tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42661823780258780772024-03-12T19:46:47.189-04:00Still Life With YarnMy life, such as it is.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-44832567113403315372012-02-14T15:24:00.007-05:002012-02-14T15:45:23.859-05:00The Other Half of the WorldI got my hearing aids on Wednesday of last week. They're very small and hard to see, but it definitely takes a little while to get used to having something in my ears all the time. I told Mr. T that taking them off in the evening was like taking off my bra at the end of the day, but he couldn't relate.<br /><br />Wow, I had no idea just how much I was missing! I did not know that when I pressed the button on my key fob to lock my car, it beeps! Now I tell the boys to turn the television down, instead of asking them to turn it up!<br /><br />The aids also have this neat little program that allows me to dampen out background noise if I'm in a crowded place. I press a little button and the background noise is much lower, but speech isn't affected. So when we're at a crowded restaurant or basketball game, I can hear people who aren't right next to me. I feel so much more engaged in what's going on around me. I think the weirdest part is hearing <span style="font-style: italic;">myself</span> talk -- I hear myself in my head as normal, but then I hear an amplified me as well, kind of echoey.<br /><br />It really is like a whole other half of the world appeared out of nowhere. I love it, but part of me feels really sad that I didn't do this earlier, or that it wasn't done FOR me when I was a kid. Water, bridge, sigh.<br /><br />One of the events this weekend where the aids were a great boon was the bike team's annual awards banquet. Mr. T is president of the team this year, and Sr. Jr. received two awards, even though he is technically no longer a team member. He won the Junior Racer of the Year award and the Novice Cyclocross Racer of the Year award. I think he will miss racing with this team, even though he will love the new one. The new team is all kids under 19 years old. It's nice that he will have kids his age who are as passionate about bike racing as he is, but I loved that all the guys on the old team took him under their wings and mentored him. They were a great bunch of adult male role models for him.<br /><br />As usual, not a lot of knitting or spinning time, but things progress in between all the other things that go on.<br /><br />The handspun sweater marches slowly downward. I'm a little concerned that the armholes might be too small, but no one who has knit this pattern before has complained about that, so I'll just have faith.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNpP3w3VuXDmHo406ejLCPNFmSpbjyHbCMPqGj1ow1XzbMFuYqB7PGZCUcAV3c5ZKJYedrudtnmOe-hSfQaDPtDTwwAhyphenhyphenNlTqqVU-oNrUzZn_uP_PyEubsCiV_sA5njVCX9HT2BOBeCQ/s1600/IMG_7210.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNpP3w3VuXDmHo406ejLCPNFmSpbjyHbCMPqGj1ow1XzbMFuYqB7PGZCUcAV3c5ZKJYedrudtnmOe-hSfQaDPtDTwwAhyphenhyphenNlTqqVU-oNrUzZn_uP_PyEubsCiV_sA5njVCX9HT2BOBeCQ/s320/IMG_7210.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709092778410300402" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVP279PmmJRoMHfFWihakMfMC_7HEVKrzJFAah0iHwCcUHTQ6vVOz4bjtsj2IwBfNt_cvAi4U85t4hqS9AlR5MsENtqciM_axo0naEFPbLo1s6lTxFOoBaqWGXTGI2Qhfz-z_ffIIucA/s1600/IMG_7209.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVP279PmmJRoMHfFWihakMfMC_7HEVKrzJFAah0iHwCcUHTQ6vVOz4bjtsj2IwBfNt_cvAi4U85t4hqS9AlR5MsENtqciM_axo0naEFPbLo1s6lTxFOoBaqWGXTGI2Qhfz-z_ffIIucA/s320/IMG_7209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709092896721919538" border="0" /></a><br />As I work on this handspun sweater, I'm spinning yarn for another one. I'm not quite sure yet what I'll knit. As I was spinning the second of the two skeins I've finished so far, I was concerned that it was not going to match very well with the first, which would give me quite th Frankensweater. After I plied it up and skeined it, I was less worried. Nonetheless, I may spin up some plain white yarn in case I want to break up the colors a bit by knitting a striped sweater. Even that has me concerned, since I'm not sure that striping this yarn with white yarn is the best way to go. I'll figure it out at some point, I'm sure.<br /><br />Here are the skeins so far (the fiber is from Southern Cross Fibre, a shetland wool in a colorway called Timberwolf):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcahxey1UrfN0dQpGI4OwOxwN3qiDY3m7Pbs4co00xxAZet1l37P_MeggWedzb3EZ0r-cVgTVKTg-P7GlYvgTT_TtQc6gWaaRWDyJQpM_WYxab2H7Toh0Nvfl9QYb34Dxr6qGzu2K44aQ/s1600/IMG_7213.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcahxey1UrfN0dQpGI4OwOxwN3qiDY3m7Pbs4co00xxAZet1l37P_MeggWedzb3EZ0r-cVgTVKTg-P7GlYvgTT_TtQc6gWaaRWDyJQpM_WYxab2H7Toh0Nvfl9QYb34Dxr6qGzu2K44aQ/s320/IMG_7213.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709093938060374290" border="0" /></a><br />And here they are with a swatch I knit from a test skein:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlI3XYqV0X0EG7lNZptk0guhImodqXVOr4CB2jizpHuwkbrRhYzd7xZ_0eIZzkvIh8ZYwSAEZ_lnbE1u_IQ5EQf4wkpc2sfh-uFcxFr6v6OgKiAiGAWf_o_0H4XW6EcMFIJCYRNyXPXw/s1600/IMG_7217.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZlI3XYqV0X0EG7lNZptk0guhImodqXVOr4CB2jizpHuwkbrRhYzd7xZ_0eIZzkvIh8ZYwSAEZ_lnbE1u_IQ5EQf4wkpc2sfh-uFcxFr6v6OgKiAiGAWf_o_0H4XW6EcMFIJCYRNyXPXw/s320/IMG_7217.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709094196190651714" border="0" /></a><br />It's very different than the stuff I usually knit for myself. Outside my color safety zones and my patterning safety zones. But I kind of like it. We'll see how it turns out. I hope I don't hate it, because knitting a handknit sweater takes a lot of work!Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-23307604459363102092012-02-07T16:56:00.009-05:002012-02-07T17:25:48.387-05:00Really?Really? It's been that long since I wrote here? Sigh. It seems like I blink and half a year has gone by. I'm trying to remember where I was so I can bring you up to date.<br /><br />Everything continues along fine... boys doing well in school, active in their sports (it's basketball time for Jr. Jr. and always cycling time for Sr. Jr.) and other activities. The holidays were fun, even if there wasn't much in the way of knitting or spinning time (more on that later).<br /><br />In other "Really?" news, I finally went in to get my hearing checked. I've had a hearing deficit since I was a kid, mostly in my left ear. My parents thought it was due to fluid in my ears/high fevers as a child/ear infections. It wasn't bad enough to keep me from functioning, more of an occasional annoyance. My mother always told me that it wasn't the type of hearing loss that a hearing aid would help.<br /><br />Well, that turns out not to be true. When I said something about it to my father over the summer he said, "No, that's not the case. Your mother just wanted you to learn how to lip-read." Really? I remember going to lip-reading classes when I was very young, like 4 or 5, and hating every minute of it. I can't lip-read.<br /><br />But my hearing has been getting worse and it's gotten to the point where I really felt like I was missing a lot of stuff. One on one, I'm usually fine, but put me in a loud restaurant or with a group of people, and it becomes very hard for me. Our house is on the biggish side, so with kids talking to me from different rooms, with music playing, etc., it becomes very hard for me to hear them.<br /><br />So I bit the bullet and went. What I learned was very interesting. I learned that my hearing loss is not because of any scarring of the eardrum or because of the bones in my middle ear, but is in the cochlea, in the inner ear. There is now hearing loss in both ears, in what is called a "cookie bite" pattern, meaning that my hearing is better for the really low frequencies (vowel sounds) and the really high frequencies (consonant sounds), and pretty terrible at everything in between. This (and the fact that my right ear is somewhat better than my left) has been my saving grace all along, as the things I hear better are the things that make up speech.<br /><br />Apparently, this cookie bite pattern is more indicative of a <span style="font-style: italic;">genetic</span> hearing loss than a loss due to an injury from infection, etc.<br /><br />I mentioned this to my father, who said, "I'm trying to figure out who gave this to you. I have hearing loss, as did my mother, but that's from the diabetes (they both developed type II later in life) and my hearing didn't start to go bad until I was in my 40s." Um, Dad, REALLY? You didn't develop the diabetes until you were in your 60s and HOW OLD AM I??<br /><br />The potentially bad news is that my left ear may not regain acuity, even with a hearing aid, because it's gone unaided for so long that the neural connections may not be able to form. We'll see. The doctor said that I was young enough that it was possible I could overcome that.<br /><br />So I go in tomorrow to get some hearing aids. Should be interesting to see how I adjust and how much of a difference it makes.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />I finished my sweater spin, finally! I even started knitting the sweater. I love it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcOrWZoFFdX7hh7phveucyW_tG-CUqVAs39bKhhSZMVugYUzimqjNyYrbDSyadAAPWCfC0Fodn3xggzZyc0641m76pjR9Nd7gP6k-T-zhHFBkhqqVXMN0LwKihlaHb49ohGMp6AugNgs/s1600/IMG_7201.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcOrWZoFFdX7hh7phveucyW_tG-CUqVAs39bKhhSZMVugYUzimqjNyYrbDSyadAAPWCfC0Fodn3xggzZyc0641m76pjR9Nd7gP6k-T-zhHFBkhqqVXMN0LwKihlaHb49ohGMp6AugNgs/s320/IMG_7201.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706520225507581954" border="0" /></a><br />I already started spinning yarn for another sweater. I'm not sure how that one will turn out (more colorful, as opposed to tonal like this one), but we'll see.<br /><br />I finished Pipit, too, and I also love it! This sweater is so comfortable and so versatile. I wish I could wear it every day. The pattern was fun and interesting to knit, too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB6dO3wdB7PgFgQ8yHZJn0nMmXfW4EV4pDZG-0XEToJl9tP3hsLhTf5TVAkHryRp8jumbBNweWToBF-yZyjl21HPf6G-0GhC1vUwma-XRAxEiMQMHD6LN9oLG2k9CDSlNgrUSnROqVFw/s1600/IMG_7186.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVB6dO3wdB7PgFgQ8yHZJn0nMmXfW4EV4pDZG-0XEToJl9tP3hsLhTf5TVAkHryRp8jumbBNweWToBF-yZyjl21HPf6G-0GhC1vUwma-XRAxEiMQMHD6LN9oLG2k9CDSlNgrUSnROqVFw/s320/IMG_7186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706520958946639234" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfCn-3C6K8KP0RR8Qo4FBOBLuek4PpQXjRijaaog0DzANiuEEVL8FYi2hmLnnHtQdodsswl6n31YkwK47xA1_CQz_US1gO6OoESpPoTlqnBF_uSBRLDkYLvp5pghTkh2YPcR9a041g-M/s1600/IMG_7188.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCfCn-3C6K8KP0RR8Qo4FBOBLuek4PpQXjRijaaog0DzANiuEEVL8FYi2hmLnnHtQdodsswl6n31YkwK47xA1_CQz_US1gO6OoESpPoTlqnBF_uSBRLDkYLvp5pghTkh2YPcR9a041g-M/s320/IMG_7188.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706521279871694962" border="0" /></a><br />And just so the spinning doesn't get shortchanged, here's pics of the Cupcake Fiber spinning that I showed you last time all spun up:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSwaUwFdpsQDaXB0TUqRNVTRvu0yXK_-bHGzJ39iB35zjmVlQ2cz4IKhxtx3MuY_Wx_Znz26eucAVGIFolnsR20wu3aMPKiDh0b2N2ayFhG-3AdUxv0isJArmFofQSfvplbxg-nA267I/s1600/IMG_7107.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSwaUwFdpsQDaXB0TUqRNVTRvu0yXK_-bHGzJ39iB35zjmVlQ2cz4IKhxtx3MuY_Wx_Znz26eucAVGIFolnsR20wu3aMPKiDh0b2N2ayFhG-3AdUxv0isJArmFofQSfvplbxg-nA267I/s320/IMG_7107.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706521770996761922" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdwQ3XP3v_PzxG-0eVMjPFb5wXmVNkxHfGk2GxflSpqDa4a6hDynlFXWY-UPsNMVTSytcmmFtvx0BDzPdfrMIS40jeOWyjLIDThRhSrYGbBf4ve11NjdayphW1uaZfMIhooFy4h5OY6c/s1600/IMG_7113.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmdwQ3XP3v_PzxG-0eVMjPFb5wXmVNkxHfGk2GxflSpqDa4a6hDynlFXWY-UPsNMVTSytcmmFtvx0BDzPdfrMIS40jeOWyjLIDThRhSrYGbBf4ve11NjdayphW1uaZfMIhooFy4h5OY6c/s320/IMG_7113.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5706522058441869506" border="0" /></a><br />Right now, as always, I want to knit and spin all the things, but have very little time to do any of it. I really want to finish the handspun sweater, because I think that will be fabulous to wear! At this rate, however, and with the "winter" we're having, I won't get to wear it until next year.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-8414669964290543112011-12-07T15:03:00.008-05:002011-12-07T15:32:02.544-05:00Crash<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Here I was, all ready to start blogging regularly again, and my computer crashed. Crashed hard. Crashed so hard that I almost stumped the nice Geeks on Call guy who helped recover most of the data on my hard drive. Have all my knitting patterns, all my pictures, but none of my emails (I think) and not my calendar. I still need to work on those to see if I can find that data.<div><br /></div><div>As a result, new computer. </div><div><br /></div><div>Thanksgiving was the usual. That weekend we went to Charlottesville so the T boys could compete in the Virginia State Cyclocross Championships. All of them did respectably well, given their competition (e.g. the 19 year old phenom in Sr. Jr.'s race, and the fact that he's now on the younger end of his competitive age range). We didn't realize that the Virginia/Virginia State game was that same weekend, so we avoided going downtown Saturday evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>The holidays are approaching and I'm feeling really grinchy. I have no idea what to get anyone. The boys want video games that I won't let them play, or gadgets that they probably shouldn't have. Mr. T is terrible to shop for. He doesn't like stuff that one would normally think of getting for guys. All he wants is bike stuff, and I can't get him that. I default to getting him sweaters, but he really does not need anymore of those. And no, I'm not knitting him one. I knit him a hat and he barely tolerates wearing it, so I'm not putting all that energy into a sweater that will not be appreciated. </div><div><br /></div><div>Mr. T's firm party is next week, and I have to make the annual trek to find a dress to wear. "Wear something you wore before," he says, and then wonders why I laugh.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been knitting and spinning, but not that much (time of year...) I'm working on spinning enough yarn for a sweater. Hopefully I can do this. The first skein is done and finished. The singles for the second skein are done, but not plied up. I need to finish the bobbin of other stuff that I'm spinning on my other wheel before I can do the plying. In the meantime, I've started spinning the singles for the third skein. The challenge is to try to spin the skeins so they match in gauge.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19JXdJznOehl1s7BvM8BaoZgmQisp1tVPxbivRNKcYbrRXj_XOGaIj4jnyQOhpCB9ENvnSyjRYisqO7B2huSM3HebTgMgclMn9Wif9UkNUUkxYIzQXPZX4NpAY-lwZteEVlYYtrZfcQU/s1600/IMG_7028.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19JXdJznOehl1s7BvM8BaoZgmQisp1tVPxbivRNKcYbrRXj_XOGaIj4jnyQOhpCB9ENvnSyjRYisqO7B2huSM3HebTgMgclMn9Wif9UkNUUkxYIzQXPZX4NpAY-lwZteEVlYYtrZfcQU/s320/IMG_7028.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683482441132908770" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEx3BMOvLEdi6XIMp2TXTv6B0PmhjcaUef-9XbkQ4N8ATnU3GW2XUtssPddoKhAxako5fm0C5xyTq117n6kPRjQnWU-M9NZRb9QmMl2l8TBaNhddB6G5brGgBS3DEcqbuSBs7-b2mCqs/s1600/IMG_7027.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYEx3BMOvLEdi6XIMp2TXTv6B0PmhjcaUef-9XbkQ4N8ATnU3GW2XUtssPddoKhAxako5fm0C5xyTq117n6kPRjQnWU-M9NZRb9QmMl2l8TBaNhddB6G5brGgBS3DEcqbuSBs7-b2mCqs/s320/IMG_7027.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683482433285764434" /></a><br />These may look familiar to you. They may remind you of the yarn I used to knit Mr. T's hat. It's from the same dyer, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Allspunup">All Spun Up</a>. I'm mulling over patterns and modifications to patterns, but I really have to wait until all the yarn is spun up and I know what gauge it will knit to before I make any decisions.<div><br /></div><div>I'm also spinning these adorable <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/cupcakefiberco">Cupcake Fiber Co.</a> sock batts:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheihyphenhyphendYvNHhoefa0VrzJQ0Nmx2x44U9dVrbsnyq-4v-OOv3qb38zrcvxvYXfPwPBmMoh3rqU3G9pmMhjvW1MgtJOKe0U6pW9F0WMVL3KJGIHcpNjCmcWfQoehtP7X9XiPa7i_WZs4FQ24/s320/Halloweenfiber+023.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683484204853544242" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QcVD_UFUZI5Iw1SGL_WeVa1zgiCTsOgpa3W8V3dcCDQ8U8ZvtuX4jNwTUf251Mh8UgAQR0ifHb1OTKuwTEENjH6pmOrwwNpEbKmGuZPpjUvTvt1ohHigdCcIizJdUsdj3swestLTmg4/s320/IMG_7019.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683485192892613474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;">I've finished two socks, and started their mates. (I do not know why the text has turned blue.)</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUWLVbHLfP3KnkSwmE5FJAEWXN2_JDFxZRBW9_kdKH9GCS05cNKaps3MvZUPgOMRQkd6WcsJpeJiJHXqMKehBoTNiQZpZka_Ee-0QoJXH1DSHA7ABzoT482GYFQnFAw1vcImw4INy_84/s320/IMG_7016.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683485878428578050" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000ee;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ufwdHyWiGD2UDr6ez_29UFqGgyqOxTdeX-fE2YfTeAq6EILeMk8-JE-bbZbmHK47MRIhsCVYOjoweboKuzERZCGUB7Y6V1NnbpF0FPBeHXCQsVsiCz7CBe55XFZ_JRgDdjs9-UX1Yoc/s320/IMG_7014.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5683485733243178498" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">That blue sock is the most recent installment of the Cookie A sock club. I'm trying to finish it up before December's package comes. Got a reprieve today, since it seems the pattern for December won't sent out until the 20th. Whew!</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">Finally, Pipit. I haven't knit it in a few days, but I'm having fun with it. You start at the center back and knit down to the wrist. Then you pick up stitches and knit toward the other wrist. Pick up some more stitches and knit a bit of a front neckline, then knit around and down. Hopefully I can have some pictures to show you soon.</span></div>Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-22254490580053521522011-11-16T13:35:00.019-05:002011-11-16T14:20:55.211-05:00Still Life!Yes, I'm still alive! I don't quite know what happened or why I haven't posted before now. I've certainly thought about it a lot, but never quite mustered the momentum to sit down and write. I will do it now, and hopefully it will make it easier for me to start posting regularly again.<br /><br />I think part of the silence was that our summer was very nice. Who knew that a summer without a bar mitzvah, an international trip, deaths, broken bones, and family issues could be so nice? About halfway through the summer I noticed that I was in a good mood compared to the summer before. What a revelation! I did a lot of knitting, spinning, and running this summer.<br /><br />It was just an ordinary summer. Sr. Jr. spent 2 weeks at cycling camp down in Charlottesville, which he LOVED. Two weeks with a bunch of kids who loved cycling as much as he did and professional and semi-professional riders and coaches. He was in heaven.<br /><br />We spent July 4th weekend with my father and his wife, along with my brother, his girlfriend, and their dog to celebrate my father's 75th birthday. Again -- we had a surprisingly nice time. Travel to and from the Hamptons was shockingly unpainful. Everyone was pretty mellow and had fun.<br /><br />We went back to Hilton Head again for our summer vacation. We rent a house pretty much on the beach and ride bikes, go for long walks, play golf, go fishing, spin, knit, relax.<br /><br />The school year has started off well. Sr. Jr. seems to be adapting to his first year of high school very well. First quarter report cards are going to be mailed out tomorrow, but so far he knows he has straight As (although there's one grade he doesn't know about yet). He's not working too hard at it, either. Friends of mine who've had kids go through this high school have complained about how much homework their kids had and how hard they worked, but Sr. Jr. seems to manage it all just fine.<br /><br />Jr. Jr. is in his last year of elementary school. When he starts middle school next year, I'm going to feel really old. On the other hand, I'm ready to be done with our elementary school, for many reasons. Mostly, I'm ready for Jr. Jr. to mature a little bit more. He's funny and smart and cute, but a little bit on the immature side. I think that changing schools and having more expected of him will help.<br /><br />The big family news is that Sr. Jr. will be joining a junior elite bike racing team after the new year. Up until now, he's been riding with Mr. T's team, which is more like a club than a team. It's a great group of people, and they support each other very well, but each rider is really on his own as far as development and racing goes.<br /><br />The new team is just for juniors, with a coach who puts all her efforts into developing junior cyclists into strong riders. She plans their training and their racing with an eye to getting them into big races and Nationals, and eventually to be noticed by professional teams.<br /><br />I don't know how any of this will pan out for Sr. Jr., but he's talented and committed. I think just being on a team with other kids will be good for him.<br /><br />But now we've reached the time of year when there's so much going on that I don't get enough time to knit or spin and get a little cranky. Hopefully it won't last too long.<br /><br />(Jr. Jr. just got home, so I'm going to fast forward, and get to the pretty pictures)<br /><br />Things I've knit and spin since my last, long-forgotten post:<br /><br />Stripe Study shawl:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDzxEfaPkJjRGRW8LdHkUKby3GCIcbZugj9dBSefPvmiuPmWWFUWIQkxOLTdVddH0n4ZU013x_zcLYmIf1_qLZgMxNdsBUHputYbQI_CQHtZDEGjU892iPTN1j_UFHEtHEEFbRT5P79c/s1600/bikecampdropoff+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDzxEfaPkJjRGRW8LdHkUKby3GCIcbZugj9dBSefPvmiuPmWWFUWIQkxOLTdVddH0n4ZU013x_zcLYmIf1_qLZgMxNdsBUHputYbQI_CQHtZDEGjU892iPTN1j_UFHEtHEEFbRT5P79c/s320/bikecampdropoff+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675669328915805842" border="0" /></a><br />Variance Cowl (with handspun yarn):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOC_03xbmAe3oBZmP-gbh4d_3dCRk7CX4I06XVhDvifT-nLHFM2bT1ypgPO8kzvpd8fLiyS4yxff0BsFxSK2YPLaT6HgrK-gA9O0Tux5O2-S6E5a0mUTr8rK0GPSrZGtNYXqWlh2hGNU/s1600/bikecampdropoff+016.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOC_03xbmAe3oBZmP-gbh4d_3dCRk7CX4I06XVhDvifT-nLHFM2bT1ypgPO8kzvpd8fLiyS4yxff0BsFxSK2YPLaT6HgrK-gA9O0Tux5O2-S6E5a0mUTr8rK0GPSrZGtNYXqWlh2hGNU/s320/bikecampdropoff+016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675669648700292210" border="0" /></a><br />Orange Pekoe socks (Cookie A sock club):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdi_ZNxeKVHFJM13pHgEFe4hcQbIrKUsVxuO0rjCzOsTASmkcjKJZzmSKxjb7bxgfDhJsxu_u7z0SJLTDaH1ISXUb4w8Upf-7k7vL7jjCujvTu4T98HLl4kxGjUc6TOF-TTol0p9XTdA/s1600/OrangePekoe+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwdi_ZNxeKVHFJM13pHgEFe4hcQbIrKUsVxuO0rjCzOsTASmkcjKJZzmSKxjb7bxgfDhJsxu_u7z0SJLTDaH1ISXUb4w8Upf-7k7vL7jjCujvTu4T98HLl4kxGjUc6TOF-TTol0p9XTdA/s320/OrangePekoe+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675669965535487410" border="0" /></a><br />Calendula Socks (for Camp Loopy):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRuydDg4X869hrGQiF25sxBGpmuHTNMrtxxZ8t8VhGbriUwyDme3jBGvELUhNxXMzyv6tg3LHGOsEUyISRCYhtXN512APE21Z9rbZNc2_V_2Pf7hCAhx7lBwT7UqmQYi88Udlu9Yss9c/s1600/Calenduladone+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRuydDg4X869hrGQiF25sxBGpmuHTNMrtxxZ8t8VhGbriUwyDme3jBGvELUhNxXMzyv6tg3LHGOsEUyISRCYhtXN512APE21Z9rbZNc2_V_2Pf7hCAhx7lBwT7UqmQYi88Udlu9Yss9c/s320/Calenduladone+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675670302193459298" border="0" /></a><br />GUSH socks (yeah, bad pic):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa3yENWFYQGFfEcR8JdEYznup7WTnJY3pyZAJBwOmMyxxFaZWAI2V0ToZHvEL39uYjJ2IVzbWmYftnyfpphI5RtNpVbnm-sTSejfZTTdzRk2R86DKIgGEQFtmn7AFKIIeNvUYRuY1PYw/s1600/GUSHdone+006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOa3yENWFYQGFfEcR8JdEYznup7WTnJY3pyZAJBwOmMyxxFaZWAI2V0ToZHvEL39uYjJ2IVzbWmYftnyfpphI5RtNpVbnm-sTSejfZTTdzRk2R86DKIgGEQFtmn7AFKIIeNvUYRuY1PYw/s320/GUSHdone+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675670639067334498" border="0" /></a><br />Fat Cat Knits Esther (spinning):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXstQvA49TjpRlL2DANrBPeHxocxqKJmglHqtcj4JKNUhuAtehRyVYQGQ0v65Gk9YRp4TidsjKuM4f6MAaWBSn1kbPC2GZGDBwDEOyHxR6Naxmidz8auWNzXY_x2pKkVQxx3t4OCJQons/s1600/HHIandSpinning+031.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXstQvA49TjpRlL2DANrBPeHxocxqKJmglHqtcj4JKNUhuAtehRyVYQGQ0v65Gk9YRp4TidsjKuM4f6MAaWBSn1kbPC2GZGDBwDEOyHxR6Naxmidz8auWNzXY_x2pKkVQxx3t4OCJQons/s320/HHIandSpinning+031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675670993598952114" border="0" /></a><br />Squoosh Polwarth (spinning)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AI-1DhYKq9w4hZD-mQ4l5so1X_GVeCIVAd-A9sAvEOS1hxgtFnrOvNeXcMWbju2zV0QatiVBSM9DnG_n3YmR3bhgN7fLLWc44L2m6ndF9gEItRIImUWESxylFMlPdEeO_hGA2KkDnuQ/s1600/HHIandSpinning+043.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5AI-1DhYKq9w4hZD-mQ4l5so1X_GVeCIVAd-A9sAvEOS1hxgtFnrOvNeXcMWbju2zV0QatiVBSM9DnG_n3YmR3bhgN7fLLWc44L2m6ndF9gEItRIImUWESxylFMlPdEeO_hGA2KkDnuQ/s320/HHIandSpinning+043.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675671300561475794" border="0" /></a><br />Fat Cat Knits Spinach Souffle (spinning)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg048sKgLbu7Qv0KQPhrbx61Lift7S9iqN_pO7jALAfOWptDIgeuuMu8C5iK3HXvwcgyLqjiVTNTd3CoC7AbV5OjbhXgRx9PdljaFhLZebzMe-IRC92n5gmrLVbkHugAL3mF7OIoHYbSNI/s1600/HHIandSpinning+037.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg048sKgLbu7Qv0KQPhrbx61Lift7S9iqN_pO7jALAfOWptDIgeuuMu8C5iK3HXvwcgyLqjiVTNTd3CoC7AbV5OjbhXgRx9PdljaFhLZebzMe-IRC92n5gmrLVbkHugAL3mF7OIoHYbSNI/s320/HHIandSpinning+037.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675671560417852226" border="0" /></a><br />A shawl I named "Cranky Bones" because I was sick of knitting it (pattern name was Boneyard Shawl; knit for Camp Loopy)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGG-dRRADZKakW2o-v-z0wSEuxsM0M-H2dtpQizBvMoR7k8p_v1w1mcsOoHrLryoSYGVgjbEPJFbAc_256bi2CknJHGNxsAFhnsc4r0MKbrQTswNsGS8xKCxqsGq_dXndEMMvauMOoCI/s1600/crankydone+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaGG-dRRADZKakW2o-v-z0wSEuxsM0M-H2dtpQizBvMoR7k8p_v1w1mcsOoHrLryoSYGVgjbEPJFbAc_256bi2CknJHGNxsAFhnsc4r0MKbrQTswNsGS8xKCxqsGq_dXndEMMvauMOoCI/s320/crankydone+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675671855726432850" border="0" /></a><br />Collins --<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-mFZvg7iz98JgScw9QSaSgM8to_hXE3kNj06w7CooE4BLWiflbxW_pA71exst8pwBAsU3Y42jivttQ3cHJKIkjsXZo5nyMt3n_9YdgG3G35rTrJCHefJ43d0WVL5LTKTVeX5Z9bu-qQ/s1600/Collins+012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX-mFZvg7iz98JgScw9QSaSgM8to_hXE3kNj06w7CooE4BLWiflbxW_pA71exst8pwBAsU3Y42jivttQ3cHJKIkjsXZo5nyMt3n_9YdgG3G35rTrJCHefJ43d0WVL5LTKTVeX5Z9bu-qQ/s320/Collins+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675672364114139218" border="0" /></a><br />Southern Cross batt (Red Plum):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJofjhCdnTubhpx4CBFpIi32STXfcU4_nAGv-W6ZD7KZHwswpZVf03bs3aCPxBWUh9j93X9nATmKRWRV-LtKdCirstDfk-Otb7ZZz6hZOnecmPdhULEUW2iwLsNrZuaL22f_ezUyWf2o/s1600/RedPlum+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJofjhCdnTubhpx4CBFpIi32STXfcU4_nAGv-W6ZD7KZHwswpZVf03bs3aCPxBWUh9j93X9nATmKRWRV-LtKdCirstDfk-Otb7ZZz6hZOnecmPdhULEUW2iwLsNrZuaL22f_ezUyWf2o/s320/RedPlum+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675672753569948802" border="0" /></a><br />All Spun Up merino/alpaca fiber (love this -- currently spinning more of this for a sweater):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4G_t65dcnQXDVt5z3KjUV2Ora0_QhP4eRXB-rQQqJ7yuWDPyILvd9_5DfHyqsoe2EI1VLdz-7Y_6ViX-IKsIvJ3XdSRTe4cSUHbcIukucoq8LvLPoF6BnqSwv76pXX19a0TKzzaBO3Y/s1600/allspunup+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4G_t65dcnQXDVt5z3KjUV2Ora0_QhP4eRXB-rQQqJ7yuWDPyILvd9_5DfHyqsoe2EI1VLdz-7Y_6ViX-IKsIvJ3XdSRTe4cSUHbcIukucoq8LvLPoF6BnqSwv76pXX19a0TKzzaBO3Y/s320/allspunup+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675673070843719922" border="0" /></a><br />I took that yarn and knit a hat for Mr. T (Windschief), which has been deemed slightly too unboring for him and is modeled here by Sr. Jr.:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CdXpOs30KYf5mbEH1rM-uFPAgqTZpgOrxPitGRxftJrDZZgcaitjBoxAh0_eD9JIhRQAVhd4jNfiDWL167JLHzWv1T0vl3XEcwdt4UWDH4_snB-QbfDVxlkBbIBfRQMZxwQ8qPBdUBg/s1600/windschief+012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7CdXpOs30KYf5mbEH1rM-uFPAgqTZpgOrxPitGRxftJrDZZgcaitjBoxAh0_eD9JIhRQAVhd4jNfiDWL167JLHzWv1T0vl3XEcwdt4UWDH4_snB-QbfDVxlkBbIBfRQMZxwQ8qPBdUBg/s320/windschief+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675673670473215746" border="0" /></a><br />I finally finished Drifting! I'm not sure if I like it, and I still don't have any pictures of it on me:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM39Xjm90jpdtr03AURNNEmU-4I5t7H7bEED3G-SKLbJjurBLJ9jP7imW04u_BFSUfpGq0buxXTKi058struYNxx7aFmsVrehA5p24GT8_O2rC4YdttbCa9cLrmfMDf0wZYZzqx2H6gdA/s1600/Driftingblock+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM39Xjm90jpdtr03AURNNEmU-4I5t7H7bEED3G-SKLbJjurBLJ9jP7imW04u_BFSUfpGq0buxXTKi058struYNxx7aFmsVrehA5p24GT8_O2rC4YdttbCa9cLrmfMDf0wZYZzqx2H6gdA/s320/Driftingblock+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675673953324005250" border="0" /></a><br />Grave Clothes (Two if By Hand fiber, wish I'd spun it differently)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYkd3-TSnRl65E1LOjX728AaqmJPyArex36N2eQUgHiY-Mjf_IRtzs2uIz-mhoJ-Y1vDqxG4daXFVuL0zfw_hFJ2wtBovzQ7cHRICEN-zUySCFXNUH4zzgQ_rakgcSchyLuZTE8Skx84/s1600/GraveClothesdone+010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXYkd3-TSnRl65E1LOjX728AaqmJPyArex36N2eQUgHiY-Mjf_IRtzs2uIz-mhoJ-Y1vDqxG4daXFVuL0zfw_hFJ2wtBovzQ7cHRICEN-zUySCFXNUH4zzgQ_rakgcSchyLuZTE8Skx84/s320/GraveClothesdone+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675674396618018450" border="0" /></a><br />And last, but not least -- Space Invaders (fiber from Bee Mice Elf):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMtHdyb7JNYDxZrmhqfX1oNa2D7lfqJBIgBDNn7UTjMhZQ7KpPCNvzHdPfyyY3DAQh1_nLDhyA0aDENqHu-Yfr0hcT5DoKzYcn9VwCUZX41QYM3Yt65xSSbSXYz7QWBaENDFpB9PCmYI/s1600/SpaceInvaderdone+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXMtHdyb7JNYDxZrmhqfX1oNa2D7lfqJBIgBDNn7UTjMhZQ7KpPCNvzHdPfyyY3DAQh1_nLDhyA0aDENqHu-Yfr0hcT5DoKzYcn9VwCUZX41QYM3Yt65xSSbSXYz7QWBaENDFpB9PCmYI/s320/SpaceInvaderdone+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5675674725796464706" border="0" /></a><br />Sooo, that's what I've been up to for the last 5 months.<br /><br />Coming soon (really, I promise) -- what I'm working on NOW :)Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-244734127064488542011-06-29T15:39:00.008-04:002011-06-29T16:02:15.910-04:00Rushing ThroughBeen very busy lately. End of school, visits from in laws, etc. Leaving to go visit my family in a bit. Tomorrow is a party for my friend Marie, who's back from Germany for a quick visit.<br /><br />Survived the end of school, barely. I can't believe Sr. Jr. will be in high school next year. And Jr. Jr. will be in 5th grade, almost out of elementary school! Yikes.<br /><br />We missed Sr. Jr.'s promotion ceremony or whatever it was because he was off competing at Junior US Cycling Nationals! I think it was a real eye-opener for him. He only started road racing this year as a way to stay in shape for cyclocross season. But he did so well that he qualified for Nationals. Even though the competition took place the last week of school, all the academics were completed by then, so how could we say no?<br /><br />He did great. He came in pretty middle of the pack over all, but was competing against kids with a lot more experience than he had. He's still a Cat 5 racer, and some of these kids were Cat 4 and Cat 3 racers. Some had been to Nationals before, so the whole experience wasn't new and intimidating to them. Among the other Cat 5 racers, he did pretty well.<br /><br />Historically, Sr. Jr. has been known to get discouraged and give up on things if he isn't doing as well as he'd like. So I was a little worried that he would come home from Nats discouraged and ready to quit. But that hasn't happened. He wants to do more races, upgrade to Cat 4, keep training, and go back next year. I'm very proud of him for this; it's a sign of maturity. I hope it is, anyway.<br /><br />And he appears to have grown another inch in the 5 days he was gone.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj025MSaPWrLT5OlHaNTW3BD-gZ9f5sJTiqErXax06OOsL5Le7u0eJ1Iix2sgmbT5TyERJ4ZM0mWLpt4ylUgqbR9hW1m72gZ3-CMXzEAXcJuTLpS9T4m2FZH2-bA8uOwJTFyVXfnGlCvQ8/s1600/Nationals11+021.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj025MSaPWrLT5OlHaNTW3BD-gZ9f5sJTiqErXax06OOsL5Le7u0eJ1Iix2sgmbT5TyERJ4ZM0mWLpt4ylUgqbR9hW1m72gZ3-CMXzEAXcJuTLpS9T4m2FZH2-bA8uOwJTFyVXfnGlCvQ8/s320/Nationals11+021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623731057190026018" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm5OsjLM09VSLwjEKtUn3GsMsXVU7UqTJa5rGB_1iEv6MKBlAw1OSPml5ioZ7OwzjWJMsNTMrvu_YHYkVdwT1L5Y0CITLFDxdElVN3RQQihMPouu6Jd4-lDJQJxKZxtzPY9WnIhMNqQQ/s1600/Nationals11+024.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGm5OsjLM09VSLwjEKtUn3GsMsXVU7UqTJa5rGB_1iEv6MKBlAw1OSPml5ioZ7OwzjWJMsNTMrvu_YHYkVdwT1L5Y0CITLFDxdElVN3RQQihMPouu6Jd4-lDJQJxKZxtzPY9WnIhMNqQQ/s320/Nationals11+024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623731576686718178" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0KQV5_wjnMIqX1hWjWgRXsesQjuLbkm5dZKoKmjLLztTVoun-vhSCHto3_jzLAcrmK_9HuMnB9pUaUuHeIxOYlt8w0GCU4vhm1Swst-uOgGDXRwxW6IMqrNLPCNxkXNaV-ZmxOHENHg/s1600/Nationals11+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ0KQV5_wjnMIqX1hWjWgRXsesQjuLbkm5dZKoKmjLLztTVoun-vhSCHto3_jzLAcrmK_9HuMnB9pUaUuHeIxOYlt8w0GCU4vhm1Swst-uOgGDXRwxW6IMqrNLPCNxkXNaV-ZmxOHENHg/s320/Nationals11+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623731652835095938" border="0" /></a><br />The crafty stuff has been hit or miss lately. Little bits get done, here and there. Socks get finished, but they don't necessarily match:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI-RqAhNmT6F6XMg7CuHcC8Bhqzk8AI_dY6swgpQGYZiFSUuFLrcLRrPPW3EFTxhcTGnM0Tg11WvtIsf_RCqjVyoYWvYlHjhN6N73Qd-dLRH5hNGYCugS2vAfpaR4XpGdaJ1Zal3xLBI/s1600/unmatchy+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwI-RqAhNmT6F6XMg7CuHcC8Bhqzk8AI_dY6swgpQGYZiFSUuFLrcLRrPPW3EFTxhcTGnM0Tg11WvtIsf_RCqjVyoYWvYlHjhN6N73Qd-dLRH5hNGYCugS2vAfpaR4XpGdaJ1Zal3xLBI/s320/unmatchy+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623732290399671698" border="0" /></a><br />On the left: Cookie A sock club pattern "Orange Pekoe" in Hazel Knits Artisan sock "Oh My Darling." Love this pattern.<br /><br />On the right: Yarnissima Mystery Sock KAL pattern "GUSH," in Wollmeise Twin, Lila Ludmilla. Also a great pattern.<br /><br />I haven't even cast on for the second socks yet. <br /><br />There was not a lot of spinning, just finished up one skein, that will hopefully be used for a Spin/Knitalong, if I have enough yardage:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJbGj48E1duQbbY3e-gpKvMKhW9rSDKTSLVd8Awg24J6VRw-qW0j7FsYMvfhZbvfryhceRLPL7WWd3PLjFioGcKLH5Ilm0wuDdVUlurrHCyRAaEZvqzSzjkV2aGPS7ZNvaJFL4HWvcmE/s1600/Nationals11+050.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghJbGj48E1duQbbY3e-gpKvMKhW9rSDKTSLVd8Awg24J6VRw-qW0j7FsYMvfhZbvfryhceRLPL7WWd3PLjFioGcKLH5Ilm0wuDdVUlurrHCyRAaEZvqzSzjkV2aGPS7ZNvaJFL4HWvcmE/s320/Nationals11+050.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623733254895590642" border="0" /></a><br />Sanguine Gryphon Fiber Club installment 2, merino/cashmere/nylon, 2 ply.<br /><br />I've been plugging away on the Camp Loopy shawl. Soooo sick of garter stitch. There are supposed to be 12 wedges of dark green, but I was running out of yarn, so I did the 12th wedge in the lighter color with the thin stripe of green. I think this will look neat, too.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclTmPuByUzXz-JJz0hQxESZHP2YsGdMHOGs8nY65oGEUze8k6FSf7_Qb4KVBSGHuQUDeIuj7WciqLzlSW8G2LucTl7vzqNt4ASEcRHwe1BnqdqeSrVCi3MbEpMbrUjHQE5MQ2s-HyIMQ/s1600/unmatchy+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclTmPuByUzXz-JJz0hQxESZHP2YsGdMHOGs8nY65oGEUze8k6FSf7_Qb4KVBSGHuQUDeIuj7WciqLzlSW8G2LucTl7vzqNt4ASEcRHwe1BnqdqeSrVCi3MbEpMbrUjHQE5MQ2s-HyIMQ/s320/unmatchy+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623733936922717362" border="0" /></a><br />Between knit-free trips and weeks with kids at home, I don't expect to get too much done other than bits here and there. Ah summertime.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-81294542003253467552011-06-15T14:09:00.013-04:002011-06-15T14:40:50.874-04:00OverloadAh, the end of the year. School functions and parties and finals and surprise visitors and Nationals and trips and and and brain explosions.<br /><br />Last week was Jr. Jr.'s school's Colonial Day, which is a huge production that the kids and teachers work on for months. They turn the back yard of the school into a little Colonial Williamsburg, with the kids as the re-enactors. It's really cute. The kids learn so much more about colonial life from this approach than they would just by reading a textbook. The exhibits focus on all (non-political) aspects of colonial life, including agriculture, industry, schooling, music, and dance. The kids learn the Virginia Reel and a minuet, and then the parents get to dance with them too. I loved dancing with both my boys -- I think that was my favorite part of the event.<br /><br />Jr. Jr. was part of the school display, and acted the part of the dunce:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAci48A3FUkAXoHWQ1iNmpolhAsiRg513PjUi8bQpeAjOHKcbU3uGw2CGEizPQFDjoe2JQ5aWU7_mEOOowoni1SBGOVsbEthn6UaOR9cXj4iDUs5PTvS9G_B5SYsJzHK4R1VCGFfPjI4/s1600/ColonialDay11+052.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyAci48A3FUkAXoHWQ1iNmpolhAsiRg513PjUi8bQpeAjOHKcbU3uGw2CGEizPQFDjoe2JQ5aWU7_mEOOowoni1SBGOVsbEthn6UaOR9cXj4iDUs5PTvS9G_B5SYsJzHK4R1VCGFfPjI4/s320/ColonialDay11+052.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618511885356389442" border="0" /></a><br />He played with some Colonial games:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxyNAtT9hUlDMr-jfWNCbg909BFdF94LYkeBPa_ebNwIQ0cmrbSBJVORffXRHXLbnkCH5QNfFwOizDADE-kygTCDfz23r0eKesdhlu2WOqcYx3zfvNyakFA0Adt0nSk6ZKPzNLosFIXA/s1600/ColonialDay11+026.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwxyNAtT9hUlDMr-jfWNCbg909BFdF94LYkeBPa_ebNwIQ0cmrbSBJVORffXRHXLbnkCH5QNfFwOizDADE-kygTCDfz23r0eKesdhlu2WOqcYx3zfvNyakFA0Adt0nSk6ZKPzNLosFIXA/s320/ColonialDay11+026.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618512188842482578" border="0" /></a><br />And I got an awesome picture of him NOT making any silly faces:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIaeTQLv1tbzbhMBwwKVDjgyZQLnzgQ107FuB7UNg99HXJHzxdCr4AL6xoReOn1KLHl6EnBFdvGVMGchzWIzfcYV20cCM4spePtgf7-aJpFr_62DhfCWIUUZkgnympTn49LzJ-c8WB-o/s1600/ColonialDay11+031.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIaeTQLv1tbzbhMBwwKVDjgyZQLnzgQ107FuB7UNg99HXJHzxdCr4AL6xoReOn1KLHl6EnBFdvGVMGchzWIzfcYV20cCM4spePtgf7-aJpFr_62DhfCWIUUZkgnympTn49LzJ-c8WB-o/s320/ColonialDay11+031.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618512432903003010" border="0" /></a><br />Back when Sr. Jr. did Colonial Day, they discussed how the colonists spun their own wool and cotton, but all they had was one broken spinning wheel. This year, they had actual spinning demonstrators there, and they were a huge hit. Every time I went by them, they were surrounded by kids who were fascinated by the wool and the wheel. The demonstrators gave them bits of wool and had them twist it up to show how twist makes the fiber stronger, and even let them treadle the wheels. It was great to see.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mTlXPYu6nc1ovT905aXyTCBSSNcGXCYyRFPtQQx3yIsrd5IMxl-ym8D5ieMK71MDzYsJw4E4HtIJV6dQtMcI_blRX7zbCUf6wYK5PrqT4-dVUnUzakN_QEWQ7vjWyo9rGAoVjcl_6dE/s1600/ColonialDay11+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mTlXPYu6nc1ovT905aXyTCBSSNcGXCYyRFPtQQx3yIsrd5IMxl-ym8D5ieMK71MDzYsJw4E4HtIJV6dQtMcI_blRX7zbCUf6wYK5PrqT4-dVUnUzakN_QEWQ7vjWyo9rGAoVjcl_6dE/s320/ColonialDay11+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618517841097125938" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt0j9JArlN_PCSqUt1atGyfyhtD3QvjEHGxYmrfs4blST4NipPpsiSiNmbK7SSlexKrbffW9J3Co6BFdy5yYnRDHIP_V6A_xTpqzbFthlEQHupGJN8Jy1iCv1Zb65pWVW-2OMWTIYHX4/s1600/ColonialDay11+061.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTt0j9JArlN_PCSqUt1atGyfyhtD3QvjEHGxYmrfs4blST4NipPpsiSiNmbK7SSlexKrbffW9J3Co6BFdy5yYnRDHIP_V6A_xTpqzbFthlEQHupGJN8Jy1iCv1Zb65pWVW-2OMWTIYHX4/s320/ColonialDay11+061.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618517653257928578" border="0" /></a><br />Parties and busy times over the weekend, but I did finally manage to ply up the yarn I'd been spinning:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaR5h4wXljeHjc1FUQRqTA63qtm5-gopoKfExKGAd7uO5MisdPU430W0rn06tDExe_scxvyCxWe8mYlsZ9girfBhlPzRMcLDWEvOfOArlCYETabN7_I3X6fnbzNQUjMYHrdD_QUm4woNk/s1600/Leafspin+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaR5h4wXljeHjc1FUQRqTA63qtm5-gopoKfExKGAd7uO5MisdPU430W0rn06tDExe_scxvyCxWe8mYlsZ9girfBhlPzRMcLDWEvOfOArlCYETabN7_I3X6fnbzNQUjMYHrdD_QUm4woNk/s320/Leafspin+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618512976892225666" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRaGga14KjNMdhod62RMxq5yny5f-BZO-9-Nr0WlG3fsKc7DP0EJSdUvBGekCHJoVMye5qbyEqHZ-hCdilI3SLWKTKySA93Ng6xhy4CAL7dWdPeTufHkdXdCuugHQFR9KGlHoCP5Ivaw/s1600/Leafspin+007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPRaGga14KjNMdhod62RMxq5yny5f-BZO-9-Nr0WlG3fsKc7DP0EJSdUvBGekCHJoVMye5qbyEqHZ-hCdilI3SLWKTKySA93Ng6xhy4CAL7dWdPeTufHkdXdCuugHQFR9KGlHoCP5Ivaw/s320/Leafspin+007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618512969099051794" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN00lfBDkbyKWQb2jUBPjn0Cip-96cl4q4CYlISVDtvAI3UWxPpE5Aff-hPB-4QLLGHwUPEPuzKfn_YqhUuKDw8xHuJVzBCXj-u0z8g3go3dxLn-noR-R4NbAWKMPW_uN6JrYeM8D4YA/s1600/Leafspin+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGN00lfBDkbyKWQb2jUBPjn0Cip-96cl4q4CYlISVDtvAI3UWxPpE5Aff-hPB-4QLLGHwUPEPuzKfn_YqhUuKDw8xHuJVzBCXj-u0z8g3go3dxLn-noR-R4NbAWKMPW_uN6JrYeM8D4YA/s320/Leafspin+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618513231828278946" border="0" /></a><br />Multicolored skein is FatCatKnits merino in Leafeater. Mini purple skein is BeeMiceElf merino in Thistle. The purple will be the heel and toe, the multi for the main body of the socks.<br /><br />But I have to finish <span style="font-style: italic;">other </span>socks before I can start those...<br /><br />Like the Yarnissima mystery sock, for example. The third clue came out this morning so I quickly knit it up so I could see if my jiggering to make it fit would work (spoiler: it did):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1BSnrN_FTV5ST3h02jhLF9XVc52-9NviRAMSB12pBxJMHI0CiEXIINDRooAaOcUpn6ZTIkwYcCy7aYybpAu3tjBenFX1K7_94wSq8-W0ortTCleYF-32ymQBTee96xjEvak5qHezcPE/s1600/GUSH3+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo1BSnrN_FTV5ST3h02jhLF9XVc52-9NviRAMSB12pBxJMHI0CiEXIINDRooAaOcUpn6ZTIkwYcCy7aYybpAu3tjBenFX1K7_94wSq8-W0ortTCleYF-32ymQBTee96xjEvak5qHezcPE/s320/GUSH3+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618513967755853074" border="0" /></a><br />I also abandoned the last Cookie A sock, the one I showed in my last post. I wasn't enjoying knitting it, I wasn't thrilled with the design, and the June installment showed up and wowed me, so I cast on for that:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJvSMksmkbsxwRwLRhVeT8OtZ9XaKzyE6Q9T1OMIwVUsWh0CFdWzqwzIlPPEDYo4WwDMGIPLFJNxNGdFURuDmslTZ2eL6DMaAofFhOtMJqnhM0YWRLsZIpWKXAhLvuflyG8kc7UlpZ9Y/s1600/Junecookie1+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwJvSMksmkbsxwRwLRhVeT8OtZ9XaKzyE6Q9T1OMIwVUsWh0CFdWzqwzIlPPEDYo4WwDMGIPLFJNxNGdFURuDmslTZ2eL6DMaAofFhOtMJqnhM0YWRLsZIpWKXAhLvuflyG8kc7UlpZ9Y/s320/Junecookie1+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618514389689406450" border="0" /></a><br />And just in case all that wasn't enough knitting to do, I got sucked into Camp Loopy, a little knitalong/contest thing being run by The Loopy Ewe. The first project is supposed to be a two colored shawl or scarf, and I've wanted to knit a <a href="http://100-rain.blogspot.com/2011/02/stripe-study-shawl.html">Stripe Study</a> shawl for a while anyway, so...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqrMi3yvs3ULbwiUvyD5IvTdCgLLo1Y4upbjG82o4Ehtie8VYuvLV62WKJ9mHVrvpH5bqiG76sDCuV5pFLCQt5rLGSeSnziZWVuVLHGCDG8zWF2Q8RJzajk-vOhq9JDEpJKCAnADYKkM/s1600/StripeStudy1+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqrMi3yvs3ULbwiUvyD5IvTdCgLLo1Y4upbjG82o4Ehtie8VYuvLV62WKJ9mHVrvpH5bqiG76sDCuV5pFLCQt5rLGSeSnziZWVuVLHGCDG8zWF2Q8RJzajk-vOhq9JDEpJKCAnADYKkM/s320/StripeStudy1+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5618515318867863010" border="0" /></a><br />Great! You think. She must be looking forward to having a lot of knitting time. Ha! I say. My mother-in-law arrives tomorrow for a long weekend visit. She'll have my sister-in-law and nephew with her. All of them stay here Thursday night, then my SIL and nephew head out to my father-in-law's for the rest of the weekend. Mr. T and the boys are going to spend all day Saturday at the US Open, so I <span style="font-style: italic;">was </span>looking forward to having the whole day to knit and spin and enjoy some quiet, but now, not so much. (Did I mention that Friday's my birthday?)<br /><br />Next week, Mr. T and Sr. Jr. head off to Augusta so that Sr. Jr. can compete in the Junior cycling national championships. I'm so excited for him! I'm bummed that I won't be there to see it, and I'm hoping that Mr. T gives me frequent updates (hint hint).<br /><br />Not long after that, we head to New York for my father's 75th birthday. I'm tired just typing all this out!Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-24443368851655877022011-06-08T10:27:00.008-04:002011-06-08T10:47:18.498-04:00Mood IndigoFirst there was the Time of Green. Then there was my Blue Period. Now, Mood Indigo. I seem to be moving around the rainbow.<br /><br />One of our cats had surgery last week for bladder stones. Her recovery period hasn't been entirely smooth, so I've been preoccupied with her and haven't had as much time to knit or spin lately.<br /><br />But I have been working, ever so slowly, on a bunch of (purplish) projects. This month's Cookie A sock club project hasn't been going very quickly. I knit up a bunch of it on the called-for needles but it was too tight, so I ripped it all out and started over on slightly larger ones. It's still a slow knit, however, and so this is all I've got in the week before the next pattern comes out:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXrbXnSd77wQEqQObcq0nf_-zjoOfsBGZjGX1lCGm4nND9nejzv8ZYUpt3XeA8OI0sFPh-2C8Cto9ijxH6LvB6GEvGJoeW0iSPFKQiKgR6PfsTDVMJwFhU3u4DIBwP4eiN725nGMQmP4/s1600/MoodIndigo+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXrbXnSd77wQEqQObcq0nf_-zjoOfsBGZjGX1lCGm4nND9nejzv8ZYUpt3XeA8OI0sFPh-2C8Cto9ijxH6LvB6GEvGJoeW0iSPFKQiKgR6PfsTDVMJwFhU3u4DIBwP4eiN725nGMQmP4/s320/MoodIndigo+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615856503592146242" border="0" /></a><br />It's about 3/4 of one leg. I already received the yarn for the next installment, so I need to get moving.<br /><br />In the meantime, I started another sock, this one a mystery pattern from Yarnissima, who has some amazing sock designs. The first clue was for the toe:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuLYlwqLg-XSsTDJLApSuB8Ph5S0gsIQXVTW20J6CitCAF7PMOyMfO3XqkXHRRI9siWS4YCdWDFhnk91nZqV60zh6bIpRT_U1SHcGorS4svIHwD023Fe3PHSZe7WFnd2jB6C6uBPyt_E/s1600/MoodIndigo+006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPuLYlwqLg-XSsTDJLApSuB8Ph5S0gsIQXVTW20J6CitCAF7PMOyMfO3XqkXHRRI9siWS4YCdWDFhnk91nZqV60zh6bIpRT_U1SHcGorS4svIHwD023Fe3PHSZe7WFnd2jB6C6uBPyt_E/s320/MoodIndigo+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615856972644026418" border="0" /></a><br />Cute, huh? And very purple. It's Wollmeise in Lila Ludmilla. Yes, it's the same color as shown in the pattern. I swear on all that is fibery that I didn't set out to do the pattern in this color. I went down to my stash closet with two requirements -- that the yarn be Twin (with nylon) as opposed to 100% (no nylon) and that it be a solid or semi-solid color. This was the first skein I pulled out of the Wollmeise bags that fit both requirements.<br /><br />The second clue was just published today, so I'll start on that soon.<br /><br />And look at my spinning --<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1tkX-qX9L_Xdsmr711jRiiOVN7y7kPpS7L-eG2DqGCDdK6L2FYrs4M35DUHcJrhCTOdkE4SKZl83YDq_lwpI-Pr6q6Rc4M7D497Ao5nwP-V0MTBTTkHJB-qowPucMOyl3fguP_qUzfc/s1600/MoodIndigo+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1tkX-qX9L_Xdsmr711jRiiOVN7y7kPpS7L-eG2DqGCDdK6L2FYrs4M35DUHcJrhCTOdkE4SKZl83YDq_lwpI-Pr6q6Rc4M7D497Ao5nwP-V0MTBTTkHJB-qowPucMOyl3fguP_qUzfc/s320/MoodIndigo+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615858251738705506" border="0" /></a><br />Purples and greens and yellows, oh my! The little purple bobbin on the side is the 1 ounce bit of purple that will be the heel and toe skein. I plied that up this morning after the photo shoot, but I don't know when I'll have the concentrated time needed to ply up that big bobbin.<br /><br />And moving right along... now that I finished Mary Jane, I cast on for a new sweater. The pattern is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/drifting-2">Drifting</a>, by Cecily Glowik-MacDonald, a light little cardi to throw on in summer if I need a little warmth:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM8OFkzlLQkoFHhCPbogN0wWZTYEB0iZiAuOmZyJZgIahYRznD_NHWOZla_TrhCdko6hyphenhyphenM5cpjNSnWyxeGZfGkwhzFKJQMBntilsb8WVF73fQ7p-rzaL44sgF01xjzE_wQRd971m_EyQ/s1600/MoodIndigo+013.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM8OFkzlLQkoFHhCPbogN0wWZTYEB0iZiAuOmZyJZgIahYRznD_NHWOZla_TrhCdko6hyphenhyphenM5cpjNSnWyxeGZfGkwhzFKJQMBntilsb8WVF73fQ7p-rzaL44sgF01xjzE_wQRd971m_EyQ/s320/MoodIndigo+013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5615859059025645138" border="0" /></a><br />Not pure purple, but definitely a purplish-red, no? <br /><br />(The next color in the Cookie A club is orange. Bright orange. I do not foresee myself having an Orange Thing.)<br /><br />It's a busy time of year, so the knitting and spinning will continue to slow down. We've got baseball playoffs, Colonial Day, end-of-year parties, visits from family, visits <span style="font-style: italic;">to </span>family, etc. Sr. Jr. has Nationals coming up, too! I'm so excited for him, and sorry that I can't be there with them.<br /><br />So I'll just pick up what I can and try to have fun things to show.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-86728896536262137862011-05-29T10:42:00.008-04:002011-05-29T11:07:58.985-04:00Summer"They" always call Memorial Day the "unofficial start of summer." I know there are a lot of places where school's out by Memorial Day, so for those kids, it really <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>their summer break. My kids have another month of school before they're out, however. The pool opens for weekends, but during the week they're trapped in school. By this point in the year they're not doing too much learning, either. Standardized testing ends and the remainder of the year is for easygoing review, fun projects, parties, and other end of the year stuff. They pack it full of stuff for parents to attend, too, just when we're frantically trying to get in all the appointments, errands, and other things we need or want to accomplish before the kids are out of school.<br /><br />I suppose we'll hit the pool tomorrow, grill tomorrow night, and wonder where this whole year went. It's almost time for me to start crying about how I have a son going to high school next year.<br /><br />Just in time for summer, I finished up Mary Jane, and had a chance to get Mr. T to take some pictures. I really like how this turned out. I modified the pattern a bit, eliminating the puff sleeves and elongating them until they hit just below the elbows. I also eliminated the line of yarnovers at the raglan increase lines, because I didn't want holes there. I raised the neckline about an inch and a half or so, put in a little waist shaping (which I don't think anyone can see, honestly), and cast on 4 stitches at each underarm for a little more movement in that area.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmabIlyOtWOpJoU44m9H8QRvEgivJRQ8SWQdYUMn3bK3n1SFIxJUiUBPzfolPXVvmItJK2jJnuFfQl7Rx6YFmu7WIKnBFouYylhEQ5vLIMFFjvtB36qSwZuXBMeqMqjPsEaJx1jemC5FE/s1600/maryjanedone+022.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmabIlyOtWOpJoU44m9H8QRvEgivJRQ8SWQdYUMn3bK3n1SFIxJUiUBPzfolPXVvmItJK2jJnuFfQl7Rx6YFmu7WIKnBFouYylhEQ5vLIMFFjvtB36qSwZuXBMeqMqjPsEaJx1jemC5FE/s320/maryjanedone+022.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612150952346129650" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG1V6gA3nfm3FmMnRssAevhawIALvg3wFmxoL84pkrcpLpKkXfsYHDbUar2uX3GRHIf0f5cQsnqS810s7TM5VQ7m8MwPwJx_clhMn74GQNsRJswS6UI495Z1Nz8pkHRUHOiQCgCCwD6I/s1600/maryjanedone+029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggG1V6gA3nfm3FmMnRssAevhawIALvg3wFmxoL84pkrcpLpKkXfsYHDbUar2uX3GRHIf0f5cQsnqS810s7TM5VQ7m8MwPwJx_clhMn74GQNsRJswS6UI495Z1Nz8pkHRUHOiQCgCCwD6I/s320/maryjanedone+029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612150954745269842" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnfYTG4h8VRAl29tGl5QZP-cGHfpmCuxbD3vh1lz7QsMl5BnzW4SED-ojXZMA0r63k6FzW6tYAEKN8K_LYKhDeXu8JdUzgAuT0ejj2Me0JByqy9ZNBlYS_-uXiaweeLrV8U2-OZ7IJf0/s1600/maryjanedone+032.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnfYTG4h8VRAl29tGl5QZP-cGHfpmCuxbD3vh1lz7QsMl5BnzW4SED-ojXZMA0r63k6FzW6tYAEKN8K_LYKhDeXu8JdUzgAuT0ejj2Me0JByqy9ZNBlYS_-uXiaweeLrV8U2-OZ7IJf0/s320/maryjanedone+032.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612151352733285826" border="0" /></a><br />And now I have to put it away for a few months, damn it!<br /><br />Specs: Pattern: <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mary-jane-2">Mary Jane</a>, by Sarah Moore, available through <a href="http://www.twistcollective.com/collection/index.php/component/content/article/60-winter-2008-patterns/152-mary-jane-by-rachel-bishop-and-sarah-johnson-of-zephyr-style">Twist Collective</a>. The yarn is <a href="http://www.squooshfiberarts.com/">Squoosh Fiberarts</a>' Merino Cashmere Sport, in Oil Slick. For the locals, I hear that Fibre Space is now carrying Squoosh yarns. And I have a GC... hmmm... Anyway -- I think I used just over 4 skeins of yarn for this, including swatches. I knew it would grow, being a superwash yarn, so I accounted for that in my swatching, making sure to wash my swatches to get an accurate gauge. In the end, however, I threw the wet sweater in the dryer for a few minutes on low heat to keep it from growing too much. When it was mostly dry but still slightly damp, I laid it flat, patted it gently to shape, and let it dry. Perfect.<br /><br />It's been busy here, so there really hasn't been any new knitting or spinning to share. I was hoping that there would be some time for that this weekend, but so far, no.<br /><br />What I have been doing is summerizing -- getting the handknits washed and packed away for the summer. This is what my bathroom looks like right now:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3fgKSb_gXxJhGL200LAs_28LmrlAuQ4nmftxIJS4YZPvR_6Rd__oXQkYM9b5F6ImiGVYNDdSIKyryvVjA76DOzSNY2cMR18oIgfq6BwwuZfU17Gsdf-ddnm0D0WhqWIq8y19gEd0D-Q/s1600/summerizing+002.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd3fgKSb_gXxJhGL200LAs_28LmrlAuQ4nmftxIJS4YZPvR_6Rd__oXQkYM9b5F6ImiGVYNDdSIKyryvVjA76DOzSNY2cMR18oIgfq6BwwuZfU17Gsdf-ddnm0D0WhqWIq8y19gEd0D-Q/s200/summerizing+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612153709864037122" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZNFykZoMm4RY8RLoZR8ypDLxuoEc8Sq5hZESmKhFQXkSwtTQK6M0Ic0AA5EKPDuXqJIFdSwa67GEfGEl3A0TufYjyyitaADtWqWVVfwgV3PwFDPhDBrvTD7uiBgQanh4pB-aAa2DPOE/s1600/summerizing+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZNFykZoMm4RY8RLoZR8ypDLxuoEc8Sq5hZESmKhFQXkSwtTQK6M0Ic0AA5EKPDuXqJIFdSwa67GEfGEl3A0TufYjyyitaADtWqWVVfwgV3PwFDPhDBrvTD7uiBgQanh4pB-aAa2DPOE/s200/summerizing+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612153796257194242" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwvxrHFVIcM2PV5DE645gCl2xc4k4Cla33FUPHHD9_ju5oeg2xlzRzbrTYKZqR6_ZcOkht7emukdcaRF4jb6XSAqHDKuHozh3NaaR0Jvn46A9fMHh8wY8k6BIkdBs14XZ8wljOqicK9g/s1600/summerizing+004.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwvxrHFVIcM2PV5DE645gCl2xc4k4Cla33FUPHHD9_ju5oeg2xlzRzbrTYKZqR6_ZcOkht7emukdcaRF4jb6XSAqHDKuHozh3NaaR0Jvn46A9fMHh8wY8k6BIkdBs14XZ8wljOqicK9g/s200/summerizing+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612153887337141842" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You can't see it in that last pic, but there's a sweater soaking in a bin in the tub, too.<br /><br />Yes, this is what I do with my holiday weekends, sigh.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-3937663470154546362011-05-27T10:39:00.007-04:002011-05-27T11:05:39.976-04:00Doo Dah Dipity(For some reason, that stupid car commercial with the rapping hamsters cracks me up.)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Serendipity</span>: desirable discoveries made by accident.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.serendipity3.com/main.htm">Serendipity 3</a>: restaurant in NYC that serves amazing ice cream concoctions. My parents used to take us there as a treat when we were kids. I still remember my shock when I heard my mother describe their frozen hot chocolate as "orgasmic." (A friend of mine once said of my mother, "Beneath her conservative exterior is a very uptight woman," so that will give you some idea of why I was so shocked, besides the fact that I was a teenager and this was my <span style="font-style: italic;">mother</span>...)<br /><br />I've been spinning up a new braid, slowly. There hasn't been that much time this week to do anything. But this one's very pretty. It's called Leafeater, a very pretty mixture of purples, greens, and grellows. It's merino and it's from <a href="http://stores.fatcatknits.com/StoreFront.bok">FatCatKnits</a>, whose braids I am rapidly becoming addicted to.