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Random Ramblings Archives

December 4, 2006

My gem is legit!

Perhaps I am being vain and silly, but I just want to brag about it after reading this article. When my husband and I looked at these precious stones three years ago, we were pretty adamant about avoiding "conflict diamonds". We picked a rock from Sirius Diamonds, which is now Polar Bear Diamonds. *heart*

December 12, 2006

Familiar faces...

The first time I saw the book, Holiday Knits, I remember thinking, without reading their bios, that the authors (from their pictures on the back flap) looked vauely familiar. Well, for one reason or other, I have yet to purchase it... But today, I was thinking of the one Christmas stocking patterns from the book (was it the old fashioned stocking that had the snowflake?) and tried to peak inside to find it... What do you know, I read the back flap and discovered that the authors are none other than the owners of my favorite yarn shop in San Francisco, Imagiknit. I should get an autographed copy...

May 21, 2007

Caltrain Knitter Alert!


Rowan Kidsilk Haze
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell.
This morning, while stopped at Milbrae and chatting (and knitting) with Hilary, I noticed another knitter had gotten on the train. It was one of those blink-of-an-eye moments, where my attention was drawn away from conversation by a colorfully knitted tube of yarn on tiny needles. Alas, there were no available seats in our car, so she continued on to the next.

"Hilary, did you see that? She was knitting a sock."
"No--I missed it! Do you think we should follow her?"

Yikes. We're normal, I swear...

I have pictures of Adam's sweater (partially seamed) and some sightings from this weekend's Maker Faire on the digital camera. But for now, I'll leave you with my mountain of Rowan Kidsilk Haze...

June 14, 2007

My Toolbox...


Tools of the trade?
Originally uploaded by Sophy T. O'Donnell
Ah. These are the accessories I carry with me whenever I am knitting anything on the road or during my commute:
  • Measuring tape
  • Collapsable scissors
  • Stitch markers
  • Seaming needle
This little wristlet purse will probably fit dpns and crochet hooks, too, if and when I need them on hand for a particular project. These Altoid tins are perfect for everything, from a mini DC/DC converter to a case for stitch markers and tapestry needles.

Speaking of stitch markers, these rings, my newest and most economical markers were cut from a third of a drinking straw (a neat little tip from Hilary). I realized I didn't have any markers that weren't too big or too small for US8 needles (Minisweater project), so while waiting at Red Rock for my usual Red Eye, I nabbed a straw. Imagine me, at my desk five minutes later, happily *snipping* away at the straw as I wait for my e-mail to download. Wonder what size markers I can get from the straws at Starbucks or the Pearl Tea place, downstairs...

A quick update on projects: Indigo Ripples skirt is finished--photos and details, soon to come. Minisweater is halfway complete, but I might need to frog part of it. I'm casting on a sweater for a cat.

July 2, 2007

Luncinda Guy's Books

I've recommended Lucinda Guy's books:

to a few people now... To my sister, who has been knitting mostly for our young cousins and other babies, lately. To Erica, who wants to knit a doll for a family friend. To my coworker who asked for knitting-related gift ideas for a friend... His order just arrived and he dropped by my desk to show me the book And So to Bed... (which is why I have these books on my mind, really).

I bought the first book after briefly flipping through the pages. I immediately fell in love with the book's design--yes, I basically bought the book based on its cover. But, I also loved the artwork inside the book...I mean, each of the patterns are accompanied by colorful and fun illustrations (by Francois Hall) that give the book a storybook feel. (I *heart* storybooks!) I was really glad to see that the second book has the same aesthetic.

Of course, these are not just pretty books! Both have a great variety of colorful (not just pastels--but a vibrant palette of colors) and fun-textured patterns: bed coats, night caps, dresses, sweaters, jackets, mittens, hats, blankets... and LOTS of toys. I want to make all the toys and dolls---if not, everything!

Such a cute hat!

I know, I know... Today's posts are just random thoughts, really...

This picture is from the back of the Knitscene Fall 2007 issue. Every time I close the magazine (because it's time for bed or as I get to the end of my commute), I see this picture and think, "Cute hat."

