Thanks Abby!

Dear Abby,
We were so excited to get your package in the mail the other day. I of course love the needle holder and am now that much more inspired to learn to knit socks. I think the LYS offers classes sometimes. And, as you can see, Ellery LOVES little Sheldon. He is such a cute turtle and you did a terrific job. I am truly posting the pictures so that everyone can admire your work, not just to show off Ellery.

Boob Toaster I and II

Sam found a really neat pattern for a "sontag" in a Geody's Ladies Book from late 19th century (I think, I could be really wrong on that date). So I made her one. As soon as she put it on, Alison yelled, "What's that? A boob toaster?" As you can see, the design lends itself to a toasty breast area, but that really isn't it's primary purpose. Alison's birthday was a few days ago, so I made her one, too. It is slightly more embellished than the original - mostly because I found the original to be hideously boring to knit.

Here it is laid out:



Oh yes, Jen. That's a crocheted border on the original. It had to have flair somewhere!
Per Alison's request, I'm attaching some braid ties so she she can close her's like Sam. These are becoming all the rage at the library (as you might imagine...). Very popular with us ultra-cool history nerds.

What next?

So now that Christmas is over, I only have one project going: the cable 8 tank top. I am looking forward to getting back to it, though I have to wait till I have some time to sit and figure it out because I (I can hear Jen sigh all the way here) put it down without noting where I was in the pattern AGAIN. I promise I didn't mean to. I think the phone rang or something like that and I didn't get to pick it back up. After I finish it I would like to attempt the Portland Pullover from the Fall 06 Knits.

So anyway, I like to have an easier project to work on too. A scarf would be the obvious choice but I'm just not feeling inspired. One thing I saw was the coffee cozy on page 41 of knitpicks. I know it sounds totally dorky but I think it is just the thing my parents would like. They seriously take extra paper cozies from Starbucks and keep them in their car for when they get caught without one. The problem is that the free pattern knitpicks offers is fair isle, which I have no interest in attempting. But can't I just adapt the pattern? What I don't understand is that by looking at the chart you increase beginning on row 1. Why? Maybe one of you could take a look at the pattern for me? (enter 50517 at their website www.knitpicks.com)

The other thing is that Caleb's office down in our basement is very cold and he could use some wristwarmers. Jen, did you ever make some for Caleb Jones? If so, I would love the pattern.

So I've got lots of options, and a little money to spend at the LYS (ahem...). Now I just need a little free time. Things will slow down for Caleb next week so I am looking forward to some knitting soon.

get yer fiber

This should take care of my daily dose for a while at least!
This past Sunday I took a dyeing class from my friend Erin of MamaE's C*eye*ber Fiber. She is wonderful and the class was a blast. I've bought several of her rovings including the one I spun up for that shrug back in Oct. I came home with all this wonderful fiber as well as two skeins of sock yarn. She let us try Kool-Aid, Wilton food coloring, and then the serious acid professional dyes. The knowledge I gained was great but most importantly the memories of such a fun day are priceless. Erin's studio is fantastic, so cozy and inviting, and that wasn't only because it snowed all day. Yes, I got to play with fiber and watch it snow. all. day.

This was done with the Wilton dye. I had hoped for something darker. I used brown, copper, and orange but I like it.


My first solo attempts with the acid dyes.



I must say, however, that these are my favorites only because I had so little hope for them. I took some horrible pink roving which Mark always referred to as "the intestines" with me thinking it would be a good lesson for "overdyeing" or re-dyeing something already dyed. I had no expectations that I could make it look pretty. I'm not really good with color and this being my first real dye experience I figured I'd mess it up royally. Yet, behold! With some advice and encouragement from my wonderful teacher Erin, I lOVE what I got!!



The really interesting thing will be to see if it spins up anything like what I think it might! The saga will continue...

by the skin of my...skein...

Just barely made it!! I mean look at that little ball of yarn! Whew! The sleeves are actually a bit short I'm afraid but that's less because I ran out of yarn and couldn't make them long enough and more because, apparently, the design is for tiny shouldered women with toothpick arms. This is a drop sleeve sweater with a really big collar that's just supposed to drape around so I think I just feel funny in it and in reality it looks fine on me. Max likes it though!

