Mwahahahaha!

You will be mine soon, my pretty.

*covets*

I want a Lubitel.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NUNI!

You are the best sister that anyone can ever ask for! Mwah!

I Want My Long Hair Back

Oh nooooo...

I wish people would stop tearing apart old perfectly good typewriters to make jewelry out of their keys. It makes me unspeakably sad that they would kill such beautiful machines. It's the same sad feeling I get when I hear about elephants being killed for ivory.

There is nothing like clacking away at a typewriter. I have written so many good stories (in my opinion anyway) with a typewriter. There are just some stories that won't come out well written with a computer program, but write beautifully in an old typewriter with a slightly faded ribbon.

Mean Thought

You know, I love Audrey Hepburn as much as the next girl, but holy shit. Will you fucking assholes stop it with the Audrey Hepburn already? "OMG! I lurv Audrey Hepburn! She's, like, my fashion guru." FINE. But before I take you seriously, will you please do your research and watch her movies so you can contribute to the conversation a little more intelligently?

SHEESH.


"She held herself very straight, like Audrey Hepburn, whom all women idolize and men never think about."
— Jeffrey Eugenides (The Virgin Suicides)

ETA: I have gotten some reaction with this post (Holy cow. People read my blog. Okay, people I know in real life read my blog. Haha.) Listen, I don't hate Audrey Hepburn. I don't hate people who like Audrey Hepburn. What I find annoying are people who name names to look/sound cool. Like people who wear Che Guevarra shirts and say that Che Guevarra's rock star (sad but true) C'mon kids, there's a whole world of information at your fingertips (and your local video rental place) Just saying.

Blogging at work

It's kinda fun. I realize that I haven't posted here in a while, but that should change soon. i have several projects in the works. Some are languishing in a corner, somewhere in my house, victims of startitis. It's a New Year, and while I hate that cliche, I really am sincere in saying that my projects shall languish and be forgotten no more.

In other news, I don't feel well today. Bleh.

DUUUUUUUUUUUDE.

I'm taking fashion. I'm so happy.

'Ello All...

It has been a while since my last post. Real life has taken over much of my time and I haven't really thought much about knitting or crocheting. BUT! I went on a much much needed yarn crawl a couple of days ago and what made the day sweeter was the arrival of two online yarn orders. So yarn yarn yarn everywhere. That doesn't even include the yarn I boxed up when we reorganized. So I realized, to my delight, that I actually have a stash (albeit a small one). I've always had a project in mind when I buy yarn. I have never actually bought yarn just because. It's evident in the soysilk and sock yarn I bought. I have no idea what to do with three balls of squishy soysilk and I have never knitted a sock in my life. I will get there though, just you watch. ;p

My yarn crawl drawer (OMG! I just saw how dusty it is! Guess what I'm doing this weekend with a Swiffer?) The rest of my yarn is currently unphotographed.

I had started to work on Eunny Jang's Venezia Pullover [Ravelry] but the rising heat and the demands of my baby boy was taking its toll on my concentration. I hate being interrupted when I'm deep into something, so I had to set it aside in favor of something mindless, easy and cooler on the hands and lap. So I chose to knit a top down silk shrug out of the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk [Ravelry] scored on that lovely yarn crawl. It is gorgeous stuff and I would love to work with this yarn as often as possible.

My current project, my sketchbook and currently rereadingThe House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.

Also also, I've been tagged by DreamingKnitter of I Knit My Dreams (Thank you! That was really nice of you to think of me during Bobmas) and I have to tag six other bloggers. Err, I don't really have a lot of contact with other knitters so I tag anyone who reads this blog. ;p (Yeah, the thousands of you)

Anyhoo:

Six Things I Like to Do (In No Particular Order):

1. Take Care of Connor. No, really. It does get tiring and it does get frustrating, but I really do love taking care of my baby. I love rocking him to sleep, feeding him, dressing him, playing with him... etc. I love being his mommy and the drooly smile I get when I do something that makes him happy does funny things to my heart.

Any excuse to show my baby, right? Haha.

2. Draw and paint. I've been drawing for as long as I can remember and painting for more than half my life. My earliest childhood memory is being on the floor with paper and lumber crayons my Dad got from the Sugar Factory he worked for.

3. Design. I went to school for Interior Design and I loved my stay there. I love drafting floor plans, coloring perspectives, sourcing materials and the construction of your ideas etc. I love the process of it, how it changes and how inspiring and expensive it all is. Now I'm getting into Fashion Design on top of Interior and Furniture Design. So I know that my wallet is REALLY in trouble.

4. Knit and Crochet. I think I mentioned it on this blog that I find it amazing that I can take humble materials and manipulate it to form something useful and pretty. This is my own form of meditation or reflection. Every stitch I make is part of an idea brewing in my head. I feel calmer and more sane when I knit or crochet. I also produce more art that way. Yeah, I play with yarn so I don't kill people, I think I saw that on a shirt or something like that.

5. Read. I LOVE books. I love looking at them, smelling them, touching them and most of all, reading them. I'm the kind of person who can't bear to throw books away, no matter how craptastic the writing is. I'm also the kind of person who reads everything from cereal boxes to billboards. That eccentricity drives my husband and siblings crazy, but I can't help it. I can't turn it off and I don't really want to.

6. Shop. From the time I learned how to use a credit card, my parents have called me "Buy-ra" for my compulsive shopping habit. I LOVE buying things. I love buying yarn, books, dvd's, antiques, stuff for the house, stuff for the car, stuff for my baby, makeup, shoes, art materials... anything that makes me take my credit card or cash out of my wallet. I have fortunately learned to curb my obsessive shopping impulses now that I'm married with a baby and a real budget to follow, but I know that monster is still inside this shameless consumer's heart, waiting for me to win the lottery (like that's ever gonna happen. Pffft!)

Good Grief! It's been a while!

I have been so busy with Connor that I have neglected my poor knitting blog *pets knitting blog* Anyhoo, I do have some finished objects to show for. I had to choose very easy projects so I could put them down in a moment's notice when Connor needs something (he's asleep in his swing right now).

So here's what I have to show so far (the rest haven't been photographed):

Silk Granny Square Baby Blanket

Yarn: Amerah (Ravelry) in Lush, 10 balls. I didn't really like working with this yarn, but the results are WORTH it, ohmehgeh.
Pattern: Regular Granny Square. One square per ball of yarn. (I made nine square and used one ball for the edging.)

The Mutant Tiramisu Baby Blanket

Yarn: Cascade Sierra (Ravelry). I looooove this yarn. If I had more money to burn I would buy a whole truck of this in all the colors and bury myself in it (that and Malabrigo). I have some left so I think I'll make a nice cardigan for me to wear on our flight to the Philippines (airports DO get cold).

Pattern: I based it on the Tiramisu Baby Blanket from Posie Gets Cozy. Instead of single crochet stitches that the pattern calls for, I did it in double crochet. Quick quick quick.

In other news, I just bought yarn to make something for myself. I've been looking obsessively at the gorgeous colorwork stuff on Ravelry and I decided to make one for myself. Sooo, I picked Interweave Knits' Venezia Pullover because I'm crazy and I want to make myself crazier. I'm using Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 (Ravelry) in the Rainbow colorway (EQ) and Knitpicks Palette (Ravelry) in Black.

Okee, I have to leave now. Crying baby. Toodles. Mwah!

Back Again After A Long, Long Break

Hello Dear Readers (Uhm, anyone?)

He's Here!

Connor Joshua Manuel Weigle. Seven pounds, fifteen ounces, twenty one inches long. Born on the 12th of December 2007 at 11:01am.

He is in the Women's Hospital NICU right now with an infection. He's doing very well and he's eating a lot. Prayers would be appreciated so we can take him home in time for Christmas.

*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.