Just now, I looked in my bag for a pen and saw the the hat again. "So cute!" This prompted a quick search on Classic Elite Yarns' website, only to discover that the booklet is not even listed yet. (Duh. It's only just turned into July.)

I really hope they make it available soon. I'm thinking of making this hat with Debbie Bliss alpaca silk. I have 3 skeins each of pink and grey. =D

July 11, 2007

Truths about Me and Harry Potter

Ah. The latest installment of Harry-Potter-on-screen comes out tonight and I am very excited. But, alas, I'm in no hurry to actually see it yet; instead, I am going to see Transformers, tonight. There. Now you know. As much as I adore Hogwart's and all it's magical inhabitants, I've always been much more an animecha/Robotech/Voltron and yes Transformers girl, at heart. And, I can't wait to see on the big screen the scene where the fighter jet transforms. (Is that Starscream? Too awesome to be a good guy!) I can't wait!

So, Harry... As my list of projects grow increasingly longer, I've started to re-evaluate my desire to knit certain projects. And, although the release of the final installment of Harry-Potter-in-print is just days away, I've decided that I'm unlikely to ever begin the Gryffindor-colored legwarmers I had intended to make for that night.

I just don't wear legwarmers, really. I'd so much rather knit something that will be worn. I've started thinking of other things I could make with the yarn. Other things such as simple socks and armwarmers or children's garments: shoes, socks, cardigans, hats, dresses. It is teflon-coated wool, after all, so I am gravitating towards outerwear. Has anyone used Dale of Norway's Hauk, before?

Project updates soon!

July 17, 2007

Slowly taking over the library...

My yarn shelves My yarn shelves 2 My yarn shelves 3

While I put together the pattern for my cable-edged bib and a project notes for a random project I started and finished this weekend, I just wanted to quickly post a couple of (decidedly, not so great) photos of my yarn.

Yup. My yarns are taking over our small office (which I like to call the library), aka my craft room. This weekend, I quickly shifted around some books to make more room on a third shelf for more of my yarn stash. This isn't really that easy a thing, considering our books are stacked on the shelves 2-3 deep for the most part. But, I really wanted to get more of my yarn out of bags and off the floor. Still, this isn't all of my yarn. I do have a couple more bins (of kidsilk haze and summer tweed) and baskets with yarns that are currently being used. And, I also have a few spools on top of the bookshelf itself.

July 24, 2007

Updates and (sorta) random facts...

Darn. I'd wanted to write about some new finished projects, but I don't have the camera cable to download all the photos. So, tomorrow (hopefully), I will write about the first installment of my Kitty Couture ™ collection—a pink sweater which I am calling, Blush. I also have a couple pictures of the second baby bib, finished, though buttonless. I feel confident that the pattern is now complete (after the seemingly countless number of corrections I posted over the weekend).

I've also made some more progress on the Fiery bolero and the Teardrop lace scarf. I really want to finish these projects soon and I have to finish the scarf to clear off the needles for the bolero. But, I do want to wear the bolero while the weather is warm.

Well, since I didn't have any projects to post about (with pictures, that is), I thought I'd take the time to list some facts about me... This was a meme that went around a few months back (or maybe it was last year)? I really enjoyed reading everyone's lists. So, I hope mine is interesting.

7 (kinda) Random Facts

1 I started knitting, really, because I was tired of shopping for baby gifts for friends and family. It seemed, at the time, that more and more friends and family members were having kids and I wanted a more personal touch to the gifts I gave at baby showers. So, I thought that, with knitting, I could design gifts for each newborn baby. Well, designing is not as easy as knitting; Five years later, I have a bunch of finished projects (including baby garments) and ONE design!

2 I love paper and stationary. I used to be that person in class who was always folding colorful sheets of paper into cranes, flowers, and boxes. I never really got into the more advanced folding projects, like the modular pieces my friend, Erica, usually makes; but, I had fun with origami. The love of stationary, on the other hand, has left me with more Hello Kitty notepads than I know what to do with them.

3 I'm a big fan of post-apocalyptic-cataclismic-end-of-the-world type movies and novels. I prefer the movies, though, since I can't exactly read and knit at the same time. Zombie movies fall into that category.

4 I love to listen to Korean pop music and watch Korean dramas. I just do. Korean dance music (e.g. Turbo, Koyote) is especially fun when I'm at the gym.

5 I can't swim. I wish I could, I really do. But, there's something about treading water—I just don't get it. Also, it doesn't matter if I'm submerged in a swimming pool, I'm convinced that there's a shark about to attack me from a place where I can't see it. Since, I usually have my eyes closed in a pool, this means they're... everywhere.

6 I have a twin sister named Sophea. Yup. Our parents named us: Sophea and Sophy. (She's the older twin.) She also knits and crochets, but I can't seem to convince her to blog about it. Instead, she's my biggest blog critic--so, you might have noticed a few changes here and there.

7 I'm going to the SF Giants Stitch 'n Pitch tonight. I will knit either (a) more of the Teardrop lace scarf, or (b) Knucks, in Rowan Denim. Maybe I'll see you there!?

July 29, 2007

Ribbon yarn—I want to love you...

A couple years ago, I saw someone wearing a cardigan that was knitted with ribbon yarn. It looked like the front sides and back panels were knitted in a very loose stockinette stitch, then edged with single crochet stitches (also very loosely) that were then seamed together using a crocheted stitch. The arms were attached similarly. It was such a cute and airy cardigan, and I always wondered how difficult it would be to replicate... And, because of it, I've always thought that knitting with ribbon yarns would be so much fun...

But, I really don't seem to have much luck with the ribbon yarn that I do have... I bought about 20 skeins of Ornaghi Filati Giglio ribbon yarn in cream and dark teal colors. (Oh. I bought them at an amazing discount price.) The dark teal I used last year to make Iris, from Rowan 35. My version was modified to have shorter sleeves, which ended up being too wide at the elbow. But, otherwise, I love the bolero.

I'm currently using the cream colored yarn for another bolero, the Fiery bolero, which I've practically finished (just the edging to go). I love the texture and how the stitches look... But, I'm very concerned about the measurements... Row gauge was slightly off, so I had to modify quite a bit. The pattern doesn't really adjust easily for off-gauge correctioning (okay, I think i'm making up words now). Also, I had already made plenty of modifications from the start: like, substituting short-row shaping for all of the cast-on and cast-off shaping... I'm really afraid I've made some serious errors. Anyway, now I just have this urge to finish this garment and it's killing me that the needles I need to do the edging are on the Teardrop lace scarf, which is about halfway complete. Imagiknit is still open. Do I dare? haha

Added to this, just yesterday I was flipping through some back issues of Interweave Knits and found another pattern I want to knit. I mean, I want to knit it right now, immediately, rather than add it to my ever-growing queue. What pattern is this? The Waterlily Top from Spring 2006. Another ribbon yarn pattern and this one, rather pricey. Is there a good substitute for ribbon yarns??

Ah. So, the drama.

You might have noticed that for now the Blush cat sweater pattern is offline while I work on it. I think, now that I've given a preview, I'll wait to post the complete pattern, instead of updating as I go (as I originally intended). Check back soon!

August 13, 2007

Feeling edgy today

Today is one of those days when I just want to hide away and do something other than the things I have to do. But, since that's not really possible, I just thought I'd get a quick post in and get back to work.

My uncle and his wife had their baby girl last week! I've been a slowpoke with my gift knitting; unlike my sister, who finished an entire set (sweater, socks, and hat) over a month ago. But, I think I will send them (1) the cropped placket-neck pullover, (2) the first cable-edged bib and (3) a pair of baby shoes I began last night. An odd assortment of gifts, I know, since nothing matches...

While I worked on the first shoe this morning, I was suddenly struck with an idea for an original baby shoe pattern... With a simple little cabled stitch... Maybe it'll be a mary-jane... I would use some short-rows for shaping... (Still on that kick!) This contributed to my edginess this morning... I just want to go home and draw this idea out. Will it work? Will it be as cute as it looks in my mind's eye? When will I get to it!?

