It Just Don't Make No Sense

It takes a whole lot of energy to over manage a project. I'm serious! Ridiculous amounts of energy! I have seen some people micro-manage. Seen them mis-manage. Hell, I know we've all had our fair share of total lack of management. At work. But damn! I never thought anyone could over manage a project. I mean over manage to the point of confusing themselves in the process of trying to remember how to explain to others the who, what, when, where, and why of a project that they only briefly looked at for less than 5 minutes while blindfolded, hanging upside down, with their right thumb in their mouth, and their left hand tied tightly behind their back with dental floss. One sock on and a Birkenstock or is that a Jimmy Choo? Over manage to the point that a simple mail merge becomes all out guerilla warfare dividing the north from the south, of a single department of 4 people (mind you!), Noriega style. The project is still seven months past due and we still didn't get it done today. It's a mail merge!!

Nope! I aint' ever seen it. I hope I never see it again. I betcha I betta not! Thank God, I'm not a betting woman. As my Daddy would say, "If betting was my ho card, I would have put my nightgown on!" I sit here fully dressed in the clothing of the day...

They angered me so today that I had to go out to my car and pray that God forgive me for my pride and my desire for a pistol. Chocolate pistol that is. Milk chocolate. I try not to be violent. I TRY! Lauryn said, "It could all be so simple, but you'd rather make it hard." Alas, workplace theatre. Public Access TV of course...

Well since I'm venting. I ordered these really great cookies from this spot. I think I placed the order on Wednesday. Why the folks just now getting around to mailing my stuff today? Must be that HAT time. Hawaiian Aloha Time cousin to Colored People's Time. Why did they call me on today and tell me they were missing a digit in my zipcode. Naw! Computer's can't be scarce in Hawaii. How else did they get my order? Mapquest anybody? Google maybe? HmmH?

So as not to drag you all down any further. I have been making great progress on the knitting front. I'm half way done with the back of my Ribbed Top by Vladimir Teriokhin from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2008. I'm knitting it up in Malabrigo Silky Merino. Take a look.

I also got some really great Louet Kidlin for Stardust by Tourit Wilroy from Knitty Winter 2007 (?). I was at one of my favorite LYS, The Knitter's Studio, for their summer sale and couldn't stop admiring Litle Owl's sample they had displayed. It was in this great hue of green. She has an excellent post on collar alterations for it if you decide to do this project. The Kidlin is an excellent yarn choice for this project as it is very soft, silky, and as a mohair blended with linen it doesn't have as much loft as a pure mohair would which makes it less fuzzy. Plus the light really catches this yarn at every angle making it more dimensional.

I'm now off to pack up my SP12 gifts. I may post pics here as I seem to always get the partner that is not loquacious, or did I mean non-responsive, or distracted, or forgets to post pics of their swag on their blog. The luck of the draw I guess.

I know the title of this post is a double negative. It must be all that The Boondocks I've been watching. I got to take LB to a pool party tomorrow. I hope she has a ball and falls asleep on the way home. Now she's loquacious.

Kamika The War Torn

V-Day and Buttony Done

I've been so behind in posting pics of my current projects! Forgive me! I am trying a new thing in the morning. I'm still getting up at the crack of dawn but I'm getting dressed earlier so I can start incorporating blogging and eating a complete breakfast here at home before I trek off to work. Both of which seem to be some serious feats. It's hard when you have other vagabounds living in the same house with you. LOL

^^^Look what DM and TG got me for Vday! Threatening works everytime.

I want to first thank my swap partner Sandra for the great swap gift. She and I participated in the Ebony Elite Ravelry group swap this past winter. I was pleasantly surprised when I got my package in time for Valentine's Day and it was all red with great stuff.

I got a skein of Malabrigo, a skein of Misti Alpaca Lace, a really nice oversized button (I may have to find something to make around it, hmmh), some beauty products, some much needed hair bands, Hazelnut chocolate (how did she know I love most everything hazlenut?), and some stylish tissues. I love it and thanks again!

I've also completed a knit project. Almost! I need to stitch the detailing on the sleeves but other than that it's wearable and DONE!

Buttony

Time: January 28th - February 20th, 2008
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted Wool in Sunset, 4.5 skeins (209yds each)
Needles/Hook: US 10
Notions: 13 silver Angel Buttons

Notes: Katie Marcus' pattern is really more of an outline on how do do a top down raglan sweater. I would strongly recommend measuring your arm circumference before knitting this. If you don't, you will overestimate the size of your arms in comparison to your bust measurement and end up with baggy arms. I did by about 9 increases, hence the detailing I am now doing on the sleeves to kind of cinch the arms up. I didn't feel like ripping back to the arms to make it right. I added in waist shaping, starting about 2 inches below the armscye join. I decreased 1 stitch on each side every 6 rows 5 times, knit 12 rows, and then increased in the same manner for my hips.

I made my sleeves 3/4 instead of full arm. I think it gives it a nice sweater girl look. I would do this pattern again to make the perfect sweater!

Kamika

I Am the Phantom...

I am the phantom that lives in the house

I am the phantom that walks in and out

I am the phantom that will not shout

so no one in the house will know I'm about...

Yep, that sums it up. For the last couple of weeks I have been rising early and coming home really late. Way after others have gone to sleep I've been slipping in the house and acting like I live alone. I haven't seen the faces of some of my family members in a couple of weeks but they know when I'm home. The light in my room is on and when they knock on the door I freeze like I'm invisible until they go away. At other times I feign deafness due to the earphones surgically attached to my ears when I'm here.

I know, some of you would say that I'm wrong while others may be resentful of me for being single, childless, and able to slip in and out without someone or a some thing called familial responsibility attached to my hip. I'm not ashamed. I'm tired ya'll! Hate me, I'm good at being a villain named Single. My krytonite is loneliness and longing.

God promised to remedy my plight, hence my latest project. This picture was taken yesterday so it doesn't show my progress on today alone. Double the height and you'll see where I currently am on my Cycling Aran. I decided to knit it in the round to eliminate as much seaming as possible. I'm a few inches from dividing for the armscye.

This has gone so smooth and the yarn, Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Organic Cotton, is soooooo soft! I guess the blessings of the Lord do make me rich and add no sorrow... As if I didn't believe.
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I went shopping today and bought myself a few treats and took in a movie only to come home to an IRS wage garnishment notice. UGH! I need to go see my tax man like tomorrow.

I checked out the Golden Compass this afternoon. I know all about the reviews and the uproar the church is having with the storyline and the anti-church message. I got it. I liked the movie and I plan to go see the sequel (although I will reserve the right to change my opinion as I read more up on it). I was thoroughly amused through the entire movie. Great cinema! Nicole K is my girl. She's a bad actress and so I tend to like most of her movies.

I picked up Da Truth's album Open Book today and you should check it out. Nice grooves. It's going straight to the iPod and will be my running soundtrack until I'm tired of it or find a lyric that doesn't line up.

I'm really enjoying life. It's all been worth it!

Kamika

Two Sides Of the Same Petal

Back in August I volunteered to test knit a cardigan for Stefanie Japel called Petal. Petal is a maternity sweater that can also be worn when not pregnant. The fit can be altered by how you button or not button the fronts (petals). When completely closed the petal effect is very obvious.

Knit in the raglan top-down style common to Japel and familiar to those who have knit her projects in the past, it's a pretty quick and easy knit. If you are expecting or just looking for a great gift for those in you're life who are, then this may be a perfect project for you. Non-pregnant style mavens will enjoy this too. Below you'll see pics of the sweater belted (forgive my short waisted dress form), just to give you and idea of how to change it up.

At this time the pattern isn't available yet for purchase and I'm not sure if it's going in a book or mag but when I get that info I will most def share it with you.

