I'm Back

Just a quick note to say we had a great vacation at Giant City State Park. More details to come, but just to prove crafters are everywhere, here is a sample of filet crochet in the visitors center...



... and some artistic quilts in the lodge diningroom.

I Can Quit Anytime

I week or so ago, I was trying to remember what my New Year's Resolution had been this year. Senior moment - I had to look it up on my own blog. Oh, yeah, manage my vacation time better and include a do-thing vacation. Well, that is exactly what we are doing next week - a do-nothing vacation. My SO and I will transport our tired but restless butts to southern Illinois with no plans whatsoever for what to do when we get there (other than see my son who lives there).

I am so ready for a vacation from my job, from my house, from my pets. For a couple of crazy moments, I even contemplated making it a vacation from knitting. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Besides, it will be a seven-hour drive and I am more willing to share wheel time if I have something to do, like knitting.

Which projects should I take? Well, Sitcom Chic is a no-brainer. It's mostly sockinette, so won't require juggling instructions and sticky notes. Elbac is halfway done, and with its reversible cables, would serve as an alternative. And Tropical Treat, all garter, all the time, is another candidate for the drive, despite the four colors of yarn to wrangle. And I think I will draw the line there. If I finish all three of those in the course of five days, it will be a miracle because, even though we have no plans, one of those non-plans is NOT to spend all day, everyday knitting.

I don't get to read as much as I like, so I am known to take along a tote bag of books and magazines on vacation. Unless I am on a plane, they rarely even get opened, because, well, there are things to do and when there are no things to do, I usually knit, and if I am tired of knitting, I am usually too tired to do much of anything.

The laptop was also a brief candidate for being left behind. Where we are going, we will not have Wifi in the room. However, it will be available in the lodge, and even the best of travelling companions need an occasional moment or two of alone time. And there will be photos to download and maybe blog about. We'll see.

Hmmm. I wonder if there are any yarn shops along the way.

TMI

It seems like someone in the cafeteria at work is playing Russian Roulette with the ExLax. A couple of weeks ago, I blamed the chocolate chocolate chip cookie for an afternoon in the porcelain kingdom. Today the three-dollar bowl of chili went down the toilet - literally. A couple of hours later I was feeling hungry again, and against my better judgment, followed the chili with a seventy-five cent Snickers bar. Tonight's toast appears to be sticking, but we'll wait a while before taking Betsy on her therapy walk. On a brighter note, my sinuses feel better. If it's not one end, it's the other.

Proof that I have been knitting:



This Sitcom Chic is working out much better than my previous attempt. The body is up to the armpits and one sleeve is close to being the three-quarter length the pattern describes but I am going to make it longer. I'm not a three-quarter length kind of person, plus this sleeve as is is too tight for my fleshy arms.

Today was not a good cable-knitting day, but I still managed to add a couple of inches to Elbac.



I'm tempted to slow down on this a bit, just to show a friend of mine at WW in November that scarves don't have to be boring.

Personal Trainer to the Dog

Betsy the Bionic Dog is healing very slowly from her ACL surgery to my way of thinking, but the vets say she is doing fine. They don't see her sleeping 24/7 or hear her whimpering when she does get up off her pillow. We have a little physical therapy to do - bicycle movements for her "new" joint - but we have also been taking a couple of short walks each day, which seem to be helping. The vets warned me to keep her on leash, worried that she would get rambunctious, but they don't know Betsy. We are already the dog walking spectacle of the neighborhood because she always trails behind. And now she really lags, moving as slowly as she can without standing still. The walks have become opportunities for me to practice walking meditation with a poop bag.

My knitting is progressing a little faster than the dog walking. During my lunch hour I doggedly (HA) work on Elbac (which I finally realized is "cable" spelled backwards), and in the evening it's Sitcom Chic while I listen to The Subtle Knife, the sequel to The Golden Compass. I reworked the toes in the Hedgerow socks and still ran short of yarn, so they are taking another time out.

And I am still recovering from my "bug". My teeth hurt, so I suspect sinusitis, which supposedly is not to be treated with antibiotics anymore since it is caused by a virus, but what does one do in the meantime? Besides take Advil and Sudafed? Ooh - maybe sushi with wasabi! I'll have to try that for lunch tomorrow.

Menopause Shawl

A few years ago, when my hot flashes were worse than they are now, I had what seemed like a brilliant idea: handknit menopause shawls. Pullover sweaters and turtlenecks had become impossible, cardigans were better, but shawls would have been best for tossing off and on as the internal thermostat dictated.

I still think the menopause shawl is a good idea. I just can't seem to get the hang of wearing a triangle. I'm still not feeling too perky, so am home and test driving the Sun Ray.



Maybe I will alternate between it and the Falling Leaves shawl, which is rectangular, to see what shape I like better.

Project synopsis:
Pattern: Sun Ray Shawl (free from Elann)
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool, color 2507 (antique rose)
Needles: US9 circulars

OMG. While recording the above information, I took a closer look at the photo with the pattern and at my results: the picot edging is completely different between the two. The pattern photo's edging is much prettier. The difference stems from the blocking: I was supposed to stretch out every fifth picot to form a scallop. Rats. Well, if I ever feel so inclined, I will reblock the shawl. Likelihood of my doing that: 5%

Break Out the Handknits

I have not been able to park my car in the garage because it (the garage, not the car) is full of everything that was displaced by the room addition, and now that the temps are a bit frosty at night, I need knitted mitts between my hands and the steering wheel. Not quite ready for hats and scarves, though.

The yarn did run out on the Hedgerow socks, thanks to my shenanigans. I will have to get creative with the toes to finish up, which may result in something whacky looking, so I am glad these are for me. The socks are taking a little time out until I decide what to do.

Which gives me a good excuse to knit away on the Sitcom Chic. I am feeling much better about the Four Seasons yarn than I did about the Pima Tencel. The cotton in it gives the knitted fabric body while the wool softens it. No second guessing this time around (knock on wood!)

I Got Gauge

I got something else, too, a bug that strongly recommended I stay home today. It's the perfect illness, as I am too uncomfortable to go to work but not too sick to knit.

The stitches in the swatch for Sitcom Chic fattened up in the soak, so now the gauge is spot on. Before casting on, I played with a couple of cast ons for 1x1 ribbing, settling on this one from Knitting Daily.



Last night, during the VP debate, I dropped the rest of the stitches on the Vintage Shawl, which did lengthen it to 60". That should be plenty long, especially once the fringe is added.

Now it is time for a nap.

I Can't Help Myself!

New yarn calls to be cast on, so I did.

I chose Elbac for a cable project. I chose Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted because that is what the pattern recommended. Initially, I did not like the pattern much, but it is growing on me. Instead of knit cables against a purl background, we have ribbed cables against a garter background. The result is a reversible scarf with subtle cables.



Initially, I liked the yarn, but now not so much. It is soft and has a nice halo even in skein. But there is very little twist, even less spring, and it tends to split. Now that I am past the initial diagonal rows of the pattern, though, the knitting and cabling are going fairly smoothly, so I will probably continue with the status quo.

The Sitcom Chic sweater has been in the back of my mind, and now that I have a new yarn for it, I just had to swatch.



My MO is to drop a needle size from what the pattern calls for, but cast on with a needle one or two sizes larger. So I cast on with a US9 and knit with US7. My gauge is a little off, but I have yet to soak the swatch. Which I will do because I do not want to start a third version of Sitcom Chic.

I am progressing nicely through the Hedgerow socks.



I had increased the pattern by one pattern repeat, which made the legs six stitches larger. The decreasing in the toe relies on multiples of eight, however, which I did not have until I thought to terminate the gusset prematurely and leave a couple of extra stitches for the footbed.



Now I am running dangerously low on yarn. *sigh*

And just in case you think nothing is getting completely finished around here, this pic is proof otherwise:



The Sun Ray shawl in all its blocked glory.

Today Betsy got her stitches removed. Forty minutes of driving for four minutes of work. Betsy is still reluctant to put much weight on her "new" leg, but recovery from doggy ACL surgery takes one to three months. It has been only two weeks, but I am really tired of helping her up and down the ONE step it takes to enter/exit the house.

Don't Ask the Question If You Don't Want To Know the Answer

Knitting Daily recently posted a survey, and one of the questions was, How much money do you spend on yarn? I tried to give an honest answer, but without my credit card statements and a calculator on hand, it was a WAG. I'm sure it was way too low. All I know is I can't knit fast enough to use up the yarn I buy.

Oh. And here are some lovely examples.

I was looking for some smallish projects that involve cables, since I haven't had much practice with them. The Elbac scarf from knitty suggests this Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Worsted. The color is "soft sage".



Another knitty project is Dashing fingerless mitts. The helpful staff at Knitting Off Broadway suggested this Blue Sky Melange alpaca in "licorice".



And, because I have not given up on the Sitcom Chic sweater, I purchased (on sale! really!) a sweater's worth of Classic Elite Four Seasons.



The description said "pink" but I say "fuscia".

I can't start these projects unless I finish a WIP. Here is the Vintage Shawl, post-knitting but pre-stitch dropping.



The shawl is supposed to be 70" long, but this one is only 52" despite using up all the yarn. The pattern says nothing about blocking, but this is for my daughter and she would like a bit more length, so I will do something, post-stitch dropping but pre-tasseling.

I have to let go of the idea that, when the knitting is done, the project is done, because it just never is so!

I'm Afraid

Even though I am skeins away from being finished, I was reviewing the bind off instructions for the Vintage Shawl and discovered that the columns of knit stitches are all supposed to be dropped, from bind off to cast on.



Gulp! I've never done that before. Ordinarily, a knitter tries NOT to drop stitches. The only scarier thing I can think of is steeking.

Meanwhile, I (heart) web-based conferencing. This cool bit of technology allows me (and many others) to participate in a meeting without leaving our cubicles. We view presentation materials online while listening over our phones. I have a headset, so my hands are free for knitting.



Heels have been turned and a gusset started on the Hedgerow socks. I am liking this pattern more and more, primarily because it is so carefully written. So far, my addition of a pattern repeat has not caused any problems, but (again) I read ahead and realize I may have to get creative with the toes in order to accommodate my extra stitches.

Be brave!

Poor Dog

Betsy had her ACL surgery a week ago. When I took her in, the vet gave her a pre-op during the exam so he could manipulate her joints, and she basically melted in about 15 seconds. I asked if I could have some of that stuff for the nights I can't sleep. They didn't think that was a good idea.



Betsy was able to come home the same day, albeit on three legs. I was sorry to have to board her while we were gone this past weekend, but I selected a new place, a vet clinic with Sunday hours so I could pick her up as soon as we got home. Anyone who knows beagles knows how vocal they can be. When Betsy saw me on Sunday, she screamed her "Where the f* have you been?!?" song, earning some worried glances from the other clients. "She's just happy to see me!" I explained cheerfully. "This is normal! Really!" They did not look convinced, nor convinced of my sanity for owning such a creature.



She has been putting some weight on the leg, but it has not healed yet. I still have to help her up the single step into the house. Except when there is a dirty plate awaiting her attention. Then she can get up that step just fine, thank you very much. I am looking forward to the day we can resume our early morning walks. I think.

Meanwhile, knitting has been going on, accompanied by The Golden Compass audio book. This is the aubergine Vintage Shawl from Runway Knits. Wrong side:



Right side:



As usual, it is difficult to capture an accurate picture of the color. Aubergine means eggplant, and this Karabella Aurora Bulky is a deep purple. This is my first experience with Karabella Aurora, and I am liking it. But what's not to like about 100% extra fine merino?

And the Hedgerow socks continue to grow (ha-ha). I tried working on them in the car on Sunday, but screwed up royally. Then I misplaced several of the needles. Tuesday, I spent an hour and a half recovering from my mistakes and finishing the second heel flap.



I found the mislaid needles, in the sunglasses pocket of my purse. Today heels will be turned.

Autumn Is Here

Now that the weather has cooled a bit, I have been wearing handknit socks a couple of times a week. I don't wear them everyday, for several reasons. One, I don't have that many handknit socks. Two, some of my shoes have velcro closures that snag the yarn. Three, I am compulsive about trying to color coordinate with my socks, which isn't always easy. To resolve issues one and three, I obviously need more socks, in more colors and styles. That's as good a reason as any to keep on knitting socks.



The legs are done on the Hedgerows. Onto the heel flaps!

From Blob to Wrinkled Triangle

Here is the Sun Ray shawl, post pass #6 through chart 2, pre-edging.



And post edging, awaiting a good blocking.



The picot edging will require a bazillion pins, but that's okay. Since it is 100% wool, the shawl should block better than the Falling Leaves shawl.

I was anxious to finish the knitting on Sun Ray so I could use the US9 circs on the Vintage shawl. The pattern calls for US10, but I am accustomed to dropping at least on needle size, so that is what I did. Didn't like the results, so I tried US10.5 circs. Hmmm. Still not satisfied. I finally tried US10 straights. Aha! This pattern is a dropped stitch pattern, and the straights allow me to tug on the stitching and get something that approximates the desired results.

And, if you want to look smart, find a book of poetry of the proper dimensions to make fringe.



If you can't read the title, that's Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman.

A Wool Gathering

I needed an excuse to get out of town for a day or two, so Saturday my SO and I headed off to A Wool Gathering. Previous fiber fests that we have attended have been at county fair grounds, and inside buildings, but this was tent city. Fortunately, the weather was fine, sunny and in the 80's. And fortunately, they had power; the area had been hard hit by high winds a week before, and the locals were still cleaning up the fallen limbs and trees.

My goal was roving, and I quickly discovered that undyed roving is the economical way to go. Since I am still learning to spin, I did not want to spend a small fortune on "training yarn" but at the same time, I wanted something easy to spin. On the recommendation of qutecowgirl, I bought BFL (Blue Face Leicester, not Body For Life) and Corriedale, and also a bit of shetland, just for comparison purposes.

I also picked up a couple of different drop spindles. Now, I know some people collect these, but OMG, how can they afford to? My selections were reasonably priced, at least for my budget.



The one on the right is better balanced, and has a hole at each end so you can reverse the spindle. The ceramic disk on the lefthand one provides more heft. I am curious about what differences they may exhibit. I'm currently distracted by the renovation, but once that is completed (this week - please!), I plan to contact a local spinner for a tutorial.

While in Ohio, we stayed overnight with friends. L had expressed interest in the Pinwheel sweater, so I took it with and presented it to her, as a long overdue thank-you for all she does. It fit her perfectly and looked great on her, so it must have been her sweater all along. As I have said before, we always knit for someone; we just don't always know who.

Blobs

All I got are blobs of Sun Ray Shawl.

After pass #4 of chart 2.



After pass #5 of chart 2.



After pass #6, all that remains is the edging. Yarnwise, I am doing fine.

Meanwhile, the poison ivy is healing, albeit too slowly for me. In an effort to keep the itching under control, I have tried an abundance of OTC and home remedies. What works best is hot water, as hot as one can stand. The theory is the heat drives the histamines out. Best for promoting healing is pure tea tree oil. I have also tried Caladryl Clear, Benedryl Spray (which is like taking an unknown quantity of Benedryl but through one's skin), Benedryl Allergy (do NOT take together with the spray), and something called Ivy Itch ReLeaf with the main ingredient of jewel weed, nature's antidote to poison ivy. Oh, and saliva. When I get a mosquito bite, I find that spit soothes the itch. Turns out it works on poison ivy itch, too, which is handy in a pinch.

Don't Scratch that Itch

Somehow, I came down with the worst case of poison ivy I have had since junior high, and then it was only on my arms and legs. This time, it is on my hands, face, arms where my T-shirt sleeves end, on my knees where my shorts end, plus big handprints on my hips (must remember to wash my hands before going to the bathroom) and around my waist. My theory is the dog picked it up when she wandered into the neighbor's yard, as I cannot find any in my yard, and since I have been carrying the dog around a lot (she has a torn ACL - and she doesn't even play basketball!), it got on me. And then more got on me. And then more. I have washed the dog (twice) and me (at least once daily) and my clothes (also multiple times) and now I am contemplating washing Tropical Treat and Sun Ray because I fear they may be contaminated, too.

Consequently, I am making some progress on the Hedgerow socks. The legs are halfway there.



I must admit that originally I was not particularly taken with the pattern, but the more I knit, the more I appreciate the subtle combination of stitches and semi-solid yarn.



I think once they are blocked, the hedgerows will really pop.

And apropos of nothing, here is my cat Fern and her aura.

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Apparently, the Colts are not. I watched the first half, then gave up and went to bed. Tropical Treat got all the attention, and I'm guessing it is about half done.

The Sun Ray Shawl has reached that stage where it is turning into an unrecognizable blob of knitting. This is post pass #3 through chart 2.



This shawl is not going to be one of those delicate wispy things. I'm looking forward to wrapping up in its warmth this winter.

Found It

The Vintage Shawl pattern is from Runway Knits.



I was tempted to cast on because that Karabella yarn is so luscious, but I want to use US9 circs and they are currently occupied. Curses! Foiled again!

A political aside: Having watched at least parts of the DNC and the RNC, I just gotta say that, were I a Republican, I would be really embarrassed at how BORING they are. I'm an independent who leans to the left, and I am also a Libra who favors a balanced view, but OMG. Absolutely stultifying. Anyway, regardless of where your politics fall, be(come) informed and VOTE come November. And if you don't vote, then don't complain.

Being Bad

I promised myself I would work on Tropical Treat during the RNC, but 1) I have not been watching much of the RNC because I have been busy with my house renovations (see my home and garden blog), and 2) when I did watch, Sun Ray was demurely sitting there on the coffee table, whispering "You know you want to knit me." So I did. Between last night and this afternoon, I completed another pass through chart 2.



I'm almost done with one out of six skeins, so that means I'm one-sixth of the way done, right? Piece o' cake!

But look what arrived today.



It was on sale! Honest! At Flying Fingers.



The danger of being on a yarn retailer's email list is, well, yarn mysteriously appears on one's doorstep. This yarn is for Vintage Shawl, from some book (I photocopied the pattern, but the pages lack a book title). I looked for it on Ravelry, but no luck, so you will just have to wait-and-see on this one.

Supersize Surprise

Last night when I dutifully picked up Tropical Treat, I realized that the needles were NOT my US9's. I could tell, because the US9 circs are Hiya, while whatever is in Tropical Treat are INOX. So where were the Hiya? I dove into the circ needle drawer and pulled out a likely pair, but they did not fit into the US9 hole on my needle sizer. I was 99% sure I was holding the Hiya's, so I took a straight US9 needle and checked its size. Aha! It did not fit into the US9 hole, either. Admittedly, my needle sizer is old, possibly my mother's, but still.



The result of all this needle juggling was I worked on Sun Ray instead of Tropical Treat, completing one cycle of chart 2. Tropical Treat is still reserved for the RNC, though, as it is all garter, all the time. It's only drawback is yarn wrangling four different colors.



I also started a new pair of socks, to serve as my portable project. The pattern is from Knitter's Review and accompanies a how-to article by Jane Cochran. At least, the pattern is found under the how-to articles, but I'm not sure what the how-to is telling us, other than solid colors give better stitch definition, so be careful when using semi-solids.



I had singled out this pattern a while ago, when still relatively new to sock knitting, and bought some semi-solid yarns from Yarn Daze for the expressed purpose of trying them with this pattern.



After two pairs of socks in Cherry Tree Hill, I am ready for something new. Because the skeins are a generous 4 oz., I'm enlarging the pattern by six stitches (one pattern repeat) and plan on making the leg 8" instead of 6", to see if I can achieve a better fit. That's one of the advantages of hand knits - a custom fit.



Both cuffs are done.