UM, Not Impressed, and Impressed

This guy looks like he has been to his share of fiber festivals. He took the crowds and cameras in stride. He did not mind our presence, or having to attend the gathering, but he was clearly not impressed by any of us.

Redskins :: Cowboys

Show :: Stopper

Smoker :: Turkey

Bad movie :: Horror

Play :: House

Jaguar :: Wreck

Click :: Through

Production :: Piece

Sand :: Evil

Foreign :: Film

Just to show it is not just about fiber acquisition around here, this is my latest finished spinning. I like the new yarn. For me, it seems like I keep spinning, and suddenly one skein shows my improvement all at once. This is one of those skeins. I keep petting it, and thinking of what I want it to become.

Fiber: Alpaca, KA Solar-dyed by me

Plies: Two
WPI: 19-20
Weight: 5.12 ozs (145.3g)
Yardage: 608 yds (555.9552m)

Loved

I feel so very loved today. It is my birthday. Bruce was sneaky and got me this set of Hiya-Hiya Interchangeables. They are awesome. This set goes from US2 to US8. Those are my sizes. Also, no tool is necessary to attach needles to fabulously flexible cables. The gorgeous bag that holds them is a great size, has little zippered pockets, and is too precious. A new set of needles always makes me want to immediately cast on for something new. It must be lace, I am sure.
I was already flying high about my new needle set when I went to the mailbox. There was a package for me. Inside, I find this t-shirt.
About an hour earlier, I had just been talking about it to friends, and how perfect it was for me. Guess who had sent me the shirt? Yes, my Lizzie is the best. She said it was good that I did not look too closely at her as I described the shirt, as she was about to burst. My heart is still bursting with love, joy, and gratitude.

Wool Weather

After skipping a year, I returned to the Harvest Days and Fiber Festival at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Since other non-fiber folks accompanied me, it was an abbreviated visit. However, the festival is tiny, so I was able to see everything. It seemed to me that there were a few more and different vendors than in years past.

By the time we left, the sun broke through the clouds, brightening and warming the afternoon. However, when we arrived, it was overcast and chilly with intermittent mist. The homemade ice cream vendor looked more than a little glum. Most fiber folks had watched a weather report, understood the situation, sucked it up, and carried on with business. They began their day with a positive attitude, smiled brightly, and proclaimed it perfect wool weather. Then there were the few who allowed the damp, chill, and grey affect them. They remained hunkered down under their blankets in folding chairs, apparently uninterested in making a sale, and sometimes flatly ignoring me when I attempted to engage them in conversation. It was no matter to me, as I just moved on to the next booth.

Oh, and I certainly did find many other booths to enjoy. There were many piles of fluff calling out to me like so many baa-ing sheep. I had formulated potential purchase plans before arriving, and of course, harbored fantasies. I secretly hoped to find a bargain on used books, magazines, and weaving equipment. Yeah, the weaving bug has been trying to infect me lately. Anyway, I wanted to purchase some bamboo fiber, as well as some wool/tencel blend top.

On my first pass through, one bright and beautiful braid caught my eye. My hands were still gloved and mittened, but the fiber felt wonderful against my neck. When I saw that it was a six-ounce bump, I knew for sure that it should come home with me. Chrysalis Fibers superwash merino in Grinchy was my first purchase, as well as one of their dyed silk hankies. Even though I have yet to do anything with it, I find myself wishing I had picked up more. Silk hankies look like they could be addictive.

I was unsuccessful in my tencel acquisition attempts, but found some lovely bamboo. I picked up a little bit of some silky black, and then sifted through the pile of vibrantly dyed bamboo. At first, the vendor thought I was displeased with the similar range of colors, but I assured her that I found them all to be absolutely gorgeous. Choosing amongst the brilliant hues presented a happy dilemma. With an overall fiber gain of less than three-quarters of a pound, I am very happy with my choices for the day.

One Down

No, I am not talking about me, but instead, about a Christmas gift. I am not even looking at the rest of the list, with its chattering stream of to-dos waiting for the needles and hooks. Actually, I am not stressing over it, but I am trying to keep at it. The list merely contains ideas and suggestions, and is a nice place to start. What excites me more than this completed knit is something I picked up at the store while someone else was being a sleepyhead. Shhhh...he cannot stand surprises, or the idea that there is a present here in the house waiting. For the health and sanity of both of us, I hope it remains below his radar.

