Famous Steve Knits

Works in progress

2010-11-01T19:05:00.019-04:00

Almost too many to count, and probably some I've completely forgotten. Here are the ones I can remember.

I have a beautiful charcoal gray scarf on needles. It's probably going to be a Christmas gift if I can bear to part with it. (and they move Christmas to June) I do lurve me some cashmere! It's a little pattern I made up. I won't claim it as my own, because I'm sure it's been done before. It's too simple NOT to have been done before. If it is, I have no idea what it's called, and I've never seen it written down, but I haven't looked real hard either. Want the pattern? .......... OK

I'll call it
Steve's Completely Original, Never Been Done Before Scarf.

Cast on 38 stitches.
Knit 7 rows
Begin 6 row pattern repeat
1. Knit
2. K4, (P4, K1) six times, K4
3. K4, (P2, K3) six times, K4
4. K4, (P2, K3) six times, K4
5. K4, (P4, K1) six times, K4
6. Knit
Repeat rows 1 through 6 until scarf is as long as you like it.
Knit 7 rows
Bind off all stitches
simple, huh?

It makes a nice cushy textured pattern. It sort of reminds me of waffles. (mmmmmmmmmm, waaaaaaffles)

Let's see, what else am I knitting?
I have a super secret project for a very special knitting friend who gave me a TON of blue hand dyed wool yarn quite a while ago. She's getting some of it back after I get it knitted up. More info and photos to follow.

I'm knitting a toe up sock. I haven't turned the heel yet. There are plans in the works to knit a second sock to match the first. I'm using white yarn because it's easier to see, and it was in my stash. I think I may dye them with walnut hulls after I knit them. They may actually become kilt hose, as I have ordered myself a kilt from Alt.Kilt. Check it out. She's got a sweet little operation going, and a touching story about how she got started.

I'm knitting a top down, shawl collared cardigan for myself. It was going to be my 2010 SAFF Sweater, but that didn't happen. I'm using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, which pre-dates Rowan Scottish Tweed Aran, (for those of you keeping track), but it's pretty much the same thing. It's a beautiful shade of blue with purple, (that's right.... purple!) and turquoise slubs. One partial sleeve, One full sleeve, two button bands, and a collar, and I'm done. I'm teaching a top down sweater class this month, so chances are some of it will get done.

I'm working on a beautiful, INCREDIBLY soft cashmere hat for Miss Nancy. She's having chemo, and will soon need something to keep that noggin of hers warm. I'm knitting love and healing thoughts, (and I think maybe some peanut butter cracker crumbs), into every single stitch I make. LOVE YA NANCY!

OK, now I'm tired, and I've thought of about 10 other projects I've started, but not finished, and what am I doing instead of knitting? Blogging! That's OK. If I wasn't doing this, I'd be screwing around on Facebook or Ravelry.

Time to blog again

2010-10-31T19:19:00.004-04:00

Yes, it has been a while. That's not an apology, just an observation. I think writing a blog should be fun. I started looking at mine like it was homework. I've never liked homework. Now I'm going to do my darndest to make it fun for me. Hopefully it will be fun for all who read it too.

Lots of things have happened in my life since I last wrote. Probably the biggest thing that has happened is; I decided to come out to my family and friends, and live my life as the gay man that I am. (yes, I know you're all shocked) For too many years I have done what I thought my family, my church, (God), and society as a whole expected me to do. I thought if I acted straight, I would become straight. I thought if I prayed to God, he would make me straight. None of that happened. What I learned was; there is nothing wrong with being who you are. I also learned that living a lie, and trying to be something you're not, creates deep unhappiness. I wish I had come to this conclusion years ago, but I'm learning that all things happen when they should. I still have a lot of things to work through, but luckily I'm surrounded by many supportive and loving family members and friends. I love you all.

I am still working at Cut Flower Wholesale. With the help of a therapist and prescription anti-depressants, I manage to show up to work on time every day and do what is expected of me without killing anyone. Luckily I still have my other job. Teaching at Knitch is my joy and my passion. If you had told me three years ago that I would be teaching people how to knit, I would have said you were crazy. Now I cannot imagine my life without it. I had no idea I would enjoy teaching as much as I do. Apparently I'm quite good at it, (that's what they tell me), and I plan on doing it as long as I can hold a pair of needles in my hands.

Hope you like the new blog design. Think "chocolate covered cherries" - one of my favorite color combinations!

Happy VD!

2009-02-14T16:55:00.005-05:00

As some of you know, my "real" job is in the wholesale floral industry. I've been doing it for 15 years, and have been over it for about the last 6. I just made it through Valentine's Day #15. I wasn't as busy as usual. Typically, when VD falls on a Saturday or Sunday, flower sales are down, and the restaurants seem to do better. I'm sure the present state of the economy didn't help things either. I've been wanting to do something else for several years, but I was making such good money, I really couldn't afford to go somewhere else and make less. Soon I may get my wish, and have to find work somewhere else. I work on commission, and I've had several big clients go out of business in the last few months. Like they say, be careful what you wish for.

And now, on to the knitting!

Socks, socks, socks! I can't get them out of my mind. Once I found a toe up cast on that I like, (Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on), and a heel that I like, (The Fleegle Heel) it's the only thing I want to knit. My Numma Numma Saucy - colorway Famous Chocolate Fondue was originally going to be a scarf. Now it's definitely going to be socks. I keep thinking I need to have more sock yarn in my stash. I mean I only have enough to knit 5 more pairs! My sock yarn stash is totally out of proportion to my regular yarn stash! I just finished my first sock using Blue Moon Fiber's Socks That Rock! LOVE IT! Can't wait to get some more! For those of you that don't know, you can buy it at Knitch. Apparently, we are one of only 11 places worldwide where you can buy it. I hope we're getting more soon. I'm putting my vote in for "Muddy Bottom Breakdown" and "Manly Yes, But I Like It Too". (who names this stuff - hilarious!)

My sweater class starts this week. I've contacted all of my students, and they sound just as excited as I am! We're doing a simple, knit-from-the-top-down raglan, but I'm going to suggest options to make their sweater uniquely their own. I will finally be knitting a sweater for my son Andrew's. He requested it and picked out a pattern a couple of years ago, and I've had the black yarn in my stash ever since. I thought it would be a good sweater for this class. He is so tall and thin, it should take no time at all.

I need to get the baby blanket started for my niece's third baby. (her 3rd in three years!) She is due in March. We're doing lavender for this one, so I've purchased some lovely acrylic from Hobby Lobby. Can you tell how anxious I am to get it started? I think I'm going to do a round pinwheel blankie this time.

That's all for now folks, but before I go, I just had to share this photo I found on the Internet. Doesn't this just make you want to learn how to crochet?!

it's a beautiful day

2009-01-31T23:02:00.002-05:00

I woke up to blue skies and sunshine today. It was just one of those beautiful north Georgia winter days. There was no annoying alarm clock going off at 4 am. I actually slept 'til 9:00. Got up, had a leisurely shower. Went to Knitch to pick up my paycheck. Had a wonderful lunch with Doug at Everybody's Pizza. I've never been there before, and I'm definitely going back. Doug and I spent about 4 hours at the Peachtree Handspinners Guild meeting. Got to see some folks I haven't seen in a while, and had a great time. I meant to bring my camera, but forgot. (oh well) I came home to find Beth had cooked an extremely tasty chicken curry dish. I got all caught up on my TV shows I missed this past week, while at the same time executed a perfectly turned Fleegle Heel on my Socks that Rock sock. I would be hard pressed to imagine a more perfect day!

I didn't get weighed today. The weight loss is not going so well, and I really just did not want to see any numbers this morning. On a brighter note, I think I've broken my own record for most blog posts in one month!

finished socks

2009-01-24T18:15:00.004-05:00

Well here they are. My second pair of socks. This pair didn't take nearly as long as the first. They're not very fancy, but I'm not a very fancy guy.

I used Jarbo Garn's Raggi sock yarn, (100g, 150m, 70% superwash wool, and 30% nylon), knitted on US #6 needles, one ball per sock, (size 13 EEE), toe-up, Magic Loop, Judy Becker's Magic cast on, Encroachment Heel, and sewn bind-off.

(wow, that's a mouthfull)

I'm already planning my second pair. I'm using Socks That Rock medium weight, colorway Valkyrie. I'd like to try the "Fleagle Heel" on these, but can't find directions on line anywhere. (Hockeymom........ HELP!!!!!) I think I'll dress these up with some cables too.

Now there seems to be a little problem developing. As you know, I have acquired a wee bit of a yarn stash. Within this stash, there is practically NO sock yarn. As you sock knitters know, you must use sock yarn to knit socks. (don't you?) I could knit other things, but right now, I want to knit socks. I'm really trying to refrain from buying more sock yarn. I do have enough to knit four more pairs, and that should be enough for now, ..............right?

(heaven help me)

And now for the weekly weigh in. I did practically NOTHING as far as diet and exercise go this past week. OK, I did try to get in a little more fiber in my diet, (oatmeal cookies), but that was about it. I now weigh 284.4, so I lost .4 lbs. I'm hoping for bigger numbers next week.

a trip to the hospital

2009-01-22T14:30:00.003-05:00

Last night, about halfway through Lost, my wife started having severe chest pains. By 11 pm we were sitting in the hospital emergengy room. After checking her heart, lungs, gall bladder, and heart again, all systems were clear. Fifteen hours in the emergency room, but it's nice to know she's in nearly perfect health. We still don't have any idea what caused the pains. I have to say that EVERY single person at the Gwinnett Med Center in Lawrenceville was wonderful. The ER seemed to be super busy, but they still took the time to explain everything, and Beth felt really well cared for. If you have to go, (and I hope you don't), I hope your experience is as good as the one we had. The patient is now resting comfortably, propped up in front of the TV, with remote control in hand, and I am attempting to finish a sewn bind off on a toe-up sock. (no, I didn't bring my knitting to the ER..... damn!) Tomorrow it's back to work, and hopefully I'll see some of you knitting at Knitch tomorrow night!

.....and now for a little nap.

there and back again

2009-01-17T10:22:00.006-05:00

Well I'm back from my little business trip to Ft. Lauderdale. It was SO nice there! Daytime, 72 degrees, nights in the 50's. It was a a little cloudy and breezy, but no rain. Yesterday we ate breakfast outside under the palm trees in short sleeve shirts. Today I'm eating hot oatmeal, snuggled warmly inside flannel pj's. It was nice while it lasted.

The flight was OK. I'm actually looking forward to flying again in June. Some of you know I have not flown since 9/11, and swore I would never do it again. I think the only reason I was able to fly now is due in part to the anti-depression/anxiety meds I've been taking for the last year and a half. (ain't chemistry wonderful!) The take off was a little scary, and I have to admit, I was turning a short-row heel in my mind for about the first 10 minutes of the flight, but after that I was OK. It was a little crowded to knit, even though I brought a simple scarf to work on. I also think the boss is a little embarassed that I knit, so I tucked it away for two days, and didn't knit a stitch.

The trade show was fun, and I made a lot of connections with some new tropical plant growers, and got to see some of the folks I'm already buying from. Two days of walking really did a number on my leg, and actually started in the other leg, and a couple of other places I haven't felt the pain before. I know this problem is completely weight related, and only I have the power to fix it. In an effort to be held accountable for this, I've decided to post my weight every week on my blog. I'd like to loose about 40 lbs. before I fly to Colorado in June. (I'd like to do a little hiking while I'm there.) Today I weighed in at a whopping 284.8! (OUCH! wish me luck)

Beth and I are off the the Dekalb Farmer's Market for some fresh and healthy fruits and veggies. Come see me at Knitch tomorrow!

knitting socks

2009-01-06T19:20:00.005-05:00

That's right, my dear readers, I am knitting socks. I know I said I never would, but never is a really long time.

Those of you who know me, know I have completed one complete pair. The first sock was knit in the traditional way, from the cuff down. I did NOT use double pointed needles. (hereafter referred to as "The Devil's Toothpicks") Why would I? I know how to Magic Loop! It was knit with the traditional heel flap and gusset, and the toe meticulously kitchenered. The second sock was knit in the same fashion, with the exception of the heel. I decided to try a garter stitch - short row heel. This left large gaping holes, and about halfway to the toe I crammed the whole mess in a bag and buried it deep beneath my stash and UFOs.

After about a year and a half, I dug it out, ripped back the heel, re knit the damned thing, kitchenered it, and I was done. I used Brown Sheep Superwash Worsted. Did I mention I don't like knitting with really tiny needles? I have big hands, and big feet, and I like to use the bigger needles. Anyway, the yarn has no nylon in it, and I've been told that the heels will wear out more quickly. There really is no chance of that ever happening, as the stuff is so itchy, I can't stand to wear them for more than a few minutes. At this point, I was done with socks.

Over the past year or so, I see everyone knitting socks! Dyeing their own sock yarn. Designing their own patterns! We're extremely lucky to have one of the most incredible yarn dyers right here in Atlanta, and she sells her yarn at Knitch. Her sock yarn is to dye for! (tee hee) She even named one of her colorways after me. I'm sure you all remember Famous Chocolate Fondue. Then Knitch gets Blue Moon Fibers Socks That Rock! (medium and heavy weight) Have you seen this stuff?! BEAUTIFUL! I wanted it ALL, but restrained myself, and bought only two skeins.

I knew I wanted my next pair to be knit from the toe up. My first pair, I barely had enough yarn to kitchener the toe, and really don't want to run out when I've almost finished. Haley showed me two different toe-up cast ons, which I promptly forgot as soon as I got home. (Hey Haley, I'm old, gimme a break!) I decided to check out You Tube, and discovered Cat Bordhi demonstrating Judy Becker's Magic Cast-on. This is a most miraculous thing. How someone comes up with something like this, I'll never know. So now I'm knitting socks, and loving it! (photos to follow) I haven't gotten to the heel yet. Does anyone know if Judy has a Magic Short-row Heel?

foggy day

2009-01-03T19:18:00.005-05:00

WOW! It was really foggy all day long, but sort of nice for a change. I mean I wouldn't want it to be like this every day, but every now and then.....

We got up early and caught a matinee of Bedtime Stories. Beth really likes Adam Sandler, so Andrew and I went with her. It was a cute movie, but not the usual type of movie I go see.

We got back home, and I headed into work for a couple of hours. I've been off for a week, and I didn't want there to be any surprises when I walk in at 5 am on Monday. (no, I didn't win the lottery........ this time) I also know I wouldn't have been able to sleep Sunday night just thinking about it, so I cleaned up and organized a bit. It really wasn't that bad.

There was a package waiting for me there, and I couldn't wait to open it. I discovered, via Ravelry, a couple of knitters here in the Atlanta area (Norcross), that also make the most wonderful scented soy candles! I ordered Tangerine Lemongrass, and just plain Lemongrass. (I lean toward the more citrusy scents) The Tangerine Lemongrass is burning right now, and it is so fresh and bright and clean and tart. LOVE IT! Check their website out here. It was hard to pick out two from the many scents they offer. The candles are $12.50 each (they're a nice size) and you get free shipping!

Next it was off to the airport to pick up Claudia. It's so nice to have her back! We had a nice drive from the airport to her house, so I got to hear all about her trip. Hermine and Noah sure were glad to see her.

Now I'm home, and in my PJ's. Can't decide if I want to knit or spin. I am sort of getting the urge to cable, I just need to find a project.

I'm off to work at Knitch tomorrow. If you're looking for something to do, come knit with us for a while.

See you there!

a little spinning........

2009-01-02T21:17:00.005-05:00

Well I did get to do a little spinning yesterday. First I had to ply the last bit of Shetland I had already spun. That freed up an extra bobbin.

I already had a whole bobbin of light blue BFL spun up.

I purchased some dark blue BFL at SAFF to ply with it.

It seems the more I spin, the thinner it gets! I'm wondering now if I can even spin a thicker yarn! Anyway, the blue yarns are so thin I'm thinking I may add another color, (white or tan), and do a three ply yarn. Otherwise it will be so thin that I probably won't knit anything with it. I'm gonna have to get out some more roving and seriously try to spin some thicker yarn.

Got to spend the day with two of my best buds; Nancy and Doug! We hit the sushi buffet at Rusan's, and then tried to decide on a movie. There was nothing really exciting to see, so we went to Ikea to people watch. Nancy bought a lid rack for her pot and pan lids, and Doug bought a nice halogen desk lamp to use while knitting. I know it's nice, 'cause I have one just like it! Oh, and I bought a half dozen warm cinnamon rolls which we proceeded to sit right down and snarf.
($4 for a HALF DOZEN!!!!! That's like what you would pay for ONE at the Cinnabun place at the mall!) We finished off the evening where we finish off almost every Friday evening....... at Knitch. My wife Beth joined us, and we picked out some yarn so she could knit her dad a new scarf. He lost the one she knit for him when she was 17, and he was SO upset. He loved that scarf, but she told him he would love this one even more. We picked out a lovely steel grey-blue shade of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky. (the original scarf was acrylic Wintuk yarn from Sears) This one's gonna keep him nice and warm.

That's it for now. Beth and I are going to see the Adam Sandler movie tomorrow morning, and then I'm going to pick-up Claudia from the airport! It will be so good to see her again. (10 days is WAY too long for you to be gone! We miss you too much!) Only two more days off, and then Monday at 5 am it's back to the daily grind. (yuck!)

Unless, of course, I win the lottery tonight.

I can dream, can't I?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T10:57:00.002-05:00

Well here we are, a brand new year staring us in the face. Resolutions? Nope, I haven't made any. I should probably go on a yarn diet, (and a food diet, as far as that goes), but I'm not in the mood to start today. I've been off work all week, and just enjoying sleeping late, watching movies, and knitting. I'm going to pull the wheel out today and do a little spinning. I received my NEW Knit Picks needles yesterday, and pulled them out and got them all organized. It's nice to have them back. I missed them.

I do have some things to look forward to in the upcoming year. In a couple of weeks I'm going to fly again. I haven't flown since the spring of 2001, (didn't enjoy it then), and said I would never fly again after 9/11. I'm also planning a trip out to Colorado in June to visit a good friend, and possibly hit the Estes Park Wool Market. I guess it's not so much a fear of flying, but more a fear of hitting the ground really hard that has kept me from flying. I've come to the conclusion that we really have no say when it comes to our time to leave this plane of consciousness. While plummeting to the ground in a blazing fireball is not the way I would choose to go, I realized that we don't really get to choose. After all, there are many things that are much more dangerous than flying, like driving home on 85 in rush hour traffic. Life is a journey, and I've decided it's time to kick back and enjoy the ride!

I'm teaching more classes at Knitch this year. I'm really excited about it! I have a Learn to Knit class in January, and I'm teaching my first sweater class in February and March. It's a simple knit-from-the-top-down raglan for folks who already know how to knit, but are just sure they could never knit a sweater. I'm here to tell them they can! Now I just need to come up with some more classes for spring. (ideas?)

I have my 30 year high school reunion coming up this year. Not sure if I'm going or not. I really haven't kept up with anyone I went to high school with. It seems like I knew everybody back then, and now I look through the yearbook and wonder, "who are these people?", and "what's with the hair!?". I may go anyway. It would be a good way to visit with my parents too. They're not getting any younger. (as my mother keeps reminding me)

I have another milestone coming up this year. My 20th wedding anniversary is on September 30th. WOW, 20 years! It hasn't always been easy, but then nothing worthwhile rarely is. I just hope the next 20 are as good as the first. (or possibly better)

So that's it for now. If I were going to make a resolution today, it would be to blog more regularly. For those of you who do not blog, it's really a lot of work. I always feel like there should be lots of pictures, and it should be very entertaining, and sometimes I'm just not in the mood. Then I realized this blog is for ME. So you may see me blogging more in the upcoming year. There may be fewer pictures, and it may not always be entertaining, but I hope you'll come back and read it anyway.

Take care,
Steve

OMG! I have a blog?

2008-08-25T11:26:00.011-04:00

I completely forgot about this thing! I even missed my own blogiversary! (August 12th). I'm off work this week, so I hope to get caught up on a few thing around here, including reading everyone else's blogs!

Let's see..... what have I been doing?

I haven't knit another stitch on Cobblestone since I last blogged. I am off this week, so I hope to get some knitting done on that. Of course, now I'm just itching to knit the latest sweater I saw on Jared's blog; the Spiral Yoke Pullover. (too many projects started - not enough finished!) It would be SO comfy knit in Shepherd's Wool!

I've been working on the entrelac sweater I designed, and I just can't seem to put it down. I find entrelac so fun and easy and satisfying to knit. If you haven't heard, I'm teaching an entrelac class at Knitch in September. My first teaching gig, so I'm a little nervous, but it should be lots of fun. I think there are still some spaces open, so what are you waiting for?!

I finished a beautiful scarf for the Men Who Knit scarf exchange. I used one strand of Shepherd's Wool, (Stonehenge Fiber Mill's super soft 100% merino available at Knitch) and one strand of Knit Picks Andean Silk (alpaca, silk, merino). It's a nice, soft, comfy, heavy scarf for my exchange pal that lives MUCH further north than I do. It has a wonderfully textured pattern. I sure hope he will enjoy it. I've got to get it in the mail this week.

Chuck has mostly been sitting idle in the corner, as I have not been spinning as much as I would like. I know I need to get in more practice if I want to be as good as Doug! I need to make the time for it, as I find it very peaceful and relaxing to spin. I still have another Mach 1 available, if you know anyone who's interested........ (more shameless self-promotion)

I'm leaving on Thursday for my annual family reunion in Parkersburg, WV, so I'll see you in September!

Measure twice, knit once

2008-06-21T13:02:00.005-04:00

As I sit here re-knitting the yoke of my Cobblestone sweater, it finally dawned on me what I did wrong. In the pattern, the sleeve measurement didn't seem long enough. This is usually a common thing for me because I have long arms, and when buying long sleeved shirts or sweaters, I usually have to go to a big & tall men's store. After measuring 3 long sleeved shirts, I came to the conclusion that the sleeves needed to be 3 inches longer. I know! That's quite a bit, but hey, I measured! So of course I knitted the extra long sleeves, attached them to the body, and started knitting the yoke. I was a little more than 3/4 of the way finished with the yoke when I decided to try it on. The sleeves are way too long! How can this be?! Rip, rip, rip the yoke, rip the sleeves back 2 1/2 inches, reattach to body, begin knitting yoke again. Which brings me to today.

And then it dawns on me......

When I measured my pre existing sweaters, I laid them out flat and measured them from the underarm to the cuff. As I was knitting my sleeves, I measured across the top of the sleeve for length. Now anyone who's ever knit a sleeve knows that you decrease along the underarm toward the cuff, or increase if you're knitting from the cuff up. When you lay the finished sleeve out flat you've created somewhat of a triangle. (it would be a triangle if you continued decreasing the cuff til you had only one stitch, but it would be kind of hard to get your hand through...... anyway, you know what I mean)

Now my mind wanders back to my 10th grade geometry class when I say "Why do I have to learn this crap?! I'm never going to use it again!"

WRONG!

The underarm side of the sleeve would be the hypotenuse side of the triangle, and we all know that side is longer. I think there was some sort of formula to figure it out, but I'm sure I'll never have to use that again. (hey, that's what the internet is for, right?)

So I'm sitting here re-knitting the yoke of Cobblestone, and the only thing I can think about is the fact that It probably won't even fit me come winter, because I'm losing so much weight with Weight Watcher's . (16.2 lbs. in 5 weeks) I'm going to have to start something new and thinner, or I'll have nothing to wear to SAFF! (maybe it won't take me as long, since it will be a few sizes smaller)

Mach 1 update
According to UPS tracking numbers, the wheels will arrive next Tuesday. Can I tell you how excited I am? I will have my wheel for spinning guild next Saturday! Hey, do you spinners name your wheels? I was sure I heard some of you calling them by name. I have a couple picked out.

How about Ernst?

You know! After Ernst Mach, Austrian philosopher and physicist who came up with the concept of faster than sound travel.
I don't know. Even though he looks like there might have been a spinning wheel in the house, not such a pleasant or easy name to pronounce.
(Ernst, Ernst, Ernst.......)

My other choice, and so far my favorite is Chuck.

After Chuck Yeager, the first man to travel at Mach 1, and a fellow West Virginian, I might add. Of course I could also go with Glamorous Glennis, the name of the Bell X-1 plane that actually broke Mach 1. Chuck named the plane after his wife. Maybe I'll just go with Chuck. I kind of like it.

OH, OH, OH, Before I forget. I was gifted by my wonderful friend Shirley Robb with a HUGE bag of the most beautiful dark chocolate brown ALPACA fleece I have ever seen! This stuff is right of the animal, so I'm going to have to figure out how to process it, and comb or card it, but I am up for the task. (I've actually been looking at drum carders too!) Thank you SO much Shirley!

I've been tagged for a meme

2008-06-19T17:25:00.003-04:00

I always thought it was pronounced ME ME, (you know, like Mimi Rogers), because hey, it's all about ME! Found out today it actually rhymes with seam. Anyway, I thought this would be a fun diversion while ~~patiently~~ waiting for my new spinning wheel to arrive. The Great and Powerful Chickengoddess has tagged me, (thanks Alma) so here goes!

The Rules: Rules are posted at the beginning. At the end of the post, the player tags 5 people and posts their names. Then the player goes to each of the “named” people’s blogs and leaves a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. If you’ve been tagged, you do the same, letting the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer. Your answer, of course, is the answer to the following questions. Here we go!

1. What was I doing 10 years ago?
1998? Working at the same place I am working now. I had not discovered knitting yet, so I guess I wasn't doing anything important.

2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today?
1. Find that ball of Kauni yarn I couldn't find last night and stayed up 'til 11:00 looking for.

2. Order orchid plants for work next week.

3. Post this meme on my blog.

4. Fertilize my Plumerias.

5. Fix my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow.

3. Snacks I enjoy: Anything with chocolate. Anything with caramel. Anything with nuts, especially pecans. (why do I find I am now craving turtle brownies? Thanks Alma!)

4. Places I’ve lived: Parkersburg, WV (born and raised), Morgantown, WV (college), then, the Washington, DC metropolitan area including, but not limited to; Springfield, Annandale, Fairfax, Burke, and Falls Church, VA also College Park, MD. Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, CA, Chattanooga, TN, and now Atlanta for the last 14 years, (actually Lawrenceville, but I usually just say Atlanta), pretty much in that order.

5. Things I would do if I were a billionaire: Quit my job. Buy a Tesla. Build a beautiful, stone, earth-friendly, solar powered, wind powered, home in the mountains of North Carolina with lots of cabins around for all my friends to come and stay as long as they like for free. Build another one in Dingle, Ireland just because I like to say "Dingle" and I love Ireland, and raise Shetland sheep and dingleberries there, (hire a shepherd), donate to The John C. Campbell Folk School, build a fiber arts center in Atlanta so the weaving guild, spinning guild, and knitting guild would all have a permanent home under one roof, hire a personal trainer, eat macadamia nuts whenever I feel like it, (don't tell my personal trainer) Take care of my parents, immediate family, and close friends.

The rules say I have to tag 5 people now. How about Doug, Brett, Stuart, Claudia, and Jane? And if you're feeling left out because I didn't tag you, feel free to swipe the meme and post answers on your blog, then let me know in the comments.

Got fiber?

2008-06-17T20:35:00.019-04:00

I received a nice big box today from our UPS man. NO, it was NOT my wheel! (I can not wait for it to get here!) I received my first shipment of fiber! I got three nice big one pound bags of Bluefaced Leicester, (I think most spinners just call it BFL). One is a creamy white color, one is sort of an oatmeal color, and one is a nice medium brown. I also got a one pound bag of brown Shetland roving, just for a comparison. They're all undyed, natural colors, and SO soft! Look how pretty!

I can't wait to spin some of this, but alas, no wheel yet. I guess that is the downside of buying a wheel from someone who assembles each one by hand, and does not have a whole warehouse of them sitting around just waiting to be shipped. I spoke with a spinner from Des Moines, Iowa on Sunday, and she has actually spun on a Mach 1. She went to Yarn School in Harveyville, Kansas, and got to try one out. LOVED IT! Also, doesn't that yarn school sound like a fun time? I might have to check it out next spring. I also think I may be going to John C. Campbell this fall for a spinning class. (anyone want to come with me?) I've heard that Martha Owen is a great teacher. I am dying to spin! I'm also dying to dye, and she teaches that in this class too. I've ordered some custom dyed BFL roving from a hand dyer on Etsy. I'm hoping it's going to look something like this;

Or this;

I'm basically ready to go, just need my wheel. I think I may give the folks at SpinOlution a call and see what the ETA is.
(UPDATE, Wednesday, June 18th..... the wheels have been shipped!)

My new wheel, and MORE!

2008-06-10T20:20:00.005-04:00

Well, I've just sent off for my very first spinning wheel. For those of you who haven't seen this, check it out. It's a SpinOlution Mach 1! (looks like a real guy's wheel, doesn't it?) I am so impressed by this wheel, and I haven't even sat down behind one yet. SO impressed that I have signed on to be their sales rep for the state of Georgia! Yep, that's right. I now have my own little, home-based business. I'm going to open an Etsy shop when my first wheels arrive, and sell them through there too. I'm very excited about this, and have already sold 3 wheels, not counting my own! I do, however, have very realistic expectations, and do not plan on quitting my day job anytime soon, (DAMN!) I'm just hoping it will give me a little extra spending money to support my new ~~addiction~~ ~~habit~~ hobby. I have already purchased some very inexpensive natural colored Blue Faced Leicester and Shetland roving from a great place called Paradise Fibers, and ordered this book from Amazon. Even though I know I will learn much more by spinning instead of reading, I'm sure this book will be full of great helpful hints. Oh yeah, check out Ravelry, they already have a SpinOlution group, with some nice photos, and some great things to say about this wheel.

I'll let you know when it gets here, and you can come over and take it for a spin!

Stash reduction SALE!

2008-06-02T17:56:00.015-04:00

OK, here we go. It's time for the big stash reduction/wheel acquisition sale! I spent a long tearful evening with my stash last night. I told them that some of them just had to go. They took it better than I thought they would. They were like, "Dude, we're yarn. Our only purpose in life is to be knitted, and you're using us as closet insulation. Frankly, we're getting a little tired of waiting! We're outta here!" Like I said, they took it better than I thought they would.

OK, here's the deal.

SHIPPING:
All prices include shipping to anywhere in the continental USA. (basically, I'm just too lazy to figure them out, so I'm including it in.) If you're local, and I know you, I can deliver it myself. If you live in, let's say, Canada, or perhaps Patagonia, and you just have to have something in this sale, email me, and we'll talk about shipping charges, but I would prefer to ship within the continental USA only. Yarn will be shipped immediately after payment is received.

PAYMENT:
I prefer Paypal. That's how I plan on paying for my wheel, so if the money is already in my Paypal account, all the better. Once again, if you're local, and I know you, I will accept cash, or possibly a check, but I REALLY prefer Paypal. If you see something you want to purchase, let me know in the comments section at the end of this blog post. I will strike it out, put your name there, and then you can Paypal me. In the comment section of Paypal, maybe put what the yarn is, and your blog name, whatever. I just want to make sure the right yarn goes to the right person.

