The Fibonacci Experience

I know I said in a past post that I would be dropping out of HAT ATTACK 2, but damn if the competitor me wouldn't let me quit! I stood in folks, and got my victim this past Tuesday from the Oracle.

Now, remember why I wanted to drop out??? I've been so busy lately with too many things going on that I just couldn't commit time to making a Death Hat, well since I didn't drop out, I ended up having to scramble for my tools to kill with. This includes, 2 coordinating colors of yarn, worsted weight, a stitch marker, US size 6 24' inch circular, and a few other items, highlighter, ruler, etc.

The competitor in me wouldn't give up and in no way shape or form wants to be forced to have to send a WIP to an assassin! I luckily found in my stash, 2 colors that I thought hopefully most anyone would like, a grey tweed and a light green tweed from O'Wool's Organic yarn line. I fell in love with this yarn when I first found the gem "Green Planet Yarn". Beth, (GPY's owner), stocks up on a huge assortment of "green" friendly yarn, and O'Wool is one of them. The quality is very good, and soft to touch, and the colors are soothing.

I've completed my death hat and need to ship in the mail, hopefully today, if I can make it on lunch, otherwise it will go to the post first thing tomorrow morning. I don't have any pics yet of the FO, but I do have some pics I took on Wednesday to share.

This is a pic taken in my car Wednesday as I was knitting this killer hat!



Do you see my Hello Kitty stitch marker??? I just had to use it for this project, the little kitty follows me around in circles!

Another pic...



The pattern used for the Death Hat is called "Fibonacci Frequency", it really is a creative pattern. My hat's off to S.Quinn, pattern designer.

Fibonacci is a sequence of numbers named after Leonardo of Pisa. Each number in the sequence is equal to two numbers before it is added together. If you've seen "The Da Vinci Code" or read the book, your familiar with it. If this has sparked your interest, go to Wikipedia, where there's a wealth of info there.

I'm just amazed at how the designer soley based their pattern on the Fibonacci principles. When I was reading through the pattern pages, I couldn't imagine that the pattern would be something so pretty, and my proof is how it's knitting up. It's so simple, just combination's of Knits and Purls using the Fibonacci method, so simple yet so complex. From the pics I posted you can see it creates kind of a wave, or design that is pretty cool. It almost reminds me of a Monet painting, from far away the design really comes out, up close there's still a design, but it's different then the view from far away. I'll have to make me another one of these hats, there super easy and super fast.

On the list this weekend, in no particular order, except for No. 1, which is of high importance:

1) Take pics of dishwasher appliance and stove to sell on Craigslist to earn some extra, but needed $$$

2) Finish Clue 2 of MS4

3) Finish Hint's 2 & 3 of SSiii

4) Finish Tree square of Tech Afghan

5) Start Log cabin square of Tech Afghan

6) Work on section received for Group 25 Significant Others Traveling Scarves

7) Send out my seedling section for Group 25, must be done SAT!!!

8) Send out my seedling section for Group 37 Noro Knit/Crochet Traveling Scarves

9) Work on section for Group 37 Noro, received from herebedragons

10) Put the finishing touches on my swap packages for Day of the Dead, and Falling for Ewe 8)!!!

11) Chat it up with my new swap buddies from the Tea Swap and Hollywood Glamour 30's & 40's

12) Clean house

13) Work on pattern bag with my sewing machine

14) Go through kids clothes and get ready for a yarn sale

15) Give Rosie (my doggy) a bath

16) Bring out Autumn/Fall decorations

17) Finish organizing office

18) Celebrate my Aunt's Birthday, she's my Godmother

19) Celebrate my Mother's Birthday

20) Anything else I can't remember!

It will all turn out good, I'm thinking positive 8-).

Happy Friday Everyone!

What do you have planned?

Anyone doing anything this weekend? For me, I have alot of goals I've established for myself. One fun thing I was able to get done, packaged and dropped off to the U.S. Post Office, is my package for my swap pal from the "Knitters Treasurer" swap on Ravelry.

I joined this awhile ago, and perhaps cheated a bit, because I was able to choose my swap partner, my good friend, Marisol. When I first came across this swap back in early August, I really like the goodies that you give in the swap, and put in my request to join. I was told that they would need at least one more member to have a swappee for me, so I invited Marisol, who happily joined! Whats even better is that I was able to make a goodie package that I'm hoping she'll love!

Could there be the yummy yarn in it???
What type of yarn, I wonder???
Could there be patterns?
Could there be recipes?
Could there be knitting accessories in it???

Hmm... who knows? Only time will tell. I want to share this goodie package, but I won't spoil it for her (I know she reads this blog) ... I just want to tease a little!

