Final fling

No, I'm not on hiatus or ill or anything like that. It's just been busy around here. Most of my projects look pretty much the same as they did the last time you saw them. Some progress but nothing worth using up battery for. There is this new poncho though.



This is Artful Yarns' Celebrity that I got when we went to the customer appreciation sale at Needle in a Haystack. I'm using a free pattern from Crystal Palace. It's a simple pattern of alternating reverse and plain stockinette.

Yesterday was a fun day of yarn shop hopping. Here are few of the things I got.



Two skeins of Steadfast Yarn, hand dyed using Brown Sheep Worsted.





Nine skeins of Rio, because it was on sale, and five skeins of Wildfoote for the Mananita shawl. The rest are still in the bag.



Seven skeins of On Line Summer-Mistral. Probably for a poncho or a shawl.



One hank of Schaeffer "Anne" for some socks or a small scarf.

I also got five skeins of Araucania Nature Wool in a dark, dark green varigated. The picture was worthless. You can still smell the vinegar in this one. They were still unpacking it when I spied it. I don't know what it's for just yet.

So I'm done with buying yarn for the month. But there's a month long sale at Bishop's in Chatsworth coming up.



Patrick is a big cat. He's almost two now. I was going to throw this box out but he claimed it as his daytime sleeping post.

Oh, wow, another scarf.



What you see here is three hours of teeth-grinding torture. It's a new scarf kit from Southwest Trading Company. The scarf is called The Lost Point Scarf, but I don't know why, except it will have three long points on each end of the scarf.

I've worked with other railroad type yarns but this one is the most tedious I've run across. It's nylon and rayon and is limper than the other railroads I've used. Right now there are 156 stitches, and that's just the center stripe.

The second yarn, still in the box, is 100% bamboo and is called, appropriately enough, Bamboo. I haven't tried it yet but a friend did. I thought it was a little stiff on the smaller size needles but on the US8, which the pattern uses, I thought it was all right, not soft but not stiff.

I must remember to tell Ann Mary that this pattern and yarn are definitely not for the new knitter, unless he/she is very determined and strong willed.

Where did it go?

I had this post almost ready to go and went off to check a link. When I came back the post was gone. I hate it when that happens. I've never quite figured out just how Blogger does things so it's always a guess, in this case a bad one, as to how I'm supposed to proceed. But anyway...

Skein reopened yesterday after being closed for a week and a half for vacation and TNNA show. It was a good day, made even better by one of those "small world" experiences. I was talking with one of the customers about some Cherry Tree Hill Suri Alpaca. She mentioned that she had a shop in the Oakland area but it didn't carry this yarn. I wasn't sure if she meant she owned a shop or if there was a shop she frequented. So we keep talking and pretty soon I figure out that she did indeed own a shop. And the shop is Article Pract.
You may remember her from Rachael's post from a few weeks ago.

And even more small world, she used to shop at Poobah's, the music store that used to be in the space where Skein now lives. We had a wonderful time discovering this and that she "knew" me via the blogs.

Speaking of Rachael, have you made your contribution yet? She's getting close to her goal so , please, go do it if you haven't already.

I'm getting closer to the finish line of the moving cable sweater. Two more decreases to go one the front and then on to the neck shaping. I'm having some pain in my right arm that I think is related to working with the Cotton Classic. It's a great yarn but it's a little stiff compared to wool and I think I'm a little tense with it. I may have to leave it alone for a day or two and work on some socks.

Good day/bad day

I always figure it's going to be a good day when I can read all the sixty plus blogs I read everyday without my computer shutting down even one time. That's the way it was this morning.

But SBC/Yahoo is having some problems with the email and I can't get in. I did read the messages this morning but now need to respond to a couple of them and can't access anything. They have sincerely apologized for the inconvenience, of course, but still. So I'll have to try again later today when I get home from Skein.

My faithful alarm clock, Pat the Cat, has been slacking off for a few days. I've come to rely on him to get me up somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30. Now he's just sleeping until I wake him up. So I've been a little behind schedule for the past few days. It's a good thing I don't typically have to be anywhere very early.

I managed two complete repeats on the moving cable sweater yesterday. Three more rows and I'll be at the armhole decreases.

And to finish off my vacation, one more yarn store trip. Last night we went to Needle in a Haystack for their customer appreciation sale, 30% off on all full price yarns. I got some Artful Yarns "Celebrity" to make a poncho. So far I have at least four ponchos planned but none of them started. I'm really trying to stick to the moving cable sweater until it's totally done before I start anything else or go back to any of my other projects.

Last day of vacation

I was planning to go on a yarn shop trip today but things didn't quite come together so I'm spending this last day of vacation working on the moving cable sweater. There's still not much sunshine but it's very pleasant just sitting in my favorite wing chair and calmly adding stitches and cables. So far I've added one full repeat of the pattern, 16 rows. I might get the knitting part finished by the end of the week.

I managed to get almost all of my stash put back in the storage/tv room. There are still some projects that I need to finish sitting around but at least there's room to play with the cat now although he seems to prefer playing on the bed.

Gloomy day

Literally. It's almost eleven o'clock and there's still no sign of the sun. It's very pleasantly cool though. I'm sure come Labor Day and the temperature is 110F I won't remember how nice it was back in June. But it does make taking pictures and telling what time it is a bit difficult.

We, Mendy, Judy and I, went back to Unwind yesterday and had a blast. It turns out they knew exactly where the shop is because it's right across from Sheridan Gardens, a plant nursery, where they used to go buy Christopher Radko ornaments. I bought Hot Knits by Melissa Leapman. I've always liked her designs and this book is full of great things. I have already picked out one top to make and for which I have the yarn in stash. That's pretty amazing right there. And I got some yarn too. Unwind carries Lana Grosso which I haven't seen much of around these parts. So I had to have some of that. And I got some Plymouth Prato, enough to make a poncho. I forget the particulars but they have a card program where after you spend a certain amount of money you get some special discount or something. I'm already halfway there, or more, in just two trips.

After that. we went to Needle in a Haystack in Montrose. I hadn't been there in a couple of years. (There's another shop named Needle in a Haystack but it's up in Alameda, near San Francisco.) They still only have a small knitting yarn section but it's a lot better than it used to be. A young woman I used to work with at another shop now works part time at this shop. I imagine she had something to do with their upgrading their yarn selection. I got four skeins of Araucania Nature Cotton. I'm anxious to get started using this. It think it uses from 5mm to 6mm. I'll start with the 6mm and see how it looks. I only have 660 yards (600mts) so it'll probably be a poncho.

We had a terrific lunch at an Italian restaurant that is across the parking lot from the shop. Sat on the balcony and enjoyed the sun (which we had yesterday) and dodged the bees and cicadas.

I wrote about some old yarn a couple of days ago. I was considering making a poncho and I tried it out. I've since thrown it all away. Not only did I realize I didn't have enough for a poncho but it just had this really odd smell. I'm not good at throwing away stuff, especially yarn. At the current acquistion rate, however, I'm going to have to do a lot more of this if I'm going to have room to move around. I went to the market this morning and got some more of the two gallon size freezer bags to help organize my yarns so I'm planning to spend several hours today working on that.

A word about cats and candles

If you burn candles watch out for what your cat is doing! Patrick lost a little fur on the tip of his tail this morning. I don't think he even felt it. I guess I'd better use my hurricane lamps instead.

Started another poncho yesterday and worked on the red shawl at Mendy's last night. We're going back to Unwind. I think I love this store. I wonder if they got anything new since last Saturday. I gave away some odds and ends of Lamb's Pride worsted yesterday so I think I have room for something new.

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me. I took Patrick to the vet/groomer in the morning. While he was getting all done up I went and had breakfast with Mendy. Then home to clean the floor while Patrick was out of the house. And I moved some of the stash that has been sitting around in the living room back into the stash room. Then back to the vet's to pick up Patrick. He was very suspicious about the new arrangement of the yarn boxes. And the clean floor totally mystified him. It took several hours for him to relax. But when he did he gave himself a bath. Guess he didn't think the groomer did it properly.

Here's a photo of the poncho I knit yesterday. Well, I started it on Tuesday night but most of it was done on Wednesday.



You can't really tell much about it. The yarn pretty much hides the detail. Basically it's a big roll brimmed hat but with more stitches.



This isn't much better but you can see the yarn and the stitches. I used some yarn I bought a couple of years ago at Needle in a Haystack in Montrose. Linen and synthetic blend. It's probably a little too wintery for right now but it will look good on Lisa with her dark hair.

I found some yarn this morning that I don't remember buying. It was probably at a thrift store since the skeins have a handwritten price of 25cents. The label doesn't give fiber content or yardage. Just says aiguille/breinaalden No. 3 and laine d'aoust. The name appears to be Imosa and the logo has the initial G.D.G. Anyway, I'm wondering if there's a way to tell if yarn has been eaten by moths as opposed to just being old and weak. I rewound the yarn so I could get rid of all the short pieces that kept showing up when I tried to work with it. If a yarn has been invaded by moths does washing the yarn do any good? Will that take care of the problem? I'd like to use the yarn for another poncho but I don't want to if there's a danger of moths. Anyone have any information about this kind of thing? The yarn is very nubby and I think if I use it double that it will look kind of like Persian lamb.

