Dogs and Laughter

THIS JUST IN!

Friends, you may not know of my literary predilections.  You may, for instance, not know that among the flavors of literature out there - the french vanilla of 18th century prose, the giddy peach sorbet of the Romantic poets, the Nutella-like qualities of foodie readings - I am a fan of the science fiction/fantasy genre(s).  Not quite sure what flavor(s) those are.... They can be quite different, but of course are lumped together.

One of my favorite writers is Terry Pratchett, whose work is funny, thoughtful, and the man knows the English language (and history) like nobody's business.  I typically think puns are silly, for instance, in part because one can usually see them coming for a mile before they arrive - but I have actually laughed out loud at a clever pun in one of his books.  OUT LOUD.  That is some seriously funny writing.

Go see what we did!

OK, granted, I only knit (knat?) once square, and it was a plain square with duplicate stitch for the image, but I am so proud of this huge effort that Shirley and the other folks involved in the Ravelry group made. 

I am weirdly happy and emotional about this all. 

Little things

I finally finished a small project that had been languishing, 2/3rd done, for months now.  It seems so silly, and yet I was distracted by other, more interesting projects.  Tonight, I picked it up and finished it.  It is so quiet here. 

Why quiet?

E is traveling, and the dogs and I went to the dog park today.  For about 2.5 hours.  I now have two tired dogs lying on the floor after both having eaten every speck of their dinners. 

It's a good-sized park, fully fenced... I really like it.  So do the dogs.

He rarely sits or, more rarely, lies down.  Usually standing or investigating things. 

She, on the other hand, gets hot and tired and is not afraid of letting anyone know about it, by lying down.  Note the grey guy in the background, investigating. 

...or way off across the park, investigating some other dogs (Stinker is the right-hand dark silhouette).  (Note perkiness.)

Mads, however, is happy to unwind with wedging herself under people's legs, and asking for attention.

So, while the dogs are tired (ah, bliss!), I finished off another Raisin, a pattern which I like quite a bit.  It's simple in that it doesn't have horribly complicated stitches or instructions, but I love the finished result.  The photo does not show the yarn very well, but here you are:

It's late, I'm tired, pshaw to makeup, but happy with hat.

Top view - you can see the yarn better here, it's Cascade 220 Quattro. 

Another little thing that has made me happy, a few knitting organizing bits I purchased from Blue Kitty Designs (on etsy).  A roll for interchangeable circulars, and a little notions zippered pouch.

I think the adorable fabrics sucked me in - but I have to tell you, I'm already enjoying these quite a bit.  The notions pouch is small, but big enough for my fold-up scissors, tapestry needles, stitch markers, and so on. 

And the larger wallet works very well.

For those of you on Ravelry, you may have seen (or not, it's all good) a few posts from me on larger cabled projects.  Yes, I am attempting to rise up from the short-sleeved cardigan disappointment, and have a couple of larger projects going as well.  At some point...maybe even St. Brigid, which I find so lovely. 

Ups and Downs

This week has been minorly dramatic.  "Minorly" is OK - major drama, not so much for me.  This past weekend, Incas seemed to be moving a bit strangely, and a bit more slowly than his usual spritely, take-no-guff manner.  Part of his back, towards his hind legs, felt hot to the touch, and swollen, and looked red.  Since I found this out on Sunday, I called the vet, found out that I could give him a "baby aspirin" (which then necessitated a trip to the store to find "baby aspirin" - tip, it's also called low-dose aspirin!), and to bring him in if things didn't improve.  He seemed better Monday morning, but in the evening, his back was swollen and redder.  I proceeded to do my normal-to-me routine of getting quiet and tense, and going to bed later than usual due to the quiet tenseness.   I also called the vet and made a Tuesday morning appointment.

It turns out that he had an abcess, due to something (who knows what? the vet asked if he roughhouses with other dogs, and maybe he got nicked by a tooth, but usually Incas is the Aloof Enforcer) cutting and infecting him.  I knew it must have been bad - the vet took him to a special exam room, shaved the area, and made a small scalpel incision to drain it, and when they came back, she told me that it was pretty disgusting.  I think for a vet to mention that something is disgusting is saying something!  So he's doing better, I have been keeping the still-draining area clean and dry, per instructions, and giving him antibiotics.

Hooray for our great veterinarians!  And for my tough old man.

On the upside, I got an e-mail notification today that the public library in my town has received the book I put in an interlibrary loan request for, Starmore's Aran Knitting.  I am SO. EXCITED!  For the non-knitting readers of Ye Olde Blogg, Aran Knitting is a book with beautiful patterns, and is out of print (scuttlebutt being that the author does not wish to reprint it).  I have loved one pattern especially, St. Brigid, since I saw a photo of it.  And then, of course, I saw Heidi's modified version, which I love even more.  I am torn, as I like Heidi and respect her prodigious knitting skill, and yet still want to run off with her sweater.  I know it's wrong.  *sigh*  (Also, go check out her Eriksay, it is adorable and very flattering.  She has the patience, I tell you what!)

