Fixing Yarn

Quite a while ago, I thought I would make up some felted boxes. I found some yarn called White Buffalo that is "very feltable". However, it is soooo loosely spun, it might as well be roving. It kept pulling apart on me. So it sat in the stash since it was such a pain.

The other day, I was sitting in my living room, just vegetating and my eye fell upon my kick-spindle. I had an Aha! moment and decided to add some twist to the yarn. Since it is for a felting project, it doesn't matter that I am still in the uneven spinning stage of learning. And at the end I will have useful yarn!

It is coming out roughly worsted weight, I think. Since gauge for a felted box is pretty unimportant, I'm not too worried about the exact weight.

ciao

My Exciting Trip

Last weekend I went to Toronto. I stayed with my sister.

When I arrived friday night, we stopped in at Jack Astor's for nachos. With an adult beverage, of course.

I thought the bill was rather amusing, as they have the provincial and federal taxes identified with the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty, and the Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, respectively. So that we know who to blame, I suppose....

On saturday, my sister and I stopped by the Cheese Boutique. They have an amazing assortment of imported goodies. Among the wonders is a cheese room. You can actually go in and look at (but don't touch!) the cheese.

Saturdy continued with a lovely afternoon and evening spent with the Mezzodiva herself. That's right, she of the lovely Hibiscus for Hope sock pattern. (if you haven't got it yet, you want it. Go. Get it. I'll wait)

We met for a late lunch, a couple of beer, coffee.....and knitting of course!

Alas, I had to frog the knitting I was working on back to where it was at the beginning of the knitfest. I started the heel too early and the sock was short. However, the company was fabulous. She is as lovely in person as she in on the internet and it felt like I was meeting an old friend that I had known for years. The afternoon/evening just flew by. It too seemed short, although it was actually over 6 hours of fun! None of us wanted it to end, Unfortunately, one can only stay awake for so long before one falls over. So we had to call it a day. There will be more days, I'm sure.

Ciao

Meh

I returned from my fabulous weekend in Toronto and now am feeling the let down. So, for fun, check this out. It is absolutely adorable cuteness with kitty and doggie. For more cuteness, her blog.

More on my trip to T-dot later....

Imitation or Art?

Raven loves his big sister Micha. He follows her around. He even mirrors her posture, which as we all know, means you like someone....

Handspun

I made yarn! I'm very excited. It's shetland fibre in it's natural brown.

Yes, that is a dime. The little skein is about 15 yards. Not sure about the wpi, haven't done that yet. I was just so excited I had to show all of you!

It's not consistent yarn. But that just improves it's charm, right?

Ciao

Jean Yarn

I decided to get a move on with the jean purse I want to make. So I started knitting it up on thursday. It was too narrow, so I ripped back and started again on friday. As of this morning, it looks like this:

I think another inch or so (which works out to about 2 more rounds) I think I will be binding off. Then I need to add the jean waistband at the top and line it. That will probably take me 6 months or so at my normal speed....

The texture is really interesting.

Stockinette:

And garter:

I knit the bottom as a square and picked up stitches around the edge to continue knitting it in the round.

ciao

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...It's MULTI-Mitre!

I have been knitting on my mitred squarres. However, something strange has happened.

A very unusual square has appeared. It is quite opinionated and insists that I call it "Multi-Mitre". Preferably in the booming kind of voice you hear on the cartoons when Superman appears. (It's a bird, it's a plane, it's .........MULTI-MITRE!)

Multi-Mitre is claiming that the above picture doesn't do it justice, so I am forced to post another picture of it.

Multi-Mitre claims that the flowers show off it's corners more elegantly.

I am not convinced of the veracity of it's claim. However, to keep the peace, I have posted the picture anyway!

ciao

Now Presenting!

A complete Hibiscus for Hope lace sock! As I have previously mentioned, Mezzodiva is doing the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. To that end, as a thank you to all knitters who donate to her cause, she is giving a lace sock pattern, if they want it. Trust me, you want it.

I was one of the intrepid test knitters. Believe me when I say that you can do it. If I can, you can. I am by no means an experienced lace knitter and managed the sock on the charts just fine. Yep, charts.

Yeah, yeah, you all want to see the sock, right? Here you are!

If the lighting is better tomorrow, I plan on another photo shoot. We are having some truly impressive thunderstorms coming through, so the lighting is rather muted and dull.

Stats:

Pattern: Hibiscus for Hope

Yarn: Mama E Cyeber Fiber, Colourway: Beauregard

Knit on 2.25mm needles.