Enough about that, let's get to the fo. I made a Misbehaving Moose hat. I really enjoyed knitting it. As a matter of fact, I do have supporting evidence for that claim. I have already begun another. It will be a partner to the first. I think these are fun hats, and I am glad to be able to send them to their recipients, soon. I want to be sure that the presents arrive in a timely manner. You know how I can be with the post office.

Since I gave away mine, I need to get a new fake head for my model. I have learned some things. I should have gone straight back to the store to replace the head after I gave away the first one. I should not have spent all of that time on eBay looking at other possibilities for displaying my knitwear. I do not need a mannequin. I do not need mannequin parts. I would have to knit many more socks to justify buying those legs. Fake hands to model gloves and mittens would be great, but finding a good matching pair is more of a challenge than I would have thought, and also, refer to sock/leg statement above. My neighbors already think I am weird enough when I take pictures of my knits outside without seeing me with fake people and body parts as models to assist me. Spending hour after hour online looking at mannequins, messes with my head. Still, that silver inflatable one is relatively inexpensive, although it is headless, handless, and footless.

UM Puppies?

The fo for the post I had ready to go for Friday was temporarily kidnapped before its photo session, so it will have to wait. Then Blogger ate my UM. So, I give you puppy photos of Poppy and Violet (more of my mom's babies) and redo the Unconscious Mutterings.

My treat :: My Pleasure

Bell :: Jar

Five :: Spot

You’re crazy! :: Yep.

Disgust :: Fat

Tempest :: Teacup

Bummer :: expletive deleted

Brim :: Hat

Hose :: Beast

Lollipop :: sucker

Happy Saturday, and I hope your weekend is great!

He's Not to Blame

However, just in case, I got this brain-munching maniac out of my home. After hearing how much my brother enjoyed Zombieland, making this birthday gift seemed like a--wait for it--no-brainer. I gave him his present Saturday evening at the party. We were hoping for a marshmallow fire, but our abundance of rain put that off for another time.

I am pleased with the finished Corporate Zombie. I took my time and worked a little bit each day. I thought that I had red felt for the dripping blood, but think it turned out for the best that I had to embroider it instead. The assembly and embellishing details took the most time. They are also what made it something I feel good about giving as a gift. It is a painstaking undertaking, but worth it.

Throughout the creation of this creature, I more closely studied the book containing the pattern, Creepy Cute Crochet. It is a good little book, filled with interesting characters to crochet, as well as some helpful information for making them. I also saw that the perhaps the editing process took more from the book than it ought to have. For example, it states on the back cover, "...more than 20 unique patterns for totally loveable zombies, ninjas, Vikings, vampires, aliens, robots, and even Death himself." Well, amongst the 21 patterns, there are no Vikings.

If the author had been allowed perhaps a dozen more pages, this volume would have been outstanding. Still, there are ways to access information that I think should have been in the book. Over on the website, she offers expansion pack patterns that can be made if you already have the book. I think I want to make The Valkyrie. There are also great tutorials, including this one to help with hair. I definitely needed that help. The book could have really used this additional information. I am just glad that I did a little search and ended up at the author's site. It made all the difference, and I finally put that old hairpin lace tool to use.

UMmmm, yeah

I only have UM for today, but I promise an FO for Columbus Day (yeah, I know).

Yacht :: Club

Paula :: Deen

Delete :: Key

Auto :: Harp

Obsolete :: -ly Fabulous

Dedicated :: Determined

Old :: Spice

Convince :: Annoy

Poster :: Child

Erase :: Mistake

She's Not Available Right Now, May I Take a Message?

Am I treading water? No, that involves more movement, coordinated effort, and concentration. It is more like a combination of brain in a dense fog and body suspended in Jell-O. It is difficult to get anything done or know determine which way to go, it is exhausting and confusing, but the Jell-O keeps me from sinking. Overall, I guess that last part makes it a net positive.

I have been reading blogs, but just not been able to coherently comment. That does not usually stop me, but lately, it has. I have been marking everything unread in the feed reader with the idea that I will go back and comment, but I may need to let go of that idea.

While I may not be able to tell you the day of the week, I do know what week it is. It is National Spinning and Weaving Week. I made it out to a kickoff party the other day at Little Barn. Even with my odd state, it was an interesting time.

