RAIN RAIN EVERYWHERE!

The past couple of days have washed away all memories of summer, dry lawns, flowers, sitting outside with a beer & lazily watching the world stroll by. Life in the city is no fun in a big storm. It seems drivers become less intellegent as the years go by & lose whatever remained when the lights go out. No one knows how to take turns anymore. No one signals. No one follows the rules we learned as new drivers. I wonder what would happen if we had to retake our driving test every once in a while??? When it snows, a lot of drivers get off the road & those that remain become very polite. But, when it rains, it's a demolition derby out there! I try to stay home & spin or knit.

My friend Gail has a well, so when the power goes off, she's dipping into the water barrel outside to flush & wash. She has lamps & a good wood stove though so she's nice & cosy with her spinning wheel. My ex still has the old wood stove so he can cook, heat water & keep cosy by the fire with his battery operated radio. I was the lucky one in one sense, my power flickered but never went out, the cable was on, I raked the leaves off the drain so I wasn't flooded & I spent the evening knitting with a hot cup of tea. I really felt sorry for all those unappreciated heros working outside in the storm to get the roads cleared, the floods diverted & the power back on.

<<<<<<< >>>>>>>

I'm knitting up socks #25 in alpaca & shetland wool. They're knit with three different handspun yarns to make a thick, warm pair of socks for a friend who goes diving off the southern BC coast all year round. His dry suit keeps him dry but it doesn't keep his feet & ankles warm. He's tried everything but not my socks!! So, I'm knitting up a firm fabric on 5mm needles - its quite a bit slower than my regular mindless sock knitting because it IS so much thicker!!! I'm really hoping these will solve the problem but I also have some other tricks up my sleeve. I was given a big bag of almost-black Newfie hair. It's actually a brown so dark it just looks black & I was thinking of blending it with some wool & knitting it up with another strand of plain wool or maybe some mohair or llama. I have big bags of both in the closet that only need washing, picking & spinning. I haven't used the llama in socks simply because its much too lovely . . . . But - in order to save the feet of a friend, I might be persuaded. By the way these socks are progressing, they'll soon be standing in the corner on their own.

Socks #24 have advanced to the heels. As soon as the Diving Socks are finished, #24 will have their heels turned & the foot finished. And then I have to figure out #26 which will be a Manly gift for the male half of the "Parents who have Everything" for Christmas. I may have to make the trek down to Knitopia to seach for just the right pattern!! And then there's all that wool from Brown Sheep coming . . . . . . .

Friday Morning in the Rain


Although I like to live on the coast, all this rain is getting me down. My arthritis would prefer it DRY - cold or hot will do as long as its dry! But, if you chose to live in the Rainforest, I guess you have to get used to rust, mold, damp & rain. Good thing we have wool & gas fireplaces . . . .

The cat is especially peeved. She keeps calling me to the door to go out. I open the door, cat runs out, she sees water, cat goes into reverse & I'm left holding the door open. Twenty minutes later, we repeat the process. Its all my fault. I'm in charge of the door. And she wants the door into Summer.

Since we can't go outside & play in the garden with all the plants, I've spent my time knitting more socks. I dug into the left-overs bag & found 5 balls of the Lord & Master's favorite splotch dyed Confetti & knit up these socks. I only had enough to knit to the instep but I think they look really good with the solid band & red toe. The lighting is really off this morning since these are actually blue with a slate band & red toe! Not bad for a few left-over balls eh? It pays to knit several pairs of socks in the same color. I do put different toes on them for fun but this is almost like getting a free pair of socks.

The bright yarn on the left is going to be my new socks. Again, this is my old pal, Confetti. Confetti colors have really sharpened up & there's so many lovely combinations at a really low price that I just can't ignore it considering it really wears well too. I do knit Confetti socks on needles one size smaller than I do with Regia or Opal but the Confetti 'fulls' when washed the first time so the fabric is similar. Cheap & cheerful, that's my motto!!!

My spinning buddy Gail & I did a really bad thing today. I admit the Devil sat on my shoulder & whispered into my shell-like ear & I passed it straight on into to Gail's. Carol, who sells Brown Sheep Rovings, tempted me with her ad. We've long heard wonderful things about Brown Sheep Roving. And Carol Lee has tons of it for sale on her Discount Page. I should never ever look but I did & there it was - ripe for the taking & I fell into the land of temptation - assisted by Gail. We bought 15 pounds of Brown Sheep white roving to spin. FIFTEEN pounds! The only thing is - I have to hide it at MY place . . . . . . .

Hallowe'en is over for Another Year!

I nominated the BT for a job watching heavy equipment & a house last nite. My client who is digging big holes in the ground around the house, worried about his expensive equipment sitting there all alone when the ghouls were out. I suggested security for the witching hours & even gave him a number! The BT was hired on the spot. Only thing I forgot was that we sold his car last month & I would have to drive him to the appointed spot & pick him up in the wee hours . . . . its amazing how empty the freeway is at 3:38 in the morning! Testosterone, being what it is, the Little Boys showed up when it was well & truly dark to burn down the house & shoot their rockets at the Hoes & Cats parked nearby. The BT, in camoflage from his army days, appeared out of nowhere like a bat out of hell & scared the crap out of them. All was quiet until the bars closed and the Big Boys came to burn down the house & shoot rockets at the Cats & Hoes. Super BT in stealth mode appeared out of nowhere & once again saved the day. I shake my head in wonder - why would mostly, perfectly normal human beings want to go out to burn things down & blow things up on Hallowe'en???

I got to stay home on Hallowe'en. I bought a big box of Pringles in Hallowe'en colors for the few kids we still get knocking at the door. I think 8 kids showed up. And now I have an almost full box of indivdual Pringles. But I got to sort thru my sock yarn & pick out a whole bunch of leftovers for Christmas socks. I think I'll knit up some Frankensocks with black or grey as the foundation color & use up all the bits as colored bands between blocks of the solid color.

And I got to spend some time spinning - I actually got to SPIN!!

Saturday Afternoon in the Swamp


Another week just whizzed by while I was trying to get my life organized. I live & work in chaos. Because of this, I signed up for a Virtual University course in 'How to Organize your Life'. I'm supposed to keep a schedule of my time in 15 minute blocks for 3 days. The instructor says that 3 days is enough to see how you actually spend your time. Well, I spend a lot of time driving. And sorting things for clients. And trying to do two or three things at the same time. I'm an Everything Out & See The Big Picture - To Hell With the Details person. Which means I live in chaos. If it isn't in sight, I can't find it & I'm only concerned with the Bottom Line not how you get there . . . . . tell me something I don't know!! When do we get to the part that helps?????

I'm also taking a basic HTML class. I want to know why I can't make Mr Fluffy jump up & down!! I've been editing my template & adding buttons for this site by following the patterns of the original code. I've always been good at following patterns - did you know that most exams have a pattern?? And the template is no exception but I want to understand WHY it works. Mom DID say my first word was WHY, not mama, like other kids. So this has kept me busy too.


I've finished the Africa socks!! I made this first pair a little short since they're to go to one of the "Parents Who Have Everything" for Christmas. Yes Virginia, less than two months till the big day again!! I have another ball for myself hidden away - I'm not normally a brown lover but I just love the strong graphic element in these socks. They remind me of an African mud-print!!
And I'll enjoy wearing my pair. Since this yarn is a little coarser than the sock yarn I usually use, I went up a half needle size when I knit them which made the yarn feel much nicer.



I've also started to knit up the last of my Rainforest Opal - PARROT. I'm not sure if this colorway really reminds me of a parrot but it sure is bright & cheerful!! I've already turned the heel a la Queen Kahuna & am heading up the homestretch to the toe - these should be done by Saturday nite while I watch TV!! As usual, Opal knits up beautifully, feels good & has great yardage. I'm knitting it on my favorite 2.25mm needles & the fabric feels wonderful even before washing. I was looking at Opal sites since I know there's some new Rainforest colors & I want a couple of the new ones if I can ever find them again!!

Wednesday morning coming down . . .


I woke up this morning with a hangover!
Well, it sure felt like a hangover although I only remember one beer last nite after work . . . and then Mizz Bitchy snapped at the BuGeyed Monster in the car & the fight was on!!! Feels more like Monday to me.!!
And here I've finished pair number 20 which I'd like to dip in gasoline, stuff in an unmentionable orifice & light with his very own Bic . . . . .

The Joys of Relationships.



By the way, the socks are laying in a bed of Rosemary - the durned thing seems to think its spring & is putting out new shoots everywhere!


And the pole beans are blooming their hearts out while the clematis is setting new buds everywhere. Aren't we getting ready for winter???

Still knitting on the Indian Sweater. As one knitter remarked, "its like knitting with turkey basters"!! She's got it right - its a great relief to get back to the nice little wooden sock needles after a couple hours of wrestling with those huge needles. I'm also making the sweater extra long so the back & kidney area isn't exposed when the wearer bends over & adding a hood to keep neck & head covered & warm. I remember cranking these out waaaaay back when my kid brothers were in their mid-teens & newly moved to Vernon. The first winter was a little out of their experience having grown up on the coast so big sister knit sweaters for the next winter!!! I think they were all the style back then too.

I've started on the Africa socks for ME. And I've stared a diamond shaped swatch in my Arvik handspun. I have a patten designed for a worsted weight cotton yarn that uses a diamond motif in a modular system to make a lovely summer sweater. Now worsted weight cotton may look good on a small figure but it becomes heavy & uncomfortable on a large one! I tried a couple of rows of the motifs & ended up frogging the whole thing in disgust. But, the pattern is lovely & I wondered how it would work with handspun . . . . . Handspun is loftier than commercial yarn but lighter in weight so the diamond motif may look really nice in a larger format. Must finish the swatch in order to test my theory. Would be a nice way to showcase the color changes in the fleece . . . .

And its 5 o'clock in the afternoon!! Where DID the day go?? Must be the hangover.

Just Another Soggy Sunday . . .


The rain has started & I guess this signals the start of winter in the Lower Mainland. I know, I know, we may get a couple of sunny days yet but the wet, grey days of fall and winter always get me down, especially when my paper is missing!!!!

One of the problems of this time of year is Where Do I Put All the Plants??? I toss em outside each spring & then fill up the plant places all summer with Other Things. Now I have to find Places again. If I was smart, which I'm obviously not, I'd only buy OUTDOOR plants.
So now I have to find a spot for two Christmas Cacti, two HUGE spider plants - these were babies from the two ENORMOUS spiders I sicced on my pal Gail last winter!!, one Ginormous Jade plant & several small ones from its cuttings that I had to stick in the ground when I pruned the Momma & two baby ferns that grew too big in their little spot over the summer. I guess it actually was a blessing in disguise when Someone came along early in the spring & stole several houseplants . . . .


On the craft front - I've dug out some of the 100+ packages of Buffalo & Cowichan wool that I have laying about the place. I have basically two color palettes - greyish & brownish with no two balls the same. I met two young people about a month ago who, for their own reasons, are homeless. They struggle daily to make enough money to care for their own needs without taking anything from the government or begging. They work hard every day salvaging things that people throw away & recycling them. So, I decided to knit them both a Cowichan style sweater to keep them warm. I'm making them long, pullover style & oversized with a pocket on the inside & two on the outside. After knitting with US1 & 2 sock needles, knitting this stuff with these big needles is like knitting with broomsticks!!!! I don't know what hurts the most - the hands or shoulders!!! But I think this is a great way to use up all this yarn I've had around for a long time. I'll make hats out of the rest to give away - this wool needs a new home!!!


Socks - the 20th pair this year is on the needles & have had their heels turned!! These are in the black/white splotchy Confetti so beloved by the BoyToy & will end up in his sock drawer. Haven't decided what color the toes will be yet but will probably have another red or blue stripe just before the toe which looks soooooo neat & colorful!! Gotta get some color in there somewhere with a guy who wants only "MANLY" colors . . .


Gail is off at the Desert Mesa Spinning retreat this weekend! I didn't have the money to go this year but put in my order for a couple of things . . . . as if I NEED any more fibre!!! Before Gail left, she sent me a couple of pictures of Freya with Granny & Grampaw at the Cranberry Festival in Langley. Granny Gail decided Freya needed something to keep her hands warm so she whipped up this latest little goodie for her grandbaby Freya. Fish Mitts!! Aren't they cute???

Speaking of Time . . . .


