3NBO

I didn't get quite as far yesterday as I had planned. I just finished binding the shoulders together this morning and have started looking for the right size needles to cast on for the sleeves.

I love to teach the three needle bind off. Especially when it's to someone who has been knitting for years and has never seen it. And if it includes short row shaping it's even more fun. The first time I did it I thought I had invented it myself. I'd never heard of it but it just seemed so logical that I tried it. I was pretty downcast when I found out the next day that it was a standard technique.

Seems like we might be through the heat wave that has been plaguing us for the past week or so. I even turned off the a/c last night and opened some windows. But it's back on now since it's still going to be warm and it's humid.

Today is my last half day at A Stitch in Time. The other knitting instructor has finished her temporary job as a race track teller and will be back tomorrow. It's been easy enough to work those extra couple of days a week but I think I prefer only going in for a whole day a couple of times a week.

I am going to be spending a few days at Skein, my former shop. That's not until the 18th and it's only for five days. That should do it for a while.

Oops!

I cited the wrong book for the Chevron Scarf pattern. It should have been Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Sorry. I guess one should always check one's sources. Thanks L for correcting me.

I see this scarf all over the place. Like here. So it's a big hit. Maybe not as big as Clapotis was/is. But still it's exciting. I plan on taking mine to work. I can see lots of people making this. It's easy and pretty rewarding. Although I doubt I would consider it a last minute gift. It's far too slow a knit for that. I worked on mine for a couple of hours yesterday but finally put it down so I could take a nap.

I also spent several hours working on my brown cable sweater. I'm almost done with the front and will join the shoulders sometime today. Then I'll start the sleeves which I'm going to work two at the same time. I don't usually do this but I think this approach will push me to get it done. I've already swatched for the Cobblestone sweater from the current IK.

Well of course I started a new project

Seems like whenever one person starts something another one of us just has to join in. Sort of a mini-KAL. One of the Unraveled ladies was making the Chevron Scarf (which I think is from Weekend Knits) and then another one got started and now I'm starting. Only another 70 inches to go. I'm using a couple of colors from Colinette's Jitterbug Velvet, almost solid colors. The actual colors don't look quite so USC but after five or six tries to get the colors accurately I gave up and went for the best of the lot.

It continues to be hot here. My sister invited me to come to Arizona for a while. Does she think I'm crazy? 106 is one thing but 117 is quite another. I did go over to Santa Monica yesterday where it was cool enough to sit outside on the patio and enjoy the slight breeze. I'm staying inside today, just me, the cat and the a/c.

Birthday socks

Yesterday was my kid's birthday. We had already celebrated last Sunday but yesterday was the actual day. These are the socks I had made earlier this year and put away just for this very event. The purple skirt is also part of the birthday haul.

I made these socks knowing that she would love them. And she, knowing that I'm always looking for blog material, sent me this photo. Even though it's not sock-wearing weather yet.

Take what you can

Sometimes it doesn't take much to make me feel good. An email from my doctor this morning telling me she was very happy with my progress on controlling cholesterol and that even though my glucose count was a little high she was generally pleased with the results of all my efforts.

Then while I was taking my morning walk I ran into a casual acquaintance who told me I looked hot. I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about the temperature considering how he commented on how I had lost weight etc. Anyway I'm taking it that way. You take what you can.

I did finish the fir cone shawl last night. It's been practically impossible to get a photo of it.



The color is really washed out but at least you can see the pattern. I still have some serious blocking to do but for now I'll take what I can get.

Nothing of note

Now that I have my a/c I don't have much to talk about. Still knitting away on the fir cone shawl although I do expect to finish tonight.

It's been a typically slow month for the yarn shop where I work as well as the others in our area. New yarns are expected any day now though so that's something to look forward to.

We do have our seasonally appropriate weather. Just in time for the Labor Day weekend when it is mandated to be at least 106F. Highs are at 100F or just slightly above depending on where you live. Yes. I'm glad the a/c got done in time.

For my next trick

Now that the Swan Lake stole is finished, except for blocking, I'm pushing to get the Fir Cone shawl done. I have one more ball to go. I'm using some cotton ribbon from Ironstone that I got at Unraveled last year. It's not quite mindless knitting but pretty close. Except that sometimes I add a yarn over that doesn't belong. The ribbon is so busy that it's easy to just drop the y/o and keep going.

We celebrated Lisa's birthday yesterday. Lots of presents and wine and cheese before going out for pizza. While she was here she tried on the Swan Lake stole and gave it the stamp of approval. So I'm feeling much better about how it looks. She liked the asymetrical shape. So getting it blocked is more likely to happen sometime soon.

Bertran, the a/c guy, showed up on Saturday with a couple of helpers. They got the old unit out with only a small amount of damage to the plaster wall and the outside stucco. The new unit is in a working just fine. It does protrude a lot more than the old one so I have to figure out a new furniture arrangement. Bertran will be back tomorrow in his role as plumber to replace the faucet handles in the shower. He's supposed to be bringing some ceiling fan catalogs so I can choose a new one for my dining area that I don't use as a dining area. It's where my computer lives. So many projects, so little money.

Mardi gras

I know it's the wrong time of year for Mardi Gras. But I just got my own personal version. Colinette Jitterbug in the Mardi Gras colorway. Just like Mardi Gras you never quite know what's going to happen. Socks? Scarf? Table art? I just like the way it looks.

I finished the Swan Lake stole last night. No photos yet because I don't have room to block it right now. All my living room furniture is stacked in the area where I would normally block because the a/c guy is due later today. Anyway, the knitting part is done. I'm pleased that I finished on schedule and I enjoyed the process. Not so sure about the finished product.

So on to the next shawl, or rather, one of the others that are already in the works.

Why am I not surprised? Part Two

After last Saturday's a/c debacle I got a comment from my friend Thom. All he said was "Why am I not surprised?" Well, it's happened again. This time the a/c guy didn't show at all. I did call him about an hour after he promised to be here. He was unexpectedly late at his regular job. But he said it would only be another hour and he would call me when he was on his way. That was four hours ago and I haven't heard anything. It's after 8PM so I'm guessing he's not going to show.

Fortunately it's supposed to be cooling off here starting tomorrow by several degrees. At least that's what the weatherman says. And we all know how reliable they are.

So I've spent today waiting and fretting. And I've been working on the Swan Lake shawl, formerly known as MS3. I have about thirty rows to go. But they're long rows so I doubt if I'll finish tonight. It's not good to promise something and then not do it.

The a/c guy just called. He will be here on Saturday. At least that's what he said.

