This week, we have Knit Picks Sock Sampler in Warm Colors. I ordered this (along with the Neutrals) with plans to make myself a sweater using some techniques I learned in my “Stashology 201″ class with Christine Bylsma at Stitches East this fall. (GREAT class. Awesome teacher. If you ever have the chance to take a class with her, do it. She’s lovely.) I’m going to finish up some other projects before I tackle it, though, so it might be a while. Plus, well, sweater in sock yarn for not-petite me. It’s going to be a while to finish it, too.

Anyway, you may notice something new and different with the pictures this week. Kris got a new toy. He bought a LensBaby. As you can see, it makes some really nice effects with the pictures. I’m guessing it will be the theme of YPF for a while. He’s kind of in love with it. ;)

Have a Happy New Year, everyone!

So, one of the many joys of being at Rhinebeck this year was getting to meet so many people that I’ve only known online previously. There was a lot of “squee”ing and hugging and laughing. It was just awesome.

One of the lovely people I met was ZantiMissKnit, who I’ve known on the Knittyboards for about a year and a half now. When I met her, one of the first things she said to me was “I have something for you!” And she handed me this:

She remembered my mentioning an offhand comment on the boards that I was a fan of ribbon yarn (which I am). She had this Crystal Palace Deco Ribbon (color #121) that really didn’t appeal to her, thought of that comment, and when she saw I was coming to Rhinebeck, she brought it for me.

Isn’t she a total sweetie? Actually, yarn present aside, she really is a total sweetie. It was awesome to get to chat with her while we were there.

And I don’t know about any of you, but I have major plans for tonight.

I’ve been waiting for this movie for a long, loooooooong time. (Oh, and here is the Washington Post’s review, from whence I ganked the pic)

Swing your razor wide, Sweeney!

…Spanish Daaaaaaaaaancer.

Yeah, yeah, I know. It’s “Tiny Dancer”, but mine’s funnier.

So yes, it’s done!

Can you tell I love it?

00

Because I do!

Not by much, but it is!

Not much to show this week on Kris’s scarf, because my heart (and my attention) has been stolen by this:

Jeanie! In the “Dragonfly” Hand Maiden Sea Silk I showed you last Friday.Honestly, this stuff is FABULOUS. It’s completely wonderful to knit, and the drape is fantastic. And the pattern? Totally addictive. I. Just. Can’t. Stop. Knitting. It. I’ve been working on it during rehearsals, and while watching tv, and I’ll have it with me at Barnes & Noble tomorrow, too. I’m probably 1/3-ish of the way through the first hank of yarn, so I think this is going to be a nice size when it is done.

Oh, and that bit of fabric up in the corner? One of the two Piddleloop bags I got recently. OMGLOVE!!! Not only is it freaking adorable, but Jen and Wendy are awesome to deal with. (Oh, and they are on vacation until after New Year’s, so their shop is empty at the moment.)

Thank you all for your kind thoughts about our friends - they are back home, under a tarp (the tree was removed yesterday), and preparing to deal with the insurance and contractors for the rebuilding. Basically, it looks like the rain we got on Friday night and Saturday was enough to soften the ground, and then the crazy freaky strong winds (no - really - it was seriously bizarre to hear) on Sunday were enough to knock the tree over.

Although this time, it’s not us.

Oh - and my personal photographer was under the weather this weekend, so no pics of Spanish Dancer just yet. Hopefully today.

Anyway… I’m sitting here last night a little after 11, poking around on the Ravelry forums and the Knittyboards, when my phone rings. My first thought was that it was my brother, because he doesn’t always check the clock and do the Vegas-to-Maryland math before calling. I looked at the caller ID, and it was our friends Hyon and Drew. They are local, so I figured something was up. I answered, and Hyon told me that a tree had just fallen on their garage. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but they were pretty freaked, and she didn’t really feel comfortable staying in the house (neither would I!). So, after waiting for the fire department to get there and check things out, they packed up themselves and their 2-1/2-year-old and came over to our house. (They only live 4 miles away - it comes in handy when shit happens.)

