Great weekend

I gotta tell you, if you ever get a chance to take a class with Beth Brown-Reinsel DO IT!!! She's an amazing teacher. So often, I've taken classes with teachers who are great on technique, but short on patience. Beth was gentle and patient with every student in the class. She made sure even the beginning knitters accomplished something toward the goal of knitting a sampler sweater. The class was called Traditional Construction Techniques for Ganseys and this is what we made:



This is the front of the little sweater I made. I had originally thought that Sassy's American Girl doll would benefit, but the neck is too small to fit over her head. (There was an alternate neck that Beth gave us, but even with that one, I don't think it would have fit.) Anyway, that's why there's a "K" in the lower corner. She gave us 3 different cables to work and what you see in the front of the sweater is Barbara Walker's Baby Cable - I liked the way that one looked the best. it seems rounder and more "cabley" (if that makes any sense). You can also see the underarm gussets pretty well in this picture. Traditional Ganseys are tight fitting sweaters - they were made for fishermen who didn't want a whole lot of excess material to get caught in their tools of the trade. Since a tight sweater can restrict arm movement the smart knitters of the area came up with gussets. You get full range of motion, without hiking the sweater up and being uncomfortable. How cool is that?



This is the back of the sweater and it shows the other 2 cables Beth showed us how to do. The true cable is on the right and the mock cable is on the left. The beautiful thing about all these cables is that you can do each one without ever using a cable needle! I'm forever losing those things, so this makes my cable knitting easier. The sleeves are picked up and knit from the shoulder down (after you knit a small saddle - from the neck out!).

We also learned a cool provisional cast on (for the neck) and the Channel Island cast on - you may be able to see the decorative bumps on either of the pictures near the welt on the bottom. It's a very simple cast on and looks beautiful once you start knitting.

So, now, I'm trying to figure out where I can fit a self-designed traditional Gansey sweater into my already full knitting schedule. I guess it's a good thing to have too much knitting to do.

Is it Spring yet??

I have Spring fever really bad! These teases of warm weather make me crazy. I want it to stay over 50 degrees F for a couple of days in a row. At least the snow is melting. The dirt roads back into my house are making my car a mess, but I'd much rather have mud than snow. 17 more days!!

And because it's getting warm, here's what I'm working on:


It's a diagonal scarf from my Mountain Colors leftovers. I had the pattern, I had the leftovers, but I wanted a skein that would pull the leftovers together. So, I bought a skein a couple of months ago and then lost it in my house. At least that's what I thought. I was out re-organizing my studio over the weekend and came across the skein - put away in the color box. It came into the house with me and I wound it up right away (before I could lose it again). I like the way it's turning out. The fabric is substantial without being boardy and the Mountain Colors is so luscious!

I don't seem to be able to commit to long term projects these days. I like these little short things that don't take much time. When will my 3 current sweaters (Applegate Shirt, self-designed cardigan, and Emerald Isle Pullover) be finished? Maybe soon, I'm getting the itch to finish things up and get going on another big project. If I sat down and actually worked on them all, I bet I could get them done over the course of a weekend.

Not this weekend, though. I'm taking a gansey class with Beth Brown-Reinsel on Saturday and Sunday. I've wanted to take this class forever, but whenever she and I were in the same place, I was doing other things. I'm really looking forward to it.

One more thing...does anyone who reads this live in Australia? I'd like to have a copy of an old show that ran here in the US back in the 80s. My sister and I used to watch Prisoner - Cell Block H on late night TV. I just found out that it came from Australia and would like to get some episodes to give her for ChrisTmas. Anyone down-under willing to trade? Is there something that you've been pining for here in the US that you can't get there? Drop me a comment and maybe we can work something out.

Okay, okay

I'll bow to the pressure to post and move the link to the magic store down a little. Too much temptation eh?

I am happy to report progress on some of the yarn I took out of the Slip Stitch box. There was some gorgeous Tivoli Santos (100% cotton) in 4 different colors that coordinated beautifully. Sassy has an American Girl doll (Kit - from the Depression era). Kit frequently complains that the blankets she has are too small for her. When I saw this yarn, I immediately thought of a doll blanket. Here it is



I have 2 skeins of the yellow, teal, and red, and 3 skeins of the beige. I figure I'll just knit until I run out of the colors and call it good. Sassy's very happy with it.

Had coffee and yarn with Jillian and Henry yesterday. The LYS had called her and told her "The new Bearfoot's in!!!" We were there when the place opened and there was a line! Here's what I got:



Apparently, this stuff is worth its weight in gold. They ordered something like 300 skeins, had a waiting list, and were worried that they wouldn't have any to put on the shelves. I'm happy to report that we left some there. It's lovely and soft and I can't wait to have socks from it.

