The Adventures of a Bean

Climbing Mount Knitverest

2011-11-11T22:52:00.003-05:00

Wow. I really have learned a lot about knitting, test knitting, pattern writing and how these things might be a danger to my sanity. And I've finally done a technique that I've read about, seen pictures of, but never worked a pattern that called for it. Attached I-cord, and I-cord bind-off. All in the same I-cord. That was nifty!

Dracoclava is coming along quite nicely, though it's slow going. When I finished the main helmet section, I was terribly worried that it would be far too large. But the eye sockets are in, and that pulled it together a bit. I knitted the ears out of sequence (before I tried the I-cord brow) because I wasn't quite ready to try something new (it was late, I was tiring). As it turns out, having the ears ready before doing the eye sockets helped me when it came to picking up stitches for those sockets: I was not visualizing how the ear went into the main helmet correctly until I very roughly basted one in. And then the big knitting lightbulb lit up above my head. Aha! Eureka. And all that.

Working on the snouts, which should pull it in a bit more. That big rectangular opening in the front is about to go bye-bye!

I am a tad worried that it may end up being too small now! Go figure. I agonized over the gauge starting out. 7's got me very close - about a half a stitch off. 6's gave me a tighter fabric. 8's are what the yarn recommends. I went with the 7's. Why? Because when I started, I didn't want to have to rewrite the pattern to adjust stitch counts for a different gauge. Who knew I'd be doing it anyway, to get my poor old brain un-confused. And now I know that I'd have given up if I'd had to adjust stitch counts! And I feel quite prepared to edit just about any pattern any one might give me. Just about.

There are quite a few things that I find intensely cool about this pattern. The wee short rows in shaping the final rows of the ear were too darned much fun to knit. And I still think that there's something magical about having a 4-row decrease pattern for an 8-row pattern that works. I had a moment of doubt when I started, but... I honestly put down the work after the second repeat of the decrease pattern and admired just how cool it was that it did indeed work. And, yes, geeky moi did in point of fact repeatedly say, "That's soooo cool! It's like magic!!!"

I may end up knitting a second one, as I'm proofing my pattern rewrite as I'm going along, and, oo, did I make a bunch of typos. And I'm still worried that the eye sockets aren't quite what they should be.

And, the most frustrating thing: somehow I manage to skip the same 2 rows in working the ears. The ears went pretty quickly and I wasn't being as meticulous about advancing the row counter to keep track of things. After quite a few rows, I'd suddenly realize that I hadn't advance the counter, and over-advance it. I find it quite interesting that I did that at the same point on each ear. I guess there's something to be said for consistency. And maybe having so much fun doing those little short rows was against me, because in my rush to get to them, the one I skipped was the very first.

Well, so much for my break. Back to the upper snout. I am looking forward to seeing how much it snugs up the current looseness caused by that rectangle...

'Tis the Season to Rewrite Patterns, Fa-La-La-La La

2011-11-10T14:07:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been interesting. I'm dead-set on knitting Dracaclava for Keith's nephew, but, OMG, pattern was just too... Words I've seen on Ravelry to describe it are "vague", "confusing", "poorly written". Really, it struck me more as "notes to self on how to recreate what I've done" than "pattern to sell to general public." Some of the techniques were strange to me - why on earth would I knit 380 stitches only to completely remove them later? I couldn't see any structural advantage to doing that, so I didn't. Everyting is actually in the pattern, it just... well, it's hard to sit down with yarn on one side, paper on the other, and just knit. Way too much thinking. So, I rewrote it, start to finish, with every single row/round numbered. And without using "row" when really the work was in the "round."

I'm feeling a massive sense of accomplishment over that. And a little brain-fried. Happy, but fried.

I also rewrote the Basic Horse pattern that was knitted flat and then seamed up all over the place to knit everything that could be in the round. At least I did that last week, so I can take a break from Draoo and work on that.... And rewriting that pattern was a breeze in comparison, as the original was pretty darned tidy. Just... All those seams! Ick!

Hopefully, I will not be rewriting any more patterns soon. And if I do, hopefully they won't be as much of a struggle as Dracoclava!

I feel so very domestic!

2010-08-27T00:14:00.002-04:00

I also feel sweaty and very, very tired....

I've just completed Adventures in Canning, Parts 1 & 2. Part 1 was a resounding success, but took a mighty long time. Wild Plum Jelly. Starting with a slew of wild plums. Washing and inspecting each and every one of those little buggers took much longer than I'd anticipated. I don't actually know how long, but the flour sack towels I bought to strain the mush made it through the entire wash cycle before I'd gotten half way. Gently cooking and not-so-gently mashing the little spheroids took just over an hour. Then stirring and stirring and stirring. Plum juice, sugar and pectin. Boiling and stirring and boiling and stirring. The friendly sheet of paper in the pectin package said I'd only have to boil hard for one minute while stirring continuously. Yeah. No. The stuff was nowhere near setting after a minute. After about six minutes, it finally started "sheeting" off of the spoon (aren't you proud of me? I now know official jelly-making terminology!). Twelve half-pint jars are cooling in my cupboard. And, of course, the hot water bath canner I bought only held nine. And it seemed so wrong to can just three jars of jelly.... So, Adventure in Canning, Part 2A: pineapple preserves spiced with Poudre Fine (or Poudre Douce, if you prefer)(officially "conserves d'ananas avec la poudre fine"). One 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, 2 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon poudre fine. And another spat of boiling and stirring and boiling and stirring... Then the preserves began to set. Two and a half jars. Yeah. No. Adventure in Canning, Part 2B: another can of crushed pineapple, sugar, spice. Unfortunately, I was getting so very tired of the whole boiling and stirring thing that I rushed the second batch. I'm not sure that it's going to be pineapple preserves. It might be vastly tasty pineapple syrup. But, it's canned. And cooling in the cupboard.

Just in case you wanted to know, the coolest part of the canning process was gently lifting the jars out of the very hot water, coaxing them in to place in the cupboard without actually touching them, and hearing the "ping" of the lid going concave as I turned to get the next jar. Which means the seal is good!!

So, yeah, I have 12 jars of great jelly, 2 jars of great preserves, one jar that's half great preserves and half possibly-not-preserves, and 2 jars of possibly-not-preserves. And they are all perfectly sealed! And that means success! And I'm looking forward to tasting the stuff when it's cool enough not to burn my tongue (yes, jelly and preserves are quite hot after being boiled hard for much more than a minute... oops!)

In Praise of Ol' Reliable

2010-07-01T01:46:00.002-04:00

Subtitle: My machine can kick your machine's butt.

Why the name? Well, Ol' Reliable is old... The copyright dates in the manual start at 1915 and end at 1950. The largest gap between any two is 3 years. So, Ol' Reliable is probably born no later than 1953. Ol' Reliable is reliable. Like no other electical device I've ever owned.

Ol' Reliable is a Singer Featherweiht 221, and is the sewing machine I use for just about everything. Why? It's a workhorse. It sews and sews and sews. Sometimes it gets a little cranky, and I have to clean and oil it very well. Usually, I just oil it from time to time.

How reliable is Ol' Reliable? Well, see, I'm working on repairing one canvas tent and changing the door design in another. "Canvas tent?!?!", you say. Yes. Canvas. Tent.

Now, Ol' Reliable does have limits, and I'm not actually doing all of the tent work on it. That would be cruel and unusual punishment for a wonderful machine. I'm going over to a friend's house, and she had an industrial machine that I'll be using to finish everything, like sewing through the places where there will be 9 layers of canvas. But, I didn't want to spend days on end camped at the Shaw residence. I like them; they like me; I don't think they want me invading their home for days and days and days. So, I thought I'd do some work in advance.

