Knitting Content

There HAS been knitting and knitting-related activity going on.

First, I started and finished a warshrag for my mom. Here it is in its natural habitat:

Peaches'n'Creme and the Ballband pattern, of course.

I'm working on Brambler for a friend's (late) birthday. It's out of CAMEL and SILK. It's wonderful to touch. Unfortunately, I'm bored with it, and I realize I made a mistake a ways back. If I could figure out what I did, I'd do it again at the other end....

I was also sockless (unless you count those toe-up Illini socks, which I may never finish), so I cast on Primavera using the May Sock Club yarn.

And, finally, I took advantage of my unexpected visit to central Illinois to go to Champaign and meet up with Helen for yarn shopping and gyros. We had someone take our picture. This, unfortunately, is the good one... We were actually having a great time, weren't we, Helen?

And I'm now also taking part in Summer of Lace. I was tempted by the possibility of getting a prize for something I'd already be doing anyway!

Iowa City Flooding

This is just a short post to let you know I'm okay and am at my mom's in central Illinois. I will say that I am totally freaked out by the flooding and although I'm fairly certain my townhouse will be safe, I decided that the kitties and I would be better off somewhere else. My usual route to Mom's involves I-80, which is a mess, so I drove south and crossed the Mississippi at Quincy, IL, where the river is very, very high but, as of this morning, both bridges were still open.

Yesterday afternoon, the University of Iowa shut down because of the flooding. All but essential services will be closed until Monday, June 23. The UI Hospital and Clinics are still open, although routine appointment have of course been cancelled/rescheduled.

My library, Hardin Library for the Health Sciences, is fine, although closed. We are on high ground on the west side of the river. The Main Library, though, is just to the east of the river, maybe a block away from it. There was a massive effort yesterday to get as much as possible out of the basement and up to higher floors. There are picture here of that. The building was also sandbagged. There are pictures here of that effort. Notice the Amish men in the sandbagging pictures. Although there is a very large Amish community in the vicinity, they don't often mix with non-Amish. Seeing them come into town to help with sandbagging really touched me.

The sandbagging efforts all over Iowa City and Coralville was awe-inspiring. The effort of volunteers - many of them students - was amazing.

The Iowa River will probably crest early Tuesday morning. If you've seen pictures of the devastation in nearby Cedar Rapids, were the Cedar River crested on Friday, you can understand why these measures were taken. Unlike Cedar Rapids, downtown Iowa City is on high ground, overlooking the river, and should be mostly okay. Coralville's business district (the "Strip") is a different matter. And it's estimated that 19 buildings on the UI campus are in danger of flooding. This includes not just the Main Library, but the Museum of Art. (I've heard that all of the good stuff, like the Pollack were removed early in the week, when we first became aware of the potential for flooding.) The local paper has lots of pictures and has been good at doing updates.

Quick Photoless Post

So my MacBook Air and I went over to Des Moines to the Apple Store yesterday to visit the GeniusBar. I'm not sure the guy was really a genius, but it's working now, and has been two days in a row. So.... I'm hoping for the best.

While I was in Des Moines, I did a little bit of shopping - places we don't have in Iowa City that I was accustomed to having in San Antonio, like Sephora, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, the Body Shop. I didn't spend much money, but it was nice to browse. Call me shallow... I miss good shopping and wish it wasn't 120 miles away.

We've got major flooding here in Iowa City. I doubt it will affect me, but it's still pretty amazing. And scary. And it's still raining -- right now we're under a severe thunderstorm watch.

I'm sort of addicted to watching the radar online, which probably isn't a good thing. It just freaks me out!

I'm in a little knitting doldrum. I'm knitting, but not much. I'm not taking pictures of my knitting (I'm over half done with Brambler, and haven't taken a single photo). I'm reading blogs, but only a few. This will pass, I'm sure, but in the meantime, my blog will be pretty boring. Sorry...

Where have I been?

I've been busy!

I did, though, finish the Baby Cable Rib Socks (from Sensational Knitted Socks).

