Odds, Ends & Goodies!

This is a photo-heavy blog. I've been knitting furiously lately due to several impending births and the Christmas holiday season. That said, I'll let the photos do most of the talking....

The most recent Christmas gift bowls:


The three bowl styles(Ginger, Mesa and Standing):

Three new baby hats:

A new baby blanket (this is nothing more than a giant dishcloth/168 stitches at longest point):

Finishing touches on Miss Chicken:




And now, the goodies! Dianne greatly surprised me with souvenirs/gifts from her trip to Pennsylvania (The Mannings yarn store). She brought me the beautiful chunky Mauch you see below, as well as the Andes sock yarn. Thank you so very, very much! I cannot wait to dive into them. Again, thank you, thank you!

And for Nikki & Marianne. Here's the eye candy hubby. :) LOL

P.S. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are going to my sister's home in Maryland this Monday for a week. Hmmm, what's a mother to do when a) she doesn't have to cook, b) pick up after kids, c) clean the bathroom, and d) launder six tons of clothing? I shall be soooo lost...NOT!

What I've learned so far....

Thanks to all of you and your generous referrals, I've been able to get in touch with a number of people and learn a lot more about the assorted spinning wheels. Given that Marianne, Julie, Michelle and perhaps others are also entertaining the idea of a wheel purchase sometime in the future, I thought I'd share what I've learned thus far.

Lara was kind enough to send me to http://www.warmthreads.com/. She purchased her spinning wheel, a Kromski Sonata, there and was very happy with the entire experience, as well as the wheel.

Gretch sent me to Cabin Cove where her friend, Dave Daniels, now owns a magnificent portable wheel, a Journey, which looks a lot like the Indian charkas (the boxed style). It's a gorgeous piece of work; no doubt about it. Gretch also mentioned that Dave spins on a Kromski too.

Robin, Catie & Nikki said, "CyberFyber!" Dave Simpson is owner/operator of http://www.cyberfyber.com/ and his site is wonderful. He gives wheel "test drives" and is located outside of Newport, VA (Blacksburg).

Here's the tally thus far:

Lara - - Kromski Sonata

Robin - - Kromski Sonata

Catie - - Kromski Minstrel

Linda - - Beautiful wheel made by her husband, Jim. Hmmm...what are your thoughts on polygamy, Linda? Jim? ;)

Nikki - - Ashford Traditional

I want sit and spin* before I commit to any type, but realistically speaking, I'm thinking Ashford or Kromski. They're just beautiful imho.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

P.S. Have the words "sit and spin" changed for you over the years like they have for me? As I child, I adored the toy and would spend hours turning the handle and going around in circles. In college...well.....my daughter reads the blog on occasion and suffice it to say, I sat and spun in a different manner. Here and now, it's a wheel and some fiber. ;)

The irony of it just struck me as funny.
I'm weird that way.

I. Am. Frustrated.

I want a spinning wheel.

I want a spinning wheel badly.

I do not know what type of spinning wheel to purchase.

Herein lies my problem.

How the heck are you supposed to choose?!? Shopping for a wheel is not like buying a sofa. There's no "Spinning Wheel Super Saver Outlet" (would that there was one) where you go into the giant showroom and park your bum on the benches of twenty different spinning wheels and decide which one fits you best.

For example....let's try out this "Ikea" wheel made of PVC and a wheelchair wheel.

(It's actually a "Babe Fiber Starter Single Treadle."

Or do you say "Damn the mortgage!" and shop "Ethan Allen" for this little work of art, the Kromski Polonaise.

I suppose I could go "Pier One" and buy a Nepalese charkha like this one.

(Did I mention my boss is going to Nepal on vacation this coming October? Believe it or not, this charkha only weighs around 8 lbs. Our conversation (me begging) will go like this, "Pick one of my children to keep - - either one - - just bring me back one of these." In all honesty, she'd probably buy the wheel for me and insist I keep the kids a la The Ransom of Red Chief).

In all seriousness, how you know which one to select? Louet? Ashford? Bayley? Kromski? Schacht? and many other notable names. This is making me nutty and I'm starting to look like this....

Babies and Christmas

Those have been the focus of my knitting lately. I'm finished with Mason Dixon for a while (unless more pregnancies pop up) and once the bowls are done, I'll get back into my swallowtail shawl, a new chicken and some other things.

I've also done a couple more bowls. I used a mix of Emu Finlandia, Cascade 220 Tweed, Manos del Uruguay, Lamb's Pride and Tahki Donegal tweed. Once they're felted, I'll post a photo. In the meantime, keep cool and happy knitting.

Lighter Fare

I found these online and decided that you might enjoy a giggle....

"What the F**K?!?!" Wednesday

From the Roanoke Times newspaper... and including my pithy editorial comments

Firearm allegedly found on bus

A school resource officer, who was driving the bus of sixth-graders, was put on paid leave.
By Courtney Cutright 981-3345

Cpl. David Mays, a school resource officer at Staunton River Middle School, was placed on a paid administrative leave Thursday after allegedly leaving his loaded gun unattended on a charter bus, Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said. No, the gun was definitely there and photographs exist to prove it.
Mays, who has been employed by the county sheriff's department since 1999, also moonlights as a bus driver for Linkous Christian Tours of Bedford.
According to Brown, the incident occurred Wednesday evening at a rest stop outside Charlottesville on Interstate 64 when Mays was driving a group of sixth-graders back to Bedford from Paramount's Kings Dominion in Richmond.
"Cpl. Mays took his weapon off to go to the bathroom," Brown said. Do you really believe this? My theory is he took it off for the three hour road trip and simply forgot it. However, if I were the sheriff, I'd never say, "My officer forgot his gun with a busload of children milling around."
A chaperone and a student photographed the weapon in an unsecured compartment near the driver's seat, Brown said. The images were turned over to the sheriff's department Thursday.
The incident, which Brown called "totally unacceptable," is under investigation by the sheriff's department.
"The weapon should be secured on the officer or in an appropriate locked container," Brown said.
He also said carrying the service weapon was not in conflict with the department's policy until it left Mays' possession.
It is unknown whether the tour bus company has a policy regarding employees' use of firearms. No one from Linkous Christian Tours could be reached for comment Thursday.
"We regret what has transpired in the last 24 hours," said the school system's public information officer Ryan "Please don't sue us" Edwards. " I can also vouch for the fact that Cpl. Mays has a genuine love for children." Brown added that Mays is distraught over the incident, which was brought to the school system's attention Thursday morning.
Edwards said complaints were also presented to the school system regarding Mays' behavior on the bus. He was unsure if the complaints over the officer's behavior were brought by the same individuals who reported the unattended firearm. I think that's pretty much a given folks.
Edwards said Principal Linwood Roberts spoke to all parents who chaperoned the trip and "a majority were supportive" of the officer.
Approximately 50 sixth-graders and 10 chaperones were on the trip, in which students were being rewarded for behavior and good grades.
Mays requested the day off from the sheriff's department to take the students on the field trip, Brown said.
It was not the first occasion Mays made such a request, Brown said, and there have been no previous complaints against the deputy. [End Article]

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After 36 hours of "stewing," I finally calmed down and gained a bit of perspective. Here are my thoughts on my daughter's bus ride to Kings Dominion:

1. Mays forgot his gun. Regrettable, but accidental. No responsible adult and certainly no off-duty Bedford County police officer (we've got a great police force here) would ever deliberately leave his loaded weapon on a bus filled with children.

2. No harm, no foul. I have made my peace with the gun situation. The chaperones saved the day and I literally thank God for each and every one of them.

Remember that line about, "behavior on the bus....?" That situation, separate and apart from the forgotten pistol, still makes me simmer. How did Mr. Mays, the bus driver, behave on the bus? Here's part of an the e-mail I sent to the school board, amongst others, on that subject:

• ...Mays told the children that they were not permitted to use the bus restroom....(Note: Mays had told the children that they were not permitted to use the restroom at all during the three hour trip because he would have to clean the bathroom that night).
• ...Mays shouted at two male students, calling them "girls" because they had to use the restroom....
• ...Mays spent a significant amount time talking on his cell phone while driving the bus....
• A chaperone parent on the bus told Officer Mays to keep his eyes on the road and to stop talking on his cell phone while driving.

So folks, how the hell was your Wednesday?!?!?!

Credit: The brilliant mind of Noolie created today's title, "WTFW?" She does "WTFW?" on her blog and it's great fun to read. Check her out (and please do forgive me for pirating your title this one time, Noolie).

