T Minus 16 Days And Counting...

Lennon says, "Mom, it's so nice to erm, ugh, cuddle with you, even though your lap disappeared..."


"...what's in this bubble, anyway?"

Notice the knitting by my feet? Yes, I've been knitting away on Trellis while also trying to prepare myself, my home, my workplace, etc., as much as possible for the baby that's due in 16 days. SIXTEEN DAYS. Sorry, didn't mean to yell, but woah. I've been doing pretty well up until the last couple of days when it's become pretty uncomfortable to sleep and I can't seem to get caught up on rest. So I'll be working a few days this week and then I'm done. I hope this baby will let me rest a few days before it decides to make its grand entrance. My mom and sisters are predicting June 14-15ish, and I could live with that.

Here's my progress on Trellis... I like how the white cables look like cake frosting. I just have the two little sleeves to knit and then the finishing. I thought it would be a pretty easy pattern, and really, it is, but since I'm tired a lot of the time, and you really have to pay attention row by row, I've had to do some ripping and reknitting. If I weren't tired, it would be so easy; the stitch pattern and cables are pretty intuitive.

Time to knit a bit more while my eyes are still open... I hope to have a finished cardi to share very soon!

Time, Goes By So Slowly, and Time Can Do So Much

Are those the right lyrics? Well, they're a lie. I should have written, "Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives," because my goodness it's already late May and

the baby progress bar just moved to 90%.

Holy cow. I have four weeks to go. That is, if this wiggly little person can stay put that long. Whew.



I'm knitting Trellis for the same wiggly little person and am nearly done with the back. That "left twist" thing threw me for a loop! But after restarting the piece at least 4 times, I've got it down now and barely have to look at the chart. It's a fun pattern, keeps my interest, which is good because I seem to be bored with plain stockinette right now.

Also, did you watch 24? Oh. My. God. Can you believe we have to wait until JANUARY to find out what happens next? The pain! The torture! Oh Jack, can you hold on that long? The sad thing is that he's been a super action hero for the past "24 hours" (riiight... and yet I suspend disbelief more than willingly every single week) and now he's going to go without sleep for another 24 hours, undoubtedly while he's fighting terrorism. (Shut up, Karma, don't ruin it for yourself by thinking about it too much...)

On Ribs, A Robot, and a Really Big Belly

The Ribs

I finished the second Rib and Cable Sock pretty quickly, I must say! They've been sitting here patiently, waiting for me to share. Just in time; the weather is forecast to be in the high 70s all week.



Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush
Interweave Knits, Fall 2005
Mountain Colors Bearfoot: Wildflowers
Addi Turbos US1

I really liked this pattern a lot. It's only the second pair of socks I've knit for myself and they're a super fit. Either I'm getting used to placket and flap heels, or this one was just very well written and relatively easy to do. The toe is the 5 point toe from Knitting Vintage Socks and is just lovely.

The Robot

On to the robot. (backstory) I'm trying not to say, "I told you so," at all to Mr. Goodkarma, but he is returning the robot. The robot was pretty expensive, even though he bought a refurbished model, and I thought it was a ridiculous expense for such a basic function in life. However, since he was really, really excited about a litter box that would keep itself clean while I'm not allowed to clean it, I left it up to him.

- The entrance to the robot is smaller and narrower than the entrance to our normal litter box with lid.
- I think the inside is also smaller; it's just the globe part of the top that your cat goes into.
- I saw Lennon use it several times and he's the bigger cat! He's very easy going as long as there's a steady food supply.
- Julian only used it once or twice. He really avoided the robot.
- The noises and motions were weird... Lennon got used to them but Julian never trusted the thing. He's more skittish.
- Finally, sometimes when Lennon used the box, the way he positioned his body was... well, as if there were no litter box at all. He pointed his tail out the door and sprayed! Ack! Fortunately, in the place where the litter box is we currently have old carpet that's going to be replaced, but it's still disconcerting (not to mention smelly) to see a spray of cat piss coming out of the entrance of the litter robot onto the carpet.

Enough of that. Bye bye, Darth Vader Robot!

The Really Big Belly

And now what you've all been asking for.... a belly picture. First off, let me say how fortunate I feel to be pregnant and how much I am looking forward to knowing this little peanut that's growing inside me. However, and I know I've mentioned this before, but the whole pregnancy/weight gain/body morph thing has been really, really psychologically bizarre for me. Some women say that their pregnancy was the best time of their life, they loved it, bladdyblahblah. My pregnancy has been relatively easy and I'm feeling pretty good physically, but I guess I'm so used to working hard to lose weight when I was heavier and working hard to become more fit, that this is not the golden goddess time of my life.

