Totally Absorbed in Socks



One pair of the 'girly' socks are already to the heel turning! I've always said that wild socks knit up soooo much faster than plain ones & this pair is no exception to the rule. I had to knit this OPAL Neon - just to see what it would look like as a sock. And it makes your eyes water, that's for sure!! I think the 11 year old recipient will be thrilled. The wild pinks & blues will look dazzling against her dark skin!! If I can find the time, I intend to knit a hat for her to match - I saw a couple on Knitty that keep your head warm but leave the back open for braids, tails or long hair. I'm actually thinking of the one with the two holes knit in for pigtails - our little gal loves to wear big fluffy pigtails!!

Was out to Starbucks last nite coffeeing with friends while watching the first snow of the season. Half the town crawled down the main road at 30 while the other half sped by laughing. It's amazing how a couple of snowflakes paralyze the town. Mind you, I AM totally happy that I don't have to be out in the early morning when the whole town will be a skating rink. The problem with the snow that falls here is that it's so wet that you get an inch of snow insulation on top of 3 inches of ice - nasty after a freezing night. I think I'm gonna regret losing my little front wheel drive car.

I just can't believe it!

Whilst rooting around in my office closet for a cable for the computer, I spied another couple of garbage bags hidden away in there. In my house, garbage bags mean trouble. Usually they mean forgotten work. Somebody out there gave me a whole bag of paper that must be UNFOLDED, READ, ORGANIZED & ENTERED onto the computer. Oh Gawd, who's been forgotten now!!?? Opened the top bag & discovered another fleece. A white fleece. A nice white fleece. Mmmm, when did I get this one?? And there's a grey fleece in the other bag - at least I think it's grey - but it's full of VM & needs washing - who knows what color it'll turn out to be. I knew about the mohair in the third bag but am totally blank about the other two. Too much wool & not enough time. Not sure I even want the grey one with VM . . . .

Decided to call my mother this morning & see what the weather's like up there in Vernon, these days. Since my step-father died, she's been making changes in her life. She finally decided to splurge on a new fridge & stove - she says the guy who hauled the old ones away said the stove was so far gone it was likely to set the house on fire!! Just what you want to hear. Mother & Clare liked to shop the auctions & many times they picked up bags of yarn for a buck. Mom said she found two garbage bags full of acrylic yarn out in the garage after Clare died. Apparently Clare liked shopping the auction by himself sometimes, since she'd never bought THAT much yarn!!! The local Hospital Auxiliary got a nice donation this week!! LOL

Well, I'm off to do dog walking duty in the local doggie park. It was a sea of mud on Friday & I figure it isn't much better today . . . . . sigh But, I'll be able to knit in the sunshine at Starbucks afterwards for a hour or so . . .

A Verrry Bad Idea

This little cold spell got me thinking about a winter jacket - haven't replaced the one that got taken by the nasty boys who broke into my car a couple of winters ago. I thought I'd knit an indian sweater quickly since I have all these balls of yarn hanging around. So I dug around & found 6 black, 2 grey, 1 white, 1 pink & 1 marled grey. I'm not including all the browns that I refused to consider. Figured that should be enough to make me a knit-in-one-piece-from-the-bottom-up sweater! Then I started to knit. Bloody hell!! I never considered how heavy this thing would be. And I'd forgotten how much it made me wheeze, sneeze, cough & drip!! The wool is SO DRY that it pours tiny fibres into the air like a cloud while you're trying to knit. I could spray it with a little oil & seal it into a garbage bag for a while, but I decided it wasn't worth my time. Time to find it a new home! I decided to search out that bag of polar fleece I've got tucked away & SEW a light winter jacket!!

I've actually cast-on for the Arvik top-down raglan sweater again. After the nasty Buffalo wool, Arvik is a joy to work with. The wool is soft & slightly greasy in a nice sort of way. No over processing here. I suspect some wool allergies may just be over-processed wool or nasty dyes. I don't seem to have a problem with most of it, most of the time. This time, I'll be using the standard Raglan, top-down shaping with the extra "Legal Loopholes" to increase the fronts & back while leaving a narrower sleeve. Hopefully, I'll be wearing it in a week or so.

Two more pairs of socks are finished!
The Never-Ending socks are Ended!! I couldn't leave well enough alone, mind you & I put yellow toes on them for fun. My ex will be tickled pink to get them - he hasn't had a pair of socks in quite a while. When you wear size 13WWWW, it ain't easy to find people willing to knit socks for you.

The brown & grey 'manly' socks are also finished. The BT's dad will be the happy recipient - he hasn't got any in brown or grey yet & I think he'll like these ones. I didn't put colored toes on these because I had plenty of yarn left over & wanted to use as much of it as possible. I'll bet I still have enough left over to make a couple pairs of baby socks.

And, as if I didn't have enough on the needles - I've cast on the wild hot pink & blue Opal yarn pictured here on the left that I bought in the bargain basket a couple of weeks ago at Knitopia. They'll be for one of the 'girly' feet I added to my Christmas list. I've only just finished the ribbing on the first sock but I can already tell that they're gonna be soooooooo wild!

A Contest!!!

Okay, Okay - I'm jumping in with both feet here - to celebrate the 300th post at this site, there is a contest. Go to - http://janevdoviak.blogspot.com/ - to enter!!

