Ribbit and Repeat

You know that old saying about "the best laid plans?" Well, I fell victim to it on Sunday. I was so excited to use that marled gray merino and alpaca yarn and I was sure it was bulky. Well, it's not. Not bulky, not exactly worsted either, bulky in spots and worsted in spots, thinner than worsted in some spots. Guess that's the risk you take with handspun. I started out using two strands of the merino together, but after only a few rows I thought maybe it was too thick. Didn't measure gauge then, of course. So I frogged it and restarted using only one strand.

Got 11 rows of the pattern knitted before I pulled out my handy dandy gauge measuring thingy and, lo and behold, I had way too many stitches per inch for my size. If I kept going my end product would be too small for me and I'm not doing all this work in this gorgeous yarn and then end up not being able to wear it. No, sirree, back to the frog pond I went.

You understand that this is my first attempt to knit with two colors so as disappointed as I was to have to rip out all that knitting, I was at least that happy that I'd been able to use my newly-acquired chart reading skills to do it and redo it. I even ended up with the right number of stitches in all the rows. Score!

Both times I frogged it I was able to stop and pick up the last row of the ribbing, and make sure the stitches were sitting on the needle with their correct side forward; I'm feeling slightly smug about that. And I'm being careful not to pull the yarn too tight across the back of the fabric so it doesn't pucker. I hope I'm doing it right because I don't think I want to frog it again. Nope, don't want to do that.

I've restarted again carrying 2 strands of the gray marl and I have about 1/2 a stitch over gauge. I'm happy with that; I'd rather have it be a little big than too small, and I've got plenty of yarn. (fingers crossed, knock wood--I'm not saying that too loudly just in case the knitting fates rain fury down upon me to humble me)

In one swell foop I've learned both knitting things I wanted to learn this year: how to knit from a chart and how to knit with more than one color. Go me!

I Had A Brainstorm

I've been wanting to knit a sweater out of that Cuzco yarn I bought at Loops' final sale. I have 10 skeins, 1300 yds., that should be enough, right?






First I thought I'd make a hoodie from a pattern I got from DD but the yarn isn't bulky enough. Dang. Into the frog pond it went.








Then I cruised Interweave Knits' website last week. They let you narrow your search, so I told it I only wanted to look at patterns that used bulky yarn. I found one. It's the Cross-Cultural Pullover by Norah Gaughan. No hood, but it'll be my first color work. I'm excited.








I figure I'll use the red for the sweater body but I was thinking I'd have to order some more Cuzco in this pretty charcoal color I saw on their site, but then after Friday Night Knitting last night I had that brainstorm I mentioned. I've got over 3 skeins of gray marled yarns I bought last fall at a fiber fest. And it's the right thickness. It's fate, it's meant to be.







I made a hat from it but it really should be part of a sweater. Hooray!







And finally, Durwood has been picking tomatoes. He's very thrilled, and usually has juice running down his chin and fingers. He's a happy Tomato Boy.

Purple And Green Look Good Together, Right?

I finished my purple Spring Fling Wrap tonight. I never did make up my mind whether I liked the green mohair better or the purple, so I did waht I said I'd do and knitted one ruffle green and the other one purple. They really curl which is to be expected of stockinette stitch. I might block them and smush them down but I think it might be futile so maybe I won't. I like the way the purple Nashua Daylily worked up. It's got a real glimmer to it. (I don't have a shawl pin so I just dug out a chopstick. Not very pretty but it did the job.)













A bunch of knitters went to the GB Bullfrogs baseball game last Tuesday night. It was a heck of a deal. For $10 we got a seat on the third base line, a hat, a hot dog, and a soda. It was hot and sticky and buggy, but we had fun. I'd do it again.









I picked up 198 yds. of Mochi the other day and added a few rows. It's easier the second time around. Imagine that! This is not something I can take to work or a baseball game or even knit night. It needs concentration. It's pretty and very soft.

Yarn Stuff

I am having yarn dreams. I see patterns that I want to make and finally I can see that I might actually be able to make them. Holy carp.


I've been knitting on the purple Spring Fling Wrap, still not able to decide whether to make both of the ruffles in the dark green mohair. I do wish that I could find an actual photograph of a wrap because I'm not at all sure where the ruffles go. It says on the pattern to pick up 45 stitches which would make a ruffle barely a third of the width of the shawl. I took it upon myself to pick up stitches all the way across the narrow end and I think it looks pretty okay.




It's been kind of busy at the dive shop (amazing!) so the sock is growing slowly. When I chose yellow as the color to purl when ready I didn't realize how many yellows there were: school bus yellow, yellow green, lemon yellow, yellow orange. It can be confusing but I'm purling every once in a while.

Garden Pix

It's the middle of July and stuff is finally ready to pick and eat.



Durwood picked his first Early Girl tomato yesterday and ate it immediately. No time for a photo. These three are almost ready.




I spied a few Sweet 100s nearly ready to pick. I like a few of them in a bowl with a little Vidalia Onion Salad dressing on them.





I haven't been checking under the big beautiful leaves of the patty pan squash plant. Might have been a mistake. (see pint jar ring for scale)

The Stargazer Lilies I got last fall when the grocery store parking lot greenhouse was clearing out are blooming. They smell like a mixture of baby powder and honey. Intoxicating.






We have a lot of Monarch butterflies in our yard. Why? Because I learned which of the "weeds" along the lot line are milkweeds and let them grow so the butterflies come to visit.





A few years ago I planted a daisy plant. One. Now look at what I have. Good thing I like daisies.










Sunny Hill Farms corn is ready! I don't know if it's the soil they grow it in, the seed variety they buy, or the fact that they live a good, clean life, but SHF corn is the best.

A-a-a-a-and, Presto!

We have a hat. Not that anyone's in a hurry to wear this hat today since it's supposed to hit about 85 degrees F., and it's dead calm, and humid. But now I've got a nice soft, toasty warm hat for when it's 25 degrees F., windy, and so dry the hairs in my nose crackle when I breathe. Maybe I'll crank out some gloves to match. Or mittens so I don't have to knit all those fingers, but I like gloves better even though they don't keep your hands as warm... I'll have to see how I feel when this idea comes back up to the top of the pile.

Today's model is the lovely Durwood who was minding his own business playing a computer card game and eating a banana when I pressed him into service this morning. He's a good sport.

Flitting and Cringing

I spent yesterday, the whole of my weekend, flitting from project to project, and making an unpleasant late-night discovery downstairs. More on the cringing in a moment, but first here's what I worked on.



I finished the first ball (of 3) of the Daylily for the Spring Fling Wrap, so I'm 1/3 done. I also went downstairs into the stash and resurrected the green and purple mohair to start thinking about which one I want to use (maybe both).






After getting some help from Zoe, the Yarn Whisperer, at Friday Night Knitting Circle on using Magic Loop to knit in the round, I finished the crown of the Sun Visor Cap. One wag at knitting suggested it looks like a McDonalds hat but I stuck my tongue out at her and didn't respond. Next I need to pick up 99 stitches around the edge and knit the band and visor. Should be interesting.




At the bottom of the knitting basket I came across the Rolled Brim hat I had frogged and restarted because it was turning out too big even for me. I realized that I could finish it fairly quickly so I knit on it a bit. I do love the yarn. I bought it at a fiber show in Valders and got to see the sheep it came from. Very cool.










I've been working a bit on the next 198 yds. of Mochi shawl. The yarn is DK weight so it's thinner than what the pattern calls for. That means that I'll definitely be adding repeats to make it bigger than a hankie. But I love the yarn (so soft) and the colors make me smile.










The mailman brought a package during the week. Interweave was having their annual "hurt" book sale and I couldn't resist, so two slightly damaged sock books came to live with me. I don't know if I'll ever knit any of the socks but I sure love looking at them.









Late last night I shortened a couple of broomstick skirts so they don't drag around my ankles anymore,









and that's when I saw the dead mouse in the basement. Ugh.

I lay in bed wondering how many more were down there, alive, and if any of them are aspiring to move upstairs to live with the humans.

Durwood will be buying mousetraps today. Ick, ick, ick.