Krafty1

Magically Fast!

Okay, remember last week's fast service from Plucky Knitter?  The only thing missing from my knitting bag to knit up the Chickadee Cowl was the proper sized needle.

Bippedy, boppedy, boo.  Fairy Godmother waved her magic wand and made her needles appear on my front doorstep.  (Thanks!)  Just like magic! 

She also added info on a couple of fiber events coming up in MN.  Though our weekends in May are already booked.  (So are many of the summer weekends as well!  Tis the season!)

The yarn, the needles and my chair kept me entertained Since I didn't make the trek for Harlot's Madison visit. Ta da!

Five and a half inches seemed large enough for the cowl...but that meant leftover yarn.  No way, with a third of the yarn leftover, another quick cast on and voila!  Matching cowl AND headband. 

Unfortunately, Plucky Knitter is out of Bulky yarn stock.  Where could you find me tonight?  That's right...trolling the bulky weight yarn on Ravelry to see what else could be knit up.  These are not only magically fast, they're magically addictive!

Doing Battle

The Harlot is in Wisconsin tonight.  Sigh.  Sometimes life is full of difficult choices.  My choices: Take a vacation day on Monday for the Harlot event or Friday for the Pentathlon event.  The winner: Friday, for the Pentathlon.

The second event for the Sock Knitters Pentathlon begins at 6PM CST on Thursday, May 1.  As of this morning, 202 competitors have completed the first pair and I am currently in 5th place. My hope is to print the pattern at 6:00 and knit until it's finished...it'll be a late night!

That doesn't change the fact that there is an inner battle going on about my decision.  How often does Harlot come to WI after all?  But how late would I have to wait for my "audience" with the queen if locals could pick up their queue numbers as of 10:00 AM and my two-hour journey wouldn't even begin until 4:00 PM?  It's windy and there's snow.  My knitting chair looks so cozy.  (It doesn't make it any easier though...Friday will make it all worthwhile though...think positively!)

 

Speaking of battles...there's still time to sign up for Sock Wars III. 

SOCK WARS: AT-A-GLANCE SUMMARY
1. Get dossier
2. Knit like billy-o
3. Mail socks to your target – live in fear of your mailman
4. Receive socks? Bang, you’re dead!
5. Post your death on Sock Wars site
6. Mail socks-in-progress back to your killer
7. Your killer knits to kill your original target
…and on and on until only one supreme warrior remains

The final day for sign-ups is May 3rd.  The "killing" begins May 9th.  The prizes are cool, but my goal is to make it past Round 1.  Are you signed up?

Signs of Spring?

WHAT!!!???!!!

Check out that temperature.  I hope this isn't a sign of things to come!!!  The fog rolling in isn't going to warm us up much either, that's for sure. (The actual temp is only 40 degrees.)

Hmmm, how about a little rain instead?  They say that April showers bring May flowers. How about torrential downpours?  What do 2-4 inches of rain in the span of 90 minutes bring?  That's right. A river;  right in my own front yard and it was moving FAST!!!

At least with all of this weird weather there isn't an opportunity to get much spring cleaning accomplished outside.  What's a girl to do instead?  Well, knit, of course!

Mystic Light is complete and just in need of blocking.  For the time being it rests on my knitting chair as a reminder that it still needs a bit of attention.  (Maybe it should go play in the rain.)  Does anyone else get "stuck" when it comes time to block your knitting?  Mine could languish for days/weeks/months.  I have several other knit pieces that need blocking as well.

Maybe that's why socks are so much fun...limited blocking. No blocking wires, no measuring...just wash and dry, that's it!  (Though a pair of these are always nice to have around for the occasion.)  Thankfully, this shawl will be a birthday gift...deadlines always ensure blocking!

Fast, Fast, Fast

Last week Monday, I was reading Kirsten's blog and was intrigued by her cowl.  Tuesday she posted the pattern.  That started the ball rolling.

Kirsten had used yarn from another of my blog reads, The Plucky Knitter.  On Thursday, she blogged about Kirsten's cowl and flashed some bulky merino cashmere she had for the pattern.

Friday, I broke down and ordered that bulky merino cashmere.  Monday it was in my mailbox!!!  That was fast, fast, fast.

Tuesday I printed off the pattern...a quick knit for sure!  With the yarn cake wound, all I needed yet was the needle in order to whip up a new cowl...screech!  That's right...fast, fast, fast came to a screeching halt.  One day I knew all that sock knitting would get in my way.  That's right, no 24" needles in US 10 or 10.5!!!  No stores in town carry them either.  Guess it's time for a roadtrip.

