn. Grab a larger crochet hook and chain stitch away. Connect the ends as you see fit and wear in as many ways as you can think of.

I love the look of slightly tattered things. They’ve always been my favorites. Worn clothing, antique jewelry, dilapidated buildings. Sari silk has that lived in appearance that is perfect, has character, and shines in a myriad of colors. I made this is one night and am still marveling at it each time it gets worn. What’s better than that?

Maybe I can wear this with my castaway vest and look like a hobo. Hobo-chic is still in, right? And your update on the vest, since you asked so nicely: back is done, right front is done and left front is done from the neck to the armhole shaping, but I modified the pattern to make both front pieces one large piece. I hate seaming. So hopefully this will finish on time for my April challenge. However, I took up two more unexpected projects that are a bit more important. One is almost done, so expect that soon. Hopefully.

Easy Peasy Stretch-tastic Bind Off:

At beginning of bind off row: k2tog, *slip stitch back on left needle, K2tog*, rep to end.

For those of you who need a bit more explanation, you’re decreasing one each time you knit two together. By slipping the stitch you just knit back to your left needle, you effectively bind off instead of just decreasing your stitches by half. Easy, yes?

Totally stolen.

Edit: Holy crap, I’m totally doing the same colorway. And what the HELL is she doing?

Back to the point. I forgot to add the vest pattern last time around. I’m using Berroco pattern Poitou, click here to go to the site. It’s in a booklet with a few other patterns, so you can browse the pretties.

Also, I was raving about the awesome stripe technique and how pretty it was on the back. Well, voila.

Front and Back Comparison

Impressive, I think.