...MonkeyKnits... A Knitting Blog

What!?!

I am going to Yarn School. Can you even stand it?!?

I'm not sure I can wait for October. It seems so far away... I suppose I shouldn't really be wishing the summer away, but still... Is it October yet?

Warning: Rant Ahead

Is there anything worse than shopping for a new bra? Swimsuit shopping doesn't count because it's such a similar experience -- it's basically the same thing. Okay, maybe it's a teensy bit worse. But back to bras...

Since I loathe bra shopping so much, I tend to find a bra style that fits/works/doesn't strangle me, and then buy it in every color (sometimes even two or three in the same color - nude). And when I need more, I just order the online. They're usually very boring. Practical, I like to think. My most recent favorite has been the Body by Vict*ria line. Comfortable, versitile and while not exactly cheap, they hold up relatively well so I guess they're worth the price.

The problem with this "stocking up" technique, is that there comes a time when all of the sudden all of my bras are old and sad and ready to go to the big VS in the sky -- I suppose to be with all the VS Angels up there. Who knows. Anyways, when this happens, I always find myself thinking, "Hmmm... maybe now is a good time to find a new style. A new Perfect Bra for Me."

Yeah. Not a good plan.

So today at work I came thisclose to taking off my bra and throwing it out the window. That's a big sign that it's time for a new bra. Off to VS for the Semi-Annual Sale -- aka "Rummage Sale ala VS." A bunch of women digging through bins of underwear, trying to find the perfect pair of panties for $5.99. Good times.

I thought it would be a good idea to get measured so that I didn't have to spend an hour trying on different sizes and styles trying to figure it out on my own. I had gone online earlier and found a bra size calculator which told me that I was a 40A. I found this odd because I've always worn around a 36-38 C or D, depending on the style. I guarantee you that my girls aren't A's. They laugh at A's while secretly wishing they could wear cute little A-cup bras. *sigh*

Long story short, I spent about an hour in the fitting room trying on about 82 different size/style combos. I knew the 40A online bra calculator wasn't right, but for some reason I didn't really trust the 19 year-old girl who measured me in the store, either. In the end, I left with two new bras (in the size the girl said I was. Who knew?), and a potentially new Perfet Bra for Me - Body by Vict*ria, Ipex. They need to be road tested, but they looked good in the fitting room.

Whew. I guess that wasn't so bad after all. I'm just glad I don't have to do it again for another 6 months.

Monkey, Dude.

adopt your own virtual pet!

Tuesday is for Sweating

...I mean, spinning! I didn't get any spinning in today, because we had a barbeque to attend after work. I think it was about 142 degrees in the park. Lots of sweating, but we had a good time. It was a going away party for a co-worker who is moving back to Brazil. Of course, there was lots of soccer talk (I mean football!). It's so crazy to think that I'll probably never see this guy again. Good luck, Douglas! We'll miss you! Ciao!

Anyways, Tuesdays are for spinning, and since I didn't spin today, I will show you the most recent thing I've spun. This is a two-ply ramouillet blend from Dudley Spinner. I love her roving... It spins up like buttah. This colorway is called Linda. I plan to use this for socks. I think it will knit up at about a worsted weight. They'll be really warm socks!

click here for a close-up!

Now, for some audience participation... You need to help me decide what to spin next. Here are the nominees:

Blevins from Dudley Spinner

Mollie from Dudley Spinner

I also have some camel-colored baby alpaca (it says "Handspinner's Dream" on the label), some undyed merino/silk/angora blend, and something that is labelled "Punta" (also undyed). And, if I choose one of the undyed rovings, do I dye the roving, or dye the finished yarn?!? Oh, the choices...

You decide! Leave me a comment with your preference, and whichever one gets the most votes will go on the wheel next week. Whee!

Dye-o-Rama!

I have had a lot of fun with this swap. I've done my first "real" dye job... I had only used Kool-Aid before, and not that there's anything wrong with Kool-Aid, but it just doesn't seem official. So now I've officially used "real" dyes and I had so much fun!

But, before I show you photos of my creations, I have to show you what I got from my Dye-o-Rama swap pal, Carrie. I'm not sure how it knits up - I think it's self-patterning. I know Carrie put a lot of hard work into the dyeing process. Thanks, Carrie!

Now, here's a little peek at what I've been up to in the dyeing arena... This first one is the one I'm keeping for myself. I really like the colors, and I think the skein ended up being a little skimpy (less than 400 yards), so it will stay here at Chez Monkeyknits. The colors remind me of a tiger lily - oranges and reds and yellows with a hint of brown speckled in like pollen.

Here's the one that I'm sending off to my Dye-o-Rama swap partner. I *really* love the way this one turned out. I will definitely be trying to replicate this colorway. It reminds me of the sea and the desert at the same time. The colors are turquoise, chestnut brown and several hues of green. I hope my DOR pal likes it!

Busy Weekend

What did I do this weekend? I shopped. And I dyed yarn. And I spun yarn. And I knit some socks. And I watched 1.5 movies. I was busy!

Shopping: It was Field Days at Daytons (it will always be Daytons to me). I scored some new tops there, along with a couple from the Gap and Old Navy. I also got three fabulous pairs of shoes - Borns, Clarks and Keens. Love 'em. John got some new threads, and some new shoes, too. I think we're done with the summer wardrobe restocking now.

Dyeing: I spent the first half of today wrestling with an unruly skein of undyed sock yarn. I had to rewind the one giant hank into two smaller skeins, and I ended up with a giant tangle of tangledness. John had to help. It was not pretty. But we finally got it, and after picking up some vinegar from the store, I was able to dye my first two skeins of sock yarn for Dye-O-Rama.

I'm mostly pleased with the results. It was my first time using "real" dyes. The green in the hank on the top is practically glow-in-the dark, so I may need to overdye that skein. But I think they'll knit up nicely. I can't wait to keep playing!

Spinning: I spun up 385 yards of merino into about a sport weight double-ply yarn. I don't have photos, yet, but I'll get some up soon.

Knitting: My old Stitch n' Bitch pals came up to the LYS where I work on Saturday for a little knitting and catching up. I worked on a pair of Retro Rib socks. I also took photos of my most recent FOs which are currently "doing time" at the LYS as samples...

Clapotis - 3+ skeins of Malabrigo yarn
Click here for a close-up

 

Baby Blanket - my own pattern using Blue Sky Organic Cotton

Movies: We rented The Weatherman (Nick Cage) and TransAmerica (Felicity Huffman). We finished The Weatherman (Eh... so-so), but only got halfway through TransAmerica (so far, so good). We must finish it tomorrow as we don't want any late fees!

So, as you can see, it was a busy weekend. And now I'm off to bed!