Knitting, with Dogs

Why yes, I HAVE been knitting

and I have pictures to prove it this time!

First, I finished my Fluted Bannisters socks:

(They're a little stretched cuz Dear Robert wore them yesterday.)

I made a hat from a skein of Noro Kureyon:

This was my first time using Noro yarn.  I'd been avoiding it because of some weird kind of reverse yarn snobbery or something.  But I gotta say, I like it.  I want a sweater out of it now. 

I made a Twisted Rib Stitch hat:

Now I understand why Jane was complaining about this pattern.  I don't normally have trouble with 1x1 ribs, but I had to fix any number of booboos in this cap.  And I'm not sure I got them all.  But it's done now, no going back at this point!

I'm almost done with the main section of a Classic Elite pattern for a lace scarf:

Just another half of a diamond pattern, and then I start on the edging.  I started this on Saturday or Sunday, so I'm happy with the progress.  The pattern came in a kit with some red Inca Alpaca yarn.  I wanted to make a scarf-sized object rather than a shawl-sized object, so I used some Misti Alpaca lace-weight from my stash.  This should turn out very nice.

And I've started my next pair of socks, from some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn.  Not much progress on these yet, but I'll probably use the next Six Sock pattern on the leg.

And my mindless knitting project is a kid's cap made with sock yarn.

The edge is wonky in the picture, but normal in real life.

Jasper is amazed at my output:

Ok, adorable face, yes?  I just wish his left ear would turn around and settle down like his right ear has. 

BTW, I'm really loving this pup.  He's got an easy-going temperament and likes people.  He's smart.  He also likes to eat my yarn and my knitting!

We had a good Thanksgiving.  We ate dinner as usual over at my brother's house, but me and my sis spent the rest of the time we had down there at my dad's.  The one not-so-happy thing was that my aunt had surgery the Wednesday before Thanksgiving to remove a growth from her colon.  She's doing pretty well so far.  But we sure have a lot of cancer in my family.   :-(

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!  Today's the U.S. holiday, but we can all be thankful every day, not just on Thanksgiving Day.

I'm actually knitting a lot these days, I just don't have anything to show for it.  Large projects in dark yarns = boring pictures.  But I've got some small projects on tap in the near future, and hopefully I'll be able to show those off soon.

Best wishes all!

Wow..

I spent most of the last couple of days volunteering to be the "expert" knitter at a LYS.  (What can I say -- I have a lot of time on my hands, and I like to help out.)  This particular shop has lots of novelty yarn.  They cater to lots of scarf knitters.  There's nothing wrong with any of this, if this is what you want to do.  But there appears to be some basic vocabulary differences going on out there.

Example:  when I say "I know how to knit," I mean "I know how to cast on, knit, purl, increase, decrease, bind off and follow most patterns."  For some of the customers of this shop, "I know how to knit" means "I know how to do the knit stitch."  Period. 

If you ask me how to do a basic cable, or basic lace or something, I could tell you.  But if you ask me whether it would be better to use a size 13 or a size 19 needle to knit a scarf, I tend to look a little blank.   I should probably know that, but it's really not my area of expertise.

It's a different knitting world from what I'm used to.  I understand a little better now why some shop owners are so grumpy and why other more experienced knitters get so frustrated with some of the patterns coming out in the magazines lately.

I think I'll go order the Spider Queen pattern or the Princess Shawl pattern or something.  Just to counteract the general trend. 

At least these other folks are knitting.  I guess.

Pennies

My husband calls me Monk sometimes.  I think part of the reason he does that is because of things like this.

I carried a bunch of change to one of those "dump your coins here and get a voucher for non-coin cash" machines" today.  Specifically, I took pennies.  I came home with about $25.50 in cash.  And I'm pretty sure the machine shorted me about $.50.  Why do I think this?

Because I counted the pennies beforehand.  Twenty-five DOLLARS worth of pennies.  Do you know how many pennies that is???  I'll tell you.  Two thousand five hundred pennies.

In my defense, I had rolled $12.00 worth of pennies previously, so I only actually counted $14.00 worth of pennies today.  Even so....

And why, you ask, did I count the silly buggers?

Cuz I don't trust equipment like that.  I wanted to double-check it.  And it looks like I was right. 

But be proud of me.  I didn't fuss about it, I just let it go.  But next time I'll go more slowly and check the counter as I dump the coins in.

I know.  I have no life.  But I get a certain amount of satisfaction out of knowing this stuff.  Even if it does make me a silly compulsive nutcase.

Anyway...

I went and sat around and helped out at a LYS today.  It was fun, though tiring.  I think I'll go back tomorrow and do it again.  :-)

Different kinds of geeky things

Daily Knitting Report:

[knitting geek]
I was going great guns on my Bearfoot shawl, till I decided I didn't like what I was doing with it.  So I ripped it all out and started over again.  I have a touching (and almost wholly unwarranted) faith in my ability to knit something quickly.  I'm still knitting a square from the center out, but the center is going to be plain stockinette (see note above about needing to knit quickly).  It'll get a little more foofy further out.  At least that's the plan right now.  I'm just winging it here.  And I'm okay with that. 

Tonight was the gathering of the Gwinnett Knitters.  We knitted, gave advice to each other on knitting, new roofs, and other things.  Much pleasantness ensued.
[/knitting geek]

News From the Dog World:

[dog geek]
We took Jasper to the dog park yesterday.  There were a couple of other puppies there, including a boxer pup about the same age as Jasper.  It was fun watching them chase each other and run around.  But bossy Jasper decided he needed to nip the boxer's flanks.  Boxers don't have a lot of coat to absorb puppy nips, and we weren't ok with Jasper making the puppy go "yipe!" 

The other neat dog there at the park was another Aussie.  He was a nice dark blue merle with a little bit of copper, and he was chasing an Aerobie ring thrown by his owner.  Actually, they had two.  It was fun to see the Aussie pick up one ring on his nose and carry the other in his mouth.  It was something he taught himself.  He also liked to lie in the "flying frog" position -- on his belly with his front legs extended and his back legs stretched straight out behind him.  He was a really nice, intelligent looking working-type dog. 
[/dog geek]

In Other News:

[computer game geek]
Dear Robert came home the other day with a new PS2 game.  Now, I'm not really a gamer.  I play the occasional computer word game, but that's about it.  Oh, and the Buffy the Vampire Slayer game for PS2.  The game Robert bought was the new Lord of the Rings:  The Third Age.  We spent about 4 hours playing it yesterday, and about 2 today. 

We're playing in cooperative mode.  Robert runs the characters around while I knit (or whatever) and we join up to fight the battles.  We've been working together pretty well, I think.  We made it through Moria and we defeated the Balrog (so far.)  I'm surprised at how engrossing I find this.  Just another kind of geekdom, I guess.
[/computer game geek]

:-)

I love silly things

In Other News:

I spent most of yesterday with a sick headache.  I'm feeling a bit better, but still a little ragged.  So I needed some cheering up, and I got it when I found the Mini-Mizer.  Yes, you too can look like a Lego character.

Here's me:

And this is how Dear Robert sees himself:

Simple pleasures really ARE the best, ya know??

Tonight's the SnB at La Madeleine.  I think I'll be feeling up to going to it.

A busy weekend...

and no pictures to show for it.  Sheesh.

I spent all day yesterday at the GAASC  dog show down in Chamblee.  I got to be an obedience steward again.  There was quite a turnout for obedience.  Competition started at 8:30 and finished up about 12:45 or so.  There were quite a few entries in Utility, Open A and Open B, and Novice B.  (No Novice A entries, surprisingly enough.)  I was busy checking paperwork and didn't get to watch many dogs work, alas.  I can't wait to get started working with Jasper.  I think even Bouncer might enjoy some obedience work, especially if treats are involved.

There was a club meeting after the conformation matches.  The club is hosting the 2005 ASCA  National Specialty.  There's a lot of organization that will have to go into that.  It's one of the reasons I rejoined the club, to see if there is anything I can do to help.  I'm not good at planning or at thinking of things to do, but I'm a good worker bee.  Point me at a task, and I'll do my best to get it done. 

Today the Atlanta Folk Harpers held a reorganization meeting.  Back when I started learning to play the harp, the group was pretty active.  There were several meetings going on at various areas of town during any given month.  There was lots of inspiration and information to be found.  For various reasons, though, the group hasn't been very active the last few years.  This meeting was a bit of a brainstorming session to see about getting things cranked up again.  The AFH is also the sponsoring group for the 2005 Scottish Harp Association Nationals.  There are lots of exciting things happening in Atlanta next year!

Daily Knitting Report:

I knitted 5 baby caps to turn in to the Yarn Garden's (Lawrenceville)  Knitting For Others  program.  Of course I failed to take pictures of them.  Next month we make chemo caps. 

I'm also working on my Bearfoot shawl.  I'm up to about 130 sts/side (4 sides).  Bearfoot is a wonderful yarn, btw.

News from the Dog World:

We took Jasper down to a nearby school playground to introduce him to the wonderful world of slides.  Since this puppy Will Work For Food, all it took was a few treats and one of us on the slide to get him to follow us down.  He doesn't have the kind of balls-out approach to new things that Sasha had, but he'll do.  Oh yes, he'll do.

Right now he's one tired puppy.
 

Scarf Island

Daily Knitting Report:

I've spent the last couple of days on Scarf Island. I found out last week that someone I know wears foofy scarves (I don't wear scarves), so I saw an opportunity. Here's the Foofy Scarf I made:

And then, since I'd made one scarf, I figured I might as well make another.  This one is Yummy Mohair goodness:

The pattern is from the Knitting Pattern-a-Day calendar.  It's the Bias Lace Scarf pattern, and it was really easy.  I think it makes a lovely scarf with a slight bias to it.

I went through the Knitting Pattern-A-Day calendar and pulled out the patterns I thought I might actually use fairly soon.  There were 32 patterns in the first pass.  Cool.  There are a couple more scarf patterns there, so I may spend some more time on Scarf Island before the holidays are over!

Tonight's the Gwinnett SnB meeting.  I'm going to show off my scarves there.  Being proud of your work is a good thing, right?  :-)

News from the Dog World:

Jasper's growing like a weed.  Here he is with the rest of the boys:

And by himself:

This just in

Gangsta knitters, the video.

Ok, Weird Al it isn't, but I liked it.

Intelligent design

In Other News:  A digression about a clever product

Don't you love it when things are well-designed?  Example:  the Tazo Tea container:

(That's Ivan's head in the background.)

The little stair-stepped bit on top is actually a built-in tea infuser:

It nests into an infuser-holder (for lack of a better term.) 

This is how it works:  while your water is heating, you take the infuser top, open the little "wings", and set it into your mug.  It nestles comfortably down inside the cup, even a big-ass cup like my Blue Ridge Parkway mug.  (Note:  it fits more securely into most mugs.  This mug is just a big wide heavy mug.  From the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I loves me some Blue Ridge Parkway.)

When your tea is done steeping, you  lift the infuser out by the little wings, and set it into the infuser holder.  You then wander off and drink your tea while the tea leaves drain into the holder.  You can then come back and toss the leaves at your leisure.

Cunning, yes?  I think it's WONDERFUL.  And the way I pour water, enough tea leaves spill out that I can entertain myself by trying to read them when I get to the bottom of the cup. 

(No affiliation with Tazo, I just love it when folks actually think through a design.)

Daily Knitting Report:

I've got a few things going on right now. 

I've done 2 baby hats, and want to do three more before 11/14, when our Knitting For Others group meets in Duluth.  This shouldn't be a problem, since I did most of 2 in one night at the Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting last week.

I'm still mindlessly knitting (all garter stitch, inc 4 sts every other row) on my Comfort Shawl.  I worked on it at the Gwinnett Gladiators game last night. 

Fluted Bannisters, sock #2.  Still plugging away.

Counterpane afghan:  I'm sampling the first block.  Pictures will come up as soon as I get a block (or two) finished and blocked. 

I'm still thinking about the gansey I want to make.  Coincidentally, in this month's Interweave Knits, there's a gansey pattern, and an article about how the designer (Ann Budd) developed her pattern.  Cool.  (I'm not crazy about that pattern, BTW.  I think it's too big and bulky looking, and the neck is too large.  Just MHO.)

Whew, I'm draggy today.  I have a headache.  I don't get migraines, but I get miserable headaches that make me just want to go and lie down all day.   Yes, I've taken something for it.  Taking something for it doesn't usually help, but sometimes it does.  I'll be better in a couple of days.

Jasper doesn't get headaches -- he gives them:

(Just kidding.  I'm sure it's my fault he chewed one of my new #3 Brittany double-point needles and grabbed my copy of Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch across the floor by its cover.  Among other things.  But sheer adorableness covers a multitude of sins.)