So I will be taking EXTRA-SPECIAL care of this book, as it will cost at least, what, $270 to replace it.  Ack!

But, a pleasant blend of tentative relief (dog) and excitement (knitting patterns) today.  It's nice. 

I'm also digging a new-to-me tea, Numi's "Chinese Breakfast - Yunnan" organic tea.  It really is delish.

Dumb luck

First of all, thank you everyone for your words of encouragement (and sympathy) on the sweater!  I will try to salvage it, but also chalk it up to a learning experience.  As with other things, I usually expect myself to be able to dive in to a piece of work or activity and somehow force myself to do well at it.  Can't force it!

I also wanted to tell you about a skein of yarn I won in an online raffle.  Not the same as the three pretty green yarns I won from Octopus Knits (which are gorgeous, and once their fates are decided I shall share them with you) (also, I absolutely love not only her handspun yarns, but her cat Bug, who is Absolutely Adorable), but another one.  My friend Sarah (who I am just now realizing put up another product review, I will have to go check that out posthaste) tipped me off to a fundraiser going on at http://www.mvfiberfarm.com/.  I went over to the blog and made a small contribution for a very worthy cause, and really thought very little else about it, as the fundraising was ongoing and the entrants formed a long list.

And then, a little while ago, I found this waiting in the mailbox for me when I came home from work:

What was that?

SOMEONE SENT ME WOLLMEISE??? 

For those reading this blog who do not understand my pleased puzzlement, let me just summarize the popularity of this yarn by letting you know that, in the online knitting community, I have heard (read) people wax poetic about this yarn - and hoard it like no-one's business if they can get it.

And now I have a skein.  And yes, the colors are amazing.  It's the "sultan" colorway.  When I'm at home and the sun is out I'll get some better photos.

In other knitting news, I'm taking a break from a non-bloggable project, and working on Mitered Mittens from Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Almanac.  I had to frog the mitten twice already - hopefully I've got it going well now.   Will post photos when camera batteries are recharged.

And, for those of you on The Big R, I'm doing another destash. 

Drat.

Well, I received my anxiously-awaited buttons for my short-sleeve cardigan this week, and immediately spent part of the evening sewing them on.  I was so excited.  And then I tried my completed garment on.  And didn't exactly want to cry, but kind of did. 

It's too big. 

Not a big deal at all if I had been knitting a boxy sweater, then I would just have a few more inches of roominess.  But with something that is supposed to be "fitted", it looks terrible.  OK, maybe not terrible, but terribly disappointing. 

So, no modelled photos, and I brought the sweater in to work to wear in cold over-air-conditioned meeting rooms this summer, where I just want something warm. 

Both of my finished sweaters now have been far too big for me.  I think that I think I am much bigger than I actually am.  Does this happen to anyone else?  It's like knitting body dysmorphia.  Or perhaps lousy gauge. 

Next on the needles is Fylingdales, which has part of the bottom ribbing started.  I'm using Green Mountain Spinnery's Mountain Mohair, which I received as my portion of a swap.  It's very nice stuff, I must say.  Fortunately, not only did I swatch (and wash the swatch) for this project, it's a boxy cardigan, so as long as it's not too tight, it should be fine.  Phew  This too-big-sweater things is worrying me, especially if and when I knit presents for people.

And I think it's about time I finished a second sock, and started working on some mittens.  The sweater has shaken my confidence in larger projects.

Minor agony

Not to sound like a big cranky baby about it, but wow,  did something weird happen in my back/shoulder.  Yesterday.  At work.  SITTING IN MY CUBICLE.  I felt a bit of a pop earlier in the afternoon, no problem, a bit of a skeletal shift.  But then, later, WHAM! pain, situated right behind/next to my shoulderblade.  The shoulder with the bursitis, yes.  I had forgotten to stock painkillers (OTC) at work, went looking for some - people just had Excedrin Migraine (not interested in the extra caffeine, thanks).  I went home, staggered through taking the dogs out, took some pain medicine, and just sort of made it through the evening.  I did get to watch a Poirot mystery (David Suchet makes an excellent Hercule), and now that I have started the Morning Walk program with the dogs, they are content to eat their dinners and lounge patiently while I eat.

I have been slowly reading through The Omnivore's Dilemma, which has been very good.  I recently purchased another book which should be next on the list, unless something else pops up.  I have gradually been working on Fylingdales as well, enjoying the Mountain Mohair which is a pleasure to work with.  I'm not usually a big fan of mohair, as it can feel so soft to the hand, but somewhat prickly on the neck, but I am enjoying this blend.  The mohair is already starting to create a soft halo as I'm knitting the ribbed band for the bottom hem. 