I love this pattern and I love the yarn (Nature's Palette fingering weight from Hand Jive Knits in Indian Paintbrush). The only thing I changed in the pattern was adding a 2x2 ribbing on the toes, during the every-other-row decreases, to match the top ribbing. (More details on Ravelry.)

I also got a new computer -- a MacBook Air. I love it... when it's working right. There are reports of "issues" with connectivity, and I seem to have them. I'm posting from it now, so obviously I do connect eventually, but it's really annoying. And as a longtime (20 year) Mac person, I find it really disappointing, too. I may be taking a trip to the GeniusBar at the Apple Store this weekend...

I spent last weekend at Mom's, helping with a bridal shower for my cousin. Mom had bunion surgery a couple weeks ago, so still isn't highly mobile! It was fun -- all relatives -- and we didn't play any silly games. I believe a good time was had by all.

Driving there Friday evening, I realized that I was trailing a line of thunderstorms/tornadoes. Luckily, I was only about 10 miles from Mom's when I turned on the radio and heard the warnings which, by that time, were for an area beyond where Mom lives. I'm sort of glad I hadn't heard the warnings earlier -- maybe sometimes ignorance is bliss!

And I'm WAY behind in the ABC-Along. I wonder how many letters I can combine in one post????

A duck and his recliner

A couple weeks ago, a recliner appeared on the far bank of the pond behind my house. A few days later, the recliner was in the pond. I kept hoping some agency would come drag it out (the pond is part of a city park). This afternoon, I was happy to see that someone was enjoying it...

Click to embiggen

While I was outside taking the picture, the Goose family stopped by, too.

Home Again

I got home kind of late last night from MLA08 in Chicago. It was really a great meeting. The best thing about meetings to me is always the networking, and this one was extra-special. I got to see a lot of my friends from San Antonio -- both the ones who are still there and the quite-a-few of us who have left in the last couple years.

One of the highlights for me of the actual program was futurist Andrew Zolli. Usually, I dislike futurists -- they always seem to think they're better/smarter than the rest of us, and they never understand what librarians do. Zolli was totally different. First of all, he was funny! He had also done his homework and he knew about medical librarians and even MLA's projects, like Librarians without Borders. And, best of all, he freely admitted that futurists are usually wrong!

There was a real Web 2.0 slant to this meeting, complete with discussion on whether we even need to call it Web 2.0. ("Isn't it just the evolution of the web?" I would agree with that.) However, it did get me to finally sign up for Twitter... (I'm jannabeth there, too.)

There were also plenty of knitters on hand. On Saturday morning, I met up with Hedgehoglibrarian and Knit&RunDC at Loopy. A little stash enhancement took place:

That's a skein of Handmaiden's Camelspin (70% silk/30% camel -- yes, CAMEL!). I seem to have lost the tag with the name of the colorway, though. And in front -- two skeins of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Pink Blossom. Because I need more pink sock yarn....

During the meeting, I saw several other knitters (and compared socks with one), a couple crocheters, and a woman who was doing Tunisian Crochet. I wish I had gotten up the nerve to ask her about it, but I guess I found that giant hook intimidating!

The second Baby Cable Rib Sock was just a few rows of ribbing when I got there, and look at it now!

I discovered that I could put my little notebook and my pen on my knee, and knit above them. Then, if I was inspired to scribble a note, I was ready. This is a great pattern for me -- enough "pattern" to keep me inspired, but rote enough that I didn't need to think too hard about it. I even turned the heel while listening to a panel talk about web (2.o?) applications in libraries!

Oh -- and the group that was moving into the Hyatt as we all moved out on Wednesday? They were a little different from us -- and I can't stop wondering if there were any knitters among them!

Socks and Stuff

Whiskers and Paw Prints are done, and although they are on my feet right now, I got a picture of them lounging on the dryer, after their first bath.

