Well, didn’t we have fun today? That’s Ina, Risa, Jessica, Liam and Kim.

And, of course, our spinning wheels. Although, the one Ina’s spinning on isn’t actually hers . . . Risa brought down one of her (many) spares for her to try. There’s no question that she’s got drop-spindling down now, and Risa thought it would be nice for her to give a wheel a try. (As you can imagine, the rest of us . . . who already have wheels . . . didn’t encourage her at all.)

Risa cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for lunch, and the rest of us brought salads and/or dessert. And Ina brought a little something else, too. A "Jersey Spnner" . . . a beautiful, lace frisbee . . . for each of us. Wasn’t that nice of her?

As you can imagine, I won’t be letting Chappy play with mine….

We had a lovely time, and Liam particularly enjoyed the swimming pool. But one of the moments I found most amusing? When we all walked around, taking pictures of each others’ yarn.

See? And it wasn’t just me, it was all of us, going from wheel to wheel with our cameras. It is so NICE to spend time with people who completely understand this compulsion to photograph yarn!

I brought home two bobbins of yarn ready to be plied, my Jersey Spinner, the rest of the fruit salad I brought, and, unfortunately, a headache from the sun. I am SO glad I thought to bring a hat with me. (Sunshine too easily gives me headaches which, along with the fact that I burn easily, is why I’m a shade-girl.) But I don’t care. I had a great time anyway, so it was worth a headache.

And Chappy forgave me for leaving him, just as soon as I got home. Apparently he and his grandma played in the backyard this afternoon while I was gone, so he’s happy and tired, too. Because, yes, apparently sitting, spinning, laughing, and eating good food for four or five hours can tire you out. (Or, me at least!) I got home just as my parents were heading out for a bite to eat. I made myself a quick omelet for supper, only had the energy to eat 2/3 of it (Chappy graciously took care of the rest), and then fell asleep on the couch for half an hour.

I tell you. This fun, socializing stuff can be tough!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Jersey Spinners // 9 Comments »

Certainly, a box like this is never a bad thing to come home to.

What’s that inside?

The replacement drive-wheel for my Little Gem II. And isn’t it a thing of beauty?

Andy at Majacraft had said that they felt (judging by my pictures) that the groove in my drive wheel was too shallow. Well, here’s the old one (on the right) and the new one (on the left).

What do you think?

Me? Yeah, I’d say the’s a bit of a difference, there!

Now, if you’ve been to Kim’s today, you’ll have seen that my spinning wheel is going to see/make lots of new friends at Risa’s tomorrow . . . which means I don’t have time to go to a hardware store to buy a 13mm wrench so that I can make the actual replacement . . . at least, not before going to Risa’s tomorrow, which means I’ll be bringing my completely-original Gem with me, not the new-improved version. But that’s okay–it’s a comfort to know that the under-study is ready and waiting in the wings

And, really, isn’t that wood grain just gorgeous? This wheel has such beautiful symmetry to it . . . even more than the original one. And, you know me, I LIKE things to look neat, even, and tidy.

So, let’s see . . . I’ve mentioned the NJ Spinning party going on at Risa’s tomorrow. I told you about my exciting new "wheel." It’s Friday (and about time, too). I even skipped out of work a little early today so I could stop at the grocery store to pick up makings for fruit salad . . . I mean, I had practically nothing to do this afternoon at the office anyway . . . summer Fridays are like ghost towns.

All I need to do is pack up my fiber, my extra bobbins, my wheel, toss together the fruit salad (protecting it from family members who would want to eat it themselves), and I’m all set to go to Risa’s.

Well, all that, and explaining to Chappy that he can’t come this time. All those spinning wheels? He’d be bored, right? (Right??) I’m sure I’ll be too busy and having too much fun to miss him, but still . . . you can imagine how guilty this face can make me!

Hey, did you see the fabulous tutorial Marnie put up about using Excel to modify sizes for pattern-design? And Ysolda posted a great chart of "standard" sizes. (I mean, whoever actually IS a standard size? But you know what I mean . . . and does it really matter that they’re British standards and I’m American??)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:New Wheel . . . Sort of // 7 Comments »

Four years ago . . . almost exactly . . . my niece and I went to Newport, Rhode Island for a weekend.

While there (I’ve mentioned this before), we toured the Mansions . . . you know the ones, the huge, elaborate, Gilded Age masterpieces (or monstrosities, depending on your point of view) built by the Vanderbilts and all their filthy rich cronies for little, summer cottages (cough).

Anyway, one of the design elements we saw over and over again was that of dolphins. Sculptures, candlesticks, tables, jewelry . . . all sorts of things. Except, I don’t think any of them had ever seen a dolphin, because these looked nothing like Flipper. Yet, they were charming in their nonsensical way, and my niece and I both loved them.

When we saw a pair of candlesticks on our last day, we decided that we would buy them and split the set–she’d get one, and I’d get one–a perfect memento from our trip.

Mine lives in my room, near my bed, with a little, red, round candle in its tail. And, really, it might not look like anything that Sea World would recognize, but I don’t care. I wouldn’t change a thing.

Brought to you by:

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• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Dolphin // 7 Comments »

Finally! The sleeves are DONE.

Phew. I thought that really was going to take forever.

Now, what’s left is basically repeating that "doesn’t - it - look - so - narrow - in - comparison" back for the front sections.

I mean, really, look at the difference in proportion between the length of the rows for the back section and the length for the sleeves. I’m down to fewer than 80 stitches per row and, wow, what a difference. The few rows I did feel like they’re just flying!

So, let’s see . . . if it took me from February to June to get the sleeves done . . . and it looks like the rectangle making up the back is about half of the area of the sleeves . . . in theory, I should get this sweater done, let’s see . . . two more months?

Well, no, not really–this time, this is the primary sweater project. She’s not hiding in Celtic Icon’s shadow any more . . . and I’m not making a secret graduation-present sweater . . . so really, it shouldn’t take THAT long (grin). At least, it’d better not.

Do you know, though? I haven’t touched my lace in days, I’ve been so focused on getting these endless sleeves finished.

