Be glad there are no pictures

First off, I have to share something a little gross (okay, a lot gross). We have some outside cats. They're strays, and we put out food for a few of them every day.

So, I go out yesterday evening on the porch and see cat poo on the porch, or at least that's what I think it is. I grab the broom to sweep it off, and yuck! It's a mouse, but not just any mouse.... It's a headless mouse! I've heard that cats will bring "gifts" to you like that. Wow, thanks.

One of them appears to be in the family way.... One had kittens last year and only one of the four survived. If this one is pregnant this year, I hope they do better.

This week is really busy. We're scheduled for a conference/training next week, so I have a LOT of work to make sure I've finished before I'm off work for those days. Of course, I'm not OFF work, I'm just doing OTHER work instead.

We finally upgraded phones, and I got the Blackberry 8330. I'm super happy with it, even if it means I'll be checking my work email all day next week even in training! If you're in the market for a pda/phone combo that's not too expensive, this is definitely one to check out.

On a very happy note, my lilac bushes are starting to bud! I love the smell of lilacs, and we're lucky to have a bush right by the front windows. There's nothing like raising the window and having the house smell like lilacs. I promise pictures when it blooms.

Sorry for the rambling, hodge-podge post, but it's my bedtime.

Deer Butts

I don't know what happened to me, but all I got in these pictures were deer butts.

This was taken from our back porch. Deer come in the yard all the time, and they're used to people enough that a goofy woman with a camera isn't enough to frighten them away. There were four in the yard this time, but we've seen as many as six or seven at once.

In addition to them and the o'possum, we have stray cats (lots!), squirrels (which is surprising given the number of cats) and raccoons. Those little buggers have a tendency to get in the trash every now and then, and yes, they can get the lids off just fine.

Although we see the deer all the time, the raccoons and possums only make an occasional appearance. We haven't seen Petey (possum) since around Christmas, and it's been even longer since we saw the raccoons. I think they show up for the cat food whenever times get especially hard. You should see how weirded out the cats are by a possum on the porch.

We call her Petey

Check out our visitor.

We think this is a girl possum because we've seen her with a much smaller possum on the patio. She's been coming up on the porch and helping herself to the cat food.

I surprised her one night, and she panicked and got herself stuck on the porch. We took the chance to take a few pictures before we turned out the light and let her get away.

She's about a foot and a half long, not counting the tail, so she's a pretty big girl!

Help me break 100!

I currently have 85 twitter followers, and I'm trying to break 100. Will you help?

All you have to do is subscribe to my twitter feed.

If you haven't tried twitter, it's a fun, but somewhat different, social networking site. You choose who you want to follow, and others follow you, without all the annoying "friending" that goes on elsewhere. You can follow twitterers simply because you think they're funny, interesting or whatever. In other words, you're not encouraged to limit your network to people you already know.

Posts are limited to 140 characters each, which is a fun challenge in itself.

If you follow me on twitter and would like me to reciprocate, post your twitter page in the comments. Thanks!

Not caught up yet

It's been a busy holiday, and I took a little break from blogging as well. I didn't take a break from knitting, so I have plenty of things to show off.

We got a new camera for Christmas, so I'll be trying it out on knitting pics soon for the blog.

I also got a spinning wheel! It's from Heavenly Handspinning, and so far I'm having a blast. I don't have a lot of time to practice, but I managed to make singles this weekend that varied between sock and worsted weight. Not good, I know, but a vast improvement over what I'd been doing.

I've got lots of projects on the needles now, so I'll do the next few posts to catch up on those. I need to do a better job with posting these as ravelry projects too.... :-)

Christmas Sockings

Here's a pair of socks I just finished for my aunt as part of my Christmas knitting. My mom's feet are the same size (luckily!), so she's my model in the picture.

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky, color Harmony

Pattern:

I used a figure-eight toe. I increase 4 stitches on the first two rows, and then I alternated increasing every other row until I arrived at 32 stitches.

I used a heel flap with gusset and worked the entire cuff in 2x2 ribbing. This is pretty much my vanilla sock pattern, tweaked for a size 7 foot.

