Back!

Well, I've been back since Monday, but have been too busy catching up on much needed sleep, and also been feeling generally lazy.

Spain was so much fun! I wish we could've had one more day to eat more tapas and see the remaining sights though. We spent the first 2 days seeing the sights in Madrid: (all pics clickable)

Retiro Park

Prado

Palacio Real

Plaza Mayor

Also at the Plaza Mayor, was El Gato Negro, one of the 2 yarn shops I had planned to hit up. Sadly, I did not buy any yarn at this establishment, due to being in a rush, not knowing how to say "wool" in Spanish, and being scared of buying yarn in kilos. I didn't get the chance to go to the other yarn shop, Lanas Sixto, but I went briefly into Lanas Alondra (which was very close to my hotel) and bought 1 sad skein of Schachenmayr nomotta Extra. I totally regret not buying yarn at El Gato, but the Euro-Dollar exchange rate is horrendous anyways, so that's what I've been saying to myself in consolation.

Other highlights of the trip including seeing flamenco at Corral de la Moreria...
Adrian Sanchez - this guy was amazing!

2 day trips to Toledo and Segovia..

Catedral tower in Toledo

Aqueduct at Segovia

yummy lunch here including roast suckling pig and flan!

..and other culinary delights such as churros con chocolate, bocadillo de calamares, jamon serrano, and tapas con vino!

Nothing beats going to another country, sampling the culture and having great times with best friends!

Feel free to peruse the full gamut of Spain photos! =)

Ye Ol Project

Much thanks to everyone who complimented me on my Log Cabin! I do love it, although I wish I had enough patience to have made it a bed size blanket.

In keeping with the theme of finishing some of my many WsIP (especially the large ones), I have another FO to present! This one did not take much recent work at all - all I did was pull the yarn through the loop, and weave in the ends.

This is my first (and largest) crochet project. Can we say I was just a tad too ambitious? According to my Ravelry, I started this in January of 2005, which was before I relearned how to knit. I'm fairly certain I did about 98% of the crocheting in 2005, which means it's pretty much been sitting around for the past 2+ years. I had originally intended to make this a bed-sized blanket also, but due to my recent lack of interest in crocheting and also my recent yarn snobbery, I decided to “finish” the project as a throw. I gave it to my mom, and she seems to like it, so I'm happy.

I'm leaving for Madrid on Tuesday, so I won't be posting again until I come back. I decided to take one of my pairs of socks, along with google maps of 2 yarn shops near my hotel, a highly recommended churreria, and several tapas bars. =)

Miles of Garter

That is what I had after weaving in all the ends on my latest FO. The yarn ends pile would've been even bigger, but I had actually woven in ends at the beginning of the project. And which project is this, you ask?

It's my Log Cabin Throw, also known as my Miles of Garter Throw! I looooove how this came out - the colors, the simplicity, the softness & drape of the yarn. But yeah, no more blankets/throws for a while! That's my Mom above holding the throw for me. She says it's too pretty to leave at home, and I should wear it outside as a shawl, lol. I'm perfectly happy with leaving this throw on my couch to be admired.

Nermal likes it too, of course.

Finishing is Good

Yay - I can take another project off the WIP list! And I can pat myself on the back for finishing my first sweater! This is the Easy Raglan V-neck, by Stefanie Japel. I used Beaverslide Worsted in Huckleberry Heather. The sweater came out a little smaller than I would’ve liked, but it’s still wearable, and not bad for a first sweater, I think. The pattern was simple and easy to follow. I added a single crochet edging to the V. It got really boring near the end, so my next sweater/garment will be something slightly more adventurous!

As for the yarn, I liked it, although I was none too thrilled with the number of knots in each skein (4 on average). Nermal looovved the yarn though! Everytime I put down the sweater to do something, I would turn around later to find him nestled in it. Hee hee. I'm thinking I should knit him a little kitty blanket with the remaining skein of the Beaverslide.

I have 1 more week left of work (YES!!!), and then I will have roughly 6 weeks before my PA program starts. I'm so excited to get started already, although I wish I had a little bit more time to relax before I start the 2 very intensive years of the program. I have a fair amount to get done in those 6 weeks, including reading a large textbook of medical terminology, finding an apartment and subsequent packing and moving. Not to mention hanging out with everyone before I have to become antisocial!

Oh, and I'm taking a vacation to MADRID! I'm so excited about that..I love travelling to cultural places! I'm pondering what vacation knitting I should take with me. There are so many projects on my Ravelry queue that I want to start, but then I also have a fair amount of projects hibernating. Should I start a new project, such as the ubiquitous Clapotis or Aleita Shell? Or should I bring one of the 3 pairs of socks I started? =)

Wayyyy Overdue

I have a FO, although not a knitting one. This is from way back in the heyday of my craft A.D.D.iction...way before I started this blog, when I decided I wanted to do beadlooming. I'm guessing I started this project in 2003. I went all out - bought the beadloom off of Ebay, bought $100 worth of beads, bought several beadloom patterns, started this, and then let it marinate, marinate, marinate. And now, only 5 years later...it's finished! =P

I just have to figure out how to take the project off the loom, and then put it into a shadowbox frame. I really like how it came out, and hopefully, the recipient likes it too (even though the gift is 5 years late).