I'm replacing each and every stake loop on a Panther Pyramid tent. Did Panther put the loops in poorly? Oh, heck, no! Panther rocks. And if I could afford a brand new Panther Primitives tent, I would buy one in a heartbeat. Sadly, I cannot. So, several years ago I bought a used one. From someone who abused the poor baby. The stake loops are rotting, several have ripped and been repaired (btw, if you're camping in an old canvas tent, bring along a really big needle, some nylon webbing, and some dental floss... minty fresh repairs that last quite a while). I thought about getting Panther to do the work. It would be more convenient, but more expensive. I did chat via email with them for quite a bit, and they said they've switched to using canvas rolled around nylon webbing. I bought some canvas that I needed for the other tent (doors and fly), but I cut a bit off the walls of that other tent and had spare canvas. And some regular nylon webbing from an old ratcheting tie-down. And some tubular nylon, which is like regular webbing on steroids.

So... I knew Ol' Reliable could sew through 2 layers of butch tent canvas. I hoped it could sew through 3. I was right. I hoped it could sew through 3 plus one layer of wimpy nylon webbing. Ol' Reliable laughed and said, "Bring it on!" 3 layers plus one layer of tubular nylon? "Oh, please, I'm a Singer Featherweight, not a Singer wimp!"

Ol' Reliable can sew through 3 layers of relatively fresh tent canvas, one layer of tubular nylon (which is actually two layers), and two layers of old tent. I had to oil the needle frequently, and I swear I heard Ol' Reliable panting and saying, "Are we almost done? I would really like to take a nap... No? Okay... IthinkIcanIthinkIcanIthinkIcan..."

Oh, heck yes!, Ol' Reliable is reliable. I have ripped out each and every one of those rotting stake loops and basted its replacement in place. Perfectly.

I love this machine!!!

(And now, I'm going to go oil it and thank it for working so very hard for me, then put it away in it's nice box and let it sleep for several days...)

Addictions

2010-06-28T23:51:00.002-04:00

Okay, so I admit I'm addicted to nicotine. And, yes, I am trying (and failing repeatedly) to switch from analog to digital....

But, socks. I am fabulously addicted to knitting socks. Easy socks. Complicated socks. Socks loosely based on a pattern but with wildly different yarn. Socks, socks, socks. I can knit socks 24 hours a day if permitted. Alas and alack, life generally does not permit me such luxury. But!! Socks are also the woolly equivalent of Valium (I think... never actually had a Valium...). So, when life through me a "you have to switch to Plan B" (and there was no Plan B... Ever optimistic, I figured Plan A couldn't possibly fall through), I picked up needles and worked on socks.

First up was the second sock of a pair of Skew in worsted yarn. No, the pattern is not written for worsted weight. But I successfully completed a pair in sock yarn, so I had a ready guide for diving in at the deep end. I called them A Leap of Faith - I had faith that I would be able to suss out what to do, and successfully translate the first left foot sock into the second right foot sock. Took notes and everything! And althought there are a couple of things I might do differently, I managed to produce a pair. And I love them. And they made me happy for a few minutes.

But, then that joy wore off. Sorta like the way they say you need bigger fixes more frequently for really nasty addictions (again, other than nicotine, don't know what those are like... Knowing that I have an addictive personality makes it very easy for me to say "NO!" to bad things... except cigarettes... and socks... but, I digress).

So, I whipped out another pattern I've been wanting to try (Zombie socks) and some yarn I picked up somewhere, and oo-ee, am I happy again!!

And just to keep me on my toes, I have to finish these bad boys in 2 more days so that I can cast on commissioned socks when the yarn arrives. Shipping from New York state tomorrow. And probably arriving on Thursday. Maybe Friday.

Socks, socks, socks.

I think just about everyone is getting socks for Christmas this year. Even those folks with wool allergies, because bamboo is really quite spiffy!!!

Socks, socks, socks.

Love me dem socks!!!

Has anyone seen my brain?

2010-05-07T00:10:00.002-04:00

Well, if Skew didn't teach me that my brain is not functioning at full capacity, the Abbey (by Lisa Grossman) is apparently going to. I love the Tsock Tsarina, and the tsocks usually are so abundantly clear that I just jump right in and happily knit along.

I finished Skew. I made so many mistakes. I knit the foot too long, and ripped back. Past the foot, there are two mistakes in there somewhere that I decided to just leave. At one point, I would have had one too many stitches if I had done the increase that should have been done. So I skipped it. At another, I would have had one too few if I'd done the decrease. Skipped that. And, yes, the worry that I wouldn't have enough yarn was correct - I couldn't do 1.5 inches of ribbing. But .675 inches works for me. I need to tighten my kitchener and weave in ends, but they look fine. As long as you don't look close enough to find the two mistakes, which I didn't! I'm incredibly happy with the end result, but they took way too long. Way too much struggle. (Of course now I can pretty much recite the pattern from memory...)

Having freed up my 1's, what else was I supposed to do but start in on the tsocks with gargoyle on the tippy top? Yes, gargoyles. I must have gargoyles. First, though I have to grow a hyacinth and build a cathedral. No problem. Simple pattern stitch on the hyacinth. The whole foot is a hyacinth. And it all starts with a toe. A toe whose instructions should have been abundantly clear to me. And they weren't. I had to chart the darned thing. And I struggled to do the chart! Where is my brain?!?! If someone out there finds it, please send it home. Maybe feed it some chocolate chip cookies first. And then promise it I'll make it no-bakes when it gets here!

How many things can go wrong at once???

2010-04-16T00:11:00.002-04:00

I guess I really don't want to know the answer to that one. Enough has gone wrong this week already, and more would be a bit much to handle...

My beloved miniature panther went walkies on Monday, and I haven't seen her since. I've just read some stuff about when I should be walking about and calling her, and that's 10pm - 2am, when it's quiet. Unfortunately, it's not a good idea to be wandering around alone then, so I'll have to recruit some help (and wandering around alone calling out "Evil" probably isn't the best idea either...). Tomorrow, I'll be doing flyers (finally managed to get to the store for printer ink...), and maybe someone will see her. I miss her most at night, when we go up to bed and she gets her 20 minutes of petting time. I find that I don't want to go to bed...

And Skew. Skew is killing me. The first attempt I was finding my brain saying, "Yes, this yarn is lovely, but it really isn't quite stripey enough..." When I got to the heel part and found that I had 2 too many stitches, I decided it was a sign that I should use a different yarn. Well, I had split some Lion Brand Magic Stripes yarn into two balls on the weekend, and so I figured that was a sign that I should use that yarn. So, I sallied forth. 3 rows left in the "heel" and then I noticed how very little yarn was left, and I panicked. I didn't think it was enough to finish the socks. So I pulled them off the needles. Well, having read the pattern, and realized that I'd be doing a bunch of short rows to fill in one side of the ankle, I now think that it would be close. So, put the socks back on the needles you say? Ah, no. I tried them on. I folded up the heel bit to see how it would look (because I will have a pair of these socks!), and found out that yea though I followed the pattern to the letter, yea though I had 7.5" pretty much exactly when I started the gussety bit, the socks are too long. By about 8 rows. So... I will be putting the socks back on the needles, but 8 rows back from the gussety bit. Which, of course, means I'll have more yarn when it comes to that short row section. But, darn it, this sock is being very annoying in the amount of "oops" that I seem to be having with it...

