Because I Won't Know Unless I Try

I have had some CVM fiber in the stash for a while, and have only admired it. I thought it so lovely that I got a little bit more. Then I felt a bit ridiculous about it remaining only in stash form. However, I was not ready to spin it, but I liked to think about it. I like the warm, sproingy, brown fluff, but occasionally thought about it being not brown. I think this must have been in my mind when I bought the second batch. Still, I have no idea how much Kool-Aid it would take to dye the fiber, and if this went poorly, it would likely be horrible. I know that over-dyeing would still be an option, but overdyeing unfortunately dyed brown wool is probably far beyond my KA-dyeing skills. Then again, even if the color turned out very wrong, the fiber is very right. I would perhaps practice different spinning techniques with good fiber without worrying about wasting it if had already become unattractive due to my dyeing. If that is not reason enough, I do not know what is.

So, I get out the giant pot, add the fiber, the water, and the Kool-Aid, and let the heat of the day do its thing. Darkness falls, and I try to not do the same as I bring it back inside. It does not look good. My husband thought it could be OK after drying. I poured off the water and started to remove the fiber. Lo and behold, the fiber at the bottom looks promising. Perhaps if I flip the fiber pile and try again, it might work. I think I like what I have done (it is darker than this picture). Now I just need to find the time to spin it.

Lots and Lots of Hard-Yovers, or Mary Maxim Lies

I did a little math, and have a better understanding of why I am not done with the baby blanket. On every other round of the border, two yarn-over increases are worked in each of the four corners. The total stitch count as written in the pattern reflects this increase in eight stitches. What it fails to take into account are the two yarn-overs for each of the 64 leaves. That would be 136 stitches increased on each of six rounds. That put the stitch count at 1460 stitches per round, but not for long. While the corner increases are still happening, on those same rounds, I get to decrease two stitches from each of the 64 leaves. Well, that's quite enough pattern chatter about a blanket no one else is likely to knit. It will be a lovely gift, and I will finish it soon.

We kept my niece overnight on Saturday. While she was in the bathtub, she spent some time inspecting the washcloth. She knew that I had knit it, and was pointing to various parts and asking how I made them. Since it is a garter-stitch piece, there was not much to explain. Then she asked how I made the holes around the edge of the cloth.

Me: Those are yarn-overs
KOH: Harn-yovers?
Me: Almost. They are Yarn-Overs
(mischievous grin) KOH: They're Hard-Yovers, lots and lots of Hard-Yovers.

She was so pleased at her bit of teasing that she could hardly stop laughing, and I was soon laughing with her. I was also laughing about what her new knitting term brought to my mind. I immediately thought of the knitters who take one look at lace and declare that it is something they could never do because it is too hard. Even when a helpful knitter tries to explain that it is just a combination of decreases and yarn-overs, they will not hear of it. They have already convinced themselves that knitting lace requires Hard-Yovers. I get that various types of knitting require different levels of concentration, and that certain techniques and styles come more naturally to some and not so much to others. I just do not understand those declarations that one cannot do it at all. It may not be easy, it may require a quieter environment and greater concentration, and after trying, you might decide not to do it again, but if you want to, you can do it.

Blaming the Knits

Sometimes it is just easier that way, even when I know it is not the truth. I can see that I will finish this baby blanket, but possibly, not by week's end the way I hoped. I was so pleased to have completed and sewed together the four center squares, but then there was the picking up and knitting. That process bothered my hands and wrists, but I finally had 484 stitches and was on my way with the edging. I only have about 55 more rounds to go, and right now, it is only 556 stitches around, but at the end, a round will consist of 756 stitches. Perhaps I should not look any further at these numbers. Instead, I will look again at the completed, sewn-together center.

If go for a small project, surely that will help me make it through, right? A hat would be a logical choice. Yes, that might have been a good idea, if it were not for the horrible, tangled mess that exploded from the ball of yarn. If knitting is going to take the credit for good feelings, good times, coping with life, and everything else, I suppose it will have to receive a bit of blame occasionally.

Herding Cows the Size of Schnauzers*

That's right, there has been an abundance of Aunt Sarah time lately. I like being an aunt, and I love the kids. I just do not always hold up so well to so much of it back-to-back. For a period of about 2 1/2 weeks, I think I had two days without youngsters. That certainly has knocked my productivity down a notch. Add to this the fact that I operate best (and that is relative, to be sure) on a different schedule than the one that kids do, and it is no wonder that I am behind in many areas.

I did give the first knitting lesson to the youngest niece. She has been asking to yarn, and I told her I would teach her. She did not quite take to it. I do not know that I am much of a teacher, or perhaps at 4 1/2, she is not ready to learn. As it turns out, she had given a good deal of thought to this yarn adventure. When she saw that the yarn and needles we were using were sitting on the table while I was knitting something else, she was perplexed. She wondered why I was not knitting her scarf. I explained that I was knitting a baby blanket. Still hopeful that I was knitting for her, she asked if it was for a real baby or a baby doll. She was not brightened at all when I suggested that a scarf could be a nice present for her birthday or for Christmas. Ah, she'll learn.

I cannot decide what I should do about the GVC. I would like to send it to time-out, but if I do, I think I may never finish it. I want this sweater, but it may not be meant to be. The seaming on the sleeves was gorgeous, and I hated to rip. I really ought to be able to figure this out, but I feel stumped sometimes. For now, I just take it out of the bag and work on it for a while. It is a good deal of knitting and ripping, but at least I know that the yarn holds up well. The other positive--it makes knitting on the deadline baby blanket less unappealing.

I do not recall whose turn it is, but I am going to pick up the needles and make some progress. It is about survival. I do not dislike my knitting, but I am not quite feeling the love, either. That is hiding, but possibly in the stash. When we find each other, it will be good.

*why I like that commercial or the other like it is beyond me, but I do

Can't Blog--Busy Seaming

I have to hold my tongue just so to get this right.

