Knitting? Who has time?

Not a lot of knitting this weekend - I finished knitting Aidan's Aran on Saturday morning but haven't done the "finishing" yet. I bought ribbon for the stockings - but haven't attached it yet. I avoided the Dale. And I decided that I will take Anjuli as car knitting on our trip. I need to decide what else to take, but I think it will just be socks that I have started - one pair from Shepherd Sport and one from Opal. I've probably got a total of 40 hours in the car in the next week or two - but I do get bored of knitting after a bit.

I also bought some gifts for a knitter - Steve's mom is getting a copy of Jean Frost's Jackets and a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot - this stuff feels WONDERFUL.

I braved the mall to finish buying gifts for family, and finished most of the Christmas cards last night. I hope. I lost my Palm address book along the way this year, and I hope I had everyone's address re-entered. I sewed a dog bed for Bear - an exercise in futility, as she has devoured the last two. I used that awful pillow ticking stuff this time, and I hope this lasts a bit. No more polar fleece for Bear. It is just too tasty. I also got engrossed in the book I bought to read OVER vacation (not BEFORE vacation - oh well) - She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Off to the library tonight to find a book to read OVER vacation.

We spent an afternoon at the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. We went to see the "Bond, James Bond" exhibit before it closes at the end of the year. I really love the Bond movies - and what they say about American culture throughout time. But - I was really disappointed with the exhibit. It was too loud, and even though the exhibit was nearly empty, they tried to push you through. Not giving enough time to look at the objects and renderings. I was really disappointed that, given how much was spent on lighting and monitors, the sound design was so poor. It made the film clips nearly irrelevant.

Henry Ford was, well, a bit eccentric. I guess it's okay though. He collected lots of things related to technological development and to "old time" America. Including buildings. Steve's favorite part of the museum is the section of engines and water pumps - pumps to drain mines and such. Huge things. I like the sheepies and the oxen - especially when they are trying to plow with them (the oxen. The sheep don't really do much). Really makes me respect the people who busted the sod. The museum has a lot of stuff, but not a ton of interpretive material. And then, what is there, tends to be aimed at a grade-school audience, which is probably a huge group of visitors (and they have a charter school there). But anyway, they redesigned and expanded the flight section, which is nice because previously they had a lot of objects in a small space with just cards naming/dating the objects.

We also headed over to Greenfield Village, the collection of buildings, which was decorated for the holidays. GV is also totally redone since we had last been there. But I couldn't take all the Christmas baking in the homes. I am just hungry all the time, and walking into houses filled with candy and coconut cake and freshly-baked pretzels was too much! Plus, the candy store was closed, so nowhere to pick up some "penny candy". A good weekend. Just not a lot of knitting to showcase!

Sweatergirl and the indestructible plate

I don't know where this plate came from, but I have taken it to every potluck that I have been to in the last seven years. I keep thinking that I don't really mind if it gets lost or broken. In fact, sometimes I wish it would get lost or broken, since it is sort of a weird size, and not terribly attractive.

But I have new respect for it - in addition to coming back intact from every potluck (even the ones I left early), it has survived the ultimate. Yesterday morning, I left it on the counter with a few slices of chocolate cake left on it. When I got home from work, Bear trotted up to me with the cake server proudly in her mouth. Uh oh, I think, as I head into the kitchen to clean up the "pottery" shards. But - no shards. No plate. A full house search revealed that the plate had mysteriously travelled from the back of the kitchen counter and into the bathroom where I found it behind the toilet licked clean. Intact. No chips, even. Neither dog would confess. Now, behind the toilet might not be my choice of venues, but is apparently a secure place to defend if you are a pup with forbidden chocolate cake. By the way, both pups are fine, despite my terror about dogs not being allowed to eat chocolate. And wow - I highly recommend this brand if you need an indestructible potluck plate.

In knitting news, I am haunted by my nearly complete Dale sweater. I got this as a Christmas present 3 years ago - and it would be so cool to wear it this Christmas. So maybe I can buckle down and get that done this weekend, now that the stockings are done (I'll post a pic once I get some ribbon to hang them by the chimney with care...). I just FEAR the embroidery on the Dale, which is apparently "just" daisy stitch. And have to decide about clasps vs buttons with button loops.