Sock Sisterhood

In a lovely card, Dianne and Linda wrote, "By the power vested me by NSK (Notorious Sock Knitters): You have been nominated and unanimously voted into The Local Sock Sisters Association."

And accompanying the card was this work of art. It's Blue Moon Fiber/Socks That Rock heavyweight yarn in the "Rolling Stone" colorway. I was blown away by all of it. The card was wonderful, the adoption was great and the fiber....oh the fiber....it's magnificent. :)


Thank you sooooooo much Dianne & Linda!


Now having this incredible yarn, I had to find patterns "good enough" for it. That said, I found the following two sock patterns from Fiber Trends.





On the left is "Leaf Lace" and on the right, "Hellen's Favorites." Below is what I started this weekend.

I had already begun a new pair of socks before receving the STR. Needless to say, I finished them off as quickly as I could and here's the end result. I used the Cascase Tweed and a "Bed Sock" pattern that came from my Stitch 'n Bitch Page-A-Day calendar.

Linda and Dianne - - Thank you again! I'm thoroughly loving my new sock addiction, as well as being in the sisterhood! XOXOX

Finishing Touches

What a weekend! I knitted, played, cleaned, played and knitted. The kids and I went to see Pirates 3 and if you haven't seen it, Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) is absolute eye candy at the end of the movie. I won't spoil it for you, but I will say that man makes a delicious-looking pirate.

The kids had a ball "grass surfing" yesterday. My daughter, Andie, hitched a heavy-duty styrofoam wakeboard to the back of our lawn mower and the next thing I knew, my son, Skander, was surfing over the hills of our yard with his sister at the wheel of the mower. Oh well...Jamaica has a bobsled team. ;)

I spent last week and this past weekend putting finishing touches on several projects. You've seen the bibs I did for Emma & Isabelle, but here's a new pair for Saylor (a cousin's daughter who's due in August).

I found adorable polymer clay buttons, a heart & butterfly, and added them to my pink and yellow bibs below.






Note to Self: Get new digital camera. Also photographed below is a pair of baby booties (the first and only pair that I've made so far).

A couple more mesa bowls made with Emu Finlandia and Manos del Uruguay

And Miss Chicken. I plan on either putting a little garland around her neck or (if I can learn how to make one) a mini-shawl.

I also made a tomato hat with Shepherd's superwash.

I attempted to start the Flower Basket shawl, but the provisional cast-on stonewalled me. I'll give it another shot this week. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and Happy Knitting!

Weekend SEX

Stash-Enrichment-eXpedition(s).

(The title got your attention though, didn't it???)

I had a very busy, fiber-filled weekend. I'm sorry to say that one of our local LYSs', Tapestry, is permanently closing its doors at the end of this month. I visited Evie, the owner, on Friday and while I'm happy for her that she's retiring, I'm selfishly sad also. Evie's always carried very nice British woolens and Manos del Uruguay in every color. While at her shop, I couldn't resist the following:

Two beautiful skeins of Manos del Uruguay (a rust and a burgundy color), a Cascade tweed, a Donegal tweed and several balls of Rowan cotton glace.

These beauties are going to be Christmas socks. The sage-colored cotton glace will be a shawl (I hope I can do it) and the Manos is part of the "bowl-a-polooza" I've been knitting up lately.




The second expedition was Customer Appreciation Day at Yarn Theory. Jan outdid herself with finger foods, a spinning demonstration and just creating a really warm atmosphere. While there, I found these two shawl patterns. They're beautful and they're scary. :)

Flower Basket & Leaf Lace, both by Evelyn Clark/Fibertrends.

Happy Knitting all!

Here's my first attempt at a Mesa bowl. I knitted the body of the bowl with a very light gray Emu Finlandia. The top, an I-cord bind off, was knitted with a combination of "No Name" olive-colored wool and Lamb's Pride Pine Tree.













Here's the finished, felted bowl. The bowls knit up very fast and easily. I knitted a second, larger one last night in about two hours using Galway and Galway Paint. The wool isn't as fuzzy and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. Happy Knitting all.

