Happy Trails

It's WTF Friday!!!!!!!

Nice thing about Fridays? Most weeks, I get to leave a little early. Bad thing about Fridays? Many times, really friggin' bizarre things happen--LIKE TODAY.

I get back to the office after a very pleasant lunch, and check my voicemail. One message is from an attorney I have never heard of, reference a case we have on Monday morning. Apparently, she can't be there. She has a "conflict" as she is in another court. Okay. Fine. First calling of the case, no biggie. I would have liked more than a 1/4 of a days notice to call off my witnesses, but we can work with it. I call her back at the number she left. As the phone rings, it is obvious the number is to a cell phone--you know, the ring tends to skip a little bit? The message kicks in, "You have reached the Law Office of Attorney X, I am either in court, in the law library, or in a conference meeting right now...blah blah blah." It is nearing 3:00 p.m. I am frustrated--we need a date certain to continue the case. I leave a voicemail, indicating the same. 

I call off my witnesses, and decide to call the attorney back. We really need that date. And, I want to go home. After all, it IS Friday, and that's the nice thing about Fridays!

*ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring*

her: "Uhhh, helloooo?" 

me: "Hello, this is Laura, returning your phone call reference the case of X on Monday morning?"

her: *her voice changes, becomes more friendly, REMEMBERING the message she left earlier* "Oh, YES, of COURSE! How are you!"

It is important to note at this point that the voice on the phone is the same voice that called and left me a voicemail--identifying herself as Attny X, and the same voice that I heard on the "firm voicemail" indicating she was Attny X. 

me: "Well, thank you. You indicated you would be requesting a continuance?"

her: "Uhhhh, yes....YES! Attny X is in another court that day."

me: "Yes ma'am. Well, wait, isn't this Attny X?"

her: "Uhhhh...no....no, I'm uhhh.....her legal assistant!"

me: "Okay.....well, do you have Attny X's dates so we can continue the case?"

her: "Uhhhh, no, well....uhhhh.....I'm in my car right now. I'm going to have to get her to call you back."

me: "Okay....when can I be expecting her call--I am leaving the office very soon..."

her: "Uhh, she'll call you in just a few minutes, okay?"

me: "Okay, well my number is--" 

*click*

The "legal assistant" has already terminated the call. I am feeling dumbfounded. That was definitely Attny X, and she definitely said she was her own legal assistant. That. Is. Friggin'. Weird.

*ring ring ring*

me: "Hello, this is Laura"

her: "Hellooooo! I was just informed that you called."

me: *skeptical silence*

her: "May we continue the date to the third week of August?"

me: "Let me look....I am only available that week on the 17th--That's a Monday. I have both the morning and afternoon circuit court dockets on all the remaining days of that week, so I won't be able to handle any general district court matters. Are you available on the 17th?"

her: "Not in the morning...I'm in another court. What about the 19th?"

me: *beginning to feel my blood pressure rise* "Ma'am, I'm unavailable every day except the 17th."

her: "But I'm unavailable that morning!"

me: *beginning to crave a glass of red wine* "Ma'am, would you be available that afternoon?"

her: "Afternoon.....the afternoon of the 19th?"

me: *beginning to crave a bottle of red wine* "No, ma'am. The afternoon of the SEVENTEENTH. Are you available THAT afternoon?"

her: *She says very slowly* "I have general district court at 1:00 on the 17th..."

me: *confused silence* "Ma'am.....are you confirming the date out loud, or are you trying to tell me that isn't a good date for you?"

her: "What?"

me: *wondering if I would have fared better as a postal service employee* "We're continuing this matter to August 17th, at 1:00, Attny X. Understood?"

her: "Yes......ah.......uhhh.......YES! Would you be willing to talk to me about the case?"

me: "Yes, ma'am. I'd be happy to."

her: *silence*

me: *confused silence*

her: "Uhhhhh....."'

me: "Well....would you like to talk about it?"

her: "What, you mean, right NOW?"

me: *I stare blankly ahead, internally chanting my patience mantra..."gooooosfraaabaaaahhh...."*

"Ma'am. You'll have to call me back, I have to go. Goodbye."

