Gimp or Pimp?

Well. I have been out of sorts lately. Somehow, on Sunday, at a beautiful gathering in Danville, I sprained my ankle. I am grateful it is not broken. But maybe that would be easier. A broken ankle would get casted and would require me to completely stay off of my foot. But, alas, I am only slightly injured. My eldest daughter, visiting from Olympia Washington, graciously accompanied me to the medical clinic on Monday and after the x-ray I was told it was "only a sprain." I am supposed to ice it (it's cold enough already!), keep it elevated (I have found this hard to do while puttering around cleaning up after the kids) and perhaps use a cane to help take the weight off of my ankle. Well, after spending several hours waiting at the clinic I was ready to go home. Tired, pain, let me just lie still thank you. My eldest daughters took it upon themselves to go procure a cane for me. Thrift store, vintage store and they return with what was dubbed a "pimp cane." (That is what the vintage clothing store called it anyway!) Somehow I am envisioning an whole new Senior Center craft activity, "Pimp your Cane." A few sequins, glitter tape, maybe some airbrush flames.... could be fun!

In the meantime I have been trying to some knitting done, directing dinner making from the couch, finding a cane handy for swatting mouthy teenagers, and I finally got a picture of Isha with the Helmet hat and fingerless gloves before she went back to Olympia. Ain't she cute?!

I wonder...

Why don't sheep shrink when it rains?

Proud Mama

Knitting update.
I am actually doing finish work on my Moonlight sweater!

Two sleeves set in and easy-ish side and sleeve's to go, a few buttons, and I may even get to wear it while it's still chilly!
I am 30% (perhaps optimistic) done with my hubby's Ribbed Diamonds sweater.
I am about 40 % done with sock #1
I am enjoying knitting on the German Clock Vest.
I need to learn how to put one of those WIP sidebar thingys on my blog. Any tech advice out there?

My eldest daughter is returning for a visit this weekend. She is living up in Olympia, Washington and is getting ready to start school at The Evergreen State College next month. Cool school. I would have loved it when I was her age. But guess what, when she called yesterday, we talked about.... knitting! How cool is that! I guess she just finished a hat. Her own pattern with a bit of a swirl. I am such the proud mama! I will try to get a picture of it to post. Of course this means that she now has two hats, since I made her one and sent it up to her in January, which she STILL needs to take a picture of so that I can post it... hint, hint.
I will have to be sure to get her something while she is here to support her knititng habit. I am hoping I can talk her into coming to the knitting Meet-Up next week and hope that she can get some fun yarn... It's only fair since the straight needle holder that I use actually belongs to her ; ) It will be great to see her, I think that she is going to be really shocked to see the room that she shared with her sister and what it is now like without her. It is CLEAN!

Speaking of clean, I just had a gross out moment. I looked down at the keyboard that I am typing on. Ewwwww. Yuck. gross. there is quite an accumulation of stuff between keys and collected in the bottom-ever so gracious of you Apple-clear part of the keyboard. The keys themselves aren't actually too bad. Probably because all of the gross stuff is on the hands that are typing here. I'm not sure if I can take this apart and clean it, but I think I may have to do that before I type too much more....

Fun with Hannah and Cindy

This is Hannah.
Hannah is the fiance of my ex-husband, Dan.
Hannah knows how to knit but hasn't done it in a while.
Hannah is cute and fun.
Dan thinks Hannah hangs out with "his" family too much.
Hannah is welcome any time!
Dan can come too.

Hannah wants me to be her knitting "master".
I am opting for knitting "sensei".

Hannah likes purses.
Hannah likes pink.
We bought pink (and a little green) to make a purse.
Hannah started knitting.
It will be felted.
It will be cute.
Hannah is my friend.

All That Glitters is Green

I thought (hoped!) that perhaps I would get a lot of knitting done on Friday. You see, I have a daughter who is an Irish dancer. St. Patrick's Day is therefore spent on the road driving from location to location for "dance-out" performances. We started at 8:00 a.m at a local all boys school (our most appreciative audience!) and ended at 8:30 p.m. at a St. Patrick's Day dinner at a church. I drove back and forth through the valley and the kids enjoyed the DVD player in the new car, using it to watch Holes. My son came along even though he no longer dances, but he somehow managed to enjoy himself while surrounded by girls in curls, makeup and glitter. Hmmm... It was a L-O-N-G day and fun, but I had really hoped that while my daughter was doing this:


that I could be knitting.
But, alas, it was not to be. I got a few rows in here and there on this:

And did actually manage to get the correct number of stitches cast on for the German Clock Vest:


But other than that the day was spent watching some really good Irish dancing!
A late "Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!"

Et tu Conner?

