Dogs and Laughter

Brief stop by

Things have been quite stressful for me the last couple of weeks - and wedding-planning things have been the least of my worries.  Today another last-minute crisis came up, in part because I forgot to check on something in the last few weeks (see: thinking about other things).  I think things will be OK, although it means that my day tomorrow may be slightly crazed with running around and being late to things and such.  I really want to be able to make it to E's graduation celebration, but now it's looking a bit strained in the scheduling.

I should just be thankful that a huge monkey wrench was not thrown into the works. 

Right now I think we are just hoping to get to the wedding and be able to relax and enjoy ourselves. 

I wanted to thank you all for your good wishes, and apologize for my lack of response lately! 

Distraction knitting

It's been a pretty crazy week here at Chez Doggage.  I will not bore you with the details and such, but allow me to summarize by saying I have not been this tense in several years, minimum. 

In the evenings, I've been knitting on the Forest Canopy Shawl, with a skein of Socks That Rock Heavyweight.  I had intended the yarn for a different project with colorwork and a very nice pink skein of the same, but I wanted distraction knitting.  Folks online write about knitting for meditation, or prayer, and perhaps that is what I was looking for too, but it felt more like a distraction - something that I could work on, when tension (in the non-knitting sense) could not be immediately overcome or resolved. 

I just pulled out the blocking pins and asked E to snap a few photos.

 

Obligatory pose with shawl photo, but backlit.  Also note helpful dog.

 

During blocking.  The colorway is "Beryl", and I used US #8 needles (5.0mm). 

This yarn is so springy and round, it's fantastic.  It slid along very nicely.  The project really is a mini-shawl or big-ass scarf, but I like it.  I would like to make more scarfy things as they are 1) fast to work up and 2) seasonally versatile, with the added option of 3) wearable to work. 

I have cast on for Just Enough Ruffles scarf with some yarn I purchased at MSWF.  It's a cute pattern, but each row seems to take so long!  (Did someone mention that I'm feeling slightly edgy right now?)

 

Not a great photo, the colorway is amazing.  Here's a better one in the sunlight:

 

It's Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Luscious Single Silk, a 50% merino 50% silk blend.  It's soooooooo soft. 

I haven't mentioned much about the Festival, I know, but it was a good time.  I also got to meet a few people, like cosmicpluto (Laura):

 

and Ysolda (of...Ysolda...)

 

and got a shot of Ysolda and Elijah

 

And, since this is becoming a photo-heavy post anyways, I also got to say hello to the Ravelry troika of Jess, Casey, and Mary-Heather.  I met Mary-Heather last year, she is so, so sweet.

 

I am a dork.

 

Luckily, no-one seemed to mind that much.

Overwhelmed with my dorkdom, I soon wandered off, not wanting to force socialization. 

In a later post, I'll share sheep and sheepdog photos galore.  Because, really, I am actually a nerd.  

Now, with photos! (and anxiety!)

 Hello bloggy folks ~

There are about 12 days left to our wedding.  I am really looking forward to it, and am very calm (mostly calm?) about the thing itself - but the logistics, I am still worried about a few things.  So, we'll see how it goes.  I'm sure it will be fine, as a wonderful blog says. 

In bad news/good news, I was not able to go to a dear friend's wedding recently (in part due to running around and worrying about this upcoming wedding, heh), but I was able to stop by the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival and putter about.

I did pick up a few items, although my spending was subdued and possibly boring compared with last year, and compared with the folks who were doing cool things like buying spinning wheels and bags of fleeces and sweaters' worth of yarn.  I was intrigued by The Fold's booth, who carry Blue Moon Fiber Art's Socks That Rock.  I had heard tell of this fab yarn.

I loved some of their colorways, including the Raven Clan colors.  (And, for a twist on the same idea, their new Spirits line is also interesting, although I didn't see them at the Festival.)

 

I believe that this is "Lenore", although my computer is hard to read right now.  A purplish-red into black.  STR heavyweight.

 

This is "Thraven", a remarkable blueish-green into black. Really amazing colorway.  Also STR heavyweight.

I also picked up some "Luscious Single Silk" - it was so, so soft.  I'm thinking a soft scarf/minshawl for this one.  I am surprised that I was taken in by what is basically a pinkish colorway.  What is going on?