Started on 2 circs and completed on dpns

Mods: Knit at a tighter gauge of 10 sts/inch

So why are you still reading? Go here , donate and get your pattern!

Fibre-Like Content

I decided that I didn't like knitting a sock on 2 circulars. Not sure if it was the crappy circulars I was using or just me. So I switched to dpns and I am much happier. However, last night I realized that the one dpn felt "scratchy". I looked more closely and saw this:

If you look at the middle needle, you can see it looks flat. I snapped the tip off somehow. So I bought new ones today.

While I was at home today, I was waiting for some clients to return calls, so I didn't want to knit on my test sock, as it is lace and requires a modicum of concentration. I made this instead:

I looped the jeans I have cut up into "yarn". I still have more strips to loop together and then I will start on the purse I want to make. No idea if I will have to cut up more jeans. I figure I will start knitting it up and then I can always pause to cut up more.

The hubby is starting to circulate in the kitchen. I had better go start dinner before he tries to "help"!

Ciao

Ewwww!

I checked on my basil today.

Something is muching on it. And it's not me. It's earwigs. Say it with me..EWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! I have dug out the insecticidal soap. However, I suspect this pot is done for. I have already started a fresh pot inside my house. If the soap works and chases the bugs away, I'll be happy. I'm not holding my breath.

Who Wants to Work?

I'd rather be doing this:

Unfortunately, the landlord wants rent money, the kitties insist on getting fed regular-like and I always need yarn....

Ciao

New Lunch

So, I left you all hanging the other day. How did my experimental lunch go? As a reminder, I found the recipe on Nutritional Knits. I took some veggies, in this case, onion, garlic, celery, carrot and zucchini. Cut them up and cooked them in a bit of olive oil with a dab of butter. I then packed it up and brought it to work along with a raw egg and a tortilla shell. Then I heated up the veggies in the microwave. Next I cooke dthe egg. Yes, you cando that in a microwave. Make sure you poke a hole or 2 in the yoke, though. Cover with a papertowel or something just in case it spits. Then nuke the tortilla for about 10 seconds. Assemble.Then eat. Yum. Repeat as needed. This turned out really well and I will be doing this again!

In knitting news, I decided to frog the test knit lace sock back to the ankle. The lace was wonky there and I can't live with it. Fortuitously, I hadn't taken out the lifeline I had put in at the beginning of the ankle. I frogged it and put the stitches back on the needle. Somehow I got an extra stitch, but I will figure that out tomorrow.

Ciao

What To Blog?

Not much going on around here. I worked like crazy last week and then stopped. Just....stopped. Spent the weekend lazing around. I knit a bit on a mitred square. I don't think I even finished 1. Yup, that's how lazy I felt. I could work on the test knitting sock, but the lace around the ankle is a little wonky and while I don't really want to rip, I'm beginning to think I should. So I am procrastinating on that. Maybe it'll fix itself if I leave it?

In other news, I went to see an audiologist about a partial cochlear implant. Gut get this, apparently I am not deaf enough! That's a good thing, right? I am on the border, so I will keep up an annual check up there and if things go south, well, I'll already be evaluated by them, so I will be able to skip the referral over part.

I am bored with the lunches I have for work. So I am whipping up a pot of lentil soup and I made a sofrito (onion, carrot, celery & garlic) ,cooked some zucchini and will wrap it up in a tortilla with an egg for lunch. This is an experimental meal, but I have hopes it will go well. It should heat up ok in a microwave. We shall see. If worse comes to worse and it is inedible, I am working in a grocery store so I can run over to the frozen food dept and get something.

Yeah, my pet photography skills need some work......

ciao

It's So Hawt....

Bestest Hubby Award!

My hubby is wonderful! Look what he got me for my birthday *bouncebounce*

It's a mother marion supported spindle. He got it from the Woolery.

I've done some spinning on it.

The technique is a bit different from a drop spindle. I am slowly getting the hang of it. What fun!

ciao

Too Funny

Found this video on Youtube. Can't figure out how to embed, but here's the link. It's really funny. And it is safe for viewing at work too......

ETA: Here it is, embedded in all it's glory. (if I did it right)

O Noes!

(English translation at bottom)





And ceiling Cat luks at lace and sez ,"ur lace, it luks funi"



Knot-lady looked at her knitting and thought, "Ceiling cat is correct. This does not resemble the intended result"



And Ceiling Cat sez,"Ur lace, u haz to rip it"



Knot-lady said,"No! I shan't How willst I ever divine where the correct point in the lace shalt be?"



