Category Archives: Knitting

Contests, Knitting, Those Cats

Finally Friday – whew!

36 Comments

Ok, I added this contest sort of late yesterday, so it will be a repeat for some of you: Cara is having a haiku contest – leave a haiku containing the word “sock” plus three other special words (listed in her post) in her comments before September 23, 11:59 pm EDT. Six winners will receive sock yarn and one of the coveted orange Chibis!

Duchess is having a ballband dishcloth contest. There are lots of ways to participate! Registration to participate closes September 27.

Julia is having a contest about your experiences knitting for men – part of the prize is Alice Starmore’s Sweaters for Men! Leave her a comment by 5 pm PST, September 25.

The final SRP standings are out! Congrats to Tiffany, who read the most by number of books and by number of pages. I came in third in number of books and fourth in number of pages. Big thanks to Kat for a fun summer contest/program!

Wednesday night, Deb and Jeanne came over to knit and meet Mayhem. Deb is so focused because she’s knitting Eunny’s new sock pattern, Bayerische. You should go over and see the amazing work Deb did on setting up the charts for herself – while having a migraine. Wow.

I’m not sure what Jeanne is focused on. Maybe wishing she was wearing her warm and toasty Lara? Anyway, check out the amazing sock yarn she dyed!

Edit: I was knitting my MagKnits pattern – hence no pictures!

Chaos hung out and kept an eye on all of us… although he seems to be taking a break in this picture.

“…zzzzzzzzzzzz…”

For scale, here’s a picture of Mayhem in the same location:

“Rainy days and Fridays always get me down.”

Following tradition (since between the two of us, we’ve accumulated five kittens in the past three years!), Jeanne brought along a Kitten Warming Present:

“I don’t know May, are you sure pink is your color?”

Jeanne also brought along a Kitten Warming Loan (this toy is good until about nine months and then they lose interest):

“It keeps going round and round and round and… I feel woozy.”
Contests, Knitting, Randonymity, Those Cats

SoC staff not responsible for any kittens procured as a result of this blog

43 Comments

Kate is having an amusing contest: the Look Back and Cringe Contest. On your own blog, explain to her why you don’t want 80s fashions to come back. Leave Kate a comment with a link to your post anytime through September 24th.

Kate, I don’t need to tell you – I can show you. Just say no to big hair that took forever to achieve, high-waisted pleated jeans (Zena, anyone?), stirrup pants (fortunately, I was too tall to wear those successfully), knee-grazing tunics, shoulder pads (I already have a linebacker build, thank you!), and all that. Been there, done that, not going there again! 🙂

Thanks to everyone who’s been sending me contest and swap information! Keep it coming – send an email to chris at this domain.

Knitting update: Yup, I still knit. But gosh, it’s a bit challenging to knit with a kitten around – I’d forgotten about that! I’m about to bind off my first Regia Silk sock and I’m still plodding along on the border of my moderne log cabin baby blanket. Ummmm… Oh! Did I mention that I entered some socks in the Minnesota State Fair? Jeanne talked me into it and really, how could I refuse when she was willing to drop them off and pick them up from the Fair?! (Thank you, Jeanne!) I entered my Chaotic Black Lagoon socks (toe-up, using Maeve’s Cherry Blossom Lace pattern and Sundara Black Lagoon yarn). I got full marks for general appearance, color, design, condition (even though I ran out of time to block), and materials used, but only 35.5/40 for workmanship. Here’s what the judge had to say: “Beautiful Knitting – This was an extrememly competitive lot this year. Watch out for twisted stitches during grafting.” Interesting, since these were toe-up, no grafting required – but obviously I need to switch to the Turkish cast-on, as mine is leaving a row of twisted stitches.

Tink and I are doing a mix cd exchange and Tink is way ahead of me (I’m still working on the mix). Along with the cds, she included some lovely little shells from Florida. Thanks, Tink! Chaos was intrigued by the shells.

“Mmmm… oceany…”

Big thanks to everyone who’s provided info and handholding during the cat acclimation process!! Here’s another picture of May and the catnip mouse:

*kick kick kick kick kick bite bite bite bite bite*

But eventually… the mouse flew from her grasp.

“Oh oh…”

And though she be but little, she is fierce. – William Shakespeare

“Take that, big kitty! I’m not afraid of you!!” – M
“Good grief!” – C

Contests, Knitting, Randonymity, Those Cats

In which Chaos receives a love letter

51 Comments

Argh! I screwed up the link to Danielle’s contest yesterday… Thanks to Jeanne for letting me know. Here’s the contest info again: Danielle won a big ol’ bag of yarn from Mason-Dixon Knitting and is celebrating by having her first contest! Leave a comment for her, guessing what she’s knitting (toadstools maybe??) before noon on Tuesday, August 29.

Ok, Marina alerted me to one of the most mind-boggling garments ever, as photographed by Susan of therainysisters.com. You’ll scroll down through many lovely pictures of Susan’s award-winning State Fair knitting, but keep going until you just have to stop and say, “WTF?!” You’ll know which picture. I’ll wait……….. Ok, wouldn’t that be fun to wear someplace dressy?? Hee hee. Sock monkey insanity…

Deb and I took Annie Modesitt’s combined knitting class at Creative Fibers last night. (Amy couldn’t make it because she was sick – get better soon, Amy!) So I often knit combined (picking/continental) already – you cannot beat it for speedy seed stitch in the round. Or, as I realized last night, ribbing back and forth. I picked up some tips on combined knitting decreases and we also learned to cable without a cable needle, which is very slick indeed.

But the most exciting part of the class? Getting there. Right as I was about to leave, a mighty storm assaulted Minneapolis. It didn’t look like the sort of weather I should go out into, but darn it, I had a class to get to… Memorable images from the drive include water geysering several feet up out of a storm drain, people with their pant legs rolled up and carrying their shoes wading across streets in knee-deep water (when it’s raining that hard, I’m not sure what the benefit to carrying your shoes is), and having to turn around and take a different route because the water was too deep for my low slung car. No pictures, because I was far too busy clutching the steering wheel and peering out past the flailing wipers, looking out for deep water.

So, you’re probably all curious about the aforementioned love letter. It was sent anonymously, signed only “Miss Kitty,” and reads:

My Dearest Chaos, For some time now I have been reading your blog on-line and each day I fall in love with you a little more. You are so handsome and regal, even when you are subjected to cruel tortures such as modeling bibs for your mommy. I know we can never be together, but I shall always love you from afar. Always, Miss Kitty. P.S. I hope you like the gift. I saw it in the store and of course thought of you.

The gift is a little collar tag that says “PURRfect.”

When asked who this could possibly be from, the Chaos Kitty merely looked coy and a bit smug.

“Hard to say. Chicks dig me, you know.”
Contests, Festing, Knitting

Bleary

32 Comments

The switch upgrade continues on… *yawn*

Sonja is having a contest to tell her the most creative story about why the Mona Lisa in Lion Brand’s ads is smiling. You have plenty of time to leave her a comment – she’s not selecting the winner until October 1.

Hopefully I’ll make it to the Twin Cities’ Knitters picnic this Sunday. Anyone else going? Here are the details:

The Twin Cities’ Knitters picnic: Sunday August 27, 2006, from 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the Lake Harriet Rose Gardens in Minneapolis (4125 East Lake Harriet Parkway). “Bring your blanket, your picnic lunch and – of course – your knitting! We’ll meet under the trees behind the Rose Gardens (closer to Kings Highway than Lake Harriet). Visit the Minneapolis Park & Rec Board Rose Garden page for more information and a map to the location.”

Look what I made (Sugar’n’Cream patio pinks, top down) – really, the parents keep raving about how great these bibs are, so what’s a knitter to do?!

Little does Chaos suspect what excitement awaits him…

“Mmmm… sunbeam…”
Knitting, Project Spectrum, Reading

Moderne log catin

39 Comments

I might have to work on a switch upgrade tonight, which means working overnight. I won’t know until later today. But maybe I’ll have the chance to get caught up a bit on bloglines, trying to stay awake.

Thursday evening, I’m taking a class on combination knitting from Annie Modesitt at Creative Fibers. Hopefully I won’t get kicked out of class, since I’m taking the class with notorious troublemakers Amy and Deb!

SRP Update: Love You Madly by Linda Palmer, 307 pages. Book three of this relatively new series about soap opera writer Morgan Tyler continues to be enjoyable… and not just because she has a black kitten. 😉

In addition to the Regia Silk sock, I’ve been plugging away on the Moderne Log Cabin Baby Blanket. I’m about 2/3 done with the pair of intarsia blocks on the right. Then I just have another pair of narrow intarsia blocks (burgundy and olive) to add to the top before I can start the tan edging. Project Spectrum tan!

*sniff sniff* “Hmm, is there something under here?”

*burp*

Festing, Knitting, Randonymity, Reading, See the Sights

Eventing

37 Comments

If you’re in the Twin Cities and you’re planning to attend the Mountain Goats concert at the Triple Rock Social Club on Thursday, September 14, please let me know! Right now I’m going alone.

A while ago, I asked if anyone was going to be at the Taos Wool Festival (October 7-8), as it will be one of my stops on the Knitblogger’s Fall Tour I have planned for myself. If you are on the path between Minneapolis and Albuquerque and going to be around from September 30 – roughly October 15 or so, please leave me a comment or send an email to chris at this domain. I’m trying to get my exact schedule and route figured out – currently, I have stops planned in Ft Collins, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs, Albuquerque, and Taos (for the festival), although not specific dates yet.

