So, I went to New York City today. This makes my first trip in about six years. It’s a pity that the weather was so dreary. Gray. Wet. Although luckily not snowing or frigid or pouring-down rain. Just . . . blah.

The three of us caught the 8:12 train this morning, and caught a taxi at Penn Station over to the Time Inc building. What nice people we met with! Friendly, chatty, senses of humor.

The meeting portion of the day actually finished a little early, and then the nine of us headed over to the 21 Club for lunch. Luckily, Restaurant Week made it more affordable, so we were able to go to this very nice, and very famous place. The cost was $24.07 for a three-course lunch–”The $24.07 price is to remind you that New York City is the city
that never sleeps, and it’s always delicious: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” I’m still stuffed.

The other plus? Commuter knitting. I left the house this morning with a sock that was little more than a toe, and by the time I got home tonight, I had this. A sock with a heel. Well, an anklet, anyway. I started this at the toe with the Turkish cast-on, and I think I just found my new favorite sock toe. So much faster than a short-row toe with a provisional cast-on. And just beautiful to look at–smooth, even–and, did I mention, fast?

It’s been a while since I knitted with Koigu, and oh, I’d forgotten how much I liked it. I know. I’ve heard. STR is supposed to be amazing, and I really do plan on trying it one of these days. But this yarn is so great, and oh! I love these colors so much. K407-110, called “Healing Bruises” over at the Personal Threads site. Purples and golds, with hints of blues and greens. It’s just gorgeous.

And the best part? That didn’t occur to me until I’d started making these socks? They are going to look just fabulous with my Olympics sweater. You know, once I can start working on it. Which reminds, me, I really need to get the color patterning nailed down. I’ve been playing with patterns on an Excel “graph paper,” but have been dawdling.

One last picture for you . . . some fuzzy cheesecake, if you will.

The other night, Chappy left his oddly-long-legged pink mouse toy in a position that looks rather like the fuzzy little toy was posing for the squeak-toy version of Playboy. I swear, I didn’t pose this toy. I couldn’t resist taking its picture, though. Besides, Chappy told me he thought your dogs would enjoy looking at it, because he certainly did. (I know, I try to keep this a G-rated blog, but, well, we’re talking dogs here….)

And now, I’m really tired–actually one of things about New York I dislike the most–it completely wipes me out–so . . . g’night!

Added: How nifty is this? Thanks Sandy!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Small Sock, Big City // 9 Comments »

I’m ashamed to admit it, but it’s been weeks since I spun. So much so that my poor wheel is actually dusty. I don’t mean the corners, or under the treadles, either. I mean the flyer–the part that twirls around and around. THAT part. Dusty.

I am so ashamed.

I mean, I’m not the fastest spinner to begin with–I’m always awed when people casually refer to “sitting down and spinning two bobbins of yarn”–but I’ve been working on this same bobbin since November. Ever since I got my Woolee Winder and started spinning up the roving I got from Rhinebeck. I bought three pounds of the beautiful stuff and am still on the first 8 oz ball of roving. I’m not THAT slow, you understand, just clearly unmotivated, or easily distracted, or something.

Shameful, I’m telling you!

I did stop on my way to work this morning, in my favorite spot to take a sky picture for you. It’s not perfect–the sun was up, burning away a very faint haze, but was bright enough that I needed my sunglasses–that’s blue sky up there–and yet, there were these pools of fog . . . there’s even some eddying between me and the railing right in the front of the picture. It was pretty. This view is my favorite part of driving this way to work! You’re probably getting bored of seeing the same hills every time I post a sky picture, but . . . what can I tell you?

Now, Medium is on tonight and traditionally I almost always spin while watching. I don’t know why, exactly, it just seems to have happened and become a habit. It’s one of the very few tv shows I watch at 10:00, after I head upstairs to my bedroom, and I suppose it helps keep me from “Well, I’ll just do a quick e-mail check” that then lasts for 45 minutes until it really is too late to spin.

I do need to get to bed at a decent time tonight, though. I get to shake this small-town dust from my feet and have a Big City Adventure tomorrow. (Well, hopefully not too adventurous!) A client of ours wants three of us to come into New York tomorrow for a meeting–despite the fact that my department barely deals with clients directly at all. They didn’t invite the “big” guys from our office, just me, the woman who does the webpages, and the woman who is their main contact. Kind if interesting. And, even more interesting? None of us goes into the city on anything like a regular basis, so this could be fun, in a “Oh God, what were we thinking?” kind of way. But really, how hard can it be to get from Penn Station to Rockefeller Center? (grin)

This will, in fact, be my first trip into New York since about 2000, because I just don’t like Manhattan very much. It’s going to be a good lunch, though–it’s “Restaurant Week,” so they said they can afford a much nicer place than they otherwise could have, so that’s pretty cool. And really, I’ve never been in Rockefeller Center before, much less in one of the offices. (Impressive, huh?) I do wish I’d remembered to grab a couple business cards before I came home tonight . . . it’s so seldom that I have a chance to hand any out, and the couple I had in my wallet looked just pathetic, they’d been in there so long! (I told you; I don’t usually meet clients for more than a handshake, a nod, and seeing them on their way. The occasional lift to the local train station, or once in a while an e-mail if their Client Services person is on vacation. That’s about it.)

The worst part? With the rush to the meeting and the rush to catch the train home–no chance to hit any of the good yarn stores I’ve heard so much about . . . sigh!

But, wait. What’s this? A wheel in motion?

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Sky • Permalink:Dusting // 9 Comments »

Well, this is what happens when you leave your yarn unattended for too long.

It explodes.

This is pretty much my entire yarn stash. It had been a while since I really examined what I had, and things in the closet were starting to get messy. (You know how it is. Yarn is quiet, but can get pretty rowdy.)

So this afternoon, I pulled it all out of the closet and took a look.

  First, there’s the sock yarn. There’s enough there for about 8 or 9 pairs of socks, but really, not too bad. It’s a small little pile. Easy to store away. (Note my curly-haired little assistant.)

  Then there’s the Cascade 220. Practically tiny, really. Eight skeins for my Perfect cardigan (once Ann and Kay have the pattern ready), and two skeins for a Tychus hat for my Dad. All nicely ear-marked for specific projects.

  Some Debbie Bliss yarn–5 skeins of Cashmerino Aran leftover from sweaters, and 5 skeins of Alpaca Silk waiting for some kind of project. Again. Tiny really. But we’re starting to see signs of a problem. Leftovers and yarn with no purpose in life? Sad, sad little skeins….

  Hmm, this pile is kind of big. This is my Rowan yarn. Some Cashsoft 4-ply leftover from my Union Market Square pullover, some Calmer that I bougth when our LYS went out of business last Spring, and, oh yes, the oldest yarn in my stash. Rowan’s Wool and Cotton, from back before they took the ampersand out of the name. THAT goes back almost 15 years to when a different LYS was going out of business. I couldn’t really afford it, but I just adored the yarn, so I bought two bagfuls. I used some of it for my Bjerk sweater a couple years ago, but am almost reluctant to actually use what I still have. It’s been in my closet for so long, it’s like a friend. Hmmm . . . this is starting to look problematic.

  Manos del Uruguay (and a couple skeins of that other Uruguayan yarn). This has been in my closet for a couple of years now, too. The skeins of topaz-colored yarn are leftover from the pullover I made two years ago, but the long skeins? Well, what I’d really like to do is turn them into an afghan. I love the colors, it would look gorgeous in my room, but, well . . . there are other things I’d rather be knitting . . . and so it just hangs there in the closet (draped over trouser-hangers)–nicely out of the way, but . . .