That. Actually. Happened. Just like that. Would you have thought it possible? Really? REALLY????? 

And it wasn't just that this week. I faced off against an attorney whose argument to nearly every crime goes a little something like this:

Chewbacca Defense - Click here for funny video clips

And no, I'm not kidding. Not even a little bit. Not even AT ALL. And you know what else? TGIF.

FO: Bluegrass Mountain Ulmus

I've been looking forward to writing about this project since I cast on at the end of May. First of all, it's a great pattern. After taking over a year to complete my first shawl (Susan Lawrence's Forest Canopy Shawl), I was excited to see a shawl that involved lace, but whose body could be worked up in a relatively short period of time. The slipped rib pattern of the body is easy to memorize, and makes it simple to see and correct any mistakes. As with my last shawl (and probably any pattern from here on out involving a pattern repeat), I made a flip chart for the body, which was enormously helpful.

Once the body was done, the border presented more of a challenge for me. I have never knit from a chart before, and this time, I really had no choice. There were no written directions for each row of the chart, and about 22 of 34 rows of the border are different. So, I blew up the charts, and hammered my way through it. I knit thru about row 10 of the border before I realized that I had begun the border too soon--I had started with two few stitches (damn you, glass of wine before bed!). So, I ripped out, and began again. I was super excited that the ripping out worked--it was a little tricky finding the right stitches to thread onto before I frogged, but it worked out beautifully (thank you, Stitch N Bitch!). Once I got past row 22, the border pretty much flew, and it was simple to see which stitches I needed to knit, and which to purl.

I bound off on Saturday, July 4th, and it was done and blocked by Sunday. These pictures were taken this morning, before I left for work. 

I was SO EXCITED to be able to wear something like this to my job. Normally my work wardrobe consists of black suit, black suit, black suit, AH, EXCITEMENT CITY, GREY!!!!!! suit....you get the idea. While I suppose I could make more of an effort on the "fashion front" to dress professionally AND colorfully, suits are pretty standard fare when it comes to court attire, and, at the moment, a mix and match wardrobe makes the most economical sense. I've had this shirt for some time, and it's a little big in the bust, so this shawl was prefect to cover that up a bit, and I think the colors match beautifully. I received so many compliments on it, which made it even more fun.

This shawl was knit out of Malabrigo Sock Yarn, which is a superwash merino that is deliciously soft, and the colors are so saturated and gorgeous. The Bluegrass color is Solis, and the Mountain color (so reflective of my beloved Blue Ridge) is Cote d'Azure. Wrapping this around me feels like wearing my heart on my sleeve, in a wonderful way. I used #5 circulars, and had about (x oz) of the Solis leftover. I think this will be enough to knit at least one square of the Barn Raising Quilt from the book Knitalong that I plan to make (over the course of a million years).

And, as promised, here's a sneak peak at my next shawl in progress: Truly Madly Deeply Ulmus. 

I think I'll be using the red for the border. I plan to make the medium size for this one, and yes, there is likely going to be another FO in the smallest size on the near future, using what's leftover of the Cote d'Azure, and some Auracania Ranco Multi. I. Just. Can't. Stop. Sock yarn=bliss. Happy Wednesday.

New Creations

It's a rainy day here at Chez Sherando, which means a lot of things:

1) I'm on my third cup of coffee, it's nearly noon, and we had an incredible breakfast. 

2) muffins will be made today

3) some cleaning will get done

4) there will be general laziness (punctuated by fervent knitting), as well as a visit to the gym to be concluded with a soak in the hot tub. 

Here's the new breakfast creation:

That's a toasted slice of whole wheat boule topped with homemade herb mayonnaise, bacon, a deliciously ripe avocado, sliced romas, and two fried eggs. It was incredibly good. I love avocados. I'll have to think of what to call this, because it will be showing up on the menu again...