For today’s interesting link? This "Sorted Books" project . . . makes me want to go and play with my books….

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Finally! // 4 Comments »

Chappy wants to know why our town hates him tonight.

It’s the scheduled fireworks night of the annual Fireman’s Carnival, which is one of his least-favorite nights of the year anyway.

And yet, there’s a massive string of severe thunderstorms . . . As in, he’s huddled in a corner right now, listening to the thunder and the rain against the windows.

So, what is our town doing? Is it sensibly postponing the fireworks for a less stormy night?

No, of course, that would be sensible. If you listen to the booming very carefully, you can hear two, distinct types. The thunder, and the rhythmic booms of fireworks.

Which basically means that Chappy is suffering a double dose of his least favorite kind of "weather" phenomena.

(Yes, I know that fireworks aren’t weather . . . and I’m sure he wouldn’t enjoy a flood or tornado, either, but of the weather he knows . . . you understand what I mean.)

Poor little guy…..

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Thunder // 14 Comments »

Pretty, pretty fibers…. (drool)

We have here–at the top–a 4oz skein of Superwash Top in "Rust," nicely orangey without being neon-bright. (Never a color choice I opt for.) And–at the bottom–luxury sock batts in "Blaze." I bought three of the little, 50g bumps, made up of Superwash, silk, and nylon and are oh, so pretty and oh, so soft.

I pulled the Rust out of the box first and went, "Ooh," and then I pulled the Blaze out and went "OOOOOooooooohhhhh" because it’s just so gorgeous. The colors (in each) are fabulous, but because of the silk and the nylon–that’s going to make great socks, I just hope I ordered enough–that blended batt just sparkles. And who doesn’t appreciate a little sparkle once in a while?

Where did I get them from? Abby’s Franquemont Fibers. I’ve been eyeing them for quite some time . . . I think I first saw them mentioned at Theresa’s Keyboard Biologist . . . . yep, I just went and looked. But please note that that post was from March and I managed to resist for three months before breaking down and purchasing some of that for myself. (I hope you’re impressed.)

It’s almost a shame I started spinning this pretty stuff last night, because now the new stuff will just have to wait . . . And then, this has been waiting since April. (We won’t discuss the fiber in the closet that’s even older–like the never-ending silk/merino that I promised myself I would work on next, but which I, um, didn’t.)

And, well, it really is lovely. 4 oz of Blue Faced Leicester from Vesper Sock Yarn, in the "Pacific" colorway. I’d actually forgotten the name of it, and was sitting there spinning and thinking how very "beachy" it looked with it’s sand-and-sky color combination. So I went and pulled out the wrapper to remind myself what it was called, and, well . . . there you go, it’s the ocean.

Although, of course, being an East Coast girl, I tend to think it looks more like the Atlantic….

It’s gorgeous stuff, too. Very summery, don’t you think?

You know, the ironic part about me and my spinning? When spinning, there’s nothing I like better than watching different colors play off each other. The natural combinations as you spin, and then the blending/barber-poling when you ply? I love that. I love a chance to play with color.

But when knitting, I like my yarns to be almost solid in color. Tweedy yarns are nice, subtle variations are enjoyable, but in clothing and knits, I mostly like solid colors. In fact, except for a couple of skirts, and maybe one or two tops with stripes, almost everything in my wardrobe is a (mostly) solid color. And that I love Amish quilts, with their simple, bold, geometrics above all other kinds. So far as design goes, I belong to the "A little goes a long way" school as regards patterns. Maybe it’s because I grew up in the 70s?

Anyway, what this means is that I keep spinning these fabulous, multi-colored and/or variegated yarns–like the Crown Mountain Farm Sock-Hop rovings, or their Pencil Corriedale–and, while I enjoy spinning them, and love the finished product . . . I never want actually want to knit anything in them, which is a real shame (grin). Which is probably the main reason that I’ve given away the finished yarn from each of the three Sock Hop rovings I’ve spun. With love and good wishes, but mostly because I’d rather see the yarn used than have it sit in my basket, knowing it never would be.

So, by rights, I should be doing all my spinning only from mostly-solid kinds of combinations so that I’d end up with more yarn I’d want to USE, which would mean I’d lose the fun of all those glowing color combinations . . . isn’t that ironic? Tragic, almost!

(Before any of you jump in, yes, I know, I could give the yarn to YOU when I’ve spun it–just to give it a good home–which is exceedingly generous of you. Really. I mean it. Because that’s the kind of person you are.)

How about you? What do you think of colors in yarn?

And, do you suppose that that beach-themed yarn, if I ever DO turn it into socks, will make me feel like I’ve got sand in my shoes?

Lastly, I only heard about this last night, but Annie Modesitt’s husband has been diagnosed with a nasty form of cancer, and she’s trying to raise some money to help cover medical costs by selling this pattern for a small donation. I don’t know if I’ll feel moved to make the dress, but giving her $4.50 toward devastating expenses? Yeah. That I can do. (For that matter, I just pre-ordered her upcoming book, Romantic Knits, too….)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Drool // 8 Comments »

It’s been a while since I talked about my Tatami, but I am still plugging along at it. Slowly, ever so slowly.

And here’s where I am, and here’s my dilemma.

The sleeves–which ultimately are folded in half–are about 15" long. They should be 20" before finishing off most of the edges and narrowing back down for the fronts.

The tricky part here is that the yarn you see in the picture is ALL the yarn I have left. One full skein, about half of another one, and a tiny bit (which, actually, I finished tonight after taking the photo). I don’t think I have enough yarn to knit another five inches of sleeve AND the fronts. And since it’s handspun, it’s not like I can run out and get more. I mean, I might . . . or I might not . . . it’s going to be close either way.

Now, the important thing to know is that I started with four skeins of yarn. The first skein got me all the way through the first inch of sleeve. Which means that the remaining 14" or so of sleeve have taken me about one and a half skeins. Which comes out to about 9.3" of sleeve per skein . . . so that the 5" still to go should be just about possible . . .