While I keep to this unsightly task (srsly--I look even weirder when I seam), you can peer into my mind.

Death :: Taxes
Identified :: With
Saturday :: Sky
Dumped :: Garbage
Division :: Bell
Stilted :: Speech
Crimes :: Passion
Stumped :: Stuck
Future :: Shock
Team :: Venture

Chasing Away the Cranky

It seemed like no sooner had I mailed a package of CrankyPantsPrizes to JessaLu, that one arrived for me. Diane so kindly put together such a lovely collection of gifties. I am looking forward to hiding from the world and relaxing with these prizes. The gum is just too funny.

The fiber is so lovely and soft. I imagine the alpaca as either a hat or a scarf. I am not yet to the skill level where I can think of a yarn and make it, but I am working towards that goal.

I am so relieved to have found the camera cable. It was almost where it was supposed to be which only makes the time spent looking for it even more embarrassing. However, I am not going to stay caught up in that, but rather celebrate the discovery.

Brain Sludge

I cannot understand what has happened to the camera cable. I have straightened up and sorted and still cannot find it. I do not know if this is an indication of what is happening with my brain, but I do know that it has been struggling a bit lately. I was working on my Golden Vintage Cardigan, and was completely stuck on the sleeves. I reached the sleeve cap instructions, and thought there was a terrible error. It did not occur to me to do the math between the numbers from directions earlier in the sleeve and those in the cap. No, two little letters--CO, stuck me. I puzzled over and over, "How can I CO stitches at the beginning of the next two rows and have fewer stitches than I currently have?" It took the help of a friend to remind me that CO can mean Cast Off, too. I could hardly believe that I had needed to set the knitting aside and get help on that one. Of course, this means it remains set aside, and I have not worked on it in longer than I care to calculate.

The trouble has not just been that the brain will not work, but that it alternates with working overtime. With some extra effort, I have managed to get it closer to on track. Sunday afternoon, I put some Futurama in the dvd player and knit on the July psc sock. The combination of mindless viewing with charted socknitting was a winner. I was able to zone in and out of what I was watching, but my mind could not wander too far with the chart filled with twisted and traveling stitches. I like the way the sock looks. I wish I could show my progress.

I am going to have to do something about this camera cable situation, because not being able to add a photo is getting to me. Yeah, I cannot take it any longer. Here's a picture of my niece holding my mom's new puppy, Harvey.

Pushover? Perhaps.

When I came home the other day, there were two messages on the answering machine for me. The tone sounded urgent, and the second even more so than the first. My husband thought that it must mean dire news. Since the message was addressed solely to me, I doubted it would be serious. It was a request for me to knit a baby blanket. I can handle knitting a baby blanket. I have seen several patterns I would like to knit. However, she had already purchased a kit. The finished dimensions are listed at thirty-one inches square, so it should not take too long. The pattern directs you to knit four squares, sew them together, then pick up and knit stitches to work the border in the round.

Yep, that is what I am telling myself as I knit this. I am not overly fond of deadline knitting, and I feel a bit of anxiety when people ask me to knit for them. That being said, this is for a very kind woman. She has another grandchild due later this year. I knit a blanket for one of her great-granddaughters a couple of years ago. I figure that if she asks me to do this every few years, I can continue to say yes. Besides, I like to be nice, and this is purple. Also, I have almost finished the first of the four squares for the center. I would show you my progress, but I cannot locate my camera cable.

The Other Side

I made it! The Tour de Fleece is over, and it was the best way to spend my July. If I were a kid in school who had to stand up and speak about What I Did on My Summer Vacation, I would wax idiotic about this. I never even imagined how much fun I would have spinning and carrying on with Team CrankyPants. At the close of the Tour, someone nominated my spinning for an award. I still get choked up thinking about it.

I did manage to produce a little yarn. I need to recheck the yardage because I completely spaced each time I went to skein, and lost count. I also think the alpaca/silk could benefit from a little more spa time. Anywho, without further ado, this was my spinning experience.

Almost Caught Up

I finally opened my July psc bag last week. It contained navy blue Louet Gems along with the pattern suggestion of Chalet Socks from Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I have printed the pattern (needed to enlarge charts) and the yarn is ready. The ribbing is finished on the first sock. It does not feel like I have done much of anything, but that is not where I am keeping my focus. I have accomplished things this month. I finished the May and June psc pairs.

I made a short pair of socks for me. This is the Show-off Stranded Socks pattern. I knit them toe-up with short-row heels. The yarn is Regia Bamboo. I love the bright colors, the socks feel great, and I can wear them almost any time of the year.

Brucie's new socks are plain vanilla toe-ups. The yarn is Lion Brand Magic Stripes. Yes, socks look better when modeled, but I did not want to wait any longer, and it would be wrong of me to wake him or try for a photo shoot while he sleeps.

Time to get back to spinning!

I cannot believe how much time I have spent spinning, yet have not used too much fiber. Let me explain. If my calculations are correct, during the first eight days, I spun a whopping six ounces on my wheels. I spun on the wheels all but one day, and that day I spun a small amount on the spindle. Yes, I am still on the first two ounces of anniversary fiber. Lest you think this is complaining, let me assure you that it is not. It actually makes me quite hopeful for the yardage. I must be in the process of creating skeins of yarn that will knit forever, right?


My nightly ritual has been to stop spinning a little after 11pm, take pictures, upload to flickr, and post to the sharing thread in the Tour de Fleece group on Ravelry. They are not very good photos. To say that they bear a strong resemblance to each other is an understatement. I take about three each day--one of the alpaca/tussah on Kiwi, one of the Shetland on Traveler, and one of the two together. While I know the daily progress shots are not likely to win any prizes, (there are two each day) I still like posting them. I think it is great that so many people are showing what they have spun. There is a wide variety of styles, colors, skills, fibers, wheels, and spindles. I am always excited when the voting opens. I usually grab a drink and relax while I just take in the images and inspiration. I love that I can cast a vote for more than one favorite of the day. I feel like I am learning so much.

