tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274204052024-02-07T16:08:39.010-05:00Knitting SymphonyThere's knitting and there's music... and sometimes they play nice togetherKarenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-48942560233818325622011-05-23T13:37:00.004-04:002011-05-23T14:15:04.415-04:00Yes, I am Still Here<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lyKTWHXv__BlPyNddrFBpq7-e4a0zPHDDWBh7qOAUGmU8Xs1m_HHuHqS_g-pP5udP-RNoPEQb_2FE3ogYnRGkVSdc-5RQsfBuVbS2wAqUNk4h8FRWGBy47yNb_z_k0GXoY_-sA/s1600/MayApple.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lyKTWHXv__BlPyNddrFBpq7-e4a0zPHDDWBh7qOAUGmU8Xs1m_HHuHqS_g-pP5udP-RNoPEQb_2FE3ogYnRGkVSdc-5RQsfBuVbS2wAqUNk4h8FRWGBy47yNb_z_k0GXoY_-sA/s320/MayApple.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5609972979611088114" /></a><br /><br />Hi! I imagine I am in the running for longest napping blog (or maybe not). I have been busily knitting, driving children various places, working, reading, etc. Not too much housework, and obviously no blogging for quite some time. I feel very guilty, but will aim to do better.<br /><br />This post was prompted by my posting a comment on someone else's blog - someone who religiously writes a short post on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. <a href="http://dirtywaterdyeworks.blogspot.com/">She</a> is very inspiring. I realized that I had a great photo (great for color and local interest - not much to do with knitting) on the memory card in my phone. So what could be easier than sending it to the computer and sharing it with you?<div><br /></div><div>These incredibly green (thanks, rain!) umbrella looking things are May Apples - they grow in forests in Ohio and New York State, although I have never seen them in Massachusetts or New Hampshire. Maybe I just do not spend enough time in forests. They sprout up in the spring - some with one leaf, some with two and a flower at the split - which eventually turns into a little fruit (which is edible, in case you are ever lost somewhere and find some). My little grove started out as one or two plants from the wildflower section of a local nursery, and every year, despite being moved several times and run over by more than one person with a lawn mower, they return and even multiply. I just love them.</div><div><br /></div><div>For your knitting entertainment, I am working on a black and gold shawl for my DD's senior prom. Pattern is the <a href="http://www.laylock.org/collections/fiveoclock/parasol-stole/">Parasol Stole</a>; yarn is <a href="http://www.berroco.com/shade_cards/bling_sh.html">Berocco BlingBling</a> (long discontinued - I was lucky to find some more on eBay). It is going swimmingly and might even be finished in time - photo next time perhaps. Knit on!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-23491882652124492202009-06-17T08:24:00.002-04:002009-06-17T08:36:19.693-04:00So you don't miss the tandem...Hi! I was going to mention not missing the boat, but since Claudia is riding a tandem, this seemed a more riveting title. I promise a more usual post (meaning one the describes knitting, with photos) soon, but I just realized that Claudia is about to embark on her ride, and needs all the folks possible to come out as Knitters against MS in her support. Plus, she has some absolutely smashing prizes that any knitter worth his or her salt couldn't help but be inspired by. So pop on over and visit her <a href="http://www.claudiasblog.net/">blog</a>, and read all about her amazing work. Check out the astonishing prizes, and hopefully get inspired to make a contribution. This is one powerful woman and a tremendous agent for positive change, and she deserves all the help she can get.<br /><br />Even petitioning your favorite weather deities for good conditions for the ride would be a wonderful thing. Knit on!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-38394751132077898072009-05-24T14:01:00.003-04:002009-05-24T14:31:29.420-04:00If I only had a...computer with enough space to download some new photos, I could show you some of the knitterly things going on here. Actually, some of those photos have yet to be actually created; once I take them I have to wait for a turn on the "big computer" to download them and then write a blog post from there so I can include them. So just to keep you all wondering, I did finish the <a href="http://www.interweavecrochet.com/issue/2008/winter/Dragonfly-Shawl.asp">Dragonfly Shawl</a> with my own made-up edging. When it goes into blocking mode there will be photos. I also did finish the single sock; I can still take photos of it because it is still here. I am such a bad mailer-person! I still need to sit down and annotate the pattern so my recipient can in theory knit a matching sock. I hope I remember what I did!<br /><br />And of course, there has to be a new project. Right now I am knitting a stole for my older daughter to wear to the prom (she is going as a guest with someone who finds themselves without a date). The prom is June 3 and I got a really late start - waiting to find out the color of the dress, that sort of thing. Luckily I have a local friend in the yarn dyeing business (<a href="http://www.dyedreams.com/">Dye Dreams</a> - go ahead, check out their site, I'll wait) who was able to dye some yarn I already had to be a good color. And also lucky for me it turns out that the yarn in question knits very nicely on size 11 needles. I know that doesn't sound like the lace you might be used to, but I have surprised even myself at how nice this yarn looks. It is a silk/wool blend from Henry's Attic called <a href="http://www.fiber2yarn.com/catalog.php?item=2862">Andromeda</a>, and it is what I would call a well-spun single (not that I am a spinner, so I could be so wrong). It is not fragile the way I expect a single to be, but there is no particular plying visible to detract from the stitch definition. I am using a scarf pattern found on line for free (<a href="http://yarnloopie.blogspot.com/2008/09/three-sisters-scarves-two.html">Three Sister's Scarf #2</a>) and just loving the results. I am sort of hoping there will be enough yarn left to make something for me; I already have a <a href="http://knitspot.com/">Knitspot pattern </a> (scroll down to the Hillflowers Scarf) in mind! I am probably about 24 inches away from finishing, but since each pattern repeat works out to about 3 inches, I should finish in plenty of time. And so far she likes it!<br /><br />I promise - next time there will be photos. Maybe even a modeling shot or two - can't promise that for sure, but who knows...<br /><br />Have a safe, happy, restful weekend everyone. Knit on!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-18228401452957670192009-04-07T00:23:00.003-04:002009-04-07T02:04:12.170-04:00Living dangerously...Posting two days in a row, that is. Thought I would write a bit about projects currently in progress. I will spare you the list of all the UFO's and just mention the really current ones. Top of the list would have to be the <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dragonfly-shawl-2">Dragonfly Shawl</a> from Interweave Crochet. Someone in my knitting group wanted to try this one, so I said I would join her. I was intrigued enough to start right away; she is still delayed by other projects. I found it to be fun to make, although as it grew larger it did get a little dull. But that is to be expected when making a shawl where the working row gets longer and longer. I finally decided it was large enough and started on the border. The border as given in the pattern didn't look nice the way I was crocheting it, so I ended up pulling out three rows of border and figuring out one of my own. I have plenty of yarn (<a href="http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/3DE2C30C-6D95-43DD-8AB5-B8DB265D6674/productID/A4673851-B4C2-488D-8613-A8AF09BB9D29/">WEB's Alpaca Silk</a>), so I could make a really extensive border, but I really would like to finish this and get it gifted (it is going to someone as a comfort shawl as soon as I can finish it). The yarn is really nice to work with. Mine is Celestial Blue, and I will warn you that if your monitor is like mine you will find this color looks much lighter on the product page than it does in person. The reason I have so much of it is that this was one of the yarns originally purchased for my youngest sister's wedding shawl; it was rejected because it was not the desired "icy blue" I thought i was ordering.<br /><br />My other most current project is one sock for an exchange I signed up for. I only have to knit one sock; the recipient gets the rest of the yarn and the pattern and gets to knit sock #2 herself. It was supposed to be done ages ago, but the shawl got in the way. So did the lack of proper yarn; I needed something really colorful and in sufficient quantity for a pair of really large socks. The first yarn I ordered turned out to be two very different hand dyed skeins - in theory they were the same colorway, in reality they were not. Still really nice yarn, just destined to be two unrelated pairs of socks instead of some sort of mismatched pair of large socks. Fortunately I had a chance to stop at WEBS and pick up another yarn. I choose the pattern "<a href="http://www.nicelady.net/2009/03/socks-of-abundance/">Socks of Abundance</a>" which is available free from the designer. I am hoping the socks will be abundant enough and that the recipient will like the <a href="http://www.shibuiknits.com/Yarn/Yarn.php?Yarn=9&Color=S51301">wild colourway</a> I have chosen.<br /><br />I guess that is more than enough words for now. Need to get some rest to be able to stay awake for census training tomorrow. Maybe next time I can even arrange for some photos!