Long-distance blogging

I'm back in San Antonio, presenting at a conference and visiting my sister. It's stopped raining here, which is interesting -- it had pretty much rained ever since I left in May, and now that I'm here, it's stopped. Interesting, eh?

Look who I got to see:

Oh, and that would be my sister with Simon! Actually, I'm getting to see lots of Simon because I'm staying at my sister's. So, just like old times, Simon is waking me up every morning at 5:00 a.m.

The conference has provided a fair amount of knitting time. I'm almost finished with the right front of Askew, which leave just the back (just!). I also finally finished up my first Monkey sock, with some help from my friend Becky, who is also at the conference. I've always had awful trouble kitchenering. I have to keep looking at the directions for each stitch. Becky walked me through it, and I think maybe I've got it now. I tried to take a picture of the kitchenered toe, because it's so pretty, but I'm going to have to wait for better light.

MS3

Mystery Stole 3 is sort of mesmerizing. I'm still working on Clue 1 -- I'm at Row 60, which means it's time to move my lifeline.

Here's the first 50 rows. You might be able to see a bead towards the top. And that purple thing is my life line, at Row 40.

The yarn is Skacel Merino Lace, in very pale pink, rescued from the trapped tub. The beads are white and faceted, size 8/0. I should have just gone to Hobby Lobby to get them, but went to the bead shop next door to my LYS instead. The woman working thought an ounce sounded like a lot, so I didn't buy that many. I'm thinking that the tubes of beads are probably sold by volume (like liquid ounces), not by weight, which is how the bead shop weighs them. I think I've got plenty of beads!

This is my first time using beads in my knitting. I like the crochet hook method. Picking the beads up with the teeny crochet hook doesn't bother me. I did a lot of beaded cross-stitch, so the one-at-a-time method seems very familiar.

Comment Craziness

I still have comments showing up in two places--regular Blogger comments and Haloscan comments. I still don't know why this is happening, but I think I know how it's happening.

(Someone asked why I used Haloscan comments. It's because Blogger comments don't always show me everyone's email addresses, while Haloscan does.)

If you read my blog through a blog reader, you probably just click on the post title to read the whole thing. When you only look at one post at a time, the Blogger comments, and ability to post a comment through Blogger, are automatically included at the bottom of the page.

However, if you go to my blog through a bookmark or some other way that gets you to the whole blog (where you see several posts at once), you don't see the comments automatically, but you do see the Comments link. This link takes you to Haloscan comments.

Before I had to reload my template, all my comments went through Haloscan. With the "new" template, I had to also reapply Haloscan comments, and obviously something went wrong. I messed with my template for a while this afternoon, but all I managed to do is make several posts overlap each other.

If you want to see what everyone has said on a post, you might want to go to the "full blog" view (not just the latest post). If you click on Comments at the bottom of the post, you'll see Haloscan comments. If you click on the time at the bottom of the post, you'll see Blogger comments.

Yarn Released from Captivity

Note on comments: Since I reloaded my template, and also had to reload Haloscan commenting, I've been getting both Blogger comments and Haloscan comments. If you click Comments at the bottom of the post, you'll see the Haloscan comments for that post. If you click the time on the post, you'll see the Blogger comments! I can't see that I did anything wrong, so if you click to comment and get the Blogger comment window, could you tell me exactly what you did? Thanks!

I mentioned a couple days ago that the pale pink Skacel Merino Lace that I wanted to use for Mystery Stole 3 was trapped, with some of its yarny friends and most of my Christmas decorations, in a Rubbermaid tub in my office closet. Somehow, the movers had manage to wedge two tubs plus my Christmas tree box into this tiny closet.

I had already opened the top tub and removed the yarn there, but couldn't figure out how to get the tubs out of the closet. I was hoping my brother would be able to take one look at it and say, "Here's how we do it!"

Maybe you can see better how little space we were dealing with -- and there's a rod and shelf just above the top tub, too:

But, no, he was equally puzzled and proceeded to get out his tools to remove the doors! That seemed excessive, especially since the door hardware was painted over, which would make it even harder to remove. So, instead, we decided to remove the Christmas decorations that remained in the top tub. After that, we were able to shift the tub to its side and pull it out. I suspect that's how the movers got them in, too -- rotating them to the side. Luckily, the yarn protected the Christmas decoration!

