Some finished stuff and one started

The amazing Koolhass hat, designed by Jared Flood, as shown in IK Holiday 2007 magazine. I used some Cascade 220 that I had in stash. It's actually a bit more red orange than the photo suggests. I have to rip the top out and remove one of the repeats because the hat is too long. I should have listened to my friend who knits a lot of hats when she told me she thought it looked long. Plus it's a bit on the tight side. I'm planning another one which I think I'll do one one size larger needle. I'm not sure which yarn I'll use yet.

And I did finally finish these socks. Openwork rib from Sensational Knitted Socks. The yarn is Knit Picks Sock Garden which is very nice. Soft. I don't recall ever having has so many problems with a sock though. Way too many dropped stitches. I think it was partly the yarn since it isn't very springy. And that y/o, ssk kind of gave me fits, especially when it was at the end of a needle. But they're finally done and have gone into the holiday gift drawer until I decide who gets them.


And I started another pair of socks. Well, anklets really. I got this Crystal Palace Maizy a week or so ago and have been waiting for some open time so I could try it out. It's made from corn (82%) and elastic nylon (18%). It's a bit of a challenge. The plies tend to open up as you work with it so it's easy to pick up just a single strand instead of the whole yarn. It also doesn't have much give so it doesn't slide easily on the needles. You really have to watch what you're doing, even in plain stockinette, or you'll end up with funky stitches. Oh, and my needles are now a nice rusty shade of red.

Other than that everything is normal. My back is a lot better but still a little sensitive. The cat is fine but being driven crazy by all the birds that are passing through. I had to remove him from the window screen yesterday because he got stuck and didn't have any idea of how to get down.

Better

Thanks for all the get well wishes. My back is less sore but it still reminds me if I move the wrong way. Or if I stay too long in one position. But it is definitely better.

Today is charity knitting day. I'll be going over to Mendy's in a little while to work on the hat I started last week. And to have lunch. I don't expect there will be very many of us. Most of our group has daytime obligations that preclude them attending. But Mendy wanted to give everyone a chance to attend at least once in a while. Next week we'll be knitting in the evening.

The really hot weather around these parts has put a stop to the knitters. Things were beginning to get a bit better when we had a few cool days. But now it's super hot again and there are all those wild fires everywhere, so I think people are just distracted.

I did have a few students yesterday but there were also some periods of quiet, as in nothing to do quiet. I had already marked the new yarns that came in last week. Just waiting for the boss to decide where she wants to display them. Anyway. I didn't do any knitting on my own projects until I got home. But didn't get much done since my older brother called and that always takes an hour or more. So only a few rounds on the socks.

Oh my aching back!

Literally. I don't know what happened. My OLD syndrome has really been kicking my butt lately. I don't think there's a joint in my body that doesn't ache. Especially first thing in the morning. Getting out of bed is a series of cracks and groans.

I had promised the cat that I would clear some of the boxes of yarn from the living room so he could once again have access to his scratching post and general play area. So I did that yesterday. I don't remember anything popping or snapping but who knows? I could have done something that is causing my back to hurt. Anyway, I've taken some ibuprofen and other than that I'm just ignoring it as much as I can.

I had a nice weekend. Spent a large part of Saturday knitting with friends at Unraveled and the got to have dinner with L (of L&H fame). And last night I went to dinner at my friend Robert's. Hadn't seen him is quite a while. But that always means I'll get home a couple of hours later than my normal bedtime. So there's a bit of catching up to do. I would really rather sleep than go to Stitch in Time today but that's not going to happen.

I'm still working on that second sock. And the chevron scarf is getting longer. Not much else is happening. I got some new sock yarn to try out,Maizy from Crystal Palace. It's 82% corn fiber and 18% elastic nylon. I haven't tried it yet but I think I'll make some kind of anklet. I've used Cascade's Fixation before. I'm hoping this will be more comfortable to knit and to wear.

