One more post... before I leave for Virginia. I have packed the most important stuff (2 sock projects, shawl in progress, fiber, drop spindle and digital camera). The other stuff is getting taken care of in small little spurts, since I am still not quite up to par. We plan to picnic tomorrow on the way up - Sandwiches of honey baked ham and of chicken salad and hard boiled eggs to tempt the palate. Have you ever noticed how much better food tastes when you are on a picnic? I wonder why that is so. Anyway, here's wishing you a great couple of weeks and a very happy and safe Labor Day. See you in September...

Well, it's time for vacation, so what should happen? I caught a cold or something. The last 2 days working have been a real drain on my already limited resources.

I ripped out my red mohair shawl in progress - it was turning out to be much too long in the back in proportion to the front. So, I am trying it a different way.

Well, I must go get relaxed and try to help my son come up with a creative idea for an ad campaign. (Ouch - I am so tired, I'm not sure how creative I can be).

Much Ado About Dyeing

This blog is supposed to be about dyeing, too! I am sure you are thinking that I forgot that. Well, it is embarrassing to admit, but I hadn't done any dyeing since Easter... until this past Friday! Here is what I came up with using a mixture of Indigo and Plum Gaywool dyes. This is Falkland wool, and the roving performed like a dream. It is still just as soft as it was in its undyed state, and it did not felt one little bit. Nice, luxury fiber. Anyhow, here's the picture:



I am looking forward to a great couple of weeks after I get Monday and Tuesday's work out of the way. The latter part of the week, we leave for a 10 day vacation to Williamsburg and surroundings. I am planning on making a detour to Murfreesboro, NC to visit The Woolery. And the following Monday, I am getting to meet with the lovely and talented Bess for lunch and a fun filled fiberly day at the yarn shop and perhaps some spindling. Fiber people are just the best!

That was then... This is now...

Here is a picture of the first shawl I ever made (crocheted). This was while I was in my second year of college, so I will not have to tell you how long ago that was.



This is my most recent shawl, knitted of course, in the marvelous pattern Elayne has created. Also, please note the Cathedral Window Quilt underlay. This marvelous quilt was crafted by my talented late Mother-in-Law.

Whew!

Now that I have tinked and tinked my template (yes, that is how it felt), I am hoping now that my Knit Tracker is finally visible to everyone.

I am about 1/3 through with the red mohair shawl and plan to post pictures tomorrow. I am finally to the point where I can identify and work around potential boo boos.

Two things mentioned in the blog manual that are "supposed" to make blogs interesting.

1. Make short entries (hey, I'm good at that!) - but I really love some of the longer posts on blogs, too!

2. "Geek out" over a favorite obsession or hobby. Hey - I'm there, too, especially with spinning and probably with the geek part, too.

Just messing around

I have been knitting some more on the red mohair shawl. I have only ripped it out 20 times or so, but I think I have finally gotten a handle on what I am doing now. (At least I hope so).

I am playing around on a computer hooked up to DSL (not at home, unfortunately - seems we will have dial up for a long time yet). It is really a joy to have instant access to information.

Has anyone been able to find a copy of The Knitter's Handy Book of Sweater Patterns in a retail store yet? I will be glad when I get to buy one. My Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns has been very well used in the past, so I am really looking forward to the new book, too.

Wet Weekend... Warm Hearts.

Today has been dark and stormy, but lightened by the return of our dear son from his week long trip in New England. We were so relieved to see him last night at the Jacksonville airport, being somewhat concerned about his flying in post-Charley weather. In fact, he reported that while flying over New York, they did see the eye of Charley from the air. He had a delightful week, which included visits to Boston, the Yankee Candle Company and Ben and Jerry's among other activities. I was presented with a "carton" of 18 sampler Yankee Candles of various scents: Key Lime, Strawberry, Cherry, Blueberry Muffin, Spearmint, Caramel Pecan, Peppermint Swirl, to name just a few of them.

I have started (and frogged) several times a new shawl from a mohair/wool/nylon blend. This may prove to be a bit trickier than I envisioned. The stitch pattern is not hard, but the stitch definition is a problem, as loose strands of the mohair are looking like stitches on the needles, where there are actually not supposed to be stitches. The mohair is red, so this shawl is going to be making a statement.

