Flyin' Needles

Happy Birthday to My Blog / Moving!

2007-04-09T10:08:00.000-04:00

It's a few days late, but I've been chatting with y'all for a year now. Thanks so much for keeping me company.

As a birthday present, I've given myself a new address. Please change your bookmarks, RSS feeds, etc. to my new home:

http://www.flyinneedles.sands-edge.com/blog

See you over there.

Saturday Sky - 7 April 2007

2007-04-07T20:36:00.000-04:00

It's chilly in North Carolina today. With out-of-town guests here, I entirely forgot to look up today. So, here's a cheater Saturday Sky from our trip to the Smokies last month. Enjoy!

Horses and Kid Socks

2007-04-02T12:13:00.000-04:00

Lynn commented:
Ok you SO need to tell me abt this kid friendly B&B in the Smokies... We have a trip planned for the area and I would love to stay in a place like this......

I know how you feel! I wasn’t sure a kid-friendly bed and breakfast really existed. Many B&B’s have an outright “no kid” policy, and many that say they’re kid-friendly seem to just tolerate kids. This was the first one I came across in my search that seemed to actively embrace families. We were extremely happy with our short stay there, and will be going back. A word of warning: you may want to plan one full day to stay at the farm. The kids didn’t really want to go anywhere.

The B&B we were at is called Persephone’s Farm Retreat. You can find them online at http://www.bedandbreakfast.cc. If your kids like gathering eggs and petting animals, this is the place for you. There is a large farmhouse with rooms, as well as two cottages (full kitchens) down toward the paddocks. We opted for a cottage – there was no extra charge for the kidlets - and lucked out with a really nice family in the cottage next door. The kids all got along; they petted the animals and played with the outdoor games together. The innkeeper also has musical instruments on hand for those who play and a fire circle for evening fires when appropriate.

What? Knitting content? OK!

Spring has sprung chez Flyin’ Needles. This is a sock for Tweedle-dee from some panda cotton we picked up on vacation. He says the yellow is like “having sunshine whenever you want it!” This kid is destined for marketing.

The Panda Cotton is treating me all right so far. It’s less bumpy than I had anticipated, which is a pleasant surprise. Also, it doesn’t annoy me nearly as much as Cascade Fixation does with its use of elastic. I have a hard time getting even tension with Fixation. That said, it can be a rather splitty yarn, and don’t think about frogging and reknitting large sections. “Rather splitty” morphs into “these seven strings are all one yarn?” at that point. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Saturday Sky - 31 March 2007

2007-03-31T19:12:00.000-04:00

The sky wasn't much to look at this afternoon, but there were leaves! New, pretty green leaves all over our oak trees.

I almost had a lovely going-on-toward sunset sky for you. I was at the grocery buying copious amounts of spring water for my first batch of home-brewed beer when I saw the sun doing its thing behind some clouds. The backlit pinks and oranges against the dusky blue of the clouds were quite striking. "Ah, well," I thought, "the camera is at home."

When I returned home, hubby sent me directly back out for some honey. Great! I grabbed the camera and headed back to the grocery. The clouds were a little different and the sun a little lower, but it was still a nice shot. I framed it up, managed to get the electric wires out of the way, and hit the shutter. Nothing. Hmmm. I did it again. Still nothing. That's when I remembered taking out the memory card and putting it by my keyboard this afternoon as a reminder to post tonight. Oops. But, trust me, it was lovely.

The Car

2007-03-29T16:59:00.000-04:00

My car got this way in a 24-hour period. What is covering it?

a) Dust
b) Yellow tempera paint powder
c) Pine pollen

Yes, friends, the answer is c. Welcome to the south. *sniff* *sniff* ACHOO! * This stuff runs like paint when it rains; it's amazing.

* Yes, I know pine pollen is too big to be causing my reactions. All the stuff that blooms at the same time, however, is another story.

In Which I Contemplate My Toes

2007-03-28T22:54:00.000-04:00

My travelin' socks are done. The first one (on the left) was done mostly in Ohio, and the second mostly in Alabama and Tennessee. They are now off with their new owner, who pronounced them lovely.

Can you believe that's the color AFTER a bunch of dye came out in their first wash? I must admit, it was fun knitting them just to watch the colors fly by.

That said, I need to rethink this short-row toe thing. I like the way it looks, but it doesn't seem to fit my feet correctly. Maybe I'm still making the toe too wide, or maybe I just like pointy socks. This makes no sense, because I have square duck-type feet. Not that it helps when I swim, but there ya go.

This is my second pair of actual woolen socks, and I must say that I love the sproing of wool. This yarn was quite different than my first, in both the feel and the fact that it smelled. Of vinegar. I'm thinking maybe it was part of the dyeing process? At any rate, the socks bled like a stuck purple pig when I washed them the first time. I rather feared for the yellows, but they appear to have survived.

Details:

Started:	9 Mar 2007
Finished:	27 Mar 2007
Pattern:	Wendy's generic toe up sock + feather and fan
Yarn:	100% superwash merino wool from JitterBug, in the Mardi Gras (155) colorway.
Needles:	My little metal 4" needles from addi, size US 1.

Monday's Saturday Sky - 24 Mar 2007

2007-03-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

We're back and slowly acclimating to life at home. Now, if I could find the energy to buy some milk for the fridge and groceries for dinner, we'd really be on our way. So, in the name of procrastination, I'm writing my Saturday Sky entry instead of doing what I should be doing.

We had a lovely time in Huntsville, though I am glad not to be living in a hotel. We spent most of our adventure time at the US Space and Rocket Center, though we did get out to Sci-Quest (a children's science museum) and a few playgrounds. On the way home, we stopped by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I love this place; it's lovely out of season as well as in. We spent Saturday at a kid-friendly B&B with lovely views. Here are some of my Saturday Sky photos from last Saturday:

The morning:

Mid-day, on the way over to Cades Cove:

Sunset, shortly before we had a nice little campfire:

I'm glad to be back! The second sock is almost done, so expect photos later in the week.

Saturday Sky - 17 March 2007

2007-03-17T16:15:00.000-04:00

Happy St. Paddy's Day! This was the view during our weekly Saturday Drive.

This gorgeous stuff is on my needles now. Just the thing for the winter blahs. It's Jitterbug 100% superwash wool in the Mardi Gras colorway.

Last week we were up in Ohio, and my sock came along (as always.) This week, I'll make its mate on the way to Alabama. Life lately has been a lot of laundry and packing with homeschooling stuck in between. I'm pretty bummed that I'm going to miss the Harlot's event in New York this week. But, my hotel in Huntsville is only three minutes from a yarn store. The fact that I know this before leaving home amuses my hubby.

So - we'll be hitting the space and rocket center, the local science museum, and the yarn store. Is there anything else in Huntsville that we really must see?

Monday Sky

2007-03-12T14:39:00.000-04:00

Sunrise from my mom's front yard. Happy Birthday, Mom!

In unrelated news, this sock is no more:

I could have gotten away with the 60% cotton / 40% acrylic black yarn. What I didn't count on was stepping on mercerized cotton all down the bottom of the sock foot. With my newfound ability to knit machine washable wool, there was just no need to torture myself. Bye bye, sock. I shall meet you again with more suitable materials.

Surprise!

2007-03-07T09:31:00.000-05:00

Its amazing how having my boys opened up my world. I'm the sort of person that goes through a store with a smile, but doesn't really talk with anyone. I'm not anti-social; just terribly introverted. Backwards, as my kindergarten teacher used to say.