Another day, another yarn shop hop

I didn't manage to get the pictures taken but I will. I have a few more purchases to add anyway. I went to Alamitos Bay Yarn Company this morning. It's about an hour drive from here but it is so worth it. They always have great samples and lots of new yarn. I didn't buy much, just some token sock yarn.

On the way back we stopped at Stitches in Time at their new location. More sock yarn and a pattern book of ponchos. The new space is bigger but just as funky as the old one. And they're carrying some more fashion-forward yarns than they used to. I forgot to get a business card or ask if they have a web site.

I'm well underway with the second Broadripple sock. And I did a couple of rows on the red shawl. I'm about half way on that I figure since I still have five of the original ten skeins. I'm trying to decide what to use for a fringe since I don't think a self fringe would do much for the piece.

Happy Father's Day, to me anyway!

I know. It's next Sunday but Lisa came over last night for the festivities since she'll be away at a conference next week. (Is it just me or do Methodists really have more conferences and meetings than anyone else?) We had a wonderful evening.

It's really nice to have a kid that knows stuff. Not only did she bring me some rolling plant stands for my lemon tree and rose bush but she pruned both of the plants for me. I usually just lop off any old branch that I think looks like it's going the wrong way. She, however, studies the plant and makes informed decisions and the lops off appropriately.

She also brought me four grey tee shirts, which I had mentioned I'd like to have. All in the new and improved larger size that I now require. Ahem! And a Sunset book about container gardening. And we went to dinner at El Portal, a more upscale place than Amigos where we usually go. The margaritas are tasty but not as powerful as the ones at Amigos.

I spent most of yesterday, and will do the same today, working on organizing my yarn stash. Patrick is getting very nervous as cats do when you move stuff around. Half of the boxes are now in my living room waiting for me to go through them. I haven't found much yet that I'm willing to part with. Mostly I'm packaging the yarns individually instead of just letting them all mix together. I've ripped several abandoned projects and have put the yarn into hanks so I can wash them and get rid of the wrinkles. (I wish that worked on me.)

Let's see. What else?

Oh, I went to a new yarn shop on Saturday with my friends Carol and Renee. What a treat! It's in Burbank, near the airport, in an area that looks like it's being revitalized. The yarns are arranged by color and everything is priced, two things I really like.

I don't remember all the brands but there was lots of Tahki/Stacey Charles, including my current favorite Cotton Classic. And plenty of novelties from Plymouth. But, new to me, Southwest Trading Company yarns. I got some chenille looking stuff that is made from soy. I didn't get any but they also have a yarn made from bamboo. Renee bought some so I'll be waiting to hear how she likes it.

The shop is well laid out. I wouldn't call it minimalist but it leans that way. There's a "club chair" area right in front before you get to the yarns. Lots of waiting and relaxing room. Then there's the yarn area. At the back is a large table where they teach. I'm really looking forward to going back, maybe later this week if I can talk Mendy into it.

Unwind
818 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505

818-840-0800

Unwind


If you're in the area, give them a visit. If you're not in the area, the airport is close so you could just do a fly-in.

If there's any sun later today I'll try to get some photos of my weekend shopping.

On vacation!Hooray!!

I did manage a little bit on the Broadripple sock yesterday while I was at Skein and some more in the evening at Mendy's for our regular Thursday night group.



I like it.

Skein is closed for a week or so. I'll be heading out to visit some new shops and revisit some old ones. I hear talk of Temple City Knits reopening sometime late this summer. New owner, same location. And then there's a rumor that Monrovia will be seeing a shop sometime soon.

Anyway, today I'm going to Bishop's and Happy Hooker 2, both shops that I've been to before but that was about a year ago. And I'm going back to the same two shops tomorrow. Two different friends want to go but we couldn't make the schedule work. So it's two trips for me. I'll browze today and if I see something I like I'll have a chance to think it over before committing. Of course I might buy something today and then get something else tomorrow that I saw today but didn't buy.

Broadripple

Have you knit these socks? I've been meaning to ever since they appeared in Knitty last summer. I finally got around to it this morning. I worked on my cable sweater last night for about three hours and didn't feel like picking it up again this morning. So, I already had the yarn, Cascade Fixation. I've used it before when I made Lynn H's Fast Florida Footies. The stretchiness of the yarn is a little unsettling at first. But once you get used to that it is fun to use.

I thought I'd be able to get a lot done on it today at Skein but I had a couple of students that needed a lot more attention than most. I had completed the Garter Ripple pattern at the top and had done a few repeats of the main pattern before I went in. I did manage a few more rows but not enough to photograph. Maybe tomorrow.

I've been trying to get some pictures of Patrick but haven't had much luck. His eyes are very blue but I always get gold. I'm trying to figure out how to set the red eye mode on my camera. It's supposed to be there but I'm having trouble finding it.

Well, it's something.

I haven't had much time, or inspiration, to knit the past few days. But I did finish this pair of socks.



Regia Cotton that I got at Velona's. I had a differnt sock a few weeks ago but the pattern I was using was just going to be way too big plus the stripes looked a little over the top in the lace pattern. I have another skein of this yarn in another color way. Once I've used it I don't think I'll knit with it again. It's easy to split and doesn't have much give. I do like the colors though. They're really a lot clearer than they look here. No sunshine available.

This is the first time I've deliberately made a fraternal pair. I wasn't sure I would have enough yarn so I didn't want to waste a lot looking for the matching point. The color transitions are soft enough that the difference between the socks isn't all that apparent. And I had plenty of yarn after all.

I'm trying to get back to the cable sweater. I did manage to wind three more balls today while I was at Skein but I didn't have any time to actually work on it. Tonight is looking pretty good though.

Just so you know.

Skein will be closed for a few days starting Friday, June 11, and will reopen on Tuesday, June 22. Ann Mary is going to Columbus, Ohio, for the annual trade show and will take a few days off to try to recuperate from some of the stress and overwork of having moved the shop. The move has been very successful, at least from what I can tell. Seems to be a lot more traffic and I know I have had more students.

So I'll have a few days of vacation. And what am I going to do? Well, what does any knitter do when given the chance? I'm going on several yarn shop hops with Mendy and some of my students. There's a new shop called Unwind that I think is in Burbank that I want to check out. And we'll be going back to some places I haven't been in a while. I don't have anything in mind to buy but I'm sure there'll be something. And on the days I'm not shopping I'll be knitting on some of the still incomplete projects and maybe explore some more unopened stash boxes.

I've been so busy the past few days at Skein that when I get home I haven't put much effort into my own knitting. I almost finished a pair of socks last night but I managed to put my decrease at the wrong end of the needle and had to rip a couple of rows. That wouldn't have been so bad but I lost my place and undid some decreases that I shouldn't have so had to go back a few more rows. And then I just put it aside and played with the cat.

Except for the warmth it could be February here. It's especially dark and overcast this morning. We do have June Gloom but this seems drearier that usual. And Humid!

Carmen Tamed



When Don Jose first meets Carmen he pretends to be indifferent but succumbs to her charms, with dire consequences, before you can say "ouiseau rebel". (I hope I spelled that correctly. It's been a long time.) I reacted much the same way to this yarn when I first saw it but I was, well, seduced by its obvious sensual qualities. I should have been suspicious when I saw the small swatches that the yarn shop had made. This is one wild yarn! Definitely has a mind of its own, including a tendency to be quite loose.

I tried working with it several times. I only had one skein so a scarf was the obvious choice. Just like Don Jose gives up on Carmen, I gave up and let the yarn go its own way. But it sat around tempting me back time after time.



I didn't take a knife to it though. I cooled it off with some Berroco Glace. I held the two together and knit another simple "drop stitch" scarf. I'd never recommend this yarn to anyone. It sheds, it is overspun. I had to cut it a couple of times just to release some of the twist. (Well, that's sort of like taking a knife to it.) A lot of its original appeal is lost because the Glace really dominates. Looks like something Escamillo might have worn to work.

Rabbit! Rabbit!

Well, I did get the sock done and am a little ways past the ribbing on the second one. I also got the cast on and a couple of rows done on the moving cable sweater. I could have done more but Morpheus came by a few times during the day. I generally enjoy it when he shows up. Sometimes, though, when I'm really counting on him he stays away for hours. Especially when I have Diet Coke.

Anyway, I had a very relaxing Memorial Day. It started with a bang. I thought it was a gunshot but I guess it was just an early firecracker. (Patrick doesn't do well with loud, sudden noises. I'm kind of dreading the Fourth of July.) And there was a formation of planes that must have been part of an airshow that I was able to watch from my living room window. And later in the day a firetruck went up my street but I don't know why. Just more or less an ordinary day.

For some reason I've been wanting to have sauerkraut and hot dogs. When I was a kid my mother used to fix this for us once in a while. It's probably been over forty years since I had this. So I decided to make it for dinner. I don't know, must be something about the way I opened the can or cut the hot dogs, but it just wasn't what I remembered. But I did find out that sauerkraut will really deglaze a pan. I've been trying for months to get the scorch marks out of that pan. If I'd only known about the cleansing qualities of sauerkraut I'd have saved myself a lot of time.

Saturday was a record day for me. I had thirteen students, most of them in the afternoon. Six of them were brand new knitters. Fortunately most of the others were just there for a little help with their current projects. I like it when it's busy but this was a little more than I'm used to. I'm glad I had yesterday to recover. Today looks like another easy day too.

