Last night was the last movie in Grant Park. I’m always sad when this rolls around because it is the first sign that summer is winding down.

I Take a Picture of Brijeet Taking a Picture of Gil and Martin

But we won’t think about that now. We can’t! Not when Tootsie is playing, and every 10th person in the audience is dressed in drag, it’s 85 sunny degrees, and Rikkisha brings the most decadent, amazing pecan bars I’ve ever tasted. Gil, Martin, Brijeet, Rikkisha, PT and I got a slightly poop-filled spot in anticipation of Dustin Hoffman dressed as a woman. I can’t think of a better reason to sit in poop!

Me and PT

Tootsie was a lot of fun. Everyone was really into it! Which I love about Movies in the Park.

We were already trying to guess next year’s line-up.

Log Cabin Washcloths

I finished up my second washcloth at the movie, too! Didn’t these turn out cute? The knit up really quick and I love how they look. I like the alternating colors on this set of two. I have a feeling these will be big in Holiday Present Prep class this fall!

So now I’m chilling, watching the Tigers try to sweep the Angels, waiting for my laundry to come out of the dryer so I can pack for Minnesota tomorrow! PT and I have big plans for the Twin Cities; like a Twins game and the Minnesota State Fair! I can’t wait.

Big Mess

I’m also tackling focaccia. Yeah, it seems silly to be baking the day before leaving for the weekend, but PT’s friend Chris is coming over for dinner tonight, so we will have some help. His fiance Anne is in Minnesota, and we were worried he would be eating baked beans out of a can without her.

And I saw this focaccia recipe this morning and if Chris wasn’t coming over tonight I would be making some excuse about how Pudge Rodriguez likes bread. Seeing those pictures, how could you not run home and try to make it?

So far so good; you know how I have trouble with bread, so I followed this recipe to a T. I even pulled out my food thermometer to make sure the water was exactly 115 degrees. It’s rising! I hope it’s amazing because I certainly love focaccia.

Related Sweatshop Love:

• August 30, 2011 -- Minnesota State Fair and Target Field Means I Had the Best Weekend Ever!
• January 27, 2011 -- PT’s Birthday Week
• December 21, 2010 -- Christmas Present FO: Dadgurumi
• September 7, 2010 -- Target Field = Two Thumbs Up

My to do list this weekend:

1. Make entire fall schedule – check! It rocks, if I do say so myself.

2. Knit a cabled cowl – check!

LOVE!

Pretty Cables

I used some of the Lion Brand Fishermen’s Wool that will be left over from the Vogue Cropped Jacket I put on hold all weekend though I’m SO close to being done with it!

I love this cowl, and it knit up with size 15s in like 4 hours.

3. Knit a Turkey Finger Puppet – check!

Holy Cute

I wanted to put some kind of toy in the fall schedule, so I was searching around when I stumbled upon a really cute knitting blog called Team Knit, and this pattern for a turkey finger puppet. I instantly fell in love and knit it up and put it together in about 3 hours. The time consuming part is the tail. But EVERYONE should sign up for this class because not only is this little guy adorable but the class is free! November 11th, 7-9pm. Happy Thanksgiving from me to you.

4. Write fall schedule newsletter – check! Mostly written while knitting, which is a trick I’ve needed to teach myself that comes in handy almost every day.

5. Update website – check! Full list of classes looking hot. More Sweatshop love looking hot, too. The class list was a huge job since it was so empty this month.

6. Knit a Goldfish Toilet Lid Cover – not check.

Saturday Morning

Friday afternoon I thought it would be a great idea to put the Knit Pick’s Goldfish Toilet Lid Cover in my fall class schedule, meaning, ideally, I would need to knit one before my newsletter went out to make sure the pattern was good and I had a picture of it. Yeah. I’m a crazy person.

The problem was that the pattern calls for size 6s and DK weight yarn. I had size 4s and worsted weight, but that still didn’t do it, so I had to take 25 stitches off the pattern, basically rewriting the entire thing.

PT and Po' Boy

My Shrimp Po' Boy

By Sunday evening, after spending 11 hours knitting and writing frantically, PT suggested I leave the house. We walked over to Street Side and got po’ boys and fries. We were both very happy with how delicious they were! It was my first po’ boy and I would order this sandwich again in a heartbeat.

Toilet Lid In Lap

By Sunday night I had finished knitting the lid itself and just needed to duplicate stitch on the fish. When I looked at the picture of the lid on the pattern I thought it was intarsia; I had never even heard of duplicate stitching. It’s basically cross-stitching over the stitches of the body of your project, which is genius I think, since I get annoyed with a lot of intarsia. I’ve always loved cross stitch so this has been really fun.

But, notice a problem?

Don't Look Like No Fish!

I had that big orange skein of yarn I got at a garage sale I thought would be fun to use, and I started duplicate stitching the fish in whatever colors I had laying around in the goldfish family. PT says it looks like Pikachu. I think it kind of looks like Wilson. Whatever it looks like, it doesn’t look like a goldfish. It’s still going on my toilet, though!

I’m almost finished, not by deadline obviously, but still. Knitting an entire toilet lid with Pikachu/Wilson/Goldfish duplicate stitching in like 72 hours? Still impressive/ridiculous.

7. Blog – absolutely not. Lukily for me PT was free for some guest blogging so I got out of that one. He did such a great job! He also made sure I ate and drank enough water and that my legs didn’t atrophy all weekend, too.

8. Update Ravelry – absolutely not. I didn’t even look at it.

9. Update Sweatshop Facebook Page and Myspace Page – check! I don’t remember doing it, but it’s done so I’m not asking any questions.

Overall pretty good! I love being mostly self employed because if I worked for anyone else as much as I work for myself for as little as I make I would kill someone. But because everything I do is for myself I get up at 6:30 on a Sunday morning to knit a toilet seat cover and when I finally close my computer at 11pm Sunday night I’m so tired I could cry, but I’m happy because I love it.

Cotton Washcloths

Next up? Minnesota! PT and I are headed there Thursday, and I’m knitting up these cute washcloths from Purl Bee  as a present to PT’s mom. At least I’ve got a couple days to punch two of these out.  It should be a breeze after the knitting fiasco that was this weekend.

I’m determind to finish my toilet seat cover, though, and I miss my Vogue Cropped Jacket!

Man, I’ve caught fall knitting fever way early this season. Could that mean I will successfully knit everyone I know a present this year?

Only if I can keep my new issue of Interweave Knits closed!

Related Sweatshop Love:

• May 27, 2011 -- Renegade Brooklyn Prep, Part 5: SEWING
• May 10, 2011 -- ME?! In Interweave Knits?!
• February 15, 2011 -- Chunky Cabled Cowl Pattern
• January 19, 2011 -- FO: Charvet Pullover