Speaking of learning, let's talk spinning books. People really seem to like the new book, Spin Control: Techniques for Spinning the Yarns You Want by Amy King. I would like to learn more about spinning, and am thinking about books or dvds. I might like to take a class one day, but the opportunity for that is not currently available. Anyway, I am looking for book and dvd recommendations. If you have suggestions, could you tell me what it is about that resource you believe is helpful? I am seeking this information out for another reason, too. My grandmother just bought her first spinning wheel, and she is seeking books to expand her knowledge and skills, too. For her, it has to be books, as she does not have a dvd (or vhs, for that matter) player, and for some reason (*cough*Grandpa*cough*) seems resistant to the idea of one. She will be visiting at the end of the month, and I would like to have something for her. I already have some fiber, but may not be able to wait. I just might need to mail it to her this week.

Bet You Never Even Knew We Were Gone

We were only away from home for about fifty hours, but it felt like much longer. Brucie probably has some type of influenza that earned him a brief, unexpected hospital admission. They tested him for so many things, but were never able to pinpoint the exact cause. That meant we were stuck in a little isolation room. Not exactly my favorite place to be, but it was where he needed to be, and they took excellent care of him. There were a few cranky-making moments, but we really are just glad to be home, and I am relieved to see that he looks like he is getting better.

While not having a few key items made being away from home a bit uncomfortable, I had knitting. I was also able to keep with the Tour de Fleece, as the bag I grabbed on our way out the door had a drop spindle and fiber, too. I was briefly stuck on one knitting project when I reached the end of a ball of yarn, and the other was out in the car in the parking deck. That gave me the excuse to take a walk the next morning to retrieve it.

Anyway, I am taking a slow re-entry, and there is certainly plenty to do, but I will just take it one step at a time.

Make Room for Baby

I had hoped for quite some time to have a spinning wheel, but did not know when or if it would happen. Then, Kiwi came to me nearly two years ago. In her former home, she created beautiful yarn, but the time she took away from knitting became too great, and she had to leave. It is true that Kiwi loves to spend as much time as possible in the creation of new yarn. However, she realizes that the yarn we make together sometimes has a purpose beyond just being yarn, and is accommodating when it comes to knitting time. Sometimes she cries when she feels that too much time has passed since we last spun together. The fiber stash then gets in on the act, along with the spindles. She does not quite understand those spindles, and wishes they would stay out of the nice fiber. Still, we have made a happy home together, and seem to find a nice balance most of the time.

What Kiwi did not know until recently, is that I have harbored a small hope to become a multi-wheel home. Recently, I began exploring this possibility beyond flipping through catalogs. Kiwi could not stand the searches of classified ads and auction listings. I assured her that barring some ridiculously fantastic deal, she was not in any danger of having to share me with another wheel, but she was not convinced. She settled down when we joined a group for our kind on Ravelry, and added our names to the list to participate in The Great Kiwi Migration. She even stopped whining about the extra time I have been spending with Little Si, the drop spindle.

Imagine the surprise of us all when we received word of a single drive, double treadle, Ashford Traveler with six bobbins in need of a new home. It was all so sudden, and the next thing you know, I am bringing another wheel into our home. I had read all of the pertinent articles on introducing wheels to each other. I started by letting Kiwi see the six bobbins. At first, she thought they were for her, as the Kiwi and the SD Traveler use the same bobbins. Then she heard the unmistakable sound of treadling coming from the next room. At first, she was upset and cried, but then she heard the squeaking, and became concerned. While the new wheel was well cared for in her previous home, it was obvious that she had not been attended to recently. A few well placed drops of oil later, and she was happy as can be.

I spent a bit more time spinning and getting to know the new wheel, and then placed it next to Kiwi in the next room. I figured they could use some time to get to know each other, and I had laundry to fold. I stopped outside their room to hear how they were getting along. The new wheel was breaking the ice with a gift.

New Wheel: Have you ever tried Bee Mice Elf Fiber? No? Well, here is a little bit for you to try.
Kiwi: Thank you so much. That is such a cute little package, and I love the colors.
New Wheel: You're welcome. I love trying out new fibers.
Kiwi: Me, too! Oh, I see which wool you have been subjected to today--the dreaded practice fiber.
New Wheel: (sighs in relief) I am glad to hear this is just the practice stuff. I am not a fan of it.
Kiwi: No one is. She doesn't even like it, but drags it out on occasion when she is experimenting.
New Wheel: What size bobbins do you use? We look like we might be about the same size.
Kiwi: We totally are! I was checking out the bag of bobbins you brought with you.
New Wheel: We should totally switch bobbins with each other.
Kiwi: That would be awesome! Oh! You're going to do Tour de Fleece with us, right?
New Wheel: I sure hope so. I've never participated before.
Kiwi: Neither have we, but she seems quite excited about it. We've already joined a team. It's something to do with a garment of irritability or some such nonsense. I do not even pretend to understand her. She's crazy.

I took that as my cue to walk away before my feelings were seriously hurt. I think they will get along well, and I am excited about the new adventures in spinning just waiting for me.

Tour de Fleece?

I am continually posing that question to other knitters who have expressed even the tiniest interest in spinning. The tamest responses have been, "No." Most have even laughed and humored me as I attempted to mock-pressure them into joining. I understand that the event is not for everyone. I am even trying to extend that understanding to the one who offended me on the topic of spinning. Perhaps I do not yet get her. It would appear that she does not get me. I know that not everyone likes me, and some of my attempts at humor fail.