Frankly, though, I’m a little too afraid to risk it, but his isn’t necessarily a big problem, so long as I plan properly. So what I’m thinking about doing is stopping the sleeves at the 18" mark. That’ll leave them a little less full than ideal for the pattern, but close enough, I think. A 9" wide sleeve instead of a 10" wide sleeve . . . a difference of an inch (or 2.5 centimeters). I can deal with that….

…Especially when you consider I have to be sure to leave enough yarn for the ties and for the seaming, huh? Certainly, the length of the sweater isn’t a problem. If it’s a inch or two shorter than the pattern, well, I’m only 5-foot-3, so it’s not like I NEED the length. Right?

Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.

Edited to add: Maybe I didn’t explain this well. Tatami is knit in one, big piece, starting at the lower back, working up to the sleeves, knitting them, and then continuing upward to the bottoms of the fronts. Then, it’s folded in half lengthwise and seamed up the sides/sleeves. I’m working on the sleeves now, and they’re now 16" along the cuff . . . which would translate to an 8"-deep sleeve when finished. If I continue to 18", they’ll be 9" deep. The 20" the pattern calls for translates to a 10" deep, rectangular sleeve. The problem is not the length of the sleeves . . . it’s the depth. And there’s no way to add any contrasting color to them that wouldn’t make a horizontal stripe all the way across the front of the sweater. (Ick!)

And, obviously I’m having trouble actually FINISHING the Celtic Icon, since I keep finding things to play with. Like, I rummaged through my button container and found one, perfectly simple button that’s a great match, to be sewn at the neckline of the sweater. It just needs to be sewn on and some kind of loop-closure sewn to the other side. A bagatelle. (And don’t ask me why the picture looks so brown. No idea.)

Then I pulled out my beads and made this little zipper pull. The beads I think are perfect. The beadWORK? Um, not so much. My beading skills aren’t exactly ideal. For one thing, I really want someone to explain to me how you’re supposed to keep the main piece of wire/headpin STILL while you’re trying to wrap the end neatly around the shaft. I mean, the headpin is round, so as you (well, I, at least) start to twist the end . . . the headpin twists along, so that there’s no actual change in rotational position between the pin and its end. You know, like if your flyer and your bobbin are rotating at the same speed, you never get any yarn winding onto the bobbin. How on earth are you supposed to keep the blasted headpin from rotating?

Um, yeah . . . and then I wonder why my beadwork is lousy…..

Edited to add: And, the beaded zipper pull there? It’s on a lobster-clasp, so I can put it on and take it off as desired, like a necklace. It’s NOT a permanent addition to the sweater, really!

Oh, and no, I don’t know why Chappy did what he did yesterday, but no, I don’t think it’s a health issue (though I’m keeping close tabs on him for a few days, just in case). Usually, this sort of thing is a territorial thing, so about the only thing I can think of is that he’s decided he wants to move up the family ladder, and picked Mom as the next up up the chain of command. Or something like that.(Because, I don’t necessarily hold with the whole "dominance" philsophy. I’m a clicker-training girl at heart.)  Really, who knows? He’s not usually a territorial dog, and his house-training is pretty solid, and well, it’s one big question mark. I really don’t think it’s a health issue, though. And I don’t think it’s the start of any serious behavioral problems, either–although for a little while, he’s back on the "Nothing is Free" plan, where he has to ‘earn’ his privileges . . . just for a little reminder that, loved though he is, he does NOT outrank his Grandma!

Now, some random links for you:

Okay, this is funny–a man sent a digital camera through the mail, with a tiny hole in the box so that it could record its trip, taking one picture every ten seconds….

Ah . . . Indiana Jones is really back….

An ever-lasting lightbulb?

This man’s sidewalk art is just amazing–love this little raft!

And, folks? This looks like just about everything you ever wanted to know about blogging–or 120 resources, anyway.

And, finally? One of my co-workers was talking about this today–Paperback Believer. A blending of the Beatle’s "Paperback Writer" and the Monkees’ "I’m a Believer" which works amazingly well–much better than you’d expect!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Talk About Tatami // 12 Comments »

I don’t know if, like me, you subscribe to the theory that cuteness is a survival skill. As in, our parents would likely have killed all of us at some point when we were tiny and rather obnoxious (not like we are NOW) if we hadn’t fortuitously been so danged cute. This is known to adults as the Cuteness Factor.

Well, don’t think for a minute that small, cute beings like toddlers, kittens, and oh yes, dogs, don’t know of this phenomenon and rely on it.

Like, oh, say for example, a dog….

Say, this dog, just, you know, hypothetically….

Say he were, one Monday morning, to go into his grandparents’ bedroom, jump up on the bed (for which he does not have permission in the first place), and then proceed to urinate on his grandmother’s side of the bed–including her pillow.

Purely hypothetically, of course.

One would think that said dog would be in danger of his life . . . or at least, in danger of being banned to his crate for the entire day (if not the week), or being sent outside on his own. Or not given any treats for the day. Something severe like that.

Well, see? This is where that Cuteness Factor comes in. Because (still hypothetically) by the time his grandmother had finished the umpteenth load of laundry (and after said dog’s mother had folded a fair proportion of said laundry to try to make amends for her recalcitrant child), it’s conceivable that said dog’s mother could come home from work and find him and his grandmother cozily sitting together on the loveseat in the dining room window.

That Cuteness Factor. I’m telling you, it’s powerful stuff, not to be toyed with.

Hypothetically, of course.

And before you say that you don’t believe that such an angelic face could do such a heinous act, I have to tell you, there were (hypothetical) witnesses.

Oh–and before I forget. CNN is doing a survey on people’s favorite past-times. Knitting is on the list, but not making the top 10 . . . You know what you have to do! We need to make our power known! Go vote!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Cuteness Factor // 20 Comments »

I’ve wanted some Moo cards all my very own ever since somebody (Beth, perhaps?) handed me hers at Rhinebeck last year. Little, mini cards, with my own pictures, and my own information on the back–which can be anything. Business cards. Blog cards. Calling cards. Gift tags. Bookmarks. Birth announcements. Promotional pieces. Keyfobs. Magnets. Christmas tree ornaments. Made up with 50 photos, they could even be a set of cards for a Memory Game. Anything you can think of.