 

And another STR heavyweight,

 

with a great grey variation.

I am now whittling away at my first Forest Canopy Shawl in another colorway of STR heavyweight I got from a Raveler.  It will likely become a shoulder shawl - or scarf.  There seems to be this popularity right now of wearing small triangular shawls or scarves like Wild West bandits or something, with the pointy-down bit in front, almost like a high bib.  It's not bad, just interesting to see this surge in minishawl popularity.

I've also been admiring the Aran Weight Victorian Lace Shawl (Ravelry link) from elann.com.  Some people have reported issues with the pattern (or maybe just would have liked it to have been charted).  It looks lovely and BIG, which is great.  I'll be knitting minishawls/scarves for a bit, I think, with this yarn influx.

For the knitterati out there - do you have some minishawl projects you particularly like/recommend, or, conversely, that I should flee from?  I have a couple of these STR skeins in individual colorways that are 350yds each, and I purchased two of the Thraven, which I would very much like to make into a shawl/wrap. 

And...

Did I mention 12 days? 

A text-only post

So what has kept me from the blogosphere for 5 weeks? one might ask.  (Ask away.)  (Go ahead.)  Well, the wedding-planning and I have been fighting it out - not for world domination, but to see if I in fact become a weird little ball of nerves and worry, or if I remain calm and collected.  Right now, I am winning, but I am not sure which way it will go in the coming weeks. 

One of the things that has made planning the wedding and honeymoon (yes, we get to take one, I am ridiculously happy that we can) much nicer than it otherwise might be is: 1) we're having a small wedding, as in not very many guests at all, and 2) I hired someone to plan our honeymoon.  She is the best!  If you are contemplating going to, oh, I don't know, maybe Ireland, you might want to check out All Ireland Travel.  Tell them I sent you.  I'll let you know all about it when we go, but having someone be able to make reservations, give you expert advice, etc., was so worth it. 

It's funny to me that people who ask if we are taking vacation time to go on a honeymoon often assume that we will be going to the Caribbean and staying at a resort (like Sandals or something like that).  Nothing wrong with tropical climates and beaches, my friends... but I think a European trip also sounds like much fun.  Always interesting when an aesthetician asks me if I'm going to get that bikini wax for my honeymoon, out of the blue. 

I've also been trying to wrangle the finances... as anyone who has planned a wedding (or other huge party) knows, these things can become a Charybdis for the budget.  *sigh*  At this point, I'm just trying not to worry, because worry can make me nutty.

I have been working on a stole for the ceremony.  It is traditional in Greek Orthodox churches to cover your shoulders, and I'd like something very simple and open, so to do.  Right now I am working on a version of Wisp, with some Alpaca Silk yarn I purchased from a fellow Raveler.  This yarn is lovely and soft and gorgeous and I want to make tons of airy lace things from it.  Right now, just working on the Wisp.  We'll see how it goes. 

Oh, and I've been working, but this is not an All About Work blog, and it's not terribly interesting, unless you work in the field I do. 

But!  Coming up soon is the Maryland Sheep & Wool Festival!  Who's going?  Last year I went, and it was fantastic.  I was with my people (and sheep and dogs), even if I didn't actually know anyone.  Is anyone here going?

Awards and updates

Hello hello!

Things have been so busy here (work, just work) that I have time on Saturday evening to blog.   Whew!

First, I must share in the Kreativ Blogger Award, kindly nominated by Lunaticraft!

The rules are as follows for the nominees:
1. Copy the award to your site.
2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.
3. Nominate 8 other bloggers.
4. Link to those on your blog.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominated.

At first, I thought, How shall I choose?  I think crafting blogs are some of the most fun and informative out there.  But then I realized, since I am nominating, I will totally go by my own personal bias - isn't that the point?

And my nominees are:

This is My Heart

Knit by Heidi

rett og vrangt

Brit Knitter

Little Purl of the Orient

Green apples

dogged

Feral Knitter

These are some of the craft blogs that inspire, make me laugh, make me think about what I'd like to do.  You all are awesome!  WOO!  Go you!!!

