Z is fo...

Zaydie.

You can spell it any way you want and it still means the same thing.My grandfather, one of my favorite people. Below you can see him with my grandmother, who he has adored and treasured for the past 67 years. Can you believe that he just turned 90? Many people in his building had no idea.

There are also pictures of him with DQ who considers him her hero and has often written school papers explaining why.

This is a little late because Z could also be for Zithromax which I am currently taking for bronchitis. Thankfully I'm starting to feel better so I look forward to starting the new year better than I ended the old one.

As my family and I prepare to ring in the new year late tonight I am happy to say Z end to a year that was not one of our best. Hubbo is back at work, my girls are doing great and a very big and happy event is now just one month away.

I wish you all a very happy New Year full of hope and promise and all the good things in life.

New Wheel and NYC

Here it is, my new wheel. I didn't mean to tease but the wheel was at home and I was not. Anyway, she's a Kromski Sonata (nameless as yet) in the walnut finish. I'm usually a light wood girl but something about the walnut spoke to me. This was a gift from Hubbo who promised he'd get me a new wheel when he found a job. Lucky for me that his first paycheck coincided so nicely with Hanukkah.



The fiber that I chose to break in the new wheel is Mama-E's and it's really sweet. It's a reddish orange and I think it's going to be great when its done. So nice that the inaugural spin on the wheel will be a good one. Yay!

So, what was I up to over the weekend? Here's a little peek.

We saw some holiday windows all decked out. Jake, Daria, Sam and Lindsey with Manhattan in her arms.


We ate some very good deli at the Stage Deli. Yum. Don't you love the shot of the back of my brother's head and the way my B-I-L Matt successfully hid behind him?


We ran right into a Hanukkah parade. Who knew there was such a thing?


We saw the NYC skyline shrouded in fog and it was very cool.

Y is for Yiddish, AKA Bubbie In Her Sweater

It's a good thing that I remember how to get around Long Island a bit because that's where I was when it was finally time to put buttons on grandma's sweater. Thankfully we found a Joann's near out hotel and the girls and I chose pretty, leafy buttons that are perfect except that they're a little heavy. They work though.

I sewed the buttons on Saturday night and I wove in the last ends Sunday morning and on Sunday afternoon my daughters gave their Bubbie her new sweater. She loved it. You may recall that I frogged the Twisted Yoke Cardi because it was coming out too small. Well, this is a bit long in the sleeves (I think they grew when I blocked them) but otherwise it's spot on. Grandma's big concern was the length because she says that most commercial sweaters are too long for her but this one was perfect. The only thing I would change on this sweater is that I'd add a grosgrain ribbon facing to the neck and edges to add a little stability.

Bubbie is Yiddish for grandma and that's what my girls call my grandmother. Similarly, my grandfather is their Zaydie. Yiddish is a language used by Jews that is related to German. It's wonderful and full of phrases that are colorful and descriptive. That's probably why a lot of it has been absorbed into our everyday conversation. If you've ever accused someone of having chutzpah or called them a klutz, you've used Yiddish. Bought tchotchkes? Wiped schmutz off your table? See what I mean?

Now I just need a Z.

My DC - Week 43

Last week I told you about a long lunchtime walk I took. Well here is my destination. This the the Einstein Statue that stands on the grounds of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences. I just love it.

Here's a closeup of his face. It's so expressive.

Can you see what's on his book? I wish I'd been able to take a better shot of it.

We're off to NY for a quick visit to celebrate my grandfather's 90th. Sadly I can't take my new wheel with me but I'll be back to play with it and tell you all about it on Monday. Till then, have a great one!

Hello Pretty

Can't talk. I'm busy getting acquainted.

Still Going

I am so happy to say that today is my last day at work until the New Year. We have no big plans aside from the afore mentioned trip to NY to celebrate my grandfather's 90th but I'm so happy just to have a little bit of quiet time. Hopefully I'll use most of that time to work on party details and start some projects for me because two (hopefully three) big projects will be completed.

Grandma's sweater is the real focus right now. It's been giving me fits because I just can't seem to measure properly. I bound off the body the other day and started the first sleeve. These sleeves are big and it took me 2 trys to get it just right. In the end I wound up decreasing twice in the garter border. In the first round of knit in the garter border I k5, k2tog all around and then in the 3rd round of knit I k4, k2tog all the way around. It left the sleeves nice and full but they pull in at the wrists now. I like it and I hope my grandmother will too.

Finishing the first sleeve provided a bit of perspective on the body of the sweater and suddenly it looked really short. Grandma wants it short but not like this. I took out my tape measure and sure enough it was about 1.5-2 inches too short. Thankfully it wasn't too hard to undo the bind off and I have plenty of yarn so it's back on the needles now and nearing bind off for the second time. That just leaves the second sleeve and 3 buttons. I'm pretty sure I can get this done.

The other thing that's nearing the finish line is Kippah Quest 2008. Number 74 is complete and I'll start number 75 later today. It hasn't been totally smooth sailing on this project though. The past week has been really bumpy. As I started number 72 I noticed that there wasn't much of the blue yarn left. I expected that I'd have to dye more at some point and I was prepared so I pulled out the dye pot and got to work. In the picture above you can see the initial unskeined result. I'm not sure that you can tell from the picture but the color was way off. It's much too even and more aqua than it ought to be. Thankfully I had more undyed yarn in reserve and I tried again. The second effort is seen in the ball of yarn with the partial kippah resting on it. It's a little lighter than it ought to be but it's more in keeping with the rest of the kippot.

The other bump was kippah number 72 itself. Since 72 is a multiple of 18 I decided that this ought to be the one for me. I had some modifications in mind but it took tons of research and lots of frogging to get it to work. I'm happy with the results but I have no pictures yet. Soon.

Tonight we'll mark Christmas according to Jewish tradition - Chinese food and movies. To those of you who are celebrating for real I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

X is for...

Xeriscape.

Yep, I'm still trying to finish before he end of the year. I'm stubborn like that.

Xeriscape- To landscape (an area) in such a way as to minimize its need for irrigation, especially by using plants and features suited to a dry climate.

I haven't applied this to my own lame landscaping efforts but I think it's a cool idea and, let's be honest, there aren't a whole lot of X words out there. It was just dumb luck that I actually had a funny picture to use with this post.

I took this picture earlier this fall because I just found this so ridiculous. I really can't say what that homeowner was thinking when they decided to plant a bunch of cacti in front of their home. I suppose they were hoping for low maintenance and maybe they really were trying to xeriscape a little. There is a fatal flaw to the plan though because this isn't the deserts of the southwest, this is Virginia so the cacti aren't doing so well. Months ago when i took the picture most f the cacti were already keeled over and dead looking. I can only imagine what they look like now.

That's sad, just sad and pathetic.

Cookie Season

It was a wonderful weekend full of the usual errands and a few parties. Stinkette and I put together several plates of cookies to take with us to the parties. We made Brownies, Mini Black & Whites, and Glittering Lemon Sandwich cookies and added a little chocolate gelt to the display. I'm really happy with how it all came out and so was everyone who sampled them.

I was busy working on several projects this weekend and they're making great progress. Apparently I was seduced by knitty bliss and suddenly my to do list exploded with plans to create many hats to distribute to select relatives when we go to NY. I even started pulling together the yarn from my stash and my LYS. Then reality hit and I realized that I need to finish granma's sweater, grandpa's socks and the last 7 kippot before we leave early on Friday. What was I thinking? Happily my feet are firmly rooted in reality again. The hats can wait.

My DC - Week 42

I was a little worried about how I'd finish off the year of "My DC". The weather just hadn't been cooperating with my desire to go roan and take pictures. Then on Monday we had an unexpectedly beautiful day so I went out for a nice long lunchtime walk.

It wasn't planned in advance so I didn't have my DSLR with me but my trusty Cannon Elph is always with me. It's been quite a while since I used it extensively. It was kind of fun but a little frustrating to have less control than usual. Here is Simon Bolivar.

I had a particular destination in mind but I'll save that for next week. Along the way I saw all kinds of cool stuff like this statue on the grounds of the American Red Cross headquarters.

Last but not least, I saw the progress that they're making on the grandstand for the Inauguration.

G & G

Thanks so much for the tips. Now I have even more ways to manage my worries and irritate my favorite teen. That's a win-win for sure.

Here's my grandmother's sweater as it appeared last night. I have knit up half of the balls of yarn I stashed for this project and I'm nearly finished with the body of the sweater. I'm starting to feel confident that I'll have enough yarn for the sweater and that I'll finish it on time. I may even be able to go button shopping this weekend.

I really love the way this sweater is turning out. The yarn, Plymouth Tweed, is a nice blue with green and purple bits. Sadly my grandma is mostly blind and won't be able to appreciate them but I think the fabric is lovely. It's not super soft yet but it is not going to be worn against the skin and I suspect that a good wash will soften it up. The only downside to this yarn is the VM that I come accross regularly. I really could do very nicely without it.

I plan to give the sweater to my grandmother when we're in New York to celebrate my grandfather's 90th birthday. If my grandmother likes the sweater it will be all the gift my grandfather needs. He's like that. Seeing my grandmother happy is all he wants. He's the kind of person who really, truly, wants no gifts ever. But I can't stop myself. Who can resist the pull of hand-knit socks? Surely he can't refuse a pair of hand-knit socks knit just for him by his eldest grandchild.

This pair of socks is going to be perfect for him. The yarn is Claudia that my husband chose for me when he was in NY. I think it's manly. I considered doing a plain sock but I couldn't resist the opportunity to make him a little something special so I'm using the Harris Tweed (Rav link) pattern which is producing a nifty waffle-like texture. Not too fancy but not ordinary. Perfect!

W is for...

Worry.

I admit it... I'm a worrier. I worry about finances. I worry about upkeep and improvements needed around the house. I worry that I'm forgetting things. I worry that I just can't get all the things I want to do accomplished. Most of all I worry about my family - their health, happiness and general well-being.

As my girls get older they are starting to pull away. Everything is a battle. They don't want to wear jackets even when there's ice on the ground and I worry that they'll get sick. They don't want to eat the foods that I know are healthier for them. They certainly don't want me looking over their shoulder, keeping track of all that they do. Tough luck for them.

I think that a certain amount of worrying can be a good thing. It makes you vigilant and aware... as long as you can find the right balance.

Now that she's a middle schooler, DQ has become more social. She has friends all over the place and the internet and her cell phone have allowed her to keep in touch with all of them. Of course I worry about this. Not just the bills (although she's really responsible and hasn't gone over her allotments yet) but who she's talking to and what she's telling them so I've got a few rules.

She has an email account but I know that passwords and she's not allowed to change them. She knows that I can and will check her email from time to time. I don't do it as often as she thinks I do but it makes me worry less to have things open like this.

She's got a cell phone and aside from staying within her plan I don't have a lot of rules for this beyond courtesy stuff. I do require that she make sure it's charged and on whenever she goes out so that I know I can reach her if I need to. I recently asked that call me whenver she gets home in the afternoon and she chafed at that a bit. She'll do it though because she knows I'll worry if she doesn't call.

Now there's F*cebook. Oy! I've avoided this for quite a while but I recently allowed her to open an account with one caveat... she must approve friend requests from any family member who asks. With the eyes of her aunt and uncle and myself on her I'll worry less.

I'm sure that there are more things I could do and I'm totally open to suggestions. What do you do to manage your worries?

Big Sister/Little Sister Penguins

There has been quite a lot of fiber play going on for me lately. I'm spinning a lot, working like made to finish a few important knitting projects and, all the while, the crocheting continues. Mostly it's kippot. I just finished number 70 so I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. After spending such a long time with one project as your constant companion knowing that the end is near brings mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's a relief to know that I'll finish on time but at the same time I know it's going to feel weird not to have kippot to work on when I have a random moment.

Before I started the kippot, crochet was totally foreign and, honestly, uninterestingto me. I just had no interest at all. That's changed a bit lately since I found amigurumi. To my great surprise I've found that crochet is fun, fast and kind of satisfying.

This little duo is the mother & baby penguins from Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet by Ana Paula Rimoli. This book is great! The instructions are clear and so are the illustrations so I can easily see how it's all supposed to come together. For a crochet novice like myself clear instructions is key.

Although they're billed as a mother & baby in the book I'm dubbing these as Big sister/Little sister penguins and I'll likely add a little bow on each before I give them to my niece who just became a big sister. I just have to finish the accompanying baby gift.

There is only one thing I would change about this project if I could. The yarn. KP Shine worsted is shiny and soft and I have no doubt that it'll hold up but it was not fun to work with because it fuzzes up constantly. I had little puffs of cottony yarn flying all around me as I worked on this and that's just not good. They made me sneeze and got on my clothes and it disappointed me greatly. Next time i'll get the cheapo yarn called for in the book.

Spin-spiration

Stinkerbelle had a stomache bug last week that kept me home for 2 days. It was a bummer on many levels - not the least of which is that it caused me to miss my office party. Not cool at all but, for the first day at least, I was consumed with comforting my girl.

Day two was different because Stinkette was on the mend, talking a blue streak (lately she never, ever, shuts up) and being restless and crabby. Super fun! We read together, watched a few shows, did a little homework and hung out but finally I was able to send her off to nap and grabbed a little me time. Charlotte was calling my name.

I started with a little bit of fiber that my nephew chose last May when I dragged my sister and her kids along with the girls to a yarn store in Canada. My girls are largely immune and unimpressed by yarn stores aven in other countries but my nephew was kind of fascinated by the raw fiber and the idea that I could spin it into yarn.

I happily encouraged him to pick out a little something that I could spin for him. He chose an mostly black top with a little bit of blue and red in it. I think that it's merino wool with a bit of silk. I spun it first and then I chose some solid black to ply with it. I have an idea of what I'll make with it. I'm thinking that this could become the accent on a hat. I'm documenting the process for my nephew. I can't wait to finish it and see his reaction.

After that I dove into a braid that I got from Creatively Dyed. Based upon the rave review given to this fiber by Steph of Loop, I had high expectations for this stuff. It didn't disappoint at all. This stuff spins like butter. This braid is seacell and wool and it was so much fun to spin that I couldn't walk away from it and by the end of the weekend I had 2 very full bobbins.

I have two more braids from Creatively Dyed and I can't wait to spin them but I'm trying to pace myself. The best thing about a successful spin is that it inspires you to spin more. Right now I'm filling my last bobbin and soon it'll be plying time.

My DC - Week 41

Here's a building that may look a little familiar to fans of the West Wing although I don't think that this is the side that appeared on the show. This is the face that the Old Executive Office Building shows to the ellipse.

It's not the most attractive building but it has it's high points like the golden statue perched out in front of it. Oooooh shiny.

Here is the opposite side of the building, which faces the Renwick Gallery. I like the dormer wibdows that pierce the roofline and the elegant, white, chimneys.

The pediment that sits atop this side of the building is kind of neat in a weird way. A limbless torso topped by a headless helmet with a bird perched on it... maybe it's just weird.

V is fo...

Values.

Yes, this is my second ABC- along post this week. The year is drawing swiftly to a close and there is little chance that I'll finish the alphabet before the year ends but still, I've gotta give it my best shot. It ain't over till it's over - right?

Values - ideals, customs, institutions, etc. that arouse and emotional response, for or against them, in a given society or a given person.

Our values are so important and, as a parent I feel an acute desire to impart them to my girls. Now, as they get older, I can really see the reflection of all that's important to me in them.

1. Family - I think it's a given that this should always come first. Although we've spread out and it's not always easy, it is so essential that we support each other and try to be there for each other.

2. Friends - There are folks who probably wouldn't put this so high on their list but since we live far away from our family, our friends have become so important. They celebrate with us, play with us and support us at all kinds of times. Without all of our fabulous friends our life would be far different and not nearly as rich.

3. Tradition - I think of myself as more of a traditionalist than a religious person although many of the traditions do revolve around holidays. I feel that it's the way we celebrate and the little things that set one family apart from another. That's why I keep a kosher house. It's a small reminder for my daughters of who we are and where we come from. The special dishes that we make and the way we often fill the house with people to share them is what will stay with my girls forever. I hope that one day they'll tell their children about cooking together for the holidays and how we always hosted the break the fast for Yom Kippur.

4. Education - Anyone who knows me at all knows that this is a biggie for me. I could write a book on this alone and be told by a thousand people that it's not everything and that lot's of people are quite successful without it. I get it but I still value it highly and get a huge sense of pride at how my daughters are so driven to do well in school.

5. Creativity/Originality - Sometimes this is a curse. I hate to do the same thing everyone else did and I feel it in my bones that I just have to put my own spin on things. It gets tiring sometimes but it's worth it when my girls tell their friends about how every birthday party I've ever put together for them has been different - I never repeated an idea. Thank goodnes that I'm nearly through with birthday parties because I was running out of ideas.

