Progress on Haruni

Here's a pic showing some of the color change...thought you might like to see.




Personally, I think it's beautiful, even all scruchied up.

Some progress on the sweater, but I think I miscalculated, and have to rip out 12 or so rows of ribbing...it's just not big enough. It looks to me like I'm going to need at least another 15 stitches or so, because it doesn't fit around my pants, and this one is to wear over my jeans.

Demo'd at JoAnn's today, and think I drummed up a little bit of business for closer to the end of the month. I'll be spinning next weekend-I just haven't decided where.

Also testing Rhiannon. Isn't this thing just a work of art????? I can't wait to get going on it. I just received the pdf today (a few minutes ago, actually), and my friend Nancy and I are hoping to knit this together.

I want to knit mine out of cashmerino in scarlet (same color as picture). I'm not sure what color she'll want to make it in, but I have a hunch. I'll include both our progress when I post again. First I have to find the right color of cashmerino!

Signature Needle Arts

Ah, spiky, pointy circular needles. Very sad that they only come in one length, and that extra long costs an extra $10. The Cadillac of knitting needles at $40 a pop, but not in my favorite size.

God hates me.

In the meanwhile, cast on for the blueberry sweater, AND cast on for Haruni Shawl on Ravelry. I'm starting to get very hot--which means that I've eaten too many carbs. I believe that I will lie down for a while with the air on--the weather has gotten very muggy over the last two hours, and I'm not up to knitting--at least not unless I bring my rocker into the bedroom and sit in the air conditioning.

Long day at the office today. I had a really bad call from one of our customers, and he was NOT very nice to me. I finally put him through to the supervisor. Then there was concern that what happened to the payroll last month also happened this month, and I just sat down in my chair and cried.

Yes, I cried. The stress that I've been under the last 4 weeks has just been unreal, and here I was looking at another 4 weeks of it. Well, it just wasn't going to happen without me losing it, so I did.

That got people's attention. I was on the verge--a woman on the edge. I almost gave up and went home and stayed there for 4 weeks. As it turns out, it's not as bad as we thought, but the caller was enough to set me off. In order to collect myself, I answered the problems of the next caller because it PLEASED ME to do it. I felt it was the only way that I could get my dignity back. So I did, and I don't regret it...even if I did get called on the rug for it.

It got me through the day, anyway, because I was able to answer the second caller's question to her satisfaction, and she actually THANKED me at the end of the call. She didn't have a lot nice to say about her case worker, but there you go.

I can't decide. I have 3 things that I would like to have.

An IPad
A New Laptop
A digital SLR.

And I can't decide which I want more. All three have certain applications that I would prefer--firstly, the IPad. Hold all my pics, books and music on one device, and not clutter up my pc. Secondly, the new laptop. I'd like a newer one with a 2.0 usb hookup for speed, and Windows 7, although I don't have any of the applications that I would like to work with Windows 7--for instance Photoshop or Microsoft Office. Thirdly, the digital SLR. Nicer pictures at 10 or 12 megapixel, the ability to take a faster pic for closeups in the breeze, for instance--pictures of flowers. I would also like a nice macro zoom for it. But seriously, these are quite expensive, and I'm thinking that they will come down in price eventually. The other two items aren't really a requirement. And so I'm thinking that they are not so necessary. So perhaps I will bypass them for now.

A Quickie

http://www.signatureneedlearts.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=SNA&Product_Code=CIRC-6&Category_Code=CIRCS

Sig. needles now come in Circulars!

The first swatch..

I normally don't appreciate swatching knitted stuff anywhere near as much as I should; however, with this pullover I'm planning, I have to--as it's the only way to know if the stitches will go around me! So not only do I have to swatch the cables, but also standard stockinette to make sure I have enough stitches to begin!

And here is the swatch!



It's 28 stitches wide. Blocked, it's about 5". So I'm getting a bit more than the yarn calls for at 5 sts to the inch on size 8's. So this is a good thing. It tells me that over 5", I can have 3 fewer stitches, and still get gauge--

Now I have to do the unthinkable--and it's not my favorite part...

I have to measure my body.

Ew.

The Race is ON!

Okay. All is in readiness.

I have the yarn for the blue sweater (maybe). Must swatch and see if I get the stitch definition that I need. If yes, I will begin the sweater this week, if not, I will try again with another yarn.

I am 31 rows into Haruni-A free shawl on Ravelry. I am using Regia Hand Dye Effects with a size 5 needle, but I think I might need a bigger needle--it's sort of scrunchie--which means I don't have a large enough needle.

I can barely wait to cast on for the sweater, though. I am printing out the celtic cables as we speak..er...as I write.

Every so often, I like to challenge myself...don't you think that's true?

What I Finished Today

I'm not sure what to make out of this, but I'm thinking gloves. It looks grey, but in reality, it's got quite a lot of blue in it. The bag said "Denim", and if there were enough there to make socks, I would. DK weight, I think for the most part. Some overspun parts, but otherwise, will make a nice knit.

Ice Queen is Blocking

I'll have a pic on the recipient next weekend. It's wet right now, and I don't think she'll want to wear it wet.

Gee, ya think?

But it's beautiful and it's so sheer--

Particulars on my ravelry page, of course. I had quite a bit of the yarn left. I think I could have put on a couple more repeats, but it is plenty long enough.