9/27/2004
I’m still alive and mostly well. I ended up taking an unplanned, but well enjoyed vacation from the computer/Internet last week. I don’t normally disappear for a week or more from the blog, but I only logged on for a few minutes each day to check on my on-line classes and then went about non-technology driven activities like reading, baking some yummy quick breads for the freezer and more.
Wednesday night we usually spend at Scimoria (a house owne by two of our friends, but three others also rent rooms in it) playing games. Last week our good friend from Wisconsin was visiting so we brought him with and had a good time. I had hoped to have a pic for you all of use playing the great gift I got from my Secret Pal about week ago now - a vintage bookshelf game from 1971 called Lie, Cheat and Steal. But, we ended up with such a good turn out last week that we didn’t get to play it.
I’m debating whether I want us to play it now or not, LOL! DH remembers playing it when he was younger and is raving about what a fun game it is. I’m worried I won’t get to use it for my art as my Secret Pal had intended, LOL! It also caused me to spend $30 on a vintage game DH also remembers playing and enjoying - 221B Baker Street. It’s another bookshelf game based on Sherlock Holmes. It sounds fun and I *love* clue. So, I bid and won on one of those and an expansion pack for it. I think that will be his anniversary gift…
Yesterday we had to head to CO Springs for SIL1′s birthday and I completed the first rectangle of the poncho. But I still have the ends to weave in and then I need to block it. I’ll weave in the ends tonight at Stitch ‘n Bitch and if I’m lucky cast on for the second rectangle. The evenings are definitely poncho weather right now and I’d like to finish it soon. Everyone is ooohing and ahhhing over it so I’m excited about that!
I’ll have pics tomorrow…
9/14/2004
I was a bad, bad girl…
DH went to a friend’s b-day gathering where they played laser tag at one of those complexes that just happened to be near Lambspun. I forgot they were having a sale so I said since he was only going to be there for an hour or so that I’d go knit there until they were done with laser tag. Well, it was way too busy to sit and knit, but I shopped. *sigh* It is all spoken for and all but 2 balls are spoken for with projects. (Of course we won’t mention that I have more projects waiting in the wings than I have time to knit in my spare time…)
In that bag are 6 skeins each of Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Prairie Fire and in Old Sage, plus 3 skeins of Deep Charcoal and one more of Onyx. The Prairie Fire and Old Sage are going to be a sweater for me. I’m thinking I’ll use it to make my own stripey Klarlund, but we’ll have to see. I still don’t have the pattern yet. The Deep Charcoal are for a fulled Bottoms Up Bucket Hat and probably mittens or gloves for my sister. The Onyx is to be certain I have enough to do mittens/gloves to go with my mom’s Bottoms Up Bucket Hat.
Lurking in the bottom is…
2 balls of Rowan Biggy Print for a super sekrit project. Then three balls of Noro Silk Garden for a Multidirectional Scarf. I’m not sure if this will knit up red enough, but the idea is a scarf for my FIL who is a huge fan of red. If it looks too womanly I’ll perhaps give it to my MIL as she also wears a lot of red. I’ve never figured out if it is because she likes red or if it is because my FIL likes it though…
And, Emma says…
“Mom, don’t just show off the yarn you’ve bought. We’ve all seen plenty of yarn in skeins. Show off what you’ve knit!”
That is the poncho. I’ve slowed on it because the openwork doesn’t make it good movie watching or knitting tea work. Plus, I’m really worried about not having enough yarn. I don’t think I want to go any farther until I pick up some additional yarns that will work with those I already have.
Here is a bit closer look at the poncho.
