Girl Who Knits

Today I am 32.  Being away from family and my closest friends, I was completely prepared for a birthday under the radar.  I was going to feel sorry for myself and get take out and perhaps watch a movie.  Maybe I would dramatically blow a candle out all alone.  It was going to be a night straight out of the beginning of a chick flick. 

Apparently, that is not quite what the universe had in store for me.  Wonderful sister and best friend that she is, Kara, surprised me yesterday with the news that she is coming to Denver for one night.  Tonight.  So instead of pan fried noodles and the Biggest Loser I am getting my girl Kara-lara.  Best present ever. 

I have some ideas for life after turning 32.  I am sure I will share some in the months to come.  Thanks to you all for being my friends, virtual or otherwise. I think it is going to be a good year. 

After my latest post, I feel a bit like I played good cop/bad cop with you all.  I couldn't speak the hard truth to myself so I made you all give it to me.  So thanks bad cops. 

a bad picture, but a new start.

You were right, the extreme flair would have slowly driven me crazy.  It needed to go.  And now I am contemplating making the gloves longer by adding another repeat of the center cable pattern.  I have no idea if I can make this work (or if I want to) but I am thinking about it.

In other news, after finally receiving the yarn I ordered for a special sock exchange, I casted on for what I think will be a beautiful sock.  I only have to knit one of them, the finished sock and leftover yarn (Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock, Firefly) will be sent to its recipient for them to knit the second. (Get it, no Single Sock Syndrome?)  I picked another pattern from the IK Holiday Gifts mag, Socks for Veronik. I thought this patten would suit the yarn particularly well.  I LOVE these socks so far.  Hopefully my pal will too.

Progress so far...yarn not as bright in real life.

It feels like I have a lot on the needles right now.  Could be because I do.  Here is the low down on my current projects:

1. Socks for Veronik--half of the leg complete
2. Twisted Stitch Gauntlets--ribbing started on right glove.
3. Tangled Yoke Cardigan--finished body to underarms
4. Autumn Rose Cardigan--book arrived yesterday, swatching to begin shortly
5. Cherry--over half way through front
6. Secret Christmas Gift Project--yarn purchased

There is so much else I want to cast on for--I really wish there was more time in the day.  I sometimes feel like the patterns I end up knitting have to fight it out with the other patterns to make it to the needles.  Natural Selection for knitting if you will.  I wonder who will be strong enough to survive.

I loved this weekend.  Waking up to rain is my favorite, especially when you don't have to be anywhere.  Then there are the leaves on the vines outside my windows changing pretty colors.  And the temperature...in the afternoon I went out to meet some friends and it was perfect fall air--warm enough to be outside pleasantly, but cool enough to wear layers and drink hot chocolate.  Yes, my favorite month never fails to deliver. 

Swept up in the moment of fall, I casted on for a new project.  Gloves.  

These are the Twisted Stitch Gauntlets from the new Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts. I really, really like the picture of them in the mag but I am not sure if I am liking my version.  They are meant to flare out in the bottom but mine seem to not balance with the hand. 

This is my fault because I went down a needle size at the wrist in order to have them fit my narrow hands a little better.  I am starting to think I should have used the smaller needles on the whole glove.  It would still flare but not as drastically.

Or...do I like them?  Why can't I tell?  Maybe they need fingers for me to decide.  I don't really want to start over but I do want them to look good.  I like the pattern a lot and really think they would be a great staple.  The yarn I am using is Rowan 4-ply soft and the color is a really dark brownish-purple (which is hard to tell from the pic.)  I don't know, what to you guys think? 

 Ugly wings or pretty design feature?

Visiting Utah this weekend was fruitful indeed...