Never give up!

When I first started to teach knitting on a regular basis I didn't really know as much about knitting as people thought. I'm pretty much self taught, except for a few friends I made along the way, using whatever books or patterns that I liked. I had never knit a pair of socks, for example. I just knew the basics. But I'm pretty good at figuring out what a pattern is trying to tell me.

So over the past few years I've really worked hard to expand my techniques and to get to know more about how to do stuff. I really get excited when there's something new to figure out. Not all patterns are created equal and the number of errors in printed patterns seems to be expanding exponentially. Errata pages seems to go up almost as soon as new books are published. Pity the new knitter!

On the other hand, it's not always necessary to follow a pattern exactly. But one does have to be careful when making changes. And always make notes of what you did. The socks in the picture are ones that I started almost a year ago. I'm using a stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks
by Charlene Schurch. I had put them aside for several months. When I picked them up again I thought I knew what I had been doing. After I had completed about half of the gusset decreases I realized I wasn't using the stitch pattern I had started with. I had to rip back to before the beginning of the heel flap and reknit. Well, I'm started on the second sock now and I'm pretty sure I'll get these done for this year's holiday season. All I have to decide is who's going to get them.

I have to admit that it was pretty tempting to just trash these socks when I discovered my mistake. But, like I always tell my students, if you knit you will rip. And they seem to like it when I make mistakes in my own knitting.

Now busier than ever with not much knitting

Yesterday morning I didn't have much to do. I worked on my chevron scarf for as long as I could stand it. That all changed at about one o'clock when four people showed up at nearly the same time followed by two more a bit later. That's sort of the risk of doing drop in classes. Fortunately no one had a problem that couldn't be quickly resolved but I did spend a lot of time moving around from person to person, making sure they were still on track. And I had a two or three people who just came to visit.

I had pulled some yarn from our marked down baskets (75% off) thinking it was such a good deal I shouldn't pass it up. By the end of the day I still hadn't purchased it so I just put it back for someone else to find.

I didn't knit at all last night. Phone calls and emails plus all that time on Ravelry. I sorted some of the odds and ends of yarn that I had set aside for charity knitting and picked out some needles to take with me today.

We're resuming our weekly charity knitting today. We haven't met for a couple of months but we're scheduled for the balance of the year. I have a couple of hats left unfinished from last year so I'll take those and maybe get them done.

After that I have planned a trip to Unraveled to meet with a couple of friends and then it's back to Pasadena for dinner with the Stitch in Time ladies. We're celebrating the owner's birthday. More Mexican food and margaritas. So I don't expect to get anything done on my current projects, other than the charity knitting, or any stash sorting. Tomorrow looks like it's open.

It's going to get worse before it gets better.

It's too dark and overcast here this morning for me to get any decent pictures of the mess I have on my hands. I've mentioned a few times that I'm trying to sort through my stash and reorganize it into some kind of usable order. So I've emptied a few cardboard boxes and now the yarn is piled in mostly unrecognizable heaps, not only in the yarn room but in the living room. The cat is beside himself.

So, I discovered, as I was trying to figure out Ravelry, that I need to organize my yarns in such a way that I can enter all the pertinent information about each one. This is going to take a long time. Much of what I have has never been photographed. So that's a biggie. And even the stuff that I have photographed isn't always the whole amount. So most of that will need to be photographed as well.

I'm in the market for some more plastic storage bins. I need to get those so I can put the yarn away as I photograph and upload the images. And then I can start going through the yarn that is already in plastic bins.

I found a couple of yarns yesterday that I don't recognize and I seem to have discarded the labels when I wound the skeins into cakes. That was really dumb! Revisiting these yarns is exciting and distracting. So many get pulled out and put near my knitting chair for me to play with. I already have more projects going than I'll be able to finish this year. Still, why not?

More sock yarn

You'd think that someone who was trying to reduce his stash would show a bit of restraint when it comes to buying sock yarn. Well, that's just not the case. This is Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. I just ran across it when I happened to stop in at Unraveled a couple of days ago. It is amazingly soft and the yardage is generous. Enough for a pair of socks of course. Or maybe some fingerless gloves. I'm putting this in line ahead of lots of other sock yarn, just because I think it's going to be a terrific looking sock. And, if you're one who gets cold feet, it's going to be very warm.

I don't remember if I mentioned this yarn or not. It's Lang Aktion, their newest sock yarn. I've had it for a couple of weeks. It was kind of at the head of the line, having bumped Regia's Designer yarn (mine is the Kaffe Fassett colorway) which I also think I forgot to mention getting. If you get the Berroco newsletter you will have seen a pattern for some fingerless gloves using this yarn just this morning. That'll go faster than socks and I'll still get to enjoy the yarn.

You can click on the pictures for a bigger view.

I got my invitation to join Ravelry. I signed up but haven't done anything else. There's going to be a lot of trial and error going on over here until I figure out how it works.

Not so much with the knitting

I'm still here. I know it's only been a couple of days since I posted but it seems like much longer. I just don't have anything, or much of anything, knitting-wise to report. Still working on those two pair of socks. And I'm still working through my stash to see what I can pass along.

It's difficult to let go of some of this stuff, even the stuff that I know I'll never be able to get to. I get sentimental over some of it because of associations I have with it. People who are no longer here; shops that are no longer around; yarn companies that no longer exist. It's not a museum. It's more like a photo album from long ago. Even the "what was I thinking" stuff tempts me to hold on. Opening boxes, some of which have been closed for years, and seeing what's inside, is a happy/sad kind of thing. I can only do a few a day.

I emptied a large box yesterday. The box that my very first computer monitor came in. I found a lot of the yarn that I bought several years ago to make one of Kaffe Fassett's coats. It was to be for a friend who passed away a couple of years ago from breast cancer. I still have the first part that I started. I'll use this yarn to make gifts for friends this year. I know that Sherry would have wanted me to.

Weekend recluse

I didn't leave the house this weekend except for my walk and a quick trip to Trader Joe's. Just me and the cat. It was nice. And I thought I might be getting a cold but that seems to have been averted with a lot of naps and not doing much.

I did finish a couple of socks. Obviously not a pair but their mates are started.

And I made this hat. On Friday A Stitch in Time held its annual Knit Out to benefit a local cancer treatment center. We had about twelve or fifteen knitters drop in to work on hats and scarves. I made this one for a redhead or someone who wants to find out how they'd look as a redhead.

I pretty much stayed away from the computer this weekend. I have a few emails and comments that I need to respond to. I'll see about doing that tonight.

My new knitting bag

People tell me that my cat is spoiled. To some extent that may be true. Patrick has totally claimed my Eddie Bauer bag that I've been using for a couple of years as my knitting bag. He likes to sleep on it. It is now so completely covered with hair that I can't begin to clean it. So, for the time being, I'm using this perfectly adequate plastic shoe bag to carry all my knitting paraphernalia. I'm thinking about what I want for the next one. I better decide soon because this one is starting to go.


When I cleaned out the cat's favorite sleeping bag I found this sock. Long abandoned and nearly half off the needles. It wasn't quite to the heel flap yet. So now it is retrieved and nearing completion. The first one anyway. I don't think I have a second sock syndrome but I do like starting new ones.

New Sweater Project

The start of a new sweater project. The sweater I just finished is also from this book, Simply Beautiful Sweaters for Men
by Linden Phelps and Beryl Hiatt, owners of Tricoter in Seattle. There are a number of other sweaters and vests in this book that I would like to knit. The one I'm making is called Terry's Ribbed Pullover and that's basically what it is. I've started with the sleeves just so I can get them out of the way. It's also a V-neck which I'll probably change to a crew style since I don't like the way V-necks look on me.

