Give me a K! Give me a N! Give me a I! Give me a T! Give me a F!....experte

Thank you all so much for the compliments on the sweater - and the baby! I wish I could claim her as my own. Alas, she is the "hard work" of our good friends. They found out they were pregnant on our wedding day!!! How fun is that? I walked up to Kristin at the reception and said, "Please tell me you're drinking water for a reason!" Needless to say, she was. As I mentioned in an earlier post, the sweater will be gifted this weekend on my trip to DC. The bean that will wear this sweater is still in the tum. Neala was the recipient of this sweater (there she is all snug in mom’s belly!)

Okay - so I asked my resident yarn expert what a good cheap (I think I may have actually said "cheap ass") substitute would be for Calmer. With all of the good I've heard about Calmer I hate to substitute at all. However, I just can't rationalize that amount of money at this point in time (which reminds me, has anyone noticed my new button, "Thrify Knits", that's me baby.) Johanna recommended Sirdar Breeze. It's about half the price, right?! Well I used my favorite froggle and found it for $6 something at Wool Needle Works (4 skeins of Main Color, 1 of second color. I bought an extra MC color to be on the safe side.) Sweeeet.

Why in the world am I buying this particular yarn?! Well the commenters sparked my excitement about Alison's Mag Knits T-shirt pattern. I couldn't resist the idea of writing - knitfomaniac on a tee! Who's with me?! I'm not sure I'm up for a formal knit-a-long. And I know there is a knit-a-long already one out there for the t-shirt pattern. But, if you're up for the crazy and wild (girls gone wild) challenge, let me know. I'd love some company. Screw the Red Sox idea....Knitfomaniac here I come.

I'm off to DC tomorrow. I will, sadly, miss the Harlot at my LYS. The girls will be there. I'm looking forward to the 4-1-1.

The sweater is ready to go. Check out these cutie buttons:

Details, Details

The pattern for the lovely shown here yesterday is from MinnowKnits (Pizzazz #179QK.) I could have made up the pattern in my sleep. Two rectangles (front and back) and two trapezoids (is that right? a trapezoid?) for sleeves. I was captured by the store model and Johanna (yes Johanna, I did switch the colors...I wasn't feeling so courageous!) helped me pick out a suitable substitute for the called for yarn. In spite of the pattern's simple shape it forced me to try a few new things:

- Cotton Fleece. Can I say L-O-V-E this yarn. Didn't hurt my hands, love the drape, it comes in rad colors. What more could a girl ask for? I'm totally making a tank with this yarn. I used the following colors for this sweater: CW-810 Cherry Moon, and CW-240 Pink-A-Boo. I used one full skein of the Main Color Pink-A-Boo and just a bit of the Cherry Moon for the stripes. I did dip into a second skein of the Pink-A-Boo but if I had made the stripes thicker I think I could have gotten away with just one. I made the smallest size.

- Hems on the bottom and sleeves. I had a bit of help learning how to do this in a way that would be attractive. The Subway Knitter sure knows her way around some hems!



- Picking up stitches for the sleeves. While I'm pretty sure this wouldn't work for an adult sweater I think it is perfect for a baby sweater. One less seam to knit always makes for a happy Bookish Girl.



If you're looking for a quick easy knit for a new babe in your life this is the knit for you.

I picked up some buttons for the shoulder today. They are so darn cute. I'll put up a picture when I'm all done!

I took this morning off of work to make up for some weekend work that I was roped into. I was so lucky to be able to spend it with The Bean - Neala Bean that is.



Damn good time.

Deftly Manouver and Muscle for Rank

She’s going the distance, she's going for speed…
(Seriously, how much to you miss my weekly song?!)


I have been uninspired by my knitting lately. That was until this…



..came my way.

Dude, I’m so loving this project. Don’t know why, maybe because it’s not a retro rib sock? I'll give you the 4-1-1 tomorrow (that's neighborhood talk for "information".)

This sweater is for a babe-to-be-born. My roommate from college has a bun in the oven. She's due in July. The girls are all travelling to DC this weekend to give her some good loving in her fattest pregger days. I'm not sure I can find words to express how excited I am. I - love - these - girls. I'm posting pictures when I get back just so you all can see the love!

On behalf of Sheep Everywhere

A few years ago there was a TV show on network television: Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It eventually moved to the WB and lost all of its good writers in the process. The term good is relative here. The story line is a bit contrived and the acting half-baked. However, before its station move it always made me laugh and almost never roll my eyes.

