Inkwells
This reminds me, though, that I really should dust…
Brought to you by:
Introducing Miss BB
First things first–there’s a dog that needs your help. More precisely, her Mom–the woman behind the February Lady Sweater–does. But here’s the thing–they’re not asking for charity or donations or anything like that. No, what they’re doing is selling an adorable knitting design, with all proceeds going to poor Crash’s medical bills. (And the sweater really IS adorable. Honestly. Go take a look. I’ll wait.)
But–there’s more! I heard about this from Susan at Juniper Moon Farm and she was so anxious to help spread the love (especially considering how swamped she was by her Lucy’s vet bills over the winter), she’s donating a free CSA share of her gorgeous, gorgeous wool.
All you need to do is buy this cute little pattern for $6 to help out Flint Knits and her poor, crashed Crash and then leave a comment at the JMF fiber blog saying so and you’ll get entered in a drawing for the $100 wool share.
Is that a great deal or what? (And, of course, spreading the word is good, too … though, admittedly, the more people who enter means fewer chances to win, but since this is ultimately an effort to help poor little 9-month old Crash, who is far too cute to be wearing such a big cast, I say it’s worth the risk. Besides, it’s better karma this way.)
Chappy wants to know what you’re waiting for?
Okay, onward.
Look at that, isn’t it pretty? That’s the beginning of Miss BB from Chic Knits. I told you I wasn’t going to tell you the pattern until I was pretty sure things were going well, but since this is three nights running with no glitches, it seems reasonably safe to say at this point. I know, you’re only seeing a few inches at the end, but trust me, this is the back section, and it’s about 6″ long.
And, man, I’m loving the color of this yarn.
Swatches Still Lie
I’m telling you, you can’t trust them.
I made a swatch the other day. I showed you. I knit it, I washed it, I measured it, and the gauge was well nigh close to perfect.
I should have known right then. My gauge is NEVER perfect. It’s always loose and relaxed. But still … it matched, right? So … I cast on the 88 stitches for the back and knit the first 6 rows. Then I measured … instead of 17″ across? 22″
A good five inches too big. (12.5 cm for those of you playing in metric homes.)
That was some whopper of a lie!
So … ripped that out. Dropped down two needle sizes and cast on for the smallest size sweater. 82 stitches for the back. Started knitting …
It’s at least closer, anyway.
Sigh. My loose gauge is going to be the death of me. As it is, I didn’t start knitting with a smaller needle this time, because it seemed insane to knit a sweater in worsted weight with a US size 1 needle, even just for four rows. It’s bad enough to be knitting the body on size 3 instead of a 6 like the pattern calls for.
Chappy’s not a happy camper right now because there’s a thunderstorm outside. He’s sitting right next to me, though. (You can just see the edge of the floor cushion I’m sitting on.) He’s been quiet all day, really. I don’t know if it’s because of the weather or just because he’s been tired, but he’s really only perked up when he’s had dishes to clean.
There were a lot of them, too. Not only regular meals, and the occasional snacks from me or Dad, but I baked bread today for the first time in a couple months, as well as a Lemon Pound Cake. And a fresh batch of granola, because that’s always good. His tongue’s been busy, even if he hasn’t gotten out for a walk since yesterday.
Okay … you knew this was coming, right?
People, have you been watching CHUCK this season?
Because, if you haven’t you MUST. Like, tomorrow, Monday night at 8:00 (7:00 central) on NBC. As we go into the last six episodes of season three, Chuck is finally a full-fledged spy and, more importantly, he and Sarah are together. The episode this week is called “Chuck vs the Honeymooners” and it looks positively giddy and fun. Amazingly good. The sneak peeks and previews that have been popping up on You Tube are adorable. (The Hart-to-Hart spoof for the next week’s “Chuck vs the Role Models” episode is pretty hilarious, too.)
You really must give this show a try if you haven’t already. I don’t care what you think you want to watch on Monday nights, this show is better (grin).
Rose
Outside.
Inside.
Brought to you by:
Swatching
Hey, look at that. It’s a swatch … it’s just a matter of time before we find out whether it will lead to a sweater or not. Remarkably, my gauge IN THE SWATCH is just about right on target which is so unprecedented it frankly scares me a little. Especially since, as you know, swatches lie.
Still. I am loving the color of this yarn. It’s a deep blue-gray from Peace Fleece, subtle and really wonderful. (The fact that I love gray yarn and I love blue certainly doesn’t hurt.)It’s got that great, heathered, tweedy look to it, and little specks of browns and greens mixed in. It’s gorgeous. And, even though this sweater will be for me, this color would be fabulous for a man. (Or a nephew, because I still think my nephew would look amazingly handsome in this yarn, but I’m pretty sure that he who never wears sweaters at all would consider it too “scratchy.” Sigh.)