Some things have gone right, though. I remembered to file my state and school district taxes. With 23 whole minutes to spare, I finished the last bit. Oo-ee. The federal return was done some time ago because I was getting a refund. But, I owed Ohio, so I put off doing it. It's is done.

I also cut out the bits for a pigeon photo studio for Keith, and the plastic that I thought would just shatter in the table saw actually cut pretty well. A little wonky because the plastic could just barely slip under the fence at one point, but still quite usable. And since it cut so well, I cut out pieces to make covers for the fluorescent lights next to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom - the old ones were very yellowed and one was broken. Went to Lowe's to try to find something to make a corner out of, and found the perfect thing. For somewhere around $1.50. Perfect and perfectly affordable - that was impressive.

I even mowed the yard and didn't get a migraine afterwards! I did, however, forget to put on the mask I need to wear for lawn work when I raked the hay (the grass was awfully long...) later on in the day, and did get a minor headache. Which pretty much confirms the "I need to wear a mask" theory that I've been operating under...

Hopefully tomorrow will go better than today did...

Yip... I'm so skewed...

2010-04-03T21:55:00.003-04:00

Okay, there I was with a pair of worsted toes on the needles, ready to be made into another pair of quick socks. But, I wanted to do something different with the heel. Something that was way out of the ordinary. I hadn't even decided what to do with the body of the sock, but I figured once I found my funky heel, I'd make that decision....

I found the funky heel! But not in a worsted-weight pattern! Enter "Skew"

OMG! Did I just die and go to funky sock heaven or what?!?!

So, now here I am with a pair of worsted toes on the 5's and I'm at the "mid-toe" section of Skew on 1's in standard sock yarn. And I am thrilled to pieces. The yarn I picked is not quite as stripey as I'd like, but it's still damned gorgeous. And I have learned two increases that were floating in the back of my head, just out of reach of ownership, and now they are MINE. And I like them so very much I don't think I'll ever use "make one left" and "make one right" on my toe-ups again. Nope. "Left-leaning lifted increase" and "right-leaning lifted increase" are the ones for me! So very happy!!

Now, if only my digestive system would come back onlne, I'd be golden!

But, at least I have the beginning of some really groovy socks!!

It hasn't been a year!!!

2010-03-21T22:43:00.003-04:00

Ha! For the handful of you who care to read this, I would like to point out that I have not let my blog go for a year. Oh, no! 363 days, but not a year! Ha!! So there!! Nya!!

So much has happened in my life. I lost my job. Which bit. Big time. And I will get another quite soon, I'm sure.

I fell in L-O-V-E. Big time. No holds barred. Even when I get angry with him, I love him. Keith Joseph Caserta II. I get all silly when I think of him. When he smiles, all kinds of worldly crap fades into insignificance. And he does this really cute happy dance... He rocks!! And he's affectionate. And he's sweet. And he cooks me dinner. And makes coffee in the morning (which he does not drink). And he holds my hand in public. And... well, HE ROCKS!

I rolled my Jetta. Das Vroom-vroom ist kaput. I got a big check from the insurance company. I meant to buy a very practical station wagon. I bought a 2000 Jaguar XJ8. It's dead sexy. Unfortunately, experiencing some technical difficulties right now, but I'm persevering on the repairs. Last week, I replaced an O2 sensor. And whilst the hood was up, I hunted for the battery. Ah, the battery. Nice big thing. Has cables connected to it. Right up front by the headlights in every single car I've owned. Except this one. Yup. The battery is... in the boot! (Gotta tell ya, love the "boot open" warning message...). I feel much better having found the battery, which is under a panel, right next to the spare tire. Always nice to know where it is. Really distressing to be hunting under the hood for what seemed like ages, tracing back to its origin anything that was remotely large enough to be a battery cable.

I am no longer absolutely commited to staying in Athens. That was a big one. Reference items one (job) and two (Keith). Keith breeds and sells pigeons (mostly homers and rollers) and dogs (beagles, German shorthair pointers), and it is helpful for him to be located near an interstate. Or preferable a bunch of interstates. And western Ohio fulfills that need (70, 71, 75). So, I'm actually okay with moving. Why? Because I'd be moving somewhere WITH Keith. He lives in Dayton, and it's rough. I like to be around my things and in my house (with my cats!), and he really needs to be home to take care of dogs.

His "personal" dog, Dingle, is the cutest darned thing! She's come with him to my place a couple of times. My two cats, Evil and Bertimus Maximus, had interesting reactions to the little Dingle. Bert hid. For 3 entire visits, Bert found a spot as far away from the dog and stayed there. Bert found ways to relax and not have the dog be between him and the litter box - he stayed on top of the washing machine. Bert tried his best to not notice that Dingle liked the cat food a lot. Evil, on the other hand, figured out after about the third time trying to sneak past Dingle that the dog would ignore her. Because Keith told Dingle to ignore her (yes, Dingle is that good!). And on the third visit, Evil actually got close enough to sniff the dog! Nowadays, Bert still tries hard to stay away from Dingle, but not to the point of not being seen when she's around. And now Dingle seems to be trying to get around Evil without getting close. Too funny!! And I bet Evil is just eating that up!!!

Well, that was fun. Hopefully, I'll get back in the hang of this blogging thing. As a perk for having read this blog, here's a pic of Keith and Dingle as a puppy...

I am such a dork...

2009-03-23T16:54:00.003-04:00

So, there I was. Saturday night, happily watching Doctor Who on BBC America. And suddenly a commercial for Graham Norton's talk show. With Greg Kinnear. And they mention that Greg's last has name has become a verb...

Well, heck! I knew all about that appearance. And that they talked to Stephanie, AKA The Yarn Harlot, and sent her a picture of Kinnear "self-kinnearing".

Between Doctor Who and Graham Norton were two episodes of "Ashes to Ashes" (which I enjoyed greatly). And... well... I was ready to go to be about half way through the first episode of A2A. And I knew, having stayed up to watch Graham Norton in the past, once I started that show, I'd watch to the end.

But... Well... It was THE Harlot! Had to stay up just to listen to her phone conversation!!!

I'm such a dork....

2009-03-05T12:11:00.002-05:00

So, there I was thinking that the blogs I love to read are currently not getting updated with much frequency. And I was thinking that I was so missing them. Then it occurred to me that if I wanted to read updated blogs, perhaps (Just perhaps, mind you), I should update my own! Been quite a while, and quite a bit has happened…

Hospitalization. Such fun. My thighs stopped wanting to keep me vertical, and the express care doctor I saw was worried that it could be something very bad – Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Which, yes, could have been quite bad indeed. Luckily, I responded nicely to potassium being intravenously pumped into me, and all seems okay. I still seem to have some issues with electrolytes, and will have a follow up appointment with my regular doctor. After I get a bunch of blood drawn. And I have found a most marvelous sugar- and dye-free electrolyte replacement: http://www.nuun.com. It will be so nice not to have all that sugar and dye going into my system. I’ve had a couple of quarts so far, and it seems to be very effective. And it really tastes icky when I don’t need it. So, life is grand!

Single and available. Once again, I’m on the market. Guido and I talked and determined that we were both miserable and yet both wanted to remain friends. I find that totally awesome, because I do care for him and his son very deeply. And I would hate to lose his friendship – or his son’s. It was perhaps the gentlest and quickest breakup in my existence. I think we decided to split about 5 minutes into the conversation. And then continued to talk for over half an hour. Awesome. Sad, though. He really is a very special person, and I’m going to miss getting those big hugs on a regular basis. But, I’ll still get some hugs. Just not regularly.