I mean, for $20 you get 100, good-quality, little cards, with as many (or as few) photos as you want, so I figured, why not indulge a little? Mine have my name, my blog address, and my blog’s "slogan" printed on them. (You know the one, "Books, Yarn, and a Boykin Spaniel. What more could a girl want?")

Further, thanks to Wendy’s excellent timing, I ordered a Moo Card Case which came on the same day. So I am all set. (And, how nifty, starting next month, you can get Moo stickers, too.)

What else have I done today?

I plied the rest of my Tibetan Dreams singles. The color didn’t photograph as well as I’d like–it’s still as pansy-like as ever–but I’m glad to have that bobbin of yarn done and off my desk, where the bobbins have been sitting for at least two weeks now.

I plied using the method Abby talks about in this post. My word, that really IS easy! The hardest part was getting the tension on the wheel correct, but after that? She really was right . . . there was just nothing for my left hand to do! All I did was treadle for about 45 minutes, and let the wheel do all the work. I actually took a break after about half an hour–all that non-stop treadling, you know, what with the woollee winder and all. And when I came back to the wheel? I held a book in my left hand and read for the rest of the plying.

How can I, of all people, not love a method of plying that leaves me free to READ?

Now, the yarn’s not perfect (when is it ever?) and it’ll take a little practice to get as good as Abby . . . because, well, look at her blog, she IS good . . . but I liked this method so much more than the "counting  treadles per arm length" method that I’ve mostly been using since I learned to spin. Go read that post of hers, huh? And watch the video. It’s revelatory. For that matter, her method of starting yarn on the leader is pretty much "Oh wow, why didn’t I think of that?" too. (Her ebay store is pretty great, too, but don’t say I didn’t warn you! Because, um, my own package is in the mail.)

Otherwise? I finished Harry Potter #3 as part of my weekly-Harry-Potter read, in preparation for Book Seven on July 21st. I cleaned the bathroom. I did some laundry. I baked a cake. Hung out with Chappy. Enjoyed the still-lovely weather. Admired my sweater and played with the idea of putting a beaded zipper pull on it . . .

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Moo // 9 Comments »

Really, I’m awfully pleased with the way I spent the first Saturday of Summer of Socks.

Mom, Chappy, and I drove down to Princeton on this absolutely gorgeous day, and met up with Jessica, the brain behind the S.O.S. madness. Her boyrfriend works long hours on the weekends and she was lonely for some knitting companionship, so how handy was it when Mom suggested Princeton as a destination for us, as someplace different to go? That’s the university right over there, on the other side of the street. Really, the weather today could not have been nicer. Absolutely gorgeous.

Naturally, we both worked on our socks. (Two pictures for you–one with flash, one without.) Her Monkey Sock looks great, don’t you think? (She was so worried about it last night.) And my "Walk in the Woods" socks that I started last month? I did one of the heels while sitting there, and will address the other one later tonight. Which puts me officially at the half-way point of the socks.

Oh, and Jessica? I told you I had a great link for your weekly link contest. This fabulous site for just about every variation on sock heels and toes I’ve ever seen. Fabulous resource.

Mom and Chappy? They just kind of hung out, chatted, and enjoyed the day. Chappy got some interesting sniffs, saw someplace completely new, met some other dogs (some friendlier than others!), and basically was just happy that he was spending the day with US, even if it meant an hour’s ride in the car to get there.

All in all, he’s had a practically perfect day. He got to spend it with Mom and me, which he loves, of course. But also, once we got home, he got a chance to go into the backyard, chew on his (brand-new-two-days-ago-but-now-defunct) tennis ball, and hang out on the deck with us for a little while. Then, around 3:00-3:30, we came inside, where he was able to take a nice, satisfying nap. Because being so cute is exhausting, you know!

So, maybe you’d like to have a look at my Celtic Icon, huh? (Like I’m going to give you a choice!) Considering that it was only about 72 degrees today, with a breeze and no humidity to speak of, it was ideal weather (or, as ideal as summer weather can be) for modelling a long, cabled sweater.

Because, yes, it’s done!The ribbon peeks out just the right amount, I think, but as you can see in that one picture, if I’m careless about having the hood right-side out, it likes to fold itself to the outside so you can see it. A bit of an exhibitionist, that ribbon, but since I love it and I picked it for its "pop" qualities, I’m willing to forgive that (grin).

I AM still playing with the idea of putting a single button near the neckline, so that I can wear it and have it stay on properly, without having to zip it. Because, you know how sweaters are, all soft and slouchy, and with the weight of the hood at the back, if I don’t have the sweater zipped, it kind of hangs unattractively off my shoulders. A button would prevent that, so . . . yeah, I’m leaning towards a single button, with a yarn loop to help hold it in place. The question is just whether it should be a fabulous, statement-making button, of something subtle that you wouldn’t even see unless you looked for it. I’m leaning toward the latter. The swirly ribbon is statement-making enough for one sweater.

Um, did I mention how lovely the weather was today? We passed a wedding going on at this gorgeous church, and look at the ride they’ve got for the bride and groom.
That’s a bright red, ‘57 Chevy limosine. I didn’t even know there was such a thing! But, ooh-la-la, is that ever the kind of vehicle you want to ride in on your wedding day. The bride and groom sure picked a great day for their wedding, whoever they are. I hope the rest of their marriage lives up to their wedding day.

And, of course, it’s the perfect Saturday Sky, huh?

Speaking of which, did you see that Sandy–Queen of Saturday Sky–started a Saturday Sky Flickr group??

Lastly, here’s a great point about creativity and unfinished-project guilt. You know, for those of you with numerous UFOs….

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Princeton // 18 Comments »

I’ve mentioned several times about how my Grandmother lost her diamond ring on the beach on Martha’s Vineyard, and my Grandfather reached down into the sand and miraculously pulled it up. It’s such a great family story, and one of my favorites, not least because it highlights my Grandpa and because I love the ring itself so much. (And began the legend that my Grandfather is excellent at finding jewelry.)

I thought I’d show it to you, because it’s thirty-one years ago today that my Grandmother (Mom’s Mom) died suddenly. I was only nine and I so don’t have as many memories of her as I’d like, but still. Every time I wear her ring, I think of her. I love it as a piece of jewelry because I think it’s stunning. It’s classic, with that “antique” look, but without being overdone or too busy. And yet, it’s not boring and plain, either. It’s just a gorgeous ring–one which I know I’d be happy to wear every single day, without getting tired of it. (As I’m sure my grandmother did not.)

But I also love the narrowing of the band from the years on her finger, and how the engraved tracing of pattern on the side of the band is almost completely rubbed away. It’s very definitely her ring, and the only real memento I have of her.

Well, that, and my Mom.

From what she tells me, she and I have pretty much the same best-friend kind of relationship that she had with her Mom . . . and the same occasional outburst of “sillies” accompanied by fits of giggles.

Really, I think Grandma and I would have gotten on just wonderfully. And somehow, I think she’d be pleased that I keep both her ring and her daughter so carefully in my heart.

Just a few more pictures, because this was fun….

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Diamond // 17 Comments »

Starting off the Summer of Socks right, I DID work on my socks tonight. Oh sure, they’re not new today, but I didn’t sign up for the "Most Socks" contest because, well, I don’t stand a chance for that. I’m just here to have fun. For that matter, I don’t think I can get a "best vacation photo" with my sock, either, since my vacation was last month (grin). So, really, I’m just participating for the company.

And then, there are these two, new Japanese knitting books. Book number 10 from the "Let’s Knit" series, and a book on Fair Isle and Nordic sweaters. Some nice patterns, thought at first glance, none that blew me away like in my last order. Those cover sweaters sure are pretty, though!

Chappy’s pretty tired tonight. As beautiful as it was this afternoon, there’s still a little too much fresh-asphalt (and fresh-asphalt smell) out there to make a walk around the block a truly enjoyable experience . . . and, well, tar really isn’t good for paws  . . . or to be tracked into the house. So instead, at lunchtime, we went into the backyard with a tennis ball and the Chuck-it. It’s been the first time we’ve been back there in months, because all the variables have to be just so. Not too wet, not too dry–and not actively trying to grow grass seed. Miraculously, all the conditions were right, so off we went to play Fetch.

We were only out there for about ten minutes before he conked out. All that running, you know. He was taking breaks between each throw, so I brought him back inside, where he’d lay on the cool floor for about three and half seconds, and then move to a fresh spot . . . So I pulled one of Mom’s ice packs from the freezer and held it on his tummy for him, and oh, did he love that! Then, before I left, I gave him a Kong stuffed with peanut butter and kibble. So, he worked on that most of the afternoon (there were a couple pieces that got stuck). And THEN, we had a thunder storm or two, which, you know, are pretty worrying. At least to my boy, who’s decided this last year or so that he doesn’t like thunder. So, all in all, he’s pretty tired tonight. Happy! But, tired.

Okay–I’ve got about a foot of ribbon to finish tacking down…..

(Oh, and the post title? As I was laying out the stuff for the picture, I was thinking, "That’ll make a nice knitscape." You know, like a landscape….)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Knitscape // 6 Comments »

Since school is out for the summer (in most places, at least), here’s a school-themed question for the week:

1. Do you have any old school books? Did you keep yours from college? Old textbooks from garage sales? Old workbooks from classes gone by?
2. How about your old notes, exams, papers? Do you save them? Or have they long since gone to the great Locker-in-the-sky?

It shouldn’t surprise anyone to know that yes, I DO still have my old books. College textbooks, for example (although that Astronomy book that talks about nine planets? SO out of date now that Pluto’s been demoted). Will I ever need my Macroeconomics text book again? Probably not. Euripedes’ plays? Doubtful. Analyses of the 1984/88 Presidential elections? Really unlikely. Critiques of the Soviet Union? Um, does anybody even remember the USSR any more? But still, they’re mine. I paid for them with my hard-earned cash, and it should be pretty obvious that, once I bring a book home, it’s here to stay.

Although, actually, I HAVE weeded out a handful of the more egregiously-out-dated texts. Really!

As to notes? I do have some, mostly from the classes I learned most from, worked hardest in, or got really outstanding grades in. But mostly? No, those have mostly been recycled to the great locker in the sky….

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:School days…. // 12 Comments »

One more, tiny, little step and this baby is DONE.

I machine-stitched the ribbon in today after work. It goes all the way from the very bottom, up the front, past the zipper, around the hood, and back down the other front. I had just enough ribbon, once I’d spliced this piece together. (Because, of course I went for the swirly option.) There’s about 7" left. Had I not had to waste about 6" of it, overlapping for the splice, I would have had enough to put inside the cuffs, but . . . no complaints.

So, what’s left to do? I need to hand-tack the ribbon down on the inside edge to keep it tidy. That means more work with a needle and thread and MAY wait a couple more days, but I don’t care.

That’s it.

I started this eight months ago next week. That’s practically a baby! I can’t remember the last time any project took me this long. And even then, it would have been a hand-sewn quilt or an embroidery project, not a sweater. It’s such a relief to have this (almost) done!

I wouldn’t want you to think that, just because I haven’t posted in a
week or two, that I haven’t been working on my shawl, though. (Shawl #3 from
"Elegance Knits" book 11, you’ll remember, in "Curry" colored Zephyr lace.)

So, here’s the progress photo. I’m about halfway through the first
repeat of chart #2 . . . which basically means I’ve still got a long,
long way to go, but it sure is looking pretty, and you can really see the progress of the lace pattern.

I’m going to need to move up to a longer needle, I think, for my next progress photo–I had to scrunch up one whole side to get you this picture.

