tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-764138348435641982012-01-03T13:44:38.319-08:00A knitting and spinning blog with occasional ramblings about life. A way for me to feel connected to people.Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-80006467276942659032011-12-09T15:14:00.000-08:002011-12-09T18:33:25.055-08:00

Problem: Need to discourage the cat from getting too fresh with the Christmas tree.Solution: Discover "Cat Entertainment" videos on YouTube. Here Bucky is watching a 9-minute video of birds and squirrels for the third time in a row. He's about as bad as my little sister at the age of seven and Disney's The Little Mermaid. Bonus: For the first time in nearly two years, I am able to spin on my

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-42132535981730397502011-12-02T14:24:00.000-08:002011-12-02T15:10:45.990-08:00

Even though I'd successfully finished Angostura, when I saw that Ysolda was returning to the Bay Area to teach a class specifically about her book, I couldn't resist. In fact, I sorta talked two of my knitting friends into taking the class as well (although unfortunately we took it at different times). The rest of the store was packed, because it was also the one-year anniversary of Verb's

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-61960305547587366102011-11-08T12:59:00.000-08:002011-11-17T14:43:11.108-08:00

It's the time of year when I start thinking about gift knitting. And sweaters. And warm woolly socks and scarves. The peak of the semester has passed, the holiday season is well underway, the mornings are chilly and we've put the clocks back on standard time.Midterms are over, which means I have time to get back to knitting. After finishing Angostura, I remembered how much I like having just

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-58597710076016171072011-11-01T10:22:00.001-07:002011-11-01T10:44:54.753-07:00

Goodness gracious. It's been awhile since I blogged, and I am DEFINITELY properly ashamed. Hopefully, I'll be able to distract you with photos of the latest knitting FO. Introducing Angostura: I adore it. It's the first knitted vest I've made, and Ysolda's instructions didn't lead me wrong. I wore it to work on an evaluation day, because I wanted to look smart and professional and feel

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-80374855459895731972011-09-08T10:38:00.000-07:002011-09-08T10:38:52.389-07:00

I really thought that the first item I knit from Little Red in the City would be a Cria cardigan, but I weighed the yarn I was intending to use and now I don't think there's enough there for a Cria. So instead, I decided that the perfect back-to-school project would be a sweater vest. Because nothing says "authority in the classroom" like a knitted vest on top of a crisp white button-down shirt

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-10660858163216076912011-08-19T11:44:00.000-07:002011-08-19T12:14:14.383-07:00

First of all, yes, I've started something new. In fact, two somethings new. But I'm saving them (so sneaky!) so that I have something to blog about next week, which is the first week of classes. Stress levels will be high, creativity will likely be low, and I'll need something easy to blog about. In the meantime, I have one more finished item to share: The pattern for the baby blanket

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-26444491216967137642011-08-15T00:25:00.000-07:002011-08-15T12:24:37.015-07:00

I might be having a bout with it. Seaming on the mitered square blanket is coming along apace. Four of the six strips are done, which means that I've done more than 2/3 of the seaming. My travel project, the striped Gothsocks, also got finished last night: These socks were about as simple as possible: 72 stitches on size 1 needles (although I used 0's for the cuff, heels, and toes), 2x2

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-91042032597324953962011-08-10T13:50:00.000-07:002011-08-10T14:17:45.837-07:00

Although I don't think of myself as a needle felter, I can definitely see the stress-relief benefits in the craft. Stabbing wool with pointy sharp needles sounds right up my alley some days when I get off work. I'd tried needle felting out at workshops and craft fairs a few times, and I certainly don't have a problem finding feltable wool around here, but for some reason it never really caught

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-42326463212798973102011-07-30T17:00:00.000-07:002011-07-30T17:01:47.195-07:00

I have no idea where this came from!Honestly, someone else is using the sewing machine. Maybe Starbuck. What's that? It can't be the cat because he doesn't have opposable thumbs? Is there such a thing as sleepsewing? It'd be like sleepwalking, except at the end you have a blanket and it's a miracle that you didn't stab yourself fourteen times with straight pins. In other words, many thanks

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-90775175130094243282011-07-26T16:50:00.000-07:002011-07-26T16:51:12.138-07:00

I feel kinda like the cat did two weeks ago. A bit bewildered and a bit ashamed, but knowing full well there isn't anything more to do about the situation.So, the Tour De Fleece ended two days ago. This is what I have finished:Four measly bobbins of singles. I didn't find time to ply anything, and I didn't even finish one of the four bags of fiber.Since starting off with my best intentions,

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-44613307637045609712011-07-03T10:37:00.000-07:002011-07-03T10:37:31.217-07:00

I'm excited about starting three new things right now. First, on the spinning front: Yesterday was the first day of the 2011 Tour De Fleece, and although I didn't make a strong start, I have big plans for today and the rest of the tour. Here's my progress from Day #1:I spun as much as I could yesterday morning before we had to leave for a wedding. I'm making up my TDF goals as I go along, and

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-54635051637061116992011-06-30T17:43:00.000-07:002011-07-30T17:02:44.688-07:00

Getting the cabin for our last night in Yellowstone might have been the smartest decision we made during the entire trip. We were warm and rested on Tuesday, which meant we could properly enjoy Old Faithful.Another rare treat, about ten minutes before Old Faithful went off, was the Beehive geyser. Old Faithful, I learned, is rare by being so predictable. Most of the geysers in the park go off

