Where my head almost exploded, but didn't quite

Here in Alberta the weather changes at an alarming rate... one day you're bitching that it's 50 below (with wind chill), and then the next day snow is melting and you need to complain about something related to mud hitting your windshield.

Well, there are those of us who are sensitive to barometric pressure. This means that when there are wild weather swings (for example, a Chinook) we feel as though our heads might explode. Lucky us; we react when it gets cold, and when it gets warm. When the weather stabilizes, so does the pressure in our skulls.

Today was warmer than plus 10. According to the pressure behind my eyeballs, I'd say that it won't be as warm tomorrow. Woohoo. Or not.

There was a knitting circle today at Make One (as there is every Friday afternoon), and it was well attended by a fun-loving bunch. I reduced our in-house lace guru (Marilynn) into near tears by having screwed up my Mystic Waters so badly that she couldn't actually repair the goof! She did, however, restore it to a knittable state, so I *think* that when my head stops actually throbbing that I might give it a whirl. I am severely grateful, BUT... this is MW's last run with me, and if 'it' doesn't start to cooperate, I'm going to frog it. I really am. I hope its listening.

Can lace weight and barometric pressure be linked? They both can give you pain behind the eyeballs.

I frogged (sense a trend?) a few inches of Mr.G's sleeve because it had developed a bad case of pooling. My fault entirely for making a comment about somebody else's sleeve pool. I'll knit from two balls and alternate rows.. that ought to get it back under control.

I couldn't get myself up the stairs (where my swift and ball winder are) to get a new ball of Miss Priss put together, so instead I spun one bobbin's worth of Suri Alpaca/Merino in black. It's kind of creepy as a raw material, but I'll reserve judgement until after it's plied.

Because you've been so patient though all the whining and complaining, may I present:

Les peaux de lièvres

Be patient. It's worth it.

Beige, I think I'll paint the ceiling beige

There's a cute dog for you. She was once a shivering mess of an abused puppy; but now she's a bundle of love, and brighter than a new penny. Her name is Roxy (aka, Roxy Baby), and we got her from the dog pound. Just look at those eyes. Somebody threw this dog away. And we are thanking God for that every darned day. Not that she was ever abused or discarded, but that she made her way into our lives. I can't even imagine what life would be like without that little face.

Today's post is a bit beige. Or, nicely, cream. Rox is a bit that way, with some apricot for good measure. I've been spinning cream as well. Natural BFL, 3 ply. And now 200 grams of a wool/silk blend, on a natural maple Lendrum.



The BFL I am going to kettle dye when I've decided what it wants to be... I'm thinking moss, or maybe olive. The wool/silk; well, I think I'm going to leave that as is, and knit a shawl with it. At the moment it's driving me insane with fibers floating everywhere and coating everything. It's up my nose and in my eyelashes.

Phew.

OTN: Two different socks, Mr.G., a little bit of the Icarus in the Iris Zephyr, and.. Mystic Waters.

What's on your needles?

And, luckily, one of *those* days...

There isn't one ray of natural sunlight in my house at the best of times, so my pictures always look like it's the middle of the night. It was, in fact, late afternoon, and BF and I had just returned from Lina's with armloads of good, Italian ingredients. What better thing to do than have a picnic on the ottoman? What you see there is a platter of lean mortadella, tuscan ham, asiago/artichoke dip, bruschetta (which was not, in fact, grey), musco olives, provolone, boconccini, grilled red peppers, thin slices of red onion, and a loaf of bread. We washed it down with bitters, of all things. Later we curled up on the couch and watched a few cooking shows; though I admit that I slept through at least half of Jamie Oliver.

That's a nice Sunday, if you ask me.

Right now I have a Tuscan Garlic/Rosemary roasted chicken in the oven; and because I adore you, I'm going to share the recipe.

1 large roasting chicken (available at Lina's, organic and wonderful)
1 head of garlic
1 bunch of fresh rosemary (also available at Lina's, year round)
1 large or 2 small lemons
olive oil
butter
salt/pepper
roasting pan with rack.

instructions:

heat oven to 475

wash and dry chicken, season interior with salt and pepper

roughly chop the bulb of garlic (don't worry about peeling the individual cloves) and the lemons. reserve 2 - 4 stalks of rosemary and roughly chop the rest. combine the chopped ingredients and stuff into the cavity of the chicken.

breast side up, separate the skin from the flesh (making a pocket) over each breast, above each leg. insert 2 stalks of rosemary and a lump of butter in each pocket. if that doesn't make sense, i'm pretty sure that martha stewart explains it better in her perfect roast turkey recipe.

place the chicken on rack in the roasting pan. drizzle with olive oil, and salt/pepper liberally.

place roaster in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees. continue to roast until a meat thermometer reads 180 degrees (or what you consider to be done).

if you decide to make soup with the carcass, please remember to remove most of the rosemary and ALL of the lemon pieces. i made the mistake of leaving it in and the stock was spoiled because of the lemon oil.


