Why Costumechick Sucks

I try not to suck too hard, as a general rule. We all know how I feel about rules though. SO, I often find myself sucking, even if I don't want to. This last week (and a little), I have sucked really damn hard - at least at blogging.
I have finished two projects, started one more, finished another two clues of my Pangea Shawl, and went to the yarn mecca of Rhinebeck. And you, my dear readers got to hear nothing of it. I kind of feel as though I should just start from right now, and skip the last week and a half of events, as if they didn't even happen.
Instead, I will be belated blogging. Just pretend that the wayback machine is in charge of your blog reading destiny.

I finished the Cable Trim Pullover!

Name:Cable Trim Pullover
Pattern: #26 Cable Trim Pullover, from Vogue Knitting Winter 2007/08
Yarn: Berroco Ultra Alpaca, color #6283
Needles: Knitpick Classic Circs in size 2 &3
Notes: First of all, this pattern was really well written, easy to follow, and usually pretty obvious in it's construction. That said, the pattern also expects you to just sew the neck band in with out any form of guidance. It says something like, "sew cable trim on as shown in photo". Not so helpful, really.

I love, love, love the yarn. I love the color, I love the softness, I love the halo. I will be using this again. I didn't need all 8 skeins though. I ended up only using 6. I think the pattern called for 7, but I always get an extra, cause if I don't, I run out. So now I have two more that need to be something....

Overall, I am very happy with this sweater, and it was finished just in time for RHINEBECK!! So I will be (did) participate with the cool kids and wear a brand new sweater for RHINEBECK!! The only thing I'd change, other than actually making it fit my mom, whom it was originally intended for, is to lengthen it. I could use another inch in the body of the sweater. It's fine the way it is though, since I always wear a shirt under my sweater anyway.

Normally, I would include a full modeled pic, but I am not for this sweater. It fits great, but I can't seem to take a pic of it where I don't look bad, or wide, or muffin top. This boob-a-lish-ish pic is the best I could do. There is one on Ravelry, should you feel the need to see me at my worst.

This and that.

No FO's, yet, but I do have some updaterly things to show you! A little this and a little that, all for you, my blog reader's. I just want you to feel special, and involved in my life. (You see, if I get you involved enough, I might be able to convince you that you like me enough to help me move. My whole life revolves around building up enough Friends to make moving easy. Even when I don't have plans to move anytime soon. I'm tricksy.)
The aforementioned Pangea Shawl:

See! It's cute! I'm peer pressuring you some more. Sign up... it's only one little clue....
OH! I am totally punk as fuck! I did what I said I was going to do, which is completely crazy and weird, therefore punk. I finished my sleeves...

AND blocked them. Be afraid. This WILL be done in time for RHINEBECK!
That's it, from the land of Costumechick, for today. Tomorrow you might get to see something brown! woo! Brown!
ps. please note the lack of McCain commentary. I'm saving it for the Bitches. You are forewarned.

How about some knitting content?

I know! Knitting content on a knitting blog? How conformist of me. But, according to LSG, "Fucking butter is punk as fuck."
I actually have been doing some knitting, in between tech, drinking, throwing my shoes at the TV when political stuff is on, and doing the other assorted things one must do to stay alive as a human. Oh yeah, I'm in tech again. This time it is for "Hughie", starring Brian Denehy. He is a really nice guy, and funny too. Anybody that calls me "doll face" is cool in my books though. It hasn't been a tough tech, but it is still not the most fun one can have on a weekend. I spent the time working on my Cable Trim Pullover sleeves.

Oh yeah? remember that? I'm making a sweater. I am 22 rows from being finished with the knitting on this sweater. I am in love with it. Really, I am, but I am not looking forward to the sewing up part. I will persevere, as I want to wear it for RHINEBECK! (RHINEBECK must always be said in capitol letters. That's just how it is.) I was going to finish it last night, but I realized that I would be sitting with nothing to do during tech today if I finished it. I could work on the socks that I started last week, but I'm feeling a little blase' about them. The pattern and color combo is not making me happy. I'm thinking on it. Anyway, I plan to cast off the damn sleeves tonight, block tomorrow, and maybe be sewing up at SnB! We'll see.... I rarely do what I should, or what I say I'm going to do. You realize, that makes me punk. Then when I do what I say I am going to do, it is unexpected - out of character even - and I am therefore Punk as Fuck.
Y'all should be proud to know me.
SO, what did I work on last night, as I was not finishing the sleeves on purpose? I cast on another project. Don't roll your eyes at me! Save it for the Presidential Debate. Over on Ravelry, "Whatifknits" wrote a shawl pattern and wanted to know if people wanted to knit it. I pmed her that I did. Now I am in a KAL on her blog: Pangea The shawl is awesome so far. I'll post pics of that eventually. For now you have to look at the yarn.

