Mimi left a voicemail for me while I was in class last night: she got her package with the wedding afghan and her birthday sarong! I also included some other birthday goodies and some knitting supplies (I am trying to get her into it!) She sent me these pics this morning of the Kahlo afghan!

She reports that the afghan matches their furniture very well. I guess Daniel likes it… he wrapped himself up like a mummy! (She included pics of the sarong but she would kill me if I put the one of her in the swimsuit up–it looks great on her though! it matches one of her swimsuits perfectly!)

Updated to add: You can purchase and download the pattern in one fell swoop over at the Lion Brand website!

Last night after my class, I met my best friend, Becca, fresh off her flight from Tel Aviv, Israel. She did an advanced immersion program at Hebew U in Jerusalem, and just arrived back in DC. We rode the Metro home and while she was fighting off the jetlag, she told me some amazing stories! I am so glad to have her back! She will be living here now, going to school to get her PhD in Linguistics. This excites me to no end: it will be like the good ol’ days when we were in college! (well… maybe)

She brought this back for me:

It is not the Torah, the Talmud, or the Mishnah… but it is:

This is the coolest! I only wish I was able to read it… I probably would have been able to 3 years ago after my summer Ulpan (intensive language course), but that was awhile ago, and the mind forgets faster these days… maybe I can get to that point again someday. Nonetheless, it was a great present. Thanks, Bec! So glad to have you back!

I also got another wonderful present in the mail today, from a great girl up north! Dani Knitting Sunshine sent me the sweetest package. This girl is seriously talented, and I have been enjoying her blog and her projects since she got her little bloggy home on the web a few months ago. Go over and see her lovely new socks (and don’t miss the awesome skirt she made a few weeks ago!)

Pink yarn, candy, tea, and a yummy smelling candle! Thanks so much, Dani girl!

Sttill yoking up on Balmoral–it will be soon, but probably not by the end of the month–it will be my first August FO!

This blog entry marks my 150th post…

…and Jenn of KnitWit Momma is my magical 3000th commenter! Expect a Lolly surprise to be winging its way to you very soon!

Kahlo Afghan (Mimi’s Wedding Afghan)
Started: June 11th, 2005 / Finished: July 16th, 2005 Pattern: Lion Brand Knitted Circle Throw
Yarn: Lion Brand Homespun in most of the recommended colors
Needles: Size 11 Bamboo DPNs / Denise Interchangeables

Notes: This pattern was so much fun! Starting as a small portable project on DPNs, it quickly grew on the circular needles, and before I knew it, I was dealing with multiple color changes and several hundred stitches! Towards the end, I changed the color scheme to use up some of the leftover Homespun skeins. I decided not to add fringe, like the catalog picture includes, because Homespun can become quite fuzzy and unruly when cut (the ply unwinds and causes a mess) and I figured this was not a good trait for fringe… A crocheted edge would be a nice touch, but unfortunately, I lack those mad skillz. In the model picture, the YOs are not as noticeable as mine, and I think a light blocking may help them blend in more. (It does look like a watermelon… doesn’t it?)

Overall, I am very happy with the result, and I hope that Mimi and Daniel will be when they receive it. I plan to block it (if I can find a space large enough!) and send it off to Hawaii soon after! I even have enough leftovers to make a mini-version of this afghan in the future… a big thanks to Renee for sending a skein to me (see the purplish stripe? that is it!) and to Eilene for allowing me to borrow her Denise Interchangeables as this baby kept on getting bigger!

Oui oui, that is THREE finished objects in ONE week…. I don’t know if this will ever happen again–I feel so accomplished! Speaking of FOs, I included a picture on Thursday’s entry of my new Market Bag in action… see how she stretches…

In my travels this past week, I came across a very cute and rare species–the Pink Monkey–her habitat is the concrete jungle of NE DC, and her defense mechanism? Wielding two wooden sticks and a ball (or two) of yarn!

It is hard to see in this picture, but the bottom half of the sweater actually has little beads in the yarn! It is SO pretty! Wouldn’t a black velvet ribbon look smashing on this little number?

Should I wait till my classes are over or just delve in?

Many thanks for your words on my Rhapsody pullover. The picture on the beach was a quickie that we managed to snap as we were leaving Ocean City last weekend, and when I got home, I was able to take some better shots that show the true color and texture.

The sweater was a simple knit, with no new skills learned, other than working towards better finishing techniques. The pullover still needs to be blocked–I am hoping to get a little more length out of it, and even up the stitches.

For those of you thinking about this pullover, I noticed that the yarn estimates were WAY off in the magazine. I pulled out the recommended 8 skeins of Cotton Ease to make my size, and I only used 5.5 skeins. Of course, this makes me happy to have 2.5 skeins left to make something else, but it could save a little money for someone who is buying the yarn.

Now that I finished up Rhapsody, the biggest project I have going is the Kahlo afghan… and it certainly is the biggest thing I have going–this thing is gargantuan! I am just beginning Row 96, which has nearly 400 stitches on it. Each row takes me about 15 or 20 minutes to complete, so it is a lot slower going than it was in the beginning.

See? It is taking up the whole chair! It is roughly 4.5 feet in diameter now, and the final product is around 5.5, so I still have a foot to go! The colors in the afghan keep me excited about the knit. I change color every 3-6 rows, so you can imagine the end weaving nightmare this is going to be… great fun.

The green arrow on the picture shows the color section that I am currently working on. You can see how far I have come (and how much I still have to do!) I am undecided about the fringe–I guess I will make that call when I get there. It seems like a nice concept, but could become very fuzzy because of Homespun’s acrylic nature…

Much of my time lately has been sucked up by school and homework. While I am always happy to get a required class out of the way in a mere 6 weeks, this means that it is double the work. My whole Saturday was devoted to learning about Library Information Systems. Exhilirating, no? Well, it was not so bad, because my friend and fellow knitibrarian was in the class with me, but nevertheless, a long day. I am quickly seeing the need for a small and inconspicuous knit that I can do during class–a sock perhaps? or some wristlets?

In the midst of this school daze, I was pleasantly surprised to receive two things this week from fellow knitbloggers–both across the blue Atlantic. A big thanks to Jess and Althea for thinking of me! Jess, knowing my love of libraries and museums, sent me a grand package with all sorts of goodies from the British Library. This amused me to no end! Postcards, maps, information sheets, trinkets, and even some knitty stuff (yummy Italian mohair and some great Wool soap).

I cannot wait to visit the British Library someday–they have so many items that I have to see (Lindisfarne Gospels and Codex Sinaiticus are top two) Thanks to Jess!

From Althea, I received a postcard from her lovely city of Haifa, Israel. She promises that if I make it back to Israel, she can show me some great places that tourists never make it to! I may have to take that one up as I never made it to Haifa when I was in the country before. Thanks Althea!

Summer is in full force in our garden–plants are growing big and tall, and some of the veggies and fruits are ripening. We have already have several meals with fresh herbs from our garden, but some peppers, tomatoes, squash, and zucchini are very close to harvest!

Tomatoes and Banana Peppers ripen

Our beanstalk and the flowering nasturtium

ISRAEL PICTURE OF THE DAY

Marking the five-year anniversary of my study-abroad trip to Israel June/July 2000

The field school at Tel Beth Shemesh was open to anyone who was able to apply, and the majority of the people were students, undergrad and grad. Rebecca and I (we are the ones on the left, seated) were the only students from our university that participated, and we were 2 of the 3 students from Maryland. The other students came from Indiana, Louisiana, and Missouri. Another large contingent of the volunteers were not associated with a university, but came on their own to be part of the field school. In our downtimes, we made sure to have some fun. We made our way to nearby Jerusalem, and ate at many cafes (yummy falafel!), danced at some fun clubs, and generally enjoyed the city. We also made it to Tel Aviv for one day to sightsee and dip our toes into the Mediterranean. One of our jokes–the seas around Israel: The Dead (sea), The Red (sea) and the Med(iterranean Sea) I was not able to make it to Eilat to dip into the Red Sea, but two out of three is not too bad!

Thank you for allowing me to share my wonderful Israel memories with you. I hope you have enjoyed it for the past few weeks. This will be my last Israel Pictures of the Week segment.

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If you were planning to celebrate July 4th by knitting a HUGE American flag, it looks like someone beat you to the punch…

One Row at A Time: Knitting an American Flag

I live in a town with funny street names. In fact, one of my town’s main characteristics is the street signs with the funny names on them. Although I have not seen the actual sign, I am sure there is a "Deer-Drinking-Water-From-Serene-River Way" or "Rabbit-Chased-Into-Small-Burrough-Narrowly-Escaping-Death-by-Huge-SUV Lane" (okay, maybe not the last one…) Nevertheless, it is pretty interesting driving around town and seeing the names of the streets. Imagine my excitement when I saw this one:

Perhaps I should get a chair and just sit and knit on my Kahlo Homespun afghan under this sign? It is just so fitting

Now it looks like a huge market bag, or a giant Rastafarian hat… but soon, it will look like this (with a few color alterartions). The afghan is a joy to work on–I love this circular technique.

Work also continues on my Rhapsody pullover, the entire pullover is in stockinette stitch. However, this is not boring me. In fact, while knitting this pullover, I have been able to watch 4 films with subtitles and knit at the same time; it is the perfect knitting for movie-watching/reading. (What did I watch? Well, my foreign film extravaganza continues: El Crimen del Padre Amaro, Amelie (for the umpteenth time), Lucia y el Sexo, and House of Flying Daggers)

About 8.5 inches up, another 7 to go before the raglan shaping.

To celebrate the Summer Solstice, and for some fresh air, we took the girls on a car ride last night. I think it was the best day of their lives. They love to go for rides! These were my hot dates for Tuesday night!

When we came back to our house, there was a small neighborhood party going on. We were able to catch up with some of our neighbors, and consume a few yummy drinks. It was fun… almost so much that I forgot I had to go to work the next day…

In celebration of the start of summer, here are some photos from our garden.

We planted our grapes three summers ago, and this is the first time we have seen any fruit on the vine! I am not sure exactly what the grapes will taste like, but it is exciting nonetheless. The lilies are beginning to wane, I wanted to catch a few more pics before the petals fell off!

We put the last of our ladybugs out last night. You are supposed to put them out at night so that they can eat the "bad bugs" throughout the night before their flights the next day. Very few of the bugs we bought remain, but they did help our plants.

**This week’s Knit Nite will be a special affair: Tanya Indigo Muse is in town, and Heather, Eilene, and I are meeting her on Thursday night for a fun time! Too bad sweet Donna will miss it, she is on vacation in Cape Cod. As always, you know that copious amount of pictures will follow

ISRAEL PICTURES OF THE DAY

Marking the five-year anniversary of my study-abroad trip to Israel in June/July 2000

The history of the land of Israel is so vast, with remains from Prehistoric Ages, into medieval times. Most of my time was spent studying the remains at the Tel Beth Shemesh Field School, but on the long weekends, Becca and I were able to travel the whole of the country, taking in as much as we could. The highlight of our trip to the Negev desert was our tour of the citadel Avdat. Serving as a caravan station on many trade routes, the large part of the city was built by the Arab Nabateans in the the first century BCE. The citadel is also home to an ancient church, monastery built in the Byzantine era, and the older trade station. The arches above (one of my favorite pictures from the trip) outline the Byzantine architecture in the region. The walls around the arches are no longer in tact, but they remain.

From the citadel, one could see for tens of miles all around. It was a beautiful site, and we even saw some Bedouin herding their large camels. It was worth the heat (around 120 degrees that day!) to see these amazing ruins.

My Kahlo afghan is progressing beautifully. For those of you that have asked, this pattern can be purchased and downloaded through Lion Brand’s website for $2.50, and requires 14 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun. I love this project, and I see another afghan like this in my future–maybe next time choosing my own color schemes.

I am starting Row 74, which translates to over 300 stitches. I have come a long way since casting on 6 stitches on Sunday! With this many stitches on the needle, the pattern is not going as fast now, but it is still a joy to knit up. However, weaving in the ends will not be as fun…

Naturally, as I come a little closer to the end of this project, I begin to think about what is next… Yes, I still have three other notable WIPs, my Rhapsody boatneck pullover (this will be an FO before long), my Balmoral cardigan, and my long-suffering Lucky Clover, that I am desperately trying to "fall in love with" again… but this little number caught my attention, and would be a good way to stash bust…

Dalegarn’s Milano tank made with Dale Svale, a beautiful cotton/silk blend. It just so happens that another knitblogger, iSeL, is also going to knit up this tank, so we will be able to share our experiences. Go check out her great new blog, iSeL’s Knitting Blog!

I received my Yarn of the Month selections yesterday (I guess they are for June? little late) and I am very intrigued by the Feza Yarn’s Bahama. I think the bathmat pattern included in the kit is very cute!

I finished up my audiobook, The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth. Overall, I thought it was interesting, but not exactly what I was expecting. This book was advertised as an alternate history… a big "What If", and while that was occasionally discussed, the book seemed to be more of a family drama.

I chose to go the audiobook route with the next Knit One Read Too book as well. The audiobooks are good for me because I can listen to them while I am working in the Archives. With no one else down there, it is just me and the story! Since this book came out, I have had it on my wishlist. I was intrigued by the Washington Post’s review, as well as Loz Lauren’s review. I plan to start it tomorrow at work.

Lolly Lolly, How Does Your Garden Grow?

Lolly’s lilies in all of their lovliness. If it was a perfect (not hot and humid) world, I would just sit outside and look at these babies all day.
I LOVE THEM.

Across the lawn, in our vegetable garden, one of our pepper plants (I believe these are bell peppers) is getting started. The ladybugs that we ordered have been hard at work, and we have noticed the difference.

ISRAEL PICS OF THE DAY

Marking the five-year anniversary of my study-abroad trip to Israel in June/July 2000

While we worked Monday-Thursday at the Tel Beth Shemesh Field School, we had free weekends to travel the country. We went to the Negev in the South, to the mountains in the north. These particular pictures show Becca and I at the Roman-era theatre in Beth Shean. The city of Beth Shean was continuously occupied from late Bronze Age (1300 BCE) to the Roman period (200 CE), and even has later influences into the Byzantine and medieval periods. Now a national park, visitors are able to see the Roman baths, the theatre, and the temples. Excavations and restorations continue at the site on the ancient tel.

The second picture is me pictured with a Corinthian column at the Roman site of Banias in the north. A large cave was used as an outdoor temple to the Roman god, Pan. The Corinthian column outlined a small theatre area in front of the cave entrance. Near the site, there was a medium-sized spring well, and a lovely pond. It was a very serene setting, and a beautiful day to visit the sites.

Want to read more about travel adventures in Israel? Please check out Cara’s wonderful entry about her experiences in the Israeli Army.

Have a great day, dear friends!