Projects started and projects finished. And what is it with all this knitting I want to do? I’m up to my eyeballs in plans for making things. And I keep putting aside the complicated things for instant project gratification. Really have to stop doing that! One pair of socks that were supposed to be a Christmas present for 2008, that I wrapped on the needles!, ended up fitting my much bigger feet. So, I have started a second pair, having analyzed all the issues with the first pair that caused them to be too long in the foot. And made some changes that will make the work flow a little better for my sensibilities. I’m going to try very, very hard to get the Christmas socks done ASAP. Why? Because the first sock kit of the 2009 Tsock Flock is about to arrive and I want to knit it something fierce!! “Fearful Symmetry”. Oh, baby, what a sock!! And then I want to immediately jump into a sock in the same pattern, but a different color scheme – Panther in the Grass. Bertimus Maximus Tsocks! Evil Tsocks! Happiness and joy will abound!!

And now that I have my weekends back again, I’m going to try to kick the furniture creation and refinishing into high gear. What furniture? Let’s see… I have to strip a small rocker, a large rocker, a chair with arms and a small shelf/cabinet. Then, I need to repair the large rocker and refinish it. I won’t actually know what I’ll be applying until I see what the wood underneath looks like. The small shelf/cabinet needs another shelf and/or doors. The armed chair needs a wood finish and reupholstering, as does the small rocker. Just reupholstering, we have on deck a recliner, a Danish modern living room set, consisting of a couch, two chairs and an ottoman. I have a bench seat that needs a new cushion. Window treatments for 4 rooms. And (and this is really interesting), other than stuffing, I have pretty much everything I need to do all of them. I’ve had much of the fabric for a very long time. Very long. Especially some of the windows. And I just keep putting everything off, because it’s really hard to cart everything for a reupholstering job to my ex’s house. And it also seemed wrong to take a project with me that would consume an entire weekend. So, I just kept putting them off. “Maybe I’ll stay home next weekend…” I’d say. But I wouldn’t . So, the goal for the next several months is to get caught up on all the projects I’ve planned. Oh, I forgot creation: two blanket chests (2 sizes, from a single sheet of birch plywood) and a little writing desk that will be designed after the one my brother has in his house that used to be in my bedroom at one point (a family of 5 children – I think at least 3 of us had claim to it at some point in its life!). It’s just about the perfect size for my intended use. And I can hardly wait to design and build it. First, I have to get someone back in Pennsylvania to take some pictures of it so I can work on plans! My poor brother has a crazy job that can’t really been done in a normal workday, and is working at home a lot. So, I’m going to see if I can get my nephew to come through for me! Oh, please! I really would like to get that desk soon.

Why do I want the desk so badly? I want to have a little writing nock, and little space that’s just for writing, and not for getting online, or for eating, or anything else. I want to start writing again. (Yes, I may use the little net book that I’m using right now to type this blog entry to do writerly things, like type blog entries, but I have bigger writing fish to fry!)

I think it’s time to start The Artist’s Way again. Now, when I’m single. Now, when I keep having dreams that would make excellent books, but don’t follow through on them. Now, when my head is full of a ga-jillion knitting patterns that I want to make and write up. So, yes, it is time to be creative. To reawaken the creative side of me. To find that joy that I used to have when I would sit and write. And, yes, I can sit and write for a long time, as evidenced by this blog entry!

So, there’s a glimpse into where I am in the Universe. I’m looking forward to seeing how It unfolds!

2009-02-10T08:53:00.005-05:00

Oh. look! A blog entry! It has been a while, hasn't it? And my little blog is supposed to be a nice place for me to babble at my leisure. And I haven't been babbling much. Bummer, man...

Things have been up and down. We're going to gloss over the downs and focus on the ups, because it does make life seem a bit sweeter that way!

One nice little up - I broke down and bought myself a new portable computing device. Now, I know that I should have invested in a laptop, but so many of the ones I've found out there are way more computer than I need. I just want a little bit of power, not a huge honking chunk of it. (Well, no... world domination wouldn't be bad, so long as I had good underlings...). Enter the Acer Aspire One. This thing is so darned cute! The keyboard is wee, but it's not really that much more wee than the ancient laptop I had been using. So, not a problem. The screen is wee. Ancient laptop. Need I say more? And really it has a decent amount of memory and disk space. And I found out that, yes, I could connect to the internet via the Ohio University wireless network in my office. That doesn't suck. Not one bit. And, did I mention it's cute? I did try to mitigate the cuteness factor slightly by going with the metallic brown (they say it's copper, but...). Anyhoo, I'm typing this entry on the wee net book whilst relaxing in bed. Can it get much better than that?

Knitting. Oh my friend, my enemy. Somethings have gone really well with knitting, and somethings have gone poorly. And somethings which have gone poorly have in fact gone well. The socks I was knitting for my niece Ashley are now the socks I'm finishing for me. The foot seemed a bit long when I was working it, but I just kept going. Now that the heel had been done (and I made a mistake there by accidentally doing the heel flap in stockinette), I have found that the foot is in fact too long for a women's size 7 foot. But, it's just about perfect for a women's size 9. That would be my foot. Things I find that I"m not liking in the pattern: you're supposed to do slip 1 knit 1 on the heel flap, and continue the resultant ribbing-like pattern up the foot. But... there's an even number of stitches. So, there'd be a "purl" on one side of the flap and a "knit" on the other (corresponding to the knit and the slip, respectively). This does not appeal to me. Also after 5 rows, you're supposed to start ribbing on the instep stitches. Also an even number. So, I'm going to do a second pair for Ashley and keep these for myself. On Ashley's socks, I'm going to put an odd number of stitches where the flap and instep are (between cable patterns). And then I won't have these problems. I'm knitting most of the ankle on my socks in stockinette, and I'll figure out how to do groovy ribbing when I get there. I'm supposed to add a stitch in the cabe pattern portions; I think I'll just subtract one from the instep and "sole" stitches...

I haven't finished Dad's argyles. I think the fack that I have to start out with 4 frelling inches of ribbing is somewhat off-putting. But, I intend to get over that very soon...

So, what have I been doing? Playing. I knit another pair of camo mitts to replace the ones I left behind in a Subway restroom somewhere in Maryland. I knit a pair of mitts out of a really groovy yarn that had a navy chenille strand and a variegated eyelash strand for my friend Karen. They are lovely, fluffy, and toasty. I started a baby blanket for one of my office mates, because I could.

And... I started a net book bag! I'm kind of winging it on that one, since I couldn't find a pattern that mostly fit the dimensions I wanted (this sucker is 9 inches across its largest dimension!). A lot of patterns for knitted bags that I have are worked in stockinette, but since I prefer knitting to purling, I decided that garter would be just fine. And. I bought the knitting edition of Piecework. (Finally!!), so I have printed instructions for Portuguese knitting. Which is kind of funky and fun. I tried a couple of times, and it was okay, but not great. However, for some silly reason, reading the article and looking at the minimal pictures included (really... no cast on, just how to knit and purl), suddenly things clicked and made sense. And I even managed to do a knitted cast on! Anyhoo, by knitting this bag entirely in the Portuguese method, I hope to learn it. I'm having problems with keeping my right had relaxed. It's so used to doing so much of the work (I knit English style, just in case you were wondering). My right forefinger keeps wanting to crook to get ready to throw the yarn, which is the role of the left thumb in Portuguese knitting. And once that happens, I develop a death-grip on the yarn which really messes up the tension. But, I'm persevering! I'm going to do this whole bag via Portuguese knitting. So there. Nya!

