Purling Swine and the Cauldron of the Bubbling Smores

So this weekend, I had the pleasure of being a guest at Chez Swine for an end of summer fiesta.

On Sunday, I tagged along with Nancy, Rinaldo and the boys to partake in a wonderful afternoon with Annie, Katy, Chante, Peggy, Cara and of course the beautiful Meli, and of course some boys and handsome men.

Poe, Lucy and Brigid were nice enough share their home with Anne and her adorable husband. They were really prepared for all of us, and it was lovely. The boys were running around, playing in the pool and all around the back yard. Heck we even played Bacci ball ( aka ... bad bowling on grass ), and it was priceless seeing everyone gather around a super copper cauldron for smores.

While the sun went down and we all gathered around the fire to chat and knit and some were spinning away, I was able to finish this simple sweater for my nephew Jovany's first son. I found the pattern through Ravelry late one night and it was simple and quick. The pattern is called Super Natural Stripes and it is available for free at f.pea and I made it out of Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran that I bought at the Point.


I love the color and I did just a little stripping to make it look more sporty and then I found these crayon box looking buttons at Annie and Company... just perfect. I am hoping to make a cute little cap to go along with the sweater.

Back to the day in the sun....

Check out Chante and Annie spinning away..show offs.

Peggy trying to get a few more stitches in before the sun went down.

Katy taking a break before picking up the sweater she is working on again. During this time Nancy was hiding away using a carder to prepare some gorgeous roving.

Heck even with the buggies nipping at my ankles it was beautiful day.

the Pink Lady ...

Lately I have been growing found of wearing a color which has not been really a part of my wardrobe since my mom was dressing me.... PINK

Not a crazy fuchsia, like the jacket my mom got me when I was a teen but nice light pinks which seem to complement my skin color, and since its the summer time I figured its a nice change of pace for me. But no where in the contract that I signed in my new admiration of the fair color did I sign on to getting the evil PINK EYE. I had been extremely lucky in my life to have never ever gotten infected with this nasty stuff, but yesterday I woke up with one eye bothering me and the other not too far behind. Yes! you do have it said the nice doctor said when I walked into his office and as he gave me prescription for the most expensive eye drops I have ever bought.

This morning I woke up with the such nasty stuff on my eyes and to top them off they were puffy and really red. You would have thought I was locked in a room all night smoking with Snoop Dogg.... and thats considering I have never touched the stuff in my life. I stayed home from work because just what I need is to infect all the booksellers in my store and then get blamed for all the call outs. The amazingly expensive drops really work and a lot of the redness is gone, but damn why me. I had plans tonight, they involved a nice dinner and then snuggling up with the boyfriend at the movies. Instead I spent a lot of time watching television and working on a pinwheel blanket, not a bad trade off in some respect but still.

I have blogged about being sick before, and I guess today I have a need to share with anyone who cares to read this blog, and that is just the point, I want to share something major to me and it might mean nothing to you.
Isn't that what blogging is all about? Sharing with a few close friends and a couple of hundred strangers. In reading Cara's blog about the demise of blogging I realized that it doesn't really matter if anyone reads this entry or if other people who have suffered with Pink Eye want to share their experiences with me, its just that I wanted to talk about it today, that I have this vehicle, this outlet to talk about anything that comes to mind.
Now yes my blog is called the Knitting Cube and there should be some knitting involved and there will be toward the end, but if all I wanted to talk about is about my love for Bette Davis movies, that is want I will do.
Ravelry has become an amazing force in the knitting and crocheting community, I totally agree with that, and I totally believe that if you love blogging you will continue and if all you want to do is Ravelry, then you will be spending all your free time there.

As knitters, crocheters and bloggers we all believe in sharing. Sharing stories, patterns, ideas and helpful hints and the occasional stitch marker. That is what makes all of this special and a safe place for all of us to communicate and share ideas with total strangers who are sitting in front of there laptop just as I am now.


My BFF shared her love of knitting with me and I finally gave her pair of socks knitted just for her. I got the hint big time when she kept saying that no one ever knits for her. So these are my first pair of toe up socks from Simply Knitting called Feet First by Debbie Tomkies.

Made with Aussi Yarn from Oasis Yarns in the Sahara colorway they were fun and fast to make and so easy for my first toe up socks.



Enjoy Nan!

Happy Birthday ... Nancy

So for the past 28 years, June 27th has been more to me than just another day in June, it has become an immortal day for all of us.

Nancy's birthday !!!

As she enjoys her day off from work being pampered and spoiled, I really tried to get her a really special gift, something that she has wanted for over 25 years, but he would not answer my phone calls and that whole following him around the city was just troublesome.




Sorry Nancy, John Taylor won't be popping out of your birthday cake this weekend after all, maybe next year.

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!!

No knitting involved....again.

It seems that lately my blog is all about the meme's these days, heck I just copy them from the BFF's blog and then wait to see what Mrs. Benson has to say about my answers...LOL

So here it goes:

YES/NO GAME RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

You can only say yes or no. You are NOT ALLOWED to explain ANYTHING unless someone messages you and asks!

• Over 18? Yes
• Danced in front of your mirror naked? Yes
• Ever told a lie? Yes
• Been arrested? No
• Kissed a picture? Yes
• Fallen asleep at work/school? Yes
• Held an actual snake? No
• Have YOU Ever run a red light? No
• Ever drink and drive? No
• Been suspended from school? No
• Ever been fired from a job? Yes
• Totaled a car/motorbike in an accident? No
• Sang karaoke? No
• Done something you told yourself you wouldn't? Yes
• Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Yes
• Ever laughed until you wet yourself? Yes
• Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Yes
• Kissed in the rain? Yes
• Sang in the shower? Yes
• Sat on a rooftop? Yes
• Thought about your past with regret? Yes
• Been pushed in the pool with your clothes on? Yes
• Shaved your head? No
• Blacked out from drinking? No
• Had a gym membership? No
• Been in a band? No
• Shot a gun? No
• Liked someone with nobody else knowing about it? Yes
• Played strip poker? Yes
• Been to a strip joint? No
• Donated Blood? Yes
• Liked someone you shouldn't? Yes
• Have a tattoo? Yes
• Have or had any piercings besides ears? No
• Made out with a complete stranger? No
• Caught someone cheating on you? No
• Skinny dipped? Yes
• Regret any of your ex's? Yes
• Been to a rodeo? No
• Been to a NASCAR race? No
• Been in Love? Yes

Nothing out of the ordinary.... Boring

Now as for the DD pictures, they didn't come out that good, and nothing but pure perfection is allowed when it comes to Simon Le Bon.

I do have a small project on the needles which should be done by Monday, pictures will follow.

Adios !

Who I am!

I normally do not do any type of meme's ... they are just too much work, but this one I liked. I got it from the BFF's blog and she got it from Margene and Vicki and so on.

Don't judge me...lol



Its all about the apples ....

Gilmore Girls ... Season 8 - Finished

For us Gilmore Girls fans the wish of an eighth season was a fading dream when the show ended after seven seasons, and it was replaced by another scandalous show with the same initials (argh).

I bloomed late to the legions of GG's fans and I became totally obsessed. Obsessed to the point of buying yarn from Etsy.com from White Oak Studios famous ty yarns. It was made with Lorelai and Rory in mind. Blue for their eyes, pink because they were so girlie and espresso brown for all the coffee they drank, and I chose the RPM's pattern from Knitty because they loved music so much.



But these socks took about as long as a complete season of the show. I started with such enthusiasm, but then it got lost in the shuffle when I started my mami's cardigan for her birthday. So after months and months and random rounds during lunch breaks, I finally started to dedicate my self to finishing these socks.

So yesterday while lounging and laughing at Nancy's annual Memorial Day Weekend BBQ, I was knitting away and this morning I finally finished them and that in between others jabbing at my knitting during a social event.
Now all knitters know that lazy Sunday's are made for knitting on a sunny deck, while drinking a cold beer and joking around with friends.

The colors are so vibrant and perfect, shame they are not so clear in the picture and on my chubby feet.

