You must go to this website!

My dear friend Stephen has a small cookie company, Albuqcookie, and his website just went live and is taking orders! The cookies are amazing and worth every cent! They make great gifts; I buy some for my parents every Christmas. I served bags of Albuqcookies at my wedding as the favors! My favorite are the lavender lemon biscotti. You must try some so you can have a favorite of your own!

It's done!

The drop stitch lace tank is finished, and I love it! I wore it to work and received many a compliment, especially since no one knew I made it! I love knitted items that don't look "homemade". Handmade is very different from homemade.

I made it in the smallest size in the book, which was like, a 28" bust (which I am not!), and on needles one size smaller than recommended for the yarn (Knitpicks Swish worsted, I used size 6 needles). This pattern is super-stretchy, so I would recommend making it smaller than you normally would knit anything for your size. And I also modified it by knitting into the back loop of every stitch in front of and after the yarn overs so that the lace keeps it shape better. Otherwise, the lace looked kind of scrappy.




* Update - At her request, I am reminded I should credit my fabulous photographer, Katie, for taking the shots. The way she captures emotion through the lens, her ability to set the flash to "on" or "off" and the fact that when you tell her to zoom in and get some detail and she knows what the hell you are talking about (no offense hubbie) makes working with this Einstien of the photographic world a great joy each and every time.

Knit that Knazi!

Holy crap I HAD to take a break from studying to post this.


Rachel Matthews has created a pattern book so you can knit a doll of your favorite evil dictator! Who hasn't been waiting for this? (sarcastically said).

You can read all about it here.

Although the thighs are a bit femme, that hair and 'stache are pretty right-on, I must say.

Progress!

Without the flash

With the flash. Much more true to the color.

The tank top is almost finished! Just some seaming at the top, a few buttons, and then I will have a summer project done! Yay! Then I can start the next one which has to be done by the fall and of which I cannot speak, lest the recipient be an avid knitting blog reader, which I doubt, but you never know. I don't know who reads this thing except for the people who comment, so I can't take any chances.




The kitties are trying to beat the heat. It has been really toasty lately:



Hugo is so cute sometimes. Sometimes.:


I got up early this morning and jogged in the foothills with my friend Susan. Man! That kicked my ass! I run almost daily, but it's just around my neighborhood, which has some hilliness, but is relatively smooth and even. I can't wait to get back out there and run the foothills again. What a great workout! I am doing another 5K in two weeks, the Chunky Monkey, which is in the valley and totally a flat course, so there's not really much to train for, except being able to run in a straight line for 3.1 miles.

I will probably not be at SnB Tuesday, as Melissa is coming to visit and knit on Wednesday, so I am taking that as a knitting night instead. Hope to see some of you Wednesday, same time and place!