Spending my off hours working on socks like crazy! The 'manly' socks are to the heel shaping & quite handsome. I thought I'd matched up the colors & stripes but found I ended up in the middle of a repeat on the second sock. Oh well, I guess if you're anal about matching socks, you won't be wearing mine!

Arvik is not on the needles yet but after freezing my tushie today, she will be soon. I've actually been contemplating knitting up a quickie Indian Sweater with some of the Buffalo wool I still have laying about. None of the balls really match but I have mostly greys or browns in plain & mottled balls. I knit this one last winter for someone in grey & could do the same for myself fairly quickly, I think. It's hard on the hands & wrists but it goes quickly when knit in once piece on circular needles. Arvik is warm & nice but not THAT warm. I went to work in an unheated building this afternoon & had to leave after 3 hours because I got too cold to work. Not good for the arthritic joints! And this is only November . . . .

Another Day, Another Dollar

Hallowe'en wasn't even over before the Christmas decorations & advertising started! And have you noticed, it isn't referred to as 'Christmas' anymore????!!! Was listening to NW980, I believe it was Bill Goode's show about 'Christmas' & Political Correctness . . . . when an Asian caller told us that he traveled extensively & found most of the world celebrated 'Christmas'! People decorate their houses, trees & wear Santa hats to celebrate even though they're of other faiths. He said that "only in 'Christian' North America" was there all this fuss about not calling it 'Christmas'. He couldn't believe it. I agree with him. I'm sick of Political Correctness & I don't give a damn. However you celebrate whatever you call it - it's a little more than a month away!! And I still have socks to knit.

The wild socks are DONE! See, wild yarn knits faster. It's a Scientific FACT. The never-ending socks are still on the needles while a second pair of socks are done & a third are almost to the heel shaping!!! My next pair are 'manly' socks in greys & brown with a teeny stripe of white or light grey or light brown. I know they'll appeal to the BT's dad & probably the BoyToy too but I think his dad will get these. Got two more wild pairs to knit - two extra girly feet this year & then it's back to washcloths because I need a pile of them!!

Sometime this week I have to get back to Arvik too. I still don't have a warm sweater to wear!! But, it doesn't take long to knit the handspun on size 6 needles. I may add a few rows of garter just to give it some interest in the yoke area but otherwise I'm just knitting it as a top- down raglan but this time I'll remember the darned neck shaping in front!!


And, on another note, Mable, the travelling sock bag, has just returned from her sojourn to the OLD part of Canada!! Her owner sent me two pictures of her travels. Mable goes to Ottawa on the right & Mable in Montreal on the left. She does get around, doesn't she???

Another week in the life . . .


I'm not sure where the time's gone this past week, I just know that most of it isn't billable! The grey days just make me want to stay in my house jammies, put the soup pot on to simmer, plug in a good book & knit.
So, I've been making dishcloths. Plain, garter stitch dishcloths. With a few promised here & a couple there, oh, must include one with each little gift to the boys - I still have a few orphans who have nowhere to go for holidays . . . . . & of course, one to the Ex. I need a fair whack of them. I've found a stash of crafter cotton from many years ago in a bottom drawer - seems I'd planned to knit a cotton jacket but bought the wrong stuff. It's a lot softer, thicker & more absorbent than the newer crafter cotton - is there polyester in the new stuff??? And, have you noticed, the ball is smaller????

I bought several balls of Opal in bright colors in the sale basket at Knitopia a couple of weeks ago. Karen asked me to knit a sock or two in the brights so she can see if they make a pattern. Apparently the salesperson claimed they just make a mottled all-over color. Well, I can say the color combos are truly weird but definitely bright & they do stripe - at least in the one I started. Looking at the ball, you'd never guess at the wildness within. But, you know, the longer I work on it, well, it just seems to become normal somehow. I have the next two balls picked out for wild socks - they look the same as the last but are in different colors. Then, I have to start on the DULL colorways I bought at the same time. The dull ones are supposed to be "MANLY" socks so I sure hope they aren't as weird as the brights!!

I'm trying to finish the Lana Grossa socks - these are in a 13WWW foot size for my Ex. They've got to be the most boring socks ever - well, except for those black dress socks I knit for the BoyToy last year to wear with his suit. I think these will in future be known as the 'Never Ending Socks'!! They just seem to go on & on & on. I think the next time I decide to knit a pair for the Ex, I'll use the Confetti or Sock it to Me yarns. They both have good yardage, interesting 'manly' colors & are a lot more interesting!! So, I'll just have to grit my teeth & concentrate to get these things finished in the next week or so - I need the needles for another project!!

Oh my God, the clouds are gone, the wind has died down - we had a huge banging, wailing, windy night full of driving rain - AND the sky is just now BLUE!! Wow. Time to get dressed, go see if any of my houseplants survived the night outside & head for a sunny spot to have a tea. And Knit, of course . . . . .

Didja Remember???