Waterlily top

Also, I have one more reason for excitement. I finally sent my cat sweater, Blush, to Deb—and she just quickly im-ed me to tell me that she loves it. And, even better, it fits [her sphinx] Piglet! (It could be longer, I'll keep that in mind for the next two sweaters.) Now, I feel so much more motivated to finalize the pattern.

Picture-less posts are a drag, I know. But, the pictures I wanted to add were all quite awful (they were taken this morning on the train and with my phonecam). So, instead, I'll leave you with progress on the Waterlily top. Since taking this picture, I've finished the front bodice and only have the back to knit.

August 15, 2007

So not cool.

I just read this post on Knit and Tonic's blog. And, well, my only response is... That's pretty elitist. Wendy, I'll join you in that minority.

August 22, 2007

In which I talk myself out of buying more yarn...

Twice, today, I pulled up Webs to browse their yarn closeouts. Both times, I added a monstrous amount of yarn into my shopping cart and then removed everything. Some of my choice picks were: Classic Elite's Skye Tweed in Rosey Glow (#1225) and Jaeger Sienna in Blue Grey (#430).

You see, I don't really need to buy more yarn. I have shelves of yarn waiting to be knit, and you can see my queue for yourself... That's a long list. And of course, I did just recently purchase some new yarns from Webs... There was the Valley Yarns English Tweed which will be made into Eunny Jang's Tangled Yoke cardigan. And, there was the box containing (my moment-of-insanity purchase of) 15 skeins of Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed Chunky, which will be made into Anna Bell's Flicca this winter. Let me not forget the 5 skeins of Elsebeth Lavolds' Silky Wool, which I bought on sale at Imagiknit and, honestly, because I thought it was Silky Tweed. (I am quite obsessed with tweed, if you couldn't tell.)

Valley Yarns, English Tweed  Debbie Bliss Donegal Tweed

I thought to convince myself that I needed the Skye Tweed to make the Tangled Yoke cardigan, just in case I didn't like the Valley Yarns. And the Sienna would be a cotton Arisaig cardigan. In the blue grey color, I could use these cute little frog clasps I just recently bought at Imagiknit.

Now I'm trying to convince myself that I would not wear the tangled yoke cardigan nearly as often were I to make it in the bright pink Rosey Glow and not the more muted softgrape color. And, in fact, the English tweed isn't so muted. It's covered in flecks of bright pinks and lavender and, even, gold. Don't you think that would be much more lovely with the tangled cable motif and for the coming autumn?

Oh no! Don't you think the Rosey Glow would look wonderful as the Demi cabled pullover from Rowan's Vintage Knits? Have you seen Elliphantom's version? Must not go there...

And, ah—Arisaig. The more I see Hilary's amazing progress on this beautiful lace cardigan, the more I just want to cast-on immediately for it. But sadly, I just do not have the yarn for this at the moment. And, will it work in Jaeger's Sienna, a cotton yarn? Or should I indeed find a soft fingering-weight animal fiber? I've already missed the chance to grab Webs' closeout of Jaeger's Matchmaker 4-ply in a color I would want. Would Dale of Norway's Baby Ull be a good substitute? Jaeger's Baby Merino 4-ply? Recommendations?

The Silky Wool? I have no idea what I can do with only five skeins of it and in color Petrol (#35). Perhaps a vest? Well, regardless... I definitely don't need to add to my stash. Today, at least, I will be good.

Adam's Ribbed & Yoked sweater

And, if you're wondering what I've been up to these past few post-less days, here's a picture of my latest start on Adam's sweater. Do you remember this yarn? Rowan Summer Tweed. (Yup. Another tweed!) This time, I'm starting from scratch. No more modifying patterns to fit Adam's measurements. (I didn't do a very good job of it when I tried to knit him Kim Hargreave's Jarret.) And, for simplicity, I'm knitting it all in one piece on circular needles. (As much in one piece as is possible.) The sleeves will be knit separate and attached at the armpit... Raglan yoke... You get the idea. Since I didn't even want to have to pick up stitches for the button and buttonhole bands or collar, I'm knitting those as I go. Yup. The only finishing I want to do is grafting the armpits together... and I guess weaving in ends. *sigh* There are some things that can't be avoided...