In other news, tomorrow is the start of the Summer of Socks. I’m ready, although I’ll be starting off with socks that are already on the needles . . . though I WILL try to get a little more done a week than I have been doing. I mean really, the poor things deserve to come along a little faster. Although, since I’m approaching the heel and I only started them in May, they’re going much more quickly than my last pair of socks, which took three months.

Really, it’s hard to believe that I managed nine pairs of socks in the first nine months of last year. By my usual standards, that’s blindingly fast. But, anyway, I will definitely work on my socks tomorrow. Gotta start the Summer of Socks off right, right?

Oh, and our street? Well, the section in front of our house is done, but I had to move my car up the road at 7:00 this morning (in the rain), come home, finish getting ready for work and then walk back to the car (still in the rain) to head to the office. Which hike I repeated in reverse at lunchtime, except that it was sunny and really lovely . . . except for the fresh asphalt fumes. I’m not sure what they’ll be paving tomorow, but at least I should be able to reach my own driveway. They were also paving (or had closed for some other reason) the main road adjacent to us . . . which made my Dad’s trip out of the neighborhood to the golf course challenging this morning. Then I noticed that two lanes of Rt 46 in Denville had been paved sometime in the last 24 hours. AND Kim–who technically lives in the next town, even though she’s only about 3 miles away–had her street paved yesterday, too. I guess it’s in the air….

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:99.5% // 12 Comments »

I had some unexpected leisure time today, but as you can see, I put it to good use.

WHY did I have some extra time? Well, they’re re-paving my street today, for the first time in 20 years, and when I came home for lunch, I kind of got blocked in by the trucks.

Now, I probably COULD have gotten back out . . . eventually . . . but I’d already planned for this possibility at work, and had shut down my computer and done everything I could to make sure that, if I weren’t back for the afternoon, I was as prepared as possible. And, poor Chappy would have been all alone with the scary paving machines and multitude of trucks out there, poor guy. So . . . while I feel a little guilty about the afternoon’s work . . . um, I can deal. (We won’t discuss the fact that they’re STILL not done, which means tomorrow’s lunch-time could be just as tricky.)

Besides, as I say, I was productive. I hand-sewed my zipper into my sweater. Yay! That was the technically difficult part, what with the pinning and basting and all that. I could even stop here if I really wanted to. The zipper is back-stitched in and is pretty secure, if not the most tidily-sewn zipper seam ever. But, of course, I want it be as secure as possible.

And then, there’s the ribbon.

Which means, it’s decision time.

So, this is where we stand.

These two are my favorites. Three pictures of basically the same thing–the two ribbons against my sweater. The first, they’re pinned in as they would be sewn in, to get an idea of the way it would look IN the sweater. The second, they’re laid out, side by side in the sun, along the zipper. The third, waiting decision, huddled together in anticipation.

Now, I admit, I think the "ribbon" one is a slightly better match, color-wise. Its tone matches the purple really well. And it’s all one piece, which will make it easier to sew in. (Remember? The swirly one is cut about midway through–I SO wish it were in one piece.) But still, there’s a part of me that likes the swirly one better. Its color is more vivid, which makes it "pop" more, and the swirls mimic the cable nicely. And I do like its pattern a little better. Basically, the "ribbon" one is more refined, the safer choice. The swirly one is more daring but more fun. What mood do I prefer?

Oh, and there’s absolutely no question. The Cranberry zipper was definitely the right choice!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Unexpected Leisure // 13 Comments »

Um, yeah…. so I got a little distracted tonight….

But, really, playing with the Candybar dolls is a lot more fun than typing on a keyboard that doesn’t want to make an RRRRRRRR….

Now, you’ll have to excuse me . . . this little spaniel wants to go running through that field and play . . .

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Um, yeah…. // 5 Comments »

Well, I’ve gotten my zipper basted into the sweater, but I don’t know if I’m going to get any further tonight.

For one thing, I’m almost afraid to un-baste the two fronts together to make sure the zipper is perfectly centered.

For reasons unknown to me, it took me three attempts to get the fronts sewn together so that they met at both the top and the bottom. This is perplexing because they ARE the same length, and I WAS being careful, and yet . . . twice, I whip-stitched up the fronts and ended up with extra. But then, when I laid the sweater flat and clipped it togethe with my KnitKlips? Perfect.

So, I’m not having much faith in my seaming skills today . . .

But, still, the zipper’s basted in and that’s a huge step. Sometime soon, I’ll dig out the sewing machine and stitch it in properly, along with the ribbon. (On which I’ll make the final decision once the zipper is sewn in and I can baste the ribbon in properly.)

Otherwise, today? I baked my Dad a cake for Father’s Day. AND defrosted a pair of baby Stollens that have been hibernating since December.

And, oh yes, spent lots of time on Ravelry, getting my stash entered.

Which, of course, meant that first, I had to dig though my stash and write everything down . . . Apparently, I have 94 different kinds/colors of yarn in my stash.

Now, if only my "R" key would stop sticking . . . it’s driving me nuts. Which means, I’m signing off now, before I start rrrrrreally wanting to hurrrrrt my compute. . . . Er . . . computeR. (Arrrrrgh)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Basting // 7 Comments »

So, first, finally, a new Saturday Sky picture. It’s been a while since I saw a skyscape worth photographing, so you can imagine how pleased I was to see this one.

But, second, what do you think of the new Header and design here at Chappysmom?

Really, other than rearranging the stuff in the sidebars, the only substative change was to the graphic in the header . . . what do you think?

(And, oh yes, the corresponding Button has updated, too.)

P.S. If the new header isn’t showing on your browser, it might be because it’s working off a cached version of my page–in which case, according to the nice people at Typepad, you should hold down the shift key and click on the Reload button to do a "hard-refresh." I’m just saying, because the new version wasn’t showing up for me at first, either!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Makeover // 9 Comments »

What a nice mail day I had today!

First, there were prints of the graduation pictures I took last week. You know, I am required as a proud aunt to have them.

Then, there was this box from Mielke’s Farm.

A Katie-a-go-go. A completely collapsable, portable, tensioned lazy kate–which is large enough for three Majacraft bobbins–that comes in its own cute little carry sack.