My good pal Gail called me yesterday to remind me to turn my clock back last night. Good thing she did, I hadn't heard anything about it. I admit I haven't read a newspaper in days - they only have bad news anyway - & I haven't really had the tv on anything other than PBS or HGTV & I've had my head into Audio Books everywhere else.
Have you ever noticed how MANY clocks have to be adjusted this time of year?? I have the clock radio in the bedroom - you have to turn it the right way or the alarm rings at night instead of the morning!!! I have one on the computer - usually it sets itself, unless the world decides to do it early for a change . . . . . , there's one on the wall above the computer so I can see it when I'm busy, there's one on the kitchen wall, there's one in the microwave, one in the coffee-pot, oh, don't forget the VCR/DVD!!! And the cell phone, the car, the fax machine & on & on & on. And there's always one I forget until I need it.

Speaking of Audio Books - has anyone heard or read for that matter, the latest James Patterson book, Mary Mary??? If you like murder, this is the one for you. It's the latest in the Women's Murder Club series which I've enjoyed. I discovered Mary Reichs too - Monday Mourning, Bones to Ashes - her main character is a Forensic Pathologist who specializes in bones. She gets involved whenever bones are discovered; in one book she's identifying people in mass graves in South America who are thought to be part of the 'Disappeared' from the 1970s, in another, she's identifying bones found in a construction project in an old part of a city. She also works on bones from suspected historical burial sites & as well as suspected murders - all with the Quebec police breathing down her neck. A lot of Canadian history & geography feature in the books!! Makes data entry go a lot faster!!!

Arvik has been FROGGED.
I finished the sweater Friday & tried it on. It was long enough & sooooooo soft & warm but that damned error in the neckline made me crazy. I wore it around the house Saturday morning & then pulled it all out. ARVIK is neatly wound into three flat bottomed balls awaiting it's new incarnation. It's hard to believe the whole sweater wound into these three balls!! Oh, I intend to reknit the sweater, using the same pattern neck & raglan increases - Legal Loopholes - with the addition of about 40 extra 'frontal' stitches for the curve of the neck & boobage. The last time, I used a pattern that made a Henley type pullover which I made into a cardigan & forgot to add extra stitches for the fronts - I discovered my mistake after I'd finished the sleeves!!! I didn't want to frog it at that point & dithered. I decided to finish it. Sigh . . . I won't knit the collar first, I'll pick up the neck stitches later. I'd knit 3/4 sleeves since I'm always pushing them up when I work but I think narrower long sleeves would look better - the shorter sleeve ended at the widest part of ME & accentuated the equatorial proportions of my Apple shape. In my frustration last night all I could knit was another square for the afghan project!

And now I have to frog part of the 'Ginny' as well . . . the hip shaping is wonky. Ah well, maybe I'll actually have a sweater to wear sometime in the next few months. Either that or I get out the sewing machne & sew one out of Polar Fleece!

Back from the Dead

Got over my virus - well, mostly! Spent Sunday drinking tea with Feeney's & sleeping. I'll bet I slept 18 out of 24 hours but woke up Monday with a clear head. Guess it was a flu. Nothing like a day under a quilt to make you feel better again.

I was putting away the laundry this morning & thinking I had a LOT of handknit socks hanging up! I checked it out - I have 17 PAIRS of handknit socks on the go!! Seventeen Pairs! I have at least 3 pairs that are over FIVE YEARS OLD! Mind you, some are short socks for summer clogs. And, I've even given some of them away just because I didn't wear them. It's funny, sometimes you just knit up a color that you loved in the ball & it just doesn't appeal once you put it in the basket. I've got a couple of those, they never seem to get worn. Time to pass them on.

I finished the first hip triangle on my Ginny's Sweater. Since the deep "V" shaping creates a pointed front & back, you have to knit a triangle from the side hip to the hem to match the front & back dip. Now Medrith assures me this will work out if I follow her directions but I have my doubts. The bottom does NOT look straight. And, if I remember my geometry, I'm knitting from the top of the triangle to the base to fill in the hole. The pattern tells me I'm decreasing 6 stitches every two rows . . . . . huh??? I figure I should be INCREASING every two rows. I knit the first hip triangle & I'm scratching my head. Notice how it pulls IN toward the centre??? Okaaaaaaaaaaaay . . . Time to take it to the Girls for an opinion. Sometimes you just need a Committee.

With the weather turning cool & damp, I decided to just finish the Arvik sweater the way it is & use it. When I started the neck shaping, I forgot to add the extra stitches for the front curved part of the cardigan neck - hey, I was working from an open placket V-neck pullover pattern!!! I need something warm for work NOW since most businesses are cold this time of year when they're closed up for the weekends. And I'm thinking I may knit up some fingerless gloves too since my hands are suffering in the damp. Some Frankengloves may be the answer!!! LOL

I've turned the heels on both of my mottled blue/green/brown/orange Lana Grossa socks for the BT's dad!!! I have a new person to knit some socks for this year & I think her socks will be next. She's a single mom, working full time for minimum wage with a girl around 11. She's finding life particularly hard these days since her Dad died a year ago in October. She's so much like her dad - same walk, same body type, same face - I tell her to look in the mirror when she misses her Dad. She likes hot pinks!! Have I got some yarn for HER socks!! hahahahahahaha

