Ahoy!

My sweater and I have washed up on shore after a long battle at sea...















Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic, but after a few false starts and a long separation, Snow White is ready to be revealed.




She is perfect. Well designed, yarn of my dreams, coming to fruit at the right time of year.









I can promise better shots of the whole sweater, once I finish weaving in the ends and blocking. (and recruit my photoman.)

An Old F.O.

As the days are shortening and the mornings at staying darker longer, I am finding that I am not as much of a naturally early riser as I have thought. Over the summer months, you could find me awake and cheery at five a.m. doing homework and housework. This was good. This meant that by the nighttime, I had free time, for knitting and getting enough sleep. Not so now.

So, here is an old F.O. since there are no new F.O.'s.


This is Annie Modesitt's "Backyard Leaves," from Scarf Style.


The yarn is Karabella Aurora 8, in color 575 (pale yellow.) It was bought in my first yarn shop spree during a visit to California to see my beautiful sister. In fact, it was my first visit to a yarn shop, ever. And, no kidding, the whole store was on sale, half off, making room for new inventory. One hell of a way to start splurging on beautiful yarn (and Lantern Moon needles. Swoon.)

I love this yarn. To me, it is perfect, except expensive.




At first, the pattern was a challenge (it was only my fourth project or so) and the concept of a lace chart was a real mind-bender. But, by the time I was a few repeats into it, it got to be the kind of breezy but interesting project that you know you'll be sad to bind off on. And, oh my, there are some gorgeous elements to this pattern, my favorite of which is the ingenius slip-stitch border along the sides. Wow.



I think I will revisit this pattern again. And, with the fall setting in, I can give up my sunshine mornings if my consolation will be finally getting to wear some beautiful wool like this.


Also, Annie Modesitt's blog can be found here and is really worth a visit, for several reasons. She is a goddess of knitting design, lives in the Midwest (Minnesota), chronicled her French knitting tour there (!!) and reading about her husband's blood cancer and what it inspired her to do is a beautiful thing to me. I do, I love Annie.

World's Best Turtle

This is Tommy. Handsome, ain't he?


He is also very brave. He's recently gone "cage-free", but we are still working out the kinks...

Like how to keep him from getting his claws caught in the carpet. He had a traumatic (at least for me) incident a few days ago that left him with three toenails on one foot instead of four (as pictured.)

Turtle and foot are now doing fine, after a little bath, and little tea tree oil and a LOT of food to fuel recovery, like cantelope, pear and scrambled egg. Poor little turtle guy.



I'm not sure, but I think he blames me...

Here We Go Again

I've never really been grateful for not needing glasses, but with all the reading and knitting I do, it finally occurred to me that I'm really lucky. Still, my eyes are tired almost all the time, and I kept getting a tick in the corner of my left eye. I don't think it's visible, but then again, I don't think I'd want to point it out to anyone else if I saw their eye twitching anxiously.

My classes are great, a lot of history, and some very dynamic professors. I am well on my way to graduate next winter, unless I want to make room for . . . oh, i dunno . . . a term abroad, perhaps? I'd like that.

Since Gita has squeezed herself behind my computer again (eating power cords. how cute.) I am reminded that I should post a flattering portrait for her.



Here she is a few falls ago, in lioness/cat show grand prize winner mode. Ain't she a beaut?

Livin' for Tomorrow

My day hasn't turned out how I had wanted it to. But, isn't that the problem with making plans?


Here's another piece of summer, some California plums bought yesterday at the market:

Where Napoleon Keeps His Armies

Why, in his sleevies, of course. One sleeve is nearly complete, which leaves me with the other sleeve and the task of joining arms and body. Hopefully I will be able to wear it once the weather starts to cool.










Here is my devoted assistant, Gita, who would surely find this photo unflattering, especially with that unsightly little eye boogey. I'll be sure to do a proper "glamour" shot of her soon.










Oh, and this is my LAST DAY before school starts. Quelle horreur!

A Sheep Named Daisy

A picture just can't express how thrilling I find this yarn to be! My lovely mother bought these two skeins for me this morning at our local farmers' market, where I have never found yarn before! I gasped when I saw the basket full of wool!

This yarn is handspun from sheep that the vendor raises herself, and this yarn, she told me, comes from a sheep named Daisy! You can visit the vendor/shepherd, Corinne, and her sheep at crosswindsshetlands.com. Now, to find a project worthy of yarn I am already so fond of!



Another market find are these "sweet pears":



Locally grown and charmingly rosy, but rock hard. I like the look of them so much, I hope they take their time ripening!