Hedgerow Knitalong

I have joined my first knitalong - the Hedgerow fingerless mitts that a group from Knitters Review is doing. I think the attraction for me was the justification to buy some of the Dream in Color Starry I have been eyeing. This is Blue Lagoon, and there is enough to make a pair for my daughter and a pair for me.

This is the progress at the end of Day One, although I have to admit there is not much more. I am to the point of dividing for the thumb. I truly enjoy this pattern - it is easy to memorize and I like the look of it. However, I have another project that has to be finished - a stole in Homespun for someone in a nursing home - so I have to put these aside for a few days.

On another note, I picked up friends at the airport who had been on a Baltic cruise, and they surprised me with this - a skein of wool from a shop in Tallin, Estonia. It is locally produced wool and has a very interesting feel. Of course, I can't read the label, but I'm pretty sure there is some lanolin left as this has a somewhat lotiony feel. With 200 grams of a natural colored wool, I am thinking about making mittens. I thought this was a great gift from a non-knitter!

WWKIP 2009 in the Texas Panhandle

This was a very different WWKIP than I experienced last year when I was vacationing in Seattle, but there are very few knitters here where I live, and we aren't very organized. Not having an active LYS makes a difference. However, there is a group, and today was my first time to meet these great ladies. We met in one of the local parks (all 5 of us) and knitted and talked and snacked.

The really creative one decided to make and leave some knitted graffiti, so the tree has a striped sleeve.


I had a great time and got to know some wonderful knitters. I have high hopes for more meetings and more talk about projects and yarn and food and . . . .

Teacher Appreciation Week

Does it seem like the picture and the caption don't go together??


My school's PTO scheduled a week of events for teachers including hiring a "toe nail artist". I decided to at least try it. I made it through the week with polka dots, but right after I got the picture, I got out the remover. I have a week of training coming up and somehow polka dots on my toe nails just doesn't seem very professional.

The best thing is 4 days of training gets me out of school. When I get back, I have 5 days left with my students. This has been a good school year though - for the most part these students have worked and been pleasant to deal with. It doesn't hurt that they all passed the state reading test!

I have plans for knitting for the next week, so maybe some actual knitting content for the next post.

The Crew

Since I don't have any knitting to show, and I wanted to post at least once a month, I decided to share pictures of my buddies.
This is the Kittyboy (terrible name I know - long story) who is the most important cat. He arrived in my back yard early one morning. My dogs chased a tiny kitten up the fence, but when I put up my hands to him, he stepped down right into my hands as if he were home. He pretty much rules this house - I get up early every morning to get him wet food for breakfast. I don't have a solo picture of Alice. She is the oldest and the crabbiest, and this is what she does most of the day.

This is Agatha. She arrived when a friend's mother-in-law had to go to a nursing home. The friend is definitely not a cat person, so Agatha moved in with me. She has to be one of the blandest cats I have ever been around.

I have posted about Kate earlier. She came wandering out of the woodpile one Thanksgiving. She is such a funny cat. She makes a lot of noise but seldom opens her mouth - so not meows but more like muttering. She stomps through the house like a little bulldog and torments the other cats.And lastly, Oscar. He doesn't actually live with me - he lives with my daughter who thinks he is her cat, but I try every time I visit to bring him home with me. He is such a sweet cat. Actually it is probably better for him to not be with me because Kate would make his life miserable.

I'm not quite a crazy cat lady, but I certainly enjoy this crew.

Texas Spring

Typical of the Texas panhandle - 70 degrees on Thursday and then this blew in during the night. It snowed most of the day Friday. I think every school in the area was closed along with many offices and stores, mainly because of the 50 mph winds blowing the snow everywhere. These pictures are from Saturday morning. Unfortunately my firewood is under this drift!

Here is some irony. My lilac bush leafed out and starting buds - behind this 3 foot drift!

Has it really been two months since I blogged??

I haven't totally dropped off the face of the earth nor have I stopped knitting. Unfortunately I have found that there are definite peaks and valleys in this divorce experience, and I have been struggling through a valley where I found it hard to concentrate and get anything done. I'm climbing back up and have some knitting to show.

This is one of the socks done with the yarn I dyed at Gourmet Yarns sock dyeing workshop back in September. The odd thing is the striping. The first time I dyed sock yarn, I very carefully measured and dyed it specifically to get nice stripes. For this, I just put the hank of yarn in the container and blobbed on dye. Voila - stripes - at least sort of stripes.