I'm using some Kureyon in color 51. The photo is no where near accurate but I've tried all the things I know how to do and still can't get a better image. But you can see the gradation and the colors themselves except they're deeper in real life. I got the yarn at Velona's a couple of years ago during one of our yarn buying frenzies not knowing for sure what I would do with it. So I'm probably going to have five or six skeins left over. I could use a new scarf.

Is this Monday?

The brown cable sweater is done. And it fits. Even the arms are long enough. I'm sending out to be cleaned and blocked before I take any photos of me actually wearing it. Besides, it's still very warm here.

I haven't checked but I know I started this sweater more than four years ago. And I'm really pleased that I decided to finish it. The arms are a bit tight but I think the blocking will take care of that. And the wool, Crystal Palace Country Wool, is pretty coarse and scratchy so I'll need to wear it over something with long sleeves. But I do like the way it looks, all tweedy and rustic.

Forgive the corny border. I couldn't resist.

I've been really busy, or so it seems. After all the excitement of last week's yarn swap and the yarn/yard sale on the weekend, and finishing the finishing of the brown sweater, and a tailgate yarn swap with wine, and then working. Well, it's just too much to keep track. And to further confuse the issue, my daughter came to visit last night. Generally she comes on Sunday but she has some other obligation that's getting in the way so she came over last night. Therefore, I feel like today is Monday and I should be thinking about getting ready to go to A Stitch in Time. But I'm not. Instead I'm getting ready to go for a walk.

Knitters redistribute

Unfortunately my photos this evening are not good enough. This rather blurry shot of the yarn redistribution pile is about as good as it got. There was a lot more yarn earlier and a bit more arrived later with, well, late arrivers.

A lot of yarn changed hands so I'd say it was a success. There was yarn leftover, some of it stuff I had taken. It's all in the back of my car at the moment. It was too late in the evening to schlep it in. Once I have it in I will go through it and decide what to do with it. I'm sure a lot of it can go to our charity knitting boxes. I'll keep some of what I took over since I still like it even though I was willing to part with it.

Georgie did a great job hosting us in her office. And she provided plenty of snacks. There were nine of us there. Three people who had said they would be there didn't make it. Maybe I should leave the yarn in my car and have a tailgate yarn swap just for them.

Knitting some

I did manage to get some knitting time in last night. Not so much that there's cause for alarm or justification for a picture. It's a sock after all and you've already seen the interesting part. But I did knit for a couple of hours. And it was good.

We had fun at the Fair. Except for the heat. And I also forgot where I parked. I think this might be a tradition. I've forgotten every year. So maybe I should just accept it and not try to remember to write the location down.






We started by going to see some farm animals. I almost never do this but the friend who was with me wanted to. I think he might have spent some time on a farm as a child and just wanted to revisit some memories. I spent some time on a farm when I was in high school and it's definitely not a memory I care to revisit.


There were plenty of animals of assorted kinds. The barn was kind of dark so it was hard to get any really good pictures plus the animals moved when you least expected it. But then my camera batteries died. So you're spared the agony of looking at more farm animals.

But you also don't get to see the knitting and crochet exhibit. There were other things in the fiber exhibit but I don't know anything about scrapbooking. Of course there was quilting. Don't know much about that either.

I'm almost always disappointed in the knitting and crochet exhibit. Not that there isn't a lot of really top notch work. It's just that so much of what is on display is kind of boring. Not in a been there, done that sort of way. More in a that's really practical, you'll get a lot of wear out of that sort of way. But then it is a craft show, not an art show. Let's don't get into a discussion about craft versus art.

I do have to hand to the people who put the show together. It's got to be hard to arrange all those entries into an attractive and viewable way. The quilts were mostly really easy to see and they made spectacular backdrops for some of the afghans and sweaters that filled the lower spaces of the display cases.

