*RANT*

Excuse me? Do I know you? What gives you the idea that my belly is public domain and free for you to fondle? FUCK OFF.

Long Overdue Post.

I was done with the Short Sleeved Cardi that I loosely based on the Anthropologie Inspired Capelet. I lengthened the body and used a cute clasp that I found at JoAnn's. It was a fun and fast knit. I think I finished it in less than a week. I wore it twice already (without blocking it.. shhh!)





It's really pouring down here in Evansville. I am so happy that it cooled down and I absolutely love the rain. I love knitting or reading next to a window while sipping hot milk tea. Just perfect. While I'm enjoying the rain and the nippy air, I'm working on this:


The Cardigan is my own design. I wanted a nice empire waist, bell-sleeved garment that I can wear during the fall. I already bought three sets of clasps from JoAnn's put on the upper part of the cardigan. This is my fourth attempt at it and I hope it works this time. Phew!

New Project! Woohoo!

You can just tell what my current addiction is, no?

I picked up four more hanks of Malabrigo Worsted in the Oceanos colorway. I love it. I'm using it now to make a modified Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet which I will probably turn into an empire waist cardigan. Only time will tell.

In other news, it's getting chilly! Hurrah! No more walking around wanting to take my clothes off (probably not a very good idea in Evansville, or anywhere actually...) and I can finally wear something pretty and wooly and maybe retire my sandals until next summer.


Also, I finished another sweater for Connor. I modified the Malabrigo One Skein Baby Cardigan pattern. I didn't use the textured stitch pattern, I opted to do a one inch garter stitch hem and did the rest of it in stockinette stitch. I also didn't want to do another cardigan, so I worked the front as I did the back and just made a split in the middle. I used a metal Levi's button cut out of my husband's old pair of shorts and crocheted the loop and the trim on the neckline. It was so easy to do and I love it! I even have quite a bit of yarn left over for maybe a hat or a pair of bootees.

Finished Object, Work in Progress and My Growing Addiction

This was a fun knit. Though you do get apprehensive that you would run out of yarn one inch away from finishing the last sleeve. But I had none of those problems. In fact, instead of using a button and loop for closure, I crocheted two ties instead.

Pattern:
Malabrigo One Skein Baby Sweater
Size:
0-3 Months
Yarn Used:
Malabrigo Worsted in Verdes
Needles:
US Size 9

And I'm working on another one! I originally wanted to make a hat out of the skein I had of Malabrigo Cypress, but I changed my mind. I'm not really a hat person anyway.

And dude, Ravelry is seriously like crack.

Waaah. Why is she doing this to meeee?

Look how gorgeous that top is!
And I have the just the yarn for it too.

SQUEE.

I had a wonderful time yesterday knitting with Chris, Royale, Erin and Barbara at Panera yesterday. It was absolutely inspiring to see what those lovely ladies had on their needles. It really helps to be in the company of people who know what you're talking about and want to talk about. No more glazed looks from my long-suffering husband when I talk about how soft and vividly dyed my new cake of Malabrigo is. These ladies know and its veneration is like a naughty yarn lover secret. Hee.

Speaking of Malabrigo, I bought my first two hanks of it last Monday. I was desperate enough to ask Royale to take me to a yarn store so I could get the emerald yarn I was craving for. Now I'm pacified and absolutely in love with what I have.

The Current Work In Progress.

I am working on a One Skein Malabrigo Baby Cardigan in Verdes. I also bought Cypress, it is dyed such a deep green, it's almost black. Don't let the picture on the website fool you, it's much much more vivid in real life and so so so so soft! I have worked with wool, and most (if not all) of the wool I worked with felt scratchy or icky regardless of how expensive or popular it was. But this one feels like butter in your hands. If I had loads of cash to burn I would drown myself in this stuff.

I love it so much that I even scanned it. I'm so lame. Hahaha.

I had a doctor's appointment after the Panera Knitting session and an already wonderful day was made perfect when we were able to get to see his face clearly for the first time:



We couldn't believe it. The first sonograms showed that Connor looked like his dad and now with this, he looks exactly like me: nose, eyes and all (I just hope he gets his dad's height). We're so happy and excited. Now I'm even more inspired.

Gah. I am completely enthralled.

I just purchased the pattern for the Orchid Crocheted top over at Lily Go's blog. Ack. Another project lined up for me, but I don't care. It's gorgeous and completely doable in a short period of time since I crochet faster than I knit. Now to get the buttons! :D :D :D SQUEEHEE.

Ooh, the Sage Cardigan is also very pretty...

Punk Baby Hoodie

At my husband's request, I made a punk-ish baby hoodie for the baby. It's made with Lionbrand Microspun in Ebony and Lime. I THINK I used US 4 needles (I may have used a smaller size. Hoh well.) Again, I winged the pattern.

In other news, I miss the Philippines.

Say hello to my baby!

Connor Joshua. Or at least that's his name until his dad changes his mind again. ;p

My startitis strikes again. The idea of knitting Sahara doesn't really appeal to me right now. It's not because it's not fun to knit etc... but what's the point of knitting something you can't wear anyway? Hours and hours of work will be wasted. SOOOOOOO, I decided to to put the project on the backburner for a while (or completely frog it and use the yarn for something else) and concentrate on making baby sweaters etc.


So this project is what is on my needles right now: The Bunny Hop Side Wrap Kimono. I thought it was adorable and the pattern sounds super duper easy. I did want to do something like The Harvey Kimono from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms by Louisa Harding, but I'm too impatient and I want to do work on something RIGHT. THIS. MINUTE. But this baby sweater is a good substitute (and it's free!)

Hmm... is it strange of me to crave emerald colored yarn?

Casting on (again): Stitch Diva's Sahara

I have decided to frog my second attempt at Sahara and have a third attempt at it. While the pattern is easy to knit, I keep forgetting to take certain (very important) things in to consideration. Liiiiike, I was too excited to swatch when I started knitting it the first time and it ended up looking like it would fit three of me. The yarn I used is also not the recommended yarn in the pattern, I used four strands of number 10 bedspread weight cotton. Two strands in a variegated violet and two strands of white. It looked gorgeous, but like I said, it would have been too big even though I've never been (or felt) bigger in my life.

For the second attempt, I forgot to take into consideration that, oh yeah, this top is rather form fitting and what's my condition again? Heavily pregnant. Arrrgh. So with a bit of calculating and remeasuring, I tweaked the Sahara pattern to accommodate my huge pregnant belly.

So we will see how this goes...

What I've been up to...

I had to quit my job a few months after I found out I was pregnant. My doctor told me that I have a heart-shaped uterus (also called bicornial... or something like that) and because of that little difference I am apparently more prone to miscarriage or early delivery. My job required me to stand up for long lengths of time and sometimes I would have eleven hour shifts. I would start spotting and cramping after the end of every work day. It was definitely scary during those few weeks of all that. My parents urged me to leave work and take it easy, so I am taking it easy and enjoying things I know I wouldn't be able to do or enjoy for a while after this baby is born. It sounds completely scary, but I am absolutely excited about having this little one.

Tea and crochet. (The infamous Marguerite pattern.)

The most basic baby jacket and hat ever. Done with two strands of number 10 crochet thread and US size 2 knitting needles. I mixed a variegated yellow with white and the color turned out to be a cute baby duck yellow. Thanks for sending the yellow thread from the Philippines, Mom!

Another variation of the super-duper-no-brainer basic baby jacket pattern, only I used acrylic baby yarn and US size 6 knitting needles (I think). I was also playing with some watercolors that day (if you notice my Sakura Koi paints on the upper right hand side of the picture), but that's another entry.

I'm currently working on Opptuna by Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton in her Noro Collection Book 2. I'm using Caron in Autumn Red and US Size 7 knitting needles. The pattern is also very very easy. I can't believe I had second thoughts about tackling this project.

I'm now five months along and I'm more than halfway done! The baby is very active, and from what we saw in the sonogram two days ago, very healthy. He gives me spin kicks a couple of times a day and absolutely wriggles in delight when I demolish Banana Cream Pie Blizzards. Hoh yeah. What more could I ask for?