However, when I cannot quite find my way to getting over the irritation, I am glad for my Tour de Fleece team. Thanks to Cookie, I am a member of Team CrankyPants. I think I have read more in that thread than I have in the rest of my time on Ravelry. Lately, it has been overflowing with enabling attempts in link and picture form. With all of the lovely fiber, it is hard to stay in a foul mood. Still, it is nice to have a place where crankiness is accepted, and even jokingly celebrated.

I am still contemplating goals for the Tour. The piles of fluff I recently dyed seem like good candidates, and sixteen ounces would be a challenge. I want to keep the pressure low, so maybe one of those and then the smaller bump of alpaca/silk that has been in stash form for quite some time. I still have a day or so to decide, right?

Don't Judge Me

Ten Television Guilty Pleasures

The Venture Bros
Home Movies
Robot Chicken
Days of Our Lives
The Young and the Restless
Futurama
Flight of the Conchords
My Name is Earl
Dexter
How It's Made

Keeping Kool

The summer heat is here, and I cannot change this. I suppose it is just as well that I am not in charge of the weather, because even the less-pleasant portions do good things. The garden is loving the hotter temperatures. However, I do not love them. In fact, I think they might be causing a wee bit of irritability in me. Yeah, pretending like that is not true does not make it so, but seeking out the positive might help improve the situation. Therefore, I decided that I might as well find a way to take advantage of the situation, too.

I have always thought about solar dyeing, but never got around to it. That all changed the other day. I filled up a pot of water, fluffed up eight ounces of Shetland, and let it soak. Then I carried it outside to a sunny spot and returned with the colors. I am still not quite ready to move beyond the Kool-Aid dyeing, so that is what I used. I mixed up and poured in one packet each of black cherry, orange, and pink lemonade, as well as two packets of lemonade. Then it was time to cover and wait. After the dye was exhausted, it was time to wait some more. I carried in the big pot just in case a pop-up thunderbumper came along, and to allow it to cool. After it was out of the pot and out of the water, it was looking nice, and there only remained one more waiting period. After it dried, I took the time to admire my work. I liked it. Then I decided to get fancy and braid it.

With success like that and the prediction of even hotter weather, another foray into solar dyeing seemed like the most logical decision. Alpaca seemed like a wonderful choice, and I just happened to have eight ounces waiting for action. For this attempt, I used one packet each of black cherry, grape, and blue raspberry lemonade. I wonder what the finished yarn will look like.

Master Gardener Bonus Quiz

Questions

Does your garden want the Kool-Aid dye-depleted wastewater from these dyeing efforts?
If so, which plants want this water?
Also, does it matter whether it is the water from the alpaca or the Shetland?
If you water your garden with the wastewater from solar Kool-Aid dyeing, is it still an organic garden?
Will watering the garden with the aforementioned liquid make the ants go away?

Answer

If you are looking to me for gardening wisdom, your garden is in tremendous peril.

Have a nice day!

Little Bits

At WWKIP Day, we all received little key chains, and got to choose a cute little knitting bag. I had to go for this one. I know it will be great for socks, but it keeps telling me that it needs to carry a new lace project. While WWSIP Day is not for months, there were still gifties for my drop spindles. They have new bags, too!

I never showed you what I got for my anniversary. It is pretty and sparkly, and it has very little VM. I want to spend extra time with it, so I am spindling. I have two, two-ounce bags of a Cheviot, Silk, and Angelina blend (color is way off). I have been spindling a bit nearly every day. I have been enjoying the experience so much that the wheel is beginning to feel neglected. Of course, the fact that I have been stalking auctions in the hope of finding a super bargain on a wheel is also contributing to Kiwi's hurt feelings. I hope Kiwi can be happy about what is coming next.

Milestones and Memories

We celebrated our wedding anniversary earlier this month. We tend to keep things relatively low-key. The important thing to us is spending time together. We went to see Up at the movie theater. I also gave him his anniversary present.

Pattern: Red Brick Road by Wendy Johnson from Fall/Winter 2008 knit.1
Yarn: Neveda Skol
Needles: US1
Time Spent: I drew this bag from the psc collection while Bruce was in the hospital in April, and then proceeded to carry it with me everywhere, unable to begin them for a bit. I do not recall just when I started and finished them, but I quite enjoyed knitting these.
Mods: Judy's Magic Cast-On, short-row heels, sewn bind-off, used left mock cable stitch pattern for all mock cabling

WWKIP Day 2009

I slept Friday night, so I made it out to knit with everyone Saturday morning for WWKIP Day. We had a great time, and even got a little knitting done.

Because When I Think of One

Perhaps you can ponder this sign while I try to finish a few things. I actually have one something done that is just waiting for photos, and am about halfway through with another something. As for the GVC, I froze up when it came time to add buttonholes. I finally relaxed, and am knitting away on it. I have also been spindling, and am ready to put something new on the wheel, too. With all of that going on, I might be a bit optimistic about finishing things.

Welcome Back, Helen!

I love when I have made something and am so pleased with what I have made that I can hardly wait until I can gift it to the recipient. Most of the time, I can at least share the finished product here on the blog. Then there are the times when I just have to wait.

One of our Skanky Knitters, Helen, had heart surgery several weeks ago. When I knew Helen was going to have surgery, I knew I would make something for her, but had a difficult time deciding just what it should be. When I finally made a decision, I was excited. When it was finished, I was on cloud nine. Then I had to wait. I had planned to bring her little present to the knit night she hosted in her home a few weeks back, but I still had remnants of the crud. So, the get-well gift waited. I thought of Helen every time I saw it.

Monday night was her return to getting out to knit with everyone, and we are glad to have her back. I was also excited to finally be able to give this to her. It is a skein of handspun yarn, with an accompanying, bonus, mill end, mini-skein.

Aunt Sarah is Tired

Children certainly can eat a lot of Cheerios, mac and cheese, chicken, and sandwiches. However, this is nothing compared to the way they devour time. What was meant to be one overnight and day with one child turned into three. Halfway through day two, we added another kiddo to the mix. It went pretty well, but I may never get the music from Mario Kart to leave my brain.

