Drive Your Tractor To School Day

Today was the 7th Annual Drive Your Tractor to School Day, sponsored by the local Future Farmers of America chapter.

 This year, a local excavating company sponsored someone to drive one of their Caterpiller loaders, that sat  among the Case, Olivers, Fords, John Deeres and Internationals and others.

 Old tractors and new, large and small.

 And the massive.

The first year they did this, my oldest son helped film commercials that played on the schools televised announcements.  Tractor Love and Superheros. 

 I love living in rural America. 

Oh yes, the tractors eached displayed a sign, with the driver's and tractor owner/sponsor's names.  And an agricultural quiz was in a folder you can see attached to each tractor.  Fun and educational.  And then of course there is the hay bale toss and pie eating contest.

And a great way to spend the last day before Spring Break.  They never did fun things like this when I was in school.

I Did It!

See that small ball of yarn, next to my fat dog? That's how much yarn I had left after finishing the lace bind-off.
I really didn't think I would make it.
Woo Hoo!

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Picture Problems

For some reason, the pictures on the last couple posts didn't post.  I tried to edit in the pictures so if they still don't show for you, please let me know.
Thanks, readers.

Fair Isle In Progress

Back the first Saturday in March, I took a class at a LYS.  The sock of the month was from Around the World in Knitted Socks.  I have been working on it off and on, and started the heel flap last night.  Unfortunately, navy blue heels are not nice in the dark.
But here is what I have so far.

 These clover bands run up both sides of the sock from cuff to toe. 

And the front and back of the leg, as well as top of the foot have the double Irish chain running along.  The toe will be the dark blue, which is sort of a tonal, kettle dyed looking yarn.

I don't like to boast but...... dang, I'm pretty good.

Will I Make It?

That"s the big question.  I have been knitting like gangbusters on the Shrieks in the Night mobius and am three quarters done with the border.

The border takes from four to nine stitches, and is on a size larger needles than the shawl itself.  That may be my problem.  Anyway.....I have to got from the one side, where the light colored double point is, to the other side.  It may not seem like much but when I weighed the leftover yarn at the half way point, I looked to be an ounce short.  All I have left is the ball and remains of a skein shown above the shawl.
So, on I know, hoping I either have enough, or can find a match.  We shall see.

Cinnamon Wave Wrap

Finally! I finished this shawl October 2008, intending all along to give to church to use as a fund raiser. I finally remembered to bring it to church today.
Once there I still had to weave in ends. Also Barb is going to help block it Tuesday at Knit Nite.
But its out of my hands now, just waiting for the Vestry to decide how to turn it into money.

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Another Mouse

But this one I like.   My mouse for the laptop has been acting up lately.  I would switch from one USB port to another.  And while my camera would would work in the ports the mouse wouldn't.
So, when I was paying for the internet for another 6 months, I eyed the mouses (mice?) hanging from the wall and before I knew it, I was walking out the door with a wireless mouse, as well as my internet service reciept.
And after a struggle to put in the batteries, I must say I love it.  Much easier blogging when I can use the mouse rather than the pad.
Yup, ths mouse I rather like.

What's New?

Well, I'll tell you.  Now that the mobius is nearing its end,( although the lace bind off is taking FOREVER!!)  I started casting my eyes around for something to cast on.
Yes, I do have several projects in progress.  Why do you ask?
I also have some red cormo/silk handspun that has been eating at my mind lately.  I finally bit the bullet and decided that this is my next project.

I always work better with a deadline, so I decided to try to have it done by Pentecost Sunday.  We always wear red in church for Pentecost, so that would be the perfect time to have it finished.
After I cast on, (well I had to swatch, and the beginning section was a perfect swatch) I realized out of the four different projects within reach of my rocker in my knitting corner, all four needed charts.
Good thing I have have simple socks going as well

More Ice Pictures

When I went to work this morning, with the sun shining on the ice, everything was sparkling and bright.  But even so, the ice was nothing compared to what we have at home. 
Want proof?

