At the Sheep & Wool Festival ...

My boys and I headed out yesterday morning for the festival. I honestly do not think that my husband really knew what he was getting himself into. I wish I had taken a picture of the parking. As I said before, this was my first time at the festival, so I just took it all in. What a day.

The first stop was a shot at petting some alpacas. The boys loved it. Since I've been spinning alpaca lately, they thought it was neat to see what it looks like on the animal. They were happy to find out that it was just as soft in the raw as it is on the spindle.

And then we headed into the main exhibition for the Koigu. Looked everywhere for the booth, but couldn't find it. So I moved on to other things. Like fiber. My husband (bless his soul) was touching and feeling the rovings and fleeces trying to help find ones I'd like. At the same time, he was managing the boys -- all so I could wander, touch and drool.

The rest of the day is a blur -- wandering through booth after booth after booth looking at fibers and spindles and yarns and threads. Watching the sheep being sheared and learning how to properly pet a sheep (flat hand, please). I honestly had no idea that a finger poke could hurt the sheep if rain were to permeate the surface and could possible cause the fleece to rot. You learn something new every day. Sheep are amazing animals.

They are absolutely adorable. Here are some of the fine specimens we got to see:

There was even an allusion to my all-time favorite book. These sheep were easily my favorite for that simple reason.

And I had absolutely no problem sampling the lamb. Neither did my son.

I'll post more tomorrow about purchases, etc. Hope everyone else had as good a time as I did!

Today's the Day!

I woke up at 6 a.m. today with a feeling like Santa had come to town. So I brewed my coffee, it's now 7:15 and now I wait. Wait for the time to head out to the fairgrounds for Sheep and Wool. I don't live far from the fairgrounds, so I don't need to get a tremendously early start.

Besides, I'm going to have company. Yes, my three men are going with me. Yesterday, Christopher, aka "The Yarn Sniffer" asked what there would be at the "Sheep and Wool Festibal"(sic) and when I told him there would be sheep and alpacas, tons of yarn and lots of other fun stuff for mommy to do, he told me that it sounded like there would be lots of fun stuff for him to do, too. And then he gave me the look. Moms know it. It's the please, pretty please, I'll never ask for anything else for the rest of my life until I die look. So I relented, and he nearly burst out of his skin.

Truth be told, the Yarn Sniffer is my constant companion on stash enhancement expeditions, and he loves to watch me knit and spin. He checks all the yarn in my LYS for "snuggleability" and sniffs them all. If they smell good and feel good on his face, he begs me to buy a skein for the stash. He's already on a crawl for yarn for mittens for next year. He doesn't yet have the patience to learn to knit, but something tells me that when he does, he may just ask me to try to teach him again.

So my agreeing to allow the Yarn Sniffer to accompany me to the festival started a whole other string of events. When my husband came home from work (pulled a later night than usual), our excitement must have been infectious. My oldest son was clamoring to go too, and I was immersed in my wish list. Nothing much was said until later, when he announced, "We ought to take Zachary's uniform with us just in case we're running late getting back."

Now my husband for years now has chided me for my knitting. HOWEVER, slowly but surely, I'm winning him over. His laughter and mockery led me to not make him anything handmade this winter, and he finally a few weeks ago made a comment about it. He'd like a v-neck sweater in fine wool, thank you, and he'd even like to help pick out the yarn. And the other day, I got "You've started another shawl? You never even showed me the last one."

He's interested. I'm sure of it. We'll see if he can survive MSW. More later.

MSW: Here I Come!

I woke up this morning so giddy I could hardly stand it! Maryland Sheep and Wool is TOMORROW! I'm really, really excited. I feel like a virgin on her wedding night. And yes, folks, I am a MSW virgin. It's been here ... right in my backyard all this time and I've never made it there. But this is my year!

Now I don't know if anyone reads my blog, or if anyone will see this in time, but Knit and the City Wendy and I e-mailed yesterday about trying to get bloggers together (or at least meet each other) at some point during the festival. We're thinking about trying to meet at the Wendy Knits table a little before 12. Anyone want to join us?

The Leftover Shawl

There's no better way to celebrate a blog's facelift than with a picture of one cute kid. This is Julia, modelling the shawl I made last week while I was home on a sick day.

The piece is called the "Leftover Shawl" because it was a perfect way to use the extra Cotton Classic I've been accumulating for the past few months. The colors went very well together and when I was done, I knew it just wouldn't be mine. It has Julia's name written all over it. I gave it to her on the condition that her mother send me a picture to post.

The pattern is about as easy as it gets -- start with four stitches on size 10 needles. K2, YO, K to end. Repeat on every row. Easy as pie.

And cute as a button!

