Sunday, October 14, 2007
Making progress
I finished my Mama-E cruise socks--a delightful memento five months after the cruise.
The pattern is Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark from Interweave Knits' Favorite Socks.
The colorway is Seasick, an exclusive from Mama-E's C-eye-ber Fiber for the SeaSocks Cruise. I seem to have a ton left over--I could have made knee socks with the amount of yarn left over.
I really liked making these socks but it is kind of a relief to be done. The yarn got hopelessly tangled in June and added a "knot un-tying" challenge to each row.
In other news, I have started recording everything I eat in an online log (available only to me, thank the lord). It is striking how much the act of having to write down what you eat changes the what you eat. It is deeply humiliating to write: "106 candy corns, 13 ritz crackers, chunk gouda cheese, half a red pepper, and 4 glasses wine" for dinner, so I end up (honestly!) eating more normal, less toxic food. This is not a diet, but an attempt to exercise self-control and good judgement. I did accidentally eat both cheesecake and ice cream yesterday afternoon, but overall I have been v.g. about eating sanely. I'm also listening to Bridget Jones's Diary on cassette from the library. V.v.g.
The pattern is Retro Rib Socks by Evelyn Clark from Interweave Knits' Favorite Socks.
The colorway is Seasick, an exclusive from Mama-E's C-eye-ber Fiber for the SeaSocks Cruise. I seem to have a ton left over--I could have made knee socks with the amount of yarn left over.
I really liked making these socks but it is kind of a relief to be done. The yarn got hopelessly tangled in June and added a "knot un-tying" challenge to each row.
In other news, I have started recording everything I eat in an online log (available only to me, thank the lord). It is striking how much the act of having to write down what you eat changes the what you eat. It is deeply humiliating to write: "106 candy corns, 13 ritz crackers, chunk gouda cheese, half a red pepper, and 4 glasses wine" for dinner, so I end up (honestly!) eating more normal, less toxic food. This is not a diet, but an attempt to exercise self-control and good judgement. I did accidentally eat both cheesecake and ice cream yesterday afternoon, but overall I have been v.g. about eating sanely. I'm also listening to Bridget Jones's Diary on cassette from the library. V.v.g.
Labels: cruise, Sea Socks, self-improvement, socks
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Yarn love
While on the cruise, there was also lots of wonderful gifted fiber, not the least of which were a pair of socks from Michelle, owner of the Sweet Sheep, an online yarn store. Can you think of a more fabulous occupation than ordering and sending beautiful yarns all day? I am so lucky that she was my sock swap buddy! She made me these beautiful socks out of Colinette Jitterbug.
Check out those clocks! Now go order some of her yarn right now. Even if you don't knit, it's pretty enough to be a decorative item in your home. Put it in the fruit bowl!
Just to gild the lily, Michelle gave me a skein of the rare and elusive Black Bunny Fibers yarn, too!
I was too eager to get started, so I don't have a picture of the unwound skein, but it was purdy. All Funfetti cake colors! Using some of the great advice I got at one of the sock knitting "courses" on the ship (taught by the fabulous Eunny Jang), I did a slip stitch pattern (slipping every fourth stitch every other row). It's my usual sock pattern--derived from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks.
These are so cheerful and lovely. I can't wait to wear them in the fall with some jeans.
We also got a skein of Mama-E's incredible hand-dyed sock yarn. Mine is in the colorway "Seasick" but it's way cuter than that sounds.
Off topic: Thanks for the ANTM sympathy--I totally agree that their description of Renee as "old" was terribly insulting, since she looked about 17 and a half in most of her photos. I do hope that she and Natasha carve out careers of their own, possibly as globe-trotting model roommates on a Bravo reality show. I just really love Bravo reality shows.
Must dash--Masterpiece Theatre is on!
Check out those clocks! Now go order some of her yarn right now. Even if you don't knit, it's pretty enough to be a decorative item in your home. Put it in the fruit bowl!Just to gild the lily, Michelle gave me a skein of the rare and elusive Black Bunny Fibers yarn, too!
I was too eager to get started, so I don't have a picture of the unwound skein, but it was purdy. All Funfetti cake colors! Using some of the great advice I got at one of the sock knitting "courses" on the ship (taught by the fabulous Eunny Jang), I did a slip stitch pattern (slipping every fourth stitch every other row). It's my usual sock pattern--derived from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks.
These are so cheerful and lovely. I can't wait to wear them in the fall with some jeans.
We also got a skein of Mama-E's incredible hand-dyed sock yarn. Mine is in the colorway "Seasick" but it's way cuter than that sounds.Off topic: Thanks for the ANTM sympathy--I totally agree that their description of Renee as "old" was terribly insulting, since she looked about 17 and a half in most of her photos. I do hope that she and Natasha carve out careers of their own, possibly as globe-trotting model roommates on a Bravo reality show. I just really love Bravo reality shows.
Must dash--Masterpiece Theatre is on!
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Spring, sprung
The knitting cruise was a big success. There was laughter, tears, food, drink, slot machines, barf bags, buses, planes, mustaches, boats, yarn, Ico the waiter, and a salt-water swimming pool. And that's just what I can remember! Seriously, it was fantastic. Boats are crazy, especially such a big boat, the W(V)ision of the Seas. Twice as big as the Titanic! That's a mite terrifying. One can only imagine how many people were packed in steerage. I imagine they had a separate dining room, one without a constant flow of "savory bites."
And maybe not with nightly display of animals, sometimes horrifyingly displayed, made up of bathtowels.
My camera (read: I) kind of messed up and my pictures are pretty limited. But here's what the Golden Gate bridge looked when we passed under it at dawn.
And this picture is from the very first day, when we were waiting in the hotel in Los Angeles to let us check in.
Can you feel the stress leeeeeeaaaving?
After 7 wonderful days of vacation, it's back to olde Newe Englande. It's so beautiful right now, though, that it's a little easier to come back.
I'll write about all the knitting and yarn and socks next. But for now, it's just nice to be home with Mr. Cupcakes and the kits. And to feel confident about not finding an unexpected towel animal.
And maybe not with nightly display of animals, sometimes horrifyingly displayed, made up of bathtowels.My camera (read: I) kind of messed up and my pictures are pretty limited. But here's what the Golden Gate bridge looked when we passed under it at dawn.
And this picture is from the very first day, when we were waiting in the hotel in Los Angeles to let us check in.
Can you feel the stress leeeeeeaaaving?After 7 wonderful days of vacation, it's back to olde Newe Englande. It's so beautiful right now, though, that it's a little easier to come back.
I'll write about all the knitting and yarn and socks next. But for now, it's just nice to be home with Mr. Cupcakes and the kits. And to feel confident about not finding an unexpected towel animal.
Labels: cruise, Sea Socks, vacation
