Insulin Caution

Allow me to get mushy for a minute....

Two years since I picked up one sick, too thin, abandoned little girl at the Humane Society, that two families had passed up.

And now:








Their loss, my gain. And I'm still sick with dog love for the Tank.

It's like I'm there!

But not really...the weather is fairly similar, gray and rainy skies today:




However, it's not Ireland, not by a long shot from what I've heard from others and read for myself. Yet, what is this in my mailbox?




This label should read "Happiness" is enclosed. However, then the customs agents would be suspicious and open my package. Then they would be envious and coveting of my treasure, and I don't think I would ever have seen it. But slap "Yarn" on that label? Came through unmolested....






Isn't it gorgeous?






These photos just don't show how rich and deep the rose and pinks are in this yarn, and how it sparkles with the gold:








And it's kismet that I found the perfect hat pattern for myself.

You can see the various kinds of dye wonder from Celtic Memory Yarns over here!

Stripe It

There's something about baby sweaters with stripes that just appeals to me.

Maybe because it breaks up yards and yards of knitting? Maybe because the babies and toddler look like cute, colorful bumblebees in them? Maybe there's somewhere in my subconscious that equates the stripes with those striped lollipops wrapped on a stick?

Whatever it is, I like knitting striped baby sweaters whenever possible. Right now, it's a striped version of this sweater that I'm working on:




The yellow is in both the pink flecked and white flecked yarn:







Yes, that's a glass stitch marker in the shape of a duck:





Meanwhile, I'm going to be working on a striped version of a seed stitch sweater for Enzo in these colors (Plymouth Encore Worsted - Dark Brownheath and Woodbine) from Jimmy Beans Wool:






And for Mallory, I'm knitting this version of Oriental Lily (but not as long as in the photo) in these colors (Plymouth Encore Worsted - Green and Baby Pink) from Jimmy Beans Wool:

Relax

I'm pretty sure that casting on for a toddler kimono sweater wasn't what Frankie Goes To Hollywood was referring to...but for the way my weekend is going, this is my relaxation method for the moment.

Remember the Encore Colorspun I bought a while back?




I'm casting on the Seamless Infant Kimono for the 18-24 month size.

I can damn well guarantee that it won't be done in 24 hours like the Yarn Harlot managed to do.

If I'm so cranked up that I'm speed knitting at that clip, I will be drinkin' and possibly fornicatin' waiting for the world to end, because the only way I'd be knitting that quickly is that the end is nigh (choose your favorite apocalypse).

Must Be I Like The Kid

Here I am again, knitting with pink yarn. For the Child O' Mine. Damn pink yarn. Again. I must like the kid a bit.














I wanted some easy pattern/texture knitting:
Cast on odd amount of stitches
Row 1 - K1, S1
Row 2 - K all





I sent photos to the CoM via text. Her reply: "Best. Mommy. Evah."

Yeah, damn straight.

Gifts From Talented Hands And Kind Hearts

What do I get from knitting?

Most days, I go home and smooch on the Tank, then do chores. Then I do a bit of knitting to take the edge off before doing homework...if I have time.

I get to hang out once a week with a group of fiercely intelligent, talented, and funny women who will tell me I'm full of crap when I need to hear it, laugh with me as I tell about the ridiculous situations I get myself into, and support me when I need it the most.

I also receive some lovely gifts - this is a rice pillow filled with lavendar, with a soft fleece (removable cover) for when my back problems flair up. Carol is not only an amazing knitter, but a talented quilter, too.




Another gift is this pair of socks from the skilled knitter, Claire, who is also tenacious and finally got me to knit socks that I didn't want to set on fire. These socks that she knit are not only whimsical, but fit perfectly, too.




And finally, there is a gift I received this evening. It's from someone who I admire for her skill in lace knitting (and cabling, but I'm not going to go there tonight [the cabled green sweater will one day be mine, oh yes, it will!], ahem).

When we first met Karen, she was knitting a dress with mirrored sequins for a holiday work function. And when we saw pictures of her in it, she looked like a graceful mermaid. One member of the SnB decided it was perhaps time that she paid to be a member of the SnB (which is free) so that we could buy hooch to forget all the stunning items she's knit.

