My First Meme

I've been memed. The details:

“THE RULES: Each player of this game starts with the ‘6 weird things about you.’ People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says ‘you are tagged’ in their comments and tell them to read your blog.”

Only 6? Little does this person know that when asked to share one quirky thing about myself, the speaker said, "Well, YOU are a quirk." So here goes:

1. I don't buy trash bags. I cannot stand the thought of spending money on something for the sole purpose of throwing it way. I reuse shopping bags for trash. And of course recycle anything I can.

2. I have never seen "Finding Nemo" or "The Lion King." I don't think this is strange, but everyone who finds out about this looks at me crosseyed.

3. I was born and raised 40 miles north of Boston, MA, but 95% of the time I do not sound like it. I refer to this as a birth defect. In the extremes of my emotions, when I'm really tired, or when I'm around others of like accent it comes out.

4. I alphabetize my spices. I do go back and forth in my head as to whether or not I should divide them into "sweet" and "savory"...

5. I've never had the chicken pox.

6. I didn't eat meatloaf until I was 18, grits until I was 25, and my first corndog was consumed at age 26.

And the list could go on...

Baby, It's Cold Outside

Just received this picture from the hubby. It is an aerial view of Antarctica. This gives "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" a whole new meaning, especially since it is SUMMER down there...

Modern Inconveniences

Wow. What a pain it is to not have internet access at home! And to put a little icing on that disappoinment cake, my digital camera is broken. In order to make it in time for Christmas, I had to mail a pair of handwarmers without taking a picture of them! Fortunately, I intend to make a matching pair for myself, so I can take a picture of those. For those of you who pay attention to detail and noticed the location change, yes, we've moved. Still not north of the Mason-Dixon line, but I will no longer have to endure five months of temperatures over 90! Woo-hoo! yes, there are many things I will miss, perhaps the topic of a later post, but I'm very happy to be at the feet of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains!

Free Blockbuster Total Access

Try Blockbuster Total Access FREE for four weeks by going to www.blockbuster.com/bbfamily and entering the code 2004ta. It will be free for four weeks -- you will need to cancel it before the end of the four weeks if you don't want to pay for the subscription. You even get a coupon for a free rental the day you sign up. You get three movies by mail and if you take those movies into the store you can get three more! We signed up late Saturday night and got our first two movies in the mail Monday morning.

My brother-in-law works for their corporate office and he will get $10 for everyone who tries it out for free, and $30 if you sign up. There is only one person at the office who has more sign ups than he does, and that person spammed a whole bunch of people to do it (he is now in trouble). Let's beat the cheater! Pass this on to your family and friends -- anyone can do it. Send me a comment and let me know you signed up. Thanks!

Friendly Felines

When it is chilly, you'd never know that Norton and Frank usually don't get along.They started getting along better when we brought in my niece's cat Shadow. Now their proximity is an indication of ambient temperature. I have to agree with Calvin, that fur must be strictly ornamental.

Stop the world, I want to get off

When I began this blog I did not intend for it to be a monthly report. However, it appears that my life is spinning about me and I've turned into a whirling dervish trying to keep up. Knitting has been my sanity break, but pictures of that knitting are non-existent. (Free time to knit, not take pix.) It also appears that I won't weave in ends until I have a pile of projects requiring that step. Well, now I have a pile of post-pumpkin projects itching to be tackled with a tapestry needle.

I planned to work on a specific financial project today but, alack and alas, it is on the OTHER laptop, which is in Virginia with my husband. And my shoes. Which are in the washing machine. And I hope my crockpot -- not in the machine, just in the van. Moving is fun enough as it is, but it becomes a real adventure when you pack everything up, then decide to stay for three more weeks. There ARE many advantages to this, decluttering being the first and foremost. Now, my husband and I thought I/we had done a good job paring it down. We loaded up a 1-ton van and a 3/4-ton van with well over two tons of stuff. We made it as far as Dallas. Praise God because our own personal bearded angel in jeans (you know who you are) was able to rescue us (again....) and we got back "home" safely.

