Thread, String and the rest of it

where was I...

2010-08-12T11:53:00.000-07:00

Saying, "Things have been busy around here" is quite an understatement!

Last Christmas I made everyone at the Shop similar project bags for Christmas; they were so popular I was ask to put some up for sale. They've been selling fast enough that sewing has been using up much of my free time.

The hardest part of making these bags is finding zippers in colors that work with my fabrics. I'd never noticed but zipper manufacturers don't change their colors to keep up with the changing fabric pallets. (Most blue zipper colors are stuck in the grayed out 1980's hues, for example.) Wonder why these zipper companies are so out of touch with what fabric is currently on the market?

I've still been knitting but getting items finished, blocked and photographed has really been neglected. My latest FO is a shawl from the pattern Springtime Bandit knit in Canopy Fingering Weight Yarn. Of course, I didn't knit the pattern with the right weight yarn; the pattern is written for a worsted weight.

The pattern was knit as written except I did 16 repeats of the Body Chart. Using two skeins of Canopy I finished with just a few inches of yarn left. (I hate that nervous knitting when you're worried about running out of yarn!?

I used the Macaw colorway; these photos don't do it justice. This yarn in the hank looks very different from the knitted item. This colorway has a prismatic color shift depending from which direction you look at it. I've never seen a yarn do this before. Oh, and I have to mention the yarn is a dream to knit with, never had one split stitch!

We lost our 13 year old Siamese, Ty, last week. We'd been running Cat Hospice upstairs for him the past six months so it wasn't a surprise. He had a degenerative disease called Cerebellar Abiotrophy and lost most of the use of his hind legs. We sure miss him, he was a very loving Boy.

Milkweed Project

2010-01-29T12:17:00.000-08:00

My submission to the Milk Weed Project is posted here

Little Entrelac Bag

2009-11-16T09:01:00.000-08:00

When I looked through the new Interweave's Holiday Gifts magazine and saw Susan Lawrence's Little Entrelac Bags pattern I knew I was making it as soon as I got home.

It was a fun quick project with Noro Kureyon. The pattern called for a twisted cord, I made a square cord on a Lucet with several strands of thread and pearl cotton. The hardest part has been finding a button for the drawstring.

I have other finished objects but they all need a little something before I take pictures and blog about them.

Ysolda Teague has some great patterns and I'm drawn to her patterns on Ravelry. There's one through that always makes me smile and remember some mystery books I've read. Have you heard of the Aunt Dimity books by Nancy Atherton? The main character has a knit bunny from her childhood that was made for her by Aunt Dimity who lived in England. Well, Ysolda has a knit bunny pattern called Sophie that is exactly the bunny I envisioned while reading. It makes me smile every time I come across this pattern.
(This just proves that you can play "7 Degrees to Knitting" with anything.)

The sun is so low in the south now that it comes further into the house than any other time of the year. The cats are loving it! They follow the sun around the living room during the day. Bright sunlight, the best way to photograph our Sam.

Old man Ty really loves the heat.

Lambtown 2009

2009-11-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

Last month the Photographer and I headed up state to attend Lambtown in Dixon, California, west of Sacramento.

There was Sheep Judging

Strolling Alpacas

Penned sheep ready for dog herding trials

The Fiber Show

The seated woman in blue is Shari McKelvy of Morro Fleece Works.

The view from the back of the building

A rare breed of sheep (sorry I've forgotten the breed name) whose coat was like bristles. The man said there was no known use for the fiber; the Photographer throught it would be perfect for bristle paint brushes.

That coat is not soft at all, felt more like a hair brush!

Angora Goat - look at that FACE!! (Is that really an Angora or Mohair Goat?)

Alpaca Show

I found three bags of Alpaca fleece on display near the pens. There was the most gorgeous black fleece that I coveted the moment I saw it. I went around asking who owned it until I found her; the fleece was brought for display but she was happy to sell it to me. (I walked it right over to Morro Fleece Works and saved the cost of shipping) The beautiful, super-soft fiber was from Midnight, the black boy in the center below. (That's him from the rear in the above photo)

And here I am having a wonderful stroll, third time around, in the Fiber Show.

There was a wonderful Sheep to Shawl going on that I wish I had pictures of. Looked like there were eight teams - that's the largest S2S I've ever seen. It was fun to look at all the wheels, drum carders and looms.

Charity Knitting Report

2009-09-10T14:56:00.000-07:00

I usually have many projects going at once but for some reason four Charity Projects seem to have gotten finished one after another.

The first were the Camo Hats for the Troops

These Hats are being collected at Two Sister and Ewe. Two Customers, one in the Military herself and the other a Military Wife, are sending these hats to Troops in Iraq. The Shop stocked Camouflage acrylic yarn just for this project. I got two hats out of one ball of this worsted weight yarn.

The second project or projects were my Red Scarf Project donations this year. Two Sisters has a collection basket for this Orphan Foundation of America project. They'll mail them all in the beginning of December. I hope we have Red Scarves everywhere. (Several years ago The Shop was the collection point for Pink Scarves that were going to be sold at the Breast Cancer Walk with all the money going to the Susan Komen Fund. I never saw so much Pink in one place in my life!)

My first scarf is the Li's Reversible Herringbone Scarf. This is a very nice pattern - write to Li if you'd like her free pattern.
Pattern close-up.

My second Red Scarf is made from the Pattern "Men's Cashmere Scarf" in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. Of course, I didn't use cashmere yarn both of these scarves are made with Marble Yarn from James G. Brett.(I was several rows into this pattern when I realized it is nearly identical to Yarn Harlot's Handspun Scarf pattern that I finished just a few weeks ago. I wonder if both authors are aware of how similar their patterns are?)

I recently had a Birthday lunch with my Sister and her daughters and grandchildren and my daughters (neither have children, not for lack of my encouragement!) Here is a photo of my great-nephew Joey (2.5 years)

and my newest great-niece Lily

A Few Finished Things

2009-08-21T19:09:00.001-07:00

My handspun scarf has been finished for awhile but I finally got around to blocking it. Pattern is the Yarn Harlots One Row Handspun Scarf.
Ravelry Link

This picture has the truest colors.

and a full length shot

The second finished object is a Flame Stitch Shawl made from a new 75% Bamboo fingering weight yarn from SRK called "On Your Toes." This is a very soft yarn; fabulous to knit. The stitch pattern was given to me by SDAHT on Ravelry. I designed this scarf not realizing that it was the same stitch pattern I'd used for my Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle until I'd knit a full pattern repeat.

the scalloped edge (this photo shows the best stitch definition)

and the backlit shot

Lastly, Charity Knitting: I've been knitting caps for a friend's church that has a few people going to Tibet. I don't know why they're going but they wanted to take something for the children but they are only allowed to take one carry-on bag. It was decided that knit hats could be tucked into any empty spots in their luggage. I've knit two hats for them to take.

And the Red Scarf Project. This is my second year knitting these red scarves. Last year, who knows why, my scarves were crocheted. This year I'm back to knitting scarves using Marble Yarn

I'm making Li's Reversible Herringbone Rib Scarf. (Leave a comment on her blog asking for this free pattern)

This is a great pattern that is interesting to knit but not so difficult that you can't watch TV.

And I stumbled over a display of Hatch Peppers while in our local Bristol Farms. I've always wanted to go the the Hatch Chili Festival this is as close as I've ever gotten.

Sample Knitting

2009-08-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

One of the Perks of working in a Yarn Shop is that you are handed yarn and get to knit things that you might never knit for yourself. I was handed a One Pound Bag of Pagewood Farm's Sock Bites and told to knit samples. Here's what the nearly 1200 yards of fingering weight yarn looks like out of the bag.

What can you make with a bag of sock leftovers???
Of course, my first was a bit of Entrelac.

Several sizes of Mitered Squares was my next thought.

Sorry about the strings and unblocked look.

Many people have been making Barn Raising Squares with their sock left overs which means Sock Bites would be perfect for this project.

There are several varieties of sock yarn from PageWood Farm so some squares lay flatter than others.

My most recent idea was the Chevron Scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

I still have lots of yarn left.

I'd love some other sample project suggestions.

Mean while out in the garden...

The Dill has gone to seed. Doesn't it remind you of lace?

(or is that just me with knitting on the brain??)

I'm drawing a blank on the name of this plant at the moment. Anyone??

Looking Southwest through the Jacaranda in the front.

Good thing this is a tight shot otherwise you'd see all the dead lawn! The water restrictions here are tough; we're only watering the large trees in the landscape.

One of the Cycads in the backyard. I love the color and texture in this photo.

Wildlife in the City

2009-07-27T13:45:00.000-07:00

OK - knitting stuff first...

Using my hand-dyed Superwash BFL from Yarn2Dye4 I made Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style.
I did 11 repeats, 3 more than the pattern called for. The pattern was easy to memorize and a very quick knit. 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.
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.

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)

He was such a perfect minature.

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.
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!

Nerd Tendencies - your time has come!

2009-07-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

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.

Still Around, Still Knitting

2009-07-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

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.

Sorry, I'm Boring lately!

2009-06-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

I'm too boring for Blogging. Lately, nothing I'm knitting is worth it. Two out of three projects look the same as the last time they were photographed. Ink Spot, started the second side which looks the same as the first. Milkweed project is about three quarters done but looks like unblocked lace does. The un-named Knitty project, I'm on "that island" knitters dread.

I did knit up a sample for the shop in an Organic Cotton.

This is the eloomanator Diagonal Knit Dishcloth.
and a close-up.

It was a quick knit and fun to watch the pattern emerge.

And I knit up some of my homespun,

This if from All Spun Up, sorry I can't find the colorway name. Lovely fiber!

And used it to start Yarn Harlot's One Row Handspun Scarf Pattern

This scarf is done now but needs to be blocked to open it up. Again a quick and enjoyable project. And a great pattern to display long color runs.

I dyed some BFL superwash fingering weight yarn a light Turquoise.

It was kettle dyed and came out a very faint semi-solid. It's destined to be Evelyn Clark's Shetland Triangle.

That's it for my knitting. The garden has had some spectacular spring blooms.

The Graham Thomas Climbing Rose was severely cut back this year - guess it like it because it's out done itself with roses!

The Asiatic Lillies have kept blooming through rain or shine.

And the Jacarandas in the neighborhood have bloomed in all their glory.

(Yes, they're beautiful trees but you want to view them at someone elses house. Messy and sticky debris!)

The Photographer and I went to the Ocean Beach Farmer's Market a couple weeks ago. O.B. never got the message that the Summer of Love is over.

Annie say, "Hey."

Mother's Day Catch-up

2009-05-15T10:10:00.000-07:00

No excuses, I just haven't put in my blogging time - mea culpa.

This is a long shot of my Mother's Day Picnic Breakfast. (We're under the big center tree.) This is Lake Murray in La Mesa. (It's really a reservoir, there's little open water here in Southern California.)

This is the view from the opposite direction.

Party Crashers.

And here I am trying to unwrap a roll of paper towels. (Is it just me or are they making plastic indestructible now a days!!)

We had such a good time that we're planning on a Father's Day picnic at another water side location next month. My girls gave me some wonderful presents. The gardener daughter gave me a couple of plants for the front yard remodel. (Due to up coming water rationing we've turned off the lawn sprinklers and are getting ready to take out all the grass. I'll sure miss all that cool green.) She gave me a Tree Mallow, the flowers are 2 inches in diameter.

and a Leptospermum

both plants have very low water requirements.

The traveling Photographer daughter was in Portland, Oregon last month and surprised me with Shibui Sock yarn from Knit Purl.

When she first told me she would be in Portland I told her she could go to Knit Purl and buy me this sock yarn, intending to pay her for it; then I forgot about the whole thing. So I really was surprised when I opened her bag. I have great daughters!

Later that afternoon the four of us went and saw Star Trek. I loved it! Even better was I had enough passes and gift certificates that we ended up paying $1 for 4 tickets, two drinks AND popcorn! Not sure which was more fun the movie or buying the tickets for a buck!

Knitting Content: now what do I do?

These are the cuffs for entrelac fingerless mitts out of Silk Garden Sock.

They're huge - I can pull them all the way up to my elbows and they're still loose. I'm using a size 1 needle and don't think that they would be much smaller if I went down to a zero needle. Only way is to rip the whole thing out and rework the pattern to take one of the squares out - not sure that's going to happen. I even tried them on as sock cuffs and they fit around the largest part of my calf but that would be ALOT of entrelac. Just not sure where I'm going from here.

Ink Spot Scarf doesn't look much different. I've been carrying this around with me but I keep making mistakes and take out as much as I knit. I'm afraid this is going to have to stay home and go back to being my early morning project. It's not a complicated pattern but what with it being black I do have to pay attention and count.

I've started sewing the barn-raising squares, getting the 4 corners to come together is fiddly. It'll get there - eventually. I bought a warm semi-sold chocolate by Mama Blue for the crocheted border.

Still working on my milkweed scarf submission; I'm on the second ball of hand-spun. No pictures because it doesn't look like much until it's blocked. I'm worried about stretching my handspun out at blocking - there are a few thing spots.

A Knitty Sweater has been started in Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool. but that's all that I can say for now.

You've heard of Square Foot Gardening? I found planters that are exactly a square foot and the idea just grabbed me. There are three now but I'm headed out today to see if I can find more since the original three are looking so good.

There is no way I can plant too much flat leaf parsley and cilantro!

And to close here's a photo of a visitor to the front yard. This is taken through the front window, he just sat there and stared - No Fear.

Talk of Quilts, Babies and Flowers

2009-05-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

My niece is having a baby girl, and as I did for all my nieces and nephew when they were born, I made a quilt. This one is called Baby Coins, the pattern is here. This was a very quick project and best of all, it's made completely from stash. (Yes, I have to admit I have even more quilt fabric stashed than yarn.) I cut slices from fat quarters and used some 6" batik squares, most are just color but there's one little green frog that mostly survived the cutting.

I got carried away with cutting the rectangles and I have enough to make another quilt; I'm seriously considering making a second on baby speculation. My daughters' friends are just starting to get married so you know there will always be new babies that need a gift.

The Barn-Raising blocks are finished. 36 needed but I'm working on number 40 right now.

I'm making a few extra because I'm sure I have some rejects. See any possible rejects in this group? Some really stick out when laid out with the rest of the blocks.

Jamie and Linda, two customers from our shop have started collecting hats to send to our Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan; Hats from Home. I knit the hat pattern they suggested, it wouldn't even fit on my head. (everyone else gets a normal adult size hat but my gauge must have been off - way off.) So I ripped it out and I'm making a plain 2/2 ribbed hat.

As you can see my camo isn't pooling it's spiraling. Thank goodness the idea is for warmth rather than style. (Since I always have trouble with sock yarn pooling and flashing I figured this yarn would do the same. Of course, yarn is contrary and this skein is doing the opposite of what I want! I shouldn't have been surprised.)

The cymbidiums are almost done blooming

And the Epi's are just starting.

My Fully Baked Weekend

2009-04-21T13:22:00.001-07:00

Ok - let me just get this out - It was DAMN HOT this weekend!! And then Sunday was even HOTTER! Tying the all time record for the Month of April HOT! Where I was Sunday it got to 100 degrees F at 10:55 am and then stuck at that temperature the rest of the day. (I left at 4pm and it was still 100 degrees.)

This was the weekend we had Celia Quinn here to give her two-day Silk Workshop. Once again we were at Karalyn's home over looking Lake Murray.

Celia lives in Alaska and the heat was really getting to her. Saturday was very warm - put you to sleep after lunch warm but Sunday it was so hot it hurt, and we were in the shade.

We learned more about the history and biology of silk than I ever imagined. We dyed silk caps

and silk hankies

We spun silk in more than a dozen forms while Celia explained all the ways to spin each type, what each is used for and where it came from.

We played with cocoons and did reeled silk and make silk mawata or hankies from cocoons. Celia gave us so much information in a very fun but hectic weekend. Luckily with all that heat it was very dry so our hands weren't too sweaty to spin the silk. Sunday with trying to pay attention and ignore the heat I forgot to take any pictures but it looked at lot like Saturday's picture except with different and lighter clothes, oh yeah, we looked even hotter too.

These three days of heat have cooked all the Spring flowers but The Photographer has pictures to help remember them. My potted wisteria gave the best blooms so far. I severely wacked it back - the plant must have liked the pruning.

And just to prove how special my dog Annie is, here's a picture of her reading.

Forest Canopy Shawl

2009-04-11T16:37:00.000-07:00

First we have a winner, DJ won the 5 Minutes a Day Bread Book - Congratulations. Hope you enjoy the recipes.

Second - I finished the Forest Canopy Shawl pattern by Susan Pierce Lawrence.
(Rav link) The yarn is Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool in an olive green color. None of my pictures capture the color exactly. The Label says color 008.

Funny about this pattern, a friend was looking for a particular shawl pattern and I suggested that it was this one. Talking about the Forest Canopy Shawl reminded me that I'd purchased the pattern and even had the yarn to make it. So I just let every other project sit for the week it took to make this easy lace shawl. (It's really more of a shoulderette or kerchief than a shawl or scarf.) I enjoyed knitting this pattern - it's very clear and well written.

And the blocking pictures

I'm still working on InkSpot another of Susan's patterns. There's no speeding when I'm working with such a dark lace weight.

Last night I attended a Bobmas Party at Two Sister's and Ewe. It was fun to visit with so many talented knitters. I saw some lovely things - wish I'd remember to take some pictures. I was bleary eyed last night and not the sharpest pencil in the box! I'm blaming it on not enough sleep the night before - that's my story. I know Jessica was busy taking pictures so I'll link to her pictures when she puts them up.

Lace, Bib and Bread

2009-04-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

Very slowly I've been knitting Ink Spot the scarf version of Fountain Pen Shawl in the current issue of Interweave Knits. I find it difficult to keep working on such dark stitches. I usually sit in direct sunlight in the morning and knit a dozen rows before I start the rest of my day.

The yarn is Knit Picks Shadow in Midnight. The picture looks like a solid black yarn but it has touches of blue-green in it. (Think Black Watch Plaid in the blender - those colors) One more picture - yeah, I know, unblocked lace looks like a blob.

I completely flaked out on SockMadness. My yarn was picked out and I was right there that Thurday morning when the pattern was released but Ink Spot was calling to me and when I cast-on it was lace weight in my hand rather than sock yarn. I feel so wicked.

Lace yarn has a tendency to either stick to itself or the whole ball falls apart, especially if it has a high silk content. Here's a picture of have I keep my yarn safe and secure.

I store it in an empty CD spindle package. The yarn is secure on the spindle; safe from dust, falling onto the floor and nosey cats. My family of Photographers kindly keep me supplied with empty DVD cases.

I finished a bib in cotton dishcloth yarn. (I'm not sure which brand as there was no label on this ball. I'm thinking it's Peaches & Creme because I bought a grab bag of yarn from them several years ago and none of them came with labels.)

