Well, I heard you all saying "keep on keeping on", and I listened… I have made some nice headway with my Tempting. Very mindless knit (well, sometimes so mindless that I have to go back and fix my mismatched rib… I have said it before, and I will say it again… ribbing is not always for her pleasure!) but great for the train, and for some TV knitting.

In the Pink Cathi and Almost Felted Lauren used cotton for their Temptings… I like this idea, and if the pattern goes well here on out, I might give that a try. However, I know that more DB Cashmerino Aran is in my future–I really like this yarn. I have had to frog several rows, and each time, it stays in tact and does not split. Grade A. Top Choice.

I completed another Dulaan Project scarf, so I have five now, with three others that I work on at various places in the house and in my purse. The numbers are really piling up–check out Ryan’s blog for the most up-to-date totals–they definitely underestimated the knitters!

Three big THANK YOUs going out to Suzanne, Kathy, and LeAnne! These lovely ladies have fabulous blogs that need to be checked out right this minute (GO!). Check out the mail I got from them! Thank you thank you thank you!

Suzanne sent me a pattern for an adorable felted purse, Kathy sent some AWESOME vintage pins from her collection, and LeAnne sent two balls of Rowan Calmer and a felt needle case… Thanks so much, ladies!

We had a nice Easter holiday with our families. Unfortunately, the weather outside was quite bad, so we had to move the niece’s Easter egg hunt indoors–they did not seem to mind.

Krista and McKayla with Easter baskets

We managed to get the girls to sit still long enough to snap some shots with their Uncle Kris and Auntie Lauren… they were off again after the pics

I am being forced to take a short knitblogging sabbatical… I have this hugenormous paper to work on for my Archives class, and I spend WAY too much time in front of the computer blogging and looking at blogs. So, after I finish this paper (or at least make a large dent in it) I will be back… hopefully no more than 7 to 14 days… I am going to keep on knitting (I truly would go insane without that) but this is something that I really have to do… I hate to say it. The Lucky Clover knitalong admin will still be happening, so you can still email me if you want in!

Don’t you forget about me… don’t don’t don’t …

Okay, okay, you talked me in to it! I will make the Flower Basket Shawl (I don’t think it is an accident that every single time I type the name of this shawl, I spell it Flower CASKET Shawl… Dr. Freud?) You all clearly have more confidence in me than I do myself, but like I said before, I will give it a go, and hopefully my results will be as good as the various ones I have seen on the blogs. Thanks for the tips… I will make sure to pass these on to my partners in FBS: Froggy, and Eilene. So I will cast on before too long… maybe early April (oh yeah, that is next week…)

Did anyone see Jenna Adorno on Knitty Gritty last week? It was a good episode, and I really like her designs… however, some comments she said made me think–

…"I design with the petite frame in mind"…

Okay, I have been many things in my life, however, petite has NEVER been one of them. Am I kidding myself that the Tempting sweater will look good on me? I started this about 4 weeks ago, and then frogged because I was a "twisted sister" and my ribbing was very bad. So, take two:

I started it again, and so far so good, considering I am only 2 rows in. I still love this yarn (DB Cashmerino Aran) but I think I will need to extend the sweater for several inches to fit my "not petite" torso. I am not going to give up on this, because it is so pretty… and I have seen some really pretty models out there… (Tara, Amy, and Loz Lauren–check out theirs!)

I had a by-week from my Thursday class, and got to hang out with my girls. We had a very nice time!

Donna, me, Heather, and Eilene. Special thanks to Wendy, the lady at Starbucks who snapped this pic for us! She wants to learn how to knit too… it is a pandemic!

We went to Cheeseburgers in Paradise, a Jimmy Buffet dinner place in Pasadena, and had some yummy drinks, and some amazing food. Chocolate nachos! and here is dear Heather with our cute drinks! Mine was this blue thing… forgot the name, and H got a Rum Runner. We got to keep those little sunglasses pins

Eilene pulled out her highly-coveted pink Chibi for a special picture. You know you want it!

I am feeling the need for more summer scarves, so I picked up this little ball of Trendsetter Dolcino… any particular stitch pattern suggestions?