Wendy on Wendy

Dear Wendy,

With much anticipation, I headed to Arundel Mills at lunchtime to pick up a copy of your book. I managed to snag the only copy on the shelf (not sure if they only ordered one copy, or if it was simply almost sold out -- I prefer to think the latter, as you do). And so I commence with my commentary ... after many scans and readings over my afternoon commute (stuck in traffic), dishwashing (not an errant drop fell), and sitting with my youngest while he finished his dinner (after spending the entire time the rest of us were eating complaining about his lima beans). Finally, after dinner, I found a quiet 10 minutes and read the introduction twice.

Now I admit, I was a little worried ... I read your blog every day, and it boggles my mind what you are able to accomplish with teensy tiny sticks on a regular basis. I was worried that by buying your book I was committing myself to a tricky Wendy design. I've admired you from afar (not that far, I'll bet we're less than 100 miles apart) after stumbling on your site from a feeble google search for "Wendy" and "Knit" (it's a name thing). But you did not let me down ... in fact, I'm feeling rather buoyed right about now.

To start, let me first say that I too am a "Quasi-Leftie-Untensioned-Picker-Knitter," which is not to be confused with a One-Eyed, One-Horned Flying Purple People Eater. I'm no lefty (though my littlest is), but I was taught by a left-handed knitter who didn't know how to do a long-tail cast on. I too used to spend way more time than necessary casting on with two sticks.

I think we may be kindred spirits, and I really, really hope to track you down one day soon (perhaps at Sheep and Wool) or catch you one day on the subway.

I can't wait to start some of the patterns ... you just make even the most complicated seem so very, very doable.

You are truly the queen to the KOARC.

Love,
WendyI

Classic Ending

The first project of Spring is complete.

I actually finished Fad Classic by Knit and Tonic Wendy a week ago, but haven’t felt well enough this week to blog. I think it turned out pretty well, even though in the time since I completed the vest she found some errors and re-issued the pattern. That's what I get for being so eager.

But, given the fact that I made some minor modifications on my own while I knitted this up, I think it's going to work. I may even hold it for a gift down the road. I have such a tiny chest that I think it may work better for someone with a little more. I just have to pick my victim, er, recipient.

The color is more coral than peach, but not orange. And the stitch pattern makes it seem more crocheted than knitted, which gives the vest a little more bulk than expected.

Fad Classic was a great project. The stitches were fun, and it knitted up quickly. And it made me remember that I really like to work with Tahki Cotton Classic. Back in the fall around the holidays, I made tons of facecloths to accompany the homemade soaps and bath salts that I make each year for Christmas, and the women at my LYS were calling "Wendy the Washcloth Woman" as a result. But then I switched to wool for the rest of the winter. This vest made me yearn for warm weather and spring. While I was working on this project, the weather warmed up nicely and the days were sunny. For the past week, the weather here in the Mid-Atlantic has been a little wet and cloudy.

In my feeble attempt to influence the weather by knitting more cotton, I cast on yesterday for a revised version of the Perfect Pie Shawl in Melanie Falick's Weekend Knitting. I'm making it in Tahki Cotton in a nice ecru -- and think it will be a great transition season wrap. Since I'm doing it on size 10.5 needles, it's very loose and lacy. Beach sand will shake out of it nicely.

Now ... for a big announcement. The name of this blog is going to change. A few months back, I thought that I would start a separate blog for my spinning exploits, and came up with what I thought to be a very clever name ... MUCH more clever than Textile Paradise. So ... I've decided to rename myself. The URL will stay the same for a few weeks, but visitors will notice that the blog has received a nice facelift before the URL changes. Comment and let me know your thoughts!

Random Snake Handling

After a busy, busy Monday at work, I came home and found Mrs. Frisby (our cat) playing with something interesting in the driveway. My young boys were quick to check things out and discovered that it was, in fact, a teensy little garter snake.

A garter snake that my littlest promptly named Erik.

I did what any mother in her wrong mind would do. I put him in a bin.

After much oohing and aahing by the boys, we went in the house. And the cat promptly took Erik out of the bin.

After dinner, little one headed out to check on the snake, and he was gone (of course). So he came to me, begging me with his little blue eyes -- endearing me -- "Mommy, you HAVE to find Erik. Frisby may have killed him." (He aspires to be Dr. Doolittle and sincerely cares about nearly every animal he meets -- except the springtime ants. He squashes them like the bugs they are.)

So, I went out to look. I took one step out the door, nearly stepped on the damn snake, squealed like the girl I am and then calmly said, "Found him."

I put said snake back in the bin. More oohing and aahing commenced, with little one begging to keep the snake and hubby coming out to see our reptilian friend for the first time. Rather than keep the snake (this is where I draw the line. We have two fishtanks, a beagle AND a snake-catching cat), we opted to let him loose in the woods behind our house. This was after a very long debate on the snake habitat ... and Christopher's insistence that he could put one leaf under him and one leaf on top of him to keep him warm at night (LOL). I even enlisted my father's help in convincing my son that Erik needed to go back to his tree stump (after reminding him that my cat is SO much cooler than his cat).

Then, being the truly cool mother I am, I picked Erik up behind the head (he was too beaten up to even curl himself up around my hand), and Christopher -- clad in pajamas, penny loafers and a baseball cap (you just have to picture it) -- joined me in taking Erik as far away from the house as possible and placing him on a tree stump. Christopher agreed that my picking up the snake catapulted me into "Coolest Mother in the World" status (I don't want him to ever forget that his mom wasn't afraid to pick up a snake).

I'm pretty sure he'll pass tonight -- Mrs. Frisby had a really good time with him before I got to him -- but in a way, I hope he doesn't. I certainly don't want him in my house or on my porch, but there's something just a teensy bit intriguing to know that there's a chance my boys may cross paths with a little garter snake again one day. Very Dennis the Menace, don't you think? As long as Erik doesn't end up in a jeans pocket, it's OK by me.

Reading, Knitting and Waiting for Spring

Hey Harlot,

A few weeks ago, I had a wonderful daytrip planned for Saturday, April 8. I was planning on hopping in the car and driving to Doylestown, PA to see you in person and get you to sign my copy of your new book, Knitting Rules! But yesterday in Baltimore was dreary and rainy, and I just couldn't bring myself to lose nearly three hours of knitting time (I couldn't get DH and the Boys enthused about a drive in nasty weather. Curse the gods. If it had been sunny, he would have driven in a heartbeat).

Around 5 p.m., I found myself very sad about my decision. So I loaded up the band and we headed to Barnes and Noble and I picked up an unsigned (sigh) copy.


Less than 12 hours later (and a portion of that was devoted to sleep), I was done. In fact, I just finished.

I've read your other two books cover to cover, and keep them in my knitting basket in case I need a pick-me-up, and this book was every bit as entertaining as the others. This book, however, has an instructional quality that the others don't -- with Harlot patterns that make even a pi shawl sound easy. It has commentary on every knitting staple out there -- scarves, socks, shawls, sweaters [I left out hats because the alliteration would have lost something] ... and its done so plainly and with such humor that its a fabulous read. It's like Harot Touched By Zimmerman. And I absolutely love it.

Can you please come to Baltimore some day so us Marylanders can meet the woman who makes OCD a regular part of life? There are so many of us who thank you from the bottom of our stashes for making our obsessions with yarn and needles and tape measures OK.

And on another note...
Earlier this week, I was stricken with a major case of Spring Fever. The weather was warm, it was great to be outside, and I had serious hopes that I could put the winter coats away for good. I even cast on to make FadClassic. But then the weather shifted and I'm working on this nifty little vest that makes me lament even more that it's cold outside. But I'm moving along on it.

A few notes about the piece. Firstly, I got the pattern from KnitandTonic Wendy, who perhaps should get a platinum yarn medal for "Flash Your Stash" photo from April 1. What makes that shot even cooler is that her husband did the set up and that the picture doesn't include ALL of her yarn. You can read about that in her blog.

Anyway, I cast on on Wednesday and ended frogging the sleeves and starting over on Thursday (I didn't do a provisional cast-on for the sleeves like I should have because I DIDN'T READ THE INSTRUCTIONS), but I'm making good progress. It's a nifty little vest in Tahki cotton (she did green, I opted for coral because green makes me look sickly), and I think it's going to be cute either by itself or over a little t-shirt or even a blouse. Cute, cute cute.

BUT ... even though it's knitted in the round, there is purling involved. I would have known this going in if I had read the pattern from beginning to end, but instead, I made an assumption that will slow up my knitting. But that's OK. Especially since the weather has gone and gotten nasty again ... there's no real rush (at least until the weather warms again. Then I'll be driving myself mad trying to finish it in time).

In it's current state, it looks rather bra-like. My youngest son asked me if I was making "one of those funny-looking knitted swimsuits" yesterday. I assured him I was not. The honestly of children (and their knowledge about such things as knitted bikinis) sometimes boggles the mind.

AWOL Blogger and the Poncho Worn

Indeed I have been AWOL. I apologize to any loyal readers out there. But between my ENTIRE family coming down with an insidious germ that sent everyone to the prone position for a week and rendered me unable to find the will even to knit -- along with the fact that life and work had to proceed uninhibited throughout, well, it's been a rough couple of weeks.

Now we're gearing up for end-of-the-year scout activities and baseball for both children. I hope to keep this up!

In any event, I have been quite derelict in posting pictures of the Olympic poncho modeled by Vicki. But first a tease -- here's what she did with the fringe.

And here she donning the winning garment. Nuff said. (And I'd like to point out that she's standing in front of her new front porch--part of a massive remodeling project that nearly knocked her and Pete senseless last year.)

Another Olympic Feat

Those of you who know my aunt also know that she's a knitter. From way back. I have sweet memories of the teensy tiny finger puppets she knit me when I was a child (knowing what I know now, they had to be, like, size 000 or something equally tiny).

She's also an Olympic knitter. For the Knitting Olympics, my aunt elected to try an aran -- a complicated piece of yarnwork filled with cables and twists and calculations that make your head spin. She updated the design to make it a hip sweater for my cousin. Here she is wearing the little gem:

(If any guys are interested yes, she's single)

And here's a closeup on the cables:

Totally medal worthy. Now I want one.

Lizard Socks and the Real Deal

Everyone knows I was out of town, but I haven't had much time to tell my story about knitting on the airplane. I still don't have the time.

But I will say that it seemed somehow special that I had the chance to look at some of these ...


... while I finished these.


You're looking at socks created in Opal's "Chameleon" colorpath. My son has been calling him his "lizard socks." He was more happy with them than with the stuffed octopus I brought him! In fact, that's why they're all stretched out. He wore them for two solid days.

At the Westin del Mar

So I'm here, in Puerto Rico ... as everyone who reads this knows. I transfered to the Westin Rio del Mar today and here's a picture:

Want to know what the best part of being at the Westin is? We're right across from the national rainforest here, El Yunque:

Knitting on an airplane

I don't have much time to post because I'm traveling for work -- here in sunny Puerto Rico where things are way too expensive.

I have multiple funny stories to share, but no real time. So I'll leave you with a few pictures from Rio Grande, which is a tremendously expensive cab drive away from San Juan, but very very beautiful. I stopped by the beach on my way back to my room. Near sunset ... here are two views: one looking east, and one looking west. Those with good directionals should know which is which.

And the winner is...

So, here's the final picture of the poncho. My Olympic feat. Sorry, Vicki, but this is the only pic you get until I get back from Puerto Rico and wrap it. This isn't something I can just send home with our courier.

And for this,

I earned this.

Tonight, we fringe.

I'm almost done. As long as I don't break an arm or acquire a life-threatening virus between now and Sunday, I will complete this Olympic challenge. That's right, kiddies ... I cast off the poncho last night and tonight I start the fringe! I wish Vicki were home instead of on vacation so she could watch this project come to an end. Had I not suffered that bout of knitter's fatigue last week, she might have been able to take it on her cruise.

A victory pic will be featured here when we are fully complete, but for now, spectators should be content with this:

Once the fringing is done, I will be free to chase other pursuits -- like finishing a pair of socks (I just haven't been able to dedicate the time it takes to turn a heel on a toe-up pattern) and spinning up the remainder of the superwash roving I got a few weeks ago from my local yarn store.

Speaking of my yarn store, can I just tell you how WONDERFUL they are there? The owner and I had a deep philosophical discussion yesterday about spinning wheels. Well, I admit that I'm not sure if it was deep OR philosophical, but it was nice to know that I didn't walk out with a spinning wheel. I had my eyes on a Babe Pinkie, but wanted more info -- not to mention feedback on when and where I might actually TRY a wheel before buying one. Can I tell you that she offered two options -- 1) She's going to be working on setting up a class for those of us who are hand spindlers and ready to move to a wheel without having to learn how to card and comb a fleece OR 2) She volunteered to set up a floor model one day and get it moving so I could sit down and play. Is that good customer service or what? Had she simply been a pusher, I probably would have walked out with an Ashford Traveler under my arm. Now there's good salesmanship -- I was ripe for the picking and she recognized that it would be a disaster to my spinning career if I got home with a wheel, tried it wrong and hated it and ended up leaving it in a corner to dry out and get dusty. Not to mention an unsuitable fate for a work of art.

After the Olympics, I'll post some of my newly spun yarn. I'm getting better.

Round and Round I Go

I've been fast at work on Vicki's poncho since my last post ... going around and around ... straight knitting with four yarnovers in every other row. Progress is being made ... and believe it or not, I only have about three more inches to go.

That's good news, considering the fact that I only have about four more days left before the Torino games are over.

And now a little Olympic commentary. Can I just tell you that I just love Chad Hedrick and Shaun White? I don't know why, particularly, I just do. And they medaled for us, which makes it all the better. And Kimmie Meissner's short program yesterday was just too much fun to watch. So enthusiastic -- and that triple-triple combo was to die for. Of course, she hails from a town about 30 minutes from me. Gotta root for the home-town girl.

Keep those medals coming, Team USA!

Olympic Update

As of yesterday, the US was ahead for gold medals in Torino. And here's where I was on the poncho:

I have about 14-15 inches done, so I suppose I'm about halfway to where I need to be. Not bad for being less than a week into the project. But I'm definitely going to have to go out at lunch and get some longer needles ... the reason it looks so "skinny" is because everything is squeezed on the circular.

In non-Olympic news, I'm nearly done the first crazy stripe sock. Not sure I'm going to cast on right away for the next one. I don't know if its the color or the pattern I chose, but I'm just not digging it this week. For some reason, I'm having flashbacks of my "Great Shape Barbie" and her legwarmers (incidentally, the same color combination). I wasn't a big fan of the 80s.

Also, I got some more alpaca spun this weekend. I continue to stand behind my assertion that this stuff is heaven on a spindle!

And we're off!

The games have begun. For me, and for my fellow FOUR THOUSAND KNITTERS around the globe. I came home tonight eager to cast on to get started on my poncho, and have been knitting furiously all night. I made the decision to stop once the United States was announced in the Parade of Nations. So I did. And here’s where I am so far. Right now, the poncho looks rather like something from the lingerie section. Vicki, don’t panic. I'm not knitting your cruise bikini.

I also appear to be making massive progress here in this first pic … but rest assured this will slow once it grows in width.

So far, I’m feeling good about this year’s Olympics. And so is my son … who was totally inspired by the pre-ceremony recaps of training runs for the alpine downhill (along with his fabulous imagination!)

And so I depart this evening … Citius, Alitius Fortius.

Here they come!

Well, the Knitting Olympics begin in a little more than 13 hours. My yarn is balled, the needles are ready, and at 8:00 p.m. tonight, I'll get started on my Harlot Poncho. That's good news for Vicki, for sure ... and also good news for my aunt, who I'm starting to scare with my spinning, LOL.

Expect regular progress pictures ... with some occasional sock progress tossed in for sanity and good measure (plus, the sock is way more portable than a poncho and they just live in my purse waiting for an opportune moment).

Not quite sure how I'm going to concentrate today. At least this challenge is starting on a Friday night ...

More spinning...

OK, so now I'm a beginning spinner. But my first yarn was overspun and (I think) unusable. So I set out at lunchtime today for some expert advice. I head over to my local yarn shop. The owner was a TREMENDOUS help and promised to stop by the blog and look at my first try.

While I was there I picked up an Asford top-whirl spindle (for some reason, all the beginner demos use those, rather than a low-whirl like the one I already have) and some new roving. Chris recommended ALPACA (I'm feeling very luxurious tonight) and it damn near killed me to get through the rest of the day. I couldn't wait to get home to give it all a try.

So, after my children were legitimately impressed by the fact that mommy was spinning "llama hair" into yarn, I got to it. And I'm much happier with the results.

I'm honestly not sure whether it's the practice, or the fact that I think I have the process a little more under control, or that alpaca is extremely loose and airy compared to the wool, but I think this is more uniform and less overly twisty. I might actually make something out of this...

Just how much yarn will 3 oz of alpaca give you, I wonder ...

Oh, and before anyone thinks that the socks were abandoned, here they are completed:

The spindle is posing next to it because that alpaca is just so very photogenic. I actually finished the socks on Monday ... and then cast on another pair to squeeze in before the Olympics. Already turned the heel on #1.

And the first skein... voila!

I'm hoping that Annie May will stop by and comment on my first attempt at spinning.

Last night, instead of spinning tons of roving only to set the twist and find out that I did it all wrong and made a great big mess, I decided to do a small bit. And here it is:


It's messy. It's bumpy and lumpy. But it isn't a bad first try. I tried a little more today, so I'll keep at it until I have something thin enough to ply and actually use ;)

Spinning!

OK, it's official. I'm out of hand.

I went on eBay this week and ordered a drop spindle and some roving to give spinning a try. It arrived today. The roving is absolutely gorgeous -- soft and fluffy like a cloud and a fine hunter green that this picture just doesn't do justice to.

So ... after a short time of reading the how-tos and whatnots (and trying to figure out why my new yarn wasn't automatically winding on the spindle -- duh, that part's manual), I had managed to make this:

It's lumpy and bumpy ... and really, really thin in places, but it's handmade. And it's my very own homespun! A special thanks to Annie May for this wonderful new toy -- and to Wendy's helpful advice in response to my questions about hand spinning.

