Yo La Tejo

A Most Excellent Day.

Even if I had thought about it in advance, if I had sat and meditated and lit velitas and speculated and read my astrological chart, I never, ever, in a million years could have predicted or imagined that on this day, all the yarny forces in the universe would converge to smile down on me.

I knew, of course, that I would have a bona fide finished object to show you all. I give you....(drumroll)....Picovoli/Lucky Stripe!



Specs:

Pattern: Picovoli, by Grumperina for MagKnits
Yarn: Marissa by Adrienne Vittadini, in 708 and 709
Needles: Boye interchangeables, size 4

I'm rechristening the sweater Lucky Stripe, because I decided I couldn't be bothered with plotting out a stripe pattern and I couldn't be trusted with picking random numbers on my own, so I rolled dice every time I had to make a color change. I didn't make any pattern modifications, except for knitting the bottom about an inch longer than the pattern called for.

I guess it came out rather...snug. Which is OK, because the pattern cautions that it's meant to be close-fitting, and so, counting for negative ease and the tendency of cotton to stretch (with which I've had first hand, disastrous results....but my mom got a pretty tank top!) I made the size 32. Although I do like the fit, I kinda don't plan on wearing this on my nights out for Tex-Mex or barbeque, if you know what I mean (I got my baby doll tops specially for those occasions!).

Y'all, you know I work at a snail's pace, because it took me forever and then some to finish this simple, simple knit. Sure, school gets in the way, and then there are Sockapaloooza deadlines to heed, but also? How about not knowing how to make a proper M1? For the waist increases, that's what you do, and so I was plugging along, and ending up with these...holes.

I almost, ALMOST decided to call them eyelets and call it a day, but I noticed that no other bloggers were getting these holes and not wanting to be the only kid on the block with a screwed-up Picovoli, I went back and researched on how to make a proper M1. Let's just say that Stitch and Bitch came to the rescue again with Debbie's nice, elaborate explanations and clear illustrations. Turned out I wasn't knitting through the back loop. But I'll bet you already guessed that. I ripped out the bottom and knit it again, and finally finished Tuesday night while watching old silent movies.

So, here I was, going about my day and planning on wearing Lucky Stripe so that I could take pictures, when I got an email from Karen letting me know that I'd won her contest! Dude, remind me to wear that sweater next time I buy a lottery ticket.

She'd bought some pretty yarn at a fiber festival and hinted that the name of the colorway was the same as Sweet Pea's (her amazing husband...if you read her blog, you know that this man buys her knitting-related presents for holidays and birthdays. Clearly a keeper!). If you guessed the colorway, you'd be entered in a drawing. Well, I guessed Sandy, which was wrong (his name is Pete, and the color's called Peat), but Karen's such a sweetheart she entered me anyway. She's sending me a skein of Steadfast Fibers Wonderful Wool in Boysenberry, which she says is "lovely purple shades." Perfect colors for me--I love anything in the pink, red, and purple family.

And then, what do you suppose shows up on my doorstep? That's right...my Sockapaloooza socks! Hot damn! I was sitting here reading for class when I heard the postman downstairs, and I decided to go have a look, even though I thought...nah. It's way too early. But sure enough, there it was, and I grabbed it and raced upstairs to open it.

If I'd been less greedy, I'd have pictures to show you of the pretty wrapping paper Gina used. Right. Soooo, let me just tell you--the paper was pink, and the ribbon had a quote from Andy Warhol: "The idea of waiting for something makes it more exciting." Nice touch, Gina!

And the socks. Sigh. They're just so....well, here. See for yourself.


They fit perfectly. And the colors...purples, reds, and pinks! The pattern is Crusoe, from Knitty, and the yarn, Koigu KPPM. I don't know if you can tell, but the pattern is stranded, which showcases the yarn to perfection.

I was so excited (wait, did I mention that already?), that I put them on with these strappy heels I have (because Gina wrote, "I think these would be smashing with heels!") so that I could snap a picture with my camera phone and send her an email right away.



The colors in the first picture are more true, but I'm totally digging this look! I SO did not want to take them off, but since it was in the high 80s today, I didn't want to muck up my new socks.

Finally, and although this happened last night, it was still part of the most excellent day if you think of it as a 24 hour period...my own sweet boy took me to Uchi, a super schmancy restaurant that does Japanese fusion cuisine. Overwhelmed by the choices on the menu, we opted for the tasting menu, and let the chef (nationally recognized Tyson Cole) send over his top picks.

I don't think I can be relied upon to remember all of the dishes we had (although I do remember the Casalnova Prosecco and the Rosenblum zinfandel I happily swilled), but the highlights included a red snapper carpaccio with lemon-infused olive oil, scallops with pork belly (tastier than it sounds, my friends), and duck foie gras on some kind of bread with little kumquats filled with ice cream. Oh, and these little guys:



Yah. Just close your eyes and put them in your mouth, and chew, said the boy. I screwed up my face and my courage, did as he said, and chewed. And chewed and chewed. Chewed chewed chewed. Took a lot of chewing to get those shells to the point where I wanted to swallow them.

You gotta know, kids, that I'll eat just about everything. But this? Ew...bring back the raw fish, please.

posted by Olga @ 6:15 PM