Click here to read my Invasion of the Body Snatchers post, including a before picture and a 24 week picture. And now I present a 34 week picture taken a week ago at a baby shower:



So the countdown is progressing... about five weeks until Baby Karma makes an appearance! My midwife today told me it could really be any time, but she hopes I'll stay pregnant for at least two more weeks. Wish me luck!

Jenny I Got Your Number

Just a few tidbits and I promise soon I will be back to being a knitblogger.

1. If your name is Jenny Z and you're from Cali, will you please send me an email? I got your sweeeeet package today and I want to thank you for it. But I don't know who you are! This is the ultimate mystery.

2. Many of you asked how the Litter Robot is working. I haven't replied to you because we're still letting the boys get used to it and transition from their old litter box. Today it looks like there's some action in the Mr. Roboto, so hopefully I'll have a full review for you soon.

3. Has anyone knit with Schoeller Stahl Micro Cable? (Googling didn't help much, sadly.) Or has anyone seen/touched it? Is it going to be nasty acrylic-ly yarn or is it really, as elann describes, going to be a "Satiny smooth, airy light microfibre!"??

4. Have you seen these ads? Super cute.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto!

When you're pregnant, you're not supposed to change the cat litter box. Mr. Goodkarma wasn't very happy about that. He made the loudest, most dramatic protests every time he had to do this chore that I've been doing for the last ten years and insisted that it was time to get an automatic litter box. The kind that basically cleans itself. Right. Away. This is what he came up with. Naturally, he chose black.


It's enormous and robotic and the first time Julian and Lennon saw it do its thing (the globe part mechanically rotates more than 360 degrees and then back again to clean itself, each time a cat leaves a deposit), they must have thought Darth Vader just invaded their home. BIG eyes. Very curious and a little scared. But now, a day or two later, they seem to think it's just another part of the house.

In more interesting news, I met Sundara and her friend V again last night, and their friends S and D were there, too. This time, we actually knit! Yay! These are four really great gals and I'm glad to have met them. Plus, V taught us all about hush puppies. She thought we were all so cute for not knowing what they are. I've had them a couple of times but most of the others hadn't. Next time, though, I want her to explain the mystery of grits.


I finished the first Rib and Cable Sock over the weekend and it fits perfectly! Yay! Nancy Bush is really smart and I should just follow her directions. (Unlike with the Conwys when I assumed that my feet were bigger/wider than they truly are and ended up with sloppy socks.) I like the toe shaping; I believe it's the same as the Star of Three Points toe in her Knitting Vintage Socks book. Here's the first one:

And so of course I cast on for sock #2 right away. For me, in my limited sock experience anyway, sock #2 always goes so much faster. I take my time with sock #1, sometimes putting it down for days/weeks, because I worry that it won't fit or that my heel will suck or that I'll run out of yarn or some other ridiculous thing. I think now I'm going to attack socks much more confidently (as long as I have a pattern that I know is well written) and not worry about that stuff. I have yarn for a couple more pairs of socks (thinking of those Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark in IK for one pair) and then I've got to try out Sundara's sock yarn. So. Pretty. She tells us about the yarn that she chooses (only the best, none of this cheap stuff for her), and tells us what she does or doesn't like about other sock yarns out there, which is really good information for me since I'm still experimenting so much with different yarns/fibers/brands/etc. I am super tempted to buy her yarn already, but I'm trying to be reasonable and not have tooooo much "overstock" in my house at once.

At my first meeting with Sundara, I had Jemima with me and she said I was "brave" for knitting sweaters while I'm so preggo. That made me stop and think. Am I being brave, am I determined to get my figure back as much as reasonable, or am I in denial? Something to think about while I redirect my attention to socks! haha


And speaking of babies, I have received the sweetest gifties in the mail recently! The first one came from Mitten's mama, Heidi. She's makes baby bibs and changing pads out of cool vintage fabrics and sells them at her shop. I was surprised and happy to receive this cool one! I love the red print and it's reversible with an olive green back. Tres chic! My little peanut is going to be so stylin'. Heidi also sent a couple of great articles; what a good pal.


I was really surprised to get a package today from New Zealand. Kim (aka Kozmic at Knitty) knit this sweet baby sweater for the little peanut! I love the colors. The yarn is a machine washable wool blend with primary colored flecks, from New Zealand, naturally! Can't wait to see this on the little one, maybe with the red Robeez monkey slippers my mom gave me. How lucky am I?

Finally, I got the new KnitPicks catalog this week and decided to skim through it this morning. I found two projects that look strangely familiar....

Tidbits

I brought the Shawl Collar Pullover to my mom's house for a visit a few days ago. Guess who it fit perfectly? Grr. Jealous? Me? Hmph. She said she wants "hers" to have longer sleeves, though. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink.

Guess who I'm planning to meet tomorrow for the first time? I'll give you a hint. You might know her by her purly whites. And she dyes really beautiful yarn! We've been chatting for ages about meeting up sometime to knit and we finally made plans for tomorrow, after my yoga class. Can't wait!






