Home Again - Alleluia

Well, Summer Vacation '09 was not an unmitigated success. It wasn't the vacation from h*ll but it wasn't at all what I planned on or expected.

First of all, it rained for 3 days straight. It seemed as though the minute we left the great state of Minnesota, the heavens poured down. The closer we got to our destination, the harder it rained. The only blessing was that the rain slowed to a light misting when we arrived at the campground - just long enough for us to erect the tent and toss sleeping bags and suitcases into it. Alas, the skies began to fall as soon as we were in the tent and continued bombarding us all night.

I am incredibly thankful that my hubby and son had spent extra time waterproofing the tent last summer. We were nice and dry all night inside the tent, if a little cold. You see, the temperatures dropped in the night - right to the bottom extreme of the temperature rating on all our sleeping bags. In the morning, I found two little girls huddled in the bottom of their sleeping bags. It took several minutes of digging to find them down in the depths of their flannel cocoons. And Hockeyman, being the rough and not-so-ready type, decided he was too tough to bring his sleeping bag and only brought a lightweight blanket along. The only bright side to that brilliant decision is he was up at dawn, starting a fire in the ongoing drizzle and fog of the morning. It took him quite some time to get a decent blaze but at least he was motivated to keep trying, while the rest of us snuggled down in our sleeping bags, praying for some sun and heat. Hockeyman thoroughly regretted his choice to ignore his very wise mom's repeated instructions to bring his sleeping bag. (Teenagers think they know it all - teeheehee - this time Mom was the smart one.)

Because we were only able to set up the sleeping tent, I was unable to cook breakfast in the morning. The screened cooking tent stayed in it's bag because the ground was far too wet and muddy to risk trying to set it up. So, off to town for breakfast. After breakfast, we scouted around the local area for indoor activities.

After a day of eating out, bowling, playing board games in the campground game room, we retreated to our tent for yet another wet and even colder night. This led to another issue that made the trip a little less pleasant than it could have been.

Since Hockeyman didn't listen to his brilliant female parent, we had to improvise the sleeping arrangements a bit. So, Mom & Dad's sleeping bags were zipped together into one big sleeping bag and we invited Peeps to join us. That would allow Hockeyman to have Peeps sleeping bag and hopefully sleep a little more comfortably.

Now, you'd think that inviting the youngest member of the clan to join Mom & Dad in a double sleeping bag wouldn't be that much of an inconvenience. However, Peeps, who is just 48" tall and only weighs 40 or so pounds, is the biggest sleeper on the planet. She grew up with a few insecurity issues as a toddler and would often sneak into Mom & Dad's bed for comfort in the middle of the night. That was when we discovered her remarkable super power. She had this astounding ability to splay out all her limbs, turn sideways and take up 3/4's of a queen-size bed. No matter how many times you would shift her into an appropriate sleeping position, she'd rearrange herself into the most space-consuming positions imaginable and push one or both of us off the bed.

As a result of this amazing display of super-human sleeping size, my hubby has banned Peeps from sleeping between us and now I act as a buffer between Peeps and Hubby. So I spent my remaining nights sleeping in the middle of the double sleeping bag (which kept unzipping everytime someone turned over and exposing my body to the cold, night air), being kicked and slapped by the biggest little sleeper in the world (who also is know to giggle hysterically in her sleep - cute but definitely a sleep-banishing sound) and slipping between the two air mattresses under the sleeping bags (putting a portion of my bum in contact with the cold ground for a good portion of every night).

Alas, it stayed cold, cloudy and damp the rest of our vacation. We did get enough dry times to squeeze in horseback riding, go kart driving, a train trip to an historic logging camp and museum, a petting zoo, miniature golf and some fishing. However, I only cooked 2 meals the whole week, leaving an entire cooler of food in the car to be brought back home and unpacked.

We had a great time laughing and playing board games together, as well as enjoying a fabulous read-aloud book every night. So, while the rain kept this trip from being what we expected, it did bring a lot of togetherness and family memories. (And a few bruises on Mom, courtesy of the worlds biggest little sleeper and a horse named Tex).

And that's what family vacations are really all about . . . right? (Ah, memories - not bruises)

Vacation, at last

Well, after a spur of the moment decision on Monday and frantic preparations for the rest of the week, the whole family is off on vacation. We'll be camping in Northern Wisconsin for five days.

I'd hoped to show everyone a picture of the Cable Down Sweater with the main body done and the sleeves underway . . . Alas, I just ran out of time. However, I do only have about 6 rounds left. CDS is staying home, only because it is getting too large to squeeze into an already grossly over-stuffed van. But the obsession continues and I'm sure I'll be finishing it up as quickly as possible when I get back.

What is camping without knitting, though. I am bringing along a scarf project for Dancing Diva. Oh, and yes, we registered for dance in the fall, although her ankle issues are far from resolved yet. She just can't live without some dance in her life. She'll be in far fewer classes in the fall (only 4) but she'll be dancing. So she can return to her former moniker without fear of confusion or consternation. Anyway . . . the scarf is a simple lace pattern in a bright Toefutsie sock yarn.

I'm also bringing a pair of socks I started months ago. I kind of burned out on socks for awhile but I'm hoping this little pair of Peppermint Pink Socks will bring back the sock knitting mojo.

Both projects are still in their beginning stages, so the projects fit compactly in my little backpack and won't take up too much room.

Well, off to finish packing the cooler and waking the clan to head off to the wilds of Wisconsin. Have a great week, ya'll.

Finally . . .

After struggling with uploading photos for a week, I finally checked in with hubby. Alas, he updated some security features and it was preventing the uploads.

All better, now!

Anyway, I'm a little further along than the photo reveals and still having a great time. In fact, I'm enjoying the cables so much, I picked up some new yarn to revisit the Dickinson Pullover.

More later . . .

Slow but sure

It's been somewhat of a grueling week for me. Since my boss took her first true vacation in over a year, I've been working lots of LONG hours at the ice cream shop. Fortunately, she hired an additional worker that can do what I do, so I haven't had to cover the entire week by myself. But it's been long enough for my poor feet and right hand. After a winter off of scooping ice cream, I've had to rebuild the muscles in my scooping arm in a hurry. And standing on my feet for 9 or more hours at a time . . . Uggh!

However, in the little dribs and drabs of spare time, I've been plugging away at the Cable Down Raglan. While I can't say I LOVE knitting this sweater as much as the long lost and loudly lamented Dickinson Pullover, it has been a fun knit. I'm finally on the waist cables and looking forward to working on the sleeves.

I'd love to show you a picture of my progress. I had every intention of showing you a picture of my progress. Alas, the server is giving Blogger conniption fits and interrupting the connection incessantly at the moment. So you'll just have to look at the magazine picture in the previous posts and just superimpose the beautiful green yarn in place of the aqua and use your imagination.

In the meantime, I need to get ready for the last day of Boss Lady's vacation.

Feet, don't fail me now!

