3/31/2006 10:46:00 AM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Yes, alas, yet another photo-less post. But spring decided to finally arrive in Chicago this week, so I plan to snap some shots of the green-ness that is popping up around town, and start doing some garden clean up on our rooftop. I might even plant some pansies if the local garden stores have them out - I'm in need of some color!! I've finished all the knitting for the baby placket neck sweater - just need to weave in ends and find some cute beads/buttons for the placket. I might try looking at Nina (my local LYS), or at the new great Soutache, which sells all sorts of cool trim, ribbons, feathers, buttons, purse handles, etc. The baby shower is next weekend, and I'm hoping to start and finish a matching hat using the 1 extra ball of yarn that I have. I promise to post pics this weekend! Sunday I'm signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle, which officially marks the beginning of running season in Chicago. It's an 8K, and I haven't been running as much as I should be, so I'm not out to set a personal best this time around. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!|W|P|114382431205231831|W|P||W|P|3/24/2006 09:09:00 AM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|I've been a bad blogger and bad knit-along participant. And no pictures today because I'm still working on the baby sweater. It's turning out pretty cute so far, and all I need to finish is the neck placket part of the yoke, and then seaming up the armpits. Then I need to get some cute beads or buttons to attach. I'm a bad knit-along participant because I don't think I'll be finishing the March Project Spectrum project I started - the Branching Out Scarf. My knitting mojo has subsided a bit this month (weather perhaps?), and I've only been working on the baby sweater at home, or my Hourglass sleeves in the rare instance when I get a seat on the train. I think I need to stop being such a joiner. For you Chicagoans out there, some fun shopping news for you. As if Bucktown/Wicker Park did not have enough boutiques, a few more are opening this weekend. Scoop NYC is opening it's first shop in Illinois right around the corner from me. Language - another new clothing boutique. And there is a store called Lola opening on Division which sells only purses! I think some retail therapy is in order! I'll post some pics of the sweater this weekend.|W|P|114321345077316488|W|P||W|P|3/16/2006 08:27:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Just one more vacation memory. "Brokeback Mountain" was about to open in Buenos Aires when were there. Surprisingly, it was being marketed very heavily, and there were lots of street ads/billboards throughout the city. The title translation kills me...we eventually had to get a photo.That's "Secreto en la Montana" - the Secret in the Mountain. Funny, huh? I'm off to St. Louis to visit the fam this weekend. Hoping to make good progress on the placket-neck sweater in the car ride down. Doug is in New York this weekend with my sister's husband. Neither of us has ever been to NYC, so I'm kind of bummed he's going for the first time without me. I feel like a loser - 30 and never been to NYC, right? I'll get there soon enough!|W|P|114256327682900204|W|P||W|P|3/13/2006 05:49:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|damn you blogger - i just finished the post and poof, gone! Let's try this again. I'm suffering from knitting schizophrenia. I had every intention of finishing my project spectrum projects (hourglass sweater, branching out scarf) this month. But, as always, baby gifts have become high priority. As my two pink projects rest in knitting limbo, I cast-on for the child's placket-neck pullover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

The sex of the baby is a surprise, so I chose this super soft Rowan Cashoft DK in cream. This yarn is the softest - perfect for baby.

Karin has tagged me for this Chicago-themed meme...here you go:

4 Things About Chicago Four Jobs I've Had In My Life in Chicago: Grant Writer Patent Agent (only 2!) Four Movies About Chicago I Could Watch Over And Over: any John Hughes movie (that probably counts for at least 4) Four Places I've Lived All Over Chicago: Belden and Lincoln North Ave. and Claremont Ave. (only 2 places!) Four Chicago-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch: Check, Please! ER Oprah (does that count?) Can't think of another Four Places I Would Vacation At In Chicago: Four Seasons Hotel Peninsula Hotel on a boat on the lake Madison, WI (day trip) Four Chicago-Based Websites I Visit Daily: Pitchfork Gaper's Block Chicagoist Chicago Tribune Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In Chicago: falafel at Sultan's Market Pizza Metro Taramosalata at Pegasus White Trash Nachos at Silver Cloud Four Places In Chicago I Would Rather Be Right Now: at the lakefront laying out running along the lakefront path swimming at holstein park shopping in bucktown

If you're a chicago blogger and you read my blog - consider yourself tagged!

|W|P|114229401332286114|W|P||W|P|3/08/2006 08:25:00 PM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|Because I have little to no knitting progress to share, so I'll share with you some more vacation photos. First, this is Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires (Eva Peron rests here). But here the dead aren't buried. Instead, the cemetery consists of hundreds of above-ground tombs that belong to individual families. This shot is a birds-eye view from a nearby hotel. It's really an amazing place. This next one is from Punta del Este, Uruguay. This is probably the most recognizable shot of Punta. Not really sure what the big hand is all about, but it's pretty neat. More about knitting later...|W|P|114187204886919605|W|P||W|P|3/03/2006 09:16:00 AM|W|P|Melissa|W|P|I've been a lazy blogger and knitter lately...I'm suffering through a bout of insomnia that has really kicked my ass. Let's see what I have for you today...oddly enough, all of it is pink or red. Just in time for Lolly's Project Spectrum! First is the Branching Out Scarf from Knitty. I worked on this on our vacation, but haven't touched it since we've been back. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as difficult as I thought. But I did mess up on a couple of rows - hopefully undectable. I've mainly been working on the seed stitch shoes from Debbie Bliss's Baby Knits for Beginners. They are for my friend Claire's baby due in June. She always loved this pattern, so I thought they would be an easy, quick gift. Unfortunately, I'm not liking the way they finished up. I seamed the first one, which looks like this Don't think this is going to stay on the little baby foot. When I pinch up the back with my finger, it looks more normal. What to do...not sure if I feel like starting these over. I'm also going to make the baby the child's placket-neck pollover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I might just get started on that and scrap these. Oh well. Getting ready to watch the Oscars. How much Ryan Seacrest can I stomach tonight? I'm looking foward to some more crass comments from Isaac Mizrahi. Love him! First I'll be making a pre-Oscar dinner of pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts. Glamorous, huh?|W|P|114139913197321617|W|P||W|P|