Knits4Bears

pictures from the retreat

2011-11-16T14:03:00.002-05:00

Here is a link to the flickr account of ACallToYarns who posted his pictures to share. Thanks for sharing Joseph.

First Annual Southeastern Men's Knitting Retreat

2011-11-14T13:34:00.006-05:00

I just spent the weekend with Lou, Steve and Rob in South Carolina at the first SEMKR retreat and had a great time. I've always wanted to attend one of the men's knitting retreats and they have been too far away or too cost prohibitive for me. Now we have started a new tradition here in the Southeast thanks to Rusty who put the whole thing together! It was so much fun getting to know other men from around the area and spend the weekend knitting, talking, taking classes and learning new techniques. It just went by WAY too fast. The retreat center, Asbury Hills Retreat Center, was very nice and comfortable and a great place for our retreat. We had two large cabins with very nice rooms. The food was good, not gourmet by any means, but very tasty. I met several guys that I hope I will see again in the future at some point. Hopefully all will return next year.

I took several pictures on our field trip to the North Woods Farm on Saturday to see the alpacas and mill. We had a great time getting to see all the alpacas and a tour of the mill by Teri. They also have a sweet little dog in the shop named Molly that I fell in love with and would have liked to sneak home in my bag. I bought 1.5 pounds of dark gray/black cria roving and I can't wait to see how it spins up.

I have two knitting projects going on the needles right now. One is a shawl for one of Michael's sisters called the Garden Path Shawl and I'm knitting it with Lion Brand Woolease in a light heather gray. I thought the pattern would be fairly simple, and it is since it is all garter stitch (no purls), but there are sooo many yarn over's and decreases on some of the pattern lines that it takes more concentration than I thought it would. Every other row is just plain knit though, so that's a no-brainer row at least. The other project is the Hemlock Ring Blanket from Brooklyn Tweed. I'm using some Cherry Tree Hill kettle dyed yarn I bought years ago from Whole Nine Yarns when they first opened. It's mostly dark purple with just a little pink subtly mixed in. I'm thinking about adding in some short rows between the "fans" and then continue on in the round to make a larger blanket. I need to take some pictures and add them to my Ravelry page too.

Once I get the pictures from the retreat downloaded I'll share them.

alpaca challenge in Conyers Georgia

2011-11-06T20:14:00.010-05:00

I spent the afternoon with friends Jane, Diana, Hali, and Rob at the International Horse Park in Conyers today. There were a lot of beautiful alpacas and we even got up close and personal with one really friendly one. She was so incredibly calm and there were a several people petting her at the same time.

Here are more pictures from the afternoon.

I also purchased some Suri alpaca roving to spin up later. It's a mixture of grey, tan and white from an alpaca named Natasha. The owner said she is truly an evil animal, but the yarn will be beautiful. I'll try to post the resulting yarn later.

...and then on the way back to Jane's house I spotted this on the side of the road. We figured it was probably a remnant of someone's Halloween costume. It just kinda stuck out as we drove by that there was hair on the street marker.

finished sweater

2010-05-10T14:42:00.002-04:00

I finished the Welcome Back Old Friend sweater yesterday while at Knitch for the Sunday knitting social. It took exactly two months of on and off knitting. It is a little shorter than I thought it would be (maybe the belly doesn't help) but I'm happy with the result. It's a warm one and will be my official SAFF sweater this year.

Thanks to Regan for taking the picture for me right after I finished it. She tweeted about it too. :)

I'll take more pictures later of just the sweater (without the baby) when I get a chance so the collar is visible and not hidden by my beard.

long overdue update post

2010-05-03T20:07:00.008-04:00

It's been quite a while since my last post. I really do mean to post more often than bi-annually. Not that there hasn't been anything to post about, I just haven't had the inclination.

I guess the best way to start is with what I've been working on lately.
I started making a sweater in March "Welcome Back Old Friend" by Kathy Zimmerman. It was in Interweave Knits Fall 2002. The pattern is also available for download from Ravelry.

I'm using yarn that I bought a few years ago at SAFF. It's a blend of rayon/linen/acrylic and it's machine washable. (at least they said it was)

The front and one sleeve are on the blocking board drying now and I'll probably be able to block the other two tonight. I have to put the blocking board in the other room and block the door with a wire gate. I do that so the air can circulate in the room and also to keep Bob out as he likes to pull out the pins. I guess it's the colorful pinheads that attracts him or maybe he's just a bastard-cat. Probably the latter.

Once it's all together and the neck it finished I'll post some pictures of the finished sweater.

I had my third hernia surgery (within the last 15 years) the last week of March and it' all healed up nicely. I now have a large exclamation point scar on my belly with my belly button as the period!

( ! )

Sorry, no pictures of this.

Michael and I were supposed to go to New York for his oldest son Nicks wedding in June, but we just got the invitation last week (with the date of the wedding which wasn't a sure thing yet) and now we can't affford to go. We decided to use our vacation time and considerably less dinero elsewhere. It looks like we are headed to Arkansas to spend a week with family in a cabin. We tried to locate somewhere central to just about everyone so no one person has to travel too far. It's near Hot Springs and close to a lake so maybe I'll get some swimming in this year. I miss having a lake closeby to go swimming.

feeling like hammered crap

2009-11-23T19:25:00.002-05:00

It's official, Michael and I both are down with the swine flu.
Now we don't have to worry about getting the shot.

New Arrival

2009-11-11T20:23:00.002-05:00

We have a new member of the family.

Her name is Iris and she's a Pekingese. We adopted her from a rescue shelter and she's 2 years old. We have a second one on the way this weekend and Michael will probably pick her up on Saturday. I don't know what name he and David have decided on. I'll post a picture of her when she gets here.

So far Iris hasn't had an opportunity to "meet" the cats. I hope she and the cats will get along together. For the most part the dogs will be downstairs and the cats will be upstairs most of the time anyway.

Class with BrooklynTweed - Jared Flood

2009-10-30T22:56:00.003-04:00

Today I took a class at the new Knitch location on aran sweater design and steeks with Jared Flood. It was a great class and there was so much great information presented that I had never encountered before. He talked about guage swatching for cables and adjusting for ease in the process of designing a sweater and how to use this information to make a sweater that fits your measurements. He also showed us how to do a crocheted steek. I've done a steek with machine stitching before cutting, but this was the first time I'd ever tried the crochet method. Great method and I look forward to using it in an upcoming cardigan.

Here are my swatch and steek samples from the class. This is a close up of the steeked edge on the back side.

He also showed us how to pick up and knit the button band. This is the same swatch after I knitted on the button band. It lays so nice a flat and the steek just folds right under and lays flat on the inside. This is the front side.

This is the back side of the sample. The steek flap had a little bit of a pucker to it, but he said this could be remedied by just using a smaller crochet hook to do the steek.

Of course I was a total knitting geek and asked Kim (the owner of Knitch) if I could keep one of the demo sheets from the class and she said I could if it was alright with Jared. I then asked Jared if he would autograph it. He probably thought I'm a nut, but he did sign if for me! :)

It was a fun class and he is an excellent instructor. If you have the chance, I can highly recommend the classes. Be warned... you better sign up quick. The classes were popular and filled quickly.

short post

2009-08-17T10:41:00.003-04:00

I finished the Herbert Niebling Jesien blanket. It ended up about 60" in diameter.

A couple of new kitty pictures too

Blanche in the kitchen window ledge

Dear Daddy,
Thanks for the wonderful Socks That Rock yarn pillow.
Love, Bob

When you have a cat who won't be deterred

2009-07-31T09:06:00.004-04:00

We have a container in the sink we use for throwing out cooking waste. It originally had a lid, but it broke off not long after we bought it. We had pork chops last night and I had thrown my pork chop bone in the container. As I did this, I thought for a brief moment that maybe I should put that bone in the regular trash can that has a lid and then foolishly and quickly dismissed it thinking he'd never stick his head in there.

Bob, my 17 pound red tabby cat, usually wakes me about 6:45 with his first morning plea for food. (He jumps on the bed right by my head to bounce me awake) This morning I thought he was sleeping in late since he didn't show up until about 7:45. (I feed them at 8:00.) This is what I was greeted with this morning...

It took me a minute to figure out what was going on. The scary thing is he could have really hurt himself. I actually considered letting him wear it for a while just as a lesson, but he couldn't drink water or go through the cat door to the litter box while he had it on. It wasn't tight around his neck, he just couldn't get his head back out without my help, but I also don't know how long it had been on there already. So I just took a picture, of course, and helped him get it off. Then found my pork chop bone picked clean in the middle of the kitchen floor. The power of the pork chop was just too much for him to resist! Hopefully he did learn a lesson and won't stick his head in there again in the future. Yeah... right... This reminds me of a cat my sister had named Tippin, he was a terror too and I often wonder if Bob is a descendant of the Tippin bloodline.

On to the knitting. I finished the AKG knit-a-long scarf. It turned out very nice.

I really like the beads that I chose for this scarf and the merino/tencel yarn from Webs worked out very nicely. The scarf is named after a character from Lord of the Rings. Galadriel the elf queen. That's a quarter in the blocking board next to it for scale. I also got lucky and won a prize in the completion drawing. It's hand dyed lace weight yarn. I haven't gotten it yet, but I'll post a pic when I do. Thanks Deborah!

I've also been working on a lap blanket using one of Herbert Niebling's patterns Jesien. I'm using up the leftover yarn from my chicken and Lou's vest. I had to buy more of the purple that I used in Lou's vest to have enough to finish. This is the so called "boiled-ass" phase as Janice of GA calls it. The center looks like a Jello mold to me. Hopefully I should get it finished this weekend.

This is the back side taken without a flash so the colors are a little off.

The next project is another Niebling pattern I'm making for Nancy in blue silk. Nancy found the yarn on Ebay and I think it's the perfect thing for a shawl. She picked out the pattern from the book Knitted Lace Designs by Herbert Niebling.

I'm off to Rusan's at lunchtime to meet up with some of my knitting buddies for sushi buffet! Mmmmm...

part 1 of AKG KAL

2009-06-29T18:33:00.005-04:00

I finished part 1 of the Atlanta Knitting Guild's knit-a-long last night. This isn't the best picture shot on the blocking table covered in gingham. I need to take pix with a solid background.

Now I have to find something else to knit on until the next clue comes out on Friday. I'll keep posting my progress until we finish the wrap.
I bought a couple of Herbet Niebling's lace patterns a couple of months ago and I think I'm going to try one of those using worsted weight and make a throw blanket for the bed. A couple of my friends are making the Girasole blanket. I plan on making that too someday. Thanks for the inspiration Jared (BrooklynTweed).

New FO (finished object)

2009-06-24T20:59:00.007-04:00

I finished the Double Border scarf from Victorian Lace Today on Monday. It is about 48 inches long and 16 inches wide.

I really enjoyed this pattern and the way it is knit. You only get one border pattern chart and you alternate the pattern so when knitting an even row on one edge, you then knit an odd row on the other with a small reversible pattern in the middle. It's a little tricky getting the hang of it at first, but once you understand the way it's working it becomes very easy to follow.

I knit this using the handspun I made from the Lisa Souza roving I bought at Stitches South in April. I ended up with about 450 yards and used almost all of it on this scarf.

Next on the needles will be the knit-a-long mystery scarf designed by Deborah Fillmer aka the Nautical Knitter for the Atlanta Knitting Guild. It's totally supa-exclusive. We are so ready to get going on this!! I've done one swatch and I'm working on another with different yarn and beads. The first clue will be released this Friday. Here is the first swatch I made.

The first clue was originally slated to be released on the 19th and I was ready. I kept checking and checking and checking and I was about ready to send an email to the group asking what's going on. Then Lou told me, "Don't you remember, she moved it back a week to give everyone time to get their yarn and beads." I had read it and totally forgotten about it. I was just so pumped and ready to get started on it. Just 2 more days.

We had a birthday celebration at Knitch last Friday for our three June honorees Diana, Lou and Brett.

We had ice cream birthday cake and chocolate chip cookies to get our blood sugar going for all the great conversation and knitting. We always have a great time on Friday evenings, but it's always made better with sweets and libations! :) Here is Diana doing the honors and cutting the birthday cake. It was yummy!!

and now, a little rant...

Unfortunately, on the job front I am facing a pay reduction in the form of a one day furlough per pay period which translates to a 10% pay cut. We just got a 10% cost of living raise a couple of years ago because they were discontinuing all merit raises. Now it seems they are taking the cost of living raise back too. Of course they say it will only last as long as the economy is depressed, but I can assure you that will mean the entire 2009-10 fiscal year. At least it didn't come in the form of layoffs and we all still have a job. I was anticipating we would lose one of our part-time positions at our branch. Instead, all the part-time employees are retaining their job and all of their hours. Only the full-time employees are being furloughed. Harumpf. I know it's not the part-timers fault, but I feel like the middle man in this situation is being singled out. The management positions are paid by the State of Georgia, so of course they aren't getting furloughed either and retaining ALL of their hours. The County Commissioner doesn't want to raise property taxes in the county because it would mean a possible $150-$300 per year increase for each household in the county. Um, this is a whole he!! of a lot less of an impact as opposed to giving every full-time county employee a 10% pay cut of about 10 times that value isn't it! Why shouldn't the COUNTY RESIDENTS help to defray the COUNTY COSTS instead of just the employees!?! We are the ones providing the services to THEM! On top of that, our library positions are among the lowest paid in the Atlanta area already. They tell us that our salaries are competitive with other libraries in our area, but I have a feeling they are excluding Atlanta. Consider that our former branch manager at my library left to take a job in Atlanta, Gwinnett County (which is primarily the same job I have now) and got a $16,000 pay raise to boot. She was already making about $5,000 a year more than I was. I know I could probably get another job, but I have 15 years in on this one and I don't want to lose all that time in towards my retirement. I could take the money with me to another job, but I can't take the time and would be basically starting over. There is absolutely no value in job loyalty in this country any more.

Okay, that's my soapbox minute.

Back to the knitting... at least it helps with the anxiety. :)

long overdue update post, with lots of pix

2009-06-13T18:23:00.003-04:00

Since the last time I blogged, the beginning of May... a lot has been going on. It's been so long, I hope I still have some readers out there.

I've been really busy at work getting ready for our summer reading program for the kids. The theme this year is "Be Creative" and we've been having fun. I had a great time putting up the phrase on the wall in the children's area using whatever I could find in the library.

I used free AOL cd's that we have saved for craft projects for the "B" and post-its for the "E".
The "C" and "R" are origami that I've made over the years and foam flowers from the craft closet.

"E" and "A" are paper towel tubes and rubber bands. The "A" took the longest as there are about 400 rubber bands up there.

The "A" shot from below. I taped the rubber bands on the wall starting at the bottom and working my way up to the top.

The "T" is comprised of paper flowers we made for the spring.

the "I" is made of books cover scraps and the "V" is made from the leftover hair braid from a Rapunzel display I did.

The last "E" is made from the cores of our receipt paper and cellophane tape.

It hasn't been as busy this year which is a little disappointing. It just means less kids reading fewer books.

I started a little garden outside out apartment door. My friend Regan gave me a tomato and basil seedling which are doing great!

We even have blooms on the tomato plant already. I don't know whether I got red cherry or yellow pear tomatoes. It's going to be a surprise.

I also bought some thyme and rosemary to plant with the basil, but I ended up putting the rosemary in a separate pot since it likes sandy soil. The other pot is morning glories. We had them all down the stair railing outside a few years ago and I had saved all the seeds and kept them in the fridge in a ziplock baggie. I wasn't sure they would be viable any more, but I think every seed germinated and I still have a lot of seeds left for later. I won't know what color they will be until they start blooming since I had a mix when I originally planted them.

Now, as far as the knitting goes... I finished a shawl for my sister-in-law a couple of weeks ago. It's the Shetland Garden Shawl by Sivia Harding. (modeled here by my friend Meg)

I used Alpaca Cloud from Knitpicks in the color tide pool heather. It's incredibly soft and I have a few more skeins to make something else. It was really nice to knit with.
Here's a picture I took when it was being blocked.. The color in the picture above is a better representation of the color.

I've also been working on a knitted chicken for a contest at Knitch to benefit Egleston Children's Hospital. All the chickens will be donated to the hospital for kids, but the other part of the contest ($25 gift card each month for a year ) is probably more of a selfish motivator than knitting for kids. There, I said it. Win or lose, it's a great contest for a very worthy cause and I've had a blast creating my entry.

Yes, it's Babs from Chicken Run, but I decided to change her name to protect the innocent and call her Dorothy 'Lay'more since it might get me in hot water if I used her 'real' name. I knit most of her with Shepherds Wool and then felted her. The eyes and teeth I needle felted and I also needle felted the flowers on her knitting bag. The nest is also felted, but I used Galway and it doesn't felt as well as the Shepherd's Wool. I left all the loose ends and even added some scraps of the yarn to make it look more like a nest. That's Blanche in the background supervising the photo shoot.

I've started a lace scarf using my hand spun that I made using the roving I bought at Stitches South from Lisa Souza. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but will have some when I get a little further along.

Thanks for reading.

Stitches 2009

2009-05-01T21:28:00.004-04:00

Stitches 2009 has come and gone. It was a fun filled fiber weekend for me. I spent the day on Friday in the market with Brett shopping and sitting at the Atlanta Knitting Guild table for a while. I actually only bought one thing on Friday. I got 7 ounces of baby camel and tussah silk in colorway blue jeans from Spirit Trail Fiber Works. It's incredibly soft and hard to put down. I'm hoping to spin a lace weight yarn with this.

Saturday we were back in force. Lou and I went together and got there soon after it opened. We had been there about an hour when Steve met us. We ran into so many familiar faces, even a few Rubberhoars. Unfortunately no pictures from the market. I didn't take my camera with me and was told we couldn't take photos in the market. Several other people did, so I wish I had taken my camera anyway. It got to be sort of a joke that we'd walk 5 feet to shop and see someone who we knew and talk for a bit... walk 5 more feet to another booth, see someone we now and yak, and so on, and so on... Saw a lot of familiar SAFF faces too.

Saturday I hit the market hard. I still haven't even attempted to look at my credit card bill. It's always more than you remember spending.

I had one yarn in particular that I wanted to find and when I saw WEBS I figured they would be the best place to start. I wanted some Kauni yarn. When I asked the salesperson, he said they had some but forgot to bring it! crap! I asked a few other vendors and still no luck. Oh well, there's lots of other yarn to tempt me to spend money around.

The first thing I bought on Saturday was at Sanguine Gryphon. I had ogled and fondled the Bugga sock yarn twice and just couldn't decide which to buy. So I decided to come back later. We went to get coffee and sit and knit for while then we headed back to the market. I told Steve I'm only gonna get two skeins.... I got 5. I just couldn't decide so I bought them all and I'm glad I did since I later found out this yarn is usually only available at shows and was also the current hot dramaz yarn. Who knew. I also blame Alma as she had to show me the skeins she bought before we returned to the booth.

Here's what I got.

From top to bottom
Twice Stabbed Lady Beetle
Polka Dot Wasp Moth
Cowkiller

On the left - Blue Morpho
On the right - White Tipped Black Moth (which is actually more blue than lavender)

I also bought a ball of the Schoppel Wolle Zauberball. It's sock yarn with very long color changes. Each colorway of 3 only appears twice in a sock. This color goes from black to grey to white.

I also bought a 1700 yard cone of alpaca silk from WEBS. The color is Sienna. I bought the pattern for the shawl they had there on display with this yarn as well.

There were a lot more incredible temptations. It was getting close to the time for Lou and I to leave and we were walking around with Rob, Michael, Nancy, Steve and Stuart. We were walking past a booth we had already passed a couple of times and guess what I spied!?! KAUNI!! I think the guy thought I was just a little nuts. I ended up buying 4 balls to make a sweater.

I guess the guy in the booth was happy I found it since Steve and Stuart bought some too. We are going to have our own little Kauni knit-a-long when we find the patterns we want to use.

Saturday evening we met a few of our closest knitting friends for an intimate dinner for 100 at Scalinni's hosted by Brittany and Wayne of KnitWitch. The food was great and we had such a great time. I had an incredibly yummy alfredo with scallops and shrimp. I know Michael and I will be going back there for dinner again. Brittany's dad, who is the owner of the restaurant, had a great time entertaining us and helping with the raffle prize drawings. I'm already looking forward to the dinner next year. I think it will probably be a little larger next year when the word gets around how much fun we had this year.

I thought I was done with my purchases, but actually I HAD to buy one more thing on Sunday when I went back for the Grand Prize Drawing. (which I didn't win, but a member of the guild did). I had heard someone else talking about Lisa Souza's booth and thought I'd take a look and see for myself. I found some beautiful roving of bombyx silk and merino in the colorway mother of pearl. It's mostly white with light touches of pink, blue, lavender throughout. I can't wait to see what it will look like spun up.

I finished the day at Knitch for the Sunday afternoon knit-in. I stayed a few hours and then headed home, wiped out and ready for a nap.

I'm glad to hear that Stitches South was a success and will be back again next year. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. There is only one thing I would like to see change. XRX, please spring for the carpet for the hall next year! Walking and shopping on concrete all day will diminish even the heartiest of shoppers. With carpet, the shoppers will hang around a lot longer. Just sayin...

music video created with knitting

2009-04-29T10:40:00.002-04:00

This French music video was posted to a Ravelry group I belong to by gogodavitron. I just wanted to share this wonderful creation. I'm amazed at how much work went into this. There are about 720 different "frames" of knitting.
Enjoy.

spinning and blooms

2009-04-18T18:12:00.002-04:00

I spent the day at Needle Nook today with Steve for the ovarian cancer fund raiser. We were there as demo spinners. We had lots of people asking questions and showing interest in the wheels. I'm still trying to find a home for the unfinished wheel I have. We stayed for about 3 hours until we both were getting just a little too hot sitting in the sun. It was a little cloudy when we first sat down, but the clouds disappeared after an hour or so. There was a nice breeze, but I have a feeling we will both have red necks tomorrow since we sat with the sun at our backs.

I got my new glasses on Thursday. It will take me a little while to get use to the bifocals. These have bigger lenses than the last few pairs I have had and feel a little big on my face, but I do like them. They are incredibly light compared to my last pair. My friend Alma told me to trust me feet and not my eyes when encountering stairs. It has been very good advice. Thanks Alma! The sunglass clips aren't as dark as I would like, but I can still wear my old pair as sunglasses.

The Dogwood Festival is back in Piedmont Park this year! Yay! We are going tomorrow afternoon. It was in the parking lot of Lennox Mall last year and it just wasn't the same at all.

The clematis in the front of the house is really happy this year. I guess all the rain we have gotten lately has helped a lot.

There are a ton of buds on the vines. The pink ones seem to have more intense color this year too.

The bloom on this white one is 7.5 inches across!

cool music video

2009-04-13T19:11:00.002-04:00

I am not often surprised by a new music video. This one is amazing and I really enjoy seeing something so unique.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

,,,>^.,.^<,,,

I'm still here

2009-04-04T13:26:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted and a lot has been going on. I joined a knitting group at my church to do charity knitting. My first project was a vest for my friend Lou who just had surgery for a kidney stone yesterday. I haven't heard yet on the outcome. I'm hoping everything went well and he won't need to have additional surgery. The vest I made for him is the Entrelac Tuxedo Vest from Oat Couture. This is the photo from the pattern.

I haven't taken a picture yet of the one I made. I thought I'd wait and take of picture of it on Lou. I used Shepherd's Wool in a dark lavender as the main color with a Noro Yuzen in fall colors.

I've also made a couple more of the Log Cabin Socks that I made for my dad last year. I like to wear them in the house as slippers to keep my feet warm. It also means there will be some wicked static electricity, which doesn't thrill the kitties. I made all three pairs with Cascade Pastaza. The second pair is turqouise blue and the third is a heather grey. They knit up very fast. One sock was about two evenings of work. I also changed up the cables a little in the third pair. No pictures of those either but I do have a picture of the pair I made for my dad.

I got the new sock book by Cookie A entitled Sock Innovation last week. It has inspired me to knit socks again lately. I plan to do some stash diving through the sock yarn this weekend to start a pair. Lots of great patterns in this book.

I will soon be in the land of bifocals. I ordered them this past Tuesday and had to leave a limb behind to pay for them. I really would like to know what the markup is on frames. The lenses I can understand being a little pricey, but the money they want for a pair of RIMLESS frames just seems to be a little much. This is not fine jewelry guys, although you seem to think they are!

I ordered them with a saddle bridge which doesn't have the nose pads. I got the progressive no line lenses. Wish me luck in getting use to them. At least they were having a so called sale when I got them. They were advertising buy one, get the next pair free. What they were really offering was buy one, get the next pair free (up to a $200 value). I think this was a bait and switch deal. What glasses do you know of that are $200 or less!?! Unless you want to look like you bought your glasses off the back of a truck in an alley. Anyway, since I couldn't afford another complete pair of glasses, I talked them into giving me the sunglass clips that go with my glasses for free. Those weren't cheap either by themselves. I still think they made a nice profit in the deal.

I'm now dealing with my third abdominal hernia in the last ten years. This one isn't as bad as the last two, but does hurt on occasion (especially when I overeat). At least it's good incentive to not eat too much. I've been loosing some weight by eating a better diet and that has helped curtail the pain a lot. I talked to the doctor a couple of weeks ago and had originally planned to have the surgery in mid April. The last time I had this surgery they put in a mesh to cover the hernia and the new one is now popping out just above the mesh. This means bigger mesh and bigger scar. bleh.. Since I needed to get my glasses, I couldn't do both right now. I'm going to save a little money before having the surgey done so I can pay a good chunk of my part outright. Even with my insurance it's going to be pricey.

The pollen at our house has been so bad lately it looks like I have a yellow car in the morning when I leave for work. I'll be glad when it's over and so will my sinuses and eyes. Check out this picture and it will show you how bad it's been.

and the winner is...

2009-02-27T12:58:00.002-05:00

The winner of the handspun yarn is Meg with 4 answers correct!
Congratulations Meg!

Now, here are the answers to this egomaniacal trivia contest for those who are interested.

1. What was my first knitting project?
sweater for my mom
It was a mohair sweater in three colors and she still has it, even though she can't wear it because of the mohair, too itchy.. Of course, I should have asked her first if she liked mohair.

2. Name one of the 2 sister's to Bob and Blanche (may cats)? Hint: They all started with the letter "B".
Betty and Beulah
All four were kitties that I rescued after I witnessed them being thrown into a creekbed from the back of a pickup truck in our apartment complex. If I'd had a weapon of any kind with me at the time I probably would have served time for assault. There must be a special place in he!! for jerks like him. Bob, who was so small we thought he was a runt and is now 17 pounds, had a broken tail. It is crinkled just at the tip, which you can still feel. Betty also had a broken tail, right in the middle, so it had a definite "L" bend. Unfortunately, Betty, Beulah and our Burmese cat Butch, were killed in a car accident on their way to their new home in Omaha.

3. How many siblings do I have?
One sister

4. What year did I move to Atlanta?
1994
I moved here with my partner when he was transferred with his job in June 1994. The first night in our new apartment we watched OJ fleeing in the white Bronco.

5. Douglas is my middle name, what is my first name?
Ronald

6. Where was I born?
Duluth, Minnesota

7. What is the title of the very first Dr. Seuss book my mother bought me when I was a child?
Yertle the Turtle
Not one of his better known titles, but still one of my favorites.

8. What brand of yarn is my favorite?
Noro!!
I've tried several of their yarns and really like the colors and textures.

9. Where do I spend most of my yarn money?
Knitch, of course!!
Same place I spend most of my "knitting with friends" time. It's an incredible shop!

10. What model of car do I drive?
Toyota Echo (and Haley even got the color too, green)
Not to jinx myself, but this has been the best car I've ever owned. It was my first brand new car.

Thanks to those who participated. I promise the next time I have a contest, it will be easier and more generic in it's topic so more people will be encouraged to participate. I'm a librarian and trivial detail thangs are hard for me to resist. ;)

Contest!

2009-02-21T13:12:00.004-05:00

How about a trivia contest to win some handspun yarn?

The person who can answer the most questions correctly will win a skein of my handspun yarn. Some of the questions will be easier than others. If more than one person gets them all correct (which would be scary) I will pick from those names using a randomizer.

Please EMAIL your answers to: knits4bears@gmail.com
Then, leave me a comment here to let me know you have entered.
This way I can respond to anyone who participates, since I have no way of responding to comments on my blog.

The last day to send your answers will be Thursday, February 26th.

Good Luck!

The prize is the Louet fuschia merino/silk I just finished last week. It's approximately 665 yards total in sport/DK weight.

Now, let's see how well you know Doug aka Knits4bears.

1. What was my first knitting project?

2. Name one of the 2 sister's to Bob and Blanche (may cats)? Hint: They all started with the letter "B".

3. How many siblings do I have?

4. What year did I move to Atlanta?

5. Douglas is my middle name, what is my first name?

6. Where was I born?

7. What is the title of the very first Dr. Seuss book my mother bought me when I was a child?

8. What brand of yarn is my favorite?

9. Where do I spend most of my yarn money?

10. What model of car do I drive?

back from the mountain

2009-02-17T10:12:00.006-05:00

We got back Monday afternoon around 3:00. What a nice birthday weekend! The weather was nice the entire time we were there, although I was looking forward to seeing a little bit of snow flurries. (Computer free and blogless) Linda made me a chocolate birthday cake and brought it to the mountain to share. It was a really wonderful and tasty cake, unfortunately, I didn't take a picture.

This was sunrise on Saturday morning.

This year there were only 32 people attending the retreat. Down from about 45 last year. It made for a quieter and more relaxing time. We also had more room to spread out and it wasn't as crowded around the tables and it made it easier getting around the room.

Here is the gang knitting in the lodge. (From the left, Lou, Lori, Rob and Christine)

This is a clump of moss and ferns growing at the corner of the storage building just up the hill from our cabin. It's just amazing to me how green and lush they are with the cold and windy temperatures.

I finished three projects while there. I finished the reversible Duo hat I was test knitting for Brett. It turned out great. The striped side is Lion Brand Magic Stripes and the inside is, *GASP* Socks That Rock Raven (Corbie). Is it a knitting sin to mix these two yarns?!? They look so good together!

I also made two of the EZ Conch hats. I've had the pattern from Meg Swansen's knit-a-long for almost a year and about 3 months ago had tried to make the first one and just never finished it. So I thought it would be a perfect fun project for the weekend. It's featured in the winter 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting.

I had to adjust the stitch count for the yarn, which meant I started the first one four times, but once I figured out the right count to get the gauge, it went fairly quickly. (On size 13's, I cast on 48 stitches for the brim and increased to 72 for the body) I made the second one in about 3 hours. The teal one is Lamb's Pride bulky and the white one is Berkshire Bulky and looks a little like an ice cream cone. Lou had a great idea to make one in brown, pink and white and it would look like neapolitan ice cream. I'm already looking for yarn.

I also started another Noro Stripe scarf using Noro Chirimen (60% cotton, 24% silk, 16% wool blend) that I bought at Knitch last week. It's nice and soft.

I finished the fuschia merino silk last week just before I left for the Mountain. I ended up with about 665 yards. It's very soft and will make a wonderful small shawl or wrap. Now I just need to find a good pattern that will accentuate it's lovely beauty.

I think Bob was happy to have me back home. He has been very clingy today. He even curled up in my armpit on the bed while I was watching tv and even with his version of purring/wheezing. It was so sweet.

The spinning mojo is back!

2009-02-07T10:28:00.004-05:00

I went to my first spinning guild meeting last weekend with Steve and it was also the first time I've spun in about 2 months. I enjoyed the meeting and I'm looking forward to attending the next one. I worked on the baby alpaca from Alpaca With A Twist that I bought several months ago at Knitch.

It's combed top and was so nice to spin up. The yarn is so soft and I plan to make a nice scarf to enjoy the softness around my neck and next to my face, which seems to be the place everyone automatically puts it when they pick it up anyway.

without flash

with flash

The color is almost the same color as my own hair with a little more grey in it. I photographed it on the piece of granite so the soft brown tones are more apparent. I plan on buying more of this roving. I want to find the natural chocolate brown color.

I've now started back spinning the fuschia silk/wool blend I bought at Knitch last year in July at the same time I got the alpaca. I think it's from Lendrum. (oops, it's actually from Louet)

It had been set aside when I started spinning the alpaca. I'm trying to spin it thinner so it's about fingering weight. I thought the alpaca was going to be thinner when I was spinning the singles. I was surprised how much it fluffed back out after it was plied.

Knitting wise lately I've been working on a new sweater like my grey one that I designed several years ago. I'm making it with Paton's Acadiana (Ackrylic). The original is made with the same yarn, but a charcoal grey color, and the yarn is really soft now after being laundered several times. The color of this one is a denim blue. I'm also still working on the hat for Brett as a test knit for his pattern.

For my AKG Mountain retreat project this year I've decided to scavenge the stash for leftover Cascade 220 and make another pair of the Fiber Trends felted clogs. Michael has taken a shine to the first pair I made, so it will be wise to have another pair to wear on cold mornings. I've decided to frog the double knit scarf from Son of Stitch-N-Bitch that I started ages ago for some of the yarn.

buh-bye

I like the scarf and I'm glad I learned the double knitting technique, but the scarf is just too heavy and I don't think I'd ever wear it anyway. The yarn will be better used in the clogs. I'm thinking I'll try the scarf pattern again, but this time use Noro sock yarn instead so it will be lighter and have some fun color changes too.

We had a new male member join the Knitting guild this past Thursday! A very nice guy named Tom and he owns and runs a campground called In The Woods Campground. He is hosting a knitting retreat there March 12-15. It is a clothing optional campground, but the knitting retreat will be a clothed event, unless you feel the urge to go streaking through the woods. I guess it depends on how much wine or martoonies you have. There's a hottub too so you could knit and felt at the same time if you want to. It's a bit of a drive for Tom to get to the guild meetings from Canon, GA, but I hope he will become a regular attendee. In talking with him he said he most often shops at Main Street Yarns in Watkinsville and Yes Yarn in Anderson, South Carolina.

The Mountain is just a week away and I'm ready to get out of town and away from work for a bit!

2009-01-14T15:05:00.002-05:00

My left thumb has been hurting for the last week and I'm afraid it may be a repetitive motion injury. I'm still a little in denial and hoping it's not... I've had trigger finger with one of my little fingers, but this doesn't pop like that did, it just aches most of the time and hurts when bent a certain way. I know, don't bend it that way! It actually hurts most when I'm driving and gripping the steering wheel. Most likely it is trigger finger again and caused by repetitive motion from knitting. I don't use that thumb when I'm typing. I have been lifting heavy boxes of tax forms at work the last couple of weeks and that may possibly be the cause. I also have the bad habit of picking up several books at once with the same hand gripping the spines. Really bad habit and could also be the culprit. Miss Nancy gave me a nice, although sometimes ouchy, hand massage last night at Knitch and it does feel better today. Thanks princess Nancy Schmancy!

I signed up for the AKG knitting retreat at the Mountain again this year.

Sunrise at the Mountain Retreat Center.

Knitting on the deck at the Mountain retreat 2008.

So far it looks like the only guys in the manly cabin this year will be Lou, Rob and I. I'm trying to figure out which projects I want to take to work on this year. I've been wanting to make EZ's conch hat and this would be a fun project to try. I still haven't pulled out my pattern pile to go through. That should produce at least a half dozen things I'll want to start right now. I still have a few weeks to ponder the choices.

We went and saw the movie Milk yesterday. Too bad it didn't come out before the vote on Prop 8 in CA. I think the vote would probably have been affected just from the powerful story of Harvey Milk's rise to city government and the advance of rights for the GLBT community. The story is more well known in the gay community but not so much in the mainstream. I highly recommend seeing the movie.

Knittingwise, I just finished Oat Couture's Knit Ruana shawl as a commission. Nice easy pattern, but it's almost entirely garter stitch and a little mind numbing at times. I didn't take any pictures unfortunately. I should be keeping a record of the commission stuff I've done. I just never seem to think of taking a picture of them until after I've returned them to the owner.

I'm currently working on a test knit for a friend. Pattern to be published soon!

A new year begins

2009-01-04T22:21:00.004-05:00

I haven't blogged in a few weeks and I think it's mostly just a Christmas blues kinda thing. I just wasn't ever really inspired by the whole holiday thing this year. We didn't even put up a tree or buy presents for each other this year. We decided a couple of months ago to pool our present money and buy ourselves a new mattress, which we really need. I also was kind of relieved since the stress I usually have around Christmas and the presents just wasn't there this year either. It made for the most stress-free holiday season I've ever had.

I did enjoy the Christmas parties this year and spending the time with friends. Michael and I both got lovely gifts from our family and friends. I decided to concentrate on the time I spend with the people I care about. I'm so thankful to have friends and family to share time and experiences with. To me that is a gift that has no measure and I'll have with me for a long time.

This past Friday I spent the day with Steve and Nancy. We met for lunch and even convinced Nancy that she really does like sushi! We had planned to go to a movie afterward, but didn't find anything we really wanted to see. We ended up going to Ikea and spending a couple of hours of leisurely shopping followed by sweet rolls. We then went to Knitch and joined our other friends for the Friday night knitting group. Even though Steve, Nancy and I spent about 8 hours together that day, it went by so quickly and I had such a great time. These are the kind of days I'm truly thankful for. When I can forget about some of the tough things in my life and lose myself in having good conversation, doing nothing but spending time with people whose company I enjoy and laugh. I'm so fortunate to have a partner who loves me, a loving and supportive family, and many friends around me with whom I can be myself.

During my Sunday school class this morning our pastor told us a story about going to see his 2 year old granddaughter in her first ballet recital. He told us how it was such a gray day and the traffic getting to Marietta was so awful that by the time they got to the recital hall he wasn't in the best of moods. The performance began with 6 little girls coming onstage and dancing as only children that age can. He said she did very well as long as she was watching the leader, but as soon as she made eye contact with her parents and grandparents she kind of wandered. He said his mood was instantly changed and the pure joy he could see in those 6 little girls dancing made the whole trip so worthwhile. (I can only imagine the pride and pure joy parents and grandparents feel at these recitals.) After getting home from the recital, during dinner his granddaughter would take a bite of her dinner then go dancing off around the room, returning only for another bite of food before dancing away again.

Children can express joy in such easy and apparent ways. It seems that the moments of pure joy like that present themselves in my life so seldom, but I plan to seek them out whenever possible and I wish these moments for you, my friends, too.

Happy New Year!

For the Calvin and Hobbes fans out there

2008-12-17T17:43:00.003-05:00

This is something I found last year, I think it was on another blog, and I just ran across it when I was cleaning out some old files on my computer at work.

If you were a fan of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoons and you are familiar with Ernest Hemingway's style of writing, you will probably enjoy this. I still miss reading the comic in the paper.

Hills Like Stuffed Tigers: Calvin Discovers Hemingway

knitters in the wild

2008-12-12T15:36:00.003-05:00

Isn't it amazing how you meet people sometimes! I was at the High Museum with my hubby last Friday and had a woman approach me and comment on my Noro Stripe scarf that I was wearing. I told her I made it myself and it was a pattern from Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed and she said she knew who that was and was making one herself too. I don't really like to talk when I'm in a museum, just one of my quirks, so I didn't even think to introduce myself or ask her what her name is, if she's on Ravelry, anything... duh.. Then she posted a comment in Atlanta Metro Ravelers about seeing a guy at the museum with the scarf on and KateyJ read it and thought, this has to be Steve, Doug, Lou or Brett. So Katey sent me a message asking if it was indeed one of us.
Since I then could go read the original post by Deb (aka losethemittens) I sent her a message introducing myself and thanking her for the compliment on my scarf. Another friend through Ravelry. :)

I always take my knitting with me to the museum since I usually get through the collection before the others and I have something to do while I wait. Nice place to knit and people watch. If you haven't seen the Terra Cotta Warriors at the High Museum, it's a very interesting exhibit. Some of the pieces are just amazing in the skill and detail. The last part of the exhibit from the Louvre is there now too. There is also an exhibit called Treasures from the Victoria and Albert. There are some stunning objects in this small wonderful collection.

This year I'm not really doing any Christmas knitting, other than some fingerless gloves for a co-worker for our secret santa exchange. After Christmas I want to go through my "idea journal" (really just a collection of slips of paper with drawings on them) and pick out some of the stuff I've thought of knitting. Mostly, I just scribble out drawings of what I think up and then spend several days trying to work them out in my head before actually starting to knit. Some of these ideas have been good and then some are like what you write down after a dream and then read later and say to yourself "WTF was I thinking"!?! It will also be good to go through the stack of patterns I have collected and sort them. I've also been looking for my pattern for the grey sweater I designed a few years ago so I can make another one. I know it's in there... somewhere.

Now a video of a song from a group called BearForce1 that is stuck in my head. If you have an aversion to muscles or furry men... don't watch. ;)

New FO's

2008-11-12T21:02:00.003-05:00

I finished spinning the cranberry bog roving that I bought at SAFF from Cloverleaf Farms. I ended up with about 850 yards of lace/sport weight yarn. I'm going to look through my book of lace shawls for a possible pattern.

I'm now spinning the blue merino/seacell I bought from Creatively Dyed at SAFF. (see second picture in previous post) I have almost half of it spun up. I also finally blocked some corriedale that I spun about a month ago. It's cobalt and dark blue plied together in a heavy worsted weight, not quite chunky yarn.

And last, but definitely not least, my second Habitat hat by Brooklyn Tweed.

The first one was a little small for me, so I gave it to Brett. He luckily wears a little smaller size than I do and I can't wear a tight hat or it will give me a headache, so it went to someone who I know will appreciate a nice knitted hat. This one I went up one needle size. The yarn is Cascade 220 Paints that I bought at Hill County Weavers in Austin, Texas.

Another great pattern from Jared Flood.

My SAFF stash aquisitions

2008-11-05T20:34:00.005-05:00

I finally took pictures of the stuff from this year's trip to SAFF.

This is the yarn I bought from Interlacements this year. The top two are Toasty Toes and the bottom one is 100% rayon. The rayon should make a wonderful slinky shawl. I'm not sure yet what I'll do with the Toasty Toes, but I just couldn't resist the colors.

These are rovings I bought from Creatively Dyed. The top is wool/tensel and the bottom is wool/seacell. These are new to me as a beginning spinner so I'm curious how they will spin up.

I bought a new bag for me and I'm really loving it! It's a Nantucket bag and it's wonderfully versatile. It unzips to lay flat or hang on a wall. It can be zipped up with the pockets on the inside or the outside. It kind of reminds me of the purse organizers you can buy on tv.

This is roving I bought out in the sales arena, but I can't remember the name of the company. (It was Cloverleaf Farms) Snarky Katy was so helpful and found it for me when I ran into her in the booth. She may remember who it was. It's a wool/silk blend with the color name of cranberry bog. I've spun up half on a one bobbin (on left) and I'm in the process of spinning the other half.

Here are my beautiful purchases from our own Knit Witch. This was their first year at SAFF selling yarn, roving and yarn bowls. We didn't get out to the sales arena until Saturday and it looked like they had done very well on Friday. I hope it was a successful show for them!

Here's the whole flock of sheep hats resting in the hotel room on Friday evening preparing for their debut at SAFF on Saturday. One of the flock just didn't seem to find the rest of us. He was spotted by others, we hear, wandering through the crowds.

Now a couple of shameless pictures of the kids. Bob had to help me take pictures of the SAFF stuff. He was in charge of getting as much orange hair on the white sheet as possible. He's got a real talent for it too!

Here is Blanche enjoying a sliver of sunlight. One of her favorite things to do.

This is a short post as I was up late last night with the election and I was in line at the poll from 6:00 until 8:10, which wasn't terrible, but I'm glad I got there early. The line was reeeally long when I left. I'm so glad to have a president in office that I actually voted for!! I haven't ever felt this proud and hopeful about a presidential election. gObama!!

SAFF 2008 recap

2008-10-26T18:15:00.004-04:00

We had a great time at SAFF this year. I tried my best to reign in on the spending... I almost succeeded.. I'm definitely on a fiber diet for a while. I bought a few rovings and several skeins of yarn. I got a couple of skeins of lace weight yarn and a skein of sock yarn from the KnitWitch. This was their first SAFF as a vendor and I hope they did well. I'll try and post some pics of my purchases within the next week. I can't believe I took my camera with me and didn't take a single picture the entire weekend.

We stayed at the Econolodge this year and it was much nicer than our previous year's hotel although the free breakfast wasn't too extravagant. The coffee was good, but we still had to make a trip to Starbucks before heading over to the convention center so Steve could get his 'fix'.

We also bought a couple of wine boxes at Target for unwinding in the room before dinner. It's hard work shopping all day for yarn and roving and spinning and checking out each other's purchases... We (Steve and I) weren't feeling any pain by the time we got to the restaurant. We went to Tamarind and had Thai food for dinner last night. It was very good! I'm sure the waiter was glad to see a large group of raucous happy fiber fiends go. We certainly tested his waiter skills, and patience probably, and he did a great job.

We were supposed to eat at Carraba's on Friday night, but when we got to the restaurant they claimed they didn't get the call from Jane that morning to have our group on the call list for a table. I think they probably gave our table to another large group and then didn't want to fess up that they made a mistake. It worked out in our favor anyway as we went to the Mexican restaurant just across the parking lot and had a great dinner with $2.50 margaritas! The food at Carraba's is good, but we ended up getting a great meal at a great price and our group of 14 walked in the door and were seated immediately with really great service too. I think it was Casa Torres but not really sure.

The guys here that made sheep hats (Steve, Lou, Stuart, Rob and I) were supposed to all wear them together yesterday, but we never did see Rob. We only heard from other people that he was there somewhere with his partner and son Mikael wearing the sheep hat. The other four of us did walk around for at least an hour and we had a great time. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of us, but I'm sure you will see us somewhere as we were stopped about every two steps for someone to snap a picture. Steve was very popular with his felted extra accoutrements on the back of his hat. (If anyone has a picture of us in their Flickr account, please send me a link so I can see it. thanks)

It's early to bed this evening. I'm back at work tomorrow after having been off on vacation for 3 weeks. The time sure flew by, as it always does. I dread what I'll be returning to piled up on my desk. What fun it is to sit and sort through that stack!

Howdy Y'all

2008-10-18T19:42:00.002-04:00

I got back from Texas this afternoon. I stayed the night in Jackson, Mississippi last night. There were high school girls softball teams in the hotel too, so it was a little noisy in the hallways last night with people talking and carrying on. I've managed to get the car unloaded and everything unpacked, but I haven't had a chance to download the pictures. It will probably take me a couple of days to go through all of them and resize and edit some for sharing. I usually take about twice as many as I end up keeping and I have about 150 this time to go through.

I finished all the knitting for my SAFF sweater in Texas (except for the collar) and then all that's left is piecing it together and weaving in ends. I have all of next week off too so I shouldn't have any problem getting it finished. I also made the Brooklyn Tweed Habitat hat while I was there.

I'm looking forward to seeing my knittin' buddies at Knitch tomorrow.

A Texas Wedding

2008-10-10T21:56:00.004-04:00

I'm at my sister and brother in law's house tonight for dinner. They got married last night at a friends house in San Marcos, Texas. The weather has been just perfect for all the wedding activities since we have been dining outdoors for the last two evenings. We are going to McKinney Falls State Park on Sunday for a picnic and it should be a great time. I've been taking lots of pictures, I just don't have a way to download any of them until I get home. I'll share the highlights after I get back.

