Fair Isle Frenzy

Somebody needs to talk me out of this because I have an idea. This hat seems to be going really well. I had to buy 5 skeins of yarn to get all the colors (red, pink, lime, turquois, and orange) but the pattern only calls for 20 yards of each of the contrasting colors. Oldest nephew's favorite color is red, middle nephew's favorite is orange (Deb was pretty surprised that a 5 year old boy was this vocal about his hat preferences), youngest neice's favorite pink, oldest neice's favorite is blue. Are you thinking what I'm thinking? I could make each one a hat with their favorite color as the main color and all the rest as accents. I think I will have enough yarn. Have I lost my mind? Hats for kids were on my to-do list for Christmas gifts.

In other news, remember my big money-saving plan involving doing my own manicures/pedicures? If you will recall, the first casualty of this was my computer mouse. After digging around the house I found another mouse so I didn't actually have to pay to replace it, but it really put a damper on my lofty ideas of saving money by doing it myself. Last night this happened:


I was trying to open the bottle and the entire top broke off. Luckily (?!) most of it spilled on me so no yarn was damaged. But let's tally up my cost savings from doing it myself. Cost of mani/pedi at the salon $47 plus tip. Cost of the red OPI that broke $7, my ruined polo shirt and capri pants $25 and $10 (hey they were on the clearance rack) Total loss $42. So far I saved $5 plus tip. Yeah, I'm a financial genius!

At the LYS

Yesterday I went to Coldwater Collaborative to find some things for my pals. Deb was working so after reading her blog and reading about her on Chris' blog I got to meet her in person. Of course she was only semi-familiar with my blog until I said, "it's the one with the basset hound from hell". Suddenly she knew. Crazy dog.

Deb helped me pick out some sock yarn for my pal and I got a big skein of fun, chunky yarn too. I also picked out a bunch of Cascade 220 to make a fair isle hat from the SimpleChic book that my SP sent to me. This is my first foray into fair isle and it's a simple pattern. I've already changed it to knitting in the round because I've discovered I'm really bad at purling with two colors (I can't seem to purl English-style and get a decent tension on the stitch) so I ripped back everything I'd done flat and re-started in the round. Here is how it looks so far.

Bright or what? But this is for my nephew Ben who was very specific about what he wanted in a hat. Mostly orange, but not all orange because that's boring. So it's mostly orange. The fair isle chart is pretty darn easy, but I figure that it's perfect for someone who is doing it for the first time.

As you can well imagine, we are following the Little League World Series pretty closely around here. We were watching Iowa vs. Missouri last night while I knit. I left the room for a couple of minutes and the BHFH jumped onto the rolly office chair, grabbed the bag from Coldwater and promptly took off with it. So I will be winding the yarn I bought for my pals into nice center pull cakes for them. They are a mess right now. Damn dog.

No quiet Sunday today, we are going school shopping. I'm torn between wanting to drive the SNC up the interstate where the speed limit is 75 and wanting my husband to drive so I can keep knitting.

A Package In The Mail

From the Wonderful Wendy, my One Skein spoiler. I must confess that I've been waiting for the mailman ever since I saw what she had made me posted on her blog. She totally nailed me. I love handbags and I'm a felted purse nut (hence the 6 I've made so far this year) so this gift was perfect! A really lovely pink felted clutch decorated with vintage buttons, some watercolorish nautical Maine-themed notecards, an alpaca fingerpuppet (the BHFH is fascinated by this), blueberry tea, handmade wooly soap, (Teresa, now I get the whole sushi mat thing), and blueberry lip balm with the name "Moose Smooch". My son is a lip balm nut and I'm going to have to keep my eye on it to keep it from disappearing into his backpack. Thank you so much Wendy, you've been such a terrific pal!

I'm now finished with the hand knit gifts for my secret pals (of the OS and SP8 variety). I just have to find the fun stuff and yarn to go along with it. Last night I got an e-mail asking me to be an angel for the OS Pal exchange. I immediately agreed because it makes me sad that some people have been in the program for two months and received nothing. And, who are we kidding, I love the guilt-free shopping aspect of SP. "Have to go to the LYS, it's for my Pal".

Yesterday I picked up my shiny new car. I love it. It's completely impractical. The chrome dual exhaust makes it sound like a race car. It's my first car with rims instead of hubcaps. The sunroof messes up my hair. The 8 speaker Bose stereo (with in-dash 6 CD changer) is way too big and loud for such a small car, not to mention I'm sure a 40-something mommy speeding around blasting "Pink" last night looked crazy. It's really close to the ground for a car to be driven in a Minnesota winter. I don't care about any of this, it's fun. The lease is only a year long. Who knows maybe I'll be through my midlife crisis by then and will buy a sensible hybrid station wagon or something.

As it happens the dead mouse alert was premature and the thing has yet to be caught. I'm still uneasy in my own home and I'm really mad at this damn mouse. Is it so much to ask to live in a rodent-free zone?! How is it that, much to my husband's dismay, the BHFH can catch and eat bunnies but can't track and kill this stupid mouse? I know she's pretty busy what with her schedule of tipping over garbage cans, stealing shoes, standing on tables, barking at nothing, but for God's sake I need her to fit this in.

Yeah, I don't do pest control.

P.S. Note to RC, the mouse was found to have come through the garage entrance (chewed through the now-replaced threshold sweep). Traps have been set in the garage 'cos I'm scared of decon. I think I'm on to you. The meerkat reference reveals you're from Minnesota. I think I may even know your secret identity! Nancy Drew is on baby!

Mice & Terrorists Suck Too

I'm sitting here listening to the Department of Homeland Security talking about how my hair products may pose a threat and I will not be allowed to travel with potentially dangerous liquids such as hair gel, lotion, coffee, etc. until further notice. As if I didn't hate business travel enough already, I'm really gonna love it when I get off the plane and look like holy hell the next day. I'm a patriot though so I'm behind them a hundred percent. When they see me without makeup, the government might ask me to move to Canada, but I'm behind them.

In other news, I have a mouse. Tuesday night after my long day dealing with cars and such, I came home, put on my p.j.s and sat down to knit my scarf. It was then that a big ol' mouse ran across the living room floor. Just as the gals from "Bring It On" were at the regional finals. Damn mouse. So the troops were gathered, brooms were brought out, I was carefully stationed on the kitchen counter spotting. It went something like this, scream, "there it is, there it is" broom troops, "where, where?!"

The broom troops cornered it in the laundry closet and it was decided that someone needed to go to Target for traps. There was no way in hell I was staying behind so I put my sandals on with my p.j.s and ran to Target. For anyone in the area that saw me late Tuesday, wild-eyed, running around Target looking frantically for mouse traps before the store closed, wearing rumpled p.j.s and dress sandals, I'm sorry for the ensuing nightmares.

As I am writing this the head of the broom troop squad is disposing of the now dead mouse. Mission accomplished.

I'm still working on the scarf but what with exploding hair products, vermin and last night being a "Project Runway" night, I have nothing to post on the knitting front.

Cars Suck

So remember my midlife crisis convertible? Yeah, it's already history and I haven't even gotten it yet. I put my deposit down in March but it was unavailable until last week. I picked it all out last week, colors, features, the whole deal. At the time I told them the financial parameters and asked them to get back to me on delivery. Today I got an e-mail. I can get delivery in mid-November. Two problems with this, I have to turn in my current leased mommy van before that, and I live in Minnesota. We could have twenty inches of snow on the ground by then. Did I mention the convertible part? Here was the biggy. The monthly lease payment would be $578. Are they freaking kidding me?! That's more than I paid for rent in my first place! It's a VW not a BMW!!! No way. I could get my payments down to a reasonable level is to put $12,300 down. WHAT?! Basically they want me to pay the entire sticker price over the course of the lease. Not happening. Everybody probably already knows how this lease thing works, but the lease payments are calculated based on how long you use the car and what the dealer can sell it for at the end of the lease (known as the residual value). So in simple math take the sticker minus this residual and you get the price of the lease. Basically my dealer thinks that they can get zero for this car when it's returned which I know is BS and they know is BS but the car has become high demand so they don't want to commit to the original sticker price.

I told them where they could send me a refund of my deposit (I was very nice, I didn't tell them where they could stick the lease calculations) and no thank you, I will not be buying a VW. In a bit of a panic because I've been at this for 5 months, thought this was a done deal, have no back up plan and a van to return, I turned to my pal the internet. I found the local Infiniti dealership practically giving away G35 Coupes. They are a perfect screaming engine sports coupe for my midlife crisis. I can stick to what I wanted to put down and the payments are substantially less than I'm paying on the van. Whew!

So, as this is a knitting blog, I have actually been doing some knitting. I'm knitting the mistake rib scarf from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts". I'm knitting it for my One Skein SP, which is cheating because this requires two skeins of yarn but my One Skein plans have run into a glitch. I can't find my copy of One Skein. Anywhere. I've searched high and low. I've re-organized all my books and knitting stuff. Nothing. Can't find it. So I'm now a big fat cheater boots. I love this pattern though. The two skeins of Noro are interchanged every two rows and it turns into a cool stripey pattern. You never know what the next stripe sequence is going to look like and for the incurably curious, it is very hard to put down. Try it, you will like it!


