PinkPurlGrrl

Are you still there?

It has been inexcusably long since my last post, having said that I'm still going to excuse myself and just chalk it up to holiday nerves (the stepped on, frayed, can't face the blog ones).

But, life soldiers on and there is much to do and see and be happy about.

Knitting: I have two socks on the needles, and the Estonian Garden Lace wrap.  The lace is getting attention in one hour spurts here and there, maybe a pattern repeat or two a week.  I like having a long term project and try not to drive myself too hard with them.  I started a ubiquitous stockinette sock in Trekking - a gorgeous colorway full of burgundies and blues - with little flecks of gold every so often.  I love knitting with Trekking, I can't put it down because I can't wait to see what it does next.  I also have a pair of Grumperina's Jaywalker socks on the needles for the first time.  I had thought it was an OK pattern - I was dead wrong.  It is a brilliant pattern, truly brilliant.  It takes yarn (say, Lorna's Laces or some-such) that looks so pretty in the skein that you almost can't breathe (but looks flashy-pooly-not-satisfying when knit) and makes it look like your obsessed brain wants it to look when you are fondling the skein and saying "maybe this time it will be different".  These socks (OK it is LL in the watercolor colorway, yes it is the third sock pattern I have put this yarn to - it's sticking this time) are beautiful.  My stomach kinda thrills when I stop to admire my knitting.  Where are the pictures?  When the socks have been gifted the pictures will go up.

Spinning: I haven't spun in 7 days.  I was holding off of starting a new project in hopes there would be some yummy christmas fiber.  There was yummy christmas fiber - soft and snow corriedale, ounces and ounces of the lovely amethyst merino, even a bag of scoured-but-that's-it alpaca (from Gino and Don Giovanni, two alpacas who live here in western Washington).  I was thrilled to get more fiber, I even know what I want to do with it - but in a fit of holiday anxiety (of the parentally induced flavor) my neck froze in a bent rictus of pain and I have not been able to regard my knees since Friday.  It's getting better, but I'm still off spinning for a couple more days.  Why is it that I don't know I'm stressing myself to the breaking point until I actually break?  Oh well, it's passing - and at least I've been able to knit for the last two days.

Funniest thing of the last week: At christmas dinner I was relaying the story of the Friday night phone call from Mom to the people assembled at the table.  My mother had called and exclaimed that she was in trouble!  I have 14 years experience in caring for a diabetic father - my brain went into fix-it mode and I was simultaneously scoping out where my shoes were, remembering the ferry schedule, and planning to MapQuest the Jefferson County Hospital. I said to the table "I was thinking about what had to be done to get Mom medical help."  BLING chimed in: "I was thinking about what had to be done to get Mom bail." 

Everybody gasped and looked at Mom - who busted out laughing.  Her daughter in law had nailed her and she never saw it coming.  She deserved it too - she was IN TROUBLE because she had made too many cookies.   Sheesh Mom, whatever happened to "Hi"?  BLING gets the award for "Best Quick Comeback" of christmas 2005.

Wednesday already?

I've spent too much time surfing the blogs of people with colds and caught one myself.  Oh well, it was a good excuse to take a break from real life and just rest, spin, and knit (OK, mainly rest).

I finished spinning the pre-dyed merino (colorway Mesa) for BLINGs slippers.  I think I spent about 2 weeks with this on the wheel and was able to pull 283 yards of fingering to sport weight yarn out of 4 ounces.  I doubled it with some black Cascade 220 and knit up a nice bulky pair of slippers/house socks.