I’m not going to tell you the pattern I have in mind, though, because I don’t want to jinx anything.
I WAS going to start knitting something with the handspun Cormo yarn I made from my first MVFF yarn share (back when there was a Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm). My only real problem is that I spun some of that yarn last summer, and some of it last fall–both before and after our move in November–and it came out different weights, which makes finding a pattern that will work for it challenging. The spinning is uneven, too. The yarn I made right after we moved was more a therapeutic act than something I was doing to get good yarn, so it’s not as even or consistent as the first couple of skeins.
Sure, I could make smaller projects, but where’s the fun in that? It should be obvious by now that my favorite knitting projects are the big ones. Not necessarily the “huge” variety like queen-sized afghans, but bigger than socks or hats, and more interesting than scarves. Sweaters are by far my favorite thing to make, so it saddens me that this gorgeous CORMO yarn isn’t as … immediately conducive for turning into a sweater as it could be. Making irregular yarn in slightly varied weights work in a single sweater is going to take some time.
Hence the Peace Fleece swatch.
Speaking of Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. (Well, Susan Gibbs’–the woman who had the brainwave that was Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm–farm, which is located in Virginia.) You’ll be pleased to know that teeny tiny little Rushworth is hanging in there. I don’t know if they consider him to be out of the woods yet, but he’s definitely doing better. So, yay!
Upon Request
As requested (and with Mom’s help), the modelled shots:
(Yes, even with my gray roots and that pesky waistline showing. Interesting, though. I so seldom get to see what my hair looks like from the back!)
Before I go on, first things first. There’s a tiny little lamb–whose real name is Rushworth but is mostly known as Mr. Tiny because is IS–who needs some prayers and good will sent his way. After a rally his first day, he’s weak today, and his shepherds are worrying about him.
Then, what do you think of Knitting Scholar’s new logo?
How about these incredible photos from the “Beetle Cam“? (Not pictures of insects, but of wild animals. Very cool.)
Very cool picture of wild Icelandic horses running away from the volcano. (Good thing they didn’t need to fly.)
Just what every bake sale (or, heck, freezer) needs … individual blueberry cobblers baked in jars. Yum!
Finished!
Yep. The sweater is done. Done, done, done! Which means it’s time to pick out buttons. I pulled out all the good possibilities from my button stash.
Narrowed it down to my favorites, and then asked Mom for her opinion. Luckily, she agreed with me on the one that was best.
I’ve had these in mind for this sweater for weeks. First, the brass color of them was perfect for the warm, golden-brown yarn. I loved the concentric circles on the buttons, which went so well with the circles in the cables, and they fit perfectly into the Os on the X-and-O cabled button-bands.
I sewed them on tonight AND ran a length of ribbon down the inside to give a little extra support. If I’d been smart, I would have used those little plastic rounds on the inside, but I didn’t give it a thought … and didn’t have any anyway. This ribbon, though? I bought it online a month or two ago and it’s the perfect color–a deep copper that goes perfectly with the yarn (and even matched the thread I used to sew on the buttons)–but that is ALSO exactly the same width as the cable.
In other news for today, Mom and I went out to look for a frame for the counted cross-stitch picture SHE just finished. I hope you’re impressed, too, because Michael’s is right next door to a Borders book store and not only did we park in front of the bookstore, but when we left the craft store, we got directly into the car and drove away. I know. Shocking behavior for me, right?
We headed over to Macy’s instead, which was having one of it’s rare (cough) “One Day Sales” and I bought some socks and a couple t-shirts. I was ridiculously happy to find any t-shirts at all that were plain, a decent weight, and not absurdly expensive. When did it become so impossible to find good t-shirts? It seems like most of the ones I see–even assuming I can find any at all that aren’t ruched or covered with print, beads, sequins or heaven knows what else–are (1) too long, (2) too thin/cheap, (3) too tight, or all of the above. So finding a few decent crew necks that were a relatively good fit despite my waistline issues? Very nice.
And, before you say anything about my BUYING socks, yes, I adore my handknit socks, but I can’t knit the really thin little anklet socks that are light enough to wear in summertime under sneakers.
Chappy rested while we were gone, but we took him for a walk when we got home. Doesn’t he look adorable snuggled into MY yellow afghan? The one he keeps trying to tell me should be his?