That's just my top five values but I think they probably give a good snapshot of me. Now I'm going to go sit with my sick kid and work on grandma's sweater some more. What are your values?

Finished and Gifted Backyard Leaves Scarf

Did I ever mention how badly I suck at giving (and receiving) gifts? It makes me so uncomfortable that I practically squirm. On the giving end the issue is exactly what you might expect. I worry to an unreasonable degree that the recipient won't like it. Mot sure what my issue is on the receiving side - general weirdness I guess.

Anyway, I gave this scarf to my hairdresser yesterday and I can't tell you how relieved I was that he didn't open it right then and there. Whew! As it was I told him that I hoped that he likes it but I understand if he doesn't. Oh yes I did. I told myself a zillion times on my way over not to apologize for the gift but clearly it didn't help much. Can you imagine what would've happened if he'd opened it while I was there? Oy! Thankfully he's been doing my hair for a decade or so and is very familiar with my weirdness by now.


He really doesn't have to say anything though because I'll know if he likes it soon enough. I see him on his way to work many mornings crossing the park or in St*rb*cks. If he's wearing a snazzy new scarf the next time I see him then it's all good.


So, about the scarf itself. The pattern is Backyard Leaves by Annie Modesitt in KP Andean Silk in a color called slate. I read on Ravelry that other people using this yarn for this pattern felt it was ill-behaved. I disagree. It worked just fine for me. No complaints at all.


The pattern was also good. It wasn't the yarn-hog that Forbes Forest is so I finished a full 10 repeats on each side using about 3.5 balls of yarn. That makes this a pretty economical gift.

Thanks to the clever edge treatment in this pattern, this is also a very neat looking scarf... except for the join. To call it wonky is a bit of an understatement. I took a picture but, trust me, you don't want to see it. I'm sure the giftee won't notice but knitters like us would. Actually, even my daughter noticed but that's because it was blocking and she's often called upon to critique the severity of errors in my knitting. I suspect that, when tossed jauntily about one's neck. the untrained eye won't detect any issue at all.


I would've fixed it but the truth is that, although I've done plenty of successful grafting in the past, this was not an easy edge to graft (for me) and I doubt that a second try would've gone any better. If there is anything that would've made this pattern better for me it would be a better explanation of how to graft this particular scarves halves together.


Let's hope I see my hardresser - with his scarf - when I stop for coffee tomorrow.

U is for...

Up

Through the course of the ABC Along it becomes obvious that some letters are much easier than others. Many have clear associations for us. I knew D, L, S and Q just as soon as I committed myself to the project. Other letters just came to me in a flash and fit perfectly like K and N.

U has been the most difficult letter not because I can't think of any U words but because I can. In times like these, there is so much ugliness and unpleasantness around. Many are feeling uncertain about the future and at times it seems like unkindness abounds. It's way to easy to go on in this manner.

U is for Up because it's one of the most positive words I can think of. Waking up, climbing up, looking up, even finding the upside of an unfortunate situation. It's way to easy to sink into unhappiness but it's much more challenging and satisfying to rise up above that which could bring us down.

Lloyd Dobler: Why can't you be in a good mood? How hard is it to decide to be in a good mood and be in a good mood once in a while?
Constance: Gee, it's easy.
- from Say Anything

The Holiday List That Wasn't

The lousy picture at the right shows the second holiday gift on my list blocking. I way looking at it and thinking about holiday knitting and I realized that I never really made a list for this year. Two scarves and one hat were a given since they were all carry-over projects that had been promised or committed to long ago. I planned to make an actual list but I never did and now I realize that I'm not going to. It's not that I've suddenly forsaken gift knitting - there is just so much else on my mind and I've already found holiday gifts for almost everyone else on my list. Really, it's all good.

I'll still be knitting for the family this winter and some of it has very finite deadlines. There's the shawl for DQ which will hopefully move faster now that I got some Addi Lace needles. I'd love to finish the last 13 kippot by the end of this month as well as Grandma's sweater and a few other random things. It'll all get done if I stay focused.

Right now it's really all about grandma's sweater. Over the weekend I finally finished reknitting the yarn already incorporated into the start of the failed Tangled Yoke Sweater. I've heard that this is a fast pattern so I'm looking forward to cruising along on it and having it completed well before our upcoming trip to NY. I just can't wait to present it to my grandmother. If all goes according to plan, I'll have a little something for my grandfather as well.