I put some more interviews up for some very special girls: Mandy at Yarnageddon,
Nancy at Got Ewe in Stitches, Kimberli of Kimberli New York,Mia at Knit & Play with Fire… looking forward to your answers! I hope I did not miss anyone who wanted to be interviewed… but I am done thinking up questions… it is harder than you think!

Off for a whirlwind early Easter day with the in-laws… and tomorrow we are at my parents. I get to take pictures of my darling nieces! Have a happy weekend, all!

Beauty, thy name is Blue Heron…

1050 yards of this mercerized cotton from All About Yarn in order to make a Flower Basket Shawl… Froggy and I were going to cast on together next month… but last night I looked at the pattern, and it scared the bejeezus out of me. I am not very skilled in lace, and while I don’t mind a challenge, this looks hard! I know several of you have made it–any tips for me?

I made some yarn tuffetts with all of the hanks in my stash. What am I planning to do with these? Don’t know, but I sure like the way they look on my shelf. You can always get a better view of the variegation after tuffetting. (L-R) Colinette Mohair, ReKAL wool tweed, Lorna’s Laces, Wool in the Woods beaded rayon, Rio de la Plata, and Manos (hard to tell the difference in the last two, eh?)

Lest you think that all I did in my absence was "tuffetting"… here is what I have been doing on the train:

A Dulaan Project wool scarf with my very own Kool Aid dyed yarn. I am really happy with this variagation, and I hope a Mongolian child will be too! This is the 5th scarf I have made for the project, and I hope to make several other items before the July 1st deadline. You can join too! Go visit Ryan at Mossy Cottage Knits and sign up. (FYI: the Kool Aid combo is Black Cherry, Cherry, and Blue Razz)

… and Lolly finally casted on for Lucky Clover Wrap!

Donna, Megan, and I worked on the cardi this past weekend at Folk Art Studio, and we were joined by some other great girlies…

It was so cute to see Donna’s daughters, Sarah and Lauren, and Heather’s daughter, Jenna, play together! Almost enough to make me want kids… (nope, not that much…) Make sure to check out Heather and Donna’s sites to hear about (and see) the other shenannigans.

I knew from the beginning that Lucky Clover was going to be a labor of love. Megan and I were discussing the armholes (they are so small! Only 12.5"!) and some of the challenges with this sweater. It is definitely the hardest thing have taken on to date… but I started the knitalong to help me not give up (check out the blog! There is some great progress over there!)

Hurdle #1: My lace looks bad. The YOs, and PSSO are not big enough, and the lace pattern is barely visible! Should I frog it? or would a good blocking do the trick? *sigh* At least it is just the sleeve, and I am only about 2" in as you can see…

… and on a more optimistic note: Spring is finally here! I have really been looking forward to it! It was rainy today in Maryland, but I know that that means better soil for our garden… and it also means pretty flowers:

Happy Spring! I am no Cara with the camera, but this picture just needed to be taken before the pretty petals fall off!

…and I did not finish all of the interview questions… I will write some more and post them in my next entry. This is harder than I thought it would be… Click on your name to get your questions: Illana, Jackie, Diane, Cara, Jaimi, Kathy, Heather, and Toni … I look forward to reading your answers… more interviews tomorrow or Friday, k?

Do you ever feel like so much has happened since your last blog entry that you have to write up something soon so as not to forget a single detail? Well, that is this post… so buckle up… whirlwind tour with pictures!

*Sarah's Birthday*

Well, the bag was opened and immediately went on to her head. Is this a sign that she likes it? Funny thing is: every other member of the family also got her a purse!! (We are all big accessorizers!) Well, mine was the only handmade one! So, little Sis is 18 now. Wow, I feel old.

And the very same night…

*Little Love Story*

As you know, my other sister, Mimi, is getting married in June. Her fiance, Dan, is currently serving in Iraq. He will be back in May, but he sent a little something for her this week…

So, he purchased this ring, sent it to my dad, who hid it in Mimi's room. Dan called late on Thursday night, and asked her to check something in her room, and the ring was discovered! Lots of crying, giggling, and "awwwws" . So very sweet!

My little sis is getting married, and now has the *bling* to prove it! I could not be more happy for her and Dan!! Love you both!

