Look at this guy!

New Knitting Bag

I was sitting in the boutique today, thinking about how I'm really going to need a lighter more summer-y knitting bag as it continues to get warmer and I found it! Here's the front:
It says (in french) Who has eaten my apple?The back says: It's a secret.

The bottom shows the culprit and says: It's delicious!
As cute as this bag is, more importantly, it has three interior pockets and a secret side zip pocket, making it very useful for knitting. And it was only $7!

In other news, I missed my CKU Meet up at Noble Tree Coffee and Tea today. I tried to make it but I could not find parking anywhere. I was so frustrated after 40 minutes, I just went home. I hope everyone else had fun!
I started a swatch journal yesterday to aid with designing knits. Now whenever I chart a pattern I can attach a swatch beneath it for reference. That's my first one!

I cast on a pair of socks for Richard to take the edge off my design frustrations with my mom's stole. I'm now thinking about creating it based on design elements in the Holy Name Cathedral. If I do, it will be the first design in my book. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Hopefully, I will be able to actually reproduce the design elements of this historic structure into knit.
It's a daunting task.

Bev Larson Basketweaving Class

Today, before work, I took a basket weaving class from Bev Larson at Whole Foods. It was really cool, but a little rough on my (home) manicure. Here are some photos:The beginning is the hardest part.
It's starting to look like a basket!Inserting the handle and making the rim.It's done! Well, almost. I still need to sand it, stain it and install the wheels. I am super happy with the way it turned out and very glad that I took the class from Bev. She is a very patient and thorough teacher. I think the Windy City Knitting Guild has the coolest programs.

Knit Visualizer

Has anyone seen this yet? I was reading the Yarn Harlot's blog and noticed that she uses this program, so I decided to check it out.

Knit Visualizer

It is a great resource for any knitter who wants to chart a pattern or design their own. I could not afford to buy the program, but I downloaded the demo and it's awesome.

I'm using it to design a stole for my Mom's birthday. I was inspired by this cool trellis I saw on the cover of Body + Soul magazine and I have been struggling for two days to create a stitch pattern that resembles it. This software is speeding up the process.

Dad's Engineering Degree at Work

I have finally come to the realization that all this yarn is not winding itself. I went to the craft store today (armed with my 40% off coupon) to buy a ball winder. This is a purchase I have been seriously considering, but never wanted to shell out the full forty bucks for (I'd rather buy more yarn). So, I figure with the 40% off, this could be a good deal and an excellent solution to my problem.

Of course, when I get there, the craft store does not have any ball winders. I asked three people for help and finally came to the conclusion that it was not meant to be. Problem: I have 400 yards of a lace weight merino/silk blend that needs to be wound into a ball pronto.

Solution:
After watching me try to wind it by hand at a ridiculously slow pace, Dad whipped out his drill and had it all wound into a ball in no time.

Richard wound a second ball for me later that night.
Any man who helps me wind my yarn into balls is a KEEPER.

Maria's Baby Blanket

It is finished!
It's a gorgeous purple color. I used Berroco Comfort in Aster.
She liked the basket weave baby blanket I made before, so I wanted to make her something similar but different. This pattern is Sunny Baby Blanket by Lucie Sinkler. It's free on Ravelry.
I am really pleased with how it came out and i hope she likes it!

Building Fire

At about 8:40pm I was watching tv and I thought I smelled something burning. I got up and checked a couple lamps; did a lap around the apartment and decided everything was normal. So I went back to watching my show.

About 10 minutes later, I smell smoke. I get up again, turn on all of the lights and discover that my apartment is filling with smoke. Problem is, I still am not finding the source of the fire. I have checked every lamp, electrical socket, appliance, and I have not found any reason for the smoke in my apartment (Can you tell I grew up in the suburbs?). Yet the smoke is getting thicker.

I panic and run out to the hallway, where I find a couple of my neighbors gathering in the hall. I ask them if there's smoke in their apartments and they say yes. One tells me they're calling the fire department and another is investigating the source of the smoke. They walk past my doorway, peer into my apartment, and they say "holy shit". Apparently, the "smoke" in their apartments is nothing compared to the smoke cloud thickening in my apartment. At this point, I start to hear my little dogs coughing and I decide its time to get the hell out of dodge.

So I gather up my little pups and we make a run for the stairwell. We run down all 8 flights of stairs and out a back door to the alley where we meet the fire truck that just pulled up. I let the firefighters into my building and they run past me. One asks me some questions and I answer as best I can but I am shaking. I think they knew I was scared.

The fire was in the trash dumpster at the base of the trash chute, which is why my apartment got the brunt of the smoke. They were able to put it out and there was no damage to the building or our apartment. It smells really smoky in here, but we can air out the apartment.

All I can say is I am so glad I was home, because my littlest dog probably would have died of smoke inhalation if I had not been here. I never thought smoke could be so dangerous. We are definitely thankful tonight for all that we have.