Thinning The Nest: Thursday Number 10

Week 10:  More RAK’s!
 
Thursday again, and I’ve officially procrastinated at least an hour before writing this post.  I think I’m getting a little burnt out on my project.  Not so much engaging in the new behavior of getting rid of things, but the documenting of it all.  When it’s just piddly things here and there from week to week, it’s still progress, but it’s not a story.  While that’s fine for getting myself organized, it’s not much fun for blogging.
 
So, I’ll keep my weekly accounting short and sweet and then move onto better subjects.  This week I sent out three more RAK’s and it felt really good to be able to make someone else’s day!  Technically, I can only take credit for two of them.  I sent off a needle gauge, some extra cable needles, and some stitch markers to a beginning knitter in Massachusetts.  She has since received them and seems thrilled with her new goodies, which makes me smile inside.  The second RAK was mailed off to a super sweet gal in Canada and consisted of a bit of my stationery odds and ends.  I probably have enough stationery to write letters until I’m 110, especially now that very few people send real correspondence anymore.  She and I have conversed a bunch between my initial contact and the actual mailing of her gifty and she was kind enough to gift me a couple patterns in return.  I think what I love best about RAKing people is that I get to meet some really nice knitters along the way and have the pleasure of getting to know them and chat with them.  Knitters are so awesome!
 
The third RAK really belongs to my super knitty pal Troy.  When we went on our super-fab knitty weekend to Seattle in mid-February, he dumped a giant bag of sock yarn at my feet and told me to take whatever I wanted.  I might have pinched myself a little to make sure it was real.  And then of course, I got high on yarn fumes and ended up taking ALL of it home with me!  That’s something you all don’t know about Troy.  Not only is he one of the most generous people I know, but he also buys super nice yarn!  And then he doesn’t become unnecessarily attached to it.  Except for the really good stuff ;)  Anyway, I felt a little guilty taking all of it and told him I’d be sure to send some of it off as RAK’s.  So this was me making good on that.  I sent a starving college student (in microbiology, no less!) some very pretty red sock yarn in honor of her birthday this month.  So here’s to you Troy!  Thank you for making two people’s days!
 
And now…..  Some actual knitting!
 

 
My generous and kind friend Kathy (blog-free) who I have been “virtual” friends with for quite a few years now, is turning 50 this month.  And to celebrate her birthday, she is doing something completely and totally awesometastic!  She is collecting squares in black and bright colors to put together into a blanket which she will then donate to Pine Ridge Reservation.  How wonderful is that?  She kindly asked if I might be able to make her at least one square and I gladly agreed.  How could I say no to both helping my friend celebrate her birthday, and to doing something for charity?  The pattern I used is the Checker-Square Garter Dishcloth and it’s free.  Not only that, there’s no purling!  And while you do have to pay attention to what row you are on, it’s only for every other row, and it knits up quickly.  I hope I can make at least one more before Kathy’s deadline on March 22.  I think I can :)  I’m sure Kathy could use any squares she might be able to receive.  If anyone reading is interested in contributing (and is a Ravelry member) you can find the details of her request here in the Amazing Flying Squirrel Karma Team Group on Ravelry.  Happy Birthday Kathy!!  Here’s to 50 amazing & wonderful years, and many many many happy returns!

 

Sock Summit 2011 Day 3: July 30, 2011 – Far Afield

Back to our regularly scheduled Sock Summit Update (warning – picture heavy)….
 
Saturday morning found us a little more leisurely than usual.  That’s not to say we slept in, but Jess didn’t have class at all that day and Troy and I didn’t have class until 1:30 PM so there was no rush to get out the door immediately.  We had decided this would be the perfect morning to do a little exploring and we thought the Farmer’s Market would be the perfect thing to do.  Jess was amazing and pretty much figured out exactly where we needed to go and which TriMet route we’d need to take to get there.  Luckily, we were in the free zone for where we wanted to go, so it was super easy.  All I can say is, kudos to Portland for their public transportation!  If only we had something this nice where I live.  Of course, it’s not hard to get around in my town, but there are times where I’d like to not have to worry about driving or parking.
 

Skidmore Fountain

 
We hopped the Trimet to the Skidmore Fountain stop which was a quick 5 minutes or less from the Convention Center block. At our stop, I was initially put off by the group of scruffy looking loiterers shouting obscenities at each other over their shopping cart, but we just walked the other way and I put it out of my mind.  What caught my eye first was the historic architecture surrounding us; buildings with flourishes, and the historic colonnade housing a portion of the market.  I never cease to be fascinated by old structures and their histories.  The stories are there, buried, waiting for me to discover them.  I wonder about the people who lived and worked here. What was life like for them?  Were they happy, sad, indifferent?  As I soaked it in I snapped a few photos for posterity.
 

Architectural Details of The Colonnade

 

The Saturday Market - Portland, OR

 
We wandered, we looked, we soaked it in.  I found a lot of inspiration at the market, seeing all kinds of items that had been re-created from vintage or cast off things; upcycling being the buzz word I presume.  This has always been an interest of mine and seeing examples of this in the marketplace gave me all sorts of ideas for future projects.  I bought a couple of leather cuffs made from old belts.  Because I needed to “toughen up my image” I told Troy.  Couldn’t hurt.  Before long we were getting hungry and we decided we’d all divide up and get the food that sounded best to each of us.  Troy and Jess convinced me I’d love pierogies, which I had never before tried, so I bought my lunch at a cute little cart just across the street from the Portland Saturday Market sign up above.  Mmmmm…. Potato and cheese filling with onions and bacon on top.  I have to say, my first experience with pierogies was a blissful one!  Troy, who was holding a table for us, had to have the same after I came back with mine.
 

My First Pierogies

 
The picture is a bit blurry you see, because I was salivating so hard I could barely hold the camera straight :)  I told Jess and Troy that I did believe my blog was starting to turn into a food blog as most of the pictures I took over the weekend seemed to be of food!  After eating and looking a bit more, we thought we spotted the mecca of doughnut shops – Voodoo doughnuts – on an adjacent corner, and had to have a look for ourselves.  As we got closer, we asked a few people what the situation was and they told us that the line was at least an hour long.  An hour long!  And it was mid-morning, not even breakfast hour anymore.  Of course, there is no bad time for a doughnut.  But none of us was down with waiting an hour just to say we’d been there.  We satisfied ourselves with snapping a picture of the sign and Jess even got a guy sitting outside at a table, about to bite into a doughnut the size of his head, to agree to having his photo taken.  I’m pretty sure one of his friends had one of those specialty maple doughnuts with bacon on top.  Oy.
 

All Hail Voodoo Doughnuts!

 
After that, we wandered around a little longer to see what we could see.  We thought maybe there’d be a fun little shopping district or some such somewhere near all this other goodness, but no such luck.  We did see this, which explained a lot:
 

Keep Portland Weird!

 
Coming up on Chinatown, we thought perhaps there would be something fun to explore here too, but it was all but dead.  I did find the entrance enchanting though, and thought a rather funny sign deserved preservation on film.  Do you think they realized what they were advertising?  Or did they think it was funny too?
 

Entrance To Chinatown

 

Hung Far Low

 
Perhaps this was old Chinatown and there is a new and bustling Chinatown somewhere else in Portland.  By then in our travels, it was getting close to time to head back.  So we boarded the TriMet and were on our way back to the Convention Center.  I’d had a raging headache all day and it wasn’t getting any better.  I think we got some coffee before our class and maybe poked around the Marketplace again and at 1:30 PM Troy and I headed to our Perfect Rib Class with Cookie A.  I have to admit, I wasn’t feeling 100% by the time we got to class, and there was a lot to cram into this one-hour wonder.  Despite Cookie A. being a friendly, knowledgeable, and all around excellent instructor, my brain was at maximum capacity and most definitely not firing on all cylinders.  So I didn’t get much out of it, unfortunately.  Through no one’s fault but my own, of course.  There were lengthy handouts that I brought home and I imagine I will study them later, the next time I get around to trying to design my own sock.  I loved the idea that you can incorporate ribbing into the pattern itself (the main idea of this class) and I think that is perhaps why Cookie A.’s designs are among the most beautiful of all sock patterns.  Her ribs never look just stuck on, in fact, everything flows seamlessly together into a harmonious design.  I know accomplishing this myself with my own pattern, will make much more sense when I can sit down and study it later with my brain in a more receptive state.
 

Cookie A.!

 
After class, we met up with Jess again and decided it was time for another field trip.  We piled into Troy’s car this time (I think yesterday’s trek had taught us that it would be much more relaxing to drive just in case we got lost again) and headed to the nearest LYS, Portland’s Twisted.  What a sweet little shop!  They had all sorts of yarns my LYS doesn’t carry and a lot of local indie dyed stuff that was really fun to see.  The Twisted booth at the Marketplace at Sock Summit had been handing out 10% off coupons for the brick and mortar shop, so of course we had to take advantage.  I bought some beautiful Madelinetosh Tosh Merino in “Grasshopper” for a slouchy hat.  I love slouch hats, but don’t know if they love me back. I’m thinking this is a bit like shawls.  They look funny on you only if you feel funny in them.  You have to work it and just know you are cool and then, in turn, you will be cool.  It’s my new experiment.
 

Twisted Yarn Shop - Portland, OR

 
Jess asked the gals in the shop for a restaurant recommendation and they gave us a few.  Jess and I were thinking sushi, but after driving back and forth a bunch, with no sushi place materializing, we settled for the one place they recommended that we could actually find: Cha! Cha! Cha! Taqueria.  It was cool inside and inviting.  Most of the clientele were seated outside, so it was nice to have the place to ourselves.  The food was billed to be authentic and locally sourced which is apparently a condition for every restaurant in Portland.  But you know, I do believe it makes a difference!  Our meal was delicious.  Troy and Jess got something called Molcajete that Jess says is served at one of her favorite restaurants back home.  All I know is it arrives in a ginormous sizzling bowl of goodness and smells heavenly!  I got poblano chile and cheese tamales and we all got the requisite frosty adult beverage necessary to complete a summer meal such as this.
 

Jess & Troy

 

Mmmm... Tamales & a Margarita!