Pretty, lacy goodness. She is inviting anyone that wants to KAL to join.... we are only one clue in, and it is an easy one. You know you want to. Come on.
That is called peer pressure. I should be on an After School Special.
I'm wiped out. I'll leave the tales of shoe throwing, drinking, and other assorted crap for another time. Till then, remember, "From an early age, I've always loved Jews and Cuban food." Tina Fey is my secret girlfriend.

Florida Yarn Adventure

As I promised, a day late (of course), is my yarn update from my trip, and the surrounding days!
Sip & Knit held so many possibilities. I was there forever, and had the hardest time deciding. I was after some Florida friendly yarn to make my friend Darren a hat, per his request. You would think that a store in Florida would be a good place to find such a yarn. It would be true, if I wanted a girly or baby color. Masculine colors, in summer yarns, are not an easy thing to find. I needed it to have some body, since I didn't want a drapey hat, and not like knitting twine. I finally found what I was looking for in Berrocco Comfort. It is 100% unnatural, but it feels like it might be soysilk or at least a cotton microfiber blend. It isn't squeaky, which we all know is my big reason to hate on the acrylic.
I also bought some sock yarn. I probably didn't even need to type that, cause you all knew that anyway. (wink) It is Fibranatura "Yummy", and I must say it is. It looks like flames. I might have to make some "hot foot" socks out of this loveliness.

Really, I saw so much stuff I was lusting after, managing to come away with only 5 skeins of yarn and a pair of needles for the hat was pretty damn good!
I cast on for the "thank you for dragging me around Florida and letting me crash at your place" hat that day. I finished up the bulk of the knitting yesterday.

Please notice the hole:

What the Hell is this about? Well, friends, this is where the brim goes. "Que?" The brim, duh. I am making a hat that is like a ski hat and a baseball cap had an illicit love child. The brim part is not exactly the easiest thing I have ever done, but I am managing. I'm on the 4th attempt a brimmage, so maybe this one will stick.
You knew that couldn't be it, right? I had airport time to knit too. I worked on my sweater trim a little, making it about half way now.

I also knit a pair of socks. Big surprise, right? Well, that little skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock that jumped in my bag the last time I was at WEBS desperately wanted to be knit. So it was. The bad part about flying is the waiting. The good part about waiting is knitting.

Name: Ribbed For Her Pleasure Bedroom Socks
Pattern: I don't knit and tell
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock
Needles: Knitpicks Classic Circs, US 0 and US1
Notes: I knit these a little looser than normal, but I didn't have smaller needles, and the yarn really didn't want to be knit tighter anyway. Therefore, my socks are little big. No big deal. They are really to thick to be regular socks anyway, so they are now slippers. I am nothing, if not flexible.

I named them what I did because they are ribbed, they are silk (for my pleasure), and the are bedroom slippers. What? Did you think I was being dirty?

So, yeah, they knit up damn fast, managing to be almost completely knit in airports and on planes over a two day plane adventure. Not too shabby, and finished just in time to qualify for September Socktopia! Sweet!

Ya'll should feel special now. You have been updated, seen my intimates, and my yarn lustiness. It might be time for a post-knitoil snuggle.

A Really Full Schedule

I don't know if you have noticed, but it has been a while since I updated my blog. Things have been a little busy around Casa Costumechick. What, pray tell, have I been up to that has taken so much time away that I cannot manage a wee-tiny blog update every once in a while?
The answer is.... well, ok. I don't have an answer. I've been doing a lot of stuff.
My evenings have been largely spent working on the burlap project, and then "Big River". Therefore, the knitting progress has been slow, at best. I did manage to finish the front of the purple sweater on Friday!

Then I cast on for the cabled neck trim! I did this while suck in the car, in traffic (yay! CT!) on Friday. Why was I in traffic? well, the shop took a trip to Osgood Fabrics for supplies, and for a birthday lunch for our stitcher. We just happened to be in MA... so we went to WEBS too. What?! It wasn't my idea?! But I did buy a skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock Yarn.