All last week it was very cool, never above 75. But that all came to a screeching halt yesterday. I think it's already over 90 and it's only a little after seven. I don't think I'm going to be doing anything very strenuous today. I spent most of yesterday on a sock. I think I'll be able to finish that today and get started on the second one. I need to start the front of the cabled sweater which I may do if the heat doesn't get to me.

It was the kind of night that makes you wonder why you ever tried to knit in the first place. And secondly, should you just give it up and stick to bowling.

I took three projects with me to the Thursday night group. The first one, a multi-directional scarf, I have managed to lose a stitch somewhere. We're talking mindless knitting here, right? Well, I haven't found the stitch yet. I put it aside an worked on the current, very mindless knitting, sock. I'm also missing a stitch there, and even though I know approximately where it should be, I cannot see it. Un-knitting row after row of tiny stitches really wears me out. I didn't even try to work on the third project, casting on for the front of the moving cable sweater.

As if all that wasn't bad enough today I find that Teresa has decided to leave Blogland. I'm so sad.

The Floosie Scarf

We finally got the Mango Moon recycled silk that was ordered last January. It's kind of neat stuff but really needs something carried along with it. Most of their patterns call for something to be worked with the yarn. Of course we could have used something sedate and subtle but I thought we should tart it up a bit.



You'd need to see this live, in the flesh, to appreciate how wonderfully gaudy and delightfully tawdry it really is. One skein of Mango Moon recycled silk with one skein of Trendsetter Aura. I really expect we'll sell a lot of these this weekend.

Four hours from winding to weaving. 17 stitches on size 17 US needles. Garter stitch with occasional extended stitches (aka drop stitch). The scarf is about five feet long. I expect the weight of the yarn will cause it to stretch some.

I put the yarn in heavy plastic bags to keep them from tangling. I still had to keep an eye on it though. Not because Patrick bothers my knitting but he does love to lick and chew on plastic bags.

Some more finished socks

I finished the Gull Wing socks last night. The pattern is from Socks, Socks, Socks, designed by Vivienne Shen. I made the leg an inch and a half longer because Lisa likes her socks long.



I used some Socka that I got at Velona's a few weeks ago. Now I've started another pair in one of those self patterning yarns. I have to be careful not to buy any more self patterning yarn. To me, they usually look better in the skein than they do knitted up.

The fourth and final box

While I do have lots more boxes filled with yarn, this is the last of the original four that I packed up and put in a corner some ten years ago. Most of what I've shown I remember. Some of the stuff in the last box totally escapes me.



The yellow yarn is a wool and cotton blend that I bought in Taos on that first trip. I used most of it for a sweater for myself. After a couple of wearings I decided yellow, while a very nice color, does not look good on me so the sweater went away. The flat disks are skeins of Kid 'n' Ewe from Bryson. I'm not sure when I bought them or for what. We used to carry the entire color palette at Mariposa and I did once make a fairisle sweater using it. But I have no idea what this yarn was/is for.



Some more Kid'n'Ewe plus something called Spicy from a company I don't recognize, Milan Tricot. I have some more skeins of the Spicy but they must be in another box somewhere. I remember buying ten skeins and I've never used any of it. It's sort of a tufted chenille. It definitely needs a carry along even though it's kinda fat all by itself. I think I must have been planning to use the Kid'n'Ewe as a contrast. Who knows? Not something I would do nowadays.



Three different colors of Grignasco Old England. I don't remember buying this yarn. It's really nice though. At least a worsted, maybe a chunky weight. All together there's enough for a sweater but I can't imagine I would have ever put these colors together. Not even back in the '90s. I do like the tweed look though. This may be a yarn whose time has not come.



Some more yarn I don't remember. Grignasco Aran mostly. I must have been planning a sweater since there are fourteen skeins. There are two skeins of Rowanspun Tweed that I also don't remember. And some odds and ends. The Aran is 80/20 wool/mohair and has 130 meters per skein. It's a color I like to wear. Looks like this one will get outside the box, so to speak, and move close to the beginning of the line.

So, that's it. Now all I have to do is separate the yarns into things for the stash redistribution program, things for Goodwill, and stuff I need to hold on to for a few more years. Oh, and put the boxes back in the corner now that I've vacuumed it.

Box Three

More photos of yarns of the past.



This is 1475 yards of Fingerlakes Soft Wool. Probably be nice as a multi-directional scarf or something similar.



Some worsted weight wool from Reynolds. I have this yarn in several colors but only this coral pink in this box. This is definitely jacket weight for around here. Not sure if it's a color Lisa would like so I'll have to check with her this weekend.



Ten or twelve years ago we had a pattern at Mariposa that was called "The Slouchy Jacket". It was very popular as it was easy to do and was easily adjusted for different weight yarns. I made several of them. This is one that I never finished. I remember working on it while driving to Scottsdale to visit my sister. Well, Lisa drove. The yarn is a mixture of Rowan Chunky Chenille, Magpie Tweed, Rowan Designer DK and a hand spun yarn called Rambouillet. I don't remember why I didn't finish it except I think it's too heavy to be comfortable to wear. Or maybe I ran out of yarn.



I bought this heavy wool in Taos on the first trip I made there, maybe 1986 or 87. The company was called Rio Grande or something like that. I think it now belongs to La Lana Wools. I remember thinking it was really cheap but I didn't think about how heavy it was. I started a sweater with the yarn right after I moved to Pasadena in 1990. You can see I didn't get very far. I think the wool was intended for rug weaving. I have some more of it in another color, teal, worked up in a sweater that I never put together. I'm sure that's in a box around here somewhere.

I'll have the final box tomorrow. I've already peeked and it's pretty good. Now I'm going to go cast on the front of the moving cable sweater. I finished the back last night, all 161 rows. I lost a couple of day's work because I didn't cross one of the cables. I tried fixing it with a crochet hook but that just made it worse. I have to admit that it was very tempting to just leave it but that only lasted about 30 seconds. I do have an image to maintain, after all.

Box Two



Wow! that's a lot darker than it looked before. Anyway, it's a very ugly yarn that I don't know why I have. It my defense let me just say it was probably very cheap. It's Bucilla's Sparkle. Mostly fake mohair with some glittery stuff. I got it at Super Yarn Mart, the late, much lamented chain. This yarn is so old! I don't think I had yet realized that all yarns are not created equal when I bought this. Although you can't see it there's a large block of knitting that was going to be a Rebecca Moses design. This yarn is at least fifteen years old, probably more. I feel good about dumping this yarn.



Hmm! Another darker than expected photo. But it doesn't really matter since the yarn is black, except for the one skein of burgundy. I remember seeing this yarn at TNNA a few years ago. It's 100% Virgin Wool from Quinnehticut Woolen Co. Sandra and I were very excited about it but we were about the only ones. I think most of it was sold for cost or given away. And I don't think the mill is in business anymore. I have five skeins of the black and one of the red. I'm sure I have the pattern I was going to make. So far I don't see any moth damage.



Living proof that glitzy yarns are not new. In the upper left corner there's some pale lime green stuff called Must. It's a kind of large scale chenille. This I might be able to use. Then there's a couple of stacks of something called Kilmory Jewels, from Hayfield. I don't think they're in business anymore. I have a lot of this. Might be okay as a carry along. And off to the left there's some of the world's oldest chenille, Hayfield's Crushed Velvet. Another yarn we had to sell off cheap. It knitted okay but it really grew!

I feel like I did when I went back to visit my hometown after being away for several years. It looked more or less the way I remembered it, but it was less interesting and somehow smaller than I thought it was.

So, what's in the box?



Here's one of the first boxes I filled with stash. It's probably been eight to ten years since I closed it and put it in a corner of my yarn room. So I had no idea what was in it.



First view of what's inside.



Fourteen skeins of Jacques Fonty worsted tweed. I have no idea of who Jacques Fonty is or was. I think this was for a sweater for me. And there are ten skeins of Tahki Tweedy Lamb. I found another bag of ten after I took this picture. I don't remember buying this yarn but there's plenty for a sweater for Lisa.



Seven skeins of worsted weight alpaca. I don't know what I'll do with this. Eighteen skeins of a chunky tweed. I remember buying this at Village Needleworks, a long out of business shop in Glendale. And three skeins of red merino, left over from a sweater I wore two times and put away for good. It pilled like crazy.



A hank of Lorna's Laces worsted weight, wound into a ball and a cake. Some Kid'n'Ewe left overs from a fairisle project. Three balls of microfiber from Unger. Are they still in business? Three balls of Crystal Palace Cotton Flamme. And five balls of Grinasco Flamingo that I got on sale.

One of our Thursday night group is putting together a yarn redistribution basket. I'm trying to decide what and if I can part with anything. Maybe the alpaca. And perhaps the Flamingo. I still have three more boxes that I packed at the same time to open. Maybe there'll be something in there.

What's your social?

There's something about this that really bugs me. It's not that I don't know what it means; it's more like "What's wrong with saying Social Security Number?" There's just a hint of something slightly off color about the way it sounds to me. Or perhaps it suggests "social class" or "social disease".

I had to go to my bank a few days ago to close my checking account and open a new one. (Don't ask. The answer isn't pretty.) The guy that was helping me just asked me, "What's your social?" I knew what he wanted but for a moment I was thrown. And yesterday I had to go to the local Social Security Admininstration office to give them my new account number. At least the lump receptionist asked for my social security number so I felt somewhat mollified and vindicated. Maybe I'm just stuck in the past when conversations were more than a string of acronyms and "you knows".

So, how's that for an opening? On the upside, though, I do have my new checks and new debit card so I'm back in business.

I didn't get as much knitting done yesterday as I had hoped. But I'm almost done with the gusset stitch decreases on the second sock. Nothing on the cabled sweater or any of the scarves. And I'm going to a concert tonight so the only knitting will be what I can manage at Skein. That will depend on how social things are.

I don't speak Cat, or read or write it for that matter. I wish I did. I'd post a sign that said "Do Not Disturb. Blog reading in progress." Patrick is constantly coming up to me and meowing about something. Usually he just wants me to play Snake or point him to his dish. I think he must have had a very disturbed early kittenhood. He almost never eats if I don't show him his dish, even though he's standing right beside it. And I'm pretty sure he thinks my days off are for his benefit. "Oh, goody! We can play Snake all day long." Sometimes, when I'm knitting, he comes and tries to tell me something. I wish I knew what it was. If I don't get up and see what he wants he will just sigh and flop down on the floor beside me. Or if he's really ticked off he will claw my chair because he knows how much that irritates me. But most of the time he's a sweetheart.

I finished one of the lace socks I showed last week. I even grafted the toe. What a royal pain that is. Maybe it'll get easier with practice. I've cast on and worked the ribbing for the second sock and will try to get a lot of that done today. We've been so busy at Skein that I haven't made much progress on the cabled sweater so I might spend an hour or so on that today. I ripped one of the socks I've been working on, just too big, so now I can start something else. It'll probably be another sock although I'd like to do something with the La Luz yarn that Mendy brought me from Alberquerque. Or a top from some of the stuff I got at Velona's the last time I went there. And I have several languishing scarves that need to be finished or ripped. So I just don't have time for Snake today.

It's kind of boring but there it is. When you take on a big, slow moving project like a cabled sweater it's just hard to find anything to say about what you've been up to. It's like "See Wednesday's post". Almost always the same. Even though I worked for five hours yesterday on the Moving Cable Sweater it still looks the same. A couple more weeks of this and I should have something to show for it, just not right now.

I did take a break from the sweater and work on a sock last night.



I'm going to start the heel flap next but first I have to vacuum up some cat fur and do a little dusting.

And just so you know, Sarah, I'm still finding my orange wherever I can.

The Moving Cable Sweater



Here's the first third of the back of the current Tahki Cotton Classic sweater. Not much different happens from here on end. Just several more 16 row repeats and a little armhole shaping.

We've been trying to get more of the catalog and were finally told today that it's sold out. Lots of folks are going to be disappointed as there are several things in this catalog that lots of people want to make. I got my Ram Wools Catalog yesterday and I notice they have the book so I'm referring people there if they want their own copy.



Here's a detail. I'm pleased with how it looks and feels.

Not much new around here. I read in a couple of blogs this morning that Blogger had a new format so I thought I'd check it out and see how it works. I guess I'll have to play around with it for a while. So far it seems easy enough.

The cold is still hanging on. But I'm so much better! It's mostly a cough now, and fatigue. I'm taking it easy today. I should be doing laundry but I don't think I can. I'll see how I'm feeling later today.

I've finished the second sleeve of the Moving Cable sweater, the one I'm making in Cotton Classic. I've started the back and have completed a couple of repeats. This is going to be one slow sweater. There's some kind of cable work on almost every right side row. And there are fifteen cables. That's a lot of twisting. Now I remember why I don't do Arans very often. But I think this sweater is worth it. Lisa will love it.

I think I'll take a break and work on a sock for a while.

Day five

After five days of feeling pretty lousy I'm still feeling pretty lousy. Except now I'm coughing, pretty violently sometimes. I did go to my Thursday night group last night though. I didn't really get a lot done, just a few rows on the current multi-directional scarf. And I helped rip about eight rounds on one person's project. And taught a couple of people how to use a swift and ball winder.

I'll like to stay home today but Ann Mary has a doctor's appointment so I'm going in to help her husband open the shop. I don't know if I'll be able to leave early. Seems like something almost always happens.

This week is pledge drive on our local classical music station, kusc.org. You can listen on-line, as make a contribution if you'd like.

Sock yarn!

I was going to take pictures of my sock yarn but when I realized how many boxes of it I have I decided that would be too much work. I have six of those plastic boxes packed with sock yarn plus some that I haven't found storage for as yet. And I've only been knitting socks for a little over a year. I saw some new stuff that we got in at Skein. That will most definitely have to be added to the stash. I tell myself that it's cheaper than buying yarn for sweaters.

I've had several sock knitting dreams this week. It seemed perfectly logical that I could make a sock into a sweater for Patrick. Not that he'd wear it, but I could do it. And Stephanie was there, cheering me on. And Sarah was also there providing technical assistance. Mind you. I've never met either of these ladies but they were in that dream all the same. When I woke up I realized that a sock would not begin to fit over Patrick's head. But it was still a fun dream.

And last night I dreamed I was teaching knitting in London. I've never been to London so I don't know how I got there. But this one was very strange. I had two different groups to teach. One, the Well Turned Heel group, only made socks with DK weight yarns and none of them knew how to cast on. So I had to get them all started. The other group, The Surreptitious Sock Knitters, only knit with worsted weight and they also lacked casting on skills. Plus, it seems that sock knitting was a banned activity so we had to be very careful not to get caught. This was the kind of dream that seems to go on all night. I'll be glad when this cold is gone and I can get back to what passes for normal.

Whelmed!

Do you ever feel like you have too many projects going? I know I do. Right now I have three or four pairs of socks in various stages of completion, a shop sample (that's almost done), the sweater for my friend Robert, a shawl and a multi-directional scarf. And those are just the ones that are easily accessible. When we were at Velona's on Monday I got some Cotton Classic for a poncho/shawl, like the one I just made for Skein, and some Pingouin Coquillage, a blend of cotton, linen and rayon. I think it might be an old yarn since it was very inexpensive compared to similar yarns currently on the market. Anyway, I'm thinking I might just have too many things in the works.

I'd like to stay home today and rest some more. But I have one person coming for a "consultation" on a pattern that I've written for her. Plus she's going to pick up the yarn I bought for her at Velona's. And I have two people coming for a lesson. And the yarns I wound last night will be picked up. I am feeling a lot better today. Maybe by tomorrow this will be over.

It's Cinco de Mayo today. I'd love to go to Amigos tonight and join the celebration but I think I'll probably just come home and work on some of those projects.

I kind of knew what was happening yesterday morning but I decided to ignore it. After all, I had a yarn shop hop planned plus lunch with Mendy and a couple of other knitters. We spent a couple of hours at Velona's and then went to lunch. By that time it was pretty clear that I was coming down with something. So when I got home I went to sleep and slept from around two in the afternoon until eight this morning.

I feel somewhat better but my ears are stuffed up and my throat is swollen to the point that it's painful to swallow. I should have stayed home today but there were a couple of people coming in for a lesson. I ended up staying about an hour and a half late.

I spent a couple of hours winding some yarns for one of my students. If sweating is good for what ails me I should be fine in the morning.

Rabbit! Rabbit!

Where have all the Bloggers gone?

Seems like everyone but me has gone to Maryland to watch some sheep and feel some wool. Well, not everyone. But a lot! Will I ever get to go? Someday. And it's only six months until the Knitters Retreat.

I've finished one and a half sleeves of the Cotton Classic cable sweater but progress has been halted because Ann Mary wanted me to make this.





Filatura di Crosa's Giordino. The pattern is in the back of the current Vogue Knitting. There's almost nothing to it. It's hard for me to calculate but I think this took about four hours. I have to make another one exactly like it. And sew up two side seams. And weave in a few ends. Just tie the shoulder straps.

The yarn is a zigzag of ribbon caught in a tube of crisscrossing threads. There are tufts of white thread at regular intervals caught under the ribbon. It's not easy to photograph but the fabric looks like wild asters on a black background. It's pretty easy to work with if you watch out for the loopy "flowers".

After two days of sweltering heat it's back down to the low 80s and some rain is expected in the next day or so. I just got the sludge from the last storm washed off my car today. Oh, well. But the cooler weather has really energized Patrick. We've been playing Snake* most of this evening. I'm supposed to be working on the second sleeve of the Cotton Classic sweater. I just completed row 8. Only 157 to go.

I think I'm going to rip the current sock and go down a needle size. It's just too large and loose. I do like the eyelet rib stitch though. I think it makes the striping more interesting and it's certainly a lot more fun to knit than stockinette.

*Snake, for the more literal minded, is me teasing Patrick with an old black leather belt that looks kind of like a snake when I drag it across the floor. We usually play this until one of us gets bored.

The pictures I promised



The stripes matched pretty well, even though I thought it would never happen. This is just my basic sock pattern, top down, 56 stitches. The Crevinia yarn was easy to work with but seems a little harsh compared to other self patterning yarns I've worked with. Maybe that's why it's about half the price.



I'm using the Summer Solstice sock pattern from The Sock Calendar by Catherine Wingate and Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. The yarn is Regia Cotton in Surf Color. The yarn splits easily and is not all that soft to the touch. But I like the colors a lot.



I'm doing the sleeves first for the Cotton Classic Cable sweater. I didn't work on it at all yesterday but I'll take it to Skein with me today. I haven't done cables in a while. I forgot how much I like doing them. And Cotton Classic is one of my favorite yarns.

