Here’s a real-time look at the ribbing to my Autumn Rose.

It’s 2/3 done–I just finished the five rows of the second color, and then have five more rows, and then I’ll be done with the ribbing. I’ll admit, it’s not my favorite part,but I AM happy with the way it looks.

It’s one of those knitting ironies . . . it looks great but not that much fun doing it. Kind of like the bobbles on my Lotus Blossom shawl. I really hate making bobbles, and don’t even like them very much, but at the points of the Lotus Blossom, well, they’re perfect . . . so I suffered. This corrugated, two-color ribbing isn’t quite that bad, but . . . yeah . . . not actually loving it. At least it’s moving along.

And, really, that’s about it for now. I could probably find something to ramble on about (because you all know I’m good at that), but . . . I should go finish entering my monthly reading list in for tomorrow…. Can you believe it’s almost September already?

Oh, but there is one thing . . . Stitchy is running Rhinebeck Blogger Bingo again this year. Woot!

Have a great weekend, everyone.

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

Something about the way the dappled light streaming through the leaves outside interacted with the lace curtain . . . I just really liked that!

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Window // 4 Comments »

Chris made it look like so much fun, so here’s a look inside my purse. You know, it’s really amazing how much the stuff spreads out when you release it.

Starting on the left and going mostly clockwise, we have: a silk scarf to tie over my hair when needed, my sock-in-progress in its bright blue bag, my credit card case, my car keys, Moo cards, inhaler (just in case.) Then my camera in its handknit little bag, my cell phone. The largest item, my eyeglasses–mostly because I need to carry both my regular glasses and my sunglasses with me, even though I rarely wear the regular ones any more. (Thank you, Ocuvite vitamins.) A tin of mints, my change purse, a Ticked Off spoon, a pair of wooden Hair Styx, lip gloss, and a doggie bag . . . because you never know.

It looks and sounds like SO much stuff, and yet it fits quite nicely . . . it’s really only the knitting that seems to take up an excessive amount of space and, well, I’ll just have to live with that, huh?

No new photos of my Autumn Rose to show you, but I’m all the way up to row 7. (Yes, let’s hear the awed "oohs" and "ahs.")

I haven’t touched my Ribby sleeves in the last couple of nights, I’ve been so eager to get the Autumn Rose moving along, but I’ll work on those this weekend.

I do need to address my socks, though. I haven’t gotten more than  a row or three done since last week, but would like to get a third pair done for the Summer of Socks. Those sock tallys are quite impressive–Cookie has made 27 pairs. Wow!

And, my lace? My poor lace. I haven’t even touched it in a couple weeks. I don’t know that I can entirely blame the Zephyr. That’s part of it, but more, it’s that I’ve clearly been bitten by the Fair Isle bug. So between wanting to work on Autumn Rose and not entirely enjoying knitting with the (beautiful, silky, lovely) Zephyr, well . . . Poor shawl.

How much am I loving my (slow-moving) Autumn Rose?

Well, enough that I bought her her very own, coordinating Baggallini One-Tote bag. Which, I have to tell you, I’m very impressed with. Lots of pockets and loops and tethers and sections and pockets and zippers and snaps and pockets . . . It’s three main sections–a big, zippered one in the center, with two snap-closed ones at either end, but within each section, there are smaller pockets, places for cell phones, pens, accessories . . . And wow, it’s light! I mean, yarn isn’t that heavy, but it’s noticeably lighter than my other Baggallini bag–the Doctor’s Satchel, which I still love, mind you, but . . . this new bag is one, nice bag. And such a pretty shade of orange, too!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Brown-Bagging It // 9 Comments »

There was a widely bruited-about statistic reported last week, stating that 1 in 4 Americans did not read a single book last year. Clearly, we don’t
fall into that category, but . . . how many of our friends do? Do you
have friends/family who read as much as you do? Or are you the only
person you know who has a serious reading habit?

This question’s an easy one for me. No-one in my family reads nearly as much as I do. Not even close. (I mean, you’ve seen my reading lists, right? Seen my personal statistics?) But, that said, my father reads regularly. My mom and my sister both read. My niece likes to but doesn’t find that much time for it.

As to friends? Well, my best friend growing up . . . I’ve known her for, lord, just about exactly 32 years, since we met the first week I was in third grade . . . she and I read constantly in high school, exchanging books, reading the same books at the same time . . . discussing all the finer details. I can’t begin to tell you how much I absolutely loved that, and how much I really, really miss it. I hate not having someone around who loves to read the same things I do and who likes to talk about them. And my other friends? They read rarely, if at all, and I can’t remember the last time I saw a co-worker with anything other than a magazine or newspaper.

All I can say is, thank heaven for blogs and bloggers so that I at least know there are other "real" readers out there!

(And, you can come play, too, over at the Booking Through Thursday blog! The more the merrier.)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:BTT: Statistics // 17 Comments »

Well, I’ve cast on for my Autumn Rose.

I know, I know, it doesn’t look like much, but that little bit took me about 75 minutes last night. Casting on upwards of 250 stitches took 40 minutes. (I know, I was surprised, too.) And then knitting the first row in two-color ribbing . . . well, that wasn’t fun. Knitting the first row after cast-on is one of my least favorite parts of knitting. No matter how carefully, how loosely I cast-on, even with bigger needles, it’s usually uncomfortably tight, the stitches don’t "feel" right. Throw in ribbing in two colors, where you’re switching colors AND bringing yarn forward to purl, without getting the colors tangled . . . well . . . Frankly, I was surprised that first row only took half an hour.

Then, this came today. In record time, too, since I only ordered it yesterday. Season One of Friday Night Lights. It only just came out yesterday and I was reading a review of the DVD in the paper when I decided that it wouldn’t hurt to check it out on Amazon. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was on sale for $20. I mean, that’s under a dollar an episode for one of the very best shows on television.

And, the best part?

The fine print.

Yep. The picture there on the right.

NBC is so convinced that you’ll like the show, they’re offering an actual guarantee.

