tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-253054972024-03-05T17:54:32.731-05:00Likely Yarns: Tales of Knitting and Other Likely PursuitsKnitting, weaving, religion, books, life as a pastor's wife, and whatever else strikes my fancy -- hey, it's my blog.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.comBlogger184125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-64104844823017126192012-03-07T15:00:00.000-05:002012-03-07T15:00:31.362-05:00OMG! Really?!Not EVEN going to try to catch up. I blame my day job. If you stare at a computer screen all day for a living, who wants to spend more time staring at a computer screen in the evening? Especially if you do said staring-for-a-living from the home office. I generally don't even want to see my computer once I've finished work for the day.<br />
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Sigh. I should really just suck it up. I do realize how incredibly lucky I am that I: a) have a job; b) have a full-time job I can do from home; c) have a home in which to do said job; d) have a partner who mostly gets that just because I'm home all day doesn't mean I'm home all day, if you know what I mean; and e) have just enough of a social life that I remember what the world looks like beyond the house. Oh, and f) that I don't have to leave said job behind when we move to West Virginia later this Spring (more on that in the future).<br />
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So there.<br />
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And, yes, there has been fiber. Lots and lots of fiber over the past few months. Some of the highlights:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6478595973/" title="Overshot "Norse Kitchen" Towels by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6478595973_789ee5032e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Overshot "Norse Kitchen" Towels"></a></div><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/norse-kitchen-towels">Norse Kitchen Towels</a> for my SIL for Christmas. Pattern is "Norse Kitchen" from A Handweaver's Pattern Book. Warp and tabby weft are 16/2 cotton in fuchsia and the pattern weft is 8/2 cotton in carnation pink. These were great fun to weave (I do love overshot) and I am exceedingly pleased with how they turned out.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6478595221/" title="MIL's Towels by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7028/6478595221_0f05c8a745.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="MIL's Towels"></a></div><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/twill-towels">Twill towels</a>. Last fall I lucked into my dream loom (one of them): a 40" 4-shaft cherry Norwood. And is she ever gorgeous! She needed a good cleaning and some TLC with Howard's Feed n Wax and then she was ready to sit in the studio and glow. The first warp on her was 9 yards of snowy white 8/2 cotton, threaded for a rambler rose twill from Davison. The first two towels I wove were these yellow ones for my MIL for Christmas. I love how they turned out. I threaded straight-draw twill for 3/4" on either selvage, and rather than doing plain weave hems, I just wove 2" with a straight-draw treadling on either end of each towel. Made for nice even hems since there was no difference between the draw-in on the hems and the draw-in of the pattern.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6478596747/" title="Brown Cotlin Towels by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6478596747_673512a6ee.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Brown Cotlin Towels"></a></div>These brown towels with a weft of <a href="http://www.yarn.com/webs-weaving-spinning-weaving-yarns-valley-yarns/webs-weaving-yarns-valley-yarns-82-cotton-linen/">Valley Yarns 8/2 Cotton Linen</a> were for us. I loved working with this yarn. I have sworn off linen because of a really bad experience with it in my first weaving class, but this blend is quite a delight. I also wove two with Christmas colors (one with green hem and red body; the other reversed) which for some reason I never photographed. Hmmmm.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6846883419/" title="August Mystery Socks - Scales by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6846883419_42cb22b3a6.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="August Mystery Socks - Scales"></a></div>Yes, knitting, too. These were actually the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/scales">August Mystery Sock</a> for the Solid Socks group on Ravelry. I started them on time, but for some reason they got set aside sometime in September and only finished last month. Love the pattern, and totally love the Hairball Yarn wool-bamboo-nylon blend I chose to knit these with. I would link to her shop, but it's down right now. You can <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/yarns/brands/hairball-yarn">find her on Ravelry</a>, though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6407340911/" title="Dwell for Dad by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6407340911_d8bd675cac.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Dwell for Dad"></a></div>As soon as I saw these <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/dwell-house">adorable houses and trees</a> on the cover of the Knit Picks catalog I knew I had to make them for my FIL. He is the king of the Christmas village -- his is a major metropolitan area, complete with airport. These diminutive houses are perfect for a centerpiece, however, and he loved them. Yarn is Palette left over from other projects.<br />
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There's more, oh so much more. Perhaps later.<br />
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One final parting comment: I must make <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEss12/PATTcarousel.php">THESE</a>.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-9914378669264655222011-08-17T13:41:00.000-05:002011-08-17T13:41:44.936-05:00RIP My Dear Pupper<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3622718594/" title="It's a Good Thing I Love Him by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3622718594_a96aa828bf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="It's a Good Thing I Love Him"></a></center><br />
Yesterday we had to put our dear sweet Louie down. It was time -- he was old and had a catalog of health problems that had finally caught up with him. When he refused even cheese puffs and didn't seem to even know who we were, we knew we had to let him go.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/2916467272/" title="King of the World by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2916467272_bfccf8b11d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="King of the World"></a></center><br />
When we adopted him, almost exactly 5 years ago, no one thought he would live a year. He'd had a rough time of it alone on the streets, and the catalog of problems led our vet at the time to remind us, "the tail still works". And that become our barometer for the dog: if his tail was still working the rest of it was not so important, but once the tail stopped working we knew it was time.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3894030900/" title="Pupper at Picacho by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3894030900_d2b821a8aa.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Pupper at Picacho"></a></center><br />
A 60-lb dog leaves a really big hole in your heart and in your house. I hadn't realized until he was gone just how much of a Louie-sense I had developed. During my working day, part of me was always listening to know where he was in the house and whether he needed anything. Now it's like an open phone line with no one on the other end.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/6053192827/" title="P3140114 by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6194/6053192827_f55b03cda7.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="P3140114"></a></center><br />
We will miss you, dear friend.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-19586782373519971632011-01-19T11:04:00.002-05:002011-01-26T21:40:29.004-05:00Folding, More Folding, and a Lot of TrianglesI blame my college friend <a href="http://capitalcity.blogspot.com/">Lisa</a> for this. A casual comment she made on my Facebook page lead to an idea that wouldn't go away: what if I DID commit to doing something creative every day? Of course, I do something creative most days, but it is all in service to larger projects -- it's a rare day when I actually COMPLETE something, and I almost never do something entirely in one day. What if I did? And what if it had nothing to do with yarn? What if it was something that challenged me? What if it was something I'd never done that would be like learning to ride a bike as an adult?<br />
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Enter origami. Aside from the occasional fortune teller or paper airplane as a kid, I had never done it, never really even been interested in it, but somehow it became my <a href="http://makesomething365.blogspot.com/">Make Something Every Day</a> challenge. Could I make an origami something, start to finish every day? And, perhaps more difficult, could I commit to blog it every day?<br />
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Ahem, <a href="http://365origami.blogspot.com/">so far so good</a>. And it's been fun. Taking a bit of time every day during my lunch break (working from home and setting my own schedule helps here) to do something completely different has been freeing and interesting and challenging and just plain fun.<br />
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And when a madman opened fire at a meeting my Congressperson was having with constituents, the simple, meditative act of <a href="http://365origami.blogspot.com/2011/01/origami-5-seven-lilies.html">folding seven lilies</a> gave me a bit of peace.<br />
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Of course, not one to stick with basics, I found origami tessellations and spent part of yesterday evening making these:<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/5370289774/" title="Star Puff Tessellation by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5370289774_39c9ef864e.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Star Puff Tessellation" /></a></center><br />
They're called star puffs, and you can read about them and where I found the patterns on the Flickr page.<br />
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And now, it seems, I'm folding my weaving, too.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/5369697543/" title="Handwoven Bag(s) by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5043/5369697543_fe3ca17fbd.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Handwoven Bag(s)" /></a></center><br />
The path from the long strip of woven fabric on the right to the in-need-of-lining purse on the left is detailed at <a href="http://donisdelis.blogspot.com/2009/01/little-tutorial.html">Doni's Delis</a>, and it is surprisingly simple: a couple of folds, a couple of seams, and voila! a bag which only awaits a day off warm enough to play in water outside so I can dye the lining fabric and finish it off.<br />
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<b>Warp:</b> 6 yards #10 black crochet cotton<br />
<b>Weft:</b> a collection of yarns (mostly cotton, rayon and blends) about the grist of 3/2 cotton<br />
<b>Sett:</b> 18 epi (8" wide in the reed)<br />
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Each strip was woven from half of the warp (allowing 20" for loom waste on the Voyageur), and each has a short hem in the warp thread which is folded under to create a clean edge at the top of the bag.<br />
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This all started because Mom wanted to weave while my parents were here at Christmas, so I set up the Voyageur with a 3 yard warp of the crochet cotton and set her loose. The bag she created (alas, I have no pictures) was beautiful, and I wanted one (or two) for myself.<br />
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And the equilateral triangles which form the base for the origami pieces above have crept into my knitting.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/5178800715/" title="Pyramid Vest - fronts and start of back by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1337/5178800715_865552dd55.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Pyramid Vest - fronts and start of back" /></a></center><br />
This is the Pyramid Vest from Dazzling Knits. I had so much fun with the Dream Coat and my sock yarn blankie that I wanted to do something else modular. Vests (even wool ones) are fairly practical for the winter here in Tucson, so I figured this black Stacy Charles Baci M had bought to make a sweater would be perfect. The contrasting yarns are mostly Berroco Pure Merino, though there are odds and ends of other stuff in there, too. This picture was a while ago -- I have only three more pyramids left to do on the back before I do the pyramids that join the front and back. Then I will block the whole thing to determine how big I need to make the underarm pieces.<br />
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Lots of other knitting and weaving happening (and happened for the holidays), including a stealth test knit project that has felt doomed from the beginning but which may actually see completion this month. Hope to be able to share some of it in the coming days.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-91368639783506928232011-01-06T15:45:00.001-05:002011-01-06T17:37:05.945-05:00Looms at New YearsI'm a bit behind on this, but I swear the pictures were current on January 1. <a href="http://megweaves.blogspot.com/2011/01/day-in-life-of-looms-2011.html">Meg</a> encourages weavers to document the state of their looms as the new year dawns.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/5331232442/" title=""Kit" My 4-shaft Purrington by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5122/5331232442_f6b001f357.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt=""Kit" My 4-shaft Purrington" /></a></center><br />
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"Kit" is a 4-shaft, 6-treadle 32" Purrington workshop loom, and an old one. She had at least a few owners before she came to me (not sure which one is responsible for the green stains (from a marker, I believe) on the aprons and the castle, but they only add character. She spent the holiday season folded up in a corner of the studio because it had to be converted into a guest bedroom while my parents were here. This is probably a good thing, because (while I would love to just throw another towel warp on her, or a baby blanket -- shhhh -- or some yardage I'm imagining) what I really need to do is clean her and give her some TLC. She's full of dust; lams are in need of some lubrication; frames could stand some cleaning and sanding; two of her treadles were damaged when we moved (a friend kindly made me some new treadles, but I need to do some adjusting before I can install them); heddle bars are in need of cleaning and oiling. It's just time for a tune-up. I hope to get to it before the end of the month.<br />
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<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/5327479764/" title="Fall-Winter Bag by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5090/5327479764_814114cc94.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Fall-Winter Bag" /></a></center><br />
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"Sammy", on the other hand, is newer and fairly clean and rarely naked these days. She's a 12-shaft 15 3/4" Voyageur table loom. This is a great loom for just about anything I weave ("treadling" on a table loom is a bit slower than a loom with treadles, but I find I can get into a pretty good rhythm and move right along, even on fairly complex patterns). She spent the holidays in the living room because Mom wanted to weave. I put on a warp of #10 black crochet cotton (18epi sett, 3 yards, 8" wide) and gave her a collection of cotton, rayon and blend yarns about the grist of 3/2 cotton to play with for weft. Most of her weaving was clasped weft -- changing colors as the spirit moved. Before they left, I sewed the strip she wove (she did weave the whole warp) into a <a href="http://donisdelis.blogspot.com/2009/01/little-tutorial.html">Don's Delis bag</a> for her. She'll line and finish it when she gets back to her fabric stash in Florida.<br />
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I really liked the fabric she made and the simplicity of the bag, so after they left and I got the room cleaned up and the looms back where they "belong" I put on a 6 yard warp of #10 black crochet cotton to make two for myself. Here is the first one started.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-88809141849564947472010-07-15T13:11:00.004-05:002010-07-15T16:29:43.257-05:00Beware the Pomegranate PopsiclesIt's hot here in Tucson. I mean, really hot (though not nearly as hot as it's going to get in a few weeks, yay). So, M and I have taken to filling the freezer with Dreyer's (Edy's for those of you East of the Mississippi) Fruit Bars as a healthier alternative to ice cream. And now they come in all these healthy-sounding flavors like blueberry-acai and pomegranate. And they are tasty, but I need to warn everyone to be careful with the pomegranate ones -- they bite. Remember the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIR759wIjdg">light post scene</a> in A Christmas Story? Well, these popsicles won't stick to your tongue, but they do have a nasty habit of grabbing onto your inner lip and not letting go. Ouch!<br /><br />Don't say I didn't warn you! Now, on to the fiber....<br /><br />Taking it slow so I don't overwhelm the blog or myself, I think I'll start with something a bit different, a weaving project.<br /><br />A few months ago, M came home and said that someone at church had suggested that we get our interim minister a nice handmade stole as a going away present. M, of course, piped up and said that I could probably make him one. It would have to be something that would remind him of the southwest and his time with us, perhaps a bit over the top, and it should be makeable primarily with yarn from the stash.<br /><br />And why not learn something along the way? After I pretty much decided that I wanted motifs of a saguaro cactus and our church's unique twisted cross, I figured I needed to learn inlay, specifically Theo Moorman inlay. I searched, and I read articles, and I desperately wished my public library had a better selection of weaving books, and I read some more. I even put in a call to <a href="http://sbweavingdesigns.com/">Sandra Briney</a> (whose work makes me drool) who agreed to let me watch her weave to see how it's done (though we never were able to actually connect). But eventually, you just have to dress the loom and play with it, right?<br /><br />So I did. The test warp was two reddish shades of Valley Cotton 5/2 and some burgundy sewing thread. The cotton (sett: 16 epi) was threaded for plain weave on shafts 1 & 2; the thread (sett: 8 epi) was threaded for plain weave on shafts 3 & 4; order of the threads was 2 cotton/1 thread across the warp with four ends of cotton on either side. Winding the warp was fun (NOT!). I used the warping paddle, but the thread was so fine that it tangled terribly and made things difficult -- though I'm convinced not as tedious as winding one end at a time would have been.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4797168156/" title="Moorman Inlay Saguaro Test by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4120/4797168156_ebd79421e8.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Moorman Inlay Saguaro Test" /></a></center><br />Here it is -- my first ever attempt at weaving inlay. The process is fairly simple, and the possibilities with this technique are just about endless. I was hooked.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4797168246/" title="Moorman Inlay Cross by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4134/4797168246_fd024d03c6.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Moorman Inlay Cross" /></a></center><br />Since there was a bunch of warp left after I finished testing both of the cartoons for the stole, I decided to play. I kinda like this cross (supplemental weft is some leftover ArtYarns Ultramerino 4).<br /><br />Then it was time to get down to business. I decided (to avoid having to do either of the motifs upside down, as well as to avoid tension issues caused by the difference in takeup between the ground warp and the inlay warp) to do the two sides of the stole as separate pieces and seam at the top.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4775057467/" title="The &quot;Front&quot; of Jeff's Stole by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4775057467_c1c7458ee0.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="The &quot;Front&quot; of Jeff's Stole" /></a></center><br />Here are the two pieces after washing, but before stole assembly. If I had it to do again, I would make the saguaro narrower to balance it a bit better with the cross, but all-in-all I was very pleased.<br /><br />But the stole needed a back, for two reasons: 1) it was a bit light with just the single layer of cotton; and 2) how many times, really, is one going to wear a stole with a saguaro on it in Minnesota? A green stole (the color for ordinary time, which is the majority of the liturgical year) should be a bit more universal than that.<br /><br />So a back it got. The original plan was for a plain green field with some doubleweave blocks of white in an offset stripe, so I wound a warp with the same greens I'd used for the front of the stole with a secondary warp of natural 1.5" wide 1.5" in from one side. But the blocks weren't to be because when I wove the doubleweave section in a twill to join the two warps I liked the look of twill so well I never looked back.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4775057671/" title="Twill Detail by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4775057671_cb13889e31_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Twill Detail" /></a></center><br />Backing fabric woven, all that was left was assembly and fringing, and a stole was born.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4786834788/" title="Jeff's Gifts by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4786834788_fd55923f72.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Jeff's Gifts" /></a></center><br />Here it is on the altar, flanked by the two gorgeous stained glass plates handmade by another member as part of Jeff's going away gift (no one can say we don't treat our pastors, even the interims, well on the way out).<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4786205251/" title="Jeff With HIs Stole by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4137/4786205251_b009170321.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Jeff With HIs Stole" /></a></center><br />And here it is on Jeff. I feel so short -- this stole hangs all the way to my ankles, and on him it comes to just below the knees.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Project Details (Front)</span><br /><br /><b>Warp:</b> Valley Cotton 5/2 #5934 and 5398<br /><b>Inlay Warp: </b> Polyester machine embroidery thread in dark sage<br /><b>Weft:</b> Valley Cotton 5/2 #5934<br /><b>Inlay Weft:</b> Louisa Harding Jasmine #6<br /><b>Sett:</b> 16 epi (cotton)/8 epi (thread)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Project Details (Back)</span><br /><b>Warp:</b> Valley Cotton 5/2 #5934 and 5398<br /><b>Secondary Warp:</b> Valley Cotton 5/2 #8176<br /><b>Weft:</b> Valley Cotton 5/2 #5934<br /><b>Sett:</b> 16 epi (32 epi in the doubleweave section)<br /><b>Doubleweave twill section:</b> 1.5" wide set 1.5" in from the edgeSandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-40793141943207513932010-04-16T15:50:00.003-05:002010-04-16T15:53:09.994-05:00I LOVE MY CHURCH!Today, the United Church of Christ premiered its Internet-only ad. This is what a progressive, grace-filled, diverse and loving church looks like.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10977915&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10977915&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-481371815871447552010-03-02T15:04:00.003-05:002010-03-02T17:11:50.785-05:00In Which a Trip Through the Olympics with Pink Socks and a Traveling Woman Leads to the ClapFirst, an Olympic report: I am claiming victory, though not a Gold Medal, in the struggle. As the Canadians were barely beating the Americans in the gold medal hockey game, I was weaving in the last of the ends of the flap of the Olympic Satchel.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4397685603/" title="East Meets West Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4397685603_c3f35ee4fe.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="East Meets West Satchel" /></a></center>After a good long soak to relax all those tortured fibers, it got pinned out to dry. I have to admit that the intarsia section doesn't look as awful as I had feared (but note, I'm not providing a closeup pic just yet), and the stranded pieces came out great. I still need to do some duplicate stitching on the flap to add some dimension. Since I need to use the pieces to make the pattern for the lining, I either need to find something to make a pattern from then get to assembly or wait until M and I can get to the fabric store together to pick out the lining fabric so I can cut it out before assembling the bag.<br /><br />Victory? I survived intarsia -- that's always a victory. To be perfectly honest, because the bag needs to be lined, I never expected that I would finish it by the end of the games, but at least I managed to finish the majority of the knitting (after assembly, there's about a mile of applied i-cord to do). And there's sooo much yarn left -- but I have a plan that maybe, just maybe, involves another shawl or two.<br /><br />In other pink/purple knitting news, the Pink Breeze socks are done, and I love them.<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4395704790/" title="A Cool Pink Breeze by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2794/4395704790_c2e2ea3b17.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="A Cool Pink Breeze" /></a></center><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTbreeze.html">Breeze</a> by Jennifer Appleby from Knitty, Summer 07<br /><b>Yarn:</b> <a href="http://www.kollageyarns.com/">Kollage Yarns</a> Luscious in magenta, 2 skeins<br /><b>Needle:</b> Knit Picks Harmony 2.5mm 32" circ<br /><b>Mods:</b> added a 2" cuff; did plain slip-stitch heel flap<br /><br />As I mentioned before, these magical socks fit my not-narrow size 8 feet and M's narrow size 10s just perfectly. And being cotton and short, they'll have a long wearing season here in Tucson (well, as long a wearing season as any socks have in the land of sandals). And I have mentioned on more than one occasion just how much I love working with Luscious.<br /><br />And then there's the beauty I can't wait to get off the blocking board so I can wear it<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4401067319/" title="Traveling Woman Shawl -- blocking by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2776/4401067319_b768004a71.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Traveling Woman Shawl -- blocking" /></a></center><br /><b>Pattern:</b> Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante<br /><b>Yarn:</b> <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/selana1505">Handarbeitskram by Selana</a> sockyarn in "pink is beautiful", 1 skein<br /><b>Needle:</b> Knit Picks Nickel-Plated interchangeable, #6 w/32" cord<br /><b>Mods:</b> Increased stockinette section to 187 stitches; worked 4 repeats of chart A because I wanted to use all of the yarn. And I did use all of the yarn, plus about 1/2 yard of something else to finish the bind off.<br /><b>Dimensions:</b> 52" wide and 16" deep before blocking; 68" wide and 24" deep after blocking<br /><br />I already love this shawl, and it's not even off the blocking board yet. Must wear it the first chance I get because it's nearing the end of shawl season here.<br /><br />Next on the needles? A Clapotis -- I'm finally going to join the masses who've knitted and loved this pattern. Many moons ago I fell in love with some Jitterbug in Raphael and had to have it. Now, it is destined to become a Clapotis. Because I have only two skeins, it will be narrower -- plan is to weigh the ball, increase to 89-95 or so stitches (will decide when I get there), weigh the ball again to see how much the increase section took, then knit until I have just a bit more yarn than that left before starting the decreases. After reading a lot of notes on Ravelry, I've decided to start with a size 6 needle.<br /><br />And, just because I can, gratuitous pictures of the stranded bits of the bag:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4397685803/" title="East Meets West Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4064/4397685803_24a405bf7d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="East Meets West Satchel" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4398452212/" title="East Meets West Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2723/4398452212_d5cac310bc_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="East Meets West Satchel" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4397685677/" title="East Meets West Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4397685677_f1db7f435e_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="East Meets West Satchel" /></a>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-53827702253296196892010-02-22T10:03:00.002-05:002010-02-22T12:54:51.607-05:00Monday is for EndsThese ends to be exact:<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4379294020/" title="East Meets West Satchel - have some more ends by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4379294020_9290a9964e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="East Meets West Satchel - have some more ends" /></a></center>I finished knitting the body of the East Meets West Satchel last night (you'll have to take my word for it that I have already finished -- and even sewn in the ends on -- the strap -- right now a photograph would just look like a rolled bit of knitting, cuz that's pretty much what it is) -- today I must sew in the ends, secure and cut the steek, then pick up the stitches for the intarsia (yuck!) flap. Entering the home stretch as the Olympics enter their final week.<br /><br />Of course, I lose a whole boatload of knitting time this coming weekend because M and I are going to a workshop Friday evening and all day Saturday, so I need to crank on this. Fortunately, the body pattern (knit starting with 478 stitches and decreasing over 65 rows down to 22) was a bit addictive, so I had no problem spending most of Sunday working on it while watch the Olympics (it has surprised me how easy it has been to knit this and watch the Olympics at the same time). I suppose I should admit that I have a late-night curling problem, so last night's bonus, bonus coverage of the overtime Canada-China women's game gave me the chance to finish the last couple of rounds.<br /><br />[Anyone else just a bit obsessed with the curling? I have been fascinated by the sport since the first time I saw it (probably on ABC's Wide World of Sports when I was a kid). It's as least as much strategy as physical skill, which I think is probably the biggest reason I find it appealing (that, and how many other Olympic athletes are older than I am, really?). Besides, curling and hockey are the only things we get to see live here in the west. All that stuff the rest of you get to see live -- nope, not us. In fact, last night we watched much of the US-Canada hockey game live as it was happening (and nearly gave the cats heart failure when they scored that empty-netter) -- two hours later, we are watching the delayed broadcast of the prime time coverage on NBC and they break in to the bobsledding to show the end of the hockey game. I try to find it amusing and not annoying and satisfy myself with the fact that a lot of the stuff shown on the "live" prime time broadcast isn't really live anyway.]<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4379293870/" title="East Meets West Satchel - body by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4379293870_6d767596c3.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="East Meets West Satchel - body" /></a></center>Thought you might like to see a picture of the "pretty" side of the body -- pre-blocking, so it's all nice and wrinkly.<br /><br /><b>Pink and Breezy</b><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4378551529/" title="Breeze in Hot Pink by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4378551529_426d98ac66_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Breeze in Hot Pink" /></a></center>Just to prove that it's not all stranded colorwork here, a finished "Breeze" sock in luscious magenta Luscious. This sock is like magic. Not only was it a joy to knit, but it magically fits my wide-ish size 8 feet AND M's narrow-ish size 10s. Now that's a sock I can love. I documented the mods I made to <a href="http://www.thewoollenearth.com/blog.php">Jennifer</a>'s original <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTbreeze.html">Knitty pattern</a> on <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2010/02/february-is-for-pink.html">Thursday</a>.<br /><br />Oh, and the thing that made M say "I hate you" twice in the last week? The strap for this bag starts with a 450-stitch cast-on; the body with a 478-stitch cast-on. Each time, I finished the long tail cast-on with about 16" of yarn left. Purely luck, I swear, but it made my day.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-76925090394222959682010-02-18T12:40:00.006-05:002010-02-18T14:18:33.938-05:00February is for PinkHonest, I didn't plan it that way, but all of my current projects are some shade of pink or pink and purple:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4367735821/" title="Band Insertion Complete -- wider view by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4367735821_61a79360a7.jpg" alt="Band Insertion Complete -- wider view" width="500" height="375" /></a></center>The East Meets West Satchel kit from <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com/">KnitPicks</a> in the purples colorway (which is really a whole lot of pink AND purple). This is the strap with the pink flower motif band insertion.<br /><br />Last night I finished the 24-row insertion -- while watching Lindsey, Shani and Shaun all bring home the gold -- phew! I don't know for whom I am more relieved: myself, or the athletes who managed to live up to the hype.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4368482680/" title="Band Insertion Complete -- short rows by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2755/4368482680_8fb5c3ae99_m.jpg" alt="Band Insertion Complete -- short rows" width="240" align="right" height="180" /></a><br /><br />As you can see from this picture the band is shaped with short rows to allow the bottom of the bag to widen gracefully from the handle. It's a very nice construction, and I do like the finished product, but ugh!, stranded colorwork knitted flat just isn't any fun. There's a reason that steeks exist, and I have to say that I am very, VERY happy that the body of the bag is knit in the round and steeked rather than knit in two pieces. But I'm done with that portion now, and it's knitting in the round for the forseeable future (I'm thinking after all that stranded purling, the intarsia of the flap is gonna be nothing).<br /><br />That picture also gives a hint at one of the "joys" of this kind of colorwork: ends, ends, ends. Is now that proper time to confess that I actually enjoy most of the finishing process, INCLUDING weaving in ends?<br /><br /><b>Pink Thing #2</b><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4366458616/" title="Pink Breeze by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4366458616_4776deafe4.jpg" alt="Pink Breeze" width="375" height="500" /></a></center>Okay, this one I confess was planned to be pink, since pink is the February color for the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/groups/solidsocks">Solid Socks</a> challenge on <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/">Ravelry</a>.<br /><br />Yarn is Kollage Yarns Luscious, a luscious blend of 63% cotton/37% nylon elastic, that is a joy to work with, a little heavier in the knitting than other sock yarns, and oh-so-soft in the wearing. Have I mentioned that I love this yarn? The pattern is Jennifer Appleby's <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer07/PATTbreeze.html">Breeze</a> from Knitty a couple years back.<br /><br />Because the rules of the challenge specify a complete sock, and to make them more wearable (I wear footies to work out, and that's about it), I'm making these as short socks. I cast on 60 stitches and knit 5 rounds to get the rolled cuff. For the leg, I did two of the cable/lace panel without the garter stitches at the edge (one for the front and one for the back), and since I needed to add 4 more stitches, I added a mock cable at either side (which then splits at the gusset with one stitch going to the front and on becoming part of the heel). Make sense? I also used a simple slip stitch heel rather than the cabled one in the pattern.<br /><br /><b>Pink Thing #3</b><br /><br />So, the bag is for knitting in front of the TV (21 balls of yarn and a whole book for the pattern doesn't make for portability); the Breeze socks are for knitting when the Olympics get too interesting to follow a chart; the <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2010/02/back-for-olympics.html">Traveling Woman Shawl</a> (pink thing #4) is resting for right now; but Sandy had nothing to knit while sitting in class or a workshop or while watching a movie, so:<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4366458714/" title="A Simple Sock by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4366458714_0a925bb765.jpg" alt="A Simple Sock" width="375" height="500" /></a></center>The most basic-est of socks. Toe-up, short-row (probably) heel, stockinette stitch -- I can knit it in my sleep. Yarn is Filatura di Crosa Maxime Print Soft Socks.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4367857653/" title="Key-Key and Willow by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2697/4367857653_b23ee4085b.jpg" alt="Key-Key and Willow" width="500" height="375" /></a></center>That cat picture I <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2010/02/back-for-olympics.html">posted before</a>? Here they are today. Big difference, huh? That first picture was taken last September shortly after we adopted Willow (who was 4.5 months and 4.5 lbs at the time). Willow is now closer to 6 lbs and no longer has a baby face, but as you can see, she and K-Man are still the best of friends.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-81682069896937779942010-02-12T10:48:00.002-05:002010-02-12T14:49:13.039-05:00Back for the OlympicsYeah, okay, it's been FOREVER, but I have my reasons (a vacation, a move, a crisis at church, a death in the family, a new addition to the family, good reasons all).<br /><br />So, I am doing Stephanie's <a href="http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2010/02/10/the_2010_knitting_olympics.html">Knitting Olympics</a> this year, and I don't want anyone to tell me the project I've chosen isn't challenging enough. It's pretty darn challenging when you consider it needs to be done in two weeks while watching sports on television.<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4352018278/" title="East Meets West Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2682/4352018278_a927280867.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="East Meets West Satchel" align="center" /></a></center><br />This is the East Meets West Satchel kit in the purple colorway. I bought it for M for Christmas, knowing that she wasn't going to tackle it, but also knowing she fell in love with it when we first saw it in the catalog. I am looking forward to working on it, especially since my knitting of late has consisted of a lot of lace and a lot of felting (which I promise to share with the blog over the next few days). It'll be a nice change of pace to do some colorwork on tiny needles.<br /><br />As you can see, I've already made myself a color card. There are 21 different colors in this thing, half of which are shades of pink and purple I could never keep straight without some help. My fingers are itching to cast on tonight.<br /><br />Just off the needles (and off the blocking board):<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4351248609/" title="Leaf and Trellis Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4351248609_61ab40484f.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Leaf and Trellis Shawl" /></a></center><br /><b>Pattern:</b> Leaf and Trellis Shawl from Victorian Lace Today<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in garnet, used approx 1145m<br /><b>Needles:</b> Knit Picks nickel-plated interchangeable 4mm with 32" cable and Knit Picks Harmony 8" DP 4mm for the border<br /><b>Mods:</b> As have many people with patterns from this book, I was going to run out of yarn if I used the beautiful border in the book, so I doodled up a very simple border which echoes the trellis pattern in the body of the shawl and allowed me to complete the shawl with 14g of yarn to spare. Also, the Silky Alpaca Lace is slightly finer than the yarn called for in the pattern, so I went down a needle size.<br /><br />This is my first entry in the 10 Shawls in 2010 Challenge on Ravelry. I had originally hoped and planned to have it done in January, but it seemed to have a mind of its own (and then there was the freak eye injury thanks to one of the cats that kept me sidelined from knitting anything more complex than a garter-stitch blanket for a couple of days), so it wasn't off the needles until this past Wednesday.