I drove as far as Palestine, Texas on Monday. I decided to avoid the Dallas/Fort Worth area as I would have been going through right at rush hour. It worked out for the best since there were thunderstorms going through late Monday and I would have also been driving through rain in Dallas. I was glad I stopped for the night instead of driving through. The remainder of the drive to Austin on Tuesday morning was very nice and I took my time enjoying the drive and scenery. I also decided to stop and have BBQ at my favorite spot in Taylor, Texas. If you have ever been there, you know why. It's Louis Meuller BBQ and I definitely felt like I had come back to Texas while enjoying a brisket sandwich with pinto beans and potato salad. I also took some pictures while there to show you the inside of the place. The walls are black for the most part due to the smoke from the pits. I talked with one of the employees, Lin (picture later) who told me about the history of the place and the family, and he also gave me a tour and even let me go into the kitchen area to take pictures of the pit. When I got to Mom's house I could still smell the smokey smell on my t-shirt. I love the smell of BBQ smoke!

My Aunt and cousin are also here for the wedding and we have been having a great time visiting and getting caught up on the family stuff. They will be here till next Tuesday. This if the first time my cousin has been here in about 35 years. I think she was 8 or 9 years old when she was last here.

I guess I should go rejoin the dinner party on the patio. :)

SAFF sweater progress

2008-09-20T20:35:00.002-04:00

I'm making the Bold Zebra pattern from Guy Knits as my SAFF sweater this year.
I've finished the back and I'm almost finished with the front.

The colors are brighter and pop out more in the photo. I'm not one to shy away from bright colors though. Maybe I was some kind of colorful animal in a past life and I'm trying to recapture my true color... and it was not a mandrill! I can hear it now. I was thinking more along the lines of a butterfly or tropical fish or somethin', since I'm such a fragile and flitting creature... NOT! ;)

I've also started a sweater for my cousins little girl from a Debbie Bliss pattern.
I'm using Rowan handknit cotton and I'd forgotten how much knitting with cotton makes my hands hurt. Since it doesn't have any stretch, it tends to make my hands hurt (I'm a tight knitter). I just have to do in in small increments.

I made a batch of sushi for my dinner tonight and have sufficiently overstuffed my belly. There was plenty left over for raids later too. :) Michael still hasn't dared to try a piece. I guess it's just that scary nori seaweed that has him nervous. More for me! I think I could eat the entire container of pickled ginger as a meal in itself.

Blooming orchid

2008-09-19T13:51:00.007-04:00

I just noticed this morning that the orchid I have in the terrarium on my desk is blooming! This is only the third time it has bloomed in about 9 years.

At one time I could have told you what variety this is, but I haven't a clue anymore. Someone out there may recognize it. It is one of the minature varieties of orchids. Usually there are blooms all the way around making a tiny umbrella of blooms. This one has a few missing. It hasn't been looking it's best in a while, that's why I'm so surprised to see it blooming.

I've received a blog award!! How cool!

Thanks Claudia! I'd nominate you too!

Of course, there are rules attached to the award:

1. Post this award on your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who awarded you.
3. Nominate at least 4 other bloggers, and add their links as well.
4. Leave a comment at the new recipients' blogs, so they can pass it on.

I am nominating HockeyMom (Sandy), PlazaJen , ChickenGoddess (Alma) and KnitWitch (Brittany).

I'm looking forward to a trip to Texas in a couple of weeks to spend time with family and to attend my sister's wedding. I just hope that the gas prices will have come back down somewhat by the time we leave. I averaged 42mpg going to Iowa, so it's not too much of a price difference, but every extra dollar counts on a trip.

Thank you to everyone who left comments and condolences concerning my grandmother and most recently our dog Emily. It's been a rough few weeks, but sometimes life just isn't what we would like to see and we have to work at it from day to day. I know having good friends and family around me to spend time with, to laugh with and sometimes even cry is what keeps me going.

Dear Emily

2008-09-15T18:00:00.002-04:00

I just spoke with Michael and he let me know that our 17 year old Lhasa Apso Emily died this afternoon about 2:30. Her health had been slowly deteriorating over the last year and this past Saturday she had what seemed to be maybe a stroke and lost control of her back legs and was incontinent for a few hours. She did regain the use of her legs yesterday, but was up all night confused about where she was and barking for help. She was always such a quiet dog and hardly ever barked, so this was very unusual for her. She had another episode this afternoon and Michael bathed her and had her wrapped in a towel afterward and subsequently she just went limp in his arms and died. Although this wasn't unexpected, I know Michael is going to be feeling lost without her.

Pangs of guilt

2008-09-11T09:41:00.003-04:00

I told a few people about this when I got back the other day, but I have been wracked with guilt ever since it occurred.

As most of my friends know, I have a real soft spot in my heart for cats. The two I have right now, Bob and Blanche, I rescued from the parking lot of the apartments I was living in 7 years ago. I felt that I was put in the right place at the right time to give them the home they needed. When I was driving home from Iowa the other day, it was early in the morning at about 6:30 and the sun was coming up and I had a very sudden urge to stop and take a picture of the sunrise. I saw an overpass coming up quickly and decided to stop there for the vantage point and almost skidded to a stop in order not to pass it. I was out of the car and getting the camera ready to take a picture when I heard a sound in the brush beside the road. It was a young, tiny black and white kitten and as soon as it saw me it made a beeline right for me screaming as if it was so glad to see someone. The road was just a few hundred yards from a row of houses and at first I figured it had probably just wandered away from mama. At least that's what I had convinced myself was the probable scenario. I was afraid it would try to follow me to the car and get underneath it so I crumbled up some rice cake snacks on the ground and it was eating away at it hungrily as I drove off. I immediatly started to feel guilty, knowing that it more than likely was a kitten that had been dumped beside the road. If it were a feral kitten it wouldn't have approached me so quickly and easily. I know what wild farm cats are like and they don't behave that way. I had to talk myself into believing that it would find it's way back to the houses or mama was closeby hiding under the bridge and would be back to take care of it. Now my heart is so filled with regret. I was once again put in a place that did not feel like a coincidence to rescue another lost kitten and I talked myself out of doing what I knew in my heart was the right thing to do. Something had inspired me to suddenly stop at that particular place and now I'm having a hard time even thinking about how to forgive myself for being so cold and uncaring.

trip to Iowa

2008-09-08T17:15:00.003-04:00

I've just returned from an unplanned trip to Iowa. My maternal grandmother of 96 passed away Sunday a week ago. I was there for a week for the funeral and to be with family. My mom, dad and sister drove up from Texas and met me at my aunt and uncle's house. The service was very nice and there is a lot to be said for a small town funeral. It really reminds you of what a family truly is. It had been 8 years since my last visit up there and it was great to see all my extended family even though the circumstances weren't of the pleasant kind.
It's a 13 hour drive for me and I stopped in St. Louis on the way up there. I drove straight through on the way back leaving Iowa at 4:45 in the morning to get back at about 7:15. I return to work tomorrow.
I took some pictures while there to share.

This was taken from the front porch of my aunt and uncle's house at about 7:00 in the morning. The silo is the neighbors farm across the road. They are now raising llamas instead of cattle or pigs. I wanted to go and visit, but just didn't get to it.

This is my uncle Kenny mowing the yard. Everything is so green there compared to Georgia. They have had more than enough rain this year. Their farm is about 30 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids which had a major flood a little over a month ago. They've had so much rain that a lot of the crops were planted later than normal because the soil was too wet.

This is a horse and buggy parked outside the general store (called Stringtown) in Kalona, Iowa. I bought a load of spices while there that they buy in bulk, repackage and sell for a great price. My $40 dollars worth filled an entire paper grocery bag.

My sister and I took a walk to photograph and collect some wildflowers (my aunt calls them ALL weeds). We think they are pretty. If you look closely in the bottom center of this picture you will see a remanant "weed" from when a particular plant was cultivated as a cash crop in Iowa. (rhymes with kemp) No, it's not the illicit kind, just the kind you would harvest for the fiber.

This is a flower we had never seen in Iowa before. Not sure what it is but I really love the lantern seed pods.

Here is a gathering of beetles on a milkweed pod.

My aunt sent me home with tomatoes from her garden so we had BLT's for lunch today. She always has such beautiful tomatoes in her garden every year and they are sooo good when they are picked ripe from the garden.

Yesterday was our 7th anniversary (copper). I bought Michael a hammered copper humidor and a little shell dish. The shell was so tarnished, and not in the pretty way, it took me a few hours just to polish it . It really did polish up nicely though.

The humidor, called a Rumidor, is in great condition. There was some really nice patina, on one side, but the other was actually kind of gross looking, so i just polished the whole thing and will let it acquire a new, more pleasant patina all over.

Ravelympics comes to an end

2008-08-24T18:59:00.006-04:00

I finished my Muir shawl today while knitting at Knitch. This was my project for the Ravelympics this year. It still needs to be blocked and I'll probably do that next weekend.

I enjoyed knitting this shawl. The pattern isn't too difficult and easy to follow. I can't wait to see what blocking will do for it. It is so soft and light as a feather. I think my sister will be very pleased with the results. :)

I got my scarf from the Men Who Knit scarf exchange a week or so ago. It's beautiful and knit with my favorite yarn! Noro of course! My mystery knitter (Gary aka GaryHRX) also sent me a great handmade wooden tic tac toe game, some fun and quirky cookbooks and also some knitting patterns including Lopi patterns. Thank you so much Gary. You did a great job on the scarf and also for the great extras too!!

Michael is headed to Mobile tomorrow to visit with his son Nick who is moving to New York next Thursday. Nick is an amazing and incredibly articulate young man. He has been a very outspoken advocate for the rights of the disabled in this country and Alabama. I know Michael is terribly worried about the move and excited for him at the same time. Nick has been seeking a place to strike out on his own and find some independence of his own for quite a while. If you have time and are interested in his story, just click on his name above.
Michael will stay in Mobile to care for his younger son Jamie (who is also ventilator dependent with MS) while mom travels with Nick to New York to get him situated. Please send Michael, Nick and the rest of the family your good thoughts while in this major transition and the changes they will endure over the next few weeks. I expect Michael will most likely return home emotionally and physically exhausted.

Yesterday I was talking with friends about our 17 year old Lhasa Apso Emily and they had never seen a picture. Here she is modeling a sweater I made for her a few years ago.

I'm off to watch the closing ceremonies of the Olympics now.

Stitches South!

2008-08-08T11:50:00.003-04:00

It was announced last night at the Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting that Stitches South will be held in Atlanta, April 23-26, 2009. This is so exciting as I can now attend the convention with only a 20 minute drive!
This will also be a great boost for the local yarn shops. They will probably be overrun with all the people in town checking out the local shops.
I can't wait to see the roster of classes that will be offered too.
Can you tell I'm excited?!

It's been two years today

2008-08-07T07:50:00.001-04:00

Missing you.

Reluctance

Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping
Out over the crusted snow,
When others are sleeping.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch-hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question 'Whither?'

Ah, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?

Robert Frost

It's already been a year!

2008-08-06T17:24:00.001-04:00

Today is the 1 year mark for my blog. It doesn't seem like it has been that long.
October is looking like it's going to be a month for travel for me. Not only the trip to SAFF but also a trip to Texas for a couple of weeks to visit family and attend my sister's wedding. Michael and I have been back for Christmas and also in the spring, so this will be Michael's first time to visit in the fall. It can still be very warm in October, the tempuratures during the day at least. It starts to cool off in the evenings a little more starting in October... usually. Who knows with the way the weather is these days.

Not much else to blog about today, just wanted to acknowledge the passing of my blog's first birthday!

I needed a laugh

2008-07-28T19:20:00.002-04:00

Today has been a test of my nerves and stamina and the Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show can always makes me laugh when I need to.

Just in case you didn't know... Never Threaten A Chicken!!

Tour de Fleece 2008 results

2008-07-27T18:23:00.003-04:00

I finished plying this morning. I underplyed some of it so it was a learning experience too, but I'm still very happy with the results. I also realized last night that I had been plying in the wrong direction for about ten minutes. I had to pull that all off and I just plyed that to itself and got about 10 yards to use as sock toes maybe.

I bought my first bag of silk/wool blend roving today at Knitch. It's fuschia, so whatever I end up making with it will be day-glo. I'm not afraid to wear pink. :)

I also bought some baby alpaca roving. The color is closer to the actual color in the second photo, which is also almost the color of my own hair where there's a little more chrome in it.

Tour de Fleece update

2008-07-25T23:37:00.002-04:00

I've finished both of my singles for my Tour de Fleece project.

I'm letting them rest for a couple of days and I plan to ply them on Saturday or Sunday. I'll post pix of the finished yarn on Sunday.

Yarn! Real yarn!

2008-07-19T22:05:00.003-04:00

I plied my first skein and blocked it yesterday. It is a medium chunky weight and I got about 200 yards in total. I just need to figure out what I want to make with it to have as a keepsake of my first skein. Anyone have any suggestions? A lot of thick and thin, but I'm thrilled/stunned at how it turned out. I was so anxious about plying it and messing it up. I went pretty slowly at first and picked up a little speed once I got a feel for it. I still had to tell myself to slow down a few times before it got away from me. I made a homemade lazy kate with a box, a 5 pound bag of rice (for weight) and a couple of knitting needles and it worked well, but I definitely need some tension on the bobbins. They spun a little too much a few times and I had to stop and unwind it from the knitting needles.

I also finished my first single for the Tour de Fleece. This should end up about a worsted weigh I hope.

We saw the new Batman movie today and it's excellent!

I got a bag of blueberries from a friend (thanks Rob) on Thursday and I made a batch of muffins today. I had to test a few to make sure they weren't overbaked. I might need to test just one more before bed just to make absolutely sure. Hopefully there will be some left to take to Knitch tomorrow since I really don't need to eat them all myself.

My Tour De Fleece

2008-07-15T21:11:00.003-04:00

Here is the fleece I'm spinning for the Tour de Fleece. It's from Gale's Art and the colorway is called Majic. I started spinning it on Sunday. I just pre-drafted the last part of the first roving this evening.

Here is the pile of pre-drafted roving before I rolled it into a ball. The colors in this roving make me think of the rainbow sherbert we used to eat as kids.

This shows how big these bobbins are. There is already about 3 ounces a fiber on the bobbin. I could fit all 8 ounces on one bobbin, but I'll spin half each on a bobbin for plying.

The DH and I had a wonderful time at Claudia's house this past Sunday. We were there to celebrate her Birthday. It was a fun and relaxing time and we even got to put together some jigsaw puzzles. I love jigsaw puzzles! I have lots of great memories of the talk and laughter over puzzles at my mom's house during the winter.
Katy and I had a great time putting together a wooden puzzle she had on the coffee table. I've never had the chance to work on a custom made wooden puzzle. It was such a treat! A group of us put together a couple more puzzles before we left. I think they did two more after we left. There is a huge collection in her basement that we were allowed to look through. It is an amazing collection. I bet I could find every puzzle I've ever done in her basement. We even saw a puzzle with 18,000 pieces!

Tour De Fleece 2008

2008-07-07T20:22:00.003-04:00

I've joined Le Tour de Fleece 2008! This year it's a spinning challenge. I bought more of Gale Art's lovely merino roving last week in pretty summer colors. I'll post a pic in a day or two to show what I'll be working on for my challenge. I will hopefully have it all spun up and plyed by the end on July 27. Thanks Nell for letting me know about this. Sounds like fun! Click on the link in the sidebar for more info. It started on July 5th, but they accept late signups as long as you finish up your challenge by the end date if you are interested in spinning along. Now I have the Kraftwerk song 'Tour de France' going through my head.

My first spinning singles

2008-07-04T17:45:00.002-04:00

I've been spinning every night since I got my wheel. I think I've worked on my knitting twice. It's new and I tend to concentrate on new things for a while. The knitting will return when I've gotten over the excitement and newness of my wheel.

The dark grey on the left is my very first single. and the blue on the right is my second. They are both Corriedale that I bought at Knitch.

These are both from Gale's Art in Stone Mountain and they are the same colorway. I'm going to ply them together. This is merino and I've really enjoyed spinning this. I bought more of it in another colorway last night.

I wish the wheel came with a lazy kate. The bobbins don't have a groove in them so the regular tensioned lazy kates available out there won't work. I may have to just build my own. I'll probably just start with what we locally fondly call a ghetto kate (shoe box and knitting needles).

We aren't going anywhere this weekend. We both just feel like staying home even though it's Pride weekend. Been there, done that and we just don't feel like getting out in the heat. We may go to the golf course behind us to watch the fireworks tonight. It's just a block behind us, so we can just sit in the back yard and watch through the trees if we don't really want to walk over there.