  Hmm . . . now we come to the REAL problem. The lace yarn. Like this collection of Kid Silk Haze, for example. Does anyone really need this much crack?

  And then there’s the Zephyr. Blue. Purple. White. And the evil Copper.

  Not to mention the other lace yarn–the Alpaca-Silk, the Cherry Tree Hill, the leftover Chai from my Flower Basket Shawl.

Yep, I think it’s with the lace yarn that we really see that there’s a problem. Now, I know, some of you are sitting there laughing at my stash. Because, really, this is pretty much the entire thing. (Unless you count spinning supplies or handspun, which I don’t. And I didn’t take close-ups of some of the odds-and-ends kind of yarns, though you can see them in the original photo, if you care to look that hard. I didn’t show you my Olympics yarn again, either, because, well, you just saw that.)

Things I noticed about my stash, though? Really, very little of it that I don’t actually WANT. I did put some skeins of “extras” into a bag with the intent of getting rid of them, but really . . . what would anybody want with a skein and a half of some leftover yarn? Of course, I rarely do the tiny projects like hats. I save some of the leftovers because I tell myself that I’ll make socks to match the just-finished sweater, or that it’s a shame to get rid of perfectly nice yarn, or that I should keep extras in case of emergency mending needs later on . . . and yet, then it just sits there.

I’ve got a very nice stash, really. And I’d honestly like to make something out of just about all of it. The quality is excellent. I still like all the colors . . . although it’s interesting that there are very few neutral colors in my stash at all. Blues. Reds. Purples. Greens. Almost no browns or whites, and no black at all, except for a skein of fuzzy fake-fur kind of yarn that I got for an Elmer Fudd hat’s ear flaps that I never actually made. (You’ll note Chappy’s avid look–he really wanted to “help” some more. He just laid there, staring longingly at the piles of yarn while I sorted….)

Oh well. The real problem?? Buying NEW yarn is so much fun!

  And, oh yes, the other thing I did? I sorted through my knitting books. These are the reference-type and basic books that I use the most–top shelf of the bookcase in the closet, easiest to reach.

  The second shelf has more pattern-type books. Also my books on spinning and (for now at least) my sewing basket, because it has to live somewhere.

  The bottom shelf holds the other craft books–quilts, embroidery, crochet. (Yes, crochet.) One book I’d completely forgotten I had? Alice Starmore’s Celtic Needlepoint. Now, I knew I had her Celtic Collections for knitting, but had forgotten that this other book was one of A.S.’s. Now, the sad part is that I didn’t pick up her Fair Isle or her Aran Knitting when I had a chance, when they were new. I thought (laughingly) at the time that they were too expensive, but . . . I had no idea. If I’d known that they’d be selling for $150-$250 for a copy now, well . . . I would have grabbed a copy when I could!

But the really surprising thing of my having this needlepoint book? I don’t do needlepoint. Oh, I know how, but I prefer other types of embroidery–it was just that the designs in this book were so beautiful, I really wanted a copy. Ironic, huh?

Now, what else did I want to tell you?

Oh, yes.

  I finished my Jaywalkers.

I’ve got to admit, though (please don’t yell)–I don’t love these socks. I DO love the zigzag look of the pattern. But I don’t love the way they fit. I didn’t put any negative ease in at all, since the pattern states that there isn’t much stretch because of the zigzags, but . . . the socks feel large. Especially the heels. I should have made the heel flaps MUCH smaller. They sure do look pretty, though!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Stash Explosion // 17 Comments »

I could just go for the obvious: C is for Chappy, but that’s kind of Cheating, don’t you think? (Besides, he’s in a couple of the photos, anyway.) So . . . here you go!

C is for Coffee. Always an excellent way to start the day. Mom and I went out to do some (unfortunately unsuccessful) Clothes shopping this morning, and stopped for coffee at Starbucks–which, um, was successful.

C is for Collar. After we got home from the non-shopping, we got Chappy dressed to go out.

  C is for Car. Then we all–even Dad–got into the car and went to the park. This is particularly exciting because (1) we haven’t been to the park since October and (2) Dad has never once come along with us!

  C is for Creek. At the park, Chappy dipped his paws into the little stream that runs along the path, but only for a couple seconds. I saw a hint of ice in one spot, and the water must have been Cold!

  C is for Chocolate Curls. Naturally, after romping through the muddy park, Chappy needed a bath, to be nice and Clean. Here’s my hair and his hair . . . we really do look an awful lot alike, don’t you think? Especially when I tell you that any red in my hair comes from a box?)

  C is for Carton. When he wasn’t resting from his long walk and the arduous bathing process, Chappy played with his favorite toy–a “recycled” milk Carton. He just adores these!

  C is for Conditioning. Of course, I couldn’t let Chappy outstrip me in the beauty department, so I gave myself a much-needed deep-conditioning treatment for my hair. I pulled out my self-heated micro-fiber hair cap, popped it in the microwave, and boom. Instant heat.

  C is for Challenger. The 20th anniversary of the space shuttle’s explosion. (Well, the first space shuttle explosion.) I was in college, sitting in my dorm room after lunch, before heading off to my afternoon Poli-sci class, and one of the girls went running down the hallway. “The space shuttle exploded!” I turned on my grainy, rabbit-eared television and just sat in stunned silence, watching the news until I had to leave. My first real experience with media-fed tragedy. I still remember that moment so clearly, too.

  C is for Complete. And yes, I finished my sweater, with the appropriately-named Copper button. Yes, I thought a lot of those buttons would have worked. And really, if I could have figured out a way, I would have used all of them, but . . . ultimately, I thought this was the best one. Some of them were a little too flimsy and plastic (which you can’t tell in the photos, of course), some weren’t quite the right color (too brassy to go well with this orange-red), and ultimately–this one works the best, I think. The color is such a perfect match, and yet it’s got that interesting cut-out design, as well as a good, solid feel. Besides, as much as I love a really fabulous button that will “pop,” in this case, I can’t help but admit I like the subtler button best.

Which leads us to C is for Congratulations. The winner to my second button Contest is Kate. Not only did she pick the button I liked best, but her reason was definitely the most entertaining! (With a nod, there to Kathy B, who tried her darndest by bringing Chappy into it . . . she’s tricky, that one!) Congratulations, Kate! (I’ll need your snail-mail address, please, so I can send your prize!)

And, last but not least, C is for Cindy. It’s my friend Cindy’s birthday this weekend. We’ve been friends since . . . well, we sort of new each other in high school, but our friendship really started about a year or two after college, when we ended up working at the same office for a while. (In fact, I still work there–it will be 15 years in about three weeks.) Not only is she one of my best friends, but her Corgi is Chappy’s very best friend. I dropped her birthday present off with her mother this afternoon. (Her Mom’s condo is in the next building to Cindy’s, and they’re both right next to the park–very Convenient!) Go on over and wish her a happy b-day, huh?

• Tags: ABC-Along, Chappy, General, Hair • Permalink:Conglomeration of C // 5 Comments »

So, finally, it’s Friday. Isn’t it amazing? Even on a short week . . . I took Monday off, remember, and sat in the cold house listening to Chappy bark at the furnace installers . . . even on a 4-day week, it always takes a long time to get to Friday.

But, it is here, finally! Chappy’s playing on the rug, and I finished the gusset on my second Jaywalker sock. I’m going to TRY to get it done this weekend. It seems feasible, and I’m definitely at the point where I want to be done with this project. I really like the Jaywalkers, but I’m not loving them like some other people (coughCaracough), and it’s been fun, they’re lovely, but . . . ready to move on. So, between working on my sock and on my shawl–working on the color patterning for my Olympics sweater.