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-11338782160148540482011-06-27T11:33:00.000-07:002011-06-27T11:33:12.669-07:00

When we last left our intrepid heroine and hero, they were sleeping in a little motel in West Yellowstone. Stuffed with tasty barbecue and beer from a local restaurant, neither one slept incredibly well because it was snowing outside. Only little flurries, but still. It was snowing and they knew they were going to be spending the next few nights in a tent.(I can hear everyone saying in their

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-61709205586520500712011-06-19T20:42:00.000-07:002011-06-19T20:42:25.179-07:00

(Note: Originally, this was going to be one post but it got too long. Today, you get the first two days of our trip. Stay tuned for wildlife, knitting, and camping adventures!)For my birthday this year, the husbeast and I decided we were going to hit up a few national parks and go camping. The plan was to drive east, turning up through Idaho for a while, and ending up in Yellowstone National

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-85863610507691630892011-05-31T22:41:00.000-07:002011-05-31T22:41:25.137-07:00

First things first. I can now finally blog about this project: Two knitting friends are both pregnant (and are due pretty close to one another), and the various knitting circles all banded together to make them collective baby blankets. We threw them a lovely BBQ lunch baby shower this past weekend, where they got to have all the fun of arranging the blanket squares and none of the stress of

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-38967821056170373872011-04-21T10:05:00.000-07:002011-04-21T10:05:18.614-07:00

A little of this: A little of that:All with the help of my lovely (and toothy) assistant:My spring break came and went, and when it was over all I had to show for my efforts were a quilt top, a receipt for a walking foot for my friend's sewing machine, and some missing cash. Oh, and some really adorable navy blue backing fabric from another local fabric store, Peapod Fabrics. It's the one with

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-74488658888138872502011-03-06T10:23:00.000-08:002011-03-29T17:37:05.950-07:00

So I spent about a month putting off the next step in finishing the never-ending blanket project (shocking, I know). I told myself I was just waiting for a convenient time. A time when I wouldn't feel so bad about keeping the cat locked in or out of the bedroom. A time when I wasn't exhausted from work. A time when I felt like it. Really, I think I was just waiting to finish something. In

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-70443936456665196942011-03-01T09:10:00.000-08:002011-03-01T13:07:58.659-08:00

Okay, so I entered Ysolda's Hedgehog contest. This morning I opened my email to find that I got the right number of hedgehogs!!! And then I realized (belatedly) that I already own a copy of the adorable Smith pattern, since it's part of the Whimsical Little Knits 2 collection. So I've decided to pass the good karma along, and give away my own copy of the Smith pattern. Share the love, right?

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-3876612102229169362011-02-15T09:52:00.000-08:002011-02-15T10:27:03.495-08:00

Dear Kristine,Did you know you have the most amazing yarn shop ever? I love it so much, it sometimes makes me sad that I live on the other side of the bay. I know that lately I've only been there during some truly momentous events, and I should come by when the shop is a little quieter so we can catch up properly. But your events are always spectacular. There's usually great food, and last

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-52139771187201148022011-02-06T08:37:00.000-08:002011-02-06T10:01:41.025-08:00

I've been kind of stuck this week, crafting-wise. Not stuck in a rut. In order to be stuck in a rut you have to be actively working on something, which does not describe me over the past five days. I've been struck with knitting ennui since Tuesday, when I was purusing my recently completed projects on Ravelry trying to figure out what kind of knitting I was missing in my life. I realized

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-87538312626699463832011-01-16T18:54:00.000-08:002011-01-16T18:54:06.760-08:00

Before I go into the details, let me just say that Friday's event was like getting a second Christmas this year. I met up with a few knitter friends, and we all talked about how the weather was lovely for this time of year, but not so great for showing off knitwear. Having planned on wearing a hat, scarf, and mitts, I resigned myself to putting my hat on once we got to the store. What I didn't

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-74172822189141603812011-01-13T16:55:00.000-08:002011-01-13T16:56:00.509-08:00

I've got everything ready for tomorrow. The camera is packed in my purse (I really need to be a good blogger and take lots of photos). My copy of Whimsical Little Knits 1 has been retrieved from the knitting bookshelf, ready to be signed. I've decided on what I'll wear: My Snapdragon tam, and my blue Pomatomus socks. Oh, didn’t you hear? Cookie A is going to be speaking tomorrow, too! It’s

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-46867280846791344012011-01-07T21:16:00.000-08:002011-01-13T20:47:19.034-08:00

So here's what's coming up in the next week or two:1. Tomorrow I'm having tea with some lovely ladies. Our purpose is threefold: eat cucumber sandwiches, gab about knitting, and look fabulous. 2. I can go back to Purl Jam on a regular basis. Hooray for no Tuesday evening class assignment this semester, and having my knitting support group back! 3. There are another few days before the new

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-14701250186606405752011-01-03T14:45:00.000-08:002011-01-03T15:47:19.993-08:00

I mentioned earlier that I was a little disappointed in how much knitting I did in 2010, as compared to 2009. A few astute readers have reminded me that planning and participating in a wedding does tend to cut into one's knitting and spinning time, but this year I will have no such impediment. As Brenda Dayne said in her final podcast of 2007, this year I will start as I mean to go on. So here

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-874117882614872252010-12-27T21:32:00.000-08:002010-12-27T21:32:54.527-08:00

