Burgers, Pooh, Yarn and Sand

My trip to LA and Vegas went swimmingly. I don't think I've eaten that much red meat in that short a time in about fifteen years.

Part of the problem was this place:

It's this lovely little bar in LA that serves a gajillion kinds of beer and locally-made wines and they also happen to make the most delicious burger. EVER. There's crazy goodness in it, like caramelized onions and then the fries come with some ridiculous garlic-flavored mayonnaise that tries to kill you with its tastiness. My friend Viv goes there a lot. If I lived in LA, I think I would, too.

On the way to Vegas, I did have to partake of this:

In and Out. I hate to say it, but I really don't get the hype. It was good, but it wasn't life-changing, man.

We also went to Disneyland:

Where I stalked and got a paparazzi shot of Pooh:

And then I stole him and brought him home:

Also, this is Viv's dog, Baron:

He did not want me to knit in the car. And so he sat on my knitting and fell asleep.

We also looked around Santa Monica. Of course, before we even hit the beach, I had to go here:

Where I bought these:

And these:

I know I'm all about using stash right now, but my aunt is going through a hard time (my cousin has just been diagnosed with some crazy autoimmune disorder) so I will make her a nice shawl out of this lovely Auracania fingering cotton.

There are my feet, touching California beach for the first time in my life:

And my first glance at its water:

And my travel knitting, which turned out to be a perfect match for the beachiness of my trip:

It's a lightweight clapotis using two strands of Jojoland Harmony laceweight together. I got a lot done over two six-hour flights and two four-hour drives.

I'm almost tempted to move out there.

Operation: Stasheroo

I realize the title of this post could make you think I am stashing more stuff. But no, I am all about the using up my stash right now. I figure it's a win-win situation. I am being green and also not feeling guilty about spending money I can ill-afford right now.

Like a lot of people, I'm tightening my belt b/c A) my freelancing always goes down in the summer and B) I have a lot of traveling/wedding-going to do over the next couple months and I need to economize.

The wedding stuff in particular is driving me a little batty. I'm a bridesmaid (this is my first really good friend who's getting married) and it's very strange for me b/c I'm the kind of girl who never really wanted a huge wedding. My idea of a perfect wedding (for me) is to run off and elope on a beach somewhere and then come back and throw a huge party. However, my friend N is a total girly-girl who is having a giant wedding in Michigan and then traveling to India (her fiance is Indian) to do it all over again a week later. Just thinking about it makes me tired. But she's getting married and next week, I will be visiting my friend Viv in LA and then hitting up Vegas with all us girls for a bachelorette get-together. With any luck, I may actually post a photo of my face on this blog. Only for comedic purposes, you understand.

...OK...back to knitting:

I don't know where this came from. It crept up on me and then told me to stop denying that I had started another project and just admit that I am terrible. I admit, I'm terrible.

It's Delphine (Rav link), from French Girl Knits. Only I didn't get the pattern from the book, I got it from the Spring Interweave. I was trying to figure out what to make with some of the Vintage Cotton I had lying around, and this little tank seemed to fit the bill. I really hope that it fits. My bust falls in between the 2nd and 3rd sizes, but the pattern states that it stretches. Otherwise, I'll have to give it away.

And since I'll be on a plane for six hours at a time, I figured I should really plan ahead for some mile-high knitting. So I rolled this up to do a swatch:

This here is a skein of Blue Sky Alpaca. It's purdy. I have a lot more in beige. I'm thinking of buckling down and using my stash to make my dad an argyle cardi.

And remember how I gave my Ene and North Roe shawls to my friend C's mum and auntie? Well, they took us all out for dinner:

It was quite delicious. I think I am still full.

FO: Plummy North Roe Shawl

Another shawl! This one will go along with my purple Ene to drape over the shoulders of my friend C's mum and auntie in England.

Plummy North Roe Shawl
Pattern: North Roe Shawl
Yarn: Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace
Needles: US 6 Addi Bamboo Circs
Mods: None

This lace yarn is some yummy, yummy stuff. I originally bought two skeins of it for a Hanami, but I started to have misgivings about the sides of that pattern. Most of the center of the stole (I was planning on making both sides from the falling blossoms pattern) would be stockinette and I find blocking rectangular stoles much harder than blocking triangles. I've seen versions of the North Roe all over Ravelry and it's pretty much ALWAYS pretty. So I decided to opt for this as a present instead. It's super economical, too: The whole project must have cost me less than $25.

The open leaf shapes just make my heart go thumpity-thump.

And while I was trying to take photographs of this pretty little thing, there was the craziest ruckus coming from the patios behind my building. It sounded like two cats on uppers and steroids duking it out for cat-wrestling champion of the world. I leaned out the window and caught them staring each other down:

Seriously, I had no idea cats could make that much noise. I'm guessing this cat didn't know, either, b/c she came out to investigate what the frack was making so much noise, too:

I feel like I documented an important aspect of urban cat life.