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-47986190083492338522009-04-05T22:30:00.002-04:002009-04-05T23:07:37.158-04:00And one more...Hi! Maybe this will be the beginning of a new trend, where I actually blog once in a while. There is no such thing as enough time in the world, so I don't know why I can't just get over that and get some things done. Anyway, while puttering around the blogosphere, I ran into a blog written by someone who knits and plays the viola (just like me, although probalby better at both). Here is what she has to say:<br /><br />"The RSE (Roseville String Ensemble) runs on a very lean budget funded by donations, and a small locally funded grant. With this we pay a meager amount to our conductor and soloists as well as purchase music and rent space for our concerts.<br /><br />It's no surprise in these "tough economic times" that our donations are not what they have been in the past. In addition to that, we have recently found out that the group which provided us with an annual grant will not be able to continue that funding. As it stands, the Roseville String Ensemble will not have enough funding to continue for the 09-10 season."<br /><br />If you make your way to her <a href="http://orinda5.blogspot.com/2009/03/raffle-for-rse.html">blog</a> you can read more about it, including information about some really generous prizes she is donating to a drawing. I am constantly wonderfully surprised by the generosity of the folks out there.<br /><br />So go check out the blog, donate if you can, and stay tuned for a knitterly post from me sometime soon.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-86853245587514934062008-05-08T15:04:00.005-04:002008-05-08T15:14:57.863-04:00Another good causeHi! I know you all are eagerly awaiting a post with some real news or some real knitting content or something, but being perenially short of time, it isn't going to be this one.<br /><br />However, I wanted to let you all know right away that Claudia is once again raising money for Multiple Sclerosis (abbreviated as MS) research. This is a disease that affects more middle aged women than other groups, and you know that a bunch of them have to be knitters. She was planning another lengthy tandem bike riding effort, but her tandem buddy (her spouse!) has suffered a setback (it's all on her blog). She is going ahead with the fund raising anyway, since that is what truly counts. Last year she raised around $40,000. I was one of the lucky folks who gave some $$ and then won something in the prize raffle. So for all those reasons, I hope you will find your way over to her blog:<br /><br />http://www.claudiasblog.net/<br /><br />read all about it, and help her (and all those affected by MS) out if you can. Pass this along via blog or e-mail if you are able. Knitters are a force to be reckoned with, after all!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-59080119900586283142008-03-17T17:35:00.002-04:002008-03-17T17:43:00.263-04:00A Contest for a good causeHi! There I was, cruising around the blogosphere, when I ran across this contest. It is for a good cause, and we all know how us knitters love to support our sister knitters in their endeavors. So here is the link to Cayli's blog, where she will explain everything, including how she is going to walk sixty miles!<br /><br />http://spinayarnforewe.blogspirit.com/archive/2008/02/27/help-end-breast-cancer.html<br /><br />I would make this a live link, but I haven't learned how (although by the time it gets published it could turn into one for all I know!).<br /><br />I hope to get back to the blog with some recent photos - the International Sock (from the Truly International Sock KAL) and I had lots of fun hanging out in the old home town here during February vacation. Maybe next time I try to post our lovely host system will let me post photos. I guess maybe the photo posting part goes on break late at night right when I usually want it to work. Who knew?<br /><br />Go visit Cayli and help her out if you can.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-2130532769280017172008-02-06T10:49:00.000-05:002008-02-06T10:54:45.282-05:00A new skillI am not sure it can actually be called a skill, but I thought I would post the results of my color quiz. It is on one of those sites that gives you the HTML code to paste into a post and it should just appear. If it is the same as the post I found it in, there is a link at the bottom of the figure so you can go there and take your own color quiz. So here goes nothing:<br /><br /><center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><table bg="" border="1" width="50%" style="color:#7FFFD4;"><tbody><tr><td><center><span style="color:#000000;"><big>you are aquamarine</big><br />#7FFFD4</span></center></td></tr><tr><td bg="" style="color:#FFFFFF;"><center><span style="font-size:-1;color:#000000;"><br />Your dominant hues are cyan and green. Although you definately strive to be logical you care about people and know there's a time and place for thinking emotionally. Your head rules most things but your heart rules others, and getting them to meet in the middle takes a lot of your energy some days.<br /><br />Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.<br /><br />Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.<br /></span></center></td></tr><tr><td><center><a href="http://spacefem.com/quizzes/colors">the spacefem.com html color quiz</a></center></td></tr></tbody></table></center><br /><br />Well, that is something of a miracle. It doesn't seem to want to post the color chip part of it, but all the text seems to be there. Maybe I can even figure out how they did a live link and learn something new.<br /><br />But it is almost time to knit. Till later then.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-31811107453891929032008-02-06T01:41:00.002-05:002008-04-07T10:55:51.959-04:00Hellooo out there...That was me, hollering out into the great echoing void of my blog. Who stole January? How did I miss posting even once? I wish I had a really good excuse, like I was in Paris or doing Nobel prize research or cleaning my house (which would take more than a month, I think). All I can say is, there are just not enough hours in the day. Added to that is the fact that the kids use this computer for most of their game playing, since it is faster and has more memory. Well, that is why all the current photos are here instead of on the other one (slower, with a dangerously full hard drive). So this is where I need to post from, and I can tell you it is really hard to get a turn around here!<br /><br />Enough excuses - time for photos (and maybe some explanations). First, the last photos I promised from Rhinebeck, however many eons ago that was. This is the alligator scarf kit (is it certain it is not a crocodile?) from Morehouse Merino:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Da9bWzu0m-ubm2W128dOrACwk8lyjYJU7hIKIhh4ZixT_-8I-2d182Wg3BDk1ElX5uPqIO0iIALXhXtzRLW_jeq6e0KCHCRcOAjF2t4u5SmP0x_CvYiHGhgFA6IwtRRe7Z8og/s1600-h/Alligator.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP0Da9bWzu0m-ubm2W128dOrACwk8lyjYJU7hIKIhh4ZixT_-8I-2d182Wg3BDk1ElX5uPqIO0iIALXhXtzRLW_jeq6e0KCHCRcOAjF2t4u5SmP0x_CvYiHGhgFA6IwtRRe7Z8og/s400/Alligator.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163755780880497186" /></a><br /><br />I have never seen a purple alligator - it must be the special harmless species.<br />Then we have a needlefelting kit - the idea being to enclose a bar of soap in its own scrubby cocoon:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRca9Lo_LgfUZvUmOd0_4T7ry90sxMXNn7jU07kuaKIey2skr6SP46vmnPW2jG3SeLy34Wfxo9zc0jjuShpoM-5IHXcRQVc4uSmO_akTmH2Rp-RMUEGbo6o9kHqzAj26J6NUpsg/s1600-h/Soapfelt.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRca9Lo_LgfUZvUmOd0_4T7ry90sxMXNn7jU07kuaKIey2skr6SP46vmnPW2jG3SeLy34Wfxo9zc0jjuShpoM-5IHXcRQVc4uSmO_akTmH2Rp-RMUEGbo6o9kHqzAj26J6NUpsg/s400/Soapfelt.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163756631284021810" /></a><br /><br />Once one has enclosed the soap, then one is directed to put a lovely little flower design on it. I gave this one to a friend who had been wanting to try this project and just needed some directions.<br /><br />And lastly a few patterns:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUo0f-RNc5iMA_FqAFqtcrOTEh7kUPLCpa1WUadH-pNXEpdNQR_Y5xtKRKQq6SdJg5JZ4yODGzIjfaqrsNi9oUw8TwN8KR6xDuLCeH8Sj9ZLYvwz976DTZd3SMLjBIQCaWHy7pw/s1600-h/Patterns.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjUo0f-RNc5iMA_FqAFqtcrOTEh7kUPLCpa1WUadH-pNXEpdNQR_Y5xtKRKQq6SdJg5JZ4yODGzIjfaqrsNi9oUw8TwN8KR6xDuLCeH8Sj9ZLYvwz976DTZd3SMLjBIQCaWHy7pw/s400/Patterns.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163757189629770306" /></a><br /><br />One can never have enough patterns (you need them to go with the "never enough" yarn, of course). I was particularly pleased to find the little booklet of Sidna Farley's designs, as I had recently tried to order it and failed.<br /><br />So enough about fall. On to winter - and some FO!<br />Let's start with a sideways view of a shawl. Okay, I confess I have no idea how to rotate the photo so it conforms to the laws of gravity.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0mGqzpFlwlAD80KOp_rHjtpfgqQPwvXUVEawqVjKyOkLTw_NeqtM66zFDxfz_FHd6m86D4wv7Qy70iRKH8wAOkkRepozGltq_6WByz_DwnUPLW7YigT0wV8P8ygJPJbfTuSt-Q/s1600-h/DSC02557.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0mGqzpFlwlAD80KOp_rHjtpfgqQPwvXUVEawqVjKyOkLTw_NeqtM66zFDxfz_FHd6m86D4wv7Qy70iRKH8wAOkkRepozGltq_6WByz_DwnUPLW7YigT0wV8P8ygJPJbfTuSt-Q/s400/DSC02557.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163758667098520146" /></a><br />This shawl is from a pattern by Anne Hanson of Knitspot (that's www.knitspot.com - someday I need to learn to make live links in the text!). She is a wonderful designer, and I have lots more of her designs in my queue. The yarn is James Brett's Marble - an easy care synthetic that comes in wonderful colorways and is very soft. Knit on a large enough needle it makes creditable lace, just the thing for a prayer shawl that might suffer rough washing in the future. The name of the pattern is "Obstacles", and I thought it was just the thing to give to someone who might have obstacles to overcome.<br /><br />More gravity defying stunts by knitted objects - this time a felted bag. This is another one of Anne's patterns (yes, this makes me an official fan, I think). I wanted my lobsters to look alive so I made them blue. Aren't they convincing?