So, there you have it. Sunday was much better than Saturday. I've been spinning, and there's nothing horrible to report. I frogged the cable portion of Mr.G., and that's back on the rails. Thank you Marilynn, for offering to help me out with the Mystic Waters. I'm going to take you up on it, because, honestly, I'm totally in love with it.

A couple of *those* days?

I was out of my mind with excitement on friday when I realized that my Jaggerspun Zephyr had finally arrived. It isn't stocked at my LYS, so after some detective work, I found it at TheKnitter.com for a lower price than I had been quoted by another store. AND.. free shipping. So I ordered 'Iris'. I'm really happy with it, 50/50 silk/wool blend, and the colour is amazing. Yippee.

Today I cast on for The Forest Path Stole. Nope.. It just wasn't right; so I tried again with Icarus. Nope. Frog. Cast on again. Nope. Frog. (Rinse and repeat). Note to self: Never try to cast on lace in the dark, while watching a movie. Also, try to use a chart that doesn't need to be viewed through a magnifying glass.



Earlier in the day, I resurrected Mystic Waters. It took a long while, but I figured out where I had left off; frogged a few rows, and restarted. I think i got 3 rows done before I'd messed it up again, so.. back in the bag with you Mystic Waters.



I'm seriously considering frogging it once and for all. We don't seem to mesh... Marilynn finished hers the other day, and it's totally gorgeous.

OK, lets discuss the coffee. I'm sure that I mentioned that BF makes me a coffee each weekend morning.. a nice, strong latte to start the day. Well, I reached for mine, and knocked it right into my knitting. Luckily most of it ended up on the floor, and nothing was seriously damaged. The worst risk was my dye book... It's full of all my recipes and patterns. It's a little worse for wear, but overall, everything is still legible.



Honestly, the worst part was the loss of a really good coffee. (And, yes, I really do know how to spell Dyeing. I even know how to spell crochet most days)

Last but not least... here's a little shot of Mr.G. I realized that I have twice as many rows of cables than I should have. Apparently I cannot successfully read instructions. So, that's in the frog pond too. Pffft



I'm too scared to spin.

Oh, ouch

Introducing Spaceballs (in Alpaca).

So, today was day two of my return to the real world, and also day two of a complicated hardwood repair. *Insert endless hardwood talk relating to saws, hammers, chisels, sub-floor adhesive, diagonal joists on 30" centres, freehand cutting 9 rows of boards because the angle was tighter than the chop saw could cut, and trying to make a squeak go away.* These two days culminated in a happy customer, a slice across my index finger (can you hear me typing? click, ouch, click, click, ouch) and, (how many joints in the human body?) 239 things that hurt when I move. So, knitting? Not very much. The new Miss Priss is crying out my name though; it really is.

I've decided to frog the BSJ - did I mention that I'm at the bind off row?. And, I've also decided that unless some really awesome yarn cries out to BE said jacket, that I'm not exactly pleasantly surprised. I think it was the technical aspects that I was all thrilled about. So. Over. Let's turn the yarn into a project for Dida to undertake.

I spent a little time at Make One tonight; went there to talk with Marilyn and ended up ogling two of her lace pieces. Beautiful.. She's almost done the Mystic Waters, and I thought it was absolutely grand. There were lots of other women there, and I was happy to see Michelle, Heather and Franki.

I came home to Mug doing her homework (did I mention that she never has to be reminded?), and BF cooking tenderloins, baked potatoes, mushrooms and real bacon bits, to go along with a really great Greek salad. All is well in the world, I have to say.

Sunday is for shawls

Recently, on Knitlist, a poster asked why people love wearing shawls. In the post she mentioned that she loves knitting them, loves how they look, but doesn't love wearing them. She was wondering if she shouldn't donate them to an old folks' home.

The response was quick and plentiful, (and often suggested alternate uses, rather than answering her question!)and included:

Convert them (into table, chesterfield or window coverings)
Wear a shawl in the morning instead of a robe
Develop a shawl drawer, and just admire them
Start a fashion trend! Actually wear the shawl and see how many follow your lead

When suddenly actual shawl lovers (dare I say, wearers?) started to chime in:

Some states in the US are so warm that stores, theaters, etc., are often over-air conditioned, and a shawl is a light method of dealing with the chill
They are great extra layers, and colour accents
As a solution to fluctuating climate changes in offices
Shawls can be a bold fashion statement
They are easy to remove
They are less constricting than a coat
Shawls attract other knitters

I myself have become a shawl-wearer. My first shawl isn't knitted, it's a much cherished woven shawl which I won at a silent auction after a guild sheep to shawl competition. Most of the time it hangs over a long rail on the cabinet by my desk. I can admire it, it doesn't get lost in a pile of kids' jackets, and the cat can't sleep on it. However, I do wear it out often enough. I find myself wrapping it like a sarong around my hips, over jeans; that method started because I had a painful lower back injury and I found the warmth was helpful (my shawl is thick and cozy). Often I'll use it as a lap robe while I knit; I must be getting to an age, because I find that my knees are often cold.

