Monday, July 27, 2009

Wildlife in the City

OK - knitting stuff first...

Using my hand-dyed Superwash BFL from Yarn2Dye4 I made Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style. Shetland Triangle
I did 11 repeats, 3 more than the pattern called for. The pattern was easy to memorize and a very quick knit. Shetland Triangle closeup Bind off loosely is an understatement. I knit this with a size 6 needle and bound off with a size 10 which still wasn't loose enough; the bind-off was too tight to get the edging points as shown in the book. Shetland Triangle edge detail
Other than that I'm very happy with how it turned out.

Before blocking it looked more like I was knitting an egg crate than lace.
Shetland Triangle pre-blocking

For living in the city we have our fair share of wildlife in the backyard. There are lizards everywhere eating every bug they can find. I had very few snails or aphids this past Spring and very little catterpiller damage on any of my greens. Yesterday while going in the back door I noticed a baby right near the back door at eye level. (for size reference the medallion is the size of a dinner plate)
baby lizard perspective

He was such a perfect minature.
baby lizard
Can you believe he just stayed there through his photo session with The Photographer never moving except for a slow, infrequent blink. Did you see those TOES!!!

And don't get me started on the blasted squirrel!!! I haven't gotten to a ripe tomato ahead of him. squirrel damage
I feeling like I'm living in a Chip and Dale Cartoon. I've started cutting tomato clusters the second I see any warming in their color.
I may not get the whole "vine-ripened taste" but I'll have some of my own tomatoes! Blasted *#@%^* Squirrels!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Nerd Tendencies - your time has come!

Somehow during the Michael Jackson news blitz over the past month this gem went un-noticed. My daughter called this speech by John Hodgman at the Radio & TV Correspondents dinner to my attention. If you have any Nerd tendencies you'll really enjoy this speech.



Hope you enjoy it as much as I (a true SciFi loving geek) did.

Monday, July 20, 2009

Still Around, Still Knitting

Yes, I'm still alive... and feeling wonderful! Dr. changed my thyroid level and some supplements and I'm feeling so full of energy that it's hard to sit still long enough to compose a blog entry. I've finished a few things, the pictures are still in my camera and will make it here eventually.

I've also been running an evening Summer Knitting Program at a local Library which has been a lot of fun. Mostly new or new-ish knitters so lots of problem solving on my part.

Personally, I've several lace projects going and a couple of socks.

My secret Knitty blue project was a dismal failure. I was making, for The Photographer, Retrofit which is a somewhat slim fitting sweater. I made it from measurements I took a year ago since I wanted it to be a Father's Day surprise. His shoulders didn't fit by two sizes and around chest measurement needed to be the next size up. (The smaller sizes really are fitted.) Simply a disaster - the whole way round! The yarn is now back in hanks; it really didn't want to be that sweater.

Next time I'll have pictures, promise.

Annie says, Hey.
Annie Salute