I've also started working on other things I shouldn't be working on - mitts for a friend of Karen's (who saw Karen's mitts and thought they were awesome... and who has problems with circulation in her extremities, so these might help...). And I'm working on the socks that correspond to what my "students" are (or will be) knitting. Sort of. Corinne showed me a different heel turn which is very boxy but simple. And I think I'm going to suggest the the students use that turn rather than the tapered one I always use. Will I also do that heel turn? Only time will tell. I'm still pretty far from the heel flap right now.

I've also been smittien with the fountain pen bug again. I found a seller on eBay that has some dirt-cheap, made-in-China pens. And they're actually not bad at all. Bought two pens for the whopping sum of $2.49. They're nice and weighty, though the nibs could be a little smoother. Still, pretty decent writing implements. Also, from same seller, 50 cartridges of brown ink that will fit any of the fountain pens I own. Decent, though not permanent, ink. I'm digging it. I'm still waiting on a glass pen I ordered to arrive. Had to try it. Couldn't resist. And found a pen that came with two bottles of ink for a reasonable price. Also bought scented ink sampler. Hopefully, the synthetic scent won't mess with me. If so, then I already know who would like them!

There's still more stuff to write about, but I'm finding that I'm starting to get drowsy. The old eyelids are trying to close. And yawning has commenced.

But, I had so much fun writing this in bed, that you can be sure there'll be another blog entry soon!!!

45 for the 44th

2009-01-20T12:42:00.002-05:00

Wow. It actually happened. I actually saw it (sort of - the video of the feed was a bit behind the audio). I know the nation did not actually decide to give me the present of an historic occasion for my birthday, but nonetheless, that's what I received. I'm a little stunned. In a good way. I was alive for the first time an African-American became the Chief. What was it like to be alive the first time an African-American could vote? The first time a woman could vote? What was it like to be alive when slavery was declared to be at an end? I was alive for the end of segregation by law, but I was very young and it didn't sink in.

I hope to be alive when we truly look at a person and judge them on their actions, words, and deeds. And not by the color of their skin or their religious beliefs.

That is what I have been given. Hope. That this presidency will be the answer to all our problems? Nope. That the minds of my fellow citizens may open more, may embrace their fellow humans as equals. Yep.

And that...

That is stunning.

Losing Battles - with myself!!

2009-01-08T10:42:00.004-05:00

Crud, this looks like a lot of fun. And I really need to learn a new craft right now. Yeah, like I need another hole in my head...

http://www.eloomanation.com/

It's weird to look at something on line and watch two sides of me begin battle....

Side One: Weeeee!! Look at this stuff!!! Isn't that cool!! And I have that little square loom that I could maybe use for some of these projects!!! Or I could build a little loom!! No problem - I've had all that woodworking practice of recent!!!

Side Two: You have got to be kidding! Haven't you looked at the massive pile of unfinished projects? And don't you remember that some of those projects are to build things to help organize your overflowing craft/fabric/yarn stashes? Haven't you looked at the house which so needs to be cleaned?

Side One: But, but, but... Doesn't this look like fun? Can't I just maybe do one simple project? And I can use yarn that I already have, so I would actually be reducing the stash! That's sort of like cleaning and organizing, right? And think how much fun it will be!! Fun, fun, fun!!!

Side Two: Get a %$*%^ grip! You'd tear apart the house looking for just the right yarn, which is pretty much the antithesis of organization, and you know it.

(I think Side Two makes an excellent point, there...)

Side One: Just one? One small project? Maybe a bag or container or something to organize my life a bit?

Side Two: Really... something that would organize a part of this crazy world of yours?

(yes, this is where the tide turns...)

Side One: Sure! It'll be great!!

Side Two: Well...

Side One: C'mon... you know you want to see something done this way, too...

Side Two: Yeah, but... But... Well, okay. But, first you have to finish the Christmas presents that didn't get done. And clean the litter boxes.

Side One: Yay!!!

When will it all slow down? Never????

2009-01-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

Guess what?!? I get to write about something medieval for a change! How exciting is that? Yes, sometime last year I got the hankering to teach at a medieval event. So, I offered to teach two classes in my favorite stuff: nålbinding and sprang. Yeah. The first weekend after all the Christmas running around is done (which is not saying the projects are done, just all the traveling), I’ve got to have my fecal matter assembled sufficiently to teach. Oops! What was I thinking?? Wasn’t I thinking that I’d have to finish Christmas projects? Oh, well.

I’d done precisely none of the prep work before getting home on Sunday. And everything seems to be taking a long time. Possibly because I’m a little wiped out. But!! But!!! I now have 8 sprang frames and I rather like this construction: ½” dowels used for the sides, glues into holes drilled into 1 ½” x ¾” boards. What I really like about the new frame is that I could take it to Pennsic in an unglued-state and easily glue them. I think that I could even let people glue the frames together themselves! Suddenly, teaching at Pennsic has become much easier – much less bulk to transport! All the handouts have been printed and collated. Just have to determine which yarn I’m surrendering and wind them. Then assemble the little kits to hand out.

I also have 9 cute little nålbinding needles. I rushed them a little, so they aren’t as smooth as they normally are. But, they are done. 8 teak (for the students) and one reddish wood (maybe redheart?) that I didn’t like at all until I rubbed in the beeswax. Ah, beeswax! Beeswax rubbed in with a little nålbinded “cloth” that had a lot of lanolin in it! Ah! Beeswax and lanolin. I’d love to be able to say that the printed material for the nålbinding class is all done, but I’m having some issues with my printer. I can’t complain too much, because it was free, and came with a full cartridge of toner. And it’s a laser jet, which I like better than ink jet. But, the darned thing keeps thinking there’s a paper jam when there isn’t. I know what you’re thinking – something must be in there somewhere. That’s what I’m thinking too. But, why, then, will it print 4 sheets before thinking it’s jammed? Open the cover, close the cover, 4 more sheets, “I’m jammed!” Seriously. This is way so annoying. Especially since each handout has 8 sheets printed on both sides (and the printer does not have a duplexing unit – I am the duplexing unit…). I’ve gotten halfway through the job (printed all of the “backs” of the sheets, now just have to print the “fronts”…)

2 more nights. I think I can pull it all together in two more nights. Better still would be pulling it all together tonight. But, I’m not going to force myself to do that!

And then, I get to work on getting ready to teach sock knitting. At least I won’t have to really jump into that for a bit – the first actual knitting session isn’t until January 20.

January 20^th. Inauguration Day. My birthday. Should be an interesting day!

Still in relaxation mode...

2008-12-31T09:15:00.002-05:00

Ah, New Year's Eve. And I'm still relaxing and not knitting like a fiend. Well, not on socks. I lost my beloved camouflage mitts on the drive home - left them in a restroom. This wouldn't bother me so much if I hadn't, as I set them down, said to myself, "This is potentially a bad spot to set down your mitts, kiddo. You might forget them..." So, I whipped up a pair in Lion Brand Moonlight Mohair. Oo. Pretty. Sparkly. And then last night I noticed the little ball remaining from knitting my Christmas Calorimetry... And I thought that little Christmas mitts would be fun to wear whilst celebrating Christmas with the Mills boys... So, I'm knitting those instead! About one quarter of the way along... should be able to finish them during lunch (with a little bit of time before I leave tonight to supplement that...). And given that I made little Christmas slipper socks ages ago in the same yarn, I'll be quite coordinated! I hope Bret and Jared don't gag!!!

Along the relaxation lines, I actually got to do something I wanted to do before Christmas but didn't have the time - I went to Lake Hope State Park and walked down the Trail of Lights with my friend Cindy. The trail wasn't quite as long as I'd hoped, but the lights were pretty. We ended up walking it twice (my suggestion) and it was just lovely. Not too windy. Not too cold. Very quiet (we were the only ones there when we started the trail, though people were in the parking lot getting ready to leave when we arrived, and others arrived as we were leaving). The displays were a little beat up from being out all December long, but still very festive. And I brought a thermos of hot chocolate which we drank in the car after the walk. All in all, a very lovely evening. And I got home with still time to work on stuff. So I packed clothes for the weekend and wrapped the last two presents: Jared's box (easy) and Bret's table (not so much...).

Have you ever wrapped a skinny little table that's not at all in a box? Oh, it was fun. Rule #1: no cellophane tape could be applied directly to the wood. Rule #2: every bit needed to be covered. Wrapping using these rules was a bit of a challenge. The taper of the legs was a help, actually. The paper only slid down so far... So, the legs were each covered and then the apron and top were wrapped, taping the paper to that on the legs. And! I finished a role of wrapping paper that I've had for years. Exactly. None to spare (well, I'm not counting the pieces that are about 1" x 3" that I cut out of the top piece to get around the legs...). How cool is that? Now, of course, the trick will be getting it in and out of the car without damaging all that hard work!

What a Joyous Whirlwind!!

2008-12-29T09:38:00.003-05:00

Back from Christmas with the family. It was so wonderful to see them all. I wish I could have spent more time with everybody. I'm contemplating taking weekends and visiting one portion of the family at a time. It's a little hectic with everyone all at once, or running from house to house in one day. Joyous. Merry. Wonderful. But, hectic.

And, yes, two presents got wrapped unfinished. And that's okay. I'll get them done by the end of January. And one last present is almost finished, but I'm pretty unhappy with it. The hall table is just not right. Bummer. But, I will finish it tonight, and take it up to Bret and tell him that he can help design a better one (one that will fit his needs). And the next one I won't make the doweling mistakes on the legs (I might even cheat and buy legs already made...). It's actually not a bad little table. It's just not a great little table.

On the bright side, I have two presents started for next year! And plans for others.

This year will be the year that I get everything done. I will start in September, when things aren't too crazy. I will have everything planned by the time October comes around, so there will be no scurrying about trying to decide what to knit. I've started the list today!! Which means I won't forget the excellent idea I had on Christmas Day for my niece and nephew-in-law!! WoOt!!

And maybe, just maybe, next Christmas I'll actually get to relax!!

I ain't going down with this ship...

2008-12-24T09:55:00.002-05:00

Which means I am putting my hands up and surrendering. Yip. Two projects moved to Next Year status. One project wrapped way not done (but it's argyle, and all the diamonds and lines are done, so he'll get the idea). I am going to try to do a pair of socks today. The pattern is written quite weirdly, though... So, I'm going to use it as a guideline...

I did get a lot done next year. And I have two projects in progress for next year already! So, I'm ahead, right?!?!

Joyeux Noel to anyone who reads this!!

It's Friday... and, yes, rain...

2008-12-19T09:45:00.003-05:00

Oy, yesterday did not quite go as planned. I opted not to touch the wood working, as I'd pulled a muscle in my back trying to get my neck to relax. Yeah. It was a bad afternoon. And now, I'm a bit achy. And I need not to be. But, I shall persevere. I think...

I sat down to work on knitting in my comfy recliner with a rice-filled heating pad thingie to help the neck, and, I was out like a light. Slept for an hour. I totally needed that nap in a physical sense, but I totally needed to knit for that hour in a project-production sense. Oh, well. Spilt milk, water under the bridge and all that. It was marvelous waking up and finding the cat, Bertimus Maximus, on my lap. I vaguely remember him being there when I started to feel the click coming on. And I woke up with a very warm and toasty lap.

My neck feels absolutely fine this morning. That pulled muscle? Not so much.

What did I get done? Well, I put the finishing touches on some beaded banners that I've been considering done, but weren't really - 15 minutes of work left was close enough in the Grand Scheme, but it was still not officially done. Now, officially, they are done, done, done.

I needed a little brainless-ness, so I worked on making sure I have boxes for everything. Oops. I don't! Well, I have boxes, but they're going to be too small. Just one box shy. I might have something that will work, but it certainly isn't the standard size. Of course, I could shoot for a wacky package - maybe a big tube? I need to figure out something for the cardigan that's not done yet...

And I got much closer to the toe on the Earl Grey. Very close. I probably would have gotten closer if I hadn't watched television while knitting. But, hey, I kinda needed some Christmas specials/movies, eh!!

How do I feel about this weekend? I feel like it's going to hurt. A lot. I feel like I'm going to need to take the muscle relaxants. And I feel like I won't get everything done. I may feel better about this after tonight. If I can get the sanding done tonight, then... well, that's the most physically abusive thing I have left. It would be so nice if it was done. So nice. Did I mention that I'd done the math, and I can stain and poly everything on one day? I was worried that I made a mistake (who, me?), so I double-checked the directioins. Between stain and poly, I need 8 hours, and I had computed with 4 hours (between coats). Panic!! Terror!! Recalculate... Oh, goodie!! If I start at 7am, I can still get it all done in one day. I'm not going to run the humidifier, so the house proper should be nicely capable of dessication. I'll bring the wood up tonight and hopefully the cats (cat, actually... Bert, specifically...) won't figure out how to open the door and get to all that nice unfinished wood that he likes to scratch so much. It's kind of nice that there's a whole bunch of waiting in finishing process. Working on wood will break up the knitting, but there's still a bunch of time for knitting to get done!

Achy. Worried. Still mostly positive.

That's where I am....

It's Thursday and It's Overcast

2008-12-18T09:13:00.004-05:00

Continuing our weather-related boring titles...

Another night of fun and getting to bed too late, and not getting everything crossed off the list. I have an excuse, though. I added "Dinner with Cindy" to the list because she suggested it when I asked about borrowing her sewing machine. I thought I wanted to zig-zag something, rather than apply fabric paint. But when I grabbed it to run over to Cyn's... well... it really didn't look like something that should be zig-zagged. Cindy concurred. And fed me a really awesome beef stew. And showed me the Christmas present that she's working on for me - a phenomenal silk veil with a beaded edge. Did I mention I'm in a medieval recreation group? It's up near the top of the page... Well, this veil is going to look so absolutely fabulous when it's done. It's just beautiful. And I may need to make a new dress to wear with it. Or maybe I could just finish one that's in progress? It was kind of nice to be "given" a present that had to be taken back to be finished...

In progress. That seems to be the theme of my life right now. So many things are simply "in progress" but not moving along to "finished" nearly as quickly as they should. I have so many medieval garments that got to the point where they would be more complicated than I thought I could handle at the time. So, I put them down. Then I put them in a bag. Then I put the bag in a box. Then I put the box in the closet (well, if I was feeling really motivated, I'd put the box in the closet). The "then...then.." process would take 4 or 5 weeks. And at each step, I thought I'd be pulling the item out and working on it. It's not just Christmas, it's everything.

At least with the Christmas projects, I am working on them. So, they truly are in progress. But progress is slow. I don't seem to be able to do more than 2 hours of active wood working each night before I feel the "I'm tired enough to make a big mistake" take over my body. Which is truly a good time to stop...

