Friday, December 31, 2004

Holy cow!  I spend a few days away from the computer, and I get about fifty e-mail messages that I need to respond to.  Well, it's not happening tonight, or even this year (2004!), but I'll try to get caught up over the weekend (2005!).  So if you sent me a message, hang tight -- I'll get to you!

To make up for my absence, here are a bunch of photos for your viewing pleasure.  I chose not to take pictures of:

• the pretty purple color my toe turned after I walked into a stool in my kitchen
• the sore muscle in my back that put me out of commission for a day
• the day I spent passed out in bed with chills and body aches, alternating with frequent trips to the bathroom (thanks, Irene!)

I did manage to take pictures of most of the trucks that were parked in front of my house on Monday morning -- I'm missing the salt truck and the police car.  You can see the workers as they figured out that the burst pipe that has left us without water since Christmas was a) underneath our driveway and b) between the water valve and the house, which makes it a) our responsibility to get fixed, and b) necessary to tear up our driveway. 

You try finding a plumber and backhoe the week between Christmas and New Years -- it's not easy (Teresa -- Ron said he'd be out soon -- thanks!).

And here are some items I'll add, with yarn and pattern info, to the Finished Projects list for 2004 when I have a little more time (it's less than an hour 'til midnight!):

Bonne Marie's Shaker Rib Hat from Classic Elite's Beatrice, for my mail lady, who always leaves a treat in the mailbox for my dog:

Remember the Secret Knitting projects I was working on earlier this year?  They were for baby Rosie, who's celebrating her first New Year's Eve tonight! 

I'm blanking on the details, so I'll fill them in on the Finished Projects page later.  I know I already said that, but I also know somebody's going to ask me what yarn or pattern I used, and I can't remember right now.  I'll do the best I can.

Here's Secret Knitting Phase One:  Old, old pattern, and some weird version of Cascade Tweed from ThreadBear.

Phase Two:  Baby Albert from The Knit Stitch, and something called Fizz from Yarn for Ewe.

Phase Three:  Kona Superwash hand-dyed by Nancy McRay of Woven Art.  Pattern from Woven Art.

Phase Four:  Cottage Creations Babies and Bears pattern, and Plymouth River Jeans yarn from Little Red Schoolhouse Yarn Shop.

And Phase Five, which still needs buttons:  Cabin Fever's Tasia's Cardigan, and Plymouth Sunsette yarn from The Yarn Garden in Charlotte.

There!  My camera is cleaned out and ready for the new year.  I'm off to pop a cork . . .

Sarah

Saturday, December 25, 2004

Merry

Christmas!

And may all YOUR chickens be thoroughly cooked in time for dinner, instead of two hours later.

Sarah

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

This week is going by much too quickly.  I'm accomplishing something every day, so that's a good thing, but it's not always something from the top of my to-do list.  Today, for example, I loaded all the crap in my garage into my station wagon and drove it down to the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store.  Now I can pull my car into the garage, and I won't have to stand out in the 2°F weather on the skating rink that is my driveway, scraping the ice crust off of my windshield.

I haven't accomplished much knitting since the fluffy scarf frenzy of last week, although I'm working on a lot of small projects.  I need help with this one:

Shiny!  Frou-frou!  Giant needles!  How unlike me!

Look closely, and you'll see what my current problem is:

See the knot in the middle of the dropped stitch on the top/left hand side?  See the lack of knots in the middle of the dropped stitch on the bottom/right hand side?  I'm triple-wrapping on one row, then dropping the excess wraps on the next row (followed by extra rows of garter stitch, but I've got those under control).  I think the first stitch of that second, excess-wrap-dropping row is pulling up on the previous row, causing that last dropped stitch to be shortened.  Does anyone know a trick I can use to prevent that from happening?  I've re-knit this slippery scarf about six times already, trying different things, but I haven't figured it out yet.  HELP!