Obviously, more stuff has to go. When we got back to the house that day and the next, we had a much more critical eye for what will make the journey. Several hundred MORE pounds have been eliminated, with the next three weeks to get rid of even more. I do find it amusing because we are moving into the biggest house we've ever lived in, and it is nearly twice the size of the house we are renting now. It will be much easier to do all the renovation in a nearly empty house. Details forthcoming, pix on the other computer with hubby, and the camera, in Virginia.

Okay, time to tackle my other big project. I have mentioned that I view caffeine as a drug and there are times that I abuse it as such. Definitely will be a user today. Starbucks French Roast. Rather stout, should keep me going. I can think of few things worse than having to study something that bores you to tears, but I'm looking forward to being DONE with it!

KTS2

Here's the package I received from Bethanie in Kansas. Thank you! The package I sent had to go all the way to Germany, so I don't think she's received it yet.

Orca Tails Scarf

Although the pattern calls for two skeins of Noro Kureyon, I can count this as one of my accomplishments for the Lonesome Skein KAL because I used just one skein of CTH Silk & Merino Bulky in the Quarry Hill colorway. Orcas are black and white, so I'm not sure why Lori named her pattern as such, but it looks gorgeous in her Noro and in my CTH. Because I only had one skein, I could not fringe. The cast on edge looks great, but I'm trying to work on the bind-off edge to better match it, a problem that would have been easily camouflaged behind a little fringe. (That's why the ends are hidden!) The yarn has a much more shiny jewel tone finish than is show in the photo. It is VERY soft and was a dream to work with. I hope the person getting this for Christmas likes it as much as I do! Here's the pattern: http://www.oceanwindknits.ca/sectionpage2.asp?blog=free%20patterns.

Frank, that's not a cat bed...

Felines make everything more interesting. I was showing my pre-felted pumpkin to my husband and before we knew what was happening, there was a cat in it. And yes, the collapsed felted piece with the icky border behind the pumpkin IS a cat bed.

But back to something much more successful: that wonderful PUMPKIN! The pattern is 12:01 from the October 2006 MagKnits (http://www.magknits.com/Oct06/patterns/1201.htm). The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Potluck Worsted. I had three hanks of that gorgeous orange and one of an "almost solid" green. As soon as I saw this pattern, I knew this is what those hanks wanted to be when they grew up. Wanting to enjoy it in the fall season, I couldn't resist dropping everything and making it right away. The only change I made to the pattern was in making my handle just a tiny bit longer. It is twisted and attached pre-felting, and it is still two separate "vines" post-felting. Make sure the twist is evenly distributed before attaching and it should felt fine. The CTH worsted felted BEAUTIFULLY! The triple stranding made a very thick basket. "And when the clock struck midnight, it turned into..."
The colors did not fade the way it looks in the two photos. For the record, Frank has not tried to wedge himself into it since it was felted.

RPM Revisited

Whew! I made it! It has been LESS THAN one month since my last post! This past month (not quite!) has been filled with traveling, knitting, house hunting, decluttering, and other less exciting things in life. Here is a better shot of the "Rs" of the RPMs:

My little swirls go in the OPPOSITE direction! Here's how that came to be: J discovered by reducing the cast on by one, 53[62] instead of 54[63] it eliminated the need to alter the p3, k6 repeat at the end of each round. I made my first one like that, but I wanted my "flags" to fly in the opposite direction. So for my second sock, I ADDED one to the nine stitch repeat, making my cast on 55[64]. It is simply magic to watch those little swirls wind around the sock. Now, this does mean that one sock is two stitches bigger in diameter than the other. Find your guage and do the math to figure out how big of a deal this is going to be for you. For me, my right foot & ankle are bigger than their southpaw counterparts, so both tootsies are happy with their custom fitted cocoons.

I used about 67gm of Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima Colori in Stars/Stripes. The fuzz from the red "bleeds" a little into the white.

