Pixiestikz

Stitches Part One...

Departure Time: Thursday 12Noon ---- ETA: Stitches East, Atlantic City ---->

We hit the road, got there in what seemed to be record time.
We stayed here...

The first night we gambled a little...I won 1000 Nickles! ($50)
DORK!
I cashed out and thought of the yarn I'd buy! woooo!
It was totally luck, because I was button mashing that slot machine...
I had no idea what the hell I was doing! It was on my last bet too!
Yaw!

Drinks! Happy Hour!
Damn, we gorgeous!

Market opened for other than students Friday. It was not as busy as it was last year.

Point these lovely ladies to the YARN!

Me, Ei and Donna

We saw lots of yarn of course and some other lovely things...
This was a velvety wrap with a beaded peacock on it...
okay I know that sounds really gnarly...but it really was stunning.

See me working it in wee supermodel style...

Tyra would be proud...Cause I am FIERCE!

It was too rich for my blood...plus it's not something you can wear to dress up your Doc Martens! Hah!

I think I took this pic on Saturday...

Felted fruits and veggies...It was pretty cool, except when the lady tried to wear it as a scarf...
oh nonono...sweetie. Step away from the felted art. ha!
I was ready to flee if she came at me with the peapod.

This is so true...

Gah...
I knew it was only a matter of time until studies showed what my Boyo knows already!

This is a montage I call "Pretty woman standing next to Pretty Fugly"
I was lucky enough to capture it on film.

No trip to Stitches is worth its yarn if you don't see the PURPLE LADY!

Now that is hott.

There weren't that many baad sweaters there...I did see this one which amazed me for the sheer amount of work that went in it.
I leave you to judge if you'd be seen in it.
The bobbles seem to have multiplied. Gotta admire that kind of dedication.
Damn that is a lot of bobbles.
The mind reels with the sheer number of them.
Rock on you knitter!

That is a bad ass sweater...with some bad ass trellis-y mondo bobble action!
rowr!

I'm ordering this tank...but I do have to say...
Ei holding up the small.

Ahem...MEDIUM is a POPULAR size! Order more mediums!
Small and Extra large are the far end of the spectrum.
Can I dare go out on a limb here...and suggest you may have sold a fazillion in this apparently rarest of all sizes?

Something I love to do is find unusual candy for my PixieDoodleBug.

The donut looks cool, but man was it nasty.
It was so bad, it played out like this...
Pixie: "Ew! This is gross! Ew. Mom, taste this"
Mom: "If it tastes nasty I don't want to taste it."
Pixie: "Okay, just smell it"
Mom: (sniffs) "It smells like gummy, okay, let me taste it"
Pixie: (giggling)
Mom: "Gah! Pttt! What is in that? Quick! Open the hot dog..I bet that's better"
Pixie: "mmmm, yah!"
I didn't get a taste of the hotdog. I have it on good authority it was an improvement!

I finished my sockie!

I am on the way to the Sock#2s toe decreases.
Exciting.

Tomorrow, I'll have the yarn haul for ya and Harlot sighting.
rowr!

Revelations of Socks and Ms. Doe

Yeah, I did say that I feel bad if I don't have a FO. BUT! It's only because I've been procrastinating working on the uber slow FBS and the forever b-day sweater for Pixiekins.
I'm an insta-gratification kinda gal, you know.

It's guilt. Guilty,Guilty, Guilty.
Guilt because I've been working on A SOCK.
I started it with HBOs Rome on Sunday at 9pm.

Um, HOT. Every Sunday at 9! mmmm, Titus Pullo

I'm so sock crazy. I'm keep saying "It's a Christmas gift".
Really, it's because all my favorite peeps are working on socks...
and dammit, I *love* socks too!

We began our evening together...

I'd just made sure Pixie was in bed sleeping.
Boyo was out for his Capoeira Class.

All you could hear was the soft kiss the cork makes, as the bottle is opened.

We settled in with a classic...
one that harkened back to our previous jaunt together last night.

It was a lovely evening. We enjoyed ourselves. The sock prefers Richard Burton, and I like Rex Harrison...but we both agree...Cleo is divine!

Doesn't Liz give good face?

So I broke out my sock to show you this am and discovered that I was missing a needle!
This pattern I'm using has me using only 4 needles. Which I like! :)

So I called home, and sheepishly asked Boyo to bring in my needle.
I'm so happy to report, he didn't bat an eye or tease me about it.
That is a man who understands his knitter.
My needle is enroute! Awww!

---
Jane? Jane Doe and her book Overrated Knits?
Ah, yes.

Please note, this is my opinion and a couple of other knitters I know who have taken her classes...
Please take it with a grain of salt and a sense of humor.
That is how it is intended. :)

More after the jump...

Many of you were curious as to who Jane Doe is...

It was the author of Hot Knits, Melissa Leapman.

While she was a lovely intelligent lady, the incessant book plugging was not what I paid for.

It was a tad on the excessive side.
I had thoughts of beginning a tally.
Or better yet a drinking game!

It would have beat out the Star Jones drinking game for sure!

Yes, I must admit --- it has brought me oodles of pleasure to amuse myself in many a bookstore and now occasionally my blog, when I see her books...

Which I am pleased to report, the lovely talented non knitting Ms. Leapman has 2 new crochet books out which can be located in your nearest Barnes and Noble.

(Yes, I did my impression. No one is safe. Not even the little kid staring at me from the fiction section, clutching his mothers leg.)

I'm sure if you take one of her classes this year...
You'll be treated to a "preview"...
Ad nauseum.

Ahem. :)
snark snark!

x/o
See you next Monday!

ahhhh...

Not much to report. I feel bad blogging when I have no real FOs.

I'm done with my distraction of the OSW. I've finished both of them.
I love me a quick knit!
I've mailed them off...to the lovely girls in Cedar Hill, Missouri!
Just in time for back to school.

That is really it.
I'm still plugging away at Pixie's Birthday sweater.
I'm almost done with the front.

FBS?
Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel.
Stay by your bat-phones. I'll keep you posted.

BUT!
Stitches East is next week. NEXT. WEEK.
I'll be making the trip with Ei and Donna...we'll be at Caesars.

We'll be up there in Atlantic City for almost 4 days. This go-around we're not taking classes. Ei and I took a class or two last year...and one of them was a HUGE advertisement for the Instructor's new book.
High on plugs, low on content.

It went a bit like this...
"Hi, my name is Jane, Jane Doe and this is my book, Overrated Knits."

Then periodically, it was
"Did I mention that this technique/design/principle is in my new book Overrated Knits?"

Finally after the 45th plug... we learned that this particular designer does not knit.
AT ALL.

Hm. Okayyyyy.
Lovely. Very Good.
But run right out and buy her new book Overrated Knits!
Did she mention her name was Jane, Jane Doe, Author of Overrated Knits?
So there you go. No classes this year for me.

:)
When Ei and I see this book on occasion...we always leap to do our impressions!

I'll be sure to take pictures of all the *ahem* loverly knits I see in the market on the backs of my fellow crafters.
Ha!

Yeah!
So I'm nearing my 1000th commenter.
If you are my 1000 commenter...you will receive a sweet gift from yours truly.

x/o
UPDATED:
LISA is my 1000th commenter! I'll be emailing her the sweet giftie out ASAP! WOOHOO!

Pennywise and Lace Proficient...

I'm plugging away on my FBS.
Repeat 6 row 5.

I'm duking it out with the double stranded alpaca laceweight...
So far, I'm ahead in YOs...and heading for the final round...

I've shown you my high-tech Kasha...

Let me introduce you to my repeats repeat counter...
While some people use their PDAs...I prefer to sport the, er abacus.

Awesome. I know. A regular Super Genius.

It goes a bit like one of Pixie's Math Word Problems...

If One Penny=One Repeat completed per 1/2 row...

If H has 4 pennies on the left and has pushed 2 pennies to the right, how many repeats has she completed for 1/2 of this row?
Answer: 2 completed repeats out of 6 for this 1/2 row.

---
Advil for screaming headaches brought about by rows of tinking=$2.99 a bottle
Using Pennies for counters=$.06 cents
No tinking with the double stranded lace weight alpaca=Priceless
---

So, you'll be wanting a pic of the FBS in progress?
Raise your hand if you know how hard it is to get a shot of unblocked lace made from brown fuzzy alpaca laceweight.
Did I mention it's double-stranded and a royal pain in the arse to photo?

It's Natural State

I had to have my work co-hort help me out...
This is misappropriation of Government Funds for sure!

Can you make out the flower baskets?
eh. yeah. sorta.
Look for a blocking FBS by weeks end, unless I decide to risk it and go for 8 repeats.
I think I have enough yarn for goodness sakes.

I finished the OSW#1 in the Pink Joann's yarn. I've started the other in blue.
I'd post them...but two little certain someones check this blog on occasion!
I want them to be a surprise!
As soon as I finish the blue, off they go!

Hope everyone had a fantabulous weekend.

land of mini projects

UPDATED TO INCLUDE PICS!!

Very Good. Right.

I've been bitten by the mini project bug.
I think it's because I've been tied to the same two projects for what seems an eternity.

My will to knit has been sapped.

What better way to infuse a knitter in fugue?
Start a quicky project (or two).
Thanks! I believe I will (did).

I completed a seed stitch bag

(here is the pattern pic)

(here is the Pixiestikz Version - a bit longer)
with 2 skeins of Colinette Point 5...lovely stuff, that. (From Donna's stash, Thx!!)

I do have to say...Colinette gives no quarter when it comes to really matching their dyelots...because...damn.
They missed the boat with this colorway. You See?

I'm knee deep in another OSW.
I found this

It's the pink. It is like knitting with fluffy cotton candy...only not sticky.
(yeah, no duh H!)

I'm going to exchange in a skein of the pink for a purple Blue.
You see, I must make 2. As these are pressies for a set of sisters.
My lovely darlings, Abbi and Livi.
I believe it WILL take one skein. We shall see.
Look at what I have left...Me thinks my conviction may waiver.

oh how could I forget?!
I am on repeat 4 row 8 on my FBS.
I love this yarn, I just don't love knitting it when there is a MM/Poirot marathon on A&E.
This being said, I need absolutely no distractions.
So it's no surprise...
After royally screwing myself over there at Repeat 4 Row 7, I turned off my fave show, Midsomer Murders. urgh!
I came to my wits, put down the FBS and finished out the episode with the lovely unmatching Colinette bag.

Ahhh. easy knits with good mystery telly. My fave way to spend a 3 day weekend.

Ah, yes. The excitement here never ends.

(P.S. I got my Laines Du Nord yarn...in Black. Because Black is So Very. I also got a new mattress this weekend...I wasn't leaving there without a 1/2 sheep with Braces!!)

Do All that You Can...

I read Margene and Melanie last night...
Urging us to Donate and knit squares.

Here is the Donation Blog....
http://zeneedle.typepad.com/give_a_little/

After hearing all the tragedy unfold on NPR all this week...I donated and committed myself to making 12" afghan squares.

If you are as moved as I am...Donate and then get down to some knitting.
I'm putting aside my projects to make at least 10 12"squares.

I told my Grandmother last night and she is also going to be crocheting some to send.

Here is the info for Knitting Squares:
Please email Sonni with any questions! She's really an awesome lady!
---
12" afghan squares, any pattern and any color please don't finish them off

Please send to:

Sonni Strong

321 Howard ST. #4

Medina, OH 44256

sonnis_hooked_on_crochet@yahoo.com
---

They'll be putting the blankets together. Thanks Sonni!

Do what you can. We can make a difference.
UPDATED:
SALVATION ARMY