 
After dinner was consumed, we headed back to the convention center for a “special kind of baby shower” in honor of Ravelry founders Casey and Jess’ new baby Eloise.  Each of us had knitted a hat to donate to the cause and it was astounding to arrive there and see the sheer number of sweet knitted things that people had made.  There were several gift bags on the tables and I was a little confused as to what that was all about until Tina Newton and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee started looking into one of them and exclaiming over the huge amounts of tiny socks nestled inside.  I guess that one knitter had gone sock wild and knit dozens upon dozens of socks for donation.  Kind of made me feel a little subpar with my one measly hat :(  But I guess every little bit helps!
 

My Little Hat for Eloise's Charity Baby Shower

 
We kind of thought that, since it was a baby shower and all, there should have been some cake or something.  But no cake.  We settled for milkshakes from Burgerville (yum!) and some knitting in Troy’s room instead.  I’d all but convinced Troy and Jess to take on the Westknits Mystery Shawl KAL 2011: Earth & Sky with me so we purchased the pattern and discussed color choices while sipping our cool frosty treats.  After a while Jess and I bid Troy goodnight and headed back to our room for some shuteye.  A thoroughly wonderful, totally exhausting day.  And one of the best ever in recent memory! And tomorrow would mean goodbye :(

 

Farewell To Warms

29 weeks 3 days!

 
Hard to believe that Christmas is over already.  It went so quickly and I never felt I got the chance to really enjoy it.  Could be that my cold from hell is still getting me down (come on Booger King – you’ve been in there well over a week already, it’s time to clear out dammit), or that R. Darling had to work Christmas Eve so it felt like just any other day, or maybe I’m just feeling a teeny bit sad knowing that this is our very last Christmas with just the two of us and we really didn’t do much to make it seem special.  Or maybe it’s those pregnancy hormones (get a load of that belly up there!)?  Whatever the reason, I’m feeling a little bittersweet over this holiday.  So maybe I’ll stretch it out just a little bit longer, watch my favorite movies one more time and bake that Christmas cake I never got around to.  It’s still December for another few days….
 
This December also marks the end of another aspect of my knitting life that I’ve been working on nearly as long as I’ve been knitting.  Warm Woolies has officially shut its doors as of December 24, 2009 and will no longer be operating or receiving donations any longer.  As most of you know, I’ve  been contributing to Warm Woolies for quite some time now, and I truly believe in the great work that they do.  It’s been a pleasure to knit for them, knowing that one garment at a time, a whole army of knitters has been able to keep children here and abroad just a bit warmer each winter.  Though I understand that good things don’t always last, I am sad that this wonderful charity won’t be able to operate anymore.   Unfortunately, I didn’t make my goal this year of contributing to their 10 for 10 challenge (knit 10 items for children ages 10 and over) since morning sickness completely derailed my knitting efforts for close to 5 months, but on December 18 I did send off a final batch of 3 pairs of socks, 2 vests, 1 sweater (sized for approximately 6 years old), and 2 sweaters (sized 10 years old and up).  It felt good to mail off that last set of items, even if a little melancholic too, knowing that it’s the last time I’ll be doing it.  I wish all of the people from Warm Woolies the best of luck wherever they head after this endeavor!
 
And so, my final 2 projects for Warm Woolies (and probably for 2009):
 

Comfy Socks

 

• Pattern:  Comfy Socks from Knitscene (Ravelry link here, My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn: Twilleys of Stamford Freedom 100% Wool; Color #408; 3 balls
• Needles:  Size 10.5 dpns

 
This pattern was super simple and instantly gratifying (super bulky wool + big needles = turbo knit).  I actually loved these so much I considered keeping them for myself, but that kinda defeats the purpose of charitable knitting ;)  Good thing I have more of this yarn left (thanks Troy!) so I could make myself a pair if I really felt like it.
 

July Mystery Sweater for Warm Woolies

 

• Pattern: Mystery Sweater KAL for the Warm Woolies (now Wool-Aid) group on Ravelry; for the pattern, you’ll have to look through the archives for the July Mystery Sweater at the group and collect all the “clues” (My Ravelry project link here)
• Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes Bulky; Color “Scuba” #I141; 6 hanks (?)
• Needles: Size 10.5 circular

 
This was such a wonderful pattern!  While I was knitting the neckline I was absolutely confused as to how what I was doing would produce something like the photos I’d seen, but it turned out beautifully.  I opted for the “easy” version of the sleeves as I was sort of down to the wire finishing this on time, but I still think they turned out nice looking.  I won the yarn for the sweater in a contest on the Warm Woolies Group back in July and knitted faithfully along with each clue up until about clue #4, at which time I started incubating a bun in my oven and was so sick I could hardly stand to look at yarn for the next 5 months.  But when I found out Warm Woolies would be closing up shop and wouldn’t be accepting items past December 24th this year, I knew I had to get on it to finish this.  Not only for the little one who will be kept warm in it, but also out of obligation to the pattern designer and her generous gift of yarn to me.
 
So farewell Warm Woolies!  I will certainly miss you.
 
As for Christmas, I’ll miss you too.  I dearly hope that each and every one of you had a wonderful holiday and got to celebrate each moment to its fullest!!
 
And now, I think I heard someone say cake?

 

Snow In July

The morning before last, I awoke at 4 AM with an insistent bladder.  No, I thought.  It’s too early.  Go back to sleep. I tried to roll over, but it was no use.  So I got up and took care of business, then snuggled back into my warm bed to get another couple hours of sleep.  Except that’s not what happened.  I tossed and turned, snippets of stupid songs I hate and to-do lists swirling around in my mind.  I even tried counting, which works on rare occasions for me, but to no avail.  Then, as luck would have it, I finally fell asleep.  My alarm would go off 15 minutes later.  Ugh.  But not before I had a dream that it had snowed overnight.  Like, a foot of snow, in July.  And in my dream I was so excited that I’d have something to blog about that I ran outside, took a photo, and wrote a blog post titled “WTF”.
 
So, it didn’t snow for real.  But if it had, I could have whipped out this sweater I made for Warm Woolies (my second for the 10 for 10 Challenge) that I finished over the weekend and it would have kept me nice and toasty.  Instead, I hope it will warm some other girl who really needs it in an orphanage somewhere.  That it will cheer her up on cold days, and that she’ll know someone somewhere far away cares enough to send her a woolen hug.  She might even have snow in July where she lives.
 

 

 

Pattern: Mystery Sweater by Christiane Burkhard (on Ravelry here)

Yarn: 7.4 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Seconds in “RPM Pink”

Needles: Size 9 – 24″ bamboo circs and size 9 – 40″ Knit Picks Harmony Interchangeables

Mods:  None really, except taking some liberties with how many stitches to pick up around armholes and neck opening (my numbers didn’t match those established in the pattern)

New Techniques: Zip. Zero. Nada.  Although this is my first time knitting a sweater in the round, 3 needle binding off the shoulders & then picking up stitches around the armholes to knit the sleeves in the round from the top down.  It’s an interesting design.

Time Lapse: May 24, 2009 – July 11, 2009

Comments: I really enjoyed knitting this sweater and I put as much care into it as I would have if it was going to be mine.  The decorative trim at the hem, sleeve cuffs, and bust area kept my attention but didn’t make me crazy with too much chart reading.  The pattern was straightforward and easy to follow and I’m really happy with the result.  I might even make one in the next smaller size down (this was the adult small size) as my next 10 for 10 sweater.  A really great knit!

 

WIP Wednesday – The Rule Of Three

I decided something recently.  I should never ever ev-er be allowed to have more than 3 WIP’s going at one time.  That’s not to say I haven’t indulged my bad habits in the past, but I’m attempting (emphasis on that last word) to change my evil ways.  I’m turning over a new leaf in my desire to simplify my life because, ultimately, simplicity is what I’m seeking and needing most right now.  Though I absolutely abhor odd numbers, 3 seems like just the right amount: 1 test knit (that rchrispy is a busy girl writing her patterns & such!), 1 Warm Woolies project, and 1 WIP which should most preferably be a UFO that needs finishing.  It’s the perfect amount of challenge, mixed with simple but karmically fulfilling, mixed with the sense of satisfaction that only comes from finishing a project (finally!).  So three it is.

And the current roundup?
 

A Pretty Hem

 

#1:  Pink Fluffy a.k.a. Bell-Sleeved Scoop-Neck Top from Glam Knits by Stefanie Japel (on Ravelry here).  I’m using the suggested yarn – Blue Sky Alpacas Brushed Suri – and it is oh so soft I swear I may never take it off once I put it on that first time.  If I could marry a yarn, this would probably be it.  Except it’s such a little bitch sometimes that I almost broke off our relationship, but luckily I came to my senses.  The body is finished and it just needs sleeves and a neckline.  I wanted to magic loop the sleeves but I didn’t have the right length and size of circs so I ordered a few interchangeable needles from Knit Picks which are in the mail as I type.  This will also give me a feel for their interchangeable needles and help me decide if I want to buy a whole set or not.  The gal at my LYS suggested I borrow them from somebody before committing to the whole set, but I don’t know anyone that has any.  Then Maryse posted about buying a couple needle tips and a couple cables to go with them and I figured – genius!  So I totally copied her :)  Thanks Maryse!

 

Another Hem Shot!

 

#2:  Mystery Sweater for Warm Woolies (on Ravelry here).  I’ve finished the hem pattern and am now in the straight stockinette portion.  I love the color of this yarn and I almost wish it was going to be for me (are you even surprised?)!  Sometimes mindless stockinette can be so soothing and I’m really glad that I have something in this stage right now so I can just pick it up whenever and knit a few rows without thinking too hard.

 

#3:  Secrety Squirrel Test Knit for rchrispy.  Sorry guys, no Ravelry linkies or pics to show.  But it’s in rotation and I’m working on it.  You probably won’t see it for a year (that’s my deadline) but I’m sure I’ll bring it up now and then.  Just ’cause I can.  ‘Nuff said.

 

Our New NordicTrack Treadmill

 

And because I’m the biggest work-in-progress of all, here’s our new toy (if you think it’s cool to call instruments of torture, toys).  Yep.  We gots us a treadmill.  I took the inaugural run last night (and then proceeded to bike 4 miles with R. Darling while he ran some trails) and spent some more time on there this afternoon.  My bikini better appreciate all the hard work I’m putting in.

 

So what are you working on?

