Update and the Revival of Red

Well it's been awhile since i've posted.  So many things have been going on, and haven't had the motivation to write.  There have been a couple things I wanted to blog about, but it's been too long that I feel it's mute now.                                                                                  

                                                                       

A quick review of things I wanted to post.  I have a celebrity that now has my fingerless, opera length gloves.  It's Audrina Patridge of "The Hills".

I went to Northern California for my annual knitting retreat with my mom, the special quest was Nancy Bush, love her!

 I lost my job at the yarn shop a couple weeks ago, and i'm now enjoying not working!!!!!!

The other day, a customer and now a part of 

my knitting group, (not started by me, but by madamefoo.com), asked me "Have you finished the red dress?"  No!!!!!  Haven't you read my lastblog?

Any who, red got revived this weekend!!  It's the only thing I can work on right now with out having to paying attention.  

I have been working on  a "spicy" line of things and they are naughty!!!!!  I'll definately have to post those and even show pictures!!!!!

I've started the "BBB"  that is the Big Bulky Blanket!  I've finished 2 panels, and i'm waiting for the guy to give me the next measurements, it's been awhile!  I've called him several times and even ran into him, but no such luck.  Thank God the yarn is paid for and I already got a deposit. 

Advise:  Get a deposit and have the yarn paid for before you do a project for money!!!

Until the next post!

Blood Red Update

     Alot of people have been asking me, "Is your red dress done?  Well no, it's not.  I've been working on a bunch of custom projects for customers and haven't really had time to work on it.  I will be mentioning those projects in later posts.

     On a recent Sunday, which is my designated day to work on Blood Red or any project that only has to do with me, I finished the second sleeve.  Yes, in one day I popped that puppy out!!!

     I then decided to start the skirt portion of the dress.  I cast on 440 stitches and began the pattern.  After a couple rows I got off the couch for whatever reason, and when I got back my instincts told me it was twisted, and it had got that way because I had put it down.  

     You'd think that I would have trusted my own instincts, but noooo I didn't.  I re-looked at it and thought "It's not twisted", so I then proceeded to knit.  

     So i'm just knit, knit, knitting along, and i'm getting excited because i'm only about 1/4" away from my first set of decreases.  That's when I realized my skirts really was twisted! 

     Well, you'd think I would be cursing and seeing "blood red", but I simply pulled off all 440 stitches, yes 440, and re-cast them on.  I started knitting again.

     I recently went on a trip to California for my annual knitting retreat with my mom.  I took good Blood Red with me as my only project, so I could make a dent in it.  I did make somewhat of a dent on the plane.  I got to my first set of decreases, and I am now about 2" away from the next set of decreases.

    Unfortunately, Blood Red will not be getting worked on for awhile.  I just got an order for a huge project that is going to take all my attention, at least for the most part.  This project is a king size bedspread, knit with Blue Sky Alpaca Bulky!!!  I ordered 65 skeins last week.

     Too all of you, remember this, if it looks like a mistake or even feels like one, take the time to make sure it is.  A good friend of mine told me "A Stitch In Time, Saves Nine"

     

What's Up With The Love?

So, my sister came to town for a visit last night, and she says "Have you seen the hat that mom

made me"?  Of course I say no, because one, I haven't seen my mom in a year, and two, because I haven't seen my sister since July 2008.  

I come up stairs, to see this beautiful fair isle earflap hat.  Too cute!!!!!

She then tells me to flip it over and look what my mom did.  She put her name in!  Even cuter!  So of course I have to try it on, a little big, but adorable.  My sister tells me that our mom had made another one, but it the colors ran when she washed it, so she made her a new one.

 

While trying it on I saw that my mom also lined the flaps and band.  Good idea!  Madamefoo, this is what I was talking about.

When I gave the hat back to my sister, I was like "What's up with mine?"  She responds, " You can have the other one and mom can put your name on it."  I ask you why would I want a hat not meant for me or one that the colors bled?

Mom, I know you love me, but "What's Up With the Love?" 

Back In Black

A week before Christmas a woman comes in the shop that I work at, looking for yarn for a hat she is going to have made.  She's trying to find a yarn very similar to a hat her friend has.  This woman showed me a couple pictures and we choose 2 yarns.  Happy that we found a some what similar fiber, she now wanted a pattern for the hat.  I had to explain to her, that because this was a store bought hat there wouldn't be a pattern.  "Oh" she says, well would I be able to look at the photos again and tell this person who is making the hat what stitch was used.  I said yes not knowing that this person I was going to be talking to didn't speak that much english! During the next half hour I spoke to this person 2 times!

While the customer was paying, she asked me asked me if would make it instead, because she felt I knew what I was doing.  I agreed for an obvious fee.  I gave her an email address to send the pictures to and told her I wouldn't be able to get to the hat until after Christmas.  Of course that was ok, but she kept pushing the before or even Christmas Eve.  Whatever!

She then thought it would be better to see the hat.  This took so long, because her friend didn't really want to have a copy of the hat.  Her friend finally stopped by the store to let me see it. When I took this photo she got really uptight, " didn't her friend already send me a picture?" Too much attitude for me! When I spoke to the customer I told her, her friend was rude and that she didn't want her to have the hat.  She says "I know".

I end up finding a better yarn than she choose.  I told I would be starting the hat soon.  We had a quick meeting, and from that point on she became slightly stalkerish!  Then I started thinking no wonder your friend isn't wanting you to have the same hat.  It was awful!  Even my co workers were like what's wrong with her!

The hat didn't take too long to make.  I ended up crocheting it.  It turned out really nice.  The photo below is the finished product, although I did end up having to make it about 2" bigger since I was fitting it to my had, not realizing her head was longer.  I think I did a good copy, what do you think?

p.s.  cocoa butta storyteller, if you're reading this,  thanks for reading my blog and loving my dress!  I would wear a black strapless bra, and a skin toned slip.  Ironically, the dress is made from the same yarn as the had.  It's GGH Mystik a cotton viscose blend

Happy New Year Ya'll!

I hope everyone is having a great start to this wonderful New Year!

Leading up to my New Year's Eve plan, I took a wrong step in these beautiful gold clogs!   I've done the "wrong step" before, but never really damaged my foot like this.

Ouch!  Needless to say I wouldn't be wearing my New Year's Eve shoes!

Actually, I wouldn't have worn them anyway, cause it was so damn cold.  I couldn't even wear my dress!

I made this dress in the summer.  The pattern at the top is the same at the bottom

 

I started with the bodice, so I could get the lace pattern working that direction. I then picked up the stitches around the waist so the stitch pattern would go the opposite direction.  It's very sexy on and makes me feel that way too!

In my family, and in other families across the USA, we have a tradition of eating black-eyed peas and greens.  These signify good luck and money.

Several years ago I started my own tradition of making a savory pie using these ingredients.  I altered a recipe I got from Martha Stewart, so It would be my own special pie!  I wasn't able to make it New Year's Day, but my mom said "As long as it's made and eat'n in the first 7 days it's ok"  Thanks Mom! 

I made the pie on Friday the 2nd.  It turned out beautiful and umm, umm, spicy good!

Here's to the New Year!!!

Blood Red

As I sit here pondering what to say on my newest and 2nd post.  I thought it only appropriate to name it "Blood Red", seeing how my cherry was just burst.

I love, love, love vintage knitting patterns!  The designs are fantastic. The detailing and the construction incorporate sewing (lining, zippers, etc), and they are generally knit on tiny needles, which I love too!

One day, I was searching on Ebay, great spot for vintage knitting patterns, and stumpled upon a great book from the 1940"s.  As soon as I saw this I decided I needed to have it.  Thank God

I won!! When it finally arrived, I was so excited!

I immediately starting thinking of a color and how to update this dress (cover) to be "spicier", cause that's me.

I went to work the next day, and went on line to one of my local yarns shops, that I know has a decent selection of lace weight and fingering yarn.  With a click of a button the heavens opened and I found the yarn!  With this, I decided when I got off work i'd walk right over to the store to see it it person.

Wow!  It was exactly what I imagined, the most beautiful red!  Guess what the name is?  Blood Red.  I bought the 4 balls,

 and the next day from my job ( a yarn store) ordered 4 more balls from the company.  Just my luck

 they have the same dye lot, and now I can get a discount on the yarn.  That's a benefit from working at a yarn store.

How pretty is the yarn?  I lov

e the packaging too!

The yarn Jade Sapphire "Lacey Lamb" It's 100% extrafine lambswool.  It feels like cashmere!!!  

Can't wait to have it on my skin.

I started playing with gauge.  I got gauge holding 2 strands together on a size 1 needle.

I decided to make the neck line a little 

lower, cause I like cleavage!  I think i'll leave the hemline the same, it's about top calve length. Besides it adds mystery, and who doesn't like a little mystery.

I've finished the back, front and almost one sleeve.  Here is front because for whatever reason I can't get the back photo to upload.  The bottom portions are in stockinette stitch, and the top in a seed and cable.  I was going to show the sleeve too, but i can't get the picture position right, oh well.  The sleeve has the seed and cable at the cuff and then a cable running up the center.

This dress is going fast believe it or not!  Here's to my red dress.

 

Stay Tuned & Happy Holidays!!!

I'm no longer a virgin

I can't believe that i actually have my own blog now!  I'm no longer a virgin, the cherry's been busted.  LOL!!!!!

I think i'm going to enjoy this.

I never thought i would do something like this, but because of certain forces,  it feels like a good move.  

I'm new to this so bare with me, cause i might bare it all, ya not really, but one never knows!

I do hope to share with you spicy stories, spicy knits, spicy yarns, and whatever spiciness comes to mind.