My fuzzy life

Moving Day!

2008-01-17T18:47:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later (or not but let's just roll with it).

I went and moved my blog! Please come visit me here. (The address the old fashioned way is: http://dixygirl.wordpress.com/

Please update your bookmarks and feeds and all. This site will be here for a while. Mostly for y'all. Cuz I love you and all. (and because well, moving can be scary and what if I don't like it and want to come back ya know?)

Dinos dinos everywhere...

2008-01-16T21:03:00.000-05:00

I showed a good friend of mine the pictures of Darby the Dino. Somehow she has missed him in person... well. She "needed" one. I told her I'd put her on the list. Well, then she went on to explain that she needed one because her niece is mad for dinosaurs and she wanted to give it to her.

I'm a pushover. Let me tell you that now.

A chance to make another stegosaurus for another 3 yr old who'd be smitten with him? Guess what's coming up next on the needles???

Pie for Everyone!

2008-01-12T17:44:00.000-05:00

Need a piece of pie? At near to 300 yds (278 specifically) I probably have enough to share but I'm not. This is the kind of pie that a girl can hoard and not feel bad about!

Also, I bring you super secretive project #2:

It's a knitted tea set!

If you're on Ravelry I'm going to post more pictures of the tea set. (I think I've said it before but I'm "Nikki" there.) The girls who received it loved it! (As did Darby the Dino's new playmate!) For the record, little E did name him Darby but the ladies the LYS and I thought he really looked like a Percy.

And that's all I've been up to lately! I'm hoping to finish up a few projects before I start something new.

Black Hole

2008-01-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

That's where I've been lately. In a black hole! I apparently get up and go to work and come home and somehow it's time to get up and go to work again. I really have NO idea what's happened to my spare/free time. It was just the first of the year, now we're a whole week (or more!) into the year.

The good news is, I can now show you super secretive project #1. The intended recipient hasn't gotten it yet but, well, he's not able to read and doesn't play online yet. And his mother did get to see the present today so it's all good. Tomorrow (barring another black hole incident) I'll be finished with super secretive #2 and can share that too since little boy's mom is also the mom to the two little girls who are getting the 2nd project.

Wanna see #1?

He's a stegosaurus. And I've had to defend him many many times. Every Single Person who's met him in person, has oohed and aahed over him and most have threatened to steal him. The good news is he was so fun to knit, I'll happily knit more (the first one is mine though so don't ask!).

Cross your fingers the black hole doesn't suck me in and I can ply "pie for everyone" this weekend and blog both it and the #2 project.

Tidying up

2008-01-01T10:42:00.000-05:00

Well, we've made it another year. I'm taking down all of the 2007 completed items because hopefully by the end of the day I'll have a 2008 completed item!

So, mostly for myself I'm going to list the 2007 items here so I can go back and look at them should I need to.

Broadripple socks
Dad's Hat
Pat's Scarf
Lumberjack socks
Dad's 2nd Hat
Irish Hiking Scarf
Lavender DW Dishcloth
My Second Hat
Fetching Mitts
Irish Hiking Scarf camera cozy
Manos Moebius
BAWK Hot water bottle cover
2 catnip mousies
Chichi
STR Fire on the Mountain Socks
Drawstring bag
MN dishcloth
VA dishcloth
Pat's Pedicure Socks
Katie's CN Hat
Katie's CN fingerless gloves
Cup Coozie
Steeler's Baby Sweater
Yellow Baby Hat
2nd Cup Coozie
Two Squares
Two washcloths for Beth
Judy's Socks
Steeler's Baby Hat and Booties
2 Teeny ToFutsies Socks
Koigu Clapotis
Baby Hat
3 Teeny Koigu Socks
2 Teeny Sweaters
Yellow/Green dishcloth
Weekend Pullover
Dad's "Uncle" hat
Blue Dishcloth
3 DW Dishcloths
Cinchy "SAFF" hat
Warm up America Square
Dad's Socks
Fingerless Mitts
Calorimetry
Christmas Scarf
Felted Back Pack
3 korknisses
super secretive project #1- Stegosaurus
1 mitten
1 mini sock
CSM sock

2007

2007-12-31T19:51:00.000-05:00

I know, everyone's doing year end recaps so here's mine:

2007 wasn't all bad but it certainly wasn't all good either. Quite truthfully, I'm glad in few hours it'll be gone. I learned to spin and how to make lucet cords (which I need to do some more of since it's so fun). I hope to keep increasing my spinning knowledge too. There's so much out there to learn, to try...

I knit a lot. A LOT, I mean look at that list on the sidebar. Wow. I learned how to do new knitting techniques. I'd like to keep learning those too.

On a personal level, I made some great friends and plan on keeping on meeting new people and spending time with my friends and family. I lost my uncle and have a cousin that's in pretty bad shape. I have friends who lost loved ones and with my remaining grandparents as old as they are and in the shape that they're in, I know it won't be but so much longer before I lose them. I know, it may not be this year but I certainly won't have them another... (hmm... almost told you how old I am ;)) so many years...

But on a lighter note, my nephew was born and he's so beautiful and I can't wait to see what kind of person he becomes.

My goals for 2008 - besides what I've already said?. Well, I do have some I'm not really planning on sharing but I'm going to cut back on my consumption of goods. Yes, this means yarn and fiber too. I'm not going all out I'm still in my fiber club and will still buy yarn and all but for at least a few months I'm going to spin what I've got and knit what's in the stash. I bought that yarn for a purpose and it wasn't to sit all closed up in a box.

Oh, and since she's showing an interest, I thought I'd teach Pepper to spin:

Which is good, I'll need more yarn because apparently Bartholamew has finally seen the light and is all about enjoying fine hand knits:

You'll have to look under his head and feet to that is my Noro scarf there keeping his Highness warm and providing a soft place for him to take a nap.

Be safe, y'all. Have a good 2008 filled with joy, love, and enough fibery goodness to get you through the rough spots!

thanks for reading...

I'm likin' this spinning thing

2007-12-28T18:53:00.001-05:00

embiggen (for those of you that don't read the same blogs I do, that means click to make bigger to enjoy the beautifulness that is this bobbin of singles)

(ok, embiggen actually means to click on the picture to make it bigger but still...)

ETA- apparently this whole "embiggen" thing isn't working anymore... but I still hope you enjoy the beautifulness that is that bobbin of singles)

edited again - thanks to Mary's help embiggen/biggerize is up and running!

Merry Christmas! (or he's a rebel and never be any good)

2007-12-25T17:34:00.000-05:00

First off let me say I hope each and every one of you had a very Merry Christmas filled with joy and light (and maybe some knitting related gifts and fun relatives...)

Yesterday, Mom, my sister and I went out to lunch. They kept telling me about all the great deals at this local store. 50% off type great deals. Needless to say, we went back. I got new sheets and a new duvet cover. In this house, changing the sheets is an ordeal! To the four legged heathens, it's the most fun since cat nip anything... and for me. Well, it's trying. To be polite because, well, it's Christmas.

Bartholamew is the master of all. Especially the sheets.

Yes. I bought green sheets with purple ladybugs on them. The duvet cover is about that shade of green too. All for 50% off!

I did a little "Christmas" knitting. (so called "Christmas" knitting because they were knit on Christmas Eve. Not because they were presents. Although two did go to live with people other than me)

I found out about them here. Jane found the pattern here. I would highly recommend stocking up on your wine corks now. They're great fun and a very quick knit.

Beware though, because they are quite mischievous too:

Lastly, I finished super secretive knitting project #1. I can't wait to show it to you but it will have to wait til #2's done. Which will be longer than normal because I got distracted.

Dianne sent me some very lovely worsted weight peace fleece for Christmas. I had to start knitting on it almost instantly. With Marianne's help, it became mittens. Or A mitten. The 2nd mitten is on the needles now and will probably have life before the end of the week (would be sooner but the job doesn't tend to approve of me knitting on the clock).

But I can knit on it now and do hear it calling my name...

bad blogger...

2007-12-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

Yes, that would be me, a bad blogger. However, today I'm going to blame the holidays (and my new wheel and my super secretive knitting). Yeah. That's it.

Well, OK, it probably does have a lot to do with it. And in a more realistic goal starting in the new year I'm going to try to post 3 times a week.

Since I haven't plied any yarn yet on the wheel, I can't show you that. The 2nd bobbin of the gobblin eyes looks pretty much just like the first so that's not a good picture.

Can't show you the knitting...

Oh, ok, here's a picture of my finished felted back pack. I like it. The straps are a titch long... that may be something I fix or something I just get over. I'm leaning towards "get over"

It now has a "I want it all!" Christmas pin a friend gave me on the front.

Oh, and how about a happy cheesy ass picture for you?

Back in August I reached my 5 yr anniversary with this company. They add the names to our board in the Library at the end of each year and my friend who also hit the 5 yr mark and I took cheesy pictures pointing at our names. I blame the sugar high we were on from all the desserts. Yeah. That's it.

I'd show you the pictures of our snow storm that turned into an ice storm but well, that didn't happen. It sleeted a little but then it all turned into rain. And well, pictures of a wet parking lot aren't that exciting.

Hope to see you again soon but just in case - I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

(this post was brought to you by the letter *B* as in Blame or passing the Buck)

Another catch up

2007-12-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

Well, I went to work for a little OT this morning and stopped at my LYS - Needle on the Square on the way home. After getting lovlingly chastised by not one but two employees - cough Mary cough cough Becky cough - I thought I should give you a little update on what I've been doing.

I haven't been knitting. My poor Marvelous Mitts have sat almost neglected - although they did go to our Knit Night Christmas party for a "coming out" show.

I spun this:

It's nice gray wool from some of the sheep at the Farm where I got my wheel (still unnamed BTW).

And I spun this:

It's Goblin Eyes from Spunky Eclectic's Fiber Club (October. Received the DAY I shipped the old wheel off to it's new home). I know dimes and quarters seem to be the norm when showing off singles but a nickle was all I could dig up out of my change pocket.

However, after I go try my hand at washing a fleece, I'm going to get back to knitting on my mitts. And this:

It's part of a top secret project (that you're not supposed to tell anyone about Mary and Becky!) that I got at NOTS today. The other part I have here already. I'm aiming on it being done by Christmas (stop that mad laughing!) but if not then it's OK.

Now, I must go get all stinky and greasy before our company Christmas party this evening... (can we extend the holidays for like another month so I don't have so much crammed into such a short time period??)

Welcome Home!

2007-12-02T18:48:00.000-05:00

My new wheel. It's a Lendrum Folding Wheel. I have 3 different flyers for it - the regular flyer, the fast flyer and the plying head (that's what they call it...). The plying head does have it's own mother of all and drive band and the bobbin holds 2 full regular bobbins. (insert happy sigh here) The fast flyer fortunately takes the same bobbins as the regular flyer. I also have a tensioned kate. I need to read up on how they work differently than a lazy kate but I'm quite sure I have that information in a book.

I'm also needing some information on ratios. I think I have the basics down but really want some good information on this. If anyone can point me in the right direction I'd appreciate it.

As you may remember I fell in love with the Lendrum at SAFF. I sold my Ashford Traditional and a couple of other things sitting around collecting dust and saved up my pennies and bought the wheel from a lovely dealer in Suffolk. Why Suffolk you ask? Well, not only were they were quite friendly and helpful at SAFF, but my aunt Judy (who I made the socks for) lives in Norfolk. Not quite an hour away... darn, have to go visit the family.

I love going to visit my aunt. We have a ton of fun no matter what we do. We get up whenever and eat breakfast and sit at the table for hours in our pjs talking about everything before we change clothes and do whatever it is we had planned to do - that is if we had anything planned. So add that into the mix and of course I went to Suffolk.

Saturday morning we left with plenty of time to find the dealer's studio. However, we did not realize that Suffolk's Christmas parade was Dec 1. We saw some of the Christmas parade as it was headed right down Main Street in the exact direction we wanted to do. After digging out the good ol' map we found away around the parade only to run into it again (it was quite a long parade...). We forged on but found ourselves on a road that wasn't on the map. We stopped to ask one of the very nice police officers how to get to where we needed to be. He politely told us that we were on the street we needed to be on. So on we went.

On the way back from picking up the wheel, we got re-routed by an accident. We saw an awful lot of Suffolk yesterday and enjoyed the whole trip. She did take the first pictures of me spinning on my wheel but (not surprisingly) we got to talking and she forgot to take some with my camera too so when I get them from her I'll share.

Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have some wool calling my name...

Pictures

2007-11-29T21:52:00.000-05:00

The palm:

The back:

Teaser

2007-11-28T22:11:00.001-05:00

I'm up to the palm on my first mitt. Tomorrow when the light is better (HA! When there IS light!) I'll take a picture to share with y'all.

My Marvelous Mitts

2007-11-25T21:18:00.000-05:00

I kept seeing these lovely mitts showing up in blogs I read. I even found a Ravelry group for them. It was the same pattern but they're all so different. All so lovely.

I loved them. I coveted them in ways that knitters understand (well, any crafter really). I had to have them and make them my own. However, I didn't know how to do color work. Stranded? Floats? Holding my yarn in TWO HANDS!?! It seemed a little out there. But then I remembered Catie talking about how easy her tam was. How much she enjoyed knitting it.

I broke down and followed the link and bought the pattern. They're Marvelous Mitts by Karendipity.

It took me a while to decide on yarn. I mean a long while. I browsed a lot. Finally, I found the yarns. Quite accidently. Dream in Color Smooshy Giant Peach (and don't you just LOVE that name?!) and some unnamed most lovely shades of Green Koigu I had.

Took me three tries to get the cast on right. Since then, I've been on a big roll. I love the mitts. I love the colors together. I love that I taught myself how to knit with my left hand (and have gotten advice from Ms Karendipity herself as to where to go to learn how to purl with my left hand so I can knit both continental AND english!). I want to finish these mitts so I can find two more colors to make more!

And while I'm spouting all the love... I really love that a lot of designers use Ravelry and make themselves available even more readily to help you with their patterns. So far, knock on wood, I haven't needed help. But I've gotten some great encouragement from the KAL group on Ravelry, the moderators and Karen. I love that. I love that instead of going "what the heck does she/he mean by THAT" that you can just ask the designer. Easily. Because I know a lot of places you can find ways to contact the designer but if it's not easy I'm not going to do it. I'll figure it out on my own or with my friends...

So, if any designers are out there reading this and are accessible on ravelry, THANK YOU!!!

Monday, Again?

2007-11-19T20:21:00.000-05:00

Well, It's Monday, I last posted Saturday so I'm posting again.

Nothing fiber related today. I'm still knitting away on my bag and socks. I did finally lengthen my first sweater. Much happier with it now. Truthfully, Mom helped me rip it out. It wasn't the actual ripping I needed help with, it was the mental aspect of ripping the ribbing out of my sweater. We had a drink after it was all ripped out and the stitches picked back up. I was the one who needed it, Mom just was being supportive.

Speaking of Mom, as a few of you may know, Mom is a vegetarian. So being a good daughter, I bought her a tofurkey roast. We roasted it with onions, carrots and potatoes as recommended. We basted it. We made vegetarian gravy. Luke really enjoyed the tofurkey. Mom and I thought the onions, carrots and potatoes turned out well. But the gravy wasn't all bad. So all was not lost.

We also baked bread. One in the bread machine (sourdough... mmmmm) and one from a mix it was wheat beer bread. Both were most yummy.

I have a new feature on my sidebar. It's a wish list. It's not the kind of wish list where I really expect y'all to buy me things from it but it's a fun place to list things I want for my memory as much as anything else. Plus I was having probably too much fun naming everything. But ya know, if you win the lotto or something and feel like you want to buy me presents, then, please, feel free to purchase anything on the list for me.

Spindle and Wheel Contest

2007-11-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

You may remember a while back I won the Spindle and Wheel blog contest. Well, here's what I got:

2.5oz of Merino and Soysilk. It's very soft. I'd attach a piece to the blog for you to feel but technology isn't there yet...

I got some "grab bag" wool blend that is also quite soft.

I got a very pretty handmade spindle:

Sadly, I haven't tried it yet. Or the wrist distaff that came with it:

When I do finally try them, I'll give a review.

Allena also sent me a orifice hook (which I'll still need with my new wheel) / plying tool:

and some very pretty stitch markers:

Even the one I managed to cut out of the picture is pretty.

I know there's that whole "post every day" thing going on that has more letters in it that I'm capable of remembering right now, but I think I'm not quite up to posting every day. HOWEVER, I am aiming to post every OTHER day. I enjoy blogging. I kind of miss it but much like when I first started, it's a little hard find things to talk about right now so please just bear with me if you get a short silly post about something now and again instead of a deep meaningful post.

Thankful Thursday

2007-11-15T21:59:00.000-05:00

Yup. I'm a follower. Plus I'm trying to post more and well, I am thankful! (A WHOLE week early at that!)

I'm thankful for my knitting groups. One is really an offset of the other but I'm thankful for both of them. I love the large group of people I don't always know working on everything under the sun and sitting beside someone new.

I'm thankful for our little offset group because I'm getting to know these girls much better and making good friends. And I get to drink tea and eat snacks from the B&N cafe. And browse books (which I'm thankful to my family that I love them) and knitting magazines. What's NOT to be thankful for here?

I'm thankful for my two fuzzy beasts. They keep me amused and as the weather turns, warm. Someone almost always wants to snuggle and not much is warmer than a cat in your lap.

(an old picture but it is one of my favs)

I'm thankful that it's getting colder. I know, that sounds crazy but I like having four seasons and damn it it was way past time for fall.

I'm thankful for knitting. For more reasons that I could list here.

And of course, I'm thankful for my friend and family, but that's a whole 'nother post...

SAFF Classes

2007-11-12T20:50:00.000-05:00

Laura and I each took two classes at SAFF. She took a weaving class that had a lot of good information in it. And a Shepherd's Rug class.

The rugs the ladies who wrote the book had made were gorgeous! The chair pad/cat bed Laura was working on was also gorgeous!!

I took a multi-color one pot dye class on Friday. It was WAY too easy and not messy enough. I see dyeing in my future (I had typed dying in my future and well, I figure that is in the future but not what this post is about!).

We dyed three pots as a class. Some fleece that was fun but looks - well not pretty.

We dyed some wool:

Pepper liked the wool a lot!

We also dyed a mohair blend:

This one took color much better than the wool. Our instructor said that mohair likes dye and will soak it all up. Hmm, I may have to buy some to try that out!

The other class I took was a Creative Cast on Class with Margaret Heatherman. She taught us a handful of basic cast ons and what they're best used for and a couple really pretty "decorative" cast ons. Then gave us cardstock and double sided tape with all the cast on names so we could tape our swatches on them to remember which was which! This class, while as educational as I thought it would be, was way more fun than I thought it'd be! YEAH!

Next post will be my prize winnings from Spindle and Wheel.

Knitting update

2007-11-10T17:00:00.000-05:00

Here's the few projects I'm working on:

My Marigold socks (do try not to remember that my Socktoberfest goal was to finish these OK? thanks!)

Dad's socks (the second one! In this pic it's almost done but they're really finished!)

A Mistake Rib scarf I'm making for a Christmas present:

Next post: Classes at SAFF!

(Well. I have a bandaid on the whole picture thing. I may or may not keep using the bandaid, but for now we have pictures!

grrrrr

2007-11-10T08:29:00.000-05:00

OK. I know I said I was going to blog more often. And I've tried several times this week but blogger and I aren't seeing eye to eye on which pictures I should post. Mostly because blogger doesn't think I should post ANY pictures.

I've gotten two posts written up. As soon as I come up with another way to post pictures I will post more.

I do have several ideas forming but at this point in time, I must get ready to take Pepper to the vet for a check up.

beware...

2007-11-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

Forgive me dear readers, it's been a long time since I posted. I have no real excuses. October was just very busy and I just didn't post much. I did an awful lot though. And I did an awful lot of fiber stuff...

October 13th the part of my family who lives in North Carolina and Virginia went to the NASCAR race at Charlotte. We had a lot of fun even if Mom won't go to Arizona to buy Car-osaurus for me (Barrett-Jackson). And no, I don't know what I'd do with it but does it REALLY matter?

I mean, come on... it breaths FIRE!

The next weekend some of us went to Sinkland Farms for a spinning demonstration. It was chilly and very windy but it was great company.

And I got the cutest little white pumpkin.

Then, Laura and I headed off to SAFF! Oh my did we have fun!! I had one basic rule: no buying yarn I could buy at home. Well, and to stay within my budget. And no bunnies. OK, so maybe I had a few rules.

Laura tried her hardest to talk me into bringing a bunny home. There was one I was quite fond of. This isn't him but he's close in color. "My" bunny had gray ears (and I met his new Momma and he's going to be a shop bunny!):

I did bring some some alpaca and a silk brick:

I got some sock yarn:

And some general wool for a felted back pack (a pattern that I also bought)

How/why this wool is "From Down Under" is beyond me. It's a product of Turkey and the shop is in Alabama:

But that's OK. I think it's pretty and will make a great bag.

The coolest thing either of us brought home was Laura's antique circular sock machine:

We're going today for a class on the finer art of making socks with it. And various other things.

The second coolest thing either of us brought home was my lucet:

My all time favorite thing:

My new wheel! OK. So, technically, she's not mine YET. And she didn't come HOME with me from SAFF and I'm going to a semi-local place to buy her but I fell in love with her at SAFF. And furthermore, have already sold my Ashford Traditional so I'll have both more room and more money to buy her.

The Ashford has gone off to live with Amy. I posted the wheel for sale on my spinning group on Ravelry and within an hour I'd say, Amy had contacted me about her and we made the deal. In fact, I've already shipped her off to her new life in Michigan. Be well my first wheel. And bring Amy all the wonder and joy you brought me!

I've got oodles of llama pictures and various "crowd shots" of SAFF that I'll get up on flickr or use them sporadically here.

OH, I almost forgot another great thing at SAFF. I finally met Mary! We've both been at the same fiber festivals all year but never realized we were seeing the other one or crossed paths or something but after my cast on class (which I'll blog about later) I went to get lunch and there she was! The three of us sat and ate a little lunch and visited and had a great time! I'm SO glad I finally got to meet her in person. She's the one who got me in touch with Robin who gave me all the information about my knit/spin group and ended up with me spinning and having a knit/spin group and all kinds of great friends! Thanks, Mary!! It was great to meet you! And wow, it's been a smidge over a year since that all happened... how time flies!

Laura and I both took two classes but I'll blog about those later. And I'll update you on all my knitting progress. I figure I've rambled on enough for now. Plus it'll give me more things to blog about so it won't be 2 weeks between posts! (and hopefully blogger will be willing to upload my pictures then too!)

And I can't believe I almost forgot my favorite October happening of all!! My sweet adorable little nephew was born at the beginning of the month:

A Finished Item!

2007-10-19T20:26:00.000-04:00

Yes! I AM alive and I HAVE been knitting!!

proof of both:

For the record, that is the back of my head... and yes it did take me about 100 pictures to get the picture right.

I know lots of people knit sweaters for the upcoming fiber festivals but hey, let's face it, I'm not a fast knitter. Plus I missed the memo saying while not a pre-requisite, a newly knitted item for said festival wouldn't be a bad idea. SO, I knit a hat! It's the Cinchy Hat from Interweave's knitscene. The yarn was a gift to me by my friend Catie. She said they were my colors. And I believe she was right.

The best part, I still have a about a hank and a half left! What to make now...

Fall Fiber Festival

2007-10-08T19:50:00.000-04:00

I know in my last post I promised actual knitting content. I may have stretched the truth a bit. I was planning on knitting content but well, I changed my mind. You are going to get lots of pictures and fiber though.

Saturday I loaded up the truck (in the rain I may add. In the dark rain since it was 6:30am) and drove to Bedford. There I met up with Dianne, Dana and Linda. Then off we went to Montpelier for the Fall Fiber Festival (and sheep dog trials. That we missed. It was really hot y'all).

We made it up there with no trouble at all. I will spare you the very blurry pictures of the signs along the way. You may thank me later. Dana and I made plans to "Kinnear" someone and to take some suitable pictures to send to Dave for a future edition of Ass Watch Wednesday (or whatever day the next Ass Watch falls on). We failed in both plans. I'm totally blaming the "fiber fumes". You know how it is, you have great plans and the next thing you know you've got a handful of gorgeous roving (or yarn) and bammo. You're hopeless and forgot all your plans.

So we got to FFF:

We bought stuff:

We ate lamb instead of the packed lunches we had. (it was so much better than MY packed lunch at least!)

We saw sheep and lamas and alpacas:

We totally missed any blogger meet up in the skein and garment tent (sorry guys!) and apparently everyone else who was there (such as Mary,Robin and IndigoMuse).

But we had a great time and bought a lot of stuff:

(no. this is NOT all mine. It's our combined haul!)

However, despite much planning and desire. We did NOT bring home a small animal. (We were all leaning towards bunnies but then this little fellow came over to snort at me and well, I thought maybe he should come home to live with me and the heathens).

But despite all that, I did buy an alpaca:

What?

I brought some camel home with me. I've found several sources including the most recent Spin Off, but if anyone has any suggestions/tips for camel, I'll happily take them.

I got some lovely dyed wool roving:

8 oz. I have no idea what it'll become but I'm sure it'll be lovely! Linda liked it so much she bought a bag like it too!

I also got some freebies: notecards, wool wash, some ordinary ol' white wool (that will be used for dyeing after SAFF)... but most of all, I had a great time!! Even if it was 90 degrees outside!! and dusty.

Pink for October

2007-10-03T21:21:00.000-04:00

I read on Jane's site a "movement", for lack for a better word, where you change your website/blog pink to help create awareness for Breast Cancer. I thought it seemed like a good idea. I am very lucky that my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor and if turning my blog pink through October creates any more awareness that can save someone else's grandmother, then I'm all for it!

Here's the site for Pink for October.

And just for additional goodness, go here. Help some women get mammograms (and you know, it really only takes a minute so go on and click on all the other tabs to help out those sites too...)

Next post, I promise there will be actual knitting content AND pictures!

Goodies

2007-10-02T19:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I learned that I won a blog contest. A mighty cool prize, I may add (even if I don't entirely know what it is yet!). You see, earlier this year I found Spindle And Wheel (there's also a link in my sidebar). It's a really cool online spinning magazine. I would read each of the new issues and occasionally read the blog. Well, I started reading the blog more often and made more of an effort to comment when Allena mentioned having a little drawing and to enter all you had to do was comment. So I started commenting more. I mean, I almost never win anything so I'm not gonna win but we all like comments, ya know? So. Yesterday. I read the update and guess what? I'm the first winner!! I've chatted back and forth with Allena and she's customizing a little basket for me. I don't know what all will be in there but I know she is going to include some of her own Shetland wool for me since I haven't spun any Shetland before. The rest, is all a surprise right now.