Mach 1 spinning, describing the wheel not the speed at which I spin

2008-06-28T11:00:00.004-04:00

I received my wheel this past Wednesday. I was up spinning till almost 1:00am Wednesday and then about an hour or so on Thurs and Fri and have about a half a bobbin full of dark grey/blue Corriedale. I realized last night after about an hour that I was gripping the wool so tightly with my left hand that my thumb was numb. I'll pay more attention next time and try to avoid doing nerve damage in the pursuit of handspun yarn. It still feels a little funny today. The first tries were just a mess and I fully expected that. I bought the book by Maggie Casey called Start Spinning and read about the drafting techniques which seemed to make it just click for me and it helped tremendously. I took the bobbin with me to Knitch last night and was told I was doing very well for my first attempts. Yay! I'll take some pix to post tonight. The wheel is very easy to treadle and can keep spinning on its own for quite a while which means it takes very little effort to keep it going.

I'll bring the wheel with me on Sunday to Knitch for people to try out if they would like to. I do have an additional wheel for sale if anyone is interested in buying one. I'm selling it for the retail price ($495) and adding an extra bobbin at no charge, as well as waiving the shipping costs. I'm hoping someone else will love the wheel as much as I do and they can get it right away without the wait or shipping costs if they want one. (Shipping is $60 and the bobbins are $30, so that's a savings of $90 up front) Extra bobbins and the strap and travel wheels can be ordered from our own Famous Steve, our Georgia Rep for the Mach 1.

I missed the Atlanta Spinning Guild meeting today since it seems to always fall on my Saturday to work. I guess I'll have to wait until the calendar catches up with that Saturday before I will be able to attend (or if I'm out on vacation, or taking a mental health day).

How?

2008-06-26T13:35:00.005-04:00

What do you say to a close friend who has lost her dear husband far too soon? I feel so helpless to her and awkward about how to console her. I guess it comes down to she's my friend, she's in pain and my heart just aches for her knowing what she is going through. I only met Irwin one time at SAFF last year and he was quiet, with a quick wit and very charming. I know just by how Claudia spoke of him to us and related stories about things he did for her that he was a very special man.
If nothing else Claudia, know that you have my love and support whenever you need it.

2008-06-21T09:28:00.002-04:00

I've been tagged for a MEME (pronounced meem, as I've been saying mimi too)

The Rules: Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. Your answer, of course, is the answer to the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
1998? Working at the same place, but 5 managers ago. Knitting was on hiatus as I was really into making glass beads (torch and glass rods) and seed bead work and also doing cross stitch.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
1. Go to the bank
2. Grocery shopping
3. Make sure the new matress pad is good for naps
4. Got to Pet's Mart for kitty litter
5. Laundry

3. Snacks I enjoy: sunflower seeds, real gummi bears (not the cheap knockoff ones), chocolate or chocolate coated anything, homemade cookies

4. Places I’ve lived:
Born in Duluth, Minnesota
George Air Force Base (near L.A.) California
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Hahn Air Force Base, Germany
Austin, Texas
College Station, Texas (Texas A&M college)
San Antonio, Texas
Jonesboro, Georgia
and now, Atlanta, Georgia

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Quit my job. Build a home here. Build a craft school (kinda like Spruill or Callenwold, but better!) Build a home in Austin for the winters. Build a home in the Blue Ridge mountains for the summers. Take care of family and friends. Buy my own train cars for traveling with plenty of room for friends. I'll pay someone else to worry about the logistics of how.

The rules say I have to tag 5 people now. Just about everyone that I know who has a blog has already been tagged except for Rob. If you're feeling left out because I didn't tag you, feel free to swipe the meme and post answers on your blog, then let me know in the comments.

Mystic Meadows Shawl

2008-06-07T19:26:00.002-04:00

I started the new KAL Mystic Meadows Shawl this past Tuesday and finished clue one today. I was knitting on it at my knit group last night and didn't notice until today when I stretched it out to photo it that I have an odd row in the middle. It's not too noticeable, so it's now just a design feature. I was really tempted to frog it and fix it, but it's about 50 rows back and I can live with it. Can you believe I said that!?! I'm trying not to be such a perfectionist and stress myself out about the pattern and take all the fun out of it. (This is to convince myself more than anything else)

I do love the yarn! It's a new Saucy color in violets and soft greys by Numma Numma that has been named in my honor! It's called Bare Gossip (bare for bear in Knits4bears). Isn't that COOL! Allen gave me two skeins of it to make this shawl and I am really loving the color. I had told her a couple of weeks ago that I wanted something with purple in it to make this shawl and she said she was working on a new Saucy color that she thought I would like. I like, I Like!!

The next clue of the pattern will be out on Monday I think. I'm liking the pattern so far, except I didn't know there were going to be.. duhn, duhn, DUHHHNNNN... BOBBLES!!! They're little ones and not too many, at least so far. I'm not a big fan of bobbles (sweater zits in my opinion) but a few won't kill me.

The big news is the spinning wheel decision has been finalized. I just couldn't resist such a beautifully designed and crafted wheel. I'm getting a Spinolution Mach 1. Click on this link to see a Youtube video of the wheel in action. I'm so ready to learn how to spin! I've been putting it off for long enough. Now I'm so excited and can't wait to get started.

My soon to be new baby!

As the spinning wheel turns

2008-06-01T09:15:00.004-04:00

The urge to buy a spinning wheel has reached a new, and louder pitch. Melissa brought her wheel to Knitch on Friday for Steve to try out. He is looking to buy a wheel too. I think we are probably egging each other on to a purchase just a little too. There is going to be a (SQUEEEEE) in the near future, I have a feeling. After watching Steve spin for a couple of hours, I went home Friday night and dreamt of spinning all night long. I think when you dream about something through an entire night, it may mean you are a little obsessed and there is just no fighting the urge anymore. There are just too many choices out there. It's hard to choose when there are so many great wheels available. The front runner for me is still the Kromski Sonata for all it's versatility. Steve directed me to look at the SpinOlution Mach1 , which is a beautiful wheel and appeals to the 'architecture' side of me. I'd love to be able to try one first to see what it's like. The one big downside for me is I really want to be able to use a WooleeWinder and it's not available for that wheel. My best intention, at the moment, is to save my money and hopefully find a wheel at SAFF and hopefully at a great price!

The Muir Shawl is coming along. I'm on the 7th repeat and it's going much faster now that I'm use to the pattern.

This is really going to be light as a feather when it's done.

Mr.Bob new Summer Bag Collection

2008-05-26T13:35:00.002-04:00

In case you've missed the stories of my designer cat (Mr.Bob), he is an aficionado of the paper bag. Especially the yarn shop paper bags. He puts a lot of time, thought and teeth into each extraordinary paper creation.

This is one of his early creations. Note the subtle use of his techniques along the top edges of the bag.

On this bag he used his full body weight to give the bag some textural interest as well.

This is his "stand by" edition of his most popular and favorite kind of bag. More surface area to work with.

I'm still trying to get across the concept of less is more, but sometimes the artistic flair just can't be stiffled.

As always, commission pieces can be arranged. A 2 to 3 week wait will be needed for the adequate time needed to create and dry your one of a kind, limited edition Mr.Bob bag. He only works in the wee hours of the morning to get the full effect of his artistic genius. Mini glossies with his own special 'signature' are available with purchase upon request.

latest projects pix

2008-05-18T18:36:00.004-04:00

Here are the pictures of the latest projects. I finished knitting the baby surprise jacket this afternoon.

This is the Handsome Triangle Shawl from Victorian Lace Today. The yarn is gossamer from Knitpicks and the color is called Red Hat.

And last the Muir shawl from Knitty in Kidsilk Haze in the color fern. I'm enjoying this pattern more and more as I get used to the pattern repeat. One and a half down, eleven and a half to go, on the first side. (I didn't realize, until I read the entire pattern, that this isn't worked from the center out. I thought there would be a total of 26 repeats. It's worked from end to end with only 13 repeats. I'm now on the 7th repeat)

New projects galore

2008-05-17T10:27:00.014-04:00

It's been a busy couple of weeks since I last posted. I've started 2 new shawls ("Muir" from Knitty and "A Handsome Triangle" from Victorian Lace Today). I'm using Kidsilk Haze (Cracksilk Haze to some) in the color Fern for the Muir shawl and Knit Picks "Red Hat Ladies" fingering weight for the triangle. The Muir shawl is going slowly since it is mohair and I don't want to have to rip back if at all possible. I've already had a couple of mohair moments. On the other hand, if I drop a stitch along the way, the mohair makes it easy to pick it back up since it's not going to run like the slick yarns tend to do.

I've altered the Handsome Triangle pattern a little borrowing the braid center and cable edge from the Mystic Light shawl pattern. I just thought the plain stockinette stiches down the center of the triangle looked a little plain.

I also started a baby surprise jacket this week, which is almost finished and I started a matching EZ Snail hat last night since I had a skein left over from the jacket.

I'm still working on my socks for the Needle Nook/Numma Numma sock contest. It's going slow since I ran into some logistic issues with the pattern at the gusset... I'll probably just fudge a little on the first sock and then the second sock will be the 'demo' for the pattern picture.

Of course I haven't taken any pictures of any of these yet so I guess I know what I'll have on my calendar tomorrow.

I had grand plans for my stimulus check (the Kromski wheel was calling my name) until my car heard I had some extra cash in my pocket... easy come, easy go... but at least I have new brakes on my car. It all happened so fast. I got the check on Thursday. The brakes started making some noise on Friday. By Saturday it progressed from a little noise to a horrible, metal on metal grinding that is a sound worse than nails on a chalkboard to me. Sometimes it just really sucks having to do the 'responsible' thing with your money. I guess having reliable stopping equipment on my car would be classified as a required need.

Sooomedaaay my wheeeel will cooome. *sigh*

Mystic Light Shawl

2008-05-01T07:29:00.002-04:00

It's finished! I blocked it Wednesday morning. I'm ready to go for the next one which will be the Muir shawl from Knitty. I'm just waiting for the yarn to arrive at Knitch.

Socks, Clematis & Daisy

2008-04-26T20:02:00.007-04:00

I finished my two way striped socks this morning. The sideways striped sock was fun to knit, but you'd better be comfortable with kitchenering, it took two hours. There is also some short row shaping at the top of the cuff to add more room for calf stretch. I do plan to make a complete pair at some point when I find sock yarn that inspires me for this particular pattern.

I'm now working on the final clue of the Mystic Light Shawl and have just started on the second skein of yarn. The pattern called for 1000 yards, so I bought 2 skeins of 550 yds each. I think there may have been a little miscalculation. I thought about adding another repeat, but the idea of figuring out the rest of the chart made my head hurt. I'll just have some extra yarn leftover for some short socks. I'll post pictures when it's done and blocked (hopefully I'll have it done tomorrow).

The clematis vines out in front of our house are now in full bloom. They are very happy this year. The white blooms are about 6-8 inches across. The fuschia colored blooms are smaller, but the color is so intense. We have another variety planted along our driveway that doesn't get as much sun, but it will be blooming a few days too. I'd tell you what variety these are if I knew. More pictures are in my Flickr account if you'd like to see them.

There was a puppy shower today at Knitch for Haley and her new adorable puppy Daisy. Daisy is so lucky to have such a good mommy in Haley!

And the question of the day... which one is Doug and which one is Lou? It's not a tough call, but a lot of people get us confused. Short hair, glasses and a beard. We are modeling a hat made for Claudia by Brett.

My dinner with Annie (and Lou)

2008-04-13T19:53:00.003-04:00

Lou and I had dinner this evening with Annie (the Knitting Heretic) and it was great to get to sit and talk with her over some great burgers at Atkins Park restaurant. I really don't see how teachers like Annie can travel so much, have the stamina to teach several classes in a row and not return home an exhausted mess. I know I certainly would. I'm sure the success of such work/travel has to be attributed to doing something you really love and it really shows through Annie. Lou took some pictures of us with Annie and I'll post them when he sends them to me. I did take one picture of her hamming it up in Knitch modeling a bonnet, but I want to keep her as a friend, so I won't post it for the world to see. It is cute though. Regan said "It's like Little Knitting House on the Prairie".

I took some more flower pictures today. The weather was gorgeous today and the flowers seem to be just exploding everywhere. These are from the yard today.

This is a helibore. I'm not sure what variety it is.

Camelia

Not sure what these are. I know Famous Steve will know what they are. (Steve said they are Spanish Bluebells. Thanks Steve.)

This is a pink azalea that I saw on the way to Knitch this afternoon.
I stopped and took a few shots.

I'll take some shots of the knitting that I'm working on soon. I just need to do it. I've finished the first three clues of the Mystic Light Shawl now. I joined the Mystery Lace Shawl KAL too and that starts next Friday. I'm also trying to come up with a design for a sock contest at Needle Nook using Numma Numma sock yarn. I now have a new appreciation for knitting pattern designers. I now see how difficult it is to try to come up with something that will work and resize easily.

There are still a few of the movies on the movie meme a couple of posts back that haven't been identified yet. Take a look and see if they jog your memory.

The Harlot returns

2008-04-06T21:03:00.002-04:00

The Yarn Harlot was here in Atlanta promoting her new book today.

(Be warned: lots of pictures.)

Here is the line waiting to get into the theater for the Yarn Harlot program. We waited in line for about 45 minutes and we were even interviewed by the AJC while we waited.

Friends waiting for the program to begin.
From left to right: top row - Drue, Steve (Famous Steve) and Kate
bottom row - Katey (Snarky) and Lou

A very Blurry picture of Diana (blogless) and Sandy (HockeyMom) as we waited for the show to start.

The Infamous and beloved Chicken Goddess!

Does the Chicken Goddess know something about cake that I don't!?

Snarky Katey after she won a $300 ball of vicuna yarn in the raffle! Congratulations!!

The Yarn Harlot taking a picture of the crowd with her sock.

Diana (still blogless) and Meagan at Atkins Park restaurant/bar after the program.

Claudia and Phyllis at Atkins Park.

Lou (also blogless) and Sandy taking a picture for her blog at Atkins Park.

And lastly, on the way home I saw these cherry blossoms all over the ground in John Howell park on Virginia Ave. So I stopped and took some pictures. It was so cool to see the entire ground around the trees covered with little pink petals and the contrast with the dark roots of the trees.

knitting lately and the movie meme

2008-04-05T20:34:00.016-04:00

I finished the Perpensockular sock this week, after 2 hours of kitchenering the seam down the entire length of the sock. But it turned out great and fits very nicely. I've started the second sock, but this one is a regular toe up sock so the stripes will go the regular way.

I've also finished the second clue of the Mystic Light shawl. It's going very well and I really like the subtle color changes. The pictures aren't the best, but at least you can see the pattern in one and the color in the other.

My first blog MEME

Since Claudia put the movie quote quiz on her blog, I've been thinking about doing it too. I didn't follow the rules exactly, as I got the quotes directly from the movies and actually watched them to get them verbatim. They aren't too hard and if you've seen the movie it will probably be obvious. Just some of my favorites .

Here are the rules I was supposed to follow...

The rules:

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.
3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.
4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie.
5. Looking them up is cheating, please don’t.

Ready?

1. "How dare you say penis to a dead person!"

2. ~~"Thing is Pike, we want things to be nice for you too buddy."~~
Identified by Robert, 1:32pm, April 6, Movie "Big Eden"

3. ~~"No hard liquor served past 8 o'clock, do you want a virgin?"~~
~~"Maybe, but uh, I'll have a couple of drinks first."~~
Identified by MysterJay, 1:30am, April 11, Movie "Elvira, Mistress of the Dark" spoken by the waitress in the bowling alley

4. ~~"I am thrilled that you could join me for the fabulous first night of the St. Louis leg of my world tour. And when it comes to huge openings, a lot of people think of me."~~
Identified by Norskybear, 5:56pm, May 25, Movie "Hedwig and the Angry Inch"

5. ~~"Oh, why that oriental sand man let me sleep in my best Chanel!"~~
Identified by Jana, 4:54pm, April 10, spoken by Auntie Mame's best friend Vera, Movie "Auntie Mame" the Rosalind Russel version (the true Auntie Mame in my opinion) Jana even told me which room the line was spoken in! (the Marie Antoinette Room) You must love this movie too!