The pattern is here. Overall it's a very good pattern and lends itself to what ever you can imagine. You could adapt this pattern to any dishcloth pattern for the first six inches. I would try a few things differently next time; I'd use an I-cord bind-off across the front neck, I'd taper a bit the bands that go around the neck and I did enlarge the button hole. (Trying to get tiny buttons done on a squirmy baby isn't fun.)

I've been trying the recipes in the book "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day." It really is an extremely simple recipe with no kneading. I've gotten some very good bread and they look every bit as good as the loaf on the cover. And the Smell when it's baking is just heaven!

My problem is my refrigerator - I HATE my side-by-side! I just don't have room to store the bread dough container. Since I won't be keeping the book because of my "stupidly designed refrig" I thought I'd give it away here. Anyone that's interested leave me a comment (be sure and leave an email address so I can let you know you won.) I'll mail it to anyone in the US or Canada - sorry everywhere else USPS is just too expensive.

So if you have a decent refrigerator and like to bake this book is for you. Leave me a comment by next Thursday April 9 at 9 p.m. PDT.

Do you read the Rainey Sister's Blog? The last two days Susan has been showing a method for keeping count of rows, increases and decreases as you knit. Sure makes sense to me.

Lace Ribbon Scarf

2009-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finished the Lace Ribbon Scarf from Knitty. I used Ella Rae Lace Merino ( a fingering weight) in color 110. The pattern calls for you to knit until the scarf is 80"; I only made it to 74" with one skein of yarn.

I enjoyed knitting this pattern but I have one thing I'd do differently next time. The pattern has you cast-on and start right into the lace pattern then at the end you knit two rows then bind-off. Those two knit rows give you a very nice finished edge that you don't have at the other end of the scarf. Next time I'd cast-on, knit two rows before starting the lace pattern. I had a long piece of yarn left from the cast on that I used to work through the cast-on to give it a little more bulk to try and match the end of this scarf.

Thank-you Jessica for modeling the scarf.

I've had about a dozen people write and ask about my blocking surface. I've mentioned before that they're 2 feet X 2 feet interlocking foam floor mats that I got through Amazon. (My mats are black but they're offered in many bright colors too. I've been told someone found the mats at Home Depot.)

KnitPicks now is selling a similar product, 12 inch X 12 inch interlocking squares that are white. I haven't seen them and can make no recommendation - I'm just letting you know another source for these blocking mats. My only comment is that KnitPicks' product is only half the surface area of those offered on Amazon with little reduction in price.

The beginning of this month the Photographer and I drove up to Riverside, California so I could attend a Weaver's Conference marketplace. I was curious about the new looms on the market; learned a lot but didn't purchase one. I really didn't buy much; 2 pounds of natural color worsted weight merino yarn from Newton's, and a fringe twister.

Although we didn't stay at the Mission Inn we did stop there early Saturday morning before the Conference opened. I knit while the Photographer did what he does. It was a beautiful hotel that has recently been fully restored.

This is how I spent the hour, knitting and listening to Vivaldi, while he was wandering around.

I Won a Contest

2009-03-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

How can it be two weeks since I last posted here? Where does the time go and why is it going so quickly?

Anyway, I won a guessing contest from Lisa on Knitnzu . She had ice slide off a multi-story building and land on her car. So she held a guess the estimate contest and I guessed closest. I won a $25 gift certificate from Spunky Eclectic; I ordered two custom dyed fibers and they finally arrived this Wednesday.

The top is 4 ounces of Superwash Merino Tencel in the Rocky Mountain High colorway. The bottom is 4 ounces of Superwash BFL in the Going Places colorway. Seriously beautiful colors, you should see them in person. I've wanted to order from Amy for awhile and just never got around to it; there have been several people in my Spinning Classes that have subscribed to her Fiber of the Month Club and everything they've received has been enviable. Now I get to play with it - Thanks Lisa... and I hope your car is repaired back to it's original condition.

It's so nice to handle spinning fiber with color, I'm so tired of this white corriedale I'm still spinning. I spun some three Ply and knit it doubled for thick felt for another pair of insoles.

which felted down much smaller than commercial yarns. I barely had enough to squeeze out the insoles.

Still working on that Lace Ribbon Scarf; looks like I'm on the last quarter. I'm knitting slower on it as I'm bored with it. I hope to be done by the 19th as that's when Sock Madness 3 starts. Last year I made it to round two so this year I'm aiming to make it to round three. I'm not a speedy knitter. I could probably go faster if I wasn't doing two or three other things at the same time but that's just not me. (I can read while knitting, not so much purling.)

At Two Sisters we got in some fun sock yarn. It's called Zauberball

I brought home these two balls. They're from Skacel 420m/100g of fingering weight single ply. Haven't decided if they're going to be socks or something else. I have quite a queue and list of favorites to choose from.

And I'll leave you with a few more Barn-Raising Blocks. I've used most of my sock-yarn leftovers so I'm really starting to be creative in color combining. Lots of yarn editing!

It needs more Cow Bell!!

2009-02-27T10:56:00.000-08:00

Not much to show for the past couple weeks. I've been knitting but sticking to just two projects which is unusual for me. Normally I'm working on four or more projects at one time; what can I say, "I just like variety."

The main project is a store sample. Since I don't get to keep them, store samples are quick projects that I enjoy knitting but I don't want to devote lots of time to BUT I've found one of those rare patterns that has a rhythm to the knitting and I can't seem to put it down. I believe I'm committed to the end of the yarn. It's the very popular Lace Ribbon Scarf on Knitty.

I'm using Ella Rae's Lace Merino (which is more of a fingering weight than lace weight) in color 110. A yellowy light green.

For true colors check out the yarn here.

I'm also still plugging away on my Barn-Raising Quilt blocks. I have 16 finished squares now; everyone a different yarn. I have two blocks that I thought were different yarns but they ended up looking very similar - not sure if I'll use the duplicate looking one or not.

I also am wondering how busy this quilt is going to look with all that changing color. Should I make a bunch of solid color squares to alternate with the more colorful ones. (That might be a problem as I don't have much solid superwash fingering weight yarn, either new or left overs.)

And I'm running out of left overs so I've started combining small bits together and coming out with some great looking squares IMHO.

That's it for knitting around here. I have been spinning but it's still that same white corriedale fleece I've posted before. Six and one-half pounds is beginning to feel like a life time's amount of fleece.

The Photographer went to the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California and has some pictures posted here if you're interested in the race.

(cowbell passed out at the beginning of the race)

Weaving Class

2009-02-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

Weaving has been encroaching on my knitting recently. I'm attending a 4 Harness Weaving Class at The Craft Center at UCSD. Week One was how to warp our rental looms. Week Two was weaving (in my case TRYING to weave) 14 different Twill patterns with varying success.

It's amazing how easily I got confused about what pattern row I was on! Even when there were only four rows to the design!!

Week Three we finished our sampler and warped again. This time I'm doing a hounds tooth two-color pattern. Turns out for me the hardest part is counting (who would have thought). Anyway, after several mistakes, pulling warp out, string everywhere and re-doing I got the loom warped and the pattern started. If I sound surprised that's because I can't believe I got it to work.

I'm enjoying the 'learning something new' part of this class but I don't think weaving will ever replace knitting as my craft of choice; my need to do it so I don't go crazy and take everyone along with me. There really is something in my brain that is soothed with knitting; if I have to wait in line or on the phone I can remain calm if I have my knitting otherwise by the time I get to the head of the line I'm really not fit to be talking to anyone let alone trying to solve a problem.

Speaking of Knitting, only two finished objects this past week. The first is a Pinwheel pillow, a sample for the Shop. It's a pattern from the current issue of Knitscene Magazine out of Marble Chunky. (BTW this is a great 100% acrylic chunky yarn. It really sells well, everyone seems to like it as much as I did.)

And Saartje's Baby Booties made for my niece who's expecting a girl this May.

Oh - I should tell you it's been raining off and on this week and should continue through Monday and Tuesday - YEAH! It's been fun seeing the reaction to our mini-summer in winter from Bloggers talking about TNNA. (Great pictures from Anne on Knitspot. Mid-January entries)

The Photographer passed along a couple of photos of Sam and Annie from Christmas:

Sam trying out all the extra chairs around the table

Annie with her stuffed chick present. She always knows there's a present for her; we have to hide it because she can smell which one is hers out of all the other wrapped presents.

continued warm, sunny and VERY dry

2009-01-30T12:39:00.000-08:00

I haven't been doing much to blog about. It's been warm for weeks (very little winter here, which means a third year of drought) although nice outdoor spinning weather.

Do you see that huge bag of fleece? That's 6.5 pounds of Corriedale that I've been working on for the last few weeks. Bought it at Black Sheep Gathering 2007. Seems to have marinated nicely in the fiber stash. I'm spinning modified long draw; this method fills a bobbin faster than me doing short draw.

I've nearly filled all my bobbins, time to start plying. Since I have no idea what I'm going to make with the yarn I've made a few samples to see what it wants to be. I'm lazy; it's too hard to spin to specification. I spin the yarn then find a pattern that calls for that weight of yarn.

Here's a two ply knit on size 7 needles on the left and 3 ply knit on size 9 needles on the right.

Singles

2-ply

3-ply

So now I'm ready for a worsted or chunky weight pattern. Time to go and check out my Ravelry Queue and see what might work with this yarn. I'm open to suggestions.

I've also been working on my Barn Raising Squares. I'm still enjoying watching each square's design emerge as I knit. It's a slow version of that Spin Art they use to have at the Fair. Remember you squirted paint on a spinning paper.

Last Saturday I started taking a 4-Harness Weaving class at UCSD's Craft Center. Mostly we're still getting all the looms warped.

So many people in the class it's slow going waiting for help but I'm liking it so far. Who knew that weaving would be so popular right now?

Here's a picture of my friends at Two Sisters and Ewe where I work.

left to right, Karen, Jessica (who also works there), Marie and Carol; they all make Open Knitting on Wednesday afternoons so much fun. All week I look forward to our time together. There are others that drop in but these Ladies are our hard-core knitters! It took the whole group to help me figure out where I was on my Curlicue Afghan. Turns out there was no mistake I'd just gotten lost. Thanks Ladies! In the future I'm going to have to write down exactly where I am each time I put that project down. It's either that or I'll have to keep pulling into the Yarn Shop to ask for directions.

At Last !

2009-01-19T16:22:00.000-08:00

This magnet has been on my refrigerator for over two year.

I think we finally got it right! Tomorrow is Inauguration Day; I have high hopes!

(I received the following message in one of those mass forwards from several friends.
Seems appropriate.)

Dear World:

We, the United States of America, your top quality supplier of the ideals of liberty and democracy, would like to sincerely apologize for our 2001-2008 interruption in service.

The technical fault that led to this eight-year service outage has been located, and the software responsible was replaced November 4. Early tests of the newly installed program indicate that we are now operating correctly, and we expect it to be fully functional on January 20.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the outage. We look forward to resuming full service and hope to improve in years to come. We thank you for your patience and understanding.

Sincerely,

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Last of 2008 Knitting

2009-01-13T12:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the last project of 2008 (not the last finished but the last photographed and blogged.) Spiral Eyelet Socks in Paca-Peds, color #604 Fireside.

These socks made it into both 2007 & 2008 projects list; I'm still pulling out UFOs and finishing them rather than buckling down and finishing my green sweater. (What is the matter with me? I just haven't been in the mood for knitting that requires any brain power.) Don't know why it took me a year to get to the second pair, since the second sock pattern changes to make the diagonal eyelet spiral in the opposite direction - it's like a different sock. There shouldn't have been any second sock syndrome fatigue. Anyway they're done.

Found out I'm going to be a Great Aunt again so I've been perusing baby blankets on Ravelry where I found the Barn-Raising Quilt from Knit-a-long

Thanks to friends (Hi Laurie) I have lots of left over sock yarn. A single square only takes 11 grams of yarn. Here's #1 and #2 squares.

It's fun to watch the spiral design come out as you knit. Wonder how long it will take me to knit all these squares? The baby is due in April...

Here's a photo of a knit gift card holder from Starbucks.

(Sorry they're a bit blurry, the camera just doesn't like red.) I wonder what something like this would look like in sockyarn? Might take longer to hand knit than it's worth but if you're a machine knitter - boy you can just go to town. They just stitched along the edge, no mattress or blanket stitch. The original has a machine stitched down bird design on the front but with a busy self-patterning sock yarn there's no need for a design on the front. Just a thought.

I won a book that I was just going to buy; seriously I was planning to get to Amazon that evening when Norma of Now Norma Knits wrote and told me I'd won the book Knitted Jackets she was giving away. How lucky is that! Thanks Norma.

Time to go and figure out what I did wrong on my Curlicue Afgan. I have 26 stitches hanging there with no where to go. I'm afraid I'm going to have to rip back a couple of sections. Hmmm...

Don't Over Charge a Knitter

2009-01-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

My slippers are a pair of three year old Merrill fleece lined clogs similar to this. I use outdoor shoes for slippers because I often end up outside in my robe and jammies. If it isn't the dog it's the moment I take to look at something in the garden and find I'm still out there an half-an-hour later.

After three years I needed new insoles. I hunted online and could only fine Uggs brand wool inserts but everyone wanted to charge me a shipping fee that was two-thirds the price of the inserts. You know those fleece inserts weight next to nothing; shipping just shouldn't be that expensive. I'm sorry, shipping costs for a set of new insoles is not worth a price equivalent to a ball of yarn. I have my priorities!

Then I remembered my Spinning Teacher telling us about making wool insoles out of a felting project gone wrong. An idea clicked into my brain. I pulled out a mystery yarn (looked like a Cascade yarn with some gray going through it) using a double strand I knit a 13 " square.

Felted it until it was a 1/2 " thick. When it was dry (which took two days it was so cold around here) using the old insoles as a pattern I cut out my new green insoles.

They fit perfectly into my slippers and boy are they warm. Wow, I saved the price of a scarf's worth of yarn making these myself. Now I'm looking around for other shoes that might need new wool inserts. "I love it when a plan comes together" (remember the A Team?)

Ty keeps watch on what goes on around here.

Just made it to 2009

2008-12-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

Those 10 days leading up to Christmas were my busiest of the whole year but I made it. The presents were bought and wrapped. The house was minimally decorated. The cookies were baked, packed, wrapped and distributed. Food was bought, cooked and served many times over. And the dishwasher was run two or three times a day! The time spent with Family and Friends was my favorite part of all. It's taken me a couple days with my feet up and knitting in hand to recover but I'm ready to face the New Year. I hope all you were better prepared and enjoyed your Holidays.

I did very little gift knitting this year, I don't know why. Maybe I didn't see any patterns that seemed perfect for anyone on my list or maybe I just wasn't very imaginative this year. I did knit a hat for Laura. It was Black Forest Hat made from Noro Silk Garden edits/leftovers. (I've admitted before to editing skeins of Noro when there's a color in a skein that I don't care for in a project.)

This was fun knitting; both the pattern and trying to select yarn bits that looked like they could be from a regular skein of Silk Garden. The scalloped edge is what initially caught my eye and I like it as much in my finished hat as I did when I first saw it on Ravelry. (The pattern is only available through a free Ravelry download.)

While I was stalling finishing my green sweater I pulled out and finished a sock UFO. These are a 2/2 rib pattern in Cherry Tree Hill, sorry I don't have the band so I can't tell you the color name.

Ty, kept bothering me while I was wrapping gifts. He kept trying to sit on the paper, to give myself a few minutes break from his attention I gave him his own piece of tissue. Little did I know that was all he wanted. He's been on that corner of the sofa sleeping on his paper for over a week now. I have to give him a new piece every other day as he shreds it kneading on it.

I think we all deserve a NEW Year, 2008 is broken and can't be fixed!
Happy New Year 2009 to all

Holiday Panic

2008-12-15T11:54:00.000-08:00

I do know how to operate a calendar but I still can't believe it's only 10 days until Christmas. How could it be time for the Holidays when it was 80 degrees last Wednesday?

It's suppose to go from Summer through Autumn and then when the leaves really start to fall you start getting in the Holiday mood. (This year from the heat of the never ending summer the leaves just turned brown but are still stuck on most trees.) I'm not ready! I have no gift knitting to show you. No cookie baking (how could you even think of turning on the oven when it was so hot?)

I'm forcing myself to listen to Christmas Music hoping that will get me in the mood. We pulled down the decorations Saturday and I worked on it off and on this weekend. I did some shopping on Friday that helped - retail therapy I guess. I mostly bought gift cards as my family is the most uncommunicative gift recipients ever. I was going to go out shopping today but it's pouring outside - I Love It! (Finally some weather other than summer heat.) Since I'm staying home this morning I'm wrapping the few presents I've bought throughout the year. Between the economy, finances and time Christmas will be lighter than usual this year.

Daughter #2 and I discussed what cookies we still had time to bake - there won't be much of a variety this year.

Here's a picture of my ONLY Christmas Knitting

Mini-Mittens from Pink Argyle. I originally had visions of making a couple dozen pairs to hang on a tree but I believe I'll stop at one pair, Thank-you. These are TINY things; they just fit the tip of my little finger.

I haven't made any further progress on my Hey Teach sweater. Out of guilt of leaving this project laying there I've been pulling out UFOs; I've finished two pair of socks and am close to finishing a third pair. Pictures as soon as the sun comes out again. We have rain in the forcast for the next week - that has to improve my Holiday Spirits, right?

The majority of the plants around here also seem confused over what Season are we really in but the Christmas Cactus is right on schedule.

Safe in University City

2008-12-08T13:51:00.001-08:00

Since some of you know where I live, I thought I'd let you know I'm not near where the F-18 went down today. I live a mile southwest from the crash site. Seems the pilot couldn't hold it together long enough on his dash to get back to base but he did manage to miss University City High School. The news reports he ejected and was taken to the hospital. No reports yet if anyone was in the houses that burned. I pray no one was home!

I did hear the jet come in low, it's engine sputtered a few times and then blew out. That immediate silence was erie; living near Miramar Air Station I know jets never go silent like that.

Anyway, the dog, cats, stash, The Photographer and I are safe. And, yes, I am counting my blessings!

Welsh Traveling Socks plus Toes

2008-12-04T15:32:00.000-08:00

Here are the finished Welsh Traveling Socks

and a close up of the pattern (click on the picture and you can see a close-up on Flickr)

So what do you think of the color of the yarn I used for the toes? I'm still not sure about it but no matter what anyone says I won't be pulling it out. The pattern calls for yarn with 450 yards I used a yarn with 350 yards; I never noticed until the tail end of the yarn hit my hand. Surprised doesn't cover it! This was my blind faith I had enough yarn - No, I didn't compare my yardage to the pattern requirements. For some reason I was confidant that this yarn would work for this sock. I think I was led down the rosey path of dilusion because this yarn was so similar to the look of the yarn pictured in the book. I feel so dumb!

Anyway, the yarn was wonderful to work with, the yardage problem was all me. I bought it from emilyparson.etsy.com more than a year ago. It's called Starry Night in Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn.

I finished and blocked my Noro Striped Scarf and still had half a ball of both colors of Silk Garden (270 & 264) and decided I should make matching fingerless mitts.

I pulled out my favorite pattern for fingerless mitts, Maine Morning Mitts played around with the stitch count to get it to work with a 1x1 rib and I was off knitting in circles. (I added one stitch to get an even number next time I'd subtract a stitch or three. The gloves are a bit large because the 1x1 rib doesn't pull in as much as the original pattern's 3x1 rib.)

Tuesday I spent a foggy morning with my garden club taking a ranger guided tour of Presido Park, the site of the very first California Mission. 1769 Father Sierra claimed the land for the Church and Spain making San Diego one of the older European settled Cities in North America.

This cross was made of brick salvaged from the ruins of Fort Presidio, what was left on the site when the priests moved the Mission 6 miles east to get away from the soliders.

Edit: I was ask where to buy the Grayce's Scarf pattern by someone that didn't leave me a return email address. The pattern only has an email address: pearlyqueentx@prodigy.net There is no other names or address on the pattern. I bought this pattern at the Taos Wool Festival.

Getting On With It

2008-11-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

I hate the fiddly finishing of knit projects. This weekend I sucked it up and decided to block the pile of finished projects I've accumulated the past six month. Of course, I couldn't decide to do it last week when it was in the high 80's and the humidity was down to 14% - No not me. This weekend it was about 70 and 49% humidity so it took a full 24 hours for each batch to dry and that's with a fan on it all day too.

Saturday I blocked the parts for Hey Teach

While pinning out the front pieces I saw that I'd knit two more rows on the Right front than the Left front. This is at the top of the neckline so, yes, it will show. Why couldn't I have seen this when I was knitting?? Absolutely the worst place to have made this MISTAKE! So my choices are to pull out the whole shoulder and re-knit or try to pick out the two rows and anchor the extra yarn at the back. Thick I'll try pulling out the two rows first and see how it looks before pulling the whole shoulder and re-knitting. Sigh... It's always something.

Sunday I blocked three scarves.

The scarf on the left is My So Called Scarf which I finished in February.
Ravelry link here

Center is the Noro Stripped Scarf I mentioned last post.

The Right hand scarf is the Grace's Scarf I mentioned in my Nov. 7th blog entry.

And this morning I pinned down the last project that's been languishing in my blocking pile.

My Midwest Moonlight Scarf from the book Scarf Style; at 12 inches in width seems more like a small shawl than a scarf.
Mentioned in my Sept. 8 blog entry. Ravelry link here

My second knitting problem was I ran out of yarn 2.5 inches from the end of the second sock! I kept looking in my sock bag like more yarn would magically appear.

This is the first time this has unexpectedly happened. The yarn label says 350 yards and that's usually more than enough for me to make an 8" leg with a 9" foot. I'm thinking the pattern may be the reason. I'm knitting the Welsh Traveling Socks out of the book Shear Spirit. So I ripped back the toe of sock one in order to finish the pattern part of sock two and will finish both toes in another yarn. No pictures as the sun went in before I got the photograph and the detail of the pattern wouldn't show up. I'll finished them and then you can tell me if I picked an acceptable color for the toes.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone in the U.S.; enjoy your time with family and friends.

Now is a good time for me to say how thankful I am to all you that read this blog and have taken time to write to me. I really do enjoy hearing from you.

Miscellany

2008-11-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

I'm always amazed at how something you thought was all your own turns out to be happening in other places simultaneously. Seems I started a Noro Striped Scarf at the same time as another Famous Blogger and I'm sure there are at least several other knitters that cast-on with us. Wonder what was in the Knitting Stratosphere to inspire this unplanned group knit-along? Can't be weather because it's still summer temperatures here in Southern Cal.

Is anyone else having trouble with their Bloglines updates? Some days there are duplicate updates and then other feeds have no updates for days. When I go to check on bloggers that usually have daily entries I find Bloglines has missed three or four daily entries. What's the deal? Am I really going to have to transfer all my feeds over to Google Reader? What do you use to keep you updated on all the Blogs you like to read?

Wednesday, at the Yarn Shop where I work, several of us that teach or have taught knitting were having a discussion on teaching Provisional Cast-on (click link for a YouTube video by Lucy Neatby) in a class setting. What method is the best for what purpose and which is the easiest to teach in a limited amount of time? We all agreed that the Crochet Cast-on was the quickest and easiest for us to teach. Of course, having many cast-on options at your command would be ideal but in a class with several students time constraints limit the time you can spend on any one topic. The Shop has tried a class on Cast-on and Cast-off methods which is always poorly attended; our customers seem to be project oriented. I'd like to hear your opinion on teaching a Provisional Cast-on.

And to show how crazy the weather is... I have an epiphelium in bloom. These plants normally bloom in this area in May. The big Epiphelium flower show in Balboa Park is always on Mother's Day. How crazy is that!!!

There are no pictures of the Epi; it's hanging in direct sunlight this morning which is beyond my abilities to get a decent photo. Maybe this afternoon.

Weaving & Fiber Festival

2008-11-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Sunday last The Photographer and I drove up to Torrance (just North of LAX) to attend The Southern California Handweavers' Guild "Weaving & Fiber Festival"
It's been two years since I attended and they've grown. I much prefer this show to the FiberFest held in Santa Monica in August. The Weaving and Fiber Festival in Torrance is aimed directly at the Weaver, Spinner and Knitter while FiberFest in Santa Monica has a very loose definition of "fiber."

Newton's was there

I didn't buy anything but was really tempted by their cashmere blends at really good prices.
The green cashmere I bought from them several years ago at Stitches West, that's still in my stash, held me in check but it was a close call. They had a gorgeous Navy I really wanted.

I did buy this (top of the picture Teal and Orange) incredibly soft Silk and Merino Roving.

from Red Fish Dyeworks.

More of the fiber at the Red Fish Dyeworks Booth

A weaving demo on a nice folding Japanese loom.

I wish there had been more weaving demos but the show has expanded to fill all the rooms now, I'm not complaining about that - more Vendors is a Good Thing! Just as a beginner weaver I can't get enough of watching people weave.

There was lots of handdyed yarn. Here's Chameleon Dye Works Booth

and a local dyer, Capistrano Fiber Arts Studio.

I bought two skeins of sock yarn for a pair of socks.

We had a great time. I enjoyed the show while The Photographer did his usual thing. And we stopped at one of our favorites restaurants on the way home. Fritto Misto in Santa Monica.

Here's a look at my current scarf project

I bought the yarn and pattern at the Taos Wool Festival.
The yarn is from Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Company. It's a hand dyed sport weight single. Actually more blue than it looks in the photo. And the pattern is "Grayce's Scarf" from The Pearly Queen. (No link for either but I do have email addresses if anyone wants them.)

That's all I have, too much work this week not enough knitting time. So, what else is new!

OH YEAH! I am so glad the election is over! Can you believe it went on for 22 months? There has to be a better way!

Catch-up

2008-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the posting delay - I started reading the Twilight series and just couldn't put them down until I'd read all 4.5 books. Not sure if I want to see the movie - the Edward in my head looks nothing like the actor playing him. While, surprisingly the actress playing Bella is nearly identical to how I pictured her. I hope there will be more books in this series, I really enjoyed them.

Anyway, back to knitting. Here are my Kandy Korn Socks

knit from Rock Creek Yarn's, Super Soft Sock Yarn in the Koi color.

This color of yarn is no longer available but there's a very similar color here.

This was a plain 64 Stitch sock. To form the purl spiral stripes on the cuff I purled when ever the orange section of yarn was above an orange stitch in the row below.
Easy Halloween Socks, the yarn did all the designing; all I had to do was knit and purl!

Then there's my problem project: The Sofia Cowl from One-Skein Wonders.

My end result doesn't look in the least like the original in the book or like others I see on Ravelry. I can't figure out what I did wrong. This was for a shop sample but it looks more like a turtleneck than a soft cowl. I checked and there doesn't seem to be any corrections on the publishers site. I'm working from a copy from the shop rather than the book and it looks like there's a hic-cup in the printing. I'll compare it when I go into work this week and see if that explains my odd strangler variation.

That's the end of my knitting update; if you hate vacation pictures now the times to click away.

The second half of our Trip the beginning of the month was Denver.

Such a pretty city. This picture was taken from the Natural History Museum.

We spent a warm late afternoon in Golden

They have a cute business district and a gorgeous river running through town. This is the water that's turned into Coors Beer. The whole down smells odd and we couldn't figure out what it was until we remembered how they make beer. It was the mash we were smelling, kinda similar to the smell of boiling potatoes.

While driving down to Taos we stopped in the little town of Trinidad (yeah! THAT Trinidad!! we had no idea until we were home) for lunch. Our car was stuck due to street closures so we watched and enjoyed the High School HomeComing Parade before we could get back on Hwy 25.

It was a fun small town experience; it had that something that's missing in big city life.

We stopped in Manitou Springs and visited the Pikes Peak Cog Railway.

Decided it was not a great idea to take the open railcars up a very tall mountain in a thunder storm. That's one of the problems of being older, you're way to practical.

The Rockies had their very first snow storm while we were there so, of course, we had to go see.
We headed west to Idaho Springs a very cute town. Most of the old buildings are still on the Main Street.
Estes Park was in full Fall Color - the most gorgeous Fall Color I've ever seen

And The Photographer was elated to find Elk to photograph.
Here is his portrait entitled"Elk Raspberry"

Taos Wool Festival

2008-10-10T11:32:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? I'm just back from the Taos Wool Festival. The Photographer and I decided to jump on a plane and go to the Festival. We didn't go just to see the festival there was the added pleasure of meeting up with my Colorado Cousin.

Saturday there was the threat of stormy skies but we were lucky and the forcast rain held off until evening. The sun even tried to peak through the clouds a couple of times that morning.

We saw sheep

Alpaca

and Goats

but the dogs out numbered the fiber animals three to one. The Photographer suggested they change the name of the show to the Taos Wool & Dog Festival.

there were even dogs in clothes

Great people watching

My only mild disappointment was that there seemed to be more finished items, especially hats, than fleece, fiber or yarn. As a knitter, spinner and very new weaver I wasn't looking for finished clothes, blankets or hats. I overheard a conversation (so I can't vouch for the truth of the statement) where it was said that they didn't get the number of vendors applying this year as they usually do, so they had to let everyone in rather than trying to get a good variety of sellers. Considering the melt down in the US and the World right now the organizers did a very good job.

I bought a couple of patterns, 5 skeins of yarn and a Shetland Fleece. More about that and the rest of our trip in my next Post.

Weaving First Steps

2008-09-23T15:32:00.001-07:00

I've joined the San Diego Creative Weaver's Guild last week just so I can rent a Rigid Heddle Loom - the Ashford Knitter's Loom. While paging through an old Spin-off Magazine (Winter 2002) I came across a scarf that I HAD to make. I've no idea how this scarf possessed me; it's nothing super special but after being haunted by it all weekend I surrendered. We had several weaving demonstrations in my Spinning Class that never mad me want to ever try Weaving so this insistent urge was a real surprise to me.

Monday I contacted my Spinning Teacher, Margaret Tyler, for some guidance in beginning weaving books and boy, she ran with just the hint I was interested in weaving. Seventeen days letter I'd joined the Weavers' Guild, arranged to rent the Knitter's Loom and Margaret invited me to her house to teach me how to warp the loom and the rudiments of weaving. Two hours later I walked out with a project that was very similar to the scarf in the magazine. (True it was woven on a 4 harness loom but as close as you can get with a Rigid Heddle.)

This is the scarf. Gray is Cascade 220 Heather color 9491. The Black is a 1/2 inch nylon ribbon yarn with no tag I bought in the $3 basket at 2 Sisters and Ewe, where I work. It's rough and very homespun but I'm so proud of it. Between work and errands I finished Sunday morning and had the loom warped again (with help from daughter #2) by dinner time.

A close-up of my weaving and a true image of the colors .

The second scarf that's now on the loom uses homespun (Merino, Alpaca & silk) that was overspun so I thought it would make a good strong warp yarn. And the weft is (75% acrylic/ 25% wool) Plymouth Encore ColorSpun #7172. I'm such an ignorant weaver that I have no idea how this fiber combination will work together but I think the combination is really cool. The bright oranges of the warp seems to change the marled look of the brownish/oranges of the Encore.

When I wash what will happen? Haven't a clue but it's fun to see how the colors combine - this combination really surprised me.

Fair Warning: if this post looks different or the pictures don't post of whatever, I'm trying out making an entry by email rather than on Blogger directly.
Fingers Crossed when I hit send!
And the answer, YES, I will be getting a loom of my own!!

Edited to add: email posting was 50/50. Words came through find - no pictures just HTML. Had to go back and post them same as usual on Blogger.

Store That Time Forgot

2008-09-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

My friend Phyllis and I were out yesterday to delivery her quilt to the Quilted Rose, a quick walk through Rosie's Calico Cupboard and lunch. We finished earlier than we'd planned so Phyllis suggested we stop at Ortwine's Hardware Store - little did I know I was stepping into a Time Machine.

This was the local hardware store when she was a child, before there was a Home Depot or Lowes. Seems that much of the stuff that was in that store in her childhood is still there. Not similar stuff - the exact same things!!!

At the front of the store was the usual key making machine with keys on revolving racks that are so rusty and dusty it appears the row of keys was welded into one single fat key. There were tools - no power tools that I saw but that wasn't the side I was interested in.

What I saw were the knitting patterns where all the models had huge shoulder pads and matching big hair. They had DMC embroidery floss that had been there so long some had no color on the ends of the window drawers. Two turn-table racks full of Susan Bates metal straight knitting needles. Circular needles that were in paper envelopes but the needle and cord were metal. There was a large variety of Aunt Lydia's Rug Yarn - I haven't seen that in decades. A whole rack of Aunt Martha's Yellow Iron on Embroidery Patterns.

The small knitting accessories were what attracted me along with the unbelieveable prices. Not only have they merchandise nearly as old as I am but they still had the same prices from when they originally were put out for sale! I found the good old barrel stitch counters for $1 and place marker rings for 75 cents!!

I had no idea if the barrel markers would even turn but I knew if they still worked they'd be the wonderful old kind that turn so easily. (I have a few that hurt my fingers they're so difficult to twist.) As soon as I was in the car I opened one and it turned so smoothly, no finger dents or pain - with two of these I'm a Happy Camper.

BTW the package opened easily by hand; no scissors, knives or pliers required like modern packaging.

(I understand the need for secure packaging for food and drugs that someone can poison but why do things like scissors get packaged so securely that you have to already own another pair of scissors or you have no hope of ever freeing your new purchase?)

Oh, and when I took my purchases up to the register they wrote up a recipt by hand and added it in their head plus figuring the tax, only then did they punch the total into the regisiter buttons. (Remember the rows of push buttons on the front of the huge register?)

I've been to Amish stores in Ohio and Indiana that were more up to date than Ortwine's. I came out of that store with my small bag of treasured finds, dusty and throughly entertained!

Repurposing Kureyon

2008-09-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

I mentioned I bought 8 skeins of Noro Kureyon 213 to make the Sandy Cardigan, well...
There's this pattern that's been calling to me for awhile now, the Side-to-Side Vest from Creative Knitting, Nov 2007.

The amount of Kureyon I'd bought for the Cardigan is exactly the right amount for this Vest. And in a moment of weakness I grabbed the bag of Kureyon from the Stash and cast-on and haven't looked back.

The colors look very washed out in this picture. Below is a badly framed shot that has truer colors.

The only difficult part is trying to make the colors go in the opposite direction from the center back. Noro doesn't wind their yarn the same direction skein to skein even with them all from the same dye lot. I'd like the fronts to at least suggest they match but I think that's going to be harder than I originally thought.

I finished the Midwest Moonlight Scarf from Scarf Style.

This was an enjoyable project; the stitch pattern was easy to memorize and from then on it was mindless knitting. This is for a Christmas Gift - that's one done.
Ravelry listing here. Used 5 skeins of Noro Silk Garden 284 with all the orange removed for 27 pattern repeats; probably could have squeeked by with 4 skeins.

Here's a look at my own pattern for a cabled sock. I've pulled it out twice so far. Cherry Tree Hill, no idea what the name of the color is - I've had it several years.

This weekend I finished spinning the Roving from Creatively Dyed

I tried to split the roving lengthwise into four equal pieces. Funny how one skein is so much bluer than the other. Here's what the original fiber looked like.

This is 8 ounces of 70% superwash Merino 30% Seacell fiber.

On several foodie blogs there has been talk about Mark Bittman's Tomato Jam recipe. I had everything in the house

so I made a batch yesterday.

The whole house smelled like an Indian Restaurant while it was cooking. After all the chopping, measuring and stirring I barely had 2 cups but it was worth it. This stuff is fabulous. We were eating it warm on crackers with goat cheese. I'll have more tomatoes than I know what to do with so I'll be making more. I wonder what it would be like made from yellow tomatoes?

Intermittent Connection

2008-09-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Internet has been playing "now you see me, now you don't." When I hit SEND I can't depend that my upload will really go so I've been knitting instead. There's no pictures because I can't get the files to Flickr. The Cable Guy is coming this evening to figure out what's the deal. Oh, we also have cable phone service so we can't use our phone either... thank goodness we both have cell phones.

I finished the Moonlight Scarf. I'm working on a cabled sock design of my very own. This sock has probably been invented before but I just wanted to try my hand at doing it myself. "Byself" as my Sister use to say when she was little.

I've met some new people on Ravelry during the past week. 14 months is how long I've been on Ravelry but I already couldn't dream of knitting life without it. I've been trying to remember to connect to Amazon.com through them so they get the referral commission. Every few cents adds up.

September maybe the official end of summer for most of the Country, and it may seem today like a Fall day and the leaves are beginning to change but I'm not buying it. Here in Southern California our record hottest days have all been in September. I'll take the lovely mild mid-70's days but I'm not putting away my summer clothes yet.

I'm going to hit the "Publish Post" button, I will hold by breath until I get the page that says it uploaded successfully.

More Noro and Giant Flowers

2008-08-19T13:33:00.000-07:00

Yes, yet another new thing. Above is a close up of the Midwest Moonlight Scarf from Scarf Style. I'm making it with Noro Silk Garden, color 284. Funny thing about this colorway, I knit through two skeins and it wasn't until I pulled out the third that I found orange in it. Doubled checked that it was the correct color and dyelot - it was. So now what? I removed the orange from the remaining three skeins.

This was very hard for me to decide to do - it felt like cheating. Like there are Noro Police that are watching for tampering. Isn't that silly; it's my project I can do what I want and I didn't want orange in there with all the cool blues and purples.

When I'm working at the Yarn Shop, which is air-conditioned, I work on my Curlicue Afghan. We have another two months of summer weather locally before I can look forward to cool enough evenings to comfortably sit and work on this project in my lap.

I've completed the first four sections and you can see that it's laying pretty flat so far. Keep your fingers crossed that it will continue to lay flat! I'm only using colorways of Noro Silk Garden that don't have reds, yellows or oranges. I haven't done skein surgery so far, just knitting as it comes. I am enjoying knitting this, seeing how the color sequence will play out in each section.

This past Sunday was my Birthday and I received a couple of nice presents. A very nice and roomy Striped Green Tote (from Target) that I've moved my Curlicue project into.

And a very odd vine that I first saw at the San Diego County Fair this year. It was so different from anything I've ever seen before I was intrigued. Daughter #2 set out to ID the plant and then located one for sale. Both daughters gave it to me.

Aristolochia Gigantea; Giant Dutchman's Pipe
The flowers are easily 12" across. Supposedly one of the largest flowers.

This is one of those plants that's pollinated by flies rather than bees. Suppose to smell like rotting meat but so far I haven't smelled anything bad or good.

Else where in the garden I'm vying with a squirrel for tomatoes. He'll eat them greener than I will so he gets two for every one I claim.

(sorry for the blurry picture, it was in the shade and inside the tomato cage)
It could be worse; somehow most of my tomatoes are a yellow variety. Striking looks but little to no taste. I think the six-pack's labels were tampered with, the Red Beefsteak tomatoes came out yellow the same as the six-pack that was suppose to be yellow. I do have some Red Roma tomatoes that are Red and are Roma shaped. Picked my first one today.

The Roma tomatoes are in a different area that the squirrel hasn't found yet. Maybe I'll give the yellow tomatoes to Mr. Squirrel in hopes he leaves my Roma's alone. Think that'll work?

The "C" Word

2008-08-11T14:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, don't fall off your chair but I've been Crocheting this week. Last Tuesday I cut the tip of my index finger while slicing a tomato for a sandwich. It's not serious but it's the exact spot I use to push the tip of my knitting needle. Two hours of no knitting and I was already going crazy; that's when I remembered the red yarn I'd bought for the Red Scarf Project. A short search through my pattern binders, a quick run to Michael's to get the right size hook and I was ready.

Just pretend the picture color is a true Christmas Red - I just couldn't make the camera give me the right color.

This is Paton's One-Skein Crochet Scarf in Mauch Chunky in Poppy. Took most of three skeins of this yarn, approx 325 yards because I made the scarf wider to fit into the Red Scarf Project requirments. I'm almost finished with another scarf - same pattern, same yarn. (Right now I can't find a link to the pattern, Sorry.)

No offense meant to Crocheters but crochet just doesn't do it for me like Knitting does. I get bored while I'm crocheting - maybe because this was a very simple pattern - but there's no chance crochet will replace knitting in my life.

We've got a squirrel in the backyard that's getting to the vegetables just before they're ready to come in the house so I've been picking a couple days early.

This is what came in today.

And I leave you with a picture from last year that I took while driving to Flagstaff, Arizona. We were headed east on Highway 10, just west of Palm Springs.

Muggy Weather

2008-08-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

Humidity from Arizona and Mexico moved in to San Diego over the weekend... Sticky days but the most gorgeous sunsets. The reflected light from the clouds is giving us unsual Twilight - everyone and everything is beautiful in this light!

Knitting on anything that doesn't have to sit in my lap; socks mostly. I have to admit I did start two more things this week. (I've really got a disease!)

One was a sample for the Shop, a feather and fan lace scarf out of Malabrigo Lace Weight. I'll take a picture as soon as I block it today.

Second thing was the Morning Surf Scarf out of Handmaiden Sea Silk
this is suppose to be a present but I'm not thinking the look of it will work for the person it's intended for. I need input from other family members; it doesn't look like something the giftee would like/use.

That's it, go back to what you were doing.

Startitis came to visit

2008-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

You've heard of Knitting Malaise, is there a term for the opposite? Last two weeks I've had the worst case of Startitis! It's been very difficult not to cast-on for dozens of projects; no idea what's caused my recent flare-up of this Knitter's Disease.

I've had the yarn and beads to make Schaffer's Undulating Scarf for a month or so but couldn't wait any longer; I cast-on and got it started.

You should click on the picture to see the largest size. This yarn is so shiny; 100% Kid Mohair. It's Primero Yarn from Brooks Farm Yarn. This was a prize several years ago through the Lace Symposium held by the Knitting Beyond the Hebrides Group. (I usually can't work with Mohair, makes me very itchy between my fingers, but this yarn is so soft that I'm enjoying knitting with it.) The beads are from Michael's; their mix of colors minus the turquoise beads. You have to pay attention to which side of the needle the beads are on; this isn't a project you can knit mindlessly.

I'm worried that I should be knitting it at a tighter gauge, that when finished the weight of all the beads will pull the knitting out of shape.

The Curlicue Pattern came in so I had to start that.

I'm almost done with the first section which is flat, adding the second section should tell me if I'm going to have problems with it laying flat. The Silk Garden Skeins in the picture are just the first few skeins I've bought to test the pattern. If all works well much more to buy$$.

The latest Noro I've bought, Silk Garden and Kureyon, seem to have much less VM (vegetable matter) that the skeins of past years. Have I just gotten a good batch or are others finding cleaner Noro yarn lately?

Next I started a pair of Fair Isle Socks from the book, Knitted Socks by Anna Tillman

I'm using Elann.com's Sock-It to Me

I've found a free Fair Isle yarn holder that keeps the skeins separated.

It's a free wine bottle carrier from the grocery store. (I bought three bottle of wine and the tote was free. Not sure if there is a minimum numbers of bottles) Ralph's is the same company as Kroger's so you might check there. Haven't knit enough with it to know if the velcro handle cover will be a problem. If it is I'll just cut it off.

Then there's the six skeins of Mauch Chunky I bought for $3 a ball.
They're going to be scarves for the Red Scarf Project.
BTW: The Red Scarf Project seems like such a worthy cause; reminding young adults in College who have aged out of Foster Care that they're still cared for and valued members of their community. All you need do is knit or crochet a red scarf (any color actually). Mail it to the Foundation between September 1 and October 31, 2008. The shipping address is:
Orphan Foundation of America
The Red Scarf Project
21351 Gentry Drive
Sterling, VA 20166

I've tried several patterns for chunky yarn that I found on Ravelry but I'm not happy with them for one or more reasons. Any suggestions for a Chunky single-ply?

Two projects were finished in between all this starting. A pair of my plain socks.

Several meetings the last few weeks and these socks just seemed to finish themselves.
This is Trekking (XXL) color 108. I love the bits of burgundy that pools every so often.

And the ZigBagZ Felted Bag is done. The felting, that I was worried about, came out perfectly.

I love the whole thing. The handles, a double I-cord, is the best felted handle I've ever seen. It's all made with yarn, no cotton cording or plastic tubing inside.
The bottom of the bag which was always my favorite looks as good on the inside as the outside.

Out side is on the left and inside is on the right. Click on the pictures to see a larger version.

I liked the inside bottom so well that I didn't want to cover it up with a base so I bought a scrap of plexi glass and The Photographer cut me a base for the bag.

Now I have stability and can still see the pretty pattern on the bottom of the bag. That is until I fill it with stuff.

That's it for around here, the tomatoes are growing

And the Basil is barely keeping up with our culinary demands.

I sneak a sniff every time I go out to water - I love fresh Basil.

Curlicue Destiny??

2008-07-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

I only work in the Yarn Shop on Wednesdays. Who walks into the shop yesterday but the Rep for Oat Couture Patterns. [Twilight Zone Music] Of course, I mentioned Curlicue, the Shop owner loved it and ordered the Pattern. How do these things just happen?
So much for my "will power", Resistance is Futile!

Oh yeah, I'm suppose to tell you the part for the bobbin is a bushing not a bearing. (Really makes a difference in your day now that you know the right name, doesn't it!)

Mostly Spinning

2008-07-15T14:56:00.000-07:00

We've had mild temperatures here but it's rather humid which is uncomfortable weather to be sitting with a lap full of knitted object. This weekend I spent more time spinning downstairs in the coolest room in the house.

I was anxious to see the finish yarn made from hand-dyed superwash merino that I baked in the oven a couple weeks ago. Plying this took me most of an afternoon. 486 yards

This yarn hasn't decided what it wants to be: socks or the Morning Surf Scarf on the cover of Spin-Off

Next I started on a SeaWool fiber from Creativelydyed.

I believe it's 70% superwash Merino 30% Seacell fiber. It's so soft but the streaky part is lumpy to spin so I'm just going with it and letting the fiber dictate how it wants to be.

Bossy fiber isn't the only thing giving me problems.

A couple of my bobbins have become so noisy (sort of a chattering sound) that I can't hear the TV!! The Photographer looked them over and found the bearings (I think he said bearings), the round rings on the ends, weren't round. He ordered some plastic rings to replace the not-round-brass-bearings. These are Kromski bobbins which all seem to make more noise than any of my Ashford bobbins. The newer bobbins seem to have been made with black plastic bearing rather than brass, maybe I'm not the only one with bobbins that talk back.

I did figure out how to do Judy's Magical Cast-on with no purl rows on the toe.
Look Ma, No Purls!

My inside out Purl problem was answered by someone on The Knitlist. She said I was flipping my work over rather than turning it around to get to the second needle. She suggested I put a marker on the right side before I started knitting to remind myself which was the knit side of the work. Now I wonder how I ever had such a problem.

I came across a pattern on Ravely that's calling to me!

I'm trying to talk myself out of ANOTHER project...

It was a Kureyon Weekend

2008-07-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

The four day Holiday Weekend is over; we both took off Thursday. Daughter #1 was over for dinner Friday, #2 Daughter was here on Sunday. We ate, we watched The Music Man, listened to March Music and had a very nice, quiet celebration - except for the time Friday when the helicopters were circling because some kids set the canyon on fire playing with fireworks. (Small fire that was quickly put out - Thank-you Fire Dept!)

My personal celebration was lots of time spent gardening, spinning and knitting. I finished the Primavera Socks. Made from Trekking XXL, color 108

Earlier in the week I finished the Tile Socks from Socks, Socks, Socks made from Louet Gems Sportweight.

These are the first socks I've made in a yarn heavier than fingering weight. I love the socks but living in Southern California I don't know when I'll have occasion to wear them. Maybe I'd better stick to lighter weight yarns in the future.

Started the Ziggy Socks from Knitty.

I'm using Kureyon Sock yarn; sorry but I hate this yarn. As singles, it's all twisty on itself making it impossible to use for a stranded project! This is going to be ripped out. The pattern is fine except for one thing - this toe-up sock starts with Judy's Magical cast-on (this was my first attempt using this particular cast-on) Did I do something wrong, there's a row of garter stitch at the cast-on site (you can just see it in the photo?) I ripped it out twice but always ended up with those garter rows right at the tip of the toe. I like this cast-on method but I suspect I'm doing something backwards. Anyone have some pointers to help me?

Last Tuesday was my day to do the Spinning Demo at the San Diego County Fair.

Members of our spinning class covered this Demonstration over the run of the Fair. I was there on Kids Day so I must have been ask many times, "Where did Sleeping Beauty hurt her finger?" Since I was spinning on an Ashford Traditional there was no spindle to show them. We've discussed next time having an old wheel there that has a spindle, at least on Kids Day.

That Wheel was a single pedal which I'm not use to; by the end of my Demo hour my whole treadling leg hurt. Don't know what I did wrong but I'm sticking to double treadle wheels! I can spin for hours on either of mine with no aches or pains, thank goodness.

Last weekend I dyed this Superwash Merino Roving.

I baked it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 mins and then let it sit to cool to room temperature.

Spinning this is so cool ; I love the way the singles are changing color.

Ravelry let me to Bobby's Blanket. The Hexagon pattern/recipe is posted here. I used some left over Kureyon to give it a try. (6 inch double point for size reference)

I enjoyed making these two hexagons but it's very hard on my hands. I probably won't be making more with worsted weight but I'm wondering if it would be easier with fingering weight? Maybe a use for that Kureyon Sock Yarn?

Under "Small World": Sunday I was reading Laurie's blog Issues with Knitting
where she talks about buying a bag of Kureyon to make Sandy's Sweater in Big Girl Knitting. Well I bought a pile of Kureyon #213 two weeks ago

to make the same sweater. And I too haven't decided on the solid to go with #213. I'd like to use a green but haven't found a green worsted weight I think works with this Kureyon colorway. Hmm, are sweater patterns contagious?

Finally, Annie's poodle foot is growing out. And she's doing fine - never would know she'd been so sick. We're really watching what she eats and
No Table Scraps!

La Jolla Children's Pool

2008-06-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

I've nothing new on the knitting front to report, I've had a crummy summer cold since Thursday. The Photographer got tired of hanging around the house with a sick-o and went over to The Children's Pool in La Jolla for a couple hours late Sunday afternoon.

All the people are watching the seals in the water who are watching the people on the shore.

(If you click on the photos it will take you to Flickr where you can see the large version of the picture.)

A little history on the Children's Pool. Five or more years ago the seals moved in and took over this beach to have their pups. The seals on the sand were roped off, no swimming in the water as it was contaminated from the seals doing you know what; it was fun to go down in the Spring and see all the babies and adults sunning themselves on the sand.

A People's Rights group sued to get the beach back for the children; they won and the ropes came down and once again humans could swim in the water. Except the seals didn't get notification so they're still there contaminating the water that people are now free to swim in. Ick! Not sure who exactly won the legal battle over beach rights. I would have voted on the Seals side.

The pier in the upper left is the Scripps Institue of Oceanography/UCSD

How's this for a view from your desk!

This is what he's looking at

Artists above it all

Back to knitting soon.

SOS 2008 - Beginning

2008-06-24T09:55:00.000-07:00

It was HOT!! here over the weekend! Record breaking Hot! Summer started with a big smack in the face here in Southern California!

I spent most of the weekend on the couch in front of the fan, drinking lots of ice tea, reading and knitting my Tile Sock.

Yeah, you read that right, Sock, as in singular. Summer of Socks 2008 started and this is what I have to show for it. Not a pair of socks which is the intent of the group but I felt I should make an initial post to show I'm participating again this year. I have three other second socks in progress; if you knit one sock in Springtime and the second sock in the Summer do you qualify for a half entry in the cumulative count?

Socks are my traveling and meeting projects; when a pattern needs more attention than I can give in a meeting, I'll start another sock to become the traveling project. Right now I have four socks in progress, usually it's only two; one in a traveling bag and one in the car. I live in fear of getting stuck in traffic, finishing my socks and having to sit there with nothing to do. I don't wait well without knitting to keep me distracted.

My spinning wheel is downstairs in the coolest part of the house so I spent the warmest part of the afternoon down there finishing my Orangecicle batts. This yarn came out very nice

6 ounces/250 yards - enough for a scarf?

Last post I left out this yarn I finish last week.

The fiber, Super Wash Merino Roving, was dyed in a black bag in the sun. The heat build-up in the black plastic sets the dye; no further heat processing is needed. I soaked the fiber in clear water then drained it, layed it out in the bag, sprayed the top side with white vinegar and blobed (does the past tense of "blob" have one B or two?) on five different colors of red, pink and magenta. Tightly closed the bag, left it in the sun for five hours, then went out turned it all over, sprayed vinegar on top, closed up the bag and gave the fiber a very light downward press to help distribute the dye. Left the bag in the sun the rest of that day and three or four hours the next day. Then rinsed and rinsed and rinsed - red is a hard color to rinse clear. Good thing it was superwash or it would have felted with all that rinsing.

I just left the bag outside overnight; afraid it would cause too much mixing if I moved it. Have to say that I would only do this with Super Wash; I'd be afraid of felting with the heat changes during the day. Anyone tried this with plain wool? Did it felt?

My next experiment in sun dyeing will be with blues.

Hiding from the US Open

2008-06-16T14:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, the US Open is "still" in town, just up the road. The Photographer and I spent most of the weekend just hiding out at home trying to avoid the traffic. Can you believe they're playing again today! I thought I'd be free to get out and about by now.

I pulled out my drumcarder; I wanted to try something I'd read on Abby's Blog. (Sorry I can't find the exact entry now when I want to link to it) Whenever I've tried to card fiber with silk in it all I get are neps - horrible neps everywhere. Not to mention the long silk fibers all wrapped around the smaller carding drum, a terrible waste of expensive silk! Abby suggests you don't add your silk until the last or second to last trip through the carder. You take your batt and split it lengthwise, lay out your silk on top of one half-batt and lay the second batt on top making a silk sandwich between two half-batts. So that's what I've been doing with (in my opinion) great success.

I've been using up bits of wool dyed at one time or another; three different yellow wools, two orange wools, a fuchsia wool, fuchsia and white silk and at the end some white tussah for a streaky effect. I'm rather happy with the look and feel. And almost no neps at all - yeah!

The color is very much the color of an Orangecicle so that's what I'm calling it. Once I'm done with this blog entry and move the wash to the dryer I'm going to start spinning.

Fairisle is still entrancing me; I started the Tile Socks (Ravelry link) from Socks, Socks, Socks.

I'm getting their gauge but the socks are too big so I'm going to rip what you see out and start over again with one size smaller needles. The pattern calls for sport weight yarn, I'm using Louet Gems Sport Weight, and size 4 & 5 needles. We'll see if that will tighten up the fabric enough.

Several emails want to know what's happened with the ZigBagZ. I'm working on the handles currently. This is taking me awhile; the double sided Icord is done extremely tightly with two strands of Cascade 220. I'm find this very hard on my bad arm so I can only knit on a handle for 10 mins everyother day. First handle is done and I'm ready to start the second handle. I'm not in a big rush to finish all the knitting because then it's felting time. I'm VERY nervous about the felting part; I only have a 50% felting success rate and I can't stand the thought of this bag not turning out.

Thank you for all the get-well wishes for Annie - she's seems to be back to her regular old happy dog self. She can't have her favorite chicken jerky treats (from China via Costco - the Vet said No, No!) so I tried baking her cookies. She has allergies to wheat, corn and beef so it was difficult to find a recipe to use so I just tried a few mixes of my own concoction.

First batch on the left were the consistency and crispiness I was looking for but my taste tester was only ho-hum about them. Second batch on the right aren't crispy at all more of a Molasses cookie consistency but Annie loves them. The Photographer even tried the second batch and says they have a fishy taste. My secret is several jars of Chicken Baby Food. If you're interested in the recipe email me and I'll be happy to send it to you and your pup. (This is the way to bake cookies and Not be tempted to eat any of them!)

The Photographer filled his weekend playing around with lighting. I had an Asiatic Lily in bloom that was happy to sit around modeling all weekend with no complaints.

Dog, hat, train Trifecta

2008-06-09T15:06:00.000-07:00

Where did the last two weeks go? I feel like I'm coming out of hibernating in a cave. We had a very sick dog around here.

She has recurring colitis, the Vet has given us medication to start immediate treatment has soon as we hear her tummy start to gurgle. We usually can quiet it down pretty quickly; except this time I believe the medication made her so nauseous that she just shut down - no eating, no drinking and no moving. And it was Memorial Day Weekend, OF COURSE!

She ended up at the Emergency Vet Sunday, where they kept her overnight, then we had to take her to our regular Vet. That's where we got the picture of her with the IV in her leg.

She's been home for a week and except for her "poodle foot"

you'd never know anything had happened.