I have a question. Why is it that when you have to hammer nails into both the front and back of something, that when you are nailing away, the only place you miss the nail with the hammer is on the front (the more important, has-to-look-pretty side)? No kidding. I missed the same nail three times last night. On the front of the table apron. Three. And did I miss any one of the six nails I had to hammer on the back? Nope. How many of the six nails on the front did I successfully pound in and sink without making a single mar on the face of the apron? Two. Which means new dings that have to be sanded out. And I just couldn't face that... So, the table is not ready to stain yet. But, fear not! I did the math and I could actually do both coats of stain and both cots of rub-on polyurethane in one day. And that day would be Saturday. So, I'm not going to kill myself trying to get past that wood working fatigue point. If I can get two good hours tonight and tomorrow night, I'll still be mostly on track.

I thought I was way off track with the socks. But then I finished the gussets on the Earl Blue and measured them. Holy Cannolis!! I'm almost 4" down the length of a sock that needs to be 11.5" in length. That's one third of the way!! Which means that I'm not nearly as far behind on these socks as I thought I was. Which is not to say that I'm as far along as I want to be... But, I'll take any bit of positive I can right now. And 4.5" to the toe is just marvelously positive when I was expecting more like 6.5"...

As I mentioned yesterday, precisely one item migrated to the Done list: The sweatshirt. And it looks fabulous. And I'm glad I decided I'd do the paint rather than zig-zag. And none of the cats walked across it while it was drying.

Tomorrow, I hope to be able to cross two things off, but it's more likely that it'll just be one.

I'm okay with that...

Once again, I lied...

2008-12-17T12:16:00.002-05:00

I get to move something from the in-progress list to the done list!!! The stitch markers are complete and nestled in their Altoid Box home!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's Wednesday and it's melting...

2008-12-17T08:43:00.005-05:00

Such creative titles this week!! Well, I use the lack of brain wattage for anything not project related as my excuse. Weather-schmeather. Day-schmay. As long as I wake up, get to and from work, it's all the same to me. So much so that I could have sworn yesterday was Wednesday. And I truly woke up thinking today was Thursday. On the bright side, when I realize what day it truly is, I am pleasantly surprised by the fact that I have one more day than I thought!

Everything took so darned long last night, but much progress was made. I don't actually get to move something to the completed list, but I do get to update some "0%" bits in the list. Tonight, there's a few simple things that will wrap up pretty quickly. And then some stuff that won't. Life's like that, dontcha know!

I left the little schedule book at home, so I can't verify what I'm behind on. But! I did buy the one item and the one piece of wood. And I bought the correct kind of wood. Yes, I have a lovely little bit of poplar now. Yesterday was crafty, non-knitting day, so no wood working. But, tonight. Tonight I will cut and sand the last piece of wood. And I will get ready to stain the table. And it will be a good night!!

Tuesday, and it's snowing...

2008-12-16T08:35:00.004-05:00

But it didn't snow enough to shut down the county (which is the only way I get a snow day).

Once again, the table proved to be recalcitrant. Coupled with a completely idiotic maneuver on my part. P is for poplar. P is for pine. Guess what wood I needed to buy to rework a piece that I botched? And guess which wood I actually bought? Yip. Needed A, bought B. So, I didn't finish all the assembly last night. Bummer. But... I did put the apron together. It's clamped and drying. And in the long run, only two holes needed to be redrilled to reorient the straight-up leg into a straight-down position. Looking kinda nice... Even with clamps and no finish.

Did more shopping on the way home from work, more than I meant to. And less than I meant to! Forgot to double-check the list. One item left to buy and the Christmas shopping is complete. One.

Well, one item and one poplar board... ;)

just had to mention...

2008-12-15T14:18:00.003-05:00

I kitchenered the toe and wove in the ends at lunch. The Diagonal Rib socks are truly done.

And I made The Revised Grand Schedule... All the way through to packing up and traveling. And, yes, it can be done.

Tonight we have a chance of getting a dump of ice and/or snow. A snow day would go be a really good thing for me right now!!

It's Monday and it's raining

2008-12-15T08:17:00.002-05:00

Yes. Monday. After what I knew would be the weekend from Helsinki (as far as time for me to knit was concerned...). And, yes, I did have fun. But I was also pretty grumpy. Sigh... I think part of my brain was continuously registering the fact that I needed to be knitting or sanding or staining or sewing or...

But, I did get something done! WoOt! Diagonal Ribs are down to kitchener stitch and end weaving. Yippee!! And, perhaps even better, I finally picked up the Earl Blue and looked very closely to see if the stitches I picked up after dropping (why did I drop stitches on a cable??) were done okay. And they were! And I'm on the gussets!

Now, for other bad news. Friday I drilled the dowel holes in the table, and... yeah... I put one leg on wrong. 3 correctly orient pointing downwards and 1 goes up. Straight up in the air. But, I think I can just drill new holes and go from there. Also, I made a wee error in that I drilled the dowel holes at the same location for each piece of the apron (front, back, two sides) and into the legs. And didn't notice that that caused me to drill the holes in the legs into each other. But, again, I think I can fix this. Cutting some dowels shorter should do the trick!

The box went very well, though. Sand, finish (stain & poly) and hardware (hinges, clasp). That's all that's left... I can get that done!!

The rest... well, we'll see. It's not looking very good, but I'll keep plugging away. Just think of me as the Little Engine That Could in training.

I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Look - lists!

2008-12-12T15:34:00.001-05:00

Yip. Now, I'm also going to be moving stuff from the "Not Yet Done" to the "Completed" list. It should be such fun. Unless nothing moves... Hmmm....

omgomgomgomgomg

2008-12-12T14:13:00.002-05:00

Okay, kids, we've revamped The Grand Schedule. That which was to control my life until Christmas. That which was scrambled by a touch of stomach flu. Doesn't my body know that it's not allowed to decide it needs 16 hours of sleep instead of a mere 7? And how about the boyfriend planning a full day of activities on Saturday? Albeit everything will be tons of fun, and I'm going to have a great time, but you just can't knit a lace cardigan at a roller derby. Okay... maybe you can. I can't.

And there's all that traveling to take into consideration. I didn't win a dime on the lottery, so I don't have plane tickets. Of course, there are still several drawings between now and the drop-dead get-in-the-car-and-go day. So, maybe there's still a chance on that. 2 hours on a plane knitting beats 7.5 hours in a car driving. It's really hard to knit and drive, especially if you're the only one in the car...

But, I still have high hopes that I will be done with all but one project. Very high hopes. Stoned hopes? I'm not sure how in touch with reality I am right now. Everything has taken more time than it should, every knit object has had a point where dropped stitches had to be picked up (or even better - I had to frog out entirely and change needle size...).

So, I've decided that I'm going to post once a day, giving myself pep talks and/or pats on the back, depending on how the day before has gone.

Today: pep and pat. Wood working went pretty well. A dear friend, Cindy, came over and did sanding on project A (table) while I worked on project B (box). We worked until my recently-healthy body felt like it really needed to sit down and not move for a bit. And we accomplished quite a lot. Cindy sands so very much better than I do - all I have left is one leg (partly done) and the table top. Huzzah! The box gave me a lot of problems, or rather the frame that gets a mirror mounted in it. The equivalent of wrong needle size and dropped stitches. And they all were cutting the 45 degree angle to miter the corners. First, cut parallelograms instead of an isosceles trapezoid. Next, successfully created trapezoids, but the rabbet for the mirror was on the outside edge of the frame, not the inside edge. Third, successfully created a frame. That was one quarter of an inch too small. The fourth time was the charm! And, I'll have a bunch of cute little frames from all the mistakes... And, oo-ee!, did I learn a lot about how not to make a frame!!

