Today it was 80 degrees. I knitted a scarf.

ETA: Wha? I scheduled this to post last weekend.  It was not 80 degrees yesterday, but the universe decided to kick my in the behind today, and I am sad, and I can't be bothered to change it. 

My mom bought this yarn at Jo-Ann a month or so back.  For being a cheap inexpensive acrylic, this yarn has a beautiful color (way more so than you can tell in my crappy photos), it's super bulky and super soft. 

I only had one skein, and after trying a cable pattern that I found on Ravelry that seemed so simple but was either flawed or flew right past my comprehension (guess which one I'm betting on?), I let it sit around because I wasn't sure what to do.  Since I was taking a long car trip last week, and wanted to finish the scarf in time to toss it in an Easter basket (don't worry, I see the jerkiness of gifting someone something they technically bought, there's more stuff in the basket) I had to come up with something. 

So, in lieu of following an actual pattern, I used one stitch the whole way through. 

Pattern: Seed stitch
Size: About 3 feet
Needles: 13
Will you turn it over so we can see the weaving in of the ends?: Not a chance

Different stitches

I know I said I hadn't been able to make anything lately, but that's not entirely true.  I haven't been able to sew much of anything, but I've been knitting a bit.  A few things that are just to horrendous to show the universe, a few things that I've actually taken out in public. 

The beauty of knitting is that it's portable, which means when stuff gets sticky, I can take it with me.  Right now I'm trying my hand at the ninebark cowl sweater from the cover knitscene.

Don't go and assume since I've completed a few scarves and hats aI think I'm ready to take on some significant colorwork, I'm going to do the body in a grey tweed and the cowl in a single contrast color.

Raveled.

February 8-10: Tea towel apron

I've had My Spare Time in my Google Reader for awhile, and even though I've noticed this tutorial before, I've never tried it.

I've also had this tea towel in my linen closet (since 2006, apparently) but it doesn't get much use because the colors don't fit my kitchen and there is a big stain on the front.  (No, I'm not sure why I kept an unmatching and stained towel, either, but I'm glad I did.)

The hardest part of making this apron was trying to iron the wrinkles out of a 100% linen tea towel that's been wadded up in a closet for I-don't-even-know-how long.  As you can see, I wasn't totally successful, but I wanted to just get sewing already!

I love the end result of this tutorial.  The design of the towel worked perfectly and gave me a great border on the bottom of the apron, and the stain is caught under the rick rack and the fold, so I won't even be embarassed to show this one off.  The only modification I made was that I didn't sew three equal pockets, but made one large and two smaller pockets instead.

I also tried to take my first camera in the mirror shot of myself wearing the apron.  But...no.

Bummer

My vacation is over. 

I took a few days off and went to visit a friend in San Francisco.  I came back and it was cold, dreary and daylight savings time, which means I now both leave for work and drive home from work in the dark.  Seasonal Affective Disorder, here I come!

I at least managed to snag a few treats while I was there.  Yes, that includes chocolate, and no, it's not still around to photograph.

I've got itty bitty fingers, so I love when I'm able to find funky rings like these that actually fit me.  The one with the orange stone actually fits on my ring fingers, not just my middle and pointer.  Whoo!

 

I found these at a street shop.  There was a bucket of them, fabric pieces about 6"x7".  Each is printed with what looks like it might be Buddhist script.  I'm not really sure what they're for, or what I want to do with them, but they were too interesting to pass up.

I've got a few things on my To Make List this week, I'll show them as they come about.  For now I need to get some laundry done, get some food made and think about missing vacation.