Field Trip

A small group of us knitting ladies are off for a fiber festival today. This will be the first fiber festival I've attended, and, just looking at the vendors, I can see that I'm not going to be able to see everything. However, there are a gazillion people in Michigan that are spinning, dying and raising fiber! I called around our local town yesterday, and couldn't find anything. There isn't even a "spinning" section in the phone book. So while I'm out admiring and burning up a credit card today, I'll also be lobbying for better advertisement. With my normal load of three kids, and then company for the week, if I find time to call around looking for you, it would be really nice for both of us if you were easy to find.

I'm looking forward to learning a lot about spinning today. I've seen pictures on the 'net of how you card fiber, dye fiber, and spin it, but if I could get ahold of a talkative soul today, I bet I could pick up a lot of knowledge. Wish me luck! Of course, being a good blogger, Arleta reminded me to bring my camera. She's far more clever than I, and thanks to her, I'm sure I'll be returning with pics of Alpacas and tables of colorful rovings. There's also a fashion show, but with all those vendors, I'm not promising I'll be able to sit and watch. Unless I buy roving and get a lesson first.... it's okay to spin at a fashion show, right? (Probably not. I know polite)

So I'll be posting and sharing again tomorrow or so. Have a safe weekend!

I know what you've been doing

Well, if you've been doing what I've been doing, that is - which is making fish sticks for dinner, so I can read the new Harry Potter book. Mmm, excellent reading. No, this isn't a spoiler post, but I have to say, this lady's writing is really wonderful to read. You're in the story right away, there isn't a difficult part, or anything that doesn't move smoothly. She ties past books into the story in a way that makes me suspect she had it outlined all along... not flying by the seat of her pants, which is how I always write =) Good book, people. Well worth ignoring the laundry.

And happily, when I raised my head from the book, I got to write a post with shawl updates! Asa has been working on her Snowdrop shawl, and here's a new picture. Go Asa! Live it for me... I'm so jealous.



Liz has been working away on her Cozy shawl. I love the lacy look and drape of this shawl. It looks comforting, doesn't it? She's fretting a bit about how much longer it will take her, so go give her a holler of support, ay?


Also knitting away was Rachel, and before I could put in the picture I had, she finished her Forest Canopy Shawl! That's some wonderfully fast knitting! See the foresty colors, the way you can imagine light sparkling through dark trees, and the different nuances of color it gives? I need this image for my yoga. Very, very nice. Great work, Rachel.


Something lit a fire under Arleta (a fiber festival, perhaps?), and here's her finished shawl, also! Isn't it beautiful? I wonder if she'll let me borrow it... heehee. I get to see it in person, too, so much handling of fiber will be done. I bet it will fit me perfectly =)

Shawl Pics and a fiber drawing!

I'm a little at loose ends this morning, so I've been working on a dishcloth - nice, brainless, perfect for thinking. You see, in Comments t'other day, RC suggested I check out Ispindle.com, and I thank her. I was really elated to check out the site, because I've been spinning without instruction all along. I had some questions! But it didn't take long to find out that I had spun my two-ply backward - or, rather, *not* backward, which was wrong. Do not spin your plies in the same direction they were originally spun, Carrie. Naughty, naughty.

Okay, I made a mistake. I should have seen it coming, and not wasted all that time spinning (though, gosh, it was fun) without instruction. To quote my three-year-old: "Dangit." So I had to just stop and think for a bit, and I've decided it won't be that big of a deal to reverse spin the yarn. Man, I hope I'm right.

Oh, oh! Pictures of beautiful shawls being knit this summer! I have two more updates - for now, anyway. You have all been busy knitting, and I love looking at your progress. The first update I found was Arleta's, with her Sagittaria, which I have seen in person, and it's so beautiful. And she's nearly done! Can't wait to see modeling photos.

The second update is for Jenni's shawl, which is moving right along, also! She's two-thirds of the way done, so on the home stretch, as well. I love this lacy design. It's all very motivating, people. Beautiful, beautiful work.


What's that? You say I offered fiber for one of my KAL participants? No, I haven't forgotten. It's just that I've had a sad event happening around me for the last month, and other things working against me, like not having a camera to snap pictures with when I wanted to. And I haven't mentioned my car being vandalized, but I may have been distracted lately. But at last! First, let me list the participants of the Shawl KAL. And Helen, may I say, I haven't heard from you since you first left a comment, and it appears you're blogless (or I can't find yours, at any rate). Silly girl. How have you been doing?

