Friday, August 22, 2008

3 repeats to go


IMG_1540
Originally uploaded by ilembach

Last night I took the shawl I'm making off the needles (held together instead by my red yarn lifeline) and spread it out on the futon to see what the shape will really look like. I think Jimmy's right - it might take more repeats to make this thing long enough. When I held it up against myself, the bottom point was at my waist, and I couldn't really hold on to the wide points. I'd like it so that my friend can wrap it around herself a little, you know? She's much slimmer than me, so I know it will fit her a bit different, but I'd still like it to be bigger and cozy.

Priscilla Ahn

Last Friday I stumbled on to Priscilla Ahn's video featured on Please Be Still.


This song Dream has been stuck in my head ever since. I had to find it on Amazon and download the album. Lilting, haunting, makes me want to curl up in a chair with a long-sleeved sweater andd gaze dreamily out the window at falling leaves snow. Sort of like the first time I heard All Mixed Up by Red House Painters.


Is it wrong that I miss fall? I want it to be fall so badly. The change in weather, new beginnings, the change to change my life's direction.

Here's another video by Priscilla Ahn - the boob song. I like this song too but it must be one of her newer ones as I can't find it anywhere but in clips from concerts on YouTube.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Cable crazy? Me?

In the past 24 hours I've gone from thinking "one day I'll get to try making cables - when I have more time, not a big project going on, some really nice yarn, and already know how to do cables!!!" to "when I get home tonight I have to pull all my knitting books and thumb through to find the perfect beginner cable pattern. Or maybe a quick how-to piece in my instructional book. I'm intimidated" I want to start right now! Last weekend I went galavanting around the cape with friends and we ended up at the Ladybug Knitting Shop to get one of them reenergized about yarn and knitting. To make a long story short, everyone but me bought the same cabled wristlet pattern and they've been knitting like crazy on it, so excited about the yarn and the pattern.

Today I checked my email and found out the yarn shop near my house is having a SALE, and now I plan to go and buy my first Debbie Bliss cashmerino yarn. Since I started knitting last fall I've wanted that yarn. Yay! Now I need to figure out what to make. I'm pretty sure I'm going to start with the Irish Hiking Scarf pattern. My friend Jimmy has been working on this one, and to me it looks super complex, but people in my group keep telling me it's a lot easier than it looks. There is even a whole blog about knitting this scarf pattern. Crazy!

I think I might end up using this weekend to:

- finish the knitted cell phone case (90% done)
- try to finish the shawl I'm making (30% done)
- practice cabling using good old red heart
- finish the socks I started way back in March (90% done)

Maybe that last one is a bit extreme...