Just one more

Ukraine has talent, 2009 winner. A spectacular piece of art and theater; the story of a romance and family and war (at least that is what I see).



I am thrilled to announce that the Tinkmeister frogged my Miralda back a dozen rows or so to discover that I had knitted an extra stitch into the back of a dreaded nupp, thereby throwing half of the shawl off wack. I haven't picked it up again, but I will soon. I've got so many Orenburg shawls in my head that I'm a bit frozen.

This morning I finished knitting a knee warmer.. loads of ribbing, but I thought it would be great. Turns out I hate the damned thing, and I'm sure it'll hit the frog pond. Don't know if it was the yarn, the pattern, the leg it was supposed to fit, or the knitter; but it was a fail.

I've got two pairs of socks happening.. Both have one finished, both are roundy rounds. One pair is nearly finished; the problem being that I keep losing the project bag (that would be the one containing Signature Needle Arts DPNs).. and it is, in fact, lost again. The other is a pair that I'm knitting for myself from yarn that Mandie dyed. Love.them. I've been knitting them on the train, to and from work.



Just a quick note to say that if you're looking for a copy of Gossamer Webs, Shuttleworks still has some at a very reasonable price. When I realized that I absolutely had to have one but it was out of print, I sent Cal a quick email... victory! I knitted the little test shawl and learned so many new things within that tiny little project; it was amazing.



I've been spinning like crazy.. finished the Qiviut (but sadly there are some plying issues with it, and I'm quite sure I'm going to have to do some repair work before I knit with it). I bought some silk from Hedgehog Fibers, and I was really disappointed with the dyeing, so that's sitting in a bag waiting for a re-think (the exterior was spectacular.. utterly spectacular; but the inside wasn't dyed at all)... Also got some SW BFL from Pigeonroof Studios. I've never used SW BFL before, so I was looking forward to giving it a whirl. The fiber had loads of kemp in it, so it was slightly disappointing. The good news is that the vendor had temporarily switched distributors and didn't realize the fiber was of lesser quality, and she offered to refund my money. I like the customer service! Right now I'm spinning Sweet Georgia BFL (sorry Jacinda, my girl, I promise I'll mail you yours soon), and it's a nice as ever.

I was in a brief but fierce race to knit the Knitting Pure and Simple Summer Open Cardigan before Aunty Tink or Munchie finished theirs. Again with the victory. I still haven't wet finished it, but I will.

Loads of stuff on the needles, including a fuschia version of the Camelot coat, some Noro Retro fingerless gloves, and the Wollemeise Glows gloves (I have 4" Knitpicks dpns now, so the fingers are a little less excruciating).

I've been feeling really awful since the I had the hinie in the fall; finally went to the doctor and he's put me on some fierce antibiotics for the respiratory system, and Tamiflu as well. I'm so sick and tired of being sick and tired...

Seriously, I am

Riding, that is.

I was so so so so happy the other night when I came home because the mountain bike doesn't have a fender, and I was mud from here to there. I felt all.. well, hard core.

The feeling was completely null and void as I took the train to work the next day because I heard there was a skim of ice on the roads. I am telling myself that a measley 40 minutes of walking (all tolled) is better than driving.

In other news... I seem to have lost my signature arts dpns, which were last seen in a bag with 1.5 Hand Maiden, hand dyed, hand knitted socks. For charity, no less. I know they were in my bike pack, and after that, I have no idea. They'll show up, I'm quite sure.

The Miralda is in time out because I don't have the nerve to frog her yet. I might ask Aunty Tink to do that, because she's good that way. The last time I asked her to help me with lace she resorted to drink, and the shawl actually whupped her. The first one ever, if I remember correctly.

I don't know how I have the nerve (because I have about 10 things on needles that I can name off the top of my head), but I cast on a cute little sweater tonight that I plan to be wearing by next Wednesday. Me and Aunty Tink think we're going to get ours done before Munchie, purely due to the size of our girls compared to her girls. I didn't get much done tonight, but I believe I will be wearing that sweater on Wednesday...

It's good to be goal oriented.

Swatching

Tonight I am feeling still within myself, in response to a very stressful and long day. I fell onto the couch when I came home, and slept. Today is over; I've dreaded it for days and days, and finally it's done.

Just now I wound a skein of Cormo into a ball, and I'm swatching it on the red 4.5mm Stiletto Signature Needle Arts needles. I thought that the Cormo might turn into a Dianna shawl, but maybe it'll be Hey Teach? We'll see how the swatch turns out.

I want to tell you about Friday. It was time to ride home, and I was watching the sky close in and become black. I could hear thunder... and suddenly there were huge splashing raindrops. The option was to leave my bike at work and take the train home, then pick up the bike again when I next drove the truck. Instead, I strapped on the helmet and hit the road. It was the best decision I've made in ages.

Instead of bugs and lunging black dogs and all the other normal hazards of a ride home, it was cool, peaceful and beautiful. Yes, I was pretty wet, but I don't think I've ever felt better. The pathway smelled of leaves and rain and fresh cut grass. I'm not sure when you last felt like this, but honestly, it's priceless.

Zzzzzzz, dental hygiene, and the letter E.

On Mar 21st I left Calgary... flew to San Diego. I'd been up since about 3:30 or 4:00AM, so when at 7:30pm I couldn't keep my eyes open, I wasn't too surprised.

The next night, in Mexico, I crashed at about 8ish. Each night was a similar story; tho I wasn't working too hard physically I was totally exhausted. I slept through the night over and over again. It was so great.

Was it because I was sleeping alone (and dog free) in a single bunk? Because I wasn't compulsively thinking about work? Because I was getting more exercise?

