Can't think of a good post title

I’m still here, really I am! I have just been so crazy. It’s funny how I think I’m so together, (wedding planning – piece of cake, no stress…) and then I go completely absent on the blog for like three weeks.

But I have been knitting a little, at least! I made a simple scarf with the Be Sweet yarn I told you about – just a whole bunch of stitches cast on, and garter stitch the whole way. It is so warm and soft! And once I got the hang of the loopy-ness of the boucle, it knit up just fine. Here’s a photo:


(And a closeup, because it makes me happy) Otherwise, I’ve been making more fortune cookies, which since I’ve shown you one we are facing diminishing returns to photography – but I think they look good enough for gift giving. Just a wee bit of sewing (tacking, as the pattern says) and they are good to go.

And now – I’m contemplating a new project! And from stash, no less! There’s a pattern in the new Interweave called Streakers Shrug – called Streakers because of the yarn called for, La Lana Wools Streakers. The yarn is dip-dyed, I think, so that one end is natural and the other is colored – and the pattern uses the light colored parts for knitted lace sleeve cuffs. I’m planning to use some Bartlettyarns wool in navy for the body, but then I was trying to decide whether to use a different color for the cuffs. Here’s a pic of the navy, along what I have in the stash that could be a contrasting cuff color:


I thought it would be springy but modern – although maybe the extra color makes it less versatile. What do you think?

Anyway, that's it for me tonight. Hopefully I'll post at least one more time before the wedding, though. If I can just get through this week at work (debatable!) I will be free to relax a bit and do some knitting, so maybe I'll have a progress shot to share. Til then - happy knitting, everyone!

Felted Fortune

I made a felted fortune cookie! I think it is so cute:


The binder clip is just for size. It turned out well, since it is recognizable as a fortune cookie – but I plan to make two small changes when I make the next one: 1) pull the first stitch on the outer edge tighter, so it will curl inward when I felt it; and 2) pull the center tighter when I stitch it together, so the center will lie flatter. But otherwise, a great first cookie!

I’m finding it hard to muster much knitting energy these days. I don’t want to think about the wedding anymore, but because it’s basically the biggest thing in my life right now, it’s hard to focus on anything else. Maybe I should start an afghan or something.

I did try a little swatch of crocheting, using the directions in Debbie Stoller’s new book on crochet, The Happy Hooker. After a few tries, I even managed to make each row the same length! (That pesky turning chain will get you every time.) Whether you like her politics or not, Stoller is a great teacher. So, maybe I will try a crocheted scarf or something!

I also taught my friend E. how to knit. Well, Debbie Stoller taught her how to knit, since I really just read from the Stitch n Bitch book and demonstrated what it said. She picked it up like a champ and is well on her way to a great first scarf. Yay! One more comes “into the fold…”

Well, it's bedtime for me. I swear, the days go by so fast! It's already Wednesday tomorrow...

Be Sweet

While I was away I couldn’t help but stop by an LYS to check out the goods. Every yarn store is different, and sometimes it seems like availability varies by region.

I was lucky enough to find some of the Be Sweet yarn. Have you heard about this stuff? It is handspun and hand dyed by women in South Africa as part of a job creation program in a rural region with a 75% unemployment rate. A portion of your yarn purchase helps support their local school. I love to support efforts like this that serve people's needs, raise awareness and provide a great product all at the same time. I may struggle to be sweet, but I can definitely buy sweet! So this is what I picked:


This is probably my worst blog photo ever, but at least it shows the colors pretty well. I think the colorway is called Heather Mauve. The yarn is boucle baby mohair. So soft!

In other knitting news, I started on my first felted fortune cookie! I have one almost finished and if I am diligent and do laundry tonight (heh heh) I could have post-felting photos tomorrow. We’ll see!