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-J5IF3KngKxxJ9JX7RD1o2_M1GzzJioZuRL9fuJw9ZD9wiQo8Uj4PJ9vC0SbA7sxEX7yCkTqRKyqCTonjedNNir_wfp0TOm_oP5bw7D9q5VW6djuP5bK4eFSV9I9Alq9NKB-nQ/s1600-h/DSC02609.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-J5IF3KngKxxJ9JX7RD1o2_M1GzzJioZuRL9fuJw9ZD9wiQo8Uj4PJ9vC0SbA7sxEX7yCkTqRKyqCTonjedNNir_wfp0TOm_oP5bw7D9q5VW6djuP5bK4eFSV9I9Alq9NKB-nQ/s400/DSC02609.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163761875439090290" /></a><br /><br />And lastly, a knitted object that seems to know which way is up:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVRwzQTDYYfNeVt8i_1RlwmWeTG7Ex-0Xqb08KWcvLnfGPQ5s19mLq0uzTYs4DX5UWsyDLTMAxF0e3J5iJfe5JkZ4ey-NGhohzkN2unKApnhQze0nU3CBPlW4La_81cIj4wK-lA/s1600-h/DSC02603.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVRwzQTDYYfNeVt8i_1RlwmWeTG7Ex-0Xqb08KWcvLnfGPQ5s19mLq0uzTYs4DX5UWsyDLTMAxF0e3J5iJfe5JkZ4ey-NGhohzkN2unKApnhQze0nU3CBPlW4La_81cIj4wK-lA/s400/DSC02603.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5163772312209619618" /></a><br /><br />This is the lacy top edge of a felted bag from a pattern by Y2Knit. I really like how the lacy bits come out (you have to thread something non-felting through the holes before you toss it in the washing machine).<br /><br />And just one more thing, in this post that never ends (yes, it is a somewhat blurry PKO - partially knitted object!):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyOFhijwidvFf4AQP3POiZGf50kKrN47yd_EG-Z90F7C3q76Ib9zy9J4s45tx3k3dBEZlz_Hwthh2tFh_eqxo7NChKm3QSL_IsM9xGOjcKrkroswEbHQXgoMaXoNocuMiir7fhw/s1600-h/DSC02611.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyOFhijwidvFf4AQP3POiZGf50kKrN47yd_EG-Z90F7C3q76Ib9zy9J4s45tx3k3dBEZlz_Hwthh2tFh_eqxo7NChKm3QSL_IsM9xGOjcKrkroswEbHQXgoMaXoNocuMiir7fhw/s400/DSC02611.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186515425669931474" /></a><br /><br />Okay, so this one is not finished. It probably is finished by now, just not by me! I joined the latest round of "Death by Socks". I don't know what I was thinking. I am not a terribly slow knitter - I just don't have a lot of knitting time most days. So this is a photo of the two-thirds finished sock I was holding when I "died". However, said dying was accompanied by the receiving of a lovely pair of navy and white cotton blend socks and a matching hat! I just hope the person I started the socks for eventually receives them. She said she wanted pink, and it would be a shame to waste such great pink yarn (Sock Hop in "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", I think - the label went along with the yarn) on someone who doesn't like pink.<br /><br />I had better stop. It is the middle of the night (o-dark thirty, as some folks say) and even though there is more to say (did I hear someone mention a meme that I owe you all, and maybe some yarn information for the other Rhinebeck acquisitions?) even intrepid bloggers need to sleep sometime.<br /><br />Maybe I could post again this month?Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-12318867538897743532007-12-26T09:19:00.000-05:002007-12-26T09:37:15.765-05:00Only a few days leftHi! Here I am, trying to squeeze in my monthly post before the month runs out. There has been knitting (two felted bags about to go in the wash as soon as they have handles) and there has been music (playing in the volunteer orchestra for a Messiah sing), not to mention endless to-ing and fro-ing (three concerts among my children - knitting time!) and of course, shopping! And trying to make at least the living room presentable for relatives (people visiting for Christmas do expect a tree!). And now it is December 26th, almost time to go back to ordinary winter life. Even though I have to work the rest of the week (being in retail and all), the kids and the spouse have the rest of the week off, so there will still be general relaxation around here. Maybe I can get them to tidy up a bit more (oh sure).<br /><br />I wanted to be sure and post my favorite holiday poem for you all. I first read this in a magazine at school when I was in about 5th grade. It spoke to me then and have I saved it all these years. A few years ago I trotted it out and a friend helped me find the author's name. Frank Horne is one of the poets of the Harlem Renaissance; not perhaps the most famous, but remembered just the same. So here it is:<br /><br />Kid Stuff<br /><br />The wise guys<br />tell me <br />that Christmas<br />is Kid Stuff...<br />Maybe they've got <br />something there --<br /><br />Two thousand years ago<br />three wise guys<br />chased a star<br />across a continent<br />to bring<br />frankincense and myrrh<br />to a Kid<br />born in a manger<br />with an idea in his head...<br /><br />And as the bombs <br />crash<br />all over the world<br />today<br />the real wise guys<br />know<br />that we've all <br />got to go chasing stars<br />again <br />in the hop<br />(in the hope)<br />that we can get back<br />some of that<br />Kid Stuff<br />born two thousand years ago --<br /><br /><br />Frank Horne<br />December, 1942<br /><br /><br />Wishing you all a wonderful winter holiday time (celebrate them all!) and a felicitous and knitterly New Year!<br /><br />p.s. I will catch up with some photos and other promised details - hopefully later in this leisurely week.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-48829946679802564812007-11-26T17:56:00.001-05:002007-11-26T18:09:50.538-05:00A positive karmic bandwagon to jump onGeez, this month almost got away without a post! I had been thinking about Random Acts of Kindness and its near-kin, Paying It Forward, when I ran across this blog activity that is (I hope) sweeping the nation (or at least the blogosphere!). I can't resist joining this one - being a positive force for all that is good and helping add some of that to a world in need. So here goes:<br /><br />I promise to reward the first three commenters with a prize sometime in the next 365ish days if each of them joins me in doing two things: leaving a comment here where they promise to do the second thing, and then doing it - the second thing being writing about Paying It Forward and then offering the same contest on their blog. I hope this helps get all and sundry thinking about what Paying It Forward really means and looking for chances to actually do it.<br /><br />Remember, the third thing that goes with Paying it Forward and Random Acts of Kindness is: what goes around comes around, and ideally one would like that to be a positive thing.<br /><br />We now return to our regularly (un)scheduled blog topics. Yes, I still have unblogged Rhinebeck photos (imprisoned on the other computer) and a long-neglected meme to write about. Then I could actually write about some current knitting... The possibilities are endless - but sadly, my time is not. But I shall return!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-90831480535064749532007-10-31T08:46:00.000-04:002007-11-04T08:38:52.260-05:00Additions to the Yarn TreasuryHere is part of what followed me home from Rhinebeck. There are just two more photos, but for some reason uploading is not happening right now (could the uploading fairy be trick or treating already?), so I will have to fix that another time. And since I now have to insure costume happiness among the younger family members, I will leave you with the photos alone. I promise information will appear later.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTSlWO2rWdg5IwV95zfaQmlQgqXbGtzg5zScLUN2JuzMRA6OtCmMAF8hFZ9ygyZxPlwZaCg4NvmLLjwb-dSXRitWcZziCkd3gb3oPMls0L-UfkzHHk7gPcDBAEP-1y5Uc9Tl5iA/s1600-h/STR.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTSlWO2rWdg5IwV95zfaQmlQgqXbGtzg5zScLUN2JuzMRA6OtCmMAF8hFZ9ygyZxPlwZaCg4NvmLLjwb-dSXRitWcZziCkd3gb3oPMls0L-UfkzHHk7gPcDBAEP-1y5Uc9Tl5iA/s400/STR.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127585496527902466" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrEgKo_IJnUXuYROoboMtppPtaXFVrYjf8UUyKASszsfv6oyh6GY_h4231uYxGSqp1q3VoDwxqiNk7QyIMhszoPA7I67TTVsSjuY1SjJHjb_B_zRRAXaxkUmrkxPj-EC48hWjQw/s1600-h/HarvestSock.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrEgKo_IJnUXuYROoboMtppPtaXFVrYjf8UUyKASszsfv6oyh6GY_h4231uYxGSqp1q3VoDwxqiNk7QyIMhszoPA7I67TTVsSjuY1SjJHjb_B_zRRAXaxkUmrkxPj-EC48hWjQw/s400/HarvestSock.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127584873757644530" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9WCvUPABzQ-i4CC_P0dbvCTWAMz69MxyoDTJt__jWrbKi0pthnhaWVc_4Gi8IENWtnGn5e1zj494bwGm20HgN2Vhmc1xR72b3fP-lh5ZJ3OwQ3fF6Cu4h98Y4nVFtPzOe5rZRA/s1600-h/Gryffindor.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9WCvUPABzQ-i4CC_P0dbvCTWAMz69MxyoDTJt__jWrbKi0pthnhaWVc_4Gi8IENWtnGn5e1zj494bwGm20HgN2Vhmc1xR72b3fP-lh5ZJ3OwQ3fF6Cu4h98Y4nVFtPzOe5rZRA/s400/Gryffindor.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5127482275578877650" /></a><br /><br />TRICK OR TREAT!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-82979058907884603902007-10-22T09:48:00.002-04:002007-10-22T12:46:31.684-04:00Okay, get scared, it's twice this month - Rhinebeck and all thatMinor miracle, but there is so much fun to report and photos to show. Just because I went to Rhinebeck doesn't mean that is all I am going to write about. On Friday I accompanied my younger son on a school field trip to someplace called Stonehenge USA in Salem, NH. They were supposed to see aged stone works and find out what an archeological dig was like. I think those educational objectives were accomplished. See, first there was digging - like going in a time machine back to nursery school, but with a slightly longer attention span and no throwing of sand. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TLeVKvOv39-ZIbAeWCsvSt4dmIItWVkVK6D8GriR7Pjh3K86PKdj4BfFNY1P9pPRHZbdczQ9BqJSYYedXBEM1L6gbuSF2pG4fzHmP1ioXak4APnYX7TmhZ8sWv_lfQ_85I3d8A/s1600-h/DSC02422.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TLeVKvOv39-ZIbAeWCsvSt4dmIItWVkVK6D8GriR7Pjh3K86PKdj4BfFNY1P9pPRHZbdczQ9BqJSYYedXBEM1L6gbuSF2pG4fzHmP1ioXak4APnYX7TmhZ8sWv_lfQ_85I3d8A/s400/DSC02422.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124160242465306642" /></a><br />Then there was a tape guided tour of all these little stone caves and walls and piles of rubble - with the tape played on a boom box carried by one of the kids (only marginally successful for such a large group). <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZsOQkOeQeY-pzwS6sxuz-rNzimDOTF3I-l6HGobQLJkKDznDIO4KEenhj_kmuNH0FAKSex7KMS59x20PeY9tAYxA5xlfMmS6wg00iMR1VivYwcn765BDNGCxyE7JSi-suG1_wA/s1600-h/DSC02452.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbZsOQkOeQeY-pzwS6sxuz-rNzimDOTF3I-l6HGobQLJkKDznDIO4KEenhj_kmuNH0FAKSex7KMS59x20PeY9tAYxA5xlfMmS6wg00iMR1VivYwcn765BDNGCxyE7JSi-suG1_wA/s400/DSC02452.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124160693436872738" /></a><br />And then while waiting for the bus the kids amused themselves with trying to touch one of the eight or so alpacas that are raised there. What the alpacas have to do with prehistory and archeology I don't know, but the kids enjoyed them as much as all the other activities, I think. Maybe they are all fiber fanatics and just don't know it yet!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGZdF_3kLZXoCg-4MbBSvYTjS9f5H3sIP6-uJ5CFOramj4G_0qFODWxxWLvcZUe5_yud1Bocr-0U5fj0iplZR_5tumxVeldIIe4fVV2nXSLhJSj9qLtEYJSqvCxeUdsFVrIbi9A/s1600-h/salemalpaca.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUGZdF_3kLZXoCg-4MbBSvYTjS9f5H3sIP6-uJ5CFOramj4G_0qFODWxxWLvcZUe5_yud1Bocr-0U5fj0iplZR_5tumxVeldIIe4fVV2nXSLhJSj9qLtEYJSqvCxeUdsFVrIbi9A/s400/salemalpaca.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124167801607747698" /></a><br />So that was just practice - only a 50 minute bus ride - for my trip to Rhinebeck the next day with the Yarn Safari tour group. That was a five hour bus ride each way. I think there were some things that made it longer than driving oneself - route selection, dropping off the other pick up point people first, riding in a glorified school bus - but if I had driven myself I couldn't have knitted for the whole trip out and half way back! I have never been to Rhinebeck or any other similar festival before, so I didn't know quite what to expect, but I am glad I did some homework. I spent a little time with the Web site looking at the vendor lists, scoping out the ones I already knew and loved, and then printing off a copy of the site map and writing those locations on the back. By the time we got there, the annotated maps at the gate were gone, and there are no maps posted anywhere that I could see. Later on I did get a map from someone who was leaving - maybe they ought to have a recycle bin? Fortunately, another of my knitting buddies had come on the other bus and brought along the entire alphabetical list of vendors by building, so between that list and my map we were pretty well oriented. Besides, there are wonderful lovely things everywhere! Like this (for those who like roving):<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWipMfcjtltMoEwujuvbjMBrPe-8NO5HYNwlZmBapIwntLScggW8J1Good9JkyG4btmcjpO-jSk5y_k71VpFYKgxTPi6vHJ0q_h5WELo6TNDV-wiyUxZGID7Tuu7x0NyXEw5svA/s1600-h/Rhcolor2fleece.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBWipMfcjtltMoEwujuvbjMBrPe-8NO5HYNwlZmBapIwntLScggW8J1Good9JkyG4btmcjpO-jSk5y_k71VpFYKgxTPi6vHJ0q_h5WELo6TNDV-wiyUxZGID7Tuu7x0NyXEw5svA/s400/Rhcolor2fleece.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124164249669793890" /></a><br />and this (Color! Yarn! Pick me!)<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnQro0SIPu8XbySdO4P7ZLpL7o3vvKSCoGtC2YwngIYcEHodGaqMbfA2OdPiQh_en9yAb4x7zdnPiKdG9wTvboh_OIAzoPzW1qxX_5_NoJmK1o4y_t99TgGYAeOxtBLuHjMwnLQ/s1600-h/Rhcolor1.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvnQro0SIPu8XbySdO4P7ZLpL7o3vvKSCoGtC2YwngIYcEHodGaqMbfA2OdPiQh_en9yAb4x7zdnPiKdG9wTvboh_OIAzoPzW1qxX_5_NoJmK1o4y_t99TgGYAeOxtBLuHjMwnLQ/s400/Rhcolor1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124164112230840402" /></a><br />Not to mention the chance to people watch (and garment watch):<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWrDFIy6YjcUF7_lsT_JbtHBQ1zf4S-zlyV_W4JQ24X1O2MEi7B1bOZRS304EvbIob83K8Eos7hfVeA4b1l01f6N5JvuV7vtCR1ca53Ph-Ip05AWZu4bhjzFrZWsuOrbIQ19SIw/s1600-h/Rhpeople.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWrDFIy6YjcUF7_lsT_JbtHBQ1zf4S-zlyV_W4JQ24X1O2MEi7B1bOZRS304EvbIob83K8Eos7hfVeA4b1l01f6N5JvuV7vtCR1ca53Ph-Ip05AWZu4bhjzFrZWsuOrbIQ19SIw/s400/Rhpeople.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5124163824468031554" /></a><br />I saw only one MS#3 (very nice!) and had two sighting of Yarn Harlot and her amazing Kauni cardigan (if it was me I would have been carrying it instead of wearing it, so I hope she was not too warm). And through the wonders of the Internet and cell phone technology I met up with Gryfinitter (her blog is Wandless Knitting, and I would give you a link except I haven't learned how yet) even though we only know each other through exchanging comments in blogland. Amazing!<br /><br />I managed to come home with an alligator scarf kit from Morehouse, yarn for three pairs of socks (STR, VanCalcar Farms and Sliver Moon FIber Arts), several patterns, some pumpkin scented soap and some stitch markers. This represents remarkable self restraint on my part, and I think I have escaped the spinning bug for now (but some of that roving was so soft and so pretty....).<br /><br />I will save the yarn photos and the meme response (which I have not forgotten!) for the next post. I have to do the dishes and laundry before they come to life and lock me in a closet!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-58243398438413059462007-10-17T01:15:00.000-04:002007-10-17T10:06:18.851-04:00Posting once a month is better than not posting at all - isn't it?Back at last! Photos poised and ready to jump into place! This will be a real catch-up effort, although I also have been tagged for the "eight odd things" meme. Since that is fairly recent maybe I will save it for last or (gasp!) another post. So here is the news: I was lucky enough to hear the Yarn Harlot speak again - this time she was appearing at my local Borders, a good 15 minutes or so away. Actually she was here in August but it is still news around here. She had made mention in a recent post of her own about possibly needing clean underwear. What a straight line - of course the knitters of Greater Boston came armed, and the poor Harlot was pelted with panties! <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqjeLHNTCgGrCrn9hlpBMcpeE3c5uZ84zN4fFgcm7PC-mJO5I_qRDISjHSfZI9IxTp_p6LVzoFa2r5M4aPhpTWepveiKo53e-UoVbxh7Nm6WTfXSaUu-cF_0DKYwMUkojjqbWkw/s1600-h/panties.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqjeLHNTCgGrCrn9hlpBMcpeE3c5uZ84zN4fFgcm7PC-mJO5I_qRDISjHSfZI9IxTp_p6LVzoFa2r5M4aPhpTWepveiKo53e-UoVbxh7Nm6WTfXSaUu-cF_0DKYwMUkojjqbWkw/s200/panties.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122278492738877362" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />About this same time I received my State Swap parcel from my swap buddy in Arkansas. She sent all manner of lovely state-specific goodies, like barbecue sauce and candy, along with some terrific knitterly things. I now have my first skein of Collinette Jitterbug, and I can't stop admiring the colors - a sort of deep jade green with other colors sprinkled in. I can't wait to to see what sort of (short - why does Colinette put up sock yarn in such a short skein?) socks will result!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNDy7yqrcmuvbEsn9nhLjhmrIzwX0QQaZnJZdLr_CgJAP51j59t7j8bEbgjw8dqMBuEJwHfc4wvRdWkY0ozCHBOA2cI4KJTIzLOxeo5lX2ccDkwhRUm03CGOrNZvzux28_HFsXg/s1600-h/StateSwapAR.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNDy7yqrcmuvbEsn9nhLjhmrIzwX0QQaZnJZdLr_CgJAP51j59t7j8bEbgjw8dqMBuEJwHfc4wvRdWkY0ozCHBOA2cI4KJTIzLOxeo5lX2ccDkwhRUm03CGOrNZvzux28_HFsXg/s200/StateSwapAR.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122279089739331522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Check out the lovely little stitch markers. I love how dainty they are. These are stitch markers I can use and enjoy in real life without them getting in the way of the knitting.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBIfxV0msPZatwK3MhyphenhyphenCwPy78raNHcbiRWHWuCjd2LbPBROqN_5-0JHV7yyefMBbjNA0hb6utyR0xEA7s1j8IOrB6xiEtGjkavBYpQVJ4nvE88aNSiQWuXzpevQdp5YUcSnMWDw/s1600-h/stmarkAR.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBIfxV0msPZatwK3MhyphenhyphenCwPy78raNHcbiRWHWuCjd2LbPBROqN_5-0JHV7yyefMBbjNA0hb6utyR0xEA7s1j8IOrB6xiEtGjkavBYpQVJ4nvE88aNSiQWuXzpevQdp5YUcSnMWDw/s200/stmarkAR.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122279463401486290" /></a><br /><br /><br />And here lies a photo of my poor lonely MS#3. <br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo_CxSRtQ27Mwgo3lL9lhllm0E9mXNOLh4e5R6BS0U77kbS8z1DaXvP3-at2BiEm50c9nM049XGbORN41OuJq7Rht1J1ya-7Lq7g3iU3udfaKb0NcMi2o1FCuLm_hqCDYN5tVJw/s1600-h/MS3stall.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgo_CxSRtQ27Mwgo3lL9lhllm0E9mXNOLh4e5R6BS0U77kbS8z1DaXvP3-at2BiEm50c9nM049XGbORN41OuJq7Rht1J1ya-7Lq7g3iU3udfaKb0NcMi2o1FCuLm_hqCDYN5tVJw/s320/MS3stall.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122300074949539842" /></a><br /><br /><br />Somewhere around the time I went to hear the Yarn Harlot I lost my beads and crochet hook. Fortunately both were easily replaced, but it slowed my momentum considerably. Then the last clue was revealed. I am still in shock and have no idea how I would like to proceed. Actually, that isn't true - I have lots of ideas and no time to spend working them out. Fortunately knitwear is patient, and will rest peacefully in its little zip-loc bag until I find the time to investigate.<br /><br />And then there was the travel. I visited Swarthmore and Cornell in August with my college seeking son, but sadly had no time there for yarn stores (although I was armed with the necessary information!). Then in September I had the chance to spend a few days in Chicago visiting the University of Chicago (and finally one little yarn store...). Here is the obligatory photo of the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millenium Park.