My SoCalled Blog

It's alivvvvvvve!

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:14:06 GMT

Yeah, I'm still here! Working on the holiday knitting. I innocently asked a friend, we'll call her 'Penny', for a couple skeins of acrylic from her stash to match some ombres I had. I'm using them for the WWII Museum's Knit-Your-Bit campaign. They collect and distribute scarves to Veterans' hospitals and centers. They'll also take lap blankets and afghans.

A few days later she shows up and dumps this on my doorstep. And promptly flees amid my protests.

That's 5 trash bags full.

I counted them, there are 100 skeins there! 100 skeins! And a good deal of them are the big 8 and 16 oz. ones.

I have such a wonderful and generous friend, I'm overwhelmed! She went through her stash and picked coordinating colors. So far I've made about 4 or 5 lapghans.

They're a great go-to project(as are the scarves) for when you need a busy-hands-no-thinking-project. I always have a blankie and a scarf on the needles to work on in between other stuff.

PS: the sweater is done except for the sleeves. Oh the shame. It fits well, I have the buttons, but I put it down and haven't picked it back up. Hangs head...

Stuff I've been making...

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:31:06 GMT

Some little pouches, from a tutorial I found on Craftster. Those little snaps are awesome, they're set in with little prongs, so much better than sewing!

Even more little pouches, this time the Sundance Makeup bag from Ravelry. I think I made about a dozen of these little cuties. Of course I haven't sewn the buttons on most of them, and haven't even started the linings. They don't absolutely need a lining, but they look really cute.

And I started a sweater! A project bigger than a scarf! It's the February Lady Sweater in my favorite Cotton Ease. It's coming along, and even though it's only a 7 stitch repeat I finally had to put markers in every 35 stitches because I kept screwing up the lace.

The dog days have finally hit! It's supposed to be 90 today about 80% humidity, yum!

Ups & Downs

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 18:26:35 GMT

Things are getting back to normal, except we might have to build an Ark any day. I think it's been raining for 6 weeks straight. It seems like summer my never come.

My Puff had a urinary blockage and had to stay in the hospital for 3 nights. He's all better now and back to his usual Puff-ness. It was an ordeal for both of us. I noticed him trying to pee on the couch. Usually he would never do that. When I felt the spot, there were only a couple drops and he was trying again on the rug. I knew it wasn't anything good. Of course these things happen at night and of course the husband was out of town. Actually I thought it might be a UTI and packed him off to the (closer)emergency vet.

Unfortunately that vet is only open 7:00pm to 7:00am and they wanted to keep him overnight. Meaning I'd have to pick him up by 7:00am, bring him home and wait for my regular vet to come in at 9:00am. Considering he needed both a catheter and an IV, I really didn't want to be traveling around with him. So before they did anything, I decided to take him to the 24 hour emergency animal hospital a bit futher away.

Poor Puff, he was traumatized. Urinary blockages aren't uncommon in kitties and they're pretty serious. They admitted him and by the time I got home (40 minutes later), they'd already phoned with an update. They told me he actually scratched people at the clinic! My sweet little Puff went all Puffinator.

Anyway, he's doing well now, but since this can reoccur, I'm watching him like a hawk.

And I've been making stuff.

The Grrlfriend Bag, a neat pattern found on Ravelry. Fun knitting. The bottom is solid blue like the strap. It's very stretchy!

Some silly potholders. I all of a sudden had an urge to crochet some kitsch!

Some crochet washcloths, although Puff doesn't need a washcloth! Seriously, I'm glad that's his foot he's cleaning...

I can't believe I'm makin a glove!

Tue, 05 May 2009 17:43:45 GMT

But I am! I love the way they're coming out too! Love that self-patterning yarn. The pattern is from The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd. Knitting the fingers is very fiddly for my huge man-hands. I even bought some wee little short needles to help and it's still a challenge. They've been thumb and index fingerless for a while now while I knit scarves and washcloths. I'm guessing I'll pick them up again before next winter...

Happy Easter

Mon, 13 Apr 2009 16:00:27 GMT

From Mount Peepsmore!

Rest well, Sweet little Randy

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:53:19 GMT

You weren't our kitty nearly long enough. I'm glad we got a little good petting in before you had to leave us. We hope we did the best for you. We'll never forget you.

Getting back the Mojo

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:48:53 GMT

I'm trying to get back the knitting mojo. Ravelry helps. Although sometimes it seems I spend way too much time shopping for yarn, browsing other peoples' projects, and reading about knitting, than actually knitting.

I had a couple false starts, including a nice pattern for a shrug. I like the pattern, enjoyed the knitting, it's coming out the way it should, but I'm not feeling the yarn, Lion Brand Wool Ease Chunky. I have it 85% done and I may frog it! I think it would be nicer in a thinner yarn, same big needles, resulting in a looser gauge. Maybe a cotton. I loves my cottons.

But I did start a few little things...

First, a cable mitten from a 1981 Leisure Arts booklet. I don't remember having that booklet prior to moving into this house which was in (gulp)1987, but it's certainly endured for quite a while until Puff put his teethy marks into it over the weekend. Sigh. Since the pattern was written for 2 needles, I adapted it for the round since I'm lazy and don't wanna sew no stinkin seams! And more socks, of course. This yarn looks like a muted version of the Red Heart sock yarn, but it's Paton's. I like it, it's manly enough for the husband. We have sock issues.

A dish towel from the lovely bib pattern. The color is more mustardy that it appears. It's a ball of Lion Kitchen Cotton found at a rummage sale a few months ago, someone had started it from the outside and rewound it. I just came across it again in a bag sitting next to the half skein of Sugar and Cream and they looked really nice together, the mustards are about the same color.

So there you go. Therapeutic knitting. Nothing challenging, in between cats and litter boxes and cat medicines and outside cats and feeding cats...

Bargain Socks

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:02:41 GMT

In between feeding the army of cats and cleaning litterboxes(believe me there's a lot of it), I picked up these socks again. I think the last time I worked on them was the infamous 9 hour flight from Galveston or maybe at the doctor's office. That would be June. They're nearly done, and will probably get thrown in the box of shame. I like the socks well enough, I don't have second sock syndrome, rather I have 'weaving in the ends' syndrome. I've posted before about the box of perfectly lovely socks finished but for the dangling ends. Of course this doesn't apply to gift socks. I force myself to Finish them.

Anyway, I got a few single balls of self striping and jacquards from the clearance bin a whille ago and matched them up with Knitpicks solids so as to get a pair. Oddly, I have about 1/3 skein of the stripes left! Did not expect that.

Truthfully, I'm at loose ends, so to speak, about knitting right now. I have a ton of yarn, but am not really inspired. I've been doing busywork. fingerless mitts, another Dumpling bag, finishing these socks. Just keeping the hands busy.

See what I mean? Barbie got a sweater! Poor thing doesn't have decent pants, or a shirt for that matter, but she's got a fabulous new 100% wool hand knit sweater! From Knits for Barbie by Nicky Epstein. Retro Barbie case from W*lm*rt.

Proud to be a New Yorker

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 13:14:17 GMT

It's often been said that the city's worst moments prove to be New Yorkers' finest hours. Once again this was demonstrated last night when the people of New York rushed to aid the downed jet in the Hudson River.

The amazing skill of the pilot was perfectly complemented by the willingness of those who could, to help. There's no doubt that the quick action by the water taxi and ferry captains was invaluable to the rescue. Even the Circle Line was there!

And today the husband flies out of JFK...

More knitting...

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 17:50:51 GMT

Pink girly bibs and washcloths! Having grandnephews, I don't get to knit pink things very often, but one of the gals who works where my teeny tiny knitting group meet told us she had a 3 month old baby girl. Tell knitters that and what happens? We drop everything and knit pink. My knitting buddy made a gorgeous pink ruffly blankie in record time. The bib pattern is the Modern Cabled Baby Bib on Ravelry.

And some mitts, for the SIL. She's tiny, I'm not. These have a lot of stretch, so I was able to try them on.

And I liked the bib so much, I copied another Raveler's idea for the two tone and made it into a washcloth. It's a very fast fun knit and takes only a little of each color, good for using up leftovers!