Yesterday was a good day--we had planned to go kayaking, but I got on a roll on my BGM Ulmus, and Salmaan was kind enough to be cool with me knitting all day until it was done. And, it is! Here's a shot of it blocking last night.

This photo doesn't do the colors justice, which is why I'll be waiting for a sunny day to post FO pictures of this. It's dry now, and is hanging over the back of my knitting chair. I can't stop looking at it. You know that feeling you get when you make a new recipe, and the finished product ends up looking as good or better than the photo in the cookbook? I'm feeling that kind of pride right now. It's a cool thing. 

Here are some pics I took yesterday of progress in the garden.

I harvested the last of the beets. These will be roasted up on a weeknight this week. We're going to have them with goat cheese stuffed chicken breasts. 

the peppers are coming in.

And of course, we're practically swimming in squash and zucchini right now.

Salmaan made some delicious raita with cukes out of the garden on Friday night--we had it with the Indian lamb meal that we love. That raita was so good, I could have eaten it by itself by the spoonful. 

Hope your Sunday is relaxing, and punctuated by the gentle patter of rain on the windowsill.

Suggested tunes:

Long Time Traveller by The Wailin' Jennys

Living in Twilight by The Weepies

Goodbye, Apathy by OneRepublic

Lately.

It has been pretty quiet lately, here at Happy Trails. June was a "big ball of suck" as far as relaxing is concerned, and I just haven't found the time or inspiration to sit and write. However, many exciting things have come to pass at work, in the kitchen and garden, as well as on the needles. Projects are nearing completion, and while I don't normally post about WIPs, I can't resist sharing some photos of projects that I am truly ecstatic about.

Awhile back, Kirsten from Through The Loops came out with a shawl pattern that I couldn't wait to get my hands on. There were a few skeins of Malabrigo Sock Yarn in the stash that I had purchased a few months prior, and felt that two of the colors would really look nice together. They did, and I'm thrilled. My first Ulmus is nearing completion, and while the border is taking me FOR-E-VER, I am enjoying watching it evolve, row by row.

Impatient, as always, I already have another one on the needles. I'll post a pic of it once BGM Ulmus is complete.

In other exciting news, I turned the heel of my first sock this past weekend!!! 

I have always been intimidated by sock knitting, and while I have bought numerous books on the topic, I just didn't feel confident enough to try to do it on my own. So, I signed up for a sock knitting class at the Orchardside Yarn Shop in Raphine, Virginia. Carol Smyer (owner, and knitter extraordinaire) taught the class, and it was great. Two Sundays in a row, 6 hours total, she provided some delicious snacks, and it was only $45--what a deal!!! My Mom also took the class, so that made for a good time, as well. The first Sunday she didn't know I was coming, and it was fun to see her so surprised (this yarn shop is about 2.5 hours from where I live). I then followed her home and got to share dinner with her and Dad on Father's Day. The second Sunday, Salmaan and I drove down together, and met Mom and Dad at the Rockbridge Winery for a tasting and a picnic that ended up being pretty darn fabulous.

Dad made some incredible grilled vegetarian sandwiches on artisan bread. They included portebello mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, roasted bell peppers, and smoked gouda. I cannot WAIT to duplicate these on our own grill (hopefully as soon as this weekend!) Salmaan made a delicious pasta salad with herbs out of the garden, and a light vinegrette--perfect for a summer picnic. I contributed freshly brewed iced tea, and a reduced fat cheesecake topped with some lovingly homemade strawberry rhubarb preserves. A vendor there and some workers in the tasting room also enjoyed that we made too much of a few items, and it was fun to share.

After that, we all headed to the LYS--Mom and I to knit, and Dad and Salmaan to sit by the creek that runs through the property, and catch up. I had some issues with the heel flap initially, but left at the end of the 3 hours with two heel flaps completed, and one heel turned. I have been working on each sock a little bit at a time since, and am excited that the pair will be done at almost the same time. Can't wait to post about the pattern, yarn, process, etc. as soon as they're done! There will be more socks in my future.

A few other projects are on the needles as well--simple mindless garter, and I anticipate they will be ready to share soon.

On the work front, today marks ONE YEAR that I have been working in my office, as a prosecutor. It's a cool thing. I've received my evaluation, I am done with my one-year probation, and I'm feeling decent about my performance this past year. I have come to realize that it's called the "practice" of law for a reason, and every day I become more confident in my ability to learn, adapt, and grow in this career. I feel lucky. For every mistake I've made (and there have been a shit-ton-load) there has been someone to pick me up and brush me off. And those people aren't limited to my colleagues in the office--the defense bar here is really exceptional. While the stress of this particular field sometimes gets to me, most days I come home feeling satisfied, and know that my work has made a difference. And while the stress sometimes sucks? I've come to realize that it only makes the wine taste more savory, the gym more satisfying, and the needles more enticing. I'm in a good place, and I'm thankful for it.

In the middle of June I was out of town for a week at a conference for my job, and after having eaten crappy catored food, and the occassional restaurant meal for SEVEN DAYS, I came home READY for some creative home cooking. Salmaan and I jumped into the kitchen, and some cool things have been coming out of it.

We found this recipe for babaganoush, and true to its title, this is the best babaganous recipe I've tried (and I've tried a few). The only thing I did differently was to use a hand blender to puree the eggplant after it was peeled--I'm not a huge fan of the stringy texture you get, otherwise. It is AWESOME with kalamata olives and lavash or naan bread.

We also made some tabouleh for the first time, using this recipe from Emeril's show, Emeril Green (I like this show because it focuses on healthy, local, organic ingredients, and he makes a lot of ethnic dishes). I would use this recipe again, but would cut the cracked wheat in HALF. We also ended up soaking the CW for twice as long as Emeril recommends.

One weeknight, we roasted up a ton of veggies and made Giada's Pasta Primavera--super good, we'll be making it again (next time hopefully with veggies from the garden).

Salmaan's Brother Rat, Jason, was in town last week for a conference, and we enjoyed making a new meal with him as our guinea pig. It's a Barefoot Contessa Recipe--Lamb Kebabs with couscous, grilled cherry tomatoes, and red onions. AWESOME. We're trying it again this week with beef, and I plan to take pictures the second time around. I highly recommend, especially for company--the meat just marinates overnight, is quickly prepared on the grill, and the couscous cooks up in a snap.

Things have been shaping up nicely in the garden--lots of little (and BIG) surprises the past few weeks.

We harvested our first round of beets this past weekend, and have been enjoying them ever since as sides and in salads. I plan to pull up the rest this weekend, before they get too big. Perhaps we'll make a beet salad with goat cheese? I've never tried that before, but have read that it is a classic pairing. The green beans are coming in nicely, and the cukes are creeping everywhere--threatening to choke out other rows of produce. This weekend we're going to put up a trellis to contain that a bit. I have more squash and zucchini plants than I know what to do with, and man, they are growing like wildfire! Last night I went in and harvested our first bunch--last time I looked, there were only blossoms, and I walked out of the patch with an armful of green and yellow goodness. I think there is some ratatoille in our near future, for sure. The pepper plants have some promising blossoms, and the tomatoes are doing really well--just waiting on them to ripen up. All in all, a very exciting turnout for the first year. I'm already thinking about expanding the garden next year, and planting some eggplant, peas, and rhubarb. You can't get any more local than your own backyard. ;-)

That's what's been going on lately. I'm off to work on those socks.