My Paypal account is beanpotguy@yahoo.com
It's a long story. I'll tell you about it someday.

The yarn has been stored in a smoke-free home. We do have two cats, but they are never allowed in the guest room, let alone the walk in closet in the guest room where my yarn is stashed. Most of the yarns are still in the sealed plastic bags I received them in. If you're freaky about a possible stray cat hair, I'd say don't buy this yarn, but the chances of finding one are zero to none.

and now......
THE YARNS

Rowan Polar: This yarn has been discontinued, so this may be your last chance to get some of this soft beautiful stuff. Here's what they had to say about it on Knitter's Review. It is 60% wool, 30% alpaca, and 10% acrylic. It knits up at 3 stitches per inch on US 11 needles. It has 109 yards in each 100g ball, and retailed for $11.95 per ball, or $119.50 per bag of 10. I'm selling it for $60 per bag. (full bags only, unless otherwise noted) All colors are the same dyelot. Here are the colors and quantities I have;

Color #645, Winter White (the name says it all)
One partial bag (8 balls) $50

Color #649 Jaffa (a spicy reddish orange)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

#653 Dark Truffle (a yummy dark chocolate brown)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

Color # 654 Blast (a dark flame red)
One full bag $60
Two full bags $110

Color # 655 Combat (a military greenish gray)
One full bag $60
One partial bag (9 balls) $55
Both bags $105

Color #647 Stormy (a beautiful charcoal gray)
One full bag $60

OK That's about all I can handle tonight. If I don't make enough for my wheel, there may be another sale, so get it while you can. I have also listed all of the above yarns for sale on Ravely, and at these prices, I don't expect it to last long!

Adventures in handspinning, Part 2

2008-06-01T19:58:00.004-04:00

So I went to my first handspinners guild meeting yesterday. What a wonderful group of folks. It was a very large and informal meeting. Everyone was sitting around in this great big circle with their wheels. There were a few announcements, and a raffle, but other than that, it was just sit and spin and mingle. There was also beautiful hand dyed roving, and natural colored alpaca to purchase. (I did resist. You would have been proud.)

I did get to try a few wheels. First I tried Katey's new Schacht Ladybug. If you can get past the cutesy name, it's a really nice wheel. It doesn't fold, but it has three handles, located at different points, to pick it up. It was very lightweight, and the treadling was SO smooth. The treadles were well spaced, so it was fairly comfortable to use. The wheel is actually a child's bicycle wheel. (really, it even has the hole where the air valve would come through!) I liked all the extra added attachments you can buy for it too.

Then I tried Jane's Ashford Joy. I found it not as easy to treadle, but I'm thinking it may have been the fact that it was a single treadle, and I had just been spinning on a double. I clumped up a couple of yards of beautiful pencil roving that she had been spinning beautifully, and passed the wheel back.

There was a single treadle Lendrum that a couple of the first time spinners were using, but I did not get a chance to try it. I noticed a double treadle Lendrum across the room, and Katey "suggested" I go over and ask the owner if I could try it. She was very nice, and let me sit and treadle it for a few minutes. What a great wheel! I was very impressed. I did not think I would like the way it was angled, but I think it's tall enough that it shouldn't matter.

All in all, it was a great time, and I will be joining next month. I left the meeting thinking LENDRUM. It's a really nice wheel. It folds. It's solid MAPLE for cryin' out loud. It has some weight to it, which is a plus in my book. It has lots of accessories INCLUDED. I think the price is VERY reasonable for what you get.
So I'm thinking, "Lendrum, yes, Lendrum, that's it."

But THIS keeps popping into my head.

It won't leave me alone.

Call me crazy, but I really want this wheel, and I haven't even seen one in person yet. I haven't touched it, treadled it, or SPUN on it, and yet I must have it! To me it looks like a real "guy's wheel". Nothing ornate or frilly here, just 22 lbs of solid, spinnin', madness!

And the name?
Is it a Ladybug? ....no.
A Babe? ....no.
A Little Gem? ....no.
A Julia, Victoria, Millie, Suzie, or Rose? ....no.
It's a freakin' MACH 1 !
I mean hell, it may as well be a car, or a jet! It costs a little more than the Lendrum, but not much. It doesn't have a WooLee Winder that fits it. (yet) It's 22 lbs, but I'm a big guy. I can lift 22 lbs. The Dyson vacuum cleaner at Knitch weighs 18! (yes, I weighed it today)
I'm not ordering it tonight, and probably not tomorrow. I'm still doing my homework, and I'd like to talk to a few folks that actually have one, and see what they think. I'd also like to come up with the bucks before I buy it, rather than tacking it onto my already overused credit card. Keep an eye on my blog. In the next few days I'm planning a stash reduction/wheel acquisition sale. I promise there's going to be some really good deals.

It's gonna be hard to let some of it go, but I'm gonna need lots of room for all that roving I'll have to buy.

Adventures in handspinning

2008-05-30T21:59:00.003-04:00

I couldn't wait 'til the clock hit 4:00 today so I could zoom over to Knitch. Melissa brought her Kromski Sonata for me to to play with. This wheel is very easy to set up, and I was spinning in no time at all. (not well, but spinning none the less) I can see that this is going to be much like knitting in the fact that the more you practice, the better you get, and if I'm going to practice, I need a wheel. I think I'm going to have to have someone hold my credit cards for me because I'm pretty much sold on the Sonata. It's taking every ounce of self-control I have, (which ain't much), not to just go ahead and order one tonight. The only thing keeping me from it is the anticipation of going to my first handspinners guild meeting tomorrow! (I'm so excited! I hope I'm not too big a pest! I'll try to behave.)

In the mean time, to satisfy my lust for handspun yarn, I ordered two skeins from baba black sheep yarns on Etsy. Here's a photo of it next to the yarn I spun tonight. See if you can guess which is which.

(I know it's hard to tell, but the ones on the left are mine.)

I want to spin yarn like the skeins on the right!!!!!

It is so soft and luscious and plump and EVEN and (did I say soft?), and beautiful! I am determined that some day, in the not too distant future, I too will be spinning yarn like baba black sheep!

Which wheel?

2008-05-27T18:32:00.004-04:00

I had no idea there would be so many choices in spinning wheels! I've been doing a lot of reading, and I've pretty much decided I want a folding wheel. It would be fun to be able to take it with me when I want spin, and the compact size would be convenient for storage. I found a great side by side comparison on four different models at The Woolery. I've seen the Ashford Joy, and Melissa's Kromski Sonata in action, and I think I've narrowed it down to these two. They both weigh about the same, despite the taller height of the Kromski. (which I find attractive, since I'm a tall guy) Aesthetically, I like the look of the Kromski. I noticed the Kromski has bigger bobbins. I'm assuming this means you can spin more yarn before you have to change bobbins? (in this case, does size matter?) I also like the fact that it is made of real wood, and not plywood and laminated MDF.

Sounds like I've made up my mind, doesn't it? OK, here's the one thing I think I don't like. I really think I want a single treadle wheel. I took a day long spinning class once a couple of years ago, and I couldn't tell you now if the wheel I used was a single or double treadle. At the risk of sounding vulgar, I can't imagine myself sitting for any length of time with my legs that close together. (oh dear, have I said too much..... again) I'm sorry, but I just don't sit that way. (at least not comfortably for any length of time)

I guess it all boils down to a test drive. I'm sure Melissa would let me take her wheel out for a spin, and we have a single treadle Joy at Knitch that I can try. Also, if I do buy the Joy, I can buy it at Knitch. If I buy a Sonata, I'll have to send away for it. Decisions, decisions. At this point I would welcome any feedback at all.

Despite all the spinning wheel shopping, I have been doing some knitting. I finally frogged back the sleeves of my Cobblestone sweater, (I made them too long), and reattached them to the body. see......

So it's back to knitting garter stitch in the round. And what's more fun than holding two pounds of wool in your lap when the temperature is 80-something outside. Now I understand why y'all knit socks!

To spin or not to spin?

2008-05-25T19:39:00.006-04:00

Yes, I have gone completely mad, but y'all drove me to it. How can I sit idly by and watch you spin such incredible colors and fibers, and then ply them together into something altogether different. I saw the beautiful yarns that Jared spun and must admit I lusted after them. I watch the spinners the second Sunday of each month at Knitch and think, "I wish I could do that." I've started putting color combinations together in my head, and thinking about different ways of blending fibers to create the exact yarns I want. I actually registered at Etsy just so I could buy a couple of skeins of handspun.

OK, here's the really crazy part;

Do I know how to spin?
NO

Do I have a wheel?
NO

Do I have time to spin?
NO

Do I NEED MORE YARN?!
NO!

Am I gonna do it anyway?
(yeah, I think so)

I figure I can learn how to spin. I've managed to learn everything I know how to do now. I know plenty of spinners who could offer helpful hints. I'm SURE I can find someplace to buy a wheel. I don't really have time to knit either, but you make time to do the things you love. And I figure Andrew will be turning 18 next year and moving out, so what am I gonna do with all that extra space?

P.S. Y'all did pretty good on the movie quote meme. The only one I was able to stump you on was #8. It's Billy Crystal as Mitch in City Slickers. Not exactly my most favorite movie, but a damn funny line.

Movie quote meme hints

2008-05-07T19:11:00.003-04:00

OK, there are four movie quotes that no one seems to know, so I'll give you a hint. I'll tell you the name of the actor or actress that said them. You still have to guess the movie.

#4 Tim Robbins
#8 Billy Crystal
#9 Ruth Gordon
#10 Steve Martin

Sorry, no knitting content today. Working crazy hours for the upcoming Mother's Day holiday. I need to change the title of my blog to "Famous Steve wishes he had time to knit!" I am knitting the scarf from the cover of Knitting New Scarves, by Lynne Barr. (the book ia a lovely birthday gift from my friend Nell) I'm using the Manos Silk Blend. What a wonderful yarn to work with! Come to Knitch and get you some! The scarf will be a shop sample, so come by and see it when I'm done. I have SO MANY things I want to knit! Especially some new sweaters for moi, but next Wednesday, I will be attending my first, (in many, many years), Weight Watcher's meeting! And, of all the places this meeting could be taking place, it will be in one of my favorite places of all! Knitch! So I really dont want to start knitting XXL sweaters, since I plan on being more of an XL next winter. Of course, I do have many other things to work on.... finish the lace shawl for Nancy, start the lace shawl for Beth, start that second pair of socks, start some baby stuff for Shirley to take to Berea, knit some scarves for John to sell in his shop this winter, not to mention the pile of stuff that has fallen into the dreaded pit of UFOs, that I have almost completely forgotten about! (almost....)

Movie quote meme

2008-04-19T22:03:00.025-04:00

OK, all my blogging friends are doing the movie quote meme, and it looked like fun. I don't know how difficult mine are, but here goes.........

The rules:

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.

2. Go to IMDb and find a quote from each movie.

3. Post them on your blog for everyone to guess.

4. Strike it out when someone guesses correctly, and put who guessed it and the movie. ~~(someone is going to have to show me how to strike it out)~~ Thanks Doug!

5. Looking them up is cheating, please don’t.

Ready?

1. "My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell." Identified by katey on April 20th, 11:26 am as American Beauty

2.~~"I like to watch."~~ Identified by Mydadknits on April 22, 6:14 pm as Being There

3.~~"I think you are just an evil, bitter OLD, alcoholic sex FIEND who needs therapy yourself!"~~Identified by knits4bears on April 20, 8:29 pm as Sordid Lives

4. ~~"Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."~~ Identified by katey on May 7, 8:37 pm as The Shawshank Redemption

5. ~~"What do you mean he don't eat no meat? Oh, that's okay. I make lamb."~~Identified by oliviaknits on April 19th, 11:51 pm as My Big Fat Greek Wedding

6.~~"Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries."~~Identified by oliviaknits on April 19th, 11:52 pm as Mony Python and The Holy Grail

7. ~~"The perfect blossom is a rare thing. You could spend your life looking for one, and it would not be a wasted life."~~ Identified by the chickengoddess on April 24, 8:13 am as The Last Samurai

8. "Women need a reason for having sex, men just need a place."

9. ~~"Vice, Virtue. It's best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality. If you apply that to life, then you're bound to live life fully."~~ Identified by jane on May 7, 10:24 pm as Harold and Maude

10. ~~"My plan was to kiss her with every lip on my face."~~ Identified by Stuart on May 14, 12:52 pm as Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

Good luck!

In like a lion brand, out like a lamb's wool.

2008-03-20T17:48:00.022-04:00

Oh look, it's March, and I haven't blogged in nearly a month!

So what has been going on you ask? (yeah, I heard you)

Well, let's see.....

I've started and nearly finished Cobblestone from the Fall 2007 Interweave Knits. (pretty much the ONLY thing I've been knitting) I promise I'll post a pic as soon as it's finished. I'm just being lazy today.

I had some BEAUTIFUL sock yarn named after me in a colorway I inspired! You can read all about it, and buy it here on Etsy. It's called FAMOUS Chocolate Fondue. OMG!!! Ain't it purdy!!!

I wanted something that was the color of chocolate covered cherries, but this line of yarn is called "Saucy", so we had to come up with something that could be considered a sauce. I think fondue works quite well, and you can dip cherries in it, or strawberries, or chunks of bananas, or chunks of pound cake, or....... (I wonder what we have in the kitchen?)

I sold some of my yarn stash, (and bought even more)

SOLD:

One bag of orange Rowan Cork to a nice lady in Ireland. She discovered my stash on Ravelry.

One 1 lb skein of cotton that was dyed by the lovely folks at Prism, because I was going to use it for a sweater, but decided it had too much pink in it for me.

BOUGHT:

Three 1 lb skeins of cotton that was dyed by the lovely folks at Prism. (yeah, I still have 2 lbs left. probably will become a baby blanket.)

3 bags of natural cream colored, worsted weight Alpaca from a new find of mine. They have insanely cheap yarn here, and SO wonderful. I may try my hand at dyeing this stuff.

2 bags of a 100% Tweedy Silk from elann.com. You know how I am about tweed, and I think I've found a great pattern in the new Guy Knits book. Won't this be nice?

I got to meet Janet Szabo at the March guild meeting, and she signed my Aran Sweater Design book. What a super interesting person. I wish I had not been working so I could have taken some of her classes.

Well, that's all for now, but since Easter is just a few days away, I wondered, what's your favorite and least favorite Easter candy?

My favorite would have to be Cadbury Caramel Eggs.
And my least.... Marshmallow Peeps. They're fun to put in the microwave though.

And now ...... some interesting facts about Easter. The earliest possible date that Easter can fall on is March 22nd. The last time Easter fell on this date was in 1818, and it won't happen again until 2285. The latest possible date Easter can be is my birthday! (April 25th) The last time it fell on this date was in 1943 (I wasn't born yet) and will next fall on this date in 2038. (I will be 77 years old!)
The cycle of Easter dates repeats after exactly 5,700,000 years, with April 19th being the most common date, happening 220,400 times, or 3.9% compared to a mean for all dates of 162,857 times, or 2.9%. (what did we do before Wikipedia?)

Now then, wasn't that interesting?

AND THE WINNER IS.............

2008-02-22T08:23:00.011-05:00

I spent several hours rearranging and reorganizing the yarn closet yesterday. I pulled everything out, and put it all back with the exception of the Rowan and RYC yarns. This is what I was left with;

(does anyone think there may be a problem here?)

I counted and photographed it all, added the photos to Flickr, and entered it into the Ravelry data base this morning. I have to admit, I made a guess before counting, and I ended up with TWICE as much as I thought I had.

So without further adieu, and much fanfare, the grand total in yards is 57,041, which converts to 52,158.29 meters, making the winner;

Diana T, with her guess of 46,000 meters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will give Diana her choice of Rowan Summer Tweed in either Morning Glory or Gold.

I just want to thank everyone who played. I had no idea that SO many people read my blog. Sort of makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Now I need to knit some sweaters so I'll be warm and fuzzy on the outside too!

Enjoying my vacation.

2008-02-19T11:01:00.014-05:00

Well, I'm back from the AKG retreat at The Mountain. We had mostly wonderful weather this year. The drive up on Friday was clear. Saturday I arose to a beautiful sunrise. It was so sunny and nice we were able to knit outside on the large deck for a while in the afternoon. Sunday we awoke to fog, which gradually turned to drizzle, and then fairly heavy rain by evening. There was even a bit of thunder and lightning. It was a great day to be by the fire in the logde and knit. I got quite a bit done that day. Before midnight, the clouds cleared and the moon and stars were back out. Monday again we had a beautiful sunrise, and perfect weather for the drive home. The week-end passed by much too quickly, and I'm already counting the days 'til next years retreat.

Me and a few of the guys did make it into Franklin on Saturday to visit a LYS called Silver Threads & Golden Needles. It was a great little shop, and probably the first time there were ever FIVE male knitters in there at one time. The main room housed all the yarn, and there was quite a bit of luxury yarn to be had. (quiviut, bison, cashmere, angora, silk, etc...) There was a second, smaller room for weaving, and yet another room for needlepoint. The owner was very nice, and seemed genuinely happy to see all of us. It's definitely worth the stop if you find yourself in or near Franklin, NC. I did find one little treasure while I was there that I had never seen before. It is from Zitron, a German yarn company, and it's called Unikat. It is not twisted, or spun, but lightly felted instead. I recognized the colorway (#6, Earth), because we carry the pencil roving at Knitch from the same company. It's a bulky yarn and knits up at 12 stitches per 4 inches on size 10 1/2 - 11 needles. You get 175 yds. in 100 grams, and it runs right around $25 per skein. (Coming soon to Knitch!) I fell in love with the colors! I think it's probably going to become a hat.

I did get quite a bit of knitting done. I only brought two projects with me this year, and only worked on one of them. I cast on for Jared Flood's Cobblestone pullover. I'm using Debbie Bliss aran tweed in a beautiful blue with purple and rust flecks.

I knitted up five balls worth of yarn while I was there, and polished off a sixth one last night. It's a very easy knit, and hopefully it will look good on me. Apparently this style of sweater looks good on a wide range of body types. I'm sure I won't looks as good as Jared, or the model in Interweave Knits. I guess I need to send away for some of that magic yarn from Mrs. Weasley!

Not sure what I'm going to do with the rest of my week off. I need a haircut. It's starting to go a bit shaggy on me. I haven't had it cut since last fall. I like the new longer length, but it needs a trim. There are a couple of movies I want to check out this week, and I have a free two week pass to a gym that is right across the street from where I work. I REALLY need to get back into that habit! and.......... Oh yeah! I do need to take a yarn inventory this week don't I? Of course, being the procrastinator that I am, I'm sure I will wait 'til Thursday to do it. I once tried to start a Yahoo group for procrastinators like myself, but no one ever got around to joining it. Oh well.........

I've gone to Carolina in my mind.

2008-02-12T19:50:00.000-05:00

OMG! Who are all you people! I had no idea that this many people read my blog! I guess it just took a little free yarn to bring y'all out of the woodwork. Welcome!

Of course, now I most definitely HAVE to get in there and clean up that yarn closet, just to get an accurate inventory. It's a good thing I have next week off! If you are second guessing yourself, I have no problem with you taking a second stab at it. Just say "final answer" by your last guess, and I'll go by that one instead of your first one. No more guesses after midnight EST on Thursday, February, 21st. I'll post the results on Friday the 22nd.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm in the wholesale floral industry, so with Valentine's Day just days away, you can probably guess what I've been doing. In the past few days, I've sent out over $25,000 worth of product, and I'm not done yet. This is my 13th VD, and it never seems to get any easier. I am SO looking forward to Friday afternoon when I load up the car, pick up a couple of my knitting buddies, and head for the mountains of North Carolina for our annual knitting guild retreat. There will be SIX men in attendance this year. (there were 4 of us last year, and 3 the year before - the first year guys ever attended) I am looking forward to staying up late, sleeping late, knitting, eating, (OK, maybe a little knitting water), and just hangin' out with one of the best groups of people you'ld ever want to meet. If I don't post again before then, I'll see y'all when I get back. Keep those guesses coming!

Contest time!

2008-02-09T18:50:00.000-05:00

OK gang, in an attempt to get my butt into the "yarn supply closet" to reorganize, and actually post some of my stash on Ravelry, I have devised a little contest.

You must guess how many total meters of Rowan and RYC yarn I have in my posession. (I must admit, I'm more than just a little afraid to find out exactly how much I do have.)

Here are a few hints that may help you out a bit;

Rowan and RYC yarns are some of my favorites!
I usually buy my yarn by the bag.
I try to get enough of one color to make a 2XLT sweater.
If I like the yarn, (or the sale is really good), I'll buy more than one color.
Most of my Rowan / RYC yarn is aran - chunky weight.
In one of my earlier posts, there is a photo of my yarn closet. (not all of my yarn is visible in the photo )

At this very moment I have absolutely NO idea how many meters of yarn I have. I am off work the week of February 18 - 22, and will post results on Friday, February 22nd. Cut off for posting guesses will be midnight, Thursday, February 21st. Whoever comes closest, without going over, will win a full bag of Rowan yarn. If your guess is within 500 meters, I'll make it two full bags. (type and color to be determined while I am taking inventory.)