And this is for TrixieChick: inspiration...she is hours away from completing St. Brigid! I am, um, years away from completing St. Brigid. AS has redone St. Brigid in her new yarn and has some gorgeous glamour shots...

Oh - and LynnH is in the paper this week - and they posted the article online too!

TGIDecember

Because "2003" has been a load of trouble. Not really the year, just knitting the year into the stockings. First - I knitted it into the red stocking upside-down. Didn't realize until it was completely kitchenered. OK. So I ripped that out and reknit. So I get to the green stocking and think, "Oh yeah - now I know to start with the bottom of the numbers AND I can look at the red stocking as I go." Well, I managed to screw that up in a new and different way - this time knitting "3002". And that, my dears, is why I never knit Christmas presents. I'm just pitiful at knitting for others. These are not mistakes that no one would notice.

But - the fact that I was at the "3002" part of the stocking means I am almost done! Here's a pic:

I really like the Fana pattern. Here's some other fans of Fana: Chattering Magpie with a cute hooded Fana baby sweater, Emma's chick (scroll to October 9), and, of course, Esther's Ginger. I thought I would like the Sirdal pattern more (like the Red Stocking), but the lice are actually very boring and hard to see progress on. The stripes here are very nice for counting. Alas - I already have yarn to make a Sirdal sweater for myself. I do love the way it looks.

So - for hanging these stockings - I was thinking of using a bit of Dale of Norway (or similar) ribbon. If I can find some. Otherwise - I-cord it is. Or would a crochet chain stretch less?

So then what? Back to the Jo Sharp Anjuli big enough to fit my pregnant self? Or I could do the last sleeve of Aidan's Aran and pretend it was supposed to be a Christmas present. Or I could start something new....gloves for me and my red jacket...new felted clogs (for me)...(see a pattern?)...Or Steve and I could rip out that grey sweater...

Last night was our guild holiday potluck. Much fun! This week is full of parties - today is a lunch one (my office) and a dinner one (Steve's office), and tomorrow is our book club meeting/party. Not really a party, but we read light Christmassy books this month, and we have a cookie exchange. I think I might not bake cookies, but make Peppermint Bark ala Williams-Sonoma. Wish me luck on that. It doesn't SEEM hard to do.

For your amusement:

"The two greatest accomplishments of mankind are knitting and beer." Two of my favorite things - lauded in one column!

Sorry, Morgan - buy "Yay!" for Sandra winning Survivor. I had a love/hate relationship with her - I loved her the first day when she got all that stuff on the island (love the barbecue scene) - I hated how she never seemed to know what was going on politically in the tribe. And her temper! Another love/hate thing. But anyway - I love that she beat out the other 3 - Jon, Darrah, and Lil. So I WILL be back for All-Stars...

Whew!

Survivor - So Sandra finally got her act together and voted the way she was supposed to. What a relief. Of course, the snake is still in, but he hasn't won a single challenge (except the reward that he cheated on, and the reward that Darah and Lil dragged him through). Sunday is the finale. And I will not be able to see it! Well, without making a fuss. I'm supposed to be socializing at a conference in the Central Time Zone, and I don't see anyway of getting through dinner before 7. I'll get it taped, but it's not the same.

So wish me good anti-snow vibes, as I have to fly from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to St. Paul, Minnesota. Luckily the forecasts look pretty decent.

Last night I reknit the bottom of the toe of the red stocking to get "2003" to read right-side-up from a hanging position. That was definitely a 3-D perception issue. Hey, some people have it, and the rest of us rip. I'll be taking the Green Stocking on the plane. As well as yarn for another MMKG hat contest entry. I always pack too heavily - it's only a one-hour flight! Barely enough time to get up, eat my peanuts pretzels, and get back down.

Sweatergirl haunted by past project

S brought up "his sweater" the other day. The one that was supposed to be a Christmas gift some years ago. Well, I had asked him several times if he really wanted it that small, since he wanted it ribbed and ribbing pulls in, you know. But he insisted that he wanted it pretty close-fitting. But a ribbed, close-fitting sweater is not flattering to his body-type, being slightly apple-y...but that's what he said he wanted. While I was making it, I made him try it on several times (after the shoulder joins, after the side seams, after the sleeves sewn on). I still thought it was too small. He didn't. But when I finished it, it was suddenly too small. So the thing has been sitting there, completely knitted, completely finished, totally unwearable. Ugh. Now he wants his grey sweater. So I told him I would reknit it if he would rip it out. But this time - not ribbed and a bit larger. He's thinking about it. Grr.

