KNITTING WITHOUT DOG HAIR IS NOT AN OPTION

Oy - last entry on April 23 - geezopete... Time flies when you're having no fun (ok, a little fun), but a lot of work.

And since I don't have much time now either, I'm just going to show off a few knitting projects - after all, that's what a knitting blog is for, right? I have a lot more things to tell you about but that would involve tons of writing... Therefore, just pictures for now - which I finally took - and a few remarks. I hope next week will be better and I'll have more time to relate my knitting adventures.

I am working on the second sock - very mindless knitting, perfect for SNB group outings. No thinking involved. There is hardly any yarn left from the first sock since it only comes with 185 yards.

The pattern is from Charlene Schurch's new book - More Sensational Knitted Socks. Shoot me, but I can't remember what it is called... I'll look it up and let you know.

And while I was taking all these pictures Monday evening, I was baking spinach lasagna. And because I was out on the porch taking the pictures in the remaining daylight, I did not hear the oven calling...

So, the cheese was a "little" on the dark side, but hubby is such a dear and overlooked this. See what knitting can do to your household...

And here are the treasures I scored from Mom. She was actually destashing on me. Unbelievable!

8 balls of Alpaca - at least 15 years old - which she bought when a store went out of business. I started the Alpine Knit Scarf from Victorian Lace Today. Of course it looks a little bit like boiled a$$.

But you know how it is with lace... Magic happens with blocking.

You must be thinking that I fell off the wagon and cheated on my yarn diet. I DID NOT! I told my mom about the yarn diet thing and she got a kick out of that. Of course, she never heard of such a thing and she - smart woman she is - asked if she can buy me yarn as a gift. That wouldn't count, right? So, she got me this lovely summer yarn and I started a 3/4 sleeve (not those long sleeves from the original pattern - see below) sweater with it.

I am half way through the front - also easy knitting with a fun cable pattern.

And last but not least - handspun. Mom had a bag at home - again, for ages - with scratchy handspun yarn she got from a friend, a local farmer. So she asked me if I wanted this as well:

She couldn't tell me what kind of sheep it was. But after I said I would take it, she washed and balled it for me. So, it's hand-spun, hand-washed and hand-balled. Ha-ha-ha.

Ok, that's as much as I have time for right now.

Nah - two more things...

I got a birth announcement the other day. Guess who had a lamb? Yup, my little adopted sheep. So, am I a granny now?

And I am knitting something for somebody with this yarn. You can try and guess what color I bought. :-) More about that later!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

This is what I truly missed during my visit in Germany: a get-together here and there with my knitting friends. It seems that knitting habits in Germany - or at least in the parts I was staying - are very different from here in the Metro Atlanta area. I saw no one knitting in public but me. Lots of people watched me knitting on the train. Their faces expressed some interest but it all felt to me like I dropped onto the earth from another planet with knitting in my hands.

Of course, my mom knits. But never in public and she never takes her knitting anywhere. Not even a sock... I guess this is a result of different cultures and generations. One time on the train an elderly lady watched me and she said: "Oh, how nice, you are knitting." And I showed her my socks - but other than that, zero... So, I sat at every family gathering - like the black sheep - knitting... He-he-he.

So, I missed the knitting gals and I've been back for a couple of weeks and we finally managed to get together yesterday. Jen, Pixie, Melissa, Rebecca and I met at a local Starbucks and sat and knitted and gossiped for over 4 hours. HEAVEN!!! And we are planning to meet more often - we'll have to see when and where. It is so nice to spend time with a group of people without any personality clashes, without having to tip-toe around certain subjects, without being worried about offending anyone, without the pressure to pick the right place to meet, and, and, and... We are just a bunch of knitting friends who get along great. I truly missed that while I was in Germany.

So, while gabbing and drinking Starbucks sugar-free non-fat no-whip Cinnamon Dolce Latte (my favorite coffee at the moment), I got going on Little Pixie's cardigan. Here is where I stopped last night around midnight, after three episodes of Carnivàle (Second Season):

And this is a close up of the cable that runs up the front around the hoodie and back down the front. And because it was so late, the pictures are not fancy-schmancy but at least they show the progress. :-)

I can't wait to get the sleeves done - I am taking the first one to an AKG board meeting tonight. Mindless stockinette knitting for 8 inches. Don't you love knitting for babies? A sleeve to the armhole is only 8 inches long - nice!

Happy Monday - have a great week!

Y'all know that dear hubby edits my blog - and if you didn't know, then you know now. This is to prevent me from writing funny things like "girly movie" instead of "chick flick". (I swear that actually happened.)

If you have a computer background, you know about Dilbert. Since hubby and I both worked at Sun Microsystems for a while, we both enjoy the cartoons very much. Every once in a while, hubby points out a good one. And this is a really good one related to blogs. :-)

I am sure you can imagine who is who. :-)

On a knitting note - I have connected all the pieces on Little Pixie's cardigan. Need to take a picture - I know. Hopefully tonight - after knitting at Knitch, I will even have more progress to show.