For those who know me well, know that I am not the most girlie girl out there. I am not the kind of woman who goes out and buys lots of handbags and such. I like a comfortable and roomy bag to fit all my stuff I carry to work, and easy to carry especially on the subway. It never makes sense to me when I see ladies with their crazy expensive clutch bags underneath there arms and then are carrying one or two tote bags.

I have not been able to find something that I like, well nothing that was not ridiculously expensive and with a short strap. Yeah yeah I am picky.

So I have decided to make my own. Hopefully with a combination of patterns and ideas will turn into a cool messenger type bag.
I have this cotton yarn from a Suss Cousins kits that I was lucky enough to get on clearance. I don't know if it will be enough for the whole bag, but the majority of it. Trust me, I have additional cottons in my stash to finish it up. My mami doesn't know that she will be making a lining for this bag when I finish it.


Wish me luck...and since there is going to be no felting involved with this bag, lets see how I can make it waterproof.

Jitterbug Jive

This weekend I head to my first cruise. The BFF's crew has organized a 3 day cruise of the Bahamas and I am tagging along, a best friends weekend. Nothing like lounging on cruise ship in the Caribbean, oh so I have heard.

To get ready for the breezy nights, I wanted to make a Clapotis from Knitty. It became a struggle of what yarn I really wanted to use. At first it was Gloss yarn from Knit Picks and then it was some Colinette Jitterbug, which won in the end. So wanting to use some Jitterbug in the Rapheal colorway which I bought last year, I had to find another three hanks quickly. The biggest problem was dye lot. I did not remember that Jitterbug is hand dyed and that the dye lots would be so different, bad bad knitter. I had to unravel what I had already worked on and then start all over again. Problem number 2, I needed another hank since I had an older hank from last year and two new ones from a 3/08 dye lot.

I turned to a local yarn store on the Upper East Side, I turned to String NYC.

Not only did they get me the first 3 hanks, they were able to get me the last hank from the 3/08 dye lot that Colinette had so the Clapotis will be perfect when I finish it. Now I do not know when I will be shopping at String again, I have a lot of stash to use up, but the store is so close to my job and they were just so helpful, and that means a lot to me. I have had my fair share of bitchy LYS owners and I do not go back to their stores.





It is looking pretty but I will not be able to finish it before Friday, being a plus size woman I need it to be just a little longer.
So I will finish it, but not for my cruise.



So for my trip knitting I will be taking along a sock that needs to be finished. Second sock syndrome runs rampant, I really have to master the two socks at one time on long circular needle. Its not like I don't have the new book sitting gathering dust on my bookcase.


Thank you to all for the sweet comments on my mami's cardigan and the sweet birthday wishes.
Smooches.

Mami and the Birthday Cardigan

So it is finished!

In my knitting career I have made several kiddie cardigans and such, but no adult clothing besides a hat or sock until now.
The cardigan I started in November for my moms birthday was finally finished and seamed only a few days before her 78th birthday.
She had an idea that I was making her something since I had to measure her once, and since my mami has gained a little weight, I had to make it a size larger. She tried to be nosey by looking into my knitting baggie.

Using the Autumn Cardigan pattern from the book 12 Months of Knitting and Knit Picks Telemark yarn in the Bayberry colorway, the cardigan fit her perfectly. I was lucky to find the best buttons to match the cardigan at Tender Buttons on 62nd Street....warning !!! dangerous place.

My mami was thrilled and quickly posed for several shots for the benefit of my blog and the fact that she is a total ham when it comes to the camera.



The cutest part of this picture for me is the teddy bear, yeah that's hers too.


The detail of the flowers on the front of the cardigan were overlooked by her until she got up close and then she would not take it off. Unfortunately its getting warm and she won't have much occasion to wear it, but she will somehow.


So Nancy being my mami's second daughter, she made her Ice Queen from Knitty. My mami loves keeping her head wrapped when its chilly or at church, so this will be perfect in all occasions for her.


Now she can't complain that she doesn't have enough hand knitted items, besides all the socks I have made her.
My mami is a seamstress by trade, she could make anything she ever wanted to make since the age of 8, and she has made me almost every dress I have worn my entire life...so I guess it is my turn now to make her some goodies.

Next time ... the saga of my Clapotis and my new favorite LYS.

Ravelry ... oh dear.

Hello all...

I wonder if I am the only one having this problem:

Instead of working on my mami's cardigan, that must be finished by April 10th since her birthday is the 11th, I have spent the last two hours adding finished projects to my Ravelry account. Then of course taking pictures of the few WIP's and then I added them as well. This is a dangerous thing.
Next will be the pictures of all the stash and organizing my needles.

I was wondering when I would get really hooked to all the many areas of this knitting site. Sneaky little devils they are.

I'm scared.

Just a quick note...

It has come to my attention that the best thing to get you back into your knitting zen ... your knitting aura, back into your knitting zone is to just whip up something nice and simple for a well deserving person.

This lovely lady is Yenifer, one of the best booksellers I have worked with in the many years that I have worked in the book business. She is hardworking, dedicated and a team player, and to top it off she is a great mom.


So to thank her for all her hard work I wanted to make her something. I asked her to pick a pattern and I whipped up this hat this past weekend when I was hanging out at the BFF's house.

From the book Hip Knit Hats by Cathy Carron, and using Wool of the Andes from Knit Picks, it was fun and fast...and it looks great on her.

Thank you Yenifer !!!

On the knitting front, I have been planning my next project after I finish my mother's cardigan, I have one more sleeve and then I can start blocking and seaming...the infamous finishing.

I am going to work on a Clapotis for a trip next month...I just have to stop myself from spending a whole lot of money on some Jitterbug yarn for it instead of what I have already bought.

WILL POWER... WILL POWER ... WILL POWER

Congratulations to Cara and the newest member to her family.

Two pugs ... the sweet Brigid and Snowy Surprise.

With the winter dropping a heavy dose of snow and sleet on NYC, there are few reasons for me to leave the warm sanctuary of my apartment to take a long trek to Long Island. I was invited to a surprise baby shower for Cara who is due in March. This extravaganza was organized by the amazing cutie Ann and it was a great day out with some new and old friends.

I met most all of these wonderful ladies through my BFF Nancy and all the connections she has made in the world of knitting bloggers. It is amazing how this wonderful craft, just two sticks and some string has brought all of us together. We took the train with Regina and I got to see some of the ladies from Spin Out last year.

Ann and her hubby have a beautiful home and she planned a beautiful day for Cara and her family. Cara had no idea about the shower, especially with her family coming in from Pennsylvania. Many blessing for her and her husband Georgie on their bundle of joy.


Ann made Cara the most amazing blanket made with Knit One, Crochet Two yarn. It was a labor of love but Ann is such an amazing knitter and spinner. After all the gifts were opened and we were stuffed with great food and yummy mimosas, we all just sat around to knit and chat up a storm. I know everything I need to know about prepping for an easy child birth if ever I go down that road.


I am a dog lover, and when I walked into Ann's home, I was greeted by three of the most amazing dogs ever.

Poe ... the wildest, most hyper Pug I have ever met.

Lucy... so chubby and so cute.


and Brigid, the warmest and loving dog. These dogs run the house and Ann and the rest of the family just happen to live there.

So what am I knitting...or should I say what is in the knitting bag, and sometimes ends up being worked on. The only real project I have been working on is a cardigan for my mama. She has an idea that I am working on something for her since I had to measure her, and it will be finished for her birthday in April. The pattern is from the new book Twelve Months of Knitting and its so simple but the problem is inspiration. The two front sides and back are done, I am even doing the sleeves in the round so I don't have to seam later, but it is still taking forever. I have other projects I want to start but I am hesitant to even buy the yarn. Is anyone else going through the
winter knitting blues. I didn't do much holiday gift knitting since I really do not have the time during the holiday season, so I don't know why I am in such a slump. I try do a lot of knitting on the train but with it being cold and with so much reading I need to catch up on, the knitting suffers. The know I am not the only one who goes through this, but now its just figuring out how to get out of the slump.