T.G.I.S.

Picture includes the magic garment steamer!
I think this is the #1 ingredient for finishing success!
The portrait is by Andy Warhol, one in his fabulous
Reigning Queens Series.
Meet Queen Ntombi Twala Of Swaziland!
She is my Blocking Goddess...

This is going to be a fun knitting weekend for me! Because I finished the Sisyhphus Big Cable (and I must say, it perfomed splendidly at work with TONS of abuse - on the floor, running, reaching, standing in the cold, etc.), I can *play* with some of my other ongoing projects.

Like that Super Chunky Blue Jacket that was 99% done. I just finished the button bands and am blocking them. Now I get to make the collar - am using something called "Bombastic" by Lang Yarn. It is on the cuffs as well. Very furry - think whole strand of fluffy yarn instead of eyelash...

But my favorite part of this make-it-up-as-you go jacket is the bottom edge. I used triple stranded Mission Falls 1824 wool in black and just knit seed stitch for 3 inches. It looks like puffy bobbles almost. Anybody that's knit bobbles can attest to the fact that although they look fabulous, they are a PITA to make. At least I think so...

Then I used double stranded 1824 to garter stitch button bands - firm but flexible. The collar I haven't figured out yet and is my afternoon mission!

And after whining about how cold it's been all week, I can zipit because I can still wear this for quite a while this year. I want to wear it as an over garment any way because who could get *those cuffs* under a coat!

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It's a Boot Sock!!!


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Break out the s! Meet my newest addition to the ChicKnits Family: the WorkadayChic Boot Sock!

I had the best intentions in the world to make this first pair blue, but I didn't have enough dye to do it. It is blowing and raining and snowing all at the same time and I'm not going over to the standing room only grocery store for a few packs of Kool-Aid.

The one pack I did have turned this Bubblegum mix into a rather cool orange and light blue self-striping thang (will file for future reference).

But, because this is the first in a series, I wanted to see how much Kool-Aid it really took to make an intense, thorough color change. I did have enough purple and green, so I mixed two packs of Grape and one pack of Lemon-Lime and got this deep burgundy.

Although it's not as *Frisky* as the Bubblegum or Tropical Blue, I think it's more in line with basic neutral wear - overall tonal burgundy with eggplant dark stripes and light ashy lavender stripes. (In the final picture, the sock isn't quite dry so some spots look a little darker...)

Since I have so much of this yarn it's only a matter of time before I have enough bits and pieces left of the original Bubblegum to make a Bubblegum pair out of leftovers. Have to get some more Kool-Aid too, because I NEED LIME!

Can't wait for Phase II of the process: wearing them to work next week. I wonder how much wear and tear they'll take before crying UNCLE! I knit them very firmly so they should last quite a while.

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Check out Kristi Porter's excellent article on
Kool-Aid Dyeing in the Knitty.com Archives!Also, check out her February 14th entry for some REALLYCOOL Kool-Aid FUN! Kristi is my Reigning Kool-Aid Queen...

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Monday Morning Mirth

Is it just Me, or is the current
Vicky's Secret Angel Commercial
the Most Annoying YET!

I have one of the finest Ad Blocking Brain Filters ever born and it still penetrates my force field...


you don't need those tacky wings because the boys are getting the skinny over at askmen.com anyways..
(using Ray Romano to be their spokesmodel is brilliant!)

The music drives me up a wall even
when I'm lying on the couch...

WHO is the Dylan Impersonator singing
- or is it Dylan himself?

Does $$$Greed$$$ really wear a $$$thong$$ for a song?


Take the Poll
and let the FUN BEGIN!!!

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just wash day at the sweater farm...

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Stand-by 10: ROAD TRIP!
POV of a Video Photojournalist

Illinois State Capitol Rotunda 5:15pm


interior detail of Rotunda 2:10pm

4:00am: Get up, drink a cup of yesterday's coffee, shower, do hair, finish coffee, post skimpy blog...

