Too sad and mad to knit

New Orleans is now 80 percent flooded.

Updates available from WWL

This breaks my heart.

May whatever powers you believe in keep you as safe as possible.

Not Knitting

I spent the weekend in lovely Bellevue at PAX. If the pink Nintendo DS didn't give it away I'm a bit of a closet game-player. I'm really more into board-games and card-games but can certainly appreciate a good video game. The new Zelda game looks really good, but doesn't come out for a year, the boys were making noises about Pirates of the Caribbean Sea and I'm going to try not to get any more addicted to my DS games than I already am.

At this point, I'm still trying to recover. Imagine hordes of friendly, if intense gamers. Musical acts, the Omegathon, digital camera scavenger hunts (Bob the bear may never recover). I stayed up late, I consumed caffeine (rare) and I stood in line.

AND, on top of all that, I hung out with some knitting friends and maybe met some new knitting friends. I went out to the fair on Saturday and spun up another hank and a half for the Wool Peddler's, and on Sunday Kim hung around Bellevue keeping out of trouble.

Food highlights - Dick's Burgers, a really wonderful lettuce wrap from the mall, and the best pho I've had south of the border.

Fibre highlights - some more of Kim's awesome handspun, and some of her hand-dye came home with me. I didn't buy ANYTHING at Hilltop East.

Now, put the elements of my weekend, shadow-knitting and this together. What do you think is brewing in my brain?

What else is there to say?
Button from Heather.

Wrapped up

The wedding was wonderful, our friends Brandon and Nicole had a lovely, simple, elegant ceremony and reception.



Edwardian Lace Wrap by Sharon Miller

3 balls Dewberry Kidsilk Haze
4.5 mm rosewood needles
3.5 vials of Miyuki 5/0 tri beads

8 days and someone to do my hair.

Thanks for all the speedy thoughts - it helped!

I'm off for an afternoon of knitting and spinning. Hopefully someone will post some wedding pictures for me to grab and show.

Take 2

So, there is no way I will be able to complete Hyrna unless someone out there has some Apple Butter yarn in Rose. The wedding is coming up fast (next Saturday) and I need something to wear.

Enter The Edwardian Lace Wrap, yarn and beads all courtesy of my stash.





Think it will work?

Time's ticking away so I've got to get knitting - wish me luck guys.

Grandmere aka Dale No. 122 - Jamaica

Original yarn : Dale Svale (600g)
Grandmere yarn : Sirdar Denim Tweed DK (350g ?)

Original needles : 2.5 & 3mm
Grandmere needles : 3 and 3.5mm (addis)

Original gauge : 21 sts & ? rows = 4"
Grandmere gauge : 21 sts & 28 rows over pattern = 4"

Changes :

I did not carry the lace pattern all the way around the back as I wanted to be able to incorporate the short-row shaping as discreetly as possible.

8 rows of short-rowing in the upper back at 2" below the beginning of the neckline shaping, the next time out, I'd move this to 3" or maybe 3.5" below the beginning of the neckline shaping.

Started the front neck shaping 5.5" after the beinning of the armhole shaping instead of the 2.75" in the pattern, I would probably start the neck shaping 5" after the armhole shaping next time as I felt this was still a little bit high after the neckband was finished.

Sleeve cap - decreased 1 st at the beg and end of every 3rd row to have enough length for the sleeve cap. This may have been a problem brought on by my row gauge, but as Dale doesn't give you a row gauge to match, I was shooting in the dark.

I did an inch worth of moss stitch for the front bands instead of 2 rows of garter stitch. I wanted to use larger buttons and needed a deeper band to accomodate them.

Oh dear.

Jacques has not yet recovered, I'm not sure I have either.



If anyone has any Apple Laine Apple Butter yarn in rose, I'd be happy to buy or swap. I'm about 7 rows away from finishing or ripping this baby.

What a weekend.

The Flame and I pitched and burned (well, tidied) up a bit before heading out Saturday afternoon to North Vancouver and 32 Books to hear The Yarn Harlot read. She really is as funny, witty and nice as she seems in her bookbookbook. I think even the few non-knitters in the audience enjoyed themselves, Monkey certainly did. Stephanie had accepted my invitation to dinner and stash-dive and I fell happily asleep to dreams of stash with the occasional 'arse' as my soundtrack.

Sunday saw the arrival of this while I was out at tea with some of my girlfriends. I foresee the loss of some knitting time as I indulge in some hand-eye-twitch response.



It was good company on the car ride as we headed out to East Vancouver to see The Flame's grandparents so that we could wish Grandpa Ivan a Happy Birthday, and give Grandma Ella Grandmere. I'll post the mods to the pattern but I was really pleased with the fit.



After a brief visit, it was on to Coquitlam to celebrate Aunt Linn's birthday. She's really The Flame's Aunt, but the two of us get along like a house on fire as she's a very accomplished knitter and embroiderer. She showed me a gorgeous layette book from Bouton D'Or which I will have to keep an eye out for as I haven't noticed them before in Vancouver. She really enjoyed her gift - a ball of teal Frog Tree alpaca, some triangular teal/gold beads and the pattern to make this. Hope you're all having a good Monday!

Lions vs. Eskimos

I'd forgotten just how huge BC Place is and how much noise reverberates and builds within it (also, earplugs).



It was a packed house and the Lions did not disappoint with a 25-19 win over the Edmonton Eskimos. I made a fair bit of progress on the shawl, but socks would have been a much better choice in terms of keeping my eye on the (foot)ball.

Knitting news.

I've started something rose pink for a wedding in 2 weeks, and I'm working on finishing up a couple more items from my (long) list of WIPs. Since I have nothing interesting to show you, let's talk food.

Easy dinner for hot weather, mid-week.

Pick up basil, wild salmon, cooked shrimpmeat and various salad fixings from local green-grocer & super-market. Make mental note that fishmonger closes at 6pm.

Raid freezer (pine nuts) and pantry (pasta).

Cook pasta, cook salmon.

Place basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic and pepper in blender. Blend. Stir in parmesan cheese.

Drain pasta, toss with pesto.

Create salad, serve and enjoy.