Time: September 8th - October 3rd
Yarn: Plymouth Encore in Wedgewood Blue, Just 4 skeins (200yds each)
Needles/Hook: US 8 and 3

About The Author

Stefanie Japel is the author of the popular Fitted Knits (March 2007) and the upcoming Glam Knits (March 2008). She has been a contributing designer in many well known publications including Vogue Knitting Magazine as well as for yarn companies Tilli Tomas, Artful Yarns and seen on the show Knitty Gritty. Stefanie and her husband Nate reside in New Mexico and are expecting their first child in January 2008. Check out her other great patterns on her site at Glampyre Knits.
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Kamika

FO: Airy Wrap-Around Lace Sweater

I finished it and I love it! Of course modifications, de riguer of well-fitted knits, abound. Not too many though as Stefanie Japel seems to design dang near specifically for my body type. She's 6'0" tall and I'm 5"11" which means automatic long arms and legs and/or torso. Kismet that can only be found in the Knit/crochet fashion world.

I only made two changes. The first one was to create a side slit between the cabling to thread one of the ties through. This cut down on bulk and made the garment lay better. It also exposed the ribbing in the back rather than covering it up.

The second modification was to shorten the opposite tie by 24.5" or 7 pattern repeats. I didn't think it was necessary for both ties to wrap around my waist. The tie that is threaded wraps around my waist and meets the other at the front to give a smooth tie. Enjoy the pics!

Time: July 14th - July 26th
Yarn: RAM Angora (Mohair Laceweight), Just under 2 skeins (545yds each)
Needles: Size 11 US

More details on my Ravelry page.

Kamika

Boobalicious

Yea! Hot chocolate with Hazelnut time!

The Boobholder is finished. I decided to scrap the edging and go a little plainer. I'm not totally finished but wearable finished. I intend to put a nice butterfly clasp at the neckline and go á la Lana Turner 40's pinup style. Check out the neckline in the pic to the left.

Hopefully I will be back at work (a real corporate job) soon and I can't wait to wear this sweater with a great pin-striped pencil skirt and some really vampy striking heels. Oh and I can't forget the back seamed hosiery.

No no no! striking not slutty. I'm not trying to draw any unwanted attention. IRL I liken my style to that of Traci Ellis Ross of Girlfriends. Corporate but with a little twist and color to make me standout from the herd.

...alas, let me stop counting my chickens before they hatch. I am looking forward to going back to work though. I appreciate the two years I have been off. I've really been able to get grounded and find my creative voice. Work is no longer and hopefully will never again be my life. I'm so happy that I no longer introduce myself as Kamika K, chief such-and-such of such-and-such company. Now I'm just Kamika. This lady of leisure life is for the birds. I need some interesting conversation **money**, some numbers to crunch **yarn cash**, and deadlines **new shoes**. Living leisurely 100% of the time is great when you reside on the QE2 and have not a care in the world. I don't!

Boobholder

Time: June 11th - June 25th.
Yarn: Berroco Cotton Twist, Just under 6 skeins
Needles: Size 10 US
Modifications: Shortened the sleeves and omitted the trim. Will be adding butterfly clasp
Extras: Due to 2 different dye lots I worked in a nice ombre blending. It shows up as slightly heathered yellow stripes. I ripped back the sleeves twice and took out the expansion stitches. Cotton doesn't have very good memory.

Kamika

Purple Sambuca Neat & Blocked Please?

I finished the Sambuca Jacket from the Amazing Crochet Lace book a couple of weeks ago as a gift for my mother for Mother's Day. My Mom has been my muse for a minute, not by choice, but because everytime I start to work on something she asks for it. This time she had seen a cardigan in Catherine's and asked me to make one for her. The ones in Catherines seemed cheapie and balloon like. I knew I could do one better. Once finished I had every intention of posting pics of it immediately but my memory card in the cammie became stricken again and I couldn't resuscitate it.

Anyhoo, I worked up the jacket with the Berocco Ultra Alpaca in the "Prune Mix" colorway. Some of you may remember it from here. I frogged that sweater and reused the yarn. No since in wasting good yarn on such an ill fitted garment. Besides, I'm not a Rockefeller and yarn AIN'T cheap. As usual I made my usual adjustments and cut the arms down to make them short sleeve. I also omitted the butterfly clasp because women with big tiggly biddys (read: breasts) shouldn't wear jackets/tops with single closures at the neck. It's obscene!
I really like the Amazing Crochet Lace book. I did notice though that the pattern did have a number of small errors in it. But once you learned the actual pattern repeat you really didn't need to look at the book again save for increasing points. I also didn't like that the charts on this pattern were blurry, small, and not complete. This of course will not hinder me from doing other garments out of the book.

Enjoy the pics and let me know what you think!


Kamika

I'm In Love! (With Yarn of Course)

Ooh Ooh Ooh! Look at my new baby. It's Regan from the new Rowan Magazine #41. Can you hear the heavenly choir singing? It's Rowan! This book is so pretty!

**Kamika pets the magazine while holding it tightly to her chest and cooing.**

I am officially a Rowan convert. It all started when I went to my LYS, The Knitter's Studio, and got some great chocolate colored Felted Tweed to trim my Truffle Clutch, which is finè by the way and lined in a pretty butterfly brocade.

I really liked the way it felt [the tweed that is] and how sturdy it was and that led me to the site. After looking through all the online magazines (don't you just love how Rowan shows you every pattern in the book?) I couldn't stop jonesin to get the latest one. I called all of my nearby LYS and could only find it 25 miles out in Bev Hills. No problem, it's near my church, down the street from one of my fave restaurants (Grand Luxe), and I got to take Dee Dee (I'll introduce her later). We went on Sunday afternoon.

This mag is packed with over 50 well done patterns. I really like how Rowan does stories and themes. I found at least one pattern I wanted to complete in each story. Not to mention, the pictures are just beautiful. I'm really a sucker for colors and colorful clear pictures. After looking through (more like studying) a couple of times I settled on Regan.

**Buzz of the flies flying around Kamika's agape mouth.**

I tried to pace myself ya'll, really I did. I told myself that I couldn't buy anything until I finished the WIPs I already had but I needed my fix.

**Kamika flashes back to the jittery, foot shuffling, dry mouth having, all over body itch feeling she had that's common to junkies.**

Besides, I finished four out of the five WIPs in the que. Well, more like three because one was a starter for my Pastor. She'll be finishing that one. AND! I had a little birthday money burning a whole in my pocket. God is so good! Suffice to say all I could think about was yarn.

BAM BABY!

10 hanks of Tahki Stacy Charles Cotton Classic in a beautiful seafoam/mint green. I have never bought this much yarn at one time in my knitting life. Not only that I have to go back and get 3 more (Patricia over at Slipt Stitch is holding them for me). My silly self got so sidetracked by color that I misread the yardage on the sleeves. BTW, Slipt Stitch is another new to me LYS that I found. Very comfortable spot.

So I'll be swatching this bad boy up tonight and dreaming of more projects. Talk to you all soon.


Kamika

One Down & How Many To Go?

I finished my Julia Cardigan by Designs by Donna. I really like it and plan to wear it out this weekend. I went to JoAnn's yesterday looking for buttons and some lace to make a sash. I settled on some simple pearlized 19mm buttons and decided to make my own sash in the remaining blue yarn. I crocheted the sash using the Front Cross Stitch and trimmed using a picot edging on the bottom only. It's nice and stretchy and turned out really well. You may also notice that I shortened the sleeves to a 3/4 inch style. I also decreased the collar area to form a higher collar line and added 3 extra shells to get a pleated look in the back . It fits my style better with these adjustments. Enjoy!

Kamika