There and Back Again

The girls and I took a weekend off to go to visit family in Iowa. (Hubby stayed home to supervise Hockeyman, who had to work all weekend. No wild teen parties in HM's future.) It was the one year anniversary of The Flood in Cedar Rapids and my Mom and Sister were having open houses to thank all the workers and volunteers that helped them rebuild their homes.

It was wonderful to see their "new" homes in all there fresh and shining glory.

However, while Mom's away, the cats will play. This little snapshot was sent to my phone while I was in Iowa.

I fought the yarn and the yarn won.

Free at last!

The Garage Sale of Doom is now officially over. We ended a few hours early today because it has been very wet & cold since we opened this morning. While rain may be bad for garage sales (only a few customers today), it is definitely a good thing for the dry, thirsty lawn and garden.

The good news is we did sell a lot of large items that were cluttering up our garage and home. We have a few things left to donate to some worthy cause but it feels good to have cleared out so many things.

The other good news is that we made a healthy profit over the course of the weekend. We will have a nice vacation later this summer - IF certain orthopedically-challenged members of the family make significant recoveries from recent injuries.

The best news is that the Cable Down Sweater is now out of time-out and progressing along nicely. I think the timing of starting this particular sweater was fortuitous because I had finished a couple of top-down sweaters before this one. If I hadn't gotten experience in the top-down genre, I might have missed the problems with the pattern and been very unhappy with the final product.

All in all, it's been a good day.

Now I just need to thaw out in a good, hot bath to be perfectly content. Brrrrr!

Garage Sale of Doom

Well, day one of the Garage Sale of Doom is now over.

For those of you who don't know this about me, I HATE GARAGE SALES.

I know, it's nearly blasphemy in this neck of the woods. Garage Sale-ing is THE national past time in this area.

However, I HATE them.

I've spent the past month blocking out the fact that the entire family has conspired against me to put this sale together. For months, they've been culling the excess possessions from their closets and cubbie holes and talking about how much money they were going to make. They avidly sacrificed any and all little treasures with the great ambition of getting enough money to take a really fun vacations this summer (or get a trampoline, which is Peeps dearest ambition in life at the moment). Piles of used goods filled the porch as teenagers argued over how much to mark things for and who had the better handwriting.

I turned a blind eye, pretended to be deaf and stubbornly refused to discuss anything remotely resembling a garage sale.

With uncanny accuracy, I predicted the final outcome of all this excitement and planning. I knew that all this enthusiasm was just a temporary condition. When the real sale started, kids would evaporate in every direction, hubby would head to work and I'd be stuck doing the one thing in the world that I hate the most - manning a garage sale.

I have to admit, Bubba toughed out the whole day with me. Peeps lost her ambition after lunch, The Girl Formerly Known as Dancing Diva pooped out at 11:30 (her ankle hurts - boo hoo) and Hockeyman decided shopping at garage sales was far more fun than selling stuff and abandoned me for several hours while he cruised the area looking for a drum set.

Ergo, I am sunburned, exhausted, have a headache and know why I have such a supernatural hatred of garage sales.

Cuz' Mom gets stuck with all the work.

Blech!

One of those patterns . . .

I am having some real issues with Cable Down Raglan. First, when I started it the first time, the raglan increases called for in the pattern were not symmetrical. With all the increase options available, I found it unacceptable that the raglan seams looked so lopsided.

So I frogged it and started over, using my own increases at the raglans, which make me much happier.

However, as I progressed, I had some niggling doubts about the way the neckline was looking. Specifically the transition from the rolled reverse stockinette collar to the cable pattern. Following the original magazine's directions, there is no definition between the rolled color and the reverse stockinette background of the cables.

When you look at the picture in the magazine, there is a definite demarcation between the collar and the body of the sweater.

So I decided to check the Errata section of the Interweave Knits website. Lo and behold, the raglan increases were incorrect in the original pattern and that is why mine were not symmetrical. Had I had the foresight to check for corrections before I even began the sweater, I wouldn't have needed to frog it the first time.

However, there was no correction for the collar transition.

Utterly frustrated, I decided to read the rest of the pattern.

I found that they added two rounds of knitting stitches between the body pattern and the lower trim edging. This instruction is not included on the neckline instructions but obviously were used in the sample they photographed.

Had I followed two of the cardinal rules of knitting (read the entire pattern and check for Errata before beginning), I would have saved myself a lot of time and frustration.

Uggh!

While I have decided to leave the neckline alone for now, and finish the rest of the body, I will cut the neckline off and re-knit it back on the way I think it should be - eventually.

However, since my knitting mojo has decided to take a (hopefully) short vacation, I plan to spend some time working on this project for now.

Cable Down Raglan project is going to sit in the corner and think about its failure to play nice and be pleasant.

Bad Sweater!

When it rains . . .

It pours. And pours. And pours.

Good news first, cuz I am in desperate need of some positive vibes around here.

The Wicked Green Eyelet Vest is done, done, done. Third FO in 30 days. Woot! The sweaters/vests are just flying off the needles.

This vest used just over 2 skeins of the Premier Yarns Serenity Sports yarn, I think. The back took just over 1 skein and I made both fronts at the same time, so was using 2 more skeins at the same time. Both are a little more than half gone. The great news is that I have 3 more full skeins, plus the partial skeins to make another project. There is a ton of yardage in one of these balls of yarn. I'm already on the hunt for another summer tank top to make with the rest of the yarn.

The top picture is not color accurate. However, the close up picture is far closer to the real color of the yarn. I absolutely love this color and have received numerous compliments when I wear it. So I can't wait to go out in this cute little number. Double Woot!

The Bad News - Hubby injured his calf last night and is now hobbling around on BabyBird/DancingDiva's crutches. We fear he either ruptured a tendon or severely strained his calf muscle. He felt a pop and thought he'd been kicked in the calf when it happened. So, we'll be back at the orthopedic doctor's office this week getting his injury evaluated.

In the meantime, Hubby and BB/DD will be holding regular arm wrestling sessions over whose turn it is to use the crutches.

Oy!

Mixed Blessings

Well, it's been one of those days where you're not quite sure how much to rejoice.

Baby Bird (aka Dancing Diva) had two appointments today - one with the orthopedist for the knee injury; and one with her podiatrist for her on-going ankle issues.

Good news - the knee structure is fine. No tears or damage to the ligaments or meniscus. There are obvious bone bruises on both her femur and fibula, where they knocked together when the knee hyper-extended. Guess it is one of those times when her ultra flexible Gumby-esque joints saved her from a far more devastating injury. She's only needs to do a few exercises at home to maintain her flexibility and strength and wean herself off the crutches as the pain allows. Woot!

Bad news - the ankle injury is far more troubling. While there are no obvious tears or structural damage, there is significant swelling within the joint. The podiatrist has recommended that she stay on the crutches for a couple of weeks, until her knee pain has subsided enough to allow her to wear "The Boot". Then she'll be in The Boot for a few weeks. If there is improvement, she'll start physical therapy in a month or so. If there is not a significant change, surgery is the next option.

Good news - only 10% of these types of ankle issues end up requiring surgery.