While this left little time for knitting, I have managed to get a little bit done. Twice I became caught up in the rhythm of my knitting and had to rip back a few inches each time. I could be close to done with the second front of my GVC if not for these setbacks, but I do not care. This is such an enjoyable knit, that the only thing on my mind is fit. Some of my clothes feel a bit tighter than they used to be, and I know they did not shrink o.O Anyway, at least now I am feeling more confident that I will have enough yarn to knit the sweater.

Things are going so well, that I feel like knitting socks. This is good, as it is time to draw another bag from the psc collection. No, we will not mention how woefully behind I am on this (or everything else). I have also begun a long term knitting odyssey that will either be one of the best ideas I have had this year, or never mentioned again. Either way, I may not know the answer for a few months.

Taking Chances

As I have been knitting mainly from stash lately, its contents influence what I decide to knit. Sometimes I come across a pattern I want to knit, but am not sure whether the stash will support it. If I clearly do not have the yarn, I evaluate whether I want to purchase yarn and knit it now, or if I will just wait for later. That is actually the easier situation. The stash is lovely and I enjoy knitting from it. I do not feel deprived when I decide to wait to buy yarn to knit something. It also makes it all the more enjoyable when I do buy yarn. I am not against buying more yarn, but right now, reducing the stash is the right decision for me. Why, yes, I do realize that all this going on and on about knitting from the stash means I am pushing myself closer and closer to a not insignificant yarn purchase, but I digress.

The anxiety enters when I think I might have the yarn to knit something, but the yarn situation could be tight. Having been burned by recent yarndage issues, I have become even more nervous. While I so dislike the idea of running out of yarn, I receive quite a thrill when it is close, but works. With this in mind, I began the swatching. I got gauge. I checked the pattern and checked the stash. The yardage matched, but I was not yet convinced. I know how those numbers can have quite the plus/minus range.

Still, the pattern looks like such a nice, pleasant knit, that forging forward is the right choice. If I do not have enough yarn to finish it and cannot get more of it, this is not a tragedy. I think I would enjoy knitting it again when I do have the necessary yarn. That being said, I am getting ahead of myself. This yarn could be enough and work out just fine. In fact, it looks like it will. I have already finished the back and am about one-third of the way up the front left of my Golden Vintage Cardigan.

Scarf?

Where did this week go? Perhaps part of it was eaten by those new allergy meds I recently started taking. I do know what stole some of it, and it is not worth mentioning. Still, I have kept busy amongst it all.

The current pair of socks is so close to finishing, and I do not want it to end. I have enjoyed the knitting, and they have been perfect companions for the stop-and-go pace of this week. While I am looking forward to starting the next pair, and hope it is as compatible as this pair has been.

While I have not spun as much as I like, I have been in a fiber-y mode. I played with some leftover fluffy bits and some angelina. As soon as I had spun up the singles, I Navajo-plied them to end up with this itty-bitty skein. I can see making some yarn with a wee bit of the shiny, and then turning that yarn into a lovely lace piece. However, that is not likely to be my next spinning adventure.

I finished this lace at the beginning of the month, but just now got around to the blocking. This is Ene's Scarf from Scarf Style. I knit it with Misti Alpaca Lace. This is a graduation present for a great-niece. It is larger than I had expected. In fact, I do believe that at nearly six feet across and nearly four feet deep, it moves from scarf to shawl classification. I like the pattern, enjoyed knitting it, and might knit it again one day. Next time, I will cast on with larger needles, as this area was a bit tighter than I would prefer.

We still have not made decisions about our weekend plans. Since we grilled on Thursday, it felt as if the weekend has already begun. Personally, I am hoping for quiet relaxation, and the kind of weather the garden needs. Whatever happens, I will bring knitting.

Blue-Grey Days

I spun and finished four ounces of some combed top from Little Barn in Brite Blue this week. I had thought about getting out there this weekend, but that did not happen. It will probably be next month before I have a chance to make my way out there. I like the little Saturday fiber group they have, but just do not make it very regularly. It is even less frequent that I bring my wheel. I think I may prefer spinning alone at home, but I do admit I have not given public/social spinning much of a chance.

Anyway, this is a two-ply somewhere in the neighborhood of 370 yards. I have not made plans for it, but it has sat next to my Walker Treasury for inspiration. It is still a bit damp, so I am not completely sure about the finished yarn, but I think I might like it. I definitely enjoy gazing at the color. Its brightness (though not quite as bright as this picture) is quite a change from the current socks.

The knitting of the psc socks on the needles (we will not mention to which month they belong) is quite nice. They are modified Red Brick Road socks from the Fall/Winter 2008 knit.1 magazine. They do not look very good on the needles, but on the feet, the little mock cables show up quite nicely. This pair is for Brucie. He does not mind that the color is a bit on the plain side. I think I have a more colorful pair for him waiting to be knit in one of those psc bags.

A partial sock and a new skein of handspun is not much to show for the week. However, I have been sifting through the stash and swatching. I may have something meaningful to show for my efforts soon. Perhaps meaningful is a stronger word than I should use, but I am trying to be optimistic. I am also excited about the potential new project.

Making Mom Proud

No, I am not posting a video of me taking my vitamins, eating my veggies, flossing, brushing, and making my bed. Instead, I offer a nupp-flash.

I finished the Swallowtail Shawl just in time for Mother's Day. I added a couple of extra stitches to the garter-edge, and I think that looks nice. I also added some glass pearl beads to the last charted row. Other than that, I knit it as written. As it really was down to the wire on finishing, I did not take measurements, but I believe it was close to six feet across and nearly four feet deep. I used nearly every bit of three skeins of Knit Picks Imagination in the Pixie Dust colorway.

I hope Mom likes it. It was hard to tell, as Sunday had many bumps. It had its good moments too. I received a very sweet card and flowers from the kids. My niece doubted my credentials to receive a Mother's Day gift. She thought that she had settled the matter when she told me that Taki is not a girl. It would seem she is a bit confused about the day. I wish I had captured video of her singing and dancing, "Boogie-Woogie-Piggy," but I saw her performance after she had been playing outside in her ballet outfit. Did I mention it has rained every day this month? Yeah. She was a vision of the boogie-woogie, as well as the piggy.

Too Close for Comfort

There was a tornado on our street yesterday. If it had turned a few hundred yards further, it would have gotten us. That is about more than I can wrap my mind around. I feel grateful to have been spared, but feel for the people whose property was damaged.

I decided to try to move forward by working out my tensions on some bread dough. I mostly followed this recipe, and gave the second loaf away. I like it pretty well, and look forward to the next loaves I bake. I would give you a picture, but the pretty loaf is the one I gave away, and the less pretty one has been subjected to my very un-pretty slicing. I think my next loaf will come from a booklet I recently received. They are all no-knead bread recipes, and I have wanted to try out this method for a while now.

Paw is out-of-town, so we have been over visiting Mom a bit more. This is usually fine, but I am on the deadline to finish her shawl for Sunday. I guess it is good that she requested a simple dessert for the day. Mmmm...dessert. I am hungry. I had better make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and get knitting. Oh, but the spinning wheel is crying only slightly less loudly than the fiber stash, which is absolutely wailing for attention.

Funny Full Circle

Yes, the piggy scarefest (h1n1) is officially here. They closed many schools for Thursday and Friday last week. Wednesday night my sister told her son that if he was very good and went to bed without another word he could stay home the next day, and if he kept to excellent behavior he would not have to go to school Friday, either. On our way home from picking him up Thursday, a big board from an even bigger truck bit our car. Bruce's excellent driving saved us from the worst of it, but the incident ate the following 36 hours. After being on the verge of a breakdown Wednesday evening, that nearly put us over the edge. Maybe it meant that I cracked up a bit more than I am willing to admit, but I finally settled on laughing as the appropriate response to all of this. The new mirror should be here soon.

I think I solved the dilemma of who should receive Ene's Scarf. A great niece graduates from high school later this month, and I believe this will be right for her. I finished grafting it Sunday night (maybe it had become Monday at that point), and now it just needs the weaving in of ends and blocking. With one lace off the needles, I cast on for new as soon as possible. It is a Mother's Day Swallowtail. I have a good start on it, but it could be that it will be a Graduation Swallowtail, and Ene will be Mom's.

Monday was a wonderful night with my Skanky Knitter friends. For too long, we have been missing each other, and we finally caught up last night. We stayed until they closed the store (10 p.m.), and talked a little longer out in the parking lot. We finally dispersed after random dude pulled his car up next to us and inquired as to whether we were experiencing any flu symptoms.

Housework Can Be Good

I do believe that the laundry mated while we were away. I would complain, but I am just grateful that the dishes behaved themselves. Actually, the housework is helping me get back on track. I find that I am a bit more emotionally fragile than I would have expected. In fact, the 10 on Tuesday topic left me overwhelmed. This stuff just takes time, and I will even out again soon.

Lest you think I do not realize that our absence affected others, I share this picture with you all. This was the stray cat greeting us on our front porch when we got home. It was actually quite loose, but maybe not something the cat could get rid of on its own. I was able to remove the ground beef wrapper so long as I promised to refrain from threatening actions such as petting. By this evening, the cat had recovered enough to resume its assistant gardener activities.

Now it is time to get out the wheel and ply like the wind. Actually, I will enjoy taking my time and enjoying each treadle. Getting those dishes out of the way earlier today means I will be able to soak the new skein tonight. Yay, Doing Chores First!

Back Home

We are home from the hospital, and being home is so good. After extensive testing, poking, prodding, analyzing, imaging, injecting, and observing, all doctors are in agreement with a high level of confidence, that the problem which brought Brucie to the hospital is not going to cause him to expire in the immediate future. Beyond that, they have differing opinions. Although we do not have all the answers, we did gain important information, and some of it is even positive. It was a real roller coaster of an adventure and emotion. We are keeping the focus on thankfulness for being home and doing well.

Only three doctors annoyed me, and of those, just one is on my avoidance list. The three other doctors were great. All of the nurses and patient care techs were beyond fabulous, and they took quite a liking to him. When it was time to leave, the charge nurse was the one to bring him downstairs in the wheelchair.

I have had such a wonderful outpouring of support and love during this ordeal, and I cannot begin to express how much it helped. It means so much to me, and I am so very grateful. All of this powerful love is almost overwhelming. I learned much more over these past few days then I thought possible. Thank you.

Winging It

If I compete in Sock Madness next year, I think I might become quite nervous at round three. Last year, it was the daughter's turn for a trip to the hospital. This year, it is the husband in the hospital. He is doing fine. They are running tests. This happens sometimes. He has cardiovascular troubles. We try our best to take it easy as the waiting game does its thing. It is good to have knitting.

I was glad to have knitting when my coughing would not let me sleep last night. Knitting kept me company in the ER this morning. That was where I finished the latest Sock Madness socks (Talia's Wings). Now it is time for lace to be my companion.

Spinning My Wheels

It has been a high fiber week, but there is not much to show for it. I have reached the halfway point on spinning some singles. I do not know what kind of wool this is, but I like it. The bundle of fiber was more than a little compacted, and I was concerned this would not be an enjoyable spinning experienced. However, once I spent a bit more time with it, the fiber agreed to be friendly. After that, it seemed like it did not take long before I had finished spinning the first half.

I suppose the wheel got a bit more time because my knitting takes so long per row. Ene's Scarf starts with 375 stitches, and then the rows get shorter. With all the stitches bunched together, it took a little more effort to read the lace. The long rows have also made me think before picking up the piece. If there was not time to knit at least a full row, I just let it sit. Now that I have made my way through the first chart, I feel like my speed is going to pick up considerably. Someone did the math, and according to her, I am already 25% done. The second chart looks to be quite light, with most rows being mainly plain.

Now that I have spinning and lace underway, perhaps I should open April's psc package. I had better hurry, as the second round of SM3 is over.

It Sounds Worse Than It Really Is

For today, that is in reference to my voice. Seriously, I unintentionally scared someone on the phone.

OT: What's going on?
me: Not much, how are you?
OT: What is happening?
me: Easter is tomorrow. Be at Nana's at one.
OT: Sarah, what is wrong?!?!
me: Oh, I have the crud.
OT: You scared the #%$@ out of me.

We will skip a physician rant and just say that I am having difficulty feeling the love for them. I probably just need to suck it up and find a different one. Also, my regular doctor was not even the one I saw on Friday. I still find myself a bit annoyed when I think back on it. It makes me hope even more that I am recovering because I just do not want to see any of them.

The answer to the dessert question was coconut cake, and it was wonderful. It had been a long time since I had baked a cake not from a mix. I mostly followed this recipe, with a little tweaking. Additionally, I substituted her frosting with stabilized whipped cream. I baked and filled the cake Friday evening, and then frosted it Sunday morning. It all worked so much better than I had expected. The secret was timing the doses of medications just right so I could be in a state to bake.

As for my tale of knitting fail, it was, of course, my most recent attempt at a Swallowtail shawl. I ran out of yarn. Again. I ripped and re-skeined the yarn. I took the opportunity to re-check my yardage. It would seem my initial calculation was off by about 150 yards. That would explain why none of the three attempts with this yarn has worked. I still do not have an explanation on how I made such a serious miscalculation. Once I found my error, it was so obvious that the initial yardage estimation was way off, and I can only suppose denial wishful thinking is what kept me believing the lie.

Token(a) Madness

Reaching amongst the collection of brown paper bags for the psc intimidates me right now. I just finished the second round of SM3, and that was an involved pair of socks. Please, do not misunderstand. I like my new socks. They were worth the effort. It just took me a while to find my rhythm. My niece helped me pick out the colors, and now I have the perfect pair for Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, I have been assigned the dessert. So far, the suggestions have been Red Velvet Cake, Boston Cream Pie, and Coconut Cake. I still have not decided. The menu for the day has been changed around so many times, and I am not even sure where we are getting together. I only know that it will not be at my home.

Pattern: Tokena
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette Lilac & Blush
Needles: US0 & US1
Knit When: April 4-8

Speaking of home, that is where I stayed Monday night. I wanted to get out to knit with people, but I am a bit under the weather. One of the Skanks is scheduled for heart surgery next Monday, and I decided to play it safe. I miss knitting with everyone.

Next time, perhaps I will share a tale of knitting fail.

Feed Me!

The feed troubles are getting on my nerves a bit. I was so busy with my routine that I missed that some friends' feeds were having problems. When I first thought about it, I hoped they were enjoying wonderful life adventures and did not have time to blog. So oblivious was I, that I did not notice that my feed was broken. It looks like it still is.

It's weird. I have been blogging for over four years now. When I started, I did not know what I was doing or what I hoped to get out of the experience. Then I reached out and found my place. I feel honored that people read what I post, but by far, get more out of what others are writing. With the broken feed, it is almost like being back at the beginning of my blogging. I say almost because it is different. It feels pointless and lonely now without you all. I hope everything is fixed by the time I post this.

It is a good thing I have my knitting. I have been working on a Swallowtail Shawl. It is a tiny one, and I think it is going to be for me. It is tiny because I used my handspun. It was this skein's third chance at becoming something besides a skein of yarn. I made yardage miscalculation after spinning it, and that is why other patterns have not worked, and why I thought this one would. I am not entirely disappointed that I have had to frog this yarn twice already. I like knitting with it, and I love the colors.

Anyway, I decided to knit the budding lace repeat until I had about half of the yarn left, and then I moved on to the Lily of the Valley charts. I put in a lifeline after the budding lace in case I had enough yarn left at the end to rip back and add more repeats of that lace. I tell you, I am enjoying this yarn.

Then my knitting came to a standstill. It was a combination of an odd wrist pain and a surprise out-of-town guest. The wrist pain had me a bit worried, and I did not pick up the needles lest I aggravate it. After a very long day, I decided to try, and it turns out that knitting does not bother the wrist. Brushing my teeth or fishing change out of my pocket was difficult, but not knitting. I wish I had known that earlier. Wednesday was definitely a day that needed the comforts of knitting. As far as that situation goes, I will just say that I now wish what would have been a bad April Fool's joke had been a joke.

Hexed

When I learned that the 8" square I knit for a community afghan was lonely, I was not sure what to do. Then I remembered a long-abandoned crochet project someone gave me several months ago. I told the organizer I would examine the contents of the hibernating piece and see if it might be something that would work.

Let us fast-forward through the weaving in of many ends, gauge issues, seaming, and steaming. That brings us to the finished piece.

Friday?

Did anyone else lose a day or three this week? It was not necessarily a bad week, but I just missed most of it. Still, I have been productive. I finished some yarn that I started long ago. It is a three-ply yarn from mystery wool top in the Indian Summer colorway from Little Barn. I think it is somewhere around 310 yards. I do not know what it will become. Finishing this yarn makes me excited to spin the next yarn. It is time to explore the fiber stash.

What a Knitting Competition Should Be

I like Sock Madness. First, of all, there are the organizers. There would be no Sock Madness without them. They put in so much time and effort into the experience. They set the tone for the positive experience that keeps players coming back, and the cheerleading going. They have worked throughout the year with designers and test knitters so that we can play once again. Thank you, Hillary, and Carole!