I'm still in love with Jemima + Rowan Cashsoft DK + Addi Turbos. I finally found a good solution for Jemima, too. I've been mentally tinkering with how to add length and waist shaping, possibly keeping the lovely tubular cast-on and subsequent ribbing, without having the puckering at the hip problem. Wanna know what I'm doing? I'm using the directions for Shawl Collar Pullover for the bottom half of Jemima! I'm also thinking of ixnaying the placket and buttons. I don't think I'll ever find buttons that will match my colors, and I hate that poorly matched buttons might make the whole sweater look cheesy. So now, is this still Jemima? Maybe her name will change to Jemi-not. Or something equally dorky. 'Cause that's how I roll. har har.

I had to buy a new bra today. In a new (read: bigger) size. And dangit, the lovely associate at Nordstrom wasn't convinced that I'm done growing in bra sizes. She thinks I should come back again a couple of weeks before my due date and get fitted AGAIN. Like expensive supportive bras for girls like me grow on trees. Aiya. Whatareyagonnado.

Have you heard of mail2web.com? Maybe I'm the last girl on earth to find out about it. I thought I'd never be able to access my home email on the web (what a pain when you're traveling, out and about, at work expecting an important message to come to your home email addy, etc.) and the Mr. just found out about this one. Cool.

Adrienne Vittadini Shawl Collar Pullover

We haven't had many shiny happy days in Seattle lately, so I forgot all about photographing this finished sweater. In fact, since it doesn't fit me right now, I put it in my knitting basket and forgot all about it!

Adrienne Vittadini Shawl Collar Pullover
Vogue Knitting Winter 2004/05
Cascade Lana d'Oro, Heathered Purple, just over 10 skeins

I love the shape of this top. The pattern is exceptionally well written with clear instructions on which increases and decreases to use when. Gentle waist shaping means it's going to fit me well this fall. It's really a simple design, and the collar is all the detail it needs. I didn't have to make any alterations to the pattern to make it fit (my normal body) just right, except for adding some length to the sleeves. I tried it on today, just for kicks, and I can tell that later I'm going to love wearing this sweater!

Now I just have to translate this fit to Jemima and I'll be flying high!

Cascade Lana d'Oro was discontinued a year or two ago, so I'm lucky to have bought a couple of bags of it when I did. This purple bag has been sitting around waiting for just the right project. It's a great yarn to knit with and I can't wait to wear it. Lovely soft heathery goodness, great stitch definition with the ribbing.

I'm on spring break this week, which means getting lots of things done around the house, but it also means a little much needed R&R time. It was spring break two years ago when I bought my first needles and Lamb's Pride Bulky to make my first scarf. Two years already! Wow, this hobby has really taken hold.

P.S. Just have to share this sweetness sent to me by dear Karen. A Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran baby hat, so sweet, and a great book of fairy tales, poetry, etc. that will, I know, be a bedtime staple in Casa de Karma. I'm such a lucky gal! I can't wait to show a modeled shot of the little hat. Thanks again, Karen!!! Mwah!

Grumpy McGrumpybutt

Spring break starts in about 7 hours. I'm not counting or anything. I've been a big grumpy sourpuss this week from lack of sleep and readiness for a break, so I want to thank my Mister for putting up with me. xoxo

I was tagged by Big Sister Nicole today. This meme spoke to me for some reason... It's a short little meme that I think had to do with yesterday being the 5th of the month, so I will progress it to 6 for the 6th:

Six minutes to yourself: how would you spend them, ideally? Relaxing in a comfy chair with my eyes closed. See, I told you I'm tired.

Six bucks to spend right now: how would you spend it? I would buy a big pack of Diet Cherry Coke. I'm out. I've been out for a couple of days. Maybe that's why I'm tired?

Six items in your house you could part with, right now, that you hadn't thought of already? We're in the middle of Goodkarma Clean Sweep at my house. I can see about 60 items I could part with! Possibly not working paper shredder, possibly not working inkjet printer, a box of styrofoam peanuts, a bamboo window shade that was never installed and never will be, a vinyl window shade left behind by the previous owners of the house, and a few bags of magazines that multiplied overnight.

Six items you absolutely, positively could never part with in your house? My husband, my iPod, my Mac, my digital camera, my knitting stuff, my photos.

Six words you love? "Come here and snuggle with me."

Your turn Moni, Parikha and Angela.

Jemima was here

I'm still working on Jemima. At least, that's what I tell her as she sits patiently in a big zip-lock freezer bag for the past few weeks or so. The two sleeves are done. I've been working out how to add both length and waist shaping to the bodice. I started out with a tubular cast on (love it) and kind of winged it but now I think I have too steep a slope from hip to waist and I don't want any bulging going on at the hips. So that's why she's sitting in a zip-lock still.