I've been asked if they twist around my foot while I'm wearing them because of the pattern. I wore them all day yesterday in Birks and they stayed right were they were and there was absolutely NO slouch to the ankle. I also don't feel the purl bumps on the bottom. I am very happy with this pattern and will do them again, but first there are about seventeen other patterns I'm itching to sink my needles into! (And that's JUST socks!)

Souvenir Yarn and Needles

What does a knitter buy for souvenirs while traveling? YARN of course! I started those Thuja socks for my husband and after a couple of inches had him try them on -- they were too loose and I didn't have the next size smaller needle to use because we were on the road. That's it! I'm buying the Denise Needles! So now I have them. That gorgeous handpainted yarn is for socks for me! I should be able to get those started on the trip home next week.

We are packed and ready to head out this afternoon for a six-day hike on the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire. A little shorter trip than we planned, but it should work out well. It is going to be an absolutely gorgeous hike!

Finished Objects Times Four!

Yes, I've definitely been spending more time knitting than on the computer lately. So, let the tour of FOs begin! The Absorba is complete! I grabbed a quick picture of it on my windowsill before we left -- when I get home I plan to weigh it to see exactly how much cotton it used. I held five strands of single worsted together and went through 10 balls, then I worked from the inside and outside of two more balls and just the inside of a third to finish it off. I made my monthly dishcloth from the leftover, and can probably do one more cloth from the last bit left. I love this month's cloth! It looks like butterflies to me -- don't know if that was the intent of the pattern or not. I'm not sure how I ended up casting on sooooo loosely. I made a mental note after the last cloth to try a seed stitch border instead of the garter stitch because I don't like the way it draws in the sides, but obviously forgot to do that.

"His and hers" socks. My patriotic RPMs, made with a couple of modifications. Alas, my notes are in Texas, so I will have to add those later. Can you see that my ripples go in opposite directions? And the Thuja socks are the first pair I've made for hubby. He really likes them. I like that they only took three days to make while traveling and working a warshrag. They are made with the Possum Worsted from CTH. They were cuddled frequently during the knitting process. VERY soft... and slippery. Hubby doesn't recommend wearing by themselves on wood floors. (Gasp! Must wear with Birks! Protect the handknits!) Both patterns are from Knitty.

Knitter's Tea Swap

Here's my current stash of tea for those interested and amused. It is not as exotic as usual. For yarn stash, see previous post and envision the addition of a little worsted cotton, handpainted sock yarn, and a handful of other miscellaneous goodies. While you're at it, add three cats for the complete picture. I've already put together some of the box for my swap pal, Ulrike. We should be home from this New England trip early enough that I can get it in the mail to GERMANY in time! Fortunately I have a German friend back in Texas who can translate my swap pal's blog for me! http://www.myblog.de/2malig (Please pardon the lack of hyperlink -- Blogger is not cooperating.)

Cherry Tree Hill

Oh yeah I had fun. This is what I brought back from the CTH Labor Day Sale, all squeezed into one suitcase. I've already sold some of the yarn, and considering we will probably be moving soon, I'll sell some more. Never fear, more sales in the future and there never seems to be a shortage of yarn to purchase. Some of it has a definite future, and some has already been done, post of FO to follow.

Dishcloth Patterns

These are the links to the cloth patterns pictured in a previous post. The one that looks like bricks is the Peaches & Cream Ball Band Dishcloth. The pattern is on the ball band and is featured in the Mason Dixon Knitting book. I also found the stitch pattern in my copy of The Harmony Guide to Knitting by Deborah Mountford.

The Garterlac dishcloth can be found here: http://criminyjickets.blogspot.com/2006/07/garterlac-dishcloth.html.

I got several patterns from http://knitting.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://dishclothboutique.20m.com/ and http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/dishcloths.php before joining the Monthly Dishcloth KAL here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/. Some of the patterns can be found in multiple places. Waaaay too many to knit in one lifetime. And of course, basically any stitch pattern can become a warshrag depending on how many stitches you cast on and how many rows you knit!

Out of Knowwear

Greeting from Out of Knowwear! My mother-in-law is the artisan who handcrafts these delightful little guys, or in the case of the one above, not so little.
"Taking a Break" is sitting in a regular-sized chair. She usually makes 36" tall Elves, Santas, Bird Ladies, and Witches, but often her creativity makes her break out of that mold. She uses recycled fabric and handpaints all the soft-sculpture faces. They have so much personality! She's been doing the craft show circuit and has a few more this year, but now she is busy getting the barn ready to open up shop in November.

I took pictures of my current project from the top of Clark Mountain (Cornish, ME) with beautiful views of the Maine countryside in the background, but after looking at them on the computer I realized that most of the picture is of a dirt pile (some lucky person is building a home up there). Perhaps I'll get better pictures tomorrow. All I can say is I'm enjoying the deliciously cooler weather, stuffing myself with blueberries, knitting, and enjoying the company and countryside.

Absorba the Great

I could not wait to sink my needles into this project! It is not as difficult to work the five strands of worsted cotton as I thought it would be. This is how much I got out of one set of balls (2 oz. each). It is about 13 inches square, and half-way through the fifth strip. It seems my binding-off is just a touch on the tight side, but that should block out pretty well. I wanted to buy the 1 lb. cones for my next one, but I like the way the five strands of the varigated are dancing through the strips. I guess it will depend on the look I'm trying to achieve, as well as if the colors I want are available during the next $0.99 or $1.00 sale.

Bitten by the Warshrag Bug

I am beginning to think no one is safe. Hide your size 7 needles and avoid all stores that sell Peaches & Cream and Sugar & Cream.

These are some of many. The first few I made I did right off the PnC ball band, but I confess I finally broke down and bought Mason-Dixon Knitting. I also joined a Monthly Dishrag KAL, and have found a few free patterns around the internet. All are done in either PnC or SnC with size 7s. The two done in the purple, green, tan, and white varigated show just how far one 2-ounce skein will go. I had to add a little to the garterlac cloth to complete it. I think that is my favorite other than just the ball band in general.

I was disappointed in the bright rainbow ball band because the white in the orange and yellow varigated pooled right in the middle and blew the effect I was trying to achieve. Next time, just two stripes of each of the six solid colors. Next time? Hmmm, have lots to knit & many new ideas. I may not get back to that particular one...

First Finished Footwear

Here are my first socks, somewhat blocked and drying. I can definitely see the purpose of having sock blockers after just trying to smooth these out by hand. Of course, they are just going to have feet in them, then be put inside Birks or shoes, so it probably isn't that big of a deal.

The pattern is Classic Socks by Melinda Goodfellow (Yankee Knitter Designs). The yarn is Sockotta, color #502. The needles are Inox DPNs, size 2. I did the K1P1 top rib, then changed to a K3P1 rib. I misread the pattern on my first one at the beginning of the heel flap, which resulted in the first 1/4 inch being too tight and it causes a little puckering on the top of the foot. This is where I used just enough extra yarn to make the toe blue and not match it's mate. I also kitchenered earlier than the pattern said to, with 14 stitches on each needle rather than 8. I had made the first just a touch too long, so I had to frog part of it, then I just made the second one match it. I am going to Magic Loop my next pair and start both at the same time. I had partial sock syndrome then one sock syndrome with this pair. I think I originally started back in December, but started working on them in earnest in June.

I'm Melting

Trying to work with this blog has been a real

Between the triple digit heat and trying to figure out how to make the page look the way I want it to look, my brain is turning into tofu. I really wish I was back in Alaska catching salmon with this brown bear. Either my camera or the new memory card I purchased for the trip is to blame for the funky picture, not the blog.

It's Only the Beginning

"Chicking" out how this whole blogging thing works. In other words, this is a test, this is only a test.