The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Hang onto your hats, this is a pretty disjointed post because I'm trying to catch up to everything that's happened since OFFF.  First, the good:

I gave a demo of chain plying at OFFF.  This is the skein that resulted, which was just skeined and washed up today.  If it looks familiar, that's because it's the leftover of The Big Blue Thing.  I won't knit more turquoise lace, but I will knit turquoise worsted.

One of my co-workers is married to one of the county judges; they went to England, Wales and Scotland in August and brought me back some yarn!  WhooHoo; souvenir yarn from across the pond!  There's some lovely Rowan tweeds and kid silk in there, which are beautiful yarns and certainly nothing to turn up one's nose at.  And a fabulous skein of Noro in a colorway I hadn't seen before (My co-worker picked it because she loved the colors, so she may be getting that back in the form of a holiday present.)  But the ones that really stole my heart are the ones from Wales; hand spun and natural dyed by an indie dyer!  There's purple camel (Do you realize how rare Welsh camels are?) dyed with indigo and cochineal; some blue dyed with indigo, and a cream, blue, green variegated dyed with indigo, Welsh heathers and moss.  Be still my heart!  And some natural undyed as well.  I don't know whether to knit with these or enshrine them behind glass.

Here's some fabulous fiber from OFFF.  I was determined not to buy anything and I didn't.  Well, except for some antique knitting needles which I'll show you later.  I was happily spinning from my stash and chatting with friends when dear Karen walked up an put this in my lap.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It's black alpaca and merino over dyed in a dark eggplant purple. It's pin-drafted so it should spin up like butter!

And while I wasn't shopping, darling Bethany came by with a huge bump of this: white CVM and lilac angora.  The seller wouldn't split the 8 ounce bump but Bethany couldn't walk away from it.  Of course, she knew I'd be more than happy to take half of it off her hands.  This picture doesn't even begin to show how gorgeous this is.

Oh, another "good" but no picture:  ToolMan had a stress test a couple weeks ago that showed a blockage.  He had an angiogram on Thursday which came out clean as a whistle; it was a false positive on the stress test.

Onto the "bad": I went ass-over-teakettle up the courthouse steps Wednesday afternoon.  Yes, I fell UP the stairs.  Outside.  In the rain.  No serious damage except 3 broken fingernails and my pride.  I did get checked out at Urgent Care, just to be sure and get some pain meds.  I'm still really, really sore and the bruises are spectacular colors of blue, purple and green.  I'll spare you pictures since most of them are on places no one wants to see.

The "ugly" is this sweater.  No, not mine; one of my young attorneys was wearing this on Friday, with the unraveling pocket being held on with a safety pin, fer cryin' out loud!  I made her turn it over and told her she'd get it back on Monday after I repaired it.  I can't stand to see an unrepaired knit, even if it is a store-bought cotton sweater.

Not sure where this fits in the scheme I started here, but I have been knitting, slowly and seldom with my bruised and sore left arm.  On the needles currently is yet another pair of EZ's Sideways Socks for ToolMan.  Hey, they're on those antique needles I mentioned a few minutes ago.  

I bought 5 pairs of them; each size is a different color.  The tips are super pointy steel for about 3 inches, then the remaining 7 inches are enameled.  They're great for traveling knitting; the tips are super slick but the body is much grabbier.  And the sizes are funny:  each pair has two sizes on the end cape.  These have "2" on one side and "2 3/4" on the other side.  There's a set with "3" and "3 1/4"; one with "3" and "3 3/4"; etc.  I showed them around to my friends but no one knew what brand they are.  Anybody out there have a clue?

Re-entry

As hard as re-entry to the regular world was after the first Sock Summit, it felt harder this time.  Maybe it's because I spent so much more time in the market and out amongst the knitters.  I know it's not possible, but what I really want to do is live there.  I'd be perfectly happy; living in a convention center full of knitters and spinners.  I bet I'm not the only one; I bet a you'd jump at the chance to do that, too!

