Coffee and Tea Gals

This Blog Has Moved

2010-04-17T10:21:00.003-05:00

As I have some patterns up on Knit Picks, it seemed like a good idea to consolidate my stuff into one place.

Out of the depths . . .

2010-03-22T01:13:00.002-05:00

I am a blubbering mass of energy and pain, confused about which to indulge and unable to sleep. My doc says that the pain/numbness/tingling as a result of the bulging disk between vertebrae C7 and C8 is of the "recurring and remitting" variety, meaning the irritation will ebb and flow no matter how well I feel I am becoming. This explains why there was a relapse almost 2 weeks ago. This explains why I'm a irritable mess with my sleep cycles interrupted. The pain killers and muscle relaxers are to be taken at night, but I always need to sleep for longer with those than I would normally.

In the midst of all of this, I'm knitting and thinking about writing. I think I will explode soon. I wish the explosion would get rid of the pain and irritation. I can't sit still. I have too much to do, and the doing requires sitting still.

I have finished the front and back of a sweater that I'll submit to Knit Picks. I have only to knit the sleeves, but I need to measure the sleeve length on the gal who will get this because she is a petite size. Still, it's not too hard to figure -- just about 1" less in the length from wrist to underarm, then 1" less in the sleeve cap. Not too hard. And it will be the endless slog of stockinette stitch, mainly because this is still written for that adventurous "newbie" knitter. Besides, stockinette stitch is what makes sense for the design.

In other news, the hubby and I will attend our first Seder on the evening of March 30th. One of the progressive synagogues is hosting a community Seder on that evening. I've downloaded one Haggadah from the Internet just to get a feel for what we'll be experiencing. In reviewing it last week I realized that the Catholic communion wafer is very much akin to the afikoman, an "olive-sized" piece of the matzoh that is eaten toward the end of the seder. I do wish someone had addressed these things when I was a kid in Catholic school. It would have made religion class so much more interesting.

Well, it's nearing Passover and Holy Week, so the various Christian churches are advertising their "living last supper" performances. This always makes me wonder whether they are inviting a bunch of people to watch them enjoy a seder? Hah! I'll bet not. A seder takes 3 - 4 hours, and no one really knows that Jesus said (or when he said it) during this meal. Besides, in a real seder everyone would been reclining (the afikoman is eaten while reclining toward the left). I wonder whether the Christian churches will be doing a "Da Vinci" version of the last supper -- Jesus in the center and six men on either side of him, and all of them Italian. No mention of Moses, no one asking the four questions . . . It's so sad to learn how ill-informed we have been through our desire to remain "pure." Once again the desire for purity leads to an instability. There is greater strength in diversity, but "diversity" has become a word with evil connotations among the fundamentalist conservatives who command the attention of the simple-minded.

My head hurts. My shoulder hurts. My soul hurts. Time for sleep.

A Dose of Perspective for the Well-Intentioned

2010-03-08T09:53:00.002-06:00

I have psoriasis. You’d think that would be enough to have to say, but it’s not. Therefore, I will attempt to answer a whole lot of questions here:

No, it is not the same as eczema. Eczema is a histamine reaction through the skin. Psoriasis is an over-production of skin cells in a highly localized area; it is believed to be an auto-immune system disorder.

Yes, I have tried that cream / remedy / lotion / pill / method.

No, this is not merely a “dry skin” disorder.

Yes, I see a doctor about it.

No, it’s not affected by the seasons.

Yes, I realize it’s unsightly.

No, there is no cure. It’s not like people are dying from psoriasis. Therefore I feel very fortunate that this is not cancer or blindness or loss of a limb or any of myriad illnesses and/or conditions that would be truly terrible to have to cope with.

Can we all agree that this is the end of the discussion?

Thank you.

Bliss and the Following Thereof

2010-03-06T22:00:00.003-06:00

On Monday, 1 March, I went to lunch with four girlfriends: Trish, Amy, Glynnis, and Miriam. We celebrated the end of February with laughter, discussion of books, speculation about the need for ritual among societies, and a magnificent lunch amid hopes for an early thaw.

So far the weather has been cooperating: We've had temps above freezing each day since 1 March, and this weekend it was as high as 52º (F) with a bit of gentle rain to speed the washing away of the snowy mess we've been trudging around in since early December 2009.

The knitting has been only variably cooperative, which is to say that some things have gotten done (the waffle socks and one scarf) and other things have failed miserably. I'd cast on a summer top with King Tut mercerized cotton and a smashingly magnificent idea. Unfortunately I had figured it on a gauge for using US 7 needles but I'd cast on with US 4 needles. I need my head examined. I was about 6" into the body before I figured it out. No wonder it was 4" too small around! (I kept thinking it would block out.) And then I'd cast on and ripped out a different top -- a variation of the King Tut one I was working on -- because the pattern stitch just wasn't working to my satisfaction. So I cast on again...and ripped out again. And then I did that one more time before I just put the yarn aside and admitted that what I really and truly wanted to work on was a woolen pullover for which I'd already worked out the design but had put aside thinking I'd work on it later so that its finish would be more in line with the time of year when people actually want to knit woolen pullovers.

No, that pullover wanted to be started now and the Knitting Fates were making sure I knew it. So, the woolen pullover has been started and is going along without a hitch. It's a kind of royal blue color. It's a simple stitch pattern that will finish with a lavish cable on the front.

Speaking of bliss, I've also found new enjoyment in the Three Pines series of detective fiction by Louise Penny. These feature as a protagonist Chief Inspector Armande Gamache of Montreal. Set in the present day, they still read like works of the Golden Age of detective fiction, yet with modern references and bits of humor. I've read the first five books in the series, and I'm awaiting the next as well as I can. She's a marvelous writer.

Among the Living (barely)

2010-02-14T09:24:00.002-06:00

These last two months have been the biggest challenge:

Snow
More Snow
It's even snowing today
Temps rarely even as high as freezing.
Shoulder/Neck problems (getting better, but still challenging)
Mom unexpectedly in the hospital
Mom back home, but "physical therapy" consisted of one visit and a sheet of exercises to do (great follow-up VNA - NOT!)
Husband has the blues over not being employed
Dog vomit
Cats want attention
Knitted top lost to major gauge swatch lie
Husband has bronchitis
House is a breeding ground for germs
Now I'm getting sick.

On the plus side, my "Knitting Olympics" consists of several events, of which I have completed one so far:

Sock Moguls (finishing the 2nd of a pair of waffle socks) -- DONE!
Cross-Country Sleeve Slog (finishing the sleeves of a top-down cardigan)
Figured Lace Skating (finishing up the kernel scarf, which is quite lovely)

Considering I'm near to being on the injured/sick list, I'll be surprised if I get much more than the sleeves done on the cardigan. Hmmmm.... maybe I should switch events and just knit a pair of socks again. Or a 1x1 rib scarf. Yeah, that could be good. Something that matches my nearly brainless state.

I'll be glad when winter is over!

Wise Words for Healing

2010-02-01T12:02:00.000-06:00

The pain in my neck turns out to be a “moderate” bulge of the disk between C7 & T1. It’s being managed with physical therapy and medication.

These kind words were sent by my HP friend Katie:

While you're managing the impingement, try to find time to mentally set down all those burdens you've been carrying the past year or so...get the stress and worries off your back, so to speak, and remember that there are so many offering support. think there may have been times when it seemed that you had to be responsible for [your DH’s] well being as well as your own and it's hard living lives at once.

And if you have to speak of the pain, I find it easier to think of it in lower case letters – irksome but not worthy of Capital Letters [which are] for the important stuff like Love, Kindness, Happiness, Doggies, Knitting Patterns. I've found a way of pushing it off to a remote corner of my brain to scream and carry on all it wants while I'm consciously stretching and moving myself forward.

It's amazing and bizarrely rewarding to find out how much one can overcome, but I hope your discomfort is short-lived and non-recurring. Hope you're back knitting up a storm soon.

A Pain in the Neck

2010-01-23T02:18:00.002-06:00

Last November I was having some trouble with pain down my right arm. It was thought to be an impingement of the ulnar nerve and the cause seemed to be from poor posture (rounded shoulders, chin jutting forward). My doctor gave me prescriptions for a pain killer (hydrocodone), a muscle relaxant (cyclobenzaprine), and an anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen 800 mg), plus a referral to physical therapy (Community Rehab -- magnificent people!). I took the pain killer and muscle relaxant at night because they made me tired; I took the anti-inflammatory as directed and I did my exercises and monitored my posture. All healed.

This past Tuesday I woke in the morning with sharp pain in my right scapula that also went down my arm and into my hand. I figured I just slept wrong somehow and had impinged a different nerve. I did my exercises; I even went to my workout (we modified the workout to account for the pain and possible impingement). Tuesday night I just couldn't sleep because of the continued (and now worsened) pain. It seemed to be in the trapezius muscle and near the spine, but it radiated through the scapula and down through my elbow. I took one of the leftover hydrocodone from November around 10:30 p.m. No joy. I took another one around 1:00 a.m. and put some heat on the painful part.

On Wednesday morning I called in sick to the office, then called my doctor for an appointment.

* * * * *

As an aside, I'd like to mention that I tried getting an appointment with a chiropractor. I called the place I'd gone to 2 years ago, the one that still sends emails to me on a regular (almost daily) basis. I said, "I'm in terrible pain. Can I get in to see someone this morning?" The guy who answered the phone hemmed and hawed, then said that they weren't seeing anyone until the afternoon. I hung up. Then I called a 2nd place which had been recommended by a friend. I said the same thing ("I'm in terrible pain; can I get in to see someone this morning?"). The lady who answered hemmed and hawed and said that the doctors were all preparing to go out of town. I told her that this was not my problem and I hung up. I called a third place, said the same thing, and the lady who answered hemmed and hawed and hemmed and hawed, so I finally hung up. Later that morning I happened to see my original chiropractor and when I told him I'd tried to get in that morning he said (with a huge grin of satisfaction), "Oh, yes, we had a seminar this morning! It was great!" They all are now on my list of places never to call if I have a problem. I'll be sending each one of them a letter of explanation of how they managed to lose a customer.

* * * * *

So, I got in to see my doctor at 10:00 a.m. He gave me new prescriptions for all of the above, plus another referral to Community Rehab for physical therapy. I got into Community Rehap at 1:00 p.m. for an appointment. As usual, they were wonderful -- moist heat packs, "E-STIM" and more exercises (these for median nerve impingement). And then I went to my part-time job. Wednesday night I did my exercises, took my meds, and went to sleep.

Thursday morning I had another session at Community Rehab before going to my full-time job. The therapeutic measures managed to keep the pain at bay until about 1:00 p.m. when it came back full force. I did my exercises to no avail. I spent the rest of the day just trying to manage the pain without drugs. After work I went to see the amazing J for some gratuitous massage.

@ @ @ @ @

As an aside, the amazing J is a licensed massage therapist. He's serious about what he does. He doesn't need to burn incense or play new-age music while he works (you can do that yourself if you like, but it's not what he carries around in his massage therapy bag). He approaches his work as would a physical therapist. He keeps up on the latest information and techniques, and he's not swayed by a lot of psychobabble.

@ @ @ @ @

So, J did a bit of massage, and it helped until about 9:30 p.m. So, I did my exercises and took my meds, then I tried to sleep. No joy. I took another hydrocodone and added heat. No luck. I slept all of about 3 hours.

Friday morning I woke at 4:00 a.m. in pain. I let the dog out then went into the office (I just as well get paid, right?) and did the best I could to catch up on stuff. I called my doctor's office at 10:00 a.m. to let him know that the meds didn't seem to be working. The nurse (from my doc's office) called back to say that there was a prescription for a stronger pain medicine waiting for me at the office. So, I left work early, picked up the prescription, and then I went home. The new script (for oxycodone) helped me to sleep but it did nothing for the pain. I had a 3:00 p.m. appointment for more physical therapy. This is the first time that the therapy didn't work. I was in more pain when I left. So, I reported this to my doctor's office and was told they'd set up an appointment for an MRI.

And then I got a call from the nurse (Donna) at my doc's office. She said, "We can't get you scheduled for an MRI, so you should go to an emergency room and they'll get you jumped ahead of the line. If they have questions they can just call us."

OK. I went to one of the two hospitals she recommended. They did all of the paperwork, took me back to an exam room where I repeated all of the above (except for the asides). I was told, "I'm so sorry, but that's just not how it works. We can't give you anything stronger than they did, and we can't schedule an MRI." On top of that, I was seen by a PA (physician's assistant -- not a real doctor) who not only repeated that there was nothing they could do for me, but she said, "You have to give the therapy more time. We can't just schedule an MRI. I wouldn't do that anyway. I think this is all muscular, not nerve-related."

At this point I was ready to scream. But I didn't. I said that I just as well leave.

"Oh, no, we can still do something for the pain."

Huh? I thought you just said there was nothing you could do for me?!!!!!

They gave me an injection of something (it sounded like Deletol, but I know that's not right) and then a prescription for Valium because, in the opinion of the PA, the cyclobenzaprine was worthless as a muscle relaxant.

Whatever if was they injected me with took the edge off the pain but didn't take it away. It also made my head kind of fuzzy. At any rate, it wore off in 3 hours. I took one of the Valium as directed. It wore off in 6 hours. Now I'm awake and in pain, plus I have a migraine.

Is it healthcare reform that we need in this country, or is it communication reform? I can't believe the the odyssey I've been through in the past couple of days -- people who don't understand the words, "I'm in terrible pain and I need help;" nurses with the misguided notion that I'd get an MRI if I went to an ER; PAs who think they are gods -- and in the end I'm still in pain.

Ghost of Charka

2010-01-16T09:38:00.002-06:00

I found this on LOL Dog site and I did, indeed, LOL. That dog looks just like our Charka! But Charka never jumped in my lap like that. She would get really close to me (especially during a thunderstorm), but never would sit on me.
see more dog and puppy pictures

What size are your knitting needles today?

2010-01-10T21:03:00.004-06:00

I got an email from a Facebook friend telling me that I should write the color of my bra as my status. (It was "nearly nude" that day -- fun color!) No one knows exactly where it started, but what might have started out as another case of "slactivism" turned into a news story that did, indeed, raise awareness of breast cancer and the importance of screening. Only through Facebook, I think, could something go viral and capture national (and international) attention.

So, I'm wondering whether we should try to raise awareness of knitting by constantly posting the size of our needles for whatever project we're working on today. We'll say we're doing it to raise awareness of . . . carpal tunnel syndrome. Yep, that'll be a good one! :)

My Guys

2010-01-10T21:02:00.000-06:00

A gratuitous picture of my cat-guys, Nip (grey) and Tuck.

Parhelia

2010-01-08T01:48:00.004-06:00

Click on the image to see it larger.

Sun dogs (parhelia) about 8:30 a.m. on 7 Jan 2010.

Damn, it's cold!

My Weasley Twins

2010-01-06T20:06:00.004-06:00

Yes, the school scarves are done and much loved! They were knit with Berroco Comfort (worsted weight) so they are very easy care for my college-dorm nephews.

For the record, they are *not* twins, but they are just as sweet and as fun as Fred and George Weasley!

I Don't Want to Go to School Tomorrow!

2010-01-03T20:32:00.002-06:00

Despite the snow and the surgery, the past two weeks have been really great. I've had time off from both of my jobs, plenty of time to just read or work puzzles or knit or sleep or play computer games. Oh, this has been heavenly!

Tomorrow it all ends. Tomorrow is back to the grind. Tomorrow is back to the full-time job and the workout. Tuesday and Wednesday I work both jobs. Thursday is just the full-time job; Friday is both again. The weekend will be all about putting away the Christmas tree and decorations, catching up on laundry, and knitting to a deadline at the end of the month.

Tomorrow it is just cold and snow. There will be no pretty lights, no presents, no cheeriness of the season despite the uncooperative weather. It will all be a pain. It will be cold cars and slippery roads and impassible walks and good-luck-finding-a-parking-place-because-of-the-snow.

Oh, yuck. This is going to take a supreme effort of will to have a good outlook. (Quick -- somebody open the bottle of Happy Pills and grind them into my coffee!)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T23:49:00.001-06:00

I seem to recall that the blogosphere tradition on the first day of the new year (or was it to be the last day of the old year?) was to make a post that consists of the first sentences of the first post for each month of the previous year.

This is basically what I've been doing.

We've had a fairly mild winter compare to other years.

I was sitting and knitting one afternoon at my LYS (String of Purls).

I don't know whether you have this saying on your side of the pond, but over here it's kind of popular: "Put on your Big Girl Panties [knickers] and deal with it."

Done at last!