Get your calendar ready

If it's not written on my calendar...fat chance if I'll remember it!!!  Since it's time to start looking at the summer calendar anyway for the kids, it seemed to be the perfect time to add a few knitting events to the calendar as well!

June 14th-Everywhere: World Wide Knit in Public Day  I've knit in some interesting places and even Doogie knit "Road Hog Style" but, this year, the hope is to find a bunch of knitters to meet up with for some public knitting.  How about you?  Do you know what you're doing on June 14th?

July 9th- Milwaukee, WI: Stitch N Pitch rolls into my area...how about yours?  A little baseball and knitting.

August 16-17th- Allegan, MI: Michigan Fiber Festival  Not sure if I'll make it to this one.  Then again, I have cousins that live in the area...who knows, hop on the hi-speed ferry...it could happen.

August 21-25- Schaumburg, IL: Stitches Midwest We'll be heading to Chi-Town for at least Saturday/Sunday.  Shopping and dinner with friends sounds like just the ticket to the perfect weekend.

Sept 5-7: Jefferson, WI: WI Sheep & Wool festival We didn't manage to get to it last year, but this year it's on.

That's my knitting calendar...there could be more.

Want to check to see what's going on in your area?  Check the master calendar here.

O-N-E

One: it's a start.

Soon the hillside will have plenty.  No one guessed the 22nd, but Nancy had the next closest guess (21st) This weekend I'll put together some spring flowers notecards  (Nancy, just let me know your three favorite colors.) and a fun prize package.

One.  It's an ending.

Tomorrow the final clue for Mystic Light will be released.  It's been a LOT of fun.  Anna does such a wonderful job with her designs...and she shares them with all of us.  It's been a wonderful journey.

As her design has come off my needles, it has not only revealed itself to me, but revealed its recipient.  I now know EXACTLY who'll receive the finished project.  Just like a daffodil revealing itself, knitting designs are miraculous when they reveal themselves!  One at a time.

Spring Status Report

The daffodils haven't bloomed yet.  The hillside is beginning to green.  But take a good look in the windowsill. 

Notice the plant on the left.  Look closely.  Do you see it there?  That's right, my Christmas cactus is blooming!

What an unbelievable spring!  Maybe I should stop knitting spring projects and go back to knitting Christmas projects.  Progress report tomorrow.

Prom

Sorry to have been so quiet around here...it was Prom weekend here at Chez Krafty1. 

We were busy preparing food and sleeping arrangements for nine teenaged girls.  Our house was home to the "post-prom" festivities, including a sleepover (where there wasn't much sleeping).  Unfortunately, because the girls got ready at another home for the pre-festivities, there is no picture of Panda...only the batches of caramel corn we prepared.

Of course, when you are the parent host of a post party, there isn't much sleep involved.  Thankfully, there was a bit of mindless knitting to keep me occupied.  (Parents upstairs, teens downstairs.)  By 3AM, as things were quieting and they popped in a late night movie...I succumbed to the dulcet tones of Mr. Depp serenade me to dreamland.

We were pleased to host them.  They were pleased to have a place to hang out and be teens for the night.  They all know that they are welcome here.  So many of the parents don't want the "hassle" of having the whole group for an evening.  We don't mind.  In fact, I'd rather they were all here than off trying to find a place to hangout.  A little sodapop, a lot of sugar and very little sleep...memories for a lifetime...priceless. 

"H" is for "Habit"

I saw a little girl today who reminded me of a long lost habit.  She had her thumb near her mouth and would occasionally slip it into the corner and then quickly out again if she thought someone was looking. 

It reminded me of my own "worst" habit.  Though in my case, it was fear of discovery that kept me from EVER doing it in public. Grade school, middle school, & high school sleepover invitations were a nightmare for fear I'd fall asleep and others would discover my secret!  Thankfully my thumb's spell has long since been broken.  But seeing that little girl made me remember it all.

Nowadays, my habits are a bit more mundane:  coffee that is ready for me when I wake, toes that lightly wiggle when I sit (or, according to my husband, lie down or stand up), and, of course, there is my daily dose of knitting. 

Sunday morning coffee while listening to Sherrill's podcast is a newly forming habit.

And then of course there is my favorite Habit.

Thankfully, today's habits are much better for me both physically and mentally.

Wednesday Wrap

This week's web links will be brief...I'm been too busy enjoying the nice weather (we've had one day in a row).

• First, how plugged in are we getting that we are knitting our own privacy shells?  Actually, it's Sternlab's project of Body Technology Interfaces.  Sternlab is looking for more ideas of things to knit up that show the connection between people and their cells/pdas/other technology.  As for this creation, talk about "bag your face"!!
• Are you a Potter fan?  There is word that Opal will have a line of Potter socks in conjuction with the release of next movie.
• And finally, in case you are frustrated at having to wait for the new yarn release OR if you need from stress relief, what better than to play with some virtual bubble wrap!  Ahhhhhhhhh, that's better!

Signs of Spring

Finally!

I've been jealous of the photos that have been popping up on everyone's blogs.  Jealous, I tell you, of spring!

This afternoon, the thermometer hit 50+ and I decided to check out the bits of green on the hillside.  Boy, am I glad that I did!  Crocus.  A REAL flower!  I couldn't even see it from the patio door.  If I hadn't been looking for a photo for this blog entry, they may have been missed completely.  Thank goodness for blogging!

Unfortunately, there are also signs that the rabbits are enjoying a meal or two with my tulips.  If only I knew of a good way to keep them away from the tulips without having to fence everything in.

I've seen a lot of daffodils in blogland.  All those pretty yellow flowers blooming everywhere.  Here are mine.  We may not see yellow for awhile.  That just means that as your daffodils fade, you can stop here and check for a new batch. 

Hey, that gives me an idea for a contest.  Name the date of the first yellow flower and a spring surprise will head your way.  (Don't know what that surprise will be quite yet...I just thought up the contest!) 

Rules: Leave a comment with the date you believe the first daffodil will bloom in my backyard by Friday, April 18th to qualify.  Good Luck!

Update: If more than one person chooses the same date, a tie-breaker (or random number generator) will be applied to choose a winner from the correct guesses.

Best laid plans

My parents invited the girls for Saturday night.  Doogie and I made plans...drive to Cedarburg, visit the winery (restock our wine rack), have a nice dinner and then a quiet evening.

Hah!  A sound from the garage informed us that the van had other ideas.  The blower fan was running.  Not a problem if we'd just been on the road.  However, it hadn't been driven in over twelve hours!  It started up all on its own.  I have a thing about naming objects that "work" for me.  My previous van was known as the "Mystery Machine".  This one may have to be known as "Herbie".

Thankfully, it was still Saturday morning when Herbie announced his presence...the service center was still open.  One repaired/replaced blower relay and $200 later meant that the only plan of ours to be realized was the quiet evening.

Thank goodness there is always knitting to fall on when other plans fall through!  The quiet evening was spent watching movies and knitting.  Clue 3 reaped the benefits of the morning's mishap. 

No wonder a lot of people want to call knitting the "new yoga"...it does return my calm most of the time.  Unfortunately, it doesn't burn a comparable amount of calories!  I'd be able to knit much smaller sweaters if it did!

"G" is for...

Geocaching (go ahead and look at the FAQs then come back.)

Some of my favorite "family time" is spent tromping around new places looking for designated containers of various shapes and sizes in which to log our names.  The girls have learned along the way that life is truly about the journey, not the destination.

From time to time we have been temporary custodians of Travelbugs. (Follow the link for the best explanation.)  On our recent trip to New Orleans, I set my first travelbug free.  Meet the Stitchin' Witch Travelbug.  The travelbug dog tag is attached to a luggage tag that bears a witch knitting socks...quite appropriate for my first bug.  The goal I've assigned to her is that she travel to "magical places" and hopefully meet some knitters/sheep/llamas along the way.

She was picked up from the initial drop point and is currently on her way to Oregon. 

Knitting seems to find its way into each of our pasttimes!

Siblings Day

Did you know that April 10th is in the process of being proclaimed Siblings Day!?!  A day to honor the longest relationships in our lives besides Mothers Day and Fathers Day.

Hmmmm, I wonder if my brother is involved with setting this one up.  April 10th has been the day set aside for honoring my brother for the past 40 years!  Now he'll end up with his very own holiday too yet! (BTW Happy Birthday!)

By the time this posts, he will have opened his gift from me.  He is a huge fan of the color grey.  Stormy Weather Seduction. 

One sock is all he gets on his big day.  It's the "test sock".  I've never knit socks for him.  Why? Well, because he has an 11" circumference foot!  No showing it to you all (or knitting the second sock) until word comes that it fits.

The good news: Seduction has enough yardage to provide a handsome cuff length, even for his boot-like foot!

Way too much! (Wednesday)

What makes it "way too much" for you?