They took complete x-rays of her looking for foreign objects; which incidentally found her spine and joints show no sign of any arthritis - pretty good for a nine year old dog! Annie's a rescue so we have no idea what her life expectancy might be. I'm so grateful that she's OK now!

I spent my time in the Vet waiting room knitting the Fake Isle Hat.

If I hadn't had my knitting with me I would have gone crazy with the waiting and worry!
I used one skein Noro Kureyon Color 170 and one skein Peruvian Highland Wool Worsted in Black.

The only fun thing that went on over Memorial Day Weekend was a Steam Train came through town!

Steam Engine Santa Fe 3751 came to San Diego; hadn't been here since 1953. We realized that the trains are very close to us with a bridge overhead which would give us a great view. We drove over to University City High School to park and walked a short distance to the bridge on Genesee. The train was nearly three hours late - we heard it was because they kept having to stop to take on water. While we were waiting the regular Amtrak train came through. Giving The Photographer some test shots.

The police drove by and told us the train would be late so we came home to check on Annie and have lunch. I stayed home with her but The Photographer went back and waited and waited and waited but he came home with the pictures. For Him, it ALL about the picture!

Of course he had to play around with it; it was an old train so he made it look like an old picture.

For those of you that wonder why Southern California has so many fires - look at the brush in the background of the train pictures. Right now it's still green from the winter rains but consider we usually have no rain past May so it's really really dry come September and October - then one spark and poof it's a roaring fire traveling where ever the Santa Ana winds push it.

Knitting Content

2008-05-27T12:47:00.000-07:00

I have been knitting so here's a catch-up post.

The ZigBagZ bag portion is finished

Originally I bought enough of the pink yarn to make the handle but once I saw the bag I knew the handles needed to be the blueberry color. Except I didn't have enough and except the Shop didn't have anymore in this color. This blueberry must be an old color because I had trouble finding it but I did snag 2 skeins on ebay and am waiting for delivery to finish. Next is felting - have to admit I'm worried about the felting process; I only have a 50% success rate with felting - lots of reasons but still I'll really be unhappy if this project doesn't turn out.

This was my second attempt at stranded knitting and I'm in love. I've already started another stranded project - more of that in another post.

This Lang Jawoll yarn has been in my stash for many years. Approximately 2002 I knit most of the first sock but ran out of yarn at the toe. My then very small sock yarn stash yielded nothing that would work with this yarn the whole thing went into my UFO cabinet. Last month I was searching through the cupboard for a certain needle size (you know how that goes!) and came across this project again; now I have a large basket of sock yarn scraps and knew immediately what scraps would work. Opal yarn had a Rainforest group with a yarn called Chameleon - matched wonderfully.

Finished the first sock, knit the second sock but this skein had more than enough yarn to finish the whole sock and enough extra that I could have gone back and finished the first toe too. I liked the green toe

so both sock have green toes now. So let see, this pair of socks only took me six years to knit. In the time between the first and second sock my tension has tightened considerably - first sock was knit on size 0, I had to go up to a size 2 to match the gauge. Interesting what three or four dozen pairs of socks will do to your knitting technique.

Also finished a pair of my vanilla pattern socks out of Cherry Tree Hills Supersock Merino in Spring Frost.

This is the yarn that I knit my one Monkey Sock out of only to find the sock was way to skinny to get anyone's foot into - dove into the Frog Pond.

My current sock is Primavera in Trekking (XXL) in color 108

and yes, I seem to only get the full scallop on one side. I must be doing one M1 wrong. Not sure if I want to fix it now and change mid sock, rip back and start over (this is my least favorite choice) or continue and just learn that I need to work on my M1L and M1R in the future. Probably the last option.

So that's what I've been knitting the last couple of weeks. There has been some spinning but I'll save that for another day.

Hat and Mitts

2008-05-23T14:45:00.000-07:00

Last year I made a pair of Maine Morning Mitts for Jessie out of Apricot Malabrigo Merino Worsted as a Hanukkah/Christmas present. I didn't get them to her until the middle of January by which time I made Anne Hanson's Hot Waffle's Hat from the left over yarn. I figured since I was so late getting this present to her, Jessie should get the matching hat too.

You've heard the saying about the cobbler's children going barefoot; well try and get photos of something when you work with Photographers. I never took pictures of the Hat and Mitts before I wrapped them and gave them to Jessie; she reads this Blog and I wanted to keep the present secret. Since she works at a Photo Studio Jessie said she'd get someone to take a picture - I finally can post pics of Jessie wearing her presents. Thanks to Ashley for taking the pictures.

The yarn was a dream to work with. And I highly recommend both patterns.

Way behind...

2008-05-19T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm having trouble catching-up with my life after vacation - nothing big, just everyday stuff.
Be back shortly.

R&R in Idyllwild

2008-05-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

The Photographer and I took off a week and headed to Idyllwild for some R&R. We rented a cabin and had high hopes for a restful week of reading, nature photography and, of course, knitting.

Pay attention to the woodburning stove - it plays a central party during our stay.

There was lots of sitting in the woods even if it was a bit nippy.

Beautiful foliage

It was full Spring there; everything was in bloom. Lilac

Manzanita, which I've never seen in bloom before,

And I finally outside the market we found a Dogwood in bloom.

It was beautiful with the sunlight reflecting off the flowers.

Lots of wildlife. Must have been twenty rabbits living under the brush around our cabin.

Blue Jays came onto the porch railing to eat the crackers we put out.

They were such an amazing blue; around San Diego we only have Western Scrub Jays that don't have the same bright plumage.

Red Headed Woodpeckers nesting in a tree just off our back deck. I was surprised to see that they actually do make perfectly round holes in the tree. The Photographer sat out there for close to an hour waiting for the Mother Bird to come out and go back in so he could capture the images.

Lots of rock climbers in town. Can you believe they climb here!

Sorry, I don't know which mountain this is.

We walked around Fulmore Lake; really pretty early in the morning.

Then we come to this crazy guy!!!

I'm am not a bird watcher; I have no idea if he's even a true Woodpecker, all I know is that this one likes to do his jack-hammer pecking on the top of our cabin's stove pipe. If you put a large metal trash can on your head and then someone used a percussion hammer on the outside that's what it was like from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. every morning. He gave us an encore around sunset each evening. The noise came down the chimney pipe and was broadcast via the cast-iron woodburning stove like a huge speaker. So forget the "rest" part of R&R. We were told that this particular woodpecker has been harrasing the whole neighborhood rat-a-tat-tatting on everyone's metal chimneys. Crazy Bird!

We finally gave up and left the cabin in the woods a couple days early to go home and sleep in the city where it's quiet.

As we decended in altitude we saw the fog rolling in. It was like watching the tide come in; ebb and flow just like a large body of water.

Except for Mr. Crazy Bird we had a good time.

Knitting content next post.

All photos by The Photographer

Book Report - Shear Spirit

2008-04-24T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've just read a book I'd like to share with you, Shear Spirit Ten Fiber Farms, Twenty Patterns and Miles of Yarn by Joan Tapper , Photos by Gale Zucker.

I couldn't put this book down between the gorgeous photos and the personal stories of each farm I read the entire thing in one weekend. The book was Photographer Gale Zucker's idea and she recruited Joan Tapper (former editor of National Geographic Traveler) to write the stories. This pair visited ten fiber farms across the United States, told each farm's stories in words and pictures; most farms submitted several patterns. Although not the book's purpose I loved the pictures of all the dogs.

Most of the people in the book fell in love with their animals or land and then had to figure out how to earn a living. All tell a similar story of long hours and years of tenacity to achieve their dreams. There is a small amount of glorifying a farmers/shepard's life but for the most part they do describe all the effort needed on a daily basis.

The patterns on the whole are new to me. A good felted bag pattern that shows how to felt fiber into a bag - not a knit pattern. A heavy double knit Snowboarder Sweater from handspun bulky Churro yarn is the first double knit pattern I've seen that I might make. I've already picked out yarn for the Welsh Traveling Socks. Only down side I can mention is that there isn't much size range in the patterns but then I didn't buy Shear Spirit for the patterns.

If it has ever crossed your mind to chuck-it-all and move to a farm and raise sheep you should read this book first. You'll learn about the good, not-so-good and the bad pitfalls that would be waiting for you on the farm.

The author's have an interesting blog you might like to check out,
http://shearspirit.typepad.com/
their latest entry: Never wear clogs when you're photographing a Yak in the Spring!
You can also find photos of the patterns here.

(seems like I should state I bought this book myself - no free publisher's copy here)

ZigBagZ - my attempt at stranded knitting

2008-04-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

I entertained myself for several hours on Ravelry just looking at what people had made with Noro Yarns. That's where I found the ZigBagZ pattern (Ravelry Link). I've only attempted one other stranded pattern with limited success. The hat was wearable but knit so loosely and was such a pain to knit with all the untangling of yarn. It's taken me a year to try it again.

This time around I forced myself to learn to knit continental so I could knit two handed. Took me most of the weekend but I got enough confidence to start the Zbag.

This is the checkerboard bottom of the bag.

And a look at the inside of the bottom

Then the zigzag pattern on the side

It seems like I'm ripping back half of my knitting to correct pattern mistakes. You'd think I could count to two - Knit 2 with color A, Knit 2 with color B. Seems easy enough but every row I seem to throw in a Knit 4 with one color or another. I get so mad at myself.

Other than my problem counting to two I'm really enjoying this knitting.

I'm using Noro Kureyon color 213A for the contrast and it's fun to watch as the colors change. The Main fuchsia color is Cascade 220 color 9470 and the dark blue/purple is 220 (and I can't tell you the color as I can't find the ballband)

Yarn Harlot had a link to Shelly Kang that completed a large afghan with sockyarn. Seemed worth noting since it's all mitered squares and this is the project that inspired me to try out mitered squares from sockyarn. She's finished and it way bigger than anything I'll ever make!

April 5th The Photographer and I visited Balboa Park's International Houses for the Tartan Days celebration. Lots of music and kilts!

Wish I'd brought my camera as there were lots of hand-knit, knee-high socks around.

100

2008-04-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, Blogger is telling me this is my 100th Blog post. Wish I had something momentous to say but it's knitting as usual around here.

It took several tries but I figured out an edging for the cotton baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting. (see February 29th post)

I-cord just wasn't working, it was just too heavy. Crochet was the answer;

an edging of single crochet in a variegated color made such a smooth even finish and tamed the roll.

My Cherry Tree Hill socks are finished but I'll wait to block them before their documentation shot. I was given a skein of a new cotton sock yarn to test drive, it's Saucon Sock by Kraemer Yarns. (44% cotton, 43% acrylic, 13% nylon). Younger Daughter is allergic to anything wool so she will get the wear and comfort test.

Cotton sock yarn has a history of getting baggy very quickly so doing a 6/3 rib for the body of the sock I'm hoping will help maintain elasticity through the day. That acrylic part of the yarn has made it a nice yarn to work with, not at all stringy like most cotton yarns without any wool component. I'll report back on the wear test.

As you can see in the picture I'm knitting these socks with two circs. When the 2 circ method first came out I tried it with 16" needles and hated it. Seemed very awkward! Come forward several years and I was working through Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters; the only circs the right size available were a 24" and a 32". Longer circulars have longer needles than the short needles attached to 16" circular needles!! (a real smack-yourself-in-the-forehead moment) I've been knitting all my socks on two 24" circs ever since.

So now I have an opinion on circular needle tips.

All the needle tips above are 24" fixed circulars:
Top is an Addi Turbo Lace
Middle is a Knit Picks Harmony Wood
Bottom is a Knit Picks Option

I like all three needles, all have nice tips and good joins to the cable and have the same length needle but I have a favorite. The Addi Turbo Lace is just nicer to use; it does have the sharpest point of the three. I'm not sure exactly why I like it best, the sharp point is nice but that's not all of it. Seems like the needles are a bit flexible (or is that just my dillusion) where the other two are rigid. I'll have to observe this needle for awhile longer. I wish Skacel would make these needles available in more sizes.

Stuck in Squares-ville

2008-03-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

Not until I pulled out my camera and started taking pictures of my current knitting projects did I realize that everything I'm working on is square.

First, I pulled out Mitered Thing after Laurie sent me more sock yarn leftovers. Thanks again, Laurie, I always appreciate the kindness of knitting friends.

Since the time I first blogged about my "affair with mitered squares" I've received many questions about my method. I'll briefly describe how I make my garter stitch mitered squares. Hope it doesn't confuse more than it explains.

Cast-on an uneven number of stitches.
Do not slip first stitch on a row.
Knit half the number of stitches minus 3 (example: cast on 13 stitches, half minus 3 would be 5)
Here's the decrease you work on the right side only. Slip 1, K2tog, pull slipped stitch over K2tog
Knit wrong side row with no decrease.
Repeat these two rows until you have one stitch left.
Now pick up half the number of your cast on stitches down the side of the square and either cast on the other half plus one of the stitches or pick up along the edge of the square that is one down and over from the last completed square. Picking up one stitch for each garter ridge and one in the very center usually gives me the right count. (hope you understand that picking-up stitches part - I'm sure there's a better way to word it.)

Second, the Shop received a shipment of Trendsetter Yarns Tonalita, a long color change yarn that is great for Entrelac. I'm knitting a sample for an Entrelac class I'll be teaching.

This is color 2345; blues, purple, pink, turquoise, teal and jade.

(photo is true to color on my monitor.)

Third: I was exploring on Ravelry and was searching everything made with Noro yarn when I found Quant on Knitty, an entrelac headband.

By chance, I had a single skein of Silk Garden, sorry I can't find the ballband to tell you the color.
I'm going to have to hunt further because I really do like these rosy colors.

Any other square projects I missed? Can you tell I have a strong quilting background to be so enamored of everything square?

Taking pictures isn't as easy around here as you might think. My helper Sam one second after I took the first picture of Mitered Thing.

He's cute but a little too curious!

Zombie Socks - Round 1 of Sock Madness 2

2008-03-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Zombie Socks are done!

Sock Madness 2 sent out it's first pattern last Thursday. Yes, I signed up to participate in this years speed sock knitting contest - me, one of the original turtle brigade. Last year I was eliminated in Round 1; this year, with divisions rather than open eliminations I qualified to go on to Round 2. (my standing? 23rd out of 40 in the Baylor Ball Band Division)

I'm not sure who made the pattern (one place says "Emm l e" and another says "Sheryl Ball") but either way this is a good pattern.

It's a ribbed fabric with undulating dropped stitches which give you a very stretchy sock. I wish I had chosen a different yarn; I used Jitterbug by Colinette, color Toscano 55, a wonderful yarn even with the stingy yardage. The pattern called for 8 SPI; I got 7.5 SPI with size one needles. Normally I'd drop down to a size 0 needle but the yarn, being closer to a DK weight, just didn't like being knit on such a small needle - so I have a loose sock. I plan to knit this pattern again with a fingering weight sock possibly with fewer stitches.

Those yellow toes?? Just ran out of yarn and searching my stash came up with this yarn that I dyed myself. It's a very golden yellow with touches of green - I have no idea what I was thinking when I dyed it but it matched the yellow in the Jitterbug perfectly.

This pattern had garter stitch edges on the heel flap - a first for me which I know I'll be adding to future socks.

Making it to Round 2 was my goal, so I'm happy. I know I'm no speed knitter but I like the challenge and there's the reward of receiving the patterns for all the Rounds no matter when you're eliminated.

New Toy - Lucet

2008-03-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

My Lucet came in the mail this week.

Dave of "The-Blog-That-Shall-Remain-Nameless-and-Linkless" has frequently shown cords made on his Lucet. Then he posted a link to a YouTube Lucet Demo and I was intrigued.
YouTube Link Here

I found Margaret of The Rogue Lucette and ordered a beautiful cherry wood Lucet. Took me about an hour before my cords smoothed out - it's all about the tension you keep the working thread under. Now I plan on making some pullcord bags for small knitting projects. (Help me used up some of my quilting fabric stash!) Dave suggests that these cords are a great use of left over sockyarn - I've lots and lots of leftovers that I couldn't bare to trash.

One funny/odd/eerie thing - when I pulled the Lucet box out of my mailbox, the address label looked like I had printed it (except for her twos - that's the only difference.) I ask Margaret about it and turns out we both attended Catholic School at the time we were being taught our letters and numbers - except she was in Ohio and I was in Southern California. How's that for a coincidence?

Not much knitting to show this week. I did rip out the I-cord on the Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono and took Wendy's suggestion to use fewer stitches. Going from four stitches down to three did make a difference in the bulk. That K2tog with worsted weight dishcloth cotton takes some strength so I can only do a couple inches at a time.

I did find out that you can not notice you have a head cold while you have a migraine; something I would rather not have ever learned.

Are you watching the photos coming from the Iditarod - The Last Great Race? The human participants all look the same, male or female; when you're wearing that much clothing who can tell? I watch for the DOGS! The DOGS are the stars as far as I'm concerned!

I-Cord or not??

2008-02-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

The shop where I work received a large order of cotton dishcloth yarn and I realized I'm so over wool (a knitter's form of Spring Fever?) and loving the feel of working with cotton. I knew I'd find inspiration from Mason Dixon Knitting and the book didn't fail me; I cast-on the Baby Kimono a week ago and finished the knitting yesterday but...

there's always a but isn't there!

see how the back of the neck and the bottoms roll? I blocked it and they still roll - what to do.

Here's what the diagonal front edge looks like - just OK not wonderful.

Having recently read Kay's I-cord Tutorial (Feb 12, 2008) for making square corners I tried an I-cord edging.

and a close-up. What I wonder is does this edging treament over power the whole sweater? This is a worsted weight cotton and it makes a thick I-cord.

what do you think? I-cord or not?

The Soft Cabled Scarf is done.

I love this scarf; it's so soft and drapey. The yarn is Austermann Bamboo Soft (65% Merino 35% Bamboo) color 002 a deep rich black. (Photo is not representative of true color; altered to show details) It's Karabella Pattern #KK239, cashmere Hat and Scarf. The seed stitch borders give body to this soft yarn while the wide cable undulates up the center - I'll be making this scarf again.

I love to see glimses of other Blogger's private lives so here's the Photography Studio (Feb 28, 2008) where I work part-time; one of the owner's put pictures up on his blog. You'll usually find me in the Production Area.

Not Feeling the Clapotis Love

2008-02-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

Fall and Winter 2004 the Knitting world was buzzing about the Clapotis pattern on Knitty. Everyone was either knitting one or choosing yarn for their's. As much as I wanted to I just couldn't become enthused about the pattern. I told myself it was because of the shape of the large scarf, or is it a shawl but truthfully I didn't know why it didn't appeal to me and I felt left out of the excitement this dropped stitched pattern was generating.

It's over three years now and I still have this little nagging thought in the back of my mind over Clapotis. Then on the Kathryn Ivy blog I saw a scarf adaptation of Clapotis knit with Noro Silk Garden and I was sure this was the answer to my Clapotis ambivalence. I ordered three colors of Silk Garden; you only need two but I wasn't sure how the colors would work together so I ordered a back-up color.