Here they are:

Asa, Carrie, Erin, Tala, Arleta, Liz, Jennifer, Brigitte, Beth, Helen, Cheryl, Jenni, Del, Laurie, Rachel and Lella. I love linking. I do. It's fun.

So that made 16 participants, and thank you all for joining up. It's absolutely great to have an idea, and find people so willing to play your game. The fiber I chose for a prize is a laceweight, 70% Alpaca/30 % Silk, called Fino, by Alpaca with a Twist. It measures at 3.5 ounces (100 grams) and is 875 yards. It's the only Alpaca/Silk sold at my LYS, and that's the kind I wanted. I haven't tried it out yet myself, but I'm going to. And doesn't alpaca and silk just sound nice? I picked a very pretty green for the color, and I hope the winner likes it. I have used the entirely random method of allowing my three-year-old to draw a number out of a hat, and the winner is .... Jenni! Congratulations! I'll be getting ahold of you via email or comment on your blog. And keep knitting, people. This isn't the end. I just hate saying that I'm going to give fiber, and then getting distracted by my life. Keep sending pictures, because we're still watching your progress =) And just to keep people happy, I'll have another drawing at the end of the summer, after we've enjoyed all of the photos.

Possibilities

My new toy arrived in the mail yesterday. I didn't have my camera (dead batteries), so I had to wait to use it, because I am a good blogger! But now this baby is up and running, and going to help me create bee-utiful handspun. Isn't he cute in his little yarny jacket?

I've been spindling very thin yarn for awhile - no idea what I'm doing, really, but gee I'm having fun. I wanted to learn to two-ply, and I happened upon this site from another blogger, can't remember who. (If it was you, give a yell out in comments, eh?) This lady has allowed me to jump over all tutorials and books, and advice if there were anyone around to give me any, and she has a tool that will let me spindle from both ends of my spinning, allowing me to not have to create another spindle's worth of yarn. Bless her. I didn't want to have to try to guess when to stop so I'd get the same amount as the first time, when I spin another spindle's worth. This is much better. I don't have to guess. I'll just count my yardage when I'm done, and see if I want to spin more.

And lookee! I spun a bit and washed it, and I got something very close to a fingering weight! See the comparison? My yarn would be on the right; Wildfoote, what I knit my shawl with, is on the left. I'm very happy. The more I learn about spinning, the more I realize you have to worry about spinning too tightly, which makes the yarn, well, not soft, like we all like it. But I don't want the two strands to come apart as I'm working with it, either. So I'm crossing my fingers on this one. I bought enough roving from Knitterly Things to spin yarn for gloves, hat and scarf (I hope), and this fingering weight will go to making the gloves.

Also, in one of my spare moments, I knit up a bath cloth for my daughter! She hugged it when she saw it - awww. My sister-in-law allowed as to how her son would love one, in calico colors (hmm), and I thought I'd make one for my little one's friend, just cuz they're so darned easy! They do take a full skein of Sugar'n'Cream, though, folks. I'm so glad I didn't look in the bag to see how much yarn I had left as I was doing the ears. I'd have choked. No, I can't show you. There was so little that I actually threw it away.

The weather is still cold here. I think we got our two weeks of summer early. This last weekend, I actually saw a tree changing color. (Don't throw things. I am but the messenger) How can that be in mid-July??? I'm just hoping we get our annual Indian summer, 'round about August.

On the move...

My girlfriend dropped her three kids off today, so she could go home and pack. Due to Michigan's truly sucky economy, she and her family are moving to Maryland. It's a big change for her kids, and I feel badly. I'm sorry for myself, of course, because this friend is very close to my heart. With our children the same ages, we find a lot of things to share about their days and tantrums, etc... SO anyway, I made cookies and listened to the girls, and in general did what little I could to make them feel good for a few hours. We spoke positively of adventures and new friends, while inside I was so sad. There's no picture, because the batteries in the camera died, but I made her some socks and a tablerunner, because that's what we do, we crafters. We give gifts to show what's in our hearts, in the hope that part of us will travel with them.

You know how it is when your brain finally stops running around, chasing its thoughts, searching for the right thing to say? And then, out of nowhere, your mouth opens and speaks your most basic, heartfelt truth? I'm so grateful for that moment, when I finally said the sentence that was lurking there, under my consciousness.

The sun was out today, and I was standing in the yard with my friend Mary. I was thinking back to the first time she came over, when we were just beginning our friendship. It was another sunny day like this one, and we were watching our kids play on the swings. That was when I discovered a certain kinship, that she didn't mind raking leaves to jump in, or stepping around doggie landmines in the backyard. I teased her about liking country music, and she tactfully didn't respond.

Since then, we've shared growing pains as we took our kids to school, vowed to not get involved when our children fought with each other, and traded baked goods, whenever the urge hit us to cook. I am really going to miss her soups.

I wish she could stay. I wish finances and responsible decisions allowed for a different outcome. Barring that, though, I'm really glad I got to say a simple truth. I've really enjoyed having you here.

Some Show-and-Tell

More shawl pictures - yay! People have been busy knitting, no doubt about it. And I have the pictures to prove it. o.O

Here is a picture sent by Asa, who is knitting the Yarn Harlot's Snowdrop Shawl. I may have said it before, but I think this is quite an undertaking, and I'm very impressed, Asa. It's coming along beautifully!



Also knitting away on her shawl is Cheryl, who is knitting the Curved Shawl with Diamond Edging, from Victorian Lace Today. I tell her all the time, but I have to say again that I just love this color. I know there's some more of that yarn somewhere that wants to come home with me.



And last but definitely not least is the Gretchen shawl, by Zippiknits. It's very pretty, and one of just two circular shawls going in this KAL, at least so far! Nice work, Zippi!



Why, yes, I have been knitting after the finishing of my shawl, but I can't show anything to you. My husband has the camera with my pictures on it, and it would be way cuter to show you than tell you. I'm also back working on the Bonsai Tunic by Interweave Knits. The cottony yarn is still so, so soft. I love it. And I've been spinning! I tried the Andean Plying trick from this website, and it worked like a charm. However, since I can't do anything for more than a few minutes at a time, having yarn wrapped around my wrist while I spin it wasn't going to work for me. So I got on their website and ordered the Handy Andy Plyer! So I can now do two-ply yarn without having to have two different spools. I couldn't figure out how I was even going to come close to the same amount on each spool, and I didn't want to waste a bunch or have to break it - you know, yada yada. Sorry to the husband for taking the credit cards in the wrong direction, but what's a spinner to do? (Don't answer. Frugality has its time, and that time wasn't today)

I'm going to go break out some socks. We've got cold weather here! Thanks, all, for the pictures!

About that shawl...

Okay, I'm bad. Chalk it up to being a newbie that I didn't give any shawl information =) My pattern for the shawl was Moonlight Sonata, and I used Wildfoote sock yarn, 100% wool, fingering weight. I want to try laceweight for my next shawl! (Next shawl, you say? Yes, yes. I got sucked into the Mystery Stole 3, but have no yarn) What I can't get over is how truly light and airy my shawl is. I thought it would feel more substantial once I got it finished. Perhaps blocking would add weight? Heehee. No, it feels like wearing nothing on my shoulders, but it surely is pretty.

I didn't glam up too much, but when LaurieM left that in the comments, I realized I was going to wear it with my shorts and t-shirt, so I waited for church on Sunday. Then it rained! We took the pictures, anyway.

Once in church, my daughter wore it for singing in the choir. See all of the choir? We've gotten very, very small, as we're right in between little kids at church, and kids having grown too old for the youth choir. Now, the two girls in this picture that are not mine are moving away, so the choir will be closed awhile, until more children grow. Sorry about the picture. I got one chance, since I was running the music, and it didn't come out so great.

Finished!

It is a charm of shawls, I'm finding, that everyone would like one. Well, at my house, anyway. We were very concerned that this shawl would not be big enough. It looked very, very little when I was done knitting it, so small that my oldest daughter claimed it perfect for herself, before the baby decided it would be hers.


Then I proceeded with the blocking. I strung dental floss through the straight sides and, in this shawl's case, the neck. Well, I didn't, myself. I showed the oldest girl (so very, very hopeful she would get this shawl, poor thing) how, and set her to work on it.




Then we pulled all the dental floss straight, and it straightened out the edges of the shawl pretty nicely. See how it stretches out all of the loops around the neckline? If I'd had some nails to drive into the carpet, I could have wound that floss around them and really gotten a straight edge on the sides! As it is, I thought the floss was extremely helpful, and reduced the pinning by a lot. Then I pulled down and pinned the pretty scallops and turned on the fan! I really wanted to wear it to a family get-together tonight, as it would have made me feel good. But, alas, it will not dry in time. Still, so much for it being too small! The pattern said it would be 22 inches long by 60 inches wide, and I ended up with 26 1/2 by 70 inches! And I think I could have blocked it a good deal harder than I did. This isn't the final picture of the blocking. I straightened some little details out. But I have to say that, all in all, shawl knitting is the best knitting time I've had, umm, EVER.


