it's monday already? seriously?

the weekend went by way too fast! it was a 'lil hectic, though, for a bit...so, as i enjoy my breakfast of my farmer's market poundcake and a diet coke, let's recap!

friday night, i couldn't sleep worth anything; i ended up going to be about 3 am or so, to be woken up by the loud, crinkling sound:



6 am and yup... that's a hole in the bag. my cats (particularly griffin) are very good at finding food to eat. i think he's a little upset that the vet told us last sunday that they had to go on a diet. (i should also be included on that diet.) nonetheless, he found a little shopping bag with some samples of food that my sister had gotten for us at a street fair recently... sneaky, sneaky!

so, at that point, i'm up, and decide that i'll head on over to the farmer's market. just the usual stuff:

baked goods

honeycrisp apples. yay!

and a treat for myself (as if all the yarn i've bought recently *isn't* enough):

pink flowers

so i actually was *productive* for the rest of the morning; i cleaned up my kitchen (i mean, *really* cleaned...i even polished my stainless steel stuff!), but then right before i was about to jump in the shower, i noticed griffin laying on my bed, acting weird. and then he got up to use the litterbox, and he was straining. i called the vet's office, and they told me they had walk-in appointments from 2:00 to 3:30...so i jumped in and took a quick shower, packed griffin up, and by the time we signed onto the walk-in clipboard, it was 2:13. not too bad, considering that a.) it was raining, and b.) i could hardly find parking. so we sat. and we sat. and eventually, i let griffin out of his kennel because he was crying so much. but he just sat next to me on the bench. and i got a whole lot of knitting done. so much so, that i ran out of yarn. (i didn't think that i was going to have to wait *that* long. but that's okay.)



yes, that's the french girl scarf. again. i'm determined to finish it this time.

anyways, back to griffin. the urinalysis came back showing crystals. uh-oh. i was sent home with special food and antibiotics. my sister called me on sunday morning, and was asking me about the food (because she knows i only feed my cats the really good, human-grade foods from the specialty pet store), and so i was reading her the ingredients off of the back of the can...and then i noticed:



oops. i bought the *dog* kind! and to think that i had just fed them a spoonful the evening before, and they *ate it up*! (go figure!)

so that began my errands for sunday: a.) go to this yarn store in the city that i haven't been to before so i could buy a #10 16" circular needle; b.) go to exchange the *dog* food for *cat* and c.) go to pick up my mom's prescription. easy-schmeasy.

about this yarn store: i went there once, and i will probably *never* go back there *again*. *again!* so yes...they have a pretty large, organized selection of reasonably-priced yarns. they have patterns there that i've not seen before. but their staff? (well, the one little punk-rocky girl that was working there, with presumably, the owner?) forget it. first, we got into it about this yarn that, the gauge given was #3.5 stitches per inch on a #10 needle. right or wrong, she *insisted*...i mean *insisted* that it was a worsted weight. (and i mean, worsted weight. not like heavy worsted. just worsted weight.) to me, that gauge and needle size suggest to me a chunky weight. or maybe even a heavy worsted. but definitely *not* a worsted weight. who knows; i could be wrong. i probably am. but i've never knit up a true worsted weight on a #10 needle. so whatever. and then so i'm finally done looking around, and after she's done ringing me out, she proceeds to tell me just how much she hates using the needles i was buying (bryspun). umm...honey. you try doing a p3tog with a pair of brittany birch. sure, it'll happen, but the points on the bryspun just make it so much easier. whatever!

despite the drama, though, i was able to pick up a skein of unlabeled farmhouse yarn on sale and started to knit up my chunky cabled beanie (which i will make longer, into a hat) during the last half of desperate housewives last night:



it's a bit 'masculine', the color, it is - but i really liked how they had that hint of bluey-green in the mix. it's a bit rough to knit with on my #10.5 circ, but i'm sure it'll prove to be a warm-warm-warm hat this winter. (that is, if i *finish* it.)

speaking of somewhat (99%) finished projects, here is my basic cable hat from stitch 'n bitch nation:



it's knit out of lorna's laces shepherd worsted in the colorway child's play - and it's probably one of the softest and easiest to knit with yarns that i've come across so far. and the hat looks weird because well, it's only 99% finished. i still have to attach the pompom to the top and then weave in my bottom edge. (i don't know why this last 1% is taking me so long!)

anyways...let me go and be a little productive before i head into work...

ffffuuuuuudddddddggggggeeeee.

i can't believe it. i really can't believe it. i was just talking about it, and i forgot about it. what am i talking about? grey's anatomy, of course!

i waited the entire summer for the season premiere episode. i even watched the last few episodes again on sunday in preparation! and then...

i totally forgot.

what can i say? i was just so excited about my discovery of bi-o-kleen laundry detergent at the new sunflower market on clybourn, doing laundry, and my general 'i-don't-watch-tv-anyways' that i just totally forgot. forgot! oh well. i'm sure *somebody* taped it...