The kindness of friends

One of my friends was in NYC recently and stopped into Habu. She picked up this Fique for me. Three skeins! It's made from a plant that's a member of the pineapple family. Gorgeous but tough. I'm thinking maybe a market bag. There's one in the Vicki Squares Folk Bags book. She also brought me a "grab bag" of other Habu yarns (that I forgot to photo). What a great friend,eh?

But it doesn't end there. When she and another friend were in Idaho recently they chose this fantastic home grown, hand spun, all natural skein of alpaca. This stuff is so soft that you just want to carry it around for company all day. Thanks G and E.

Since the a/c guy couldn't finish the installation on Saturday I ended up with a couple of free hours. I hadn't planned on going to the fishbowl sale at Unraveled. But since I had the open time I decided to just go over and see if there might be something I could use and see what kind of a discount I'd get when I drew my number from the fishbowl.

There were these eight hanks of Koigu. Not one of my usual color ways but, you know, ya gotta try new things once in a while. You get two tries when you draw from the fishbowl. First try, 20%. Second try, 75%. Woo Hoo! Eight skeins for just over the price of two. I think it's going to be another Spanish Dancer. I really enjoyed making this shawl even though it seems interminable while you're working on it. But looking forward to the attached knit cord and the ruffle made it fun.

Hot!

A little after six in the morning. It's already hot and humid. But the sunrise was pretty.

No a/c yet. The old a/c is somehow wedged in it's casing and the guys couldn't get it out. They're coming back on Tuesday will some kind of pulley thing that will force it to come free. I hope they don't bring part of the wall down with it.

Friday finish

It's still hot. I'm tired. I'm sleepy. And I have to start getting ready to go to A Stitch in Time. It's been a slow week both for me and the shop. Heat and vacations are taking their toll. Plus the new parking lot hasn't been started yet. They're supposed to do it today. We'll see.

Tomorrow the a/c guy is coming to install my new air conditioner. I'll be really happy when it's over. I inherited a worry gene from my mother. I'm just convinced that something is going to go wrong and things will not happen as planned. My friend Mario, who is an interior designer and accustomed to dealing with craftmen, says not to fret. Everything will work out. Well, of course, it will all work out but how many things will surprise us and cause delays. Not to mention all the dust from cutting a new opening in my living room wall. And what if the guy drops the old air conditioner and it falls and breaks through the window of the unit below me? Or what if my cat gets all freaked out and tries to jump through the new hole while the guy is trying to get the new a/c unpacked and ready to install? Or what if the new a/c is defective and has to be sent back to New Mexico? See? There are plenty of other reasons to worry. I just haven't thought of them yet.

I got the final clue for the MS3. Looks like there's still plenty to do even if it is more of the same. The rows are getting really long, kinda like when you do a ruffle. How much longer will ruffles be the rage?

FO, found object

Before I forget again, if you leave a comment and would like a response, I need your email address. The Blogger commenting system doesn't show commenters email addresses unless you have one on your Blogger profile page. You can email me directly. My email address is on my profile page. I may already have your address from some other source. Unfortunately I've lost some addresses I used to have when some crap happened once upon a time. You can even leave your email address, suitably disguised, in your comment. I will do my very best to reply. Sometimes I fall behind. (So Debby you'll need to email me or something if you want more details on the Purl Soho address etc.)



A few days ago I was rummaging through my stash for something to substitute for the Classic Elite Skye Tweed that I want for the Cobblestone sweater. I still haven't found the yarn I'm looking for. But I did find this abandoned project. Must be at least three years since I put it aside. I think I just got bored with it. Anyway, the wool I'm looking for is the same as this except it's a different color. I know it's here. The color in the photo is way off. The sweater isn't gray at all.



It's more like this detail except a little more brown. I decided to continue and see if I could get this done in case we ever get cooler weather. I've been spending a lot of time on small needles recently so working with size 8US/5.0MM is really speedy. The yarn is called Country Wool. I think it was distributed by KFI. Not sure since I got it at least ten years ago before Mariposa moved to South Pasadena. I'm using a pattern from Simply Beautiful Sweaters for Men by Linden Phelps and Beryl Hiatt, owners of Tricoter in Seattle.

Knit Kimono

My latest pattern book. When I saw L's copy I knew I had to have it. I have several other books by the same author, Vicki Square, but I think this is the best so far.

There's an interesting overview of the kimono throughout its history. And then there are the patterns themselves. At first the garments look like they'd just be simple straight forward knits (and some of the are) but it's in the finishing that the real excitement occurs. It's in how the garments are assembled and how the edges are treated. I'm not fond of finishing but I think these kimono are worth it.



This is the one I've decided to make first. There's a lot of knitting there but there's enough variety to keep it interesting. (Click on the photo if you want a bigger view.)

My plan was to use this yarn, Plymouth's Fantasy Naturale, which I've had in stash for a year or so. It's the yarn called for in the pattern. How often does that happen that you actually have the yarn? The color was Lisa approved so I was all set. Except what I thought was a bag of ten turned out to be only eight. No where near enough. I'll have to see if Skein has any more. I think I can fudge if the dyelots are different. Or I'll just order another whole bag and be done with it.

A couple of WIPs

I've tried at least six times to get an accurate image of this yarn, Colinette Jitterbug Fire. So far this is the best although the yarn isn't quite this magenta. But it's about as close as any I've taken.

I got this yarn when we went to Purl Soho last week. So I've started a sock using the pattern that's printed on the label. Supposedly one skien will make a pair of socks but I'm more than a little skeptical. I'd hate to buy another skein just to finish the toes on the second sock. And, as you can see. the color is really different from the skein. Anyway you get the idea.



I'm about two weeks behind on the Mystery Stole 3. After what seems like a short forever I have finished clue number four. And I've started the first of two wings. This clue will go much faster as it involves lots of short rows.

Here's where I am now. Sorry but I don't seem to have a space that's big enough, or clean enough, to show you the whole thing. Still wondering how I'm going to block this.

Going back to work yesterday was pleasant enough although it was very slow. And the parking lot replacement didn't happen. So the store closing was for naught. They're supposed to start this Wednesday instead but we won't be closing. Still, it was nice to have a week off. I only have two more weeks to work those extra half days. I'm looking forward to being done with that.

Back at 'em

The "vacation" is over. That sure went fast! It's back to work today. It's supposed to a hundred degrees here in Pasadena today. So the a/c will be nice. My new a/c hasn't arrived yet. I hope Patrick will be okay. He'll probably just stay in the bathtub all day. He's going to have a hard time not having me home all day to administer brushings on demand.

So, what did I do on my vacation?

The big thing was a trip to Purl Soho. Not the one in New York City. The one in Tustin, CA. On Wednesday L&H and I sallied forth in the heat of the day to check out Purl Soho's west coast warehouse. They recently relocated from Costa Mesa to Tustin so that cut off quite a big of freeway hassle. Still it was almost an hour and a half to get there.