I baked some Apple-Oatmeal Bread this afternoon, too, though I baked it in a Bundt pan instead of a loaf pan because I tend to have trouble with quick breads in loaf pans, so it looks more like a cake, but no worries there. Tonight, Mom and I watched 1967′s “Barefoot in the Park” with Jane Fonda and Robert Redford and just laughed and laughed and laughed. It’s been years since I’ve seen it and I enjoyed it just as much as the other times I’d seen it. The laughs began when they comment on their honeymoon at New York’s Plaza hotel costing (gasp) $30 a night! And then, there are all those stairs…
Now, my new sweater and I are going to go relax for a while…
Board
Brought to you by:
Almost
I’m getting close on my sweater. The sleeves are almost done. I kind of tried it on before, and think I only need about an inch more.
I say “think” because it wasn’t as easy to try on as you might think, since I’ve got both sleeves on the same circular needle. The best I can manage is to slide my arm through one of the sleeves and kind of guesstimate at the length, but since at that point I’m not wearing the sweater properly, it’s hard to say for sure. What I should do (and will) is separate the sleeves onto different needles at least for the length of time needed to try the thing on properly.
But, anyway, we’re close. I don’t plan on doing anything elaborate at the collar–just a few rows of stockinette stitch to rollover at the top and make it look finished. Then–try the thing on properly and decide whether I want an extra button band or not. No matter how you look at it, though, I’m getting close to the finish.
Maybe I should start thinking about my next project, huh?
I think my dog clearly counts as middle-aged these days. We took him for a walk yesterday and bumped into a neighbor who’s dog-sitting her aunt’s 10-year old terrier, Toby, while the aunt has hip-replacement surgery. Toby is just a little smaller than Chappy and close enough in age that the two of them seem to have plenty to talk about. We were having no trouble chatting with Kirsten, either, and were all happily standing around when a man came along with his 11-month old pug. His highly energetic, bouncy, jumpy, should-have-better-manners-by-now pug. He, Max, immediately lunged into the conversation Chappy and Toby were having. Hi! Look at me! I’m a puppy! Hi! Hi! Basically, in dog parlance, he was being a brat.
Now, children–no matter what species–as a rule are energetic, and they don’t always have the patience to wait for the grown-ups to pay attention to them. (We’re so SLOW that way.) But you know as well as I do that there’s a big difference between nicely raised, polite kids who are sometimes a smidge inconvenient just because they’re being kids, and the kids who are quite simply spoiled brats. The nice kids, you put up with the occasional “Look at me!” or tugs on the sleeve because they want some attention because it’s all part of being an adult around kids. And because they’re nice, you don’t mind interrupting your conversation to answer a question or say, “Very nice.” Adults did the same thing for you when you were little and now it’s all part of the circle of life. The bratty kids, though, that are attention-whores? The ones whose parents have apparently never said “No” to in their lives? You might not go so far as to actually smack them, but you want to put as much distance between you and them as you reasonably can.
Well, apparently that’s the category little Max came into. Because while we humans were willing to pet his wriggling self and say hello, Chappy and Toby very much had the air of, “Excuse me, but we’re trying to have a conversation here.” Toby had a little more patience with the youngster and did say hello, but Chappy? He wanted NOTHING to do with him. He tried to keep our legs between him and Max and just completely shut him out, like an old man about to yell at the whippersnappers to get off his lawn. This is so unlike my “strangers are just a friend he hasn’t met” Chappy that I was astounded. Until I remembered he had reacted the same way to a similarly bratty puppy in our old neighborhood, too.
I guess Chappy really IS like his Mom. I like kids–some kids in particular–but the badly behaved ones? Um, no. There’s a reason I never refer to well-loved, privilged children as “Spoiled.” You know, the ones who, after being good all morning while running errands, get a comic book as a treat. Or who say, “Excuse me, but may I please have a cookie?” instead of just pointing and screaming. There’s nothing wrong with loving your kids (two- or four-legged) and giving them things because you love them and they are good kids. To me, that does not spoil them at all. It’s just a demonstration of your love. But, the kids who are given everything but never say thank you? Whose parents never teach them any manners at al, who just grab what they want because that’s what they get away with at home? To my mind, those are the children who are truly “spoiled” by their parents. Actually ruined–not irremedially, mind you–but spoiled.
How did I get off on this tangent? No idea, but I think that’s enough for tonight, huh? And meanwhile, I’ll try to ignore the beginning signs of creeping old age on my sweet little puppy for a while longer…
Old Cherries
Mom’s going to be so glad I found this old photo.
This was the LAST time I was at Branch Brook Park (prior to yesterday). 1979. That would have made me twelve and a half. I still remember those red boots, too. They were some kind of synthetic that made my feet hot, but I loved them anyway. And that very 70s cardigan, too. How funny that I remember those clothing items so well from 31 years ago?
