Hat to dye for (and Pi too)

My knitting mojo is back with a vengeance. The Pi Shawl is coming along nicely and here is a photo with the first and second parts complete.





Knitting this is making me very happy and the fact that the pattern is broken into pieces is a bonus. When a portion is published, I knit on it until finished and then go back to my other project (which I really need to blog about).


What I really want to blog about is a hat that came out in the newest edition of Vogue Knitting. Color work calls to me and this hat just made my heart do cartwheels.



Buying new yarn hasn't really been on my list of things to accomplish so I searched through that big bag of KnitPicks Palette and found some things that might just work.






The pink was not 'wine' enough. Then thoughts went running through my mind and a pretty good idea came.









Some of the pink yarn went onto the knitty knoddy








and was cooked....for too long! The yarn turned black with too much dye.



After a second try, the perfect shade was produced

The first try is on the right and the second on the left










This is the color before and after








All ready to cast-on.

Pi Shawl Section One

Directions for the first section were posted Sunday morning. Here is a link to the PDF.

We had brunch with friends and I cast on as soon as we arrived home. At first, this shawl and I appeared to not be getting along, but my eagerness was the culprit. Everything finished up pretty well later that afternoon.




The next section comes out this Wednesday. It isn't too late to join if you are just yearning for a way to celebrate Elizabeth Zimmerman's 100th birthday.

My morning did not begin as expected. Today was my annual exam and I know we all dread it. Once the process is over, I feel empowered and accomplished. Last year was my first in our new location and I saw a new Doctor. My appointment was in the afternoon and after waiting a good, long time they told me that she was in delivery at the hospital adjoined to her office. She was nearly finished and then arrived a small while after they informed me.

Fast forward to this year and keep in mind that I am not typically a ultra patient person. My appointment was for 9A and I arrived 10 minutes early to update paperwork. They took me back at 9:20A and gave me instructions for the paper gown... Time ticked away and all of my feelings about the previous year were bouncing around in my mind. I was cold and by now I needed to go to the restroom. No option to solve either problem. It felt like it had been for-ev-er since I'd disrobed, there was no clock to help me with the time. Finally, I got up, got dressed...and left. Boy, was I angry! Fortunately, my daughter's doctor office was right next door and they had a new patient appointment in less than a month.

It is incomprehensible to me that a medical 'professional' can be so unprofessional in the treatment of their patient. My time is just as valuable as hers. I guess that is why it is so easy to just choose a different provider.

Later in the day things began to work a little more smoothly and the afternoon has been peacefully nice.

Me-oh-my Anniversary Pi

Fleeting thoughts about celebrating Elizabeth Zimmerman's 100th birthday have been crossing my mind and then promptly being forgotten.


Today was the perfect day to catch-up on some of my favorite blogs and Jodi's post laid out the perfect opportunity to show appreciation for EZ's contribution to this craft I so truly love. Plus, I've always wanted to make a Pi shawl. Seriously, yummy lace and it is named 'pi'. I love pie and think of it every time 'pi' shawl is mentioned.

The link to Wendy's blog gave details for the swatch and ideas for the perfect yarn danced through my head. After much searching, the yarn was located and the swatch was complete - I am in!

I’ve chosen to use Briar Rose Angel Face in Autumn tones. The yarn will be held double which may run me a tad short. If this happens, I will make modifications or finish it out in a complimentary colorway. Definitely walking on the wild side - first pi shawl and fearlessly tempting yardage.

Pre-block swatch measures 3.75” across by 2.75” high Blocked swatch measures 4.25” across by 3.25” high. This means my finished shawl will be approximately 60".

I just can't wait until Sunday!

Baby things go so fast

No babies here, but when this pattern was published in a special issue of Interweave Knits last year I wanted to make it.

Anything with seed stitch attracts me. It is such an attractive stitch adding just the right texture. It can be a pain to knit in large amounts.

While browsing through a yarn store, this yarn jumped at me. It looked like enough yardage for the Whirligig Shrug, but it was a guess as to if it would really work because there was no yarn band. They may have told me what this yarn was. I didn't remember. Anyway, the color was perfect and it is washable.

This pattern is well written and should fit like a dream. I will definitely make this again in the future.

Warm hats not needed

My new issue of Interweave Knits arrived with the Brattleboro hat pattern that could not be resisted. The designer used worsted weight malabrigo which is beautiful but a little warm for Louisiana weather. I knew there was some beautiful Malabrigo Silky Merino in my stash and it was easily located (bonus)!

After swatching it was apparent that the DK weight yarn could be made to work and it turned out quite nice. The lighter weight will work well for Bugg while going to school in the 'Winter'. She has decided to stay here this semester to see if she likes it. We are thrilled!

All things Darby: After one week on the new insulin, Darby is back to himself. He has gained a little weight and has been playing with his buddy Kasey. When it is time for his shot, he walks up to me and bows his head down. Once finished, he looks up for a kiss on his little snoot. Gosh, I love this dog!

I finished something!

I've wanted to blog, but things here tend to be kept light and focused on crafty pursuits. There have been way too many distractions with my Hubs and favorite pup.

Hubs is much better and they are keeping tabs on his blood pressure. He can finally drive himself, lift moderately, and get into the pool. It must have felt like he was on lock down.

Just as Hubs healed, Darby began getting sick. This is a major issue for us because Darby is the favorite pup of all time. I joke and tell people he is my 'best kid'...and sometimes (most), I mean it. Hubs and I have often talked about having him cloned because he is the best dog ever. Darby does whatever is asked of him and he is very smart so he understands many words and requests then carries them out. When he began drinking LOTS of water and had an accident or two on the floor, we were very concerned. Turns out that he is diabetic and now requires two insulin shots a day. For the past two weeks, I try to get him to eat a little in the morning then watch him bow his little head for me to give him the shot - what a trooper! He has lost a little weight, but is doing much better. Whew!

I've been spending a little more time sitting with my pup in his chair while knitting. The upside has been that the Chiara shawl is finally finished. This is a very nice yarn which has sheen and a small halo. The brown lured me in, but I don't wear much in the tones that will match. I guess it was a step outside the usual of blues and greens.

It seems my knitting mojo may have returned, because the Battleboro Hat has been cast-on. This is an experimentation on making DK weight yarn work for a Worsted weight pattern. More to come.

Day 9 - 2010 Tour de fleece

Day 6 report coming on day 7

This is the totality of my 2010 Tour de Fleece production. The fiber has been quite nice to spin and my yarn is very pleasing. I've fought the urge to grab knitting needles and work a little swatch because I might not be able to stop there.

My mom called yesterday to inquire about joining Facebook because I haven't been posting anything on my blog anymore. Heh, heh. Caught her, didn't I? Posts have been going up quite regularly and she must not be checking.

Hubs is a bit stir crazy today and a movie might be nice. I've already seen Eclipse, but it was the best so far and it would be ok to see it again. Up until this movie, I've strongly disagreed with the casting. Afterward, I am thinking they may have only gotten half of the roles wrong.

Happy weekend!

a day for idle

There was little rest last night and I made it to the hospital by 6:10A this morning. The nurse wasn't sure what time the cardiologist would perform my husband's procedure - it turned out to be 7A.

Everything is fine. No blockage, thank goodness! Upped dosages of blood pressure medicine should help keep those skyrocketing numbers under control.

Given the procedure, hubs was required to stay on his back until 2P. Everything goes well, they release you. They finally came at 4:30P - we were grumpy.

I find myself walking by the spinning wheel with fleeting urges to make a yard or two of yarn...alas, I am weary.

Peaceful thoughts of a day with very good news are enough and the wheel will wait until tomorrow.

