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Things I Make When You’re Not Looking

I totally knitted an Ishbel shawlette while nobody was looking.

Ishbel Blocking

Ishbel01

(Least of all myself – this was a fast knit.)

I have turned into a chart knitter without noticing – if a pattern doesn’t have a chart, I won’t use it. The charts on Ishbel are great; easy to read and interpret. I will definitely be making this shawl again, probably in the bigger size.

I knit it in Malabrigo Sock in the Terracotta colorway, and this thing weighs nothing. I will have to show a pic of it modeled because wowza, this yarn feels so nice against your skin, soft and wonderful.

I knit this on an Addi Turbo lace needle in size US 6 that I picked up at Cottage Yarns in South San Fran a few weeks ago. These needles are great, and I really think that helped with how fast I knit this sucker up.

I also had an urge to crochet on my Babette squares, which comes and goes in fits and starts. But I’m almost done with the 49 4-round squares.

Babette Progress

(Aren’t they purdy?)

Yesterday I cast on for an Aeolian shawl, also out of Malabrigo sock, plus beads. Pretty awesome!

And finally, I made sushi for the first time and it was great:

Sushi

I am too chickenshit to deal with raw fish, so there was none of that, but I did use a variety of fillings, including avocado, cucumber, crab (fake), tuna, green onions, and tempura shrimp. Above you will see my practice sushi; I forgot to take pictures of the “real” sushi that I made for when my friends came over on Saturday to sample it.

Above all, my favorite was the spicy tuna roll, which was a mixture of canned tuna, mayonnaise, and sriracha sauce, plus green onion I think. I am not sure how my friends liked that one, but they did enjoy all of the different varieties and I was complemented specifically on the California roll, and also how “nice” they looked, which I thought was funny, but apparently some people don’t roll them very well.

Anyway, super easy to make, and now I’m going to have to keep tuna on hand for when I want a spicy tuna roll. WTF! I never eat tuna. UNTIL NOW, apparently!

…And I thought I was sick of sushi but I guess not because now I want a spicy tuna roll again. Go figure.

***

This weekend is my ten-year eleven-year high school reunion, which should be interesting. I am going to bring my camera to document the event. I am looking forward to it, but I’m going to be bummed if a couple people with whom I would specifically like to chat with don’t show up.

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An Admission

I have an admission:

I have a slight problem. You may have noticed it before. Maybe not.

Thy weakness shall show its name in sock yarn.

mosaic3344773
Clockwise, top left: Trekking Handdyed in Brazil, Dream in Color Smooshy in Visual Purple, Dream in Color Smooshy in Happy Forest, Rio de la Plata in Daffodil

Knitpicks Felici
Clockwise from top left: New Knitpicks Felici colorways in Coney Island, Gelato, Mixed Berries, Provence, and Martinique

I cast on in the Mixed Berries:
Knitpicks Felici - Striped Sock

I’ve never knit in the Felici before (though I own two of the older colorways in Arugula and Aurora), and may I say that the fabric knit on US1 DPNs is outstanding. Soft and smooth. The colors of the new Felici colorways are bright and cheerful, too! Perfect summer socks, I would say.

I’ve been messing around with some Tofutsies in the Undulating Rib pattern from Favorite Socks:
Undulating Rib sock

Aaaand, I purchased a couple more skeins of Malabrigo from Fashion Knit in Nut Creek last week at their moving sale (they are moving to, presumably, cheaper digs over by the Target on YV Road)… 25% off all yarn, hurray! So here is my current Malabrigo collection:
Malabrigo
Emerald Blue, Sapphire Magenta, Apple Green, and Sealing Wax

So there you have it, guys. I’ve been acquiring yarn at a sickening rate. I’d feel ashamed, but I don’t understand the concept. Have disposable income, will travel.

At any rate, it’s not like I’m not going to use it. And use it I will, because all the sock yarn scraps are destined to become a Babette! I started a few squares last week while watching a silly boy-witch movie called The Covenant.

Now I’m going to try to watch The Fountain (it’s horrendous! Hugh Jackman, I never thought I’d say this, but THIS IS ALMOST THE MOST BORING MOVIE EVER, after 2001: A Space Odyssey) and knit on Spey Valley, which I am still not done with.