First try

the colors didn't blend together - too contrasty for me. So I frogged it and tried my back-up color

these two color ways worked well together. They are colors 226 and 264.
BUT
I just don't like how it looks when you start dropping the stitches. What is it with me and this pattern? I dislike the dropped stitch part and I still don't understand why so many, many others find it such a wonderful project. I tried but I'm still on the outside looking in and not feeling the Clapotis love!

There is one finished photo to share.

Chevron Scarf #3 finished and blocked. Made with Misti Alpaca Worsted HandPainted in two different blue Colorways. The pattern is Chevron Scarf by Joelle Hoverson in the book Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Here's proof Spring is on the way North; Winter is not forever.

The city is covered with clouds of white flowers on the Fruitless Pear trees.

Yarn and Other Knitting

2008-02-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

My cousin is knitting booties for friends that are to be first time Grandparents; I've been helping her find patterns through Ravelry. (Finally convinced - an it took a lot of convincing - her she had to join; she's on the waiting list now.) Anyway while looking at all the baby stuff I found EZ's Baby Surprise Jacket stuck in my brain. I've no baby to knit for but while re-organizing my stash I found the perfect fingering weight yarn for a BSJ.

What can I say - I've succumbed. I don't mind endless garter stitch.

Mystic Light Shawl Knit-a-long uses fingering weight yarn; 600 yds of something that looks like sky. Others are into the red sky/sunset look but that's not something I'd probably use so when I found this yarn

and it looked like sky to me, I knew this was right for the project. It's Pagewood Farm's Hand Dyed Sock Yarn in Forest Camo.

A Christmas gift certificate caused me to travel outside my usual yarn haunts last Friday. Thanks Jessie; love the yarn and I had a great time visiting The Grove in San Diego!

Socks That Rock's, Sheep 2 Shoe Roving is finished. Sorry I seem to have misplaced the color name and it's not on the bag.

This is half of the 8.5 ounces, 2 ply, 182 yds. Much too thick for fingering weight. I really spun thin singles with lots of twist but it sure puffed up when I plyed it. I've never had a fiber do this to me before; don't misunderstand I loved this merino, it was a joy to spin. I'm wondering if the longer than usual fiber length made it just appeared to be spun more tightly than it actually was. Obviously, I miscalculated somewhere somehow.

I'm going to have to get off Sundara's Updates list! Yeah, did it again, I bought more of her yarn. I have more sock yarn than I can ever knit but her colors are so deep and luscious that I keep needing to buy new colors. I'm so weak!

Charcoal over Cherry

Evergreen over Umber

time to get back to the BSJ...

Spacey (and I don't mean Kevin)

2008-02-05T15:22:00.000-08:00

I haven't been as consistant a blogger as I would like the last couple months; between the Holidays, allergies an allergy meds I've been spending a lots of time just staring at a wall - time I would normally spend doing more productive things. No idea what's setting it off this time of year; usually, I only have hay fever symptoms in the spring. Sorry if I sound spacey.

I started a new scarf; had a family request for a black, super long, very soft scarf. I'm using Austermann's Bambou Soft to make Karabella pattern #KK239

A very soft cable only twisting every 14 rows with a border of seed stitch on either side. The yarn is really a true rich black but I had to wash out the color a bit to get the texture to show up in the photo.

My Chevron Scarf #3 is done but not blocked. Just this morning, in a Gardening Club meeting, I finished a pair of Kaffe Fassett Regia socks. And last night I finished knitting My So Called Scarf; still have to weave in ends and block. So pictures are due.

I was halfway through the first wing chart on Mystery Stole 3 and decided to rip it back and forget the wing. I'm now chugging through the charts making a second rectangular section. Since I know the pattern this is going lots faster than the first half did.

And there's going to be another Mystery Lace Shawl KAL called Mystic Light Mystery Shawl Knitalong. Wouldn't it be nice if I could be done with MS3 before the next one starts March 26th? Think I've just found a goal to finish date.

That's all I got...

TV Mute Button Confession

2008-01-22T10:00:00.000-08:00

I confess, I can't watch live TV without a remote Mute Button! First because the commercials are so much louder than the show - what's new; Second because they play the same few commercials over and over and over. I don't care for commercials, who does but why the same couple of commercials every few minutes? We watch very little live TV with DVDs and DVRs around here so my exposure to commercials is minimal and I'm sick of the same commercials; what about those that regularly watch shows live? How sick are they seeing the same thing over and over? I don't understand the repetition; there are so many commercials out there what do they hope to accomplish showing the same one so often it turns people and TVs off? Anyone know what's going on in the TV advertising world?

Now you know, I watch TV and videos in the evenings while I knit. I'm a big fan of Netflix; with the Writer's Strike I've discovered old TV Series DVDs. How did I miss Buffy and Angel the first time around?

I finished a UFO pair of toddler mittens this last week, only six years from start to finish.

My second thumb shows my knitting has greatly improved over those six years. The purple is Opal Sock Yarn left from a pair of Adult size socks.

I plied the BFL Rapture singles

The picture doesn't show the purple and green true to color. It really is lovely - I especially like the chartreuse strands.

Have you seen the My So Called Scarf pattern?

I using Lorna's Laces, Bullfrogs and Butterflies in the Gold Hill colorway

A very interesting pattern to knit; this isn't mindless knitting. I have to watch it as it's hard to rip back and pick up invisibly. I guess the pattern stitches gives a twist to the yarn that shows in the work. I hoping the slightly visible lines block out.

Playing around online I found that Blue Moon Fiber Arts, the Socks that Rock people, also dye Roving/Top. The called it "Sheep 2 Shoe", love that name! I ordered a bag/ 8.5 oz of Superwash Merino. This stuff is so soft and easy to spin. Their directions suggest you split it into four lengthwise sections and spin a worsted 4 ply yarn. That would be way thicker than any socks I could wear around here so I split the yarn in half lengthwise and am only working on one half of the yarn. Four ounce 2-ply socks are the normal thickness I can get in my shoes.

(What appears gray in there is actually light blue and a medium dark Teal. This is a very nice fiber to work with.)

And I finished the January 2008 Mid-Month Dishcloth Kal on the Yahoo Monthly Dishcloth Group in Peaches & Creme.

When I gave #2 Daughter her Alpaca Chevron Scarf for Christmas #1 Daughter said she wanted one too, in Blue.

This is Misti Alpaca Handpainted.

One evening I was lucky enough to be sitting at my computer when the email arrived notifying me of a Sundara Shop Update. I jumped at the chance to buy this sock yarn - her stuff never lasts long because it is so beautiful. I bought Cobalt over Mediterranean and Caribbean.

The camera's back. The repair page said, "Camera tested within specifications. Replaced optical assembly." What does that mean? Either it worked which usually means it needed no repairs or it's broken and they fixed it. Anyway it was still under warranty from the last repair so all I'm out is the postage to ship it back, twice, to Canon in IL. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. What's your opinion, from the pictures above do you think it's fixed?

Knitting, Knitting and Spinning

2008-01-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

Two kinds of knitting today. I did it! Can't knit all the stuff I want fast enough so I've started a Machine Knitting Class. First day Karalyn had us on a machine knitting a water bottle sleeve.

This took about thirty minutes including the hand finishing (sewing up the side seam and weaving in ends.) I'm sure it would have been a third that time if I'd known what I was doing! Even the I-cord was machine made in about 20 seconds! It may be noisy but I can wear ear plugs for the short time it takes to knit something.

Now does anyone know someone that wants to sell an old knitting machine? That's the catch! You just can't walk into a store and buy a new machine. (I'm advised to stay away from the cheap ones you can still buy.) The hunt is on - even though I don't know anything about choosing a good versus junky one.

I'm back to working on my Mystery Stole 3. No pictures, it doesn't look much different than when I posted a picture back in July or August. I'm just about ten rows from starting the wing. And, yes, I am going to do the wing; it looks interesting. I know I said I wasn't but time has changed my mind. If I don't care for it I'm sure I can find someone that will want it.

My current traveling sock is one of the Kaffe Fassett Colors of Regia; (I never know which is the colorway Farbe or Partie?) Farbe 4255 Partie 23636. I like these colors.

I finally finished my gray alpaca/gray romeldale fiber I've been spinning for the past six month! No pictures yet.

All that gray I've been color starved! So I grabbed the brightest fiber I could find and started spinning.
This colorway is fittingly called "Rapture."
100% BFL hand-dyed Vesper Roving by Knitterly Things.

The problem-child camera is back at Canon for repairs. After talking to them it sounds like they only really examine your camera when it comes back for a second time. First time around they just update the software - grrrr makes me so mad!

The photographer had his camera out so I coaxed him to take these pictures. And I got them away from him before he could photoshop them - that's next to impossible. Otherwise you wouldn't see them until next week sometime...

Recipe Box Show and Tell

2008-01-01T14:17:00.000-08:00

Kay at Mason-Dixon Knitting shared her Mother's Recipe Box and requested we all show our Boxes.

I have two boxes; first is my Mother-in-Law's wooden box that I inherited.

The Photographer can't remember a time in his childhood when it wasn't sitting on their kitchen counter next to the Sunbeam Mixer. It's simply stamped "Japan" on the bottom.

I'm sharing her Crazy Cake Recipe; both my girls as teenagers won ribbons at the Del Mar Fair with this cake.

Crazy Chocolate Cake

2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 cup shortening (we use butter or half butter and half Crisco)
1 cup cocoa
1 cup sour milk (1 tablspoon white vinegar and rest milk to equal one cup)
2 teaspoons soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup boiling black coffee

Put all ingredient in bowl of mixer in order given -
Do Not Stir until coffee is added.
Beat 3 minutes.
Pour into 2-8" prepared cake pans or a 9"X13" prepared pan.
(Dust pans with cocoa rather than flour)
Bake at 325 degrees F. for 35 mins or until a toothpick comes
out clean.
Cool and frost as desired.
(In our family it was usually chocolate ganache made from semi-sweet chocolate chips)

My Recipe Box is very plain beige plastic but it holds a special memory for me.

Many years ago my old green metal 3X5 file box was overflowing - couldn't even close the lid. One Mother's Day my youngest bought this box and covered the lid with pink wrapping paper as my gift. I've used it and treasured it for years while the pink paper slowly deteriorated. Just this past November while she was over helping with Christmas baking she recovered the top as a surprise for me; she had no memory that the box was originally from her and the pink paper was her childhood handiwork. Seems fitting that she was the one that updated it's look.

My recipe to share is a cookie recipe that I have on a 1 cent postcard dated 1949 that my Mother received from her Mother. It's a soft cake like Oatmeal Cookie.

I usually add vanilla and walnuts and double the cinnamon; sometimes I even add chocolate chips.

The directions are difficult to read so I will write them out.

Put milk on oats in seperate bowl.
In second bowl measure flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon
In bowl of mixer blend shortening, sugar and eggs. Add vanilla, raisins and nuts and stir in.
Add alternately, oatmeal and flour mixture.
Bake 350 degrees F. for 18 mins on greased cookie sheet.

I hope you try both of these recipes and that you enjoy them as much as the several generations of our family has. If you have any questions I'd be happy to hear from you.

Happy New Year - ALREADY???

2007-12-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

How can it possibly be the end of another year? How did it zip by so quickly - I really thought I was paying attention? Family, spinning and knitting, animals, a couple short vacations and two part-time jobs and it's over. It was a good year but way too short for everything I would have liked to accomplish! Maybe next year...

We're back to no pictures; same camera problem again. The Photographer has tested my Canon A710 IS and agrees it refuses to focus so back to Canon it goes. It worked so well the first ten months - I loved it - and now you can't take a clear picture even with a tripod. Sooo frustrating! In the mean time I'll have to settle for lots of links.

Funny thing happened for my Christmas this year; my whole family, without talking to each other, decided to just buy from my Amazon Wish List. Now I mostly had knitting books listed - 90% knitting books. So that's what I got for Christmas - be careful what you Wish List! Especially when you have a very generous family! (I stupidly left books on there that I was only considering rather than just ones I really really wanted. This all-book Christmas is my own fault; luckily Amazon has a very lenient return policy. I've return a few now and am still considering sending back others.) After the first couple of books I opened it got to be funny; by the evening when the final contingent of the family came over we were really getting hysterical with every new book. This won't be a Christmas we forget.

I received Fourteen (14!!) knitting books - mostly reference but there is one book worth mentioning; Knitting New Scarves by Lynne Barr - which I kept. This book has new shapes, 3-D type, patterns. Should be very interesting. And I received one cookbook, Panera Bread Cookbook

Non-book wish list items I received were Two Lucy Neatby DVDs; Socks 1 and Double Knitting. (I've already learned a new bindoff method.) A Kitchen-Aid Immersion Blender and a set of snap-together square foam mats for blocking. Plus the cutest knitting bag. I saw a bag mentioned somewhere online and thought it was clever and showed Daughter #2. She saved the link and bought me the bag. When she called to order the bag from the store in Grand Rapids, Michigan the woman at the shop couldn't believe someone in San Diego would have ever heard about their bag. (My guess is that she doesn't spend much time online.)

I'm currently working on Calorimetry from Knitty. Figuring out the pattern so I can custom fit it for those with small heads or heads with way too much hair. Everyone's ears are cold; San Diego has been having some very chilly weather for Southern California. Early morning temps in the low 30s. Yeah, go ahead and laugh, we're weather wimps around here but then they're forcasting mid 70s by New Years. We never get a chance to acclimate to cold.

The Photographer was downtown taking pictures on the 26th.

The car show is in town

"hmmm, where's Mr. Bean?"

TheHoliday Bowl was held here at the Q on the 27th.
Arizona State University

(look at the guy in the doorway holding his head - looks like he had way to much party the day before)

And the winners - Texas

Happy New Year to everyone! See ya in 2008.

Holiday Stuff

2007-12-17T10:05:00.000-08:00

This post is to distract you (look shiny things) from my Christmas knitting, which shall remain nameless at this time. Instead I'll share some cookie recipes that I've found and tried this year.

First I made Homesick Texan's Mom's Raspberry Bars
These are more like candy than cookies - hello! 4 cups of white chocolate chips!!!
Several people have said they're like Super Entenmanns. And I can vouch for the fact that they freeze very well; which gives you a head start on Holiday Baking.

Next was Issues with Knitting's Chocolate Rum Balls.
These were rolled in coconut and were fabulous! This year these are the first to disappear off a plate of cookies - how's that for a recommendation. And they're so simple; a good recipe to make with kids.

And my contribution are Sandies; I've made these for many, many years. I received this recipe from a woman I worked with years ago - Connie, Thanks So Much.

Sandies

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I prefer pecans)

more powdered sugar to roll cookies after baking

300 Degree Oven
Combine ingredients in order listed above. Mix in flour as lightly as possible to avoid a tough dough.
Form into 1" balls. (if the weather is warm refrigerate dough before rolling)
Bake on ungreased sheet 25 - 30 mins. Cookies should barely be browned on the bottom.
Roll in powdered sugar while warm. (I use two spoons to handle hot cookies.)

Cool to room temperature then store in air-tight container in refrigerator.
Makes approx. 60 cookies

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family has. Hope you and yours have a wonderful Holiday Celebration next week.

The top photo is a Sunset after the storm taken in Balboa Park.
The bottom photo is taken at the beach after a storm.
Both photos courtesy of The Photographer

... with Pictures

2007-12-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Finally, sunshine and a few minutes to photograph my current projects. The sunny day was between rain clouds; we need all the rain we can get her in the drought prone end of California. Although rain and wind scare the dog, The Photographer and I, native Southern Californians, enjoy the sound of a good rain storm. And always a good excuse to knit.

I'm knitting the Maine Morning Mitts for a couple friends for presents. These are a pretty quick knit and the color changes in the yarn make each mitt a surprise.

and one of the second pair

These are both from the same colorway of Silk Garden. Sure don't look like the same yarn do they. All depends on where in the color run you start.

(yes the pictures are a bit blurry. I'm worried my camera is having issues again.)

The Argosy scarf in Kraemer Yarns Sterling Silk & Silver, since it's not a present, has taken a back seat to the Maine Mitts.

and here's a close up of the yarn so you can see the silver/irridescent thread in there.

This is a rhythmic pattern; I seem to be drawn to patterns where the knitting is a consistent rhythm; I get mesmerized and find I've sat and knit for long periods that only seem like minutes . The Teosinte Socks by Anne Hanson that I finished in July was another very rhythmic pattern. Do you know of other patterns that you think have a rhythmic quality? Would you write and let me know about them, please? I've only found these two on my own.

The Spiral Eyelet Socks in The Alpaca Yarn Company's Paca-Peds in Fireside is my traveling project. No pictures in awhile so here's the first sock.

and I'm half way down the leg on the second sock which has the spiral going the opposite direction than the first.

The Chevron Scarf in Handpainted Misti Alpaca Worsted is done.

I finished the scarf with only this much of the pink colorway left!

That was too close!

I know I'm suppose to be spending my money on presents but I had a moment of weakness and bought some yarn through Etsy. (A year or so ago I thought Ebay and Amazon were sites of temptation, they have nothing on Etsy!!!)

This is hand dyed by Emily of Sophie's Toes, 100 Merino Superwash fingering weight. The colorway is called Starry Night. I also bought Midnight in the same yarn base.

This picture makes the yarn look dark gray; it's actually black with many shades of gray. I wish I'd bought more of this colorway, this would make a gorgeous lace something.

That's it for now. Time to get out there present shopping. Today is the gift card hunt; I know what and where, it's just the trek through the Mall that's the chore. It's cool enough today that I can pull out one of my scarves.

Pirates!!

2007-12-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

This entry really has nothing to do with pirates; I just took this picture, wanted to share it but couldn't figure out anything clever. This ship is one of the floating exhibits at the San Diego Maritime Museum in San Diego Bay.

Now the Knitting Content: Sunshine and my free time haven't coordinated frequently enough for me to take any recent knitting photos. Sorry but you'll have to imagine...

I finished knitting my Reader's Shawl but I haven't blocked it or sewn on the pockets. I thinking I'm putting off finishing it because I am debating pulling out the bottom border and adding more length; I have one whole ball of yarn left.

A shipment of Handpainted Misti Alpaca in worsted weight came into the shop and I bought a green EZ14 and a pink EZ06 to make another Chevron Scarf. This is a present for the "allergic to everything wool, including Cashmere" daughter; she seems to be able to tolerate alpaca.

Another new yarn that came home with me is Kraemer's Sterling silk & silver
which has 2% Silver in it - although I can't see it - looks more irridescent than silver. I'm making a lacy Argosy scarf with it. It's a fingering weight and I'm using a size 4 needle. This yarn is a little hard on my index finger's skin as it runs across. That's probably the nylon in the yarn.

Since I'm the person that usually loses all my yarn labels you maybe wondering how I immediately came up with these three? New system - as I take the label off I shove it down into my chair between the arm and the cushion. They stay put, the cats don't eat them, they don't fall out of my knitting bag and no one that might straighten my messy knitting corner can accidentally throw them away. No one but you and I even know they're there. [Shhhh - keep my hiding place to yourself, please.] Maybe I'll be better able to play "name that yarn" now.

It's really hard keeping track of anything up here in this room; we're slowly remodeling the room trying to work around what's up here rather than hauling everything out of here. (No place to put the stuff but down in the living room; this time of year den-stuff isn't exactly the decorations visitors expect when they come over.)

The Photographer and I went for a walk along the Embarcadero last Sunday to enjoy the area after all the ash had finally been wash away. Everything was sparkling. I took this picture of the birds disregarding the posted sign.

Old and New

2007-11-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Yes, I started a pair of Monkey Socks from Knitty. And I admit they're as much fun to knit as everyone has said. Except, somehow they are so small around that they're going to fit no one; have to frog them - sigh.....
Going to have to really check gauge before I attempt them again.

The pattern calls for a size 2/2.5mm needle. I used a KnitPicks size 1/2.5mm needle which I assumed would be the same but I'm getting 9.5 stitches per inch while the pattern calls for 8 per inch. I'm not a fan of walking in socks that have been knit on anything larger than a size 1 needle. Guess I can knit the foot on a smaller needle when I get there. Good-bye Monkey.

By the way the yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in the Spring Frost Colorway.

While I was coming to terms that my Monkey Socks weren't going to fit I switched over to knitting the sample socks in Cat Bordhi's new book, New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One. These socks really are constructed differently.
Here's the Sky Sock Architecture

that gusset in the front is the one and only gusset in the sock.

And I'm in the middle of the Coriolis Architecture

I've always knit my socks on double point needles. I've tried two socks on one circular (hated the twisty yarn problem and constantly moving everything around) and the 2 16" circulars (didn't like the short needles on 16" circs) but for some reason never tried 2 24" circulars. Reading the directions for the sample Coriolis Sock I decided it would be easier to use the two circular directions so I hunted up two cirs - the ones I came up with aren't the same size and one is 24" while the other is 32". I have lots of stuff hanging off these socks but the two circ method is really working well! I'm going to have to invest in some matching size circs when I actually make this pattern to fit a person's foot. Can't tell you how long I've put off some patterns because they're written for two cirs and I'm just too lazy to translate - now I don't have to!

One of the items on the materials list for all the patterns in Cat's new books are A & B stitch markers.

Cat's come up with a brilliant way to simplify her directions using these labeled stitch markers. BTW did you know that there are several, maybe even more than several, videos on YouTube of Cat demonstrating her techniques?

I tried regular colored stitch markers for the Sky Sock but soon realized how much easier it would make it to have the markers she specified. I got busy searching through Etsy's vendors and found red markers from Suann.

And some lavendar ones from Beadmarker

I think I'm set no matter the color of my yarn.

There's been a sock failure

There is a yarn break; I've no idea how or why the yarn failed. I wore the sock with out noticing any problem but when it came back from the wash (machine washed on delicate and laid flat to dry) there was this hole - "Ohh Nooo!!!"

I leave you with some visiting bird pictures from The Photographer.

Remember the perennial sunflower pictures six weeks ago; the birds have decended to scavenge the seed heads. There's also a flock of green finches but they're too skittish to photograph.

My Camera is Back - Yeah!

2007-11-17T13:40:00.000-08:00

My Canon A710 IS camera was delivered Thursday evening. The Photographer checked it out and said it is fixed! You can actually achieve focus now. That's all that's important!

There's a FO to show:

Joelle Hoverson's Chevron Scarf Pattern in Socks that Rock Mediumweight - in colors Farm House and Watermelon & Tourmaline.

I enjoyed knitting this scarf so much that I immediately cast-on another in Blue Sky Alpaca Melange; colors 804, 800, 803. And Blue Sky Alpaca Sportweight ; color 531.

the colors aren't exact in this pictures; the light color yarn is really a true baby blue. (Blue Sky calls this color 800 cornflower.)

Last Tuesday I had the pleasure of attending an all-day Lucy Neatby workshop on Finishing Techniques at the Shepardess in Old Town. (I'm asking for all her instructional videos for every Birthday and Christmas present until I have them all. She's that good!!) She uses her videos during the class for demonstration purposes so the whole class didn't have to gather around her while she knits up a small sample.

Before class we were to knit 2 - 8X8 swatches and 1- 5X6 swatch. We ended up making a small sweater sampler practicing her techniques.

First we grafted (Lucy doesn't like/use the term Kitchner) across the shoulders

My second color wasn't different enough to really show off the stitching well in photos.

We practiced mattress stitch when we seamed up one side and sewed in the sleeve. She spent quite a bit of time talking about sleeve heads and their seaming. And the last couple hours were spent on front bands and her button hole technique.

We did a lined band with matching buttonholes and a picot turning edge.

The next day she was giving her sock class but I had to work and we won't mention the $$$ to take TWO of her classes. I did get her to sign my copy of her Cool Socks book.

Everyone in the USA have a Happy Thanksgiving this Thursday.

Flagstaff Vacation Photos

2007-11-08T19:43:00.000-08:00

Since I can't show you any new knitting photos (my camera was two weeks past the 1-year warranty date but Canon took it in as under warranty - YEAH!) I thought I'd post some of our vacation pictures. If you hate other people's vacation pictures - Stop Reading Now.

A decade ago we tried to go to Walnut Canyon but it was so cold ( with wind chill it felt like ZERO) we never made it out of the Visitor's Center. This trip it was 70 degrees F, a perfect day to hike through the Early Native American Cliff dwellings down in the Canyon.

If you look in the center of the Canyon Wall you can see the hallowed out areas which were made into rooms.

Here I am for scale - these people were much shorter than we are today.

This will give you an idea of the cliff side path we walked along and you can see how the canyon-side holes were walled into rooms.

The Photographer stepped inside the hole in the wall to photograph the view looking out.

This is the view from down in the Canyon looking up toward the Visitor's Center where we started our hike. See it up there - that little white triangle in the center of the rim? We had to hike back up out of there - all 257 steps at 7000 ft! Our own little stress test.

The following day (Sunday)we drove to the Grand Canyon. The Village area was wall to wall cars and buses. No where to park and it was getting very windy; even thought it was sunny and clear it was unpleasant to be out in all that wind. After talking to a park ranger we drove east out of the Village and found some view sites with better views than in the more frequented Park View Points.

We actually saw the Colorado River down there.

This couple dashed out of their car, set up their camera on a timer, took their own picture together at the Grand Canyon and were back in their car in under five minutes. Guess they wanted to show up in those photos?

Stopped at the required Native American Jewelry on the side of the road.

And stopped at the Desert View Tower which was built by the Harvey Company in the 1930. (You remember that Judy Garland movie The Harvey Girls?)

Interesting painting inside the tower.

Looking straight up to the top of the tower.

All day Sunday the winds' speed kept increasing; it was that evening we got the call about the fires at home. We knew from past experience that the winds would be driving the fires westward which made us worry. Monday morning we decide to change plans and head home. You know the rest...

Socktoberfest Confessions

2007-11-04T14:53:00.000-08:00

The end of October brought an end to Socktoberfest 2007; I only finished one pair of socks - plain gray ribbed for The Photographer - who is yet to wear them.

(Sorry no new photos! My Canon A710 isn't working right; the Imagine Stabilizer has become a de-Stabilizer! Even with a tripod the pics are blurry. Sending it back to Canon to see if they can fix it. We'll see how long that takes?? Not like there aren't half a dozen other camera's in the house I can try and use. "Try" being the word of the day - I prefer my little point and shoot! Any photos in this entry are old pictures you've probably seen before.)

So, only one finished pair of socks in the month that was suppose to be devoted to socks. Now, I did knit on socks, it's just that I have several in the works and even started another pair while on vacation. Let's count the socks I'm knitting:

1. My traveling sock in Paca Peds. Spiral Eyelet Socks.

I'm into the gusset decreases on the first sock.

2. Seeded Rib Socks from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Peacock. End of decreases on first sock

3. Waving Lace Socks from Favorite Socks Interweave Press in Fleece Artist Paris colorway

Just to heel on second sock.

4. Cookie A's Monkey Socks in Cherry Tree Hill, Spring Frost Colorway.

I swear I knit on every sock project during the month; just not enought on any one to finish. Do you think I have Knitting Attention Deficit? Is there an organization dedicated to helping Knitters learn monogamy to one project? Would that be any fun? I think I have the Knitter's Almond Joy mentality -- sometimes I feel like [knitting] a sock, some times I don't!

I do have a photo of a FO that I haven't mentioned before. It's from Monthly Dishcloth's Yahoo Group - Sept Mid-Month Kal.

And it hangs around the neck of the bottle to dry, how clever is that?

Now to go see if I can figure out one of The Photographer's cast-off SLRs. Wish me LUCK!!

As the smoke clears...

2007-10-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

We're still here; a little sooty but safe. The 2003 Cedar fire cleared the brush so there was little fuel to lead the Witch Creek fire toward my area of town. Small favors!

Once we got home Monday evening we sat in our closed up house for two days watching the news day and night. I knit constantly which helped me keep my sanity; it's so hard to watch reports of fire in neighborhoods where I have friends. (So far I haven't heard of anyone I know losing their home - still keep those prays and Red Cross donations coming - there are so many thousands that did lose everything.)

For close to a year I've been hearing about the Chevron Scarf Kal and seeing the fabulous pictures of the scarves that came out of it. The pattern is in Last Minute Knitted Gifts by Joelle Hoverson. It's a simple feather and fan pattern but the trick of it is the combination of two colors of fingeringweight yarn. The original pattern used Koigu KPPPM but the combination I saw over and over on the Kal was Socks That Rock medium weight in colorways Farmhouse and Watermelon-Tourmaline. While watching the fire reports I looked around for something simple and soothing to knit and decided this was the project I needed right now.

(see how orange the light is - that's the smoke in the air. It looks like sunset all day here.)

Prior to the fire we were on Vacation in Flagstaff - love that town. My favorite place to eat there is Martanne's on San Francisco St. (No picture just wanted to plug the restaurant.) My car knitting was a simple Reader's Wrap; lots of stockinette with a double seed stitch border.

I'm using Kathmandu Aran in Color 124, a tweedy burgundy, which is 85% Merino, 10% Silk and 5% Cashmere. That sounds soft doesn't it? I knit English style and as this yarn draws across my right index finger it was scratching the skin below my cuticule. Karen at the yarn shop suggested self-sticking gauze; it worked very well. I'd wrap my finger and could knit an hour before the yarn started cutting through the gauze and wouldn't pull easily across the top of my finger. It worked well as a car knitting project.

As for the vacation: We found Fall in full glory.

This is the road up to the Snow Bowl. The men were up checking the gondola towers - skiing can't be too far off.

We saw this flat-bottomed cloud formation that we've never seen before. It was the only cloud in the sky at the time.

Anyone know clouds? What makes it so flat on the bottom?

We drove to the Grand Canyon east of the Village. Much better views without the crowds and tour buses but a long way between bathrooms so plan ahead. Here's Annie on Vacation enjoying the view.

She took one look and then wanted back in the car - it was cold and windy.

San Diego on FIRE

2007-10-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Photographer, the Dog and I spent the last five days in Flagstaff Arizona. Sunday evening we received a call that San Diego was once again in the middle of a Santa Ana induced Firestorm. After watching the news reports Monday morning we packed up everything and headed home. It wasn't easy figuring out how to get back with all the Freeway closings. We came home across Hwy 8 with no problems; made fabulous time as all the trucks and RVs had been ordered off the roads due to the high winds. Climbing out of the desert this was the view looking east as we crested the Laguna Mountains

this is the fire in eastern Chula Vista. We were 30-40 miles away. (No more photos as it was too smoky to see very far once we decended the other side of the mountains.)

We arrived home to find the area we live in was still safe even if it was terribly smoky. The Photographer isn't sure about where he works; it's right in the middle of the big evacuation area North of Hwy 56 and he can't reach anyone by phone.

This fire is said to be much bigger than our previous biggest fire back in 2003. That fire came within a mile of our house. What can I say - scary times deja vu!

Say a pray for us here in the Southwest corner of the US, please. And a donation to the Red Cross would sure help.

Solutions

2007-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks I've been knitting swatches of my Alpaca/Rambouillet handspun. I want to make Sausalito by Dolce Handknits. My 2-ply washed swatch matched both the stitch and row count but I couldn't figure out the simple Tiny Bowknot stitch. First I looked through all the Barbara Walker books and couldn't find anything similar. (Turns out it is in BW2 page 125) Then I took the pattern and my swatches to spinning class and to the Yarn Shop where I work and none of us could figure out row 4 and 8's stitch pattern.

Finally wrote to the Publisher; Kim answered my questions and now I've got it. It was really a simple thing. You're suppose to knit completely through the stitch below then slip off and drop the stitch above. (Neither the pattern or BW mention this "slip off and drop" part.) Usually once I find the solution to why something isn't working I feel dumb - why did I not see it for myself - but this time I feel rather annoyed. Why couldn't the pattern have mentioned the dropped stitch? Would have saved me a couple weeks of effort.

Two weeks ago while I was knitting with several friends/customers at the shop I mentioned that I wasn't pleased with my 3 needle bind-off at the back of my Mitered Sweater.

(to refresh your memory, the sweater is all garter stitch and I knit the above bind-off.)
Karen mentioned that she remembered that in doing the 3 needle bind-off that you purl knit stitches and knit purl stitches. So I went back and pulled it all out and purled the bind-off this time around. Much better!

I need to go back and tighten up the last two stitches but over all it looks better and lays flatter. I had doubts that the lumpy knit bind-off would have blocked out as nice as this looks before blocking.

October has been dye lessons in Spinning Class. We've been learning how to measure and weight so that we can reproduce our efforts. I tried at home to dilute colors and I met with so so results.
This yarn I like and will keep (BFL Superwash)

This one will be thrown back and overdyed, hopefully, with better result.

I kept diluting down Turquoise and Aztec Gold; the Turquoise dilutions didn't show much difference and the Turquoise ran into the Gold and took on an odd greenish cast.
Not sure what color(s) I'll add to try and fix it. Overdye it with green??

My third and final yarn from the Simply Socks Yarn Club arrived yesterday and it's my favorite of the three!!! Dream in Color Smooshy in Brouhaha colorway.

No idea what sock pattern I'll use but I really like this color.

It's similar in color (but not in feel) to my current sock. Spiral Eyelet Socks

This is a very enjoyable pattern to knit; each sock spirals in the opposite directions. I'm on the SSK sock which makes a left-hand spiral, the other is a K2Tog right-hand spiral. This is Paca Peds Alpaca Yarn in Fireside colorway and those are size 1 Knit Picks Harmony DPNs.

What do I think of these new needles? Well, I broke one needle on the second stitch. (I mailed back the piece I could find - couldn't find the piece that catapulted across the room, didn't know I needed to wear protective goggles to knit with them - let you know if I hear back from Knit Picks) The needles are very nice and smooth (maybe a bit too smooth, they don't grab like bamboo does) and are a pleasure to knit with... except for one tiny thing. I'm having difficulty seeing them unless I'm in very good light. Maybe it's my eyes, or the color of my yarn or any other excuse but I believe I'll stay with their wonderful metal needles - LOVE those pointy tips.

Lastly, my sock drawer is full!

Now what do I do with my handknit socks?

Alpacas, Llama and Crochet, Oh My!

2007-10-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

Full barely describes this past week; it felt more like 12 days than only 7. Started off last Saturday with the first day of National Alpaca Farm Day.

The Photographer and I drove up to Alpine to visit A Simpler Time Alpacas and Mill.
There were goats

Alpacas

And the Guard Lama

that really kept watch over all these people around his herd.

We received a very detailed tour of their fiber Mill. (No pictures as the area was too small and jammed with people to get a good shoot. See their web page for photos.)

I won't bore you with the work portion of the week. The only fun in there is working at the Yarn Shop I get to see such wonderful things customers and Yarn Reps bring in to show us. One Rep that came in was wearing the cutest necklace that she had designed and had published in Creative Knitter Magazine July 2007 Issue. I tried it and couldn't do all the knit increases in one stitch that the pattern called for so I switched to crochet and came up with a reasonable copy.

I used left over sock yarn and WalMart #6 beads. I'm looking for a small toggle closure to finish it.

My pattern is simple:
String your beads.
Chain a string about a third longer than you want your finished necklace. Then do single crochets in the neck part (remember that you need an inch or so extra on each end to attach your closure.

Then to do the curly whirly part I did 4 triple crochets (a cluster) in each chain stitch, placing beads in each cluster after the first and third triple crochet. Repeat until you've made your curly section your desired length then do single crochets to the end. (My necklace was 1/4 length single crochet, 1/2 length curly then 1/4 length of single crochet.) As you see I'm not a pattern writer; I'll try and answer emailed questions .

Many years ago I bought a small stick of a plant that was called a Perennial Sunflower. Over the years it's grown and grown until now it's a good size patch that grows to 9 feet tall. This is the view out my Kitchen Window
'
Recently I've been told by my second daughter, the Horticulture Student, that it's actual Helianthus angustifolius 'Mellow Yellow'. Watching it blow in the wind is facinating. And the view is constantly changing as the sun moves and the light comes from a different direction. I can't decide if I like the morning sunrise light better than the sunset light. We look forward to it's October blooming as the highlight of Fall in our backyard.

All photos except for crocheted necklace by The Photographer.

The Yarn goes to...

2007-09-28T15:06:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all the Good Wishes, both private and public. No more gushy stuff now, you want to know who gets the yarn. Random Number generator gave out #4 and #2, in that order. So, the Socks that Rock goes to Shanidy and the Yarn Pirate goes to Laurie M. (Shanidy, sorry, you'll have to contact me as I have no email address to reach you. tcty123 AT yahoo DAT com When will they fix Blogger's comments??)

I finished for the second time the Fiery Bolero from(Interweave Knits, Summer 2005.)

I knit it and finished the first time Fall of 2005 but it was too small. I ripped it out and knit it again over the next two years; now it's too big. Neither the yarn nor I are up to a third try. I used Debbie Bliss Cathay color 12004. This yarn feels wonderful and I love the sheen that 15% silk gives it. Unfortunately it has a tendency to split as it has very little twist. I used metal needles as even the best bamboo snagged on the yarn.

I forgot to take a finished picture of my little baby sweater. (F. Pea wrote me on Ravelry and reminded me.)

This is my adaption of a Free Pattern Friday baby sweater pattern on F. Pea's Blog (You should check out her other patterns they're really well written and so cute.)

My Mitered Sweater is still giving me lots of enjoyment. I finished the back and the left front.

The last section on this is knit together with the three-needle bind-off. It's rather lumpy hope it blocks out flat.

Yoke and Back with double miter

and left front with single miter

I laid this sweater out to photograph and it wasn't more than two minutes before I had helper Sam up in the middle of it all.

Blog-iversary Drawing

2007-09-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

One Year ago today, I started this Blog - it sure went fast. My purpose was to document my current projects along with other things going on in my life at the time. BB (before blog) I had to rely on my memory (never a sure thing) and haphazardly stored photographs to document my creative efforts. Now it's much easier just to scroll down through memory lane.

