Krafty1

A Day fit for HandKnits!

-11 degrees people...-45 windchill!!  That's what we woke up to this morning in Wisconsin.  The schools were closed, but my office wasn't.  Thankfully, there were a few handknit items in my closet that I could wear to work.  Ski sweater, matching hat, mittens, and scarf...I stayed nice and toasty.

Imagine how nice it was so come home to a bit of sunshine in the mailbox.  On Friday, Sundara posted that she'd updating her sock yarn Saturday.  Though I'm currently "downsizing" the household stash, it was hard to resist.

Besides, it was more "preparatory" stash enhancement. The Mystic Light KAL starts March 26th and uses fingering weight yarn.  Since the last clue of the shawl will be released April 23rd Tuscan Rose over Lemon seemed perfect for spring. 

Of course, that meant that I still needed a skein to try knitting Sundara's sock yarn into socks. Thinking again towards spring (and out of my color comfort zone), the yellow Lemon Chiffon seemed just the thing.  Besides, the Lemon is the "base" for the blended skeins.  If there's anything left after the shawl, the Lemon will be the perfect compliment.  See, so frugal...and hoping for warmer weather!

The Leaf Lace Scarf is complete.  It's not blocked, but the knitting is finished.  Jodi left a comment that she has completed one as well that still needs blocking. 

That got me to thinking.  Since Celia is hosting International Pajama Day on Sunday, maybe we should have a "block party" on Saturday.  You know, we could block all of our nearly finished projects so that on Sunday we could knit without thinking about the poor unblocked knits we have sitting around.

What do you think? 

Time Marches On

During the holidays there were a number of posts in the blogosphere that wondered why it seemed that bloggers were only posting finished projects. Readers wanted to see the progress shots.

I can understand how it happened.  On the one hand, a number of people had turned knitting into a covert operation due to the fact that their projects were gifts: no posts occurred about the project until the recipient had opened it.

On the other hand, a number of people were probably just "victims" of time marching on (as I was this past weekend).  Case in point, the Leaf Lace Scarf.

Forty-four grams (387 yards) of leftover Yarn Chef Buttercream from my Mystic Waters Shawl (which BTW still needs blocking!) was cast on Friday afternoon for the scarf.  Knitting off and on over the weekend it has grown to the point where there are only SIX repeats worth of yarn left before this baby is finished!!  The pattern is hypnotic, I tell you!

Time marched right on past...if it doesn't get blogged now, it'll be finished before it's blogged.  Hence, my point- The next time you see a finished project show up on a blog without progress shots, just remember; time waits for NO knitting blogger!!

Stash Reduction Methods

So, you liked my version of a "bucket list".  As I mentioned, the next bucket is being filled with projects or yarns that I'd really like to knit up.  Six to eight projects in the bucket is enough.  It's just enough to distract me from stash enhancing because these were each enhancements at one time or another.

While filling the bucket, a fair amount of time was spent on Ravelry looking at patterns.  My queue has over 60 projects that I've marked as ones to knit!  (And that's just the ones I've marked!) 

There were a lot of sock patterns in there.  Some of them I'd already marked which yarns to use to knit them up with.  Ah ha!  An idea!  In light of the fact that I failed to get into The Loopy Ewe sock club and have a plentiful stash of sock yarn, it was time to start my own sock club.

The newest bucket already holds three pairs of socks so my "Brown Bag Sock Club" will begin in March.  Each bag has a skein (or two) of sock yarn and the pattern to be used is written on the front.  The bags sit atop my stash cubes as a constant reminder.  Notice that in March I'll also be able to check a pattern off my "Last Person on Earth to Knit List": Monkey!

January and stash reduction goals go hand in hand.  It sure feels good!!!

Fetching Lists

I love this time of year!  I love to look out the back window to see the full moon shining down on me. Simultaneously, the view out the front reveals the first glimpse of the rising sun.  With the fresh layer of snow, it's magical!

My knitting lists reveal a similar dichotomy: "Quickie" project list on the one side and "Full-blown" project lists on the other.   And then there is the "I Must be the Last Person on Earth to Knit fill in the blank" project list.  Yes, we're big on lists around here.

One that I can finally check off the list is: Fetching.  These were also on the "Gifts from Secret Pals" project list. These were a gift from Sherrill.  She had a flair for sending quickie projects...these just didn't get into the queue before now.  (She also has started her own podcast.) 

Fetching should be a quickie knit.  It only took a few hours.  However, these would've been finished yesterday except for getting hooked by a movie: The Lake House.  It should've come with a "10-Tissue" Alert!  Not a good thing when you're already suffering with a cold!  Anyway...

Editorial note: Internet Explorer locked up on me not once, but twice while writing the above....I'm so sorry you didn't get to read the original version, it's lost in the ethernet.  Sadly, it was a much better, funnier post and I simply didn't have it in me for the third attempt!

Speaking of movies, remember this photo?  My own version of a "Bucket List".  The bucket's nearly empty.  A new bucket is being filled.  A visual list...it's fetching!

Wednesday

Welcome back to Web Wednesday.

C is for Calendar....Knitters Calendar.  Would you like to find an event near you?  This is the place to search.

Speaking of calendars, it's time to mark yours for Super International Pajama Day on Sunday, Feb. 3rd. Celia has done it again!  Can you think of a more perfect day than one spent in pjs with your knitting!?! 

Sure, it's also Super Bowl Sunday, but if your team is playing in the Super Bowl I bet that either a) you already have some pajamas in their colors or 2) you'd buy pajamas in your team's colors just to show your support.  I won't be spending the day in green and gold pajamas...my options are open!

Filed under strange and unusual:  Knit dissected frog!  I kid you not! 

Filed under "you're kidding:

How do you attach new "yarn"?  Spit splice!?!

Three in Three

The sun goes down another day.  Fresh snow...eight or more inches of it.

Unfortunately, the sun has not gone down on my "crud".  In fact, I took the rare day off because of it!  Now, imagine you have to sit and rest for an entire day...did I mention that your head is "clear"?

Yes, that's right...knit, knit, knit.

Let me introduce you to 2008 Pair #3.  These are my new knee socks.  US0 Addis...toe up...72 sts...short row heel...baby fern stitch pattern.  The yarn is Tofutsies in colorway "Put Your Foot Down".  Appropriate since these were started the night my foot went down for its new tattoo. 

I'm shocked that these fit my size 11 feet AND go up to my knees!  Shocked as well that in just over 3 weeks there are now three completed pairs of socks.  Time for some mittens!!!

BTW  Hop over to Rachel's blog and wish her a Happy Birthday!  Rachel lives in Japan and was my secret pal last round...she's the one who set up the Shaun the Sheep in Japan blog.

Blow Out

No, not the football game...the final minutes of the game our hearts were racing for the Packers.  In the end, they didn't manage to pull off a win.  The good news is that their loss means that I won't "have to" purchase Packer sock yarn for the Super Bowl thereby keeping my stash goals intact.

As if the loss wasn't upsetting enough, discovering a major blowout in my Scottish Highlands socks this morning was truly defeating. (Or should that be de-feeting!?!)  I was so excited when my SP8 pal, India, gifted the yarn to me.  This sucks!

From the looks of the heels, it appears that the other sock is due to have a blow-out soon as well.  The sad thing is that these were made with the medium weight Socks that Rock.  Imagine if I'd used the lightweight version.  I have some yarn leftover and might try darning these.

Ever thought of that word: darn.  After all the work that goes into these socks when a hole appears, one of the first words that comes to mind is "darn"...or the slightly harsher version.  I'm sure those women years ago may have been uttering a few darns while fixing the socks as well.  Darn blow out!

Packer Sunday

I live in WI...Packer Country. 

Green Bay is also known as the "Frozen Tundra".  Today, it'll live up to that name.

Of course, the cold doesn't stop us from lighting the charcoal to grill brats and burgers for a tailgate party!  There is so much excitement in WI at the moment, Packer Fever is everywhere.  This was the tailgate spread from our office party on Friday.  (How will we top that if they go to the Super Bowl!?!)

This morning, however, I woke up with my throat ablaze.

Thankfully we cooked ham bones and chicken bones (not together) to make broths yesterday. Today, in honor of the "green and gold", we made broccoli cheese soup with the chicken broth. (In case you're wondering, tomorrow's soup will be bean w/ham.) 

Some soup, plenty of hot tea with honey, a nap and my knitting...should be right as rain soon.  Now if only I had some Packer themed knitting.

A is for...

The 2008 ABC Along is officially underway.  It's been fun trying to decide what to use for A.

Of course, "A is for Apple" is the first thing that comes to mind.  All of those school lessons, all of the baby books...it's always "A is for Apple".  However, this is a knitting blog.  So then, the "obvious" choice would be "A is for Alpaca".  However, Vicki was genius and instructed us to make it personal.  Therefore...

"A is for Ankle".  Thought I'd share a different photo with you than last time.  However, the ankle close-up shot is the one that was submitted to the Flickr Group.

A is also for Ankle socks; that's what I usually knit for myself.  But the socks that were started while getting my tattoo are virtually knee socks! (Don't ask me why the sock photo is SO blue...maybe my camera no longer knows how to work with real daylight! 

Now that A is completed, it's time to start thinking up a submission for B that doesn't involve my name.

 

Loopy Luck

It's been a Loopy week...as in The Loopy Ewe.  It was on my calendar to check Sheri's blog Monday morning for information on signing up for this year's sock club. 

(You may remember the sock clubs that were considered prior to Christmas.  At the time, it was decided to wait and see if the urge to join was still strong after the holidays. When word came out that Loopy Ewe would soon be opening this year's club, there was much excitement here.  After all, Sheri and her elves provide THE BEST customer service and it would be sure that the sock club would be full of all of the little extras that I've come to expect from The Loopy Ewe.)

Monday: Email Sheri of my interest in the sock club.

Tuesday: Loopy Ewe Sneak-up - the object of everyone's shopping carts- Wollmeise...the server crashed twice.

Wednesday: Word from Sheri came that there were 225 member slots and more than twice that had emailed requests for slots.  A lottery would occur for the 120 slots that were available to new members (previous members were "in" if they chose to be). Winners would be announced on Thursday.

Thursday: A beautiful sight in my front door step.  I was a lucky Loopy shopper: 3 skeins of Wollmeise were mine.  With a cloudy day here, my camera's flash has washed out the colors.  That's right, washed out...the blues are darker and richer than shown here!

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have gotten Am Kalten Polar, Suzanne, and Vergissmeinnicht.  574 yards per each 150 gram skein!  (Though the skein of Granatapfel disappeared from my shopping cart before getting to the final check-out!)

And that is where my luck ended.  The email arrived this evening letting me know that mine was not a name that had been added to the Loopy Sock Membership roles.  On one hand, I was already lucky.  On the other hand, it would have been nice.  On the other hand, I have enough yarn to create my own sock-a-month club.  On the other hand, it would be fun to have some new patterns.  On the other hand, this will help save $$$$ by not increasing my stash.  On the other hand...all of these hands are reminding me....time to make some mittens!!!

In the meantime, Loopy Ewe had a sneak-up (new stock goes up for sale at an unannounced time).  I've been lucky in the past.  Tuesday, I was lucky again.

Friday Finishing

That's right, Friday...last Friday.

That's when the first of the Utopian hats was finished along with the "frog pond" socks.  You see, the socks are a birthday present for Laura.  They needed to be shipped out on Saturday in order to make it to her for her birthday...on her special day, today.

However, since she is also a reader, I've needed to write a few posts to throw her off (however, the frogging was real) so her socks would be somewhat of a surprise.  She picked up the yarn as a souvenir from her European trip (where she saw the paintings) while on her trip to Albuquerque. (How's that for a double souvenir!?!)

The stats:

Pattern: Knitty's Azure from Deb Barnhill

Yarn: Opal Hundertwasser color 1433 Silver Spiral

Needles: US1

These are 2008 pair #2, completed in Week #2.  However, don't expect there to be a weekly addition to the sock drawer.  There are too many other things that tempt my knitting attention.

Stash Busting

So far, placing skeins in a "to-knit basket" is working out nicely.  I've already started pulling stash to knit once the first basket is emptied.

The latest skein to be eliminated was one that from a Summer 2006 exchange.  There was a lot of yarn on that skein!  After completing one Utopia Hat, there seemed to be enough for a second hat. However, notice in the photo how much yarn was left with 5 rows to go.  Ouch.

Frog pond.  (Regular visits to the frog pond have numbed me to the "oh no" factor of the trip.)

The frog pond trip paid off.  The first hat was knit with a US7, the second with a US6.  Plus, by starting the decreases 5 rows sooner meant that there will now be a parent and child who'll receive matching hats next winter.

That's another skein out of the stash.  Over 1200 yards of stash has disappeared since the start of the New Year.  Unfortunately, a Loopy Ewe sneak-up tonight has voided all stash elimination success.  At least I've made room for the new stuff!

A bit of sanity

They say that we should take time to smell the roses.  However, when it's winter and roses are lacking, there are other ways to slow down and take notice.  For instance, a new curling iron can provide hours of wonderment.

"How?" you ask.  Just check out the warning label.  This one provided loads of fun.  "Caution: this product can burn eyes".  How on earth was this brilliant discovery made?  Do you think someone tried to curl their eyelashes?  Do you think they sued when they burned their eyes?  Or does the manufacturer honestly think someone would bring a hot object to thier eyes?

Then there is the "overkill".  When we arrived home, there was a huge box at the front door.  We couldn't fathom what we ordered that would warrant such a large box.  Imagine our surprise when we unpacked these two tiny items buried amongst the packing peanuts.

Knitting Reason #23- "A bit of sanity."  Surrounded by craziness, two needles and a bit of yarn provides the means to quiet the noise. 

Yes, the socks have returned from the frog pond.  This time they seem to be enjoying their time in this "Mom's Taxi".  Soon the other pair will rejoin the Taxi service.  Sanity shall reign supreme.

Celebrations

In the post holiday calm, it's nice to have something to celebrate that doesn't require much effort. 

• Tuesday was Doogie's birthday.  A nice dinner and a pint at an English pub was just the ticket for a laidback celebration.
• A simple email arrived that was cause for celebration...I share it here with you: "Hello,  Just got back from Axel's doctor visit.  She is perfectly okay.  I am more grateful for all of the prayers that were said than I'll ever be able to say.  Thank you, Her Mom"...Great news, isn't it!?!  Thank you all for sending out your good thoughts and prayers for this young lady.  I know it was greatly appreciated!  A special thanks to Tini for sharing her story of breast cancer at age 27 with the family and giving them a piece of hope while they waited for Axel's results.
• Panda got a letter from school.  The letter told her that she had received an academic award for achieving a 4.667 weighted GPA for 4 semesters.  She was instructed to stop at the office to pick up her award.  She thought maybe it was a movie ticket or something. To her surprise, it was a "letter".  She has run cross country each year and gotten medals and chevrons, but has never "lettered".  She's tickled to finally receive a letter and is looking forward to purchasing a jacket to put the letter on.  (As a parent, I wonder why it took till January for the school district to let her know when the 4th semester ended last June!  A letter jacket would have made a great Christmas gift two weeks ago!  I'm just thankful they finally award letters for good grades...they didn't when I was young.)

Seeing as how it's Wednesday...I have a couple links to share:

• Panda is looking at colleges.  Imagine my pleasure when the front page of one of the schools she's looking at had a knitting story on their front page.
• It's always amazing to me how I happen to "trip" over things on the web.  (Tripped over = "Wow, check that out!  Maybe when I have some time I'll have to check these out.) Like the college knitting story, I tripped over Cat Bordhi. She has a catalog of you tube demonstration videos.
• Last but not least, and not at all knitting related, Rare Earthtones is a website with wildlife (endangered species) ringtones for your cell phone.  How about a Whooping Crane?

Tomorrow...knitting progress...really.