Some of my shyness has fallen by the wayside as I've gotten older; even more has fallen away since having the boys. Tweedledee, in particular, will chat up anyone he meets. And, not surprisingly, they chat right back - he can be rather engaging.

So, it's no surprise that I'm on a first name basis with many of the pharmacists that we see at our neighborhood Target. What's a little more surprising is that one of them - we'll call her Em - calls out to the boys whenever she sees us pass down an aisle, or stops by the cafe if she sees us there having a snack. If the boys spend their allowance on something, they want to go by the pharmacy to show Em. She's one of those natural kid-people. Happily, Em just gave birth to her first little one. He showed up a bit ahead of schedule, but everyone is doing fine.

For Em, I jumped in and made my first Baby Surprise sweater. I love that this:

folds up and turns into this:

Too cool. I love me some Fun with Geometry. Tweedled'oh and I picked out these buttons:

The little guy has an Irish name, so it works out well.

As for the pattern, I had a smidge of trouble. I'm great with mindless knitting, and difficult knitting. It turns out that mostly-mindless knitting trips me up. It's not hard enough to keep my attention, so my mind wanders off and the next thing I know, I see that I very visibly messed up an increase six rows down. *sigh* Rip. Do over. Pay attention for a few rows. Repeat ad nauseam.

Details, details:

Started:	31 January 2007
Finished:	Knitting - 26 Mar 2007 Finishing - 2 Mar 2007
Pattern:	Baby Surprise, from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Workshop
Yarn:	Plymouth Yarn Dreambaby DK. 50% acrylic microfiber, 50% nylon. Lovely and soft; I'd use it again. I picked up the buttons at Jo Ann's. I can't find the button card to tell you the brand.
Needles:	Circular aluminums, size US 5 (I think.)

Saturday Sky - 3 March

2007-03-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

If I take the photo on Friday, and post it on Sunday, is it still a Saturday Sky?

Friday's sunset from my front yard.

Feather and Fan

2007-03-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

Seven years ago, I was in a hospital bed living my own personal movie of the week. About this time every year, my thoughts turn to how lucky and unlucky we as a family have been. All of you who have been through your own movie of the week (and, really, who hasn't?) know what I'm talking about.

So, it amused me to no end when I realized what I was knitting. A little less than seven years ago, I sat in a NICU and knit this:

Don't look too close - it's pretty horrendous. One seam is still undone, and the ends were never woven in. No button at the top. It kept me sane whilst I sat in the NICU with the boys for a few months. That, and a bunch of preemie baby booties for my boys and some other little guys in the NICU. By the time it was done, I knew the boys were probably going to make it. I also knew that there was no way I'd have time to knit a second one. And, it was WAY too big for either one of them. After spending spring and summer at the hospital, we finally came home. Through the next three years when we struggled through our days, and then the four years of "normal" life that followed, this baby sweater sat around. It popped up from time to time, during a move or when I was reorganizing the craft closet. I thought about finishing it several times, but it never felt right. It was therapy for me, and I think it's finished just as it is. Time to pack it away.

This week, I finished a little something for myself.

Feather and fan strikes again. It's the first time I've knit it since that baby sweater. This is nylon/merino sock yarn from Cabin Cove - 'boquet'. I am happy to report that I can knit with (and wear) this wool. It's a teensy bit itchy on my feet, but I'm really sensitive. Knitting it didn't cause any breakouts on my hands; I'm surprised and amazed. If you have trouble knitting wool, try wool that's been treated to be machine washable. It's lovely.

This was my first toe up sock, and my first sock with a short-row heel.

Comfy cozy!

Started:	Around 10 Feb 2007
Finished:	28 Feb 2007
Pattern:	Wendy's generic toe up sock + feather and fan, modified for my feet. 60 stitches around (could stand to be smaller), 72 on the leg for the feather and fan (note: switch to smaller needles next time.) I knit 7.25 inches before the heel, and that should be a little less, as well.
Yarn:	Merino nylon sock yarn (80% washable wool, 20% nylon) from Cabin Cove Mercentile in the 'boquet' colorway.
Needles:	My little metal 4" needles from addi, size 1.

Saturday Sky - 24 February

2007-02-24T16:42:00.000-05:00

This afternoon's sky, Photoshopped for fun (the real one was a more uniform blue.)

Panda Update

2007-02-17T21:00:00.000-05:00

An update from sunny Florida...

Much to my surprise, Crystal Palace yarns came by the blog to visit. Thanks for stopping by! I also received a rather prompt reply to my inquiry there. You see, I'm still quite excited about their Panda Cotton and Panda Wool - especially the wool. To date, I have found one store online that stocks the wool: Little Knits. I also found a nice little shop across the country from me that said they'd order it and ship it to me. Isn't that nice?

To be fair, it is really new, so I'm sure it will be easier to find in a few months.

In the meantime, I shall continue to play with this...

That's my very first ever toe-up sock in the Blossom colorway from Dave's Place. I've just turned the heel and am ready to start the cuff. I might be making it a smidge too loose, but I'm really not sure how much (or if) wool shrinks*, as this is my first woolen sock. I have no idea how well it will fit, but it sure is fun to knit.

Tonight, the family and I had quite a treat. We were at an uncle's house, and he took us on a guided tour of the property - including the cypress trees, dry lake and creek bed, and a bald eagle's nest. There were a few trees down where the lake ought to be that are amazing. I am assuming they are live oaks. Huge, and majestic. Unfortunately, the light was failing so my photos aren't that great.

I'm standing on the dry lake bed here, looking back up the hill.

This is the walk down towards the lake bed. No eagle sightings today; I'd stay in my nest, too. Brrrr!

* Yes, I know I CAN make it shrink. I just don't know if it'll shrink if I manage to treat it nicely. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Saturday Sky - 10 February

2007-02-10T17:44:00.000-05:00

Today's sky: blue as can be. Wispy clouds, if you can manage to catch them.

Dear Yarn Shop Owners

2007-02-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

Dear Yarn Shop Owners,

Crystal Palace has two new sock yarns, Panda Cotton and Panda Wool. For someone, like myself, who lives for a fingering-weight yarn with less than 50% wool, this is a Big Thing. I would be oh-so-happy if someone would actually STOCK the stuff. Yes, I've looked. Yes, I've worked the phone. I have found a sum total of one (1) store that stocks it... and they only carry the cotton; I'm really looking for the wool. I'm getting a little frustrated at this point.

If you stock it, allergic sock knitters will come.

Thank you.

Honey and Berries

2007-02-07T15:14:00.000-05:00

So, I've been knitting. Inside the house, this stuff looks dark blue/black. But, get it out in the sunshine and it reminds me of berries. Yum. I'll show you what it is when it's done.

On the way back in through the kitchen, I caught sight of liquid gold. Doesn't this just look like summer? A side effect of having a husband that brews mead for fun is the abundance of honey in the house. I snagged this bit to use in my honey oatmeal bread. Mmmm.

I've taking the 100 miles by April 1 out of the sidebar... I was hurting my back trying to stay on track with my goal. So, out with the old goal and in with the new: I just joined up with the Sock a Month KAL. Should be fun, interesting, and easier on my back. To celebrate, I went out and ordered my first-ever real wool sock yarn from Cabin Cove. I can't wait till I have it in my hot little hands.

And now, for a completely random moment:

Why is six afraid of seven? Because seven ate nine!

Yes, I live with two six year olds. Why do you ask?

Saturday Sky - 3 February

2007-02-03T17:34:00.000-05:00

Happy February. It was sunny here today, as usual. The gulls in the mall parking lot were having fun playing in the wind.

Blogger's Silent Poetry Reading

2007-02-02T18:21:00.000-05:00

It's time to share some poetry.

Though this poem is very traditional, it speaks to me as few poems do. So, instead of broadening your horizons with some exciting new bit of poetry you've not seen, I invite you to slip through the lines of this classic with me.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

Red Scarves and Such

2007-02-02T09:17:00.000-05:00

My first FO for 2007 is this little number for the Red Scarf Project, sent off in my usual style (i.e. the Very Last Minute) on Monday.

Details, details:

Started:	30 Dec 2006
Finished:	27 Jan 2007
Pattern:	Modified version of Hugs and Kisses found here designed by Helen. I had a bear of a time with the pattern, but once I used it as a guideline instead of a rule, the world became a happy place. I rather like this scarf, and might just make it again. That's high praise from me. I'm usually a one-time-per-pattern gal.
Yarn:	Lion Brand Wool-Ease, worsted weight. Color 102 - Ranch Red. A bit under two skeins; each skein contains 3 oz. / 197 yards.
Needles:	Bamboo, size 8.

Oh, and also. The big news.

SNOW! Real snow! This is the first time in the last three winters that we've had a real snow. If only it had lasted more than two hours, I'd have been really happy. Oh, who am I kidding? I'm happy anyway.

The kids got to go run around in it. Within five minutes, they had made up "Footprint Hide and Seek", wherein one child covers his eyes and counts. The other runs about, creating a long trail before hiding himself away. When the counter is done, he doesn't look around for his brother. That would ruin the fun. Instead, he follows the footprints to find him. Too funny.

At any rate, they stayed out until the snow turned into freezing rain, and Insufferable Mommy made them come in. It was a good day.

Hugs an' Kisses

2007-01-28T19:41:00.000-05:00

This, my friends, is justification to learn how to cable without a cable needle. I came, I cabled, I conquered.

For those of you who stop by just to see what the sky looked like in my neck of the woods on Saturday, here it is. The moon was lovely.

Saturday Sky - 20 January

2007-01-21T23:01:00.000-05:00

Saturday's sky from the parking lot, courtesy of my early evening grocery run.

Saturday Sky - a few days late

2007-01-15T13:49:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know it's Monday. Day late and a dollar short, this week. This lovely sky courtesy of a local park on Sunday. We went out for a picnic and some roller blading/scootering/walking. I was doing the walking, though it was more of a two steps, stop and encourage the boys on their new scooters, two more steps sort of walk.

We're all down with the creeping crud this week. I'm ready for it to be gone now, please.

Through the haze of my cold, I decided that it would be a good idea to take advantage of the warm weather and our lack of appointments (due to said colds) by doing my first dyeing on some cotton/lycra yarn I've had lying about for a while. Said yarn is now a tangled mess in my kitchen; half in a ball and half on the back of a chair. Maybe I should have waited for my head to clear first. I'll let you know how it goes.

Saturday Sky - 6 January

2007-01-07T00:04:00.000-05:00

The weather felt like spring today.

Did the first bit of my 100 miles by April 1. 1.5 miles down, 98.5 miles to go.

Happy Saturday, all.

Branching Out

2007-01-05T08:29:00.000-05:00

Remember the lowly scarf that tripped me up in December? I belted it out in record time, and had it blocked and wrapped in time for Christmas (whew!) Of course, it was at the expense of finishing another gift. C'est la vie.

This gift made me smile while I knit - so much the better for knitting it twice, I guess. Mom taught me to knit when I was quite young. She knits, increases and decreases with the best of them, and can cable to her heart's content. She shies away from lace and colorwork, though, so I made her something she'd never make for herself.

Here's the end of the beastie before and after blocking:

Here's a truer representation of the color, though it's more of a royal purple than this:

The lovely lady in the photo below is my Mom. I haven't taken the time to explain a blog, let alone a knitting blog, to her yet. I should do that. In the meantime, isn't she gorgeous in her new scarf?

Details for my "what did I do last year" self:

Started:	12 December
Finished:	23 December
Pattern:	Branching Out by Susan Lawrence
Yarn:	Debbie Bliss Cathay (50% cotton, 35% viscose, 15% silk). Color 12012, 2 skeins (100m / 50g per skein). Lovely, soft yarn.
Needles:	Clover bamboo, size 8
Notes:	This was a great beginning lace pattern; I'd knit it again. Dimensions pre-blocking: 47" x 5.25". After blocking: 51" x 6". I might have gotten more out of it with blocking wires - the yarn could take more stretch, but my cotton thread and sewing pins weren't up to it.

Saturday Sky - 30 December

2006-12-30T18:33:00.000-05:00

Yet another lovely Saturday - this one in central Ohio.

I hope your transition into the new year finds you surrounded with family and friends. I've been visiting with family for much of December, and am a wee bit discombobulated. Yes, I finished the scarf. More on that when I find time. :)

Happy New Year, my friends.

I'm Quirky

2006-12-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

Lynn has tagged me with the 'How Weird Are You?' meme. Thanks, dear, for coaxing me to display my weirdnessess for all to see.

It goes like this... “THE RULES:Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

As I have always walked a bit outside of the mainstream, I long ago decided that I'm quirky, not weird. YMMV.

1. I'd rather spend quality time with my computer than watch network TV.

2. Unless what's on is something Whedonesque.

3. I was quite shy as a child, to the point of physical pain when thrust into social situations like school. I was also surrounded by adults who seemed to think desensitizing me was the answer. Ah, well. At least I know not to do it to my son. Lingering remnants of this: I hate to talk on the phone, unless the person I'm talking to is chatty. I'm perfectly willing to hold up my end of the conversation if the other person will do most of the heavy lifting.

4. Since I was very young, I have a tendency to lose words while I'm talking. Not the same word each time, and in no discernable pattern. I'll be talking along, and a perfectly normal word (e.g. "road") will drop from my vocabulary. I can drive on it, point to it, look at it, but cannot find the stinkin' word for it. I've become adept at talking around it.

Me: "We need to cross the horizontal hard surface with cars on it. Hold my hand."
Child: "You mean the ROAD, Mom?"
Me: "Road! That's it! Yes, the road. Hold my hand."

My children are so proud when they fill in for Mommy. What's doubly frustrating is when they fill in the wrong word and I can't think of the right word to correct them. Heh.

5. I still want to be an artist when I grow up. Maybe someday I'll actually take a class.

6. I can't do anything and listen to complex music at the same time. I forget what I'm doing and sit, mesmerized, instead. Now, your everyday radio sort of music is all right... hum along and knit.

You know, I found it extremely difficult to think of stuff about myself. I kept wanting to tell you about my kids instead. Does that mean I don't want to share, or that I'm one of those moms? Hrmmmm.

At any rate, now you know. I'm sure I'll think of something amazing I could have told you instead, you know, right after I hit 'submit'. I'm not going to tag anyone, just as I don't send along email jokes. I enjoy reading them, but I don't want to bother anyone else with them. I'm quirky that way. So, if you'd like to play along, consider yourself tagged and let me know you did. I'd love to hear how quirky you are, too.

Saturday Sky - 16 December

2006-12-16T17:22:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the south. 75 degrees and beautiful in northern Florida.

A Frog Says, "Rip-it!"

2006-12-12T11:39:00.000-05:00

A Cautionary Tale for New Lace Knitters

This is what an incorrect sl2-k1-p2sso looks like.

