Noro...no...Mistake Rib...no...My Own Thang

All this talk about the 2-row Noro scarf has made me itch, I tell you, simply ITCH to knit one. The only obstacles to my knitting one are:

PRICE...$11.00 / skein mulitplied by 4 equals $44.00. Just can't do that right now.
CHRISTMAS...coming soon and still no decorations, presents, cookies, or even Ho Ho Ho-ness
WORK...swamped at home and at work with bookwork, year end crap, er, work
YARN IN STASH...doesn't match requirements.

So, alternatively, I decided to knit a scarf using Queensland Collection Uruguay Chunky in periwinkle. It's a lovely color and very soft and squishy AND I picked it up at a closeout for $4.00 a skein!

My initial plan was to knit a Mistake Rib scarf. I thought, "I remember how to do that! I've seen how on some blog or the other and I'm a bright girl who can figure things out. Easy Peasy." So I threw all 4 skeins and a set of size 13 US needles in a bag and took off for a long weekend away with Farmboy.

Well, don't you know, I couldn't for the life of me figure out a mistake rib. Not that I didn't try. I had all kinds of interesting patterns going but none of them seemed right. All were just....wrong.

Earlier this fall, I had an opportunity to demonstrate spinning at an alpaca farm for National Alpaca Days and there was plenty of time for conversation with my other demonstrators. The closest one was a woman who crocheted and felted luxury fibers creating some beautifull warm and totally sensuous garments. We talked about the phenomenon of yarn "telling" you what it wanted. We had both experienced making something and either hating it or having a "wrong" feeling. So we would rip it out and wait for the right project. When we found it, it was such a different experience. It looked better, the process went better and it felt better.

So, this weekend, I realized my gorgeous purpley yarn was telling me it didn't want to be a Mistake Rib. It wanted to pretend to be a Noro 2 row scarf. Huh.

So I cast on 18 or 20 stitches (can't remember) and proceeded to k1p1 my way through 4 skeins, slipping the first stitch of each row purlwise.

Lovely, long, squishy, sensuous, and WARM! It was totally what that yarn wanted to be. It will make someone's neck warm and feel sexy. I love it when things work out.

But I'm still looking for Noro Silk Garden on sale.

Waffle.

I thought, for ease of use, that I'd make a new blog. Same google account, blah blah blah.

Well, that was silly. What a pain to move everything and to start over. Sometimes starting over is easier (knitting) and sometimes just moving forward and making adjustments is easier (knitting).

So, moving forward, I'm thinking that for the new year, in which I shall make a resolution or two and struggle to keep it(them), I'll make this more of a life blog. Knitting and reading will be still be major but I'll stick other things in as well. Gardening. Writing. The Change. Faith. Babies. Farming. You know, Life.

But I won't change the name. That'd be way too long.

Merry Christmas.

Project Afghan. Finished.

It wasn't finished by the end of the Olympics. Nearly there but not quite. The day before the college student left for college, I pulled out all the stops. I planted my butt on the couch with a stack of dvds and a remote control next to me and knitted 'til my shoulder ached. 1:30 a.m. I wove in the last end and called it a day.

Here it is:

Yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Dublin approximately 27 skeins
Needles: Knit Picks Options, size 9
Stitch Pattern: Moss and Diamond Brocade
from Vogue Stitchionary: Volume One

Gauge: 4.5 stitches per inch
Each pattern repeat is 7 inches long.
Finished size: 72" long x 50" wide

Cast on 240. I used the long tail cast on and did it SEVERAL times.

Garter stitch 12 rows so you have 6 ridges on each side.
Row1 K6, *row 1 of stitch pattern; rep from * 19 times, K6.
Row 2 K6, *row 2 of stitch pattern; rep from * 19 times, K6.
Repeat until all 44 rows of stitch pattern are complete.
Repeat until 10 pattern repeats are complete.
Garter stitch 12 rows so you have 6 ridges on each side.
Bind off.
Weave in ends.
Get a massage and a margarita.

What I did on my summer vacation...

I joined and flaked, joined and flaked. First I joined the Summer of Socks 2008. I thought, "Easy...knit some socks. No problem." Whoops.

Problem #1 - Baby socks don't count and I had babies this summer. Not me personally but my life had babies. And those babies had feet I couldn't let get cold.

Problem #2 - Patterns. I found one I liked here but didn't get the correct yarns for it. (It's a good idea to look at the pattern before buying yarn for it). THEN I thought I'd try one of the official Summer of Sock Patterns. I knit nearly a whole sock then despaired of knitting the second one because I really disliked...no, hated...the stitch. The socks were very cute and I'm sure were wonderful for others to knit but so much ssk makes my eye twitch. So I ripped it out and settled on the Yarn Harlot's plain jane sock recipe found here.

Problem #3 - Eric's Afghan. Missed deadline number 1, his high school graduation. I needed to knit the rest of the 72" blanket and I had about 40" to go. No time for socks.

So here it is, September 9, twelve days before the end of the summer and I have 1 quarter of 1 sock done. Flake out, number 1.

Then I joined Ravelympics. I entered WIPsWrestling, giving myself another deadline. I figured that since I was going on vacation and would have Hours In The Car To Knit, I would surely get it done.

So, I packed the blanket and the camera and The Afghan went West.

Here it is at the Corn Palace.

After visiting the Corn Palace, The Afghan decided that it really would rather not get dragged around. I think it's rather sensitive about its dangling ends. So mostly, The Afghan stayed in the car. Here are some of the things that it saw, from the comfort of Lola the Corolla.

Mount Rushmore

The Wind River, Dubois, Wyoming

Mrs. Bison and her tot

Whiskey Mountain Wilderness Area

Mountains near Brooks Lake Lodge, Wyoming

Old Faithful, still being Faithful

Grand Canyon of The Yellowstone River

Beartooth Mountains

Top of the World

And, don't you know, The Afghan STILL wasn't done by the time we got home.

Let's Play Catch Up: Part 2

Knitting. Sock.

On Ravelry, I've joined various groups but I don't seem to find the time to really be involved. One group I did manage to involve myself with was Christian Knitters & Crocheters. I joined a Secret Prayer Sock Swap and had a blast praying and knitting for my Swap Partner.

Here's what I did:

Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Mystic Lake
Pattern: Roundabout Socks from The Yarnarian
Needles: Knit Picks Circulars (I can't remember what size and I'm too lazy to get up and look but I use them for every sock. Practically)

Honestly, they are clean and I only wore them for the photo-op. The sleepers in the photo were already that way. Honest. My feet do not stink.

The pattern was really a kick and I loved how it really went...Roundabout! I did change the heel flap to fit the Charlene Schurch method but that was the only alteration I did.

I mailed my package off to my partner and then awaited my own package. This is what I got:

Yarn: Shibui Sock in the Roppongi colorway (I'm pretty sure!)
Pattern: Monkey by CookieA

Happy feet. Happy, happy feet.

Let's Play Catch Up: part 1

Knitting. Non sock.

Farmboy's cousin got married in January and for the bridal shower, I had big plans to knit a cute little thing.

First idea: camisole. Second idea: thong.
Final idea: scarf.

Hey! It Could be sexy. Imagine, a black alpaca neck warmer and black stilletos. What's not sexy?

Pattern: Neckwarmer by Yarnabuse

Yarn: Black alpaca grown by Sadie, spun by me

At the last minute, I couldn't find a button so I stole one from my dress coat (baby llama...thought it sort of appropriate), sewed it on quickly...measuring it on Farmboy's neck to get the button placement right...stuffed it, decorously of course, in a bag and sent it on to the shower.

Reading.

I can be a bit panicked when I am between books. "Must find a book. Must read. Must not let my mind be idle." Ack. This phenomenon can result in some strange book choices. If they're too weird, I am under no compunction to finish a book I don't like. None. Not one.

So what has my panicky little brain been taking in?

Anne Perry A Breach of Promise & The Twisted Root
Martha Grimes The Old Contemptibles
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee - Knitting Rules
JD Robb - Innocent in Death

All this murder and knitting. Maybe I should be watched with the pointy sticks.


My Puppy.

Who is actually nearly three years old. Sophie's cousin Toby came to visit us for a couple weeks and they wore each other out! Toby is Very Serious about playing ball. There is a certain etiquette, certain procedures, a certain chain-of-command that Must Be Followed When Chasing A Ball.

Sophie is a nonconformist.

Yes, that IS blood on the snow. Very serious.

Where Are You?

Knitting. Working. Calving.

Not blogging, obviously.

Prayer Sock Swap Socks are underway. Two at a time....couldn't afford the risk of SSS...and the heel flap is MINE. I'm combining a couple of patterns and using yarn that I fell in love with. Photos and more info when the swap is complete.

Quickly knit up a hat for a friend's new grandson. Turned out very cute and I've got plenty of yarn to make more!

When the socks are done I must focus on the graduation afghan. Must. Focus. Must. Complete. Must. Knit. Only. This. Project.

Must ignore Koigu handpainted in the stash. Must ignore new Knitty pattern.

Focus.

Afghan.

Knit.

I Do Read

I'm usually reading at least 2 books at a time. If I happen to finish one say, right before bed, I will wander around the house from bookshelf to bookshelf and select a book to bring to bed with me. I may read a bit, I may not even really want to read the book, but I must have a book that I am reading. I saw a counselor once who challenged me to go without reading...except for the Bible...for two weeks. I lasted two. Days.

So, I am currently listening to Emma read by Prunella Scales. This is for knitting. I am waiting for The Lost Continent by Bill Bryson to come from Paperbackswap. That will be the community bathroom book. Farmboy and I both read I'm a Stranger Here Myself and had a great time discussing and reading and laughing with each other. Bedtime reading is Sense & Sensibility but I'm itching for another Anne Perry mystery.

Just wanted to state, for the record, that I read. A lot. Constantly. So if you've read the title of this blog and wondered...now you know.

I also want to state...this is like saying something out loud so that you will remember it later...does anyone else do that?...that I am going to blog more regularly. I'm thinking weekly.

Farmboy needs my clever and fast fingers to help him put calves into our computer.

We'll really need to push hard.