New Sweater Photos and Napa Fun

Oh, my goodness. I'm useless today. I was a CHAMPION OF FUN yesterday. I wrote (FUN), and I adventured (FUN), and I went to hear music (FUN), and I slept (FUN).

Today, I'm plumb wore-out. All I want to do is screw around on teh intarwebs, doing absolutely nothing. And since I'm still on vacay, I might just do that. Although time and NaNo waits for no man, I've found. If I don't do my words, I'll regret it tomorrow. So I suppose I'll do that (FUN although I think I have a rock in my writing shoe. Shake it out, baby. Shake it out.).

I promised you new sweater shots. I LOVE THIS SWEATER.

BONNIE by Fiona Ellis, from Twist Collective

 

I modified it pretty heavily -- I made it in the round, for one. Size 44. And I did raglan sleeves, because I think they're flattering to all, especially me, with my rugby player shoulders (not that I play. But you'd never know that I didn't). I really hadn't liked the original version with the set-in sleeves that kind of looked rather haphazardly placed, so I chose to let the raglan eat up the stitches as we found them. Nom, stitches, nom.

And the neck. Well, we had words. But I was louder. I won.

I used Mission Fall 1824 Wool (superwash) in color 20. I used about 16 balls, on US3 needles (I know, I know). And you know what? This stuff is soft, soooo soft. And it's already pilling. I'm not sure I'd use it again. I don't trust it. But lord, it's soft and just the right weight, and I love the color.

Wanna see it again?

 

And I was trying to show its gorgeous color, but the light wasn't cooperating. But here's a Clara butt for you:

 

After I took these, I took off to explore Lake Berryessa, up in the Napa area. My NaNo takes place there, and since I'd never actually been there, it sounded like a good explore-y kind of thing to do. Which it was.

It was GORGEOUS, cool, but sunny, the grapes leaves turning. It should be a law that if one has a car and the means, one should be required to take a long drive at this time of year. Clears the head. (Click for embiggening.)

 

I love this one, so perfectly California:

 

 

Well, hello there! As someone pointed out when I put this up on Twitter (HELLO TWITTER, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS), my hair matches the vines:

 

And this won't mean much to anyone else, but this figures heavily in my silly little NaNo, so I place it here:

 

Oh, yeah. 

In other highlights of the day, I chased a bobcat off a cliff (he was as startled as I was -- no one was hurt -- we retreated to our corners), I did NOT buy yarn, I DID buy beer at Downtown Joe's, and I got my writing done, too. I wrapped it up by meeting Lala (whose rss feed is new, did you know that?), Camilla and Kirk Lombard (check out his great new blog, The Monkeyface News) at the Atlas to see the Shut-Ins play, which was awesome.

 

Freaking great day.

And today I'm a sloth. Must make up for yesterday somehow. I think I'll sit on the couch and think about starting something easy. Like a pair of socks. A nice, plain, non-threatening pair of socks.

This is a good life. I appreciate it. And yarn.

Comments

[Julie]

Nice sweater - love the side cable, and I am a raglan-shouldered person, too. Isn't Napa pretty? I used to visit there, but haven't been for many years.

[Sue]

LOVE your version of the sweater much better than the original.

Don't you just love Lake Berryesa. I used to drive thru the area all the time when I was going to UCDavis. California nature at its best!

[tina ambury]

love the asymetrical braided cables; very Celtic knotwork - which my heritage appreciates.

[Amber]

That person on Twitter was meeeee! Heehee =) And it does! And I LOVE the color of that sweater :)

[Michelle]

Great post - love your new sweater. I didn't realize that was my problem with sweaters, I need to try a raglan sleeve.

[Carrie]

omg, what a freaking AWESOME sweater! you look adorable, as usual.

[gaile]

oo so jealous your Bonnie is done. I'm almost done with mine in red cascade 220. My Rogue is mission falls and i too adore its soft squishiness but yes, it pills like mad. I bought a sweater shaver just for that sweater.

[Nadia Lewis]

That is one cuuuuuuute sweater!

[Lombard Of The Intertidal]

Someone once said: "I think symmetry is way over rated." I think this person was my wife, and I think she said this last night at the Shut Ins, and I think she may have been speaking of your new sweater. This is a damned fine sweater, yours, so far superior to my own Ross Dress For Less special that I am almost inspired to put aside my rusty fishing tackle and take up the yarn and (I'm already getting into dangerous territory because I don't really know the proper terms), needle (?). Anyway, I noticed a curious thing today... numerous hits on my fishery-related blog coming from knitters all over the world. Wow. Hopefully I can return the favor. You know there are some wonderful salmon flies that employ the use of bright orange yarn. They call them "flesh flies." They imitate the chunks of flesh that break off of spawned-out salmon carcasses and float down stream. See, there's common ground after all.

[Robynn]

How odd... I find raglans horribly unflattering on me, and I'm also a busty, rugby-shouldered girl. Raglans generally exaggerate that. You're totally right that yours looks great on you, though.

[MaryB in Richmond]

And you also moved the assymetric cable to the other side? Am I seeing that correctly?

[lala]

I wish I could favorite Lombard's comment.

[kirk lombard]

Hey hey hey. Those sweaters really get me hot. And I mean like sweaty.

[The Monkeyface News]

There are creatures in the depths of Loch Bereyessa that defy science. Long necked elasmosaurs and whatnot. Best to be wearing a comfy sweater when dealing with these behemoths.

[ginkgo]

Nice sweater.The pictures are so beautiful.I think you guys would have so much fun.Enjoy.