What have I been up to? Still working on Sahara. While it's an easy project, the finishing touches has been a nightmare. After completing the bottom lace pattern, and trying it on - it looked wonky. I cut it all off, frogged back a few inches and redid. It is much better, except I bound off a little tighter than I wanted. Next - the sleeve. For whatever reason, it was way too loose. I'm going to try the short sleeve version instead of the sleeveless to see if that helps.
Now for the fun....or not....I went to La Jolla Shores to go kayaking with a friend of mine. Here we are before setting off:
The minute they pushed us off however, I started to FREAK out! I started thinking about sharks...yummy yellow kayaks and the like. Now everyone in San Diego will tell you that there's no sharks, but I didn't feel that way. Plus - my entire childhood, my Sister (2 years older) use to have nightmares that I was eaten by sharks. It never made sense then, since we lived by a lake, but I suddenly flashed back to my childhood and FREAKED. Then came the seals and sea lions who were swimming in between the kayaks. They were really big and rambunctious. I wasn't scared of them - but of what EATS them...yup, sharks. Anywho - here's the reality pic of me once I'm way out on the kayak.
Shortly after this pic, I turned the kayak around and paddled back in to shore.
I have completed the beading work on the neckline for Sahara. I am happy that I did the beading myself. Looking at the close up, you can see that I used several bead in the same color family. I like that it's subtle, but still apparent. I have about 3 more inches on the body before starting the hem. I'm waiting til I complete the body before deciding how much to seam on the neckline. While I plan on adding beads to the sleeves, I'm not sure about the hemline yet. Depends on how many beads I have left and if I think it'll be too much. Here's a picture of the length I have so far:
Last - but certainly not least...I received my Coffee Swap package from my swapee Lia. Look at all of the yummy knit and coffee goodness. Not to mention the carnival edition skittles. I love it all. In addition, the yarn in the bluebell colorway has a label that reads "hand dyed for Susan". This is so cool. I'm very excited. Thanks Lia. I have mailed out your package, so you should receive yours soon.
Here is my progress on Sahara so far. I feel like even though it's a quick knit, I'm moving slower than normal on it. I have joined the body and am working in the round now. I have about 7" more left and then the neckline and hemline. While I'd love to get prebeaded yarn, I've purchased some and tiny crochet hooks to get the beads on. If this doesn't work, I might have to bite the bullet and cough up the $39 bucks for it already done. We'll see....
Here's a quick pic of my two-tone shrug with my turtleneck tube vest. Please excuse the wacky pose - it was late at night and I was in a s.i.l.l.y. mood. I think the Fitted Knits book is spectacular. So much so, that I've started casting on for a new project....
Here is my very early start to the Bold and Bulky Mini Cardi. I'm using the leftover Lamb's Pride that I used for the Winter Capelet I made my Sister and stash yarn that I purchased almost two years ago in Vermont. I like how the muted colors work together. I'll have to figure out what buttons I'll go for once I've made decent progress.
Finally, my Sahara progress. I'm digging the texture and the color. I went to the Bonita Knitting store last night for a knitting group. It was really nice. I did see some pre-beaded yarn that has me thinking about whether or not I'll spend the extra cash for it, or do it myself. Even though I'm not much of a multi-project person, I'm feeling pretty good about what I'm working on. I know that I need to pick my NSSC back up, but since the project is on hold in order to do another Wendy Bernard pattern, it's not really cheating...right? lol
I will post my Sahara progress tomorrow. For those who have asked, I'm using Cotton Flamme in a gorgeous green color. The yarn is both thick and thin, which adds some extra visual interest. In the meantime, I just received prom pics of my niece. I just couldn't resist. I'm getting nostalgic. Just yesterday, I could have sworn I was changing her diapers...They all grow up sometime I guess. I'm glad she grew up to be such a great girl. **yes I'm gloating, but that's what an Auntie with six nieces and nephews does**