OK, I've signed up for Secret Pal 14 and that means I've got to post at least once per week here.

Find the Knitting Survey here.

I've broken my self-imposed rule of No New Projects and started in on scarves for my oldest brother's two sons.

This is a mitten I've started knitting from the handspun that my lovely, no-longer-secret pal Mia sent to me in the second package.

The photo is looking west from my back yard last night (Hallowe'en).

This article (link) is from the Omaha World-Herald about a day-care worker who knit 85 pairs of mittens for little kids.

Knitting Diplomacy

2009-12-29T18:32:00.002-06:00

I always have some knitting with me. Usually it's the "no-brainer" knitting project, something I can work out without having to look at it much, something easy to remember (no looking at the pattern). Usually it's a scarf. I've been turning out those 1x1 rib scarves fast and furiously of late just because they are the perfect no-brainer of a scarf to work.

So, Monday morning I went to a hospital for an outpatient procedure. As usual, I had my knitting along (a 1x1 rib scarf that's for a guy in my office, knit from Paton's SWS). The gals at the check-in desk were fascinated. I explained to them that it was a combination of 70% wool and 30% soy, plus it was self-striping. They wanted to adopt me.

This is great. People are fascinated with the knitting. Even if they have knit a washcloth and nearly brag that they couldn't do anything so complicated as a 1x1 rib scarf, they are fascinated by the work and how it all comes out. They become your friends because, after all, you just might decide to knit a scarf for them, right? Well, perhaps not, but these people do become quite friendly and want to talk to you a lot about what you're doing.

Therefore, I think all world leaders need to learn to knit. Yes, they'd still argue over little things like whether to use circular or straight needles, whether the intarsia knitter is more accomplished than the Fair Isle knitter, whether to pick or the throw the stitches -- but at least they'd actually accomplish something constructive in the midst of their constant bickering over nuclear weapons, shady election practices, global warming, and religious zealotry. (And that's just the USA!)

The trouble is that if I (or anyone else) were to send knitting needles to the president or anyone in the cabinet, I (or we) would likely be prosecuted for sending potentially deadly weapons.

Now, I know knitting is powerful, but that would be 'way overreacting! :)

Prezzies!

2009-12-25T12:56:00.003-06:00

I photographed this yesterday in the afternoon. I like the tree inside (left) mirrored by its cousin outside.

We slept until about 4:am when my DH awoke with a bit of stomach upset. I watched a bit of television, then went back to bed around 6:30 a.m. When I finally awoke about 5 hours later, we opened presents.

My DH got me

I'm going to go and play with my toys now! :)

Rather Snowed In

2009-12-25T12:48:00.005-06:00

The view of our deck (just off the dining area). That peak of snow is about 5' tall.

The rest of the deck is buried about 3' deep in snow all over.

This is on the south side of the house. The front of the house, which faces north, has no snow drifts to speak of.

Happy and Warm

2009-12-24T10:26:00.002-06:00

Well, it's a cold and snowy day before Christmas. I've finally cleaned up the living room enough to get a photo of the Christmas tree. You need to click on the photo to see it larger. Most of the ornaments are hand made (the crocheted snowflakes were done by one of my maternal aunts) or else in a folk style.

My DH made bread pudding for breakfast. He topped it with chunks of pears sautéed in a cinnemon spiced maple sauce. There's enough for breakfast tomorrow morning as well.

I cleaned up the dining table so that we could have a nice little breakfast. Nice to have all of the Christmas cards and bills and notices cleaned up from the table so that it could be only for eating!

We opened one gift each this morning. I had him open the present containing the down-filled gloves and the Polartec® underwear. He'll need it in this weather. He gave me a pop-up book of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, thus combining two of my great pleasures in one -- a love of design and a love of pop-up books! :)

We are taking it easy today. The storm is moving in more slowly than expected, but it is moving in nonetheless. With the delay in arrival, it is certain we'll have snow the remainder of today and through tomorrow night, so there's no hope of going out. Still, we are happy and warm, and there's not much more you can ask for than that.

"Cancel Christmas!"

2009-12-23T19:54:00.005-06:00

Dear Mandella,

The weather forecasters have been predicting a very nasty winter storm for us since this past weekend. It's a slow-moving system that starts with rain and freezing rain (which we have today) that will turn to snow and dump anywhere from 7" to 15" on us over the next two days. All plans for Christmas Eve or Christmas day are changing as the dire predictions come true. Many churches canceled any services or events that were scheduled for tonight on account of the threat of ice (a very real possibility given that the temperature drops below freezing when the sun goes down); it's likely that service for the 24th and 25th will be canceled as well.

We are scheduled to work at least 4 hours tomorrow (President Obama gave all federal workers 4 hours off with pay on the 24th), but if the weather looks threatening I will take 4 hours of leave and not go in. I don't need to drive 15 miles to work, then have to turn around and come back when they decide it's bad enough that we should get to go home early.

So, this means more knitting time is available, at least in theory. I also need to get some laundry done and I'd like to tidy up the dining room so that my DH and I can have a nice place to eat a dinner (instead of in front of the television) or at least breakfast on Christmas day. Plus, my DH has asked me to help him with cooking tomorrow. That means I'll be on hand to find things for him (he puts them away after cleaning them, but he can never find them later), to do some clean up, to help with peeling vegetables or whatever. I really don't cook. I mean, I can follow a recipe, but I just don't have the instinct that so many do.

I've finished all of the Christmas knitting already, truth be told. I don't need to get anything else done for that. But I'm working on a couple of patterns that are being re-jigged for KnitPicks. One of the tops is about halfway done; the other is a major re-work because the gauge is different. Plus, the person who is getting it is going to require the garment with a 42" finished chest, which is bigger than the original test garment which had only a 36" chest. I'm trying to get these done before Jan 31st.

Somewhere in there I've promised myself that I will catalog all of my UFOs and list them on my Ravelry site so that I can keep track of what needs to be done. Have you noticed how often you can put aside a project with every intention of picking it up again in a few weeks, only to discover that it's been 3 years? No wonder we call our unfinished objects UFOs -- they go into some sort of eerie time warp once we have to stop working on them for a bit.

Oooh, did you see the great cartoon over at The Pantopticon? Knitters are pleading with the Pope for extra time to get things done before Christmas. Who knew such an appeal would bring us at least 2 extra days on account of a winter storm?

Hope you're safe and warm. I'll try to give you a call on Christmas day.

Love and hugs,

Judith

More Gauge Lies

2009-12-12T09:29:00.006-06:00

Click on the images to see them larger. This is why it's important to wash and dry your gauge swatch before determining gauge. The swatch was worked in pattern on US 4 needles; it was machine-washed (as per instructions) and laid flat to dry. Row gauge shrunk (from 9 rows per inch to about 8.5 rows per inch) and stitch gauge expanded from about 6.5 sts per inch to 6 sts per inch).

Winter Solstice Swap Package

2009-12-12T09:08:00.003-06:00

Many thanks to jennspeng on Ravelry for this lovely Winter Solstice Swap package. (Click on it to see it larger.) It contained several items with the initial J on them (including a lovely little box and a set of notes), dog treats in a winter-themed tin along with a dog toy, a knitting journal with a cover by Franklin Habit of the Panopticon (see link at left to his blog), a book for knitting star ornaments, "Believe" in rhinestone stickers (I'm still deciding where I'll use this), a cool coffee mug (it says YO K1 on the handle and inside) and two skeins of corn yarn in a lovely violet color!

Thank you, thank you, Jenn! This was lovely!

The Kosher Kowboys Ride Again

2009-12-11T19:13:00.000-06:00

Happy Hannukkah, Buckeroos & Buckerettes!

War on Knitting

2009-12-10T23:00:00.003-06:00

If I read the little maps correctly, we had 12.4" of snow in my area after this recent storm blew through. For me it meant two days home from work, which I enjoyed. I rested my Knitter's/Tennis Elbow somewhat, but mainly I did the exercises the doctor gave me and I kept knitting. (The doctor knew that a prescription of "complete rest" just wouldn't work for me. This injury is common both to knitting and working at the computer.)

I've been reading about the development of the English language. Nothing seriously academic -- I have textbooks for that -- but a delightful little book called Righting the Mother Tongue by David Wolman. It is as much about intelligence as it is about ignorance, as much about politics as it is about grassroots organization.

But as I read it I think about all of the people who get all hung up about the King James Version of the Bible being the only "authoritative" translation. These people usually know so little about English to begin with, and even less about the pitfalls of translation, to say nothing of spelling. Apparently there was a sort of vanity about some of the early spelling practices, one being a desire to make words look slightly foreign so as to increase their perceived value. It would be as simple as adding a final "e" to "old" (thus making "olde"). It's the same sort of vanity about Bible translations, almost as if the KJV has greater perceived value because of the use of "thee" and "thou" and "hath" and "doth."

(To be sure, I have at times an affinity for that language. Psalm 90 in the KJV begins, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth or ever thou hadst formed the earth, even from everlasting to everlasting thou art God." The very sound of the words adds power to the verses.)

Oddly enough, there is a sort of perceived value among knitters for certain things, but it's a bit less easy to pinpoint. Sometimes it is perceived that Continental style knitting (in which the working yarn is held in the left hand and "picked" with the right needle) has greater value -- not because it's a more efficient method of making a stitch but because it's somehow a designation of a better or at least more accomplished knitter. And then there is the cache of lace knitting, which seems to have it's own hierarchy of value. Granted, it's no mean feat to stitch a piece of cobweb lace, but it seems rather silly that the person who can do this is somehow a better knitter than one who can work Fair Isle and other stranded knitting projects.

If you enjoy the work, then knit as it pleases you and with whichever techniques you like. This isn't an Elizabethan Age; it's not worth it to make every personal choice in knitting a political issue the way religion was in the time of Shakespeare.

As we enter the annual "War on Christmas" (no thanks to Bill O'Reilly) and the annual period of stress-knitting-for-Christmas, I think it would be best if we gave it all a rest and just enjoyed our many blessings.

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2009-12-08T23:14:00.003-06:00

Dear Mandella,

We're in the midst of a major winter storm. It looks like we have about 9 inches of snow on the ground at the moment, and more is pouring on.

I was home from work on Monday due to being ill (stomach virus), and then today I was sort of OK and sort of not, but I didn't go anywhere on account of the weather.

The good news is that I finished the last of my Christmas knitting (a scarf for a nephew). As I was going through and organizing my knitting nest I found four balls of a soy/wool blend that I'm knitting into a simple scarf just for the sake of having some no-brainer knitting at hand.

The bad news is that I seem to have developed "tennis elbow" or some such tendonitis from a combination of lots of knitting and lots of computer work (i.e., using the mouse). My doctor said to rest it for 2 - 3 weeks. Is he crazy or what? :)

Hope you're warm & happy.

Love,

Judith

Grandma Knits Mittens

2009-12-06T11:23:00.002-06:00

This article (link) is from the Omaha World-Herald about a day-care worker who knit 85 pairs of mittens for little kids. Inspiring! :)

Socks Done

2009-11-29T10:53:00.002-06:00

I completed the Nubby Socks for my husband. As he'd already read on the blog that these were for him, and because I've been nervous about getting the size just right, I gave them to him last night. OK, that and I'd screwed up how I did the stitching on the toe decreases. I was working the 1x1 rib through some of the toe decreases, then changing to straight stockinette stitch. So, the 2nd sock as this short little bit in stockinette stitch on the toe whereas the 1st sock has a larger bit. Oh, well.

I'd gotten a bag of 10 balls of the Patternworks Bretton in navy. It was a great deal. I'll get 3 - 4 pairs of socks from these (each ball is 50 grams and it takes a little more than 2.5 balls of this yarn to get a sock done). The Bretton is a superwash wool with nylon so it should be durable.

Of course, I've started 3 or 4 other projects while I was working on these socks. I have more ideas than I have hands or time. Anyway, I'm thinking of trying to get another pair done for him before Christmas, but I'm not sure that's realistic. I need to finish up the scarf for my other nephew; it's past the halfway point, but I need to kick some yarny butt to get it done.

Thanksgiving Feast

2009-11-26T20:00:00.002-06:00

OK, I'm stuffed. Officially.

Here's a recipe for Parmesan Crescent Rolls that my sister J brought over. Actually, she mixed the dough ahead and then baked them at my mom's. They come out very flat (not fluffy like dinner rolls) but they are heavenly!

She also made a very light and tasty whole wheat roll (I think that's the recipe, but if I'm wrong I'll adjust it with an amendment to this post).

My husband made two pork roasts. One was wrapped in bacon, the other was stuffed with apricots. But when he roasted the meat, he had it resting on a bed of small potatoes, baby carrots, chopped up parsnips, and apples that had been lightly tossed with canola oil. He got the idea from a recipe he found somewhere (it had you roasting a chicken on top of these veggies).

He also made sour cream pecan pie (a recipe from the Farmhouse Cookbook). My sister M made pumpkin pie.

*burp*

Nubby Socks (for men)

2009-11-23T17:40:00.004-06:00

These socks were made for my husband who likes to wear socks with his sandals, even in winter. Socks are knit from the top down and utilize a simple rib pattern over the top of the foot which allows for extra padding/comfort because that part of the foot is exposed while wearing sandals. The “Nubby Texture” pattern stitch is from Nancy Bush’s Knitting Vintage Socks.

Needle Size: US 4 / 3.5 mm (use dpns or circulars)

Yarn: 3 balls Patternworks Bretton (70% superwash wool, 25% nylon, 5% alpaca), 145 yd / 133 m per 1.75 oz / 50 gr ball.

Gauge: 26 sts & 32 rows Stockinette stitch = 4” / 10 cm

Sizes: CYCA Men’s Sock Sizes 10 / 11 / 12 / 14

Finished Measurements of Sample: 8” from top of sock to heel flap; 11” long; about 8” around (unstretched) –Men’s Sock Size 12.

Pattern Stitches:

NUBBY TEXTURE
Rnds 1 & 2 – K all sts
Rnd 3 – 1x1 rib

1X1 RIB
*K1, P1* repeat to the end

Start Knitting Here:

Cast On: 48 / 54 / 60 / 66 sts. Work 1x1 rib for 12 rounds.

Rnd 13: Begin Nubby Texture pattern stitch and work 15 / 16 / 18 / 19 times (45 / 48 / 54 / 57 rounds) – or as many as you prefer until sock is about 1” above where the heel flap is to begin.

Rnd 58 / 61 / 67 / 70: Work 2 rnds of K all sts (to balance the Nubby Texture pattern stitch).

Rnd 60 / 63 / 69 / 72: Work 8 rnds of 1x1 rib.

HEEL FLAP:
For sizes 10 and 12 only, move 1st stitch back to last needle (1st stitch of the round is now the last stitch of the round; 2nd stitch of the round is now the 1st stitch of the round). Work heel flap back and forth over first 23 / 27 / 29 / 33 sts as follows:

Row 1 (RS): *sl 1, K1* repeat to the last stitch, end K 1. (The slipped stitches are aligned with the purl stitches of the 1x1 rib just preceding). Turn work.

Row 2 (WS): sl 1, P to the end. Turn work. Work these two rows until there are 12 / 13 / 15 / 16 slipped stitches on each side of the heel flap. End after working a wrong side row.

TURN HEEL:

Set-up row 1 (RS): sl 1, K 14 / 16 / 17 / 19, ssk, K1. Turn work.

Set-up row 2 (WS): sl 1, P 6, P2tog, P1. Turn work. '

Now repeat the following two rows until all sts on each side have been worked, ending after a wrong side row:

Heel Turn Row 1 (RS): sl 1, K to 1 st before the gap, ssk (one st from ea side of the gap), K1. Turn work.

Heel Turn Row 2 (WS): sl 1, P to 1 st before the gap, P2tog (one st from ea side of the gap), P1. Turn work.

NOTE: On sizes 12 and 14 you will end the last two iterations of these rows as ssk and P2tog, respectively. That’s OK.

Sts rem after heel turn: 15 / 17 / 17 / 19

GUSSET & FOOT:

With right side (i.e., outside of the sock) facing, K all sts of heel flap, then pick up and knit 12 / 13/ 15 / 16 sts along the heel flap, then work 1x1 rib on the 25 / 27 / 31 / 37 sts of the instep/top of foot, then pickup and knit the same number of sts along the other side of the heel flap.

