It Ain't Over 'til It's Over

It almost took me as many weeks to find the right buttons for Amherst as it did for me to knit it. That poor sweater has been rolling around in my car waiting for me to get it finished, and today was the day. I don't know why it took so long. I didn't want anything spectacular. In fact, when I knit the front piece for the sweater, I made the buttonholes one stitch smaller so that I wouldn't have to buy buttons as large as the ones on the original.

This is a super-simple design, and it makes a cute basic sweater. Besides, making the buttonholes a bit smaller, the only other modification I made was in the finishing process. To finish off the raw neckline, the designer suggests a row of single crochet , but I thought it needed more. EZ to the rescue! Knitted on i-cord gave it a nice edge and should hold in all that stretchy garter stitch. I'm sure I will make this again sometime.

Amherst was done, and I had run out of yarn for Prayer Shawls, so I've been plugging away on the cabled scarf that I started in order to have a project to take on vacation. This is the first time I have ever used Lion Brand's Fisherman's Wool. Not sure how this will wear, but it's very nice yarn to knit with. It's soft, the color is beautiful, and there is a lot of yardage on each skein, so it's a good value. I don't think one skein will be enough. Two might be overkill. I'll keep knitting until it seems right. The trouble is, I could knit this scarf in my sleep. I need something that's more challenging for my main project.

That's right, I didn't just buy buttons today. In one fell swoop, I now have yarn for four new projects in the house: two Prayer Shawls, a lace shawl, and a cardigan. Once I get something cast-on, I'll let you know what I'm up to. I'd better make a swatch.

Eighties, Eats, and the Dam Pictures

It's always a bit of a gamble to stay on the mainland for spring break, but I guess Las Vegas was the place to take that bet. Literally, on the day we arrived temperatures shot up and stayed at near record highs until the day we left. Just seeing green grass and flowers was a treat, but being able to sit poolside was a bonus.

Besides enjoying the sun, we took in a show, and ate...and ate, and ate. I had several Wynn croissant breakfasts, pasta at the new Sinatra restaurant in the Encore, Kobe beef burgers at Nine in the Palms, the best Mahi Mahi tacos ever, and perfectly grilled organic chicken over Mac & Cheese with trufffles at Stripsteak. Vegas has become quite the food mecca over the last few years, and we had some of the best meals we've ever had on this year's vacation. The guys weren't so lucky with their NCAA basketball picks. From the grumbling I heard from some of the other passengers on our flight home, it didn't sound like they were alone.

And for the first time ever we rented a car and drove out to Hoover Dam. We didn't technically take the dam tour, but we did endure all the dam traffic to get out there. By the time we finally arrived, we weren't in the best of moods for touring. It is an impressive sight. In fact, the new construction of the Hoover Dam Bypass is every bit as interesting as the dam itself. Bascially, we walked around a bit, took the dam pictures, and hit the road--happy to be finally going against the long line of cars.

My trip knitting was a big bust. Since I was only working on a scarf and gauge was not a big issue, I decided to try and purl the "right way" for a change. I've always purled the quick way that gets the job done. The problem with this method is that it leaves the stitch on the needle facing the wrong direction. Most of the time, it doesn't matter, but there are some patterns where I do have to turn the stitch on the needle to make the new stitches turn out correctly. I've had this pointed out to me in the past, but I never really cared until I was scolded via my new DVDs by Elizabeth Zimmermann. So, why not give it a try, I thought. And I gave it a good try. I knit about 14" on my cabled scarf. I adapted to the motion quickly enough. It was the tension that I could never adjust. No matter how hard I tried, those purl rows had stitches that were big enough to poke your finger through. In the end, I frogged the whole works and started over, reverting back to my bad habits. I'm almost back to the point where I gave up, and it's nice and smooth. Sorry EZ.

Spring Break!

What sounds better on a mid-March morning when the temperature dips in the below zero range than spring break? These are the months that make living in MN the agony and the ecstasy. A 50 degree day of puddles and chirping birds can send you soaring, and then a cold frost snaps you back into reality with fresh snow and windchills. It's time to get out and to remind yourself that life can, and will, be good again.

So what to pack? I mean for knitting. There's just a few more hours of work on the incredibly boring Amherst cardigan. I truly hope I like this sweater when I'm done, because knitting it has been like watching paint dry. Since I've been reading and watching the videos of Elizabeth Zimmermann lately, I'm even a little embarrassed that I paid money for a pattern that is this simple. Oh, no! I'm a "blind follower".

I decided to pick up a couple of skeins of wool and work on a scarf. In January, I had the brilliant(?) idea of possibly knitting a scarf for every member of my family to give as Christmas gifts at some unknown date in the future. I'll admit, I've had my reservations about this plan. It was hatched from the reality that I probably have enough sweaters, shawls, mitten, and hats for myself, but it seems as though my family is where handknit items go to die, or at least disappear. My experience has been that only knitters themselves really appreciate a handknit gift, and they can knit their own things. It's a conundrum, I tell you.

But what will it hurt to knit one scarf. I'll see how it goes and have a gift at the ready to boot.

Just For Fun

Usually, I pass on a lot of the crap that comes my way from the Internet, but this looked like fun.

Things you’ve already done: bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven’t done and don’t want to - leave in plain font

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland/world.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child. Maybe
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run.
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person.
41. Sung Karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted. by some lady in the mall, from a picture...
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten Caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guard in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Nope. Not even a fish.
88. Had chickenpox.
89. Saved someone’s life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swum in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.