It was 105F at 2:30 this afternoon. And summer is still almost two months away. It is supposed to cool off over the coming week. My air conditioning is feeble after all the years of use but it's still a help, if I stay really close to it. Patrick has been wandering from place to place all day trying to find some place cool enough to sleep. But he is back to eating. No more treats for him.

I went to the Pasadena Showcase House of Design yesterday. We had to park at the Rose Bowl and take a bus to the site. Usually the buses are small, tram-sized affairs. Not this year. They were almost Greyhound size. The house was so far from the parking I guess they decided to make fewer runs and deliver more people at a time. Anyway, it was an interesting ride. Very curvy, narrow road through was passes for countryside. The house was big and overdecorated as usual but there were some worthwhile ideas and the accessories were spectacular. One of the designers is a customer at Skein so that was special. And I know a couple of the docents so that gave it a little extra "up close and personal" slant.

Lots of excitement this afternoon though. I heard some men shouting outside and when I looked out the kitchen window I could see a couple of them starting to go at it. Five or six men had "cornered" a man in our front yard. There's a low fence around the yard and he kept trying to get away but the other guys kept him where he was. About that time four or five police patrol cars showed up. They immediately took the guy down and handcuffed him. I'm not sure what happened that caused the ruckus but it seemed the guys outside the fence had chased the other guy from somewhere around the corner and there was apparently someone else involved who had taken off in a different direction. So one of the patrol cars took off that-a-way. All this commotion lasted through a couple of loads of laundry. The last time I looked there were only a couple of cars left, but something was going on down at the end of the street by where the sauntering students cross.

And even more excitement. I went to Tommy's tonight for the first time ever. Tommy's Hamburgers has been a landmark in Los Angeles since 1946. They're famous for their chili fries and, I guess, for their hamburgers. A new one opened a couple of months ago, about a block from where I live. I've never been tempted to go to Tommy's, until today. I have no idea why, but I was almost obsessed. So after I finished my laundry I went over there. I can sort of see what the big deal is, but I don't think I'll need to go back. It is super-cheap though. Cheeseburger, chili fries and small soft drink, $5.25, and no tip.

Oh, about the knitting. I finished the spring stripe socks. I am almost done with the first sleeve of the Cotton Classic sweater and I started another pair of socks. If it's cooler in the morning I'll try to get some pics.

Patrick likes his treats. He gets a few every night around 7 o'clock. When he hears me shake the plastic container he comes running from wherever he is. I wasn't home until after eleven last night so I gave him his treats then. This morning he's refusing to eat his regular kibble. I don't know if he doesn't feel well, doesn't like the Science Diet anymore or if he's just trying to manipulate me into giving him some more treats. I think it's the latter. I just opened a bottle of pills, for me, and when he heard the rattling he went bananas. So we'll have to see. He has eaten a few bites of kibble, but begrudgingly.

It wasn't all that busy yesterday at Skein, until just before four when I was getting ready to leave. I did finish the shop sample poncho. TG for that. I may get a photo today, if I don't forget the camera. The yarn I used is nearly gone so we'll try to direct people to some alternatives.

I'm off to wind a couple of skeins of Tahki Cotton Classic to take with me today. I'm starting a cabled pullover that's in their new summer catalog, the same catalog as the poncho pattern. Cotton Classic is one of my favorite yarns. So if it's a quiet today as it was yesterday I should get at least half a sleeve done.

Getting rid of the past

It's a lot more difficult than it sounds. I had a call on Monday from Rescue Mission asking for donations of clothes and wearables that they could use to help the homeless etc. So I said sure. I have plenty of clothes that I no longer wear, for various reasons but mostly because they appear to have shrunk over time. Anyway, they called again last night to remind me. So I bagged twelve grocery bags with shirts, jean, shoes and lots of stuff. I made sure it was outside my door prior to their pickup time. Well, it's still there. I didn't get a phone number so I don't know how to reach them. I called the one Rescue Mission I could locate and they weren't the ones.

This is the second time these people have failed to make the scheduled pick up. I've called another, similar agency and am waiting for them to call. Their machine only mentioned pickups for major appliances but I'm hoping I can talk them into picking this stuff up. I don't want to bring it back in. It was hard enough to get it bagged and, now that I've accepted that I'll never be able to wear those things again, I don't wan't to go through that stuggle all over.

A lot of the clothes are things I haven't worn since I retired. Ties, dress shirts, slacks. Some shoes that were not comfortable. Caps and hats that I've bought as souvenirs. A baby blanket I made and never got around to giving. An afghan I made for my mother twenty or more years ago. All things that I've just held on to through inertia or mistaken hopes that I'd be able to use them someday.

I need to apply the same ruthlessness to my stash. I know I have yarns that I will never use. Some are just dated. Some I don't like anymore. I know I'll have similar thoughts about the yarn as I did about all those clothes. "I might be able to use this someday," or "I remember when I bought this (or who gave it to me)." The biggest reason, though, is how much money I have tied up in those skeins. I just need to let go of that and all the other reasons and just get it done. Not that I'll be getting rid of everything but I've got to do something.

A little over halfway



Maybe I should retake this photo. Nah! I'll wait 'til the second sock is done. These socks are knit with Cervinia's Forever Jacquard. I got the yarn at Phebie's a few weeks ago. The yarn was much less expensive than most sock yarn ($5.00 per skein). It feels fine to work with and there were no knots. I'll have to wait and see how well they wear.

After three tries at starting the second sock from the same point I gave up and decided to make a similar but not matching second sock. After studying the first sock I realized I had managed to turn the cast on inside out. No wonder I couldn't find a match! They'll be close enough.

Amaryllis



Four or five years ago my sister sent me a basket filled with amaryllis. They bloomed in time for Christmas, which is what they were supposed to do. I've managed not to kill them and here they are today, blooming for all they're worth. I recently transplanted them and they seem very happy. These are on my balcony, site of Patrick's recent foray into the outside world.

Yesterday was one of those rare days when I didn't have to go anywhere. I did meet a couple of friends for lunch but mostly I stayed home. Luxury! I worked some on one of my current sock projects and took a couple of long naps. I stopped by Michael's on the way home from lunch to see if they still had the Paton's Grace on sale. They didn't and I didn't like any of the colors they had. Well, not enough to buy any.

There used to be an old house across the street. It was there this morning. I heard a lot of noise outside and saw a flatbed with a bulldozer on it. Five minutes later there was no house. Three or four loads later there is nothing left except the torn up lawn. All the history, all the memories wiped out in just a few minutes. This seems to be happening a lot around Pasadena. Making room for more condos mostly. One family homes have become so expensive that most people cannot afford them. And condos are going for incredible prices. My own place has tripled in market price since I bought it. I guess I'm fortunate that I'm not looking for a place to buy.

Shock and aw!



Nicholas, my faux grandson, is almost fourteen months old. Here he is sitting on the steps of the church where he was baptized. Aw, how cute, eh!

When I got home from Skein I was shocked to find that Patrick was missing. Usually he meets me at the door when I get home so I was a little concerned but thought he must be sleeping somewhere. Nope, no cat. Then I noticed that the screen to the balcony was open. I don't know how he got it open, or if it was left open by accident last night. Fortunately the people who live below me have a metal awning over their patio. He was on the awning, checking out whatever it is that cats check out. The bluebirds have a nest somewhere and they were furious. He was just about to figure out how to get down from the awning. So I went and got a box of treats and rattled them. That was enough to call him back and into the house. He's a ragdoll cat. Ragdolls do not have a defense instinct so they're supposed to be kept indoors. Patrick wouldn't know what to do if he were attacked. He doesn't usually try to get out. I think he's just curious and doesn't realize he's not supposed to go out. I did see him trying to open a cupboard the other day so I guess he's figured out what a door is. Anyway, I've locked the screen now.

It was cold and rainy here today and that brought a lot of people into Skein. I had a record number of students today. No time to sit or knit. There were even a few phone calls from people who wanted me to correct their mistakes. Mistakes that they couldn't even describe. Not all that easy. My favorite solution is "Rip it out and start over." That usually gets their attention and they decide they'd better bring it in. But this time we were able to fix it.

I'm not sure that knowing a huge earthquake is predicted for Southern California, sometime in the next five months, is going to add much to my quality of life. I do not like earthquakes. I wouldn't mind at all if this team of scientists has its theories proven wrong. But I'll be stocking up again. I think most of my supplies are past the use date by now. It's just difficult to know what to stock up on.

I took my toe-up sock to the Thursday night knit together. Not to show it off but to get some input and suggestions. Everyone pretty much agreed that the pattern was flawed. They liked the lace pattern though. So I'll rip it out and try working it from the top down in a different stitch pattern.

Mendy was in Alberqueque last week and brought us all back some beautiful skeins of Fiesta Yarn. The ones I chose are 100% silk La Luz in a color called Pecan. It has a beautiful sheen and looks more coppery to me than pecan. This definitely shawl material. She also gave me two hanks of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn that she couldn't remember what she bought it for. The color is Aslan. I can hardly wait to try it out.

Ugh! what a long day! The Wednesday night teacher had to be out of town today so I stayed until eight to cover her class. There are usually seven or eight people in her class but since they knew she would not be there most of them elected to stay home. I did have three people though. They were all very appreciative and we had a good time. But I'm used to leaving at four. Besides, I paid my income tax today and that should have been enough.

I did have some other students during the day plus a few "just a quick question" people. Actually, the day went pretty fast. I just don't think I'd want to do it all the time. I managed a few more rows on the shop sample poncho but that was about it. I'm going to go relax with my MD scarf for a while.

The guys over at Eddie's Towing Service are having a slow week. It's spring break. Very few cars inappropriately parked at the fast food places on the corner. But on the upside, it's much quieter than usual on my street. Of course, there are still the garbage trucks and the gardeners using their mowers and blowers.

I've been a little preoccupied with other things but I do have a couple of photos for a change.



You really can't see the lace pattern. Well, maybe if you try really hard. I've worked on the sock for almost a month. I'll probably rip it out and reuse the yarn in a different pattern. Getting the toe started wasn't that big of a deal and the foot went along fairly well. And I even managed the heel with no serious difficulty. Since this was my first toe-up sock I followed the pattern slavishly. There's a yarn over at the beginning and end of the instep and it makes the junction of the heel stitches with the instep really, really loose. I could sew it up on the inside but that would be cheating more than I like. Also, the two sizes larger needle for the bind off was a bad idea, at least for me. Looks like a ruffle and I'm pretty sure that's not what was intended. But I did get some sock blockers.



We went to Velona's again yesterday and I got three skeins of Noro's Cotton Kureyon, just to try it. I started this multi-directional scarf last night. I like the yarn okay but the colors are a lot harsher than in the regular Kureyon. I use the SSK decrease in the short rows rather than the SKP. Last night I tried slipping the second stitch as if to purl. Didn't work. I guess that second stitch really needs to be twisted.

I hope to finish this scarf in the next day or so and then back to socks until I get caught up.

Busy, busy day today. It didn't look like it was going to be when I first got to Skein. I was expecting a small group of young girls for a knitting class this afternoon but that was about it.

There were three of them plus the mother of one. It turns out they all knew how to knit except for the mother. And she took to it right away. The girls mostly sat and worked on projects they had already started. They learned at school from one of our favorite customers. And they enjoyed shopping for yarn for their next projects. They're already hooked. Mom brought some cookies since she didn't have any apples.

And at the same time I had another student who already knew most of the basic stuff, just wanted to be sure she had it right. And a couple of others who needed some pattern deciphering.

And the store was jammed.

I now have four pairs of socks in process. But I still have some needles that aren't being used so I may try something else tonight. Or I might turn the heel on my toe up socks. But there's also a cabled pullover in the new Tahki book that looks like it would be fun to make. And I have the yarn in my stash.

I should have checked the batteries. No picture of the birthday socks because they're going away before I'll have a chance to get more batteries.

I started a new pair in the Cervenia Forever Jacquard last night. I hadn't checked the yarn very closely when I bought it so I was surprised when I realized it was one of those self patterning yarns. Not what I expected. I also cast on too many stitches so I ripped about four inches today and started over.

Not much else going on right now. Just lots of started projects that I'm not making much progress on. The new 11 to 4 schedule is working pretty well except not everyone knows yet. Two people came in just before four today so I stayed an extra hour. Generally not a problem.

I had planned to go to the market yesterday after I got home from my yarn shop hop. But it was a very long day and I was very tired. So I didn't go. So it's popcorn for breakfast, again! I had better go to the market soon as there are only two bags left.

We did have a grand time. Spent almost two hours at Velona's. That place is just mind numbing, especially if you've never been there. Chris and Rose are the best! We spent some time over lunch wondering if they're husband and wife. I've always assumed they are because Rose talks to Chris like he is her husband. If he were an employee I don't think she'd tell him to "Hush! You're holding up the customers!" right in front of everyone. You just can't talk like that to an employee.

When we left there Velona's was nearly $1000 to the good. And my part was only about $32. Got a couple of skeins of Regia Cotton sock yarn and a copy of the latest Vogue Knitting. Then it was off to lunch and Yarn Lady.

Yarn Lady is impressive but after two hours in Velona you're kinda burned out. We only stayed there about an hour and a half. They had a wall of Koigu. That's the first time I've seen that much Koigu in one place. I almost didn't buy anything but I felt it was my duty to show them support for having brought that much yarn to the West Coast. So I got a couple of skeins in a turquoise colorway. I would have bought the orange mix but I think I already have it somewhere around here.

The traffic was already at a crawl by the time we left so the third shop, Phebie's, will have to wait for another day.

I did finish the birthday socks, at about midnight last night. I'd take a picture but the only available light is barely enough to see by. It's almost 10AM but it looks more like 5. Maybe later, when I get home from Skein, there'll be more. But I have to go to the market so it may already be dark.

Patrick's chair

The fact is, Patrick has his own chair. It's exactly like mine. Two wing chairs that I got when I first moved to Pasadena fourteen years ago. They needed to be reupholstered even before Patrick moved in. He's done such a job on them now that I don't think I'll ever bother. Anyway. I don't like to sit in his chair because the light isn't very good for knitting. Sometimes, in the daylight, I will sit in his chair if he's sleeping in mine. Lisa says Patrick likes to sleep in my chair just because it's mine. That makes me feel good but it doesn't help when it comes to being able to see what I'm doing.

Last night we tried sharing my chair. That worked fine until Patrick got bored and decided to mess with my knitting. I have a big scratch on the back of my hand to prove it. After that I snipped his front claws. He's being somewhat meek today except I've had to swing him around in his favorite plastic box several times just to make him happy. And besides, the chair isn't really big enough for the two of us. Patrick really needs to lose weight!

Two long naps kept me from finishing the birthday socks. And I didn't even work on anything else. Maybe today while I'm riding in the back seat. Going to Velona's and Yarn Lady's with two or three friends from Skein. I'm not planning to buy anything. I hear there are some new sock yarns out there though.

04-04-04

Daylight savings time, again. I didn't reset all the clocks last night so that's up first for today. Then it's knit, knit, knit. All day. I was planning to go yarn shop hopping but that trip was postponed until tomorrow. I didn't tell anyone else so I'm not expecting to be interrupted.

Pat the cat is sleeping in MY chair. He's going to be grouchy when I wake him up. But I don't care. He gets to sleep there all day, every day. Today it's my turn. I'll finish the birthday socks and spend some time on the vest I'm making for Lisa. And back to the toe-up socks. And maybe start the Forever Jacquard sock yarn, just so I can see how it works up.

I bought the last copy that Skein had of the latest Tahki magazine. I have some of their Chat yarn that I got at Velona's and there are a couple of patterns in the new book that just might be the thing. As usual, I have way more planned than I'll ever get done. But that's part of the fun.

About yesterday

First of all, thanks to everyone who wrote congratulating me and encouraging me. I have to confess. I don't always know what I'm going to write when I start. I knew I wanted to mention the anniversary. I didn't know I was going to write about feeling discouraged. And I certainly didn't mean to convey that I was going to give up my blog.

I think lots of bloggers go through those periods where it seems like a burden to find something that is suitable. Or appropriate. At any rate that's how it is for me. It wasn't until I started getting comments that I re-read what I had written and realized that I had made it sound like I was quitting, or thinking about it, and that I was looking for some kind of pep talk. And perhaps at some level I was but not up here where I live. Sorry about that. And thanks for the pep talk.

Now, about knitting. I got a couple of rows done on the red shawl last night and then worked on the birthday socks. I'm hoping to get those done by this weekend so I can get on to something else.

rabbit, rabbit!

No foolin'!

Today is my bloggiversary. The second. Those of you who were paying close attention will remember that I don't know exactly when I first started my blog. My archives start on April 1 so that's the date I use even though I know I posted before that. Anyway, it's a close approximation. Two years! and still droning on.

I will admit that it's been a little ragged of late. There's not always a lot to record. I read a lot of blogs and sometimes I think I'll just give it up. There's so much talent, knitting and writing, that it just takes my breath away. I have to remind myself that it's not a competition. So, like I said, here I am, still droning on.

I finished a sock last night and will cast on this morning for the second one. Although I should vacuum and stuff like that. I keep looking at my toe-up sock and wanting to work on it but I need to finish these socks by this time next week and given how things come up that interfere with my knitting time I'd better just stick to the second sock. Tonight is Thursday knit together and I have been working on the red shawl there. I'll take it along just in case I need a break.

It felt a little strange yesterday when 4 o'clock came and it was time for me to leave for the day. I've always worked until 6. I didn't get out right on time because a couple of my knitting buddies arrived just before 4. Hardly anyone knows yet about my new hours. So I stayed for about an hour and chatted with them and planned a yarn shop hop for the weekend. Yay for Sundays off!

I have a couple of hours to knit this morning before I have to get ready. Still working on the socks I'm making as a gift for one of my students. I haven't worked on anything else for the past couple of days except the poncho that I'm making for Skein. And that's pure drudgery. K3, P1 on size 13US needles for 72 inches using yarn that's supposed to work on size 4US. The yarn is lovely though. I think it's a desecration to be using it this way. Hey! I only work here.

I'm reading No Idle Hands. I don't have the book with me right now and can't remember the author's name. It's "The Social History of Knitting in America." Very enjoyable and amusing. Seems like today's knitting craze is just another in the on-going cycle. I also got out my copy of The Sock Calendar by Catherine Wingate and Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer. There are several patterns in there that I think I'll add to my list of candidates, especially the ones named Summer Solstice. I already have several skeins of the Sockotta yarn.

Patrick swings

Those of you who have a cat, or cats, will already know this. Cats believe that we exist to feed and entertain them. Patrick is no exception. Right now he's a little ticked at me because I won't give him any more treats. The other night he refused to eat his regular scientifically balanced kibble. He sulked and sulked but finally gave in a went ahead and ate. I told him cats do not live by treats alone. He just looked the other way as though I wasn't even in the room.

You also know how cats love to get into bags and boxes. I have a couple of plastic boxes waiting to be filled with stash. Patrick loves to get in these boxes. So, thinking I would just tease him a little, I picked him up in the box he was currently enjoying. He didn't jump out so I tried just swinging it back and forth a little. He didn't jump out. Now, every morning, right after his scientifically balanced breakfast, he runs and jumps in the box. I spend five minutes or so swinging him back and forth and carrying him around. If he's not satisfied he comes and scratches my computer chair which he knows is going to tick me off. I'm thinking of putting the laundry basket over him.



The trip to Phebie's was a success. I got a hank of Schaeffer sock weight yarn (Anne) in a beautiful red colorway and some Cervinia Forever Jacquard sock yarn. I now have three hanks of the Schaeffer Anne. One of these days I'll find the perfect pattern. I've never tried the Cervinia. It's very inexpensive (cheap) so I'm not sure if it's going to work up very well. Thus speaks the yarn snob. But I like the sort of acidy pastels. How bad could it be? Anyone know?

We didn't go to Velona's. That's going to take stronger meds. So maybe next week.

Today I'm going to Phebie's with my bi-polar student. She's driving so I hope she remembers to take her meds. She's been wanting to go to Velona's so if she's feeling stable we may do that as well.

It's not like I really need any yarn but it is always a good idea to see what's out there. We're still getting things set up at Skein. Some new shelving is in place so Ann Mary has been bringing out some of the new yarns and there's room for more, as soon as it arrives. One of my favorites is Karabella's Breeze. It's 40% cashmere and 60% silk. Very soft and light. I'm making a poncho shop sample with it. The label calls for a size 4US but I'm using a 13 so it's a very stringy looking thing. Seems like the stringy look is in. And holes all over the place.

I'm also making my first pair of toe-up socks using this pattern that I got from Rob's weekly Threadbear newletter. (Click on Free Patterns and scroll down.) It's too soon to post a photo but so far it's looking pretty good. I'm not really happy with how the M1 increases look but maybe the second sock will be better. I'm using some yarn that a friend gave me, the elann Colori from their Sock It to Me Collection. I've only used size 1US needles once before. It sure makes the size 2s feel big. That's the other pair of socks I'm working on.

So, I have a new work schedule. I'll be at Skein from 11 to 4, Tuesday through Friday and 10 to 6 on Saturday. At least for a while. We're still trying to figure out the best combination. The traffic pattern at the new location is much different from what it was at the old address. Since I don't want to work full time these hours will cover the peak times.

The long week

Usually the weeks go by so fast I'm not sure what day it is. Well, I know when it's Monday because that's the day I don't go to Skein. All the others though, they're all mixed up and kind of all the same. Not in a bad way, just busy. This week though has just drug its self from day to day.

It's only Friday. Two more work days to go. On the up side though, this will be the last Sunday I'll be working for at least six months. Skein will be closed on Sunday starting in April. What will I do with two days off?

I hope I'll have some uninterrupted knitting time. It seems like it's been a month since I've really done any serious knitting. A few rounds on the current sock project while I'm between students or customers at Skein. I did work some on the red shawl last night at our Thursday night knit together. Fairly mindless knitting so I don't feel like I've actually done anything. Mendy and I are starting a mini-knit-a-long in a couple of weeks. We'll be making the Wave and Shell shawl after she comes back from New Mexico. And I'm starting a new shop sample for a poncho.

So it's not that I'm not really doing any knitting. It's just that it's being sort of doled out in tiny segments.

A day without knitting

is like a day without sunshine. And both things happened today. We've been so busy at the new location that I haven't had time to work on anything, not even a sock. And we had no sun today. It was dreary and drizzling for most of the day.

And then tonight I went to another concert by the Southwest Chamber Orchestra. The first half of the program was a song cycle of poetry by Bertold Brecht as set to music by Hans Eissler. (Eissler was one of the first people to be deported during the McCarthy era.) Very stressful stuff but beautifully sung by Kathleen Roland. The second half of the concert was a transcription of Anton Bruckner's Seventh Symphony. Only nine musicians instead of a full orchestra. It was quite amazing. And they had a harmonium. Not the kind they use in India but a full scale real harmonium. I'd never seen on of these things. Apparently the one in use tonight is one that was restored by a local artisan and is the only one around here. It's being shared by all three of the major orchestras here. I tried to find a picture but all I came up with were the Indian ones and they look sort of like an accordion. These look more like a large reed organ. Well, I thought it was interesting.

I took the Gold Line again. It is so much easier than driving Downtown. But it takes longer. So no knitting tonight. Maybe in the morning before I go to work.

What happened to Poobah's?

The new Skein is in a building that for many, many years was a haven for those interested in no longer available records, tapes and just about anything related to pop music. It's an old craftsman style house built probably sometime in the 1920s. Poobah's was a landmark.

The original owner of the business decided to retire last year and sold it to one of his employees. The new owner could not get the financing needed to purchase the property so he moved the business to another location. So now the old house is home to Skein.

You'd just have to see the look on the faces of people who come in expecting to find Poobah's. Mostly guys in their mid-thirties. A few women, too. Sometimes they just stand in the door looking blank. Sometimes they'll actually come in and ask what happened to the record store that used to be here. Or maybe they just jump back and shut the door without ever taking in the change. It's like they've taken a wrong turn somewhere and can't believe they've ended up in the wrong place. One guy last week just stood inside the door for about five minutes trying to grasp what had happened. He did wish us well before he left.

Then there was the guy last week who came in to look around while he was having the muffler replaced on his car. (There are two muffler shops across the street.) He said he had purchased a knitting machine for his wife a few years ago but she didn't seem to like it. And he didn't understand why she always bought cheap yarn. I wanted to, but didn't, say "That won't be a problem if she shops here."

Fruit Cake

Finished the last of the pecan pineapple fruitcake this morning. You didn't know but I'm one of those apparently rare people who likes fruit cake. Well, most of the ones I've tried. A friend gave me this fruit cake after Christmas because he doesn't particularly care for fruit cake. So I've been having blocks of it for breakfast. I really need to go to the market. Today I had to make a decision. There wasn't enough left for two blocks but too much for one portion. I chose the too much for one portion option and it really wasn't too much. I enjoyed every extra bite.

Why am I telling you this? Well, there isn't much knitting to report. I started a new sock yesterday and will be starting over later today. I'm using some Patons Kroy sock yarn and it calls for a US3. That's just way too loose and sloppy for me but I had to try it first just so I'd be sure. It's a good thing that I was fairly busy at Skein yesterday or I'd really feel bad about how much knitting I'll be ripping.

In other even less newsworthy knitting news, I finished ripping the five rows at 350 stitches per row shawl screw up and have made my correction. I'm about half a row from having regained the lost ground.

We had a good time at the Thursday night knit together. What's not to have a good time about? Is it important to like everyone all the time? Can you just accept that some people are boring and let it go at that? Well, we did have some terrific pastries and pretty much solved the world's problems.

Starting over, over

Sometimes I just have to accept that cutting my losses and starting over is the best way to make progress. So I've been working on a couple of pairs of socks, the Fixation ones and the ones I started yesterday with the elann.com sock yarn. They're both history. I thought the Fixation yarn looked like shredded velour and the way the colors were stacking in the elann socks was plug ugly. So now I'm free to try something else.

Not much else to report. Get out there and celebrate!

A couple of things

I did manage to finish the Jawoll Denim Socks yesterday.



I didn't use the reinforcement yarn that's included. Didn't want to be bothered. But I think I will the next time. I have more Jawoll in a few different colorways. I think I'll see if I can find the yellow.



This is the Textured Squares Scarf from Nancie Wiseman's Knitted Shawls, Stoles and Scarves that I started a couple of weeks ago. It's sort of a poor man's entrelac. I guess I need to wash and block it to get all those points to show up. There was one tiny error in the pattern but by the time you get to that point you already know what to do.

One of Ms Wiseman's biggies is that scarves, and to some extent, shawls, need to be shaped so they will fit better around the neck and make wearing them more comfortable. This one is a wide V. People who've tried it on say it does feel better. And it's a little more interesting to knit that just plain old straight.

I need to start another pair of socks so I'll have something mindless to work on at Skein. Lammia gave me some sock yarn that she got from elann.com. Did you know they have their own label? So I think I'll start those.

Cookies for breakfast

and plenty of strong, black coffee. Trying to clear my head of crazy dreams brought on probably by too much merlot. It's my one day off and I have no plans. In a little while I'll get out the vacuum and terrorize the cat. He's going to be very upset anyway because I'm going to fill the new plastic boxes with part of my stash. He loves to jump in and out of these boxes. Oh well. There'll be more later in the week, I expect.

I haven't been doing much knitting. I hope to finish a second sock today between loads of laundry and maybe swatch for the next shawl project. My current red one has something like 350 stitches per row now and I have to rip back a couple of rows because I forgot the center yarn overs. I thought I could just insert them on the wrong side but that didn't work very well but I couldn't see that until I'd done a few more rows. So much for being an experienced knitter.