Got a bug


I've got some sort of bug that started off with shooting pain from my jaw hinge into my cheek. I thought it was TMJ - just what I need along with the grinding & clenching that I do under stress!! I applied heat - thank goodness for those nice grain-filled, microwavable heating pads!!! - put some Feeney's in my tea - like Bailey's only cheaper - & went to bed. Got up next morning to swollen eyes, stuffed nose, cough & body aches. No TMJ, just another bloody virus! Probably started with an inner ear infection. But, I have to work dammit. Today is the third day of whatever this is - & while I don't feel TERRIBLE, I am achy, sneezy, wheezy, blowing, stuffed & unambitious. Sundays are usually laundry days - I make soup, I clean the bathroom, I spin & watch the H&G channel. I catch up on Blogs I haven't had time to read. I just feel like laying on the couch! sigh
Although I've got this 'whatever' virus, all is not lost. I discovered Feeney's. It's Irish Creme liquour like Bailey's but $6 a bottle cheaper! And soooooo nice in tea before bed. I put milk in my tea anyway so Feeney's just adds an extra dollop of sleepy medicine. And it tastes good. hehehehe

I've just turned the heel on my first Lanna Grossa sock & am on the gussets for the other. This is the green/blue/brown with just a touch of orange yarn that I thought was Super Soxx. It is not, it's Lanna Grossa. The yarn makes a nice mottled blend of color & feels thicker than the other sock yarns so far. Have to see what happens when I wash it the first time.

I've been trying out my new spindle that I got in the gift exchange at Desert Mesa earlier this month. I'm not much of a spindler, I prefer the wheel, but, this little spindle really goes like stink. It spins for quite a long time, doesn't wobble when it spins & comes apart too. I was quite pleasantly surprised at how nice it actually is. I've paid a lot of money for a couple of other spindles that don't spin nearly as well & you really should always carry one just to try out fibre before you buy it!!! I like the fact that it comes apart & lays nice & flat for packing in a bag or purse. I suspect I'll be using a spindle a lot more than I ever did before I got this one. Thanks Wendy!!

I relented & took in the Christmas cacti & the Jade plant the other night. The weather channel was talking about going down to 2 degrees. So I brought them in - the Cacti are both loaded with buds - apparently they're Hallowe'en cacti! And I swear the one in the bathroom has produced even more of them since it came in! I was able to shift one spider plant with all the babies intact, to my buddy with the greenhouse. He wasn't able to lift the big pot with the HUGE spider with the jade plants & lobelia so I'll tuck it in next to the back wall where it's protected & it may survive the winter. After all, I did have the potato vines over there for almost 7 years before they finally kicked the bucket last winter.

I put Arvik away for the moment & dug out my 'Ginny's' sweater. The sleeves are done & I just need to finish the hip triangles & neck ribbing to finish it off. Ginny is knit from the top down in a raglan-type shaping that results in a deep V down the front, back & sleeves. This leads the eye down to minimize Boobs & Belly- according to the designer, Medrith Glover. I'm not sure anything really minimizes excess in those areas but hey, what do I know??? I've used new & recycled yarn in this sweater in three colors to emphasize the deep V. If I remember correctly, most of the yarn is Luzerne from Scheepsjwool. I bought most of it more than 25 years ago! And I've owned sweaters in both shades of purple as well as the deep plum which I didn't use in this sweater. The pink stripe is actually a wild hot pink & purple thick & thin boucle that I found in a thrift store & saved for something special.
I decided I needed something warmer & lots of fun for the winter. Must be the drab days working on my feverish brain . . . . .

The Sun is Back


Wow. It was really nippy this morning when I went out to the Van but the day really improved with age. I should be off somewhere in the sunshine drinking a latte. And the Van is off somewhere where I'm not. The BT borrowed it sometime this morning for a "couple of hours" - yeah, right. I think I now know what it's like to loan the car to your kid. It comes back when it feels like it & it's always empty.

In the meantime - the Wednesday Nite Nitters met last night with a lot of projects in hand. Laura is knitting the afghan in alpaca, Kathy is working on the socks in the upper right hand corner, my wild socks are in the left hand corner, Karen's are the orange & purple beauties & the grey mottled ones too. Karen brought her camera & couldn't resist taking a picture of all our projects at once. Gail's project was being cast-on when the photo was taken & missed the group shot. She was knitting a mobius scarf from her handspun in black rainbow glitter from Aurelia fibres.

Karen cracked us all up when she arrived wearing her new hat. It was red with purple netting & a big purple bow! The stinker didn't send me a copy but you can view it on her blog at www.spinquilt.blogspot.com

I haven't knit a stitch on ANY of my sweaters this week. I don't know why. Well, maybe I know why - I'm tired of them. I'm a starter, not a finisher. This is why socks appeal to me so much - I get them finished before I get tired of them! I know, I know - if I get cold enough, I'll drag myself back to the damn things & finish one of them . . . . it isn't cold enough yet.

On the home front - I've been looking at a pair of outlandish earrings hanging on a hook in my bathroom for a couple of years - I have NO idea why I'd buy such a thing in the first place. They're a cluster of translucent, round, pink wafers about half the size of my little fingernail with a pink drop bead attached with silver metal. They attach to fish hook earrings by little rings & look like thick, pink bushes attached to either side of my face when I put them on. They tend to make my round face look even rounder!! What WAS I thinking??? Took a pair of pliers to them yesterday & left only two pink wafers on each fish hook. I now have a pair of earrings I'll wear & 16 pink wafers with drops attached laying on the counter. Hmmm - I always need stitch markers . . . . . Karen, who made all of the little teddy bear markers I now use on my fine needles, thought it was a really great idea. Recycle, reuse???

