What? I author a blog?

Really? Because you would think I would dust this thing off once in a while.

So the Telegraph Cove sweater. I was going to show you buttons. I thought I would show you buttons a lot sooner, but when I sewed them on and tried on the sweater, the fit was off. Then I looked at the sweater and realized I didn't do an entire set of decreases on the back. I'm such a dork.

So after ripping it back and fixing it, I present the Telegraph Cove sweater ...





and with buttons ...



I am still swamped in paperwork and have tons of things I should be doing other than knitting, but I'm going to make more of an effort not to ignore you.

I'm exhausted

Paperwork, more paperwork, a quick trip across the country, very little knitting, button issues.

I'm wiped.

I'll talk about the buttons on the Telegraph Cove sweater, I guess when I'm finally happy with the buttons, but just so this blog doesn't go completely to seed, I thought I'd post a photo of a blanket that I made for my neice, Miss S.










And while I'm at it, pics of my nephew, T.R. and his sister, C.R. at the zoo (I know it looks like a playground, but it was in the zoo) that I took on a really quick trip to Florida over the weekend


T.R. taking a photo of my mom and his sister.



Sliding away.


C.R. was fearless!

I got a dehydrated on the way back to Seattle. I guess getting very little sleep and running after these two in the 90 degree sun of Florida on a quick weekend trip cross-country will do that to a person. Or I'm just getting old.

Anticipation

Its September and this is what my tomatoes look like. This year is the first garden A.K. and I had since moving to Seattle and I am just not use to waiting so long for a ripe tomato. In North Carolina, I would be up to my eyeballs in red tomatoes, trying to can them as fast as I could to make sure none rotted. In the Northwest, I've been waiting all summer to have ONE, tomato to stick in a salad. My lettuce went like gangbusters, but the tomatoes have been slow. REALLY S-L-O-W.

Luckily, being from the South, I know how to make a fried green tomato. This is probably the part of the blog where I would include a recipe for fried green tomatoes, but really the name is really the recipe. You fry slices of green tomato. You may use flour or your favorite fry batter, but I think corn meal is best.


Speaking of green things, I finished the Telegraph Cove Sweater except for the buttons. Why are the perfect buttons so elusive? I've been looking everywhere for a great button, but I always end up using a mother-of-pearl button. I'm so boring. Here's a preview.




And I started a Clapotis with Garden Party that I got from Sundara.



I don't know why I started the scarf. I can't say I was particularly taken with the pattern, but I do like Kate Gilbert's work. I think I just needed a break. I've been drowning in paperwork.

I think I might have mentioned my secret project, which is a professional side venture, and A.K. and I are also working on a personal secret project. If either progresses, I'll share more, but for now I will keep things secret. So I just mention these things to explain why my blogging is erratic and why my photos are littered with paperwork.

STAY-CATION all I ever wanted ...

I need a vacation from my vacation. I know all of you are rolling your eyes, and I know I would be calling my self a BI-OTCH right now, but I could use a week to just hang around my house and do a lot of nothing.

I even had an extra day in theory to 'do nothing,' but I had to do a week's worth of laundry and deal with insurance companies refusing to pay for my teeth cleanings. And, of course, I had to organize, tone and post photos from the trip. If I didn't have that extra day, lord only knows when that would get down.

Having some sympathy for me yet? I didn't think so. So as long as you still hate me, let me show you some pictures of my trip.















So now some knitting. Normally, I would have spared you the vacation photos and start with the knitting, but I needed them to explain why the following are photos of the High Neck Cable sweater and not the Feather and Fan sweater that I dubbed the 'Telegraph Cove' Sweater.




It was COLD. I know many of you are experiencing record heat, and again, the amount of sympathy you can extend to me is zilch. But I'm just trying to say I had no desire to pick up a holey, hemp sweater. I needed warmth. The kind you can get from wool. Specifically Manos Silk Blend. Or at least gore tech, which I failed to bring. The space in the luggage I should have packed a jacket I packed a bathing suit.

I hope this news brings a little smugness to your hearts. And soon I have faith, this will bring our relationship to a stronger place.

Things up my sleeve

It wasn't easy taking a photo of my progress, mainly because this sweater is knitted with the bodice in (more or less) one piece and then the rest is added on afterwords. So it ends up looking like a messed-up scarf or tubular blob. Which I guess is what it is right now. So just image the progress is going well.

In other news ...

Remember when this blog was about me trying to knit every swatch from "A Treasury of Knitting Patterns?" Yeah, I know. Which is why I decided when the Olympics start up in Beijing, I'm going to start some swatches. I know all about the Knitting Olympics, and this really is about the fact that I'll be parked in front of the television for 16 days and 16 swatches seems like a goal that I can accomplish. Who knows, maybe it will lead to me actually finishing my goal of swatching the whole book.

Also, I haven't done any spinning in ages. So during my vacation next week, I'm packing Victoria and some fluff along. There isn't a phone or television where we are staying, and I'm pretty sure that means there is no internet access as well. Because of this fact, I feel like I'm going to be bored out of my mind and so I'm also packing the laptop loaded with DVD rentals and have plans to work on my website. (of course, I can't actually upload anything because we will be in the middle of nowhere.)

I realize that I will be on 'vacation' but I really am lost without access to the Scrabbulous, or getting the answers to the New York Times crossword puzzle when I get stuck. I don't even remember life without Facebook. TV and phone I can take or leave, but I need the Internets (yep, both of them.)

And of course, I'll be taking my dog. Here's a photo of Lilly, in the interest of equal time for cute pet photos.

What I've been up to.

I have done a little knitting. I started the Feather and Fan sweater from Classic Elite Make It Modern booklet. Here's a shot of my progress.




In the rest of my life, there has been a flurry of activity.




This past weekend, A.K. and I had a little housewarming, since it was a year since we closed on our house. Actually, it was just a coincidence that the housewarming was on the anniversary of our closing. We are so bad at recognizing anniversaries, the only way we remember our own is it is only a few days after my birthday. (Our fifth was two weeks ago)

Anyway, the above photo is a before and after of our dining/living room. I know it's hard to see a difference except for paint color, but we ripped up the carpet, refinished the original oak floors, added a gas log fireplace, took out the radiator in front of the picture window and put a window seat with storage and cushions, took out the weird, built-in television hole and replaced it with custom bookcases on either side of the fireplace and right before the party, we just finished painting after smoothing the texture off the walls. That paint job signifies the end of a year-long renovation! I wish the photos look as dramatic as I feel about the room, but what can you do?

A.K. and his dad built a deck on the back of our house and A.K. made a great L-shaped bench to go with it. I'm pretty proud of us. If the weather in Seattle would just remain warm and sunny I could take beauty shots of the house. Maybe I'll be able to post some soon.