In a way, I'm preparing myself for knitting the tangled yoke cardigan, since that is knitted similarly. And, I'm definitely preparing to knit a Flicca similar to Craftoholic's lovely version. (Although I've wanted to knit Flicca since Anna Bell made the pattern available on her site, I did not buy the donegal tweed until I read this post, perhaps the day I read her post, even.)

September 23, 2007

Invited to ravelry.

I didn't check my e-mail until perhaps 8pm yesterday. Very unusual behavior, believe me. But, when I did, I found an invitation to ravelry. It was quite unexpected, since I was way down there in the waiting list. I didn't even realize what it was at first. Silly me.

ravelr.png

I played with it for a couple of hours. I've had some mixed feelings about joining another social networking site, but, I am looking forward to meeting new people and sharing some thoughts and ideas.

I do like how it integrates your flickr account and your personal blog into your profile. After editing my profile, I joined a few groups. Really, I am surprised at the variety. What you don't see here is that I also joined a Star Trek group, "Knit Trek" "Ravel Trek," and a "World War Z" group. Also, I like the library feature, though it needs to be more customizable or at least, sortable. Over all, it's really pretty sweet for a beta version.

I wonder if the site is compatible with mobile phones? Rather than remembering to print out the pages, I would love to have my inventory readily accessible every time I walk into a yarn shop. Yes. Eventually, I want an iPhone.

Life is so busy right now, though, that it will be some time before I do anything more with my account... I really didn't knit much for the last couple of weeks. But, this weekend, I'm back in the swing of things. New projects, new ideas.

More later.

October 2, 2007

Hello October!

This is the view we walked into on our way to work yesterday morning.

Monday, Oct 1, 2007

October is the month of our annual visit to Philadelphia. While there, I intend to start Flicca. You know what that means??? I have a goal: Adam's sweater will be finished before I go to Philly.

Other projects

I finished the sweater vest's collar ribbing last night. Tonight, I will finish the armhole ribbing.

Malt is currently traveling with me and will continue to do so until I've finished the back panel. Then, that will go on the shelf until I finish Adam's sweater.

There. I've set down my plans. I will stick to them. I WILL!

Update 10.09.2007: What am I thinking?! I won't start Flicca until I finish Malt.

October 17, 2007

Thinking pink?!@#!

I'm wearing a lot of pink today. At first, I thought I would snap a picture to post so you could all laugh at me (with me, really, cause I just glanced at my reflection in a mirror and even I will admit the amount of pink I'm wearing is over-the-top ridiculous). On second thought, you don't really need another picture of me.

Instead, I'll show you a pink kitty wearing a pink sweater:

Piglet, wearing Blush

This is my friend's sphinx, Piglet, wearing Blush. Isn't she awesome? She has two more sweaters coming her way, soon: stripey Chic and lace-leaf Fern.

December 6, 2007

Winter Knitty 07: Love it!

Work has been frustrating lately--OMG. So frustrating. But, today, I scrolled through my blog feeds and saw that Knitty: Winter 2007 is now available. I don't think I need to tell you that this just made my day. Of course, I don't have much time to really go through the patterns this second, just a quick perusal to note what I-love-and-will-definitely-make and what I-love-but-probably-won't-make. Overall, I like what I see.

I love and will definitely make:

  • Dahlia This caught my eye, immediately. Adorably romantic. Cascade 220. Empire waist. Cabled skirt. Love it.
  • Stardust If only this issue had come out a week earlier, I may have made this already. A cute and simple cardigan, perfect for covering up a holiday party dress. But, with a holiday party tomorrow night, I don't think I'll have the time ;D Maybe next week's party? Does this yarn come in sparkly red?
  • Cables + Bits Okay--A doggy bolero is awesome. At the risk of making 2007 my "Year of Cat Sweaters", I want to make this for my friend's sphinx cat, Piglet. I've been making her sweaters without sleeves--Living on the east coast, I think she needs this. Should I call it "Cables + Catnip"?

