Cashmere, Canines and Construction

2011 Christmas Card Design

2011-11-24T12:16:00.000-08:00

After much pondering I finally decided on my Christmas card design and got busy last night. Right now our backyard is carpeted in yellow leaves fallen from our Ginkgo tree and dozens of Oregon Juncos foraging in the leaves. Morgan has been calling the backyard Junco Landing.
I love how Juncos return from the mountains every Fall to spend the winter with us in the lowlands. My grandpa called them "snowbirds". Indeed! Happy Thanksgiving!

Now if we could just get some snow!!

Pedro's Got a Brand New Coat

2011-11-21T18:09:00.000-08:00

My dog Pedro has very short hair and almost no body fat. He is cold all the time and seeks out heat vents, beds that are and are not his and shivers pitifully. I attempted knitting a sweater for him twice but due to his big boxy chest had a hard time getting a pullover to fit well.
I found this fabulous pattern on Ravelry. It is called Blaze and is featured in the book Top Dog Knits by Jil Eaton. It is more coat than sweater. Almost like a horse blanket really. This design seemed fitting for my 80 lb "speeding brick wall" of a dog.

I'm hoping that being felted this will serve as a raincoat on our long rainy walks in Portland. Raincoats for dogs his size run upwards of $80.
He certainly looks distinguished and I haven't seen any shivering since I put it on.
I used Cascade Eco Wool in a natural light grey colorway and size 10.5 needles. I used buttons instead of the Velcro called for in the pattern.
If I were to make this pattern again I would check it mid way through the cycle while felting. It is a wee bit too small which I never would have anticipated looking at the pre-felted garment. It was huge.

Muscle Memory

2010-04-22T12:46:00.000-07:00

I love it when a lace pattern becomes second nature and your hands glide along knitting fluidly, halting occasionally to double check because something doesn't feel right.

That something about lace that compels you to just knit 1 more repeat and another and then 1 more after that.

This is my new favorite pattern and it looks great in all the semi-solid hand dyed yarns that are so popular right now.

Pattern: Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Needles: US 1, 2.25 mm Kollage square dpns
Yarns: Madelinetosh, Tosh Sock in Mourning Dove, Knit Picks Stroll Tonal in Gypsy and BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Rose Quartz.

Blogland Redux

2010-03-30T12:16:00.001-07:00

So it has been forever since I have posted to the blog and there is a huge back log of finished knits to rave about. It is a daunting task so I have decided that I might as well start with the most recent and show you some older projects as time allows.
I am finally working again so there is somewhat less time for blogging and knitting. I'm sure you can guess which activity takes precedence.
Hubby asked me to knit some socks for his dad's birthday a couple weeks ago. He came with me to Twisted and we picked out a skein of yarn with a LOT of yardage as his dad wear size 13 wide.
I knit Holidazed again because it is a fabulous pattern that seems to be very forgiving in the fit department and also wonderful to knit.
These are the biggest socks I have ever made.

Pattern: Holidazed by Anne Hanson
Needles: US 1.5, 2.25mm
Yarn: Punta Yarns Merisock Handpainted, also some Shibuiknits Sock in Ink for contrasting heel and toe.

This skein of sock yarn was an incredible 463 yards and I had some left over, maybe even enough for the heels and toes but I think the contrast worked out nicely.

Birthday at the Coast-Stash Knit Down Part-3

2009-10-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Our friends John and Clare took us crabbing at Cascade Head for our Birthday (my husband and I share a Birthday). It was absolutely gorgeous and we caught 3 keeper Dungeness Crab.
The most impressive part is we did it all from a canoe, who knew that was possible?

We made a lovely Crab Louis Salad for dinner and enjoyed it thoroughly.

I finished my Owls sweater and have been enjoying wearing it in this brisk Fall weather. I'm still sewing the pearl buttons on as it's a tedious process. I will post some modeled photos when I get some.

Morgan performing another tedious (but worthwhile process). Yummy crab meat!

Recession Stash Bust 2009-Episode 2

2009-09-19T15:29:00.001-07:00

I thought I better get some decent pictures before I stretch it all out. I have been wearing it every chance I get. It is so soft and snuggly and the color is so much fun!

Pattern: Wicked
Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Ruby River

I bought this yarn over a year ago at a store closing sale. I'm almost done with my second sweater from stash yarn this year. I'm so glad I stocked up when I could. More info here for Ravelry users.

Recession Stash Bust 2009-Episode 1

2009-09-01T11:59:00.001-07:00

These were actually began before I was laid off but as they are made entirely of leftover bits of sock yarn in the stash they qualify. They are as ridiculously crazy as expected and I can hardly wait until it is cold enough to wear them out.
The pictures are not great as it is difficult to photograph knee socks on oneself and I did not want to interrupt the tireless job searching efforts of M for fear that I may be knitting in a cardboard box some day not so distant.

I started off recording what all the bits of yarn were. I think I have all from the left sock but lost interest and/or wasn't sure about some in the right. The cool thing is I can look at these and remember so many sock projects, mostly for other people. It's like a time capsule of sock knitting that I can wear. Thank Goddess for the stash! I'm off to work on Episode #2. If you have access to Ravelry more details can be found here.

Socks for Chris

2009-07-26T21:12:00.001-07:00

Blue Moon -Socks That Rock in 'Dixie Chick'

Socks for Lisa

2009-06-22T12:29:00.001-07:00

Pattern: Holidazed
Yarn: BMFA Socks that Rock Lightweight in Rare Gem
Needles: US 1 dpns

Welcome Home Henry

2009-05-31T09:38:00.001-07:00

Welcome Henry!
Thank you for being such a devilishly handsome sock model.

Thank you momma D for these fantastic pictures which really say it all.

Everyone loves hand knit socks!

Spring (Baby) Showers part I

2009-05-08T08:23:00.000-07:00

So, I lost my job rather unexpectedly a few weeks ago and though I've had quite a bit of spare time on my hands I just did not feel like blogging. It took me a couple weeks just to get my knitting mojo back. I have been keeping busy: weeding, planting, pruning, building a new and improved raised bed for veggies, cleaning and organizing the house. I went foraging in the woods for mushrooms and native plants which was especially therapeutic.

My dogs, as you can imagine, are thrilled to have me home. Though the spring weather is hit and miss, they are getting much more regular exercise outside the yard and I am able to spend more time reinforcing good behaviors :).

Fortunately it is raining more than water this Spring. Two important baby showers imposed some much needed deadlines for my languishing knitting projects.
Two of my momma friends are due exactly two days apart, so we had a joint day of celebration and blessing for them. Luckily the weather cooperated and we were able to be outside for messy belly casting and henna decorating of their fecund forms. It was really a wonderful time. Both moms were grateful for the absence of humiliating and idiotic baby shower games and instead we shared good food, good company and the love and support of friends.
Suffice it to say when the husbands came by later they had some choice words to describe our festivities, 'hippy' being one of the least egregious. Some activities are just better off voluntarily gender segregated I guess. We had fun and that's what counts!

Here is one of the baby sweaters I made. It is a very simple cardigan pattern to which I added the skull and crossbones for some tough guy flair (it's a boy). If you are on Ravelry, you can check it out here.

And some very masculine camo baby socks. You may remember the adult version in this yarn. These baby sock blockers are just about the most painfully cute things ever. I keep knitting baby socks so I have an excuse to use them. I bought them at Twisted and they are fantastic!

Here is the second sweater (you can see one of the second pair of booties in the corner there, not sure if I ever got a picture of those together). It is the same cardigan but plain blue with turtle buttons. The buttons actually ended up spread out much more on the sweater but I think I failed to get a final photo of that too. These turtle buttons called to me and at the shower I discovered that turtles were very significant to the recipient and her husband and they share matching turtle tattoos with each others initials. How cute! What serendipity! (or dumb luck depending on your disposition).

On a completely unrelated note, I finished my Rogue Roses socks and took some crappy photos of them. They really are nice. I look forward to sporting them with a skirt in the evenings this summer.

So now I really need to get back to some flying sticks and yarn as I try to finish another sweater for a baby shower this upcoming weekend.

My Pet's Pets

2009-04-07T08:10:00.001-07:00

My husband, as a measure of his undying love, consented to build a custom squirrel feeder for me. You might think I decided to give the little pirates their own feeder in the hopes of preventing the above assaults to my bird feeders. The rationale that follows is far more convoluted, bear with me.
My dog Pedro loves to watch the squirrels. Mostly he just watches and sometimes he tries to sneak up on them. Occasionally a chase ensues. So far, the squirrels are way ahead of him, anticipating all his movements. It is however, a perilous journey for them to reach the tree from the fence line, requiring either a death defying jump or a run across the canine patrolled ground. I don't want to encourage the hunting of wildlife in my backyard. It is however a very long day for a dog and being that he is unable to read or knit or watch movies this gives him something to do other than sleep ALL DAY!
So to protect the squirrels and provide endless hours of entertainment, they now have a nut box on the fence. The squirrels figured it out within hours of it's installation, possibly due to their presence for the entire duration of its construction. The first squirrel actually opened the lid with his head. I wish M had snapped a photo of that!
They are still treating my seed feeder as a first course but at least now they have a safer option should they be smart enough to choose it.

Monkey in Paradise

2009-03-19T19:37:00.001-07:00

This and That

2009-03-07T19:31:00.001-08:00

Most of my recent knitting is still top secret but I have a pair of small FOs to show.
Clay's Motorcycle Cowl-finally finished and blocked. I'm still hoping for a photo shoot on the bike but took some photos just in case.

Gratuitous Pedro photo just cause.....

A barely finished in time to photograph in daylight birthday gift for my friend Clare.
Pattern: Mineco
Needles: US 8
Yarn: Red Heart Eco Cotton

I really like the way it turned out. I'm normally NOT a cotton girl but I was so intrigued by the recycled (truly/post-consumer) yarn that I had to give it a go. It was a very nice, economical and eco friendly gift project. I love the texture of it and the drape (not sure if that is only in reference to garments).

I made my own gift bag again and my sewing is ehrr.. improving. Maybe someday I will take a class, and get an ironing board and..no probably not..we'll see.

Weekend Ramblings

2009-02-16T17:41:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely three day weekend with cooperative, sunny weather. The dogs got to get out and about as did we.

We saw a lot of wildlife including a Red-tailed Hawk that perched very close to us and eyed the dogs with great apprehension. I was so mesmerized watching I forgot to take pictures.

Quite a bit of cooking and knitting was enjoyed.

Swimming and Fetching

Uh oh! I smell a new hobby on the horizon.

I made my maiden voyage to Fabric Depot. They were having a sale! It's reputation is well deserved. It was overwhelming, full of budget busting perils and really fun!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T16:29:00.001-08:00

One of the many things my husband and I share is a love of plants. We both garden outdoors and each had scads of houseplants when we met.

Philodendrons fill our breakfast nook.

I'm partial to the smaller, more delicate and unusual specimens.
Orchids, ferns, succulents.

Particularly those that bloom.

Morgan has a penchant for the big and bold foliage.

Together we have quite the conservatory.

Have a fantastic three day weekend with loved ones!

Queen of Beads

2009-02-08T14:43:00.001-08:00

I couldn't help myself. I absolutely had to sign up for the Rockin' Sock Club again this year. I decided that to justify the expense to myself I needed to make a more concerted effort to actually knit the kits as they arrived rather than fondling them lovingly and adding to the stash.
Luckily for me the first kit of the year was beautiful and also constructed in a cuff down manner, mostly familiar to me and without frustration.
I did learn a new cast on (tubular) and knit for the first time with beads (love it!).

Pattern: Queen of Beads by Sivia Harding for BMFA 2009 World Sock Domination Tour
Yarn: BMFA Lightweight Socks that Rock in 'My Blue Heaven'
Needles: US 1, 2.25 mm
Size: Large with minor mods, decreased foot after gusset to 32 sts.

Best Friends Forever

2009-01-27T18:14:00.001-08:00

We make friends throughout our lives. It is reassuring to know that it's still possible in my thirties to make a new best friend. Someone special enough to make me giggle and think the term BFF ( best friends forever) is cute (and applicable).
When D and I met, it was clear we were kindred spirits, long lost sisters and probable partners in all sorts of future mischief and fun.
When D became pregnant with her first and her feet started to swell, I realized who I was knitting these socks for. So happy almost birthday mama to be D.

Pattern: BFF by Cookie A.
Yarn: BMFA Socks that Rock-Mediumweight in 'Farmhouse'
and Koigu KPPPM for toes and heel
Needles: US 1.5, 2.5 mm

Urban Decay

2009-01-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

I searched and searched for a Martha Stewart worthy backdrop for this photo shoot but instead I was blessed with wind and a tiny bit of sun at the end of the day in the local baseball diamond. I kinda like the results.
My NEW camera has amazingly zippy shutter speed and it was fun snapping away as the blanket danced away for me.
The blanket is, in real life very far from industrial. It is soft and thin yet warm with lovely drape. I hate my seaming but I hate seaming in general so probably it's not so bad it's just me wishing for unattainable seamless-ness.
More juicy details (disasters and all) for Ravelry users here. This has been a long drawn out one and I felt tremendous relief in moving it out of the knitting basket and onto the couch.

Pattern: Block Striped Afghan by Sarah Dallas
Needles: US 6, 4.0mm
Yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed DK
Started: January 2006

Lost Camera..So Sad

2009-01-20T14:20:00.000-08:00

I cannot find my digital camera. I tore my house apart this weekend to no avail. I have FOs...alas
Electronics are all so leetle these days..they need homing devices for people like me:)

Arctic Blast '08

2008-12-22T10:24:00.001-08:00

Every year in Portland the media gets us all hyped up about the next impending 'Storm of the Century'

Usually it amounts to very little and melts the next day. This year they were not bluffing.

We had 14" this morning and it is still coming down. The wind is blowing and there are 3' drifts in some spots.

There are layers of 1" ice between the snow creating a most treacherous confection.

Buses are stuck or sliding off the road even using chains.
I am impressed and grateful for a large yarn stash and a warm house.

Crunch Time

2008-12-19T17:06:00.000-08:00

Flurries of snow in Portland

More Christmas knitting off the needles.

Last weekend before Christmas.

Reconstruction

2008-12-07T16:03:00.001-08:00

Maybe I was feeling a tad guilty after the extreme stash enhancement on Saturday at the Blue Moon De-Stash Barn Sale

Or maybe I was just inspired when my kind husband had only supportive things to say when I came home with three more bags of yarn.

And offered to help photograph the newest FOs

Without so much as a joke about the newest 'cowl craze'

But I took his suggestion to finish my blanket and ran with it.

The deconstruction (damaged section only :) is complete and the blanket is back on the needles.

Turkey Weekend Knits

2008-11-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

One Christmas gift finished and blocked. You can't quite see it in this photo but it is some of that yarn with strands of silver in it..very sparkly and festivus.

A prototype cowl for another gift (might keep the prototype for myself:)

Another tasty and fun gathering of friends that have become like family!

Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Goodbye Sweet Girl

2008-11-08T21:07:00.000-08:00

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring - it was peace." - Milan Kundera (b. 1929) Czech author, critic

Painfully Cute

2008-10-17T18:14:00.001-07:00

Why are miniature things so damned cute? I've always been a total sap for them. As I knit these, I was overwhelmed by their cuteness. I have 4 pregnant friends (Geesh! Anyone ever heard of overpopulation?) Anyhoo, I'm taking the opportunity to use up all the little leftover balls of sock yarn rolling around my house. Cute, cute, cute! I can hardly stand it!

I Heart Fall-Flying Off the Needles

2008-10-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

Finished!

Fall Knitterly Mania!

February Lady Sweater

2008-10-08T15:41:00.001-07:00

IMG_1853, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

Thought I better post a picture of this finished object.
It is nice though the bulkiness/boxiness doesn't compliment my..er figure such as it is so much.
if I were to make this again, I would modify the pattern to use a lighter yarn.
Still it is cozy!

Fog Over Ashland

2008-10-08T15:36:00.001-07:00

IMG_1864, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

Birthday Bash

2008-10-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

IMG_1885, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

I had a wonderful birthday weekend. My friend Danielle and I drove to Ashland to see Othello. She was my personal hero and drove the entire way allowing me to do what I wanted to do most, knit!
We stopped off in Eugene on our way down and went bird watching. We saw a rare Wood Sandpiper (not usually on this continent)!
We also went to a lovely little knit shop in Eugene and Danielle bought her first sock yarn! whoo hoo, a convert!
I spent some of my birthday money on the big, green leather bag pictured, some earrings made by a local artist in Ashland and a HOT pink leather case for my NEW business cards. This is the first time I have ever had my own cards so I thought they should travel in style.
As you can see the Bird in Hand mittens are almost done and I have started a new Monkey sock in STR 'Rare gems' with picot cuffs, inspired by Neuroknitter.
My Picovoli is also finished and blocking so more photos to come.

Fetchings for Leisl

2008-09-06T12:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to Leisl!

A new plant blooming in the garden

Distractions/ .5 FO

2008-09-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to have an entire finished object to show after the 3 day weekend.

I stalled out on the first sleeve of the February Lady Sweater. I ran out of yarn and this brief (but valid) distraction was enough to take me off on the following tangent:

Pattern: Bird in Hand by Kate Gilbert
Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted merino in Verde Esperanza and Lettuce
Needles: US 2

It is beautiful and fits pretty well. It is so thick I am having a hard time imagining ever needing them in Portland. Also, the gauge is a killer, I might need to give my hands a rest and get back to that lacy sweater for a bit.

Then again, I have a birthday party to attend next weekend, maybe I should whip up a quick pair of Fetching for a gift.

Miscellaneous Weekend Post

2008-08-03T17:46:00.001-07:00

A new garden sentinel. His mushroom is a solar powered light!

A finished pair of socks!

The next sock to be ready to go

Garden Frolicking

A new project

My sock drawer is getting full and very colorful!

UFOs and Reading..what is that?

2008-07-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

I did as promised and picked up a LONG neglected knitting UFO and was working tirelessly on it. That is until I got my hands on my book clubs current selection; Oryx and Crake by Canadian authoress Margaret Atwood.

I picked it up at the library on Sunday afternoon and finished Tuesday night. I am not an especially fast reader but was thoroughly engrossed by this one.

I have made much progress on the Gyrid tank though and only have a couple inches of boring knitting, some armhole shaping and finishing to go before completion.

My goal is to be able to wear it on my upcoming vacation in August. I am taking 2, that's right 2! consecutive weeks off. I read a study a while back that suggested if a person did not take at least 2 weeks away from their normal routine per annum, the health benefits of vacation; true relaxation in the physiological and psychological senses were essentially non-existent.

Wanting the stress of my daily life to NOT be the death of me I have decided to heed this advice.

I realized that the last time I was away from work for 2 weeks or longer was when I was briefly unemployed in 2001, a vacation..NOT!

FO Purple Raglan Sweater

2008-07-13T14:00:00.000-07:00

I finally finished the dang thing on Friday. Those small balls of yarn created SO many ends to weave in. I brought it with me to see The Police and it was chilly enough to wear it!

It has been VERY hot however to model for photos in the daylight hours! I braved it but the photos are not the best due to the circumstances.

The Front

The Back

The Front again..

My helpful Photographer(and spouse)

It is a very simple pattern and a very basic sweater, nonetheless I am quite happy with the way it turned out because it fits and is very comfy. I can hardly wait for Fall so I can wear it!
I found this very satisfying to knit, excepting the very end when I had to drag the almost finished thing around in the heat.
My inclination is to start another sweater but I think I better look to some of my snoozing UFOs or unfinished/unmated socks first.

Happy Summer Sunday!

July Garden Montage

2008-07-06T19:44:00.001-07:00

July Garden Montage, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

Progress Report-Purple Raglan Sweater for Me

2008-07-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sweater is complete less 1.2 sleeves but I spent most of the weekend doing BIG yard cleanups so I barely had a chance to work on it. There was also an unfortunate incident with the sweater falling out of my bike basket and dragging on the pavement. It is mostly unscathed but was covered in dried grass which I mostly picked out yesterday.
Will post photos when it is completed!

Still Fitting...

2008-06-19T10:44:00.000-07:00

OK, so sorry, still no pics but I have made progress on the sweater and tried it on again last night and it is still fitting! I am so happy about the latter I cannot even tell you.
The pattern calls for 2X2 ribbing for the collar, cuffs and hemline. I would like to do something a bit more interesting...any suggestions?
I suppose a picture would aid the brainstorming eh?

I Heart Ibuprofen

2008-06-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

My hand is healing (Ibuprofen is my friend) and I am knitting a new sweater. I am very excited about it and will try to post some progress shots this weekend. It is a very simple, top down, raglan pullover. I needed some sweater basics after my Hourglass debacle.
So far, it fits and Cheri, of The Naked Sheep gave me some tips and needed encouragement yesterday.
The yarn is to die for, a merino, silk, cashmere blend tweed in a deep purple color. I'm pretty sure it is going to be one of those colors that is not captured well with the camera.

Knitting Handicap

2008-05-29T13:40:00.001-07:00

I crashed on my bike last week and my left hand took most of the impact. My hand and wrist are sprained/bruised. I'm pretty sure it would hurt a LOT worse if anything was broken.

This has made everything (especially work) including knitting difficult and painful.

I went to the Sasquatch music festival this weekend and slowly knit this on the long car ride to and from the Gorge.

The festival was really great but we showed up a bit late on Saturday and were put in the overflow camping area flanked by WSU frat boys. There we were sipping our Espresso/Cote de Rhone and reading Jane Austen. We are mostly in the same book club and Emma is this months read.

Four, thirty-something, married women surrounded by the screams, guttural chants and beer bonging rituals of a breed of man I am completely unfamiliar with........ It was almost like going on safari (or how I imagine a safari to be), total culture shock.

I finished the Gentleman's Fancy Socks in Lorna's Laces Camouflage last week. See more photos here.

Back to work and home, I did some planting this weekend and took it easy. I seem to have temporarily mis-placed the second ball of Sherbet yarn so I might have to find a different sock project for this upcoming work week.

Kung Fu Fighting Canine

2008-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Despite the still sensitive looking wound on his front paw, squirrel lust overcame Pedro and he broke one of our neighbors fence boards in half.

