Not just talk...

The other day I was in my local SnB with the knitting wizard, Kelle where we had a blogging discussion. Both of us stated that the previous day (Tuesday) we intended to blog, but it just didn't happen. I have been checking my bloglines subscription lists daily (that's how I keep up with the all the blogging news on the select blogs to which I subscribe) and noticed that there were an absence of new posts. So here I am, following through in my well-intentioned way with a fresh new post. Hot off the brain cells.

Last Thursday was my birthday and following my Pilates class my family and I went to Minneapolis to eat at El Meson. YUMM-O is all I can say. I accidentally watered the table with my tamarind juice, but I stayed calm. How could I not in such a cozy South American/Caribbean atmosphere with delicious and beautiful food?! I had a whole snapper fish. Head, tail, the works. But I did not eat those parts. I have had Snapper brain before and it is really good, but it can be hard to get over the fact that I am eating some little fish's brain. I did not eat this one's. My birthday was great, though, and very tasty with the two different cakes I ate. I had Izzy's dulce de leche ice cream cake, and DH's Grandma made the Pampered Chef baked alaska cake as a surprise:) I also got the magical knitting book so I can knit moebius baskets and such.

I worked in the morning today and had a long awaited chunk of time long enough to sew up the seams in my Vogue Knitting sweater. I learned a lot during this sweater- let's see:

changes I made to the pattern were: I used 10 1/2 needles, and 8's.

I lengthened the sleeves- big surprise I usually need a 22 inch or so long sleeve instead of a 17 inch sleeve for my long arms. The end of the ruffles hit about an inch past my wrist bones.

I raised the v-neck from a scandalous depth to a work-worthy wearable height. This allowed me to complete the cable that was in process instead of having one in mid-cable.

For the cast-on I used the cable cast-on which provided me with a lovely almost braided looking edge for which to knit my ruffle trim.

Kelle, the knitting wizard helped me short row the shoulder seams, then taught me how to create an attached neckband which I kitchnered together to its other side to create a nice seamless neckband finish.

I didn't block it yet. I might later, we'll have to see.

I used KnitPicks Sierra yarn (yay for affordable wonderful fibers) and Kiddy Print mohair ($11/skein). It took me about 4 1/3 skeins of that, and about 5 skeins of Sierra ($4.49/skein). Math people what does that equal? $55 mohair+ $22.45 Sierra= $77.45. Which contrasted with the cost of the pattern version is a huge bargain. That would have cost me about $204 or so bucks.

Plus- I am very pleased with the results, and Dh says it is my best sweater ever. I thought the bottom hem ruffle was a bit ballerina-ish, but DH likes it, and it is growing on me, even as I sit in this desk chair blogging about my sweater as I wear it. It is also the best -fitting sweater I've ever made. Well, enough with the talk- the pictures need to happen now. And I am about to eat crab legs so I need to bring along a back-up shirt so I don't get my new sweater dirty.