Then, there are the patterns. Each year, I learn at least one new technique, construction, or other helpful bit. It is a different experience for me to knit a pattern exactly as written, but that is how this game is played. Exposure to designs I might not have chosen on my own has also introduced me to different designers and different ways of knitting socks. Learning is always good.

Finally, there are the players. They keep the excitement and camaraderie going from the weeks leading up to the event, all the way through the last pair of knitters competing. They take time to post a helpful link or tutorial. They are quick to answer questions for new players, and warmly welcome the seasoned veterans of this game. They treat this competition with all the seriousness it deserves, and celebrate it with all the silliness that it is.

I made my way through Round 1 of SM3. I took advantage of the slower pace of the first round, and knit this pair more slowly. It feels like others have also chosen a more relaxed beginning to the game. The pattern was inspired by the Drunkard's Path quilt block. It does not want to show up very well in my pictures, but it was an interesting knit. I am a short-row heel kind of gal, but if I am going to knit a heel flap, it might as well be one with "Eye of Fauxtridge."

Pattern: Tropical Mer-Tini
Yarn: Knit Picks Palette Salsa Heather

New New England

I truly thought I would have finished these this past Saturday, or Sunday, at the latest. Instead, I was done this evening. My first package from my psc was good. I have always liked looking at this pattern, and admired the fancy stockings. Now I have my own pair, and I think they are even fancier than those in the book are. I continued the lacy ribbing down the back of the leg, decreasing the plain stitches between the lace repeats. I also exchanged the heel flap for a short-row, y-heel.

I have already worn one of the socks. I was cold last night as I knit the second one. I was also fixing my sister's computer. Tired as I was, I could not sleep for anything. I wrapped myself in two shawls and worked away. Bruce laughed when he saw me. I was a bit of a sight. I wish the situation had been more conducive to other knitting, but was quite glad for the sock to keep me company. Also, I needed to clear the needles. SM3 starts in the morning.

Kindness of Strangers

More yarn=more knitting=yay!

Is That All There Is?

Knitting the Shetland Tea Shawl has been wonderful. Even though the rounds became quite long, I loved knitting every stitch. I only ever retrieved one ball of yarn at a time. When I needed more yarn, I went to the closet, opened the tub, and pulled out another. I Russian joined the new to the old. The spent ball bands went to the bottom of the knitting bag, or into books to mark pages.

After much knitting, I finally reached the end of the last chart. It was also time for more yarn, so I repeated the same actions. I did not think of how many times I had done this during the knitting of this lace. What I can tell you is that I cannot do it another time. There is no more.

I was sure there was more. I should take that back, because I could not tell you how many balls of yarn I thought I had. What I thought is that I had enough to knit this. It would seem that I was wrong. I went through the stash. Had I not once swatched with some of this yarn a few years ago? Surely there were one or two more in there. They had just been taken out and never found their way back the proper bin, right?

Somehow, I must have made a miscalculation. This mistake has me somewhere between wanting to scream, wanting to cry, and feeling so very stupid. I am trying to obtain more of the yarn, and remain hopeful. I plan to keep knitting the Beechleaf Edging. Knitting one hundred fifteen chart repeats is bound to keep me busy. Perhaps by the time I reach the end of the ball, I will have more yarn. That should also let me know just how much more yarn I need. I should also be able to knit that chart in my sleep by then.

That Explains It?

My energy levels have been a bit on the low side. In fact, yesterday, I fell asleep on my mom's couch amidst the noise of an energetic preschooler. My ear had been bothering me for about a week, so when I was in for a check up, I mentioned it to the doctor. "Ooh, that is very red; that looks very bad," were the doctor's comments after examination. I hope that explains everything, and that I will be back on my game soon.

When I am not slumped over or passed out, I am knitting. The March socks are coming along nicely. The Shetland Tea Shawl is a quite warm. That was wonderful when it snowed. Since it is over 80 degrees in the house right now, I am finding it less enjoyable to knit. I will want to make the most of the time I feel like knitting it so that I may finish soon. I am done with the body, and am ready to begin the edging. It is already so pretty, and I can only imagine how much nicer it will be after blocking.

I have also been easing my way into a more structured exercise program, and it has helped my back. I have been using the inversion table more, and have worked back to full inversion. It is uncomfortable around the heel and instep, but I am hanging in there. Oh, yes, I am hilarious. I wish I knew if the gravity boots/conversion bar kit would help. It would be a pricey investment, but one I would make in a heartbeat if I knew it would help.

Dare Completed

There was a dare for me to knit and wear this hat. I decided to accept, and am glad I did. I love my new hat! Having it has made the brief return of colder weather welcome. The shadow I cast is pure entertainment. I am wearing the hat at every opportunity. At the birthday party, people suggested one of these hats would be perfect for someone else. I wore it to the Waffle House in the middle of the night. The waitress was puzzled, but told me she liked it. My headwear for the first Monday after Thanksgiving is ready.

Just Duckie

I reached up amongst the brown paper sacks, and pulled down the selection for March. Nestled between the perfectly pine green yarn was a slip of paper. I will be knitting a Nancy Bush pattern from her 2001 release, Knitting on the Road! Yes, for the psc, I am knitting a nearly decade old pattern with the readily available Knit Picks Essential sock yarn, and I have never felt less exclusive. I love it! I can only hope I love knitting my New England socks as much.

It will be nice to have a more portable project. Sometimes I am just not up for a 574-stitch round. They will also help to satisfy my yearning for new lace. Still, socks are not a shawl. I think I know what the next lace will be, and I am OK to wait for it.

For today's photo offering, I give you a poor snapshot of the latest amigurumi. This went to my niece at the birthday party yesterday. It went over well, as did the ninja for her brother. Tomorrow will have a more entertaining picture.