January 1

All of last year kind of got away from me.

Things that happened for us where some exciting adventures in knitting, like Seattle Mariner's Stitch n Pitch, Sock Summit II, a Yarn Crawl and the first time I've participated in WWKiP day. (World Wide Knit in Public)

Lots of music events and new friends to meet... like every week!

Also, personally, there was one really big change, a move with a new job.

Some losses: We lost our little Maggie after we got to the new place. (This is one of the last pictures we took of her, on the last adventure away from the house, she's on the left.) That was so very sad for a long time, so eventually we consoled ourselves that we'd brought her home for a few weeks before she was gone and got another rescue pup, Joey.

He's kind of his daddy's boy already. They often nap in this fashion and Joey doesn't care much for being parted from him.

We do still walk as often as we can. The last few weeks have been mostly around the property we manage in the mornings and at the warmest part of the day in the late afternoon. On our days off we load the dogs into the truck and go over to a pathway next to the river. The dogs always know when we are going and get pretty excited.

I've been pretty busy knitting and think I may be connecting with a new knitting group here. New to them, too, because the store was moved and apparently if they had a group there, it didn't come with to the new location.

So, a few days ago I received a package from the home knitting group. It included a few balls and instructions to construct a Sky Scarf. (Here's the website: www.leafcutterdesigns.com/projects/conceptknit.html ) The idea is to take a moment and look out at the weather, particularly the type of sky, and knit two rows of a scarf to match.

Challenges for me: Well, two rows ~ That takes incredible restraint. Also, blue being the least favored of my personal choices for colors.

So, this means for 2012, I will be charting the skies above my new home. Looking up is a positive thing. Here is the cast on and two rows today, knit to resemble the clear blue of this morning and the cotton ball clouds with it. This does not match the sky of this afternoon, which is that first picture at the top there, when we went to walk on our pathway. Earlier was more textural anyway...

Hoping you're safe, well & warm and the next calendar year brings us all more to look up and see than last year.

A Tale of Two Socks

I think I may have told you my nephew is in the Army.

When he was first deployed I made him a pair of wool socks and a helmet liner.

http://www.citizensam.org/html/patterns/knitting_instructions_helmetliner.html

This is the link, to the pattern which is a charity project. I have made a few, to participate in the charity, before I knew my nephew was going. The wool socks were the basic ones I've always made, so don't know if there is a pattern for them. I think I've posted my disorganized notes about them here sometime ago....

Anyway, when he was home on leave last May, he said that he'd shrunk the socks, somehow didn't realize what 100% wool meant, and his helmet liner was MIA. (He loaned it to a friend when he wasn't on duty and his friend was injured and taken to hospital.) He's since got it back.

So the first thing Auntie(Me) does is pick up the yarn to replace the helmet liner, fairly easy for me to find, and start shopping for better sock choices.

Right about that time, Cascade Yarns released a Superwash Sock yarn. I'd read about it but it wasn't what I wanted. Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash Worsted is the yarn requested by the Military for the helmet liner, you'll see that in the pattern. I made the first one with that because I didn't want him to have it confiscated if it wasn't up to snuff. The first pair of socks I made were intended to be worn in layers and in boots so I didn't think it would matter.

It's seems difficult to find sock yarns that are not an ombre or varigated, or something a MAN would want to wear. Although these yarns are beautiful and really fun to knit up, I can't imagine a soldier not being teased without mercy for donning self-striping socks. Really, without making this a political statement, I would prefer for all military personnel to be using/wearing American made products. Somehow it just seems wrong not to. So if I make something to send for personal use, I would have preferred it be American made.

Not too many weeks later, Cascade 220 Superwash Sport showed up at the same yarn store as I had purchased what I needed for the helmet liner. So, I picked up a skein of the black. (MSRP is $7 for 100gms and 220 yds or 200 meters.) It's content is 100% merino wool from Peru, very soft to work with, but not very tightly wound. The fabric it creates is sprungy (not sure if that's a word, but that's the best I can describe it). I tried toe-up but it was painful. Top down seemed easier. I ended up with one in each direction for the pair, nobody else could tell the difference.

(In fact, this was the socks I was working on at both the Seattle Mariner's Stitch & Pitch and while walking around at Sock Summit II.)

I mentioned at that same shop that I knew Brown Sheep Company marketed their yarns as 'American Made'. When they also produced a washable sock yarn, I hoped to try it also. I was extremely happy to see it when it appeared in the same shop! I immediately pick up two skeins (comes in 50gms, I paid $6.20 had a discount but I've seen it at a few websites for closer to $5) to make a second pair without question. This was exactly what I had wanted. I also like the idea that he would have two pairs. About this time I learned he'd gotten the first helmet liner back, so he would have two of those also.

Brown Sheep's sock yarn is called WildFoote Luxury Sock Yarn, is 75% Washable wool and Nylon. The wool type is not specified, but I have to assume it's sheep, as the company's name. Seems to have great stitch definition and stretch, but it's not soft on the hands. It creates a crunchy fabric, but when I washed it and rinsed with hair conditioner (as a friend recommends, makes sense as the wool fiber is a hair also) both socks are equally soft. In fact after washing and laying flat to dry, or blocking, both pairs of socks seem soft and the stitches are smooth.

I think if it's up to me and the yarn is available to me (as I mentioned in my last post, I've moved) Cascade Yarns makes a great product, but I would prefer my projects be American made fibers as they are knitted by one. Just seems to be more logical that way.
(The last picture is after blocking. The one at the top is before blocking, the black sock at the far right is toe up and the other is top down, the same as the pair in grey.)

Hiatus

I have to apologize if you've been waiting for a new post from me. We just moved 450 miles away and I haven't been connected to the internet at the new place yet. In fact, I'm sitting at the library between my husband who's on the next computer listening to all his favorite bands from back home and a couple of students who are working on their homework. I think that's what they're doing... Anyway, I needed to clear out my e-mail and pay a couple of bills, but stopped by to keep you updated. Hope all is well, you've picked up your needles for winter knitting and you've winterized your storage (all the yarn stash is in rubber totes with snug lids) and I will post again soon. Summer was busy, I have lots to share, tons of pics to load... Be back soon.

Note To A Friend, Woman to Man

Note to Mr. Man:

Last night, you put your arm around my shoulder and asked me what to do about your love life.

It felt like more than a desire to have someone for the night, so that had a profound effect on me, like you are looking for the permanent one. I think, too, you may have thought I've heard everything being said about you and know all your business. I have taken a vow against gossip and maliciousness, so, unless you told me something or I've seen something, I don't know anything about what you're going through.

I wish it was a simple answer, how to find THE ONE. I've laid awake all night wondering what I could have said that would have been beneficial. At the moment, I can't remember what I did say. It seemed funny to me that you would ask ME of all people, and I'm pretty sure my answer is not the same as you would have with your friends in the locker room. But, at the same time, it's not the 'chick flick' answer either. At least I don't think so. I don't believe in fairy tales, so this isn't going to be the fake, romance answer.

In your chosen profession, there is a lot that is fake. Personally, I'm not a fan of fake. From the little I know about you, you're not either. If you were, you would be drinking all the time, until fake looks good. You don't seem to want your senses dulled, though, you seem to want to know things for what they are.

That will probably do you the most good, honestly. Recognizing things for what they really are will be the tool that protects you most. You have to realize the sweet thing with the bedroom eyes may not be the companion for life. Of course, if she's attempting to attract you with the fake nails, hair, boob-job, whatever, she may not love herself as she really is for you to begin to appreciate who she really is either. Whoever she is, you'll know her because you have all the right tools to recognize her.

The first tool that you have that I know of is your music. The right companion is the one that hopes for you to do the thing you love even more than you do. When you play and you are enjoying yourself, you get this really relaxed look on your face that says you are in the zone. It has a smile, too, when you make contact with someone else who is in the zone too. The person that supports you wants more of that for you and will be helping you to get it, even so far as to try to help you carry your equipment, regardless of the length of her nails are the height of her heels.

Additionally, you'll know her because she has treasured every kind thing you've ever said to her. You won't be able to find her based on her looks at all: She could be tall, short, toothpick thin or carry a little extra jiggle. She will be listening to you, without waiting for an opening to put in her next statement. She wants to know all of your truth. In fact, when you've told her the truth from the depth of your soul, she will have tears of joy in her eyes.

The second tool you have has always been with you. She's your mom. I'm not saying ask her opinion, that will come later. Your whole life you have spent putting a smile on her face. The one you want to see is the one that tilts back and basks in the joy of being in your presence. All that practice on your mom will come in very handy now.

My hope is that this didn't sound like it was from your mom, although I think I would have told this to a son. I hope it sounds like it came from a friend. I wish you well on your search my friend. My regret is that I won't be here to see it.

Seattle Mariners Stitch & Pitch 2011 ~ Nicky Epstein

(This is the current project, by the way, nearly half done by game time.)
This was some unique artwork as we enterred the stadium. Made of license plates and bottle caps ~ excellent use of recycled materials!


At the Seattle Mariner's Stitch & Pitch they brought in Nicky Epstein, who is a well-known author of books both knitting and crochet to throw out the first pitch. Here's her website:

http://nickyepstein.com/

and here is her Goodreads profile if you'd like to learn about all the books she's written.

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/55574.Nicky_Epstein

I learned she can throw a ball moderately well, with style and grace...
She was available for book signing and I brought my copy of the most fun knitting book (in my opinion) for her to do so. She thought my pink Sharpie very appropriate, and let me take a picture with her.

PS: If you looked at her list of books, her baseball glove having been embellished should be no surprise...
The brown knitted piece there is a sample from a book she is currently promoting, Knitting Block by Block.

I was not aware that there was such a thing as Mariner's Kennel corn. Not sure I want to know where they grow blue or green popcorn, but there you go. The Crowd to the left of me....

Jokers to the rightHere I am

Stuck in the middle with you.....


I hope where ever you are, that if you got to the Stitch & Pitch near you that you had as much fun as I did. Although, the fun I had may be hard to top...

Friday, June 10th

On this date, multiple decades ago, I graduated from High School.

Really have no thoughts about that, except that it wasn't the life changing event I thought it would be at the time, I was relieved to finally get out from under the thumb of people who really didn't care to do more than just their jobs. In striking contrast to one of my relatives who is retiring today from teaching after nearly thirty years, who is truly sad to leave.

My only thought about my current situation regarding high school is how to get Classmates.com to stop spamming me about the reunion this summer.

Anyway, hope you are have a great month. Making any plans for summer?

Friday, June 3rd.

Very often a change of self is needed more than a change of scene. - A. C. Benson. And sometimes a change of undies. Put on your big girl panties and have a great Friday!