*Meeting and Eating*

After class, I met up with Rebecca for dinner. Have you ever tried to identify someone that you know online from a tiny photo on their blog? Well, it was hard, but we finally found each other, and headed over to the classy and delicious Heritage India in Dupont Circle. Good conversation (library/archives/records), good wine (Pinot Noir), and good food (saag paneer for me)! Thanks for the fun time, Rebecca! Next time, we knit! (Heritage was deemed not the "appropriate" place to whip out the needles and yarn…)

*Strictly Knitting*

That's right, friends, this is my Lucky Clover swatch! Three weeks after the knitalong started, Lolly picked up the size 2s and went at it. My gauge is dead-on after some light blocking. I swatched in a light pink color (leftover ball) but I am making my cardi in the dark violet color you see at left. Tomorrow morning, I will be casting on with my fellow knitalongers, Donna and Megan at FAS. You know I will take pics

I knit up a quick little spring cotton scarf this weekend with one ball of Aurora Bazar. This yarn is amazing. Can't wait to get back over to All About Yarn to get some more. The colors are fabulous, and the texture is so even. I am totally loving cotton right now. This new scarf matches my pink spring jacket perfectly–I just have to take a picture to show you!

*Interview Me*

These interviews going around the blogs are so fun. I really got into the spirit of things and now I have 4 interviews! Their questions are so well-researched. Thanks girls! The questions and the responses take up some space, so click on each interviewer's name below to see the five questions:

• Interview Questions from Kathy at MinxKnits
• Interview Questions from Suzie at The Purly Gates
• Interview Questions from Renee at A Good Yarn
• Interview Questions from Jodi at JodiGreen

If you want ME to interview YOU, please leave me a comment email me saying "interview me". If you leave a comment, make sure you leave your blog address. I will go in the order that people asked to be interviewed, and depending on the turnout, I cannot promise more than 5 interviews a day.I will respond by asking you five questions here on my blog.

*Tonight's News*

Dad and the daughters went to a dinner banquet tonight. We had a lovely time! Thank you Daddy for the corsages and the sweet cards. You are the best.

…and their has been a new addition to the Lolly scarf collection, compliments of a wonderful (and very stylish) Momma! Thanks!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day &

Happy 18th Birthday to my sister, Sarah!

Sarah Kathryn is the youngest of the three sisters, and over these 18 years, she has transformed from an adorable baby to a beautiful and intelligent young woman. I am so happy to call her my sister. She is finishing her last year of high school, and will be moving to North Carolina next fall for university. Happy 18th birthday, sweet sissy.

******

I just signed up the 61st participant in the Lucky Clover Wrap Knit Along! The blog is abuzz with activity, and some very pretty pictures. In fact, this next weekend, Donna and I are going to cast on for our cardigans (in the company of Heather and Nicole, at our beloved Folk Art Studio) I am a little nervous about it… this will be the most challenging thing I have ever worked on! Yet, I am excited! As always, you can email me if you want to join the group!

The new Spring/Summer 05 FCEK came in yesterday’s mail. It is better than the last issue (Winter 04 was the worst thing I have ever seen), but this is my last issue under my subscription… and I am not going to renew. However, this one has 2 things I like: This pullover is very versatile, and this boatneck variety looks great (imho) with my Lolly scarf collection… so I will be adding this sweater to the list of projects. It is knit up in LB Cotton Ease (I am leaning towards Candy Blue) No date in sight, just something to add to the list. This one is definite nice looking to for a certain man in my life… Do you see the total rip off of Tempting on the cover? Just add some fun fur. Blech.

Blink and you might miss it… check out these cool things!

• Craft Corner Deathmatch is a new show on the Style Network. It is a fun and crafty show… but it takes a little "getting used to". The host of the show is very over the top, but there are some great tips, and one of the judges is Melanie Falick, author of Weekend Knitting.

• Naive Knitting Blog is a new cool kid on the block. See her Ten Monsters in Ten Days! Brilliant!

• Hanna is an amazingly crafty girl: check out her Very Long Socks, her felted / embroidered gloves, and her newest creation: an awesome tote.

• Kim finished her beautiful Mariah. Looks great!

• Jess Scarf-o-Matic is running a contest for her Rowan hat. Go guess the weight!

• The Cap’n finished her amazing cabled pullover. Beautiful!

Lucky Lolly gets to meet Rebecca ItGirl tonight! I am sure we will talk about nerdy librarian/archivist stuff too! Can’t wait!

Have a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Bottoms Up!