I love but probably won't make:

  • Abotanicity I have so many big sweater patterns in my queue, that I just cannot add another. But, this looks beautiful. Who knows, if I finish the other sweaters, I may add this to the queue. Or maybe I'll just keep looking at this pattern until I break down and cast-on...
  • Ice Queen Kidsilk haze, lace, and beads. I have a mountain of ksh. I adore lace patterns. And, adding beads to lace knitting just makes it more fun. Do I need to say more? But still, right now, I have a number of lace shawls and scarves I need to get through.

With this to look forward to, the day should pass fairly quickly--Bring it!

January 10, 2008

Fingerless mitts! Everywhere!

So, in the past few days, I've noticed so many lovely patterns for fingerless mitts and I have to share them with you:

Now, you know I *heart* herringbone, so it's no surprise that I absolutely adore Craftoholic's herringbone handwarmers. These are a variation on Elliphantom's herringbone mittens, the project that reawakened my herringbone obsession enough for me to design/knit my herringbone tweed hat. I love the colors and the stripes on the thumb gusset!

If you want a colorful pair of fingerless mitts, you have to check out the purl bee's Daisy Stitch hand warmers. They're so pretty and probably very warm since they're knit with thicker yarn and needles. Also, the stitch pattern looks like such fun. (I'm knitting endless stockinette right now—BORING!)

As though she read my mind, this morning, Hilary emailed me a another lovely pair of mitts: Lauren Phillips's stripey fingerless mitts. They're so simple and the colors are awesome!

Ah. All these distractions that would lead me astray of my goals. Hopefully, writing about them will get them out of my head long enough for me to knock off the items on my checklist!

Happy Knitting!

January 14, 2008

Go Speed Racer!

This weekend, Adam and I went with friends to see the BodyWorlds exhibit in San Jose. (It was interesting, but you should go see it for yourself!) On the way home, we decided to stop at Malibu: Grand Prix for a bit of turbo go-cart racing after dark.

Malibu Grand Prix
Waiting in line to race!

It was a blast!—But, no joke, I was the slowest racer out there... Adam, after spinning out at the finish line one lap and then nearly colliding into a double seater during another lap, had to be warned to slow down. I'm pretty jealous of his fearlessness!

I know I know... Knitting news soon-to-come.

January 19, 2008

I have a new... hairclip?!

The first thing I did with my new iPod shuffle was look for a place to clip it:

my new... hairclip!?
I wonder if it will stay while I exercise?

After admiring it some in front of a mirror, I proceeded to register it and fill it up with some tunes. Basically, Adam needed a new iPod, and my iPod nano was wasted on me. So, we swapped. Yay!

January 31, 2008

Can I name ONLY ten?

I read a lot of blogs everyday. A LOT. It took me some time to go through and pick the ten that make my day... Inspiration... Motivation... I don't think I would still be knitting without these blogs:

Hilary's Yarniad
I really can't believe I met Hilary only a year ago, and on the train at that; It really seems like I've known her forever. She never ceases to amaze me with her new projects and rapidly growing list of finished projects. (Thanks for the shout-out in your own list; I would not have known about this, otherwise! ;D)

Brooklyn Tweed
Craftoholic
Elliphantom Knits
My Fashionable Life
These bloggers don't post as much as they used to, but when they do, I'm very happy. I always look forward to seeing their finished projects and latest designs.

Cosmopolitan Purls
Little Purl of the Orient
Savannahchik Knits
These and See Eunny Knit were probably the first few blogs I started reading regularly. Through their pages I quickly discovered the world of knitting blogs. They really inspired me to start my own.

del4yo's Non dairy Diary
I don't know how I found her blog (I don't think she knits?), but I'm so glad I did. Her illustrations and little stories always make me smile.

io9.com
A blog about science-fiction. TV. Books. Movies. Science. Fiction. (Sometimes, I just need to get away from anything knitting-related.)

