Wildlife

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I'm nothing, if not a procrastinator. Procrastination and laziness are probably my defining qualities, unfortunately. I never said I was an admirable person.

Case in point:

Anyone who has been to my house in the last year will have noticed two very large boxes sitting on my porch. I ordered them from Walmart.com last year, and kept meaning to open the darn things and assemble the contents, but there was always something better to do, or the weather wasn't right. So, there they sat, as week after week and month after month passed, and they were exposed to the elements. The poor boxes got mushy and droopy, and there was evidence that some critter tried to make one its home. I was sure the contents of the boxes were being negatively impacted by all that neglect. A couple weekends ago I finally got around to opening those boxes and putting the contents together, and each item took all of fifteen minutes, at most, to assemble.

And so instead of a couple of huge, mushy boxes taking up space on my porch, I now have two very nice places to sit:

Rocker
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Rockin' Loveseat
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It's funny that after all that procrastination, they were so darn easy to assemble. Ten screws and and ten little wooden plugs for the screw holes, and voila', all done! What's also funny is that during the time that loveseat rocker sat in its mushy box on my porch, it was recalled by Walmart for being unsafe. (Apparently, if you rock too vigorously, the thing will tip over backwards). What's funniest of all is that there isn't enough room on my porch to rock vigorously (or even somewhat calmly) in either rocker, as doing so will cause it to bang against the back wall, or worse, the window. Ah well. They look nice, anyway.

In the aftermath of tidying up the porch a bit, I've noticed that other wildlife have made their homes in and around the place.

Tangled web
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Hmmm.... what's this?
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Aha!
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So, what do you think? A purple finch egg?
So sad that it never hatched.
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Some other flora and fauna around the place:

It's that time of year!
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But there are still a few roses left
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And the wildest critter 'round these parts, my baby girl, Ali:

A knitting bag is as good a place as any to sit

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On a more serious note, I see that there's been an earthquake on the Big Island of Hawaii, where I lived for a few years, and that they've had to evacuate patients from Kona Hospital, where I used to work. I've emailed my old roommate, but don't expect to hear from her for awhile, as it sounds like the power will be out for awhile. Keep them in your thoughts, folks!

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Hat Trick

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The weather has cooled down considerably around these parts, (I love October!), which has thus filled me with an urge to knit something soft and warm for my head.

And so, I give you, my very first ever (finished) knitted hat:

Self-portrait, sans eyewear.
(And it's no mistake that I cropped out much of my honkin' nose...).
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Hat specs:

• Yarn: Misti Alpaca Chunky, (100% Baby Alpaca), color # 701 "Marina Melange", ~100 yards
• Needles: U.S. size 11: Denise interchangeable circulars; Crystal Palace bamboo DPNs
• Gauge: 3 stitches/inch
• Pattern: Cast-on 66 stitches. Join in the round. Knit every row for 7½". Decrease & finish following Super Simple Hat Calculator instructions.

I have not blocked this hat yet - does it really need it, I wonder? It fits perfectly, but perhaps blocking would even out the stitches a bit, if that actually mattered to me, which it doesn't, really. In any case, it sure is soft and warm, and I haven't taken it off except to sleep since I finished it yesterday. It took just two evenings to knit, and I could have finished it in one, except that I had to run out to The Yarn Lounge yesterday to buy some size 11 DPNs. (Any excuse to yarn shop!) I resisted all their woolly goodness, however, even though I was sorely tempted by their Blue Sky Alpaca and Debbie Bliss and Jo Sharp and Manos and Rowan and... and... and..., and I just bought the needles I came for.

That Misti Alpaca came from Got Yarn, whose owner, Danna Savage, was nice enough to let me come by her closed shop a few weeks ago while she was packing it up. I ended up being the very last customer of her brick-and-mortar shop -- her business is now strictly on the internet. I bought 7 hanks (108 yard each) of that "Marina Melange" colorway, (it's teal, people!), and three hanks of the sage green, and I think most or all of it is earmarked for hats, unless anyone has other suggestions. I want to knit one with a ribbed brim, and perhaps one with a super-wide ribbed brim like Laurie's "Brangelina" hat pattern. I'll probably have enough left for a nice scarf, as well, perhaps with some cables, like the Irish Hiking Scarf. (There's also a knit-along for that -- it's fun to see that pattern knit with all different kinds of yarn).