No one witnessed this so it is hard to say which part of his iron dog self went careening through the wood.

It was an older, somewhat rotten plank with a knot in the center, inherently weak , so says the man of the house. Karate chop! What will that dog do next? It amazes me how such a gentle, loving creature can be so powerfully destructive. 80 Lbs. of pure love!

On another front, the Shetland Shawlet is progressing nicely. I saw some folks on Ravelry had made cute mini versions using 1 skein of Malabrigo lace and 14 pattern repeats.
Since most women I know seem adverse to actually donning a 'shawl' I'm thinking I can sneak these into their wardrobes as 'scarves'.

I wanted to make my friend a hat for her birthday. I picked out the perfect yarn at Twisted, a lovely colorway of Silk Garden Lite that I knew would complement her long, auburn hair.
I looked at hat patterns and debated and knit on the shawlet and read this months book club selection and generally procrastinated. Then I remembered Calorimetry and cast on.
It turned out well and the fit was perfect, she loved it!

It was such an easy and fun knit and I had half a ball of yarn left so I knit a second one for myself.
I rode my bike to work this week and it was the perfect thing to wear under my helmet to keep the cold wind (and hail) out of my ears. I might need to knit some kind of neck gaiter too.

Such a fast and easy pattern and a great way to use up those 1/2-1/3 skein leftovers and stray buttons.

Injured Paw Boy

2008-04-27T16:48:00.001-07:00

Injured Paw Boy, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

He didn't even realize he hurt his paw until we tackled him to clean and bandage it.

Noro Kureyon Socks

2008-04-27T16:47:00.001-07:00

Noro Kureyon Socks, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

Finished some socks and blocked them on my new sock blockers from Fearless Fibers.

Copper Cupolas

2008-04-13T11:48:00.001-07:00

Copper Cuppolas, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

I have been making a lot of jewelry lately.

I have been making earrings for myself and gifts for many years and decided to post some on my Etsy shop and see what happens.
So far, my neighbor Sarah is my best customer.

It is inexpensive to post on Etsy and it is satisfying somehow to have your craft broadcast to a larger audience even if all they do is look.
I just wish the price of silver wasn't through the roof!

Sometimes Only Lace Will Do

2008-04-07T06:57:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was a very delayed response to Malabrigo March Madness or a subconscious joining of Project Spectrum-Fire after the fact.

I found myself at Twisted which has probably the best selection of Malabrigo in Portland. I felt compelled to rid myself of the negative knitting juju of this (an utter waste of time and beautiful yarn).

Once again I returned to what is comfortable and cast on another Shetland Triangle in Malabrigo Lace because clearly two STs are not enough.

The colorway is Sealing Wax and in my defense I will say that:

1. I have been actually wearing ST #1 quite a bit lately.

2. I am embarking on slightly new ground by actually knitting lace in lace weight yarn.

I have already had frustrations with the latter, it tied itself in a tight little knot this morn which, pre-caffeine, I was forced to knit up into the shawl after hopeless attempts at unknotting. It amazes me with laceweight how quickly the stitches add up as the triangle is still so dainty.

I worked a few rows today at work during meetings but it is still so wee.

Watermelon Socks in Progress

2008-04-06T13:04:00.001-07:00

Watermelon Socks in Progress, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

Picked these up after I finished the socks for my mom. The Kureyon yarn is beautiful but kinda stiff to knit with, not sure I would buy it again.

Waving Lace Socks for Mom

2008-04-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

Waving Lace Socks for Mom, originally uploaded by Courtney Knits.

So, terrible picture (see the nursing school scrub top as background) but here they are. I mailed them off to mom yesterday. They knit up really fast and I had plenty of yarn left over.

I included a couple Cedar balls as the socks I made her for Christmas 2 years ago were riddled with moth holes (it gave me nightmares just thinking about it).

I will have better photos with the lace stretched out once she tries them on (I didn't want to stretch them out on my giant size 11 feet).

Great pattern! I have come to expect no less from Evelyn Clark!

Ocean Waves

2008-03-16T10:50:00.001-07:00

A surprising bit of Americana showed up on my doorstep Friday.

I have never seen this quilt before.
It was won in a raffle in Mt. Sterling Wisconsin in 1902 by my great grandfather.
It was made by the local 'Ladies Aid' and has every members name embroidered on the front.

There is a note in my grandmothers hand to this effect which states that it is to be passed on to the first granddaughter to marry.

This is me as I am the only girl in that generation of our family and today is my 4th wedding anniversary.
Apparently it was misplaced in my aunts attic for some time and she remembered it when she saw me in January.

I finished my Hourglass Sweater and even though I tried it on and everything seemed OK, when all was said and done it was hugely baggy in the back. It fits pretty well elsewhere but the back was literally gaping.

It was pretty upsetting and I can't bear to go into details (there are more on Ravelry) but I did not want to frog and fuzz this so I tacked some darts in the back. It is exceedingly crude but maybe I will be able to wear it once the sadness abates. I may try again now that I have a pretty good idea what modifications need done but for now I am placating myself with something decadent and (knock on wood) foolproof.

I am knitting the Waving Lace socks from Favorite Socks in Sea Wool.
I stopped in Knit Purl on Friday for hemming advice on the sweater and saw this yarn and knew mom needed some socks.
She is a Piscean and oceanophile and these are 30% Seacell and the colorway was Ocean.
Perfect!

We had game night with the neighbors last night (horrid, endless game of Monopoly, Thank Goddess for knitting!) . I made good progress on the first sock!

Happy Sunday!

Sort of Anticlimactic

2008-03-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

I knit a hand towel, loosely based on the towel patterns in Mason Dixon Knitting. I wanted a totally mindless project to stash in the break room at work for 'emergencies', days when I may have forgotten or did not have the presence of mind at 5am to bring knitting with me.
It came in handy for this purpose on several occasions.
I finally decided to finish the thing and move on. I made it extra simple stockinette with a garter stitch border so it was pretty tedious for such a small project and I was ready to cast off and wash it already to see if it lived up to the hype.
I have only hand washed it once so it will probably soften up more. At this point it is still pretty rustic. It does have lovely drape. It was OK to knit with but had little lumps of frayed yarn that bugged me and show up in the finished piece.
I love a little luxury but for the price of a skein of this yarn you could buy a pretty amazing hand towel so I'm not sure I'm convinced to make more of these.

Lagoon Monkeys and Slough Puppies

2008-03-09T15:24:00.000-07:00

I finally finished a new pair of socks for Morgan and the weather was cooperative so we shot some pictures this morning.

Then we took the kids, often referred to as 'the monkeys' to the park by the Columbia Slough. There was much swimming and wrestling and rolling in the grass.

I love Teasel!

Tempest had a good day at the park!

Back in Action

2008-03-08T17:45:00.000-08:00

I'm back to the needles. I am only working on current, unfinished projects.
I visited the Naked Sheep today and purchased nothing. The stash is disturbingly large and I expect it to come to life any day now and swallow me whole.
Anyway, I have a few projects, finished in January that I finally got around to photographing yesterday.

Warm, double stranded hats for myself and the hubby for cold bus commuting mornings. Both yarns were cashmere wool blends that were leftovers in the stash. More details on Ravelry.

Rainbow Skull coffee cozy. I have been using this guy quite a bit so it is fuzzy. I buy coffee at work pretty often and often forget my cup and have to use paper. I thought at least if I carried this in my purse I could reduce my waste by not needing the cardboard cozies that protect your hand from the hot cup. It works well and I get lots of comments on it!
Once again, leftover Cascade 220 and Noro scraps, felted.

Finally my Glazed Carrot armwarmers. I made these before I went to Wisconsin and they definitely came in handy. If I were to do them over I might add a real tipless thumb but overall I am very happy with this improvised pattern. The yarn is Malabrigo worsted which is dreamy to knit and I picked the cable pattern out of one of the harmony stitch guides.
P.S. There really are two of these but no one was home to model them for me.

Life, etc.

2008-03-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

I have been taking a little....break *gasp* from knitting. I'm spending some time being more physically active in the lovely early spring weather we have had in the Pacific Northwest.

A little gardening, swimming, lots of walking with and without dogs and....

I also started to Belly Dance again!

I convinced a couple friends to join me and we are taking a class at one of Portland's community centers. Our instructor is an amazing dancer and an even more amazing teacher.

I did pick up the needles today on an unfinished linen hand towel that was laying about.

It felt good to knit a few rows. I had a dream that I forgot how to knit. This actually happened to me when I took an almost ten year break from knitting.

It is like riding a bike or driving stick though, it will always come back!

Oh and the stash was near to enveloping my home and beginning to intimidate me. It had to be tamed and corralled a bit.

I Asked For It

2008-02-05T02:45:00.000-08:00

...and I sure got it.

I have been joking about getting the full winter Wisconsin experience on this trip and the first part of it was mostly quaint; snow, relatives, beer football, etc.

Scooters in the snow, cute, right? adorable, what's not to love?

All that cute came abruptly to a halt yesterday as I spent the entire day in the Madison airport, lugging my luggage to and fro, in and out of security gates, re-booking three times to end up in Madison for the night eating sushi in a strip mall by the airport. (This last part isn't as bad as it sounds, though eating decent sushi in Wisconsin pretty much convinced me that I was hallucinating from exhaustion and frustration).
I will not bore you with all the sordid details but the worst parts were;

1) Sitting on the tarmac in a full plane of people for three hours going nowhere to then have the flight ultimately canceled.

2) Waiting many more hours for a much later flight (that was already 4 hours late) to be canceled again, this time because they had no crew to fly the plane.

Once again, these are the highlights of yesterday's hellishness. I am a patient waiter. I have knitting after all and I bought magazines and am working on my second book. What upsets me is being yanked about with all these false promises. If you know I'm not getting out of Madison by noon why lead me on?

I'm off to battle the airport again...did I mention the WiFi at the Madison airport is NOT free. I always thought Madison was such a Socialist place...what gives?

In The Land of Beer and Cheese

2008-02-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow and more snow. I'm in Madison, Wisconsin and boy is it great knitting weather!

My cousins took me to Lakeside Fibers in downtown Madison and last night I taught Jen to knit and got her started on her first pair of socks!

Method or Madness?

2008-01-13T11:24:00.000-08:00

Ah the single sock collection; one has been languishing for a long time, one needs to be frogged and the other two are simply patiently awaiting their mates.

Ms. Tempest really enjoys my knitting (and the couch)!
We must keep the Canine in the blog...must stop neglecting the cashmere too...construction is mostly up to M and he is very preoccupied with nursing school.

Some call it Startitis, I call it casting a wide net from which to multi-task. Different projects (read sock patterns) require varying levels of concentration. This is a very basic ribbed sock in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted because there are people in my life who clearly believe that hand knit socks grow on trees. A quick and easy knit for those times before coffee and after too many hours of knitting lace while watching television.

Ah the passion of a beautiful pattern, a gorgeous yarn and the time to sit down with it.

Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern- adapted from Weldon's by Nancy Bush in Knitting Vintage Socks
Blue Moon Fiber Arts- Socks that Rock Lightweight in Rose Quartz
2.5 mm dpns from Knit Picks

Love, pure sock knitting ecstasy!!!

Then there is the sock pattern that just wont leave me alone. You may recall a pair of Post Christmas Monkeys as well as some earlier Monkeys in STR Fluorite. I made this sock in three weekdays I think which is remarkably fast for me. The pattern repeat is so easy and fun it is hard to put the needles down.

I do occasionally finish things too, sorry not a great picture they just came out of a warm bath. These are some simple socks for a friend who doesn't take particularly good care of garments, so they are simple and rugged, hand knit sock training wheels if you will. Specs are on my Ravelry page.
For now, I would rather not discuss the two unfinished sweaters, one unfinished shell, the never ending afghan from hell (which I did work on this month) or any other hibernating projects. I am in a sock knitting mood and that is what I shall knit.
Did I mention I went online this morning and bought yarn to make a Cobblestone Pullover for M? Well so much for rationalization, I have rampant Startitis.

Lagoon Monkey

2008-01-01T16:44:00.001-08:00

This is such an addictive pattern
Monkey by Cookie A.
Socks that Rock Lightweight in 'Lagoon'

Post Christmas Monkeys

2007-12-30T14:09:00.001-08:00

Swimming Upstream

2007-12-09T15:03:00.002-08:00

I hate how commercialized the holidays have become. I hate that I feel obligated to or guilty if I do not give thoughtful gifts to my friends and family who already have too much stuff. Every year I try to be as minimalist as possible and more and more, I try to give handmade gifts.
Still, it is very challenging to think of an appropriate handmade gift for many on my list, men especially....
I made the above for my Piscean mother this morning and then proceeded to go on a jewelry making tangent.

I love how these turned out, simple but fancy at the same time (ignore the fingerprints on the crystals for now).
I think Christmas may be especially minimalist this year....I cannot seem to focus.

Birds of a Feather

2007-12-08T12:20:00.001-08:00

My friend Sarah and I both LOVE birds. She made me a beautiful bird card for my birthday. I wanted to return the birdy birthday wishes so I made her these (this morning).

I am still hammering out the details of beading and I think my construction needs work. I hope she will be pleased with them despite their flaws.

Knitting of the sweater has been slightly on hold as it is a bit bulky for commuter knitting and I have been working tirelessly back and forth between several socks. More photos on that soon.

Happy Sunny Saturday!

Hourglass Sweater

2007-12-01T18:38:00.000-08:00

The Hourglass Sweater is coming along nicely, my first skein of yarn is considerably darker than the rest, which I did not notice until I started with the second. I'm OK with it though, I am one of those seemingly rare knitters who actually likes pooling in variegated yarns. I am easily entertained by the changes in visual texture ...

My parents are in town for the weekend and mom and I had fun in downtown Portland this morning, visiting Saturday Market and other old shopping haunts.
They now live in sunny So Cal and all this coldness and sweater knitting has them a bit stumped, not to mention the trudging through the half frozen mud of the off leash park every day for the dogs benefit. Portland certainly is a divergent culture from many places and I'm very glad to call it my home!
My folks had a birthday party tonight and I'm going to see some stand up comedy with some of the No Po Ladies Auxiliary (i.e. my friends).
This having a nursing student for a husband stuff is pretty fun, almost like being single again without all the idiocy of dating :) The best of both worlds!

A Winters Day

2007-11-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

Another Icy Morning

Another long, sunny day of knitting and dog walks in the park

Can you identify this SIP by its field marks?

Four Days Off!

2007-11-24T13:02:00.001-08:00

I am really, really, really enjoying four consecutive days away from work.
I like my job, I love my co-workers but it is so nice to have a break.
We had a wonderful meal with friends on Thursday, went out for a lovely brunch on Friday and I still can't believe I have another day and a half to relax and knit.
We got some house cleaning done and took the dogs to the off leash park yesterday afternoon and I still managed to whip up a pair of these:

This pattern is so easy and relaxing and satisfying to knit. I cannot believe I haven't made it sooner. Such a great use for all those single balls of yarn bought impulsively just because.

