well, duh....

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy. You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

G is for....

Geese!!!

The best thing about the townhouse I'm renting is the pond behind it. In the spring, summer, and fall, it's populated by rather noisy wildlife. Two weeks ago on Sunday, around 8:00 a.m. on Palm Sunday, I awoke to the first honks of spring -- very loud honks in fact!

If you look closely at this picture (or click it to go to flickr), you can see these two geese with their necks stretched out, which seems to facilitate loud honking. They were very loud! I'm pretty sure they were trying to tell the geese who were still on the way to turn around, because it was not yet spring in Iowa!

Luckily for the geese, by the end of that week, all the ice had melted and the water was probably a bit warmer (although it did try to snow a bit yesterday!). Today, even though it was only bout 45º, it was sunny and clear and almost felt like spring.

Of course, you're probably all thinking the G should really be for gauge....

Miscellany

There has been knitting, but nothing exciting. I'm past the heel and onto the foot of the first Whiskers and Pawprints. It's a short-row heel and I'm generally a heel flap girl. I ripped the heel out once and redid it. One side of the heel looks great and the other side has holes, which I've already closed from the inside. Now it has puckers instead of holes! Oh, well....

This is, of course, the more attractive side...

I've also been working occasionally on Wisp, but with little obvious progress. Wisp is my mindless knitting, but the bus is too crowded to knit on and we've been told not to knit in meetings at work (yeah -- not even the ones where there are 25 of us in the room listening to someone talk), so there's not a lot of mindless knitting time.

Not to change the subject, but I listen to my iPod a lot on the bus (where it's too crowded to knit, so I guess I'm not exactly changing the subject). Despite having sprung for the more expensive Sony earbuds (kind of like these, but it was 3 years ago), they still wouldn't stay in place. Anyway, a few days ago I lost one of the little covers that are supposed to make them fit in your ears, so I went looking for yet another pair. I didn't want a pair of ear phones, because I want to be able to stash my iPod in small spaces, and I also didn't want the kind that hook over your ears. I was pretty sure those would end up hooking at least one of the six earrings I wear everyday. I also didn't want to spend a whole lot of money -- I'm not one of those people looking for perfect sound -- I just wanted to listen to my music and podcasts. I ended up with these, and so far, I love them! They actually stay in my ears!!! Reading the reviews -- and knowing that neither total noise cancellation nor perfect sound is my goal here -- it appears that I'm not the only one who has issues with ear buds fitting, and that perhaps my ear canals are smaller than average.

Over the last few days, I've been listening to a lot of Emilio Navaira, a San Antonio-based Tejano singer who had a little country-music success, too, back in the mid-'90's. Emilio is a San Antonio mainstay, and is in an induced coma after a really serious bus accident last weekend. So say a little prayer and remember to wear your seatbelt....

A minor miracle

So this evening when I came home, I sat down on the couch with Dolly, like I do every evening. I always leave some room on the other side, just in case Harley wants to sit next to me, too. This evening, she finally did it -- she jumped up beside me for a few minutes!

After dinner, I sat down in my chair next to the couch, and witnessed this:

Yes, Harley jumped on the couch, next to Dolly! Dolly hissed a bit, but Harley stood (or sat) her ground. I think Harley has decided she's in charge. After a couple minutes, she got down.

And a little later:

She got up there again! And once more, Dolly hissed a bit and Harley ignored it. Obviously, Harley's not confident enough to just curl up and go to sleep with Dolly right there, but I think this is a real step in the right direction. I've thought for a while that part of the problem is that, although both cats have lived in multi-cat households, neither has been the dominant cat before. Someone had to make that move, and Harley finally decided it should be her. Yay!!!


Not to change the subject, but did I show you this yarn from Amanda's shop?

Lone Star Arts Island Paradise sock yarn


Lone Star Arts Cherry Pie laceweight

So pretty!

F is for....

Felines, of course!

I considered Firefly, since I am a new convert. (What took me so long? It's from Joss Whedon, and I'm a big Buffy fan Of course, that took a little while, too... I always think I don't like science fiction. I'm sometimes wrong about that.) But then I decided that you'd rather see pictures of my cats, past and present.

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

1. Dolly 2. Harley 3. Dolly 4. the late lamented Charlotte
5. the late lamented Aggie 6 and 7. Dolly 8. Harley's tummy
9 and 10. Harley 11. Simon 12. Harley and her toys
13, 14, and 15. Simon 16. Harley
17. Black Kitty, who used to stare in my window in San Antonio
18. Mom's cat Sabrina 19. Mom's cat Schuster 20. Simon

(This was my first attempt at a mosaic, so a couple of the Harley pictures aren't centered quite right.)

Pretty Pink Sock

I just wanted to show you how beautifully this yarn is knitting up. The yarn is Jessie's A Piece of Vermont Colonial Superwash sock yarn in Shell. If anything the yarn is a tiny bit more pink and less purpley than it appears on my monitor.

I just love all the various pinks shading into blueish-grayish-lavenderish. The yarn itself is nice to knit with, too.

Thanks, Jessie, for such beautiful yarn!

And the knit goes on.....

Despite having a sweater, two pairs of socks, and a pair of mittens on the needles, I cast on for another pair of socks last night.

That's Theresa's Whiskers and Pawprints pattern, and Jessie's wonderful sock yarn in Shell. The yarn has been sitting on top of my living room yarn basket ever since I got it. Almost every day, I would pick it up and ask it what it wanted to be. It's such a pretty but sophisticated pink, with subdued streaks of blues and purples. It needed to be something special.

I've had the pattern since Theresa first put it up and knew that it needed a quiet yarn, the better to show off the pattern. Suddenly, last night, I knew these two belonged together.

I thought I would finish the picot cuff while I "watched" the Illinois-Purdue game online this evening. "Watch" as in "watch ESPN.com update the score and list of plays and wonder how far behind the updates are." However, it turned out to be a real nailbiter and held my attention. It went to overtime, but Illinois, after a sorry season and ranked 10th out of 11 in the Big Ten, won!

But I digress from knitting....

Did you see the beautiful Christmas stocking on Grumperina's blog? When I saw it I KNEW I had to knit it. You see, when I got to Mom's for Christmas this year, my stocking was missing. Mom had used Blackie the Dog's stocking (one of those tiny stockings) in its place! I don't know what happened to mine, and it wasn't fancy or anything, but I didn't want to upset Blackie by stealing his stocking! So I had been thinking about knitting one for myself. Grumperina said the kits are "everywhere," but that's only true if you live out East. I ordered one from Nordic Fiber Arts.

This is Red Velvet, the same one Grumperina made, but all of the patterns are gorgeous. I may need to make stockings for Dolly and Harley, too...

E is for....

Electric Blanket.

I love my electric blanket. What you might find interesting is that I had it before I moved to Iowa. I bought it in San Antonio -- one day several years ago, while walking through Sears, I saw a display of electric blankets. I don't think I had ever seen one in San Antonio, and figured it was a sign that I should buy one. I even used it in Texas, where my house, like most there, was poorly insulated and drafty. (I've always wondered why builders in Texas don't seem to realize that good insulation would help air conditioner efficiency, too.) In San Antonio, though, I rarely turned it higher than 3 on the dial, while 5 or 6 has been the norm this winter.

I grew up in an old, drafty house. The bedroom my sister and I shared was on the north corner and, in my memory at least, I spent every night curled up in a ball under a pile of blankets. I was always cold. Sometime after I left for college -- maybe it was even after I was married -- I came home to find that the entire family had electric blankets. I was amazed and wondered why this solution hadn't been thought of years earlier!

Cats and Yarn

As Helen mentioned, doing short rows in a sweater is no more difficult than doing short rows in a sock. However, you really should do them in the right location!

On about row 7 of the short rows, I looked more closely at what I was doing and realized that, although the first two short rows were in the correct location, near the top of the sleeve, the rest were in the collar bone area of the sweater! Ah, yes -- "slip marker, k14..." If you're using more markers than the pattern calls for (and I always do), you have to make sure you're referring to the same marker!

So Friday evening I ripped back, and am now at approximately the same point I was the last time you heard from me. The difference, though, is that I now have more confidence in my short row abilities. I'm just thinking of the experience as practice...

I sat on the couch next to Dolly while frogging and when I looked over, I saw this

Can't we play more, lady?

I decided to take advantage of this new-found kitty yarn love to show you the two skeins of Jojoland Harmony that I got in a trade with a friend. The yarn shades from a raspberry-rosy pink to green and back again.

I realize this will sound like a travesty to some of you, but I traded her a pair of Addis for the yarn. I don't particularly like metal needles and Addis aren't pointy enough for me. My friend likes them a lot, though, but isn't a lace knitter. So now we're both happy!

Meanwhile, Harley was performing "kitty ballet."

More Catching Up

There's no good way to take a picture of a pair of mittens on your own hands.

These are the Very Cabley Mittens, made from Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in KPM Pink. They were 3/4 done when I ran out of yarn, and had to wait almost a month for the new skein. Nevertheless, these have been finished (and been worn daily) for a couple weeks. Easy-peasy, well-written pattern -- if you need a pair of mittens, I'd recommend this pattern -- and, frankly, if you live in Iowa, you're not done wearing mittens yet!

After finishing the mittens, I decided it was time to pull a wip out of hibernation (because all I had on the needles was a Wisp, a pair of Bird in Hand mittens, and two pairs of socks). This is what I found:

Yes, it's my Arwen (also available in the Winter 2007 IK). I finished the back and began the left front before I moved here last spring. I've gotten to the left sleeve now, and when I finish this post, I'll do the short-row sleeve shaping. I'm a little nervous about that -- I've only short-rowed on socks, and the idea of short rows on a sweater is scarier!

The cables are awful pretty, though, and a lot of fun, too.

Catching Up

I can't believe I haven't posted all week! Thanks for the nice comments about Dolly. She's a sweetie and although she and Harley haven't exactly bonded, there's been no kitty warfare either. Mostly, they just stare at each other a lot.

I'm still amazed at how much Dolly looks like my old cat Charlotte. Like Charlotte, Dolly's a small cat, maybe 8 pounds, and very delicate looking. Here's an old scanned picture of Charlotte, peering down from her perch on top of my monitor.

I have been knitting, too. I've finished my hat from David's pattern. Since y'all seem fond of dorky pictures of me in hats, here's another one. Note to self: put on lipstick before taking pictures!

Specs
Pattern: David's Hat
Yarn: Pale Pink Elann Peruvian Baby Silk, for the lining; Gray Cascade 220; RPM Pink Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted (leftover from my Very Cabley Mittens, which i should blog about someday).
Needles: size 4 circ for the lining and size 6 circs and dpn's for the body.
Mods: I went down a needle size to compensate for my loose knitting and added 10 stitches around (one pattern repeat) to compensate for my big head and the fact that I didn't want a tight hat. I also added 3 rounds of gray (one just below the colorwork and two just above) to make sure the hat covered my ears. The result is more cloche-y than I think David had in mind, but I'm very happy it!

There's also been baking. Many years ago, when I was young and married, I baked most of our bread. More recently, though, baking with yeast has been maybe an annual event. But last Sunday I made cinnamon rolls, and today I made Oatmeal Bread.

Guess what I had for dinner?

D is for.... Dolly

Taken while having her tummy scritched, of course.

Did I mention....

...that there's a new yarn shop in downtown Iowa City? It's called Home Ec Workshop (website not up yet), and carries yarn and fabric, and also serves coffee, muffins, cookies, and other yummies. It's got a nice little sitting area as well as a classroom equipped with sewing machines. I was there last Saturday morning, and although their target audience is definitely college students (downtown Iowa City is right next to campus), I felt very welcome there. I'll definitely be back!

They carry a nice selection of yarn, including some not carried by the other two LYSes in town. I was thrilled to see a variety Lorna's Laces -- not just Shepherd Sock, although that is what I bought. Oh, and a couple skeins of Malabrigo Worsted.

That's 2 skeins of LLSS in Douglas Fir and 2 skeins of Malabrigo Kettled-Dyed Worsted in Cactus Flower.

Speaking of yarn, I finally got the extra skein of RPM Pink Lamb's Pride yesterday, and finished the second Very Cabley Mitten. They're going for a little Soak right now -- pictures to come.

And finally -- Sissy, be watching your mail!

"-8 is the new 20"

Remember when this was cold? Now, we're looking forward to this weekend, when it may actually get into the 20s. Last night, a friend mentioned how an acquaintance had joked that "-8 is the new 20." I wish I had thought of that, because it's SO true. 20 would be practically balmy!

In case you're wondering, the normal highs here for this time of year is in the low- to mid-30s low 40s!

And for you Celsius types:

• -8F = -22C
• 20F = -7C
• 35F = 2C

Truly Finished Honeybee

Now I just need to get it in the mail....

Specs
Pattern: Honeybee Stole, by the amazing Anne Hanson. Cast on November 1, 2007; finished February 17, 2008.
Yarn: Wooly Wonka Merino Laceweight in Northern Lights. I used every bit of the 1800 yard skein.
Needles: US 5 circs from Jenkins Woodworking -- Bolivian rosewood and extremely pointy!
Notes: I am a loose knitter (I just now realized how that sounds... you know what I mean, though!). Actually, I've decided that I'm more of a loose purler, and this pattern has lots of purls. Although I blocked very loosely, this shawl is 11 feet long, not 7 feet as specified. Luckily, this is for my 6 foot tall sister! I actually left out one repeat of the honeybee-and-honeycomb pattern (above) on the second end, plus a couple of plain-knit rows in the edging, because I ran out of yarn.

Although this took twice as long as planned (I had hoped to be done by Christmas) and although I ran out yarn, I'm really please with this project. It was both challenging and fun, and the pattern is extremely well-written.

As I said, I blocked this loosely -- I soaked it in cold water and Soak, and then spread it out on a couple quilts on the floor. I made sure I pulled the pattern out, but I didn't pin down all the little picots along the edge. I don't have that many pins or that long of blocking wires! When I picked it up off the quilts, this is what I saw:

Lots of little blue dots. I knew that the water had been blue when I took it out, but this really surprised me. I'll have to warn my sister not to sweat while wearing Honeybee!

While Honeybee blocked, I cast on (again) for Wisp. This time I'm happier.

This is Kidsilk Spray in Tea Rose. It's a little pinker than shown in the picture, but I love all the colors in it. I cast on 66 stitches instead of 46, and plan on making it longer, too (unless, of course, I get bored first!). Luckily, I have 4 skeins of the yarn, for a pattern that calls for 1 to 2 skeins!

FO: Honeybee!

Finished at 11:45 Wednesday night, but not yet blocked -- all 8 feet of her.

Harley likes her, too. When I block (probably Sunday, during the next predicted snowstorm), I'll try to pull the sides out, to make her a bit wider.

See the few inches that need to be woven in in the picture below? That's ALL the yarn I had left!

I'll post specs with the blocking pictures in a few days.

So last night, I cast on Wisp with some beautiful tea rose Kidsilk Spray. I knit a few rows, decided it needed to be wider, and frogged. Except, of course, Kidsilk Spray doesn't frog so well, so i just cut it off. Luckily, I have 4 skeins of yarn for a pattern that calls for 1!

Tonight, because I'm no longer in a Wisp-y mood, I think I'll cast on for my Bird in Hand mittens. Of course, I could work on my hat... But I think my hands are colder than my head!

Denial

Too bad it's not quite "D is for...." week, because mine would be for Denial.

This is Honeybee, just 6 rows and a bind-off from being done.

This is how much yarn I had left.

I knew that, thanks to my loose knitting, I was going to be cutting it close. But after the miracle of more yarn, I had faith that there would be enough.

Oh, well. I was apparently wrong. I've frogged back a little ways (thank god for lifelines!) and will be omitting one repeat of the Bee and Honeycomb section and a couple rows of the hem edging. And then all that's left is blocking this 8-foot long shawl!

Dolly says, "I'll just be waiting here on the couch."

C is for Cake Plates and Candlesticks

Bet you thought C would be for Cats, right?
It would have been, if I could get the two of them in the same frame!

C could be for a lot of things, since I am something of a Collector. One of my Collections is of Cake plates. It began with the one at the bottom of the picture above, which belonged to my Grandma. Shortly after I received it, I found the top one in an antique shop in Lebanon, Illinois. The two are exactly alike, except that Grandma's doesn't have the gilt edge. I don't know if it ever did, or if it wore off from use.

Now I have a small Collection of Cake plates lined up on my sideboard, which was also Grandma's. Behind them are some colored glass Candlesticks, which I found in a dusty box in a little shop in Boerne, Texas. I think I paid $5 for the group of 7. I don't know anything about them, except that a couple of them have a "made in China" sticker on the bottom. So they aren't old, but they're pretty!

The four Cake plates on the right are old, although not antique. The two on the left are new. I like them all!

C could have also been for Candles, since I almost always have candles lit while I'm at home, especially in the winter. I'm particularly partial to warm scents like Cinnamon, Cloves, ginger, and vanilla.

I guess it also could be for Cascade 220, since some followed me home this morning. It's all destined to be Bird in Hand mittens -- a white pair with the design in raspberry for me and a pink pair with white design for my niece.

I've resisted winding up the hanks, because I've got a bad case of startitis, and I really need to finish Honeybee. I'm so close!!!

Snow -- and lots of it

I'm tired of winter. My co-workers tell me that this is the worst winter in years, and I hope it's not starting a trend.

We got between 10 and 14 inches of snow, most of it during the day today, although it began last night. I had already planned on going in a couple hours late this morning, and I ended up staying home all day. Waiting for the bus in almost blinding snow didn't sounds like fun.

Isn't this tree pretty in the snow? I'm amazed at the size of this evergreen tree, across the parking lot from my place. I wish I had taken a video of it -- the slightest breeze makes the branches bounce up and down.

Meanwhile, there's an uneasy truce in our house.

Hello, Dolly!

On Saturday, Dolly came to live with Harley and me. Dolly belongs to a friend who has developed really bad cat allergies in the last few years. My friend also has two dogs, who Dolly hates. So we thought the quieter, dog-free environment at my house might be better all around.

Dolly is about 7 years old -- the same age as Harley -- so totally breaks the "new cat rules," which say that ideally, a new cat should be a kitten of the opposite sex. So far, though, things seem to be going okay. Neither Harley nor Dolly is very agressive, and mostly they've just been ignoring each other. There was one dash up and down the stairs, which I heard but didn't see. (It sounded more like elephants than cats!) I'm not sure what caused it or who initiated it.

Dolly has spent most of her time so far under the sideboard, but did sleep on the foot of my bed last night. Of course, that meant that Harley wouldn't even come into the bedroom!

Dolly looks amazingly like my late cat Charlotte. I'll try to find a picture of her to scan. And while I'm at it, I'll try to take one of Dolly that's not blurry and laser-eyed...