I'm in love with a Wallaby

I finally joined the Langley Spinners & Weavers Guild. I've been meaning to join for several years but just never got there - I have no idea where the time goes after I make these decisions, it just goes! One of the members wears a knitted hooded sweatshirt with a pouch. I keep looking at it & touching it - she knit two of them for herself out of cotton yarn - I think it would look great in wool but this sweater needs to be washable. It's the sort of thing you want to throw on for any casual activity & it would get a LOT of wear. Doris says she wears hers everywhere, constantly! Last weekend I finally got the pattern - it's called a 'Wallaby' and it starts at a size 2 & goes to XXL or something like that. I found a couple of balls of Bernat Aspensoft - 80% acrylic, 20% wool - Thought I'd knit it up in a size 2, just to see how it goes. I like the Aspensoft. I've knit boot socks with it in the past & liked working with it. I've knit with the Bernat Ragg yarn too but I don't like the little 'bits' it sheds as you knit. Neither do my lungs!!

Looks like winter has come early. It's cool, blustery & the kind of damp that penetrates your bones. Good knitting weather I guess, and most definitely wool weather! I have to finish knitting my Arvik sweater although I suspect it needs more stitches in the front & I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment. I've decided to finish it, huddle with my crafty friends & see what they think. It won't take that long to reknit if they agree with me - but it would be nice NOT to redo it right now, especially since I added sleeves!! And I have the purple 'Ginny' sweater to finish. It's a lot heavier than Arvik - certainly more colorful too. And then I have the half-finished jacket from the Dawn French book, Big Knits to finish! In screaming fuchsia! I do love bright colors! Hmmmm - I wonder what the Wallaby would look like in fuchsia??? I suppose I really must learn to finish one project before going off on a tangent with another but who, out there, is without UFOs??

Back in my Own Bed!

I've never been a good traveller. I like going places & seeing new things - don't get me wrong - but I hate sleeping in a strange bed. Even when I have my own pillows & blanket, I don't sleep very well. And, well, I get a bit cranky when I'm sleep deprived!! And, it takes a couple of days to get my sunny nature back. (shut up Gail & Karen)

Other than the lack of sleep, I enjoyed the Desert Mesa Retreat! The food is always good - just like mom used to make!!! I took my sock-in-progress along to knit in the truck - Gail got to drive this year!! I was able to see the details I never get to see when I'm the driver - like the little bushes that turn bright red & dot the hillsides between the sagebrush & the low grasses. I didn't recognize Big Horned Sheep on the side of the road - hey, I've never seen one in the flesh before! I did knit a little on my socks but I was so busy yakking & looking that they're still unfinished.

Desert Mesa sold out this year. We had several people sleeping outside in the parking lot so they could attend. The three vendors brought lots of goodies - I bought "Knitted Kimonos" which I'd been eye-balling for some time! A little tussah silk from another - I do love silk! And some silk & merino from the third just because it was a new-to-me colorway. One of our new spinners has taken up raising Mohair goats & brought some of her luscious dyed fibre - I bought three bags of colored roving! Support your local farmer I say!!

I also received a very special gift from the estate of Lee Bennett, one of our local fibre artists. Her personal library was donated to the spinners attending the retreat this year - we each picked one to enjoy in her honor. Thank you Bennett family.

At Retreat, there's always someone creating something you never thought of. And the lace shawls, OMG!! Spinners are woodworkers - look at the restored wheels & handmade spindles; they're weavers - some are wearing jackets & suits from handmade cloth; they're knitters & crocheters - so many wild socks, sweaters, scarves & hats & they're musicians - one spinner even brought her harp to entertain us as we turned fibre into yarn. So many talented people in a very small place. And our lone male spinner, Bill, tunes up all the wheels - even my old Indian Spinner clone though he'd like to chop it into firewood . . . . . my baby got a new belt this year!

All in all, it was a busy weekend, with sunshine & laughter, the renewal of friendships, new toys & a great trip both ways. No rain at all till we hit Home - isn't that always the way???? Since Blogger is being testy this morning, I can't post pictures but I can fix that next time!

It's Official Thanksgiving Day

And it's just another day in the Spinster basement suite. It's damp, it's cold & I'm coughing - again. I used to love these holiday mornings because I'd get up, drink strong tea & spin or knit while watching the Home & Garden channel or Newsworld. But I got a second-hand movie stuck in the VCR - which is also my channel converter - & now I have only 2 thru 13! Have you ever tried to find a Converter for an old tv?? Even the Pawn Shops won't bother with them. My little 14" JVC tv is an antique with a picture & color so sharp I won't throw it out. But it doesn't have an internal converter & I'm suffering from withdrawl. I love H&G, History, CBC Newsworld, PBS & Knowledge Network. I miss the British Antiques Roadshow in the mornings, sigh. I know I'm supposed to be thankful but I'm finding it hard these days.

Got two invites to snarf down turkey with all the trimmings today but I think I'll hide at home with a book & my wooly afghan. There are times when you just want peace, quiet & comfort. I just don't feel like being sociable today so I think I'd rather read. Or maybe I'll put on a recorded book & finish those grey & blue socks which are ready to have their heels turned.