Here's what else I got yesterday:



It's the second book from the man who wrote Eyre Affair. So the question is, do I need to finish the book I'm reading right now before I start this one? It's a bit like getting new yarn to play with when you're deep in the throes of a big project...

I hate when that happens

I am the original "money burns a hole in my pocket" woman. No really, I can't stand it if I have "extra" money. It's easier for me to be broke than it is to have anything extra. When I'm broke, I just tell myself, "You can't afford it - just look." That money from Elann was making me crazy. Luckily, today I found Peruvian Collection Quechua. It's an alpaca/tencel blend and it's beautiful. Here's the color I got:



I think it will be lovely and drapey and very swank to knit with. At first, I thought it was going to be this:



But the gauge doesn't quite work out. Gauge for Quechua is 22 st = 4 inches and the gauge for Gatineau is 20 st = 4 inches. Not terribly different and I probably could make it work, but I'd really rather not. So then I found this sweater:



The gauge matches, the sweater is slightly too small around. That I can fix easily. The sweater, called Mariner, is knit in mercerized cotton. I'm thinking that alpaca (with no memory) and tencel (with it's drape and sheen) is a good substitute. It will be warmer than a cotton sweater, but I can live with that. I love this planning phase!!

Opa!!!

My son's middle school class takes field trips occassionally to the public library to do research. The teachers like to take the kids to ethnic restaurants on these trips so that they try something different. Parents get to volunteer to take groups of kids to different places. Today, I went to my favorite Greek place, The Parthenon (right out of My Big Fat Greek Wedding). The kids just wanted to watch the waitress light the cheese and sausages on fire - it was a big thrill.

Afterwards, we went to Afterwords (I crack myself up). It's a remainder book shop, so everything is cheap. I haven't been in a while and I used to work right up the street, so I was a regular. I scored these:


for $5.98 - I've been looking for this for a while. I don't have any idea why I didn't buy it when it first came out. But I'm sure glad I found it - it was the only one on the shelf.


for $7.98

I found a fabulous sweater in Irresistible Knits that I must have. It's the Gatineau on page 40. I'll scan it tomorrow. It's a simple sweater with a basket weave pattern and some cables. One of those, just throw it on and go sweaters. Now if I could just find some yarn on the Elann site...

Monday?

So, I'm ready to start my week boss-less. I surf over to Elann this morning...I have $50 to spend - guilt free! Do you think I could find anything? I must have surfed every yarn category, all the needles, and even the tools section! Upshot is, I still have my $50 to spend. Am I nearly this picky when I'm spending real money? It doesn't seem like it.

Last Thursday, I had tea with Jillian, Isobel, and Henry (man is that kid growing!!). We had a lovely time. Miss Isobel can turn a mean cartwheel, let me tell you. So anyway, J has pulled me out of my reading depression. I've been whining for the last couple of months that "nothing is interesting me". She gave me a large yarn bag full of books with recommendations on which to start with. I must tell you, go read Eyre Affair - right now. Turn off the computer and just read. I started it on Thursday evening and finished it Sunday morning.

I remember as a kid when I'd read, what a revelation it was to read and re-read the same book. It gave me a feeling of power that there were real people acting out the story on a stage in my head. No matter how many times I picked up the book or where I started reading, the actors were ready. This book reminded me of that feeling. The main character, Thursday Next, is a LiteraTec - she investigates crimes against literature. Fictional characters rub shoulders with real characters moving back and forth between the pages of a book and the real world. It's wickedly funny (I laughed out loud when one of the characters was introduced and his name was Braxton Hicks). Two thumbs way up for this book. I'm dying to get a copy of the second in the series.

Needless to say, not much knitting got done this weekend. I love it when I have a good book to read!

It's Friday and next week the boss is gone...

How happy am I? Of course, I don't want to think ahead to the following week when he comes back brimming with ideas...I'll be Scarlett O'Hara and think about it tomorrow.

I finished a cowl/scarf for my Sassy:


She was over the moon about it, but couldn't just smile and make a nice picture. What a goof.

I have my free money at Elann. Do I need anything? Nope. But there's lots of stuff that I want. I just need to decide what I want most.

Fall Fleece Fair

I really was restrained. Usually in February, I come home with a whole fleece. My friend Nancy didn't shear her sheep yet this year (it was too cold). So, I guess I don't have a fleece to play with until the September sale...or I could go when Nan shears the sheep and get it right off the hoof! That might be fun.

