Sunday, February 28, 2010

Gold? I Think So!




First there was the mile-long blankie. Let's call it that ski event where they ski, and ski, and ski, then they ski some more.

I don't know what it's called, and I only watched a few minutes (about an hour and a quarter in to it. . . )

Yeh, that's what the blankie was. That Ski Event!

For several days, though.







Then there was the cast on in mid-stream.

That could be the luge. Exciting, but deadly. And very, very fast.

Yep, Luge, there, in the form of an innocent looking cuff to cuff baby sweater.








And so, I finished it, too.

And the matching hat.

Before the closing ceremonies had even begun.

Chalk one (or three) up to Olympic Knitting, and one fair entry finished! And February isn't even over!!!

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Delayed Opening

The Snowicane (or whatever they are calling this one) caused delayed opening at my workplace (mostly so that parking areas can be cleared).

That extra time today afforded me an opportunity to warp my Flip.

I am redoing an earlier scarf (the one that got "over felted" in the washer because I forgot it was in there) but instead of plaid, I am making it stripes.

I also kind of like the contrast of the header that I wove first, but since this one isn't for me, the weft is gonna be navy ::sigh::





Trying to add some new learning experience to each project, I decided to follow Liz Gipson's suggestion in Weaving Made Easy (good one, by the way) and do a hemstitch across the starting end (and again at the other end before I cut it off the loom).

We'll see how this affects the finished scarf.

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Down To the Wire


With 3 days to Closing Ceremony, I have 6 rows (5 knit plus one cast off) to go.

That's 1254 stitches. 45 minutes.

I'm going to make it!

Might even get that little sweater finished.

And it's &%$%#@% snoing again! 8-10" predicted before it ends sometime tomorrow night. And the Other Half is driving (homeward, but still). And I don't know how to start the snow blower.

Guess I'd better go look for the book.

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Keep Some Good Thoughts

No, nothing tragic. Just:

Installing Turbo Tax and all that means.

Have a notice in hand that our street is scheduled to be dug up starting tomorrow to repair and replace sewer lines. The notice asks us to refrain from flushing Monday-Thursday from 7 to 4 until the repairs are completed. Fortunately, We are at work then! Completion date: March 5.

Have 21 rows (or about two and a half hours) to go on the Olympic Blankie.

Back to work tomorrow.

::sigh:;

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

This Just In




This Knitting Olympic event could best be described as a cross-country marathon. Miles of stockinette!

I actually should complete it tomorrow if all goes according to plan. It's the last day of my week off. The house is back to normal (or what passes for normal around here) and I can spend the day knitting if my hands and my sanity hold up.

Of course, I'd really like to rewarp the loom and weave a scarf to replace the one that I over felted (okay, I completely forgot it was in the washer). Of course, the good news is that Patons Classic Wool felts like a champ! The bad news is that I never intended the scarf to be quite so thick (or short, or narrow, for that matter).







I've completed 87% of the blankie and so, just to make thingsinteresting slightly less boring, I cast on a matching sweater. It's side to side (sleeve cuff to sleeve cuff) cardigan, also in 3X3 ribbing. Pattern is in the Fall 2007 Knitsimple.

There's a hat and booties, too, but let's not get carried away yet, shall we?

First fair entries for 2010.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Where Has Sheepshots Gone?

Been away from the blog for over a week (closer to two, really) because I have been very, very busy. (Or lazy. You be the judge.) I had planned to break this into several posts, making my Regular Readers think that I had posted, they had just missed reading.

I decided to start a Knitting Olympics project, and even though it's supposed to be a challenge, the challenge will be in getting it finished. Despite non-stop knitting on this Blanket From Hell (complete with serious mistake deviation from the printed pattern), I am at 45% and counting. The closing ceremonies are on the 28th. That's more than a week away. Will Sheepie make it? I started late. Does that count?

This is a fair entry and I hope to add a sweater and hat to the mix, but there will need to be some serious math to get the yarn I am using (Patons Decor) to coperate with the pattern I want to use.

Stay tuned.




We had company!

Tiny Prince in his Christmas sweater. Isn't he a handsome boy?

This shot was taken right before they packed up the car to head home. Snow was predicted (but didn't materialize), so plans stayed in a state of flux right up to the very last minute.

Even so, there was almost an immediate return trip for forgotten items, but Daddo and I found a box and took them to the Post Office. They should be at the Tiny Prince's house by now.









