Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh

I'm off to Camp Wannaknitknit

The knitting posse is all headed up to Vail, CO for Camp Wannaknitknit this weekend. I will be back Sunday with lots of pictures, 20 lbs. heavier from eating tons of food, and some good stories.

Hip to be Square

So what have I been up to on the topic of knitting these last two weeks?

SQUARES

I have been busting my butt knitting square after square for the Barn - Raising Quilt aka. The Friendship Blanket. The pattern is in the book titled, Knitalong by Larissa Brown. Several of the girls have decided that each of us will knit a square with a yarn that says something about ourselves. Such as favorite color, favorite yarn, etc. We will then get together and trade our squares. So you knit one square per person. I love the idea. I have to make 9 - 10 squares. The plan is to trade them this weekend. So I have been burning the midnight oil trying to get them done. I have three more to go. Cross your fingers.



I am using Red Rocks Fiber Works - Snowmass Sock yarn in the colorway PUNK. Why did I choose this yarn to represent KellyGirl? I love punk rock. I love the colors pink, grey and black together. I also at one point had my hair dyed in exactly these colors. So it was pretty much a given.

Here I am working on a square at the Denver Art Museum.

Here I am working on a square on the Light Rail.

One down, many more to go.

Five...

Six...

Here I am working on another square while sitting in my car waiting for my hair appointment. Now that is determination!

I am crawling towards the finish line.

Feast or Famine

Has it really been a week since my last post!? I sense a pattern developing here. I usually have a million things to tell you and show you. The problem is it seems to happen all in a one to two day time period. So I overload you on the posts and then disappear for a week. What can I say? I am a sucky blogger.

Tattered Cover - Lily Koppel

Yet another night out at the book store. Tonight I got to meet Lily Koppel. She is the author of The Red Leather Diary: Reclaiming a Life Through the Pages of a Lost Journal. I just purchased this book Monday after a suggestion by a friend. I was pleasantly surprised when I saw a sign saying she was going to be reading from and speaking about the book tonight.

I can not wait to start this one. The story behind the book is just incredible.

Here is a blurb from the Tattered Cover website:

"When a diary is rescued from a dumpster on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the glamorous, forgotten world of an extraordinary young woman is rediscovered. Joining intimate interviews with original diary entries, Koppel's evocative and entrancing book re-creates the romance and glitter, sophistication and promise of 1930s New York, bringing to life the true story of a precocious young woman who dared to follow her dreams."

This is a true story.

Gee's Bend Quilts - Denver Art Museum

Yesterday, I headed downtown with Michelle and Michaele to see Gee's Bend - The Architecture of the Quilt exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. We were not allowed to take pictures for some reason I am still scratching my head about. I was rather sad, since I actually remembered to bring the camera with me.

Michelle was the one that turned me on to these quilts. I am now obsessed with them. I have drooled over them in books but seeing them in person.....you are just blown away.

If you do a search on Google you can see tons of examples. This is one of my favorites. I think it is on exhibit in Texas.

Image: Annie Mae Young, born 1928. Work-clothes quilt with center medallion of corduroy strips, 1976. Denim, corduroy, synthetic blend, 108 x 77 inches. The Collection of the Tinwood Alliance

"Gees Bend is a small African American community in Alabama. The town’s women developed a distinctive, improvised geometric designs from salvaged work clothes, faded jeans, worn dresses, mattress ticking and cotton feed sacks, nothing is wasted. These skills and aesthetic were passed down through at least six generations to the present."*

Go see this exhibit if you get a chance. It is truly amazing.

*This description was taken from TreeHugger.com.

Tattered Cover - Jen Lancaster

Last night I went to the Tattered Cover to listen to Jen Lancaster read from her new book titled Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer.

All I can say is.....LOVE HER!! If you have not read any of her books I highly recommend running to your local bookstore or library right now. Warning: While reading these books there is a good chance you will laugh so hard you may very well pee yourself. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Her first book is titled Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomaniacal, Self-Centered Smartass, Or, Why You Should Never Carry A Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office.

Her second book is titled Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why it Often Sucks in the City, or Who are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me?

We were told there is a fourth book on its way. Hooray!

I also recommend visiting her website Jennsylvania.

Jen is a very funny, sweet, patient person who did not even flinch when several customers in line (including me) asked her to sign all three of her books.

Not my best picture, but who cares!

Today is National Martini Day!

Kickin' Key Lime Pie Martini

Ingredients:

1.5 oz. lime-flavored vodka (like Finlandia Lime or Smirnoff Twist of Lime)

1 oz. Torani Sugar Free Vanilla Syrup

2 tbsp. pineapple juice

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. Cool Whip Free

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a martini shaker with 1 cup ice (crushed ice works best). Cover the top of the shaker, and shake thoroughly. Strain into a martini glass and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Aint No Party Like A Wool Party

Friday morning the knitting posse loaded up and headed to Allenspark to spend the night knitting, drinking, eating, and most importantly laughing.


We stayed at the Meeker Park Lodge. They have some of the cutest log cabins to stay in. I highly recommend this place.