This year's batch of knits, some already having flown their way to the four points of the compass:A hat for my brother:A hat and mittens for his wife:A scarf for my sister:A hat for my sister (this is technically her birthday gift, but her birthday isn't for several weeks and I didn't see any point in her ears being cold in the meantime):Some fingerless mitts for a friend:And a blanket for my

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-62652840659065137482010-12-25T13:36:00.000-08:002010-12-25T13:36:40.078-08:00

I finished up my last official holiday knitted gift two days ago. Technically I still have other knitted gifts, but technically those don't need to be finished until late January. My last holiday knit needed buttons, and I thought I already had the perfect ones, but turns out I only had four and the project needs eight. We were spending Christmas Eve and the day before with the husbeast's

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-1391578536494383192010-12-13T12:44:00.001-08:002010-12-13T14:09:23.521-08:00

and not everyone is happy about that. But, there are upshots. Starbuck has mixed feelings about the holidays. On the one hand, the humans have provided him with a toy tree. On the other hand, they keep trying to put that stupid hat on him. I am zipping through my holiday knitting, which is good because I forgot that some of it needs to be ready to be shipped to North Dakota BEFORE Dec. 25th.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-84231493165883791362010-12-05T17:35:00.000-08:002010-12-06T17:19:13.159-08:00

As I get older and gain the ability to take a very long view, I'm starting to see themes emerge in my life. Not everything is cyclical, but some things sure are. We return to places and people we find comfortable. Sometimes it's a rut, but sometimes it's a return to a problem, puzzle, or challenge.Okay, enough with being all cryptic, I am going somewhere with this and I should get down to it.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-60937500724757445052010-11-23T17:34:00.000-08:002010-11-23T17:36:05.294-08:00

So I know I've mentioned Verb's new store a few times already here. I can't put my finger on precisely what quality it is that draws me to Kristine's yarns and fibers. I do know that, even when I'm not looking for anything in particular, I always see something I like. Every time. Maybe it's the subtleties of the color palette she gets from natural dyes, or the huge variety of fiber bases she

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-67596315732211575072010-11-18T13:29:00.000-08:002010-11-18T13:29:07.328-08:00

With a yarn. It's bad. I haven't been this in love with a yarn in a long time, and certainly not with a commercial yarn of all things. I've been in very deep like with many skeins of my handspun, especially when they ended up in the perfect project. And I've felt gratitude towards yarns for being the way they are. I have a profound platonic friendship with Cascade 220 that will probably

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-87103210373503075152010-11-13T20:31:00.000-08:002010-11-13T20:37:06.631-08:00

Is a pretty big number. I'm an astronomer, so I should know. We are mighty. As I said back in January, Ravelry is a community I am proud to be a part of and to which I am happy to contribute.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-32835751844840823612010-11-11T17:15:00.000-08:002010-11-11T18:57:53.902-08:00

They're there to tell you that the things you make are awesome, and give you awesome things in return. Also, they'll tell you your obsessions aren't strange in the slightest, and will never give you looks that suggest you might be a little off in the head for going on and on and on about the perfect shade of green. It's been a tough semester, having a night class that means I'm missing my

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-27910904068344811542010-11-07T21:25:00.000-08:002010-11-07T21:25:19.099-08:00

Wayfarer is complete, and I'm so glad that this time I managed to finish a seasonally-appropriate knit (unlike the past two springs, when I've been finishing a pair of lined mittens). I didn't finish it in time to wear on our trip north and east, to an area of the state that my brain has started calling "Inner California." Two amazingly generous relatives of the husbeast gave us some land as a

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-17926657604298809062010-10-19T13:25:00.001-07:002010-10-29T10:12:28.987-07:00

Sometimes I worry that this blog should be titled "Starry Creative", since I often feel compelled to share anything I make with you all (not just the knits). I guess then the title wouldn't be nearly as clever, though. The husbeast and I have been waiting for the "right" time to try out a really cool-looking bread recipe, and two weekends turned out just right. We both took some much-needed

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-49737931675404479532010-10-19T13:22:00.000-07:002010-10-19T13:22:38.093-07:00

So after I took Blake's fleece to be washed and pin drafted, I decided it was high time to wash the pillowcase the fleece had been sitting in for approximately one year. Guess what fell out of the leg of my jeans as I was pulling them from the dryer in the laundromat? This, girls and boys, is how we do NOT treat lovely fleece. It was wrapped up in the pillowcase originally, which smelled

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-9102933103065558452010-10-12T10:30:00.001-07:002010-10-17T08:43:45.372-07:00

That's what I've been trying to do these past two weeks, to coax this autumn into actually feeling like autumn. Friends are planning Halloween costumes, and the equinox has passed. I want to feel a nip in the air when I go outside in the mornings. I want to pull out my box of hats and mittens. I want to drink hot cider. I want to wear my handknit socks. It doesn't help that both of my

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-79909795001006167672010-09-25T17:53:00.000-07:002010-10-01T20:03:49.131-07:00

I’m not sure exactly what was going on last year that prevented me from going (probably some wedding planning stuff), but I missed California Wool and Fiber in 2009. Now, it’s probably for the best, because I ended up buying a fleece at Spinner’s Day on the Farm. If I’d ended up going to CWFF, then I’d probably be in the hole for two fleeces instead of just one. But this year, there was no way

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-50538100758993469862010-09-10T12:45:00.000-07:002010-09-10T12:57:01.092-07:00