I've done LOTS of knitting lately, so I'll be posting pictures all week. Did I mention we bought a camera at Walmart on Black Friday? Yep, trying it out as well.

Also, when I was digging for the link on Knitty, I ran across this one too, instructions for Magic Cast-on. I've never seen that, but it looks super handy. I'm getting ready to cast on an identical pair of socks for my mom as these, and I think I'll give this method a go. I'll let you know how it goes.

...on vacation

Thank God!

I need a break more than I can say. Not only has work been hectic lately, but there's enough drama going on to satisfy even the nosiest person. The two combined? Not good.

So, I am on vacation for the next 9 (count 'em) 9 days. We're not going anywhere, not doing anything particularly ambitious. Doesn't that sound fabulously lazy?

I do plan on getting caught up on my knitting pictures. I've got a finished cardigan, a finished pair of socks, one mitten, a half finished pullover and a half finished hat to photo and talk about. Whew, that's a lot of knitting.

Btw, I am NOT a monogamous knitter, just in case you didn't notice. Doing one project at a time sounds positively torturous to me. I guess that makes me a knitting slut.

Anyone out there know of a good site to download blogger templates? I'm looking for something different. I don't have anything particular in mind, but nothing available on the blogger site is really speaking to me.

What I've Learned from Knitting

Patience.

And no, I don't mean patience from using thin yarn and small needles, making hundreds (thousands!) of stitches, or frogging something a dozen times before I get it right.

I've learned that I can tackle big projects a little at a time and make progress, and eventually achieve what I wanted, even if it seems overwhelming.

If you sat down and calculated the number of stitches in a sweater, a shawl, or even a sock, how overwhelmed would you feel? That would seem pretty daunting when you picked up the needles to start, right? But we all know that those projects are very doable.

My hubby and I went out to dinner the other evening with a couple we're friends with. I was wearing my recently finished top-down raglan (pics later!). I got the same response I usually get form non-knitters. She could never do that, would never have the time, etc. I'm never quite sure how to answer that without sounding rude or condescending. Even worse, I'm never sure if the non-knitter is implying that they're just too busy with more important things to take time out to do something like knitting.

I want to ask about how they spend their time, but I don't. I wonder how much of her time goes for television, shopping, phone calls, waiting around in offices, etc. I use that time to knit. No, I'm not Miss Productivity, but I do take time out to do it because I enjoy it. I don't expect everyone to enjoy it, but I would like people to be a little less quick to make judgments about it, and me.

Fantastic News

Hubby learned to knit today!

He's tried before, but he decided to sit down again and give it a shot. I cast on for him and did the first couple of rows in garter. After that, he took right off. He's even getting the tension to be pretty good.

He's still struggling a little, and he hasn't figured out yet if he's going to enjoy it, but I have hopes.

He's doing a scarf, and yes, it's for me. I already know it'll be my favorite.

Secret Pal 12 Wrap-up

If you were told you could never again buy yarn, what would your last yarn purchase be?

About three tractor trailers packed full of wool and woold blends. And a new garage to put it in.

If you were told you could never knit again, what would be the last thing you’d knit??

A pair of socks for my husband. He loves them so much!

In a given year, how many times do you buy yarn? And what is your favorite place to buy yarn from? A festival? A shop? Online? Dish your favorite places!!

I usually buy my yarn online. Knitpicks and WEBs tend to be where I go first. I do shop at my LYS, but their selection isn't quite as broad as I'd like, so sometimes I just have to go online.

Lastly, with Fall in full swing in many areas, what is the one thing you look forward to most?

• Fall colors are my favorite, so autumn is great for me
  
• Cool weather for sweaters
• Halloween!
  

I just sent out my third package, and of course, I forgot to take a picture of the knitted item I sent out. Isn't that just great? It was cute too.... Oh well.

Busy Busy Busy

My mom wanted to go visit her sister, so this last Saturday we drove her out for a visit. It was a beautiful day for a trip, and we all enjoyed the little outing. She's having a good time, and that's good!

I've been doing a little secret pal knitting. No details or pictures, just in case she's figured out who I am already.

I did a scarf for my father-in-law. It's ready to be mailed, but I'll try to get pics before it heads out in the mail. I hope he wears it!

I hurt my back over the weekend and stayed home today. It's a good thing too; my stomach has been all upset. I wouldn't have wanted to be stuck at work today. Yuck!

Suddenly very popular

Suddenly, I'm very popular with our two cats. Here they are, sleeping (or almost sleeping) at the foot of the bed.

They are not sleeping now.

They've been all over me tonight. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself. It's as if I've been using catnip lotion!

I'm still working on the shawl, and since I really want and need to finish it, the knitting is going so slowly it's almost torture. To make matters worse, I foolishly chose a dark yarn, so it's difficult to knit unless I'm in really good lighting.

My sweater is lying here next to the bed, mocking me, pleading with me to work on it instead. And I want to, believe me. I'm dying to get it finished and ready for the first chilly day. Well, I'll probably just wait for the first day when I can tolerate wool and not worry about if it's chilly yet or not.

I have that skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn dying to be knit up too. I don't think I'll be doing another shawl for a while. They take too much time and attention. Give me a sweater any day, much more worth that much work!

MY new Dell mini

I have one of these on its way (in October).

I've wanted an ultra small notebook for quite some time, so I'm really looking forward to getting this one. I got the base model, which is plenty for what I'll do with it. As an added bonus, I got Ubuntu instead of Windows, which is super!

I promise pics when it arrives, if I can tear myself away from using it long enough, that is.

SP12 Questions and Answers

I do tend to fall behind in answering the Secret Pal questions. Well, this time it's only two weeks, and I can blame my knitting for my failure to blog recently, so that makes it okay. (I think).

I'm working on a shawl for my aunt (my mom's sister), and I just found out they're coming to visit "soon." I'm hoping soon means two weeks or so, that way I can have the shawl ready to give her when she comes. I've been wondering how I'll ship it without it needing to be re-blocked when it arrives, so this should work out great.

I'm sure most of us have a proudest moment when it comes to knitting. A project or technique that you've tackled and completed beautifully. What is your proudest knitting moment??

I think it was when I successfully turned the heel of a sock. I was following the directions in Yarn Harlot's Knitting Rules, and my first couple of tries might have fit an alien. With tentacles. When I finally got it I was so excited. Turning a heel still makes me feel talented, even though I've done dozens of them. Yes, I've even done it in a movie theatre!

And on the flip side? What is the one thing that you can't get right? What is that one project that you've never been able to complete? Or that you did complete but then hid away instantly because it was too embarrassing?

I am plagued by gauge problems. No matter how carefully I check the gauge, it always seems to be off in the final project. I've taken to knitting items that resist gauge issues, like toe up socks and top down sweaters.

What is the best thing you've ever received in the mail/post?

I like just about anything that's yarn, or a surprise, so surprise yarn is a double treat. My husband is great about ordering me yarn – he recently got me one of the lace samplers from KnitPicks. I love getting sock yarn in the mail too; there's just something about sock yarn that I love. My SP12 pal just sent me a fabulous skein of Cherry Tree Hill, and it's taking every bit of my willpower not to wind it into a ball and get started.

Secret Pal Pic

Here it is, the SP12 package. There was a magazine in there too, but it's already joined my knitting bag downstairs.

In the back, you see a cute little knitting, great for storing small items, which I tend to lose! Inside were some dove chocolates -- there's one sitting out there, lucky to have lasted this long. There's a bear shaped tape measure -- very cute and handy.

In the little bag are some of the cutest double-pointed needles. They're only about 5 inches long and very small and delicate. I can't wait to try them out!

Then there's a bath bomb (love those things) and a foot scrubbie that I've never tried. It looks really cool though. There's a picture mouse pad and a magnetic notepad. I use those on the fridge to keep my grocery list.

And in front, a skein of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn. I LOVE that yarn brand. If I had to name a favorite sock yarn, that would have to be it. How did you know? The color is Mountain Morning. The picture here really doesn't do it justice. Imagine autumn colors, reds with a little gold and teal. Beautiful! This is going to be a pair of socks for me, very very soon!

Thanks SP buddy! You did fantastic!

Teasers

I just finished doing some patterns and other work for an online site. I'll provide the links when they're up and going. In the meantime, here's a pic to peak your interest.

This is a scarf pattern I did. It's got a rounded, scalloped edge that's a bit different but still easy to do. It's in garter stitch, so it's a super-easy knit.

I'll post more pictures later, and links to where you can find the patterns as soon as the site is up. I also did a hat, some wrist warmers, and a gift bag.

Right now I'm completely in love with this pattern. It's a top down raglan cardigan that, so far, is so easy and fun to knit I can hardly express how much I'm enjoying it! And since it's top-down, you can get the size right. Take a look at some of her other patterns as well, very nice.

I'm re-using the yarn that I had picked for the perfect sweater. If you remember, that one met its end this spring when I finally realized I'd missed gauge so profusely that my husband and I could probably wear the sweater at the same time. Talk about knitter's denial. What the heck was I thinking? I promise progress pics of that too.

My other big project is another shawl, this one for my mom's sister. It's in a dark blue yarn with flecks of green, and it's the same pattern I used for my mom's, the North Sea Shawl from Folk Knits.

And one final tease... I got my first SP12 package, and it's fantastic. We were out of town, so I actually got it a bit late, andI haven't had time to do pictures yet. She included a skein of cherry tree hill yarn. I love their yarns, and she picked out a very pretty colorway in a sock yarn. That is definitely becoming a pair of socks for yours truly.

SP questions catch-up

Have you ever entered your knitting (or anything else) in the fair? Would you ever consider it?

No, I’ve never entered, and I don’t think I would want to. I usually knit for my own pleasure or for gifts, so trying to win something at the fair would make the knitting not so much fun.

What is your favorite supper for a hot summer evening?

I love my crockpot! There’s something about coming home to a hot cooked meal that I didn’t have to stand over and cook. Even in warm weather, I still enjoy a “real” meal that’s hot and freshly made. Sandwiches and salads are nice some nights, but there’s no better comfort food than a big pot of soup after a hard day.

What yarn (that you don’t have/haven’t used) would make your stash “complete”?

I love wool/silk blends. As soon as I buy it, I typically use it right away so it doesn’t last in my stash very long.


What yarn do you never want to be without?

Wool! I love wool yarns in general, whether 100 percent wool or blended with other fibers. Worsted weight wool and sock weights are my two favorites – I can do just about anything I want out of those.

What would you consider the perfect amount of stash?

You can NEVER have enough stash! I love getting an idea and being able to rummage around and find some yarn that’s appropriate for it. Since I don’t have a lot of yarn shops locally, I almost have to keep a good amount of stash (yep, it’s a necessity!!!) or I have to wait to get something in the mail. When I’m feeling inspired, waiting is the last thing I want to do.

Hodge-podge update

Wow, things have been busy, but in a good way.

First off, I'm doing some knitting design work for a new website. I can't give more details now, but let's just say I'm having a lot of fun with it. I'll try to post an update when I know what details I can and can't release.

I've been vicariously enjoying Tour de Fleece, via Yarn Harlot's blog. She's been making some absolutely fabulous yarn, and I'm itching to get back to my spinning. I've just been using a spindle, but I'm seriously thinking about asking for a wheel for Christmas.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good beginner's wheel? I'd likely spin various weights, so I'd need something that can adjust to that.

I've finished up the scarf for the ravelry scarf exchange, but it's been too busy to get it in the mail. I still need to get one or two things to put in the package anyway. Hoping to get that by the weekend.

I'm also behind in answering my secret pal questions, but I'll get to them too this week. Playing catchup, whew!

Test

Test post; giving scribefire a try.

Little Blogger

I was sitting out on our back porch writing the other day. I went inside to grab a drink and came out to find this.

Isn't she cute?

She's one of two kittens our outside cat has. I might as well call her ours; we've been taking care of her since she gave birth to a litter of four beside our house.

Her sister is a gray tabby, and my husband has dubbed the O and G (orange and gray). Over time, those have developed into Oh Boy and Gee Whiz. Goofy names for cats, right?

Unfortunately her sister is much more shy. Unless we catch her, she won't let us handle her at all.