Arrange these 64 / 70 / 78 / 84 sts on needles as follows:

For dpns —
Needle 1 = 20 / 22 / 24 / 26 sts (sole)
Needle 2 = 25 / 27 / 31 / 33 sts (instep)
Needle 3 = 19 / 21 / 23 / 25 sts (sole)

For 2 circulars —
Needle 1 = 39 / 43 / 47 / 51 sts (sole)
Needle 2 = 25 / 27 / 31 / 33 sts (instep)

Working the sole/bottom-of-foot sts in stockinette stitch (K all sts) and the instep/top-of-foot in 1x1 rib, decrease 2 sts every other round as follows:

For dpns —

Rnd 1 (decrease round): K to 3 sts before the end of Ndl 1, K2 tog, K1; work 1x1 rib across all sts on Ndl 2; then K1, ssk, and K to the end of all sts on Ndl 3

Rnd 2 (regular round): K all sts on Ndl 1; work 1x1 rib across all sts on Ndl 2; K all sts on Ndl 3.

For 2 circulars —

Rnd 1 (decrease round, starting from the center of the sts on that needle): K to 3 sts before the end of Ndl 1, K2 tog, K1; work 1x1 rib across all sts on Ndl 2; then work the first half of the sts on Ndl 1 as K1, ssk, and K to the center.

Rnd 2 (regular round, starting from the center of the sts on that needle): K sts of Ndl 1; work 1x1 rib across all sts on Ndl 2; then K the first half of the sts on Ndl 1.

Work these 2 rounds until there are 25 / 27 / 31 / 33 sole sts (50 / 54 / 62 / 66 total sts).

NOTE: For sizes 10 and 12 you have 2 more sts total than you started with, but it’s OK because the ribbing on the instep/top-of-foot is pulling together any slack.

Then continue working the foot sts without decreases until it measures 7.5 / 8.5 / 9 / 9.5 inches from the beginning of the heel turn (or until it’s 2” – 2.5” less than the total length).

TOE DECREASES:

For dpns —

Rnd 1 (decrease round):
Needle 1: K to 3 sts before the end 1, K2 tog, K1
Needle 2: K1, ssk, K to 3 sts before the end 1, K2 tog, K1
Needle 3: K1, ssk, K to the end

Rnd 2 (regular round): K all sts.

For 2 circulars —

Rnd 1 (decrease round):
Needle 1: K1, ssk, K to 3 sts before the end 1, K2 tog, K1
Needle 2: K1, ssk, K to 3 sts before the end 1, K2 tog, K1

Rnd 2 (regular round): K all sts.

Work these 2 rounds until there are 26 / 26 / 30 / 34 sts remaining, then work only the decrease rounds until there are about 14 sts remaining.

Graft (kitchener stitch) the opening; work in ends.

My Life in Projects

2009-11-22T15:01:00.002-06:00

Socks for Ed (a Christmas present)

These are knit on US 4 from Patternworks Bretton yarn. I used the nubby stitch pattern (K all sts for 2 rounds then 1x1 rib for 1 round) I found in Nancy Bush's Vintage Socks book, then changed to 1x1 rib about an inch from the heel flap. The rest of it is worked with stockinette stitch on the bottom of the foot and 1x1 rib on top. My husband likes to wear sandals, so putting the ribbing on the top of the foot will keep that part a little warmer in the winter. I've just started the toe decreases on the first sock.

Kernel Scarf from Knitty.com

A clever and fun foray into lacy knitting.

Kashmir Mittens for me!

Knit on US 4 needles from Prism Kashmir. I'll post the pattern later.

College Scarf for a nephew.
1x1 rib, knit with Berocco Comfort.

Feather & Fan Scarf

Knit with Jojoland Ballade (black) and a Prism kid mohair (Embers, I think the colorway is called) on US 10.5 needles. I thought I'd never get this one going. It took forever to figure out the best needle size, and there's no ripping back mohair because it catches on itself.

Top-Down Cardigan

This is from a Knitting Pure & Simple pattern and worked in Cascade Pastaza Paints on US 9 needles. I added in a bit of lace because I had to break up the monotony of the stockinette stitch. This was originally for my sister Mary, but it's too heavy for her considering where she lives. I might give it to my sister in Canada.

Yarnia

2009-11-17T19:58:00.001-06:00

I just knew it was a real place!
see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Deep, Dark Sky

2009-11-01T10:10:00.005-06:00

Dear Mandella,

The photo is looking west from my back yard last night (Hallowe'en). I turned off the flash and propped the camera on the deck, but the image is still a touch blurred -- the hazard of not having a tripod -- but you can see how well a digital camera captures light and the depth of color in the sky, unlike a film camera that needs special filters and aperture adjustments.

I am glad that Hallowe'en is finally over. It's not my favorite of the popular holidays, not because I think it's "satanic" or "demonic" (despite the blatherings of Pope Benedict) but because I've just never been a fan of horror films and ghoulish costumes as some people are. I admit it: I like Christmas and Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day -- those holidays that in general people like to celebrate with joy and love.

This past week I've been working on a pair of socks to give to my dear hubby for Christmas. I'm knitting them from Mountain Colors' Bearfoot sock yarn, which is a blend of 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, and 15% nylon, and it's about sport weight. I purchased this skein a few years ago when we were in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The colorway is a deep, rich blue, but it's called "Purple Mountains." The pattern stitch is from one of the Barbara Walker collections. It's called "Seaweed" and it's a simple knit/purl combination. I'm working it up on US 2 (2.75 mm) and it's going quickly. Believe me, I had a hard time tearing myself away even to write this blog. I love it when something works!

Seaweed Stitch (multiple of 6 sts, worked in the round):
Rnds 1 & 2: *P4, K2*

Rnds 3 & 4: *P3, K3*

Rnds 5 & 6: *P2, K4*

Rnds 7 & 8: P1, (K4, P2) to last 5 sts, end K4, P1

Rnds 9 & 10: P1, (K3, P3) to last 5 sts, end K3, P2
Rnds 11 & 12: P1, (K2, P4) to last 5 sts, end K2, P3

When it's over the instep you have to add 1 purl stitch at the end to balance the pattern.

Here's the thing that's getting to me, though: I don't want to stop knitting it. I don't want to clean up my livingroom, I don't want to change the sheets on the bed, I don't want to do laundry, I don't want to go over to my mom's and sew, I don't want to go to work tomorrow, I don't want to do anything but knit and knit and knit. It's my refuge, an ordered and beautiful little world of one stitch after another, of silky yarn, of deep dark blue like the sky. That's where I want to live right now.

I'm having trouble getting the annual Christmas letter together. You've seen my previous ones, the successfully amusing missives about our otherwise mundane lives. I usually love writing these, but this year it's hard. What is there to say that hasn't been said? I'm working a lot, I'm knitting a lot, Ed still doesn't have a job, but we're happy and the pets are silly.

Perhaps it is the repetition of these details that I am trying to escape. Let's face it: the repetition of knitting patterns is boring on the surface, but it's a short enough repeat that we can see the pattern as a whole in our minds so the exercise of it is an exciting adventure as we watch it grow under our hands. Life, on the other hand, doesn't seem so exciting. The repeat of each week -- perhaps it's too long of a run? -- is wearing, and it's hard to see the whole in my mind.
Maybe what I need to do is to start knitting one of those huge lace shawls. It will be more like life as it really is: tediously long sections of pattern repeats that seem to go on forever.

Sorry. I don't mean to be depressing. Time to get off the cross (somebody else needs the wood, after all). My life is really blessed if I have the luxury of putting off housework in order to indulge in knitting a pair of socks which, after all, could be bought for maybe $3 per pair instead of what I paid for that skein of yarn.

Yep, I'm OK. I'm ready to head out into this day after all.

Hugs and good knitting to you!

Judith

Gauge Lies

2009-10-28T08:52:00.002-05:00

At left is a top-down pullover knit on US 17 needles. The pattern called for Brown Sheep "Burly Spun" yarn and a gauge of 8 sts to 4" in stockinette stitch on US 17 needles.

I held together three strands of worsted weight yarn and knit a swatch of stockingette stitch on US 17 needles. I got 7 sts to 4". I figured the looseness was due to knitting back and forth (instead of in the round), so I soldiered on.

When I checked gauge again (which was when I was nearing the point of holding off sts for the sleeves), I was astounded to discover I was getting 8.5 sts to 4". Thus, a pullover that was meant to be 46" around (finished measurement) turned out to be about 42" around. (It should have been about 40.8" around by stitch count, but that didn't happen, either.)

I am flummoxed. I am finishing the pullover -- it's using up odd balls of yarn in the stash and God knows it will fit someone -- but this is driving me a bit nuts.

I am, however, rather proud of the color transitions, all of which are accomplished with changing out the various strands of yarn held together.

School Scarves

2009-10-21T16:35:00.003-05:00

Finished measurement: about 5.25” wide x 72” long (but you can make it longer if you like)

Berroco® Comfort worsted weight (3.5 oz / 100 g; 210 yd / 193 m): 2 balls of main color (MC), 1 ball of contrast color (CC)

NOTE: There will be enough left over to make a hat, so if you plan to do two scarves I’d go with just 3 balls of the main color and perhaps only 1 ball of the contrast color. I made one scarf for a nephew at University of Iowa (gold and black) and a scarf for a nephew at Iowa State University (red and gold), so I bought 2 balls of gold, 2 balls of red, and one ball of black. There was only red and black yarn leftover.

US 7 needles (straight or circular, whichever you prefer)

Gauge is about 20 sts and 24 rows to 4” square in stockinette stitch. It’s not terribly important because when you knit in 1 x 1 rib it ends up looking like flat stockinette stitch except that it won’t curl. In 1 x 1 rib, I get 30 sts (counting each knit stitch as 2) and 24 rows to 4” square.

START KNITTING HERE:

Cast on 40 sts with CC. Work 36 rows of 1 x 1 rib (K1, P1).

Change to MC. Work 2 rows of 1x1 rib in MC and 2 rows of 1x1 rib in CC until you have 18 bands of each color (72 more rows).

Next, work 1 x 1 rib in the MC only. When the whole scarf (laid flat and no stretching) measures 36 inches long (or whatever is half of the length you plan to knit it), mark that row as the halfway point, then keep working 1 x 1 rib in the MC until you can fold the scarf at the halfway point and it meets the stripe section.

Repeat the stripe section: Change to CC. Work 2 rows of 1x1 rib in CC and 2 rows of 1x1 rib in MC until you have 18 bands of each color (72 more rows).

Finish with 36 rows of 1 x 1 rib in the CC.

(PS - Thank you to Mark N. at my office who kindly modeled this scarf for me. He has a nice neck for modeling scarves.)

Bind off (helps to do it in pattern) and work in the ends.

Where I've Been

2009-10-18T23:49:00.001-05:00

Here's a fun little ap:

visited 22 states (44%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

Happy Dog

2009-10-18T23:37:00.001-05:00

Chance, the irrepressibly content black Labrador,

at the dog park.

Aaah, Picture Uploads Successful.

2009-10-18T23:35:00.000-05:00

The Leg Warmers

The Shawl

The convertible mittens

Start-itis or Addiction?

2009-10-18T14:57:00.002-05:00

Blogger is having some problems, else I'd have uploaded some photos. Suffice it to say that I'm in the midst of a zillion projects once again, and none of them are the projects already on my overly long list of UFOs.

I finished a scarf for one of my nephews and have started in on a similar one for his brother, but no pictures for now since these are to be Christmas gifts.

In other news, I tried and tried and tried to knit a cardigan for my sister M but ended up pulling out all of my work several times because the yarn wasn't cooperating. It's a cotton/silk/acrylic blend. I've started up a simple shawl with it now and it's behaving quite nicely. It's a project started just to prove it can be done; now it will be set aside while I finish my Christmas list of projects.

Another started project is a blanket from worsted weight wool. I have some odd balls of yarn around. I tried several things with it -- mitered squares, pattern stitches -- and in the end it just wanted to be knit as single strands on US 7 needles. Egad, I hate when the yarn starts acting up! Yarn isn't supposed to be so bitchy and demanding!

One project in progress (finally!) is a pair of leg warmers for my friend Dr. T. I was going to knit kilt hose for her, then realized she'd never really wear them for competition. I was going to knit socks for her, but after she and I talked about it what she'd really like are leg warmers. Thus, they're in progress. I'm using the good old standby, the waffle stitch (texture, plus it's easy to keep track of the pattern) and I'm knitting it from leftover balls of KFI Cashmarino (about the same as Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in weight and composition). They're a lovely color of blue.

The Mrs. Gardiner gauntlet gloves have been frogged yet again. I'm just not satisfied with the pattern yet. All I know is that I want a claw cable going up the thumb. The hard part is figuring out what will go with that without numbing my brain.

Oh, and I've made excellent progress on the mittens with the yarn from my adorable and no-longer-Secret Pal, Mia. She sent some handspun that I've combined with a bit of Lamb's Pride worsted. They are becoming a pair of convertible mittens. The first is finished and the second is in progress (nearly done with the thumb gore increases).

And, after all of this, I had a lovely photo of my dog Chance.

But the Blogger software just isn't cooperating at the moment. Dang.

I've Been Busy

2009-10-04T18:39:00.004-05:00

Here's me working on it at my mom's house on the living room floor.

This took at lot of planning.

Detail of the phoenix center by maxecat.

Detail of the "stars" (sorry that it's a little bent here)

The Myth & Magic Quilt Top (about 76" square at this point)
Dragon by samtibbs. Unicorn by judyqeen. Phoenix by maxecat.
Spiderweb and potions by PotionMistress.
Potions by auntj.

Secret Pal Revealed!

2009-10-01T19:09:00.002-05:00

This is a mitten I've started knitting from the handspun that my lovely, no-longer-secret pal Mia sent to me in the second package. I started it off with some Lamb's Pride worsted, then went right to the lovely yarn she sent to me. These will be convertable mittens.

And here is the "reveal" package Mia sent: another cool bag (the cotton bag with the bird printed on it in pale green), two more handspun yarns, a lavender-scented candle, a little coin purse (which will likely hold my knitting markers -- you never know) filled with candies, and (I can hardly believe I'm writing this) a pair of socks! I am ever so magnificently spoiled by this last especially. No one has ever knit a pair of socks for me, so I felt absolutely overwhelmed. If ever Mia draws your name as a secret pal, prepare to be spoiled out of your mind!

Thank you, Mia! You are a lovely and kind knitting pal. I'll post pix of the mittens when they're done, and I might knit a hat with the other yarns. I don't know. Anything can happen, you know! :)

Bite Me, Baby!

2009-09-23T20:24:00.002-05:00

Ooooh, you've got to run over to The Bite Me Kitchen for some great recipes! I just printed off a great one for stuffed acorn squash (thank you, Auntie Meemo!).

Another UFO Completed!

2009-09-19T09:59:00.001-05:00

Socks:

Pair of socks (2 at the same time) from the toe up (about 3 inches in) on US 1.
Pair of red socks for my SIL Deb on US 2. ---DONE!!!!!!!!!!!
Pair of waffle socks on US 1 in sparkly Berroco sock yarn. First one is done; second one isn't started yet.
Pair of socks on US 1 worked in hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and a funky honeycomb sort of pattern. I'm losing interest already.
Pair of socks from the toe up (just one at a time) in Dream in Color with silver. -- FROGGED
Pair of socks for a college-bound nephew in Lisa Souza sport Merino superwash in the Mars Quake colorway. Worked in a simple 2 x 2 rib and 2 x 2 garter rib. Worked on US 2. -- DONE!!!!
Second Raindrop Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn in the Mardi Gras colorway (first sock was knit as a sample; it's about time I get the second one done).
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn (Appassionato colorway). Again, the first one was knit as a sample.
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from a ball of Cash Vero DK. Still again, the first one was knit as a sample.
The second of a pair of socks from Cascade 220 Superwash on US 4 that utilizes a stranded rose pattern.

Scarves:

A lacy scarf on US 5. I'm about 5" into it.
A scarf from Misty Alpaca bulky. *DONE (back in July)*
Garter Linen scarf on US 9 in Manos del Uruguay silk blend. Nearing the halfway point. I think.
Lace scarf (Victorian Lace today Pattern) on US 6 with Jojoland Ballad. I've got about 2" knit.
Lace scarf (another Victorian Lace Today pattern) on US 7 with Mini Maiden in colorway Vintage. I have two repeats done of the first end border (see previous posts on this).
School Scarves -- Black and Gold 1 x 1 rib (my own pattern) -- about 1/2 done now.

Wraps/Shawls/Throws:

Diagonally crocheted wrap with leftovers from a Kaffe Fasset kit (long story) that's going to take forever. (Handed over to my mom for finishing. Um..... don't ask)
AB-Fab throw in colorway Misty Morning. Only through the one color repeat (56 rows), plus 8 more.

