Lace?  Not just lace... lace knitted from mohair.  Seriously, was I smoking crack when I thought that this wouldn't be too much of a challenge?  First off, a picture of my current WIP.

From the Spring/Summer 2005 issue of Vogue Knitting, I present the Ruffled Scarf.  Its the one on the right side of that picture up there.  The yellow one.  That has the ruffles.  And its all lacy.  It is made from Knit One Crochet Too's Douceur et Soie, which is very much like Rowan's Kid Silk Haze.  A pretty yarn that I'm sure is lovely when all knit up.  Right now, I hate it.

The project was started out with size 6 Denise needles.  However, I quickly realized that the join was going to be completely awful for this project.  For some reason, the Denise cords are about as big as a size 5 needle, and it makes small projects difficult, especially if you are a tight knitter.  Once I realized this, I ripped out the bit that I cast on.  I made my way to Woolwinders in search of Addi Turbos, since their join is smooth.  Woolwinders, however, was out of 6'es.  This is alright, because I'm a tight knitter.  I pick up some Addi Turbo size 7's.  Last Wednesday, at Knitty Meetup, I started to cast-on with my Addi Turbos.  I didn't get very far, when Paula reminded me that I had better cast on pretty loosely.  I did that, but when I went to purl the first row... that wasn't fun.  Addi Turbo's are slippery little devils that don't mix with this yarn (or any type of thin mohair, I assume).  I switched back to the Denise's, though I'm using a size 7 now.

Here are some pictures of the progress as of Sunday night.

There has been more progress since then, but I'm rather stuck.  I have a few e-mails out to people, like Vogue Knitting Technical Support, who may be able to help.  The pattern is just weird... because the directions do NOT follow the pattern stitch whatsoever.  Oh well, hopefully it will work out.

In other news, I'm currently in NYC.  My camera is all out of batteries, and I have taken no pictures whatsoever.    I'm going to get batteries tonight so that I can take pictures of my new stash enhancement, but before I do that, I'll leave with some pictures of the satchel.  I did finish it before I left for NYC, but no batteries means no pictures.

The body of the Satchel.

The pocket of the Satchel... now pretend there are two.  I'm still working on the strap.  It is supposed to be 65 inches of boring stockinette.  ICK!  No one likes to knit that.  I'm so close.  I'm not giving up.

There was a slight delay in the knitting of the Satchel.  As of Monday night(last week), I was on track.

Notice the beginning of the flap and the i-cord bind off around the top and sides of the main body.  I was doing really, really well.  Possibly slated to finish Tuesday or Wednesday.

But Tuesday morning, as I was walking to work, I had a slight accident, and ended up here.  Yup, that's the Emergency Room.  Now, you'd think that something like a car hitting me or a random pedestrian mugging me, but no.  That isn't at all what happened.  Instead, I simply stepped off the sidewalk wrong, twisting my ankle in the process.  Now, in my defense, there was a slight hole in the road, and I was kind of in a hurry to get to work, as I have a big project that I'm working on.  But I think for the most part it was complete clumsiness.  So I've got a sprained ankle.  This isn't the first time I've sprained my right ankle (or the left, for that matter) so I didn't really want to go to the hospital.  The people who stopped to help me insisted that I go, though.  And I was fortunate enough that someone I know was driving by, so she took me there.  No breaks, just a sprain.

The rest of Tuesday, after the hospital, was spent sitting on my couch.  I had to use crutches to get anywhere.  Even to my knitting.  Thank goodness I had enough on my plate work-wise, because I did have my laptop.  Wednesday and Thursday were spent much the same as Tuesday, using crutches to get around.  Not a fun thing, let me tell you.  I went to an orthopedic doctor on Thursday and he gave me an orthopedic boot to wear for the next two weeks.  I'm not very happy about this, but I can at least get around without crutches.  Which means, I can get to my knitting without any help whatsoever.

Now, for those of you are thinking that I might have just gotten my Satchel and worked on it, but every time I put the thing down, Tweed got hold of it and started toting it around in his mouth like a dog with a bone.  Cute, but not good for the yarn.  Now that I can put the Satchel away, I've made much more progress.

The body is complete (YAY!!)  and Saturday and Sunday I worked on the pockets and the strap.  Next, the felting.  Hopefully by Meetup this Wednesday, I'll be all finished.  My goal was to get it done by the twenty-seventh, when I go to NYC.  Congratulate me, I've met my goal!

FYI, I have pictures of the pockets and the strap, however, I didn't bring my camera with me to work.  I'll upload the completed body, pockets, and strap tonight.

So I'm really, really trying this whole knitting-one-thing-at-a-time concept that I've heard about.  Other knitters do it.  I know they do.  Granted, no one I know personally does it, but I think I need to be one of those people.   So I've committed myself to my Satchel.  And I have to say that I've come a long way, baby.

Friday night, I spent most of the evening watching my new Lost DVD and knitting.  It was a quiet night at home.  My roommate and her boyfriend went out of town.  I had taught this week, after a bit of a hiatus, and I was EXHAUSTED!  But I got about 12 inches done on the body of the Satchel.  With the six inches I had done at Knitty Mid-Meetup on Tuesday, that put me at 18 inches.  Right at the point where I need to stop knitting the body and start knitting the flap.  Now, this calls for an i-cord bind off, which, sadly, I had no instructions for in my little knitting library.  However, thanks to the wonders of the internet, I've found instructions. Here is a video for how to do an i-cord bind off.

So I should finish the Satchel some time this week.  My goal was to get it done before the 27th of September, when I go to NYC.  I'm so excited to go there!  And I think the Satchel will be the perfect accessory for tooling around the Big Apple.  Ya know... cause its red...  If anyone has any suggestions on places to go, things to do, people to see... anything really, please email me, or leave them in the comments.

My socks are done!  Complete!  Finished!

They look nice, don't they?  I couldn't be prouder.  I feel as though I've given birth, but the labor took three weeks, only hurt my hands, and, in the end, I'm going to walk all over the finished product - not the other way around.  Can you tell I don't have kids?

The two "kids" (cats) that I do have are apparently in the discovery phase of life.  Velvet has discovered that in my roommate's bathroom there is an endless supply of hair ties.

And Tweed has found that sitting in boxes can provide neverending happiness.

I, too, have found the secret to happiness for a few days.

Knitting the Satchel while watching Lost.  It can't get much better than this...

Well... except if the new Knitty came out. And Oh!  Look!  It did.

Target is now carrying yarn.  Yes, Target.  In the $1 spot section, no less.  Target yarn.  For a dollar!  Not in a kit (which they've carried for a while) but individual skeins.  For a dollar!

And I have to say... the yarn, although acrylic, was cute.  They had some Eros looking yarn,  90 yards of it per skein, and some fuzzy yarn.  Cute colors, too.  They also had bamboo needles for a dollar, but I didn't really check out the sizes and two pattern books, each featureing the different yarns.  The pattern books both had four patterns in them.  A few scarves, a shawl, a belt, a bookmark, and a purse.  I was shocked!!!  I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this.  I mean, I'm delighted that the masses can learn experience knitting.  Everyone should... we all know that.  And the fact that Target thinks its cool, then it must be, no?  The possiblity of even more knitters to share the joy of the craft with is compelling.

But I can say that I'd rather not buy my yarn at the same place I purchase toilet paper and batteries, even if it is convenient.  And the thought that keeps crossing my head... how do they make yarn and sell it for a dollar!?  Yes, acrylics are cheap, but who is making this yarn?  I'm just picturing some third world country resident slaving over skeining this Eros yarn and making two cents an hour.

But... the thought of an entire shawl for less than five dollars is almost too much to resist.  But nothing can compare to feel of wool, mixed with silk and mohair.  Or cashmere.  Knitting with the real stuff... I can't pass that up.  Even if it does cost five or even ten times as much.  The luxury of it all is exhilarating.  But I won't complain about Target having yarn.  For those of us who knit or crocheted or simply crafted something while in the poor years of our lives (a.k.a. college, post-college, post-wedding, pre-wedding, in-between jobs, or had-to-have-those-shoes-last-month), we appreciate creating for under five dollars.

Me, I'm sticking to the "good" stuff.

I have a finished sock!!!!

How happy am I?  Oh, wait... you can't see my face.  But I assure you that my foot is happy.  Not my FEET, just the one wearing the sock.  The other foot...not so happy.

So now I need to finish the second sock.  Tomorrow night, I think it will be done!  YAY!!! I can spend the last weekend of summer wearing a pair of wool socks.

Wait a minute... I don't think so!  No, I'm planning on spending the last week of summer at the pool, reading my latest book.

*For the knittingly challenged(Mom... Rhonda), FO stands for finished object.