Boy, it doesn't seem like I'm getting a lot of knitting done these days. I am too busy dealing with teenage traumas. I thought girls were bad- and they are at about 16. But boys! Ack. I am understanding the purpose of military schools. Mind you, I do feel for my son. He is somewhat surrounded by females, but I sure wish I could understand him more and get angry at him less. I too often find myself in complete shock at his behavior wondering "What in the *&%#! was he thinking!!!!" Ahhh. Knitting is my great escape. I'm ready for a retreat into myself and my own little world where everything is predictable, rhythmical and satisfying. Must be time to start a new project- or maybe finish an old one? (Now where did I put that pattern....)



I find that when I DO sit down with my knitting it helps me to stay calm- maybe just 'cause I'm distracted. I feel like my house really fell apart during February and now I have to deal with the post Mardi Gras recovery. This rain and cold is starting to get to me. I am ready for Spring and could really use some sunshine. Blah blah blah. And my favorite knitting spot has a spastic light bulb problem. One minute the light is on- then it's off- then it's on again. It's like a PMSing teenager. So I've moved. Now I am knitting in the family room- which maybe is better anyway since my husband is working at home and he always takes my spot (grumble, grumble...)

Back to the future

Well we survived science fair. Don't know yet how the kids did yet- but now that it is over I can get back to MY life!


I did finish blocking the Wool Peddlers shawl. I used a red Cashmerino Aran and it is really a lovely huggy weight and feels like my own personal blankie. I am wearing it now to keep off he chill. Yum!

It has been hard to get any knitting done. It seems like all of my "quick" projects are done and I am now stuck in more meandering sorts of things. I am currently working on a sweater for my husband. Eek. He's bigger than I thought. I am using the Andean Silk from Knitpicks and am making a ribbed-cable cardigan from Interweave's Winter issue. Silly me, I thought that he would look good in black. Have you ever knit a black sweater? I hadn't before. MUCH harder to see your stitches. Oh well, it will improve my knitting by touch skills I guess. This project seems to be moving very slowly though. In some ways I like the pattern, but it has a very arhythmical rib pattern and combined with the cables it makes for slow work. I am just trucking along on it and some day I will get done with the back.

On a smaller note, I have also got my first official pair of socks going. Only on number one so far, but it is moving along. I am using the Nature's Palette yarn from Hand Jive. My only complaint is that the yarn color comes off a bit on my hands. My needles are also changing color!

KNITTER SAVES SCIENCE PROJECT!

Okay, so the block party continues. I have finished the scarf and moved on to blocking my newly finished shawl! (Yes- Conner's flames sweater will soon follow!) I can't believe that I lived for so long without a blocking board. Money well spent.



On another note- I went to my first Stitch 'n bitch today. It was small but fun. It really just is nice to sit around with other similarly obsessed people.

My two homeschool kids are getting ready for Science Fair this next week. My son- the rocket obsessed recipient of the JESSE'S FLAMES sweater- had a last minute opportunity to test his rocket nosecones in a wind tunnel last week. Very cool. Well we got there and yup, there was a switch and an empty chamber with a fan at one end and sure enough, when you turned on the switch the chamber had wind rushing through it. Okay. Now what. So we need to somehow SEE the movement of the air- so they managed to scrounge up a fog machine and when we held the fog machine, just-so, up to the outside of the fan we could SEE the air moving around his nosecone. But gee- the nosecone wasn't quite in the right place sitting on the piece of foam they had found in the box under the table the wind tunnel was on (don't you just love science?) What to do. Wow, we really need to suspend this they say. How are we going to do that? Hah. Knitter to the rescue. I had the then unfinished alpaca scarf with me, so I quickly unwound the ball I was working from (you didn't think I was going to break my yarn did you?!) and got to the end, cut off enough yarn, and VOILA! A science project is saved. Lovely color with the rocket don't you think?

Block party

Well true confession time. I have never really truly blocked anything that I have knitted. Maybe it is bad memories of blocking tacky needlepoint pictures when I worked in a framing shop. Maybe it's just too futsy. Maybe I just like knitting better ?! Anyway. Enough is enough. I purchased a blocking board. Yes, we have a large dining room table and many other flat surfaces, but we also have a large household (note six kids in profile) and these spaces get used a lot. With the blocking board, I should have a PORTABLE flat space. Just the ticket!

So, now that I have removed all obstacles to completing my knitting projects it is time to have a block party! Time for me to dig out those UFO's- You know, the ones that you knit away at and then stick in a bag till you can "block and assemble." PLEASE don't tell me I'm the only one who does this?! I have two sweaters that are pretty much complete except for this step. I finished my son's JESSIE'S FLAMES sweater w/o blocking and now I have a scarf that is all done but really needs to be- yup, blocked. Gonna be a pretty busy board...


Here is my new board with a soon to be blocked scarf (the alpaca!)