In other blog news, I've had to implement the dreaded word verification on the comments. I'm being semi-spammed by weirdos trying to use the comment section to sell stuff. This is not about you Roger Clinton, we love you and need you to keep reading and commenting. (I'm not saying you aren't a tool short of a full shed sometimes, but we still love ya) But we'll have to start the word verification thing on my blog. I know most of you are using it on your blogs already and I'm a late starter on this. However, as I usually read blogs very early in the morning, I know that sometimes it takes me a couple tries to spell VHKJA or some such crap and I didn't want to inconvenience you all.

I've gotta get back to my scarf. I'll talk to you all tomorrow.

Wonderings (and I know a secret)

Yes, I'm a pretty good Super Snooper.



I've figured out my OSSP is Wendy DG. She has sent me the most wonderful gifts, commented on my blog, sent e-cards, etc. In other words, she's been the perfect pal. I don't know how she completes so many projects in wool while living in Florida (just thinking about it makes me sweat) but she certainly does.

I've always been naturally curious. It's in keeping with my personality that I've Nancy Drewed out who my pals are. I wonder about a lot of things. Here are some of the things I wonder about right now.

• Will I ever feel like I've bought enough yarn? I mean really I've given up shopping for anything else and my wardrobe is starting to reflect this.
• Why is Paris Hilton famous? Has she accomplished anything? Made the world a better place? Will teenagers stop dressing like her? Now, please?!
• What does the cat think when he sees me coming out of the shower? Is he worried about my lack of fur?
• Why does Hollywood make sequels to really awful movies starring The Rock and Jean Claude Van Damme but doesn't make sequels to movies like "Running Scared" (too late now on that one) or "The Librarian"?
• Does Meg Ryan know that we are so distracted by her new lips that we can't watch her anymore? Does she secretly hate her new lips too?
• Why is it that women will get botoxed or have their lips puffed up like the Goodyear blimp but won't change their hairstyle?
• When I cut my hair short and women say to me, "my husband would never let me cut my hair that short!", do they realize that their problem isn't their hair, it's their husband?
• Why is it that I have virtually no trees in my yard and yet baby trees keep popping up in odd places that make it really hard to get rid of them?
• Will I ever get around to getting rid of the baby trees?
• Is it really less filling or does it have more taste?
• Does anyone else see a correlation between coffee shops serving really strong coffee on every corner and acid reflux disease? Do the Starbucks guys also own Prilosec?

Yeah, these are the things I wonder about. Not world peace or learning about chaos theory, I wonder who invented Cheetos. I'm not deep, but I'm diverse.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Let's start with the ugly and move to the good. The ugly was a wasp stinging me in the ass today. I'm not allergic or anything so it's just a minor, painful inconvenience. It caused my husband no small amount of amusement to see me jump aproximately 40 feet in the air, grabbing my behind. That's life with Kate. I'm an accident waiting to happen.

The bad was sitting under a tree for 4 hours while wasps circled us and baby box elder bugs chewed our ankles. We were selling beverages at a baseball tournament with the proceeds going to benefit youth baseball programs in our town. We sold, let's see, let me calculate, oh yeah TWO BOTTLES OF WATER! So we netted youth baseball about 50 cents. In four hours. Luckily the wasp sting broke up the monotony of sitting under a damn tree.

The good came in the form of a phone call from my son, who had better things to do than spend the day under a tree and stayed home.

13YO: Yeah, you got a box of envelopes in the mail.

Me: A box of what?

13YO: Envelopes. From Oregon. Or it could be something from your Secret Pal.

Gee ya think? Knowing the likelihood of anyone sending me envelopes, I was pretty excited to get home and open the package. I couldn't even get everything in a picture!

A couple of clarifications. Maxine Louise, assistant to the head dog in charge, BHFH was pretty sure this package was for her. I laid things out to photograph and ran up to the work room to grab my camera. When I came back she had already grabbed a skein and took off. So sorry about the messy skein, it was sent to me shrink-wrapped and in 30 seconds had been partially unwound by the BHFH. Yes, those are the toes of my tennies in the picture. I had to stand on a chair to get everything in the picture.

How cool is this? 3 skeins of Landscape, which I've wanted to try but thought was a little pricey for the yardage. A skein of Lanna Grossa Mega Boots stretch in a beautiful autumn colorway, 2 books! I love books and I don't have either of these. Folk Socks and Simple Chic (which I've looked at in the store aproximately 3 million times) The Noni Carpet Bag pattern!! Two purse handles, a row counter, stitch markers, a sushi mat, and a hand made dish cloth! Wow. Thank you so much Secret Pal. I'm going to have a blast knitting with this.

As for Maxine, she had to rest after all the excitement.

Yarn thief? Me? I don't know what you are talking about.

In Which I Discover I Can't Blog Without Pictures

And no one reads my blog when there are no pictures. But I was off work today and I finally got batteries for my camera. Here is what I've been knitting:

I can't tell you what it is right now because it is going to be a gift for my Secret Pal. Just in case she's Nancy Drewed me and reads the blog. But it is Cascade 220 Quatro in a great purpley, fushia, green colorway. I really love Cascade 220.

I'm an idiot. I finished the Noro Booga bag last weekend and gifted it to MFF's daughter without taking pictures. The Noro felts up so soft and wonderfully that I will use it again. Not nice to knit with because it's kinda scratchy. Because of it's thick, thin random ply I don't think I'd ever use it for a sweater, but I loved the bag.

So Scout asked everyone to flash their UFOs. I have more, but here is a good start:

No, that is not a lime green snake, it's the start of a baby sweater. And on the right, the final poncho of the year. Yes, absolutely no more ponchos. (And if you are Argentina spam commentor, yeah I know what a poncho is.) These are fairly new WIP/UFOs. Older and sadder:

A lace shawl (unblocked) from "A Knitters Stash" and the body of the Twinkle cardigan from the cover of Vogue Knitting about a gazillion issues ago.

I also have a Picovoli on my needles. I can't finish any of this stuff right now because I'm on a little crunch. I have two SP projects to finish and the baby sweater all in August. So they are getting my full knitting attention.

In other news this week, I cut off all my hair. On my lunch hour. On a whim. As my stylist Lana said, "it takes a really ballsy chick to decide to cut off six inches of hair at lunch". I'm so happy with it. My longer hair was just too much. I couldn't get it to look right ever because one of the symptoms of Graves is dry, brittle hair. So there wasn't enough Frizz Ease in the world to get my hair to look good.

I also finally got to pick out my car specifications. I've had a deposit down on my new car since March, but the specs haven't been available to dealers until recently. The lease on my van is up (we've extended it for a couple months) and I have to turn it in. I'll be glad to have a car that doesn't cost $50 to fill with gas. The new car is my midlife crisis car, a VW Eos convertible.

I have to go sell bottled water and such at a baseball tourney. More tomorrow. Really.

Contest End

Thank God for Susan and some anonymous commenter (who keeps signing comments, Roger Clinton?!) they recognized the episode of Gilligan's Island when Gilligan has to dress up like a girl. My husband and son both think Gilligan is hilarious. We have all the episodes on DVD. Yeah, we are running a pretty highbrow place here.

Thanks for everyone's comments on knitting socks. Maybe I'll try at some point. I've seen the little ankle socks made out of Cascade Fixation and I think I would actually wear those. Never say never.

The winner of my copy of "Knitting Vintage Socks" is Renee. Renee, e-mail me your address and I'll send it to you. I used Chris' suggestion for a random number generator, thanks Chris.

I'm working on a Booga Bag for MFF's daughter's birthday in the Noro I bought Friday. It's going quickly and I should be finished tomorrow. Pictures then. I really promise.

Still No Pictures

Cos I didn't get a chance to buy batteries today. I happened to have an appointment in the labyrinth known as Opus II today. It is a big corporate campus where all the streets are one way and if you miss your turn, well you are basically completely screwed. Until you run around in circles a few times and find your way back. It's like one of my son's video games. The one thing that saves the corporate campus is it is where Yarnzilla is located. So of course I stopped.

I wanted to find some special yarn to make my one skein secret pal a gift and Yarnzilla has the most beautiful, amazing hand dyed cashmere. I was fondling it in the basket and told the wonderful, Linda what I was thinking. This is one of the many things I love about shopping at Yarnzilla. Linda told me no.

Me: I'm thinking about knitting fingerless mitts for my One Skein SP out of this beautiful cashmere.

Linda: I don't care if your secret pal is Catherine Zeta Jones, she is a stranger and not worthy of this yarn. Buy it for yourself, but don't buy this for a stranger.

She directed me to the Koigu and I found a really beautiful colorway of Koigu to make mitts out of. They will be cheating because I bought two skeins, but oh well.

When I first started knitting I took a class at a yarn shop near where I worked at the time. Let me tell you the ladies there were mean. Yes, mean. Mean to their customers, mean to students, mean. They liked yarn much more than people. (For those of you who live here you probably know which one I'm talking about. It's by Lunds. On Hwy 7. But I'm not namin' names or anything) Back then, I didn't know there were such things as yarn shops. I thought yarn came from Michaels. As this was my first LYS experience, I thought that yarn shop owners were categorically mean yarn snobs who were out to shame you into buying super expensive yarn even if you were a beginner who had no clue what she was doing. Then I stumbled upon Yarnzilla.