I feel like I snuck in the back door of a riotous party, where everyone is having a great time, just laughing and feeling so darned good just to be there. And here I'd been walking by this building every day, thinking it was some ordinary business, having no idea how much fun was going on inside. And that's how I feel about shawl knitting. There's been a party going on near me all this time, and I didn't know about it. Even if I never thought I was a person to wear shawls, making them is the bees' knees. (And I am so wearing this shawl, EVERYWHERE) Even as I was doing the pretty neat picot bind-off, and ran out of yarn eight inches or so from the edge. Even then, it was fun. (I had more yarn. That helps) I'll show pictures of small hopeful people modeling the shawl, once it's dry. By the by, the middle child didn't ask for this shawl. She said she is waiting for the Dragone one to be done. Smart girl. =)

A New Shawl Participant!

Allow me introduce you to Rachel Cook, another blogger to fall under the shawl spell.... well, I'm not sure it's strictly a spell, but it's certainly my newest fascination. She's just started her Forest Canopy Shawl, in a pretty variegated yarn. I'm looking forward to seeing this one come along, as I've checked out the pattern, and it's for beginning lace knitters! Perfect for me! So I'm going to watch as Rachel gives this one a test run, and live vicariously through her. Don't you just love the yarn she chose? I think it goes perfectly with the name of the pattern. Very foresty and subtle. Love it.



As for my shawl, as so nicely requested by Bridgitte, you'll be seeing it very soon! I'm doing the bind-off, but as there are 377 stitches, and it's not a straight bind-off, but some little picot thing, I'll probably not get it done tonight. Still, if there are enough CSI: Miami shows on, you never know! In the spirit of hope and support, my husband ran into town and got me 150 straight pins. I don't think that's enough, but I'll raid my stash. Plus I'll try the dental floss thing for the straight edges, and hope for the best. In the meantime, here is a picture of Bridgitte's Kiri shawl she's got going on. She's using Kidsilk Haze, and it's pretty, pretty. I love the slight fuzziness of this yarn.



Oh, and after I get my shawl blocked and the pictures up (ooo, I can't wait!) I'm going to do the random drawing for some fiber! I'm thinking fingering weight yarn, as that's what I used. I mean, what else would you give as a prize for a shawl KAL, but shawl yarn? But I've admitted many times over that I'm a novice, so if there is another yarn weight that works best for shawls, is more generally accepted, et cetera, please leave a comment to me about it. I haven't purchased the prize yet, so I am easily persuadable at this point. Knit on, people! I'm certainly having fun, and I hope you are, too!

A little update, and another Beautiful Shawl!

Okay, the verdicts seem to have come in. It sounds a lot like on-line relationships have just as much chance of working out as any ordinary, run-of-the-mill, met at the office sort of relationships. There have been some wonderful success stories, and some that have flamed out. I stand corrected, and I see that sometimes they do work. Good on ya, guys.

My husband had his birthday yesterday. Time is racing by me lately, but we made it with the party and the presents! He is dedicated lately to solving the energy crisis, so there were a lot of gifts around the "Here's some money for your experiments and the odds and ends you need to carry them out" theme. I love that he's doing small projects at home to create energy. I don't feel like there's time to even think lately, myself, but that might be a side effect of being home with three little people so much, day after day. The other night, I met the hubby at the door, and said, "Good luck. They're crazy today." Then I went to the beach for an hour of quiet knitting. It was really refreshing, but when I got home, I could see it wasn't quite long enough. I walked in the door, the babe was crying in the crib, the husband was trying to medicate a nervous dog, and the older kids were trying to get their teeth inspected when he was working with the dog. It was a near thing that I didn't just ease back out the door before I was spotted.

Here's another shawl pic, this one by LaurieM from Issues with Knitting. The pattern is Frost Flowers and Leaves, and isn't it a beautiful shade of red? Sweet knitting, Laurie! Isn't this picture just inspiring? I am loving seeing everyone's work on this KAL. Fun, fun.



If you want to see someone knitting with a sock machine, check out this site. This fellow just started his blog, and I've never seen anything like this invention. Go give it a look if you have a chance. He's knitting socks with a hand-crank machine which looks just so cool. You know everyone on my list would be getting socks if I had one of these. It is really sweet looking. Who knew something like this even existed? He shows pictures of how he changes colors and makes ribbing, but I don't get how he turns the heel. Don't worry, I asked him to explain, so come look again after this first time. Then tell me - how neat is that???

I am so, so close to finishing my shawl. I believe I'll do the fiber drawing as soon as I finish mine, which is just a few rows away. Then, my first blocking attempt! I'm not sure which room is going to give up its original purpose when I get to the blocking stage, but I suspect the husband and I will be sleeping on the couch, while the shawl dries on the bed. Just a first guess, but who knows? This is a totally foreign land to me.

Happy Fourth of July - Independence Day here in America. We'll be spending it avoiding parades and playing at mom's. (Hi Mom) Thank heavens she is throwing a bash, because the Fourth snuck up on me just as quickly as my husband's birthday. I think that's why I'm up in the middle of the night. It's the only time of day that time seems to move normally anymore.

On-Line Relationships, and a Beautiful Shawl

I was chatting with a friend online last night, and he told me his and his wife had separated. I told him I was sorry to hear it, and if he needed anything... all the right stuff to say, and I meant it. He said, no, it was amicable, and he was fine. Oh-kaaay. I thought that was odd, and didn't really believe him, until he said, "I've sort of been spending time with someone else." Oh. Well, there you are. Apparently the "someone else" is someone he met on-line, and chats with on-line, and is very happy with. You know what I think about meeting people on-line? I think about how I edit. I edit and edit on comments and blog entries, trying to get my thoughts just right, and not say something inadvertantly politically incorrect, something that could be read two different ways. I try to be soothing and funny and ooh and aah in the right spots. I try to be my very best self, the self I wish I could be when I say something stupid in person. I'm not saying I'm lying about who I am here. I'm not. This is really the best me, with most spots removed. This is what I give to people I meet online.

I was telling another friend on-line a year ago that I thought she was the most patient person. I was so impressed. In chat groups, people would say something so totally asinine, and she would laugh. I would be sitting here feeling rageful at some sexist or racist comment, and she'd blow it off. How do you do that? I asked. And she said she was actually cussing up a storm in her dining room, but then typed "LOL" and went on. So I got to thinking about relationships on-line, and for goodness sakes, you get to know someone in one way, but not in any others. What if you hook up after months of getting to know each other, and then find that they don't feel any need to close the bathroom door? Or possibly they're racist but it never came up? Or they hate cats? Does anyone - do you - know of an on-line relationship that worked? I'm really curious. I toyed at one point of trying to write a book on on-line relationships, but there are too many people involved. I mean, how do you research something that huge? The ones I have seen start have all ended with someone finding a person closer, and the other person being hurt. I'd love to hear a positive story about an on-line relationship. Leave yer comments! You may end up in a book someday!

And here's a picture Jennifer sent me of her Swallowtail shawl, the pattern by Evelyn A. Clark, Interweave Knits Fall 2006. She is using Misti Alpaca Laceweight in a kind of soft apple green. It's so pretty and springlike. I really like this pattern, too. I may end up a shawl maker in a big way. I didn't realize how much I would like it. Thanks, Jennifer! Your shawl's looking great!

Shawl KAL Button

This is a lovely button Liz made for the Shawl KAL. Grab it and put it on your blog if you'd like, and Happy Knitting!

A Pool Update, and a Shawl

I've been waiting for the right moment to blog about the pool going up day, because so much stuff happened. First of all, we had three strong personalities on the project. Yikes. One personality had to go to work (Hi, Mom), and then the husband and I got to growl at each other for several hours, trying to figure out how to make the ground level. I know it's possible, as contractors do it before they do anything else. I had good ideas, the husband had good ideas - we just didn't have the same ideas. So my very adult reaction of walking away was employed many, many times. After poking at the ground a bit with shovels, we realized the ground was too hard to work with, within the limits of what we were willing to do, and we just started walking around looking for the most level spot. It happened to be right in front of the pond my mom had put in a few years ago, so that's where the pool was going. Sorry, Mom. We set it up, following someone else's ideas, and things went very well.