Anyway, I skipped the sleeves, as I wanted a small project that is easy to transport, for my bag. I plan to do the sleeves at the same time, and, frankly, that makes the project less portable.
I needed a portable project on purpose too, since I went into NYC to hang with my Mom and Dad on Saturday. "Hang" may not be the right phrase.... "forced March around the city" seems more apropos. We walked through Chinatown, to Little Italy - St. Genaro festival, to the Lower east side, then to Pier 17. Then through the 6th ave street fair up to Lindy's for Cheesecake. All in all a very exhaustive day. It was nice to visit, and we saw lots of interesting things and people. Still, I would have liked to just sit and knit for the day, but oh well.
Sunday was just as hectic, but because of my own doing. I baked a peach-raspberry pie for the Annual Canadian Pie Contest at work.

Yum.. I didn't do a test pie this year. I just made it up and baked it. We'll see how I do at the contest tonight....
I also had to get a pedicure.

Red, or course. I went grocery shopping, did some alterations on a few costumes for a friend, and went to dinner and a movie. Oh! And I did a load of dishes and laundry,and made chip dip. I need a weekend to recover from my weekend.
DH and I went to see "Burn after Reading". I took the two hours to work on my Shawl for the Milford Jaycees.

The Movie was great! Love Love love the Cohen brothers. It was a very "Cohen brothers" movie, and it was fantastic. I need to go see it again. (And I got a lot of shawl finished!)
So now I am back to the grind of the work week. Meetings, fittings, sewing on burlap in the evenings. But, only till Wednesday! I am off to Florida on Wednesday night. I'm going to attempt to blog while I am there. But, then again, I am Costumechick. I rarely do what I say I'm going to do, anyway. (grin)

Guess who cabled?

Me. That's who.

Aww. Cuteness. This pattern has just started to get complicated. You have to decrease at the NL with this fancy cable thing, keep track of armhole shaping, and keep two balls of alpaca from getting all twisted up. On top of that, the instructions are rather vague. It's not movie knitting.. let's just say that.
I should also publicly say, I was right! The cute skinny needles that I weren't sure were needles from my last post are, in fact, needles! 0000's! They are awesomeness in needle form. Again, thank you to my rockin' swap partner for the coolest needles EVER!
My knitting productivity has been way down - if you couldn't tell. This Burlap Overall project has been eating up all of my evenings and weekends. I am feeling wholly unproductive about the whole thing. The standard "knitter's cure" for this is to cast on a new project. hmm. I do need to work on a Socktopia project for September....
What to do, what to do......

A good weekend.

A good weekend, in Costumechick world, is defined by the following:
1. Finishing a knitting project.
2. Making headway on another knitting project.
3. Hanging out with great friends.
4. Eating copious amounts of Greek food, then seeing a movie.
5. Hanging out with even more great friends!
And, that is exactly what I did.
1. I finished the Fluffy Blue Raspberries.

Name: Fluffy Blue Raspberries
Pattern: Fleece Stuffed Mittens By Robin Hansen, from Favorite Mittens
Yarn: Reynolds Lopi in color 166, 1.25 skeins
Needles: Us 4 and 5 DPNs
Notes: I did these the same as the others. This may have been a regrettable decision, as they are enormous. Hopefully someone on my gift list has big hands, and will like teal mittens. I have another skein of this yarn to use for mittens, so I will go down to the child size directions for that pair.

2. I finished the back of the new sweater! Yay! I fear it is going to be way too big for my Mom. Boo. Upon measuring though, I think, because it is alpaca, and it will stretch when blocked, it will fit me. yay! I decided to keep going. We'll see....

3. Dude. The Bitches rock. Short Bus, the band, rocks. Pina Coladas rock. That is all that need be said.

4. The Greek Food a the Greek Festival in Orange always kicks ass. This year was no disappointment. I didn't take pics then, since I was too busy stuffing myself with saganaki, salad, and spanikopita. I was too full for dessert, but you better bet I bought some to take home. I totally forgot to take a picture of this...

What does one do, if they are Costumechick and DH, after eating far too much food? Go see a movie of course! We went to Tropic Thunder.
let's pause for a moment regarding our movie choice. I know this movie has spawned protests, and I am not against people having opinions, but please keep any comments regarding how awful I am for spending my money on this movie to yourselves. M'kay? I know I am going to hell in a hand basket. I already told everyone I'll put up the SnB flyer's about our meeting location when I get there.
Anyway, Tropic Thunder was fucking Hilarious!!! Being in the entertainment Business, I love love love movies that pick on it. And this one did not disappoint. really. It was hysterical. DH and I laughed so hard we hurt. That said, if you are sensitive to blood, explosions, unsavory terms for minority groups, or farts, you may want to skip this movie. The 12 year old boy and 32 year old costumer in me loved it though.

