The planets aligned

We went for an adventure, the camera had batteries, I had some hand knits and I present two of the previously unphotographed items


The Very Oversized Whic-ked-Stry-ped sweater and the long and luxurious Sir Robin Traveling scarf.

If I ever suggest here that I would like to go to the mall to get out of the house, someone please smack me in the head with a can of stupid instead because one mostly equals the other.

ETA- Mag noticed the new Namaste Cali bag as well- oops... I forgot to mention that. I also ordered the little pouches for inside the bags and an olive buddy case. I'm a Namaste addict and I was enabled by Kim and Yvonne who may have mentioned them in an email or blog post. THEN Scout sent one of her "get 'em while their hot" emails for the limited edition eggplant bags and what could I do?

I just looked at the picture again- Mag's got some serious Namaste radar! There's nothing clear about that picture!

blog posts without pictures

are not my favorite thing.

I have been pictureless for quite some time. I have the stry-ped whi-ked sweater to show, I received my awesome Sir Robin Traveling scarf and it is gorgeous and I am crocheting a giant doily-type afghan in some brown chunky stuff that didn't work as a vest.

Worse that blog posts without pictures are blog posts describing the pictures your not seeing. It's January. I struggle. Just think of the giant picture collage that will someday come this way.

I got this gem of a message on Facebook this week:

So..I love my socks and would like to put my order in for a few more pairs. We don't wear shoes at my private practice because so many kiddos onthe floor putting things in their mouth. I could not believe how many kids commented on my new socks! I think it would be fun to make them my "work" socks. You should have a buisness :)...anyway..if you have time! I pay well :)


I replied:

I'm so glad you love them. I'll make sure you have another pair before too long. If I were to turn my hobby into a business it wouldn't be much of a hobby anymore. I'm also a very good instructor if you'd like to learn to make your own. : )
It's really great to knit for someone who appreciates it.

I only have 2 functional pairs of knitted socks I love to wear- now I've semi-obligated myself to another for someone else.

That's all I've got other than a couple of really bad bisquick recipes. I'm bisquick impaired. Or else Bisquick thinks that pizza crusts should taste like biscuits. Or else I can't follow directions. I might have to quit trying to take short-cuts. I may even buy some yeast and try to make pizza dough this weekend. How hard could it be?

colloquialisms

There will be fiber content here someday. I'm not sure when. I can't make any promises. I'm doing stuff. I just haven't taken any pictures. And just talking about it is a drag.

This evening in the car Mr. Sophanne and I had a conversation about a driver who wasn't sure if they wanted to pass us on the right or not.

He called him a "doomflatchie." I told him I thought that was lame and that in such circumstances, "Asshat" (I think I took this from Joan, the FairyGodKnitter but I could be wrong)

He asked if (phonetically spelled) "kanickahbockah" was any better. I said "Asshat" ruled but if he needed one without obsecenity he could use "kaknuckle-head."

I still say Asshat rules- as it reminds me of another blogger's "dumber than a box of hair" (wish I could remember who said this first.)

Got any favorites- feel free to make them up. It can be our end of January-let's get February over with entertainment

I LOVE OUR NEW PRESIDENT!

different kinds of knitting

First up- a rare picture of Babette in its utilitarian form. That Mr. Sophanne needed to be reminded that he had a wool afghan to keep him warm will be attributed to the fact that it's the first one he's ever had.


Matching accessories- This is some handspun merino/silk blend that I picked up at th Waynesburg Sheep and Fiber festival 2 years ago. The scarf is Montego Bay pattern from an old Interweave. The mitts are an Ann Budd recipe. I was too anxious on the cuffs and ended up adding a crochet trim (3dc in knit, 1 chain, 3dc in next knit) to make them long enough. I tried the chemo cap from Knitting for Peace somehow imagining it would be bigger. I'll likely go for a do-over a little later on the hat.


A first grade teacher who is 32 yo w/2 young children and a husband she can count on 95% of the time was diagnosed with leukemia. She's been my "weekly friend" for about 15 years-since she started teaching. We've moved from school to school together (mostly accidentally) as various transfers took place. When I heard of her diagnosis, I felt so completely helpless. I woke up the next morning thinking- "man I had the weirdest dream last night about Lisa." Only it wasn't a dream. I've been told it's the "good kind" of leukemia but am having a hard time wrapping my mind around it.



I remembered the "Prayer Shawl" in Knitting for Peace. I lit a candle, put on my Tibetan singing bowls music, and pulled what I felt was the most "sacred" yarn in my stash- a yak/merino blend. Think cashmere with a little less of halo and some additional weight. I cast on 60 stitches and both yesterday and this morning I spent the time meditating on her well being and knitting a broken rib stitch.

What's amazing is that as soon as pull this project out to work on it, the dog and the cat settle down on my lap and let me knit. The black hole of knitting 58"'s of k3p3 becomes irrelevant and and hour and a half of knitting seems like ten minutes.

With Each stitch I think 1-May you be Healthy 2- May You Be Happy 3- May you be safe and as I switch the yarn from knit to purl 4 May you live with Ease. As I get to the end of the row and switch needles I throw in a little "May you be free from suffering and the causes of suffering." Sometimes I imagine the cells in her body working together like the yarn to get better. It's all I can do and it's definitely a different kind of knitting. Maybe you could knit a stitch or two for Lisa this weekend.

I am here, I am here!

Wow- it's been a while since a post. And yet I have so little to report. I've missed some knit nights thanks to inclement weather.

No school today because of the cold and snow. Likely no school tomorrow. Definitely no school on Monday. Looks like a 5 day weekend.

I've paused the Eliina shawl trying to decide if I can accept non-perfection. Last week Yarn Harlot's calendar said something like "There's a reason it's called knitting and not Making a Sweater." The malabrigo sweater is facing similar issues though I think with some blocking the fact that it's hugging my buddha belly will disappear.

I gave away some slightly worn Lamb's Pride mittens to the pre-k teacher who admired them and said she was doing a unit on mittens. Mostly because it was cool to be able to say "don't worry I can make another pair." I've got the first of a pair done-glad to find out I can still follow a pattern (using Ann Budd's book) and the second of the pair started. I already have a scarf that matches- maybe I'll have my first matching set if I can muster up a hat.

I've got a Noro Brooklyn Tweed scarf on the needles because they are so addictive.

I've roughhoused with the dog which will keep her settled for an hour. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes is on Encore in a few minutes. I may do some decluttering and knitting.

That's all there is to report here in the arctic blast. If I can manage to make it through the day without slithering under the covers for most of it, I will call it a success.

Stay warm!

This Post is for Anonymous Bonnie

Hey Anonymous Bonnie!

We meet at the Panera's in Waterdam Commons on Tuesdays from 6ish to 8ish. Sometimes we get there earlier. Sometimes we stay later- I didn't know how else to reach you except to post

I hope we see you (and anyone else in the neighborhood) there!

Eliina Shawl

It's the first laceweight project on which I've made it past the first four rows. This is likely because the main part is a couple of yarn overs at the middle and the ends. I can manage that. Mostly. Of course I do not have the same number of stitches on both sides which means I've missed something somewhere. 213 stitches/70+ rows in and I'm off by 4. I'm ignoring this. I know it's not wise. I know not what else to do.

It's in elsbeth lavold silky wool on size 7 needles and my hands couldn't be happier with the yarn weight/needle combination.

There's a rav link here.

WHile the weight of things makes me happy, my attention span apparently sucks and well- that and lace patterns- we'll just see when the border comes along.