This is what a correct sl2-k1-p2sso looks like, after you re-read the directions and discern your mistake. sl2 together. TOGETHER, folks.

This is how long you - okay, I - can knit, thinking “I hope that blocks out…” before re-reading the directions and actually seeing what they say.

This is what the scarf looks like now. Thirteen days. I can make it. Gotta go now.

Saturday Sky - 9 December

2006-12-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

Blue as blue can be. It was actually crisp here today - the high was in the high 40's. The kids could have worn their hats, if only their heads were bigger. :)

I'm thinking sport weight yarn and some fair isle... AFTER the holidays, of course. Still knitting on pressies; can't start something new now!

I'd Burn it in Effigy...

2006-12-06T15:08:00.000-05:00

...but it would smell too much.

While up in Ohio last month, I was hit with the urge to knit. Anything. NOW. So, when we went into a store for something else and Tweedledee fell in love with some yarn, I agreed to make him a hat.

So what if the yarn is little ugly. And fuzzy. And acrylic. I'm okay with that. I buy the yarn and new needles, and set to work. And lose stictches. It's impossible to tell a knit from a purl in this stuff, let alone find a dropped stitch. The dropped stich mocks me; I know it's there, but it hides. It gloms onto nearby stitches with its fuzzy little fingers, promising to run a bit later when I stop looking for it. Ah, but I KNOW it's there. I won't stop looking until I've frantically pushed and pulled on every part of the hat, trying to get it to run a bit so I can SEE it. Insidious little bugger won't move. Oh well; it's only been 5 inches. I'll fix that stitch. Cackling, I frog the entire thing and start again. Five inches and another lost stitch later, I do it again. And, yes, a third time, albeit without the cackling this time. It is not lost on me at this point that I could have made the hat twice over by now.

So, I proudly claim defeat and knit this instead:

It's too big for him, and it makes me cringe because the cast on is too tight. But, he loves it, and that is what counts.

Started:	21 November 2006
Finished:	2 December 2006
Pattern:	You must be joking.
Yarn:	Lion brand Lion Suede, Color #110 (Denim). Less than a skein.
Needles:	Clover 7" bamboo dpns, size US 8
Notes:	Decreased every row at top to see what a boxier hat top would be like. Don't do that again. Bamboo needles with suede yarn is grippy-yarn-overkill. Didn't need ends to keep stitches from slipping off the needle, but also had to fight with the yarn. Don't do that again, either.

Saturday Sky - 2 December

2006-12-03T00:14:00.000-05:00

OK, so technically it's Sunday, but here's a photo I snapped from our car on Saturday afternoon. If you look in the middle of the photo, you'll see what I was trying to capture: a sundog. Here it is a little closer-up:

Hope you all had a lovely day.

Shhhh! He's twacking a meme!

2006-12-01T08:42:00.000-05:00

OK, as doctoral theses go, this guy has a cool one - he has postulated the way a meme spreads on the 'net. He wishes all of us to participate by spreading this little nugget around the blogosphere in a way that he can track. I'm not one for pleading or cajoling, but do consider participating. I remember being a grad student, and the more data the better! Besides, he has a sense of humor:

"...a script I've written will track this meme (via Technorati) across the internet in 10 minute intervals. It will record the number of links to this post, register their authority and create a database the very size of which will cause my poor processor to fall tumbling, in flames, down a steep cliff. (So be it. We all must makes sacrifices in the name of science.)"

Heh. Go forth and help. His plea and instructions are here.

(For anyone who cares, I found this meme through Mamacate's blog.)

Saturday Sky a day early

2006-11-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

A gorgeous day at Manatee Springs in Florida. 72 degrees in both the air and the water. We walked out along the boardwalk, and spied the manatees out where the spring flows into the Suwannee River. Lovely!

Saturday Sky - 11 November

2006-11-12T10:43:00.000-05:00

We drove from Ohio back to North Carolina today. We saw a lot of this in the mountains. As we were coming through Virginia, the sun broke through and we were treated to sunbeams filtering down over the blue ridges. Sadly, the best views are from the tops of the ridges. For some reason, they don't make rest stops on the ridgetops. :)

Boy Meets Snake

2006-11-08T14:09:00.000-05:00

Although his brother asked for a quick mouse, Tweedle-doh* opted for a snake knit from itty-bitty cotton yarn. He loved that I was making it, made all the appropriate noises when presented with said snake, and then promptly forgot it exists. I'm trying to decide whether the weeks of it being on the needles (and the accompanying excitement that Mommy was making something just for HIM) is enough to make me want to do it again with the Next Big Thing.

* Yes, my twins call themselves Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-doh (pronounced with a Homer Simpsonesque d'oh!) Don't ask. It's really rather endearing, in a twisted sort of way.

Started:	2006
Finished:	2 November 2006
Pattern:	None.
Yarn:	Ball band MIA. 100% cotton, one skein. Red pearl cotton for the tongue, crocheted.
Needles:	Old pink aluminums.
Notes:	The decreases twisted on his head; not quite sure how that happened. I'll need to test a bit if I ever do it again. 4mm amythest beads for the eyes. The body is stuffed with polyester fiberfill - stuffed as I knit; the only way to go with a snake!

Saturday Sky - 4 November

2006-11-04T20:18:00.000-05:00

There was a gorgeous full moon out tonight. Sadly, those photos didn't turn out well. So, I bring you this bit of pink loveliness from the other side of the sky. Sometimes it pays to turn around.

Sock Wars Status

2006-10-31T08:41:00.000-05:00

Happy Halloween!

Current sock wars status: 525 dead, 64 dying, 133 living, 40 AWOL, and 10 of unknown status.

It tickles me that there are at least 64 pairs of handknit socks being delivered around the world as I type this. Yes, I get entirely too much enjoyment out of this. What can I say? I'm easily amused.

Sock Wars - Round Two

2006-10-30T17:35:00.000-05:00

Saturday: Finished socks. Weighed socks. Went on research binge to figure out how to send socks to Norway with reasonable efficiency and without breaking the bank.

I ended up using Global Priority Mail from the post office. Huge envelope, flat rate fee of $8.50, and no hassle. I probably could have mailed it for less by weight, but the free Tyvek envelope looked like it could really take a beating without tearing up. Let's hope!

Today: Mailed socks, went to wild Halloween party full of kids, followed by piano lessons for one of my guys. Need to make dinner.

Tonight: Imminent collapse.

Started:	19 October 2006
Finished:	28 October 2006
Pattern:	Yarn Monkey's International Sock of DOOM
Yarn:	Ball band MIA. 100% mercerized cotton, in a dark bluish green. One ball per sock, with a bit left over on each.
Needles:	Old pink aluminums, size US 5
Notes:	This stuff is like knitting with string - no sproing at all. I hope the ribbing is enough to keep everything conforming to my victim's feet. I received half of a sock from Julie in CA - she'd turned the heel - and finished the pair for MagFly in Norway.

Sunday Sky - 29 Oct

2006-10-29T23:50:00.000-05:00

Sorry for missing Saturday with my sky. I hope today's sky makes up for it.

Why do you DO this?

2006-10-25T09:44:00.000-04:00

My husband is a wonderful man. He's smart, funny, and terribly protective of me. He and I think on the same wavelength 99% of the time, which makes it odd when he just doesn't grok where I'm coming from. Take Sock Wars; the man thinks I'm a raving lunatic.