The plan was to get up early and hit the Estes Park Wool Market first thing in the morning. Mission accomplished!

The first booth we hit was the Plain & Fancy booth. The beauty you see below is going to get knit into a Seraphim Shawl. I grabbed three skeins of that.

We hit a bunch of other booths and then circled back to our favorites. I grabbed some pretty pale pink laceweight yarn from Skaska Designs. It is 55% silk and 45% cashmere. To die for!

I also grabbed some Graceful Lace Yarn from the same booth. This is going to be knit into something gorgeous. I'm just not sure what yet. I was thinking something with a leaf pattern might be nice since it has three shades of green through out the skein.

Last but not least we back tracked to the Textiles A Mano booth that was jam packed. I grabbed two skeins of Wuxi which is 50% silk and 50% wool. This stuff is sooooo soft. I think this soft treasure is going to be knit into a Hanami Stole by Pink Lemon Twist.

On the drive home in Sams sporty convertible, I acquired this beautiful shade of red. Yeah I think it is safe to say I reached lobster status. My face is equally red but I figured I would spare you that picture. The bright red face with my glowing white eyeballs will scare the pants off ya. Sam offered the sunscreen and I politely said, "No thank you." Boy was that a mistake. I forget how bad the sun is here. Had I done the math (eek numbers!) and took the time it takes to get home and then figured in those hours sitting in the sun. I might have begged to use it. Lesson learned.

ROCK LOBSTER!

WWKIP Day

Today was World Wide Knit in Public Day. I hope everyone did their part and was able to get out and knit in public. I know my peeps at Purls of Wisdom were going to be representing out there on the sidewalk. So now for the moment of truth. Did I knit today? Yes. Was it in public? No. I do have a good excuse though. I was at the Estes Park Wool Market. Which I think counts since it is both knitting related and public. Yeah that works for me.

Hey Lady!

Remember this gorgeous yarn I posted about back in March? It is from Red Rocks Fiber Works and it is the one I secretly re-named Kelly Girl. Ah yes, now you remember. Yesterday while I was cruising around on Ravelry I fell in love with my next project. Not only did it beg for the Kelly Girl yarn, it looked as if it was made for the project.

Here she is...the new love of my knitting life, the February Lady Sweater. It is a free pattern from the oh so talented Flint Knits. If you think the sweater looks familiar, you are right. It's Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Baby Sweater on Two Needles. The difference? It is adult sized. Woo Hooooooo!!! To see this gorgeous beauty being modeled head on over to Flint Knits blog.

This picture was taken....errrr....borrowed from the Flint Knits blog.

Bubble Butt

Look what rolled into our driveway last weekend.

It's a 2002 VW Beetle (turbo baybeeee!) in a gorgeous Blue display of color.

I know some of you are shocked right now. I am still keeping my Range Rover. There is no way that is leaving here anytime soon. That is my baby. With gas prices the way they are hubby and I have been talking about a car for a long time. We considered a BMW and the one I want is waaaaaay too pricey. We considered a Mini and again waaaaaay too pricey. The Beetle has been at the top of my list for many years now. We did some shopping and got a smokin deal.

I LOVE MY CAR!

Booby Prize

Marisol of Purls Just Wanna Have Fun had a contest to win one of the fabulous "Funky Sock Monkey" kits that were enjoyed by all at sock camp this year.

I had to have one so I entered with a naughty lymerick.

There once was a monkey from Nantucket

Whose tail was so long he could suck it

He said with a grin, wiping banana from his chin

If I didn't need a sock monkey so bad I'd say fuck it!

I did not win first prize BUT I did win a booby prize! YAY!!!

Marisol was also my Sweet Treat partner so the cake tape measure and candy compact were only fitting as a prize.

Thank you Marisol

Sweet Treat

The most awesome Special Swap package arrived from Marisol the other day. The theme this time around was "Sweet Treats" which is one of my very favorite subjects.

There was no shortage of candy in my box. From chocolates to taffy, Marisol pretty much covered all the bases for my sweet tooth.

One of my favorite goodies in the box was some sock yarn I have been dying to get my hands on. It is some Yarn Pirate in the colorway Sweet Lime. LOVES IT!!! Yeah if I had to pick one of their colors it would be that one. The sock yarn came with a very theme inspired pattern called "Candy Wrappers". I will be casting on for these on Sunday.

Speaking of Sweet Lime. If you have not had the new Bud Light Lime you need to run, not walk, to the nearest liquor store. It is one of our new favorites. Yes, lime beer is good.



I got some delicious Spice Cake candles. They smell wonderful!



Now we come to yet another favorite. How stinkin cute is this sock!? I am in love!

For the ultimate Sweet Treat with no fat, no calories, no taste......yummy stitch markers. These cuties will be getting lots of hang time on the needles.

THANK YOU MARISOL!!

YOU ROCK!!

Sex Sells

Last night I went to the movies with Stacey, Mary-Kay and Michaele to see the new Sex and the City movie. If you are/were a fan of the show I highly recommend the movie. I will be owning this one when it comes out on DVD.