I was thinking about whether or not I really want that ribbing at my hip. And then it hit me this morning on my way to work: why not build an Hourglass Jemima? I can use the bottom half of Hourglass to construct a knitted hem (including a couple of rows of contrast color at the very bottom, just like Jemima has?) and waist shaping, but keep everything else true to the original Jemima pattern. Hmm. Still considering this. I think it's a good idea.

Now I must get my fix watch 24.

F is for feet

Where have I been? The past two weeks have been unbelievably frantic.

*Car repair estimates: check.

*Kitty cat feeling better: check.

*Attend Sen. Barack Obama rally for Sen. Maria Cantwell: check.

*Baby's first goth show: check. (Sisters of Mercy came to town... sadly, their show was very poorly engineered so they sounded awful and the smoke machine was working so well that you could only see the performers' sunglasses... but on a brighter note, Rob Dickinson, lead singer of The Catherine Wheel, opened with a solo set and was brilliant.)

*Prenatal yoga classes: check.

*Childbirth classes: check.

*Pass the gestational diabetes screening: check.

*Belly finally grown bigger than bust: check. check.

*Home office deconstructed to make room for nursery: check. I've been relegated to a corner in the dungeon basement rec room, which is working out pretty well. Lennon (in the picture to the right) welcomes me to his lair. His favorite spot is on top of the hot water heater.

*Bureaucratic meetings, workshops and conferences: check.

*Report cards: almost done.

*Knitting: check.

Ruffle Rib Socks
Interweave Knits, Summer 2005
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Georgetown colorway, leftover from my own Conwys.
Addi Turbos size 0 (2mm)

These were fun to knit. At another time in my life, they would have taken so little time, but they were the perfect project to bring along to a meeting or to knit along with the little bit of TV I've had time for these days. A row here, a heel there, and they're finally done!

I've been wanting to try short row heels and this pattern felt like a sampler: short row toes and short row heels, plus a decorative zig-zag bind off that I hadn't tried before. I'm really happy with the results; I hope the future wearer of them feels the same way.

My Conwys (color is more true on the first two pictures than here) were knitted on Addi Turbos size 1 and I really, really like the denser fabric of these socks done on size 0. Lesson learned: check!

Murphy, Lay Off!

Remember when I said I was going to have knitting content soon? Yeah. I'm having one of those Murphy's Law kind of weeks. My car was hit on Tuesday (I wasn't in it)(the guy left a note, thank goodness), so that's one more thing to deal with. Sweet kitty baby Julian is not well. He had bloodwork done on the same day my car was hit (luckily the car is drivable!) and I'm hoping that he will improve. I went to yoga last night and got so relaxed I could have fallen asleep three times! :) But my evenings have been spent with a sad, clingy furball in my lap, so not a whole lot of knitting done.

Notice that Jemima is making steady progress? The sleeves are done. Yay! I cast on the front (tubular, my new best friend) yesterday during a painful budget meeting at work (money + public schools = pain and anguish) and then realized that I forgot something... the sweater as designed is a bit shorter than I wanted and has no waist shaping... it just increases up from the hem to the bustline. I need more of an hourglass shape so I need to figure in some waist decreases from the hip, and then increase to the bust.

So I'll redo that tubular cast-on when I have that all figured out. Should be simple to reconfigure, as long as Murphy's Law doesn't send raining frogs or some other catastrophe to add to this lovely week. :)

One more thing:
Addi Turbos + Rowan Cashsoft = Heaven.

E is for Earth

My students, along with another class, planted 600 plants, shrubs, and trees on our campus last week. They've been learning about water conservation, native vs. invasive plants, drought resistance, etc. They had a blast planning the gardens, preparing the soil, and finally planting. I can't wait until spring is truly here so they can see some of the plants come out of dormancy.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers

Remember this girl?



Well, she looks like this now:



My only conclusion is that my home has been attacked by Pod People, and I'm carrying some alien life form under my skin. I feel lots of kicks and wiggles, especially after eating and at bedtime. Yesterday while I was teaching, I think the baby was doing downward dog, pointing its little butt toward my belly button. Good times. We're at the point now (25-26 weeks) where I'm just starting to feel uncomfortable if I eat too much lunch at once, and where I'm feeling the smallest kicks in the ribs. Oh, and I'm starting to waddle. I can only imagine how much more beautiful it's all going to be over the next three months.

It's funny how I look differently depending on what I'm wearing each day. This past week, several people have approached me and told me that I'm going to have a boy because I'm carrying the little sprout high and my belly is pointy. Also, some people are really irritated with me for not finding out the baby's gender. I gotta have a few good surprises in my life, you know?

Meanwhile, my cat, Lennon, is also behaving strangely; do the Pod People have Pod Cats?



