Pretties

Knitting: The great thing about being purposefully unemployed--lots of knitting time. Which is how I managed to cruise through the back of the Modern Lace Henley. Progress shot:

Given my gauge issues, I'm knitting the numbers of the medium size, but getting measurements that should be appropriate for me, but if it ends up being too small, I'll give it away. The yarn is a cotton/acrylic blend, and, as often happens with me knitting cotton, it's a pain in the hands. Cotton just doesn't have the give of wool. If this sweater doesn't end up fitting me, I'll knit it again with some other kind of fiber.

Yarn: I just had to buy this yarn last weekend. Isn't the colorway gorgeous? Perhaps I was inspired by all the blooming daffodils everywhere.

Music: Pretty new tunes from Death Cab For Cutie, courtesy of their little Open Door EP, released yesterday, and hastily downloaded by yours truly from Amazon MP3s (9 times out of 10, Amazon is a better deal than iTunes, and without that pesky 5 computers bit).

Apartment: So clean!

And my view of the skyline last night during sunset.

Funny:

The dogs really wanted to help us make Easter dinner.

Nifty

One of my pics from Paris was used in this online map called Schmap. :)

Oh, and I totally rocked my certification exam today! I am now, Robin, FNP-BC. Yippee!

Annoyance

Despite that forecast I mentioned, yesterday was kind of sunny. I seized this opportunity to get some pictures of the finished Bee Fields Shawl. I blocked the thing a couple of nights ago, using every single T-pin that I have.

Despite the fact that I made the "petite" size, this is a sizeable shawl. Still not sure what I'm going to do with it.

The pattern called for US 5 needle; I used US 4, and mine is still bigger. Which brings me to a realization that's been reaffirmed for me over the past couple of days: I'm a loose knitter. I wouldn't believe this to be true, but I've been trying to do a gauge swatch for my next project, and I had to go down 2 needle sizes, and even then I don't quite get gauge. But any smaller and it hurts my hands too much to knit. The reason I have trouble believing I am a loose knitter is that my knitting doesn't look loose. Of course, my perspective is not impartial. But even if I try, I can't seem to get my knitting much tighter.

And I'm a little bit annoyed by this. It kind of feels like an inadequacy. Though I know I shouldn't think of it this way. I just wish I could get gauge with the prescribed needle size. Oh well.

Tomorrow is my big exam. Then game night to (hopefully) celebrate my success.

Really, it's there!

I can see Mt Rainier this morning. Barely, but it's there. You might have to squint.

Just to the left of those tall buildings in downtown (if you click the link, I have it "note"d on flickr). Another beautiful day in Seattle....but apparently the last one for a while.

Bummer.

Some finished stuff

In Knitting: A couple of recently finished objects. First, those brown socks that I started about a month ago, right after I arrived in Seattle, finally done. I used the paraphernalia (link) pattern, but set it up to do the socks toe-up. I used the widdershins (link) heel formula, modified to fit the number of stitches I had, and I’m very pleased with out these turned out. The color is understated but the cable pattern is fun.

Second, the St. Patty’s Day socks, unfortunately not complete by the named day, but oh well (blame the lace). I just love the Noro Kureyon sock yarn. These socks feel very substantial, more like slippers than socks. And the colorway is pleasantly rustic. I did a simple 2x2 garter rib on the leg of these to give them a little bit of texture but nothing so much that it would detract from the beauty of the yarn.

These green socks are part of my thank you gift to Melisa for letting me crash at her place for 3 weeks. Along with a bottle of wine by this company called Middle Sister (link)(which, btw, I totally bought at Target—who would’ve thought that you could buy wine at Target in WA).
With both of these projects complete, I couldn’t be without something to knit, so I’ve started 2 new (italics) pairs of socks (so much for being sick of socks LINK). One pair is using leftovers from 2 previous projects, and the other is with some STR lightweight in an awesome colorway called Lemongrass.

Yesterday was the big move. Thanks to all the helpers, it went fairly smoothly. Now I’m left with the huge task of unpacking and organizing everything.

Guided Tour

This is my new home

The view the front of the apartment, facing north, straight ahead, and south.

The living room as viewed from the front door, and from the bedroom

The view through the living room windows

Built in bookshelves and fire place in the living room

The small kitchen (entrance opposite the bookshelves)

The bedroom (note the whole wall of closet!!)

The bathroom, entered through the right side of the bedroom (opposite the windows)

Laundry machines!!!

I'll post more pics as the place fills up with stuff. :)

So I won this yarn on ebay...

And it was perfect, just what I wanted!

April Fools... :(

The yarn was not what it was supposed to be. I got 3 skeins of 159 and 2 skeins of 153 (which has this ugly pinkish pucey color in it). Major bummer. The search for Noro Kureyon continues.

But speaking of April Fools, gmail has a pretty funny one with their new CADIE program. You should go check it out. I'm glad they're working hard over there at google (or is it "hardly working"?). Hehe.

I finished up those Noro Kureyon socks a couple of days ago. I tried to also finish those brown cably socks last night so that they'd be done by the end of March, but I still have a ways to go on sock #2.

Grandma and I took a yarn field trip yesterday to the Lamb's Ear yarn shop in ghetto South Tacoma. I was pleasantly surprised by their large selection. They had so much Dream in Color Classy! And it was only $17 a skein. I had trouble restraining myself. I wanted to buy 1 skein of each color. They lady who owns the shop was there. She was super chatty and helpful. She noticed right away that I was wearing a hand-knit (the purple 28thirty sweater) and she asked me all about it. :) I still get thrown off by people being so chatty here. People in yarn stores in NYC were chatty, but this is a whole different level of chattiness.