SRP Update
He Huffed and He Puffed (250 pages), Good King Sauerkraut (214 pages), and You Have the Right To Remain Silent (249 pages) by Barbara Paul. These were the second, third, and fourth NYPD Lt Marian Larch mysteries. The second and third Marian Larch mysteries are described on the covers as “mysteries with Marian Larch” – she is definitely not the main character. In fact, in He Huffed and He Puffed, I wasn’t sure it was a Marian Larch book for the longest time! You Have the Right To Remain Silent is the first book in which Marian Larch is as important as the crime she’s investigating. This book could also be described as The Apostrophe Thief, part one.
Love Is Murder by Linda Palmer, 275 pages. This is the first Morgan Tyler (soap opera writer) mystery and even though I have absolutely no interest in daytime drama, I’m definitely enjoying this series (which I am unfortunately reading out of order). I’m about to start the third book in the series, which I hope will feature the black kitten she acquired in book 2. 🙂

Belated Saturday Sky… So belated that I took the picture Sunday evening! This is a view of downtown Minneapolis from the south shore of Lake Calhoun.

And to prove that I actually do knit sometimes, here’s my charcoal grey Regia Silk waffle sock for Project Spectrum – now with more cat butt than ever!

Knitting, Reading, Reviewettes, Tales of the Neighborhood

Eye Candy Friday with Random Bits

48 Comments

Ok, although I’m not officially a part of Eye Candy Friday, I thought this overgrown motorcycle in our alley was pretty cool. It reminds me of a Charles de Lint story, maybe something from the Borderland…

SRP Update
The Renewable Virgin by Barbara Paul, 215 pages. The first Marian Larch mystery (1984)! Bless the Minneapolis Public Library system for maintaining mystery series integrity. (Yes, Cute Library Guy was there, but I was too shy to talk to him… I know, I’m a dork.)

I’m liking the charcoal Regia Silk in the waffle pattern (two rounds of knit 2, purl 2 ribbing, then two plain rounds). Hopefully I make a lot of progress on it over the weekend so that it seems worth photographing. This probably won’t come as a surprise to anyone, but my Cabernet Adamas shawl is still a ball of yarn and likely to remain that way for a while, so no more Amazing Lace for me. And I still need to knit some Bitchin’ (baby) Mittens – yikes! Oh well, at least I finished the TrekAlong, right?!

In other personal knitting news, I had a pattern accepted by MagKnits for the December issue! All I’m going to say about it is that you can make the project from a single ball of Kureyon…

I still have a few more local purple architectural features to take pictures of, but to tide me over until I get around to it, Trek sent me this purple house from New Jersey. We should all forgive her for the slightly illegal action she took to get this photo, becase I love this house. Thanks, Trek!

And how could we end the week without a little Chaos, looking ever-so-sweet after his shenanigans of a few days ago… Have a great weekend, everyone!

“Whatever do you mean, Mom? I am the very soul of sweetness and innocence!”
Knitting, Reading

Pretend this is a clever title…

56 Comments

I’m glad to hear that so many of you are enjoying the contest links! I like providing them for several different reasons. First, contests are just fun. Second, I think it’s an enjoyable way to discover new-to-you blogs. The only thing about blogging that makes me sad is that there are so many great blogs with only a few readers. I do my darnedest to comment on as many blogs as I can, but alas, I am only one blogger with a finite amount of time. So keep sending me your contest links, and keep checking out new-to-you blogs!

SRP Update
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson, 310 pages. I read Atkinson’s novel Behind the Scenes at the Museum quite a while ago for book club and remember it being compelling, powerful, and disturbing. Case Histories is all that, too. Atkinson skillfully weaves together the past and the present in this novel about PI Jackson Brodie who is working on multiple “cold cases.” (Jeanne, you can borrow my copy if this interests you!)
This Pen for Hire: A Jaine Austen Mystery by Laura Levine, 203 pages. A fun, very lightweight mystery about Jaine Austen (“no relation”), who writes brochures, letters, and personal ads for people. I liked the smart alecky style, so I’ll probably pick up the next book in the series.

Knitting
I started a sock from charcoal Regia Silk (so Project Spectrum), but, after three inches of sock, decided I didn’t like the lace pattern I was using. Now I’m back to one inch of sock in a comfortably boring waffle stitch (and it’s far too dull to take a picture of yet). I’m also plodding along on my MDK moderne log cabin baby blanket. Has anyone else knit this? The directions for squares 9 and 10 (knit simultaneously using intarsia) are not correct (you would end up with a trapesoid instead of a rectangle), but I didn’t see it on the MDK errata page. Where the pattern says to pick up two sets of 54 stitches, you actually need to pick up two sets of 63 stitches.

Naughtiness
I came home from work the other night to a fair amount of feline attitude.