Incidentally, to digress for a moment (as I love to do), has anyone else ever heard that tensioned kates are called "industrious," and it’s only the untensioned ones that are "lazy?" I came across this in passing somewhere or other and have been trying to find verification of it. It’s such a nice, handy little semantic idea, but I have no idea if it’s true. I’ve only been able to find two mentions of it anywhere online, but it seems like such a simple way to verbally differentiate between the two kinds of kates . . . lazy or industrious . . . without having to spell out the tensioned/untensioned element. You know, "My industrious kate," instead of "My tensioned lazy kate."

Well, you know, assuming we spinners managed to spread the word to all the other spinners so that they’d know what we were talking about so we wouldn’t have to spell it out all the time, "My industrious kate, you know, my tensioned lazy kate?" Because that would be as silly as Rachel Ray’s "EVOO " abbreviation–handy when writing out a recipe, yes, but she always says it aloud, "Use some E-V-O-O, you know, that’s extra-virgin olive oil, and …" which completely defeats the purpose of the abbreviation. But I like the idea of the clear differentiation.

But then, who knows, hordes of kates around the world might rise up (or lay down, as the case may be) upon hearing that they’ve been reclassified, and complain about suddenly being labelled as lazy or having to be industrious, when up until now, at least they were all lazy together . . .

But, okay, back to ME.

Here’s a picture of the kate (lazy or otherwise) set up and ready to go with my two bobbins of Tibetan Dreams singles. String to tension the bobbins, and then the yarn feeds through the loop in the center. (Similar in concept if not in beauty to the Will Taylor kate that Abby has. I mean, really, his really IS gorgeous.) Clearly I haven’t tried it yet, but I do like that it’s portable and therefore versatile and easy to toss into a spinning bag. I mean, sure, it cost more than Theresa’s, but…)

What else did I get in the mail?

A (non-knitting) friend in Portland (the one on the West Coast) saw some articles in the newspaper that she thought I’d be interested in and sent me clippings.

(ahem) Why she thought I’d be interested, I have no idea.

Thanks, Carolyn!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Another Mail Call // 7 Comments »

I’m not entirely sure, but I think this is a Japanese Cherry Tree. But no matter what it was, it was stunning when I took its picture last month.

Brought to you by:

• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday, Martha's Vineyard • Permalink:Cherry? // 2 Comments »

First, thanks for all your opinions on those ribbons the other day. My two favorites are the bottom two–the Ribbon Jacquard and the Jacquard Swirls. I’m not going to make a final decision until the zipper’s in and I can pin them in and see how they’d really look. Now, don’t get me wrong, the top two would look good, too. If I had ordered only one of these, any of them, I’d be happy to use it. The grosgrain is a little "too" cranberry a color, though, so isn’t as good as match as I’d ideally like. The brown-with-dots looks good, too, except … it’s brown with pink dots and the sweater is purple–neither pink or brown–which makes it a less-obvious choice.

Then, for the two jacquard ones–I admit to being, at this moment, partial to the one with all the swirls. Just, two things . . . even though it will be in the inside, I’m afraid it’s just a little too busy. But more importantly, I only noticed when I unrolled the entire thing–it’s cut at just about the midway point. The pattern is lined up and it’s held with scotch tape, so I didn’t notice it until I was laying it along the edge of the sweater to test the length. Clearly, I can’t sew the scotch tape into the sweater, and once I remove it and trim the edges, the pattern won’t line up any more. I could certainly overlap the edges, but that won’t look exactly wonderful. Add to that the fact that this would be the center part of the hood, which you’d see every time I’d ever wear the hood. Of course, there’s not enough length to slide the "join" where it might be less noticeable . . . I ordered 4 yards, which is enough to go all the way around the edges, with just about 6" to spare. Plenty if it were all in one piece, but not enough to have room for "fiddling" with a join.

So . . . it’s possible I’ll go with the "Ribbon" which is a little subtler than the other but still smashing and gorgeous and has been one of my two favorites from the very beginning. Hey, maybe I’ll sew the swirly one inside the sleeves, just for kicks!

Now, also in that post, you may have seen all the "intimate" pictures of my Gem? I’ve mentioned my drive-band problem a couple of times. (Beth was nice enough to email the manufacturer for me, and everything, although she got pretty much the same answer I had gotten in November . . . why, oh why isn’t her shop a couple of states closer, anyway? If you’re in Michigan, you should really check it out, it sounds so great.)

Well, anyway, there’s a Majacraft Spinning Wheels group at Yahoo!Groups, and Andy-from-Majacraft recently joined and has been a great fund of all sorts of useful information, as you’d suspect. He said he was determined to help me figure out what my Gem’s problem was (hence all those photos of the drive band). He posted today that they’ve decided that the groove in my wheel isn’t deep enough, so . . . they’re sending me a new drive wheel. How great is that, huh??? You’ve got to love a company that stands behind their products. Which, of course, is why I’m telling you, because who doesn’t like to hear that? For that matter, that Yahoo group is chock-full of all sorts of useful question/answers, too . . . you know, in case you have a Majacraft yourself.

I can’t wait to go tell my Gem and let her out of the corner. On Sunday the drive band issue was SO bad that I literally could not spin for more than 60 seconds at a time . . . maybe, on the outside, two yards-worth of yarn … without the band slipping. I really didn’t do the last bit of my Tibetan Dreams roving justice, I was so upset with my wheel and just wanting to get it all DONE so I could move on to ply on my Lendrum and leave the Gem in the corner in disgrace. It’s never been that bad before! But since help is on the way–although I don’t expect it for a couple weeks, at least–I suppose I’ll go forgive her and give her a nice hug…

1. Do you cheat and peek ahead at the end of your books? Or do you resolutely read in sequence, as the author intended?
2. And, if you don’t peek, do you ever feel tempted?

