Social Butterfly

Where has the last week gone?  It seems to have just flown by.

The volunteers met up last Thursday at McTarnahan's Tap Room to get the scoop on Sock Summit 2011.  We didn't find out what our assignments are; we got those by email today.  We also had the chance to practice a little something for a super secret plan. 

ToolMan and I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and bought wonderful fresh vegetables.  We've been eating salads made from the huge head of crisp leaf lettuce, a couple bunches of mild red radishes, and sweet red tomatoes.  And enjoying the bouquet of fresh flowers on the dining table. 

We got confirmation from the Sock Summit crew gave a thumbs up to our team for the Fleece to Foot Challenge during Sock Summit 2011!  Duffy and I have gathered some of the best spinners and knitters we know to help us out.  And Duffy came up with the perfect name: PDX Puddle Jumpers!  I ordered some "costumes"; now all we need is a little practice spinning in the grease and we should be ready. 

Last night was the monthly Portland Spinnerati meeting at Urban Fiber Arts.  It was nice to be back in a spinners circle; I forgot how much I miss that.  I took a few more of ToolMan's shawl pins to Cindy for the shop.  And I managed to spend the rest of what was left on my gift card.  Not too hard, really; the gray BFL was just too nice to leave there!  I was spinning a pair of buns that my friend Barbara brought me a couple years ago; I managed to get one done and started on the second one.

I got the email today with my assignments for Sock Summit, and I am OVER THE MOON!  I'm dying to tell you what my jobs will be, but I want to save the big reveal for Sock Summit.  Since there will be free wi-fi this year, I'm thinking about taking the laptop to do some real-time blogging.  Or maybe some Skpe calls from the marketplace floor?  Maybe we could squeeze in a video interview or two for the blog?  Hmmm, I'll need to figure out how to do those things; lol!

I missed knit night tonight.  Not only am I too pooped for it, but I have to bake quiche for the office potluck tomorrow.  We do a potluck every couple of months.  This one fell on Bastille Day, so we actually have a theme besides "whatever we felt like making at the last minute".  I'm baking a couple of quiche from Costco.  It was that or a drive-through window tomorrow for a dozen large orders of french fries.

Back In The Saddle

Since I got my spinning mojo back during the Seattle to Portland Yarn Train Crawl, I've been spending more time with the wheel.  Last week, Cindy (my favorite LYS owner!), asked a few of us if we'd come down to Urban Fiber Arts to spin and be interviewed about it by Neighborhood Notes.

ToolMan and I headed downtown early, but Rachel (digging in her basket) and Sari (her hands are on the right side there) were already settled in and well on their way to filling the first bobbins.

It wasn't long before Melissa from Neighborhood Notes showed up with her list of questions.  I think we probably overwhelmed her.  We talked about process versus product spinning, methods of fiber prep, the zen relaxation of spinning, designing yarns and garments, the teaching of nearly lost crafts, the history of spinning and spinning wheels, traditional garments, the industrialization of garment making, the resurgence of craft in a post-modern society, and cupcakes.

That's right cupcakes!  While we'd been talking, ToolMan had entertained himself by walking the neighborhood, people watching, and window shopping.  About the time we were winding down, he took orders for Cupcake Jones and returned with four What's Up Doc? and one Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

Guess who wanted Cookie Dough?  That would be Rachel, of course!  ToolMan made her pose in front of the new display of his shawl pins in exchange for the cupcake.  Notice the one she's wearing on her shawl?  It's one ToolMan made just for her; it's a sea turtle made of walnut burl.

I've been slogging along on the Tangled Yoke Cardigan.  It'll be great when it's done, but at a gauge of 32 stitches and 36 rows to 4 inches, it is slooooooooow going.

Three weeks I've been working on this thing and it still looks like a lump.  A bigger lump, but still a lump.  I'm somewhat worried about having enough yarn to finish.  I know, helluva time to think of that, isn't it?  The pattern called for the sleeves to be knit up from the cuff and joined to the body then knit up to the neckline.  Because I barely have the yarn yardage the pattern calls for, I decided to knit the top six rows of the sleeves (starting with a provisional cast on), joining them and knitting up to the neck.  Then I'll do the neckline and button bands before picking up the sleeve stitches and knitting them down.  I hope I have enough for long sleeves but if I only make it to 3/4 sleeves, I can live with that. 

Excuse me, but now I have to get back to slogging up the yoke on this thing.