The husband informed me this morning, as I was scooping out the cat's litter box, that he just now "got" the title of my blog. And then told me that I'm pretty clever. My response was, why would I start a blog unless I had a really witty name for it? For time-capsule purposes, here's the low-down. It works on multiple levels. 1. Knitterly play on the title of the Vincent van Gogh painting. 2.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-12457133484382799282010-08-20T11:09:00.000-07:002010-08-20T11:37:57.100-07:00

Row, row, row your boatGently down the streamMerrily, merrily, merrily, merrilyLife is but a dreamThat's the feeling around here these days. I'm not ready to do a whole wedding-party-honeymoon-recovery recap, not yet. There's a kind of haze surrounding the three weeks between when my summer classes ended and when we returned to work this Monday. I want to do a recap (or maybe write an email to

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-48690080195869616872010-07-30T08:56:00.001-07:002010-07-30T09:10:58.135-07:00

I know what you're thinking. "She never usually TELLS us when she's going to stop blogging for two or three weeks." But I guess I will this time, since I know about the pause in advance, rather than the absence being due to sheer laziness. We had this week off work to wrap up last-minute details, see out-of-town family, and chill out a bit. I've been working on the Bernhart cardigan, which has

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-29509604641704119952010-07-15T18:04:00.000-07:002010-07-16T04:15:27.725-07:00

That's what this past week has felt like. We have canceled or otherwise bowed out of most of our regular extracurricular social activities from now until the wedding, which is now two weeks from Saturday. This was partly to accommodate some larger wedding-related things, and partly to leave ourselves time to have a freak-out should either of us require. The weekend before the wedding is the

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-85428784307727919902010-07-08T17:42:00.000-07:002010-07-08T18:49:21.999-07:00

The blanket squares are done.This last batch, 7 squares in all, were completed during this most recent spring-and-summer bout of finish-it-up-itis. After the most recent update in June, I realized how close I was to the finish line and swore to be faithful to the project until the squares were complete. I was on the home stretch, I could see a light at the end of this unpredictably long tunnel.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-67074612136083309372010-06-28T10:41:00.000-07:002010-06-28T10:52:24.574-07:00

Dear Temecula,First of all, thanks for being within driving distance. It would have been tough to squeeze one more plane flight out of our budget this summer, and although the drive was long we were happy to spend the time to save the cash. Thank you for having perfect weather. I didn't get sunburned, but as a resident of Fog City I was very grateful to be able to stock up on vitamin D two

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-82552528244236081282010-06-22T15:56:00.000-07:002010-06-22T16:07:44.061-07:00

I haven't blogged in more than two months. It's shameful. Despicable, even. I don't really know what happened, except that the end of the spring semester had all its usual craziness, and then I got into a bit of a knitting funk. I am nearing the home stretch on the blanket. There are two more squares that I have not yet photographed. I've gained a lot of momentum on this project again, which

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-78011588644928237402010-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:002010-04-09T11:58:47.522-07:00

Every other time I've knit a lace shawl the blocking process has involved my living room (or, back in the day, dorm room) floor, lots of bending over leading to back aches, a crazy amount of straight pins, and generally an entire afternoon. Setting up the Honeybee Stole to block took so long that it was mostly dry by the time I had all the pins in! I'm happy to say that I've learned some things

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-62037209654875948062010-04-03T06:42:00.000-07:002010-04-03T06:42:45.167-07:00

So back when Future Hubs and I got engaged, we briefly toyed with the idea of self-printing all our paper products. At the time, I had no idea how much (or how little) that could entail. We still had more than a year and a half until the actual wedding and no fixed date, and it was nice to dream. Invitations were not something we could actively work on right away (not yet knowing when or where

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-54041092392324416832010-03-31T09:53:00.000-07:002010-03-31T10:55:20.702-07:00

(Apologies in advance if you only come here for knitting/spinning content. This is not in any way related to fiber, but it is crafty.)Ok, now that that's out of the way, today I wanted to share something with you all that I learned how to do about 7 years ago, did once, and decided to incorporate into the wedding.Back in the day, I was attending UC Santa Cruz as an undergraduate (insert jokes

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-82683340426703798412010-03-24T11:22:00.001-07:002010-03-24T11:31:32.866-07:00

The good news is that I have cast off on the wedding shawl. Now I just have to figure out how I'm going to block it. This means I can work on the squirrel mittens again.The bad news is that I lost a DPN on my way to work this morning. That's what I get for trying to do colorwork mittens on the bus. I still have four needles total, so progress is still happening, but I'm sad to start my day

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-75201867115130818962010-03-12T17:02:00.000-08:002010-03-12T17:59:18.638-08:00

It's true. That's mostly because knitting on the shawl is long, and progress doesn't look like much these days. I'm excited that I seem to finally be getting a handle on placing beads with some proficiency, but on a good evening I'm cranking out three or four rows total. So I break out the camera to take knitting photos, and realize that I'm trying to starve the stash into submission (which

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-3108248641137631622010-02-22T07:36:00.001-08:002010-02-22T11:34:09.960-08:00

I wonder if I love knitting and spinning because it allows me to give full reign to my obsessive controlling side. Of course there are all the other crafty benefits: knowledge that you're creating something functional and beautiful, allowing your brain to relax and think about something else besides work (or kids, homework, pick your stress-inducer). Sometimes, however, my crafting doesn't

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-88279436755950868352010-01-22T09:19:00.000-08:002010-01-22T09:19:46.837-08:00