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

2010 Tour de Fleece; day 4

I had goals for today. The first was to ply the remaining single yarn from the first two bobbins. The second was to spin more single and try to fill one more bobbin. The first was accomplished, the second was not.

I found myself in the ER with my husband. He has high blood pressure that has not been behaving. Couple that with some chest discomfort this morning and we went to the hospital. The blood work came back good, no heart damage or evidence of a heart attack. They decided to admit him for a heart cath tomorrow. They assure us it is fairly routine and I am happy that they decided to do the test while he is there.

Sitting and waiting were exhausting. It was nearly 6:30P before he got a room and the sounds of the ER can be horrible. Always take your ipod when going to the ER - it drowns out noises of those in pain, peril, and information one really doesn't care to over hear.

No spinning for me tomorrow, but I am happy that the plying of the rest of the 380 yards was achieved early in the quiet of this morning. The birds were chirping as the raindrops dripped against the window. It was the peaceful time before chaos ensued.

2010 Tour de Fleece; days 1,2 and 3

I've been spinning like a fiend. The 3- 8oz balls of 'alpaca' were calling my name and I was pretty certain that I could knock it all out before the Tour closes on July 25(?).


One has been finished and the second contributed to fill the second bobbin.




I couldn't resist plying one bobbin and was rewarded with 150 yards of fabulous Romney. See, that was a surprise...it wasn't Alpaca at all!

Training for Tour de Fleece 2010

After spinning those Bunny Balls, I was anxious to keep going. The allure to create utterly unique yarn is irresistible!

There were quite a few pretty little packages of Funky Carolina in my bin and the two selected contain South African Fine, Superwash Merino, Superwash bfl, sparkles, tencil, firestar, and angelina. Wow, what a combination!

Across the span of this week, these yummy fibers have been spun into 328 yards of fingering weight yarn. Now that my wheel is fiber-free, I must decide what my Tour de Fleece goal will be. After all, riding commences tomorrow!

Spinning Red Bunny Balls

With the decision made to spin for Tour de Fleece 2010, practice ensued.

This fiber just happened to be within arms reach in the fiber closet. It came to me through a swap last year where I wanted some yarn, she wanted some yarn, and this fiber was thrown in to even out the deal. Pretty sweet for me because it was a dream to spin.



Bonus that this isn't a colorway that would typically land in my fiber stash. It began as 4 oz divided into two even balls that required no pre-drafting.



Soft as can be and at 75% Rambouillet and 25% Angora, it is sure to have a little warmth (not that we need it in South Louisiana). Sold by Carolina Homespun through Elemental Affects



My family was shocked to see me on the wheel. I cannot remember the last time there was time made to spin. It had been nagging at the corner of my mind lately, though.


Bonus that it hung balanced and did not even need to be weighted down for drying.

Time to give some serious thought to my Tour de Fleece goals for this year!

mostly finished

So, most of the thing on my list did get finished. The slip is still floundering, mostly because there isn't much exciting about making a slip that has a sole purpose of NOT showing.

The t-shirts were the easiest project. Pins marked the sewing line and the seam allowance was trimmed out. My son thinks he has lots more shirts that can be fixed up (sigh).


Swirl Shawl has been blocked and about 1/4 of the ends are woven.



Both sets of curtains have trim!


...and a little bonus. This is my first finished needlepoint project. It was finished up during my month hiatus from knitting

A better photo. It did not photograph well under glass and always produced some glare. You can't tell, but the green matting matches my wall color perfectly. That was a happy coincidence!

I've been knitting on the Chiara wrap and am very happy with both the yarn and the pattern. It will be gorgeous once it is finished. The pattern was for a scarf, but an increase in stitch count makes the perfect wrap.


Finally, a blog friend reminded me that Tour de Fleece will be happening soon. Saffronknits is her blog and I truly love all of the beautiful photos she puts up. Inspired, I became a joiner. You can too - here is the link to the Ravelry group. My plan is to stay with the Peloton this year and see how it goes. There hasn't been much spinning happening here and my wheel might prove a bit rusty.