Additionally I finished the poppets including their little rice/lavender bags.  They are ready to go to their new homes tomorrow or Friday.  Should have brought them today, but I was busy last night.  I got to work yesterday (having missed Friday and Monday) and found presents on my desk chair.  One was a grocery sack, with the opening covered by a piece of pretty paper.  The card reads "This is from Gino and Don Giovanni, two adorable alpacas who live near lake Stevens...".  Yep, the bag was stuffed full with a POUND of beautiful creamy white/silver alpaca.  It's lovely stuff, washed pretty well and picked pretty well.  I pulled out my hand carders for the first time last night and busied myself with picking the remaining bits of grass out and carding up a half ounce or so.  The obsession took over and I immediately spun it up, washed it, rinsed it three times, and weighted and hung it to dry.  I have 55 yards of fingering weight naturally colored alpaca.

What should I do with it?

Now where was I???

I am a creature of habit and routine, there are things I do in a certain order and almost always there is a goal in mind.  Monday through Friday I pick up BLING after work and we drive home.  Once home the dogs go out, the mail comes in, and I start dinner (unless it's YMCA night - then we grudgingly put on stretchy clothes and put the dogs back in their room and go work out as only two grumpy marshmallows can).

Each night I cook dinner (unless McDonald's does it for me, see the marshmallow comment above), and while the food is transforming into something good to eat I pick up a little bit, organize my thoughts about the status of laundry and whether or not the sheets need to be changed (4 dogs - we change sheets a lot).  Usually, by about 7:30 or 8:00, dinner has been prepared and eaten, some kind of straightening up has occurred, next day emergencies have been addressed, and I get to sit in my big comfy recliner and play.  What is special about my knitting space?  I'm glad you asked.

1.  Our good friend Darlene made this beautiful quilt for us to commemorate our marriage.  She brought us to a fancy fabric store where they specialize in quilting and let us pick out the colors and the "feel" of our quilt.  It is beautiful and so perfectly even.  Every night I throw it over my lap and tuck it under my feet and stay warm and comfy while I knit.  At the end of the night I fold it corner to corner and drape it on the back of my chair.  I never fail to admire how perfectly square it is, only an artist could create such a thing.

2.  The dark lump is Mali, our girl greyhound.  She is a princess and has to have the cover on the couch arranged "just so" before she can tuck in for a long winters nap.

3.  The pale spotted beastie is Oly, our boy greyhound.  Oly is a love, he hardly ever moves from the couch, and only wags his tail when he has to poop (TMI - sorry about that).

4.  My beloved Jordana Page knitters purse.  I love it, I love it, I love it.  I am not really a purse person - but I'll make exception for this.

5.  Those are the last of the holiday knitting.  All done save for the lavender/rice bags that go inside - but more on that in a minute.

6.  This is a flannel bean-bag hassock.  It's good for propping your feet on while hanging out on the couch (if you can claim space from the dogs).  Mainly it's there for Paxil the cat to sleep on.  He likes to curl up behind me when I am in a mood and won't allow him to lay in my knitting.

7.  The ultimate squeezy-bottle of water.  Most people could stand to drink more water, and I try to always have this near by.  Why the sport bottle?  4 dogs, 2 cats, and BLING (who is maybe not related to Princess Grace).

Poppet update.  I have decided that 5 is enough for now.  I really like how they came out, and can see making more in the future.  Last night I sewed up 4 more pouches to be stuffed, and put their eyes on.  Tomorrow after work I'll pick up some dried lavender at Central Market and be done with them by bedtime.  I am ready to go back to spinning and knitting for my own darn pleasure.  I'd do it tonight, but it's YMCA night and that upsets my whole schedule thing.

Catchy Jingle

Well, it had to be done - and of course it had to be blogged: Jingle Bell Sheep.

The weekend went by in a blur!  Friday night BLING took me out to Chevy's for a tasty dinner and a really tasty margarita - followed by a visit with my good friend Shirley (with some equally good wine, Mme. PinkPurlGrrl was feeling no pain).  Saturday was BLING's office party in Juanita, surprisingly it was a lot of fun.  It can be hard to be the spouse at a work function - especially when you are a same sex spouse.  This was different, it was very comfortable, the director's home is lovely but not ostentatious, he and his wife are very down to earth and very kind.  The food was good and I never lacked someone to talk with.  I wish all parties were so nice.

Sunday we bought our tree and a wreath for the door.  BLING and I celebrate a very secular end-of-year, take time to think of those you love, lights and decorations are pretty kind of holiday.  BLING decorated the tree and I made grilled cheese sandwiches and spun yarn for her slippers while we listened to music - it was lovely.  All in all it was a quiet weekend.

I did take time to think about my spinning area and moved some furniture around to set up a nice and more permanent feeling place to spin.  I think this was prompted by Carry who has tagged me to show my knitting space (which I would have done but the camera batteries are in the TV remote - I do have priorities).  So, watch this space for exciting pictures of PPG habitat.

SP6 Giftee Revealed

Today I would like to introduce you to the person I have been sending gifts to for Secret Pal 6: Kim!  Kim is a gem, a mother of two wonderful and talented kids, a teacher of sociology, a knitter of lovely items, and a recent traveler to New York.  Pop over to her blog and make sure you scroll down to the picture of her and her daughter with David Hyde Pierce (I have just a teeny crush on him, don't tell BLING).  Included in this post is a picture of some recent spinning and the hokey tag I made for it - this was spun for Kim who loves purple like I do.

Getting to know Kim has been a lot of fun.  She is kind and generous of spirit, and knows how to turn a compliment.  I have really enjoyed SP6, I was lucky with who I drew and with who drew me (still a mystery for a little bit longer - I'm getting excited).  I had never participated in an SP before, and I jumped in to this only after much thought.  I know it can be a gamble (as evidenced by so many posts from jilted giftees), but I knew I could appreciate the experience of giving, and would accept whatever I was to receive.  I have been happy all the way around.  If anybody is interested in joining the giving fray I encourage you to sign up for SP7.  The next round starts in January.

Hand warming Poppet Update: total knit to date - 5.

Knitted Gifts for the Holidays

Usually I stick to my rule of NO GIFT KNITTING - which is not to say that I do not make gifts of my knitted goods, just that I don't like to impose deadlines on my hobby.  I couldn't resist this year and have begun knitting the hand-warmer poppets from the new issue of Knitty.  I love little knitted toys, the stranger the better.  I am addicted to my rice filled sock that I take to bed with me nearly every night to keep the cold at bay.  What better than to combine the two and have hand warming poppets that look like crazy little beasts and smell like lavender?  Kate Kuckro is brilliant and I hope she continues to share her creativity with the rest of us.

I have made two poppets (minus the eyes - need to run to the fabric store this weekend for buttons) in two evenings - my goal is 7 by the end of next week.  That should be doable and leave a little time for spinning the yarn for BLINGs slippers.

Fiberlicious Weekend

This weekend was lovely; we had snow late in the week and it left me feeling all homey-cozy.  Friday night I made patty melts and tater tots and we ate in front of the TV. I spun some beautiful merino that is destined to be slippers for BLINGs cold feet, and finished my typing toasties.  I used a pattern whose link I found in Ryan's post about typing toasties.  I am really happy with them, and am also making a pair for BLING with a lovely little cable in the ribbing.  Note that this pair was made with my purplish handspun from last weeks post.

Saturday we met Ryan and TMK for "coffee" that turned into lunch at a local favorite restaurant.  Once again we monopolized a table for well over 2 hours, after which we moseyed down to Weaving Works to fondle (and purchase) fiber.

BREAKING NEWS:  Ryan (who does not want to learn how to spin) was spotted kneeling in front of the handspinning books.  I can bear witness - she touched some of the books and had a conversation about drop spindles.  Now everybody knows Ryan (who does not want to learn how to spin) does not want to learn how to spin.   Anybody who has tried to tempt Ryan (who does not want to learn how to spin) to learn how to spin has been told that she is not interested and they can politely Take. A. Number.  But, TMK is interested in woodworking, and was interested in drop spindles, and niddy-noddies, and the like.  There is more than one way to spin a cat.