PinkPurlGrrl

Noteworthy

I have nothing original to say today, so I'm cobbling this together for a little entertainment.

In honor of one local knitter, who is feeling her age, this is a car key:

Effective December 20th knitters will once again be able to bring small scissors on domestic flights, explosives are still on the banned item list.  While this is a great step forward for the TSA, a school in Texas is holding the dogmatic line when it comes to other implements of stitchery.

Just to clear something else up, this is a TV Remote:

In other news: a feral sheep was caught through the quick action of three of Australia's finest mates, and one of Australia's finest tractors.  Good luck Lamby, and tell the shearer to be gentle with you as it's your first time.

And finally, this is Ryan's Christmas Future:

Thanksgiving Fiberfest 2005

Look what I can do!  I have spent the last four days learning how to spin using Hands On Spinning by Lee Raven, and  the Joy of Handspinning website.  In addition, I learned how to dye wool using Koolaid.  The two ply super chunky was colored with three packs of Berry Blue and one pack of Grape for each skein, using the microwave method.  The fingering weight (be generous with me, I'm new - much of it is fingering weight, except for the bits that aren't) was dyed on the stove top with three packs of Cherry, three packs of Berry Blue, and one pack of Grape.  I have already turned the bulky blue yarn into a hat for BLING.  The plum yarn will be fingerless gloves (typing toasties) for me.  From the very first skein I spun I knit a swatch bunny.  I got extra crafty today and made a nostpin from a chair leg I bought at Home Depot.  I wound the center-pull ball in the top picture using my lovely new nostpin.  I have spun and dyed and spun and dyed all weekend long.  I've been off work since Thursday and it feels like it's been two weeks.  Have you ever had that feeling like you were meant to do something?  I think I was meant to spin, I completely zone out and go to a happy place.  Linda K. was right, it is very calming and peaceful.  With all the spinning/dying/knitting going on, I am doubly glad we joined our local YMCA last week.  We got in one good work-out over the weekend, and I am scheduled to meet with a personal trainer Monday evening.  I should have a good and whimpery post for you on Tuesday.

Spin Radio - all spin all the time

I spun all the corriedale - I had thought 3oz would hold me for the weekend, but alas it held only for the morning.  Seeing as today was as good a time as any to learn about processing my yarn and setting the twist I moved on to my next steps.  I wound the skein using one of my dining room chairs.  When wrapped I measured the circumference and counted the strands - I spun 69 yards out of 3 little ounces, tickle me fibery!  Next I did a hot soapy soak, followed by a hot rinse - being gentle and loving all the way.  I gently squeezed as much moisture from the skein as I could, wrapping it in a towel and finished by hanging the skein and weighting it with a coffee cup.  It's about halfway dry, I can't wait to see if I can knit with it.

This has been a wonderful day of spinning and reading about spinning, and talking about spinning, and blogging about spinning.   Hopefully I have entertained my small but diverse international readership, on a slow American blog day.

We have just returned from Thanksgiving dinner, embarrassingly full of wonderful food prepared by our equally wonderful group of Mountlake Terrace friends.  I learned a new and wonderful recipe for sweet potato souffle, and had the best butternut squash soup I have ever tasted.  Tomorrow we start our membership at the local YMCA (if I'm going to spend hours sitting and spinning/knitting I have to spend some moving) and I'll be getting a whole buncha wool.  I'll send a report from the front.  In the meantime, blessings to all.

Birth - or something like it

It is 6:30 on Thanksgiving morning.  I couldn't stay asleep and gave up two hours ago.  I read your blog (again, because I read it yesterday afternoon too), I fed the dogs, I surfed the net trying to get more information about spinning.  I knew I was missing a piece - some small bit of "oh, of course" that would turn the cotton candy into string.  I found it at the Joy of Handspinning website - I had WAAAAY too much wool in my hand.  I grabbed two feet of roving, I split it in half, and half, and thirds - looked like I might try spinning lace but voila!  Yarn.  It's lumpy, over-spun, under-spun, broken, and poorly wound.

But - it's my very first yarn, ever.

Sigh, isn't it beeyoutiful?

Later there will be cooking (I'm in charge of starches), and parade watching, and knitting, and drinking of wine.  But for now, it's 6:30 in the morning; I've been up for two hours in the cold and quiet, and I am a spinner.

MINE MINE MINE

Bouncing off the walls!!!  I am the proud new owner of this lovely Louet S10!

Anticipation

OK people, enable me.  I am waiting on pins and needles to find out if I am the new owner of a Louet S10 spinning wheel.  I have been talking about getting one for months, and the S10 is the one I had my eye on.  The stars have aligned and lit the path to this beautiful baby, I'll know just after 1:00 today.

Oh I hope, I hope, I hope...

Thank you, and you, and you!

Friday evening was a wonderful evening.  We rushed home from work to get ready for dinner out and the 8:30 showing of the new Harry Potter movie.  When I pulled into the driveway I could see a package waiting for me on the front step.  My Super-Secret-Pal sent me another wonderful box of goodness.   Inside the box I found a drop-dead gorgeous felted bag with a detachable rosette.  I have never seen such a nicely felted bag - it's beautifully even and very soft to the touch.  Of course I had to put my current project in it and take both to the movie for some waiting-line knitting.  The theater was too crazy to get good pictures, but I think I captured the crazy carpeting pretty well.  In addition to the felted bag, she included two skeins of Sari Silk, and a copy of Knitty's Unbiased pattern.  I didn't get a picture of the yarn before I started plugging away at the pattern; I'm three panels down and one to go, FO pictures later this week I hope.  Thank you SP for your wonderful gifts, I am in love with the bag and thrilled to get to work with the Sari Silk.

Other gifts: the person I'm spoiling in SP6 sent me a copy of Hip to Knit, and some cute little greeting cards.  She is a really special person and I can't wait to send you all over to her blog when we do the big reveal.

High spot of the weekend award goes to Linda K!  I met Linda at the Dulaan knit in last month; she was stash busting with proceeds going to Dulaan.  I bought the two skeins that made BLING's Bee Socks from her, and she found a third skein in her copious stash.  She was kind enough to take time out of her Sunday and meet us at the local Starbucks for coffee and yarn exchange (Ryan - I owe you 4 bucks for Dulaan, and coffee for you and TMK).  Linda K is a very cool person indeed!  She is traveling to India, and will be away for 3 months.  During our conversation I found out she will be near Auroville, a village close to my heart.  I look forward to hearing about her travels - Bon Voyage Linda!

In closing today, go take a flying leap.

Second times the charm

Thanks typepad, I was nearly done with that last post when you deleted it.  I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and try again, let's try and keep this civil OK?

Oh such loveliness!  Here is the Lorna's Laces (watercolor colorway) in Cat Bordi's Bavarian Crossed something-or-other pattern.  I love her method of socks on two circular needles, and this being my second pair with this pattern I have finally memorized the pattern and don't have to balance the book on my left knee while knitting.  This week I treated myself to a pair of size 1, 16 inch circular needles.  The sales lady at Acorn Street Yarns warned me to be careful to not accidentally yank out the back needle when starting the new side (good advice) and I'm glad I went to the shorter needles.  I've been working with size 2 (great, but I knit a little loose) in 24 inch length - the back needle kept getting in my way and flopping all over the place.  So far I am extremely happy with the 16 inch length.  About this Lorna's Laces - I bought this colorway because I am enchanted with how the same colorway is working up in the Estonian Garden Wrap (don't hold your breath, I hope to finish by June).  The colors flow together and compliment each other so nicely, it is everything I hoped it would be.  Of course, in socks it comes out as purple/red and gold/green stripes.  You know - I knew that would happen, but I suspended disbelief and bought with my heart.  Ces't la vie.  I don't like knitting with two balls of yarn so I will just sit back and love my (so far) striped socks.  Bet you a dollar the next one flashes and pools.

What else is new... I'm finally on the mend after two and a half weeks of yuck.  Amazing what switching one prescription can do for you.  BLING had a good birthday (thanks for all of your neat comments).  We have a "Princess Book" with a story all about her and all of the things she likes to do.  I pulled it out and refilled all of the little pockets with gift cards for coffee, books, and pre-paid tickets to Harry Potter tonight.  Wednesday night she went to dinner with our gourmet group (I was still too sick) and Sunday we are having a joint birthday party for 3 birthday girls.  Birthdays should always last a week or more.

Comments - Lolly asked what pattern I used for the house socks.  I used the two needle method and a k5, p3 rib that I continued down to the toe.  I waited until there was maybe a half an inch of length left and bound off on stitch at each end on every round still keeping in pattern on the instep.  I cast on 50 stitches for a size 9 and a slightly chunky ankle.

Libby is getting her puppy today, and has started a KAL for puppy clothes.  Go see her and join in the fun if you have a canine to clothe.

Lin commented ages ago and I was bad and never commented.  Hi Lin, how's the Cody-man?  Thank you for the Enterprise ornament, it will have a place of honor this year - I think we may string all of the Star Trek ornaments on a garland that runs the length of the bookcases. 

Rams - you would love it, thanks to Lin we have all of the Hallmark Star Trek ships produced in the last 10 years.  They all plug in and have lights - some even have recorded messages.  DS9 even has a runabout!

All-right - that's enough for today.  I should be back to regular blogging now; thank you all for your patience.

Playing Catch-up

Nearly a week later finds me attempting to re-enter life.  I have slept for far too many hours, and could continue in that vein if only I didn't need to go to work.  Few things get me out of the house, and they have to be good ones to get me out with earrings on.  One such grand event was dinner with Ryan and TMK.  Saturday night found the four of us (BLING included of course) at a local eatery of the Mexican persuasion.  We managed to hold our table for three full hours, the staff was nice to not charge at us with fire hoses and rinse us out of the establishment.  Sometimes you meet people you like right off the bat, good people you have lots of things in common with.  I like that.

In between all the sleeping and sleeping, I managed to squeeze in some knitting.  I finished a quickie pair of house socks out of the Cascade 220 my Secret Pal sent me.  They are nice and toasty, and they combat the cold coming off the slab flooring.  I also completed BLINGs 'Bee Socks' made from Lorna's Laces beestripes I picked up at the Dulan Knit-In last month.  BLING has been running around buzzing and hollering "I'm a bee, I'm a bee".  She turns 36 tomorrow.

Celebration!

Later on there will be time to tell the story, for now it is enough to celebrate.  The election was won.  The hard work was well invested, we never went negative, the people saw the truth through the haze of lies and voted their hearts.  I, once again, feel safe in my community - and have faith in my fellow citizens.

We won, we won, we won!  Oh thank goodness, there is hope again.