Does it get better than this?

Yes indeed; I watched the Phillies game while soaking in the hot tub. Dad and I rigged up the sunroom tv so we could watch is warm soaky goodness.

Now, if only I could figure out how to knit, watch the phils and hot tub...

Challenge # 1-Mission Accomplished

Here it is, the MUCH anticipated official

Amazing Lace Team Photo...

Team Knitty D

Just in case you don't know what the Amazing Lace is, it is summer long knitalong. You can hear ALL about it on our most recent podcast http://knittydandthecity.blogspot.com or read about it at http://amazinglace.licketyknit.com

Amazing Lace Challenge #1; The Team Photo

For those of us who do watch "The Amazing Race," we know there is ALWAYS a challenge involving the Travelocity gnome. For the team photo, my mom thought it would be cute to pose with her garden/fountain gnome and to use this gnome as my knitting buddha for the Amazing Lace Challenges. I tried to get the gnome to hold the Addi Tubos, but he wanted to be draped in the shawl in progress. My current teammate is the North Sea Shawl from Folk Shawls. I am knitting it in GORGEOUS doubled lilac zepyhr. So far so good; but I think other teammates will be joining Team Knitty D throughout the course of the summer including the Estonian Garden Shawl (for Grandma) and the Kimono Shawl (for mom). My dad is also involved--he made a label for my "Summer of Lace" binder. We are such dorks...

Another goal for this summer is to learn how to add buttons to my blog...

Today really felt like summer here on the Cape...it was very humid for much of the day. Around 6, the fog started rolling in with the sea breeze and we are having a delightfully cool Cape evening.

Okay, daddio and I just found the Phillies game on Direct TV; time for some quality father-daughter time; though he did just ask me if I wanted to watch Fly Fishing tomorrow; I hope he was joking.

Wendy's Pi Shawl

All I can say is HOT HOT HOT
Great job pal! No schmata here!

Reunited and it feels so good...

I've arrived on Cape...I made brilliant time, 6 hours and 20 minutes. I left at an ungodly hour (5am), but the traffic was surprisingly light for a Friday of a holiday weekend.

This is Luther and I sitting out back, smelling the liacs. Notice I am draped in the sampler shawl, which the ladies at Adventures in Knitting were oooing and aaaahing over. I bought a really cute shawl pin, which seems to be helping me manage the size of the shawl. I also conned the ladies at the yarn shop out of two skeins of Alchemy Synchroncity for $20---not per skein, $20 TOTAL. Apparently, they have had some trouble selling Alchemy up here; guess they don't have the same taste we Philly knitters do. I'm working on the Alchemy Bamboo scarf. I've decided to use a vertical lace trellis pattern that seems to yield itself well to the varigations in the yarn (photos to follow).

On a downer note, I found out I am NOT going to Botswana this year---it is not off the burner completely-but the grant was given the kybash by Penn adminstrators before it ever got off the ground. So, I'll keep dreaming about my "Out of Africa" moments; and I guess it is good news for Knitty D and the City. I've got to get my knit on...

UGLY DOG

vote for the ugliest dog

This is SO worth looking at...

The Summer of...Lace (no not the Summer of George you Seinfeld fans!)

I'm am a woman possessed with LACE knitting. Now that I can finally DO IT, it is ALL I want to do. I have joined the AMAZING LACE knit-a-long and my team-mate is the North Sea Shawl, from Folk Shawls. I've cast on; the pattern is total cake

I took these photos in my office...sorry the lighting is so nasty.

Here is the cashmere clap...I LOVE IT...this morning Trish and I had a TINY incident with some coffee and the cashmere, but I was able to rescue it by cutting about 6 inches and spit-splicing it back together...thank god for "apply spit to hand..."

I've done four of the drops...I agree with Wendy that it gets a bit boring and wants to be put down for a few days...but to Wendy I suggest when you knit it in cashmere, you want to come back to it sooner.

Here is a shout out to my sister! Thanks for the AWESOME Loop Gift Certificate for my birthday!

Let's Party!

Well, 7ish hours to go at work (I came in early and hope to leave early!) and then the party weekend begins; tonight at the Lakeside Chinese Deli for my birthday and tomorrow at the Spa and Bliss for Elizabeth's bachelorette extravaganza. Oh I almost forgot we have a doggie date Sunday too! I'm BESIDE MYSELF because just when am I supposed to knit???

The "clap" in the cashmere is moving along nicely and I think I have finally decided to knit the "north sea shawl" from Folk Shawls for my next project. I am making it out of the "foxy lady" colorway of the Cherry Tree Merino Lace. Many photos to follow...

Special Edition: What did Maggie Eat

I went to Bed Bath and Beyond this weekend. This is usually dangerous for me because I love Bed Bath and Beyond and could always use more (1) candles (2) kitchen gadgets (3) yarn storage (4) misc. This weekend I found the PILLOW THAT WOULD CHANGE MY LIFE, The "Felicity Huffman (yes that Felicity Huffman from Desparate Housewives)" Head and Neck support pillow extravaganza.

I used it Saturday night, loving how comfy I was as I knitted away at the Clap. I got a ton of knitting done, and headed upstairs to bed with the beagles in tow. Half an hour later, deep into 48 hours Mystery, I notice that Mags is NOT in the bed with me. "Maggie, Maggie" I yell. No response. This can't be good.

I go downstairs, and there, in its stuffed bliss, is my Felicity Huffman pillow extravaganza, ripped to shreads. Well, it was one night of comfortable bliss.

Luxury

I'm knitting with the Cashmere I splurged on several weeks ago...Wendy motivated me to pick up "the clap" again; but not the silk garden lite clap. I have some sort of mental block against the silk garden lite clap since Maggie ate it. So I picked up the cashmere and started knitting with it and now, I'm hooked. I will rip out the silk garden lite and make it into something else entirely. I showed off the finished sampler shawl today to many ohh's and ahh's from Heather, Kin, Martha, Elizabeth and Elizabeth's mom. I'm proud of my accomplishment, considering I finshed much of the last lace pattern with a big swollen black eye. I'm healed, only to get a sinus infection afterward.

So Lace is in everything and everywhere! It was the featured article of the most recent Interweave Knits, complete with pattern for the Icarus shawl, which I am contemplating in zephyr, but my gauge seems a bit off. Today I received my new knitpicks catalog, which on the cover proclaims, "discover the beauty of lace." I just want to say, that I declared this the "summer of lace" several weeks before these publications came out. So, I'm ahead of the times...again.

BLOCK PARTY

The shawl is done and blocking on the floor of the Karoke Lounge
Here are the photos:

IT IS VERY VERY VERY LONG and not as wide as I thought it would be.

If I knit it again, I would probably make it shorter length wise and larger with width.

Also, I left out the eyelet border on both the top and bottom; I thought it was a bit much and took away from the other lace patterns.

The beagles say; HAPPY WEEKEND!

Yarn Sluttage

Here's the GOODS! (well some of them!)



Oh I love Koigu, yes I do!

Three hanks, 2400 yards per hank; Cherry Tree Hill Merino Lace

Maggie "inspects" the Koigu!



And here is the shawl---one more repeat to go on the last lace pattern! Yeah!

Gus has a twin

Gus Bach





Kara


(up for adoption http://www.brewbeagles.org)

Coincidence---I think not

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

As part of my six pack plan for the phillies, I scored some AWESOME seats for the Sunday night, ESPN televised game. We were in section 110, row 6. AND it was TOTE BAG NIGHT for "mothers" ie all women over 15. So Heather and I scored some crab fries, Bull's BBQ and our free pink tote bags and watched our Phils win their 8th game in a row. Oh we also saw some guy named Barry Bonds hit a bohemoth of a home run off the McDonalds sign between the second and third decks. It was great to be in Philly with all the fans BOOING Bonds...




Here is my BIG BLACK EYE, one week after injury
It really does look like eye shadow!

PAST and FUTURE? Bonds and Ryan Howard at First Base

My new FAVORITE Phillie, Sal Fasano

Dangerous driving with the Phanatic

Bobby Abreu and a young fan...so cute!

Our free tote bags!

Heather and ME! I look like I've been in a bar fight!

My 300th Post; The Crazy Yarntastic Phanatic Weekend

I am exhausted from the weekend and it is Tuesday. I just can't recover. It was such a jam packed three days...and I have a massive yarn hang over. Thing is, I love everything I purchased and I can't wait to make it into beautiful goodies. Here is the photo-blog of the weekend--



SHEEP ON SOUTH STREET!

Some of the gorgeous Morehouse Merino hand-dyed yarns

Ain't they sweet sheep?

Meet my new boyfriend, Alfie

THE RAM IN A "VAN"

I got hit in the head with a hoe...hit in a head at a hoe



Can you say LIVE STOCK?
I'll post a separate blog of the stash I acquired.
Sampler Shawl-16 rows from completion!!!

HAPPY BLOGAVERSARY!

Cinco de Mayo!
Today is the one year anniversary of Knitting Delicious!
This has been my most successful foray into journal keeping in my lifetime.
Out of it has been born friendships and a podcast!
So Happy Anniversary Knitty Delicious!!!!
Here is to another year (and beyond) of good knitting, cute beagle photos and rantings about the Phillies.

Which reminds me, I haven't ranted about the Phillies since opening day...
We still need some consistent starting pitching, but I'm impressed with the bullpen and my new best friends, Ryan Howard and Sal Fasano...why hasn't this guy ALWAYS been a Phillie?

Heather and I are going to the game on Sunday night...perhaps to see Barry Bonds break the bambino's record? I've got mixed feelings about Barry, his alleged steriod use and his contribution to baseball...but who cares, it is all about crab fries.

A happy reunion

I am happy to report that Wendy has located her Koigu and they have been reunited.
24 hours until we leave for SHEEP AND WOOL!!!!

I need a fix...I hope I can wait that long.

An All Points Bulletin

Please be advised that WENDY has lost a skein of Koigu.

This is a YARNBER alert! If you should see a lowly ball of gorgeous yarn looking for its mommy and needing to be knit, please discuss with Wendy for identification immediately!

This yarn is armed and dangerous

E's Shower

Carolyn and I threw an AWESOME shower for Elizabeth last weekend...
We are available for all you party planning needs...teehee
Here are some photos



The guest of honor; complete with tiara!


Car, Heather and I made these fruit Kabobs the night
before the shower...the trick is to stick them in heads of
lettuce in the bowl! Isnt Carolyn crafty?!


Heather made these awesome (Cooking Light)
slow roasted tomatoes with goat cheese and
rosemary! I helped with the presentation!


The Chocolate Fountain and fixins


The Yummy Cake


Heather and E yuck it up


Carolyn's AMAZING handmade favors! She missed
her calling---I think you should go to pastry chef
school!


We had quite a brunch spread!


A bridesmaid...and her bride...ain't we cute?!

My Sheep and Wool Wish List

I emailed Wendy late last night that I was in trouble. I made a list of all the projects I am contemplating (and their receipients) and I need to buy about 10000 yards of yarn...I'm not kidding!!!!

But since two of my readers (mom and Ali) are going to be getting these gifts for the Holidays, I can't really write about what they are going to be.

I am looking for yarn for the North Sea Shawl
The Lotus Blossom Shawl
some Koigu

the bottom line is, I am in TROUBLE.
The eye is healing but still very sore. I'm going to go back to work tomorrow.
I had a talk with the hoe in question last night and it promised to never hurt me again.
The beagles have taken very good care of me.

And ladies in the Subaru Wool bus, I got the car washed and cleaned out today. It looks gorgeous! See you bright and early at 7am Saturday
C

Hoe 1: Christina 0

I'm enjoying a few days at home after a freak front yard accident.
I stepped on the a hoe while working in my garden, causing the handle to fly straight into my face at a high rate of speed. It hit my right brow bone and eye. Today it is turning a lovely shade of purple and it is still quite swollen. I got a note in the ED for two days away from work, which is good because I have a splitting headache. I will never step on a hoe again...this sucks.
However, it will NOT keep me from knitting...which I am doing while squinting...and it certainly will not keep me from Sheep and Wool...even though the forecast calls for late day rain. To the ladies driving with me...its a good thing we are leaving early, wear your rubber shoes and bring a parka...Saturday we buy yarn.