I caught an episode the other night on some Nickelodean spin off station targeted towards teens. Let me tell you - did I feel old! All of those commercials, hip new lingo, etc, etc. I have to admit, I was entertained and I told Rob I may have found my new favorite station. Can anyone sense an early life crisis coming on?

For those of you unfamiliar with Sabrina, she is a teenage witch living with her two aunts who are also witches. Apparently there is an Archie comic on which the show is based. I loved Bewitched as a child so perhaps I like Sabrina so much because of nostalgia. On another note of nostalgia, Soleil Moon Frye is now on the show - I love me a little Punky.

There was the funniest episode on the other day, Deliver Us From E-mail. Sabrina's Aunt Hilda becomes obsessed with knitting. At some point she manages to knit herself into a cocoon. The other Aunt, Zelda, finally confronts her...

The script (yes, at some point google may explode from the amount of information it conjures up):

Int. Spellman living room. It looks like a bombs gone off in it. A wool bomb. Everywhere is littered with woolen products, Hats scarves, sweaters, socks, leg warmers, you name it, it’s there and judging by the skit-a-skit of needles, so is Hilda. Zelda enters.

Zelda- Oh good lord! (Calling up stairs) Hilda! Hilda, we need to talk!

Hilda- (Muffled) I’m right here.

She looks down at the large pile of maroon wool on the arm chair and spots a pair of eyes looking out and lower down a pair of hands industriously knitting away.

Zelda- This has gone far enough. I demand that you stop, on behalf of sheep everywhere.

Hilda- What are you getting so worked up about?

Zelda- Your new hobby has become a pathology. You’re addicted to knitting.

Hilda- Zellie, I knit because it relaxes me. I can stop anytime I want to.

Zelda- Look at you! You are knitting alone! You are hiding balls of yarn under yarn cosies! You’ve knitted yourself into a woolen pod! You are a knitaholic! A knitfomaniac! A knit-wit!

Hilda- A knit-wit? That’s cute. I’m going to knit that on a pillow.

A knitfomaniac! Ha! I love it. I'm going to knit THAT on a pillow. Does this episode repeat itself in our homes every day or what?!

Feel the time being sucked out of your day...

It is my duty as The Bookish Girl to point the following out to you (first seen on bookslut): A-zon has created the world's biggest time suck.

As if I didn't have enough to distract me!

I looked up my new favorite novel - The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth

It's interesting that Father is way up there. Very interesting.

Intrigued, I looked up House of Mirth by Edith Wharton (the novel I'm currently reading.) Herself is one of the more frequent words there. Even more interesting.

"A Study in Hair" or "How my Brains Fell Out"

I got my hair cut last weekend and my brains fell out in the process. This past week has been filled with lots of tripping over my own feet. Reknitting rows upon rows. Driving like and 80 year old. And just plain brainless activity. The only difference...my hair. I was happy to cut 5 inches off my head. The resulting pony tail is sitting severed on my dining room table. I've entertained ideas of turning it into a blush brush. Instead, it will be sent off to some worthy hair collecting charity.

Back to the Brains Falling out. Case in point:

Bed Head Before




Bed Head After




The fact that I posted these on the INTERNET speaks volumes.

Fortunately, for all of us, I can leave you with a picture of little Miss Neala...who is the damn cutest thing I have EVER seen.

Freudian Slip?

Earlier this week I was walking through the food court near my work (let that sink in a minute, a food court near work? Yes, torture. Pure torture.) Baseball season officially began this week here in Boston (and everywhere else in the country - of course.) If you live here you know that it never really ends....the longing continues. As we adjust our driving and shopping patterns to accommodate the influx of fans to our neighborhoods I was thinking about making a Red Sox t-shirt. Alison's MagKnits pattern is the obvious choice (do I really have to link to this?). I thought to myself....hmmm, I could make the little sox as the graphic. That would be cute. A pink T maybe with the Red Sox decorated with a white heel and toe? Then I thought that maybe it would be a tad easier to just use letters. After all, most of the work is already done for you...with the letter graphing and all. So I thought, hmmm, how about just writing Sox across the front in red. That would be cute and fun. I erupted in giggles at the thought of slipping and accidentally writing Sex. It suddenly occurred to me,

would that be a Knitian-Slip?


Obviously I need a vacation.

We Have Baby!

Neala Josephine
Born: 10pm April 6th, 2005
Weight: 6 lbs 1 oz

Mama and babe are doing fine. Kristine is all hopped up on hormones right now. I get to go steal see the little darlin' this afternoon. I'm so excited it's a girl - more fun stuff to knit!!!

A Baby is coming! A Baby is coming!