Linda greeted me happily the first time I crept hesitantly through her door. Her mom was there knitting at the table and she was nice too. Linda helped me pick out yarn and introduced me to my beloved Denise interchangeable needles. She was sweet and helpful and didn't treat me like an idiot. I fell in love with Yarnzilla immediately. In the years since, I've found other LYSs that are great and staffed by wonderful people. I don't know if I would have chanced all my yarn shop exploring though if it hadn't been for how sweet Linda was that day.

There were about 8 women there today knitting and chatting. Linda was on the phone with someone from Alabama. While I paid for my purchases we chatted about our blogs. She gets NO COMMENTS. It's a shame. I know that feeling. You are writing and throwing words out into the void. Is anyone reading? Does anyone care? We talked about our favorite blogs and we both love Laurie and her Crazy Aunt Purl blog.

Linda: How many comments do you get on average?

Me: 5 on an average day, 20 on a great day.

Linda: I'd be thrilled with 5.

Me: I'm no CAP or anything with 200 comments a day. Sometimes I don't even bother to comment on hers anymore because it's too much.

Linda: I love Laurie. She is a sweetheart, advertises the shop on her site, sends me wonderful notes but her cat vomits and she gets 175 comments, I've got pictures of Annie Modesitt in my shop and I get zero.

What's with that? Let's all comment on Linda's blog because knit shop owners as cool as Linda deserve all the support they can get.

P.S. I also bought the coolest Noro to felt a purse.

My Husband Is Going To Be So Disappointed In You!

Many have gotten the reference to the Island of Misfit Toys in Rudolph but no one seems to get You Can't Make Me, You Can't Make Me. He is depressed about this. I think he married me because I recognized these phrases from his favorite cheesy comedy (the king of all cheesy comedy t.v. shows) and because I could sing the Camelot song from Monty Python & The Holy Grail in perfect tenor.

So some of you nearly have me thinking I should knit a pair of socks. I am truly moved by the emotional testimonies to the joys of the simple, often overlooked, sock. But alas, not moved enough to go buy itsy bitsy teeny weeny dpns.

Are you all still watching "Project Runway"? I've wanted to mention it all week, but I'm really depressed about Malan getting booted last week. I thought he was kind of a pretensious (I have no clue whether this is spelled right, go with me on this one okay?) snot at first, but when he told about his mother throwing the sketchbook on the floor when he was 13 and telling him he'd never amount to anything, I almost cried. (Yeah, I cry at little league games too, I'm a big ol' weepy pushover) So I'm hoping whoever they ask to leave for rule-breaking next week means they can bring back Malan cos I'm worried about him.

I sent both of my pals packages today. I had all my stuff, tissue paper, boxes, presents, cards, all spread out on the table in the post office lobby and I'm sure people thought I was nuts. They are both sock knitters so I sent them sock yarn. Mountain Colors Bearfoot and Trekking. The Trekking seems to be one of the hot sock yarns right now and the Mt. Colors was just so beautiful and soft that I couldn't resist. I also sent them books and journals and stuff from Bath and Bodyworks. I hope that they like them. One is a blogger and posts everything on her blog so I know if she likes it or not, the other only blogs every couple of months so I never know for sure.

My One Skein Secret Pal totally rocks. She has sent me the coolest stuff, it's really fun to get her packages. My SP8 pal I haven't heard from since May, so I have no clue there, but stuff happens and people get busy. It's all good. I'm having so much fun shopping for my pals that I don't really much care about the receiving.

I've got to go knit. Pictures as soon as I find some batteries for my camera.

You Can't Make Me, You Can't Make Me

I am pretty sure now that I am the only one on the planet who doesn't knit socks. I used to be afraid of the teeny tiny needles, but since I've spent most of the summer knitting sweaters on number 3 needles, I don't think that is an issue anymore. I like the idea of portable knitting. I'm attracted to the fun sock yarns I run across in my yarn travels. I bought both of my pals sock yarn this month, Trekking and Mountain Colors Bearfoot and the yarns are absolutely beautiful. I like knitting everything in the round.

I hate dpns, I'm too clumsy for them. If I am not poking myself with them, the stitches are dropping off. But I like magic looping stuff and I could certainly loop socks. So why am I the only one not knitting socks?

I could be that I am just too conservative to wear bright colored socks. They don't really fit my personal style. I could certainly knit socks for others though.

I feel left out of the knitting loop not knitting socks. You are all knitting them, exchanging them, wearing them for pictures. All the above being said, I really have zero desire to knit socks. So I'm resisting running with the pack. You can't make me. I'm on the island of misfit knitters. Am I alone? Leave me a comment about why you knit socks or why you don't. I'll send someone my barely opened "Knitting Vintage Socks" book. I'll get Chris to point me to some random number generator techie thing and use that to pick the winner. And while you are at it, can you identify the sources of the two 60's/70's pop culture references in today's post? Post your comment by Friday.

It's All I've Got

I have had computer issues this week. Some of them of my own making, some blogger problems. First the problems of my own making.

As I've mentioned, our Little League has been hosting a giant tourney over the last two weeks. This has involved me getting to the park by 3:30 every afternoon (across town from my office) and not getting home until after 9:00 each night. This has been difficult and has prevented me from getting everyday life stuff done. Like laundry and grocery shopping (thank God for internet grocery service!) and pedicures.

I love wearing sandals in the summer but I have to have a pedicure to do so. I can't stand seeing yucky feet stuffed into sandals at the office. So my wardrobe choices have been dictated by shoes lately because I haven't had time to get a pedicure and I only have so many closed toe shoes that look good with summer clothes. So the other night I get the brilliant idea to give myself a pedi. My mom gave me a little kit so I figured, why not? (trust me this eventually leads to a computer problem that only I could create) I filled a tub with water and scrubby stuff and soaked. I gave myself a pretty decent pedicure considering my poor Graves eyesight and the lack of light in my workroom at night. By the time I finished I was feeling pretty pleased. Think of the money I've saved by doing it myself! How many skeins of yarn does this represent? I'm a frugal-boots! I was also lazy boots by that time and left the tub of water on the floor. The next morning, klutzing around before my coffee, I knocked my mouse into the tub of water. I think I just ate up my savings in optical mouse replacement costs.

The other problem seems to be with Blogger and pictures. I can't see them on anyone's blog. If you use typepad or some other software, I'm good. But I can't see anyone's pictures on blogger sites. Final problem is that my computer seems to be loading content really slowly. I've rebooted the computer, rebooted the cable modem, rebooted the wireless router. We'll see if this works.

Consequently, with all these tech issues, I've been a bad blogger. My apologies.

I have been knitting another Picovoli in TLC Cotton Plus. I'm doing it with the picot edge this time. I have 15 skeins of this yarn. I'm not sure why or what possessed me to buy so many a couple years ago when the purchase was made. I know it's inexpensive. It seems to be knitting up pretty well. This top will take about 3 skeins. I'm gonna have a lotta yarn left. Ideas welcome. It says it's worsted but I can't seem to get a decent gauge on anything but size 3-5 needles so either I'm off or the yarn is thinner than worsted. Any suggestions for what to do with 2000 yards or so of leftover cotton?

No Comment

I don't know whats up, but I can't seem to leave comments on blogs. I don't know if it is my fabulous interferring RAM hogging invasive annoying Norton application, my computer, blogger, or that people are just tired of hearing from me and blocked me out, BUT I CAN'T COMMENT!

So I have to just comment here.

Tygher: I didn't even know we had Hobby Lobby in Minnesota! The two locations are in small towns about 80 miles away, but I visit both on business so I'll stop on in. Rashes in the summer suck. If you make a scarf for one niece, you'll have to make one for the other. Cast on now while you are still enthusiastic about it.

Lisa: Thank you, thank you. I will take your recommendations to heart. I'm so glad that I'm not the only one scratching her head over this pattern. It seems lots of people have wondered about the color changes.

Chris: I haven't ever heard of this town, let alone know it was the "gateway" to anything in particular!!

Two games left of the LL tourney and we are done! If I ever eat another hot dog, it will be too soon.

Back to actual knitting tomorrow!

Bibs and Baseball

I made it to Walmart yesterday. There weren't many colors to choose from but I did manage to come away with these:

I think this winter I need to take a photography class.

I already tore off one of the ball bands to look at the directions for the famous "ball band dishcloth" reprinted in Mason Dixon knits. 'Cos so far I don't get it. In the book and in everyone's pictures it looks like the slipped stitches are in one color and the body of the dishcloth the other. But the directions don't read as such. I guess I'll just have to knit one to see how it works.

I started knitting another bib out of the Peaches & Cream during my son's final baseball game of the season. Had they won, it would not have been the last game but they lost so they are done for the season. The winning team from last night's game had to travel to Wisconsin to play tonight so we are all pretty okay with the loss. My 9 year old knitting pal Corey really loved the colors of the Peaches & Cream and wants to start a dishcloth of his own for his mom. So tonight I'm bringing one of the balls and some spare needles up to the park for him.