For other swaps upcoming that I've requested to join, are a Tea swap, fun! I love Chai tea, it is my favorite tea of all teas. I love it hot, with some milk and a touch of sugar. The aroma is just so comforting. I also love homemade sun tea with some simple syrup, ahhh, refreshing. Normally in the summer I'll get some monster tea packets, and fill a big glass tea jug with clean bottled water, loads of freshly sliced lemon and just put it out in the morning, right smack in the sun's view, and by end of day I have the most refreshing and great tasting tea. It doesn't last too, my kids and my husband drink it up by end of day. It is so eco-friendly, you use the suns heat to penetrate the tea leaves to flavor and enrich the water. The lemon adds such a nice zing to too. I believe there are still openings for the Tea Swap, if your interested and have a Ravelry account, please visit The Odd Ducks Swap in Ravelry.

Another swap I'm also in, is the Day of the Dead swap. I've been putting together a package for my spoilee for awhile now, and probably won't call it complete for about another week, and then I'll send it off. This swap is in honor of, obviously, "Day of the Dead". It means so much to honor those who have passed on. Swaps are just so much fun. I love getting to meet new knitters/crocheters, and visiting their blogs. If you've never been in one, you should try it, I bet you'll enjoy it.

Onto my Traveling Scarves groups, I'm in Group 37 Noro Knit/Crochet, the premise behind this is that you knit or crochet a section of about 5 x 5 inches with only NORO yarn, and then pass on to your downstream knitter/crocheter. This goes around in a circle, between all members. Over the course of the traveling scarves, you'll get sections from each of the members and be able to add your own section. By the time you get your original section (your scarf), you'll have an FO that was knitted or crocheted by the members of your group. Cool idea! I love this group, it's all NORO, and you get to knit or crochet. Since I've been honing my skills at crochet, I love it, I can crochet my piece quickly. It can also be a great stashbuster, but I deviated and went and purchased some new NORO yarn, look at these, I can't wait for them to arrive!



Yummy New Yarn, my fave!

Plus, some late breaking news, not relative to knitting, but to me, I've landed a permanent job at a new company, and will be starting there in about two weeks. I currently work contract right now at another company, and while I like it here, the opportunity at my new job is just immense. It's a company that completely outsourced their IT services, and are unhappy with the performance of the vendor, so they decided to build an in-house IT from the ground up. I was contacted about this opportunity from a former colleague, who I can't thank enough! I'll get to influence, develop, and create an IT from scratch. There is so much opportunity with this, I'm really hoping it turns out to be a good thing. An even better plus, it's about 10 minutes from my house! I left an interview there about 4:55 p.m. on a Friday, and was walking into my home by 5:15 p.m.!! Wouza! I deserve this, for three years my hubby and I commuted from Newman (Central Valley of California) to San Jose, and to Palo Alto for me. This is about 400 miles a day, just in commute time, so this will be a nice change for me, especially since we now live in San Jose, CA again 8)

As for what I have planned this weekend, just straight knitting. I really want to get back on track with my Secret of the Stole KAL, and with the Mystery Stole 4. This is the first time I've knitted with STR Laci,and I love it. It is so soft and easy to work with, I can't imagine using anything else. The stitch definition and structure is just strong and pretty. I'll take final pics over the weekend to share with you.

Besides knitting, there will be some re-organizing/re-decorating of my home office. I have big plans for it to be a "Mini Fiber Studio". We'll also try to get our dining room in order. Right now it's empty and full of boxes.

So my plans are pretty simple, and cost nothing but my time 8) Maybe I'll throw in a BBQ for football Sunday! I just can't do without my football 8)

Have a good weekend everyone!
R

A Good Weekend...Part UNO 8)

I hope everyone enjoyed this past Labor Day weekend. It was a very nice one for me, and very productive I might say! I have so much to share and can't fit it in just 1 Lil'O post, so I'll be splitting this baby into 2, the 2nd to follow shortly...

My weekend started with a BANG! I got off at a little before 4 p.m. on Friday, all day all I could think of was... "Is it 4 yet? I wonder if I'll enjoy the game? I wonder if my kids will?"

What game you ask? Well, the last pre-season game for the San Francisco 49ers vs the San Diego Chargers. Woohoo! My husband and I bought 4 tickets a few weeks ago to take the kids and let them experience a real NFL game. We left San Jose about 5 p.m. and headed North towards San Francisco. We were all geared up, I had on my white 49ers tank top with lace trim, and I was wearing this lovely "Moss Ribbed Scarf" in Scout's custom dyed "49ers" colorway...




I'm thinking I might add another 10 inches to it, cause it fits more like a cowl than a scarf, but boy did it come in handy.

Now us (me'family and I) being San Jose natives, left the hot San Jose weather wearing our normal summer clothes to go to San Francisco. You would think that we would know what to wear to S.F., considering we go there all the time, but no sir'ee'bob. I was the only one who brought any kind of warm gear, my scarf a.k.a faux cowl *) and my beige sweater jacket, but nobody else brought anything warm to wear?

So we had nose bleed seats (which I love!) and up there at night in Candlestick, it can get windy & chilly, and it didn't fail to deliver this last Friday as we watched the game. My hubby & kids were all rattling their jaws, curling up, and trying to enjoy themselves. We ended up buying a S.F. blanket for a whopping $55.00 bucks! We've learned our lesson, and we'll gear up next time, but the blanket will come in handy this winter, so I guess it's a positive.

There was also this "49er Elvis", so cute! You gotta see this pic....



You see him striking the signature "Elvis" pose? Look at the back of his shirt.. I love it! "Viva Las Niners"!!!



I always thought "nose bleed" seats were the worst, but now that I know how the view looks, I'm going to pick these seats more often. Check out this view:



Another cool thing, which I swear was a wish granted to me, cause as I was attentively watching the game, still cold under my sweater, I wished silently "If only they had a stand vendor who could serve you hot chocolate right at your seat"... I totally swear I wished this, and then next thing you know... BAM....



I couldn't believe my eyes! I quickly bought a $4.00 cup of hot chocolate..I was just in ahh of it. If only I had wished for $$$, wonder if that would've come true??? Oh yah as soon as I got the hot choco, I took a big gulp and I burned my lips. Guess all that ooh & ahh just took the common sense right out of me 8) Friday's done PERIOD

Begin Saturday... I started off with cleaning, I'm a good knitter, I clean my house before I knit so as not to feel guilty. I can't stand to have guilty thoughts and I really hate the voices in my head sometimes, I'm just totally neurotic, I'm always thinking about something or everything. Thinking of dinner, what to knit next, knitting patterns to devise, colors to dye yarn with, meals to write down, job stuff (I really hate when job stuff creeps in), bills (ahh!), upcoming appt.'s, on and on I go in my head. Is everyone neurotic or is it just me? Are you? I have the hardest time going to sleep, I just can't get my mind blank.

After my cleaning I was just pooped. I decided to finally catch up with my Secret of the Stole III KAL, which I'm so behind because I kept debating over what beads to use, and decided to go and buy some to match my lovely lace yarn. After some lazying around, I just didn't feel like driving down to the bead store. I had some beads I bought from the Knitting Arts going out of business, and decided to go with those. There green, and the lace I have has shades of green in it. I was a little skeptical as I started my SofSIII Hint 1, but I'm really liking how it turned out. I think the beads turned out pretty darn good, in fact I think they give the yarn that special *something*. This is the completed SofSIII Hint 1 portion:



Yarn is Schaefer Yarn Company Andrea lace weight, it is so so soft and silky. I remember when I bought it from GPY, I was just in love with it the moment I saw it and felt the silkyness.

Besides my SofSIII I continued knitting on my Elm Row scarf, this is one of the newer patterns published by the marvelous Ann Hanson from Knitspot, this pattern is so pretty, but I have to say, you do need attention to detail for it. The stitches are your basic increases, decreases & such, but I'm finding I need to pay attention as I'm knitting because the pattern consists of a 10 row repeat, each row has a different combination of stitches. For me, I tend to make mistakes because I have this type of built in memorization I do. I played the Memory game alot when I was a kid, maybe that's where I get it from? You know the game Memory? It's where you have a bunch of cards, each has 1 pair of identical pictures, and you mix them all up, face down, and slowly try to match up the pairs by memorizing where you saw the previous picture cards position? I played this so much as a kid, and it has helped in my adult life, I memorize everything, from numbers, to phrases, etc. For knitting this is good because I can remember entire patterns I knit, and because I memorize stitch sequences, I'll start knitting ahead knowing the next sequence, but with the Elm Row the pattern changes so frequently that I find myself knitting a sequence that is not next in order, so I TINK TINK TINK away!
Anywho, I'm making good headway on my scarf, and I just can't wait to finish it and block it. My little yarn cake is diminishing rapidly. The yarn is the beautiful "Peach Pit" from Scout, one of her debut colorways back in late July 2008. I'm going to custom order more of this color, I love this colorway.





To end this post, I did also get another "TO DO" done, I knitted up a Square from the "Barn Raising Quilt" pattern in the "Knitalong: Celebrating the Tradition of Knitting Together" book. Stacey from "Sheep in the City" (great blog!) posted awhile back regarding volunteers to knit a square for Father. I love my Father, and from one kind thoughtful knitter to another, I was more than happy to volunteer my knitting time. I knitted up this square using the softest yarn, I don't have the label on me right now to give you the yarn specs, but I can tell you it is soft, velvety, rich and vibrant. I just love how this *star* pattern evolves as you knit the square. This went out in the mail to Stacey this morning 8)





Okie Dokie folks, I'll post Part DOS later, stay tuned 8)!