5:00am: Get into smokey Wally Co. Cab. Can't stop laughing because the name Wally always cracks me up! Who is Wally?

6:00am: Head for Springfield, IL, after loading up Ford Explorer with every piece of gear I have to tape the Governor's State of the State Address. Car is filthy from un-seasonal cold and snow and tons of salt on the road and my Black Coat gets slimed.

9:42am: Arrive in Springpatch after smooth ride in record time (producer is driving). I've squeezed in a nice nap and some knitting on a second pair of Bubblegum Socks. Producer and Reporter tell me I was snoring but do not mention I was drooling.

10:45am: Shoot then feed two soundbites from Republican Block Leader and some guy I've never heard of but is a bigwig then jam through a Live Shot. Reporter is spectacularly back-lit by huge chandelier and I love the lucky effect.

12:00pm: First Democratic Governor of Illinois in 25 years gives one of the most stulifyeingly boring speeches I've ever heard! He keeps repeating himself and fumbling with those goofy see-through telepromters. I take pictures of Republicans reading the paper, talking on cell phones, and maniacally rocking back and forth in their seriously overstuffed House Chamber chairs.

12:45pm: Run down to 3rd Floor to get reaction interviews with Senators and other House Reps. In general, speech is received so poorly I can barely hold the camera because of the giggly reaction I'm having to the wild candid comments people are flinging at us. Next to Lawyers, Politicians love to ham it up for the cameras, for better or worse.

1:20pm: Eat a pulled-pork BBQ sammie in the weird dungeon like basement cafeteria under The Senate Chambers.

2:10pm: Go take some pictures of the beautiful building that is home to the HOuse of Representatives and the Illinois Senate to avoid hearing the bickering going on between the reporter and producer. Come back and knit a little on my sock.

3:05pm: Set up laptop editor in the empty House chamber and speed edit a package for our 4:30pm newscast.

4:10pm: Run down to Governor's office to take lots of pictures of him looking amazingly tiny behind his priceless antique desk.

4:20pm: Run back up two flights of stairs with 25lb. camera because about 75 people are waiting for the only elevator.

4:26pm: Feed tape via satelite uplink and jam through another live shot.

8:45pm: Arrive in Chicago after I drive 3.5hours in the twilight and dark. Have gone past exits marked Funk Corners and Money Creek and am reduced to blathering senselessly at producer and reporter in a vain attempt to wake them up. They sleep anyway but I stay awake...

9:10pm: Arrive home in a heap after a reckless drive home with a totally unintelligable old Japanese cabbie whose rapid fire babbling destroys my 5 remaining brain cells but whose salt'n'pepper goatee makes him look like Jack Keroac might have knacked back a spliff or two with him in the day...

11:30pm: Finally go off road by falling asleep on the couch during a rerun of Will & Grace where Karen & Jack have Ear S** while taping an industrial harrassment video...

Comments (11)

Road Test!

the peroigi's have their day

I love trying new things! This morning my pleasure meter hit the roof when I was getting ready for work and decided to wear my new Burgundy Boot Socks.

Life has been so busy they've been laying around unthought of - I didn't even try them on yet! Something held me back. I just knew they'd fit! I don't know why!

Fridays in the ChicKnits household are for *newer* clothes and a bit of fancy. So on they went.

THEY FIT EXACTLY THE WAY I WANTED! Not tight or even snug because they need to get into those boots - those well-broken-in Doc Martens that just pamper my feet. My feet are the second-most important part of my *work package*. The eyes are No.1.

Believe it or not before I sat down to write this, I just walked around the house with my coffee smiling and moving my feet about in the boots to feel the softness of the socks.

WHEEEEEEEEEEE...

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The Yarn: an impluse purchase on eBay from none other than the New Jersey knitting yarn queen Barbara Furia!

Where to Get It: Do a search on eBay on the phrase "10 SKS! FIESTA Bright 100% WOOL Knitting Yarn".

The Pattern: the Pattern Thanks, Terri!

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