“Remember, this is my place and I only let you live here because you have opposable thumbs and can open those darn cans.”

Further inspection revealed that something terrible had happened on top of the cd rack. The sort of neatly stacked books in front of the rack are part of my “to read” pile – the litter of cds, books, and “Girlfriend” is not how the living room floor usually looks.

Hmmm…

“Why are you looking at me like that? I wouldn’t do something so naughty! Besides, it’s my place, remember?!”
Alongs, Knitting

What a long weird TrekAlong it’s been

40 Comments

I’m happy to hear that people are enjoying the “contest clearinghouse!” Remember, if you have a contest and would like me to mention it (because sometimes I get so behind in bloglines I don’t discover contests until they’re done), please send me an email (chris at this domain). Thanks!

Over the weekend, I finally finished my Trekking 78 socks, although my camera insists on making them more blue and less purple than they really are.

Can you spot the cat in this picture?!

“Hee hee – at last, they cannot see me! I am totally invisible, perfectly hidden!”

Last week I mentioned that TB was having a contest to show her pictures of the weird things we have displayed in our homes. This is what I sent:

“Um, Mom? I think he needs to be neutered…”

Currently, I store this in my closet, since Chaos would chew up the chopsticks… You can tell that he isn’t exactly sure what to think of it!! This is from a drink I had at a Japanese restaurant in Orlando when I was 17. I’ve lugged it around everywhere I’ve lived in the intervening 23 years. It’s the only memento I have of that time in my life. I suspect this little critter is modeled on a fertility diety or something, because of his, um, rather visible genitalia… Strangely, boyfriends that I’ve lived with have found him rather disturbing. Hee hee.

“The colorful chopsticks taste the best. Don’t knock it until you try it!”
Knitting, Project Spectrum, Randonymity

Ready for Roswell

29 Comments

I am really enjoying the haiku you’ve been writing – they definitely brightened a mundane Thursday! Still plenty of time to submit a haiku for the contest if you haven’t already.

Scout challenged us all to show off our UFOs (unfinished objects). Yikes. As I mentioned a few days ago, I posted about my WIPs last winter and all of those WIPs are still UFOs. Really, doesn’t work-in-progress sound much better than UFO?! Anyway, I shall review them here for your amusement. Please note that the older pictures were taken with my former camera, which I do not miss at all… You will perhaps be amazed at how Project Spectrum most of my projects are!

The tank that will be ripped out as soon as I find it again, as it is chunky and unflattering and it’s all too clear where I switched to new balls of yarn… Note the phantom paw!

A petal washcloth, intended as only one of many for Xmas presents year before last. There’s a peach one that only has one or two petals somewhere (oh, and a missing needle is there, too, I bet!). This exceeded my Allowable Knitting Fiddliness Level (AKFL) at the time, with all the cotton chenilley ends.

Next is Door County Cable in black Cotton Fleece. The body was knit in the round up to the armpits. When I started to go back and forth, I got really confused and put the project away in a snit. Two years later, I might not find the directions as confusing… or I might still. I did find some errata that could help the situation.

One lone sock of a pair that I promised my dad several years ago… He has challenging feet, darn it.

A fingering weight tank top out of black Fortissima Cotton (75 cotton/25 nylon), knitting on Addis 0s. Started last summer and abandoned when I realized that, in picking up stitches for the first armhole, I had made a tourniquet. (Hmm, more missing needles there…)

A mobius cat bed for Chaos. Since it still has a hole in the bottom (and is definitely not felted yet), he found the row counter much more interesting. I put this project aside one hot and humid day last summer – it filled my entire lap with its way too warm self and then lured Chaos in for a nap. Since Chaos has most of a down comforter as a cat bed – do you think he’d enjoy this at all??

Out with the old and in with the new… Clockwise from upper right: a hat from some handspun that someone gave me. Started in, um, March? April? Eventually it will be donated to a local project for the homeless. Next are my 1.3 Trekking socks. Then a sock yarn baby sweater from KnitPicks something or other, abandoned in December for unremembered reasons – perhaps because I was winging it on the sleeves (more needles!). Then the first sock of a pair (bulky – yay!) promised to a co-worker a year or so ago as barter for bike repairs. Finally, underneath it all, my moderne log cabin baby blanket – still chugging away on that one.

Where was Chaos in that final, current WIP/UFO picture?

Hmm, you don’t think that all those bibs scared him off knitting, do you?! Oh dear. For the curious, you can see my dining room in the background, upper left. It’s not waiting for a coat of plaster – that’s how the walls are finished. That empty wine box middle left is a cat hidey hole, not evidence of debauchery! 🙂 And the massive living room mirror can be seen upper right.

Did I distract you from the massive number (11? 12??) of UFOs you just saw? No? Darn it… Have a good weekend anyway!