Annie Knits

Mmphhh!

Help.  I'm buried.  Under spinning, knitting, and rehab stuff.

It's fun and enervating and crazy.  Oh, and it was Holy Week last week, in case you missed it...

First up, one of my favorite details upstairs.  We found a tile treatment on Pinterest and duplicated it in the upstairs bath.  Dark aqua around the perimeter; aqua, putty, and white confetti drifting into all white as we got towards the middle.  It makes 1x1 tile something special.  The tile guy hadn't done it before, and he has photographed and sold the idea to two other customers... ; )  I should get a cut.

Tile and windows are done in the great room, and today there are 4 painters up and down puttying and then painting trim.

Progress continues apace.

There's a cute little shower in there.

These look big to me, but hubster says that when it's all painted to match, it'll look more balanced.

I've been spinning more than I've been knitting.

This yarn is 16 ounces of fingering weight yarn, spun from two different Hello Yarn club colorways:  the July '11 BFL/Silk blend called Night Gathers and the April '11 Targhee top called Sprout.  It is lovely.  The silk gave the yarn just a little sheen here and there and the blue/green/taupe/hot chartreuse color blending makes me pretty darned happy.  It'll be some kind of drape front cardigan... I thought perhaps Dahlia since it'll stripe nicely and that'd be nice in the medallion on the back of that sweater.  Who knows?

Also just off the wheel is this Dyeabolical club color called Sid Fishcious.  Named for her goldfish.  A quick, easy spin that netted me 8 ounces of fingering.  Plenty for socks.

Next up?  More Hello Yarn, in the new club colorway, a merino/bamboo 50/50 blend called Villain.  I have an older one to blend it with so I'll have enough for another sweater.  Also, this Blood Orange BFL/Firestar somehow followed me home after I yarn-monkeyed for Rachel (that's an Etsy link) yesterday.  Happens to me all the time.

I'm knitting another Vitamin D sweater, although I may change where the drapes hit my hips in the front.  I love the increases the designer used in this sweater.  And this yarn needed to be something sunny.

Don't you agree?  Yes, I'm taking quite a bit of ribbing as I knit this crazy neon thing (thanks to Rachel for dyeing the yarn for me even though she thought I was nuts).  And I have to hurry up and finish it as this color will only be au courant for like the next 15 minutes.  Surprisingly, I can actually wear this neonyyellowgreen close to my face -- I'm pinkish, not yellowish, so it works.  Makes me look tan in fact.  Probably I am tanning when I'm near this sweater.  I should likely wear sunblock.

Behind my sweater is a cute little vest I knit quickly for my neice -- it's a Noro cotton tape.  Forget the name of the yarn or the colorway.  I have a yellow zipper to sew into it and then I'll mail it off -- she can wear it this fall.

Otherwise, it's all paint colors and fabric and tile.  So fun, actually.  I'll try and keep you current in future.

 

Here Today

I love leap day.  The idea of a found day appeals to me.  I always think I should do something special with it.  

Look what's here today -- technically in February.

While February seems early for daffodils (jonquils?) to be in bloom, I guess March is not.  Which today would be any other year.  Mind freak, huh?

Look what else is here today.

The timestamp on this photo is like 6:40 a.m.  My construction crew arrives early.  

A little Tyvek in the morning.  The progress continues.  I have drywallers upstairs, carpenters out back, and roofers up top.  

The great room addition is really taking shape.  

I have a sweater's worth of knitting to show you too, but this cute little guy took precedence this morning.

I watched it as it pulled itself loose from it's sheath while the sun rose and Monte sniffed around the yard.  

Here today.  

Character Ear Flap Hat

That's what you'll have to use as a search query if you want to find this hat on Ravelry as it's certainly some kind of infringement.

General Patton certainly disapproves.  

I'm going to a 3-year-old birthday party today and thought I'd buy the little guy something from his favorite movie.  

"What are you, new here?" I scolded myself yesterday afternoon.  Jeez.  Buy something.  Hmph.  

I used red, black, white, and blue Berroco Vintage Chunky and this pattern's numbers and cast on for an earflap hat.  I Googled images for this character, who shall remain nameless except that when you google images of him you get a lot of that sneering 1970s tough guy, and started knitting.

I doctored the pattern in that I knit the intarsia windshield portion flat and only joined to knit in the round for the crown of the hat.  Probably didn't even need to do that since the seam is pretty unobtrusive as it is.  

I like this pattern's method of attaching earflaps better than the one I used for my hatapaloosa last winter -- these are applied and there's no question of icky stretched out stitches or miscalculating the row count so you have to purl the whole brim to get it to be garter stitch.  Easy peasy.

Four hours later, with time out for a sushi dinner with hubster, I had a hat.  I'd have to say that the hardest part (read that the part I had to do over and over) was getting the eyeballs in the right place.  I chain stitched them but nesting blue and black buttons would have been easier.  Well, easier if you didn't have to scour seven stores for the right nesting blue and black buttons which was what I was afraid I'd have to do if I went that route.  Wish I had a giant button jar like several people I know...

Oh, fer Pete's sake, GP!  Look at that scowl!  

Hubster says it's because he's sick of modeling ear flap hats and infinity cowls.  Tough duty, dude.

Freaky Deaky

We're havin' some weather here.  And I don't mean that in the way one usually means it on when one uses that phrase on February 17.  

It's a beautiful, sunny 50 degree day here.  Perfect for framing work I'm told.

Kind of stupid for mitten knitting, though.

Needless to say, stupid hasn't stopped me yet.  I cast on for the second one this morning.    

I ordered this kit from Riihivilla.com, a Finnish wool retailer.  It's called Winter Charm.  Isn't it?

So, now I'll have warm mittens for the next time it drops below 30 degrees.  Which may be sometime in 2013 the way we're going.  Oh.  I should knock on something when I say things like that.  Remember the framing?

 

It's humming right along with this nice weather.

Both inside and out. 

It's Why I Blog

So, during the last election cycle, our knit shop Knit Night was populated by a wide range of mostly women.  By wide range, I mean politically.  

And some of us (ahem * yours truly*) tended to get heated in our discussions concerning the election.  (You'll remember that I had to stop consuming media of any kind I got so incensed at the rhetoric and nastiness.)  I'll admit that the truth is that those discussions likely put people off.  And by likely, I mean I'm sure they put people off and perhaps even discouraged folks from coming to our cozy little group to knit or crochet with us.

So we instituted a no politics discussions policy and I got nominated (as the sole employee who regularly attends) to make sure that conversations stayed comfortable for everyone.  

Hello, Fox?  This is the Henhouse.  You're on duty.  

And, for awhile, I was pretty effective.  Well, at least we didn't discuss sensitive issues unless we were sure it was a small group and it wasn't uncomfortable for anyone.  Mostly.

Fast forward.

Our group has grown again and contains a wide range of intelligent folks.  It's mostly women, mostly falling somewhere on the liberal spectrum, all creative and interesting.  We also have our share of undeclareds and a dash of left leaning conservative.  It's a great group and attending is a highlight of my week.

What we share is a love for knitting, crochet, and fiber.  We share life experience and humor.  We share recipes and a love of reading and movies and movie star hunks.  ; )

This is where I'm breaking from the pack.  Specifically on the Catholic Church's stance concerning reproductive healthcare and reproductive rights and concerning the Komen/Planned Parenthood fiasco.

First of all, I believe that healthcare is a human right.  Period.  Those who are politicizing health care by demanding that it be either provided with restrictions or denied because of religious beliefs ought to be taken out back and made glad they have health care.  Second of all, I believe that reproductive rights are the real power behind the women's movement in this country and world wide -- women can't gain economic security while enslaved by the miracle that is our bodies.  Third, I believe that a person's beliefs are her own and sacred and something to be valued and respected.

Yeah, I know.  That set of beliefs contains conundrums and a Gordian knot and more sleight of hand than an M.C. Escher lithograph.

That's the thing of it.  These issues are not black and white.  They are not liberal or conservative.  They are gray, gray, gray.  The solutions to the problems will be found in elegant compromise. 

There.  I said it.  The C word.  

Compromise, people.  And I digress when I say that our politicians should be masters of the elegant compromise not the quip or demeaning sound bite.  The fact that they cannot bring themselves to compromise with eachother, or perhaps that some of us attack them when they try, is a debilitating weakness facing this country and one that makes us more like the extremists we purport to despise than I'd like to consider.

Back to Knit Night.  If I can't discuss these issues, nay, hash them out, with these women whom I respect and love, then how can I expect my leaders to be able to do it?

In fact, I think that these discussions among peers should begin all over the country -- respecful, truly open discussions, in which both parties are willing to bend if persuaded -- and our group is the perfect place to start.

Edited to add:  Since you asked, Kevin.  (He's right, it's not perfectly clear, only obliquely implied.)  I blog because I need to say these things.  I blog because I need to float these ideas.  I blog to organize my ideas.  I blog so that I can get the rants out of my system.  While this post was rattling around in my head this morning, I got so fixated that I put Laura Geller Under Make-up Spackle cream in my hair instead of on my face.  Obviously, I need an outlet.

Begin Where You Are

That's what I'll do.  

I'm in the midst of a knitting emergency.  One of my favorite sisters in law called two nights ago needing golf club covers as props for the play my nephew is in.  The director (of a high school play, mind you) wanted them to match the set and be done in a popcorn stitch.  Um...

Here's the set, and try as she might, my SIL couldn't find such covers in the wild...not at golf supply houses, not at thrift stores, not online.   No kidding?!

Ravelry and Knitorious to the rescue.

As patently hideous as this is, by George, I think we've got it.  This one's for the three iron.  I need to do one for the one iron and one for the five iron and ship them to Columbus, OH.    Opening night is the 20th.  No problem.

I'm distracted by the construction going on again at my house.

Several years ago, I blogged the process of remodeling the living room and dining room of this house and thought myself long suffering...

Then, this summer, I floated the idea of adding a screened in porch to the back of the house.  We'd decided that this was our house, our long term, life-time house, and making it more comfortable seemed the thing to do.  

We have an acre and a half of common ground out back and we never get to enjoy it once the weather gets too hot or too cold or too buggy or too windy.  You know.  I thought a screened in porch sounded lovely.

The architect in the family thought bigger.  Why just screened in ?  Why not a 4 season great room with a stone fireplace and heated floors and a bar and a new bathroom?  Why not a 2nd story addition so we can have guests stay comfortably and enjoy the 4 season room?  Why not a new (ok, much needed) bathroom upstairs for Dear Daughter and said guests?  

Wow.  Ok.  

Oh, alright, that's not exactly how the conversation went, but the result is the same.  We're accomplishing a huge, honking project and the noise activity are distracting.  Exciting but distracting.  

Today?  Plumbing rough in, cement slab pouring, upstairs framing, lumber delivery.

Monte and I?  Our nerves are jangled from all the noise and activity.

Speaking of Monte.  He has a new trick since the kitchen door that he's used his WHOLE LIFE got knocked out and thrown in a dumpster.

 

 

 

Holiday Knitting Round Up

There was a ton of holiday knitting.  I'd say I'm not quite done yet, actually...  I have to finish weaving in the ends of Hubster's holiday cowl and knit the final rounds of my holiday Eternity cowl.  

Speaking of Hubster.  He walked the 6 or so miles of work today (to undo the holiday cookie damage) wearing his Portland sweater, his Quiviut gloves and a Cashmerino hat I knit for him in November.  If I'd had the cowl finished, he'd have piled that on too.  It made me happy.

First up? Purl Soho Bandana Cowls (Ravelry link).  Like lots of them.  On which I embroidered mustaches.  I sized for different kids using different yarns and needles -- all are the same pattern.

Louisa Harding Grace (silk and wool), DK weight, size 8 needles for Evan.

Berroco Remix on size 8 needles for Aidan and Liam.

Encore Chunky on 10s for Seamus and Jacob.

Cascade Cloud on 10s for Lily.  No mustache for Lily though, and I think she wants one.  I'll have to add it.

So fun!  See?

For the littler cousins, I made sweaters.

An Owlet by Kate Davies for Ainsley.

That little peanut likes men only at this point.  Even if you knit her a sweater, she won't let you hold her.  But her uncle?  Smiles until morning...  Stinkas.

For Regan Elizabeth?  A Sima in Berroco Remix.  This pattern is darling, simple and fits like a dream. 

I didn't add the attached scarf, but sewed on tiny buttons across the pockets instead.  It fits her like a dress now, but I think she'll be able to wear it as a tunic for awhile too.  Look at this baby!

Isn't she beautiful?!

I made her big brother Nathan (he's 4) a Meep, Meep Robot Hoodie.

For this version I used more Encore Chunky Tweed.  I think it'll be big on him.  I don't know for sure and I don't have a picture of him wearing it because 4-year-olds do not do command performances.  My sister will send me a picture sometime when there's no pressure, I'm sure.  

I made the same sweater for Dear Godson, but in Remix on smaller needles.  It's definitely a size 3 and will fit him this winter, I think.  I forgot to take pictures of that before I gifted it.  Doh.  I bet Julie will send me a picture of that too if I ask real pretty...

This pattern is written to be knit flat, which I did the first time through.  I do not, however, have the kind of brain that can purl colorwork effectively, so the second I knit in the round and steeked.  Ah.  Much easier.

Finally, I made my youngest sister an Eternity Cowl out of Malabrigo Rios.

Love the pattern, love the yarn for the pattern.  Thanks, Sharon!

Yes, there was a smudge on the lens, but this is the only picture of the thing I have.  Dear Sister liked it, I think.

While in Ohio, speaking of Sister, we visited the Hole in the Wall Camp, Flying Horse Farms.  She's an integral part of the management team for this wonderful place.  

Here we are visiting one of the gathering spaces at the camp.  It is a wonderful place that gives kids with serious illnesses a chance to be kids and go to summer camp.  Hubster and I are so impressed with the stories she told and she's found an excellent calling and outlet for her many talents.  Click around on their website and try not to tear up... I dare you!

Knitting, No Blogging!

I've been doing lots of holiday knitting and other Christmas stuff.  Fun stuff, but I've got lists tacked onto lists, just like everyone else this time of year.

I've accomplished plenty, though.  Let's check things off the list, shall we?

Mantel?

Check.  Crazy colorful stuff.  Mostly from Target.  I love Target.  Here's the problem.  There is not a scrap of natural light left in the whole state of Missouri.  Night or day.  So all my pictures run to yellow.  Whatever.

Nativity?

Check.  The Willow set is out.  The simplicity makes me happy.

Crazy holiday obsession?

Check!  Gel nails... specifically, the Shellac brand.  Billionaire on top of Asphalt.  My name is Ann and I have a Shellac problem...  

Holiday knitting?

What are you, new here?  Check.  Four garments in various stages of completion (details after they've been gifted).  4 accessories in various stages of completion.  4 accessories yet to achieve various stages of completion (the yarn's in the bag).  

It's only the 13th of December.  I didn't even start knitting 'til the 11th last year.  I've got plenty of time.

Holiday concerts?

Check.  Dear Son's holiday concert this year was the first in the new performing arts building at his school.  The boys performed in tuxedos.  I have to say that, while it was an extravagance, I loved seeing all of those boys up there in formal atire.  He cleans up pretty well, doesn't he?  Here he is with his Granny and Grandpa.  He hasn't smiled outright in a year and a half.  12 months of non-smiling to go.  Poor guy.

I think that playing the tuba with braces must hurt a little.  Don't you think so?  

I'll try to check in again soon.  I hope that you're enjoying your holiday season as much as I am.

Good Work

Surfing the net, I found this gem about creativity.  If you create ... well, anything ... and you haven't seen or heard this yet, take a second.  

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

 I'm knitting for Christmas presents like crazy.  Three sweaters mostly done.  One more and then a pile of accessories.  There will be time.  I'm sure of it.

I'll post a link to them on Ravelry when I come up for air.

Thankses Come in Threes Too, Don't They?

Happy Thanksgiving, all!  

I'm curled up in my usual spot on the orange sofa, snuggled up in one of Hubster's flannel bathrobes, drinking coffee laced with Coffeemate's Peppermint Mocha creamer (so glad they realized that this shouldn't be a seasonal product but a year round one -- all I have to do is buy it up each week before they're out).  

There are two pumpkin pies in the oven.  And therein lies Thing 1 for which I am thankful.  

On the internet, it says that you absolutely cannot substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk in your recipe.  They are not the same thing at all.  I know that.  One is chock full of sugar and thick, one is not.

But their packaging is similar and when you're glancing through your pantry and you see small red and white striped cans of that approximate shape way in the back, well, it's not that inconceivable that you might mistake one for the other.   Especially if you're in a hurry because you've booked your one free day this week pretty tightly without leaving room for the absolute inevitability that you'll forget an essential ingredient for Thanksgiving dinner (or two:  Kitchen Bouquet and Rhodes White Rolls) and you'll have to dash into the grocery store on the busiest stupid day of the year in there which you were so smug about avoiding by shopping on Monday.

Well, get this.  You absolutely cannot substitute sweetened condensed milk for evaporated milk ... unless you are making pumpkin pie.  Which needs condensed milk and sugar.  Ding, ding, ding.  We have a winner.  And a one to one substitution.  Thank you, there is a God!  I don't have to go from Seven-Eleven to Quik Trip to wherever to find a can or two of evaporated milk on Thanksgiving morning at 6:30 a.m.

And this blunder of sorts leads me to Thing 2 for which I am thankful.  

So, I fought the crowds at the grocery store through the baking aisle and the gravy aisle and the frozen food aisle and the dairy aisle (out of Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha creamer at home I remembered -- got the last three).  I got in the twenty-item-or-less aisle which was full of folks grumbling about the three things they'd forgotten on Monday.  I was among my people.

The cute 40-something checker guy was commiserating with each of us in turn.  He gigged me about seeing me in there on Monday (isn't it fun to have shopped at a place for 20 years so that they all know you?)  We laughed and he wondered what Kitchen Bouquet even was and I opined that he can't have worked in a grocery store for 15 years and not know what Kitchen Bouquet is and he said, "No seriously, what is it?" and I explained that I used it for darkening poultry gravy which can be a grayed out taupe color if you don't have time to brown the drippings. That got an appropriately blank stare in response.  

He finished up and I wished him a happy Thanksgiving.  Then he said, "Well, you too, babe," and handed me my receipt.  

I haven't been called "babe" since sometime in the '80's.  I chuckled all the way home.  Babe.  I told Hubster about it when I got home and now I've been called babe several more times.  Tee hee.  

So, to sum up, I'm thankful for what?  Sweetened condensed milk and cheeky check-out guys?  

No, silly, I'm thankful for good fortune, which I have in abundance, and for my place in this world. Sometime today I'll get a third thankful for to write about, I bet.  Because thankses come in threes, too, don't you think?  

Have a blessed day, my friends!