Bad news - this 14 year old girl, who is used to action, is already chomping at the bit to be back out there in the world, running around and doing the crazy things teen-age girls do, like going to carnivals, semi-formal dances and graduation parties. Keeping this popular girl down for 4 more weeks is going to be a CHALLENGE.

Hence, I bought her the entire Twilight Series of books by Stephanie Meyer and two season of the Gilmore Girls on DVD. When she runs through those, I'm going to make her finish the Harry Potter series. Anything to keep her off her feet for a few weeks.

Who knows, maybe she'll be desperate enough to pick up knitting or crochet again. Or . . . Mom will be desperate enough to MAKE her pick them up again. Mwahahahaha!

The Not So Stellar Holiday Weekend

It has NOT been a good weekend.

First, The-Girl-Formerly-Known-As-Dancing-Diva left town for a dance trip with her performance groups to Branson, Missouri. It's not easy being a mom when her Baby Bird starts venturing so far from the nest.

Second, I started a new sweater with the Dreaming in Color Classy yarn that jumped in my basket during my last trip to Coldwater Collaborative. I made at least 8 inches of progress on this project when I decided that I didn't like the increases the pattern called for and since I know it would bug me forever, I frogged it and started over with modifications that would please me far more. Then, I proceeded to leave the project and the pattern at work so I couldn't work on it anymore this weekend. Doh!

Third, I had my first 9 hour day at the ice cream shop this weekend. I am out of shape from a winter off of scooping ice cream and standing on my feet for 9 hours straight. I am SORE!

Fourth, while on her trip, Baby Bird fell and damaged the ACL in her right knee. Now she not only has an ankle issue that needs to be addressed, but she'll be having another MRI this week and a treatment program put together for her knee. The poor girl had to suffer through 2 full days of her trip on crutches, with a knee brace and only over-the-counter pain meds and ice to see her through. While definitely not pleasant for her, Mom found the fact that her little one was suffering so far from home nearly unbearable. Baby Bird may never leave Momma Bird's sight again!

On the plus side, the weather was gorgeous and I did get to spend extra time planting my summer garden, refreshing the mulch in my flower beds and knitting on the Wicked Eyelet Vest while traveling to a family gathering in Southern Minnesota yesterday. Baby Bird made it home safely last night and after a few hours of coddling and commiserating, we're all set to get her put back together as soon as possible.

Oh, and Baby Bird made the startling announcement that she was reconsidering her decision to drop dance completely (pre-knee-injury, of course). Now we need to get the Doctor's opinion before we go so far as to re-christen her Dancing Diva for blogging purposes.

Can you spell r-o-l-l-e-r-c-o-a-s-t-e-r?

(In answer to a question regarding Wicked Eyelet Vest - I never use a cable needle if I can avoid it. I am a liberated cable knitter.)

Ta-da!

Finally finished.

Modifications - couldn't make the crocheted neckline pattern lay down smoothly so decided to add the seed stitch ribbing to the neckline. I really prefer it, since it keeps it simple and cohesive.

Love, love, love this pattern.

Well, off to a romantic dinner with the hubby. Since all three girls are off on various sleep overs and Hockeyman has his BFF staying at our house tonight, we're free to go out and enjoy a night on the town. Of course, I'm wearing Pioneer to paint the town red!

Woo hoo!

Almost a FO

Well, in spite of some dedicated effort the past two days, I'm still falling short of having a finished garment to show today. Although I'm loving the Wicked Eyelet Vest (it's a super fun knit), I decided to set it aside and try and finish the seafoam green Pioneer. I finished knitting the main body and used the now favorite tubular bind off to finish the bottom edge. I've picked up one of the sleeves and started knitting. I'm 48 sleeve rounds from finishing both sleeves, then I just need to add the crochet trim around the neckline and I'm done.

However, the weather has put out a siren call to putz in the garden today. After two days of record high temperatures and a few rumbles of thunder in the wee sma' hours of the morning, today's weather is delightfully cool and moist. Just perfect for setting out tomato and pepper plants, as well as filling some decorative pots with colorful annuals.

So Pioneer is once again on the back burner, while I heed nature's insistent beckoning into the great outdoors.

Maybe tomorrow Pioneer will be finished . . .

(Photograph courtesy of Hockeyman)

Or maybe not.

End of an Era

Well, we survived the dance marathon recital weekend. Barely.

First, Dancing Diva has been battling an ankle issue for a few months. We've been to see a podiatrist recently and she has posterior ankle impingement syndrome with evidence of an old avulsion fracture on the back of her heel. We had DD in for an MRI on Friday and are awaiting the results before determining a course of treatment.

Second, DD has had an allergy to latex that has been escalating lately, and she had a serious reaction at the finale of the jazz show on Saturday night, when there was a balloon drop. She was checked out by an EMT who happened to be in the audience and she is okay but it really zapped her energy level for the final shows on Sunday. She was a trooper and battled through the pain from her ankle and the fatigue on Sunday and finished the recital weekend.

However, because she will be attending the local high school in the fall, the significance of the ankle issues and the escalation of her allergies to a component in many dance outfits and tights, Dancing Diva has decided to stop dancing completely.

Naturally, I am very sad because it has been a pleasure to watch her grow in grace and beauty as a dancer but am fully in support of her decision. She knows what she wants to study in college (architecture, with an emphasis on historical restorations and hotel design) and she is very interested in doing more theater and learning to play drums. So she will no longer be Dancing Diva in the blog. I haven't come up with a new moniker for her yet but will wait and see what develops as she pursues some new interests.

In the meantime, to battle the post-recital-let-down-and-sad-she's-not-dancing depression that has been plaguing me this week, I am actively working on my latest obsession love affair favorite project.

Unfortunately, the color in the photo is not accurate. Hockeyman has been messing with the settings on the camera again and I'm clueless on how to remedy it.

To admit I love this pattern would be an understatement! However, I have modified it slightly, carrying the right twist cable past the lower ribbing, the full way up the bottom half of the vest. I felt the added elasticity of the extra cable would really pull the bodice in on the thinnest part of my torso and be more flattering in the long run.

This photo really doesn't do the pattern justice either, because the cables and lace patterns really pop in this Debra Norville Collection Premier Yarn Serenity Sport Weight. Hopefully, after I torture ask Hockeyman to restore the settings on the camera, I'll be able to take a far better photo.

If not, he'll have to start doing the photography for this blog - pro bono, of course. I refuse to pay a camera saboteur.

Can't blog right now . . .

Been super busy this week with end of year stuff. But I've been spinning up a storm in my spare minutes.

I've finished spinning up 8 ounces of Louet Northern Lights in the Ocean Wave color way. I'm having so much fun.

In non-fiber news, we have a new licensed driver in the house as of 12:00 noon today. Guess I'll have to start lifting weights in case we start arm wrestling for control of the keys around here.

Where to begin . . .

I know I've been MIA for awhile. What can I say? First there was the Shepherd's Harvest Prep week, when I could do nothing but make lists, plan and pack because my excitement level made concentrating on anything else impossible.