I did considerably less spinning this weekend, so I have nothing to report on that subject.

Also, today I bought a book called Blog On, hoping to be able to modify/improve on the page. Well, only time will tell. The book was a great value though - originally $29.95, now marked down to $9.99.

Looks Who's Shopping at the Mall

For some reason, I took my camera with me to the mall and grocery store. Mainly, I guess, because I thought I might get some interesting storm pictures. Well, I got some interesting pictures, but not storm related.

Look at these cute guys:



Here is another shot of them in the road. They created a minor traffic backup at one point.



Wishing safety for all the folks in Florida. Looks like we are also in for a bumpy time. No evacuations ordered, but possible gusts up to 75mph.

I just finished readingCatherine's musings on the havoc Charley may or may not wreak in the next 48 hours. It looks like, regardless of the outcome, the whole east coast is in for a drenching this weekend. We usually have the worst storms when tropical storms/hurricanes hit on the west coast, so it sounds like it will be dark and wet here, too, and most probably windy. And on Saturday evening our son is due to fly into Jacksonville from a week long trip in New England. I will be glad when he is safely within our walls again. We are going to a business dinner tonight an hour away. I hope the weather holds. Right now it is only cloudy.

Sometimes anticipating is better than doing.

I finished spinning and plying all of my beautiful chocolate brown Bluefaced Leicester. Since I had been dying to spin up a sample of my oatmeal California Variegated Mutant, I launched right into that task. Imagine my disappointment when I discovered this roving has a lot of noils and vegetable matter in it! It looked so beautiful when I bought it, and I really did not notice all the VM, probably due to the color of the roving and the fact that it was packaged in bags. I think the best way to "clean" this out is to get out the dog comb. I hate to lose fiber, but I really want the "best" for this project I have planned, so comb I will, and lose some of the fiber in the process. Has anyone else any suggestions? The roving is rather thin, so I don't think running it through the air fluff setting on the dryer would be suitable.

Well, off to experiment!

I am calling these my "double trouble" socks.



And no, I did not try to match the stripe patterns exactly. I figured one challenge was enough for this time around.

How I spent my day

Up early, as we took our son to the airport at the crack of dawn. He is visiting a friend in Massachussets for a week. Back home in time to catch Knitty Gritty. Pretty interesting show, even though it was about kids knitting. I like the shows with famous knitters! Then, off to a friend's house to help her brush up on her knitting skills. She had mentioned she had been "up north" and got some fabulous buys on yarn. Little did I know that she had been shopping at Patternworks! She had a catalog, which she passed on to me, since she is "now on the mailing list." Whoo hoo! A lot of serious browsing is ahead.

Well, call me insane, but I did start the 2 socks at a time on one circular needle. I think I am going to call this pair "double trouble." So far, I am only working the cuffs, so it is rather smooth sailing, Looks like it may get considerably more tricky after the heel flaps are knitted. Stay tuned to see if Carolyn is going to see this project through to the end!

See how it grows! Now I have 425 yds. spun of the Bluefaced Leicester.



And here is the sock yarn I got. Need complementary socks for my gray, black, red, plum wardrobe items!



Dare I try doing 2 socks at once with the Magic Loop method? Maybe, well, maybe not.

I fell in love with these whimsical stitch markers. I have seen them before on the internet, but never in real life, so I just had to have them.



In case anyone is wondering, those are Swallow Casein needles.

Magic Loops go Turbo!

We took our son to Jacksonville for a birthday meal today and stopped at A Stitch In Time on the way home. I picked up a pair of Addi Turbos size 1 for my Magic Loop Socks. What a difference they make from brand XYZ#*#**#! Can you believe I have been knitting for 3 years and this is my first pair of Addis? Actually, I am more of a resin/plastic needle fan, but I do love the joins on the Addis. Seamless. Now my sock knitting will go a lot faster. And... I picked up some more sock yarn. Did I need it? No. Did I want it? Of course - need matching socks for some of the new clothes I bought over the weekend when we had a sales tax holiday on clothes. Also, I splurged and bought some beaded stitch markers. Pictures will follow.