Speaking of the Olympics, Stephanie’s got over 1800 people signed up. Wow! I am absolutely loving how this whole thing has taken on a life of its own. Amazing. (And, isn’t this a great button? There are others, too!)

And, when is somebody going to start a New Jersey, New York Metro, Mid-Atlantic, whatever team?? What? Nobody is? Okay . . . I’ll make the button!
So, maybe you don’t know, but it’s Mozart’s birthday today. Yes, that’s right, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is a mere 250 years old today. (And I remember when he was just a little tyke of 230.) I don’t know about any of the rest of you, but I enjoy Classical music (yes, it’s true). I listen to WQXR on the radio at work–music with lyrics distract me, but I like catching the news and the genteel banter amongst the DJs. Well, this week, it’s been ALL about Mr. Mozart and the massive festivities in Salzburg. Really, in the musical world, this is a huge thing.

Not that Mozart hasn’t met popular culture though, too. I mean everyone’s heard of him, and there are some melodies that anyone would recognize, even if they didn’t know he was the composer. New York’s Lincoln Center has the “Mostly Mozart” festival every summer. (Another event I hear hyped on the radio a lot.) But, anyone else remember the Falco song, “Rock Me Amadeus?” Or the movie Amadeus, of course, from 1984 with Tom Hulce and F. Murray Abraham? I remember going to see that in high school–my best friend and I wanted to be “cultured”–and I just loved this movie. Mozart, as portrayed in the movie, was crazy and rebellious–very teenagerish, really. He made classical music cool, and exciting, and above all, new. (Come to think of it, I haven’t seen this movie in a while….)

It’s so easy to think of “Classical” as one, specific style from one, specific time–like Forties Big Band, or Fifties DooWop. But the “big” composers–Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Dvorak–come from such a long, huge, range of time. It’s just that they used similar structures, and come from a similar culture. But really, think about it–except for things like folk songs, music followed a fairly similar, structured pattern for centuries, and then the Twentieth Century and electronics happened, and . . . it exploded. Jazz. Rock. Rap. Country. Latin. Every decade or so, it seems like there’s a new musical revolution.

All I can think of? Mozart would have just loved it. I can’t help but wonder what kind of music he’d be writing now . . . so much talent. He wrote his first piece of music at 5. Performed for the emperor at 6. Wrote over 600 pieces of music before he died at 35. I don’t think even John Lennon matched that, and his songs were a lot shorter than, you know, an opera.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Fogey Rock // 6 Comments »

These are the finalists in the button contest. They’re all writing their essays and preparing their answers to those tough questions (world peace, anyone?)

We’re having trouble with our cable tonight, so this post is going to be short and fast–while I have a signal!

I did want to mention, though–I’m obviously too excited about the Knitting Olympics . . . I dreamt last night that I dropped in at Stephanie’s house–unannounced, uninvited–just eager to be there for this exciting event. In my dream she and her family were friendly, welcoming, sweet . . . things that I’m sure are true in real life, too, although I wouldn’t dream of just dropping in like that. You know, considering that we’ve never met, or anything, and dropping in with a suitcase is something that’s . . . iffy . . . even with good friends and family that you have, um, actually met. Especially considering how chaotic it was (in my dream) . . . really, she couldn’t have been nicer . . . pity it was just a dream!

And, don’t even get me started on the cable problems we were having before, which blew out the cable box, and any signal that needed to go through the cable box . . . we ended up trying to watch television routed through the VCR tonight, and figuring out what the problem was . . . heaven knows if I did, since, without a reliable cable signal, I couldn’t get the box to work . . . sigh. Technology is great when it works, huh? And the worst part? It interfered with my knitting! I lost a good 45 minutes of knitting time tonight! Sheesh . . . and I’m in Training, you know!

Here’s a picture of my beautiful little boy for you. Just because he’s gorgeous and, well, this was a REALLY short post for me! I’ll do better tomorrow, when the cable is working again.

You can still vote for a button if you want to!

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Finalists // 13 Comments »

I couldn’t help it. I was still waiting for my button order from Button Drawer, but darn it, I wanted to WEAR my new sweater.

So, I sewed on the button I picked up on Saturday, just because it was here, and headed off to work this morning.

And, yeah. I think I’m in love. The color–well, I adore this deep, rusty orange. Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in color 615, Orange. I’ve had it in my stash for two years, since I went to the store to buy it for the Cabled Jacket I wanted to make, except the LYS was out of the orange, and I had to get the apple green instead . . . which, really, I love, but it was the Orange I was lusting after, so I ordered enough for a sweater and it’s sat in my stash ever since, waiting for the right pattern.

Well, this was it. It fits great. It’s comfortable. Unlike other, aran-weight, cabled sweaters, it didn’t make me feel like I’d immediately gained 5 pounds. It was warm without being too warm. The cut and fit is incredibly flattering. I just adore it. I’m almost tempted to make another one in another color, just to have more of them. I like it that much. The photo really doesn’t do it justice.

But . . . the button was only temporary, right? And as luck would have it, my order came today.

Now, I think I’ve pretty much made up my mind as to which I like best on this sweater, but I value your collective opinion. And, here’s the extra incentive--leave me a comment naming your pick for the best button for this lovely sweater. If you pick the button I like the best AND give me the best and/or most entertaining, creative reason why that button should be picked . . . I’ll send you a prize. (And if you can somehow convince me that a different button is the one that should win, then you really deserve the prize!)

So, in no particular order, the contestants: (I apologize for the imperfect photos. I did try, but the lighting with-or-without-flash just didn’t want to cooperate. Where possible, I included a link to a much better photo, though obviously, not one with the sweater.)

  Copper. (This is the button I bought on Saturday and wore today.) Copper’s color matches the hue of the sweater almost perfectly, with little, carved cut-outs. She enjoys sunsets on autumn days–colors that bring out her best.

  Swirling Sun. A wooden button with a rustic feel, Swirling Sun likes cozy days near–but not too near–the fireplace. She loves the swirl of the smoke, but flames make her nervous.
  Ringside. A shimmery, brown-copper, Ringside likes to think of herself as subtle but with her own, unique flair. She looks deceptively mild, but when the lights of the paparazzi hit, she shines.

Equator. A swirl of a sun, with a tortoise-shell center, Equator has a southwest feel, and a warm glow.

  Triangle Knot. With a brassy finish, and her cabled good looks, this Celtic button feels like a shoe-in . . . or is her color too brassy for this orange beauty?

  Luminosity. A shell-button, Luminosity has her own special appeal. Almost . . . alien . . . with her subtle colors and shine. (Hold your head to the side. Mom’s calling this the “Martian” button.)

  Serpentine. Intricate swirls of silver may not seem like the first choice for deep, almost red sweater, and yet Serpentine has a hand-knit flair all her own.
  Shellarium. Another shell button, this one with a natural, copper glow.

  Speckled Toggle. Disappointed in her photograph, Speckled Toggle is still sure you’ll pick her for her natural wooden beauty and graceful shape.

And, of course, there’s my original Buttons, but while she looks comfy on the sweater, I don’t think she’d really be that good at holding it closed.

What’s that?

Why, yes, I really DID buy all these buttons just to be able to see how they look.

What, you have a problem with the pursuit of perfection?

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Who’s Got The Button? // 33 Comments »

I’ve been crunching numbers tonight. Pattern numbers, that is.

I took my copy of The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, Knitting from the Top, Knitting in the Old Way, my swatch and calculator. And then, well, crunched.

See, I’ve done bottom-up Icelandic sweaters before, but have never actually done a top-down one. Not a top-down sweater of any kind, and well, this is the Olympics, so gotta go for the Gold, right?

