34 days.

Our napkins have arrived. I think our guests will get a kick out of them, don't you think?

Also, we have sent out 110 invitations, 240 guests. Now if making those invitations wasn't pain-staking, I don't know what is. The ones sent out actually had a heart-stamped seal, unlike the picture above. I've gotten great reviews of the invite, so I'm glad it all was appreciated. So far, we've gotten 99% yeses.We also just visited our catering company's tasting. Let me tell you...the food was excellent! Scrumptious! I brought my friend Jenna, Joe and my mom along, and everyone was surprised on how great the food looked and tasted. My guests' tummies will love cocktail-hour and dinner on our wedding day. (And of course the sweet table, after we decide what we want on it!)

As for other wedding plans accomplished, we finalized our florist, got most of our wedding paperwork sent it, got our wedding marriage license bought(!), got half of our wedding party's presents bought, got the tux place and pieces figured out, got our readers picked, got our music planned, got our hotel and flight confirmed for Hawaii(!), and got our apartment booked!!

Yay! We move in Sept. 17th! (The funniest part is that it's a block and a half away from my parents! Ha!) I'm already decorating in my head. Paint. Couches. Knitted placemats.

I made an Italian Stuffed Pepper dinner some nights ago. It was a big hit. I used Orzo, instead of rice, parmesan cheese, and added Italian spices, including my oregano plant that is still kicking 'n breathin. Mmmmmm.....

And finally, for today's show, I've finally found out what I would like to use my Schaeffer yarn for! I bought the perfect pattern for it, which I'll reveal in the next post! Stay tuned!

The Shower

Hey gang. Here is the promised update about my wedding shower from the beginning of August. We had an amazing time, and we can't wait to use all of our households gifts...especially because we love to cook!

An unbelievable showering of gifts.

Our cake.
The "men's club."

Ah, the "meat mallet." We have arrived at my favorite photo of the day (besides the group pic) that captures the very essence of my culinary enthusiasm. Now if you look at Joe closely, you may just see the fear of God in him...

Watch out, this chick is fully loaded.

Playing Catch-up

Hey Knitters.
Don't worry, I have not forgotten about you, despite my lack of postage this month.

I have had the most wonderful vacation the last week of July, filled with all sorts of "Wisconsin Dells" stuff. We went to "Noah's Ark," rode on the "Ducks," went to "Ripley's Believe-it-or-Not," shopped downtown, ate. Ate some more. Then ate after eating more. We also did fire-pits every night (braved the mosquitoes and ticks), read & swam at the local pool, and even had a couple of "Buff-a-ganzas" (awesome, I know, all you Buffy fans!) I even had a mojito while reading the end of "Girl with a Pearl Earring." I did get to do most of my new pair of socks' legs, as well as work on the baby jacket, but there was soo much to do, I couldn't focus on it. Also, there wasn't much room to sit and knit in a group of 23. If you like to read, chow down on Hostess products, eat other such junkfood, favor white castles and shoot rubberbands, you'll get along great in Joe's family.

As for other such things taking up my time: working extra hours, apartment searching & of course wedding stuff. About 1 1/2 months left! Yowzers! I just did my gown fitting, and the wedding invites go out Monday!

I've got the terrible 'bout of the allergies (chest congestion, weakness & dry-mouth), so I'm pretty much bed-ridden on my weekend off, so I'll post some progress pictures later on my knits, as well as my new chic haircut. It's got soo many layers that she took off probably more than half my hair body, and now my curly hair works great with it! Oh, I also have my first wedding shower pics to show ya!! You've gotta see the pic of me opening up "the meat mallet." Ha! Watch out, Joe!

P.s- I bought a value-pack on "Charms" season 1&2. I'm really getting into it! It's more of a slow pull-you-in than Buffy has for the first season, but I'm really getting hooked.
Plus, Harry Potter 6 was awesome! As well as "Julie & Julia!" Funny!

Razzle Dazzle

Notice anything new? *Squee!* I got my wedding band this week! My engagement ring is white gold, so I searched high and low (ok, well maybe just several stores) for the most complimentary ring. I'm a pretty plain person, so I wasn't all for the "just diamond" band look, as most wedding bands are nowadays, yet I didn't want a solid band...so I finally found a compromise ring between the two, and I couldn't really be happier. I might switch out the band of the engagement ring one day to lay flatter, but right now...I just wish I could "test-drive" it longer without getting teased by the FH.

Here's a snippet of my second BSJ for a coworker's grandson-to-be. I'm planning on working on it in the car while travelling to our vacation destination this coming weekend (yeah, I'm not really wanting to bring baby-knits to my FH's week-long family reunion. Non-knitters sometimes don't get the whole knitting for OTHER people's babies. I'm not wanting their confusion.) Speaking of which, my brain is actually kind of fuzzy on where I put the dang thing. Hopefully I didn't loose it. Stress is frying my brain, I guess.

I also started my so-called "Durable Market Bag" knit with cotton. I'm still on the base of the bag, but I plan on doing lace as the main body, complete with durable straps.

My maternal grandfather was admitted into the ER this weekend, so when I visited him today, I casted on for my mint "2x2 ribbed socks" on size 1's that I plan on knitting during the family reunion (non-knitters are more accepting about sockware rather than babyware, so I've heard). I'll cast on for the second sock soon, because I'd like to nip the whole SSS* in the butt.

*Second Sock Syndrome: a silent, but deadly disease caused after knitting the first sock of the pair. Symptoms: fatigue, groaning, laziness, the throwing of dpns and the extreme dislike of the idea of having to knit up the whole thing again. Other side effects are reaching for other yarns, possibly fondling them while wishing or day-dreaming of the next pair. This disease is treatable by knitting the pair at the same time. Effects are slow, but highly curable.

Let Freedom Ring!

Pattern by: Anna Peck-Maliszewski

Need a quick project that not only can be used in colorways that match your kitchen year-round...but can be substituted in colorway to suit any holiday? Maybe this hanging towel pattern is just your project! It's easy, it's festive, and can be done within a weekend.

Materials:
YARN:
The Border: aprox. 25 yds of a worsted weight cotton yarn in a solid color that compliments your main body yarn (seein in "Lily's Sugar 'n Cream Cotton Solid "Red, White & Blue" for the 4th of July).
Main body Color: 1 skein (95 yds) of a worsted weight cotton yarn that's striped, varigated or "painted." (pattern seen in Lily Sugar'n Cream Stripes colorway "Red, White & Blue")
NEEDLES: US7 circular or straight needles & 1 darning needle
1 Large button

Pattern abbreviations:
k=knit p=purl CO=cast on BO=bind off Sts=stithes Kf&b=knit into the front and back of a stitch

Note on Colorways: Yarns like Lily's Sugar 'n Cream yarns have stripping colorways that are great for the holidays. I used "Red, White & Blue" for the 4th of July, and I believe you can find a stripping Christmas colorway as the season approaches. If not, get two different colors and do your own stripping to fit your own needs. You can do thin stripes, thick stripes...or even skip stipes by finding a yarn that has a "hand-painted" colorway that has an overall blended look. The main thing is to find a solid colorway for the Seed Stitch top and bottom of the towel to compliment your yarn color choices.

"KUAS' Quickie Hanging Towel"

DIRECTIONS:CO 11sts onto US 7 needles using a solid color.

1. Work 1'' in Seed St. (*k1, p1*)
2. Work 4sts in Seed St., BO 3sts, work last 4sts in Seed St.
3. Work 4 sts in Seed St., CO 3sts onto your right needle, work last 4sts in Seed St.
4. Seed st. until your piece measures a total of 6.5.''
5. Kf&B, *p1, k1,* across until last 2 sts; p1, kf&b.
6. *p1, k1* until last st; p1.
7. Kf&b, *k1,p1* until last 2 sts; k1, Kf&b.
8. *k1, p1* across.
Repeat instructions #5-#8 until you have 27sts total on your needles.
9. Work in Seed St. for 4 more rows.
10. Join the new colorway (that's striped or varigated), and cut the solid yarn, leaving a long tail.
11. Kf&B into all the stitches. (54sts)
12. Work in stockinette stitch until a length your desire, while always working a 4-5stitch "Garter St. border" on the edges of the work.
13. Join the solid colorway and cut the varigated one, leaving a long tail.
14. Kf&b, and then work in Seed St. for 1.5-2 inches. (55sts)
15. Weave in all dangling threads into the wrong side of the hanging towel.
16. On the top of the towel, you will need to sew a large button onto the bottom edge of the Seed St. The CO edge of your work folds over around your oven's handle and then gets buttoned.

FO: BSJ 1

Well, the BSJ finally has buttons sewn onto it (about darn time, I know), and I'm more than happy to say that this was a successful baby knit. Here's the first post of this project.

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket"
Yarn: 1 skein Bernat's Baby Jacquards in "Berries & Cream"
Gauge: 6sts=1''
Needles: Size 7, with Knitpicks' interchangeable needles
Project: June 9-14, 2009

I finished the sewing by doing a 3-needle bind off, which turned out really nice & sharp! It's a good substitution for an i-cord edge look, and really makes the top pop, if you will. (The best photo to see this is the first one.)

I wanted to show you a little snippet on how geometrical this jacket's stripes can be while folded. I really like the photo above, how it forms boxes. The photo below is more diagonal.

The back, in case you were interested. It's good to get a feel on how the stripes pan out, because if you want to make another jacket with real stripping, you need to see how the actual knitting plays with it, first. I just love how the Bernat Baby Jacquards gave me beautiful & lazy-arse knitting effects without even trying a single bit.

A volunteer worker at my library has 12 weeks left to her pregnancy, and she is expecting a boy. I also have a co-worker who's daughter is pregnant with a boy as well. It looks like it was perfect timing that I worked out this pattern...because now I have to knit up two more, but in blue! (Plus baby booties, don't you think?) Yay! This project was really fun.

Sorry about the lack of posting. You would think that a post with the darn buttons sewn on would have been posted about a day after the first post of the BSJ, but I've barely even had a moment to think these past couple of weeks. I've not only been working some on the wedding plans, but I've been taking on 3 different jobs, squeezing in as much part-time job "moola" as I can. Every bit helps, but I've been working every single day straight for like 3 weeks, with two jobs (or more) a day. Friday was my only day off...and believe me, it was glorious, sleeping in and doing as I please. Ahhh. But now I'm back to the hum-drum work life, and have been working Sundays even, starting at 6AM! eek.

Here's what's been getting done lately with the wedding plans:
-Reception hall details (linens, food, etc)
-Music Songs selecting (as a musician...it's gotta be impressive, you know?)
-Flower-thinking (florist still to be decided...I have a horror story about the first one I went to)
-DJ found
-BM dresses almost all ordered (those girls better get a move on, don't you think? *pulls hair out*)
-Bridal jewelry (earrings & necklace)
-Veil (found)
-Band-searching
-Gift Registry (Target & Bed Bath & Beyond)
-Our wedding webpage for our guests

It's going to get even crazier, the wedding being almost 3 months away. I still have some major things to plan and get done. Getting a place to live, as well as maybe booking a honeymoon might be nice too...

A HUGE thanks to all my wonderful commenters for their lovely compliments! You not only give me "warm fuzzies"...but you are the ones that give me the drive to always keep writing.

Upcoming: a patriotic knit. Pattern included. Stay tuned!

Journal: Baby Surprise Jacket 1

Have I ever mentioned how incredible Elizabeth Zimmerman was, and still is to this day? She's not only famous for her pithy patterns, but for her pure genious designing, creating on whim 3D knits that baffles 21st century knitters to this day. And she didn't even have the internet. Or an abundance of knitting guides, knitting patterns and the like, as us lucky knitters do. Sure, there are loads of fabulous designers out there. But take a look at one of EZ's most popular and creative designs: The Baby Surprise Jacket.

Sure, It looks all innocent here, like I knit the back, knit the front sideways, and then knit the sleeves. Like I'm now at the end of the sweater, picking up stitches and knitting the button holes.

Look again, my friends. You're in for a "surprise."

If you haven't grazed upon this pattern already, this sweater is knit as one peice. That means that there is decreasing for half of the jacket's body, which in turn is used for the sleeves that is folded a particular way ("miraculously" is probably a better word-choice). Then, the rest of the body is knit increasingly, while a portion thereafter is knit straight...then picking up several stitches is in order, as well as adding some button holes, and presto-chango! You have a jacket!

Pattern: Elizabeth Zimmerman's "Baby Surprise Jacket"
Yarn: Bernat's Baby Jacquards in "Berries & Cream"
Gauge: 6sts=1''
Needles: Size 7, with Knitpicks' interchangeable needles
Project: June 9-14, 2009

I worked on a good chunk of this baby jacket while in a long car ride to a goodbye party for a college friend while listening to the audiobook Garlic and Sapphires, by Ruth Reichl. It was pretty good, although on the way back, after plenty of green apple vodka drinks, it put me to sleep, and I had to listen to a good bit of the second disc again. Today, I finished reading the book and knitting this baby jacket, and I'm off to watch another "The Next Food Network Star" episode TiVo. Stay posted for the completed BSJ. All I have to do is sew up the arms and find 5 cute buttons worthy of this project.

The A-Z Authors project

I've said it a dozens times, and I'll say it again. I'm crazy. I get little ideas in my head, and sometimes it's impossible to let them go. I've got the insane notion that it would be amazing to read not just 26 books within a year or two, but 26 different authors...starting with different letters...while still hitting various sub-genres of fiction & nonfiction, like: mystery, sci-fi, romance, comic/anime, biography/autobiography, how-to's, crafts and even western (eek!). The idea is the branch-out a little bit. Explore possibilities. I just finished the book "Julie & Julia," so I guess this is a little like Julie Powell's project. But not.

Readings started March '09:
A: ARMSTRONG: Bitten ("Fiction"//romance, fantasy//vampires, werewolves; Read March '09?)
B: BRETTON: Casting Spells ("Fiction"//craft-fiction// knitting, vampires & magic; Read April '09)
C: COYLE: Through the Grinder and Latte Trouble ("Fiction"//cozy mystery//coffeehouse; Read May '09)
D: DUBLANCA: Waiter Rant ("Nonfiction"//food//waiter, restraunt, comedy; read June '09)
E
F:
G:
H:
I:
J:
K:
L:
M: MYRON: Dewey the Library Cat ("Nonfiction"//animals//cat; Read April '09) MEYER: Breaking Dawn and New Moon and Eclipse ("Fiction"//romance//vampires, werewolves; Read January-March '09)
N:
O: O'BRIEN: Wesley the Owl ("Nonfiction"//animals//barn-owl; Read April '09?)
P: PEPPERBERG: Alex & Me ("Nonfiction"//animals//parrot & scientist; Read May '09) POWELL: Julie & Julia ("Nonfiction"//cooking// Read in May'09) PEARL-MCPHEE: Things I learned from Knitting & Yarn Harlot Casts-off ("Fiction"//craft-fiction//knitting; Read May '09)
Q:
R: REICHL: Garlic and Sapphires ("Nonfiction"//cooking//restuarant food-critique; Read June '09)
S: SEFTON: Drop Dead Stitch ("Fiction"//knitting mystery; Read July '09)
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

This will become the main archive for this project, so bare with the "bareness" for the time being. Please feel free to suggest great authors with not-so-common last names, like X,Y,Z, and the like that are "must-reads." Also, if you would like to join this "A-Z Authors Project," definitely holler below and feel free to link your blog's A-Z authors project post(s).

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I'm either the biggest nerd ever, or just truly bored while shelving-I'm guessing it's all the above. This morning, I was just doing my thing, shelving AV materials at our library, and I stumbled across a real "that will get me thinking all day long unless I know the true answer" kind of thing. I hate that. "Volcano" DVDs (551.21) were ordered one decimal number less than "Earthquakes" (551.22). Ok, well, ordering movies and books through the Dewey Decimal System is not my thing, but I did spend a heck of a lot of money on useless courses I took, like Earth Systems, and Geology, all that never served me until now... as I wonder why the heck "Volcanoes" were ordered before "Earthquakes." In my puny understanding of plate tectonics and seismic activity, it was my understanding that most volcanoes are direct consequences of the activity from earthquakes. In the briefest of brief paragraphing, an earthquake happens, the plates shift, an opening allows magma to come upward through the earth from pressure, thus becoming a volcano of some sort. Which, my point being, begs the question: which came first, the volcano or the earthquake ("Earthquake, earthquake!"). So, why is it that the national organization system for classifying these "events" call that "Volcanoes" come first? See my problem?

I do realize that after reading this, you are thinking that "yes, Anna, you are a big nerd (and probably loosing it a bit)," but I do get bored while shelving, and the matter just bugged me. So, what did I do? I did what any pained-brain person would do at the library: ask the reference desk. Did she have the answer? No. Did the person she called through catalogue know? No. Did the Book of Dewey Decimal System-ing have the answer? No. Basically, we were all stumped. It sure did make us chortle at the fact that the ordering wasn't logical, and the fact that we were just thinking about the whole thing like it mattered at all whether or not we actually found out the answer, before we got back to our hum-drum day. I told them, if they ever did decide to change it, by mere chance, I would go down in history as that "weird knitting gal who was such a big, big nerd."

And how do you know that you are working WAY TOO MUCH in the library shelving? You'll know when you look at the clock by chance at 7:46 and think of knitting...while at the same time wondering why the heck knitting popped into your head in the first place, until it dawns on you that the 746's are knitting books section...and once again, you are such a nerd.

"Mystery Knit" clue #2

Garter. Also, notice the right side of the work, full of "lovely" threads for me to sew in later on. That will be fun. Anyways, you know what that means: more than one color. See last post for the first clue.

A walk down garter lane

...plus "mystery knit" clue #1 in the bottom of post.

Every knitting designer, like writers, eventually faces the dreaded "mental block"-or for us knitters, the "knit-block." For those of you lucky enough to evade such a matter, or still have yet to experience it...it stings deep and cuts hard. The plaguing idea that filled every nook and cranny of my mind dissipated with every second of trying to draw out the design, and the once-obvious mental-picture of a cropped cardi around the cute dress hanging on the door started to mutate into an assortment of shapes, sizes, colors and constructions....
And don't even get me started on what type and quantity of buttons there were...

So, when desperate times call for desperate measures...do as I do, and pull out the "big guns." Ok, well, maybe the "big needles." Stick to the gartered pattern with nothing more complicated than eyelet-increases on the edges. It numbs the brain, while also keeping in tact the last shred of sanity you still possess.

What a breather.

MYSTERY KNIT, CLUE #1

A little background: Joe is receiving a "surprise" graduation gift after he completes his 3 week course that finishes around June 6th. I probably won't be done in 2 weeks. (Really, replace "probably" with "won't," because it's more like the truth and I'm just trying to be optimistic.) He will, though, get a few clues to try to figure out what the heck I'm knitting that will knock his socks off...and you guys can join along, trying to figure out what it is.

HOWEVER, please message-me your actual ideas/theories via Ravelry or email...as I really don't want you smarties ruining the surprise if you figure it out before he does. Keep in mind, he's a "nuggle" (non-knitting folk). And he will get to read these posts, and I'm sure he'll check the comment page just to cheat. You can use the comment page below to gloat about knowing what it is, or suggest ridiculous theories like me knitting him a rocket-ship, or something to that effect.

Ok, so here is clue #1: I started with 1 single stitch. I am up to 10,657 stitches, and 40% of the entire body of the object is done. Several inches ago, I complete 7,441 stitches...and using that information...when it is up to 80% completed, I will NOT have completed 21,314 stitches, but far, far greater.

This first clue is a little mathematical, and the next clue should be a B&W teaser of the object.

The wedding shrug, v.1

Spring is finally here. The breezes are warmer, the flowers are out...and we are all feeling like it's darn tootin time. Everything is soo photogenic, and I couldn't resist taking a bunch of photos to share with you all.

Refreshing my memory of the "correct technique" for picking up stitches along the edges of the stockinette.

Trillions of hours later: picking up the 230 stitches to garter around the shrug.

The side of the shrug.

The back of the shrug, and why I am going to make version 2. The pattern and picot edging will stay, but it will be smaller lengthwise and widthwise and the garter boarder will be knit simultaneously with the lace. The yarn in the current shrug is great (I would use it again for the Abriana cardi), but who can resist a cashmere blend?

Mother's Day & other such goodness

Mother's Day was quiet, yet relaxing. I finished the wedding shrug (to be posted about after this), and quickly added a little (yet very fast) embellishments to my mom's bag. I got her a mother's day necklace that had writing inscribed all over it.

I was stoked that I actually found a LYS. My very own, not 20 minutes away, nor 45...but 8 minutes away. Can you hear the choir now?
Above is some Inca Alpaca yarn that I bought 30% off when the whole "Rummage Sales" thing was going on in the suburban community the shop is located in. I plan to make gloriously soft intarsia mittens out of these. The yarn shop is darling, it's a mixture of arty stuff & a yarn shop, and it had much more than I imagined when I first learned about it on the web. This was from my second visit, when Joe and I went there.

These two skeins of Classic Yarns cashmere blends are from my first visit, with my mom. She was thoughtful enough to treat me to lunch & purchased these two skeins & "It Itches" book! I am planning on knitting up my wedding shrug again, this time a little modified to be smaller, and to have the garter edging knit up while I'm doing the lace. More on those changes later.

My wild flowers are sprouting up! Go miracle grow! That's a few day's worth of germinating.

...and finally, drum-roll please....more BARE YARN!!! Let the dyeing extravaganza begin! I'll have soo many wonderful colorways available in my shop in the near future!

"Bobble Emergency" Tutorial: how to pull a Houdini

I've been working my arse of today finishing up my "Tie-the-Knot" wedding shrug. I have finally completed it, but I would first like to share my little "adventure" or should I say harsh "realization" after I casted off the last picot: 2 bobbles. MIA. For all to see. Freakin monkies...

I should have seen it coming. I mean, I practically did the whole thing perfectly, only frogging a few stitches when I goofed up a bit while paying attention to cooking, or the radio. I had it coming, right? The very last bobbles of the pattern somehow got overlooked, I should say. I blame "FO-itis" enthusiasm. It had to be that. Anyways, the fact of the matter was that I couldn't-and cannot-leave two open spaces where the bobbles should have been. Every ounce of my near-perfectionist attitude screamed for me to fix it. (But of course not frogging it back to the problem area, no, that would be the "right thing" to do.) I'm much too lazy for that. I "Fudged it," I like to call it. And those faux-bobbles look damn near-perfect. Almost identical to the real ones. What a relief.

So here's my "unconventional" MIA bobble technique. Its for knitted bobbles, so you'll have to reverse the "knit" or "purl" instructions if you want yours just gartered (to just purling both sides). You can also change the size of the bobble by knitting/purling less or more. If you want yours bigger, just make more stitches by KF&B into the stitches you pick up. If you want it smaller, don't "M1.

"Okay-dokie. So here is the culprit:

Stare and glare at it. Then make your peace and move on.

Step 1: insert the tip of your needle into the "V" of the stockinette, where the beginning of your bobble needs to be (the smallest point of the bobble). Use the same size needle as your work.

Step 2: attach the yarn, knit into the first stitch, M1 (pick up 1 stitch inbetween the two stitches), knit that stitch and also the last stitch on the needle. You'll have 3 stitches now on that needle.

Step 3: turn your work. Purl the 3 stitches. (knit and purl another row if you'd like yours a lot bigger)

Step 4: turn your work. Knit those 3 stitches together.

Step 5: with your remaining stitch, cut your yarn and secure with a knot.

Step 6: use a darning needle to thread the yarn connected to the last stitch and push it through the middle of a stitch (behind the bobble) on the right side of the work and into the back side of the work. Do this in a spot where you want the top of your bobble to fall flat against. It will keep the bobble nice and secure...and not flapping around. Thread any remaining threads into the back side of the work as well.

Step 7: Secure on the wrong side a knot and weave the remaining strands into the wrong side of the work.

Step 8: breath out & relax. The nightmare is over. You can now go back and enjoy your work. You are the boss of those bobbles...and not the other way around.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. I'll post about the actual wedding shawl soon! Stay posted! :)