And even if I'm not waving a flag or yelling out loud, I'm thankful to all of the folks who spend their days looking out for my well-being & safety even if we don't know each other. I know you don't get paid what you're worth but I'm thankful you're there when I need you!

Houston, We have Sleeves

My first handspun sweater now has sleeves. Three-quarter sleeves. I'm always pushing them up so why not just knit shorter ones?? I want this as a work sweater anyway so it's light, dark & plainly knit. I love the way the range of greys from the Arvik fleece creates a mottled, stippled & striped fabric - I have plans to knit another sweater or maybe a shawl out of more of this lovely wool. Now if I could just learn to adjust the light to get a true color of the handspun I've created . . . .

I dug thru the stash & found a couple of balls of Confetti yarn in greys & a bright blue. The world has turned dreary, damp & grey so I thought some color would brighten up my part of it. Yeah, I could wear the hot reds & yellows of Mexiko but I think I'd like bright blues or turquoises instead. Maybe even throw in some hot pinks for effect - Hmmmm - maybe some dyeing is in order . . . . . .

By the way, the actual color of my sweater is in the picture behind the sock yarn. Isn't it gorgeous????

I have wheels again!! My favorite mechanic took it away & loaned me his red rocket for a couple of days - oh my, could that thing go!!! But, I have my wheels back with HEAT, a windshield washer & a new gizmo to open my gas flap without resorting to needle-nosed pliers. I DO love handy men!!!

Congratulations to Marlene (wovenflame.blogspot.com) for winning not ONE but TWO blog contests!!!

No More Early Mornings!

Monday is the last morning I'll have to get up at 6:15 this year! Not that I mind getting up early in the summer when the sun is peaking over the trees & the birds are waking up. When it's warm enough to sit outside on the patio with a cup of fresh tea in my PJs with the cat sunning herself in the chair, I'm quite happy to get up. But, when it's cold, damp, drizzly & still dark - I don't think so. Especially when it's winter in the morning, summer at lunchtime & late fall by 5:30, what do you wear???? I am quite frustrated by the weather these days & would rather sleep in till the sun comes out.


I've been knitting like mad on my Arvik sweater. As you can see, it's almost long enough. And the color is closer to the actual color in this photo although it's still too light!! The color is more like the sample square but the photo shows the color variation well. I think I'm going to work on the sleeves this weekend - I want three-quarter sleeves since I'm always pushing them up anyway. I'm knitting two singles about fingering weight on 5mm needles - I love my Denise needles by the way - in a plain stockinette which is quite light & very stretchy. I figure it'll probably grow a little when I wear it so I'm just going to make it fingertip length. I don't want to spend my time sitting on it & stretching it even more in the back!! And I'm really looking forward to wearing it on these chilly mornings. The yarn has knit up so well that I'm considering spinning up more in this weight for a Faroese shawl that I can just wrap around me & tie when I'm working. I just love this color & I love the yarn!! And Arvik is growing me another fleece as I type . . . . . . .


I nearly fatally cooked the van this week. I've been trained to always check the oil & fill up the water reservoir when I gas up. And never, never, never put water directly into the rad! Well, my water pump went. The boys had been telling me all week - when I had no heat - that I needed a thermostat & it would get fixed it on the weekend. Well, good thing the mornings have been cold this week because I had no water circulating in the end & the boys were wrong. So, on Friday, I had three guys looking for a cheap car for me because I was sure I'd reduced the van to a boat anchor!! I got lucky. Turns out that by pulling over, letting it cool down twice & then running home, I saved it. Whew, I thought my fibre stash money was going onto a new old car . . . .


I finished another pair of socks! I needed a gift under $10 & I hate to shop. The yarn cost me $2.25 a ball & I used almost 2 balls & my time watching tv in the evenings. I figure I could buy a lot of junk for $10 or make what I'm good at. So they're getting my usual SOCKS. And they better not complain!!! This sock is from the last balls of Mexiko from a bag I bought several years ago when the Chocolate Shop in Abbotsford closed out. I got a huge discount on the yarn & then they chopped off more for buying the whole bag!!! I still have a couple of balls in one of the blue colorways but they're for me, eventually. Almost everyone I know has this orange/red Mexiko by now & I'm sick of it.


Meanwhile, back at the ranch - I have no wheels till tomorrow when the mechanic comes. My mother, from out of town, calls. She's in town for the weekend & wants to spend some time together. Haven't seen or heard from her in almost 7 years till a phone call last month. I have to work Saturday, wait for the mechanic & do laundry Sunday, work Monday & she's heading home on Tuesday morning . . . . . .

Is that Sunshine??


Well, it's been a cold, clammy week in my neck of the woods! The thermostat in my new-to-me Van is malfunctioning - another thing to get fixed!! The mornings are definitely wintry - cool enough to kill off most of my petunias but warm enough by the afternoon to make the zucchini flower again. Definitely wool weather! And I can't believe September is almost over!


Still plugging away on my Arvik sweater - I've added another 3 inches to it in the last week as well as finishing another pair of baby socks for the basket. My Ginny's Sweater, in shades of purple - the picture lies!!! - is next on the pile to be finished! I've actually measured it up to see if I could knit like crazy this weekend & finish it!! I think I could just about do it. Every morning this week I needed a sweater to wear & ended up dragging out my old Fuchsia acrylic sweater. I look like a bag lady when I wear it because it's so stretched out & full of pulls!! What is it they say about the mechanic driving the worst car????


I've been accepted into Ravelry - I must've applied a long time ago & forgotten or someone signed me up. I accepted the invitation because I wanted to find out what all the Hoo Haw is about. Not entirely sure what it's really all about but I have to do more research. I also joined the Langley Spinner's & Weaver's Guild this week. I've been ambivalent about joining another Guild after my experience in the last but apparently this one is different according to several member friends!! Actually, I shouldn't complain - I'm already signed up for the first Spinning Retreat organized by the guild for March. And speaking of Retreats, the Desert Mesa retreat is less than a month away. A little birdie told me that Desert Mesa is going to expand into a Spring Retreat as well - good news!! The Fall Retreat was filled up so quickly that some of the regulars couldn't get in this year! I wasn't able to afford to go last year but really enjoyed the experience the year before. So glad I was able to go this time & travel with a couple of goofy friends as well. I'm sure we'll have a ball!! Now to figure out what to bring for the gift exchange . . . . .

Sunday in the Rain


Another week has come & gone & I'm not sure just what I've accomplished. The washing & dishes are done & I know I've worked all week including Saturday but Just What Have I Accomplished??? Nothing. I feel like I'm in a bubble & Life is passing me by. And I'm not even sure exactly how I feel about it. Or, Am I supposed to feel something ??? Oh well, to hell with Philosophy & on with Knitting!

I did finish my Sisu Fantasy socks. They've been washed & are now hanging up drying. I loved the colorway when I bought it but it felt a little thicker than the Regia, Opal & Confetti I've been using so I knit it up on my 2.5mm skewer needles instead of my 2.25mm ones. I may've made an error but we'll see when they dry. It's amazing what a difference a simple .25mm can make!!

And I've been knitting on my Arvik sweater. I have no idea how to make it grey instead of this awful brown in the photo!! I only know how to point & shoot - obviously it's the wrong light!! But, it's actually shades of grey. You can see the colors in the last post. If you remember, it's knit from the neck down in one piece using Medrith Glover's Legal Loopholes as my inspiration. I'm using two singles of handspun in a lace weight to equal a sport weight in volume but maybe a baby yarn in actual weight. It's light & airy & knit in plain stockinette - I may put a seed stitch border on the bottom & cuffs but I'll have to wait & see how it actually looks when it's long enough.

I finally got my box of books from Amazon!! I pre-ordered the new Twisted Sisters Sweater book in June & added three more books to my order before it actually arrived this week. I'm quite excited about the Twisted Sisters book even though I've only glanced through it - they've used a variety of small to large models with the actual sweaters on!!! I got Lacy Little Knits - I fell in love with the Diagonal Lace Cardigan at the left, The Opinionated Knitter - need I say more???? & the Big Girl Knits. I really wanted the shaping techniques of BGK & the simplicity of EZ so I could start to design knitwear for myself for a change. I have the Boobs & the Belly to adjust for unless I starve for a year!! And that ain't gonna happen.

I particularly liked the shaping & lace pattern in this sweater & thought I could knit it for myself quite easily. Hey, it even goes up to a 62" bust!! I don't like the top of the sleeve - I think it has too much fabric & bunches under the arms but I think it's easy to correct by just picking up fewer stitches before knitting the sleeves. There's actually a couple of other sweaters that really grab me in the book as well - one's also a V-neck designed for boobs & belly. I find some of the styles to be a little strange or way too young but I'm supporting the book because it goes in the right direction. It talks frankly about generous proportions, tells you how to measure correctly. tries very hard to offer some real options & designs for real large women.

Friday morning


This week has given me taste of fall. The mornings are chilly but it's summer again by lunch. You need two changes of clothes per day or a warm sweater & sandals in your bag at all times. I was contemplating that Icelandic shawl but I've decided to finish my Arvik sweater instead. It's the sort of light but warm item that I really need right now.


I'm using Medrith Glover's Legal Loopholes pattern as my inspiration - Legal Loopholes is a short sleeved, raglan pullover that has additional clever increases for the front & back sections that don't affect the sleeves. This adds width to the body without adding unwanted bulk to the arms & armholes.


I thought the Legal Loopholes idea should transfer into a cardigan easily. I just want it lighter, longer, a little wider in front - to cover excess boobage & with three quarter sleeves. And all in one piece of course - I hate sewing things together!!


So, today I decided the sweater has priority. I started the neck shaping back in July & knit the first few increases & one set of the Loopholes increases. Then I got caught up with the baby socks project & it sat until this morning. When I tried to figure out where I was, I realized I'd goofed & had to tink back about 8 rows to get started again . . . . . sigh. But, the knitting goes very quickly on 5mm Denise needles with two strands of lace weight handspun. I got back on track & am now just completing my second set of Loophole increases.

Most raglan sweaters shape the back of the neck for a few rows & then add some extra stitches for the fronts. This pattern just goes straight into the front shaping & I'm now seriously concerned about whether this will work for a cardigan. Mind you, I rarely button a cardigan & would probably always wear it open in the front. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing. Something to consider though - oh well, I'll continue to knit & try it on when I've got my shoulders covered. At the rate this is knitting up, I should be down to the armholes by the end of the weekend.

What happened??