OMG - and you have to look at the YouTube video over at Jen's. Just too hilarious. :-)

My poor neglected spinning wheel... She - Esmerelda - is pretty desperate to get out and I can't stand her squeaking anymore. Therefore we are going to the Peachtree Handspinners Guild Meeting tomorrow. So she'll stop moping and collecting dust on her head and I can learn something about skirting. Here is an excerpt from the newsletter:

Skirting Fleece with Lori Helms
One of the best parts of demonstrating at the Renaissance Festival is explaining to children how “the sheep gets a haircut and then we wash it with hot water and soap. And just like you take a bath to get the dirt off, I’m washing the fleece to get the dirt out, but because they don’t use potties, I have to wash out poo, too!” And it never fails that I see pursed lips, wide eyes and then hear every exclamation they can muster, beginning with “yuuuuuuck”!
It’s true! Sheep don’t use potties, and unless you’re never going to experience the complete circle of fleece-garment, you, too need to get your hands into the fleece and get the poo out - SKIRT it! Skirting IS removing poo; but it’s a LOT more than just removing poo. Having lived on a farm and raising my own sheep, angora goats and even a llama, I learned how to skirt a fleece years ago, and I am now relentless. Here is YOUR chance to learn how to skirt a fleece relentlessly, learning from our guild expert, Lori Helms. She will teach you how to lay out a fleece, how to tell the head from the tail, where on the sheep the best fleece is grown, and how to separate it all out, and make the most of your precious fleece.

I will bring some of the Cotswold fleece that is still resting airly in our basement. It is actually very clean (but not washed and carded), so maybe I can find a few poo parts for show and tell. :-) And I think I will also bring some of Michaiah's fleece to spin. Man, now I am getting excited about spinning. I really need to sit a bit tomorrow morning and practice and get reaquainted with Esmerelda - or maybe tonight after the Friday Night Knitting Group.

But that depends on how tired I am tonight. I had another really bad gastritis attack this week and I am still recovering. I guess it's sinking in that my dear coworker has finally decided to move to New Jersey, and that she is leaving between July 1 and August 1, depending on how everything works out jobwise, etc., and subconsciously I get stressed out about it. At least we convinced my boss that we need to replace her. No way can I do both jobs without losing my sanity. :-)

So, more relaxing knitting and spinning should help, we would think. And therefore, besides going to the PHG tomorrow, I am also planning a trip to Knitch on Sunday to a) sit and knit and meet my knitting gals and b) buy yarn for somebody who is having a birthday in June and for whom I found a great pattern yesterday - yes, another gift that needs to be knitted. But since it is for a knitter, I know it will be VERY appreciated.

Also coming up - THE Barbara Walker is visiting the Atlanta Knitting Guild in June. This is totally exciting for me. Now I have to show off a little bit... Since I organize the Super Star visits for the AKG, I get to pick her up at the airport and spend a bunch of extra time with her (as chauffeur, meal arranger, etc.), besides the AKG meeting and her workshop. I hope I won't make a total a$$ of myself because I am so excited (I feel like a little bouncy puppy dog) to meet one of the knitting legends of all times. Oh, and as you read this, believe it or not, we still have space in her workshop. If you are interested, let me know through a comment here and I can email you the details.

There will be more summer activites - not ripe for discussion yet, but in the works. I will report when there is something to tell. :-)

And finally - I took pictures this morning, yeah - before I left for work at 6am! The totally cute Little Pixie cardigan - it's coming along:

It definitely is very enjoyable to knit and I am pretty sure that I will make a second one for my darling niece in Germany. It needs to be washed and blocked to get a grip on the curly edges and to smooth all the stockinette stitches. And you can see Melissa's super-cute stitch markers hard at work:

Three doughnuts and one éclair. I also have a piece of Red Velvet cake. But I only needed four markers and the doughnuts and the éclair match better - I know, I know, I'm a freak...

Speaking of Melissa - she also mentioned the Monkey Socks on her blog - that is such a cool pattern and I completely missed it. So, off the pattern went to the printer yesterday and I cast on last night...

I am using Claudia's Handpainted Yarn (100% Merino Wool, color: Poppy). I love the vibrant oranges and reds. Very bright - I might have to wear sunglasses while knitting. :-)

Going to the PHG meeting last Saturday was truly re-inspiring for me and the spinning wheel. Shari and I carpooled to Decatur. I hadn't seen her in ages and we had lots of catching up to do. Good thing you can chat while you spin. :-)

And besides, we had a wonderful time at the guild - the presentation about fleece skirting was great. And I know for sure that I won't mess with a poopy fleece anytime soon. I'll be a picky little princess and send it away for processing, should I ever buy one at a fiber festival.