It's a warehouse so you don't get fancy. Half of the space is given over to their patchwork store. I didn't look around there. The other half, the one with all the goodies, is filled with lots of top of the line yarn. Alchemy, Rowan, Koigu, Tilli Tomas, Blue Sky Alpaca. Very nice stuff. I've never been in the presence of that much Koigu. It was intimidating to say the least. Anyway, I bought some stuff that I haven't photographed yet. Maybe tomorrow. I was conservative, considering. And after all that yarn infusion we went to lunch at a really nice place, The Citrus Cafe, where we recovered sufficiently to drive home.

Let's see. What else? I had dinner with my friend Andy. I went to Unraveled a couple of times to hang out and then to my knitting group on Thursday night. A couple of other trips to some other more local yarn shops had to be cancelled. I did go by Skein to get a copy of Knit Kimono, the new book by Vicki Square. Of the eighteen designs in the book all but a couple are things I could see myself knitting. But I've narrowed in down to one for now. I'll have some more on that later in the week.

And I spent a lot of time with the newest VK and IK. I ordered the yarn to make the Cobblestone sweater that's in IK. But Web's wrote back to say they were out of stock in the color I wanted. So I will find something in my stash. I'm pretty sure I have a tweed that I got years ago that will be enough yardage. I just have to find it.

On vacation

Well, sorta. Is it a vacation if you're not going anywhere or doing anything special? A Stitch in Time is closed this week while the parking lot is being repaired/replaced. So it's really just time off (without pay).

I don't have any big plans except for a long trip tomorrow to visit a yarn warehouse. That'll be fun since they also have a retail space. I'll have to see how strong my resolve to not buy more yarn is. It's true that they carry just about everything that Koigu puts out. So that will be a big test.

Other than that I don't have any plans. I'll probably do some knitting. Catching up on the MS3 is a priority. And I'm working my way through the latest Vogue Knitting and IK magazines. And I need to see if Skein has any more copies of Kimono Knits.

Friday's fare

It's his current favorite place to sleep. On the flap of my knitting bag. When I come home from wherever I have to put the bag on the floor and open out the flap so he can sleep on the smooth inner lining. He'll sometimes stay there for hours. It's a little hard to make out because the flap of the bag is almost exactly the same as the black squares of my tile. And also, I don't have a whole lot to post about today.

I did stop by Unraveled for a few minutes yesterday on my way to knitting night. Almost all the special order Jitterbug had come in. I say almost because my color and one other person's were on back order. The ones that did come in were so different from the shop samples that it was hard to believe they were the same color and not just a dye lot difference. I can hardly wait to see what color I actually get.

I was really swamped yesterday afternoon. A lot of the people who usually come on Friday came on Thursday. It made for some fun times. But I don't know how busy I'll be today.

I got Clue #5 of the MS3. How cryptic is that? Anyway, I like the direction the stole is taking. My color choice doesn't work well with the theme of the stole, Swan Lake, but it's okay with the design.

The end of Dulaan

Ryan has the backstory on her blog. It's a sad end to a long project that brought together so many knitters and other crafters. I will be talking with others in my knitting group to see what they want to do next. We do already have a few items in our Dulaan box. There are many other equally worthwhile organizations that would be happy to have our output. Still it's a bit depressing to be told you've only been seen as a "promotional tool".

Meanwhile, where is Mrs. Weasley when I need her? I'm sure my MS3 has been taken over by dark arts knitters. Of the four rows I knit last night, a couple of them two times, none have survived. I've even had mistakes on the plain ol' purl rows. Accio Mrs. Weasley!

I'm looking forward to having next week off. Only two more days for me this week and then I'll have lots of time to finish the current MS3 clue and get started on the next one.

Getting back on track

Well, I finished HP7. I've spent this morning recuperating from staying up much later than I usually do. I enjoyed the book and can now relax knowing that I won't be hit with any spoilers. Several of my friends who've already finished have been waiting for me so we can discuss it. But not here.

Now I can get back on track with my MS3. Haven't touched it since last Friday night/Saturday morning when I couldn't seem to get to sleep no matter how much I wanted to. Did a couple of rows then and was promptly ready. So, I've got an hour or so this morning before I have to get ready for work. I'm in the long stretch of lace leading up to row 335. I think that's where the real action begins. Some people, including myself, think the piece looks more like a table runner than a stole. I'm expecting a major change though in the direction the stole is going. So we'll see when Friday gets here.

HP and me and other stuff

When the last book came out, the one before this one, I just prayed that I'd live long enough to get to read book seven. Well, I'm reading it. I just can't stay up all night like I used to even though I'd like to. So today, my day off, I'll be reading as much as I can, between loads of laundry. I'm enjoying it even though I think there's a lot of filler.

I had as many students yesterday as I had all last week. Which is a good thing. I did manage a couple of rows on the fir cone shawl, and to rip back one and a half of those rows to pick up a dropped stitch in a double decrease. Not much else though.

It was so pleasant this morning while I was out walking. Very overcast, a bit of a breeze and only about 65F. And no one was using the laundry room when I got back so I got an early start on that. There may still be time to get out later today to visit some knitting friends.

Losin' it

Having Mexican food for dinner is probably not the best way to lose weight. But when three not to be missed opportunities present themselves all in one week, well, let's just say I won't need any chips and salsa until at least Wednesday. Even though two of the dinners were salads there's just no way that eating all that lettuce can compensate for the goodies that came with it. And the margaritas too. But it was all fun even though I'm going to be doubling up on the Slim Fast for the foreseeable future.

I've made progress on the MS3. I'm up to row 227. I don't think I'll be ready for the next clue by Friday though. You see, I just got HP7. So that will be taking up most of my not at work time. I only meant to read the first chapter last night but somehow two hours later I had to put it down and get a little sleep. I barely remember going to bed.

I got my first subscription copy from Interweave Knits. It's the summer 2007 one. It's been in the stores for weeks already. I think I'd rather that my subscription started with the fall. Fortunately I hadn't already purchsed the summer issue. I showed a few of the patterns to my daughter and we agreed that they'd be nice to have. I think I have the yarn for one, or rather one I can substitute. I keep adding things to my list. It's like eating Mexican food. Just too good to pass up.

Wednesday or is that all you've got

A friend of mine just got a new iPhone. It's amazing. Anyone who knows me will attest that I'm not much when it comes to electronic gadgets. Don't even have a cell phone or TIVO or any of that stuff. But I have to say if I had an iPhone I'd be really happy.

Instead I'm getting a new air conditioner. It should be here in a few days. It's coming from New Mexico. Once it's here we'll schedule the installation. Looks like it's still a couple of weekends away.

