This week winter decided to hit with a vengeance. Starting Tuesday afternoon and into the night we had snow. At some point over night, this changed over to sleet. Wednesday, Mother Nature doused us with a couple of hours of rain, followed by more snow and an arctic blast of sub-freezing temperatures. This unholy cocktail resulted in major traffic headaches (a 50 mile traffic jam on I-78) and a 8 inches of snow and ice to clear from our sidewalks and drives. Most people are still (3 days later) trying to clear their properties. Thankfully, the sun is shining today and they are calling for temps above freezing so things should start improving.Since my last post, I've been knitting away on the sleeves for the seamless yoke sweater. I finished the 1st sleeve last weekend, put it in my knitting basket and got underway with the second sleeve. About halfway through when, according to my notes, I should have been at the end of my increases, I found my self about 10 stitches short. I counted and recounted and couldn't figure out what went wrong. So I pulled the first sleeve out of my basket, laid them side by side and...
son-of-a-%^&#>! Sleeve number one is about 2 inches wider at the cuff. I thought it looked awfully wide, but having never knit one of these EPS sweaters, figured that's how they were supposed to be. Turns out, I just can't count. Today I will finish sleeve number two, which now is actually sleeve number one and start reknitting sleeve number one which could technically be considered sleeve number 3. Note to self...count your cast on stitches twice, maybe even 3 times for good measure.
We had to remove the jar from our squirrel feeder after two birds got stuck in it in the last month (and since we cut down our tree last spring, we don't seem to get any squirrels anymore anyway). Apparently, birds can figure out how to hop in and eat, but not turn around and hop out. We left the base up, though and have been filling it with seeds for the birds.
Here's a lovely cardinal enjoying his breakfast this morning. And if I turn just 90ยบ to the left...
We find Stuart, perched on his Cozy Cushion on the dryer, eyeing said cardinal and contemplating what kind of breakfast he might like to have.
What the hell is wrong with me? I completely forgot to mention THE most important news of the week...
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows will be released on July 21, 2007!!!!!!!!!!!!I have, of course, ordered my copy from Amazon and asked off from work the Monday following. The people at work think I'm completely off my nut, but I am so psyched! The movie one week and the book a week later.
As of about 9:30 yesterday morning, I'm another year older. I managed to be off from work and despite a bad start to the day, it's turned out to be a pretty good one. I got some nice cards, some tasty chocolate and money and gift certificates to spend on yarn. I spent the morning at Brickerville with my parents. I found this cool milk bottle at the antique shop to add to my bottle collection.
Scored not quite enough yarn for my Seamless Yoke sweater. 4 balls of Galway Highland Heather #712 and one ball #722.
Edna would have ordered more for me, but with being into tax season now, I don't know when I might get down her way again. The Knitter carries Galway, so I can get the remaining skeins delivered. Although my original intent was to make the sweater much like EZ demonstrates in the book and video, now that I have yarn in hand, my plans are evolving. The Galway knits at 4.5 st/inch so using the Supermerino, which knits at 5 st/inch, won't really work as I had hoped for the yoke. Instead, I've decided to knit the sweater with hems, rather than rib or garter stitch bands. In this way, I can use the Supermerino for hem facings. I'm simply enthralled with the idea of having something so flashy hidden inside the sweater. What do you think?
The body will be the brown color. This leaves the yoke. Problem...problem solved.
Traditional Scandinavian Knitting arrived from Amazon today. There are literally hundreds of pattern ideas in here. I'm already eyeing a few, but since the yoke is a LONG way away, I've got plenty of time to mull it over. I'll also have to decide if I want to use any other colors. I've got the ball of cream. And I do like the way these Scandinavian patterns look in just two colors. But I'm considering getting a ball of navy or maybe red just for a little highlight.
Today it's bitter cold out, currently 22. Quinn and I have been snuggled under a blanket all morning watching Doctor Who season 2. I just saw PBS has a Black Adder marathon on this afternoon, and DIY has a Knitty Gritty marathon this evening. Of course, we'll probably be watching the Super Bowl, but should be able to catch a few bits in between.
PS...title reference from the most excellent John Hughes movie Sixteen Candles. Farmer Ted sings the Beatles "You say it's your birthday" to Sam while seated in half a car in the school's auto shop. Yes, no better way to pick yourself up on a birthday than watching the ultimate birthday movie.
Seriously folks, if you are a knitter and love Elizabeth Zimmermann (and what knitter doesn't), you need to get Knitting Workshop. Both the book and the DVD. You can get the set from Schoolhouse Press or buy them individually from a number of different places. The video is a 6 hour course in knitting. Filmed in the 80's for PBS, each 1/2 hour segment builds on the last, taking you from the most basics all the way to the most difficult tasks. It's very homey feeling (much like Knitter's Glossary) I think both may have actually been filmed at EZ's home. The cat even gets into the act from time to time! The video does move really fast, so I think the book is quite necessary if you actually intend to make anything demonstrated. The I'm only about 2 1/2 hours in and I'm already obsessing about knitting a yoke sweater. I have several different yarn combinations in mind but am waiting until after I go to the yarn shop this weekend to see if I can find something there before ordering online. I'm thinking of using the Supermerino I just got for the interior of the Hawser pattern on the yoke. I love the idea of using a variegated yarn inside a charted design, makes it look way more complicated. Plus, I only have 2 skeins of it, not really enough to do much else with. Once I find some coordinating yarn, I want to swatch the chart and see if it looks as good as I think it will.
In other news...Christine at Pointy Sticks is celebrating her Podcastiversary! I've listened to her podcast from the start and it's one of the few I've stayed subscribed to. Her theme song rocks, she actually talks about knitting and podcasts on a regular basis. An all around winner. To celebrate her 'versary, she's giving away stuff! Go check her out. Listen to an episode or two and leave her a comment. While you are there, be sure to hop over to her Big Pink Cookie blog and check out her awesome photography! Way to go Christine! Happy Podcastiversary!
My cold is somewhat improved, although I still don't feel like doing much more than laying around sleeping. I did manage to finish the clogs and get them felted yesterday.
Here seen drying in front of the heater. As you can see by they are now much less cat sized.
They fit like a dream. So warm and soft. The double thick bottoms make them nice and cushiony. I'm seriously thinking of getting some type of soles, though, as they are pretty slippery on non-carpeted surfaces.
Ugh, I'm sick. Some nasty cold bug has been going around. Nearly everyone at work has or has had it. I managed to avoid getting sick the first time it went around a month or 2 ago, but no such luck this time. Despite my best efforts of large doses of vitamin C and cup after cup of hot tea. I've got a sore throat and sore, stuffy ears. My nose alternates between absolutely fine, completely stuffed and running like a faucet at regular intervals. I decided to stay home from work this afternoon to try to sleep it off. But my head would have none of that. As soon as I laid down, my sinuses started draining into my already irritated throat launching me into coughing fits. Finally, I gave up and settled on the couch with my knitting and DIY's craft shows on the tube. The fingerless mitts from last week have been (temporarily) abandoned for the Fiber Trends Clogs. Stephanie mentioned them a few weeks ago and it's been a huge topic of discussion on the KnitList and me being so easily swayed, decided I needed to make me a pair of these puppies. 
I'm knitting mine with Patons Classic Merino in Natural Marl and Natural Mix (next time might choose a starker contrast). They are huge. Picture of slipper and foot...
Excuse the pink socks, sick people needn't be judged for their fashion choices. The slipper is roughly the same size as Quinn...
She refused to sit nice for a picture, but I think you get the point. If there were a hole at the other end, it would be the perfect size for a kitty sweater. So far I've only finished the one slipper, but it's a super fast knit. Only took me maybe 2-3 hours. Since I'm not up to doing much of anything else until I kick this cold, I should have no problem finishing the other one in time to throw them in with the laundry this weekend to get them felted.
In stash acquisition news this week...
Two skeins of Artyarns Supermerino yarn color 101 (gold, purple, navy, brown) that I got for a steal on Ebay. I'm not sure what exactly I'm going to do with it. The seller included a pattern for a mitered scarf, but I'm not much of a scarf person, and knitting miters doesn't really float my boat either. I'm half kicking around the idea of trying these coasters (from Knitty Gritty), but again, it's miters and I'm not sure if I want to go there. Our library's spring auction is coming up soon and I need to get something made to donate. I thought maybe these coasters with some matching mugs and tea in a nice basket. Or maybe a spa basket with some of my soap and these washcloths made with the new Lion Organic Cotton (I'm DIEING to find this yarn!)
We are not speaking of Widdershins. The math proved way out of my league so I shall wait to try this pattern when I have yarn of the appropriate gauge. I pushed on, though, and did try another toe up pattern with the lovely bamboo yarn. But it too kicked my butt with it's provisional cast on that wouldn't unravel nicely, instead releasing two or more rows of stitches every time I removed it. After an hour, I'd had enough and packed the bamboo yarn away. When I finish the Mister Joe socks I'll give the bamboo a try with my standard top down pattern. Speaking of Mister Joe...
Sock one finished! And the wee beginnings of sock two. I haven't spent much time on these the last few days. Since winter has finally arrived here, I found myself in need of another pair of fingerless gloves. I love the Fetching mitts from a few months back, but find the cables on the palm a bit irritating after awhile. And since I've got tons of sock yarn around, I decided to find a pattern at that gauge. The Kat's Paws provided the perfect answer.
The pattern designer claimed she could knit a mitt in 2 hours. It took me more like 6, but still a pretty fast knit in my book. They are long enough to tuck up into my sleeve and fall just below my fingers so they won't interfere with typing. The yarn is Gedifra Sportivo color 5704 and the needle a Suzanne's Ebony both from Webs. I'm not sure I'd like the yarn for socks. Maybe if it was knit at a tighter gauge, but at this gauge (7 st/in), I don't think it would hold up as a sock. The jury is still out on the needle. I love the needle it's self. It's a beautiful matte black and the stitches slide nicely on it. But the join is a bit bumpy and I find I have to wiggle the stitches over it most every time I switch needles. Of all the needles I've tried, I'm still going to go with Knit Picks as my favorite overall.Speaking of Knit Picks, they came through with flying colors once again. I ordered the companion dvd to EZ's Knitting Workshop book last weekend and it arrived on Friday.
Sadly, I haven't had a chance to sit down and watch it yet. I spent much of my weekend watching the Doctor Who season one dvd set. Totally awesome!
This recent sock knitting kick I'm on, and the success I'm enjoying with the Mister Joe Blanket socks has prompted me to consider trying to knit with standard sock yarn again. I finished my Online Supersockes this afternoon and, although I should soldier on and finish the Mr Joe socks, I'm going to cast on Widdershins.
I scored this Regia Bamboo on eBay after seeing it mentioned in a magazine ad. The ad said it creates a "temperature regulating, breathable fabric". I'm thinking it has the potential to be light enough for spring summer wear when it's too hot for wool socks. (Hell, it's been so warm here this winter, I've hardly worn my wool socks for winter!) The downside is, I don't like the fabric knit to the gauge called for in the pattern (7 sts/inch). I tried knitting a swatch on US 1 needles and got 9 sts/inch, which I really like. I moved up to a US 2 and got gauge, but the fabric seems too loose. So, I'm going to sit down with the pattern and work out the numbers at the smaller gauge. I just know I'm going to regret this. I'm not a big fan of knitting with such small needles and 9 gillion stitches. Plus, I'm going to have to knit this on double points (at least to start) because I don't have a US 1 cirular needle (yet, I just ordered one from KnitPicks). But this yarn is FAB, and I'm willing to give it a shot at the prospect of something awesome in the end. I'll let you know how I make out.
Speaking of how I made out...The plastic bag liner worked very well for the soap yesterday. As you can see, there's some fold lines in the sides, but nothing a little trimming didn't solve.
This soap was scented with an oakmoss blend and has a lovely fresh scent. I used a little clove and paprika to color it, but not enough. I wanted a more light brown color. I even added some brown coloring to the soap when I saw it wasn't coming out dark enough, but still it's a little light.
Well, as I feared, the vanilla scented soap from earlier this week is morphing...
What started as a lovely creamy white is slowly oxidizing to brown. It's just at the edges so far, but this will spread throughout the soap. I'm hoping the browning is light enough that the blue swirls still show. This happened to me once before with a lavender vanilla scented soap. It started white with light purple swirls and ended up almost completely brown. Much as I love vanilla scents, I think I'll give up on them until I get some non-discoloring scent. The soap is perfectly usable, just not very pretty to look at.
I made a batch of plain castile soap on Thursday. It is mostly olive oil with just a small percent of castor oil to improve the lather. 
This is shortly after I cut it. I had to wait almost 2 days for it to be firm enough to cut. Even now, the center is still a bit soft. It almost looks like marble inside. This will change as it ages and become solid cream color. There has been a lot of talk about 100% olive oil soap on the soap list and I've been wanting to try it for awhile. So far, I'm very pleased with the results. It's my understanding this soap will take longer than other soaps to cure, so it will be a few weeks before I can give it a try.
I made one more batch of soap today. This time I'm trying lining the mold with heavy plastic as suggested in Soap. 
It's definitely more fiddly than freezer paper, but I'm almost out of freezer paper and wanted to give this method a try before I bought more. The soap is resting now, should know tomorrow how the liner worked.
I'm a child of the 80's, through and through. The other day, one of the girls at work and I were talking about Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I reminisced that I had seen it in the movie theater with my sister and a friend from school. And that I remembered getting posters and buttons because it was some special showing. Well, lo and behold, I went looking and found my stash of buttons...
I was a HUGE Duran Duran fan, so the majority of my buttons are theirs, but there it is, my "Leisure Rules" FB button. I'm such a geek that it makes me so happy to have found it. Probably even more so that I'm blogging it!!
son-of-a-%^&#>! Sleeve number one is about 2 inches wider at the cuff. I thought it looked awfully wide, but having never knit one of these EPS sweaters, figured that's how they were supposed to be. Turns out, I just can't count. Today I will finish sleeve number two, which now is actually sleeve number one and start reknitting sleeve number one which could technically be considered sleeve number 3. Note to self...count your cast on stitches twice, maybe even 3 times for good measure.
Here's a lovely cardinal enjoying his breakfast this morning. And if I turn just 90ยบ
We find Stuart, perched on his Cozy Cushion on the dryer, eyeing said cardinal and contemplating what kind of breakfast he might like to have.