Then, much like the blond girl in the bikini on the video, I had to get inside the pool and smooth out the wrinkles. I told my husband to heavily use his imagination, but I was willing to sub for her. So up the ladder and into the pool I go, with water flowing in so we can get a feel for the angle of the ground there. He says he needs to go check on the pizza and the kids while I'm working. That's okay, because it's not fun subbing as the bikini girl when you're worried about your cellulite. But while he's gone, two bees decide to start bothering and buzzing me. I think they were feeling territorial about the sudden lake appearing before them. So I'm trying to get away from the bees, when I realize he has removed the ladder before he left. And I'm running around the pool, ducking and dodging the bees, but I've really got nowhere to go.

Yeah, I got stung.

No, he didn't have an explanation for why he removed the ladder. But I will say that I found the situation so silly that I couldn't even get angry. I was laughing even while the bees were after me. And I thought I was the master of passive aggressive! I'm still laughing days later.... ha. ha.

By the time I get out (thanks for coming back, hon), there's enough water in the pool that it's too heavy to move, even if we did think we could do better than a four-and-a-half-inch incline. So we leave the pool there and hope for the best. I brought the girls down to prove that pools are fun, even when they've only got a little water in them.



We chilled out inside the house for a few hours, filling the pool a bit, then decided to go home. My husband went down into the basement and started yelling "Shut off the water! It's flooding!" Which I totally didn't get, because how could an outside hose flood the inside of the basement? Then he runs upstairs and heads for the bathroom, in which the toilet has been happily overflowing for who knows how long. The water went under a space in the baseboard and was headed for the basement. (Thanks for not getting the ground level, contractor-dudes. You saved my mom's bedroom) But my, there was a lot of water, and we were hot and tired, and one of us had a bad attitude. Nothing to do for it, though, but mop up the water with every sheet in the house we could find, then drape them over the deck and leave no note. I told mom to read the blog to find out what happened, and she's a little irritated I've waited a couple days to write it.

Still and all, the pool seems to be holding up well, even with the water uneven, so all's well that ends well, right?

And....thank you for reading so far along.... a shawl picture! Liz from Knitting Pretty has been working on her Cozy shawl, and it looks really sweet. If you get a chance, go tell her so; give her a smile.



Isn't it nice? Don't all the cables look sweet? I could see myself at one of the kids' events, with this warmly wrapped around me, or thrown on over a dress at New Year's. Thanks for the picture, Liz. I appreciate everyone playing along with the shawl-a-long. I like the connection of so many people from so many places thinking of each other, though we've never met. Happy Knitting! (And keep sending pictures. It's fun to admire them)

Sundays are for...

...napping. Mmmm, doesn't this look comfortable?



Also, let's post some shawl pics! Here is a picture from my good pal, Arleta, working away on her Sagittaria shawl. Nice, ay? I think so, too.



Here is a picture of my Moonlight Sonata shawl, finally some daylight to show it in. I showed it to a lady at church, who asked to see it - I don't maul people with my knitting, even if I'm feeling especially proud - And she informed me I was showing the wrong side, so I turned it over. Then she sniffed and turned away. Ouch! Well, poo to her. I likes it, and I think it's coming along swimmingly. And I like both sides, so there! (insert me childishly sticking out my tongue)



Did y'all catch The Graham Norton Show last night? He's a British commedienne who is really snarky about people, the things they do... it's not really my favorite thing, but I love the guest stars he gets on. Well, last night, he featured a woman, Allison Murray, who knit a house! She did! She knit a house, then knit and felted everything in it! She had a push broom, complete with fringe, and a bowl of fruit, everything felted to scale; there was a teapot with milk in it. She was amazing. And you could see Graham was going to be snarky, cuz that's who he is, but by the time he was done looking at it, he was really impressed. I loved that! Good for her. She freaked out a muggle. It might have cost her her eyesight and a year of her life to do it, but she did. You rock, Allison.

A Penny Saved? Not likely.

Do you have the problem of getting to the bookstore and finding nothing to buy? I know there are lots and lots of great knitting books out there, because I was pouring through them yesterday. But I have "X" amount of money, and my qualifications for a new knitting book are strict. It has to have patterns I haven't seen before, with good colors and clear pictures. It can't be entirely in black and white. My brain doesn't like that. And I guess I've seen a lot of patterns, because nothing I flipped through grabbed me. There's a frugal part of my nature that declares, if I only had enough imagination, I could make this from a near pattern I have at home. I want to be fired by someone else's imagination, or that thirty bucks stays in my wallet.