Tagged

I've been tagged by Noolie and the rules of the game are that each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog. Here are my facts:

1. I like vampires. Before you think that I'm a complete oddball, let me explain. After almost a decade spent living in Africa, I returned to the U.S. and re-discovered American television. The one show that captivated me was "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" simply because it was so darned different (and wonderfully humorous). When Buffy was cancelled, I stumbled upon the authors Charlaine Harris & Maryjanice Davidson and have had a roaring good time with their Sookie and Betsy characters.

2. I proposed to my husband on our second date.

3. I was the only right-handed person in my family as a child.

4. I enjoy housekeeping, but I really loathe ironing.

5. I've never had the flu, but I have had dengue fever.

6. I'm a 39, born in August and a rabid E-bay'er.

7. I'm afraid of spiders.

Now, it's your turn Dianne, Marianne, Michelle, Flo, and Angie.

Socks and Baby Blanket are Done

Yippee! I didn't do the full Mason Dixon Moderne because I didn't want a crib-sized blanket, but what I did end up with is a very large receiving blanket and/or nicely sized lap blanket.

The Horcrux socks are finished too. I had a ball doing those, but I need to work on my kitchener stitch (or have someone standing over my shoulder to make sure that I'm getting it right).

I've started a chicken and so far, so good. It's unnatural how much I like Lamb's Pride. Don't ask me why...maybe it's just my first love, but if I could bury my basement in this stuff, I would. (I know a few who'd say the same, but with Blue Moon sock yarn, so I know I'm not alone in this fiber obsession). :)

Happy knitting all!

Knit.Drink.Tink.

I saw this blogsite, Knit.Drink.Tink., referenced on the Yarn Harlot's site and thought to myelf, "How much fun would this be on a Friday night?!?!" (It'd sure beat laundry, housekeeping & cooking). That and I adore the logo.

Along Came a Sock

My Horcrux socks are coming along nicely. The first one is finished, but for the Kitchener's Stitch on the toe. The second sock is at the "gussets" point. This is a terrific, very user-friendly pattern!





And here's my first square for Hokie blankets.



At some point the near future, I'll be starting the chicken doorstops as well. For this project, I purchased Lamb's Pride.

Here ya go Mobishobel & Dianne!

We interrupt this N.Y. Yankee baseball game for ummm....a naked prance.


At least the policemen are amused, if not the streaker.



Naked trots are genuinely (and this is real) a problem at
Pomona College in California.


Tonight's dinner...I'm eating crow. :)




And here is the sock I've started....

Slumber Party et al

I am finished knitting slippers (for a while at least).

I am finished knitting slippers.

The slippers are done.

I am in shock.


I started knitting for the first time around April 2006 and my second project was a pair of felted slippers and/or clogs. Those slippers, and the 3o or so pairs that followed it (no, I'm not kidding about the numbers), consumed me. It feels very strange not to have clogs on the needles and I'm kind of "punch drunk" at the thought of what's coming up next. I plan on jumping into....


a) Crazy little chickens for Christmas (I really liked the Camp Cockamamy chickens on the Harlot site and want to do them as doorstops), and ummmm....


b) socks on dpns.


Yes, the Sock Basher/Hanes Queen/ "I will run down Main St. naked before I ever knit another sock" is going to knit socks. Between Marianne's wonderful gift and watching the beautiful socks that Dianne and LW have worked up these last several months, I have to take the plunge on dpns.'

In the meantime, I've been knitting away on my Moderne Baby Blanket and here's where I am thus far:

I didn't get much knitting done this weekend because I had a "slumber party" of sorts. Emma and Isabelle spent Saturday night with me, but Emma refused to sleep until 4 a.m. Still, who could resist these girls?

Finished Projects

I finished several projects over the weekend but none of them can be photographed because they're gifts. That said, your slippers will be mailed today, Marianne! (AT LONG LAST! and I do apologize for the extraordinarily long time that it's taken me).

In addition to the gifts, I also knitted up a burp cloth and bib with Peaches 'n Creme. I really like the pattern and the cotton; it washes well and knits up nicely. Here are the latest additions to the "baby hoard".




I'm still working on the Moderne baby blanket and I'll photograph that next. Happy Knitting all!

I heard something on the radio today and cried for the first time. The deejay described an e-mail from a Georgia tech student who wrote that the reason it was so windy here on Monday was due to the all of the angels arriving to take the Hokies home.