Saturday, May 27, 2006

I lied. Well, just a little fib!

I mentioned in my last post that I would probably not make another Warshrag.

I lied.

I cast on the next morning. This pattern is good "bus knitting" because I don't have to think about it or follow a pattern or chart. Well, I almost don't have to think about it -- I DO have to think about the counter-clockwise yarn over when I purl - which is one of the reasons I cast on Warshrag #2. Practice! Practice! Practice!

I have four more inches of the green scarf done. I replaced my 14" metal needles with shorter, bamboo needles and they are working GREAT!! My tension is better. My wobbly sides are better. The knitting doesn't feel so awkward.

I may be a Knitter yet!

Pictures later... Chauffeur Mom is tired tonight!

My almost-16 year old lamented all the way to his job and all the way home "I wish I had my license so I could drive!" I secretly wish it were so, too! But, alas, given the current laws and rules and regulations, he'll not be a solo driver until Christmas.

My almost-18 year old (NEXT THURSDAY!) doesn't drive either, because I haven't trusted him to become a driver. He is getting better and more responsible. But, the time frame is the same for him, given the current laws, rules and regulations! :(

(I lied again... I said pictures later and, while this is later, it isn't MUCH later! I am waiting up for #1 son to return from a party and took these!)

Warshrag #2

SkyBlue & Lemonade/Limeade Sherbert, Bernat Cot'n Soft.


Green Scarf

and my Green Scarf!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

First FOs in Knitting!

Full Hat

My first hat. I finished knitting this about a week ago, but I actually FINISHED it tonight. Took it off the needle. Gathered the top. Sewed the seam. Wet it a bit to block it a bit. It is drying on a 12 oz. frozen whipped cream bowl. I couldn't find anything else that would be 'little kid' size in my home of the giants. The colors are a bit less bright in real life. It is made with Wool-Ease and is soft and warm. I intend to send it to F.I.R.E. for the Dulaan Project. I have two crocheted hats and hope to finish another before the mailing deadline. We'll have to see how that goes!
Side View Hat

The hat was interesting to knit. I think the variegated yarn would have striped more evenly if this hat were knit in the round. When I learn to do that, I'm going to try this pattern that way and see what happens.

In the meantime, I need to try another pattern and/or yarn/fiber and see what turns out!


Mason Dixon strikes! This my first Warshcloth. It may be my last. I felt like I was just trying to get through to get through... I was not feeling the JOY of Warshcloths. I really have a time remembering that counter-clockwise thing when I'm purling. The warshcloth is forgiving of that, so when I need reminding, it'll make good practice! :) And, when I goof up, I won't have to fix it. After all, it's just a warshrag!

Side View Cloth

Saturday, May 20, 2006

More Birthday Adventures!

Besides changing my looks (I've been told that hair cut was "Drastic"!), I treated myself to a concert at the Calvert Marine Museum's Waterside Concert Series.

The Marine Museum has a light house. This picture shows the lovely sun, with its rainwashed color, reflecting on the lighthouse, following tremendous thunderstorms that had rolled through just an hour before the gates were to open! The rain came and went before the concert started and that was a VERY GOOD THING!

Light House at the Calvert Marine Museum

Trace Adkins was performing on Sunday, May 14, 2006. I am a member of the Museum, thus had the chance to pre-order my ticket - which turned out to be in the third row!

Check out this Third Row view.


Third Row View

And I could get this shot:

What a great smile!

And this one:

Trace with the Guitar

And this one - singing "Arlington":

Singing Arlington with great respect

And one more:


The show was tremendous. I am so glad I went. What made it even better? The two people that should have been sitting next to me must have decided the rain was too much and they stayed home! I had LOTS of room to stand and take pictures and not be in anybody's way!

(sorry about the odd picture arrangement - it looked great on PREVIEW!)

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

I know you've been coming to see me...

and I've not been here. Here's what I've been doing!!

I celebrated my birthday last weekend. I went to the beauty shop and there I had my stylist crop my mane. I had thick, long hair - many people were envious. I was hot! Summer is a-comin' and I needed relief!!!


So now I have think SHORT hair! Really short, but just what I wanted! I just have to take time to do these cute little turn unders with the curling iron and so it will not revert to my normal slightly fuzzy, fairly straight do!

We saved a pony tail for Locks of Love - I'll be sending that off as soon as it is dry (it was washed on Saturday morning and still felt damp yesterday morning... didn't try it today).

I have also been knitting. I mostly finished a wool hat - just need to sew up a seam and do a little blocking. It is looking very cute. I have started a MDK Warshrag and that is coming out really, really cute - though cotton is kind of painful to knit with, being so much stiffer than wool. Hopefully, I'll have pictures of these by the end of the week!

See ya next time!

Thursday, May 11, 2006

A little bit of this. A little bit of that.

I had the night off from chauffeur duties! YAY!

I am so glad because (a) a nasty old Thunderstorm was right overhead at the time I would have been driving;

(b) There is something wrong with me causing joint weakness and low grade fever to build up during the day - goes away upon resting all night and starts to build up again during the day. I go to the doctor on Monday and hopefully he can help me figure this out - it is just awful; and

(3) I got to watch some country music videos - before my son realized "My Name Is Earl" was on! :)

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Projects Progress:

I frogged my first attempt at a hat (for Dulaan) and started again. I'm doing much better the second time around. I was even able to make a little center pull ball (skein? cake?) of the frogged yarn to make it easier to reuse! (Yay me!) Now, if I could just remember that counter-clockwise thing when I'm purling. No problem on the knit stitches. But I really have to concentrate on the purls!

I bought 9-in size 11 needles (instead of 14-in size 11 needles :)) for the lovely scarf in greens. I will transfer tomorrow and continue on!

I'm holding a Help Whip Cancer® Pampered Chef® fundraiser on May 21 and the last batch of mail is going out in the morning.

My pool gets opened on Monday - we have to pray the weather clears so I can finish cleaning up and filling it before the company arrives to set me up!

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No pictures - sorry - been too tired to deal with them.

See ya next time!

Saturday, May 06, 2006

And so the spam begins...

and ends (I hope)! I have had to enable word verification on comments. I've only received one random, odd, unrelated comment inviting me to bingo, but that was one too many as far as I'm concerned. I hope my decision doesn't deter my friends and acquaintances from commenting on future posts. Just a step I felt I needed to take.

Friday, May 05, 2006

Knitting Rules? Crochet Drools?



Nah, a crafter can live with both! Indeed, be adept enough, be talented enough, to excel at both! My goal - to be as excellent a knitter as I perceive myself to be as a crocheter! [the crocheted squares in the photo are destined for an afghan with solid berry and buff blocks to coordinate with this lovely "Hollyberry" color in Red Heart Soft yarn.]

I have spent much of my yarn crafting career (which has spanned close to 4 decades!) using the hook and yarn combination with great success. I have made baby blankets, and scarves and hats and slipper socks and baby booties and baby sweaters and more blankets and hats and baby booties and ... well, you get the idea!!

Just this year, after several aborted attempts in the far past, I have found inspiration in the knitting of others! I really want to knit as they do. The intricate designs. The self striping sock yarn. The dpns and circs and bamboo and rosewood. The cute felted hedgehogs and lambs and booga bags. The Fair Isle, Intarsia, Lace! I have lusted after soft merino and ... well you get the idea!

Dorothy has helped me out (see previous posts) and I am trying to do her proud... but after 24 rows or so, what is up with that raggedy side???



I will slog on and complete my appointed task! Then I will practice with Cascade. Then I will venture forth and try my hand at, hmmm, what will I try? I have the Hedgehog pattern, but find I am a bit leery of trying that without really knowing the lingo. I may just swatch and swatch and swatch - until I feel comfortable with the shorthand - and then make a pillow of the swatches! :)

I have asked for the Mason-Dixon Knitting book for my birthday/Mother's Day gift. I bought myself two of The Yarn Harlot's books last night as I wandered through Border's.

I got half-way through Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter riding the bus to and from work today! I was especially touched by The Sheep Shawl story. As a crocheter whose work is routinely called "knitting" by the uninitiated, the story has a particulary poignant ending ~~ I almost guffawed right there on the bus!!

So begins the transformation - from dedicated crocheter to a dual specialist - well, at least a crafter that both crochets AND knits!

Monday, May 01, 2006

Just as I suspected - Just Normal!



Joe Normal
39 % Nerd, 17% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Congratulations!

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST