Another completed project! A vest for Walker.

I actually finished it in time for Easter, and he wore it to church. Here we're goofing around in the courtyard between rain showers today.

• Pattern: Seder Vest from Dale of Norway pattern booklet # 126
• Yarn: Tahki Donegal Tweed Color #869 Brown
• Needles: Sizes 4 and 6, bamboo
• Horn buttons from Britex Fabrics

It took months and months and I finally just focused on completing it. I'm glad I did, since it's still cool enough to wear it.

Now, I'm not much of a blogger. I don't post everyday, I don't have many readers (not that I don't appreciate all three of you!), but I do try and contribute to other bloggers' and podcasters' projects. I make comments, contribute tips, and just try to support what other people doing.

It's very rewarding to find that my contribution make a difference. On my way home on the bus tonight, I was listening to Episode 19 of Sticks and String and I almost fell off my seat when my story about how knitting ties me to my family history was read. (It appears about 14 minutes into the show).

As someone just getting started with this blogging thing, this is a great way to get out there. Everyone else is just trying to share their experiences with knitting and life, so some supporting words and helpful comments and stories can really make a difference. Joining knit-alongs and swaps is a great way to "meet" people online who share your interests. I am participating in a knit-along making baby sweaters, the Pea Pod KAL, as well a letter swap for knitters started by Domesticat. I am really enjoying increasing my contribution to this blog world, because you really do get out what you put into it.

Whoo! A finished project.

I needed a little taste of lace while I try and finish up other projects. I made this Valentine "cheval" doily from the First Book of Modern Lace Knitting by Marianne Kinzel. I had some crochet cotton from a long-ago expirement with crocheting, and I basically used the whole darn ball.

So I found a deal at WEBS -- you know how it is with those seaonal closeouts. I was bored and looking for some possible contenders with which to make the Sienna Cardigan. Well, I found some Tahki Kerry for $3.99 a ball (color 5023, a fairly pale pink). Granted, the yardage is not great, but so cheap!

But now I have the problem of what do I make first? I have a hard time admitting it, but at this point I have about 5 sweaters' worth of yarn for myself. I don't think of myself as a greedy person -- most of my current projects are for other people. Yet I felt a little guilt for getting still more yarn. I am telling myself, "after

Thirty years ago in a land far, far away....Walker was born. He's lived in many places over the years, baby to young boy; teenager to young man.

Here's to many more years. You keep me young. Happy birthday, pumpkin.

(not a posed picture)

So, even though this is late, I thought I'd talk about my trip to Stitches West.

I went with my friend Sarah, and we met up with some other friends, Erica, Adam, and Deb at the event. I didn't have any big projects in mind, so I knew I wouldn't be buying a lot. (Only using a very limited amount of cash helped, too.) The featured booth was, of course the XRX/Knitter's Magazine booth. Since they are the main sponsor of the event, that wasn't surprising. The booth featured samples from Victorian Lace Today, the new book from XRX, which I have. The author, Jane Sowerby was there, signing books at all the booths. I saw her everywhere! I approached her and told her I really liked her book. She was nice enough to me, but another woman was trying to show off her hand-made stitch markers and Jane was having none of it. "... when you knit lace, with fine yarn, you don't want it to get caught on these ... I use just a loop of yarn ..." The other woman was getting upset, so I just scooted away.

Both Sarah and I have an interest in lace knitting and socks. I found some beautiful lace silk/yak at Skaska Designs, by Galina Khmeleva, author of [Gossamer

Now, a lot of people understand retail therapy as therapy that is accomplished by spending money.

While I enjoy spending time looking at and buying yarn, I know it's not always in my best interests to do so. (Well, the buying part at least. I feel that looking at yarn is only helping me become a more informed consumer.)

This is an important issue. So many knitters I know either in "real life" or in the blog world have problems controlling their spending and the resulting stash. So many of us have out-of-control debt, and spending on yarn is just a fraction of that debt.

I am proud to say that I have eliminated my own credit card debt. It feels really good, and I don't miss those payments every month.

But I do have a lot of yarn, nonetheless. I have 4 large-ish boxes that are pretty much stuffed with yarn. I love "window shopping" online all the time, but in order to overcome that URGE to bring it home, I have resorted to a tricking myself with a special box of my most special yarns. I call it my Yarn Store.

There's a stash of lace-weight mohair in the top left, some Rowan Silk Wool in the top right, some Noro Silk Garden. My "store" also has a skein of Sea Silk, bamboo laceweight, hand-dyed sock yarns, and

Some people are struck with inspiration and are immediately decided on a project. I, however, while sometimes decisive, often need time to settle on a specific project with a specific yarn. I know what I have (that's one list), and I keep another list of projects I wanted to make. Several months ago I joined the two lists into the keystone list-nerd "knitlist" spreadsheet. I added a section for completed projects, which is a nice motivational touch -- "look how many projects I've finished since the beginning of the year!"

The list gets updated when I get new yarn, or if I finally figure out what to do with those three skeins of steel gray Kid Silk Haze (hasn't happened yet ...), or if I have still more projects that I want to make. I've got the total yardage information for each yarn in my stash, so that I can compare what I have to the project requirements. Yes, I am a party animal.

I've had my next lace project in mind for awhile. I splurged a little on the yarn for it, but when I pick up this project, I can't believe how luxurious it is.

I got Sundara's silk lace yarn in a solid blue, but even the solid color has just a hint of subtle variation. The sheen is amazing, I feel like I'm knitting a jewel.

Of course, we're still without a camera, so I can't show you my progress so far -- but I've only knit about 7 rows, so it really doesn't look like much.

I'm using Eunny's Print o' the Wave pattern (pdf) Her work is amazing, and she's very knowledgeable about many knitting techniques.

(By the way, I'm very proud of this entry; all sorts of links and HTML. Walker helped me, but I feel so cool. I'm a hacker, yeah.)

My excuses for not posting more frequently.... Oh, yes, the camera is probably still broken. I sent it back to the manufacturer to be "repaired" -- but I'm guessing that will probably actually mean replaced. Which is fine, as long as we get a working camera in the end.

I was home sick (still recovering, actually, but I feel good enough to go to work) last week and I finished my pink shawl. The only picture I have is from the very beginning, and it is a triangle. It was knit starting with the hypotenuse edge, and decreasing row to get to one single stitch. I also finished some socks, at last, and I'm very nearly done with one more quick project. That one needs to be modeled, but I won't see the model until Thanksgiving, so we'll have to wait. Plus the camera being out of commission.

Have I started another lace piece? Believe it or not, no. I love knitting lace, but I really wanted to be sure to finish other things first. Now that one is done and the other is nearly there, I am very tempted. I have the next project lined up. I have some beautiful blue silk yarn that is going to be a lace stole. I can't wait to show this one off!

And Walker's vest has been set aside as well. He said that was all right (see: other projects with specific deadline), but I know that will have to be taken up as soon as possible. The season for wearing

I got this meme from Grumperina, knit blogger extraordinaire, and the other bloggers out there with their responses. 1. I taught myself to knit, mostly using the Martha Stewart Living website and the most embarrassing book ever published, I Can't Believe I'm Knitting!. Getting out there and finding other knitters made me a much better knitter than I would have been otherwise.

1. I wanted to learn how to knit because of a task I had at my retail job. I was assigned to reset the shelves on which the yarn was to be displayed. I was in a new town, far from home and my friends and family; I was working graveyard shifts and sleeping during the day. I was grasping for something to do.

2. Although I like to think of myself as a "process knitter", I love, love, love getting a project finished. I do enjoy learning new techniques, but when I start a new project, I've got the finish line as my goal. I rarely discard a project.

3. My favorite yarn depends on the project. I love silky fuzzy shiny goodness such as some shimmering Sea Silk or Misti Alpaca Lace, just to touch it. I love Tahki Donegal Tweed, my first real yarn, a nice rough wool with lots of tweedy bits. It's really made for Ireland's climate more than California, though. For