I did it! I totally steeked that bad boy. Check it out:

Okay, since most of you probably have no idea what I’m talking about, steeking is a Norwegian technique for constructing sweaters. Basically you knit the whole body as a tube with no armholes, then you physically cut the tube to put the sleeves in. Sounds traumatic, right? Exactly. (Incidentally, that article I linked has pictures of this exact sweater I’m knitting. Do any other knitters think that Wendy‘s floats are too long there? She doesn’t look like she’s tacked the long ones down at ALL. All of my books say that you should definitely twist if carrying a float of more than five stitches. I’m just annoyed because her wrong side looks a lot neater than mine, and the dark green floats don’t show through the white nearly as much.)

Anyway, yeah, so the first picture is me using the sewing machine to secure the steeks, which I’d outlined in bright yellow yarn so my lines would stay straight. I went around twice as the pattern suggests… and then chickened out and went around a third time. Then I was satisfied that those ends wouldn’t be going anywhere. Next is me preparing to make the first cut. TRAUMA! I had to go have a beer afterwards. Third is the cut and completed arm hole. And in the last shot, I’ve sewn the shoulder seams and now I’m ready to insert the sleeves and finish up the collar. Shouldn’t take me too much longer, which is a good thing… because the baby it’s intended for (Ruth Lauren Cunningham, daughter of my dear college friend Nat) was born last week!

Lord Vader just read my mind! He insulted me, asked me seventeen questions, had a pow-wow with the Burger King, and then correctly ascertained that I was thinking of a sock. You don’t know the power of the Dark Side! (Link courtesy of Kevin.)

Ladies and gentlemen, we are nearly ready to STEEK! I am going into the rabbit hole, people. Send positive thoughts my way.

How have I never found this site before? Threadbared is like Go Fug Yourself, but for vintage sewing and knitting patterns. HILARIOUS. (Link courtesy of John.)

I sound dead sexxxay!
I just had a customer tell me: “You have the most amazing accent. Where’s it from?” I nearly fell over laughing. I said, “Actually that sultry, husky quality you hear is just because I’m sick and coughing my brains out. On a normal day, I have that same reedy, nasal, American voice you guys love to make fun of.” I must sound like a pack-a-day lounge singer or something.

Not that I’m watching or – *cough* – voting or anything… but how awesome was it that SuperTart Gianna got evicted on Big Brother tonight? I loved that they edited together all her INSANE bragging into one hilarious montage. She’s so Mrs. Elton, all “Well, I don’t talk about myself because I’m not conceited, but my friends would tell you that I’m a black belt in taikwando and I’m a supermodel and I designed an airport one time.” The Snook thinks she’s a pathological liar. I just think she’s a pathetically insecure moral hypocrite who sees nothing wrong with smugly judging others for drinking while flouncing about the house in a nurse’s outfit – and by the way, who brings a NURSE’S OUTFIT in the BB house? – pole dancing and all, “Oops! I forgot to wear panties tonight!” I mean, REALLY.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am the #1 Google result for “you put your weed in there” quote. My weekend is complete!

A pretty quiet day – literally – for me today after two weeks of craziness. I went to the Knitters Guild executive committee meeting this morning to be officially confirmed as A) a member and B) their new website maintainer (“convenor,” whatever that means). They were all lovely, but I can’t imagine what they thought of me flouncing in with my flaming red hair, hacking cough, and a voice like a frog croak. (The stress and my cold have brought on a recurrence of the laryngitis I had last year.) Then I came home, put on my sweatpants, and spent the whole day lounging, napping, and knitting. It was bliss.

Oh, and we’re up to 11 sales on the website… for a total of $1200. With only, like, 20% of the site complete! Professional validation!

The Tapestry Craft website is now live! It launched about an hour late (which is pretty much par for the course for any deadline around here). The first order was placed by the Snook, who was just testing for me. We’re still waiting for the first official sale. Please let me know if you find any bugs or anything. I’m still adding products but thank God the pressure is finally over.

Update: We’ve had five sales, and we’re averaging nearly a hundred dollars a sale! I’m ecstatic. All the hard work is paying off. The best part was when the Snook told me how great he thought it was. I thought he was just being nice at first, but he insisted that he really thinks it’s a great website. I can’t tell you how awesome it is to have your work appreciated by the person whose opinion you value the most.

Did you know that J. Peterman was an actual clothing company? I thought it was just a joke on Seinfeld. Apparently so did most other people, which is why they went bankrupt in 1999. (I love the fact that Peterman bought the name back in 2001 with the help of John O’Hurley… who played him on Seinfeld.)