So, tonight, I figured out the numbers–how many stitches to cast on, how long I should knit between each shaping round, and so on. Tomorrow, I’ll start figuring out color patterns. I’ll decide for sure later, but right now am leaning toward just doing color patterning on the yoke of the sweater–the top–but not at the waist or the cuffs . . . but I don’t know that for sure yet. For one thing, it will depend on my yarn supply. (See? The other advantage to top-down.) But also, do I really want to draw more attention to my waistline? (grin) We’ll see how the mood strikes when I get there . . .

Oh, and my Jaywalkers? I just got the heel-flap done. How exciting is that, huh?

Incidentally, do you know about the Interweave Press “Hurt” Book sale? They had 175 titles at 10:00 this morning and are down to 75 as of now…. Great prices, if you want to go take a look!

Lastly, our house is nice and normally warm today. The sun was shining all day. It was really quite nice. Which is why, naturally, I was at work today . . . Sigh.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Crunch, Crunch // 8 Comments »

Warmth is a good, good thing. We do finally have heat in the house again. The two-man crew got here around 10:30 and left at 6:15. It was a long day. Lots of banging. Lots of barking. But finally, we have a nice, new, shiny furnace, and the house is a comfy 67-degrees. Ahhhhh.

Yep, warmth is a good, good thing. But there’s more than one way to get it. Heating the air in the house is certainly a good one. But you know, knitwear is good too!

I got the yoke sewed on to my sweater–a more challenging task than I expected. The length of the sweater-plus-sleeves is at least twice the length of the yoke on the top. Just getting it pinned on took me almost an hour. (But, thanks, Kirsten, for your tip, from when you made yours.)

I’m so happy with this sweater. It fits beautifully. The deep orange color is just gorgeous. It’s warm but–despite the cables and the Aran-weight yarn–not bulky. It’s just wonderful. I can’t tell you how much I like it.

Now, there’s just one thing missing. The perfect button to hold the whole thing together. I actually picked up a possibility on Saturday, a lovely little button, but I don’t love it on the sweater. Meanwhile, I placed an order with the Button Drawer to get a few more samples, which I hoped would have come today, but . . . well, maybe tomorrow. I hope so! Because, really, I can’t hold the sweater together with my hands all the time, huh?

I’ve gotten through the first (and quickest) chart on my Lotus Blossom Shawl. I like this color so much. Now, when I got the yarn (a Christmas gift), I was disappointed, feeling the color was blander, more insipid than I’d expected. When I wound it into balls, well, I liked it better. But now that I’m knitting with it? Love it. The colors are just lovely. Golds. Browns. Bronzes. So pretty.

My second Jaywalker is coming along. I’m about 1/2″ away from the heel, I think. So, progress is being made.

I didn’t get as many numbers crunched for my Olympics sweater as I’d hoped today–just too cold. Basically, all I really did today? Sewed the yoke onto my sweater. Cooked supper. Got some reading done–but not as much as I would have liked. (The banging, the barking, you remember.)

Right now, I’m watcing a special on PBS on John and Abigail Adams. It’s excellent. What an extraordinary marriage the two of them had, back in the 18th century. John has come down as a smart, obnoxious man, more forthright than diplomatic, but I’ve always admired him as a politician who determinedly, stubbornly–and yes, obnoxiously–worked for what he believed was right, regardless of whether it was easy. He didn’t say what people wanted to hear (like Jefferson so often did), she said, bluntly, what he thought. And Abigail? An amazing woman. Supportive of her husband. Incredibly capable (she kept the farm going in a war zone for years without John). Incredibly smart. And frankly, I think a lot of both of them for having had the insight to pick each other. And my, what amazing letters they wrote to each other. Have you read any of them?

And . . . good-bye to West Wing. I can’t say I’m surprised, and certainly the show hasn’t been the same these last few years, but those first few seasons remain some of the most amazing hours of television I’ve ever seen.

• Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Warmth // 8 Comments »

Okay, so, how many seams ARE there in this sweater, anyway??

No, seriously, I’ve got all but one finished. I sewed in the sleeves (four seams), sewed the side seams (two) and the sleeve seams (two more), and now all that’s left is to sew is the yoke on the top.

And, of course, the button/button loop. I ordered some buttons from the Button Drawer the other day (hey, it’s not like I have any good button stores nearby, I’ve got to do something, right?), and I got an e-mail yesterday saying that they’ve been shipped, so I should have those any day now.

May I just say, though, that I’m really happy with the way this sweater is coming together? I haven’t tried it on yet (kind of hard to do when it’s not assembled), so I don’t know for sure how well it’s going to fit. I haven’t blocked it because, well, two reasons. It looks just fabulous unblocked, and blocking ribbing is a no-no, and most of the sweater IS ribbing. I won’t block it unless it looks seriously too small.

Julia started an interesting meme, inspired by Margene–show your wheels. So, here are mine. Note the subtle MV sticker on the bumper (silver on silver, classy, huh?). Also the “Proud Mother of a Boykin Spaniel” license plate frame (gift from about 5 years ago–when I was still driving my red Honda CR-V).

Oh, I have a Drew University sticker, too, even though I graduated (cough) years ago. They sent it in the mail a year or so ago, and I figured, why not? Certainly my parents paid enough for the tuition, why not take advantage of a free sticker?

Now, about the Olympics.

First, you have seen JenLa’s Olympics buttons, haven’t you? These girls may just possibly have too much time on their hands, but they definitely have a wacky sense of humor. I love it! And I really love the way the Knitting Olympics are taking on a life of their own (as Norma said).

Anyway, here’s what I’m working with. (Diagram photographed with respect from Priscilla Gibson-Roberts’ Knitting in the Old Way.**) I knitted a little swatch last night and actually washed it. The plan this afternoon was to sew together the cabled sweater, and then crunch numbers for my yoked sweater, but, well, there was a lot more seaming than I planned on, so I never got further than this.

Maybe tomorrow. I’m taking the day off from work to use up some leftover vacation time from 2005, and hopefully can find some time then . . .

Except, well, there’s a glitch. This isn’t going to end up being a nice, pleasant, relaxing day away from the office. Why, you ask? Because our furnace died on Friday night, and we’re getting (we sincerely hope) a new one tomorrow. It’s been, in fact, a little chilly here today. It was 57 in the dining room when I got up this morning. (That’s 14 C for you metric people.) Not completely freezing, but . . . brrr.

The extra fun part? Yesterday, Dad went out and bought three little ceramic heaters–one for my parents’ room, one for mine, one for the family room. (We already had a heater in the kitchen, from last year’s furnace break-down.) Little, inexpensive heaters, that nevertheless have been doing their best to keep at least some heat in their rooms . . . except for mine. I had it on for all of two hours last night, and then around 11:00 it cycled down to rest and never came back. At all. I even got out of bed at 5:00 this morning to try getting it up and running again, but . . . no. It’s dead. (Boy, the quality you get for $12.50 these days!) Still–the other two have been running for hours and hours since yesterday with no trouble. Maybe it’s just me?

All I can say is that I’m so glad I thought to pull out my down comforter last night. Okay, so I didn’t think of it until 11:45, and so it was almost midnight and I was trying to maneuver the comforter into my duvet cover, all while keeping Chappy from “helping” too much. (You know the kind of “help” you get from pets and small children. In this case, rubbing his head into the comforter, the cover, the quilt that was on my bed….) But I’ve got to say, even in my chilly room–which is regularly the coldest room in the house, after the basement–I was toasty warm all night long.

I think it’s interesting, though–when there’s no heat, my first reaction is to get extra-warm clothes and layers. Namely wool. The down comforter on my bed. Hot beverages. And doing things (like, say, seaming a sweater) to keep my fingers warm. Lighting some candles (which do put off noticeable heat). I cooked a pot roast for hours in the kitchen, generating some ambient heat over by the stove. My parents go more for the synthetic approach–electric heaters (which I’m not saying are bad!). Extra layers, yes, but more of the nylon/acrylic variety. My Dad only owns thin, rayon socks–and wouldn’t wear wool ones even if I made them for him–and I believe all his sweaters are acrylic. Mom likes polar fleece. They kept their bedspread on their bed last night for an extra layer, but it’s that polyfill stuff.

And, I just wonder–is this part of their generational thing? “Space-age” fibers being better than natural ones? Or that “all wool is itchy” (despite the quantities of non-itchy stuff in my closet), a belief engrained from their childhoods with, no doubt, what probably was itchy wool socks and sweaters. Or is it just part of that old, family joke that I’m reincarnated from some long-ago age and deep down rather like the occasional, minor privation like being 10 degrees colder than I’m used to, and feel comfortable wrapped in shawls with candles nearby? (We used to joke that I was a pilgrim in another lifetime. Also that I was my mother’s mother in another lifetime–she’s convinced of that–grin.) Either way, this afternoon, Mom was in the family room watching a movie with her space heater; Dad was upstairs watching football with his; the radio was on; and Chappy and I were sitting in our favorite spot in the (drafty) dining room window–he wrapped in a towel, me in my warmest shawl, while I stitched away at my sweater with no electronic distractions of any kind. Hmmm . . . maybe I am a throwback! (Gee, none of you could relate to that, huh?)

Anyway–I’m going to go take a nice, modern, hot shower and get thoroughly warm, then go downstairs to make some tea, and then I’m going to sit in the family room–with the functioning heater–and watch television and knit for a while. At least I had a chance, today, to wear a sweater that’s normally much too warm to wear, what with, you know, central heating and all! Tomorrow’s going to be interesting….

** Did you know that Priscilla Gibson-Roberts is coming out with a new spinning book, Spinning in the Old Way? I can’t wait! If it’s half as good as the knitting book, it’ll be marvelous.

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Seamingly Endless // 11 Comments »

Risa and I had a play-date today. Not for the twins and Chappy. They weren’t actually invited. No, this was just for us!

I picked her up at her mother’s house (Grandma was babysitting the twins), and we went into Ridgewood together.

First, we went to Majestic Yarns, where I paid an obscene amount of money on a bagful of Karabella Aurora Bulky yarn for my Olympic sweater.

No, I won’t tell you how much I paid, but I will say this is the most I’ve ever paid for the yarn for a single sweater. But, oh, the yarn is just gorgeous. I picked a cedar green for the main color for the sweater, and a rich blue as the main accent. And for just a hint of a highlight, a gold-yellow. The actually photographed pretty accurately. I’m telling you, the yarn is stunning–both in quality, and in price (grin). (Carole? I definitely want Anti-stashalong credit for this! Because, ouch!)

After Majestic Yarns–which was nice, clean, orderly. Lots of Karabella yarn, lots of expensive yarn, nice book selection. There were people sitting all over the store, knitting away in the comfy chairs when we walked in, and that’s always a good thing to see, right? Not a cheap store, by any means, but nice.

Anyway, afterward, we walked down Ridgewood Avenue, had lunch (big hamburgers and fries)), and then went into the bookstore (a small but excellent independent store), Fox’s (discount clothes, and always crowded), into a bead store that neither of us knew was there, and then into Happy Tuesday, a nice little gift shop with some interesting things. But the best part? The sales person was obviously a little bored, and started chatting. It turns out she’s a knitter, too, and mentioned her favorite yarn shop, just a couple miles away in Hohokus.

Well, naturally, we had to add that on our list of activities for the day! Close Knit yarns. One of those small, cozy, crowded, comfy kinds of yarn shops. Cluttered, but not in the “ew, when’s the last time they cleaned in here,” kind of way. Pleasant. And the yarn? Rowan. Cascade. Berocco. Some really nice yarns. And, seriously, if I hadn’t just bought that bagful of expensive Aurora Bulky, a sweater’s worth of Cascade 220 would have come home with me. As it is, I bought two skeins (see, Carole, more yarn!) for another Tychus in Yankees colors, for Dad this time. Well worth the small detour. Got a chuckle, too–as I was paying, the sales person was typing my info into the computer. I told her the town I live in and she said, “Is that in New Jersey?” Hmmm . . . Morris County isn’t THAT far from Bergen County! Right next to each other, in fact . . .

And in the midst of all this shopping fun, we didn’t lose sight of our original purpose. We both cast on for our EZasPi Anniversary Shawls. (She’s doing the Shetland circular shawl in Gathering of Lace, I’m doing the Lotus Blossom Shawl.) Here’s mine so far. All of 20 rows of it. I know, exciting, but you’ve got to start somewhere, right?

Anyway, it was a great day. Lots of fun, and the weather cooperated much more than I thought–they had been forecasting scattered showers this afternoon, and yet . . . sun. My only regret about spending the day laughing with Risa (because we did laugh quite a bit), was that I didn’t get Chappy out for a walk on an unusually gorgeous January afternoon.

The sunset was stunning, too, the whole drive home. I tried to get a picture, but well, I was driving you see, on a highway. Really no way to pull over to do it properly. And of course, I didn’t want to cause an accident.

But still, I tried! Just doing my part in Sandy’s sky-watcher club!

• Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning, Sky • Permalink:Play Date // 8 Comments »

Except for, um, a little sewing, I’ve got my sweater done. Well, off the needles and with all the ends woven in. I just have to, you know, piece it together.

Still, pretty exciting, huh?

Tomorrow, Risa and I are going to Majestic Yarns in Ridgewood, where I hope to find yarn for my Olympics sweater. Now, I posted a picture yesterday of an Icelandic sweater, as an example of the style, but it’s not the actual sweater I’m going to make, though.

In fact, while I’m planning on doing a yoke-styled sweater, I was thinking of designing it myself. Well, in so far as a basic proportioned sweater needs to be designed. I want to do some color work at the top, but not a lot, not too busy. And besides, I want to knit it from the top down, just because I haven’t done that before. I pulled out my copy of Knitting from the Top by Barbara Walker, and The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns by Ann Budd and will work out the proportions I need, figure out what I might want by way of color patterning, and there I’ll go. I just need, um, some yarn. Gosh, wherever might I find some of that?

Now, speaking of the Knitting Olympics . . . I was on the MSNBC website this morning, and on the “Clicked” page (one of my favorite places to go to find interesting spots) . . . a blurb about Stephanie’s knitalong. It said, and I quote, “The idea is to challenge yourself to complete a proejct in the course of the 16
days the winter Olympics are taking place. Everyone who finishes wins gold.
Check out the list of participating knitting bloggers to understand why this
qualifies as a significant online event.” How nifty is that??

Meanwhile, it today’s mail–a copy of the Celtic Dream Aran pattern. It’s not my Olympic pattern, mind you, and I don’t even know quite when I’ll start it, but Annie’s looks so great, and Cassie’s is looking so enticing . . . It’s best to be prepared, right? (And, what a difference seeing a sweater that actually FITS looks like, because frankly, the one on the model on the pattern looks like a beautifully-knitted sack.) I got a color card for Black Water Abbey yarn, too. The colors looked so nice on their website, but the samples in person? Even better! The colors I’m liking best? Bracken. Autumn. Quartz. Bluestack. (Yes, I know, that last one surprised me, too.)