Oh man, has it really been more than a year?

A lot has happened since I last posted here. I went back to my husband in Evansville and subsequently got pregnant. :D Now life is filled with joy, anxiety, excitement and baby knitting.

MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!

Back In Evansville

Hoh my God, it's so c-c-cold!!!!!

Pfft.

Guess who just came out of the hospital? That's right. After two weeks of fainting, puking and generally feeling awful, I'm finally back to normal and looking forward to resuming my busy busy life. I want to go back to work, read, draw, crochet, knit and sew in my spare time (see, this is why I'm more tired during my off days than I am during my normal work week. I do more during the weekends, but it's a good kind of tired) My doctor did tell me to take it easy, take my meds and eat well. I don't ever want to go back to the hospital again. I don't think my nerves can take any more needle poking, blood letting, rather flavorless hospital food and middle-of-the-night nursing student rounds where nursing students think they have the right to shake you awake in the wee hours of the morning and ask you if you've pooped and peed today. Geh. That was the lesson, I'm not going to get sick, not if I can help it.

Anyway, this is what I was up to while I was waiting to get well. They fortunately did not have to stick me with an IV, so the left both my hands free to finish my friend's variegated green halter top. I unfortunately do not have pictures of the finished product because I already gave it to Ross. Perhaps she'll model it for me one day. It turned out great and it was the greatest feeling to see her really happy when she got it.

This is my first attempt at doing "Marguerite," my Grandmother's unfinished bedspread. The flower turned out pretty nice and I'm rather proud of it. I'm a real doofus when it comes to reading patterns, but I was able to figure it out and get it right the first time. Yahoo!

This is proof that I have the capability being innovative (heehee) I was having a hard time crocheting with a spool of thread in while I was laying down (reclined more like), so I used one of the hospital bed posts as a holder for my spool. No rolling around, no hard pulling, just a nice even feed when I need it. Lovely. The staff didn't mind that I did it and they were even nice enough to ask me questions about what I was doing. It was great to talk about it with nurses who also knew how to crochet, so that made my stay even more cheerful. Nevermind the cons I listed earlier.

My little brother is the cutest thing. He's only three and he follows me everywhere I knit or crochet, wanting to learn it. So I gave him some leftover yarn from the Cataract doily and my shortes pair of knitting needles. He gets impatient when I try to teach him the way to do it, I think he enjoys seeing the movements and tries to copy what I do. I maybe teach him real knitting when he's older and still interested. Right now, it's enough that I have a very cute knitting/crochet partner who adores me just as much as I adore him.

I bought these balls of yarn in Hobby Lobby Evansville some time ago. It's called Sinfonia, a sportweight cotton yarn from Mexico. I completely adore this yarn and I bought loads of it (in cream and variegated green) though I had to leave most of it behind. There was a limited number of the variegated green yarn and the dye lots are different, so I've been thinking about the possible projects I could do with it. I decided to make something for one of my adored best friends (who celebrated her 26th birthday on the 15th of August: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ROSS!)

It's a crocheted halter top for the next time she goes to the beach. I figured a plain bikini top would be too revealing (personally, anyway. I bet Ross has no such hangups. Heehee.) so I decided to make it into a sexy, not-quite-openwork halter. Hope she likes it (and actually gets to use it, but knowing her, it probably would be. She loves the beach.)

This blue thingie above is the Cataract doily I made for Deborah (wildthing1058 on Crochetville) She was assigned to make a doily for me, so I thought it would be a nice gesture to give her something back for her hard work. I already sent Madonna (tween on Crochetville) her two doilies, the champagne-colored one and the big purple people eater. I hope she likes it. I wasn't able to block any of the pieces as we have a set of three year olds running around, pinned doilies somewhere in this small condominium would be disastrous if/when they get to it. So I hope those lovely ladies don't mind.

And finally, a random photo of moi.

HA! DONE!

And guess what? I'm working on yet another one. Mwahahahahaha.