The Walmart near my work was not quite as scary (although the check out kid was pretty heavily tatooed) as the one up on this side of town. I did have to search to find the yarn but I got in and out in less time than expected. Yesterday's scary part was playing ball in the 'hood. The game was at 8:15 in a neighborhood that is pretty notorious here in Minneapolis. Luckily we only saw a couple of very scary characters and all went well. People traveling from the southern suburbs to our tourney probably think the same thing, I live in the unfashionable area. Dangerous is 25 blocks south of me, old town BC is just unfashionable, not scary.

That's all I have. I'm drinking leftover coffee as I woke up and remembered I was out of coffee. So, I haven't had enough coffee to be clever or funny. Maybe tomorrow after a trip to the Caribou. I need caffeine to be clever or funny. I'm going to go find me some right now!

Being Realistic

Okay, Chris was right. I have to accept that there is no way I'm going to finish a Kate Gilbert pattern in a week with having to work and throwing a giant baseball tourney. Chris suggested bibs. Not just because she has become a bib addict herself and has now resorted to being a bib pusher. (Can you see her standing on a corner in Uptown with a giant trench coat? She opens the coat to reveal balls of Peaches & Cream and sets of number 8 needles. "Hey kid, it's okay one won't hurt you, everyone is doing it".) Because as beautiful as the Samantha sweater is, the pattern is six pages long, the sweater is knit on number 4 needles, I have a week.

So this weekend while roasting in the nearly 100 degree weather at the ballpark, I knit this: I took the picture on top of my son's drum set because that is where the light was this morning. And I'm too lazy to run downstairs unless I need to fill my coffee cup. Plus, you have to be tired of pictures on my kitchen table. I know I am. I need to get a button, but otherwise I'm good to go. I knit this with Plymouth's Fantasy Naturale because I seem to have a bunch of it around. I knit it as written except that I slipped the first stitch on each row purlwise w/yf because I like the smoother side it produces. I have two other colors of Fantasy Naturale that I can use for this, but since the pattern is so basic I feel as though I should churn out five or six of these puppies for the shower. That means I'll have to make a trip to (insert hillbilly banjo music here) Walmart.

Now I know that for some Walmart is the discount store. You buy your diapers and produce and firearms there and you love it. You love the 122 year old man who greets you at the door. You love the disinterested 15 year old girl with chipped sparkly nail polish who checks you out when you are done shopping. Approximately 4 1/2 hours after entering. 'Cos you can't find anything there because of their super-special highly researched Walmart plan of putting cans of aspargus next to furnace filters. I can't find a damn thing in a Walmart.

Maybe it's being raised in Minnesota, but I'm a Target girl. I can find anything in Target. Any Target, anywhere. Back when I was on the road all the time for work, alone in a different city, I would visit Target when I got homesick. The friendly sight of red shirts bustling, clean white floors and Spot the dog made me feel at home again. Unfortunately, after a couple of really unsuccessful attempts, Target doesn't sell craft supplies or yarn. It takes too much floor space and they don't make any money on it.

I heard through the blogging grapevine that Walmart is your source for Peaches & Cream if you are a nice Midwestern girl like me. I want the bright, fun Peaches & Cream colors versus the pastel Lily Sugar & Cream. I know I can get the Lily for cheap, cheap, cheap at Michael's, but I want the real stuff. So I have to go to Walmart. I've been thinking about doing so all weekend, but by the time I get home from the park I'm hot, I smell, and I'm exhausted. I just want to take a shower and collapse. So today is the day. No games at our park tonight and my son doesn't play until 8. I can do it. I can visit Walmart. I can come out of the store quickly and with my Peaches & Cream. Then I read Sheepish Annie's blog this morning and I'm afraid all over again.

Moral Dilemma

Why does the word dilemma never look right? I spell checked it and all so it must be right. Spell checker would LIE to me!

Here is my non-knitting moral dilemma. One of my best friends is a guy. I'm currently knitting (okay I cast on this morning in an attempt to beat the damn deadline) a sweater for his soon to be born first child. My friend is a big hockey guy. BIG hockey guy. He thinks baseball (my sports love) is slow and boring. For those of you non-Minnesotan, non-Canadian readers, hockey is like a religion here. It is right up there with fishing and hunting and somewhere above a smelt fry. It's right up there with everyone owns a boat and knows how to do something in the snow even if it's just make angels.

Kids start playing hockey here before they start school. The MN Gopher hockey team is feared by others. Ya know how artsy types go to the NY School of Performing Arts? Yeah, weird as it is, we have hockey high schools here. The hockey Hall of Fame is here. You cannot imagine how hockey mad people here are without living in MN or Canada.

I hate hockey. I don't get it. I'm not interested. My kid asked to play when he was 9. We explained that if we lived someplace else he could start at 9, but here in Minnesota 9 is too late. The other kids are too far ahead. You'll never catch up, you won't have fun. Okay some of this had to do with 5 am ice times and such, but whatever.

So we are hosting this baseball tourney and one of the team's manager's is a hockey player. A 1980, "Miracle On Ice" Olympic hockey player. A NHL hall of famer. A professional hockey coach now. I am dying to ask him to sign an autograph for my friend that says, "Baseball is so cool. XXXX". Would that be too tacky for words or will I kick myself later if I don't ask him to do this? Comments needed.

The Deadline Has Been Moved!!!

I thought I was ahead of the game. Plugging along on my knitting to do list. Gettin' things done. I have taunted the knitting gods and they have laughed at me and sent me a bolt from the blue. I was knitting along on the poncho for my niece (last poncho, last poncho, chant along with me, last poncho) thinking I would beat the August 4th deadline for birthday giving with ease.

Next project would be Samantha for my friend's first baby due in September. As my friend is the most private person in the universe, (refused a 40th birthday party, didn't tell us that his girlfriend has moved in with him for months, etc) I didn't imagine that there would be any event that would move up the deadline on this project. I didn't account for the wildcard in this scenario, his mother, Babes. I received an invitation to a baby shower from said Babes in the mail yesterday. JULY 22ND!!!! I have less than two weeks to complete the sweater. I have to host a baseball tourney. I have to work to earn enough to feed my terrible yarn addiction. Who am I kidding, there is no job out there that pays enough to feed my yarn addiction.

So I suddenly feel the tremendous weight of deadline knitting pressing me down. Panic is sure to follow. I have the yarn. I have the pattern. I can do this, right? I just won't have time for any mistakes.

Speaking of mistakes, Knittymama has a contest going. Tell her about your silliest knitting mistake. Yarn is involved for the winner.

Last Poncho of 2006

Yep, I started the last poncho of the year for my niece. Okay she isn't technically my niece, her mother is my cousin. We all found that the whole second cousin and second cousin once removed was far too complicated a relationship for the kids to comprehend, so we've just stuck to the aunt, uncle cousin thing. Actually when my cousin's oldest son was two, the gender thing of aunt and uncle was too complicated. So her kids now all refer to me as Uncle Kate.

If another child asks me to make her a poncho I have to convince them that they want something else. This will be the fourth poncho of the year and I'm over it. It's an easy pattern and I've now memorized the child size 2-4. I've omitted the hood after the first one. I found out after giving out the first one that children won't actually wear hoods so what's the point? I'm knitting this one in Katia Mexico in a colorway called Tutti Frutti. I can't find a picture of it online, but trust me it's cute. The yarn is heavy worsted and self stripes. It's 50/50 wool/acrylic and can be washed.

Just as an aside, I think pattern designers who want us to make things for kids out of 100% wool that cannot be washed in a machine have never actually had (or even known) children. I don't know a mom with small children that has time to hand wash and block a wool sweater. Also, mom's with small children often have husbands who do the laundry. I know maybe two guys who would think to check first before whipping a wool sweater into the washer and dryer.

Anyway. I'm able to get this started because I finished this:

Yeah, I know this is the worst picture ever and you shouldn't ever hang a sweater on a hanger. But in the interest of time. . . Okay, my door isn't really putting out death rays and the yarn is all one color. Imagine it if you can. At least I don't think the door is radiating death rays. Let me double check.

Yep, we are clear, no death rays just a really bad photographer.

I will probably make this one again with a couple of modifications. I would skip the decreases on the sides as the fit is just right in the shoulders but is a little more fitted than I would like when it comes to the body of the sweater. Since I made it with the Paton's Katrina from my roadtrip to New Ulm, the yarn has enough stretch that it works, but in the cotton yarn the pattern calls for I'm afraid that it would show every lump and bump. And have I mentioned how sick to death I am of seeing people's chubby abs wrapped tight in fabric? Form fitting is only stylish depending on the form, ya know?

Tourney Time

I have to get back to the park, but the first day of the tournament our Little League is hosting was Saturday. After all the logistics and painting and clean up we were ready. The first day was a big, hot, sticky success. The temp was over 90 degrees and humid. We sold a ton of slushies and water at the concession stand. We knew that we'd go through tons of food at concession, but we had no idea. We ran out of bottled water during the last two games.

The commemorative t-shirts were a hit too. Here is our crack sales team:

Mine is the one with his eyes closed on the right. His best friend Zach in the middle and our best volunteer, Kalli who spent her entire 11th birthday selling t-shirts. They actually had the best seat in the house as our park is sadly lacking shade. So sitting under the canopy was prime real estate yesterday.