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoEOQ62CrT2soPh-mpZOLhmCIPL1TH5nXKOjERV_FKEj0Em-fIm8BN2DMZwf9QxaW1Cwal5pJBmk21gONaG6wM6BkYIjAA9JtG75IKiXlLS0XNoHdexOWAXcuN3OmefQazVftmGMUwn8/s1600/serendipity+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoEOQ62CrT2soPh-mpZOLhmCIPL1TH5nXKOjERV_FKEj0Em-fIm8BN2DMZwf9QxaW1Cwal5pJBmk21gONaG6wM6BkYIjAA9JtG75IKiXlLS0XNoHdexOWAXcuN3OmefQazVftmGMUwn8/s320/serendipity+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611408387894073826" border="0" /></a><br />The standard bobbin shot. In this picture, you can see more of the colors in the braid:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5srpCgg7QRrv2tCB4RX_Mef-_9jjmc2tO8edMzhqKzqJtr7wzFeQr8jKGa8tqeiIrLOTPRseuHVpXLk4NiTRaVsats-6X8CjUlHsBmz58IbiCmSWSscMlzUnEUHGx9nfZDzo8C-czBY/s1600/serendipity+010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD5srpCgg7QRrv2tCB4RX_Mef-_9jjmc2tO8edMzhqKzqJtr7wzFeQr8jKGa8tqeiIrLOTPRseuHVpXLk4NiTRaVsats-6X8CjUlHsBmz58IbiCmSWSscMlzUnEUHGx9nfZDzo8C-czBY/s320/serendipity+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611408741361524706" border="0" /></a><br />I'm hoping to spin a nice stripey chain ply for socks.<br /><br />Then I got my other spinner back from its tune-up, so I grabbed something to test it out and see if it was still doing the things that were annoying me (it is, not as bad, but it is). I went to my Collections Club from last month, because the one ounce braids are perfect for this kind of thing. There was a black and blue mixture that I liked, but I want to take care with it, so I passed on that one. Kelly green? Nah. Don't want that. The third one was a nice purple called "Thistle." I started spinning it.<br /><br />I spun and spun and then realized that it's a very nice match for the Leafeater:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww6FszmmXimGPp1KxPzq5TMjjkLUP9VrRLLQpnqz7354PSb_959cmFNG936j88Fg8EwyYEXTjoyKll0l_2jDDmlG8R75o4YRTZNkoSsd1kZnvgnCGmnFg-cT0iIl6E_RtjVgoBv_-9Fs/s1600/serendipity+014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgww6FszmmXimGPp1KxPzq5TMjjkLUP9VrRLLQpnqz7354PSb_959cmFNG936j88Fg8EwyYEXTjoyKll0l_2jDDmlG8R75o4YRTZNkoSsd1kZnvgnCGmnFg-cT0iIl6E_RtjVgoBv_-9Fs/s320/serendipity+014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611409964840462914" border="0" /></a><br />It matches the darkest purples perfectly. At first I thought I could ply them together, but I only have one ounce of the Thistle, compared to the 4 of Leafeater. So for now, I'm going to have one little purple skein to use for heels & toes with the Leafeater.<br /><br />Doo. Dah. 'Dipity.<br /><br />Look -- strawberry harvest:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ9GKLDXnzRXhUFsjwVEI2pSmYieimSpab7PYrD41TxY6oVRYTBptni4NBPmLUGuW9wfgfi2_VRY25vEbFt8Qmqo3CfFs-9X4NbkMPhD_X06ZbvHiV2jNrBEg6u4M8Gj84wV-oe58NLw/s1600/serendipity+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ9GKLDXnzRXhUFsjwVEI2pSmYieimSpab7PYrD41TxY6oVRYTBptni4NBPmLUGuW9wfgfi2_VRY25vEbFt8Qmqo3CfFs-9X4NbkMPhD_X06ZbvHiV2jNrBEg6u4M8Gj84wV-oe58NLw/s320/serendipity+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611411026399904754" border="0" /></a><br />The bunnies and chipmunks have been spending way too much time near my veggie/strawberry garden. They're cute and all, but they need to stay away from my goodies!<br /><br />Mary Jane is finished, but I haven't had a chance to get anyone to take pictures for me, so that will come next. I've started a new sweater, Drifting, a summery cardi, but I don't have any good pics of that yet, either. So that's what's coming soon.<br /><br />Hopefully, Memorial Day weekend will be relaxing for me, with time to knit and spin :)Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-91476525690868230292011-05-17T13:58:00.006-04:002011-05-17T14:22:51.521-04:00Fine"How are you?"<br /><br />"Fine."<br /><br />"How are things going?"<br /><br />"Fine."<br /><br />Fine. I'm fine. Except when I'm not. I'm fine when I'm at Maryland Sheep and Wool, hanging out with friends. I'm fine when I'm with the family (mostly). I'm not fine when I'm at baseball games. I won't be fine at Colonial Day. Because those are times I spent with Mary. It's hard to be out there and not think of all the times we chatted our way through baseball games. It will be hard to go to Colonial Day and remember how we danced with our boys together, while her husband took video of us. I'm kind of glad that we won't be going to Sr. Jr.'s middle school graduation this year, because it would be very, very hard to watch her son go through this without her.<br /><br />I think I will <span style="font-style: italic;">start </span>to be fine after this season ends. But right now, it's memories and a whole whack of baseball games and bike races and errands and all sorts of stuff that's keeping me busy.<br /><br />And not knitting so much. I'm finishing the sleeves on Mary Jane. I started and then frogged the new Cookie A club pattern, because I decided it needed a bigger needle. While I've cast on for that, I've only knit one row. Lame. There just hasn't been too much time.<br /><br />I did ply up some yarn that I spun a little while back, and then I also spun up some quick singles, just to feel like I was accomplishing something.<br /><br />This is the Spin A Long yarn from the CTA rav group:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrTPgRpCyBppEqXxO40rIMmYC84D2GWsSpU1czi3N317ulUN-TMLmPXPszlwdrCAzL0s8vQvM-7tl9q9rO5g1cwdvl_a3W417CBldk_XeSIhwpS3nIlQ0lMa9ivzm5n1rh5-0r_3EyrY/s1600/fridayplying+006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifrTPgRpCyBppEqXxO40rIMmYC84D2GWsSpU1czi3N317ulUN-TMLmPXPszlwdrCAzL0s8vQvM-7tl9q9rO5g1cwdvl_a3W417CBldk_XeSIhwpS3nIlQ0lMa9ivzm5n1rh5-0r_3EyrY/s320/fridayplying+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607748607321374050" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nNFo2TWnhvkqCZY_HijoLRHmMr7OSEzwEIlLNJ4zqp0MH0Kl_mvmkjZm1HFCCz7zhVXFAwZL7CrRymkKNdcbubdHYzdGhoTLiEprb7Fw_TE44aIChz5yB-pBWppwZ1_X-HiRnq3n3D0/s1600/fridayplying+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2nNFo2TWnhvkqCZY_HijoLRHmMr7OSEzwEIlLNJ4zqp0MH0Kl_mvmkjZm1HFCCz7zhVXFAwZL7CrRymkKNdcbubdHYzdGhoTLiEprb7Fw_TE44aIChz5yB-pBWppwZ1_X-HiRnq3n3D0/s320/fridayplying+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607748611522556642" border="0" /></a><br />It's Falkland wool from Fat Cat Knits, in the Henry colorway. I spun it up in one long single and chain plied it on itself for a nice, bouncy three ply yarn. It's extremely squishable. I love the Falkland from this dyer, but this particular skein doesn't please me too much. The single broke a couple of times while I was plying it, which is a real pain in the butt. But it's done and it's pretty.<br /><br />This next skein is a combination of three different mini braids from the dyer Bee Mice Elf, coincidentally, also Falkland wool:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-qjwksHPtnfa7sG6Y9WiToLl8c9g1r9dHqjwgmu0j04ynSeNGMJJ0MbQFfwjSTjF8ukMKOgvh6UxfDUVDYUhmKvwda4ZB6sFKTHiyfHJBr8HusRmUnA8UT4cuXJYW69GsvNFF-AJAvI/s1600/fridayplying+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK-qjwksHPtnfa7sG6Y9WiToLl8c9g1r9dHqjwgmu0j04ynSeNGMJJ0MbQFfwjSTjF8ukMKOgvh6UxfDUVDYUhmKvwda4ZB6sFKTHiyfHJBr8HusRmUnA8UT4cuXJYW69GsvNFF-AJAvI/s320/fridayplying+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607749614438144882" border="0" /></a><br />I took the three mini braids and spun them into one long single and chain-plied it up, intending to cut the finished hank into three smaller skeins, one of each colorway. I haven't done that yet, because it looks too cute as it is.<br /><br />Then yesterday I took one of the Bullseye Bumps that I got at Maryland Sheep and Wool and spin a skein of rustic looking singles. It's a self-striping batt, with dark grey, lilac, silver, a darker lilac toned grey, a dark blue and a slightly lighter blue. I love how it turned out! Can't wait to find a good pattern for it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWqGRN4bMx-FEdvKucnU6SIUb80_16xN7kZmb54b1KmH3PkEVNy3AvgzyebqKGl6e_2-aYHlw4oawJoMBMg2ohZP1awEo0zocTNzs8weGZVYI2SdXMcxa8_EjPIT1Ws0nyMvh0MZbLM0/s1600/bullseyedone+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWqGRN4bMx-FEdvKucnU6SIUb80_16xN7kZmb54b1KmH3PkEVNy3AvgzyebqKGl6e_2-aYHlw4oawJoMBMg2ohZP1awEo0zocTNzs8weGZVYI2SdXMcxa8_EjPIT1Ws0nyMvh0MZbLM0/s320/bullseyedone+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607750506534937682" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq4JDi3CvafRDIntoxlfKPaa21S_D1mZLgOxpIGO2GWYPrRAZqZC1AU1i-hVZKBW70dh42JDgEiB1t7a47ZGjZGBWOFtK3WsR8F35JcxiReMnL2D_h6B0pT4-iajkpJycdfdmy_1IbqI/s1600/bullseyedone+007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQq4JDi3CvafRDIntoxlfKPaa21S_D1mZLgOxpIGO2GWYPrRAZqZC1AU1i-hVZKBW70dh42JDgEiB1t7a47ZGjZGBWOFtK3WsR8F35JcxiReMnL2D_h6B0pT4-iajkpJycdfdmy_1IbqI/s320/bullseyedone+007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5607750510303959234" border="0" /></a><br />And today I started spinning another Fat Cat Knits braid for a spin along in her Rav group. Hopefully I'll get Mary Jane finished soon, too. Knitting and spinning time is looking pretty scarce, however, so no promises.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-9487761649219845062011-05-09T14:47:00.012-04:002011-05-09T15:47:05.214-04:00RespiteThe past few months have been tough. A lot of stuff going on, not a lot of down time. Even weekends and school vacations haven't been relaxing. The weather sucked, too. Where was my Spring? Where was the sun? It was getting pretty depressing.<br /><br />So this weekend was a big aaaaaah. The sun came out. The temps were lovely, in the low 70s. My garden is growing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWF0WxtjaDbAJofUay7fgofclkQLeraEp18A8OPy7HjIvIiwnpON-6CeZKaRUik85fEGsrNdMma2yELmYDKOm5V9gBjUVHtUUL61OzywfOgkjdb0v1yRRtEEeutWgx9fyn5n0rBE3RHw/s1600/mother2011+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOWF0WxtjaDbAJofUay7fgofclkQLeraEp18A8OPy7HjIvIiwnpON-6CeZKaRUik85fEGsrNdMma2yELmYDKOm5V9gBjUVHtUUL61OzywfOgkjdb0v1yRRtEEeutWgx9fyn5n0rBE3RHw/s320/mother2011+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604791142204407058" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzadA4Z8sLU3CR3LwFNF43HAScfgGbHKSvKZWqZF_CduPAm3r8wBt6Ix8nnAoPwtDPVtbas_PG-c0nDDn4MO0gGDtpO_bbaEbYXKzJnGMAd6N8VlSqJbU4cs2A1E9yg_sYLfvq6Ligu9w/s1600/mother2011+003.JPG"><br /></a>Look at how cute those strawberries are! The one little strawberry plant I put in last year has spread like mad, and we're going to have a ton of strawberries. Well, if the little critters don't eat them before we can get to them, that is. There's a chipmunk who hangs out in the garden and scampers away from me every morning when I go out to water. He's cute, but the little bugger better stay away from my fresh food!<br /><br />On Saturday I took off and went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. Last year, it was 95 degrees and unbearable for the Festival. We gave up shopping pretty quickly and just sat in the shade, chatting and knitting. This year, the weather was so beautiful that we didn't give up. While I bought some stuff from Sanguine Gryphon's booth (yay! I hope she gets to come back again), and Loop!, I really didn't buy much. I was happier hanging out with old knitting friends and new ones, too.<br /><br />I got these cool Bullseye Batts from Loop!:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd6KZN7-xRqSxWylRIk-cLqc8E3F5RJnjW8e5CLrOBuD56lK8b5Lr-L0ZMszhy2tFPfpkcNFkJmBicP1FlAWwMusRnmQ7A8ryzu8te9qVsn7rn8FVxMPkCS0vJMMZQUllAerajsYwBJs/s1600/bullseyebumps+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBd6KZN7-xRqSxWylRIk-cLqc8E3F5RJnjW8e5CLrOBuD56lK8b5Lr-L0ZMszhy2tFPfpkcNFkJmBicP1FlAWwMusRnmQ7A8ryzu8te9qVsn7rn8FVxMPkCS0vJMMZQUllAerajsYwBJs/s320/bullseyebumps+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604793935670273490" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE3xC3wy0hryPhiWgfTlNnnWmGBil7_BsyucnzVnNUwyxV7bHWDbSlRr-McmL2p9UjQyzcf0AjyOBRmm4J2ag8NAFcVze-dmDgY1u7AnL8W6R4akBFkFn_rOc0hWtBl0KCrxTIJngHE4/s1600/bullseyebumps+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXE3xC3wy0hryPhiWgfTlNnnWmGBil7_BsyucnzVnNUwyxV7bHWDbSlRr-McmL2p9UjQyzcf0AjyOBRmm4J2ag8NAFcVze-dmDgY1u7AnL8W6R4akBFkFn_rOc0hWtBl0KCrxTIJngHE4/s320/bullseyebumps+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604793932561368786" border="0" /></a><br />You spin them from the center out, and they make stripy yarn. I can't wait to give them a try.<br /><br />I also got some of Sanguine Gryphon's new lace yarn, Mithril. It reminds me very much of Wollmeise lace, construction-wise, but in Gryphon's beautiful colorways.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0QdE74waf3wmvFmMli7xB6nrIqJNrmH2qs70ktD9qfP1gLMg6jgnsJsp_DQUaFtV_xm_iBBJWuAiI9JTjr6Yq-wJWJ74eDif-0cpuKTbgEegTIpohtP_0Yg2XuvtGAWKbVVEu9MC6qw/s1600/mother2011+024.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0QdE74waf3wmvFmMli7xB6nrIqJNrmH2qs70ktD9qfP1gLMg6jgnsJsp_DQUaFtV_xm_iBBJWuAiI9JTjr6Yq-wJWJ74eDif-0cpuKTbgEegTIpohtP_0Yg2XuvtGAWKbVVEu9MC6qw/s320/mother2011+024.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604795910305391026" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl_0wOOR_c0KW8HRoEQ-PKOhx2amdTsApCux3GGRGoyeLJiYTXVxr7_o-GvbOQgw8JZFCL6QsDWycNuWXD_ilzj82E94KKiSnxdpvAWj4FKAvQnZNtUwV5wjY-8ZDdSouAV-PRbxx9wg/s1600/mother2011+025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrl_0wOOR_c0KW8HRoEQ-PKOhx2amdTsApCux3GGRGoyeLJiYTXVxr7_o-GvbOQgw8JZFCL6QsDWycNuWXD_ilzj82E94KKiSnxdpvAWj4FKAvQnZNtUwV5wjY-8ZDdSouAV-PRbxx9wg/s320/mother2011+025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604795906186368578" border="0" /></a><br /><br />So pretty. I have slightly too many things on the needles right now, otherwise, I'd be casting on to test out this yarn right away.<br /><br />I did finish some socks. Not matching socks, mind you, but socks nonetheless.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmMVs2QZgHNGfu6hXJqdMkSXJuNAhvDPqtvzQvrVh0xW46LOb8oIyPQHf_LZH2TZtdnDJIArx4LquMT61Rad5rv5A5VJfTZgfjF8Y6L_1sfKeaG47_fIMR48h3toRiiKEujy2NDX1ZPs/s1600/mother2011+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNmMVs2QZgHNGfu6hXJqdMkSXJuNAhvDPqtvzQvrVh0xW46LOb8oIyPQHf_LZH2TZtdnDJIArx4LquMT61Rad5rv5A5VJfTZgfjF8Y6L_1sfKeaG47_fIMR48h3toRiiKEujy2NDX1ZPs/s320/mother2011+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604798803059658354" border="0" /></a><br />Finished the first sock with my handspun. I love how this feels on my foot! I started the second sock and got through the heel turn over the weekend, so now it's smooth sailing until the end. Will work on it tomorrow at knitting group.<br /><br />I finished the long-coming first sock in Yarntini's Don stripe:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlof_j6fKQuaGeDujcBXENUsFaWtvuNVQolOJ0tAZoVnbME9IrRet3C0PhVTEMeWgrGSKSHsWm-PlHD5p5aXx2m9abJWOlulCq4i_d22v6gWRkcE6yNe5RqoGEyK_ikqe1zcZBiXDSZA/s1600/mother2011+014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlof_j6fKQuaGeDujcBXENUsFaWtvuNVQolOJ0tAZoVnbME9IrRet3C0PhVTEMeWgrGSKSHsWm-PlHD5p5aXx2m9abJWOlulCq4i_d22v6gWRkcE6yNe5RqoGEyK_ikqe1zcZBiXDSZA/s320/mother2011+014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604799452298200130" border="0" /></a><br />I wanted to get this one finished not so I could start the second sock, but so I could free up the needles to start the second installment of Cookie A's sock club. The cuff of that is finished, but I'll wait until I have more knit to show pictures.<br /><br />In spinning news, I have two bobbins of singles ready to be chain plied, but I haven't had the necessary block of time to sit down and do that. I'm NOT starting another new spinning project until all that plying is finished. I don't know when I'll be able to do that -- Wednesday maybe, or Thursday.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />After a nice day wandering around the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, and a lovely dinner with the family, I didn't expect too much for Mother's Day itself. I couldn't decide whether to celebrate by spending time with the family, or by sending them all away so I could have time to myself. Ultimately, the wonderful weather did me in, and I made them take me to the National Botanic Gardens downtown. I thought for sure that two young boys would hate every moment walking through gardens and greenhouses, but they had fun!<br /><br />We started out in the Rose garden out front and wandered around outside for a bit.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOWEcsCDbU2jYcwOVq2fpDljL4Hz1O5BN_uIg5tp-HXm7X55zMzVfigp2Lq8JFxB4lftQNb3RwA1veW0u-A_fnZyxg4ytgBI_HKKIRPfqyNqlctiytC9Gwyy9S1iziStYnV1Wg2wTYE/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjByOWEcsCDbU2jYcwOVq2fpDljL4Hz1O5BN_uIg5tp-HXm7X55zMzVfigp2Lq8JFxB4lftQNb3RwA1veW0u-A_fnZyxg4ytgBI_HKKIRPfqyNqlctiytC9Gwyy9S1iziStYnV1Wg2wTYE/s320/photo+%25285%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604801623778121570" border="0" /></a><br />The roses were amazing. We then spent quite a bit of time in the main pavilion. We saw some incredible orchids:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zWWJnfnzJgZVsBvjA_W7w_UF_L2BFw5WxKkgYM0eVFo2_LX-vhUtG0RQ_3vSP3vV2NWOIEo65puPh6X-WpCYo86DiVborGQPMvlUTxfZmKdBHsnMOhFn_CXSja5QlKxQwQny5i105XU/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5zWWJnfnzJgZVsBvjA_W7w_UF_L2BFw5WxKkgYM0eVFo2_LX-vhUtG0RQ_3vSP3vV2NWOIEo65puPh6X-WpCYo86DiVborGQPMvlUTxfZmKdBHsnMOhFn_CXSja5QlKxQwQny5i105XU/s320/photo+%252815%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604802635181449810" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew2Zs-yMcq0UOOFIbwgWSEatWnR2Lmnu0Xs21X795D0pTHNeJOsmDAcjcVR6XLGnZFeadkHg0WeVMyHCRHvPlePekPGItKBidBfSqV46av1zMu9yA8LeKWzdQBc-Cuas8p8M_cvFr6Cc/s1600/photo+%252813%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew2Zs-yMcq0UOOFIbwgWSEatWnR2Lmnu0Xs21X795D0pTHNeJOsmDAcjcVR6XLGnZFeadkHg0WeVMyHCRHvPlePekPGItKBidBfSqV46av1zMu9yA8LeKWzdQBc-Cuas8p8M_cvFr6Cc/s320/photo+%252813%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604802634772345538" border="0" /></a><br />And a mother duck and her ducklings (say it with me: awwwwwwww)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJczWW45V75AyePufQ588cfiFy_A_DsogvP0Dr0PhO8bG4M9GPwda39NhBxZZD9saJC5gTOip-s1cRp9BShtdotSxJ4owE_l54iSVwpZccm-ORKQ1J1VDzShOeyiHT2ZNelUFneYcoF4/s1600/photo+%25289%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJczWW45V75AyePufQ588cfiFy_A_DsogvP0Dr0PhO8bG4M9GPwda39NhBxZZD9saJC5gTOip-s1cRp9BShtdotSxJ4owE_l54iSVwpZccm-ORKQ1J1VDzShOeyiHT2ZNelUFneYcoF4/s320/photo+%25289%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604803072531669986" border="0" /></a><br />And a happy mom (no makeup, hair up, but happy mom):<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-vzTHCB-hh87T8pFDkgZHA3rN6c3p20xGPG969g6mXzq-Aw17YRICgEfXv9GnXM4SDol5gJnfeyHenGV9sY2GGcT5azx-qnXT-OkFYEBFQWHO9NG6o5M3rkRYWtiWr-XShdG21Fc2dY/s1600/photo+%252821%2529.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-vzTHCB-hh87T8pFDkgZHA3rN6c3p20xGPG969g6mXzq-Aw17YRICgEfXv9GnXM4SDol5gJnfeyHenGV9sY2GGcT5azx-qnXT-OkFYEBFQWHO9NG6o5M3rkRYWtiWr-XShdG21Fc2dY/s320/photo+%252821%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604803883067480258" border="0" /></a><br />And if ever there was a year to appreciate being here with my two boys, this is it.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-4613573098769415222011-04-29T09:54:00.006-04:002011-04-29T10:15:28.677-04:00AdriftFor the second time this year, we've lost a friend. For the second time this year, that friend was mother to two sons, like me. This time it was a good friend, someone I was close with. I look at my boys, whom I love desperately, and want to hold on tight, smother them with love, so that if the worst happens, they'll be able to hold onto that. They, however, are at an age when that kind of motherly love is eeew, ick, geez Mom, leave me alone. Yeah, yeah, you love me, blah blah blah, get away you crazy old woman. Sigh.<br /><br />So I took that yarn that I just finished spinning and started a shawl. No pattern, just whatever I want, whenever I want to put it in there.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9tKXBtyo9oaY9myx0P0QHyj3viFIRE1yBSzw5ssUSxnSN2CCinaejasVW4Toxu8J8ooravgG_BAr183oVm8vwG0A0W4OjbTPKew2HdsqzR6_6AGmNmFMR16DLDw7OKmk4Gq8qy91kHA/s1600/handspunprogress+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9tKXBtyo9oaY9myx0P0QHyj3viFIRE1yBSzw5ssUSxnSN2CCinaejasVW4Toxu8J8ooravgG_BAr183oVm8vwG0A0W4OjbTPKew2HdsqzR6_6AGmNmFMR16DLDw7OKmk4Gq8qy91kHA/s320/handspunprogress+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601005121172897266" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBldvHgHr13gUxqBs5613SRxauclVmShUTLiMnjRkJkgPsepLxFPPxXKVlWjSlvERUbRjuwE-4794-KSVE8f6OLw1sOmQJ0Wrz9suW9sHZmwToXcKTj8eU2td-0UPk3HCwZQyArwKTYrM/s1600/handspunprogress+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBldvHgHr13gUxqBs5613SRxauclVmShUTLiMnjRkJkgPsepLxFPPxXKVlWjSlvERUbRjuwE-4794-KSVE8f6OLw1sOmQJ0Wrz9suW9sHZmwToXcKTj8eU2td-0UPk3HCwZQyArwKTYrM/s320/handspunprogress+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601005610264588482" border="0" /></a><br />So far there's an eyelet row, some seed stitch, and some double seed stitch. I don't know what I'll add next. I'm just going to knit until I run out of yarn.<br /><br />I've been working on the handspun socks, too --<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8nkq3mbiYvs1YDk8K_K5-VZ2JcGR3bu0ODEb0x3wn-MQACC5dENlfwiVJzUEo7uOyj7TMlWeyNcUHMnuT5UXiVGCIA9o_p5H63rwkjyj9l9jppL5b5V7ddbBFF1RYkJxRdjsMdmcDXU/s1600/handspunprogress+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8nkq3mbiYvs1YDk8K_K5-VZ2JcGR3bu0ODEb0x3wn-MQACC5dENlfwiVJzUEo7uOyj7TMlWeyNcUHMnuT5UXiVGCIA9o_p5H63rwkjyj9l9jppL5b5V7ddbBFF1RYkJxRdjsMdmcDXU/s320/handspunprogress+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601006054472331266" border="0" /></a><br />These feel amazing on my feet, so thick and soft. They're my waiting room knitting at the moment, so they're not going too quickly.<br /><br />I've finished most of the knitting on Mary Jane. The body is done and the neckline finishing is done. I just need to knit the sleeves. I think I'm going to go with 3/4 length sleeves. When I tried the sweater on, it seemed too warm for short sleeves.<br /><br />Current spinning is really just palate cleansing spinning, nothing major. I sent one of the spinners back for some tinkering. I'd hoped that with the two spinners, I could work on more than one spinning project at a time, but now I'm back to waiting. With spinning, as with knitting, there are so many projects that I want to do that it's hard to limit myself to one.<br /><br />I have not cast on for Simplicity yet because I want to finish Mary Jane first.<br /><br />Today, however, I work in the garden. Jr. Jr. is home sick, and I need to get my veggie plants in the ground. The strawberry plant I put in last year has spread and already has little berries growing:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsIStqiBBhrELJpn4YAz0nQ_WzcdxI0_VPYSGHLbZEr0puouGU44Fqa17XI2jEWqyalwvJ3WCtH7WirXbbvWEbp2PM0oAoRT2FdZbf4tufalQuP6O_ATEfWjhg-kDCUKkiI7nkbgcAdg/s1600/handspunprogress+013.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcsIStqiBBhrELJpn4YAz0nQ_WzcdxI0_VPYSGHLbZEr0puouGU44Fqa17XI2jEWqyalwvJ3WCtH7WirXbbvWEbp2PM0oAoRT2FdZbf4tufalQuP6O_ATEfWjhg-kDCUKkiI7nkbgcAdg/s320/handspunprogress+013.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601008507714266242" border="0" /></a><br />My camera did NOT want to focus on those little pre-berries.<br /><br />Off to weed and plant and take care of the sick kiddo.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-87575345185061244512011-04-22T12:28:00.006-04:002011-04-22T12:52:25.803-04:00Forest/TreesYou know the old saying "You couldn't see the forest for the trees." The gist of it is that you get so focused on the little details that you miss the bigger picture.<br /><br />Like when we get upset when Sr. Jr. seems to have issues handing in his homework, and we forget that he's a good kid, not getting in trouble and still managing to do well in school.<br /><br />Like when I get cranky about not getting enough spinning and knitting time, when I've got just about the best life possible -- I get to stay home with my kids, we don't struggle with money, everyone's healthy, doing well in school, and enjoying all that childhood has to offer. (Well, I could really do without Mr. T's current state of work overload...)<br /><br />Spinning is a real forest/trees exercise for me. When I spin, I'm so focused on the little bit of single I'm drafting, or the little span of yarn that I'm plying, that it's hard to step back and visualize what the finished yarn will look like and if it will turn out well.<br /><br />It started this time with a braid called -- appropriately enough -- "Woodsy." It's a handpainted braid of variegated BFL from the dyer FatCatKnits:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHUAzw8Jo9dpb4-NOTwtx8Qz2PaQ8FXwJQYvz3ICqLdSyYRBUwWqMvnVSwfwntWkFHrl2EW8s4oDhEHvvmTCGOTXTWnc4Dk_EYZkoeQCIZa_9WTcS-Dj0c4KYsKQhtN6eP-0qd63w3CM/s1600/woodsy1+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaHUAzw8Jo9dpb4-NOTwtx8Qz2PaQ8FXwJQYvz3ICqLdSyYRBUwWqMvnVSwfwntWkFHrl2EW8s4oDhEHvvmTCGOTXTWnc4Dk_EYZkoeQCIZa_9WTcS-Dj0c4KYsKQhtN6eP-0qd63w3CM/s320/woodsy1+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598447359339032834" border="0" /></a><br />I was a little concerned that all those reds and greens would look a little Christmassy. While I was spinning it, I was so focused on the single -- is it even? Am I being consistent? How is this going to ply up? Will it be clear or muddy?<br /><br />I finished the two bobbins of singles and started plying. The questions started up again. Do I like how those two colors are barber poling together? Is it muddy? Is my plying even?<br /><br />I held my breath as I wound the finished yarn into a skein. Just off the bobbin it looked wonderful! I plopped it into a bath for some finishing and hung it to dry.<br /><br />All those trees, and finally a vision of the forest:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKCTXBCHDXga91-IxtkvBvp_DhmmD7-SzBgdHPHF2DNNU2kkzcTCQBAUUFglEi91MiELaoqNBZyeySJOWSSpbFFCowgn4JJ7tQtTRGwqwMDA0X2J3gJK6pHz61i43kLBUzIn8WM6QcCY/s1600/woodsy3+015.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNKCTXBCHDXga91-IxtkvBvp_DhmmD7-SzBgdHPHF2DNNU2kkzcTCQBAUUFglEi91MiELaoqNBZyeySJOWSSpbFFCowgn4JJ7tQtTRGwqwMDA0X2J3gJK6pHz61i43kLBUzIn8WM6QcCY/s320/woodsy3+015.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598448586922834498" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtADx0DHxImIr-NYwxg-aLIKs2Hnvhpou4SWlVRQ7OiooI9QUzV8-MQjnPwVGAbBSGsftjSp6J1OeHa6j6ehVTcWueibezFgANyIZaDcQ7EVuP7cQ306hVeqXRDh4MCbKF_fKB_SNCRQ/s1600/woodsy3+014.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdtADx0DHxImIr-NYwxg-aLIKs2Hnvhpou4SWlVRQ7OiooI9QUzV8-MQjnPwVGAbBSGsftjSp6J1OeHa6j6ehVTcWueibezFgANyIZaDcQ7EVuP7cQ306hVeqXRDh4MCbKF_fKB_SNCRQ/s320/woodsy3+014.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598448588813301170" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxPL8CQTGJ-XNjcM1qP5JzCIs8YarlOc35iAVD3h90IG7FK-TNyVEY5uwugrnTAR0rOTQ9Cc6WZq3f1jZV0XEzJ4AfjJUBb-jO25uNL4BpathZhs1aBMjsjf857o-ceVGkse4WSOFBIw/s1600/woodsy3+017.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisxPL8CQTGJ-XNjcM1qP5JzCIs8YarlOc35iAVD3h90IG7FK-TNyVEY5uwugrnTAR0rOTQ9Cc6WZq3f1jZV0XEzJ4AfjJUBb-jO25uNL4BpathZhs1aBMjsjf857o-ceVGkse4WSOFBIw/s320/woodsy3+017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598448932304307394" border="0" /></a><br />I love it! It's very slinky and pretty damn even. I need to find a good pattern to show it off.<br /><br />I've been spinning more than knitting, but I'm almost done with the body of my Mary Jane sweater. I have one more patterning row, and then the ribbing. Then I'll do the neck treatment, see how much yarn I have left, assess how much patience I have left, and decide how long to make the sleeves.<br /><br />I swatched for the next sweater I want to knit, but I haven't cast on yet, because I don't want the new sweater to push Mary Jane off to the side so she doesn't get finished.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCjITLgNsxnwO5F1Pu4Ga9ouvO8ychPSK-QZrha1Ln8QhDgiPTBAUT9Vm-aAHjWlM0DMzlzF5KHc6JzvGtXboq-CT1CMSfTDbP9xCv7ing8KJIasvSrfAUVAS1_BX2ZsObAi8yxl69Mw/s1600/Nicoleswatch+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMCjITLgNsxnwO5F1Pu4Ga9ouvO8ychPSK-QZrha1Ln8QhDgiPTBAUT9Vm-aAHjWlM0DMzlzF5KHc6JzvGtXboq-CT1CMSfTDbP9xCv7ing8KJIasvSrfAUVAS1_BX2ZsObAi8yxl69Mw/s320/Nicoleswatch+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598449854841968466" border="0" /></a><br />Blue! My color trending continues. As you can see, I opted for the more dramatic multi over the safer semi-solid.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />We had a lovely first night of Passover. Normally, since my family is so small and far-flung, and Mr. T's family isn't Jewish, we have seders for just the four of us. It's not nearly as fun as when I was a kid and all the cousins got together. But this year we had first night with friends. The evening was hosted by the Susan for whom I knit those Fiddlehead Mittens earlier this year. Her older son is one of Jr. Jr.'s best buddies. There were two other families there with more of Jr. Jr.'s friends, and a family from another school who we'd never met before. They were very nice, and had two girls slightly younger than Jr. Jr. I think there were 10 kids total, including poor Sr. Jr. who was by far the oldest "kid" there. Although he had no one to socialize with, he made the best of it as the littler kids attacked him and climbed all over him.<br /><br />Everyone brought things, so the burden didn't fall too heavily on the hosts, and it was a really nice time.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-33762848048686001162011-04-14T12:56:00.006-04:002011-04-14T13:16:23.954-04:00A Nook of my Own<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt4F6hsTanvg3umDOaYcWMTxIDretx-3YmfxjRnEDRBLBZ98i5yv-H_dYgMUijxgKXkiVmHfPU5yjTd6HPQMMKp5QtlGXwsf7ToTe6FZ5tvMUdjbXAZg6yOD2hFJudlW61PFdZQdj0ME/s1600/mynook+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRt4F6hsTanvg3umDOaYcWMTxIDretx-3YmfxjRnEDRBLBZ98i5yv-H_dYgMUijxgKXkiVmHfPU5yjTd6HPQMMKp5QtlGXwsf7ToTe6FZ5tvMUdjbXAZg6yOD2hFJudlW61PFdZQdj0ME/s320/mynook+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595484383549844786" border="0" /></a><br />I don't rate a whole room yet ;p<br /><br />I don't have a dedicated crafting area in the house. Mr. T will tell you that the whole house is a dedicated crafting area, but I really felt like I needed a little area of my own. Most of my knitting is done on the couch in the family room, and that's fine. But I was spinning at the dining room table, and winding yarn on the breakfast bar of the kitchen counter. I wanted to free those areas of clutter and create a place where those activities could have a home.<br /><br />So, a little re-jiggering and furniture moving, a new table and lamp, and here we are. This is a bump-out area in our bedroom, with a nice big window overlooking a gorgeous plum tree and some evergreens. There's just enough room for the table and another, smaller bedside table, perfect for spinning and winding yarn. All I need now is some pretty stuff on the wall and something like a little iHome or something so I can play music while I spin.<br /><br />And yes, that's a new addition to my spinning collection on that table. It's a Hansen Mini-Spinner and I am totally in love with it. It's so well-crafted. Such a pleasure to spin with. I spun up an entire strip of my braid yesterday before I even knew it. It's so portable that I'm already planning to bring it with me when we go to Hilton Head this summer. Spinning by the pool!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikx3qUAtYqBfQI9nPy_h5iAIKouergGq4foRP3btKqvVZ_QJiMDmbtIg4VV-Xm0nSoxfPrB7mch4US9fy27Kpp1TYfQB6bDvrfaveK0G7ML5Y8nOQPbVF-0dwoSHjOqWTPn6D1Vqj7wNs/s1600/mynook+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikx3qUAtYqBfQI9nPy_h5iAIKouergGq4foRP3btKqvVZ_QJiMDmbtIg4VV-Xm0nSoxfPrB7mch4US9fy27Kpp1TYfQB6bDvrfaveK0G7ML5Y8nOQPbVF-0dwoSHjOqWTPn6D1Vqj7wNs/s320/mynook+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595486114389763794" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPhEYZnr5niYyWh0j7FV6U5bVT53vkEMwOTQuU4kCPTBjZHQRFvjDU0UIuyu3SpTvJUCXl-9gp7e0WlFxvfbye1W6hT8wZBoiK3sC-F7Q2i0pcTrDgfMdNHjCNz7t9WOZofXmsdidG9Y/s1600/mynook+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPhEYZnr5niYyWh0j7FV6U5bVT53vkEMwOTQuU4kCPTBjZHQRFvjDU0UIuyu3SpTvJUCXl-9gp7e0WlFxvfbye1W6hT8wZBoiK3sC-F7Q2i0pcTrDgfMdNHjCNz7t9WOZofXmsdidG9Y/s320/mynook+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595486109291998002" border="0" /></a><br />No spinning today, unfortunately, since I spent the morning doing stuff around the house and waiting for a repairman. Tomorrow! Yes, tomorrow.<br /><br />And that blue thing on my table? The handspun squooshy sock.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoSdWl_jsybGpnUHY8KJ9UsiNOyat4p7jzJNIL9xLgTraXTkfhmqG8SnrEap0T6viUMVW80MlMAaHu7NGSrHzJ2CN3Rk9M8gpWaZUFMJaiUUGj_liOEIPlj0cyaKGb8kTKwVAdfLWLQs/s1600/mynook+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkoSdWl_jsybGpnUHY8KJ9UsiNOyat4p7jzJNIL9xLgTraXTkfhmqG8SnrEap0T6viUMVW80MlMAaHu7NGSrHzJ2CN3Rk9M8gpWaZUFMJaiUUGj_liOEIPlj0cyaKGb8kTKwVAdfLWLQs/s320/mynook+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595486670225474370" border="0" /></a><br />Here she is, all moody and dramatic. She came with me to Westover Woolies on Tuesday, and she'll come with me to piano lessons today.<br /><br />I'm closing in on the end of the Mary Jane sweater, so naturally I'm thinking of what to knit next. Even though I already have one laceweight sweater on the needles, I think I'm going to start another one. I need something lightweight that I can throw on during the summer, at a cold restaurant or on the beach... who knows? At first I was leaning toward the <a href="http://knitbot.com/2009/04/13/featherweight-cardigan-now-available/">Featherweight Cardigan</a>, but now I think I'm going to knit <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/patterns/Simplicity_Cardigan__D10693220.html">Simplicity</a>. Color? Don't know. Part of me wants to use something dark and dramatic, but the sensible part of me thinks I should stick with something that will go with everything, given that it will be a utilitarian sweater.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmYBswuIoUYnZzq_3AuFEiagruURWT8XDwfYXD8yQnlDWkka0QMZsb_0qG8BQOTjOTUeCwjclsxGfyoOprAABH7V5fnvvx1kZbb3y3rVwasXbunxjiDI6SAguTQ8pVfYDvwW2KKWm8WY/s1600/Jake_T.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzmYBswuIoUYnZzq_3AuFEiagruURWT8XDwfYXD8yQnlDWkka0QMZsb_0qG8BQOTjOTUeCwjclsxGfyoOprAABH7V5fnvvx1kZbb3y3rVwasXbunxjiDI6SAguTQ8pVfYDvwW2KKWm8WY/s320/Jake_T.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595488965555030034" border="0" /></a><br />Sr. Jr. says, "Don't go away!"Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-56747501852663612362011-04-11T15:11:00.006-04:002011-04-11T15:37:06.528-04:00Something BlueSomething old, something new, something borrowed...<br /><br />Yesterday was our anniversary. 17 years. Time flies doesn't it? 17 years seems so long to me. I left for college shortly after I turned 17, so I've been married to Mr. T about as long as I lived full-time with my parents. We've been together for almost 21 years now. That's almost half my life! It seems unreal that we've been together that long. How did this happen? How did I get here? (This is not my beautiful house...)<br /><br />I have no complaints. Well, very few. Well, no dealbreakers, anyway. Happy anniversary, love :)<br /><br />What my life lacks at the moment (ok, always) is balance. Some aspect of my life is always suffering for the sake of something else. If I do A and B, then C suffers, and if I try to catch up on C, then A suffers. And so on. So I always feel like I'm failing in some aspect of what I want/need to do. I feel guilty about things I'm not accomplishing. This isn't a temporary thing, like when getting sick throws me off schedule. It's an ongoing issue. Maybe someday I'll figure out how to get all the parts moving at the same time, all the balls balanced effortlessly in the air.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />I've clearly entered my blue period. Knitting with blue, spinning blue. But no blue skies. Just how much rain and grey can Washington have, anyway?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oI6ygLrVCHpCwN18KkkjpUTpEl36tnuZImWShS2RacLUg_LtsWCVYxEyoL672FuGMF_FBJ7dtLofmrlsUx7Ff_FLWqvhZEBOa5pGW7M34Niw1XbUdLNwj9NoGlEnew3gyW-GZUWxQv0/s1600/somethingblue+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oI6ygLrVCHpCwN18KkkjpUTpEl36tnuZImWShS2RacLUg_LtsWCVYxEyoL672FuGMF_FBJ7dtLofmrlsUx7Ff_FLWqvhZEBOa5pGW7M34Niw1XbUdLNwj9NoGlEnew3gyW-GZUWxQv0/s320/somethingblue+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594406959536419394" border="0" /></a><br />Cute, huh? I like it, but I haven't been knitting on it as much as I could. I've been spinning more.<br /><br />I had this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGg5NpvAWpwxW4mFE3K2qXFNeCSmuWnKE5lICJhBrVSsLNGKOnXTkJvs53iphDFKUzB-dIO0kopqzzy6gFPfh-4tUrNxPRvrihwk2xkvslsoB7EZCHLNOIVf8X37tHhq597CYHNiE3Tw/s1600/twobluebugs+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDGg5NpvAWpwxW4mFE3K2qXFNeCSmuWnKE5lICJhBrVSsLNGKOnXTkJvs53iphDFKUzB-dIO0kopqzzy6gFPfh-4tUrNxPRvrihwk2xkvslsoB7EZCHLNOIVf8X37tHhq597CYHNiE3Tw/s320/twobluebugs+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594407373301254834" border="0" /></a><br />which turned into this:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kVKLGeGkC0kzwvRb4ZgD9gNBK7u1W1HVN6ECPcH3wRiI1lR0ncWOsGG0X-Vp9H2HhePFcWWorr825cD7wbdHlG3eofpxTGsCMMyt34RICfhOxe8fNVZJT0LYSa9kxnh0euI6kaHBeWw/s1600/17Ann+025.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kVKLGeGkC0kzwvRb4ZgD9gNBK7u1W1HVN6ECPcH3wRiI1lR0ncWOsGG0X-Vp9H2HhePFcWWorr825cD7wbdHlG3eofpxTGsCMMyt34RICfhOxe8fNVZJT0LYSa9kxnh0euI6kaHBeWw/s320/17Ann+025.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594408070246258434" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFZRaolKUsK-Wn0RK7gMykFiu88F30T1zxA0YQbYBcc9v8TA0L5PqhO_R2C3H5j8dKJz1lFT4QytGjRjBvdG-LdUwBw07D5TP2ELNOGaGHZZSL3qvPjch5O8JbmriEmoDw4e7owHxiQw/s1600/17Ann+029.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmFZRaolKUsK-Wn0RK7gMykFiu88F30T1zxA0YQbYBcc9v8TA0L5PqhO_R2C3H5j8dKJz1lFT4QytGjRjBvdG-LdUwBw07D5TP2ELNOGaGHZZSL3qvPjch5O8JbmriEmoDw4e7owHxiQw/s320/17Ann+029.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594408059059721842" border="0" /></a><br />which I'm now knitting up into socks:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5Ko6TEBfrLmBz10Yu6OUmbJFnxpbJADy0OoA_kxnebpr2cKq8P2HKPyADs2SpkNyZcRnF4ZJg962VFRvxZivC6Z4a_IA-hI9m6_ZdAp2KiwDds1h8o1lavcQwcakVa6DrW9cGEo2_NI/s1600/somethingblue+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA5Ko6TEBfrLmBz10Yu6OUmbJFnxpbJADy0OoA_kxnebpr2cKq8P2HKPyADs2SpkNyZcRnF4ZJg962VFRvxZivC6Z4a_IA-hI9m6_ZdAp2KiwDds1h8o1lavcQwcakVa6DrW9cGEo2_NI/s320/somethingblue+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5594408378554146354" border="0" /></a><br />The fiber is an 70-20-10 MCN blend, the first installment of The Sanguine Gryphon fiber club. It was nice to spin, even with all the spinner trouble I have while doing it. I'm amazed the yarn came out as well as it did, given that I spent more of my energy fighting the spinner than I did making sure the yarn was turning out ok. It's very soft and squishy.