VK Lace Edge Jacket - Done!

Pattern: Lace Edge Jacket from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 06
Needles: #9 Denise Circular, F crochet hook
Yarn: Sugar n Cream in 'Ecru' for main body (about 11 ounces) and in 'Jute' for trim. Pink trim is Bernet Softee Chunkee in 'Pale Antique Rose' (I couldn't find a pink I liked in the Sugar n Cream)
Notes: I knit this in size small. While I was worried after knitting the back that it was turning out too big, it actually worked out that it fits tightly! Thank goodness, because I anticipate that the yarn is going to grow/droop a lot. It's actually rather stiff right now. This is actually my first FO with Sugar N Cream, we'll see how it wears. The pattern itself was a very quick, easy TV-knit--it was brilliant how much of the front is just made up of the crochet. I'm trying to decide whether I want to go the button or shawl pin route--I whipped up a quick shawl pin in pink shades (visible in the close-up shot) but it's certainly more of a pain to pin than button. I didn't do much in the way of modifications, other than leaving the last row of crochet off the sleeve and body trim--it's essentially a picot edging which I didn't care for. I'm pleased with my color choices too (didn't go too far off the model)--while it doesn't go particularly well with the lime-green tank I was wearing this afternoon it'll be the perfect coverup for many a sundress that I own. All in all, I'm very pleased.

To knit-list, part deux.

La Lace-Edge jacket, she is done! No pictures yet, as my photographer has recently started law school (the night version) and has been unavailable to take a nice picture of it in natural light. And I insist that it be shown off in all its glory. Currently on the needles is Tigger in two very different yarns than the ones featured--Jamie Baby, held doubled (I've got a huge stash of it, all in a multicolor print called "Happy Time!", with exclamation point added by me.) and pink stash acrylic. It's for a new baby in the boy's family, which baby will hopefully not be gianormous being that the sweater is turning out less than huge.
On to the knit list!

More from Knitty:
-Arisaig - Beautiful, yes. Three-ply lace, also yes. I'm pretty sure I can find an appropriate yarn in my stash (being that I sit on yarns thinner than worsted weight like they're...10-year bonds?) but the question is whether I feel comfortable committing to a project like this right now. All the finished ones I've googled up look amazing, though...
-Soleil - A nice, basic tank, with a little lace edge. I'd make a lot of modifications if I did knit it, and I'd probably change to a different lace pattern along the bottom edge. Eh. Sounds like too much work for right now.

Elsewhere:
-Knot Ugly Shrug from Stitch N Bitch; The Happy Hooker - A simple, simple, simple pattern and a quick project. And I've been recently really into the shrug-as-accessory trend (years too late, I know) due to the whole 100+ degrees outside/50 degrees inside phenomenon.
-Wedgewood Blouse from Interweave Knits Summer '06- I love the design, I love the neat paisley bobble and cable pattern (I've never knit anything with bobbles, mostly because usually when I see them they look exceedingly silly.) I'd definitely do some waist shaping. I don't think I have a yarn for this in the stash either.
-Lotus Blossom Tank, also from IK summer '06 - I like the clever way the straps are made, though it looks like the neckline could turn out rather floppy. I have a bit of purple Microspun in the stash that might do, but the question is...will I get gauge? And almost as important...would I like it in purple?
-Picovoli - I've always meant to knit this--it's a project that seems both A) super easy and B) wearable to work, which are both huge huge pluses. For instance, I adore my Cleo, but I hardly ever get a chance to wear it, being that it's hardly work-appropriate!
-Lace Leaf Pullover, from Loop -d- loop as well as Summer '05 IK - Much like many of Teva Durham's projects, I love the design, I love the construction, but I hate the bulky yarn. I've knit enough designs in bulky yarns to realize that I don't like the way bulky yarn projects feel. Even with waist shaping, I'm convinced it'll make me look shapeless as well. However, I might just fudge down on the gauge a bit and go for it once I find the perfect grass-green yarn.

List Time!

The garden has been withering away over the past month and a half with the drought and 100+ temperatures. I try to water the plants in the beds once every other day (every day for the tomato) and the containers on the deck twice a day, the result of which is that the container plants seem to be doing much better now than the ones in the ground. Right now the ones that are still productive are:
-Better Boy Tomato - just a few left, thanks to drought and an attach of these terrible black beetles.
-Straight 8 cucumbers - though again, in small numbers thanks to the drought. Also, I don't know whether it's due to pollination or some other factors, but some of them are terribly bitter and they're all VERY thick-skinned. I've got some delish refrigerator pickles out of them though!
-Sweet Banana Pepper (container) - my hardiest one so far, making smaller peppers in the heat but still doing well overall. Too bad I don't really care for banana peppers.
-California Wonder Pepper (container) - plant is doing great, fruits are getting destroyed by gigantic grasshoppers/sun scald. Hopefully my moving it into the sunroom will mitigate both these pests. Though of course, I don't really care for bell peppers either.
-Basils - Thai, Sweet Italian, and Cinnamon. All trying their best to seed seed seed but still providing me tons of tasty little leaves for my pizzas, stir-fries, and sauces. Definitely big contributors to my kitchen!
- Sage - Both my big plant and its various little cuttings are going strong. Though not as versatile as the basils, I did make some lovely roast chicken with it this evening.
- Sun Gold Tomato (pictured) - had a barren spell (after my absence and the corresponding inadequate watering) but is starting to fruit again with my love and twice-daily water. Still delicious, but a few of them are getting nibbled at despite my magic spray of soap, neem, and pepper sauce.
There's some morning glory creeping about and some tuberoses that I'm still praying will bloom, as well as a sundry assortment of flowers in various states of despair, but those are the main characters in my gardening sitcom.

On to knitting...I'm too lazy to take a picture of my VK Lace-Edge Jacket, but trust me on this, I'm almost done--just about finished with putting the crocheted trim around the body.
I feel pretty proud of myself for soldiering through this whole project without starting a new one. (Nevermind the endless backlog of WIPs which I keep re-discovering as I'm going through The Stash.) Of course, now that ending time is near, I'm looking for a new project to grace my needles...just for my own recollection, here are a few on my list from Knitty:
-Emerald Seas from Summer '07. I think I love it so much because of the fabulous color and gorgeous photography. I don't think I have a suitable yarn in my stash, but I haven't plowed through the whole bunch yet...
-Isabella from Spring '07. I'm not sure how the split-neck will look in actuality, and I'm concerned it will dip too low for work. It looks like I might be able to just knit the lace together a little higher to draw up the neckline.
-Tempting II from Winter '05. I love the whole knit-in-round-no-finishing thing, I truly truly do, but I hate 1x1 rib, and tend not to find short-sleeve knit sweaters all that wearable. This, too, awaits the right yarn.
-Tubey, also from Winter '05. I was not at first interested in this design, (though the model's sporting it one F train stop from my old home in brooklyn was sort of cool) but looking back at it, it's really a nifty construction and makes for a neat neckline. I'll definitely be able to find some stash yarns to use up in this project, though I'm not sure what direction I want to go with the stripes.
Well, that's enough for now. My whole desk is covered in knitting mags, so I could go on and on forever, but...that'd be boring.

New WIP

I'm making good progress through my latest WIP--I cast on about a week ago and over the course of a week's worth of LOST-watching I've gotten a good ways through the back. It's the Lace Edge Jacket from the Spring/Summer 06 vogue knitting. I'm doing it in Sugar n Cream (so sue me) in Ecru, on a #9 denise circular. I'm currently trying to decide what color to make the little lace accents (blue and pink on the model). I'm thinking brown/pink or brown/beige would work well. I'm concerned that it's turning out too big. (I'm going for the size S.) When I hold it up against my body it looks ok but it just looks so..large sitting there.