It’s so light and airy and I love it! I really like the Kidsilk haze and I didn’t find it difficult to knit but I don’t think I love it the way many of you out there do. I would use it again, though.

This olympics thing has been fun and I really like the challenge to finish something in a timely manner but I am more than ready to get back to my usual multiple project self.

Speaking of multiple projects, I have branched out beyond knitting! Kirsten and I took a drop spindle class today! It was so fun and the teacher was great and we made yarn!!Check out my first yarn! It’s so pretty and even and not lumpy like most people’s first yarn. It’s not spun perfectly, though, because it doesn’t hang straight. It twist on itself a little. I feel like I should knit something with it but it’s such a small amount that I don’t know what to do with it. Any ideas? Lest you think I’m over here gloating over my pretty first-yarn-ever-made, let me show you what I did next. The whole reason I want to learn to spin is because I want to spin the fur from my angora bunny, Phoebe, that is starting to pile up in my basement. So, when I came home from the class I decided to spin her fur. It’s is a lumpy mess!I must point out, though, that’s it’s the softest lumpy mess that I have ever touched! Angora is slippery and has short fibers but I am determined to spin it well. I owe it to Phoebe to make something pretty out of her lovely fur. I am encouraged that although much of my mini-skein looks like this or worse:there are some short sections that look like this:Do you see the perfect twist and the smooth edges? It can be done and I can do it!

Because I’m on a scarf kick, here’s a photo of the 1st scarf I ever made. (That sounds like I’ve made a lot. No, only 3). It crocheted because I am one of those knitters who converted when I realized crocheting was very limiting. A crocheted sweater? I don’t think so. It wasn’t for me, anyway. I love this scarf and crocheters always want the pattern but hell if I remember it. I don’t even remember how to crochet. The yarn is Plymouth Encore which is 75% acrylic and 25% wool. I don’t knit with acrylic anymore, but for those of you who like it, this is a really nice yarn. I’ve had this scarf for almost 10 years and it’s held up really well and it’s really soft.

I was going to give my 2 cents about Lolly’s project spectrum but I’m tired after all the scarf blogging so that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’ll just tell you to go check it out, it’s cool.

I went out to dinner tonight for my birthday and the restaurant printed special menus for us that looked like this:It was so cool to open it up and see my name! Little things make me happy.

In honor of my birthday, I started a project for me (sorry, mom, your socks will get done!). It’s the backyard leaves scarf from Scarf Style. The yarn is Cascade Yarns Cloud 9 that I got on sale last weekend. I’t 50% merino, 50% angora and it is SO soft and pretty! I don’t really have very many scarves even though I love wearing them so I’m excited about this one!
I was tagged by Marie over at Brooklyn Handspun so here you go- a meme. Just what you wanted, I know- more info about me!

I tag my fellow Portland knitters! You’re it!
Kirsten
Laurie
Shelley
Abby

What were you doing 9 years ago?
I was a freshman at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon and I remember well because today’s my birthday so it also was 9 years ago. I took a nap (because that’s what college is all about, right?) and woke up to find that my roommates had sprinkled confetti all over our room in celebration. Yes, I was lucky enough to have two freshman year roommates. I think I remember this so well because the pieces of confetti were shaped like suns and moons and the little jagged edges of the suns embedded themselves in the super-short industrial carpet that we were lucky enough to have. The 3 of us spent the next 4 months yanking them out of the carpet whenever we were bored. There may still be some there. I’m not in touch with those girls anymore but also that year, I developed a great friendship with some lovely ladies that are still dear and close friends even though they live so far away!

What were you doing 6 years ago?
I don’r remember this birthday, but I was just starting my 2nd semester of my senior year and totally overwhelmed by my thesis. I also had just begun a relationship with the person who is now my husband. I had planned on being able to go anywhere and do anything after graduation as I was previously single and had nothing to keep me in any one place. That all changed because our relationship got serious pretty quickly but I did manage to find a job close to him that I liked. We never lived in the same city, though, until we got married a 1 1/2 years later. I don’t recommend that- our phone bills were out of control for a while.

What were you doing one hour ago?
Standing outside in the grey drizzly weather while a bunch of crazy dogs ran around, playing with toys and getting wet in the rain. Now you’re all probably wondering where I work. I’ll let you guess if you so desire. (I’m actually posting this lots later than I originally wrote it. An updated 1 hour ago, I was at Jake’s Famous Crawfish eating my complimentary chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and a pretty pink birthday candle on top. I’m not really a chocolate-loving gal but it was delicious!)

Name 3 movies you can’t turn off if you stumble across them on television.
I am not someone who likes to watch movies over and over. My standard response is usually: “I just saw that, I don’t want to watch it again!”, to which my husband will tell me it was 6 months ago that I saw it. Hmmm . . . still too recent for me. I also don’t have cable so I rarely stumble upon interesting movies on tv. I also don’t use my cell phone for much of anything. I think I’m part of a dying breed.

Name 3 things you want to improve upon this year.
Keeping my house more orderly and free of clutter- mostly all the paper and junk mail that piles up. Recycle, recycle, recycle should be my new mantra.

I would like to improve upon my job situation. This would mean working harder to find a job I really like.

I would like to improve my understanding of knitting so that I could maybe design a pattern more complicated than a scarf.

Name 3 things you can’t live without
My dog, yarn and hair products, in no particular order. My family, too, but I think that’s kind of obvious.

Name 3 things you could….
Having to vaccuum, having to work, having to wake up before 8 in the morning.

Name 3 things you really like about yourself.
Despite being a slave to hair products, I really do like my hair.
I also like being able to do “domestic” things like cook, sew, knit, bake bread, but it’s something people who don’t know me well wouldn’t guess about me.
I appreciate nature and can see beauty in a lot of things around me.

Since I last posted, I started knitting the ruffles scarf and then ripped it all out. With the baby cashmerino it was looking much too much like a corkscrew and it didn’t have any of the flowiness that the one pictured in the book did. So after a few more swatches I finally settled on this stitch pattern.I didn’t think I would ever decide on a pattern that I liked but I’m over half done with this scarf and I think it’s a keeper. I don’t know why I was being so picky.

I’ve also been working on my fog sweater. I really like it now that it’s not just ribbing. It’s going to be really warm, which is good because it’s super cold here! It might snow tonight. I kind of hope it does. I don’t have to do anything tomorrow and it would be nice to see snow out the window. I just walked outside barefoot and now my toes feel like icicles.
I’m almost done with Mike’s flame sweater. I keep getting distracted and can’t seem to finish. He’s gone this evening so I think I’ll work on it. I really am close to finishing and I do want to get it done.