I call this one, Sunrise Over the Hayfield, March edition.  The white you see there is mostly ice on the hay stubble. 

Here is a much sunnier picture of the ice on the plant hanger.  Look how thick that is!  And it is just as thick tonight.

And as you can barely see on the far side of Lake Hagen, the geese are still there.  And those trees in the background?  Covered with ice as well. 
I tried to get a picture of Gilbert the wonder dog as he galloped around on the icy grass.  His little feet kept sliding out from under him.  He was so cute.

Mom, do you have to tell all my secrets?

This is Spring in Michigan

Long time readers and friends may know I like snow.  Ok, I really like snow.  But what I don't like is ice.  Right now we are in the tail end of an over 24 hour Winter Storm Warning.  

Not much snow, but lots of sleet and ice.  Lake Hagen is a little fuller.  And yes, the geese aren't in this picture but I saw them again, walking on the ice this afternoon.  There have been as many as eight out there.
But as as said, ICE!!

This picture and the preceding one were taken first thing in the morning.  It wasn't fully daylight yet.  (Did I mention earlier that I hate this stupid time change?   Don't like dark mornings at 8:00am.  But my plant hanger was fully encrusted with ice.

And I had to break through an inch of ice just to open our trash dumpster.  
I didn't go into work until afternoon, but it was still white knuckle driving, with power poles down, and slick roads.
Give me snow anyday. 
Oh, wait, its spring.  Oh well.

The End is In Sight

And I mean that literally.  The end of my Shrieks in the Night mobius.   The one I made from Cat Bordhi's first mobius book has a chevron like look, but I didn't like the squiggly picots on the bind off.

 So I found something I liked better.  In the Rita Weiss book 50 Fabulous Knitted Borders, I found  "To The Point", which is a small quick border, going from 4 to 9 stitches and only ten rows.  Easy to keep my place.

Here is a closer view.  What do you think?
Only thing is, how do I block out the edge on a mobius?  I'll have to do it in sections.

Ok, I'm a Dork

I freely admit it.
A couple weeks ago I came home from work to find the washer pulled out and Hubby crawling all around it.
Rarely a good thing.
But after finally realizing it took up to 45 minutes for the washer to fill, Hubby cleaned screens, scraped out hoses, and went through a bunch of vinegar.
And the end is the picture above. It fills in 6 minutes.
Results? Happy wife.
Yea.

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Loop Lozenge Pattern, Now on Ravelry

Just a quick note to let my Ravelry readers know that I have linked up the pattern for the Carmel Loopy Lozenge Shaw into Ravelry, as a free pattern. 

The more I see the pictures, the more I like it.  I may have to make one of my own.  The pattern is quick and very easy.  And I have a skein of the lighter color.  I will need to find a coordinating color to knit with it.  Or maybe I will try it with a brushed mohair.  Or maybe a single strand.   Hmmmmm.
the possibilities.
To find my pattern, I think you can link to it from my project page on Ravelry, or search Loopy Lozenge pattern.  Let me know if you have any trouble.

Spring Comes to Lake Hagen

Spring is in the air.  Snow is mostly gone.  The garden is a patch of mud.  The driveway is a bit soft and gooshy.
But out in the pasture.....

The geese have come to Lake Hagen.
If you look close not only is there one standing, but behind a little clump of grass is another one trying to swim.  Not sure if that one is trying to nest or injured or what. 
They did go to the other end of the pasture when Hubby and I were working on the chicken coop door making a lot of noise.  But before long, after we finished and left the coop alone, they were back.
Usually every spring we get a pair that hang out for a few days, and then, after Lake Hagen becomes dry pasture, they move on.  These have been here for several days already, so we'll see how long they stay

Top o' the Morning

In loving honor and memory of my great-granny Mary Hurley:
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

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Growing A Gansey

My gansey cardigan has been coming along with leaps and bounds.  Even if I have only finished half of the pattern repeats.  Except of course for the baby cables of course.  I have at least 3 of them in each row. 