So I'm not getting a new iPhone. Maybe for Christmas. By then it may be obsolete.

Still making progress on the MS3. I'm about six rows into Chart E which, if you're making one you'll know, is the beginning of clue #4. We have a couple of weeks to finish this clue before the next one comes out. I have to get this one done this week because Lisa is bringing me HP7 on Sunday and I'll be busy for a couple of days.

Progress report

All day Saturday and part of yesterday I knitted and knitted on the MS3. I am now farther along than at any time before. So far I've only had to rip one half of a row and only missed one yarn over. Since I don't have my copy of the latest HP I'll still have plenty of time to work on the stole this week. That'a about all I'm working on right now except those plain ol' socks from last week.

I've discovered I don't do dissipation as well as I used to. Late hours, too much wine and rich food plus rooms filled with cigarette smoke just wipe me out. Not at all like the good old days. But sometimes it's necessary. I went to celebrate my friend Robert's upcoming 70th birthday last night. Not that I didn't have a good time but I'm sure feeling it today.

Pat the cat woke me up at 4:15 this morning. He doesn't care a bit about what time I got to bed. It sounded like rain. I remember rain from a long time ago. It wasn't actually raining a lot, just a heavy sprinkle but what a nice sound. It was still going on when I went for my walk at a little after six. The streets and sidewalks were wet but it was still dry under the trees. So not really much rain but refreshing in its own way. Of course it will be humid and sticky later today but I'll be at Stitch in Time where the a/c is always set on menopause so it won't be too bad.

Plain ol' socks

If I had had any idea of how slow it was going to be yesterday I would have taken something a bit more complex to knit. Yesterday was the first half day of my temporary extra days per week schedule. When I got there, a little before one, the table where I usually hold forth was packed with customers and staff who were just finishing their weekly buffet. And then a few of them stayed on for most of the rest of the afternoon. If I had had more than the one or two people who came in for help there would not have been room for them to sit. I just hope yesterday wasn't typical. Even four hours is a long time when there's next to nothing to do.

I'm making these socks for an as yet undertermined recipient. I think they're going to be too large for Lisa but not large enough for me. Not that I'd actually wear something this loud. I only like plain grey or white. I'm also using some needles that are new to me, Bryspun Bry-Flex dpns. I like them except I think they change my gauge somewhat. But they should help with the digital fatigue factor. I'm going to try a short row heel once again and see if I'm any better at it that I have been in the past.

Mendy abruptly cancelled knitting for tonight so I have a chance to go knit with the gang at Unraveled and then, just maybe, go out for margaritas and dinner. Otherwise I'll come home and continue with the MS3.

Here we go again, again.

After much mulling, hemming and hawing I've decided to start the MS3 again, using an entirely different yarn. Maybe it's practice or maybe it's the yarn, but I'm moving along fairly quickly on this permutation.

I couldn't find the two cones of laceweight so I'm using some Rowan Sea Breeze. This yarn has been long discontinued. I've probably had this in stash for ten or twelve years. It's a 4-ply (sport weight) that is giving me a lot more rustic look than the laceweight did. But I like it. Part of what I think of as my country cottage look.

It's hard for me to accept that I can't work with laceweight. Sort of like admitting you're too old. Maybe new glasses would help. It's time for that anyway. So we'll see. No pun intended.

Good news, bad news

The good news is that the a/c guy got here a little early. The bad news is that he can't access the innards of the a/c because when it was installed forty or so years ago the bolts that hold it in place we left inside the wall. The really bad news is that it only makes sense to replace the unit since the only way to get to the insides is to cut a hole in the wall. That's going to be about three times what I was expecting for the repair. I need to figure out which asset to sell. Maybe I'll be putting some stash on eBay.

In other bad news, I threw the black lace shawl away. I finally realized that one of the reasons I was having such a hard time ripping it was because it has felted to some extent. I guess the humidity and the agitation on Sunday was too much for the slightly fuzzy yarn. I have plenty of yarn left should I decide to try again once the winter comes (or the new a/c is installed).

I haven't decided on a new yarn for the shawl but I'll be doing that this week. I have a couple of cones of laceweight that would work except for the color and I can't find them. They're here somewhere. Meanwhile I'm continuing with the Fir Cone shawl and am fiddling with some socks.

Starting over, again

I was really looking forward to yesterday. I had the whole day to work on the MS3. I didn't see any reason why it wasn't going to be a pleasant, easy knit. I mean, the pattern isn't hard. The charts are nice and big and easy to see.

I spent most of twelve hours knitting and unknitting the same four rows. I think I made it up to row 161 a couple of times but mostly I knit and reknit row 159, occasionally ripping back as far as row 155.

I don't think I'm going to finish this shawl any time soon. The black wool yarn is beginning to wear me down. I can't see the stitches so when I'm ripping it's mostly by feel and then looking to see if what I have on the needle is actually the stitch I mean to be taking out. I have a headache this morning which I think must be from eyestrain.

So, for the moment, I'm leaving the MS3 alone while I decide what to do. Most likely I'll find a different yarn and start over.

This is the week that I add a couple of afternoons to my work schedule. I'll be going in on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons from one to five. I'm not sure how long this is going to be for, probably six or eight weeks. I'm covering for the other knitting teacher who is away for a while.

Also, A Stitch in Time is going to be closed for a few days next month, from the sixth through the tenth. The parking lot is being repaired and resurfaced. Maybe that's when I'll get caught up on the MS3.

Shawl talk

This doesn't begin to show off the pattern stitch but the color is close. I started working this shawl last year shortly before Christmas. I put it aside when I realized there was no way I was going to finish it in time for gifting. Same thing may happen again this year. I worked on it a lot yesterday. Then I discovered that I had lost my way somewhere about four rows back. Another KIPping mistake. I'll fix it sometime over the weekend, provided that the MS 3 goes well.

Yep. The third clue arrived this morning. I do have a busy day tomorrow but Sunday looks like I'll be able to spend quite a bit of time on it.

I've mentioned before that I'm really into shawls right now. These are just a few that I'm planning:

Tuscany, from No Sheep for You Just need to get the yarn wound. Alchemy Silken Straw.

The Rose Trellis Shawl, from Catherine Devine Need to get the yarn for this one.

The Landscape Shawl, from Fiber Trends. I have the yarn. Mountain Colors Bearfoot but I need to wind it.

The Peacock Feathers Shawl, from Fiddlesticks Knitting. I have the yarn. Got it Wednesday while we were in Long Beach for our harbor cruise.

Simple Prairie Shawl, from Folk Shawls. I'm already working on this one using some boucle from Fiesta Yarns.

And, the Fir Cone shawl at the top, already in progress, using Ironstone Cotton Ribbon.