5. Two parties in one Weekend! Costumechick is a lucky gal! Yesterday we went to a kegger at a work friends house. Good food, good friends, and good times. The bonus was getting to play guitar hero some more. :)
Well, that, and getting fabulously drunk. (too drunk to take pics. surprise!)

That my friends is a weekend, Costumechick style.

The Story of Woe*

Yesterday, in "As Costumechick's World Gyrates" we learned that the yarn ran out while Costumechick was knitting her Fluffy Blue Raspberry Mittens. (Duh DUh DUUUUH) What intrigue has happened since? We'll find out today on, "As Costumechick's World Gyrates!!"

(Insert commercial for random feminine product, or pharmaceutical)

Yes. I, Costumechick, did go to WEBS yesterday. On the way there, since Dee was driving, I knit on my mitten. I figured I'd knit until I ran out of yarn. I did, with about 3 miles to go before the exit. Wonderful planning, if I had been trying.

But, and there is always a but, I used every last thrum I had with me to get to this point. (facepalm) "No problem," I thought. I'll just cast on for my next project on my way home.

This is where I rummage around in the car for my pattern.
and rummage...
and rummage...
It is now starting to dawn on me that I don't have my magazine with me. I left the stupid thing at work. (grrrrr.) "It's ok," I think, "I'm going to the biggest yarn store ever! I'll just peek at a copy in the store, and see how much I need to cast on."

In the store we go. I got a bit distracted by the yarn fumes at this point, so my story has some holes. Things were picked up that I didn't go to the store for, and other things might have been placed in my basket. I may have made out with some cashmere/bison/silk blend in the bcak room - I can't be sure. What I am sure of is that I got my teal Lopi (yay!)

and that I did not find a copy of the Fall 2006 Vogue that has my pattern in it. (boo.) Woe and shit and Hell. Now what do I do? I have the yarn to work on the mittens but no stinking thrums, the yarn to work on a sweater, but no fucking pattern!
At this point I stumble about WEBS, a little heady from the lusty moment with the cashmere/bison/silk yarn, a little hungry, and a little aimless, seeing as I am project less in a giant yarn store. So I did what any self respecting knitter would do. I bought more yarn.

This is brown Berkshire by Valley Yarns. I am making DH a pair of mittens too. I had planned to make him a pair, but not until I had the other four pairs left on my list completed. But, my cuff needles were free, and I knew I could cast them on in the car, so his mittens of brownness got bumped up in the list.
Does the Story of Woe end there? Of course not. On the way back to the Haven, we got stuck in the Worst Traffic Ever. I managed to finish the entire cuff, even knitting slow. Then I was stuck in no-mans-land again. I bought a magazine at WEBS for just this purpose though, thankfully. I cannot handle traffic. I really can't handle it if I don't have something to do. I just get more and more rage-y. It is not a pretty site. That means, for those of you counting, I now have one pair of thumb less teal mittens, one of which is missing the top; one brown cuff of a mitten; and one skein of gorgeous purple alpaca that I can't cast on because I forgot my pattern; all sitting in my lap, staring at me. It was like being Sisyphus, with yarn instead of a rock.
Bah!
Then, just for the cherry, on the icing, on the cake of the day, I forgot any sort of writing device, what so ever for SnB. (wow. I am random metaphor girl today.) No big deal in the grand scheme of things, but irritating none the less. Like sand in your swim suit.
But, I did get a decent amount into my sweater project:

This purpley alpaca goodness if for my Mom. My Mom is so tiny. I wish I could knit stuff this small for me. I could get a lot more done. Of course, it is on size 3 needles, so.... you'll be seeing a lot of purple Stockinette.
For a long time.
I'll do my best to make it interesting. Maybe the sweater pieces will go on adventures? Maybe I will see if I can come up with more challenges, a'la pencils and soup cans? Stay tuned till next time on "As Costumechick's World Gyrates".

*All right, fess up. I know some of you know what this literature reference I am lampooning. Then, after you fess up, I will know who is really dirty! :)

Well Shit.

I was working away on the second hand of my newest mittens when this happened:

"That is not much yarn", I thought.
How much mitten do I have to go?

Yeah. and two thumbs. I need more yarn. Damn. Now I have to go to WEBS.
Hey, DH told me too, so I am not totally to blame.
SO, in order to relieve my anxiety and sadness, and to ensure something to do at SnB tonight, I swatched for my next big project last night.

mmmmmmm.....alpaca.... droool....
It feels so heavenly after the lopi I have been working with. I might be tempted to not finish the mittens!
(I won't. But I'll be tempted.)