So anyway, here's what I bought for Sassy. She roamed around and came back to me with this:


Her very serious attempts at drop spindling are really charming. I can't wait until she gets a spindle full and we can make a skein out of it. I'll have to hide it away so she won't throw it out. She tends to be a perfectionist and even though she's a saver, I'm sure she'll pitch it the first chance she gets.

Here's what I bought for myself:


It's a wool/mohair blend. I don't really like to spin mohair, but the colors pulled me in and I found myself watching this roving from across the room. I had decided that I wasn't going to buy it - using the rationale that I could get it "next time." Someone in the waiting to pay line was talking about roving she was buying. "It's from Moonstruck - you know, Rose. Well, she's opening a shop in the near future and won't be dying roving anymore." I quietly stepped out of line and went back to the table where this lovely stuff was sitting. - and snatched up a ball. Rose has the best color sense I've seen in a long time. She's one of those people who can put colors together in roving that I wouldn't put together in the same room and it works. It's really going to be a loss when she stops dying and blending roving.

Lastly, this is my Turkish spindle:


It's bird's eye maple. Can I admit that I'm a little afraid to try it out? I know, I should suck it up and give it a spin, but I'm so used to spinning on my little Hatchtown (and loving it) that I don't want to try anything new right now. My god, I'm turning into my old Nana - I'll be spinning on it tonight.

Woohoo!!

The Slip Stitch box is here!! The Slip Stitch box is here!! I tore into that puppy and look what was scattered on my table:



Then I took a bunch of stuff out and filled it back up again:



Hub just stood and smiled at me pulling stuff out of that box. He said, "I'm going to leave you alone with that now." What fun. Michelle G. in Indiana - it's heading your way so keep eyes open!

Is it really Tuesday?

Yesterday was President's Day here. What kind of holiday is President's Day? The kids had no school, so I threw myself on the sword and stayed home with them. We had fun - no really. There were 2 fabulous TV marathons on Law and Order on TNT and The West Wing on Bravo. I spent much of the day switching between the 2 stations, and spinning. We made jewelry with the ton of beads I have. I promised them they didn't have to get dressed if they didn't want to and they didn't. Sassy said, "Don't you tell me to get dressed. You said I could wear jammies all day!"

On Saturday, I spent the day with my spinning friends at our annual Winter Fleece Fair. Imagine a middle school cafeteria with all the tables filled with pounds of wool - natural, colored, multi-colored. It's sensory overload. I did end up coming home with a Turkish spindle, a 1.5 yard niddy-noddy, 8 oz of amazing orange/yellow swirl roving, and a 2 oz ball of blue/yellow/green/white that Sassy couldn't live without. She's learning to drop spindle. I gave her the one I made at SOAR and bought her some light green roving a couple of weeks ago. It's very lumpy bumpy, but she keeps asking, "Why doesn't it look like yours? Why isn't mine smooth?" I have to dig out my very first handspun and give it to her. She doesn't quite believe that I was ever bad at spinning. I love the faith my 8-year-old has in me.

This is a Turkish spindle:


It's not mine (only because I was too lazy to take a picture of it this morning), but it gives you an idea of what one looks like. I'll try it out this week. I'm more partial to high-whorl spindles, but the Turkish spindle is great because you can push the shaft out from the 2 cross pieces and then pull out the cross pieces and you have a center pull ball. How cool is that?

I tried to restrain myself from buying and buying on Saturday because I really have more roving than I think I can handle right now. I saw some lovely roving from England and picked up several balls. Then remembered that I had a sampler pack at home that hasn't even been opened. I went home and dug through the fiber stash - found the bag (which has 7 different kinds of roving in it - in 2 oz balls). When I finished the gorgeous blue wool/tencel blend that I had, I pulled open the sampler bag. I started with the Black Welsh. It's coarse, but feels springy and wonderful. I think it would make a great coat - or rug, something that won't be worn close to the skin. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I have a goal to spin up a bunch of fiber by the time the Fall Fleece Fair rolls around. Maybe I'll sell the yarn or make something and sell that.

One more progress report, I finished seaming the Emerald Isle pullover and tired it on. It's a little form-fitting, but not unattractively so. I'm about 1/2 way done with the bottom band and have to do the neckline. Do I need a "finish by" date? Probably - I'll keep you posted on that too.

Enough is enough

I don't consider myself a "political" person. My philosophy of life can be pretty much summed up by "live and let live." I'm not bugging you, you're not bugging me - let's just leave it at that. Hub (who as you know by now is a fascist Republican) and I had a little conversation the other night regarding this marriage bruhaha. You can probably guess that I don't give a rat's ass who you sleep with - it's none of my business and when push comes to shove, Hub doesn't care much either.

Hub, "What's the big deal? Why can't they just live together and act like they're married."

Me, "The big deal is, we get benefits and perks because we toe the heterosexual line. They can live together, raise children together, and own property together, but they have no legal recourse if something goes wrong.

Hub, "What?"

Me, "Say a lesbian has a child - she's the biological mother of this child. Her partner has no ties, but has been in the house since conception and has raised this child as her own. Many states won't allow gay/lesbian parents to adopt - even when one is the biological parent. What happens if the woman who gave birth dies and her parents were never crazy about that lesbian thing. They swoop in and because they are related to the child, can take that child away from her only remaining parent."

Hub, "Oh..."

Me, "What about a stay-at-home gay dad? He's given up the rat race for a while to take care of the kids. He doesn't have health insurance. You know what happens to a single income family when one or the other parent gets very sick or becomes unable to work for any reason?"

Hub, "Hmm, I guess I never really thought about it."

Me, "You need to."


And so do you. I don't care if you're black, white, asian, agnostic, atheist, born-again, Jewish - it doesn't matter. We are all human beings and should be treated equally and with dignity and respect - no matter what our lifestyle choices are.



Click, read, and give - it's important.

Do You Believe in Miracles?

Last week, Kathy asked if anyone was planning on going to see the new movie Miracle about the gold medal winning 1980 US Hockey Team. At the time, I thought, "We're a hockey family - of course we're going to go!" Hub and I took the kids on Saturday night. We also introduced them to the illicit joys of buying movie candy at Target and sneaking it into the theater. Before we got out of the car, I said, "Leave it in your pocket until the theater gets totally dark." They dimmed the lights for the previews and immediately Sassy breaks out with, "Can I get my candy out now? It's dark!!" But I digress.

I remember lying on the floor of my parents' living room watching that game. It was so long ago and yet feels like yesterday. I sat weeping in the theater while Little Big-Man laughed at me (and passed me a napkin to wipe my face). Time passes way to quickly - and I'm digressing again.

I said to Hub as we were driving home, "You know, that Kurt Russell...I've been in love with him since


Hub did not remember that movie. I said, "Okay, I really loved the bad boy in


So, in Miracle, he plays a hockey coach from Minnesota (who dresses badly)


but I loved him anyway. I think he got the Minnesotan accent right (anyone from Minnesota agree?). I was a little disappointed that his wife never showed up with a hot dish, though. Anyway, I pay homage to the acting career of Kurt Russell. Go see the movie, it is a Disney classic and it will make you feel good.

What made me spew latte on my monitor

You are Merino Wool.
You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to
keep you close because you are so softhearted.
You love to be comfortable and warm from your
head to your toes.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

I'm cackling madly here in my office - it's the easygoing and sweet part. Ha!

WTF?

Didja get your new Lion Brand yarns catalog? I'm not against Lion Brand, in fact, I've used their yarns more than once. And I've been happy with the results (although WoolEase does pill something fierce). This is a photo from their article in the new catalog titled "Student Exhibit at FIT"



That sweater on the left is about the fugliest thing I've ever seen. Is it art? Is it a sweater? WTF is it exactly?

I'm back

I need a new book to tell me Women should ignore media's �perfect mom� image?

The [current] assessment of motherhood has been shaped by out-of-date mores, the authors noted. It is not about whether women should have children or whether mothers should work or stay at home; it is about how no matter what they do or how hard they try, women will never achieve the promised nirvana of idealized mothering, they said.

Is anyone else puzzled by seemingly "scientific" data published in a book for big $$$ that is just common sense? My life is all about letting some areas go (keeping my house spotless, never having dirty laundry) so that I can pursue other areas that bring me fulfillment (watching Little Big-Man play hockey, listening to Sassy's develop her reading skills, spinning, knitting, etc.). I get really tired of academia telling me how I should and shouldn't behave/think/feel. Go check out the review if you're at all interested.

I'm sorry I've been away so long. I've become one of those bloggers that bug me (someone who doesn't post in forever and doesn't explain why). I caught the cold from hell last week. I was in bed for 2 days with a fever that hovered around 101 F. Not terribly high, just bad enough to make me want to lay in bed and wish for a quick and painless death. It was so bad, I didn't even care how terrible daytime TV is! I curled up on my heated mattress pad with a big glass of water and alternated between sleep and the DIY network.

I've slowly returned to knitting and spinning and I'm currently working on the bottom band for the Emerald Isle Pullover. Maybe I'd like to wear this before the end of winter??? I also started spinning that lucious blue wool/tencel blend. As predicted - it's gorgeous. I'll be pulling a skein off my plying spindle soon and I'll snap a picture of it then. It feels so good to feel good again.