1 February 2008: Yikes, I didn't realize I had so many links wrong! They're now fixed.

February 19, 2008

Do knitters dream of lace-leaf socks?

Apparently, this knitter does.

I was pretty crushed to wake up this morning and realize that the knee-length, frosty-grey, lace-weight malabrigo, lace-leaf patterned socks that I had knitted, was all part of some elaborate dream probably induced by the half-bottle of red wine I consumed while finishing (yet another) cat sweater and before going to bed last night.

Keep in mind, I've never completed a pair of knitted socks yet. Surprisingly, I can remember the details of my dream-socks very well... Perhaps enough to actually knit them—or at least, write them down?

March 17, 2008

making changes

having one sidebar is too long so i am changing the layout. my blog is such a hack... but, this should be done soon. just not tonight. I hope you like it.

March 18, 2008

minimally complicated?

I sure know how to take a simple and elegant theme (Minimalist by Mena Trott) and make it complicated, though I hope not cluttered. I will say that, by comparison, Adam's new layout manages to still look very much minimalist but is also quite individual and unique.

I do like having two right sidebars, but I hope to simplify them a bit more. Also, I finally put some content on my own webpage. It definitely needs more work, but at last it's going somewhere. Somehow, I've managed to adopt a deep violet and pale lavender color theme across my sites...

Well, enough of my site administration issues. I hope my readers like the new layout. Knitting news soon to follow.

April 17, 2008

Monkeys are troublesome.

I asked Erica to send me a postcard from Japan if she had time. She didn't (no wonder, her days were filled with adventurings!) but she did bring back a cute CUTE knitting pattern book (another post) and this hilarious card from Shinzi Katoh Design:

A postcard from Japan
A postcard from Japan.

The caption reads:

Monkey brothers like a practical joke!
The Eldest monkey ran away with the girl's present. His brother ran away with her spoon. The youngest brother ran away with her brother's cherry!

wtf? I LOVE it.

Wyoming doesn't have internets...

...or so I try to convince myself.

What did I do to Wyoming?
Wyoming... was it something I said?

According to Google Analytics, Wyoming doesn't read my blog. What else am I to conclude? ^_^

April 18, 2008

never too much information ;D

I have projects to write about but I don't have any pictures. Thank you Hilary for giving me something to post!

the rules

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I actually wrote 7 (sorta) random facts last year, on another day when I didn't have pictures to post. But, I'm sure I can come up with 7 more things to share with you...

7 (more and somewhat silly) random facts

1. I'm ethnically Cambodian, but my parents fled the country while my mom was pregnant with my sister and me. We were born in a refugee camp in Khao-I-Dang, Thailand. A year later, we emigrated to the United States and, eventually, settled in Philadelphia, PA. It's an awesome family story that would make an amazing novel... But I have only snippets of the actual events and my parents don't like to talk about it anymore.

2. I can't dance. I mean, I really really can't dance, I have no rhythm. I'm so self-conscious I freeze up. But, I listen to a lot of hip-hop and I love watching dance battles... freestyle, breaking, krumping... Hot. Can I be a b-girl in my next life?

3. I have a ham radio license. My callsign is KB3CZR. Does that sound nerdy? My first date with Adam was the license exam. Did that blow you away with nerdiness? Sigh. Truth is, tests are easy and I've never actually used the license for anything... Though, it does help me remember our anniversary.

4. I find Trivial Pursuit to be the most stressful board game I can imagine playing. I just do not have a head for trivia and especially, I fail at geography... Seriously, I had to confirm this state with Bryan before I posted the blog entry.

5. When I was really young, I wanted to be a marine biologist because fairy tales told me that dragons lived under the water. After I watched Jaws (and because I wasn't gonna learn to swim anytime soon), I decided I would be an astronaut (thank you Star Trek). Then I watched Alien... Over the years, I've checked off many other options (with better reason than a scary movie)--I never thought I'd be a technical writer, but I love my job.

6. I used to be a bit of a martial arts freak--Loved watching kung-fu movies... I took kung-fu for a few months when I was a freshman in college, but it was too expensive, too late at night, and located on a rather shady side street in Philadelphia's Chinatown. I took Aikido after I moved to San Francisco, CA. That lasted until I started working in Mountain View.

