KADD, check
KADD=knitting attention deficit disorder

OK, last week because of this contract work, I spent about 4 hours driving for about 3 hours of work. (1.5 hrs to get to the client meeting, 2.5 hrs for the meeting, .5 hr to get to my friend's office to meet for lunch,1 hr for lunch, .5 hr to drive back to contract office to meet with my colleague for .5 hr, and then another 1.5 hr drive back home. I can only charge for the 3 hours.) This blew my entire day so I decided I deserved a fiber reward. I stopped at the only LYS near my house. The selection is not ideal but the fact that it mostly has the same yarns as the big box stores means that I can keep from spending too much money.

So, what did I get?

This was in the sale bin and I think it is destined to become a pair of fingerless gloves of some kind. (KnitPicks Merino Style in Strawberry, (50 grams/123 yards each) Since this is a retail store, the sale price is roughly equivalent to what you pay KnitPicks only without the shipping.)


The Wool-Ease is destined to become a quick charity scarf and the Kona Bay Candy was just too pretty to leave behind. Thoughts on what it wants to be? Its 60% merino, 20% rayon, and 20% kid mohair, 50 grams/106 yards.


Apparently, I was having an orange kind of day. However, there was one lonely ball (also in the sale bin) of a green novelty yarn. That's right, novelty yarn called to me. I don't know what its called, its not a ladder yarn or an eyelash yarn--more like little flags of color spaced evenly throughout. Anyway, I decided that the Knitting Fever Spice needed to be an easy scarf. My brain could not handle charts last week.


Anybody recognize this pattern?


That's right, its the same as the center pattern in "Scarf or shawl with center pattern" (pl 16-17) from Victorian Lace Today. With a 2-row repeat, who couldn't relax doing this? I did this on 10.5 needles using just one ball of yarn. However, I think the scarf is too short and too wide so it probably needs to be re-done to be about half the width. I originally cast on 35 stitches so I think the revised scarf should only have about 17 stitches (multiple of 3 + 2). What are the chances I'll actually do this? Hmmm, my track record with do-overs is not great. (No, I have not re-blocked the Wide Triangle shawl yet. Maybe this weekend...)

Baby steps

With all the stuff going on around here lately, there hasn't been much knitting. I'm afraid the only knitting time was really on the plane ride back from our NYC trip. (I slept on the way there and was super busy the whole weekend.)

Can you tell that I got to the garter stitch border? I am almost done with the first repeat from Chart B. Obviously, I will need a few more repeats before you can really see the pattern.



I'm making this scarf with the hemp yarn from Elann. So far, the yarn starts out feeling like twine (no big surprise there) but after a while it seems to soften up with the warmth of my hands. There may also be some oils left from the hemp?? I don't know but my fingers do feel a little softer afterwards. I'm making this on Bryspun size 3 circs--I like the needles but hate the join. If I had another size 3 circular needles, I would switch them out in a heartbeat. I think the pattern is pretty visible and will probably only need minimal blocking. I actually don't want this to stretch too much since the recipient is smaller than me. I'm nearing the end of the first ball and I'm thinking there is another Russian join in my future.

I need to do some more knitting so I can have better progress photos.

I fell off but I'm back now

Twig pointed out to me that it has been 2 weeks since I posted. I didn't mean to go so long but we went to NYC the weekend before last and then we had friends in town this past weekend. I know I shouldn't let real life interrupt my knitting but I did. There has been little progress on the Alpine scarf and no other knitting at all the last two weeks. Its hard to concentrate on any knitting when you are surrounded by two sisters, two brothers, one brother-in-law, one nephew, one niece, and the parental units. (Why yes, we did all crash at my parents house. Luckily, since hubby was with me, I managed to avoid having to sleep on the floor.) Needless to say, hubby was completely overwhelmed--he grew up with a small family and was not used to the complete lack of privacy.

On the plus side, my mom finally got the family photo she has wanted for years. The down side, my acne has been totally out of control the last few months so now that will be preserved for generations to come. Oh well.

This weekend we had our friends and their 20-month old son over. Now, I have been around kids my whole life so I am unfazed by the way things have to revolve around the baby's schedule. Hubby, on the other hand, has held exactly one newborn in his life, has never changed a diaper, and has no idea what to do when a baby cries. Once again, hubby was overwhelmed. It probably didn't help that we weren't sure how the doggies would react. Genny always seems scared of kids and Cam gets a little too excited and tends to scare the kids by leaning into them. After the first day, Genny quit growling at the baby and Cam learned that his attempts at getting petted were failing so by day two everyone seemed OK. We even achieved a certain level of comfort with baby and doggies:



I should be able to take some progress photos tomorrow so there will be actual knitting content on the blog.

All about the dogs
**actually started this post before the new year but had not finished uploading all the photos until now
No knitting here, just lots of stuff about the dogs for now.

The drive to Jacksonville for Christmas was the first time we had packed up the car with our stuff and both dogs. (We have a Subaru Impreza sport wagon, which is about the size of a Toyota Matrix or Mazda 5.) For a while there, we were unsure that we would be able to pull it off since we have to pack Cam's crate. Although the crate folds down, it takes up over half the surface of the back. We put the crate down, put our bags all along the sides, covered the entire back with a moving blanket, and then put the dog bed on top. Now, normally, each dog has his/her own dog bed. However, these things are huge (we buy the ex-large kind) so they do actually fit on one. I figured, they would work it out and realize that they would not have the same personal space to which they have grown accustomed.

Luckily, it all worked out.


At my in-laws, we set up the crate and a makeshift dog bed out of pillows and a blanket. Of course, Miss Genny liked being in the crate since hers was still at home. The only doggie drama revolved around the crate and was resolved quickly.

Maybe if I walk in, she'll realize this is my crate and go away.


Hmm, why isn't she moving?


Fine, I'll just stay.


If I push just a little, I might be able to lay down.


Genny seems a little sad to be pushed out of the crate.


Finally, my crate to myself.

Actual Knitting

As I mentioned, I actually finished the Wide Triangle shawl.



However, I was sloppy in the blocking and look at this:



Where I did the double decreases to get the shaping, it looks like there are two sets of yarnovers. It is really bothering me so I'm going to have to re-block. I think I need to run some thread (I don't have blocking wires) through the border before the yarnovers and then again through the points of the picots so that it will all lay out better. I do like the finished texture, hubby said it reminded him of mesh rather than a knit fabric. I'm hoping to re-block today or tomorrow so I can gift it this weekend. Since we have an actual guest (my little sister), my blocking board is in use and I may have to find an alternative.

Because my fascination with this book has not weened, I immediately cast on for the Alpine Lace shawl using Elann's Canapone (100% hemp) yarn.



The diamond detail:



The plan is to finish this by early Feb. (at this rate that won't be a problem) so I can send it to my friend in time for her wedding. I'm thinking this could be her "something blue" but either way, I think she will like it. It has been surprisingly straightforward and I like that you knit the border as you go along rather than adding it later.