The main reason I go to the Fair is because my daughter works there. (I get free tickets and parking passes.) She's in charge of one of the exhibits, Education Expo. That's where the local high schools get to show off some of the art work that they're done. I spent quite a bit of time there. This year there was mostly flat art with a bit of wood working thrown in. Most of the art was pretty much what you'd expect high school art to look like, a little stiff and contrived but still upbeat on the whole. Some years there's been a lot more angst.

A lot of walking! I was really happy when it was time to meet up with my daughter so we could all go to lunch in a nice, quiet and cool restaurant. They had margaritas but I was driving. So diet soda it was. I got home and promptly fell asleep in the middle of a game of FreeCell.

Knitting, not so much

I don't remember when I've been so non-productive. I think I managed 16 rows on a sock yesterday. And that was it. Monday was only slightly better. And it's not from want of wanting to. I just seem to be really busy with lots of little stuff that is taking me away from my routine. It looks like I'm going to be pre-occupied until the end of the week.

I've been working more days for the last week. Spent four days at Skein filling in for a vacationing instructor. That's done now. I enjoyed the time there as I got to see a number of people I haven't seen since I left Skein last year. Ann Mary hasn't always been real upfront when people have asked where I am. Some have asked if I'm feeling better or how I'm enjoying not working. And there was some pressure to consider coming back to teach there again, even if it was only on Saturday. I don't think so.

Today I'm going to the LA County Fair. That should be lots of fun. We'll meet my daughter Lisa there and she will show us around. I didn't go for my morning walk today since I'm sure I'll be doing plenty of walking at the Fair. We had our three or four days of fall last week and now we're back into summer. High 80s and lots of sun.

Anyway. Not much knitting right now. Maybe tonight.

Knitting yarn to go

I think I mentioned it before. We're having a yarn swap this week at our Thursday night knitting group. I spent several hours last night going through some boxes. So far this is what I've decided I can live without. And that doesn't count the stuff I just put in the trash.

Some of these yarns are pretty nice. But when I consider how much yarn I will still have after I pass these along, and how much time it takes to knit something, I realize that there isn't enough time to use it all.

I did enjoy rediscovering some of the stuff in my stash. Some of which I don't remember buying and some of which goes back to my earliest knitting days. A lot of what I have is no longer available. I discarded some Orlon yarns, some crafting yarns, even some candle wicking yarn. Anyone remember candle wicking? I did find two cones of lace weight wool that I had been looking for when I was getting ready to knit the Swan Lake (MS3) a couple of months ago.

I don't know how many more boxes I'll get through before Thursday. I'll do a few more tonight and maybe consolidate some of the now only partially full boxes. I haven't ever started on the yarn that's stored in my living room. Most of that is pretty current so I may have a harder time recycling that.

I hope all this stuff finds a new home. Now that I've said my goodbyes I don't want to have to bring any of it back. My plan is to keep going through the boxes and taking stuff to future knitting nights. After all, I need the room for all the new stuff.

Avoidance knitting

I've been busy. And I've had very little time to knit. Or to work on the finishing of the brown cabled sweater. Yeah, that's it. I'm just too busy to sew that thing together. I did get the neckband done though. And besides, I really need to work on these socks. Socks that I started probably last spring.

I actually picked them up again a couple of weeks ago and promptly screwed them up. Used the wrong stitch pattern which I didn't realize until after I had already done the heel and started on the gusset decreases. So that all had to be redone and now I'm back on track. So it doesn't totally look like I'm avoiding the finishing.

In less than twenty four hours I acquired enough yarn for six more pairs of socks. Three were purchased at the knitting night at Unraveled. The other three I got on Friday while I was working at A Stitch in Time. Not that I'm in any danger of running out of sock yarn. We're having a swap night this week so I'll be getting rid of some stash, probably not sock yarn though. And then there's a yarn de-acquisition yard/yarn sale coming up that will give me a chance to replace some of what I've swapped out.