It was summer a couple of days ago & it suddenly turned damp & grey. I did plan on spinning outside this weekend & maybe even dyeing up a few skeins while I had warm sunshine to dry them. I suppose it isn't that bad out there but certainly not what I had expected. Usually September is a most golden & glorious month in Vancouver. Warm days and balmy nights that get just cool enough for a good sleep. I can tell the weather has changed by the grinding ache in my lower back & right hip. I hope this isn't a warning of uglier things to come . . . . I don't care if the weather is hot or cold but it has to be dry!! I may be moving in the future!


I was actually spinning up some of my Brown Sheep Mill Ends last night while watching Fred & Ginger dance away the evening. Everyone always raves about what a terrific dancer Fred Astair was but have you ever noticed poor Ginger?? She dances every step on 3 or 4 inch platform shoes!!! I noticed that last night when she danced sideways up some stairs!! What an athlete she was. I think I noticed because my hip was twinging big time . . . . . as I was saying, I was trying to spin some yummy white wool which was also giving me hell - it kept pulling apart on me as I was trying to spin it. Then the darned stuff would continue to pull apart as I tried to get it going again!!! Grrrr I spin singles yarn with little twist most of the time & have had few problems in the past although my Indian spinner is a little crochetey & does tug a bit more than the newer models. But, we've had 35 or so years to become used to one another & I've spun everything from silk & dog hair on the old thing without too many problems.
I'm figuring this roving must be a wool/mohair blend which needs more twist but it's hard to remember to spin fast enough! I get in the zone, look at Ginger & Fred dance, relax & boom. It pulls apart again! Gawd, maybe this is the bobbin I glued back together with "Tough as Nails", forgetting that the damned stuff would ooze into the inner cavity & give me trouble??? Oh oh, maybe that's the problem . . . . it's tugging more than usual, I'm spinning thinner than usual & it needs more twist??? Maybe I'll just change the bobbin.


I've been working on my Sisu Fantasy socks on & off for the last couple of evenings too. After all those baby socks, they seem to go on forever . . . . . but I tried on one this morning & they're almost to the toe shaping! I love them. They feel very nice on & are a little thicker than the other yarns I've been using. Nice for fall. Should be great for winter! Won't have to wait too long to wear them if the weather keeps on like this!


My jungle is enjoying the cooler, damper weather though. The fuchsias are blooming their little hearts out, the nasturtiums & geraniums are in full bloom & the ferns are looking very full & happy. And my pole beans are loaded with beans! Guess what I'm having for dinner?? Here's just a corner of the 4 foot cedar planter I bought from a roadside craftsman this spring. I filled it with all the shade loving plants - well, I did tuck in a couple of geraniums for more color too!! And it's up against the back wall of my patio where it's shady most of the afternoon when the rest of my west-facing patio bakes in the sun. This corner stays moist & cool so my houseplants like all the spiders, christmas cactus & the jades, survive the summer quite nicely.

I got a bargain


I dropped into the local Farm Market to pick up something to snack on at work on Saturday. I thought some cherries - if there were any left - would make work go a little faster & help me avoid fast food. I also went armed with the unabridged audio version of DUNE to ease my pain!
Tomatoes are ripe. Lovely, big, firm, field tomatoes. Gawd, I used to can boxes of them every year when I lived with someone but haven't done any canning since I became single. Domesticity reared its ancient head & I ended up buying two flats of spotty tomatoes at a bargain price!! Then spent Sunday canning a few jars of tomatoes with rosemary, sage & lots of cracked pepper in them. I cooked them down till they got nice & thick in my old soup pot & bottled them up into all those nice expensive spaghetti sauce jars I've been saving. Yes, Virginia, I did them in the old open kettle method! I only do this with tomatoes & jam though. These will be wonderful as sauce or soup base this winter!!


I finally finished my flock of socks. There's 19 pairs in the basket to be sent off this week - I may do one more pair if I have time. I may even continue making a pair or two here & there with the leftovers from adult socks I constantly knit It's been fun but I'm sick & tired of baby socks at this point - it's time to move onto something else for a change! My sock gift basket is almost empty & it's time to fill it up again. I've had three birthdays in the past couple of months & it was great to have gifts already in the basket - thank you Gail for that little idea!!

I actually knit a couple of new washcloths for the bathroom - I wanted a sunny yellow & white combo for a change but Wal-Mart wouldn't co-operate. I ended up with the least offensive of the colors available in the large balls - those little ones are waaaaay too expensive!!! I don't mind this pink, blue & green combo but would've preferred the yellow/white combo or even the purple/green/white just because they go with everything. I'll have to admit though, it was nice knitting ANYTHING other than baby socks! And these are certainly cheerful.


Tomorrow I'm going to get back to my Arvik sweater. I started it in the Legal Loopholes pattern, by Medrith Glover, from the top down. Legal Loopholes has a neat way of increasing an extra 12 stitches in the front & back without increasing the sleeves. This makes a sweater bigger around without giving you armholes to your waist. I'm hoping to learn to use short rows to give extra boobage room as well so the fronts & back will end up the same length for a change . . . . I keep looking at lace but decided it's too hard watching the History Channel or the Antiques Roadshow & trying to knit lace too. I think I prefer Ganseys or Aran knits instead - at least you can SEE your patterns without a bright light.