Now, if only they’ll transfer that confidence to its second season this fall. And, really folks, if you’re not watching, you MUST give this show a try. There wasn’t a single episode last season that I disliked and there were many that I absolutely loved. The fact that Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton were snubbed by the Emmys just fills me with a profound sense of disgust, because their performances . . . along with everybody else’s . . . were fabulous. Honestly, even the characters I didn’t think I liked at the beginning grew on me with their humanity and three-dimensionalness. (And yes, I know that’s not a real word.) And yet the ones I liked never truly disappointed me. This is Grade A television, folks. You must  check it out .

Caroline was nice enough to offer to pick up that Proclaimers CD for me next week. Let’s hear it for Caroline!

And, thanks also, to Kim for declaring me Rockin’. I’ve seen this so many places, I’m honestly not sure who hasn’t been, so . . . I’m just going to nominate all of you folks who read, okay?

The timing was good, though. My little blog had a nice little milestone last night. It’s been creeping up on an average of 200 views per day for a couple weeks now and finally just passed it. That’s pretty nifty, huh? And, over 191,000 views since I started the blog in January 2005. It might not compare to some of the "A-list" knit-bloggers, but hey, I’m pretty proud of it.

Of course, Chappy definitely deserves some of the credit. What with being so cute and all. I’m sure most of you come by really just to see him, right?

Really, who could blame you?

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Beginnings // 10 Comments »

For some reason, my Dad thought of me when he saw this Close to Home comic in the paper this morning.

Funnily enough, for some reason, I saw why right away.

(And, please tell me I’m not the first one to think of Stephanie, our own, personal rock star? Not that she knits away in a rocking chair or anything . . . and, really, is that stereotype ever going to go away?)

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Hitting Too Close // 9 Comments »

Well, it’s amazing, the difference in email quantities in a day when you skip a day of posting. I didn’t post yesterday and barely got any emails today . . . It sure didn’t make getting through a day at the office any easier!

See, the problem is that I really didn’t have much to say yesterday. I mean, it was really just such a Monday-ish Monday, if you know what I mean. There really wasn’t any visible knitting progress since my post on Sunday, so . . . I skipped a day. Obviously, most of you held that against me (grin).

Anyway, here I am, and that’s what matters, right?

Here’s a look at my spinning. I span (spun? spinned?) last night for the first time in a week and I was surprised at how much I was missing it. This, you’ll remember, is the "Carbon" merino from Blue Moon Fiber that I got at Rhinebeck last year. I started spinning it three weeks ago and am still on the first bobbin, it spins up so nicely. Really nicely, in fact. (Which it had better, considering the cost.)

(And no, I’m not using my woollee winder for this, but am almost-obsessively trying to get the singles to wind-on as perfectly as I can. It gives me something to do between treadles.)

Anyway, otherwise? Not too much else to really say. Mom took my boots back to DSW for me to get the anti-theft dye-device that they forgot to take off removed. And she returned the shoes that I bought her. She had to stop at the office to get my credit card to do that, and we were joking about the role-reversal thing–how I bought her a pair of shoes, and now she’s borrowing my credit card … I remember when that was the other way around, you know? I wore my new sneakers today and enjoyed every minute. Dad and I are trying hard to come up with something that will bring in some money (thanks for sending mojo our way, any more you can spare would be appreciated). Chappy is being cute and adorable, as always. I’m on a David Eddings kick for reading and a Paul McCartney kick for driving music . . . You know. Same old, same old.

Oh, but, this just isn’t fair. I’m on the mailing list of Amazon-UK, even though I’m in the US, and yesterday I got an email alerting me to a new Proclaimer’s album. I’ve told you before how much I like these guys. But of course, it’s silly to pay for shipping from the UK, right? Especially with the dollar being what it is these days. So, I checked out the Amazon-US site. And did a double-take. Could that really be the price? $43.99?? When it’s about $18 on the British site? I’m guessing the postage wouldn’t be quite as high as $16, either. That’s an awful lot for a cd, don’t you think? But, what a tease! I can’t justify that kind of money for just an album. No matter how much I liked the single "Life With You." (It’s there, on the Amazon UK page and quite catchy.) Sigh. Mean marketing! Tormenting me . . .

Added: I don’t suppose anybody in the UK would like to pick up a copy for me when it comes out next week, huh? I’ll trade some yarn for it . . . like, maybe, a nice skein of Cashwool? Sock yarn??

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Post-Monday // 14 Comments »

Here’s a look at my knitting day in a nutshell.

I sewed the side seams of my Ribby and then sewed the fronts closed and basted the zipper in. I won’t actually pull out the sewing machine to permanently sew it in until I’ve got the rest of the knitting done, and have the sleeves in and the neckband knitted. But getting it pinned and basted in is the hard part, so it’s good to have that done.

The sleeves are 9.5" long at the moment and need to be 17" before shaping for the raglan sleeve cap, so we’re past the halfway point, but it’s still got a few days worth of knitting to go.

And then there’s my Autumn Rose swatch. It’s done, it’s washed, dried, and measured. I’m getting about 28.7 stitches over 4 inches/10 cm. Naturally, that’s looser than the recommended gauge . . . because when do I ever actually get gauge, right? . . . but it’s also a lot closer than usual, too, which I’m crediting to the two-color fair isle. This means I can pretty much use the stitch counts for the smallest size and the sweater will (hopefully) end up fitting as it should. I’ve been playing around with my colorized Excel cheat sheet, adjusting the location and shaping of the neckline, taking a few of the waist decreases out, that kind of thing. I haven’t decided if I’m going to tweak the colors yet. Because, well, they’re just so gorgeous as they are, and yet I do so love the tweaking thing . . . so, I haven’t yet decided.

Chappy wants to thank everyone for the anniversary wishes and all the "cute puppy" compliments. Seriously, he was one of the cutest puppies I’ve ever seen.

Hey, on a non-knitting note, if anybody has some money-making mojo they can share or send our way, it would be appreciated . . . Towards my Dad, specifically. Without getting into details, we’re approaching a crisis point and really need some generally good prayers and karma to help get things in line, so . . . if you could, it would be appreciated!