My DC - Week 40

Today's gonna be wicked busy but I can't neglect "My DC" 2 weeks in a row so here's a quickie. These buildings are right near my office like most of what I show you. Soon I'm going to have to take my camera and go walking about the city again because I'm running out of stashed pictures. It's cold out there

There is a plaque on this next one proclaiming that it's the site of a dwelling house that was owned by James and Dolley Madison. It's referring to the yellow building on the end not the boring brown one that sits between these 2.

The Itchy Girl Cowl

The real name of this pattern is the Chickadee Cowl (Rav link) by Kirsten Kapur. This pattern is really all about the linen stitch it uses. She called it the Chickadee Cowl because her daughter thought the stitch looked like bird feet. I just thought it looked cool.


I started working it up and quickly found that the yarn I used, Fiesta Zuni in Sapphire, was obscuring the pattern a bit. It was still cool looking so I continued. Besides, the yarn is cotton so the nice dense fabric was encouraging. I thought that the structure of the fabric could make up for the lack of wool content.


The more I knit, the more I realized that the wrong side of the cowl was unexpectedly pleasing. I really love the bumps and the way they work with the colors. It looks kind of fun to me.


Apparently Stinkerbelle likes it too. The morning after I finished it, she found it before I got out of bed and quickly flipped it inside out and wore it to school that way.

It's perfect for her. It covers her tender throat well and she can pull it up over her cheeks if necessary. Even better, the cotton shouldn't cause problems with her sensitive skin and the nice snug fit means that I don't worry about long tails getting caught on things during recess. It's really a great solution for keeping kids with a tendency towards unzipped jackets warm and healthy.

T is for...

Thankful.

Yes, I'm a little late but I feel way more thankful today than I did a week ago. Today Hubbo started his new job. Obviously it's too soon to say much but it just feels so good knowing that he found something. We were trying so hard not to think about the what-ifs but it was getting harder by the day.

Another reason that I'm thankful today is that it's DQ's birthday. My girl is thirteen today.

I just adore this kid. She is beautiful inside and out, responsible, and open to new things. Sure she's got a few quirks but nothing that stops me from looking at her every single day and marvelling at the person she's become.

I am very lucky and thankful indeed.

My Turtle Ate the Pattern

Do you think that works as an excuse? Probably not. Too bad I don't have a dog to blame stuff on.

Yesterday was December 1 and my grandmother ought to have a sweater at this point. Sadly, that bump in the road I hit a few weeks ago turned out to be more of a detour. I lost my momentum entirely and my attention to the sweater was largely limited to moving it from one surface to another.

Here it is as it appeared last night. Pretty pathetic. I'm still not even finished with the yoke increases. There is good news though. I worked on it last night and the night before and I seem to be finally finding my groove with it. I am resetting my personal NaKniSweMo clock and my new goal will be to finish it before the new year. Totally do-able... as long as I don't get distracted by other stuff.

It'll be no small feat to stay focused on grandma's sweater because I am consumed by startitis. I recently tried to apply a little organization to the stash. There are a few sweaters worth of yarn in there and I moved them to their own home. The novelty stuff and many random odds and ends were packed away for safekeeping in a spot that is a bit more out of the way. As I went through the stash all the plans I had flashed before me and I just want to attack them all right now. There are just so many patterns popping up all over and they are so tempting. I'm resisting the urge to cast on for everything at once but, since I finished Stinkette's Cowl Sunday night i felt ok casting on for more baby stuff. Knitting for little girls is just too much fun to stop.

Another current distraction is amigurumi. I got a book, Amigurumi World: Seriously Cute Crochet, a while back and it's full of little figures that are just adorable. There is no danger that I'll become a real crocheter but making these ami is really easy and fun. The first one from the book was a mini turtle for Stinkerbelle. You can't really tell from the picture but it's a little fuzzy from love. I'm not sure it's my best work but Stink is very happy with it.

Now I'm working on big sister/little sister penguins for my niece who just became a big sister. Sadly, I ran out of black yarn so I'll have to wait for the rest of it to arrive before finishing. So far it's coming out really well. The instructions in the book are really clear.

The only issue I have with making these ami is the yarn I chose - KP Shine. It's really soft and looks great but boy does it ever get fluffy. As I work with it little tufts of yarn fuzz fly around me. I'm not sure how it would be for knitting but for crocheting it's not exactly great.