<br /><br />I thoroughly enjoyed the knitting of this project and have become a convert to the knitted-on border idea. It's a little awkward at first, what with all that weight of the body getting in the way of working on the border, but once I was under way it was a delight. And I love the stitch pattern so much that I actually plan on making us some curtains (okay, valances and/or cafe curtains) using it sometime soon.<br /><br />Next up for the 10 Shawls Challenge, Traveling Woman by Liz Abinante (aka <a href="http://feministy.com/">Feministy</a>). I already have the feeling that this will become (like my <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2009/08/back-online-with-fingers-crossed.html">Daybreak Shawl</a> has) a favorite:<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/4352008046/" title="Traveling Woman Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4352008046_394fa7b519.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Traveling Woman Shawl" /></a></center><br />The yarn is <a href="http://selana1505.etsy.com/">Handarbeitskrom by Selana</a> Handpainted Sock Yarn in colorway "Pink is Beautiful", and I am loving the way the colors (more purple than pink, really) play in the stockinette portion of the shawl. I will probably keep this one around for the Olympics for when I need a break from colors and charts and just want to watch <a href="http://www.shaunwhite.com/">Shaun White</a> flip and fly.<br /><br />Check back soon for details on this:<br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3920847774/" title="Big Brother by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3536/3920847774_702fcee83d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Big Brother" /></a></center><br />And why we are now trying to furnish a massive outdoor room.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-22750644368797308082009-08-31T11:30:00.002-05:002009-08-31T15:41:46.905-05:00Back Online (with fingers crossed)<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868921276/" title="K-Man Lounging by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2636/3868921276_636ec14dce_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="K-Man Lounging" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>So, I've been having these weirdly predictable problems with my Internet connection for a while now. Every afternoon, sometime between 1:30 and 2:30 I would simply lose my connection -- then it would return anywhere from 5:30 to 7:00. Strange. ISP had no problems on their end, so finally on Friday a very nice tech came and, finding nothing wrong with the lines, etc here at the house, suggested just swapping out our old modem (which we own) for a leased one and seeing if that fixes the problem. If it does, I can go buy a new modem and return the leased one.<br /><br />Well, I can say the Internet did not cut out Friday afternoon. The real test will be this afternoon and tomorrow afternoon. Fingers crossed that it works because I kinda rely on my Internet connection to make a living.<br /><br />In the meantime, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/daybreak">Enchanted Daybreak</a> is done! And I love it. The interplay of the colors is just great; it's just the right size to keep a chill off; and the shape means it stays on my shoulders without a pin. It's just great.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868144623/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2653/3868144623_0a28d595b0.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl" /></a><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daybreak">Daybreak Shawl</a> by <a href="http://westknits.blogspot.com">Stephen West</a> -- I made the largest size<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering "Orange You Glad" and Noro Kureyon Sock #185, 1 ball each<br /><b>Needle:</b> Addi 32" #4<br /><b>Mods:</b> Well, to avoid running out of yarn halfway through the bindoff, I actually bound this off on the last wrong side knit row.<br /><br />As I <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2009/08/yummy-yarns-cuddly-wrap-and-enchanted.html">mentioned</a>, when I saw Stefanie's blog post about her Daybreak Shawl, I wandered over to <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daybreak">Rav</a> to see what others had done, and knew immediately that I had to make this shawl and that I had to make it with this Kureyon Sock.<br /><br />The knitting of the shawl was pretty straightforward, and I needed to refer to the pattern for only the first couple of rows of each section. And I only used a row counter for the first (solid) section. After that it was simply a matter of counting stripes and/or "purl" rows to keep track of where I was. By then end, each row was taking 12-15 minutes to knit and the needle was pretty full of stitches (I have deliberately not done the math to figure out just how many stitches were on the needles by the end -- it was a lot).<br /><br />We had company coming for the weekend, so instead of wet-blocking or pinning out and steam blocking (both of which require the guest room to be free of guests for at least a day and a half), I simply gave the shawl a good ironing. I like the results very much.<br /><br />And just because I love this shawl so, more pix (of course, clicking will take you to full size image at Flickr):<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868144117/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3868144117_a53c1375b5_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868923452/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2624/3868923452_e6afcfdb13_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868143529/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3868143529_1f49575899_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3868141335/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl (pre-block) by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2525/3868141335_d299b87f91_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Shawl (pre-block)" /></a><br /><br />Color is probably most accurate in the pictures of it resting on the bird of paradise.<br /><br />And remember the two skeins of Indigo Moon I needed to do something with? Well, what do you think?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3874963842/" title="Crabapple Sunshine by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3874963842_ae3f6135e8.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Crabapple Sunshine" /></a><br /><br />This is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/sunshine">#1</a> of a pair of <a href="http://www.cookiea.com/">Cookie A</a>'s <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sunshine-11">Sunshine Socks</a> from Sock Innovation. Loving the color; loving the yarn; and loving how the yarn shows off the texture of the stitch pattern. Now on to sock #2.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-8640186477866337952009-08-27T09:38:00.003-05:002009-08-27T12:07:29.632-05:00Random Thursday (Because the Internet Went out Wednesday)1. As Levi Leipheimer said when Tweeting it, "Check out these mad biking skills."<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b36Yi-Pb1wM&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b36Yi-Pb1wM&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />2. Ever wondered what your favorite journalists, foodies, techies and fashion gurus read online every day? Now you can check it out with Google Readers' <a href="http://www.google.com/googlereader/powerreaders2/index.html">Featured Readers</a>.<br /><br />3. I saw this great story about the <a href="http://www-cdn.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=111534239">Big Gay Ice Cream Truck</a> a couple weeks ago. You can follow his exploits on his <a href="http://www.biggayicecreamtruck.com/">blog</a>.<br /><br />4. Don't ask because I haven't a clue what it's about, but this car was parked on the street in downtown Grand Rapids, MI, while we were there for Synod. <br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3683455038/" title="Deer on a Car? by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3683455038_bb825ce008_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Deer on a Car?" /></a><br />I'm sure it had nothing to do with Synod, and (as you can tell if you click on the picture to see the original at Flickr) the deer aren't real. It certainly had us all quite amused for a couple of days.<br /><br />5. This one is just for the word/grammar geeks out there: <a href="http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/users/goguen/zoo/">The UC San Diego Semiotic Zoo</a>. "The UC San Diego Semiotic Zoo (UCSZ) is proud to present a special exhibition of exotic specimens and fabulous mutations, captured live in the jungles of academic discourse, and assembled here with great care for your entertainment and edification." Hours of fun for the whole family! Really.<br /><br />6. Two things about this next picture:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3622718594/" title="It's a Good Thing I Love Him by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3628/3622718594_a96aa828bf.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="It's a Good Thing I Love Him" /></a><ul><li>It's a good thing I love him because, while that's not a favorite shoe, it is one I wore frequently; and</li><li>Look closely at his face. What if I tell you this picture was taken a couple of months AFTER we had his left eye removed? Spooky, huh?</li></ul>7. And finally, I got a new cell phone last week, a Samsung Eternity. I wanted something that was capable of web browsing and stuff, had a full keyboard for texting, and that I could afford. Sure, I could get a refurbished iPhone for fairly cheap, but AT&T requires that you add the full iPhone data plan to your service, and I didn't say I wanted to USE the data service, just have a phone that could. Anyway, this phone comes with this "game": <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/H_VyGhUgWyA&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/H_VyGhUgWyA&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br />Which is at the same time ridiculously pointless and rather addictive. I suppose if you're stuck somewhere and fell like playing craps.... [If you know HOW to play craps, that is.]Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-33729862272568789092009-08-25T12:03:00.007-05:002009-08-26T12:46:48.816-05:00Yummy Yarns, A Cuddly Wrap, and an Enchanted Shawl<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3856657148/" title=""Kitten Litter" by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2486/3856657148_f63188856c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt=""Kitten Litter"" align="left" hspace="3" vspace="3" /></a>Before we get to the fiber arts, I just have to gush a little bit about this recent acquisition (purchased at a yarn store, however, so it fits). Isn't it just wonderful? It was made by Janey Katz of <a href="http://www.lizardbreathranch.com/">Lizard Breath Ranch</a>. M and I went to Silver City, NM a couple of weeks ago on a (working, for her) mini-break. While there, we were directed by friends to <a href="http://www.yadayadayarn.com/index.html">Yadda Yadda Yarn</a> because, well, we needed souvenir yarn, right? <br /><br />We also knew we wanted a "Critter" and that we could get one at the yarn store. The friends who put us up for the night have one of her larger pieces (made from an entire truck door), and we were captivated. So our first stop (after checking in with friends at <a href="http://curiouskumquat.com/">The Curious Kumquat</a>) was to fondle (and acquire) yarn and admire (and acquire) art.<br /><hr width ="50%" align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3856387662/" title="Faux Russian Stole by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/3856387662_931c6d644d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Faux Russian Stole" align="right" vspace="3" hspace="3"/></a><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/faux-russian-stole">Faux Russian Stole</a> from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson<br /><b>Yarn:</b> A two-ply wool jumperweight I can't otherwise identify because the tag is all in some Scandinavian language. Photos cannot do this yarn justice. It reads mostly as brown, but it's got a lot of green to it as well -- and then there are bits of orange and blue and red and other colors -- in the sun it just glows with light and color.<br /><br />I loved the pattern, and the knitting was fairly straightforward (if anything with a 95 row chart can be straightforward). I found that it was easier to keep my place and make sure I didn't miss any YOs (I don't tend to miss the decreases, just the YOs) if, in addition to the markers between the edge stitches and the body stitches, I placed markers 28 stitches in from each side of the body. This way I could keep track of the stitches in each of the three sections of the body chart. As long as I had 28-25-28 stitches in these sections each row I was good to go.<br /><br />Before blocking, the shawl was 22x54" -- after blocking it is now 30x72". Yep, it's BIG, and it'll be perfect for snuggling into on cool winter evenings here in the desert. Nothing worse when you're chilly than a shawl that's too small.<br /><hr width ="50%" align="center"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3856386144/" title="Enchanted Daybreak Stripes by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3856386144_64d58b0bdd_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Enchanted Daybreak Stripes" align="left" hspace="3" vspace="3" /></a>When Stefanie started her <a href="http://www.glampyre.com/2009/08/13/another-little-shawl-daybreak/">Daybreak Shawl</a> I was intrigued (maybe it was the Manilow reference), so I went to the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/daybreak">Rav page</a> and looked at the other projects there, then wandered over to <a href="http://westknits.blogspot.com">Stephen's blog</a> and decided that I had to make myself a Daybreak. I had purchased some Kureyon Sock (#185) at Yadda Yadda Yarn during the aforementioned visit with another shawl project in mind, but Daybreak captured my attention, so on a visit to <a href="http://www.tucsonyarn.com">Tucson Yarn</a> I picked up a ball of Nature Spun Fingering in "Orange You Glad" and as soon as the Faux Russian was off the needles I cast on for what I'm calling <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/likelyyarns/daybreak">Enchanted Daybreak</a> ("Enchanted" for the motto of New Mexico, "Land of Enchantment").<br /><br />I am making the largest size which calls for 325 yards of the solid color; Nature Spun Fingering comes in 310 yard balls. I finished section 2 with <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3855598557/" title="Just Enough by LikelyYarns, on Flickr">just a few yards</a> of the 310 remaining. Phew! I am now a couple repeats into section 3 and the rows are each taking 12 or so minutes to knit (yes, I timed the last one because I needed to get dinner started and it was a race to see if I would finish the row in time).<br /><br />Stefanie has some tips on her blog post (link above) for working the solid section. I will just add this: I put a locking stitch marker at the center of each of the side sections. As long as you remember to move the markers two stitches toward the outside before each increase row, you can then just do the increase on the outside of the marker and not worry about counting stitches.<br /><hr width ="50%" align="center"><br />Now if only that package would arrive from <a href="http://www.knitpicks.com">Knit Picks</a> so I can do something with this:<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3855866429/" title="Indigo Moons Yummies by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3494/3855866429_a7813a8f90_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Indigo Moons Yummies" /></a><br />That's two skeins of <a href="http://www.indigomoonyarns.com/index.php">Indigo Moon Yarns</a> Merino Fingering in Salad and Crabapple (I'm guessing you can tell which is which). They're to become socks. The Salad will likely become <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/feuilles-de-vert">Feuilles de Vert</a>, a pattern designed by Debbie O'Neill for Indigo Moon; the Crabapple may become Nancy Bush's <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/fancy-silk-sock-for-a-child-of-5-or-6-years">Fancy Silk Sock</a> or perhaps something from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/sock-innovation/patterns">Sock Innovation</a>. We'll see if Trish has other ideas since these are ultimately samples for her, but she's given me a lot of leeway with choosing the design.<br /><br />I think that may be just about caught up. Of course, there are other socks on the needles (the reason I need the KP package before I can start the socks for Indigo Moon), and I've made some decisions about the <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2009/05/log-cabin-love.html">Log Cabin Blankie</a> whose squares are right now resting in the corner of my office, done but not assembled, and I there's a pink blankie for the hospital, and I know there's other stuff. Oh, and I just heard from <a href="http://www.kollageyarns.com/">Susan</a> that she's sending me a new test knit. Ah, the fibery goodness!Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-26132555186212318642009-08-20T10:40:00.003-05:002009-08-20T15:27:51.410-05:00In The Meantime...Catching up in picturesPupper has made the complete transition from Cone-Puppy to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Padiddle">Padiddle</a>-Dog.<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3840441018/" title="Padiddle Dog! by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2604/3840441018_03eded55bd_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Padiddle Dog!" /></a><br />He's doing great, and aside from occasionally bumping into things on his left side, he really doesn't seem to notice. And his depth perception appears to be just fine if his ability to snag thrown popcorn from mid-air is any indication.<br /><br />M and I went to the UCC's General Synod in Grand Rapids, MI. It was a fabulous chance to see friends, experience inspiring worship, and (of course) kibbutz the parliamentary procedure (which this year was largely free of major snafus). While there, I managed to knit a couple pairs of socks:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3837738768/" title="Fruity Jaywalkers by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3531/3837738768_c5f3faa6c3_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Fruity Jaywalkers" /></a><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/jaywalker">Jaywalker</a> by Grumperina<br /><b>Yarn:</b> OnLine Supersocke Holiday Color #999<br />I call these Fruity Jaywalkers because the colors of this yarn just scream things like LIME! CHERRY! ORANGE! LEMON!. I made the original size, and they're a little tight for my chunky calves, so they'll be M's socks or I'll find them a different home.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3836946875/" title="Total Immersion Socks by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2608/3836946875_c8b6b9d131_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Total Immersion Socks" /></a><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tidal-wave-socks">Tidal Wave Socks</a> by Deby Lake<br /><b>Yarn:</b> SWTC TOFUtsies #790<br />The theme for this year's General Synod was "Immerse Yourself" -- and few things immerse more than a tidal wave, so these socks were dubbed "Total Immersion". I cannot express how much I love this yarn or this pattern. This the third pair of Tidal Wave socks I've made from TOFUtsies, and I can't promise I won't make more. For Tucson winters, wool socks can be a little toasty on the feet, so a nice wool/soy/cotton blend is just what the weatherman ordered.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3836946031/" title="Synod Junkie Monkeys by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/3836946031_76fc9fdd69_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Synod Junkie Monkeys" /></a><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTmonkey.html">Monkey</a> by Cookie A<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Regia Mini Ringel Color #5219<br />Though these socks were not begun until after our return from Synod, I still call them "Synod Junkie Monkeys" since the yarn made the trip to Grand Rapids as backup to the Jaywalkers and Tidal Wave socks. As with the other Monkeys I have made, these have no purl stitches.<br /><br />There was fiber crafting FOR Synod in addition to the knitting AT Synod:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3840444382/" title="A Shawl for Synod by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3840444382_0cd926edd3_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="A Shawl for Synod" /></a><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/very-easy-ripple-shawl-knit">Very Easy Ripple Shawl</a> by Lion Brand (aka just a whole lot of feather and fan)<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Lion Brand Microspun in turquoise<br />Knowing that it would be chilly in the halls and rooms at Synod, M and I each knit one of these shawls, mine in turquoise, hers in orange.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3840443714/" title="Backup Shawl for Synod by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2473/3840443714_a64f489f4d_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Backup Shawl for Synod" /></a><br />And the backup shawl, just in case I didn't finish the knitted one. This is one is woven from mostly 5/2 Valley Cotton. Main color is 8176 (natural), and both warp and weft have random threads of other colors left over from other projects. At least most of the color is random: once in each the warp and weft there is a pink thread right next to an orange one. Coffee drinkers raised in the Northeast may recognize the <a href="https://www.dunkindonuts.com/">significance</a> of that (one thing I desperately miss from back home).<br /><br />There's more knitting and stuff, but I'll stop here for now.<br /><br />Oh, just a few more things:<ul><li><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-talk-michelle-obama-shortsaug20,0,1478977.story">Good gravy, people!</a> Can't a woman wear shorts on vacation with her family IN THE DESERT?!</li><li><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hruby/090819&sportCat=nfl">Just stay retired, already!</a> Please?</li><li><a href="http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b140018_richard_hatch_im_gay_therefore_im.html">Sometimes it has NOTHING to do with your orientation</a>.</li><li><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/21/sports/21track.html">Please tell me he's for real</a></li></ul>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-11935885543598400312009-05-12T19:54:00.003-05:002009-05-12T20:56:16.841-05:00Pupper Pulls Through<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507119055/" title="Ukranian Eggs by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3561/3507119055_63e97999cd_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ukranian Eggs" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>So, Pupper came through is surgery yesterday just fine. I'd put a picture of him at the head of this post, but I don't want to scare any small children who might be watching. He's still a bit bloody and swollen, and then there's the matter of that cone around his neck.<br /><br />Speaking of scared, much to our surprise and delight, Mr. Skittish himself (aka K-man) didn't freak out and run away when Cone-Pupper came home last night. No, he was instead incredibly curious. As Pupper was lying on the floor, K-man walked over and completely investigated the cone, the dog, and all the strange smells. He wasn't at all frightened, thank goodness.<br /><br />Pupper himself is nearly back to his old self. In fact, aside from sleeping a little more (and a little more deeply) than usual, he has been his old self since we picked him up last night. Because of how our schedules all worked out,<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3450598587/" title="Mommy Dove on the Nest by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3579/3450598587_e052c8532e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Mommy Dove on the Nest" align="right" hspace="3" /></a> we had to take him to our last <a href="http://www.sewanee.edu/EFM/index.htm">Education for Ministry</a> class at church last night. Rather than simply curling up and sleeping on the floor (as I would have done just a couple hours after anesthesia), Pupper was alert and greeting everyone and keeping his one eye on all the happenings.<br /><br />Today, he's been a little whiny and a little more clingy than usual (and he's a velcro dog on the best of days), and he's still not a pro at navigating life with a cone on his head. [Note: one thing we did not consider is that he probably can't turn around in his crate with the cone on his head, and since he has to be in his crate when he's home alone (unless he's outside, and I'm not leaving him outside with a cone on his head, even when the temps aren't above 100) ....] He <span style="font-weight:bold;">has</span> figured out how to eat and drink, and he can even get the crumbs he spilled on the floor without choking himself on the collar, so I consider that progress.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3369036576/" title="Ummmmm. by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3658/3369036576_b65564f8be_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ummmmm." align="left" hspace="3" /></a>On the knitting front, well, there's progress, and aside from letting you know that I've finished the fourth square on my log cabin blanket, I can't share. And just to prove that I'm not just the knitting lady, but the crazy knitting lady, I've just agreed to a few other sample/test knits that will probably consume all of my knitting time for the next few weeks. But how can I say no? I mean, to be in at the beginning of the process; to see something take shape; to knit something no-one (or nearly no-one) else has ever knit; to (in some cases) use yarn I couldn't or wouldn't buy for myself.... But, let's face it, the real fun is that <span style="font-weight:bold;">I get paid to knit</span>! Just how cool is that?<br /><br />Photo information: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pysanky">Ukranian Eggs</a> (black is mine; red is M's) we decorated in a workshop at church this spring; a mommy dove sitting on her nest in our bougainvillea; Queen B <span style="font-weight:bold;">inside</span> the wing chair in the living room (you may need to see the full-size version at Flickr to get that).Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-49967300285232581402009-05-11T09:28:00.003-05:002009-05-11T10:22:55.563-05:00In Which Sandy Worries, and Knits<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/2916467272/" title="King of the World by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3119/2916467272_bfccf8b11d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="King of the World" align="right" /></a>Pupper just left with M to go to the vet so his left eye (please, God, make sure they take the left one) can be removed. Me, I'm not quite a nervous wreck, but my fragile baby is having surgery, so I'm a little distracted. And last night I dreamed that they took the wrong eye, leaving him both deaf AND blind.<br /><br />It is time for the surgery (he's been blind in that eye as long as we've had him, and he's so unaware of it these days that he doesn't even close it when he sleeps -- exacerbating his dry eye and causing chronic infections), and life will be easier for all of us when it's over. Funny, one of the things I'm most worried about is what seeing "his" dog in an Elizabethan collar will do to our rather skittish K-Man, whose life motto is "Panic first, ask questions later."<br /><br />But, now to knitting (the best tonic for almost any situation).<br /><br />The Magenta thing is done. I love it when a plan comes together, and this one did. The finished object is just perfect for wearing over a tank top to keep the A/C chill off.