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

First things first . . . Happy anniversary, Chappy! I told you two weeks ago about the imposter who almost snuck into our lives. But anyway . . . I’m never sure if this will work, or not, but here’s a couple-minute video snippet of the highlights of Chappy’s first day with us. Our arrival at the breeder’s to see the puppy pile just waking up. ("Red Ear" is the sulky-looking one at the bottom of the pile.) A bit of me trying to choose my puppy. And then a minute or so of Chappy romping around our slippery-floored kitchen. I, at least, think it’s absolutely worth watching, but I’m a little biased. As I say, I hope it works. Let’s try that YouTube thing, and there’s also a link to download the .wmv file)….

Download chappy_homecoming_2001.wmv

Now, with that obligatory, "I adore my dog" moment over with . . .

I started the swatch for my Autum Rose.

In fact, I started it last night, on Suzanne Ebony US #2 needles, but I was having trouble with the chart. I was having trouble with the print-out of my colorized version, so I was working off the main chart from the book, but I’d lose my place, or I’d get confused . . . the "pattern" is the lighter yarn color, with the background being darker, and yet the black-and-white version of the chart has the pattern showing in black squares . . . so I kept getting mixed up as to which was which and where I was, and it was a mess! So, I stopped after about 6 rows, until I could revamp the color version so I could work off of that.

But then, I pulled out a measuring tape, just to get a very rough idea of the size . . . and it looked like I was getting about 24 stitches to 4" rather than the 30 the pattern called for. So, just before bed, I switched the swatch to US #1 Addi Lace needles, and those are the needles I’ve been using for the rest of the swatch. I’m happy with the way the fabric looks, so, that’s all that matters, right? I’ll crunch numbers as needed later on, when the swatch is complete, washed, dried, and measured (from where I switched needles, of course).

I do keep wondering, though. Someone (Alice Starmore, maybe?) is supposed to have said that you should never change both colors on the same row, that you get a better and/or more subtle effect if you change only one at a time . . . so I’m wondering . . . what if I adjusted the pattern just a little, so that I change one color at a time? I’m thinking about finishing the swatch with that in mind, just to see what it looks like. Because, well, I’m curious. Not to mention that it’s completely unlike me to simply use the colors called for in any pattern, ever, and since I am doing that . . . I’m kind of feeling like I should play around a little more . . . Or is that just silly? (Although, of course, we’re just talking about the swatch right now, and it’s MY sweater, after all, so why not….)

I’ve got to say, though, the fringe of loose, broken ends on the swatch is kind of driving me nuts. Since the sweater is knitted circularly from the right side, I’m only knitting my swatch from the front–as I finish each row, I’m breaking off the yarn, sliding back to the other end of my circular needle, and then knitting the next row . . . but that trail of broken ends is kind of bugging me . . . But then, you know how I like things to be tidy.

Knitting isn’t all I did today, though. I had a coupon to DSW that was about to expire, so Mom and I went shoe shopping. Because, what better way to spend the hottest, most humid day of the summer so far than to look at autumn footwear, right? You, in particular, should like the sneakers–they’re brown corduroy, but with an argyle motif on the side. Playful, comfortable, and knit-like, what could be better?

The only hitch? The boots. The salesperson forgot to remove the anti-theft dye device from the zipper, so either I have to take them back to have it removed, or take Mom up on her offer to do it for me. How silly! But I love them, anyway. they remind me of the flat, scrunchy boots I wore most of the way through high school. For whatever reason, I’ve always loved wearing boots…. Isn’t it autumn yet??

Also, this arrived today, too. Four ounces of Lincoln wool in "Harvest Haze." Pretty, no? I’ve never spun with Lincoln before and have absolutely no idea what to expect.

Oh, and my niece is moved into her dorm room and is now officially a college student. Now my sister just needs to get my nephew ready for high school on Monday and then, hopefully, she can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s been kind of crazy over at their house lately.

Last, just before I forget–here’s my very hot and hazy Saturday Sky picture for Sandy the Birthday Girl. I’m just sorry it’s not a "better" sky. Hot. And hazy. And did I mention that it’s hot? Not triple digits, like huge chunks of the US has been suffering with lately, but still . . . hot.

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:One and Only // 19 Comments »

Yes, I’m blocking my Ribby sweater pieces before I seam them together. I didn’t necessarily HAVE to, but it seemed the right thing to do. (Yes, I know, that gets me into trouble with myself, doesn’t it?)

That’s okay, though, I do want the sweater to look good, after all, and it’s not really that much trouble to wait another day before sewing these three pieces together.

The sleeves, of course, aren’t done yet, but why wait? I’ve got the zipper, and I bought ribbon for the inside. I’ve come to really like putting ribbon inside my cardigan edges. It makes it look so nicely finished, even if it does stiffen the knitted fabric . . . but, well, the zipper tape does that anyway.

The ribbon I picked is perfect, too–brown with shades-of-blue dots, which will coordinate perfectly with the blue-and-brown sweater. (Although this one would have been equally perfect, especially with the vertical ribbing . . . why didn’t I see it? But, still, it’s refreshing to get it right on the first try for a change. Because you remember last time, right?) You can see it here (being pointed to by my assistant) along with the fabric I bought from J. Caroline Creative, and which came today. I thought I might try making a skirt one of these days. I’ve seen so many nice ones around the blog world, and the fabric was on sale, so . . . why not, right?

I’ve added an additional refinement to my Autumn Rose Yarn Organization campaign. I put a sticker on the top (well, technically the bottom) of each little ziploc bag, identifying which two yarns are in there. This will make it easier to tell which pair I need to use each time I change colors.

(And, well, I’m sorry, but I LIKE being organized. I’m one of those strange people who actually enjoys doing this kind of thing.)

It’s bugging me that I might not have enough yarn if I change the neckline and modify the waist shaping. Karen has been very helpful, but it’s still one big question mark. I’ll know better after I swatch . . . which I plan to do tonight . . . but I’m thinking maybe it wouldn’t hurt to buy an extra skein of the questionable colors ANYWAY. They’re returnable (within 60 days) if I don’t use them, and peace of mind is definitely worth a few extra dollars . . .

