About Time

I got blogging in 2009. It's been busy. Work has been extraordinary hectic this first week of January. I've been coming home worn out most nights and haven't had the energy to do most of the things I normally do after work. Certainly haven't gotten on the spinning yet.

The Monkeys in Alaska are finally finished. The second sock got kitchenered on Tuesday. I'm very pleased with the results. I went down to a 1.5 needle rather than a 2 and could probably easily go to a size 1 or maybe even a size 0. I do like my socks snug. I only did 11 repeats this time instead of 12 as I did the other two times I made this pattern. Details are on my Ravelry page. I hope someday I can get more of this yarn.

The ball of leftover yarn is sitting on the dresser. It's going to stay there awhile.

Projects

It's about time to do an update on the current projects. Three of them, anyways.

The Monkeys in Alaska socks are coming along. The first sock is finished, and the second is moving along slowly. This is my carry to work project and the second sock isn't seeing much knit time lately. This time I made the first sock with six pattern repeats on the leg and only five repeats on the foot. The fit is much better this time.

I'm using the rest of the Baby Cashmerino to knit the Cable Tank Top from Debbie Bliss Simply Baby. I had researched the pattern on Ravelry and found that knitters were having trouble getting the 9-12 months size out of the two balls of yarn called for. But since I have plenty of the yarn leftover from the Little Vest, I know I won't have a problem with this size. Since taking this picture, I have finished the back of the vest, and I only had 3 yards of yarn left over from the full ball of yarn I used for the back. So it certainly seems that 2 balls of yarn as called for in the pattern is cutting it pretty close.

Although I'm working nearly exclusively on the vest while at home in the evenings, I couldn't resist casting on for a cowl with the qiviut. I got a free pattern from the shop when I purchased the yarn, and that's the one I'm using. The pattern is not on Ravelry, but the designer is...perhaps I'll contact her and see if she is interested in getting this pattern listed now that there will be a project to pair up with it. The qiviut is wonderful to knit with!

We are away this weekend at Joe's church retreat. It's still in the 80's during the day in Tucson, so this will probably be my last shot at summer this year. I think I'll take the Monkey sock to work on. See you all next week!

ReEntry

It's always such a bummer, isn't it?



Our trip was totally beyond fantastic. The weather was so-so part of the time, but most of it was good. I think I took about 900 pictures or so and a bunch of videos. Don't worry, I'm not about to post all of them. Only some of the best, and even at that I will be spreading it out over the next few weeks. I've got a whole bunch of ABCalong posts ready to go.



But this post is about the yarn. Of course the first thing I packed, along with the camera and guide book (and the cruise tickets!), was a project for airplane knitting. I took the Noro Striped Scarf, which I cast on with my cheap needles in case I lost them at the TSA check point. Not such a bad idea. We flew to Vancouver on 9-11, and security at the airport was really strict. Joe's binoculars and my camera, his carryon, and he himself got thoroughly checked out. The knitting needles? No problem. After we arrived in Vancouver I did change over to the Crystal Palace bamboos that I prefer. The Silk Garden colors I'm using are 267 ( 2 skeins of various brown shades), and 1 skein each of 258 and 255. I did get some work done on this when relaxing in the cabin or on the balcony.

Our first port of call was Victoria in British Columbia. This is a beautiful city, and we were there on a perfect, sunny day. There will be pictures later on, especially of the flowers that were blooming everywhere.

I had already searched the Internet and had found a shop for cross stitching and yarn. I have been feeling an interest lately in starting to do some cross stitch and embroidery again. So I made a visit to The Button and Needlework Boutique, a fabulous shop that I nearly went insanely crazy in. I felt that I'd died and gone to needlework heaven. There were more fantastic designs and materials than a person could even take in. It would involve a few hours to really do justice to the many patterns, books, and kits in the store. And to top it off, I had the world's greatest enabler helping me out. Joe saw several cross stitch kits and patterns that he liked and added them to my basket. I ended up getting three kits and two patterns there. (The church kit I got later in Sitka.)

Two of the kits are of totem poles, a fitting Alaska souvenir. I started one while on the cruise. I need some bright sunlight to really enjoy the counted cross stitch, and we had plenty of during the second week of the cruise.





While at the boutique I also looked at the yarn, junkie that I am, although I really hadn't gone in here for the wool. I did grab some Baby Cashmerino for a couple baby knits.

I also found this yummy hank of Yummy yarn. (Ravelry link.) The colors made me immediately think of Alaska, and the shop owners were very kind to wind it up for me. I had packed my sock needles for just such a situation as this, and later that afternoon I did cast on for a pair of socks that I'm calling "Monkeys in Alaska".

The Monkey pattern is perfect for this yarn. Look at those wonderful colors!