Well, this has been a fun one to read responses to–most people seem to be entirely one one side of the line or the other, with very little crossover. Me? Well . . . I’ve always kind of liked to be "in the know" . . . Some people have compared this to hunting for Christmas presents and spoiling the surprise for yourself. Which is a fair comparison. So, maybe you should know that, when I was little, I always used to look until I’d found ONE present that I knew was for me. I’d act all surprised on Christmas morning (apparently very convincingly, since Mom didn’t know any of this until I told her a few years ago)–but I loved knowing just that one thing in advance. I would never have wanted to know all of them, and neither would I want to know all the details of a story’s unfolding in advance of the first read . . . but a detail or two?

Well . . . the honest answer is that yes, I’ve been known to peek at the end. Not, usually, to read the ending, but to glance ahead to see if a character-in-peril appears later on, or if the couple that I think is going to make a pair of it actually does–just the kind of quick info you can get from a glance at a page. It’s like the "next-week" scenes for a television show–nothing that really spoils anything else. Does knowing that Romeo and Juliet die spoil watching their play? Does knowing that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy end up together ruin the pleasure of watching their understanding of each other grow? We all know that Scrooge is going to turn out to be a softie, but Dickens’ Carol is just as captivating as ever. Heck, you can read an entire plot outline of a beautifully-written story and it still won’t spoil the actual read because that’s where you get the rich word play, dialogue, shaded meanings that the author created. It doesn’t matter if Godot comes, it’s the waiting that matters–whether you know if he shows up or not.

All in all, I’d say Marianne said it just right. Getting a glimpse at how a given situation might turn out doesn’t spoil the actual read for me any more than knowing the entire plot spoils any of my multiple re-reads. (You’ll remember that, if I like a book, I’m going to read it many, many times.) And yes, I also agree with her about the happy-ending thing . . . if it’s not going to be happy, I want a chance to brace myself. Do I peek every time I read a new book? Absolutely not. Do I, for example, want to know ahead of time if Harry Potter survives to the end of the Deathly Hallows? No, no, no. (I’ll avoid the Table of Contents, too, since the chapter title "Phoenix’s Lament" spoiled the big death for me last time.) But on occasion, a quick little glimpse into the future . . . who wouldn’t take a little precognition once in a while?

Although really, given a choice into psychic gifts, I’d pick teleportation, thank you. Think of the gas money and travel time I’d save….

Your Life is 16% Off Track

No doubt about it, you are living the right life. You’ve made some great decisions, and they’ve definitely paid off. Keep it up. You’re on the right track!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Updating // 5 Comments »

Thanks for your kind compliments on my not-quite-done sweater. It is SUCH a relief to have it so close to completion. I’ve enjoyed making it, but I was seriously starting to think it was never going to be finished.

So–the Cranberry zipper. I entirely agree.

Which leaves me with one more decision. Picking a ribbon to line the zipper with. You know, to sew on the inside to cover the zipper tape, like Grumperina did. I ordered an assortment of ribbons from J.Caroline, which came today.

I’ve already got this narrowed down to my two favorites, but I’m not going to tell you which two they are–I want YOUR opinion:

Burgundy Grosgrain.

Dot Jacquard in pink/brown.

Burgundy Ribbon Jacquard.

Plum/Pink/Burgundy Jacquard Waves.

What do you think??

Ideally–and assuming I bought enough–I’d like to go all the way up the front edge, around the inside of the hood and back down the other side . . . I just hadn’t thought about the hood when I ordered the ribbons, so . . . I won’t know if I have enough until I try it!

[Read more →]

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Ribbing // 21 Comments »

Well, it is large, and rather on the long side, but I suppose it’s not too bad a fit . . . (Please just ignore that it doesn’t at all go with my outfit, okay?)

Although, no, it didn’t shrink at all in the dryer, so far as I can tell. I could try tumbling it again, on a higher heat, but . . . I think I’ll just accept it the way it is, huh?

It really is a beautiful sweater. The cables (seen best here) are just luscious. And, what with its voluminous size, it should be really quite cozy, huh? A good layering piece in the fall and winter? It’s a lovely weight, too–not too thick and heavy, which should make it very wearable . . . well, in terms of layering.

The next question is about which zipper to use. I’ve got two to choose from. I’m showing you two pictures here–they’re identical except that I used the flash in one and not the other. The zipper on the left in each photo is the Cranberry color, and the one on the right is the Plum.

Now, by rights, the Plum should be the one that works best . . . you know, what with the yarn being Plum and all. But really? I think the Cranberry is the best match. This yarn looks so different in different lights . . . sometimes almost burgundy, sometimes almost brown . . . that I  think the Plum zipper is way too purple for it.

The zipper length, as seen here, is several inches shorter than the actual sweater–which, let me hasten to assure you, was entirely planned. As soon as I realized that this was going to be a monster, coat-length kind of sweater, I planned accordingly. There was no way I was going to be able to wear this with a zipper going all the way to the bottom hem. (It would look too much like a mini-dress, for heaven’s sake, not to mention being a lot more awkward to wear.) So I bought a 22" zipper and hoped for the best. As long as I sew it in properly, I think that will look just fine when worn . . . the zipper not meeting the hem.

Really, I HAVE thought about this.

And, the other ideas about closures? Buttons, frogs, metal clasps? I think the frogs and the clasps would take away from the sweater–one at the neck, maybe, but otherwise, no. The front cables are too close to the center, it would look too busy.

Buttons? They could work, they really could, but as soon as I realized that that would mean not only more knitting (No, no! Not that! Anything but that!) but would add width to the already-large sweater, I kind of lost interest in that idea.

Although, come to think of it, there’s no reason I couldn’t do a zipper AND a single, pretty, decorative, button at the neck . . . That could look kind of nice, actually . . . And provide options. I’m a big fan of options….

Speaking of which, did you know the new Knitty is up? It’s got some decent patterns in it, although as a rule, summertime knits leave me feeling kind of bored, so the lack of enthusiasm isn’t necessarily a true reflection on the quality of the patterns this time around. The only one I felt any enthusiasm . . . as in, "I might want to make that," was the Wisp scarf/shawl. It’s light. It’s lacy. And again, full of options.