Have fun, and good luck!

Knitting in a winter wonderland

2008-01-19T14:26:00.000-05:00

I went to see Cloverfield this morning, and when I walked outside the theater...... SNOW!!!!! (OK, not too big a surprise. we knew it was coming.)

It doesn't snow all that often here in the Atlanta area, and it's snowed twice in less than a week. I'm a transplanted Yankee, so I don't realize how much I miss it until it snows again. It also gave me a chance to take the new camera outside and play a little bit. Here's our house from the street.

Here are some very unhappy Daffodils. The variety is 'Rijnvelds Early Sensation'. I had them in bloom before Christmas last year, so I guess they were a little late this year.

Here's the Japanese Camellia bush on the side of the house. I'm not sure of the variety name, but it's an early bloomer, and I usually don't make it around to this side of the house to see it until it's done blooming.

OK, so I'm in for the rest of the day. I've got knitting to do. I talked to my Mom this morning and found out that my niece, although she is not yet in labor, is dilated to 3 cm. The baby blanket? I'm not quite halfway finished.

I have been knitting. I finished my hand warmers, inspired by the movie Sweeny Todd. I used 1 entire ball of Rowan Cocoon, and by that I mean I had about 18" of yarn to spare. I just made up the pattern, and after I figured out the thumb gusset, they weren't too difficult.

These should do the trick if I need to go back outside anytime today. As for now, I'm going to put my feet up, sit by the fire, and knit some mindless garter stitch. Gotta rest up. Valentine's Day is just a few weeks away.

Getting fleeced

2008-01-14T19:04:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading my blog, (what few posts I have written), I'm sure you've heard about the Icelandic ewe I adopted for a year. Her name is Chloe. During the course of the year, you get these great little quarterly newsletters telling you what's going on with the your sheep and the flock, sheep's milk soap, (Icelandics are exceptionally good milkers), and the latest photos of your ewe. My last photo of Chloe showed her after shearing. The grand culmination of the year of adoption, what we've all been waiting for, is the arrival of Chloe's yarn. The yarn was originally supposed to be spun into yarn at the mill where the fleece was processed. In December I found out that the mill no longer spins yarn in lots of less than 10 lbs. I was offered either the processed roving that I would then have to find someone to spin for me, and a small refund for the difference, OR, the shepherdess offered to hand spin it into yarn herself. I thought, "What could be better than this!?" "She has sheep." "She has a wheel." "She must know what she is doing." I requested a worsted, loosely spun, single, similar to Lopi Lite. When I first opened the box on Saturday, I was immediately taken by the beauty and softness of the yarn. It's a beautiful light grey with darker grey heathering. It is SO much softer than the commercial lopi yarns I am used to. The only problem is the weight. It is VERY thick. Much too thick for the Aran V-neck pullover I was planning to use it for. It's more like a bulky or chunky. It's about the same thickness and loft of Rowan's Big Wool. Here's a picture. Those are US size 13 needles.

I've talked to some spinners, and found out that it can't be un-spun and re-spun in a thinner weight. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it. I live in Hotlanta. There are about 3 days out of the year when I can wear something that heavy. I don't even like knitting with big thick yarn and needles. It's just a big let down, after waiting a year, and ending up with something you can't use. (and it wasn't cheap either) I almost wish I had gotten the roving and then paid someone locally to spin it for me. Oh well, too late now. Live and learn. I guess I can always move to Alaska!

On a lighter note, I have finished my first project for the Ravely group Mission: Possible 2008! It is my LSU scarf, originally intended as a Christmas gift. (didn't quite make it, did I?) I'm sure it will be appreciated, even though they have already played their bowl game against Ohio State. (LSU won)

Knitting from stash

2008-01-05T07:55:00.000-05:00

It is a brand new year, and I am faced with a stash larger than a couple of LYSs I know. (what can I say, I can't resist a bargain...) I have joined the new Ravelry group, Mission: Possible 2008, where I have to come up with 12 projects, knitted from stash, and finish them before year's end. These can be projects that have already been started, and only need minor finishing, to projects that are still in the planning stages. The idea here is to use up that stash! My problem is, I have come up with WAY more than 12 projects, and I need a little help paring the list down so it won't become Mission: Impossible! Here they are in no particular order:

My first pair of socks. Started over two years ago, and one kitchenered toe away from being a complete pair. I'm pretty sure this one is in.
Branching Out from Knitty. This pattern has nearly put me off ever trying lace again. I know it is not that difficult, it's just this thing I have with lace. (we hate each other) Still..... it is nearly finished, so I'm pretty sure this one is in.
Sweater for Andrew. He picked out the pattern, and I bought the yarn over a year ago. (Knit Picks Swish in black) I've decided to modify the pattern, so I need to rip what little I have already started. He's tall and thin and will look awesome in this sweater, so it shouldn't take me too long to knit.
Hand warmers. I loved the ones Johnny Depp wore in Sweeny Todd, so I am attempting to recreate them. I bought a ball of Rowan Cocoon last night, so I guess that has become "officially" a part of the stash. (I know, that's not the idea....)
Lace shawl for Beth. (what... did he say lace!?) Yeah, I know, but this pattern looks do-able, even for me. The pattern was from a past issue of Knit Simple, and I picked up some Acero from Brooks Farm at SAFF last fall specifically for this project.
Market Squares Bag. Started last year before The Mountain, and has finally been felted and blocked. Just need to sew on the handles.
WVU Baby Blanket. Has already been started, and my niece's baby is due in February, so this one is in. Knitted in gold and navy Fantasy by Dark Horse Yarns.
LSU Scarf. For a good friend of mine who is a loyal LSU fan. I hope to have complete before they play Ohio State on Monday. (look at me, I'm blogging, and I should be knitting!)
Felted Sheep. Fiber Trends Pattern. Cute as can be! Knitted in Lamb's Pride Bulky. Need to finish the knitting, felt it, stuff it, and sew it up.
Elizabeth Zimmerman's Pi Shawl. Habu undyed merino, fingering weight.
Chloe Dress. A pattern by Beth Brown-Reinsel for my niece's first child, Gracie. I bought some soft lavender, Jaeger, sport weight, washable wool yarn from WEBS last year for this project.
Round-yoked Icelandic Sweater. I'll be using one of the Lopi patterns from Reynolds, but I'm going to use either Rowan Polar, or Rowan Soft Tweed instead of Lopi.
Entrelac sweater. My own, (very simple), design. I'll probably use Noro Silk Garden, or maybe Kureyon. Would like to have completed before SAFF this year.
Shawl Collar Cardigan. Knitting Pure and Simple pattern, using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran.
Cabled V-neck Pullover Vest. I have no pattern, so I may improvise one. I want to use my Icelandic handspun from my adopted sheep for this one.
Christmas Stockings. I bought 3 Christmas stocking books on sale last year right after Christmas, but still no stockings! Not sure what yarn I will use, but I'm sure I can find something. Would like to knit one for me, Beth, and Andrew.
Simple Top-down Raglan. I bought enough sport weight, tweed, alpaca to do a sweater big enough to fit me. Of course I got it at SAFF the year before last, and I think it's about time I used it!
Top-down, Saddle-shoulder Aran Gansey. I've been wanting to do this ever since I took Beth Brown-Reinsel's class last year. I plan on using the Knit Picks undyed worsted wool. Of course this one is going to take a lot of planning and design work on my part, so I may not get to it this year.
Felted Backpack. My own design. I plan on using some New Zealand wool I bought on eBay two years. It was cheap, and I bought several colors by the pound. (I'm not saying how many pounds.) It's not very soft, but felts like a dream.
Felted Slippers. Fiber Trends pattern. I'll probably use some of the Cascade 220 I have stashed, or the above mentioned New Zealand wool.

OK, that's all I can think of right off the top of my head. I'm sure I would be reminded of more if I started looking through my books and patterns. Oh, did I mention this part of Mission: Possible 2008? If you don't finish a project, you have to GIVE THE YARN AWAY!!!!!! (kinda makes me wish I had some Red Heart in the stash) So I have to seriously sit down and come up with a list that I can do. I don't want to have to say good-bye to any of my yarn. I've had some of it so long it has become like family.

Oh, and I noticed in the rules that nowhere does it state that I can not continue to ADD to my stash. (yeah, yeah, I know.....)

Holiday happenings

2007-12-26T09:01:00.000-05:00

Hope you all had a happy holiday. I know I did. We finally woke my son up at around 11:00 am to open presents. This is not a teenage thing. We've had to wake this kid up EVERY Christmas morning for the past 16 years! (what can I say, the kid likes to sleep) I got a brand new digital camera! (Sony Cybershot DSC-T20 8.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and Super Steady Shot) It's the same one Jen has. Now I have no excuse for not blogging just because I can't add pictures, because NOW I can! My son has a Sony camera too, so I'm sure I'll be needing his expertise in the next few days while figuring out how to use it. I also got an Ott-Lite. I got to try one of these babies out at The Mountain last year, and they really shed a nice bright clear light.

We had a very nice Christmas dinner; rib roast, roasted carrots and parsnips, asparagus, cauliflower gratin, and cranberry upside-down cake. Beth and I made cookies on Christmas eve; snickerdoodles and molasses ginger cookies, with fresh ginger (awesome!) I need to get out of this house while I can still fit through the door! I think we're going to see a movie this afternoon, either I Am Legend, The Golden Compass, or National Treasure. We haven't decided which one yet.

I've done very little knitting these past couple of days. I still need to finish up the long pointy stocking cap that I am knitting for a co-worker of mine. I started a baby blanket for my niece who is expecting her second child in less than a year! (I see lots of baby knitting in my future!) I promise pictures in the next day or two. I know I have a cupboard full of UFOs, which I am choosing to ignore at the moment. All I really want to do is go knit and felt a cozy for my new camera!

Alive and well, and living in Lawrenceville.

2007-12-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

WOW, Where did the last two months go?! I've been busy, busy, busy, and still not enough hours in the day to do everything I want to do. I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I haven't blogged in over TWO months!

(yeah? you noticed?)

So for those of you who don't know me, and see me on a regular basis, it went something like this;

work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, go to SAFF, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, Thanksgiving day off, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, get my eyes checked, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, attend Christmas parties, work, work, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, dream about work, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep, knit, knit, knit with my friends, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, knit, buy more yarn, knit, knit, knit, knit, eat, eat, eat, eat, drink, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat, eat.

........pretty much in that order.

Things I didn't do;

-blog, (obviously)
-read my friend's blogs
-finish all my Christmas knitting
-send Christmas cards
-GO Christmas shopping, (thanks go to my wife and the internet)
-put up the tree or any decorations, (thanks go to my wife and son)
-holiday baking

Still, it has been one of the best holiday seasons I can remember in a long time, thanks to the love and support of my family and friends, my good health, good fortune, (and, of course, modern pharmacology).

Now I have several days stretching out before me with hours and hours of unscheduled time. (what a luxury!) I plan on sleeping late, catching a few movies, spending time with my family, knitting with my friends, and in general, just relaxing.

Oh yeah, I might blog a little too.

Hope you all have a happy, healthy holiday, filled with peace and joy and laughter, surrounded by the folks who love you most!

Merry Christmas!

Oh what a beautiful day!

2007-10-20T16:51:00.001-04:00

It's one of those rare occasions when I have the house all to myself. (No, I'm not knitting in my underwear, but I could if I wanted to!) The temp is in the mid 70's and all the windows are wide open. I have a pork roast in the crock pot, and a fresh apple caramel cake * in the oven. (I'll bring it to Knitch tomorrow.) There's a chill in the air at night, and I've pulled out the flannel sheets. It's one week 'til SAFF, and I finished my sweater last night. YAY!

The neck opening is a bit larger than I would have liked, but all in all, I like the way it fits. Now I have to find something else to work on. I have several UFO's lying around, but none of them are calling to me right now. I'm thinking I may knit an entrelac vest, or knit and felt a backpack. I've sort of been mulling some pattern ideas around in my head, but nothing on paper yet. Gotta start something soon so I'll have a project to work on at SAFF.

I joined the Alice Starmore group on Ravelry, and immediately zipped on over to Amazon and bought two of her books. (Fishermen's Sweaters, and The Celtic Collection; I think they're the only two that are still in print!) I REALLY want her Aran Knitting book. I've seen some of the sweaters that were knit from patterns in that book, and they are freakin' BEAUTIFUL!!!! I think I may be able to get my hands on a copy to borrow, and I'll just memorize all the things I want to knit for future reference. (yeah, right)

Well, the cake's out of the oven, and I have to go put the caramel glaze on it while it's still warm. Then I'm gonna go enjoy the few hours of quiet I have left, and catch up on some TV shows I missed this past week. (Anyone see Pushing Daisies last week on ABC? There was male knitting content!) For all those folks knitting at Knitch tomorrow, I'll see you there!

*The cake was good, but next time I think I will try 1/2 cup oil, and 1 cup applesauce to cut the fat content.

FINALLY, something to blog about!

2007-10-06T16:54:00.000-04:00

Sorry gang. Today was my 21st straight freakin' day in a row of WORK, and I still don't have a single day off 'til next Saturday October 13th. (yeah, I know, excuses, excuses....) The truth be told, There really has not been much to blog about until the last day or two.

And THEN......

I got my RAVELRY invite!!!!!!!
(guess where I've been the last two hours? where did the time go?)

I can see this is gonna be a whole lot of fun, and I may have to take a week off of work just to log in my yarn stash! I've just been poking around the site and done only the minimum on my profile, and added several books to my shelves. If you would like to add me as your friend, my ID is famoussteve. (of course)

Speaking of books, I picked up two brand new ones yesterday. The first one is "The Knitting Man(ual) 20+ Projects For Guys" It has some good patterns, and some not so good ones, and some that might look better with a little tweaking. There is a nice vest pattern, and a couple of nice sock patterns. It's an OK book, but pales in comparison to the second book I purchased. It's a Rowan book called "Knitting for Him, 27 Classic Projects to Keep Him Warm" OMG this is an awesome book! I want to knit almost everything in it! I don't even know where to begin. I would consider this book a "must have" for guys patterns, and at last glance, there were still a few copies left at Knitch, (shameless plug), but I expect them to go FAST, so check it out.

I received a wonderful surprise this week from a fellow knitter I met at Knitch one evening. We got to talking, and it turns out that she's from the Denver area, works in a yarn shop part time, and had come to Atlanta to see a band at Smith's Old Bar. Or course, being a knitter, she had to check out Knitch too. She sat and knit with us, and had just begun a shawl with a beautiful 100% wool, multi-colored, self striping yarn called Kauni from Denmark. And when I say self striping, I'm talking loooooooooooong gradual color changes. Beautiful stuff. The evening ended, we exchanged email addresses, and I gave her a ride back to her hotel. Then, as a thank you, I received, (you guessed it), a ball of Kauni! (170g, 680m) I'm going to have to find the perfect pattern for this yarn. In the mean time, check out Joanne's blog, and see the incredible shawl that she knit with her yarn. Thank you Joanne, for the unexpected, and very much appreciated gift!

We had our AKG meeting on Thursday night, and found out that we WON the scarecrow contest at the Atlanta Botanical Garden! Isn't he awesome!

I knit the black and orange striped pant legs. (3 strands of Red Heart acrylic on size 13's..... talk about painful!) I have a couple of guest passes, and do plan on going by the garden to see him. I may borrow Andrew's camera and get some pics of him myself.

I spite of all the hours I've been working, I have managed to get some knitting done. I finished the Noro Striped Scarf, pattern compliments of b r o o k l y n t w e e d. I used Kureyon instead of Silk Garden. (colors 40 and 195) One was a very dark/black blend, and the other was a purple/cobalt/turquoise/chartreuse blend. Very nice.
(thanks Jared)

I have only two sleeves to knit, and my sweater for SAFF will be done, (YAY!), and since the stitches are picked up, and the sleeves knitted on in the round, NO finishing!!! I've got 'til Saturday, October 27th to get it finished. (no problem) I've been looking forward to going to SAFF for quite some time now. I could really use the break!

(ok, now I've gotta go back to RAVELRY)

Yes, I'm still here.

2007-09-18T20:30:00.000-04:00

OK, I've been a bad blogger. No posts for over two weeks! My bad.
I've come to the conclusion that I don't have to have photos with every post.
Until I get a new camera, or my teenage son is home for more than 10 minutes, I won't be able to take any photos. So there...

I HAVE been knitting however.

I finished the pant legs for the scarecrow that The Atlanta Knitting Guild is putting together for the "Scarecrows in the Garden" show at The Atlanta Botanical Garden. (now I just need to get them to the person in charge!)

I've also finished my French Market Bag that I knitted with Louet linen yarn, but I have not yet felted my entrelac bag.

I finished a BEAUTIFUL spiral scarf! (a shop sample for Knitch) It's made with Prism Indulgence. (68 % silk, 15 % wool, 12 % kid mohair, 5 % nylon - heavenly to knit with!) Swing by the shop and check it out. LOTS of short rows, all garter stitch, fun and easy to knit.

I have been working on my SAFF sweater, but need to step up production if I want it to be finished before the end of October. I sort of got sidetracked by one of Jared's patterns at b r o o k l y n t w e e d. (thanks Jared) The Noro Striped Scarf. Super fun to knit! I can hardly put it down. Can't wait to see the next color combo. I used two different colorways of Kureyon. I will try to post photos of this, and all my finished projects as soon as I am able.

I received a letter this week from the sweet little girl I adopted. Here is her photo.

Her name is Chloe, and she lives at the Schacht Fleece Farm in Indiana. Apparently she's had a rough summer. It's been hotter and dryer than usual. (can you imagine! with all that wool!) The flock was given supplemental minerals, which are supposed to be beneficial during stressful weather. Unfortunately, Chloe ingested too much of the minerals, and had to be treated for copper toxicity! This can sometimes be fatal, but thankfully, they caught it early, and she's made a full recovery. Her fleece is now about 5 inches long, and there is still a month or two before she will be shorn. I'm having her fleece spun into yarn, as I'm not much of a spinner myself. Hopefully there will be enought to do a nice cabled vest or sweater.

Well, that's all for now. I'll try and be a little better about keeping y'all posted with what's going on. Have fun tomorrow, for all of those going to see The Yarn Harlot!

Home, home again....

2007-09-03T17:09:00.000-04:00

In the immortal words of Dorothy, "There's no place like home!". (although, I've been to Kansas. Oz didn't look so bad.... I'm just sayin') Just glad to be back home, and outta the car! Ten hours of actual driving time today, (eleven on the road), is way too much. Even though there were not nearly as many tractor trailers on the road today as the day we left, traffic was extremely heavy with Labor Day travellers.

So, did I let anyone else drive?
NO.

Am I complaining?
NO.

Did I knit?
YES!

In front of Dad?
NO. (although it probably would have been okay)

Every morning when I woke up, and every night before I turned in, I knitted a little bit. (enough to keep my sanity) I started a scarf before I left, using a black tweedy yarn, and learned the brioche stitch! What a FUN stitch! If you don't know it, learn it. I think it's in Barbara Walker's first treasury, and EZ's Knitting Without Tears. I found the later a bit more helpful, as there were pictures to guide me through the weird yarn wrap. She uses it to knit a hat, (knitted flat, and stitched up later), but I cast on less stitches and did a scarf. It makes a very thick, soft, cushy, deeply ribbed fabric. Unfortunately, this stitch really uses up the yarn, and I may need to buy more if I want my scarf to be more than three feet long. (which I do)

So anyway, I ate way too much potato salad, watched football, (WVU won!), grilled steaks, (new grill!), did lots of visiting, and in general, had a pretty good time. Got to see the whole family. My grand niece is adorable! My niece found out that the next baby is going to be a boy! YAY! I was getting kind of sick of pink. Now I get to knit some baby boy stuff. (pattern suggestions? anyone?) Daddy wants to know if I can knit a blankie with a large WV in the customary school colors.

Not sure how I'm gonna knit that, but what can I say? Mountaineer fans through and through.

I've got a busy week ahead of me, (yarn shop staff meeting, guild meeting, co-workers on vacation this week, etc...), so I hope to see y'all sometime this week.

Now I'm off to sleep in my OWN bed!

Country Roads, take me home......

2007-08-28T14:15:00.000-04:00

My family reunion. We've done this every Labor Day weekend for the past 15 years. We load up the car and drive 10 hours back to the town where I was born. We eat potato salad, (Mom's is the best). I grill steaks. Somebody pisses somebody else off. We talk about the people who didn't show up. Photos are taken to mark the event, then we load the car back up, and drive home. (can you tell how excited I am about this?) I will get to see my new grand neice, (my neice's daughter, grand neice, right?), for the first time. Her name is Gracie, and she was born last February. Isn't she cute!

Gracie has a brother or sister due this coming February! (that's right folks, 1 year apart) I also have a new nephew I haven't seen yet. My step-brother and sister-in-law didn't make it to the reunion last year. (we talked about them) I see lots of baby knitting in my future. (YAY!)

This year, due to financial restraints, we're staying with my Dad. (divorced when I was 3, not invited to reunion) In previous years we've stayed at a motel, where we retire each evening and try to regain some sanity. (basically I sit around in my underwear and knit) My Dad doesn't know I knit. Don't get me wrong, I love my Dad. I'm just not sure I would feel comfortable knitting in his presence. His career went pretty much like this; Marine Corps, carpenter, police officer, fireman. (I'm not kidding.) I'm seriously considering leaving my knitting at home! But wait! "What about that 10-hour car ride?", you ask. It's a ride for Beth and Andrew, it's a drive for me. Yes, I could turn the wheel over to Beth. She has offered, but her driving makes me nervous. I just can't relax. My gauge starts getting tighter and tighter, and then I end up having to rip everything I've knitted. Andrew has also offered, but he still has his learner's permit, and has never driven on the interstate before. (yeah, don't think that's gonna happen) Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy driving, especially when everyone else in the car is asleep. I just can't imagine going 6 days without knitting! Maybe I'll just bring a scarf with me, and knit after everyone's gone to bed.

Wish me luck.

Projects under construction

2007-08-25T15:40:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to show y'all some of the things I've been working on. I have other UFOs, but they were much deeper down in the great pile o' knitting projects. I'm sure they will be unearthed and finished some day.

The project that's bringing me the most joy to work on right now, is Jeff's Mosaic Sweater, (it's really my sweater, I have never actually met Jeff), from Morehouse Farm Merino Knits. I'm using Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, color #412 "Thorny", and Noro Kureyon, color #178. The variegated yarn barely peeks through on every other stitch of every third row. The striping is subtle, but I really like it. The main color is sort of a dark brown/olive green. I would like to have this one done by the end of October so I can wear it to SAFF.

My next project also has a deadline, and a much sooner one at that. The Atlanta Knitting Guild has decided to enter a scarecrow in the Atlanta Botanical Garden's "Scarecrows in the Garden" competition. We are going to try to knit as much of him as possible. He will be wearing a big patchwork sweater, and I have volunteered to knit his pant legs. I have to admit, my hands are killing me. It's extremely difficult to knit with three strands of Red Heart ACK-rylic on size 15 needles. He's gotta be weatherproof, and I'm pretty sure Red Heart will hold up through 104 degree heat, rain, snow, hail, and nuclear fallout. I'll try and make it to the garden to get a photo of the completed scarecrow.

This is my first, (and quite possibly my last), attempt at lace. I'm sure many of you will recognize it as the Branching Out scarf from Knitty. I'm using a Karabella yarn called Breeze, (color #37, 40% cashmere, 60% silk). It's a really luscious yarn, and I thought that would be enough to get me through this seemingly simple project. If it had not been for the use of a lifeline, (which I have used many times), I would have ripped this project long ago. I have since found out from other knitters, that this pattern was not so easy, and that there are much easier lace patterns out there. Maybe I will give lace another try, but I am bound and determined to get this project finished.

This bag, based on the Everlasting Bagstopper, (another Knitty pattern), is made from Louet linen instead of hemp. I decided I wanted to knit the handles on, instead of going out and buying and sewing handles on. (and, of course, that's where it stopped) I just need to do several more inches of garter stitch, and then either graft, or three-needle bind off, and I'm done. Now THIS is the kind of lace I like. First row knit, second row, YO, k2tog, repeat. Ok, I admit, it was a bit repetitive, but I didn't have to sequester myself away from all civilization to knit each repeat either. (are you sort of getting the idea of how I feel about lace?)

Many thanks to my son Andrew, for taking the photos today. I really appreciate him helping me out. Before we finished, he snapped a quick shot of some of my stash. I really need to pull it all out and get an inventory so I'll have it ready for when I'm invited to join Ravelry! (only 12,965 people ahead of me ..... any day now!)

Wow, that's a lot of yarn. (yes, it goes all the way to the ceiling) Ain't it purdy? (I'm also thinking of all the stash you can't see in this photo) OK, I'll admit I have a problem. (that's the first step, right?) But I'm really trying to not buy any new yarn, (unless there's a really good sale, and it's something I really need), and I'm really trying to knit from my stash.

I just need to learn to knit faster.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
I was asked to post the recipie for this extremely yummy dip we had last night at the knitting group meeting. I think we agreed to call it:

Beth's Knitch Dip

4 c. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 - 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 - 2.5 oz. can chopped black olives
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 c. chopped parsley
1 pkg Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

Drain off and set aside some of the liquid from the Rotel tomatoes.
(you may add it back in if the dip is too thick)
Mix everything together and refrigerate at least two hours.
(unless you're really hungry, then just go for it!)
Serve with chips, or veggies, or just a really big spoon.
(yes, it's that good!)

Entrelac? ......mais oui!

2007-08-18T18:57:00.000-04:00

I remember it was either my first or second knitting lesson, my instructor was working on a beautiful shawl that seemed to be somehow woven. She tried to explain the technique, but as my mind was still trying to grasp the finer points of "knit" and "purl", her explanation was mostly lost on me. I just remember gazing upon it longingly, but knowing full well I would never be able to create something so complicated or so lovely as that.

Fast forward one year. I'm at an Atlanta Knitting Guild meeting, when from across the room I spy THE most beautiful piece of knitted fabric I've ever seen. I literally drop everything I'm doing to go over and see what it is. I find out the technique is called "entrelac", (that's French for "looks impossibly difficult"), and the pattern is called "Lady Eleanor" from Scarf Style, by Pam Allen. It is knitted with Noro Silk Garden, color #47. (for those of you who don't have all the Noro colorways memorized, envision rich warm browns, deep umbers and rusts, intermingled with charcoal grey and dark steel blue) And to top it all off, this gal has the audacity to tell me it's easy! Needless to say I rushed right out and bought a copy of Pam Allen's book, and dove right in. She was right! It was easy! If you can knit, purl, K2tog, p2tog, cast on, bind off, and read a pattern, you can do it too. I didn't have Noro Silk Garden, but I DID have 8 skeins of Noro Transitions in my stash that I had purchased on sale, in a discontinued colorway. Here are the results:

Not a great picture, I know, but it really is beautiful. My wife loves it, and gets compliments on it every time she wears it.

After Lady Eleanor, I just had to do some more entrelac, so last February, I grabbed a pile of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Bulky, and a copy of Bags: A Knitters Dozen, and headed to The Mountain for a weekend of knitting at our knitting guild's annual retreat. Due to a combination of high altitude, and circumstances beyond my control,* not much of the bag was knitted that weekend, but I have managed to finish the knitting part this summer.

I still need to finish knitting the handle, (boring!), and felt the big old thing, unless, of course, you know anyone that needs a cosy for their Volkswagen Beetle.

But even this was not enough entrelac. I took the Lady Eleanor pattern, 5 balls of Noro Silk Garden Lite, (color #2011), and some US6 needles, cast on only 4 triangles for the first row, instead of the 8 the pattern called for, and knit a nice long scarf for myself.

In honor of Lady Eleanor, I'm calling it the "Lord Elsinore" scarf. I'm letting the LYS , where I work part time, display it as a shop sample until we have cooler weather. Needless to say, August is not really scarf weather here in Altanta. I just can't wait for that first crisp cold day of winter to wear it! I still have a few more entrelac projects rolling around in my head. Possibly a vest, or maybe even a sweater. I do have some Kureyon in my stash that is just screaming to be knitted. So pick up a pattern, or take a class if you must, but knit some entrelac! It's fun, it's easy, and it impresses the hell out of anyone that sees you doing it!

*Remember, what happens at The Mountain, STAYS at The Mountain!

The blog you've all been waiting for!

2007-08-12T19:36:00.000-04:00

Well here it is. I've had so much fun, over the past couple of years, reading everyone else's blogs, hopefully it will be just as much fun to write one.

But first I thought I'd tell you a few things about me that you may or may not know.... I live in the suburbs north of Atlanta with Beth, my wife of 18 years, my 16 year old son, Andrew, and two British Shorthair cats, Monty and Fergus.

I had my first knitting lesson exactly three years ago. I knit EVERY day. Even if I just have time for a few stitches, I knit. I get up an hour early every morning just so I can knit before work. I knit in the car at red lights. (I'm the guy approaching the intersection chanting, "turn red, turn red, turn red....") I knit out in public with my friends, and I try to get a few stitches in before I go to bed. Knitting is my peace, it is my meditation, it is my calm. It's what I love to do.

I have a yarn stash so big it sometimes scares me. (I try not to think about it.) I cannot resist a yarn sale. I love natural fibers; alpaca, mohair, cashmere, cotton, linen, silk, but especially wool. I am an absolute nut for wool tweed. I have a part time job in a LYS, just to support my habit. I buy yarn because I must buy yarn. I mean, if I don't do it, somebody else will!

What sort of things do I like to knit?

Lace - Not so much, but I'm still not giving up on it.

Socks - I made a pair. (OK, I confess, I'm still one Kitchnered toe away from a complete pair, and I made two different heels, but who's going to know, they're down inside my shoes!) I will give socks another try.

Hats - I love to make hats. Simple ribbed Kureyon hats are my favorite.

Scarves - I'm still making them. What a great way to try out a new stitch pattern or technique.

Baby Stuff - There never seems to be a shortage of folks having babies! Love doing little blankets and sweaters.

Sweaters - I love to knit sweaters! I've finished 3 so far, and have a 4th one on needles. My first was a simple top-down raglan . The pattern was from Knitting Fool, and I used black and red Rowanspun Chunky. I had a little gauge problem, so I'm considering taking it in a bit, steeking the front, and turning it into a cardigan. My second sweater, I used the same pattern, same yarn, different color, correct gauge, and threw in some cables just for fun. Here's a close up of the front panel.

My third sweater was the Classic Ribbed Pullover, from Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch. In this sweater I used dark green Rowanspun Chunky, and traded some of my stash yarn, (silver Rowanspun Chunky) to have it professionally finished.
(If you haven't figured out by now, I got a great deal on some discontinued Rowanspun Chunky!)
Sweater #4 you ask? NOT Rowanspun Chunky. (It's Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran, and Kureyon, but more on that sweater later)

So that's all for now. I'm going to try and be a good blogger and keep you updated as much as I can. Thanks for reading, and come back real soon!