Well. The Rowan Calmer came yesterday afternoon.

But there is a small problem, it doesn’t match the dress. I ordered the color called “khaki” which, as it turns out, is a sage green. Very very pretty, but doesn’t match at all. I should have gone with my gut and ordered off white (Drift) but my head wanted to save a few bucks. But now I can pass the savings on to you! I am offering four balls of Rowan Calmer in Khaki (a.k.a. sage green) for the low low price of $30 (or a comperable trade) and I will throw in free shipping just for fun. This is enough Calmer to make sizes XS-M (32″-36″) of the lacey bolero, Elspeth, from Rowan #37.

The moral of today’s story is: Always check an actual color card if you are trying to match the yarn to something instead of something to the yarn.

I find myself wondering, especially of late: Where does all the time go? For the past eight weekends in a row we have either had company or been someone else’s company. My week days have been spent doing all of the things I needed to get done before people came or we left. And with SUUSI coming up, that’s about three times as much stuff as usual. Blogging has been pretty far down on my To Do list. Last night, while sitting in the Charlotte airport WAY after I should have been home in bed*, I decided that before I did any of the other million things I need to do today I would blog. Because I miss it. And I’ve planned my next two projects.

I’ve been doing a lot of sewing lately to augment my summer wardrobe. I am having a terrible time finding shorts that have more than a 3″ inseam and less than 7″ one. I have solved my problem by making a bunch of skirts to wear as I would ordinarily wear shorts. Now I want to knit something to wear with them. The first of these Combination Craft projects involves a new magazine subscription.

The sweater, “Empire Dream,” can be found in Creative Knitting‘s** July 2005 issue. I was not that impressed with the first two issues, but this one has at least three projects that I like and a couple cute baby things that will make wonderful presents. The yarn for Empire is Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in cotton ball which I ordered from Lorien.

My next project (and actually the first one I picked) involves this dress:

and Rowan Magazine #37. It is unlike me to buy a pattern book or magazine if there is only one pattern that I want to use – especially when the book is $20. When I finish, Rowan #37 in pristine condition will be available for sale or trade. Which sweater is the one I’m interested in? Elspeth, naturally. I’ve ordered the yarn, Rowan Calmer, on ebay. I’ve already googled around to see who else is working on Elspeth (truns out there are a bunch of people), to see if there is anything I need to know (turns out there’s a lot). Apparently there is Trouble with Shaping. I suspect that this is because it’s made in an all over lace pattern and the written instructions aren’t clear. There are no corrections posted on Rowan‘s website. They call their corrections “Pattern Revisions.” Clearly, Rowan doesn’t make mistakes.

What about my current project? I finished Honey’s back on the road trip. But, (and this is a pretty big but) after starting on the front, I realized that I had made a rather large mistake. I added an inch to the length before the shaping and then forgot to add that inch to the measurement before starting the armholes. I get to rip out half the the back and do it again. Joy. I may never be finished. Which I guess is OK since I don’t have anything to wear it with anyway.

*We flew up to Virginia for a planning meeting this weekend. For knitting I took a revised version of that tank top that came out too big. Getting up there went well with only an hour delay in Atlanta (when flying Delta out of Pensacola, one must first go to Atlanta) which is typical of Heartsfield Airport. They like to cram in every flight they possibly can. On the way home, however, the FAA issued a Ground Hold in Atlanta (when you cram in every flight you possible can, the sky fills up pretty quickly and there is no room for planes to take off until all of the other ones land), which meant that our flight from Roanoke was delayed. So delayed that we missed out connecting flight. The connecting flight that would get us home at 6 pm. After a great deal of rearranging, we got a US Airways flight to Charlotte (when flying out of Roanoke on US Airways, one must first go to Charlotte) and a subsequent connecting flight to Pensacola that left at 9:45. Which meant that even with the time change we got home at 11 pm. We were in first class from Charlotte to Atlanta, though. That was pretty cool.

**Now here’s something interesting: when I googled, I discovered that there are two magazines named Creative Knitting. This is the second one. It’s from Australia!
Here is another wierdness which makes me think that I am getting Magazines From the Future: the Creative Knitting Magazine that I have is clearly from July 2005. I have had it at least two weeks at this point. The Creative Knitting website says that the May issue is the current one and I can’t find anything about the July one at all. Also, I received the May one after the July one came in the mail. Do you think that I’ve developed a time maching and am bringing myself things that I wish I had made so that I can wear them in the future? I guess only time will tell.

