whaz up?

i mean really, where have i been!! well, unfortunately, not anywhere exotic but right here at my abode and within close proximity!! i am just amazed, more so each and every day, at how quickly time seems to fly!! gosh, seems like only yesterday when i last posted but it looks like it has been a couple of weeks!

whaz up on the knitting front? a frustrating adventure in knitting the cabaret raglan by norah gaughan from the book, the best of interweave knits. i frogged and reknit the front not once, twice or even three times but five times before i completed it without any errors!! i must say that i was just a tad psycho by the time i finished it correctly but, in hindsight, it was a learning experience and isn't that really what it is all about? a major accomplishment was that i knit a gauge swatch in advance! not really something that i do willingly or often but something that i really must do as i seem to knit very loosely. i ended up using needles two sizes smaller! with that tad bit of knowledge under my belt, i swatched my next sweater on needles two sizes smaller than called for and, presto, i had the appropriate gauge! yippee!! on my needles right now is the two-tone ribbed shrug from the book, fitted knits, by stefanie japel. i'm using a cotton yarn by cherry tree hill that is needling soooo nicely! just a pleasure to knit!

when not with needles in hand, i've been engrossed with another type of needle, that found in my sewing machine. i have a niece who will be walking down the aisle this may so in honor of this event i have been piecing a wedding quilt for her and her intended. it actually went together quite nicely - i'll post pictures when it returns from the machine quilter extraordinaire! by this time in my life i've figured out that i am a last minute type person (i must like the pressure!) so i'll probably by sewing on the quilt binding as i head to the wedding ceremony!! speaking of last minute operations, i am also going to make myself a dress for the wedding. i hope to accomplish that task next week! pray for me!!