The garter stitch border that is above the initials and plain area show here, but the rest of texture doesn't really show well in the pictures.  The first 5 stitches on the right make up the seed stitch border.  The next is the section with a heart outlined, followed by the 4 stitch baby cable, and the next section is sort of a pine tree or arrow pattern, followed again by another baby cable.  If you look below each section under the sets of markers you may be able to make out the pattern. Unfortunately, like I said, the pictures do not show off the texture well.
And, a lesson learned, the fuzziness of the Lambs Pride does not show the gansey textures to its best advantage either.  Perhaps, much as I like the Lambs Pride with its single ply, mohair mix, a better choice for the gansey would have been Nature Spun, I think. 
But, if I mess up, I guess it won't show as much.  Always a bright side.

Ingrid Rocks

As much as I admit I love old movies, I must confess I only knew Ingrid Bergman from from "Casablanca", and "The Bells of St. Mary's".  But these past two nights I've fallen in love with her again.
Last night it was "Joan of Arc". She was so good. It's sad that the movies fame was overshadowed by the scandal in her personal life shortly after its release. (Being Pregnant by a married Rossolini.) Once that story broke, attendance at this wonderful changed to sell outs, to empty theaters.
And tonight, "The Inn of the Sixth Happiness" based on a true story of an English missionary on China leading 100 orphans across rivers and mountains while avoiding Japanese soldiers. I wept like a baby. It was great.
I recommend both movies highly. Very highly.

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And the Sock Goes On

Great progress on the Blue-Brown Mochi socks. Gilbert didn't want to let me have the foot stool for pictures.
We worked that out and before long the first sock was done and the second well under way.

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Fair Isle at Last

Last Saturday, a local yarn shop was having its Sock of the Month lesson.  I happened to stop by the day before, just to inquire what the sock was.  Not that I needed to start any more, you know.  At the time I was still a ways from finishing the Blue Cruise socks.  I had 4 pairs in progress, for heavens sake. 
But...fair isle?   They had me.

The blue wool sock yarn is dark blue (what was I ranting about on my last post?) and the white is Socrates alpaca sock yarn. 

I had to do the cuff in advance (homework for knitting class!) and during the hour class I finished 2 rows.  Feeling all inspired I worked on it most of the afternoon.

By Sunday night, after even working on the gansey cardigan, I had this much.  Plus my blue green sock got the heel turned and gusset finished.  The pattern is Green Isle from Around the World in Knitted Socks.  The pattern has 2 panels of double Irish chain separated by a row of shamrocks that run up both sides of the leg.  I am kind of enjoying this.

In a masochistic way.

Good Thing My Light is Bright

It is a well known maxim among knitters, and probably crocheters, that knitting at night with dark yarn is the pits.  Lights just are not bright enough to bring out the depth in knitting black yarn.  The eye strain is bad, especially when you consider that most of my knitting is done at night.

So why then do my projects consist of the following.

My dark blue gansey cardigan.  Not black, but dark nonetheless.

My almost black Shrieks in the Night mobius.

My Featherweight Cardigan.  Light and lovely yarn, but still dark blue.

Even my blue and brown mini mochi socks are mostly dark. 

And of course those recently completed Cruise socks were dark too. 

Luckily my favorite knitting spot is my rocker next to the file cabinet that has a three-way lamp.  And those bright three-way curly bulbs don't even get hot!

And They're Done

After just over 2 weeks my Iowa Cruise socks were finished.  Warm and comfy.  Like I said before, 48 stitches on size 4 needles just fly.  Another item for my finished WIP club.

I don't have cold toes any more.  Now on to my other projects.  I think I can find a thing or two to work on.   

He's At It Again

The Hubs I mean.
He must have been a bit bored today. I came home from work to the sharp smell of vinegar and food scattered around the kitchen. Our washer was tipped slightly and the hoses were disconnected.
Keep in mind the fact we have very hard water and no working water softener. Dear old Hubby was trying to clean out the calcium so it wouldn't take an hour to fill.
All put together now, and the water IS running faster.
Never a dull moment here on the farm.

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