3 months today

This isn't a baby blog I swear. This is a post about a hat and a blanket, both knitted.

The burprag makes an appearance

I just wanted to show Jen's handywork in action (on Christmas Day no less!). It gets a lot of use. In fact, it kinda feels wrong to let her spit up so much on it.




Also, the outfit she is wearing was mine when I was a baby. My sisters and I all had matching pj's that Christmas.

Reunited and it feels so good

Thank you Abby for allowing me back in.

So here's my news: I was pretty sure I had overheard it when I was in there and a recent check of their website confirms it. Debbie Bliss is coming to the LYS (LYS is Internet jargon for local yarn shop. I assumed you knew this but then got paranoid that you didn't. You might have thought that LYS was some freak cult I had joined out here. Like the Living Yellow Society in which people ate bananas for breakfast, macaroni and cheese for lunch, and corn chowder for dinner followed by that famous pot-luck dish of vanilla pudding and wafers for dessert. But don't worry, yellow has always washed out my complexion.)

So, I was saying. Debbie Bliss. Here. But when I read the details it wasn't quite as exciting. First of all it costs $40 to hear her speak. Second of all, the topic is how she designs her garments. Ho-hum. I mean it sounds exciting, but not THAT exciting. So I'm not sure if I'll go or not. I am wondering if I could just spontaneously show up to do shopping when she is there. And just get a peak...I want to know if she has a denim jacket with sparkles that says "Debbie Bliss" on the back.

In other news, I did get some knitting done. I made my mom an ipod cover. I forgot to take pictures but I did it with a tweedy Rowan yarn and it turned out better than the one I made for myself because I remembered to decrease when I started the flap.

I also made more of these, which you may remember from last year. The girls at church had an ornament exchange. I was a little nervous about giving something homemade; everyone else gave store bought ones. But they seemed to be a hit. The party was fun. They read the lyrics to Silent Night and every time they said the word "silent" you passed to the left and every time they said "night" you passed to the right. This was fun and a little dangerous for people holding hot chocolate in one hand and a newborn in the other.


The other thing I finished was the hat to match Ellery's blanket. It was a Christmas gift. (It seemed kind of odd to do gifts for her, seeing as how she would be completely unaware of it, but then totally wrong not to get her anything. So Caleb and I picked out a few things for her together and then each got her things the opposite spouse didn't know about. The hat was one of those.) I don't have a pic yet but I think she will wear it for her 3 month pics next week.

Somebody call Guinness...

I mean that's got to be a record. Resolution on Saturday...casting on Wednesday. But Santa I can explain...
The resolution really needed a clause that stated it could be violated in case of cute little three year old cousins having a birthday party. I mean look at that face! And those weren't even presents for her!! No resolution can deny knitted goodness for such a kid. So another Russell the Sheep started Wed. for Macy and it's almost done. We're off home for the birthday party tomorrow and one for Grandma Sunday!! So thank you all for your well wishes (even though I know that you know that I know that we all KNEW I really couldn't do such a resolution!!)

Mittens go for a drive and socks work out

I was a little bored in Ohio. Enjoy.
Also, this post was supposed to be a lot more complex but Blogger won't let me upload all the pics I want. :-(

I made Angela a pair of mohair/wool mittens by holding some wonderfully red mohair with some black sock yarn. The finished product is delightfully stretchy and (hopefully) warm (hasn't been cold enough to really test them). The mittens wanted to drive the VW, who was I to object? Luckily I had my camera on hand.


Mom got a pair of socks made from a wool/nylon blend. I think I bought the yarn at Sheep and Wool last year. Mom also got a new exercise bike thingy and the socks really wanted to try it out (they were kind of big and can stand to lose some weight). Look at them go... The socks also used the treadmill and the eliptical, but those pics are unavailable, thanks to Blogger.


Oh, the mittens also learned to play the guitar, that pic is unavailable (it didn't turn out very well anyway) as well.