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbBY60RERQpdw-1dTD0H0J69Cw6Q6GJfQwPqM81mjSdAwYEkiqoCEEoQng_4vpd9vx77t8HtvlBaR_ZNDUOdhTYk1L4Hj55noYeJ50JjIANXI8X2hGiFIWxU8TkNQy5SASz0pQg/s1600-h/CloudGate.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWbBY60RERQpdw-1dTD0H0J69Cw6Q6GJfQwPqM81mjSdAwYEkiqoCEEoQng_4vpd9vx77t8HtvlBaR_ZNDUOdhTYk1L4Hj55noYeJ50JjIANXI8X2hGiFIWxU8TkNQy5SASz0pQg/s200/CloudGate.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5122291223021942770" /></a><br /><br />Well, maybe not quite the obligatory photo; this was taken from inside the sculpture. Some really cool views to be had, what with all the curves and reflections.<br /><br />For those keeping track of yarn stores to visit, when in Chicago please visit the lovely folks at Loopy Yarns (www.loopyyarns.com; 719 South State Street). It is within walking distance of Millenium Park and the Art Institute (places to leave muggles while you shop in peace) and the staff and selection are both fabulous. I was there late on a Sunday afternoon and was not rushed in any way, even though my final decisions were made well after closing time. And I learned that Lorna's Laces is a local yarn for them (dyed nearby), with many of the colourways named for Chicago neighborhoods (Ravenswood being the actual home base, so to speak). I brought home enough Mirasol Miski (100% baby llama and in a good cause!) to make something cozy and shoulder-warming for the winter. Loopy Yarns definitely passes the "if my son goes to college here I will be glad to visit this yarn store again" test!<br /><br />(I really ought to be sleeping, so I will save the yarn store, and current projects for when Blogger will allow the photos. And by then I should have some photos and news from Rhinebeck!). Pretend I just drew a line through the sentence in the parentheses.<br /><br />Why? Because I wrote most of this post early this morning when Blogger was avoiding my photos like the plague. Now in light of day I have edited, added, posted the necessary photos (okay, the ones I thought necessary!), and generally beaten the post into shape. But there are still two things I haven't learned - how to draw a line through a sentence I have edited (leaving it visible but alerting the reader that an edited version follows) and how to make a live link (so you can follow my suggestion to a site without the copy and paste action). Well, actually there are more things than that I need to learn, but here I am at the end wishing I could do both of those to improve this post. Something to look forward to!<br /><br /><br />Anyone going to Rhinebeck - suggest how we might meet. I will be there as part of a bus group on Saturday, so my time is limited, but any hints I can garner about how to have the most fun - and meet some new folks! - are all welcome!<br /><br />Knit early and often!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-48762498205124518842007-09-13T07:59:00.001-04:002007-09-13T09:12:24.563-04:00Hi! I am never going to win any prizes for prolific blogger of the year. There is just not enough time to do all the things I would like to do. I promise to get in some posting about recent knitting - where I am with respect to MS#3, my Heartbeat Sweater, the two different pairs of socks in (slow) progess, plus anything else I can dream up. However, the main purpose of this post is to answer the 25 questions in the Christmas Around the World Swap. I just remembered that I had not done this yet, and there is a deadline looming, so here goes:<br /><br />Are you religious? Somewhat; some of my holiday fun is church related and some is not.<br /><br />How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? I have been knitting for something like 40 years (Eeek!). I would call myself a "high intermediate" - I can still find things to learn and ideas I haven't tried, but I can learn from written instructions and work things out when needed.<br /><br />Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? Reading, participating in music of many kinds<br /><br />Favorite color(s)? Jewel tones and sunrise/sunset colors, rainbow things (no faux fair isle - I don't care for the spots)<br /><br />Do you collect anything? Other than fiber related things, you mean? I have a lot of cookbooks and I did get into collecting/researching Christmas carol music at one time. Did you know "The First Noel" actually has something like 12 verses?<br /><br />Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? Not that I know of, and I think I have been exposed to most of them by now.<br />Do you have any pets? Yes, a dog named Pippin. He is a 6 year old Shiba Inu (think miniature Akita). He doesn't knit, but he does shed. Someday I am going to get someone to spin the shedded hair I have been saving - it is very soft!<br /><br />Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? I like them all - the hot chocolate needs to be "dark" and not too sweet.<br />Cookies or Sweets? Yes! - if it's chocolate, it should be dark (or at least not too "sugary")<br /><br />Do you knit socks? Yes<br />If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits) I like to try new things, especially with interesting pattern stitches<br /><br />Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? We generally put up a tree, but often fail to decorate it completely due to all the other holiday activities.<br />Favorite holiday treats? Hot cider, cookies, truffles, fruitcake (the kind with real dried fruit, not candied "pebbles" disguised as <br />fruit!); and I know there are others<br />Favorite holiday smells? Baking spices and pine; the air when it is about to snow<br /><br />Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. Our celebration is fairly conventional.<br />We have relatives who mail gifts to us which we often open when they arrive or on Christmas Eve, so they can have their own moment in the sun. The music I get to sing in church choir and listen to on my extensive collection of CD's is a huge part of my holiday.<br /><br />What are your favorite holiday traditions? I mentioned music - Early in December I get to play the trumpet in a small brass group while all the 5th graders in town sing the songs and the lights on the town common are lit. There are several parties over the next several weeks - open houses, really - that we are invited to each year. One Sunday a group from church goes caroling to folks who are home bound. For the last few years we have been lucky enough to attend the Christmas Revels - a combination of theatre and music that is different every year, yet loaded with traditions...<br /><br />Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” Sharing and experiencing music<br />If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? A glass globe with a rainbow finish (like a soap bubble, only permanent<br />What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? One year when I was still buying gifts for my son's age mates (there were five of us from church who had our first babies in the space of a few months, and I used to give a gift to all five pus my nephew who is about the same age) I was combing the bookstore for a likely choice (that I could get 6 copies of!). Once of the employees steered me to the first Harry Potter novel - it had not quite taken off yet, but was available in quantity and at a good price. I am pretty sure it was well read in everyone's house that year.<br /><br />When do you start your Christmas? I suppose the Christmas caroling and tree lighting here in town is sort of the official start.<br />Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? I used to send Christmas cards - I have made some and bought some, and sometimes we send photo cards (those darling children, you know) but it has been years since I have been able to make the time to do this.<br /><br />What is your favorite Christmas dish? The lobster lasagne I invented one year. I think I dirtied every pan in the kitchen, but it sure was good. I love trying other people's traditional dishes too. Then there is always fruitcake and chocolate truffles!<br />Carolers are at your door. What do you do? Sing along and then give them cookies. <br />When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? Both (and other times - see above)<br />Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? Both. We have relatives that live near enough to join us on Christmas Day -<br /> and often stay on for a day or two. We also have lots of church friends and musician friends that we visit and party with<br /> throughout the holiday season. And then there is one family here we have been friends with since college - we usually<br /> have dinner with them the evening of Christmas Day.<br /><br />My holiday mantra? Happy Holidays - celebrate them all early and often!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-61217811814574668802007-07-19T15:44:00.000-04:002007-07-19T16:25:48.547-04:00Hi! I would like to say this is a post from your foreign correspondent - which is technically true since I am on vacation. However, I didn't get quite far enough away, so when the choice was to come home for a day or so and keep the dentist appointment or to reschedule it, I decided to come home. My two older children joined me - to help get some house cleaning done or to see their friends - who can say for sure? and it is sort of nice to have the level of chaos cut in half for a day or two. So pretend I am writing this next to a lake in New Hampshire. If I had not left the digital camera there I could even provide a photo, but you will have to use your imagination.<br /><br />Hope that imagination is up to the task, because the projects I have for show and tell are many rows past the photos I happen to have available (that digital camera thing again). FIrst we have my first pair of Monkey socks ( a Cookie A pattern found on knitty. com - I would make this a link but I have not yet learned how). <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok9i-sXpf4ltcpcWn-QcdelNVOAeIZVe_quJwMFqw8w4IEHUtwtPJrLj5k9Rd-gAJ7cBGSQbYcR9_Dd4r4btUjAUGFikVeT-MM-fuS7Pu8NPLI0v3C-FoCcMw_BsGvEtpk6uIMA/s1600-h/monkeysock1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjok9i-sXpf4ltcpcWn-QcdelNVOAeIZVe_quJwMFqw8w4IEHUtwtPJrLj5k9Rd-gAJ7cBGSQbYcR9_Dd4r4btUjAUGFikVeT-MM-fuS7Pu8NPLI0v3C-FoCcMw_BsGvEtpk6uIMA/s200/monkeysock1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5089000100709961634" /></a><br />Since this photo was taken I have finished the cuffs and turned one of the heels. For this part of the operation the socks are each getting their own Magic Loop, since I couldn't figure out how to make it happen any other way (there's always something new to learn ,eh?).<br /><br />The other item I have to show is my fledgling MS#3. There are a number of mystery shawl series floating around out there. This one is the (once a year, I think?) design work of Melanie of "pinklemontwist.com" (once again, it would be a link...) <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_-t-ATgA15CIFAg3pzMklfDO0J7ZqT7XTcONKpUjD2w0wlpQfPLJtAxYCJ4886iF9bRraSn2ZkqUsQVvk2w6E1LRs2RrZZqhU7Na4ThQjq3MI8j508CY4GRudsBYMoNc3kr4EQ/s1600-h/ms3-1.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_-t-ATgA15CIFAg3pzMklfDO0J7ZqT7XTcONKpUjD2w0wlpQfPLJtAxYCJ4886iF9bRraSn2ZkqUsQVvk2w6E1LRs2RrZZqhU7Na4ThQjq3MI8j508CY4GRudsBYMoNc3kr4EQ/s200/ms3-1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5088996527297171346" /></a> I have actually made it to row 103 since this was taken. Still hopelessly behind those who have time and knit fast and finish each Friday's clue by Saturday morning, but I am making some progress. I am learning something as well - that I would rather knit pattern stitches (meaning things that occasionally repeat) than something that reminds me of filet crochet - knitting a picture using solid fabric and space. I guess the hard part for me is keeping my place across the row as I read the chart (I don't really mind reading the chart at all). I am sure that when all is said and knitted I will love the fact that I have something lacy and beautiful with little bright beads in it (could be the coolest thing of all, those beads!). I just might not try it again for a while.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-5818719971993993912007-07-11T19:57:00.000-04:002007-07-11T20:25:50.563-04:00Hi! As usual it has been ages since I posted. Life happens - the end of the school year was so crowded with concerts, two promotions (what I would call graduation but when it is only 5th grade and 8th grade they call it promotion around here), assemblies, teacher visits, etc. Then almost right away two of my kids went to camp - lots of shopping and writing names in clothes and then driving them there. One of the end of the year activities included this teacher gift - just a little shawl/scarf made with a skein of Fiesta La Boheme in the colorway Australia (along with some other lavender wool to make it just a tad larger). My youngest daughter's class had spent the last part of the year studying Australia, so when I found this skein on sale at my LYS I knew it had to be something for her teacher. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDGqmNEKSgXHOA9kaZdgZwUE7XR_Z0Ih9P0JYfucIKM6keoUP1ID5be7aFGbM-vH8IGbzvaOVKjEN05UqF0HTPhlayZuhCZ30WZAQwer5h-QzFmA85QfT8ZTqVGHCvR9sun0ucg/s1600-h/Australiashawl.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDGqmNEKSgXHOA9kaZdgZwUE7XR_Z0Ih9P0JYfucIKM6keoUP1ID5be7aFGbM-vH8IGbzvaOVKjEN05UqF0HTPhlayZuhCZ30WZAQwer5h-QzFmA85QfT8ZTqVGHCvR9sun0ucg/s200/Australiashawl.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086097885377864226" /></a><br /><br /><br />So the main reason I am finally getting to this post is to talk about my swap buddy and the amazing parcel she sent from Norway as my gift in the Super Sox Box Swap. I am constantly amazed to be part of this world community of knitters who can learn about each other and treat each other with such care and kindness. Us knitters could definitely show the world a thing or two!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YnUchYHAnlMZirZxTiCzcYj1Ggk6UjJD73AzdsQCALtDHyTcOOEVxVkutGCxegnFRao3Pxn52uByoiDB5aYu9h8bEYnmJIEAv7YB6LFySfXvycqtmvFoUz4NFVOcNCGPBwSWSQ/s1600-h/swap.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YnUchYHAnlMZirZxTiCzcYj1Ggk6UjJD73AzdsQCALtDHyTcOOEVxVkutGCxegnFRao3Pxn52uByoiDB5aYu9h8bEYnmJIEAv7YB6LFySfXvycqtmvFoUz4NFVOcNCGPBwSWSQ/s200/swap.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086092877445997058" /></a><br /><br /><br />As you can see, my swap partner sent me some wonderful things: a hand crocheted bag adorned with cute flowered ties that is almost too pretty to use, some wonderful soft sock yarn in what I call "sunset colors", a range of treats, both chocolate and drinks. She sent not one pattern but a whole book - the mini Vogue books are such fun for their range and creativity (I have some of the others but not this one). Also a set of DPNs (I was just thinking of getting back to my sock knitting roots - my Magic Loop socks always have such ladders at the ends!), some scented candles (not too strong but just right) and lastly some lovely beaded stitch markers. I almost missed those in the box but luckily they jumped out when I went to take the photo. Here they are:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhRmABybzhEIg5SM-pe5XSk6bq9sdWPzKSPs71Z9mqfNMfN0yPxw_jeimVm-6Ey6InlynaAqIMMFGVqQYDqKlpIlPo3AXmOCj3PFVdhlfWSM3QSb4_FeeGV-vO1RcPTk-YpLEoQ/s1600-h/stmark.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhRmABybzhEIg5SM-pe5XSk6bq9sdWPzKSPs71Z9mqfNMfN0yPxw_jeimVm-6Ey6InlynaAqIMMFGVqQYDqKlpIlPo3AXmOCj3PFVdhlfWSM3QSb4_FeeGV-vO1RcPTk-YpLEoQ/s200/stmark.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5086097576140218898" /></a><br /><br />Maybe I will save the madness that is MS#3 for another post. It is always good to quit while you still have something to say!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-42958705448721956822007-05-31T01:16:00.001-04:002010-03-05T18:34:07.127-05:00The magic day finally arrived! Picture five happy knitters in a car, headed west, free of the usual obligations of showing up for work, driving the children here and there, making dinner, etc. After a mere two hours of travel time, ably navigated by Letitia (the GPS system) the intrepid group arrives at yarn heaven, otherwise known as WEBS, for some serious yarn treasury improvement. <br /><br />As if this wasn't enough fun for one day, the adventuring group wandered down the street to the Calvin Theatre to hear possibly the funniest, most perceptive knitter and blogger extraordinaire in the world expound on the wondrous land of Knit. In case you are still guessing, this would be the Yarn Harlot I am speaking of, seen here being fortified for her efforts by a lovely glass of local craft-brewed beer:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZfKoyzJV2-LzUYqWGN6n-2-oV-lPhbmrAvrqrpKc3qn1-T_Hn7jtQ9DRJ7K7nkHfQ8gCDxDgQnbuNlxmPELSrqTYmsu1Cg3RbwFUY2V7Cgjrce3jbcLEe9HWKKBMEY5vKHh_PQ/s1600-h/DSC01968.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZfKoyzJV2-LzUYqWGN6n-2-oV-lPhbmrAvrqrpKc3qn1-T_Hn7jtQ9DRJ7K7nkHfQ8gCDxDgQnbuNlxmPELSrqTYmsu1Cg3RbwFUY2V7Cgjrce3jbcLEe9HWKKBMEY5vKHh_PQ/s200/DSC01968.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070614133854455522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Here she is, keeping us all spellbound and laughing most heartily. while the entire audience knit on, mostly on squares of Cashmerino Aran to be donated to Warm Up America. The sound of clicking needles was audible in that hall, let me tell you!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBwnD6RIHgBvmlvZoyZY0GLHeDoZIAkn-GCvHxPukF1j8opKgc2CI0UT1x9qRyRnh1Mo9CrMDTt8Lg6XZx5lhpFOA0VJnDC3hdKZYU2pdTkaD3uvZYRWvbLoTLA0Hx2laGfzk9g/s1600-h/DSC01978.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPBwnD6RIHgBvmlvZoyZY0GLHeDoZIAkn-GCvHxPukF1j8opKgc2CI0UT1x9qRyRnh1Mo9CrMDTt8Lg6XZx5lhpFOA0VJnDC3hdKZYU2pdTkaD3uvZYRWvbLoTLA0Hx2laGfzk9g/s200/DSC01978.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070615113106999026" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And what a hall it was, a fine old restored theatre, with screen panels in the walls like this one pictured below. Does this look to you like a bit of knitted lace or what? Quite a worthy location for this intrepid gathering!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl9vxSVpBg0mw-Lpw9G6ORdYH_JMawRmg3_iOefv0REhE7QIvy_b9EN2-Ths3pXJgAGYPdXFr9_FHDIl-WC5el5ms2z8zreVxTYqHynjhNvIGdYaPVj6ef_BBYgijIwI0B7VPQg/s1600-h/DSC01984.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLl9vxSVpBg0mw-Lpw9G6ORdYH_JMawRmg3_iOefv0REhE7QIvy_b9EN2-Ths3pXJgAGYPdXFr9_FHDIl-WC5el5ms2z8zreVxTYqHynjhNvIGdYaPVj6ef_BBYgijIwI0B7VPQg/s200/DSC01984.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070615920560850706" /></a><br /><br />After Stephanie's talk and some questions, all wrapped around more laughing than I have done in a long time, it was back to WEBS to wait patiently with a large whack of knitters to have a chance to meet Stephanie in person, have a book or two autographed, and have our group photographed with the Harlot herself and the famous sock. A grand time was had by all, I would say. Hope we can do it again soon!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJeX_gSUQiwlW9vReJjeiiFGWuFYcI8d43gXKYlMe00lRpBnQgmhmT_TP54zXJmyBIA8-8yXGuiOoFeDv3q-_02_Ko80NaYATEb7JfWRY47n7cfY47wdQWqLpf-GRHHGbTAEFew/s1600-h/DSC01998.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVJeX_gSUQiwlW9vReJjeiiFGWuFYcI8d43gXKYlMe00lRpBnQgmhmT_TP54zXJmyBIA8-8yXGuiOoFeDv3q-_02_Ko80NaYATEb7JfWRY47n7cfY47wdQWqLpf-GRHHGbTAEFew/s200/DSC01998.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070589601001260738" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAzpFaPlDKgLIAEt6Wmpl2AGUFixU0K6aS2urEd2IuVfi_iDpjaTCxtv18MwTkcWDpCVFSwWXzQ25-5_vsj5vhSICAFniGfUJef2Zfe_xDmEDSgGMmC3k98FggsKMfh8TEo0K8w/s1600-h/DSC01994.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLAzpFaPlDKgLIAEt6Wmpl2AGUFixU0K6aS2urEd2IuVfi_iDpjaTCxtv18MwTkcWDpCVFSwWXzQ25-5_vsj5vhSICAFniGfUJef2Zfe_xDmEDSgGMmC3k98FggsKMfh8TEo0K8w/s200/DSC01994.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5070590477174589138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our trip was marred only by the loss of a nearly finished sock project. So if any of you out there in blogland happen to have seen an almost completed pair of purple socks in a zip lock bag somewhere around WEBS, the Calvin Theatre or the streets of Northampton, please report in as to its wearabouts. Its knitter is mourning its loss at the moment and would be much cheered by its return.<br /><br /><br />And in case anyone is checking, it is now 3:35 am on May 31; for some reason the date and time applied to this post are wildly inaccurate and I really have no idea why or how to make it right (same goes for the wasteful and unattractive white spaces around the photos in my post!). Always something new to learn, right?Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-82598431084267921952007-05-19T17:04:00.000-04:002007-05-19T17:39:04.756-04:00Contest #1 for the Super Sox Box Swap: the challenge is to write about favorite drinks and snacks while knitting. Hmm...it is so hard to choose! On the one hand, whenever there are cups of something around I live in fear of either spilling something or having someone spill it! Years ago I was knitting a sweater outdoors at my job (lifeguarding at a municipal pool) and a bunch of kids conspired to dump a whole bucket of something wet and disgusting all over me. That is when I learned you can wash a pull skein of yarn in the skein if you are really careful! <br /><br />I go to a knitting group once a week that meets in a local coffeehouse (yes, it is that place that has millions of shops all over the US, or so it seems) and I admit to carefully enjoying a mocha-type drink (espresso, milk, and a wee bit of chocolate syrup - not too sweet!) with my knitting most evenings. Sometimes by the time I get there I am all "coffee-ed out" for the day and I will have iced tea or iced tea with lemonade. Sometimes if there is something really yummy looking in the bakery case I will have a little sweet, but eating takes away from valuable knitting time - not to mention the possibility of crumbs and sticky fingers!<br /><br />OTN just now is a version of Knitspot's "Obstacles" shawl (scroll down a bit until you see it):<br /><br />http://www.knitspot.com/wp-content/uploads/siteGraphics/knitspot_porfolio.pdf<br /><br />in an easy care yarn called Marble. Yes, it is synthetic but it is very soft, not at all "squeaky" and has lovely long color repeats in one strand, with the other being solid. This is a prayer shawl for an ongoing project at my church - several of us knit them and then they are given away as needed (hence most of them are done in easy care yarns). I thought it would be "poetic justice" to use a pattern called "Obstacles" - maybe the person who eventually uses this shawl will be encouraged and strengthened to overcome some obstacles of their own. Besides, the pattern is fun to knit and IMHO looks great in this yarn. Perhaps I will have a photo soon - it is so gray and rainy here that I don't think a photo would look like much today!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-37018025873330766432007-05-15T23:51:00.000-04:002007-05-16T00:04:47.573-04:00Here are the facts, folks!<br /><br />Following instructions, here are my replies to the Super Sox Box Swap Questionnaire. I hope I have given my swap buddy enough information here. If not, send more questions?<br /><br />1.What are your favorite colors? What colors make you cringe?<br />My favorites are "jewel tones" - greens, blues, teals, purples, sunset colors. I cringe at most "dusty" colors, especially greens and browns that look dead.<br />2.Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks?<br />I have been knitting socks for about a year this time. Years ago I did a whole bunch of Christmas stockings, which are still socks, even if they are huge.<br />3.Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn?<br />I prefer multicolor yarn or even a solid that has some mild shading - they just seem more lively to me.<br />4.What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn?<br />I have knit happily with wool blends and cotton blends. I haven't tried any of the newer fiber blends, although I look forward to it.<br />5.Where do you usually knit socks?<br />I work on socks at knitting group and during breaks at work. I look forward to getting more familiar and taking them everywhere.<br />6.How do you usually carry/store small projects?<br />I have a vast collection of bags of many sorts - some good for a sock project, and some that hold several projects, a book to read, things belonging to my children, etc. The right container is important to a project's success!<br />7.What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? Any favorite designers?<br />I don't have any favorites just now. I have a lot of patterns that I want to try - mostly things with a little lace or an interesting texture.<br />8.What are your favorite sock knitting techniques?<br />I like to knit two socks at once using Magic Loop just so I make sure to actually finish the second sock! I had fun with toe up socks as well, although those were a little hard to get started.<br />9.What new techniques would you like to try?<br />I am sure there are lots of heels and toes I haven't tried yet, but mostly I would like to reach the point that I don't have to consult a pattern all the time.<br />10.Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting?<br />Lately I have been using circulars - either two at once or magic loop, but I think I should try DPN's again to see if it makes life simpler for me.<br />11.What are some of your favorite yarns?<br />I like the variation and interest of hand dyed yarns, but really as long as the yarn feels nice and has colors I like, anything goes. About the only thing I am not wild about is the yarn with faux fair isle bits (grey and white or black and white specks).<br />12.What yarn do you adore and yearn for? What yarn makes you happiest?<br />Yarn that is soft and interesting and is in colors I like. It is fun to receive local yarn from somewhere near the home of my swap buddy!<br />13.Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object?<br />Can't think of one - sock knitting is such a reasonable hobby in terms of cost. I guess if time were no object I could find lots of complex cables or lace to fill my hours.<br />14.Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)?<br />Currently I am using Addi Turbos for magic loop (since they come in 40 inch length). I also like to knit with bamboo, especially if the yarn is at all slippery.<br />If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be?<br />Purple and teal hand-dyed merino/silk/alpaca blend lace weight. Can't think of a brand that makes such a thing, but there probably is one out there.<br />Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Sweet or salty?<br />I am a big fan of dark chocolate anything. It is fun to receive local favorites! Salty is okay, too.<br />Do you collect anything?<br />I think I mostly collect yarn and patterns and knitting books! We also have quite a few musical instruments around the house. I also collect cookbooks - I love to read them and then try some of the new recipes.<br />What is your favorite scent?<br />I try to stay away from scented things since they are often too strong. I use lavender shower soap sometimes, and I like spices and citrus also, but very low key.<br />Will you be celebrating a birthday, anniversary, etc. between now and the close of the swap?<br />Sadly no - my birthday is in December and my anniversary is in October.<br />What’s your favorite animal?<br />Do humans count? I like watching the loons on the lake in New Hampshire and also chipmunks racing around the woods.<br />Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages?<br />We have one dog - a five year old Shiba Inu named Pippin. Other than that, just the children (ages 16,14,11, and 8) and a number of mice who think this house is theirs.<br />Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read.<br />My favorite quote is from a book called "The Once and Future King" by T.H. White; it is a version of the King Arthur legends. It starts like this: “The best thing for being sad,” ... “is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails....I can send you the whole thing sometime if you like.<br />What is your motto in life? <br />To try new things whenever I can, and to read lots of books, especially those written about things I am unlikely to do.<br />Do you have a wishlist? (ie: Amazon, B&N, a LYS, online store, etc.) Please list link here.<br />Not one that is up to date enough to share.<br />Anything else you’d like to share with your Sox Box pal?<br />I am looking forward to getting to know you. This should be a lot of fun!<br />Any allergies to be aware of for this swap?<br />None here!<br />Coffee, Tea?<br />I am a coffee fan but sometimes drink tea as well - especially iced tea when it is hot. <br />Anything Else?<br />Can you give me an idea how long it takes things to arrive there from the US? I don't want to be too late sending my package!<br /><br />So there it is - probably more than seems strictly necessary, but some of the details should make for some interesting conversations with my buddy. It is a wonderful thing that this elephant known as the Internet makes this kind of fun possible. When I was a kid my mother belonged to the local Eastern Star chapter, and they always had a year long secret pal program going on. It seemed fun to me then too, even though I was on the outside looking in.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-56009463913122824932007-05-07T12:30:00.000-04:002007-05-07T10:23:47.762-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfAW4HyK-KKe2pS8EPF0MJWSWZdIlRBev-opTPCbFWWDqY9SCVdb6cpAZdz0IsUq82mwzUzAWLL3xvbJpPN9CwEolKEEoDQRarGJkGs0Q5AIlDbhCezqOWiOg58kOfeTLK9f7hw/s1600-h/DSC01733bl.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKfAW4HyK-KKe2pS8EPF0MJWSWZdIlRBev-opTPCbFWWDqY9SCVdb6cpAZdz0IsUq82mwzUzAWLL3xvbJpPN9CwEolKEEoDQRarGJkGs0Q5AIlDbhCezqOWiOg58kOfeTLK9f7hw/s200/DSC01733bl.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061824039678017730" /></a><br />Another post! Yippee! At long last here is the saga of the Wedding Shawl (no longer from Hell, as it was finished on time and was a rousing success). Hope that isn't giving too much away.<br /><br />To recap:<br />After the lengthy trial and selection process, buying lots of patterns and yarns that went unused, the bride decided on Fiddlesticks Lily of the Valley stole and was convinced to have it made up in an icy blue shade, since natural white yarn was never going to match a wedding dress made of white synthetic fabircs. I ordered two likely shades of Alpaca Cloud from Knitpicks (since the monitor colors were so different from the catalog photos that once again I could not tell which was the color I really wanted, and time was running out). I settled on Horizon Heather, which looks to be a strand of white plyed with a strand of very mildly varying pale blue. I was really tempted by some of the Colourmart yarns and their colors, but I just could not afford the time (and the possibility that on arrival the color would be wrong). I took their advice, however, and got myself a copy of the Online Auction Color Guide, so now I am ready for the next time (all my sisters are married now, so I probably won't need to do this again until my daughters are old enough).<br /><br />The knitting itself took almost exactly one month. I loved the pattern - a fourteen row repeat, easy to memorize and to read off the knitting I'd already done. I took care of the dreaded "nupps" by keeping a size 1 DPN handy (usually tucked in my hair) for any nupp that I couldn't just purl off with the needles the shawl was on (a size 4 bamboo circular). I had hoped to use something pointier, like my Knitpicks Options or an Addi, but the alpaca seemed too slippery, and I think the time I might have saved on the nupps would have been used up chasing dropped stitches.<br /><br />As is my usual sort of modus operandi, I finished the knitting itself at about 2:00 am Saturday morning of the wedding. I spent the whole car ride from Massachussetts to Ohio knitting, plus lots of other time the week before, but some of my precious knitting time was taken up by shopping (flower girl dress for my daughter, slips for everyone, etc.) and general fun (taking the adults out for an annual birthday dinner, things like that).<br /><br /><br />I finished blocking at about 5:00 am. By the time I got up at 8:00ish to start driving people places (hairdresser and the like) the shawl was dry so I could unpin it and deliver it. My sister gamely wore it to the church (fastened with the Leslie Wind shawl pin I gave her) and posed for photos, but then folded it away since the day turned out to be beautiful and not cold enough to require its use. I know that if I had not knitted it, or not gotten it finished, the wedding day would have been gray and chilly!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-3821147220156051792007-05-07T12:00:00.000-04:002007-05-07T10:24:39.303-04:00Here are the photos - I changed the time so perhaps they will appear after the text post after all. I have my fingers crossed!<br /><br />A detail photo of the unblocked lace:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57BOePUqlJuTPmab4khKlYrW4CdogEalE1A7O7pLgUpBQ-G5ypMnkee4Mcij6f-n2-1F_tVO4fgi3PSVpeQxNf4cu94VfNqBDPu4h6yOp9ulcTg5D44x4u7645CwJ7UFGYVtQzQ/s1600-h/DSC01728unbl.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh57BOePUqlJuTPmab4khKlYrW4CdogEalE1A7O7pLgUpBQ-G5ypMnkee4Mcij6f-n2-1F_tVO4fgi3PSVpeQxNf4cu94VfNqBDPu4h6yOp9ulcTg5D44x4u7645CwJ7UFGYVtQzQ/s200/DSC01728unbl.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061819714645950642" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjeqJO6PCGfMTs1A3T0321K-wzvB4eEtvo2LYYHJ4h4070EAyCL4NS00WFvVFutvNJiatloRWRC8YqK6LwJHe8uMhuJGmvDwqZLZNeTpZwtLngYqoW6ChR4IQ4sKLHRpCcm7YsQ/s1600-h/DSC01731attic.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjeqJO6PCGfMTs1A3T0321K-wzvB4eEtvo2LYYHJ4h4070EAyCL4NS00WFvVFutvNJiatloRWRC8YqK6LwJHe8uMhuJGmvDwqZLZNeTpZwtLngYqoW6ChR4IQ4sKLHRpCcm7YsQ/s200/DSC01731attic.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061819598681833634" /></a><br />How fortunate that my mother has a carpeted attic floor! The bad news was that I had fallen and bashed my knee on one of the shopping trips earlier in the week, so crawling around on the floor was less than fun. The good news is that the blocking wires were just great for the short ends, which have points to pull out. I just wish the ends of the wires had a better finish to them.<br /><br />Here it is stretched out on the sofa after blocking - it gained quite a bit of length (Whew!) and of course that magic thing happened to the lace:<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2km-GOF9PNfaiRjKa6OjnEIonHNskVpwALos5QRW2MzWCm_hoUBwA4qMt_tZz5Q2viHqCxRY2p0eGro7Oe2G6X4pawdf-aemSE2r_y-_OYos7-q6RYiPA6oOzRqDfrBzonypjg/s1600-h/DSC01732couch.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2km-GOF9PNfaiRjKa6OjnEIonHNskVpwALos5QRW2MzWCm_hoUBwA4qMt_tZz5Q2viHqCxRY2p0eGro7Oe2G6X4pawdf-aemSE2r_y-_OYos7-q6RYiPA6oOzRqDfrBzonypjg/s200/DSC01732couch.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061819302329090194" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The "magic thing" in detail (ignore the knitting mistakes - they are really just bad repairs to real mistakes, and could never be seen by someone racing by!).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeN-oyMyQL1G3VKAiavNqt6UNABsSNionHNtFaxnbtbwCKZjGiy0_SPcWnitvVXllPXWiiw_GKxuhUQvTw-DdfXmhgGC1Tspprn8HdZr2fVN13pTGtuXgqggeDlOpJs5U7zKdXA/s1600-h/DSC01733bl.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGeN-oyMyQL1G3VKAiavNqt6UNABsSNionHNtFaxnbtbwCKZjGiy0_SPcWnitvVXllPXWiiw_GKxuhUQvTw-DdfXmhgGC1Tspprn8HdZr2fVN13pTGtuXgqggeDlOpJs5U7zKdXA/s200/DSC01733bl.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061819190659940482" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And Herself the Bride. I don't know if she is blushing, but she looks terrific (I am only a little bit prejudiced here).<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQeolJ6F5hoz37-ePbz10XfhtdklxAhzZYk6GY-qn3pj3mrfL-G3zNEF50XS0NZ8KquDm7l7SnFyR6Y8XHQ9MnYrtzCNYwAzA2djUmU7K0U4WjhtNXRgLGBsJOF8RKfv3Es-9vA/s1600-h/DSC01740Nan.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQeolJ6F5hoz37-ePbz10XfhtdklxAhzZYk6GY-qn3pj3mrfL-G3zNEF50XS0NZ8KquDm7l7SnFyR6Y8XHQ9MnYrtzCNYwAzA2djUmU7K0U4WjhtNXRgLGBsJOF8RKfv3Es-9vA/s200/DSC01740Nan.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061819100465627250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Now to start thinking about my daughter's eighth grade graduation....she wants a shrug...pattern and yarn already selected, but gauge is proving to be completely elusive...Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-33446565056210007952007-03-22T15:08:00.000-04:002007-03-22T15:22:02.174-04:00Hi! I have to admit, I am much better at reading other people's blogs than posting to my own. However, I have something truly blogworthy to report at last. After much to-ing and fro-ing, lengthy consultations with my knitting friends, vast amounts of mail order traffic, incredible pattern and yarn acquisitions trying to please Herself the Bride, and much general hassle all the way around, I have finally started the Wedding Shawl from Hell. I am not casting aspersions on the pattern (Lily of the Valley from Fiddlesticks) or the yarn (Alpaca Cloud from Knitpicks, color Horizon) even though I really think a nupp is a Dr. Seuss character and not a knitted object. I am still stunned at what a lengthy process it was to get to finally cast on! One of my yarn shipments was in UPS limbo for six days due to "a late train" - or that was what they claimed anyway. I am now intimately aquainted with how absurdly askew colors on the computer display can be compared to the real thing. I just hope the knitting itself is uneventful, since the wedding is April 21.<br /><br />On a more positive note, I now have enough patterns and laceweight yarn to last well into the next millenium. I will never run out of things to do!<br /><br />Hopefully I will get into the true blog swing of things and post some photos as I go along. This is all still new!<br />Knit in peace.Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-22434301464292035502007-02-12T16:09:00.000-05:002007-02-12T16:17:06.918-05:00Hi! It has been a busy few months around here. Between a house with four kids and a full time job at night, there just isn't enough time to knit and blog as much as I would like (forget about cleaning the house and cooking dinner on a regular basis!). Currently I am knitting madly to finish a scarf or three for a shipment going to a middle school in China! The daughter of a friend of mine traveled there last summer and worked at the school; the principal happens to be visiting the US and so this high school student is organizing as many kids (and other "knitters-on") to help out by making scarves so the cold won't be such a distraction to the students. It is a constant source of amazement to me how many ways there are to contribute to the wider world with just a little knitting.<br /><br />I would throw this project to the mercy of the blogsphere but the deadline is real soon (the principal visits next week, I think) so there is probably not time to drum up help. I promise that if such an effort comes around again I will pester you all relentlessly to help out!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27420405.post-1160667249130359822006-10-12T11:30:00.000-04:002006-10-12T11:34:09.140-04:00Having never posted, I thought I would speak up at last. Hello out there to all of you in knitland! Currently on my needles I have my first ever pair of two-at-once, toe-up, magic loop socks. I am trying to knit as much cuff ribbing as I can stand before binding them off. These are not my first socks, but they are the first I have done using all these new techniques at once. Can't wait to wear them - well, it would be okay if it didn't get to be sock weather for a little while longer!Karenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13844129430383744128noreply@blogger.com5