Merry Christmas and Happy 2009

Yes... the best presents still come under the tree.

If all goes well, this will be the last Christmas where it will be just Master Blackhead, Hex, Jynx, and me. To honor the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another, we're staying home this year and just enjoying the moment. The only real noise will be the sound of Starcraft gurgling on the computer. We've both long since learned to tune out the clicking of knitting needles. There's no hectic Christmas dinner rush, getting the place cleaned before everyone comes over, cleaning the place again once everyone leaves, loud family members sqwaking away about where to buy the cheapest item in bulk (you'd have to be Chinese to fully understand how loud that really is), and best of all no airports crowded with angry people. Of course, we miss our family, but one year to ourselves before all Hell breaks loose in a fit of diapered cacophony is surely a true treasure.

Speaking of Chaos in Diapers... the legwarmies are done. They are super cute. Hopefully they will also be very useful; especially, since I plan to make several more pairs. I really liked the TajMahal for this project. Usually variegated yarns pool in the ugliest ways and even more so when knit in the round. This yarn was subtle enough that the pooling gave interest without that "ugh... that's awful" look.

Name: Legwarmies, one size
Yarn: Filatura TajMahal
Yarn Source: Amazing Threads, Maple Grove, MN via MamaSara's Stash
Needles: US 3 9" Hiya Hiya
Pattern: http://nevernotknitting.blogspot.com/2008/01/legwarmies.html


Next up is the Upside Down Daisy Hat from Itty Bitty Hats. This will be the third one of these that I make. I made the hat part about a year ago and put it away after making the petals got tedious. Hopefully, I'll get to finish it this weekend.



What I am really going to be concentrating on is the Project Linus Security Blanket from Knitting for Peace. The modified feather and fan pattern is pretty easy and relaxing to work. I'm using Berroco's Comfort, which has been a surprise and a half. I expected going into this that I'd absolutely hate the yarn: It's totally synthetic after all. Surprise surprise... it's been great. It has really nice elastic bounce, which almost mimics a nice wool. It's soft and non-itchy too. It does have a tendency to split. I can see how a fast or tight or both knitter would hate this. This hasn't been too big of an issue for me seeing as how I'm just an average knitter (both speed and tension) ... just call me Joe the Knitter.

I have this entire lovely long weekend to work on this. Hopefully, it's enough time to finish, but not too much time. If I finish too soon, then I'll be itching to get to my LYS, which might not be open. I've been eyeing the presents under the tree and hoping with all my heart that there's yarn in one of those packages. Not that I need more, it's just nice to know it's there. To all of you who are wishing the same thing, Merry Christmas and may your tree be pregnant with balls and balls of yarn.

Baby Says Hi

It's official. Mama Blackhead is always (as in 100%) right when predicting a baby's gender. She called it two months ago: girl. Last week the ultrasound showed... you guessed it... a girl. She's active and can't stay still. In one of our first images of her she said 'hi.'


This was absolutely unbelievable. I know that it happens everyday in hospital around the world: moms and dads-to-be see their baby for the first time. Nonetheless, this was the coolest and most amazing thing I've ever seen, and definitely trumps anything I've ever seen on a TV screen too.

All this giddiness and happiness is spreading (Aren't babies wonderful that way?) to all our friends and family. Today, Baby Blackhead received her first present and it was even made by hand. Behold, booties crocheted by quateryrd.


So this just about lit a fire under my prego behind. I have yet to start knitting for the baby. I'm working on a top for myself and still have about half way to go. Plus, this is my own design, which means added work time. For those of you who are saying, "well start something for the baby anyway," you must understand that I can't. I knit on one project at a time. If I put down a project to start another, it is the kiss of Frog for the first. Did I mention that this top is being knit out of mohair, which is almost impossible to frog? I know lots of knitters who bounce between projects, but I personally hate it. I feel so distracted. So I just plod through one project at a time. Sure, I've put projects aside with the intent of finishing them someday, but who are we kidding... they're really just living their last days in the Frog Pond.

Now I need to get cranking on my mohair top, write the pattern, and trouble Thor to proof it for me. Thor really helped me with my last pattern. I learned so much, but suspect that I still have LOTS to learn.

In the midst of all this baby stuff, the Little Blackheads are still a prominent fixture in my life. Jynx has been feeling under the weather and just finished a 3 week course of fluids, anitbiotics, Prednisone, and antioxidants. He's such a good sport and doesn't really ever fight. I think it might have something to do with the baby food he gets to eat during his drip. Now, when I go into the laundry room (where he got his IV) he follows me in anticipation of baby food. You'd think the very sight of the room would send him running, but the last week of fluids we didn't even have to carry him into the room. He came all by himself. He's looking much better. He's put on some weight and his coat has returned to its natural shiny state.


When I told a neighbor about his ailment and treatment course, she asked if we would put him down instead. I just about fainted. It wasn't like he deteriorated beyond available therapeutic modalities and was in constant excruciating pain. How could I even think of euthanasia? Absolutely not.

Hex, not to be outdone, continues in his role as Box Cat. It's amazing how driven he is to squeeze himself into boxes half his size. It isn't the best picture, but you can get the point.

Trials and Tribulations of Moving: Where's the Battery Charger?

The agony of not having internet at home has finally ended. We got internet again! This means I can once again bore you with the minutiae of my life and all the bad things the Little Blackheads have done.

Speaking of the Little Blackheads, they love the new place. There's so much more room for them to explore and they are definitely taking advantage of it. Naturally, when the one of them gets lost, he hunkers down and starts crying. Master Blackhead and I have to call to him at the top of our lungs and seconds later we hear both of them galloping towards us. At this point, I think it is more of a game than a distress call to the Little Blackheads. They like to do it even when we are in plain sight.

So moving means packing and unpacking, which means lots of packing materials, which means this...

It took all my will power not to pack them in a box (just to teach them a lesson) that I lost will power in every other aspect of my life. I dare you to ask me how much junk food I ate. Hint: I even went to McDonald's... gasp!

Now that things have settled down (and I actually did pack the Little Blackheads in a big box, and no they did not learn their lesson) and we're eating better again. Fish and broccoli are on the menu tonight.

I'm looking forward to my trip to Albuquerque next week. I'll be visiting SisterB and scoping out her new home. Guess how excited I am? I'm brimming with energy. Seeing SisterB again will be so rejuvenating. I just know we'll be up late at night chatting away. Good times ahead. Master Blackhead won't be coming along, which has me kinda bummed. On the bright side, that leaves him to do all the unpacking. hehe

Eventhough we've just moved in, MamaSara has been busy supplying me with all sorts of quilted kitchen goodies. Once I find the battery charger for the camera, I'll post a few pics. She's also made me a reversible tote bag so I could carry things between the two places while I was cleaning the new house. She's very thoughtful that way.

On the knitting front, I've actually managed to squeeze in some knitting between the packing, moving, and unpacking. I finished one sock made from Fiesta's Baby Boom, which was a giftie from Jelly. I love the soft sandy colors. Once I get the second ball wound, I can make the second sock. And, once again, I'll post pictures once I find the battery charger.

Well, enough chatting back to work. Gotta find that battery charger.

Sneak Peek, Mimosa, and Other Fiber Cocktails

It seems that most of my friends have birthdays in the summer. One such friend is getting a surprise for hers. Here's a sneak peek. The pattern will be available free on this blog during late August.


After deciding that the project was too persnickety to continue and letting the thing marinate/hibernate for a few weeks, I have finally finished the Glacial Mimosa. Pictures of the completed garment are forthcoming, but for now here are some pics of it in progress.

You just might be able to tell that it is very slightly (possibly?) striped. Well, it is and I'm still fuming about it. The yarn (originally for the Puff Sleeved Feminine Cardigan by Stephanie Japel, below in red) was from two distinct dye lots.

How did I discover this? Oh... I just knit about 95% of the sweater, saw it in natural light instead of my compact fluorescents, and went S*&^&^@#%((*&*%$!!!!!! Then with an unceremonious 'ugh' I tossed it in the darkest corner of my least used closet. Months later, I ripped out the monstrosity (my dye lot boo boo, not the pattern, I love glampyre's designs) and started the Pink Mimosa from Interweave. Thinking that if I alternate rows with the different dye lots, I might be able to make this work. I must admit that I am pleased with the striping. It is very subtle, and lends a heathery quality to the garment. So why was it banished yet again?

1. Absolute torturous need for carrying two balls at once
2. All the ends that needed to be woven end
3. DK weight is SLOOOOOWWWW knitting

Anyway, it is all done. I had to add a few repeats of the lace since my bust could use a bit more coverage. All it needs now is some time blocking. I'm just glad it is done. Now I remember why I despise DK weight.

Did you know that an aran and DK weight garment differ by a factor of 2 in the number of stitches? Even more, there is a factor of 4 between aran and sockweight! Just look at the numbers. Hmmm... chunky yarn is looking really appealing right now.

• Aran 4" square: 16 sts x 20 rows = 320
  
• DK 4" square: 22 sts x 28 rows = 616
  
• Sock 4" square: 32 sts x 40 rows = 1280
  

To end on a sweeter note, the feline-fiber bonding continues. Jynx has found yet another yarny place to cuddle, this one even comes with a view.

Small Favors: Second in a Series

Spit-splicing your yarn is unsavory. I don't care how convenient you think it is. Besides, it leaves a crusty whitish film on your yarn and fibers in your mouth. Ick! Use tap or drinking water to wet your yarn instead of spit for splicing ends together.

Why I like this?

• You don't have to prime your mouth to generate enough saliva to completely wet your yarn ends.
• There is no spit smell on you hands and jeans afterwards.
• I will loan you my scissors, darning needle, or whatever else you need if there isn't spittle on your hands.
• It's just as convenient as spit-splicing, but much more seemly.
  

A Little Blackhead Moment

I've just returned from Ttink's house where she plied me with limeade and rice krispy treats (among other goodies). While there, Ttink's cat, Simon, often sought out my 30 yr old vintage leather satchel from my mom. He slept on it quite a lot. Well Jynx simply does not approve. When I got home and put the bag down, he just about had a conniption fit. He hissed at the bag and wacked it a few times with an angry paw. That's not a very nice thing to do. I'm storing my bag somewhere nice and high so it will be safe from futures assaults. And to think I was going to offer him some knitting needles earlier today.

Puzzles and Clues

Master Blackhead and I have a shared hobby in (no, not knitting) puzzles. We find them fascinating and have developed our own (most likely not uniques) system of piecing them together. First, we divide the pieces into 7 piles: edge, no nub, 1 nub, 2 nub, 2 nub adjacent, 3 nub, and 4 nub. Yes, we really do like saying nub. Second, we piece together the edges. Third, Master Blackhead starts in one corner and systematically adds the next piece by going through our piles, and I piece together whatever catches my eye. This works well for us. By the time I get bored of what I'm doing and move onto the next cluster, he's working on how to connect my clusters.

This past week we've put together a winter scene of Neuschwanstein Castle. I think if I wasn't obsessed with a knitting project it would have been finished sooner. As it stands, this 1500 piece puzzle took us a little under one week. Incidentally, it was the hardest puzzle I've ever done. Not piecewise (our biggest was a 6000 piece map), but in terms of image it was tough. There wasn't always a clear indication where a piece went, which is the weakness of my cluster strategy. Nonetheless, the end result is the same: a done puzzle!


So what's this knitting project I've been obsessing about? Well, it's a secret, but here's a clue. I'm writing a pattern using my (new) favorite yarn, Malabrigo Silky Merino. It's light and soft with a beautiful sheen. Here's a bit knit up so you can see it for yourself. Too bad you can't feel it too.

I'm hoping to submit this pattern to Knitty, but who knows if they'll take it. This will be the first pattern that I've written for people other than myself. I brought the incomplete garment to SSK today, and it was well received. So we'll see.

I'll leave you tonight with a picture of Jynx carefully guarding the sweater I made for Master Blackhead for Christmas. The second it hit the ground (why my hand knit is on the ground is another issue entirely, but we'll let it slide this time) he claimed it as his bed. Perhaps he's hinting that the Little Blackheads need hand knits of their own.