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Your Vote?

The Knitting Olympics will be upon us soon, so I need to choose a project to knit! Something that will be a challenge to knit within 17 days, that will push me – but not something that will push me to the point of giving up. We don’t want that. Since I’ll be traveling during part of that time, something that is easy to follow is great. Since I’ll be traveling in the Pacific Northwest, something as heavy as a sweater is an option! (Yeah!)

So here are my four choices that I’m trying to choose between:

– The Eris Cardigan – I have had the yarn for this sweater for 2 years now. A lovely, rich shade of red Cascade 220. I’m worried that the raglan sleeves won’t be flattering.

– Cassidy – A brand new pattern from Bonne Marie, the set in sleeves would most likely be a more flattering fit. Should have enough of the Cascade 220 that I could make this sweater out of it. I *heart* cables on sweaters. It would be a solid 17 day challenge.

– Twist – Another sweater by Bonne Marie, I first favorited it when I saw the one that Caro made 6 months ago. Like that it has a collar option that isn’t a hood. I could also use the red yarn for this one, but I don’t think I want to make it in red. I see it in the brown/black yarn that Caro made it in, and I think it would go best with my wardrobe. Speaking about my wardrobe, I need new wardrobe doors.

– The February Lady Sweater – I guess I’ve been living in a knitting cave, because this sweater? It is the latest thing that all the cool kids on Ravelry are knitting. Blogless Katy is knitting one, and I saw it tonight. Love!

– Hanami – not a sweater. Obviously. I purchased yarn for this uhm, 6-8 months ago? (Wow, has it really been that long?) It is gorgeous, but would I really wear it? Probably not as much as one of the sweaters. But it really is so pretty!

You have until Saturday to tell me which project you think I should knit for the Knitting Olympics. Your feedback on why I should knit it is always appreciated!

Amuse Me

Baby’s First Internet!

Oh my. This is just cracking me up. Baby’s First Internet – check it out! (Link via MishMish.)

Not sure how to explain the internet to your young ones? Presenting a series of nursery rhymes to teach children how to comport themselves on the online.

Do not stop to think or edit:
You must be the first who said it.

You heard a brand-new band? What luck!
You’ll be the first to say they suck.

In order to increase renown,
add “bacon” to most any noun.

It’s not your job to right a wrong,
just mark it FAIL and move along.

Rather than felicitations,
send your friend an application.

To be an expert’s no great tax:
Write common sense and call it “hacks.”

Your friends won’t like it, on the real,
but you must Flickr every meal.

In disagreements, all your readers
must be branded Nazi leaders.

It doesn’t matter what you say,
just publish it twelve times per day.

The illustrations by Kean Soo are over the top fabulous!

BlahBlahBabble Knittastic!

Flat Feet…

Even though I haven’t been picking up the knitting needles often lately (definitely not as often as I would like), I always look for knitting shops whenever I visit a new city. My trip to California allowed me to visit 3 great shops, and I’ll be sharing details of each one as I photograph the stash I accidentally found joining me for my trip home.

First up — Commuknitty of San Jose, California. This was actually the second shop I visited on my trip, but I decided to talk about it first because I have actually…

… drum roll …

KNIT A SOCK! With yarn purchased at Commuknitty! GASP! Shocking!!! Ok, ok, maybe not THAT shocking, because I have actually knit socks before. However, this just might be my first finished object of 2008. Although it isn’t really finished yet, because I only have one sock. I have two feet. I need to make the second sock. So I’ll actually cast on for it right after I finish up this post.

Right after casting on – started 6/23/08 – finished 6/28/08

The internet search listed a few different shops in the San Jose area, but I picked this one because it had such a great rating on Yelp. Fortunately, it was close to where Erica and I had lunch with the most delicious sandwiches ever, so it was just a quick run to get over there. One of the main reasons I wanted to go there was so I could get one of the Flat Feet sock yarn flats. They take already knit up yarn (flat), dye it, and then you frog it as you knit it into a sock. My yarn shop carries these too, but I wanted to get one from there as a travel sock to work on.

Commuknitty is quite a charming store. Not quite as full of yarn as some of the other stores I have been to (I am a bit spoiled by Twisted Yarns after all), they greeted me as soon as I walked in the door, the shop felt comfortable from the second I walked in, and they had yarns I had not seen before in other shops. Check, check, check — all the things needed for a great yarn experience! If you’re ever in San Jose, be sure to stop in and check it out.

I also picked up Cascade sock yarn, and — most importantly — a skein of Noro Silk Garden to use in my Lizard Ridge blanket. I’ve decided that I want some of the squares to come from shops all over, hopefully in colors representing the town that I bought it at. This might not work for long, but it makes me happy to try. I picked up color #87 from San Jose, bright and colorful and hot — clear and sunny to me, just like San Jose was. It was by far the hottest place I visited in California. (Still not as hot as Houston, but hot no less.) I also picked up a lovely Trekking in dark gray. I might call them and have them send me a second one in the same die lot for a scarf I want to make instead of socks.

I’ll add photos of the San Jose stash acquisitions here soon.

Oh, how I miss California already. I’ve only been home for 24 hours, yet I miss the ability to go outside and not instantly melt. I like Houston in many ways — but the heat? Oh, how I hate the heat. I actually ate lunch outside on Sunday and felt a little bit chilled. It was fabulous.

BlahBlahBabble

Baby In a Tube…

Wow. I still remember when the first test tube baby was born, and how controversial it all was at the time. Now the first person conceived via IVF, Louise Brown, is 30 years old.

I know many people that have used In Vitro Fertilization to successfully have children, so it is hard to believe it has been only 30 years. At the same time, it is weird to look back and think about all the controversy that surrounded it back then.

I wonder if someday we’ll have the same feeling about other controversial topics? I’m personally all for stem cell research — I don’t think that one should be controversial at all. What about cloning? What other things might become more of a norm in the future? It makes me want to go get one of these cheap online psychic readings to know what is coming in my future. I honestly prefers this Psychic Reading because I´m able to contact my dead relatives.

Hmmm…

Amuse Me

What a Carp Pedicure…

This is just crazy. This salon in Virginia uses tiny carp to nibble the scaly skin off of your feet. I can’t decide if I should say “eewwww…” or if it is a fabulous idea.