Singer Esteem say hello to the world. This thing is truly wunderbar. The first very important item of business was to fill out the warranty card, you know, just in case you monkey strength the thing and have to have something, er, replaced. (I didn’t do that by the way, but it has been known to happen to other appliances, like the Cuisnart.)

Then you can sew. Once I got through the basics I was ready to rock and roll, the Singer Esteem (don’t you just love that?) is a MUCH nicer machine than the one I inherited a few years ago, but in all fairness, it was a 50 year old dinosaur of a machine so it is like comparing apples to fossilized apples or something. my Esteem is light weight, easy to understand and it sews like buttah. I lined my rosebud bag and finished it last night! It took two tries, but I made lemons into lemonade. My first lining was much too small, so I made a second, better lining, and the first became a snazzy hidden side pocket see?

Notice the stripes in the pocket and in the bag go opposite ways, let us pretend I did that on purpose (I like the effect though) I also used my zigzag feature because that is how I roll. And here is the finished bag on the outside:

All in all, not a bad project. The actual knitting was done in a flash, then add about 2 hours to sew on all the roses, leaves and insert the handles and another 2 hours (give or take) to do a lining. I am very pleased with my new summer bag!  Hey, thanks Jenny for the pattern suggestion, and again to John and Margaret for the snazzy new machine and of course, I’d like to thank the academy…

Let me sum up. Artist Jennifer Marsh came up with the brilliant idea to essentially upholster an abandoned, unused gas station as social commentary on our country’s dependance on oil products (I hope I got that right- forgive me if I am not completely with it, I’m too excited.)

So, I sent my square. (You can see it here if you are so inclined.) Well, I got notice she had received it, but I checked and checked on the pages where you can view the squares on her site and alas, mine was not there. I was sad. Then I got an email about the installation of the project (it looks pretty freakin’ awesome in the completed state) and I found this:

Look closely, verrrrry closely. THAT square on the front right corner is all MINE baby. (Well I did have some help, thanks to the Northeast Georgia Yarnsters) but see that mitered square- that was me for rizzle dizzle. I’d recognize that bulgy hunk of crap anywhere. I’m so very pleased. I aided in an important work of art, a large-scale politically-minded cozy.

Here is one half of a finished fingerless glove set for my grandpa:

Knit Picks wool of the Andes (stripey to make sure I have enough yarn and don’t have to order more) modified Cigar Gloves pattern from knitty.com. I made the one glove last night using the two circulars method (my personal favorite) and although the stripes make me dizzy, I think he will like them.

Excuse the crappy bright photo, there is an equally dark craptastic photo here.  I’ll have photos with it on after this weekend.

This bugger took a while to finish. Thankfully, Shari gave me a booklet recently called “Learn to Crochet in just One Day” (Thank you Shari!) with some fantastic photos, because the crochet edges were to be lace and I wouldn’t have had a clue what the abbreviations were for otherwise. I learned to single crochet, and triple crochet, and chain- and now I don’t know why I was so hesitant to learn, it was really easy. The garment fit well, but with the stretch, it met in the middle a little more than desired- I should have made the smallest size- and probably swatched (yeah, I don’t always wanna and YOU can’t make me!) So Jeff and I called it my “tummy sweater” (because that is the only area it really keeps warm.) I think it will be cute over a white starched shirt with jeans and boots for a date night this winter.

This weekend I also whipped out (at warp speed) a simple roll brim hat – a pattern from one of my favorite bloggers- Crazy Aunt Purl.

This hat was a belated birthday present. It is not made from crappy yarn. It is the why-oh-why-didn’t-I-buy-more-of-this-stuff-at-half-price yarn from my stash. Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed (wool/silk/cashmere blend.) So soft it makes you want to cry (particularly after knitting with nasty acrylic.)  The recipient’s head is much smaller than my big ol’ melon so it is even cuter on her. She seemed to like it very much (and said that it would go with her brown coat) which, of course, was the very idea. I’m so hating my stash right now and I want new, sexy yarn. The SAFF folks are probably going to make me weep with the beauty of all of their loot, I just know it.

And some eye candy for all you cat lovers. I have a very, very bitchy cat. And I love her. She is grumpy, grumbly and growly, but she loves to snuggle with me (as long as it is her idea) and will let me pet her (as long as I adhere to her guidelines). Her name is Manxie-Moo- and sometimes, in the spring I shave her- because her hair gets matted (the fact that it pisses her off is just a bonus.)  Here she is making poo-face at me on Sunday night.

