Nearly instant

An e-mail from a wonderful friend on Saturday morning was just the excuse I needed to cast-on that immediate gratification project I'd been looking for! My friend, who was out of town visiting her daughter, couldn't wait to share the good news - her long-awaited first grandbaby is on the way!

A quick search for a pattern and an even quicker look through stash resulted in a likely combo - purple is a good, gender-neutral color, right? And if I double-strand the Malabrigo worsted, then I'll pretty much have a bulky weight - perfect. This is the Jacinto colorway - fluffy soft and gorgeous to work with. The hat is blocking now, and needs a big fat pom-pom on top, but otherwise it was less than 3 hours of knitting, start to finish. I'll be having lunch with my friend on Friday, and I hope she'll love it - at worst, she'll appreciate it as it's intended - a goofy, can't-wait-to-celebrate gift.

Quick note to self - by counting the strands in the hank before winding, then carefully re-counting to divide the hank in half, I came within inches of rolling a perfect, doubled ball, with the 'fold' buried in the middle, so I may have 30 or so yards left - enough for an Ipod cozy or some other teeny thing. Sometimes things work out!

Another bit of e-mail good news received Saturday was word that my SFS package arrived safely, and that my socks had been pronounced 'perfect' by the group's founder, organizer, and cheerleader, Kim - otherwise affectionately nicknamed 'Sarge.' I'll admit to being a little intimidated by her at first -she seemed awfully picky and at times, quite stern about insisting that knitters get things right. The more I've read from her on the Yahoo group site, though, the more her generous heart shines through, and it's clear now that she just wants to provide items that are of consistently high quality for our troops. I can't imagine being in her place - trying to manage hundreds of knitters of varying skill levels who are all working remotely, plus collating and packaging piles of socks, beanies, other goodies of all kinds - what a woman! Her praise and appreciation really mean a lot.

Guess it's back to the single-digit needles now, though it will be a while before I get back down to 0's, I'm sure. I'll get there eventually, but maybe not just yet.

FO - SFS!

Just a few pictures to commemorate my first-ever finished pair of socks! I've made plenty of baby booties and Christmas stockings in the past, and I've also started but then frogged a couple of other pairs of socks before these, so they really shouldn't have taken so long to finish. If I'd been using a beautiful hand-dyed sock yarn instead of desert tan (could've been worse - some knitters have to do black!), or perhaps if they'd been a little smaller, instead of needing 12" legs, 10" feet & a diameter large enough to fit over a 2-liter bottle . . . or maybe if the yarn & needles had been a little larger, say sport weight

on US 3s & 4s, instead of fingering on 0s & 1s. Perhaps then I would've gotten more than this one pair completed in the last three months!

Oh well, they're done, and they're in the mail, along with a few other 'care package' goodies, including six balls of sock yarn donated by my very generous LYS - I figured someone else in the SFS group could use it up a lot faster than me!

At this point, I'm feeling very grateful that the next pairs I do (and yes, despite the whining, there will be more) already have the legs complete. Many thanks to Lisa for machine-knitting these and sending them to me from Texas!

Now that I have my studio somewhat together again, I can say with confidence that the only other thing still on my needles (besides two very quick & sorta secret gifts) is this felted bag, which will be fun to get back to. Not bad! Guess a little more stash-busting is in order between now and the end of the year. Hmmm . . .

Catching Up

I'm determined to get one more post in before summer is 'officially' over - wait, one more? How about just one??

The primary reason I haven't been posting is, well, that I haven't actually been knitting . . . at least not on anything new. But I do have progress to report - these are before and after pics of my studio, which, along with the rest of our house, got new flooring and baseboards this summer. (We'd had this poor carpet for more than 16 years, and I think it used to be blue, believe it or not!)

This little project involved way more moving and cleaning and storage and painting than anybody wants to hear about (wanna guess how many DPNs I found behind the furniture and in the couch cushions?) but we are thrilled with the results.

I spent a good chunk of today painting the last bookshelf for this room, and before this Labor Day weekend is over, I am determined that the final six (or maybe twelve) boxes, including my knitting books & stash, will be unpacked. Before the summer ends, we will be DONE! Finished. Finito! Free time, how I've missed you!

I guess I do have one other accomplishment to report - my first pair of Socks for Soldiers are actually finished - I kitchenered up the 2nd toe last night, and, per instructions, they've been machine washed and are in the dryer now. I'll be sure to get pictures before I send them off to be bundled with many others like them & shipped to either Afghanistan or Iraq. I may need to pick up a few goodies to add to the package, as well.

Meanwhile, I received two pairs of machine-knit legs last week from an amazing woman in Texas, who understands completely what it takes to get 'er done! So I guess I have my next project all lined up . . . except, I might have to take a small break and work on something that involves a bit more, shall we say, immediate gratification . . .

I signed on for a couple of swaps on Ravelry - just easy little ones, and I'm really looking forward to making a couple of fun, quick things to exchange.

Guess that's it for tonight - more SFS pictures before the weekend is out, with luck. Here's one last 'end of summer' shot - our cosmos have had a great season!

Almost there . . .

Seems like it's been way longer, but I've actually been working on my first pair of SFS for just three weeks. They've been pretty much everywhere I've been, every day, and I was making pretty good headway for a while - this picture is of the first giant sock passing it's two-liter stretchiness test. But, I kinda lost momentum for a minute or two after giving in to a new, impulse cast-on (mine is about as far along as this one, but no FO pictures seem to be available anywhere, not even on Ravelry - isn't that amazing? I could be the first person to actually finish knitting this!?) In my own defense, I have to add that though the project was totally spontaneous, I had all the yarn in my stash, so I clearly had no choice, right? My colors are more like the original Mags Kandis design, with a pale yellow rather than bright green base.

Anyway, back to the socks ... thought I'd try to get back on track by setting myself a little challenge last week, aiming to complete 4 inches of ankle (over 72 stitches on size 0 needles - ugh) and turn heels on both socks by the end of this past weekend. I came SO close - if I hadn't kept messing up the heel flaps I would've been there!

I did get the complete heel turn done on one, though I know it's hard to see in this pic, and the flap is finished on the other. It took a lot of help in the form of podcasts (so many fun ones out there!) and a great book on CD, but I'm still amazed that I got this close to my goal. If these weren't for such an incredibly good cause, I know I would've given up already.

On another front, just had to show off my mini-swallowtail-altar-shawl, all prettied up for Sunday . . . it was a bit small, but a big hit all the same, with several requests for a return engagement. It's very nice to feel wanted!

Blocking Breakthrough

So, who needs wires or pins for blocking?? Well, maybe I do - this picture will undoubtedly display my lack of skills, but even so, the transformation of this piece from wrinkly blob to defined lace is pretty remarkable!

I am completely in love with the
colors and the changes in the patterning throughout this shawl. It's small - about 36 inches at the top end, and 18 from top to tip, but it's perfect for the small altar we use for the kid's Sundays at church.

If you know this pattern and are looking carefully, you will see that I skipped the nupps and did not indulge in beading - there was enough going on, for me, with just the colors in the yarn. This was a pleasure to knit, start to finish.

And now, it feels so good to have 'broken through' my fear of blocking and to have this beautiful finished lace to show for it!

Just a few

Time for my monthly post! :^) Actually, I have a few actual FO's, and some almosts, too, that I want to document here before they go anywhere else.

First, and definitely cutest, are the puppy slippers - I just love these! It took months, for some reason, to get the cuffs on and the little faces done (had to take a needlefelting class at the lys, of course, to figure that part out) but they're completely finished now. It's going to take somebody pretty darn special to make me part with these!

This shawl is finished - it's an abbreviated Swallowtail - small 'cause didn't think I could get another repeat out of the bitty bit of yarn that's left. But it worked out, since this beautiful yarn was hand-dyed for me by my buddy Hunter, from church (one of his first attempts, but then, he's only 13!), and it needed an extra-special project.

I think this will be the perfect size for an altar cloth. We'll see, once I get it blocked ... still procrastinating on that front! I think he would be excited to see it there, though.


My sorta FO for today is this 'swatch' - I added the loop thinking it might double as a potholder, but it's actually a test for the grazing sheep bag that I first spotted here. Fell in love, got the book, and started sorting through stash late one night ... as I suspected, I think I'll have to use a different white yarn (I had heard that the Lamb's Pride white was a little fussy), but the others felted great - I love it when that happens!Of course, I have a new cast-on, too ... started these Socks for Soldiers last night at choir rehearsal.
Heard about the group on the Knitpicks podcast (they provide a lot of the recommended sock yarns), and decided to order a complete package, including this very cool medic's bag with great pockets for knitting gear, and lots of other goodies. I really like the fact that this group doesn't let politics enter their discussions, they just do what they can to make sure that our troops, who are working so hard, so far from home, know they are cared for.

Feels like such a positive direction to send some of my energy, rather than focusing on the more negative aspects of the war, since those never fail to make me feel frustrated and sad. You'll find the group on Yahoo or on Ravelry - in addition to socks, they collect hand-knit beanies, hand-knit washrags and hand-made soap, snacks, and toiletries. All in all, an amazing bunch!

Just a little

Just a little ways to go on my Leafy Lace Scarf, that is. Made great progress (for me, anyway!) over a couple of weekends, now just need to push on to the finish line. For symmetry, it's knit in two halves, and I'm thinking about blocking one half to see how much it grows. I don't have wires or rustproof pins, though, so that gives me another excuse to procrastinate ... or to go shopping, I guess!

My first (and favorite) excuse is still spring ... it's been too beautiful outside to get much of anything done indoors. Our tomatoes & basil are in, the strawberries are getting ripe, and the roses seem especially happy this year - here's just a little glimpse of some of their first blooms - such a pretty time of year!

More Green

Possibly the greenest place I've ever been ... the rain forest near Akaka Falls on the beautiful Big Island, Hawai'i.

Lots more green here.

Wildflower weekend

When the hub asked what I wanted to do for my birthday, I didn't have to think long - we've been talking about going out to Joshua Tree to see the wildflowers every spring for about five years now, so this year it was time!

We couldn't have picked a nicer weekend - the warm sun and cool breeze were perfect, and the wildflowers were amazingly beautiful.

I had no idea there would be so many varieties in so many colors.

We've visited the park several times, but always stayed near the northern end, where most of the campgrounds are. This time, though, we came in through the southern entrance, and that, as it turns out, is wildflower central.

I don't think it's going to take us

five more years to get back there for another springtime visit!

Two out of three ...

At last, pictures! I was able to finish up the brain-eating monster hat this morning. All I had left to do was attach the googly eyes to buttons & tie them on - how hard was that?? Well, not hard, but messy - I still have superglue all over one finger ... it was worth it, though! Hopefully it will be a hit with the six-year-old I have in mind.

The strawberry hats just need their duplicate-stitch seeds added, and they'll be ready to gift, too. One is for another friend's newborn, and the other is for her five-year-old big sister.

And, umm, yes - those are grapefruits that the hats are posing on ... we're a little short of small heads around my house these days.

Fortunately, though, we're not short of plum tree blossoms or blue skies - even in my seasonless Southern California back yard, spring is really almost here!

One for green week ...

I don't know who started 'Green Week,' but I'm seeing it everywhere, and I love it! So, I'm contributing a very green spot (absolutely unretouched!) from our trip to Colorado last spring - not quite a year ago. This was from a day that we lunched in 'Old Town' Louisville, not far from Broomfield.

Knitting does continue - I've got a pair of ladybug slippers (kind of my own design), a pair of strawberry hats, and a brain-eating monster that are this close to being finished. They've been fun little projects - just need to get some pictures of them ... there's also a Malabrigo silky merino scarf in the works, in Spring Water (which is pretty much, well, green).

Lots of other things are in the works, as well - various photo shoots & photoshop editing (I'm so new at this that it takes forever), and lots of social stuff (birthdays, catching up with friends we haven't seen much of, and the like). These aren't excuses, exactly, though I have to admit to feeling a little guilty about how infrequent these posts are becoming. Maybe it's just a matter of routine? I don't want to give up yet, so I guess I'll just have to accept my 'shortcomings,' such as they are. Otherwise, this will just be a chore, and I certainly don't need any more of those.

One thing I have decided to give up is the reading challenge - it really is a great idea, but boy did it bring out my inner rebel! No sooner did I start to make a real list than I discovered about eighteen things I'd rather do than read any of those books! Oh well, at least I'm not feeling the guilt there. I know that someday soon, when the feeling of 'must do' has faded, the rebel will fall asleep and I'll want to read some history again. Meanwhile, this has been the book of choice - truly a feel-good read.


Alllrrrighty, now back to my own, personal green week - it's definitely everywhere!

Photo (almost) Friday

Food photo, taken last Saturday at the Kailua Kona Farmer's Market. The fuzzy red fruit in the front right is rambutan, or lychee - I'd never had it fresh before, and it was delicious!

Lots more food photos here at the Thursday Photo Challenge.

And then, two more ...

Time flies in paradise! Had a beautiful (and too brief) trip to Kona, on the Big Island in Hawaii, with my three best girlfriends - what a great getaway!

Lots to catch up on at home, including my knitting, reading, and blogging, but one thing at a time, I guess.

Just a couple of pictures today ... back to reality soon!

A week later ...

So, another week (no, wait - make that another month!) has passed - how do they go by so fast?? Just wanted to check in so I don't lose the little bit of momentum I have, though there's not much that's really bloggable to report. This month, and especially the last week, has been filled with preparations for a big event at my small church, and for a long-planned 'long weekend' in Hawaii - we're leaving at the end of next week. Given the snow & rain here at home, we picked a great time to go!

I did promise a picture of my first FO for the year - a simple, skinny scarf in Noro Iro. This picture isn't especially inspiring, but I love the colors and the simplicity - this took just a few hours over two days! Are skinny scarves still popular? Guess it doesn't matter - I had one skein, and used it all. The length is perfect, and, despite being so skinny, this scarf is surprisingly warm when double wrapped.