 

Ocean Waves

So check it. I finally finished my first sweater for the Warm Woolies 10 for 10 by 2010 Challenge.  I decided, for now, that I don’t like how small the clickable pics were in the last post, so I’m back to the what you see is what you get images I had before.  I will probably try to mess around some more with the formatting, but I’ll keep you posted.

Maybe it’s the holiday weekend, or maybe it’s just that I’m so bone-tired these past couple weeks that I can barely stay awake long enough to go to work and go home, but I’m not feeling super chatty.  No funny vignettes to report or kooky goings on to share.  But I figure, I got an FO, so I should totally post it before I forget to.  Then, maybe I’ll go get myself some more coffee and try to make myself useful.  Laundry and dishes await.
 
 

 

 

Pattern: Ocean Waves by Peggy Boisvert (on Ravelry here)

Yarn: About 4.6 skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Bulky in “Blue Heirloom”

Needles: Size 10.5 – 24″ & 16″ bamboo circulars

Mods: Hmmm….. this pattern is more of a “recipe” so I guess that I probably kind of modified it a lot in the sense that I just did whatever I wanted to the whole time; magic looped the sleeves

New Techniques: This was a Percentage System sweater which was totally new to me, so I learned a lot about that as I went along

Time Lapse: April 5, 2009 – May 13, 2009

Comments: This pattern was definitely “pithy” as it is self-described by the creator.  I had to do quite a bit of math and figuring out of the Percentage System (this article was invaluable), as well as guesstimation of what size would fit a 10-15 year old (How long to make the body? How long to make the arms?  Would it fit?).  Though I found that sort of annoying at first (I’m very much a “tell me exactly what to do” kind of gal) it was also sort of liberating once I’d figured out how to do it myself.  And when the sweater turned out to be something that actually looked like a sweater that might kind of fit someone, I felt just the wee-est bit proud of myself.  I might actually make another sweater using this system in the future as it was kind of fun to go patternless once the initial fear was over.  This will be my first sweater for the Warm Woolies 2010 challenge and I’ve got to make at least 4 more to qualify.  When I connected the sleeves to the body, I knit about 1.5″ straight before starting my decreases which kind of elongated the body and placed the cable further down on the sweater than I think is aesthetically pleasing. But I did it because Warm Woolies requested extra room in the underarms so the kids can wear many layers underneath their sweaters, and not enough room in that spot could cause the layers to bind up uncomfortably. I guess it won’t matter if the sweater fits with extra length since they practically wear them as coats anyway, but I’m not sure I like how it looks visually. But that’s just me. On a side note, I bought this yarn as seconds from a site I found a while back and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised.  I expected tons and tons of knots, and out of the 5 skeins I used only the first ball had any knots at all.  Granted, it had like 3 or so, but I expected them all to be like that.  Just sayin’.  I will probably be more likely to buy yarn from there again next time now that I know what to expect.
 
And, because I got nothin’ else to say and it’s always fun to do, here’s the Friday Fill-In a day late:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Friday Fill-In #125
(get yours here)
 

1. Moving is always a great time to get rid of things you don’t need or want anymore (including old boyfriends).

2. Love is free.

3. My best quality is modesty? Or maybe sympathy for others.

4. Don’t sweat the details.

5. In nearly 10 years, I will be way older than I even want to think about.

6. Another massage and some soft serve ice cream is what I need right now!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to hanging out with my man, tomorrow my plans include maybe going to Seattle with Miami and Monday, I want to knit knit knit!

 

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!  Eat an extra grilled food of your choice for me :)

 

And… an outtake!  No makeup, wet hair, gah!  It’s so scary I can’t believe I’m sharing :)  But check it out – my sweater fits!  Even if the arms are a bit short……

 

 

Friday Fill-In #123

Ocean Waves for Warm Woolies

 

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Friday Fill-In #123
(get yours here)
 

1. Apples are to oranges as drizzle is to downpour.

2. Bananas gross me out and that’s all I have to say about that.

3. I think I hear the hum of spring arriving.

4. Don’t be afraid to fly your freak flag.

5. Do what you want to do, but be mindful of others in the process.

6. Willy Wonka led the way and behind him was a Radio Flyer wagon; in the wagon was a bucket filled with everlasting gobstoppers.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to staying in and watching a movie with my man, tomorrow my plans include visiting with my Mom in honor of Mother’s Day and Sunday, I want to relax and work on my sweater for Warm Woolies!
 

Sheesh!  I had to work for that one ;)  Have a wonderful weekend Bloggy Peeps!

 

Psssst. I caved. I’m now on Twitter!

 

Nothing To See Here

Who me?

Why, I have no idea how that ginormous box of yarn got on our doorstep.  Did you ask that sketchy dude that lives a few doors down?  He seems like the type that would get his jollies off of leaving suspicious packages on people’s doorsteps.  Of course, I imagine they are usually on fire and filled with dog poops, but maybe he was feeling generous on Monday. ~whistles quietly to oneself~

Oh alright.  You caught me.  I’m a naughty little stitch monkey!  Would you like to spank me now or later?
 