I just don't know. I expect it's a combination of everything.. all I know is that it was very, very wonderful, and I have to figure out a way to make it work at home.

Regarding dental hygiene... I had my teeth cleaned and polished, and had a checkup while I was in Mexico; all for the princely sum of $25.00 US. Can you believe that one? I.am.so.happy.

Prior to leaving for Mexico, I had been finishing off the upside down Haiku on the Near Solstice shawl... beautiful! Save for one misplaced yarn-over on a letter E. Just enough to blur the letter, and make the entire word illegible. These last two nights I've been sitting on the couch struggling with it. I have no desire to frog 20'ish rows of approximately 600 stitches each and start the haiku afresh. Nor can I leave it as is... So I initially tried to tink the E, and re-knit. Fail.

I'm telling you, it took some serious deep breathing before I had the nerve to start tinking that mess.... I had no idea if the correction was possible, or if I was causing myself a massive trip to the frog pond. Anyway....

Next I tinked approximately 1/2 of the word 'secret' and re-knit that. More-fail.

Tension was a problem, so I thought that a set of smaller metal DPN's would help, and I tinked for a 3rd time... this time, the entire word. I spent all of tonight re-knitting a section of 51 stitches, and for the most part, the problem seems cured. At the last possible moment, I neglected to turn the work, so I have to tink 4 stinking rows AGAIN. I'm not complaining, but damn.. it was a huge amount of time and energy to resolve a single yarn over.

Tomorrow is another day..

It's been a long week

Grampa is still in the hospital, and goes between dire and amazingly well, with a blink of an eye. He still believes that going home is an option, and demands his shoes on a regular basis.

Dida came home from Toronto.. a little worse for wear, but glad that she'd been there to help out and spend this time with Grampa. They went to singing/physio together and I think it was special for both of them.

The night Dida came home, Ike seriously sprained his upper ankle playing basketball. He's in a cast.

In the meantime, the kids here have had the plague. Banana had a cold, BGA had the flu (in technicolour, I might add), and then got the cold. Mug got the cold. Jim and I have been fighting it, and have so far succeeded in avoiding the worst of it. In the middle of this, BGA is in a hockey tournament. Another game on Saturday, and maybe even Sunday.

Me? I've been knitting like a crazy woman. After uncountable hours of research, I found a (yet) obscure pattern to knit for Stampede. I ordered cashmere lace weight from England, but changed my mind after I'd swatched with it. I ended up having to purchase an entire pound of Zephyr, and DAMN... more needles! (thanks to the kindness of J.Smoothie, I have a collection of Addis that defies description - I take them out at night just to admire them)

After a 600 stitch provisional cast on, I was on the road to my next blue ribbon attempt! After uncountable hours, I have over an inch of progress (woooo hooooo?). I've only had to tink a dozen stitches or so, and things are going better than can be expected. It's not the kind of lace that I do well with.. but the project is so enticing that I'll give it my best shot and see if I end up with something good.

Things at TKR are going well... Re-organization is almost complete, and the shop looks beautiful! We've got 3 different classes running at the moment, and the vibe at the shop is really nice.

Mexico is looming! Only 10 more days until we're on the plane and off into the sunset. I'm really looking forward to meeting our recipient family, and getting back into the swing of things. I miss carpentry, so it's a win/win situation for me in every possible way. For those who contributed, or who bought fiber from me during the time I was fundraising, I want to you to imagine that through you, in two short weeks a family will be sleeping on real beds, with food in their pantry, and a sturdy roof over their heads. It's an amazing, life changing event.

So, there you have it... last week, condensed.

Imagine this? Fiber stuff.

I have a little picture to share of my crochet adventure. I don't know how to crochet, but I was looking at a chart, and I thought.. damn.. I can do that. So far I have 4 squares done and connected. That's supposed to be 1/2 of the job, but I think it needs 6 more. I'm super stoked.



Note: If you are trying to do any art shots in the yard, don't sling a mohair/silk something or other over a rose bush. A tree is somewhat better. Marginally so.

We got a little snow today. Lots actually, by day's end. Driving heavily leans towards dangerous at this point.

Oh.. and I have information on fruit flies. If you have 10 or 15 million of them, and you cannot locate a food source, let me pass this along. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers are fruit fly ambrosia. They LOVE them. Procreate by the gazillion. Become fat and fly about your house with abandon.

I'm putting a 'needles' label on this point (ha! I said point. I meant post) because I'm still thinking of stiletto pointed wonderfulness.

Ken Leeeeeee, if leeving is without you

Ok, I'm referring to the Signature needles that the Yarn Harlot was talking about a couple days ago. I know when I'm in trouble, and believe me.. I AM IN BIG TROUBLE.

I have a teeny tiny needle addiction. I admit it. (That's the first step, right?). It was bad enough when it was Addis, and I spend 5 days a week surrounded by them. Even with a case full of circs, I have been seriously considering the click set when they are finally available.

So, I'm going to do you a little favor here; because really.. in order to arrive by Christmas the needles have to be ordered by tomorrow. A link of love.

I know I can count on you. My peeps.

Joking aside, I was seriously considering a lone set of 14" - 4.5mm, with a stiletto point, and a teardrop top. The thing is (begin logic).. I have the Kingscot pattern, and I'm mulling over what yarn I'm going to use. Wouldn't it just be perfect with a set of Signature needles? Wouldn't it just?

Hey.. the crochet thing is going really well. I figured out where I was going wrong, and it seemed like I might get to the end of a 7 row repeat without further ado. Instead, I think I have to frog back to row 4 again; perhaps 5. But you know.. it's all exciting because it's new, and I STILL BELIEVE.

I'm not going to talk about this morning for a day or two. I want to savor it just a little longer.