<br /><br />When I got there, I decided to go with feather and fan for the skirt. I tried a few other things, but the classics are the classics for a reason, and I think f & f was just perfect for this application. So, after I made the eyelets and bound off the center 3 stitches (the seed stitch placket), <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3459824812/" title="A Magenta Thing by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3546/3459824812_a63d2c027c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Magenta Thing" align="left" hspace="3"/></a>I increased to some multiple of 18 and worked the feather and fan until it was about mid-butt length.<br /><br />For the edgings, I picked up stitches along the edges of the lace section and around the neck, worked two garter ridges, an eyelet row (K2tog, YO), then another garter ridge before binding off. If I were to do this again, I would probably knit the edging along with the skirt, picking up three extra stitches at the bottom of the placket rather than casting them off.<br /><br />I then picked up the sleeve stitches and knit just 6 stockinette rounds before edging them like the neck and skirt. Right now, the tie is just a long crochet chain, and I haven't added buttons to the placket -- a trip to the fabric store is probably coming soon to pick out some ribbon and buttons.<br /><br />All together, this sweater used almost a whole 1-lb cone of Valley Yarns Hampshire Brights (a 6/2/2 mercerized cotton they no longer carry, though their <a href="http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/3D03DC12-64EF-4CFA-BA1E-65F9D62C685D/productID/95634B7E-B159-4610-8110-79E2E5F66EB3/">Valley Cotton</a> comes in a 3/2 which is the same weight). Because of the extra twist in this double-plied yarn, I am glad I chose a project for it knit in the round. I got the feeling that this yarn might have a biasing issue if it were knit flat in stockinette (the lace is okay, partly because it's garter-ish). A good thing to keep in mind, since I have a few more cones of this in the stash.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507931514/" title="Sock Blankie by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3590/3507931514_92ccdaf1ff.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Sock Blankie" /></a></center>And finally, another new blanket project. I succumbed to the allure of making something useful out of all my sock yarn scraps and so I've begun my own <a href="http://www.shellykang.com/2008/02/blankie-friday-wrap-up.html">sock yarn blankie</a>. I have 17 foundation squares done, and have started to join them. I am knitting on size 3 double pointed needles (bigger than I would use for socks, but softness and floppiness -- rather than hard-wearingness -- are the aim here), and starting with 31 stitches for each square. I am randomly (or not-so-randomly in some cases) adding sections of stockinette to each square to add some interest. In some cases, I'm using the stockinette, too, to lessen that garter-stripe effect.<br /><br />I don't plan on finishing this one anytime soon. In fact, unless I decide to sacrifice some of my wool sock yarn (which, let's face it, makes socks I can wear for about 2 months if I'm lucky here in Tucson), I don't have enough yarn to finish the blankie anyway. So, if anyone wants to send sock yarn scraps my way....<br /><br />Say a prayer, light a candle, send good thoughts to the Universe for my baby and his surgeon.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-38544784656828860302009-05-07T12:05:00.002-05:002009-05-07T14:00:36.291-05:00Log Cabin LoveSince about halfway through the last of my recent stealth knitting projects I have been obsessed for some reason with the idea of log cabin squares and a log cabin blanket.<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507931248/" title="Log Cabin Love by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3663/3507931248_107c755ef3_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Log Cabin Love" align="right" /></a> (Contrary to popular belief, blankets -- especially lap-sized blankets -- are useful here in the desert for chilly winter evenings.) Just the project for Tucson as summer approaches (we're expecting our first triple-digit temps today, in fact) -- yep, seasonal knitting, gotta love it (thank goodness for the A/C).<br /><br />So, as soon as I had that project on its way to its rightful owner, I hit the stash and pulled out three cones of Brora Softspun. For those unfamiliar (and unfortunate), this was a HUGE millend <a href="http://www.yarn.com">WEBS</a> had a few years ago -- a 2-ply worsted weight Shetland in a whole bunch of yummy colors (about 40 of them shades of brown/tan). It is greasy and sheepy (though it doesn't have a lot of vegetable matter) and reminds me a lot of the <a href="http://www.bartlettyarns.com/">Bartlett yarns</a> that I grew up with. I love working with it, and it washes up into the softest, yummiest, warmest fabric that would just kill me if I had to wear it in a sweater (my original intent for the embarrassing number of 2.5-lb cones of the stuff I bought) down here.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3510089661/" title="Log Cabin Love by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3305/3510089661_cd49b09bc1_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Log Cabin Love" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>I decided to use <a href="http://www.januaryone.com">Cara</a>'s basic recipe from her <a href="http://www.januaryone.com/archives/2006/11/verde_verde_verde.php">Blue Moon log cabin blanket</a>. I will use the same 12 square configurations she used and assemble them randomly (or as randomly as I am able). Right now I am planning to then pick up a monster number of stitches around the edge and put some kind of border on the thing.<br /><br />My squares are blocking to 14", so the finished blanket (with border) will be about 4'x5' -- a great lap warmer size. Of course, with 2.5 pounds of each color at my disposal and a nearly endless supply of log cabin configuration options, I could always decide to make it more blanket- than throw-sized. Stay tuned.<br /><br />I am totally in love with this project -- the knitting, the finished squares, the colors -- all of it is just a joy. Unfortunately, I will shortly have to put these squares aside because the yarn arrived this week for yet another stealth project (still waiting for the pattern which is probably being written as I write this).<br /><br />One final thought: with the weather here in the desert turning to the triple digits in early May, the boys would like you to know it's just not fair.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507118461/" title="It's Hot, Mommy! by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3557/3507118461_591a20c0f1_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="It's Hot, Mommy!" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507117841/" title="It's Hot, Mommy! by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3231/3507117841_85b4c87531_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="It's Hot, Mommy!" /></a>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-44762585377080876192009-05-06T10:48:00.003-05:002009-05-06T11:51:13.241-05:00Purse Karma, We Haz ItHello there. Yeah, it's me, the Prodigal Blogger. I found my way back to the blog, and believe me,<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507929340/" title="Dooney & Bourke Satchel by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3348/3507929340_c6219db56c_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Dooney & Bourke Satchel" align="right"/></a> I'm thrilled to be back. What's kept me? Mostly it was those allergies from someplace-even-hotter-than-Tucson-in-July that kicked my behind for a few weeks. I was at the point where I just wanted to lock myself in a hermetically sealed room with quadruple HEPA filtration and not come out until everything in the world had ceased pollinating. I even cried. It has been an unbelievably nasty allergy season here in the SW. Then M found this homeopathic allergy spray, Southwest formula, and I've been a changed woman ever since.<br /><br />And there has been knitting -- lots and lots of knitting to keep me busy and/or feeling guilty while I've been "sick", and I can't share it -- sorry. In time perhaps some will be revealed.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507177505/" title="Chris Bubany Bowls by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3641/3507177505_db7b4389d4_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Chris Bubany Bowls" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>But I did want to reveal the lucky score we made last Friday on a crawl through secondhand stores. First we found a pair of brand new Birkenstocks -- in my size -- in black -- for $8.<br /><br />Next, we found two bowls by <a href="http://www.chrisbubany.com/">a Tucson artist</a> whose work we have been drooling over since we moved here. [In fact, if anyone needs a gift suggestion, the 16" platter in her <a href="http://www.chrisbubany.com/catalog/treeoflife.asp">Tree of Life</a> pattern would look fabulous on the lazy susan in the middle of our dining room table.] <br /><br />But the best? The best came at our favorite second hand haunt when I did what I always do and headed for the place where they keep "the good stuff". Only this wasn't with the good stuff. There in a shopping cart, where it was waiting for someone to put it away, was the unmistakable<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507119743/" title="Dooney & Bourke Drawstring by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3562/3507119743_cff81bba79_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Dooney & Bourke Drawstring" align="right" /></a> pebbled leather of a Dooney & Bourke handbag. I pulled it out to reveal, well, what you see above there, priced at $4. That wasn't to be all, though. Digging through the cart revealed yet another D&B handbag, this one priced at $6 -- and brand new -- with the plastic still on the shoulder strap.<br /><br />But that wasn't even the end. After we had snatched up these two bags and headed to the checkout with them before someone could change their mind about the prices, we found yet ANOTHER D&B handbag. This time an Essex -- in bone -- in very good condition -- for $8. I don't have a picture of that last one because it has already gone to a friend with a love of Dooney & Bourke and no budget to match. She was thrilled -- or perhaps stunned is a better word for it. And researching her new handbag has given her a bit of a passion for vintage handbags -- we may have created a monster.<br /><br />We're guessing that someone either died or had to be moved into a nursing home, and the family just donated all her stuff. Then someone priced it without really knowing what it was (side note: in the same cart was a like new leather Prada handbag for $10 which we didn't buy). The Essex was clearly its previous owner's everyday bag for a while. Among the things I cleaned out of it: two Advil, one Alleve, one Imitrex, two Zoloft (who carries loose anti-depressant pills around with them?), a fortune cookie fortune, 12 cents, and a grocery receipt from 2003.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3507929968/" title="Vintage Coach Handbag by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3630/3507929968_6a66022f4e_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Vintage Coach Handbag" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>So, M has a new everyday bag (the drawstring bag); I have a new (and it's green!) fun handbag; and Lorraine is tickled pink with her new baby.<br /><br />Oh, my everyday handbag? Another fantastic secondhand find. A vintage Coach we got for a buck (yes $1) at a rummage sale.<br /><br />And since I finished all the stealth knitting I can't share, I have been working on a couple of fun projects which I can share, and I promise I will, let's hope tomorrow.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-15435778914071746422009-03-12T09:58:00.007-05:002009-03-12T12:14:44.264-05:00Everyone's So Dull Around HereEverywhere M and I have lived (with the exception of the 4th floor apartment in Malden) we have had bird feeders. And everywhere we have had bird feeders it has been like there's some message that goes out in the bird world that our house is the place to be. I mean, other people put out bird feeders and they get some birds; we put out bird feeders, and there are times when you think our backyard has been converted to a holding area for extras on an <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056869/">Alfred Hitchcock set</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3349433106/" title="Northern Cardinal at the ASDM by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/3349433106_a2e94fc813_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Northern Cardinal at the ASDM" align="right" hspace="2"/></a>This provides hours of entertainment for our (indoor) cats -- and probably an ego drain for our dog (he's a hunting dog by breed, after all) whom they mostly ignore (even the game birds among them).<br /><br />Since we moved to Tucson, this also provides M and I with a bit of a mental challenge. How many times in the first few months we lived here did one of us say something like, "It certainly LOOKS like a sparrow, but not quite right." I mean, this isn't the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gal%C3%A1pagos_Islands">Galapagos</a> or anything, but in general the species of common birds (like sparrows) look ever-so-slightly different from those we're used to back east.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3348602855/" title="Northern Cardinal at the ASDM by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3558/3348602855_44ebaecab9_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Northern Cardinal at the ASDM" align="left" hspace="2"/></a>Nowhere is this as obvious, however, as when it comes to Cardinals. Here in the southwest, cardinals are predominantly of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrhuloxia">Pyrrhuloxia</a> variety -- a duller, more burnt-orange-looking bird. Ask any bird book out there, and it will tell you that we here in SE Arizona are at the outer edge of the range of the more striking northern cardinal (which makes the fact that <a href="http://www.nfl.com/teams/arizonacardinals/profile?team=ARI">our football team</a> -- based in Phoenix, technically outside the northern's range -- has a northern cardinal as its logo a bit ironic).