And ceiling Cat sez, "1 at a tym, u haz to take apart"



Weeping, Knot-Lady said,"So Ceiling Cat says, so it shalt be"

Translation for non-lolcat speakers:

The lace was coming out wrong after the heel. After several false starts and a phone call to Mezzodiva, it was discovered that I am a bonehead and started on the wrong chart after the heel. Hence the "travelling" lace pattern. Also, bonehead that I am, I did not put in a lifeline after the heel (as I had a fleeting thought to do at one point) so I had to tink back 1 freaking stitch at a time. Took me a day and a half, (with breaks to be sure) but it's tinked and the stitches come out to the correct number and I have checked to be sure the lace is the right lace for the row I should be on and when I am done here, I will endeavour to read the correct chart and that should be that. Famous last words, I'm sure.....

Ciao

In Other News...

Lately around here it's been all-sock, all-the-time. I did take a break or two though. mostly to clear my head when I got confused. I tend to overthink things and when I take a break it sorts itself out in my head. Anyhoo....

My tomato plants were looking pretty wild.

So I trimmed 'em down a bit.

And I found:
Baby tomatoes! Always exciting to find the first ones.

Heelage!

It only took me 2 freaking days, but we finally have heelage!

And I do mean freaking days. I had to rip or tink back at least 3 times. It might have been more, but I stopped counting. It was pissing me off. The irritating thing is that this a basic short row heel. Nothing fancy and certainly something I've done before. I do not know why the GOK (gods of knitting) decided to test me with this particular heel, but I definintely had to overcome adversity to get it done. But it is done. The heel, not the sock.

ciao

I Haz a Stoopid

I am a bonehead. I got to the heel on my sock last night. Rather than do the heel when I was tired, I thought to myself,"Self, tomorrow when you are well rested, put a lifeline in and then do the heel. That way if it is short, as you suspect, it won't be a pain to fix."

Riiiiight. I did the heel, completely forgetting the lifeline idea. Foot too short, heel too pointy. Dammit. I ripped back. Didn't quite get all the stitches the way I was supposed to. Need my tiny crochet hook to fix. Naturally it has gone walkies. I am on my way out to get a new one, thus ensuring the old one will reappear toot sweet.

Ciao-grrrr

Speed Knitting

I think this is the fastest I have ever knit a sock! Progress so far:

You didn't think I would show you the lace yet, did you? And yes, there IS lace. Hopefully the heel will be turned this evening and I will fly up the leg after that!

Ciao

Derailed...Sorta

Remember the long list of crafty stuff I was going to do on my time off? It's become a little unhinged. In a good way. Mezzodiva is doing the Weekend to End Breast Cancer. To that end, last year she came up with a truly yummy sock pattern which was yours for a donation to her walk.

This year, the courageous woman is doing it again. Both the walk and a sock pattern. Said sock pattern is being test knitted as I type. I know this because I am one of the test knitters. She would like us testing types to report back in a couple of days. Yikes! I have to start knitting faster.

I am knitting the sock out of Mama-E sock yarn in the Beauregard colourway. It has been in my stash for a while just waiting for this sock, apparently.

So far, I have made a toe-hat.I am into about row 2 in the actual lace pattern. However, I have sneakily shown you the sole of the sock. Pretty colours,eh?

I'm off to speed-knit.

Ciao!

Sewing

I started and finished my curtains for the dining room yesterday. There was some swearing, I will admit. Mostly at Raven when he kept trying to help. Not useful when there are straight pins all over the place....

At any rate, the new curtain is done! First, the old curtain:

As you can see, there is quite alot of light coming through these curtains. This was a problem with the way the tv now sits. During the day, almost half the screen was obscured, depending on where you sat.

Here are the new curtains! You can see a little bit of light leaking around the edges, especially on the left side of the picture. That is pretty much all the light leakage, though. It can be fixed by tweaking he curtain over. That picture was taken without flash so you could see the light issue. Below is the curtain taken with the flash.

Shiny, ain't it?

All in all, I'm quite pleased. I did line it with curtain blackout material and the result is quite all I could hope for!

Project one complete!

Ciao

One Third..Almost

The dorito of the knit world continues. (betcha can't knit just one!) I am busily mitre-ing away.

That pile represents not quite 1/3 of the anticipated needs for this project. 19 squares to be exact. I estimate that I will need 60 squares for this work of art. Once I have knit up 60, I will see if the project is big enough.

Ciao

ETA: Go here and vote for the colour name AMPHIBIAN. Crafting Jen's friend Leesa entered the contest to name the new art glass shards at Avenue Beads and it's up to us knitters to change the world! Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on June 21 (not sure what time zone that is)

Um...it's WHAT time? Oh Phooey....

Yup, that's right, I just realized that the new knit night donwtown started at 8:30. Exactly. It' is currently 8:54 and I am at home. And I am too tired to get off my bum and go. Next week. Really. I cannot believe I completely forgot about it! Brain like a sieve.



In other exciting news Chez Knot..hmmm..nope nothing. I am currently busily engaged throwing out any underwear that ride up, down or in any other direction. Yup, that is the excitment that is my life. Yee fucking haw.



I think I need to lie down now.



Ciao

Asian Bordello

One of the things I want to do when I take my vacation time week after next is replace the curtains in my dining room. The ones that are up right now have been there for 11 years and I think it's time for a change! I found some lovely fabric today. Although my husband, who claims I have no taste says it is fine, if you are decorating an asian bordello! I say he's wrong and that the fabric is lovely. In either case, it's what I'm putting up, so he'll have to learn to like it. Or at least keep his mouth closed...

It's an iridescent green that shades into the blue when the light hits it, as you can see. I love the edges too:
I think I'm going to leave them raw when I sew up the curtains.

One movie that made you laugh: The Princess Bride
One movie that made you cry: Beaches
One movie that you loved as a child:Aristocats
One movie you've seen more than once: The Princess Bride
One movie you loved, but were embarrased to admit it: Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo
One movie you hated: Anything with Nicholas Cage
One movie that scared you: Don't watch anything remotely scary
One movie that bored you: That movie where Mel Gibson got tricked up in blue face paint. Mel was easy on the eyes, the movie bit the big cucumberoso
One movie that made you happy: The Princess bride (Hmm, a bit repetitive)
One movie that made you miserable: Forrest Gump
One movie that you weren't brave enough to see: Philadelphia. Seriously, Tom Hanks being a dramatic actor? Ick.
One movie characted you've fallen in love with: Jack Sparrow. But then again, who wouldn't? I mean really, Johnny Depp? Mmmmm.........
The last movie you saw: Pirates of the Caribean-whatever the last one was
The next movie you hope to see: Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Or whatever it is actually called.
Now tag 5 people: Last time I wimped out, so now I will tag.....you, you and ummm....you over in the back hiding behind the fake flower arrangement. When was the last time that thing was dusted? Really, it is impossible to tell what colour the flowers are under that grime.

Belated Prize Posting

So, I was at work, melting since there is no air conditioning in this store yet (new build), when I realized that I haven't posted my prize from last year's Campanula For the Cure fund raising thingie. (yes, thingie. That is the technical term. Shaddup.)

It came very nicely wrapped in the box,

Wait a second, my assistant got in the shot. Let me try again,

Yes, my assistant is in this one too, but he didn't move the box while I was taking the picture so this is the "good" shot. Again, shaddup.

And the piece de resistance,

That's right, Mama Blue's Troika yarn (scrumptious 80% superwash merino wool,10%, cashmere,10% nylon yarn) in the Talulah colourway.

I already know what I'm gonna knit with it. This year's sock pattern! I am anxiously awaiting it's announcment.

I'm off to guzzle a gallon or 3 of H2O.

Ciao

How....?

I went to Walmart today to buy antiperspirant. I was completely out. Not a good thing when the humidex is hovering around 33C! (ETA: Humidex has now hit 36C!) Normally, I don't shop at wally-world, but it is within walking distance from my house and with gas prices being what they are, I figured I could walk a bit. The item I needed was $2.67. Here is what I spent:

That's right, $51.82. How do I do this to myself? Budget? What's that?

Oh Frabjiuos Day!

Said in a very sarcastic tone. Dishwasher broke. Lake on kitchen floor.

Door no longer shuts completely. Will be calling the company tomorrow for a service call.

In the meantime, it's paper plates and cups!

Traditional Guy

My hubby is very attached to the first pair of socks I knit him. So he was distraught when he saw this:

Holes! EEEEEEEEK!

But I made it all better.

I even had some of the original yarn . Hubby is now very happy....Maybe he'll remember to put a garbage bag in the kitchen when he takes the garbage out?

Advice Please

The hubby likes the Mansocks , but he would like them to be a bit longer. Since I have some yarn left over, I thought I would oblige.

Here is a shot of a longer sock he likes and the new cuff I knit.

A close-up:

So the question now, is how to attach. The sock was knit cuff down, so I can't just unpick a bind-off. I could snip a strand to get live stitches and then graft. But I have only ever grafted stockinette. How does one graft a K2P2? Or I could simply knit (and purl) the new cuff to the old, I suppose. Although I imagine that would give it a ridge. Not awful, but not ideal. Anyone have any ideas? Or done this before?

Ciao