My Friend Kristine was induced last night! The baby is coming. Everyone keep fingers and toes crossed. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers!!!

Yarn Butt.

Things that are distracting me this week:

The yarn I snagged on Saturday during our Yankee Swap. L-O-V-E it. Thanks Maryse. One woman's trash is another's bag...or something like that!



And do you know what my favorite part of some yarns is?



Yarn Butt. We're crazy over here at The Bookish Girl. We bare it all.

And, of course, this is making me giggle throughout the day.



I'm truly enjoying this book. My only complaint is that I can't read it while knitting...it's too thick and tiny to prop open without ruining the binding. Regardless, it's like carrying a little bit of the Harlot around with me. And who couldn't have a little more Harlot in their life?!

What's in your wallet?

I was over at mellowtrouble the other day and she clued me into the fact that the Summer Interweave Knits preview was up. Holy cow. How many cool projects are there in this issue?

What do you fancy?

(**yah, I'm so ignoring the fact that my bare stomach is on the internet. Total drinkers remorse - and I wasn't even drunk! Oh, but it was so funny, and Elisa is right, there was a bit of blog feeding going on there. My dear sweet husband looked at it and said, "honey, you look a little pregnant." Hmmm, yes...honey...the trick is, I'm not. His heart is in the right place - I swear.**)

The Rules

Okay...

So I made the rules and I know how to follow them. Maryse, fortunately, does too. She brought the Sharpie's. I brought the stomach (dude, I am so not showing my chest to the Internet.)




We got your Stitchy, your Melanoma, and your Concate (Maryse signed and is missing from the pic, Ben left before we pulled out the Sharpies.)

Can I just say that each of these girls know their way around a signing a stomach?! Stitchy even had the rock star swirl...



More on this later...can you stand the suspense?

Thank you, Thank you very much (don't forget the Elvis twang in your head)

My Birthday was about three weeks ago. I’m still running on its flames. Melanie has some cute pictures here (m- I couldn't get this full post on the new site?). I think those are the only ones that were posted. I had a great Birthday. Not only did the husband rise to the occasion with BIRTHDAY WEEK. But I was overcome with gratitude toward the people that took time to send something my way. From emails, to smiles, to good graces. Unbelievable.

Margene recently wrote about the idea of a Swan family. I couldn’t put it any better than she did. Thank you all for making it a special day. I am a strong believer in community and supporting the other fellow. I am amazed by the actions of many of you towards one another. However, I am truly dumb-founded that the sentiment behind it is true and real. People caring about one another, even when the other is a perfect stranger. What a concept. The world could learn a lesson from the likes of you all.



These girls happen to live in my city and were brave enough to celebrate my Birthday in the JFK Room of our local bar (L to R: Melanoma, Debbie, Jackie, and Elisa.) JFK Room?! Yes, Boston is just a tiny bit proud of its role in JFK’s life. They rock and they brought yarn. These are all people I met on the INTERNET people. Scary place that it is… Who knew that the fringe benefits (bun-da-bump-ching) of knitting friends meant more yarn for you? Whopee. (Kris is missing from this photo – she’s a new blogging knitter who owns the Elizabeth Zimmerman videos, kniteros? Right Kris? I actually have them in my possession and have yet to watch them.)

For whom ever (who ever?) sent the A-zon gift certificate my way, this is what you got me. Now, we all are familiar with my inability to make progress on a sock. I was optimistic at the time. Now I wonder if I’ll ever get to use it. I will persevere.


And dear Shelley. Have you all taken a look at her blog? She a phenomenal caring woman who I will hug someday with a wide heart. Robby put together a banner for her and what do I get in the mail? A handmade pair of beautiful earrings. What?! People can actually make these?! And a few weeks later I am the special recipient of another pair.



(**dude, heady is so a cross-dresser**)

These I wore out to my BIG BIRTHDAY NIGHT IN THE NORTH END. (The North End is the Italian Neighborhood. Here you can find food just like your Grandma used to make. Yum Yum in my tum, tum.)

It goes on and on and it keeps going. Elisa gifted me a day on the town. Do you think I should tell her that I have a weak spot for expensive food and cheap men?

The littlest thing makes a huge difference. (Dude - I got a card from someone I've never even met! Thanks Laura A) I've resisted writing this post because I was afraid that I would forget to thank someone. Which I know I must have done here, and I am sorry for the oversight. However, I couldn't help but recognize the spirit in which this all was done. The actions are only second to the meaning behind them.

I'll be passing the buck on and hopefully we can spread some damn cheer around here!

Now go barf up your breakfast damnit!