7. If it's possible to have a favorite number, mine is 7. I wouldn't say it's my lucky number but it will definitely distract me, in the same fashion that a book with a dragon on it's cover or in it's title will attract me... My favorite Korean singer/actor is Se7en (Choi Dong Wook)... definitely a distraction.

tag--you're it!

If you haven't been tagged with this meme yet, I'm tagging you now! If you do respond to this, please leave a comment with a link to your post! Erica already knows that she's definitely tagged. Oh, and Nizzy, I'm tagging you especiale! ;D

Thanks for reading! Project reports soon, I promise!

May 8, 2008

Baby Maryjanes by Silvia Schuchardt

I'm not even sure what I was doing on ravelry that lead to finding these adorable designs by Silvia Schuchardt. If you aren't on ravelry yet, check out her Etsy shop—She has the cutest crochet patterns for baby maryjanes and many other baby shoes. (The maryjanes also come in adult size.)

September 2, 2008

running before i can walk.

ack. i know i said i would write something knitting-related, but, i wanted instead to share with you a funny story... or rather, my typical silliness...

i actually waited until the absolute last minute to find a costume for Las Vegas. the Friday before the event, i panicked because i was convinced there was no way that i could find a costume in my size. obviously, it was too late to order something. so of course, i had this grand scheme to sew a TNG uniform shirt to my measurements, using an XL for reference:

TNG uniform shirt
one XL TNG uniform shirt.

i felt like i was in grade school again. so much fun! before long, i had all the pieces drawn and cut:

attempt to recreate the TNG uniform
brown paper bags cut into the myriad shapes required to piece together a TNG uniform shirt.

i proceeded to cut a couple shapes from this frumpy silk dress (the only blue fabric i had) and its black lining. it would have been a rather shiny uniform, had it worked out... but, it didn't take me long to realize that my sewing skills are so far from adept. heck, i wouldn't even describe it as adequate... first off, i didn't have black or blue thread (only pink and white). and then, i couldn't seem to thread the needle properly, since the thread kept breaking... oh, and did i mention how messily i cut the fabric? needless to say, time passed and i gave up.

but, the next day i was able to find a uniform that fit, albeit rather skimpily. we had a blast in Vegas. and now, i have some time to improve my sewing skills... time enough before Hilary and i work on our costumes for a movie coming out in Summer 2009.

September 19, 2008

the beginnings of holiday cheer

i know i know; it's many months away yet. but this year, Adam and i are actually planning to be in Philly in early December. so, although, i've been knitting away at my tangled yoke cardigan, i've also started thinking of small projects for family.

today i noticed Jared Flood aka b r o o k l y n t w e e d popping up in my rss feeds... a quick scroll-through and i have gift ideas for my parents: Mom gets Porom and Dad gets Thorpe.

it's so exciting to plan gifts! i can't wait to start—after i finish my tangled yoke cardigan, of course.

Tangled yoke, before much tangling
the bobbles are too cute...

happy knitting!!!

October 23, 2008

yes. i like star trek.

but, you should have known that already.

After all sorts of MUNI delays, when i finally made it to my desk yesterday, i found this magazine waiting for me:

Sophy is silly.
i'm a dork. i know. but truthfully, i think the cover photo is ridiculous. ridiculously AWESOME.

my coworker made good on his offer to give it to me—yay! of course, i now choose to ignore that it used to sit in his bathroom... i've been pretty nutty about finding out as much as i can about the new movie, especially the uniform designs. i just wish i didn't have to wait until next summer to see it in theatres!

November 7, 2008

cover your ears!

i just downloaded Ocarina for my iPhone and i love it. by tomorrow, i will master Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. see if i don't.

About Me

someone who likes to knit, crochet, and write.

On the Needles

  • Slouchy hat
  • Stripey baby socks
  • Thorpe hat in Scottish Tweed

In the Queue

In the stash

www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing photos in a set called Yarn Stash. Make your own badge here.

November 2008

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