Happy weekend!

Yay!

ETA: OMG, I missed a call and voicemail from the program at 3:19 - just listened to my voicemail and I GOT IN!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!! WOOOT!!!!!

Well, I finally have some sort of info from the school I've been waiting on since the end of January! I called again this morning, and I found out that I've been put on the pending list, which the admissions assistant said is higher than the waitlist. I'm 4th on the pending list, so if 4 people decline the school, then I have a spot. It's a bummer, because it's almost as if I didn't call, since there's still a chance I can get a spot, but I also still don't have a definitive answer. Sigh...talk about a case of the Monday blues!

But, there are some things that I am happy about - one of them being that I have such thoughtful friends! Remember this post, when I was complaining about how craptacular my cashmere neckwarmer turned out? I was sorta hinting to 1 person that I could use some cashmere yarn (which I didn't get from him, but is totally fine, because I got much nicer and meaningful things instead). But, my good friend Li happened to read my blog a little before my birthday, and so, gave me a scrumptious soft-as-a baby's-butt cashmere scarf in my favorite color. Yum!

Now, as if this wasn't good enough, look what came in the mail on Friday! A lovely handknit buttery-soft cashmere neckwarmer from Marce!


Thanks so much again to both of you for giving me such thoughtful gifts. I've used both of them already...and even though we are having some really nice weather today, I know I will be using both articles of cashmere deliciousness again in the near future (because we just aren't that lucky).

Hey, and guess what?


I taught my mom how to knit! She couldn't quite grasp Continental knitting, so she's knitting English style. Yay - my second successful teaching!

And because this picture totally makes me smile, here's Nermal:

Another FO!

Hello again!

I finished the Anthropologie-inspired Capelet I was knitting for my friend! I am so bad with sizing. This came out just a little bit small for the recipient, so she can only wear it open and not pinned at the top. And this is AFTER I picked up stitches in the front to make a more substantial garment! I do like how it came out though (minus the sizing issue). And having a FO that's not part of my usual repertoire of knitting is satisfying. I really need to stop knitting so many scarves and knit more sweaters and other accessories.

I do have a scarf OTN that is for my commuting knitting. Check out the horror I discovered in 1 of the balls of yarn. The yarn is feltable, so it was easy to spit-join the ends after cutting out the nasty, but still, what gives?! I feel like my yarn karma has been really off lately (see previous post). Ooo, although on a side note, my dear friend gave me a cashmere scarf (commercially-made) for my birthday, after she read my post. =) Scrumptious, and in a perfect light violet color I love!

I also picked up the V-neck sweater that has been marinating for a while now, and that's my current project I'm trying to finish. After that, I'm hoping to start some type of shawl or possibly another sweater. And hopefully finish up the Log Cabin. I have more time now, but I don't feel like I have more finished knitting to show for it!

Meh.

I finished my Warmer Republic, and the title of this post is how I feel about it. Blame the yarn. I chose to use the same yarn as in the original... Debbie Bliss Pure Cashmere, because I'd been craving some scrumptious cashmere for my neck for quite some time. Oh I had such high hopes for this yarn! I loved the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk I had bought in the past, and cmon, this yarn is 100 friggin percent pure cashmere!

Biggest yarn disappointment EVER. I have touched other pure cashmere yarns before (heck, even cashmere blends), and been awed into a state of I-can't-afford-this lust. When I took this yarn out of the box, I seriously exclaimed out loud, "What the F?" To me, the Pure Cashmere feels just slightly softer than Cascade 220. Malabrigo is softer. Any baby alpaca yarn (including Knit Picks Ambrosia) is softer. And for a price up to $17.95 for 45 yards, that is unacceptable. I bought it on sale for $10.95 at least, although I just saw now that Webs has it on closeout for $8.49. So yeah, my neck is still craving cashmere yumminess. Maybe for my birthday.... =)

I like the buttons I used though. Pretty and cheap.

In life news, I'm enjoying not needing to work and go to school at the same time. I've actually had time to satisfy the craft A.D.D. in me...pics on that soon, I hope. I'm still waiting to hear from the second school - it's been 2 weeks, so I'm getting a little antsy. But the director had told us we should hear within 3 weeks, so I have to suck it up. Once I'm set in where I'm going, I'll have to figure out the whole financial aid shindig, start studying, and plan a vacay!