6. ~~"You're out of your f**kin mind!"~~
~~"Bingo! Come on Jack, free up the little guy. Let him flap in the breeze."~~
Identified by MysterJay, 3:16am, April 13, spoken by Jack (Jeff Bridges) and Perry (Robin Williams) in the movie "Fisher King"

7. ~~"All the girls drink, it's just that I'm the one that gets caught."~~
Identified by Jana, 2:43pm, April 11, Movie "Some Like It Hot" spoken by Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe)

8. "Arlena and I were in the chorus of a show together. Not that I could ever compete. Even in those days she could always throw her legs up in the air higher than any of us... and wider."

9. ~~"Hi, there. I want to talk to you about ducts"~~
Identified by Claudia, 10:46pm, April 7, Movie "Brazil"

10. ~~"There's no basement in the Alamo!"~~
Identified by Archie (Kiltedknitter), April 17, 2:58pm, Movie "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" spoken by Tina (Jan Hooks, Atlanta native) the tour guide at the Alamo to Pee Wee (Paul Reubens)

Most of these you can find in the IMDb database, but a few aren't in there, so please play fair. If you want a little more of a challenge, try and tell me who (characters name) said it too.

Mystic Light Shawl update

2008-03-28T21:33:00.002-04:00

I finished part 1 of the Mystic Light Shawl tonight at Knitch. I'm ready for the next clue now! I'm really liking the look of the Numma Numma Saucy yarn. I took one picture with the flash and one without so you can see the color and stitch definition.

The next clue doesn't come out until next Wednesday. Knitting torture for the OCD knitter.

Bob's in training

2008-03-27T22:07:00.003-04:00

Have you ever seen a falcon when it's in training? They use a hood on the falcon to keep them calm when they are not actually in pursuit of their prey. So I thought, since Bob seems to always be in a rather 'fowl' (not so subtle pun) mood, maybe he needs a hood too. For some odd reason, it seemed to have the opposite effect on Bob. He wasn't very calm and had a really bad attitude afterward.

Please understand I love my kitties dearly and don't torture them in this manner on a regular basis. Although, I had a dog when I was a child that I use to dress up in my sisters large doll clothes and then take his picture. He soon developed and odd fear of cameras and would run and hide under the bed any time he saw one. I still have the one of him dressed as Jackie-O complete with the sunglasses and scarf. He was totally fierce.

Mystic Light KAL has begun

2008-03-26T21:53:00.002-04:00

I got the first part of the shawl pattern today. I took half a day of sick leave today, the neuropathy is still going on, and I have worked on it off and on between naps today. It has helped to keep my mind off the twinges that come and go, but with the pain meds I seem to kind of slow down and get lost in the middle of a row. That's when I know it's time for another cat nap. The kitties have both been very clingy with me today and hanging out with me in bed. Here is a picture of what I have done so far.

This one taken without the flash makes it easier to see the detail of the stitches. There is a cable along the neck edge and a braid going down the center back. I'm excited to see the next part of the pattern already.

Top Chef is coming on. More later.

today is a neuropathy day

2008-03-24T13:45:00.002-04:00

I have had problems with neuropathy for several years and it can make itself known rather quickly sometimes. Last night I started having twinges in the left side of my face above the cheekbone and the eyebrow area. This morning it has decided to make my day interesting. I take a medication for it that does dull the pain, somewhat, but it also makes me a little zombie-ish. The pain comes in waves. If you've ever had shingles, you know of what I speak. This is just like shingles, but without the blisters on the skin. It usually only last a few days, if I'm lucky. This is the first time I've had it in my face. It's usually been my scalp the last few times. I have another hour to go before I can take more medicine... I swear it also has the ability to slow time.

GPS for knitters

2008-03-17T19:30:00.006-04:00

I've been having issues with my new GPS unit this past week. No matter where I went I couldn't get a signal. At first I thought it was just some glitch because of the time change and it screwed it up somehow. I stopped at Radio Shack by my house on Sunday afternoon to see if they knew what was going on or if there was something I did to it to make it not work. The woman I talked to said to come back and speak with the manager on Monday. I called the help number when I got home and the tech told me to charge it as it may be because of a low battery. So I plugged it in and left it charging overnight and this morning when I turned it on, the same thing, no signal. It wasn't even locating any of the 10 or so different satelites it uses. So I dropped by the Radio Shack this morning and I told the manager what was going on and he looked at it and asked if I had bought it at Radio Shack, and I said I had. He said "hang on just a minute"... he came out of the stock room with a new unit and just swapped them out giving me the new unit. It worked as soon as I got to the car and turned it on. Yay! I was a little stunned and surprised that he just swapped them out without hardly any questions. This is the kind of service that will buy my customer loyalty for a LONG time. Too bad more companies aren't aware of this practice. Customer service means nothing. Customer loyalty means everything.

This whole GPS thang had us talking at the Friday Night Knit group. There should be a GPS system for knitters. *ding* "you are approaching a yarnover"... *ding* "after 2 stiches, make an SSK decrease"... *ding* "at the end of the row, turn and purl back" At least we got a good snort and giggle out of it.

I have finished my dad's socks but I haven't taken any new pictures yet. I hope they aren't too tight for him. I'm just a little worried they may be. I did file down the broken dp on Sunday at Knitch (on Lou's emery board) and it's made a full recovery. It's already on another sock project. I'm starting the Jaywalker socks with sock yarn I bought at SAFF last year. White Oak Studio tvyarn - Nightmare after Christmas colorway. I frogged the pair of plain tow up socks I had started with it last fall.

I think the Jaywalker pattern will be a lot more fun and show off the colors even better. (I also realized after seeing this photo again that my dad's socks were the second pair to be knit on the walnut DPs before the stress induced carnage. I had pulled them out of this sock to work on the other socks.)

I did sign up for a Knit-a-long. The Mystic Light Shawl KAL. They are still taking new people and will close signups on the 25th of March if you are interested in joining too. The last one they did was so gorgeous and I plan to go back and knit this one too when the current KAL is over. (Mystic Waters Lace Shawl) It's also in the database in Ravelry if you would like to see more photos of the finished shawl.

The cable sweater I've been working on, and now ripped back 3 times for errors... which has been irritating, but I like knitting cables, so I don't stay miffed for too long.

I'll be ready to wear it by SAFF next year I'm sure. It will probably already be too hot to wear by the time I get it finished. Maybe I'll have time for a second sweater and a possible costume change for SAFF. I wouldn't dare be seen in the same sweater 2 days in a row!! Don't be hatin' on me cause I'm an OCD knitter.

Knit-a-longs

2008-03-07T10:22:00.006-05:00

How is it exactly one finds the fun and cool KAL's to join. I always seem to hear about them after the fact when they have stopped taking new people to join. I want to play too! Maybe I should just start my own KAL, with my own secret clues and passwords and stuff!?! Yeah, that's it... now I'm really losin' it. Yesterday was definitely a rollercoaster, but it ended well getting to see friends at the guild meeting. I can always count on my knittin' friends to raise my spirits and get me to laugh. Thanks y'all.

Back to the KAL's... We had Janet Szabo speak last night at the guild meeting and she was talking about a knit-a-long she had done and about knitting the next clue as fast as she could while the group was knitting on the previous portion. I just find the whole thing fascinating and getting to see how everyone interprets the pattern in different ways. Anyone have suggestions on how they find them? I really want to participate in the next Mystery Stole too. The stole last year was beautiful and I had a great time watching the progress of all the different versions. With beads, without beads, with the wing, without the wing...

My dad's socks will probably be finished tonight at Knitch. I worked with the glued dp for about 30 minutes last night before it broke again. So I dug out the circulars and was going to transfer all the stitches to two circs. After I got the stitches from the broken needle transferred to the first circ I thought, why don't I just use the one circ as a replacement for the dp. Duh. It slows me down a little having to pull the needle through, but it works and I can still use my beloved dp's. (happy grin) I learned to knit socks on dp's and it is still the most satisfying way to me. I've made them on the two circ's, but after using the wrong needle and basically starting to magic loop (which I really don't like) I decided it's just not for me.

The new and improved 'longer' sock.

The retired stick of torment.

I'm going to try sanding down the broken end to try to slavage a shorter usable dp from the remaining longer piece. I'll burn the shorter end and drink a gin martini (extra olives) to dispell any bad vibes left over from the incident. Just not at the same time within the area of the flame. Either it will work or I'll get a little buzz from the gin. Win, win either way. (Until the headache sets in.) Woo hoo knitter's gone wild.

Have you ever...

2008-03-06T10:29:00.005-05:00

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to be working against you? You have you arms full of stuff leaving for work and knock a basket full of small decorative wooden eggs off the shelf on your way out the door, to the cat's delight... You spill your coffee on the way to the car... The stop lights are in collusion to stop you at every possible intersection... you get to within a couple of inches of finishing a project (dad's socks) and **SNAP** one of your expensive walnut double points has given up the fight. Maybe I was just gripping them a little tighter than I should. Could it be a sign that my stress level is still a little high? Maybe I should be working on metal double points until my blood pressure comes down again. I glued the offending devil's toothpick and hope it will get me to the end, otherwise I'll have to *GASP* use a circular! (Those of you who know me know how desperate I must be to even suggest it.)

Will the needle hold out till the bitter end, or will is dash all my hopes of my completing the socks today...
Only the needle knows...

Stay tuned for the next episode of "Doug's Difficult Day and the Perils of the Devil's Toothpicks"

It's sock fest at my house

2008-02-25T15:02:00.004-05:00

I've been busily knitting along on my dad's socks. It's a great pattern and very well written. Azure on Knitty.com. I think I see a pair for myself in the near future. (I also realized that the yarn is not Toasty Sock yarn as I had said earlier, it's Dream in Color by Smooshy.) I always have a little anxiety about making the first sock too long and then not having enough yarn for the second sock. I left the tail loose on the first sock just in case I wanted to go back and add more later. You can tell in the first picture how short they are.

Nell at Knitch came to my rescue, as I was expressing this anxiety, and said to me "Why don't you weigh it." So we put the first finished sock on the scale and discovered I had enough to make the first sock almost a third longer! Of course, I'll have to buy myself a scale to weigh the yarn in the first place and divide it into two balls from now on. I also modified the pattern a little, by accident, I knit the stitches on both sides of the center cable instead of purling them. I'm happy with the way it looks, the pattern is a little more subtle and probably will be a better fit for my dad. I could have taken better pictures, but I took them on my break at work and was a little rushed. I didn't even get the sock on straight! Does my ankle look fat?!? I think I'm verging on cankles.

I've gotten my ideas for a sock pattern for the Needle Nook Toasty Sock yarn contest down on paper so far, but I still need to test knit to see if the cables will work out. I can't go into too much detail, lest the grande suprise will be ruined.

the Mountain

2008-02-18T16:52:00.002-05:00

We're baaack...

The retreat was very peaceful and relaxing, and great meals in between the knitting. We had a great time and I got a lot of knitting done. A few things finished and a few more started. I haven't taken any pictures of the knitting yet, but here is one from this morning at sunrise from the lodge.

The weather was gorgeous for most of the weekend. We had some rain yesterday, but the rest of the weekend was clear and cold. Great weather for wearing handknits. We even got to sit out on the deck and knit for a while on Saturday! It was warm enough in the sun and we were out there for a couple of hours. It was wonderful!

The Yarn Doctor wearing his newest fashion item. A Manos wrap to keep away the winter chill.

More later...

Scarf Attack

2008-02-08T15:04:00.000-05:00

I've got two scarves in the works and will probably finish them both at the mountain next weekend. The Uncle Argyle Scarf is doubleknit so it goes slowly.

I've enjoyed the surprise of when the colors change and the combinations. I bet this would look good with Noro too. Hmmm...

The other scarf is the "My So Called Scarf" from the knit-along with the MenWhoKnit group. I'm enjoying the Manos a lot. It's very soft and easy to knit with. The pattern is easy to learn and once you have it down it's a great no brainer knit.

I bought a skein of Toasty sock yarn last night at the guild meeting to participate in a sock contest being held by Needle Nook. The color is called "Caviar and Creme Fraiche". The contest is to design an original sock pattern and the winners will get more Toasty sock yarn and a copy of all the patterns submitted. To win more yarn would be great, but getting the patterns at the end is a great prize in itself. I actually woke up in the middle of the night last night and was lying there thinking of pattern ideas for about an hour. I think I may have had a little too much caffeine yesterday.

I'm planning to start a pair of socks for my dad at the mountain using Toasty sock yarn too. I bought a brown colorway, but I don't remember the name. I know she has one called "Nutella", but I'm not sure that's the one I got. I love the names she gives them (all food names).

7 more days till we head to the mountain!! tick... tick... tick...

counting the days

2008-02-05T17:06:00.000-05:00

The knitting retreat is fast approaching and I'm going to be very ready to get out of town and away from work for a week! I even made some new flannel pajamas to wear. My old pair have been patched so many times and the fabric is so thin, as soon as I fix one tear another one appears. It's so hard to give up a pair of super soft, comfortable flannel pj's. I think ten years of use is a good run. I made the new pair with flannel that has a light blue background with bucking bronco's and cowboys all over it. My own little childhood flashback. I still have to make cookies and purchase my knitting water for sipping by the fireplace. I discovered a new brand of gin last year that I plan to get again. Hendrick's gin. It makes a great gin and tonic with cucumber, if that's your thang.

I now have 5 projects to take along to work on. I've started a new scarf (My So Called Scarf) that is a herringbone pattern. I'm using Manos De Urugay in a dark varigated colorway. I have a pair of socks to start for my dad also. The Uncle Argyle Scarf is moving along slowly. I'm a little over half way done now. It really has gotten a lot easier as I go. It was a little rough getting use to the two strands at the same time, but it has actually become something I enjoy working on (in small increments). I think if I make another, I will go up a needle size or two. The fabric on this scarf is a little stiff and not very supple. I like my scarves to be soft and smooshy.

more later with pics...

2008-01-30T15:02:00.001-05:00

Of course... now that I've put a plug on my blog for Fabulon, they are asking for money. I wasn't trying to promote them for the money, I just thought it was a fun blog and wanted to share the experience. Still fun to read even though they won't be posting as often. How dare they hold out on us until we pay the ransom. Give us a little taste and then hold out until we need another fix... not really, I'm just bummed out that I found out about it so late in the game. I'll probably be sending them some money anyway by way of purchasing something from the boutique. I'm a sucker for the kitschy stuff. I hope it works out for them and we get the chance to enjoy the blog for many years to come. There's never a shortage of fabulous, fun and tacky stuff out there! Best of luck guys!

I'm still plugging away on the Uncle Argyle Scarf from Son of Stitch N Bitch. There are still a few of us in the knit along that didn't wienie out on the challenge. You know who you are. ;) I've also started a sweater this week using Rowan Scottish Tweed DK in grey. I'm using a pattern from the Fall 2004 Interweave Knits, Rhapsody in Tweed by Kathy Zimmerman. I'm going to alter the sleeves and make it a saddle shoulder. Thanks Steve for the idea! Maybe I'll have two sweaters done before SAFF this year in order to have one to wear each day. My own little mission possible. I joined the Mission Possible group and then decided afterward when trying to come up with a list that I just don't need to load myself down with any addition pressure to get something done.. I have enough stress and pressure in my life to deal with right now. I just want the knitting to be a safe and comfortable haven to relax and unwind without any addition pressure to get it finished. I really like the concept of it though. Great way to motivate yourself to get out those U.F.O.'s or stash that has been hibernating a little too long. Maybe I'll join in for Mission Possible 2009.

The Mountain retreat for the Atlanta Knitting Guild is just two weeks away and I'm ready for a week away from work. I plan to have at least three projects to take along to work on while there. We were hoping to have 5 guys at the retreat this year, but unfortunately the newest recruit wasn't able to make it, so it will be the same four guys in the testosterone cabin this year. Semper Fiber!