Was having a BAD day this morning but I'm back on track!! I finished the BoyToy's newest socks last nite - in his favorite shade of Confetti - but I just HAD to make the toe different again! He really hates the wild patterns most of us love & I HAVE to do something to keep them from being booooooring!! I haven't cast-off for the toes yet so the turquoise thingie is the stitch holder for those who are wondering . . . . .

Picked the last of the Scarlet Runner beans today & gathered in the last green tomatoes as well. I always let a couple of beans go to seed so I have them to plant next year. I put up a couple of 8x2 lattice strips up this summer for my clematis & beans to climb - some of the Runner beans are still trying to flower & the clematis is flowering its head off too!! I hope we continue to get bright sunny days till the end of the month, who knows?? I might just get more beans! The Christmas Cactus is setting buds. I know, I know . . . . but this one flowers at Easter & Thanksgiving!! I believe its actually the Crab Cactus that blooms at Christmas.

I got the brand new first edition of Interweave Crochet the other day! I think I actually prefer Interweave Knitting to all the others so I thought I'd try the new magazine out for size. There's a couple of bulky wrap jackets in there that I just love. I think they'd be very easy to size up to an Ample size too - the Cinnabar Coat is done with side panels between the fronts & back so it would be VERY easy to make the panel wider without compromising the overall shaping. The stitch is dead easy too - a half-double crochet & a slip stitch make the pattern! I dug out a crochet hook & tried it out right away. I also loved the fluffy Pineapple Lace Cardigan. I'd make it as a snuggle sweater for reading in bed or cuddling on the couch. Its really nice to see crochet patterns other than afghans, bedspreads & doilies!!!

And me with FOUR - yes, thats FOUR sweaters-in-progress now . . .

As time goes by . . . .


I'm quite shocked at how the past two weeks have flown by! Remember when we were kids & time was all we had?? And how it crawled endlessly when we were anticipating something wonderful like Summer Holidays, or Christmas or Easter??? Now you blink and another week has disappeared. Are we that busy? Are we too busy to enjoy TIME? TIME to spin, TIME to knit, TIME to laugh, TIME to spend with friends & family. I've been reminded sadly in the past two weeks that TIME is very precious when there's none left. It has been said more than once that the only thing any of us begs for before we die is to have more TIME. Savor it. Spend it wisely. It waits for no one.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr . . . . . .


Does anyone realize just how much it's rained lately??? The grass has greened up, the Manning Park fire is out & I've been cold all week. Part of this may be the remains of the virus that took me out last weekend but I really believe most of it's due to the sudden demise of summer.
I woke up the other morning with frozen feet! I've been too warm for most of this year - I show up sweaterless & jacketless with the sweat dripping off my forehead to most events. I've lived in shorts and thongs since January! I gave up wearing my own socks because I was too warm & now, with fall upon us, the rain is making everything damp & I'm cold! Is it the weather or have my hormones given up at last??? I'm knitting as fast as I can . . . .

Here's a pic of the latest pair of socks. The tops aren't really a different color, I guess I'm still not very good with the camera! The tops are the same as the foot but seem to be in the shadow so they look different. I was wondering what to do with the toes when Kathy whipped out the ball of purple that matched the purple in the socks perfectly - how does she DO that anyway??? I've already cast-on another pair in the BT's favorite black/white splotchy Confetti so he'll have some new snuggly socks for winter. I don't know what color toes they'll get but I will probably do the solid stripe of color before the colored toe like last time - he really loved those ones!!

Meanwhile . . . . the squares continue. I've picked out a couple of pink & grey ones which I think I'll keep for patch pockets on my grey handspun, Arvik sweater to be. And I'm debating whether to start knitting on the sweater as I'm spinning it or to finish my fuschia wool jacket that was started last year. The jacket is lovely but much heavier than I need right now. I'm wondering if I should just get it in gear & knit a light sweater quickly - I'll use a lace pattern to keep it light.

The Best Laid Plans . . . .


My spinning & knitting buddy Gail & I had plans to go to the Ryder Lake Spin-In this weekend. We talked about little else this past week! We were dying to meet a fellow spinner/blogger of Wovenflame fame, Marlene. We even remembered to pack our favorite coffee cups. I woke up with what felt like a really bad hangover - hey, I only had a couple of brown cows the nite before!!! Dragged myself out of bed, took gravol & ibuprofen & managed to get some tea down . . . . got to Gail's house to find her in worse shape. I don't remember her being invited to the party!! I was white as a ghost but poor Gail was actually green. She was willing to go so she didn't spoil my day & vice versa for me. We decided to go back to bed! I know I slept most of the day. And I know where this came from. We are going to put Laura in a garbage can head first!

And the squares continue . . .


Just more of the bits & pieces I've been knitting up. Took a sampling to my sock knitting group & the gang told me I was nuts to think about putting them into a sweater because the colors vary too much, sigh . . . I didn't SAY I had any color sense or fashion couth! They're just too pretty to hide away at home on the couch . . . . . but I guess they're right. The Fashion Police would come & take me away.

The weekend got off to a lousy start but I have plans to spend most of today on my spinning wheel! And what will I do with all the money I saved from NOT going to the Spin-In??? Well, I just might buy some more CYAN & MAGENTA dyes so I can have some more great squares!!! Or I might dye up some yarn to knit pockets & collar or a yoke on my shetland sweater-to-be.

A Nice Little Surprise


My knitting pal Gail sent this photo over the other day - I laughed out loud when I saw it! I met her little cat Evie one Saturday when we decided to have a spinning session at Gail's house. Apparently Evie is very shy & hides when people come over. But, I guess I smelled right & she made herself at home in my lap for most of the afternoon . . . . . Evie has good taste - this is one of Gail's felted bags!


Speaking of photos - Kathy sent over a couple of photos of her 'Fishing Socks' on the feet of her Fisherman!!
And the start of her current socks - I meant to get them posted but my Mail program crashed, taking with it all my addresses, saved documents & scads of unread mail!! Managed to fix the problem - it kept telling me I had 4000+ unread emails!! Not even I can get that far behind!! Sooooooooooo TADA!! Kathy's socks . . . This is the current sock in progress. She's actually turning the heels on these right now & I think she said these ones are for her daughter.

As for me - well, I'm trying to finish the current sock but other things keep getting in the way . . . like cold breezes & drafts! I keep thinking about finishing one of those damned sweaters in time for the fall weather - which seems to have arrived TODAY!! So, I've been knitting a lot of squares. I have a whole lot of unspun dyed batts in the basket as well as spun dye exeperiment yarn in balls. So, I've been knitting 8" dishcloth squares in handspun. I like the diagonal dishcloth pattern. Its simple yet elegant in its own way & the diagonals show off the color changes in the handspun. Not sure whether these will end up in an afghan or a sweater but they are on my mind, in my hands & on the needles these days. Maybe its like that finger itch you get in the early spring when you just have to go out & dig in the earth & plant seeds. Turning leaves give me that finger itch that means I have to knit something large & warm for the winter!

The Cat Who Loves Fibre

Tigger loves fibre & anything made from fibre. Sometimes I come home to find her head end rolled up in the latest project & her back end sticking out. Sometimes she just pulls the knit blanket off the couch or chair to lay on if she can't get on the furniture. Fresh fleece has to be kept in the bag or she'll roll in it. The bag of dog fur has to be put waaaaaaaay on top of something tall or she'll have the bag torn open & the contents made into a bed. Funny thing though . . . she doesn't go for yarn. No interest in the sock I'm knitting. Hasn't tried out the fluffy skeins of handspun. Doesn't play with stray strands of leftover yarns.



I've got a hole in my sock. This is the very first hole I've ever had in any of my handmade socks!!! If you look really closely just above where the green square heel is, you'll see the hole where the yarn has broken & pulled away from the heel flap. I have no idea why this happened. Maybe I picked up a partial stitch, maybe there was a weak spot in the yarn, maybe this is a spot where I tug them on or off . . . Gives me a good reason to stay with the new heel style that I've learned where I DON'T pick up stitches at all - I increase 1 stitch on either side of my heel stitches every second row until I have a fan of increases which look just like a gusset. Sometimes I just short-row the heel - a la Jan - from there if I'm in a hurry or continue with turning a heel flap & then short-rowing - a la Queen Kahuna - if I have more time. I still use the knit1, slip 1 on my main heel stitches for that 'cushie' padded heel. This type of heel sure is easier on the aging eyes!!! And after the first couple of pairs, I can do it in my sleep!

As fall continues to creep into our lives, I'm trying to finish some of my sweater projects. My 'Ginny' is coming along. I got tired of the body & am now knitting rapidly down the sleeves on circular needles. I'm planning a 3/4 sleeve for this - hope it looks alright. And I've spun up another fat skein of Shetland for my handspun sweater.
I also have a growing pile of 8" squares of dyed handspun that I've made as 'swatches'. I wanted to see what some dyed yarns looked like when knit up or to feel the fabric that different plies make. I was going to make a blanket but I may just crochet them together to make a light sweater . . . . or put them between solid squares. I like portable projects & I may just get a sweater for myself sooner if I make it portable. Just a thought.

THE WEEKEND WAS OVER TOO SOON


I hate travelling on busy roads on a holiday weekend so I always stay home & putter around the ole Hacienda. Washed the kitchen & bathroom floors, blew the dust off some boxes & peered inside, threw away some junk I've been 'meaning to get to' SOMEDAY. Discovered a couple of unfinished projects & picked some ripe tomatoes.


I dug out the "Ginny's" sweater I started months ago & knit a couple of rows - I think I'll just finish it. The pattern comes from Medrith Glover who designs for the Ample figure - she's really reasonable & I bought several of her patterns including a Voluminous Vest knit in one piece which I intend to knit soon!!
Ginny's is knit mostly in recycled Scheepsjwool Luzern in grape tweed although I've used some lavender tweed and that wild pink yarn with turquoise & hot pink blobs in it - I only found one ball darnit!! I've knit it from the top down to make that deep V in front, back & down each arm. I used a mixture of yarns for the top and the grape Luzern for the main body. The small pic of the bobbly yarn shows the actual color of the grape yarn - for some reason the sweater is much pinker in the photo!! I enjoyed wearing the two sweaters this recycled yarn came from. I knit them up originally back in the 80s when yarn stores were few & far between. I found a delightful one over in PoCo in a mini mall that discounted yarn at the end of the season & believe me, I bought plenty of it!! I think I have this Luzern in all three of the purples it came in as well as a light blue. I eventually just got tired of the sweaters & reycled them . . . .


I've also been spinning up some grey shetland wool from a sheep named Arvik - love that fleece!! It comes in greys from light to almost black which you can see in the skeins. The wool is so lovely I've been spinning it right from the fleece. I had 5 fat skeins hanging from the skein rack but I wound two up into balls so I could knit a swatch in two ply just to see what it would look like. Since I'd like to wear this sweater THIS year, I intend to knit it up in two-ply although I love the light, airy fabric it makes when knit as one-ply. It just takes too long to knit wool gauze to fit my very ample self!!! This sweater will also be a light cardigan that I can wear instead of a jacket since I drive everywhere & don't really need a cold weather garment, especially in our climate.

I was playing around with double seed stitch on the swatch but it isn't really visible in this yarn so I'll probably use a garter stitch combined with stockinette & let the color & the rustic quality of the yarn shine thru.

And thats what I did on MY holiday weekend!!

ANOTHER PAIR BITES THE DUST


The Frankensocks are done! They were great fun actually - I started them off the same but decided to just carry on with the bits & pieces I could find that related to the existing colors somehow. Most of the scraps I have left have BLUE in common, not RED which is the recipient's favorite color. So, I've done what I could with the scraps I had left . . . I think they'll be satisfactory though.

Although I have another pair on the needles - I'm going to concentrate on spinning up my Shetland so I can get started on that fall sweater. Fall is in the air. I saw my first red tree this past week. Although the days are warm - even HOT, it sure cools down quickly when the sun goes down!! Fall, is my favorite season . . . I love the warm days full of sunshine, fruits & veggies. I used to produce a lot of canned fruits, jams, pickles & relishes this time of year . . . but don't bother now that I'm on my own. Sometimes I really miss canning & pickling. But, now I make fall wine instead!!

IT'S NOT A GOOD THING TO UPDATE AT 1:30AM

One of these days I'll learn how to do all the things I want to do on the Blog. Like, adding those neat little project counters that look like socks & sweaters . . . . and adding those wild flashing buttons - yeah, just how DO you get that fluffy sheep to jump & down anyway????

I tried to edit a previous draft - NOT!! The font was too big but wouldn't adjust so I had to nuke it & start again. The site kept kicking me out so you got the remains of the Aug 18 mixed in with the 1:30AM news that belongs to the 28th of August . . . Oh Well.

This is the blue birthday sock for the male part of "The Parents who have Everything". My pal Gail made these for her son, I believe & I liked the pattern so much I just had to knit it up for Himself. I made the same sock in the brown version of this yarn - Yes Virginia, its Confetti!!!! I thought it made a great man's sock but I wouldn't mind wearing the blue one myself.

AND ONE MORE MAKES FOUR!!

I can't believe I haven't updated the Blog in all this time!!! How the time flies . . . . I've been so busy with knitting socks, completing TWO courses at the Virtual U and trying to make a living!! The week of August 12th was MURDER!! I had to write two challenge papers, write two exams & complete two corporate tax returns. I finished the whole Shebang at two minutes to 3:00. Yup, that was 3:00AM on the 12th!!!


I finished all four pairs of socks in time - two of them are pictured - two pairs for the Birthdays & two for the Anniversay! The 'Parents who have Everything' were quite put out when their favorite granddaughter told them that 55 years of marriage was no big deal . . . . I laughed & told them we couldn't afford another big DOOOO until their 60th anyway so 'suck it up'. But,I guess we'll have to 'Flamingo' the yard again in a couple of years on her birthday since she's on the way to 75.

I promised a pair of Frankensockettes to a kid waaaaaaaaay back in the spring. So last nite I dug around in the scrap basket & came up with some bits & pieces that go together - sort of! I decided the base color would be black so the bright stripes would really stand out - so the ribbing is black & the heel ended up being black because I ran out of the cherry halfway through the heel shaping . . . . but so far, I think they'll end up looking great.

I've also been spinning like mad on my Arvik fleece. Its so nice I didn't even wash it before spinning but I have several fluffy skeins of washed wool hanging on my skein rack . . . . they range in color from light grey to almost black & should knit up into a lovely mottled fabric. I'm thinking of knitting it up in a one piece, plain cardigan, knit from the neck down in stockinette with seed borders & cuffs. I haven't decided whether to knit it up as a fine fabric in one ply or as two yet. Swatches to come . . . . will post a pic when I'm able. I'm thinking of taking some time off from knitting socks & finishing the three sweaters I have started for myself so I have something to wear in the fall . . . . .

I'm knitting as fast as I can . . . .


I have two birthdays & an anniversary coming up for the same people. They got married on his birthday, the day he turned 21. She had just turned 18 two days before. His parents wouldn't give permission for him to marry her even though her parents would. So, they planned the wedding, invited everyone, waited for his birthday & got married that afternoon . . . . his parents didn't even attend the wedding. They said they were too young, she was no good & it wouldn't last anyway. They're celebrating their 55th this year, healthy as horses & still going strong. And I'm giving them socks.

My cell phone contract was up for renewal in the fall so they called me with a terrific offer - get a new phone with the renewal if you renew now - sure, said I. And the BT picked out the new phone he's been lusting after - the Razr - I think thats the spelling, its some sort of hashed version of Razor. Lovely, thin, with multi-musical rings, more games, better camera, more songs, more surfing, more texing . . . . all the bloody things I don't need, like or want. I've lost half of my phone numbers, all my fax numbers & email addies kept in the old phone. I thought these things were saved on the damn chip you transfer over . . . . . !!!??? The phone book is not as good, there is no recurrent alarm & the datebook is not as good. The only really good things on this phone are the extended life battery & the speakerphone. I hate the Razr. I want a PDA phone that rings like a phone & has good coverage. If I get to choose extras, I want to put books on it so I can read when I'm waiting or travelling. Thats it. Is that too much to ask for????

On the needles . . . blue Confetti socks. Its the pattern Gail did for her son - two shades of blue with one of grey in alternating thick stripes with one white stitch every few stitches between some of the colored stripes to delineate them. Very graphic. Very nice. Have the same in browns too. They're for the Birthday/Anniversary boy. Her's are finished. She gets blue Invicta in shades of blue ranging from dark Navy to Royal with bits of light blue here & there & a pair of Confetti in oatmeal & grey lattice with fine, one row wide, stripes of yellow, buff & pink with lavender toes.
On the really BIG needles - an afghan for the BT on handmade needles from Houndesign. They're 40" circs with turned wooden tips that I've rubbed with greasy fleece to make them smooth & they're a little bigger than my little finger, probably a 7 or 8mm. I wanted very long circs so I could make an afghan in one piece - I hate sewing things together!!! So Cheri had her hubby make them as a demo set for me to try. I love wooden needles to start with so these are really nice!!! I'm using a light demin colored acrylic since this will be washed a lot & I'm using a large lace pattern - I think its a Feather & Fan version.

The picture is a proto nebulae - isn't it grand???

The BoyToy wants more socks

I'm sure he has no conception of the cost or time involved in manufacturing socks - all he knows is that they're more comfortable & his feet are happier. I've had this pair in splotch dyed blue Confetti languishing on my favorite bamboo skewer needles for weeks now . . . . knitting his socks has become soooooo boring. I mean, how many pairs can you knit in the same color??? I do vary them somewhat with solid colored toes - he has red, black and many shades of blue & grey. They're extra long in the leg. So, out of boredom, the last pair just laid there. Partially knit. And then I had a brain storm. It's amazing how fast these things knit up when you're excited. I decided to knit a narrow stripe, just a couple rows of red before adding a solid blue toe. They're very nice. He came over last nite, spotted the socks - I still have to close the toes - & said they had better be his because he's gonna kill anyone else who gets them!!! He likes them!!!

And now my favorite bamboo needles are free . . . . . I love these needles. They're a little long - 10" - but I made them from the bamboo meat skewers you find in most grocery stores. I got smooth ones, you have to watch out, some are ridged. I sanded them lightly, cut off the sharp end & sanded both ends to a dull point. I rubbed them with greasy fleece & used them. I did carry a small piece of sandpaper for the first week or so to catch the little burrs but haven't had a problem since then. They've developed a nice patina from use & I love their flexibility. And, best of all, they're almost all a perfect 2.5mm before sanding!! I'm still working on sanding down a set to 2mm for knitting MY socks.

Oh For a Little Adventure . . . .


I've been cruising other people's blogs this morning while I wait for the last lazy people to fax their time-sheets to me, Yes, its payroll day! I've offered to do it one day early in the summer if all the employees get their stuff in by Wednesday nite but there's always someone who can't co-operate!!! This means everyone who wants to leave early for the weekend will not get paid again this pay period. Tsk, tsk - I keep reminding them that their Mothers DO NOT WORK HERE! One late apple ruins it for all - I will only do payroll once . . . .

So, I'm cruising Other People's Blogs. Louisa - I just LOVE those Africa Socks!! To see them, go to Damselfly's.blogspot.com !! I'm looking for something "manly" for the BoyToy's dad - he will wear wild socks if they're in "manly" colors like blues, greys & browns. The BoyToy will not - wonder who's genes he got???? His mom will wear anything I make!

The Ladybug socks are almost finished. It was decided at my Wednesday Nite Nitting session that grey toes are the way to go - the Ladybugs are NOT cherry with black, they are actually cherry with dark grey. Hence, the grey toes. Will post a pic when they're done!! And then on to Parent's Socks. Got two birthdays & one anniversary August 22-24 for them & socks are the present of choice for the Parents who have Everything. So, socks it shall be!!

And what have you been doing on YOUR summer holidays???


I've been watering the garden - in this weather it grows itself! The zucchinis double in size over night & are crawling out of the garden & wandering across the lawn to the landlord's delight. It means he doesn't have to mow the grass!

I didn't plant anything in the garden this year because he said he was getting a big load of topsoil & mushroom manure. DIDN'T. One day I came out & he had planted some tomato plants & some zucchinis - he said his brother put in two new greenhouses for produce & he can get it for free so why dig in the garden . . . . . OOOOOOKAY. I can't pull weeds anymore - my fingers swell up like sausages!! So, I guess I'll be doing more container gardening & he'll be mowing more lawn . . . . .

Got three clamatis plants donated to me last week. I intend to put them into one big container to provide me with shade on the west side of my patio. Bought the plastic lattice to put up - check, bought container dirt - check, now to find a container BIG enough!

And now to socks. I love my FISH socks & have cast-on the LADYBUG yarn. Actually, I've already begun turning the heels on the LADYBUG socks! I think I love the LADYBUG colorway even more than FISH. I cast them on Saturday nite in the middle of a movie & got up to the heel turning last nite. I couldn't put them down!!!!!
And I think I'll have enough yarn left over to make a pair of short summer socks with a contrasting toe out of each ball!! I decided to make longer winter socks first since I'll get more use out of them but the leftovers are too expensive not to use. I'm actually thinking of knitting the LADYBUG leftovers with black, maybe in stripes instead of just finishing the foot where the LADYBUG runs out - I think it would be sooooooo interesting . . . . . And I still have PARROT to knit!!! God I love yarn!

On the wheel - my spinning has been somewhat neglected lately but I have been spinning up the acid pink & chocolate brown superwash roving that Gail gave me, off & on. I found another piece of roving so I think I'll have more than enough to make a shrug on large needles. The yarn is a yummy combo that I've spun in a soft singles, a la Lopi - But, I'll wait until the third skein is done before deciding exactly what it will be . . . I think the shrug will be the handiest item. It gets cold when the sun goes down when we're spinning outside the Esquires & I haven't come close to finishing a sweater yet . . . . especially one light enough to wear in summer!! Sometime this summer, I must finish one of the three I have on the needles so I have something to wear to work this winter!!

Ahhhhhh . . . . if only . . . . I pray to the Lotto gods every time I buy a ticket - puleeeeezzze let it be me so I can spend the rest of my life with fibre!!

Ahhhhhhh, the joys of Summer

The corner veggie stand has "melon madness" going on! Casabas, watermelons, cantelope, crenshaws & honey dews . . . with strawberries, cherries & papayas. Hmmmmm, sounds like a song or a new sock color, doesn't it??? I keep taking myself over there to spend another $20 on something cool & tastey. Just give me fruit salad - to hell with cooking steak!

I love my new FISH socks. I'm sure I'm going to love my soon-to-be LADYBUG socks as well. I must, I must, I must cast them on NOW. I'm supposed to be finishing off a year-end & tax return but I'm heading off to knit in front of an old episode of Star Trek. Isn't that a hoot???

I can tell the kids are OUT for the summer. I'm sure the decibel level around here is in the industrial range somedays. I must be getting old . . . . but this is the time of year I dislike my home office the most - the kids are out. You have to understand that I live in a basement suite under a family with 5 kids & no interior insulation. There are two teenaged girls, one tween girl, one 10 year old boy & a little boy of 5 up there. One whines & shrieks loudly; one screams, cries & stomps when she can't get her way & all of them swear like Longshoremen. The girls pick on the oldest boy until he lashes out & breaks things. Mama can't cope & I've offered to go up & clean house a time or two. I count the days till they go back to school & count my blessings when the whole tribe are out for the day!!! What's going on with kids today??? We used to be gone on our bikes from morning till nite when school was out, we used to play outside & DO THINGS. Am I old fashioned or just old?? Maybe I'm just a whiner . . . . .

WAVING THE FLAG . . .


RAH RAH RAH I'M SO GLAD TO LIVE IN THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!! Any immigrant I know tells me Canadians have the best scenery, the best government, the safest streets & the friendliest people. We, in BC, apparently have the best of EVERYTHING! And thats a lot to be grateful for.

I know a lot of folks are travelling this weekend, in fact, Friday traffic on local streets was positively sparse. Guess they were all sweltering on the freeway . . . its been a very HOT & Dry couple of weeks. My arthritic hands thank the weather gods for that! Since my hands aren't hurting, I intend to spend this long weekend spinning & knitting when I can escape my home office.

My Opal FISH socks are well under way. I couldn't help myself, I had to cast-on one of the three balls I got & I thought FISH looked the most intriguing. Purple, yellow, blue & white - it does indeed look like a tropical fish. The wool is a little coarser than Confetti or Regia but the colors are much nicer, especially the soft, muted colors. I used Jan's heel - I never want to pick up stitches on a flap again!!!