I've done a little of the embroidery for my 'Bullseye' headband, and the puppy slippers? Well ... now I'm thinking that my lining concept just wasn't meant to be! May need to just let it go & knit up the cuffs next week in order to be done. The baby will just have to wear socks with her slippers (yep, she's here, and she's a beauty!) if it's really an issue.

Maybe next week I can post a bit more on my 'Back to History' reading - I did finish one book in January that I think qualifies, and have a few more to add to my list. All in all, I may have gotten more accomplished than I realized! Now, back to my lists ...

Photo Friday

For yet another fine diversion,
check out the nature photos at the Thursday Challenge site. My pictures may not be great, but they bring back lots of great memories ...

Just a quick break

Maybe it feels like I never finish knitting anything 'cause I'm so easily distracted - dya think?? I was catching up on posts from a few favorite blogs, and first came across this challenge from Tammy, and realized that I'd have to admit my complete obsession with mystery novels if I were to respond. My latest discovery, Susan Dunlap, has apparently been around for a while, and is actually a very classy mystery writer - no psycho-killers (qu'est-ce que c'est?), slashers, or gore, just a good old whodunit that takes place in an isolated zendo in a rainy redwood forest ... good stuff, right? Oh yeah, the line is, "Sits quietly; adores rules." Hmmm.

The next blog I looked at had a much more edifying challenge - just like Willow, I'd love to get Back to History - then I'd have something I've read that I can share and still have some self respect! I'm signing up - my first three picks are:

1) Antonia Fraser's Mary Queen of Scots
2) Howard Zinn's The Twentieth Century, A People's History, and
3) Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander - I've been wanting to try this series forever, and yes, if you want to talk distractions, I just saw the group ...

Of course, all this good-for-me reading won't keep me from skipping out on this, or this, or especially this! It'll just be a small reminder that I don't want my brain to melt completely. Any more than it has already, that is.

Speaking of reminders ... I have a FO to post! Very soon - as soon as I have a decent picture to go with it. Now back to my puppy slippers - after completely rethinking (and re-knitting) my concept, the linings are almost complete. Still no little one, so I've got time for a lot more reading!

How many posts does it take ...

... til you have a blog? More than two, I'm guessing.

Lucky for me, it only takes two felted puppies to make one pair of baby booties. The puppy knitting & felting was way easy (the tongues were my favorite part). This is a pre-felting pic - each slipper was about 6" long before it hit the hot water. The pattern is still around, even though I got it in a kit, I think from Patternworks, at least a decade ago ... guess I've just just waiting for the right baby to come along!

At this point, according to the pattern, I only need to finish embroidering the eyes and nose, and knit up the ribbed cuffs. But, to be perfectly honest, the felted Lopi was just a little rough (and probably itchy) for brand newborn feet, so I'm knitting a little tube out of cotton to line each bootie ... kind of a pain, but I hope it will make these more comfy & fun to wear. I started it with a provisional cast on, so I'll attach it to the bootie's top edge (snipping out the cotton holding stitches first) before knitting the rib up from there. At least, that's the grand plan -wish me luck, will you?

Now, it so happens that I'm a little superstitious when it comes to baby showers ... I don't really like to give baby gifts until the baby is safely delivered. It's actually my policy, so there. The side benefit is that this policy usually buys me a few more weeks to finish up if the gift is homemade. Since this little cutie isn't due until the 29th, I may be more than ten years late with these booties, but I'm actually way ahead of schedule!

New year, new blog

I've never been big on resolutions, but when a friend mentioned that they were only making resolutions they could keep this year, starting with "eat more chocolate," I began to think I could be missing out on something! So, my resolutions for 2008 are:

1. Buy some new yarn (got my old stash cleaned out just in time!);

2. Play around with Ravelry (got my invitation in September, after waiting many, many weeks, but was just plain overwhelmed by all the goodness there, so hadn't personalized anything yet);

and . . .

3. Try out this blogging stuff!

So far, I'm good on all three! First, I put my favorite Christmas gift certificate to good use at The Loopy Ewe - got the beautiful Hand Maiden Mini Maiden in 'Melon,' (which I think really could have been called 'Camelia'), some Dream in Color Baby in 'Lucky Jade' and two skeins of the Lorna's Laces sock yarn in 'Tahoe.'



Next, I stopped by a not-so-LYS that I haven't been to in a while - this shop is always a hoot. I also visited two new (to me, anyway) LYS's - one that's pretty close to work, and another that's dangerously convenient on my drive home from work. There might've been just a small purchase or two at these locations, as well ...

The good news is that (patting self on back) I've entered it all on my Ravelry stash list - I'm under 'monkijan' there. I've got a couple more projects to enter, and only about a million more to look at (that's the bad news ...) Wonder how much less knitting I'll actually get done now that I'm keeping my resolutions???