Don't worry, I'll post when I get my package. But in the meantime, all you spinners (and knitters, I mean there are patterns there) go check out Spindle and Wheel.

Now... I've been waiting for the right time for this and this seems like as good as any. A little bit ago I signed up for a whole "pay it forward" thing on The Yarn Yarn's blog. N is paying forward her own good luck. She's sending out a little surprise present to three people from her blog and well, I'm doing the same. All I ask is that you have a blog so that you can continue to pay it forward. The first three people who ask to be part of the whole Pay It Foward in the comments will get something nice from me within a few months I'd say. It may be yarn or fiber, if you're a spinner, or it may be something I've created (ie - knit/spun) for you or something else all together. I'm not sure what's going out yet. It'll be personalized.

Just to be clear, you can comment without participating in the pay it forward. But to participate in the pay it forward (and get a nice little present) you have to comment and ASK to be part of it - and be one of the first three people to ask to participate.

Socktoberfest!

2007-10-01T19:46:00.000-04:00

It's Socktoberfest, y'all!

Here's my modest Socktoberfest goal: to finish these socks. OK, I mean I want to DO more but that's my goal. I'm still working on Dad's sock so that's more socky things and well, I'm sure I'll get some kind of sock yarn this month but I want to make sure these socks, MY socks, are done by the end of Soctoberfest.

If (and only if) I finish Dad's socks this month then I'll cast on for Pat's socks. I've yet to decide if she'll get some sort of designed pattern or just good ol' stockinette socks. However, because I love my Pat so, I did get her some austermann step sock yarn to keep her feet soft and cozy.

Stay tuned for exciting news and while it won't be a contest, prizes may be involved...

Roanoke's NoSo Knit

2007-09-29T22:04:00.000-04:00

Today was Roanoke's 10th Annual NoSo Knit. I heard about it too late last year (or way early this year?) and didn't go but this year I was going. I even talked Mom into going. I have very few pictures because my camera battery was on the verge of death. I however did get a picture of our table.

We have Laura (who I'm going to SAFF with):

Christy:

Nancy:

and from left to right Knit Nana and Pam:

Oh, and me and my Mom:

Mom won some lovely blue yarn who's brand I've promptly forgotten:

I won some Berroco Tutu which must be hiding in Mom's car because I don't have it with me now and I know it made it TO the car so click the link to what it looks like. It's the black one.

Other prizes at our table included 2 pattern books, a handmade cosmetic case, a legwarmer kit and some other wool. Yes, I did pay attention but that was a long time ago. We did a lot of talking and laughing and window shopping and some not window shopping and I just don't remember who all got exactly what, ok?

Speaking of shopping, I did very well. I only bought 3 things:

Orchid lace weight Malabrigo:

This WILL be knit into a scarf or some such for me but oh, my. It's so lovely I could just pet it all day long. (BTW, this purchase is all Christy's fault. She was looking at the Malabrigo and said that I should definitely knit some lace...)

A green skein of Cotton Classic for a baby bib (for my nephew who will be born ANY day now!):

and a Fiber Trends Raindrop Lace sock pattern.

That's it. Mom got some sock yarn of unknown origin. Well, SHE knows what brands they are but as I said before, we did a lot and all I know is one was a blue tweedy color and the other what looks like will be a nice blend of browns/grays.

Oh and I almost forgot, amongst our goodie bags (needles, patterns, coupons, various knitterly goodies) was this:

Sportweight Claudia Handpaint... mmmm...

All in all, we had a really good day.

A long trip home

2007-09-23T21:29:00.000-04:00

I went to visit my sister this weekend (we had a lovely time) and spent a little over an hour in this on the way home:

So, except when we were at a very very slow roll, I did this:

Does sitting in your truck all alone in the middle of a traffic jam (standstill?) still count as Knitting in Public?

Dad's 3rd Hat

2007-09-18T18:55:00.000-04:00

Hmm, OK, just this year alone, I've knit Dad 3 hats. In all fairness the first one didn't fit (hey, it was my second hat and mine didn't fit me either!) and this one is out of (drum roll please) my own handspun.

Catie gave me some fleece named Brother when I got my wheel. I preservered and spun enough of Brother to knit a hat (plus some. I could probably get another hat out of what's left). I think Brother is a beautiful gray. Catie kept fussing at me to throw it away.

I finally knit some of my own handspun. I think this is my most favoritist hat I've ever knit. Ever. It's certainly the most beautiful hat I've knit. And yes, I realized I'm biased. But if I didn't make this specifically for Dad (cuz he asked for it) I don't think I'd give it away. I love it.

Now, after all that hype:

I showed it to Catie... she was glad I didn't throw it away and was inspired to maybe even spin some of Brother herself.

(See, I finished this last week or so and have been holding out on you so I could give you some more blogging...)

A funny story

2007-09-17T19:12:00.000-04:00

I was at work today and at lunch was sitting there quietly knitting on Dad's sock. One of the managers came up and sat down with me. After she got her lunch all ready and was eating she looked at me and said, "you're really knitting socks!" In that tone that maybe she heard I'd knit them but thought they were being silly.

me: Yup

Bosslady: Are they slippers or like sock socks?

me: sock socks

Bosslady: huh...

me: Next time I wear a pair I'll try to remember to show them to you.

Bosslady: OK (in a more enthusiastic tone than I'm really able to convey here)

It was really just kind of funny.

And just so you don't think I'm completely evil bringing home a pink litter box, I did bring Bartholamew home his favorite toy: a cat nip pillow!

We lurves the 'nip...

ooo, pink...

2007-09-16T13:27:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been an exciting week around here.

Bartholamew finally got out voted and a PINK litter box was brought into His Home (hey, it's our home, too, B!)

Don't worry too much, there's still the big gray box for him but he doesn't seem to mind the pink (he was the first one in there...)

They've got a bigger one that involves a little ramp for them to get in and out of the box and supposedly cleans the litter out of their toes but it's HUGE and we don't have the kind of room around here. Plus I'm not sure his Highness would use it. Pepper I'm not so worried about.

I've been plugging away at Dad's socks:

I'm an inch away from the ribbing and then I'll cast on for sock #2.

I started my own socks:

I know, there's not much there but I just started them. They're going to be Marigold Socks. I'm looking forward to working on them some more.

My sweater went out this morning on it's "inagural" wearing and I do think I'm going to have to rip out the bind off and add a couple more rows to the bottom. It's just not quite long enough. It's not bad but it's not perfect and why knit sweaters if they're not going to be perfect, ya know?

Hopefully, I'll have more to say than just another update next Sunday.

Finally!

2007-09-09T13:40:00.000-04:00

Well, it took me more than a weekend (even a 3 day weekend) but I finally finished my Weekend Pullover:

I did get everything done but the sleeves last weekend which is why I didn't post about it, I wanted to see how much I could actually get done and there just wasn't a lot of knitting time at home this past week. The yarn is what I got last weekend - Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky. The pattern is Knitting Pure and Simple's Weekend Pullover. If you scroll down it's in the middle. It's knit on size 17 needles. The cicular the body's done on isn't too bad but the dpn's are a bit of a pain to get used to.

Looking at the picture I should clarify, I do need to weave in the ends. I need a little help on that because I tried to weave two in and because the stitches are so big and the yarn so lofty I feel you can see where it is. I'm waiting for Mom the Knitting Guru's help (not like I need a sweater in this weather yet).

That would make it my first finished sweater. Well, the first finished sweater that will fit a person. I also made this last weekend:

I've also been knitting on Dad's sock:

I got lots of help. Bartholamew supervised the finished sweater photo shoot:

Pepper supervised all the knitting:

Well, most of the knitting. Yesterday I went to the Big Lick Blues Festival with some friends of mine. Yes, I took my knitting. However, I didn't take anything that couldn't stand to get dirty since it was outdoors. So I took some dishrag cotton:

Sometimes, it's nice just making plain ol' garter stitch squares.

Fiber-licious Saturday!

2007-09-01T14:36:00.000-04:00

Today was a fiber-licious!! It started out my friend Laura and I braved the traffic and went to Blacksburg to hit Mosaic's sale. I mean all the good stuff goes early right? Never mind that it's Virginia Tech's first home game of the season and that ESPN's Game Day is going to be there and they're playing ECU so those folks are driving up too... (and really, we went early enough that for all but the last 2 miles of the journey it wasn't bad at all and even those 2 miles were a rolling stop not a dead stop).

Then I came home and found the mailman had left me some delightful presents in my mailbox. Some of these are for presents so you're just going to have to look and enjoy, not ask too many questions. I'll tell you the STR is in colorways Metamorphic and In The Navy. And I'll tell you that the roving consists of one of each of these fibers: Blue Faced Lancaster, Alpaca and Silk. yummmmm

Y'all know where Socks that Rock comes from (if you don't, just leave a comment I'll be happy to point you in their direction), and the roving came from Sakina Needles. Catie ordered from her before and recommended her so I ordered from her, too. The first order admittedly had some snafu's but they were resolved and there was a legitimate issue not something horrible and the roving and resulting yarn was so wonderful, I ordered from her again and am here recommending her to you.

Pepper thought today was fiber-licious, too!

FO updates

2007-08-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

I have several finished items to share with you today. One is completely and totally done. The other well... I'll tell you about it in a moment.

My Baby hat for NoSo Knit:

The second one is my clapotis. I've called it done. I've marked it done in the sidebar but honestly it's 99% done. I have to finish unraveling all those dropped stitches then weave in a couple ends. I tried to weave in the ends before the unraveling but it didn't work.

Oh and I almost forgot:

I made a teeny sock for my sock blocker keychain!

Lastly, not a FO but an update. I got my invite for Ravelry. I'm listed as "Nikki" if you want to look me up and come by to say hi. I'm reserving all opinions until I can really get in there and do more than get my feet wet. So far it is a very neat place but I'm just not sure I'm that organized with my knitting.

Ravelry

2007-08-21T18:55:00.000-04:00

Well, I suppose I should just go on and admit it. I'm on the waiting list for Ravelry. I have some personal observations to share with you. These are in no particular order by the way.

I put my name on the list (on June 17) mostly because everyone else was. I wasn't sure if I'd like it and have use for it (and still have some reservations). But I wanted to see what it was all about.

Having 2664 people in line in front of you is WAY better than having 194 (as of 6:35pm) people in front of you. I'm almost ashamed to admit this but I've been checking that damn site at least once a day since I got under 300 in front of me. And I was right tickled when the number hit under four digits.

I'd sort of figured out I'd get my invite the end of August based on the amount of people getting in but that means it's almost the end of August now. Which makes me wonder where the hell the year went!

I did not take people's suggestions of inventorying everything knitting related I own before my Ravelry invite. But as Robin pointed out as she was adding her books, I'd just forget what the yarns were anyways. (Hey! It's possible. And sounds very reasonable to me so stop it.)

There are still 17,516 people BEHIND me in line!! That's a whole lot of people. I mean like a WHOLE LOT of people!

Going back to the whole picture issue for a moment, I did however go on and open up a flickr account. It was just easier. Yahoo was (is) closing their photo section and I had to transfer my photos somewhere or lose them. So, in anticipation of Ravelry, I chose flickr. Which was especially convenient since Yahoo now apparently owns flickr so they tranfered all the photos over for me.

The worst part of my Ravelry invite coming sometime late this week or this weekend (more than likely)? I volunteered to work this Saturday. Fortunately it's just 3 1/2 hrs but still. I could be knitting then! Or taking pictures of my stash. Or something other than working!! Which also reminds me, if someone asks you if you want to work a Saturday... unless it's for yarn, say no. It's just not worth it. Really. Even if it is just for 3 1/2 hrs.

I forgot one more tidbit: it took me over 9 weeks to get my Ravelry invite. It took me 6 1/2 weeks to get my passport (for the record. I applied for the passport AFTER I applied for Ravelry). I find it both interesting and a little bizzare that knitting is more popular than international travel. (OK. that's a stretch but still...)

I'm at a loss...

2007-08-15T20:31:00.000-04:00

for a title for today's post. So let's just get right to it.

Thank you all for the wonderful birthday wishes. I think it probably was one of the best ones I've had!

I got some lovely fibery gifts and a lovely cake (courtesy of my loving Mom):

It was chocolate too! She's such a good Mom!!

Here's my latest spinning, Briar Rose:

Not the best color representation but it's not all bad either. I feel the same about the spinning. Not the best but not all bad. And even though I am not (yet) skilled enough to do this intentionally, I'm quite happy with the mixing of the colors in the plying of the singles.

I'm a little stalled on my socks. I have lots of great sock yarn but am lacking a some great sock patterns. Well, that's not true. There are some great sock patterns I'm just having trouble pairing the yarn with the pattern to make something that will make me happy.

Oh and I got my class confirmation for SAFF. It's going to be a one pot dye class and a cast on class. A little fun and a little practical. But also fun. I'm looking forward to the cast on class as much as I am the dye class. I know for sure that will get used in the future.

32 yrs ago today

2007-08-13T15:56:00.000-04:00

Edited to add: As pointed out by an astute commenter I WAS born to two very wonderful parents who DO love me. Then I was blessed enough for them to divorce and marry two wonderful step parents who love me. (And I must admit, I'm quite fond of all of my parents, too!)

