Boo! Scary!

Witness a woman tempted beyond her ability to say no.

Witness a woman who needs to have her head examined.

Witness a leap into the experiment of writing daily.

Because you know, I'm just not disciplined enough or busy enough or engaged enough in things one might consider creative.

Or, clearly, bright enough to avoid the distraction of a shiny new pretty thing.


EEK.

Need more day in my day.

Or maybe I need less day in my day.

More time for important things just becomes more time for things and things and things and OH am I behind with my work.

I did knit for 15 minutes, though.

We do what we can, hey?

Knitting, I swear it!

I've cheated on my sweaters in progress and begun a quick and dirty alpaca chunky jacket. Remember that article a million years ago in the back of Interweave Knits - or no, maybe it was threads - and was it someone whose book writing is the stuff of legendary book tours? I think it was. At any rate, this she of whom I speak wrote in tawdry terms about cheating on her knitting. I'm SOOOOO guilty of it. And the back is nearly half done. Did I mention quick?

And on a recent road trip I knit three hasty little bowls that I hastily ran through the washing machine when I returned. They sit in a fuzzy nested spot on the computer, and they've caused all sorts of office chaos since they've arrived. "ooh, look" "how cool" "I have to knit." I was given the yarn as a gift last year, so it's now visibly in use and the gift-giver oohed, too. Suitable for dispensing October sweets or for pulling names out of a container.

One yarrow sock done, one three inches in. Elfine is awaiting my attention, but she'll keep safely. I need ribbon I like better for the bagstopper. I know I should work on the Equinox, but now that I know I have enough yarn in the right dyelot, I wonder if I didn't skimp on length before the armscye shaping. I'll have to spend a little quality time with that, and right now I'm all for the repetitive project with little thinking.

I'm knitting. I'm cheating, but I'm knitting.
And I'm here too late after going to a choir performance. What the heck? I should go home. There are papers to grade, and I can knit that repetitive alpaca while I read papers. Okay. Not. But I could grade for 30 minutes, knit for 15, rinse, repeat.

No pictures, but there's been knitting. I swear it.

Representative Thrift

I gave away a GREAT representative bag of thrift stuff:

One was a sweater I made. Hard to give away things we make, isn't it?
I GAVE IT AWAY AND LIVED.

One was a jacket a friend loaned me for a trip abroad. It was perfect and packable. It looked good on me. She made me keep it, in one of HER purges. I INHERITED SOMEONE ELSE'S STUFF AND I GAVE IT AWAY.

One was a denim jumper/dress I purchased in an inappropriately impossible size. I let myself miss the return deadline and then convinced myself I'd remake it. I GAVE UP THE DREAM AND THE WORK AND I GAVE IT AWAY.

Final items were a pair of ice skates. My mother had become the default keeper of them and had recently returned them. I'd not gotten them out of the trunk of the car. I went to a college reunion recently and drove past the park which served as the ice skating rink nearest the campus. That was it. I decided the skates had to stay in that community. Did I mention I'm not that size mumble-something years later? I GAVE AWAY MY FAVORITE OLD SKATES.

Those are the kinds of things that are hard to give away. I left them miles away, out of state. It's rather freeing. I recommend it.

Say goodbye to the sweater!

Elizabeth's good sense was just what I needed to hear.

When I read the posts on the occasional blog or board thread that raise an eyebrow at those of us have acquired a little yarn here and there, I think quietly to myself, ah, but you don't know what FRUGAL thinking is at the core of all this.... Because I really do tend toward the use and reuse. Why do you think I learned to sew and knit in the first place? Time-honored traditions of making do, making things well, etc., run deep in my family. Some time I will tell the layered stories of thrift in this quilt.

So this sweater.



See the spot in the front cable? Okay, I notice the discolorations more in person, it's true.

I had also started to think about making it into a bag, but there would still be an unnecessary amount of time spent on it. I'd thought through using rings at the neckline, zigzagging and steeking the sides of the neckline, as it was knit circularly, opening up the shoulder seams, lining...... all for a bag there's no guarantee I'd really like and use.

Two days ago I moved a bunch of binders from an office space I hadn't finished clearing. Found a publicity picture of me in that sweater. That was a LONG time ago. I don't care how quickly I shape up, I don't think I'll wear that sweater again. Sleeves are too long anyway.

Thrift sounds wise. I wore it plenty. Easily there were 4 years of wear, and I did wear it in all seasons. If I'd bought it at Target, I'd consider it fair game for the thrift donation pile. It's no heirloom. It doesn't need the drawer space.

Elizabeth's right. I have perhaps invested all the time needed in that one cone of yarn. I think I picked up the original for less than five. Good sale.

I'll say goodbye. It'll go to the thrift store when the bag of thrift is full. (When I have something to donate, I start a bag near the front door. As soon as I fill it, I drop it off. I see the bag often enough that filling it quickly is added incentive.) If someone feeling even more frugal needs to rescue it, speak up soon.

Sprucing up

I'm so proud: I figured out how to get the little button things into the sidebar. They are as I had them before.
(I certainly don't have great scads of html finesse.)

I've whitewashed the joint, too. And the font is bigger.
We'll see what I think.

To tell the truth, I'm not overly fond of the crowding of one sentence atop the other. Looks like I don't know how to add any space after a period.

Along the Way

I've been thinking about some long-lived and or long-ago projects.
Mistakes Along the Way. Felt too critical.
Lessons Learned Along the Way. Felt too preachy.
Short and sweet is what I've decided.
Besides, I don't think they're done traveling, yet.

This magazine. 1994.

This pattern. Adrienne Vittadini.

A budget fit for a cone of Kitchen Cotton.

A few fitting problems. Overestimated how much I needed to lengthen the sleeves.

You know, of course, that there was NO drape here. It could stand alone.


I wore it anyway. It was loose, anyway. I took up less space.
And then I forgot and washed it RIGHT after the local municipality did one of the annual spring hydrant flushes. The stains are mostly gone, but I can't get them all out. Haven't decided what to do with this, but something needs to be done. Did I mention I made this within recent publication of that 1994 magazine? Yep. And did I mention I've moved away from that same municipality oh, several years ago? It has been in a drawer, awaiting some fate or sign of progress.

I thought about frogging, hastily dyeing, and using it for floor-rug fodder. I also came up with another idea this morning. I really shouldn't touch it, though, for awhile.

I just felt like posting its story. I used to knit with abandon. I learned stuff from it. I did a couple sweaters with a lot of cabling. It's not all the measly stuff I seem to be posting most of the time.

I must be hearing the siren call of the cable.
I'll have to stay strong for a little while, anyway.
I have a few other things to do along the way.

Better on Size 4's

I'm enjoying the Tuscany pattern much better on size 4's than it was looking over here, in this previous post.

Cozy

Complete!


Yarn is Fiesta Boomerang. Colorway is Poppies. Purchased 3 skeins. Used 2 and a half, or a little more.Knit on size US 8 .

=============
Meanwhile, I've resolved my issues with the Conjoined Creations Pastimes. Knitting on a size US 4 is working much, much better.

How can you not love a good name?

Elfine


I'm too stubborn to go shopping for short circs.
I'll muddle through with dpns just fine.
For the record.

Labor Day Knitting

Yes, yes, yes. I'm aware we're mid-September. No more from you, you blog-voice of absence-guilt.

I was knitting in early September. I've thought about several posts, but times demanded my attention. Some of the projects are done, even. Here's a taste.


So the blog has holes. So did the knitting. So to speak.

Where I've been when I haven't been home knitting...

I copycat this from Costumechick who posted similarly a couple of weeks ago.

It's a fitting post following a weekend where I enjoyed traveling exactly nowhere. I do mean that. It was nice to nest and to knit.

Bold = Been There
Italics = Lived There

Alabama / Alaska / Arizona / Arkansas / California / Colorado / Connecticut / Delaware / Florida / Georgia / Hawaii / Idaho / Illinois / Indiana / Iowa / Kansas / Kentucky / Louisiana / Maine / Maryland / Massachusetts / Michigan / Minnesota / Mississippi / Missouri / Montana / Nebraska / Nevada / New Hampshire / New Jersey / New Mexico / New York / North Carolina / North Dakota / Ohio / Oklahoma / Oregon / Pennsylvania / Rhode Island / South Carolina / South Dakota / Tennessee / Texas / Utah / Vermont / Virginia / Washington / West Virginia / Wisconsin / Wyoming / Washington D.C /

Some of these were choir tours long, long ago. I may have been in Kansas, but if I only drove through it and can't remember stopping anywhere, I shouldn't include it. Similarly, Delaware. Probably drove through it a bunch of times. Never stopped enough to count.

New York is grey area. Didn't have residence there, but I earned many pathetic and pitiful paychecks there, so I count it lived.

As for updating blog templates... AIYEEE!

Last week I had every intention of tidying up the blog by switching to the updated templates. This widget thing has me perplexed, though. I could set up the lists, sure, but I when it came to the links for rings, the photos for those, and the like, I became stumped. I reverted to the previous template.

I may need a tutor. Maybe in September. It would be nice to access the updated template features for easier strolling through past issues. Not that this blog is a fount of tutorial knowledge or anything.... I just didn't want to be a bad Ring Citizen and update without including the Ring links.