The next project, though? Well, to fill in the time between now and the beginning of the Olympics, I’ll be working on my Lotus Blossom Shawl. The color is Bronze, and I’ll be casting on tomorrow with Risa. It’s the one-year anniversary of the EZasPi knit-along. Yep, a year ago this weekend, I was casting on for my Pi-are-Square shawl. A bunch of people were having a cast-on party and I was feeling left out, so I went to the local coffee shop, which was having a Grand Opening that day, and met my friend Cindy. I figured it was a nicer, more festive way to cast-on than just sitting quietly in my living room all by myself. Oh, the fun part? We had a blizzard that day. While I’m not actually knitting a pattern by Elizabeth Zimmerman or Meg Swansen this time, for the “Anniversary” shawl, I’m looking forward to sitting in another coffee shop this year, with another friend, to start this one. Gotta get a little commu(k)nitty, huh?

Hey, you did see the article in the New York Times yesterday about Spinning, didn’t you?

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Some Assembly Required // 6 Comments »

So . . . was anyone else having trouble with Typepad’s comments today? I was getting mine accepted and saved correctly, but not getting e-mails telling me about them.

Now, you know about the Stash-along that’s been going around? Well, Carole came up with the antithesis–the Anti-Stash-Along. The object? To buy yarn.

Obviously, I shouldn’t have any trouble with that, huh? Considering the amount of sock yarn I’ve added to my stash this week? And that Risa and I are going to Majestic Yarns in Ridgewood on Saturday? Yep. I’m a natural.

Speaking of “alongs,” have you seen the list of Knitting Athletes over at Stephanie’s? Wow. There are a lot of people eager to compete!

I haven’t decided for sure, but I think that I’m going to do an Icelandic sweater of some kind. Something along the lines of this sweater. But not exactly. For one, this is a Lopi sweater, with Lopi yarn, and I’ve done that, back in college. Oooh . . . scratchy! But the beauty of this general style? Almost no finishing necessary, made entirely in the round, which is a plus, right?

Anyway, I’m so glad tomorrow’s Friday. I’m tired, and can’t wait until the weekend.

Oh? My sweater? I’ve got about 3″ of the yoke of my sweater done–I need 5″, and I’m comfortably back on the “normal” size needles. Ah. Much better. And, almost done! I ordered a selection of buttons the other day, too, so I can pick the right one for the sweater. It’s entirely possible I’ll be asking for opinions again!

We’re just wrapping up the third week of January. Wow. Already. Time to check in with your reading report.

1. Have you finished any books yet? Yes. Thirteen
2. If you have, how many, what were they, how did you like them? Well, just the titles, then (you’ll have to wait until the end of the month for authors and descriptions): Deep Secret, Vanishing Acts, The Merlin Conspiracy, Madam Will You Talk, The Grand Idea, Fire Rose, Lord Darcy, The Two Georges, The Client, Magician’s Assistant, The Time Traveller’s Wife, Alphabet of Thorn, Rose Daughter.
3. If not, why not? Are you currently reading anything that you just haven’t finished yet? I’ve got four books going right now: Alden Amos’ Big Book of Handspinning, Knitting Yarns and Spinning Tales, His Excellency: George Washington, and The Wind Witch.

• Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Reading • Permalink:Go With The Flow // 10 Comments »

I know what you’re thinking. Why would Debbie need any more sock yarn? She just bought enough Koigu for five pairs of socks. Why would she need more?

Well, Alison made hers look so good, I couldn’t resist. I went to Dani’s page for Sunshine Yarns on Etsy and, well . . . here it is. A beautiful skein of handpainted yarn in the “Slytherin” colorway. And a pair of tiny, matching stitch markers.

I promise. I’m going to really, really try to restrain myself where sock yarn is concerned for a while!

You’ll be glad to know that I did finish my sleeves tonight, and got the first two rows done on the yoke for my Karabella sweater. And let me tell you, casting-on with Aran-weight yarn on US size 0 needles is not fun. The yarn is actually thicker than the needles, and that’s . . . difficult. It took me almost 25 minutes to cast on 131 stitches and knit the first row of 1×1 ribbing. But really, I feel much better about the fact that it’s done now! The casting-on, that is.

I also worked on my second Jaywalker for about half an hour. It’s about two inches long now. Yep. Just flying along . . .

While knitting, Mom and I watched “Walking the Bible” on PBS–the third part of a series where the author/host follows the physical events of the beginning of the Bible (as best as he could). It was interesting, and there’s quite a bit of beauty in that part of the world, too. But the part I liked best tonight? He went to St. Catherine’s monastery at the base of Mt. Sinai. Beautiful. Ancient. Holy (and with a handwritten document of protection from Mohammed himself).

But what struck me, beyond that simple beauty? One of the pivotal scenes in Dorothy Dunnett’s House of Niccolo series took place there, and I couldn’t help it–I was just tickled to actually see what the place looked like. I adore her books and am always awestruck at them. I’ve been thinking about Nicholas lately . . . my Dunnett itch is itching. It’s only a matter of time before I pull out that series and start reading again. It’s just that good. But, I’ve gushed about them before. Incredible books. The pinnacle for me of historical fiction. Nobody else I’ve tried comes close.

(Oh, and I’m ashamed to admit that we watched the first episode of “Skating with the Stars,” too. I am not a reality-tv fan, so this is a stretch for me. Surprisingly though? Not actually horrible.)

Okay. Does anybody remember a movie from the early 1980s called Time Rider? A time-travel movie about a fellow with a fancy-schmancy motorcycle who somehow goes back 100 years into the Old West, outruns bad guys, falls in love with a girl . . . yadda yadda. The two things I remember most about this rather mediocre movie? One, the cool paradox–the girl admires his pocket watch, and he tells her it was handed down from his great-great-grandfather, who gave it to his great-great-grandmother just before leaving, and that she never saw him again. At the end, when our hero is riding off, back to the future, having saved her life, she reaches out and takes the watch and the last you see of her is her standing there, dangling the watch from its chain, with one hand on her stomach. Get it? He was his own great-great-grandfather, an interesting little genetic paradox there. Which is one thing, but what I’ve always wanted to know? Where did the watch ever actually come from? Who made it? Who bought it? It’s stuck in an endless loop of no beginning, no end–girl hands down watch through generations, the last of which carries it back to her . . .

(Um, this is why you don’t watch time-travel movies with me. I pick them apart. I can’t help myself. I adore the whole paradox thing.)

But the second thing I remember about this movie? I saw it on my best friend’s birthday, while we were still in high school. (Maybe her 16th birthday? 17th?) It was a Friday–and I’d already surprised her by hiding balloons in her locker at school. (Hmm–unless that’s the year that I picked an entirely random day to stuff her locker with balloons so that everyone was wishing her a happy birthday when it really wasn’t. But I’m digressing.) After school, her Mom dropped us off at the local shopping mall. We stopped at the record store (back when they were still “records”) and the bookstore, (where I bought Anne McCaffrey’s Harper Hall trilogy). Got supper at McDonalds. And then went to the movies, where we bumped into her younger brother. (Ew! I mean, he’s perfectly nice now, but your best friend’s younger brother when you’re a teenager? You understand.)

After the movie, we called her Mom to get a ride back to her house, where I spent the night. I actually read through “Dragonsong,” the first trilogy book that night. We listened to the new album she got–Paul McCartney’s Back to the Egg,” if I remember correctly–which was old even then, but we didn’t have a copy yet. We made a point of listening to the Beatles’ birthday song, too. We stayed up late, talking, giggling–the usual sort of stuff.  We made a midnight snack. (Rice. Yep, rice. Don’t ask me why, but we thought it was cool to make a pot of Minute Rice in the middle of the night. I know. It makes no sense. But we did it.) It was generally a night of silly fun.

