Are all swans this beautiful?

Me Wearing the Swan

Blocking

The Wing

I finished up the Mystery Stole 3! It is now called Swan Lake and quite pretty if I do say so myself. I have never done a Mystery anything before and I really enjoyed the process. I know a lot of people aren’t really digging on the wing and to be honest, I’m not 100% sold on it either but… it was all part of the mystery and that is what makes me love it. I know you can’t see a lot of the details in the photo of me but if I had gone with another picture you would not have seen Calvin and Annabelle. Be thankful Big Boy hesitated for a second otherwise the photo would have been Annabelle peeing. Oh, and the 'blocking' photo doesn't show Baxter walking on the stole or me holding my breath as he walked back across it to leave the room. Details:

Pattern: Swan Lake (or Mystery Stole 3). Melanie will eventually have this pattern for sale on her website, along with several variations to either make two wings or make it symmetrical. By choosing the black yarn I became Odile - the chick that steals the prince. Since I have never stolen a guy away from anyone, I am going to enjoy living vicariously through my stole. I mean, doesn't everyone want to be the bad girl on occasion?

Yarn: Zephyr lace weight in black. I bought an entire cone (5000 yards) from Sarah’s Yarns for $36.00. It was great to work with – very soft and got even softer with washing. I probably used less than 800 yards.

Needles: Size 3

Beads: They are a gunmetal color with silver lining. They are not perfectly round either. I like how they catch the light. I believe that if you are going to the work of putting on beads, you should be able to see them. I picked these up at a local bead store and I think they cost less than $3.00. I have plenty left over for another project.

A Quick Update

I know it has been a long time since I last blogged. Honestly, I haven’t had much to say (and those who know me well are laughing their asses off right now). Plus, I have actually been knitting. Where to begin…

Mystery Stole 3 is actually called Swan Lake. Yep, it has a wing. I am ready to begin clue 7 as soon as Big Boy gets me some toner for the printer. I like clues 1-4 and I like clues 5-7, I’m just not sure I like them together. I still plan to finish and wear the stole though. Here is the stole at the end of Clue 6 but not blocked.

I Do has become I Don’t. I started it and then somehow screwed up where the beginning of the round was and ended up with the pattern being off. So, I frogged. Then I started again in the smaller size but 20 rows in found that I had started in the wrong spot on the chart and I had not been decreasing. Plus, I wasn’t getting the lacy look I wanted. I think I might use the yarn for the Ribbed Lace Bolero instead.

Tomato is starting to ripen (I crack myself up!). This pattern was originally in a book but was offered for free to those who are subscribed to Knitting Daily. I initially thought it might be too big but I tried it on the other night and it is actually a little snug. It’s cotton it will eventually be too big. I think I might make one in Cotton Fleece for my SIL.



Lady Eleanor is STILL on the needles. I try to do a few rectangles per night. Only eight more skeins left and I will be done!


Print O’ The Wave is in the same place as the last time I took photos. The lace of MS3 has taken over and I found myself getting confused with two lace projects at one time.

Finally, Piglet’s Christmas Stocking. Yes, I started this in February! I am now working on the heel flap. I sure hope this is big enough!


And speaking of the Piglet… poor baby has had bronchitis. Apparently it started from a virus that he kindly shared with his mother. He was feeling well enough to go to the beach last week, for the first time. That is the opening photo. He has his first tooth coming in and he is quite proud that he knows how to eat table food now. He enjoys sharing his Cheerios with Annabelle and she enjoys taking them.

I'm a Rainbow ?

So I took this test that I found over on Janna's blog. I don't think it is accurate. Is it because I like to pick flowers?

You Are a Rainbow

Breathtaking and rare You are totally enchanting and intriguing But you usually don't stick around long! You are best known for: your beauty Your dominant state: seducing

What Type of Weather Are You?

How Organized Are You?

Your Score: Big Bird

You scored 72% Organization, 53% abstract, and 71% extroverted!

You are very organized, both concrete and abstract, and more extroverted.

Here is why are you Big Bird.

You are both very organized. You almost always know where your belongings are and you prefer things neat. You may even enjoy cleaning and find it therapeutic. Big Bird is never sloppy and always under control... pretty good for a 6 year old bird living without a family.


You both are sometimes concrete and sometimes abstract thinkers. Big Bird can be quite dreamy at times and has no problem using his imagination. At the same time he is also practical and can be methodical in his search for answers to questions. You have a good balance in your life. You know when to be logical at times, but you also aren't afraid to explore your dreams and desires... within limits of course.


You are both extroverts. Big Bird gets along with everyone. He makes friends easily and always has a positive attitude. You definitely enjoy the company of others, and you don't have problems meeting new people... in fact you probably look forward to it. You are willing to take charge when necessary or work as part of a team.

The other possible characters are

Oscar the Grouch

Bert

Snuffleupagus

Ernie

Elmo

Kermit the Frog

Grover

Cookie Monster

Guy Smiley

The Count

Link: The Your SESAME STREET Persona Test written by greencowsgomoo on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

I've Become...

Crap! I’m starting to sound like my parents. Today I started in with the “when I was a girl” speech and then moved on to “I can’t believe how much things cost nowadays”. Oh help me! But seriously kids… McDonald’s came out with their fabulous $1 menu a few years ago and I loved it. I could get a medium fry with a small drink for $2 and change. So today I pull up for my weekly heart attack in a bag and what do I discover – the $1 fry is now a small instead of a medium. WTF? Let me back my story up a bit… I recently wrote the big Red Haired Guy because my local “restaurant” has had their shake machine broken for the past month. It is July! It is HOT! People need shakes! I also let them know that said locale never gives a napkin leaving me to wipe my salty, greasy, hands on my pants. Today, I received two napkins in my bag. Apparently it is costing them a lot of money to hand out the napkins so the cut back had to come in the form of 20 french fries.

This afternoon I was adding to my Queue over at the site I’m not allowed to talk about at S & B (she whispers – Ravelry). I had made note of a shrug pattern and today decided to purchase it. The pattern alone is $15! Hell No! It isn’t a book. It is a single pattern. I just can’t bring myself to pay more for a pattern than I pay for a pack of diapers.

The Spector trial may possibly be winding down. Maybe. Sometime before 2008 runs out. I wish we the viewers could take the tour of the Castle next week. BTW, why on earth would you continue to live in the house where you murdered someone (or they committed “accidental suicide” – ACK!)? We will likely have a break coming up and I would suggest that Mr. Spector see his plastic surgeon as he is looking a little worn. It is probably time for a new wig too. For the lawyers who read my blog, here is a question for you. Shouldn’t you prep your witnesses prior to they take the stand? Or at least know what they are going to say? Today’s computer guy was totally unprepared and Mizzz Kenny Baden clearly had never spoken to him before. But, I suspect she spent quite a bit of time preparing the daughter for that big, dramatic answer “my father is right-handed”.

I think Piglet’s teething is rubbing off on me today. Big Boy has been traveling for what feels like a year now and in the meantime the baby has started teething, resulting in a week of upset tummy and now a fever of 102 for two days. I am soothing myself with my Lima. I really shouldn’t tell anyone about this yarn because y’all might go buy it all up. I take it all back. The yarn is really crap. Ya, you don’t want it.


With the crabbiness, tears, snot and drool going on around here I decided to look back on happier days – Saturday. Piglet turned eight months old. As you can see, he prefers to hold his sign now. Not sure what happened but out of the 20+ photos we took, there are around 15 where he looks like a drunken sailor. He still isn’t crawling but you wouldn’t either if you had to get that tummy and those thighs off the ground.