Thank you to Vonnie at my old LYS, Black Sheep Wool Co., for staying open late and taking so much time to help me substitute colors for my...Autumn Rose Pullover!  Yes, I took my first step towards starting on my next big project.  I really hope these colors work out.  I started the color substitution with wanting to sub the brown tones with greys.  The purples, pinks, and blues grew out of that switch.  Kara really thinks I need to call it something other than Autumn Rose based on the colors I chose.  Any ideas?  I really hope the colors work well together but I won't really know until I swatch.  Swatching should commence in the next week or so, once the book is delivered.  I had to order it online because it was sold out everywhere I went.  I ordered the pattern book and some pretty sock yarn for a sock I need to cast on for asap--more on that later.  Isn't knitting SO exciting?!

In the mean time I am plugging away at my Tangled Yoke Cardigan and my DVR box.  When I got back into town Monday I had a 95% full DVR.  I love new tv season time.  I haven't liked every show I recorded but there are a few keepers.  Pushing Daisies is adorable and that Chuck show is funny.  Side note: The main guy in Chuck is my next boyfriend.  I actually saw him at lunch one day in Salt Lake City.  I later learned that he (Zachary Levi) was in town filming a movie.  He might be the most attractive guy I have seen in person.  From what I observed, he seemed really nice and unaware of his infinite hotness.  And confident and smart and funny--there was lots of laughing at his table.  (I love how I pretend to really know people just from being an unintentional stalker.)  

Anywhoo, life is good when you have a big bowl of really thin yarn just waiting to turn into a super complicated and time consuming sweater.  Anyone else in?

P.S. to all my Utah knitting friends, I am so sad I couldn't be there over a Tuesday to come knit with you all.  I will be back in December for the holidays--hopefully I can make an SnB night then.

• Hanging out with two great friends both of whom I met while studying abroad in London in 1995.  We have been friends for 12 years.  Crazy.
• Having a friendly homeless beggar tell me how nice I looked one night.  He even said it AFTER my friend gave him some money.  Now, normally I don't take compliments from strange men on the street to heart, but this guy really seemed sincere.  I asked my friend if he thought the homeless guy meant what he said and he told me he thought he did.  Nice.
• Food.  Lots and lots of good food.  (Followed of course by lots and lots of gym time this week.)
• Seeing famous people.  Sort of.  I saw a guy in a hotel lobby that I could tell is an actor (since he was so much better looking than normal people) but I have no idea who he is.  I think he might be on TV but I can't place what show.  So I think I saw someone who is at best quasi-famous.  But I saw him. 
• Walking everywhere.  I love that you can so easily navigate New York by foot. 
• Spending a beautiful day with my cute cousin Meghan and the happiest baby on earth, McKinlay, in Boston.
• Learning that Johnny Cupcakes is in fact NOT a cupcake store but a deceptively designed "bakery" selling t-shirts and underwear.  Super lame.  Meghan and I were severely disappointed since we excitedly spied the store front and eagerly opened the doors in anticipation.  Note to Johnny Cupcakes: Maybe you should sell some cupcakes.  Just a thought.  Speaking of cupcakes...
• Inadvertently getting on a You Tube video with my co-worker Michelle.  Unknown to me, there was this couple on a fake date to a really good cupcake shop in Boston called Lulu's.  I am walking down the street with my co-worker Michelle and spy a sign for Lulu's cupcakes.  Michelle is walking a little ahead of me and so I call out to her to stop so we can both enjoy a delicious cupcake.  As soon as I say her name I notice that this couple on the steps turned to look right at me and then I see that there is a guy filming them.  I slowly saunter over to Michelle and we watch as they walk across the street.  We go into the cupcake shop and find out that it is part of some Improv show and the "Cupcake Dates" are filmed and put on You Tube.  I am SO famous.  Watch from 2:05-2:17.  That is when I make my guest appearance (I am in the green jacket).  The rest of the "date" is kind of lame so I wouldn't bother watching.
• Finding out that I have a serious thing for cupcakes.
• And finally, getting past the bottom ribbing on my Tangled Yoke Cardigan.

It worked everybody--the trip gave me my knitting mojo back! 

(sigh) I love the east coast.