Tonight, I received a card to a gift bag that said she was giving me back some yarn I had given her a few years ago. I was confused, usually when I give yarn away it's because I've finally came to my senses and realized I had no business purchasing, let alone hoarding the yarn - and it was usually lace weight yarn. Lace that I have yearned and tried to knit. No, don't go there. I know when to give up when I have continually ended up restraining myself from trying to poke my own eyes with my needles when the lace experiment failed for the umpteenth time.

Anyway, so Karen was returning the yarn to me. This is how the yarn was returned to me:








I'm stealing her photo so you can see it in all of its beauty.





(The woman had to call upon her college geometry class to block it!)

For all you knitters who know me, it's in a secret location. Don't bother trying to bribe Tank when you come over to "borrow" it.

FO #17: Macyn's Sweater

Last night:




Today:















* * * *
The down and dirty details:

Yarn(s): Patons Silk Bamboo

Pattern: Seamless Kimono Sweater by Jacki Kelly

Purchased: Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts in Iowa

Needles: size 6

Time: for me - 10-12 hours; for most knitters, 4-6 hours

* * * *

Now I'm going to go have a slice of sweet-tart cherry pie I made last night, for breakfast, because I can... Besides, it will fortify me in resisting the latest baby item that the Yarn Harlot has posted.

Hey! I'm busy, um, *working* over here!

I have been, honest. I just may have been unduly influenced by a certain Yarn Harlot on this day and perhaps on this day.

And this may have shown up in my email.

Or this may have ended up on my table at home.





I have to go now. I have a baby sweater to finish knitting so I can give it a bath and block it. I have a lunch date with the mommy and the baby girl I'm knitting it for...

I was thinking in the shower - I'm like that, rogue thinking *all over the place* - wouldn't it be awesome if you had special Eucalan soap that if you wanted a certain baby sweater that you just adore, to grow into your size while its in the bath? I mean, sure, adult sweaters are cool, but I'm built like a line backer for the Steelers, but a lot less butch. It takes *forever* to knit myself a sweater that isn't made of rope and takes 12 minutes to complete...and looks like ass and/or a bad outfit for an S&M sailor on me.

Hey, it was just a thought, okay?

By the way, I adore Jenny. I don't give a damn who knows it.

Distractions

Damn this getting older gig, after all that cleaning yesterday and in spite of daily workouts, I woke up stiff and achy.

After getting myself some tea and getting the Tank set up for geese guard duty (they gather at the golf course across the way from us, Tank likes to keep an eye out and give a warning growl to the rowdier ones, as if they cared...):





I finished the edging on the one sleeve and the bottom of the baby kimono sweater:










As you see, there's just the one sleeve and the ribbon to thread through the eyelets.



Then it will be given a bath and blocked.

Undone

This week has been just one damn thing after another, ending with a love letter from a certain federal financial agency that just longs to discuss my finances from two years ago.

Fucking marvelous.

I do two things when I'm upset: eat and clean.

I resisted the urge to buy enough ingredients to bake for the zombie apocalypse, and instead indulged in microwave popcorn and A&W root beer.

As to the cleaning, I emptied my kitchen cabinets and cupboards, threw things out that I couldn't remember when I had last used them, reorganized said cupboards, and then did the same to refrigerator.

I moved on to the linen closet and then the bathroom.

Finally, my studio. I reorganized all the stash by color, I reorganized my drop spindles and the bit of fiber I have left from the last purge two years ago, rearranged my books and patterns, and then turned my eye to my winter wear tub. I had purged that two years ago, frogging any item I hadn't worn for a year (re-skein the yarns, washed them, and then put them into the stash again). I didn't have much that I don't wear in the winter storage bin, except for a shawl.

Remember this?










It's made out of the Malabrigo silk and merino, sport weight. It's been in storage for several years now. Mainly because I like wearing these more:

The alpaca wrap





The bi-color shrug



So the shawl is going into the frog pond this afternoon, and the yarn will be lovingly washed and allowed to dry. I'll figure out what else to do with it in 2012.