December 7, 2009 at 4:12 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting
I have a finished object to report, and this one was knit just for me. It’s the “Woods in the Fall” Scarf I knit using the Noro Striped Scarf pattern. 
Its name was inspired by the fall colors that appeared here in early November. When I wrote about its beginning here I thought it would take creme rinse to make the Noro a tolerable softness. Much to my surprise and delight, Soak was adequate to make this scarf a pleasant experience.
Here’s a picture of it simply “hanging around”, to show you its length.
Today is a damp, chilly day, the sort the Irish call a “fine, soft day”, so I am very grateful to DH for playing photographer. I stood under the roof of our porch, while he backed up into the mist.
In the tradition of “Where’s Waldo”, did you see the rabbit? He lives by my front door to greet all comers. Consider yourself greeted, friend.
2 Comments
November 25, 2009 at 12:45 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting, socks, yarn review
I’m not much of a gambler, but at $8.60, how wrong could I be about this yarn? It’s from the Deborah Norville collection, Serenity Sock Weight, and is 50% wool, 25% bamboo, 25% nylon. Hobby Lobby had it for $4.29 a 50 gram/230 yard skein.
Now that I’ve finished a pair of simple socks, I can report that it was a very satisfactory knit.
Neither skein had any knots. The color printing was predictable and accurate across the skeins. I was able to start each cuff at the same place in the color repeat, and then have identical heels and gussets. There was no pooling at all. The only variation occurred as I tapered the second toe, but by then, who cares? The socks are soft and comfy, and knitting them as my “purse knitting” was a mindless pleasure.
What, you didn’t think I could manage a finished object photo shoot without Meezer assistance, did you? Minky managed to come supervise this picture. As I look at her picture, I’m struck by how much the prolonged use of high-dose steroids to manage her asthma has lightened her back legs and tail. However, her medicines have kept her out of distress and happy. Minky is my companion cat, and she will always be my beauty!
3 Comments
November 13, 2009 at 12:05 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Archie, knitting
I’m pleased to report I’ve finished a scarf for DH (aka my Patron of the Arts). He chose the yarn color some time ago. No surprise, it is Knit Picks Swish DK in Garnet Heather. It looks very similar to the yarn he chose for his sweater last year. 
The pattern is called Toyboy Scarf, but I choose to call it Bob’s Cabled Scarf. We’re both more than a few years past the Toyboy designation.
I was very pleased that even though we are both retired, and he is around my knitting all the time I was able to keep this one low-key enough to surprise him at the end. I finally brought it to his attention when I had almost finished the fourth skein to get his approval on the length. ” One more cable twist, please” was the verdict.
I had less than a yard left of the last skein when I finished the scarf. Oh, there was more in the closet, but it certainly seemed a shame to have to add on more yarn in the closing rounds. Didn’t have to go there – heh!
Yes, he is modeling his new scarf with a short-sleeved shirt. It was about 70 degrees at 10 am when I took the picture. Louisiana will be cold enough to enjoy wearing a scarf in another month or two…but I’m ready!
It’s time for an Archie update. At his first vet assessment at the end of August he weighed 5 lb. 4 oz. This week he weighs 11 lb., and has most of a year to grow! He has calmed down just a bit, at least enough to enjoy his first kitty nap time in a lap.
Here then, is photo evidence of “two white-footed gentlemen” enjoying a good read.
4 Comments
November 4, 2009 at 8:16 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Christmas knitting, knitting
Yesterday, as I signed in at the vision clinic, the receptionist’s first words were “I like your sweater, did you knit it?”
Wow, she likes my February Lady Sweater,
and she knows it is knitting (almost unheard of in these parts)! Are you a knitter, I inquired?
“Oh, yes, but I haven’t knit for years” she replied. So I showed her my socks, too. Then I told her about Ravelry, and wrote down the address on a post-it. (I’ve provided a link here, on the very outside possibility that a reader might not know about this super resource for those who knit, crochet, and generally play with fiber.) That was a fun little moment in a common day.