The damage……

 

 

• 10 skeins of Lamb’s Pride Bulky Seconds in Blue Heirloom (for Warm Woolies sweaters)
• 10 skeins of Lamb’s Pride Bulky Seconds in RPM Pink (for Warm Woolies sweaters)
• 10 skeins of Cotton Fleece in Soft Gold (for the naughty stitch monkey)
• 10 skeins of Cotton Fleece Seconds in Pinkaboo (for the naughty stitch monkey)

 
Okay okay.  So I went a little nuts.  But dang it was hard to be good all month last month.  I’m rationalizing this purchase by telling myself that half of it is for charity knitting so it’s not really all that bad.  And, I bought seconds so they were super cheap (I got each skein for about $3.50 including shipping).  Not to mention, I paid cash.  Much better than burning up my plastic like usual. With the Blue Heirloom I’m planning on knitting the Twisted Tree Pullover (Rav linky here) for Warm Woolies.  This year, I’m going to participate in the Warm Woolies challenge for the year which is 10 items for kids ages 10-16 by 2010 (more here), so I think this sweater will do nicely.  The pattern only goes up to age 7 sizing I think, so my evil plan is to use bulky yarn instead of the yarn it calls for, in the hopes that that tweak will be able to size it up closer to a ten year old’s size.  Should be fun.
 
In addition to my own stash acquisition “problem”, my favorite Y-knitter Troy has been feeding me a steady stream of goodies as well.

 

Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks - Color #1289

 

Huckleberry Knits Trillium Superwash Worsted Merino in Apple Yarns McIntosh

 
Saturday over coffee, he presented me with 2 balls each of Ty-Dy in 2 colorways (the green/pink colorway isn’t here ’cause my picses turned out like craps), and a couple weeks before, a sweet hank of our LYS’s custom colorway from local Huckleberry Knits. How sweet is this guy?  Seriously.  I don’t deserve half the stuff he does for me, but for some reason he still does it anyway.  Thanks Troy!!  You’re supa fantastic ;)
 
So what am I working on?  Believe it or don’t, I’m about 4 rows, some blocking & some buttons away from a completed 28thirty.  I know right?  You can’t remember that one either I’ll bet.  I started it – oh – only about a year or so ago (blogged here if you’re remotely interested).  I also recently joined the Random Acts of Kindness group on Ravelry and am working on a pair of fingerless mitts for a lovely lady in Germany.  No picses though in case she’s curious and comes a-lookin’ here.  I have to thank my blogfree friend Kathy ever so much for inviting me to join the group.  Though I’ve only received 1 RAK myself so far, I’ve sent out 3 and have 3 more in the works.  I really credit these desposits into the karma bank with helping me feel better lately.  Doing something little for someone else, though not an unknown feeling to me, is far more therapeutic than I’d ever realized.  Thanks for getting me involved Kathy!!
 
And before I forget…..  Did you see the IK Spring 2009 Preview is up??  I’m dying for that Millefiori Cardigan.  Stash, don’t let me down now!!  Enjoy & happy hump day!

 

Warm Woolies 2008 Finale

So, the holidays are over.  I always get a post-holiday blueness the first few days after Christmas, so you’ll have to forgive me if there’s not much sparkling commentary on the bloggy today.  It’s not like there’s a huge holiday build up for me like there is when you’re a kid, but I still feel sorta sad when it’s all over.  Winter has only just begun and really, there’s not that much to look forward to.

Overall, we had a really nice holiday.  We had the first white Christmas since I can’t remember when, and though the roads were hard to navigate, we were still able to take Christmas dinner to my snowbound parents on Christmas Day.  On Christmas Eve we took time out to build a Snow Slug in our front yard (wish I could show you a pic but R. Darling has the camera out kayaking with him today so it will have to be another time), and snuggle together on the couch.  Hope all of you had a lovely holiday too!

Now that the year is winding down, and my stamina is too, I think it’s about time I recap my Warm Woolies goal of knitting 100 items this year.  It didn’t go so well.  I knit quite a lot of stuff, but didn’t make my goal.  I think perhaps I could have, if that was the only thing I knit all year long, but there were other responsibilities that needed attending to.  I know I shouldn’t feel guilty about that, but I do anyway.  If you look at my accomplishment in terms of grades, I’d only get a C.  I passed, but barely (this would be funnier if all of you were Jack Black fans like I am ;) .  But since I’m laying it all on the line here, these are the final stats for my year of Warm Woolies knitting:

* Knit 70 items total

* Knit 55 pairs of socks, 5 Hats, 5 Vests, 1 Cardigan Coat

* Completed sections of 3 Oddball Baby Blankies

* Seamed 1 Blanket of 36 squares

* 22 squares for the Knit a Square, Join a Swap Group on Ravelry.  However, I’m not counting these in my final total because it takes 36 squares to make one blankie and therefore, these do not count as one item :(

My 1st Seamed blanket for the Knit A Square, Join A Swap Group on Ravelry

Crocheted Cuteness: My last contribution to the Warm Woolies Baby Oddball Blankets Group On Ravelry

I met so many wonderful people this year working towards this goal, and among them was my blog-free pal Kathy, who sent me a ginormous box of yarn to use for WW projects.  What a generous and thoughtful gesture, and I’m so glad to have gotten to know you this year Kathy!  I promised that I would post a few pics of items I’ve made from the yarn Kathy sent, so here are the last 2 vests I’m mailing out this year.  The blue/grey/black one is made entirely from yarn she sent, and all the brown yarns in the second vest came from her stash as well.  Thank you again Kathy!

My knitty friend Troy, also contributed to my endeavor with 10 adorable hats that he knit for me to send to WW.  He tells me that I should count them in my total, as he knit them for me to do so, but it just doesn’t feel right since I didn’t knit them myself!  But I would love to claim them as Troy uses only the most beautiful fibers and gorgeous colors for his hats :)  Thanks so much for your generous gifty Troy!!  Here’s a pic (which just doesn’t do them justice):

With that, my Warm Woolies goal draws to a close for this year.  I’ll keep contributing in the years to come but I think I’ll try less to focus on a number for 2009, and more on the joy I experience in the projects I do.  It’s not supposed to be work, right?  It’s supposed to be fun and make me feel soft and fuzzy inside to be able to warm up cold little munchkins.

Thanks so very much to each and every one of you who has cheered me on during this year as I worked towards this goal!  It means so much to have all of your support and good wishes and I can’t thank you all enough for that :)  Hope your 2008 was joyful and that 2009 brings you all that you could wish for!

 

What’s The Word?

 

 

• Blue – Had a little fun at the salon on Friday.  Is this the new anti-aging solution? I expected R. Darling to hate them, but he surprised me by telling me I should have had more put in.  Be very careful what you wish for…..
• Exercise – Totally doing it.  Totally having absolutely no effect other than to make me extremely exhausted and still muffin-toptastic.  Apparently working out, doesn’t really work at all (at least not yet).
• Racket - As in, our fridge decided to crap out last week and we had the repair guy here on Friday to fix it.  Fixed one problem, but discovered another that resulted in an ongoing deafening rattling for hours at a time, occurring at least 4 times a day.  What did you say?  Oh.  I couldn’t hear you over the colossal noise coming from my fridge.
• Warm Woolies – O.k.  So that’s really two words.  But you get the idea.  I’ve found myself a leetle busy with this.  More than I had planned.  But it’s a good thing.  I’ll elaborate later this week hopefully.
• Knitting – For Warm Woolies obviously, but also secrety things that I just can’t reveal right now.  Too many projects to count and not enough time.  But rest assured, I’m still here and I’m still stitching.
• Rats – As in, R. Darling saw a huge one underneath our shed on Saturday.  Eeewwwww……  He says it might be time to get an outdoor kitty.  I know he was joking, but one can still hope.
• Reading – Abundance by Sena Jeter Naslund.  Um.  I’m no expert, but this book is snoozeriffic.  Unless you enjoy maximum description and minimum action.  In theory, this should have been riveting, but in execution it’s absolutely charmless.  I’ve been slugging through it since August and the end is barely in sight.
• Malabrigo – Thanks a lot Chrispy.  I’m now hooked on this yarnie crack!  And if you haven’t tried the Silky Merino yet, beware.  You might start meeting “contacts” in dark alleys to get your fix.  It’s just that good.  

 

Azul Azul in all its glory

 

************

 

Happy Monday Bloggy Peeps!

 

Back In Training

Even though it’s totally the wrong time of year for this, my malevolently multiplying muffin top has forced me back into the Body For Life shackles once again.  Goodbye treat size chocolates, goodbye sour patch goodness, goodbye iced caramel mochas. Sniff.  I’ll miss you.  But the muffin top has spoken, and it says I can’t afford bigger pants.

Whenever I mention to Miami (my work buddy) that I’ve started working out again, he never fails to say something like: Oh yeah?  Back to training for the cage fighting circuit again?  And I always say, Yep.  Gotta get back to my fighting weight.  I don’t know why, but this somehow makes me feel better about the whole thing.  Like I’m not just sweating it out in my workout room to lose a few pounds, but that I could actually be doing something powerful.  Yay fitness!

Anyhoo, more workouts means less time for other stuff, so I just wanted to let you know that I’m probably going to be more distracted than usual until I get back into a regular routine with my cage fighting program.  That means, less knitting, less bloggy posts, and I’ll just go ahead and apologize right now for being slow with correspondence and visits to your bloggies.  I haven’t been good at that last bit for a while now, but I expect it will be worse before it gets better.  That’s not for lack of love for all of you though!  I swear!  Just wanted to keep you in the loop :)  It’s only been a week and a half so I’m still figuring out how to fit everything into my schedule, but I expect to be able to catch back up after a few weeks of this.  And then I’ll be back again!

So….  The knitty stuff!  I’ve been doing a lot of Warm Woolies work the past couple weeks and haven’t had time for a proper update.  Here’s the quick and dirty report:

 

Pretty In Pink Oddball Blankie

 

Here’s the second blanket I completed for the Warm Woolies Oddball Baby Blanket group I joined on Ravelry.  Mine is the section of seed stitch on the far right.  I also, the day I mailed it off to the next knitter, received my next blankie (a crocheted one) in the mail to work on.  I am halfway through my section of Crochet Cuteness and just purchased yarn yesterday to finish the last half.  I have also become addicted to knitting the 7×7 inch squares that the Knit a square, Join a swap group (run by the same mods) collects to be made into baby blankets for Warm Woolies.  So far I’ve made 9 and they are the perfect small project to work on here and there while stirring dinner or watching commercials during your fave show, and a fantastic way to use up little acrylic scraps of which I have tons.  Here’s what I’ve got so far:
 

Squares for Warm Woolies baby blankets

 

I had a fun surprise on Thursday, running into my knitty pal Troy on my way out of the grocery store (hey dude!).  He just happened to have a bagful of acrylic bits and bobs for me for squares in his car and that orange one you see in the far right, is totally from his stash.  Thanks Troy!