Now, granted. To the average person, a slightly stressed mom of two who is homeschooling, struggling to keep up with housework, and ready to start on this year's round of handmade holiday gifts and comfy flannel PJs really shouldn't be contemplating another project, especially one with a timeline.

But, come on. Really. A little project, with the thrill of assassination? Having your heart go pitter-patter every time the postman comes and you might find death in the mail? Death by handmade socks?! It's a no-brainer. Plus, there's the added bonus of an escape plan: if it gets to be too much, stop knitting and wait to be killed by warm, handknit goodness. I'm looking hard, but I can't find the downside.

So, as often happens when crafting comes into play, he looks at me as one might look at any crazy relative: with wary fondness. After all, you never know what we're going to do next. It's best to make no sudden movements - we are volatile, we protect our projects, and we are holding very pointy sticks.

Sock Wars

Google Spreadsheet - keep abreast of the war

Current status: 495 dead, 65 dying, 163 living, 36 AWOL, and 12 of unknown status.

Sock Wars - Round One

2006-10-21T17:06:00.000-04:00

I nominate these socks for the Ugly Duckling category in Sock Wars. I'm allowed - I made them. Shhhh! Don't tell!

With luck, I was able to assassinate the lovely Julie, who loves across the country from me. She's been an amazing sport about these wacky socks, and says she'll wear them on 'Crazy Sock Day' at her school (she's a teacher.) How cool is that?

I just received my second round sock in the mail from Julie. I have no idea if I'll be able to finish them before I'm bumped from the war, but I've met my goal.

Started:	22 September 2006
Finished:	11 October 2006
Pattern:	Yarn Monkey's International Sock of DOOM
Yarn:	Cascade Fixation - 98.3% cotton, 1.7% elastic. Each ball is 50g / 186 yards stretched, 100 yards relaxed. Color 9966. One ball per sock, with a bit left over on each.
Needles:	Old pink aluminums, size US 5
Notes:	The fixation yarn took a bit of getting used to - it's very stretchy, which made figuring out my tension trickier than usual. I'd knit with it again, though, now that I have it down. The socks are nice and stretchy.

Saturday Sky - 21 October

2006-10-21T16:43:00.000-04:00

Happy October - 63 degrees F and not a cloud in the sky. I included a bit of one of our oak trees for color. There's only so much endless blue you can take!

Saturday Sky - 14 October

2006-10-14T18:26:00.000-04:00

Another one of those bluer than blue North Carolina days. My camera missed out on the fullest part of the day, but I snapped this one of a pine tree in our neighborhood. The sunset made some lovely yellows on the trunk. I'm still waiting for leaves to turn, here. One of these days.

Where Have I Been?

2006-09-28T09:40:00.000-04:00

I'm an undercover agent for the Yarn Monkey. So deep undercover that I have no idea who should receive my International Socks of DOOM.

Still, fun. :)

Add in a birthday (mine. Yes, I'm old) and a lovely visit from family, and all is well in my world. I'll take pictures to show later this week. Or next week. Whenever something gets done, yeah?

Saturday Sky - 9 September

2006-09-09T20:58:00.000-04:00

A trip to the zoo landed me several great sky photos. Here's a nice one. A beautiful, seasonably cool (83 deg F) day.

Did you know that there are seven different kinds of presser foot attachments for Viking sewing machines? Me either. And, contrary to my local sewing shop's assertion, a free motion quilting foot from a '1' machine does NOT fit a '2' machine. Just so's ya know. I'm starting to think that in the time it takes to track down the right foot and take the class, I could just hand quilt this thing. Well, okay, probably not.

The Nearest Book

2006-09-07T17:04:00.000-04:00

A little late to the party, but here's a fun meme from Bugsy:

Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 123. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog along with these instructions.

This is from my closest book:

"The Magna Charta would remain. It would always be there. It would stand through the ages. The people would remember it in times of persecution, and those who came after would turn to the charter saying, "These are our rights by the King's oath and seal."

This is what happens when your ~~seven~~ six year olds are studying the middle ages.

Updated to add: Yes, dear friends, I realize now that my children are six years old, not seven. Let's chalk it up to ~~senility~~ the new allergy meds and move on, m'kay?

I do still knit...

2006-09-07T13:41:00.000-04:00

Contrary to what my blog looks like, I do still spend more time crafting than looking at the sky. Currently, however, everything is currently 'in progress', and I'm pretty sure y'all don't want to hear about how many more inches of this or how many more quilt squares of that I have done. So, lookee-see, aren't those beautiful clouds?

I just signed up for a free-motion quilting class next week. I'm excited, because I've tried this before at home with disasterous results. I can normally just sort of "do" anything, and free-motion quilting kicked. my. butt. After getting the supply list for the class, I think I realized my first mistake. Darning foot?! I own about 15 feet for my little Viking, but 'darning foot' isn't one of them. Happily, googling for a local supplier landed me at a site for a sewing shop I didn't know about across town. Adventure! :)

Saturday Sky - 2 September

2006-09-02T17:19:00.000-04:00

The fringes of Ernesto rolled through yesterday with gray, leaden skies. We awoke this morning to this... you can find a cloud here and there, but you have to work for it.

All in all, a lovely day.

Garterlac

2006-08-31T11:40:00.000-04:00

At last, I've garterlac-ed. It's not perfect, but I think it's pretty. It was quite a learning experience, as I've never done anything like entrelac knitting before.

Started:	17 Aug 2006
Finished:	29 Aug 2006
Pattern:	Dave's garterlac dishcloth
Yarn:	Sugar 'n Cream 100% cotton. The color is Midnight Magic
Needles:	Funky old yellow-green aluminums, size 7

I'm still feeling pretty punky; I'm on my way out of the intestinal sickness that is slowly rolling through everyone in the house. Surpisingly, I've been crafting more, not less. Go figure.

Saturday Sky - 26 August

2006-08-26T18:44:00.000-04:00

Sunset in central Ohio. I am here with the kids. Frankly, I just want to go home and snuggle into my own bed and sleep.

No new and fabulous progress to report. Still here, still knitting.

Saturday Sky - 19 Aug

2006-08-19T17:06:00.000-04:00

One thing I love about where I live is the plethora of lakes - they're everywhere. This one is about five minutes from my house; I couldn't resist driving out to see what the sky looked like over the water. Gorgeous, as always.

In crafting news: not much is going on. Small progress on the baby quilt, and small progress on other little things.

However, I know much more Spanish than I did last week. I can also tell you more than you want to know about rocks, minerals, and gems. I have mediated arguments about whether mice lived at the time of the dinosaurs, and the practicality of travelling back in time to end said argument once and for all. If this is what they argue about when they're six, I wonder what we'll be thinking about in five years. It boggles the mind.

Textured Slip Stitch Dishcloth

2006-08-12T16:15:00.000-04:00

I saw a dishcloth like this over at Mason Dixon Knitting and was intrigued because I couldn't immediately see how it was constructed. So, I whipped one up - pretty! The dishcloth is an easy knit, but involved enough to be more interesting than my regular pattern. My next dishcloth adventure will be Dave's garterlac dishcloth. Someday.

Started:	7 Aug 2006
Finished:	12 Aug 2006
Pattern:	Textured Slip Stitch Dishcloth (http://www.jimsyldesign.com/~dishbout/kpatterns/texturedss.html)
Yarn:	Sugar 'n Cream 100% cotton, colors: summer splash and hot green.
Needles:	Funky old yellow-green aluminums, size 7

Saturday Sky - 12 Aug

2006-08-12T15:59:00.000-04:00

79 degrees and beautiful outside. Happy Saturday!

Quilt for the Baby

2006-08-09T12:22:00.000-04:00

Here's the first look at the new baby's new quilt. He's only a few weeks old, and already trekking across the country with the family on his first big vacation. I'm hoping to have this little quilt whipped out by the time they come home. Hope springs eternal.

I've joined the sew? I knit! blog for the inspiration and impetus to get it done!

One Skein of Cathay...

2006-08-01T11:16:00.000-04:00

What would you do with one skein (100 meters, 50 grams) of soft, dark purple cathay? I bought two to make the chemo cap, but just barely made it by with one. Now, I have a single skein of luscious yarn, and NO CLUE what to do with it.

I live in North Carolina, so I really don't need a winter hat. We didn't even get an ice storm last year. So... what do you think? What would YOU do?

My dear husband suggested a willie warmer... but if I don't need a hat, he surely doesn't need that! :)

Absence of a Saturday Sky

2006-07-30T15:06:00.000-04:00

I was unable to get a photo of the sky yesterday. So, imagine if you will a day full of rumbly thunder and summer storms. A gray haze broken only by sheets of rain. That's yesterday's sky. Today's sky is much prettier, but that would be cheating.

Quick Hat, Good Cause

2006-07-30T14:33:00.000-04:00

A hat made for the daughter of an acquaintance of a friend... is that sufficiently vague? The lovely girl in question is in the midst of chemotherapy, and a little distressed over losing her hair. This cap was made with the softest yarn the boys and I could find, which turned out to be Debbie Bliss Cathay. One skein made this hat, wtih pretty much nothing left over.

Her head's not really that big... that's a junior sized soccer ball in the photo. ;)

Started:	Week of 17 July 2006
Finished:	24 July 2006
Pattern:	Lace-Edged Woman's Hat by Julie M. Hentz (http://www.headhuggers.org/patterns/kpatt18.htm). Head Huggers has a lot of wonderful chemo cap patterns.
Yarn:	Debbie Bliss Cathay (50% cotton, 35% viscose microfibre, 15% silk.) One 100m / 50g skein. Color 12012, a deep purple.
Needles:	Old aluminum dpns, size 7

22 July Saturday Sky

2006-07-22T16:22:00.000-04:00

The view from our driveway. The promised thunderstorm is currently wispy clouds. Where's our RAIN?!

First Harvest

2006-07-22T11:14:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for crafting content, move along. Perhaps I should take up basketweaving so I can display my veggies as a craft. :)

This is the first harvest from our first little raised bed garden. Kentucky Wonder green beans - yum! This is the same vareity I grew last year in pots; they look much happier in a real garden.

Happy Saturday, everyone. Sky photos later, though they will likely be a uniform grey.

Do the Watermelon Crawl

2006-07-21T15:00:00.000-04:00

This cheeky little hat is headed on its way to California, as soon as I can convince it to stop frolicking with the kitchenware. It is being donated to a breastfeeding awareness campaign, and will be given to a newborn from a low-income family. I hope it brings a smile to someone's face.

I had intended to make another hat, but the watermelon is tired of waiting for its sibling. The Li'l Green Apple hat is having a time of it, mainly because I'm teaching myself to knit continental-style. It seems like a reasonable way to knit for economy of movement. However, I am finding that overcoming over twenty years of muscle memory is... kinda time consuming. I'm getting there, though. I'm sure the apple will find another charity home evenutally.

For those of you who can whip out a hat as quick as a flash, the deadline for this particular campaign is the end of July. You can get the address to mail hats to on the Harlot's site (look in the July 14th entry.)

Started:	July 2006
Finished:	11 July 2006
Pattern:	From the Yarn Harlot's blog. Scroll down to the July 1 entry for instructions.
Yarn:	Sugar 'n Cream Cotton in Hot Pink, White, Hot Green, and Sage Green. Caron Cotton Tales in Black. It's a little rougher than I'd like for a baby item, but if experience with my dishcloths holds, it will acquire cushy softness with use.
Notes:	My first duplicate stitched item. I'm pretty sure the inside is a mess. I'm also pretty sure the baby won't care.
Needles:	I've forgotten already! I think they were Bates aluminum dpns, size 6.

15 July Saturday Sky

2006-07-15T19:05:00.000-04:00

Today once again found me at the library, so I took more sky pictures. A storm was moving through, and the sky was different everywhere I looked. So, please indulge me in multiple sky pictures. I couldn't help myself!

Today was our first week back at home schooling, so I didn't get a lot of crafting done. However, I did manage to make this little guy for one of the boys. As you can probably see, she's a little the worse for wear already from a few days of kid love. The other kidlet has ordered a snake, and I am resisting the urge to make him just the right size to swallow the mouse.

Started:	Week of 10 July 2006
Finished:	Week of 10 July 2006
Pattern:	This little guy was made from another Kristie pattern.
Yarn:	Caron Simply Soft Acrylic in pink and white.
Notes:	4mm amythest beads for eyes; stuffed with polyester fiberfill. If I make the pattern again, I will alter the bit just before the tail, and also make the tail longer.
Hook:	Boye aluminum, size F

Saturday Sky

2006-07-08T18:10:00.000-04:00

I dedicate this late afternoon Saturday Sky to my son's overdue book on Geckos. The view from the library parking lot was gorgeous.

Wanna Know a Secret Meme

2006-07-08T10:44:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a project I can't share yet, so I'm going to join in Scout's Wanna Know a Secret Meme instead. The idea is to share a little secret that may make people lose respect for you. Here goes... *deep breath*

Dirtly little secret the first: I'm addicted to Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the TV series.) My hubby and I watched the whole seven seasons as quicky as possible, and then started over at season one. Now that we're back up to season six (in the space of a few months), we're slowing down to one a week to make it last. I adore the evolution of the characters, and admire their struggle against evil. I love that good versus evil isn't painted in black and white. And, as an added bonus, it's quippy. I loves me a quippy show.

Dirty little secret the second: My children know all the words to the musical episode, because it's what we play in the car as we're driving to and from our errands and homeschool activities. No, I do not let them watch the show. Heh.

Dirty little secret the last: When I'm dying for a Buffy fix, I read fanfic. Don't tell anyone.

Saturday Sky just as soon as I actually go anywhere... you've already seen the view from my backyard.

Hey, I DO own a Viking!

2006-07-06T17:44:00.000-04:00

Guess what I found today? My sewing machine. I had a sneaking suspicion that I still owned one. Sure enough - after moving a computer keyboard and mouse, some tesselating clay tiles (ancient history project courtesy of the little ones), an old family reunion photo, and a lot of fabric scraps... voila! A Viking!

I also found an ironing board, some pins, and some unfinished curtains. To top it off, I sewed another piece on the curtains just to make it all feel worthwhile.

Sometimes, progress is progress even if it isn't worth taking a picture.

So, to amuse you all, I give you a picture of something else I found this week:

These little lovelies were hanging out in my needle box. I came across them while looking for a set of dpns for a hat. Alas, they were the wrong size. But, seeing them threw me back into my childhood. Before I could blink, I was immersed in a full sense memory of sitting on a red vinyl swivel stool at the lunch counter at Woolworth's with my mom, eating grilled cheese. The memory comes complete with chinging cash register and the sound of shoppers milling around the store, though it doesn't come with the smell of food. Funny.

No, I didn't buy these needles at Woolworth's; they were given to me by an older lady a few years ago since she had given up knitting. It must have been the photo on the front of the package that did it.