Later in the trip we stopped in Ketchikan. I had already looked up the two yarn shops there, and once we were done with our morning tour, Joe took off to explore on his own, leaving me to the temptations of the wool and silk. How many beautiful yarns to choose from!

I bought two hanks of Pink Carrot sock yarn. Again, these colors made me think Alaska, sea colors and earth colors.

I also fell hard for the Hand Maiden. Three hanks of Sea Silk and two hanks of Casbah. There will be shawls in the future.

When it was time to come home, I packed the yarn and kits first. In my carryon. I refused to trust my precious and not exactly inexpensive treasures to the baggage handlers of America. Who cares what happens to my clothes? I'm hanging on to the yarn. Joe didn't seem to understand. But I know that you do.

And not without reason. Joe's suitcase went AWOL in California and didn't come home until 24 hours after the rest of us. Not so dumb after all, am I.

House in the Flowers

It's time once again for Friday's Flowers.

The marigolds are blooming with autumn colors.

The oregano is blooming and perhaps I will let it go to seed.

The lantana bush is also decorated in autumn colors. The butterflies and hummingbirds love this bush.

The pyracantha berries are still green. Soon they will begin to turn orange and red. The brown thrashers love these.

Look, a very ripe pepper is hiding beneath all the green foliage.

The Brick House Monkey Socks are finished!

Perhaps I should have called them the Marigold Monkey Socks.

Acquisitioning

It's been a busy week. Nana has come home from the care center. There has been much traveling to pharmacies, medical supply stores, and the grocery. Furniture has been significantly rearranged. There are discharge instructions and physical therapy routines. But she is considered to be in good shape and totally ready to resume normal activities.


The busy week fortunately did not extend to the office. It was quite slow this week; probably a good thing as everything else was somewhat demanding. I got a good bit done on the Brick House socks while trying not to fall asleep at my desk. The stripe pattern in the KnitPicks Felici yarn is matching up rather nicely so far. (This picture was taken between massive thunderstorms today.)


There have been library acquisitions. I read through all of these at work this past week. (As I said, it was slow. Mind-numbingly slow. I imagine that it will turn around soon and become impossibly busy soon.) I'm beginning to grasp the principles of construction that EZ used. And it makes perfect sense, especially the percentage system for sweaters. Amazing.

And there was sock yarn acquisition as well. This is all Wildfoote sock yarn. I want to knit some solid color socks with intricate patterning as well as some multiple color socks, Folk Socks style. But I'm making myself wait until I've finished up the Welsh Country Stockings.


In between knitting and reading some fall housecleaning is going on. Amazing what stuff accumulates in the back of the kitchen cupboards. And no, I don't keep any yarn there. But I could with the space I've cleared out so far. Hmmmmm.

Much Clouds

What does a hurricane in Arizona look like?

Much clouds.

Little rain.

Knitting on the Brick House sock continues, a few rows at a time. Now I am spending time waiting for labs, med techs, etc., window shopping in yarn catalogues. This could be a mistake. Now I am thinking that I'm gearing up for a major stash enhancement. Some solid color sock yarn for lace and cable pattern socks. Some organic cotton for baby things. Some Noro Silk Garden. What am I saying? LOTS of Noro Silk Garden. For scarves. For -- let's be honest -- a Lady Eleanor entrelac scarf (Scarf Style). We're talking major yarn investment here. I've been looking - again - at the projects in Ravelry. I want a Silk Garden Lady Eleanor. Maybe. In a bit. It's September, after all. I've got all the major school bills clamoring to be paid. Those of you with college students know exactly what I mean. I also know all you enablers out there. All of you were so encouraging of my leanings towards doing Thermal. I don't think there is any doubt now that I'm going to be ordering yarn for that soon. The rest? We'll see.

There may be much clouds around, but the local organic apple growers are still out at the farmer's markets. Some very crisp and tasty Mcintosh apples this week:

And what would Friday be without Friday's Flowers? They love the little sprinkles and showers that we are getting off and on.

Much clouds this week. To have two bright lights leave this world this week. Luciano Pavarotti -- I saw him in "The Daughter of the Regiment" many, many years ago. I think I was nineteen at the time. He was just becoming a household name at the time. He was electrifying. He has always been one of my favorite singers. And now Madeleine L'Engle. I think that I have more of her books than I do of any other single author. She has been one of my most favorite authors since childhood. In many ways her writings have been and will continue to be a guiding, illuminating light for me.

They don't make many like these two any more.

I Keep Getting Lost

Lately I seem to be having trouble keeping my resolves together. I told myself that I was going to start posting more regularly, and here it's a week since I've done anything besides reading my bloglines. At least I've kept that up! But the energy to put a post together just seems to have been eluding me, no doubt due to the current stress issues.