My husband was stuffed in a small cinder block booth for 11 hours yesterday, keeping score. I caught him coming out of his cell after the last game. Doesn't he look happy? His first words, "don't put me in that box all day tomorrow".
Hey, I put food and drink in there once in a while. He should have come to more board meetings and signed up for the good jobs.

I don't know that I had any good jobs. I checked in teams, set up tents, swept, emptied garbage, hauled water, sold t-shirts. Whatever needed doing. We had so many great volunteers that worked so hard in the heat. Here is hoping we earn enough for batting cages.

The teams playing were all 9 and 10 year olds and they were just as cute as can be. They think they are big tough ballplayers, but they were darn cute.

I have to get back to the park. We've got to re-stock concessions before the hungry hordes show up at the park this morning! Back to knitting by Monday, I promise!

Ever Have a Perfect Friend?

I have. And I've lost her. Not in some dramatic Krystal and Alexis catfight in the pool incident. We just drifted apart and lost touch. She left the company we both worked at. I moved. She moved. I left the company we both worked at. She was in San Francisco to begin with and I've always been here in Minneapolis but we found ways to hang out.

We are oddly similar in many ways. We both have husbands who are quiet and sensible. We both have sons. A few years ago, unbeknownst to the other, we both went out and bought the same fabric to make drapes for our homes. Two, three years ago, independent of each other, we both took up knitting. We discovered home improvement shows together years ago on a Saturday night when I was just too tired to go out. We stayed in at my house and discovered HGTV. Yes, she is tiny and gorgeous. Yes, everything she does she does perfectly. Yes, I've been her crazy, disorganized, train wreck friend in the past. If she wasn't sarcastic and too funny for words, she would just be too perfect to actually be friends with.

Now I want to find her again and can't. Please web-heads don't send me weird links to find lost pals. Tried that. I did find this by googling her:
http://www.afghansforafghans.org/index.php?spgmGal=Participants_gallery&spgmPic=1&spgmFilters=#pic
Christina my long lost pal is on the left. I sent an e-mail to Afghans for Afghans and I'm hoping that she is a volunteer there.

I had all her old info on my computer before she moved, but it was lost in the "computer blows up" episode last winter.

I have searched the Bay Area Knitters blog rolls. I have Googled and Asked. No phone number listed in qwestdex. Can't find her. Just this picture. Sniff.

As far as I can tell, I have very few if any readers on the left coast. It could be they are offended by my referring to L.A. as Crazyville and stating that California gives me the heebie jeebies. Ya think? But if there are any bloggers out there who have spotted Christina in the blogosphere, comment. I would be shocked if she doesn't have a blog. I'm sure she started before me. I'm sure it is a work of art and reads like poetry. I'm sure I miss her terribly.

Short and Sweet. I Got Me a Button

And it features the BHFH. I think we all know this is above and beyond my skills. I ordered it from Moon Arts. I told them I wanted Maxine Louise on the button, and voila! I have a button. I feel so techie.

This is just a picture of the button. The real deal is in the sidebar!

Getting Ready for Company

Our Little League is having company. After a couple years of campaigning for the chance, we are hosting our district's 9 & 10 year old All Star tournament. LL fact you may not know (unless you are a big LL geek like me) most Little Leagues own or lease their parks. That means we are responsible for all the upkeep. So the park is a bit like a home. There are always little things that need to be done that we never get around to. Just like at home, when company is coming, we are rushing around like mad to do all the things we haven't gotten around to. Since 22 teams, their coaches, family and friends will be visiting our park starting next weekend, we spent the day yesterday doing all the little things we should have done years ago.

We cleaned, we swept, we painted the dugouts and the fieldhouse, we installed fence cap. It looks terrific! At about 8:30 last night we all sat in the grass and admired our work and asked ourselves, "why the hell haven't we done this before?". I've been doing major online shopping not of the yarn variety in anticipation of this event. I bought 500 feet of fence cap, a lightning detector and a bunch of commemorative t-shirts for the tourney. We are hoping that the proceeds from concessions and t-shirt sales will net the league enough to build batting cages.

Even with all of this going on, I have found some time to knit. "Apple" Green Gable

I started this on Sunday and knit yesterday morning on it as well. I'm using the Patons Katrina that is stretchy rayon blend. I like the subtle texture the yarn has and a tiny bit of shimmer. Not too sparkly for the sparkle-phobic me, but a bit of shine. I'm thinking about finishing the bottom and sleeves with a repeat of the lace panel rather than the ribbing that the pattern calls for. Let me know what you guys think. I'm torn because I don't want it to look matronly, but I really do like the lace. Other than that I haven't changed a thing.

I'm now officially addicted to knitting from the top down. I love trying it on as I go. I love not seaming. Somehow top down just makes more sense to me. When I buy new clothes in the store, I tend to wear them right away. The top down knitting satisfies that same need. When you are done with the knitting, you can wear it immediately! This one does have small sleeve seams but no big deal.

Here is another thing that makes me happy about this pattern. I bought it online and was able to download the PDF. Instant shopping gratification! It seems like a no brainer in our electronic age. Of course, most of the pattern companies haven't gotten this yet. Most of the patterns that are available this way are by independents like the Garter Belt, Zephyr, etc. My LYS can't possibly stock all the patterns that are out there. Plus, what they do stock requires me to sit at the shop and leaf through giant binders of patterns. Thankfully my LYS has very comfortable seating and sells wine by the glass, but it is still kind of a chore. Not to mention if I've been at it long enough and had enough wine, I start getting beer goggles about the patterns. Things that I would never wear or use start to look appealing. The main stream pattern companies need to get a clue about this and stop wasting time and postage with paper patterns.

Happy 4th of July. Hope you all have time to knit today!

Poncho Monkey Off My Back!

WhooHoo!



One completed Poncho modeled by the recipient, my beautiful niece Cassidy. Please ignore the detris of slip 'n sliding and focus on the fact that she is happy with her handknit poncho. She asked for blue back in April, so I did this in Plymouth Encore worsted colorspun. It self stripes and can be washed in the machine. I know her mother, she would hate anything that couldn't be washed.

I wouldn't want anything for an eight year old that couldn't be washed either.

So the big family birthday party and barbeque was a success. Much meat was consumed. Many MFAJs consumed by non-driving guests.

My son, too tired to argue, took this. Yes, I know my "Irish Tan"
(or as you probably think of it, sunburn) is the same color as my Picovoli, but it is the finished Picovoli!

As you have probably noticed, I don't generally post pictures that I am in, but I'm really pleased with the sweater. I made it a little longer than the pattern called for because, trust me, no one needs to see my tummy. Other than that and a couple extra cast on stitches under the arm, the pattern was knit as written.

I really love the pattern and the finished sweater. The yarn is Rowan Cashcotton DK. I just couldn't face any more cotton. I figure I will be able to wear it year round except on the hottest days. It will look cute under a suit.

I love the shaping, I loved knitting it. I will definitely knit another.

I'm going to bed now to contemplate all the projects I can choose from now that I have completed another deadline poncho.

Knitting On A Deadline (always a bad idea)

Why on earth do I continue to delude myself?! I can't possibly finish this poncho by 3:00 this afternoon. I have turned into crazy knitter. A month ago it seemed as though I had all the time in the world. Then I forgot all about the poncho in my quest for a finished Picovoli (the one I haven't posted pictures of yet) and last week the poncho light bulb went off in my head. Even then, I thought "I can certainly churn out one of these puppies in a week". Am I on crack!?!

I knit last night in the movie theater. During the previews my mother turned to me and said, "Are you really that good at knitting that you can knit in the dark?". My reply, "No. This pattern is just that boring." If I could train myself to knit in my sleep, this would be the pattern. Easy yes. Boring? Without a doubt. But the subversive little thing sneaks up on you. You fly at the beginning of the pattern. But as you increase two stitches front and back every other row, it suddenly hits you. Progress is slowing way, way, down.

Even MFF, a complete non-knitter, commented last week. Remember that it takes longer and longer to add inches when you keep increasing. I laughed. LAUGHED! What is wrong with me? Is this pattern so mind-numbing that I have blocked out (not unlike childbirth) the frustrating lack of progress just as you are in the home stretch?

Why do I persist in the knitting gifts on a deadline thing? Two years ago I was actually knitting a thumb on a mitten as my husband and son waited to leave the house for Christmas Eve dinner. I wish I could tell you that I knitted the thumb in record time with no glitches, but you know me better than that. Yeah, I knitted it inside out had to rip the whole thing. I knit it in the car on the way to Christmas Eve family time. Swearing like a sailor. Nothing says Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men like crazy mom in the front seat fighting double pointed needles on a mitten thumb, screaming like a shrew at dad, "Goddamit slow down, what are we in the Indy 500?!" Yeah, he was probably going all of 40 mph.

Its 8:00 a.m. I have 2.5 inches left. I can do this. I can do this. I gotta stop blogging and keep knitting.

Lucky Me!

I have great Secret Pals! Yesterday I came home to find my parents had arrived from South Dakota (expected) and a package from my One Skein Secret Pal (unexpected).
A handmade card, two postcards from the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam, coasters from Paris, a knitting guide that I can stick in my wallet and carry with me everywhere, and two skeins of a beautiful soft laceweight yarn. Thank you, thank you OS SP! Van Gogh is one of my favorites. The yarn is one of my favorite colors of all time and I plan on putting the guide in my purse today!! I have to be careful where I use the coasters because of this:


Yeah, I know she looks cartoon cute with her big floppy ears, sad eyes, and giant snowshoe feet. But she is still the BHFH who will eat anything. Sofa cushions, addis, and most likely coasters from Paris. So the lovely and much appreciated coasters may have to be put away until Maxine Louise gets over her last remaining puppy chewing tendencies.

I'm off work today through the 4th of July. I've got to finish the poncho today as I am hosting a birthday for my father and niece tomorrow. I'm running errands today while my parents go shopping and to lunch at my sister's place. Tonight my sister, mother and I are going to take in a chick flick. Tomorrow the big family birthday barbeque. So I'll be knitting furiously to get this poncho done to present to my niece tomorrow. I know, just what an 8 year old needs in July, a poncho, but she asked for it and she's getting it.

When the poncho is done, I can cross that off my list of knitting to dos. But with the lovely yarn that my OS SP sent, I think I have to add a lace scarf to the to do list. Any suggestions for such an item would be appreciated. Remember that I'm a lace novice. So many people are participating in the Amazing Lace challenge, that I bet someone has a suggestion. I'm thinking about Branching Out as the pattern uses the word easy in the decription. Advice is always appreciated.

Button Button, whose got the button?

Yeah, I do. Yesterday Christy, who runs the Minnesota Knitters webring taught me how to put buttons on my sidebar! Christy is younger and techier than I and explained it in a way that I actually understood. And I'm not stealing bandwidth either. (And I actually know what that means) I still haven't figured out the code so that links come up in a new window (baby steps people, baby steps) but I'm feeling pretty good right now.

So now, of course, because I'm greedy girl I want my own button. It goes without saying that I could not possibly create my own. I lack the fundamental skills needed for that one. So I need to find a way to induce another knit blogger to make me a button. TCOTF proved that a lot of you will do anything for a good expensive skein of sock yarn. Or maybe one of the cool t-shirts from Urban Yarns. There isn't a picture of it at their site but there is one on Lauren's blog right now. Anyone up for a Can't You See I'm Knitting Here?! button?

Postscript on TCOTF. I still have never cleaned the cupboard over the fridge out. Still the same useless weird stuff in there.
Postscript on Secret Pal. Thanks for all your suggestions. I found some really good stuff for my pals by bargain hunting this weekend.

How To Tell You Really Are In Your 40's

I'm knitting the poncho. It's like death march knitting. Knit, knit, knit, increase a couple times knit some more. It's killing me. I'm so glad I have a limited number of small children in my life, 'cos I can't do more ponchos.

I think I'm too old for small children. I have to just give in to my forties. Here are some ways that I can tell I'm in my forties.

1. I have absolutely no desire to have any more children.
2. My hormones suck.
3. My teenage son's hormones suck even more. At least with teenage girls there is a cycle. Puberty for boys is like random, bizarre PMS that can crop up at any time.
4. Odd stray hairs in odd places. My Tweezerman tweezers are with me always for those times when I put my hand on my neck and realize I'm becoming a billy goat.
5. I can't stay up past midnight without paying for it the next day. Even when there were no adult beverages involved.
6. I live in a world where clothing stores only stock things for frumpy older women or hookers. I can't seem to find clothes I like anywhere. I am not wearing sparkles, low cut shirts or mini-skirts. On the flip side I have no interest in wearing "holiday" sweaters with appropriate motifs. No Uncle Sam sweater or shirt in my drawer for next week. Every woman I know including me is wearing basically the same clothes from Ann Taylor every day. We try not to wear the exact same outfit on the same day but once in a while, two of us show up at the office wearing the same Gap khakis and white blouses from Ann Taylor. We look ridiculous.
7. If I eat after 8 pm I get heartburn.
8. I want Brittany to cover her pregnant breasts on t.v. I don't care if she is "just people".
9. I think I'm smarter than most 20 somethings just because I'm older. I hate this, I promised myself I would never be this way.
10. I don't really care about climbing the corporate ladder any more. I like my job as it is and my personal and family time is more important to me than work.
11. I hate most of my son's music. I wouldn't recognize the Black Eyed Peas if they ran me down on the sidewalk. I could pick Joe Perry from Aerosmith out of a crowd from seven blocks away though.
12. I am really content most of the time. I never felt content in my youth.
13. I rarely want to go out on a Saturday night. I don't feel like I'm missing anything and I love being at home knitting.
14. I cut people a lot more slack than I used to. I try to believe that people have the best of intentions in everything they do.
15. I have stopped waiting to feel like a grown up. I'm never going to feel like a grown up and I'm not sure that I ever want to.
16. I've got a mid-life crisis convertible on order at the car dealership.

How did you know you'd reached the age you are?

Short Hello

Just a short hello today. I started two new projects this weekend already. Another poncho, this one for my niece's 8th birthday. I know I'm sick of knitting ponchos too, but when they ask for one and specify a color, I can't say no. I've also started my first pair of socks. I'm making them for my dad for Christmas because he asked for them. I figured I'd have to start early because as you know, I don't do socks. Both projects are on my to-do list so I'm feeling pretty pleased with myself.

Two happy things today: my son's team finally won a baseball game. Poor kid, he went from a team with a 42-4 record to a team who won their second game today. It's not all about winning and I'm glad he's learning how to deal with losing, but these poor kids have had a rough season. So everyone was pretty excited. I almost felt guilty about being so happy for them as the team they beat was the New Ulm traveling 13 year old team. After having such a great day in New Ulm last week, I felt a little bad. Hope Nutty Cindy's kid wasn't on the team or anything!

Second happy thing, SP8 has given me a new pal to spoil. Someone who actually keeps her blog updated so I'll know if she likes the things I send her. Not to mention, it is apparent from her blog that she is actually literate, which I wasn't sure about with the first pal I was spoiling. Can't say more as I don't want to blow my cover (just in case she actually reads this).

Note to Renee the Enabler: I found the 99 cents per skein Kool Wool. It was on sale 20% off. I bought 16 skeins. Can we not count yarn that costs so little? I mean for the yarn diet and all. In comparison it's like eating three M&Ms on a regular diet. Right?

On Being a Secret Pal & Book Reviews

I've never been a secret pal before and I'm not sure if I am any good at it. I don't know where people are finding all the cute little doo-dads to put in packages. Maybe I don't shop enough. I am seeing people display the packages they receive on their blogs and I'm astonished by the sheer volume. Are they going over the price limit or are they just really talented shoppers?

Of course I will never know if either of my Secret Pals like the packages I've sent them because they almost never update their blogs. I'm trying not to be bitter about this, one is a terrific correspondent as she always replies to my e-mails. And like me, she is spending most of the summer watching children play baseball.

The SPs that are spoiling me in SP8 and the One Skein SP exchange have been wonderful! I feel super spoiled. I know that my One Skein pal is in England right now, vacationing and yarn shopping. And here is a horrible confession, I think I've found my SP8 Secret Pal. I know, I let my inner Nancy Drew get the best of me. I could be wrong about who it is, but I don't think I am.

I'm hoping that I can find some cute little things to include in their next packages. Any tips would be welcome.

Meanwhile, both my Vogue Stitchionary Volume 1 and Knitting From The Top arrived this week from Amazon. I haven't had the chance to thoroughly read them both, but I can tell already that neither book will languish on the shelf as many of my knitting books do. I've seen a lot of comments about the green used in the Vogue book, but I've gotta say I don't mind it at all. Sticking to a single palette gives the book a sophistication that I don't think could have been achieved with lots of colors. I tried some of the stitch patterns out on my Katrina last night and I think I found one that works. The Katrina has some texture so some of the subtle stitch patterns just don't work as you lose the definition in the inherent texture of the yarn.

The Barbara Walker book is wonderful. It reminds me very much of an EZ book in that the style is very prose-like rather than pattern-like. I'd highly recommend it, as it is very freeing to let your imagination loose. I loved the top down on the Picovoli (yeah I know I owe you all pictures of this one) because I like the whole idea of really being finished when you finish the knitting. No sewing seams. Trying on a garment as you go is also great. I cannot tell you how many times I've knit something and wondered the whole time "will it fit?", "should I have gone up/down a size?" Take the time to put a top down sweater on as you go and you'll be very happy you did.

In other news, we had no police at the house about the dogs yesterday. As an added bonus, I did not receive a single call from anyone at Little League crying, yelling, quitting, or complaining. As I have received three or four of these types of calls per week lately, it was a huge bonus and relief to have a night off. This weekend I'll be running back and forth across town as both my son's team and our top LL team compete in tournaments. You can find me in a camp chair knitting at the fields.

Wanted

Yes, this criminal is wanted by long arm of the law.

Note the casual, if not smug, disdain she displays. Anyone can see how threatening she is.

The police have been here three times in the last 10 days because someone in the neighborhood has complained about barking. The thing is that we don't leave her outside unattended. We have a fenced yard. She is inside when we are not home. Good lord, she's in her kennel inside when we aren't at home. Otherwise, she'd eat the furniture. Each time the cops have pointed out that we aren't in violation of any City ordinance. One of the visits was when we were away and she was inside. The police really don't need their time wasted like this, but they've been pretty nice about it.

My husband is furious. My dog is sleeping with her tongue hanging out of her mouth, oblivious to her status as a criminal.

Meanwhile, Renee is encouraging me to fall off the wagon already. It doesn't count as a yarn purchase if it's $1 a skein. I'm off to Petters tomorrow.

I have a cleaning-boy

Yesterday was a rough day all the way around. Difficult clients at work, difficult parents in Little League, bad night at my son's game. Just a tough day. So as I am a glass half full kind of person, I'm looking at the bright side.

I finished the knitting on my Picovoli last night. Just a few loose ends to weave in and the blocking. I love having something finished and new to wear at the same time! I'll get someone in the house to take a picture when the weaving is done. It only took 10 days to knit and 4 skeins of the Rowan Cashcotton. I liked the yarn a lot, but it does have the dreaded angora. I'm not crazy about the fuzzies that seem to get everywhere!

The other good thing that has happened this week is that I have someone doing the cleaning for the summer. My son is at that age where he constantly has a wish list of electronic do-dads that he must have. Unfortunately he is also at the age where he is too young to have a real job. So this summer he is my cleaning lady. The works. Dusting, vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, laundry. Last Friday was training day and this week he started. It is very nice to come home to a clean house. Before you all send me notes about how he should be doing these things just as part of the family, he still has the same regular unpaid chores to do too.

Last night at the park I started swatching the Paton's Katrina and I tell you what, I'm gonna love knitting with this yarn. Stretchy good. Of course I'm going to love it. I've looked around and I'm going to have a hard time finding more of it. Not that I would buy more, 'cos of my very strict yarn diet. I'm not falling off the wagon on day two!

Post script: Yes, checking online it appears that this yarn has been discontinued. Of course it has. It will be my new Lion Kool Wool. Loved, but unavailable.

To Do

I've added this to my vast unpublished knitting to-do list. No one needs to ask me twice to felt a bag. Last week I left a comment for someone that if I actually wrote down my knitting to-do list I'd probably finally have the gapper (to those of you that never worked with the crazy people I did for 15 years, thats the heart attack) and never get to knit everything.

Fire up the paddles people I'm gonna try it.

1. Another top down kids poncho for my niece's birthday. I have until July 1st to do this one. I can't even tell ya how tired I am of this pattern. I've done two already this year. Enough already, but when the kids say, "I want one too" I have to power to refuse them.
2. Karabella cardigan I have the pattern, I have the yarn, just haven't done it.
3. Finish the Sunrise Circle jacket.
4. Finish the Vintage Cami. This one is not getting done until the cotton pain in my arm subsides. Yes, the Rowan Cashcotton has been better, but I'm still sore.
5. Another Picovoli in the Paton's Katrina I bought last week but with a pattern stitch and a split neckline. Does this still qualify as a Picovoli?
6. Fuzzy feet for my little league pals.
7. Sleeping socks for my dad
8. Slippers for my husband
9. Scarf for MFF
10. Cha Cha Cha bag that I bought a kit for at Shepherd's Harvest Okay, I'm experiencing shortness of breath now.
11. 3 more Odessa's for kids Christmas presents
12. Finish the shawl I started for my mother in law for her Christmas present.
13. If I knit stuff for everyone else and don't knit something for my mother for Christmas it will not be good.
14. Someday my Orangina will come from Discount Yarn.com. Someday. In my lifetime hopefully.
15. Clapotis. How could I forget the Clapotis?!
16. The sleeves for the jean jacket. Chest pains.
17. Baby sweater for my friend B-Donny's first child, due in September.
18. Weasleys for my two little nephews for Christmas.
19. Finish my Burly Spun cardigan. This is just ridiculous. The yarn is huge, the back and both fronts are done. What the hell am I doing?!
20. One Skein project for my One Skein Secret Pal.

I can't go on. Bring on the AED. Okay, here is the sad and wacky part (don't tell my husband this one, you are now officially sworn to secrecy) (no I mean it, pinky swear now) I HAVE THE YARN FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. Yikes!

I'm going to make a bold move. A move that may be the end of me. A move that will require many glasses of wine and margaritas from a jug. (Have you tried the big jug of pre-mixed margaritas that that crazy lil' Jose Cuervo is selling. Yum). I'm declaring a yarn diet. No new yarn until Labor Day. I'm sorry Yarn Cafe. I hope that you can stay afloat without me buying tons of yarn all summer, but I have to cut myself off before everyone gets together and I find myself crying on A&E in an episode of "Intervention".

Out and About

Not very far from home. Last night my sister and her 4 year-old daughter joined my son and I for dinner at the local bar and grill. When we were preparing to leave, I asked them if they would be embarrassed if I brought my knitting. They both looked at me and laughed. My son told me that I take my knitting everywhere and why am I asking him if it's embarrassing NOW. So needless to say, Picovoli joined us at TGI Fridays. My niece was very well behaved for a 4 year old and was very excited about the "cup of dirt" she had for dessert. It was chocolate pudding, mixed up with gummy worms, and sprinkled with chocolate cookie crumbs. So at least she has something to tell her older brothers, who abandoned her to go fishing with dad this weekend.

I've been at the ballpark all day. Our league is still hosting the town tourney, it finally ends tomorrow. The kids have a great time but it's a lot of work. Plus the humidity was about 110% today so we were all hot and uncomfortable. We sold a lot of slushies at the concession stand today. See the heat makes everyone tired!

No, big fat kitty is not floating, he's laying on my son's dark brown bedspread. The BHFH pookie schmoo, Maxine Louise tends to just lay down and relax in the heat.

I know it seems like I do nothing but buy yarn, but remember the great sale Little Knits was having on Lorna's? I had to get some Lion and Lamb to knit a Clapotis, and it arrived yesterday. It is gorgeous. I love it. Sue enclosed a note and she sent it priority mail at no charge! Thank you so much Sue. She has more than made up for the Helen's Lace snafu and has a customer for life.

And finally (hopefully) the last wip pic of Picovoli. She should be done tomorrow. One of the kids at the ballpark asked me what I was knitting today.

Me: a sweater for myself.

Little Baseball Player: That will take like five years!!!

Me: I started this thing last Saturday bucko. Five years or this weekend?

You be the judge.

Travels with Yarn

Yesterday I drove to New Ulm MN which boasts that it is the Polka Capitol of the U.S. and was declared by the U.S. Census Bureau to be the most German town in America. It is little Germany. I had a lunch appointment at a place called the Lamplighter where a sign is posted that they have the Best Burgers in Town. No, no they don't. They have the best burgers I've ever eaten!!!

After the lunch appointment what is next door to the Lamplighter? Nadelkunst. Yes people, a needlework and yarn shop. Is that fate or what? In the back of the store they have yarn and I found the owner, Cindy (who encouraged me to refer to her as Nutty Cindy) and two friends. They were knitting and looking at One Skein. They were also discussing a recent bout of salmonella that one of them suffered which wasn't exactly what I needed to hear after gorging myself on a giant burger (literally couldn't have walked away from that giant burger if someone were across the room wagging worsted weight cashmere at me, that good). Also in the back were a collection of the cutest felted bags. Cindy tells me that they sell as fast as she can knit them and I believe it. At the counter Nutty Cindy showed me the most beautiful beaded purses EVER! She has an unbelievable collection of patterns, etc. for them. She told me that she has researched and unfortunately there are as many bad patterns for beaded bags out there as there are good ones. She obviously has found the good ones because these bags are to die for.
Here is her policy (I hope I've got this right Cindy, it may be the Nutty part): Call her up and she'll help you select materials and ship them to you. She doesn't charge for shipping. If you receive the materials and your vision and Cindy's didn't mesh, send 'em back she'll pay for the shipping again. Nutty Cindy and Nadelkunst are sadly webless and blogless, but you can call Nutty Cindy at (507) 354-8708. She'll be in back knitting with friends during lunch. NOTE TO CINDY: if putting your shop number on my blog causes you one bit of inconvenience, you have my card, call me. If I got the policy wrong, same thing. I'll take it off the blog.

After getting lost twice getting out of New Ulm, I ended up in a town called Klossner that I've never heard of. But the folks at the Farmers Union Cooperative helped me on the right path. They told me I was the fourth city person lost there that day. I guess Klossner is one of those places that you trip on rather than seek. Anyway they gave me directions, but the directions took me around St. Peter MN. The problem? There is a yarn shop I wanted to try in St. Peter. At that, the clerk said Mary Lue's? Yes, she was a knitter! Other than getting lost, the business travel gods are on my side at this point. Well, she pointed me to Mary Lue's where I bought these:
Not the greatest picture. The color spun is for yet another child's poncho (you have to be able to wash kid's clothes people) and the Katrina is for a top I've got cooking in my brain. It is rayon and elastic and has a cool shine to it. Plus, Katrina is the German version of my name and what my mom sometimes calls me. (she's Irish so go figure) I thought that it was only fitting that I bought it after my day in the most German town in America. I haven't seen it in any of the local yarn stores. Here in the city the yarn stores only carry snob yarns. I don't mean that in a bad way, I'm as big a yarn snob, at times, as anyone. The craft stores carry Paton's but not a very big selection. I think in small towns, they have to double it up and sell Lion and Rowan at the same place. They don't have giant big box craft stores.