Then there was THE WEEKEND. Yes, those are red letters because it was a red letter weekend.

Then there was the Post Shepherd's Harvest let down.

To say I had a wonderful weekend would be an understatement. It was fabulous. To start with, although the weather was a little chilly, the predicted rain never showed up. It was a true blessing because I had to carry around my spinning wheel and accessories and the last thing I wanted was to shlepp everything through mud puddles, like I had to last year.

Because I've been to the festival in very cold weather, I was prepared with warm enough layers, hats and gloves and such. I even remembered a cushion for the chair, so my rump stayed warm this year. Good planning and preparation are the first step in preparing for a red letter weekend.

In addition to the better than expected weather, the classes were wonderful. Patsy Zawistoski taught the Luxury Fiber class on Saturday. Of all the teachers I've ever had, her teaching style was the most perfect for my learning style. When she explained things, lights went on, bells rung and all the pieces fell into place. I learned not only how to handle the more tricky luxury fibers like mohair, llama, alpaca, angora, etc., but learned how to properly card and comb fibers for specific effects. I ended up purchasing a DVD from her on how to spin specialty yarns. I am so impressed with it, I hope to buy all of her DVD's and booklets to make a complete library. All I can say is if I ever get the chance, I'll take more classes from her in a heartbeat!

On Sunday, Carol Wagner taught us how to make novelty yarns. In spite of some technical difficulties with her wheel, she managed to do a great job teaching us how to make slubby singles, knot yarn, marled yarn, and beaded yarn. I walked away with some new techniques in my basket of tricks. So much fun.

I managed to buy plenty of new toys and fiber, too. First, I picked up a mini niddy-noddy and a new flicker first thing Saturday morning from Mielke's Fiber Arts. I visit their booth every year because they have such useful tools and supplies. I can count on them having exactly what I need every year. I knew I would need a much smaller niddy-noddy for the classes and Andrea came through for me.

Saturday afternoon, I picked up some silk hankies, two bags of merino/silk blend slivers and two balls of navy blue wool top from The Fiber Studio. I had a lovely chat withPam Angier about joining them for their open spinning sessions. I'm so excited about finding a spinning group to join that I'm hoping their classes will fit with my schedule. It's not a great photo of the fibers but it's kind of a gloomy day here in Minnesota.

Sunday, I found some mini double row combs so I can keep experimenting with preparing fibers for the novelty yarns. I'm sorry I can't remember who the vendor was because they used generic sales slips and didn't include a card in the bag. I suspect it was Earthsong Fibers but wouldn't bet one of my children on it. There were so many fabulous vendors and I circled all four buildings so many times, things began to mush together in my brain.

My last purchases of the weekend were two baskets and some sock yarn from Tall Tale Yarn Shop. The small basket hangs nicely from the spinning wheel, to hold tools and accessories. The larger basket is the perfect size to carry my larger accessories to and from classes and such.

To make the weekend even more perfect, I had a very nice stay at Holiday Inn Express in Stillwater. I reserved a king room with a whirlpool tub for the night and it was the perfect choice. After sitting in a cold fairground building for six hours, taking a warm bath was heavenly.

When I got home on Sunday evening, there were cards and flowers waiting for me. Talk about the perfect ending to a red-letter weekend.

Now, there are only 360 days until Shepherd's Harvest 2010!

Teenagers - sheesh!

I've been dying to post this week. Not only do I have a finished object to show off but some significant progress on a new sweater and some other projects that have jumped to the front of my summer to-do list.

Alas, Hockeyman has sabotaged my efforts. He has fallen in love with photography and commandeered our one and only digital camera. Somehow, he managed to alter the settings in such a way that makes all my pictures turn out over-exposed and blurry.

He keeps promising to figure out how to reset the camera to its original default settings but our crazy schedule has kept him from accomplishing this feat of photographic prestidigitation.

Alas, you will just have to use your imagination.

First, the FO is a table runner and/or scarf made from the leftover yarn from my version of the Daily Sweater. There was just enough yarn to eek out a basket weave patterned table runner, much like the one pictured in the latest issue of Vogue Knitting. It is 4 feet long, so it could be worn as a scarf, too.

Second, remember this project? Well, it is now a pile of rag balls and the beginnings of a knit log cabin rug, from Mason Dixon Knitting. After struggling to make the rug lay flat and attempting to block it out, I gave up the battle and unraveled the whole thing. I think I'm going to like the more modern graphics of the log cabin rug anyway. (At least, that's what I kept telling myself as I laboriously ripped out all those rows of toothbrush knotting - oy!)

Third, I've been plugging away on a new top-down sweater from Knitty.com. I have some inexpensive acrylic yarn in a lovely sea foam green shade that is working up nicely for this summer t-shirt. I have already progressed past the place where the sleeves are put on holders and am working on the main torso now. I can't wait to finish this sweater!

I am thoroughly sold on the top-down concept and plan on making several more top-down projects in the near future.

I've also been shopping at a local quilt shop and picked up supplies to make a rug hooking project this summer.

Well, guess I should go light a fire under the teen saboteur to get the camera back into some semblence of normal so I can take some pictures.


Gah!

Pride . . .

And prejudice. This is, without any doubt, my favorite sweater of all time!

At least so far . . .

This is my short sleeved version of the Daily Sweater from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines. I used Ella rae Silkience (about 8.5 skeins) and size 2 needles for the body.

Modifications: I felt the neckline was way too floppy after knitting it according to the pattern, so I cut it off and picked up the live stitches and re-knit the collar with fewer stitches. I split the sleeve ribbing, to mirror the side slits at the lower hem.

I have also fallen in love with the tubular cast on and bind off. It was the technique I learned on the Pink Cardigan and it is, without a doubt, the slickest trick in my knitting arsenal.

What I can't believe is that it took me 30+ years of knitting to discover this gorgeous binding off technique.

Just goes to shows, you can teach an old dog knitter new tricks.

(In related news, my deepest condolences go out to Kay Gardiner of Mason Dixon Knitting for the loss of her beloved husband, Peter. My prayers are with Kay and her family.)

A new obsession

I seem to be in the grip of yet another compulsion love affair. My latest project is The Daily Sweater from Mason Dixon's new book, Knitting Outside the Lines. It's been on my mental to-do list since I purchased the book but I finally bumped it up to the top of the list when the Pink Cardigan was finished.

I cast on in the car on the way to Easter dinner on Sunday and have had an incredibly difficult time putting it down, as you can see from the significant progress I've already made.

The yarn is Ella Rae Silkience (purchased from Webs on sale) and it has the most delightful hand of any yarn I've worked with recently. I love it so much I went back online yesterday and ordered more of it in another color.

Since I only have 10 skeins of this color, I'll have to modify the pattern somewhat by making it a short sleeved top. I'm hoping to have enough yarn to eke out a 3/4 length sleeve but will make do with what I have. After all, summer is coming and a new t-shirt would be just fine, too.

If you look closely, you'll see the sheep stitch marker I recently purchased from Glastonbury Glassworks. She is so cute, I just had to use her on this project. Isn't she sweet!