I've been lax, as well, doing as much in the garden as I should. For a while there we were still getting some afternoon showers, but not for the last couple days. Can you see the rain falling in the picture? And the rainbow? Now I've had to be diligent about watering. But we expect to get some rain later in the week from the hurricanes in Mexico, which should help keep my garden blooming.

I've promised myself to be diligent about knitting and spinning as well. But I haven't touched the wheel or the spindle in over a week now, and I haven't actually done much this summer in the spinning department. The last couple days I've been neglecting the cherry leaf shawl in favor of some simple garter stitch with the Moderne Baby Blanket. And several more rows have gotten done on the Brick House socks while sitting in various medical offices. It may not be much knitting, but it certainly is necessary knitting!

With all the medical issues that have cropped up this summer, I've found myself really thinking about health issues. Things like taking care of myself with proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. And I can certainly use improvement in all those areas! But I've also been thinking about other aspects of health as well, such as spiritual health and other life issues such as giving myself permission to be more creative, to spend more time enjoying nature, to quit worrying about things that I can't change, and to let go of needless expectations. (Little Cat could possibly give me some pointers on some of these things!)

Anyways, I've been thinking about doing some sweater knitting. I haven't made myself a sweater in many years. So, being the good Raveler that I am, I checked out the pullover patterns to see what catches my eye. And to see how patterns look on real people! It seems that every time I go on Ravelry, I get lost for a good while just looking at what people are knitting with different yarns and patterns. So what jumped out at me? This. Fingering yarn and tiny needles. Am I nuts???

What The Sock Knitter Made

Refrigerator pickles. (You thought I was going to say socks, didn't you.)



To make two quarts (two mayo jars worth):
Thinly slice up English cucumber or Armenian cucumber. Usually about 2 1/2 cucumbers fit into the jars. Slice up some onion with them. I like to use sweet onions. Add liquid made up of:
2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 T salt
1 T celery seed
The liquid will not cover all the cucumbers. Cover jars and place in refrigerator for 48 hours. Enjoy! The cucumbers will all be in the liquid by then. The rest of the cucumber can be sliced and added as the level in the jars drops.

There still has been knitting. I have been working on the Brick House sock while sitting at the care center with Nana. She is doing a little better, thank you. But work on the sock is slow. The lighting is poor, and there are interruptions, of course. And I'm always slow picking up the gusset stitches. My personal weak point. But I read somewhere, and I wish I could remember where so I could credit the source, that it is comforting for someone in a hospital/care center to see someone knitting. It means that all is well, or at least reasonably so. I don't know if it is having that effect or not. But it's not hurting the situation. And the nurses are enjoying it. So I knit on.

Brick House, Cherry Leaf, and Where Did the Week Go?

The weekend away was totally wonderful. Wonderful food, wonderful wine, wonderful accomodations, wonderful weather -- no high temps and no high humidity! A very much living-in-the-moment weekend, just what a 32nd anniversary weekend ought to be.






Then reality hit. We got dropped off at LAX on Monday morning to the mother-of-all standing room only out the door on the sidewalk waits. We waited to check in. We waited to drop off our luggage. We waited to be searched. And in the middle of it all, a phone call from home about another medical emergency. As if we could do anything about it then. Finally get home, drop everything, rush to the hospital. Where we spent most of the week. I finally finished unpacking yesterday, a week after we got back. It was Nana who had the health crisis and she is now in a 24 hour care facility to finish convalescing. I think my nerves are recovering. But now I need another vacation!

Not much knitting got done at first, although I did end up taking knitting finally while sitting at bedsides. The new Brick House Monkey Socks are coming along; I'm ready to start the heel flap on the first sock. This is being made from KnitPicks' new sock yarn, Felici, in the Clay colorway. The yarn is nice and soft and I like the staggered stripes in this one.

At one point I was so desperate for something to keep my hands busy that I picked up the very neglected second sock of the Welsh Country stockings and got back to working on some straight stockinette stitch. This sock was definitely suffering from second sock syndrome, but I think that after this last week I'm getting back into the groove for it.

However, I've been desperate to be knitting something with some concentration involved in it. The socks are nice, but the patterns are easy; my other current knitting, the two blankets, are just garter stitch. (The Icarus has been abandoned; new yarn will be acquired at some future point.) I needed something that I would have to concentrate on in order to get my brain and nerves to relax. Garter stitch may be relaxing, but it still leaves the mind too much room to think. And worry. So I cast about for something to cast on and finally decided on the beautiful light fingering weight yarn that Roxie sent me a good while back. I perused my books to find something that I could make with a thousand yards and the Shoulder Shrug in Cherry Leaf Pattern from Victorian Lace Today leapt out at me. I used Ravelry to see what other knitters had done with this pattern and the choice was clear. I cast on and started knitting this afternoon. But not until the laundry and the bills were caught up.

I'll be visiting Bloglines soon and trying to post more regularly now. I'm so behind on my Ravelry notebook and groups! Hopefully as things ease up around here I'll get back to more normal activities. I miss visiting with you all each day! Sorry there is no time to add links for everything in this post, but it's time to start dinner and then the nightly visit at the care center. And then hopefully more lace knitting. And a glass of wine. And maybe cheesecake. Or chocolate. A girl's gotta have her stressbusters.

Walking on River Rocks

The River Rocks Monkey Socks were finished on Sunday. I was hoping for some sunshine to take a decent picture, but no luck. These are my eighth pair of completed socks. There are two pair on the needles; one pair is the Welsh Country Stockings and the other is a new pair of Monkey Socks. The Monkey pattern was so easily memorized, I couldn't imagine not casting on for another pair right away.




I'm having lace knitting issues these days. I'm not happy with my Icarus shawl. Not the pattern, I do like the pattern, but I'm not happy at all now with the mohair yarn I'm using. I was having some doubts about it, but still knitting away, then I went to check out all the Icarus shawls on Ravelry and I realized that I'm just not getting the results I wanted. So Icarus is in hibernation, and will probably be abandoned in favor of either merino or alpaca laceweight. In the meantime, I'm feeling the lack of lace knitting in my life. I've got the yarn to do a Wool Peddler's Shawl, but that means a lot of garter stitch before the lace begins. I've already got two blankets going in garter stitch, and I'd like to do something that isn't so garter stitch heavy. There's more laceweight in the stash; I'll have to do some serious stash-diving and come up with something to satisfy that persistent lace craving.


We continue to have rain every day. The weeds are growing like mad. I finally got to weed wack the back yard today, just in the nick of time. I was putting the tools away when it began to thunder once again. I had to get the exterminator out today as well. There has been so much rain and everything is so totally sodden that the little creepy beasties are all searching for a dry home and want to share ours.

This will be my last post until next week. Our anniversary is coming up and we are taking a long weekend away by ourselves. The new Monkey socks will be allowed to come along, however. Hopefully I will find some sun to take a decent picture or two. Also perhaps some dry weather so I can get walking again! See you all next week!

Rocks and Flowers

The first River Rocks sock is finished. It was done exactly as the pattern calls for, except for doing a slip stitch heel flap. The Koigu held out, but there wasn't a whole lot left; probably enough to do one more pattern repeat if I had needed it. I did six pattern repeats on the leg and six on the foot for a total of twelve down the length of the sock. The second is cast on and working.

More flowers are blooming in the front yard. Bird-of-Paradise grows on the far side of the driveway and blooms reliably each summer.

And the mimosa trees are still blooming. They started in May and still flower now that the summer rains are here. There's plenty to keep that little bee busy.

River Rocks Monkey Socks

It's not been as hot here as it had been a couple weeks ago, but the humidity has gone up into the 80 percentiles and that's very humid for out in the desert. It means that the swamp cooler isn't good for much except to put on the blower and let it blow air around the house. Not much cooling, but at least it moves the air a bit. It also means that I break out in total drenching sweats at minimal provocation. Therefore knitting of only the most minimal is taking place.

Socks are perfect for this. I had a couple hanks of Koigu color P 137 that were marinating in the stash for quite a while, and I decided that I simply couldn't wait any longer. The colors are wonderful; very muted but very detailed. They make me think of rocks in the bottom of a riverbed. Blues and grays, as well as the sandy browns and touches of green weeds amidst the blues of the water. There is nothing like an ice-cold mountain stream to dunk one's feet in after hiking. Many times I have stripped off hiking shoes and heavy hiking socks to bath my swollen, sweaty feet in a stream in Grand Canyon or Zion. The cold water cools the blood and the body, as well as reducing any swelling or puffyness.

But what pattern to use to best utilize the yarn? Obviously I chose the very popular Monkey socks pattern, but not until I had combed the Ravelry files and decided that this pattern would suit the Koigu to a T. Ravelry, I've decided, is really wonderful for this sort of thing. By grouping pictures all together, one can see very easily and with no internet searching how other knitters have worked a particular pattern and all the different yarns they have used. It made my decision very simple, and I am madly in love with the results.

However, Ravelry did get me off on a bit of a wrong foot. Pun intended. I noticed that many knitters of this pattern used Size 1 needles with the Koigu. So I merrily began knitting with my US1's, only to find out about half way down the leg that this was really coming out too small. So I frogged the thing and started over again with US2's. The thing is spot on now and I have turned the heel on the first sock and am heading madly down the foot. I only hope that I don't run out of yarn before I finish the toe. If that happens, I'll just have to frog back and make the leg a bit shorter. I hope not; I'm really anxious to wear these socks. And maybe one of these days I'll actually get back to the poor hibernating Welsh Country Stockings.

Buddy says, "Is it time to go for a walk yet, Mom?"