The Birthday Meme... ("tagged" by Robin)

3 events (and yes I can't count. I was going for the Women enlisting but damn I love me some stainless steel so I had to include that one!)

3114 BC - According to the Lounsbury correlation, the Maya calendar starts.

1913 - Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley.

1918 - Women enlist in the United States Marine Corps for the first time. Opha Mae Johnson is the first woman to enlist.

1961 - The German Democratic Republic closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin, to thwart its inhabitants' attempts to escape to the West.

2 births (again, I know, I can't count)

1860 - Annie Oakley, American sharpshooter (d. 1926)

1899 - Alfred Hitchcock, English film director (d. 1980)

1971 - Patrick Carpentier, Quebec race car driver

1 Holiday

International Lefthanders Day

Also lifted from Robin's blog:

The Birthday Calculator:

13 August 1975

Your date of conception was on or about 20 November 1974 which was a Wednesday.

You were born on a Wednesday
under the astrological sign Leo.
Your Life path number is 7.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 4 & 22.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 9.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 3, 6, 8 & 11.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2442637.5.
The golden number for 1975 is 19.
The epact number for 1975 is 17.
The year 1975 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/11/1975 and ending 1/30/1976.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rabbit.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paopy, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 6 Elul 5735.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 7 Elul 5735.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.2.1.13 which is
12 baktun 18 katun 2 tun 1 uinal 13 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Wednsday, 5 Sha'ban 1395 (1395-8-5).

As of 8/13/2007 6:57:45 AM EDT
You are 32 years old.
You are 384 months old.
You are 1,670 weeks old.
You are 11,688 days old.
You are 280,518 hours old.
You are 16,831,137 minutes old.
You are 1,009,868,265 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:

Dan Fogelberg (1951) Don Ho (1930) Pat Harrington, Jr. (1929)
Fidel Castro (1926) George Shearing (1919) Alfred Hitchcock (1899)
Bert Lahr (1895) Annie Oakley (1860)

Top songs of 1975
Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain & Tennille
Fly, Robin, Fly by Silver Convention
Island Girl by Elton John
He Don't Love You by Tony Orlando & Dawn
Bad Blood by Neil Sedaka
Rhinestone Cowboy by Glen Campbell
Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John
That's the Way (I Like It) by KC & the Sunshine Band
Jive Talkin' by Bee Gees
Fame by David Bowie

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 4.57455968688845 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

There are 366 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 33 candles.

Those 33 candles produce 33 BTUs,
or 8,316 calories of heat (that's only 8.3160 food Calories!) .
You can boil 3.77 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1975 there were approximately 3.1 million births in the US.
In 1975 the US population was approximately 203,302,031 people, 57.4 persons per square mile.
In 1975 in the US there were approximately 2,152,662 marriages (10.1%) and 1,036,000 divorces (4.9%)
In 1975 in the US there were approximately 1,921,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

Your birthstone is Peridot

The Mystical properties of Peridot

Peridot is used to help dreams become a reality.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)
Sardonyx, Diamond, Jade

There are 134 days till Christmas 2007!
There are 147 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were
born was waxing crescent.

Another Weekend Update

2007-08-12T20:40:00.000-04:00

Well, thankfully the heat broke (some. It's down to "normal hot" instead of "OMG are you KIDDING me!?!? hot").

Today I thought I'd spin the second half of the Briar Rose roving I had. It's been a couple weeks since I've spun. I think it showed in the singles but when plied they looked just fine. I'll take pictures in a few days for you. It's near dark out now and I'd like to try to capture good color for you.

But it was very slow going when I was trying to spin. Seems I'm not the only one here who's infatuated with the wheel.

Pepper, in true cat fashion, rolled right before I snapped the picture. She had moments before been laying there with her legs intertwined with the treadle and other moving parts.

Bartholamew doesn't care so much about the wheel but loves to sit in my lap while I spin.

I had another picture of his cute little face but he looked surly and you've seen him surly looking before. I thought I'd show you his sweet snuggly side. And for the record, no, I can't spin with him in my lap.

After many cat breaks I finally got it all spun. I had intended it to be a swap present but the swap came and went and I still have the yarn so it's mine now.

I've been knitting on my clapotis when I knit:

I'm to the 3rd section called "straight rows" but I like to think of it as the "dropped stitch" section since that's what you do:

I ran into a couple knit/spin group friends over the weekend. They invited me to go to SAFF with them and after glancing at the website I gleefully said yes! Tomorrow I'm mailing off my class registration for a knitting and a dyeing class. I don't think either of these will fill up but just in case I'm going to keep you in suspense as to what they're for.

Tomorrow's a bit of a special day for me so please to stop back by for a special post.

I'm melting....

2007-08-08T18:08:00.001-04:00

Ok. You really do need to imagine that in the Wicked Witch's voice...

I'm back from Savannah, GA where we had the memorial service for my uncle. I think pert near the whole church came. It was a very beautiful service with great songs.

I did get a smidge of knitting done. Dad's sock is about to take a large trip to the frog pond. I just do not like the yarn and am not happy with how the sock progressed. We're not discussing that I was already starting the leg from a toe up sock when I decided this, OK? I am still plodding along with my koigu clapotis.

We had record breaking heat today. The cats and I are managing just fine but after the stress and travel this weekend and not sleeping so well in the heat, I'm tired.

I'd like to leave you with something a friend of my Uncle Don's left in his obituary's online guestbook:

If our eyes had no tears, our souls would have no rainbows.

How very true...

Stay cool y'all.

Guinness Book of World Records

2007-07-31T18:36:00.000-04:00

You know how some things in the Guinness Book of World Records are cooler than others? Like it's better to be known as the World's Tallest Man instead of the Woman who slept in a box with the most amount of scorpions or something (and yes, I'm making that up - I hope! and have nothing against people who want to sleep in a box with scorpions, it's just not my thing...)

ANYWAY... I think I should qualify for the Knitter's Book of World Records after my feat today. What did I do, you're asking? Well, I went to the LYS at lunch (you should probably brace yourselves here, maybe have a little drink of your adult beverage of choice just to be safe). I got to the yarn store. I went in. I went STRAIGHT to the stitch markers. I picked out the ones I needed. I bought them and left. That's it. That's all. No checking out the yarn, no petting the yarn. No letting any colors on the big pretty back wall catch my eye. I think I was in there for all of a minute and a half. Seriously. AND I paid with a sadly crumpled $5 bill and got change back.

How does this relate to the Guinness Book of World Records I brought up earlier? Well, because I think while still amazing (and slightly freakish) this feat was... it's not "World's Tallest Man" cool.

What I've done to keep busy

2007-07-29T08:35:00.000-04:00

I've been knitting on my TdF KAL sweater. I'll have one last update picture later today so I can get some more knitting in on it before le Tour is officially over.

edited to add:

There's a little over 14 inches of knitting there. In one more inch the sleeves are attached, the second intarsia section is started and I'm down to 10 inches of knitting. However, it's hot here. I don't have a/c and this sweater is going to have to wait until it gets a little cooler. 9:38pm

Mom and I participated in some yarn related retail therapy. Wait, that should be 50% off yarn related retail therapy:

That orangey-rust yarn isn't as solid as it looks. It's right tweedy with flecks of other colors. We went to a LYS that is going out of business and got everything half off. We also bought a book of baby/toddler items to share.

I really wish I had thought to take a picture of Mom's haul. She got a lot of pretty "arty" yarn for Christmas scarves and a pretty pattern for a t-shirty sweater.

The store was pretty much out of large quantities of yarn. If you're looking for small amounts of wool for a purse or something, scarves or baby items you could buy enough of what you're looking for. The wool I bought? What will that become? Well... apparently I'm obsessed with a pattern I haven't even made yet. It, too, is for Knitty's Clapotis. It will, obviously, be a larger "sturdier" more of a keep you good and warm type shawl than will turn out with the Koigu I have for the same pattern.

Mom and I also did some general errand running including the semi-obligatory coffee shop stop.

Yesterday morning before all this out and about, I finished spinning the first half of some roving I got online:

I'm quite liking it but am holding out all official thoughts until the second half is spun and the plying begins.

I've also started the ever cool "heel turn" on Dad's sock! woo hoo!!

I'm imagining that by this time next week I'll have a lot of either finished or in progress items to show you. I'll have an abundance of knitting time and engery.

Earlier this month I mentioned my uncle, Don, who was very sick. Well, he passed away Friday night. It really is a blessing, because he isn't suffering anymore, but it doesn't make it any less sad. This would be why Mom and I were having a little yarn therapy yesterday and why I've been keeping busy and why I'll have extra knitting time this week. I just wish I could knit in the car without getting car sick. Mom says I may want to give it another try... gotta love having a Knitting Mom!

I'm not exactly sure when we're leaving or coming home so please don't worry too much if it's awful quiet around these parts this week.

TdF KAL update

2007-07-26T21:42:00.000-04:00

Here we are 4 days to the end of the Tour de France. 4 days to the end of the KAL. I have not finished my sweater but I didn't really expect to. I know I'm a slow knitter and that is OK. I got about 8 inches done on my sweater, including that very pretty but kind of tiresome to knit corrigated ribbing. But the encouraging thing is looking at the schematic, I only have 15 inches left to knit on the body then the whole attaching the already knitted sleeves thing. It's a raglan cardigan so there is some additional knitting there (and more ... shudder... corrigated ribbing at the collar) but that's OK. I definitely have less to go than I did at the beginning of the Tour and that's why I joined.

Very Sadly, there have been several people in the Tour who have been blood doping. There are so many things I could say about that but let's just leave it at, it's just sad.

Edited to add: Here's a link to explain blood doping. I sorta knew what it was and after a couple friends asked too I looked it up for all of us. Blood doping by Wikipedia

On a lighter note, I would like to use the above picture as proof that I have not been knitting doping. I'dve finished the stinkin' sweater a week ago if I was!!

Also I sit here and fuss and whine about my sweater. My first sweater. The endless sweater (that Linda - a blogless knitting friend did promise me I would finish before Christmas) of miles of stockinette... As I sit here... I've got about 4 other sweaters that I SO want to knit. Even tonight as I looked through knitting magazines after knitting with some friends, I bought a magazine that has sweaters in it that I want to make.

C'est la vie, non?

Yarny Goodness

2007-07-22T10:27:00.000-04:00

Well, as I mentioned yesterday, I made a little trip up to Yarn Theory. I got some Koigu for a little shawl that apparently WAS all the rage but I tend to be a little behind the crowd. However, the funny thing is, my friend Sallee was at a different yarn store on Saturday and bought yarn for the SAME thing! It'd be really weird if we bought the same yarn, but we didn't.

Here's 2 skeins of the skeins:

I also got some lovely yarn for a Christmas in July yarn swap/Dirty Santa at a knit-in on Tuesday. Maybe I should wait to show that just in case someone reading will be there (don't want them to have any unfair advantages). I would like to state that I did not buy sock yarn and I did get enough to make something with. Maybe just a hat and mitts or something but not just that one skein of really pretty "but what should I do with it" yarn. Which is still great, don't ge me wrong!

A friend of mine at work is going to be a grandmother so I bought a little skien of baby yarn to make a little hat and booties (if there's enough) for the baby:

And I bought a book I've been wanting (Besides the last Harry Potter!):

The best part of this whole haul? I had a 40% off coupon I used on the book, she was having a sale on the "swap" yarn, and I had a store credit so I paid very little out of pocket!

After I left there, I wandered my way home some back roads and stopped at a orchard and winery store and bought some apple butter and cherry butter.

It was a gorgeous day to be out and about so I don't feel quite as bad about spending so much of it on the sofa reading since I did get out some.

It's here!

2007-07-21T06:34:00.000-04:00

It's here!! It's here!! It's finally here!!!

Granted, I could've had it 6 1/2 hrs ago BUT I didn't have to wait in line with a bunch of people who had been at a store too long with kids who were up past their bedtime. And more importantly, I didn't have to stay up past my bedtime!

I did extra rows on the sweater last night and will do extra on Monday if I don't get any knitting in this weekend.

Updated at 11:38pm when someone else finishes this book, please let me know... (and yes. that means I'm done reading it. No, I didn't skip to the ending to see what happens and no, I didn't sit around all day doing nothing but reading it. I actually went for a little trip and came home with some quite nice yarny goodess!)

My "TdF" Sweater

2007-07-19T18:56:00.000-04:00

Well, still no pictures but I'd like to thank everyone for their kind words of encouragement. I've decided to knit a minimum of 3 rows a day. Maybe not enough to finish it with flying speed but it will be finished. Since I did knit on the Tour de France rest day, lets just call this my rest day(s). But last night wasn't because I couldn't knit, it was because I couldn't see right. I had a routine eye exam and they dilated my eyes. Seeing as how I can't knit without seeing the stitches, I didn't knit.

Stalled

2007-07-17T21:19:00.000-04:00

Well, I really have nothing to say. No new pictures, no exciting news, no desire to work on my sweater.

Really, I'm feeling uninspired. I'm half done with the side shaping. I've finished the decreases. After I knit for 3 inches then I can do the increases. Then I get to just do stockinette for a while. A long while I believe...

So... let's talk future projects. I have one in mind (ok so I have like 853 in mind but one directly in mind). However, I've been thinking and reading a few blogs here and there. Anyone know of any shawls/wraps/stoles free or for sale that are knit out of fingering/sock weight yarn? Preferably not triangular?

I have however dug up a few cute cat pictures:

Can you find 4 paws in this picture?

And now for a slightly more dignified picture:

Hope y'alls knitting is going better than mine!

