Month: June 2007

It’s only one more day until I embark on my fabulous trip to Italia! My packing is not nearly done but I got my passport and euros!  I’m very anxious about getting there and doing all the fabulous sightseeing but cannot help feeling nervous about being the "responsible adult".   I guess that should come with the territory of being one of several chaperones for the 30+ female teenagers going. I can just see me scolding one of them to "get off the back of that vespa, do you even Know him?"

Of course I am beyond excited about touring a country I’ve never been to.  I did a little research on yarn shops and have chosen only two to try to go see in Rome. Lana Della Vecchia has been mentioned on a few blogs and looks like a must see and perhaps purchase place. The other is Filati Filpucci a suggestion by Yuvee.  I figured I wasn’t going to make a huge list of shops because I really don’t know how much free time in Rome I will have.  I will just have to plan another trip to Italy… I’m thinking next time, Florence!

I’m almost done with the back of Cherry and want to maybe finish that before I go so I can work on the fronts and sleeves while I’m away.  I also am bringing a new project with me.  The Rutabaga bag from the spring 2007 Knitscene.  It’s time I took the great advice of the Worsted Witch’s blog and become a little more eco friendly.  (Also my dear friend Patricia said it’s time I stop using plastic bags!)

I probably won’t be able to do much checking of emails while I’m away so keep on knitting and creating and I cannot wait to get back to see new updates and to tell you all of my Italian travels! 

For now when I should be packing I feel more like prepping the pallet for the goodies that are in store.

I hope everyone has a lovely end of June and one Happy 4th of July!!  Talk to you Soon!

Ciao!
M

You can truly make a girl feel good about her knits! Thank you thank you thank you! I think we broke my comment meter 😉  I know I’ll be rocking Fifi a ton this fall and maybe cooler summer nights.  There really is nothing better than wraping yourself up in Calmer!

Now is the fun, "what shall I knit next" part.  I’m very picky about what I like to knit.  It must be something that I get excited about – there’s seriously nothing better than feeling so ensconsed in your knitting.  Others might find you crazy and a loof but you and I all know how good it is to be making something you love.

I also can only knit things that I can see myself wearing.  Often times that means some boring stocknette stitching but on other occations (hi Fifi!) it means a little bit more mindfulness.  I also like to try knit things that I may need in my wardrobe.   I found that I wore my CPH hoodie a ton and therefore realize that cardigans would do very well in the ‘wearing’ catergory. Here is the beginnings of Cherry by Anna Bell.

I’m using Elann Sonata and so far it’s holding up well.  It’s a very inexpensive yarn and I was worried about the "pay for what you get" quality – but my blocked gauge swatch has a pretty sheen and drape to it so I think it’s going to work out. I got a good start on the back last night and already loving how it’s coming out.

I feel though I may have cast on Frenzy after this. On Saturday I picked up two new knitting books from B&N.  I had a gift card and well what’s we do when we get gift cards… buy knitting  books.

The first book that I was on the hunt for was Fitted Knits by Stephanie Japel…  there are just too many in that book that are screaming to be casted on.  My favs were her Simple Rectangle Tunic and the lacy tube top.

The other book was a last minute spotted out of the corner of my eye impulse purchase – Twinkle’s Big City Knits.  After doing much research on the internets it seems that a lot of people were taken in by this great book and let down by it’s pattern writting but happy with their FOs.   What a knitty emotional roller coaster! I guess my Rowan Vintage Knits experience has been about the same… I have yet ripped up Cherie but she’s soooo needs a full body tune up if I’m going to actually be able to wear her.

I loved 3 patterns out of the Twinkle book: Twiggy Tunic, Shopper Tunic and of course the Bestfriend Cardigan (the Balthazar Vest also got a double take too).  If anything I will probably start with the Twiggy Tunic.  The pattern says to use a DK weight held 4 strands together… but it also says that you can subsitute that with a yarn like Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece, but single stranded.  Now I’m still pretty suspect that 4 DK strands would equal one Cotton Fleece strand (and mind you on size 15 needles!).  However, I’m willing to experiement – I just love the cables!!  I would like to use a silk/cotton blend and have been searching the internets for something – any suggestions?   I mean 14 balls of Twinkle Cruise seems a bit too much.

However, I may get a few balls to at least see what that yarn is all about.  In my preperation for Italy I realized that I need to bring a shrug with me in order to wear my pretty thinly strapped dresses around and not worry about when we enter churches or the Vatican.  I want to cover my shoulders in style so am contemplating a few shrug patterns.  Of course I do have my fiery bolero, but I want something more airy and lacy.  I’m eying right now the  Little Lace Shrug which I actually think the Twinkle Cruise might go very well with (perhaps only double stranded… ha).  I’m also going back to my collection of IKs which I’m sure will have a few options there. 

If you got a favorite lacy shrug, let me know 🙂