I love these socks and the yarn! To recap:

Pattern: Whiskers and Paw Prints by Theresa Walunas (Part of the proceeds from the sale of this pattern goes to the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago, in honor of Theresa's aunt)
Yarn: A Piece of Vermont Merino Sock Yarn by Jessie, in Shell
Needles: Size 1.5 KnitPicks Harmony wood DPNs

I've also finished the first Baby Cable Rib sock (from Sensational Knitted Socks), being knit in Hand Jive's Nature's Palette Fingering weight yarn in Indian Paintbrush.

Poorly composed photo of my own foot, plus laser-eyed cat

This sock had been languishing for a while, but it's gained my interest again! This is good, because I need some portable knitting -- on Friday, I'm leaving for the MLA conference in Chicago.

Actually, I just got back from another, much smaller conference, held on the Purdue campus. Even though Purdue and the University of Illinois are less than 100 miles apart, I had never been to the campus, which is really lovely. The conference was great and there was even time to visit the venerable Harry's Chocolate Shop (where there was no chocolate in sight!).

Halfway through my first cup of coffee of the day....

Created by OnePlusYou

Weekend Projects

Saturday night, I found myself...

...casting on!!!

Ene's Scarf (from Scarf Style) has been in my queue for ages (since before I actually had a queue, even!). Then I got the Cherry Pie Laceweight from Amanda, and the two seemed perfect for each other. You can't tell it from the photo, but this yarn is just slightly variegated -- and is absolutely gorgeous.

Another gorgeous scarf/yarn combo is Anne's Whispering Pines Triangle and the Sweet Sheep Laceweight in Cranapple, also marinating in my stash (although not for as long as the Cherry Pie had been -- and I'm suddenly seeing a pattern here with yarn names....). I talked myself out of casting on for it, because it's huge -- so I cast on for Ene's Scarf instead.

375 knitted cast-on stitches in doubled lace-weight yarn later, I came to my senses. So Ene will have to wait a little longer, until I finish these socks.

Even though this is the second sock, the short-row heel gave me fits, but I finally got it done, and am speeding on towards the toe.

Oh -- and look what else I accomplished this weekend!

My new armadillo tattoo -- one black and one white! They're on the inside of my left arm, just above my wrist. The white one is closer to my wrist. It will be interesting to see how the white one looks once it's healed. White tattoos are very subtle, which is what I wanted, but Mark already told me he can go over it in a different color if it's too subtle.

Special Kitty Edition

I recently got back for several days in San Antonio, where I got to visit with some of my favorite kitties.

Simon still likes to spend time in suitcases. He also says hi to all of you -- he misses being a minor knitblog celebrity!

I realized a while ago that I had no pictures of my sister's other cat, Schuster. Schuster is not as outgoing as Simon, and would really prefer to be an only kitty. However, she tolerates Simon.

And, finally -- meet Gracie!

Gracie belongs to my friend and fellow knitter, Jody. Jody is also my sister's best friend, dating back to when they were college roommates. Gracie, who I believe is about 7 weeks old now, is an adorable little calico and came with her name (actually, it's Graceland -- her mother's name is Elvis -- don't ask....). She seemed destined to be an almost-member of our family since my mom's name is Grace!

H is for Harley

Harley is my sweet girl who will always be a little feral. When I got her in November 2002, she was about a year and a half old and was living with a pack of feral cats in the parking lot of a friend's parking complex. Harley, then called Snickers, was the tamest of the bunch, but that's not saying much.

Charlotte had died very suddenly the previous month, and I had decided wait a few months before getting another cat. I was living with my sister, and her cats were there so I didn't think I needed a cat. Then Cheryl brought me a picture of "Snickers."

One of these days I'll find the picture and scan it!

She was a little thing, mostly dark tortoiseshell, with one tan paw, and half a tan face. She was standing outside Cheryl's doorway, eating cat chow. I agreed that this cat needed a home, and it should be with me.

When Harley came to my house, I put down a litterbox and food and water. She sniffed at the litter and the food, then took a drink of water. Then she drank and drank and drank. I realized that although Cheryl and others fed the feral cats, they hadn't put out fresh water. In all likelihood, Harley had never tasted fresh water before and it broke my heart to think of her drinking out of hot, dirty puddles. Harley ignored the food for a couple days, but she loved the water!

