oh, hey.

garter stitch yoke sweater, originally uploaded by good little granola girl.

i forgot to tell ya'll that i finished a sweater. well, this is not news if you see the photos on ravelry, or if you follow my photostream on flickr. but what the heck, i'll talk about it here as well.

this is the garter stitch yoke sweater (rav link), designed by the very talented melissa LaBarre. i saw this in her ravelry before she got it published and knew that would finally be the right design to go with my beautiful beaverslide dry goods mctaggert tweed yarn.

i actually knit this twice. the first time i put in too many button holes, too close to the edge of the button placket. and because the buttonholes where put in-as-you-knit the entire sweater, i couldn't fix them too easily. well, i could have sewn them up and cut new ones in, but i couldn't bring myself to do that. so i pulled the whole thing out, and reknit it with buttonhole placement that was better from me.

i also really like the short(er) sleeve although the first night i was wearing it, i dunked the sleeve in the peanut butter spread for a sandwich. i know how to avoid that now. hehe.

and just when i think, whew, it's too hot for this sweater, it snows the next day, so it has gotten a lot of wear in just one month of spring.

in which i am not a steady blogger,

but very good a multi-crafting.

if there is anyone still reading, i've decided it's high time for an update. on stuff-- just stuff that's all. it's probably one of those list-type posts telling you snippets about stuff.

• the stinky sweater: recently while working away on sweater #2, alone, in the car one morning, i smelled something funky. old garlic smell. on my hands. then on my needles. and even more funk on the last few rows of my knitted work. image some on-looker: that lady is alone in her car smellin' her sweater. now i never! the only thing i can imagine is that i picked up my knitting post garlic-handling. i was either mincing it for cooking, or i had garlic bread with dinner, and the oil didn't come off my hands.

(are you still with me? i know this is very exciting.)

• i might run out of yarn: while working away on sweater #1, the notion dawned on me that i would likely run out of the lighter, cream colored yarn. i only purchased this yarn, um, 2 years ago so the thought of obtaining more made me stall. i knew i could get more. but i was feeling lazy. i finally ordered more, it has arrived and all is well.
  

• i love to sew: i have 3 quilts, count 'em: THREE! quilts in progress. one, i will confess, is 3.5 years late for a wedding present. the other two i started within the last two weeks: one for my on-the-way, due-any-day nephew. another for an upcoming wedding present (which i have sworn will be done in time. thank you, machine quilting). all of this quilting is to due to the quilt shops i found in Longmont. I can't believe I didn't know about them until now.
  

• more shopping: i love Fancy Tiger Crafts, in denver. i can only describe it as being able to walk into the craft section of the internets. being that i am a tactile person, i like to typically touch the things i buy: hold them in my hand, flip through the pages, feel the texture and weight of fabrics. Thus making some of the craft things not so fun to buy online. but walk into fancy tiger, and i am set! While there, i bought ysolda's whimscal little knits, organic cotton gingham, organic cotton sherpa and sublime stitching's i luv veggie's pattern. i tried to use restrant, since i would kinda like to walk out with one-of-everything, please. (and yes, i have transfered all the veggies on to fabric, gathered embroidery thead & hoop and i am ready to start another 'little project'.)
  

• um, there is this book of which i have developed a crush on. i fell in love when i saw these photos. people, you do the quilting as you sew the pieces to the batting! genius! i.am.determined.not.to.start.until.one.quilt.is.done. must not dive head first into plentiful stash of scraps. must not dash off for quilt batting. must finish one other quilt.

• i have lost two seam rippers in the craft-room, or the greater house area. so rather than stop a project, tidy and try to find one of them, i went to the sewing store and bought 4(!) more seam rippers. then i labeled each one and put them in the places i use them: sewing machine, serger, craft-couch and sewing tool box. when the other ones turn up, i'll have that many more in the 'reserves'.

• i made 2 more 'uniform' dresses. new, fresh and ready for the heat of summer. i made one while trying to resist starting that new patchwork quilt. tomorrow's another day full of temptations. must finish another quilt first!!!
  

• we drove to moab for some groceries. it's a terribly disappointing story having to do with very full camp grounds, full or expensive (!) motel rooms, and a whole night's worth of driving back home. ugh.
  

well, i think you are up to date. thanks for reading.