I have had little time or energy for knitting, sadly - I have made slightly more progress on my first knitted stuffed animal, but nothing impressive to report.  I'm looking forward to not bringing work home each evening so that I can a) get some stretching/remedial yoga/bellydance in some week, and b) knit.  Oh, and c) walk the dogs more, so that they are at that really beat, that-was-so-much-fun!, taking-a-nap mode when we get home.  I walk because I love.

I'm most of the way done on the first sleeve of the Big Warm Sweater.  I'll have to have a modelled shot for you all sometime - it has a lot of shaping in the torso.  Now, I am worried, too much.  Will I be trying to look like a Gibson girl at a large gauge of knitting?  Will...people notice my figure?  AAAAAHHH!  Too much pressure!

Back to drinking a weekend beer and pondering which book to start, and listening to the dogs sleep with their little sighs. 

(Speaking of books, I read the first three books by Rick Riordan in his Percy Jackson and the Olympians series - a loan from a friend, who had them recommended to HER by a young man she used to babysit for.  They are Young Adult books, well-written, paced well, and a lot of fun.  Great light reading, and great for kids, I think.)

I'm eyeing The Charnel Prince by Greg Keyes.  I read The Briar King, first book in this series, a while ago, a really enjoyed it.  It's lovely to find another sci-fi/fantasy author who is a good writer.  His characters are well-done, I think. 

Any good science fiction/fantasy recommendations? 

Knitting, dogs, 'flu, and an amusing meal

With a lack of clever title for today, my update on what has been happening in the past few weeks at Chez Doggage.

Firstly, Incas was very ill a couple of weeks ago, and I was trying to maintain my calm, cool exterior whilst freaking out inwardly.   He is doing better, although still congested.  Partly during his convalescence, I managed to pick up a version of the flu that is going around lots of places right now (it's a collector's item!  get yours today!).  I spent three days working from home, while the dogs helped me out with my documents and conference calls by...

(Note the fancy "poodle" cuff.  That was for his I.V.)

(She's a long dog, what can I say?)

which was very kind of them to heroically nap through the day.  I was safely awake, aside from the couple of times I tried to nap in the early evening - when Mads made sure I was still alive by whining and thumping her tail on hard objects (couchframe, bedframe, wall, etc).  My rescue dog.  Apparently, sleeping is so dangerous the dogs feel like only they should take that big risk! 

I did also note, while at home, that their much-loved dogs beds have been smooshed, crumpled, and otherwise trodden into greyish flat blobs.  These were a gift from my aunt a few years ago, and have been used constantly.  Suddenly, the worn-down stuffing-mushed dogginess of the dog beds overwhelmed me.  And...

voila, new beds.  These have been a big hit as well.  The flatter one on the left is "orthopedic" for older dogs - but they swap out all the time.

While having the flu I felt very little like knitting.  I thought more along the lines of: "Do we have any orange juice?  Could my face stop hurting?  Why am I so awake?  Mmmmmergh!"

I did manage to knock out one tiny project, and start another.

FO: Calorimetry.

(Note artistically placed toilet paper rolls for distance and cylindrical interest.)

As many have noted, Calorimetry as written may be too large for your head.  I have a pretty big head, and I altered the pattern by casting on 110 stitches, using US #7 (4.5 mm) needles, and leaving out two rows of short rows in the middle.  The yarn is from Handpaintedyarn.com from a while ago. 

This has been amazingly handy.  My ears get cold very quickly, and get painful in the cold - having something over my ears and part of my head keeps me pretty happy.

Even with a couple of rows left out, it is almost like a small bonnet - it covers a lot of cranial distance.  Very convenient, and I have reached for it many times since finishing.

I also started a small stuffed animal project

although I have yet to finish the head.  It is a pattern from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts, and so far has not been too bad ("bad" in terms of intensely fiddly or frustruating) at all - I've enjoyed it.  I hope to branch out into more knitted stuffed animals - assuming I get this one finished at all.

I've made little progress on the warm-colors cardigan, but am trucking along slowly.  I don't know how people do it who knit amazing sweaters on 1.5mm needles and fingering-weight yarn.  They tend to be spectacular projects, but they would take me so long.  Sooooooo looooooong. 

There is a new project I found on Ravelry that I wanted to mention - because it looks so interesting.  What do you think?  Gawain by Allison Green Will.  (Rav link here.)  I love it - I wonder what it would look like on those of us who are curvier and short-waisted?

Thoughts?

OH! And Amusing Meal.  E and I went out to grab dinner after actually going to a museum yesterday (be still my beating heart!), and while I enjoyed a pineapple pizza (although it could have used more pineapple), E ordered what we both assumed was a bowl of macaroni & cheese.

Oh, no.  How foolish we were.

 

I was so glad I brought my little camera, just to get a grainy image to prove that E instead dined on macaroni-and-cheese pizza.  It was odd.  And, I think, very heavy.  A dense meal, as it were.

But way more interesting than a-meal-combined-with-another-meal-equals-one-weirder-meal, I have been nominated for a blog award!  (Shockingly.  I haven't dusted around here in ages!)  By a fun and awesome blogger! 

Go say Hi and tell her how awesome she is.  Or, as I picked up from I'm Sure It's Fine!, radicus.  I am off to work out my nominee list.

The 3 a.m. hat

I knit up a few hats - one starting over Christmas, and I finally finished the second a little while ago.  These hats will be shipped off to two dear relatives who I have not seen in a while.  I was supposed to at Christmastime, but I was sick for about a week straight with the stomach flu, a cold, laryngitis, a fun combination.  So these will have to be mailed.

Both were done following Smariek's 3 a.m. cabled hat pattern.  Great pattern.  I used bulky baby alpaca on US size 8's, and cast on 12 fewer (one pattern repeat) stitches than called for.  Love it.

The stripes were leftovers, done for 3 rows each.  It helped brighten up the beige boringness. 

Hard to see the dark purple in this dark photo.

I hope they will like them!

The new thing I'm working on (as my Ravelry queue backs up) is this:

I'm trying to embrace warm colors, can you tell?

Grey Mystery - Revealed!

Hello blogoverse!

I hope you are all staying warm this Winter and, if possible, enjoying hand knits.  I'd like to share one of the FOs I have, which remained obscure here due to the fact that one of my few readers was receiving it as a Christmas gift.

It is Sweaterbabe's Top-Down Vine Lace Cardigan... but slightly more substantial.  I used two strands of Ecological Wool held together for the entire sweater, giving it a thicker and firmer fabric.  I wanted this to be a sweater one could wear in the middle of Winter, as well as a toss-on for early Spring and late Autumn. 

I liked the simple lace for the top, and the ribbing at the waist.  There is also shaping for the hips. 

All in all, I was pretty happy with it.  It took me a long time, which is silly, since it is a big-gauge knit and not complicated.  But knitting in the evenings after work goes better with simple knits. 

I love the big collar, too - hopefully it can be flipped up and a scarf wound around it for warmth.

Loved working with the Ecological Wool, as always.  The buttons are from Nordic Mart - they are 23 mm buttons, very nice.  I liked ordering from Nordic Mart - the shipping isn't cheap, but they pack and ship orders so quickly!

I have to admit: Now I want one for me. 

Happy New Year all!  Health and happiness to you.

The dogs and I celebrated this morning with a walk in the cold morning air, and I celebrated last night with a few relatives with champagne and chocolate.  Very decadent! 

Today holds more attempts by my mother to organize our apartment.  We'll see how much headway is made.

Oh, hello!

Happy holidays to all!

Things have been a bit busy at Chez Doggage, between work (me), school (E), and dog illness (I).  Unfortunately, Mr. Stinker has had a headcold of some sort or another for about 2 months now.  This past week we returned to the vet's office (second time in 2 weeks) for him to get 'scoped and x-rayed.  X-rays looked OK, apparently, and we are staying tuned for the culture results.  Meanwhile, I have a tiny pharmacist's shop of medications for a sick dog. 

My stress from work has been manifesting in nightmares and some worrying, but hopefully all will be well.  We're hoping to travel up to MA for Christmas, I'm hoping we'll be able to dodge the multiple snowstorms.  Woo! WOO!

In other news... knitting.

Fingerless mitts made out of a skein of baby alpaca.  I'm so tired of random pink yarn I seem to have, but I like these mitts.

Maddie helping with knitting.  She slowly got into that position over a period of time, every once in a while readjusting herself with a grunt and flop forward.