Oh my wool, what a week! At work we have been doing something new, and although we know how it's supposed to work, there are no guarantees, so I have had to severely focus to get things done. All of my evenings were full, with not even much time for knitting, but some knitting was accomplished.
On the 17th I had my trigger finger release surgery on my thumb, which went well (as far as I know, I was oblivious). On the way home, we stopped for takeout food, and I started feeling woozy, so I went outside to sit/lay on the sidewalk so as to not freak out the people waiting inside, and sure enough I passed out. It did freak out my son, who said I wasn't breathing and had my eyes open, so the next day I checked with my doctor just to make sure it wasn't a seizure. She said no, but maybe a blood pressure problem from not eating or drinking all day, and she assigned me an EEG and a Holter monitor to check brain and heart. Still haven't found time to schedule those, but working on it. I think I react more strongly to the anesthesia than most, because both times I was sleepy and out of it for the rest of the day, even though that's not how it's supposed to work. I'm okay now. The hand is still wrapped and will stay so until the stitches come out on the 29th. Keeping it dry has been the hardest part, so I use those stupid huge flat kitchen gloves at work and at home and let my left hand work harder.
I started knitting 24 hrs after the surgery, as soon as my thumb and forefinger could meet. I finished one sock from the Vogue pattern that was full of mistakes, and couldn't face the second yet, so I started a hat for a project more likely to give short-term gratification. The Lauren hat was completed this morning, but blocking will have to wait until I can submerge both hands. I really need some kind of head-shaped form for blocking and displaying hats. Or at least a big canteloupe. Next, maybe another hat, then back to the second sock and the summer sweater.
So far I have picked 4.5 pounds of wild raspberries from the vacant lot, with more berries still ripening up. Most are frozen to enjoy on next winter's breakfast yogurt. The CSA farm is providing all of the veggies I could need (considering that I don't even like veggies), but it's some work to keep up with cooking and eating them. My teeth are too sore for chewing tough lettuce or raw veggies, so soft casseroles full of cheesy goodness are planned. I may try this zucchini recipe from the Smitten Kitchen blog, with gluten-free pasta of course. I couldn't chew this week's crockpot pork roast, so I threw some in the food processor and then added it to rice and broccoli with some gluten-free "chicken gravy" mix (no real chicken in there, I'm sure) and some brown mustard - not bad. And less chewing. And yet with all this food in the house I still went to two farmer's markets today. At Pennington I got locally raised bacon and gluten-free cookies, and at the Trenton Farmer's Market I got good Amish hamburger for a nice soft meatloaf, some stuffed grape leaves, fresh basil for the freezer, and some thin-skinned newly dug potatoes (because I can't work the peeler yet and I crave potato salad).
And now I'm going to enjoy my obligation-free weekend. No work, no meetings, no appointments, just me and the food and the yarn.
Saturday, June 27, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
There and Back Again
I'm back and finally caught up on sleep! But I'm apparently still unaware of what day of the week it is, so I missed putting out the trash and will have to live with stinky garbage for another week. On the cruise ship there was a rug with the day of the week in each elevator, so you could remember, but my servants apparently forgot to do this in my mansion.
This was my first cruise experience, and probably my last. I liked the destinations, but not so much the cruising. I'm not into the onboard activities - casino, pools, jewelry shopping, shows, not interesting to me, but I did spend many hours knitting in the library, watching the sea pass by the windows. I got to see a glacier, many mountains, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, harbor porpoises, humpback whales, and zillions of bald eagles and ravens. Who knew eagles could be as common as sparrows? I managed to find gluten-free things to eat, but the variety was limited compared to what everyone else ate. At least I didn't bring home any extra weight.
What was I working on? I got through 2 sleeves and 8 inches of the back of my sweater. As simple as the pattern is (I added the lace strip from the front to the middle of each sleeve and twice on the back), I still managed to get it wrong sometimes and had to unknit to fix it. This is where the Craftsy class on how to fix lace mistakes actually pays for itself - by knowing how to reach down a row or two and undo/redo something, I saved myself from having to pull out whole rows. I'd pat myself on the back if my hands weren't full of yarn. I left one mistake uncorrected because it's not noticeable to most people and you have to keep one mistake, right?
The second project I worked on was a pair of socks from a Vogue publication, and I can't believe the number of mistakes in this pattern. First, all of the pattern charts are numbered wrong and I had to work out which was which by comparing the number of stitches on the needles to the number of stitches in the pattern repeat. One of the charts had a mistake, which I caught by comparing it to another chart with a similar pattern and by noticing that it should have been a mirror image and wasn't. I have notes and crossed-out things all over this pattern. It's a bit tricky to keep track of, and there were times when my first half hour was spent carefully unknitting something I did wrong, but I turned the heel and am working down the foot, so that's progress. But then I have to make a second sock…
Only once or twice did someone stop to talk to me about my knitting, and once I stopped in a lap around the deck to talk to a woman with a ball of yarn and a crochet hook. But it was lovely scenery for knitting. I decided to crochet a sea otter for the fundraiser and found a nice pattern on Ravelry. I think I could probably figure it out myself, but in case I get stuck with shaping, this is probably worth paying for.
Did I buy yarn in Alaska? Our first port was Juneau, and after the excursion to see whales and other critters, there was enough time before the ship sailed to check out the town, and I found Seaside Yarns, which I had looked up before we left (internet on the ship was $0.75 a minute and verrrrry slow, and I had no phone service up there). It carried the same things you would find around here, except for some locally raised and spun qiviut, which is the down of musk ox. There was 100% qiviut, and some mixed with merino, hand dyed. 1 oz, 203 yards. What could I do with that? Cleverly, they had two patterns and a sample of a cowl to make, which came with purchase. I bit the bullet and handed over my Visa card. At $100 a skein, this is for me, not the fundraiser. It's not the softest yarn I have ever felt (that's still yak/silk), but it's a souvenir - Alaska made, in the color Sitka Spruce. Here's the maker: A Tree Huggers Wife Yarns. I had looked up yarn stores in our other stops, Sitka and Ketchikan, but didn't have time to find them. And I think that's my yarn budget for a while anyway.
Now I'm home and getting things reorganized. Tomorrow is my thumb surgery, and I'm trying to plan ahead to simplify not having full use of my right hand for a while. I'll see you at the next Yarnworks.
This was my first cruise experience, and probably my last. I liked the destinations, but not so much the cruising. I'm not into the onboard activities - casino, pools, jewelry shopping, shows, not interesting to me, but I did spend many hours knitting in the library, watching the sea pass by the windows. I got to see a glacier, many mountains, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions, harbor porpoises, humpback whales, and zillions of bald eagles and ravens. Who knew eagles could be as common as sparrows? I managed to find gluten-free things to eat, but the variety was limited compared to what everyone else ate. At least I didn't bring home any extra weight.
What was I working on? I got through 2 sleeves and 8 inches of the back of my sweater. As simple as the pattern is (I added the lace strip from the front to the middle of each sleeve and twice on the back), I still managed to get it wrong sometimes and had to unknit to fix it. This is where the Craftsy class on how to fix lace mistakes actually pays for itself - by knowing how to reach down a row or two and undo/redo something, I saved myself from having to pull out whole rows. I'd pat myself on the back if my hands weren't full of yarn. I left one mistake uncorrected because it's not noticeable to most people and you have to keep one mistake, right?
The second project I worked on was a pair of socks from a Vogue publication, and I can't believe the number of mistakes in this pattern. First, all of the pattern charts are numbered wrong and I had to work out which was which by comparing the number of stitches on the needles to the number of stitches in the pattern repeat. One of the charts had a mistake, which I caught by comparing it to another chart with a similar pattern and by noticing that it should have been a mirror image and wasn't. I have notes and crossed-out things all over this pattern. It's a bit tricky to keep track of, and there were times when my first half hour was spent carefully unknitting something I did wrong, but I turned the heel and am working down the foot, so that's progress. But then I have to make a second sock…
Only once or twice did someone stop to talk to me about my knitting, and once I stopped in a lap around the deck to talk to a woman with a ball of yarn and a crochet hook. But it was lovely scenery for knitting. I decided to crochet a sea otter for the fundraiser and found a nice pattern on Ravelry. I think I could probably figure it out myself, but in case I get stuck with shaping, this is probably worth paying for.
Did I buy yarn in Alaska? Our first port was Juneau, and after the excursion to see whales and other critters, there was enough time before the ship sailed to check out the town, and I found Seaside Yarns, which I had looked up before we left (internet on the ship was $0.75 a minute and verrrrry slow, and I had no phone service up there). It carried the same things you would find around here, except for some locally raised and spun qiviut, which is the down of musk ox. There was 100% qiviut, and some mixed with merino, hand dyed. 1 oz, 203 yards. What could I do with that? Cleverly, they had two patterns and a sample of a cowl to make, which came with purchase. I bit the bullet and handed over my Visa card. At $100 a skein, this is for me, not the fundraiser. It's not the softest yarn I have ever felt (that's still yak/silk), but it's a souvenir - Alaska made, in the color Sitka Spruce. Here's the maker: A Tree Huggers Wife Yarns. I had looked up yarn stores in our other stops, Sitka and Ketchikan, but didn't have time to find them. And I think that's my yarn budget for a while anyway.
Now I'm home and getting things reorganized. Tomorrow is my thumb surgery, and I'm trying to plan ahead to simplify not having full use of my right hand for a while. I'll see you at the next Yarnworks.
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Sailing away
Working on getting myself mentally and physically ready to go on this cruise. I have lists all over the place of things not to forget, and lists for my kids of things for them not to forget, like the trash cans and pills for the cats. I'm pretty sure nobody will starve before I come back, but I know a lot of cleaning won't get done.
I finished some things - like this bunny, who was a special order. I'll make two more with some DK yarn combined with angora for the fundraiser.
I finished some things - like this bunny, who was a special order. I'll make two more with some DK yarn combined with angora for the fundraiser.
This designer does such nice patterns, and gets such realistic bodies and poses with some skilled shaping. I should do a better job with pictures, though - go to the pattern for a better view.
I finished a scarf, which still needs to be blocked. I used this pattern, with Malabrigo laceweight wool in a blue/brown variegated. I started the Latvian Socks pattern out of the Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Sock Book from the library, but ran into problems as soon as I started the second row. It took some doing, but I finally realized that there are 5 lace charts with this pattern and they numbered them backwards, so instead of the chart I was supposed to be following I was following a completely wrong chart. And at this last Yarnworks we found yet another example of a published pattern from a book that was just plain wrong - this one had a chart, but the chart and the words didn't match, so you couldn't do it by just following the chart. This is why I like Ravelry - you know that a pattern thrown out to the public online is going to get all of the kinks worked out, and the corrections can be published. But in the last two years I have come across at least 5 patterns in publications (books and calendars) that were full of mistakes. Best to take every pattern with a grain of salt and a skeptical eye until it proves itself to be correct.
I started my summer sweater with a sleeve so that I could get an idea of the gauge without committing myself to a whole back's worth of stitches. Oddly, although my gauge says I'm getting 22 stitches in 4 inches instead of 19, the width is correct. I think this is a feature of the cotton - if it was wool, the springiness of the fiber would pull the stitches together and make it smaller than I want, but cotton tends to be more limp. I think it's going to work out, even if the gauge doesn't. I have some looong flights and some stopover time to kill, so I'll have this and probably the socks, depending on how much of my carry-on I want to fill with yarn. And maybe a hat for when these bore me.
I won't have much internet access until I come back, so I'll catch up then. I found yarn stores in Juneau and Ketchikan near the docks, so maybe I'll come home with more yarn than I leave with. See you on the 20th.
Friday, May 29, 2015
Is there yarn in Alaska?
Yes there is! I "liked" Cascade Yarns on Facebook, and their feed often features pictures of yarn stores all over the country. Kind of wool porn, showing racks and shelves loaded with skeins of all colors, not that I drool when I see them. One of the yarn stores caught my eye because it was in Juneau - heavens to Murgatroyd, I'm going to be in Juneau! And a few days later it was a yarn store in Ketchikan - I'll be there too! It looks like they may be within walking distance of the cruise ship docks - we'll see whether I have time after whale watching and lumberjack shows. I have kind of made a point of buying yarn when I go to new places - when my job sent me to Canada and Germany I found yarn stores and bought yarn, and I would have in Birmingham, England if the only local store hadn't closed.
No new projects to show you - working my way through what's already started. It has been too busy of a week. Part of our "wellness" program at work is a competition using step counters, and often I have to go out for a walk or to the gym to get 5000 steps. Sometimes on weekends if I do too much yarnwork, I don't even make 2000. But this week I was making well over 5000 before I even left work, then walking around the CSA farm, or grocery shopping, or walking back and forth at Yarnworks, so I think I upped my average. This week's farm haul - 3 heads of lettuce (butter lettuce!), 1 pound of salad mix, 1 bunch of kale (the non-curly kind that refuses to get wet), 1/2 pound of spinach, and 2 quarts of strawberries. I spent at least an hour washing all of the greens tonight - my salad spinner was a great investment. Tomorrow I'll buy more berries to freeze and check on my wild raspberries - I think they're just about ready to pick. I noticed tons of wild lamb's quarters (an edible weed) at the farm, but I already have more green stuff than I know what to do with, so I'll leave them for now.
Time to put up my feet and pick up my yarn.
No new projects to show you - working my way through what's already started. It has been too busy of a week. Part of our "wellness" program at work is a competition using step counters, and often I have to go out for a walk or to the gym to get 5000 steps. Sometimes on weekends if I do too much yarnwork, I don't even make 2000. But this week I was making well over 5000 before I even left work, then walking around the CSA farm, or grocery shopping, or walking back and forth at Yarnworks, so I think I upped my average. This week's farm haul - 3 heads of lettuce (butter lettuce!), 1 pound of salad mix, 1 bunch of kale (the non-curly kind that refuses to get wet), 1/2 pound of spinach, and 2 quarts of strawberries. I spent at least an hour washing all of the greens tonight - my salad spinner was a great investment. Tomorrow I'll buy more berries to freeze and check on my wild raspberries - I think they're just about ready to pick. I noticed tons of wild lamb's quarters (an edible weed) at the farm, but I already have more green stuff than I know what to do with, so I'll leave them for now.
Time to put up my feet and pick up my yarn.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Tidied up
New stuff! I wove in ends on 4 projects so far today. I finished the "Dragon Slayer" hood, but I need to find a way for it to lay flat. Stockinette likes to roll up, and the garter stitch edges are not enough to prevent that. It's acrylic, so blocking won't work, but maybe a steam iron and a pile of damp towels, enough to warm it without melting it. Hmmm. Will see what the internet says.
Some projects have been done for a while, just waiting for that last bit of attention.
As I was weaving in the last tail on the fingerless mitts I noticed that one seemed to be larger than the other. Doggone it if I hadn't started with more rows of ribbing on one than on the other. How did that happen? I also had the Modern Millie hat, but couldn't get a good picture of it. It seems a little large - either the owner will have to have a big head, or wear it slouchy. I did not bother with a gauge swatch, and I should have. I need some kind of head for modeling hats - either force my daughter into fashion slavery or go buy something, but I don't want one of those faceless (or even faced) mannequin heads. I want something different, like a bust of Einstein (but with not too much unruly hair to wear a hat). My son suggested an Orc's head from Lord of the Rings, which I like, but I'm not sure that's the look I want to convey to customers for the auction. Might be distracting.
Some projects have been done for a while, just waiting for that last bit of attention.
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| Little girl's felted purse with beads |
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| Big girl's felted purse |
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| Dragon Slayer hood and scarf |
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| Baby blanket |
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| Car and truck hat |
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| Twin Leaf fingerless mitts |
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| Slouchy hat whose name I have forgotten. |
I think, after going through 46 pages of options on Ravelry, that I have a sweater pattern for my cotton summer sweater. And compared to what I usually make, it's very simple, but I think it will work. It comes from the Red Heart UK website originally, where I would never have thought to look. Just a touch of lace pattern on the front, a V-neck to work with the collared polo shirts I usually wear. Time to go mark up the pattern for the size I need and start winding my yarn into balls. I think I'll take this on the trip to Alaska. I should have lots of time.
I signed up for another Craftsy class on sale. This one is for how to get better at Fair Isle, or multicolor stranded knitting. I learned on my own, and could use some help to get better. I'll pass what I learn on to you. For example, they show you how to avoid or fix the tangles from two balls of yarn wrapping around each other as you knit with both colors. Yes! I have some mittens and hats planned, so this will be worth $19.99.
Time to go enjoy my long weekend and finish an alligator.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Food and yarn
Two of my most necessary things. I have not had as much yarn in my hands as I would have liked in the past week, and due to the braces I have had to eat a little differently than usual, but I won't starve. I was nearly in yarn withdrawal, though. Too much going on this week!
My CSA farm started yesterday with the first pickup! For an individual share I got 2 heads of lettuce and a pound of salad mix (half a pound was plenty), a head of bok choi, and then picked a pint of snap peas, a half pint of strawberries (about 6 berries, as most were huge and weirdly shaped), and bunches of herbs. And a four-leaf clover. I managed to lose my farm ID badge before I was done picking. Tonight I washed and dried all of the lettuce (2 gallon bags, not counting what was eaten yesterday), made roasted potatoes with sage and garlic, and a big stir-fry with the bok choi. I'm still not sure what to do with the peas (not really a pea fan), but I might cook them until still crisp and make some kind of dipping sauce with peanut butter or tahini. Or I might forget about them until they rot in the fridge. Ideas?
At the Trenton Farmer's Market on Spruce Street, Pineland Farms has a location at one of the corners in the center of the market, and they have a CSA. They had wonderful strawberries last week! Here's the information:
Pineland Farms, 209 Union Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037, (609) 392-1550 or (609)412-5191
The pick-up days choices are Sun. 12-2 or Wed., Th., Fri. 10 - 5:30. Prices are: Family =$650. Individual =$375. Thank you Jean, for providing this info!
They have a Facebook page for general information, and you can pick up an application at the farmer's market. CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a great way for the farmer to make an income that she can be sure of, while you get tons of very fresh food.
At Yarnworks this week, we had some finished projects! Two lovely hats - you go, ladies!
My CSA farm started yesterday with the first pickup! For an individual share I got 2 heads of lettuce and a pound of salad mix (half a pound was plenty), a head of bok choi, and then picked a pint of snap peas, a half pint of strawberries (about 6 berries, as most were huge and weirdly shaped), and bunches of herbs. And a four-leaf clover. I managed to lose my farm ID badge before I was done picking. Tonight I washed and dried all of the lettuce (2 gallon bags, not counting what was eaten yesterday), made roasted potatoes with sage and garlic, and a big stir-fry with the bok choi. I'm still not sure what to do with the peas (not really a pea fan), but I might cook them until still crisp and make some kind of dipping sauce with peanut butter or tahini. Or I might forget about them until they rot in the fridge. Ideas?
At the Trenton Farmer's Market on Spruce Street, Pineland Farms has a location at one of the corners in the center of the market, and they have a CSA. They had wonderful strawberries last week! Here's the information:
Pineland Farms, 209 Union Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037, (609) 392-1550 or (609)412-5191
The pick-up days choices are Sun. 12-2 or Wed., Th., Fri. 10 - 5:30. Prices are: Family =$650. Individual =$375. Thank you Jean, for providing this info!
They have a Facebook page for general information, and you can pick up an application at the farmer's market. CSA, or community supported agriculture, is a great way for the farmer to make an income that she can be sure of, while you get tons of very fresh food.
At Yarnworks this week, we had some finished projects! Two lovely hats - you go, ladies!
Next I want to see some finished socks!
I just checked my neighborhood for my foraged items - the vacant lot is going to be overloaded with wild raspberries in about a week, and the lamb's quarters is just starting to grow. Like I need more veggies. But looking forward to the raspberries, and many hours of picking their seeds out of my braces.
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