The Naked Sheep Knit Shop, my LYS had a black Friday sale and I went early for some great deals and a new knitting bag.

I won this yarn in a raffle and also went home with a new Naked Sheep coffee mug!

I grafted the toe on Lenore #1 and finished the first Christmas Monkey

and started another pair:

I think my favorite strategy for sock knitting is to make a whole gaggle of singles and then start over and make the mates. It keeps the yarn and patterns more novel.

I enhanced my stash further with this:

Three skeins of Malabrigo Worsted Merino in Indigo. What should I do with it?

Back to knitting! Happy Saturday!

Happy Turkey Day

2007-11-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

Sweet Potato Pie...mmmmm

Yes, there is bacon on this alder and hickory smoked, maple glazed turkey. I think it was the best I've ever had. The bacon was like some crazy meat candy. We cooked it on a Traeger grill and I am getting one of these when I can afford to.

My crazy husband will not pose nicely for family photographs.

Socks and Showers

2007-11-20T15:58:00.001-08:00

The cold fall weather and BMFA Stash Sale have finally brought me out of my sock knitting slumber. I started this Monkey in BMFA 'Christmas Balls'.

I finished (ahem, except for grafting the toe:) one Lenore. It fits well despite changing needles and sizes several times.

I finally blocked Shetland Triangle #2. It is huge and lovely but the edging isn't very pointy and I'm not sure why as I did all the edging rows, maybe a second blocking will do the trick, it made #1 pointier.

I made this hat for myself for cold mornings waiting for the bus. It is Elsebeth Lavold Silky Flamme which is Alpaca/Silk/Wool. I wanted a more neutral colored beanie so my outfit on cold days did not have to match my red cabled hat.
I'm not much of a fashionista really but for some reason I like my accessories at least to go well together (not clash too badly).

Last but not least, our water heater is dying and we will be spending some time over this holiday weekend installing a new one. This will cut into my knitting time but hot showers (and baths) in the winter are important to this crafter.

Break (Yarn) Fast

2007-11-11T08:48:00.000-08:00

To reward myself for slaving endlessly on the above project, I broke my highly unsuccessful (and mostly imaginary) yarn fast and went to the Blue Moon Stash Busting sale.

It was fun identifying all these lovelies!

Left to right: Mesa, Dixie Chick, Fred Flintstone, Watermelon Tourmaline, Falcons Eye, Christmas Balls, and Titania.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-31T20:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Stay safe everybody!

The holiday where men can dress like Wonderwoman and be celebrated.

I love it!!!!!

Inspiration..just in time..Whew

2007-10-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have been in a tremendous knitting (and blogging) slump. My grandmother, my favorite and last living grandparent died last week. It was not entirely unexpected and in some ways a great blessing but still my heart aches.
The bag of blue yarn that was slated for her Christmas afghan has been staring at me as a painful reminder all week.
I have been forcing myself to finish a blanket I started almost three years ago. It's a boring, miles of stockinette affair that I thought was a great idea when I started knitting again because well I was a novice and in the manner of all who are uninitiated and un-jaded I did not comprehend the immensity of the tedium I was embarking upon.

It is however, mindless and virtually passionless so in some ways a good numbing project.
I have also been staring down a completed Shetland Triangle that simply needs it's ends weaved in and blocking. It is very unlike me to get so close to the finish line and not go bounding over it even if it means working into the wee hours.

My salvation came yesterday in a small priority mail package on my front porch. The new sock kit from Blue Moon. I'll be honest I was only mildly excited until I opened the package. Many (most) of the patterns this year have been toe up, no disrespect but I am still not a convert to this method. Some of the patterns also have not done justice to the yarn in my opinion and have been rife with tribulations if the accounts of knitters out there attempting them can be trusted.
This months installment was designed by no other than the Yarn Harlot herself. I am not a groupie but I love Stephanie's no nonsense approach to knitting, especially sock knitting. The pattern is gorgeous, Gothic and Halloween inspired and I was confident that I could dive right in without fear of multiple froggings.
It is also lace which has been my knitting muse for the last many moons.
I'm sure photos will not do it justice but those of you out there who have received the same package know exactly what I'm talking about.

Thanks for the inspiring project ladies. I really appreciate it!

Pedro the Porch Guard

2007-10-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

Holiday Crafting Begins (in earnest)

2007-10-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

The second Hemlock Ring Blanket was finished and blocked this weekend.

I went to Collage with my friend Sarah who knows a lot about paper crafts. I bought supplies to make my own holiday gift tags.

I have avoided this store up until now because I knew it would be dangerous. They have such beautiful craft supplies and lots of things with bird motifs which I absolutely cannot resist.

The second Shetland Triangle is almost finished! I wish I had another three days to knit and be crafty and have lunch with friends.

Monsoon Season is Upon Us

2007-09-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

A bountiful fall harvest this brisk and rainy morning.

Our side garden is really enjoying this weather!

Finally a proper blocking for the Shetland Triangle, now it is clear to me who is recieving this shawl for Christmas.

Uh oh So Fickle

2007-09-28T19:12:00.001-07:00

The postal carrier dropped this box of yarn on my front porch and just like that, I'm on a tangent, a delightful, silky, wooly, teal tangent!

Vagabond Hemlock Ring Part 2

2007-09-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

Row 88! The rows are getting much longer, it is getting much bulkier (and ungainly) and I am almost through the first skein. Will the jokes about it being a big 'Rasta Hat' never cease? Sometimes knitting in public is really annoying.

Addictive Hemlock

2007-09-24T19:29:00.000-07:00

The first 60 rows go so quickly!

Spinning Into Fall

2007-09-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is an amazing tapestry that was an entry at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival this year. All of the yarns were dyed with plants. Isn't it gorgeous and inspiring?

A gratuitous photo of my Hemlock Ring Blanket, in natural light(finally)!

My new toy!
I purchased this Clemes and Clemes wheel from a woman named Sonya on Craiglist (the best way to shop and the only way I could afford to get into spinning). Sonya bought this wheel new in the 70's and it has been used and loved but she moved on to a newer wheel and the Clemes and Clemes has found a new home with me.
I have never spun before and need to do a little research and give the wheel a bit of TLC before I start. Fall is here and I look forward to many cozy nights of spinning while the hubby studies.

Of course I picked up some magnificent roving at OFFF. Wish me luck with my new hobby!

I started a second Hemlock Ring Blanket yesterday in Cascade Eco Wool 'Mocha'. It is much easier with stitch markers. The Eco wool in natural colors is much finer and softer than the dyed Eco Wool + of the last HRB. Pedro modeled the HRB, much to his displeasure.

Pedro Gets a New Shirt

2007-09-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Hemlock Ring is still drying on the bed, I put a fan on it so hopefully it will be truly dry before bedtime. considering how many mistakes I made in this pattern really early on, it was quite forgiving. I can see them but the overall 'experience' of the blanket is great. I am looking forward to test snuggling it on the couch.
I'm making another one in 'Mocha' hopefully with fewer mistakes this time.

Pedro got a new shirt from his Grandma today!

Vote for Pedro! The cutest Mexican American Staffordshire Terrier ever!

Update Coming Soon

2007-09-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

My first Hemlock Ring Blanket is blocking on the bed (had to kick the hubby out of bed a little early ;) right now.
It has a few mistakes but overall turned out better than I expected. I'll post some photos this evening!

