Why You Don’t Find More Three Year Olds Abandoned On The Side of the Highway

I hope you all enjoyed the beer blogging. I didn’t intend to leave it up for so long but we were away this weekend. We went to my brother and sister in law’s and attended our nephew’s third birthday. He is simply the cutest little boy ever. Which is why you wouldn’t find him abandoned on the side of the highway, no matter how infuriating his parents sometimes find him. I’m pretty sure that children are designed to be unbelievably cute just for that reason.

Anyway, a good time was had by all and Mr. Stegs was big hit with my sister in law. I’ve promised to make her one of her very own. It remains to be seen whether he will be a big hit with Donovan. What’s a stuffed toy as compared to an entire castle? Also, I totally kicked ass at the poker playing later in the evening.

So what have I been up to knitting wise? Well, I finished my branching out on the way back from Seattle.

Branching Out:
Pattern: Free from Knitty
Needles: Size 9
Yarn: southwest trading company bamboo yarn, 100% bamboo

I enjoyed making this project, although I was never able to completely memorize the lace pattern, which was frustrating. I liked the yarn too. It was less slippery than wool, but at the same time it felt like waxed dental floss in my hands. And it shines like silk. It also has a slight fuzz to it. A bit of a halo. It’s interesting, but the fuzziness makes me think that too many washings will make it disintegrate. Of course I could be wrong.

The pattern is really very cool. It makes two tiers of leaves on each side of a center line, all surrounded by lacy bits. Very, very cool.

Also, above, I have started making another of annie modesitt’s fiesta tea set. You can get the pattern free from interweave knits. It’s also very ingeniously put together. As you can see above, it starts out pretty floppy, but that is all fixed with a stern blocking and a healthy dose of starch.