A quick announcement, for those who missed it or are not members: Ravelry is out of beta! So far, this doesn't mean anything is changing on the site, except that the little word "beta" is gone from the logo. However, it is a LOT easier to get an account now than it was when I joined two and a half years ago. The creators have mentioned that one eventual goal for Ravelry is to make the database

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-39257053070073821192010-01-20T08:03:00.000-08:002010-01-20T08:56:55.191-08:00

That's what we have. It's been a nearly constant torrential downpour over the last two days, and looks like it will stay that way through the rest of the week. Starbuck is living up to his name, proving to be a real explorer-adventurer, except where thunder is concerned. He's not allowed out of the apartment anyway, but I am similarly reluctant to venture outside in this mess. He is dealing

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-73971238389135819932010-01-06T10:11:00.000-08:002010-01-06T10:19:30.870-08:00

Our very own member of the itty bitty kitty committee:In true nerd fashion, we have named him Starbuck T. Khan. I do realize that we are mixing sci-fi references, but the best part about the name Starbuck is that, to quote the significant other, "it works for a boy OR a girl." I felt that Tiberius was too formal for a first name, so it gets relegated to its traditional location as the middle

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-86939906743494354252010-01-04T11:37:00.000-08:002010-01-04T11:37:21.381-08:00

Thanks to the data-gathering power of Ravelry, the overpowering urge to reflect as the calendar turns over, and the unclouded nature of hindsight, I am better able this year than any other to ruminate on the previous year. Some thoughts, a bit scattered:1. KnittingI started and finished 37 projects in 2009, and worked on but did not finish the ever-present blanket. That comes out to an average

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-57171827778445418832009-12-23T17:24:00.000-08:002009-12-23T17:52:48.784-08:00

So I finished round one of the gift knitting. Stitches have been cast off, ends woven in, finished pieces blocked (mostly). Round one includes everything being given on or before the 25th, while round two includes gifts that are not being given until after the 30th. So I still have a week to finish a few more small items. I don't have teaser photos of everything, since a few items got wrapped

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-31922179035046054852009-12-16T17:11:00.000-08:002010-01-07T10:49:03.510-08:00

I wasn't expecting to be able to put this out here today, hence the cryptic ending to this morning's post. All the information I read told me that the process would take about a week. But instead, it took a few hours.Drum roll please....Snow Chains MittensI've officially added the Snow Chains Mittens to Ravelry. This represents a bit of a turning point for me as a knitter. It's the first

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-20567443836409041142009-12-16T11:34:00.000-08:002009-12-16T11:52:51.290-08:00

How in the world did it get to be that close so quickly? Thankfully, I am very nearly finished with the pre-Christmas gifts (just one more to go). That one needs to be finished before the 22nd, when I will be in close proximity to its recipient, but I also have an 8-hour car drive that I'm hoping will be enough time to power through the end of the project. I admit, I am not knitting as fast as

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-9355020636254538302009-12-07T14:10:00.000-08:002009-12-07T15:04:11.682-08:00

It feels like everything is coming together, now that we're in the thick of the holiday season. For starters, it got crazzzzy cold here over the past few days, so I've been actually wearing hats. Hats, people! But I'm kinda glad that it's cold, because I love getting use out of my knits and this feels like it really belongs:I am so ridiculously excited to have a Christmas tree, words cannot do

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-69708367162940853062009-11-30T13:23:00.000-08:002009-11-30T14:22:12.182-08:00

Thanksgiving was very nice, and quite relaxed. I made green bean casserole:there was an abundance of gravy (so much that we used a french press as a pitcher): and the ground was covered in crunchy leaves.After a few days to digest, I emerged from the turkey coma ready to plan for the gift-giving season. As I said in the last post, I simply can't afford to purchase presents for everyone this

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-10456414402902780792009-11-20T09:45:00.000-08:002009-11-20T10:18:07.337-08:00

First of all, thanks to everyone who voted for my mittens! I didn't think my design was so awesome, but you all seem to. Makes me happy. :) I don't know what exactly I've won yet, but there were hints of fiber, fiber tools, and pattern distribution. We'll just have to wait and see together. In the meantime, a few friends are test-knitting the pattern in delicious Malabrigo Chunky, and one

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-67242163752868024272009-11-08T18:50:00.000-08:002009-11-08T19:09:07.385-08:00

I am so scatterbrained right now, I am going to do something I normally do not do: blog in list format.1. We attended the wedding of some very near and dear friends this weekend. We stayed here. The food was amazing, the weather gorgeous, the lung capacity severely diminished due to tight-fitting bridesmaids dress and altitude. It was gorgeous, woodsy, and a heckuva lot of fun.2. I might be

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-73995393262539790562009-10-26T15:36:00.000-07:002009-10-26T16:12:52.811-07:00

I had some pretty good knitting time over the last week. On Friday I finished the knitting for a pair of insanely cute slippers:I know they don't look like slippers right now, but once they're sewn up and felted they'll hopefully look a little bit like this. The knitting goes super-fast on huge needles, and it's perfect if you have lots of worsted-weight yarn leftovers. These are so cute, I'm

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-31586948946767299122009-10-18T15:16:00.001-07:002009-10-18T15:32:24.909-07:00

Sometimes you just need a nice accessory to wear to the farmer's market.A little something to keep the chill off your shoulders while picking out produce,and in a lovely green color that reminds you of winter squash and carrot tops and flower stemsI was amazed when I looked back at my notes on Ravelry and realized that this shawl only took me about 8 days to knit. The yarn is Dream in Color