but anyways. about sunflower market. clybourn's been a nightmare these past few months, with them digging it up and construction and all, so, i've had plenty of time to sit there and see that they were building it. so, on my way home from work today, and after i visited arcadia knitting (photos to follow), i decided to pop in. what a cool place! i *totally* like it better than trader joe's or whole foods. not to mention that they have a *very nice, perfectly-sized selection* of "healthier" junk food! (how about that for an oxymoron?)

as for knitting news, i finished up my cabled hat from stitch 'n bitch, and am currently re-knitting my french girl scarf (again). i bought some 'donegal tweed' yarn today to knit up another cabled hat, and am currently looking for other cabled hat (ahem...chloe's cabled hat) projects to start.... i'm obsessed! :)

photos coming soon!

stash enhancement

i *heart* sundays. for some reason, i'm usually pretty productive (relatively speaking). but, when i woke up this morning, it was so dreary out. cold, dark, gloomy and rainy. so, i started doing my weekly chores, and as i was doing laundry, i realized that it'd be a good idea to go and visit one of my local yarn stores that i haven't been to yet. i received a bunch of coupons and flyers in my goodie bag from stitch 'n pitch a few weeks back, and one of those was for my sister's knits, so, after a quick google search to make sure they were open, i hopped in the car and headed over to beverly. i swear, i spent almost as much time *getting there* (dan ryan traffic? on sunday afternoon? apparently, it's not unheard of) as i did in the shop, but, it definitely was worth it. the shop is filled with just *fabulous* yarns, some which i've never seen previously, and the owner, carol, is super-sweet (as are her two dogs) and helpful!

i actually went on my yarn shop mission today with a few projects in mind (much unlike my usual lys trips), so, i was able to purchase yarn that is actually *useful* to me, instead of just drool-over gorgeous... :) but now for the best part: the photos!

'rustic' by filatura di crosa, from the sale bin. i just couldn't pass it up. can we say fabulous cabled scarf with this one?

'ritratto' by s. charles. also from the sale bin, and hence not 'passable'. for a fabulous evening shawl of some sort.

'prism' by colinette, color #84, cinnamon. utterly fabulous. i'm planning on a scarf and hat for this one. or maybe just a scarf.

'henna' by manos del uruguay, color #26, variegated purples. intended for the falling leaves scarf for my boyfriend's mom's christmas present.

'multicolor' by filatura di crosa, color 4053. absolutely gorgeous with a slight shimmer. intended for the 'misty garden' scarf from scarf style.

'magic ball' by be sweet. made by a group of women in south africa. absolutely *flippin'* gorgeous. i couldn't resist. the colors are just *so* me. this will knit up to a scarf, on #35 needles.

and for my most indulgent purchase of the day:

'kid silk haze' by rowan, color #590, pearl. intended for the 'daphne shawl' from french girl.

the overall verdict of my sister's knits? an *absolute* go-to. this store will definitely be on my list of favorite local yarn stores. yay!

(by the way, one of these days, i'll have to figure out how to do one of those flickr (is that how you spell it?) accounts that everyone has on their sidebars... that way, i can admire my stash slideshow-style!)

can someone teach me how to crochet so i can make these, please?



are these not the *cutest* things that you've ever seen? i *need* to have a pair.

not too much to report this time around; we made a very last-minute emergency trip up to the dells over the labor day weekend, and i was able to get a bunch of progress what actually is a *lace* (yikes!) scarf - the one that i mentioned in a previous post, that i didn't realize was actually a *lace* pattern! let me tell you, i've found out that lace projects are *not* commuter-friendly at all, although this one only has an 8-row repeat, so it's not that bad. my problem is, is that i just keep on losing my place! one of my repeats has two extra rows; i haven't the slightest what i did... but, i didn't discover it until i was another 12 rows into it that there was a mistake - and, because it's really not *that* noticeable, (although i notice it *a lot*), i decided against ripping it out. after all, it took me *four* days to un-knit and figure out what i messed up at the end of the stitch 'n pitch game! (why does un-knitting take so much longer than just knitting?)

so...after stitches midwest, i really vowed that i wasn't going to buy any more yarn for a while...but, it's been about three weeks now, and, while i'm definitely not buying tons more, i'm not truly adhering to what i had said! i bought a few skeins of yarn while out in oak park last saturday morning, to knit up that cabley-looking scarf in stitch 'n bitch nation and i bought some bulky yarn to knit up something, but who knows what that was... (isn't it awful?) i also managed to purchase this scarf kit off of ebay, but, that isn't making any progress as i can't really follow the weirdo stitch combination (well, not all that weird, i just can't figure it out) of a yarn over-slip one as to purl-knit one combo. ah, one of these days...

other than that, not too much has been going on with me... i signed up for the second round of the knitters tea swap (which i had *so* much fun with last time around) as well as secret pal 9. i'm eagerly awaiting my matches so the fun can begin! yay! i'm so excited! i can't wait! :)

so, as i'm sitting here, knitting up my mid-month dishcloth kal (you know, instead of getting ready for work...), i was reminded of a particularly nasty person yesterday, and, had an amazing revelation:

"these people who are just so dissatisfied with everything...these people who are just not happy with anything you do for them, even if it's to *their* benefit...these people who complain about *everything* and *anything*, despite your best efforts... could it be that, their problem is not with *you* or anybody else for that matter...it's with *themselves*?!?"

i think so.

on a happier note, though, i got some (and ripped back some) knitting done this weekend, despite running around *all day and night* saturday to weddings and receptions. i'm knitting up this lacy leaf shawl (something like that), and, while i don't think it's technically *called* a lace pattern, there's a lot of yarn-overs and k2togethers, so, i think it is. i ripped back my first three attempts, but was *finally* able to make it work yesterday morning. (what's with the morning knitting?) i'll knit up a few more repeats, and i'll post a photo soon!

cta-schmeeteeae.

so yesterday, i was determined to get to joann fabrics on elston, because their interfacing was 50% off. and, i actually *need* interfacing so i can make my knitting tote and cut out the pattern for the knitting tote, etc. so, i decide to look on transitchicago.com and plan out an itinerary and see what time i'd actually *get* there. okay. one transfer, no problem. my eta? 7:17. not too bad. about forty minutes or so. sure, it'd take me fifteen to actually *drive* there, but, i don't have a car this weekend. so, it's okay. it's *public transportation* after all, right? well... i end up leaving at about 6:30 to catch my first bus, only to find out that i have to walk six blocks because that particular bus was only going so far northbound. fine. so, i get to where i need to catch the other bus, and, wait around. ten minutes. fifteen minutes. i start walking. i end up walking eight blocks before a bus comes. fine. i get to joann's, and check out my stuff. they don't have magnetic snaps there. what the heck? so, i buy my boatload o' interfacing and grab a small bite to eat, because by this time, i'm seriously hungry. a bus doesn't go by the entire time (well, fifteen or so minutes) that i'm waiting. i start walking east. i don't want to go *too* far east on foot, because it gets really kinda sketchy... so i wait. and i wait. i say to myself, "i'm going to catch the next taxi." by the time the next taxi comes, i say, "i'll wait five more minutes." and the process just repeats itself, until i *finally* catch the bus...40 minutes later. so fine. it's the cta; this shouldn't be surprising. so, i've got to make a transfer. i start walking, because i know that's what i'm going to have to do. it's getting kinda cold out now. i end up walking another ten blocks before the bus comes. sigh. i finally get home; i'm exhausted. this little excursion to joann fabrics took *four* hours. and to think, it's probably only like three miles away. i should've biked.

but the whole point of this story is, is that, it's just crazy.

i woke up early this morning; i walked over to the grocery store and bought a few things... i guess today, a car-less day, was really *not* a good idea to buy a diet coke fridgepack, a sunday chicago tribune *and* an 8-pack of yogurt, in addition to the other things i was *already* buying. but that's okay.

i have my breakfast, and decide that i was going to put my interfacing to good use today. i didn't want to use my green cat fabric to make my first knitting tote, because i didn't want to ruin it, so, i just found some fabric in my stash. i cut out the pattern, i cut out the pieces, and, i get to work. as i'm sewing the handles on, i start thinking about this trinity kimono pattern that i saw at stitches midwest, and how i should've bought it. i start obsessing about it. i look up interlacements, and the pattern is nowhere to be found on their site. damn. should've just bought the thing. i glance at my watch, and, it's only 1:20. i look it up, and the stitches market closes at 4. i could really make it. less than five minutes later, i'm out the door.

i'm a little delayed; considering that i was supposed to arrive at the rosemont stop at 2:17. it's more like 2:40 now. i walk the three blocks to the convention center, go in, and, ask about the kit they were offering. they ran out of yarn, and it is now unavailable. *great*. but, they *did* have the pattern. so i bought that. sigh. i think to myself, what was a $78 kit, is going to end up being like $150 by the time i find whatever it is to substitute their unavailable yarn. oh well. i decide to take a quick look around the market once again. *bad* idea. i just went there for that kimono kit. but nooo...

yarn. (note the kimono pattern in the corner.)

*more* yarn.

i bought the irish yarns for the felted bowls out of the one skein i got last week - look at how *fabulously* they coordinate with my flooring:



so anyways. even *after* wandering around there until they closed at 4, and having to walk back to the blue line, and having to take the bus back here... i was back here shortly after 5:00 pm. that means = it took me *less* time for me to go out by o'hare (appx. 25 miles), shop around for an hour and fifteen minutes and come back than it did for me to go *three* miles from my house! craziness! only with the cta!

this is going to have to be my last yarn purchase for a bit, though. i've just got *way* too much. and, considering my massive yarn purchases over the past few weeks, and after the serious yarn shopping spree this afternoon, well, yeah. i've just *got* to. let me finish some projects first, and, we'll talk about it then!

on a happier note, though... despite the distraction of going out to rosemont again today, i was able to finish my knitting tote:



i think it turned out pretty well, considering that i really had no idea what i was doing, although this time, i did have a pattern. i'm really pleased at how well the webbing turned out - i thought that was going to be my total downfall! (and it's even *lined*, too! so now, even though it isn't my *real* knitting tote, i still need to show it off to everyone! i'll post again, when i have the real one finished! :)

buttload 'o photos!

so, this week has been a relatively (shopping and such!) productive week, and, the majority of it involves *yarn*, so, i just *had* to show...

earlier this week, i popped into nina to check out some yarns for this cabled hat knitting obsession i have lately... (it all started when i saw that pattern on knittingcentral.com's website...i just fell in love with their chloe's (mona lisa's) cabled hat! it's just so cool looking because there aren't any "ribs" between the cables... so, in order to *not* spend $90 (to buy the two skeins of yarn) so i could get this hat pattern, i ended up flipping through all of my books, and came across a few (although they have ribs) to knit up, and, well, despite the plethora of yarn that i already have (and have no room to store) here, of course, a new project = new yarn. so anyways. back to my original point. i stopped in to nina, to buy some worsted weight yarn, and, i end up leaving with a few more things in my bag:


not too bad, if i even say so myself. (i'm getting a *little* better at the not buying mass quantities of stuff at yarn stores. okay. maybe *not*.) i ended up with a kate gilbert pattern, to knit up (yet another) hat, my worsted alpaca that was the purpose of my visit in the first place, and, some manos del uruguay yarn, which will end up being another hat. (what else?) i'm really starting to think that nina is probably my favorite yarn shop in the city; it's a pretty trendy, laid back, lounge-y kinda store, where i don't feel under any kind of weirdo pressure (unlike a certain other yarn store which i won't mention the name).


secondly, my purchase from mountain shadow ranch. this is an absolutely *gorgeous* handspun yarn, which i just *had* to have...it's called 'primrose'. it's a light blue, with all kinds of little flecks in it - basically, it's just really, really fabulous. the lady who owns the ranch/runs the store/spun up the yarn, teresa, is just absolutely, fabulously helpful as well - she was the one who convinced me *not* to knit up a trinity scarf with this yarn. *now* i understand. i think, though, that it will probably end up being the kate gilbert hat - that way, there's enough stockinette to show off the yarn, but it'll keep the yarn looking cutsey, girly and flirty with the pattern. (who would've ever thought!)

yesterday, my sister and i went out to rosemont to go to the stitches midwest show. now, i know i'm going to get into a lot of trouble saying this, but, geez, people - be polite! i know that there are some good deals. i know we're all hot to look at the same thing. but geez. when we're all loaded down with these giant bags, full of yarn, and trying to get down these little narrow aisles, browsing the yarn - would it be that much to say, "excuse me..." rather than barreling your way through the herds of people like a bull (literally...figure out what that means), running down the streets of barcelona? or, when i'm looking at some yarn, is it really necessary to *snatch* the bag of yarn out of my hand, because you're just *that greedy*? (geez! i'm getting so flustered about this again! my blood pressure!) anyways. despite the few slight altercations we ran into there, we managed to make it out a.) *alive* and b.) with a few purchases:

these are just mine, but, the funny thing is, is that my sister - who, btw, doesn't know how to knit - ended up buying *way* more than me. and she wants to knit herself a sweater. (mass laughter.) i bought some yarn, and a few patterns and notions, and, the most favorite thing that *i* bought was:

this fleece-lined mitten kit. it comes with worsted weight yarn, and fleece stuff that you apparently knit into the mitten - and, well, it's just going to be *gloriously* warm. (the mitten in the middle of the photo - the furry one - is what the *inside* of these mittens is going to be.) i can't wait.

but, my most favorite thing that *my sister* bought me is:

are these *not* the cutest things you've ever seen? *ever*? size 15 birch needles, with a cat head topper. no, they don't look like either of my cats, but, geez. they are just *the cutest thing ever*. *ever!*

this morning, i finally ventured down to the farmer's market (for the first time this season! shame on me!) and, bought my usual raisin challah loaf, and, i treated myself to these:

sigh. i'm happy now.

i actually had a *very* productive - well, not really, but for saturday morning - *very* productive morning. since my mom borrowed my car for the weekend, i biked down to the post office, and picked up a *fabulous* little surprise from my sp8, jody! she seriously must've been reading my mind.


first, i got an adorable (and *totally* useful) kitten hot-mitten! not only does it have cats on it, it has photos of *my* two cats (well, a black and a calico) on it as well! yay! then, i got some cheese/spread spreaders - i *literally* was just thinking that i need to get some of these earlier this week, so i can eat my cheese (in the little foil triangles) and crackers. what else is in this photo...she even sent me cat treats, as well! (my cats are *very* appreciative of this, because they know that jody had to make a special trip to the cat treat section because she only has dogs!) she also included a bag of cracker jack (with my love of all things popcorn), which, unfortunately,didn't make it to the photo. (it *did* serve as a delightful lunch, though!)


*more* yarn. and worsted weight, too! this is just so *incredibly* soft. i think i'll knit this up into a hat for my dad! he'll *love* it! (btw, the color is *totally* off in this photo...it's more of a brown-y color, like in the corner of the kitten hot-mitten photo!)


the *coolest* notecards, ever. they're vintage "kellogg's" - like the cereal - ones! i especially *love* the sugar bear one though! :)

thank you so much, jody! you're the bestest!

ahh. so much excitement today! but, last but not least, i was able to knit up my swatch for my sweater:



it's in bulky lopi yarn, which, as i was knitting it up, the thought that it feels really similar to a natural coir doormat crossed my mind. sigh. oh well. i bought the yarn based on the recommendation in the book. they forgot to mention the doormat. it's okay, though. it'll be my first sweater, so, i'm sure it'll have issues of it's own! :)

happy happy mail day! happy happy mail day!

today was an *excellent* mail day. (after arguing with the people at the post office, that is...)

i picked up tons of crafty stuff today. first, i reeceived my mason-dixon knitting and one skein books:



and then, my fabric for my knitting tote came in...



i'll be using the green cat fabric for the outside, the pink stockinette for the lining, and the black skeins fabric for the inside pocket. i picked up some pink nylon webbing at joann's today for the handles, as well!

i was also very exicted that my yarn from knitpicks.com came in; i ordered some yarn from their new fall lines:

knitpicks "shamrock", in flanagan (red) and dougherty (green)

knitpicks "sierra", in coal
and last, but not least:

knitpicks "wool of the andes bulky" (finally!) in spumoni

i'm a bit bummed, because we were supposed to go to cafe iberico tonight for sangria and tapas, but, that fell through due to some bad news from my boyfriend's eye doctor yesterday. hopefully, everything turns out alright. but, on a brighter note, at least i get to figure out what to do with my new yarn! i've already decided that my 'dougherty' yarn is going to be knit up into a trinity scarf, after getting the idea from a scarf on etsy.com. (i've got to stop looking at that website! i keep on getting more and more ideas for stuff that i just *need* to make, and therefore, buy *more* yarn or other crafty stuff for!) i'm not sure how great the tweediness (is that a word?) will look as the scarf, but, hey...we'll see. i was thinking about even doing an irish hiking scarf with it, as well, but, we'll see. the possibilities!

so, i'm not really sure or not if i'm the only person who does this, but, i don't know...it seems that i can spend hours on end, going through links from one person's blog to another. it's amazing to see what other people are crafting, and what they are knitting, and ultimately, what everything comes down to is, is that i get ideas for *more* projects that i just *need* to start. for example:

today, while i was cleaning, i decided that i needed to take a break. so blog-surfing i went, and, i came across this knitting tote that i just *have* to make. i *have* to make it so much, so much so that i even bought fabric for it, off of eBay:



isn't it *perfect*? i just absolutely love it. i originally came across the same fabric with a red background, but, when i saw this green one, i just fell in love. i'm currently inquiring about a pink "stockinette" print to line it with. i think it'll be absolutely fabulous!

in my last post, i had mentioned that i had joined a montly dishcloth knit-a-long group. last sunday, i was going through some of the new messages, and and there were several people who had made mention of the $1.00 sugar & cream yarn on sale at michael's last week. i was kinda bummed, because there is not a michael's store in the city. and anyway, i rationalized that i still have a *ton* of cotton yarn all over the place. but, luck had its way, and, i ended up having to go out to the suburbs last night. and where did i go? michael's, of course! (see evidence below.)



so, what else this week... oh, i know! i'm sending my sp8 her 3rd package pretty soon, and, i thought it'd be cute to make a little bag to contain it all. (actually, i got the little "bag" idea from etsy; i was like, 'i can make that!') in retrospect, i should've had a pattern to follow, because apparently, i'm not very logical when it comes to sewing order. (ie., i sewed the sides and bottom first, before i added the handles.) it's not very fancy, and it's not lined, but, i thought it was really cute, and it turned out pretty okay. it'll be *perfect* for going to the library with her kids, i think!



i'm also very excited that i was able to find a lining to make my betty shopper:



doesn't it look just fabulous together? and to think that the lining only cost like $3.50 a yard! yay!

that evening i went to joann's was a pretty productive one. not only was i able to get my lining for my purse and the fabric for the snail bag, i was also able to get my halloween costume pattern (on sale! yay!):



i'm going to try my hand at making my own halloween costume this year. i'll be making the pilgrim costume on the top right-hand side.

and, if everything above wasn't enough crafty stuff for one week, i present to you my newest creation:



my fall wreath. now that i'm looking at the photo, it's in some need of some minor adjustments, but, overall, i'm really happy at how it came out. it's finally replacing my christmas wreath that i still had up (i know, i know), but couldn't bear to take down, because it was just *so* gorgeous and just *so* me. but - my christmas wreath will be up soon enough - it's almost august! yay!

so i joined this monthly dishcloth knit-a-long group because, even though there are a plethora of dishcloth patterns out there, I keep on knitting "c" initial dishcloths as well as my commuting-friendly "grandma's favorite dishcloth". (commuter-friendly meaning that it's a very simple pattern that is easy to keep track of.) so anyways. i just thought i'd check it out.

so, what happens is, on the 1st and 16th day of the month, the group moderator sends like seven or eight lines of the pattern, and, the following day, the next eight lines, and so on. i joined right when they were starting the mid-month knit-a-long on the 16th, and, quickly knitted up my first eight rows or so. but me, with my knitting obsession, and not being able to just stop a project when it's not the middle of the night, found myself thinking, "i need the next few rows!" turned out i made a mistake, and, ended up having to rip the thing back anyways, and then re-knit again, and ended up being a few days behind in the end. the mid-month dishcloths are usually more involved stitches; stitches that people probably wouldn't just try out on their own, so, in that aspect, it's very cool. i'm trying out this new stitch pattern, and i'm not using expensive yarn, so, i don't feel bad when there's a few minor mistakes. my completed project ended up being this cabley-looking/holey (yarn-over) dishcloth, which i will take a photo of as soon as i charge my camera's battery. i think it's actually very cool-looking.

so this past friday, i had to go back to my dentist's office, because despite having a few cavities filled two weeks prior, i was still in pain. and the weird thing was, was that the pain was increasing - it definitely got worse during that second week. anyways, after getting stuck in *major* traffic and him just recommending for me to go and have a consult with an endodontist (great!) i needed some much-needed shopping therapy. i ended up at closeknit in evanston, and, although i didn't buy anything really fancy this time around, geez - their inventory has increased tenfold since when i used to live around those parts. i ended up buying some malabrigo yarn in this beautiful salmon color, some plymouth encore for my green/white/orange st. patty's day scarves (yes, already!) some much-needed point protectors and a few yards of this gorgeous kaffe fasset lotus print fabric. (again, photos forthcoming.)

so, after my little excursion to my not-so-lys, and discovering that i hadn't taken my credit card along with me, i decided that i'd still go up to old orchard to buy some wedding presents for the two weddings i will be attending in august. (still a few weeks away, but still. i might as well!) *bad* decision. it ended up being this entire afternoon/eveing ordeal - and let me tell you - i was *totally* cranky by the end of it all. i ended up purchasing my favorite standby, a vera wang 'classic' vase for one couple (my coworker), and ended up buying a few things at field's for the other couple (one of whom i went to high school with), but ended up at target later that night, checking out whatever else they had on their registry. (target = bad idea. now i have all these miscellaneous boxes to wrap for them, and, well, i have no idea what i'm going to do. (and did i mention that i went to *three* different stores looking for gift wrap? i'm going to the container store to see if i see any wrap that strikes my fancy.

*but*, what i am *very* excited for is, is that i was able to get a copy of the marshall field's cookboook! i went to the state st. store last week, and, they were out. but old orchard had boatloads! yay! (now i can try to re-create my favorite oriental chicken pasta salad that they sell in the marketplace!) yay!

saturday, my boyfriend and i went to this surprise birthday party for one of his friend's best friend. (did that make sense?) it was a pretty good time, although smoky as anything in there (at the pool hall). oh well.

sunday, i spent procrastinating about cleaning, as usual, but managed to block my mid-month dishcloth. so now, considering that i did almost *nothing* yesterday, let me get at least a *little* done before i go into work today...

so now i understand what all the craze is about!

i can't believe how quickly it came, but, my boyfriend and i finally went to go and see "wicked" yesterday evening. i bought the tickets before his birthday, nearly three months ago, and had to wait until now in order to get decent seating! we had a very nice evening, starting with dinner at the ristorante we at the w hotel.

(total sidenote: i was late for dinner because i didn't go and *buy* something to wear to the performance - i actually wore something out of my closet! (in retrospect, it would've just been easier to go and buy something.) the most amazing thing is, though, is that we managed to walk approximately seven blocks, with me, in these totally uncomfortable, strappy heels? and when i took the shoes off, i didn't have one blister on my feet! unbelievable!)

but now i understand. what a spectacular performance! i just downloaded the soundtrack, and, geez, i just *love* it! i want to go again!

ok! i've been meaning and meaning to post these photos, but, well, you know how i am... here are my much-awaited photos from my last secret pal box! (and i'm really sorry, secret pal, for not posting them sooner!)

photo #1:
some absolutely gorgeous and *soft* blue sky alpacas yarn - this'll be absolutely perfect to knit up a panta with! and, a novel...with knitting patterns and recipes included as well! talk about all-inclusive! (of course, the first thing i flip to are the recipes...)

photo #2:
antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer from bath and body works, in my most favorite scent *ever*, warm vanilla sugar. (secret pal, you'd better have bought these during the sale! :) )

photo #3:
a maneki neko...from chicago! this is one of the most adorable ones that i own yet. i've never seen this size/color/style before! now *i* want to go to the store that's "on the main avenue (i'm assuming michigan) by the river (the chicago river) close to the park with the ampitheater (millenium park - somewhere south of lake)" to go and check it out!

so *thank you so much* again secret pal...you definitely made my day! (and i'm all excited about my presents again! yay!)

but now, for the real reason i haven't done *anything* lately:



ok, so maybe not the only reason, considering that i just picked this up at the ups facility last night, at 9:00 pm... (but it *does* give me another excuse...)

this wasn't a good idea.

i have a tendency to start a *lot* of projects. i also have a tendency to enjoy a *lot* of different types of crafts. these are the two main reasons that i never seem to accomplish anything, even though it seems like i'm always working on one project or another. so what did i do last night? i set my knitting aside (currently, *boatloads* of "c" initial dishcloths), and set up my sewing machine. i was up until nearly 1:00 am playing around with all the different stitches, and figuring the machine out. and then what did i do this morning? same thing. and the worst part? i was even late to work because of it. sigh. i'm obsessed, what can i say?

after work, i found myself going to joann fabrics and then i made another pit stop at hancock fabrics as well. i decided that i would need to find myself a reasonably small project that i could sew up in an evening, to "test out" my new machine. and here is the fruit of my labor:



i found this fabric with some chihuahuas printed on it, so, i decided to make my sister a placemat for her dogs! (being the pseudo-perfectionist that i am, i *couldn't* make one for my cats just yet...) it didn't turn out perfect by any means, but, i do have to admit that i'm reasonably impressed that i was able to manage sewing the bias tape along the edges...

let me backtrack a little bit, and add one more photo...

after i got off of work, i ended up going shoppping down on state street, and, ended up taking a taxi back here so i could get to the ups facility to pick up my packages before they closed (at 9:15)... i get there, retrieve my packages, and stop over at target a few blocks away, and then head back home. i trudge up two flights up stairs with this massive, heavy box containing my sewing machine, and this is what i find hanging on my doorknob:



flowers from my boyfriend - in my favorite color, pink! such a nice thing to come home to! :)

more excitement next time. we'll see what other projects i can start (and hopefully finish) this week!

i thought fireworks (and i'm talking *big* fireworks) are illegal in illinois.

apparently, my "friendly neighbors" just to the north don't think that laws apply to them. no comment on that one. sigh. the good thing is, is that i didn't have to go down to navy pier to see the fireworks display tonight!

in any case, though, i thought i'd better get a move on my posting, as apparently, i've been a very naughty knitty. it's just one of those things that i'm always like, 'oh, i'll do it tomorrow.' then it's tomorrow. then it's the next day. then it's two-and-a-half weeks later. oh well.

i had a rather busy (non-relaxing) fourth of july weekend... my boyfriend and i went up to wisconsin dells friday morning, and, during that time, we actually were able to accomplish a lot... on friday, we went to "downtown dells" to check it out, and then ended up having dinner at this new-ish restauraunt called marley's, that has jamaican/american fusion cuisine... it was pretty okay (for wisconsin), although i've had much better jerk chicken around these parts - but then again, i do like the slightly sweet jerk taste rather than the salty jerk taste they use. we discovered they had $5.00 frozen margaritas, and, that was our first taste of the *cheap drinking* experience they have in wisconsin! we ended up staying for the dj/dance club thing they had going on there at 10:00 pm, and headed home, exhausted, about 11 pm.

saturday, we ended up going to the breafast buffet at the ho-chunk casino with my parents, and then, we spent a very windy afternoon on the lake. let me tell you, i will never go boating again... the last time i was in the dells, we ended up going for a nice afternoon canoe ride - so, i thought it'd be a nice idea to go again. i don't really think i could've been any more wrong. we ended up renting this little dinky fishing boat, because renting a paddleboat just would've been ridiculous considering we were on the river, and, b.), i don't think they rent canoes anymore. anyways, so, we're heading north up the river, which was a relatively calm ride, and, then we turned back south - where all the boat traffic was. boat tours, jet boats, jet skis - you name it, it was going on. we ended up catching some like 4' waves off of these other boats, and, let me tell you, i honestly thought that the boat was going to flip. it was terrifying! i don't think that i'll ride in a small boat for a very long time... we headed to baraboo after the "boat ride" and then to the wonder spot to check that out.

saturday also ended up being our 9-month anniversary, so, after going home and showering up, we ended up heading back to the dells to have a nice dinner and a few cocktails, had an old-time photo taken:



and even had a chance to have a few swigs with nig.

sunday was equally as productive, we went horseback riding at the ok corral, where i rode a beautiful apaloosa named 'vanity', and then ended up walking around downtown dells again, where we ended up going to the ripley's believe it or not museum. there's a lot of really weird, freaky stuff in there that i probably would've been better off not seeing...

this morning (monday) came a little too quickly, and we headed back home, and stopped for a brief outlet store shopping trip right before the border. now, it's 11:13, and despite an entire day full of walking, eating and mostly driving, i'm still awake. exhausted, yet awake.

i came home to discover a little package on my front doorstep - it was from my secret pal! *thank you, thank you!* i was so excited! and let me tell you, the gifts are absolutely *fabulous*...photos are forthcoming!