Tonight, assembly of the wooden objects. And finishing a pair of socks. I'm 2.5" from starting the toe on a really quick-working pattern. I will finish these socks!!

Optimism? Or Insanity?

2008-12-09T13:49:00.002-05:00

I swear on all that I hold holy that I really did start the Christmas project production in a timely fashion. Heck, I worked on something in September! And then October just sort of whizzed right on by (I did travel all but one of the weekends, which probably added to the general whizziness). November was a blur. And now, it is December.... And I still have a ton to do!

And, although part of my brain is insisting that I still have enough time, another part of my brain is registering the fact that Christmas is coming... And the goose appears to be anorexic...

I've already ear-marked one project as something that can be done while I'm staying at my parents' house for a few days before Christmas. Really. I can do a pair of socks in three days. That's a non-issue. And I've earmarked another project for wrapping on the needles, just in case. So, really, I only have 3 pairs of socks and a cardigan to knit. In 12 days. Oh, yeah, no problem! And there's these woodworking projects as well. Yeah. No stress here!!

There are some bright spots - the most complicated woodworking project is currently a pile of appropriately cut parts. The less complicated one is, well, really easy. The 3 pairs of socks are in progress - heels done on one pair, heels started on another, and the third... well, it's started. Let's leave it at that! Oh, and the cardi is started, and it took very little to get an inch done (2 or 4 rows). So, that should zoom. Yip.

I think if I wake up at 6am on Saturday and Sunday, and I work my arse off and collapse at 11pm each day, I should be okay...

I can do this.

And if you happen to have stumble across this blog and are the praying kind, you might want to say a little pray for my sanity....

Some day, I'll get the hang of this blog thing...

2008-11-25T13:18:00.002-05:00

Perhaps when tons of people begin to read it, yes? So, I'm very safe right now... Sorta just tossing out thoughts to the ether...

One week later, 26 knitting days left until Christmas travel. And what do I have to show for it? Well, I dropped a bunch of stitches. Not all at once. One here, one there. Followed by a little agony of reworking. Stopped working on that sock, because I'm not entirely sure I've got everything right, and I just don't have the focus to sit down and double-check all the picking up I've done. So, I cast on another pair! And... I laddered. I never ladder. And, oo-ee, there were big honking ladders forming. In my defense, I also don't purl a lot at the end/beginning of the needles on socks, so I just wasn't snugging those dang purl stitches like I needed to. And, on the bright side, I only messed that up on two rows. Unworked, reworked, and now 16 more rows along. The ladders are gone, gone, gone!!

Good things did happen, though. A present I want to make for my father required me to design a graphic. Yeah, right. I had the brain wattage to do that. But! Enter eBay. Dontcha just love all the weird stuff you can find on eBay? Including the lovely Christmas appliqué I had bought for myself years and years ago. The one I am so in love with. The one I used for myself when I bought it. Yip. Found it. Bought it. Now, all I have to do is apply it!

And I taught another person how to nalbind! A very nice one-on-one session! Ah, the best way to teach. I could watch her like a hawk, and not feel like I was ignoring someone.

Perhaps this weekend will be full of finishes. At least, that's what on the schedule! ;)

Perhaps next week a blog post will appear that will be full of enthusiasm and joy for all that I've created!

I seem to be darned fond of "perhaps" today...

OMG!!! Where did November go??

2008-11-18T14:14:00.002-05:00

So, here I am. Looking at the calendar. The day is November 18. Do you know what that means? Only 33 knitting days left until Christmas travel begins. Yikes!!!

So, how am I doing? There are 6 pairs of socks that will be given out at Yuletide. One of which is done. Oh, bother!!

And then there's the "sit quietly listening to classical music" lace scarf. At least one whole week of solid knitting. And I cannot watch TV and do that one. I've got some lovely CD's lined up for that flurry of knitting.

Next, the "OMG, you want me to knit what?!?!" cardigan. On the bright side, it knits pretty fast. 2 rows and it's around an inch. So, knitting 14 inches to the armholes? Shouldn't take too long. Right? Should go pretty quick, right? Note to self: do not ask Carol what she wants to have knitted for Christmas.

Oh, and two wood working projects of a non-trivial nature, and precisely one weekend where I can work on them. So, if anyone reads this and has some weather control abilities, I could use a little sunshine on the weekend of December 6. Got that? December 5 through December 7. Sunshine. Please? Finishes will be applied inside where it's warm, but I hate sawing on a gloomy day...

Yes, I have mapped out a schedule. A relatively precise schedule that has where I have to be on every single project for each and every one of those 33 days. And, yes, it is doable. Really. Honest.

Oh, crap.

Crenellations the First

2008-10-14T13:36:00.002-04:00

Huzzah!!! I have my first set of crenellations!!! Yes, the first York and Lancaster sock is completed, and now on to the second. Will I get the second sock done in time for Rhinebeck? I have my doubts, but we'll see what happens over the next few days...

Crenellations!! Ooo!!!

Oh, and by the way, my friend Cori made the most adorable stitch markers. While I'm tossing pictures up here, I might as well toss those up as well:

So much keeps happening!

2008-10-03T09:36:00.003-04:00

Well, whew, been a week... Hope I have a relaxing and rejuvenating weekend. I hope to have fun with my friend Lucina at "An Afternoon of Fun" - we're camping and it's gonna be cold at night, though...

My friend Cori made the adult decision that she probably should stay in Athens and do homework rather than go to Rhinebeck with me. Which is probably true, but now I'm off all by my onsies. On the bright side, I'll meet people in person that I've met online, and I'll see Mom & Dad. But, I don't always do well in crowds of strangers... And I won't have a fellow noob to get all excited about everything with. I'm going to make a lot of friends via judicious application of nukkles, though. Yes, one can work miracles with backrubs!

I've done the first 3 rows of colorwork on the ankle rose on the first York and Lancaster sock, and realized that I needed to adjust what I was doing. Sigh. And I looked and looked and looked for my wee little yarn bobbins and only found one. One. I need two. I know there are more, but where?? Walmart only has them in a package of "I taught myself to crochet" package for $10. Like I need that. I've been thinking that maybe I could make some. Would be more exciting to work with. All I have to do is design them.

I'm working on yet another Calorimety - this one in camo, which matches (by dint of being the yarn left over from producing) a pair of fingerless mitts that I made. Almost done! This is really a great project to do when you feel to overwhelmed by the project you want to finish, yet you just want to knit. I'm going to have to find another one of those kinds of patterns soon, because there's really only so much Calorimetry one should have in one's life.

Teaching. Eek. I will be teaching nalbinding and sock knitting (the latter with Cori, bless her!) this fall, and I'm getting all excited. And so very nervous about the handouts. Which I'm great at creating - I know. Someone's 14-year-old niece taught herself using my nalbinging booklet. So, why am I nervous? Because I'm reworking the handout and I'm worrying about forgetting something.

Someday I'll get better at this blog thing. By then, maybe I'll have an audience!

Oh... My first entry!

2008-09-26T09:04:00.000-04:00

So many blogs, so little time. But, I seem to write these long, long, long, long emails to friends that blather on (and on and on) about everything that's been happening to me. And one suggested I try blogging instead. She may be the only one who reads my blog, but, hey, that's okay! I won't be filling her email inbox!!

It's weird to sit down and think of what I might want to say in a blog. So, I think I'll just do a quickie today, and maybe more when I've time to truly contemplate and organize my thoughts. Okay, maybe there won't be much organization, but...