Sometimes I'm Such a Moron

Last weekend poor Durwood really was suffering with his allergies. Thinking that pollen had to be all over everything, I decided to wash all his sweats, his favorite fleece vest, his fleece blankie, and the wool hat I crocheted for him a couple years ago that he wears when he's cold in the house. I tossed it all in the washer but didn't troll through the vest's pockets, where he had been storing a wad of coupons. Paper. Do you know what happens to paper in the washer? That's right; little schnipples of paper all over everything. I tossed it all into the dryer in hopes that all the pieces of paper would come off. Well, they mostly did, but in the process I managed to felt his hat, his beloved hat. D'oh. So I went downstairs, unearthed a skein of navy wool, and started crocheting. I finished it Monday night; it was too small. This is a big-headed man and I had forgotten, so I picked out the well-woven-in tails and fogged it. I got a really big (US M) hook and tried again. I'm up to row 11 of 18, so I should finish tonight. AND I had Durwood try it on so I know I'm on the right track. Whew.




I found this lone skein of sock yarn at Hobby Lobby last week and couldn't resist the colors. It's enough to knit one sock and we all know how much I love mismatched socks.







Hearing from many knitters that Knit Picks needles are sharp, I had to try them especially since I'm working on a lace-weight scarf for the first time.

And since a person gets free shipping when you order $50 worth, I had to order a bit of sale sock yarn.






It was so nice yesterday afternoon that we decided to roast a chicken on the grill so after I lit the charcoal, I took the story I'm working on outside to edit. I love spring.

Man, I Keep Forgetting Stuff

I had every intention of putting these two pictures onto the previous post and while I was typing those few words, I forgot them. An hour or more after I logged off, I remembered while I was in the basement getting a fresh box of waxed paper. Now, what about that little chore reminded me of posting pictures of flowers I have no idea.

All of the buds on Mom's orchid plant have opened. It's just beautiful, and she's justly proud of being able to keep it alive.









Last night at knitting Zoe asked about some small purple flowers she saw at the zoo last weekend and I thought she might mean Grape Hyacinths. Here are some growing in my front yard alongside some coral-y, pink-y tulips washed with pale lavender on the outside of the petals. Those tulips were a surprise; I bought an unmarked bag of tulip bulbs on sale a few autumn's ago and just planted them. At first I was sorry that they weren't red, or yellow, or red and yellow, but I find that these pink-ish, orange-ish, purple-ish tulips are the ones that please me the most. I had hoped they'd be blooming when DS and DIL come to visit in 10 days or so, but I'm afraid they'll be all finished by then. So, sweet DIL, these make me think of you.

Scarves

Yes, that's right, scarves, plural. Paging through the book to find the Sea Foam scarf pattern and saw one called Fish Net, knitted in chocolate brown bamboo. I couldn't get it out of my mind and how it'd be cool looking in cotton with seashells knitted into either end. I stopped at Hobby Lobby after work on Thursday and bought a skein of brown 50/50 cotton and acrylic and some shells from the jewelry makings department. Then, once I had the raw ingredients in hand, I couldn't resist casting on.




The Sea Foam scarf is going well, too. I switched to metal needles which seem to be easier to work the very thin yarn with.








I also broke down and ordered some Knit Picks straight needles since they're reputed to be the sharpest after Addy Turbos. Can't afford those.

Sock On Fire

The first one's done! Yay! This is the first sock I've knitted with a pattern on it--and I carried the pattern down the top of the foot too. Well, the pattern tells you to and how to do it, so it wasn't my personal brilliance that figured it out, but I'm pretty stoked about it anyway. I love these colors, so warm and rich. It's excellent yarn too, and one skein makes a pair. This is a nice simple sock pattern for those thinking of jumping in to try knitting socks.

Not a Very Knitty Weekend

For some reason I didn't do a lot of knitting over the weekend. I don't know why. I did frog that silk and mohair scarf--again. It was pretty but not what I wanted. Zoe had started a lacy scarf last week after seeing what I was doing the week before and hers was all hole-y and open whereas mine was solid, pretty but not what I was thinking of. Then I had a brainstorm. I have a book called Ocean Breezes which is chockful of scarf patterns with a sea theme, and there in that book was one called Sea Foam made for that skinny yarn. So once again I carefully frogged my knitting, separated them into two piles, rewound them into cakes, and cast on. I had thought I might alternate the yarns, doing one pattern repeat and then switching, but I couldn't figure out how to make the idle yarn travel up the side without looking bad, so I just put them together again and cast on. It took me a couple pattern rows to understand what I was seeing on my needles and to grasp the symmetry of the pattern, but I got it, and it goes fast. And I picked out another one to do next, I just have to find the perfect yarn and some seashell charms.

All Yarn, All the Time

I took a mental health day today. Didn't even get dressed. I just sat on the couch, watched HGTV and a video, and knitted. It was my day off anyway, so I merely really took the day off, didn't do errands or chores or anything. I goofed off. It was lovely, and here's what I did...



Mostly I worked on Sock on Fire #1. I finished the leg, made the heel flap, did the gusset decreases, and now I'm on the foot. This is the first patterned sock I've knitted so it's taking some focus to keep it going on the top of the foot. I love this yarn. The colors are fabulous.





Yesterday at work I knitted on the Silk & Mohair Scarf. Even though I'm using US 8 needles it's going very slowly because the yarns are so skinny. It's pretty though, and I'll like having it to wear once it's done. It'll go with everything.



And last weekend I restarted the Rolled Brim hat. I do love the feel of this yarn. It's like the softest thing you can imagine. I'll be sorry when it's all knitted up.


This was a good day.

Back to Spring

We now return to our regular programming... I'm hoping that last week's snow was winter's last hurrah and that this is the new normal.

I decided to try to knit something with very skinny yarn. I'd seen a pattern for a spring bandana on Purl Bee and didn't find two colors of silk mohair that I liked so I got a skein of creamy baby alpaca & silk, and one of kid mohair and merino in rainbow colors and found a pattern for a narrow scarf (which I think is more my style than a square anyway) the very next day on Purl Bee. I cast it on Friday night and got a few rows knitted, but then I took a pain pill to shut my achy knee and sciatica up for the night last night and, whoo!, that was way too much drugs. I got dizzy and hot and kept falling asleep. My knee didn't hurt though, and I got a great night's sleep. So I didn't knit. Friends don't let friends knit stoned. I think I need to take it easy a bit longer.

Here's the first dandelion of the year...DD remember when Dad asked you to pick the heads off all the dandelions in the yard? You were only about 4 but you stood up to him, hands on hips, and said, "Dad, dandelions are flowers too." He just shook his head, handed you a plastic grocery bag, and told you to get to work. You were mad at him all the rest of the day, but you did your chore.





DIL, here's the first tulip of the year; it opened up overnight. More to come.




Thursday's snow brought lots of branches and twigs down from the maple tree so I spent part of yesterday on "stick patrol." The weight of the snow had lain the daffodils and hyacinths down but hadn't broken them, so I got my clippers out and cut a bunch to bring into the house. They smell so good, so much like spring, and the colors can't be beat. They remind me why I've always liked yellow.




I went to Mom's yesterday to help figure out a pesky knitting pattern and took a picture of her orchid blooming like crazy and of the bouquet that she got from DS & DIL last week "just because" she hasn't been feeling well.

Eek!

The weather-guessers said we were gonna get this. And here it is. It's slick on the roads and heavy on the branches. I went to work last week without a coat, for Pete's sake!




That's the forsythia I took pictures of the other day, only this time I'm standing in the house, and the honeysuckle on the fence is (or was, they're probably a bit frozen) getting leaves.




It looks like the maple tree in the front yard is leaning over to ask if it can come in. A junco is on the feeder side that isn't clotted with snow. A bird's gotta eat.














And the Menopausal Goddess probably wishes she had, well, a hat. Or maybe a nice shawl instead of the solid layer of snow. (I wish I could figure out how to put a colored frame around these pictures so you could get the full effect. Oh well.)

Forward & Backward

In some projects I'm making progress, in others not so much.

I added a lot of rows to the Rolled Brim Hat. Loving the yarn, loving the way it feels and the way it looks, almost wishing that it was cold enough to wear it. But then it got big enough to try on and, darn, it's too big, even for my generous bean.



Stupid gauge. It was knitting up at 3 sts per inch, not the 3.5 sts per inch of Crazy Aunt Purl. Stupid gauge.

This is how it looks now.

But it'll get better fast. I'll cast on 6 fewer stitches, 66 instead of 72, and give it another shot. This yarn is way too luscious to abandon.








On a better note, see how far I've gotten on the Socks on Fire sock? It's zipping along nicely and I lovelovelove the yarn, the color and the feel of the yarn.







At work on Monday, I dug out the Sudoku squares that have been riding back and forth in my backpack and did a bit of the second stone square. One of these days I'll have an interesting throw to tuck my feet under and I'll have to find some other mindless blocky knitting to do between customers.





And can you believe it? It's supposed to snow tonight. Gah.

For Who?

Forsythia! I know, I'm sorry. But that was a call and response between me and Mom when I was a very little girl. I've planted a forsythia outside every house I've ever lived in. I love the bright yellow blooms on the bare branches in the spring.



I love that my daffodils and hyacinths are merrily blooming this early in the year.

Irresistible

I worked on the first sleeve on the Khaki Cardi at knit night, and on the Rolled Brim hat. I've been tempted to cast on a crocheted potholder with this pattern and scrap yarn but I've held off because no one really needs one right now. What I didn't, couldn't resist was casting on a sock using this yarn and this pattern. It has been calling to me from its bag in the basement sock-queue and I finally caved.

Sock #2

I finished the toe of Neon Sock #2 at work this afternoon, even Kitchener-ing it there. Now that's focus. I like the wackiness of the colors of these socks even though they'll spend their life tucked into my boots and under my jeans, I'll know that my socks are wild colors and don't exactly match. Just another warming little feature I've built into the design. No one on earth will have socks like mine!