Curiosity is my middle name so why was I surprised to find others reading my Blog? Then you wrote, usually commenting favorabily on my projects, asking and answering questions - I loved it! A whole new way to interact with others of the knitting and spinning persuassion. Thanks, I hope you keep coming back to read and comment.

Now to start Year Two, a drawing for Two Skeins of Yarn

Left is a Skein of Socks that Rock, Mill Ends, lightweight 100% Superwash Merino. Right is Yarn Pirate 50/50 Merino/Tencel in the color Tide Pool. (This yarn is stored in plastic bins but there are animals in this house - just saying.)

I'll do the Random Number thing next Friday and pick two comments on this Post.

(Blogger has been doing funny things with comments - everything comes through to me as "no reply" whether you sign in or not. Often I have no way to email you an answer or a thank-you for your comment. Therefore, if you are one of the two names drawn, if you don't here from me on Friday evening, please write to me at: tcty123 AT yahoo DOT com.)

More Mitered Knitting

2007-09-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for awhile you may remember last Spring I became enamored with mitered squares and started Mitered Thing. Here's a current picture - see it has grown some.

These are two inch squares made from mostly donated fingering weight sock yarn. I still enjoy picking it up and adding a square or two; still haven't decided what it will be when it grows up.

Between EZ's Totem Sweater (temporarily set aside) and my facination with all things mitered, I was destined to maked the cover sweater of Top Down Sweaters

(Do those sleeves look huge to anyone else?)
I bought the book a year ago with the intention of making the cover sweater someday but forgot about it until a week ago when Tina came into the shop with the book. As luck would have it that same day we unpacked a huge order of Cascade 220. The yarn called for in the book is Noro Silk Garden but with the shop having such a large selection of Cascade 220, Tina, Jane and I plus several customers in the shop selected colors for this sweater.

I cast on that evening (after nearly any hour of winding all the skeins into balls!) and can hardly wait to get back to it when ever I have to put it down.

The needles are in the back section which has a double miter. Here's a close up of the raglan miter (goes from the neck to the underarm) I'm really enjoying knitting this project.

Up until I started this new Mitered Top-Down Sweater I had been working on my Myster Stole 3 project - I'm up to row 286 on the first half.

It's really curling on the edges so you can't see all the beads there. I'm using a size 4 needle that I originally got gauge with but it's looking so dense that I'm thinking I should have gone up a needle size. I wonder it it will block lace-ier looking. (How do you spell lacier, lacyer?? They all look funny to me and my spell checker doesn't like any of them.)

Yesterday I took a day off and went with my older daughter on a tour of the Ker Indian Wholesale Market. The tour was through Great News Cooking School; it was conducted by their Indian Cooking Class teacher. Very interesting but I should have worn more comfortable shoes; we stood around listening to her explain what everything was for 2.5 hrs.

The store itself is huge
toward the front of the store

and toward the back of the store

Afterwards we walked over to Ashoka the Great for a fabulous Indian Buffet Lunch. I'd been to this restaurant before but it was different after having learned about the ingredients in many of the dishes.

September 24th is my one year Blogiversary. Be sure and check back as there will be a drawing for sock yarn announcement.

Shameless Nepotism - Vote for My Daughter

2007-09-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry, this post has no knitting content but please read and Vote online.

My older daughter is in a contest for Wedding Photographers on a local TV Station's Website. I'm asking for your vote to help her win. All it takes is two clicks. (Remember to uncheck the advertising emails boxes before clicking the submit button. No one needs more Spam!)

VOTE HERE:
http://kgtv.cityvoter.com/details.aspx?business=54264

I'm including a few of her pictures (with permission) to encourage you to spend a couple minutes of your time on her behalf.

Jennifer Dery Photography
www.jenniferdery.com

Thanks from a Proud Mother, I really appreciate it!

CC

Touch of Fall

2007-09-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Here in very South, Southern California we still can look forward to another month of summer weather. We don't dare put the fans away until Thanksgiving - it's a superstitious thing. If you put the fans away or make soup we'll be slammed by a Santa Ana within days - don't laugh! I've seen it happen too many times to tempt fate. (Many years we put the fans away to make room for the Christmas Tree.)

Saying that, I'm going to wave a red flag in the weather gods face and show you the first red leaf on our Liquid Amber tree.

Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the colors in the trees, enjoy the family around the table with it dark outside and I especially love the foods of Fall.I picked the last of the tomatoes off the bush yesterday; we sure are going to miss the taste of fresh tomatoes.

Maybe this touch of Fall will finally inspired me to finish some of my knitting projects. All summer I haven't been able to focus on a single project. I've started a dozen different things and still felt at loose ends. None of my projects have really felt like they were doing it for me; my knitting has been spread through out the house. The Totem sweater was the living room sofa project, Mystery Shawl 3 was the family room project, I made a baby sweater that traveled room to room over the hot Labor Day weekend (I actually finished it, washed and blocked it this morning - picture next time), there's the UFO bolero sweater I pulled out thinking maybe an old project would hold my interest, then there's the three socks that are piled waiting for me to just sit down and kitchner the toes and three other sock patterns that I have in various stages. That doesn't count the four or five projects that just weren't right and were frogged. I have no idea what my problem was this summer; sure hope Fall will cure this severe case of startitis.

I did finish my Tour de Fleece spinning project. Remember the dyed fleece that the squirrel drug around the backyard? Here it is finished; bright isn't it?

fingering weight, 2ply, (haven't counted to figure out the yardage)

Of course, my knitting quagmire hasn't stopped me from buying more yarn!!
Working in a yarn shop is dangerous to my wallet; rarely do they have to pay me. My daughter bought me a pin for my birthday that says it all

So here's the yarn:
Mama Blue in Penny,

Paca Peds, a superwash 20% Alpaca, 65% Wool and 15% Nylon
in 604 Fireside (left) and 605 Deep Seas (right)
the colors are as rich in person as in their portraits

And last of my acquisitions are two installments from the Simply Socks Yarn Company Sock Yarn Club. The first is from Sleeping Dragon Yarn called Ramble

I have my reservations about the color mix; have to wait and see how it knits up. The yarn feels and looks very nice.

The second yarn is Skinny Socks from Spunky Electric in "The Berry Brigade"

Now this is a yarn with me written all over it! It's a lighter fingering weight that I can see in socks but I think it would be a wonderful weight to use for lace. The label says US size 1-3 needles at 7-8 st per inch.

Annie can hardly wait for Fall and cooler weather; the colder the better.
She's so over Summer!

Trying to stay cool

2007-09-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's HOT in San Diego - hot (90's) and humid (high 50's). For San Diego this isn't record setting temps but it's d#@ uncomfortable! So I've been hiding out in our north facing downstairs family room, sitting right in front of the tower fan. Watching DVD's, historical stuff off the DVR and I totally caught up with my Bloglines backlog - (I was something like 400 entries behind, never thought I'd empty it out.)

Even with the heat I've been knitting, small things that don't have to rest in my lap.
(there aren't many pictures this post as my main computer is upstairs - 3rd floor, where it's over 100. Nothing is worth doing if it requres sitting up there!)

I'm up to line 171 on Mystery Stole #3. Still enjoying this project and I'm getting much better at getting to the end of the row with the correct number of stitches.

Finished the first sock of a plain vanilla ribbed pattern in a gray tweed superwash sock yarn. (The label is upstairs and I'm not going up to find out what brand it is.) Cast on the second sock and knit three inches today while we went for a drive to appease the dog.

This morning Annie was beside herself with energy after being closed up in the house with us for four days. We loaded her into the car ("in the car" is her second favorite activity right after dinner) this morning, cranked the air conditioning and drove up to Carlsbad on Hwy 5, took the Village off ramp and drove west to old 101. Then we slowly crused south enjoying the beach views (packed with people and no where to park). We drove through Leucadia, Encinitas, stopping in Solana Beach for gelato at 11 am. The things you'll do during a heat wave. Then we returned to 101 in Del Mar; enjoyed the sights while we drove over the dog beach bridge - there was this black lab bounding through the water - very cooling sight. Del Mar was full; the beach and the races really packs them into that small town during the summer. Torrey pines was beautiful as always; the sand was wall to wall umbrellas and shade tents. Lots of surfers no waves to speak of; I think they may have just been enjoying the coolest spot in the county. Then past The Lodge and UCSD, a short jog onto 52 and we were home.

All over blogland and Ravelry people are knitting a very colorful stripped baby sweater. If one where to buy the yarn called for in the pattern the sweater would cost over $100; there are sites where you can buy a kit for $40. I wanted to try the pattern so I pulled out all the colors of Knit Picks Wool of the Andies and Cascade 220 that I had and put together some colors that I thought would work. The original called for nine colors; I used six.

The i-cord ties and both sleeves are all that's left to do.

I have been spinning my Alpaca/ Rambouillet from Black Sheep Gathering; due to the heat I've only been spinning after 9pm when I can turn down the fan. Fans on high and super light pencil roving just don't mix - we won't even discuss what sweaty hands do.

The cats are just limp puddles, hiding from the heat by sleeping through it. Here's Ty who's only awake because of the camera's clicking noise.

courtesty of The Photographer.

now where was I...

2007-08-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

For my family August has always been a month full of Birthdays and Anniversaries. Our numbers are dwindling but that doesn't mean that we don't celebrate every chance we get. First there was a three generation Birthday Lunch for my Sister and I. Then my Birthday was the 17th. The Photographer took the day off work and took me to Breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. Then we strolled over to Knitting in La Jolla where I was picking up more yarn for my Totem sweater.

I was tempted by a new shipment of Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock; I bought two skeins in the Devon colorway. It was my Birthday, I figured I could splurge.

My Older Daughter has us over for dinner. She has the best back yard, designed especially for summer evening entertaining. Curry marinated chicken skewers with lots of grilled vegetables and to finish homemade ice cream over brownies for desert. We had so much fun sitting and talking that I was surprised when we finally left to see that it was 11:30. For some reason I was hoarse the next morning.

Next day Younger Daughter brought over lunch from Solunto's. She then spent the afternoon baking my favorite cake. A very lushious Lemon Blueberry Cake! (Several years ago she found the recipe here. And it's requested whenever you can get fresh blueberries.) Plus she made a great dinner for us. A second wonderful party.

Sunday, the Photographer and I just took it easy; I knit and read most of the day. I finished The Friday Night Knitting Club. (I enjoyed the book but it wasn't what I expected. Like I'd never heard, "don't judge a book by it's covers" before.)

What did I get? Several Gift Certificates for Restaurants, Borders Book Store, Great News Cooking Store and a Yarn Store. Food, Books and Yarn; what more could I ask for!

I also received the Skein Winder I had been wanting

The Totem Sweater is my first Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern but I've recently been reading everything I can of hers. So receiving both the DVD and Book of her 1970s Workshop Show was perfectly timed.

The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz was a book I've wanted ever since I heard about it on a food blog. I have the weight gain to prove we all have gotten way too good at ice cream making.

And lastly, a way to work off the weight if I go out and use it, a gardening work seat that reverses to a kneeler

I am very grateful for all I received this year and I'm thankful I'm surrounded by so many that care about me. I don't take my blessing for granted.

Birthday Weekend

2007-08-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Don't ya just love it when your Birthday falls on a weekend! Friday was the day but it's been a three day Holiday around here. No time to suck the pictures out of the camera; there has been fibery presents, cake, a special batch of ice cream, breakfast out, yarn store shopping and barbecues.

More later when it cools down enough to be comfortable upstairs on my computer.

Thanks - They're Broadripples

2007-08-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

The mystery UFO socks were identified by a dozen or so knitters from Socknitter's Yahoo Group as Knitty's Broadripple pattern. Thank you everyone that looked at the pictures and helped ID the pattern.

One of the difficulties in figuring out the pattern is that I had increased the number of stitches to 72 where the original pattern calls for 56. (Between every pattern repeat I added a couple stitches.) I worked on the sock last night; it took 15 - 20 minutes but I figured out what I had done and am now easily knitting away.

And baby bird is flying. She unsteadily follows Mama Bird from tree to tree but she's flying.

Sock ID needed plus Spinning Update

2007-08-09T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last week I was so frustrated with having to unknit two projects that I couldn't figure out what to knit next. The indecision spurred me go through my UFO cupboard. First bag I pulled out was this sock knit in Cascade Fixation but no pattern in the bag - Oh No! I thought it was a Jaywalker Sock but after reading through the online instruction I don't believe it is.

These socks were knit approx. Fall 2005 and I'm thinking it was an online free pattern. If these pictures give you any ideas what the pattern is please let me know.

Here's the zig-zag cuff which is a garter stitch with a K2tog at the points

A shot of the leg

And a close up of the leg stitch pattern

The heel is a regular heel flap and gusset. Looks like the heel is knit in a Slip1, K1 pattern.

Any help ID-ing this pattern will be greatly appreciated. You can leave a comment or write to me at: tcty123 AT yahoo DOT com

Now on to Spinning.
Remember the super bright roving, I dyed for Tour de Fleece, that a varmint (turned out to be a squirrel) stole and tore into the red section? Here's a picture to refresh your memory.

Hope that wasn't too bright, should have warned you.

Trying to tone down the brightness I tried predrafting it and holding it with some predrafted white super wash merino while I spun. Came out barber pole-y didn't it.

Then the question of what to ply with this bobbin of still pretty bright singles. I remembered when I took a color class with Celia Quinn she said that you can always make a matching yarn by mixing all the colors together. So that's what I tried.

I loaded the cards with two parts yellow, one part green, one part red with wisps of white on both sides of the fiber on the cards. Then I carded trying to keep the fiber aligned; I originally tried spinning a rollag and found it too rough a single that didn't go with the smooth worsted spun first bobbin. Carefully lifting the fiber off the teeth kept it in a combed alignment. I usually had to reload the cards with this fiber to give it a second mix in order to get a semi-even distribution of color.

This is what I'm ending up with

really gold. I'm hoping these two bobbins will look good together.

We've had a dove nesting in a pot hanging in the Magnolia Tree. She's a really good Mama Bird as she sits on that next no matter how close we get. By accident she's been watered and knocked by the rack as we cleaned up the leaves and never left the nest. Baby Bird is looking like she'll fly away any day now.

The Sock, It Doesn't Fit

2007-08-01T08:41:00.000-07:00

Grumble, grumble...

The first Ashes sock was done down to the toe decreases when I finally tried to get my foot in it - disaster! There was so little stretch to the fabric that I couldn't get my heel into it. I ripped it back last night and decided to make the heel flap longer but after thinking about it over night I'm afraid I'm going to have to rip the whole thing out. If you can't even get your heel down to the heel making the heel flap longer isn't going to help - duh!

I usually make a 64 stitch sock in fingering weight yarn; the ashes pattern has you cast on 64 stitches, do your 2/2 ribbing then decrease down to 60 stitches to do the pattern. The smaller number of stitches along with the not so stretchy pattern stitch equaled: the sock, it doesn't fit!

Haven't decided if I'll start over and increase to 66 stitches or just use another pattern altogether. [insert favorite curse word - see Ravelry]

I was really liking that sock and pattern stitch.

Just to end on something nice and cute, go to City Knitting and see their clever sheep logo. I'm so enamored of that sheep chart I may have to order their bag.

Eight Days worth of Knitting

2007-07-28T11:03:00.000-07:00

Where did the last eight days go! I've been knitting every chance I get which is never as much time as I'd like. Same song as everyone else.

Mystery Stole 3 is progressing

Knitting this is enjoyable even if I'm only at the beginning of Chart 2 while everyone else is done with Chart 4. (Adding a bead is like a tiny bit of desert thrown into the rest of the knitting.) I can only work on this in daylight; most of my available knitting time is after 8 PM which equals way behind. I'll keep doing my couple rows a day - I'll get there.

My Smokin' Socks were nearly to the toe of the second sock until I discovered a pattern mistake clear up in the middle of the gusset so I had to rip out. (Ed. Note: This was a mistake in my knitting the pattern stitch not in the pattern instructions.) I'm back down at the toe decreases again. When I originally thought I was so close to finishing Startitis set in and I cast on another sock. Ashes by Monika Steinbauer in Mama Blue Knitting Goods' Semi-Solid Merino Spruce.

This is an easy Faux Cable pattern that knits up quickly.

The yarn is very nice to work with, no splitting, knots or uneven spots and I like the way the light and dark areas of the yarn blend together. (My pictures don't show the slight color variations but they are there.)

There have been so many great blog reports and Ravelry pictures on the EZ Modular Totem Sweater that I cast on for on in Berroco Love It. The way you size this pattern is with gauge but since I don't have a child in mind I'll just knit and enjoy the process - sort of fit the child to the sweater rather than the usual other way around. I'm almost up to the arm divide - where the fun begins.

Reading back through older blog entries I can't find any mention of these socks

They were finished right before the Summer of Socks so they don't count in the total socks knit during that Knit Along. This is Wendy Knits' Generic Toe-up Feather and Fan pattern. Sock One's toe must have been knit and ripped seven or eight times before I actually followed the instructions to knit through the back loop when I picked up the wraps. How did I missed that one little bit of the directions so many times!! I was really beating my head on the wall while I tried to figure out what I was doing wrong.

I weakened and bought two skeins of yarn:
first is Dream in Color's Smooshy Sock Yarn in Ruby River colorway

and the other skein is Fiesta Boomerang in Sandstone.

Although it's 100% Merino it stretches like it had elastic - not as stretchy as Cascade Fixation but still stretchy; these socks should be interesting to see how they fit.

And the final picture courtesy of The Photographer is the first 2/3s of our new fence.

We had to replace 75 feet of fencing along the side street (corner lot) that blew down last Winter during the big wind storm we had. The bouganvilla had grown into such a hedge that they were the only thing holding up the old fence.

Is this a gender spatial thing?

2007-07-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Warning: this post has nothing to do with knitting or spinning and there are no pictures - feel free to skip it.

I've recently encountered an odd gender difference and I'm wondering if anyone out there has a good explanation.

Three months ago my social conscience finally got around to buying eight (8) canvas bags to do my part in trees being cut down, water used, landfill, yada, yada, yada. All eight bags are exactly the same. Here's a link to the bags I bought from Lee Valley.
Seven of the bags are folded in quarters and put inside the eighth bag which I use to store and carry them into the store..

Here is how the gender difference comes into play: When I buy a large number of items I will just hand the bag of bags to the person that will be bagging whether it's the cashier or a clerk. If a woman is bagging my purchased items they reach into the bag pull out a folded bag and proceed to fill it. Handing me back the unneeded bags inside the original eighth bag. EVERY WOMAN has done it this way.

While EVERY MALE, except one, dumps all the bags out and uses the eighth bag to start bagging what I've bought. (This has nothing to do with education levels as I saw a male, that I know has an MBA, do the dump and bag on two occasions.)

I find the dump and bag method mildly annoying; if there are any unfilled bags left they hand the bags back to me loose and unfolded rather than still folded neatly inside the eighth bag.

Is this being too picky and/or severely anal on my part?