From what she told me, it looks like the garage is trashed structurally. They don’t know about her car, which was in the garage, but his car was outside. There was some roof damage over the kitchen/living room part of the house and it is open to the elements (luckily, no rain in the forecast until Friday), so the FD is sending someone to put a tarp over it. The roof over the bedrooms had some damage, but nothing major, and it isn’t through to the attic - just some surface damage.

Of course, they were going to be away for Christmas, and now they have no idea if they will be able to go or not. I need to call my cousin and see if they can come with us if they are stuck here (I’m sure she’ll be fine with it.). And we have of course told them that they are welcome to stay here as long as they need to.

Oh, and Clint, the 2-1/2 year old? Slept through the entire thing, including when the Fire Department was walking around with their radios squawking.

Must be nice to be 2. :)

ETA - Went over with them this afternoon, and Kris took a bunch of pictures (of course).  If you are curious, I’ve got a Flickr set of them here.

Ok, that sounds a little scary, but really, it’s not!

I got an email from Little Knits a couple of weeks ago about some sales, and I was looking at the HandMaiden Sea Silk. I’ve looked at it before, and have resisted, but this time I just couldn’t.

This color called to me. Aside from the fact that it is just lovely and bright and beautiful, the color name just didn’t give me a choice.

It’s called “Dragonfly”.

And no, I didn’t have a clue what I was going to do with it when I ordered it. Luckily for me, the new Winter Knitty came out just a few days after I ordered it. And in that issue? Jeanie. The perfect pattern for this yarn.

I brought this with me to my regular Thursday knitting group yesterday, and everyone was petting it. I kept it out on the table and was referring to it as my “carrot” - once I got through that (*#^$(@#*^ bind-off on Spanish Dancer, I was allowed to cast on for Jeanie.

And as of last night, I finished. Of course, you’ll have to wait until it’s done drying (it’s soaking now, and I’ll block it in a bit) to see it. So, sometime this weekend.

No, the frigging shawl isn’t done yet. Three thousand stitches, people. It’s a LOT to bind off. So, I’m still slogging through that, and nothing else is progressing at the moment.

I did, however, finally get some pictures of my finished Cherie Amour.

So, there we have it! I’m really quite thrilled with how it came out. The yarn (Brooks Farm Solana) is wonderfully soft, and I love the colors.You may notice that I tweaked the sleeves a little.

I didn’t care for the original sleeves, so I did them my own way. I picked up stitches at the armhole and worked them toward the cuff, for one thing. I also changed them so they were bell sleeves. They are in the same stitch pattern as the top of the bodice until a little bit past my elbows, at which point I switched to the smaller needles and 2×2 ribbing like the waistline of the sweater itself. I worked the ribbing for the same length as it is in the bodice, and then did the cuffs in the same pattern as the bottom of the sweater.

Pictures of Spanish Dancer will follow whenever I finish binding the damn thing off.

While I continue to slog through the ruffle.  I did get the final knit row done last night at rehearsal.  I’m on book for rehearsals right now (probably running sound for the actual show), and one of the guys came up to me last night and asked “How do you do that?”  I asked him what he meant, and he said, “How do you knit while reading the script?”  I laughed and said that it’s not to hard when you don’t have to watch what you are knitting, and that I deliberately picked a simple project for that reason.  I’m really thrilled to be working on this show.  It’s been a long time since I’ve been involved with a production (I ran the box office at a theatre in Richmond for a couple of years, but I didn’t actually do anything with the shows themselves), and I didn’t even realize how much I missed it until I went to my first rehearsal on Sunday.

Anyway, I did manage to get the bindoff started last night.  The ruffle is coming along nicely, but it’s still going to take a while.  It’s a LOT of stitches to bind off.

So, the distraction - this one is making the rounds, so I figured why not?

1. Elaborate on your default icon:

Kate Monster!  She’s one of the characters from the musical “Avenue Q” which I adore.  Plus, she’s just cute.