Pullovers/Cardigans:

Striped pullover that was to have been for my niece (she's grown out of it) on US 6. I have the back done and I'm slowly working up to the front. There are a zillion ends to work in.
A short cardigan in Cascade Venezia worsted on US 7 for my sister Mary. --- Frogged. It just wasn't working. Am now working the cardi in Cascade Pastaza.
Magnificent red pullover (mentioned earlier) from hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and fashioned with some Melissa Leapman cables. I'm about 6" into the back only which is pathetic because the back is the easiest.
Colorful cardigan for a grand-niece made on US 3 with King Tut cotton and worked in intarsia. I'm 1" - 2" away from dividing for the armholes and I'm not sure how I want to work it, so it's in stasis.

Other:

Washcloth on US 6. DONE (back in August).
Pair of gloves on US 3 from Cascade 220 superwash for my DH. In a bright royal blue. First one done, second one barely started (just past the cuff ribbing). The first glove is ... interesting. I think the fingers and thumb are far too big around.
A doily I'm crocheting from Austermann Step is about halfway done.

Any Fool Can Do It

2009-09-16T22:06:00.002-05:00

At last, we not only have a new Dan Brown over-the-top conspiracy novel, we have the Dan Brown Sequel Generator, courtesy of Slate.com. You just select a city for the setting and an organization which is hiding the conspiracy. The text generator will give you a synopsis.

Here's the start of my Dan Brown sequel synopsis (I chose Chicago and US Postal Service):

When celebrated Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to Wrigley
Field to analyze a mysterious ancient script—imprinted on a gold ring lying next
to the disemboweled corpse of the head docent—he discovers evidence of the
unthinkable: the resurgence of the ancient cult of the Destifori, a secret
branch of the United States Postal Service that has surfaced from the shadows to
carry out its legendary vendetta against its mortal enemy, the Vatican.

Secret Pal 14 Package 2 -- It's Here!

2009-09-13T12:12:00.003-05:00

I have such a lovely and wonderful Secret Pal! In addition to the cool little bag (complete with a nifty tape measure that has both standard and metric markings but also looks fashionable *and* has a little button to lock the tape) and the stickers and the handknit washcloth (love that color!) and the hand-dyed sock yarn ..... Yes, she sent me some hand-spun yarn! I feel so special! I've never had anyone give me their hand-spun. Spinning yarn is something I absolutely know nothing about and haven't tried (doubt I will, either), so I feel so honored that she included this. And look at those wonderful colors! Ooooooh, I love them! I love it all! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! A thousand more Thank Yous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cascade Pastaza Cardigan

2009-09-13T12:09:00.002-05:00

This is Cascade Pastaza (lamb's wool and llama wool) being knit on US 9 into a cropped cardigan using the Knitting Pure and Simple top-down cardigan pattern. I'm working a lacy kind of figure in the sleeves (above) and I'll work some kind of pattern stitch when I join up under the arms. It will be a shorter cardigan than the pattern calls for, and I'll make 3/4 sleeves instead of full ones.

Alpaca Yarn

2009-09-13T12:08:00.002-05:00

My sister M in Albuquerque sent three lovely skeins of alpaca yarn from a farm in New Mexico. I dyed them to a medium turquoise color.

Two-Rib Socks - FREE PATTERN

2009-09-13T11:56:00.003-05:00

OK, following the "Basic Sock Recipe" these are a pair of socks for a guy. They were knit on US 2 with Lisa Souza Superwash Sport Merino in the Mars Quake Colorway. The gauge is about 6 sts per inch in Stockinette Stitch. It's an easy pattern:

CO 64. Work 2 x 2 rib (K2, P2) for 12 rounds, then K all sts for the first round of 2 x 2 garter rib (K one round, then 2x2 rib on the next round; keep alternating these two rounds). Work garter rib for 52 rounds, then work straight 2 x 2 rib for 8 more rounds.

Before working the heel flap, shift sts to the right by 1 stitch so that stitch #2 becomes the first stitch of the round. This will balance the rib over the top of the foot (so, over the top of the foot you will work the Offset 2x2 Rib as follows: K1, P2, *K2, P2* repeat to last stitch, end K1).

Work heel flap, then, as follows:

Row 1: sl 1, P2, *sl 2, P2* repeat to last stitch, end K1. Turn work.

Row 2 (WS): sl 1, P to the end. Turn work.

Repeat these two rows until there are 16 slipped stitches on each side of the heel flap.

Turn heel, then pick up 16 sts on each side of the heel flap while working Offset 2x2 Rib (as noted above) over the top of the foot and stockinette stitch on the underside of the foot, and while working gusset decreases on either side of the instep sts until you're back to a total of 64 sts.

Continue working foot with Offset 2 x 2 Rib on the top/instep and St st on the bottom until you come to about 2" shy of the foot length. Begin toe decreases (all in St st). Decrease 4 sts every other row until there are 32 sts remaining, then work decreases every row until it's down to a number you don't mind grafting.

Inter-Species Relations Continue Well

2009-09-13T11:55:00.003-05:00

Nip, the grey kitty, has decided that he is comfortable around Chance, the black doggy.

Tuck, the orange striped kitty, still keeps a good distance away.

UFO List Update

2009-09-07T08:32:00.005-05:00

Socks:

Pair of socks (2 at the same time) from the toe up (about 3 inches in) on US 1.
Pair of red socks for my SIL Deb on US 2. The first sock is done; 2nd sock near the heel flap!
Pair of waffle socks on US 1 in sparkly Berroco sock yarn. First one is done; second one isn't started yet.
Pair of socks on US 1 worked in hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and a funky honeycomb sort of pattern. I'm losing interest already.
Pair of socks from the toe up (just one at a time) in Dream in Color with silver. -- FROGGED
Pair of socks for a college-bound nephew in Lisa Souza sport Merino superwash in the Mars Quake colorway. Worked in a simple 2 x 2 rib and 2 x 2 garter rib. Worked on US 2. -- DONE!!!!
Second Raindrop Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn in the Mardi Gras colorway (first sock was knit as a sample; it's about time I get the second one done).
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn (Appassionato colorway). Again, the first one was knit as a sample.
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from a ball of Cash Vero DK. Still again, the first one was knit as a sample.
The second of a pair of socks from Cascade 220 Superwash on US 4 that utilizes a stranded rose pattern.

Scarves:

A lacy scarf on US 5. I'm about 5" into it.
A scarf from Misty Alpaca bulky. *DONE (back in July)*
Garter Linen scarf on US 9 in Manos del Uruguay silk blend. Nearing the halfway point. I think.
Lace scarf (Victorian Lace today Pattern) on US 6 with Jojoland Ballad. I've got about 2" knit.
Lace scarf (another Victorian Lace Today pattern) on US 7 with Mini Maiden in colorway Vintage. I have two repeats done of the first end border (see previous posts on this).
School Scarves -- Black and Gold 1 x 1 rib (my own pattern) -- about 1/3 done.

Wraps/Shawls/Throws:

Diagonally crocheted wrap with leftovers from a Kaffe Fasset kit (long story) that's going to take forever. (Handed over to my mom for finishing. Um..... don't ask)
AB-Fab throw in colorway Misty Morning. Only through the one color repeat (56 rows), plus 8 more.

Pullovers/Cardigans:

Striped pullover that was to have been for my niece (she's grown out of it) on US 6. I have the back done and I'm slowly working up to the front. There are a zillion ends to work in.
A short cardigan in Cascade Venezia worsted on US 7 for my sister Mary. --- Frogged. It just wasn't working. Am now working the cardi in Cascade Pastaza.
Magnificent red pullover (mentioned earlier) from hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and fashioned with some Melissa Leapman cables. I'm about 6" into the back only which is pathetic because the back is the easiest.
Colorful cardigan for a grand-niece made on US 3 with King Tut cotton and worked in intarsia. I'm 1" - 2" away from dividing for the armholes and I'm not sure how I want to work it, so it's in stasis.

Other:

Washcloth on US 6. DONE (back in August).
Pair of gloves on US 3 from Cascade 220 superwash for my DH. In a bright royal blue. First one done, second one barely started (just past the cuff ribbing). The first glove is ... interesting. I think the fingers and thumb are far too big around.
A doily I'm crocheting from Austermann Step is about halfway done.

School Scarves & Other Ramblings

2009-09-05T14:40:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella:

I've broken my self-imposed rule of No New Projects and started in on scarves for my oldest brother's two sons. It's a simple 1 x 1 rib scarf knit from Berroco's Comfort yarn. One will be Gold & Black, the other will be Red & Gold. Lest you think these are Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, you're wrong: They're University of Iowa and Iowa State University (respectively). I've got a good start on the black and gold. I'll post the pattern eventually.

In the meantime, my husband is in a huge funk. I know I emailed you that he was going through a tough time with his clinicals this past week. He came home on Friday determined to see it through at least to another week, but now he's depressed and down on himself for everything all over again. I need a forklift to get him out of this hole.

He's taken Dogbert (aka Chance) to the dog park for a few hours. I've cleaned up the few dishes in the kitchen, gone to the grocery store, emptied the garbage, and hoovered the living room. And I've answered the phone a lot today. I don't know why, but every robo-caller in the country has found our number!

We're having a House marathon on one of the cable tv channels today. They're showing about 20 episodes on the trot; tomorrow it will be a different program. I've got in on because it is better company than my husband who has retreated to the bedroom in his depression.

*sigh* This is not an easy weekend.

Judith

Revenge of the Kitteh

2009-08-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

moar funny pictures

Favorite Baby Knitting Pattern

2009-08-30T08:42:00.005-05:00

Have you seen this little dress from Phyllis Campbell? It's called the Bella Basic Yoke Dress. Although the sample is knit from Berocco Pure Pima Cotton, I'm thinking of knitting it from some King Tut cotton in my stash. I have a deep magenta and a medium pink, so I was thinking of knitting in a hearts pattern at the bottom of it.

OK, like I don't already have a zillion projects going?

Anyway, the pattern is available at String of Purls and it's just $5.95 (USD) Phyllis is a local designer. I don't think her patterns are available yet on Ravelry.

Hmmm.... I wonder if I can get this done before my grand-niece Katie would grow out of it?????

I don't want to do anything

2009-08-28T22:56:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I'm just past the heel turn on the pair of socks for my university-bound nephew. I'm about an inch away from starting the heel flap on a pair of socks for some man -- probably one of my brothers -- on a new pattern I've started. I have an entire chest full of UFOs and another one full of yarn that I'm dying to get started on. But I don't want to do anything.

This is the first weekend in I-don't-remember-how-long that I do not have to strip wallpaper, prep walls, paint, or move furniture. I don't quite know how to handle myself.

Oh, don't worry: There's plenty of work yet to do. It's just not as urgent as that last bit.

My DH has started his classes for this last year of work. His new study is nearly complete (we're still waiting for the repairs on his dad's old desk to be completed before we can move it into that room) and he loves it. I love that he loves it.

The guest room (finally liberated from being the guest room/DH's study) is a shambles. DH has the get the rest of his stuff out of there but can't until his dad's old desk is moved into the new study. Then we can clean it up properly, move a few things around, and relax.

I get a four-day weekend on the first weekend in September. Labor Day is the first Monday of September, and I'll get the preceeding Friday off from my full-time job. So, that will be the time to tackle some of those other things.

This weekend is for rest. Sort of.

Hugs!

Judith

Real Swingers

2009-08-22T11:11:00.004-05:00

This is me (left) with my walking/workout pal Richard. We're on the swings at a park that was the site of a graduation party for our trainer, Teresa (now Dr. T). This was taken a week ago.

Today I'm packing up stuff and moving it either downstairs or out to the garage (where it will be transferred to a pickup truck and then taken to a storage unit). I've been at it for the past 3 hours. Oh, and the pictures are hung in Ed's new study. It's nice to have that room retasked for something useful.

Secret Pal 14 Package -- It's Here!

2009-08-17T21:51:00.002-05:00

(click to make larger)

It's is here! My first Secret Pal 14 package has arrived and it is so wonderful! There are two skeins of Shi Bui sock yarn in Mulberry color (I love the twist on this yarn), a chocolate bar (my SP was at Sock Summit and brought it back) as well as some cool stickers, a funky pen (I love pens!) and some very pretty note cards for writing. Oooooh, thank you! thank you! I love it so much! Oh, and it all came in this lovely silk bag that has a bit of embroidery on it. I love bags. This one will hold my lovely new sock yarn. Hmmmmm..... I think I have a lace pattern that I want to try out with it. Oh, so many wonderful new things and so little time!

Oh, I ache!

2009-08-17T18:31:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

On Friday night (four days ago) we went to the hardware store after I got home from work. We got the paint and few other odd little things. We filled in holes in the wall. Later that evening I sanded some of the patched stuff and then rolled on some primer to cover up some old crayon marks on the wall from the previous owner's children. (It's been 15 years since we moved in here, so that little tot who scribbled on the walls should be heading off to university this fall!)

On Saturday I wiped down the walls, vacuumed up the remaining bits of wallpaper on the floor, used masking tape to cover everything that shouldn't get paint on it. My DH didn't help much because he wasn't feeling well. I was dead tired.

On Sunday morning I laid out the drop cloths and laid on a coat of white paint. Then I showered and rested for about an hour before going over to my mum's. But, I was so tired that I couldn't do more than play cards. In fact, I broke down and cried because I was so tired and overwhelmed. My DH was still not feeling well. It was all falling to me to do once again. I came home and just vegged out for the evening. Well, after I sorted out the mess in the kitchen (just the preliminaries of getting things stacked and soaking -- my DH promised to clean it up).

This morning, my sister M called and suggested she come over to help. It was just the ticket. It got my DH out of bed and on to doing a thorough clean up in the kitchen. M and I sorted laundry, changed sheets on the beds, and then I put a 2nd coat of white paint on three of the walls while she folded up and put away clean clothes. We then tackled four laundry baskets full of odd things that were clean but not folded or put away. These were mainly kitchen towels and napkins, items that really needed ironing, and several things that needed mending. We also found a lot of bed linens in there; these are now folded and put away. Afterward we went to lunch and then I slept for four hours this afternoon. The backs of my legs are aching and my shoulders rather hate me at the moment.

My DH is supposed to paint one of the walls yellow this week. It might require a second coat. We'll see. The plan, however, is to be ready to move furniture by this coming Sunday, the day before my DH starts in with school again.

Oh, Chance is doing very well. He's back to his old self again. DH took him to the dog park for a while this morning, which was helpful for getting him out from under foot.

Hope you're well!

Judith

Still Slogging Along

2009-08-14T21:18:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

We bought the paint tonight. The white paint. We bought 2 more samples of yellow hues to see which we like.

Also, Chance the dog has conjunctivitis. Do you know what a pain it is to put drops in a dog's eyes when that dog is 90 lbs and wriggly? I had to sort of sit on him, then have Ed pet him while I sneaked in a few drops from the back of his head.

Sounds like the contract modifications (the ones that would have given me a chance at moving up in the company and getting more pay) aren't going to come through. What a sucky end to all of this. I got to sit through a 1 hour department meeting today in which nothing applied to me. Oh, well, at least I still have a job. That's always good news.

Knitting has been a fickle friend this week. I was trying out a new pattern this week on some sock yarn and had to give it up last night when I'd screwed up the tiny cables for the third time and swore at the top of my lungs for the third time. Some cable patterns are just too tiny to do on US 1 needles. Well, too tiny for me to handle. Too many cross-2-over-1-to-the-left-K 2 tbl, P1-from-cable-needle. My eyes were going bloodshot even though I'd enlarged my pattern. So, I put it aside. I'll use it on something larger, like a scarf.

Thus, I started in on a different pattern and got through the ribbing plus 3 rows while in the aforementioned meeting. Then on to the stationery shop for three more hours of work, and finally came home to cleaning up the wallpaper scrapings (still on the floor) and patching holes before making the trip for paint. I think we'll be sanding and masking everything tomorrow morning, probably paint tomorrow night. The whole room needs to be painted in white, then we'll add whatever shade of yellow we decide on. Presuming we can decide on one.

I'm miserably sad that the rest of the house is such a pig sty. One of these days all of this will be done and we'll celebrate. One of these days.

Love & hugs to you!

Judith

A Weird Few Weeks

2009-08-09T07:21:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

The past few weeks have been a roller coaster ride, and not exactly the fun kind. There were a few upsets at my job -- nothing earth-shattering (I'm mindful that I'm lucky to have one in this economy) but my DH and I have had to make a few more cut-backs, and I've not been terribly happy about that. There might be an opportunity on the horizon for me to improve my position, but it would be risky because the position might be funded for only 1 year if that and then there's no guarantee I'd be able to go back to my old job. *sigh* This has been tough.

In other news, I finally got all of the wallpaper scraped off in the small bedroom. I'd done quite a bit of it last weekend but had to take a break in order to preserve my arms and shoulders. I had about 3 - 4 hours left of work and I finished it last night. Here's my tips on wallpaper removal: Don't rent a steamer; use a regular iron and a wet cloth. With a steamer you have to constantly make sure that there is water in the reservoir and you have to unplug it and let it cool down before you move it. With a regular iron (not on the steam setting) and a wet cloth, the iron stays plugged in wherever you need it (I rested my on a wooden board which absorbed the heat) and you just take your cloth and a pail of water around the room. The cloth was soaked in water and the excess wrung out, then the cloth was applied to the wall with the hot iron: steam!!! Plus, when I'd steamed a section of the wall I there was still heat and steam in the cloth so I held it against small and/or sensitive places (such as the tiny space beside the window frame or near an electrical outlet) while I scraped the stuff I'd just steamed. The commercial solvents available are pretty much useless. Steam and a scraper are the most effective. Oh, and I used heavy-duty rubber gloves so that I didn't burn my hands.

In knitting news, I'm making steady progress with the color-on-color scarf. The garter intarsia sections are coming along much better than I had anticipated. I notice that the sections become larger and longer as I go along, so it's slower now. I've been making some lovely I-cord on one of the ends. I do love making the I-cord.

Also in knitting news, I've been working on a pair of socks for a university-bound nephew. I'm knitting them on US 2 or US 3 (I can't remember which, obviously, and they're not at hand to measure) with Lisa Souza's superwash sport merino in the Mars Quake colorway. On my computer screen that one looks like it's deep violet and gold and such. It's more like rust and brown and gold, so it's more ... manly, I guess. The trouble is that I had ordered this same colorway in the same weight of yarn at two different times, and each time when I wound the skein I ended up doing it in two balls. Thus, one sock was all finished and then about Thursday this week I discovered that the second sock (about 3" along) was from a different dye lot because over all it was darker. Well, I'm happy to be able to report that I found the second ball of yarn from the original colorway and I'm about 2" along. I've cast on 64 sts, but the larger needles (and slightly thicker yarn) mean that it will fit this boy's larger leg and foot. I'm using a garter rib along with a regular 2 x 2 rib. I'll post the pattern as soon as I can nail down the particulars of needle size and gauge.

I'm hoping my DH will arise soon from his bed. Today we'll purchase some Spackle to fill in the few holes in the wall as well as a few odd places where I managed to scrape off some paint as well as the wallpaper. We're going to hang the pictures in there first, then take a digital image of them so that we know the placements, and then fill all of the holes in preparation for painting next weekend. I think we'll also get some test samples of paint. This small bedroom will be my DH's study/den. We'll paint the walls white because he has a lot of Central & South American art to go in there that is very colorful, but my DH wants some bright yellow accents. I'll post photos when it's all done.

Hoping you're well. You haven't posted on your blog for a while, so I'm wondering what's going on.

Hugs!

Judith

Knitting Survey

2009-08-05T14:55:00.001-05:00

Find the Knitting Survey here. It's by an honest-to-goodness researcher.

Color on Color Scarf, Sections 1 - 11

2009-07-29T00:51:00.002-05:00

The Color on Color scarf from the Scarf Style book. I needed to block these sections because they were curling so much. The fair isle section at right has to be folded over and stitched on three sides. That's going to be a challenge.

This is the fair isle section. Am I theonly person who sees an idea for a quilt in this?

Stitch and Pitch at Rosenblatt Stadium

2009-07-29T00:48:00.003-05:00

(Click to enlarge)

Robyn Hubbard and Anne Ginn of String of Purls

are at right. Robyn threw out a ceremonial first pitch.

Robyn (left) and Ann at the String of Purls table

in the entrance to the ball park.

Bulwer-Lytton Ficton Contest Favorites

2009-07-27T10:15:00.001-05:00

I don’t know why I was thinking of these today, but these are some of my favorites and they’re usually good for a laugh:

The double agent looked up from his lunch of Mahi-Mahi and couscous and realized that he must escape from Walla Walla to Bora Bora to come face-to-face with his arch enemy by taking out his 30-30 and shooting off his nemesis' ear-to-ear grin so he could wave bye-bye to this duplicitous life, but the chances of him pulling this off were only so-so, much less than 50-50.
Charles Jaworski • North Pole, AK • (2005 entry)

She'd been strangled with a rosary-not a run-of-the-mill rosary like you might get at a Catholic bookstore where Hail Marys are two for a quarter and indulgences are included on the back flap of the May issue of "Nuns and Roses" magazine, but a fancy heirloom rosary with pearls, rubies, and a solid gold cross, a rosary with attitude, the kind of rosary that said, "Get your Jehovah's Witness butt off my front porch."
Mark Schweizer • Hopkinsville, KY • (2007 Runner Up in Detective category)

A warning to the reader: Tom dies in the end of the story so don't get too attached to him.
Sam Gerring • Lexington, KY • (2005 entry)

Joanne watched her fellow passengers - a wizened man reading about alchemy; an oversized bearded man-child; a haunted, bespectacled young man with a scar; and a gaggle of private school children who chatted ceaselessly about Latin and flying around the hockey pitch and the two-faced teacher who they thought was a witch - there was a story here, she decided.
Tim Ellis • Haslemere, U.K. • (2008 Winner in Children’s Literature category)

Mike Hummer had been a private detective so long he could remember Preparation A, his hair reminded everyone of a rat who'd bitten into an electrical cord, but he could still run faster than greased owl snot when he was on a bad guy's trail, and they said his friskings were a lot like getting a vasectomy at Sears.
Robert B. Robeson • Lincoln, Nebraska • (2008 Winner in Detective category)

Cherry Chair

2009-07-26T18:17:00.003-05:00

Hmmm.... maybe I should have made the images a bit larger. Well, at any rate, here is a finished chair for a church fund raiser. These are very small chairs -- the seat is about 11.5" square and the whole thing is only about 22" tall. It's the size for a small tot. These were some sort of ugly metal chairs with wooden seats and backrests from a preschool or something. Anyway, people at church were encouraged to take a chair, decorate it, and then bring it back by the first Sunday in September when people would be able to purchase them (I think it's a silent auction process) with the money going to the church.

I pieced the little backrest square and had my mother quilt it. While she did that, I primed and painted the chair white. Today I stitched the seat pad and the ruffle, and I constructed the back and bows. There are two bows that hold the seat part down. The quilted square has loops which hang on the little posts for the backrest but I also ran a swath of fabric through it and tied it in the back. There is red piping at the hem of the ruffle.

So, a little boudoir (sp?) chair for somebody's little princess! :)

Information Mapping

2009-07-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I'm working on the Color on Color scarf as found in Scarf Style. Maybe I'll get a photo or two posted over the weekend. Anyway, it's amazingly easy in some respects because you just work one section at a time and most of them build on the other. I'm getting a nice bit of practice with stranded knitting on Section 11; there's some intarsia coming up in section 13, I think.

What I'm discovering as I work on it is how unclear and/or incomplete the directions are in some places. This is an easy piece to work; the complexity comes in its construction because there are times when you're working reverse stockinette stitch, times when you have to turn the work, times when you *don't* bind off the stitches, at least one odd place in which you allow the work to curl . . . and all you're given are written instructions. The people who produced the book put in loads of photos of the finished product but only one illustration of the scarf construction, and even then one of the sections is hard to identify because the number of it gets lost on the color illustration.

This irks me on so many levels. I'm a professional graphic designer. That means I know how to anticipate these kinds of problems. It also means I know how to lay out info -- yes, even if it's just words -- in such a way as to help a person get from A to B to C and all the way to Z without losing the path. What burns me is that they actually paid someone to lay out this information so poorly! And, was the editor sleeping through those instructions? Good grief!

Well, I'll come out of this with a fun art-scarf, but I can understand why a number of people on Ravelry have expressed frustration with this, and it's not just because of the I-cord!

Oooh, speaking of I-cord, I was wondering why some people don't like it. I love I-cord. I get into this kind of Zen mindset in which the only thing that exists are the 3 or 4 little stitches making that lovely little tube -- what's not to like? I find I-cord to be calming.

OK, I'm weird that way.

Love you lots!

Judith

Mi frst cheezburger

2009-07-22T18:57:00.001-05:00

moar funny pictures

Cyborg Names

2009-07-18T12:16:00.002-05:00

Get Your Cyborg Name

It was too much fun to pass up! Thanks to Umai for the link.

Short Tale for a Long Scarf

2009-07-17T20:40:00.003-05:00

(Click on photos to see them larger).

Thank you, thank you, to the girls of Village Stationery! They gave me a gift card to String of Purls for my 50th birthday. I used it to purchase three skeins of Misti Alpaca (bulky) from which I knit this lovely scarf.

It's a simple 1 x 1 rib. I cast on 30 sts with a US 11 and I knit until all of the yarn was used up. Laid flat, it measures about 72" long. Hold it up to gravity and it stretches to about 86" long!

I love it! It wraps around my head and neck and it still ties!

Thank you, wonderful friends! I have a scarf that I will wear like a hug from each of you when it's cold outside!

(Yes, I know that the pictures aren't magnificent, but it's the best I could accomplish on my own!)

Allons enfants . . .

2009-07-14T18:49:00.005-05:00

Dear Mandella,

You've seen the film Casablanca at least once or twice, haven't you? It's one of my favorites. Most of the funniest lines are loaded into the beginning and then, when Ingrid Bergmann and Paul Heinreid show up, things settle down and become serious.

I love the scene in which Victor Laszlo (Paul Heinreid) leads everyone in singing Le Marseillaise to quell the sound of the Nazis singing Die Wacht am Rhein. I sing along with it. OK, I forget a lot of the words, but I still sing the beginning and the end.

At any rate, it's a film I love. As today is Bastille Day, I might just pull it out and watch it (for the 154,309,356th time) as I dig into some more knitting.

I finished the first of a pair of socks for my nephew. I need to cast on the 2nd one tonight. In the meantime, I also felted another bag.

I was going to donate a bunch of yarn to my LYS for a felted bag contest, but I realized that I had come up with that idea as a means to avoid the drudgery of tackling the back bedroom project. My house is a pig sty once again. The back room is, I think, the only unclutter space we have and that's only because it's waiting for me to decide whether I'm really going to strip out the wallpaper. (I won't know until Saturday whether I'm going to tackle that.) So, the felted bag thing was a distraction, sort of on the lines of starting up a new project because the current one is driving you crazy.

*sigh* Courage!

Judith

Photo: Screenshot (in the Public Domain) of Paul Henreid, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains and Humphrey Bogart from the trailer for the film Casablanca.

I should be so young!

2009-07-12T09:08:00.000-05:00

A nice bit of CGI for your enjoyment:

I want my mommy!

2009-07-11T11:30:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I've got that small bedroom nearly cleared out. The trouble is that there's almost nowhere to put the stuff that I'm clearing out. It is stacked up in the short hallway, in the front hall, and a few things are in the living room. All of it needs to go to the downstairs. Several of the boxes are very heavy (books). Fortunately, it's easier to bring things to the downstairs than it is to take them to the upstairs. But there's not much room down here for that stuff, either.

Thanks for the lovely post. I remember your post (early on) in which you showed us the pretty fabrics you had dyed for your bargello quilt. And the bargello quilt is beautiful! I know it's hard to go back and forth from the sewing machine with those kinds of quilts -- the ones that are mapped out like a jigsaw puzzle -- but perhaps if you take it a little bit at a time?

And I'm in awe of your hand work on the tumbling blocks quilt. Oh, I understand -- as soon as I sit down I want to knit, not sew. I will tell you that when I've had fussy bits of hand sewing to get done (hems, beading, basting) I've put in a DVD of some period film -- Sense & Sensibility, Emma, Mrs. Miniver, Little Women -- in which it was common for women to be engaged in these kinds of things. Besides, my DH leaves the room when I put those things on the television! :)

I've got most of that back room emptied, as I said. Next step is to move it all downstairs. Can I move all of the laundry and every other messy thing down here? No, because the cats would have too much fun playing in all of it!

Well, back to work.

Judith

Lists

2009-07-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dear Judith

Yes, it's me, breaking in to the blog and putting in my two pennies worth. Surprised?

That lovely conversation we had last week really inspired me to take a long, hard look at my quilting projects. Over the course of a couple of evenings I hauled the quilting stash out of the cupboard where it's been languishing since we moved in January and appraised the situation.

There were 7 UFOs - plus an entire half-quilted sampler quilt I can't find - this one:

which is a bit of a bother.

Actually now I only have 6 UFOs. I sucked it up and sewed the binding on my queen size scrap quilt. Now all we need is a sunny weekend so I can wash and dry it and Bob's Your Uncle (or more appropriately David and Mandella will be nice and cosy - it's only taken me 16 years to finish a quilt for our bed!). Well as it's raining that soft, really wet rain that's good for the garden and looks set for the day, the quilt won't get its bath today, so I won't post a picture of it yet.

What I will show you are a couple more of those UFOs. The first is a bargello quilt I stated to make at a workshop last year. It'll be my second bargello, but gosh, is it fiddly. You end up with each strip made up of lots of mini-strips which have to be joined together into one long length and then joined to the whole. This process involves lots of trips to the sewing machine sometimes just to sew a ½" seam. That's probably why the quilt is a UFO and wrapped up in a sheet like an Egyptian Mummy.

Then there's my so-called "take along" project, a hand pieced tumbling block star that I started in America back in 2007:

The problem is that so far it's never been taken anywhere else. If I get the urge to pick up something to do in front of the TV it's usually knitting, not sewing. Working anything by hand also isn't fast enough to satisfy my impatience. That said, these blocks are pretty, and a good way of using up my enormous pile of depression-era reproductions, so I will try and persist.

Making the list made me remember that life is so frenetic at the moment that lists are a really good idea!

I'm sorry about your Mum's sad anniversary. My Dad passed away in 2001 and this year my Mum went out with friends to the venue where they held their wedding reception back in 1960. When we set to and really thought about it, no-one who was at the celebrations that day would be there, most of them sadly long gone, so Mum was going to be the keeper of the memory. We decided that rather than it being a sad occasion the best way for her to mark it was to find a quiet spot and just sit and reminisce for a few minutes, remembering the events of the day that took place in that spot nearly 60 years ago and expecting that some happy echoes of the past would return for her.

And on that philosophical note, I will now go and get on with my rainy day. Have a great weekend.

Friday, Fried Day

2009-07-10T22:44:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

What is it about July that always turns me into a bowl of slop?

Oh, the humidity, of course, along with the heat and all of the allergens that storm the bastille of my sinuses. I've been dead tired nearly all week. At last I have a bit of energy, but only because I allowed myself a nap as soon as I arrived at home. This explains why I'm blogging at 10:45 pm.

In the end, I kept one of the skeins of the Shell Cottage colorway. I just couldn't live without it. It joins a bin full of other sock yarns that are waiting to be transformed into wonderfulness for the feet. On an even more positive note, I did not start a pair of socks yet with it. I've got it wound into a ball, but I haven't started knitting with it. Yet. It is sitting on a shelf beside my knitting nook and it is tempting me as I try to finish up yet another felted bag.

*sigh* Yes, I'm hopeless.

My mum is doing well. I saw her on Thursday evening. That day would have been hers and dad's 64th wedding anniversary (dad died 30 years ago this November). I didn't say anything to her about it when I visited (I was putting the binding on that second quilt); I figured she'd bring it up if she wanted to. As I was leaving, my sister M told me that mom said she didn't want to think about it today. She didn't want flowers and she didn't want to talk about it. OK, good. I played that one well. Oh, and mom beat me in all three games of Cribbage that we played. Sheesh! We were neck-and-neck in all three games, then she gets a last-minute windfall and shoots far ahead of me. Nothing wrong with her mind!

I posted the Irish Chain quilt to my eldest sister and she telephoned last night to say it had arrived. I am relieved and happy. She and her husband won't be doing much traveling this summer (unlike past years) due to some health issues her husband is having. I am hopeful that by next year it will all be cleared up. Perhaps the quilt will bring some healing vibes with it.

Well, tomorrow I plan to take a run at that small back bedroom again. I am hopeful I can get it all cleaned out. Courage!

Judith

Yarn Pix

2009-07-06T16:27:00.004-05:00

All of these will be available at String of Purls later this week. They'll be under the Purlie Fat Sock Yarn label. Each skein is 4 oz /113g and has 375 yards/343 m of a slightly-heavier-than-usual fingering weight (but not sport weight) superwash wool. If you don't see them on the web site, just call the store (toll-free phone number on the web page) and they'll be happy to assist you over the phone.

