Howie comes to town

Monday night, we were delighted to play host to Piker Press West Coast Editor and maid of all work, Sand. She is driving cross country with her husband, Bernie, and dog, Howie, both of whom are charmingly well-behaved.

I don't know if Howie actually remembered us from our visit to his house, but his cautious phase was very brief, and soon gave way to his wandering around, sniffing us and our things. The only thing he didn't get to sniff was Katie. She took one look and dived under the bed, where she stayed until That Thing was gone. Even Tuesday morning, after they were back on the road, she avoided me, the traitor who allowed That Thing into her home. She's over it now, though.

Work. I don't usually talk about work here, and I won't now, other than to say that there is a lot of stuff going on. Good stuff, planned stuff, but changes nonetheless. Today, I move to my new office and they start installing new equipment. Tomorrow, I get a new boss. Next week, if not sooner, we take on some new business, and we are pitching for other new business. It's exciting, but still stressful.

I'm slacking

Why no posts recently? Because everything is undone. Several bits of knitting are in progress, but not done. I'm sucking wind at Script Frenzy. Work is in upheaval - mostly planned upheaval, with some unplanned, yet positive upheaval on top of it. It's good, but still stressful.

I still haven't downloaded the pictures I took a week ago when T and I took a brief vacation. That's how distracted I am right now.

But get this - I'm reading a book. Yeah, reading took a hit when I started knitting, but I saw one last weekend (while knitting at the bookstore, ironically) that captured my attention. The book is "The Girls" by Lori Lansens. It's a fictional autobiography of conjoined twin sisters. It has really captured me.

Clearing out the sock queue

Obviously, with new sock yarn coming in, I need to start clearing the current socks in progress out of the queue. These are the socks I started on vacation in April.

They are made of sport weight yarn, so are a little heavy for summer, unless I get some Birkies. Note the wildly mismatched fraternal striping. I couldn't have made these babies match if I tried. Here's how much yarn I had left over.

Today, I finished the first Tofutsie sock and cast on the second one. The yarn is splitty and pools funny, but the resulting fabric is really nice. THOSE will be summer socks. I'm also working on another sport weight sock in Opal 6, and the Rockin' Sock Club Sock Of Doom. That would be the February sock, the one on 00 needles. And, I have another square for the Greensburg Project in progress.

Katie is delighted, as usual, by all of the activity.

"Get these things away from me."

Ooh, pretty

This just in from the Lime & Violet shop:

In search of The Duke

On Sunday, KnightStar and I went to Winterset to see John Wayne's birthplace and take a few pictures for the Piker Press. See them here and here. There were a lot of activities on Saturday, but we couldn't get there until Sunday. That's just as well, since neither of us is crazy about big crowds.

I forgot to mention last week, but I had another photo in the Press, of Venus and the Moon. It is here. That one is also going to be in our astronomy club newsletter soon.

I've knit a couple of afghan squares and started a new sock. No, I haven't finished any of the socks-in-progress yet. Leave me alone.

The Haul

When KnightStar started asking for birthday gift suggestions, I handed him the Knit Picks catalog. He did good:

Three books, and the Options needle set, plus chocolates from Chocolaterie Stam. I made a circular needle from the needle set and used them to finish a square for the Greensburg afghan project.
Nice, nice needles. I am very impressed.

When I got home from work, I had a package from my friend Hope.

Last weekend, the KnitWits went to Omaha for a quick yarn shopping excursion. With the help of Alcariel, I added to my stash of Koigu, with the goal of making a Keepsake Shawl at some point. (Or maybe something else. Who knows?) This is the old stuff mixed in with the new:

I though we did pretty good, considering we were trying to coordinate with a bunch of yarn I couldn't describe.

T and I had an early birthday dinner last night, since he had to work today. Today after work, I went to an art opening with some co-workers (free drinks!) and T brought home a piece of cheesecake he nicked from a buffet at his office. Tomorrow, I think the work day will end with more co-workers and more drinks, and then the big KnitWits birthday extravaganza. Amy's birthday is two days after mine, so we get to celebrate together. Felix & Oscar's, stand by!

A good excuse for knitting

Rebuilding Greensburg

I grew up not far from Greensburg, Kansas, the little town that was wiped out by a tornado earlier this month, and the stories of destruction and rebuilding have been of particular interest to me.

A knitter in Kansas wanted to make an afghan for the family that her church "adopted", and she put out the call for donated squares. Judging from the size of the mailbag she received recently, she may have enough squares to make afghans for many families.

Her suggested pattern is a simple diagonal garter stitch square. (The instructions are on the blog link, above.)

If you have some wool or wool blend worsted marinating in your stash, consider making a square or two for this cause.

It's true, except for the "delicate" part

What kind of yarn are you?

You are Shetland Wool. You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a little on the harsh side. Though you look delicate you are tough as nails and prone to intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you are widely respected and even revered.
Take this quiz!