2. What’s your current relationship status?

Happily married to the most wonderful, patient man in the world for nine and a half years.

3. Ever have a near-death experience?

Hmm… in high school, I was in a car that almost didn’t stop coming down an icy hill, but I think that’s it.

4. Name an obvious quality you have:

Physical?  Dark, heavy eyebrows.  And I’ve been told my laugh is a bit on the, erm, loud and distinctive side.  :)

5. What’s the name of the song that’s stuck in your head right now?

For once, I actually don’t have one.  That’s pretty rare, though.  I’ve usually got something bouncing around in there.

6. Any celeb you would marry?

Hugh Jackman.  I kid Kris that Hugh’s the only man I’d leave him for.  I mean, he’s hot, he sings, he dances, AND he’s got an accent.  Can you blame me?

7. Who will cut and paste this first?

No clue, although it won’t be Cristi!  :D

8. Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity?

When I was a kid, people used to tell me I looked like Brooke Shields (see above re: eyebrows), and I had a friend in college who told me that I looked like Angela Lansbury when she was young, but not really since then.

9. Do you wear a watch?

Always.  Makes me nuts if I forget to put it on.

10. Are you pierced?

Yup!  2 holes per ear (but I never wear earrings), and my nose, as of August.  Briefly kicked around the idea of getting my eyebrow done, but I’m not sure that will work on me.

11. Do you have any tattoos?

Three - Marvin the Martian on my leg, comedy and tragedy masks on my lower back, and a heart-shaped Celtic knot between my shoulder blades.

12. Do you like pain?

Not particularly, no.  I’m actually pretty much a wuss.

13. Do you like to shop?

Yes, although I’m perfectly content to window-shop and not buy anything.

14. What was the last thing you paid for with cash?

Meeko’s prescription refill, yesterday.  Woo hoo for a dog with thyroid problems and a seizure disorder.

15. What was the last thing you paid for with your credit card?

Some Christmas gifts, so I’m not going into detail.  :)

16. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone?

Um… I think Kris.  I don’t actually spend much time on the phone anymore, though.

17. What is on your desktop background?

This picture.  All the ends from my Molly Weasley Sleeves.  I’m getting bored with it, though, so I think it’s time to find something new.

18. What is the background on your cell phone?

Um… is it sad that I have to look?  Apparently, some random swirly blue picture that came with my phone.

19. Do you like redheads?

Yes.  I’ve been one once or twice, too.  :D

20. Do you know any twins?

Yup.  Went to high school with a couple of sets, and college with one that I know of.

21. Do you have any weird relatives?

I think I might BE the weird relative…

22. What was the last movie you watched?

Clue.  Or possibly Young Frankenstein.  We watched both Sunday night, and I don’t remember which order we watched them in.

23. What was the last book you read?

Finished? A Rendezvous to Remember by Geri Krotow.  I’m not usually a romance reader (I’m more of a scifi geek), but Geri is in my knitting group, and this is her first published book.  Honestly, I loved it.  It was really, really good.  Currently, I’m reading Forever by Pete Hamill, which was a birthday gift from some friends.  Enjoying it quite a bit so far.

24. Is there such a thing as love at first sight, or it is more likely to be lust at first sight?

Well, the very first time I saw Kris, there was something, but that may have been lust that I was lucky enough to have grow into love.  The incurable romantic in me wouldn’t mind thinking it was love at first sight, though.

25. What’s your favorite book?

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, of course!

26. When was the last time you visited the street where you first lived?

FIRST lived?  No idea.  We moved from that apartment when I was about 6 months old.  The house I grew up in… about 9 years ago, when my folks moved from Pittsburgh to Baltimore.

27. When was the last time you googled your own name?

Not a clue.  Sometime in the last year, I think.  Nothing under my married name, although apparently there is an Irish figure skater with my maiden name.

28. What was / is your favorite subject at school?

Math.  Although that depended on the year.

29. What was / is your least favorite subject at school?

Gym, although that wasn’t so much a “subject” as a “torture device”.  I was also not generally a big fan of history/social studies.

30. Do you like having your photograph taken?

Not particularly, but I’ve gotten a little more used to it with a photography-addicted hubby.  :)

31. What time were you born?

I think it was 7:40 pm.  Not positive, though.
32. Ever seriously questioned your sanity?

Regularly.

33. How many phone numbers do you have remembered and can say off the top of your head?

A handful, although sadly they are numbers like the one for the house I grew up in, or the house my folks sold when they moved to Vegas this summer.  Not particularly useful.  Now, everyone’s in my cell phone.

34. Can you Limbo?

Nope.  Klutz.

35.Have you ever killed your own dinner?

Nope.  Ew.

36. How long have you been living at your current residence?

3 years, 8 months.

37. What phobias do you have?

Heights, and to some degree closed-in spaces.

38. What’s your ideal breakfast?

There was a place in Vegas called The Cracked Egg.  We went there with Tom and his buddy and my folks last year, and it was the best breakfast EVER.  We WILL go back when we visit.

39. Where are you right now?

On my butt on the couch in the living room.

40. Why do you blog?

I like having a record of my FO’s, and I like communicating with my friends.

41. What would you call your autobiography?

Not a clue.  Although “Stubbornly Guiltless” would be in the running at the moment.

42. What’s the longest time you’ve stayed out of the country / where?

I spent a week in Montreal for a high school band trip, and I’ve been to Toronto twice for just less than that.  I loved both of them, but we just don’t travel much.

43. Do you use ICQ, AIM, etc..?

Google Talk, baby!

44. Do you have nightmares frequently?

Happily, no.

45. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?

Probably.  I’d understand my weird sense of humor, anyway.

46. Which TV character could you be friends with?

The guys on The Big Bang Theory.  Realistically, I’m pretty sure I am friends with some of them.

47. What’s on your mouse pad?

My mouse.  :D  Ok, I don’t actually have one.  I just use my lap desk, and the finish is wearing off to prove it.

48. What is your ring tone?

For who?  I’ve got several.  For Kris, it’s “Silly Love Songs”; for my family it’s Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again”; for the EdFest crew, it’s Aerosmith’s “Crazy”; and for my knitting friends, it’s one of two from Wicked - “Defying Gravity” for locals and “Popular” for out-of-towners.

49. What did you watch on TV last night?

Part of this week’s episode of “Shark”.

50. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings, totally.  I’m not a scary movie fan anymore.

Spanish Dancer is approaching the finish line. Technically, I’m on the last row before the bind-off.

Unfortunately, with Spanish Dancer, that means that this row (and therefore the bind-off) have somewhere in the neighborhood of 3200 stitches. Each.  I’m helping out with a production of “Enchanted April” over at Colonial Players, and I did get through a bit of it at yesterday’s rehearsal.  I’m hoping to get through some more at tonight’s.  It may actually take me several days to get through one row (I’m about 1/3 of the way through it as of right now, as you see above) and the bindoff.  My hope, though is that I can have it done before this week’s WIP Wednesday.  Mostly because I have a new project that I am itching to start.  The yarn I’m going to use will probably be this week’s YPF post, too.

Oh, and yes, I know there is a shift in color from the first to second skeins in the shawl.  When I got the yarn at Stitches this year (It’s BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in “Oregon Red Clover Honey”), I grabbed what they had, and didn’t realize it was from two different batches.  It’s not quite as obvious in person, and I didn’t see it when I was switching from one color to the next.  We’ll see how it looks when I wash and block it.  If it really, REALLY bugs me, I might try to overdye it with something.  If I’m feeling really, really brave, that is.

The rest of the goodies I picked up from Neighborhood Fiber Co.

Victorian Bulky in “Mt. Pleasant”

and Loft in “Mt. Pleasant”.







These will be combined into a scribble lace scarf, courtesy of the free pattern in Karida’s booth.