I Heart Knitting

A few weeks ago, Sew Mama Sew hosted a giveaway, where they gathered the links to SO MANY BLOGS that were having a giveaway over the weekend.  I decided that this would be a great way to a) possibly score some free swag and b) discover more sewing blogs, as I’ve really had a desire to sew.  Well, I was lucky enough to accomplish both!  First, the swag:

This fabric came from the giveaway over at Terri’s Notebook.  And what a great prize it is!  There are three fat quarters (the pieces on the left) and three half yard pieces (over there on the right).  I’m so thrilled with it, as it really is going to make something great.  I’m thinking of getting my stitch on and making a patchwork bag.  Or… I might try my had at something Denyse Schmidt-y since this fabric is from her Katie Jump Rope collection.  It really is great!

Aside from the fantastic swag, I was able to discover a few (or more) blogs.   I fully intend to go back to the giveaway posts (more here) and checking out things again.  There really were so many blogs on there (even some knitting ones!).

Chris wins the crafty fiance of the year award – once again. For my birthday, he got me a Nancy’s Knit Knacks Heavy Duty Ballwinder and a Schact Cricket Loom. That’s not the reason I’m marrying him, but its definitely a perk!  Hopefully I can get pictures up later!

I love New York!

Did anyone else see Stephanie Pearl-McPhee’s post yesterday?  If not, it was all about how she had a slight affair with another craft – weaving.  I’ve been semi-interested in this weaving phenomenon since Lolly took it up a few years ago, but the cost and the time and the space needed for weaving seemed too much.  However, the tiny little loom the Yarn Harlot was using and the gorgeous scarf she created has really just about sealed the deal for me on the weaving thing.  I told Chris last night that he could get me the Cricket Loom for my birthday if he wanted.  It isn’t something I’d be likely to buy myself, though who am I kidding?  If the bug bites, I gotta scratch!  I have so much sock yarn that I’m nearly bursting from it all, and I think the loom might be a good solution to working down the stash.  In a knitty article, the author said that a 100 g ball of sock yarn would make a whole scarf.  This could be a fantastic gift idea!  I almost got the ladies at My Sister’s Yarn Shop ready to weave with me this morning when I was retelling my love for the Yarn Harlot’s scarf!  We’ll see if it shows up in June, or if I’ll just have to purchase the loom myself.  Either way, be on the lookout for some woven scarves. Also, take a look at this gorgeousness and see if you don’t want to weave, too…

So here it is… the wedding shawl. I’ve finally decided on the pattern and the yarn. And here is the first three repeats.

My adventures in dress shopping were interesting on Saturday.  We picked a local bridal shop based on the fact that they carried a brand who made very nice looking plus-size dresses, based on my perusings on the Interwebs.    I had six dresses I wanted to see.  None were in stock.  Not only that, but the ladies at the shop really weren’t that helpful.  They pretty much told me to tag what I wanted and they’d put them in the dressing room, and then let me go on my merry way.  Didn’t ask me much about what I was interested in, or really even talk to me all that much.  Also, because it was 80 degrees this weekend, it was HOT in the shop.  I tried on one dress, and wasn’t super in love with it.  We left the shop disappointed.  The next shop we went to was slightly more helpful, but they didn’t have a whole lot of dresses with straps.  I wasn’t interested in a strapless dress.  So we headed over to the last place I thought I’d go dress shopping, David’s Bridal.  Let me tell you, my experience there was fantastic!  They only had a few dresses in my size, and I didn’t find a whole lot with straps, but my mom convinced me to try a few things on.  Wouldn’t you know the dress that I wasn’t all that interested in turned out to be THE DRESS!  It was strapless, but David’s Bridal has an option with their dresses that you can add straps, so I did.  But I really didn’t need to.  The dress was great without the straps!  And it was VERY flattering.  If anyone out there (Manda, I’m looking at you) has any reservations about dress shopping, take a look at David’s Bridal – and if you’re interested in which dress I got, let me know.  It has received tons of great reviews on the David’s Bridal site.  I’m so excited to wear the dress on our wedding day.  I can’t wait for Chris to see me in it!

According to the Cylon Detector App, which is awesome by the way, my dog is a Cylon. Here’s the proof…

Today, I am going to go wedding dress shopping.  I’m frightened!  I am, in all truthfulness, a big girl.  Most days I’m ok with this.  It isn’t my favorite thing about myself, but I’m mostly ok with it.  Today, however, I am not.  Not. At. All.  The bridal shop we (my mom, Chris’s mom, and my niece, Grace) are going to has plus-size samples, and I already have a good idea of what dress I’d like to buy, so it really shouldn’t be horrible, but I’m not looking forward to this!  Shouldn’t this be the happiest time of my life?  Why am I letting my chubby arms get in the way of me being the Bride?  Am I not supposed to want people to pamper me?  Man, I feel some deep rooted psychological issues coming on! I will just enjoy myself.  I will work out so that I don’t feel like this on my Big Day.  And I will stop worrying about what others think of me.  After all, the only person whose opinion I truly care about loves me to pieces and thinks I’m beautiful.

On a MUCH happier note (sorry about the self-esteem talk there, I dont’ usually do that!), I bought myself some yarn last weekend.  Not only is it yarny – it is CASHMERE!!  And its for a shawl I’m wearing on my wedding day.  I’m going to make Eunny Yang’s Print O’ the Wave Stole(pdf link, here is the Ravelry link).  I’m one repeat in and I think its the most gorgeous thing ever!  I’ll probably post some photos later today, as I can’t get to the camera right now.

I bought myself a fancy new toy. One that practically everyone has. An iPhone. And I’m just playing around right now to see if I can blog on the go. I can. And I’m super excited!!!! I can even post photos if I want, but I’m not sure how to position them yet. What a fun, cool toy this is turning out to be.
Ok, so if there is anyone out there who actually does read this still and owns an iPhone, what are some cool apps? I’ve discovered Pandora and urban spoon and shazam. Pocket god is cute and I’m enjoying that when I need to kill some time. I have a few knitting apps, though I haven’t found the need to use any yet. Is there anything my iPhone needs to have to make it’s life complete?

A while back, I purchased a skein of Vesper Sock Yarn in the Aquamelon colorway (ravelry link).  I fell in love with a pair in this colorway years ago, and had to have a pair of my own.  Well, I finished the pair tonight.

*

Of course, I left its mate at home (I’m in Florida) so I don’t have a picture of the pair.  Hopefully I can post that on Saturday, after I go dress  shopping with my mom and MIL-to-be.  Yup, Dress Shopping!  I can’t believe I’m doing this!!!!

* OK, so maybe they aren’t all the way done.  I have to close my toes, but I didn’t bring any darning needles with me, and I’m not about to go buy any.  If there’s one thing I don’t need right now, its extra darning needles!