And in more recent project news - what's wrong with this picture?

Ack!

Stockinggirl?

So here's the "Red Stocking" after the weekend - ready to start the toe. The short row heel is convenient for continuing the design, but sort of lays (lies?) a bit funny. Oh well.

I got to spend Sunday afternoon with spinning buddies, and we had our annual gift exchange. We each find something - from our stash - can't be purchased for the exchange - to give away. We wrap it and pick a present. I found a few ounces in a bag labelled "cashmere". Sure enough, it was soft and short-stapled, so I think the label was correct. I have no idea where or when I bought this, and there were some remnants in the bag of my attempts to spin it. I thought that would be a fun thing for someone to play with. And it found the right person - our confirmed cotton spinner. All the gifts were really cool! I was lucky enough to get some handspun alpaca in a beautiful mocha brown. Luscious. And - wow! - that present must have known it was for me, since I am the slowest spinner in the group. Plus, it is spun so woolen and fluffy - a challenge for me. I am wowed. Not sure what project might be worthy yet...

On Saturday, my Engine Malfunction Indicator light came on. Sounds scary, right? And the manual said to take it to the dealer immediately for diagnosis. Well, thanks to the TDIclub, I found out that that can also mean that my brake light bulbs are burned out. Huh. Definitely not worth $75 to diagnose and fix at the dealer! Strange that they indicate that with such a dire message. S replaced the bulbs in about 5 minutes - all fixed!

Sorry for the infrequent posts - work and this kid are kicking my butt, and I haven't been doing much knitting!

Sweatergirl and the lousy TV night

So many lice...I've knitted the red stocking down to the start of the heel. Then I was so disappointed with TV selection that I camped out and read for a few hours. With Survivor - does anyone care anymore? At this point let Jon win because everyone else is so %&*#!@ stupid. I definitely don't care how this plays out. And then - what's up with that "Extreme Makeover" show? Eewww. Who wants to see whiny, insecure people try to change their lives with expensive and potentially dangerous surgery? Plus - who wants to see body fat anyways? Usually I am spared from flipping through the channels by S's strange devotion to CSI, but he was gloating testing out his handiwork - new brakes on his car. If he's not there, I turn on This Old House/Ask This Old House, but both local PBS stations are doing their Festivus Celebrations, where they take off all our favorite shows that make me support them and replace them with Riverdance or something equally weird. So do I need more channels on TV, or fewer?

Late edition

Don't you hate when people ask if you are sick? If you are, what's the answer? "Yes, I am, but I am so dedicated to the scientific exploration of the water cycle that I dragged myself in share my knowledge AND my germs." If you're not - well, again - what's to say? "No, I am just allergic to all the cockroach droppings in this office." Or, "No, I just need a haircut." Anyway. I am not sick. I just needed to sneeze. Once. All day.

Friday afternoon fun - Check out Miss Abigail's collection of advice. She's got some great gift ideas, and here's some advice for "Naming the Baby" (I've been getting a bunch of this lately!). And thank goodness we now know when to wear our wool hats!

Stocking news

So, since Monday, I have knit nothing but these stockings:

I am pretty happy with them - the tops will be hemmed (instead of curling). I have gotten through all the patterning for a while and will just be knitting lice (eww) for a while. Until I get to the heel. Which will be plain and short-rowed. There will be more patterning just before the toe starts. I am undecided whether to knit names or year in. What if they don't like them?

Tech notes: these are not all that large - probably about 13" in circumference. 72 stitches around on size US6 needles. Hem done on US4 needles (knit 5 rounds, purl turning row, and then knit 5 rounds). Charts are all from the Dale Baby Knits book (Fana in green and Sirdal in red). Yarn is Smart (red and green), Cleckheaton (white with the green), and Creme Brulee (white with the red). And this time I remembered to keep the light color in my left hand.

Dale 1, Sweatergirl 0

So, I thought with the Detroit Lions winning on Thanksgiving, it would be a good weekend for the underdog. Oh well. On the Dale, I just had to: