Saturday, July 28, 2007

Squatty Update

My niece fell in love with this purse and since her birthday was very near, she is now the proud owner of my squatty. Which is not a bad thing At All. She loves it and that makes me happy. I get to knit another one for me and that makes me happy.

Happy Happy Happy.

Sunday, July 01, 2007

My Squatty Sidekick

Knitting Daily provided me with another interruption for my life. This cute little bag just begged me to knit it and so I had to do it. Of Course.

I used Reynolds Lopi and it knit up quickly and beautifully.

Pre-felting:

Post-felting:

Even my dog, Sophie, thinks it's a cute little bag.

I ran out of the blue so had to pick up another skein. Now I have enough for a felted cell phone case. Or a little pocket book. Or a case for my sunglasses.....

Power Posting and Afghan

Third post in one day. Must mean that I've got time on my hands and no one around to need something. I want to join a couple of webrings and I think that you actually have to post to your blog in order to join. Trying to be a PreMember in good standing, I guess.

Final bit to post today. Eric's Afghan in ON THE NEEDLES. I know, it's been listed as OTN for at least a month. Well, I've been swatching and changing my plan and 2 days ago, it went on.

First, I wrote down my plan and calculated how many stitches to cast on based on my gauge. All this done while "watching" my husband play for the church softball team. I didn't bring the dog to this game.

Then, while riding in the semi with my husband to deliver a load of corn, I cast on 240 stitches. Actually I cast on 232, then 237, then finally 240 (I thought). I counted, counted, counted, and counted. Yup, 240.

So with my Options size 9, 47" cable, I started in on the garter stitch border, 6 rows and knit until we returned home.

Yesterday evening, I sat in my big foldup lawn chair with the footrest on the deck and finished the border. I ran out of the first ball of yarn and experienced my first small panic attack. I hope that the 30 balls of yarn I ordered will be enough for this afghan!

I must insert here that "A Prairie Home Companion" is a great program to knit to. And if you can be on your deck and watch your Great Dane tear around the yard, lips flapping up and down, well that's even better. AND if you can rescue a tiny Chipping Sparrow and her small nest of 2 blue eggs from Said Dog, better and better. Not so great for speed knitting, but pleasure knitting? Definitely.

Back to the afghan. I'm using Swish Superwash from Knit Picks in Dublin and so far I am so pleased with my choice. The yarn is soft to my fingers, the fabric has a very nice sheen to it and the color is perfect.

I've moved past the border and just started the pattern stitch. I waffled between doing a sampler type of piece with different stitches (mainly to keep myself entertained) but decided on just the one stitch because it seems to have enough interest in it and then there won't be any sewing!!! I'm using "Moss and Diamond Brocade" from the Vogue Stitchionary Volume One. I love this pattern because it looks interesting, creates a solid fabric, and is really easy! Every second row is a repeat of the previous row. Interesting enough to keep you thinking but still able to watch "Pride and Prejudice" for the zillionth time.

Here it is:

Berries and God

Sunday seems an appropriate day for religious reflection. This afternoon I tromped through our woods in search of Black Raspberries. Actually I was in search of Blackberries but about half way through the patches I found, I realized I was eating/picking black raspberries. I called my husband over with my enlightened discovery and his response was, "Yeah. Did you think you were picking blackberries?" I hate it when I'm not as smart as I think I am.

Anyway, while I was picking Black Raspberries, I thought to myself, "Can a person find God picking berries? Is God there too?" Not so much is He IN the berries, although some religious persuasions claim that to be true, but is He present in the day to day, non-earth-shattering events that surround me. I thought about that. I thought about the hot sun beating down on me, making me sweat. I thought about how cool I felt when I moved just inches away into the shade and felt the breeze blow across my damp skin. I thought about how some of the berries are hard and dry and small in the hot sun and just underneath, in the shade, the berries are black and shiny and juicy. I think that the evidence of God is Everywhere. He may not be directing my every step but I think He is definitely present in my Everyday. Taking time to be silent and to think is something that I don't do enough of. I seem to fill my life with words and noise. Always reading. Always listening to music or words. Not that these things are bad. Just that listening to/for God is better.

Tomten Finished AND Delivered

But don't you know that the camera batteries were dead so no picture of the Finished Object. Hopefully Mom will take a picture of baby (or kindergartener as the size of the jacket dictates) when he's wearing it and I'll post a picture then. I had to frog the buttonhole band to make the buttonholes....now there's a shocking idea! Make the holes while knitting the band!...and since I had only 4 of the Great Buttons, I had to carefully space them rather further than ideal. Anyway, Mom, Baby, Tomten and socks are together at last.