Shell Cottage (2 skeins): Named for the cottage in the 7th Harry Potter book where Fleur and Bill Weasley live. The colors are Ecru, seafoam green, a touch of blue, some pink and salmon colors, and a touch of grey

Angst (4 skeins): Every time I look at these skeins I see a kind of tension between the blues and the violet (which has some red in it). Overall blue/grey/white mix splattered with violet.

Carnival (3 skeins): The bright colors of a happy occaision, these skeins have a medium yellow, fuschia, seafoam green, a touch of orange, and dark blue. There are overlaps of course, so you get a few surprises, too!

Cherry Chocolate (4 skeins): My dad loved the Brach's milk chocolate covered marachino cherries; I like the colors but hated the treat! Space-dyed on the skein are a cinnemon milk chocolate and bright fuschia with white leftover. This will give some interesting stripes!

Sailing (2 skeins): Sunlight and the changing colors of the water. White, yellow, blues, a touch of grey, and seafoam green.

Clam Bake (4 skeins): This is a party with yarn! I was thinking of all of the great foods we'd had at a friend's house with a "low country boil" that included seafood. Yellow, cinnemon, pale pink, salmon, touches of seafoam and grey and wisteria along with some ecru.

Notice to My Secret Pal

2009-07-06T11:18:00.002-05:00

OK, presuming you've been assigned to me, I wanted to let you know that I answered the questionnaire days ago. You'll find the title of that post in the blog archive at left. Feel free to look around at everything else, of course.

Could you please send a housekeeper and a cook in the first package? :)

On the Sixth Day, Judith Admitted She Was Human

2009-07-06T08:26:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I'm in a right funk. I'm on the fourth day of a 4-day weekend, and I'm so worn out that I am near to tears.

It started with me making a sort of "map" of all of the weekends starting with June 20-21 and going through the first weekend in September. If I followed the plan I would be able to keep up on laundry, visits to my mum (which includes sewing), getting to church, doing my workouts and regular things like that along with tackling the larger project of re-furbishing the small bedroom from junk room to guest room and, oh, yes, I'd get all kinds of things moved to the storage unit and still be able to dye yarn.

It all fell apart over these four days. On Friday I was so tired that I was mostly inert throughout the day. Saturday was a tour-de-force of moving things, dyeing yarn, and celebrating the holiday. Yesterday I was barely awake as I took my aunt to visit my mum. I arrived home around 2:00 p.m. and I was a vegetable for the remainder of the day. And I'm not talking about one of those nice, firm veggies staying fresh and crisp in the refrigerator; no, I was like one of those nasty cans of green beans that is cooked to within an inch of its life before being preserved for the grocery-shopping public, then boiled to beyond-death on the stove top and finally left to languish as a floppy piece of cellulose on the plate of an obstinate child who is too disgusted by the sight of it to even eat it. I'll bet you could have seen it on Google Earth if you'd looked at the right time.

Obviously, my plans are entirely too ambitious for a fat 50-something who can't stand the heat of summer.

I'm considering giving up dyeing yarn at all. I know I have fun with the colors, but the process is a killer and I'm getting disgusted with the mess of it all. I don't know. It's nice having a few $$$ in my pocket, and the return on investment of time and money is quite reasonable (unlike the ROI on designing patterns which, if you worked it out, would be the equivalent of being paid pennies per hour of work).

But I'm pooped.

And I'm still waiting to hear about my Secret Pal (on the aforementioned Secret Pal 14). We were supposed to have the info by July 1, but that date also coincided with one or two of the moderators being on holiday, so we're behind. And it's only a week or so. Still, the anticipation is making me nuts.

Well, that's one more thing on me: I'm making myself nuts once again.

Time for another cuppa and some knitting, I think. Except I need to run some errands. I want to get that quilt into the mail to my older sister -- their anniversary is this week and I thought it would be fun if it arrived on time for that -- and I need to visit to vet to get a decongestant for Chance. (Have you ever heard a dog try to clear its head of congestion? It sounds like a sneeze in reverse. Poor thing!)

*sigh* OK, time for a cuppa and about 1 hour of nothingness before I have to get to my morning errands. Then I have a workout at the gym at noon, and then I just need to get laundry finished up so that I have clothing to wear to work for the rest of this week.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Judith

Felted Bag

2009-07-05T20:24:00.006-05:00

Above is the "before" collage showing the unfelted bag measuring about 12" wide x 7" deep x 12" tall.

The finished size is 11.5" wide, x 6.5" deep, x 8" tall. I wasn't prepared for how much it would shrink downward.

This bag was made with some leftover Wool of the Andes, Araucania Wool (worsted), and a tiny bit of Cascade 220 in light orange. Using a US 15 circular needle, I held three strands (Wool of the Andes Storm, Winter Night, and ... something green, one ball of each) together and cast on 30 sts. I knit back and forth until I had 18 garter ridges, then picked up all around the edges (18 sts on the short sides and 30 on the long sides) for a total of 96 sts. I placed a marker and knit in the round until I didn't have enough yarn to make a full round.

Then I joined three strands of the red blend (Wool of the Andes Hollyberry and ... something that was a bright red, plus the Araucania in a deep orange, just one ball of each) and kept knitting all sts until the the Hollyberry Wool of the Andes ball wouldn't make a full round. That's when I joined in another Araucania orange (a tad brighter). This went about three rounds, I think. Finally I dropped the last Wool of the Andes strand and joined in the light orange Cascade 220. It make it only one round. After that, I held three strands of leftover Cascade 220 & Araucania (one dark blue, one dark aqua and one lavender) and worked 3 rounds of knit and 2 rounds of purl. Then I bound off, worked in the ends, measured the unfelted bag for posterity and tossed it into the washer. And then I tossed it into the dryer.

Tonight I held together two strands of the remaining Araucania oranges and, using US 10.5 dpns, knit a 4-stitch eye cord that was big enough to go around the perimeter of the bag. Instead of just binding off, though, I threaded it through the holes I'd cut into it (on the line between the last of the orange and the top blue sections) and then grafted it together into a continuous loop. The reason for this is that I can pull up the loops to make a carrying handle but, more importantly, when I want the bag open the handle around the top holds the shape at the top so that it doesn't just flop around. That handle is functional in that it provides some stability.

Yarn Dye

2009-07-05T20:21:00.003-05:00

Here are two photos of the yarn drying. Left is the view that actually is facing the outdoors. On the right is the view that faces indoors (in the dining room). The colors in the photo aren't perfect. They were kind of washed out from the flash, and then I think I made them a little too intense while trying adjust them in Photoshop. But, I was more interested in getting something to post than in making it perfect. I'll photograph them properly later on.

Quilts

2009-07-05T20:16:00.004-05:00

This quilt (a little more detail above shows the machine quilting pattern) is for one of my older sisters and her beloved. It's a slight variation on a simple wall hanging pattern I found in Thimbleberries Weekend Quilts. I need to stitch on the binding.

This is the one for my oldest sister and her husband. They celebrate 35 years of marriage this month. It's a 3-color double Irish chain. I pieced the top then had it machine-quilted (pattern in the inset). My mom stitched on the binding. It's a king-size quilt.

It was supposed to be a holiday . . .

2009-07-05T08:31:00.003-05:00

Dear Mandella,

We don't get terribly involved with celebrating July 4th. We don't dress up in red, white, and blue. We don't go to parades. We don't head out to any of the fireworks displays. We pretty much just try to get some down time before heading back to work in the blazing July heat.

I don't think this weekend really counts as down time. Yesterday I dyed yarn, about 20 skeins. I think the thrill is gone. That thought occurred to me last night as I was soaking wet from rinsing (which means the initial rinse, then the vinegar soak, then a last wash and rinse) yarn over the bath tub last night between 8:00 and 9:00. That was four hours of dyeing yarn and about 1 hour to rinse.

At about 5:00 p.m. (roughly 2 hours after applying the dye) I realized I didn't have any vinegar. I ventured out, hopeful of finding something open. Lo and behold, my local grocery store was open. I placed a call to my DH to ask him whether there was anything else we needed.

"Get a couple of nice steaks," he said. "I'll grill them."

"Maybe some corn on the cob, too?" I asked.

"Great!"

I came home with the steaks, a package of 5 ears of sweet corn, a package of 4 little shortcake rounds, a quart of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, 2 packages of shredded cheese to go with the bag of Tostitos and, oh, yes, 5 gallons of vinegar. I actually purchased some blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries (you know -- add the whipped cream and you have lovely red-white-blue dessert), but these mysteriously did not make it home with me. I suspect they are still at the grocery store.

We ate our supper around 7 pm. I rinsed yarn around 8 pm. Around 9:30 p.m. we went outdoors to the pervasive scent of gun powder because nearly everyone in the neighborhood was shooting off fireworks. I'm not talking about the little sparklers here. I'm talking about blooming balls of color and screaming spirals of glitter (sort of like what's in the photo above).

Which meant it was time to get out the ones we'd purchased - marvelous boxes that fired wads of paper and gunpowder into the sky that blossomed into a whole rainbow of colors. Oh, that was fun! It was all of about 10 minutes of fun, but we liked it.

So, this year we did our "patriotic duty" and barbecued, made an attempt at a red-white-blue dessert, and shot off a few fireworks. And then we went inside.

I'm still tired.

I have to leave in about 30 minutes to pick up my Aunt Mary to take her over to visit my mom. I hope I'll be able to get some sleep while they talk.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Judith

Listing a Bit, but Still Upright

2009-07-04T09:08:00.004-05:00

Dear Mandella,

When I was designing this site initially I made a list at the side of blogs that you had on your Tarty Crafty site and blogs that I had on my old knitting blog site. Since that time a few people have dropped off but others have been added, especially recently.

One of the nice things about being part of the Secret Pal exchange is that I'm discovering some interesting knitters from all around. I went out to the Ravelry link for Secret Pal 14 and started looking at the blogs of various members. A few seemed to be really interesting, so I added them to the list at left in order to be able to remember to check them out regularly.

I need lists. I have so many ideas and so many things to do and people I love that I need lists to keep everything in order. I had to make a master list of things I wanted to accomplish over the weekends of July and August so that I didn't go crazy every Saturday morning when I awoke. Inevitably I wake on Saturday morning feeling miserably overwhelmed by everything I want to do and I often feel as though I have only one day in which to do it.

So, my list for this weekend (which is four days long on account of the Independence Day holiday) includes dyeing sock yarn, moving things out of the back bedroom (the one that needs mucking out so that I can strip the wallpaper and repaint and eventually turn it into a real guest room), attending to laundry, visiting my mother, and a few other things. So far I've moved the dye stuffs to the downstairs (where it will reside from now on), knitted a felted bag (more on that another time), read a book, and slept. A lot.

I've decided that maybe my list for this weekend was a bit ambitious. I've now crossed off going to church on Sunday on account of this is a better day for me to take my Aunt Mary to visit my mom (they are sisters and neither one drives). The best time for Aunt Mary is starting at around 9:30 a.m. (which is when I retrieve her from her apartment and drive her across town to my mother's house). So, I'll probably work on getting some more yarn wound up while my aunt and my mom visit. It won't make sense for me to drive all the way back across town to do something at home, then drive back to mom's to collect my aunt.

I've also decided that perhaps this isn't the weekend in which I should try to haul things over to the storage unit. I should wait until next weekend, especially since I might be able to get the sons of some friends to help. At any rate, it will be enough to empty out that back room. Besides, my husband's vehicle -- which has infinitely more space than my car -- is a pig sty that will need mucking out before I can use it to transport stuff in it. Either that, or I'll need to rent a U-Haul truck, and the latter option just isn't viable for a holiday weekend.

We had quite a thunderstorm last night. Sadly, it meant some of the fireworks displays were canceled, but perhaps tonight will be better. In the meantime, I have quite a bit of work to get to today.

Hugs and good knitting to you!

Judith

My UFO List

2009-07-03T20:07:00.004-05:00

Socks:

Pair of socks (2 at the same time) from the toe up (about 3 inches in) on US 1.
Pair of red socks for my SIL Deb on US 2. The first sock is near the heel turn.
Pair of waffle socks on US 1. First one is done; second one isn't started yet.
Pair of socks on US 1 worked in hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and a funky honeycomb sort of pattern. I'm losing interest already.
Pair of socks from the toe up (just one at a time) in Dream in Color with silver. On US 3. Using a modified "Dead Simple Lace" pattern from Wendy Knits. About 3" along.
Pair of socks for a college-bound nephew in Lisa Souza sport Merino superwash in the Mars Quake colorway. Worked in a simple 2 x 2 rib and 2 x 2 garter rib. First sock is at the gusset decreased. Worked on US 2.
Second Raindrop Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn in the Mardi Gras colorway (first sock was knit as a sample; it's about time I get the second one done).
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from Purlie sock yarn (Appassionato colorway). Again, the first one was knit as a sample.
Second Swag Sock needs to be worked from a ball of Cash Vero DK. Still again, the first one was knit as a sample.
The second of a pair of socks from Cascade 220 Superwash on US 4 that utilizes a stranded rose pattern.

Scarves:

A lacy scarf on US 5. I'm about 5" into it.
A scarf from Misty Alpaca bulky that is 2/3 done (I'm on the 3rd of 3 skeins). *DONE*
Garter Linen scarf on US 9 in Manos del Uruguay silk blend. Nearing the halfway point. I think.
Lace scarf (Victorian Lace today Pattern) on US 6 with Jojoland Ballad. I've got about 2" knit.Lace scarf (another Victorian Lace Today pattern) on US 7 with Mini Maiden in colorway Vintage. I have two repeats done of the first end border (see previous posts on this).

Wraps/Shawls/Throws:

Diagonally crocheted wrap with leftovers from a Kaffe Fasset kit (long story) that's going to take forever.
AB-Fab throw in colorway Misty Morning. Only through the one color repeat (56 rows), plus 8 more.

Pullovers/Cardigans:

Striped pullover that was to have been for my niece (she's grown out of it) on US 6. I have the back done and I'm slowly working up to the front. There are a zillion ends to work in.
A short cardigan in Cascade Venezia worsted on US 7 for my sister Mary. Uses a modification of the Summer Sunner lace pattern. I'm about 2" away from doing the armhole bind-offs, but I'm thinking I really want to work this as a drop sleeve. Oh, well.
Magnificent red pullover (mentioned earlier) from hand-dyed Louet Gems sport weight and fashioned with some Melissa Leapman cables. I'm about 6" into the back only which is pathetic because the back is the easiest.
Colorful cardigan for a grand-niece made on US 3 with King Tut cotton and worked in intarsia. I'm 1" - 2" away from dividing for the armholes and I'm not sure how I want to work it, so it's in stasis.

Other:

Washcloth on US 6. About 1.5" done.
Pair of gloves on US 3 from Cascade 220 superwash for my DH. In a bright royal blue. First one done, second one barely started (just past the cuff ribbing). The first glove is ... interesting. I think the fingers and thumb are far too big around.
A doily I'm crocheting from Austermann Step is about halfway done.

Secret Pal 14 Questionnaire

2009-07-03T08:27:00.005-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

My favorite yarns to knit with are wool (regular and/or superwash), alpaca, silk, and blends that include those fibers. In general, I don't enjoy knitting with yarns that have no give, but that's not an absolute because I've knit with mercerized cotton and with silk. I've even got a couple skeins of yarn that are a mix of nylon and some kind of polymide or acrylic but, strangely enough, it's kind of springy. Mainly I *don't* want a whole skein of Red Heart whatever because it just hurts my hands to work with it.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have roll up pocket cases for my dpns and crochet hooks. I have a whole bunch of straights that I'm going to donate because I rarely use them; the ones I'll keep I have a plastic container for. It's my circulars that are kind of a mess. Right now I collect them in Zip-Loc baggies that have a panel on the outside so that I can write the size on it.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I started knitting when I was in my teens, then gave it up for about 20 or 25 years. I started knitting again around 2003, I think, and I haven't stopped yet. I'm at least an intermediate level knitter, maybe between intermediate and advanced.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

Sorry, but no. Well, maybe I have one on Amazon, but I haven't kept it up in ages.

5. What's your favorite scent?

Money. OK, seriously, I like outdoor scents -- that little bit of earthiness just after a rain, the smell of prairie grasses in summer and autumn, the smell of wood and leaves burning in autumn and winter, the gentle fragrance of some trees as they bloom in the springtime.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

Me? A sweet tooth? Would my enormous belly be an answer to that question? I like all sorts of candy except for licorice (sp?).

