Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (and Knitting)

Life has been going back into hyperspeed lately. We just had a delightful visit from my sister and her husband. This was his first time back to California in nearly 40 years. Yes, things have changed a bit. We packed in as much siteseeing as we could. We went to the Train Museum in Perris, the auto museum in LA, and the Air and Space Museum in San Diego. We also had a fantastic morning at the tide pools at Cabrillo beach and some other California experiences.

The house now seems much quieter and we are looking forward to the next visit when it will be our turn to travel.

There is now more time for knitting, but I think I would rather have the company. Durrow is very close to finished. I knit everything and put just the neck together before washing and drying. The Rowan Denim yarn did shrink, but not quite as much as I thought it would. The sleeves may be very much too long. I need to rethink the neckline as well to put in some decreases. Young Man is getting rather anxious to wear this after watching me knit it for so long. I have made some progress on my FLAK, but need to take some photos. My saddles are finished and I am working my way down the back.

I fell down on my sock KALs, but that's okay. I'll get there. I have one finished for Feb/Mar and I just started the KOTR KAL sock. I don't think the Six Socks pattern will be started before the new one is up.

Pattern: Child's French Sock in Citron Pattern and Diaper Knitting
Source: Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Brown Sheep Company Wildfoote in Vinca Minor
Needles: US 1
Thoughts: Nancy Bush has done it again! I really like her patterns. They are well planned and well written. This one is no exception. It was fun to knit and the final product is comfy and gorgeous. I believe that these are going to my neighbor. I missed her birthday, so these may be an early entry into the holiday knitting box!

Picking Myself Up

I've dusted myself off and I'm back in the fight. This looks to be a better week (so far). Lacrosse season is over so I no longer have to deal with rushing to practice and we have our weekends back. As much as Young Man really, really enjoyed the season, we were all ready for the end. We went to the end of season tournament on Sunday and Young Man played his heart out for two games. He has become quite the able defense player. Given that he is so much smaller than most of the kids on any of the teams, it is almost comical to see him face off against the opposing team. I'm sure the opposing team players think he is amusing. At least, they think that until the first time they try to get to the goal. Young Man is very good at putting on the pressure and keeping players away from the crease. It was a joy to watch. There was also time for knitting between games while we lounged in the sun. The parents lounged. The kids ran around and played and then still had energy for the second game. Amazing.

Good news arrived today as I learned that the Surprise is no longer a secret! The USPS gets kudos for delivery today. The Adamas shawl in custom-dyed laceweight is in its rightful home.

It really was a fun project. As always, I had my doubts. I think all lace knitters know the problem. Lace knitting looks dreadful while it is in progress. The only thing that looks worse than a lace project on the needles is a lace project pulled from a pre-blocking soak. It isn't until the pins are applied that the entire project comes together and the doubts ease. This is a good, easy project. It is of the same family as Kiri. I do have to say that the Kiri directions are better. I was very glad that I had knit Kiri first. So, here I am in my glory with Adamas and apple blossoms.

Project: Adamas Shawl from Knitpicks
Yarn: Custom-dyed Paint-Your-Own also from Knitpicks
Notes: This project is very similar to Kiri in size and construction. The difference is just the motif as this is a diamond and Kiri is a leaf.

Ever Have One of Those Weeks?

You know those weeks. The ones where nothing seems to go right. The entire world seems a bit off axis. Okay, so I was a royal B this week. Even my normally cool work persona was blown. Everyone at work now knows that I can be utterly unreasonable. All in all, many important things were accomplished. My team lead and manager assisted in getting the right people locked into the right conference room long enough to get the input we needed for the Very Important Documents that were not getting attention. Many long hours were put in. I confirmed my deep and abiding loathing for Citrix Server. Whoever designed that nasty bit of software should be tortured. Still, I was no fun to be near.

If nothing else, this week confirmed that my decision not to enter the Knitting Olympics was a good thing. The Pirate Hat is still kitted and ready for knitting one of these days. I did finish my surprise for my friend and it has been posted. I'll put up some pictures when she has received it. I also finished half of the first sock in the Vintage Socks KAL. It is in a deep purple shade of Wildfoote. Again, pictures to follow.

Much weakness ensued upon completion of Surprise. I visited Suzoo's and there was a front room sale. I mean, $3 a ball yarn and I wanted enough to make the Aran Rose pattern in the latest Interweave Knits. I now have some lovely Debbie Bliss Cotton DK in a lovely light shade of peach and some Cotton Angora in a Leaf Green (a wonderful sagey green that is perfect for me). I have read negative reviews of the Cotton Angora, but I think it will still make a good Tricot once I pick up some coordinating white. Thus, the week ended well, but I still made many apologies to my co-workers.

Jaywalking Across the Room

I did it. It was a squeaker, but my very own Jaywalkers are finished. I completed in time to hit Cara's cutoff and send an email before her midnight, but I update the blog a little later out here on the West Coast. First the glory, then the terror.

Pattern: Jaywalker, by Grumperina
Yarn: Wildfoote Handpaint by Brown Sheep Company in Ragtime colorway
Needles: US1 dpns
Knit per pattern except for using a tubular cast on and k1p1 ribbing because I like it. Besides, my falling for the tubular cast on is all Kathy's (a.k.a. Grumperina's) fault.
I really enjoyed this pattern and I love the socks. They are a bit wild, but very fun. I had no problem with fit. If I end up doing these again, I may change the toes just a bit, but that would be my only modification.

In other news, we have headed full steam (okay, maybe half steam) into family room renovations. Oh, did you think I was only going to clean out a guest room before my sister arrived? Oh, no, I had to go completely crazy. We now have no more cottage cheese on our ceilings and I have completed one coat of topping compound on the ceiling to cover over the quickie job done by the original builders. Just why do you think they sprayed that nasty stuff all over the ceilings?

If anyone from my old playground days is reading (doubtful, but whatever) and you remember the swingset and really tall slide incidents, no, I have not overcome my issues with heights. I hate ladders and I do not want to be up near the tippy top of our tallest ladder. Unfortunately, I am the one with "the touch" for this work. This means that I gamely fill my tray with drywall mud and face my nemesis. Young Man cannot figure out why I don't want his help, but Mr. Engineer has been generous with the compliments. I don't think this ceiling will look as good as the living room, but then, this one is higher and imperfections will be harder to see. If anyone has complaints, they can take them to the complaint department (100 yards west of the end of Balboa Pier). Cue music from Psycho now...
All this fun explains why I did not enter the Knitting Olympics. I wanted to. I had nearly decided to go for Team Wales (to honor my dad's heritage) or Team Merlot. I had my project all picked out and all supplies ready. Then reality set in and I decided to concentrate on the projects already on my plate and this big one really cuts into the knitting. Maybe next time.

Virtual Knitting in the Car

No, I haven't taken to terrorizing the drivers of Southern California freeways by knitting while I drive. However, I have found a way to enjoy knitting in a way that makes Mr. Engineer certain that I have slipped a cog. I could say that this is all his fault. Mr. Engineer gave me a really cool MP3 player for Xmas this year. I didn't go for the bitten fruit. Instead I now have a sleek, black Philips GoGear. This baby and its 30GB drive hold every single one of my ripped CDs. I cannot express how fun it is to click Music:Genre:Blues:Shuffle All. Way cool.

Luckily, there is enough extra space on the disk to hold my newest addiction. I have discovered podcasts! First, I found Knit Cast. Marie Irshad brings all sorts of wonderful people to my ears. I can commute with Debbie Bliss or Kate Gilbert. I am now impatiently waiting for the next episode. Until then, I am catching up on Brenda Dayne's Cast On. Brenda cracks me up and makes me wonder if I have the material and guts to try this out. Maybe later in the year.

For now, there are other priorities. Mr. Engineer surprised me with the news that he has taken care of one of my to-do list items and is organizing a trip for my sister and her hubby to visit us! As excited as I was to hear this, I was immediately filled with the horror that comes with the knowledge that I now have to clean the craft room! Buried in that room under bags of yarn and boxes of stuff is a sleeper sofa. I will find it. I'm sure it is in there. I have two months. Wish me luck.

I think they will like the sunrise here: