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I think my dogs forgot what rain was. When was our last really good rain in Cincinnati? June? May?
Knitting:
First Galaxy sock done.
I'm heading north this weekend. I'll try to blog from the road. There might be a small Fiber Festival involved.
Evidently, if you put some version or hint of a berry or other red fruit along with the vague suggestion of chocolate in the name of a yarn, I must buy it.
From L to R: Stone Barn Farm's Ice Cream Sundae, Fearless Fibers' Chocolate Pink Cherry, Twinkletoes' Chocolate Covered Cherry, and Claudia Handpaint's Strawberry Latte.
In an attempt to STOP buying these, I will knit one. To see if I can get it out of my system. But I can't pick which. That's where you come in - Which one should I cast on next? C'mon, everyone loves a blogpoll. and please don't pick the Twinkletoes - it's not superwash so you know I'll just ruin whatever socks become of these.
And yes, that is an alarming number of dead pine needles that have come down this summer. We're more than 13 inches behind in rainfall for the year and our trees and lawns are all brown. It's nearly October and our high temperature today was 96.4 F (that's 35.7 C).
What a sad, sad game. The extra dpns have picked up the stitches for the heel. Not that I can get the thing on my foot. Maybe it's not a good idea to knit during games like that. What should I do? Part of the problem is the yarn. No give at all. I'm tempted to rip these and start over next year.
While I decide, here's what I'm doing...
There's more like these waiting too. If you want to see what they become, click here and look at the cheerleader skirts. Cute, but not cute enough to take the sting out of today's Bengals loss.
It's 93 degrees right now so it must be a good day to finish a wool scarf.
Pattern: Corrugator (pdf) by Paula Smith
Yarn: Dandy Lion yarn handspun from Spunky Eclectic Fiber Club
I didn't have a lot of yarn to work with so this is more of an accent scarf at 40" long. The pattern is fun to knit - perfect for TV knitting (and the fall season is about to get underway!). Will I knit it again? Yeah, I think so. :)
My new sock project is some new Regia Galaxy in autumn colors that just arrrived.
I'm using 64 stitches on a 2.5 mm KP circ and a quick measurement looks like 8 spi. Just in case you're trying to get the pretty design to work out too. It only took me a couple tries which surprises the hell out of me. I've got some Opal Parrot that I might get bold and attempt again after this taste of success. :)
This beautiful girl is Gabby, my aunt's boxer. She's only a year older than Elvis but considerably grayer in the face. She enjoyed me stopping in today for a quick walk and potty break that I turned into a bit of quality knitting time. She looks at Elvis & Pearl running around like hooligans and just shakes her head in disbelief. Can't they tell it's hot out here?
One last picture - a mum in one of my aunt's flower beds. Pretty pink!
This photo came out pretty nice. It's Miss Pearlicue, wishing I'd get my butt off the computer chair and throw the ball. Or the squeaky. Or tug on a rope. Or give her kissypoos. Anything but sitting at the keyboard.
Nothing else today. I was hoping for a quiet week but I still feel like I'm running around in circles. Next post I'll show you a new project - and it's not even socks! OK, I cast on a new sock too, but I had to let you know I'm not a one-trick pony.
And since I'm so far behind, this may be a bit random again.
1. Contest on Angela's blog! Please vote for Nikki in the ABCs Children's Picture Book Competition. You can vote daily so start now - the title is What's Wrong with Mud? and it's by Gillian Colley of Hanover, PA. Angela is giving away a yarny prize if you post this information on your blog and let Angela know. If you want to see an example of Nikki's great work, just gaze over on my right sidebar to see the amazing illustration of Elvis & Pearl. She clearly deserves to win and this could be her big break into the picturebook illustration world.
2. Buddy Walk - Saturday was so much fun! It was bright and sunny, and a bit chilly. Team Pickle not only met its fundraising goal but surpassed it on Thursday, thanks in part to knitbloggers! Mindy has lots of fun photos here and plans for outdoing ourselves next year are already underway. I'm thinking Pearl needs a pickle outfit...
3. Summer of Socks - pair #6
4. The Wool Gathering - Can you believe this is the first year I've been able to attend?
Angela picked me up on Sunday morning and we headed north. On our way we passed Jeeebus who proclaimed, "Let there be wool!" We met Mindy (different Mindy) and fortified ourselves at the Young's Dairy Farm restaurant before accosting the wool vendors. Angela only bought a couple things, Mindy purchased nothing, and I was good too. Photos:
Legend
Row 1: Border Collie herding ducks
Row 2: Baby Alpaca and Angora Goat
Row 3: Shearing Demonstration
Row 4: Icelandic Sheep - "Excuse me, can you get me out of here?"
Row 5: Sock yarn from Knitting Notions and merino/alpaca from Ohio Valley Natural Fibers
Row 6: Pumpkins - a sure sign of autumn
5. Football - What can I say? Sunday's game was painful even when just listening. My aunt has heard some lovely theories that I won't share unless you're a die-hard Bengals fan but I have a hard time thinking it's anything but our usual inconsistency. I have no Gameday sock progress - since I'm still on sock #1, the ball is a bit unwieldy to carry around. It'll be a more portable project later in the season.
But I did make a luxury purchase today...
How was your weekend?
(Edited to update links)
On Wednesday I took my lunch break at the park as usual but the temperature was so much nicer than it has been this summer that I decided to walk to one of the benches in the sun instead of hiding in the shade of the shelter with the picnic tables. It was such a peaceful time - the park borders a property with some horses who were interested for all of a minute and a half in my knitting before they decided I wasn't worth their time. I'm still working on the second Monkey sock in Cider Moon Blizzard dyed in the Wildwood colorway.
I joined Dogs on Thursday. Always a joiner, that's me... This in no way means I'll refrain from talking about my dogs on other days of the week. Just so ya know.
This hedgehog has lasted an absurdly long time. At least 5 days! And the squeaker still works!
Saturday is almost here - the Buddy Walk! Team Pickle has almost reached its fundraising goal. Less than $100 to go! If just a few of my blog readers would donate $5 it would add up in no time. Thanks to everyone who has already donated! And there is the possibility of yarny prizes for those who sponsor us. (one of the prizes is a Tulip Cardigan kit!)
If the links don't work -
Our Buddy Walk page:
http://tinyurl.com/28aszs
Mindy (Team Pickle captain)'s blog with prize listings:
http://sharppointysticks.typepad.com/sharp_pointy_sticks/
Although I'm not normally mushy or sensitive or, well, you know... I need to say that I have the best friends ever.
They love my dogs as if they were their own.
They drive me places.
They cook for me.
They go out to eat with me.
They knit with me.
They are either football fans or tolerate my love for the game.
They let me use their washing machines to felt stuff.
They go along with my hair-brained ideas.
They let me think I'm smart and funny.
They give me space when I'm prickly (and that's a lot of the time).
They make me feel welcome when my instinct is to feel that I'm imposing.
They offer help because they know it's hard for me to ask.
They don't give me a hard time when I confess I've purchased yarn again.
And so much more than this...
You are appreciated more than I can say.
You're The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy!
by Douglas Adams
Considered by many to be one of the funniest people around, you are
quite an entertainer. You've also traveled to the far reaches of what you deem possible,
often confused and unsure of yourself. Life continues to jostle you around like a marble,
but it's shown you so much of the world that you don't care. Wacky adventures continue to
lie ahead. Your favorite number is 42.
Take the Book Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.
In an odd twist, I'll turn 42 this year. Is this an omen of the best year yet?
In a stunning show of defense, the Bengals won their season opener on Monday Night Football. This was big. Big enough that I'd have keeled over if my heart was weak at all. Gameday sock #1 (only to be knit during Bengals games) is moving right along. Hope my tension isn't too horrible. I might have been knitting a little bit tight toward the end.
Bamboobaa from The Dyepot, in the Monkey pattern - the only pattern that could dominate this yarn into submission. Kind of the way the Bengals defense dominated - forcing all those turnovers.
A bit of new yarny goodness arrived from The Loopy Ewe today. Wooly Boully in Lunamoth and Claudia Handpaint in Blue Terra Cotta.
I love these to a completely unreasonable level. The only reason I didn't cast on one of them tonight was the call of the Gameday sock. Both of these will need really special patterns.
This project has been in my Ravelry project list and designated as "hibernating" for months now. I'm not sure what possessed me, but I picked it up, knit a couple more pattern repeats and then finished it off. It blocked last night and is now officially done. The color in the close-ups is most true.
Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence
Yarn: Supersock from Wool2Dye4 dyed by me