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I dye yarn (mainly superwash), I've been known to crochet a few doilies, I can do embroidery and needlepoint (but not cross stitch), and I sew (both garments and quilt tops). I don't spin, I don't quilt, and I get cross-eyed from counted cross stitch.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like all kinds of music except for head-banger stuff. Really, three chords and a lot of screaming that's supposed to pass for passionate lyrics? forget it! But I listen to hip-hop, R&B, blues, other jazz, gospel, new age, classical, soft rock, classic rock, and even some country (so long as it isn't too overwrought). I have a generic MP3 player and my computer can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I like all kinds of colors. I swoon over some fuschia/plum/chestnut/gold combinations as well as those that run into rich blues with lime greens and touches of lavender. I love red and I'm knitting a pullover for myself out of a bright and rich red that I dyed. Intense or pastel doesn't matter, jewel tones or neutrals doesn't matter. What matters to me is that it's interesting.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

My DH and I have been married for 17 years. We have a dog and 2 cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

Scarves and mittens, yes; hats and ponchos, no.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

I love to knit socks. I like knitting mittens, wrist-warmers, hats, scarves, cardigans and pullovers. I've knit one glove so far (it's not great, but it will do), but it hasn't put me off gloves forever. My latest thing is learning to knit lace. I hope never to knit a poncho. I have at least one throw that is a UFO. I think I have no patience for these things.

13. What are you knitting right now?

Oooh, that's kind of embarrassing. I just sorted through my stuff and I have an entire container of UFOs. I'm working on finishing up these things. Right now I'm working on the pair of socks for my nephew. OK, I'm working, too, on a felted bag from some leftovers, but that's another story.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Yes, so long as they're in good taste.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

My absolute favorites are Addi Laci circulars. After that, it's the Addi Turbo circulars. I have a few odd pairs of straights in bamboo and plastic.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

About 3 years, I think.

18. What is your favorite holiday? What winter holiday do you observe?

My favorite all-time holiday is Christmas, but I'll celebrate anything.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

Yarn and UFOs apparently! Other than that, no.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

I have about everything I need in this category. I don't get magazine subscriptions because they very rarely design anything in my size.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'm trying to learn temporary cast-ons for lace.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

I have an entire bin of sock yarn. It's embarrassing. My foot is about 9.5" around (at the ball) and about 10" long. (I wear a US 9-1/2 Wide shoe, if that helps.)

23. When is your birthday?

My b-day is June 9. I just turned 50! Yipppeee!!!!!!!

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

On Ravelry my name is Elishka.

(Edited to correct info on #22.)

Yarn Sorting and other Stories

2009-07-01T15:49:00.003-05:00

OK, I've signed up for Secret Pal 14 and that means I've got to post at least once per week here. Thus, a sort of "constitutional" needs to be planned, a sort of regular exercise of the blogging muscles in which I at least mention knitting. Or yarn. Or something like that. God knows I can usually find something to talk about, but does that make it interesting or even readable?

I pulled in the bins of yarn that have collecting throughout my home -- three big ones in the junk room, four reasonably sized ones in the garage, and several odd containers in the living room. All of the UFOs are now sorted into one container, a large one. All of the superwash wool is in its own reasonably-sized container. One of the larger ones is holding all of the sock yarn. Still another larger one plus 2 reasonably-sized ones are holding hand-wash-only wool. A reasonably-sized container is overflowing with cotton and linen types of yarn, and another box contains the silk and lace weight stuff. It's embarrassing.

I talked with a gal at my LYS and I think I'll donate a lot of the hand-wash-only wool for a felted bag contest. It will be on the order of the quilt challenges I've seen in the catalogs. Everyone will pay a small fee (like $5) and get some wool along with a non-felting novelty yarn. From there they can add on as many other yarns or colors as they like. I'm not sure what we'll have for judging criteria, but I've proposed that I along with two other local designers be the judges. In the past the winners have been on the order of popularity contests in which people have told non-knitter (and non-crocheting) friends and family to stop in and vote for their item.

So, this will be getting rid of my stuff as well as doing something useful for my LYS. I really can't donate this yarn. Most places want washable yarns. Nobody seems to want *gasp!* real wool because they don't want the fuss of caring for it. Of course, if you're knitting it for the homeless or another charity, that makes sense. But, for heavens sake, I couldn't even sell it for $1 per skein at a garage sale!

I'm dyeing superwash sock yarn this weekend and taking over a lot of my regular wool yarn to my LYS. Then I'm coming up with the marketing for this contest.

Tomorrow is pool day. I need it now.

Designer Sadists

2009-06-23T10:58:00.003-05:00

Dear Auntie Judith,

A while back I bought a pattern for a pretty Summer top that calls for Euroflax sport weight yarn. I started to make a swatch which was when I saw the pattern called for needles sized 2.0 mm and 2.5 mm — that’s size 0 and 1.5 in US sizes. I started making a swatch with a size 1. My swatch, which should have measured 4 inches, maybe a little bit more, measured about 6 inches! So, I tried again, this time on size 0 needles, and it didn’t get much smaller. Also, it was next to impossible to knit that yarn on those needles – my hands were nearly cramping by the time I had a few rows of a swatch done! I’m mad at the designer! Why did she decide to knit sportweight linen on size 1 needles!!!!!! Yes, it makes a nice, smooth fabric, but this is ridiculous! How did she expect people to do this?!

Clawhanded

Gentle Knitter,

You just never know how often self-abuse is part of the design process until you come across a pattern like that. I, myself, am knitting a child’s multi-color cardigan in King Tut cotton on *gasp* US 3 needles. I’m getting 6 very firm stitches to the inch. And I’m working it as intarsia. I’ll never publish this pattern because I know full well that no one, not even the most addled and addicted knitter, should engage in this kind of masochism.

Unless, of course, it’s lace. Then all bets are off.

Hugs & Happy knitting to you!

Auntie Judith

No Lace, Mrs. Bennett!

2009-06-20T09:09:00.003-05:00

Dear Mandella,

Were you, like nearly all women in the western world, glued to your television for that wonderful BBC miniseries adaptation of Pride & Prejudice? I'm talking about the "wet T-shirt Darcy" version, with Colin Firth as the smouldering hunk of rich man at Bingley's side. It's only in that version we have Mr. Bennett protesting, "No lace!" when Mrs. Bennett is in raptures as she recounts the clothing of Bingley's sisters. It is my DH's favorite line when I start in with my Victorian Lace Today or A Gathering of Lace books. He likes to tease me because he knows that I am wont to have the P&P dvd playing whilst I've been toiling away at my paltry attempts to knit lace.

Oh, it should be easy, shouldn't it? After all, it's just knits and purls and yarn-overs and decreases, right? I'm finding that even in the midst of this simplicity I am at times confounded.

My latest attempt is the scarf on page 100 of Victorian Lace Today worked with a skein of Mini-Maiden (from ColorSong Yarns web site) in the Vintage colorway on US 7 needles. I'd attempted it on my own, but was confounded by having one too many stitches at the end of the first charted row, then by having one too few stitches at the end of the third charted row. That didn't count dropping the yarn and needles several times as I attempted the crochet cast-on. Besides that, I was trying to work these on a pair of needles with regular points. The yarn kept splitting.

Then I moved to a pair of Bryspun straights. It was a tad better, but not great. The author put in a symbol for K2tog, but didn't indicate if that meant to P2tog or what on the wrong side. After all, the unshaded empty square meant to knit on the RS and purl on the WS. If the unshade square has a right-slanting virgule it means to K2tog on the RS, but what about the WS? In the back of the book it indicates to P2tog when that symbol occurs on the WS, but the instructions on that page don't say to do that. It merely states K2tog.

My head was about to explode, so at last I admitted I could not do it on my own and telephoned my Lace Knitters Anonymous sponsor M and asked for a private 12-step knit-along to get this working for me. For preparation I photocopied the charts from the book and then enlarged them.

This past Wednesday, when I was scheduled to see M after the evening meal, storms blew in to the south and west of us and were predicted to be over our heads by 5:00 p.m. We postponed until Thursday, which was just as well because I'd already had a long and difficult day. Then, at 6:00 p.m., M telephoned to say that the storms appeared to have gone around us so I should come over anyway. Which I did. I quickly tracked down my lace chart holder (a mere $10 from KnitPicks) and my yarn, but I couldn't find the Addi Laci needles I'd purchased for this project earlier in the week. Thus, I dumped an entire box of assorted needles (straights, dpns, circulars) into a bag and hoped they would be among the mess when I arrived at M's.

Nope. No US 7.0 Addi Laci circular. Thus, I picked up a US 6.0 circular and a different yarn just for practicing the stitches and the pattern.

Step 1: We admitted we were powerless over our desire to abuse ourselves pitifully whilst trying to discern the pattern-writer's instruction.

Step 2: We acknowledged there was a Knitter greater than ourselves.

Step 3: We made a conscious decision to turn our life and our will over to the whims of Knitting as we understood it.

Step 4: We took yarn, needles and crochet hook in hand and learned the crochet cast-on.

Step 5: We made a searching and fearless inventory of the instructions.

Step 6: We confessed to ourselves, another Knitter, and to whomever else would listen (including the Dog as we understood him/her) that we were just going to do the best we could.

Step 7: We learned that the first mistake was we should have purled the first row, so we confessed our short-sightedness.

Step 8: Having made amends where appropriate, we moved through the chart one square at a time without regard for what was playing out on the television (some stupid "reality" show, but we kept the sound muted because we were most interested in the local weather info that was scrolling at the bottom of the screen on account of the severe storms around us).

Step 9: We continued working the chart, un-knitting where appropriate and keeping the swearing to a minimum.

Step 10: We took a deep breath and glanced through the remaining instructions, applying the same principles we'd already learned.

Step 11: We opened a bottle of wine.

Step 12: Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we vowed to carry the message to others.

Thus, I was able to get through the first 8 or 9 rows of the chart with only one little hitch. And then I properly sorted out that rat's nest of needles in my bag. I'm happy to say that everyting is in it's place. And the US 7.0 Addi Laci needles were at home and among some other yarn.

Of course, when on Thursday night I cast on with the Mini-Maiden and the correct needles, I dropped the crochet hook a few times. Then I was missing one stitch on the 3rd row of the chart, but I was able to pick up a dropped yarn-over. By the 9th row, however, I was short 2 stitches and couldn't figure out where I'd lost them. This is probably because I was trying to watch The Mentalist, then The Daily Show, then The Colbert Report -- all while trying to knit lace. I frogged the entire thing (again) and went to bed.

Last night I put on a DVD of As Times Goes By, series 3, and I am happy to report that I am at row 21 of a 28-row chart and there have been no glitches whatsoever.

When it comes down to it, I think what really matters is that you have the right thing on television. :)

Hugs and good knitting to you!

Judith

What I've Learned

2009-06-09T11:03:00.002-05:00

Today I am 50 years old.

Esquire magazine has a regular feature called “What I’ve Learned” in which a person of note and “of a certain age” is interviewed about the things he has learned over time. Since I’m sure the editors of Esquire will never interview me, I decided to make my own list. These 50 things I’ve learned over 50 years aren’t in any specific order of importance. I was just pondering on what I’ve learned in life now that I’ve reached this milestone birthday.

The number on the scale isn’t an accurate indicator of your value.

Neither is your clothing size.

It’s easier to stay fit than it is to get fit.

Dance. Even if you have to close all of the doors and cover the windows, turn up the music and dance. It’s good exercise, and it’s fun. Back in the 1980s I went to a gay nightclub several times because it was a place where everybody danced. You didn’t have to be either pretty or partnered. Everyone got on the dance floor and had fun. It reminded me of when we were kids, when gender and appearance had nothing to do with whether you enjoyed yourself.

I stopped going to the gay nightclub when some guy there thought I was a man in drag. I’d have been insulted if I hadn’t been laughing so hard.

Sex is not a substitute for self-esteem.

Neither is chocolate. (But I’ve had some chocolate in my day that was nearly as good as sex.)

My mother always says that God never gives you more than you can handle. I disagree. God often hands me tons more than I can handle. I keep giving it back.

Your relationship with God (as you understand Him/Her/It) is personal; it is not for anyone else to determine how or what that relationship should be.

Not everyone who professes to care for you has your best interests at heart.

Just because someone is talking louder than everyone else doesn’t mean that person is right.

Just because it was on television (or the Internet) doesn’t mean it is true or important.

Television news is primarily interested in getting ratings. Newspapers are primarily interested in attracting readership.

In this day and age, fear sells. Don’t buy it.

Advertisers work very hard to figure out what key words and phrases are appealing to the people they want to buy their product. That doesn’t mean the product is good.

Never give a customer/client the opportunity to choose something hideous. You can show them everything from your best work to an average concept, but never show them something that you’d be embarrassed to point out as your own.

Some clients/customers will still ask for something tacky/crappy/hideous no matter how much you try to steer them away from it. Give it to them and then let it go.

Some people never have time to do things right, but they always find time to do it over.

Creativity is not a “neat” process. If you want to be creative then you have to allow yourself to make a mess.

Learning to tidy up while you work will save you from the despair of cleaning up the whole mess at the end.

Begin before you’re ready; stop before you’re done. (Advice to doctoral students working on their dissertations which applies to messy creative people.)

Cleaning up someone else’s mess is annoying, but it’s easier than cleaning up your own stuff because you have no emotional attachment to it. This is probably why we’re all so good at solving one another’s personal problems but can’t resolve our own.

Housework is annoying and tedious, but it still beats the depression that comes from living in a constant mess.

Clinical depression is a combination of biology and attitude. You can’t always change the biology, but you can change how you deal with it.

Having the right medication is like having the right shoes for playing the game. There’s a very good reason that basketball players don’t arrive on the court in ski boots.

Knitting has helped me to be more patient. If I can do something positive and creative while I wait, then I am able to wait calmly.

Just because I’m knitting while you’re talking doesn’t mean I’m ignoring you. Science has shown that the brain is more engaged and focused when people doodle (or knit) while listening.

Life should have choices beyond mere survival. (I think that’s one of the tenets of the Adult Children of Alcoholics organization, but it’s one I take to heart.)

If it’s the challenges in life that show what you’re really made of, then I must admit that I am made of Jell-O.

Humility is not a trait of a weak person. Only those who are truly strong in character are able to admit to being human.

Everybody lies. It’s how we’re able to get along with each other. Most people would call it manners (and they would be right).

In fiction, conflict is what drives the story forward. In “reality” shows, conflict is what drives the audience numbers up.

Never underestimate the power of a humble apology to calm down an angry situation.

Forgiveness is essential for good relationships.

Pets are joy in tangible form.

In the end, it’s not what you think that matters to people; it’s what you do.

We are Santa Claus for each other. (That’s why I like to sign my Christmas gifts as coming from “Santa Judith.”)

There’s nothing wrong with giving gifts at Christmas. There is everything wrong with believing you must.

If a gift were somehow deserved or merited it would be a payment, not a gift.

If people were to employ the proper use of the past subjunctive of the verb “to be,” then I would in all likelihood stop correcting them under my breath.

You have to know the rules before you can bend the rules. My sixth-grade teacher, Mrs. Holdsworth, repeated this aphorism constantly with regard to grammar and composition. I’ve found that it applies to all sorts of things in life.

Good writing isn’t just about putting words on the page or documenting the facts. Writing is more like having a jigsaw puzzle of sounds and images that fit together into a whole picture.

Learning a language other than your own will help you to understand better the grammar of your own language.

Each language has its own music.

Email is nice and it’s fast, but it will never equal the sublime joy of applying ink to paper.

There are few things more gratifying than receiving a personal note among all of the bills and advertisements that usually come in the mailbox.

A thank-you note – even if it’s scrawled by child – never fails to touch the heart.

We are not born “naturally good.” We are born necessarily self-centered. All of maturity is gradually unlearning that trait.

Maturity isn’t for sissies or whiners.

Never confuse maturity with age. It’s not how many years old you are that’s important; what’s important is that you remain open to learning, that you approach life with the curiosity and wonder of a child and the wisdom of an adult.

Sweet Honey

2009-06-01T19:00:00.003-05:00

Done at last! Done at last!

Look for the pattern at String of Purls and on Ravelry. It's called Sweet Honey. It's worked in King Tut mercerized cotton on US 4 needles. Optional waist shaping, sleeveless or short sleeves, crew neck or V neck. Sample was knit in size 36.

Chicago Trip - The Other Links

2009-05-25T11:34:00.003-05:00

We stayed at the Hilton Homewood Suites in downtown Chicago (in the loop). I wanted to bring the sheets home with me because they were so soft. The rooms were spacious. It was like having an apartment. We had a king-size bed in a large room with a television and a small dresser. The bathroom was very large and had all of the amenities, including extra towels.