Just a few of my current obsession. Who knows how long it will last? I don't think I'll finish everything for Christmas though.

Almost forgot. The Spring Blossom Shawl, from Fiber Trends. Just got that pattern yesterday.

Cruising with moon jellies

Typical tourists taking pictures. Mendy and I on our harbor cruise yesterday. I didn't get any decent photos myself. Must have been the champagne and wine. But it was a whole lot of fun. The day was perfect, sunny, breezy and there was yarn shopping to go along with it. We had the same pilot as last year and he wes even better this year. He took extra time so we could all get to see the moon jellies.

Here they are, just floating along waiting to be petted.

Susan's version.

Mendy's view.

These are local jellyfish called moon jellies. They're so delicate and fragile looking that it's surprising when you touch them to discover that they're actually quite tough and leathery feeling. And if you hold one in your hand it's like there's been a snail in your palm. I don't know if they exist elsewhere in the world but they are a local favorite and they seem to only live in this one spot.

Not much knitting though. A few rounds on a simple sock. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Can you see the cat hair?

Okay! So I finished the second set of clues yesterday. I know it doesn't look much different from yesterday but it is. So I have until Friday sometime to work on other projects. In spite of my complaining about this project I am enjoying it and looking forward to the next set of instructions. The complaints have nothing to do with the pattern. They're all caused by me.

The a/c repair guy showed up right on time. Except he didn't bring an extension ladder so he couldn't reach the a/c from the outside. He didn't anticipate that he'd need a ladder even though my condo is on the second floor. He's been here before is his guise as hot water heater guy. So he'll be back next Tuesday which means I won't be able to go to Unraveled for my weekly fix of knitting with C and S and P and L&H. I'm happy the weather has cooled since I'm not supposed to use the a/c even though it has a bit of freon still. Using it could cause the compressor to burn out and that would mean we need to get an entirely new a/c.

In more interesting news, we're going to Alamitos Bay Yarn Company today. It's our second annual Harbor Cruise. Last year's trip was so much fun that this year we had filled the boat even before we made the announcement to the whole group. You snooze; you lose. Or in this case, if you don't show up for knitting group you miss out sometimes on all the excitement. We might be able to schedule a second trip if there's enough interest. I hope the sun comes out while we're there. Doesn't look too likely right now but it's still early.

Further frustration

Here's the current state of my MS 3. Right where I threw it yesterday morning after discovering that I was missing three yarn overs four rows back. I think I must have dropped them while I trying to figure out why my stitch total had suddenly increased by four. After working a plain purl row. The previous knit row worked out just fine, or so I thought. No idea why I suddenly had too many stitches.

The yarn is black, the stitches are small and it's nearly impossible to see what I'm doing, especially since we aren't having much sunshine right now. I'm beginning to doubt my ability to do this. Not really. I'm just getting frustrated with my constant screw-ups. I should be done with the second clue by now but instead find myself back at row 121.

Today could be better. Except I have to do some chores first. I need to do a major vacuuming because the a/c repair guy is coming by this afternoon. And he's allegic to cats. Patrick is shedding like crazy right now so every surface is coated with cat hair. So I'll get that done this morning, even if my vacuum cleaner is only limping along right now, due in part to having too much cat hair to collect. I wonder if I could get the a/c repair guy to look at my vacuum.

I went to Mendy's last night to coach her in doing the attached I-cord of her Spanish Dancer Shawl and to get her started picking up the stitches for the ruffle. (She just called me and is ready to start the increasing. If you've made this shawl you know that the real fun is just beginning.)So anyway, I was supposed to bring home her spare Ott light so working the black lace abyss wouldn't be so eye-exhausting. But I forgot it. Maybe there'll be sun later.

Sunday afternoon

It's nice. It's quiet. It's not too hot. And I'm done with Clue #1 of the Mystery Shawl. Actually I've worked about six rows of Clue #2. This one is much easier than the first one plus I'm more familiar with the overall pattern or at least this section and how it relates to the first clue.

Once I realized I couldn't work on this project in public things got a lot easier, or maybe not easier, but I didn't make as many mistakes that needed to be undone. I'll probably have a picture tomorrow.

In general I'd say that I'm not comfortable knitting in public. I'm okay knitting in a yarn store but sitting around at Starbucks or some place like that makes me uncomfortable. I know it's because I feel threatened by people who I always imagine are whispering or making comments among themselves about a guy knitting. That's mostly my own insecurity I'm sure. I've never had anyone say anything derogatory directly to me. Actually the only time anyone has said anything has been in a yarn shop.

Anyway, I'll keep knitting in public. Just not on something that takes as much attention as this pattern.

Hot!

Just hot enough to be tasty. Not so hot you can't breathe for the next five hours. These are peppers from the plants that my daughter gave me for Father's Day this year. Some are hotter than others but none are unbearable.

I didn't have a moment to pick up my knitting yesterday. Busy the whole day with students including two brand new knitters. By the time I got home last night and had dealt with dinner etc. I was too tired and bleary-eyed to do anything. I tried tinking a single row of the MS 3 but I could tell it was just going to get worse. So today I will fix the most recent error and maybe have time to start the new clue that arrived yesterday.

Learning from my mistakes.

I should have paid more attention when Sharon told me to use a lifeline. Plus I should have learned from my Starbucks experience of a couple of days ago. Really it's not such a good idea to work on the MS3 in public. At least for me.

I have to rip at least ten rows before I can proceed with the next set of clues. I got some addi lace needles yesterday at Unraveled and they're much easier to use than the Inox Express. Nice points but I don't much care for the needle surface. Feels like I'm using some old aluminum needles. And I like the very flexible cable.

So after I get home tonight I'll be trying to correct the latest mistakes and getting started on the new clue.

Everyone's doin' it!

Well, that might be a slight exaggeration but there are a lot of folks making this shawl. I'm not officially in the KAL. I'm just using my friend L's copy of the pattern clues. If you read very many blogs you will no doubt have seen other, and far better, photos of this shawl.

This is my first ever genuine lace knitting. I've made things that use lace-type stitches, but never anything that uses laceweight yarn. It's trickier than I thought it would be. There's nothing in the pattern that I haven't done before. Yarn overs, SSKs, K2tog. All very familiar. Somehow though I'm finding it a bit intimidating.

Just as a general rule I'd say that knitting lace is not something you'd want to do while you're whiling away the afternoon at Starbucks. I met L(of L&H fame) at one of the many nearby Starbucks yesterday afternoon for a little catch-up time and some joint knitting effort. I will say we had a good time, even though the results of the knitting weren't all that terrific.