Yesterday had another moment of note: I finished all my Christmas knitting. I’m rather pleased with myself, actually. ” Nothing to see here, move on”, as the cops say. Heh!
By the way, how do you spot a knitter at Wal-Mart? They’re the one who chooses to stand at the end of the longest line. What, don’t you carry knitting in your purse?
3 Comments
November 2, 2009 at 10:12 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting
It has been a quiet week at our lake. Christmas knitting has happened…makes for a quiet blog.
Yarn shopping has happened. DH, aka “Patron of the Arts” extended a bribe trip (helping him with a task he doesn’t want to do in return for wooly fiber) to Knits by Nana. I had seen on Ravelry that the shop was dropping Noro in favor of other stripey yarns, and was putting all the Noro in the sale room at 40% off.
Why yes, now that you mention it, I’m not a big Noro fan. It has earned its reputation for being scratchey and having lots of vegetable matter spun in at no extra charge. What I had become interested in was the Noro Striped Scarf . Color changes amuse me, and this pattern features two (at least) different colorways playing off against each other.
DH and I had admired the beginning hint of red in the dogwoods as we drove to Baton Rouge that day. That’s my excuse for the wild combination of yarns I chose in the sale room:
Noro Color 102 is fuscia, pink, orange, and purple. Noro Color 172 is black and warm brown and hunter green. Together they will make my “Woods in the Fall” scarf.
When I’m done it will get washed as usual, except I’ll add Suave creme rinse. It may be a pretty yarn, but it needs remedial help.
2 Comments
October 7, 2009 at 10:02 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Archie, knitting
This June I was fortunate enough to win a blog prize from Margene of Zeneedle fame. She was not only generous, but also inquired of my favorite colors. I responded that I had never met a blue or a green I didn’t like (except green tea). Margene sent me this lovely gift package,
and the search was on for the perfect pattern to match the yarn.
The yarn was a generous 500 yards, and I didn’t want to use only a fraction of it. Several scarf patterns failed their auditions. The yarn waited, continuing to call to me softly from the safety of a cat-proof bag. Finally, I blew an afternoon scrolling through Ravelry patterns. Multnomah caught my eye, and the yarn was cast on before the printer ink dried. Eight days later it was ready for its close up.
The pattern called for 10 repeats and 412 yards of yarn. This yarn, Brooklyn Handspun’s Soft Spun, Winters Welcome had that wonderful 500 yards, allowing me to knit 15 repeats. I love a generous shawl, and haven’t found a place in my life for “shawl-lets”.
Would you have believed this could be knit from a skein of sock yarn? I’m so happy!
Multnomah reached FO stage just in time. Yesterday the mailman brought my KnitPicks’s package containing eight skeins of City Tweed DK, the Tabby color. I’d been looking for a project for this yarn ever since Knitnana started talking about knitting a shawl with City Tweed. Right after Multnomah hit the blocking board I cast on Stephen West’s Boneyard Shawl.
This pattern is intended for a tweed yarn, and the City Tweed doesn’t disappoint. Its alpaca content makes you want to keep on knitting, keep on petting the yarn. Again, I’ve bought more yarn than the pattern called for because I want a shawl to snuggle in. (What is it with these dinky shawls that look like big neckerchiefs? Instant gratification, I suppose.)
Archie is growing like a weed, up to 9 pounds from the 5 pounds 4 ounces he weighed when he arrived, 
and calming down only a bit. He spent some kitty nap time in DH’s lap yesterday for the first time. Blocking my shawl was a whole ‘nother adventure, though. I might as well have been waving a kitty lazer about as threading the wires through the shawl. Archie made several frantic and successful jumps onto the blocking board before he was banished to the guest room. Once the shawl was blocked I took the entire board out to the garage to dry, and released the less-than-repentant Archie to pillage and burn once more.
4 Comments
October 1, 2009 at 9:38 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Eastlake Scarf, knitting
It’s time to enjoy some fall color. Actually, that’s a wishful statement on my part. Louisiana has been seeing more fall color in the trees in recent years, but it won’t happen for many weeks to come. Yet we have our moments of thrilling color. Yesterday, when I walked down our driveway to check the mail I dawdled a bit while the garbage crew passed. This bit of red caught my eye.
That is a pod of magnolia berries. In fact, if you look closely (where, indeed, is Waldo?) you can see more. I stepped nearer to peer into the center of the tree, and to get a better picture for you.
Isn’t that a beautiful red? I turned my head slightly, and then saw that there were many stalks!
Right about then I stopped smiling altogether! I made the terrible discovery that I was standing on a fire ant hill. Youch! One ant ran around my ankle, leaving five bites like an ankle bracelet. DH will get out with the proper insecticide to treat the hill today.
There is knitting color to show you, too. Monday I finished my Eastlake Scarf by Norah Gaughan. 
The yarn is from my stash, 2 skeins of Knit Picks Swish DK in Pale Lemon. Norah’s sample is knit in olive, and looks like stylized leaves. My scarf, knit in the pale lemon, reminds me of ripe wheat. 
I am very pleased with the outcome, and eagerly await cooler, scarf-appropriate weather.
5 Comments
September 15, 2009 at 6:41 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting
Last week I had to take DD to a dental appointment. (She doesn’t drive, and her husband had to work.) There I was, knitting away (surprise, surprise!) on a mitten, and came to the point where the thumb should go on a piece of waste yarn. At home I keep a small left-over ball of crochet thread just for the purpose. I reached for the crochet thread and realized it was just that…at home.
It was early in the appointment, and the prospect of actually waiting in the waiting room loomed before my eyes. Horrors! Grasping for threads, I went to the reception desk with my knitting in hand, and begged for 8 inches of dental floss. They gave me a whole package of my very own! Now, for the finicky knitter, I should mention that it is difficult to get a good tight knot in waxed dental floss. Other than that, life is good.
6 Comments
August 18, 2009 at 5:48 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: knitting, Meezers, Ulmus
The Persian Ulmus is done, in spite of me. I mean, how hard can it be to simply slog on until it is time to add the lace border? Not at all…unless you slog way past the point. I thought this was being one of those instances when you knit and knit and the thing just doesn’t seem to grow. Finally, I counted stitches and found out I was way over. Much frogging, then tinking, and the edge was picked up without incident. We’ll not speak of this again, I think.
The weatherman was forecasting a day of rain yesterday, a spin-off from Florida’s tropical storm. Early in the morning I hustled the Persian off the blocking board, and began considering sun spots for a photo shoot. They were taken! The Meezer Ulmus was photographed in the apricot wing chair, but now Minky was napping there, with her head on my “If I’m sitting, I’m knitting” pillow.
Torrie was in the cat seat, just beyond the keeping room table.
I took the camera to DH’s office to show him our cuties, and when I returned to the keeping room, Torrie had piled in with Minky.
There was nothing to do but wash her – what Minky does best. (I just love how Minky always washes with her eyes closed.)
I got the message, “meezers rule”! No meezer was thrown out of their chosen nap spot during the taking of these photos. The Persian simply spread its wings over the table to be admired by all. 
It has a more subtle beauty than the high contrast of the Meezer Ulmus. Different moods for different days, eh?
4 Comments
No, we didn’t go down to the stadium. When college football is broadcast on TV my lake house has the best concessions, the most comfortable seats, the shortest bathroom lines, the best parking, and no drunk spills anything on my knitting! As you can see in the lower left corner of the picture, DH even got me the traditional football mums.
This shawl will certainly be in my book tote for Thursday’s EFM seminar. Our daily highs are still in the upper 70’s, but the over-enthusiastic air-conditioning makes it shawl weather.
