It was a dark and stormy night

Or else there is a filter in my brain operating so I see only the drear.

I had to go to the laundromat today. (our dryer is in temporary disrepair) Cement blocks painted blue, old tile with black scuff marks, dryers that run exactly one body row of Wicked before they need another quarter. The woman washing A-One security guard uniforms, amazed when I knew when the dryer was done without even looking at it.

Then home and The Dog- Little Ray of Sunshine that she is.

Out to the local diner thinking perhaps the filter had lifted. Dead chrysanthemums, air-conditioner rusted metal siding, leftover fake steak with dried cheese hanging out on an uncleared table. Why are these things popping into my field of vision?

Sitting across from an older couple. Surely nothing there to repulse me. "Bucky" started drinking his half and halfs out of the little plastic containers as the 12 Redneck Days of Christmas sounds over the airwaves. nine days of probation

A visit to the local grocery store to find a temporary rubber chicken replacement. While checking out, a couple of extras from the movie Deliverance throw two giant packages of beef liver on the conveyer belt.

At least PA's hunting season starts tomorrow and road kill (I almost typed toad kill) will be strapped on the back of trucks near and far.

Then home again and the little Dog of Sunshine and a sweater that's knitting up in record time. In the ugly gray that is between snows in November, I am glad for Dogs of Sunshine and Comfort Knitting,

The Good The Bad and the Slightly Disapointing

The Good
When all else fails, cast on for a Stry-Ped Whi-Ked. This is heathered Cascade that was going to be that fancy Noni Bag. I've got a boatload of it and it was begging to be wicked.



The Bad
This is Lizadoodles favorite favorite favorite toy. Mostly because it's been around the longest. It took her almost 9 months to put an end to it. She is mourning the loss.


The slightly disappointing.
It's just not exactly what I wanted. Not enough positive ease. V-neck happened too late. I know its froggable. I know that if I blocked it a little it would improve things. I'm just mad at the yarn. Lesson learned from this project. If it won't knit up on AddiLaceweight needles, I'm not doing it. No more chunky for me.


The added bonus

Mr. Sophanne woke up with this quote he made up in his head.

"While my fear of flying has diminished, my fear of baggage is steadily increasing."

I think it might be profound.

Pick Up the Pieces

Liza the Dog has a new theme song that goes through my head when we go for a walk. Cracks Me Up. Go ahead and play the YouTube- the album cover is the only video so it's a speedy load.

Sequoia Version 4

I'm winging it. Using math to get stitch count- math to center cable pattern and a variation of the August 18 six stitch braid from the 365 knitting stitches a year calendar. Also am using Ann Budds book of patterns to determine how to shape the sleeves. I've added short rows and the back is nearing completion (the bottom part is knit in the round and (the picture is upside-down) I'm a leetle scairt about how I'll turn this into a v-neck vest. Ann Budd has some directions but I'd like to carry some of the pattern up and around the V. Knowing that KG is in the neighborhood, I'm going slowly and planning on frogging- or as I prefer to call it- experimenting.

The yarn is 50% wool, 30% acrylic and 20% alpaca. It's a little dark and busy for cables but I am drawn to the texture match and there are no knitting police to stop me.

This just in

Wool is warm.

Seriously.

It's freezing outside. I bundled up in a Rowan Bulky Wool sweater, a malabrigo scarf and some purchased (wtf) mittens and a hat (all of wool) and took the good dog for a walk in the cold. I had a hoodie sort of jacket over the sweater. I AM BURNING UP now.

Wool is warm.

Also for the good of the cause I seem to have a Yarnhog-Yarnhog curse going on with my knitting. She's been cranking out beautiful FO's and everything I touch turns to frog.

I took apart the sequoia cable vest- voted no on my improvised cables and tried again. I have 4 inches of a cabled moebius. The question that the tootsie roll people failed to ask? How many rows must Sophanne knit before she realizes she was not "being careful not to twist?" Adding insult to injury, I was doing the EZ trick of an inch of straight garter stitch. I had A FULL INCH to help me be careful not to twist.

For every two rows of Sonya's traveling scarf that I knit, I frog one row, unable to maintain a consistent K2 P2 pattern.

I'm thinking it's time to cast on for something really difficult so at least when I screw it up, there will be a good excuse.

This question just popping into my head. What happens if you were to make cables within garter stitch?

A little bit of "my dog is such a genius" business. MamofSophanne sent Liza a duck that has a repeating (3x) sort of electronic (as opposed to squeaky) quack. After several hours of not playing with it, I looked at her and imitated the quack. She immediately ran out and brought the duck to me. She's already managed to figure out which shoes are the "wanna go for a walk?" shoes and brings them upon request (and several times at her own suggestion)- at least the first one. She's still learning "get the other shoe."

Finally a thought on meeting some of the Hurricane Knitters (bloggers.) Last weekend was a delightful afternoon of food and fun and meeting more imaginary friends. Here's the deal though. When I read peoples blogs, I picture them all as mature responsible adults nothing like myself. What a treat to find that they can be just as absurd and age 10 in their head as I am.

B-day the Second

Last year Mr. Sophanne's birthday happened on the Sunday of MDSW. I didn't know when I would get home and we had Birthday cake on the Thursday before I left. When I came home on Sunday, it was still his birthday and the bakery was fortunately open. The THursday cake was ugly ugly ugly. WOuld that Cakewrecks.com had been around then. I got him a second birthday cake.

No doubt not to be outdone, Mr. Sophanne gave me a second b-day party with a Boston Creme Pie. Mind you, we already had plenty of treats that the mamofsophanne sent the day before. I think he just wanted to blow up some more balloons.

I don't mean to gloat but..

we had a snow day today. It was the best kind. Unexpected and practically unnecessary from this neck of the woods.

Liza and I did the happy dance and then went back under the covers.

This poorly photographed yarn is CLassic Elite Sequoia. I'm improvising a vest and playing with cables. They're making ovals. Everytime I think I don't like it, I change my mind. I've added short rows in the back (for the first time ever.) Come to find I don't care for anything above a size 8 needle. These are 10.5 I wake up and my fingers are slightly, if unofficially, arthritic.

I tried to photograph the baby surprise jacket but the light did not cooperate. I found cute purple mitten buttons on Saturday. Maybe someday you'll see it.

Fear of ice on the road means knit night missed a second time in a row. bleh.

ba dun ba dun ba dundeedee dun

The title is the first line to Pop Goes the Weasel which has remained as an ear worm since last week. Yikes.

This morning I had considered writing all future blog posts to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. I realized though that might be crazy-making, even for me.

Here's what it looked like when I came home on my birthday. That Mr. Sophanne... ain't he somethin'?



Since we've last chatted, my mom has come and gone. She wants me to send her step by step email directions on how to turn a heel. (there are 30 stitches- she's making sleepy socks) Is there some kind soul that has a site that will do this better than I?

I'm posting this from a new MacBook. Thanksgiving break will be spent making sure that the stuff on the MacBook Pro (that I have to give back) all gets transferred to this cute little machine. My guess? Everything will get transferred in triplicate. I'm just that way. And I'll back it up on the external hard drive- just in case. Any advice as to a smart way to do this (the older one doesn't have migration tools) will be most welcome.

Also in the news- I've knit an EZ baby surprise jacket. For a baby. Mr. Sophanne's GrandNephew. There were some errors thanks to me being stupid. I have enough yarn for a second try. What a fun knit. I'm heading to Yvonne's tomorrow to celebrate her existence on the planet and also with the hopes that someone there knows how to make groovy cool knitted/crocheted bobble buttons. PIctures to follow

Also fabulous Deborah (I don't have a link right at hand-I'll edit after we eat pizza) gave me an I love your blog award for which I'm truly honored. More to follow on that too. I've got to go get the pizza but I've missed yuns guys and needed a post-fix.

Weasel Update

After some questions, it's a followup post.

The flea market guy was selling a yarn winder for $50. (If there are any takers willing to pay that and shipping, I can pick it up for you on Sunday) He called it a yarn-winder but he also had a knitting machine for sale that he called a "loom." I don't know how vast his fiber knowledge is. I did not buy it. While I'm guessing it was a good deal, I just couldn't justify it. This isn't a picture of the actual winder. The one there didn't have a base and was a darker wood.

My best guess is that it's used to make skeins from spun yarn on bobbins. I'm thinking it's sort of a high end niddy-noddy.A Wikpedia search suggests that the weasel pops every 2 revolutions to measure the amount of yarn in the skein. As with all quality folk classicsWikpedia has several other possible origins of the nursery rhyme.

Further...

A penny for a spool of thread,
A penny for a needle,
That's the way the money goes,
Pop Goes the Weasel.

I'm sure there are more verses waiting to be written!

Pop Goes the Weasel

All around the mulberry bush
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey thought 'twas all in fun.
Pop Goes the Weasel!

The center of winders were made of mulberry because the grain is less likely to split. The arms going around were called the monkeys. The weasel is the latch on the base of the winder that pops when it's full. Pop goes the weasel!

Thanks Carmichaels flea market guy.

welcome to south western pennsylvania

I Voted.

and Rachel (me7of11) will be proud to know that her scarf was a part of an historical moment in democracy. Man- those other people in line looked SO Bored. I only had to wait 45 minutes.

I may have picture proof later on but the sign in the voting parking lot from Republican candidate Hopkins said "Rednecks Vote Here." It was part of an ongoing slime campaign against John Murtha.

Not Rednecks vote there too and you can be sure Hopkins didn't get my vote.

Goodies on the Way

Friday (November 7) marks the beginning of my 43rd year on this planet.

To honor and celebrate this occasion, the following presents are on the way. The first two in the form of a Scout's Swag gift card from the mama and the last from Mr. Sophanne. Since I had to order it, I engraved it for him to give to me.

All are scheduled to arrive within the week WooHoo and while I never really need anything- birthday presents are so much fun!






What I really want for my birthday though is a president I can stand to listen to for the next four years. GO VOTE!

chilly toes?

Bust the misti alpaca chunky weight from the stash- grab some size 10 dpns and in an hour and a half, problem solved. 30 stitches in case anyone's interested.

I am forever wearing socks to bed and struggling to take them off and it makes me crazy. I just realized what the term "bed socks" means.