After knitting tea we all went to eat at Red Lobster and then to the new yarn shop, The Indigo Thread, and they had a few nice yarns that would work in well with those I already have. I’m only about 1/3 of the way through the first rectangle so I think I can work in another 2 or 3 types of yarn in without it looking funny. In fact, I had wanted to use one yarn to crochet an edgina round the neck and bottom of the poncho and had been contemplating a single yarn that was not used in the rectangles anywhere. I didn’t buy any today though. I nearly blew my budget on Saturday and I *still* haven’t gotten paid from Eclectic Academy for my teaching last term which ended over a month ago now. *sigh*
It was very difficult to not spend money there though. They had Wildfoote - the Brown Sheep sock yarn which I haven’t seen anywhere else locally yet. It also seems the place to go for nice classic yarn. There were 600-yd skeins of great Merino and such for *very* reasonable prices. I shall have to drag DH in there some Saturday because it wouldn’t be over $100 to get enough yarn to knit him a sweater. They also seemed like the definite place for me to go when I’m ready to dive into a lace-weight lace project. I think I could get enough to do a nice size stole or that without having to sell a kidney! But, I had to hold back… I did get to take a better look at Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls by Martha Waterman and I definitely want that book :-) I also liked Folk Shawls but think I liked the waterman book a bit better. I will knit a lace shawl! As soon as I knit myself a sweater and… and … and…
Oh, and Svea offered to lend me a drop spindle and give me some roving. She said she has a wheel and doesn’t do well at the drop spindles and figures she has plenty of roving she won’t get to. So, I’m going to get to try spinning without really laying out any money. That way I can be sure it is something I will do. I love the concept of it and would love to be able to make my own thick and thin instead of paying $13+ for something like 33 yd. However, knitting is my hobby and I need to dedicate myself to my art and art classes so spinning might just slow my knitting down too much. We’ll have to see… But I’m excited to give it a try!
Oh, and my Secret Pal III sent me a lovely e-card yesterday telling me that my fluffy socks looked good :-) Whee!
That reminds me that the gals at Stitch ‘n Bitch last night dubbed them the Olive Branch socks because the other knitting group that doesn’t talk to us actually talked to us and oggled those socks, LOL!
9/13/2004
Well, I said I wouldn’t post a picture until I turned the heel… It seems it was a good, knitty weekend, LOL! The first Sockotta (I really need a catchier name than that…) is done.
Well, okay, it isn’t quite done. Those of you who are observant may have noticed the extra yarn hanging from the toe. My attempt at Kitchener once again looks *horrible* so I need to pull that out and give it a try again. I haven’t decided if I just wanted to wait until Stitch ‘n Bitch tonight and see if Ashley shows up and can help me out. I know Amada isn’t making it… She’s busy getting married and honeymooning!
And, since I haven’t posted this in a while, a reminder…
Click to head over to the complimentary yahoogroup!
9/10/2004
For lack of a better, more flashy name at the moment, I’ll call the sock the Sockotta sock. It is a bright, colorful pair of anklets cuffed with Crystal Palace Whisper. While at dinner and the movie last night I got a little past half-way on the heel flap. Originally I was going to use a fancy stitch, but I decided I wouldn’t be able to work on a stitch pattern in near dark conditions so I opted for a standard K1P1 rib for 1.5 inches and then start the standard heel flap. I’m thinking I’ll continue the rib across the top of the foot since I don’t know the woman’s actual foot circumfrence. That way it’ll conform to her foot.
I’ll take a photo once I’ve turned the heel. So, probably Monday unless I decide to blog over the weekend…
9/9/2004
There hasn’t been a whole lot of knitting going on around here. Because, while the poncho is on big needles, it is somewhat of a thinking pattern. It isn’t too strenuous, but enough so that I can get distracted with the TV or that. So I haven’t been making as fast progress with that as I would have hoped for. And, believe it or not, I have nothing else on the needles right now!
Tonight we’re going to New Belgium (a local micro-brewery and makers of such classics as Fat Tire and Frambozen and Abbey beers) for a showing of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. ??? I have no idea how this works, where they are actually showing it, how much it costs, how early we need to be there etc. But, I like to be social so I’ll be going even though I haven’t been a huge Monty Python fan (I may enjoy it now that DH has gotten me hooked on lots of other British television shows and the like). So, I’m thinking I’ll want to get cast on and a decent start to a pair of socks before tonight so I can knit during the movie. If I’m not doing something, I’m in serious danger of falling asleep.
I’m noticing what a fickle thing this knit blogging is… Now that I wrote about ponchos in my blog my daily hits have nearly doubled! Some of the other big search hits I get are “strawberry hat,” “trendsetter dune,” “bernat cottontots,” and “pattern knit purse with wooden handles” LOL!
Gotta run, got to go to a class about taxes for my business now that I’m officially registered with the state, county and city…
