Whoduknit Halloween Swap

This week was rather hideous.  My son had the flu.   I was scheduled for my mammogram, which I slept through . . . not the mammogram but the appointment.  My van stopped working (something with the computer which is fortunate since it only cost $158 rather than another $1,100 which I spent on it two weeks ago . . . oh, and the air-conditioning still doesn't work). 

But, today, I came into work.  And found this on my desk:

It is my package from Claire, my Whoduknit Trick or Treat Swap person.  It is totally awesome and you wouldn't believe the great stuff she jammed into this box and, frankly, these pictures don't do her justice:

The beautiful varigated yarn on the right is Plymouth Yarn Mushishi (95% wool, 5% silk) and, yes, it is as big as it looks with a whopping 491 yards.  I'm thinking about just drapping it around my neck.  It is luscious!

There was also a pattern from Plymouth Yarn using the Mushishi and will make fingerless Gloves, leggings and hat.  Along with the knitting needles to use to make it (Clover bamboo cables)

The other skein of brown yarn is 217 yards of Berroco Vintage wool.  It is very soft and warm and the color is more like a dark chocolate.  There was a book of patterns to use the Vintage wool . . . and the right size knitting needles to make any of the hats in the book.

There were also two crochet magazines

I have already identified a couple of things I want to make from each . . . Did you know that you could crochet socks?!?!?!?!?  Woo hoo!

There is also a book called "Caterd Halloween" by Isis Crawford and last, but not least, FIVE Heath Bars.  I will pace myself and make them last at least through Halloween . . . I promise, maybe!

Beaded Scarf - Day 3

Beaded Scarf 3 days
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

This is a great pattern, easy and it looks great. It came from Jane from whoduknit. Lots of beads, so they need to be pre-strung, which is tedious but much faster than trying to using the crochet hook method.

The yarn came from Vigdis by way of the WhoduKnit prize locker.

Jane said that she would have done more than 9 rows of beads, so following her suggestion, I split all the beads I had into two piles and figured out how many rows (12) of beads I would end up with . . . this is what I had accomplished through last evening (Sunday, August 23). Not too shabby, especially considering that we were gone for most of the weekend and I was doing the driving so I didn't get any knitting done.

So, I have all these little projects that I am working on . . . . Cloth of the Week . . . . squares for the afghan . . . . and whatever else I have in bags, tucked away, etc.

Someone on, I believe, Whoduknit, or MyKnittingCircle who recommended working on something for 12 days. I don't recall why 12 days. Anyway, I have decided to work on something for seven days (unless I am seriously under a time crunch or so totally infatuated with the thing . . . do you like how I have given myself an "out" to my own rules . . .). I started stringing the beads for this last Wednesday, August 19. I am going to count start working on it though as of Thursday August 20 (another "out"). (So, since I didn't get to work on this most of the weekend, do I add onto the number of days per project based on actual knitting days?)

It is for a friend as a gift. She does appreciate what I do and I know she will just love this scarf.

The only thing is that the edges are kind of raggidy, so I think I will have to crochet a simple edge along the whole thing. It will finish it nicely.

HAP rectangles

So, what are these strange things???

They are crocheted rectangles for the Whoduknit HAP project. Used Deborah Norville's Serenity yarn. I skein makes four 6"x9" rectangles. This stuff is very nice and very soft. I have another skein in Walnut. My local Joann's didn't have a good variety of colors. This green, which is called "Jade," and the Walnut which is a purplish beige, but the price was right (about $3/skein).

Whoduknit - Trick or Treat Swap Package

These pics really don't do this package justice. My package came from Barbara. It is fabulous. It included two books, Kay Hooper's If there be Dragons and Greg Iles' Third Degree.

Two skeins of Patons' Kroy Sock stripes in great browns, oranges (more burnished oranges than orange orange) and black, along with a patter for the Old Shale Smoke Ring.

It also included a bat washcloth (and your knitting is incredibly neat and precise), a knitted bookmark, two packets of M&M limited editions (razzberry and wild cherry), a package of limited edition Margarita Jello, along with a handful of dumdum suckers. The package also included halloween socks that make noise (gee should I wear them on the plane coming back from DC on Halloween?).

And, this is great, a loaf of bread. A wonderfully beautiful loaf of bread. We are going to be having it with dinner tonight. We would have had it last evening but by the time I got home, my hubby had already made dinner (hash, eggs and toast).

Thanks so much Barbara. This was an incredible package.

Photos and other stuff

This is, of course, Zachariah. We had been shopping and he picked out the shirt and then dug out the jeans. He is Mr. Cool and, I actually think, he is getting bigger. His hands and feet seem to be getting larger but he is still weighing in at 38 pounds. Wishful thinking on my part but what the heck. He will be 7 in January and the jeans are a size 5 slim.

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The weather in Cleveland this fall has been incredibly weird. It has been unseasonably warm with minimal rain . . . clearly reminescent of the summer months. But then sometimes, the Lake Erie cloud machine kicks in and we get very strange looking skies. This pic doesn't do the sky or the lake justice. It was Wednesday morning. The waves were not breaking over the the breakwall at all, which is strange when the clouds look like those overhead. In the distance however, you could see where the clouds ended and there was a very clear band of sunshine. The very strange funny looking building on the top left is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It is actually very awesome and a great place to visit, but don't expect to be able to see all in one trip. Right next door to it is the Great Lakes Science Center and next to that is the Cleveland Browns Stadium.
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The train station in Cleveland is at the "top" of 9th street, or actually, the north end of 9th Street. Actually, the trains run directly next to our building. The Quicken Arena is south on 9th street.

Anyway, every year when the circus comes to town the elephants and horses get loaded off the train, come up a ramp and around a corner onto 9th Street and walk right passed our building. Seriously, right passed the building. It is so totally fun and we all act like little kids with our faces pressed against the window or, better yet, going down to street level so that we are RIGHT THERE. When I move my office, I am going to be on the first floor (which is not AT street level but one floor up).

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On Friday, I received my WhoduKnit Trick or Treat package from Mary Aman! It is a great package and this photo doesn't do it justice.

The book is The Segwick Curse by Shawna Delacorte
Two skeins of Lion Brand, Fancy Fur in brilliant blue
A pattern for a fuzzy neck gaiter
A candle and candle holder
Hand soaps
Grapefruit foot massage cream
and, finally, a magnetic notepad.

Thanks Mary. It is a great package.

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Yesterday, I spent the morning in training to be a Board of Elections "judge." Ohio and Cuyahoga County in particular are not known for their election stability. While the trainer and assistant were great, the whole set up was stupid. There were about 15 of us, several of us had been told different times and different locations. And then there were people asking really stupid questions. The State of Ohio requires proof of identification. It is clearly spelled out what is accepted and that if the people that come do not have the proper identification, they cannot vote electronically. They can vote provisionally (paper ballot) but will have to show their identification with 10 days. "Ummm, if someone comes and let's say that they have moved and ummm, they don't have anything with their current address on it, they aren't allowed to vote, right?" DUHHHHH. EVERYONE is allowed to vote. The proof of identification can be a utility bill or bank statement. This is not that difficult. Seriously not that difficult. It should be interesting.

A simple little square

So for the Whoduknit March project, we are knitting 12" squares. A simple thing. Bought the woolese in lovely shades of green, decided on a couple of patterns (and printed them on 4x6" cards so that they are handy).

And probably have frogged the stupid thing more than just about any other project (well, except for Lindsey's KnitWit hat . . . which I hate and will probably leave behind somewhere). The biggest problem is that it is like doing a swatch, a large swatch but a swatch nevertheless. So, I started the first one which had a couple of repeats of a simple cable pattern, figured out how many stitches, did a couple of measurements and figured that I would be about a 1/2" short of 12 inches, which could easily be adjusted with a crocheted edge (even made a note to self: "SELF: don't forget to measure and adjust final row to end up with an 11-1/2" square").

So, cast on, do three or four rows, and, keeping in mind that my pattern is on a 4x6" card, I whip out my card, use it as a psuedo ruler, only to discover . . . its about 12-1/2" and not 11-1/2". So then, thinking that maybe the cards aren't really 4x6" but maybe a tad off, I find a ruler and remeasure. F-R-O-G. And, because that was so much fun, I did it again with the same pattern, fewer stitches and still ended up making a mess of it, plus I am having to adjust the repeat on the pattern.

Then decided that I would try a new pattern.

Well, then I decided that I would just do a simple knit . . . no pattern, maybe a seed stitch.

BLECHHHHH.

So, now I have a very nice square more than half way done. A simple pattern, reverse diamonds. While I'm not thrilled with it, and have decided that the pattern would be better in a finer yarn and smaller needle, it is nice, a little blurry but nice.

Of course, it is also sitting on the dining room table. Stupid square.

Entrelac . . . pseudo blocked

Here is the scarf which is almost done. I am on the last tier but needed to get a pic done for the Whoduknit KAL. I love the colors and love doing this. It is not complicated although I did have to frog on more than one occasion.

I am also working on some squares for the Whoduknit afghan project.

Next up is socks for the April project. I have the most perfect yarn. Very spring!

Lindsey tried on her entire outfit for graduation and Confirmation. She picked out the shoes first (big mistake). They are in a madras plaid. THEN we got to find an outfit that would go with the shoes. The other problem that happens is that she just turned 13 and has a 20 year old sister. Often she thinks she should be able to wear stuff that her sister does. In any event, I think we did good.

The scarf . . . a love/hate relationship

I love the entrelac scarf. And it is beautiful:

but, what is that you say, "is it done?" Don't be silly. If you look real close, you can see the needle up at the top.

The thing I despise about this, is frogging it is a royal pain . . . both in the pattern AND the yarn.

So "don't frog" you say. Ha! You must frog when you discover that somehow you got twisted around and started going the wrong way.

And, then you ask "how did you get twisted around?" Its easy, especially when you don't complete a tier and then pick it up and start working on it, on the bus going home, when you are so sleepy that the only thing you should be doing is listening to your book (Haunted Ground by the way) or maybe just closing your eyes and relaxing (although there is the fear of snoring).

I have to say that I am so tired lately that I can hardly stand it. I get home from school on Mondays and Wednesdays at 10:00 and usually Dave and I will sit and talk, enjoy a glass of wine and spend sometime together (it is rather nice to have the kids already tucked up and I do very much enjoy this time and the fact that he waits until I home to go to bed . . . he usually goes to bed at 9:00 cause he gets up at 3:00 to grade papers). But on those days where I'm not getting home late, I too have been going to bed by 9:30 (fortunately, last night Grey's Anatomy was a repeat). But I'm still tired in the morning/afternoon/evening. Arghhh, I'm sleepy and making stupid mistakes.

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I have bought the yarn for the Whoduknit from Joann's. I bought Lion's Brand Wool-Ease in a Forest Heather Green. It is very lush. I have yet to decide on what pattern I will do but have to look at the patterns to find one with a repeat that will even out to 12 inches . . . or maybe and 11 square of pattern with 1/2 inch edge all around. We will see.

Entrelac done with first skein

I know that this is getting boring . . . BUT, I finally finished the first skein for the entrelac scarf. I know that we talked about following the colorway's repeat. In laying this out though, I'm not sure that it matters. First of all, there doesn't seem to be a repeat. It seems that at the beginning the color is teal, going to purple, then aqua then a clear green (almost Kelly green), then a tweading green to the teal and purple but then it is aqua fading into lots of purple (almost three full rectangles). Plus, this is a scarf. If it were a sweater or something I would need to match later on, I would be concerned. It isn't and I'm not.

I love the colors and the way they switch. Very Northern Lights.

I changed needles (but not needle size) and I'm knitting with my Options tighter than I knit with the Denise needles. Again, this is a scarf. It is for me and I'm not frogging it.

Entrelac . . . almost to the end of ball 1

This is very addicting . . . of course, I guess there could be worse things to be addicated to. This is seven tiers of entrelac . . . more importantly, it is getting close to the end of the first skein.

The colors are fabulous and thoroughly enjoying the way this is going together. The colors do not repeat often and the blending from one color to the next is very nice. The color that I am on now is only repeating for the first time. The darkest color which is showing up as a dark blue, is actually more of a purple tweady color.

It takes me one bus ride to do a tier. When you get right down to it, this requires more knitting than a simple scarf (which also explains why it takes three skeins). Each rectangle is fifteen rows of knitting, granted you are only doing eight stitches in those fifteen rows but it is still 15 x 3 rectangles x 8 stitches = 360 . . . I hope that works out right.

I also know that this is awesome since both my daughters have fondled it and wanted to know WHO it was for . . . the looks on their face were great when I said "me."