Of Snow and Slippers

Yesterday, Denver tied the record high temperature for the date, 74 degrees (F). Today's high was 62 degrees. Tonight, it looks like this:

Yes, those are big, fat snowflakes. What is that old adage, "If you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes," or something to that effect? And it is supposed to be back up to 51 degrees tomorrow.

In my last post, I reported on the current knitting projects. The slogging continues on the a4A sweater. The red Cotton-Ease swatch is napping right now, while I concentrate on crocheting more slippers, this time for the Pink Slipper Project.
(The last twelve pairs were sent to Cheyenne River.) Seven and a half pairs are completed so far. I need to find an appropriate box to pack them in, and keep making them until the box is full. That seems to make more sense than trying to find the perfect size box for a certain number of pairs. As soon as I figure out how to make a photo collage in Picasa, I'll post pictures of the completed slippers.

Signs of Spring

Daffodil shoots are poking through the mulch; winter won't last forever! Actually, the weather has been very agreeable the last two weeks. Any winter day that doesn't involve shoveling snow is a good day!

Well, since this is, in part, rumored to be a knitting blog, I guess I should report what's on the needles. The current big project is a sweater for afghans for Afghans. The deadline I was hoping to meet has come and gone, but part 2 of the youth campaign isn't due until late April. Surely I can knit two sleeves in two months. (I know, don't call me Shirley.) Probably the biggest impediment to completion is the bulkiness involved, since the sweater is seamless. It's become a bit of a pain to carry around, so I usually only work on it at home.

The other project OTN is a gianormous Cotton-Ease swatch. I've always liked Cotton-Ease, but the colors that have been available locally since its reintroduction have been rather uninspiring (pastel earth tones - REALLY?). But the last time I was at Michaels, I spotted, way down on the bottom row, skeins of Cotton-Ease in "Cherry," a "deep, bold red" according to the Lion Brand website. So I used my handy dandy coupon to purchase one skein to try. Using my Denise needles, since that's what I would be using to knit a sweater from the stuff, I cast on 30 stitches on a US#9. After a few rows of garter stitch for curl prevention, I continued in stockinette for about 4 1/2 inches. Then I switched to US#8 tips, did another garter ridge, stockinette for 4 1/2 inches, lather, rinse, repeat down to US#5. The next half of the swatch will be reversing the needle size order, while knitting in the round. When that's done, I will check and record my gauge on all of the sections, then wash and dry the swatch exactly the way I plan to launder the garment. Finally, after removing it from the dryer, I'll recheck my gauge and see how the knitted fabric fared in the laundry. If, after all that, I like what I see, it will be time to choose a pattern and find a good price on the yarn.

Next time, I'll talk about what's on my hooks these days; you won't want to miss it! 8-)

New Day Dawning

Now, don't get too excited, it's only one picture and not much text. But at least it is finally a post! (I hope my faithful reader doesn't keel over in shock!)

We enjoyed this beautiful sunrise this morning, and gorgeous weather all day. Tomorrow is forecast to be even warmer, and it's supposed to be close to 70 degrees (Farenheit) on Wednesday. I'm sure glad I live in Colorado!

More later, honest.

Ooh, Shiny!!!

Meet the new baby in our driveway, my husband's brand new 2009 VW Jetta TDI. The TDI officially stands for "Turbo Diesel Injection", but I've decided it actually means "Tremendous Dollar Investment." It was time, though; the car he's been driving (a 1990 Geo Prizm we bought used from a neighbor) has over 200,000 miles on it and has been falling apart, bit by bit. To soften the pain of the price, we will be getting a good-sized tax credit for buying it, and a nice tax deduction for donating the Prizm to charity.

In knitting news, there are now 15 pairs of mittnz completed, and I've started on the 16th pair. I'm thinking I'll go ahead and finish 18 pair before I quit, so that shouldn't take too much longer. Then maybe there will actually be knitting for something for me! Well, probably not; I really need to get started on Christmas presents. There's only a little more than five stitching months left, after all!

MITTNZ 2009...I'm on a roll!

As soon as I heard that Mittnz 2009 had begun, I cast on for my first pair. Naturally, since I'm easily bored, I used a variety of patterns as well as lots of different yarns (all from stash, of course!) to make these nine pair. The two pair at top left are crocheted from this great pattern, and the pair at bottom left are from the adult version of the pattern, in the single crochet style. The teal pair at top right and the teal and variegated pair second from left on the bottom row were knit from the basic mitten pattern in Ann Budd's Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns. The rest were knit using Kate Gilbert's Gifted mitten pattern, which has become my new most favorite mitten pattern. I've done some tweaking of the pattern (the instructions are only guidelines, right?) with just about every pair, until it's just darn near perfect (for me, anyway!). As a matter of fact, I like this pattern so much that I've continued making mittens, even though the official goal for Mittnz 2009 is just the nine pair.

Now, admittedly, the pair on the right in this second picture is NOT from this pattern, but a girl has to try something new now and then, right? That pair is actually an adaptation of a pattern in Knitting New Mittens and Gloves by Robin Melanson. But I'm back to the "Gifted" mittens pattern on the pair I'm knitting now. I wonder how many pair of mittens I can make before I go totally bonkers? Hmmm....

So, it really IS November!

And we were greeted with the proof yesterday morning. Of course, being Colorado, the temperature may be back in the seventies next week.

Let's see, what have I been up to? Well, I'm to the wrist on the first knitted arm warmer/long fingerless glove. It's taking so long because I'm redesigning it as I go, from the original shorter pattern. You know, knit 20 rounds, frog 12 rounds, re-knit those 12 and get another 30 done, just to frog another 5. The second one will be much faster to make, just replicate the first!

The knitting for the troops is going well; I've now completed three hats and am working on the second neck gaitor. The last of the set of squares for Close Knit Hugs is done, and I'm in the process of weaving in all the ends (something I should have done as I finished each one!). Last, but not least, I finally frogged the scarf I had been making for last year's Red Scarf Project (more here) and rewound the yarn into balls. It has now been cast on again for the Red Scarf Project for 2008, as they have extended the deadline to December 15. The pattern I'm using this time is the Palindrome Scarf, so I can just knit from one end to the other - no need to graft two halves together!

Well, I suppose I should get some dinner made, before the natives get too restless.

A Photographic Record of My Day

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Mittnz and Wristrz and Troop Hats, Oh My!

Actual FO's to report, can you believe it?!? Above on the left are the five pair of mittens and three pair of wristers made for the 2008 Mittnz Blitz, now on their way to the Cheyenne River Youth Project in South Dakota. On the right, modeled by LizaBeth Bear, is the hat I finished yesterday for the Knitting for the Boys Project, and at bottom left is the new one I'm working on.


I'm also knitting another pair of wristers for the daughter of a friend, altering the pattern to make them elbow length. And I still haven't gotten back to my second sock, which is waiting for me to pick up the gusset stitches. Oh, yeah, there are those afghan squares I still have to finish, too. Well, it should all keep me busy and out of trouble, anyway!

The Last Sunrise of Summer

...and I'm really NOT going to miss it (summer, that is, not sunrise)! While I realize that we can't enjoy all the wonderful fruits and vegetables that the season brings, I just HATE the heat. I can hardly wait for consistently cool weather (though I'll be more than happy to accept intermittent chilly days in the meantime).

Just thought I would drop in to say that I'm still alive, in case anyone is listening. There may even be more posts in the near future, if you can stand the shock!

Time Bandits

Okay, who made off with May and June? We can't possibly already be halfway to Christmas, can we? Surely I'm not the only one feeling the rush of air as the days, weeks, MONTHS go rushing by (I know, don't call me surely)...

Well, I have been busy. I received my invitation to Ravelry in late April, and have spent more time there than I would like to admit. It's scary to contemplate just how much yarn has already been cataloged from my stash, especially when considering how much more there is to be entered. Just how many socks worth of sock yarn do I own, anyway? I'm not sure I really want to know.

There has been actual knitting occurring, with multiple FO's to report. The red vest for Warm Woolies that I was working on in my last post has been finished, along with another one in the same yarns with the colors reversed (pictures to be posted soon). I've also started making afghan squares again, and am determined to get a boxful mailed to Close Knit Hugs by the end of July. The most exciting 1/2 FO, though, is my very first sock knit using sock-weight yarn and US#0 needles (otherwise known as dental floss and toothpicks).




(Charlie Cat added for scale - LOL)
I can't wait to start on the second sock, which will be intentionally fraternal. No obsessive stripe matching for me!

It's WAY late, or REALLY early, depending on your point of view, so I'm off to bed now.

Tax Rant and Progress Report

Did y'all see the flare I sent up on Tuesday, when the $#@&* TaxCut program finally let my e-file my returns? They were done Monday afternoon, but every time I ran the "review and check for errors," it came back telling me the payer address from DH's 1099-R was incomplete. Never mind that I typed it exactly as it appeared on the form. Never mind that when I entered the exact same info into the TaxCut program last year, it accepted it with no problem. It insisted that it was an error, and if you choose to ignore said "error" instead of fixing it, the program won't allow you to e-file. Arrrggghhhhh! After deleting and reentering the info numerous times, I had DH take a look at it. He also deleted and reentered it a few times, but then apparently said some sort of mystical incantation over the computer to get it to accept the info. Of course, then it came up with another error, for which he also deleted and reentered the appropriate info, successfully, this time. And there was much rejoicing in the land...at least for the success of the e-filing, if not for the payment to the IRS.


As you can see from this picture, progress has been made on the Warm Woolies vest. I
am just starting on the garter stitch borders for the armholes, after which I will be binding off those sections and working the back and front separately.


And here is the sock-in-progress, just about ready to start the heel flap. You can also see the ever present Ballband Dishcloth, being held down by Tigger's butt.

In health news, I am pleased to report that DH's shoulder has been less and less painful as the post-surgery days have gone by. Yesterday, he even said that it was (dare I say it?) pain free! The still-stitched incisions are apparently itching like crazy, but that will be taken care of next week at his post-op doctor visit.

Well, I'd better get back to it...

Springtime in the Rockies

This is what I woke up to yesterday morning - poor little daffodils! The good news, though, is that all the white stuff was gone by late afternoon.

This has been an interesting week; DH had his shoulder surgery on Monday (the second surgery on the same shoulder in the past 16 months). We're all very hopeful that this will finally relieve the pain he has been suffering since the initial injury in August of 2005, during his deployment in Mississippi and Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. I was able to convince him to take an additional day off, so he didn't return to work until yesterday.

I did get quite a bit of knitting done while we were at the surgery center. The Warm Woolies vest now has about four inches complete, and I had done about the same amount on my first Broadripple sock. Unfortunately, the sock has made multiple visits to the frog pond, primarily due to "gauge of the moment" issues. I am now about eight rounds into the pattern (again!), this time on US#1 (2.5 mm) needles. For someone who usually has to go up at least one needle size, using this small a needle for Regia 6 fadig yarn is a bit bizarre.

Well, back to work...

Happy Easter!

The angel up on the tombstone said,

"He is risen, just as he said."

Quickly now, go tell His disciples

that Jesus Christ is no longer dead!

Joy to the world,

He Is Risen, Alleluia!

History Making Event

I swatched for the Formal Boot Bag in Bag Style last night, and made gauge right out of the gate. This is definitely a first; I usually have to go up one needle size, and even then, I rarely get both stitch and row gauge at the same time. So, after picking my jaw up off the floor, I proceeded to cast on. The bottom is finished, and I'm five rounds up the side, woohoo! I also had a money saving idea as I was once again perusing the book. I'm already planning on making the Knitting Needle Knitting Bag next, and have purchased the handle needles for it with my 40% off coupon on Michael's. But if I want to make a second (or more) bag from that pattern, I plan to purchase a hardwood dowel rod in the correct diameter (10 mm) and finish the (unpointed) ends with wooden beads (or glass, if I can figure out how to best attach them). Have I mentioned how much I like this book?

Whoa, Nellie!

What is up with the price of gas (no pun intended)? Ten days ago it was $2.69 a gallon, and now it's $2.99, a thirty cent jump. If it gets any more expensive, I may have to take to pogo stick riding to get around!

Today was election day - did you vote? If not, then you have NO business complaining about the government.

Okay, now off the soapbox...


Remember that scarf for the Red Scarf Project, the one for which I went off the yarn diet? Well, here it is in it's two halves, being checked out by senior cat inspector Tigger. I thought I was almost done, only needing to graft the two halves together. Wrongo, moose breath! I couldn't figure out how to graft the ribbing to make it look right; it's always half a stitch off. Of course, I had no one to blame but myself. I'm the one with the bright idea to do it in two halves, instead of end to end like the instructions called for. In my defense, I decided to do it that way because of all the mistakes in the first half of the pattern that I had needed to correct; I really didn't want to have to do that for the rest of the scarf. Anyway, long story short, it is now languishing in the UFO's while I decide what I want to do with it, since it's now past the deadline. Oh well, live and learn.

At Long Last...Blog?

Okay, just what is it about blogging that's keeping me from getting it done? You would think it was as exciting as root canal surgery or something...sheesh! Perhaps I should try something I did to finally get in the habit of flossing my teeth. I'll let you know if it works. (Obviously, if I don't let you know, it didn't work.)

Let's see, where should I begin...how about what's currently OTN/H? I'm on the home stretch on the afghan squares I'm knitting for Close Knit Hugs. Just seven more to do and I'll have enough to send in for an entire afghan. Several six inch granny squares have been on the hook for Share a Square. I'm also going to be swatching tonight (during Heroes and Journeyman) for the bag on the cover of Bag Style.

Well, that's it for now, time to watch TV (prime knitting time!).

GO ROCKIES!!!

Yarn Diet "Slip"

Well, as you can see from the graphic above, I had a little "slip" in the Yarn Diet. I'm not feeling too guilty, however, as it was for a good cause. After a thorough search of my yarn stash, I found that I had NO machine washable, soft, worsted weight red yarn to use for the Red Scarf Project. My solution? The use of two 40% off coupons for Michael's, each used on one skein of Red Heart Soft in a deep wine color. Total cost for the yarn, including tax, was $4.24. I'm using the "Hugs & Kisses Seaman's Scarf" pattern adapted from Besotted Scarf by helloyarn.com. Pictures soon to follow, I promise!

How weird are you?

You Are 50% Weird

Normal enough to know that you're weird... But too damn weird to do anything about it!

How Weird Are You?

Happy Birthday, USA!

I only hope we can survive until January 2009!