I’m optimistically swatching on size 2 needles because they’re the only ones I have in Ebony. If that turns out to be too big a gauge, I can always drop to the Addi Lace needles in size 1, right? (Remember, I’m the person who had to knit her Celtic Dreams–in Aran Weight yarn–on size 3 needles, and whose socks are routinely only 44 stitches around . . . for who knows what reason, I knit loosely. Really, I’m just kidding myself, starting with a 2 . . . but then, I’m getting good at all that number-crunching from adapting all these patterns all the time (grin).

Oh, speaking of the Autumn Rose. I found a knit-along. So, naturally I want to join. I mean, I’m making the sweater anyway, right? And I’ll try not to feel intimidated that there’s already a finished one. I also found a site with lots of helpful tips about Fair Isle. And, of course, there’s Eunny’s masterful explanation/tutorial on steeks. Isn’t it amazing the stuff you can find on the internet?

Now, you’re probably wondering about the title of my post. Do you see anything missing in this picture?

Yes, one of my Merrells.

And, why?

Well, at lunch, while Mom, Chappy and I were out for a walk, we stopped to chat with a neighbor, and as we stood there, admiring his new front door . . . I felt something  . . . warm. And wet. On my foot.

Yes, Chappy decided to mark ME. Or he completely forgot that I was standing there, because there he was, um, getting my shoe all wet. And, of course, since these are the Primo Breeze, whose upper is made of nice, cool mesh . . . it went straight through the top of the shoe and . . . pooled around my foot. Lovely, huh?

Naturally, I exclaimed, "Chappy! What are you DOING?" and he immediately stopped what he was doing and looked rather ashamed, but . . . well, first, the rest of the walk was particularly fun, what with the squishing with every other step, but then, of course, I had to completely bathe my foot and change my shoes before I could go back to work. In fact, the poor, wet-upon shoe is now even wetter because I literally ran it under water in the bathtub to try to get it clean . . . I figured, it couldn’t be MORE ruined, right? And it’s not like I was going to be able to wear it again the way it was (ick!).

I do keep telling you that Chappy, while wonderful in many, many ways, still isn’t actually perfect.

Funnily, though, after that, I didn’t really have any guilty feelings about making him get in the tub for his bath tonight . . . At least he’ll dry off faster than my shoe!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Bathing // 13 Comments »

Note the busy bee that appears in almost every picture.
And, no, I don’t know why I seem to like taking pictures from the sides of things so much . . . there’s just something about the oblique angle when looking at things that I find really appealing. (I like diagonals in designing things, too.)
And, no, I did NOT grow these myself. I just thought they looked beautiful at the farmer’s market a couple of weeks ago and took their picture.

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Sunflower // 5 Comments »

I’ve already told you I like planning ahead, right?

It’s hard to see the detail in the photo, but here’s my yarn, ready to go. I’ve got the yarns grouped in pairs according to the colors being used together on each row. Each pair is in its own ziploc sandwich bag, with the ends threaded through a hole cut into each corner. That last part I owe to Eva. Usually I just have the ends coming out of the bag at the top, which is marginally problematic as the yarn occasionally gets caught in the "zip."

So, I’ve pretty much done everything I need to do to be able to swatch. I won’t of course, be able to do anything ELSE until I’ve done that and know exactly what size I need to make, what modifications I’m making to the neckline (because, yes, at least two more inches there, that scoop is kind of low for me). You know, all that fun stuff. Which means, I need to SWATCH!

My Ribby is moving along. The sleeves are about 5-6" long, so they’re making progress. I was going to seam the side seams tonight but then thought that I should probably block them first. Although, I could get away with not doing that, though the front edge for sewing the zipper has quite a tendency to curl under, so blocking would probably be a good idea. Usually, I’d just check my blog to see what I did for my niece’s Ribby, but of course, since that whole thing was a secret right up until I gave it to her, my blog is just no help whatsoever for this question. The side seams look like they’ll be quite cooperative, so that actually leaves a third option–sew the side seams and then block the entire body in one piece.

Hmm. Too many decisions. But I think it’s pretty obvious that nothing else is going to happen to my Ribby tonight (grin). All those little skeins of Shetland sure look cute . . . I’m so glad tomorrow’s Friday. I’m going to have to make a point of finding some extra time for knitting this weekend. . . .

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Planning // 4 Comments »

No, I haven’t started my Autumn Rose yet. No, I haven’t even swatched for it yet.

Instead, I’m diligently plugging away at my Ribby sweater. I’ve got the front and both sides done, and have a few inches of the sleeves done.

See?

I love the way these colors look together. But, of course, you already knew that.  It’s pretty accurate in the photo, although they’re lightened just a little by the camera flash. I’ve still got a way to go for the sleeves, but they’re moving along.

Not that I haven’t been THINKING about my Autumn Rose. I’ve copied the stitch pattern into my computer, for two reasons. One, because the chart’s kind of small and I thought it would be nice to, well, see it, but also, two, because I wanted to add some color to help keep the whole thing straight.

Next, I’ll figure out what I need to do to keep that pile of yarn behaving itself in my knitting bag. I’ve said that this is my first real Fair Isle sweater–I’ve never done a sweater with quite so many different colors, and so have never faced an organizing problem like this. I like my bag to be neat and orderly (I can’t help it), and this lot is likely to get rowdy. Not to mention that they’re likely to overwhelm my poor, neglected lace project. Clearly, I need to take steps, and it’s better to do so now than to wait until after I’ve started the sweater. Once I’ve started, I want to KNIT. But for now? I don’t mind taking the necessary time to prepare.

Besides. As I said. I need to get the Ribby’s knitting done before I seriously start knitting on this sweater anyway.

Because, yes, I DO have at least some will-power. I might be quick with my credit card, but there’s at least some discipline, here . . .

Although . . . speaking of credit card discipline . . . I’ve got a copy of Season One of Due South on DVD–the Canadian version, bought off Ebay years ago, and which, for some reason, doesn’t include the Pilot episode. Is it crazy that I’m considering buying the American version just so that I can see that Pilot again? (Um, maybe you shouldn’t answer that.)

And, as a book-lover and a person you KNOW reads more or less constantly, this is one of the saddest statistics I’ve seen in a long time. (Well, saddest not including death and disaster, that is.)

Lastly, because I’m not above a little "cheating" on my own meme once in a while, here are my answers for Booking Through Thursday for tomorrow.

Using a suggestion from Erin today:

When growing up did your family share your love of books? If so, did one person get you into reading? And, do you have any family-oriented memories with books and reading? (Family trips to bookstore, reading the same book as a sibling or parent, etc.)

Everyone in my family reads, although when I was little, Dad rarely had time from work and Mom was busy being Mom, but still, they read and encourage my sister and I to read . . . which we both did more or less voraciously. In fact, I was always trying to "catch up." If she said, "This is a good book, but a little old for you," well, naturally I’d have to force myself to read it, right?

I also have a very clear memory of a spur of the moment weekend’s trip to Bermuda when I was in about second grade, when we got rained in. My Dad picked up a copy of Dr. Seuss’s "Fox in Socks"–a marvelous tongue-twister of a book–and the four of us sat in our hotel room, taking turns reading it out loud, having a contest on who could get through with the fewest mistakes. I can still recite practically that entire book from memory. (The Tweedle Beetle section has always been my favorite.)

And then, of course, Mom and I always read together when we go on vacations–we take turns reading aloud in the car or in the hotel room. It’s always nice to share a book, turning the reading experience into a social activity. I love doing that. The only problem? I can’t read aloud and knit at the same time!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Ribbing // 26 Comments »

So, yes. Up at 5:15 this morning. Pouring rain, and only 55 degrees (13C). Put on a wool sweater and handknit socks. Out of the house at 6:15, but, oops! Left my coffee at home. (Too early.) Too late to turn back. Buy more at the hospital coffee shop. (Better-tasting than I expected.)

Dad checked in, we went upstairs to wait in the Day-Surgery waiting room. He got called in, I sat and knitted with the Today Show while other people came and went.

(In fact, I finally gave up waiting for the room to empty out and just got up to TAKE this picture, darn it, with a muttered, "It’s a blogging thing," to the person sitting next to the coffee.)

Dad was finished a little late . . . it took longer than the doctor had expected . . . but we were out of the hospital by 9:00. Ran through the rain to get the car while he waited by the drop off/pick up doorway. Drove to the pharmacy to get his prescriptions filled. Back home to a confused Chappy by 9:30.

Back in the car to go to work. Thought about stopping at Starbucks for a snack. "I deserve a treat," I tell myself. Then I glanced at the clock and realized it had been four hours since breakfast. Definitely deserved a treat. Stopped, another cup of coffee and a doughnut, then on to the office. Answer a couple of questions about Dad and then settled in to work. Four hours later . . . having skipped lunch (other than the doughnut) . . . fading and tired . . . left to come home.

3:30, Mom was home from taking my niece to see her dorm room. (Niece is thrilled–her room is in a newly-renovated brownstone, all fresh and "new," and is one of the biggest rooms in the building.)

Boiled spaghetti for supper, which we ate early even by our standards–we were all hungry after our early breakfasts. And now, 6:20, I’m tired. I definitely feel like I’ve been up for that extra hour and a half (grin).

My socks, meanwhile, are coming along nicely. Getting close to time to do the heel. I got quite a lot done during those two-plus hours at the hospital. I’m loving how different they look–very much fraternal twins, these two. Usually that would bug me a bit, but I suppose that since I spun the yarn, I’m not feeling overly critical. Or maybe I’m just too tired to get worked up over it?

The plying head for my Little Gem came today. Look at the size of that bobbin! I balanced my Canon Elph on top to give you an idea of the scale. I also put a Lendrum plying bobbin next to it to give you another comparison–that’s a little taller, but the Majacraft is definitely wider. (I mean, come on, I balanced my CAMERA on top and had plenty of room.) Huge. Really huge. It had really better have enough space for all 9 ounces of that "Carbon" yarn. Although, still, I wish that Woollee Winders came in Majacraft-plying size . . .

Now. Dad’s feeling fine, if tender. (The Tylenol-with-codeine is no doubt helping.) Mom’s safely home, but tired from five hours driving in the rain. Chappy’s still confused but glad to have everyone home where they belong. I’m definitely tired but feel that I’m up to knitting tonight. I finished my Ribby sweater’s fronts last night and started the sleeves. (As in, I cast on and knit all of two rows, but hey, they’re started!) No, I haven’t swatched yet for my Autumn Rose. I’m going to need to enlarge the chart for that, and even if I’d had the mental energy to remember this morning, I wouldn’t have wanted to bring the book out in the rain today to get it to the office copy machine. Because, did I mention it was raining? A lot.

Five more hours to bedtime . . . well, to my normal bedtime. Somehow, I think my light’s going to be out a little early tonight! No doubt Chappy will be glad to see things get back to normal tomorrow.

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Early-Birding // 12 Comments »

Soon, there will be swatching.

Because, see? My Autumn Rose kit from Two Swans yarn came today.

Next, of course, comes the swatching. Because swatching is a must for me, what with my wonky, loose gauge. I’m thinking that maybe I should get some ebony needles, too, since I don’t have any in size 2 (3mm) or size 1 (2.5mm).
…Actually, no, I just checked. I do have a pair of Suzanne’s ebony in 3 mm with a 24" cable. I also have an Addi Lace in size 1 with a 32" cable, so they might work.

If not, I’ll just adjust my stitches according to my gauge like I do all the time for other things. I DO plan on adjusting the neckline so it’s not quite so low, though. I like the scoop neck, just . . . I don’t want mine quite that . . . scoopy. But now, of course, I’m worrying that maybe I didn’t buy enough yarn. I usually make my sweaters to fit 36" and there’s a "jump" in the yarn requirements between the 37" and the 39" sizes . . . If I adjust the neckline, and don’t do quite as much waist shaping (since my waist isn’t quite this shapely) . . . what happens if I should have bought those extra skeins of those 8 colors who make that "jump?" Although, if my gauge is as loose as it usually is, that would counter-act the additional knitted fabric, because I’d be starting with fewer stitches for my size anyway….

