It’s been a while. The reason being that summer and my new windows arrived at the same time. The new windows weren’t supposed to arrive for another 3 or 4 weeks, but they suddenly called last Mon. to let us know that they would be installing them on Thurs. Much panicked preparation ensued on Mon.-Wed. evening to get the windows prepared (the blinds had to come down as did the fly screens and I was too embarrassed to leave the cobwebs on them, so I took them down too). Thurs. and Friday evenings and part of Sat. were spent putting everything back into place. Today the guys are returning to finish things off. I don’t know exactly what that entails, but they will be done today. Yay. Tonight will be spent putting the fly screens back up (we don’t have just screens here like in the States so I’ve got screen material tacked up onto the wooden frames, or will this evening.)
Summer also arrived rather abruptly. It just came. Just in time for me to get new windows with no fly screens on them so I can’t open everything up to cool it off at night lest I wind up with a fly/mosquito infestation. I live on a farm (flies galore) within an eighth of a mile from a lake (can you say mosquitofest?). I really hate summer. I just keep telling myself it will all be over in another 8 weeks. 8 weeks. How long can that last? No long I hope.
Knitting has taken a back seat to all of this. It had to. Plus, it’s in the 90s (and yes I do know that people in the US are suffering more. Just let me have my whinge, k?) and that’s not very conducive to knitting. I did finish the green striped socks for my grandmother and have been working on the flame shawl, but there hasn’t been a whole lot of progress. I think I also did a couple of blanket squares last weekend, but that’s only a vague recollection. My brain slows down to the speed of cold treacle in the heat. Don’t expect any wonders of thought from me until at least Oct.
Last but not least, I’ve given up walking the dogs except in the morning. I had to put T on the leash and practically drag him back to the car to get to work on time on Friday. It’s completely pointless to go when it’s this hot. I’m going to try and get them out earlier in the morning, but I’m not sure I can stomach a wake up alarm earlier than 4:45. We’ll see. It’s set for 4:30 tomorrow morning.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Because I always finish everything twice
I'm finished! Again it's the Cat's Paw Shawl and this time I'm finished with the fringe.
Both of these are pre-blocking, but don't worry, I won't be finishing this for a third time.
This is one of the few projects I'm actually quite happy with, ergo posting about it 57 times. I'm please with how it turned out and think the recipient will be pleased as well.
That's pretty much it. Like I said, I'm just pleased with this.
I suppose I might add that the European Striped Ass still lives. I haven't starved him or worked him to death yet. I might though if he doesn't watch it! :P
Both of these are pre-blocking, but don't worry, I won't be finishing this for a third time.
This is one of the few projects I'm actually quite happy with, ergo posting about it 57 times. I'm please with how it turned out and think the recipient will be pleased as well.
That's pretty much it. Like I said, I'm just pleased with this.
I suppose I might add that the European Striped Ass still lives. I haven't starved him or worked him to death yet. I might though if he doesn't watch it! :P
Monday, 9 June 2008
Aprés Weekend
The Cat’s Paw Shawl is finally finished! It was a fairly easy knit, as long as I was paying attention and the chart was right. We’ll just gloss over those two conditions and say it was an easy knit, shall we?. Good. *glosses* OK, when I say it’s finished, that’s not quite true. I’ve finished knitting it, but I want to put a beaded fringe on it to jazz it up a bit. The child it’s for is a girly girl and will love it. I spent several hours putting the fringe on last night and tonight I’m set to start the beads. I am under no illusion that that will be a quick process. There are two beads per fringe and there must be 100 pieces of fringe per side. I’m not even certain I have enough beads to finish. I can get more though. This is the project thus far:
The beads themselves are nice. They are blue, but an opaque, milky type blue that changes colour a bit. They give the otherwise plain shawl a bit of colour. I’m also planning on getting a cat pin to use to pin the shawl together in front. That should look good, I think.
As soon as I get the beads done, or get tired of doing them, I’m going to cast on the Candle Flame Shawl (link on right for those interested) and get that started. Then I need to think of something for a swap I’m doing. I won’t say any more on that since I don’t want my Swapee running across this. It’s a surprise. I also need to work on the current phone sock and I want to start knitting with the new cotton sock yarn I got last week.
That brings me to the SEX I failed to mention. I was only supposed to be a “go get yarn for Candle Flame Shawl” expedition, but I ran into a couple of skeins of sock yarn that were begging to be tried. *sigh* I am such a sap. Must not go to yarn store ever again. At least I got the shawl yarn on sale.
Oh, I also need to work on my squares. I’ve still got at least 5 to do. So much knitting, so little time.
The dog hasn’t yet been forgiven for the jacket incident, but I am speaking to him. I’m contemplating sending him out begging or making him give small children rides in a wagen or something to make up the loss of said jacket, which was virtually new. I was just going to cut out his food and treats until he made the cost up, but I’m afraid the animal welfare offices would not have taken kindly to that measure. If you see a Great Dane with a bucket and I sign saying “disgraced” on it standing on the corner any time soon, it will be T. Please give generously. :P
NB: The above was just for fun. I have no intention of starving my dog. I might throttle him, but I will never starve him.
The beads themselves are nice. They are blue, but an opaque, milky type blue that changes colour a bit. They give the otherwise plain shawl a bit of colour. I’m also planning on getting a cat pin to use to pin the shawl together in front. That should look good, I think.
As soon as I get the beads done, or get tired of doing them, I’m going to cast on the Candle Flame Shawl (link on right for those interested) and get that started. Then I need to think of something for a swap I’m doing. I won’t say any more on that since I don’t want my Swapee running across this. It’s a surprise. I also need to work on the current phone sock and I want to start knitting with the new cotton sock yarn I got last week.
That brings me to the SEX I failed to mention. I was only supposed to be a “go get yarn for Candle Flame Shawl” expedition, but I ran into a couple of skeins of sock yarn that were begging to be tried. *sigh* I am such a sap. Must not go to yarn store ever again. At least I got the shawl yarn on sale.
Oh, I also need to work on my squares. I’ve still got at least 5 to do. So much knitting, so little time.
The dog hasn’t yet been forgiven for the jacket incident, but I am speaking to him. I’m contemplating sending him out begging or making him give small children rides in a wagen or something to make up the loss of said jacket, which was virtually new. I was just going to cut out his food and treats until he made the cost up, but I’m afraid the animal welfare offices would not have taken kindly to that measure. If you see a Great Dane with a bucket and I sign saying “disgraced” on it standing on the corner any time soon, it will be T. Please give generously. :P
NB: The above was just for fun. I have no intention of starving my dog. I might throttle him, but I will never starve him.
Friday, 6 June 2008
Dog Looks for New Home
Can anyone tell me how large a triangular shawl for an 8 year old child (who eats Miracle Grow for breakfast) should be? Anyone? Please? It currently goes around my shoulders and meets in the front (and I am a plump person), but doesn’t leave much extra. I have a feeling it will “grow” when I wash it. I can’t be sure of that since I didn’t actually wash a swatch, but it’s 100% cotton and fairly stretchy. Instinct tells me it will grow. I’m assuming instinct is about as accurate as gauge, so I have a 50/50% chance of being right.
SPEW is doing a KAL with the theme of Sunrise and Sunset. I want to do the Candle Flame Shawl (see side bar for link) and am looking forward to starting it. I’m not sure I’ll be able to start on time, but that’s life. I’d like to get the other done first. Anyway, I originally wanted to do the Candle Flame with the lovely Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 EU, but I‘ve decided to go with a burnt orange cotton blend instead. I’m afraid the recipient will not like wool. Pictures of the yarn this weekend. I’m waiting for the light to get better.
Speaking of which, it’s been raining for the last week or so. Yay! I luvz it. All the rain means that it’s gotten cooler; bad for business, good for me! Unfortunately it also means bad light for pictures, so they will have to wait.
I had more to write, but the dog just ate my jacket and I’m now in a very miffed sort of mood. Anyone want a dog?
SPEW is doing a KAL with the theme of Sunrise and Sunset. I want to do the Candle Flame Shawl (see side bar for link) and am looking forward to starting it. I’m not sure I’ll be able to start on time, but that’s life. I’d like to get the other done first. Anyway, I originally wanted to do the Candle Flame with the lovely Kauni Effektgarn 8/2 EU, but I‘ve decided to go with a burnt orange cotton blend instead. I’m afraid the recipient will not like wool. Pictures of the yarn this weekend. I’m waiting for the light to get better.
Speaking of which, it’s been raining for the last week or so. Yay! I luvz it. All the rain means that it’s gotten cooler; bad for business, good for me! Unfortunately it also means bad light for pictures, so they will have to wait.
I had more to write, but the dog just ate my jacket and I’m now in a very miffed sort of mood. Anyone want a dog?
Monday, 2 June 2008
Holes
Someone pointed out that there is a dog at the end of the rainbow. They were right! T has always been a bit of a Leprechaun at heart. Wonder if there is any such thing as an Irish Dane.
Knitting remains slow. I was too busy uploading all of my CDs to do a lot of knitting. I got a few rows of the Cat’s Paw Shawl done. Again, it’s lace. It will be the bane of my existence. I will get it done and swear never to do another lace project again, all the way until the next one pops up. I did finish a phone sock last night, so go me. I also cast on the second sock, so go me again. Finishing it, however, did point out another disadvantage to lace:
Sock toes require decreases, ergo, k2tog and ssk. That’s fine. I’ve been doing those since I learned to knit just over 2 years ago. Unfortunately, lace knitting often requires a yarn over after every k2tog and ssk. Note to self: A Sock Does Not. Sock decreases with YOs are not effective and do not add to the functionality of said sock. They just leave a hole and holes in the toe of a sock is not a good thing. They are something we even usually strive to avoid in socks. Socks with holes go into the bin. Somehow the idea of knitting a sock just to bin it doesn’t seem very appealing to me. Despite this knowledge, every single time I decreased I tried to add a YO. Fortunately, I think I managed to catch myself every time. I didn’t specifically look for them, but I’m fairly certain there are no holes where there shouldn’t be, otherwise the toe wouldn’t be narrower than the rest of the sock, would it?
Knitting remains slow. I was too busy uploading all of my CDs to do a lot of knitting. I got a few rows of the Cat’s Paw Shawl done. Again, it’s lace. It will be the bane of my existence. I will get it done and swear never to do another lace project again, all the way until the next one pops up. I did finish a phone sock last night, so go me. I also cast on the second sock, so go me again. Finishing it, however, did point out another disadvantage to lace:
Sock toes require decreases, ergo, k2tog and ssk. That’s fine. I’ve been doing those since I learned to knit just over 2 years ago. Unfortunately, lace knitting often requires a yarn over after every k2tog and ssk. Note to self: A Sock Does Not. Sock decreases with YOs are not effective and do not add to the functionality of said sock. They just leave a hole and holes in the toe of a sock is not a good thing. They are something we even usually strive to avoid in socks. Socks with holes go into the bin. Somehow the idea of knitting a sock just to bin it doesn’t seem very appealing to me. Despite this knowledge, every single time I decreased I tried to add a YO. Fortunately, I think I managed to catch myself every time. I didn’t specifically look for them, but I’m fairly certain there are no holes where there shouldn’t be, otherwise the toe wouldn’t be narrower than the rest of the sock, would it?
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