My Grass is Blue

A few weekends ago Salmaan and I headed on down to Puny Bueny (the rolling hills from which I hail) to check out some bluegrass and local organic cooking. The Punch Brothers were playing at Lime Kiln, and I purchased the tickets months ago. I'd never really heard anything from the Punch Brothers previously, but I had heard numerous live performances by Nickel Creek involving Chris Thile, and knew that if Punch was anything like NC, it would be a great show.

First, though, we headed to The Red Hen--a relatively new establishment that has found its home in an old law office in historic downtown Lexington. The location is pretty awesome--walking inside it's very small, and the kitchen is open to the restaurant. Given the nice weather, we opted for the patio, which was also unique--a roughly hand carved wooden fence separates the patio from the brick sidewalk, and we were told this was the only place in Lex where you can formally eat outdoors. 

We started of course with some wine--there is an emphasis here on organic, biodynamic wines, which I thought was fabulous. We enjoyed a Napa Valley Zinfandel which I will be purchasing again, and the homemade rolls that came out, as well as the aperitif of sorts (a juice of rhubarb, beets, and vanilla) was interesting and inventive. For the first course, we enjoyed a Rabbit Osso Bucco. It was very good (I don't think I've ever had rabbit before, but there were definitely some liver and kidneys included that were very rich and flavorful). Then came the entrees, and this is where the Red Hen disappointed me. 

I had some local trout on a bed of Kale with wheat berries and bacon. Honestly? Everything was cooked very well, but there wasn't anything GREAT about it. The flavors were good but not wowing, and all in all I found it to be pretty bland. Salmaan got the pork chop with grits and broccoli, and he felt the the same way--that we could have made something more flavorful at home. I liked knowing that the trout was local, and that the kale and pork had come from a farm less than an hour away...but did that make for an amazing meal? Not so much. We dropped over $100 for dinner that night, and I felt like it was overpriced and not worth it. I would be EXCITED to drop $100 at many establishments here in Richmond--Osaka, Verbena, Ruth's Chris...I don't think we'll be back to the Red Hen again, unless it's to enjoy a few more of their appetizers, which as I mentioned before, were in fact, exceptional. 

After dinner we headed to the show. Lime Kiln is nestled back into a few acres of woods right outside of downtown Lexington, and it's a great venue. Natural and intimate, the crickets chirp as the sun sets, and the soul of bluegrass finds its home here. Most of my pictures were pretty blurry, but I got a few decent ones.

The band is fun and witty. Some of the music is difficult to understand--there are numerous tempo and key changes that don't feel very organic to me, but it's interesting, and always keeps you guessing. Thile's vocals were impressive--I didn't find him to be out of key once, and the banter between he and the rest of the band was very entertaining. It was also fun because we got to see the pianist and singer who performed at our wedding--and they each remembered us and said our wedding was the most fun they've ever had! Maybe they were just being nice, but it felt good to hear, all the same. The show lasted for a good 2.5 hours, and we enjoyed every minute of it. Seats were first come, first serve, and as you can see, we were very close to the stage. Here's a short video I took of the encore, which the crowd really enjoyed.

The next day we ambled our way home, and stopped at Veritas Vineyards for some Cabernet Franc and a cheese plate. 

So gorgeous there--we'll have to go back soon. River enjoyed it as well.

Hope your weekend is full of good music, views, and tasty wine. We have a baby shower to attend this afternoon, and I'll probably be spending the rest of the evening reviewing materials for a Trial Advocacy program that I'll be attending all next week starting Sunday. It's in a different town, and I believe this will actually be the longest amount of time that Salmaan and I have spent apart since we've been married. Not looking forward to that aspect so much, or the idea of "homework" again, but I anticipate I'll learn a lot and hopefully meet some fun people along the way! Happy Saturday.

Sedalia Fiber Festival

I have missed blogging. Especially because lately, there has been so much to blog ABOUT. However, the time away from my cyber journal has been well spent, and while there have been fun trips and delicious meals that I wish I had documented soon after the fact, I have a feeling they'll be popping up here and there throughout the next few months.

I must, however, devote an entire post to the Sedalia Fiber Festival that my mom and I attended in May. It was rockin' awesome, and I really want to go again next year. I've been avoiding this post for a while because so many kudos must be given: I don't want to miss linking to anyone--and of course we all know that takes a little bit of time. 

Saturday, May 16th, Mom and I headed over the James to Big Island, VA, where the Sedalia Center sits, nestled between two small mountains. I went home that weekend by myself, and realized that it had been a while since I had seen my beloved mountains--and I missed them, a lot. It was so nice to drive through the countryside, and soak up the landscape that always brings me a sense of peace and balance. We got there around 10:00 a.m., and there were already a ton of people there. 

There was a noticable focus on spinning, which I had never had much interest in before--but after seeing some of the women working their magic on their wheels, I began to internalize how spinning is such an intrinsic aspect of the craft that I have come to love. It inspired me to purchase this when I got home. I haven't read through the whole thing yet (it's like good wine, you have to enjoy it one....sip....at....a....time), but I have a feeling that a drop spindle is in my future....

There were so many great vendors there--I fell in LOVE with some intensely dyed skeins of superwash merino by Unplanned Peacock Studio, as well as more of the same from the Serendipitous Ewe. Gorgeous and lush, they called out to me, and I couldn't help but purchase them (even though the stash is, lets be honest, near to bursting at this point). Aren't they wonderful, though?:

Another great vendor was Ellie from Crazy4Dyeing--this was apparently her FIRST fiber festival, which you would have never guessed given her orderly stock and friendly demeanor. Here's a shot of some of her sock yarn. 

Mom and I both bought from Ellie--Mom purchased 2 skeins for a Chevron scarf, and I purchased 2 as well, for another Ulmus. As a result of our purchases, we were placed into a raffle for a beautiful knitting bag, complete with numerous notions, a mug, some patterns, and a few skeins of sock yarn. My mom WON, and we were both so excited about it! 

We also got the chance to meet some Ravelry friends, and put a face with a name/correspondence, which made the festival that much more meaningful--especially for my mom.

A local artist (potter) also had a booth--we both bought unique necklaces from her. I plan to commission some handmade buttons for me once I knit the Garter Yoke Cardigan. Her name is Sonya Forte--and besides being incredibly talented, she was also very nice. 

It was also very cool to see the animals--there were a ton of alpacas there.

A note on the festival--we were given a heads up by Sangeeta that the food available there leaves much to be desired (cafeteria french fries--no thanks), so I would definitely recommend packing a picnic lunch. Mom packed an amazing one, complete with hummus and veggies, and grilled chicken sandwiches--delicious. Secondly, bring CASH. I naively assumed that everyone would have those cellphone veriphones for credit cards, but they didn't. Mom generously lent me her last check so I could satiate my appetite for DK superwash. 

There were so many other fun things, too--a Mennonite mother-daughter team sold woven rag rugs (I picked up one for the kitchen), as well as some very delicately scented essential oil soap (have been using honeysuckle for the past few weeks now--so lovely). 

We took the Parkway home, and stopped at an overlook by the river. 

Such a great weekend--I'll definitely be there next year. Being home again also inspired me to sit down with my Bluegrass Mountain Ulmus, which is nearing completion. Nothing like the Blue Ridge and some Malabrigo to set you right again. 

I expect to be back with an FO post, soon! Hope all is well in your respective worlds. 

Perelandran Forest Canopy Shawl

Well, it's finally finished! My Perelandran Forest Canopy Shawl.

My first lace project, and it took me nearly a year to complete. This is Susan Lawrence's pattern, and it's very well written. Perfect for a first lace project. I would have finished it sooner, but after getting halfway through the first time, I realized that I had made a ton of mistakes, and frogged the entire thing. And then I cried. And drank a glass of wine. Or three. It was not a good day. Naturally, it took me a while to get back to it.

The second go-round I actually read her suggestions at the beginning of the pattern, and used a lifeline for about 5 pattern repeats, until I really got the hang of the pattern and the lace. I also made a flip book for the pattern repeat--index cards held together with binder rings--the pattern for each row on a different index card--when I was finished with one, I would just flip to the next. It really made it much easier to knit, and after a while, I didn't even need it anymore. One thing I will say about this project that I'm thrilled about--it taught me how to READ MY KNITTING. I had read that on blogs before, and never really understood what it meant. Well, now I get it. I KNOW what k2tog LOOKS like, and a yo, slipped stitch, knit stitch...and I have discovered how crucially important that is when it comes to either 1) correcting a mistake, or 2) frogging. Option 1 is of course much more preferable, and is available to me now in a way it never was before. 

The yarn is Great Adirondack Bamboo Cotton. I've noticed that not many people have projects using this yarn on Ravelry--it is relatively new. I really liked it, but one thing I noticed is that it SHEDS big time when you're knitting it--but that's been my experience with all cotton. I love the sheen that the bamboo gives the yarn. The colorway is Kenya, and I knit seventeen pattern repeats on #8 needles. I didn't have enough yarn to do the border, and there was no way I was going to unknit 8 rows of lace, so I bought some mercerized cotton in a complimentary color for the border. I've no idea what it is--I bought it in Portland, and must have lost the ballband on the plane. This shawl was completed somewhere over the midwest, on the way back home to Virginia. 

Gifted this to my Mom for Mother's Day--she gifted me her very first lace project this past Christmas (the Branching Out scarf), so it was fun to give her my first one, too. The colorway reminds me of C.S. Lewis' description of the Perelandran landscape, when Ransom first arrives on the planet. The sky is an amber color, the sea alternates between a deep green, then blue, and the floating islands burst with the muted fertility of tons of Perelandran plant life. It's one of my favorite books. Read it, and knit this shawl. ;-)

It's Finished

So, it's finally done! My first sweater. It took forever, and I learned a lot along the way. First off, this would have taken a lot less time if I had just concentrated on it consistently. After I finished the body and the collar, I put it aside for about three months. Now that I realize that, I definitely see more garments in my future. Since this is my very FIRST garment ever, you'll forgive me the exhaustive photo montage, won't you?

This is the Mid Weight Neck down Pullover for Women, a pattern by Knitting Pure and Simple. I highly recommend this pattern for any first-time knitter, especially as a first sweater project. Even though there isn't a lot of technical work in this pattern (and hence, can get a little boring), that also means there isn't a lot of room to screw up--crucial.

This was knit in (you guessed it) Malabrigo Merino Worsted, the colorway is Burgundy. I used #8's for the body, and #6 for the ribbing. A few notes on using this yarn for a sweater (and yes, you might want to sit down, because this Malabrigo worshiper may just shock you). *Laura takes deep breath* I'm not sure I love it as sweater yarn. Yep. I said it. A little pro/con list might help here-:

Pros: 

This yarn is super soft, and for that reason is really great because it isn't itchy or scratchy at all. I love it that I can wear a short sleeved T-shirt under this, and feel totally comfortable. Also, the yardage is great for the price. Okay....the pros might end there. 

Cons: 

Because the yarn is so super soft, I think that it's going to pill pretty darn easily. And I'm even a little concerned that it might felt in certain places that see a lot of friction, like under the arms and on top of the shoulders. That makes me sad. I mean, I KNOW that pilling and fuzzing is kind of inevitable in any handknit garment...but at the same time, I don't think that cascade 220 would give me as much cause for concern as the Malabrigo does. 

Also--a note on dye lots. I read the articles, the posts, the tragic warnings advising to be sure I bought enough yarn for my project, or I would live to regret it. I really did. I promise. And I DID buy enough for this sweater, and when it came in the mail (yes, I KNOW, I should support my LYS more, but it's CHEAPER online...) I made sure that each tag enumerated the same dye lot number. And yet, when I looked at the skeins, I could tell that some were darker than others. Some had a lot more black in them, others looked faded in comparison. But, I chocked it up to my being nervous and way too picky, and I plugged on ahead. First mistake. I should have sent them back, or not used them for one project. The skeins were REALLY different--and I'm a bit bummed that it's noticeable. So, I'm not sure if this was a fluke, or if Malabrigo just generally lacks consistency among colorways--this is the first time I've bought enough of one dye lot to care. 

So, this might be my last Malabrigo sweater--but fear not. I have discovered Malabrigo sock yarn (swoons) so the love affair does not end here. ;-)

A few other things I learned/would have done differently: I wish I had done some body shaping as recommended in the pattern (super easy--just recommended doing a few rounds on a smaller needle). I didn't because despite doing numerous gauge swatches, I couldn't QUITE get gauge, and was worried that it would be too snug. The result is a bit of a boxier sweater, which, while fine, (and certainly comfortable), isn't my favorite kind of fit. I also wish that I had decreased the sleeves more than called for in the pattern. I would have preferred a snugger fit around the wrist and forearm. 

So, the result is a loose fitting, super soft sweatshirt kind of sweater. I can say with absolutely certainty that this is the coziest thing I own right now, and I'm terribly proud of it. It finished blocking on Tuesday night, and I have worn it every day since then. Now I am setting my sights on more fitted garments--ones that I'll be able to wear to work or a nice dinner out. I am especially keen on making some cardigans! (The February Lady Sweater, Garter Yoke Cardigan, and Shalom Cardigan (with ishi's mods) are in my future...)

Lastly, I learned that sometimes when River doesn't get fed right at 6:00, her #1 second choice to kibble is my knitting patterns. Good thing she ate the parts I had already finished! R.I.P. little knitting pattern...you served me well. 

Quick! Somebody Call a Priest!

Have you ever seen the movie the Exorcism of Emily Rose? It's seriously freaky--I wouldn't recommend it if you don't like scary movies. Anyways, there's this scene where she and her boyfriend fall asleep together in her dorm room. Unfortunately for him, when he wakes up, she's on the floor, all contorted in this impossible pose, staring up at him with manic eyes. I tried to search for an image of it online to include in this post for comparison, and nearly peed my pants looking at the other image results in google. I wasn't able to find the one I'm referencing...but you get the idea.

SO, last night I come into the bedroom around midnight, and see this:

River is fast asleep, and I mean rock solid. I found it very funny (and a little scary). Know what else is funny and scary, all at the same time? 

This is one of the images that popped up during my Google search of the Exorcism of Emily Rose. Um. Awesomesauce. 

Awesomesauce.

First of all, all credit for this new term goes to Mandy, with whom we'll be chillin' in just a few short days! 

Awesomesauce, as defined in your desktop Urban Dictionary (what do you MEAN you don't own a copy??!?!?) is: "Something that is more awesome than awesome. It is a modifyer of your basic awesome into a more awesome version." 

Ah! Thank God, for dictionaries! Anyways, we just had a truly awesomesauce moment that I wanted to share with you. After a long day of house cleaning and yard work, Salmaan and I decided to head to our local Indian joint for some tasty South Asian cuisine. I love it there. They always make things for me that aren't on the menu, and the owner teases us if we haven't been in for a couple of weeks.

We take our seats--I'm sitting facing the back of the restaurant, and Salmaan is facing the front where the windows are. Apparently, some of the patrons near the windows were complaining that the setting sun was coming in too strongly--right into their eyes. The waiter tried to block the light with the heavy curtains that hang over the windows, but was apparently unable to do so sufficiently, as those pesky rays kept creeping in. At a total loss for how to close them completely, he ran to the cashier area, grabbed a stapler, and went and stapled the curtains together. Three staples to a curtain, totaling at least twelve staples. 

Awesomesauce. And I bid you, goodnight.