I was at row 85 of the first 100 rows. L was still trying to get to where I was and I was dawdling along, thinking I'd be finished with this set of instructions by the time we left. When L pointed out a mistake in her own knitting I began checking mine. I knew there were a couple of places where I'd fudged a bit to get back on track. Then I got a really good look at my knitting and realized that I had some other more serious problems. I ripped the whole thing out when I got home. I'm back up to row 50 now. I'll try to finish today because the next set of clues comes out tomorrow.

I stayed home last night to keep the cat company. He's just as frightened by sudden loud noises as you would expect a cat to be. Fortunately there weren't as many sudden loud noices as I was expecting. Just a couple. I think I jumped higher than he did, but I didn't drop any stitches. Hope you all had as nice a Fourth as I did.

Kureyon 128 Shawl

The ends have been woven in so my job is done. There needs to be some light blocking but it's almost 100
outside and my a/c is already struggling with that so I don't think I'll add any more stress to the poor old thing.

The pattern is an adaptation of one in Nancie Wiseman's Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scares. Basically it's just alternating squares of knits and purls but with a zigzag edge made by casting on and casting off every eight rows. It's also a v-shape to help it stay on better. That seems to be one of Ms Wiseman's favorite devices.

I only had seven skeins of the Kureyon so my version is a bit smaller than it would have been if I had used the Mountain Colors mohair that the pattern calls for. But I'm working from stash these days and this is what I came up with.

Another view.

Update Tuesday

Well, it didn't quite happen. I hadn't planned on being as busy yesterday as I turned out to be. From the time the shop opened until it closed. Not crazy busy but still busy. Plus, a lot of what did not sell during the June sale had to be reshelved or marked down some more. Yarns that were 50% are now 75% off, so long as you buy all we have in a single color. There are some really good deals if you're looking for ones and twos for hats or mittens. And there's still plenty of glitz if you're planning ahead for the holidays.

I got a comment yesterday that Bishop's in Chatsworth is closing. I've only been out there a few times but I've always found some great prices and plenty of selection. I'm not surprised she's closing. She's been there since early forever. The last I heard she was 86 so I guess she's planning on cutting back. I hope I can make it out there one more time to say goodbye and wish her well. And everything is half price, including books and accessories.

I started the Mystery Shawl #3 last night. Didn't make much progress though since I was tired and I'm working with black laceweight yarn. The fan going made it a bit hazardous. I'll get some more done tonight though. I did finish knitting the Kureyon shawl but I still have to weave in the ends and get some photos. Sounds like a good Fouth of July project.

Is this a knitting blog?

It's hard to find anything that strictly knitting these days. I have been doing a bit here and there but there's not much to write about. I have a shawl that I hope to finish today. I'm taking it with me to work along with my camera, just in case, so maybe tomorrow there'll be something to look at.

Of course it's summer and the most frequent greeting I get is "It's so hot!" Well, it is that. And humid. But there's still 82 days of summer to get through. We'll make it. We always do. But we have to mention it just in case no one has noticed. I went to dinner in Culver City last night. It's easily 15 or 20 degrees cooler over there. It was so pleasant to sit outside on Robert's patio and sip sangria. Followed by a dinner of grilled pork tenderloin. And freshly made pecan pie.

So, happy July! I'm not planning anything for the Fourth except staying home and keeping an eye on my cat. He's already pretty freaked out by the early fireworks that have been going off around here.

There goes the neighborhood?

It's been seventeen plus years since I bought the condo where I live. It's in a neighborhood that is euphemistically mixed. When I first moved here it took a while to get used to the street noises: kids on skateboards, gardeners blowing trash, garbage trucks beeping and backing, the drive-through at the Carl's Jr. on the corner. It took a while but I got used to it and now I rarely notice it.

The neighborhood has changed some over the years. There are more condos and there's more traffic. Motorcycles are common. Loud motorcycles. Kids have grown up and now have trucks, loud radios included, of their own. You get used to it since it happens over time and not all at once.

The thing that I'm having trouble with is the amount of police activity that's been happening.

A week or so ago the cat and I were wakened earlier than usual by some loud conversation that was taking place right below my kitchen window. I looked out the window and there were at least four squad cars parked in the street. I couldn't hear everything that was being said but it sounded like the police were questioning one of the Ho'ville denizens that sometimes frequent the boulevard a couple of miles east of here. That went on for a while and eventually everyone left. The next morning I found a broken Hennessy bottle in my driveway.

A couple of days later my downstairs neighbors had their van parked in the street and when I looked out there were a two police cars that were joined shortly by the forensic unit. I guess someone had broken into the van.

Last night, just after I hung up from an hour on the phone with my brother, I happened to look out my living room window and there was a swat team forming up and getting ready to "attack" somewhere across the street. It was interesting to watch but a bit scary since I had no idea what was going on. Still don't. They were across the street and went in through the security gate and then I couldn't see what they were doing. I didn't hear anything. Just an occasional cop coming back out to their vans and then going back in. They were all still there when I went to bed a couple of hours later. They were gone this morning.

The worst part is that I don't know how any of these incidents played out. Too many incompletes.

There are some new people moving in downstairs from me. At first I thought it was a couple of guys. Now I think it might be a young family. They've been moving it at night so I only hear them but can't see them.

But I just keep knitting on through noise and incompletes with hope and confidence that everything will work out. I'm a bit over halfway through my current shawl. I'm pretty sure I have enough yarn.

No progress Tuesday

Actually it was no progress Monday. I wasn't swamped yesterday but there was a steady stream of people taking classes or getting help. Just enough to keep me from working on my own project. And last night I spent most of the time doing some chores, brushing the cat and getting caught up on some emails. Ergo. Little progress.

Today should be better. I'm going to Costco this morning and then to lunch. I'll be stopping at Unraveled this afternoon since I'll already be over in that area. So I'll be able to work on my Kureyon red shawl, or something.

The June sale at A Stitch in Time is almost over. Saturday will be the last day. There's still some good stuff to be had. Prism yarn at 50% off, for example. Cascade 220 at 30% off. Anyway, just a reminder.

Quiet weekend

It was a quiet weekend. Restful anyway. I didn't leave the house yesterday except for my early morning walk. (Thanks, by the way, to everyone who wrote expressing their support.) My experiments with Modular Knits consisted only of reading the book.

Instead I started a shawl. I'm using some Noro Kureyon that I've had for a while. Basically it's just some alternating squares of knits and purls. I like the rustic, wabi-sabi look. There's no sunshine this morning so the color is only an approximation of the real thing.

Going off in another direction

I got this book yesterday while I was at Unraveled. There was a 10% off sale going on and I had been hankering for this book ever since I saw it last week. One of our regular Stitch in Time customers brought it in to show me. I could probably have saved a bit more on one of the on-line book sites but then I'd have to wait. And besides I'm trying not to buy any yarn right now but no one said anything about books.

