Monday, December 27, 2010

Spencer Day Finale

Pattern: Tweed Boyfriend Sweater from Melissa Leapman's Continuous Cables
Yarn: Valley Yarns Stockbridge (Webs store brand, 50% alpaca, 50% wool), 10 skeins, bought at Stitches West a few years ago.
Needle: US Size 8
Size made: Sub-small. The pattern is written as men-size, so the smallest is 42, while I need about 38 to 40. I took out one small panel on each size (6st each). The finished size fits me well.
Cost: About $40
Notes: There were some continuous cable squares in the Great American Aran Afghan, and someone on Ravelry mentioned Leapman has a much easier way to work these cables. She does. Instead of starting a new set of cable with new yarn (and extra ends), she puts in some increases on the bottom. Give it a try and you'll see what I mean. Why Spencer Day? I was planning my new project in the summer, during our weekly Jazz on the Plazz concerts; one of the last acts was a young (good looking) performer named Spencer Day. When I decided on this particular pattern, a certain male figure in my life claimed it was because the male model looked like Spencer Day. So I'm going to name it such, rub it in.





Saturday, December 25, 2010

Que Sera Sera Finale

Pattern: My own (there is really not a pattern)
Yarn: Assorted sock yarn, all fingering weight
Needle: US Size 6
Cost: About $80  
Previous post: September 2009
Notes: The original idea was to use up some of my left over self patterning sock yarns, and a mitered square blanket seemed like a good option. In the end it became a very long shawl, which I have used a few times and no one accused me of wearing a blanket. It's light weight, colorful, and very unique.



Thursday, December 16, 2010

Pugtacular 2010


Last Sunday we went to the annual Pugtacular, a big pug party where you can see hundreds of snorting slobbering sometimes screaming pugs. Bucky won two out of three events we entered -- first place in senior pugs (Bucky, at 15 years old, was the oldest in the building), third place in pug race (we had to enter him as physically challenged, Bucky made it to the end through some detours). Bucky and I got eliminated in the first round for Lap Pugs, one'd figure we should be able to win that with a pug hardly walks!

We were interviewed by the local paper and they put Bucky's picture as the headliner in the article. Here is the link.

Bucky's first place winning was a Christmas wreath with a stuffed animal and cookies as decorations. While I was talking to the reporter Bucky snatched off one of the cookies and ate it right there. He hasn't had a hard cookie in well over a year, but he crunched it all up in no time, licked his chops, and wanted to attacked the next one.