We had a lot of fun!

Tiny Prince helped with cooking. We baked some blueberry muffins (from a mix) that were a big hit.

Can't wait to taste them!

(Actually, for "from a mix," they weren't all that awful.)


















Mammo's ball winder got a workout as the Tiny Prince rewound a lot of yarn into new pull skeins

Now, if he could just keep "clockwise" turning. . .












We found a prince-sized mop in the garage (I use it to clean bathroom floors--it fits better behind things than the regular mop.

It got a workout, too. The Tiny Prince loves to help.
















After a hard day, a fellow needs his bath!




















And some hand cream for those dishpan hands.












Then into jammies and hop on the bus to Dreamland.


Bears, too.







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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Let It Snow (somewhere else)



Gee, that was fun (NOT!)

The Other Half thought that pictures were in order, so he came outside with the camera and started snapping away.

My glasses were so snow spotted that I didn't notice right away.

This is a shared chore. We have a fairly long, 2-car wide driveway. We were being very thankful today that 1) the driveway's paved (it wasn't when we moved in) and 2) we have Sarah (our snow blower, named after someone we'd like to see with her face mashed. . .nevermind).






For a while, the snow was deep enough on the roof that it blocked TV reception.

That has resolved as the winds picked up and started blowing the snow away.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.





Lawn furniture was covered when the sun came up.

The Monty meter is also completely snowed over. (Monty is our garden gnome--the fool, Monty, get it?)

It's so deep in the back yard that the squirrels don't have to climb the pole to get into the bird feeder.




The feeders are now at "ground level."

Is it spring yet?

Please?

Are you sure?

Look again, please.







Yep, pretty close to 2' and still coming down at a rate of 2" every hour. Snow is supposed to taper off tonight around 8. I can't wait.

Please note color coordinated plow, pants, jacket and boots! This was not planned.

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Sunday, February 07, 2010

Weaving Along

Here's the first Finished Object from my loom for 2010. I used Patons Classic wool in Denim Marl and Burgundy for the warp and Denim Marl alone for the weft.

Then, following Liz Gipson's directions in Weaving Made Easy, I fulled the finished scarf, creating an even, dense, but still drapey fabric.

The ends were finished with a twisted fringe before fulling, instead of a cut fringe after. Once it's dry, I'll probably trim the individual fringes shorter (they're about 5" right now and kind of wonky).

Each time I weave and finish I learn something. In this case, I finally have the right reed (8-dent) for the yarn weight. Next time out, I will weave a deeper header. The footer (header on the finishing up end) was a nice depth and helped hold everything together properly.

I really like what a trip through the washer did for this scarf.

I have several cones of chenille that I bought to make into hand towels. I believe that will be my next project.

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Saturday, February 06, 2010

Number 3



I finished the third From Stash Sweater (of my personal 10 Sweaters in 2010 Challenge.

This almost (just barely) feels like a cheat. It's the 5-hour baby sweater and I can actually knit one in just about 5 hours.

The yarn is some stuff I got at Goodwill back last spring. I think it's Bernat Coordinates.





The buttons are also from stash, click to embiggen and see tiny pink balloons and dragons.

It's for an actual hypothetical baby (due in April) and will be given away tomorrow.

Pattern: Cottage Creations Infant's Hooded Cardigan (sans hood) from More Projects for the Community and Family.

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Friday, February 05, 2010

Pigloo

This one's for Janice!

Twice a day, every workday, I pass this house. A few years ago, I noticed that the occupants had a somewhat unusual pet, a pot-bellied pig. Since they live outside the borough, I am assuming the township allows "livestock" (it's a fairly rural, though suburbanizing rapidly, area). The house has no near neighbors unless you count the car repair places next door and across the road.

But I digress.

Until very recently, Piggy was viewable only on the nicest of sunny days. He (I assume "male" because of the maleness of his toys--balls, big trucks, no dolls or carriages) could be seen lying in the sun, standing in the sun, sitting in the sun. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I ever saw him actually move.

Recently, though, I noticed an addition to the yard. Something along the lines of this. which leads me to believe that the occupants have come to realize that pigs may not make the best house pets.

On very cold days, the pile of blankets and rugs on top of Pigloo gets deeper. Piggy has not been seen.



Which leads me to the point of this post (see, there's a point!). My own personal Pigloo. Cozy, warm, but not hot. Just big enough and keeps me happy in the winter (and at nap time).

Do you see the resemblance?

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