Well, I cast on for Coachella for the 3rd time. Attempts 1 & 2 were frogged. I don't normally knit large items and I have been having problems with my gauge going WAY off as the piece gets heavier. THe last attempt had my gauge going from 20 st over 4" to 28 st over 4". I think this is partly due to me allowing the weight of the piece to pull as I knit. I also think it has to do with the fact that I am using yarn that has *much* more give than the yarn the pattern calls for so I am ending up with less structure in the finished product. Anyway, so much for using stash yarn. I got some lovely Katia Idea which is a product I love anyway and have begun her yet again. Hopefully Dij will get it for her birthday although I wish I had been about to get it to her while it was still hot, icky and sticky outside.

Other than that, I have been working on Jaywalkers which turned out to be the perfect pattern for my lovely green sock yarn. They are soooo pretty! I am trying to finish the pair (I have 3/4 of one sock done) so I mentioned to Becky on her blog that if she wasn't finished with hers then I wanted to have a race. I know she had ONE Jaywalker complete, but I'm not sure about the pair. I wanted to see who could finish the pair by next Tuesdays meeting. Winner gets a cookie or something from the cafe. What do you say Becky?

Most likely Becky says she has already finished her pair and I should suck it up and do mine. :-P

Oh and gross... we for some strange reason are attracting grass spiders in our house. So far we have killed 4 in the last month. These things are HUGE. Of course it doesn't help that I am petrified of spiders. Personally I think we should just move. *shudder*

Saturday Shari and I went to A Tangled Skein. What a nice shop! Its roomy, wth a very nice selection of yarns, books, patterns and supplies. They had Malabrigo. I got 2 hanks in Vetiver which is a dusty green. Soooo smooshy.

Other than that I am in search of the *perfect* sock pattern for self striping sock yarn. I have yet to find any that can do this yarn justice. I have started and frogged no less than 6 times and am in danger of wearing the yarn out before i ever get to wear a pair of socks made from it.

You think I like green, no? Here is another attempt. I thought it looked too plain. But any pattern I try hides the beautiful colors. I *really* need to ask Cindy from Cherry Blossom Fibers it if she can do me a 2nd hank. Then maybe the pressure would be off.

I'm filling in a bit at job # 2 which means working nights in addition to Saturdays. It runs me down pretty quickly and cuts into the knitting time but the extra $$$ is GREAT. Especially since I have a few events coming up.

First of all, The Maryland Reniassance Festival begins on August 25th. This is a long standing tradition, I go every year. Daniel and I used to go together and spent the last hour dancing at the Dragon Inn to the awesome band, The Rogues. Last year, Nelson from The Rogues did a wonderful thing. He yelled out over the crowd that we had lost one of our own and asked everyone in the audience to raise there glasses and toast Daniels memory. Then they played Amazing Grace and the last note trailed into the first note of a jig. That was so perfect. Just absolutely perfect. So RennFest is bitter sweet for me but I feel so close to Daniel there that I wouldn't consider NOT going.

Second, a knitterly thing, Stitches East is coming!!! I am taking a couple vacation days and staying up there. Shari from the knitting group is going to attend with me. :) LOTS Of yummy stuff!!! I plan on heading right for the Malabrigo and Lisa Souza yarns. Its good to have a plan, especially since when i went to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival I was pretty much in awe of all the lovely stuff.

I am still waiting for Malabrigo to introduce their SOCK yarn! Its still in the develpoment phase but I have been promised a pre-release hank so I can review it. Ohhh I can't wait.

Since I don't have any pics to post, I think I will refresh my THINGS TO KNIT list.

Socks: Antique Rose, Mirabella, Beatrix, Widdershins, and Cable Net
Garments: Cable Panel Pullover, Pasticcio Circular Vest, Chunky Highland Wool Wrap
Baby Stuffs for other people: Devan

Okay.. thats enough to overwhelm me for a little while. I have yet to even begin thinking about CHRISTMAS KNITS! ::faints::