for my little sis with the tiny feet

snuggly malabrigo loafers / slippers!



pattern: malabrigo loafers by cocoknits
yarn: malabrigo worsted, 2 hanks (held doubled)
needles: 2 size 10 circs

these were fairly easy to knit, although it hurt my hands a bit to knit with malabrigo doubled on the 10s. the pattern is great and very inventive. it boggles my mind how such a complicated shape can be reconstructed in a knitting pattern. great fun to see it materialize!

i ordered the leather sole patches from fiber trends and i think they really "make" the loafers. i put them in the mail yesterday - i hope my sis likes them!

posted by rockbridge @ 1:23 PM 1 Comments

totally and completely finished!

somehow, when i wasn't paying attention, a whole crop of finished knitted things appeared in my house! as my pile of current projects grows and grows, i take real satisfaction in sewing up those seams, weaving in those ends, and admiring a totally, completely, finished product. it feels so tidy and gives me a strange sense of relief. does that mean that knitting projects stress me out? maybe... i am aware of this need, deep down, to prove that i deserve to have - even NEED - all the yarn and needles books i have lying around.

i mean seriously, how could i possibly have made these without keeping all those tiny yarn ball leftovers?

pattern: oh! baby baby booties, by Judy Nemish
yarns used: mirasol hacho, araucania aysen, madelinetosh worsted
needles: size 5
cuteness level: out the roof!
these are really so adorable, if i do say so myself... ;) i can't wait to meet the baby and to slip these little squishy things onto his chubby feet!
details here (rav link)

i also made these:

pattern: squirrelly swedish mittens, by elliphantom
yarn: louet gems fingering, in green and white
needles: 1.5
cuteness factor: pretty durn cute also. i love how the squirrels have eyes and floofy tails
more details here (rav link)

and the big project....

a finished sweater!

pattern: lightweight pullover, by hannah fetig
yarn: classic elite fresco, in oatmeal
needles: size 7
not really cute, but i'm pleased with this sweater nonetheless. the yarn is wonderful, and i really like both the fit and the color. i've even warn this to work. that's huge. i wonder, though, if turtlenecks are really the most flattering for me. i think i prefer, and look better in, a more open neckline.
more pics and details here (rav link)

next up... some malabrigo loafers and a tea leaves cardigan in ultra alpaca. if only i could knit all the time...

posted by rockbridge @ 1:24 PM 0 Comments

a good saturday

i'm all by myself this saturday... and i couldn't be enjoying it more! after weeks of go go go go go go and leaving town every weekend, it is so nice to wake up late to a quiet house, make coffee, slowly come to life. i usually am not a big baker, but i felt like blueberry muffins so i made some.


then i felt like starting (another) knitting project, so i wound some yarn.


then i felt like finally getting around to blocking my FINISHED(!) lightweight pullover. so i did that too.

'course i did try it on before blocking... and it fits! it fits! it fits well! here's a little sneak peek:

then i wrote a long overdue email that ended up being pages and pages of catching up and musings and ramblings. hope i don't put my friend to sleep... anyway, it feels so nice to just be in the moment, doing what seems like the best thing to do at the time...

the last 2 saturdays have been spent out of town doing fun stuff like this:

climbing at the alabama hills (yet again). don't i kind of look like a spider?


backcountry skiing in the sierras. brought along my little buddy on his first backcountry trip.

while i think i have an adventurous spirit and a restless soul and i love to be out and about and going places, i guess i have to admit that i also love a quiet day at home in my jammies with greasy hair and fresh baked muffins. who doesn't?

posted by rockbridge @ 12:44 PM 1 Comments

how awesome is this!?

i was recently the lucky winner of a raffle prize from mel over at pipe dreams and purling plans! wanna see what i got??


a custom-made, just-for-me, needle roll from katrin at sew mad! i couldn't be more thrilled with the fabrics katrin chose (she knew that i loved turquoise and surprised me with these fabric combinations that i would have been hard-pressed to have chosen for myself).


my roll has 3 tiers of pockets which i will use to hold all of my circular needles. currently my needles are tangled and disorganized and messily spilling out of an under-sized canvas box. storing them in this roll will be a *huge* improvement.