Really, you can see why a gauge swatch is an absolute must. As well as keeping my fingers crossed for yarn . . . while I’m wondering if I should just order those 8 skeins, just in case . . . Though, that’s another $35 for yarn I might end up not needing at all . . . Thoughts anyone?

It’s going to be fun, regardless. I haven’t done any color-stranded work since the Olympics. And all the other stranded sweaters I’ve done have been Scandinavian in design, so this is actually my first "real" Fair Isle design, modernized or not. I’ve never done a sweater that had this many colors in it. Certainly not this many that I needed to carry with me at all times!

Organizing my knitting bag to hold all of this is going to be … interesting.

Now, let’s see. Tomorrow’s going to be an interesting day. My father needs a minor medical procedure done, and had schedule it for last Friday at 2:00 . . . except that the hospital (or doctor, I’m not sure) rescheduled it for something like 9:45 in the morning and never called to tell us. So Dad got at call at 9:45 wondering where he was, which you can imagine made him just so happy. Anyway, they rescheduled it for tomorrow . . . except, tomorrow’s kind of . . . crazy.

In steps: (1) It’s my nephew’s high school orientation and my sister absolutely has to–and wants to–go. However, (2) it’s also ny niece’s chance to get a look at her actual dorm room before moving in on Friday. Something which has been planned for weeks–for both her and her chauffeur, my Mother, who was the one person Tiffany wanted to have come along, since her Mom couldn’t come. Which means that (3) I’m the lucky person who gets to drive Dad to the hospital in the morning. Something which I, as a loving daughter, am happy to do, except . . . we have to leave the house at 6:15 to get to the hospital by 6:30 for his procedure at 7:30.

That’s right. 6:15. Half an hour earlier than I usually wake up in the first place. Which means I need to be up at 5:15 to be ready. Which means there’s no way I’m going to get enough sleep tonight, because I’m just not going to be able to convince my body to fall asleep by 10:30. (Remember, I’m the late-riser in my family. I’ve been known to sleep until 8:30 (gasp) on weekends. So far as my body is concerned, there’s only one 5:15 in the day, and it’s close to supper time.) I’ve already cleared it with my boss that I’m coming in late, working for a few hours, and then leaving early, because I fully expect to be dragging by afternoon. I’ll also be the one cooking tomorrow, since Mom’s going to be spending about 5 hours in the car . . .

As I said. Tomorrow’s going to be interesting! And boy oh boy, is Chappy ever going to be confused when I get up in the morning. And with him getting his breakfast so early, he’s going to be looking for his supper about 3:00 in the afternoon….

Oh, if you’re a spinner, go check out Abby’s comparison between spinning on spindles and wheels–thought-provoking!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Upcoming Swatch // 14 Comments »

Chappy made a new friend today.

You might recognize her. She’s my sister’s brother-in-law’s daughter, first cousin to my niece and nephew . . . which means there’s no blood shared between us, but she’s still family, and I’m calling her my niece-in-law (grin).

This picture, actually, was the closest the two of them came to each other. Kaitlyn was very much intrigued with Chappy, but, um, kind of cried just about every time she came within petting range. Well, really, when they were both sitting, Chappy did kind of tower over her, and that’s got to be a little intimidating, right? Which was why it was nice when he politely laid down here. (He really IS a sweet boy.)

It was such a nice visit. Almost the entire family together for a kind of going-away party for my niece, who heads off for college on Friday. Then, on Monday, my nephew starts high school. There are big, important, educational, life milestones happening over there at my sister’s house next weekend!

And, look at that row of tall men in the back of the picture, too–That’s my sister’s brother-in-law, my nephew, my brother-in-law, and my Dad . . . all so tall! My niece isn’t exactly short, either. Clearly, I need to start wearing heels more often.

Oh, and you can see my haircut in this picture. I think it’s an okay cut, but I don’t think it’s the Best Cut Ever, either. You can see Kaitlyn was admiring it, though . . . it was the oddest thing, all day long, I kept getting the feeling that someone wanted to pull my hair . . .

As you can see, we were all having a good time. (And don’t her parents look appropriately adoring?)

I met my nephew’s new bunny rabbit, Snowshoe, although I didn’t get a chance to take his picture. Very cute little white and grey rabbit. Chappy did NOT get to meet him, though he did stand in my nephew’s doorway with his nose twitching for a moment or two. We all felt that that was a face-to-face meeting that shouldn’t take place, you know? Didn’t want to traumatize the poor bunny.

When we came home, I found my order from Webs sitting on the doorstep. I couldn’t resist that Summer Sale of theirs, and bought 18 skeins of Silky Wool in color 43 (Hazel). This photo is a little blurry, but the color’s just about right. I also bought two skeins of that creamy color (#41), just in case I decided . . . whenever I turn the Hazel into a sweater . . . that it needed an accent. And, really, for only $3.49 a skein, how could I resist? Especially considering how well my Celtic Icon came out. This yarn is a pleasure.

And, again, with apologies to the rest of the country, sweltering under heatwaves, droughts, flash-floods, and other catastrophes, our weather was absolutely perfect. No humidity to speak of. Seventy degrees (that’s 21C). Sunny sky with wisps of clouds to add interest…. I’m really sorry, but it was gorgeous.

Chappy is exhausted–not only was there the 2+ hours in the car, but he was so busy visiting with everyone, he didn’t get a nap pretty much all day, and you know how it is–he’s got a schedule to keep, and is now so far behind on his napping quota.

So, yes. Next week my niece heads off to college where she’ll be studying Environmental Engineering. That’s about 95 miles from us, and about  1:50 according to Google Map directions, so she’s not going to be exactly around the corner. Other than Thanksgiving, I’m not sure when I’ll get to see her again–I don’t expect to for my birthday in November. (Although, there’s a chance for fly-by visit on Wednesday when they stop at the orthodontist here in town. Of course, I DO have that vacation week in October–I wonder if she’d like a visitor?)

But, anyway, we’re going to miss you, T!

