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February 28, 2005
The Feral Jungle Chicken Explained
Thanks to everyone who posted such nice comments about Mariah... I have a bit past 16" done on the first sleeve now, and it's looking good (no pic today, though). I'm really enjoying knitting this, and I'm also feeling a bit antsy because I want the sweater!
I'm wavering about on whether I'm going to make it with the hood or create a collar - I like the hood, but as someone on the Mariahalong mentioned, collars are a bit more work-friendly. If I do put the hood on, I'll be doing some sort of a cable edge rather than the square-neck bind off in front that the pattern has - I avoid crew-necks and their relatives like the plague, both because I find them uncomfortable and because they are extremely unflattering on me. That straight neckline is a bit too close to crew for my comfort, and I think that if I start the hood at the edge it will wear in a much more v-neck like fashion.
I've spent most of the last week packing up a storm - today is our last day 'in' our old apartment. Neither of us has lived there since December, but we've been wavering on what to do next, so we'd just kept it with most of our stuff in it. Now everything's in a POD, which will be stored, and delivered to our new apartment once we find one. I wanted to move straight into our new place (As much as I love my parents and sister, and as well as living with them is going, I do like being out on my own) but this is a really busy time for D, finishing up with school, working, etc. and choosing an apartment and moving just didn't fit in right now. In any case, after work tonight I'm headed over to do finishing move-out touches (like vacuum - our gave up the ghost last night, so I'm borrowing my mom's) and do the final walkthrough with the manager. It will certainly be good to have it done - I've been going a bit nuts over this all for the past few weeks.
Bron asked for the story of the Feral Jungle Chicken, so I'll answer here. When I was in high school I went on vacation with my family to Kauai. We won a kayak trip from the condos where we were staying, and my dad and I went - we paddled down a river for a ways, then got out and walked around some paths in a less-accessed jungle area. I was walking along and saw, through the branches and leaved, a large bird perched on a tree limb over the path in front of us. I remember noticing some red on it, and starting to wonder what fascinating tropical bird I was about to get a better look at... Then we got a bit closer and I saw that it was, in fact, a chicken. Apparently when Hurricane Iniki swept through the island a few years before, it destroyed a lot of families' chicken coops... a number of the chickens had gotten loose and began to breed, and the island is now somewhat overrun by them!
Okay, time to go... Coming soon: the next installment of my 100 things, pics of my progress on Mariah, and more random blathering.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Anonymous
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DATE: 3/1/2005 14:11:58
I sent you a little present in your e-mail today--let me know if you received it! Hope you like it!
Your SP4
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Posted by Shannon at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)
February 24, 2005
Meme time!
Seen on a few friends pages, though not on any knitblogs yet:
10 things I've done that you probably haven't:
1. Swam in the midst of a completely wild pod of dolphins
2. Taken my mother-in-law to a bellydance class
3. Been featured as Hotwired's Geek of the Week (God, I was young!)
4. Watched a cliff-face come down where I'd been standing less than 10 minutes before
5. Held my birthday party at a zoo concert in the pouring rain
6. Supported fiftysome 18- to 20-year-olds through the grieving process simultaneously (while going through it myself)
7. Seen a Feral Jungle Chicken, which I thought was an exotic tropical bird until I got a better look
8. Had a car the exact color of normal duct tape, patched with a piece of green duct tape...
9. Devoted an entire day to winning free tickets to a Depeche Mode concert - and done it!
10. Played in a parade in Disneyland.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Bron
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DATE: 2/28/2005 07:13:18
OK...exactly WHERE did you see a Feral Jungle Chicken? Inquiring minds are stunned.
I don't think I've done 10 things that other people haven't. I'd be hard pressed to think of one.
Great start on Mariah - looks like you've been doing cable sweaters for ages. :) Love the color too!
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Posted by Shannon at 02:11 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2005
Mariah begins
Mariah, sleeve 1 in progress Originally uploaded by SpiralShannon.
I finally got started on Mariah - put in a while on it on Monday night, plus about half an hour at lunch yesterday and today. I have almost 6 inches of the first sleeve done,and I'm pretty pleased. I'm using TLC Cotton Plus in kiwi, which is a bit lighter than the photo shows...
I'm not sure that making this my first ever sweater, and my first cable project, is the brightest idea I ever had, but so far I haven't had too much trouble... I did twist the four cables in the ribbing all the same way to start out and didn't realize it until I was 2 rows past the second twist, so I got my first experience of dropping down and fixing cables - I'm rather proud of myself for doing that, though.
Much more to report but I need to get home and pack! I'll be coming in to work early tomorrow and will hopefully have some decent blogging time.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Angela
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DATE: 2/24/2005 08:25:15
Your cables looks great, and I love the color you chose. Can't wait to see the finished sweater!
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Violet
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DATE: 2/23/2005 21:13:17
Looks great. Would have never known that this was your first cabling project. Great job! Keep it up.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: chris
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DATE: 2/23/2005 19:05:57
Wow, big props for making your first sweater such an advanced one! That's the way to do it, IMO -- don't let the pattern intimidate you!
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Posted by Shannon at 05:42 PM | Comments (0)
February 18, 2005
Finally, an update!
Felted purse, pre-felting Originally uploaded by SpiralShannon.
My only recent FO... the cover purse from A Knitter's Dozen bags, knit with Lamb's Pride Bulky in Limeade and Peacock, obviously still needs to be felted...
With my post about everything going fabulously well, I apparently jinxed myself! I got sick again last week, then picked up either a stomach bug or a mild case of food poisoning earlier this week! I have gotten some lovely mail - a few things I ordered, the adagio tea goodies posted about below, and Miriam's beautiful journal! So, at least it hasn't been all gloom-and-doom around here...
I'm heading out of town for the weekend again, this time missing a gigantic craft swap and a sale at one of my fave LYS's. I should have a good time though... I always do down in Eugene.
And, finally, here's the promised updates to my Secret pal questionnaire:
I'm only posting the questions that have changed...
4. How long have you been knitting?
It's been about 9 months now - big surprise that this one changed, eh? ;-)
13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Still don't know... I do know that I love springy (like sqouushy, bouncy, etc, not the season) wools and wool blends, and alpaaaaaaca, but I'm certainly open to other things.
14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
Cheap scratchy acrylics, crappy eyelash that isn't soft - I'm actually not that much of an eyelash fan at all, as it turns out, though it was one of my big draws to get into knitting.
16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
17. What are you knitting right now?
Lots of jewelbox scarves (skinny scarves with ladder yarn on big needles - I sell them), about to start Mariah from knitty, just got yarn to make a semi-copycat of the ruffles scarf from scarf style. I'm also making a rune bag... and a bellydance hip scarf... and got yarn to try out some socks... wow, I'm trying to do a lot!
18. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiosity question for us)
Over them, for the most part. I like what I have but don't want any more...
19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
I adore my Denises!
21. How old is your oldest UFO?
Same fuzzy scarf listed before, about 8 months old and off the needles... not sure it will ever be done, but not ready to frog it all yet...
Posted by Shannon at 01:01 PM | Comments (0)
Yummy
As some of you may know, Adagio Teas is giving out free samples to people who put links up on their websites. As I have three different sites, and I've been very pleased with Adagio for some time and have no qualms promoting them, I did it... and was gifted with the bounty you see here - a 6 piece herbal sample, a 4 piece green sample, and an IngenuiTEA pot. The valentines sample I got along with a separate recent order... Hooray for tea at work!
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Rossana
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DATE: 2/18/2005 15:52:24
I hadn't heard about the Adagio Link program. Thanks for the tip! Have a great weekend!
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Debbie
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DATE: 2/24/2005 13:36:33
I got the teapot and 4 teas from the link program too! How will thye make money if they are giving everybody them??? LOL
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Posted by Shannon at 12:32 PM | Comments (0)
February 07, 2005
Boing, Boing, Boing!
That title is the sound of me bouncing off the walls with glee! I am having an incredibly awesome day...
So, first thing this morning I got a phone call from D - he was offered a great job for when he graduates! Then, I got an email from Stephanie announcing that I am the winner of this fabulous handmade journal in the Knitters Without Borders drawing.
(By the way, Miriam: I passed on my work address because we'll be moving before the end of the month, so it shouldn't have to deal with any sort of difficult conditions. Thanks so much, I'm really excited to have won such a beautiful journal!)
I also ran across this post on my livejournal friends list, which tickled me so much that I submitted the site to BoingBoing - and it's been posted!
I've been fighting off a cold for the last few days, so it's especially nice to have so many great things happen. Another recent great thing is that my mom has asked me to teach her how to knit! She met me at the Superbowl sale at Knitting Bee yesterday afternoon and picked out some yarn (some beautiful muted Noro Shinano and a brown/red super-bulky [might be Gedifra Scarlet, I can't remember] at 40% off), as well as some needles.
I picked up 4 skeins of KFI Dazzle for more jewelbox scarves. I wanted to get more, but since I just ordered a ton of Cotton-Ease for Mariah and some TLC Amore for a sweater from Hot Knits I thought I should probably not stash up any further right now.
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Miriam
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DATE: 2/8/2005 08:15:24
Excellent! As long as a natural disaster doesn't strike today, I will be mailing it out. :) I hope you like it once you can actually see it. And if you do, feel free to spread the word, I make custom ones too and might be selling some on my sister's website. :)
M
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Posted by Shannon at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)