Why am I telling you the story? Because it’s her birthday today. Happy Birthday, Dawn. I hope you’re having as much fun today as we did then . . . but that maybe the movie you might be watching tonight is a better one!

• Tags: Family, Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Wednesday Entertainment // 10 Comments »

I really tried to finish my sweater sleeves tonight. But after knitting for two hours, and had (honestly) 6 rows to go . . . I just couldn’t knit any more . . . for the night, anyway.

I know, a real contender would have toughed it out and finished it. I would have liked to, too, but . . . I had to report back, didn’t I?

So . . . here I am. Sleeveless, so to speak.

Is it wrong, though, that now I’m really worrying about my Olympic abilities??

And besides, I had a new toy to play with.

Third try at a new laptop. A Portable One MX. (I know, I had never heard of them, either, but CNET thinks well of them.) It even came with a USB cordless mouse, and a free carrying case. (All together . . . Oooh!)

Not only that, I finally get to play with my new Christmas present. A bluetooth Wacom Graphire Tablet. With a pen, and a wireless mouse, both of which I can use to navigate my PC. Very cool. And, if I can figure out how to draw, I can do that, too.

Of course, I’ve spent the last two days transferring files from my old computer to the new one. (Why is it not possible to just hook up two computers with a USB cable and just copy??) And AOL isn’t working correctly, which I need to figure out. But, still . . . so far, this one is working better than the first two tries!

I also gave Chappy his bath. (Medicated shampoo, you’ll remember.) See how good he is? I sudsed him up and told him to sit . . . and he did. He even waited there while I ran into the bedroom to get my camera. Such a good boy!

What’s that? You want to see another picture of my cute little guy while he’s wet? Well, sure, but don’t tell him. I wouldn’t want him to be embarassed. (I mean, I’m just showing pictures of him wet in the bathtub on the internet–what’s to be embarassed about?)

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:So Close . . . // 11 Comments »

It was cold this morning (really cold), so I decided I would wear my beautiful, soft, warm, gorgeous Brooks Farm shawl to work today.

It looked just fabulous, but . . . one problem.

It shed.

Boy, did it shed!

I took it off briefly around 9:30, took one look at my sweater and promptly put it back on again. Just before lunch, I sent Mom an e-mail. “Do you have a lint roller? Because you wouldn’t believe how badly I need one.” When I came home at lunch and took my coat off, she almost fell off her chair. Because, yes, it shed that much. So much that I just gave up on even trying to get all that mohair off my merino sweater before my lunch break was over, and just completely changed my outfit instead. The sweater, you see, is supposed to be smooth, unfuzzy, merino in a dark plum. By lunch, as you can see, it looked like I’d been rolling under somebody’s bed. Lint is one thing. This is ridiculous!

Um, anybody know how to keep Mohair from shedding this much? (grin)

  Oh well. On the plus side, look what I finished yesterday. My first Jaywalker sock. Huzzah! And I’ve got a whole 1/2″ of the ribbing for the second one, too. (I know, how impressive is that, huh?) It’s nice to know that I’m making good, solid progress and should actually make Cara’s February 13th deadline and be eligible for the Socks That Rock that she actually claims she’ll be giving away.

Edited to add: I entirely believe Cara to be an honest person, and believe that she believes she will give away this, her holy grail of sock yarn . . . but I won’t entirely believe it until I see it! Not because I doubt her intentions, but because I hear she’s human, and there’s that whole temptation thing….

Not only that, but it’s just faintly possible I might finish the sleeves of my sweater tonight. If not tonight, definitely tomorrow night (barring unforeseen non-knitting catastrophes like migraine headaches or global thermonuclear war, or something like that).

Speaking of knitting. I am well-prepared for at least five more pairs of Jaywalkers, if I see fit. No, it’s not the legendary Socks That Rock, but it is almost as note-worthy. Koigu KPPPM. Enough for five pairs. Isn’t it beautiful? Colors from left to right: Autumn Harvest (P110-33), Harry Potter (P132-110), Simply Beautiful (P316-46), Jewel (P407-110), and (awful name, but gorgeous color) Healing Bruises (P708-41). It’s all just so wonderful! I bought it from Personal Threads.

You know, a thought just struck me. I don’t actually have until the 13th to finish my Jaywalkers. And it’s Stephanie’s fault….

See, Stephanie has a brilliant idea for a knit-along, perfect for an Olympics-junkie like me. You may not have noticed, but I’m not exactly a sports fan. At all. Of any kind. And yet, put those 5 rings on the screen, and I’ll watch almost anything. (It drives my mother nuts.) Anyway, here it is, the first Knitting Olympics. The idea? Cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies on February 10th and finish by the end of the Closing Ceremonies sixteen days later, on February 26th. Isn’t that brilliant? You’re supposed to pick something challenging enough that it will be tough (like, say, winning an Olympic gold medal is tough), but not actually impossible. I’m not sure if I can finish a sweater in 16 days, but I’m definitely going to give it a try . . . or something! I’ll start browsing patterns tonight. (Swatching is allowed–it’s called “training.”)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:More Hair // 14 Comments »

B is for Bread and Butter. (Yes, that’s homemade bread–yum!)

B is for Birthday Cake. We did the family celebration for Dad’s birthday today. Also yum, even if the nifty, digital thermometer I got to tell me when the roast is done was wrong and we ended up with medium, rather than rare (Dad’s preference) roast beef.

B is for Brrrr! We had a lot of sleet and some snow last night, but mostly we got wind. Lots and lots of wind! The plus side? When I went to clean off my car, the wind had done most of the work for me–can’t remember the last time that happened.

B is for Boys. Dad actually sat on my bedroom floor to play with Chappy this morning. I think the last time he sat on my bedroom floor was the Christmas he and my Grandfather put together my Barbie Town House, when I was 9? 10?

B is for Boykin Spaniel. Need I say more?

B is for Balls of Yarn. The Bronze Country Silk is for the Lotus Blossom shawl I’ll be starting next weekend. (I got it and the pattern for Christmas.) The skein of sock yarn, in the Martha’s Vineyard colorway, I wound so that I can try to repair the hole in Mom’s sock. Luckily, I had another skein in that color, even if I was planning on saving it a while!

Oh, and lastly? B is for Blog. My blog is one year old, as of yesterday. Time flies!

• Tags: ABC-Along, Family, General • Permalink:B is for…. // 26 Comments »

Isn’t this nice? Becca was feeling badly that I was feeling sick-ish last week, so she sent me and Chappy this calendar–12 months of dog sweaters, including the patterns. Isn’t that cute? (Although, no, I will NOT be making Chappy the “dog-kini” pictured in August.) Thank Jackson for us, too, huh?

The timing was good, though, because Chappy went to the vet today–and you know, that’s never fun. Not that he’s bad at the vet. Oh, no. He’s really very well-behaved these days. (He’s come a long way from the puppy that required FOUR people to hold him still enough for the vet to examine an eye infection. Or who needed THREE people to get his nails clipped. But we don’t like to think about that.) He did leak a little on the floor, I’ll admit, but he was good for the exam. And happy once I let him off the table. (Really, if it weren’t for the actual exam table, he’d be just fine at the vet.)

