Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Been Feeling Under the Weather

funny pictures
moar funny pictures

The boyfriend and I broke up, and things are really up in the air right now. I just haven't been in the mood to blog.

I've been knitting a little bit, working on a pair of Andean Silk Fetchings that I'm making longer than the pattern calls for. I'm dying to cast on a scarf...

I'll try to find the time to actually blog about my yarn crawl from earlier this year.

Just thought I'd update real quick.

Coffee & Cashmere,
Lulu

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Whoa, What A Trip!

I've been waiting to update my lovely blog until I had fun pictures to show everybody, but I'm just too damn lazy. I have pictures from the trip I took with my mom, but they're still on my camera, and hers. I think I may do a series of post, reviewing the yarn stores I visited and my purchases.

That money my dad gave me? All gone...

But don't worry, I have tons to show for it. Over ten skeins of yarn to show for it in fact! Lots of wool, some alpaca, a skein of corn yarn (yes, corn), and silk!

In addition to all the yarn purchased, I also picked up some great fabric and even more scrapbooking supplies. Pictures and more stories to come.

I have since become addicted to Knit.1 Magazine. I purchased the current issue and a couple back issues while at Purls in Tucson, AZ and then purchased several more back issues while at Village Wools in Alburquerque.

The Alpaca Fetchings are officially finished, and I've even worn them a few times while on my trip. I love them even though they shed and fit kind of funny. The pattern is totally addictive though, and very fast. I can't wait to make myself a second pair, but I plan on making these much longer on both the top and the bottom.

Anybody got any ideas about what I can do with four skeins of Knit Picks Andean Silk? I was going to make another pair of Fetchings with some of it, but I recently learned that silk doesn't hold a cable or ribbing very well... Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I promise to update more another day, with pictures too hopefully.

coffee & cashmere,
Lulu

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

A Fetching Christmas!

Because I am such a rebel, I took my knitting to Mass on Christmas Eve. While sitting listening to the choir and the readings, I finished my second Fetching! I just need to finish weaving the ends in and I'm totally and completely done. Aren't they gorgeous? And they're soooooo soft! I'm still not totally sure how I feel about the yarn, since it's hard to see the cabling with the heathered color of the fuzzy alpaca. Overall, I'm addicted to the pattern, and I plan on making several more pairs of Fetching. I also would love to attempt a pair of Dashing, most likely to be made with some Cascade 220.

My Christmas was pretty average, but it was very good. One of my best friends Melanie made me a gingerbread house, and her mom gave me the 2008 day by day Stitch and Bitch calender! I got a really fuzzy new bathrobe, some great jewelry, a couple giftcards, and *drum roll...*

$100 to spend on YARN!


This is totally going to come in handy with all the new yarn stores I'm planning on visiting in the next week or two. My mom suggested that I use the money to buy the Knit Picks Harmony options set I want, but I'd rather have yarn.

Mom and I are leaving early tomorrow morning for Arizona and should be back the third or fourth of January. I don't know what type of computer access I'll have while I'm out of state, if I will even have any at all. I don't know what I'm going to do without checking Ravelry every single day!

That being said, I have a billion things to do before I have to go to work this afternoon. I need to decide what yarn to bring so I have plenty of knitting for the long car ride there and back.

coffee and cashmere,
Lulu

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Planning a Yarn Crawl

I know, I'm a bad blogger.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to update this thing more, because I really do like blogging! I want this to be more than just a knitting blog too; I'd love to write about my crocheting, my scrapbooking, and my sewing. Plus I want to try some new crafts in the next few months, in addition to expand my knitting abilities.

So, now, onto the knitting!

The annual Christmas party at the Mexican restaurant I work at was Saturday the 15th, and of course I brought knitting even though I didn't work on it too much because I was busy eating, drinking, and merry-making. My friend Nichole, who is a junior at my high school, was my hot date. James, my boyfriend, drove us because my car was completely out of gas (how sweet). All the people who work at the restaurant participated in a gift exchange type of thing, and I had picked my boss's name. I gave him a cute gift set with a coffee mug, a shot glass, and a beer mug with the CU Buffs logo. Needless to say, with the excessive amounts of drinking going on, he loved it and even used the shot glass that night. I learned that drinking spiked egg nog with Nichole and trying to knit cables in the round really do not mix well. Overall, the party was fun and I was able to wait until Sunday to knit.

A few days ago, I finished the first glove in my alpaca Fetching's and started on the second. I really hope I have enough yarn to finish the second one because the ball is getting smaller and smaller and my LYS is closed until after the New Year. I don't really care for the pattern in this particular yarn though because with the heathered dark gray, it's hard to see the detailing of the cables. The pattern is really easy, and I think I may even make some modifications to the next pair I make. I'm hoping to get my hands on some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino while out of state so I can knit myself some black or red ones that I think I may actually wear more than the gray ones I'm working on now.

Speaking of going out of state, yes that is a New Mexico travel book in the above picture! Mom and I are planning a raod trip to Arizona and New Mexico for next week. Her parents live in Tucson, AZ so we're going to visit them, and then taking our time driving back home through New Mexico. I can't wait to visit all the new yarn stores! We're even planning to *hopefully* visit the Fiesta Yarns outlet too. Anybody know any yarn stores in Tucson or New Mexico?

To all of those Ravelry members who have left me comments, THANK YOU! If you're interested, I'd love to swap blog links. Just let me know. =)

coffee & cashmere,
Lulu

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Coffee Swap Received!

Friday afternoon, I finally got my coffee swap package. I squealed and opened it quickly. I got spoiled with six skeins of yarn. (Excuse the date on the picture...My camera doesn't like me anymore!)



The fun part about swaps is that most of the stuff in my package is things I wouldn't normally purchase for myself, such as the Wildfoote sock yarn from Brown Sheep.

In my packaged, I got...
  • Four skeins of Knick Picks Andean Sick in Sangria
  • Two skeins of Brown Sheep Company's Wildfoote sock yarn in Soft Jazz
  • An espresso cup with saucer, just plain white and rather chic
  • A purple candle that smells very pretty
  • Smarties!
  • Chocolate coins from Disney
  • Avon hand cream/lotion
  • A box of organic, fair trade tea, caffiene free that sounds great for night time
  • A sample of Blueberry herbal tea
  • And one whole pound of Ethiopian coffee, that is quite yummy.

Thank you Mya from Aurora!

Coffee & Cashmere,
Lulu

Friday, November 16, 2007

Boyfriend Scarf!

Because I love to knit so much, and I'm dearly fond of my boyfriend, I'm going to make him a scarf! And not just any scarf, but Knitty's Danica! It's going to be a lightish cerelean blue and black. I went to buy yarn yesterday at my awesome LYS but Emily was all out of black Cascade 220! She just ordered some more and it should be in after Thanksgiving probably. And since James (The boyfriend) wants it to be more black than blue, I need to wait to cast on!

I can't wait. ^_^

In other news, I spent last week taking about 40 pictures of my yarn stash for Ravelry. O-M-G that website is so addicting!

I finished my moss stitch scarf last night while watching "Fever Pitch" (cute movie btw). I need to weave in the ends and block it now! It's gorgeous too, and I can't wait to wear it.

Still no word from my swap partner... I want my package!! I just hope I get fun goodies. I can't wait to see what yarn he or she got me.