ever buy patterns, but don't knit them? I have stacks and stacks of books, magazines and binders full of patterns I have proclaimed to love and yet have never knit. on top of that, I've got even more stuffed into my computer, in my "patterns" folder, in my bookmarks, in my ravelry queue, in emails I've sent to myself... patterns out the wazoo! sometimes I think I should just knit them just for the sake of not looking like such a hoarder/slacker. but really, sometimes what you need is a reason to knit something and the perfect pattern just for the occasion.

I forget when I first saw hansigurumi's amazing patterns, but I remember I was just so wowed by how intricate and realistic her designs were. I finally just had to buy one when this came out. and then it sat in my computer for months and months. and then my friend who maybe has a thing for owls had a graduation party today! it was a sign from God. it was time to knit!

pattern: horned owl by hansigurumi
yarn: lion brand cotton ease
needles: us6 dpns
finished: may 23, 2008
notes: holy cow, was this fun to knit! it wasn't as complicated as I thought it would be and there was just about zero seaming. I did make one really dumb mistake and then had to rip out half the back and start over. and then after I finished knitting the legs, I realized I didn't have quite enough stuffing to stuff them. so I had to rip that out too. and then I had to make up some way for the butt to come together right in the absence of the legs. I also filled his butt with lentils so that he wouldn't tip over. all in all, though, I am happy with how he came out. I fully intend to make more! and I really like the way he feels in the cotton ease - very soft and cuddly. I also want to make one with legs just to see how he comes out. or maybe with really bulky yarn so that he comes out like three feet tall. that would be awesome. it's a fantastic pattern. everyone should make one! or twelve.

I never ever win anything. as in sweepstakes, raffles, drawings... well, except last year at the makerfaire, when I did win a completely useless copy of flight simulator. it went home with my friend. it has since turned into a carrot/bunny hybrid for isa. but, anyway, I seriously never win anything. and it's fine. I'm ok with it. I enter contests and whatever, but never really expect anything. so a few weeks ago, when the ravelraiser event was going on, I was thinking more that I'd donate a few bucks to a fantastic website I use everyday and keep ravelry going! I didn't actually think any of the incredibly amazing prizes would actually end up in my grubby little hands. but, holy cow. look what landed in my mailbox this week!

hmm... what could be inside?

oh, baby. nothing says "don't worry, you're going to survive this horrible life-sucking heat wave" better than 5 luscious hanks of pure cashmere from posh yarns. people! I! won! something! and something really really awesome, too! that I love! not flight simulator! which doesn't even work on mac! and isn't even yarn!

so, actually, what I won was a $50 gift certificate, and lucky me, the lovely dee let me pick out anything I wanted from the shop before it was open for orders. and then! on top of that! she threw in an extra hank! I mean, WOW! I don't have enough exclamation points to express how wowed I am by this stuff and by dee's generosity! it's amazing! so soft and pretty!! yum!

now I just need to figure out what to make with it. and also wait for the horrible weather to go away so I don't sweat all over it. but even the sunburn that has taken over my back and shoulders and the sticky sweatiness covering every inch of my body can't get me down, because I am a WINNER! yay!

this blog is for knitting... don't worry. I didn't forget! it has been a while since I've had any knitting to show, but I do have photographic evidence that I have not been neglecting my needles. at least not this past week.

pattern: baby merry-jane by bekahknits (btw, when I google "bekahknits" it asks me if I mean "beachnuts")
yarn: rowan wool cotton, less than one skein each of inky and antique (who comes up with these names? what's wrong with black and off-white?)
needles: us2 knitpicks dpns, us2 addi turbos (what's with all the parenthetical commentary?)
finished: may 6, 2008
notes: (duplicated on ravelry because I am lazy) I made these little booties for my project manager’s unborn baby girl. I actually had started out making her a sweater, but then I stumbled upon this pattern and died. when I came back to life, I realized I had to make these like RIGHTNOW even though I only had about 12 rows of sweater left to knit. and now that I’ve made them, I am SO making them again. loved working with the wool cotton too. too bad they didn’t have more baby friendly colors at my lys. I need to load up on some other colors for the next time(s) I make these. the pattern is really pretty easy, but they came out kinda skinnier and longer than I’d expected. when I make them next time, I’m going to make them shorter and fatter, just the way I like them babies’ feet. heehee. all in all, I’m happy with these little guys. whee! I hope she likes them!

that's all for now, folks. I am tired as heck. until next time!