A fun new blog to read

2008-01-28T20:23:00.001-05:00

It has nothing to do with Knitting, but thanks to another blog I read Blithering Knitiot I have now discovered Fabulon. Not for the delicate palette... but lot's of fun. Thanks David!

Snow again

2008-01-19T16:22:00.000-05:00

We've had snow again today for the second time in a week. We are projected to get 1-2 inches before it's over. By tonight we are supposed to be down to about 19 degrees which will turn everything to ice. We went out for a walk and took some pictures. Here is one I took in our own backyard of the camellia bush that is now totally confused. It's been blooming for a couple of weeks already.

I've been working on my mom's Christmas gift this week and have the knitting done. She chose the pattern as her gift. Now I just need to line the inside. The pattern is Square Cake from Knitty.com. It's made with Tilly Thomas Disco Lights in the color Ruby Wine. It's 90% silk and 10% sequins.

?

2008-01-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

I realize I haven't posted in a while, but I'm not really in a mood to blog as most of what I'm dealing with lately is a job situation gone really bad. It's hard to keep it from permeating everything when I spend 50 hours of my week at it. It looks like I may be on the hunt for a new job if it gets any worse.
My knitting seems to be my only enjoyable outlet lately.
I know this is such a drama queen moment... but there it is.

Quiet Christmas

2007-12-28T16:41:00.000-05:00

It was a nice quiet Christmas this year at our house. We didn't even open our gifts until about 2:30 on Christmas day. We went to a couple's house we know from church for dinner on Chistmas Day and watched the movie Meet Me In St Louis which I had never seen in it's entirety before.
Michael and I went together and bought a GPS for us both to use and I made a hat for David with Baby Alpaca Grande to wear when he's out in the yard.
Mom sent us some great knives she bought in Iowa, some chocolate and a new sonic toothbrush to brush our teeth after the chocolate. She also sent some cookies which were mostly still in one piece, but you could tell the package was definitely 'not' handled with any care whatsoever.

This is the hat I made for David.

I also made one for myself and one for Michael with Misti Alpaca Handpainted Chunky. We both noticed that the handpainted yarn isn't as soft as the solid colors. Maybe it's the dyeing process that has affected the texture?!

I'm currently working on another Noro Stripe scarf with the Cashmere Island. This is a little softer than the Silk Garden and I'm also making this one wider, so I bought 6 skeins at Cast-On Cottage with my prize money from the Shop Hop. The color stripes are shorter, but I still like the color play between the two alternating skeins. I totally stole the scarf photo idea from The Yarn Doctor. Although his looks much nicer. Thanks Brett!

I'm working on a fleece jacket for Michael that is baby seals. I just need to put in the zipper and finish the bottom hem. I'll post a pic as soon as it's done.

origami

2007-12-15T09:53:00.000-05:00

I bought a new book on modular origami last week, Unit Ployhedron Origami by Tomoko Fuse, so I've been on an origami kick again lately. Most of the stuff I've done is in the library where I work. The large white sphere in the background is comprised of 180 pieces of paper. It's about 2.5 feet across. The picture is a little deceiving. It's on another shelf about 6 feet away from the pieces in the foreground. It took me about a week to fold and assemble. Each unit has two parts that have to be folded and assembled first.

The multi colored star in the foreground is probably the one that has been the most difficult to assemble so far. The folding part is not hard, it's just getting them all together and intersecting in the right way. It's actually 5 three sided pyramids all intersecting. Each color is a single pyramid.

This is one I just finished this morning. It's comprised of 60 pieces of paper and I used old books covers from children's books for the paper. The paper is nice and heavy and most of them are glossy and the colors won't fade in the sun. It's about 14" across.

Who says you can't herd cats?!

2007-12-03T19:09:00.000-05:00

the computer is home..YAY!

2007-11-29T19:44:00.000-05:00

Luckily it was just some conflict to the operating system caused by the latest update. I got the newsletter sent to our printer and now I can rest easier tonight not having to anguish over it anymore... this month. :)

Would you believe after being on the computer for less than 10 minutes it had the nerve to ask if I wanted to update the operating system! I think you can guess what my response to that was.

Back to the Medallion bag, that seems to be going slower with each row. I don't know why this project has been so tough to get through. It's not a hard pattern and I enjoy doing fair isle, it just seems to be one of those projects that resists being a a friendly piece to knit on. Does that sound strange?!?

Thanks for the well wishes for the computer surgery.

Noro strikes again

2007-11-27T17:32:00.000-05:00

I had to start another Noro stripe scarf to try to preserve what shred of sanity I have left this week. (This time I'm using colors 8 and 87.) It's mindless and comforting knitting, better than Calgon. "Noro, take me away..."

The medallion bag is over half way done now and I should have it done by this weekend. I also still need to knit a teddy bear outfit for the guild trauma bear donations next week.

The Atlanta Knitting Guild newsletter is being held hostage by our now dead hard drive. I had it almost finished and was going to send it out Sunday. Of course the last time the backup was saved was a week ago. The hard drive, as I type, is having surgery to try to recover the files and transfer them to a new drive. If the newsletter has been lost, you may hear a wail of frustration and angst from midtown. It would mean I have to start all over (about 15-20 hours of work time lost) Please offer good vibes to the computer gods that all the files will return home safely. I started another copy of the newsletter last night and got the template all set up again... but I'd rather have the original since it was supposed to go out already. Has some evil person programmed a secret code into our computer operating systems telling them to die at the most oportune moment that will cause the most grief and anxiety!?!?

after the turkey

2007-11-23T10:36:00.000-05:00

Turkey day was a nice and quiet relaxing day for me. Michael and I went to dinner at our landlord's house (we rent the upstairs apartment in a house and her son lives downstairs). We then came home and passed out in front of the TV for an hour. I took my Noro stripe scarf to work on while we were there. I finished it this morning. The colors are definitely on the 'muted' side for me, but I like the end result and Michael has a hat that it matches nicely.

It went very quickly and I want to start another one RIGHT NOW, but I need to work on a Noni bag that I'm doing on commission for Knitch. It's the Medallion Travel Bag, which is a very large bag and all done in fair isle. This picture shows about half of the bottom of the bag and I'm about 4 inches up the side so far.

It takes about 15 minutes to do one round since I have to keep referring to the chart and there are 71 rows total and I'm only on row 7 so far. I'll probably work on it most of the day today. I'm hoping to have it done by next weekend, so I'm going to make myself knit only on the bag until it's done and avoid starting something else to draw my attention away. (yes, I heard the 'yeah right' in your head) ;) Oh ye knitter's of little faith... I know, me too.. I'll probably make it to this afternoon and be overwhelmed by all the new stash from last week. I also want to start another Koolhaas hat, and the Shedir hat from Knitty, and... uh-oh

There was a great get-together at Knitch this past Sunday with Knitch supplying the turkey and squash casserole and then everyone else bringing in potluck. There were probably about 25-30 people all together and the food was incredible. Michael even came along and brought his scarf to knit on. He's still a beginner and has a hard time trying to concentrate on his knitting and hold a conversation at the same time, but I told him that will change when he is a little more experienced and comfortable with his knitting. I remember being so focused on the knitting that anything going on around me was a distraction. He didn't want to appear anti-social and then his hip also was starting to hurt from sitting in the folding chairs, so he retired to the sofa and had a nap. Those sofa's are very comfortable. Kim took a picture of him and said she was considering a photo montage of sofa sleepers on the wall behind it.

the shop hop begins

2007-11-12T08:30:00.000-05:00

Lou and I drove to 4 of the shops on Saturday starting in Snellville at All That Yarn, then to Main Street in Watkinsville, Only Ewe and Cotton Too in Alpharetta and Whole Nine Yarns in Woodstock. We wanted to get all the stores that were the farthest away first and then all the ones in town will be easier during the week. I've been to 6 of the 10 now and shouldn't have any problem getting to the other 4. We heard of several other groups making the rounds on Saturday, but we only met up with one other person we knew from the guild. I tried to find unique stuff or something new I hadn't seen or bought before since I knew I'd be buying small(ish) amounts.
Here is what I've acquired so far...

Arucania Ranco #307
Arucania Ranco #301
Tofutsies 732
Paca Paints Moonlight
Misti Alpaca Hand Paint Chunky #12
Beroco Ultra alpaca - for the Argyle scarf in Son of Stitch n bitch

We are doing a knit along for the arglye scarf from Son of Stitch N Bitch in our Friday Night group at Knitch. I'm using the Ultra Alpaca I bought. I'm curious to see what colors other people have chosen. It's done in double knit so it will take a while.

I finished my second Koolhaas hat. I used Cascade 220 black and Noro Silk Garden #8. It took a little longer than the first since it was fair isle. This one was a little snug, so I'm going to make it again and go up a couple of needle sizes and fewer pattern repeats.

I've also started the Cables & Corrugations Sock from Cat Bordhi new book New Pathways For Sock Knitters: Book One. I'm using White Oak TVyarn (Nightmare After Christmas is the colorway). This was from the SAFF stash of Melissa.. she was divesting herself of some of her purchases.

I started a Noni bag for Knitch last night too. It will be a shop sample. It's all fair isle and will probably take me a few weeks... it's a big bag.

So many sock ideas, so little time

2007-11-08T16:43:00.000-05:00

I took one of the classes with Cat Bordhi at Knitch this week and learned so many new techniques which are featured in her new book New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One. Now I have several patterns and lots of sock yarn from SAFF to keep me a happy knitter for a while. It's an excellent book with clear and illustrated directions. If you have a chance to take a class with her I highly recommend you take it. She is a very empowering instructor and uses lots of her original socks for demonstrating her new techniques. She also tells lots of wonderful stories and the history behind her knitting ideas and patterns. Once again I was without my camera... there should be photos of the class out there in blogland somewhere I'm sure. Claudia, Jen, Jane and Melissa were all in the class of about 16. Unfortunately, Lou wasn't able to attend since he wasn't feeling well.

I've started another Koolhaas hat with Noro and black Cascade 220 this time. I'll post a pic here and on Ravelry as soon as I take some. I don't know why I've been so bad about taking pictures lately.

Claudia's Stricken Sie Deutsch swatch instructions were posted on Tuesday. I was having a hard time sleeping Tuesday night so I dove right in and finished and blocked it. The pattern is really pretty and I plan to make a scarf with it using reversible Zopfen (cables). So Claudia, was ist 'reversible' auf Deutsch? wendbar? My english-german dictionary has several choices for reversible. Maybe that will be in the next swatch challenge? ;)

Now that I've finished Michael's sweater I want to start another and have started the hunt for the next "must-knit-now" pattern. I've been wanting to make myself a cardigan for quite a while and bought some charcoal grey alpaca at SAFF last year that I think will look really nice. I tnik it's sport weight, so it should take me a while.

SAFF, the recap

2007-11-04T08:38:00.000-05:00

We packed a lot into a 20 hour day last weekend at SAFF. Now I remember why we stayed overnight last year! I was worn out by the time we got home.

We had a lot of stuff we had to see and all in one day. The booths ring the floor of the arena and then also the entire upper ring above the seats too. I think we made the circuit at least 3 times before the buying frenzy slowed. We stopped at the llama barn first and met a very friendly llama who like to give kisses. He was mostly just interested in the smell of my sweater with me though. Lou got a nice nuzzle from him.

Happy alpacas

Alpacas with bad bangs. Where is Jose Eber when you need him?

Lou getting inside info from an alpaca informant

We spent a little time in the blogger barn knitting and chatting and sharing the best places to find new stash aquisitions.
Here's Jane (on the right) and her friend Greta from North Carolina who we had just met for the first time. Jane is working on her 99th pair of socks here.

This is Katey who won Best of Show for her handspun yarn. Sitting next to her is Amy in her beautiful Tweed Pullover sweater from Cables Untangled.

Sandy getting in some spinning in the barn.

Our favorite, and yet blogless costume designer, Diana.

Claudia and Brett enjoying the knitting and conversation in the blogger barn.

Janice contemplating a new pattern

Lou explaining to Bert how yoga can improve your knitting

Claudia invited us to the cabin she and her husband had rented for the week for a meal before hitting the road back to Atlanta. It was a really nice way to end our day at SAFF. Here is the view from the back porch of the cabin.

The fiber dogs on the porch supervising the knitting.

Lou and Brett on the porch getting a little knitting in before dinner.

Famous Steve taking a picture of the view.

Brett just didn't think it was time to give up on knitting out on the porch yet and brought out the flashlight.

...the end of our day at SAFF and the gorgeous sunset from the cabin. Thanks again to Claudia and her husband for the lovely dinner and hospitality.

Kaffe, Brandon, Lily.... names, names, names

2007-11-03T07:45:00.000-04:00

Knitch hosted Kaffe Fassett and Brandon Mabley last week for a book signing. Lou and I attended and even had a chance to chat with Brandon for a few minutes when there was a lull. He is a charmer!

I'm still working on the photos from SAFF. I have most of them done and expect to post a very heavy pic post soon.

I'm off to take a couple of classes with Lily Chin this morning on short row shaping and reversible cables. More on the classes and pics later too.

We had a great time at SAFF

2007-10-28T18:19:00.001-04:00

We left for SAFF from Steve's house at 6 AM and got there a little after 9 AM. It was after midnight by the time I got home. Not many things I would spend 20 hours of my day devoted to. We had a really good time and it was so much fun seeing all of the other fiber fiends roaming and buying and trading stories of found treasures. I finished Michael's sweater in the car about a half an hour before we got there.
Here's a pic of Steve, myself, Brett and Lou in the alpaca barn.

I had already explained to Michael that I had to wear his sweater first for SAFF and he was very gracious and understanding. It was very comfortable and perfect for the cool weather while we were there.

After spending the whole day at SAFF, Claudia and her husband invited us to stay for dinner at the cabin they had rented for the week and treated us to a wonderful home cooked meal along with a wonderful sunset view from the back porch before heading back to Atlanta.

Michael wore his sweater to church this morning and it looks great on him. He told the class while I was out of the room it was his own special portable 'hug' to keep. He wanted the class to know I made it for him, but knows how I get embarrassed easily and didn't want me to feel too self conscious. Several people came up and gave me compliments afterward which was really nice. I felt so proud that he liked the sweater and it felt so good that he liked it so much that he wanted to do a little bragging about it.

Once I get all the pictures downloaded and rest a little more, I'll post more from the trip. I'll also take pics of the treasures I came home with too.

SAFF...it's almost here!

2007-10-23T10:06:00.001-04:00

I'm so looking forward to going to SAFF this weekend, frolicking in all the yarn, spending time with my friends and getting away from work! I've been working furiously on getting Michael's sweater done so I can wear it on Saturday. The traveling rib hat is on hold and all my knitting time has been delegated to the sweater. I have this Thursday off and that will be the day of 'the steek'. Weaving in all the ends has to be done too.

I also want to start Brooklyn Tweeds Rem Koolhaas hat from IK Holiday Gifts issue to work on during the trip. I'm going to make it with Cascade 220 first before I splurge on some of the good stuff. I'll have a ton of leftover 220 from Michael's sweater so it may be multicolored as well.

I haven't been taking many photos lately and as soon as the push for the sweater is over, I'll get some taken and on here for progress results. I still haven't tried to take stash pics for Ravelry again yet either.

I've been contemplating finding a new job and it seems to compound itself with each passing day at work. Major frustration. I have no energy and this job is just sucking all the joy out of life. I dread coming in and don't look forward to the task of job hunting either. bleh! Shouldn't there be an ejection button for the co-workers who make your life hell on earth?! Sounds like a job for Dr. Evil to me. Muaah-ha-ha-ha

I'm Sunrise...

2007-10-17T10:42:00.000-04:00

You Are Sunrise

You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary.
You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward.
Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts.
All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Saw this on a blitheringknitiot's blog.

I have to wonder about this 'diagnosis' of sunrise... I'm definitely NOT a morning person and usually need at least a half an hour of non-communicative alone time before I can be expected to answer without a grunt or snarl. Poor Micheal, he is a morning person and usually bears the brunt of my bad morning moods.

I finished the traveling rib hat last Sunday, but didn't like the way the top finished, so I ripped out the top and started with fewer stitches. It had too many stitches and didn't lay as flat as I would like it to. Pics soon.