When it was Not Hot

I did regroup on the Monkey Sock. Curiously, or not so curiously to the knitter more savvy than I, a change up in needle brought me to exactly the same color pooling trends in the previous iteration of this sock.

Happily I report that the Monkey, she is done.

Knitting when it was Hot

Typical of knitting when it's hot:


I actually had a birthday gift request for these. Truthfully, the request was for another style, of which I shall post another day. These were for knitting when it was hot, so these were the "to-tide-you-over" gift until the requested style is complete. Happy to report the recipient was pleased.

Hospitality & Kindness

It has been my great good fortune to have been on the receiving end of some notable hospitality & kindness.

I've been traveling a good bit over the past month. I'm finding I've a long list of notes I need to send to a wide range of people. Before I unplug myself today, I thought I'd post a couple words about some hospitality of a knitterly nature.

I've been to a couple yarn stores, as is my wont. I had a nice break in my travels at Fine Points in Cleveland, OH. In addition to my general pleasure at the creative possibilities that seemed to burst from the cubbies, the staff were just really, really nice. And I thank them for their kindness in letting me use their restroom. Not all stores do this, and as a traveler who shops, I was grateful.

I went with a colleague to a yarn shop in New Orleans, Garden District Needlework & Yarns, as a break from the rigors of the events I was attending there. The shop was delightful and spacious and had LOADS of inspirational yarn to consider.

AND. Through the course of some conversation, I was invited to a local church. Can you imagine the degree of hospitality? I was floored. My hosts took me on a tour of parts of the New Orleans. It was important to get out into the city, beyond the zone of major hotels. There is still so much, much rebuilding to be done post-Katrina.

Finally, a change in my schedule meant I was able to try to catch trillian42 from knittyboard to see if she were free for a fairly spontaneous yarn shop visit in DC. She introduced me to Stitches DC and the very gracious proprietor. Found some lovely local yarn and shared good hearted conversation and laughter and baby-ogling. Pam led the way to Banana Cafe for a fine heat-wave beverage and bit of lunch. Pam told me of the great kindness she's seen in the contributions to Hats for Alex. She's collecting the second wave of hats. It seemed fitting to end our conversation remarking on the kindnesses of so many people.

I need to go home to send some notes of thanks to friends and family whose hospitality and kindness don't appear in this post. And I have some projects to do, to keep the kindness moving along!

Behold, the Fulled Bags

We had some fun grade school science, we did, in the process of shrinking up the knit messenger bags.



I took "before shots," but I need to crop out little faces. Don't feel I have permission to place other people's children's photos on the internet without parental sayso.

Took MORE time to get the striped bag down close to scale, even though both were nearly the same prior to washing. Different wool. I understand the striped bag took an extra trip to the laundromat the day after the photo was taken.

A Belated Addendum to CASP 3

Having posted my thanks promptly to Kathy for her fun wintry CASP 3 packages, I promptly FORGOT to take photos.

Having finally taken photos, well, you guessed it. I offer a belated addendum to my hearty thanks.



The patterns are in the notebook, the lollys hit the candy jar and went the way of all things sweet, and the office supplies are being put to good use. I think the winter body butter was already in the drawer at work for dry hand emergencies, as it escaped the photo call.

Oh, and the dishcloth she made with her very own genteel and generous hands is in the drawer of dishcloths and towels, ready for real use. This gift also prompted me to give up my standard garterstitch dish cloth for an alternate summer dishcloth. (Witness the previous post...)

Thanks again, Kathy!

Useful knitting

Some of the staples of useful stash knitting:
The ubiquitous dishcloth. My cousin actually ASKED for some for her birthday. I'm on the second, as I try to get ready to get out of town.


And of course, a cat bed, knit - when? must have been nearly a year ago - from Mme. Wendy's pattern.


Glad Mr. Jones is using this. He's going to have a lonesome week, barring visits from the cat sitter.

It's not all false starts around here

Some things are finished.

This quilt has been nearly done for ages. Had someone volunteer to help me get the binding on. I made sure she was paid. I am perfectly capable of binding, but I'll tell you the poor quilt sat in a bag inside of a box for a few years as I "meant to finish it."

The poor thing suffered from "out of sight out of mind" neglect.
Fortunately, that was all that it suffered. It should land shortly. It has been shipped to the recipient.

The battery was dying, so these photos which should have been adjusted for fluorescence are what they are. Most of the fabrics are batiks or kindred. The quilt was a mystery quilt project in which I bent most of the rules in the steps.


That'll be it until August. I'm going out of town for a bit.