It has been kind of a stressful week over here in Carrieoke land, which means that I turn to my trusty stress-relief combo: Tuesday night TV, knitting, and wine. It never fails, and last night was a much needed break. And look what happened! my Grape Fanta multiplied :

And then there were two!
Click to see a closer view of the lace.

I'm almost done with the front and back of the purple wonder. I know I keep repeating myself, but this pattern is fun times. The lace part is easy to memorize, and it starts going pretty quickly after a glass of wine. Har. I am so excited about finishing this! I'm hoping the weather at MSW will be nice to me and perfect for wearing some Grape Fanta. Next weekend! Next weekend! YAY!!!

Today was a little chillier than usual in the morning, so I grabbed the opportunity to wear the Brown Beauty to work. Now, my track record for actually wearing my knits isn't great, so I feel like this a photo-worthy occasion.

The Brown Beauty at work.

One day, when I've got a whole closetful of knits like some people I know, I'll wear my knits all the time. (And then I probably won't take a picture every time it happens.) The wide collar on this sweater is giving me kind of a Flashdance look with the shirt underneath. But it's cool to rock the Flashdance look at work, right?? I thought so.

I found an Orangina knit-along on craftster.org, and that led to me the cutest finished Orangina - check this out. I think this is a fabulous FO. I hope my Grape Fanta looks this good!

I'm off to worky work work.

**ooh! I almost forgot! did anyone see the Nashville Star finale? I was so happy! My friends might have been laughing at me, and there were some cheesy parts, but I so love this show. American Idol is on its last leg, seriously. The performances last night were atrocious....***

Posted by Carrieoke at 2:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (26)

Wow. It's Monday. And today is an especially Monday-like Monday, complete with early morning emails from angry people (work) and cold temperatures. Grr. Grrump.

So, let's instead focus on the weekend and how fun it was! Yay. Jacob and I attended an outdoor wedding on Saturday (he also took some pictures too.) It was a little chilly, but the weather held out nicely for the ceremony and the reception (which was a local bar). Here's my photographer-schmoo in his natural habitat:

He's doing that hand thing for show. Isn't he cute?

The ceremony was definitely the shortest wedding ceremony I've ever attended. It was like this: do you? yes. do you? yes. great, let's go to the reception. the end. I loved it! It reaffirmed my current thoughts about how nice a super simple wedding would be. or a Vegas wedding in an Elvis chapel. (Note: I'm not planning a wedding. I am not engaged. And don't bug Jacob about it, poor guy. We're doing fine, thanks.)

Here's some pics from the reception:

We are happy. And a litle drunk. Isn't the light nice in there?

I heart cosmopolitans.

And just in case you thought I wasn't going to talk about knitting at all in this post:

Grape Fanta in action!

I didn't actually knit during the wedding, but we had to get there early so Photo Jacob could set up, so I brought the knitting, just in case. You can see that it came in handy. I have completely finished one side of Purple Nehi, and I'm 1/3 of the way through the other side. And no, I don't know what to call it. I'm still loving the pattern, and I was able to watch the second episode of Revelations, (the miniseries), two awesome episodes of the Contender, and possibly the worst movie ever made that I couldn't stop watching: The Girl Next Door with Elisha Cuthbert. Oh, Lordy, was that bad. But we watched the WHOLE THING. Anyways, I knitted on this pretty lace shirt the whole time, and it wasn't hard at all! I love this pattern.

On Saturday, I also knitted through several episodes of the Nashville Star marathon...dude, these people are SO MUCH better than the American Idol folks. I might have to watch the finale on Tuesday.

In stash news, I received a generous care package from Betsy, which included treats for me, Jacob, and the schmoos! I got some lovely cashmere yarn and sock yarn and adorable stitch markers, Jacob got some great sock yarn (Betsy, he is so excited because now I REALLY have to make him some socks) and the doggies got some yummy biscuits!!! Thanks so much to Betsy for brightening my Saturday with her sweet package.

Okay. Gotta go work to please people who can't be pleased. Send me good worker bee vibes. And dark chocolate.

Posted by Carrieoke at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (24)

I know it's not quite summer yet, but it SO feels like summer in these parts. So I'm already looking at expanding my knitted summer wardrobe. The first step in this expansion was to pull out an old project that I never really finished ... my Copacabana Tiny Tank! This little tank top got thrown to the side because the pattern called for satin cord or silk cord (?) for the straps and I never found anything I liked. But the other night, I wanted to finish it! So I did.

This yarn is so comfortable.
(Please ignore the sunburned shoulders.)

I decided on some simple i-cord straps, and I was inspired by Julia's Honeymoon tank to make the straps fairly short. It totally did the trick. It fits great and I love it! Phildar is fabulous once again.

Next on the summer knitting agenda? Orangina, by fabby Stef at Glampyre Knits. Wanna see a progress picture?

Okay, so mine's not orange.It's... Purpleina. No, that's a dumb name. Grapevine?
Here's what it looks like laid out on the table.

Now, I have had a love-hate relationship with knitting lace, and I've pulled out large chunks of knitted lace in frustration. But this pattern is great. It's easy to memorize and even if you make a mistake -- (and I think I have one row that's off -- don't point it out if you see it, or I will cry!)--you can recover. I think Stef actually recommends it as a good first lace project, and I definitely agree. I can't wait to finish this!

Yay, summer. I'm trying to figure out which knitted items I want to bring to Maryland Sheep and Wool ... SO. EXCITED. Party.

In addition to that trip, I also have a trip to San Diego coming up in June! My fabulous twin sister is running a marathon for the American Stroke Association and I'm going to go cheer her on! I may be soliciting the San Diego readers for suggestions for fabulous places to eat/knit/hangout/getcoffee in the future...

Knitting night tonight! Break out the wine and the American Idol. Yay.

Posted by Carrieoke at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (37)

So, I feel like these last couple of posts are making it seem like all I do is go out and party my weekends away in a drunken stupor. This is NOT the case. My weekend schedule (and actually, my weekday schedule) includes: Sleep. Eat. Knit. Watch Law and Order. Hang out with schmoos. Repeat. This is a great schedule, and it makes me very happy.

However, this weekend was slightly different because it was time for the Boybutante Ball, a local event put on by the Boybutante AIDS Foundation. It's a big deal in Athens - all the money raised goes to AIDS services organizations, which is totally awesome, but it's also a BIG freakin' party. There's a big drag show, and lots of Athenians pull out the most fabulous outfits to go to the Ball. So Anne Marie and I donned our Sunday best and joined in the fun. The theme was Sixteen Scandles, 80s prom bay-bee! and so here we are in all of our tacky glory.

Totally. To the max.

Yes, we went out in public like this. And we were TAME compared to some of the outfits ... the wigs! the sequins! it was awesome. I got called Mariah Carey several times. I am not sure if that was a compliment or not. It must have been the hair. And all the high notes I was busting out.

Here's me and my friend Art, who was rockin' a very Flashdance outfit:

What a feeling...

And here's the picture I have on my camera over and over again: the close up face picture.

Fun times.

We had SO much fun. Saw lots of fun people, saw my friend do an awesome drag number, and it was all for a good cause! We definitely stayed out dancing until about 3:30. And then we went to the only logical place:

Yum. Cheese Krystal.

I know you're probably really grossed out by the Krystal, and actually I am too right now, but that night, it was SO DELICIOUS. (For those who don't know,a Krystal burger is a little square burger. And they are open 24 hours. So there was a huge line at 3:30 am. This is how I felt when I saw the line.) I ate five Cheese Krystals. and I LOVED IT.

We had such a blast. Anne Marie will so tell you more at her blog. And she has more pics, too. Woo-hoo!

I actually did some knitting this weekend too! I'll tell you all about that next time, complete with pictures, but for now I'm going to drink some coffee and do some work. Maybe.

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (23)

1.I slept late this morning. So late, in fact, that I didn't shower, and also I just put on shoes with the socks that I slept in. Unfortunately the socks that I slept in were the stripey socks ... and the shoes I picked were black heels. D'oh. I wish I had my camera so you could see the ridiculousness, but you will have to imagine these socks with some black heels. I look classy!

2.In other random news, (as my evil twin pointed out in my comments) my blog is mentioned in the most random Chicago Sun-Times article ever, and in the same paragraph as Sean Hannity. To up the weirdness factor, the author discusses the spelling of the word "schmoo". Now, personally, I think 'shmoo' just looks wrong. But there is also evidence to back up my spelling: words such as Schroeder, schmooze, schlong, and Schlitz all begin with "sch" and are pronounced with a "sh" sound. Clearly, my spelling is not incorrect, but merely another option. (I just can't handle it when peeps try to hate on my spelling, yo.)

3. A couple of weeks ago, Anne Marie and I went to a trapeze studio open house and watched Handy Mary Jessica totally kick ass on some fabrics. Click here to see how fabulous she is on the fabrics.

When they had adult time on the trapezes, me and Anne Marie jumped on. Here's Anne Marie gracefully swinging on the trapeze:

Isn't she cute?

And here's me trying to be graceful and miserably failing:

I suck at trapeze.

MJ's fabulousness and the awesome studio in town has convinced me and AM to take a class this summer. Trapezey, fer sheezy.

4. I have been working out. Not anything too crazy, but I try to go to the gym three times a week (or so) and run on a treadmill, and do some weights. I'm noticing some new leg muscles and arm muscles, and I FEEL better, which is great, but my tummy is not getting any smaller. In fact, I think it's getting bigger. I'm fearing that the rest of my body will get firmer and my stomach will continue to get bigger and then I will truly look like a freak of nature. And don't tell me that I need to cut out sugar because I CAN'T.

5. In random knitting news, I'm working on a new project: Orangina, by Stefanie over at Glampyre Knits. I haven't had much luck with lace, but this is fun and pretty so I'm giving it a shot. If you haven't ever knitted a Glampyre pattern, you should go check out her site. She designs really great stuff!

6. Maryland Sheep and Wool: three weeks away. Yay.

7. Lunchtime. Yay.

Posted by Carrieoke at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (26)

First of all, thanks for all of your nice comments about the Brown Phildar sweater. I'm so, so happy with it, and I actually made an adjustment on the buttons so I like the fit even better. Yay.

But where I've been, I didn't need no stinkin' sweater! Woo-hoo! Panama City Beach! Spring Break 2005!

Woo-hoo! Gimme some beads!

Okay, so it wasn't all really like that. Most of my week was spent knitting, watching Alias, and laying in the sun. We did have one evening of craziness which involved a karaoke bar called "Sweet Dreams" (note: it's actually a karaoke bar AND liquor store. Classy) and lots of vodka. Here's me and Alison gettin' down to someone's sweet karaoke stylings:

Totally sweet.

But aside from that one evening, Jacob and I spent most of our week relaxing. And just to show you that I did knit ALL week, here's my list of finished items.

1. Second blue sock. (that makes a pair.)

2. Honeymoon Cami. (Did you notice it in the above pictures?) I *heart* this pattern. I started it a couple of days before we left and finished it by the evening we got there.

Pretty, summery honeymoon cami.
And here's what happens when we try to take a pic in the mirror.

So, for me, this tank was all about yarn choice. I made the first one with a fairly heavy cotton yarn, and it just wasn't right for the project. It didn't drape well and it sort of sat on me like a suit of armor. This yarn (Dale of Norway Svale) is a silk blend and soft and swirly and yummy and drapey and clingy and PERFECT. Yay. I will wear the CRAP out of this tank top this summer. I think I might actually unravel my first H.Cami and use the yarn for something else, because I really love the yarn.

3. Stripey socks. After finishing my cami, I was out of projects! What?? And all I'd brought with me was a ton of sock yarn, and my circs that I used for my blue socks. Sooo....

Stripey goodness, in beachy colors!
Here it is off my foot so you can really see the stripes.

I'm doing the toe decreases on Stripey Sock Two right now. And can I just say that the beach is the best light EVER for taking knitting photos? Clearly, I need to quit my job, open up a bonsai tree stand in Florida, and live by the water. Clearly.

So there you have it. I knit a lot, I relaxed a lot. I played shuffleboard (Jacob kicked my ass). And a lot of time was also spent without makeup, wearing comfy clothes, which was marvelous. On the way back from the beach on our last day, I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror and thought, 'Wow, I look SO white trash right now.' And then I thought, 'I have SO got to take a picture of my white trashy self for the blog!' So I leave you with my beachy self, looking happy, bleached blonde, and maybe a little trashy.

I was just about to yell "woo-hoo" and throw the rock on symbol with my hands.
You know what I'm talkin' about.

Back to work tomorrow. *Sigh*. How long to Maryland Sheep and Wool?

Posted by Carrieoke at 11:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (47)

After some professional blocking time with HEJ and the weaving of many ends, the Brown Beauty is finished. (I'm sorry my eyes are puffy in these pics, we had a long weekend with some doggy fights and I'm still recovering.)

The Brown Beauty in its natural habitat.

I love this sweater. Love the shaping, love the sleeves, and love the color. Yay. Still deciding on the button, but I can always change that.

More photos:

Trying to do the Fluffa "Look,Ma,no hands!" pose.
And also trying to show off my bell sleeves.

And just in case you still weren't sure what it looked like:

Where I try to pose like the Phildar model.
Where I show you the back of the sweater.

Okay, that's all. I'm really excited about this project...so excited that I started something else! Woot!

Just in time for a trip to Florida.

It's a honeymoon cami, with ribbing on the bottom. I'm using some Dale of Norway Svale in a gorgeous pink and I'm hoping to have this baby done in time to wear it this week when I'm partying with the high schoolers in Panama City, FL! WOO-HOO!

(Note: Carrieoke will NOT actually be partying with high schoolers. But, said high schoolers do have Spring Break the same week that Carrieoke will be in PCB. Carrieoke does not want to encourage irresponsible behavior in young people. However, she can be slightly irresponsible. It's a vacation.)

So I'll be in sunny Florida for half the week, barring any more doggy disasters before we leave. I need a vacation BAD. And now I have a classy sweater to wear when my shoulders get chilly at night.

Hope you are having a good Monday!

Posted by Carrieoke at 9:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (61)