It's coming to crunch time with the newsletter, Michael's sweater that I'm trying to finish by next Friday for SAFF, and work, which is fast approaching unbearable. (long story)

Michael and I went to Clayton, Georgia this past weekend for a retreat with our Sunday school class. We had about 30 people and had a great time. The weather was just beautiful and I even got to wear sweaters! I took my camera, but only took a few pictures the whole weekend. A couple from the class have a cabin on top of Screamer mountain and we had dinner there on Saturday night and I took some shots of the sunset. The weather was so clear that night we could even see the Milky Way. It's so wonderful to get away from the light polution of the big city and actually see the stars! The moon was just a sliver right on the horizon at sunset.

harumpf!

2007-10-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

I spent 2 hours last night taking pictures of all my stash to upload to Ravelry... I discovered this morning when I downloaded all the photos that the lighting I was using (Reveal bulbs) were not enough light and all the pictures (74 of them) came out too dark to tell what color they truly are. Some of the dark blues and purples just look black. I should have just taken a few and then downloaded them to check them out. I was too excited and wanted to get them all in my stash list now!

I've been wanting to buy a professional light box for taking photos of finished items and this is just one more reason to now start looking seriously at really purchasing one. It would have saved me a lot of work and a few curse words too.

I'll probably give it another shot by using the flash on a few shots and see if that will work. I'm afraid it will be too much and make the colors flat and too flooded with light... only a few experiment shots will tell.

2007-10-05T15:35:00.000-04:00

I've been having so much fun with ravelry the past few days. How am I supposed to get anything done when it's beckoning, 'just one quick look'. It's a great way to line up all the stuff you would like to knit too, surfing all the patterns... now where to find the time and the money to buy all that yarn!

I've gotten about a third the way done on the band of the Traveling Rib Hat. The color hasn't changed a lot yet, but there is a drastic change to cobalt coming soon thanks to a knot in the yarn.
I can't believe I was actually the first person to enter this pattern as a project in Ravelry. I got to enter the pattern! Hopefully that will get more people to go to Danny's website too and buy his patterns. (No, I wasn't paid for this endorsement) ;)

I've been entering my books today. I've entered all the ones I can remember off the top off my head, but there will be many more that I've missed showing up later.

We are getting lessons in german knitting terms from Claudia this month... just waiting for the day Umschlag shows up.. it will echo from the hills as it did at the mountain... UMSCHLAG!!

RAVELRY!!!!

2007-10-01T20:46:00.000-04:00

OMG - I got the invite today... let the madness begin.

When I've finished organizing my books, stash, projects, taken pics of all the stash... you may not see me for weeks!

It's been hard trying not to go and "browse" while I'm here at work.

I started the Traveling Rib Hat by Danny Ouellette this past weekend and I've gotten about 6 inches done on the headband so far. It's not the fastest thing to knit, but I can't wait to have it done to wear.

Noro hat for Knitters Without Borders

2007-09-25T19:53:00.001-04:00

I took pictures of the hat that I made during the Yarn Harlot program. Brett graciously offered to model for me. Strike a pose!

The top was an experiment with decreases and rib pattern. Instead of decreasing at regular points around the hat, I just decreased in every other purl valley until all the stitches were used up. Then I started decreasing in the other purl valleys until those were used up too. Then I stared decreasing at the same place I left off on the first set on every round until I had just 6 stiches left and ran the end through and closed.

I like this hat and plan to make one for myself too. I am truly a Noro junkie now! I haven't used a yarn from Noro yet that I don't like, and there are so many more yet to try!

I've been missing Texas lately. It seems to be cropping up in conversations all around me, so I decided to bring you along in my yearning and show some of the pictures I took this spring in Texas when we were visiting family in Austin.
San Antonio Riverwalk

Winecup and Bluebonnet

Michael in the Bluebonnets

Indian Paintbrush

Bluebonnet closeup

Sunset through the trees at the Bel-K Ranch in San Saba. The ranch belongs to friends of my sister and we stayed there for a couple of nights.

If you want to see some beautiful wildflowers (thanks to Ladybird Johnson) visit the hill country area of Texas around Austin in late March and early April. It really does look like a postcard in so many places along the highways. There is also a wildflower center in Austin that was started by Ladybird about 15 years ago. The winecup and bluebonnet picture was taken there.
Hope you enjoyed my little excursion to the Texas hill country.

Yarn Harlot at Hilan theater

2007-09-20T10:16:00.000-04:00

We had a great time last night at the Yarn Harlot program. Lots of food and laughing involved. I forgot to take my camera, damn, but there were a lot of other people snapping pics left and right. I don't think Virginia Highlands was quite ready to be taken over by "the knitters". I didn't get home until 11:15. While we were standing in line at Knitch for the second book signing, we kept seeing groups of people go in and hardly anyone coming out... could it be... yarn is people! People go in, yarn comes out... (vague and blatant reference to Soylent Green)
Knitch did a great job handling the crowds. Thanks to Kim and the whole group at Knitch for a wonderful evening. They had actually saved the front row seats for the AKG board members, which was a great surprise, but we decided we would rather sit back a little ways and with our groups of friends. I never was one of those kids that ran for the front row in the theater anyway, I always wanted the center middle so I could see the whole screen/stage.
I worked on a hat with Noro Kureyon during the program for the Knitters Without Borders hat drive. I haven't taken any pictures yet, but I'll post them when I do.
My butt is dragging a little today... but it was worth it! :)

2007-09-19T10:20:00.000-04:00

Newsletter duties have kept me busy the last few days. It's almost done. :) I've been in a knitting slump the last week so not much to share knitting wise.

Going to see the Yarn Harlot herself, Stephanie McPhee, tonight at Knitch. I'm leaving work around 4:00 and hope that's early enough to find a parking place within 10 miles. It's probably going to be a traffic nightmare having 700 people looking for parking spaces in a small neighborhood with limited parking. I could probably just park at home and walk just as easily. Maybe I'll just get Michael to drop me off... someone is bound to have pity on me and give me a ride home... (sad puppy eyes with a grin) ;)

I rediscovered a knitter in Toronto (Danny Ouellette) who is a fiber nut too and I'd found his website and admired all his knitted creations several months ago. Of course, I hadn't bookmarked his page and I'd forgotten his name. I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out where I'd found him. His home page has a beautiful cardigan that is gorgeous. He also has a sock pattern in the new issue of Knitty that I'm anxious to try. Also, he has great patterns available on his web site you can purchase. I've added his journal to my blog links too if you would like to give it a read.

Short post today, but I'm looking forward to 4:00, meeting with my knittin' buds, yackin', eatin', hearing Stephanie... a knitter's jackpot!

2007-09-16T09:29:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I last posted. New manager at work... too much stress...

Knitting has kind of taken a back seat for a bit, but I have finished one sleeve for Michael's sweater and have started the second.

Our knitting guild donates bears with knit outfits to a charity every year to give to kids and we were talking about them again recently and a couple of people wanted to see the bears I donated in 2005. (I didn't do any last year unfortunately) I took pictures of a couple of them.

I used the left over yarn from the hats I made that I posted earlier. I bought the eyelash yarn at The Quarter Stitch in the French Quarter in New Orleans when we were there for Thanksgiving in 2005. I checked to get a link to the store, but it's not active, so I wonder if it's still open since the hurricane.
I made the 'hat' on the diva bear by first crocheting a net that would fit over her head and ears and then crocheted the curls onto the net.

We're off to see the Atlanta Arts Festival in Piedmont Park. We tried to go to the preview on Friday, and it rained like crazy, so we're going back today. The weather is beautiful now!

2007-09-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

I spent the day yesterday at home nursing a headache and watching movies. I did get a little knitting in. I found a pattern in The Natural Knitter by Barbara Albright that I want to knit. It's a simple twisted rib sweater. I bought some yarn at SAFF last year that is linen/rayon/acrylic and the woman I bought it from says she has machine washed the items she knitted with it and had no problem. I knitted up a swatch yesterday to see if it will work.

I took a picture, but the color makes it look yellow, when in fact it's gray. I'll take another picture later after I get the sweater started, but this time with a flash or outside in natural light so the color is more accurate. The yarn has no stretch to it at all and works just like 100% linen. I think it will work out great since linen tends to get softer the more it's worn and washed. I hope to get this started before we go to SAFF so I can work on it during the trip. It's an easy pattern and shouldn't be too hard to work on with all the distractions.

I've been neglecting the fingerless gloves. But I did get the cable pattern started on the hand portion. I'm getting close to the place for the thumb gore.

I worked most of today on the sleeve for Michael's sweater. This is the first time I've done an entire sleeve in Fair Isle in the round. I had to start on double points and then changed to two circulars. I'm almost to the point I can change to just one circular and I'll be glad when I can.
We met today at the restaurant Roxx on Cheshire Bridge Road for our usual Sunday group. Only 4 of us showed up, but we had a great time anyway. As Nancy said, "It's quality, not quantity!" Michael was at home painting one of the rooms downstairs. I was supposed to help, but he got started too late and by the time he was ready to start, I was on my way out the door to go to Roxx. I was assuming I would have to help with the second coat tomorrow, but luckily for me, he had done both coats already by the time I had dinner ready! Yay! I wasn't looking forward to the paint fumes since my headache is still hanging in the background waiting for it's chance to pounce and smack me down. Thank you to whoever invented fast drying latex paint! :)

It's a holiday weekend!

2007-08-30T21:14:00.000-04:00

I'm now off until next Tuesday! I have nothing planned other than knitting and helping Michael paint a room downstairs. Hopefully, more of the former. I have the body of Michael's sweater done and I plan to start the sleeves in the morning. I'm beginning to worry that I may not have enough yarn in every color. I won't know until I start the second sleeve.

I've been looking at spinning wheels on the internet and I think I'm leaning towards either a Kromski Minstrel of Mazurka. I'll have to start saving some of my yarn money to buy one though. I figure I'll get a chance to ask lots of questions and compare wheels at SAFF. I think I've staved off the spinning bug for as long as I can. Poor Michael, just what he doesn't need, another hobby to steal more of my time. Maybe I can get him hooked on it too and then he can spin and I'll knit. Only after I get a wheel and he watches me will I know if it's something he wants to try. I never seem to know exactly what is going to trigger his interest. Well, hobbywise that is. ;)
Looking forward to an evening of knittin' with my buddies tomorrow at the Friday Night Knitch Knit (or FNKK for short, sounds kinda rude dudn't it?)

I'm over the newsletter hump..

2007-08-27T10:05:00.000-04:00

This past weekend was a busy one. I was struggling with the newsletter for the guild and having computer issues. Every time I tried to export the newsletter to a PDF, it would crash the program. After fiddling around with it and even getting Michael to take a look, I finally discovered late last night that there was some unknown item on one of the pages that was hidden behind the other text boxes that was causing the problem. After I removed the 'offending' item, it worked just as it's supposed to. Whew! I was worried I wouldn't have the PDF to upload to our website. I certainly slept better last night not having anxiety dreams about it. Okay, enough about the drama... on to the fun stuff.

I finally got a chance to block the shawl on Thursday evening. I'm really happy with the way it finished. I love the color shift around the outside border. I had originally bought a pattern from JoJoLand to make and had issues with the pattern about 40 rows in and subsequently it sat for about 6 months in a bag in a yarn stash box. I just didn't have much of a desire to pick it up again. So I decided I'd look for another pattern because I wanted to make something with this beautiful yarn.
If you are wondering about the pink carpet, I took these pictures downstairs in David's living room. Dusty rose would probably be my very last choice for a carpet color.

I took the shawl with me to Knitch yesterday and had several offers to wear it home if I just couldn't decide who this needs to go to. Thanks y'all for all the compliments. :) It's so gratifying to finish a project and then to get kudos from your knitting buddies too sure is nice.

I bought some Alpaca Twist at Knitch yesterday. It's 70% baby alpaca and 30% silk and dreamy soft. They got it in a few weeks ago and every time I've been there since, I've gone over and fondled the gray. I just decided I'd better buy it now because if I wait and then decide to buy it later it would be gone. I got the last 4 skeins of the gray. I'm thinking some kind of 'manly' shawl for me to wear in my knitting chair in the winter.

A few of us went over to Surin of Thailand for dinner after the knit-in at Knitch on Friday. We had a great time, even though one of us thought the food was too spicy and I had to trade dishes with him. ;) It was kind of a good thing anyway, I got to try two different dishes in one visit. It's the first time I've been to Surin. The basil rolls were really good too.

What's not to like when you have good food, friends, wine and yarn all in one place! Claudia must be needing more fiber in her diet!?

I really enjoyed our dinner together and we even all had goodbye hugs at the door. You'd think we weren't going to see each other for months instead of 2 days later.

We are getting a new AC!

2007-08-22T11:53:00.000-04:00

Thank you to anyone who was sending their good vibes toward our ancient AC unit telling it to just let go and retire to the inefficient appliance graveyard in the sky. It died a slow, very warm and humid death on Monday night. We woke up Tuesday morning, after tossing and turning all night, sticking to the sheets, to a lovely temperature of 88 degrees inside. It was cooler outside than in. When I got home yesterday evening, it was up to 97 degrees, INSIDE. Luckily since the floor in the 'library' room downstairs had already been cleared for me to block my shawl, we put down sleeping bags and camped out downstairs on the floor in the cooler air. I don't know which is worse, a comfortable bed with hot air, or the hard floor with cool air. Neither makes for any kind of quality sleep time. My butt was dragging today and I've had a headache just lingering in the background waiting to wrestle me to the ground.

I started on a pair of fingerless gloves yesterday with the wonderful hand spun yarn that was given to me by our favorite knitter, known by anyone who knits, Claudia. (It's the darker brown yarn on the left) I won the yarn by answering her quiz questions on her blog correctly. The cuff that is shown is with leftover Misty Alpaca that I had from hats I made for a couple of friends last Christmas. The main part of the glove will be made with the handspun. I was hoping to be able to make them entirely with the handspun, but I don't think there would be quite enough and I wanted to make something I could get a lot of use out of since it was such special yarn. :) I have a Celtic knot cable design I'm trying to decide on for the top part of the glove. I pulled out my copy of Viking Patterns for Knitting and I think I've found one that will work.

I got home and the new AC is in and working!! It's actually a more powerful unit and we have cool air in all the rooms! Whoopieeeeee..

Now off to a restful and COOL night of sleep. :)

lace, lace, lace....

2007-08-20T20:19:00.000-04:00

It was lace fever at Knitch yesterday. A regular buying frenzy all around me. I was tempted by the new Alpaca lace yarn they had, but I didn't give in. I'm saving my yarn budget for SAFF. Instead, I went home and started digging through the stash and found four bags of lace weight yarn that is waiting for stardom. I then went through Victorian Lace Today and chose another shawl to start. I'm supposed to be picking up Michael's sweater and the desire/excitement of a new project is almost overwhelming. I don't think this is unfamiliar to most knitters.

My sweet hubby cleared out the 'library' room downstairs this morning so I would have a space big enough to block the shawl, which I finished last night! WOOHOO! After having to tink three times while trying to finish the knitting at Knitch yesterday. I was getting excited about finishing and my mind was already wandering on what I want to knit next and how I'm going to block this one and where will I find the space to block.... I managed to just let my hands take over and knit what they wanted and of course they weren't at all concerned about the pattern!? I decided to wait and do the grafting when I got home. (Where I could get lots of help from the kitties.. What's that? Can I help you with this loose end? I just love this cushy board you get out for us to lay on!) They of course think the blocking board is one big cat bed. I like to pin things on the blocking board before I start to graft so the stitches don't run. Bob has a real thing for my blocking pins too. I have to constantly check on a piece I've blocked making sure he hasn't pulled out the pins. It's only the colored glass head pins that he likes.

I went to the eye doctor this morning for a checkup and was having a real fun time trying to knit with my eyes dilated. Luckily, I'm extremely near sighted and can still see a little without my glasses. That said, I haven't seen what my knitting looks like from this morning yet, it could be a nightmare. Next time I will take something on larger needles to work on. Socks on size 2, with dark yarn wasn't the best scenario.

It's off to newsletter land again when I get home tonight. I've gotten a little behind schedule so it's crunch time.