and look how cute it is all rolled and tied up!


i love the pink polka-dot tie... and although you can't see this in my pictures, the craftmanship and attention to detail is astonishing. thank you mel and katrin!!

posted by rockbridge @ 2:47 PM 8 Comments

alabama hills: take 2

after a weekend of fun climbing at Tahquitz, we are headed back up to the alabama hills for a few days of camping and climbing in a beautiful setting. the a-hills are perfect for mellow outdoor time. good weather (usually sunny days and cool nights), nice flat, sandy campspots tucked into rock alcoves, and ample fun, non-committing climbing with no big approaches or chance of getting lost. while it doesn't appeal to my sense of adventure, it does appeal to my desire for fireside lounging and just spending days outside. i can't wait! i just need to decide what knitting to take with me...


i'm making good progress on my lightweight pullover and i think i'm going to love wearing it, so perhaps i'll take that with me...
or i could finish the lavalette i just started last week. on jillian's recommendation, i went to abuelita's, a yarn shop in south pasadena and bought some malabrigo sock. when i got home with it, however, i just didn't feel like knitting socks. so i started a triangle shawl - my first one ever!

happy weekends everyone!

posted by rockbridge @ 9:53 AM 0 Comments

my life in a numbered list

hi! long time, no blog...

life has been an upside-down crazy whirlwind for the last few months. in a nutshell, here's what's been happening:

1. i finished my phd. incredible.

2. i started - and finished - a postdoctoral research position that was a BIG project crammed into a SHORT amount of time, so i was working like a freaking MANIAC for a while there... but it's mostly wrapped up now. just have to finish reducing the data and write the manuscript ;)

3. i co-led a field trip to the eastern sierras (my favorite place on earth, maybe) and snuck in a day of climbing at the beautiful alabama hills.


4. i moved to LA. it's exciting. i miss the desert. i am still desert at heart.


5. there were going away parties galore (all of which strangely involved only me wearing costumes). i felt so warm and fuzzy and loved. i have terrific friends.

6. i'm starting a new postdoctoral position... in january! i pushed my start date back three months so that i could move, relax, write said manuscript, travel, climb, and see family. i'm 2 days into my "vacation" and i'm loving it!

7. i still knit. lots! right now i'm obsessing over the lightweight pullover. can't put it down! i've also knit up a bunch of hats, some of which i gave away before even snapping a picture, which i think is the best compliment you can give to a knitted hat! i'm still plugging away on muir and float and loving both. BUT, i am a very slooooow lace knitter.


8. i'm looking for yarn shop recommendations for the LA area - any good ones?

posted by rockbridge @ 4:33 PM 3 Comments

catching up

i can't believe it, but i have a number of finished projects to show you! i feel like i haven't been knitting much lately, yet i have accumulated some finished knits... how did that happen?

first up: noro silk garden socks


pattern: basic top down with a ribbed cuff and a standard slipped stitch heel flap.
yarn: noro silk garden (duh) - 1 skein
needles: size 2 (or 1.5, not sure...)
size: cast on 64 sts
result: love! colorful and surprisingly soft.
rav

next up: drops lace hat


pattern: drops slouchy lace hat
yarn: brown sheep cotton fleece, 1 skein, bright blue
needles: sizes 3 & 5
result: love! great summer hat (is that an oxymoron?)
rav

lastly: lotus leaf mittens


pattern: lotus leaf mittens by elliphantom
yarn: louet gems fingering in red and sky blue
needles: size 2
result: love! (i realize this is a love-fest). they are a little snug in the thumb, but otherwise they fit perfectly. the pattern is wonderfully written and fun to knit. i didn't do the greatest job carrying the red yarn around to the start of each round, but i don't care. when i'm wearing them, i hardly notice the sloppy stitches.
rav

whew! that was quite the back- log...

progress continues on some other projects, which i hope to post up soon. hope everyone is enjoying a fun and active summer!

p.s. eek! i almost forgot... i just spent a delightful weekend with evergreen knits and her husband camping and climbing outside of tucson. we had beautiful weather and tons of fun. if you're reading, thanks for driving down and hanging out hanna!!

posted by rockbridge @ 10:40 AM 2 Comments