Grief

One week ago today we lost our little dog Dexter – the coolest dog ever – to cancer.

To say he is missed is an understatement.


I still don’t really have the words to express our grief.  He took care of me and watched over his girl.

The first time they met.

He made Matt a dog person and kept our feet warm at night.

Shortly after we adopted him.



The best napping accessory.

 He was family.  Hell he made us a family.  He was our “and dog makes three.”

His first bath at his new home.

 
The first sweater I ever knit.  It even has a D on the back of it.

Especially heartbreaking is that his girl keeps looking for him. She crawls to the stairs and screams her pterodactyl doggie call, points up and says “DA”

She cries every time she’s put in her playpen because her dog isn’t there to keep her company. I didn’t even realize he did that. But when I had to switch laundry or run upstairs for something he would keep an eye on her for me.

And now I don’t know how to tell her that her best friend is gone.

The Other Side of the Bridge

So I made it. I’m 30. And I’m home from what was one of the best trips ever. Good friends, good wine, good location…and upgrading to a convertible didn’t exactly hurt, either:


Me and Michele on the Golden Gate Bridge



Matt and Shayne on the Golden Gate Bridge




Driving across the Golden Gate in a Convertible? DID NOT SUCK.

We only had time for a buzz by tour of San Fran before we had to head out to Napa but with our top down we got to see quite a few sights in that short time:


City Hall



Lombard Street/Coit Tower


Painted Ladies


Street car in front of the Transamerica Pyramid

We even got to check out a few of our old stomping grounds:

We lived here in 2002.

Anyways I’m still sorting through all of the photographs from the trip but I did wanted to share that I finished my Traveling Woman right on time. Blocked it the night before and unpinned it literally while the taxi to the airport was waiting outside. Good thing, too… convertibles are WINDY:

Perfect size for a headscarf. Used it to keep my long hair from turning into a tangled mess all weekend.

Yay for useful handknits!

Thirty

So a long time ago after going to one too many birthday parties in a row my group of friends declared that for 30 we were not going to have to do the whole thing once a month all year. No. Instead we would have one BIG CELEBRATION somewhere spectacular and awesome and really worthy of 30.

I believe we decided this sometime in 2002.

Right. That’s all easy to say when you’re 22. But 8 years later when the chips are down and it’s time to actually plan/pay for/take vacation time for a trip like this it’s a different story. Uh huh.

We leave for that trip tomorrow.*

I love my friends.

Napa, California is our destination and I think it's exactly right for 30 - Party atmosphere but not Vegas, chill but still lots to do and see, and swanky without being super pricey (if you pick the right places, that is). There are a total of 11 of us going from literally every corner of the country. If we have to travel to see each other might as well go somewhere uberfun.

I can’t wait.

And while I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous to leave my girl I know she’s in good hands:

Grandma and Grandpa will take good care of me.


See my new toothie?


Look it’s my doggie!

And if she takes her first steps while we’re gone there better be a video of it. (I’m really, really hoping we don’t miss her first steps because OHTHEGUILT)

As far as travel knitting goes I’m only bringing one project. The last Epic Trip I took I had a Monkey with me:

Monkey on the train to Puno, Peru.

And it was the perfect travel project. So this time I’m repeating that only with my own yarn:

Happy yarn cake of Destination Yarn colorway Berlin.

Oh and I didn’t even tell you the best part yet – Saturday is my actual 30th. How great is it that it worked out that way? So this is my last blog in my 20’s. Not sure how I feel about that…

Catch you on the other side!!!

*This would be the same group of friends that decided that the day after college graduation we were flying to Vegas. To sum up… someone once told me that I hadn’t really been to Vegas unless I had seen Cirque. I replied that she hasn’t really been to Vegas until she invited a bartender to her wedding and had a lounge singer buy her breakfast. Best. Trip. Ever.

National Cherry Blossom Festival

So right now in Wasthington DC the National Cherry Blossom Festival is going on. Sadly I can’t get there this year… but thanks to flickr I can share a few pics:

1. Pink Cherry Blossom Flowers National Cherry Blossom Festival Washington DC, 2. Cherry Blossom Festival 2010, 3. Cherry Blossoms at the Cherry Blossom Festival, 4. National Cherry Blossom Festival Washington DC 2010

I big poofy heart flickr.

I also big poofy heart this:


That would be my shiny new baby dress:

It is knit out of ONE skein of  National Cherry Blossom Festival.

I think it’s completely adorable. Even more so when modeled by someone completely adorable:

Yeah. She’s rockin’ it.



Anyways to celebrate the Cherry Blossoms now through the end of April this colorway is $1 off at Destination Yarn.

Yay for spring!

Summary:
Ravelry link: Dress for the Baby Girl
Pattern: Little Sister Dress by Tora Frøseth Design
Yarn: Destination Yarn Sock Yarn Postcard in National Cherry Blossom Festival
Modifications: I went up a needle size (used a size 3) and then knit the size 12 months in hopes that she can wear it both this spring and next fall. I also just kept increasing every 7 rows on the skirt even thought the pattern called for only a few increases. I wanted the skirt to be super flared out for maximum cuteness.
Verdict: ADORABLE! WIN!

Leftover Sock Yarn Mitts

So thanks to knitting lots of samples for the Destination Yarn trunk shows I have amassed a ridiculous amount of mini skeins of leftover sockyarn. Seriously. Piles of little balls mocking me because they are too small to do anything productive with.

Or are they?

My google-fu (or Ravelry-fu) failed me on this one.

So I decided to create a pattern for something useful with as little yarn as you have:

Those mitts took exactly 0.95 oz (27 Grams) of sock yarn.

Not very much.

And the bonus is that they are knit from the fingers down to the cuff. Meaning that you can bind off whenever you run out of yarn. Or keep going until you reach your armpits. Whichever.

Not so easy to photograph your own hand...

Anyways!  Here’s what I did:

Leftover Sockyarn Mitts
Ravelry Link:  Leftover Sockyarn Mitts

Materials:
a small amount (126ish yards, 0.95 oz, 27g) of Fingering Weight Yarn (bonus points if you use Destination Yarn. Mine are knit out of the colorway London)
Size 3 Double Pointed Needles (or one looooong circular if magic loop is your thing)
A stitch marker for marking the beginning of the round and 1 other stitch markers for marking decreases

I divided my leftover yarn into 2 equal balls so that I would know exactly how much I had for each mitt. This step isn’t necessary unless you’re really, really cutting it close!

Gauge: 8 stitches and 11 rows = 1 inch

Hand:
Using a long tail cast on, Cast on 48 stitches. Join for knitting in the round being careful not to twist.

Work K2, P2 rib for 5 rounds. (or longer if you want the opening at the fingers to be ribbed for longer)

Knit 20 rounds plain (or desired length from fingertips to thumb opening)

Gusset Setup:
Round 1: K1, Cast on 12 using Backwards Loop method. Knit to end of Round.
Round 2: Knit 14, place marker, knit to end of round.

Gusset:
Round 1 (Decrease Round): SSK, knit to 2 stitches before marker, K2tog, knit around
Round 2: Knit around slipping all markers
Round 3: Knit around slipping all markers

Repeat Gusset Rounds 1-3 until 48 stitches remain on needles (6 times total).


Cuff: K2, P2 around every round for 25 rounds (or until desired cuff length, or until you run out of yarn)

Bind off loosely in pattern.
Weave in all ends and block if desired.
Repeat for second mitt.


Not too shabby for one skein of sock yarn:

2 good-sized socks, 2 mitts, and a bit leftover.



In other news my Traveling Woman Shawl is coming along swimmingly:

Love.  LOVE how the Rainy Afternoon is knitting up!

So close to being able to start the lace! Remember you can still join my little Spring Lace Knit Along and enter to win some fabulous prizes!

Spring Lace Knit Along

It is SO spring out right now. The flowers are blooming, the birds are singing, I’m sneezing like crazy, and everyone just wants to be OUTSIDE.

Us on Easter. Outside.


Too Much Outside.

The spring fever has hit my knitting, too. I don’t want to knit any more sweaters. I’m done with thick wool. I’m done with cables. I’m done with tweed. I’m even done with socks (crazy, right?) Done.

All I want to knit is lace.

Light, airy fabric. Wispy happy things that aren’t for warmth but are just for beauty. Yarn Overs and SSK paired to create wonderful patterns…

1. Shetland Triangle Shawl, 2. Falling Water Lace Scarf, 3. Cherry Blossom Shawl, 4. Cherry Blossom Shawl, 5. Adamas, 6. Paris Scarf, 7. Shetland Triangle Shawl, 8. Cherry Blossom Shawl, 9. Adamas

Sigh.

Anyone want to play along with me?

How about I sweeten the pot with fabulous prizes?

Destination Yarn Spring Lace Knit Along

Anytime from now through Memorial Day post a picture of a lace project knit with Destination Yarn to this thread on the Ravelry Group or email it to me at DestinationYarn@gmail.com and I will enter you into a drawing for a Fabulous Prize Package!

Also for every lace project you post I’ll send you a coupon for 10% off one skein.

Should be a fun Knit along!

I’m going to knit the Traveling Woman Shawl (free pattern that takes 1 skein of sock yarn):

1. Travelling woman shawl 3, 2. Traveling Woman Shawl - Handmaiden Casbah (Cedar), 3. Traveling Woman Shawl, 4. Traveling Woman Shawl, 5. traveling woman shawl, 6. Traveling Woman

Out of Rainy Afternoon:

I'm picturing wearing this all summer over bright tank tops and sundresses...

Yay, lace!