Why did we go? He’s been a little itchy lately, and had some bumps on his skin. I’ve tried some holistic kinds of things–moisturizing, antiseptic shampoos, supplements in his food–but while it toned down for a week or so, it flared back up again. So . . . to the vet. Turns out he’s got a staph infection. He’s on an antibiotic (he doesn’t mind–that means cream cheese three times a day), and I have instructions to give him an antiseptic shampoo at least twice a week. Luckily, Chappy’s very well-behaved in the bathtub. I brought him home, sudsed him up, told him to sit and . . . he did. For the five minutes required before rinsing. Such a good boy! I would have taken a picture, but, well, my hands were kind of wet . . . he’s just adorable soaking wet, though.

He’s been completely zonked out all night, though. I don’t know if it’s the excitement (getting out of the house, being at the vet, having a bath, running around the house to dry off, chasing his frisbee across the house for 20 minutes), or if it’s the antibiotic, but he’s been sleeping so hard tonight! In fact, right now, he’s snoring.

Oh, and he, like so many of us, put on some holiday weight. He was up to 37.5 lbs. In August, he was 34 lbs. Somebody’s going on a diet! Pity it’s going to rain/snow tomorrow–we could both use a really long walk.

Anyway, thanks Becca. The timing was great. Chappy’s always excited when he gets mail, and it cheered him up after, you know, the vet. It was nice to get a treat, too, because I still haven’t gotten my last, “reveal” package from my Knitter’s Review Secret Pal. Claire was nice enough to e-mail her for me over a week ago, and she said that she had sent the last package a couple of days before Christmas . . . it really shouldn’t take this long, even with the holiday postal overload! And I know that this one hasn’t gone anywhere it wasn’t supposed to go. I know it didn’t get “recycled” like the first, unfortunate package she sent me all those many months ago. I’m not upset with my pal (because I really do believe she sent the package), but I’m curious. I want to know who she is; I want to know what was in that first package; and of course, I’m curious about what’s in this one (grin).

Thanks for all the comments, folks. It’s nice to hear from all of you. And I’m feeling better about having my shawls all swirled into my drawer, rather than having them all tidily folded, too. (My fancy “folding” technique? I hold the shawl at the center back, at the neck, and kind of swirl it around my hand, and then plop it into the drawer. Really very tricky. Maybe you shouldn’t try this at home.)

Have a great weekend.

Updated: I just got an e-mail from Claire. My KRSP has been in contact with UPS who picked up my package, but have no record of actually delivering it. I hope I hope I hope that they haven’t lost it. I know she had some “irreplaceable” stuff in that first box that got, um, misplaced, and she may well have put some extra-nice stuff in this final box as well . . . and I would feel terrible if both of them ended up in package-heaven. Keep your fingers crossed for that poor little lost box!

• Tags: Chappy, Family, General • Permalink:Puppy Love // 7 Comments »

I’m sure that YOU have all of your lovely, lacy, handknit shawls lovingly, carefully folded away in a lavendar-scented cedar trunk. Or wrapped in tissue paper and meticulously stored in a drawer. Something like that, right?

Well, here are mine. Oh sure, they used to be neatly folded, but, well . . . life happened. Who has the time to make perfect, lace origami with their handknit shawls on a daily basis? Oh sure, the square one is easy to fold, but the triangles? Oy. Besides, I’ve found that I’m more reluctant to disturb the shawls when in their neat and pristine, folded state. They look like they’re meditating, or something, and I hate to bother them.

So, this is what my shawl-drawer looks like. Technically, there are some other things in there, too. A couple pillow cases, my small selection of neatly-folded silk scarves–they don’t get worn much–but mostly, shawls. Don’t you recognize them? Here, let me remind you of what they look like when they’re stretched out.

Going from left to right, there’s the Peacock Feathers, my blue square (the first lace I ever attempted, and there’s no name to the pattern–it’s just–square), my green Flower Basket. Birch is next, then my red Pi-are-Square. And just peeking out above the Birch, almost blending with the edging on the blue shawl, my Brooks Farm triangle (again, no pattern name). They look a bit like they’re slumming, I admit, but by being so relaxed and accessible, they get worn a lot more often than they probably would have been. And really, you’d be surprised at how little they wrinkle!

How do you store your fragile handknits? If you have any, that is. I know a lot of people aren’t interested in shawls, but I have to say, I find myself grabbing one almost every day. It’s perfect for wearing over my shoulders when my office gets cold, doubles as a scarf when I’m out in the cold. I can use it to cover my feet and legs if they get cold. It can be worn with panache, secured with a pin, casually tied in a knot. Not too heavy like a sweater can be, yet warm enough. Love them.

I have to say, that one stretch of road–just over the hill from here, when I drive to work in the morning–is becoming one of my favorites. Great vistas of the sky from there. I took a picture of the sunrise on Monday, in fact. Well, I stopped again today. Pulled over, put on my hazards, rolled down the window and pulled my camera out of my purse, and waited for the few other cars to pass me. (It’s not the busiest of roads.)

But this morning, for the first time of all the times I’ve stopped there, do you know somebody stopped to see if I was okay? If my car had broken down, or I was sick, or had a flat tire? Wasn’t that nice. (He wasn’t bad looking, either.) Started my day with a smile.

These pictures, actually, are NOT the one I took just then–it’s nice, too, but too much like Monday’s. I took these two from my office parking lot when I got to work. I love the arching contrails against that clear blue sky.

Thanks to all of you who delurked today. It’s nice to hear from some of the people I didn’t know read my blog. How about the rest of you?? (You know who you are, even if I don’t!)

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning, Sky • Permalink:Shawl Slum // 16 Comments »

  Here’s an update on my Jaywalker socks–which photographic evidence of progress. I’ve finished the heel and did the decreasing for the gussett, and well–I’m making progress! (I don’t know, though–it still seems a loose fit. Maybe I’ll decrease a few more stitches at the sole, just to be sure.)

Incidentally, a couple people have said how nice it was to see Jaywalkers in a solid color (that last photo really did look like it), but as you can see, there are some really faint variations in the yarn–reds and purples. They look pretty washed out in this photo . . . if I’d used the flash, you wouldn’t have seen the subtleties, so . . . it’s a trade-off

My sweater–I did work on the sleeves for about half an hour . . . Why is it that, every time, I forget about how slow the sleeves seem to go when I do them both at the same time? Two nights (short ones, since, well, the Jaywalker heel) of knitting, and I’m only on row 12. Sheesh! I’d show you a picture of those, too, but, well . . . how exciting is 12 rows of 1×1 ribbing? The advantage, though, is that I know they will both be exactly the same size, same shaping, same proportions, and they’ll be done at the same time. A lovely thing that almost makes up for the seemingly endless time it takes to knit them. Hello again, Sleeve Island.

Apparently, it’s De-Lurking Week, did you know? So, leave me a comment. About anything! How you’re wearing your hair today. What adorable things your your pets or kids are up to. What book you’re reading. Anything you like! (And, thanks Jessalu, for letting me know.) Of course, once you’ve left a comment, you won’t be a lurker any more . . . another trade-off.

And then, of course, there’s the new KAL I joined, because it’s 200Sox, you know, the year of the socks. Such a nice, easy one, too–all you have to do is intend to knit a pair of socks this year. You don’t technically even have to finish a pair–how about that! But since I’ve passed the heel of my first Jaywalker, I think I’ll be able to actually finish at least one pair this year. That’s a good thing, right?

I also cleaned up some of the visual clutter on my page . . . sort of. Because, in fact, it’s really just as cluttered as it was, I just moved things around. There are so many things I really kind of LIKE having on my page, and yet . . . I’d love a simpler, cleaner layout . . . Hmm. It’s another trade-off, huh?

• Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning • Permalink:Trade-offs // 19 Comments »