Yarn It: My life as I Live It and Knit It

Valentine's Day

I just read a great post from Raining Sheep regarding Valentine's Day and thought I would write a quick something about it as well - even though it is over!

In all honesty, I have never been a huge fan of the day.  I still am not a huge fan!  The restaurants where I live are crowed and you are lucky to get a reservation somewhere.  If you don't have a reservation, then it is a waiting game.  I also do not like the pressure that comes with the day - and I don't want those around me to feel like they have to do something extraordinary.

Scott bought me a nice spring bouquet of flowers (my favorite) and a sweet card.  I had a lot of errands to run that day, including taking a very sick friend to Immediate Care because her husband has a severe back injury, and so Scott made Valentine's Cookies with the kids.  They were decorated with frosting, sprinkles, and red hots.  Shame on me for not getting pictures! 

When I was out running around I picked up a Valentines day dinner kit at a nice local supermarket.  We made the dinner together after the kids were in bed and it was wonderful.  We had baked brie with fig jelly, salad and bread, and filet mignon with bernaise sauce, crab, mashed potatoes and asparagus.  Desert was chocolate covered strawberries.  The dinner was only $50 and we made each course separately and ate it before we moved on to the next course.  It was soooo nice and we enjoyed spending a nice romantic evening at home rather out in a busy restaurant.  It was a perfect night for us and we wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  At the end of the night I was so grateful to have this wonderful, loving man by my side and that was all that really mattered. 

All in all, it isn't what you receive or what you give - it is the recognizing what that person means to you and letting them know.  Which is something we should actually do everyday but most likely do not because of our busy lives.

FO! Not-A-Poncho-City-Cape

Holy Hanna - I can't even tell you how long this has been completed!  The knitting was finished in October right before I moved.  After I got settled in, I went ribbon and snap hunting and then the darn thing sat as I was procrastinating sewing on the ribbon. 

I finally set out to sew the ribbon on and decided that rather than hand sew it I should try to machine sew it.  That was a disaster.  I am not a good sewer - and the knitting became all puckered along the ribbon edges.  I couldn't find my seam ripper so I had to set the thing aside again until I got another seam ripper.  Scott bought me one on one of his outings to the store.

The cape still sat untouched.  I finally sat down and sewed on the ribbon.  And then it sat again waiting for pictures!  Well, I finally had the pictures taken this weekend.  I am really happy with the outcome of the cape though there are a few changes I may make and I will get to that later.

 

Pattern:  Not-A-Poncho-City-Cape

Yarn:  Cascade Ecological Wool - 2 Hanks

Needles:  US 10

Ribbon:  3 yds from The Ribbon Jar

 

In this picture you can see how it pulls forward.  Really, both sides of the slits need to be tacked down for it to be comfortable.  I am also not sure if I am going to keep the ribbon in the arm slits.  They kind of pucker and this is due to my poor sewing skills.  I am going to tack down the other slits and wear it and see how I feel about the ribbon.

Other than that, I really love how this turned out.  It was fun to knit and was really quick.  It is something that I will wear frequently to throw over my clothes to keep warm.

Snow White is humming along great.  I am almost done with the first sleeve and will start the second tonight.  And I am trying to figure out what project I want to cast on for next!

And last but not least:

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Project Spectrum 4

Have any of you participated in any of the Project Spectrum's from Lolly's blog?  I tried to participate one year and somehow didn't follow through.  I love the idea and this year she has a really amazing theme.  Go check it out - Lolly's blog explains in much better detail than I can.  This year I am going to work to try to follow through with Project Spectrum. 

March and April incoorporate the color green along with many other aspects.  The possibilities are really endless.  I am not in a position to buy yarn for any project right now and so I had to go to my stash.  Before I opened the "stash cabinet", I was thinking...."I really don't have any green in my stash.  How will I do this?".  Well, I should have thought a heck of a lot harder because apparantley I have I do have green in my stash.

 

Ok. So I won't be able to knit with ALL of this during March and April.....or should I challenge myself?  I don't know.  But I would like to use this stash up.  I love the Louet Euroflax.....however, really want to incorporate "gems" into my project and the best way to do this would be through beads. So I am thinking that a lovely beaded lace stole or shawl would be nice.  I would use the yarn palace lace weight yarn.  I just need to find a pattern that would be suitable.  I would love to use the other yarn as well.....so I am going to keep my options open over the next month as I contemplate projects. 

Drop me a line if you are planning to participate in Project Spectrum 4. I would love to follow your projects.....or whatever you may come up with.

Speaking of green......I do, however, currently have "green" on my needles.  I cast on for a hat with the pattern and yarn my secret pal sent me.  I couldn't resist.  The hat is coming along great:

It is Meret from Wolly Wormheads.  I speculate the hat will be done this weekend.

I am soooo behind on blogging. My City Cape has been long finished and all I need to do is take pictures.  It is always dark when Scott gets home and Camille is much to social now to bother!  Seriously.  She has friends over or is at a friends many days of the week. Or she is at her dads.

So I have one FO to post about and a couple WIP's as well.  HOPEFULLY I will get to is soon.

Secret Pal Package #2!

Yeah!  I am so excited about my second secret pal package!  It was really nice to see the package sitting in my mailbox this morning.  It has been a bit of a rough week and the package put the a smile on my face.  Here is what I was in the box:

 

My Secret Pal has been browing through my Ravelry Queue.  These Lorna's Laces socks were in my queue and my sent me the pattern for the socks PLUS two skeins of Knit Picks Essential Solid sock yarn in Gulfstream - a gorgeous Turquoise color.  My pal said this is one of her favorites so I am looking forward to trying it out.

 

Another item in my Rave queue was this beret by Woolly Wormhead.  My pal sent me the pattern and the yarn for that also!  I am so excited.  I think I am going to cast on for it tomorrow.

 

Last but not least, she sent me an issue of Knit Simple and box of YUMMY chocolates.  I haven't had one yet....but the kids and Scott did and they loved them.

THANK YOU for an amazing package, Secret Pal.  I really appreciate it and it made my day.  You really know how to spoil me and I love everything you sent.

Knitting News:  Vivian is done!  I blocked her this past week but now I need to find a zipper to sew in.  I LOVE the sweater.  It turned out wonderful and fits perfectly.  I can't wait to post on it.

I still need to post on the Not-A-Poncho-City-Cape!  It is all ready to go - I just haven't had the time.  The last couple weeks have been crazy.  I was sick, Scott was sick, Sophie was really sick and out of school for an entire week.  It has been hectic.  Hopefully this week will be a bit slower and I can post my FO.  It has been awhile!

Oh yeah, I started Snow White and finished the body and will start the sleeves tomorrow.  Yeah!  It is a quick knit.  Sorry I am not putting pattern links in right now.  I need to get to bed.