Umbrellas Mandatory

Almost another week flew by when I wasn’t looking! I guess that means I’m not bored at all, right? The weather has been alternating dumping rain and not-so-dumping rain. We’ve been trying to dash out for a walk whenever it takes a breath. It’s been relatively warmish though and plants are definitely starting to wake up. Thom’s been spouting the anti-version of GOT’s Ned Stark, “Spring is coming!” Yesterday we saw a fully blooming red rhododendron which is very early. Also the first few daffodils along with the crocuses, snowdrops, miniature iris and hellebores. Lots of swelling buds. Good thing we live in one of the most expensive areas in North America, huh? Or everyone would be moving here to avoid another extreme winter like they’ve had everywhere else.

Continuing the spring theme, I’m going to have to start planting seedlings soon. I’ve been hesitating because the garden is still too squooshy to dig. If the plants are ready too early there’s no garden to receive them and then they get set back. When they finally get planted they don’t grow properly. I’ve found it’s better to be a little later and get things off to a good start. Sometime in the next couple of days I’ll wash up the flats and get the first seeds going. Parsley especially takes forever to germinate! And I have an order from Milady Daughter who eats parsley by the fistfuls and has done so since she was about the same age as her little daughter, the darling Rosebud. Gee, why plant your own when mom will do it for you? And tomatoes too, if you please. And some cucumbers. And of course some for the other offspring and his family as well. Good thing I have the Grow-Op set up.

So back to all things crafty. Here’s the socks finally:

Blue Boyfriend Socks

For: our niece’s boyfriend

Begun:  January 16, 2014
Completed:  March 1, 2014

Yarn:  DGB Confetti Superwash, 75% wool/25% nylon, colour 9027 (grey), over-dyed in navy acid dyes. 231 yds = 50g. Took just over 2 balls.

Needles:  Clover Takumi bamboo, 2mm.

Pattern:  Damselfly’s Basic Socks on 68sts for a 10” foot.

Comments:  I had only dyed 2 balls and stupidly made the legs so long that I ran out of yarn just before the toe decreases. I tried to dye my one last ball of this yarn to match and ended up making a decimal error and getting it way too dark! Used it anyhow. I was done with these. Anyway, I’m sure he’ll like them just fine the way they are.

For some reason I’ve been knitting the legs longer and longer on recent pairs of socks. For myself, I like them to come up above the tops of my Blundstones. (Wish I could make my own legs longer too! Oh, never mind.) Thom likes his socks longer to keep his bare legs from getting cold and showing skin under his jeans when he sits down. Apparently his legs are very shy. Unfortunately this tendency to knit longer before turning the heel does include the risk of running out of yarn before the end of the toes, especially on the larger pairs. These weren’t particularly large but I definitely made longity legs! Oops.

Next up we have my usual crappy photography and a sewing project:

Crinkle Top

Completed:  March 5, 2014

Fabric:  Body - novelty poly gauze with elastic ruching and probably heat set, 54” wide, 2 metres and used just over .5 m. Sleeves and bands – charcoal cotton/lycra jersey.

Notions:  Black sewing and serger threads, iron-on stabilizer tape, 4mm twin-needle.

Pattern:  My personal TNTee.

Mods:  None except added a wide bottom band. Used Marcy Tilton’s neckband application method (from The Ultimate T-Shirt class on Craftsy) for both neck and bottom.

Comments:  I was inspired by this top:

I think I saw it on Marcy’s website somewhere but darned if I can find it again. Lost the original link. Anyway, the minute I saw it I knew what that sproingy fabric lurking in my stash finally wanted to become. I’ve had it for a few years and I wish I kept better track of my stash so I could tell you where I got it but it was probably Dressew. (Still have enough left for something else but what? It has wonderful fringed selvedges too.) The colours in the photo of my garment have been lightened slightly so you can see the details. The true colours are black and dark charcoal grey.

I was a little nervous about how well this odd fabric sewed up. It’s quite thick due to all the crinkling and the neckband is 2 layers of it plus 3 layers of the jersey. It stretches a lot in the width-wise direction but not at all in the length. This made it necessary to stabilise the shoulders well but made it difficult to install the sleeves smoothly. They ended up with some odd wrinkling issues but nothing that will stop me from wearing this. One regret – when comparing the two photos (mine and the inspiration) I’m now wishing I had used a fuller width on the bottom binding to make it a little more ruffled instead of it pulling in slightly. I was thinking at the time that it was supposed to be less ruffled but that the fabric was working against it. I was careful to avoid that issue on my own top but now wished I hadn’t. Sigh. No fixing it now.

It’s surprisingly airy and cool so this time of year it needs an under-layer though it will be handy when warmer weather finally comes around.

Another garment done. There’s lots more to go that are all cut out in heaps around my studio!

Yesterday I indulged in watching another one of my Craftsy classes. This one is Custom Fitting: Back, Neck and Shoulders with Kathleen Cheetham. So far I’m finding it a little tedious after the Tiltons’ brisk tag-team action in the last class I watched. Her presentation style is very methodical and she totally reminds me of one of my high school sewing teachers. This will appeal to the more beginning level sewist but I’m finding I want to move her along faster. (But instead I just keep knitting!) It was fun to watch how she uses the French curve where I would just sketch in the line by eye and also how she pokes holes with an awl to transfer pattern lines through the paper. I would either trace over it with a pencil or if the paper is too opaque, use my needle tracing wheel. Such a rebel, eh? Good to see different methods though. You never know when a particular technique will be worth knowing.

Kathleen is best known for her line of patterns, Petite Plus Patterns, and a book for Singer, Perfect Plus: Sew a Mix-and-Match Wardrobe for Plus and Petite-Plus Sizes. I find her garment styles pretty basic and conventional but I’m sure she has quite a large audience that would fit well into her shapes. Her other class available on Craftsy is Adjust the Bust which, along with something on sleeve caps, would cover the trickiest fitting issues for most people. Lengths and widths are easy-peasy once the critical sections are working ok.

I’m personally neither a regular size nor a plus-size but have parts of both! My neck, shoulders and arms are quite small but my bust is larger and waist and hips larger still. I’m also short enough at 5' 3-1/2" to be a petite but my torso is not. I have to shorten the arms and legs on patterns but not the body. Sounds pretty ghastly, doesn’t it? LOL!! I am what I am and there’s really no point wishing I was still a willow-slim 20-year-old. The old bod’ still works pretty well so I’m not really complaining! (Not too loudly anyhow.) However it hasn’t been easy learning how to fit this aging flesh so that I can dress in a way which pleases me. But I’m getting there. I’m quite pleased with the obvious advancements in my skills.

As an interesting aside I noticed that they have Kathleen as being from Sointula, BC. That’s a really fascinating little village on Malcolm Island, just off north-eastern Vancouver Island. The name means “place of harmony” and was settled by Finnish utopian socialists in the early 1900’s. There are still some descendants of the original Finns but recently more wealthy retirees are moving in. It’s also the head office of the Living Ocean Society, an NGO dedicated to marine conservation. I haven’t actually been there but we once drove by the ferry wharf in Port McNeill on our way to Port Hardy and the Inside Passage ferry. It would have been nice to have had time to explore. Maybe one day when we save up enough to afford the ever-increasing expense of BC Ferries! There’s quite a lot of interesting places to visit in that area.

Well, Thom was off at the crack of dawn this morning to attend a woodturning demo. I should go get a few things done before he returns sometime before supper. More anon!

Dark Days of December

Now that we’re into the darkest days of the year we’ve been brightening up the house with lots of lights, both inside and out. I especially love the multicoloured ones in the dining room on the wrought-iron railing of the staircase that leads upstairs. I love them so much that they usually stay up all the way to February if I can talk T-Man into leaving them alone.

It’s not that I suffer from the winter blah’s or anything. Actually as long as I can get light on my work so I can see what I’m doing, I enjoy winter. An excuse to stay indoors and play in my studio? Without hearing all the outdoor stuff calling me? What’s not to love? Of course we do get out when the weather cooperates. On Saturday we took a long walk to Granville Island along the seawall. We bought lunch and ate our taco salads on the wharf, carefully protecting it from large marauding seagulls and tap-dancing starlings. We also stopped for tea on the way home at our favourite tea spot, Pekoe. I finally bought a bigger tin of Royal Earl Grey because I got tired of refilling my little one every couple of months. It’s a particularly aromatic blend with both bergamot and jasmine. I don’t drink this one all the time but like a cuppa every now and then and I can’t get it at my usual Murchie’s. Gotta spread the love around, you know. Tea is my beverage of choice. I hate coffee and soft drinks. Bleh. And since I can’t have any wine right now, I’m drinking even more tea than usual.

In crafty news I finished the socks for T-Man:

Winter’s Dark Socks

Begun:  November 12, 2012
Completed:  December 5, 2012

Yarn:  Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Line Steps Color, colourway 5371 (black with stripes and dots of white), 50g = 210m, 2 balls.

Needles:  Blackthorn carbon fibre dpns, 2mm.

Pattern:  Damselfly’s Plain Socks on 68sts, 9” before heel flap, foot 8.75” before toe.

Comments:  I shouldn’t try to knit black socks this time of year! I dropped stitches a couple of times and didn’t notice for awhile. Ended up frogging back an inch to the gusset pick-up. I also managed to knit one toe too short and had to frog it back, join on new yarn and finish again. Oh well. He likes ’em and that’s all that matters, eh?

What else? Oh yeah. Spectrum Study Group has been making wool felt decorations to exchange. I got a lovely beaded brooch from Cathie of which I unfortunately don’t have a photo for you right now. However, here’s the heart that went to live with Kirsten:

Her adorable angel bunny was also made by me, knit completely out of handspun yarns and won at a guild gift exchange quite a few years ago. I was so glad she went to such an appreciative friend! The mother-of-pearl button on this heart is an antique one from Granny’s Button Box that I inherited from T’s granny. I also made two more hearts:

I’m keeping the little yellow and red one and the bigger blue and rust one is for the next swap. These were fun to make. I haven’t done any embroidery in donkey’s years so the first one is a little wobbly but I finally found my skills returning. I’ll need them because I plan to make a stocking for the Littlest Grandbeastie and incorporating some blanket stitches. I like the look a lot. Best get on that one asap.

However, first I want to finish up the project on my table. I’ve been trying to draft this pattern from “I Am Cute Dresses”:

You can’t really see from the photo that it’s a little shift with an interesting asymmetrical yoke that is buttoned on the left. The buttons are stitched lower than the buttonholes so the yoke fabric falls in folds. Japanese patterns often don’t fit me well without some serious adjustments since I have a lot more fluff on me than the average Japanese lady! Even though the simple garments in this book don’t have actual patterns but are made by drafting your own following the given measurements and your bust size including ease, they don’t quite work for someone who isn’t quite as angular. I needed more room for my bust so I added some length at the centre front of the skirt piece. I also made the skirt a little wider to accommodate my middle and added inseam pockets. I got confused by the shoulder measurements in the diagram, whether using the cm or inches made no difference. So I winged it and then made a muslin which showed me that the front shoulders still needed to be adjusted for my sloped/rounded/forward shoulders. There still seems to be a little extra fabric at the bottom of the back yoke but I’m hoping the skirt will pull that down somewhat. The muslin results looked somewhat like the photo but with a little less ease and more of my shoulders showing. The armholes aren’t shaped but just a straight line from underarm to shoulder and they fit better when they end closer to my neck anyway.

I’ve cut this pattern out in some freebee lightweight stretch denim stripe fabric that I picked up when my neighbour moved out. There was just enough to work around a few flaws and since it was free I’m counting this as a learning experience. If it works I’ll have a cute casual tunic/jumper (needs a t-shirt underneath to hide bra straps). If it doesn’t, only my time was wasted. And that doesn’t count, does it?

Sock Book Reviews

But first – my faithful reader Ev asks what is the tool that I showed in the last post. That, my dear, is a fringe twister! You attach your strands (or groups of strands) from the end of your woven scarf or shawl to the alligator clips. Then you wind the handle like mad in one direction. When the ends are twisted enough you shift them all onto one clip and wind like mad in the opposite direction. Make an overhand knot at the end to hold the twist in and there you have a nice tight scarf fringe. You can even count your windings to increase consistency. There’s an illustration and a brief description on this PDF from Leclerc and a somewhat more elaborate tutorial on this PDF from Ashford. Note that Ashford’s twister clamps to the table but is otherwise quite similar. A clamp would be especially useful for making cording. Hope that helps!

Now for the promised book reviews. As I hinted yesterday, there’s a definite theme here: socks! Which is odd because although I love all the fantastic sock patterns out there, I usually only ever make plain stockinette socks using my standard memorised pattern. Boring but easy to knit on autopilot and terrifically functional. Be that as it may, here’s the latest additions to my vast book collection:

Knitting Knee-Highs by Barb Brown, published by Krause Publications, 2011. Signed by the author! (She was actually at FibresWest this last weekend but I didn’t meet her. The Twist of Fate booth where I bought it got her to sign copies for them.) Barb is from Alberta and has had her sock patterns published in a number of publications. This book is a great resource even if you aren’t interested in knee-socks since each pattern has a short sock version as well. Most are of the stranded 2-colour pattern variety, similar to Turkish or alpine ski socks, but with my favourite flap heels and wedge toes. There are several lovely cables and lace patterns as well, including one that reminded me instantly of my last pair of Monkey socks. (Turns out it was in exactly the same yarn!) Best of all, there is a section in the beginning that includes formulas for calculating your own knee-highs, custom fitting tips and details on how to convert to shorter socks or legwarmers.

I have a few small caveats with this book. I wish Barb had included more details on the different places one can put the “calf wedges” (my term) when designing and also that all the knee-socks pictured seem too short to me. I like mine right up to the kneecap and the photos mainly show them ending right at the widest part of the model’s calf or a teensy bit above. I totally guarantee they will not stay up that way! That problem could be easily remedied with some of the patterns by adding more repeats above and below or even incorporating the shaping but others such as the ones with large colour-stranded charts would take a lot more finagling. It could just be my personal taste and you might be happy with the length as written. However, to Barb’s credit she does include several sizes for each sock pattern which is not all that easy to achieve with some stitch patterns. I also like many of the alternative shorter versions though it seems a little backwards to discuss changes from long to short socks. Might have been good to add how to do it in the opposite direction, i.e. the changes that need to be added to a short sock to make them into knee-socks. Then you could adapt almost any sock pattern. There are really not very many knee-sock patterns out there in comparison.