And finally, upon my arrival home last night I found this in the mail.
Knit Cards from Major Knitter as part of her great March Madness sock yarn collection. Okay, here is the crazy part. She knit the swatch out of the yarn I contributed!!! And she did it for everyone! I can't even comprehend this level of organization and commitment. I'm stunned. These are the cutest cards ever and I have to buy some. Jennifer, I can't find anything on your blog about how to purchase. Please, please, please let me know soon. Thank you for the note cards. I love them.



Okay, long long post. Thank you for suffering through my wanton abuse of parentheticals (yes abuse according to MFF) and crazy punctuation. In the meantime, if you find yourself lost in southern Minnesota, don't be afraid to stop and ask directions to the nearest yarn store.

postscript: can't get my spell checker to work so I might have spelling errors in here too. No, I'm not illiterate, I'm enthusiastic.

Yeah, I'm still out here

I'm just at a baseball park. That's where I spend all my time lately it seems. But I have my knitting with me.

And the award for the worst knitting picture goes to:

Kate's "Picovoli on My Leg" taken at 5:00 a.m.!!! At least you can see the salmony color. It is in Rowan Cashcotton DK. Much to my cottin' hatin' surprise, I actually enjoy knitting with this particular cotton yarn. Probably because it's only 35 percent cotton. Have I unlocked the secret to finding cotton I enjoy? Is it perhaps a significant lack of cotton? I'm also enjoying the process of knitting from the top down. The only change to the pattern was casting on a couple more stitches under the arms and after trying it on, I'm glad I did.

Remember way back when last winter when I bought the really long #0 needle because I was going to Magic Loop socks? Yes, I know it's amusing, we all know I'm never going to knit real socks. Anyway, the giant (yet teeny tiny) needle is perfect for slipping my stitches on to and trying on this top down sweater. Now I don't feel like I wasted 37 kajillion dollars on an Addi I will never use. Trying it on as you go is great. And since I seem to have "wide sides" I'm glad I casted on a couple (okay 4) extra stitches under each arm. I'm picky, picky about arm holes in shirts. I can't stand feeling like I can't move my arms and yet I hate it if my bra shows. (I'm in my forties. Bras are not optional even for us A cup girls) (Think Gwyneth in the lace chicken cutlet dress, yuck). The extra stitches made it perfect. I am only working on the waist decreases and I'm already thinking about my next Picovoli. It's going to have a split neckline 'cause us A cup girls can show a little chest without showing anything at all.

I like the whole top down thing so much that yesterday I ordered this: I'm hoping it will give me some good ideas at least. I've heard some of the patterns are a bit dated, but I'm willing to revise anything.

In other news, the lost skein has been found so to speak. Sue at Little Knits has been awesome! It turns out that the Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace I ordered came in and was the victim of a really bad dye job. Sue ended up having to return the shipment and I really appreciate that she didn't just unload the stuff on an unsuspecting online buyer. In fact, Little Knits is discontinuing the Lorna's Laces line and it is all on sale right now. I'm not sure what is left, but I purchased the last three skeins of Lion and Lamb in Black Purl. Yep, I'm finally going to clapotis. Picovoli, clapotis, could I be more behind in knitting trends? You've all knit these months ago and here I am just catching up. If you are a fan of Lorna's Laces go check out what Little Knits has left because it's going fast.

I'm going to send my One Skein SP the giant wool/llama skein I bought at Shepherd's Harvest. I'm hoping she'll like it, but I'll probably never know as she hasn't updated her blog in a month. I don't mean to complain because my pals have treated me wonderfully, but some how I got the "non-blogging" bloggers for pals. Neither of them have posted since May and I've never seen them post a picture. I thought regular blog updates were a pre-requisite for participation, but I guess not. So I won't know if they enjoy my gifts. Oh well. I shall give for the pure joy of giving. In other Pal news, I've been knitting with the Noro my OS SP sent me and I'm loving it.

Gotta run, I'm driving to a small town in Southern MN for an appointment today so I've got to get some office time in first.

My SP skein is lost!

I ordered my secret pal a very special skein from Little Knits on May 25th and she hasn't received it yet. I'm a little freaked. I've had such good service from Knitting Zone, Jimmy Beans, Yarnzilla, even Knit Picks. This was my first order from Little Knits though. Anyone who has ordered from them, reassurance would be very welcome at this point.

My son has about 4 gazillion baseball games this week and our little league is hosting a tournament this weekend so I'm hoping that I have time to knit and time to blog. It's been absolutely beautiful weather lately, so of course they are predicting rain and storms this weekend. Our LL park backs up to a golf course, creek and nature area. It's beautiful but when it rains we have one field that fills up with water like crazy. We spent one tournament year trying to pump and vacuum (yes, vacuum) the field every morning. It's a muddy, gross, horrible job and I'm hoping we don't have a repeat of the whole thing this year.

Friday I'm painting up at the field in anticipation of our visitors. Project Spectrum blue of course. Pictures on Friday night.

A Gift in the Mail

I received this from my One Skein Secret Pal!
It's great because I could never bring myself to buy Kochoran because it's so expensive. I love it though and can't wait to try it out.

I ordered something for my One Skein pal and had it sent. I'm hoping it got to her, but I can't be sure because she isn't a prolific post-er when it comes to blogging. Speaking of which, I see I've become the blogger I hate as I have only been posting every few days lately. I'm sorry and I promise to do better. I hate it when I go to the blogs I read regularly and there is no new post for days and days. I've deleted some from my favorites lately because I just got sick of no new content.

I have been knitting.

Another Odessa hat from the pattern at MagKnits by Grumperina. I love this pattern! It only takes a single ball of Rowan Cashsoft DK. The pattern is easy to memorize and flows really well. I had trouble with the decreasing last time, so wish me luck this time.

I've also been working on the wash cloths for my friend's birthday. They are really soft. The gauge is kind of loosey goosey no matter what needles I use, but I think they will work.
I used Crystal Palace Cotton Chenille and number six bamboo needles. I did a basket weave looking pattern. Knit 3 Purl 3 and switch it up after three rows. This seems to give it some scrubby-ness that is needed in a wash cloth. I have to make a couple more before the birthday next week, but that shouldn't be a problem.

Gotta run to find something to wear to work that doesn't involve ironing. More tomorrow.

Hello, Remember Me?

Yes, I've been out of touch. My apologies to the handful of regular readers (some of whom aren't even related to me) who have looked for a post this week and gotten nothing. The weekend planting is done. It was in the 90's all weekend with about 100% humidity. Great weather for working in the yard if you are a camel. I am not however, I'm Graves girl. The hot weather is intolerable for me. Not just uncomfortable, but chest pains and short of breath intolerable. So much water was consumed, many shade breaks were taken. But it's done.

I got up early to hit the garden centers both Saturday and Sunday. I don't know if it was the weather this winter or the price of gas, but it seems that all the plants were more expensive this year. Now no one who knows me would ever categorize me as frugal, but when it comes to plants I'm just plain cheap. After all, I have to factor in my inability to successfully grow anything green. Unless we are counting mold in the fridge when I forget to throw leftovers. I am also a terrible haggler, I should stay out of flea markets. I just can't do the haggling things. I feel unprepared. I feel as though I should come to the transaction with beads and a goat to throw in if need be, and I don't have either of these. I went to my favorite nursery Saturday morning to find some perennials and shrubs. After all, theoretically they will "come back" next year if I don't kill them and then I don't have to do this planting thing again. I really wanted a clematis. Just one of those plain old purple ones that bloom all summer, not the fancy ones that bloom for a couple of weeks and are done. They had the fancy ones and a bunch that were unmarked, all priced at $37.95. Yikes! So I found the nursery lady (who happened to be one of the owners). Of course she looked like you would expect a nursery lady to look. No makeup, wild curly hair. Very granola crunchy, organic, unshaved legs, Mother Jones-y. Totally my polar opposite. (I'm very high maintenance you know)

Me: What are the unmarked clematis?

Granola Crunchy: Hmm. I don't know. They are left over from last year and the tags got lost.

Me: Gee, I don't know if I want to spend $38 on something if I don't even know what it is.

Granola Crunchy: It's clematis.

Me: Yes, but I'm looking for a good repeat bloomer (look at me with the gardening lingo here!) and I won't know that until it's planted. None of the marked clematis are repeaters.

Granola Crunchy: I can understand that.

Now, here my total lack of haggling skills come into play. I think she's about to cut me a deal.

Granola Crunchy (examining the unmarked plants): Well, if you come back in two weeks they will have bloomed and you'll know what they are!

Needless to say, I left without a clematis. I can drop money on yarn like I'm Paris Hilton buying sunglasses, but plants? No way.

And speaking of yarn, since this is technically a knitting blog, I've done little in the way of knitting this week. When the temp hit 90 I couldn't handle the Sunrise Circle WOOL Jacket any more. I have been working on some cotton chenille wash cloths for my friend Rene's birthday. I always give her Orgins "Gloom Away" soap, which she loves, for her birthday, so I thought some handknit wash cloths would be a good addition. No matter what needles I use, the gauge seems loose so I am blaming the yarn and knitting away.