Another thing she loved was the bed. After several hours exploring the bedroom, she jumped up on the bed and walked around. Very slowly, she lowered herself -- it was almost like she sank down into the mattress. It was obviously much more comfortable than the pointy Texas grass.

And finally -- she also loved Simon. My sister's other cat, Schuster, was not happy to see another cat, but Simon likes making new friends and he welcomed her. It got even more interesting a couple weeks later when Harley went into heat! Simon had, of course, been fixed for years and was obviously confused by Harley's prancing and howling. It was absolutely hilarious. Every once in a while, it seemed like Simon had a tiny notion of what she wanted, but of course he had no way of acting on it!

Harley has gotten used to being an indoor cat and, in fact, makes no effort to go outside. Like many formerly feral cats, she worries about where her next meal might come from, so she eats too much. She won't sit on my lap and hates to be picked up. But she sleeps on the bed at night and visits me in the bathroom every time I go in. She'll never be a lap cat, but she purrs (like a Harley!) and grooms my hair and I think she likes living me with, too!

Surprises

Here's a surprise -- I'm speeding through Tussie Mussie! I'm quite the slow knitter and I just cast this on a week ago. I'll finish the last nosegay on the front this evening. Of course, then there's four inches or so of straight reverse stockinette. I'll just have to power through that so I can get to the sleeves and more posies!

Maybe the next picture will be taken in better light....

Another surprise -- Iowa (and most of the Midwest) had an earthquake this morning at about 4:40 CDT. I woke up because it made my closet doors rattle. Of course, I didn't realize why they were rattling. I got up and looked in my closet, thinking a cat might have gotten trapped (except that Harley was on the bed and Dolly never comes upstairs). I also briefly wondered if there was some sort of structural catastrophe about to happen. My closet is part of a "bump-out" on the top floor of my townhouse, and my middle-of-the-night brain though perhaps the bump-out was falling off the side of the house. I guess I decided nothing could prevent that if it were about to happen, so I went back to bed!

Oops!

I seem to have cast on again.

That's the beginnings of Tussie Mussie, designed by Cari at Dogs Steal Yarn. My other sweater, Arwen, has gone back into hibernation. I've never finished an adult sweater before, and although I love Arwen, it's construction is definitely non-traditional. I decided I might be better off beginning with something with a more regular construction. And I love the "nosegays," especially on the sleeves!

I'm knitting it out of KnitPicks Swish DK in Asparagus. It's superwash wool, and I'm really liking it. And I'm almost ready to start knitting the nosegays on the front!

Simon and Socks

I know that some of you miss reports of Simon. Well, he is still his same silly self.


Here he is, sporting his San Antonio Missions batting helmet. Or maybe it was an ice cream dish, issued on opening night... Either way, he's being very patient! Thanks to my BIL, Felix, for taking this picture. You can see more pictures of Simon on Felix's Flickr site, as well as pictures of Simon's "sister," Schuster, our friend Jody's new baby kitty, Gracie, and fish that Felix caught. And also a few human friends and family members!

I've also finished one cat-related sock -- a Whiskers and Paw Prints.

(It's so hard to take a picture of your own foot!)

I love these socks - or at least the one that's done! It fits great. I'm not completely happy about the short-row heel. One side looks perfect, but the other was quite holey. I sewed the holes shut from the inside, and it looks fine on, but I'm hoping I do better with the second sock.

Shhhh..... don't say it too loud...

But Spring might be here!

Yesterday was in the 60s, sunny, clear, and generally beautiful. Today was a few degrees cooler, but overcast and windy -- but still Spring-like! I'm trying not to get too excited!

The combination of 60" of snow and a little rain recently means that the rivers are high. We haven't had flooding in Iowa City, but the Iowa River is definitely higher. The river banks through campus are steep, so it's not so obvious there, but north of campus, where the river runs through City Park, the banks are very shallow. Even in normal circumstances, the river and the banks look "flat," but now, the river is definitely out of its banks.

I love that white house across the river.

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?