In other projects, I am steadily working on Baby Cables and Big Ones Too for the current SKC KAL.  It’s going well & I’m determined to finish this so I can wear it this winter.  I need winter clothes that fit and look nice and don’t itch!!  I finished my Dad’s Dashing mitts and they are blocking on top of the washing machine as I type.  Finally got the perfect yarn for Betty’s prize from my bloggyversary contest, and will be swatching for another secrety squirrel project of Chris’ later on today.  Busy busy busy.

The good news is, we thought my SIL was coming up this weekend to stay with us so we scurried around all week cleaning up, only to discover that she is too sick to come up for her soccer game as planned.  This means, the house is clean and I am free to wallow in my knitstonage all weekend long!  In between cage fighting sessions of course….

 

Hope your weekend is fantastic bloggy peeps!

 

Warm Woolies Wednesday (The First In A Long Time!)…..

It’s a beautiful October evening out; fiery foliage, crisp air, golden twilight.  Anything could happen on a day like today.  The hush of evening finds me curled up inside the nest of my house and I love that there’s no pressure to be outside watering the garden, weeding, or doing anything other than what I’m doing right now.  How I love autumn!  I’m just finding it hard to believe that October is coming to a close in just one short week.  Where does the time go?  And where can I get more of it?

Speaking of disappearing time, I took a look back and it seems that my last Warm Woolies update was before my trip to Oregon in early September.  Yikes!  That seems so long ago!  And I guess it really is.  Things have happened, things haven’t happened.  But one thing remains the same:  I’m still knitting for Warm Woolies whether I’ve been talking about it or not. 

 

"Lemon Zinger"

 
A while ago I joined a Ravelry group called Warm Woolies Baby Oddball Blankets, in which members each knit a portion of a baby blanket that is then sent on to Warm Woolies.  It sounded like lots of fun and a great way to use up the random acrylic that I have floating around the house.  Just before I left on my Oregon trip I received my first blankie called “Lemon Zinger”.  Dutifully, I brought it with me on my trip and completed my 6″ portion the first two days I was away.  Even though I’m not knitting these blankies all by myself, I am still contributing to a finished item so I’m counting them in my total :)  I’ve got another one waiting in the wings for me right now and guess what?  It’s called “Pretty In Pink”!  Can’t wait to start that one!  Surprise, surprise.

A couple weeks ago I mailed off another package to Warm Woolies containing 11 items (2 vests, 5 hats & 4 pairs of socks).  Usually they are pretty prompt about sending a postcard to let you know that they’ve received your items, but I haven’t gotten one yet and I’m starting to worry a little.  So I’m going to have to dig out the receipt with the confirmation info and see if I can track it down.  I have another box waiting to go that has 14 pairs of socks in it right now, bringing my total for the year up to 60 items.  Not very near my goal of 100 but I’m feeling, at this point, that if I reach 80 by the end of the year that that will be pretty darn good.  I feel bad crapping out like that, but even though I won’t likely reach 100 I will still be knitting until the end no matter what.  Hopefully an “A” for effort counts for something in the good karma bank!

I’ve also had 2 lovely Warm Woolies related packages over the last couple months.  I returned home from Oregon to find my prize package from Warm Woolies in my held mail.  It was so exciting to open it up and see what they’d sent me!  Though I don’t knit to receive anything in return, it was still fun to have a little treat arrive from them :)  I guess since I knit them so many socks they figured out that I like socks and sent me tons of sock yarn (6 hanks!).  I have no idea what I’ll make with any of it, but it’s fun to add to the stash!  Take a peek……

Lots-n-lotsa sock yarn!

 
The yellow stuff is about 1600 yds of pale yellow laceweight wool (generically labeled).  Anyone have any ideas about what to make out of it?  I don’t do shawls, but I would consider a stole I guess if it was pretty enough.

My second package came just a few days ago from my blogfree (but soon to be Ravelite?) friend Kathy.  What a lovely box filled with piles of yarn for Warm Woolies from her stash (time to clean up I guess ;)  and a few interesting books as well as a lovely ball of sock yarn for my birthday.  Thanks so much Kathy!!  I will be sure to post pics of my WW items as soon as I have the chance to dive into it, and I appreciate so much your thoughtfulness and generosity!

Had enough?  Whew!  I think I have :)  Hopefully the next update will be a little more brief so you, and I, can spend a little less time reading and a little more time curled up in our respective cozy nests knitting!

 

************

P.S. ~ WordPress is being a little b-hotch tonight so I’m afraid the formatting in my post looks funny and is going to stay that way.  It’s bugging the crap out of me but I’m too tired to keep fighting with it.  Better luck next time!