I haven't started anything new though. The Chevron Scarf is growing, slowly. That one is my KIP project. And the Jitterbug socks that I started a few weeks ago are still nearing completion of sock one. And there's a blue cotton lace stole that I haven't said much about here.

I'm working three days this week, going to the LA County Fair one day, and doing some chores (laundry) on another day. So it doesn't look like there's going to be much finishing time this week either.

It was like a party

Our Thursday night knitting group got together at Unraveled tonight. Usually I'm not one to take pictures but this was a good chance to not only show off the wonderful space but to show you some of the people I run with. I think I got everyone. My friend L (of L&H fame)was there earlier but she had to leave before I remembered I had brought my camera.

I won't bore you with who all the people are except for the photo in the upper left. That's my friend Susan who was our host tonight. She's just getting all the cheeses and wine that she brought for us to enjoy. And we really did.

A new book

This book came in the mail yesterday. I ordered it, along with four or five other books, from Overstock.com, my favorite book source. I had seen a number of references to it on the blogs. It had been well received so I was looking forward to getting my copy.

I have to say I'm not wild about it. That doesn't mean it isn't worthwhile. Most of the patterns are suitable for advanced beginner to intermediate knitters. And the styles are very wearable, pretty much as I think the designer intended. There's nothing over the top. Just very traditional styles with some updating via the use of color and yarn.

I do like the throw/afghan and can actually see myself making it but maybe not in the yarn shown since I have plenty of other yarns on hand that could be substituted. The scarves, hats and socks are nice but not earthshaking. The British Checks Sweater is also something I would consider making.

I like the photography. It makes me think of snapshots, which I think was the intention. The models look like everyday people and the sets are real and unpretentious, a nice change.

The technical section at the front of the book is well done but probably only useful to beginners. The book itself is printed on very heavy paper that has a nice matte finish so there's no glare.

Overall I'd say I'm glad that I got the book. It's straight forward and usable. Even if I may not ever get around to making anything from it.

The sum is greater than the parts

Well, at least, the parts are done. Now I just have to put them all together. That should happen this week sometime.

I don't enjoy the finishing part of sweater knitting. I can do it but I don't like it. I saved myself a few ends to be woven in. I used spit splicing whenever I could with this yarn. It's a single ply wool and the splicing, which I've never used before, seemed to work really well.

I'm working a few days this week at Skein, the shop where I worked before I went to A Stitch in Time. I'll only be there from 11 to 5 for the next three days and then one day next week. So if you're in the area, stop and say hello.

New yarn has begun to arrive at A Stitch in Time. Some Kureyon and Silk Garden. Lots of Debbie Bliss, even some Sirdar Baby Bamboo. And yesterday I discovered that there's also some lace weight Malabrigo. And there's more to come!

Mornings around here

Rosy-fingered Dawn has been arriving a little later each day. Most days it's still dark when I leave the house to take my walk. And it's getting to be cool enough that a light jacket will be needed before too long.

It seems so much quieter in the morning now. There's less traffic or maybe the faint light just softens it so that I'm less conscious of the noise. It's very pleasant. I see most of the same people every day. I might miss one or two if my schedule is off a bit. There's the uber-chunky guy with his two uber-chunky dogs. The three of them totally block the sidewalk as they stroll side by side. The tall lanky guy with his hair pulled back in a ponytail. Always carrying what looks like a roll of miscellaneous paper. He walks very fast. Actually I saw him last week in the supermarket when I was there to get some kitty litter. And the guy who lives up the street from me who walks with such purpose that I just want to move out of his way. Each step is precise and he moves his arms with such purpose that I'm afraid to disrupt him with a spoken greeting. I just nod. And then there are the street people that wander around in the early morning, looking for a handout or for some place to stop and sort through the bags of stuff they're accumulated overnight.

I did manage to miss walking into that dead palm frond that's been hanging from the tree in front of Burger King for the past couple of weeks. So far I've run into it twice or maybe it's three times. Whatever. Today I remembered in time to veer out of its way.

I've added some stretching exercises to my morning routine. Nothing serious, just some twisting and bending stuff. And when I get home I do some leg exercises that require me to get down on the floor. Freaks the cat out. He always comes running and meowing like "what are you doing down here?"

I finished the first sleeve of the brown sweater and have continued with the second one. I'm not exactly bored but it sure seems to be taking a long time. Only about 80 rows to go, including the cap shaping. Sticking to one project is hard.

Harvest time

When my friend Robert brings home fresh produce from the market he usually arranges it in a basket on his kitchen counter so he can enjoy it while it's waiting its turn. I don't. My kitchen counter is too small as it is. But these squashes and the pumpkin are just too colorful and lush to be hidden away in the refrigerator. It's a lot harder to arrange these things than you would think. They keep rolling around. I liked it better when I had just taken them out of the bag and put them on the counter.

Lisa's friend JC (not that JC. This is a different one.) has been sending over fresh vegetables for most of the summer. Green beans, tomatoes, various squashes and even some exotic eggplant. This is probably just about the end of the bounty.

So where was I? Oh, yeah. Knitting. I'm just about done with the first sleeve of the brown cable sweater. Since the other one is already started I might still get this done by the end of the week. I'm home all day today and tomorrow, except for Thursday night knitting, so there's plenty of time, if I just don't get distracted by the new blue lace shawl I started on Sunday night. More about that another time.

Thwarted!

Faithful readers may recall that I said I was going to knit both sleeves of my cabled brown sweater at once. That was supposed to help motivate me to get it done.

I only have two size 8US/5mm circular needles. The Addi turbo is 60 inches long. The other needle is a 29 inch Clover bamboo. I do not like circular bamboo needles and will avoid them at almost any cost. So I started with the Addi. Everything was fine except for all that extra length. It really made switching sides a hassle. So I gave that up and switched to the Clover bamboo. And that was working fairly well.

Yesterday morning I noticed that the stitches being placed on the right hand needle were suddenly moving a lot more easily. I looked down and discovered that the cable had separated from the needle leaving about half a row of unsecured stitches.

Fortunately the wool yarn has a lot of nap so the stitches held really well and I was able to slip them onto a straight needle. So I'm about half way through one sleeve while the other one awaits its turn. So much for my plan. Plus I really prefer working one sleeve at a time even if it does mean making the same thing twice.

My cat is a Democrat

in many ways. Especially when it comes to entitlements. He believes he is entitled to be brushed on demand, to be fed at any hours, including 4AM, to sleep on any surface that is handy. None of this is because he has done anything to merit it but simply by virtue of being a cat. Just being a cat is all that's required.

On the other hand he's sometimes Republican. His attitude is that so long as he gets what he wants it doesn't matter what someone else wants. If someone else gets what he wants and the cat is still satisfied then it's okay. That's how trickle-down works. But the really Republican thing is an absolute resistance to change. Do not bring anyone in this house that I don't know. Don't move any of the furniture. And don't change brands of litter. Just don't!

I have made two trips to the supermarket this morning. One at five. Since when did supermarkets start closing overnight? What happened to 24/7? The second trip at six when the store was actually going to be open. All this because the cat doesn't like or understand change.

I had read on several blogs that I turst that Trader Joe's Pine pellet kitty litter was the ideal kitty litter. So I got some and following all the directions cleaned the litter box and put in the one inch layer of pine pellets. The cat did not approve. No matter how badly he needed to access the litter box, and no matter that I picked him up and put him on the disagreeable surface, nothing I could suggest would convince that cat that this was a good idea and good for the ecology to boot. No way. I'll just suffer if you don't change this litter to something more akin to what I'm used to. Hence the two trips to the supermarket before the sun was even up.

However, the cat is relieved, so to speak. And I've learned a very valuable lesson. Or the cat, who is secretly a monarchist, will have my head.

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.