I like this yarn even though I picked up the wrong dye container and put way more blue into it than I meant to. Blue is just not my favorite, and I really wanted more gray. I learned a lot though, and now I have a list of dye that I want and a plan for some colorways to try out this summer when I have more time. At least theoretically I will have more time. I will be out of school, but I already have a summer job lined up. I'm taking the kid to New York City for her birthday, so I will need the extra cash.

Of course, I would have more cash if I could ignore things like this. But who could resist a ball winder for only $20?? Certainly not me!

I saw this mentioned on Ravelry - KnitPicks new ball winder. I haven't tried it yet, but that is my plan for this evening. I have a lot of sock yarn that needs to be wound, and this should make the process go way faster.

I need the extra time. I have a baby sweater that is again down to the sleeves that needs to be finished soon - due date is April 23. I have another one started that is going to be for next fall, but I have two more sets of yarn and new patterns for my niece's first - due in June. Those two are cotton because she lives in the South, and I am always slower with cotton, so I need to get with it. I have a week of training coming up in May in Austin, so maybe I'll get some knitting time then - I hate driving around in Austin, so I will probably stick around the hotel.

My new motto - onward and upward!

Swaps are Great!

Wow - this was a great swap! I have never participated in one where my swapper put together a themed package.





This was within the group of knitters who read mysteries from Ravelry. The theme of this package was chocolate covered cherries, so the mystery is Murder of a Chocolate Covered Cherry by Denise Swanson. Also included was two patterns and the yarn for each - Cherry Blossom socks and a Cherry Blossom hat. Also a box of delicious Cherry Supremes and the Knitting Pattern a Day calendar.

I have already finished the book and now I'll be going to the library for more Scumble River books - it was a fun read. I found a stack of patterns in the calendar that I bookmarked, and I am trying to clear my sock needles so I can start a pair for me. I love the pink and gray cotton yarn! And I have already cast on the blue and brown yarn although I'm making another baby cardigan - this will be perfect for my colleague's new grandson.

Thanks danaew!

A Boon

This makes the knitting time worthwhile.

I certainly enjoy knitting - it is my main source of entertainment (besides books), but it is such a boon to be able to see someone else enjoying the results of my entertainment.

One More Finished!!

I have been dithering around with the sleeves and bands on this one for several months now. I finally just sat down and finished! What a relief!

I love knitting with this yarn - Patons SWS. However, Michaels now has it on 75% off, so I am afraid it is discontinued. Just in case, I ran in and grabbed 3 more skeins to try an entrelac scarf sometime in the future.

Just a Silly Meme

I saw this meme on Addicted to Knitting, and I thought it might be fun. Here goes:

1. Were you named after anyone?
Not that I know of. My mother really wanted simple names because she hated her names so much. She wanted to name my sister and me Melissa and Melinda, but my dad talked her into Michelle and Melanie.

2. When was the last time you cried? That's a hard question. If you have read previous posts, you will know I am dealing with a tough time right now. Crying is a daily thing, although getting better all the time.

3. Do you like your handwriting?
No - I am a product of the 60's when handwriting was not pushed in school. When I was working on my teaching certificate, I had a teacher who gave handwriting (on a chalkboard) tests. I worked for over an hour and finally failed all together.

4. What is your favorite lunch meat?
I love maple turkey. My indulgence however is liver cheese which I eat maybe twice a year. That was my dad's favorite.

5. Do you have kids?
I have one daughter and son-in-law - they are the center of my life!

6. If you were another person, would you be friends with you?
I think so. Over the last couple of months I have received a great deal of support and encouragement, some from people I haven't seen for several years, so I guess I am a good friend. I would like to have a friend who loves books and knitting just as much as I do.

7. Do you use sarcasm a lot?
Absolutely - it is one of my greatest skills. :)

8. Do you still have your tonsils?
Yes - I have been blessed with good health for the most part. I have only been in a hospital three times, once for childbirth.

9. Would you bungee jump?
My first reaction is absolutely not, but I have tried some things that really scared me over the years and was glad I tried. I am terrified of heights, but I have managed rappelling several times.

10. What is your favorite breakfast cereal?
I seldom eat breakfast because I much prefer to sleep a few minutes more, but when I do eat cereal, Raisin Bran with extra raisins.

11. Do you untie your shoes when you take them off?
Always.

12. Do you think you are strong?
I KNOW I am strong!

13. What is your favorite ice cream?
I love ice cream, so there are several: Blue Bell's Cinnamon or Mocha Turtle Fudge or Peaches and Cream; Ben and Jerry's Cherries Garcia

14. What is the first thing you notice about people?
I look at eyes first, and then I look at hands. I am drawn to people with long slender fingers.