And now for the really funny part -- when my husband asked what I was doing and I told him (and pointed out that I imagine this would be much easier with a wheel), he pointed out that a spinning wheel could go in our basement. To top things off, our friend Larry (if you read past entries, he's an "appreciator") pointed out the same thing. They're both genuinely impressed, methinks ... and while I think it's great, it could be some very subtle attempt at mind control (if they agree I should get a wheel than I'll follow reverse psychology and NOT get one). I'm not buying it. But they are definitely getting way ahead of my own obsessions.

Spinning is fun ... but getting hooked on it before the Fruit Stripe socks are done and before the Olympics could very well lose me points in the competition.

Random Entry

The countdown to the Knitting Olympics has officially begun for me. They are now six days away (counting down in days seems to be less pressuring for me ... I think if I were to do hours and minutes, I'd go crazy ... you see, I'm trying to get a pair of socks done before I cast on for Vicki's poncho). And I'm making progress and don't want to jinx it.

That's right -- one Fruit Stripe sock down, one started and moving. This year, I am determined not to suffer from SSS -- second sock syndrome. In fact, I cast off yesterday morning before work and immediately began the provisional cast on for the second. There was NO DELAY. If I continue with the same progress as the first, I should have no problem getting it finished and proudly wearing them on Friday during the Opening Ceremonies.

Now, speaking of socks and the Olympics, I have to say that I'm absolutely in love with knitting socks right now (and with Opal sock yarn). I don't want to stop. Which means I'm in a bind ... because I think I want to follow the Yarn Harlot and keep a pair on the needles at all times. They are fun to knit, easy to knit, and very practical (I mean, who DOESN'T need new fun socks all the time??) Everyone who sees me putting one together is intrigued ... and I'm getting more than one look of longing from passersby. There are plenty of feet in my life to cover up. So I'll keep a pair on the sticks through the Olympics. I find them both soothing and extremely portable.

Now for something fun: a word cloud!

The "Fruit Stripe Gum" Socks

I've been derelict about posting pictures about these socks, maybe because they are going very well and I don't want to jinx them. I'm nearly done the first one.

A little background. I was browsing the yarn on eBay one day and this caught my eye from a seller in the Netherlands. Apparently, it's a test dye lot, but it's oh so pretty, as you can see.

It came in the mail about two weeks ago and I admired it for a solid week from afar before balling it up. I cast on this past Saturday, but recast the next day when I realized it was WAY too big. I downsized on Sunday morning and got with it.

Now for some reason, I've been taking this sock back and forth in my purse to work every day. I don't quite know why I've been doing this, because I really don't have time to knit at work. But on Monday, a few girls and I went out for lunch and I pulled out my sock and got a few rows done while waiting for my food. One of the girls pointed out that the colors reminded her of Fruit Stripe gum ... and I think she's right. They really are quite a bit of fun.

And I love the wool ... I think Opal is my new sock yarn of choice. It knits up quickly and it's easy on the hands. I've already made it up to start the cuff.


And now it's time to start my day. I sense that I just might finish this one tonight and start her match...

And a word from our sponsor ... the sock recipent himself

My socks turned out FANTASTIC! I am wearing them right now, on February 1#,2006, the day before February2#,2006, groundhogday.right now mommy"s really happy. I LOVE"Em,you know, the socks she made for me.

Blue Sox, Blocked Sox, Finished Socks

So, I sewed up the socks and fixed their inappropriate holiness and then had Son #1 try them on. And he couldn't get the cuff over his heel. Being the good sport that he was, he complimented me for making them and, being the boy that he is, promptly forgot about them.

So this morning, I decided to put them on a form of sorts -- two kitchen glasses (I didn't take a picture, sorry). And now they are a bit stretched out, but he can fit them over his heels. I think he's happy with them (see guest blog above). And I think they're kinda cute!

But they certainly are stretched. I wonder if they'll shrink back if I wash them again?

I suppose I am happy with them too, given that they were my first attempts at toe-up socks, and my first experience with Sockotta yarn. I can't say I'm thrilled with it ... while I'm sure it's very durable, it's awfully thin and nylon-ey. Oh well. I've moved on to Opal yarn, which I'm LOVING. I figure I can pound out a pair of socks before the Knitting Olympics begin.

I have to find a way to get my local yarn store to carry Opal. I want a ball of the Rainforest "Zebra" pattern ... but it seems there are no YS in MD that carry it. I'm now on a mission.

More socks

It's the weekend, and I'm finished the toe-up socks for my oldest son. I'm opting not to include a photo because they require some fixing in the gusset area ... there are HOLES in them ... but the holes are equally distributed and uniform, so methinks I had a little problem with the pattern. I think they can be darned and repaired in those areas to close up the holes.

Then and only then will I post a picture.

