Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Now What To Do?

I have to say this is the busiest of falls. Brain busting-can't think straight-from work to home. There'll be a meltdown of some sort.

While I'm waiting for that I have completed my last cotton sweater for the season. I shouldn't say last. That's just setting myself up for smiting when I find some yummy cotton yarn I can't live without. Here we are in the unblocked state and knit as such. That's one skinny neck. My head does fit through. I guess that's all that matters. If it grows as expected after blocking, phffph, nothing to worry about. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

I don't want to make another sweater at this time. I think I'm going back to socks for a while.

"I could use some extra mittens. Here, measure."

Monday, September 28, 2009

Not Gonna Show You

I could show you my latest w.i.p. if I had remembered to pick my camera up from the coffee table and brought it with me. You'll just have to wait. I know, the anxiety is overwhelming.

As for Other-Things-I-Did-This-Weekend-You're-Just-Dying-To-Know, I went to FiberTwist where there were gobs and gobs of roving dyed and ready to go. If I knew how to spin I'm sure I would have had a hard time deciding what I wanted. Sigh, that class is in October. Boy, will I be ready NEXT year!

There was another large showing of the rug hooking people. Fascinating to watch. Nothing like the shag rug kit I did as a kid. By the way, it's still hanging in the cellar because that's the only place brown and orange 70's owl designs should be. Just sayin'.

Twist Collective was there and put on a fashion show. You can see the items on the site but first hand was better AND you got to touchy feely.

The place was packed and they couldn't have asked for a better day.

The rest of the weekend was downhill. Fall house cleaning, rain and the Red Sox lost. Too bad about the camera, I knit really, really fast while watching National Parks and became very agitated at how stupid we humans can be. I can't wait for the next installment. Beautiful. And its OURS.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Summer Ends Today

Last summer wedding of the season for the family took place this Saturday past. A bright, cloudless day on top of a mountain. 4 eagles glided high above, it was picture perfect.

Getting to be I'm wearing the finished project as I'm creatin' the next one. Getting to be you're seeing the same pattern over and over. Time for a change. Starting out plain vanilla but hitting the pattern books for inspirational finishes. Still working in Valley Yarns Longmeadow and allow me to forward another tip for those of you who swatch but don't wash/block that swatch: this yarn grows horizontally. What was 5.25 sts per inch after blocking becomes 4 sts per inch. BIG difference. Ribbing patterns saved me from creating sweaters two people could fit into with room to spare. I have adjusted for the new project. I better be right.

The maple outside of my office is just baarrrrely showing yellow leaves. No frost yet but the rosemary and the cayenne peppers are coming in from the garden for protection. For all the rain we had earlier this summer its been a nice finish. See ya next year summer.
"Wake me up for the next wedding. And knit a sock for that foot."

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Minimal Edge

Had all the threads been woven and the sweater been blocked, I might have thrown this one on this morning. A deeeelightful 58 degrees and not expected to get any warmer.

Thoughts of the next project are dancing in my head.



"I can see the dancing in your head."

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

Five Hours of Knitting


There are so many reasons why this is my favorite time of the year. Cooler temps. Football season. U.S. Open. Soups & Stews. Cats shed less. Did I mention it's cooler? And Sunday is the best day of the week. 'Specially this past Sunday. Football AND U.S. Open. Hours and hours of knitting. The occasional feeding interrupted progress but a black cotton pullover emerged from the balls of string. I wasted a perfectly sun-shiny day engrossed in that box with moving pictures. Funny, I don't feel a smidgen guilty.

Ever try to leash train a cat? It's doable, I've seen it. You're asking yourself, "why would I want to?" You may have a point but I like a challenge. Some people get in a fast car and go round and round a track for the heck of it. What does it accomplish other than the soul's need for speed? It's the challenge.
Though it doesn't look like much success is being made in this pic, this is routine. The boys love to roll on the front sidewalk. They will continue on command (most of the time) to continue the walk. Meme was very brave to take both of them at once. (I'm hoping I don't come home to find she's broken a hip as a result. One cat is over 14lbs. He's bigger than the dog next door. He can PULL. We're working on that.)

Back to the U.S. Open. What is up with the bad behavior?! Excuse me? Joint session in Congress, U.S. Open, and the Video Music awards? Come on people. Would you like it done to you? Think before you flap your trap.
With that said, I'm going to go walk my cats. Then I'll cut a steek.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Manners


What happened to being civil? I suspect it went the way of respect. A presidential address to Congress should not include an elected representative from the audience hurling derogatory names at our Commander in Chief. Freedom of speech is a grand right of our United States. I would have listened to the GOP rebuttal after the President finished his address but Mr. Wilson soured the interest with his low class name calling. Shame on him. He owes US an apology. If he feels Mr. Obama is a liar, say it to his face one on one--not for the sensationalized sound bite created for the news. Such acts of cowardice. Sad.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

People

We have a water main break. Crews are working on the problem. Due to water not being available to the Town Hall, a public building, the Selectboard closed the Town Hall until the problem is resolved. Signs were put on the front and back doors. Simple wording: Town Hall is closed until further notice due to water main break. Big black letters. Right at eye level.
People have yanked on the doors so hard I expect the doors are damaged. They have gone to the store across the street and asked if there was some sort of holiday they were unaware of. The store clerk asked,"did you READ THE SIGN?" No public facilities (read: functioning bathroom)means no public access. That's the rule. Employees are not encouraged to come in. They're not told they can't either. For me, it's great. No answering the phone, no walk-ins. Just uninterrupted time to get stuff done. Full concentration on a project from beginning to end. Ahhhhh.
Advice: If the door you wish to enter doesn't budge, focus and read the sign. Continuing to pull as hard as you can isn't going to change the condition.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

May We Have Some Chilly Weather Please? Thankyou

Ahh, the bestest time of the year is rolling in. Warm days, cool mornings and nights. Sweatah weathah.
Having extended the already long weekend two more days, things got done.
Side of garage needing scraping, sanding, priming & painting-done.
Filthy car washed-done.
Test paint the faux finish for the powder room-done.
Put up curtains and rods on the p0rch-done.
Trim the hedge-done.
Hit a LYS for tent sale-done.
Attain Leader status at Buffalo Wings during Buzztime trivia-oh yeah, done.
Administer dreaded flea potion on cats-done, much to their displeasure.
"I doubt she'll be forgiven anytime soon."

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Why I Love Where I Live

A white heron. Wading in a puddle with ducks. Not my one of my usual sites driving to work.
We have lots of blue herons. We're stinkin' with them. They're like abandoned socks in the middle of the road--everywhere! But this is my first white heron and she very nicely let me photograph her from a distance. Thank goodness for the zoom lens. That's the bike path in the background and just beyond that is the Connecticut river. Made getting up and going to work early worth it.