Procrastination

Much time has past since my last post, but you don't really need me to tell you that. I'll admit, I thought about blogging, but elected to sleep, eat, exercise, pet dog, worry about paying taxes, thought about asking the mortgage gods to pre-approve us, worry about the lump on my dog, clean bathroom, do laundry, & work....all instead of blogging.

I did accomplish some knitting & even some spinning in the past few weeks. I completed the red sweater & I even wore it a couple times. I've discovered that when I wear a sweater that I have knit I feel superhuman--like I'm wearing special armor that's even more impenetrable than "I"m rubber & your glue.....". I'm a little worried how I'll feel when I wear a sweater made from my handspun. Since it will be many months/years before I'm gutsy enough to knit with my own handspun, those of you who know me in person have enough time to prepare your own armor.

I'm nearly 3/4 finished with the baby surprise jacket and I'm pushing for a finish this week.

I finished the blue merino yarn (plied & set the twist). Since I had spinning guild this past Saturday, I took some of the alpaca(his name is Pudge) sent to me by North Star Alpacas. This stuff is dreamy!!!! I've never spun alpaca & I'm worried that I won't be able to go back to wool.

Took the dog to the vet this week for a lump that mysteriously appeared on her ribcage. Xrays showed nothing (good sign) so now we are just monitoring the lump & it appears to be shrinking (yet another good sign). Here is picture of Salta pretending to be good (she was probably looking for dirty underwear).

I have revisited my New Year's Resolutions & decided to add my progress to the sidebar--it makes me feel more productive. The number on the left of the slash is actual completed items, the number on the right is my goal. I hope to spin 2 hours per week, but would be happy with just one. Now that spring is around the corner & the pressure of spending more time in the bike saddle is getting stronger, I think it is more reasonable for me to blog bi-weekly or even monthly. I'll have to see how busy work is and how the cycling season unfolds.

Taming the March lion

The weather here has been typical New England...snow that allowed for 2 days of cross country skiing (I got lost in the woods & nearly had to back track to return to the car--now I know of even more really good XC skiing areas), crazy wind (was that your lawn chair in my front yard), front yard is super saturated with water (even the chihuahua makes squishy noises when he walks on the grass), and flooding (had to go to annual road trip to Falls Village to check out the shear power of the water pounding the rocks below the dam).

I made a great deal of progress on fiber projects. Finished the 2nd pair of baby booties for their 1st b-day (new knitting rule: don't promise to knit for twins). Discovered the cat doesn't like to wear boots...

Finished the deep breath sweater!!!!!! May need to re-knit one sleeve, it may be a little longer than the other arm (must have been those painkillers from January).

Finished spinning the singles of the blue merino roving. In process for plying....

I started to finish the red sweater (seaming the sleeves) but I've been so busy working that I haven't had enough time to focus on this very important part of the project. As it is right now, one sleeve is 3/4 of the way in. Sorry no picture.

This week I hope to finish the seaming & work on the baby suprise jacket & the lacey toe up socks. I will have my evenings free while I attend a craniosacral therapy workshop near Portland, ME. I hope that some of the knitters in Portland respond to my post on Ravelry inquiring about SnB gatherings. Either way, I get to relax and knit in peace (no dogs having to potty while I work my short row heel).

Happy VD!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I got a Nostipinne from my hubby--a gift only a knitter could love or even know what to do with it. I'm posting in a rush--testing the new modem & waiting for hubby to show so we can get to our dinner reservation on time. We're having sushi!!!!!!

Why do I have a new modem???? Well, the phone in was so staticy over the past few weeks I couldn't use our land line at all. I got a new cordless phone & still had static. Swapped to a different phone jack & still had static. Burned sage & still had static (ok, I realy didn't burn sage but I though about it when I heard how much it would cost if the phone guys diagnosed the problem was in our house). So today was buy & install a new modem....still had static. Re-plugged the phone line filter into the new phone....static gone.

Pictures next post...I promise. And maybe even a finished sweater!

Tainted yarn, sparkly wool, & much knitting

So much has happened since my last post, I hope that I can remember it all.