Stripes and Cozies Forever

2007-09-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

Some FOs for your viewing pleasure, the Noro striped scarf, a la Brooklyn Tweed, finally finished. I am much less enamored with this project than I was at the start. It was just so boring to knit and those four skeins lasted forever. The easy knitting would have been OK but the skeins constantly tried to attack one other and tangle so it was a constant battle to knit in locations I frequent such as the bus or the lunch room at work where space is tight.

The second object is a felted cozy for my new pink phone. I used Cascade 220 and the same needles I used for the scarf, because they were handy. I basically knit an envelope, sewed it up and felted.
I intended to take pre-felted measurements for future reference but forgot. The button is from my tin of buttons that has been passed down over at least four generations and looks like maybe an old coat button.
It is nothing spectacular but it is serving the function of cushioning my phone from myself. The cell phone guy did his best to talk me out of this particular phone, saying it was fragile and many have returned it broken. I did the only sensible thing and bought the phone I wanted and knit it a cozy!

I am off to the beach with old friends and a Hemlock Ring Blanket to knit!

Happy three day weekend!

Family Visit

2007-08-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

My mom and brother just visited us for a week. It was fun to have them here for so long. My mom took this photo of my brother Nate and I and the dogs on the front porch.
We don't normally spend a lot of time on the front porch as it is in need of some...ahem.. serious repair.
My brother thought it was charming and was spending a lot of time out front people watching with my dogs for company.
I am still experimenting with all the fun settings on my new camera and thought this setting would give this photo a very Dorothea Lange look.

By the way, according to Jeff Foxworthy, "if your porch collapses and injures more than two dogs you might be a redneck". We may have cause for concern illustrated here.

Blocking Lace on the Road

2007-08-13T16:18:00.000-07:00

I finished the Shetland Triangle this morning. I only made it to row 10 on the edging and was very afraid I would run out of yarn, so I casted off.
It is a little less regular than I had hoped for, but that may be partially due to the hasty way it was blocked today on a picnic table in 90 degree, dry heat.
I may block it again when I get home.
Still, I am happy with it!

Pedro and Rosie wrastling.

Lace Detail

More pretty places we explored..

Knitting in Paradise

2007-08-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

A very long (6 hour) car trip with three dogs who were surprisingly well behaved. Either they knew our destination or Morgan did a great job packing the car and maximized the dog comfort factor, probably a combination of the two.
Morgan was a doll and drove the entire way so I could work on the Triangle.

And then there was Festivus; Blues, Brews and Bronze in Joseph City Park six short blocks from my house.
It was fantastic fun all around and the after party was at our house. Our tenant, Kate has done wonders with the house, painting and new flooring and the place looks amazing! I will post some photos later in the week.
I did not knit a stitch on Saturday because there were just too many old friends to catch up with.
There are few things better than an good music, beer and catching up with old friends in a park with a view.

Today was all relaxation and knitting at the lake and on the front porch. The Shetland Triangle will be complete very soon.

Great birding in the shade of mature Ponderosa Pine at the head of Wallowa Lake.

Hi to everyone in Portland!

# 1 Ladies Bookclub in the Park

2007-08-09T20:24:00.001-07:00

Every August my bookclub meets in our neighborhood park. Our newest member, Ashley is 9 months pregnant. She and her husband moved here recently from Texas and are still settling in.
We thought some knitterly Stumptown hospitality was in order.

Ashley was surprised and elated by all her goodies, especially the gift certificate to the spa just for moms (who knew) and all the handmade baby knits.

I was pretty happy about the wine and the beautiful cupcakes with flowers from Sarah's garden!

All the food and good company

And a lace pattern that is lovely yet easy enough to knit while socializing.
Behold WIP Shetland Triangle
I can hardly put it down it is so soothing to knit.The yarn is Aran Silky Merino in 'Sangria over Garnet' from Sundara.
We are off to Joseph Oregon for a week. I'm not sure if I can block a lace shawl while on vacation, but I'm sure gonna try!

Free for the Picking

2007-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

I forget that although picking blackberries is free in the northwest, it is not without hazard and consequence.

Stinging Nettles

Thorny thickets

Scratches, scrapes and wet pants

Next year I am bringing a machete.

I took all three dogs and they had a wonderful time smelling smells and playing in the creek. We only frightened (briefly) one man with a small dog all day which is remarkable. All three of my dogs are mild mannered and sweet but we look scary from afar and it is nearly impossible to walk all three on leash by myself.
We go to off leash areas and out of the way spots but inevitably encounter others.

Pedro is growing into a very well behaved little dog. He stayed very close to me and always came when called, a relatively new phenomenon for this high spirited American Staffordshire Terrier puppy.

Tempest (who is 12 and is surviving Cancer, Hypothyroidism, Arthritis and a host of other health issues) was a trooper. She bush wacked through blackberry brambles more slowly that the rest of us but alway emerged from the thicket wearing a grin. She especially delighted in laying in the cool creek and drinking.

All three of them were exhausted when we got home which was reward enough.

And then there was jam.......with lavender.

Lost Camera

2007-08-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

We went to a wedding on the Olympic Penninsula this weekend and hubby lost our digital camera. I didn't get a lot of knitting done anyway but we had some fabulous photos of the wedding and long lost friends from college and us all dolled up and...oh well..all lost.
I will need to replace my camera with a much cheaper version of itself. Until then, I shall knit and read your blogs with longing in my heart to participate.
I did finish book 7, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and had mixed feeling about the ending, especially the epilogue, seemed pretty cheesy. What did you think?

Eye Candy Friday

2007-07-20T08:56:00.000-07:00

This WIP was inspired by this over at Brooklyn Tweed.
I already had some Noro silk garden in the stash and really needed an easy project after the dreaded skull sock.

Pirate Sock Disaster...Aaaarrrr!

2007-07-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

After happily passing the heel and decreasing the gusset, I decided to slip the pirate sock on to see how it looked...so excited.....aaaah not going on...in a panic I reasoned...? maybe it was the long runs of white yarn on the inside just were not stretchy enough so ...I ....cut...them....This obviously didn't do anything to make the sock bigger, it just made the whole situation more hopeless and sad.

So, so sad, we had dinner with the neighbors last night and I knit a headband from leftover STR sock yarn to wear over my ears when I bike to work on chilly mornings. It fits but is really better as a hair scrunchy. It was also too small so I increased giving it that potato chip scarf effect.
I just had to make something after the disappointment, the crushing defeat that is my pirate sock.

Morgan again, helpfully suggested that I take a short break from knitting. This only served to make me more determined and angry at myself for not trying the sock on earlier. I have used this yarn with these needles and didn't think it would be a issue...oh well. please try your socks on everyone.

Pirate Socks for Morgan

2007-07-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Basic top down sock with skull chart adapted from Hello Yarn, 'We Call them Pirates'.
Yarn: Shibui sock yarn in Ink and Dogwood.
Needles: Knit Picks 2.25 mm

Black Sheep Gathering

2007-06-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time in Eugene, stayed with a friend and went to the show on Friday morning. I loaded up on some Blue Moon Fiber Arts sock yarn. They had mill ends for sale at a reduced price so resistance was utterly futile. I also bought some brand new sock blockers.
I drooled for hours over all the beautiful spinning wheels and roving.
My favorite part was visiting all the animals, three whole barns full. There were sheep, goats and alpaca. So much cuteness! Next year I am staying all weekend!

Eye Candy Friday

2007-06-14T19:15:00.001-07:00

Hmmmm

2007-06-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is silly, but I saw it on Gails blog and just had to find out what finger I was...

You Are a Pinky

You are fiercely independent, and possibly downright weird.
A great communicator, you can get along with almost anyone.
You are kind and sympathetic. You support all your friends - and love them for who they are.

You get along well with: The Ring Finger

Stay away from: The Thumb

What Finger Are You?

The Stinkflower

2007-06-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

We have a friend who is a gardener for Portland City Parks and in his home garden he has a flair for the unusual. He gave us a cutting of this plant last year and said it was a voodoo lily. It had attractive foliage but did not bloom. I went out in the garden this morning to discover a 12-14 inch long purple flower and another one that has yet to unfurl.
The really interesting part of this flower though is the smell. I recall being warned but was nonetheless unprepared. It reeks like rotting fish guts. There are flies hovering around it and you can literally smell it's stench from about ten feet away.
I think he also said that the bloom only stayed open for a few days. A few days of this beautiful, rotten fish flower will likely suffice.

My wonderful friend Heather is having a birthday celebration tonight and I bought her these flowers at the farmer's market today.

We have been cleaning the bricks from last week and they look pretty good. Scraping mortar off bricks is an activity that is best done in small doses so it is taking us a little while.

Ahhhh Summer

2007-05-31T21:30:00.001-07:00

Blogging in the back yard with a cold beer under the shade of the ginkgo tree.
I started another sock, just a plain ribbed sock, sometimes I really enjoy watching the yarn do all the work and I love it when the colors pool.
the blue thing is a linen hand towel I have been knitting just to get the feel of knitting with linen. It is lovely, not as lovely as wool, but lovely nonetheless.

Icy Hot Wool

2007-05-29T21:45:00.001-07:00

One sock done, a modified BFF sock, pattern by Cookie in BMFA Socks that Rock in Farmhouse and Koigu sock yarn in an icy blue colorway.
Like most natural fibers, wool breathes very well and is lovely in the summer. I have worn wool socks for summer hiking and slept comfortably with wool batted quilts in the warm months. It is one of the worlds most perfect fibers and should not be relegated to the cold. Hand knit socks are also perfect with sandals after the evening has cooled down a bit. I don't care what the fashionistas say.

I Love Three Day Weekends

2007-05-28T12:15:00.001-07:00

I checked Craigslist Portland this morning for free bricks and found a new posting about six blocks from our house, so before coffee and without a shower I headed over to check it out. I really expected that they would be long gone, it has been very hard to find used brick in Portland in the last couple years, so I did not bring gloves or a tarp to protect my car (Morgan is at work with his truck).
I loaded the poor Subaru up with as much as I thought she could handle and left some half bricks behind. I drove very slowly........

I wheelbarrowed all the bricks to a pile in the backyard and let me tell you bricks and mortar are heavy. Morgan will be very surprised when he gets home today.
We will have to clean the mortar off and then we are going to use them for a pathway/patio in the backyard in the high traffic area where there is only dog dug dirt now.

Facelift in Blogland

2007-05-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

As you can see I have changed the look of my blog and also the title. I am still learning a lot about computer technology, even the relatively basic, user friendly stuff frustrates the hell out of me.
The original, title was chosen in haste when I set the blog up and I just realized that I COULD change it. You cannot change your url which makes sense but the title does not have to be the same as the address. Hurray, I love learning new things.
I also just discovered how simple it is to put a photo on my header. I'll admit it took me most of an hour to get it the way I wanted it and it is only a silly picture of Pedro.
I think my new title is a more accurate reflection of my blogs content. As much as I love knitting, house projects and my furry children also figure very prominently. There is far less cashmere in my realm than I would prefer but I'm an Oregonian and according to the Oregon Chamber of Commerce this is 'the place for dreamers' and what better place to fantasize than the blogosphere.
Lastly, on a related note, I am happy to report that I was finally able to make our home DSL connection wireless, so that I can blog on my laptop comfortably on the sofa.
I was spending a lot of money in WiFi cafes to avoid using the home desktop PC which is obsolete and would be smashed (Office Space style) in the street if it were up to me.
So I look forward to posting more frequently and continuing my technological learning curve....also more knitting.

Face The Music

2007-05-24T20:54:00.000-07:00

OK, OK, so I was tagged by Stella and here goes nothing.
Seven random things about me:
1) I hate stuff like this. It is too much like public speaking, peer counseling or chain letters.
2) I am a hypocrite because I love, love, love reading these things about others, especially my friends.
3) Did I mention I have a mortal fear of public speaking or performance, no spotlight for me thank you very much. I am a behind the scenes kinda gal.
4) My thumbs are spoon shaped, seriously, sometimes I feel like Sissy Hankshaw in Even Cowgirls Get the Blues. I was very self-conscious and tried to hide them all the time, until I realized no one really cared except me.
5) I am very fickle. This is why I have never and will never get a tattoo and also why I keep changing my blog layout and even the title.
6) I am currently nursing a painful crush on Stephen Colbert, his obtuse humor makes me squeal with delight. I am in the company of Jane Fonda and many others to be sure.
7) I am a tomatophile to the extreme. I look forward to growing tomatoes all year and last year canned my own from the garden. I roasted some of them on a hardwood barbecue along with chili peppers also from my garden and canned 'fire roasted tomatoes'. I also love to just graze on them directly from the vine all summer.
Enough is enough already with this sharing shit!
I can't decide if I want to tag others now, please see #1 above.

Doggie Dash and Spring Cleaning

2007-05-21T18:04:00.000-07:00

I haven't been knitting much. Morgan finished lining the attic with plywood and we have begun to reorganize our small house and decide what things should be stored and what things should find a new home. Of course I look at this and all I can see is the yarn storage possibility.

Pedro and I participated in the 2007 Doggie Dash, a fundraiser for the Oregon Humane Society. It was a lot of fun and a great experience for Pedro. He had never been in such a large crowd of people and leashed doggies. He was intimidated at first but soon realized it was a big old dog party on the waterfront! You can see from this photo that he was pretty excited.

Finally.....Some Twisted Flower Socks

2007-05-08T14:05:00.000-07:00

All photos are before blocking. Don't they look as if they grew in the garden with the Swiss chard?

A Busy Weekend

2007-05-06T21:05:00.000-07:00

The April Sock club yarn, so gorgeous, you really need to touch it to appreciate fully, it is regular Socks that Rock with a little silk spun in...mmmm

My sporty new scooter. It is so fun and exciting. I filled up the tank and got change for a $5!

The veggie garden plot with wire to deflect Mr. naugty.

The Hops are going to be huge this year!

Aaaah they are so cute yet soo bad!

Socks and Scooters

2007-05-03T18:17:00.000-07:00

No new pictures to post. I have been working on the second Twisted Flower sock from Cookie, trying to finish in time to block, dry and send them to mom for Mother's Day.
I have also been preoccupied with a new hobby. I am buying a scooter from my friend Nicole, so I have been going to her house after work to practice riding so that I can drive it home this weekend. Scooter riding is exciting and I am looking forward to running many of my smaller/closer errands in a vehicle that gets 70 miles per gallon of gas.
Off to knit night..hopefully I will have photos of socks and scooter to post by Sunday.

More photos from the road

2007-04-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

We have returned to Portland with the furniture intact, Morgan did all the driving home in the U-Haul. I am very grateful as I stayed up way too late bonding with my sister-in-law.
The dogs were happy to see us but were fairly calm about our return. I slept much of the drive home except for a detour in Ashland. I also had to try to photograph this double rainbow.

The backyard waterfall in Woodside.

A beautiful double rainbow in northern Oregon along I-5.

We stopped in Ashland and went to Websters, a yarn shop. I bought this skein of sock yarn, made in Wales.

Pedro giving me the cold shoulder when we got home last night.