Forgive Me

Oops! I've forgotten to post anything... Really, I just haven't had time. I've been too busy knitting and crocheting and working and chauffeuring the kids and ... Well, you get the idea.

I'm excited to report that 3 Kittens is getting Pam Gillette, the owner of the blog Knotty Generation, to teach some fun and fabulous crochet classes. We're meeting with her again tomorrow to figure out exactly which classes we want to put on the schedule over the next few months and into fall... I personally want to take every class she does!

Here's one of my latest forays into crochet. I'm trying to copy a woven bowl that my mother-in-law did while she was in college:

I just fell in love with the shape of the bowl. The colors are great too, but I only wanted to use a single hand-dyed yarn rather than several solids, so I decided to use Noro Kureyon in my attempt to copy the bowl using crochet. I worked on the bowl in front of my computer so I could type in the pattern as I went. I made it fairly loose, because I thought felting it would be a good idea. So, here's my first attempt at the covered bowl (please keep in mind it's a first attempt!):

Sad, huh?? O.K., so I've bought some more Kureyon (different colorway), and I'm going to have another go at it. I've decided not to try to felt it, because I think the fabric was pretty nice before felting. And, I will be doing it on much smaller needles to get a denser, more sturdy fabric that hopefully will hold the shape of the bowl better. Wish me luck!

I'm also working on a Twinkle pattern from the current issue of Vogue Knitting. Of course, Vogue doesn't have a photo of that particular sweater on their website, but it's coming along very quickly. All of the Twinkle patterns do, since the designer only uses big needles and her own yarn (now that she has a line of yarns through Classic Elite). The sweater that I'm making uses 4 strands of Twinkle Cruise, a cotton/silk blend on size 13 needles. Unfortunately, Twinkle generally doesn't design for "big girls," so this sweater won't fit me, but it will look good in the store!

Progress

I'm making progress on the Ultimate Crocheted Socks from CrochetMe.com:

Obviously, it's a toe-up sock! I've just completed the gusset portion, hence the increases near the top, and I'm about to start the heel.

I've also started a Kaleidoscope Tote. I've tried a couple of times to upload a photo of the tote onto this blog, but for some reason it's just not working. So if you'd like to see a photo check it out on the 3 Kittens Patterns page. I had some skeins of Manos that having been aging for a while in my cedar closet, so my colors won't be the same as the original, but I think it will look cool nonetheless!

Crocheted Socks???

I've decided to make socks again. No, not knitted socks - crocheted ones! EGADS! A week or so ago we got in a shipment of Regia sock yarns at 3 Kittens, and when I was scanning the new yarns into our POS system, I fell in love with Bamboo Colors. I can't find any great photos on the web, but here's a closeup of one of the colors, albeit not the one I'm making my sock out of: It is super soft and yummy to work with. The new CrochetMe came out on Friday, and the very first pattern is for toe-up socks:

I started the socks this afternoon at the store, and although I've ripped out once because they were too big, I'm about half way finished with the foot part of the first sock. It's exciting!

By the way, if you haven't heard, Kim Piper Werker, the founder and editor of CrochetMe.com is now the new editor of Interweave Crochet which is going quarterly. I love the newest issue of Interweave Crochet - especially the Fun in the Sun Hat (see my previous post) and the Beachcomber Tunic (for which I have yarn picked out and waiting for me to purchase). And, if CrochetMe is any indication, I think Kim Werker will do a fantastic job with Interweave Crochet!

Fun in the Sun Hat

I just finished the Fun in the Sun Hat from the new Interweave Crochet magazine. We only had one skein of Debbie Bliss Cotton DK at 3 Kittens Needle Arts, which was the yarn called for in the pattern. So I decided to make it out of Louisa Harding Nautical Cotton instead. Then when I got home, I realized that I didn't have the right size hook (G), so I ended up making it with an H hook instead. But the pattern was written in such a way that I was able to adjust the size according to the my gauge with the H hook very easily. Anyway, here's a photo:

This was a quick project (a few hours at the most), and I'm planning on modifying the pattern in order to make something similar out of Frabjous Fibers Hemp yarn. I think it will turn out like a crushable straw hat. Can't wait to do it, but I've got a felting project in the works right now.

And, I finished the knitting of the Sunrise Circle Jacket. I'll start to put it together tomorrow. I can't believe it's taken me almost a year to complete this project. But then again, I have made lots of other things!!

I Give Up

O.K., here's the question of the day (actually of the past month): what's worse, eating too much sugar or not eating sugar but eating everything else in sight and gaining 10 lbs? I've gone four weeks without sugar, and I'm fed up (no pun intended). I can't take it any more. I'd rather eat something sugary everyday than consume a large bag of potato chips, by myself, in the span of two days! Plus other stuff... It's just not worth it!

I hate, hate, hate the self-loathing that I experience about my weight. I want to be thin(ner). I have many reasons, some legitimate, some left-over from my eating disorders days. Right now, the main thing is that I'm going to be running the Twin Cities Marathon in October, and I would like to weigh less this time around in the hope that I can post a faster time than my last marathon. The other looming reason is I have to go to San Antonio in June for my youngest sister's wedding, and I just don't want to be "fat." That is not really a legitimate reason in my book - trying to look good for other people. Why should it matter what other people think of my appearance? Finally, although my blood pressure is looking pretty good these days, I would like to have it consistently low so I can get off the blood pressure meds.... On the other hand, I would like to accept myself the way I am. Why can I not just look at myself and say, "You look fine. And look at all the things your body can do - run a marathon, get your black belt, play 'abs of steel' with your kids." Or even better, "I love myself just the way I am."

So, what's a girl (me) to do? I'm not having luck with the no-sugar thing or with Weight Watchers. I think I have to just concentrate on portion control. Eat what I want, but eat it slower, with more thought and enjoyment, and slower. And practice self-love or affirmations or something.

Requisite crafting content: I ripped out the crocheted cardigan last night after actually measuring the back and finding out I was TWO inches larger than I was supposed to be. I'm almost back at the place I ripped from yesterday. Thank God crochet goes so quickly - and that I am a process person not a product person!

Crocheted Cardi

I've been working on the back of the Berroco Touche crocheted cardigan. It's pretty fast going, although I still haven't figured out how to measure my gauge with crochet. It's not as clear cut as measuring knitted fabric. Anyway, my gauge on the back is off by about an inch. I'm not too concerned about it since it's going to be a store sample. I'm making the smallest size anyway, so it's not meant to fit me.... Besides bright orange would not be my first choice for a color, but Janine (our right hand woman at 3 Kittens - what would we do without her?) suggested doing it in a color that not everyone would like. Her philosophy is that if someone likes the sweater despite the fact that it's an unappealing color (for that person), they will buy the yarn to make it in another color, and if someone really wants orange, we can always order it for her. It really is a lovely orange - the photo doesn't do it justice, but I'm not really an orange wearer. I will wear orange if it's combined with something else though. And I could see this sweater with a simple white t-shirt or cami underneath.