You know how fraidy cats are about vacuum cleaners; both Julian and Lennon run full throttle to the furthest corner of the house whenever they see the vacuum come out of the closet. But now Lennon is showing a preference for the blow dryer. He likes to sit on the toilet and watch me dry my hair. Sometimes I'll aim the hot air toward him and he goes crazy for it! I could make some really tasteless joke about preferring blowing over sucking, but that would probably cross the line.

Finally, do you ever remember feeling so much joy over such a little thing like walking? This is my wee friend Anya, having the time of her life. I have to remind myself to slow down and enjoy the smallest things.



Knitting content to come... tomorrow?

Slow But Steady Wins the Race

Shawl Collar Pullover, such an easy, basic pattern, no? Maybe I'm becoming a perfectionist in my old age, but it's taking forever to put together.

Shoulders seamed and shawl collar installed while watching Cinderella Man a few nights ago. That took a few tries. The ribbed collar/stockinette front/row/stitch count made it all quite an adventure. And the spot where the ends cross over one another was a little tricksy.

Sleeve caps installed last night during the Oscars. I DVR'd the show, so we watched it later on in the evening and fast forwarded through all the commercials, took a break to make dinner, etc., but there is no way it should have taken that long just to attach the sleeves caps to the arm openings. I think I did one side over FIVE times. Clearly I knit either the front or the back an eensy bit longer than the other. That's okay, it finally worked out.

Sleeve and side seams should go together well (fingers crossed) tonight during the TWO HOUR special episode of 24. Can't wait!

Cotton Fleece's Big Sister?

Is there a yarn out there that is comparable to Cotton Fleece but is slightly bulkier? Like 15-16 stitches to 4"?

D is for Designs That Inspire

I can't knit fast enough (or is it that I just don't have enough time in my day?) to keep up with all the inspiration.



This is really gorgeous. Mer was the one to introduce the pattern on her blog a couple of days ago; I haven't been able to stop thinking about it ever since. I keep reading the Drops pattern (free!) and after reading through the English translation several times I understand the construction and instructions well enough to want to do it. Someday. Here's my question... take a look at the diagram first:

If you knit something like this, which has one main piece that's a circle knit in the round from the inside out, how would you splice/attach each new ball of yarn if you're using a yarn that isn't feltable? See, I'm in love with spit-splicing whenever possible, but if I use a blend of fibers that doesn't include wool or other animal fibers, what's the best bet? There aren't side seams to hide ends into.








I saw this Drops design a while back, too, and thought it was lovely. The shaping is right up my alley. I have a bag of purple Misti Alpaca Sport that I was going to use for a Union Square Market Pullover, but this would be a much more flattering line on me. It's still a possibility. Someday.








And finally, I'm in love with Starsky. I can't help it. It's a great look! I don't have anything like it. I'm curious, though, about the designer's suggestion that it be knit with 8" of ease based on the bust measurement. If you're a medium sized gal with a large bustline, do you still want that much ease? These are the questions that keep me up at night.

Come On, Drink the Kool Aid

I've got two friends who are, separately, getting excited about knitting.

One is the mommy of the twins I made the raglan baby sweaters for recently. She started knitting while on bedrest and wanted to learn more. I went over this weekend and showed her a few things, namely Addi Turbos and knitting socks on two circs. She's hooked! Yay! She called tonight to let me know that she's in love with the Turbos and can't wait to get more pairs/sizes.

The other is a friend who has never knit before. The pal who taught me how to knit a couple of years ago taught her just this week. She called me last night, saying, "Help! I have a knitting question!!" Yay! She's learning the basics and sounds really interested.

I say to them, "Welcome to my obsession. Let me know how I can help you feed the monster." heh.

As for me....

1. Shawl Collar Pullover pieces are finally dry. We'll see how soon I can get 'er seamed up.

2. Jemima is knitting up rather quickly thanks to the LOVELY Cashsoft and the way that it literally flies on Addi Turbos. I think I have a crush on this combination. I'm almost to the raglan shaping of sleeve #1.

3. Excellent yarn arrived today. Love living so close to Elann. Must remember to exercise restraint, though, else I order something new every stinking week. Must order an Addi Turbo US15/10mm. Holy cow. Haven't used such big needles since I was a beginner who knit too tightly and needed fat needles so my first scarf wouldn't be stiff as a board.

Knitting Ups and Downs

Shawl Collared Pullover is happily blocking away with its own little ray of sunshine (they're hard to come by over here) and yes, it's true that wet alpaca really does smell like wet dog. Mmmm. Yummy. I hope it dries soon; I keep laughing when I think of what this sweater's going to look like on my daily-increasing belly. Fortunately, people have good imaginations and will probably be able to imagine what it will look like on me next fall, right? :)

Our trip to Vancouver was lovely and quite uneventful. Perfect. We stayed right downtown and walked all over the place. Ate good food. Saw two good movies (Firewall was intensely suspenseful; Syriana was complex, political, and kept us talking and thinking well after we left the theater). Touched no yarn. I didn't even knit in the car on the way up or down. It seemed important to be more present, enjoying the scenery and conversation with Mr. Goodkarma. It was a good time!

But you know how I am; as soon as Shawl Collar was off the needles and in the bath I was itching to cast on something new. For a minute I considered going to one of my stalled projects but no, I had to start something new. That's a lesson for me; do NOT leave a project unfinished or it may never ever ever see the light of day again.

Elann had this Schoeller Stahl Excellent yarn for a few days. I kept looking at the sample pattern and thinking about how cute it would have looked on me about 5 months ago when I still had a waist. The available colors were selling out quickly; the one I was eyeballing was a darker combination of blues, but I was only able to pick up this lighter combination instead.

While I wait for my Excellent yarn (can't say it without thinking of Bill and Ted), I dove into my Rowan Cashsoft DK for Jemima. This pattern utilizes a tubular cast-on, and this is the first time I've ever used one. I wish I had tried it before! So clever and neat. Totally tubular. (Valley Girl.) I knit the cuff and an inch or two of sleeve before bedtime and then was suddenly struck with a wave of incompetence. Would it look ridiculous on me? Would the color combo look homemade? Wouldn't this absolutely luscious yarn look better in something more pretty and less everyday? Naturally I stayed up way too late searching for ideas for what other knitbloggers had done with Cashsoft. I don't have a lot of it (7 balls of Ballad Blue, 1 ball of Lime). Of course I saw many, many posts about Grumperina's Odessa, but I really want to wear this yarn on my body, not my head! I hit the pillow feeling defeated. Why do I always have to find a solution immediately anyway? Grrr.

I woke up this morning with an image of a sweet, finished Jemima. My imaginary version is a little more fitted than the original oversized one. Mari made a super cute one herself. I think I'll stick with the plan. If you haven't worked with Cashsoft yet, you're in for a treat!

And in the Husbands Are Funny Department: I got a great deal on last year's model of an expensive stroller. When it arrived the other day, I started taking it out of the box. Now, my husband is great, but he hasn't been super excited about anything baby related yet. As soon as parts started coming out of the box, though, he jumped up off the couch and started assembling the thing before I even had a chance to open the directions. I started reading instructions aloud but I might as well have been on another planet; he was so involved in snapping pieces together that he didn't even hear me. "Oooh, it even has shocks." "Nice wheels!" I'll be checking it out soon to make sure all the pieces were used, etc...

I heart DVR + Knitting

Last night: I'm reknitting the sleeve caps for the shawl collar pullover (adding 2" of length to the sleeves; who was I kidding?)while catching up on a bunch of shows on DVR (best invention EVER). On the edge of my seat with Grey's Anatomy (I thought they were home free with the bomb! Wasn't it sweet when George climbed up and helped Bailey through the delivery of her baby?), laughing hysterically at SNL (was that the funniest opening monologue in a while? The cashew trick? Ew. Holiday candles at Target...)

While knitting, I started thinking more about what project to bring on my little upcoming roadtrip with the hubby. We're going up to Vancouver, BC for a few days. I decided I'll bring Jemima. I bought 7 balls of Rowan (RY) Cashsoft DK in Ballad Blue several months ago with Hopeful in mind, but these days I think Jemima is a bit more for me. So I need one more ball of Cashsoft in a contrasting color. Tonight after work I dropped by Hilltop with no idea which color I would want and Lime popped right out at me. I think we have a winner!

Guess what else I spied with my little eye at Hilltop? The new Debbie Stoller book was delivered today! I'm not a crocheter, or I would have bought it on the spot. But I think I'll end up buying it anyway to have a good crochet reference book around. I flipped through it very very quickly and saw a couple of cute cardis and jackets (a la White Lies); I might be inspired to try crochet after all. We'll see. It's not like I don't have 6 billion unfinished projects and another 6 billion projects awaiting.

So anyway, speaking of Vancouver, does anyone have any recommendations, yarny or otherwise? I should be asking Felicia* this question and I don't know if she has ever read my blog. It's been a few years since my mister and I went up to Vancouver and I'm open to any food/shopping/walking/YARN suggestions any of you might have.

*In Felicia's 2/16 post, she wrote about a yarn crawl to Seattle. One of the restaurants she visited, Nana's Noodle Shop, was the place where Mr. Goodkarma proposed to me in 1999. Poor guy, he had a big plan for us to have a romantic dinner at the fancy Italian place down the block, and when we arrived we found out that it was closed for renovations. I didn't understand why he was so put out by that and I suggested we walk a few doors down to Nana's for dinner. Little did I know that there was an engagement ring in his pocket. He even got down on his knee when he proposed... it was very sweet and wonderful. It was the first proposal ever at Nana's. :)

C is For Conundrum

The Adrienne Vittadini shawl collar pullover (AVSCP) is coming along very well. I'm about halfway done with the back, too, and all the while I'm wondering if I'm going to be running out of (the original bag of) yarn. I bought two extra skeins a while back, just in case I would need them, but they're from a different dye lot and I was hoping to not use them at all, except maybe for seaming. So I knit the sleeves to spec, but I'm skeptical that their 17.5" length will be long enough. I think I'll unknit the sleeve caps, knit the sleeve a little longer, and probably dip into skein #11 as I finish the back shoulder shaping. Hooray for longish hair, right?

The conundrum continues. A couple of days ago I decided to cast on for another, smallish project while I considered what would be best for AVSCP. I pulled out my new skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Wildflowers and got started on Nancy Bush's Rib and Cable Socks from Interweave Knits Fall 2005. Not far into knitting the cuff and I noticed that Julian, my sweet angelbaby cat who rarely does anything naughty, was chewing on something. He had a mouthful of my yarn and was chowing down! Ack! That turkey. I don't know what possessed him; he never ever eats yarn normally. Does Mountain Colors use seafood flavored dye? Weird. Of course, I had to cut out the soggy bit that he chewed and splice the ends together, no biggie (and not much yarn was lost) but kind of irritating! And ew, cat spit!

(Isn't the Mountain Colors pretty? The violets and reds and fushias blend together more subtly in real life, kind of like in this picture where you can see the beginning of the cables. I'm in love with this yarn!)

Otherwise, all is well in the good karma house. I've been working far too many hours (extra parent conferences here, evening meetings there, special events in the evening, etc.) doing the fringe stuff and just barely having enough energy to do what I'm really there for, which is TEACH! Ah, well.

I've been doing tons of research and window shopping for stuff for the baby, too. Mom, grandma and I went looking at cribs and gear yesterday. It was good to make some sound decisions and feel like I've actually done a few things to get my nest ready. Now if only my husband would stop ringing the doorbell or calling to me every 30-60 minutes, I might actually get something done around the house! Good grief. I feel like running away! :)

Word Cloud

Go get your own.
Via Strange Little Mama.

B is for Baby

On Tuesday, I'll reach the 20 week mark, the halfway-there point. Amazing how quickly this pregnancy is progressing. Amazing.

I had the ultrasound a week or so ago and watched my baby roll and wiggle for a good 45 minutes while the technician tried his darnedest to measure all the important parts. This photo print seems a bit grainier than the actual monitor that we were watching, but we could definitely see that Little One is thumb sucking already and waving arms and legs around like nobody's business. And no, we will not find out the gender before Little One's birthday.

For the past 4 weeks I've been feeling movement and that has gradually changed from a strange fishlike fluttering feeling to definite kicks and taps. (Too bad it's still a show for one; no one else can feel these kicks on the outside yet.) And my belly really did pop out earlier this week. Now it's truly obvious, to everyone else, that I'm pregnant and not just overeating. I've noticed that when people say hello to me, they don't look at me anymore, they look at my belly. :)

B is also for (another Amazon) Box of Mystery:



A week or two ago I got an Amazon Box of Mystery, and last night I was tricked again. When I got home and saw this box on my doorsteop, I immediately wondered what the heck my husband ordered this time. I guess I'm not a very quick learner, 'cause it was a box from Terby! She sent some great exercise videos. I'm glad because I've been checking out some from the library, but you always have to send those back after a little while. People are so very generous! She also included an interesting book titled What's Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life, which totally piques this elementary school teacher's interest. Thank you, Terby! Yay! I'm off to check out Kathy Smith...

J'adore le pourpre

Busy busy. That's me. I'm halfway done with a project I haven't even blogged about. I'm making the Adrienne Vittadini Shawl Collar Pullover from Vogue Knits Winter 04/05 (here are a couple of finished ones in blogland: Lesley's, Atouria's, and Diana's) with some lovely purple heathered Cascade Lana d'Oro.
I bought a bag of it from WEBS when it was discontinued about a year and a half ago, with a different project in mind. I was a pretty new knitter and realized later that the project I was planning wasn't really meant for me. I've wanted to make this for a year and suddenly got the urge to start a week or so ago. Quick knit... I'm almost halfway done already.

Here's the front; just after I'd divided for the low placket opening:



It feels like this sweater is just eating up the yarn, but it might simply be that it's one of the quickest sweaters I've ever knit. I wonder if it will be done in time for me to wear it while I'm still pregnant? Probably not. Even though other people say I'm not even showing (I am SO!), all of my old tops are too snug and too short to accommodate my changing figure. We'll see. Mostly I'm excited about having new stuff to wear next fall.

The title to this post is I love purple because the lovely Jade sent this pair of handmade earrings with purple crystals to me. She knew I like blue (I'm a little stuck in the cool side of the color wheel lately if you haven't noticed), and wasn't sure if I like purple. Do I like purple?! Oh boy. Yes, my new sweater is purple. But get this: my husband's truck is purple. My house is purple. Both are dark eggplant purple. What else... I have more purple yarn around here, too. So yes, Jade, I do like purple, and the earrings are so pretty!! (Especially with the bonus alpaca fiber in the picture. Ever notice that alpaca fibers and cat hairs look pretty similar?) I wore them to work today and love them. You're so kind. Thank you. :)

Tonight I went to the gym (for the first time in ages) and I listened to Cast On podcast #1 as I stationary bicycled. I downloaded several of these a while back and kind of forgot about them. This podcast was interesting (especially for the gym... I usually listen to something more upbeat like Outkast's Stankonia or Black Eyed Peas' Elephunk), and very soothing. I could imagine listening to Brenda Dayne's voice on a lazy Sunday afternoon while I knit on the couch in a quiet and peaceful house. Wow, what a fantasy life, eh? So for those of you who listen to Cast On and Knitcast, do you save each podcast or delete them as you listen to them?

Four Things

Thank you for all of your comments lately. I had a spurt of energy and was able to post a few finished projects within a few weeks' time. I'm really happy with all of them! By the way, I'm pretty sure the Lorna's Laces wasn't pilling already; rather, it was the flannel sheets trying to attach themselves to every single thing they could. You know how flannel is!

I was tagged by Estee and Jade!

Four jobs you have had in your life:

1. clerk at Hancock Fabrics
2. souvenier seller in Sea-Tac airport gift shops (people really do buy those fur coats and pieces of art in fancy schmancy [expensive] airport gift shops, can you believe it?)
3. client facilitator/manager of a dental practice
4. public school teacher

Four movies you could watch over and over

1. Indiana Jones 1 and 3 (2 was ruined by whiny Kate Capshaw)
2. The Princess Bride
3. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, circa 1971
4. Grease

Four places you have lived (I've always lived in Seattle!)

1. South Seattle
2. Burien (south of South Seattle)
3. North Seattle
4. West Seattle

Four TV shows you love to watch

1. 24
2. What Not to Wear
3. A Baby Story
4. Desperate Housewives & Grey's Anatomy double feature

Four places you have traveled

1. All over Europe, in a series of visits, including the tiny island town in Croatia from which my maternal great grandfather emigrated as a tiny tot
2. All over India
3. Big Island and Oahu, Hawaii
4. Various cities in the continental US (including New Orleans, NYC, San Francisco, Atlanta)

Four websites you visit daily.

1. pregnancy boards
2. Bloglines
3. Web Sudoku
4. Knitty Board and/or Craftster

Four of your favourite foods

1. Sushi
2. Saag Paneer with Pilau
3. watermelon. I could eat a whole one!
4. Right now, I'm almost 19 weeks pregnant and Taco Bell tacos are calling to me. Go figure.

Four places you would rather be right now

1. Taco Bell (see #4 in the last category)
2. Sitting on the beach in Komiza, Vis, Croatia
3. Snorkeling at Shark's Cove at Kalalua Point, Oahu
4. getting a full body massage at Ummelina Day Spa

Conwy Socks

Yay! I finished my first pair of grown-up-sized socks!

Conwy from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road
Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Georgetown
Two Addi Turbos, size US1

Pattern Modifications: I have this fear that I'll run out of yarn if I knit top down socks, so I shortened the leg a bit. (Completely unnecessary. I have plenty of yarn left over! I'm going to make some of those cute "Better Than Baby Booties" from Interweave Knits with the leftovers.) I also omitted the decreases and kept the socks at 72 stitches throughout. I did that because I thought I had wide feet, but I really could have lived with slightly skinnier socks. They turned out a bit roomy.

What did I learn? Well.... I learned that knitting on two Addi Turbos is much, much easier for me than using birch dpns. Someday I'd like to try two socks on two circs. That would be fun. I learned that heel flaps are kind of annoying to knit, but I hope that is just because these were my first adult sized socks. I'm already scheming my next pair(s).

The yarn. I liked working with LL but I'm not as crazy about the colorway as I thought I would be when I picked it out this summer. I was probably wearing an aqua t-shirt the day I bought this yarn. Outside of summer, I'm not so much into pastelly colors. Ah, well, the coziness and warmth of the socks will override the color for me! I noticed that these socks are already starting to pill, and I've only worn them one evening (and to sleep in last night). I wonder if that's just from wearing them to sleep in flannel sheets?

Why didn't you guys tell me that handknit wooly socks are so much slipperier on hardwood floors than any other kind of sock? Ow. My knee doesn't appreciate that factor.