The dog I’m holding is Muppy, our first dog, a wire-haired minature dachshund. She had a wonderful time, just like Chappy did yesterday.
Of course, Muppy was a little lighter and easier to get INTO the tree…
Cherry
We went to see what was left of the cherry blossoms yesterday. Like Ina said the other day, the cherry trees in Branch Brook Park were in full bloom two weeks early. Last week, to be precise.
Which meant there weren’t many blossoms left for us to see on Saturday, but who cares? We had a great day, anyway.
We made an interesteing group, though. Mom in her winter coat, Dad in his spring coat, me in just the hoodie I was wearing around the house, and Chappy, of course, in nothing but his fluffy coat (and his harness, of course).
We saw some shiny, happy ducks enjoying the day, too.
Of course, Chappy’s still trying to figure out why I tried perching him in a tree.
I told him it was so he could get a better look at the pretty flowers.
Oh, and afterward?
So, so tired … all of us!
Today? I baked a banana cake with lemon-cream cheese frosting, and made a fresh batch of granola. And pot roast. Not to mention doing a load of laundry and working on.
Also, believe it or not–NINE book reviews for Knitting Scholar. Did you see? I’ve got my first yarn review up … suddenly, Knitting Scholar is NOT just about books!
New Stuff
Look what I got!
A bunch of new buttons from my favorite button store on Etsy.
I shouldn’t have, perhaps, but…
I couldn’t resist.
I don’t know. I just seem to have a button fetish lately, or something.
I got this, too. Knitpicks is having another one of their 40% off book sales which you KNOW I have a hard time resisting. I got a copy of Tweed, which I’ve actually wanted for a long time and since it said “last chance,” I figured I should go for it. Also “Knits Men Want” –which is hilarious, by the way, as knitting books go. And the newly reprinted “Knitting Lace” because how could my library be complete without it?
Oh, and a packet of cable-connectors and some point-protectors, just to push my order up to $50 for free shipping. (Totally worth it.)
Now, it’s Friday night. Tomorrow we’re planning on going to Branch Brook Park to see the cherry blossoms. Chappy is very excited.
Oh, and aren’t these the cutest bookmarks you’ve ever seen?
I want this “Are You Absolutely, Positively, Wholeheartedly Ready to PublishYour Novel” poster, too, but don’t really have anywhere to hang it. But … it’s wonderful!
Skylines
There’s just something about the angles, diagonals, and parallel lines in this picture that amuses me.
Brought to you by:
Working on Sleeves
I haven’t shown you a current picture of the sweater in a while, so here’s how it looks right now. I worked the first sleeve down to past-elbow length and then paused to start sleeve number two. I figure I want to be sure they’re the same length and match and all, so … I’ll knit sleeve number two to the same length and then work the rest of them together.
Exciting, right?
We’re just coming off of a practically perfect weekend. At least, that’s what Chappy thought. I got out of work an hour early on Friday (always good), so that was a good start. We had take-out Chinese food, too, which is always a treat.
Saturday, Mom and I went out for coffee, stopped at a grocery store (where I bought the strawberries i told you about), and then spent the afternoon relaxing … which was good, because we had a surprise. My niece came to stay!
She and I had arranged it on Wednesday–that she would come Saturday night instead of staying at school into Easter morning. Just … we decided not to tell Mom and Dad, so they really were surprised! In a good way, you understand.
Sunday, of course, was Easter. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast–a rare, rare treat because we so seldom ever have bacon in the house. (Mom’s severe allergy to anything made from pork, you remember.) We five went for a walk, coming home to a house smelling of roasting turkey–Chappy’s favorite. And then the rest of the family arrived, and he was in heaven. His whole family, fresh turkey … what more could a dog ask for?
Yesterday was a bonus day, too, because I took the day off from work. So not only was Monday morning not “Mondayish” at all, but he got an extra treat … his favorite neighbors from our old house finally came to visit. He hasn’t seen them since October and he was SO happy to see them! Ecstatic, even.
So, you can see why I’ve been too busy to post, huh?
Oh, and by the way? It’s insanely warm out there for April 6th. Hot, even. We’ve got our air conditioning on … which is trying, I have to tell you, but the air blows so strongly in the upstairs rooms (since the system fan is in the attic), Dad had the landlord shut the flow up in the attic because the upstairs room were steaming hot. Except … now, they’re hot because even with the air conditioning on–or even just the fan–there’s nothing coming out of those vents. Not good because Mom and I both get cranky when we’re hot. I hate being hot. Hate it, hate it. And, in April? Way too early! All the trees outside are blooming weeks early and it’s just crazy (grumble, grumble). It’s no fair skipping right past Spring into Summer, you know?