Workin' retail

I'd forgotten how tiring it can be to work in retail sales. All day running around, being cheerful, listening to the same questions and comments all day, and for the moment, trying to find where that yarn is that you know you have but don't know which shelf it's on or which still unpacked box it might be in. Yesterday we had a couple of Ann Mary's friends to help with getting stuff out and on display but today it was just the two of us. I had a couple of students that came in at about the same time so I could work with both of them at the same time so I wasn't tied up as much as I was yesterday. Most of the day I was workin' the floor.

Seems I've forgotten to let everyone know exactly where the new shop is, so here's the address:

1101 E. Walnut Ave. (corner of Walnut and Wilson)
Pasadena CA 91106

626-577-2035

The shop hours are:

T, Th, F, Sat 10 to 6
W 10 to 8
Sun 1 to 4 (but only until the end of March. After that no Sunday hours until Nov.)
Closed Monday

It looks like I'll be working the whole day from now until the end of March. After that I'm going to cut back on my hours. I must remember I'm retired. I did walk this morning but tonight when Ann Mary offered me a ride I snapped it up.

So I didn't get a whole lot of knitting time today. Finished the heel flap on the second denim sock while I worked with my two students. I'll try to do a little more tonight but I want to start filling some of the plastic boxes that Mendy has donated for my stash organization effort. It'll be fun to see what's in some of the cardboard boxes and platic bags.

Still stocking

I know it's too soon to tell but if the past couple of days are any indication the new Skein location is going to be a big hit. I know a lot of the traffic is from people who are curious but we also are seeing people we never saw before. We're waiting for some more shelving and there's still a little electrical stuff to get straightened out but it's taking shape.

I haven't had time to knit during the day so I was glad tonight was my knit together at Mendy's. I finished the last ten rows on the textured squares scarf and then worked on the red shawl until I ran out of yarn. I forgot to take an additional skein. So I worked a little on the denim Jawoll socks that I started a few weeks ago. I'll be going in a couple of hours earlier than usual for the next week or so. Not much time for knitting in the morning. Gotta play with Patrick sometime.

Skein reopens!

I stopped by the new Skein shop today to help put away yarns and see what I could do to help get ready for tomorrow's reopening. There were people already coming in just to look around. Lots of phone calls for directions and lots of chaos and confusion.

It's too soon to take pictures but I have to say I was very pleased with the way the new shop is coming together. We're going to need more shelving and a couple of tables. There's less storage than in the old space so almost everything will have to be on the salesfloor. Right now a lot of it literally is.

There were some questions about parking, mostly from people who don't live in Pasadena. Parking in Pasadena is a major problem. If you live here you're used to it. We will have a small parking lot soon. The contractor's people where out there today moving dirt and rocks. Probably next week there'll be four or five spaces. Not much but that's more than a lot of small businesses in the area have. There is street parking a block north and some more a block east.

I started the new socks last night. There are some mechanical problems with the pattern. It's designed to be worked on circular needles but I don't have any that are short enough so I'm using double points which make the decreases in the pattern split between two needles. So I'm going to switch to three instead of four and reposition the stitches. Should make it go a lot faster. I don't usually work with three needles because I get ladders when I do. With the Fixation yarn though ladders don't occur. It's very stretchy!

And I have five more pattern repeats on the current scarf. I plan to get that done tonight if I can stay awake.

Not much really to report. I didn't quite finish the new scarf today. I was interrupted for a couple of hours by a visit from a lady who used to live in our building. So even though the pattern is pretty easy to follow I decided to just sit and listen. And then I needed a nap. And then Patrick and I cleaned the refrigerator. He's a big help.

Tonight I think I'll start a new pair of socks. Not that I've finished the ones I'm currently working on but I want to try a new pattern and some of the Cascade Fixation I got on sale a couple of weeks ago.

We're in a cooling trend now. Yesterday it was 99 in Monrovia where Carol lives. It was only 93 in Pasadena. Down to 89 today and maybe 81 by Friday. I broke down and got a fan out last night. I thought Patrick might freak but he just ignored it.

One of the benefits of working at Skein is meeting people and becoming friends with them. People from lots of different places around the world. Yesterday I had lunch with two of the people I've come to know and love. One is from Indonesia and the other from Malaysia. We went to an authentic Malaysian place called Penang. I have to take their word for the authenticity but believe me it was good. I like curry and highly seasoned food so this was a treat. I didn't try the century eggs though. I thought they were figs, and I don't care much for figs.

None of us had anything planned for the rest of the day so we decided to do an impromtu yarn shop hop. We went to Alamitos Bay Yarn Company first. It's right on the marina in Long Beach. It was crowded and hot. I overheard someone saying it was 91 degrees. I can believe it. I didn't buy anything but there were so many tempting things. It's a great shop.

Then we went to Velona's. Seems like I've been there almost every week for the past couple of months. There's so much yarn there that it doesn't matter. There's always something I didn't see before or that has come in while I was away for a week. I did get a couple of sock yarns for my collection. They had cashmere on sale so one of the friends picked up enough to do a shawl.

After we got back to Arcadia, where we had left our cars, we stopped in at Skein. Ann Mary was busy packing for the move today. It's still scheduled to take place even though the new space isn't completely ready. And a couple of things like telephone and charge card connections are not done. So we'll probably not reopen until Thursday. I'm getting one additional day off. I'm planning to go in for a while on Wednesday and help with restocking the shelves. I hope the air conditioning has been reconnected by then. The contractor cut the line to the air conditioner for some unknown reason. The parking lot hasn't been started. So it's all going to be a bit ragged for a while.

Meanwhile, I've been working on a new scarf.


The pattern is from Nancie Wiseman's Knitted Shawls, Stoles & Scarves. The yarn is from Grignasco, 100% silk. Shangai. I got it about ten or twelve years ago when Mariposa was still in Pasadena. (Mariposa is a now defunct shop where I used to hang out and work.) I started going through some of my old stash and this was in the very first box I opened, along with several other yarns that I don't remember buying.

So I didn't make much progress on destashing. Got side tracked by all the stuff I found just in this one box. I think that's the main reason I didn't buy much yesterday. I wonder how many other things there are in there that I've forgotten. The mind reels.

What's up



I got a pattern leaflet from Vogue Knitting a few days ago. It came in the subscription solicitation along with a letter inviting me to resubscribe. Which I didn't. Anyway, the pattern called for one skein of Noro Kureyon, color 102, which I had. I changed the pattern to be worked in the round. It's kinda cute but I'm not sure about that funky looking "tassel" sticking out the top.



I had a skein of the #102 left over from making this scarf. This is not the same scarf I showed a couple of weeks ago. That was #126. Of course the color is off in both photos. But they're both very orange/red so you can kinda get the idea. Lisa is coming over tonight so she'll be taking these home with her.

It's probably getting too warm for these, at least in the daytime. But it's still cold after the sun goes down.

Being on vacation, even a short, stay at home one is nice. I've been emulating Pat the Cat and taking lots of naps. He's much better at it than I am. And I've been looking through pattern books and stash trying to get them to align in some kind of logical way. I suppose I should be cleaning house but I'm on vacation.

Still set to go

It looks like the move will take place on Monday. The plan is to open on Tuesday but I think that may be a little more than ambitious.

Since most of our customers thought we were going to be closed for the end of this week it was pretty quiet today. So Ann Mary said I should take the rest of the week, and the weekend, off. So I'll have some extra hours to maybe get a few things finished and start some others.

I'm pretty excited about the move. There'll be more room for one thing. And the table where the classes are held will not be in the middle of everything. There's room for a separate table in case we want to have more than one class at a time. Maybe some sock knitting classes and anything else I can think of that would be good as a group activity.

And then you won't, part 2

So, I arrived at Skein a couple of hours earlier than usual so I could help with the packing for the big move. Most of the stock room had already been done and the sales floor was filled with bags. So I'm thinking "Great, this won't take too long." The first thing I did was move all the bags back into the stockroom since we won't be moving on Thursday after all. Some delays, blamed on the weather by the contractor, have set the move date back to Monday of next week. We could have moved on Saturday but the movers do not work weekends.

So it was business as usual. It did feel a little like I was at a garage sale. And I never realized how often we referred to the shop samples which were already packed and not available.

No knitting to report. I'm fighting off a bad case of startitis.

First you say you will, and then you won't

That's how it is with the Skein move. We've been telling people that the move will take place on Wednesday and we'll reopen on Friday. Well, Saturday night I went with Ann Mary and KC to look at the progress on the new space and we all felt that it wasn't going to be possible for the necessary work to be completed in time for this week.

However. The contractor has assured Ann Mary that all will be done in time for her to move in this week, on Thursday as it stands now. So we're still planning to move or not, as the work progresses. I just want it to be over. I'm so tired of hearing about it.

Not much new on the knitting front. I did get a few more skeins of Cascade Fixation and a couple of other things, just because it was there. I finished the latest multidirectional scarf and have started another one. I think this will be the last one, at least for a while. I'm still intrigued by the pattern but I'm really getting tired of the Noro Kureyon. The colors are terrific but the vagaries of the spinning are tiresome. Sewing thread thin to rope thick is less than five inches is a little extreme. Who would have believed that poor quality control could be marketed as desirable?