Finished Object - Flora

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Yarn: Artfibers Kyoto (silk 69% superkid mohair 25% exrafine wool 6%) and Finlandia
Time: 1 week
Inspiration: Knitty.com Flora
Needles: Size 8
Yardage: About 3/4 skein Kyoto, barely dented the Finlandia

This is my friend's new christmas present. She is featured here modelling with her new neckwarmer. She is also quite a good artist/craftster, you can see her here with a painting she created about 8 years ago. The neckwarmer was a fairly quick knit, but had just enough pizazz to keep my interest peaked. I love the elegant stylings and how well she wears it. The pattern is Flora from Knitty.com. I used two different colors - abeige Kyoto yarn from Artfibers that has been in my stash for about 6 months that I have been dying to use, coupled with the blue shimmery Filandia yarn from my June 4th update that I bought at the Yarn Lady Sale.

1920s here I come....!

Here is me in my cool new knitted bowler hat made by my best friend Jill at Faulty Logic. We used a fur lined hat for my cool 20's look.

Damage Done, Yarn Sale Purchases

So I woke up like it was Christmas. 6:30 am my eyes opened and I jumped out of bed in anticipation of my great buys. In the shower and out of the door to arrive in Laguna Hills by 7 am. Too early to start...but I was scoping the area. After eating a quick breakfast I joined the other ladies to rummage through mounds and mounds and mounds of yarn. I was in yarn HEAVEN!! So at 9 am after looking and relooking, I starting adding up my new acquisitions....$500!!!!!!!!

After resuscitating myself from the hard attack, it took me another 2.5 hours to widdle down my bag to under $300. Exact purchase total was forgotten through the trauma of giving the salesperson my credit card. The only consolation I got was that the woman before bought $800 worth of yarn and the salesperson said one woman broke $1000!!!!! So I was feeling pretty good with my relatively small investment. See my posts below for details on the damage.

The kitties checking out the new finds..."Anything for us?" says Kira

Finally, the new additions to the Stash...10 balls of Goa, 10 balls of Finlandia, 8 balls of Touch Me.

Muench Touch Me - This was the piece de resistance of the Yarn Sale. There was the equivalent of 8 balls in the package for $8 per ball instead of $15. I looked and looked for more but this was all I could find. Beautiful scarf here I come...

GGH Goa - This is the yarn that will be used on my flame stitch cardigan that is waiting in the wings to be knit...see side bar

A beautifully soft yarn that is just waiting to become a shawl. Very lightweight!

Yarn Spaghetti - Just a sample of all the beautiful yarn we saw during our yarn store tour of the San Diego Area

San Diego Yarn Search and anticipation for THE YARN LADY BAG SALE!!

The Yarn Lady Bag sale is on Saturday and I am so jazzed. I won't be home tomorrow so I have to think of all the things I want to make and make sure I purchase enough yarn. Given, I may have made this whole bag sale thing out to me more than it is but acquiring yarn has become my new obsession. Now in terms of knitting it all up into its intended project.....that remains to be seen. Kyoto is currently taking up all my time, but soon the leaves scarf will begin.

Last weekend, Jill and I went to visit lots of Yarn stores in the San Diego Area last weekend - Needle Nook, Helga Yarn Boutique, Black Sheep. Knitting in La Jolla and Common Threads were by far the best yarn shop. The people were nice and courteous and the selection was good. Both shops were medium to small but held quite a bit of merchandise. I would recommend them if you are visiting the area.

Knitting Kyoto cometh slowly

Soooo....in an effort to make sure that I finish my Kyoto sweater I have banned myself from starting any new projects. Well, I am starting to rethink this self imposed torture as I am struggling through the stockinette stitching of the back panel. Also, I have learned that I don't really like cotton yarn as there is very little stretch therefore making the knitting harder that I thought.

I have also been sidetracked by my new camera. I feel bad as I have neglected my knitting and instead of growing my yarn stash, I am increasing my camera kit! Materialism and collecting can really keep you poor. Oh, well either my wallet is fat or I am. I have to get my lifes satisfaction from somewhere.

Mopix Gallery Up and Running... GO MO!!

Photo Friday Theme - Green: This is my first submission to Photo Friday but definitely not my last as I have just invested in a Canon Rebel XT and have to get my money's worth. Please come visit my Photo Gallery Site at mopix.blogspot.com and tell me what you think

Nearly one month after the start of Kyoto a milestone has been met...the Kyoto Sash is Binded off the Needles!!!! (and it fits...as I was quite worried about that). I have started on the remaining pieces in the green color seen here. I hope to add some cherry blossom embriodery to the back but I think that may be a little too ambious...we shall see.


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Historic (Geeky) Moment: Taking a picture to commemorate 5/5/05 at 5:05:55. If it had only been 55 degrees! But if you count the week starting on Sunday, it is the 5th day of the week too!
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He approves!
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Keegan investigating the new sweater
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Kyoto continues...

Well, I have changed to a new color....Thank you thank you. I feel like the slowest knitter ever but this double seed stitch is a sloooow pattern. Here you can see my lovely kitty keegan once again lounging on my knitting. He is such a camera hog.

Trial for e-mail posting...revolutionary!

Wow...I just e-mailed to my blog and it worked! That was great. At first I didn't think that it worked but it did! I love blogging now. Don't have much to say but knowing that other people can read my rather useless thoughts makes me happy!

Noro - Lotus

This is a beautiful yarn that was made for the new colors out this season. Only problem is I only have 3 skeins which is only 150 yards and I AM NOT buying more. What to do? What to do? Any ideas?
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Here is the notorious sweater at five rows in. The pattern is double seed stitch with is long and cumbersome but interesting. I am using Berocco Cotton Twist because of the pretty strand of simmery Rayon. If I finish before the winter it will be perfect weather and colors for immediate wear!
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Kyoto Euthanized...New Kyoto 4 started

Yesterday I euthanized my third pass on the Kyoto sweather from Knitty. This is my first sweater so this is a major commitment in time and emotional disappointment. The reason for the latest frogging was that the stitches were twisted while I knit. If I had wanted a mobius scarf that would have been okay...but this was just sad.

I started again today...5 rows in and everything is looking swimmingly so far....

Last but not least my new felted shopping bag. This was inspired by the shopping bag in the Holiday Vogue Knitting 2004. I love VK magazine. I think I still need a charm for the middle....what do you think?
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Here is my Fraggle Rock Hat courtesy of http://www.mlminspirations.com/patterns/. I had to do the peace sign because to me this is reminiscent of Japanese fashion.
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Another beautiful shot from the Antelope Valley Trip last weekend...can spring be anymore beautiful?
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Beautiful Poppy on the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve...what a beautiful day it was
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Just a brief Intro

Who would have thought I would be a blogger? But I have to say I was inspired by the many bloggers before me and thought this would be a wonderful way to share my greatest loves...right now anyway....knitting and photography. Besides google has made this so user friendly that I couldn't pass it up....Thanks Google!