Strawberry Pie
For our Easter dessert this year? The prices for the strawberries was incredible at the grocery store today, so I couldn’t resist. I had to buy them and turn them into Strawberry Pie.
Start with a single, blind-baked pie shell. Mine, despite numerous stabbings with a fork to let the air out, still bubbled at the bottom and shrank down the sides, but really, for this pie, it doesn’t matter.
Then, while that’s cooling, address the strawberries. In my case, that’s three containers full (for only $5!).
Cut them into pieces. I admit I almost never bother to core the strawberries. I just don’t see the point except for a few of the really huge berries.
Generally, I just lop off the tops and then lay the cut side flat on the cutting board and chop the berries into long, narrow pieces.
Separate the berries into two groups. About 2/3 go into a bowl to sit and wait patiently for further instructions. 1/3 goes into a saucepan. (You can do a 75/25 split, if you prefer more fresh berries. It’s not an exact science.)
Add a splash of orange juice (or whatever you like) into the pan to prevent sticking and bring the berries to a boil. Add some sugar … as much or as little as desired, depending on the sweetness of the berries. I usually add a dash of cinnamon, too.
Then … this is what holds the pie together … take some cornstarch and a little more of the orange juice and mix them into a slurry. Pour it into the pot and cook until it thickens.
Mix the cooked berries with the uncooked berries and pour them into the pie shell.
Then put the whole thing into the refrigerator to cool. Before serving, I’ll melt a little jam and brush it on top to make the top look as shiny as it does right now, and I will, of course, be serving it with whipped cream.
When possible, I make this pie with a blend of berries–strawberries and blueberries are my favorites, but raspberries and blackberries are good, too.
Or, I’ll skip the cornstarch and just mix this together to make a great berry sauce, because the part-cooked and part-fresh berries just make such a wonderful combination.
Either way … yum. Can’t wait until tomorrow!
Books Read in March 2010
Here’s what I read in March. (No fooling.)
1. Plan B by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller–Reread of one of my favorite sci fi/space-opera-ish stories.
2. How to Knit a Love Song by Rachel Herron–Rachel’s new book! Review here.
3. I Dare by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller–Reread of one of my favorite sci fi/space-opera-ish stories.
4. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford–Absolutely fascinating story. I really had no idea how enlightened and even-tempered dear Genghis was … as long as you were either fighting on his side, or surrendered promptly. Really fascinating, really enjoyable read.
5. Initiate Brother by Sean Russell–Reread of one of my favorite fantasy books, part 1
6. Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell–Reread of one of my favorite fantasy books, part 2. Asian-inspired, beautifully written, wonderful story. Great.
7. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold–Loaned by a co-worker, interesting. I’d been curious but not curious enough to buy a copy.
8. Broken for You byStephanie Kallos–Reread of her first book. Just lovely, with a nicely played out ending. Love.
9. Once Upon a Day by Lisa Tucker–Intriguing story of a girl who’s been raised by her father to be perfectly safe (no cooking, she could cut herself. no playing outside, she could get skin cancer), but when he gets sick, she leaves to go looking for her brother … and finds out that her father has been lying all these years.
10. Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen–A Jane-Austenish kind of romance.
11. Copenhagen Connection by Elizabeth Peters–Light fluff, but entertaining. I mostly read it this time around because it so nicely matched the movie Mom and I had just watched. (“Year of the Comet”)
12. Client by John Grisham–Young Mark Sway witnesses a mob lawyer’s suicide and suddenly the FBI and the mob all want to talk to him.
13. Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett–My favorite of this, a favorite author’s works. I don’t know why this particular story resonates so much, but I love it. Sabine is newly-widowed, her (gay) magician husband having suddenly died from an aneurism. It’s only then that she finds out he had lied about his childhood and his mother and sisters–whom he had never mentioned–were alive and well in Nebraska.
14. Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnick–Memoir from the five years he and his wife spent in Paris after their son was born. Charming.
15. Love Walked in by Maris de los Santos–Her first book, and also a favorite. It all starts when a man who looks just like Cary Grant walks into Cornelia’s coffee shop…
16. Toe Up Socks for Everybody by Wendy Johnson (Review here)
17. Natural Dyeing by Eva Lambert and Tracy Kengall (Review here)
18. Knitwear Design Workshop by Shirley Paden (Review here)
19. Emma by Jane Austen
Looking for Something?
Custom SearchLike What You See?
Click here to subscribe via RSS
Click here to subscribe by Email
Click here for my Freelance Services.
Book Stuff
My Patterns
Other Stuff
Follow me on Twitter!
Tannenbaum.
House Calls