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-9489276008520049562009-10-15T16:59:00.000-07:002009-10-15T17:57:22.873-07:00

It's starting to feel like fall, and we got our first real rainfall of the year two days ago. Now everything is kind of gently steaming and humid, so it doesn't really feel autumnal, but I can pretend:Another handspun hand-warming device, these are Eunny Jang's Endpaper Mitts, done in two colors of handspun Verb for Keeping Warm fiber. One is the green half of the Hollyhocks falklands, and the

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-74730993407538589522009-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:002009-10-05T16:15:46.009-07:00

That's what this has been.So, right before Sock Summit my favorite enabler and fiber guru Kristine announced a contest on Ravelry. The challenge was to enter a mitten (or, later, a fingerless mitten) knit out of Verb yarn (at least 50%). This could either be a published pattern, or you could make up your own pattern.I needed a challenge during the second part of summer before the semester began,

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-46065782628975341292009-09-13T10:03:00.000-07:002009-09-13T10:03:14.718-07:00

After getting through all the post-Tour de Fleece spinning, I realized that my stash had kind of grown in an odd way. I didn't anticipate it, but in retrospect I probably should have seen this coming. The growth necessitated some repotting, splitting what had become one huge plant into several smaller, more organized and easily tendable specimens. But in doing all this gardening-type work, I

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-57709607627457338602009-08-26T12:50:00.000-07:002009-08-26T14:16:03.663-07:00

I am continuing to indulge the desire for simple, quick-ish projects. Enter the perfect remedy, Elizabeth Zimmerman's Snail Hat (Rav link):First one is pink shetland/silk handspun. This yarn took several incarnations before I was able to figure out what it really wanted to be. I like the pattern a LOT (easy to memorize), but I was hoping it would turn out a little more pointy. So I did

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-40630584296457837422009-08-18T14:01:00.000-07:002009-08-18T15:28:19.754-07:00

Here's what happens when you have two and a half weeks off with no blogging:Fingerless GlovesPattern: ToastYarn: Handspun Wool/Seawool/Milk Protein from Creatively DyedAnother CowlPattern: Loose Interpretation of Dolores Park CowlYarn: "Night Sky" Hello Yarn Fiber Club handspun superwash BFLYet Another CowlPattern: Same as aboveYarn: "Manka's Thicket" Verb Fiber Club handspun black BFL plied with

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-7350106695732864272009-08-06T10:06:00.000-07:002009-08-06T11:45:17.572-07:00

I have two weeks off before the new semester, and I've been taking advantage of the free time by staying at home and relaxing. Two days ago I was enjoying the quietness of my kitchen in the middle of the morning, when all of a sudden I saw a mouse scurry along the front of our kitchen cabinets! I was almost too slow to see him disappear between the wall and the stove. I figured he must have

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-5177616810352187122009-07-31T11:17:00.000-07:002009-07-31T11:18:05.988-07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, I took my first trip to Canada last weekend for a wedding. It was a trip I'll never forget. First of all, I get a little irrationally nervous in security checkpoint situations. We drove across the border, and this had the major benefit of allowing me to knit while going through customs. The border guard noticed and asked me what I was knitting, and I showed

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-11841888138157632942009-07-30T11:55:00.000-07:002009-07-30T11:57:45.321-07:00

Dear Canada,We had a fabulous trip this week. Thanks for being so welcoming, and allowing two wonderful people to join their lives together. My home country is still coming around to the idea, and I am so very grateful that you are wise enough to recognize their marriage. Thank you also for providing the world with such amazing natural beauty, I found it truly breathtaking. Your contributions to

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-78832080113378310752009-07-20T13:44:00.000-07:002009-07-23T17:37:23.051-07:00

But I don't think I can stop spinning yet. I'm pretty sure I won't hit my goal of spinning half the stash, but I'll get close to spinning all the fiber I set aside a month ago. The problem is that I didn't take into account that at the end of the tour, I would simultaneously be inundated with grading (it's the last week of summer session) and getting ready to attend a wedding in another country

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-88569021107673562792009-07-13T09:44:00.000-07:002009-07-13T10:43:49.609-07:00

We spent the weekend up at a friend's cabin near South Lake Tahoe, and although I didn't have a very large amount of time to spin, I did get a few things off the bobbins before we left and squeezed in some more spindle time while we were up there.These got wound off and washed last night:Here we have two singles yarns: the Ripe Olives Merino/Mohair from Hello Yarn, and 2 ounces of Dew BFL from

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-22687434706161840282009-07-08T22:48:00.000-07:002009-07-08T23:00:58.268-07:00

So I still haven't gotten plying thread, but I've started spinning a bobbin of Hello Yarn Wool/Mohair in the "Ripe Olives" Colorway:I got inspired by another Raveler's project, who knit a lovely lace shawl by splitting off individual colors from a multicolored roving and spun one long color transition. So over the weekend I spent a bit of time making these on my handcards:I think I'll leave the

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-67051481045976755732009-07-05T09:03:00.000-07:002009-07-05T09:21:01.903-07:00

Yesterday we had a big ol' 4th of July bash to attend in the afternoon, so I got up early to spin some and get myself off to a good start. I kinda hoped I'd be able to spin and blog the spinning before we left, but it was not to be (I'm sure nobody wanted to read the post that was forming in my brain around 1AM last night). So here's my first day's progress, the Arabian Nights wool silk all

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-5110856810972816932009-07-03T10:29:00.000-07:002009-07-03T11:43:45.716-07:00