Once we got the first tub out, it was easier to remove the second tub and the Christmas tree box, because we had more room to maneuver above the boxes.

The tubs and the tree are now ensconced in the craft room office closet, which is considerably larger. And the Skacel Merino lace has been freed and is waiting to become MS3!

In fact, I've already cast on and worked the set-up row. Can you see the first tiny bead?

Stop me before I cast on again!

I'll admit it - I am sometimes rather lemming-like. "Yes, let's all jump off that cliff!" This week's cliff is the Mystery Stole 3, which over 5400 of the coolest knitters have already signed up for.

I'm pretty sure that part of the attraction is the fact that it's called MS3 for short. In my old job, we worked with the third-year medical students quite a lot, and we referred to them as MS3s. It struck me as funny that MS3 could also mean this beautiful shawl (not that I didn't love my MS3s.....). Then I saw come pictures on Ravelry. A couple of them were in Skacel Merino Lace, which I have in my stash.* I may even have suitable beads in my stash (if I can find the box that has ancient cross-stitch supplies in it), although I don't have the size 13 crochet hook to put them on. But gosh -- what's one crochet hook?

Clue 1 was released last Friday, and Clue 2 will be released tomorrow. If you want to take part, you need to sign up by tomorrow. However, Melanie will be releasing the pattern (for a fee and all done up as a single PDF) once the KAL is over, so if you don't get in now, you've still got a chance.

Luckily, the isn't a race, because I'm going to be two clues behind before I even get started and I'm a really slow knitter!

Speaking of slow knitter, I'm really proud of the fact that I've finished the left front of Askew, and have cast on for the right front. Pretty eh?

* The lovely pale pink Skacel Merino Lace is in the portion of my stash which is trapped in a Rubbermaid tub in my smallest closest. In this closet there are two tubs plus the box with my Christmas tree. The closet is about 6 inches longer than the tubs, and I can't get them out. I opened the top tub and pulled the yarn out, but I can't get into the other tub. I have no idea how the mover's helpers got them in there, but I'm hoping my brother can figure it out when he visits this weekend!

Oops!

Despite the large number of WIPs (and if you're on Ravelry -- well, there are more WIPs than you see there!), I suddenly had to knit Askew. So I ordered some of the requisite Noro Silk Garden (colorway 246) from SuperCrafty last week. It arrived yesterday -- look at the cute and oh-so-true button Allison included with my order. (Sorry it's blurry -- I'm too lazy to try again.)

I swatched, then cast on last night.

So this is what I'll work on this evening. Harley, in the meantime, is watching the wildlife in the backyard.

Someone asked about the "lake" behind my townhouse. Willow Creek turns into a pond behind my complex, which makes for a very pretty backyard. At night, there's some unknown critter that croaks all night long. The first couple nights, he kept both Harley and me awake, but we've gotten used to it!

Updates and Randomness

You may noticed the the blog has returned to its normal look (i.e., all posts have the pale, pale pink behind them, so they're readable). I posted a message to the Blogger forums this morning, but didn't get any sort of reply in 8 hours, so I reapplied the template. Of course, I had to re-do my sidebar and reinstate Haloscan comments, but it wasn't too much of a pain, and it solves the problem.

Remember the Mind's Eye yarn I got from Rebekah? I finally took a picture. Here it is, basking in the sunshine on my balcony.

Pretty, no?

One of the five catnip mice was for Harley. Here she is, trying to play with it and her favorite bouncy ball at the same time. (She loves those little balls and carries them around in her mouth. The other day, I woke up to find one in the bed!)

This afternoon I went with friends to a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity. It was on a farm between Oxford and Kalona. There was a beautiful cutting bed where you could cut flowers to take home, brick oven pizza, home-made ice cream, and vendors. Unfortunately, I didn't take my camera. One vendor was Betty Shreeves, whose husband is a librarian at the Main Library. Betty dyes, spins, weaves, and knits, and sells yarn under the name Lone Tree Wools (no website, though). I bought a couple skeins of her yarn.