Pretty Things and Stripes, Too

I find it funny that I love the smell of violets. Mostly because the actual flower doesn't smell like anything to me. But violet scented/flavored candy and cosmetics just makes me crazy. In a good, obsessive kind of way. Honestly, if you lead me to a violet anything, I have to have it. And this lip gloss is one of the best examples of it, ever.

Moisturizing, violet lip balm-y goodness.

And then this stuff I bought a few weeks ago. It's so pretty I don't think I can make socks with it:

I treated myself to it because I'd finished the second draft of my script. My writing has been going ok lately. This book was a big inspiration:

I honestly don't think I'll ever read a book the same way again. Which comes in handy at the moment since I'm reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy and it's definitely something that must be read word by word.

Also, I decided it was time for both stashbusting and garment-knitting:

I have no idea what I'm doing here. I'm making it up as I go along. I think that's the back.

More Kor Knits

I trekked through K-town yesterday, just because I was craving some particularly delicious and ultra-spicy takeout. While I was waiting for them to get my order ready, I popped into the K-bookstore across the street. I had no intention of buying anything, but I walked out with this...

Loosely translated, the title reads: "Hand Knit and Crochet Patterns That You Covet from Movies."

The designer apparently enjoys romantic comedies. Among the movies/knits featured:

Elizabethtown
Kirsten Dunst's red knit cap

Love, Actually
Keira Knightley's Cable Collar Sweater

The Holiday
Cameron Diaz's White Cabled Cardi

The Edge of Love
Sienna Miller's Mustard Leaf Cardi

And then, just for kicks, some patterns that have nothing to do with the movies but that I covet regardless.

Lime-Green Mohair Poncho

Crocheted Wrap Coat

I am back to knitting again, but it's mostly all shawls, all the time. This li'l thing below is Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in a beautiful plummy color. The pattern is North Roe and we'll see what happens with it as I progress.

FO: Ocean Blue Pangea

I'm baaaaaaaaack.

I'm sorry I am such a bad blogger. But if it makes anyone feel any better, in my time away I finished the following: A short story, a script, a friendship, a freelance project, another year of my life.

And, of course, this lovely little thing:

Ocean Blue Pangea Shawl
Pattern: Pangea Shawl by Sarah-Hope Parmeter (Rav link)
Yarn: Tilli Tomas Demi Plie in Moroccan Blue, 3 skeins
Needles: US 5 Lantern Moon circs
Mods: Left off the last four rows of Chart I

This is a fabulous pattern and a fabulous yarn. If I had the budget, I would only be making shawls with silk.

The best part of this pattern is how you start of with little clover-ish shapes:

And then you move onto these odd, foamy little figure eights that look perfect in true blue:

Which eventually lead into steady little arches and gentle scallops:

Shawls are making me incredibly happy right now. I'm still hoping to finish that damn cabled coat, but my sweater-knitting is going mucho slowly at the moment. Doesn't help that the weather shows signs of warming up.

BTW, you know the best thing about making a shawl? Blocking the bottom of into such precise little points.

FO: Baby, It's Cold Outside

Yeah, it's 29 degrees outside. Yesterday's high was 24. In my brilliance, I chose yesterday to take my first spinning class in a year. My hamstrings are really not happy with me.

I know I've been a "bad" blogger. It's just that life has been getting in the way and this turn of events has brought with it the knowledge that I've been burrowing in my apartment over the past half-year like a recluse. OK, maybe not a real recluse, but a semi-recluse. I'm sorry for not keeping up with the knitting blogs I love to follow. I'm going through my comments and bloglines slowly but surely!

Along with this knowledge, my knitting fever has dampened somewhat. I still enjoy it, but it's not quite as pressing as it once was. I was spending way too much time on Ravelry when I should have been working. No one should be alarmed, though. I'm still knitting. I just won't be knitting with the same dogged determination of "Imustfinishthisrightnow." Turning 29 in the new year is turning out to be a swift kick in my rear end. That and the spinning class last night.

But here's some knitting cheer for the holidays:

Hollyhock Harvest Mittens
Pattern: Yellow Harvest Mittens, Vogue Knitting Fall '08
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Hollyhock, 1 skein
Needles: US 9 DPNs

These were super quick to knit up. My hands were in sore need of some Malabrigo warmth and these mittens were so fun to make that I'm tempted to make more pairs just to have around.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through my brother's Christmas socks...

And I've made some headway into a new cardi...which should be recognizable to anyone paying attention to really, really popular knitting patterns.

Lastly, I bought some shoes over Thanksgiving weekend. They are yellow. They make me very happy.