this and that

Well, there is just SO MUCH to knit and do! I swatched the Phildar Falaise and am fascinated by it. It is springy (i.e., it has elasticity). I used 4mm needles (okay, so it says 3.9mm on my Japanese gauge thingy), and it knit up very tightly, so I thought I would need to use a slightly larger needle. When I took the gauge, though, it was just as described on the label! What a surprise! I NEVER get the stated gauge. Never. Jamais. Nope.
BUT, before I begin the Becky Wannabe Sweater, I am thinking of knitting a tank. I bought Bonne Marie’s ChicKami pattern today, but I am not exactly a strappy tank kind of gal. I just wanted to see how it was constructed so that I could maybe use the waist shaping for a Smooch ripoff. I like the look of Smooch, but the neckline plunges too deeply for my taste, and the pattern book is pretty expensive, so I think I’m going to just make up my own pattern (I know, I’m scared, too). I am not very spacially oriented, and my knitting skills seem to be worsening with age, but hey, why not, I say! Throw caution to the wind!
On a completely different note, the other day I wandered around KMart and found some colored magnets in the shape of pushpins. They are similar to those very groovy Magnutz, but much cheaper! Here is a side-by-side comparison (KMart one on the left. The Magnutz one is stylishly streamlined, as you can see):

The photo leaves much to be desired (I need a new camera, but that is another issue … ). But anyway, I thought that was a fun discovery.
I am working on a gallery of completed projects, so stay tuned, all 2 of you out there!