Here is what I accomplished at the Guild Meeting - one bobbin filled with Icelandic roving:

I am working on a second bobbin for a 2-ply. Hopefully after the loooooooong Memorial Day weekend, I'll have more to show. The roving is extremly soft and spins up like a charm. Here you can see the different steps:

Roving - Yarn - Knit

Tho, I have to say this sample was my first try on the Islandic and it is very uneven. I am doing much better now. This is the sample I spun up a while ago:

Look closely and you will see the uneven stitches. But at least it was a good test run:

And while I sat next to Jane, the sock queen, at the PHG meeting, I asked her to look at my Monkey Socks. I started the sock on needle size #2 and I should have known better. I hardly ever knit on size #2 - I am just too loose... Usually I knit one size #1 or #0. Compare for yourself...

Size #2 on the left and Size #1 on the right - looks much better! Even on the sock blocker -which Pixie gave me for Xmas and which I LOVE - the size #2 is very loose!!!

While I was at my favorite yarn store with my knitting gals last Sunday, I bought my ticket to this year's Stitch N' Pitch event on July 15, 2007. The Atlanta Braves will be playing the Pittsburgh Pirates.

I am not a sports fan. But who cares? Knitting with friends - any time! Kim at Knitch offers this fabulous package including a bus ride from the shop to the game and back, the game ticket, free beverages (and I heard that means adult beverages, too) on the bus, a T-Shirt for the event, and a goody bag (I think). Can't say no that. :-)

I couldn't go last year because I was at a knitting weekend in Pigeon Forge. But this year I won't miss out. YAY!

So, get your tickets - this will be a fun event.

The long weekend - Memorial Day weekend - was there, was nice, and already feels long gone. And I am saying this three days later. Oh well - gotta hang in there until Fourth of July now.

So, three days of doing nothing but relaxing at the house - gimme more... Here are some weekend pix for your approval:

Bored fiber dogs - because Mommy either knitted, spun or cleaned or watched The Sopranos and knitted. BORING FOR DOGS!!!

And since Noah is such a laid back guy who lays around most of the day - I took another shot of his front paw. His front paws remind me of fuzzy slippers - not very manly, but extremely cute. ;-)

And Hermione is always busy - just the opposite of Noah. Her favorite toy is a racquetball:

We also spent some time outside - and I got sunburned. Geez... I should know better. What can a couple of hours do? Well, they make you turn red... While outside I also noticed that the rose bushes in the front yard decided to bloom without any help. I am always amazed how pretty they are, especially since I do nothing for them but cut them down to almost nothing every fall...

And a cute bug - not a stitch marker this time. :-)

And there were quite a few FOs in knitting (also spinning, but that'll have to wait)...

I finished three multi-directional scarves. One of them is actually more a wrap than a scarf. I love the pattern. I think this could be a very good universal Christmas gift for 2007.

Yarn: 2 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite (color No. 2018B)
(45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lamb wool - 50gr/125m)
Needles: US size #5

And since I had some leftover yarn from the second ball - I added a little fringe.

I knitted this wrap with BIG needles (US size #17) to make the garter stitch really airy. It turned into a very fluffy and soft wrap. Perfect for the bus ride - the A/C blasts and I usually freeze my behind off...

Yarn: 2 balls of Laines Du Nord - Kiddy print
(80% kid mohair, 20% polyamid - 1.76oz/230 yds)

And now - drumroll please! My first project knitted with handspun yarn. Yes, no kidding - I bought the roving last year at SAFF:

And it turned into this...

It spun into a single ply yarn with 19 wpi and I ended up with approx. 300 yds. That was pretty dandy for my first real spinning, I thought. And now the scarf:

The scarf has a few spots where the yarn is a lot thicker than at other places. But I have to say I am pretty happy with the result. :-)

And while acquiring the sunburn, I also finished the first Monkey Sock:

I SO LOVE THESE COLORS!!!

Definitely summer colors to brighten a cold and grey winter day! I started the second sock with the second ball and the colors pool completely differently. Very cool!

The weekend was nice and relaxing and a good break before the craziness of this and next week. My coworker is on vacation in Ecuador, and when she gets back, I have her by my side for only three more weeks before she quits. In that time, I need her to hold my hand while she teaches me all the nooks and crannies of our accounting, etc., and everything else she does. At the same time (sounds almost like a knitting pattern...) I have to look for her replacement. We've had several candidates in this week, and I hope my boss and I can choose someone from them. Cross your fingers. It would really ease my mind to find someone before I'm all alone. Otherwise, I don't think there's enough knitting I can do to keep my sanity. :-)

FSPO - Finished spinning and plying object.

Just wanted to show one more thing that I couldn't squeeze in this morning:

It is a little under-twisted, I am sure the Spinning Obi Wan Kenobi can see it. I somehow always have this issue. I think it is because I am more of a go-with-the-flow spinner and I don't count treadles, etc. I am not a math girl - ask hubby.

But it feels wonderful and I enjoyed spinning the fiber. This is now 250 yards of 2-ply. And I have lots more roving in the box. Unfortunately I did not weigh how much roving I took out of the box to produce the 250 yards.

Next try will be a one-ply and a little thicker. We'll see. I seem to have a disorder that prevents me from spinning any thicker yarn - only thin strings...

And if you are at Knitch tonight, you can touch the new yarn. He-he-he-he...