At the moment I'm 25% through knitting a wool/silk (and beads!) version of the Mystic Waters shawl (detail shown above). It is breathtakingly beautiful, and I'm madly in love with it. My plan is to complete it over the Christmas break, when I have some time to really concentrate. Mystic Waters is a KAL (my first!) and the final clue was issued last Wednesday. Lots of knitters have completed their shawls will be wearing them over this holiday season, and I honestly wish I was one of them.

A few months ago, Make One Yarn Studio came up with an idea for a 'Year of Lace, 2008', and I have to say that I signed up before I drew another breath. I could not be more excited; especially since the lace objects will feature scarves, shawls and wraps. I WILL be wearing my shawls. I'm in love with them already, and I haven't a clue what they might be! If you'd like more information on a Year of Lace, just click on the button I've placed to the right.

If you just can't wait til spring, and you'd like to join a shawl KAL, there is one currently open for registration by going to the Yahoo group Spring Shawl Surprice. The KAL will be starting in January, and I am SO signed up, and making my yarn selection at this time (believe me, it's part of the fun!).

One more thing (have I become sanctimonious?)... while Christmas shopping the other day I saw an inexpensive commercial shawl in a store window. I actually felt a pang of sadness that someone would have to wear something so.. so.. lame. I need to knit shawls to wipe out the cheap commercial shawl over the shoulders of people I love. Ya. That's it.

So there you have it... many reasons why we love to knit and wear shawls. I'd love to hear your story, or post a picture of your favorite shawl!

And, me? I recently left Make One with a pair of 4.5mm Addi Turbo Lace needles for an interesting shawl I'm going to knit out of sock yarn. It's gonna be.. great.

Wildfire and real fire and mystic waters

The other day I was listening to Stash and Burn (which, in my opinion, is a very useful and interesting thing to do. I wish there were more to listen to), and the discussion was 'wildfire patterns'. What makes one? Certainly we can easily name one or two (Clapotis.. Fetching..). I watched a clip of the Yarn Harlot discussing the very same thing recently. Really, wildfires extend beyond patterns, and must include products and designers and innovation and style. It makes me think of knitters as a sub-culture, and how great it is to join KALs, to wait with anticipation for your Tulip cardi kit to arrive, and how somehow life doesn't seem totally fair if you've never knit with STR. How the heck can I funtion without Options?

Have you been singed?

Alright.. I'm hesitant to share this, just in case you might think I have a shred of common sense. Yesterday Dida was here with me for the day and I was showing her how to dye roving. Because of the lack of space here, I have to spread plastic wrap over a counter and across the top of my gas stove. I laid out the roving and leaned over it to begin dying when I accidentally brushed up against a control. An element ignited. Poof. The 'Playing with Fire' series of colourways has its first authentic submission.

Pictures of two absolutely gorgeous (unsinged) rovings to follow after BF gets back from pick ups and drop offs and errands and adventures.

Sigh... I have put Mystic Waters on hold for the time being (forgive me if I'm repeating myself). I can't concentrate on that level and do Christmas prep. So after all the excitement dies down, I'll pick it up as my primary project. It's sad.. because that darned shawl is gorgeous and sparkley and soft and amazing. I wish I could wear it at Christmas. Or, give it as a gift to someone I really love.

I need more hours in the day.

You might throw up a little.

I was multi-tasking this afternoon... picked up Mug from school and stopped by Make One to: pick up a magazine, see if I could buy the Tulip Cardi kit, talk to Amy about my wool, and to show and tell the Mystic Waters.

Complete and utter success. I have the kit, the mag, the yarn discussion went well, and best of all, so did the show and tell. Amy told Heather that she might throw up a little when she saw the lace, and then Heather called me a name. I'd say that was a touchdown.

Please stop me from casting on Tulips. I'm begging you. I have monkeys on the needles, one waving lace sock, less than half of a cat's paw wrap, 1/2 of a stolen moments (oh man.. it is so completely awesome in Handmaiden's silk), and.. 2 finished clues on mystic waters. I'm almost done plying some natural grey alpaca I am spinning for Ike's socks...

Up until recently I never had more than one project going at one time. Then I realized that I get a whole lot more done if I'm not bored.

Apparently I'm not going to be bored for a very, very long time. Mr. Greenjeans you say.... hmmmmm.

Clue 1, complete!

IMG_1888.JPG
Originally uploaded by spinknit

About that little 'I hate lace' indiscretion.... It was late. I was tired... I struggled with those few rows for I don't know how many hours, and it wasn't until today that I discovered the problem. I had folded the chart in half, and smack in the middle of row 125 a '^' appeared for all the world to be a '/'. I'm laughing now, but at the time.. phew. Complete disaster.

Clue one is finished. I love it, I'm thrilled with my yarn choice and colourway. I can hardly wait for Wednesday.

Note to self: Be more careful with the whole folding thing.