Since we can't live there, let's fondle the stash enhancement acquired.  From the top clockwise:  The Sock Summit 2011 bag, a braid of Polwarth Rare Gems from Blue Moon, a self-striping no repeat cake of yarn from Sophie's Toes, a fiber sampler pack from Woolgatherings, a skein of sock yarn from Mountain Colors in Red Tailed Hawk; and a monster skein of over a pound of yarn from Newton's.

Details:  The bag is great; nice heavy canvas, sturdy straps, and front pockets.  I got one of these at SS09 and love it.  The braid from Blue Moon is one of Tina's "Rare Gems", meaning it's something that won't be repeated; at 9 ounces, it's definitely enough for a project.  The cake of yarn from Sophie's Toes is something I hadn't seen before: a self-striping, no repeat.  That's right: self-striping and NO REPEAT.  This colorway is "Cosmopolitan" and I think it might become a cowl for moi.  The fiber pack from Woolgatherings is 10 ounces; one ounce of 9 different breeds.  Since the colors are black to grey, browns, creams and white, I'm thinking this will become either a shaded shawl or the color work yoke on a sweater.  Hmm, I have that black merino top from OFFF last year; maybe I'll combine them for a sweater?  The Mountain Colors sock yarn is for ToolMan's socks; I thought he'd like the Red Tailed Hawk colorway and I wasn't wrong.

Remember when I had to pack up the wheel and all it's parts for Fleece to Foot?  One of the things I had to do was finish up the singles I had on my bobbins.  The fiber was a couple of buns from Barbara that had been lounging in my stash.  I spun them fine, plied them with a silk thread for a nice lace weight yarn.  Even though it looks brown, there is a lot of rose pink in this and just a touch of sparkle.  It should be a pretty cowl.

I didn't take any knitting with me to Sock Summit.  I know from experience that I don't get any knitting done, no matter how simple and straightforward the pattern is.  After working on the Big Blue Thing, I was in the mood for big yarn, big needles, and a fast project.  Harmonia's Rings to the rescue!

Sivia Harding is a genius with this pattern; it goes fast, it's just challenging enough to be interesting without being too difficult, and it knits up fast.  I finished this one in 4 days.  It's soaking in the sink right now.  But I have to decide whether to keep it or put it in the Christmas Present box.  Well, maybe I could wear it just once or twice.

Big Blue Thing Revealed

Another week gone here at the ol' ranch house.  Got stuff to show for it this week, though!

Here's the finished single that I started last week at Spinnerati.

Yes, I know it's a terrible picture.  That would be because I waited until after dark to take a picture and I'm too impatient to get something better.  I'll get a better one after it's plied and finished.  That's when it really counts, anyway.

How about some crafting on the cheap?  This is my new summer wreath for the front door; straight from Dollar Tree. 

I got the vine wreath and a bunch of silk sunflowers, two different bunches of daisies (one yellow and one white), and a bunch of yellow and white berries.  I cut the bunches apart using an old pair of scissors, keeping all the extra leaves for filler.  I started with the large sunflowers and arranged the flowers, working down in size and gluing everything in place as I went.  I added a pretty ribbon remnant from my stash, and viola!  I had a new summer wreath for the door. 

And now, the big reveal.  Ladies and germs, I give you . . . . . the Big Blue Thing!

OK, so the real pattern name is Saphir/Q.  I started this back in April, just after we moved into the house.  As you know, I've been slogging along on it ever since.  But it was totally worth it!

The center portion went pretty quickly, once I memorized the stitch pattern.  By the time I got to the border, rows were taking about 1 1/2 hours each; meaning I memorized a stitch pattern just about the time I finished each one.  And each one of the last 50 rows is different.

By the time I got this thing stretched out, it was nearly dry so I sprayed water on it a couple times today.  I'm going to leave it on the wires until at Tuesday night.  I may re-dress it, more aggressively, next week.  This baby is going to Sock Summit 11 with me.

 

Yarn Train 2011

Saturday was the Annual Yarn Train from Seattle.  This makes either the 4th or 5th year that the Portland knitters have joined the Seattle ladies and it was a LOT bigger than previous years.

I rode into the city with Cindy to her shop, Urban Fiber Arts, and planned to spend the day spinning in her shop.  This was the quiet before the storm:

Since the train didn't come in until 11:00 a.m., it gave Cindy time to get the last few things done in the shop, and I took in my Loose Change shawl to display ToolMan's pins.  

Many of the Seattle shoppers, and some Portland knitters, too, found lots of treasures in Cindy's shop. She specializes in yarns and fibers from local producers. Her motto is: Portland first; if not Portland, then Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

Before long, the first batch of locusts shoppers filled the shop; there must have been 50 in the first group.  I didn't get pictures because it was simply too crowded to move!  From then on, it was a steady stream for most of the day, with a few lulls like this one:

In addition to ToolMan's pins, Cindy carries beautiful yarn bowls (the ones on the shelf in the front), great bags from Queen Bee, custom needle books from Graces Cases, abacus bracelets from Monica's Beads, stitch markers from trtlgrl crafts, and knitters jewelry from several local makers.

That's Bethany, one of the gals who was helping Cindy for the Yarn Crawl, unsuccessfully trying not to have her picture taken.

I started out the morning by buying a bump of Polwarth roving from Dicentra in the Sandalwood colorway; the colors were just too pretty to resist.

After that last stash sorting fiasco, I know I don't need any more yarn, and certainly not sock yarn, but somehow, these Crazy Zauberballs jumped into my spinning basket before I could dodge out of the way.

No, I do not have a sock yarn problem.  Really.

Ah, that's better!

As they say, "This too shall pass", and they did.  Ah, so much better now!

The new baby next door made her grand entrance on Friday morning, right on schedule.  We got just a short glimpse of her today when they came home from a short outing.  We delivered the Moderne Baby Blanket and admired her. She was sleeping and mom was pretty tired so no pictures taken yet.

I've been working on a Pi Shawl, in honor of Elizabeth Zimmerman's 100th birthday. 

After that acrylic garter-stitch blankie, it is such a pleasure to knit with nice, fine weight wool on little needles!   EZ's formula for the round shawl is sheer genius; there are no more than 5 or 6 increase rows, no matter how large (or small) you make your shawl.  Basically, you double the number of stitches every time the number of rows double.  That leaves lots of space for whatever lace pattern you want.  Or not.  As EZ would say, "Knitter's choice".  I'm doing an eyelet row on every 6th, so the increases hide nicely in all those concentric rings.  I'm about 1/3 of the way through the 576-stitch rows so starting to contemplate what edging I'll use on this.  I think a nice sideways garter edge would be nice, or maybe a little pointed edge?  Definitely nothing too fancy; I think it would detract from the simplicity of the shawl itself.

Also done is the spinning of the heathered merino.

The picture doesn't really do this justice; the color is much rosier than what it appears.  The terra cotta walls in the family room give everything an orange cast without natural sunlight.  Now that this is done, I'll be moving on to the coral to ply with this.  I wasn't  able to spin early this year and had forgotten how relaxing and gratifying it is.  I've been going to The Knitting Bee for their monthly spinning day; it's nice to be back in a spinner's circle again!

After this month's spinning bee, a few of us went to Goodwill looking for sweaters to unravel for the yarn.  I got a pretty cabled merino/angora with a single gold thread plied in; it should make a nice winter shawl or maybe a lacy cardigan.  I also brought home a great tea thermos; very sleek stainless steel with a glass insulated liner.  While we were pawing through the sweaters, Tami found a "knitting sweater" in my size so of course it landed in the cart as well.  And since everything was marked with the color for half-price that day, the entire shopping spree cost less than $10.  SCORE!  I forgot to take pictures of this stuff and it's too dark now, so maybe next time.

Last weekend, the girls at Frog Creek Fibers had a garage sale of their yarns.  One of them is moving, so they're clearing out.  I got 4 skeins of sock yarn (like I need more of THAT); three in wool/bamboo in "manly" colors which are intended for ToolMan and one in cashmere/silk in soft pastels.  I don't have anything specific in mind for it, but Mom did ask for another pair of socks so it might be hers.  I forgot to take pictures of this, too, so you'll just have to wait until later. 

End of the List

Well, at long last, we're almost to the end of that list of posts I promised you.  Here's the garter stitch blankie I'm working on.

Yes, this is the second one I've done.  This one's a little heavier; it's worsted weight because I couldn't find the right solid colors in sport or dk weights.  Since it's for a baby and needs to be washable and durable, I was pretty much stuck with acrylic.  The Vannas Choice is very nice and soft.  The Caron and Red Heart, not so much.  I'm finishing up the last strip, which must be at least 5 miles across because I have resorted to two 29 inch circular needles, knitting off one and onto the other because using a single one is just too hard to move the stitches around.  And no, this one isn't getting the I-cord edge either; I think I'll do a round of crab stitch crochet in the off white and call it good.  Because I REALLY want to knit something interesting.  With nice, soft, little yarn.  Something that doesn't weigh 15 pounds to when I carry it to Knit Night.  Something lacey and light and pretty.  I don't know what it is yet, so stay tuned.

I finished up that mystery blue/green/teal roving, too.  I really wish I new what this was and where it came from because it turned out fab-u-lous!

I Navajo plied this for a three-ply and it has so much bounce, it's just incredible.  I just want to sit and squeeze it; it's way better than a stress ball!  This might have been an "oops" from a dyer because it weighs 5 ounces; not a usual amount. 

I also spun up the samples of pygora that I got from Applebright Farms last year. 

What a joy this was to spin!  Jan's must have a great mill for prep as I only found 3 guard hairs in the samples.  I spun the samples from lightest to darkest, then Navajo plied the single.  Not quite sure what I'll do with it, since it's only about 100 yards of lace weight.  Maybe a short cowl in stockinette to show off the difference in fiber blends and colors?  Or maybe it goes to live at my office along with the blue/green/teal?

Here's what I'm spinning now; a lovely merino teal from Woodland WoolWorks that I bought when ToolMan and I drove over right before their big move. 

Here are the two batches of fiber I got that day.  The heather is called "Honeyberry Heather" and the solid is "Warm Coral".

The Warm Coral isn't really that red; it's much more subdued but no amount of Picassa-ing would make it the right color.  I got 4 ounces of each, so I can ply them together for a sport or dk weight.  I'm thinking this will become a nice shawl for Mom eventually. 

And finally, just because Roxie said she was looking forward to them, go here to find the unicorns and sparkles. 

Just Checking In

Not much to report this week; and yes, I realize I'm a few days late.

I'm knitting hats for my brother Joe, but I can't show them to you until after he sees them.  And besides, I'm still working on the last one.  But I can tell you that the first ones were previewed at last week's Westside Wednesday and they were well received, both by knitters and bystanders who stopped to look at me modeling them.  Even the lady at the sushi bar gave applause!

I've gotten hooked on two new programs on Discovery Channel:  Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman, and Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking.  Summer season television generally sucks, but both of these series are fascinating; they bring some very abstract theories into layman's terms and the graphics are breathtaking.  Excellent knitting programs, except for those times when I have to stop and let the info sink in.  If you haven't been watching these, go check out the short videos; or better yet, watch the past episodes online.

I did finish plying the mystery fiber; I did a Navajo ply, or chain ply as Judith McKenzie McCuin calls it.  Thanks to Tami for suggestions on checking my blog for what the name is but I don't think I actually bought this; I think it might have been in a swag bag or swap or something.  But then again, maybe I did buy it!  And thanks to Duffy for suggesting it might be Dicentra Designs.  It could be; at this point, all I know is that it's some kind of wool (very nice wool, as a matter of fact) and the colors are pretty.  I'd show you a picture of how pretty it turned out, except it's late at night and the skein is still hanging up to dry.

I had physical therapy on my shoulder today; only a few more sessions to go.  I've got most of my range of motion back, most of the strength has returned, and I'm mostly pain free.  Another couple physical therapy sessions, and I should be pretty much back to normal.  OK, some people say I never was normal to start with, but I should be back to where I was before spending too much time on the computer at work.

ToolMan had another bout of gout in his foot last week.  He spent a couple days mostly off his feet and a couple days hobbling around.  This isn't the first time he's had gout, but it was one of the worst that he's had.  I made us decide that we'll probably be putting the house up for sale soon; both of us are at an age when the stairs are getting pretty hard on us and we need to be someplace that's all on one level. 

See ya in the funny papers!

Surprise!

After more than three years of this blog, I thought it was time for a new look.  So, whaddya think?  I'm not sure it'll stay this way, there are some things I might change.  And not sure I'm all that in love with the orange background; it just seemed to "fit" me better than the others. 

Anywho, I have been knitting, mostly caps and hats for my brother, but I can't show them to you until after he sees them.  But I have been spinning; look:

That's the rest of that mystery fiber from the stash.  This has convinced me that I really do have to put a label on anything going into the stash that doesn't already have one.  I'm always quite sure that I'll remember what fiber it is and who the seller was and where I bought it and how much I paid for it.  But the truth is, I can't; when I pulled this out of the stash, I had absolutely no memory of it.  None.  As Bette Davis once said, "Old age ain't no place for sissies."

I think I'll Navajo ply this; I really liked how the sample batch turned out a couple weeks ago.  My shoulder is doing much better, but I found some YouTube videos that help take the strain off that side. 

Yesterday was World Wide Knit In Public Day.  Tami did her usual great job of coordinating (that's her on the right).  She got us space at the Hillsboro Farmers Market, complete with awnings, tables, and chairs.  And as usual, she rounded up volunteers to sew project bags, donate yarn samples and stitch markers, and raffle prizes from The Knitting Bee.  There were lots of knitters everywhere!

There were wannabe knitters learning from accomplished knitters.

Knitters gathered in sun and in shade.

Knitters standing in line for goodie-filled project bags.

And, of course, the destash/swap table.  This picture is actually after the swarm of locusts attacked it; lol!  Debby was there, with some of the girls in her family.  She has some good pictures on her blog, so be sure to go look at them, especially the one of the newest little knitter/crocheter!  Debby brought her new Evenstar shawl; I didn't get any pictures because I was too busy admiring it.  It's even prettier in real life than the pictures on her blog, if that's possible!

I did get one of the raffle prizes from The Knitting Bee; Knitting Color by Brandon Mably.  I'm not sure I'll ever be brave enough to tackle a Brandon Mably or Kaffe Fassett pattern, but it is good inspiration to use more color in my projects. 

The project bag is adorable!  It's got various sushi and sashimi on top of a white background with teeny, tiny, black pin dots, and black satin ribbon for ties.  This is going to be my new lunch bag for work; I'll be able to identify it in the office fridge!  And inside was a sample skein from Chic Geek, stitch markers from Dorothea's Boutique and Rachel, and a business card from Urban Fiber Arts, which is Cindy's new venture.  It'll be Portland's newest yarn and fiber shop, as soon as she gets the deal on the retail space finalized.  I don't know who's more anxious for that - her, or all the knitters in Portland!

Little of this and a little of that

I haven't touched my spinning wheel since New Year's Day. I've been dealing with a shoulder problem, which my doctors tell me is an overused rotator cuff. I'm on my second round of physical therapy and pain meds; the first time only lasted a couple months before I was back where I started. This time, I got a cortisone shot to relieve the immediate pain, stronger meds, and a return to therapy with lighter weights but for a longer term.

Today, I did no knitting. That's right, none. My shoulder can only tolerate knitting for short periods of time each day. Today, I decided to forgo knitting to see how well, or not, I could tolerate spinning. Here's the result:



This is a sample from Abstract Fiber. The sample didn't have any info on the tag, I don't know what the fiber is but I suspect by the way it drafted and spun that it's BFL. By looking at the website, I think the colorway is "Deep Lake"; lovely blues, greens, and turquoises.

Of course, I had my able spinning assistant nearby for support. I only spun for about an hour but my shoulder was talking to me pretty loudly by the time I was done. I'm going to let the singles rest on the bobbin for a few days before I ply it. I'm going to try this technique from Sarah Anderson; maybe it won't be so hard on my poor right shoulder.

Westside Wednesday had to say goodbye to Noriko this week. She joined us a couple years ago as a knitter, then moved from a drop spindle to a wheel, and has now written a pattern (scroll down to post 4). Now, she's done with school and internship, and will soon be off to do her optometry residency turns in Bellevue, WA; Wenzou, China; and Okinawa, Japan. We're sad to loose her, but she'll be back to do her final residency her. And besides, the world is getting a great new doctor!

Noriko sent these little tiny hedgies to come live with me. She's been clearing out and getting all her things packed up, but I'm pretty sure she could have found room in a box for these:

Look how tiny they are! The tiny one on the right isn't marked but it seems to be made of the same material as one that ToolMan bought for me several years ago; horn or antler.

They're both much heavier than you think they'd be, given their small size. And both have incredible detail; especially the little one from Noriko, which even has eyelids!

The one from ToolMan, though, is actually a little box with a surprise inside. ToolMan said the inside was what he wished he could give me:

The moon and the stars. All together now: "Awwwwww!" (I know that head sitting there is a little weird; I just didn't realize how creepy it was until I posted it in here.)

But as little as this guy is, he's not the tiniest hedgie in my collection.

That distinction goes to the other hedgie from Noriko. Or should I say "family of hedgies". These are wood and the largest has a sticker on the outside "Made in Russia". I have to admit that I've never seen another set of hedgie matryoshka dolls.

How in the world did they turn these out of wood on a lathe? And I whoever painted the face on the smallest one must have incredible eyesight or a really good magnifying glass! The middle one is about the same height as the dime and the smallest one is about the size of a dried pea. Absolutely adorable!

Lastly, I got the baby sweaters delivered to my girlfriend, Maryanne, this week. I'm working on a little blankie for the stroller or carseat and hope to have it done before she goes to see her sons in mid-June.

A Moderne Baby Blanket from Mason Dixon Knitting. Except I didn't follow the pattern, because come on, what's the fun in that? This turned out to be quite a stash buster of baby pompadour. I used up all the leftovers from baby knitting over the last few years. This pink is the last strip, I think. It could be a little bigger, but frankly I'm just about sick of garter stitch; I mean, really, there are MILES of garter in this thing and it's only about 36 inches square. Besides, I'm going to do a white, 4-stitch I-cord edge on it which I'm estimating will take approximately FOREVER to finish. And as much fun as this was to knit, I really want to get it done; because I really, really need something more challenging on the needles next.

Out With The Old? In With The New?

First, Out With The Old. Here's a recap of last year:

What I Knitted:

ToolMan’s Driving Cap
Barbie Clothes
Queen Anne’s Lace Shawl
Dryer Balls
White Mohair Cowl
LaLa’s Simple Shawl in Sea Wool
Storm Cloud shawlette
Hot water bottle cozy from handspun
LaLa’s Simple Shawl in StitchJones (gifted)
Readers Wrap in Twinkletoes (may be frogged)
Baby Surprise Jacket for trtlbby
Clapotis in BMFA handspun
Socks for me
Bamboo & Ewe socks for ToolMan
Wool socks for ToolMan
Transitions short sleeve cardigan for me
Sample sock for StitchJones
LaLa’s Simple Shawl in Glam Sock Yarn
Swallowtail for me
Yak Hat for ToolMan
Fingerless Mitt (6 pair) for coworkers
Hat for Nic
Scarves (4) for coworkers
Coffee Cup Cozies (12 or 13, I lost count) for coworkers
Felted Bowl for Jane
Elf Hat
Fulled Bags (gifted)


What I Spun:

Lots and lots of yarn in lots and lots of different fibers


New Things I Learned:

Went to a sheep shearing and processed the fleece
Drumcarded batts for the first time
Went to alpaca shearing
Processed and spun the exploded clown fiber


Other Stuff I Did:

Unraveling Sweaters Tutorial
Dryer Balls Tutorial
World Wide Knit In Public Day
World Wide Spin In Public Day
Demonstrated at Multnomah Days
Assisted at Sock Summit


Of course, there's the other stuff that happened last year: Although there were some really great things that happened last year, like Sock Summit, the basket of hearts from Knit Sibs, there were also the really not-so-great things that happened last year. Like ToolMan's heart attack and colon cancer, got a new job in The Big Company and changed offices, Andy Rooney became diabetic, my brothers faced health issues, and I continued battling sarcoidosis. I wasn't sad to see the end of 2009. As far as I'm concerned, it went on way too long.


Now, In With the New. Here's what I've got planned, so far:

Pattern Writing:

There are a couple patterns rolling around in my head that I'd like to get published this year. I signed a contract for one to be in a book, so one of them will be released into the world this year. As for the others, we shall see what develops.


Knitting:

I've cast on a new project: a pair of socks for myself in Bamboo and Ewe. I loved the way it felt when I knitted that pair for ToolMan and decided to make myself a fancy pair in red to wear with my black mary janes. I must have been suffering from temporary insanity because I picked a pattern with . . . are you ready? A 72 row repeat. That's right, A SEVENTY-TWO ROW REPEAT. I started it three times before I quit arsing it up. I thought for a moment, and only a short moment, about knitting them the way I usually do: two at once on separate sets of dpns. Except that in this pattern, the socks are MIRROR IMAGES of each other. So you knit one sock reading the chart from left to right and the other from right to left. Even thinking about doing them at the same time seemed like a big ole' piece of crazy pie that would surely come back to bite me in the ass. So, one at a time it is. Gotta say though, I'm almost to the heel on the first one and it is seriously beautiful.


Spinning:

I'd like to get through a lot of the stash. There are some really luxurious fibers in there that I've been holding onto until I felt I was good enough to spin them. I think I'm ready now.


Blogging:

I've thought about giving up the blog. Not shutting it down or anything, just not being as regular about posting as I have been in the past. Oftentimes it seems that this blog is a lot of self-centered navel-gazing for me. I mean, really, I don't get all that many comments, although when I do, they're great. Usually, when I get to thinking like that, I get some great comment like the last one from Anonymous. Or my Google Analytics Report comes in and shows a bunch of hits from all over the world. Estonia? Really? Do you know how flattered I am that an Estonian knitter (you are a knitter, right?) come to read this? And Iceland? And China? And Japan? And New Zealand? And Brazil? So then I decide that I'll keep it up for awhile more. But really, see that button on the side bar that says "Would it kill you to comment?" I meant that.

My Gall Bladder:

OK, so this is new to the blog but it really should be up there in the Out With The Old. For at least 3 or 4 years, I've had near constant heartburn and reflux. About 3 months ago, nearly everything I ate made me nauseated. We finally figured out it's the dang gall bladder. So, next Thursday morning, out it comes. We'll have to see how that 72-row repeat sock gets along on pain killers.

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.

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 . . . ."

Hand Outs

A few more hand knits were handed out last week. I had a handful of scarves and coffee cup snuggies. Alice picked a pink one; the color is perfect on her.

Christine picked a pretty lilac blue, and Katie liked the multicolor modular-knit one.

Felicia got a yellow green one scarf and I handed out a bunch of coffee cup snuggies but didn't get pictures of those recipients 'cuz my camera battery died.

ToolMan has been wearing his driving cap from last year, but we've been having high winds so he wanted a watch cap to keep his ears warm. I pulled out a skein my hand spun and whipped out a simple ribbed cap in just a couple of days.

It's 50/50 merino/yak, spun woolen long draw on the Lendrum; it's very soft so it won't irritate the skin graft on his ear but still has a lot of bounce so it shouldn't stretch out. It's also very warm; in fact, he said it was too hot to model for very long inside the house. There's just no pleasing some people!

I finished another watch cap out of scraps tonight; it's been washed and is drying now. And I did swatches tonight for more hats that are to be gifted but whether they're done in time for Christmas is anybody's guess.

I'm still spinning the pink/purple fluff; I'm on the third bobbin. It is a real joy to spin; very light and soft and still has just a touch of lanolin so it practically drafts itself. I think I know what I want to do with it, but can't say just yet. I'm hoping to have it finished in time for Christmas gifting. With just over a month until Christmas, I may have been just a tad optimistic in the knitted gift planning area. Or maybe I'm just a glutton for punishment. . . .