• How about the Sock Monkey Dress? Something my daughter will not be wearing to this year's prom.  Funny though, it was the creation of someone from Minnesota...a place wear (like Wisconsin) prom season can be a bit nippy and having something warm to wear would be a luxury!

• How about a Goldfish Toilet Lid cover?  KNITTED! We all love free knitting patterns, but this one is a bit much for me.

When will it stop?

Switching gears...a few quick links that I don't want to forget about.

• The Knitting Patch contest is hoping to raise $750 by the end of April for Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic.  She's got Wollmeise in her prizes!
• The Ravelraiser is going on right now!!!  How much do you use Ravelry?  Can you spare a bit of coin towards a new server?  Count me in!
• Mile High Lace Knitting  April 16-20 in Denver.  Something for the radar for next year, maybe.
• Sockapalooza 5 coming this summer.

Hope your Way Too Much Wednesday was a great one!

F...is for Finished

Originally, "F" was supposed to be for "French Quarter" but I forgot to take a "proper" photo. 

Then, "F" was almost "Family" because of a great shot of my family that will accompany Luke on his upcoming "World Tour" but, insert Murphy's Law here, the photo doesn't appear to be on THIS computer.

Then, "F" was going to be for "Frames" when my eye appointment came around. Have you ever attempted to take a picture with dilated pupils!?!  Not a pretty sight!!!

As the "F" posting became later and later, it became exponentially harder to come up with a topic.  (Sure, it did enable me to come up with my "G" topic, but no "F"!)

T-h-e-n...

Clue 2 was Finished. Finished.  It sounds so nice when it's Finished. 

Finishing, doesn't provide the same sense of satisfaction that Finished does.  "The spring vest back needs Finishing." Wouldn't you agree that "The spring vest back is Finished.", sounds much sweeter?

And don't even get me started on the word "Finish"!!!!

I still need to "Finish" the baby sweater!  (The baby was born and is nearly two at this point!)  Why does "Finish" bring such dread and loathing when "Finished" brings such joy and happiness?  We can hardly have "Finished" without "Finish" or "Finishing".

Thankfully, "F" is now "Finished".

BTW Grammar Note: "Pot roasts are "done", people are "finished"."  That's how my college roommate corrected me each time I'd say that I was "done". Now I'm finished. 

Back in the Saddle

Why is the first rule of vacation that you must work twice as hard before you leave to "prepare"...then twice as hard when you return to "clean/catch up"?  Last week, in the evenings, the last thing on my mind was blogging...sorry...but my chair, needles, and yarn were comforting after the long days!

Clue 1 for the Mystic Light Shawl KAL came out while we were in New Orleans.  It waited patiently for my return and was cast on last week.  The pattern combines lace with cables (along the edge & down the center) that are a lot of fun. 

After Clue 1, I was a bit concerned about my choice of yarn...the pattern is a bit lots in the varigation...but with Clue 2, things seem to be shaping up nicely.  Clue 2 is nearly finished and then that'll be caught up.

Now if only the laundry would miraculously get caught up! (And the dusting...and the vacuuming...and the spring yard work...and....)

No more socks!

Sounds like a good idea...or maybe it's an April Fool's joke...all I know is that right now, the last thing I want to knit in the evening are socks!

My bucket still looks pretty full.  Looking back it seems the only things knitted this past month from the bucket/s were socks!  Time to change that.  Look at that pretty orange...time to infuse some "spring" into my knitting even if it doesn't seem very spring-like outside. The robins are returning and their chirping cries out "What the heck am I doing back here!?!  It's cold!"

Hopeful. 

We think our knitting will make the difference.  A new spring vest would be just the thing to wear on a nice spring day.  It seems time to pack away my dark winter vest. (Or at least once it's no longer needed for sizing comparisons!) Maybe, once the pink vest is finished, spring will truly arrive. How's that for the power of positive thinking?

But, Fairy Godmother is finishing a sweater that she'd hoped she could wear yet before it got too warm...maybe her knitting "magic" is stronger than ours. Let's hope not! Then again, MN (where she lives) just had a snow storm. Time to get moving on the spring vest!

After knitting six pairs of socks last month, it's time for a break!  Though not entirely; the needles and sock yarn are banished (for the moment) to "taxi knitting"!  (Generally 10-15 minutes each school day.)  Besides the spring vest, there's a lot of fun stuff in the bucket...like the orange for the Mystic Light KAL...or the orange for the market bag...but maybe a cardi would be nice for cool spring evenings (need to stash enhance for that)...or maybe...

Just, please, no more socks...at least for the moment. (Or is that an April Fool's?)