Speaking of mostly regular-length socks, the second book I got (this time from Jane Stafford’s booth) is adorably entitled knit. sock. love. by Cookie A, published by her own One Leg Press, 2010. This is a gorgeous book! The photography by Laura Kicey is spectacular and totally negates the fact that you’ve probably seen a number of these patterns before. However, Cookie has added several sizes to most (such as the familiar Hedera and Monkey socks) and included clear diagrams and instructions for each sock pattern. It pays to be your own publisher because you can get the book design the way you want it! I’m a huge fan of Cookie’s elegant design style using lace, cables and traveling stitches – no colour-stranding here. Plus there are a few knee-socks included. Love. Sock. Knit.

If you’re a rank beginner or a sock knitter who prefers toe-up short-row heel styles neither of these books may be right for you. The authors don’t give directions for alternative needle or style options nor hold your hand with basic sock knitting techniques. Both use charts extensively. An experienced sock knitter could probably adapt at least some of the designs to their preferred method. I know I’ve done that in reverse with at least one of Wendy Johnson’s toe-up sock patterns. Hint: lace patterns often look quite different when knitted upside down or in reverse order. Ask me how I know.

Anyway now there are several pairs of knee-socks in both books that are calling me to get my needles out – especially since I don’t have any socks on the go at the moment. After all, although I have many pairs of handknitted socks I only have 2 pairs of rather plain knee-socks. However I’ve been monogamous with my Abotanicity Tunic (also in sock yarn) and it’s now several repeats into the lace section and looking good so far. I didn’t change needle sizes upward yet though I’ll probably ease up to a 3.5 from the 3.25mm soon and then go to the specified 3.75 further down on the skirt. I can only read while knitting the alternate plain rows and must concentrate on the 294-stitch lace rounds! I’m just coming to the end of the second 100g ball so I’ve already knit the equivalent of 2 pairs of large men’s socks or a pair and a half of knee-socks anyhow. Onward…before it’s too warm to wear a wool tunic. Ahem. I wish. Although it must be spring because T-Man rode his electric-assist bicycle to work for the first time this year. But then it hailed on him on the way.

I’m Melting, MELTING!

OK, enough already. We are nearly at record high temps for our area and I’m not liking it one bit. If I don’t get some serious stuff done around here by 9am it’s already too hot to even think about it. Can we send some of this sunshine back east for a couple of days and then they can send us some rain in trade? Pretty please? Just a little cooling off period? Preferably without the thunder and lightning? Don’t want much, do I?

With T-Man’s help with the watering yesterday (he had time off work), I did manage to get some cleaning up done in the veggie patch but that was only because it doesn’t get the sun until late morning. The chestnut and walnut trees and the garage are in the way and provide the shade:

Later in the day it’s been just baking out there. Some things are doing well though. See?

Teeny little edamame (green soy pods) for the first time ever in my garden. They are taking their time but I’m looking forward to tasting them. I’ve already got a huge bag of 5 different kinds of beans: burgundy, wax, green, Dragon Tongue (yellow with purple blotches) and runner in the fridge. I’m thinking I might have to blanch and freeze them because they don’t keep very long and I have Way Too Many. We’re also experimenting with the dehydrator that we’ve had for years and haven’t used for ages. T-Man made a batch of local sweet cherry raisins (yum!) and now we’re trying zucchini chips sprinkled with sesame seeds and seasoned salt. If the latter works well it could be a great way to reduce the overload of zucchinis. The drawback is the heat generated in the kitchen by the dehydrator running constantly for days on end.

Oh yeah – I wanted to show you some of my “bagged” grapes:

The experiment in protecting them with mesh bags seems to be working so far. Unfortunately the naughty raccoon went for the water hyacinths in my water garden and chomped them up some instead! Bad bandit.

In crafty news, it’s mostly been too hot to knit much. My fingers stick to the needles. Ick. I’m much farther behind on projects than I thought I would be. I had plans to get some sewing and weaving done this summer too but the loom and sewing machine are upstairs in what feels like a dry sauna. Not happening until it cools down. Oh well. Nevermind.

In other news, I watched an online video on cabling from Berroco and Cirilia Rose is one of the few people I’ve seen who knits almost exactly the way I do. (Except for anchoring the cable needle and putting the cable stitches back on the left needle neither of which I bother with.) She holds her needles similarly and uses her left forefinger to lower the yarn for the purl stitch the same as I do. It was interesting to me because nearly everyone does it differently. I find it endlessly fascinating to watch others knit and crochet. Different means to the same end!

Gotta go. Bluet, my little netbook computer, is getting too hot on my lap! Even with the big fan full on me here in the coolest room on the main floor (the bedroom) it’s becoming uncomfortable. I’ll just sit here quietly and try to finish Milord Son-In-Law’s birthday socks for him. I want to get something done today! (Besides the vacuuming and the garden harvesting and watering which are already checked off today’s to-do list.) Here’s what they look like so far:

No feet yet! Only legs. I’m working on it.

FO Number Too…er, Two

I actually finished these first but wanted to put them together with a review of Cookie A’s new sock book which follows.

Monkey See Monkey Too Socks

For: Me

Yarn: DGB Confetti Seta Superwash, 55% superwash wool/20% silk/25% nylon, colourway 24.08 (browns with yellow, cream and rust accents), dyelot 8112, 420M = 50g. 2 balls.

Needles: Clover Takumi 5” bamboo dpns, 2mm

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A

Comments: I had never used this particular yarn before. I found that the silk content isn’t very apparent either in the knitting or in the look or the feel of the finished socks. Not sure the extra cost is justified really. I did like the colourway but interestingly, even though I started at what I thought was the same place in the sequence, they ended up different at the end.

Love this sock pattern as do thousands of others judging by the number of pairs on Ravelry. Cookie A managed to come up with an even more popular design than her Pomatomus. To use the vernacular, Cookie A rocks!

Yes, she certainly does. I got her new book “Sock Innovation” in the mail a couple of days ago and have been reading it carefully since. What I first appreciate about it is that the author states up front that she prefers to keep her sock shape the typical top-down, heel-flap, wedge-toe (my favourite too) and to embellish within that framework. That doesn’t stop her from explaining the other methods and giving patterns for optional heels and toes. Indeed, the whole first section of this book helps you get inside Cookie A’s methods and discover how she creates such eminently gorgeous socks. She gives you her tools so you can then create your own designs.

I don’t feel that this is a beginner level book, at least if you’ve never knit socks before. (I recommend “Getting Started Knitting Socks” by Ann Budd for beginner hand-holding.) This is more of an intermediate or even advanced level with lessons on how to read charts, pattern translation from flat to circular, placement of design repeats, cables in detail and a lot of those technical details that I consider particularly juicy. Any budding designer would be happy to play with these for a good long time and they aren’t necessarily only useful for socks but could be extrapolated for anything else you want to knit. The last part of the book contains 15 of Cookie’s delightful sock patterns, each named for someone who has special meaning in her life and illustrating the principles that were explained in the first part. The socks are knit from mostly hand-dyed yarns in solid, semi-solid or muted colourways so you can see the textures that are her trademark. They also are similar in gauge and size (average women’s) so that you can see how pattern stitches work within that basic format and the subtle changes needed to adjust for them. Cookie doesn’t forget to include hints on how to size each design up or down. The end of the book includes abbreviations, glossary of basics with illustrations and a short index.

I rarely buy books with just patterns in them. I prefer to have more content that furthers my technical knowledge and maybe lets me peek into the head of the designer. This book has it all! Patterns I can’t wait to knit, technical and design stuff galore and some personal tidbits about Cookie A herself. Including her real last name. (Now I know why she simplifies it to a single letter!) The only thing I miss is her signature mannequin “foot”. The socks in the book are sported by real feet. They look oddly normal!

Reviews ‘R’ Us

Well I’ve been using Windows Live Writer for a number of posts now and I’m in love. I forgot to give you the URL in case you couldn’t find it yourself. Go here. There are several other free programs there but you don’t have to get them if you don’t want to. Live Writer works with pretty much any blog system you’re using or you can set one up (Windows Live). You need a Windows Live ID but if you have Hotmail or Messenger then you probably already have one. No biggie. When you run WLW it helps you set up your blog or blogs if you have more than one. You can add another any time.

So since the last time I blogged about my happiness with WLW, I’ve discovered a few things. First it saves a copy of your post automatically on your hard drive. If you’ve been afraid of losing your blog posts, this should eliminate that fear. You can work offline and save unfinished drafts, set publish dates in the future and generally have more control than with some blog hosts like Blogger that I use. It is so much easier to insert stuff like hyperlinks, pictures, tables and other stuff and to format text. You can see what it will look like right away before you post. Oh and I found out how to add my “labels” only WLW calls them “categories” which is what threw me at first. It already downloaded my label list. Totally cool.

OK, I’ll shut up about Things Technological now. Lets talk about the Monkey See Monkey Too Socks. Cookie A has a video here talking about her most popular sock pattern with Kim Werker on Knitting Daily TV. And she’s updated the Monkey Socks pattern to accommodate other sizes: Ravelry link or Knitting Daily TV link (scroll down). I may try the expanded version with lifted increases instead of yo’s for a pair for T-Man. Eliminating the eyelets would make it a bit more “manly” I think. He’s already expressed a desire for a pair of his own. Meanwhile mine are coming along:

I decided these are mine even though I don’t really need another pair of socks. None of them will wear out! I’m running out of room in the sock drawer but must occasionally have a new pair Just Because I Can. This is my first experience with Confetti Seta sock yarn: a combo of wool, silk and nylon. Doesn’t really feel that much different from normal sock yarn. But I haven’t washed it yet so we’ll see if the silk eventually expresses itself. Otherwise there’s no point in having it in there, doncha think?

Hibernating

I had a whole bunch of stuff I was going to do today but none of it is happening. T-Man is off work from now until Dec 29 so we will have a very relaxing holiday – starting today. It’s somewhere around -6 C. and slippery outside so there’s no walkies today. We’re hanging out under the covers in bed! We even had both breakfast and lunch in here. Talk about your lazy bones, eh?

So it’s not all just sittin’. There’s been some knittin’ going on as well. Here’s the pair of socks I finished and will give to Nana (T’s mom) tomorrow at our Solstice party at Milady Daughter’s. Yeah, I know I don’t give Christmas presents. It’s a Yule gift, ok? Her feet are probably cold. Mine are even with 2 pairs of socks plus felted slippers on.

Kaffe’s Pool Socks

For: Nana
Begun: December 13, 2008
Completed: December 18, 2008

Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Design Line Kaffe Fassett, 50 g/210 m, 1.2 skeins = 276.0 yards (252.4m), 4453 Exotic Pool, from Nestucca Bay Yarns in Lincoln City, OR.
Needles: Clover Takumi bamboo dpns, 2mm

Pattern: Damselfly’s Plain Socks on 64 sts, 6” to heel flap, 6.25” to toe dec, dec to 24 sts, dog-ear reduction.

Comments: Pretty yarn colours designed by Kaffe Fassett. I like the way some colours dash into the next one. Has a very long repeat though – only about 3 times per sock. I have some left and will find out if she wants matching fingerless mitts.

We haven’t just been snuggled in bed. We actually went out last evening to a movie which is a rare event for us, though this time the theatre was only a few blocks away from home. We saw “Australia”, which is an excellent movie. Entertaining in all ways even if the characters and storyline were somewhat stereotypical. Like an old western only in WWII-era northern Australia. The cinematography was fabulous and the little boy perfectly cast and the most natural actor in the whole movie. We nearly froze in the theatre though. There were only a few people there so no extra body heat to share. Luckily we were dressed for the weather and just kept our coats on. I took off my hat but put my gloves back on halfway through. It’s a very long movie. At least watching hunky Hugh Jackman for 3 hours plus was worth freezing my feet for.

Harmonize or Organize

Interesting that while I was thinking about my word for 2009, I thought about “organize” but rejected it as too literal. Too obvious. And I’ve already been trying to get really organized for what seems like forever and never quite succeeding. My organized state fluctuates a lot.

I’m one of those people who likes some organization in my workspace but I’m not overly organized or anally neat. If it’s too perfect I’m afraid to touch anything and somehow I just can’t get to that pristine state anyway no matter how hard I might try. However I don’t really like to work in a huge mess either, particularly with too many different things going on at once. I begin to lose stuff in the chaos, including my focus. I know a number of people on both ends of the messy-to-neat scale and neither extreme seems to guarantee happiness. I’m much more content (heh!) to be somewhere in the middle of the continuum. Though fabulous and very creative work can come out of the most tidy studio or one that looks like a hurricane hit it. In the end it has to do with individual personality.

I think it’s interesting how some people can live so differently from me. The recent trend to minimalist decorating with many hard edges and neutral colours would drive me batty. (OK, battier than usual.) A lot of metal and glass with no textiles or plants to soften and warm is way too industrial for my taste. Easy to maintain and keep clean perhaps, which likely suits those who spend most of their time at work or in a coffee shop. On the other hand, surrounding oneself with heaps of dusty junk until the living space is reduced to a pathway through the stacks doesn’t work for me either. But we seem to be heading in that direction in spite of ourselves. Right now I’m having issues with some of the knickknacks…er, treasures around my house. I like them for sentimental reasons but I hate dusting them. I want to be able to clean surfaces easier but at the same time I don’t want to throw anything away. At the moment we’re at an impasse. The dust bunnies that lurk in the corners of my house are happy to have friends though.

Here’s one slightly dusty corner of my living room that’s looking pretty festive at the moment:


The Christmas cactuses are in full bloom now that the Thanksgiving cactuses have passed their best. This is the big mama one. Quite a display and a couple of weeks earlier than usual! It’s a little crowded on the old sewing machine cabinet with my big disocactus, 2 spider plants, and a small orange-tinted Thanksgiving cactus. They all have to hang out together until I can put the cactuses outside again in the spring. I found that was the secret to having lots of blooms on all of them: 6 months on the deck with plenty of water and a modicum of fish fertilizer. These guys will probably bloom again at Easter. Last year they had a bloom or two here and there continuously until nearly the time I put them back outside.

Speaking of last year vs. this year, my jewel orchids are the opposite of the cactus plants. I’ve only found one flower spike coming up so far. Boo-hoo. Last year there was a dozen or more. They usually bloom from Christmas through to spring since the flowers hold for a very long time. Unlike the cactus flowers that are gone in a day or two.