That's okay. There's nothing wrong with being careful with your money. Actually, I respect my mother and grandmother, who apparently can have money in the bank, and say "no" to something they'd really like. But I admit that I am missing that gene, as I left the bookstore and spent over three hundred bucks on an assemble-it-yourself swimming pool. *sigh* Think of the yarn and the books that aren't going to happen now, because I had a buying urge and couldn't find a book.

My shawl is actually coming along, and it hasn't been so bad. The knitting was difficult at first, but now I've got a feel for when I've messed up, and I haven't had to frog, thankfully. And I'm far enough along now that someone would actually have to take a scissors to it before I would contemplate tearing it out. My computer is still incognito, and I'm not getting to everyone's site to see how or if your shawls are coming along, but I'm working on it. Have a wonderful summer day! I'll likely spend mine trying to figure out how to make ground level enough to place a pool on.

What's that noise?

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

No, that's not the water faucet you're hearing.

I was knitting away on my shawl pattern - have I mentioned that I've never knitted anything like this before? - and the family is watching "Deal or No Deal." (Poor Howie with the OCD thing, ay?) So I'm trying to figure out how to do a double increase in one stitch, and they're saying, "Mom? Would you stop now? Would you turn down $49,000?" And I caught myself thinking, "Don't you care if I do well????" So I had to put the shawl down for a bit, and tink out the last row at a later time, since I couldn't fake my way through being a stitch off. I'm loving the complexity; I always love complexity in knitting. Plain Jane knitting is okay for when I'm reading to the kids, but after nine years of not having enough time to concentrate (again, I love the kids - not complaining), I'm ready for some difficult stuff. I can't imagine how I'm going to get this done, though, if it's going to require this much attention and focus. Fun! =)



Here's a picture of the beautiful Arctic Diamonds Stole by Del. Isn't it just beautiful? I'm so jealous of the color and the design and everything. Lovely, lovely. If you have a second, go tell her how pretty it is. Compliments build good karma, and who doesn't need more of that?

Strawberry Season

We love strawberry season here at the Cobbler house.



For many years, my second child would only eat homemade jam, and we would be scouring the supermarket in February for expensive preserves. So now I really make some jam. I still run out, because I can't help sharing these pretty things. Our favorite part of the jam making process is the foam I skim off before I can it. Mmmm, so sweet. I hand out the spoons for the kids, and I never get any anymore! HeeHee. I made my own competition, silly me.



Speaking of pretty things, check out Jenni's spectacular start on her shawl. Beauty, ay?



And... I cast on!



Finally, finally. I'm very excited. So far, so good, but I feel like I can't make any mistake, because it's tricky for me to pick up a yarnover. It isn't impossible. I just don't like doing it. I'm counting on the size of it to hide any little errors. I'm not a "rip back" kinda girl, unless it's, like, seven stitches or something. Then I'll do it, just to get it right. *wink*

Any shawl updates, anyone? Just email me a pic or post one on your site and let me know, so I can pick it up and repost in a timely manner.

Some Shawl Progress

This is the fun part about a KAL - pictures for us all to enjoy! Here is the Snowdrop shawl from the Harlot, being knit by Asa, of KnittingNutter. I'm very impressed by your choice. I looked at that shawl myself, but I don't think I'm there skillwise, so I'll live through you.



I have to post what my daughters and nieces made last night - toad villages! They're to encourage the toads we have around our house to stay, stay, STAY! Apparently toads eat about a hundred bugs a night, so we now love toads. Aren't these little houses cute? That's a flag on a stick, between the two houses, and they have their own drinking pool. This first one is built practically under a pine tree, lots of shade, but right next to the garden (go get those bugs!).



And I realized this morning that one of my favorite things about blogging might be walking around with knitting, looking for a good photograph.



That's a second toad village, more like the city, as it has little stone paths, so sayeth my niece. Cute! And the dishcloths are from a link I found on CriminyJickets (excellent blog name - I love it) a week and something ago. They're really quick to do, and if I make another one in blue, I'm going to save them for a gift, so I can post them on the holiday gift along site.

If you want a laugh, go to Cheryl's site from Hither-n-Yarn. She posted links to a couple of hilarious videos of what to do when you spill wine on your laptop. Apparently, I'm not alone. What I'm actually doing is working from an old monitor, which, when hooked up to my stylin' laptop, works fine. It don't travel, but it'll get me through until I can figure out how to replace my laptop monitor. And I'm thankful for it! I really, really need to spend the twenty bucks and get a data pen to store my stuff as a backup. Plus, it's funny, because as I type, keys keep popping off my keyboard. Whoops! Just lost the "T". Highly entertaining, actually. I'm glad I'm so easily amused. =) Thank you, everyone, for your helpful comments, shared stories and funny suggestions. It's really nice to have met you people. You can really shore a girl up when it looks like she's thrown away a laptop she hasn't finished paying for.

I've started my shawl, but I had to go buy yarn at my LYS. The yarn I ordered never came, and I couldn't wait any longer. I should give me my money locally, anyway, right? And I can always use more yarn, when it comes in.... green socks, anyone?

If you are faint of heart, look away

It's summertime, and the living is ... problem-ridden. After an all-day trip to The Big City, trying to find basketball shoes for my girl with very narrow feet, much crying and frustration, we finally moved her up to women's sizes, and lo! Success. I hate shoe buying with my kids. It has been difficult from the very beginning, not the girl bonding experience I have always been led to believe in. So we came home, and my husband poured us both a glass of wine, and I sat down to play a little Webkinz, as a reward for driving all over town, as well as returning shoes that after two hours made my kid cry with pain. The salesman? Not so happy with us. But it's okay. Wine helps you forget sales people's glares, if applied adequately.

So I'm sitting down to my virtual pet, and I reach for my wine, and knock it over. Wine splashes onto my computer screen, a bit on my keyboard, and I curse and grab a towel. We quick power it down, and the hubby and I are trying to decide how much got inside the computer. We got online, and some help guide told us to take out the CPU to make sure no acid got in there and is corroding circuits. Apparently, we had already voided the warranty by spilling the wine, so there was no real reason not to take the computer's memory out. So the husband removes it, after much nudging by me, because he doesn't really believe any wine got in there. So when it's semi- torn apart, he says, "See? No evidence of wine." I lean forward to look, and knock his wine over into the computer. Oh. my. god. Wine splashes all over the laptop again, and I turned and walked away (hands now in my pockets). I have never seen him so frustrated. He yelled at a kid wandering by (poor kid), and I just looked out the window. I mean, I hadn't even drank any of the wine, so what was the deal? Now we had to tear the computer completely apart, and get out q-tips and remove the screen and all the chips (there are many), and undo, like, a million screws. To give him credit, the hubby didn't say one negative thing after the initial crabbiness. Now my computer looked like this:




Yes, the warranty was definitely voided. Your good wishes would be appreciated.

Surreal and an eensy bit scary

This actually has nothing to do with knitting, but it's so weird, I had to blog it. I was hanging out clothes this morning, and it is so beautiful and warm here! I was whistling "Patience" by Guns'n'Roses, which I do all the time, for some reason. And they weren't even all that nice of guys, so a song about Patience by them is especially funny. Anyway, I'm whistling and thinking and pinning, and what should run by me, as close as six feet away, was a big doe. She was absolutely silent, and she wasn't bothering about me at all, but ran right by, up our driveway, paused at the road (clever girl) and went on across to the other part of the State forest. Now, I live out in the country, and we have mountain lions out here (as well as wolves and bears, but I wasn't thinking about them). It occurred to me that, if a doe ran right by a girl whistling G'n'R tunes, maybe she had something to worry about that might concern me, also. So I picked up my laundry basket and backed toward the house. (Nothing bad happened, I'm not trying to build suspense.) I have heard that, once you spot a cougar, you're done for. They are just as silent as that deer, and don't show themselves until they've decided you will be tasty as a snack. (In my case, perhaps brunch) So I came inside, and will give the animals a decent time to figure out what they're about, and go back out later.

I'm sure I have blogged before about the white owl that tried to take off with my puppy when I was out walking him at night. That owl, too, was absolutely silent. His wingspan might have been six feet across. I didn't hear a thing, even as he swooped down, changed his mind and flew away. He ruffled up with fur on my doggie's back, with the force of the wind he was creating, but there was no noise at all. The animal world is so cool! I bet they don't snore when they sleep, or slurp their water, or anything else that draws attention to themselves. If things go belly-up for humans, and we're forced to become nomads again or some such, I have a feeling we will be a very, very tasty part of the food chain. Without our houses/cars/supermarkets, we are seriously unable to take care of ourselves. Me versus a mountain lion? I hope I don't cause him indigestion. I'm nice that way.

When I do go back out in a bit (when this load of laundry finishes running), I believe I'll try singing. That ought to let all the mammals know I'm there.