Oh Wow, Like This Is a Knitting Blog?

Have you been to Vogue Knitting’s web site and checked out the free patterns from their 25th Anniversary cover series? A great many of them lean toward the shapeless, but I am absolutely in love (don’t worry, Melissa knows, and she’s confident it’s no threat) with Debbie Bliss‘s “Silver Belle.”
A lovely sweater from Vogue.
The construction is fascinating, if a bit daunting. The peplum is knit from the hem up, with cable extensions at each end that wind up just inside the button bands. There’s also a cable extension up the center back. Then each sleeve/body side is knit from the wrist inward and they’re joined to the peplum, after which come the button bands.

I spent a bit of time yesterday trolling about the discount yarn sites (Little Knits, Webs, KnitPicks) looking for some bright moss green (like Oregon) or grey solid-colored alpaca or part-alpaca, but no luck. I want alpaca because that feels good to me, so I know I’ll really wear the sweater once (if?) it’s done; I want discount because this sweater takes about 2,000 yards in my size, so if I make it I’m looking at buying 2+ bags of yarn. If you have any hot tips or suggestions, please let me know.

The weather in Oakland is lovely just now—sunny with a breeze off the bay that keeps things from getting too hot—so Melissa and I headed off to an Oakland A’s game in the afternoon. It was a give-away day, and we each now own a Nick Swisher belt buckle.
Nick Swisher belt buckle.
They are large and very, very shiny and will come in quite handy if either of us decides someday to take up steer wranglin’.

Since I am a knitter and this is a knitting blog, I took my yarn to the game—a one-pound cone of apple-green Peaches ‘n Creme. I tried to get my knitting into this shot taken by the “Game Day” photographer, but didn’t hold it up high enough. Sorry to let our side down.
Enjoying a game at the Coliseum.
By the way, that is an Albuquerque Isotopes hat I’m wearing.

I finished one dish cloth and got most of the way through another, and the A’s won 2-1, despite getting only two hits to Anaheim’s eight.

I kept going on the knitting last night, finishing up my Phoenix scarf (pic and pattern tomorrow) and the first of a set of four variations on a theme for a pattern I’m hoping to find a home for once they’re all done. This afternoon I’m off to a “tasting” of Uruguayan yarns at Article Pract.

5 Replies to “Oh Wow, Like This Is a Knitting Blog?”

  1. Hi Sara Hope.
    Try Elann.com
    Major cheap. Major addicting. Most amazing customer service on the web.
    Btw, love your blog. I’m in SCruz too. Love reading about the familar sites.
    Chris

  2. We are all hoping that the BOX arrives today. We also know you are primed and ready….you go Girl!

    Even though I live in Texas now (3yrs), I was born and lived in Califonia. Santa Cruz was where my Grandmother and Great Aunt lived and where I spent some memorable summers. I also went to Cabrillo JC for dental assisting the year before I got married. And as it turns out, my son-in-law is from Santa Cruz and has his Mother send Billabong wear to Texas for the grandkids. ( The Gkids are why we moved to the Gulf Coast of Texas). My husband has an A’s hat he loves, but Houston is all about another “A” team, and the fans here are VERY loyal to their team. On game nights, you cannot go anywhere in town without seeing Astro-wear. Whole families of 5 will be decked out in a jersey and hat, with the girls wearing Asro colored ribbons in their hair. Yes, girls of all ages are BIG here on wearing colored ribbons in their hair….especially school colors. It’s amazing….coming from CA……you know THAT just wouldn’t happen. By the way, how is the BTOBC (big town of Boulder Creek)? It is where I learned how to drive a stick shift….can you believe it!!!

  3. Hi. I want to knit that sweater too! I found your blog through the google blogsearch looking for other who want to knit that. Isn’t it wonderful? But I really had to comment to say I’m in Austin, TX, but I’m from Felton. 🙂 I miss Felton & Santa Cruz so much.

  4. Greetings! Put me on the list of those who want to tackle the Silver Belle. Maybe we should start a KAL on that this fall, after the temperature drops below 90, lol. Lurking from West Michigan…

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