Itty Bitty Boy Toys

2006-07-04T09:32:00.000-04:00

The boys talked me into crocheting these little guys over the weekend. They each picked out the yarn and colors for their own animal, and stuffed it with minimal help from me. The turtle and the snail are currently spending each night tucked in next to their own little boy.

Started:	1 July 2006
Finished:	2 July 2006
Pattern:	The Itty Bittys, a free pattern by Kristie. Here's the link to the Tiny Turtle pattern.
Yarn:	Sugar 'n Cream cotton. Snail: Hot Green (body) and Summer Splash (shell) Turtle: Sage Green (body) and Midnight Magic (shell).
Notes:	4mm wiggle eyes. Iridescent sequins and glass seed beads for shell. Stuffed with polyester fiberfill.
Hook:	Boye aluminim, size F

Two Generations of Knitters

2006-07-01T10:42:00.000-04:00

This is the first time I've knitted the exact same pattern that my dear mother has knit, and had the results to compare side-by-side. Now that I see them, it makes me question... just how big a hole should a YO leave? My blankie has big, lacy holes between each 'v' of the ripple pattern. My mother's blankie, by contrast, has very tight 'v's with an almost imperceptible set of YO holes. These blankets were knit from the same brand and weight of yarn. Her blanket (the green) is a bit stretched from six years of my son's love.

I don't know if she really tightens her tension in the next row, or if I don't tighten enough. I already know that I knit much more loosely than the lady in question. My hands would cramp if I knit like she manages to do!

So, dear readers, how do your YOs go? Lacy, or not-so-much? Thanks for any advice.

The baby blankie is done.

2006-07-01T10:25:00.000-04:00

Well, the blankie is done. I'm not sure about the baby... I haven't heard from the mommy in question for a few days. Eep!

I stopped a little short on this one, as it was quite wide. I felt that making it the length called for was going to be quite unwieldy in the long run. My decision had absolutlely nothing to do with the fact that the pattern was boring me senseless, and that I get to make a quilt for said baby once this blanket is done.

Blankie stats:

Started:	28 May 2006
Finished:	30 Jun 2006
Pattern:	Reversible Baby Blanket, from the Jan 1981 issue of Workbasket magazine.
Yarn:	Caron Simply Soft, 100% acrylic, color 9909 - soft blue. This yarn is very shiny, and hard to photograph true-to-color.
Needles:	Size 8 circular

Saturday Sky

2006-07-01T10:12:00.000-04:00

Mid-morning sky, as seen from my backyard. I can confirm that the mosquitos are out at 10 in the morning. What's that all about?

Today's forcast: hot and sunny with beautiful wispy clouds. Come on over, and we'll have a barbeque!

Here, and then gone

2006-06-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

Blogger is being finicky this week; if you're reading this, I managed to stay on long enough to post.

I proudly displayed my pointy sticks during lunch at Panera Bread on Worldwide Knit in Public day last Saturday. Not another knitter was in sight, and I registered at least one sidelong glance from folks at another table. Mission accomplished, though I didn't get much done between sitting, eating, and making sure my spawnlings didn't do anything they shouldn't. :D

The blankie is coming along. I don't know what possessed me to buy acrylic yarn for this thing. Well, okay, I *do* know what possessed me. I thought it would be lighter and airier than cotton, I can't knit with wool or animal fiber, and I wanted something that Mom can throw in the wash when unmentionable bodily fluids get all over it. That said, I'm now wishing I'd picked a nice, soft cotton. Live and learn. It's too late to go back now, so I'm pressing on. My boys still love the blankies Grandma made from this same yarn, so I figure the baby won't care. :)

I'm also hoping to get the little one set up with a travel quilt for days at the park. But, first blankie's first.

Status on curtains: stalled. Yarn dyeing: need to get the dye. All my other unfinished projects: currently forgotten.

Racing the Baby

2006-06-08T13:25:00.000-04:00

Unlike the incomparable Yarn Harlot, I admit to racing my friends' unborn child. Yes, it probably is wrong. But, it's also the only way this baby blankie's getting done in time! Know thyself.

Started:	28 May
Pattern:	Reversible Baby Blanket, from the Jan 1981 issue of Workbasket magazine.
Yarn:	Caron Simply Soft, 100% acrylic, color 9909 - soft blue.
Needles:	Size 8 circular

About these needles... I bought Boye needles because they're the needles of my youth, and because I was amazed that they're still made it the good ol' U.S. of A. And, as it turns out, they're bloody awful. Given the same choice again, I'd try another brand. Maybe it's an aberration and the rest of their needles are great, but the needles I'm holding do NOT make for a smooth knit. However, when you're racing a baby, you use what you have on hand.

A Little Dab of Paint

2006-05-30T13:52:00.000-04:00

A cutie patootie in my life has just turned seven. She's just fallen in love with skating, so I stenciled her a little tank top for her birthday.

This was done with glittery purple paint, using a freezer paper stencil of a silouette I found on the web. This is the first freezer paper stencil I've done for painting purposes, though I've used them for applique before. I'm impressed with the amount of detail that is possible (those fingers are tiny, people!) I used the directions from the Angry Chicken for my project.

Best of all, she liked it. Whew! Ya never know 'til it's opened.

Here They Are

2006-05-29T23:42:00.000-04:00

As promised, here's a picture of my second pair of socks.

Yarn: Mississippi 3 (cotton/acrylic)
Needles: Size 1, 4" addi dpns
Pattern: Gull Wings, from Socks, Socks, Socks
Started: 19 April, 2006
Finished: 21 May, 2006

The socks are a bit limper than I'd like. They'll stay up, but they're certainly not snappy. The yarn was the perfect color, though.

Real Life Intervenes

2006-05-24T13:37:00.000-04:00

Well, the lacy socks are finished! They've been done since Sunday, but no photos yet. I'm about to go wash them, as the boys are suitably occupied. The end of our homeschooling year is upon us, and the schedule has gotten quite crazy.

Now, I'm casting about for a source of uber-skinny good-for-socks stretchy cotton/lycra yarn to dye. It's not as easy to find as you'd think. I have one boy requesting a dragon sock in about 5 different colors, and another one with a 'Black Beauty' sock on his mind. Wish me luck!

On the Road

2006-05-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

I spent Mother's Day weekend up in Ohio visiting family; central Ohio has fewer cornfields and more housing developments than I remember. Sometimes progress... isn't.

At any rate, I knit a leg through Ohio and West Virginia, turned a heel in Virginia, and finished my gusset halfway through North Carolina. Not bad for someone who gets carsick! So, hopefully, a full pair of socks will make an appearance soon. I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

One Down...

2006-05-08T20:46:00.000-04:00

One down, and one to go. This is the first sock where my kitchener stitch actually worked out as it was supposed to. Kudos to Amy Finlay and her lovely video. I've kitchenered[1] from written instructions before, but the video made it all clear. Thank you!

I tried to use a light bulb as a darning egg, but the toe on this sock pattern is just as triangular as the heel and I couldn't fit it into the seam. A big marble might have done, though.

As an aside, I bought some wild fabric this weekend with the intention of making a tiered skirt. It's not going to happen, though, so said material needs a new lease on life. Maybe a kid-shirt. Who knows. For now, it's getting packed away until I finish those curtains. Thought I forgot about them, didn't you?

[1] Yes, it's a verb now.

The Itty Bitties

2006-05-02T16:48:00.000-04:00

Dave asked about the needles I've been using for these socks. I can't believe I forgot to enthuse about these things - I adore them.

They're addi needles. The package is just labeled 'premium' at the bottom. They are size US 1, and are 4 inches long. The metric on the package says "2,5mm/10cm". They're some sort of metal with a matte finish on them. All of which is very nice. What sets them apart, though, is that these suckers hold on to yarn. I've got a confession to make: I'm the mistress of the flying dpn. And, by flying, I mean in the slipping out and clanging on the floor way, not in the sweater done in a weekend way. But you already knew that, right?

At any rate, these needles are nice and strong (I'd snap a bamboo needle for sure) and happily hold onto my yarn. The few stitches I've had leap off and attempt to make a run for it have been through my own fumbling. So, yes. The needles are good.

Look, Ma! No Holes!

2006-05-01T14:02:00.000-04:00

I spent a good deal of my knitting time this weekend fighting with the gusset on this loverly sock. You see, I'm a pattern gal, at least the first time I make something. Since this is my second pair of socks EVER, I'm sticking to the pattern. Or, at least, I was. I've lost count of the number of times I've ripped out the start of this gusset, because I was supposed to pick up 15 stitches when I had 13 convenient rows to do it in. Each time I tried, I had holes appearing in my fabric. Finally, I threw up my needles in despair, knit a dishcloth, came back to the sock, and ignored the pattern. Voila! No holes.

Here's my little dishcloth, knit from an old Workbasket pattern and some scrap Sugar 'n Creme cotton. It's a great car-knitting project. After the itty-bitty dpns, my number 9 needles felt like tree trunks. It was good.

Houston, we have heel

2006-04-28T17:21:00.000-04:00

Thanks to the local library and my kids' love of reading, I was able to finish the heel today.

But, this begs the question: is the back of my foot truly triangular? Hrmmm.

Relaxing

2006-04-26T10:21:00.000-04:00

The sock... not me.

The rebel stitch has been recaptured and the sock is (mostly) behaving. The stitches between the needles are stretching out, but I hope that it will go to a better shape after washing. Here it is, relaxing in our bushes. The going is slow, but maybe I'll have a turned heel by the weekend. Today and tomorrow, my mind will be in Ancient Greece. I know they wove, but I'm not sure I can work knitting into the lesson plan. :)

The pattern is Gull Wings from Socks, Socks, Socks.

Nice People

2006-04-24T21:03:00.000-04:00

Leaving your half-knit sock in a hospital waiting room: bad.

Having it show up in a stranger's hand who has tracked you down to the hospital restaurant: further proof of nice people.

I'll post a picture of where I am once I pick up the rebel stitch that is running down the side.

Antidote for a Dreary Day

2006-04-22T10:11:00.000-04:00

Let the rain come. I'm working with my own personal bit of sunshine today.

This is the bottom bit of a set of curtains I'm working on for the boys. This is the first set of "real" curtains I've made. By real, I mean lined, backed, with little hooks for the curtains to be drawn and weights at the bottom. What was I thinking? At any rate, the blue fabric matches the border on a fantastic set of dino quilts my sister made for them. Suffice it to say, their bedroom is not dull.

3 Mississippi

2006-04-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

Two days out from the yarn store visit, and this is what we have. Yes, I chose the most unflattering angle possible for my lumpy bumpy ribbing. I'm not sure whether it's knitting on dpns for the first time in years, the itty bitty needles, or the yarn itself. I think we'll just say it's ME, and hope it gets better on the next sock.

The yarn is Katia Mississippi 3, in the lovely color '408'. In person, it is a perfect denim color. I walked in to the shop to buy some Cascade Fixation and wooden dpns, and walked out with Mississippi 3 and metal needles. But, it happened in a nice sort of way; not in the "what just happened here" whirlwind sort of way.

I started a lovely tiger-eye lace toe-up sock right when I got home (after swatching for gauge, of course.) After working through the hard part of the toe, I realized that the lace probably wouldn't stay up due to the lack of elastic or lycra in the yarn. So, I frogged and started a simpler lace pattern. I'll save the other for springier yarn.

As I was taking the above photo this morning, fretting about the lumpy stitches and how little I've accomplished on it in two days, Super Boy peeked over the back of our overstuffed chair to see what I was doing. "WOW, Mama, you knit ALL THAT?! Cool!" Trust a little one to see anything with wonder-filled eyes.

Of course, his next question was, "Will you teach ME to knit?" Heh. I should have known; he forgets nothing.

Mama, can boys knit?

2006-04-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

The question above was delivered by Super Boy, who just turned six a few weeks ago. "Of COURSE they can," I assured him. Inwardly, I cringed at what I knew was coming, as I don't think he has the fine motor skills to get the needles and the yarn moving yet. Quick, a distration! I flipped over to another browser tab, where I luckily had a new blog up (Blithering Knitiot).

"See these? They were knit by a man."

"Is he my age?"

"Uhm, no. He's a grown-up."

I flipped over to the Cabin Cove site. "See this yarn?" (Super Boy oohed and aahed - he has fine color sense.) "It was dyed by a man, too." Super Boy's eyes sparkled and danced. I am positive he was mentally constructing hats and socks for Mama to knit.

The Question was successfully diverted. That is, until later that day when we made it to the yarn shop. Someone, in their infitine wisdom, had placed a "How to Knit" kit right at six-year-old-boy eye level. *sigh* I told him that perhaps I'd teach him sometime soon. I'm just afraid that he'll find it "too hard" and then won't touch it again. That's what happened to me when I was just about his age; I took up crochet and scorned knitting for years after. Ah, well, we'll see how it goes. He seems to have forgotten it, for now.

Eggs and Legs

2006-04-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

Do colored eggs count as finished objects? The boys, Grandma, and I colored eggs on Saturday. But, since that doesn't count as a needle craft, I am still at one (1) finished object for the year. It's April. That's a bit depressing.

What I DID do so far this year: my very first pair of hand-knit socks. I made myself a pair of socks from this pattern and Moda Dea Sassy Stripes yarn. I used the two circular needles approach to knit the socks, which I'll probably not do again. Now that I know dpns are available in materials other than aluminum (yes, I was living in a cave) I'll try them again. I knit loosely, and the aluminum ones tend to fall out on me. Actually, they tend to shoot out across the room like little spears, threatening to impale anything in their path. Hence, the pain of the circular needles. I tried it; it worked; it's not for me.

The result of this adventure? One pair of very warm, cushy socks. Thank goodness my clogs are about a half size too big! These socks will be good for winter, but not much else. They're certainly not perfect, but they're serviceable.

For my next sock venture, I'm going to get some cotton yarn that's a bit thinner than the Sassy Stripes. I haven't found any Cascade Fixation at the local stores yet, but there's a yarn shop in a nearby suburb that I'm dying to try. I'd love to knit something from the gorgeous wool yarn out there, but I'm allergic to everything animal. If you're in the same boat and want to knit socks, check out Grumperina's list of non-wooly sock yarns.

I'm still working on a few back projects; I'll tell you about them soon.

Welcome

2006-04-06T15:43:00.000-04:00

Here's the obligatory it's-all-about-me post.

What do you need to know? I'm thirty-something, I'm a secular homeschooling mom of twins, and I'm interested in all sorts of crafts. Lately, I've been doing more knitting than anything else.

The important thing to confess right now is that I'm a fantastic project starter. Finding the pattern, buying the supplies, starting right away with that "project high"... and then wishing I could start something else.

I'm hoping that by publishing my progress out here in the ether, I'll have a little more incentive to actually finish something.

Hey, it's worth a try, right?