Yes, I've been knitting--almost knonstop, it seems. Only one day this week saw no needle action, but otherwise I've been working on things, finishing things, starting new things, reading knitting books (and others) and just generally catching up on all my beloved projects. Fortunately, dinner was made (mostly) and laundry was done, as needed. And teenagers were enjoined to finish their own tasks. Most shocking, I managed to clean out all the drawers and cabinets in the big bathroom after ten years of girls' "stuff" collecting there--musical theater, product sampling, acne treatment, old hairbrushes, ick. DH asked me to tackle it for his sensibilities, as he qualifies as the neat freak in our marriage, but the more I did it, the gladder I became that I was doing it. Now, having "freecycled" some almost unused products, and vacuumed, washed, and reorganized the drawers, it looks like we just moved in. 8^) But this all didn't cut into my knitting time too much, and probably kept me from getting an RSI like I had in the spring from too much of a good thing.
Baby gift news
Young Rowan P. received his knitted booties in our heatwave, and his mama said that they love them 8^) but couldn't bear to put them on him yet 8^(. She also said that his feet when he was born were the size of the booties (I can't believe it! I thought I was making them a little bit long!). Forgot that his parents are both tall, gangly distance runners. [Note to self: consider genetics when determining how big to make baby things.]
Future baby gift?
If I consider genetics, then this hat must go to a kitten. [Whuh?!] The "stand" I made with knitting needles certainly looks grotesque, but I hope you can see that the hat itself is a keeper. I am going to resew one ear that is not quite perky enough but am very pleased with these results. No pattern either. Doubled the Happy Feet and it's stretchy and will keep some little person's head warm.Done with one Yarn Rescue hat
Clementine the Blue Head Model is wearing my latest FO, the gorgeous Yarn Rescue "Passion in Bloom" handspun worked into a chapeau with naturally-occurring stripes and purposefully-placed ridges. This is a light hat, not for Arctic conditions, but lovely for fall or early spring. Originally, I worried that it would only fit a girl, but it's actually full size. Sometimes this "no pattern" stuff involves too much guesswork and open-mindedness about the results. Not to mention frogging something after ten [more like twenty!] rows when I admit to myself that it's turning into a sleeve, not a baby hat, not even a preemie size hat. ["You cain't tell that girl nothin'!" was my father's frustrated reaction when I was little. Stubborn as a mule.]But I digress. Here's a pic of the crown, which was, at that point in the yarn, in the lighter color ranges and turned out quite nice.
I have to admit to a little extra pride anytime my crowns come out right because I don't switch to DPNs, but get onto long circs or just tough it out with what I'm using, and pull out the cable as much as possible. Laddering? Um, yeah. But I do plenty of tightening of stitches during the effort, and later mend little gaps as needed.But . . . I lied. It's not actually a FO yet because, in solidarity with Cosymakes (I almost said "taking a page out of her book," but I didn't want you to think I would damage a knitting book), I am going to embellish it!
I intend to use one of her templates and some buttons, though I have to admit to some trepidation about how to get the pattern onto the wool. Never done this, and with ridges and thick-n-thin, it seems a bit daunting. But I will forge ahead knowing that I can wash the hat and start over if it's not working out well.Gratuitous cat pictures?
If you were looking carefully in one of the shots above, you saw the back view of this Pretty Kitty, my Pippi. She was "helping" me. (You shoulda seen her helping me when I had the button collection spread out on the rug!) Actually she, her brother, and the other tabby pair at our house are all helping me by giving up their shed coats for the greater good--when I get enough fluff I'm sending it to be spun into sport weight yarn. Yesterday I stuffed together what I had, checked for moths (nope! whew!) and weighed it. Already 4 oz! And they are into shedding bigtime right now with the heat wave we've had. Don't fret--they are indoor cats and don't truly suffer from the heat, but we have all noticed that it's harder to get cool, even in the house, these past several days. Here is one of the tabbies doing her cute routine (it works every time--who could resist rubbing that tummy?). The combination of all four colors of the cats (white, beige, brown and gray/black) is a wonderful charcoal gray.
Am I crazy to want yarn made from my cats' fur?
My DDs have all had the eeeeew reaction to my desire to have "cat" yarn. But what's eeeeew about it, I ask? It all gets washed, so it's not danderful ;^) and it will be the loveliest deep gray color and soft, as soft as all those kitties. Nope, the DDs absolutely are NOT receiving any of the fruits of those labors. Actually I do believe I'm doing that one all for me. Maybe a shawl or a capelet. Or . . . what about a scarf? (I haven't made one of those in about six hours!)
What's on the needles now
Aside from the approximately 8 UFO's I'm ignoring, I have started and frogged a baby hat out of the last of this ScoutJ superwash (the aforementioned "sleeve").
(I originally used it for a tea cozy for my friend Monica.) I am about to cast on again and give it another go. I am also knitting another smaller hat with my leftover Yarn Rescue from above, and continuing work on my "Karen" scarf (so named because Karen gave me the yarn as a pick-me-up--thanks for the kudos on Ravelry, Amanda!). And Leonie's sweater is still on hold, but I did get to 3 Beads and a Button (don't go there without your willpower!) and found gorgeous buttons for it, the kind that are so shiny and glowing that they look good enough to eat. I also have the soft and fuzzy lavender poncho half done for Leonie (for fall) that I am making from my bargain bin SWTC Inspiration. Not a good yarn to knit with when it's warm, that's for sure, so it's waiting for a cooler spell.Cancer treatment update
DH is doing OK right now. Wednesday is going to be his third chemo treatment. He has had side effects from these first two rounds that were painful, unpleasant, or just disconcerting, but so far not too awful. He still has half his hair! and he shampoos it with the greatest gentleness. 8^) All his hair-challenged friends laugh that he still has way more than they do. Peripheral neuropathy is his most recent side effect, and while it's mild, it is strange and uncomfortable, though totally predictable given that one of his medications is vincristine, which causes it.
On the bright side, it does other things that help kill off the cancer cells, and that's the name of the game. While chemo affects everyone differently, he has worked every day since his diagnosis, and when I say "worked," I mean both for his job and on his household projects. No "Honey Do" list at our house--his is already way longer than mine could ever get.
That's all for now--if you are still reading, you deserve a medal, or at least a prize. Comment or email [keramoso AT yahoo DOT com] and tell me what interesting thing you noticed about this blog, and if you the first to guess right, I'll send you something really nice from the "overstocked warehouse."
~Happy Knitting!
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