Updates and presents

2007-07-16T19:31:00.000-04:00

I finally got started right on Dad's sock. After a small "freak out" at Mom's about the size it's all a-go.

I know you're wondering about how so much got done, well... I went up to Mom's yesterday and she was going to knit on her "I have to think about it" sock and I was going to knit on my "I have to think about it because I'm at the side decreases" sweater. Well, she was having one of those days and didn't get much sock knitting done. I had forgotten my pattern at home and had only mindless stockinette sock knitting. Which helped contribute to Mom's lack of sock knitting, I kept talking to her :) BUT we figured out how to fix a sweater she knit and had an issue with and found another sweater pattern she liked and was swatching for so all in all it was a good day!

My sweater progress:

Here's the intarsia block so far:

I started the block right above my thumb. I really feel I'm making good progress on my sweater. Maybe not great progress but good progress. I'm glad I joined the Tour de France KAL. It's really inspired me to work steadily on my sweater. Maybe it really will be done in time for the cool weather!

Lastly, I bring you the present Mom brought me from her trip to Savannah.

I love it!! And yes, for those of you aren't local or haven't seen me leaving knit night... I drive a big red truck.

Crash and Burn

2007-07-14T00:14:00.000-04:00

As y'all know I'm knitting on my Rosedale cardigan for le Tour de France KAL. That's my "at home" project but I need a little something to carry to work with me and other such places. So I've been working on a sock. A sock I've not been so happy with. Mostly my mood I think, it's turning out just fine. So today, I thought I'd start my Dad's sock so I could carry it around with me (I've found for me, short row toes are best done at home). So after I went to Ukrop's (and bought a yummy croissant for breakfast), I watched le Tour and cast on for his sock. I did my little swatch, I figured out how many to cast on and I was off. As the leaders are zipping across the finish line, I realized I had messed up. Badly. I could've patched it but it would've looked BAD. I ripped the whole toe out. I'd rather knit a good toe (especially for Dad and his first pair of knitted socks) so it's not that big of a deal, but I'm really glad I didn't have to rip out anything on my sweater. The two of us have finally reached an agreement and we're just sailing along I don't want any more problems. The moral of this story? While short row toes are best done at home, they are not recommended knitting while watching le Tour de France.

Since I haven't made a lot of progress since my last sweater picture, and I have no picture of a sock that doesn't yet exist, I'm going to tell you that if you click on the link for the TdF KAL, you can get some wonderful looking French recipes and see what everyone else is up to. Because you know, what are knitters if not enablers?

Edited to Add: I forgot one of the main reasons I started this post today. Knitnana tagged me as a:

How cool is that?! So I'm supposed to tag 5 people now. She tagged most of our knitting group's bloggers (which I think y'all all are Rockin' Girl Bloggers too!) so I'm going to stay (mostly) local too:

Dianne
Dana
Marianne
Mary
Robin H

The best part about this "tag". You don't really have to do anything! :) You can tag people but there's no list of questions to answer or pictures to post or anything. Just enjoy...

Stage 5 TdF KAL update

2007-07-12T21:22:00.000-04:00

Finally, I feel I'm making progress. Which does make sense because we're starting to get a few more hills here in le Tour.

See where that green stitch marker is? That's the marker for my intarsia block on the front panel of le cardigan. Have I mentioned that I haven't done intarsia before? No? Oh, well, I haven't.

If I keep this up, that polka dotted jeresy just may be within my reach!

Finished!

2007-07-10T20:59:00.000-04:00

I have a finished baby hat and bootie set to go with the Steelers sweater:

The plan was (and still may be) to find a little patch to go on the hat to imitate a little helmet. I've not had a lot of luck but I'm not giving up yet. And I picked white for the booties so they'd look more like little tennis shoes or cleats.

Now, I must go knit on my sweater.

Tour de France KAL update and dishcloths

2007-07-09T22:05:00.000-04:00

With thanks to Robin I figured out what I was doing wrong with my sweater. We're back on track now.

That's actual stockinette there...

Also, over at Yarn Miracle there's a little contest of who has the most hand knit dishrags. I know I won't win, but here are all of mine that live here. Well, except the one at the sink.

Last summer was the Summer of Dishcloths. I made oodles of them all for gifts. But now, I have 11 living with me. 10 are pictured here.

Finally, I bring you my friend, Big Fat Groundhog. There are two living in my woods but he's my favorite. All that rusty brown fur...

However I think he'd like it only slightly more than Bartholamew if I got his tummy. I do know that this is Big Fat Groundhog because the other one I saw is much smaller and darker.

I'd like to thank everyone for nice comments about my package to my aunt and the encouraging comments on my sweater. I swear, knitters are just great people!

Mystery project revealed

2007-07-08T15:33:00.000-04:00

I think since the mystery project is finished and has reached it destination safely and was much appreciated I can reveal what it was now.

You see, my uncle is very sick. Not quite 2 yrs ago he was diagnosed with bulbar palsy. The long story short is that he just is doing very poorly. As anyone who has known any terminally ill people it is as hard on the care taker as it is the person. So, I made a care package for my aunt. Just a little something to let her know I'm thinking of her.

With the cotten blend yarn I got at Mosaic the other week I made two wash cloths. I bought some soap from my blogging friend Robin H (who, BTW, has two adorable kittens that just adopted her!), and a little pack of "hankies" and a little bit of coffee. Along with a card, I sent these down with my Mom when she went to visit them this weekend.

When I talked to Mom yesterday she said Beth loved the present so much she packed it all back up so she could open it again later.

In a similar note, my other aunt Judy, called me the other day to tell me she got her socks and she just loved them! She said she can't wait for it to get cold so she can wear them.

Tour de France KAL update

2007-07-07T22:36:00.000-04:00

Well, I may be getting a flat tire already. Despite finally finishing the ribbing (I think that was a large part of me putting the sweater aside), I have hit a stumbling block. I don't know if it is a pattern error or something I did wrong. Of course tomorrow is Sunday, so all the yarn stores are closed but my favorite "resource" for help, aka: Mom, is out of town. I'm hoping that my next update isn't, "Ah non, je dois dechirer."*

Maybe I'll just knit on some baby items for a bit. Because you know, errors sometimes fix themselves while you're knitting other things...

*Oh dear. I need to rip back.

Mew Hew!

2007-07-06T18:42:00.000-04:00

(that's Kitty for "woo hoo!")

From Pepper:

We got our package today from our Secret Paws. Our new friends Fiona and Ali sent us great presents!

yeah! a box AND a bag!

"Pepper, there's more than just a bag in the box!"

I want THIS!

Fine. I like feathers...

Momma... I think there's 'nip in here...

We got a big bag of different balls and mousies. Not one or two but FOUR different catnip mousies (oh. Sorry. Mom said we got 3 mousies and one elephant. I'm gonna have to investigate this whole "elephant" thing later...). Two feather balls (mmmmm, feathers....) oh um, we got, a big bag of Temptations treats. Yummy! Momma hadn't bought me.. us (why's she gotta read over my shoulder?) any of them yet.

Thank you Fiona and Ali! We love our presents and are so glad you got us! (Momma said tell your Momma not to worry about the box. it made it just fine...)

Love and headbutts,

Pepper and Bartholamew

I'd like to add, don't let them fool you, they were in kahoots about who got what from the get go:

Independence Day

2007-07-04T17:30:00.000-04:00

First and foremost I must say I hope everyone is having a very safe and happy Independence day!

I've got a little bit of everything going on today.

First I bring you le cardigan pour le* Tour de France KAL. This is the status as of now. This has been the status for a long time now. I started it in maybe February or March? I had full intentions of finishing it before it got too warm to wear a sweater. I failed.

I am competing under the maillot a pois rouges**. The Mountain Climber. I aim to finish the body of le cardigan by the end of le Tour on July 29th. However, if I don't, that's OK as long as substantial progress has been made.

Next, I bring you just why I love living in the Roanoke Valley. It's a bit hazy in the pictures but I think you'll get the idea.

That's my city in the first one and why the bear went over the moutain in the second one. What? You don't remember why the bear went over the mountain? Why to see what he could see, of course.

I took those pictures coming home from The Explore Park. My camera was on the verge of battery death so I took very few pictures. But I did get this one:

A Great Wheel.

Next, you get Judy's finished socks. Already mailed off to her:

Lastly, I bring your the country girl's version of "Where's Waldo?"

I did leave it full sized in case you need a little help.

Be safe everyone!

*the cardigan for the (cardigan in French is sadly the same therefore not very exciting to write in French but I thought I would anyways)
**the polka dot jersey

Monday

2007-07-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

Or Why it's good to hang out with your friends and knit in your pajamas... in public!

1. It's comfy

2. it's fun

3. when you get home, you're already in your jammies

4. to make the people at the neighborhood restaurant what you're up to.

Umm... Ok. So I ran out of reasons but I must admit going down to Sereknity in my pajamas and knitting really was a good evening! So good in fact that I totally lost track of time. Which was good because I was stuck at the endless foot of the 2nd sock. I was at 5 inches for a long long time. I finally got to the toe tonight! Woo hoo!! Pictures to come.

Saturday while Mom and I were at Sereknity she bought a lovely bag of green Cormo roving for me to spin. She's going to knit a hat for Luke with it. I have a picture of the singles but not the finished yarn.

I also have another skein I spun but that will also have to wait until daylight for a picture.

If I don't make it back before July 4th, I wish all of you a very happy Independence Day!

Ukrop's... I love you

2007-06-28T20:45:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite part of the whole store! (It's really Ok... my momma always told me "simple things amuse simple minds" and I'll admit it, I have a simple mind) Looking at the picture, the escalator on the left is the people escalator, the one on the right is for carts. You push the cart into the gate, it locks into place and as you ride down the cart rides down beside you. OK, I should stop right there, I told a little lie. YOU don't push the cart into the gate, the very nice customer service people (I swear "bag boy" seems almost an insult to these guys) push your cart into the gate, then to your car and load up your groceries. And if you haven't ever been to Ukrop's before they give you a little history lesson and store hours and such.

I went in with my preprinted customer card form (I love the internet too!) and handed it to the nice lady at the very busy table. She asked me if I wanted a keychain card or a wallet card (the wallet card is my card of choice in case you're wondering) and handed me my card. I took a little magnet for the fridge with all their numbers on it. Mostly because I like magnets on the fridge. (see you're learning so much about me in this one little post!)

I wandered up and down each aisle carefully making decisions about what I wanted for lunch and for dinner. I bought the heathens a little treat (that was 4 cents cheaper per can than another place I usually shop), I bought my dad a .... wait, it's a surprise, I'll tell you later after he gets it but yes it will mail very well, I got some frozen chicken things and some prepared shepherd's pie. Because a lady at work said they've got excellent pecan pie, I bought a piece. I would like to state here for the record that she is right. I mean she's not Southern or anything so I used her recommendation with that in mind, but it's good. The pie is SO good, Pepper tried to eat the fork when I was done. And she's not so big on people food. The pie alone is worth a "I heart Ukrop's" but I'll tell you what really sealed the deal for me (I mean besides the cart escalator going to the underground parking) was they have Ginger beer. Dad originally told me about ginger beer when I was visiting with him but Catie is the one who turned me on to this particular brand. It's MOST tasty. It's also most tasty with a little splash of good tequila (Dad says good burboun too).

They've also got well spaces aisles and a very nice layout. As an added personal bonus, they're very close to where I live. I'll be shopping there again (maybe even to buy some French toast or French bread for the Tour de France KAL kick off . You always knit better after a nourishing breakfast.)

Another KAL

2007-06-26T19:03:00.000-04:00

I tell you, I am SUCH a joiner these days!! First the Dish Rag Tag. It begins in August and our team will compete against other teams in the country, one in Australia and at least one in Canada! It's basically a relay race. The organizer (Emily of Yarn Miracle) will mail out a box to each team captain. From there the captain will take the enclosed dishrag and knit a new one from the enclosed ball of cotton. She will put her dishcloth, two balls of cotton (one for the next person to keep and one for them to knit with) and some small goodies into the box and mail it to the next person on the list. And so it goes. The first team to get it back to the start, wins! I may not be the fastest knitter, but boy can I whip out a dishrag!

The second thing I joined (just today!), is the Tour de France KAL! I'm competing under the polka dot jersey for "mountain climbers". I will be knitting on my first sweater! I'm most excited about this and looking forward to finishing my sweater! As a good friend pointed out "It will be cool before you know it". Hard to believe in this 90+ degree heat but she's right.

The links for both of these are in my sidebar, click on the appropriate button.

I also bring you:

Brother. (with a Bartholamew backdrop). Brother is the first fleece Catie bought and processed herself. When she sold me my wheel, she gave me what was left of Brother. After a discussion with my Dad on various subjects, he told me about a double knit Aran sweater my Mom had made him A Long Time Ago. It was still very lanolin rich and he really liked that sweater. Well, I told him that even though I love him dearly, I'm not knitting him a sweater (I haven't even knit me a whole sweater yet ya know?) I did have a still greasy fleece and would be happy to make him another hat? The man lives in the desert. I know it gets cold in the desert in the winter and they even got more snow than I did this past winter but I'm making the man another hat. Being a good dad (and a bit of a hat collector) he said that would be nice. :) So I spun up what is nearing the bottom of the bag of Brother. Catie was amazed that I've kept Brother! I think he's a very pretty gray. The picture really doesn't show the nice gray-ness of it. I know that sounds silly but it's true.

So, I'm sitting here trying to decide if I should rename Brother now that he's all spun up. (Be forewarned: there is MORE silliness ahead!) I thought well, I spun Brother for my Father. Maybe I should rename the yarn "Uncle" (see? Bad silliness at that...) I still haven't decided but am looking forward to knitting my first item with my handspun!

Sunday Catch Up

2007-06-24T18:57:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been quite a busy week around here. Wednesday I went out to dinner with Mom. It was just Taco Bell but we still had a great time! Thursday a small group of us went down to the local Barnes and Noble and sat around knitting and chatting. Mostly chatting I think... either way, it was a very good evening. Friday was a quiet night at home.

Saturday, Laura and I headed up to Mosaic. She had gone up last Saturday to help sew the blankets for Virginia Tech together and they gave her a coupon as a thank you. I hadn't been up there yet so she let me tag along (thanks again, BTW!).

It was a whole lotta fun and I was a very good girl and only got this:

It's Cascade Sierra. An 80/20 pima cotton/merino blend. I have secret plans for it. I will reveal them after the plan is complete. Bwhahahahahaaaaa...

This is the first of the roving I bought at knit/spin group the other night:

It's called Eternal Flame.

Last in our fiber category, I bring you a very loving present sent to me by my wonderful Dad and Pat. They were vacationing out in Utah and called to see if I would want some roving they had found. I very enthusiatically said, "yes please!" Pat asked me what color I wanted and started to give me options. I asked her to please just pick something out for me that she thought I'd like. I think she did Real Good!

It's slightly darker than this in real life but oh so pretty. I feel yarn should be named so I named it "Utah Sage". I can NOT wait to spin it! I've got a couple other projects I'm currently working on first though.

Our last picture of the night is our newest neighbor. The glare on the left is from the window glass. I've found my neighbors aren't real fond of me opening the door and taking their picture. Or opening the door in general. What can I say...

A raccoon! Well, he may have been living here for a while but this is the first time I spotted him. So, for the count, this makes Big Fat Groundhog, countless squirrels, a chipmunk or two, lots of birds and now Mr. Raccoon.

I hope everyone has a most wonderful week!

Doing the Happy Dance

2007-06-19T21:55:00.000-04:00

Well, it certainly was well worth the wait to get in to our newest LYS!! She had a knitting night tonight and man did we have fun! The long story short is that she did what we all talk about... "wow, wouldn't it be great if I could open up a yarn store" and all your knitting friends go "yeah, that would be so cool"... Well, she did it! The stock is still rolling in but it's coming a long very nicely. There's a great sitting/library/pattern area in the front window with a great view of the comings and goings of the little neighborhood and mountains and a lovely yarn/supply/bag area.

She's going to get a box to put up for donations of premie and baby hats and blankets for the local hospitals.

I have no pictures of tonight. I'm such a bad blogger picture taker!

BUT to prove I'm not totally hopeless when it comes to squares, I bring you this:

Marianne posted a little bit ago about making squares for Greensburg. Well, there was a pattern so I gave it another go and voila! I did it! I've got another one about 1/3 of the way done. I'm using up the last of my Manos. It's extra warm and squishy. Besides which, I think knitting with a yarn you love this much has got to bring extra goodness to the squares, right?

Everyone stay cool out there in this heat and happy knitting and spinning!

Attitude Adjustment

2007-06-15T22:29:00.000-04:00

After I posted earlier, I decided that the best thing I could do, despite the chill and damp in the air was go down to a large public park for our local Relay for Life. It was very crowded and getting more so by the minute. It took me 50 minutes to get 8/10 of a mile. It was ok though. I had good music, a lot of patience and honestly, I was glad so many people were coming out. I didn't take any knitting because I wanted to walk and visit with my co-workers. Sadly, not many of them came out but I enjoyed hanging out with those who did.

I wandered around looking for cotton candy (an unsuccessful venture I must add) with my boss' 9 yr old. Walking around and talking with her and her worries (the day care serves the same snack every day) and being there with all the cancer survivors and all the luminaries of those who have died from cancer, it makes you think.

I'm still disappointed in the new LYS but it doesn't matter so much now.

I know several people commented that they were afraid that something was wrong with their computer and I'm so sorry if anyone else did that as well. I just didn't think about that aspect.

I hope you get to do something good this weekend. Something that makes you realize maybe your problems aren't as big as they could be.

So, as Pepper said the other day - go love on a cat or something :) tell those you love, that you love them. And thank you all for reading my little blog. I appreciate you. Very much.

New Yarn Store

2007-06-15T17:54:00.000-04:00

Well, as I told you the new yarn store opened today:

This is what I bought:

What? You don't see any pictures? Hmm. Oh, I know, it's because they closed at 5pm today. I know, I'm being a little (cough... a lot... cough) snitty and I do apologize. It's just that I was so excited about a new yarn store and I was so looking forward to going after work today that I'm just really disappointed. She said they'd be open for about 3 hours tomorrow. I'll try to get out there then and keep my fingers crossed that maybe as time goes one she stays open later than 5pm during the week. Even one night a week.

Meow?

2007-06-13T19:41:00.000-04:00

The following post is brought to you by Pepper. She asked if she could post so I told her sure as long as I got to do the final editing.

Hi. This is Pepper. I had to tell you about what my momma let me and 'tolamews do. She let us sign up for Secret Paws. We signed up as a family meaning we're only sending out one package and only getting one package. Which is OK by me cuz I do most of the playin' in this family and when he does want to play I let 'tolamews play with any toy he wants. However, he doesn't like it so much when I try to play with him. Only when he wants to play. Grumpy ol' man...

Anyways... I sent Momma to the store today to buy presents for our Paw. He's a cat like us so I told her to buy things I'd like. I think she did OK:

She did buy a little something for our Paws Mom though. I'm not sure that's part of the rules but she told me to hush. She did bring me a new toy home so I let it slide.

She told me if I put up a picture of me I gotta include 'tolamews too. Something about bein' fair or something. Why do mom's get that way? And why is she always chasing us around with that camera thing?

Anyways, I'm out. Y'all go love on a cat or something...

Pepper

Dana- I told Pepper she had to include a picture of Bartholamew for you to see his whole orangeness. I had to include this shot of his tail. I just love it. It's all stripey and has the only white on his body.

Marianne - I hadn't forgot about those questions. I just haven't had a chance to get them answered yet.

This weekend our new yarn store is opening in town and I'm most excited.

Picture Pages!

2007-06-11T19:06:00.000-04:00

In an effort to not totally bore you with pictures, I bring you this. It's an online album of all my pictures I took this weekend.

Here's some knitting content not included in the album.

My Aunt Judy's sock:

Fits great. She loved it and said it was "her colors"! woo hoo!

The Knitting Bag I won at Yarn Theory's customer appreciation day:

The green skein is a little skein of Koigu that followed me home from Yarn Theory Friday:

The red I already had. I'd picked out another color to go with it but I like the greens with the reds better. I don't think it's too Christmasy but if it is, what's it matter? It's for a scarf. You wear scarves at Christmas time...

And this... This is my roving I got Thursday at Spin/Knit night.

David Simpson (I almost said Mr. Simpson but he stopped one of my friends as soon as she called him that and said his first name wasn't "mister" :) ) came down to spin with us and brought some goodies in case we were in the mood to buy. Bartholamew felt the need to help me arrange it just so for the picture. I actually have one without him in it, but that little orange paw is just too cute.

A long fun icky weekend

2007-06-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

This is going to be a quick catch up. I went to visit my aunt this weekend (who LOVED) her sock! It was the right colors and fit great so the 2nd sock has been cast on.

Sadly this weekend I also got a little sick and was most puny all Saturday night and even though I felt much better today a good 5 hr drive will knock some puny back into you. Thankfully though there was no "sick" today though.

I did take lots and lots of pictues at Harborfest Saturday afternoon though. Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to share those photos along with a little roving I got the other night...

OH, and I must confess that I did not knit in public on Saturday. :( I had all the intention too but we were so on the go Saturday while we were out I just didn't do it. And knitting and walking is not a skill I have. I did knit at my aunt's though... I realize she's not "public" or even anti yarn (this being the aunt who taught me how to crochet) but it's all I've got.

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Two FO

2007-06-03T19:50:00.001-04:00

I have two finished objects to share today.

A little baby hat. It's the pattern that goes with the Steeler's Baby Sweater. This is the basic pattern, but I did the stripes and colors myself. I wanted to see how the pattern worked up since it had (in this order from the bottom up) garter stitches, ribbing and stockinette. This one will go to charity and I'll knit a black, white and yellow one for my nephew. However when I get to the booties, those will be a solid color!

The second is the Steeler's Baby Sweater:

OK. So it still needs a little bath, a good de-cat furring and buttons but it's done.

Now, I'm going back to knitting on my aunt's socks. I get to see her next weekend and I really want at least one done to make sure it fits and all.

Project updates

2007-06-02T19:17:00.000-04:00

Well, the Steeler's baby sweater is at a standstill. I've knitted the 2nd sleeve and the neckband. The other night I went to pick up the stitches for the right front button band. I read the pattern and got one number stuck in my mind as to how many stitches I needed. Well, I was wrong. By 6 stitches. That's a fair amount on a baby sweater. So I ripped it out and set it aside for now. I'll probably work on it later this weekend.

So, I picked up the Tofutsie's sock. I just love this pattern! I swear this is the quickest I've ever knit a sock. Hmm, I wonder if those Rosewoods have anything to do with it?

Robin just finished her pair. They're some great lookin' socks!

Last night Mom, Luke and I went to the local baseball stadium to watch a game and some very cool fireworks! After about the 3rd or 4th inning, I broke out the knitting:

It's another cup coozie for a good friend of mine. Easy mindless knitting. However, I did put Mom in charge of making sure I didn't get hit by any baseballs! There was one that came close. We were sitting off the first baseline and it was on a direct trajectory to us but fortunately it hit the sound wire and bounced into the next section to us 2 rows down. Whew!

One last thing, an online store testimonial! Last Saturday I was browsing about looking for sock yarn that I had to have. Well, I ended up going to our LYS, Needle on the Square and got that Tofutsies. BUT I found something else I just couldn't live without.

Stitchkeepers!!

I love them. Admittedly, I've never had a problem with stitches falling off of my DPNs but I worry about them all flailing about in my knitting bag. This way they're all nice and safe and clumped up together. No flailing. The best part? Sheri at the Loopy Ewe (link in my sidebar) mailed them on Saturday and I got them Tuesday! This was a holiday weekend we're talking about here, people! I expected them to get MAILED on Tuesday. She also includes little presents with your first 5 orders! I will certainly be buying from her again. The only "downside" is picking between all her luscious sock yarn!

my purse

2007-05-30T18:49:00.000-04:00

Catie tagged me to show a picture of my purse contents. So here ya go:

I was going to say complete and unaltered but I got to looking at my picture and decided a few things (like my drivers license info) needed to be blurred out but other than that it's all there. No cropping - purse dumped and spread out for better picture taking.

The contents are (in no particular order): 2 pens, sharpie, spare keys, earrings, 2 darning needles, 2 mints, paperclip, aleve, wallet, bobby pins, palm, avalanche tickets and schedule, hair band, tic tacs, tape measure, motion sick pills/herbs, fortune from fortune cookie, face and remote for sirius radio in knitted holder, lighter, cell phone holder and eye drops.

For the record, no, I don't smoke but (as I learned from my father) you never know when a lighter will come in handy.

I think Catie tagged most everyone I would but if you want to play along, please do and please let me know!

OH, I also went by my cousin's today to give her the hat and fingerless mitts I made for her graduation and she loved them.

FO, knitting update

2007-05-28T22:18:00.000-04:00

Well, I have one finished object from this weekend. My cup coozie:

This took almost NO yarn. I'm thinking of making more for friends or gifts or whatnot.

The baby sweater is lacking a sleeve, neck band and button bands:

I almost went on and finished it but since I'll see my aunt in 2 wks I thought I'd go on and work on her socks:

I'm actually on the heel now. That was taken a little before 3.

In addition to this, I went grocery shopping, yarn shopping (see Saturday's post), and did a little spring cleaning. All in all, I'd say it was a productive weekend.

Thank you!

2007-05-28T07:39:00.000-04:00

I'm fairly sure there aren't a lot of military men and women who read my blog but I feel compelled to say this anyway:

To all of the men and women who have served our country, protecting our freedom and to all of their families that have shared their loved ones with us: Thank you!!!

There's a fair amount of people in my family (both birth and extended family) that have served our country. Most thankfully, we've been blessed not to lose anyone since WWII.

That all being said, I'd like to now take a turn to the silly, and thank Bartholamew for, once again, having me up and out of bed before 7:15 this morning. Seems he just doesn't understand "long weekend". I still love the fat bugger though.

"Anything I can do to help, Momma!"

Knitting Guru?

2007-05-27T07:33:00.000-04:00

What Kind of Knitter Are You?

You appear to be a Knitting Guru. You love knitting and do it all the time. While finishing a piece is the plan, you still love the process, and can't imagine a day going by without giving some time to your yarn. Packing for vacation involves leaving ample space for the stash and supplies. It can be hard to tell where the yarn ends and you begin.http://marniemaclean.com
Take this quiz!

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After reading the rest of the options, it is the one that best fits me.

40% off!!

2007-05-26T12:20:00.000-04:00

I don't think I mentioned this but our LYS (Needle on the Square) has a drawing every month. 4 or 5 names get picked out for various percents off of a project. Well, back in August I won the 40% off! I was so excited! I'd never won anything like this before and it was right at my birthday and I had birthday money and just went crazy. I bought some gorgeous soft pink yarn for a sweater. That's a whole nother story but lets just say that someone else is loving that yarn right now because I sold it on eBay. I couldn't enter the drawing for 6 months so when I went back in April I could finally enter again. And guess what? I won the 40% off discount again! So I wanted to use this discount cautiously. I looked and looked and couldn't find a sweater pattern I NEEDED. So today, I went to the store and got 2 skeins of Tofutsies. And some more black Encore DK to finish off the baby sweater. I decided not to make it as stripey as I originally thought so I knew more black would come in hand. And I got some Cascade Fixation that I plan to make some of these with. Minus the eyelash yarn. I've started drinking more water at work and the cup I have sweats a lot. My poor little felted coaster is getting a work out so I thought I'd give it some back up. Plus I thought they'd make cute little gifts.

I also got some DPNs for the baby sweater and a stitch counter/marker for working the round. They also had some adorable (perfectly sized!) buttons for the baby sweater. Little robots! How cute!!

So I decided since I did get a 40% off discount for all the sock supplies I'd buy myself a little something special. Truth be told, with the discount, I basically got them free! :

Yup. Rosewood sock needles. I can't wait to try them! I'm going to use them to knit up one of the Tofutsies for my Aunt Judy's socks.

Here's a picture of the rest of my haul:

Dianne- I want you to note the other DPNs are the Bryspun you showed me.

I was going to go up to Yarn Theory to pick up the knitting bag that I won and maybe stop by Tapestry on the way home but they're apparently closed today. Which isn't all that bad since I don't need to go to any more yarn stores today!

So I think I've got all that I need to settle in for a long relaxing weekend of knitting. Let's see how many FO's I have on Monday. Or at least how many new projects I have on the needles!

I hope everyone has a very safe happy Memorial Day weekend!

Pepper 'tocks

2007-05-24T21:53:00.000-04:00

See, there's these blogs out there where they've showed their kitties 'tocks. It sort of started here. Well, Mayhem and Lucy made me think of Pepper and her Jaguar impression.

So I left a comment and told Mayhem's mom I'd get a picture for her. Well, it was too cute not to share some of them.

And my favorite of all of them:

"Why are you takin' so many pictures of my bum, Momma?"

Picture time!

2007-05-23T19:17:00.000-04:00

I have a FO to share with you:

This is my cousin's hat and fingerless gloves in her school colors (yes you Hokies, I *know* what colors they are but they're Carson Newman's colors, too!)

Here's Baby's first sweater (from me) in progress:

Scott's a HUGE Steeler's fan, as is his whole family, and I thought they'd get a kick out of a baby sweater in Steelers (ish) colors. And Baby will be born during football season. Even though Amy will get a kick out of it, I'm making a prettier sweater, too.

Lastly, I bring you:

230 yards of yarn. I know, I think it looks like more than that, too. My calculations are correct but I'm now wondering if maybe my measurements are a little off. Can anyone tell me how you can figure out what size skein your niddy noddy will give you?

I don't have a lot of roving left to spin in this colorway so now I'm really wondering what to make with it. I'd guess its no where near enough for a vest or shawl now.

Catch Up Saturday

2007-05-19T16:40:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to find the best way to photograph my homespun yarn (any suggestions here would be great, BTW). So it took me a few days to bring you this:

It's the Beneath the Waves roving I bought. Even though you can better see the colors here, it's still so much prettier in person. I'm trying to decide what to make with it. Maybe a vest? or shawl? I'm just not sure yet.

Today I took the smallest of the 3 Beneath the Waves hanks and my first homespun skein up to Bedford. We went to see Dianne and her Sock Sister Linda at Yarn Theory. They were having a Spring Fiber Fling. I ended up sitting and knitting with them for a few hours chatting and visiting and having a lovely time!

I suppose it'd be nice to show you what I bought:

That's Austermann Step for a pair of socks and Koigu for the Chevron Scarf in Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Yup, I'm one of the last 5 people who haven't made it yet.

Lastly, I'd like to share with you what happened here last week:

I know, the Taco Salads are exciting but what I was showing you that on Thursday, May 17th, the gas prices really broke $3. The worst part was when I left for work that day, it was $3.03, when I got home it was $3.09. For the record, I don't get my gas here. I get it at a cheaper (sometimes by 20 cents!) place near work.

Well, back to knitting and spinning! I'm almost done with my cousin's present (thanks to said knitting for hours earlier today) and want to go on and get that done.

Not Cotton Candy

2007-05-16T19:59:00.001-04:00

I finally got to give Mom her yarn and she loved it. Not just as a good mother would but a Knitter. She was already debating with herself what to make with it!

I got a little present in the mail the other day. OK, so it was a present from me but that's irrelevant right now.

I'm so excited. My first bought roving. No, I got some at Sedalia. Hmm, this is my first order of roving bought specifically for my wheel? Yeah... that's it!

I'm glad I learned to spin when I did. All of my TV shows are ending their seasons so I don't have to worry about not paying attention to the show. Treadling, drafting and keeping Pepper away from my roving, her "cotton candy", is enough without trying to pay attention to TV too.

Pat (my step mom) generously offered for Dad to make me a stool to go with my wheel! :) I'll take some measurements and have a good talk with Dad before I get too excited about this though.

the Golden Compass

2007-05-14T17:47:00.000-04:00

Click on the picture to answer 5 quick questions to see if this really is my daemon or not.

I got this from Robin. (and now I really want to see the movie too and read the book)

Happy Mother's Day!

2007-05-13T20:41:00.000-04:00

First I'd like to say to all the Mom's out there, I hope you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

Since my Mom was traveling, I didn't get to see her. I did call her and we do have plans for a baseball game in addition to the yarn I spun for her. I talked to my stepmom Pat for a while today. She got her socks and loved them. They even practically fit! Which I'm glad of since I just followed the pattern only customizing them slightly.

Today, I went and got everyone who lives here food. How is it cats Know when the bag is practically empty? The bowl can be full but they know. And they chose to remind me of this at 7am. Seems they dont know that the store doesn't open until 10am or else I could've slept a little later this morning. To show you how trained I am, I was at the store at 10am. This wasn't all bad though because I ran into a fellow knitter and got to hear all about her trip to Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. I SO wanna go next year.

Then I came home and finished knitting the hat for my cousin. She's going to Carson Newman in the fall. I thought a hat and some fingerless gloves would probably be the most useful and thoughtful things I could get her.

Here's the hat:

and folded up like you'd really wear it (so the big blue and orange color blocks make a little more sense):

I'm in the middle of knitting her fingerless gloves too. I'd be working on that except my knitting spot got commandeered.

If you look closely behind Pepper, you'll see a blue mitt and pink needles all sticking up. That's the first one. I think I'll make the second one orange.

I found TONS of fingerless glove patterns. Most even made with your hand specifics in mind. Well, being as how it's been a good long time since I've held my cousin's hand or even gotten a good look at it, I kept looking. This one is great! I found it here. Look at the sidebar and there's the link for Everyone's Squooshy mitts. I think she'll like them and thanks to such a great pattern, I'm not worried that they'll fit!

I'm especially glad I found this pattern because I wanted to knit a hat and fingerless gloves for my Hokie Knitting, too.

Gotta love that ribbing!!!

Tagged?!

2007-05-12T18:30:00.001-04:00

Robin tagged me to list 7 random facts about myself so here goes:

Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are my facts:

1. I hate mushrooms with a passion. It's as much their texture as the taste and I'm not above (discreetly) picking them out of food.

2. I'm thinking about killing a patch of poison ivy at the bottom of my stoop and pulling them up just so I can plant some flowers. That will probably not live because the spot gets no sun and I'll forget to water them.

3. Even before I learned how to knit, it bothered me when crocheters would put down knitters because they thought that knitters thought they were better than crocheters. I've never run into a knitter who thought they were better than crocheters.

4. I love having ink pens and have so many (both at home and at work) that they dry up before I can use them.

5. I'm glad that my parents aren't still married because I love my step parents very much and just can't imagine my life without them in it.

6. I don't drink coffee except when I'm really cold and there's no alternative (like camping).

7. I love getting Christmas cards.

As for the 7 people to tag, I have NO idea so if you want to play along, by all means do.

slow day?

2007-05-10T20:43:00.000-04:00

Ever have one of those days at work where you'd rather play? Well, my boss enabled me today. She gave me bubbles.

Now, just so you don't think I'm a totally pushover or suck up, everyone got bubbles. It was part of our invitation for the annual Beach Party management throws for us.

So we got cute bubbles:

They just about made my day. And yes, for the record, I did sit there and blow bubbles for a while.

Tonight when I got home, I ate a little dinner while doing my blog reading and then plied my blue singles. It's starting to look like real yarn. (I know, I know, it's all real yarn and I love my first skein but getting more consistant singles really does make me happy).

It's a boy!

2007-05-09T17:39:00.000-04:00

I just heard from my best friend and they're having a boy! I'm soo excited - although this does seriously limit the "fru-fru" I had planned on knitting but that's OK. Amy (the mom) and I aren't really fru-fru kinda girls anyhow.

I'm still "slaving" away on my spinning. I need a better chair. Any one have good recommendations or what to look for?

I started back on knitting my sweater. Figures now that it's in the 70's but that's OK. It'll be one less UFO lurking about staring at me.

Mother's Day gifts

2007-05-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

Don't worry. I've already told my Mom's not to look. And they like surprises too much to spoil it. :)

For my step Mom, Pat:

Knitty's Pedicure Socks

She doesn't get lots of pedicures in the winter but she does live in her flip flops and well, the desert gets cold at night. Those are my feet modeling them and don't worry, her feet are longer than mine.

For my Mom:

Hand spun yarn. OK, so it's not perfect handspun yarn but she's mom, she'll love it. And I'll give her full permission to felt if it that's what her heart desires.

my how time flies

2007-05-06T10:47:00.001-04:00

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted! I've been a very busy girl this past week. I worked a lot on my spinning and I was preparing for Saturday's Chili Cook off.

I made a very excellent pot of chili but it didn't place in the top 5. It may have been too hot for Virginia but would've fit right in in Texas.

There was a henna tattoo artist beside us and Mom and I each got one:

Mom's while drying.

Mom's after the 2nd application.

Mine after I got home and thought to take a picture of it.

The people on the other side of him were first timers so we made nice with them as well and offered moral support and encouragement. They'll be back next year. :)

The weather wasn't bad. It was in the mid 60's and overcast. Thankfully the rain held off all day!

Even though we didn't get pictures of it, Mom and I, in true Knitter fashion, knit to pass the time. She worked on a small bowl to be felted and I made a dishcloth.

I think all in all, it was a very good day. A trophy and a little cash certainly would've made it a better day but ya know, with the friends that stopped by and my most favorite Momma by my side, it would've been hard to top.

Today is for relaxing and cleaning up. But not all at once. I'm spacing it all out. I have to get a little napping and spinning and knitting in today too.

I hope everyone had less hectic week than I did and as great of a weekend!

I HAVE A WHEEL!

2007-04-30T19:15:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't read Catie's blog today or had any questions about it, I have bought her wheel.

It's an Ashford traditional. Catie, being the good enabler that she is, also threw in some roving and a lesson.

Armed with all three of those, my drop spindle "experience", and two books (the most helpful being Hands on Spinning which was recommended to me by Robin) I started spinning.

I'll save you the gory details. But I will share the yarn. I got impatient and plied up a couple of not quite full bobbins (which is really easy to get when you're spinning massively fat blotchey singles!):

I set the twist last night and it's probably dry by now but I don't have any pictures of it. I do promise to love it as my first yarn and will bring it with me to knit/spin group on Thursday.

I suppose I should add that I picked it up Saturday morning, don't want y'all to think I did all of this after I got home tonight. I just didn't blog about it (very hard BTW) so I wouldn't spoil Catie's surprise of a new wheel.

And no, other than a little dishcloth knitting, I didn't do anything else this weekend :)

who knew?

2007-04-29T09:55:00.000-04:00

Who knew 8 inch squares could be so damn difficult? I certainly didn't. Apparently, my needles and my yarn don't want to make one. So instead helping Mosaic with their efforts on blankets. I'm going to be knitting for Virginia Tech. I know I can make hats and such. I'd like to ideally make a hat or two and some wrist warmers. It really depends on what I can get out of the yarn I bought yesterday:

While at the LYS I just happened to notice (this does occur when you're just standing there in front of the walls staring at every single skien of yarn) that they're carrying a new brand or two.

Which means I also bought this:

They're going to be a really cute felted purse for me. The colors in this line are Gorgeous! It's Universal Yarn Deluxe Worseted LP. I got the 100% wool but they did have superwash there too. And their sock yarn, Ditto. Please note the instructions on the ball band: "Knit. Relax. Smile. Repeat."

They also had Tofutsies. I would like to see how this works up and holds up before I buy any. There was also one lonely skein of Austermann Step. I have hope they'll be getting more in. The lady did tell me that they were expecting another shipment of Orange and Maroon yarn (both Cascade and Encore) this week if anyone is in need of those colors.

I'd also like to thank everyone who weighed in with their cat foods. Especially Dave. Pepper got some Fancy Feast yesterday and is very happy now. Bartholamew, who doesn't usually show any interest in wet food even ate some.

All in all, it was a great day here at my house.

cat food

2007-04-27T18:10:00.000-04:00

Well, as I'm sure everyone has heard there was this little recall. Thankfully, our dry food wasn't recalled and well, honestly, our wet food wasn't either. BUT since Bartholamew only eats dry food and Pepper doesn't only eat wet food, I've been very resistant to giving her ANY wet food. I broke down and bought some Friskies, I think but I can't bring myself to open it and give it to her (it has wheat gluten in it if that makes you think I'm a tad less paranoid).

Has anyone been giving their cats wet food? Are you comfortable with it? And furthermore, because Pepper is Very Southern and REALLY likes her gravy (as in won't eat wet food if it isn't chunky with gravy) is your wet food the kind with gravy in it?

It makes me sad that I can't give her wet food and that she doesn't understand why I'm not dishing out the good stuff like I used to, but it makes me sadder to think of risking their health.

Won't you please help my momma find me some wet food? (I know, she doesn't look so pathetic but you don't hear her little mews...)

Good Things

2007-04-24T18:12:00.001-04:00

This a post of random good things so please forgive the lack of segway between items.

While stopped at a light on the way home tonight I saw something that really made me smile. A young man in his late teens, early twenties got out of his car to let the person in front of them know their tail light was out. Or at least that's what I think he told them. He got out and went to the car in front of him and pointed in the direction of the lights and got back in his car. He didn't have to do that. But he did.

I have silly friends at work:

OK. So I have silly friends who aren't at work to but the picture is from work.

May 5th I'll be here. It's been a while since I cooked chili on a regular basis and even longer since I've had to go to a cook off by myself (I miss cooking with you, Dad!). I'm a tad nervous and really excited. A friend is coming later in the morning to be my moral support and general go-fer. It did seem a little silly for her to get up at pre-dawn to sit around and be bored in what is typically a cool and dreary morning. But by mid morning it usually clears up nicely and turns in to a gorgeous day! If you're going to be in the area, come on down! There's also a nearby Strawberry festival. See why I need a general go-fer? Someone needs to bring me stawberries and cream while I'm slaving over a hot stove.

completed but not finished

2007-04-21T21:45:00.000-04:00

Usually, when you finish a project you're happy with it. I'm not entirely happy with the drawstring pouch I was knitting. First my needles were too long making the stitches look weird in the bottom half. Secondly, I read the directions wrong. I knit the thing about 4 inches too short.

I'm so unhappy with the way it looks, I'm not even going to knit the icord tie.

But I do have happier news for you.

We had a big fat ground hog outside the other day:

And today we had b-b-b-birds outside the window:

Now what to cast on next?

Today, we are all Hokies!

2007-04-20T19:07:00.000-04:00

Today is Hokie Hope Day. The Governor delcared a statewide day of mourning and everyone was encouraged to wear maroon and orange. I've known this all along, but today I KNEW it was all going to get better. I still cried today but mostly because things touched my heart. Like a friend at work's daughters school. They posted a picture on the school's website of all the kids.

Tanya has organized Project Hokie Hope. This means I get to show the families in a personal way that their loss is our loss too. On a lighter note, this also means I have to buy yarn. I haven't decided what I'm going to knit yet but when I do, I'll share.

Random thoughts

2007-04-17T18:10:00.000-04:00

My brain is still unable to come up with the words for the Virginia Tech tragedy. Robin and Tanya both have posts on this topic and good comments. I just don't know what to say.

I know I can only listen to or watch the news for short periods of time so with that in mind, I bring you a short distraction. You may laugh at me. It's OK.

You know those old NASCAR commercials "How bad have you got it?" Well, apparently, I've got it bad enough I'm taking pictures of gas pumps.

The only Sunoco in my area (that I know of). It happens to be on the way to Bedford, so I stopped. Then (because I didn't want to get yelled at for calling too early) I texted my sister. She understood. And laughed.

A very Sad day in Virginia

2007-04-16T17:20:00.000-04:00

As I'm sure by now everyone has heard there was a horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech. This is the most recent article I've seen.

Thankfully, my two cousins who are at school there are safe. Sadly, many families can't say that. Please keep everyone in your thoughts and prayers.

I'm a spinner, too!

2007-04-14T19:00:00.000-04:00

Well, apparently, I'm not just one crazy (addicted) knitter who'll drive an hour in the cold rain to buy some yarn but a spinner as well.

At Sedalia I took the spinning with a drop spindle class. Apparently, I'm also a spinner. I'm not a GREAT spinner but I made yarn. Some of it was even decently even yarn.

The black roving is alpaca and the white a wool.

Robin (who I met there with her very brave and nice hubby) suggested I try some Cottswold as beginner roving. I got a big ball (bigger than a softball) but I don't think it's enough!! And in hindsite, it was just 3 1/2 oz but it looked like a lot! Really...

When I first got there I met up with Robin and Dianne and some of her friends (I"m sorry I can't remember their names!)

Knitnana was there with her bags (you really should go check them out!).

After class and around lunch time I ran into Nancy, Laura and Tanya. Fortunately, the rain had tapered off and it wasn't all bad all day. I did hit rain on the way home but it wasn't too awful bad.

I had an absolutely wonderful time! Oh, I did buy a few other things too... (see, I had such a good time, I forgot about my other purchases!)

Two little sheep, one for me and one for Mom:

Some beautiful alpaca (50% off no less!) for a scarf for a friend:

some sock yarn and needles:

When I got home Bartholamew and Pepper were most excited to check out all this weird smelling stuff:

A good day overall.

I'm off to Sedalia!

2007-04-14T08:15:00.001-04:00

OK. Well, not QUITE yet but very soon. It's cool and rainy out so I'm getting together all my cool and rainy gear. This includes my rain coat with the flannel lining (I love that coat! and it's bright yellow too... everyone needs a bright rain slicker!), my bag to carry all my purchases, an extra pair of shoes so I can have warm dry toes for the drive home, a couple of those hand warmers hunters use (I got them after a very cold race in Darlington that my sister and I went to because they were on sale and well, I've used them so it was worth it!) and my camera and money!

Ok, so the last two aren't really cool and rainy gear but I need them anyways...

Also, I discovered today, that I'm not the best mom before 8 on the weekends. I was getting in the shower and there was this bizarre fuzzy feeling on my ankle. No, it wasn't a cat (they're quite capable of escaping the shower on their own. But it was one of Bartholamew's favorite toys. Hopefully when it dries he'll still like it. Recently I washed one of his other favorite toys and apparently laundry detergent deactivates catnip.

Talking about shoes, I forgot to say, Dad bought Crocs. He got the same chocolate brown pair that I have and wear most of the time. These would be the shoes I'm taking with me to wear home... it'd be great if I could wear them but I'm not so big on getting my feet that wet and muddy. Those holes can be great in the summer but early spring? In the rain? Not so much.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Friday the 13th

2007-04-13T18:00:00.000-04:00

I finished my STR socks. I love them... except the second one I cast off too tightly. I can't get it over my heel. I'm going to have to rip a row out and recast off. I'm not happy about this. But it's not Friday the 13th's fault. I finished them Wednesday.

Tomorrow's festival at Sedalia is looking like it's going to be a little wet. Ok, so maybe really wet but that's OK. I have a rain coat and sturdy bag for purchases.

And since today is Friday the 13th. I leave you with 2 pictures of my little "evil" heathen...

A Confession

2007-04-10T18:49:00.000-04:00

Today at lunch I went to the library and checked out Last Minute Gifts. Like Knitnana I'm a little behind on this book. I haven't really had a chance to sit down and really look at it yet. I flipped through it at Barnes and Noble but that's about it. She also has pictures of our last spin/knit group.

This Saturday is the Sedalia Fiber Festival. It's an hourish away and I'm really looking foward to going. I must admit this is my first Fiber Festival. I'm Really Excited! So far the weatherman is saying it's not going to be bitterly cold and/or pouring down rain so it should be a good time!

Now, I must go knit on a sock. I'm at that point where it's SO close to being done, it's just killing me that it's not, ya know?

Monday already?

2007-04-09T19:27:00.000-04:00

Wow, I had such a great weekend, I don't even know where to begin.

We had a great 90th birthday party for my Grandmother:

I'll spare you the shots I got of here where I was getting a death look for taking the pictures. There were about 25 people there that I did get pictures of but we were having so much fun chatting we didn't get around to opening presents till it was just a handful of us left.

This is all of my immediate family except my step-Dad. He was feeling poorly and didn't come to the party:

that's Dad, my sister, Mom, Me, and Pat. Not a splendid picture of us individually, but overall it's great. To me at least and well, honestly, that's all that matters.

Saturday, while Dad and his sister were out buying all the food and other party goods, I sat at the hotel with Pat and knit. We solved a lot of worldly issues that day. OK, so maybe we didn't but damn if we didn't have fun.

I cast on this sock at spin/knit group and this is the status of it now:

I'll spare you all the details of us going to lunch and dinner and all. But we had a great visit. I'm always sad when Dad and Pat leave though.

Which made it harder to go to work today. Which made it that much lovelier a Monday. But as typical at this time of day, I'm in my pajamas. Pizza man is on the way and I'm going to do my best to make some more progess on that sock.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter!

edited to add: Darn! Forgot to add one of the things that did make this a good Monday. I did talk to my pregnant friend, Amy and about a week or two after she found out she's pregnant, her brother and his wife found out they're pregnant, too!

Snow?!?!

2007-04-07T08:25:00.000-04:00

No, really, it snowed last night!

Note the time and date stamp on the pictures. This is not a joke (unlike someone I know who played a right funny April Fool's on her readers.) I was shocked! Well, shocked may be a strong word but surprised. Dad had called me from Joe's house last night around 9 because it was snowing there but it wasn't snowing at my house - really odd thing is, they're not 5 min away from me!

Also, I forgot to share my finished STR Sock:

I heart my family

2007-04-06T20:58:00.001-04:00

Well, despite my honest efforts, I got no knitting done Wednesday night.

Someone wanted, no, needed to snuggle. Sorry for the crappy picture but it's kinda hard to take a picture with a phone (not a skill I'm good at anyways!) and not wake a sleeping baby.

Luckily, last night was our spin/knit group night! Hmm, although, I'm not really sure I got a lot done there either! But I had a great time. Chichi and Squiggy got to meet and a friend loaned me some baby pattern books to look through for my pregnant friend.

Today I left work at noon (woo hoo!!), met my mom for lunch and came home to change clothes. Dad and Pat picked me up and we went over to my Uncle's house to visit. My Aunt had just arrived in town and we all sat around and visited for hours. I just really do love my family. I'm not going to pretend we're all normal and all but we do get along and have fun together.

Judy, Dad, Pat and I went to visit my Grandmother a bit before dinner. Her place is starting to look like a florists!

This is only half of the flowers! (BTW, see the one on the far left, that's the bunch Mom, my sister and I sent.)

Tomorrow will be more party prep and my cousin and sister coming into town.

The coolest/strangest part of today? I learned that one of my aunt's best friends who we all have decided is part of the family and call him Uncle Ken, may actually be related to us! Now, it goes back like 3-4 generations and they're still working on all the details so it'd be like WAY distant, but still!

Tomorrow, I hope to get Dad into a pair of Crocs. I've got his feet (well, I've got the "family" feet) and Judy and I love ours and think he'd be happy in them too.

Oh, and the other really cool thing about tonight, my Grandmother, who's knit for who knows how long but I can't ever remember seeing her knit anything... was thoroughly impressed with the fact that I could knit socks.

I heart my family...

100th post!

2007-04-04T18:45:00.000-04:00

Woo hoo!! This is my 100th post!

Sadly, I don't have anything really exciting to tell you.

I did rename Chichi - it did only seem right. I named him Squiggy. I'm taking him to meet the original Chichi tomorrow night. I can't wait to see their differences and all.

I'm zooming right along on the baby blanket. It's a very easy pattern that I'm still not convined that I love but I figure since I can't make up my mind while I'm knitting it, I'm going to keep knitting it. Much to my delight, knitted blankies don't usually require edgings like crocheted ones. I do realize, some do, but this one doesn't so that makes me happy.

I need to finish my socks. They're not getting a lot of knit time in since I've not been a good girl and am going out some at lunch time. I started the ribbing on the first one though so the end is near. Then I'll cast on for the second sock.

A friend I usually email with in the evenings is on vacation so I have some more knitting time. Maybe I'll work on my sock before Lost comes on.

My grandmother's 90th birthday was yesterday and family is coming in this weekend for a big party so I'm not sure how much knitting time I'll have this weekend. I need to get some knitting in ya know?

the birth of a pig

2007-04-01T12:20:00.000-04:00

I previously showed you the knitted piggy parts so I'll skip ahead to the felting.

I ran the hot water:

Drank some beer:

checked the progress:

Threw in some baking soda because it was taking a long time:

Ate some pizza:

Used our specially designated felting tongs:

To check the progress again:

I finally decided it was done enough. No. Chichi's not "properly" felted but he's dern cute. (this is also why you shouldn't leave me alone in the basement with a camera...)

Today, it was time to sew him up.

I did take pictures along the way but will spare you all but one:

Should you ever need a pattern for a bizarre looking alien blob, I would recommend a modified Chichi.

the Finished Pig:

All in all, I had a great time making Chichi. I think next one I make I'll use larger needles to aid the felting a little and sew on all of the parts before felting. And maybe actually make her piggy colored. Oh, and I'll keep in mind that I still need to sew up the stuffing hole so maybe I'll get the parts sewn on a little more evenly.