<br /><br />I wanted to get the socks started so I could knit on them tomorrow at our Westover Wooly meetup (Tracey - when school's out, you should join us! Sharon - I don't know if your schedule would permit, but you should see if you could come by, too.) It's very nice to have knitters and spinners to hang with in real life, too. I love meeting up with Rav folks when we can, but a regular get-together is nice to have.<br /><br />I've been working on a little project for meeeeee, and it's almost done. Pictures to come.<br /><br />In parental news, Sr. Jr. got a Gold Medal for his performance on the National Latin Exam. He was one of only two kids in Latin 1 in his school to get a GM. And Jr. Jr. got straight As yet again. Very proud!Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-50874101009056887032011-04-05T14:59:00.005-04:002011-04-05T15:24:22.595-04:00Monochrome (but not Green)I don't know how it has happened that I've managed to keep my projects all in one color range. I'm not usually the type of person who cares about matchiness, nor am I the type of person to obsess over a particular color to the extent that I will only wear or work with it. I thought the green thing was a happenstance.<br /><br />Perhaps I was wrong.<br /><br />After finishing the green sweater and the pair of green socks, I cast on for another sweater. I even posted a teaser last time -- blue! I like blue. I don't love blue. Other than my jeans, I don't even wear too much blue. So a blue sweater might be a good thing. Fill a hole in the wardrobe. So I took the beautiful blue Squoosh yarn and cast on:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi32EqXtx0kdoIfwX5HfC531MtHi1tISNB4fo2znBAU0ZV7IDSVm0BR8qEhOpZRR7oaBsrzT6YrdE_oaD3dVaQXiX8hI3NXj2lg7JyjWu_bOgVeppwQUJo8oKphdlEZlQ60GYSG4l_6TQ/s1600/MaryJane1+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi32EqXtx0kdoIfwX5HfC531MtHi1tISNB4fo2znBAU0ZV7IDSVm0BR8qEhOpZRR7oaBsrzT6YrdE_oaD3dVaQXiX8hI3NXj2lg7JyjWu_bOgVeppwQUJo8oKphdlEZlQ60GYSG4l_6TQ/s320/MaryJane1+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592177397494584482" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H_j4te1bjYv7NF4OUBLB5RmmDPodt4iZ9Q5FI9V8LPkThh23y63gaFumzK5mF-51Cb5PcwVBbxpExpkQ_JopKkw_t1hx38rDZPSQdUPDOUPVPBOT9fCj4juDy8_m1hjUKKazLq3PpD0/s1600/MaryJane1+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9H_j4te1bjYv7NF4OUBLB5RmmDPodt4iZ9Q5FI9V8LPkThh23y63gaFumzK5mF-51Cb5PcwVBbxpExpkQ_JopKkw_t1hx38rDZPSQdUPDOUPVPBOT9fCj4juDy8_m1hjUKKazLq3PpD0/s320/MaryJane1+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592177401488145506" border="0" /></a><br />I'm a good four inches farther along now than when I took these photos. The pattern is Mary Jane, from Twist Collective. The yarn is Squoosh's Merino Cashmere Sport, in Oil Slick. This is another nice and quick pattern, although I'm making some modifications as I go (e.g., NO puff sleeves, please). The pattern calls for short sleeves, but I think how long my sleeves end up will be determined by 1) how much yarn I have; and 2) how ready I am to move on to another pattern.<br /><br />Until recently, I didn't really see the point of short sleeved sweaters. If I'm cold enough to wear a sweater, then I'm cold enough to want sleeves. But I'm trying to be open-minded and try new things. Be fashion-forward, as they say. (If you knew me in real life, you'd laugh at the idea of me being fashion-anything.)<br /><br />And after my frustrated spinning interlude last weekend, the interlude that produced the cute pink and green singles, I've gone back to the spinning project I was working on:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4POmi7vHJnBfLxtqpWB-5w9Wq7Ie0IRMGerdF_H5CCGjBOiewvg4dHGLa9YLJoyjeONOLxQcbN3Z1YClGvRsUeLUXhHZP_NEgW-6-DndDcd5_QCeSZj1Bvv5hVRM5ubt0a8cD6OYNCu4/s1600/twobluebugs+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4POmi7vHJnBfLxtqpWB-5w9Wq7Ie0IRMGerdF_H5CCGjBOiewvg4dHGLa9YLJoyjeONOLxQcbN3Z1YClGvRsUeLUXhHZP_NEgW-6-DndDcd5_QCeSZj1Bvv5hVRM5ubt0a8cD6OYNCu4/s320/twobluebugs+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592178915612576914" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KuvqqquppAbrwmIERKgVaswj1LkZvahmHwrfll4Y6Czuwys4Gm2krt0jpMmz0-DoOc18ToC9gg8DeVwCXYLJex5Z3-6OZV5Lx5SP4t5vCweHrpQms7wIo-AQHJYwD5HunoT5VmH0Xjw/s1600/twobluebugs+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8KuvqqquppAbrwmIERKgVaswj1LkZvahmHwrfll4Y6Czuwys4Gm2krt0jpMmz0-DoOc18ToC9gg8DeVwCXYLJex5Z3-6OZV5Lx5SP4t5vCweHrpQms7wIo-AQHJYwD5HunoT5VmH0Xjw/s320/twobluebugs+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592178909129451682" border="0" /></a><br />(One with flash, one without.) The return of the blue Bugga fiber. I love this fiber. And look, it's blue! I'm spinning three bobbins of singles, which I will then ply together, hopefully getting a nice, squooshy three-ply yarn that I can use for socks. I didn't do anything organized or scientific to get this ready or to spin it. I just took the length of fiber and divided it as evenly as I could into three pieces. I split each piece in half and then grab off chunks and spin as is, or sometimes, depending on my mood, I split those chunks in half again. There's no color progression that I'm trying to maintain or follow, so randomness is ok.<br /><br />The fiber reminds me of a sky-study. It has bright blues for spring skies, deep dark summer blues, white for clouds and greys to grey-purples for rainy and stormy skies.<br /><br />The spinner is still irking me. When I finish the third bobbin and get this plied up, the spinner is going back to the manufacturer for a check-up.<br /><br />Soon the newest installment of the Cookie A sock club should arrive, and I'll laugh if it's blue.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />I can't believe it's April already. Spring is really sneaking up on me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDM0g3V1u8sb5IvC-gbEAG0ynkQnTcA3smaX08cp0SqIDiG7-_lJRoXrz56iWYDtlxRXPmiMMc4LdhXUthzql_J8kNQ41koVEFiCw_Cv4fVdIY5s85EmuRRd564eWjO1bTscM7uZLsbY/s1600/nook+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDM0g3V1u8sb5IvC-gbEAG0ynkQnTcA3smaX08cp0SqIDiG7-_lJRoXrz56iWYDtlxRXPmiMMc4LdhXUthzql_J8kNQ41koVEFiCw_Cv4fVdIY5s85EmuRRd564eWjO1bTscM7uZLsbY/s320/nook+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592180659185628258" border="0" /></a><br />(blossom from my plum tree)<br /><br />Soon I'll blink and the school year will be over. They're going faster and faster as the boys get older. I'm sure there will be a lot of angst and depression this summer as Sr. Jr. gets ready for high school. I'm not ready to have him be so close to leaving the house! I suspect he's anxious about what high school holds in store for him. The gang from middle school is splitting up and there will be a whole new bunch of kids for him to meet and get to know. Some of them will be friends from elementary school, some will be entirely new. <br /><br />He's definitely pulling away, adolescent-style. It makes me sad, even though I know it's necessary. <br /><br />Ugh, if I'm this bad now, imagine how I'll be four years from now, when I'm crying about how my baby is going off to college?Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-71972556626645442412011-03-28T10:48:00.008-04:002011-03-28T11:22:15.555-04:00One, Two, Many, LotsI have many things to show today.<br /><br />Slipped Hours: done, blocked, dried, photograped:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvEAaqKAV17VNaisQ0QFawiMId8NokOGOxNhRVEY6CCizvQnzN5uASxWswgrjnpfllkQ2HYOlVPwOyju7BWEs7zASLFeCRdKhzygUva6FCg445cMVG3X-YDd8ndYToBwI1xzkgZ8931E/s1600/ninjaspinning+012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvEAaqKAV17VNaisQ0QFawiMId8NokOGOxNhRVEY6CCizvQnzN5uASxWswgrjnpfllkQ2HYOlVPwOyju7BWEs7zASLFeCRdKhzygUva6FCg445cMVG3X-YDd8ndYToBwI1xzkgZ8931E/s320/ninjaspinning+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589143652896422530" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvEAaqKAV17VNaisQ0QFawiMId8NokOGOxNhRVEY6CCizvQnzN5uASxWswgrjnpfllkQ2HYOlVPwOyju7BWEs7zASLFeCRdKhzygUva6FCg445cMVG3X-YDd8ndYToBwI1xzkgZ8931E/s1600/ninjaspinning+012.JPG"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyHBKaBrI500A2-U2upJElKUAlsrYgmzqUds_GfYkpd-blhLd7agpw90wl1fVn4BWk84fTtCBVnsU3ls2DtBD3hVI-Vbhk5h11TUlEpPKexNgJIc-GJC8Q73X7aQwrG624k-9XBmwr_Q/s1600/ninjaspinning+007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyHBKaBrI500A2-U2upJElKUAlsrYgmzqUds_GfYkpd-blhLd7agpw90wl1fVn4BWk84fTtCBVnsU3ls2DtBD3hVI-Vbhk5h11TUlEpPKexNgJIc-GJC8Q73X7aQwrG624k-9XBmwr_Q/s320/ninjaspinning+007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589143651812817266" border="0" /></a><br />Phew! It fits. I like it, too.<br /><br />Specs: Pattern is <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_87&products_id=626">Slipped Hours</a>, by Gudrun Johnson. Yarn is Wollmeise Twin, color, Silberdistel. I used about 2.75 skeins. The main body of the sweater was knit on US 3s, the rolled neckline was knit on US 4s. I made a couple of modifications: I knit the hem in stockinette rather than reverse stockinette, eliminated the faux side-seam, added a little bit of waist shaping, and changed the neckline from a cowl to a short rolled neck. All in all, this was a great pattern and it knit up quickly.<br /><br />Continuing in the theme of green, I finished the first intallment of Cookie A's sock club. I knit the first pattern, the Rippled Leaf socks, in the club yarn, a lovely skein of Caper Sock from String Theory.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbsGwoJP9Cf-wyEiwLJ2sCvxlU3T3WbUfOzk6ABS7Lj8NNg4W4SVWgCrSeCNQ9TYyJqQKEz0hbfSmqQsLCizrBQMJM2vtpOpPrS1IlSiD5t18B-CD0xAmN-YuDsBqpNPv5XvzoTdNu9c/s1600/ninjaspinning2+007.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbsGwoJP9Cf-wyEiwLJ2sCvxlU3T3WbUfOzk6ABS7Lj8NNg4W4SVWgCrSeCNQ9TYyJqQKEz0hbfSmqQsLCizrBQMJM2vtpOpPrS1IlSiD5t18B-CD0xAmN-YuDsBqpNPv5XvzoTdNu9c/s320/ninjaspinning2+007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589145148773595826" border="0" /></a><br />And no photo shoot is complete without my little attention ho:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwPnLYcSi4WE1Zq3nd7jZEQR_CQmEcaqWKVR1CV5an58m4hEA7FUrgK2Ppr3CI5MjJQSwFNEpQdQ3nieJ5esj22YY5GLJxETWULYrQkDspDFn4CWlZTt1KW9TLM5DYTuMAhna9bJHDGk/s1600/ninjaspinning2+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwPnLYcSi4WE1Zq3nd7jZEQR_CQmEcaqWKVR1CV5an58m4hEA7FUrgK2Ppr3CI5MjJQSwFNEpQdQ3nieJ5esj22YY5GLJxETWULYrQkDspDFn4CWlZTt1KW9TLM5DYTuMAhna9bJHDGk/s320/ninjaspinning2+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589145152970735330" border="0" /></a><br />This was another fun pattern to knit, especially after so many months of knitting nothing but toe-up short-row heel plain old stripey socks. I can't remember the last time I knit socks from the top down, with a flap heel! The Caper sock is lovely -- very soft, but strong. I have a couple more skeins of this down in the stash. I'd like to knit the second sock club pattern, too, but April's installment is coming up soon, so I'll hold off.<br /><br />I've been spinning too. I finished the first bobbin of the Bugga fiber and started the second, and that's where things went all pear-shaped. My spinner was acting up, rebelling, being a total pain in the ass. Spinning on it was Not Fun. I kept making all sorts of adjustments to try to get it back in line, but it was refusing. So even though I hate doing this, I took the bobbin in progress off the spinner.<br /><br />I was pissed. I was <span style="font-style: italic;">really </span>pissed. I was going to show that spinner a thing or two. I grabbed a clean bobbin, grabbed some random fiber, and started spinning. I wasn't spinning for accuracy; I wasn't spinning with a plan. I didn't care if the singles were even or what. I just cranked up the spinner to 11 and practically <span style="font-style: italic;">threw </span>the fiber onto the bobbin. It was very cathartic. After a while, I looked at what I had on the bobbin and went, "Huh. I kind of like that."<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYU1pmRj-aLNxLAk-VPRKbEjUmmSZVk6IW5CRxYQ_IxAvVSfrlCsTmd58oprhrVn6nfCEU331FsPfr0fLWV9kQUOqfDb0xR4Yov0790X8N2ww3ty_kQ1KJYhOC-MWzkelYyTKNnICGkY/s1600/ninjaspinning+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYU1pmRj-aLNxLAk-VPRKbEjUmmSZVk6IW5CRxYQ_IxAvVSfrlCsTmd58oprhrVn6nfCEU331FsPfr0fLWV9kQUOqfDb0xR4Yov0790X8N2ww3ty_kQ1KJYhOC-MWzkelYyTKNnICGkY/s320/ninjaspinning+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589147329078000658" border="0" /></a><br />I KNOW. It's green. That's kind of why I chose it. I figured I was so overloaded on green that if I was going to waste some fiber, green was the color to waste. But I liked! This was part of Bee Mice Elf's Fiber Collections, where you get 6 different 1-oz braids. Three are multicolored braids, and three are semi-solids to complement the multis. So the most I could waste was an ounce anyway.<br /><br />So I spun some more.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIVJSBG74eAgyxkbnzsTuizO7bGpUncorXSZ17KZrk6ndieRohb5GLFUA8MseoCRI1fqz2bzRZveYIXnz-BcC5STA3TT19dsiVQ3HyvBG8lImATbA7MaQ9LZIXmwIZJz5j1-xRgmcfjc/s1600/ninjaspinning2+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibIVJSBG74eAgyxkbnzsTuizO7bGpUncorXSZ17KZrk6ndieRohb5GLFUA8MseoCRI1fqz2bzRZveYIXnz-BcC5STA3TT19dsiVQ3HyvBG8lImATbA7MaQ9LZIXmwIZJz5j1-xRgmcfjc/s320/ninjaspinning2+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589148752213077874" border="0" /></a><br />Pink, blue, green... I feel like I mugged the Easter bunny. The blue fiber is the Bugga fiber that I was spinning when things went to crap.<br /><br />But as I said, I liked! And then I looked over at those cute little Herdy mugs that I got last weekend. Looked back at my little fiber collection braids. Back at the Herdy mugs...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD21myaHZ9XSlcv21l-x4xjm45ZMmrPX2VsdM0T2mbStzFx5gk40Wyfh7eF2VwFLrPgxQh_-4oRWm6XhnCJWf4bpHAZjLua0jm6bFiBBBdrQPsentjxc4hXp56I1PjyQ8Rek64sPYDhw/s1600/ninjaspinning3+008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyD21myaHZ9XSlcv21l-x4xjm45ZMmrPX2VsdM0T2mbStzFx5gk40Wyfh7eF2VwFLrPgxQh_-4oRWm6XhnCJWf4bpHAZjLua0jm6bFiBBBdrQPsentjxc4hXp56I1PjyQ8Rek64sPYDhw/s320/ninjaspinning3+008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589149112001859970" border="0" /></a><br />How cute is that? Total serendipity.<br /><br />But wait! There's more!<br /><br />Now that Slipped Hours is done, I started a new sweater.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEUCD-cv_1z-4Bfkv0WfFjyKy1wZD6Z2nSENPdjZIJKchphCWwMjqidBBbSBze7mLFLh9FwQIUeVCjT_xp2YiggqB3Egulofzo_a8UHBBc0-0r0gIpu8h_oNVIg2zhAvJ5wqm3LC-KqA/s1600/ninjaspinning3+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggEUCD-cv_1z-4Bfkv0WfFjyKy1wZD6Z2nSENPdjZIJKchphCWwMjqidBBbSBze7mLFLh9FwQIUeVCjT_xp2YiggqB3Egulofzo_a8UHBBc0-0r0gIpu8h_oNVIg2zhAvJ5wqm3LC-KqA/s320/ninjaspinning3+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5589149844635779314" border="0" /></a><br />It's not green! Paradigm shift. More to come...Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-92164066290924275772011-03-21T13:20:00.006-04:002011-03-21T13:59:45.155-04:00Almost DoneI seem to have lost last week. I didn't blog because I didn't have too much to show you. The weekend before was knit and spin free, unfortunately. So I worked my little fingers off during the week to try to get some stuff done.<br /><br />I finished the main knitting on Slipped Hours, but couldn't decide how to handle the neck/collar. The pattern calls for a cowl, but I didn't like the way it looked. One of the finished projects that I like has a split collar, so that the collar lies flat instead of looking floppy. I took the sweater-in-progress with me to a Rav meet-up yesterday, where the consensus was that a plain old rolled neck would be best.<br /><br />So that's what I did:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmG8pUSDSO48MxzGdAHmvxBct8IJNyFoUkZOSuIwmRr69i3BpGCdBVGkmmhAgLZ-wSUAIzsdca5Y5ouhfwKCJ1KSOIqaO22P8VAUR3kx4Wed8gFBL1OuFhgshP5eszVf0aJTu4q5GPC8M/s1600/almostslipped+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmG8pUSDSO48MxzGdAHmvxBct8IJNyFoUkZOSuIwmRr69i3BpGCdBVGkmmhAgLZ-wSUAIzsdca5Y5ouhfwKCJ1KSOIqaO22P8VAUR3kx4Wed8gFBL1OuFhgshP5eszVf0aJTu4q5GPC8M/s320/almostslipped+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586590271259999986" border="0" /></a><br />This was me, trying on the sweater before blocking, just to see if it would fit and if I would hate a snug sweater. I was pleasantly surprised. The sweater fits nicely, even before having a growth spurt when it hits the water. I like it a lot! I think if I had to knit it again, I'd start the slipped-stitch pattern an inch or two earlier. We'll see how it looks after blocking, but I think I'd like it better if the patterning started more definitively below my boobline.<br /><br />Here's a blocking shot:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRHFbPnzpnfUWmM5MGTBROsDYoFs6JrZYNSS9UDDyNtuF0FEZIHSmOxhpEjZe-fMqWXIShABnmLkenSl1McN6ybZCNSs__6l58NjRy6UZOWHMuu0BczT2IwExsTENQWw2zFbxzxhG0Ws/s1600/almostslipped+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRHFbPnzpnfUWmM5MGTBROsDYoFs6JrZYNSS9UDDyNtuF0FEZIHSmOxhpEjZe-fMqWXIShABnmLkenSl1McN6ybZCNSs__6l58NjRy6UZOWHMuu0BczT2IwExsTENQWw2zFbxzxhG0Ws/s320/almostslipped+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586591239315875490" border="0" /></a><br />Believe it or not, this took less than three skeins of Wollmeise. Closer to 2.5, as a matter of fact.<br /><br />I've also been spinning again, finally. I missed it and it's nice to be spinning again. My last spinning project was finished before Thanksgiving, and then with our guests, the early Chanukah, the holidays overall, the Venusian Spotted Death Fever Cold from January... I just never managed to get anything back on the wheel.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfx-pZY-GT3jmQPXvqJRt4-MxXLSoTqN-1vO7X7hw0oGVzpLBIVsvFKqhMujDGse_9okFFv_uWRZQ2aJRcb9nxeHrMzgefvJSDl5OSaMWVbcp_gvwg8Jh-7b3jg8D2tZSF_PLJyvu6wwU/s1600/almostslipped+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfx-pZY-GT3jmQPXvqJRt4-MxXLSoTqN-1vO7X7hw0oGVzpLBIVsvFKqhMujDGse_9okFFv_uWRZQ2aJRcb9nxeHrMzgefvJSDl5OSaMWVbcp_gvwg8Jh-7b3jg8D2tZSF_PLJyvu6wwU/s320/almostslipped+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586592371039989186" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IiTwzyfANcYuVlhrBqw5fq4d8EQEoU4Pqr5iIAJT6W-CzV1qVqqzPjBfLjPa0SlTTldKBv_9PYThQJqKYKmWREemFcUXLbT_e3F6oroAQdwbbDvpEx5SvaMEfxyTPtKQUtMlGEUKcGw/s1600/almostslipped+010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IiTwzyfANcYuVlhrBqw5fq4d8EQEoU4Pqr5iIAJT6W-CzV1qVqqzPjBfLjPa0SlTTldKBv_9PYThQJqKYKmWREemFcUXLbT_e3F6oroAQdwbbDvpEx5SvaMEfxyTPtKQUtMlGEUKcGw/s320/almostslipped+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586592373267167842" border="0" /></a><br />The color in the top photo is more accurate, but I like the close-up, too. The fiber is from The Sanguine Gryphon, the Bugga blend, so it's 70% merino, 20% cashmere, and 10% nylon. It's sooooo soft. I'm spinning a three ply yarn, hopefully for knitting socks.<br /><br />We had quite a lot of fun at our Rav meet-up yesterday. We started out hanging out at Fibre Space, which was packed. It was really nice to see a yarn store so busy. I love that store. It has a nice selection of indie dyers, very nice staff, and a comfy knitting place. I didn't buy any yarn, but I did get...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM9bwLB6H2M0Dyeby2pbtqcLwA47RHwTE1mAdT6Epq2zSI3-0I18qwbrgC8DLLauPr1tf8ZavJRveL15xis_0XK27keNBUaDZkPfO79ofJTm_qrnFzmOMCFJ7J0TKrxvu1AFikVAugY0/s1600/almostslipped+012.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhM9bwLB6H2M0Dyeby2pbtqcLwA47RHwTE1mAdT6Epq2zSI3-0I18qwbrgC8DLLauPr1tf8ZavJRveL15xis_0XK27keNBUaDZkPfO79ofJTm_qrnFzmOMCFJ7J0TKrxvu1AFikVAugY0/s320/almostslipped+012.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5586593645769399186" border="0" /></a><br />Herdy mugs! (And a keychain, too) How cute are these? I've seen these around, but they haven't been available too widely in the US. But Fibre Space has them, so I couldn't resist.<br /><br />So now I need to figure out which sweater to knit next... and with what yarn...Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-34727168926406708112011-03-08T12:54:00.006-05:002011-03-08T13:23:06.489-05:00CuffsSo yesterday I knit two cuffs. One cuff was for a sock:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucFDTJL-mkHOyXJRV9bSTUN2vRhYvpcg1u4N80WSCaR4na3xmwYPcZ87ItLYAtINe5bNtVz_6sH_zohqhwXehhglhOzHZjwwB66fiLFLmRk8_wGthAGFgg2SjnQcsBaTOAz4dVtJIX3M/s1600/Cuffs+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiucFDTJL-mkHOyXJRV9bSTUN2vRhYvpcg1u4N80WSCaR4na3xmwYPcZ87ItLYAtINe5bNtVz_6sH_zohqhwXehhglhOzHZjwwB66fiLFLmRk8_wGthAGFgg2SjnQcsBaTOAz4dVtJIX3M/s320/Cuffs+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581769309490634418" border="0" /></a><br />And one cuff was for a sleeve:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4arKOodZBL5EkeVL31iyKNUGZX8W4EVzgFihr7h_KvQPMRJzS419aPUquP4iMeEdMAkdkim0qdGBU_x779QkNVUr-fKndb81-LwbiQkczyMRmjvFTiPq8j4gNmNKwLow8vi0u9FUWMUE/s1600/Cuffs+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4arKOodZBL5EkeVL31iyKNUGZX8W4EVzgFihr7h_KvQPMRJzS419aPUquP4iMeEdMAkdkim0qdGBU_x779QkNVUr-fKndb81-LwbiQkczyMRmjvFTiPq8j4gNmNKwLow8vi0u9FUWMUE/s320/Cuffs+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581769577289227426" border="0" /></a><br />Cuffs are beginnings, right? So what about the stuff from last week? Oh, that! Finished some of that.<br /><br />A sock:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIYhffNb2yL26voAy4Zi13w3YrS1DhKf9J9sH9RWSxALOJY0_dwH4LdloJNQr3xL-uETpgwUmz7J67Sv510aScfeuG6iCl5Cx4oev7gTkxIe1-LXQpYHHGhP-SIK__kaWGwpL3m0WAu8/s1600/slippedsleevesock+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIYhffNb2yL26voAy4Zi13w3YrS1DhKf9J9sH9RWSxALOJY0_dwH4LdloJNQr3xL-uETpgwUmz7J67Sv510aScfeuG6iCl5Cx4oev7gTkxIe1-LXQpYHHGhP-SIK__kaWGwpL3m0WAu8/s320/slippedsleevesock+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581770249035762194" border="0" /></a><br />And some close up:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rGTEwDzj2tElRCchKzzvqiRFTncBI_gcL5cVdCyhGjk9LOdYw6BeNWvLqNB63rjlkTSqUDDw1_KGbUa18rzBlGdTtAfMqsd2DDzQ3NWPimSwjuTpOr6nflOSa-EY2m2vSLjon1ZetV4/s1600/slippedsleevesock+006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rGTEwDzj2tElRCchKzzvqiRFTncBI_gcL5cVdCyhGjk9LOdYw6BeNWvLqNB63rjlkTSqUDDw1_KGbUa18rzBlGdTtAfMqsd2DDzQ3NWPimSwjuTpOr6nflOSa-EY2m2vSLjon1ZetV4/s320/slippedsleevesock+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581770416104395250" border="0" /></a><br />Sock #1 of Pattern #1 of the first installment of Cookie A's sock club. The yarn is String Theory's Caper sock yarn, very soft and lovely. The pattern was perfect. There wasn't a moment of confusion or an error or anything amiss. The sock feels great on my foot.<br /><br />The next installment of her club isn't until April, so I'm debating whether to take another skein of Caper from my stash to knit the other pattern to keep me busy until the next package arrives. We'll see. My sock queue is long.<br /><br />And the cuff? Well, I finished the first sleeve for Slipped Hours and attached it to the body of the sweater:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgSLITEj6fq57gS6lUSu8I9zROjDTrejJJWBXwUl1N0wBakbk6u6UISrnMC5Tplkf2fpJPQis5s3WVDzMcV9zIPWOhSCx0PNOjxt1ECoHypE1j2EMoh7TuoqPwdgWNFkQU6ONMyKCCjY/s1600/slippedsleevesock+008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgSLITEj6fq57gS6lUSu8I9zROjDTrejJJWBXwUl1N0wBakbk6u6UISrnMC5Tplkf2fpJPQis5s3WVDzMcV9zIPWOhSCx0PNOjxt1ECoHypE1j2EMoh7TuoqPwdgWNFkQU6ONMyKCCjY/s320/slippedsleevesock+008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581771228459300002" border="0" /></a><br />For a fingering weight sweater, this is going very quickly! I'm sure I'll bog down a bit once I get the second sleeve finished and attached, because then each round will be really long. But it will get smaller as it goes up and the sleeve shaping progresses. <br /><br />Green... so much green... I think I pull out the green every year at this time, looking for something to spur Spring's arrival. At our Westover Woolies meetup this morning, almost all of use were knitting with green in some form or another. <br /><br />Watch for me to flip out and scream "NO MORE GREEN!!!" in a couple of weeks.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />Jr. Jr.'s basketball team cruised into the second round of the playoffs this weekend with a rousing first-round victory. Unfortunately, they couldn't keep the momentum going and lost in the second round. Tears all around. Nonetheless, they had a great season. They were so much better than they were last year, with excellent teamwork and admirable sportsmanship. And most of them will reassemble this weekend on the baseball diamond! Not even a weekend off.<br /><br />I'm a little upset about some stuff that's happening with the local schools. Crowding has been a growing issue in our county for a number of years, but the School Board has for the most part punted on the issue every time it's come up. They've tinkered a bit, moved a planning unit or two from one school to another, rearranged some programs, but they haven't taken any steps to address the big picture. For years, many of us have been telling them that the increase in school population isn't a blip or an outlier, but a trend. We look around our neighborhoods, see all the young families moving in with preschoolers, see all the infill development and realize that we're nearly bursting at the seams with young kids. <br /><br />Now the school board realizes that it has a problem. Almost every school in the county, elementary, middle, and high included, will be over capacity in a couple of years. Many of these schools were recently renovated as well. The county cannot afford to build new schools. I'm not even sure if they have the land to build new schools. I don't even think they have any buildings (like community centers, for example) that could effectively be re-purposed as schools.<br /><br />Up until now this hasn't been too much of an issue. We get trailers, we turn the computer lab mobile with laptops, we double up on PE. Class sizes have increased slightly, but not too alarmingly. <br /><br />However, I found out recently that the fifth graders at Jr. Jr.'s school no longer take weekly trips to the library to get new reading material. I think that there just isn't time to schedule weekly library time for all the classes at the school. So instead of coming up with a solution that allows all the kids to get library time -- for example, by having the fourth and fifth grades alternate weeks -- they've just eliminated it for the fifth grade. (We won't even go into how the school didn't tell the parents that this was happening...)<br /><br />One of the primary missions of elementary schools is to get kids reading and foster in them a love of reading. Eliminating library time undermines this goal, to put it mildly, and makes me wonder what will be taken away from the kids next.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-8339019179052832982011-03-02T09:59:00.004-05:002011-03-02T10:19:59.718-05:00Fields of GreenI haven't posted until now because there's only so much green stockinette I can show you. Boring.<br /><br />But switching to bigger yarn (sock weight!) on bigger needles (size 3!!) made for some quicker knitting.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybzuWSUORkmBTJVbNesR5bT_A-Y41c_Msp99qEw6KiK8P85LxLqfJotVJ8OmhHMYznXHm0mS130N6ZkZ4nPP_DnwHKCP0Nefr8Emg30adbDGbOkdTxT-2h4Nat34BKsCZY2p9gvPsFpc/s1600/lotsogreen+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjybzuWSUORkmBTJVbNesR5bT_A-Y41c_Msp99qEw6KiK8P85LxLqfJotVJ8OmhHMYznXHm0mS130N6ZkZ4nPP_DnwHKCP0Nefr8Emg30adbDGbOkdTxT-2h4Nat34BKsCZY2p9gvPsFpc/s320/lotsogreen+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579498126097681090" border="0" /></a><br />This is Slipped Hours finished up to the armhole bindoffs. Amazingly, this is about 1 1/5 skeins of yarn. Now I'm instructed to set aside the body and knit the sleeves. Then I attach the sleeves to the body and finish it off.<br /><br />The design calls for sleeves that just cover the elbows, so that shouldn't take too long. But I'm not sure I like that length. Do I want actual long sleeves? Three-quarter length sleeves? Sleeves as written? I haven't quite decided. If you have opinions, please comment and let me know.<br /><br />Given that I'm waffling on sleeve design, I turned to my Ripple Leaf socks to distract me. This pattern is one of the two in the first installment of Cookie A's sock club. At this point I've knit the whole leg and I'm partway through the heel flap, so the sock should be done soon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexIlSc_Dquvlx-8fThqtRbXiXlADgdLvaQr2DX__2gdHWAiwvdQqyF3086-TuKCMFGkzSksh28uzPfj9rDsR4gaDQOFYIC4aNd8OAoPOU83Rq27Y2JNHdVf0pg67XTKWGoS50LVc4l_k/s1600/lotsogreen+004.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhexIlSc_Dquvlx-8fThqtRbXiXlADgdLvaQr2DX__2gdHWAiwvdQqyF3086-TuKCMFGkzSksh28uzPfj9rDsR4gaDQOFYIC4aNd8OAoPOU83Rq27Y2JNHdVf0pg67XTKWGoS50LVc4l_k/s320/lotsogreen+004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5579499264924254674" border="0" /></a><br />I spent so much time knitting plain old stripey socks recently that it's nice to knit a patterned sock again! As luck would have it, I cast on using needles slightly larger than those called for in the pattern. I think I'm using 2.5 mm needles instead of 2.25 mm needles. This turns out to have been a lucky break, because the pattern is not very stretchy, and somewhat difficult to get over my heel/ankle area. Once it's on, it fits perfectly, but the fabric doesn't have too much give. If I'd knit it on the called-for needles, I don't think I could get them on. But I certainly couldn't knit the next size up, which would end up being too big on me. <br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />I can't believe it's March already. This year has flown by. It's incomprehensible to me that I will have a son in High School next year. His baby years are still so vivid to me! I remember holding him, nursing him, singing to him and playing with him. I remember him sitting in my lap, with one of those word books open in front of us. He would grab my pointer finger and jab at the words, giggling and soaking up language like a sponge. And now he grunts and snarls and tells dirty jokes. I can't fathom sending him off to college in only four more years. I just got him!<br /><br />Spring also means the transition from basketball to baseball and biking. This weekend Jr. Jr's basketball playoffs continue. His team won their first playoff game in a rout. Their next opponent will be tougher. I think they lost to this team by one point when they played them a few weeks ago. If they win, they go to the finals on Saturday, to play the only team that beat them handily this year. They've improved so much since last year! However, I'm most proud of them for their sportsmanship, team play, and demeanor during games. They play clean, they don't get angry or emotional, and they really play like a team. Such a good group of kids :)Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-8409195541934128772011-02-20T19:21:00.006-05:002011-02-20T19:37:40.162-05:00It Ain't Easy Being Green: Variations on a ThemeMy January finish-fest left me with very little on the needles, so I've slowly been building up my WIP stash.<br /><br />I started out by casting on for a new version of Paper Crane, this one converted to a pullover:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRUkEtkxMGOrItSN9RYfgYaAnYFbgvMZ2HghgxRFGDp349UG_4Zy9BB-a_UUXRU9sUGZb0zneIB3v5XcG2jTvBiB2m_zy1RJaQV_naAFk0J4lhMf-eHT16x7GPs28FVSjgMcnzvo-ZFQ/s1600/Valentine+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMRUkEtkxMGOrItSN9RYfgYaAnYFbgvMZ2HghgxRFGDp349UG_4Zy9BB-a_UUXRU9sUGZb0zneIB3v5XcG2jTvBiB2m_zy1RJaQV_naAFk0J4lhMf-eHT16x7GPs28FVSjgMcnzvo-ZFQ/s320/Valentine+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575931845192811842" border="0" /></a><br />Looks like my hands could use some moisturizer. More lace, more tiny needles. This one IS going faster than the last because I'm knitting it in the round. The knitting is going smoothly and happily, but I thought I ought to have something else to knit, something that's not laceweight on size 2 needles.<br /><br />So what do I do? I cast on for another sweater:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaiqOD0Ka8mfRCk0i20m7YFSTlBJ3XQH569HuznZOXNBK_Lc15V_zUlfuKcXM1abjlS1rKCLoAn_CJBFOxSU5lrp7VctKUWUGih4D08SLosP8WXlo8aNF4gErJRjdE13uwVHueiYxVFE/s1600/fixed2.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigaiqOD0Ka8mfRCk0i20m7YFSTlBJ3XQH569HuznZOXNBK_Lc15V_zUlfuKcXM1abjlS1rKCLoAn_CJBFOxSU5lrp7VctKUWUGih4D08SLosP8WXlo8aNF4gErJRjdE13uwVHueiYxVFE/s320/fixed2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575932408054755522" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This </span>is Wollmeise <span style="font-style: italic;">sock</span>, on size 3 needles. Vastly different that Wollmeise lace on 2s. Not. It's even green. (The colorway is Silberdistel, which I love.) The pattern, by the way, is called <a href="http://www.sanguinegryphon.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=22_87&products_id=626">Slipped Hours</a>. I'm a little afraid of this one, because I generally don't like my sweaters too fitted. But I like how this looks on the people who've knit it. I should try to lose weight before this is done.<br /><br />Sooooo, two sweaters, both green, both on small needles. Variation! I need variation! As luck would have it, I joined Cookie A's sock club, and the first installment arrived last week. This is a fantastic club. Cookie is an amazing sock designer, one of my favorites. The club consists of 2 patterns and 2 recipes, plus a skein of yarn in each installment. I think I read originally that one of the sock patterns would be easier than the other, Cookie's socks normally being fairly complicated. I don't think this is the case with this installment. Both patterns are gorgeous.<br /><br />So, hey! Complicated sock versus lots of stockinette... yeah, that's the ticket. I cast on.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDzG3DpBpKeBNQb115CGiYzsWrf4f615xS9NLxKzHxgs715y3_JWOs21QWjVZIdoq-GHBWT3heqHmSEEUEX5yE2NS2RJkxeQZjBxIto1MA1cX01LohgLgMsR5q7HmFHXKyCOT8kPR2Yk/s1600/Rippleleaf1+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDzG3DpBpKeBNQb115CGiYzsWrf4f615xS9NLxKzHxgs715y3_JWOs21QWjVZIdoq-GHBWT3heqHmSEEUEX5yE2NS2RJkxeQZjBxIto1MA1cX01LohgLgMsR5q7HmFHXKyCOT8kPR2Yk/s320/Rippleleaf1+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5575934283470403538" border="0" /></a><br />Yup. Green. Size 1 needles.<br /><br />After this, I'll probably go on a worsted and bulky weight tear.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-22146111395484325552011-02-14T14:18:00.005-05:002011-02-14T14:52:39.953-05:00Personal History + a RecipeThis weekend I attended a friend's bat mitzvah. I knew that C had converted years ago, and she's a very active member of our temple. So I was thrilled to be able to share the day with her and her family. What I didn't know, as I walked into the temple this weekend, was that she was one of a group of 16 adult congregation members who were being bar/bat mitzvahed this weekend.<br /><br />Now I am not a religious person at all. But I was really moved by this group of men and women and the histories that led them to the bimah this weekend. Some, like C, had converted, either when they got married or just on their own. A couple of people had been raised Jewish, but decided not to have a bar or bat mitzvah at the traditional age of 13. Now, as adults, they were returning to that part of their life. One woman talked about how World War II prevented her from having her bat mitzvah, and dedicated her accomplishment to all the Jewish boys and girls who perished in the Holocaust. One woman was raised in a Conservative tradition, which at the time didn't allow girls to be bat mitzvahed.<br /><br />Some of the group were learning Hebrew and studying Torah along with their children. Others were doing it as an example to their children. But all of them were there because they chose to be there. They pursued this goal, studying and learning while raising children, working full-time, and doing all the rest of the things that we do in our busy lives.<br /><br />Most bar and bat mitzvahs are fun. But it was so much different when the person on the bimah is there because they chose to be there, as opposed to because mom and dad are making them.<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />A little bit of knitting :) Paper Crane II moves along, slowly but steadily:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipDR3LEhkCfRI3z9z8EFKMbLD2Bo4C75qfPO8oyEmkCHpYd6tlUUgskwCTzhWGD-E1vT8OB4W5nWouTbEukH6MRQ5bE2KLFcnLn-WWBjDkn0D-yLmdOC7xCW5pr_O97v948nBVEa3aw0/s1600/Valentine+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipDR3LEhkCfRI3z9z8EFKMbLD2Bo4C75qfPO8oyEmkCHpYd6tlUUgskwCTzhWGD-E1vT8OB4W5nWouTbEukH6MRQ5bE2KLFcnLn-WWBjDkn0D-yLmdOC7xCW5pr_O97v948nBVEa3aw0/s320/Valentine+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573629333750409154" border="0" /></a><br />Hopefully this one won't take me 6 months. Because I'm making this one a pullover, I am knitting the bottom portion in the round. So far I think this makes it go faster.<br /><br />My waiting room sock progresses as well:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0QNB7GPPeQRrQiMUne9LgrI39uuJgA1gONOZr5csaf3tvh6zJp9I06ALT5BtglUqNRbGRp9MMAB-XUZ5NiNLF5Cp_Xru03J6NDesqjeEnPQR2BiwxgOsgngCkUHFkkSZS5aN8VmC9TQ/s1600/Valentine+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif0QNB7GPPeQRrQiMUne9LgrI39uuJgA1gONOZr5csaf3tvh6zJp9I06ALT5BtglUqNRbGRp9MMAB-XUZ5NiNLF5Cp_Xru03J6NDesqjeEnPQR2BiwxgOsgngCkUHFkkSZS5aN8VmC9TQ/s320/Valentine+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5573629810560115154" border="0" /></a><br />(Yarntini MCN sock, "Don Stripe" from the Mad Men collection)<br /><br />I need to cast on for another sweater, just for a change of pace from all the tiny yarns on tiny needles. I have not identified what that will be yet. I honestly haven't had that much time to focus lately.<br /><br />So Happy Monday, Happy Valentine's Day, and Congratulations to Jess, Kippi's lovely daughter, who is getting married today! May she and her love have a long and happy life together, filled with love and laughter.<br /><br />A little Valentine's treat for you all -- a recipe I cooked up this weekend when I was drafted into making scones for Jr. Jr.'s class Valentine's Tea.<br /><br />Kid-friendly Chocolate Chip Scones<br /><br />Preheat oven to 450 degrees<br /><br />4 cups of all-purpose flour<br />2 tsp cream of tartar<br />1 tsp baking soda<br />1 tsp salt<br />1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar<br />8 tbs (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces<br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />2 tsp vanilla extract<br />1 cup of chocolate chips<br /><br />Whisk the dry ingredients together. With your fingers, crumble the brown sugar into the flour mixture to distribute it evenly.<br /><br />Cut in the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Add chocolate chips and mix. Pour in milk and vanilla, mix until the dough just comes together. My dough was wetter than my normal scone dough, but this is fine. <br /><br />Drop roughly 1/4 cup of dough per scone onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for about 8 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for about 2 minutes, then move to a rack.<br /><br />Not a single scone was left after the kids got at them, seconds and all.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-14650060698127262152011-02-11T16:32:00.006-05:002011-02-11T17:09:35.086-05:00Watching HistoryI've been glued to television coverage of the revolution in Egypt this week. It's amazing watching people come together, rise up, and, with nothing more than their voices and their will, topple a dictator. Who knows what will come next. I hope that it's some form of self-determination, rather than another oppressor. I will watch, and hope for the best.<br /><br />Life is good here:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeVW0Vt8vqykFNMzr-udk0w4w7EsuXvuMpInmZXVt-CP7UYmMvVxI2bVqnYKymOhhjdkiwRlEoQd_O-P9oMZunpup8jtV6jbY_2PBYcbxZmPbhudVI76mHJCv3lt-UhQcUKnl7LOs_GQ/s1600/familycuddle+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpeVW0Vt8vqykFNMzr-udk0w4w7EsuXvuMpInmZXVt-CP7UYmMvVxI2bVqnYKymOhhjdkiwRlEoQd_O-P9oMZunpup8jtV6jbY_2PBYcbxZmPbhudVI76mHJCv3lt-UhQcUKnl7LOs_GQ/s320/familycuddle+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572549840511066386" border="0" /></a><br />How can it not be?<br /><br />I finished my second Annis. This one's for me:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKBOOzRdCyZ5i4I6x3HO7sz_L2WIVJOZeAecvH-yhav8qiNxF2e1MlyrTJoRymBD2Wawyzzd6Gf23vYfp12l0oSZG6-5GDYukddBVALHXJYBLDDuSgtdsrlo6sqH-Q1TYGZ87C3omU0o/s1600/Annis2done+009.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmKBOOzRdCyZ5i4I6x3HO7sz_L2WIVJOZeAecvH-yhav8qiNxF2e1MlyrTJoRymBD2Wawyzzd6Gf23vYfp12l0oSZG6-5GDYukddBVALHXJYBLDDuSgtdsrlo6sqH-Q1TYGZ87C3omU0o/s320/Annis2done+009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572550394186326498" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivphN5ZX7FhhpD3gWqNQF7nwSJ-Jmnz-MBk4wd55cZOyx5DemIuQ6onz6IgrpWbDfRdgrTOkQqDPzLUCJQ4QunSR8hoAB3mlY-zowp2j8d68G8QYiZgCE484vIH0RsiD8XSw1zq9YCZX8/s1600/Annis2done+010.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivphN5ZX7FhhpD3gWqNQF7nwSJ-Jmnz-MBk4wd55cZOyx5DemIuQ6onz6IgrpWbDfRdgrTOkQqDPzLUCJQ4QunSR8hoAB3mlY-zowp2j8d68G8QYiZgCE484vIH0RsiD8XSw1zq9YCZX8/s320/Annis2done+010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572550266129186018" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcMD0gDbN3mQ5X67SQyHIL3x6W5DGg71UGR3p3SvSdxhI9n-A_AughBYcFTvU53y7A6iQLca6vHcm0ex2HS5Cb2atvmC63k-FxPJYqCduTluALGADpx-_766tU6ILzBpmSHYOudcRNsA/s1600/Annis2done+011.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcMD0gDbN3mQ5X67SQyHIL3x6W5DGg71UGR3p3SvSdxhI9n-A_AughBYcFTvU53y7A6iQLca6vHcm0ex2HS5Cb2atvmC63k-FxPJYqCduTluALGADpx-_766tU6ILzBpmSHYOudcRNsA/s320/Annis2done+011.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572550174592031874" border="0" /></a><br />You get good bang for your buck with this pattern -- it's fast, it's enjoyable, it looks great. I've shied away from using multi-color yarns in lace before, because often the colors obscure the lace. I picked this color (Agatha dark, Wollmeise) because I thought it would be tonal enough to provide some color interest without looking like barf. I think it worked. I hope so, anyway. <br /><br />I love the scarf/shawl hybrid because they're lacy enough to provide interest without being so lacy that I feel conspicuous wearing them. I'd go ahead and knit another Annis, but I'm sick of nupps for the moment. I have other patterns like this to try out, so look for one coming up. <br /><br />Now that the Annis is done, I've picked up the second Paper Crane. Because I'm making this one a pullover, I can just go ahead and knit that bottom section in the round. I think it will go much faster... as fast as a laceweight sweater on size 2 needles can go, anyway. I've got three-quarters of an inch so far. I'm rocking and rolling, aren't I?<br /><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br />One of the things that has been brewing here in our little corner of the world for a few years has to do with crowding in the schools. Back when Sr. Jr. was in 1st grade, there was a big fight over re-drawing the boundaries in the schools. Our elementary school was overcrowded, and it seemed like rejiggering the boundaries might solve that. No one wanted that, there was a big stink, and ultimately nothing much was done. <br /><br />A couple of blocks away from us was a building that used to be an elementary school. Now it's being used to house the teacher day-care facilities, the teen pregnancy program, and a couple of other things. The plan was to rebuild and renovate that building, and some of us suggested turning it back into an elementary school. We argued that it was clear that the school-age population was growing and the county would need to deal with it. The county didn't agree. "It's just a blip," they said. "A momentary bulge in the school-age population." We looked around us, at all the young families moving in and having babies, twins, even, and wondered what county officials were smoking. The county seemed to have no clue, no matter what people tried to tell them.<br /><br />Now, all these years and several additional overcrowding fights later, the county has come to realize that it has a wee problem. Now, almost ALL the schools in the county are at or above capacity, with, again, almost ALL of them projected to be significantly overcrowded in another year or two. Our elementary school will be at nearly 150% of capacity soon, even after cramming classrooms in wherever they could, creating a mobile computer lab, adding trailers (oh, excuse me, <span style="font-style: italic;">relocatables</span>), and more. *<br /><br />The PTA has announced that the only thing we can do for our school at this point is add another trailer, but because of space constraints, the trailer that will be added for the 2011-12 school year will have to be on the blacktop. Yes -- on the playground. Sooooo, where will the kids play? How will the poor kids in the blacktop trailer be able to concentrate with the noise of kids playing right outside? This is ridiculous.<br /><br />The problem is that it's now almost too late to do anything about this. Changing school boundaries won't make a difference, because there's nowhere to move the kids to -- all the schools are overfull. It's a bit late to think about new construction. Many of the county buildings that used to be schools are really too old, small, and out-of-date to be repurposed.<br /><br />And what about the middle and high schools? All of the high schools were just renovated (some are still under construction!), and they're already over capacity.<br /><br />Long-range planning and thinking -- Arlington does not have it.<br /><br />* Most distressing were the comments on a local online article about this situation. Many people were blaming the crowding situation on illegal immigration. Arlington has traditionally been immigrant-friendly, but lately they've sold off some low-income properties to developers, reducing the availability of low-income housing. In fact, census figures show that in all of Northern Virginia, Arlington is the only county that saw a decrease in its non-caucasian population.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-10878088487925276082011-02-04T14:23:00.006-05:002011-02-04T14:37:59.079-05:00667The downside of my January finishing spree is that I was left with no projects to work on. Yeah, I cast on for a pair of plain old socks, but plain old socks just don't really satisfy that knitting urge. I had several different sweaters on my to-do list, so I broke out the needles and the yarns and started swatching. Failed to get gauge, or even close to it. Broke out some different yarns and swatched some more. Failed again. The sweaters that I want to knit are similar to Paper Crane in that they are knit in two different directions, which means that both row and stitch gauge are pretty important. No fudging allowed, at least not without some actual math taking place. I'm not averse to doing the math. I like math. I'm teaching my older son math (intensified algebra even), since his teacher isn't quite doing it. But I really wanted to be able to dive into a new project without having to do too much mental gymnastics first.<br /><br />So I decided to play around with my the laceweight yarn that I had left over from Paper Crane. I knit some swatches with it doubled, to see what kind of gauge and fabric I got. I like. When my swatches are dry, I'll post the results.<br /><br />This made me remember that I wanted to knit another Paper Crane, but in a pullover version. Yes, I know this just confirms my crazy. But I like the laceweight sweater. It's perfect for those transitional times in Fall and Spring when a full-on sweater is too heavy, but a long-sleeved t-shirt isn't nice enough. So I broke out another skein of laceweight (color: Spinaci) and cast on:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqhe52aOZpMmznlg8d6CH9N6WddzXv10n96RVqs4Q99n6749Yq1BcKJhPz_XDaDO9m1PSNaoyCvPqgv0iypk4gs7ekjyigcUUlWJhmjFWH5VzHXYWmp0YuxVBagXvUXpHAY7NmFXX15o/s1600/667+006.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnqhe52aOZpMmznlg8d6CH9N6WddzXv10n96RVqs4Q99n6749Yq1BcKJhPz_XDaDO9m1PSNaoyCvPqgv0iypk4gs7ekjyigcUUlWJhmjFWH5VzHXYWmp0YuxVBagXvUXpHAY7NmFXX15o/s320/667+006.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569918963428457842" border="0" /></a><br />Then I took some pictures of the Annis shawl I made for my friend, now that it's dry and the sun is out:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiietAVPfk4WfbpyNyZjMMrVZattShIJj7RCP1CXP28e6ZzedQ4p6iv7hW-XGCIKrVj9sJIkwsoEmdlIB29at7UBZNRQq6hOIglgTAhNNCuzTxYe4SYAcqL50zHts9DRcQbSbd33vfOW8/s1600/667+008.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiietAVPfk4WfbpyNyZjMMrVZattShIJj7RCP1CXP28e6ZzedQ4p6iv7hW-XGCIKrVj9sJIkwsoEmdlIB29at7UBZNRQq6hOIglgTAhNNCuzTxYe4SYAcqL50zHts9DRcQbSbd33vfOW8/s320/667+008.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569919217946553858" border="0" /></a><br />It's so pretty! And it was a pretty fast and easy project. My grab-it-and-go scarf tore, and I need a new scarf. So...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PHX9swvXHOwVnoPOm9mHVLcAgrVMaI524L_IoXF21DLEYNl2-MAx1VhF_02a1uJiz0RL31lXt1JLuoF0EkQ4J4bs0lhFO546RUD8_e4FmqLSpcuDxExmxI7MpuOrjPRl6XDiSzjhiEg/s1600/667+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5PHX9swvXHOwVnoPOm9mHVLcAgrVMaI524L_IoXF21DLEYNl2-MAx1VhF_02a1uJiz0RL31lXt1JLuoF0EkQ4J4bs0lhFO546RUD8_e4FmqLSpcuDxExmxI7MpuOrjPRl6XDiSzjhiEg/s320/667+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569919628083575858" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiietAVPfk4WfbpyNyZjMMrVZattShIJj7RCP1CXP28e6ZzedQ4p6iv7hW-XGCIKrVj9sJIkwsoEmdlIB29at7UBZNRQq6hOIglgTAhNNCuzTxYe4SYAcqL50zHts9DRcQbSbd33vfOW8/s1600/667+008.JPG"><br /></a>I cast on one for myself. It's a crappy picture, I know. The yarn is Wollmeise, again, and the colorway is Agatha, the dark version, which is a mix of black, dark blue, and dark red. <br /><br />Between the shawl and the sweater, I spent the day casting on 667 stitches. <br /><br />I am crazy.Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4266182378025878077.post-17155469160027509712011-01-31T12:54:00.006-05:002011-01-31T14:00:43.516-05:00The Grande Finale (of January, not the Blog)So... knitting first or navel gazing first? I think I'll do the knitting first, so that people who click over here from Ravelry don't have to indulge my neuroses.<br /><br />January has been a great month for churning out the finished objects. Many of them were already in progress on January 1st, but not all. So far this year I've finished off 2 sweaters (Paper Crane and Dark and Stormy), one pair of colorwork mittens (Fiddleheads), two pairs of socks (Event Horizon and Ember, below), and one lace shawl, Annis, also below. That's an impressive list, even if I do say so myself!<br /><br />The Ember socks are the final pair I knit for the stripey sock KAL on Ravelry. The yarn is, once again, Playful by <a href="http://www.twistedfiberart.com/">Twisted Fiber Art</a>, one of my favorites:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG-2DMUv8rHRTqR1SUBa8qhAttqYti9safnYB4V7lbY2ySUt4dBcvPlffXp6A2dhea6vEuTBIm9iyaIp80dNgZKL22qq_QIxG-UvpTVbeO3gn5s5l7w12AccN4UAFvOrqJ8G57lbElGU/s1600/emberdone+005.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsG-2DMUv8rHRTqR1SUBa8qhAttqYti9safnYB4V7lbY2ySUt4dBcvPlffXp6A2dhea6vEuTBIm9iyaIp80dNgZKL22qq_QIxG-UvpTVbeO3gn5s5l7w12AccN4UAFvOrqJ8G57lbElGU/s320/emberdone+005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568411678221247554" border="0" /></a><br />The stripes on the socks don't match, but I don't care. Interestingly, one foot has four of the dark stripes, and the other one has three, but by serendipity, both socks reached the point where I needed to start the heel right at the point in the orange stripe that matched the heel and toe yarn I had. I love this yarn so much -- the colors are amazing. Even colors I don't normally like, like orange, manage to fascinate me in Twisted yarn. The base makes a really warm and cushy sock that knits up quickly enough to be satisfying without making an overly thick sock.<br /><br />My final FO of the month is another gift. A friend of mine is having her bat mitzvah in a couple of weeks. She's already hosted her daughter's bat mitzvah, and has another three years before her son's. Even though she converted years ago, now is the time she gets to fulfill that goal.<br /><br />I thought back to the gifts I got when I was bat mitzvah'd and the gifts that Sr. Jr. got this summer and realized that a grown woman does not need pen and pencil sets, iTunes gift cards, luggage, contributions to her college fund, or shiney satin stuffed animals. All her hard work and dedication deserves something special, something just for her.<br /><br />I knew exactly which yarn to use -- Wollmeise's Hortensie, a blue/purple colorway like Hydrangeas. C has dark red hair and gorgeous blue eyes, so this yarn will look fabulous on her.<br /><br />I looked about for an appropriate pattern. I needed something pretty, but not too lacy. I settled on Annis, from Knitty last spring. I cast on 363 stitches and hoped that I could finish it in time.<br /><br />6 days later...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOfbDGH9ZS8wIkogd88xeYdc8n7-H5yA1-NQB61-hRNadO4cfRILn8WoF8fnUKreUJa2wl9TGd-GULE6kueMKptxTjw8qvFaBFtdG-NGtVg9eEhVo2DZdiy9qoz0WdyGlXTq-N4NHcY0/s1600/Annisblock+001.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOfbDGH9ZS8wIkogd88xeYdc8n7-H5yA1-NQB61-hRNadO4cfRILn8WoF8fnUKreUJa2wl9TGd-GULE6kueMKptxTjw8qvFaBFtdG-NGtVg9eEhVo2DZdiy9qoz0WdyGlXTq-N4NHcY0/s320/Annisblock+001.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568414371884763106" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk-3b34bQvwDsLyxoUPctoNGv_a0FrgFF8Y1N3rMnEXzblhLcETo_wvPeRbabYKsiDrg7W6ybuOBSwBPdgLTWA-TaT7c6VwzaqSUpYCtOLbQiPrbVnb2PNnnBdandoxXySUmPOcih6sI/s1600/Annisblock+002.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfk-3b34bQvwDsLyxoUPctoNGv_a0FrgFF8Y1N3rMnEXzblhLcETo_wvPeRbabYKsiDrg7W6ybuOBSwBPdgLTWA-TaT7c6VwzaqSUpYCtOLbQiPrbVnb2PNnnBdandoxXySUmPOcih6sI/s320/Annisblock+002.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568414461486270866" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXees8fgW1kkVPDDrvI3i0JqBkDVysrChlt09d8a9v-1fdB5uSrrg8RNi-HDtDboDXP26ONCvuTDcD1k2uXqNi_GiXaN6k3kQEt78rA6BpAHSgxjx3PSoeAxAWyQ3wjaEFWJB34Rw4Q0Y/s1600/Annisblock+003.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXees8fgW1kkVPDDrvI3i0JqBkDVysrChlt09d8a9v-1fdB5uSrrg8RNi-HDtDboDXP26ONCvuTDcD1k2uXqNi_GiXaN6k3kQEt78rA6BpAHSgxjx3PSoeAxAWyQ3wjaEFWJB34Rw4Q0Y/s320/Annisblock+003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5568414703678538978" border="0" /></a><br />The pattern was very nice to knit, notwithstanding the initial 363 stitch row! I want to knit one for myself now, too. <br /><br />And now I really don't have anything on the needles. No socks, no sweaters. I have one shawl I'm knitting with my handspun, but I'm not sure if I like that pattern. I may rip it and turn it into an Annis.<br /><br />I also plan to knit another Paper Crane, but in a pullover version. So yes, I'm just confirming how crazy I am by knitting another laceweight sweater on teeny tiny needles.<br /><br />________________________________________<br /><br />Ok, the navel-gazing section. <br /><br />I never thought parenting would be easy, but I also never expected how much I would second-guess myself and how much I would wonder whether I were doing the right thing. I suppose I should have, given that I do that in the rest of my life, but I didn't.<br /><br />An older colleague of mine once said that she laughed at all the women who thought that being home with their kids when they were two years old was so important, because in her experience, it wasn't until the kids hit puberty/middle school that the kids really needed more hands-on parenting. This is absolutely true.<br /><br />I constantly wonder: am I too hard on them? Am I not hard enough? Too involved? Not involved enough? Too indulgent? Not indulgent enough? Do I model the lessons I want to teach them? (Well, clearly not when it comes to cleaning their rooms. But I hope that I do in terms of what kind of person I am, and how I treat other people.)<br /><br />How do I motivate them to want to do their best? <br /><br />Sr. Jr., at 13, is at that age where all of these questions start popping up. He's so bright, but he coasts through school. He doesn't have to put too much effort into his schoolwork, which sometimes gets him in trouble. I think he gets surprised if he gets a bad grade, even if he hasn't studied. He wants to rush through things, do math in his head, skip steps. Then he gets discouraged and down on himself. He hides things from us, so that instead of having us help him get back on track, he just gets himself in deeper. <br /><br />He also thinks that it's middle school, and grades don't really matter that much. But several of the classes he's taking are high school level classes and his grades will go on his high school transcript.<br /><br />This is how he got a C in math first quarter. If he had come to us early on in the quarter, he probably could have ended up with a B or even an A. Most of the mistakes he made on tests were stupid mistakes made because he was rushing or being sloppy. Instead, it was a fight to wrestle him back on track. But he did get back on track, and his second quarter grade was much better.<br /><br />But -- and here's the important thing -- in order to get into the IB program that he wanted to do, he had to have all As and Bs, even in quarter grades. It doesn't matter one bit to them that the one quarter he got a C was an isolated event. It was enough to disqualify him. <br /><br />This is not a tragedy. Our home high school is one of the best in the country. His teachers have recommended an all-intensified class schedule for him. He will be fine. I think he would have liked the IB program. It suited his interests.<br /><br />And in the end, I think (I hope) that he's learned a lesson about the importance of really doing his best in school. <br /><br />After years of refusing to do anything even vaguely academic during the summer, he's decided he wants to do a summer enrichment program at UVA this summer. So maybe, just maybe, we're moving forward.<br /><br />I'm shocked I don't have more grey hair than I already do. (And yes, I recognize that we could be experiencing much more difficult parenting issues! I'm very thankful that we're not.)Loren Thttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03960126704097428609noreply@blogger.com2