<br /><br />Imagine our delight, then, when this guy pictured here came to visit us while we were sipping our coffee on the patio at the <a href="http://www.desertmuseum.org/">ASDM</a> recently. We could just hear his little brain wondering about the dullness of the other cardinals around.<br /><br /><b>Knitting -- There Has Been Knitting</b><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3348650395/" title="A Hot Pink Shetland by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3649/3348650395_b6bb23ea0d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Hot Pink Shetland" align="left" hspace="2"/></a><b>Pattern:</b> Shetland Triangle from Wrap Style.<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Some basic hot pink 4/10 wool I got on a cone at WEBS ages ago<br /><b>Needle:</b> 4.00mm Inox nickel-plated<br /><b>Mods:</b> Did 150 rows instead of the called-for 100 before starting the edging chart because I wanted a larger, wrappable shawl. If I were to re-do it (which I might as I have other colors in this wool), I would maybe even go up to 200 rows to make it even larger. This one blocked to a just over 65" wing span and 31" from top to tip, so it will wrap and should be great for keeping a chill off on those chilly spring/early summer evenings.<br /><br />As I said, I may make another in another color of this same yarn or in a different yarn altogether. The pattern is quite simple and easily memorized, even for a novice lace knitter. In fact I'd highly recommend it to an intermediate or experienced beginner knitter who wants an attractive first lace project. [And if you hate charts, there are some <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/chart-haters-anonymous/533131">folks on Rav</a> who have converted the charts to written instructions and would probably be willing to share.]<br /><br />My new project is something magenta. I wanted a sweater, so I cast on and started one. This is being designed as I go.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3349435872/" title="A Magenta Top by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3617/3349435872_46c8cb2e73_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Magenta Top" align="right" hspace="2"/></a>So far we have YOs for the raglan increases to give it a lighter look and a very deep V to show off whatever tank is worn underneath. I have decided against a traditional cardigan because I wanted it to fit closely and I hate gaps at the buttons, so there is a false placket in seed stitch down the front of the bodice, and I will add buttons to complete the illusion.<br /><br />I plan to end the bodice with a line of eyelets to hold either a ribbon or some i-cord about 2" above my natural waist. Below that the current plan is to split it at the front (or the sides, not sure yet) and do some kind of lace to about the hips.<br /><br />Sleeves, edging, and what that lace pattern is to be are still to be decided. Stay tuned. Oh, the yarn is a discontinued 6/2/2 cotton from Valley Yarns called Hampshire Brights -- when Steve was getting rid of it I picked up a couple of cones of each of the colors they had left.<br /><br />Guess that's enough for now. Tune in soon to hear about all of the frogging I've been doing lately (none of it bad, I promise).Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-74016133981453805592009-03-11T11:26:00.002-05:002009-03-12T11:34:11.444-05:00I Am In Love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirZf4PMM1_CTFufoucmYIgdsvBm8Sgg-IU_XkOkpoePVV4fWK8jkM2qZdPNuq9LGDfwjujIYiIv3bwIK3i81zPzbQMU0yrBWySGmtP6-vwngwdR2iR7WALJ4Fn05JBosxwEagUA/s1600-h/decimalBEAUTY.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhirZf4PMM1_CTFufoucmYIgdsvBm8Sgg-IU_XkOkpoePVV4fWK8jkM2qZdPNuq9LGDfwjujIYiIv3bwIK3i81zPzbQMU0yrBWySGmtP6-vwngwdR2iR7WALJ4Fn05JBosxwEagUA/s400/decimalBEAUTY.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312339019909383266" /></a><br />As soon as I saw this beauty at <a href="http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring09/PATTdecimal.php">Knitty</a>, I knew I HAD to make it. It is absolutely lovely.<br /><br />That's all for now -- more extensive post later now that I'm back from vacation.<br /><br />* Image is from Knitty, stored on my server.<br /><br />PS. This, of course, means the Spring Knitty is up!Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-26543489145721400102009-02-12T11:14:00.005-05:002009-02-12T18:16:19.843-05:00Happy Darwin Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvECMCftL0ocCO2SlEULYc5SxJwPvfYGYA_aMFV8kSlt1xlcrwGLrSOYCYXzngVS8h3HHDf3kLib8a-zxSW9xZ5rBbPv7mP6ckSl0k7OHqiwmiC_QBrXe0uJlGEM8goeW-cyWayg/s1600-h/Charles_Darwin_1816.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 306px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvECMCftL0ocCO2SlEULYc5SxJwPvfYGYA_aMFV8kSlt1xlcrwGLrSOYCYXzngVS8h3HHDf3kLib8a-zxSW9xZ5rBbPv7mP6ckSl0k7OHqiwmiC_QBrXe0uJlGEM8goeW-cyWayg/s320/Charles_Darwin_1816.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301984527153541874" /></a>Today is the 200th anniversary of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Darwin">Charles Darwin</a>'s birth. Whether or not you believe in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution">evolution</a> (in the interest of full disclosure: I do, and I have never found anything about it that contradicts my religious beliefs), you can't deny that Darwin forever changed the dialogue about the history of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_evolutionary_thought">life on earth</a> (not to mention making <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galapagos">the Galapagos Islands</a> a hot vacation destination). So Happy Birthday, Darwin! <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3274002471/" title="A Bog Jacket by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/3274002471_50c67c16bb_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Bog Jacket" align="right" hspace="3" /></a>Recognize it? The same friend who gave me her <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2008/07/blast-from-past.html">extensive collection of Knitter's Magazines</a> a while back has decided it's time to divest herself of her wool as well. Yesterday, M came home with a couple of bags of yarn and this nearly completed item. I knew immediately what it was when I pulled it out of the bag: garter stitch, false seam stitches about 1/4 of the way in on each side, stitches held on waste yarn after about 18", more stitches cast on on either side after the waste yarn.... Yep, it's a bog jacket. She had it nearly finished when they moved here to to Tucson and she knew she'd never wear it (it IS heavy). I'm planning on finishing it, though, and sending it off to someone in the north who is often cold. I like nearly-instant FOs.<br /><br />[Chris (the friend) is from the midwest and has been to many retreats with Meg and Elizabeth (knitters who need no last names, n'est-ce pas?). I am soooo jealous.]<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3274821250/" title="DSCN0792 by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3495/3274821250_91a6d38efd_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="DSCN0792" align="left" hspace="3" /></a>On the not-so-instant, but still sailing along quite quickly front, the Shetland Triangle is growing. Here it is in all its lumpy-bumpy, hot pink glory (if you can believe it, it's even hotter pink than it looks in the pic). In this picture, I've done about 90 of the 100 rows the pattern calls for before working the edging chart. I plan on doing probably at least 150 rows before the edging, however, because I want this one to be a nice, big wrappable shawl rather than the tiny little shawl shown in the book -- and I've got plenty of yarn.<br /><br />Been fighting a cold most of this week which has had me a little blue. It has, however, given me great opportunity to snuggle under my <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2009/02/m-and-gauge-monster.html">new blankie</a>, and that's been quite fab.<br /><br />*1816 photo of Charles Darwin is in the public domain, retrieved from <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org">Wikimedia Commons</a>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-22974619126104643522009-02-09T11:17:00.003-05:002009-02-09T12:40:46.665-05:00I Believe in Stocks<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUwCJRYYfALJTlUdTZ0sgzLxghnK8kz3qE0JKgCXnPLF2JbGOlzmuqGHcaZus0jwu5h2vMbKyBfABUaGi-TWfJ8IKSkTvYjisiPPw3zJxP8Lcy9X0uzlL3EpWzrggmT4IhaYrcw/s1600-h/800px-Chapeltown_Stocks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqUwCJRYYfALJTlUdTZ0sgzLxghnK8kz3qE0JKgCXnPLF2JbGOlzmuqGHcaZus0jwu5h2vMbKyBfABUaGi-TWfJ8IKSkTvYjisiPPw3zJxP8Lcy9X0uzlL3EpWzrggmT4IhaYrcw/s320/800px-Chapeltown_Stocks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300832813706480386" /></a>No, not the kind they trade on Wall Street (in that case, I would have to call it hope more than faith). I believe in the kind of stocks that used to sit in the public square. You know, the criminal would be captured by the hands and/or feet, and the townspeople would be free to tell said person exactly what they thought of his/her crimes? And if that "telling" involved rotten fruits and vegetables, well, so be it. Yeah, those kind of stocks.<br /><br />Why? <a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/279276.php">This</a> has a lot to do with it. Stealing money from Wall St fat cats (while still illegal) is one thing, but this man has stolen from charities, schools, churches, hospitals, and at least one 91-year-old retired machinist. G*d may forgive, but my human heart wonders if there's earthly punishment equal to this crime.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3267069100/" title="Lace Garland Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3308/3267069100_0bf0e3ffe0_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Lace Garland Shawl" align="right" /></a>But we mustn't dwell, so on to happier things. There has been knitting (and a whole lot of pinning) going on here at the not-a-parsonage. First up is the completed -- and already beloved -- Lace Garland Shawl.<br /><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-garland-shawl">Lace Garland Shawl</a> from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/knitters-magazine-9-winter-1987">Knitter's Winter 1987</a> and <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/shawls-and-scarves-the-best-of-knitters-magazine">Shawls and Scarves: Best of Knitter's Magazine</a>. [rav links]<br /><b>Yarn:</b> 2-ply Shetland in lilac that has been marinating in the stash<br /><b>Needles:</b> an assortment of Inox #6 (started out with 2 circs, switched to magic loop, and finished on one 36")<br /><br />It blocked (after using every blocking and straight pin I could find -- hope for the sake of our next guest that I got them all out of the futon) to around 54", and it is so light and airy and yet still quite warm. I have a plan for its eventual disposition, but that's still a ways away.<br /><br />The chart for this pattern (at least the one in the magazine from which I worked) took a little getting used to as it is recreated directly from the old doily pattern the shawl is based on and the symbols and layout do not match the standard ones used by today's patterns (in the magazine, at least, there is no text, just the chart). Once I got used to the "new language," though, it was fairly smooth sailing.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3266238083/" title="A Doily by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3117/3266238083_f2839029fc_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Doily" align="left" hspace="4" /></a>Next up in the lace-and-blocking fest is a little doily that I promised the round table in the living room. After much exploring over at <a href="http://www.yarnover.net/patterns/doilies/kunststrik/index.html">Yarnover</a>, I settled on Laura, because she is fairly small, and I liked the swirling pattern (which I noticed while pinning is very similar to the center pattern on the Lace Garland shawl). The yarn is an 8/2 unmercerized cotton millend I bought at WEBS originally to make towels with (I have a different thought in the back of my mind now, though), and I knit it on a size 4 needle. The fabric is perhaps a little denser than I would ideally like, but it works okay with this pattern. I also did my own edging because I could not figure out the edging directions in the pattern. I wound up just double-crocheting two stitches together, chaining 2, then repeating all the way around (doing two double crochets in the stiches above the points in the lace), ending with a slip stitch at the top of the first dc.<br /><br />Here it is "at work":<br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3266239939/" title="A Doily by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3477/3266239939_846871550f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Doily" align="center" /></a><br />shown off by some of our collection of Willow Tree angels -- a friend got us a couple as wedding presents and it's just kinda taken off from there. You can see more of the collection <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2008/12/i-said-i-would.html">playing the heavenly host in our manger scene</a> (scroll down).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3267069906/" title="A Shetland Swatch by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3362/3267069906_4f82ce8d3f_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="A Shetland Swatch" align="right" /></a>Last, but not least, is "Something Hot Pink". I wanted to see if this hot pink 4/10 wool we had would work for the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/shetland-triangle">Shetland Triangle</a> in Wrap Style. I was curious both about the weight of the yarn (it's sport and the pattern calls for fingering) and how well it will drape (it is, after all, a fairly basic, heavily processed wool). So I cast on and did one repeat of each of the three charts then blocked the heck out of it. Not only do I love the fabric density, but the soaking and blocking gave it the perfect drape for a shawl.