15. Pink or red?
Both. I like deep blue reds - don't like fiery orangey reds.

16. What is your least favorite thing about yourself?
That's a hard one. I don't like that I cry easily. I don't like myself when I back down to avoid conflict.

17. Who do you miss the most?
I miss my dad, I miss my father-in-law.

18. Do you want everyone to do this?
Anyone who wants to. I was intrigued by the mixture of trivial and deep questions.

19. What color shoes are you wearing?
Red house shoes. It's the holidays!!

20. What was the last thing you ate?
A chocolate dipped peppermint stick. Again - it is the holidays!

21. What are you listening to right now?
A purring cat. I have a fleece bed that they all love so much that they start purring as soon as they set foot in it.

22. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
My favorites as a kid were always Pine green and dark red, so I guess those.

Anyway, this was fun to do - silly but fun.

Merry Christmas to all

I have learned this year how valuable family and friends are. I have learned to appreciate them and let them know how much I appreciate them because I have also learned how impermanent people can be. I have also learned that I can have friends that I have not actually met face to face - through the wonders of blogging. Thank you for the comments - they have helped me greatly.

So, my Christmas wish is for others to have time with those that are important to them.

I get to see these two in just a few hours, so I get my wish for myself!

Warm ears for babies

I didn't get a picture of the first one, but here are the next three baby earflap hats. I used the Sherlock hat pattern from Zoe Moeller's Head to Toe Knits and used Patons Classic Wool. These are so easy to make - I could finish one in 2-3 evenings of television watching. However, I will knit the next ones in the round and eliminate the back seam. All my size 8 circulars are in other projects, or I would have done that with these - I hate sewing seams!

Knitting Can Heal

This is an insight for me; I know there are probably thousands who have already discovered this.

Being dumped is a devastating experience. I have been blessed to have family and friends who have been incredibly supportive - to the point that I have felt wrapped in a warm blanket. However, the reality is that this experience caused me to feel worthless. I was not able to knit because a) I saw no purpose in it; b) I couldn't concentrate; c) I didn't have the energy to pick up needles.

Then one of my daughter's coworkers asked her if I might knit her baby a hat. I had knitted a sweater for her baby when he was born. I am a sucker for baby stuff, and I had a pattern that seemed perfect. The mother loves the movie, Christmas Story, and wanted a hat like Ralphie's. I had a pattern called the Sherlock hat that has a front flap that buttons up and earflaps, so I tried it. I loved the way it turned out and so did the mother. (I hope to have pictures later.)

Then a colleague told me about her friend's son in Afghanistan and how cold it was getting. I had knitted helmet liners a couple of years ago, and I had gotten some yarn at the Gourmet Yarn in Oklahoma City - it must have been meant! So, now I am about 3/4 through with a helmet liner.

I had knitted sweaters for a friend's daughter's child, and had started one for her new baby but had put it aside. The friend mentioned that the two sweaters (they match) would make a good picture, so I pulled it out again. All I need to do is finish the sleeves and do the neck and front bands. So, I am working on that again.

It is really cold where I live this morning, so I pulled on a pair of socks - the ones I knitted while in Portland and Seattle. I found myself sitting and admiring them which is what led to this post. I realized that I have a lot to contribute to a lot of people. My husband may no longer want to be with me, but I have others that do. And I have talents and skills! And I'm not a bad person!

So, no more posts about depressing junk! I am moving on and moving back to knitting!

No Knitting, Nothing Good

My husband of 29 years came home a week ago and told me he was moving out - told me he was divorcing me.

So right now knitting doesn't seem very important any more. I don't know when I'll be back here.

What a wedding!

My husband and I traveled to a family wedding this weekend. The groom is a cousin that I don't know that well, but we always support family! And, I am so glad we did.

I love weddings that portray the personalities of the bride and groom and you can see from the picture above that this one really did. The groom is on the right. The mannequin with the picture wired to it is his brother who could not be there. The pirate? Well, I am guessing he is a friend.

How many weddings have groomsmen in kilts with swords and a pirate??

I LOVE swaps

This one was particularly nice because it was between teachers who are knitters. So, my sender gave me bookmarks and notecards which are great in the classroom. However, she also sent me neat things just for me such as coffee, chocolate covered hazelnuts, marionberry jam, a new mystery novel and of course great yarn. She also sent lots of booklets about Oregon - I loved Portland when I visited in June, and now I really want to go back.

Isn't the yarn pretty? I used Homespun to make a prayer shawl for a colleague and had many compliments.

I hope my swappee is as happy as I am!

Mice in the House!!

Can you tell I'm an ADD knitter? With two baby sweaters to finish, and at least 5 socks on needles, I make mice!

These were such fun to make though. I got to use up some leftovers, and these were amazingly quick to knit. I timed one; it took me approximately 45 minutes to finish the knitting. Of course then I had to felt them, stuff them (including catnip) and sew them up. That was easy except for fighting off my cats while I stuffed them.

The pattern is in a book, Kitty Knits. I found at least 3 other projects in there to put on my list.

It helps to have appreciative recepients. This is Kate who appears somewhat wasted after half an hour of rolling, rubbing and biting her mouse.

This may look like a lot of mice, but my extended family are all cat lovers. In fact, four mice have already been delivered to other homes, and most of the ones left will be going to my daughter's home - she has eight indoor cats!

Now back to the baby sweaters and socks. I have to get some of these finished because I go back to school in three weeks!

Socks and yet more sock yarn

I have gotten some knitting done. These are my trip socks from Chameleon Colorworks Lichen colorway. The pattern is something I found in a stitch dictionary - no name.





















I also started another pair in a twilled rib. I can't remember this yarn, and I can't find the label anymore. I messed up and made this a little tight for me, so if my daughter doesn't want them, I'll frog them and try something else.


















I have always loved color, but somehow the colors in sock yarns can just knock me over. Here are the latest ones that I just had to have.


From left to right: Fresh Yarns Adirondack Memories (etsy shop) - Fall is my favorite season and this makes me long for football and the fair and soup and the smell of fallen leaves.


Tanis Fiber Arts Shadow colorway. I found this at Beehive Wools in Victoria, B.C. I love finding local (more or less) yarn when I travel. You can't see the shades of greens and blues in the gray in the picture.


Tempted Glam Grrl in Roxanne colorway - I have been trying to get this at Loopy Ewe for several weeks and finally got one. You can't see the sparkle of the silver fibers, but they are there.


Arucania in Ranco colorway. I found this at Beehive also. I seldom buy any yarn in blue, but this has such a beautiful play from different shades of blue to purples.


J Knits in AC 142 colorway. This seemed so preppy somehow with the pinks and grays. These will be great spring socks.

And so, despite three boxes of sock yarn already in the closet, I yield to the call of color. Maybe I'll just leave it all in baskets around the house and enjoy the view!

And 51!!

49. Winter Study by Nevada Barr. I love the Anna Pigeon books although they are much darker than I usually read. This one had a good mystery that kept me guessing nearly to the end. I enjoyed the setting, Isle Royale in January, and enjoyed the wolf element.

50. Buried Bones and 51. Splintered Bones both by Carolyn Haines. I enjoyed the first two I read and these were also good. Buried Bones had an intriguing premise, a formerly prominent author now forgotten who was planning his tell-all memoirs is murdered; this sounds trite but this author makes it fresh.

I'm going to have to take a break now and get some knitting done. I have two socks and one new pair to do and two baby sweaters to finish.

Nearly to 50!

42. Waiting for Ms. Chips by Dorothy Cannell. This is one of her Ellie Haskell series. I loved the first, liked most of the rest, but this one was really dull. She hammered on one joke about schoolgirl books until it was just annoying.

43. The Thai Amulet and 44. The Moai Murders both by Lyn Hamilton. The protagonist in this series has an antique shop in Toronto. These books all involve her travels to find stock for her store, so readers get some interesting descriptions of unusual places.

45. Crossed Bones and 46. Bones to Pick by Carolyn Haines. I found a reference to this author on Ravelry, and I am glad. I enjoyed these mysteries set in the Mississippi delta with interesting characters. I especially enjoyed Crossed Bones which dealt with blues musicians.

47. Still Life by Louise Penny. This mystery series set in Quebec has one of the most engaging detectives I read in a long time. Quite a bit of philosophical musing and varied, entertaining characters. I'll be looking for the other two in the library soon.

48. The Serpent's Trail by Sue Henry. The protagonist in this series is Maxie, a retired widow who travels from Alaska in her Winnebago with her miniature dachshund, Stretch. The characters were well written, but I found myself skipping long pages of travel description. Unusual because I usually like description but these sounded more like travel guides to me. Interesting mystery though.

Now, if the library has the rest of the Carolyn Haines and Louise Penny books, I will pass the 50 book mark in a couple of days!