FO Sure

You would think, with all the train time I had last month, and all the...ahem...non-working time I had this month, that I would have knit up a slew of projects, enought to fully clothe many people, enough to cause envy among my fellow knitters, enough to be proud of.

Instead, I've got two scarves and a bag. Thank god for H&M.

But still, these two projects were, for once, a perfect match of pattern and yarn. First, and maybe the lovliest, The Montego Bay Scarf, by Amy Singer.

Thanks to Bev for taking the photo. My only complaint, and this has nothing to do with the photographer, is that you can't see the lovely shimmeriness of the faintly glittery yarn. Thanks to Blogless Jill R for the yarn!

Ever buy a few skeins, with no idea what to do with it, but you just can't leave it behind, especially at Rhinebeck, cause when it's gone, baby it's gone, and damn, it's just too damn purty to leave. Hence some gorgeous unnamed silk from a forgotten booth, and the free pattern Hoopskirt Scarf, from Crackpicks.

All that scarf, only one lovely skein. Sometimes, the world works in your favor. Cherish those moments.

And last, yet not least in pattern, but maybe in my execution, is the luverly bag that Miss Heather had designed, for one of the Stitch and Bitch books. Now, I want to say, it's a great pattern. Fun to knit, quick to knit, you can use inexpensive wool, or like the insane-o that I am, you could use 3 skeins of Noro Biggie Kureon, which, I'm told, is to be pronounced like Crayon. Now you know.

Here it is, in all it's lumpy goodness:



On my (for once) clean kitchen floor. I want to like this, I really really do. But it grows like a pre-teen, and it's...lumpy. I dunno, any suggestions?

Anyway, on to happier topics.

Isn't it a great day for all when you go to a much hyped place, and it's actually worth the talk? Sweetgirl and I decided to hang out last Wednesday, take care of a few errands, go have lunch, perhaps a movie. I had planned to sleep in a bit, then meet up. Instead, I got woken up by a huge clap of thunder around 9am. Upset? Not I! I planned a gorgeous lazy morning of reclining on the comfiest couch in the east of the Mississip, a hot cuppa tea, and Harry Potter VI, in preparation for the arrival of a little known book.

So I settled in, all comfy and cozy with the rain beating down outside, and my bliss lasted about half an hour. And then the phone started ringing and would. not. stop. It was all valid stuff, friends and work stuff, and the two combined, so the morning just flew by.

We met up, and headed to the store that tests me, my wallet, and my conscience every time I walk out my door: Broadway Panhandler. The only thing that keeps me from crumpling in a heap in the middle of the store with my hand weakly clutching my AmEx card out to the cashier is A> my kitchen is the size of a suburban closet, only not as roomy, and B> most of the stuff can be had cheaper at a restaurant supply store. Or so I tell myself. Anyway, Jessamyn picked up the knife guards she needed and we set off for lunch. To Momofuku Ssäm.

Oh my god. The food is amazing. And so simple. You basically can order (for lunch at least) a burrito or a rice bowl, filled with yummy asian ingredients. I got a Jap Chae bowl - always one to be the Sally - which I ordered with bacon infused black beans, roasted onions, berkshire pork, shitake mushrooms, and whipped tofu. If any of these ingredients sound weird or unsavory, then, child, you just have got to try it for yourself. The beans were like eating the best bacon you've ever had, the onions dissolved into pure flavor, the mushrooms were just spicy enough, and the whipped tofu cooled everything off perfectly. And the pork. Oh, the pork. I don't tend to eat a large amount of meat, but this is worth having. And having some more of. And more of. And then some more. This just melted as soon as you bit into it. Makes me wonder. Is David Chang in some sort of relationship? And if so, could I take her on? I mean, for this kind of food, I'd throw the bitch down.

And then we went to go see Harry Potter. And there's been enough written about that.

Another luverly day. And now, Leafy Cardi Update:

Oh, this thing is trying. I've ripped out the sleeve twice, and for some odd reason I can't visualize how I want this to look. I'm making changes to work for me and my curvylicous body type, but with those changes I have to make design changes, and I just can't see them. I finally just made the damn sleeve longer, and now I have to figure out what to do with the bottom half. I was thinking a wide rib, that increases in the knits part, with eyelets in the purls part, kinda like what Rebecca did with Josie. So I steal ideas. Sue me. Well, don't, please.

Later: I finished both sleeves, as written in the pattern, except longer. I think I'm going to do the i-cord edging while I try to figure out the bottom. Here, with no comments cause, well, I spent all day today vacuuming, swiffering, mopping, laundrying and taking care of a friend's cats-ing, are a few pix.

Enjoy!