Bird's Nest Knits

2006 Out with a Bloom

A Primrose bloom that is.  I closed out 2006 with a finished object - not a bad project to finish with either - considering that Heidi's about to pop any day now.  The only thing left to do is to find a couple of pretty snaps for the front.   My contribution to the Stranded Knit Along is done!

All in all - despite the bazillion ends to weave in - this was a really fun project and the yarn was really nice to work with, resulting in a lovely fluffy warm fabric with the sheen of silk and the softness of baby alpaca.   I made a few changes to the original pattern.  The sleeves were knit in a solid color instead of continuing the fair isle pattern.  I picked up stitches around the armhole and knit in the round with a few subtle decreases after the elbow.  I think the solid sets off the colorful fair isle very well, and by the time the sleeves came around I was tired of the finicky-ness of having to fiddle with the stranding.

Pattern: Primrose by Louisa Harding
Yarn: Knitpicks Elegance 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk
Needles: Knitpicks Options Size 5
Started: November 28th, 2006
Completed: December 27th, 2006

Come on - you know you want to peek at the wrong side...

I think that some pearly snaps for the front would be really nice.

Happy New Year to you - and here's a cup of tea while I enjoy one of my own.

Coming up roses...

Primroses that is.  Moving along on the finishing - I went ahead and seamed up one of the fronts to the back piece and tucked in all the ends during some TV watching last night.  I'm not terribly ashamed to show the wrong side of the work and the tension is coming out pretty nicely.  I weaved the gajillion (which is 100 x gazillion)  ends into the seam and it turned out.  Its not a perfect seam - the yarn ends were making it hard to pick up the bars in mattress stitch, and I knew I should have done a selvage and knit every end, and moved in the decreases a couple of stitches etc etc.  But I think it's turning out pretty damn awesome myself.  The Knit Picks Elegance yarn is really nice to work with and the stitches are coming out really pretty.  I can't wait to soak it and block it out again to see how well the yarn blooms.

I have just picked up the stitches for the arm and am knitting those in the round in a solid color to match the ribbing.  I think it will come out quite nicely and gets me out of doing any more Fair Isle.  A fun technique to be sure but those ends are a bitch.  The colors I picked are not too girly but nice and bright and happy.  I will definately be able to get this done before the new year and before Absinthe the Revenge pops out.

So what might a furry child be so intently staring into the bottom of the bathtub for?   None other than Ted E. McSnackersons!  I made sure that Lila stayed seated - and she was enthralled by Ted's cutiful fuzzy buttness while I cleaned out Castle Stinkenstein.    There was one attempt to climb into the tub that was cut short and I was given the look.  You know the look.  The "You are such a mean mean mommy that I must now go eat worms."  Thats life kiddo - you can't smell the hamster's butt just because you want to.  And this ain't a democracy.

It's a good thing he is so cute or he'd be a kabob by now.

Just to prove that I have zero sense of self control - and why I do not manage the finances in my house hold - I'd be holding afternoon tea in the west wing of my Kenmore Fridge box...  Some retail therapy and yarn porn. 

Curious Creek Fibers Serengeti (I loooove this stuff) in the Glacier Lakes colorway.  I'm thinking will be a pair of fingerless gloves for me.

To there and back again

So as an early birthday present, Mr Bird took me up to Napa Valley to a shi-shi resort for the weekend.  We even got to bring our darling dog-child, and a good time was had by all.  The drive up was brutal - getting caught in the morning traffic in LA AND afternoon traffic going past Vallejo added nearly 3 hours to the trip bringing it to a mind numbing 11 hours.   The package included a couple of massages and dinner at their restaurant (very good for a hotel restaurant btw) each night and a "Pampered Pet" package.  There were lots of stops on the way up to try to get the pooch to run around a bit and stretch her legs - she was a trooper the whole weekend.

We were unlucky enough to get stormed in a good portion of the weekend so there was quite a bit of knitting done.  I got to work on Primrose and got both the front pieces done (knit at the same time).  There is a mistake on one of the fronts but there is no way in Helllllll I'm going to frog that sucker and reknit it for one row.  Do you see all those ends?  No way.  I'd rather peel my eyeballs like grapes.

Now I'll seam the front and back, and then do the sleeves in the round I think.   Going down the final stretch wooo hoo!

Considering how complicated the chart was for the fair isle Primrose - I had to have an easy project for the cart.  Nothing fulfills that need like a stockinette sock in delicious Curious Creek's Serengeti in Plum Thunder.   I am so in love with this color.  I'm going to do a short row heel, stockinette foot and the cuff will have a small cable running up each side.  I haven't decided if these will be for me or if they will be a Christmas gift.

Napa was really beautiful - even if there was a lot of rain.  We didn't go to any wineries - probably because I already drink a lot of California wines.   We did have a rather weird experience at the groomer that was setup by the hotel.  It was down this dirt road and there were piles of junk and broken down cars all over the place, and Mr. Bird and I just looked at each other and said "Texas Chainsaw Massacre all over this."

The lady was nice but her place was rather unkept and I wouldn't have brought my dog there if I'd known it was like that. 

Most of the vineyards you could see from the roads have turned yellow and withered from the cold weather but I'm sure it must look amazing during the spring and summers.

I cant keep a secret (aka How much I love Heidi)

So originally I had planned to make a super secret baby sweater for Heidi's coming minion Sophie.  Baby sweater it is - secret it is not.  So if you ever think to tell me a secret and want no one to know about it?  You may be better off tattoo'ing it on Britney's asscheek.  I'm a big ole
blabbermouth yessirree.  I am working on Louisa Harding's Primrose Sweater from Tadpoles and Tiddlers.  It is also my project for the Stranded Colorwork KAL - two birds with one stone is a good thing, and baby items are small.  The size of the sweater does not however reduce the number of ends that will be weaved in once I seam this baby up.   If I were to be crazy enough to knit this again - I'd be doing steeks all the way.  Having to do the separate right and left fronts are currently a pain in my ample ass.

I chose colors that were a little more dark than what the original calls for, which I like really.    My stitches are coming out reasonably even and blocking will fix all the tiny imperfections as well.

See those loose ends?  This is how much I must love Heidi.  In fact - don't tell Mr. Heidi but - the baby is mine!  *Michael Jackson spin*

I am hoping to get it done this weekend - but its not looking good for our raven haired heroine.  Mr Bird and I are going away for the weekend next week to Napa Valley and staying at this nice spa (and bringing my doggy too!) for an early birthday - so hopefully if I cant get it done by this weekend - I'll have it done before Mamasan pops out the kid.

All Christmas knitting is being ignored.  What do you mean I can't get three pairs of socks done after the sweater is finished?