Without any permission whatsoever, 'cause that's the kind of mood I'm in, I proudly present to you a photo e-mailed to me today by Cecilia.  Using my free pattern, she knit a pair of knee warmers for her Dad, which are modeled here by her sister, who now wants a pair for herself.  Cool!  You can see the detail much better in this color than in the black I used.  Great job, Cecilia! 

I've really got to get my Gallery updated. 

I'll add that to my to-do list.

Sarah

Thursday, December 16, 2004

I finished the sixth of five scarves just in time to hand them out at the holiday party at the elementary school today.

Yes, I said the sixth of five.  I tore the first one I made out and knit it again with fewer stitches.  That one, the red and black one that you can see in progress in Tuesday's photo, had already been delivered when I quickly snapped the photo of the remaining four that you see above.

Each of the scarves above is knit with a ball of Bernat Boa and a ball of Lion Brand Fun Fur.  The red and black scarf was knit with Boa and Paton's Cha Cha.  Going clockwise from top left, the color combinations are:  Blue Bird (Boa) with Sapphire (Fun Fur), Mocking Bird (B) with Citrus (FF), Phoenix (B) with Tangerine (FF), and Peacock (B) with Citrus (FF).  The red and black scarf used Cardinal (Boa) and Night Club (Cha Cha).  I'm going to try to squeeze another red and black one out of what I have left, and will take a photo of the finished product for you.

The Fun Fur had less yardage than the Boa, and I wanted to maximize the length of the scarves, so here's what I did:

I cast ten stitches onto U.S. 13 needles and knit the first row using both strands (Boa and Fun Fur, or Boa and Cha Cha).  I knit the next two rows with just the Boa, then the next two rows with both strands again.  I alternated this way until I had just enough Boa to bind off with, and made sure I bound off with both strands.  I wove the ends in across the entire base of the scarf and back again -- I'm hoping they'll stay put.

I really like the width (about four inches) and the drape of the fabric made this way.  Each scarf took about two hours.

I still have to finish up a design project and teach my last class of 2004 tomorrow morning, and then I THINK I'm done with all my knitting-related deadlines for the year.  Next I have to focus on finishing up my Christmas shopping and getting a package mailed out PRONTO.

Here's what my brick patio looked like yesterday (or maybe it was the day before -- I've lost track):

Cool, eh?  Reminds me of waffles.  Except my waffles don't usually have dog footprints in them.

And lookie what came in the mail today:

I love my knitting friends!!!  THANK YOU!!!

My cat Mica had surgery on both of her eyes this morning.  The ophthalmologist used cryotherapy to destroy the ciliary bodies in both eyes in an attempt to reduce the fluid build-up which has been making her eyes swell, and to prevent total blindness.  The surgery went well, but she's got a lot of healing to do before we find out how successful it was and how much vision has been preserved.  Since her return home, she's alternated between snoozing on the couch, walking in little circles, and bumping into things.  Poor little girl!

More things:

14.  I have a terrible memory, but can remember extremely embarrassing things from my childhood that I wish I could forget.

15.  I learned to drive in a Volvo 244 DL, with a manual transmission.  I didn’t learn how to drive an automatic until about six years later. 

16.  I have hazel eyes that turn bright green when I cry.

17.  I burst into tears the minute Johnny Depp appeared onscreen in “Edward Scissorhands”, and didn’t stop until the ride home after the movie, followed by spontaneous weeping every time I thought of the movie for days afterward.  Of course it could have been caused by the fact that my hormones were all out of whack because I was 6 months pregnant.

18.  When I was in ninth and tenth grade, people stopped me all the time to tell me I looked like Kate Jackson.  I never saw the resemblance.

19.  I was also frequently described as "perky".  I hated that.

20.  I used to want to be a telephone pole when I grew up.  I was told that I couldn't.  Then I wanted to be a bluebird so I could sit on the telephone pole.

21.  I've never seen a bluebird, although I may have caught a glimpse of one on the golf course a few years ago.

Ooh!  Time to get the banana bread out of the oven!

Sarah

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Son Number Two's teacher gave me a thank you gift today, to show her appreciation for the time I've been spending in the classroom each week (homemade strawberry jam -- yum!).  While my mouth was saying "Thanks!", my mind was saying "Sh*t!  Teacher gifts!"  I've been patting myself on the back for being unusually ahead of schedule with my holiday gift shopping, but I had totally forgotten about getting anything for the staff at the elementary school. 

In the spare half hour of time I had this afternoon between a dentist's appointment and dropping off the Christmas stocking, I ran into JoAnn's with some coupons and came back out with enough frou-frou yarn for five fancy schmancy garter stitch scarves.  The holiday party at the school is Thursday, so that's my deadline, but school is in session on Friday, too, so I actually have an extra day of knitting available if I need it.  I have one and two-thirds scarves done already (out of five -- or maybe six), and can start the third before bed tonight (if I can tear myself away from the computer!).

I have NOTHING scheduled tomorrow except for picking up Son Number One after basketball practice, but I do have to write up a design for a very cool stole which I promised to have done in December, and tomorrow is the only kid-free day I'll have for the rest of the month (whimper!), so I'd like to get that accomplished, at least.  Any additional time I have will be spent furiously knitting yards and yards of garter stitch.

Please send good knitting vibes . . .

Sarah

Monday, December 13, 2004

Jane is not only joining the TKGA Knit-along, but has had her Level 1 submission accepted already!  Congratulations, Jane!  (Hey Jane -- I grew up in the North Hills!)

I finished the Christmas stocking with time to spare:

I haven't been able to get the knit-in schedule straight in my mind for at least a month -- I'm always thinking a week ahead.  Because of that, I hurriedly finished my entry for the annual hat contest, thinking that the Guild meeting was tomorrow.  It's not -- it's in another week.  So this project is done with time to spare, too:

Here's a pair of tiger booties I made for new baby Rosella:

Bunches of knitters made bunches of booties, and here's how we presented them to Mom, Dad, and Baby:

Nifty, eh?

Here are some close-ups:

Fun, fun, fun!

Sarah

Friday, December 10, 2004

For the local folks:

Baby Rosella was born at 10:54 Thursday morning, all 9 lbs. 4 oz. of her.  Mom, Dad and daughter are doing well.  Strawberry blonde, we think.  Are you surprised?

Congratulations, Pat and Terri!

Sarah

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Ooh!  Look what my mailman  female mailman  mailwoman  maillady  mailperson letter carrier brought today:

What a very cool surprise.  THANK YOU loyal readers!  They're currently in the secret hiding place that I usually reserve for my dark chocolate truffles from Harry and David.  Of which I'm currently out.  But which are on the Christmas list I've given my husband.  Who drives right by the Harry and David store on his way to and from work three days a week.  Not that I'm begging for truffles, or anything.  I'm just saying.

Hmm.  Here's another fascinating fact about me:

13.  My dream car is a Jaguar.  XJ Type, I suppose.  From before they all started to looked like Fords.  I'm in possession of a Jaguar hood ornament (obtained legally).  All I need is the car to go under it. 

See?

What?  What did you just say?  Are you implying that I'm asking my readers to SEND me a Jaguar?

I can't believe the nerve of you people.

As if.

subliminalsubliminalsubliminalsubliminal

(champagne colored, please!)

subliminalsubliminalsubliminalsubliminal

Sarah

Sunday, December 5, 2004

Bonney sent one more correction for Eve's Hooded Scarf.  The stitch count at the end of page 4 should be 84(96) stitches instead of 85(97).  That means Bonney has made it through the whole pattern -- I hope she sends a photo of her finished project (hint hint, Bonney!).  Yippee!