For some (long-awaited, I’m sure) knitting content, here’s the first of the two pairs of Stargazer’s Frankensocks from the bad ball of yarn:

I’m already partway through the second pair.

Pink Gives Me The Blues

Don’t get me wrong, I totally believe research on the treatment and cure for breast cancer is extremely important and a very worthwhile charity to get behind. But if I see One. More. Stinkin’. Pink. Ribbon. I’m going to scream! Every freaking thing is pink. Everything a woman might want has an “awareness” version with some portion of the price (often only a minuscule token amount) ostensibly going to charity. But why should they blatantly use this charity to market their goods? Because that’s what it comes down to, marketing and nothing more. Do I know which exact cancer agency the funds are going to? Do they even state what percentage of the sales is actually getting there? How do I know my money is going where it will do the most good? Why won’t people donate without having to have some merchandise in return? Too many questions; not enough answers. If I wish to donate to cancer research I plan to do my own research first. And then give them my money directly. Besides, pink is NOT my colour.

Today it’s blue.

Back Home Blues Socks
For T-Man

Begun: September 26, 2008
Completed: October 17, 2008

Yarn: Zitron Trekking XXL, 75% superwash/25% nylon, 420m = 100g, 1 ball colour 71 dyelot 7034, blues.
Needles: Clover Takumi bamboo dpns, 2mm

Pattern: Damselfly’s plain top-down heel-flap socks on 68 sts, 8” before heel flap, 8.25” before toe dec, dec to 24 sts, dog-ear reduction.

Comments: I started these socks the day after T’s birthday a few days after we got home from our September vacation. Which explains the title! I liked this yarn a lot because the colours were subtle and segued gently so I didn’t have to match anything. A lot like a handspun yarn actually. T now has plenty of socks in his drawer which may or may not stop me from making him more of them. I have sock yarn and I know how to use it!

Next on my list for socks is my granddaughter, Princess Pink, who is growing out of all her granny’s knit socks. I had the chance at Thanksgiving to measure her foot so I’m sure of the size now. Just have to cast on.

Meanwhile I haven’t touched the Seaweed Shawl since the meetup on Sunday. Instead I’ve been weaving on the remains of the woven shibori sample warp that was left on my table loom. I think there’s something near 2 yards left so I’ve been weaving with what I hope is overtwisted wool. It doesn’t have a label on it because of course I’m going to remember several years after I bought it what it is! I’m hoping for a scarf out of this but you never know. It’s rather tedious weaving what is mostly plain weave but threaded on 12 shafts (because they were there and I didn’t have to move heddles around). That’s a lot of levers to flip up and down just to weave an inch of this very fine yarn, like sewing thread nearly. My beat is a bit wonky because you can’t so much beat as gently press it into place. I want it light and it probably should be even more gauzy than it is but so be it. I’m determined to get this warp off the loom. ASAP. I have a commitment to weave something or other with beads in it and write it up for the Complex Weavers’ Journal. By December 1, no less. Wish me luck because I have no idea what I’m going to do yet.

Also meanwhile I have some old handspun vests I want to felt up in the washing machine. One of them will perhaps be used for a protective tote bag for my baby laptop, Bluet. I’m not sure about the other one. Depends on what it looks like when it’s done. Right now it’s about the crappiest handspun yarn I ever made and the knitting is circa sometime in the early 1980’s. It will be a blessing to put it out of its misery.

Off to the washing machine. Then while the wool is drying I’m determined to finish the last little bit of weeding in my veggie garden. I was almost done when it rained hard on me yesterday afternoon. See the rainbow that nasty rain created? It was a double but I’m not sure you can detect the echo in the photo.

30 Days Hath September

While I was documenting FOs around here, I suddenly realized that I never posted the Purple Passion Socks which I finished right before I left on vacation. So without further ado.

Purple Passion Socks
For La Violette, my sis-in-law

Begun: July 16, 2008
Completed: August 26, 2008

Yarn: Knit Picks Bare, dyed by me in a range of purples, 462 yd = 100g, 75% superwash wool/25% nylon. Used just over half the ball.
Needles: Clover Takumi 5” bamboo, 2mm

Pattern: Double Lace Ribbing from More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch. I made the leg quite long and used Eye of Partridge heels.

Comments: This pattern is divisible by 6 so I needed to drop down to 60 sts to accommodate it. Her feet are quite narrow so they fit just fine. The Knit Picks Bare yarn is very soft and made in Peru. I have enough left for a pair for Princess Pink.

That’s a total of 12 pairs of socks this year so far. I knit 22 pairs last year but I’m pretty sure I don’t have time to do 10 more pairs before the end of December. Of course the 3 pairs of gloves I knit earlier this year and the fact that several of the socks were more complex instead of plain might explain the discrepancy. Both gloves and fancy socks obviously take more time to complete. No matter. It’s the process that counts, right?

Next I’ve been working on the Back Home Blues Socks for T-Man. I started them the day after his birthday but they are supposed to be his birthday socks for this year. I bought the Trekking XXL yarn on our vacation at the lovely little shop in Lincoln City, OR called Nestucca Bay Yarns. I’m on the legs at the moment.

There’s yet another item I forgot to post about, but I’ll save that one for later. I spent about 5 hours in the garden today and I’m pooped.

Busy Busy

The downside of coming home after such a long trip (the longest we’ve ever taken) is the catching up. There were piles of mail and newspapers, email and unread blogs, magazines and books that I bought while we were away, gardening and housework, plus family commitments to catch up on. I’m nowhere near caught up yet.

The weather promises to be sunny and unseasonably warm today so unless the grandkids show up later, I’ll be able to get some of the winterizing prep done in the garden. There’s still a few things left (tomatoes, onions, broccoli, greenhouse greens) and some that stay in all winter (parsley, leeks, Egyptian onions, purple broccoli) but the rest can come out. Then we can plant the fall rye that keeps the garden from washing away in the winter rains. I was really happy with the stones we put in the pathways. Not only did it make it much easier to get around the garden but it didn’t encourage the evil sowbugs and pillbugs to proliferate like the mulch we used to use. The stones might even help to warm the beds by radiating some residual heat from the sun. We could use a few more stones to complete the paths better but we can add them at any time in future.

I finished and blocked the Traveling Socks:

Oregon Socks
For my daughter-in-law, The White Lady

Begun: August 30, 2008
Completed: September 11, 2008

Yarn: Garnstudio’s Fabel Superwash, 75% superwash wool/25% polyamide, 205m = 50 g, 2 balls colour 522 (blues).
Needles: Clover Takumi 5” bamboo, 2mm

Pattern: Damselfly’s Standard Socks on 68 sts, leg 6” before heel flap, foot 7.75” before toe dec, to 24 sts, dog-ear reduction.

Comments: The first one of the Traveling Socks knitted on vacation while we were driving. This yarn had a very long repeat of very similar but multiple blue shades and it took me ages to figure out the sequence to make both socks the same. When I started knitting it didn’t repeat for 5”! So in one ball there’s only perhaps 3 repeats at most. Also there was a knot in one of the balls but it seemed to be pretty much in the correct spot because after re-knotting to give me longer ends (to darn in later) I was only less than half a round short. I was concerned that the knot wouldn’t continue the pattern in the correct sequence but it did. I hate knots in printed colour sequences! Sometimes they are even backwards or totally out of place and make it really difficult to match things up. The blues reminded me of all the blues of the sea and sky that we saw on the Oregon Coast.

California Socks
For Milady Daughter

Begun: September 11, 2008
Completed: September 25, 2008

Yarn: Schachenmayr’s Regia 4 fadig, 75% superwash wool/25% polyamide, 210m = 50 g, 2 balls colour 5375 (browns/navy/teal/white/pastels).
Needles: Clover Takumi 5” bamboo, 2mm

Pattern: Damselfly’s Standard Socks on 68 sts, leg 6” before heel flap, foot 7.75” before toe dec, to 28 sts, dog-ear reduction.

Comments: Another one of the Traveling Socks knitted on vacation while we were driving. I really like the colours in this yarn. It’s similar to a pair I made with greens instead of the browns. I like the way the spotted part includes more pastel colours of spots and not black and the way the plain colour sections are short so that they look more like hand-dyed yarns. I accidentally left out 2 rows at the end of the toes making them slightly more rounded. Plus I stupidly forgot to photograph them before gifting them to Milady Daughter. But this is the yarn:

You’ll just have to use your imagination. The colours remind me of the redwood forests and the rocky beaches in California.

Lastly I had a chance to block the Flower Basket Scarf:

Flower Basket Scarf
For me

Begun: September 6, 2008
Completed: September 16, 2008

Yarn: my handspun 2-ply wool laceweight, unknown breed (perhaps Shetland?), natural moorit overdyed with my madder, 566 yds = 100 g, used about 425 yds.
Needles: Addi Lace circulars, 4mm
Beads: Czech seed beads, size 6, transparent bronze AB
Crochet hook: steel 1.25mm

Pattern: Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark, Interweave Knits, Fall 2004. Beads added using instructions in Knitting Lace Triangles also by Evelyn Clark, p50 edging 8C.

Comments: I knit this scarf-sized shawl while we were camping, beginning it at Salt Point State Park in California and finished the knitting ten days later at Carl Washburne State Park in Oregon. This is an easy pattern but very effective as are all of Evelyn’s shawl designs. I did not double the yarn as the pattern called for plus I used slightly smaller needles so I knit two extra repeats of the main basket lace pattern. The shawl still blocked out slightly smaller than the original at 22” deep by 54” wide. For some reason mine is as wide but not as deep but I didn’t want to force the issue with severe stretching when blocking. I really like the little 3-bead edges at the points. They were easy to do and show up nicely on both sides of the lace. This one will get lots of wearing. And I still have enough of this yarn left for something else!

In other crafty news, Milady Daughter and I used the last of the woad leaves for another dye session on Saturday. We got the light robin’s egg blue on 220 g of some of her wool fleece. We were a bit concerned that the leaves didn’t have much blue left in them when the first dip turned out very pale. But after adding more soda ash and thiox and letting it reduce for a bit longer, we got the fleece darker and more even with two more dips.


This is it for the woad this year. I’m going to leave the plants in until the spring when I’ll take out most of them, add compost and replant with new seedlings. I wisely didn’t use all of the seeds I got from Joybilee so I could have more for next year. Besides I only have just so much space to put the plants. Unless I dig up the public boulevard right next to my property! Don’t tempt me…

A Bit O’This’N’That

Still rocking on that boat that my head somehow thinks I’m floating on. I still managed (between bouts of nausea) to get the fridge cleaned out yesterday. A lovely Sikh gentleman and his son showed up just before supper to fix it which took about 15 minutes. Just a new thermostat and now it’s working fine again. Fridges are supposed to be cold inside! Go figure. I’m glad it was relatively easy to repair because I do love that big old thing. Everything is arranged just the way I like it and it holds loads of stuff. With the freezer on the bottom (with a door not a drawer) everything in the fridge section is at eye level, no bending over to find the veggies. I was having nightmares about having to get a new one. It seems that they only come in white or steel these days, neither of which appeal to me. Almond has gone the way of the avocado green and harvest gold of the ’70’s now unfortunately. What is it with the stainless steel appliances craze? Is that what they mean by a “gourmet kitchen”? Because it looks like you’re some kind of professional chef? Too cold and industrial for my taste and besides it shows every fingerprint.

T-Man helped finish up staining the deck railings plus the one around the basement stairs. So now there’s only the front rails to do but they have to be cleaned first. We seem to be getting an awful lot done on the outside of the house this summer. Somehow we’re feeling pushed to do it. Maybe the perfect weather has helped? It’s been dry for a month and lately a bit cloudy in the mornings and not too hot. Couldn’t ask for better for painting and scraping and cleaning. The only drawback is the fact that I have to spend so much time watering everything. The lawn has been ignored (civic watering restrictions) and it already looks like it usually does at the end of August with expanding brown patches.

Cleaning the fridge inspired me this morning to clean the oven to match. But first I baked a crustless quiche. I put the last of our asparagus and garlic scapes in it along with ham and mushrooms and lots of cheese. Yum! I’m not feeling quite as bad as yesterday so I just keep plugging along. Playing the “As If” game with myself and trying to act as if the world was holding still for me. Sometimes it actually works.

Just thought I’d show some of the sock knitting I’ve been doing. First the A-Maizing socks that have been going on forever. They’re just past the side gussets on both:


Check out the cute heel flap treatment thanks to Criminy Jickets’ excellent Ridges & Ribs pattern. I think what’s slowing me down with this project is the elongated twisted stitches are rather difficult to accomplish in this yarn because of its splittiness. I have to make sure I have all of the plies caught on the needle. It wouldn’t be so bad if I was actually looking at what I was doing but since I try to knit while reading, that just slows me down. On both the knitting and the reading part. Plus there’s no deadline for these because they’re for me. So I also started the Purple Passion Socks which do have a deadline (or at least a general timeline). Unfortunately they aren’t any easier to knit while reading. But I love the pattern stitch:


The yarn is Knit Picks Bare which I dyed in a range of purples. The Bare yarn is very soft, softer than the usual sock yarns even though it’s still 75% wool/25% nylon, and you get slightly more yardage at 462 yds per 100g skein. I’m hoping to have enough left to make a pair for Princess Pink out of the leftovers.

So go check out the AntiCraft’s new issue (link in my sidebar). I love the Bat Shawl! Of course it depends on one’s twisted sense of humour, but the two Vlad the Impaler hats are pretty cool too especially the one with little people (impaled, of course) around it. Not that I’d make one but you have to admit it’s a pretty ingenious way of using cable and bobble stitches. I am tempted to make a shrunken head necklace though and the Algormortis tea cosy is great too. Perfect for celebrating International Talk Like A Pirate Day (Sept. 19th, if you didn’t know). This is a really exceptional issue with lots of quite functional stuff for knitters. Alright then, knitters who are even weirder than usual. Quit looking at me like that.

Grump

I am totally out of it this morning. After teasing me off and on for the last few days, The Dizzies have returned in spades and I could barely stand up in the shower this morning. Hope they subside later today because I have things to do! I knew it was going to be bad though when, before even waking up all the way, I rolled over in bed and felt seasick. I stopped turning but the world didn’t. Oy. Not fun. And no use going to see my lovely doc because he doesn’t know what causes it either. Besides that would necessitate walking a kilometer on uneven streets (remember the Canada Line subway construction) and maybe not such a good idea under the circumstances. There’s nothing he can do but recommend Gravol for nausea and it’s not that bad. I’m pretty good at handling around-and-around motions. Must be why I loved hanging out on the roundabout at the playground when I was a kid! And we owned a sailboat for 15 years too. Lots of practice balancing while your world isn’t cooperating. Meanwhile I will try to knit and relax. And ignore all the stuff that needs doing.

Also we had another crisis with the refrigerator yesterday where the freezer was fine and it was running properly but the top fridge section wasn’t getting cold. We stuffed it full of ice packs like a giant cooler and T-Man did his magic with the hair dryer on the vents in the freezer. Luckily we have a big old chest freezer in the basement so we had lots of ice bottles and a place to put the freezer stuff. It seems that the vents get clogged with ice and then the cold air doesn’t circulate as it should. This is the 4th or 5th time it’s done this so methinks a repairman is in its future. I need to it clean out anyway and make sure there’s nothing icky hidden somewhere behind the bags and bags of peas from the garden. More work I can’t do right now. Sigh.

OK enough of the pity party for poor little Damselfly. Could be worse.

Meanwhile I’ve got several inches of the Purple Passion Socks done. I’m liking the little Double Lace Ribbing pattern from Charlene Schurch's More Sensational Knitted Socks book. It’s a simple 4-row rib and zigzag lace combo. A little narrower than my usual socks on 64 sts, these ones have only 60 sts but it’s a stretchy rib so it should fit fine. Photo coming soon when there’s enough to show.

Ami-Guru-What?

In keeping with my recent fascination with crochet, I broke down and bought the book Amigurumi! Super Happy Crochet Cute by Elisabeth A. Doherty.


I was resisting but I’ve been thinking about this book ever since I peeked inside at the book store and saw…a cheeseburger, complete with meat, cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce and bun. Would this be fun for the grandkids or what? Fun for Granny to make, anyhow. There’s also an Oreo-type cookie, cupcakes, strawberries and carrots. And that’s not even talking about the actual amigurumi characters that are in here. Some really are cute but some have a bit of an edge to them, like Punk Bunny the skater dude or a beatnik kitty named Hep Cat. Those are the centre two guys in the back row on the cover of the book. And I absolutely think the pig needs wings, don’t you?

OK, maybe I should back up and explain “amigurumi” just in case you’ve missed this craze somehow. The word as you might have guessed is Japanese and, regardless of the actual literal translation (it’s a contraction of two words), it has come to mean dolls crocheted (or occasionally knitted) spirally in the round. The other criteria for an amigurumi is that it must be “kawaii” (cute — like Hello Kitty or Pikachu), though some are a bit more cutesy than others depending of course on your taste. With that definition in mind there are some items called amigurumi that really are not. Some are crocheted spirally but aren’t really a doll (the aforementioned cheeseburger, though if you put eyes on it maybe it would qualify!) or are cute dolls but weren’t crocheted in the round. I know – picky-picky – but I didn’t make these rules up.

I think the reasons why most amigurumi are crocheted rather than knitted are simple: the shaping is so much easier and the result is thick and sturdy and holds its form well. The popularity of amigurumi may even have inspired a lot more people to learn to crochet than might have otherwise. Google the word “amigurumi” and see how many patterns are available online, most of them for free. Once you know the basics you can easily change a pattern to suit your own esthetics. These were all made from the same basic pattern.

If you need more help with crochet and how to work in the round and assemble your new pal, there’s a wonderful series of written and video tutorials here. Don’t miss the second and third pages for more which include reading the patterns and using markers to keep your place and different methods of adding the face. Crochet along as you learn to make a ball which covers many of the necessary techniques. The videos are quite well done and informative. This kind of tutorial is what the internet is so perfectly suited to!

On another subject completely, here’s the most recent finished socks:

Ocean Blues Socks


Begun: June 1, 2008
Completed: June 17, 2008

Yarn: S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4 Ply, superwash wool/nylon/aloe vera, blues ON223600.
Needles: Addi Natura bamboo dpns, 2.00mm

Pattern: Usual Damselfly’s Basic Socks pattern on 64 sts, 24 row 2/2 rib cuff, 7” to heel flap, heel stitch, 6.75” foot before toe decreases, decreased to 24 st (6 each needle), dog ear reduction, graft toe.

Comments: There was a knot in the ball which necessitated removing a section of the yarn when the colour sequence didn’t continue properly. Consequently the second sock was a half-round out of sync with the first one so they don’t quite match as well as I’d like. When washed there was a wee bit of turquoise dye in the water but they rinsed clear.

I sort of had someone in mind when I knitted these. However it all depends on whether they fit her or not because I never checked on her shoe size. This is kind of like a Cinderella story, huh? This size fits me and several other members of the family though so there are other options if the sock doesn’t fit the intended foot.

Oh wait. Maybe we’d better not talk about feet after the sixth one found on a Vancouver Island shore was a hoax. The other five aren’t though and the mystery surrounding them continues. Makes you wish Horatio Caine and his CSI crew were relocated to BC, huh? And weren’t just actors on a TV show…

Socks In The City

In all the Secret Project kafuffle, I’ve been forgetting to post Stargazer’s Toddler Socks, the ones that match his Pullover. So here they are:

Stargazer’s Toddler Socks


Begun: May 23, 2008
Completed: May 30, 2008

Yarn: S.R. Kertzer On Your Toes 4 Ply sock yarn, 75% superwash wool/25% nylon with aloe vera, Colorway ON223801, 100g=390 yds, half a ball of leftovers from the Pullover.
Needles: Clover Takumi 5” dpns, 2 mm.

Pattern: Damselfly’s Basic Socks on 48 sts, cuffs 2/2 ribbed for 4”, reg heel flap, foot 4” before toe, dec to 16 sts, graft toe.

Comments: As is the sweater, these are still a bit too big for Stargazer. The foot is 5.5” long. . I do like how the colour transitions in the yarns coincided with the sock sections.

And while I was at it, I started a new pair of socks. I had originally bought 3 balls of the ON223801 for the sweater (and socks) but when they used less yarn than I anticipated, I traded the last ball for a different colourway: ON223600. This one is tropical oceanic blues and turquoise so I’m calling them the Ocean Blues Socks.


I’m working them in my usual generic pattern and they will likely be given away eventually. I have many folks on my Sock List and I think I know who these are for. But I’m not sayin’ yet.

As for the A-Maizing Socks, they are frustrating me so they’re taking longer than they should.


I’m liking how they look and feel a lot but this yarn is splitty and combined with the twisted stitches is a bit of a PITA to knit with. If it’s not fun I tend to pick up other things first. I’m nearly at the heel turns on both socks though so after that I will only have half the round in pattern and the other half plain so it should go somewhat faster. I hope. I’d like to check these off the list! And I think I’ll hang onto this pair myself this time.

Back to plugging away on the Big Secret Project. Can’t blog about it until after the wedding on June 14 but I’m saving up photos and info for when I’m free to post it. Some of the info is over on Ravelry if you’re curious. (And you are not The Bride & Groom!)

Question To Ponder

So what’s with all the hoopla around the new S&x and the City movie? I don’t get it. But then I never got Seinfeld, South Park, or the Simpsons either. Don’t hate me. I think it’s because I’m too old, too plain, too poor and too married to relate to these women. Some people are talking like this show was such a big influence on their lives, like a milestone in female empowerment or something. Do they realize they’ve only made very-tall-and-pointy-and-super-expensive-shoe-manufacturers very happy? I really don’t get how this is at all feminist. All I can see is that it says you have to be pretty and thin, live in the big city, have lots of money to spend on very nice clothes, have a great job, get it on with a bunch of different guys, whine a lot about how tough your life is and eventually find a rich and powerful man to sweep you off your feet. What is wrong with this picture? Besides, how many woman really could live this lifestyle even if they wanted to? Or is it just a modern day fairy tale? I’d rather go spin, knit and weave, thankyouverymuch. No Fairy Godmothers or Prince Charmings involved. Oh wait...I already have something better than a prince, don’t I? And he has magic kisses! I still can’t spin straw into gold though. I’ve tried.

And New Errors Created

“Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all.” - William Goldman, The Princess Bride

Apparently I can’t count to 5. I thought I had all the 8 Hearts knitted yesterday and could go on to stuffing them preparatory to fulling the lot today. Unfortunately I managed to make 3 of them smaller than they should be by leaving out 2 rows of the centre section. Pitooey. Now I have to keep knitting for awhile longer. It might help if I actually paid attention to what I was knitting. Maybe.

While I was screwing up my hearts, I was also screwing up my guild’s website. I somehow managed to break the file uploading feature on it a couple of months ago and our admin couldn’t fix it. Finally my friend, neighbour, fellow Raveler and Computer Wiz Extraordinaire Lauren had time to check it out. She fixed it within 5 minutes so I cheerfully went home and uploaded another file to test. All was fine. Then yesterday I started to upload another file and poof! Messed it all up again. A whimpering email to Lauren and she fixed it yet again. At least now we know what the problem is so hopefully we can do something about it. Meanwhile I’m not touching it! I think I have whatever is the opposite to the Midas Touch with that website. (Leaden Touch?) I did warn the guild I know just enough to be dangerous. You can bet we’ll be discussing this at the executive meeting this evening.

So back to the 8 Hearts for a moment. I’ve decided how to bead it now. It came to me when I was going back to sleep last night after getting up for a potty break. Amazing how the best ideas come when you’re almost asleep but not quite! It entails stringing and some 2-needle couching and hopefully will go relatively quickly when I get to it. I still have 2.5 hearts left to re-knit. And I’ve been very good and not even touched any other knitting. Even though the Unmentionables are yelling at me, the Hepburn Cardi is whining in its basket and the Maizy socks that I started (when I shouldn’t have) are patiently waiting to come with me to the meeting tonight. They know they’re the only portable project at the moment so they’re the obvious choice for travel knitting.

BTW I need a name for those socks. How about the A-Maizing Socks? The pattern I started with (and sized down slightly) is the Ridges & Ribs Socks by Dave of Criminyjickets. I’m liking how it looks:


Though there’s only an inch of one sock so far since I’m not allowed to work on it until the hearts are done. Or redone. It’s not a hard pattern and I like the firm twisted single rib that keeps a multicoloured yarn from being boring. It’s formed by a double-yarn-over knit st that then has one loop dropped and the remaining elongated st slipped as if to knit for 3 rows which twists it nicely. The Maizy yarn is a bit squeaky and splitty to knit with but the resulting texture is soft and stretchy. It’s going ok as long as I pay a bit of attention so that I don’t miss a ply with my needle and remember to slip k-wise which is hard for some reason. Some people have said they don’t like corn fibre because of the alleged plastic-y feel (which to me feels more like scrooped silk) but I don’t find it objectionable. Then again I can’t dye it with anything I have available to me so I’d better like the colour the way it is. No do-overs there.

I’ll leave you with a photo of my most not-favourite wild animal visitor:


Don’t be fooled by that cute face and fuzzy tail! This is one of the Evil Rodents who give me no end of grief. Notice how he/she is under my bird feeder eating the dropped seeds that might otherwise have gone to the sparrows or juncos. One has even managed to climb that slippery metal pole and leave bite marks in my plastic feeder too. We coated the pole with hot pepper sauce which foiled them for awhile until it rained and washed it off. Luckily most of the squirrels can’t or won’t climb the pole. Just my walnut and hazelnut trees (where they eat all the nuts), my house (where they tried to make a nest under the eves), my garage (easier access to the walnut tree), — you see where this is going. Anybody got a way to sue squirrels for ruined outdoor Christmas lights? They thought they were eating my rhododendron buds but got a bit of a surprise. Didn’t stop them from making mincemeat out of the lights first though. Slow learners? Too bad they were LCD lights and the current wasn’t enough to zap them! Grumble. Grumble.

April Showers Just Get You Wet

Today is better for my head but not for poor T-Man who spent three hours (and lots of money) at the dentist. I think it’s a good thing to get all our old amalgam fillings replaced and crowns, caps or whatever done before we can’t afford it any more. His extended medical insurance is paying for some of it but apparently our dentists are expensive. But excellent. Sometimes you do get what you pay for. On the upside he gets a day off work!

In a fit of work myself now that I’m not feeling quite so crappy, I got the Sea ‘n’ Sky Socks done. They’re currently drying on the bathroom counter. I need to get an on-the-foot shot because the Synesthesia pattern behaves in a very interesting way and the socks tend to accordion fold up sideways when not being worn. I did remember to take a before-the-bath shot so you can see just how textured it was:

I also found some red wool, an old fine singles weaving yarn from the stash, and knitted up one of the hearts. I stuffed it with brown wool fleece and fulled it as much as I could on my washboard. Because I used finer wool and size 2.75 mm needles (instead of the 9US/5.5mm the pattern called for) it came out nearly half the size at about 2 inches tall. The wool stuffing shrinks somewhat, unlike polyester, and the dark colour doesn’t show through the stitches. You have to stuff fairly fat though or it gets lumpy inside when fulled. Here’s the before and after shots:

I want to add a beaded hanging loop and some scattered beads stitched over the surface front and back. And then make 7 more for the swap that I’m in. It only took about 45 minutes to knit and stuff the first one and once I’ve gotten the pattern down it will speed up some. I hope the beading goes as quickly. I need to complete one all the way before I continue in a more assembly-line fashion with the rest. But first I have to decide which beads to use!

After all that success, I also finished the second leg of the Unmentionables and attached them together so I can carry on up to the waist. Nice plain knitting for awhile with a few decrease rounds thrown in to keep me awake. This pattern keeps the lacy exciting parts for the end. They’re looking big for The Princess but not too huge. That gives her space to wear them for much longer than if I made them in a smaller size.

I forgot to mention the gift I made for Chris of Joybilee Farm for her donation of woad seeds that she sent me. I used 4 of T-Man’s little blue lampworked beads and made a set of 4 stitch markers, 3 smaller and one slightly larger to serve as the beginning of the row marker. The wire loops and spacers are sterling silver and the keeper loop is hammered copper. I always like to have a keeper to save me from fishing around for my markers. You can even “pin” them to your knitting or inside your knitting bag. I had to go to the postal outlet to mail the envelope because it was too thick with the bubble wrap to go regular letter mail and it had to be hand-cancelled. I took the photo quickly so it isn’t the best quality:

Have I made up yet for not having photos in the last three posts?