Today's my day off (oh yeah, I forgot to mention, I got a job. YAY.) and I spent the whole day watching DVD's and finishing a doily using variegated blue thread. Beautiful. The doily is called "Cataract" and I think the variegated blue thread is definitely a fitting color for it.

In other news, I miss my husband. He left for Evansville last Tuesday to take care of things back there. He'll be back this January for good, so it's okay. It seems so long, but I think with this job and all my hobbies keeping me busy, time will be pass quickly. He will be with me again and I can hug and kiss him all I want. I am definitely looking forward to it.

It's a beautiful, ovecast day today. It's definitely going to rain. I would have wanted to go out, but reading (while eating hot puto* smothered in butter) next to a window while the rain is pouring outside is also wonderfully appealing. I'm definitely done with the Champagne-Colored Doily, all I have to do is block it and post pictures. Now I'm working on this:

See, this is why gauge is very important. This purple "doily" is turning into a huge people eater. I barely started with it and it's already more than eight inches wide. I just hope the lady who gets this for the Doily Swap will like it and will have somewhere to put it. I mean, it looks fairly impressive (READ: hella big) from where I'm looking, but I would also want it to be useful. Form follows function and all that.
People always ask me why I'm so crazy about crocheting and knitting. I can't say I'm crazy about it, but I definitely see how amazing it is to turn a pretty ball of yarn into something complicated. By manipulating string using a hook; twisting, turning, building it stitch by stitch, you come up with something that showcases its beauty even more. This is especially true when you make doilies. Not to mention, crocheting doilies is an exact art. Each stitch has a purpose in the whole scheme of things. If you miss a stitch or you put even one extra, it won't look right.

And finally, what bigger joy is there to know that you are capable of creating something beautiful with humble materials, that you speak and understand a code only a limited number of people in this world can know, and that you are helping carry on something that is thought to be a dying art? The knowledge is satisfying and wonderful, I wouldn't trade that for anything in the world.
*Puto is a kind of steamed cake made of rice flour. It's usually eaten in the morning with cheese or butter or both. It's wonderful with coffee or hot chocolate. Just thinking about it makes me gain five pounds. Mmmmm.

Current Work In Progress: The Champagne-Colored Doily

I found this beautiful Champagne-colored thread while browsing at my favorite craft store. It's the color of old parchment (or natural linen) with a gorgeous sheen. I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I got the pattern from (again) Madonna Crochet Magazine Number 6. The pattern was fairly easy and I whipped through it like nobody's business.

It's obvious where I like to work, no? Now you can see what my sheets look like.

I'm going to work on another doily, or maybe a larger centerpiece after I'm done with this. This could be for the doily swap, or I might decide to keep it, who knows? The larger doily is definitely for the swap. The lady I'm making the doily for likes purple and I found the perfect shade of purple in my stash. It's the closest thing I can get to Cadbury purple, only the thread is a little richer in tone.

In other news, it's so HOT! I'm planning to frog the Klaralund sweater I did back in Evansville. It's too large for me (wow, who would have ever thought that was a possibility?) and I spent too much money on the Kureyon for it to be shoved in a closet, never to be used.

So much to do, but I'm definitely not complaining!

Hot Pink Halter: DONE!

After a week of non-stop work, it's finally done! It was better than I thought it would turn out. I'm so happy. Special thanks to my sister Nuniko for modeling it. (It's really for her anyway... heehee!)

Materials:
Four Balls of Monaco Crochet Thread in Shade B34,
Size 7 steel hook (Imia)
Yarn needle to weave in ends.

Pattern derived from lace pattern found in Madonna Crochet Magazine Number 6.

Update!

I'm almost done with the halter! I'm still not bored with the lace pattern, so that's good. Phew!

In other news, I just joined the Doily Swap at Crochetville and I'm so excited! They coordinator still has to announce the person I'm sending the doily to, but I can hardly wait! My first swap! :D Tee-hee!

I'm already planning on the colors I'm getting in case the person wants a multicolor one. I think I may have a pattern for it, but who knows? I still have to look.