I Might Take That Bet

I won this gorgeous skein of yarn from Becky. She included a cute card with a nice note. In it, she wrote that she has a skein of this yarn, but bets that I will knit mine first. I have been lovingly petting the new yarn and thinking of what I would like to knit with it, but I believe it will have to wait. I think I am preparing to move into serious gift-knitting mode, with a side of UFO-finishing.

I am excited about some of the presents I want to make. Thinking about them sometimes makes me wonder about the possibility of family members who may have found the blog, but are keeping quiet about it. If that is happening, (beyond the one who was told about this space) people might find their gift-y surprises rather unsurprising. Of course, I could always keep the projects secret until after I give the gifts, but that is decidedly unappealing.

Another option would be doubling up the knitting and spinning so that I have more content for the blog. Yeah, that is not going to happen. I could have enough of a challenge finishing gifts in time. I am still considering the significance of a piece of information we received this week. The son was filling us in on the happenings of his life, (not a normal occurrence) and within this conversation, Bruce asked him whether things are getting serious with the girlfriend. For the first time ever about any relationship, the son replied in the affirmative. It makes me wonder whether she could be making her way onto the knit-gift-list sometime soon.

It also makes me want to stick my head in the fiber bin and breathe in the soothing wool fumes. Then I could calmly make a list of gifts I want to make, along with a schedule for completing them. Either that or I could sift through books, patterns, and Ravelry for the perfect pattern to use with my new yarn.

Always Learning

I could have cast on for something new, but I have been spinning, instead. I have not been making time for it lately, so I decided to change that. Rather than trying to find a lot of time, or the perfect time, I just grabbed fiber and wheel and enjoyed. While the pile of fluff meant for the first ply is still significant, the bobbin is not empty, either. I was trying to do long-draw, and every once in a while I was doing it. Then I would get excited, and it would be gone. I still have so much to learn. Somewhere I hear Margene's voice echoing, "It's the process."

I spent some time with my book, Spin Control. It has me quite interested in spinning singles for yarn. I think the beautiful pictures are part of the inspiration. The skein and swatch in laceweight catch my attention every time I go through the book.

While it is true that there is so much further for me to explore in the spinning world, I am not a complete beginner. I was able to help my grandma over the phone. She called last week with plying problems. It felt great to come home a few days later to a message on the answering machine letting me know that my thoughts on the matter worked for her.
I am making my way through the alpaca fiber I solar-dyed with Kool-Aid a few months ago. I was not in love with how it looked after dyeing, but like it better as I spin the singles. This only makes me more interested in seeing what I end up with after the yarn is finished.

The Calendar Told Me

I did not realize I have been presenting myself as powerful and in control of things both great and small. I was merely acknowledging that according to the calendar, it is a different season. Lest anyone feel jealous by thinking that I have been enjoying crisp, clear, Autumn-like weather, let me assure you that has not been the case. We have been in the eighties and rainy. The fungi are exploding. In between the sprinkles, showers, and downpours, it is a grey, suffocatingly humid existence. I was looking at the numbers for current conditions the other night, and they had us listed at eighty-one (I think) degrees, and ninety percent humidity. Blech. The weather people tell us there will be a cool-down next week. They have been offering this same hope most of the month.

I have been mixing my looking forward with digging in the past. Some of this has been unpleasant and difficult, but I feel like I am making progress. Still, some of it has been good. I dug a hibernating project out of the stash and resumed knitting on it. That first glove has sat alone for far too long, so I cast on for its partner. It is already time to start the digits. I will definitely need a photography assistant after that, or at least the tripod.
One glove knit and its partner ready for fingers is almost fo territory. I think that entitles me to cast on for something new. I am thinking lace. Of course, that is usually the case.

So Long, Summer!

We finally made it. This summer was not what I would have predicted, but that is often the case. This helps remind me not to become too concerned about what I think is going to happen. A new season is here, and I am looking to it with a hopeful heart with no idea of what is ahead. There will be changes; of that, I can be sure. One friend is moving away in a few days, and another could be within a few short months.
The garden is nearly done for now. We still harvest a couple of tomatoes and okra each week. We have an over-abundance of okra from a neighbor who keeps hanging bags of it on the front door in thanks for Bruce cutting their grass occasionally. Bruce picked our only surviving watermelon and enjoyed what little there was. This year's watermelon growing was more successful than last. I am calling it a win, especially because I started this from seed.

Grey Matters

A nice, mindless knit is wonderful company. It is great when the brain is foggy and sluggish. It makes waiting time seem shorter. It is soothing during stressful times when anxious worry threatens to take over. A simple scarf like The Corrugator is a perfect example of such a knit.

I often cast on for a scarf with much enthusiasm, and for the first three feet feel like I will be done in no time. Then my will to knit usually seems to die, or I feel like hanging myself with the yard of fabric. However, that was not the case with this scarf. I made it to the halfway point, baked a loaf of bread, and was ready to keep knitting. Whether laundry avoidance played a role, I am not saying.

Anyway, I enjoyed knitting the scarf, and have the bonus of a timely finish. It is a birthday present for my brother. I hope he likes it. I think it is right for him. The color works with some of his preferred sports teams, and therefore his other apparel. Also, the yarn, ONLine Linie 21 Marly, is superwash.

Since this scarf did not kill me, I am ready to begin another, but this one in red. I have not decided whether to do this pattern again, or go for something different. If I want mindless again, but a different pattern, I could go with the One Row Handspun Scarf. Perhaps I should go for a bit more excitement and try a Palindrome Scarf.

Munch, Munch

Perhaps you think I have succumbed to the hungriness that has been plaguing me during my weight loss efforts. That does happen sometimes. However, I am talking about time. I gave most of my Monday over to cleaning and organizing. The living room knitting corner is much nicer now that I have tidied it.

Tuesday turned out a bit differently than I planned. I met a puppy. Whether this is the new puppy for my mom remains to be seen. He is cute and sweet, but probably not the one. I am still puzzled how we left the house mid-afternoon and returned home around nine or ten, but that is what happened. My mind is so very fuzzy.

We have somehow made our way to Wednesday, and the Shetland Triangle has been finished for days. This pattern, yarn, and US 9 needles makes for a quick knit. I like that there was not too much yarn leftover, and am pleased that I correctly decided when to switch from the main chart to the edging. While I only knit eight repeats of the main chart instead of the pattern recommended ten, it is still a nice sized shawl. I have finished dimensions around 72"x38" and I like the yarn even more after washing. I thought it was fine before, but a little soak in water and wool wash made a nice difference. I hope the birthday girl loves this as much as I enjoyed knitting it for her. It was a round birthday for her, and it fell amongst much busyness, so she has not had the chance to celebrate yet. I guess that just goes to show that time is being eaten up for others, too.

No More Library Fines for Me

Well, at least there will not be any more for Wrap Style. I have checked out that book a few times to knit the Shetland Triangle by Evelyn Clark. I think I ended up with late fees two out of three times. Now I do not have to worry about this, as I recently picked up a used copy of the book. Of course, I have also learned (last to know sometimes, I am) that one can now purchase that pattern individually from the designer's website, but I am still pleased to have the entire book.

Since I have the book, plenty of yarn, and a gift-giving occasion perfect for a Shetland Triangle; you know what I have been knitting. I am making this one with Jo Sharp Classic DK Wool. Knitting it has been so very enjoyable. I realized that most of my recent knitting has been non-wool. I love wool, and have missed it so much.

The Possibilities

The scale is unable to reflect the weight I have shed, but I feel the difference. Yes, I have been exercising and monitoring my food intake with FitDay, but this has nothing to do with that. So, what has me feeling as though I am light enough to float away? I finished the baby blanket! The bind-off took a few hours, but the method I chose really gave it a nice finish. We only have to look at it one more time.I know you must be thinking, "Sarah, it is yellow around the edges and looks larger than the 31"x31" as listed in the pattern." Why, yes, observant readers, it does have yellow around the edges and 42"x42" are its finished dimensions. I ran out of the lilac yarn, and the lady who asked me to knit this chose yellow as the best option for finishing. Personally, I cannot decide anything about it other than the fact that I knit it well. Not listing the gauge in sts/in(cm) but rather in finished dimensions of wonky square-ish pieces that are difficult to get proper measurement before finishing the blanket, or in finished depth of the edging, which, again, cannot be determined before finishing the blanket, makes this outcome a bit more understandable. That is the last thing I have to say about that pattern, other than the fact that I do not think I will knit it again for less than $1000.

I have already delivered the blanket, and it is out of my life. I was already considering the next cast-on as I worked the bind-off for the blanket. There are so many possibilities, and now I can take the time to enjoy whichever will be next.

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.