Tuesday, October 31, 2006

We interrupt this blog due to technical difficulties

The further adventures of our little cabin in the woods is on hold until I can figure out why Blogger doesn't like my picture URLs from Photobucket. I'm assuming it's a size issue but I've reduced the size and reduced and it still won't take them. Does Flicker work more easily than Photobucket?

I leave with this rant: Does it bother anyone else when you read a Popular blog comment section and the first six people all start their comment with, "I can't believe I'm the first to comment??" Who the H___ cares if you're first; most of the time I don't even know who YOU are!

CC

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Back from Flagstaff with Pictures

My new Canon camera has a feature I've never had before called image stabilizer. You can get a very good photo in a moving car! I kept shooting out the window even when I couldn't see through the eyepiece or see the LCD screen on the back.

Driving east on Highway 40 between Kingman and Flagstaff we had a stunning view of San Francisco Peak.
As we drove Monday morning, the changing view and sun angle on the mountain kept us entertained the entire drive.















The weather was beautiful on Monday; there was a storm moving in that pushed these wonderful clouds ahead of the front. We found ourselves just standing and watching the sky.
















Tuesday morning we woke at 5am in our A-frame cabin to strange noises on the roof. (We're such Southern California weather dorks!) It was hailing and snowing; we didn't recognize the sounds. Luckily we had been to the store the night before and had stocked up on food and water and the Inn supplied us with firewood; so we built a fire in the wood burning stove, made eggs for breakfast and just sat and enjoyed the weather. I can't tell you how snug it felt to sit in front of a fire in your cabin out in the woods, drinking warm tea, knitting and watching it alternately rain, snow and hail. View of the hail on the porch taken standing at the cabin door. (Can you believe how enthralled we are with this weather? Wish I could say that we scheduled this when we made our reservation?)

















It dried up about 11 AM so we got ready to go to our favorite restaurant in Flagstaff. (Save that for later) When we finally made it outside we found the top of the car still covered with hail


























Wednesday morning we awoke to a frost dusted wonderland. The new camera has a super close macro setting so I braved 22 degrees to take ice crystal pictures.



















Next post more Vacation less weather, promise.

Saturday, October 14, 2006

The Panopticon Homage to Barbara Walker

Don't miss this knitting comic. Too clever; I can't wait for the T-shirt!
http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/2006/10/homage.html


And I leave you for a week with this photo of October 12, 2006's evening sky

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Everything Takes Two Trips

I bought a new camera today, a Canon A710 along with a SD card reader. (My old camera took a larger compact flash card) Of course, you can never do anything in one trip (as my friend Phyllis swears) and the card reader won't read the cards. The drive is there, just can't see the cards.

Found that Husband's printer will read the card so we sucked a few pictures out.

Fuchsia against Spanish Moss



























Have you ever heard of a Perennial Sunflower? I hadn't until three years ago when I bought a single stem plant. They really multiplied. They are such an intense yellow that the light in my kitchen has changed from their reflection.














And to finish tonight here's my dog Annie. People always ask us, "What kind of a dog is that?" Have to say we have no idea. We got her from Border Collie Rescue but she didn't look like the other black and white puppies. She has the Northern Dog up curled tail; when she was a tiny puppy the Vet guesses she was part Malamute. But look at those eyes, is that Malamute or part Hound?


Saturday, October 07, 2006

Sock Preferences and History - week 1 of Socktoberfest

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
My friend Carolyn started emailing me about knitting socks and the new sock yarn that made the design as you knit. Up to that time I had never made a sock but the yarn intrigued me. Carolyn coached me via email from Whidbey Island, my cousin Pamela helped from Colorado and I struggled through here alone in San Diego. At times the directions made no sense to me but I was told to "just do it" all would make sense eventually and it did.


What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first test sock was made in scrap acrylic worsted - I have no idea where it is right now but it does show up around here once in awhile; my first pair was made from a very early Opal yarn that didn't even have a name and they fit! I still have the socks but all the fuzz has worn off the heel - just the nylon is left - although there isn't a hole. They're put away now for historical preservation.


What would you have done differently?
I would have picked up a couple of stitches at the top of the gusset which is what I do now to make sure there is never a hole there. And I don't decrease at the toe as much as the pattern calls for; I have more square toe profile rather than the pointy end the pattern give me.


What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
I have really enjoyed all the Opal yarns, I've recently discovered Trex yarns and of course, all the new hand-dyed yarns available now all over the internet. Just the other day I bought Flowers from Yarn Pirate; I'm anxious for it to arrive.


Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
Knit, Knit, KNIT!!!
It's size 0 DPNs always. I've tried 2 circs and 2 socks on 2 circs and found both to be a real bother. I can knit rounds with DPNs with out looking; I hated fishing for the ends of the second circ.


Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
The question of toe-up or top-down needs to be answered first. I prefer top down but only because that's my standard stock and I do a heel flap with that. Toe-up is ok too but I have to think and watch what I do there; toe-up I do a short-row heel. Learned toe-up originally from Judy Gibson's pattern - You're putting me on Socks. One pattern I've been wanting to try is Wendy's feather and fan sock


How many pairs have you made?
I went and counted and it's 37 pairs in nearly four years. That includes a few that got felted by mistake and others given away as gifts. (I'm very particular who I gift my socks to. The best reaction I ever got was from my Sister; right in the restaurant in downtown La Jolla she pulled off her shoe and put her socks on. She wore them all through lunch before she took them off.)

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

Socktoberfest Socks

We're three days into Socktoberfest so where's my sock entry?

Behind as usual but I am working on a sock - ALWAYS have a sock in progress!


My regular top down sock pattern in Opal Rainforest Chameleon.
I learned, and still use as my basic sock pattern, from the Ann Norling pattern #12 Basic Adult Socks.

Socks are my portable project for appointments and meetings; I always have one on the needles. No problem with SSS (single sock syndrome
) as I cast on the next sock, whether it's the second with the same yarn or new yarn, as soon as I finish a sock. I always try to keep one sock at the leg or foot section so I can have rounds of knit only which I can do without looking. I do try to always sit in the back at meetings so as not to be too noticible or distracting. No complaints so far.

Usually I'm project oriented and once I've made a pattern I'll never repeat but socks just seem to always be at hand when I need distraction.


What have I bought recently??














More Sock yarn, silly!

This is from Little Knits, superwash merino dyed by Fleece Artist. The green and brown called Woodland is fabulous. Think I'll have to cast on with this soon, I'm a sucker for anything green. The other two are: Tiger and Hercules.

That's it for my opening Socktoberfest bog.