In other celebratory news:

I'm done with the Intarsia portion of the Christmas stocking!  Here's the front:

And here's the back:

"Done" obviously refers to the knitting, and not the tail weaving.  There's a teeny tiny bit of duplicate stitch to do, too (Mrs. Claus is having some vision issues).

This is the first time I've left the "beginning" tails on the right (public) side of the piece, as outlined in Sealed With a Kiss's Intarsia:  A Workshop for Hand & Machine Knitting, and as recommended by Tracy.  The intent is to keep the first stitch of each new color from becoming distorted.  I have yet to read the part about weaving those particular ends in, but I'll get to it eventually.

More about me:

7.  I don’t listen to the words of songs, only the music. 

8.  Classical music soothes me. 

9.  I don’t like soggy or messy food that I have to eat with my hands, like barbecued chicken or ribs, or French dip. 

10.  My first cat used to follow me when I went for walks, and then would meow loudly when he got tired and wanted me to carry him the rest of the way.  Okay, so that’s not about me, it’s about my cat, but I thought it was worth mentioning. 

11.  I treat Bisco Sugar Wafers like a secret treasure, hiding them from my family and only allowing myself a few at a time.

 12.  I have a scar in my eyebrow from a childhood kickball injury.  I ran headlong into Amy Rahenkamp, which broke my glasses and caused my head to bleed profusely, requiring three stitches.

Fascinating, eh?

Sarah

Saturday, December 4, 2004

The holiday concert at the Wharton Center was wonderful, and Son Number One was the perfect date.  Let's hear it for mother/son outings!

And now for some business:

Bonney pointed out an error in Eve's Hooded Scarf on page 3, Row 7 of the Increase Section.  It should read:

Row 7 (RS):  WYIF, slip 1 stitch purlwise. Move yarn between the needles to the back. *K2, P2; repeat from * until 3 stitches remain before marker, K2, P1, M1, slip marker, M1, P2, **K2, P2; repeat from ** until 4 stitches remain, K2, P1, K1.

Sarah

Wednesday, December 1, 2004

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your needles:  Eve's Hooded Scarf is finally posted.  PLEASE don't hesitate to let me know if you encounter any errors or questions.  I proof-knit the handwritten directions, and then typed them into Word, so there's a possibility of error, despite my stellar typing skills (in a former life, I was office manager of a typing service).

If all the stars align in my favor, I'll have a new class schedule posted tomorrow (except that I just jinxed myself by writing that down, but I'll still hope it all works out).

Did I mention I've been Christmas shopping for the past three days?  I usually wait to start on a date in December that numbers in the twenties. 

Son Number One and I have tickets for a holiday concert Saturday night (no one else would go with me).  I've been wearing my snowflake socks (store-bought, sorry) and my festive red shirt already.  Where's my Christmas music?  I have to go find my holiday CDs and start playing them in the car.  I'm going to get in the holiday spirit RIGHT NOW, dammit.

House painting update:  Two ceilings down, one to go (covering stains caused by water damage).  No walls done yet, pending hole filling (that sounds dirty), spackling (is that the same as hole filling?) and paint color selection (a minor detail).

I'm toying with a 100 Things About Me list.  Here's a teaser:

1.  Rubber bands and twisty ties gross me out.  You won’t find either of them in my house (that's a lie -- my sons each have a rubber band gun).

2.  I prefer dark chocolate, especially Harry and David’s dark chocolate truffles.  Mmmm.

3.  I tend to be VERY stressed out, with little or no provocation. 

4.  I stopped using caffeine when I was trying to get pregnant with each of my two children, and decided to stay off of it after the second one.  Except for chocolate.  I miss Earl Grey tea the most.

5.  I cheat once in a while (caffeine-wise) with really strong iced tea.  I get REALLY jittery and babble incessantly (about a hundred times more than usual).  Then I crash hard (headache and the shakes).  It's worth it, though.

6.  I used to always throw away the first couple of Kleenexes from a newly opened box, but I’m over that now.

Want more?  Stay tuned . . .

Sarah

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