The purple is actually lighter, more of a lavender shade & the narrow stripes are dark blue - but this is the best I can do with my camera phone. Someday, I'll get the cable for my digital camera from the Boytoy & all the real colors will come thru.

Gail gave me some superwash roving in hot acid pink, chocolate brown & brownish pink for my last birthday. I spent last weekend dogsitting & spinning it up in a soft singles yarn a little lighter than a sport weight. I separated the roving into short, thin sections so I could keep long runs of bright color between the shorter sections of blended colors. Not sure what it will become yet but the acidness of the pink really softens nicely when spun up with the chocolate - toooooo yummy!! I may knit it up into a wide lacy wrap or shrug on large needles to snuggle into when I read on the couch this fall. I decided it was a shame to make socks out of it - I'd rather show it off!!

Happy CANADA DAY everyone.

Well . . . . there's nothing like shouting to the world


Yup, I hate those black socks. I guess the font in the previous posting says it all. But, the black socks will be saved by the red toes. Beautiful, blood red toes. On the black dress socks. Ha ha ha hah! My revenge.

I received my Rainforest Opal last nite. The balls look perfectly ordinary although FISH is a little paler that I expected. I can't wait to knit each of them up. I think I'll start with FISH. I have some nice slatey blue Kroy with almost perfectly matches the little bit of blue in the yarn & LADYBUG will get black toes.

I'm dogsitting this weekend so I intend on spending my time knitting socks & spinning. Yeah, Baby!!

I HATE BLACK


I finally picked up enuf stitches around that flap to finish the heels from hell.
Even standing under the bright lamp on its highest setting at NOON, I couldn't see the damed stitches. I eventually picked up the flap stitches by guess & by golly. I'd forgotton how ugly that is . . . . . . Man, these socks are not knit with love. Is there a rule somewhere that says "thou shalt wear dark socks with a dark suit!" Yeah, I know, I could buy them but what do you do when bought socks hurt & burn??


I guess I have to sit down & figure out why my sock grows wider with more increases . . . they should all disappear when I short row that heel. Obviously, I'm doing something wrong!!
But, I've successfully finished the gusset in one sock though & am plowing thru the second. This
Lanett is definitely thicker than Confetti!! And it has much less yardage. Mind you, Lanett's also 100% merino superwash - no nylon to make the feet burn - I wonder how they'll wear???? Thinking about going to Knitopia & checking out her darker yarns - I think a dark patterned sock would work under that suit - and black is going back to the toe bin - I can't knit too many like this!


I haven't even had the time to card my doggie hair & wool for spinning but I should have a day off by Thursday & hopefully the weatherman will cooperate. Ain't no way I'm carding that fluff indoors!! I intend to set up my operation outside where the excess can 'blow in the wind' instead of in my house - the cat is not too happy about that bag as it is . . . . . Is it my imagination or are we getting LESS sunshine so far this year????

Please wait while the page is being loaded. If this message is shown forever, the page did not load. So try again...

And I worked all weekend again . . . .


I always said it was too bad that tax season only lasted two months more or less. For about 2 months we work nite & day to get all that work done in TIME. So, the tax department made life 'easier' for us by extending it a little to June 15. I've finally figured out that all this extension does is make the late people be later! So I'm still doing late returns as well as my regular stuff. And now I've acquired two new REALLY REALLY late people with several year's worth of paper . . . .


Thank Gawd for Socks. And new yarn. And Cuddling. My knitting pal Gail brought her grandbaby Freya to our last sock gathering. I got Cuddle Time! Its amazing how cuddling lowers your blood pressure, relaxes your muscles & makes your brain turn into mush. Language flees & the words you actually make are an octave higher & sound amazingly like gibberish. I wonder what the baby actually thinks . . . .

I took advantage of the situation to show off Freya at 2 months & the last two pairs of socks I've been talking about while Gail actually had a camera which would show off their true colors. Too bad I couldn't keep my eyes open!!!

The Opal socks are on the right & the Regia on the left. The Regia is actually softer & I love the patterning - its the one I hope Knitopia has in other colors. I've used Jan Pinard's easy heel in both pairs so I don't have to pick up stitches in poor light. I can't wait to wear these!!

Meanwhile - the black socks progress. I'm down to the heel flap - Ronn has skinny heels with a high arch & needs a much longer flap than I normally use as well as a snugger heel, especially in a shorter, dress sock so they don't crawl into his shoes when he walks. Normally I make 10" tops with a 3" heel but these will be 7" with a 3.5" heel. I found Jan's heel got too wide & I haven't figured out how to make it narrower & still get the same depth in the heel. I don't have time to play with it unfortunately - I'm sure Jan knows whats wrong - but I have to get these ready for next week. And knit another pair.

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE PAPERLESS OFFICE?


Remember the old days folks, I'm talking about the days before computers. Remember how we processed paper, catagorized it, stapled it, mailed it, saved it & filed it?? Neatly. In a LOT of file cabinets & boxes??
Well, I belong to the 'paperless' generation. I'm one of the folks who email, fax, enter onto the computer, efile, telefile & generally do things electronically - I should, I've got all the gadgets in my office. How come I still have boxes & file cabinets full of the same paper I had before the electronic revolution?? It makes me want to go & knit somewhere . . . . .

Tax season is officially over & I'm still tripping over boxes, bags, stacks & bins. I do my work in 8 square inches of desk space. I gotta find a better way . . . . . .


Back to yarn - the Opal is on the way - YESSSSSSSS!! The bras are on the way - in about a month - YESSSSSSSS! Now to wash the doggie hair & start carding & spinning this weekend!!! I'm looking forward to spinning this up & knitting the first sample. I have great hopes for this yarn.
Speaking of carding & spinning - I found a box of Romney roving hidden away in the closet - guess I bought it some time back & forgot it. I have some silk waste that I bought at FibreFest & I'm thinking about spreading a little of it on the dark Romney & spinning it up. Just a flash of color in a lovely dark grey yarn . . . . doesn't that sound lovely??

My Opal socks are finished! I can't seem to take a good pic of the Regia striped socks with my camera phone darnit. But Gail likes to flash her digital one around sooooooooo - that one will officially appear next! The Boytoy's new BLACK socks are on the needles but are not progressing quickly. But, as usual, I'll want to knit some Rainforest socks the minute the yarn arrives - next Wednesday - so I have to get these black things knit up quickly. With Red toes. I just have to . . . . its a sickness!

