Knit Updates

I continue to work on my nephews camo cardigan. It is really going well. If I get off the computer and back to knitting, I should be able to almost finish the first sleeve.


I have also worked a little more on my Wrap Me Up Shawl. I had plans to take a picture of it at Knit Night, but didn't bring that with me.


We did have quite a group--two first timers. I was happy to see them, as two of the other regulars will be gone the next couple weeks.





The "in" item to be knitting was socks. Nancy had a goliath sock that she frogged and swatched to start again. I think she needs smaller needles.

Weeds?

Just a scan around the farm.

Its amazing just how pretty weeds can be.

And Frankie S said it had been a long time since he had his picture posted. So here he is too.

The Tour is Over--2009

I finished my challenge for the 2009 Tour de Fleece. I got 7 skeins and a plan for a sweater.

If I had this years yarn to last years, and add a skein or two of black and medium grey, I hope to make a shetland sweater similar to the Hod Rod Cardigan, which used KnitPicks Classic Lines Cardigan pattern.

I've been stash diving and have started the black. Maybe I can start that sweater before winter.

Remember when I said I was not starting anything until I finished some of my WIPs (Works In Progress)? I lied. I am working on the Wrap Me Up Shaw, and am on my second square since finishing my cardigan. But I also started another sweater for my great nephew. Well, it has been nearly a year hasn't it? Well, maybe not that long, but I wanted to try out the Kylers Kardigan pattern, It is a garter stitch, top down hoodie cardigan, with pockets and zipper.

And, defering to his dad's desires, it is camo-colored. (I wish they would have a baby girl and give me more color choices. ) Anyway, here is a sneak-peak of the progress. Actually I have started the first sleeve, but it gives the idea.

Also, new water heater installed today. With all our other recent repairs, it never rains but it pours, but hopefully things are done for a while now.

Repair Woes

The Dodge (AKA the Big White Pickup) had a bad water pump. This is a picture of Younger Son basically sitting in the engine compartment while working on it. As I type he and Hubby are on yet another parts run.
Good thing Wal-Mart is open 24 hours.

Christmas in July Display

This week is the National Baby Food Festival in my community. As part of the activities, my church has set up a display of Nativity scenes in our new Mission Center. Thursday I will be putting in my stint watching (and possibly spinning--got to get that done!) as people come in.

I have been watching displays come in for the last couple weeks, both after church and on Tuesday Knit Nites. I have been admiring new ones each week. One parishioner has over 40 alone!

There are sets made of glass, clay, paper, porcelain. They are gorgeous and I hope if anyone reading this is in the area, they consider dropping in.

Oh yes. I still have a couple bobbins to fill.

Back to the Tour

I haven't been doing very well on my Tour de Fleece challenge lately. Most of my time has been spent finishing the Hot Rod Cardigan. And (ta da!) it is finished. And miracle of miracles, it was even cool enough that I could wear it to church yesterday.

It gathered lots of compliments. Especially as many had seen me knitting on it last week during our semi-annual meeting.

Now its back to spinning. I plyed and plyed yesterday. I got 4 very nice skeins but I still have about 12 ounces left to spin with one week to go.

Eeewwwww!

News item on the local evening news.

A local pet neutering group is hosting (I kid you not) a T------- Festival. (I edited word meaning male body part to make my blog rated PG.)

Snip snip.

Yeah, I know

I have been so busy spinning and knitting I haven't had time to blog.
And while I am kinda sorry, I have a bunch of work done.

As you can see, Gertrude approves of the Hot Rod Cardigan.

There are 3 full bobbins spun and a good start on a 4th.

And my Hot Rod Cardi? I have steeked and survived.

Yup. I took up a needle, hand sewed the reinforcements and then I grabbed the scissors and I cut the puppy right up the front.

Well I did have a bite of chocolate to fortify me first. But I survived.

The gals at Knit Nite watched me and were duly impressed. If only I had remembered my camera. sigh.

Tour de Fleece--day 3

Ok, not everyone likes to read about spinning, especially when they don't spin and I don't have pictures.
That said, I got another half bobbin filled today at spin guild. I also found that the final day of the challenge is July 26. I think I will definitely need another trip to the stash. I should have the dark grey done in in a couple weeks, so I will need something for the final week.
I will get pictures in a couple days.

The Winter's Fuel

It may see early to be getting the fuel for this coming winter, but you see, Hubby has to get it ready.

We heat with wood and the truck came the other day to make the delivery. While I had watch a previous supplier bring wood I had never seen this one make a delivery. The old supplier had a hydralic set of pinchers and unloaded it log by log, long and fat ones. We had some 3 foot across the end.

This guy, however, has his loaded across the truck bed. He simple removes the metal posts seen in the foreground, and unfastens the cables across the top.

Then he startes pushing it with a giant rack on the front end and it all tumbles off the back. See?

And there you are. This next years wood. All ready for Hubby to keep himself busy.

As they say, he keeps warm twice.

Tour de Fleece day 2

I finished 2 ounces of my grey shetland yesterday.  I'm glad I dug out my old food scale.  It is goes up to about 4 pounds or so, and is meant for measuring foods for canning and such.  It does have ounce markings and can be reset to zero when I put the bowl on it scale.  The bowl has a wide mouth, so can easily contain the big bag of roving.

I discovered that my 2 pound bag of grey shetland was actually only 1 pound, 12 ounces.  I will probably try to also spin at least one bobbin of the black.  I also have to decide if I want to take my Traditional to spin guild tomorrow, since that way I can continue with the same bobbins.  Or rather, I have to see if it will fit in the back seat.  I don't like to lay it over and not sure if it will slip inside otherwise.

But the Tour is off to a great start. I better find out when the final date is.

Happy Fourth of July

Happy Independence Day, USA.

I have spent the day watching The Revolution on the History Channel, and if it weren't for the Nascar race this evening, I would soon be watching Yankee Doodle Dandy.

I am OD'ing on Red White and Blue today.

Tour De Fleece Time Again

A year ago I joined the challenge of the Tour de Fleece. It is a spinning race that coincides with the Tour de France and involves setting a spinning challenge that that runs the same length of time as the bike race.
And now it is time to start again, and as soon as I sign off, the Traditional is coming out and I'm off for today's heat. I have great hopes of finishing at least one of my 2 pound bags of medium grey shetland. When/if I finish that by the end of the Challenge, I hope to start in on one of my black. I already have all the light grey that I finished last year, so hopefully, at the end of the Tour, I will have enough to start a new sweater.

Of course, that means I need to get cracking and finish at least 2 more projects before I start anything else.

I did finsh the cotton market bag. It turned out huge. It took 2 balls of Sutar N Cream with just a couple yards let over.

I found another pattern I will try in the future, called BYOB, from Knitty. It has smaller holes. And I have stash yarn to try it out already.

I also tried my Hot Rod Heather cardigan on Gertrude (my duct tape dress dummy). I couldn't pull it down like it should as I should have have longer needles in it, but all in all, I am making wonderfull progress on it. Of course with the Tour de Fleece, I may slow on that a bit.

Mill Ends

Did I remember to show this yarn that I got at the Stonehedge Mill? They take the ends of the spools when they are plying their Shepherds Wool and ply it all together willy-nilly.

Aren’t these wonderful? They have green, grey, red, blue, white, black, hot pink, and more. I do think it will make a lovely shawl. I am thinking of a Faronese style, (a modified V with shaped shoulders).

Book Review--Christ the King

I never thought I would be reviewing books by Anne Rice. I never thought I would even read books by Anne Rice. Not my genre of choice.
But a week or 2 ago at spinning guild, Rachel mentioned that she had returned to her Catholic roots and that her newest book was supposed to be pretty good.
Well, I stopped by the library and checked out both if the books in the Christ the King series: Out of Egypt and Road to Cana. What wonderful and thought provoking reads.
The books both tied in legends of Jesus, and the Bible references of this period that isn't really covered in detail in the Bible. I was captivated by the books and highly recommend them to everyone.
I am eagerly waiting to see if there are more to follow in this series.

Frustration

I have been trying to get a chance to post all week. But, with dial up at home I haven't had the chance to tie up the phone line.
Our delivery of wood for the winter heat has been due all week. Monday was literally washed out when his road was to soupy to drive out with a fully loaded lumber truck. (We get our wood in 9 foot long poles and Hubby keeps busy by cutting that to length.) We have since been waiting for it yesterday and then today, but so far....nothing.
Finally, after doing nothing all morning but waiting...I had to pack up and go to the library to use the internet. I was going through blog withdrawal.
So here I am.
I forgot some of the info I needed to bring with me to refile a new claim year on unemployment. I am cranky and generally frustrated.
Oh, yeah--still no signs that the director has even applied for a grant to get me back. On the contrary, he has been pressuring my boss, the only other person in that department. And the resume I sent to ManPower has come up empty. They got the resume, but don't want to even talk to me at this time.