I swatched for October Frost as well, and I have some gauge issues/decisions to make.  It is a cardigan with a number of big cables, so being off by a couple of stitches in the stockinette gauge swatch is not going to lead to easy calculations as to how to accomodate changes in the sweater.  The called-for gauge is 16 sts/4", and I got 14 sts/4".  I am thinking of knitting one size smaller than I am aiming and seeing how it starts to knit up, but it's kind of a crapshoot.  Hmmm.

I must have caught the Correct Gauge bug because I ALSO swatched for another project, which as of yet is Top-Secret (i.e. not bloggable).  Again, having gauge issues... I have a yarn sub which I prefer far more to the recommended yarn, so I am going to try to make this work.

Hopefully my back/shoulder problem (which affects me turning my neck as well as lifting my arms very high) will be solved by my fabulous chiropractor.  I called her this morning...and woke her up.  I was in a dither to get the problem taken care of, I think.  Oh dear. 

I'm also looking forward to my button order coming in.  Who knew I could look forward to buttons quite so much?  But when it's the last item on the I-made-a-sweater list, I guess it's a pretty big deal.  To me.

Almost done

The short-sleeved cardigan is blocking.

It is knitted on US size 8 needles, out of Ecological Wool (brown) and Eco+ Wool (red).  I am now dithering over buttons - I found some that I think would look great, but are $2.50 per button.  It seems a bit much to me, although they are lovely buttons. 

I had intended to knit longer sleeves, but with the lack of earlier shaping, the sleeves are pretty wide after the elbow, so I bound off and I'll try it as it is.  As I mentioned before, I'd like to incorporate more color into my projects...and more texture.

And now, I am ACTUALLY SWATCHING for Fylingdales.  I am surprising myself.

Yarny thoughts

So I've been thinking of stash storage methods, in part because I am a slow knitter, and so I don't really rip through a stash like some might be able to.  I have wondered how long I can store yarn once wound into cakes, before the springiness of the yarn is compromised.  So I borrowed my aunt's ballwinder and rewound a few cakes of Ecological Wool I have.

The cake on the left (white) was wound a while ago - the black cake was rewound from a cake into ... another cake.  Note how much fluffier it is.

Again.

So I rewound a few cakes, and now they are stored in looser, fluffier cakes.  Will it be better for the yarn?  Not sure. 

I also wound (using the swift I also borrowed from my aunt) a few skeins of the Beaverslide yarn I purchased a little while ago... this is the "Wild Myrtle" colorway.  I love it.  It's soft, muted, tweedy. 

I had a project selected for the yarn, but now I am thinking that I would have to do some serious gauge adjustments to make it work, so this will go to another project.  I am pretty dang excited about it.

And the cardigan is ALMOST done!  I finished the second button band last night - now to sew on buttons and wash it!  I'm still a bit unsettled about the 1/2 sleeve length, but I will think on it for a while before trying to do anything else to it. 

Now to select which of the many things I want to work on next... AND, in other exciting news, I received a package from Finland today!

The package I'd ordered from Leena came in...part of my "happy birthday to me" presents from a while ago. 

I think the patterns are lovely... and the yarns are beautiful.  The yarn also smells really good... a combination of a faint pine forest, clean sheep outdoors, and something else.  It reminds me of cool New Hampshire mornings, a little bit, under the huge evergreen trees. 

So far, Leena has the best-smelling yarns I know!   Maddie loves them too - she was trying to stuff her nose, snuffling , into the skeins as I held them out for her to "OK". 

Question...

Where do you get your buttons?  Does anyone out there have a good source (or sources) for buttons? 

I ripped back the buttonholes on the brown cardi last night.. I had originally made 15 (!), each maybe taking a 1/2 inch button.  Too many, I thought, and reknitted eight buttonholes, I think these will likely take maybe 3/4 inch buttons. 

I'm also wondering if you finish your buttonholes by hand at all after the initial knitting.  These are simple: SSK, yo, yo, K2tog  at eight different places along one vertical row of stitching.

Thanks for any good leads!

Small acts

Last night, I was taking the dogs out, per usual, for our last-outing-before-bed.  As I was strolling down the sidewalk of our little apartment area, a woman called to me, standing inside her doorway.  I walked closer, and she let me know that a woman had been raped the night before, in the next apartment area over, and that I might want to be careful.  I think she said the police had a suspect in custody, but I'm not sure.  It was in some ways a very little thing, a neighbor saying hello and a bit of news to another neighbor, but I was very appreciative of her thoughtfulness for me, a stranger for all purposes.

The dogs and I headed back inside, and I lay awake in bed for what felt like a long time, thinking of the woman who spoke to me, and of the woman who was attacked.