Long Time No Post #2

My Ravatar

I may be making a habit of this. I'll just post annual updates on my blog. Seriously, Ravelry takes up most of my writing and internet time. For example, this is my new license plate, and my Ravatar. I should just post the best of my Ravelry updates here as well.

I've also been designing for Your Knitting Life and Crochet Today!, but I'm taking a break right now because design deadlines took all of my spare time and I wasn't getting anything else done. Hmmm, that just might be another reason I haven't posted much.

I designed and knit these cabled socks for Your Knitting Life, Flirty Footsies, about a year ago. They are knit toe up in aran weight yarn on size 5 needles, and work up pretty fast due to the heavier wt. of the yarn.

I also designed this cute Peony rug for Crochet Today! last fall. It was inspired by a few vintage doily patterns, but crocheted in bulky yarn instead of thread.

Meta Carolyn and her mom & dad's legs

Nathan in his Bear Hat

I've also become a great aunt twice in the last 2 years. My niece had a son, Nathan, in Feb 2011 and my nephew had a daughter, Meta Carolyn, in January of this year. Meta is named after my mom, her great grandmother. Of course, these major events demanded some hand made gifts. Since crochet is faster than knitting, and I was on a time crunch as usual, I crocheted Meta a blanket and a cute little bonnet.

Meta Carolyn's Granny Rectangle

Meta's Easter Bonnet

The yarn I used for the blanket

Market Bag in the Rose Garden

I'm really trying to knit down my stash, and have been crocheting market bags from sock yarn. The market bags are crocheted with two strands of yarn, so they use up two 100 gram skeins fast.

amandine: the beginning

I also just finished a test knit for myself. It is a top down cardigan named Amandine. It used fingering weight yarn, and took eight weeks to knit. Usually I lose interest before finishing, but this time I persevered, although I missed knitting a Ravellenics project because the test knit started just before the Olympics, and I couldn’t wait to start--as it was I needed two extra weeks to finish the test knit. I am waiting for DD to bring my (our) camera back, so I can take pictures. I used some hand dyed sock yarn from Newton’s Yarn Country which I had purchased for just such a project. It’s a good thing I got the large, 1.07 lb. skein (over 1900 yds.), because I have just a golf ball sized ball of yarn left over (enough for repairs). I need to get my camera back from DD so I can take a real picture.

This is the view of the CC in Terra Linda from the freeway

Before I finished the test knit I couldn’t resist starting a new project, the Terra Linda Cardigan, and now I’m knitting the end of the yoke, where there’s a lace pattern. It’s a top down design by Romi Hill, and it’s lovely. I’m using some yarn from my stash--Kathmandu Aran in navy, that I got in a Webs sale. Romi grew up in Terra Linda (where Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Marin County Civic Center in one of his last projects), and I grew up nearby in Mill Valley.

As if I needed more evidence of how much time I spend on Ravelry, (mostly editing yarn entries and moderating the Sock Knitter's Anonymous group) I had kind of an anxiety dream last night just before waking (so I remembered it). Someone had published a design of mine in a free e-book collection, and I was trying to copy the text and make it into a new PDF so it could be available separately as a Rav download from my page. I woke up before I finished the task. Since the e-book was free, and my name was credited as the designer, I don’t know why my dream self wanted to make it a separate download.

I also had fun on Talk like a Pirate day on Ravelry. Me pirate name be Dead Man George Sparrow, blimey! 

Long Time No Post

It's been so long since I've posted. It seems like just yesterday! I've been very busy, mostly on Ravelry, including Sock Knitters Anonymous & the Editor's Group.

Let's see. what have I been doing:

• Went to the 2nd Sock Summit, where I managed to visit the emergency room on my first day and hobbled around the rest of the time with cellulitis. My team did win the Yarn/Fiber Trivia contest Saturday night, though.
• Helped my brothers move my mom into assisted living and cleared out her home of 55 years.
  
• Traveled to Hawaii where I knitted cotton socks by the pool.
  
• Went to Olympia, WA for my nephew's wedding, where I didn't get much knitting done.
• Fell in love with a rescue dog, a black lab named Cassie, who is really my DD's dog (and her boyfriend's). I have shared custody, though.
  
• I've been designing for Knitting Today! magazine. My first design was a pair of argyle socks. I've never knit argyle socks before, so that was an experience. I plan to knit another pair when I've recovered.

I also designed a pair of Stanford University socks, plus these.......

bike basket in my favorite mosaic stitch
striped wine bottle gift bag
felted tray and bowl
child's sunhat in a great terrycloth yarn
ribbed fisherman's cap

• I'm working on more designs right now, but they have to be kept secret until the magazines come out.
• I'm also designing for Crochet Today!. My first crocheted design was just published: Japanese House Slippers

Sock Summit!

I've been back for a week from Portland OR for the very first Sock Summit, 2009. I haven't finished unpacking my suitcase, but most of the yarn has been entered into Ravelry and pictures posted to Flikr.

The highlights for me:

• The Sock Museum, where I had three pairs of socks (one a pair of Bosnian socks I donated, and two pairs I made)
• The Sock Hop, where I wore my pedal pushers and sock hop anklets, hung out with the Frog Creek Fibers yarn ladies, and watched my roommate win the hula hoop contest
• Ravelry Party at the Forestry Center, where I hung out with two ladies who had actually purchased socks from Barbara Walker
• Barbara Walker admiring my mosaic patterned socks at the book signing
  
• Meg Swanson's class on Arch Shaped socks, which I promptly incorporated into a SIP
• Janel Laidman's class on Sideways socks, which I will incorporate)
  
• The Luminary Panel (although I had to leave early)
• meeting Joy from India (she may have traveled the longest to attend), and getting a round marker from her collection
  
• Knitting on the world's largest sock (another Guinness attempt)
  
• Knitting on straight needles while setting a Guinness World Record for most people knitting all at once.
• Carson Demers admiring my aran lace poncho in the line to board our return flight to SFO

• Sock yarn (need I say more)

• Snicklefritz yarns Summit Gnome (blue faced Leicester) for a shoulder shawl
• Fiber Optic yarns Foot Notes (4 colors)
  
• Blue Moon FA Socks that Rock Mill ends
• Koigu (on sale and mill ends)
• Periwinkle Sheep in periwinkle and a peachy yellow
• I also got some yarn to dye

More pictures soon (when Blogger will cooperate)

Cheeky Kittens

Have you seen this kitty?

LOST: August 7th, 2009, Half Moon Bay CA
4 months old, spayed, loving, ID chipped

My DD got a new kitten a few weeks ago, mostly to be a mouser and an outdoor cat since I am allergic to cats. She flew off to Costa Rica (back tonight), leaving the kitten here with us. The kitten can't go outside since she was spayed two weeks ago. DD named her Chiquita. but I'm calling her Cheeky, and she has lived up to her name. Over the weekend, Cheeky was transitioned from DD's bedroom to the garage. She slept in the garage at night and spent the day inside the house, exploring and playing with her toys and ours. She really likes the computer. Note to self: don't wear shorts with a kitty around. I was very careful to wash my hands after touching her and managed to keep the allergies at bay. Today was her first day in the garage during the day. I let her in when I came home at 3: 30 and she seemed fine, but she promptly did a number on DD's bed (misplaced anger?). The quilt is now in the washing machine and Cheeky is in the garage/aka doghouse.

She also managed to hit some hot key on my new computer and started downloading all of my saved emails, which I had been keeping on the ISP's site.

Even though Cheeky loved to bat the moving yarn, so I had to put away the knitting when she was around, I was able to finish my socks for the Sock Museum, as well as a matching mini sock for my sock blocker keychain. This is the Mermaid Sock design by Lucy Neatby, from Cool Socks, Warm Feet. The Sock Summit is only a month away, and I'm getting excited.

Thistle Lace Socks

As part of the Socks Knitters Anonymous Ravelry group's Design Your Own Sock June challenge, I've been busy designing a new sock and writing up the pattern. It's now available on the sidebar and on Ravelry.

I'm using a solid color Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in a mauvey cocoa brown color. I used a lace pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury and charted it out to be knit in the round using a wonderful little app I found on the web. It's knit toe up, with a reverse Dutch heel and seed stitch side panels (or you could use ribbing) to customize the fit.

65 Questions (what happened to only 20?)

Aren't gardens wonderful? This gladiola spike was 5 feet tall.


1. First thing you wash in the shower? under my arms
2. What color is your favorite hoodie? navy blue velour (my only hoodie)
3. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again? of course
4. Do you plan outfits? occasionally
5. How are you feeling RIGHT now? achy and in pain
6. What is the closest thing to you that’s red? the light on my mouse
7. Describe the last dream you remember having? It was about work, so I don't want to think about it any more
8. Did you meet anybody new today? only online
9. What are you craving right now? Dinner
10. Do you floss? Nowhere near as often as I should.
11. What comes to mind when I say cabbage? corned beef
12. Are you emotional? I cry at sentimental movies (and even books I'm reading)
13. Have you ever counted to 1,000? Only in Spanish
14. Do you bite into your ice cream or just lick it? I almost always bite, until it's all melted in the bowl or the cone
15. Do you like your hair? Most of the time
16. Do you like yourself? Usually, but there's room for improvement
17. Would you go out to eat with George W. Bush? not in a million years, unless I got paid a million $.
18. What are you listening to right now? America's Funniest Home Videos
19. Are your parents strict? They weren't that strict, but we did have the wooden spoon and the belt as a last resort
20. Would you go sky diving? No, but I would go para sailing
21. Do you like cottage cheese? My favorite way is spread on toast, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar and broiled until it melts. YUMM!
22. Have you ever met a celebrity? Jane Fonda taught a seminar at my college and ate in the cafeteria during a regular meal period.
23. Do you rent movies often? Just Netflix (4 at a time)
24. Is there anything sparkly in the room you are in? My stained glass lamp
25. How many countries have you visited? Ten
26. Have you made a prank phone call? I may have when I was young and foolish
27. Ever been on a train? I rode one into New York City to go to a Broadway show once.
28. Brown or white eggs? Brown
29. Do you have a cell-phone? Yes
30. Do you use chap stick? I like the flavored stuff
31. Do you own a gun? No
32. Can you use chop sticks? Yes, but not as well as most folks.
33. Who are you going to be with tonight? Hubbie, DD, online friends
34. Are you too forgiving? It depends on how upset I am.
35. Ever been in love? Yes
36. What is/are your best friend(s) doing tomorrow? Working in my LYS (yes, you, Marina)
37. Ever have cream puffs? My absolute favorite dessert
38. Last time you cried? When my DD got angry and yelled at me
39. What was the last question you asked? What do you mean?
40. Favorite time of the year? Spring
41. Do you have any tattoos? No, and never
42. Are you sarcastic? Not usually
43. Have you ever seen The Butterfly Effect? No
44. Ever walked into a wall? Once
45. Favorite color? Blue green (teal)
46. Have you ever slapped someone? I vaguely recall doing it once
47. Is your hair curly? My hair is wavy at the ends, and would like to be curly if I cut it
48. What was the last CD you bought? probably Jimmy Buffet, but I also remember buying a Simon and Garfunkel boxed set
49. Do looks matter? To a certain extent
51. Is your phone bill sky high? No
52. Do you like your life right now? mostly, except for my job
53. Do you sleep with the TV on? Only if I fall asleep watching it in the living room, but I have done that.
54. Can you handle the truth? Yes
55. Do you have good vision? Better than I used to
56. Do you hate or dislike more than 3 people? Not right now
57. How often do you talk on the phone? not that often
58. The last person you held hands with? my 6 year old niece
59. What are you wearing? Khaki jeans, sandals and a t-shirt
60. What is your favorite animal? puppies
61. Where was your default picture taken? At my 7th birthday party
62. Can you hula hoop? Barely
63. Do you have a job? Yes
64. What was the most recent thing you bought? Yarn and clothes
65. Have you ever crawled through a window? Once

My Secret Garden

Mystery Flowers

As if my obsession with Ravelry wasn't enough, some of my friends on that site just introduced me to a new website for gardeners, Folia. This flower has been in my garden since we bought the house. We've dug the bulbs up every fall and replanted them, given them away, and still don't know what this plant is. Someone told me it was a Madeira Lily, but it doesn't look like the Madeira lilies I found online. It's tall, with dark reddish green foliage, & lots of flowers on each stalk. The corms are smallish, rust colored, cushion shaped and hairy. Any ideas would be appreciated.

ETA: Success! It's a Watsonia variety.

This one is supposed to be Ranunclulus Tecolote, but it also doesn't look like anything I found online. That's a Meyer Lemon in the background of the second picture.

Next comes this iris rhizome I've been moving from house to house for almost 30 years. It's a tall bearded iris, with a golden throat and shaded purple petals. We moved the planting this year and the iris is in heaven, blooming at least a month earlier than it usually does.