Finish-it week...er, month

It wasn't quite clear that accumulations of nearly finished projects were beginning to pile up.



Sure, awareness existed that things needed to be tightened here, tweaked there to achieve the voila' feeling of completion. Yet, the number of things falling into this category had slowly increased.



I am a finisher and all of these little to-do's are nagging at the back of my mind.

• slip to be made for my new white dress. After looking high and low, it became clear that one would have to be made to keep my privates private
• Swirl Shawl needs to have all of those ends woven in and then be blocked
• one pair of curtains (out of two) needs fringe trim sewn on
• cut down two t-shirts for my son. He is slim but tall. XXLs offer the length he needs, I just seam the sides and sleeves
• make lining for the Mod Pod tote

The curtains have been hanging at the window for months, so I hoped that my son had forgotten about his t-shirts and moved directly to the Mod Pod Tote. This is the project that has been waiting the least amount of time to be finished and the thought was that it would go quickly.

Here it is, Friday already and I managed to finish the tote, but nothing more.

Handspun Aestlight

Really?


Had it been since the 2008 Tour de Fleece since this wonderful merino had been spun?

It had been patiently waiting until the perfect pattern was located - Aestlight!
This knit up in a week and is a super sweet design. I tire quickly when garter stitch comes into play. Years ago I vowed to never enter into garter stitch world again simply because I struggle to keep enough interest to finish in a reasonable amount of time. The intriguing lace edge finale was enough to spur me on and a marvelous shawl waits for the few days of cooler weather that may come later.

As for now, the weather has been hot and steamy. No complaints here as my old haunts are 'boasting' lows in the 60's on some days.

Birds which are unfamiliar to me were calling the other night and it felt like I was in a tropical jungle.

Rounding the craft bend

Contemplation has been the word of the month. My elbow has continued to nag at me and thoughts of knitting being worth the trouble have loomed in my mind.

The elbow is not in pain, merely discomfort, but it is persistent. Just sharp enough to let me know it is still with me and that escape is probably not possible. I've tried out exercises, sitting positions, and different seating. All to no avail.

So, as I was finishing up the Mod Pod felted tote that was nabbed at Stitches West, I began to wonder if a 'next project' was in my near future. Dread was setting in due to the necessary felting of that long tote strap and it might be a great time for a more permanent break.

What would become of all the lovely fibers in my stash?

A pattern has been sitting on my table for nearly a month. The Aestlight Shawl was a birthday gift from my Ravelry friend Linda. What a lovely surprise it was to receive the pattern and it has been on my list since receipt. The perfect fiber was being elusive so, as the tote dried, I searched my stash. After rejecting much yarn, the perfect choice came to mind. My Aestlight will be made from very beautiful Briar Rose BFL handspun. Using handspun was great for another reason, too - Linda had just dipped her toe into spinning!

The uncertainty and elbow pain washed away and, as that buttery fiber slid through my fingers, I knew that knitting was still my thing.

a tennis tidbit

When we moved to Louisiana a little over a year ago, I was thrilled that the climate would support year-round tennis. I wasn't a tennis player, never had a lesson, or did not know how to properly hit a ball. My goal was to learn and play well enough to be on a team with my daughter when she came home for the summer.

Last October (2009), I took a beginner's clinic and discovered that a love for the game was just under my surface. There has been a lot of practice and I will go play with just about anyone. In the beginning, my butt was kicked...a lot. Fortunately, sheer will power and determination (along with a lot of practice) has helped me reach my original goal...there have been a few perks.

Last month, we entered our first tournament and WON! This past weekend, my partner and I came in second in a different tournament. Our team finished league play last night and WON our division which means we are going to State competition. The best thing has been meeting so many wonderful people.

Bugg comes home from school this Friday and we are signed up for various events. I can't wait for us to share this game that we both so clearly love.