On the way back, we stopped at the cheese factory in Kalona. They both make cheese -- you can watch cheese curds in action! -- and sell it. One of my favorite things is a spinach salad with apples, walnuts, and raspberry dressing, with white stilton with apricots sprinkled on top. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to find the apricot stilton here in Iowa City -- until today! Not only did the cheese factory have it, but in smaller hunks than I could get in San Antonio, so I won't be as likely to not finish it before it's too old. They also had white stilton with lemon and with blueberries. I bought some of the lemon version, too, which I had heard of but never seen before.

I have several of these little guys who like to play in the plastic drain pipes that extend my downspouts. Some people call them ground squirrels, while others call them chipmunks. Whatever they're called, they're awful cute!

And, finally -- the weather here has been so.unbelievably.gorgeous lately! I'm so excited to be able to sleep with the windows open, and not run the a/c all the time. I also don't seem to have as many allergies. Of course, in San Antonio, allergies are pretty much year-round, while they may be more seasonal here.

Well, this explains a lot....

Your Birthdate: July 30

You are certain and confident when you choose to love someone. Even though your romantic choices may be unconventional - you stand behind them. Your friends never know you as well as a romantic partner does. Number of True Loves You'll Have: 6 Number of Times You'll Have Your Heart Broken: 6 You are most compatible with people born on the 3rd, 12th, 21st, and 30th of the month.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean For Your Love Life?

I'm definitely behind in both true loves and broken hearts. But, look, Sissy -- I'm most compatible with people born on the 12th! (Both my sister and brother were born on the 12th, as was an ex-boyfriend.)

I stole this from Harley, who uses the same blog template as I do. I'm hoping that, by going through her blog's code line by line, I can figure out what I've screwed up here. I found Harley via Ravelry -- I wondered if she had a cat named Harley, too!

Ravelry

I mentioned that I got my Ravelry invite a few days ago. The first time, I went in, set up my profile, poked around a bit, and decided I needed to get a little more organized before I started adding projects.

This morning I woke up with a splitting headache, so I stayed home and slept most of the morning. This afternoon, I felt a little better, although not really like knitting or reading. So, I turned on the TV and opened up my iBook.

I realized that I could put up a few WIPs just by using pictures I had in Flickr and by looking at the works that were laying on the floor next to me. Then I realized I could add some FOs from notes on my blog and pictures in Flickr. Then I realized that I had some older FOs in my iPhoto library, and could easily put those up on Flickr, to link to Ravelry.

So - you get the picture, right? I now have about 20 projects up, and a number of books listed in my library. I haven't worked on the needle listing or on putting up my stash, which, frankly, are probably the things I need to do most!

I've found a couple of you on Ravelry just serendipitously and added you as Friends. Who else is there? I'm there as jannabeth.


Oh -- and while cleaning up my sidebar a couple days ago, I seem to have screwed up the background on my blog. Didn't the background behind ALL the posts used to be white? Anybody have any ideas what I did? I know enough that I went into the template and looked for un-matched tags and the like, and don't see anything obvious.

A Very Good Day

• I received a beautiful skein of sock yarn from Rebekah, for being part of the Yarn Focus Challenge. She waited until I got settled after my move to send it, which I really appreciate. I'll post a picture tomorrow, I hope, but it's a gorgeous merino/tencel sock yarn in shades of purple ranging from pink orchid to indigo. It wonderfully squooshy, and was hand dyed by Lucy of Mind's Eye Yarns. Her yarns are also available on Etsy, so there's no excuse for you not to own some, too! It was donated to the YFC by Danielle. So -- thanks, Danielle, Rebekah, and Lucy!


• I got my Ravelry invite today! And believe it or not, I haven't logged in yet, because I was afraid it would be morning before I came up for air!


• My von Maur credit card came today. von Maur is kind of Iowa City's Nordstrom, and their credit card charges no interest. I could be in trouble...


• I received my first netflix DVD since I've moved here, and discovered there's a netflix center 35 miles away in Cedar Rapids. Movies will come fast!

One Month

A month ago today, Harley and I arrived in Iowa City. It feels like I just got here, and like I've been gone from San Antonio forever. I'm beginning to feel at home here, especially at work, and have quit feeling like I'll eventually be going "home" to San Antonio.

Some random observations:

• I'm still surprised that there are such big hills here.
• Taking public transportation to work isn't so bad.
• I may change my mind this winter, because the bus stop by my house doesn't have a shelter. So far, I've only had to wait for the bus once in inclement weather and that was just a very light rain.
• Taking baked goods to work on the bus doesn't feel as odd as I thought it might.
• I like being on a real university campus.
• The cool nights are wonderful.
  
• Harley and I both miss Simon, but being an only cat seems to have made Harley friendlier and braver.
  

Mouse Madness
Since last Friday, I've knit five mice. Two were gifted to a co-worker whose birthday was Monday, and two more will go to my boss tomorrow. That leaves one for Harley. I think I need to make some more, though. They're very quick and rather addictive.

Left to right: Orangeman, Pinky One-Ear, and Stumpy

Stumpy's tail is awfully short, and Pinky has two ears, but one is deformed. Just like life -- no one's perfect!

Actual Knitting Content

There hasn't been much knitting here, or at least nothing exciting.

The Illini sock (my bus knitting) progresses slowly, because I'm not on the bus very long!

Like everyone else, I'm really enjoying Monkey, although I haven't worked on it in a couple days. I love, love, love the Sophie's Toes yarn!

And you might recall that in my last post, I mentioned that I was beginning the second chart on Hidcote. Well, I still am, but for the second time. On the second row of the second chart, something was wrong, and I couldn't figure out what it was. I looked to see how far back my lifeline was and realized -- I hadn't put one it. Big sigh.... I ripped all the way back, started over, and put in a lifeline on row 20 of the first chart.

And finally......

That's a not-yet-stuffed green catnip mouse and the beginnings of a purple one. I plan on making a fuchsia one, too. They're all from Lamb's Pride Worsted, which I have in practically every bright color in my stash. They're not for Harley, but for my boss's cats. Her birthday is Thursday, and when I jokingly said that everyone would be getting handknit socks for their birthdays, she said that her cats had had one knit catnip mouse and loved it so much it was destroyed, and catnip mice would be the best birthday present she could get. So -- here they are! My only modification to the pattern is to leave a really long tail when I fasten off, then run that end through, and make an I-cord tail out of it. That way the tail is really attached. Green Mousie has kind of a stubby tail, since I miscalculated the length. But it's better than no tail at all!

Kitty Update
Harley is now jumping up to the back of the Big Red Chair, even though it means going up on the arm (and past me) to get there. She really enjoyed sitting back there this evening -- my hair is freshly colored, and apparently tastes really good!

And for those of you who wondered about how Simon is getting along back in San Antonio, my sister answered that in the comments to my last post. In case you missed it:

Simon is doing fine! He and Schuster [her other cat, who lived with, and got along with, Simon for the first seven years of her life] have arrived at some sort of kitty truce that allows them to share the sofa - they take turns sitting on my lap while the other one sits at the other end of the sofa. He loves going out on the patio and chewing on the plants. In other words, he's just being Simon!

It's a tough life...

I definitely want to come back as a house cat. However, I do think that Harley misses Simon. She talks to me a lot more than she used to. Part of the problem, I think, is that when I'm sitting in the Big Red Chair, she can't get to the back of it, where she used to sit and play with my hair. Actually, she could get to it, but it would mean jumping from the front of the chair (i.e., where I'm sitting) and she won't do that!

Eventually, things will be rearranged and she'll be able to jump from the side of the chair. In the meantime, here's how she spent the morning -- complete with tummy shots for Chris! (Click to embiggen the Harley cuteness.)

Welcome to Iowa!

I'm sure that the two tornado warnings we had yesterday afternoon were just a slightly misguided attempt to welcome me! After all, the hour or so spent on the lowest level of the library with my co-workers and numerous library users was kind of cozy. I got to know some of our students workers. And there was sock-knitting time!

Luckily, there were no tornado touch-downs in Iowa City, although we did get some rain. They were also predicting straight-line winds up to 80 mph (!!!!), but those didn't materialize either.

Knitting-wise, I've got a bad case of start-itis. Even though I've barely begun my Illini socks, I began a pair of Monkeys (with the picot cast-on Cara used). The Illini socks are for carrying around in my bag, for knitting during my bus commute, tornado warnings, and other such times, so I needed another, more complex pair. I'm using Sophie's Toes sock yarn in Seafoam, an almost-solid greeny-blue. Of course, I still haven't dug my printer out (it's in one of the boxes marked "dining room china," along with other breakables) and I forgot to print it at work today, so I can only work on it in front of my computer.

Oh, and I also pulled out Hidcote and knit a few rows. I'm now on row 1 of the second chart. Woot!

The return of knitting

FO: Embossed Leaves

I finished these several days ago. To recap, the pattern is Embossed Leaves from the Winter 2005 Interweave Knits and Favorite Socks and the yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Yellowstone (it's the very last color shown on that page - however, mine seems to be very different - lots more purple and green - than any I've seen). As is always the case with socks I make for myself, they're a little big, because I'm always terrified that they'll be too small!

On the needles:

Well, there are several things on the needles, but this one is new: Wendy's toe-up stockinette sock in Scout's Illini sock yarn. The Illini yarn has been calling to me ever since I moved to Hawkeye country! This yarn was gifted to me last Christmas by Courtney. It's meant to be bus knitting, although, frankly, my commute is only about 10-15 minutes, which barely seems to be enough to pull it out of the bag! There was actually much more of this sock done yesterday, since I was able to knit during much of my all-day orientation. However, I realized it was going to be loose, so I frogged and started over, making the 64 stitch version, rather than the 72 stitch version.

And, finally, here are the geese from the pond behind my place coming to visit

and Harley watching them from the bedroom window.

Still here (in Iowa, that is)

FINALLY, after two weeks in Iowa, I have wireless internet at my house. As painful as getting the internet/cable TV/phone has been (and I'll spare you the gory details), everything else about this move has gone well. My mom has driven over twice to help with the unpacking and I drove home this weekend. It's an easy drive, a little more than three hours, and it's nice to be that close.

Last Tuesday was my first day at work, and so far, so good! Tomorrow, I go to the full-day new employee orientation. I believe there will be sock knitting accomplished. Also, I'll get my cheap bus pass, which will be great - no more digging for quarters every morning and evening. Parking is pretty awful on campus, and the bus picks me up about a block from home and lets me off right outside the library, so I'm going to try public transportation for a while. Another chance for sock knitting!

Speaking of socks, I finished the Yellowstone socks, and have started a pair of plain stockinette. Photos tomorrow, I promise. And, the return of regular blog posts!

Quick Post from Iowa

I'm posting from the Terrapin Coffee House in Coralville (right next to Iowa City and closer to where I live than downtown IC), because the cable company is confused. They think someone already has cable in my new place. They're very nice, though, and I'm sure it will get worked out.

Harley and I got to our new home around 5:30 last night. Turned out that she's a great little traveler. Of course, I did give her a light sedative, but it didn't seem to really affect her regular behavior -- she rode in the carrier next to me in the front seat, and dozed and woke up repeatedly like she does every day. However, she didn't howl, or even meow much. I think it just made her kind of happy!

When we stopped for the night in Wichita, Kansas, she came out and explored the room, after I made sure she couldn't get under the bed. She was pretty active all night, which is unlike her, so I assume that was the sedative wearing off. But in the morning, I have her another quarter-tablet mixed into some chicken baby food, and she actually put herself into the crate!

Right now, "home" has a air bed and a coffee maker and not much else. Furniture, etc., is supposed to be delivered on Wednesday. Harley has discovered the window seat in the front bedroom. I don't think she's been downstairs yet, though.

Checking In

Still in San Antonio, still packing up. Tomorrow they come to pack my "fragiles," of which I have many. Thursday it all goes on the moving truck, and by Sunday evening, Harley and I will be in Iowa City, in a townhouse empty of anything except a blow-up mattress, a Fighting Illini lawn chair, and a litter box.

Speaking of Harley -- I took her to the vet this afternoon, to be boarded until we leave town Saturday morning. It will be traumatic for her, but not as traumatic as all the strangers in the house taking our stuff away would be!

There have been many trips to Goodwill. I gave away half my clothes and about three-quarters of my shoes. And this:

That's a ca. 1985 microwave, from Montgomery Wards, a store that no longer exists. It's huge and weighs a ton, and I decided that maybe I had actually gotten my money's worth from it -- it cost $350! I think I'll be replacing it with this one.

There's been little knitting done.... Sunday was my last Stitch'n'Bitch :-(

Macro!

Thanks to Chris and Amy for reminding me about the macro setting on my camera. This photo is a little dark, but it's in focus!

The macro picture above is a necklace with a tiny handbell charm, a gift from my handbell choir. They threw a little surprise party for me after practice, complete with a wonderful cake with a handbell decoration. I was so surprised, and so touched!

In cat news....
My sister reports that Simon came out from hiding under the guest room bed when he smelled Chick-Fil-A, so I think we can stop worrying about him!

And Harley was embarrassed by yesterday's lazy pictures, and wants y'all to know that she can look regal, too.

Oops!

I totally forgot today was Tuesday, so I missed Tuesday Night Knitting. My last Tuesday Night Knitting. Luckily, there's one more Sunday Knitting left.

Today I cleaned out drawers. Again, I wear maybe a quarter of the clothes I own. However, that doesn't mean I threw out all those old t-shirts, going all the way back to college. I've heard about people making quilts out of them, but I don't want to do anything with them -- I just want to know I have them!

I had lunch with a former co-worker today. She retired a couple years ago, but she is probably more responsible than anyone else for my being a medical librarian today. We went out for Mexican, of course. I admired her earrings -- they were made by an artist we both know and admire -- and she took them out of her ears and gave them to me.

(One of my goals for when I get moved and settled is to figure out how to take non-blurry close-ups.)

What a wonderful friend!

And finally, a montage of Harley photos, doing what she does best... Look at that adorable tan paw...

Yeah, I'm awake....

Knitting?

Not feeling very creative tonight, but it's been a while since I posted. Mostly, I'm obsessed with my move. Today was really my last day at work. I finished cleaning out my office (you accumulate a lot of stuff when you work at the same place for 22 years) and cleared -- gave up my key, ID, university credit card, and parking pass. That last part -- the parking pass -- will make some lucky person really happy. I have a fantastic reserved parking space, right in front of the Library. Even for people who don't work in the Library, it's a really good location. The only problem with it is that, because it's such a great location, people tend to park there illegally, despite the big yellow letters that say RESERVED painted on the ground in front of it.

Last Thursday, there was a farewell reception for me, with lots of good food made mostly by a co-worker who should really be a caterer, not a librarian. It was really nice, and some of my faculty friends attended, too. The staff got together and bought me gift cards -- one to Target and one to The Knitting Shoppe, in Iowa City. They really know me, eh?

This evening, my sister came over and got Simon and his accoutrements. Harley doesn't see too concerned so far. I suspect we'll both miss him more tomorrow morning.

I also wound up one last skein of KnitPicks Shadow for Hidcote. Most of my stash is in some of those giant ziplocs, and will eventually be packed in the big Rubbermaid tub with my Christmas ornaments. I'm taking Hidcote and the second Embossed Leaves sock in the car with me. The Brooks Farm Primero might want to become Midwest Moonlight, from Scarf Style -- it seems an appropriate knit for my move to Iowa, although I guess mohair is a sort of odd choice for such a textured pattern.

top: the first 4 rows of Midwest Moonlight, about to be frogged (because everything gets frogged at least twice). bottom: Hidcote

Oh, and I'm still chugging away on Arwen's back in Beaverslide Fisherman weight.

(Sorry for the lack of links tonight.)

Quick question

Does anyone have a tattoo on the inside of their wrist? How much did it hurt? The one on my back didn't hurt at all, but the inside of the wrist seems like it would be a lot more sensitive....

Still here.....

and not knitting much. But would you care to see the the giant garbage bag full of stuff I shredded last night?

I didn't think so. I've got records going back to when I was married (basically, the 1980s). So I shredded a lot, although I decided to keep my check stubs from my first real job after college. I also kept a copy of a letter my ex wrote after we got divorced to convince USAA to give me a credit card in my own name. Even then, that seemed really nice for an ex-husband -- and they did give me a card, with a $500 limit. I still have that card, but they've raised the limit for me! ;-)

Tonight was handbell practice -- next week will be my last one. I love my handbell choir. We have lots of fun and make pretty music, even though we're definitely amateurs.

I was also going to make one last batch of my famous Bailey's Brownies for my co-workers, but managed to burn the chocolate while melting it in the microwave. I didn't have any more Baker's German's sweet chocolate (yes, "German's" is possessive, too -- look it up!) so I guess it will wait until tomorrow night.

I actually have done a bit of knitting. I finished the first Embossed Leaves sock, and the Brooks Farm Primero decided it didn't want to be Cozy after all, so I frogged it. I've started on Hidcote once again, in KnitPicks Shadow in Oregon Coast. I got through a few rows last time and frogged. I suspect it was the KnitPicks Options needles I was using -- they're nice and pointy and the cord is fantastic -- not twisty at all -- but they're a little slick for me. However, I'm trying them again ( because, believe it or not, I don't seem to have any size 3 circs!).

But mostly I've been shredding, sorting books, and facing the fact that I only wear about a quarter of the clothes I own....

I didn't buy any yarn in Iowa, but.....

I visited Crazy Girl Yarn Shop in Coralville (next door to Iowa City) and drove past The Knitting Shoppe, but I didn't buy anything. I didn't have to -- I had yarn waiting for me when I got home!

The day after Yarn Focus Challenge ended, I succumbed to two yarns I had been wanting to try. The blue-green is Sophie's Toes Sock Yarn (superwash merino) in Seafoam. Her shop is empty right now, but keep checking back -- it's definitely worth it! The two skein sof reddish yarn is Jessie's A Piece of Vermont sport weight merino/tencel in Long Time Gone. The color is way off in the picture for both, but probably more off for the Piece of Vermont. It's really a gorgeous, sort of faded burgundy almost-solid. And it's squooshy, squooshy soft!

Obviously, the Sophie's Toes will become socks -- maybe Theresa's Whiskers and Paw Prints. I've been looking for the right almost-solid sock yarn for that pattern. I have no idea what the two skeins (about 825 yards total) of Jessie's yarn will become. I'm thinking maybe a shawl of some sort....

Hmmmmm.......

Moving Along

Four days in Iowa City convinced me that I'm really moving there, and I'm happy about it. Everyone I met was really nice, which doesn't surprise me, since Iowa City feels like central Illinois, where I grew up. I found a place to live -- a three bedroom townhouse with a little pond behind it -- despite the fact that it's totally the wrong time of year to find a rental in a college town. My mom drove over for a day while I was there, because it's only about a 3 and a half hour drive from where she lives. Mom got to meet my new boss and some of my co-workers-to-be.

I know that a few of you who have led sheltered lives wonder what Iowa looks like. I've made a Flickr set with a few pictures of the University of Iowa campus. So far, I don't know the names of most of the buildings, but the Hardin Library is where I'll be working.

Of course, on the way back to San Antonio, during my layover at DFW, I got a little teary at the idea of leaving San Antonio. I've been here almost my entire adult life. I've worked in the same place for over 22 years, working my way up the ranks. I've sold the only home I've ever owned. Simon will be going back to live with my sister, his real human mom. It's the first time I've ever moved anywhere alone, unless you count going off to college.

Actually, I won't be moving completely alone, because Harley will be going with me. I've talked to her a lot about the adventure we will be going on together, but she seems skeptical. She's never traveled anywhere except to the vet, and a 17 hour car ride will probably be a trauma. If any of you have advice on traveling with a kitty -- especially a skittish one who doesn't like to be held -- I'd love to hear it!

YFC

You can tell from the ticker up there that it's been over three months since I bought yarn. Well, we were allowed a free day each month, and I used two of mine, but still..... Thanks to Rebekah for setting up the Yarn Focus Challenge. It was really a good thing!!

And of course, I should keep it up, since I'll have to pay to move every skein of yarn that comes into my house. That didn't stop me from ordering a beautiful skein of Seafoam green sock yarn from Sophie's Toes this morning, of course.

And later this week, I'm flying up to Iowa City to find a place to live, and I plan on stopping by Crazy Girl Yarn Shop (actually in Coralville) and the Knitting Shoppe (no website?). They're already marked on my map, along with the realtor's office and my new boss's home. Priorities, people!

Hi there!

Yes, I'm still here. This getting-ready-to-move business is very time-consuming, especially since work is sort of freaking out about my leaving. I mean, pretty much everything I do will have to go on once I leave, and figuring out how that's going to happen takes a lot of meetings!

There has been knitting, though. In fact, I flew to Dallas and back yesterday for a meeting, which supplied quite a bit of knitting time.

Oops! That would be Simon....

I just turned the heel of my first Embossed Leaves sock in Lorna's Laces Shepherds Sock in Yellowstone. I like the way the colors stripe/pool differently in the stockinette heel, as compared to the lace leg. This is a really fun pattern--enough going on that I don't get bored, but simple enough that I could knit during my meeting yesterday.

And I hope you noticed the pie plate it's laying in. Here's a better picture:

Yes, Armadillo Pie! My meeting yesterday was (most likely) my last SCC/MLA Board meeting, and this was their surprise farewell gift to me. Our chapter's "critter" is the armadillo, and the current Past President (who was President-Elect when I was President) had been holding onto this dish for just the right occasion! My favorite part is the little line of 'dillos marching around the edge.

Sorry for the blurriness--I need to figure out how to take close-ups!

One of the hardest part of this move is leaving SCC. I'm sure the Midwest Chapter of MLA is very nice, but any group with an armadillo as the chapter critter is special!

FO: The Black Purl Socks

But first - BRRRRRRR!!!!! The high yesterday was 55ºF, but that was at midnight and the temperature dropped through the day. It stopped dropping around 9:00 p.m., when it got down to 35, where it stayed most of the night. This was a new record low for April 7 in San Antonio. Last year on April 7, we set a record high -- 99º. All in all, I'd rather it be colder than average, because it will be plenty hot soon, but still -- almost freezing in April is unheard of! (The average high for today is 79º and the average low 55º.)

Today, Easter Day, was a little warmer -- it got up to about 50º -- still chilly, but it was definitely warmer for those taking part in the San Antonio tradition of "camping out" at Brackenridge Park. Several days before Easter, the park district lifts the normal curfew, and families stake out tables and barbecue pits at the park for their Easter picnics. I looked for pictures online and couldn't find any, but I'll bet they were chilly Saturday night!

Remember the Black Purl socks? I finally finished them!

Here they are, modeling with their friends, the Mitred Squares

and here they are on my feet.

Specifics:
Pattern: Marietta Rib Socks, with Scalloped Turn-Over Top, from Lucy Neatby's Cool Scoks, Warm Feet.
Yarn: About a skein and a half of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Black Purl on size 2 bamboo DPNs
Modifications: I used the Round toe instead of the Common Wedge Toe, and I used Grumperina's pretty method for picking up the gusset stitches
What I would change: I would make them a little smaller, probably on size 1 DPNs -- the socks I make for myself are always a little big, because I'm so worried about them being too small. I also worry about running out of yarn, but I had a half skein left, so in the future I can make the legs a little longer, at least from LLSS.

What's this?

Where'd this come from?


It would appear to be the beginnings of something. It would be the beginnings of Cozy, a pattern I've considered frequently. It's made out of Brooks Farm Primero in a sort of golden/pinky/peachy color, which I purchased at Kid'n'Ewe and have been saving for something special. Unfortunately, I don't have enough yarn to make it as long as the pattern, but I think it will be a nice scarf-y accessory.

If you've been paying attention, you may realize that the Black Purl socks are not yet finished (although I'm past the heel on the second one), and I already cast on for a pair made from Yellowstone. And there's Arwen, whose back isn't even finished yet, although there's lots more done than there is in that picture I linked to. And the Mitred Square Baby Blanket -- all the squares are knit, but only 3 are sewn together. I really need to get it done before I move to Iowa....

And I should be cleaning out closets.