I’m going on a Road Trip with Great Gran today (to Mary Esther to let the Merry Maids in) so I have to make this short. But that will give me plenty of time to knit in the car. I haven’t had a whole lot of knitting time lately. I am about 6 rows away from finishing the back of Remembering Honey. I should be able to get that finished today. Joy.

And I’ve picked my next project! Unfortunately, I can’t tell you about it right now. Great Gran just called and said she is on her way. I thought I had 15 minutes, but that is no longer the case. Sorry about the cliffhanger…

Doesn’t it make you feel all warm and toasty? Oh wait. That’s because IT’S MAY. At least he has something to look forward to.

I’ve been really busy lately with all the other things I do besides knitting. I know you feel betrayed, but it’s better you found out from me instead of from some stranger on the street. Yes, I have a life outside of yarn. Some days it makes me want to cry. Most days it just makes me want to buy more yarn. I have made a little progress on Honey’s back side.

This thing is so pretty, but I am having a terrible time figuring out what I am going to wear with it!

Again, I’m sorry for the lack of posts. Let me make it up to you with pictures of all the animals in one place! They were all together when we found them both times, but M had to hold them still while I went to get the camera. Here they are on the rug (I say that like we only have one!) and in the doghouse. We brought the doghouse in from the garage because Angus has started to lay under things. Under things like my bedside table – when he gets up he knocks everyting over. My lamp can’t take much more of this so we thought we’d give the doghouse a shot. The above picture is about the only time he has been in the doghouse, but the cats love it. He knocked the lamp over again this morning. Maybe if I moved the doghouse over and used it as a bedside table…

I haven’t been doing much knitting the past couple weeks. This is for two reasons. The first is that I have poison ivy all over my elbow. I hate it. It rubs my side when I knit and drives me Completely Bats. I will not show you a picture of the poison ivy. It’s ick. The second is that there have been lots of other things that have demanded my attention. Like the yard (hence the poison ivy).

Before the poison ivy, I managed to finish this.

It matches my orange coat.

You probably didn’t even know I started it. You see, there’s a yarn shop within walking distance of where they stay in Colorado. While she was up there, Great Gran decided that she would make me a hat. She bought this great Rowan yarn (I lost the label but I think it’s Biggy Print). Before I go on, let’s recall for a minute that Great Gran does not like to swatch. So she bought the needles that the pattern called for. And made the hat. It did not turn out. She brought it home to me and gave it to me wrapped up with the pattern (A present you get to knit as just as good as a present that is knitted for you). I swatched and remade it. Great Gran is Aggravated because I used the same size needles that she did with different results. Let this be a Lesson to you all:

Everybody Knits Differently. Swatches Are Important.

My current “car project” is coming along as well. Since it’s not as far to the end of a row, I can pause more frequently to keep the itching bearable.

Pretty, huh? And insanely soft – it’s Lana D’Oro Tweed.

I’m using this Irish Hiking Scarf Pattern from Hello Yarn. She’s got lots of neat free patterns (I am intrigued by the “Besotted Scarf”). And a cute dog. What more can you ask for in a blog?

PS The new Haagan-Dazs light ice cream is wonderful. The coffee almost makes one forget that one wishes to gnaw off one’s arm.

I give you:

Rembering Honey’s sleeves!

I really enjoy making this sweater (I would rather not have to do it twice, but whatever). Lace knitting is just plain fun. I am using the larger needles to get the proper gauge and it doesen’t feel too loose. So things are good.

Everyone is out of town this week (by everyone I mean Great Gran, Mom, Dad, cousins and corresponding aunts and uncles) so M and I are On Vacation. Apparently this means that we eat spaghetti sauce for lunch, don’t make the bed and watch way too much TV. This also means that we are running Fun Errands this afternoon. These Fun Errands are mixed in with No Fun Errands, but should make the trip more enjoyable. I take it back, as I look at my list, all the places we have to go promise at least some fun. Staples does have Stumpy Keychain Sharpies which I find simply Thrilling and if you count buying mulch as a Fun Activity. Which I do. All that to say: The yarn store closes at 5 (boo) but tonight is Knit Night so she’ll be also be open from 6-8 (yay) so I get to go. I’ve got to pick out some yarn for those Davis Girls to learn to knit with on Thursday. This also means the possiblity of Chic-Fil-A for supper. Mmmmm chicken.

Oh, rats. M just reminded me of why we’re going South in the first place. The Cingular store is No Fun At All. I will be taking my knitting.