Thank Goodness That's Over!

2010, that is!  ToolMan and I were none too sad to see the back end of last year.  Frankly, it kicked our arses.  There were some bright spots, which seemed very few and very far between from our perspective, but they were nearly overshadowed by the crap parts of last year.  And then, just to add insult to injury, I was sick with a sinus infection for the last four days of the year.  Yeah, thanks a lot, 2010; here's your suitcase, full of your stuff, now hit the road!

I didn't want to carry any of the bad mojo from last year into this one, so I dragged myself out of my sickbed to get all the laundry done, somewhat straighten up the house, and finished knitting the cowl and managed to squeeze out a pair of fingerless mitts before the end of the year.  When midnight struck, we were all in bed; ToolMan, Andy Rooney, and I snuggled together under the comforter, listening to the fireworks going off all over the neighborhood.

On New Year's Day, we slept late and did our yearly rituals:  I watch the Rose Parade while drinking hot tea and lounge in my jammies all morning, then turn the telly over to ToolMan so he can surf between all the games. 

They say you should start as you mean to go on, so I gave it my best effort.  I finished organizing what I want to get knitted and spun this year, found a little journal to keep knitting and spinning notes in, cast on a pair of socks for ToolMan, and called my parents and brothers.  And this post is the last thing on my list for starting the new year on the right foot. 

Here's to you, 2011.  Let's hope you do a little better than 2010.

Yessir, Yessir, Four Bags Fulled

Some time ago (I think it was Labor Day weekend?), I was handed a free pattern from the craft shop for fulled handbags and asked if I would like the pattern. Now, I didn't just fall off the turnip truck, I know a broad hint when I see one. I planned to make one for SIL Faye, Nieces Jane and Lisa, and family friend Sharon, and originally intended to have these done in time to deliver them on Christmas Day. I must have been temporarily (?) insane, because I obviously came nowhere near having them done by then. In fact, I was still knitting on the second one right up to the moment Niece Jane put the roast beast was on the table. I finally got the last one done today and fulled all of them in the washer this evening.

Here's the pre-washer view:


And after they came out of the washer and dryer:

I think you can tell the size difference. They each lost about 25% in length and width. I used all my bulky handspun yarns out of the stash. I still have some of the dark brown and the greens left. I started with the Buttonhole Bag pattern from Mason Dixon Knitting; those are the ones on top. The other two are ones I just made up as I went along. I did sew on leather buttons to secure the braided handle on the gold/green/brown one, and magnetic closures on all four.

I haven't gotten much spinning done and even less knitting. This will likely be the last for the year. I do have a secret knitting project to work on for the next couple months, but you'll have to wait until at least spring before I can tell you about it. I'll try to at least have pretty yarn pictures to look at in the meantime.

ToolMan and I went to Niece Jane's for Christmas Day. She is an excellent cook and really outdid herself this year. There was Beef Wellington (made with a center-cut prime rib!), a cream sauce with green peppercorns, roasted fingerling potatoes, asparagus and yellow peppers glazed with balsamic vinegar, and cherry pie with whipped cream for dessert. She may be "volunteered" to host Christmas every year. I told her she could have one of the felted bags, but she hesitated almost one full second before reminding me that she had asked for a set of the #!%$ Golf Club Covers like I made her dad. In white and purple, please. I tell you, that girl knows how to get handknits.

A Spinner’s Wish List

Oh Dear Santa bring me toys
To fill me with such matchless joy.

A drumcarder would fit beneath my tree
Beside a Lendrum, if you please.

And lots of bobbins, heads and wool
Would make my Christmas stocking full.

I have no need for an arctic parka
Please bring a Bosworth charka.

I don’t want new underclothing
Just some combed merino roving.

Finally, a Christmas wish from spinners around the earth
May our new lambs, kids and crias have safe births.

May our yarns be plied with holiday cheer
And wheels stay true in this New Year.

–Sue Meissner ©2009

I'm late! I'm Late! For a very important date!

Yep, like the White Rabbit, I seem to be perpetually behind these days. I had all the best intentions of getting lots of knitting done for holiday gifts. Then, somehow, everything went straight to hell. In a hand basket.

I did knit one cap. See?


Except I hated the way it turned out. So I felted it. Now it's a bowl. I don't know anyone who could really use a felted bowl, but there it is.

I did have a couple of requests for felted purses, so I pulled out a bunch of hand spun with intention of getting those knocked out quickly. After all, they don't have to be particularly well spun or knit, since they're felted. And that's as far as I got. Well, I SAID I was late; didn't you believe me? Here, look at some pretty yarn:

I think the only one I have definite plans for is that pink/purple skein on the right. I finished plying it on Thanksgiving Day and I am very happy about how it came out. That skein weighs about 12 ounces and is incredibly soft and bouncy! But I really can't talk about what it will become, because it's to be a gift. I know; I know!

I did knit a hat for Dave Daniels' Santa's Elf Hat Project; I was working on it last Westside Wednesday and everybody thought it was danged cute. I could hardly wait to get it felted; which happened yesterday. Twice through a hot wash/cold rinse with towels and it was sufficiently shrunken, overnight drying in front of the heater, and it was so stinkin' cute that all I needed was a cooperative model.

Well, he was cooperative, by not necessarily enthusiastic about modeling for me. It still needs a little more Fun Fur around the bottom, a Fun Fur pompom on the top, and maybe a jingle bell? Oh, and the label, which I got from Dave, and then I can deliver it to the mother of the kiddos who will be finding it.

Also, I talked to Judy about a big project she's got going and a little project that's been rolling around in my head for awhile. You know what they say about two heads. And that's about all I can tell you about that for now, except that there will be secret knitting after the New Year.

"You see, I'm overdue, I'm in a rabbit stew Can't even say "Goodbye", "Hello" I'm late, I'm late, I'm late . . . ."

"Twas the day after Christmas . . .

When we finally got out of the house!

Actually, it was Saturday, and we went to visit ToolMan's sister in Vancouver. To be honest, I think the whole family was WAY past the novelty of a white Christmas; we're all ready for the snow to be gone and get back to a normal routine.

We had all decided not to exchange gifts this year; we all have way to much stuff; but I did have some knitted things that had been languishing until I could hand them out. Sorry for the bad pictures, I forgot to change the settings on the camera.

Here's niece Jane, with a lace cowl in navy heather hand spun.

And brother-in-law Jim laughing over his #@!*% Golf Club Covers.

And sister-in-law Faye wearing "The Blob", which is actually an adult-sized version Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket.

That's 4 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun in the Prairie colorway, knitted on size 15 circulars; use the same stitch count as EZ'a original pattern, just ignore gauge. I did a single crochet edge on the cuffs, up the fronts and around the neck, just for a little stability. I also added wooden toggles on the front that will just slip between the stitches. This came out so well, I may make one for myself.

Happy Holidays to All!

Turn the sound up and enjoy!

Official All-Pajama Weekend

I declared last weekend was to be Official All-Pajama Weekend for me. The idea is to be comfy enough to putz around the house, never setting foot outside all weekend (which would, after all, getting dressed), work on whatever crafty projects strike your fancy, cook as little as possible, and nap whenever the mood strikes.

So I put on my 'jammies as soon as I got home from work on Friday. Ok, I don't really wear 'jammies; I sleep in a pair of ToolMan's boxers and a paint-splattered t-shirt. Sorry, I know that's probably too much information, right? And now you'll never get that picture out of your head, will you?

But since it's still officially winter, and a just a tad too chilly to lay around in my skivies, I added my Old Navy drawstring polar fleece pants from last Christmas (the white ones that have red and green "Merry Merry" printed on them), a green pullover, and a pair of socks (my own handknit, of course!)

On Friday night I finished up the cotton facecloths and soap bag I had been knitting to go with that pile of stuff I showed you last week. Then Saturday morning, while the laundry was being sorted, washed, dried, folded, hung, and put away (notice there was no "ironed" in that series?), and in between naps, I assembled this fancy schmancy basket for Thomas's auction:



A very Zen Spa Basket: two handknit face cloths and a drawstring soap bag, green tea shower gel and body butter, bath salts, glycerine soap, oatmeal soap, a candle, a mug and a box of green tea bags, and a cd of ocean sounds with piano solos. I hope this brings a nice price at the silent auction!

Then, I plied another skein of handspun and set the twist:



4 ounces Colonial Top from Aurora Colony Fiber Arts in "brick multi" bought last year at OFFF; approximately 250 yards, 2-ply, 11 WPI. I had originally planned on using this with the alpaca for a sweater for ToolMan. I thought this would make a nice accent to use on the yoke and maybe on the cuffs. Now that this was done, on Sunday I pulled out the alpaca:



A whole pound of alpaca, to be exact. But, I don't like the way the brick multi looks with the alpaca. The alpaca is a nice "milk chocolate" color, but the brick multi is just that: "multi" and "brick"; which means it looks terrible with the alpaca. A pound may not be enough for a sweater, but it probably is enough for a vest. No, I didn't get any spinning done, but I did get in another nap!

The sharp-eyed among you may notice my tea brewing back there in the background, and yes, it is Red Rose tea. I drink a pitcher of ice tea almost every day, no sugar, and this is my current favorite. Because I just LOVE getting the little figurine out of the new box.



It's the "Pet Shop Friends" series; they look so cute lined up on the shelf above the sink!

Sunday evening, I dug through the stash and patterns for another project. I want a lightweight shawl for spring and summer so I pulled out some sock yarn and cast on for Summer Shawlette. I'd show you pictures, but it's gone to the frog pond for the second time, so there's really not much to look at yet.

By bedtime on Sunday, I was well rested and well satisfied with my weekend projects. What I wasn't satisfied with was something I smelled. Honestly, you'd think ToolMan would have said something. Next time Official All-Pajama Weekend rolls around, I really must remember to shower at least once.

Last post of the year

I've always been project monogamous when it came to knitting projects, but now trying to keep a spinning project and a knitting project going at the same time. So, I'm still working on ToolMan's socks; not a lot to look at yet, and I forgot to take pictures until it was too dark, so you'll have to wait to see those next week. Here, look at some fiber; it'll make you feel better.