The sitting area for the "living room" was kind of small, but it was no matter. We had a large flat-screen television there. The eating area off the kitchenette was tiny and would have been cramped for more than 1 person, but we didn't use it for eating. My DH set up his computer there.

The staff were marvelous!

We traveled between the hotel and the airport via Airport Express. We had in the past thought it would be fun to just drive to Chicago. After this trip we are convinced it would not be a good idea. Parking was hideously expensive, presuming you could find it, and traffic was thick. When we arrived on Friday afternoon it was during one of the heaviest traffic times and at the start of a holiday weekend. It took 2 hours to get from the airport to the hotel, and that was with an experienced driver who knew how to take side streets which would avoid the express ways which had turned into rolling parking lots. It was a sort of impromptu tour of the parts of Chicago that aren't always on a tour!

As we were in the city -- either on foot or riding in a cab -- we found the city to be comfortable and clean. It has a lot of green spaces and trails for pedestrians as well as joggers, walkers, and sight-seers. There are spacious pedestrian walkways under the major streets.

I'm tired now. I need something to eat before I head off for my workout. But I wanted to post about the trip a little bit. We had fun. I'm glad we went.

Chicago Trip - Navy Pier

2009-05-25T11:23:00.004-05:00

You have to click on the photos to make them larger. Otherwise it would take forever for any of this to load. Above is a composite image of the Chicago skyline from the end of Navy Pier. This place is just beautiful. It's clean, it's people-friendly, it has lots of green spaces — Chicago is one of the candidate cities for the 2016 Olympic games and it has my vote as the perfect venue!

We originally hoped to head out to Navy Pier on Saturday night, but my DH's ankle was swollen and killing him with pain so we sat in the hotel room, put ice on his elevated ankle, and pretty much relaxed. It's a vacation, right? We should be relaxing!

Sunday morning, though, after we checked out of the hotel, we had several hours before catching the shuttle to the airport, we went to Navy Pier because I really wanted to ride the ferris wheel there.

Posing for a photo is a prerequisite to boarding the ferris wheel.

Purchasing the photo is not required, but my DH looked so nice in it that I got it.

Yep, that's the ferris wheel. It takes about 7 minutes to go completely around. The only one larger than this is the British Airways London Eye (in London, England, of course).

Did I mention that this thing is really big?

A view from near the top and looking down on the carousel ride as well as the various tour boats along the dock. (The tours weren't leaving until around 11:30 a.m., which was when we needed to go back to the hotel. We hear the architectural tour is wonderful.)

These are a few of the flowers that were inside one of the buildings along the pier. It was a waiting area for a restaurant. What a beautiful place!

Chicago Trip - Food

2009-05-25T11:18:00.003-05:00

On Friday night we celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary with dinner at Shaw's. My DH had softshell crab and oysters; I had scallops.

After visiting Loopy Yarns on Saturday we went across the street to Hackney's pub for lunch. My DH had a hamburger on a dark rye bun; I had a half sandwich and a cup of Guiness & potato soup. Marvelous!

Chicago Trip - Loopy Yarns

2009-05-25T11:09:00.003-05:00

God bless those wonderful people at Loopy Yarns!

We started walking from the Chicago Art Institute and what seemed miles later we felt lost and discouraged. I pulled out my cell phone and called the shop. "Is it time to call a cab?" I asked.

No! We were only 3 blocks away! We hiked along to the historic Dearborne Station, a renovated building, and found ourselves a comfortable resting place as well as lots of wonderful yarn!

While my DH rested in a chair, Steven (Stefan? Stephan?) helped me to find some lovely yarns for knitting socks. He tempted me miserably with the sale items on the lower floor. And then, when it came time to pay up, he let me toss a ball of yarn at a screen with holes in it. I had three tosses. If one went through a hole, that was the discount I'd get. Needless to say, I failed to get it through any of the holes, but I was given a 10% discount nonetheless, PLUS the lovely bag and the little sheep. I was in heaven. I wound the Handmaiden Casbah while waiting at O'Hare airport yesterday. I can't wait to get started.

Oh, and the HPKY (Hand Painted Knitting Yarn) is exclusive to their shop. I love finding something fun and new!

Chicago Trip - Art Institute

2009-05-25T10:54:00.005-05:00

One of the two lions standing guard over the entrance to the Art Institute of Chicago.

I admit that I was exhausted by the time we arrive here so I wasn't in much of a mood to take photographs inside (non-flash only), but we visited a number of exhibits.

My favorites were the Thorne miniatures, the Frank Lloyd Wright designs, and the Adler & Sullivan architectural fragments (elevator grills). My DH liked the art from the early (pre-Columbian) Americas.

Here's one of the Thorne miniatures (click on it to enlarge it). The scale is 1" = 1'. The rugs were done in 30 ct petit point. The chairs are carved from the wood that would have been used for such chairs — all of the details are meticulous and real. When you look through a doorway you can see to another miniature room that has been furnished as beautifully; the outdoors (see through windows) are finished as well, complete with backdrops that are painted to show what the rest of the neighborhood or city might have looked like. It was magical.

Chicago Trip - Museum of Science & Industry

2009-05-25T10:39:00.006-05:00

We arrived far too early so we took a walk along the shore line, greeting very happy joggers, walkers, and wanderers like ourselves. There was a pier we walked out. Looking back toward shore, we found the skyline was magnificent. The city is clean and beautiful!

(click photos to enlarge)

Did we go to the Museum of Science & Industry for the cool model train that travels through a magnificent model of downtown Chicago as well as mountains and prairie? No. (But here's a photo you can enjoy.) Did we go for the cool display on genetics and to see baby chicks in the hatchery? No, but we stopped in nonetheless. Did we go for the U-505 submarine, the 747 jet, the locomotives, the mining town, the soda shop, the toy-maker??????

No, we came for the Harry Potter exhibit. This is the first US city in which it has been displayed. There were props, sets, costumes — all kinds of great things! But no photos inside the exhibit (the white tunnel in the photo led to an outdoor tent of sorts that houses the exhibit).

But this lovely Ford Anglia (used in the 2nd film) was on display where we waited in line for the museum to open. It's in the ticketing area (but purchase your tickets ahead of time because they allow only a set number of people into the exhibit at a time.)

One of the lovely parts was that I was invited to sit on the wooden stool for sorting at the beginning of the exhibit. My DH had pointed me out when the lady working this part asked if there were any adults who wanted to be sorted. I hadn't raised my hand and I had no idea what my DH was going. So, it was a bit magical for me -- the sorting had was placed over my head and the little voice declared I was loyal, etc., then concluded I should be in Hufflepuff.

I love purchasing the sets of post cards because they are better photos than I'll ever be able to take myself. And, yes, I bought a coffee mug (from which I am enjoying a cup of coffee while I post this.)

Chicago Blues

2009-05-23T07:50:00.003-05:00

We are in Chicago! I was able to get my knitting on the jet (in carry-on, no less) and started in on the second sleeve to the new pattern, Sweet Honey, which will be available soon on Ravelry and at String of Purls. Sadly, I learned a nasty lesson: Knit cast-on looks really raggy on a sleeve edge in cotton yarn. I cast on the first sleeve using the knit cast-on method and just knit away. Every time I looked at that ragged edge I thought, "It'll look better after blocking." Here I am, weeks later, and looking at the second sleeve which I had cast on with the long-tail cast on method. It looks so much nicer! It has a lovely little twisted rope kind of edge. I'd cast it on with a circular needle that was two sizes larger (for stretchiness). Now I can see that I must do the first sleeve over.

Fortunately, these are only short sleeves.

Fortunately, this is the smallest size.

Fortunately, I have enough yarn to do it over.

But, day-um!

Well, as consolation (I should get consolation for my own short-sightedness?) we are going to visit at least one yarn shop today (two if I can convince my DH that it's not that far away).

We'll see!

Another Satisfied Customer

2009-05-14T21:14:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I'd like you to meet Tina who sent me this beautiful photo of herself in her Summer Sunner top. She knit it from King Tut cotton and it's perfect on her!

Of course, I'm magnficently gratified as a designer that someone would show me the finished product along with her happy, smiling face. I have some yarn around here to knit one for myself.

(Stop laughing! You know I'll get to it. Sometime soon, I'm sure. Really. Right after the gym shrug, the little cardigan for my grand niece, the second waffle sock, the short jacket for my sister, and, um, oh yes, after I knit the second sleeve for the latest top I've been designing.)

Thank you, Tina, for a lovely photo! Hugs and good knitting to you,

Judith

Rode Hard and Put Away Wet

2009-05-12T21:18:00.006-05:00

Dear Mandella,

Oh, I'm wondering whether I should spoil all and reveal to you how this season/series of House has turned out.

While I ponder that, you have to sneak over to Franklin Habit's blog and read his perspective on the newest Star Trek film. I absolutely loved this film and I'm sure it will reinvigorate the franchise, but you have to admit that Franklin has found an entirely new direction for this to go without the necessity of time travel.

I'm still reeling from the roller coaster ride that started last Thursday and continued through today. If it isn't the customers at the part-time job (honestly, you'd think that parents wouldn't wait until the last minute for party invitations when they knew for the last 8 months that their child would be graduating in May), or the four knitters-of-the-apocalypse at Knit Night, or the grand pubahs of the corporate office handing down another make-work edict, it's the dryer that won't work, the cat litter that still isn't changed, and rooms in the house that still need to be sorted out despite the fact that I'm aching from Monday's tour-de-cleanse.

My DH is complaining about a spasm in his back from the yard work he did on Monday, but, no, he won't put ice on it. Yes, he bought cat litter from the store last week; no, he didn't change it yet; and now he can't because his back hurts. I ache all over, but I'm not having back spasms so it must be OK for me to do this.

How well do you think any of this bodes for actually knitting?

I do have a clever new pattern for a shrug called a gym wrap by local designer Phyllis Campbell. I also have some Jo Sharp yarn in bulky weight that I think will be perfect for knitting it. And I'll get to that as soon as I finish . . . . . OK, I absolutely have to finish the Sweet Honey pullover (one I'm designing -- I have just one more sleeve to go), and then I need to at least cast on the second sock from a pair I've been knitting in my favorite waffle pattern. And I suppose I should make more headway on the cotton intarsia cardigan for my grand niece Katie. It would help if I worked on the short jacket that's in the works for my sister Mary. And none of this counts the Ab-Fab throw that I keep coming across as I trawl through the yarn stash.

I need to be three people again. Or four. I'd page Dr. House, but I'm afraid he's unavailable at the moment. But I won't tell you why. Unless you *really* want me to tell you. And even then, well, I don't know if I should really spoil it for you. ;D

Happy knitting!

Judith

Mounting Suspense

2009-05-05T08:37:00.000-05:00

Dear Mandella,

Have you been keeping up with House season/series 5 on hulu.com? Last night’s episode was muy caliente! Next Monday is the season/series finale, and God only knows (well, the actors know already since they’ve finished filming for this season) how they’re going to top it! And, to bring back the refrain, Hugh Laurie is a God! What an actor! What a character! *sigh*

OK, enough of that.

Suspense has also been mounting as I’ve been sorting out the sleeves for this latest pullover I’ve been designing. Not only did I work out the basic directions, but I figured out how I want to work the increases in the sleeves while emphasizing the pattern. In fact, I probably should have done this in the body of the pullover, but I’m not going to re-think that part. Not now. Not after all of that work. Alas, one learns a lot through the actual knitting. And then sometimes it takes until the end that a more brilliant insight comes.

At any rate, I’m nearly to the halfway point of the first short sleeve. The second one should be even faster since I won’t have to be stopping to work out the pattern details as I knit. I’m looking forward to having this one done. It has been a long slog. And I really can’t post photos until it’s done.

We’re having beautiful weather here. I hope you’re enjoying the springtime, too.

Hugs!

Judith

This Mess is a House

2009-05-04T18:48:00.001-05:00

See? It's true! (No, I won't publish the photos any larger.)

Family Aphorisms

2009-05-03T20:16:00.003-05:00

Dear Mandella,

I don't know whether you have this saying on your side of the pond, but over here it's kind of popular: "Put on your Big Girl Panties [knickers] and deal with it." It means quit whining and act like an adult. I've had to do this very thing over the past couple of days.

My house is looks like it has been inhabited by roving bands of slovenly teenagers who help themselves to food but never clean up afterward and leave their plates wherever they finished with eating. Everything has been in disarray. The clothing that is clean has been piled haphazardly in baskets in the living room -- if I need something without wrinkles in it I have to toss it back into the dryer for about 10 minutes. I won't even attempt to describe the bathrooms. I considered putting out a distress call to all friends and family, then decided that it was time to put on the Big Girl Panties and deal with it.

But first I was going over to my mom's the sew.

I was telling my mom the "Big Girl Panties" philosophy. Now, my dear mother has always worn heavy support hosiery. Lately, however, when her gastro-intestinal system has been feeling poorly, she hasn't pulled up the panty part of the hosiery all of the way (don't worry -- you'd never know it unless she told you this was the case). She refers to them as being "at half mast."

I hope you're laughing as hard as I was at that point. :)

But, you know, I was thinking that it's a good analogy in a way. Some days I'm trying really hard to be an adult and to cope with all of the stuff going on around me, but I don't quite make it, so it's like my Big Girl Panties are at half mast.

This would be adequately describe today's sewing session. I worked only 4 of the log cabin squares because I kept making mistakes. OK, it didn't help that I was laughing pretty hard with my mom (does one salute the panties at half mast?), but I was actually tired and screwing up things -- using a light piece when I should have used a dark one, using the wrong size, sewing to the wrong part.

My husband's family has a saying: "Three moves equals a fire." It meant that things get lost every time you move from one house to another, and after three times it was like you'd had a house fire because so much of the original stuff you remember has gone missing. Well, for my sewing today the saying could have been "Four errors equals Quitting Time." I carefully undid my last error (you have to be very careful to not tear the tissue paper foundation), finished the remaining pieces correctly, then put it all away for another day. No whining; just admitting that it wasn't my day to get it all done.

When I drove home I wasn't certain what I'd find but I expected that the house would still be a pig sty and my DH would still be in bed and dealing with end-of-term exhaustion/depression. But, I was going to cope with it as an adult, which meant I was ready to do what I had to get done in order to stay a little sane.

Good news: As I drove up to the house, he was working outdoors. He had mowed all of the lawn, trimmed out all of the weeds, done all of the edging work, and was in the process of trimming several bushes that were getting out of hand. Before I could say a word, he apologized that he hadn't tackled his indoor chores yet, but he'd wanted to get the outdoors done before it rained.

It's going to be OK. I changed lightbulbs, tidied up the bedroom (including the closet), and now I'm going to deal with the laundry.

Oh, I have been knitting. I've got a waffle sock at the gusset (this is the first of a pair), a stocking cap nearing the crown, and I've finally gotten a sleeve started for the latest pullover. But there are days when you have to just put down the knitting in order to get other things done.

Hugs and happy days to you!

Judith

Pin, Stitch, Iron, Slice, Repeat

2009-04-26T19:42:00.002-05:00

Dear Mandella,

Today's post would be a repeat of last week's post in which I finished 8 of the log-cabin quilt squares. I spent about 6 hours working those 8 squares today. I also spend another hour getting some sock yarn ready to dye. There's a bit of work to do on those, yet, but I'm hopeful of having them ready for a dye session on this Saturday. I've gotten some new colors to play with, so I'm dying to get at it (no pun intended).

I am only six weeks away from my 50th birthday. We were talking today about perhaps getting the family together to celebrate it, but I'm not sure how all of the schedules are going to work out. Also, my oldest sister and her husband won't be visiting Omaha until July, so we might wait until then because the family will want to get together to see them, too.

In the meantime, I am knitting. I have at last figured out how I want to do the sleeves on the latest pullover I've been designing. Now I'm wondering whether I want to wait before releasing the pattern as soon as it's done because it might be a good one to submit to Twist Collective. I don't know. I've got two friends who are going to test-knit the thing for me. One of them will knit a large size and that will be great because I can work on the sleeves while she works on the body. One thing I'm writing into this pattern is how to adjust it for the best fit, and one item of consideration is how to adjust the width of the sleeve without making the sleeve cap too large for the armhole.

Well, I've got to get some laundry done so that I have clothes to wear for another week of working for the jobs that pay in order to have time to do the things I love. Talk about a boring repeat! :)

Hugs and good knitting to you!

Judith

With deepest sympathy . . .

2009-04-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

Details here.