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Hello, Goodbye // 8 Comments »

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• Tags: Eye-Candy Friday • Permalink:Heirloom // 11 Comments »

So, the other day when I offered a sweater’s worth of Felted Tweed to a good home, Valerie was the first to claim it, and offered some sock yarn in its place–awfully nice of her, since I did offer it without strings.

This is what arrived today. A skein of Socks That Rock Silkie in "Walking on the Wild Side," and a handful of pretty yarn greeting cards. Thanks, Valerie!

Incidentally, to sidetrack a little, I just have to mention… One of my favorite things about sitting where I do with my computer? The view. Look at that cute little sleeping face . . .

You know, I meant to take a picture of my hair today, but I forgot. The
24-hour verdict is that it’s a perfectly nice haircut. My hair looked
good today, it’s not too short, which means this is fine. The big
question will be whether it grows out well. I’ve said many times that I
stretch my cuts for as long as I reasonably can. Usually 3-4 months . .
. and, what with a $13 jump in what I was paying for haircuts and what
this cut cost . . . I really want this to last four months, you know?
There’s a big difference between $180 in a year and $240 . . . like, a
sweater’s worth of yarn. So . . . we’ll have to see how this cut is
doing in October/November.

One book at a time? Or more than one? If more, are they different types/genres? Or similar?

(We’re talking recreational reading, here—books for work or school don’t really count since they’re not optional.)

I absolutely, positively read more than one book at a time. Usually, though, they’re each different genres–a novel, a history book, a book on writing, or dogs, a biography . . . whatever. There’s almost never fewer than two books going at a time, and not usually more than five. (I think 9 was the most ever.)

For the record? Right now, there are four….

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Wild Side // 8 Comments »

Well, that was ironic. I made such a point of making sure that I had a pair of socks on my needles for when I went to today’s hair-cut appointment, and then, when I got there (15 minutes before my appt.), the stylist was ready anyway and took me right away. No waiting at ALL.

As I say. Ironic.

It seems like a perfectly nice haircut, but I won’t know at least until tomorrow, after I’ve slept on it. Or possibly the next day. My hair’s usually in shock for a day or so after a big shock like coloring or cutting, and takes a little time to settle in. I can say that it doesn’t appear to be a bad haircut, which is very important, but whether it’s worth $60? Um, well, we’ll have to see.

One thing that did surprise me, though–I told you I’d gotten her name off the NaturallyCurly.com Salon page. She asked me where I was from, and sounded surprised when I told her. "That’s close!" Because, apparently, she’s had people come from miles around to get their hair cut by her. As in, for example, Long Island, which isn’t exactly around the corner. (And, of course, means that that person went past all the fabulous New York City salons to get here to Morris County, New Jersey.) What some people will do for a haircut!

Afterwards, I called my parents and arranged to meet at the local diner for supper. The timing was perfect–we pulled into side-by-side parking spots at just about exactly the same moment.

I’m waiting for my Autumn Rose kit to come. I got an email today–I need three skeins of Old Gold yarn, and they only have two left in the dyelot, so I need to wait until they get their next order. Well, that, or risk the different dyelots acting differently, but since they should get their next order in Friday or Monday . . . I’ll wait. Even though I’m kind of excited–and it’s not helping that Pixie has hers already.

Here’s a person after my own heart . . . he’s decided for the sake of space that he’s not going to buy any more books . . . with just a few exceptions….

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

Well, that’s a relief. I’m back down to the "correct" number of socks now.

And yes, really, I don’t think I’ve ever had more than one pair "going" at a time, not ever, unless this same kind of scenario had happened one other time and I just don’t remember it. I’m not saying it’s not possible, but I certainly don’t remember it.

These socks, again, are from

So, right now, just to recap, these socks are from Koigu KPPPM, which is always such a pleasure to knit. It’s soft, it’s springy, the colors are fabulous  . . . what’s not to love?

This particular color has been in my stash since January 2006. (Yes, I looked it up for you.) It’s color "132-110" if my notes were correct, an which no longer appears to be being dyed, which is a shame. The colors are these lovely, orangey, golden browns, with the occasional merest hints of green. Very nice.

Now, to recap, this is what my knitting bag currently looks like. Please note that I’m back to my perfect balance of projects–a pair of socks (in my purse and therefore not in the photo), a sweater, and a lace project.

I admit that I haven’t worked on the lace lately. Not because I’m not enjoying the pattern. Part of it is that I’ve been enjoying the unusual feeling of a sweater pattern just zipping along. (Which reminds me, must remember to order a zipper–don’t let me forget!) Part of it, though, and I’m almost sorry to say this is . . . I think that I don’t really like Zephyr very much.

Now, when I say that, it’s not that I’m saying I don’t think it’s beautiful, because it is. They have fabulous colors, it turns into lace really well, and it’s got that soft, silky sheen that you just have to adore. But, this is my third time knitting with it and, I just don’t love it. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s too slippery? Even on the ebony needles I’m using right now–which have less of a point than the Addi Lace needles, but more "grip" for traction–there’s just something about the actual knitting with Zephyr that I don’t love. I mean, I made my rectangular Peacock Stole in Zephyr and it’s gorgeous. And there’s no question that this shawl is looking great, either. It’s just . . . I keep finding excuses to leave the poor thing crumpled at the bottom of the knitting bag. Sad, huh?

Did you see that Cara is Spinning Out again this year? Head on over, make a donation to Heifer International, and get yourself entered to win one of many fabulous prizes. She raised $19K last year and is trying to beat it this year, so . . . go, be Good Knitters! (Frankly, I don’t expect I’m going to win anything, because I never DO win anything from Cara for some reason, but really, that’s all the more loot for the rest of you.)

On a non-fibery note, I’ve been driving past this new storefront on my way to work lately, and been wondering what it is. The Pink Cake Box sure sounded intriguing–I mean, good cake is perhaps my favorite treat. But, it turns out, they’re not the kind of bakery you stop at to buy a danish or a last-minute birthday cake for your 10-year old. No, they’re the kind of bakery that does special, unique, one-of-a-kind cakes that make your eyes fall out. Like this wedding-dress cake. Or the Corpse Bride Topsy Turvy cake. Van Gogh, anyone? Billiard cupcakes? Just . . . yum. Check out their others, too. So many beautiful, delicious, (expensive) works of art being made right between me and the office…. They even plan on having cake-decorating classes. Mmmmm….

