WIPs

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So the Eyelet Skirt is coming along. I've actually finished this half of the skirt, cast off with a lovely picot edge, which I'd never done before so it was great fun for the first time.

Also, Kat Coyle herself (!) emailed me, to let me know of the Elongated Stitch correction, so if any of you are thinking of making this skirt, please know that there is one small correction to the pattern. Thanks again Kat. I was thrilled by the idea that the designer herself had contacted me!

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And here's my tiny vegetable and herb garden in progress.

Forecast just needs the buttonbands knit on, and then it too is done.
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Have a good weekend everyone!
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"Gone, Gone, Gone, She's Been Gone So Long, She's Been Gone, Gone, Gone, So Long"

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Firstly, I apologize for my lack of blogging and commenting these past few weeks. Grading in the last weeks of the semester got a bit crazy: final papers, journals, presentations, AND final exams for three sections--all that got the best of me, and something had to give. I know, I know, many of you still managed to post and do your grading and knit and design beautiful (Marigold!) socks and sew beautiful quilts (TWO quilts! or is it THREE??), and beautiful dresses and frocks! but I just felt so tired and overwhelmed, that I decided to take a wee break from it all.

But all grades are in, and now I'm back with much to show. First, however, I must take this post to say THANK YOU to so many of you, and I'll show you why...

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My mailbox has been brimming with so much goodness lately. I received my letter from my Knitterly Letter Swap pal, Marie. (Go have a look at her beautiful flowers!) Marie's wonderful letter is tucked in behind the beautiful letterpress (and wood block?) images created by the very talented Andrea.
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Andrea has been exploring so many wonderful pursuits lately: basketweaving, spinning, and what I'm most interested in--I'd love to do it!--letterpress. She's also been providing so many useful links for anyone also interested in letterpress. Thanks, dear Andrea for being so generous--for sending the beautiful calendar and cat print--and thanks also for having such an informative, thoughtful blog for us readers to visit.
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Speaking of generous souls: what you see above is the glorious bounty of a package mailed to me recently by the kind Megan of Woolly Interlude. I entered her blogoversary (sp?) contest , and my goodness, it's the first knitting-blog contest I've ever won! And boy was I shocked when the package arrived, because the box was full to the brim with so many wonderful things, not only the Rowan Kidsilk Haze that she said she was sending(which I've always wanted to try but never have!). It was like Christmas as a kid... Thank you, dear Megan. I'm so overwhelmed by your generosity, and I'm going to cast on for a shawl this weekend. I have a wedding to attend in early June and I definitely need a shawl (especially given that I sent Kiri away to a church auction last month.)
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And would you believe that just a couple of days later, I found out I was chosen for another contest? Having entered contests for over a year, and never to have won, and then to find I'd also won some beautiful green sock yarn from Elinor, well, I was considering going to buy lottery tickets next. I've never been so lucky. Seriously. Plus, dear Elinor sent a beautiful Carte Postale of Paris along with the sock yarn. I was so excited by the beautiful green color that I cast on immediately for the Denmark Socks in Nancy Bush's _Knitting on the Road_. Thank you, dear Elinor, and thank you also to dear Ashley who mentioned my blog in Elinor's great (and useful!) contest. I was so flattered, Ashley.
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Lastly, do you see that beautiful stich marker. That was made by Wendee, my other Knitterly Letter Swap Pal. Thanks, Wendee, for the beautiful markers (they're already getting used!), and for the yummy looking recipes.

So to all of you wonderful knitters-bloggers, I shout out a huge, warm, heartfilled

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(that's more of Andrea's beautiful printing)

To end, let's just say that the knitting community has overwhelmed me in so many ways, and during these past few weeks of slogging through grading, there were so many wonderful things to brighten my days. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Now, I think it's only right to give back to this wonderful community from which I've received so very much--so much friendship, advice, feedback, suggestions, information, inspiration, letters, yarn (!), tissue holders (from Craftapalooza!), stich markers, yarn (!), letterpress images, etc. etc. What do I mean give back? I mean, there's a CONTEST coming up chez Kodachrome! Watch for it in the coming week! There is going to be some giving back, y'all...

At Last: Kiri. So Long, Kiri.

Okay, so I've been remiss in a few things, one being writing up the finishing specs and posting some modelling shots of Kiri.

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Pattern: Kiri (free pattern courtesy of All Tangled Up: see sidebar for the PDF)

Yarn: Peruvian Baby Cashmere from Elann; six balls used of color 3724 (camel).

Needles: US 6 circulars

Modifications and Thoughts: No real modifications. A straightforward, and enjoyable pattern to knit. The lace repeat is easily memorized, and so the shawl was a calming project to work on. I really enjoyed the Baby Cashmere, and would recommend it. I used the Elann's Baby Silk previously on this shawl. My preference is the Baby Cashmere for the simple, but important, fact that the cashmere is much softer against the skin. In fact, I find the Baby Silk shawl itchy to wear, but I am extra sensitive to wearing wool next to my skin (I'm trying to work through this; EZ would want it that way.)

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I've actually sent this shawl off to my mother, who is in charge of a church auction. They're trying desperately to raise money to keep the United Church of my very small town going. I hope that Kiri finds itself in the hands of someone who will love it as much as I (briefly) did. I guess this constitutes my first real act of charity knitting. I liked it.

BTW: What good news for Crazy Aunt Purl. Her book, not even released yet, is already climbing the charts.

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Spread Peace. Spread Love. For Virginia Tech.

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Something Old. Something New. Something Blue.

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So here's an updated photo of Forecast. I have half a sleeve to go, then the buttonbands. Until then, check out Carrieoke's recent beautiful version of the sweater.
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These lovely skeins of sock yarn were brought back by my lovely Guido who was in Boston at a conference recently. The yarn is Mountain Mist Jubilee Merino sock yarn made by Blue Ridge Farms. It seems all the academics descended upon Newbury Yarns for some good yarn shopping while in Boston.

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Finally, thanks to all of you for your advice regarding the knit skirt possibilities. I soaked and blocked the swatch that I had made for the Eyelet skirt. The gauge changed from 18 st/4 in to 16 in/4 inches. The swatch itself really softened up, and is quite lovely to the touch. It also has lovely drape now too, so I think I'm going to go ahead with it. Oh, and I misspoke when I said the yarn was Classic Elite Provence. It's actually Classic Elite Flash. In any case, I suppose I'll go down to US 5 or US 6 to make up for the change in gauge post-blocking. I'm also thinking that I'll knit it the EZ circular way, and therefore avoid the seaming at the end (the pattern says to knit two identitical pieces and then seam it together but my finishing skills aren't that great.)

Now back to the knitting--something that always brings comfort and calm into my life.

Best to all of you.

Eye Candy : A Swatch : A Cheer-Up Link

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Before the weather took a sudden turn, and became really quite nasty here (see the ice photo of the previous post), spring had sprung.

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This meant that on my way to the library each day, I would pass by this amazing "burning bush."



The Southwest is such an interesting region: so hot and dry in many ways, and therefore, without color. But then there are moments--intense sudden bursts of color and life--such as this bush. I'm quite fascinated by this region, really.

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Now, to switch gears, let me just say that NO ONE tried to guess what I was swatching for in this photo. So let me point you in this direction.

What do you think? I'm really uncertain about knitting one of these--thinking about all of the misshapen "bum" fabric that might occur. But then I saw Julia's and have been thinking of making one ever since.

The yarn that I made the swatch out of is Classic Elite Provence. I did get gauge (but I have yet to wash and block it....) but I'm worried that it isn't drapey enough--that it'll be too stiff. And I really do have nightmares that a knitted skirt will stretch and warp and hang like a potato sack off of my bootie. But then again, there's Julia's, and it's just so dang beautiful...

(ETA: I mean Julia's *skirt*, not her "bootie" [though I'm sure Moxie would attest to her having a beautiful bootie!]. But upon reviewing my post of today, I thought I better edit this part so it doesn't seem like I'm lusting after Julia--I'm lusting after her knit skirt!! Ahem. Hope that clears everything up!]

Any feeback? Andy sage words of wisdom or advice?

While you're thinking of those wise words, you might want to go here and watch this video. It'll put a smile on your face, I'm sure, and leave you singing the song all day. As DJ Kodachrome, I send this one out to MellowTrouble who's feeling a bit glum today, it seems.

Container Wednesday--Sorta

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For Carson's "Container Wednesday," I took the above photo last week. But I also took the photo to demonstrate the difference between myself and my neighbours. The bike shown above is "my container"--my "wheels". This is how I get to campus, which is about ten blocks away. Below, you'll find the photo of my neighbour's "container"--his "wheels": this is how he rides to get to the campus which is, again, ten blocks away.




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I'm not sure what he encounters on his drive that requires such big tires, but apparently, he's gotta be ready for the extreme--that seems to be the Texan way (for many, anyways).

The photo is taken from our porch, and you can see the school yard that is across from us. Notice there are no play structures in the school yard. A litigious culture gets you this type of school playground. Seriously, it's an elementary school (where a very famous singer went to school in fact) and there isn't a single play structure because parents sue the school board.

You'll also notice that in the photos above, taken last week, you can see some of my geranium and marigold blooms. (I choose geraniums and marigolds this year because these are always the flowers found on my parents front steps, and it makes me think always of home-- :)

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In any case, that was last week. Below, is this week:

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Yep. That's right. In Texas, you don't get snow in April, you get ice rain. How pleasant. It seems that between the dust storms and the ice storms and the 90 degree (35 degree?) weather of the past week or two, the Apocalypse is fast approaching this place.

So with that, I wish you all a very Happy Spring.

Now let me go look outside to see if the Black Plague and the locusts have begun to mark their arrival yet....