Exhausted!

I am finally, FINALLY finished with my pattern submission for the winter issue of Popknits. I spent the entire weekend and a good portion of this evening crunching numbers for my pattern. I thought to myself last week, oh that shouldn't be too hard I could do it in a day. And yet all that math was bending my brain all weekend long. Sometimes the numbers just don't add up and I yell to myself WHY WHY WHY??? I have a degree in fashion, sat through all those patternmaking and grading classes and yet it still all baffles me. Makes me wonder if all the fabulous knitting designers that I admire (Ysolda Teague, Joan McGowan-Michael, etc) have problems grading their patterns too.

But now I can relax for awhile and dream up new ideas for spring. Oh, and I can spend more time with my part-time (soon to be full-time) dog that insists on sitting on my lap while I'm trying to work.

LA County Fair

Went to the LA County Fair last Saturday. It was a lot of fun! Quite humid in the morning and then HOT in the afternoon, but definitely worth all the sweating. Of course, the first thing I did was run straight over to the Tapestry building. I entered 3 projects: a handwoven faux ikat shawl, an entrelac scarf, and a burgundy cardigan using Joan McGowan-Michael's pattern "Colette". Of all three projects, I thought the handwoven shawl would have won something, but the judges surprised me. No ribbon for the shawl, but I was lucky enough to get 2nd place for my entrelac scarf and third place for my cargidan.

Someone working for the fair saw me taking a picture of my cardigan and asked me what pattern I used and where she could buy it. I was happy to tell her (it is a great pattern, after all). She said she wasn't a judge but she was there while the judges were going over all the projects, and apparently they really liked my sweater, but thought I didn't do a good job of blocking it so they took off a few points. Oops.. I guess my blocking skills need some improvement. I think that sweater was my first attempt at sewing pieces together and blocking.

I'm already thinking about what I can enter in the fair next year! I guess I have a lot of time to think up something fabulous, and to practice blocking :)

After visiting the Tapestry building, I went over to see all the barnyard animals. I loved the petting zoo, I tried to makes friends with the goats but they just liked me for the food I had in my hand. There were a few sheep that looked like they desperately needed to be sheared, I can't imagine how hot they were in the 90 degree heat.