January Thaw

Typically, the month of January is filled with ultra cold temps in the upper midwest...it's the stuff that constitutes our "hardiness".  And, typically, at some point in January, we will be granted a reprieve from the sub-zero temps by what is known as the "January Thaw".

Rarely though, does the January Thaw actually mean that we thoroughly and completely thaw out.  However, the past couple of days have been highly unusual.  The temps are in the mid to upper 40s with some places in the 50s and approaching 60.  Today we had thunderstorms with intense lightning and downpours that equalled any proper spring shower.  Plus, the news tonight is reporting tornadoes in the southern part of the state!

At work, we watched as the city crews pumped the street flooding into the river that flows just to its south.  The real entertainment though was watching the "intelligent" drivers who would attempt to weave their cars through the hazard cones in order to prove that they were "smarter" than the city workers.  "Water, what water!?!"  In the end, the truck at the front of this photo needed to park crosswise in the street in order to block those drivers who never had the opportunity to "learn" what hazard cones are for!

Instead of the river, it's potentially the frog pond for me...again.  While working the heel for Tidal Wave an entirely different (and preferred) color pattern emerged: pink w/purple and blue w/green.  The colors "pop" in this small section of heel in a way much more reminiscent of the yarn on the ball than what the pink w/green, blue w/purple does.

Even the "official" pattern for this yarn shows a problem with pooling and then the "popping" color on the heel.  My sock is in timeout until I can knit up a couple of swatches to determine what stitch count is needed in order to keep the colors in "popping" order.  If it can be done, then the sock will pop over to the pond...if not, these will continue on their merry way towards completion.  Maybe my knitting should come with a few hazard cones of their own!

Sock Journey

This is what you can do with 66 grams of Duet Sock Yarn.  These are the second pair of Crosshatch Lace socks from this yarn.  The first pair were US size 9, this pair US size 7.5. 

These are Axel's. They were delivered to her mother on Friday.  We will continue to think good thoughts until they get the biopsy results this coming week.

The kings arrived today from their journey.  They brought gifts...and a sock Tidal Wave. Now that the twelve days of Christmas is over it's time to pack things up.  Special K will lovingly repack everything away until next Thanksgiving when the villagers will return to the windowsill and Mary, Joseph and the Magi will return to journey throughout the land house.  My goal: 25 pairs of socks by the time they start their journey.

Sitting down

Knit on a train. Check.

Knit on a plane. Check.

Knit by a moat. Check.

Knit on a boat. Check. 

I've knit in all kinds of places, all of them pretty normal (depending on your feelings about knitting in a cemetary).  However, now I've added a new one to my list: Knit in a tattoo parlor chair.  Check.

Friday evening was spent at Street Monkey getting my long overdue "souvenirs".  While on our most recent trip (2005) to New Orleans, I wanted to get a fleur de lis tattoo to commemorate my five trips to the Crescent City.  Then, while on our European trip, I wanted to get a floral tattoo in Amsterdam to commemorate our trip. Neither 'souvenir" found its way home, until now.

Street Monkey is owned by a friend of my brother's.  I remember them building forts in our backyard when they were little and riding their motorcycles through the neighborhood when they weren't spending the day in high school.  He now has his own shop and, after a recent news article & photo spread announcing his award winning designs, I couldn't think of anyone better to finally provide me with my "souvenirs".

I couldn't be happier with the results!  The five cherry blossoms represent my mother, aunt, two daughters and myself as we trekked through Germany, Belgium, and The Netherlands while on our "heritage and flower tour" in the spring of 2006.  The fluer de lis is representative of New Orleans and of my French Huguenot heritage.  In a couple of weeks we'll add either some branching, vines or scroll work to wrap around everything.  We ran out of time on Friday.

The socks...well, they didn't get far on Friday.

Where's the most unusual place you've knit?

Goals

I don't do New Year's Resolutions.  BUT, I do have a list of goals.

The spirit moved me...to make a list instead of attempting to accomplish an illogical amount of knitting for presents last month.  Thanks goodness there were a few brain cells still firing on all cylinders to prevent me from doing major damage (to myself and my family)!  Then along came the Year Long Gift Along, now me and my list are happy campers. 

While I'm knitting these gifts my other goal is to use up stash.  My first" handpicked" set of stash has been working out nicely.  So far it's yielded 3 hats and a pair of socks. (Yes, Axel's are finished and waiting a daylight photo shoot.)  But now, there are two ways to further encourage me: Stash Knit Down 2008 and Stashalong 2008.  My goal is to pick a number between 1 and 100.  The corresponding numbered stash item on Ravelry is what I'll use for at least one project each month.

These are my "leftovers" from the completed Fair Isle Cardigan.  (Doesn't even hardly look like I used any of it...and the cardigan is one of the larger sizes!  Maybe I should take another 18 months to knit another one...not!) 

They'll work nicely into fair isle mittens for the Warm Hands Knit-along.  There are so many mitten ideas on Ravely plus I've always wanted to knit from the "A Year of Mittens" pattern book that I got ages and ages ago.  (At posting time I've discovered that I'll need to take a photo of the cover art because the pattern and designers are impossible to find on the web!  Truly.) 

Let's review...

Goals for the year...

• ?# gifts each month for next Christmas
• ?# random stash items each month
• pair of mittens each month

That looks good for a rough draft...plus, there are probably enough links for you to find something to get involved in to nearly constitute this as a Web Wednesday entry. (Hey, with the holiday this week, we're all screwed up as to what day of the week it is.)

Back to school knitting

Break is over.  The kids returned to school today.  Hallelujah!  Back to "Taxi Knitting".

This sock is Axel's.  She'd seen and admired Panda's pair last month...mental note to self: make Axel a pair for her birthday or maybe for next Christmas. So it was on "the list".

However, for some reason, New Year's Day I was compelled to start Axel's chocolate crunch socks.  Granted, there are three birthdays this month that are sock worthy but the pull was strong to start these.  They're knitting up SO fast!  This is how they looked at 3 PM today.  At 8 PM this first one was completed. 

But now I'm on a mission.  They need to be finished ASAP or sooner. This afternoon Axel's mom let me know that Axel is having a lump removed from her breast tomorrow (Thursday).  She's not even out of her teens yet!  Someone that young should not be worrying about a breast lump while on winter break!

Say a prayer, light a candle- whatever you wish to contribute to the universe towards her health...I'll be knitting her socks.

(W)Ringing in the New Year

New Year's Day...what better time to clean up a few loose ends!?!  In this case, the felted oven mitt that was the perfect quick knit...for a Christmas gift that ended up missing one key ingredient.

This was such an easy knit!  Unfortunately, since we have a front load washer, the felting process does not come easily for me.  In the end, this mitt ended up in the kitchen sink with boiling water and a bit of wringing.

I'm pleased with the final result.  A wine bottle is working nicely as a drying rack in the sunny window.  At least the mitt can be put away for a gift next year.

Speaking of gifts, I've been remiss in mentioning a few of my stash enhancing gifts this year.

My "cosmic sis", Robin, spoiled me for Christmas.  Fibery goodness included Lane Borgosesia Baruffa Cashwool  lace yarn along with a yarn pendant from Squid Glass. So cool!

Fairy Godmother sent this deep red Collinette Jitterbug that she purchased while vacationing in Albuquerque.  It is SOOOO soft!  Too bad you can't reach out and touch the photo to get the true feeling of this yarn and see the deep colors that don't come across in this shot.

Doogie's "brother by choice", Dino, sent the girls coins from Iraq and patches with their names written in both English and Arabic.  He has internet access where he's stationed and ordered Peace Fleece for me in Mir-Atlantis Perwinkle (again the photo doesn't show the lavendar tones). Peace Fleece has a colorway named "Baghdad Blue".  Dino may need a new blue hat for when he returns to MN winters from the heat of Iraq.

His safe return will be the greatest wish for the New Year.  The other best New Year's "wish" for each of us was best summed up by Neil Gaiman.  A good wish is worth repeating...even when granted, it never gets old.