Tuesday, June 23, 2009

FO: Jaywalkers and Clapotees...Like Pringles, Once You Pop, You Can't Stop

Yep, I finished off that vacation clapotis:

Sandy, Oceany Clapotis
Pattern: Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Jojoland Harmony, 2 skeins
Needles: US 5 (I think) circs
Mods: None, unless you count extending the increase section.

I think I could quite possibly make a zillion more of these. It's the perfect travel knitting as long as it's not made with a lightweight yarn. Plus, a bunch of my friends covet mine so who knows. Maybe the birthday fairy will be kind to them this year.

Doesn't it look like a waterfall? Argh, now I have that song stuck in my head. "Don't go chasing waterfalls...Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to..." Oh, the nineties.

I also whipped these up faster than I even had time to post details on Ravelry:

Candy Jaywalkers
Pattern: Jaywalkers by Grumperina
Yarn: Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock in Maureen, 1 skein
Needles: US 1 Addi circs

I'd only ever made one pair before (if you don't count the aborted attempt that I did when I was first venturing beyond rectangles and did not think gauge was important at all) and that pair was kind of a ho-hum result b/c the Colinette Jitterbug I'd purchased wasn't enough and I ended up doing one sock cuff down, one toe up. And the toe up one was still about an inch shorter than the first one. Rather than ripping, I use them as house socks.

I thought it was about time for another pair and this yarn, while pretty, looks nothing like I thought it would when knit up.

I thought it would be a pretty, variegated affair, but it turned into crazy one-row color shifts between lilac, pink, and chocolate. I ripped out a bunch of different patterns before I decided not to fight it. Yarn: 1 point; Sway: 2 socks.

I actually like them like this. There's something very juicy and delicious about them. But I doubt I'll be buying more of this yarn b/c I don't want a drawerful of crazy striped Jaywalkers. I think one pair is enough.

Plus, at long last, I've rediscovered my knitting mojo and I started on a cardi for my dad:

It's the famous Jarrett from Rowan Vintage Knits. I'm not going to do the shoulder and elbow patches b/c this will just make the sweater unwearable for my dad. He likes plain. Except for when he joins the pick-up soccer game for the baby boomers at his church. Then he will wear whatever my mother packs for him to sweat in.

Also, I saw this pattern and decided right then and there that I must have them:

They're Marlene Socks, designed by Cookie A. That Cookie A. I sometimes wish she had never thunk to design socks, because I love almost every design she's ever made. Grar. These are addictive and I'm already on the heel of the second sock. Go knitting mojo!

Nicole's Wedding aka "Break Out the Kleenex"

Well, we did it. On June 13, 2009, we plumb got my best friend Nicole married off.

This is her in all her wedding finery (that's me in the black shawl--this may be the only post ever with my face in it, though, b/c I dislike having my photo taken). She made quite the gorgeous bride and her new hubby was just about busting when she walked down the aisle. I'm not a huge wedding person, but Nicole is the first of my best friends to get married and I couldn't help but start bawling as soon as I saw her on her dad's arm. And people, we are talking bawling. I was soooooo relieved I'd had the foresight to wear waterproof mascara and stick a couple of Kleenex in my bouquet. Because seriously, I bawled when she walked down the aisle, I bawled when she said her vows, I bawled when he said his vows, and I bawled when she walked back down the aisle. And then I bawled some more at the reception.

The night before the sedate Catholic wedding, Nicole and Rohit dragged all the groomsmen and all the bridesmaids (and a few other friends) out for a night of likker after the rehearsal dinner:

That's me, Nicole, and Rachel, a good friend of hers who's moving to NYC by the end of the month and with whom I'm sure I'll be hanging out again.

The funny thing is that this wedding was in Detroit and this pre-wedding night party happened the same night that the Detroit Redwings were playing for the Stanley Cup. I'm not a huge sports fan and I tell you, I was SCARED. I'd never seen that much red in my life. At least, not until the next day, when there were seven bridesmaids, six junior bridesmaids, and three flower girls in red satin.

Well, like I said, we plumb got her married off. Now she heads to India to repeat the whole process for Rohit's side of the family, only multiplied by three hundred or so. Durn it, I'm tearing up again.