Isn't that beautiful stuff? After all the dark colors I've spun for the last month, I really wanted something bright and cheerful. Enter, "Bouncy", 4 ounces of merino/silk blend from Butternut Woolens. I bought this from Shelly last September at OFFF. All her yarns and fibers are gorgeous, but when MonicaPDX and I walked into her booth, I went straight to this and clutched like I was afraid it would get away. MonicaPDX claims she knew at that very minute that I had the spinning bug, and had it bad. I have no idea what she means by that.



And the fact that I've spun 3 bobbins in two days has nothing to do with it, either.

ToolMan and I always buy presents for Andy and let him open them on Christmas Eve. His favorites this year seem to be the dolphin and the sheep.



I couldn't resist buying that sheep; it reminded me of Delores. And look at Andy's face; that is one happy dog!

ToolMan actually got his present a couple weeks ago. It's been covered in sawdust since it came out of the box, so I can only assume he likes it.



First, he used it to make a pair of sock blockers for Judy, and then a lazy kate for Duffy. Oh, wait 'til you see that! I'm not allowed to show pictures until it's done and ToolMan is still working on the finish. But, boy, is it a beauty! I may just have to ask for one myself.

I've been complaining about my little mp3 player not having a fast forward or reverse on it. I love listening to podcasts during my commute, but it's a real bummer when a 'cast runs longer than the train ride and I had no way of zipping right to the place I left off. So, this was what ToolMan got for me:



A shiny, new Zen V, with fast forward and reverse, video, radio, 4 gigabytes of memory and a 6 hour built-in rechargable battery. And this thing is teeny! Remember when pocket calculators first came out, back in the '70s? They were huge! And so expensive; I remember paying over $50 for one only did simple math, had no memory, and only went to 8 digits. It did less than the ones they now give away for free. Computer technology and miniturization, for better or worse, have certainly changed the world and our lives in the last 30 years. Heck, this Zen V has more memory than the first TWO computers we owned!

Then on Christmas Day, we went to SIL Faye and BIL Jim's house in Sandy. SS Chris and DIL Ronda came, with her son Ricky. Nieces Lisa and Jane were there, too. It was a nice, quiet family holiday, and then we got this:



A white Christmas! The perfect kind: enough snow to cover the grass and look pretty, but not enough to stick on the roads or make driving difficult. All in all, it was a really nice holiday, even if I did have to go back to work for the rest of the week.

It's hard to believe that the year is almost over. When I remember back to the events of a year ago, it seems like this year passed in the blink of an eye. A lot of it was painful and tearful and difficult to bear, but a lot of it was also joyful and wonderful and filled with family and friends, and I wouldn't have missed any of it for anything.

The countdown is almost over . . .

I enjoy wearing a different one every day from December 1 to Christmas Day, so over the years I've collected quite a few. Here's the lineup for this year:



I really like the whimsical ones, and the jeweled ones,



and the enameled ones, and the vintage ones,



and the ones that were gifts, and the ones I bought, and especially the one that looks like Andy.

Speaking of Andy, he's turned into a pretty good knitting model:



That's the squishy scarf, finished; from cast on to bind off in two days. I'm reasonably satisfied with it; it's not too wide enough to cover my neck or tie over my head and just long enough to tuck inside my coat without being too bulky in the front. Lord knows I don't need anything too bulky "up front".

I think Andy particularly likes modeling scarfs and posing with WIPSs. Modeling hats? Not so much. Maybe Santa will bring me a head like Cindy's for Christmas.

After a few fits and starts, the ToolMan's socks are back on the needles.



I cast on using Judy's Magic Cast-On; it REALLY is the best for toe-up socks (and lots of other stuff, too). But first, I didn't like the way the brown was knitting up at a different thickness than the marl; so I frogged. Then I doubled the brown and didn't like the density of either fabric; so I frogged, again. Then I moved up a needle size and it was still too dense; and frogged, again. Up another needle size and like the fabric, but then it was too big around; so I frogged, again. Now, it's working into a nice fabric; the toes are smooth, then because ToolMan deemed his last pair as "droopy" and "floppy", I started a K2P1 ribbing on the instep and will continue it all the way up the leg.

I have to work Monday morning, but only until noon. Then I'll be home with ToolMan and Andy for our quiet Christmas Eve. We're going to have prime rib (ToolMan makes the BEST prime rib), watch Andy open his presents, and then settle down for a Christmas movie. Then on Christmas Day, we'll be going to SIL Faye and BIL Jim's house for Christmas dinner. We've gave up on the gift exchanges a few years ago; we all have everything we want and already have WAY TOO MUCH stuff as it is. Instead, we've opted to be "gift free" and just enjoy a good meal, good conversation, and the company of our family.

As we countdown to the end of the holiday and the end of the year, my holiday wish is that no matter where you are and no matter what your beliefs, that you have a warm, joyful holiday with your family and friends. THAT'S the best gift of all.