Of course, I could have frogged back to the area just prior to turning the heel, but how can anyone do that when a seven-year old is eagerly charting progress each and every day?? I'm serious -- one morning this week the first words out of his mouth were, "Mommy, did you turn the heels last night?" No, not "Good morning," or "I don't want to get up today," but "Mommy, did you turn the heels last night."

After they were cast off the needles, I discreetly placed them in an undisclosed location until I can sit down tonight and do some fixing. In the meantime, I started another pair with some Opal yarn I got from someone on line.

And now for some fun. Since I seem to not have very many comments (just two, if my calculations are correct), I've decided to do a little contest -- in an attempt to get folks to read and also to comment. Blogs are interactive, people! So watch this site this week for instructions. Prizes are contingent on your passion -- stamping or knitting.

Stay tuned!

An amusing button...

Just popping in. The Harlot has the cutest button and I just had to share -- and post it on my site. Too cute!

And the Sox have it!

No, I'm not a fan of the Red Sox or the White Sox -- today, it's blue sox. Oldest son's socks, to be exact. Two are in progress, but here's a picture of one. I'm using Wendy's toe-up sock pattern, so wish me luck.


Why are there two in progress? Well, for one thing, I forgot to measure his foot to see how close I was to being ready for the heel. So rather than stop knitting (forbid!), I opted to go ahead and start the second. Second reason: It will allow me to make them the same size pre-heel without counting rows. Yeah, yeah, those two-circ fans will tell me that there's a better way to make them identical, but I'm just not there yet. Besides, I bought two 40-inch number twos and that's just way to much cable for me. I feel like I'm wrestling two snakes and it seems easier to wrestle a single porcupine.

And, since I'm just a joiner, I'm chipping in on the "200X Socks" campaign. Check out my shiny new button on the right sidebar. Uh oh... maybe I should shift my project for the Olympics to socks. But then Vicki would kill me.

The Hat is Done

I finished Cutie Pie's hat this morning and he wants to be on the Internet, so as usual, I do my best to accomodate. Here he is showing off the finished product.

He's very, very happy. He likes the blue stripe (not clearly seen here) the best, so he says.

When my oldest found out that his brother was going to be on my blog, he decided that he'd put in a knitting order. He would like a hat, mittens, a sweater and some socks. In that order. I think he needs a lobotomy first ;) He's reordered them right this second -- socks, sweater, hat and then mittens. Not a bad order, and socks for those little feet shouldn't take long -- or interfere with the Knitting Olympics (only two more weeks of swatching, er, training to go). Oh, and Vicki, I've elected to do your poncho as my Olympic project -- in honor of the Yarn Harlot, who is recovering from DVT. Since they're her brainchild, why not? So you can expect to watch progress online soon. But I can't even cast-on until the opening ceremonies. At least you won't be left wondering when I'll get around to it!

And more progress...

I feel like I'm going to be doing decreases forever, but something tells me I'm on the home stretch.

Maybe tonight's the night I get it all done. Cutie will be so very, very happy!

Lest I forget...

... here's the hat progress! I am hoping to get some progress done on the decreases tonight, so maybe tomorrow it will look a little more like the finished product. I'm done with blue and back to green. Cutie pie gave me a high five for it when he saw progress.

More on the hat tomorrow. I'm digging this yarn ... and thinking that I might make my top-down pullover out of it.

Knitting Olympics

Now I've done it. I've gone and joined the Yarn Harlot's Knitting Olympics. Because the project needs to be a challenge, I've decided to make some mittens. I've never done them before, and since my little cutie has asked for a pair to match his hat (which, rest assured dear readers, progress is being made on despite the lack of photos) I figured it might be a nice thing to try.

Rules are pretty simple -- must cast on during the opening ceremonies and be done by the time the torch goes out. Hmmm... only about two weeks until those ceremonies. I'll keep everyone posted on progress.

Will try to post pics of cutie's hat later tonight ... I'm on the decreases, so it's starting to get some shape. He tried it on his head last night and it looks like it will fit. And he consented to a blue band, so it's a little more fun.

Stay tuned...

So what's next?

My littlest boy has asked me to make him a long stocking cap with matching mittens. So the socks and everything else has shifted down in the queue so I can accomodate him. I picked up a pretty Cascade 220 in green for him ... got enough to do the hat and the mittens. I cast on last night and have about 3/4 of an inch done. I think he thought I'd have it done in an evening ...

So I'm sitting here trying to figure out what to write (a short bit of 2x2 garter rib just isn't interesting), and figured I'd just address some folks specificially:

Vicki, are you out there? Your poncho is now in the queue ... I'll be sending a gauge swatch home with Peter one day this week (if I can get rid of this cold/infection that is threatening to keep me home in bed!) to see if you like the yarn I already have. If not, we'll have to go on an excursion ...

My Aunt Vista is halfway done her poncho! Kudos to her -- between having a sick cow, a full-time house husband (retired totally, even the side job) and holiday madness on the farm -- she's getting there. Her energy level is one that I envy...

And my Aunt Sue has started FOUR new projects. She's becoming (I think) notorious for her lacy tableclothes, and she seemed inspired by the mobius I gave her for Christmas so she's making two. The last project goes unnamed because I don't know who is reading this, but it certainly sounds yummy.

I think it would be pretty darn neat to have other people contribute to this blog ... make comments, everyone!

That's all folks!

The Sweater...

IT'S DONE!! That's right, folks ... after about 11 days of knitting, my top-down V-neck is complete. I apologize for the picture quality, but at least you can see it's completeness. It's a beautiful baby blue, which certainly doesn't show in this lighting. Anyway, just a thank you to all who made it possible -- Laura (and my in-laws), whose gift certificates allowed me to get merino/alpaca/silk yarn (so soft to play with), my kids, who hung on to every stitch and cheered me on, and Clint, who patiently waited and commented -- even though he's generally not a fan of hand-knits. To Aunt Jinnie, who told me about my grandmother's knitting and the beautiful sweaters she created. And lastly, to Aunt Sue ... who told me that the best way to do my first sweater was top-down in the round.

What next? I just don't know yet. I cast on for a pair of socks last night, but the cast was too tight on #1s, so I don't know if I'll shelve them for now and start something else, or if I'll re-cast tonight and give it another shot. I know it will be something small, though. Stay tuned!

Too busy to blog!

Damn. I've been too busy knitting this sweater to type a single word. But golly, I'm makin' progress. Believe it or not, the body is done (except for the ribbing at the neck) and I've started a sleeve! If I play my cards right and carve out knitting time, it should be done by the end of the weekend. There's really no more stockinette or major purling left, so it's downhill from here.

Stay tuned ... at the very least, I'll put a pic of the finished project!

Knitters beware -- I'm becoming a student of steeks and I'm anticipating a cardigan soon. :)

Projects in queue:

- Peruvian DK hat or gloves to match sweater

- Wildfoote socks

- Vicki's poncho in Lion Homespun (lavender)

And, of course, there's always the perfect pie shawl that I've yet to finish...

Next on the needles ...

Here it is, ladies and gentleman ... the next project.

The v-neck sweater from Pure and Simple Knitting. I started the neck last night, and as soon as I get through the interminable stockinette stitching and join the work (only about 14 more rows to go -- should get there tonight!) I should be rocking and rolling until I get to the sleeves. Woo Hoo -- no more purling. I will try to post a progress picture later tonight, but I have this absolutely lovely blue alpaca/merino/silk yarn from "Peru DK" ... it's going to be a great all-year sweater if I can pull it off.

And for those who are interested, the shawl still isn't done but I"m just taking a break...

I'll keep everyone posted!

Happy 2006!

It's January 1, and I have a few crafting resolutions (including projects to start and complete) to share. Note that there are some things here that you can help with...

• Knit a Sweater. I've done lots of small projects and a very large poncho. I'm currently working on a shawl that is made from the most exquisite Peruvian Tweed yarn (I'm 3/10 of the way done as of this morning), but I really want to make a sweater. Aunt Sue has pledged to help with problems, so I think when the shawl is done, I'll get started.
• Finish more than one pair of socks. I seriously suffer from Second Sock Syndrome (SSS), and I admit it. SO, in 2006, I plan on getting a pair of simple anklets done. I have some truly sweet "luxury sock yarn" to help me get started. But socks are a great spring project since they don't overheat your lap.
• Get Clint's scarf done. He's been watching me make things for folks for months and months, and not once have I seriously worked on a scarf for him. This year, I'm gonna do it.
• Hold a crop at my house. That's right, you scrapbookers -- after the holidays, I want to have a paper day at my house. So watch your e-mail for details.
• Pare down my stamp and paper stash. We're in the process of re-doing some rooms in our house, and my paper and stamps are seriously getting in the way. I have rubber stamps for just about everything. Some are unmounted, some are mounted but unused and others are mounted and abused. And I have paper in every color, pattern and texture imaginable. And it seems to be growing, even though I've made a commitment to stop buying non-CM supplies. Keep you eyes peeled to this blog for information on how you can raid my stash for free. I'm plotting a contest of some sort.
• Teach someone to knit. I taught my assistant at work how to knit in 2005. She may be a convert. I figure, if I teach a person a year, then I'm doing my part to expand the handicraft for a few more generations.
• Teach more people to scrapbook and preserve their memories. Anyone interested? Let me know!

Well, that's it for January 1. Happy 2006!