My head is now toasty warm, but my hands are still cold, so I think it's time to work on the wrist-warmers I started awhile back. Perhaps that will be this weekend's project -- good football knitting.

Gosh, I love quick-to-knit projects! I may never, ever knit a sweater or afghan!

Keep warm this weekend, everyone!

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Drink Pink!

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Last night some of our knitting group got together for dinner and drinks at Bottega Bistro, prior to meeting at our usual knitting location, (Barnes & Noble, Huguenot Rd.), to celebrate several occasions. Both Jane and Tammi have sons who work at that restaurant, which is reason enough to go eat there. Additionally, Tammi's son Jonathan had a brainstorm about a month ago and decided to come up with three specialty pink drinks in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness (BCA) month. (We all then felt compelled to go there and "drink for charity", dontcha know.)... ;-)

This past Sunday was Issy's birthday, also reason enough for a celebration. And last, but not least, a knitting group member who recently had a lumpectomy was told that she does not have breast cancer. Whoo hoo! Let's celebrate!

Here's our group, with pink drinks all around:

Bring on the appetizers!
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Robin H., Issy and Deb
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Nancy, Patsy and Norma
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Deb, Tammi and Jane
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Mothers and Sons -- Tammi & Jonathan; Jane & Charlie
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Happy Birthday, Issy!
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Later, at Barnes & Noble, look at what I spied:

Something in which to carry a pink drink, perhaps?
(These thermos' and other travel mugs can be purchased here.)
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Great minds think alike!
I wonder if they've been talking to Syd?

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And speaking of the Think Pink Challenge, several ladies in my knitting group responded to my call last week and have knit some pink scarves for the cause (and the contest!):

Knit by Mary Jane's friend Katie -- thanks Katie!
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Norma, Tammi and Deb.
Deb finished that pink scarf she's knitting and has already sent it off to Syd.
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And knitter-extraordinaire Amy,

who knit Kate Gilbert's Sunrise Circle Jacket this summer and won a blue ribbon at the State Fair for it, (w00t!), got busy last week working on a pink scarf of her own design:

That's a flying geese stitch pattern -- so cool! It sorta looks like the pink BCA ribbon.
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Here's the finished object:

And look at the fringe detail she came up with:

That's right -- pink BCA ribbons. Amy rocks!
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She actually sewed each and every one of those ribbons together like that. Isn't it amazing?
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Finally, in response to my blog contest I got an email from a woman, Joan Columbini, (I don't even know where she lives), with a picture of a boatload of pink scarves that she and her coworkers knit for the Think Pink Challenge. Isn't this amazing? I was blown away when I saw this:

Hmmm.... I think I like the pink one. ;-)

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Thanks so much, to everyone who has contributed thus far to this cause, or in any way shape or form to cancer treatment, prevention, cure or awareness. Your efforts are gratefully appreciated and humbly acknowledged here.

I lost my Aunt Donna, who was also my godmother, to breast cancer 15 years ago. My sister-in-law's mother has also recently been treated for it, and I have several other friends and coworkers who have dealt with it, so it's a cause that strikes close to home. Here's hoping that all these visions of pink will prompt more women to do their self-exams and get their mammograms.

Ladies -- your loved ones want to keep you around for as long as possible!

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Fall Fiber Festival 2006

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(Warning: picture-heavy post)

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Dear Old Camera (aka "G2"),

You have served me well, old Canon PowerShot G2. We've been through a lot together, in the 4½ years since I purchased you. We've traveled all over North America, and shared many experiences, and for that I am truly grateful. But, it's time to move on. Your zoom functions have been impotent for almost a year, and so I remain frustratingly unsatisfied throughout many of our times together. I just can't take another year of zooming in-and-out all alone, with just my elbows. And so, you've been replaced.

Meet your replacement:

Since you treated me so well, ol' G2, I hope you won't mind that I've hooked up with someone from your own family. This is Canon PowerShot S3IS. He's younger, hipper and faster, and his zoom is fully functional, and is quite a bit, (ahem), longer, shall we say. 12x, to be exact. I'm sorry, but it's true -- size does matter.

On Sunday, I took you both on one last outing together, the Fall Fiber Festival at Montpelier Station in Orange County, VA, (so close to the home and gravesite of our fourth president, James Madison, who also happens to be the namesake of my alma mater).

Ol' G2 - you won't recognize these pictures because you remained in your case while S3 got his first official work-out. And so, my old friend, here's a little of what you missed:

The festival grounds were ridiculously muddy thanks to 48-straight-hours of torrential rains:

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But pretty things could be found inside the tents:

Hooked rugs are so pretty!
Rug-hooker extraordinaire Robin H. might have enjoyed these,
but her bum ankle could not have withstood that quicksand-like mud.
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Check out those mitered-square socks! I believe these were knit by Melissa, daughter of the owners of Carodan Farm, who taught the class on making these back in June during Soxperience.

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And look - see that skein of white laceweight? I believe that was spun by Robin F.,
and I believe she won a ribbon for her efforts. Nice job, Robin! :-)

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Here's Issy from my knitting group, who was kind enough to drive us to and from the festivities.
We had lots of fun solving the world's problems during the lovely drive,
and at one point got so engrossed in our conversation, we missed our exit on the way home!


And look - a KnitPicks KIPer bag in the wild!
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A couple of goats, not so wild
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And we spied a couple of lovely handknits on fellow festival-goers:

A way-cool shrug - owner said it was just two rectangles
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And a gorgeous entrelac sweater -- love this!
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G2 -- here is someone very special. This is Queen Bess, acting as Booth Babe for the Spirit Trail Fiberworks booth. More importantly, G2, she's your new adoptive mother. She will take you to wonderful places, and tell fantastic stories. Just look at how expressive she is, telling a story about her car breaking down:

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Back outside, even though the sun came out and sky cleared:


the mud just stayed muddy, much to the delight of these kids:

I don't feel like it's a fiber festival until I've seen an alpaca:

And here's a real Suri, (whose parentage is undoubtably less loony than another Suri in the media)
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And the gorgeously soft byproducts of alpacas:

Inside another tent:

one of the festival workshops: felting on a grand scale
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Here's another gorgeous view of that Sunday sky, looking towards where they held the sheepdog trials:

And the following photo, ol' G2, is why I'm so happy with my new love, my S3IS with its 12x zoom. Standing in the same spot where I took the previous photo, I was able to zoom all the way out and get this shot of the sheep pen:

I love my new camera!
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Finally, it was time to leave, and this is what we faced, to get back to our cars:

What a wonderful day it was, despite the mud! Issy and I met up with Jane and Donna there, (although, shame on me for not taking their picture -- Jane was wearing a gorgeous aran cardigan she knit, and Donna showed us her current grape arbor shawl in progress), and after we left we stopped for a treat at the Tastee Freez in Gordonsville. Yum!

And I was fairly conservative with my spending, for no other reason than I feel like I already have a ton of yarn waiting in the wings to be knit, and so, unless there's an incredible deal or I can picture knitting a particular project with the yarn, I'm usually able to resist it.

That being said, here's my modest haul:

Muddy shoes,
a festival hat,
a Fiber Trends "Braid & Bobble Hat" pattern,
and two hanks of Euroflax -- 40% off!
Score!

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Issy was kind enough to bring me some "wellies" to wear instead of my tennis shoes, but alas, they didn't fit. But I just like to hear her say "wellies" or "galoshes" in her British accent! ;-) Thanks for a fun day, Issy! And here's hoping the (muddy) fiber festival made it a happy birthday for you!

And little 'ol Canon G2 -- thanks for the memories! Be good for your new mama!

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Come on -- you know you want to....

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Yep, knitted Chuck Taylors. I wish I was the genius who created these, but I'm just an admirer.

Go here if you want the details.

I think I'd knit mine in pink, like the ones I had in college.

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Happy Blogiversary to Me and You!

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Howdy!

One year ago today, I created this knitting blog in response to my need to document somewhere my thoughts, questions, progress, setbacks and random musings about knitting, and occasionally other areas of my life. My sister-in-law Jenny taught me to knit in July of '05, and this blog was an attempt to give her some relief from a constant barrage of questions, emails and phone calls about knitting from this overly-enthusiastic beginner.

I had no idea how much knitting and knit-blogging would open up my world, and I hope there are many more years of knitting and blogging ahead of me. I've met so many great folks through this medium, both in person and virtually, and I've learned a TON from reading others' knitting blogs, as well as attending classes and joining my knitting group, which I found thru another local knit-blogger. (Thanks, Jane!). Knitting, and blogging-about-knitting has truly enriched my life.

In celebration of today's event, I've decided to have a little contest, of sorts. I've pondered long and hard as to the format of and prizes for this contest and its winners, and I think I've come up with a workable solution, and one that actually becomes a win-win situation.

But first, a little background.

Back in April, I blogged about a wonderful little charity knit-along that my friend Sydney created. It's called the "Think Pink Challenge", and the gist of it is that she's encouraging knitters and other crafters to knit (or crochet or weave) a pink scarf for Breast Cancer Awareness, and she will then distribute the scarves to groups that will ultimately get them in the hands of patients undergoing treatment.

Syd's original deadline was the end of September, but she's had a new upsurge of responses, so she's extended the deadline to October 15th.

I recently finished my scarf, so I thought I'd share the finished object today, the first day of National Breast Cancer Awareness month. The pattern is the pink heart scarf from the Fall '04 special Breast Cancer Awareness issue (<- pdf file) of Knitty.

Early progress - yarn is Crystal Palace "Iceland"
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Decided to block the two sides separately before grafting
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Close-up of blocking
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Finished object
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Close-up of kitchener's graft - a little wonky, but I'm not stressing over it

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Okay, enough about my scarf. It's on it's way to Syd, along with two others. Here's hoping they go to someone who will find comfort in them.

On to the contest. And here it is:

I am throwing down the gauntlet. Anyone who, in response to reading this post, knits (or crochets or weaves) a new scarf to contribute to this knit-along, will qualify for a drawing to win a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts' "Socks That Rock" sock yarn, in the colorway of the winner's choice. If that particular yarn is not to the individual's liking, (you're not a sock knitter, let's say, or you don't knit with wool yarns), I'm willing to send the qualifying winner a comparably-priced yarn of their choice.

If there is a large response, I will draw up to five names of winners, possibly more, depending on the response. Anyone contributing more than one scarf will automatically get additional entries into the drawing, one entry for each new scarf created, which will increase that person's chances of winning a skein of yarn. Once a person wins their first skein, however, they are not qualified to win any more during this contest.

Here are the guidelines:

1) This should be a new scarf, created sometime between today and October 15th.

2) In order to qualify for the contest, it must be received by Syd by October 15th. Syd's mailing address is on the Think Pink blog.

3) Once you've completed and mailed your scarf, email me (maryklarson[AT]comcast[D0T]net) and let me know, so that I can confirm with Syd that she's received it. Only then will your name be entered into the drawing. If you include a digital picture of your finished scarf -- all the better, but it's not a requirement.

4) Drawing will be held sometime during the week of October 15th -- perhaps during my Tuesday Night knitting group, so that it can be photographically documented. Winners will be announced shortly after the drawing, and prizes will be purchased & shipped immediately upon learning the winner's choice of preferred yarn.


I hope I haven't forgotten any details. If you have any questions, feel free to email me or leave a comment here.

Thanks, in advance, everyone, for your contributions!

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