<br /><br />Will probably cast on for the shawl tonight, and -- since the cat seems unimpressed with it -- will send the sample to my niece as a shawl or blanket for her dolls.<br /><br />And one final note, for John McCain: You lost the election last November in large part because we didn't trust you to get us safely out of this economic mess your compatriots got us into; do you really think we're anxious to hear your opinions about the stimulus plan?<br /><br />* Stocks photo © Austen Redman, via <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chapeltown_Stocks.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-73593720327749025932009-02-05T17:54:00.003-05:002009-02-05T18:21:34.229-05:00"You Must Knit Me a Hat ... With Ears"Some of you know that by training I am a librarian, and I worked as a librarian for years until marriage and a few moves and other stuff got me out of the library field and into a job just to have a job. Wasn't very good at that other job; didn't particularly enjoy that other field; found an opportunity to return to a library into a job I loved right before M was offered the church here in Tucson.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3256034953/" title="Caitlin's Hat by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3256034953_3693b102a4.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Caitlin's Hat" align="right" hspace="5" /></a>So, I left the library job I loved and moved here. What with the economy and the difficulty of finding a job here unless you know people, and the dog who really needs to be watched during the day and all that, I didn't find a library job when we moved down here, so I found something close, something that allows me to work from home and use my information science background. Perfect -- at least the dog, who gets to "go to work" with Mommy every day thinks so.<br /><br />In order to a) get to know people in the library system; b) keep my library chops somewhat oiled; and c) get out of the house and interacting with creatures on two legs once in a while, I volunteer one night a week for three hours at the local library branch. Since I'm a librarian, I actually get to do a lot of stuff as a volunteer that others don't (yeah, so I do the work of a library clerk and don't get paid).<br /><br />One of the clerks at the branch where I work is a 20-something college student who has been working in the library system since she was 15, wants to be a librarian when she grows up, and is just all-round fun to talk to. One slow night, I found a copy of <a href="http://www.oneskeinwonders.com">One Skein Wonders</a> on the shelves where I was weeding and showed the pattern for the <a href="http://www.oneskeinwonders.com/patterns/jamaica.php">Jamaica Pouch</a> to Caitlin with an oddly proud, "I designed this."<br /><br />I swear, the next words out of her mouth were, "You knit? Then you must knit me a hat ... with ears." Okay, there might have been other words in there, but that was the gist of the conversation. In return she promised me the vegan baked good of my choice.<br /><br />So, this is that hat. The hat itself is the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/adults-only-devil-hat-2">Adults-Only Devil Hat</a> by <a href="http://www.kittyville.com/">Kitty Schmidt</a> from Stitch 'n Bitch; the ears are of my own devising; yarn is Madil Merino Mix 100 in white.<br /><br />Tonight I deliver it to Caitlin. I do hope she likes it.<br /><br />PS. Why is it that some vegans don't wear animal fibers? I mean, I can understand fine silks whose creation requires the killing of silkworms, but wool? I grew up around sheep ranches -- those creatures are pretty well cared for.<br /><br />Okay, so I have my own aversion to using food or feed crops for anything but food or feed, so we all have our hangups, right.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-74562732452792504702009-02-04T06:46:00.001-05:002009-02-04T11:05:12.367-05:00Not Louie<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3251149330/" title="NOT Louie by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3251149330_64a6577f5d_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="NOT Louie" align="right" hspace="5" /></a>For some reason that only she understands, B has this attraction to the dog's bed. She has her very own smooshy bed (you can see the bit of blue next to the dog's bed in the picture), but she never sleeps on it. Instead, she spends at least some part of every day napping on the poor dog's bed. Sometimes he walks into the bedroom and sighs heavily then lays down on the floor next to the bed. Get that: 11-pound cat has 60-pound dog wrapped around her paw.<br /><br />The biggest confusion is this arrangement comes from the fact that B is a very fastidious cat. She is clean and proper and otherwise just the complete cat. And the dog's bed, well, it smells like a dog. And it smells like a dog with spaniel skin. Yet there she is snoozing away every chance she gets.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3251150094/" title="NOT Louie by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3124/3251150094_be35073780_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="NOT Louie" align="left" hspace="5"/></a>She also has this weird habit of crawling BETWEEN the folds of the comforter I keep in the corner of the office for the dog to sleep on while I'm working. Some day I'm not going to be able to stop him before he lays on her, I just know it.<br /><br />B's other favorite places to hang include a basket full of towels in the corner of the office, the back of M's chair in the family room, on top of the large stuffed alligator on the bed, M's desk chair. She likes smooshy, obviously.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3251151798/" title="Lace Garland Shawl by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3268/3251151798_d2ff05ce75_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Lace Garland Shawl" align="right" hspace="5" /></a>So, after knitting the blankie, I must have caught some circular lace bug because I immediately cast on for this <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-garland-shawl">Lace Garland Shawl</a> from Knitter's #9 (also published in Shawls & Scarves: the best of Knitter's Magazine). I have been attracted to this shawl since a friend gave me her <a href="http://www.likelyyarns.com/2008/07/blast-from-past.html">collection of Knitter's Magazines</a> a few months ago. I even had a 2-ply Shetland in just about the same color as the shawl in the magazine. Currently, I am working on round 115 of 142. It's going quite quickly, and I am thoroughly enjoying the knitting. It's just interesting enough not to get bored, but simple and repetitive enough that I could knit it while watching the U of A gymnastics meet last Friday (we have season tickets).<br /><br />I think the Hemlock Ring Blanket started something because now I've become slightly obsessed with vintage doily patterns. In fact, I have lost quite a few hours perusing <a href="http://www.yarnover.net/patterns/doilies/index.html">Yarnover</a>. To show how obsessed I have become: when I was putting the living room back together after finally getting the last of the Christmas decorations out of it, I looked at a small round table that sits between two chairs and said to myself, "that table needs a doily". And dontcha know, I'm going to make it one. Heaven knows there's enough fine cotton around here and enough doily patterns on the Internet.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3251152572/" title="Tonks Sock by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3435/3251152572_79b62a101f_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Tonks Sock" align="left" hspace="5" /></a>But first I will finish my shawl. I'm kinda liking this project monogamy thing.<br /><br />Well, okay, socks don't count anymore than sock yarn does, and Tonks was calling to me. Simple stockinette, toe-up, short-row heel, great for knitting during conference calls and other situations that would otherwise inspire fidgeting.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25305497.post-78595821765060606302009-02-03T11:52:00.006-05:002009-02-04T11:18:36.094-05:00M and the Gauge Monster<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3190892349/" title="Nihon Kimono Jacket by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3190892349_be023e30ca_m.jpg" width="180" height="240" alt="Nihon Kimono Jacket" align="right" hspace="5" /></a>M really wants to make herself a sweater. She did a rather basic and boxy jacket/sweater out of kochoran (yeah, I know, that's practical here in Tucson), but she wants to make herself a nice cardigan to wear when it gets chilly here. But the gauge monster hates her.<br /><br />We find a nice pattern, she dutifully makes a gauge swatch, washes and measures the swatch, sees that her gauge is a little off and so goes down a needle size and repeats. This time the gauge is just right after washing. So, she casts on for the sweater (using the same needle with which she made the gauge swatch). After a couple of inches of knitting it becomes painfully apparent that the sweater she is now knitting would fit, well, both of us at the same time.<br /><br />This is the second time this has happened to her, on only the second time she's attempted to care about gauge when knitting a sweater. Two different patterns, two different yarns (though both were cotton blends which might have something to do with it). So, I get gauge swatches waived at me and my partner asking, "why, why, when she does what she's supposed to, does she still wind up with issues." I think her problem may be cotton (she's a loose knitter), so now begins the work to convince her that finer wools WILL work here in Tucson.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3250251291/" title="Nihon Kimono Jacket by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3250251291_66cc900f4a_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Nihon Kimono Jacket" align="left" hspace="5" /></a>Speaking of finer wools, as you can see from the above picture the Nihon Kimono is done. And I LOVE it. It fits nicely, and the shadow stripes are perfect. I even found just the right thing to keep it closed.<br /><br />Back when I had long hair, a friend bought be this very nice sterling silver hair pin with a marble captured in a cage. Now that I have short hair, it has just sat there without a purpose. Well, I have given it a purpose, and it works beautifully (and no, I am not in danger of stabbing myself -- it's rather blunt).<br /><br /><b>Pattern:</b> <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/nihon-japanese-kimono">Nihon Japanese Kimono</a> from <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/sources/shadow-knitting--skyggestrik">Shadow Knitting</a><br /><b>Yarn:</b> Harrisville Designs New England Shetland in Aubergine (MC), Periwinkle and Lilac.<br /><b>Mods:</b> Well... there were no deliberate modifications, but I realized when I was almost done with side #1 that I was doing an extra row of the lilac every repeat (6 instead of 5), and that made for a squeak-y finish (I had about 2 yards of the lilac left when I finished).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3250323163/" title="Hemlock Ring Blankie by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3250323163_b877e662ea_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Hemlock Ring Blankie" align="right" hspace="5" /></a>With the jacket and the unbloggable sample knit done, it was time to move on to other projects, and (as I mentioned in my last post) I chose <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/">Jared</a>'s <a href="http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html">Hemlock Ring Blanket</a> -- a project I thought I would enjoy and that would keep me busy for a while.<br /><br />I was right about the enjoy part, but very mistaken about the keeping me busy part. Oh, but first the yarn. I hit the stash and found a cone of a bulky Shetland wool -- a few years ago, WEBS had this fabulous Shetland called "Brora" as a millend. It came in some great colors, was delightfully greasy (I like greasy wools), and I bought many, many cones of it. From the same mill also came a slightly heavier wool in smaller quantities and a smaller selection of colors. I bought one cone of that in a dark sage color originally to make a jacket I never finished. It goes perfectly with my chair in the family room, so it was just right. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/likelyyarns/3218229948/" title="Icky Grease in the Water by LikelyYarns, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3365/3218229948_4d9719a3b7_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Icky Grease in the Water" align="left" hspace="5" /></a>But it didn't last that long. I started the blanket on Friday and finished it on Sunday. It may have been a heavier than usual knitting weekend for me, but still, it was a fast knit. Of course, the blocking then took nearly a week because I actually blocked it in sections since I did not have enough t-pins to pin out all those loops in the edging.<br /><br /><b>Pattern:</b> Hemlock Ring Blanket by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed<br /><b>Yarn:</b> Brora Chunky, sage<br /><b>Mods:</b> I went up a needle size since the yarn is a little heavier than Eco Wool, but other than that I followed the pattern and stopped where Jared stopped his<br /><b>Size:</b> After blocking, it's just over 4' wide -- perfect lap blanket size.<br /><br />That icky sink picture is just to show how greasy the yarn really was -- and that was the SECOND soak.<br /><br />Okay, enough for now. Will get to my next circular lace pattern and the lovely pink sock at a later (hopefully not too much later) date.Sandyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13657152475216062820noreply@blogger.com0