Now, what was I supposed to be doing, again?

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Relief // 15 Comments »

As shocking as it is, I actually have TWO pairs of socks going right now. This has never happened before.

There’s a very particular reason for this, though.

See? Here’s the pair I’ve been working on for the last month or so. They are awfully close to being done. About four more rows of stockinette stitch, then the ribbing and then, well, done.

But, the thing is that I’ve got that haircut appointment on Wednesday. It should take me about 10 minutes to get there after work, and my appointment is 30 minutes after . . . which means that I’ll likely be sitting there for about 20 minutes, and I don’t want to run out of sock.

So. I made an executive decision. I started my next pair–both socks at the same time, knitted from both ends of the same skein of yarn. (You might recognize the skein, despite the funky way the color photographed. It’s really nowhere near that . . . pink.) Anyway, I wanted to be absolutely sure that I wouln’t run out of yarn, so–both socks at once.

I figured I wouldn’t be able to concentrate properly to start the toes of the socks while sitting in the waiting area at a new salon, but straight stockinette . . . no problem. Soothing, even.

And, besides, I really DID want to get started with this yarn. Now, I was GOING to do my next pair of socks in the Jitterbug yarn I got last February, but it was so tempting to use my Shetland handspun, you know?

(Edited–this has been claimed.) Here’s a possibly silly question for you–I’ve got a bag of odd-and-end yarns, leftovers from other projects, single skeins I have no need for or interest in. It’s been taking up space and I want to get rid of it . . . though I have a hard time throwing yarn away, as I’m sure you can understand. Does anybody have any need or interest in this bag of miscellaneous stuff? Leave a comment if you are. (The bag, incidentally, is a normal, plastic shopping bag from a yarn shop.)

(Edited–this one, too!)For that matter, I’ve got a partially completed gray Elfin in Rowan Felted Tweed that I long since lost interest in. The back is done and the two fronts are partly done, but I slid them off the needle to reclaim the needle years ago. I forget how many skeins are in the bag untouched, but there’s enough for that sweater if you reclaim the yarn from the knitted pieces. . . . anybody want it?

Hey, here’s an interesting article encouraging a certain amount of self-restraint and human decency in the press–if the vast majority of media personnel were able to restrain themselves over the Harry Potter ending, why can’t they do that for other things? In the name of human decency?

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Unprecedented // 12 Comments »

Yum!

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

What a beautiful, blue sky today. (Yes, I know–an actual Saturday Sky, I’m surprised, too.)

Again, with apologies for those of you suffering under a heatwave, but today’s weather, here in NJ, could not have been nicer. No humidity to speak of. Temperatures in the upper 70s/low 80s. Perfect blue sky.

I’m really sorry.

Mom, Chappy and I went for a drive this morning and stopped at the farmer’s market in Bernardsville.

We brought home a pie (peach/berry), some farm-fresh eggs in a beautiful array of browns, and this container of mixed, heirloom tomatoes. They looked so beautiful, I couldn’t resist.

Now I just wish we had some fresh mozzarella in the house….

We took the, um, long route coming back because we got detoured the long way around a rt 202 closing for roadwork, and ended up hopping back on 287 in Far Hills. We stopped in the center of town for some coffee and snacks before heading back to the house. (Chappy desperately wanted to get out of the car by that point.) We bumped into a co-worker out walking his dog, Dixie, who was rehomed after a hurricane a couple years ago. (He said that she’s travelled farther than he had.)

After we got home, the three of us–me, Mom, Chappy–sat outside on the deck. I brought my Journey Wheel out and did some spinning, once I got it going. (I swear that wheel wakes up cranky.) Just, a beautiful day.

Incidentally, I thought I’d share this photo with you. This was taken exactly six years ago today, on the day Mom and I drove out to western Pennsylvania to pick out my new puppy. This was the one we picked. I’ve mentioned him before. We made a point of driving 6.5 hours each way just to select a puppy when the litter was 5 weeks old. We selected this adorable little fellow, the breeder gave him a red mark inside his ear to distinguish him from his brothers, and off we went.

Two weeks later, we went back to pick him up, and, well . . . Chappy . . . the real Chappy . . . had other plans. Little Red Ear would have absolutely nothing to do with us, while Chappy exhausted himself being as cute and charming and winning as he possibly could be. We tease him that he spent those two weeks terrorizing Red Ear with horror stories about us, but all he’ll admit to is planning his OTWC* campaign. Because, he sure was ready for us when we walked in that door. Red Ear never stood a chance. But, really. Look at that face. He sure was cute.

Oh, and the Fairy Godknitter is hosting a comment party in honor of her friend Norma. Go on over, leave a comment, and have a drink in her name, huh?

* Overwhelm Them With Cuteness

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Imposter Chappy // 4 Comments »

You’ve just got to love a sweater that moves along this quickly. (Especially after my last two marathon-sweaters.) Here’s the back. I just started shaping the armholes, which means the back is almost done. So quickly! I just love that….

I also finished one of my socks, which is also exciting. Well, you know what I mean. Satisfying, anyway.

With apologies to the many people stuck in the middle of a massive heat wave, but it was actually cold here today. Relatively cold, that is. It never even reached 70 degrees F, and it rained. All day. Blah. Really, a good day for knitting. Pity I had to spend it at work.

I wore my hair in a ponytail today to get the hair-dye reek away from my face, using one of my favorite new hair gizmos–a hair bungee. (As seen in this video.) My ponytail stayed perfectly in place all day. No slipping. Ideal. (There’s another video here, which has some pretty harsh-looking pulling-of-hair, but which shows how to make one yourself out of two bobby pins and a hair elastic.)

Tomorrow, Mom and I are planning on going to a farmer’s market, maybe taking Chappy to the park, or out somewhere. He really just deserves an outing, you know? The weather’s been so . . . unwalkable lately.

Have a good weekend, everyone.

• Tags: Uncategorized • Permalink:Backing Up // 7 Comments »