Two Saturdays ago, I went to a toe up sock class. This process has been on my list of things to tackle & so far things are fairly straighforward. There is always the unfounded FEAR followed by the realization that "it's just knitting & I can rip it out". As a matter of fact the yarn that I'm using for the toe-up sock was originally for a cable sock that wasn't working. I'm sure the yarn is thankful it has a new destiny besides the stash trunk. The yarn has been dubbed "tainted yarn" (yes, I want you to have the one hit wonder "Tainted Love" recycling in your head...if I must suffer than so must you) by the girls at the Wed night knitting group at the local Barnes & Noble.

This past weekend I went to a Nutmeg Spinners meeting. I nearly finished the blue merino (the wonderful apaca that arrived in the mail is in the que next, but more on that later....). I only bought $20 of purple & sparkly white wool batts. Yes, the white has sparkles in it. After the people next to me saw what I got there was a buying frenzy.

Now for the true confession....I GOT HEMP IN THE MAIL (ok, ok, it was really hemp yarn) for my hubby's sweater. Hemp is the only material that he probably can't destroy by "forgetting" the care instructions. I have a really nice boiled wool sweater destined for a tote bag 'cause it doesn't fit DH, me or any of the dogs after improper laundering.

As of this date I have completed 3 of 4 booties needed for 1 year old twins. Their birthday party was on Sunday. Only one bootie was presented as a gift (while the grandparents were still awake) the second bootie was completed by the end of the "stupidbowl". I completed a 3rd today & cast on for the final bootie today as well.

I bound off the shoulder of the red sweater (this picture is from Jan 26th & resulted in the name "Calamari sweater") & tormented the brown sweater by working a few rounds at SnB last Wed. Oh, I'm up to the instep of the lace toe-up sock.

Dear Brown Sweater,

As much as I adore the fact that you are my first top down sweater, our relationship isn't progressing as quickly as I thought. I need to put you down for a few weeks. I think we should be free to play with other yarn & needles for awhile. If you truly must know, there is this fluffy thick red & black yarn that has been calling me. It's flirtatious overtures can no longer be ignored. It's 3sts/inch gauge is just too appealing.

I hope that you can forgive me & trust that I will return. Trust that there will be a time when you can return to my lap with the dog(s) & cat on cold, windy, and/or rainy days.

Sincerely,
Your Knitter

Don't Knit on Painkillers

The second sleeve of the Deep Breath Sweater is done. Both cuffs match (one had a picot edge, but it curled in a ugly, not design element, sort of way) and are in 2x2 rib.

Knitting on painkillers is a bad idea for a number of reasons.

• Poor posture/bad position not noticable due to blocked pain receptors (ie knitting over a small dog, while other small dog is under elbow)
• Can't update Ravelry due to nausea experienced from reading and/or screen refresh rate
• Can't read pattern (see above reason)
• Gauge is looser than normal (10% due to now using metal circs & not Denise needles, 90% due to meds)
• One doesn't care about gauge (100% meds)
• Over estimation of knitting powers--I can thread a long circ along just one entire row of many (apprx 100) stitches in a variegated yarn & not jump to another row). This is of course to frog the 2 inches of loose gauge knitting while on prescription. It took me an hour to frog, pick up all the "frogged by accident" stitches, and start again.

Last week I discovered that I had to rip back 3 inches of a half-dome hat 'cause I forgot to change to larger needles. I was successful in that ripping event--then again it was before the prescription.

I'm trying to assemble a group of knitters to go to the Hartford Wolf Pack game on 1/19. Interested? Please comment so we can coordinate the meetup.

Typing on painkillers

After hearing most other knitters resolutions, I have put together my own list.

• Complete 8 major knitting projects (1 sweater = major project)


• Complete 3-4 pairs of socks (in addition to major knitting projects)


• Complete 1 charity knitting project


• Knit for above from stash as much as possible. If yarn is purchased, project needs to be completed prior to year end.


• Post to blog weekly


• Spin 2 hours minimum per week


• Attempt dying

Note:In the event of buying house/selling condo, only 6 major knitting projects is acceptable.

I've had a great start to the year thus far. I'm hoping to complete the second sleeve on the Deep Breath Sweater today. I completed 2 sewing projects this past weekend. I made these 2 great bags for knitting & made face cradle covers for my office.

Why am I typing on painkillers? I had a tooth pulled today. Typing is not agreeing with the medicine & I must go lay down now.