Well, I've been away from my knitting long enough. One more row, then I'll fold the laundry. Or maybe two more rows. Or ten . . .

Happy Easter

Nothing like wearing a new sweater on Easter morning.

Hope all my friends have had a most blessed Easter!

A Cautionary Tale

It was a dark and stormy night, as I sat in my car outside a local church. At approximately 6:45, my children left the car to go to a fashion show/concert. Not being in the mood for loud music or a raucous roomful of teenagers, I opted to leave and run some errands.

At 7:00, I entered a grocery store to purchase laundry detergent. Mission accomplished.

At 7:10, a stop was made at the Walgreens to pick up some necessary medical items for DH.

At 7:15, I entered a local restaurant and enjoyed a Oriental Stir Fry Salad and piece of pie.

At 7:45, having paid my bill and exited the restaurant, I made the strategic decision to go back to the church and wait in the parking lot until the concert was over.

After circling the parking lot a few times, looking for a spot that had either a street light above it or some other source of outside lighting, I parked near the front of the church where a powerful floodlight illuminated the entire front of the building. There was enough reflected light for me to sit and knit without having to keep the car running or use the inside lights of the car.

There I sat, knitting away happily in the absolute silence and solitude of the car. I reveled in the peace I so seldom get to enjoy, being a full-time, homeschooling mother of four.

Until . . . .

A car pulls up beside my car and a large flashlight is turned onto my visage. After a moment, the car speeds away and I'm left wondering what on earth that was all about.

Five minutes later, the car returns and the window is rolled down. Cautiously, I start my car and roll my own window down.

A red-faced police officer, suddenly abashed by my middle-aged appearance and knitting-in-progress clutched in my startled hands, stammers, "I'm sorry to disturb you but I thought you might be a hooligan."

That's me, a knittin' hooligan.

You can't just buy one . . .

Once again, I find I have little to blog about when I'm working hard on a larger project. The pink cardigan is consuming my time and attention. You could say I've been a little obsessed with it. The yarn is wonderfully soft and has beautiful drape. It is a dream to knit, even when it's just plain stockinette or simple ribbing. It is one of those yarns that keeps you saying, "Just one more row, then I'll go to sleep."

However, I found that the 10 skeins of yarn are not going to be adequate to finish the sweater. I have 2 skeins left and I still haven't finished the main body of the sweater. I have at least 6 more inches of modified 3x1 ribbing before I'm ready to bind off and start on the sleeves.

So, of course, I had to order more yarn from Webs before they ran out of this discontinued color. Well, you just can't buy one thing at Webs, so I picked up some gorgeous red cotton/silk blend yarn for a tank top as well. It shipped today, so I can't wait to show you all the new yarn, not to mention, keep going on this beautiful cardigan. My only fear is that I'll run out of yarn before the new shipment arrives. Gasp!

I did get a wonderful little treat in the mail this afternoon. Live and Let Learn has a wonderfully talented glass artist for a husband. So when I was hunting for the perfect button for the pink cardi, she was the first person I thought of asking.

As usual, she came through for me with flying colors. You can see how lovely the button at the right looks with the pink yarn. Unfortunately, the photograph doesn't begin to do justice to the depth of color in this beautiful custom glass button.

Of course, you can't buy just one at Glastonbury Glassworks, either. So I just had to pick up these sheep to socks stitch markers as well. They are so adorable, I may have to get a special necklace like this one so I can wear them like jewelry.

Well, back to my compulsive knitting binge . . . Just one more row, then I'll clean the kitchen.

DOH!

Have you ever had one of those days?

As a fiber artist, I really should know better. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I check labels on any new sweaters, to make sure I launder them appropriately.

This was Hockeyman's favorite sweater, purchased at a local discount clothing store. Not even stopping to think about it (discount store sweaters are always polyester, right?) I tossed this beloved FS into the washing machine, then the dryer.

GAH!

Fortunately, Hockeyman laughed long and hilariously at my fiber gaffe and thought it great fun to squeeze into the micro-mini version of his FS. Then he cheerfully handed it to Peeps, the smallest member of the clan, whom it fits like a dream. She loves her new felted sweater and now I need to knit or buy a new sweater for HM.

In knitting news, I hit a bit of a snafu in my swatching. I've dutifully knit 4 inches of stockinette, 4 inches of 1x1 ribbing and 4 inches of modifed 3x1 ribbing. The 100% cotton is knitting up beautifully and the stockinette stitch swatch is dead on for gauge. However, the 1x1 rib gauge is supposed to be 20 st./in. and I get 24 st./in. And the modifided 3x1 ribbing is supposed to measure 24 st./in. and I have 26. So, here is my question - since this is cotton yarn, which has no rebound or stitch memory and will probably grow some with wear, am I safe in sticking with the same needle size throughout the project. Or should I change to larger needles that will get the gauge when I reach the ribbing sections and pray that the growth that is inevitable is vertical and not horizontal?

I've been burned before with knitting cotton to the ideal finished size, only to have it stretch and grow with time. However, I LOVE this sweater so much, I don't want to take any chances with it being too loose and floppy.

What would you do?

And we have a winner . . .

After some concentrated effort and a long search (hey, 24 hours is a long time for me), I have found the perfect pattern.

I went through at least a dozen magazines, spent hours online browsing through Ravelry, Knitty.com and a multitude of other online knitting pattern sources. After hours and hours of disappointing results, it turns out that the perfect pattern was just waiting in the latest issue of Interweave Knits.

This is a top-down knit project with an interesting slip-stitch i-cord detail for the front facing and a very flattering shape. I am also planning on looking for one fabulous button to add to the neckline, just because I like top closures on cardigans. The simple pattern should look wonderful with the slightly slubby yarn texture and it will be the perfect weight for spring and summer sweater weather.

In stupid kitty news, Harley has decided that since we have put him on diet kitty food, that cotton dishcloth yarn makes a great between meals snack. I fell asleep early this morning, in the midst of knitting on a washcloth. (Don't ask why I was up at 3:00 am. Let's just say I was a bit indisposed.) When I woke up a few hours later, the skein of yarn was detached from the knitting-in-progress and a large section of it was all soggy and nasty. Evidently, before he made it all the way up to the bamboo circular needles, his tummy decided that this was too much fiber and caused him to . . . well, regurgitate it back up. I'm fairly certain he "regurgitated" all of the fiber but to be on the safe side, we have dosed him with preventative meds, to make sure any remaining amount should pass without incident.

Now I'm in the process of removing all sources of temptation from Harley's living spaces. All yarn is being put away in sealed containers, on high shelves and ledges (he's too fat to jump very high) and in areas where he has no access.

Obviously the "D" word has an adverse affect on Harley's appetite, too.

Let the Dancing Begin!

The Christmas Gift of 2008 is now complete. A teenage Dancing Diva feels completely loved and embraced by her mother and all is well with the world.

The whoop I let out when I finished did manage to terrify the cats and cause Hockeyman to holler out, "WHAT?" I guess my celebration should have been more dancing and less whooping.

As a reward for toughing it out and finishing the blanket, I am going to cast on a new project for myself. I'm still on the hunt for the perfect summer T pattern. I am really intrigued by the whole top-down concept, so I'm looking specifically for something in that style. I recently ordered some 100% cotton yarn in a lovely ballet pink that I'm just dying to cast on.

I'm open to suggestions. In the meantime, back to the search . . .

I'm goin' to Shepherd's Harvest

Whoop!

Registered right after midnight on the 15th, just because I'm anxious to get into my first choices. And just a wee bit too excited to fall asleep, anticipating another great weekend of fibery stuff.

On Saturday, I'll be in the Luxury American Fiber's spinning class all day. It will be a great chance to hone my spinning skills on some more exotic fibers and prepare me to handle more difficult fibers on my own.

On Sunday afternoon, I'll be in the Novelty Yarn's spinning class. More fun spinning experience. Yay!

Oh, and I'm staying in a hotel in Stillwater Saturday night. One with a jacuzzi. It's going to be SWEEET! One whole weekend to myself, doing what I love.

I'm really hoping to hook up with some Ravelry mates and some old friends at Shepherd's Harvest, so let me know if you'll be there.

In other news, I am nearly done with Dancing Diva's Christmas Present. I am hoping I can finish it tomorrow. Since it was a big weekend for hockey, I managed to knit quite a bit while watching some High School playoff hockey (WTG! Eden Prairie Eagles! I saw both the playoff games and E.P. rocked!), Minnesota Wild hockey (gah, they lose in overtime - again.) and the Gophers beat St. Cloud to go to the WCHA Final Five (Woot!).

In related news, Hockeyman has been signed up for a spring league, so he'll be starting hockey again on Thursday. In the meantime, he got a job at a local grocery store and will be starting his training on Monday. It'll be a big week for the HM. For those who have asked, at this point, he fully intends to return to the High School hockey team in the fall, since the young men managed to mend their ways for the remainder of the season. He just loves the sport too much to let some jerks keep him from playing hockey. We'll just have to see how next year goes.

Well, the adreneline rush is fading and so am I. Nighty, night all you fiber artists and friends!

Eventful week = little knitting

It has been nearly a week since my last confession post. So many things have been happening around here. Unfortunately, none of it has been fiber arts related - at ALL!

Friday was not only the start of spring break in our district but also our homeschool academy classes. Not out of the ordinary except for the fact that I unloaded 2 kids to play dates and inherited 3 more teenage girls for an afternoon at the mall. I haven't gone and just "hung out" in a mall in my life but this seems to be the favored social activity of teenage girls. Hence, I spent hours following them around from shop to shop, watching them try on clothes, sunglasses and accessories and trying to keep from embarrassing them with my presence.

Saturday was spent power cleaning the house. Things have gotten a little behind, given our crazy schedule and having a full Saturday with no outside activities (thanks to spring break) meant we would get down to the nitty gritty and really get things sparkling. Of course, that sparkling state is already destroyed but, hey, we LIVE here.

Sunday was church and nap day. Literally! Since I'd been sick the previous week and worked so hard on Saturday, I ended up taking a 3 hour nap on Sunday afternoon. It was SWEEEEET and I refuse to feel any guilt at all. ;-P

Monday we spent at the local ski area, at the final Homeschool Ski Day of the season. Hockeyman is not allowed to snowboard during the regular hockey season, so he's been anxiously awaiting the chance to go out this year. Dancing Diva has skied numerous times but wanted to learn to snowboard this time. Bubba and Peeps have never been skiing, so this was their first ski trip. Since I don't ski or snowboard, I spent my day wandering back and forth between the different runs, checking on 4 kids who were spread out all over the place. My thighs and calves got quite the workout, tramping back and forth in the snow, so who says you have to ski to get a workout.

I've been researching a weightloss program the past few weeks and decided to give it a shot, so Tuesday was spent picking up some groceries and supplies for the new regime. Since we were expecting a "weather event" of some significance on Tuesday afternoon, it was a good thing to do my shopping early. The afternoon was spent watching weather reports and watching the ice build up on outdoor structures and praying that hubby would make it home from work at some point before midnight. He did but the roads were nasty. Thank Heavens for spring break and the lack of outside activities yesterday. I was more than happy to stay home. Of course, I didn't knit because I was finishing up the weightloss program preparations.

That brings us to today. I started my program (I refuse to say the "D" word because it only makes me crave chocolate, chips and chimichangas - this is a lifestyle change - OKAY!). It has been an okay day - not stellar - but okay. This program requires extra cooking and food prep, so lots of time was spent making food and cleaning up the extra mess. I have a bit of a headache, due to the fact that I've cut coffee out of my life. I spent the last week weaning myself off caffeine but I'm definitely doing much better today than I expected. A couple more days of this and I should be past the withdrawl entirely.

This program does have one advantage. It does utilize frequent "rewards" for goals set and reached. I'll have a goodie coming to me in 2 weeks if I can stick it out for that long. Any suggestions for non-food related rewards?

Can you spell L-Y-S t-r-i-p?

Will the madness never end???

If it's not entirely clear from the title, I assure you that I am still knitting endless rows of garter stitch. While this may not make for an earth-shattering revelation, it is, alas, what it is.

I'm also getting over another of those annoying virus thingies that have plagued me this winter. While I try to inject a little humor into my blog, I lack the great comedic genius of those who wring every ounce of laughter from a bout of the flu and subsequent infections and narcotic cough syrup episodes.

I've just managed to spend the past weekend, and bulk of the week, miserable and crabby . . . while knitting endless rows of garter stitch . . . when not collapsed in a Nyquil-induced haze of drowsiness.

However, as the fever dreams are subsiding and the cold symptoms seem to be retreating (I can almost smell things again), I am actually hopeful that the end of the garter stitch is in sight.

Who knows, maybe I'll even have a FO to show by the end of the weekend.

Then again, hubby now has symptoms of coming down with the virus thingie. There's nothing like nursing a sick husband to put knitting on hold.

Quintessential Conundrum

What to blog about when you are deep in the middle of a large project . . .

While I enthused about the possibility of letting go of guilt and just going with the knitting muse, casting on new projects with abandon, the reality is I live with a teenage daughter. Whilst I was more than ready to release the constraints the bound me and move on to newer, brighter, more thrilling projects, a little voice whined reminded me that I hadn't finished the Christmas Gift.

Alas, though my spirit longs to soar free and surrender to the Chronic Startitis, guilt has reared it's head and I am chained to never ending rows of garter stitch.

Granted, I am a fan of garter stitch. It is the ultimate T.V. watching stitch. I've managed to even knit during Wild and Gopher hockey games because I don't have to look at my hands as much while knitting garter stitch. However, there comes a time in every afghan/blanket project when I would swear that there has been a breach in the time/space continuum and the knitting is actually going backwards. While I know I have passed the halfway point, the end actually seems to be retreating faster than I progress toward it, like that ubiquitous door at the end of the ever lengthening hallway in horror movies and bad dreams.

Alas, I am trapped in this round of never ending garter stitch. All because a teen age girl seems to think a mother's love can only be expressed by actually finishing a Christmas Gift before the next Christmas rolls around.

Sheesh!

In the Spirit of Vicki Square

In the Spring 2009 Interweave Knits, there is an article by Vicki Square entitled, "Start As Many New Projects As You Can."

I think you can see where I'm going with this post.

Here, I've been kicking myself around the house, up the stairs and through the stash for the inability to finish some of the UFO's hanging around the manse. Although I had thumbed through the latest IK on arrival, I hadn't gotten around to reading it, cover to cover, as is my wont. Imagine the "doh" moment when I read this quote yesterday.

"Whatever you do, refuse to make yourself a hostage to the undone. Release yourself from the tyranny of a timetable whenever you can. Enjoy the creative flow of having many knitting projects going simultaneously, just as you enjoy a car ride without worrying about each individual moving part."

Fate managed to underscore my newfound freedom by allowing this little package to arrive today. It contains the yarn for a Vintage Gopher Hockey Sweater I'm making as part of a KAL on Ravelry. I also picked up some heavily discounted cotton yarn for a new summer sweater for myself.

Vive la nouveauté!

Surrender

There are times when you need to wave the white flag. What is the point of battling on when the battle is already lost. You can't fight nature. It is what it is. I surrender.


I simply have to go where inspiration leads, whether I leave a long trail of UFO's in my wake or not. Sometimes, inspiration hits and you are just forced to go with it until the bitter end. Hence, the latest FO is a completely new project.

DD#2, (aka Bubba) has been in need of a bag for her swim fins. I've been looking at swim meets but not be satisfied with the selection of bags available for purchase. Everyone has the same thing, which makes it harder to identify your stuff at the end of the day. So, after mulling the situation over for the entire swimming season, I had a brain blast.

Years ago, I was on one of those hunts for unique crafting materials at the local hardware store. Don't ask me why. I suspect I'd seen a craft show on HGTV that used unusual materials and was tempted to follow suit. As a result, I'd purchased lots of rubber gaskets, metal washers, chain and twine and tucked all of these various items into my stash, hoping I'd find something inspiring about owning them.

Fast forward several years - I am seeking the perfect yarn to make a string bag for swim equipment. It had to be waterproof, fade-resistant and stand out from the bags everyone else uses for their swim fins and goggles. Inspiration strikes and I remember my crazy hardware store shopping spree.

As a result (and with the help of Ravelry), I found a pattern for a crochet string bag. Super simple and fast, with the only modification being I replaced a side to side strap with drawstrings. I made it to fit Bubba's swim fins, with room to grow, since she'll move into bigger fins later on.

The Rainbow Twine is 100% nylon and should be impervious to the clorine and water at the pool. And since our homeschool group has weekly beach days in the summer, it should be a great tote for the beach as well.

As for standing out . . . well, I've never seen another one like it. Have you?

Shepherd's Harvest is coming . . .

I checked in at the Shepherd's Harvest website this morning and class listings should be available sometime today. Woot!

Registrations won't start until March 15 but at least I can start my . . . wishing and hoping and
thinking and praying, planning and dreaming . . .

Time for a change?

Thought I'd try a new look for the blog. We'll see how long I keep this style, though. I've got a touch of spring fever and I'm restless for change.

I started crocheting a beach bag with the plarn made this past week. I thought that the openness of the double crochet net pattern would allow sand to filter out and it would be less likely to mildew than cloth bags. Plarn is tough stuff to crochet with, since it likes to stick and drag as you use it. I have used almost all the red/white plarn up and am about half way done with the bag. Fortunately, with my largish family, I get a new batch of these bags every week. Another week or two of grocery shopping, and I should be able to finish this bag up.

In spite of the nagging guilt regarding the UFO/WIP pile, I have to admit that the arrival of the newest Interweave Knits magazine has cause a major flare-up of the chronic startitis I am battling. This project jumped out as a fun dance item for Dancing Diva, although she preferred this one for my ever-increasing "wannado" list. I fell in love with this one for myself. And the Net Duffel Bag - so cool!

Oh, and lets not forget the vintage hockey sweater KAL for Puck This on Ravelry. Hockeyman has picked this sweater for me to reproduce for him. This sweater was worn by the Minnesota Golden Gophers between 1936 and 1948. I've ordered the yarn, but it hasn't arrived yet. So in the meantime, I'm trying to work a little each day on different UFO's. That way, once the yarn arrives, I won't feel quite so badly about starting yet another project.

Then again, the double whammy of spring fever and chronic startitis may prove to be more than I can withstand.

What would you do if your mother asked you?

What is a knitter to do?

I have a list of UFO's a mile long. Some of them are close to done (one sleeve and some ribbing) and some are not so close (half of a twin-size blanket left to knit). I have a yarn stash so enormous, I have to use large laundry baskets and plastic tubs to corral it. I have patterns galore, shelves of books and magazines and a folder full of patterns downloaded from the internet - a veritable who's who of "wannados" lined up in a row.

What did I work on this week?



Slicing up plastic bags to make plastic yarn.




I know, I know, I'm pathetic.

Busy Wednesday post

No time for chit chat - gotta keep on movin' on - big day ahead. But another FO bites the dust.

LOVE this one. It's a Ravelry pattern called Darkside Cowl. Very fun and fast way to use up the leftover Noro Taiyo yarn.

Gotta go finish up Awana stuff and get the kids done with school before the race really begins tonight.

Ta Ta for now.

Addiction 101

I have to admit that the Hat Trick 2009 at Ravelry ended up being a blast. But I found it hard to quit knitting hats at the end of January. Hence, yet another hat FO for the blog.

This is the Sea Urchin pattern (Ravelry link) made with Noro Taiyo. It has a generous 220 yards, so I also managed to whip up a coordinating cowl with the leftovers. (Pics later)

I'm hoping that the hat addiction will slowly subside. Otherwise, when the snow melts this spring, the authorities may find we've been buried alive under a mountain of hand-knit hats.

For now, I'm chanting - must finish UFO's, must finish UFO's, must finish UFO's . . .

Week in review

Well, the hockey news continues to be good. Team members are being respectful and Hockeyman is actually playing more shifts in games. Although we lost badly to Eden Prairie last night (no surprise there - they are very good), and HM got a Unsportsmanlike penalty (his first EVER) at the very end of the game, HM actually played a great game.

As for the unsportsmanlike call (usually reserved for bad language and/or taunting and inciting the opposing player to fight, among other things), the whole situation was very humorous. The refs were calling things tight because (a) there was a major brawl early in the first period and (b) there is a history of fights between these two rival teams, both on and off the ice. The rivalry is so serious that several squad cars and multiple peace officers are in the building during games like this. So needless to say, the referees were working hard to keep things under control on the ice.

After a major collision in front of our net, in which HM was involved, there was a little pushing and shoving going on. HM stepped in and told an E.P. player not to touch the goalie and to back off - repeatedly while standing chest-to-chest and nose-to-nose with the player who was roughing up the goalie. The Ref hurried over to break it up, without hearing the actual conversation, and sent both boys to the box.

Everyone was laughing about the call because everyone on the team, including the parents, knows that HM does NOT swear or trash talk. HM was laughing & waving to us from the box in the final seconds. Frankly, it was the funniest ending to a game I've seen in a long time. A great ice-breaker for the team, which has been pretty subdued since the Great Locker Room Brouhaha.

I think we're going to have a decent end of the season after all.

Dancing Diva continues to improve after her bout with the flu this week. She has some lingering lung congestion, so we'll probably take her in for a quick check tomorrow morning. It will be nice to return to a normal school schedule, after days of sick kids and way too much television viewing.

In sewing machine news, hubby dismantled my precious baby and thinks he can fix it himself. We need to order a couple parts but the part I was most worried about (motherboard) is not damaged and doesn't need to be replaced. Whew! Huge sigh of relief!

As for Stupid Finger Part Deux, it has healed over nicely, although there is still significant bone tenderness. It only hurts when I bump the scar but as there is no swelling, I think the Stupid Finger will soon be a thing of the past.

In knitting news, I cast on and promptly frogged the first version (picture #2 above) of the baby blanket for BFF's 6th baby. The yarn in the first picture just jumped out of the clearance bin and into my shopping basket at Coldwater Collaborative on Wednesday. BFF, having had so many babies, confided in me several years ago that she was heartily sick of pastels. So when this bright, sunny Lana Grossa New Cotton followed me home, I knew it would be perfect for the August arrival of BFF baby version 6.0.

My first thought was to do an entrelac blanket. I cast on the base squares, loving the hand and drape of the fabric. However, as soon as I started the next set of entrelac squares in blue, I didn't like the size of the squares or the colors together in such large blocks.

Not being one to shy away from frogging, I promptly ripped the whole thing apart and went searching for another idea. I found the Joyous Stripes pattern in the Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns, I knew I had a winner. While the colors of the two pictures of the blanket in progress are not true (photographing red is horrible!), it does show the intricate look this very simple slip stitch pattern creates. I am totally loving how this blanket looks, feels and drapes. And the "wrong side", while not identical to the right side, is pretty enough to be the "right side", if I wanted it to.

I am feeling some guilt over this latest bout of startitis. I promised myself that I'd finish some UFO's after the Hat Trick 2009 KAL. However, with the stress issues this past week, I've given myself permission to be a bit selfish and go for any knitting that brings me joy.

And a gift for a new baby is the most joyous knitting project I can think of. How 'bout you?

New FO

I'm out of snappy titles for the time being. After the Great Hockey Brouhaha and a couple sleepless nights with feverish, vomiting girls, I'm not feeling particularly clever or witty. However, I do have some odds and ends to clear up on this blog.

First, a new FO to show. This is my version of the Palindrome Hat. I misread the directions and didn't stop cabling after 3 inches. So I had to improvise on the decreases at the crown. I'm not terribly pleased with the result and am considering adding a huge pom pom to the top to hide the rather wacky top. Since this is hat #6 for the Hat Trick 2009, I'm not going to do it over, since the KAL ends tomorrow.

On the other hand, this yarn is so pretty in the cabled pattern, I'm considering making another cabled project with the remaining skeins. (This yarn was the yarn I rejected for my Mom's afghan because the "no dye lot" yarn had definite color differences. I happen to have numerous skeins in the different shades to play with.) Who knows, I may make another Palindrome Hat with the correct length of cabling and decrease rows. And the matching scarf.

In Hockey News: For those who asked, it is possible to petition to have Hockeyman moved to a different school district to play hockey. It is a long and involved process because of MSHSL rules. Because in the past there were problems with kids using the Open Enrollment to switch to schools with better sports teams, they implemented a rule that makes players ineligible to play any sport for 1 calendar year after transferring to a new school. That rule applies to homeschool students as well. There is a petitioning process that can be followed to get a waiver but it is difficult to get approval unless you are transferring to a school with a team that is worse than the one you are currently on. HM is not terribly interested in transferring to a worse team at this point.

Also, due to the fact that our district is splitting into two high schools next year, they are going to be adding an additional J.V. squad next year. Given that we barely had enough kids available for two teams, the coach has asked that HM stay on the team. They will need every player (especially experienced HS players) they can get next year to field 3 H.S. teams and the coach is not likely to support the petition for HM to transfer.

At this point, HM only needs a team that is respectful of his religious beliefs, personal property and physical body. If the players can actually abide by the code of conduct contract they signed at the beginning of the season, HM has no problem with staying on the team. He doesn't expect them to be best friends, only mature adults. And since the team meeting, they have modified their behavior and we should be able to finish the season with no problems.

Now, for the bad news. My sewing machine is sick. I'm very worried, however, that this may be terminal.

Keep you fingers crossed for a miracle cure, especially since dance costume alteration season is upon me and I NEED a sewing machine.

Could this week get any worse?

The Horrible No Good Very Bad Day

Yup, stole the title but it perfectly sums up a 24 hour period of time, starting Monday after hockey practice.

You see, I nearly stopped being a hockey mom this week.



Take a moment to catch your breath . . . I'll wait.


I can't blog about the details. I promised HM that I wouldn't. But there was a sleepless night, plenty of tears shed (on my part) and a very intense meeting between HM, Hubby and the coaches of the hockey team on Tuesday afternoon. As a result, HM will finish the season with the team, some rather nasty hockey locker room incidents will be suitably punished and steps will be taken to ensure HM's physical safety while at the rink. So, for the time being, I'm still a hockey mom. I've got some mixed emotions about it all but being a hockey mom means standing behind the player, 100%.

All this came on the heels of a long weekend in Red Wing at a swim tournament (which went GREAT - Bubba won a 6th place ribbon for 100 yd. backstroke - her first ribbon - WOOT), so I'm way behind on blogging about fibery pursuits.

For those who are breathlessly awaiting my announcement of which projects I took to Red Wing . . . I took the Center Medallion Sweater, Dancing Diva's Blanket and Hubby's Annual Birthday Socks. I actually finished HAB Socks and managed a few inches on DD's Blanket. I had far less knitting time than I thought I'd have. And definitely no quiet time to figure out how to recreate the pattern alterations I made to the CM Sweater's sleeve. I'm saving that project for a time when I have a few hours of peace and quiet to work it out.

I can't post a pic of the HABS - Hubby took them and immediately wore them to work the next day. He likey! I'll have to snag a photo after I wash them.

I finished another hat yesterday for the Hat Trick 2009 on Ravelry. I can post a pic but probably shouldn't. It's not a great shot (color is not accurate and look at my messy hair!) but all I have time to take at the moment. I'm still looking for a Wild logo to add to the hat and it still needs to be washed and blocked. Still, the bad photo is at least proof that something besides hockey drama is going on around here.

I'm nearly finished with the last hat for my third hat trick and will hopefully have a picture of it tomorrow.

Time to finish up a few things before driving HM to hockey. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a very uneventful practice today.