well, i'm off to bed...until next time!

and this is why i love the summer in the city:


(taken at approximately 7:35 pm, sunday, june 18.)

warning: much complaining/drama follows. proceed at your own risk.

sundays are supposed to be relaxing, right? or maybe today was just the exception to the rule. after attending a family function last night, my sister & i headed just west of here to attend a combined graduation/good-bye party for her boyfriend's cousin and his wife who are moving back to new mexico at the beginning of july. seems pretty harmless, right? well, by the time we got there, approximately 10:30 pm, everyone (well, mostly her boyfriend, my boyfriend, and one of their friends) had been drinking pretty much the entire evening, and, so by that time, my boyfriend was just about totally gone. with that, i have to say that he gets extremely *loud* and downright *mean* as well. so okay, fine. he's inebriated enough where i can tolerate him (slightly) at this point, so, i deal with it. by the time we are about to leave, though, my sister's boyfriend convinces him to go out with him, his friend, and his (other) cousin who was in attendance, and, let me tell you - i've never seen four people so quick to get into a cab and speed away, leaving my sister & i on the sidewalk. fine. didn't want to go out, anyways. but i did make it very clear to my boyfriend to *not* even waste his time coming over to my place if he's drunk. (i mean, after all, he could spend the night at his friend's, or at my sister's boyfriend's (i'm sure my sister would've loved that one.)) but what happens? 6:00 in the morning, i am *rudely* awaken by my supposedly sweet boyfriend, who has had several more drinks since i saw him earlier in the evening, and, i should add, is covered in *sand* because the three of them (sans my sister's boyfriend's cousin) decided to take a nap on the beach. at this point, i am trying to remain calm and not start screaming at him, so, i just kept my mouth shut. he wanted to take a shower, so, he did, and in the process, managed to rip down my shower curtain along with the rod. (really trying to keep calm at this point.) he says that he's just going to go home, because i'm really starting to slip and lose it at this point. i told him that he wasn't going anywhere - how could he even possibly *think* or driving when he can't even *stand*? shortly therafter, he starts throwing up, but, i do have to give him credit for actally making it to the toilet. so we sleep for a few hours, and, i get up. i do my little things around here that i've been meaning to do (like laundry and e-mail my SP8 :) ), and, have some breakfast. i even wash his clothes that are all over my bathroom floor.

my sister & her boyfriend stop here about 2:30 pm, and, at this point, my boyfriend finally makes his way out of bed. i'm not talking to him at this point. then, if all this wasn't drama enough, my sister checks her voicemail while she was here, and, there were two calls from our mother:

"i'm going to place and order for some food, you will need to pick it up. i'll call you back." (my family had a small get-together for father's day, and, they ordered from this chinese place that they just love in morton grove (= totally out of *everyone's* way))

"the food is going to be ready to pick up at 1:30."

by this point, it's nearly 3:00 pm. my sister then calls my mother, who, at this point, considering the time, cannot decide whether she should wait for us (since i'm the one with the car) to leave, pick it up, and then head up to gurnee (almost at the wisconsin border). sigh. more drama.

then, my boyfriend runs to the bathroom and throws up. great. at that point, my sister & her (very reluctant) boyfriend make the decision that they'll have to go and pick up the food and head out to the suburbs, because i apparently *still* have to babysit.

i drive my boyfriend to his car (still parked at the bar where him & his friend went to go and watch the world cup games yesterday, where the drunkeness began), and, let me tell you, you could've cut the tension during the ride with a knife. i didn't say a word until we were at his car, and at that point, i let him have it. and, i told him that i didn't want him to go out drinking with my sister's boyfriend or his friend anymore. he just doesn't know when to stop.

so i head home, and take a nap. i wake up at about 7:30, and look out the window, and, that's when i took the picture above. it was sunny outside, when, during the morning/afternoon, it was crappy and overcast out. it was already the *evening*, but the sun was stil out. maybe it wasn't a *total* day wasted.

okay. enough complaining already. (i know, i know, i whine.)

so at least today wasn't a *total* waste. i managed to take photos of a few things:



pink scarf, of some unknown, unlabeled, fuzzy-type yarn from hobby lobby's clearance bin. started (and ripped back) wednesday during my morning commute, and finished thursday morning, on my metra ride back into the city. my first scarf knit for the think pink challenge.



handpainted yarn that i ordered, in this absolutely gorgeous colorway called 'arco iris'. i'm not totally sure what to do with it, but, it does make for a wonderful stash addition.

and, for some reason, as i was staring at the wall earlier today (literally), i decided that i wanted to dig out my manos del uruguay yarn and try knitting up my so-called scarf after a few failed attempts last winter. lo and behold, i made some progress:



i can't tell you how many times i ripped this thing back - every time i'd try to start it, it'd end up being this mess of stitches, totally not looking anything like the picture. so, i'm very excited!

okay. so maybe my sunday wasn't a *total* waste. i'm happy now! :)