Don’t you love it?

Overall, I hated, hated, hated this knit. It was too basic a pattern, too big of an amoeba shape, too many stitches to pick up and whine, whine, whine. Although I like the results, something slightly more challenging, a style a tad more refined, would have made it all the better to knit. I am so sick of this color I could scream.

(And not spilling wine all over it, me, and the couch would have been good too.)

I cast on a Dimple Shale Scarf last night, only 4 rows to repeat across 53 stitches- I’m in heaven. I learned how to do a cabled cast on- very snazzy new neat-o skill. The lace might be a hair too complicated to memorize completely, but ask me again half way through if it can be done. Compared to the shawl from hell, it is moving along rather swiftly so far and I’m glad to be making something SMALL for a change. Very satisfying. And the color is very pretty- for Jane (Jeff’s Momma). I have neglected to mention the yarn on purpose. I almost didn’t do so because of my own self-admitted fiber snobbery at times. It is Red Heart- gasp.  (Luster Sheen or something like that.) Now, I normally would break into hives admitting to the universe that I am enjoying such a basic yarn, but it has such a nice sheen, drape and stitch definition for this particular pattern, I’ve decided you don’t always have to use saxxxy fibers to get lovely results. Or at least, not on a scarf anyways. Or at least, not on this scarf. Anyhoo. Ciao.

I’ll give a teensy peek of the finished stealth project, ok?

Hey- she reads my blog! I can’t show it to you or mention it much- except I had a ‘block party’ at my house this weekend and said item is beyoootiful! I promise, two-three more weeks, tops.

In other knitting news, I started another project for another birthday- she doen’t read my blog so I can show you this:

Yes, that is a 9 Volt battery for scale. Scale is important. And, so I’ve learned, is gauge. I’m making a shawl. It needs to be warm and washable (she is a new mommy). I found the pattern on the Lion Brand site- I know- very unsexy, but it will be pretty and she will like it and the baby can barf on it and she can wash it, verrrry important. It is on probably the longest Denise needle ever created. I had an “A-HA” moment when I balked at purchasing a $17.99 Addi Turbo #8, 60 in. I have a Denise kit, why not just purchase the 52″ lead? How many times will I be asked to use such a length in a pattern, honestly? And when and if I am, at least the damn thing will be interchangable. Not to mention that at about $6, it is a winner. The pattern so far is 201 stitches worked back and forth in seed stitch for 15 inches- THAT I can do! It is also a good knitting project to have when watching a movie in subtitles- I watched Pan’s Labyrinth this weekend- wonderful but not, I repeat, NOT a movie for children. Anyways, back to the shawl, it will have this gi-normous ruffle that will pick up all the way around (hence the mondo needle) so it will be a little girly. Which is also good. I’m using Lion Brand Wool Ease in Chestnut Heather- shut up, I like it just fine. I made my Kyoto with it last year (My ‘first’ real sweater and I can’t wait to wear it again, it is truly awesome.) See?

Wool Ease feels warm and soft because of the wool, but you can WASH it-because of the other stuff. I find that important, because, in my home, whether the tag says so or not, sometimes things just get warshed. I did NOT use a washable yarn for the stealth knitting, I used something decidedly more 100% Merino and num-num-nummy- but it was pretty, and a gift for someone that is growed up enough to be able to handle the responsiblility.

Oh how could I forget? Guess who arrived in the mail today?

I was prioritized by the good folks at kpixie.com. Still no sign of the initial order, sad. But, after my loopy, lengthy, verbose letter , they sent another pattern by priority mail. I feel so special. And no, I don’t think I over reacted at all. I might have spent a little too much of my time obsessing, because I was feeling bitchy and they were the lucky recipients. But look at that face- I suppose Baby Bobbi could be a good beach project (2 weeks!) although those ‘seeds’ aren’t going to plant themselves.

And, because I can, a little ‘eye candy’ which, in this case is actual candy.

Elvis Pez Despensers, uh-huh, Momma. Cola flavored pez. From my Mayun. There is a CD in there too, although I’m not allowed to open it. Action figure geeko says it wouldn’t be ‘collectable’ then.