I have done much with the modular knitting concept unless you count all those multi-directional scarves. Now that I think of it, doing the gusset on a sock is just another variation on modular knitting. There are some things in this book I'd like to made, mostly just so I could say I had done it. And if I can do this without having to weave in a bunch of ends it will be even better.

So I'm spending today playing around with some of the techniques. (Unless someone wants to go shopping of course.)

Exercise intolerant

I had to laugh. Exercise intolerance. Actually I've always hated exercise. So when the cardiologist told me that my treadmill test, which I thought hadn't been completed, showed that I was exercise intolerant all I could do was agree.

Personally I think it was unrealistic expectations on their part. How can you expect someone who is accustomed to walking 4 miles an hour to suddenly be able to walk at nearly 8 miles an hour. No wonder my heart rate went up really fast.

Curiously enough the cure for exercise intolerance is more exercise. I just got back from my first extended exercise bout. I thought I had it figured out that it would take an hour but I got back in 50 minutes. So I'm going to have to add a few more blocks to the circuit. But I think I'll wait a week or so until I've adjusted a bit. Anyway, I'm home, I'm soaking wet and I'm ready for a nap. The cat has other ideas.

Didn't get much knitting done yesterday. One round on the socks but I have to rip it because I think I should have done the cable first. A few rows last night on the yellow lace scarf. And I finished the zigzag scarf Thursday night. Can I start something new?

A little bit of knitting content

I did promise to have some knitting content today so here it is. This is my current Zigzag scarf. I've been working on it since I bought the yarn back in March at the big Black Skeep Knittery sale, phase one. I've mostly worked on it while I'm at A Stitch in Time but it's taking too long so I'm finishing it up at home.

And I have some socks going. These are Regia Silk. Nice to work with. I got the yarn at Unwind last year sometime, or maybe it was the year before. Anyway, I worked on this sock after lunch yesterday sitting on the patio of Heirloom Bakery where L (of L&H fame) and I went after we went to see the new Abuelita's in South Pasadena.

The new Abuelita's location is easier to find and more accessible. They seem to have more space to move around. All the knitting yarns are on one wall so it looks more impressive than in the former shop. There were some nice samples to admire. We'll probably go back sometime soon. I bought an addi Natura while I was there. I hope it will help with my other big project.

I'm working on a lace shawl. I've tried to get a photo but it's just not happening. I'll keep trying.

Hot Father's Day presents

Here they are. All lined up on my balcony. These are going to make for some hot salads and side dishes. Three different pepper plants that Lisa got for me for Father's Day. Her friend helped her nourish them from infancy to the full grown state you see them in today.



Purple jalapeno. I've never seen this one. The text just said "longer and milder than Ancho 101". I don't know what an Ancho 101 is.






These I know. Santa Fe Grande. "Hybrid pepperoncini, classic fruit size that is jarred commercially". I'll be trying these today.






Topepo Rosso. "Small Italian pepper that is round and bright red (when it's ripe). Eat fresh, roasted or pickled". These have a ways to go.

I'll be back tomorrow with maybe some knitting content.

Summer's kinda here

Summer arrived a few days early this year. It has been in the mid-90s for the past few days. Not pleasant. However, today looks to be cooler, only around 80. I'll be inside for most of the day, sitting in the usually over-active air conditioning. Must remember to take a jacket, just in case.

I did quite a bit of knitting on Saturday and Sunday but I'm not ready to post pictures. I'm making another shawl. Actually I've resumed one that I started last year. I made a lot of progress but it's lace snd the yarn is fairly stiff so the going is slow. It's not something I can safely knit in public so I'll be working on it at home. I'm going to need better light that we have right now before I can get a decent picture.

Have you signed up for the Mystery Shawl knit-a-long? I'm still debating. I think I have enough projects going, and I know I get a lot of distractions, so probably I won't be officially signing on. But I am curious to see what it's all about. Maybe someone will at least show me the pattern parts as they come along.

I'm really enjoying the new radio/CD player that Lisa gave me for Father's Day. My old radio was really getting bad about holding the station. But it served me well for about fifteen years. I'm not particularly sentimental about electronic things so I won't have a problem discarding the old radio. Maybe I should do the same thing with most of the clothes in my closets. Not the yarn though. Never the yarn!

Happy Father's Day

to those that qualify. We celebrated yesterday. Lunch at Acapulco followed by a stroll through some of the shops in Sierra Madre. I love spending time with my daughter. And she brings me presents.



And Patrick loves the box.

Today is also the 50th anniversary of my high school graduation. I know. I can't believe it either.

The end is near!

No! Not that end. The end of my Clapotis. I almost finished last night but my brother called and we talked for over an hour. By then I was ready to fall asleep. I only slept about three hours the night before due to being out late and the cat getting me up even earlier than usual. Anyway, I should finish today. I'll take some photos on Saturday when Lisa is here. (We're observing Father's Day one day early to avoid the crowds.)

This morning was a fast. I had to go back to Kaiser so they could sample my blood again. This time it's to check on my cholesterol and diabetes. I also picked up a new, stronger cholesterol fighting drug. I'm also trying to get through to the cardiology department to make an appointment with a specialist. The nuclear perfusion stress test showed that there was no blockage in my heart but since I've had a couple of angina events my doctor wants me to see a cardiologist to see if I need some more meds or if I'll need an angioplasty. Or maybe nothing. Perhaps that's TMI.

So, now that Clapotis is almost done, I'm thinking about the next big project. I have a shawl already started from some time early this year, or maybe late last year, that I think I'll go back to. And there's the new Knitty to choose something from. I have several colors of Schaeffer Anne that I could use for those socks. So that will probably end up on the needles soon. After I finish the two pair I started over the weekend.

Disappearing breeds, or I'd better get this yarn while I can

Just in case there's never any more wool, maybe sheep will suddenly disappear, I thought I'd better add a few more things to my stash. I got two bags of this new Noro Silk Garden (#267). I think it's the most monochromatic Silk Garden I have ever seen. Unless there's a stray color buried deep inside. I checked a couple but didn't see anything but brown tones. I'm pretty sure what I'm going to do with it but I'd better mull it for a while. This is the yarn I got at Hissy Knits last Sunday.

Here's a breed I'd never seen before: Lisa Souza Sock Yarn. I've heard of it for years but never seen it. Got this yesterday at the Unraveled sock yarn sale. I also notice that I'm moving away from the oranges and limes a bit. This is the second or third time that I've picked something up in the blue, green, turquoise family. Although there's still some rusty orange in there. This yarn is 100% superfine merino and really, really soft. I hope not too soft to hold up in socks.

And here's some of my all time favorite (this week anyway) Jitterbug from Colinette. This colorway is raspberry even though neither the photo nor the yarn is particularly raspberry. Sometimes it is though. I also order two hanks in Mardi Gras. I went ahead and ordered it so I could get it at the sale price.

Last night was our last official Dulaan knitting night. We're not shipping stuff until the end of next week so I'll be able to finish the hat I started last night and we'll collect a few items from other group members. I haven't heard or seen any mention of the Dulaan project continuing next year but if it doesn't we'll still get together and knit for other charities.

One of these socks isn't like the other, somewhat

I really meant to make them a lot different but it didn't work out that way. But they're done and it only took a week for the first time in a long time. I've cast on for another pair but they're much more complicated and have lots of K2tog on size 1US needles so they're not going to moved so quickly.

Yesterday the Hissy Knits shuttle picked me up at around one o'clock so I could go visit them in their new location. L and H came along. The new shop is in a big red barn right in the middle of a residential area. Annie, the shop owner, also runs a day care which is right next to the big red barn. The shop is a lot easier to find than the Google map suggests.

I don't know if the barn ever funtioned as a real barn or if it was just built as a recreation space. The yarn shop is on the second floor and you have to climb some stairs. No wheel chair access that I could see. The shop is full of Noro and most of the other lines that are distributed by Knitting Fever, same as her old space. The lighting leaves a lot to be desired but there are windows if you need to see the colors better.

I helped reduce her inventory to the tune of a couple of bags of Silk Garden. I'm beginning to think I have a genuine addiction problem. The light isn't very good this morning so I'll wait to show you the yarn.

There's a sock yarn event at Unraveled tomorrow. I plan to be there as soon as the doors open. I need some more Jitterbug and a little Koigu would help.

What's new?

Tomorrow is World Wide Knit in Public Day. Who knew? I don't know how I missed hearing about this but there it is. I don't think I'll be joining in as I'm already pretty booked for tomorrow. Cats to brush; floors to clean; naps to take. But I never know for sure. I could be tempted if I knew of a place to join in.

I got my weekly Knit Bits newsletter from Berocco this morning. It's the first one in a while where I found much of interest. Their new falls books are highlighted. Some pretty exciting things including a new book devoted entirely to Norah Gaughan. I've always liked her work. Not that I've ever actually knit one of her designs. Mostly I like them for their interesting construction and stitch patterns. But I'll get that book plus several others from the collection. Just in case I finish all the other things I want to do.

You pick

I finished a sock and what's her name got out of jail early. Which is the bigger surprise?

As you can see I've cast on for the second sock. No bad luck for me. I decided to use a round toe this time. I'll have to wait to see if Lisa likes the fit before I use it on another pair.

Winding down

and winding up. Our Dulaan group only has one more meeting before we get everything sorted and packaged for shipping. We've been pretty good recently about finishing things and Mendy thinks we're a lot closer to our goal than I thought we were. I still have two hats to finish but that shouldn't be a problem.

No photo yet but I have turned the heel and am starting the foot of the sock. I'll be going to meet friends in a little while and will take the sock along.

I stopped by Skein yesterday. Hadn't been there in quite a while. Their instructor was out with allergies so I helped a couple of people while I was there and had lunch. I went back today to pick up the skein of sock yarn I saw yesterday but didn't buy. And a couple of other things.

Some knitting content

Last week one of my friends (you know who you are) got after me because I didn't post every day. Well, we all know that sometimes it's really hard to find anything relevant and sometimes we just resort to talking about the cat or how we had to take lots of naps to get through the day. So I don't always post but I'm trying. Mustn't disappoint the readers who have to be reminded to read once in a while.

I did make some progress on my sock yesterday. It wasn't very busy during the first part of the day but by noon I had too many things going on to knit on my sock. Since I teach on a drop-in basis it's difficult to know how busy I will be at any time. I had three or four people sitting with me for most of the afternoon.

When I got home I worked some more and again this morning. I'm decreasing the gusset now. I have some errands to do and Dulaan knitting tonight so I don't expect to finish this first sock today.

I was helping someone get started on her Clapotis yesterday. I got myself into a real panic when I read that there was supposed to be an increase at the end of every row. I've only been increasing at the end of the knit side. I couldn't figure out why her stitch count was coming out correctly with the increase and mine had been correct without the increase. When I got home I looked at my scarf and discovered I had done the increases as directed. It's just been so long since I started that I had forgotten that I did them. That was both a relief and a caution that I shouldn't put things on hold for such a long time. It's not like I can remember things as well as I used to.

The plan and what happened

The plan was that I would knit a sock yesterday. I had the whole day ahead of me with no obligations. It was going to be so great to just sit and knit with no interruptions. I haven't knit a sock in a long time so I was looking forward to.

My friend L (of L&H fame) gave me the yarn (Opal Magic) on Saturday. I hadn't put it away yet so when my daughter came over on Saturday evening she saw it and said she liked it. So I thought it would be nice to have a little sock diversion. That was before Pat the Cat got involved.

Now he's a really nice cat and isn't a whole lot of trouble but sometimes he's kind of needy. Plus he's pretty determined once he's made up his mind. Yesterday was one of his brush me or else kind of days, plus we have to play. You never play with me. And, because he gets me up really early, I tend to fall asleep about every four rows. So all that took a lot of time.

Then, around ten I thought I'd better go take a walk. Plus it was Swap Meet Sunday. I went to check out the new location and to see if I could find the lady that bought yarn from last month. (I know I said I wasn't buying any more yarn but it doesn't count if it's less than $50.) It was really humid and I thought the enclosed garage was oppressive and the cigarette smoke was pretty noticeable. And I never did find the lady with the yarn.

By now it's time to fix lunch. And then clean up the dishes. And then another nap. So I finished the sixteen rows of ribbing by around three thirty. I made some progress and then it was time for dinner, and cleaning up.

So around seven I was ready to really get a lot done. Half an hour later my older brother called and talked for over an hour and a half. I'm stopped in mid-row. So I'll take this with me today and see if it's any less distracting at work than it is at home.

I'm not buying any more yarn

but that doesn't mean you can't. Today is the big kick-off for A Stitch in Time's mid-year sale. I'm looking forward to seeing lots of my yarn-starved friends at this one. There are a few items that I have my eye on but if you want it just say so. Just remember, 50% off on selected yarns but you have to buy all we have of that color. And all the other yarns are 30% off but you only have to buy the amount you want.

I frittered most of yesterday away. After all, I'm retired. What else have I got to do? Lunch with a friend and a bit of yarn shopping, for her, not me. Then off to pick up my prescription at Kaiser. It wasn't ready. What's up with them? Back to Unraveled for the rest of the afternoon. Made a lot of progress on the Clapotis. Then out to dinner with the ladies. More Mexican and margaritas. All in all a nice fritter.