Quizilla |
Join

| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code

Gettin' gaudy

Susan at Resolution Every Day recently showed what happened when she started scribbling with her pastels. Hey! I have pastels! And I know how to scribble! And thanks to a big clearance sale at The Art Store, I have a huge sketch pad.

It's not as sublime as Susan's lovely art, but it was massively fun. I call it "Atlas Goes Snowboarding During the Berlin Airlift".

The patroness of the arts was so impressed, she hugged my neck.


(KnightStar would like to point out that he has just updated his blog with some pictures from his nature walks. Zoom in on the deer in the last picture.)

Shopping at the badge store

Recent delurker Goody led me to the Official Badge Generator. My gosh, there are a million possibilities, but probably not this late at night.

Goody mentioned that she knew the Sunbonnet Girl quilt block from her Girl Scout days. (That is the design on the bag in the photo at the link in the previous post. Got that?) As I recall, one year my mom's quilt guild in Kansas had a different pattern in their newsletter each month, all on a Kansas theme. If you made all of the blocks, you would have enough for a sampler wall hanging. That was probably in the late 70s or early 80s. I don't know if she made all of the blocks, but she immediately saw the possibilities for this one.

Storm at Sea

This week is the Mother's Day issue of the Piker Press. One of my pictures accompanies my contribution to the article, Reminds Me Of My Mother.

One of the items in the picture is a quilted wall hanging that my mom made for me. Here it is, unfurled and displayed by KnightStar:

I love all of of the motion in that design. If I did hard drugs, this would be the thing I contemplated for hours on end.

Speaking of arty things, what is more dramatic than the Sphinx?

(Almost) Every Day In May

I'm a little late starting, but what the heck? French Toast Girl invites us all to be creative Every Day In May. I need to pull some illustrations together for the next issue of the Piker Press, so I may as well get extra credit for them.

Anyway, Aser adjudicated that knitting also counts as creative. So there.

It's gonna get frenzied

I signed up for Script Frenzy, the script writing equivalent of NaNoWriMo. The goal - write a 20,000 word script in the month of June.

I was ready to resist joining. One grand literary failure per year should be plenty, thankyouverymuch. But our municipal liaison from NaNo is doing it, and she sort of dragged me along with her enthusiasm.

To prepare, I have read the book "Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need" by Blake Snyder. To his credit, Mr. Snyder made it sound like something I could do. I'm already thinking of ideas, which is more than ever happens when I try to write fiction, so I am cautiously optimistic.

One of the interesting things about screenwriting, as opposed to novels, is that "The Industry" freely admits that there are Formulas That Work. They aren't embarrassed to tell you exactly how many pages to write, and exactly where to put your turning points, and why one type of character is better than another - in short, what sells.

Selling, of course, is not my goal here. Trying something different is the goal. I'm excited about that.

(Here's a gratuitous extra graphic to satisfy the whims of Blogger's sidebar.)


In recent comments, Lydia asked how the lace yarn was coming along. Right now, it is marinating in the yarn stash, waiting for the right pattern to come along. If I come to visit this fall, Lydia, will it be lace shawl weather? That might spur me into action.

Aser asked how handknitted socks feel and how I launder them. They feel fine to me. They have some thickness to them, and if you have sensitive feet, you can probably feel them on the soles of your feet. I don't have any issues with wool, and because wool wicks moisture, I find them comfortable even when it is not cold.

As for washing them: I usually use superwash (non-shrinking) wool for socks. Some may call me a heretic, but they go into the washer, and the dryer. I've got yarn to make more if I need them. The silkier ones, though, I might handwash - once they are finished.

Dragon Knitter commented on my ramen art, and I noticed that it has become separated from the article it accompanied in the Piker Press. So here it is, my most dramatic painting to date.

I Don't Like Ramen!
Acrylic on ramen noodles

Rain, rain, go away

It started raining about dinner time yesterday. Rained all night. Rained all day today until just before I left work. I love rainy, thundery weather more than most, but an occasional break is nice.

We've gone four hours now with now rain, although I think more may be on the way.

On the plus side - one of the damp envelopes in the mailbox when I got home contained the April sock kit from the Rockin' Sock Club. The yarn is glorious, and so much "my colors' that it is frightening. The pattern should be okay, too. Not to spoil it, but there are two different versions of the pattern. I first saw the picture on the back, and thought "No way." But then I saw the front picture, and all was well again. I hope I am able to get gauge with normal needles this time.

What about the February socks, you may ask? I'm still chipping away at them, slo-o-owly, a few rows at a time. I'm about four inches into the foot of the first sock, so there is still a long way to go. It's too bad Lent is over. They would have been a perfect discipline project.

Return of the memes

You Should Rule Saturn

Saturn is a mysterious planet that can rarely be seen with the naked eye. You are perfect to rule Saturn because like its rings, you don't always follow the rules of nature. And like Saturn, to really be able to understand you, someone delve beyond your appearance. You are not an easy person to befriend. However, once you enter a friendship, you'll be a friend for life. You think slowly but deeply. You only gain great understanding after a situation has past.

What Planet Should You Rule?

What's that bidness about rarely seen with the naked eye? I could look out the window right now and see Saturn. I must say, though, I never get tired of looking at it in a telescope.

In other news: Knightstar has the Peek of the Week at the Piker Press this week.

Teasers are starting to leak out for Script Frenzy, the upcoming script writing event from the fine folks who brought you NaNoWriMo. I hate to say it, but I'm thinking about doing it. It seems clear that novel writing is not my first, best destiny. Maybe scriptwriting is my calling. I am pretty good with dialogue, after all.

Pretties

My friend Amy went to Europe recently. Tonight at the KnitWits get-together, she announced, "I have presents," and pulled out four 1400 m/1533 yd skeins of merino/silk lace weight yarn. That's enough to make a large lace shawl.

I immediately pounced on the aqua skein.

It is very pettable, and the silk really makes it sparkle.

Thanks, Amy, for the beautiful gift!

Speaking of soft, pettable things, Miss Katie came home to live with us four years ago today.

The other cats at the Animal Rescue League that day were just lying around in their cages, but Katie was up at the front of her cage, chatting and working the crowd. She was a total salesperson, and I fell for her shtick completely.

I went cat shopping that day because my dad had died on this day the year before, and I thought a new cat would cheer me up. Or distract me, is more like it. And that she did.

Daddy professed not to like cats, but he shamelessly spoiled the cats that lived with family members. For one thing, he would turn on the tap so they could have fresh water from the sink. Darned if Katie didn't pick that up, even without him here to teach her. I have to think that he is somehow behind it.

A word of advice

Before you leave the cat home alone, put your shoes in the closet.

"I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about."

Hooky

Knightstar won tickets to today's Iowa Cubs day game, so I took the afternoon off and we went to the ballpark.

The forecast was for sunny and mid-60s. When I left work, it was cloudy, windy, and 49. And me in short sleeves, with no coat. Once at the stadium, my first stop was at the gift shop, where I bought a stadium blanket. It was easily the best purchase I have ever made at a game. It cost $30, but it was made out of heavy sweatshirt fleece, and covered us both comfortably. It appears to be about the size of a twin bed blanket.

We got to our seats just in time for the national anthem. You may not suspect this about me, particularly if you've ever heard me on a political rant, but I am a real softy for the national anthem. Singing it gives me a lump in my throat, and I like hearing it performed well - which, as we all know, is not so easy.

When I saw eight elderly people gathered around the mic, I got a little nervous. It was a group from a retirement home, and most of them looked old enough to have been on the business end of WWII. They jumped into the song with reverent gusto - no Metropolitan Opera chorus, but plenty good enough.

Then it happened: And the rocket's red glare...

Every person was singing a different note. I bit my lip. It's a hard note to hit, and they were just enthusiastic amateurs, but it tickled me. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw Knightstar, looking at me expectantly, wondering if I was going to react. I clenched my mouth shut to keep from laughing, but my shoulders were shaking and tears were running down my face from the effort.

It turned out to be a good game. The Cubs defeated the Albuquerque Isotopes, which has to be the best name for a sports team EVER. The sun came out. We went for a late lunch at a real restaurant. There was still time for a nap when we got home.

It was a pretty good day.

One for the knitters

Yeah, I've been slacking. We went on vacation, and then we went back to work... you know how it is.

However, while we were a-traveling, we could not resist having dinner at Two Frogs Grill in Ardmore, OK. We did it for the knitters.

Yarn emergency

Weird weather we've been having lately. It has turned cold and blustery all along the midsection of the country. There was snow last night in Kansas, enough to stick to the evergreens, the lilacs, and the wheat after the sun came up.

I found myself out and about, with a winter coat, but without a scarf. I procured some fat yarn (Rowan Big Wool Fusion) and fat needles (US19/15mm). About three hours later, I had a scarf. Since it was started and finished and will be worn within 24 hours of purchase, I say it does not count against the yarn diet.

Those other things in the picture? Sock yarn doesn't count, right? On the left, two skeins of the new Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn. The one in the middle is so brilliant I practically fell down when I saw it. On the right, Crystal Palace Panda Wool, a wool, bamboo, and nylon blend. Beyond that is a sampler package of Soak wool wash.

I also bought something up the street at a specialty fabric store, but that one is going to stay under wraps until I decide what to do with it. It may end up being a gift.

Yesterday I cashed in a Borders coupon and some gift cards, and bought "More Sensational Socks". Oh my, what an inspiring book. I want to sleep with it under my pillow. Anyway, the gal who checked me out said, "Do you really knit socks?" I assured her I did. She went on, "I tried to learn how to knit, but it never worked for me. When I shelved these books the other day, I couldn't imagine that anyone would actually knit socks!"

Maybe I should drop by that store again and show her the Jitterbug.