So I've got my 6 bobbins all emptied this morning, and I realized that I desperately need to blog/knit/do something to keep myself from starting my Tour de Fleece spinning too early! Yesterday I finished up one spinning project that I started a while ago, and am very excited about:This is "The Silent Undergrowth" Falklands wool from the Verb fiber club. I'm very glad I didn't decide to make

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-17693137634238163832009-07-02T10:35:00.000-07:002009-07-02T11:41:03.284-07:00

It's that time of year again, time for all spinners to race along with the athletes in the Tour de France, to complete their own fibery goals in the Tour de Fleece. Last year I set myself goals that I thought were achievable but not too stressful, being on vacation in Europe and knowing that I would be limited in the amount of fiber I could spin. This year, the training wheels (ha-ha wheels, I

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-24991352432335311682009-07-01T17:16:00.000-07:002009-07-01T17:22:50.451-07:00

SO. When I said I had 8 hours of driving to work on the Halcyon, it turns out I actually had 4 hours (gotta split the driving time with the guy) all of which got taken up with grading papers. I'm not sure if I like the summer gig, the class is great but it's so fast-paced (and the money is always welcome in these times). I'm finding it difficult to do anything else but crash after I get home

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-80037551466419388642009-06-27T20:57:00.000-07:002009-06-27T21:58:44.616-07:00

I can hardly believe that June is almost over! In between camping and the start of summer session, I managed to squeeze in some fiber fun at Spinner's Day on the Farm, an event put on by Sonoma County Fiber Trails and held at Westside Farms near Healdsburg. It was a great day of hanging out with spinners. I made a couple new friends, and saw some old ones too. It was an absolutely beautiful

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-44760594764022446662009-06-15T12:34:00.000-07:002009-06-15T13:01:10.556-07:00

Two weekends ago, we went camping at Humboldt Redwoods State Park for my birthday. This year my birthday fell at about the halfway point between the end of the spring semester and the beginning of the summer session (a 6-week intensive). Last year we were in Germany for my birthday, so I knew I wouldn't be able to top that this year. I knew I wanted to relax during the short break between

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-15058573765921992862009-06-10T09:45:00.000-07:002009-06-10T10:48:57.404-07:00

There were people:There were robots:There was fiber:There was Kinnearing (Cookie A.):There were sculptures:There were wings:There was philosophy:We stayed until the faire ended this year, which is a big deal because usually we're too pooped to walk by 3PM or so. I said hello to lots of fibery people, but didn't buy anything because rent was due the following day! We got to hear Adam Savage

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-34953247961624135402009-06-02T15:52:00.001-07:002009-06-02T16:19:49.654-07:00

So when I posted on Saturday, it had completely slipped my mind that the new issue of Twist Collective was coming out on Monday. It's another lip-smacker, full of the fabulous patterns and beautiful photos I've come to associate with this magazine. I have to say, no other print knitting magazine out there captures my interest as fully and consistently as Twist does. If it were a physical

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-83334053143459936942009-05-29T09:18:00.001-07:002009-05-30T08:47:34.456-07:00

As promised, here's the spinning update. Over the last few weeks, I have slowly started to realize that my handspun stash is growing, and my fiber stash isn't really shrinking thanks to my membership in two awesome fiber clubs. Why didn't I ever realize that fiber takes up more room than yarn? So I'm trying to spin more with projects explicitly in mind, and also group fiber into complimentary

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-58458042865235662372009-05-29T08:24:00.000-07:002009-05-29T09:59:16.238-07:00

It's what I do whenever a semester ends. I'll have exams, then a slow wind-down afterwards including piles and piles of grading, painstaking entering of grades, and then responding to student emails for about 10 days. Only half of that time will be spent in the office, so I get to indulge myself by knitting during grading breaks, but mostly my free time is taken up with activities like laundry,

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-74792436758962150202009-05-13T14:17:00.000-07:002009-05-13T14:30:03.959-07:00

The ones I talked about in this post? Well, for anyone who says that one needle size won't change your gauge that much, look ye upon disaster:All gloves are unblocked, and no that one on the end isn't flipping the bird. It doesn't even have a bird to flip, since I stumbled upon my error while knitting the index finger and never got around to the middle finger. From left to right, we have:1.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-68279995579738615212009-05-02T10:39:00.000-07:002009-05-02T11:13:24.376-07:00

Seems everyone's doing it these days.I procured this (Hazel Rose 4-inch loom) during a really fabulous event: our local knitting group hooked up with Urban Fauna Studio for a get-together at their shop. We had cheese & crackers, did some shopping, and had an all-around great time! I am super excited to start using up all the little sock yarn leftovers I have in my deep stash. It's also

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-16015161425104696082009-04-04T09:44:00.000-07:002009-04-17T15:40:43.266-07:00

Holy Macaroni, I knew I hadn't blogged in a while, but nearly 3 weeks? Just seems wrong. Like someone else has been asleep at the wheel, not me, no sir. I haven't picked up the camera much recently, either, which is probably part of the problem. However, the fact that there has been a distinct lack of yarn, fiber, or knitting photos taken since my stitches post really just points to the same

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-61253868594733014402009-03-17T21:32:00.000-07:002009-03-17T21:37:24.962-07:00

In my excitement after finishing the fleece spinning (knock on wood), I made a big push to get my two smaller projects off the needles. You know, clear the air before starting a large garment. One of those was that pair of gloves I started at the end of December. I got back from knit night tonight, thinking that the index finger looked a little stumpy, but maybe it was just the poor lighting.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-5912490994067906782009-03-14T09:14:00.000-07:002009-03-14T11:19:06.594-07:00

So first the significant other got sick (this was two weeks ago), then I got sick about three days after he recovered. And by recovered, I mean that most of his symptoms were replaced with a persistent cough. Now, I may be reaching the coughing stage. So neither of us were sleeping well, and last weekend was mostly devoted to chilling out, doing laundry, and catching up on sleep. In the

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-63578484269267850342009-03-06T16:04:00.001-08:002009-03-06T16:21:26.212-08:00

Here's me, waving my geek flag high and proud. The Castro Theater in San Francisco is doing an original-cast Star Trek movie marathon this weekend. Three double features: I and II tonight, III and IV on Saturday night, and V and VI on Sunday night. I found out about the event this morning, while idly searching for movie times and procrastinating at work. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-37709810589953779872009-02-27T09:28:00.000-08:002009-02-27T11:24:26.583-08:00

Holy cow, I just realized two really weird things:1. I have been blogging for a year now.2. I apparently decided to put up my first post on Feb 29th last year, and I'd completely forgotten it was a leap year then. So, since the next leap year is 2012... does that mean I'm going to skip my blogiversary until 4 years have passed? No way! Also, since I really didn't feel like doing a

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-28111303954326549092009-02-13T10:33:00.000-08:002009-02-15T14:57:32.775-08:00

So way back in the day, I got crazy inspired by Cara's mitered square blanket. I cannot now recall if I already had a copy of the first Mason-Dixon Knitting book, or if I picked it up later. But the colors! They were awesome, some planned, some unplanned, but all gorgeous. I had to have me one of those.So I started buying Tahki Cotton Classic, which comes in a boatload (literally) of colors.

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-12844414897825054022009-02-02T13:42:00.000-08:002009-02-02T14:11:07.530-08:00

So I'm normally not one for modern poetry, and I just haven't reached a point in my reading where classic or epic poems are to my taste. I'm fairly confident I'll get there someday, I just need to give my brain time to process more literature first. In spite of this, I am a sucker for poems that are more typically called "nursery rhymes," especially when they have one simple, surface meaning

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-1933427592632724842009-02-01T12:19:00.000-08:002009-02-01T12:49:18.116-08:00

So last weekend and this weekend I was pretty much on my own, and got to spend some quality time with the wheel. Earlier in the month, I got a little fed up with the fleece spinning and decided to ply the two bobbins of singles together instead of waiting for a third bobbin and doing a 3-ply. That turned out to be a good instinct, because the resulting yarn is delightful!Two skeins, one 330

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-36761115613133316222009-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:002009-01-24T07:48:37.070-08:00

Note: none of the pictures in this post are accurate representations of the fabulousness that is Noro's colors. All photos were a) taken indoors at b)Midnight or 6 AM, and thus in c) a total lack of natural light.Well guys, I did it.It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.I overestimated how far along I was when I posted yesterday. I thought I was closer to 3/4 done, when in fact I was only like 2/

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-65819618166293953522009-01-23T11:29:00.000-08:002009-01-23T11:37:15.686-08:00

The significant other is going on a road trip with one old friend and one huge dog to Vancouver, BC tomorrow. I can barely believe that I forgot about this until yesterday, but I will freely blame first-week-of-classes stress. I am in a frenzy: between meetings, powerpoint slides, responding to work emails, and scheduling, I will be trying desperately to finish his Noro Striped Scarf so he can

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-87302099909569321842009-01-16T12:20:00.000-08:002009-01-16T13:30:56.011-08:00

So lately I've been thinking about sheep and following. The animal comes up a lot with knitters and knitting, but I'm also feeling the pressures of the herding instinct since I last posted. Some of the results have been awesome. In thinking about sheep, I've been trying to plug along with the fleece. After some drive band issues, which were ultimately solved by me getting off my lazy butt and

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-53780826820985662852009-01-06T09:42:00.001-08:002009-02-01T12:50:36.553-08:00

Thanks for the nice comments on my gift knitting! Man, I felt so good about blogging two days in a row, and now I feel bad about ignoring the blog for more than a week. In my defense, something came up last Tuesday that effectively took me out of all my normal routines up until today:The significant other proposed! It was quite a surprise, so we don't have anything at all planned or decided yet

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-3632955384784575572008-12-28T08:15:00.000-08:002008-12-28T08:15:40.819-08:00

This is why I love semester breaks: mittens in one week!All finished, and I have quite a bit of yarn left over. I started out with something like 200 yards of grey and 180 yards of pink. The pattern calls for two hanks of Schaefer Heather, which are a whopping 400 yards each, but now I figure you could probably get two pair of mittens out of that much yarn! There's only one project for this

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76413834843564198.post-57927207378276572942008-12-27T08:42:00.000-08:002008-12-27T09:25:40.842-08:00

My Mom and sister loved their gifts, which can now officially appear on the blog attached to their ultimate purpose. First, the tiger glittens:Pattern is Broad Street Mittens from Knitty, done on size 2.75 mm (US 2) DPNs. Yarn is all handspun: the orange is superwash BFL fiber from Numma Numma, colorway "Pumpkin Butter" and the brown stripes are Shetland Fine Wool from Pigeonroof Studios in "

Jessicahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04643115443395820620noreply@blogger.com2