IN SEARCH OF TREASURE . . . .


I'm feeling very frustrated at the moment. I checked & rechecked the undies drawer & I'm down to my last two tatty bras. I was sure there was another one hidden in the back so I wasn't really in a panic but now, the search is on. In the past, I've always relied on the Sears Discount Store to supply my needs - they have a HUGE selection of catalogue returns, end of the line or just grungy store models to choose from & they don't cost an arm & a leg. They don't carry most of them anymore!!! What is with this?????
Let me explain - I cannot buy off the rack. I almost never could. And when you need a G-cup, it ain't easy. I spent 3 hours trying on bras at Penningtons. I ordered several models from the Sears catalogue & sent them back. I checked out Suzanne Bell's. I phoned the Mastectomy shops. I could not find my size unless I have it 'CUSTOM MADE' at a huge cost.
I was finally reduced to going On-Line to look at bras. I'm giving Decent Exposures in Seattle a try - they make em in ANY SIZE CUP, ANY BAND SIZE!! in WILD COLORS!! With WIDE straps! In breathable fabric!! And they don't cost a fortune!!! I ordered one in Hot Pink & one in Turquoise . . . Oh, puleeeeezzze let them fit!!!


And back to knitting - I've caught the Opal bug. I've been in love with the Rainforest Collection for some time - Hey, did you know there's more Rainforest colorways coming??? - I keep drooling on my keyboard whenever I check em out. And I found a place locally that sells Opal . . . . & I bought some. I bought Parrot, Fish & Ladybug!!! For ME!! My reward for working hard & having no money all spring.

I've cast on the black superwash Merino for the BoyToy's new dress socks - boy, is black ever boring!! I'm thinking of knitting a little red design at the ankle - do they call it a clocke or cloche???? - just to add some excitement - of course I intend to put a red toe on them . . . . . I can't help it. They're just too boring otherwise . . . . And no one will see the toe in his good shoes . . . . . hahahahaha

As Ye Knit, so shall Ye Rip . . . .


The Opal socks were finished last nite without contrasting toes. I decided they were already so colorful that a contrasting toe would ruin the look - I finished them as is . . . . . well, sort of.

Sigh . . . I tried on my Opal socks. Alas, they're just a tad too short in the foot. I mean, I CAN wear them but I like my socks to be a little looser in the toe area just so they don't wear as quickly. I haven't darned or reknit a single toe for myself yet - & I don't intent to start now!!! So, this morning, I spent a couple of hours in front of the Home & Garden channel with many cups of tea, ripping & reknitting those socks. I added just a half inch to the length but it makes a huge difference when I put them on!! The secret to good socks - measure twice, knit once!

I was gifted with a grocery bag full of very dark brown Newfie hair from a friend who adopted a 6 year old fella named BOB who'd been abandoned at the vet. Now, I don't even pretend to understand how people can do that to a member of the family but that's another story!! Bob has a glorious home with a couple who hike for pleasure - that hound goes everywhere with them.

Bob generously donated some lovely soft fur which will be carded into some local fleece to be spun up for DIVING SOCKS. Since dog hair is much warmer than wool but has no 'memory', blending the two should produce a nice yarn that will give the diver warmer feet & a sock that'll hold its shape. I just hope he doesn't shrink them up in the first wash!!! I was going to start knitting alpaca/wool socks this weekend but I think I'll just work on the Newfie/wool carding & spinning instead. Hopefully I'll have pics soon . . . .


NEWS FLASH . . . .

I must be losing my mind because I essentially published the same blog on two different days!! Must be due to the blog site doing maintenance & I lost my post & had to do it again a couple of times . . . . thats my story folks, etcetera, etcetera!

ITS ACTUALLY SUMMER AGAIN . . . .

That muggy wetness has finally lifted from my heart & home. I didn't realize just how warm it was till I went outside & saw some of my plants laying down the side of the pot. It was raining for days so I just assumed all was well my little green friends out there . . . . ooooops, sorry little buddies.

The Opal socks are almost done. I'm trying to decide what color to use for the toes or whether I should add a contrasting toe at all. I really DO like to put on contrasting toes but these socks are already so colorful . . . . so they hang up by my stash of sock yarns while I contemplate the color choices.

In the meantime, the Lord & Master's half knit Confetti socks are being worked on again. He loves the dark blue/white speckled yarn the best so I knit each pair with a different colored toe for contrast. So far he hasn't worn a hole in any of them even though I stopped adding fuzzy nylon to the heels & toes. I found the fuzzy nylon made the heels & toes hard after a while. Here's a pic of his favorite socks - the Lanet toe does pill a little but he's been wearing these for at least a year - once a week - & they're still in good shape.

My hands have been too sore to spin lately - guess I'll be fine when the weather stabilizes. I don't care if its Hot or Cold, just make it DRY!! I want to get my Arvik fleece spun up this summer so I can enjoy her fuzzy warmth in the winter!!

I've been swatching a pattern or two - I want to make the Lightening Lace Jacket from Just One More Row but I'm not sure what yarn I want to knit it up with. I fell in love with some lavender - groan, did I actually say that - baby acrylic. Did the swatch up in some leftover blue/pink I had laying about. This yarn has a sheen to it & a slightly nubbly texture . . . . but does show off the pattern quite nicely. The pattern goes up to a 64" bust, I do believe & could even go higher with a slightly larger needle. This acrylic comes in No Dyelot colors & just may be the answer to something light & lacey for the summer & fall evenings that needs to go in the wash regularly . . . . too bad it only comes in baby colors!! But, I can live with lavender!!

The BoyToy wants dress socks to wear with his suit. He had to go to a function the other day with nylon dress socks & hated them. Seems he's been spoiled with the handknit socks that he's been wearing for the past couple of years & really notices the difference when he's stuck in something with lots of cotton or nylon - he says his feet burn & stay wet all the time. He says his handknits don't really go with his pinstripe suit - he's quite correct in that - he needs black or navy socks. Bloody hell - does he understand what knitting black or navy socks actually means????? Boredom! Blindness! Sigh. Well, I have to admit he looks mighty fine in that suit - I did pick it out after all! So, I'm breaking the rules here folks - I should be beaten - I'll knit two pairs of dress socks for the suit. Its only because of the suit! Really!