Happiness is my "new" old food dehydrator. It is a rather old one. The booklet was dated 1981!
But I dug out my blancher, blanched and sliced all the red tomatoes in the house. And as you can see, the dehydrator is full.
I am going to be up listening to speeches anyway.
Today is my crazy Aunt Glenna's 90th birthday. Being somewhat feisty, she did not want an open house for this monumental event. Instead many of her nearby descendents and nieces and nephews went to a nearby restaurant and had lunch together.
A great time was had by all.
I spent many summer vacations working in her and Uncle Norm's cherry orchards. I climbed her ladders, drive her motorcycle (a Honda 55), picked blackberries and made pies. In the falls, I spent several weekends working the farmers market with them. I learned to knit 2 needle mittens at her home. Heck, she may have taught me the Allen Cousin's Improved Method of knitting.
A cousin and I once used all her spare thread trying out the embroidery stitches on her sewing machine. We gussied up Uncle Norm's worn dress shirts, then wore them to the cherry orchard.
She has great smiley wrinkles.
She may be moving a little slower, she may be getting a little stooped, but she is still a grand old lady.
My crazy Aunt Glenna.
I want to be her when I grow up.
This year's Fiber Festival was great. The temperatures were wonderful and I didn't spend too terribly much.
I drove an older friend down, with another acquaintance. They went off one way and I went another. First I took the wool that had been riding around in my car trunk for a couple months to my usual woolen mill. A bag of white shetland and another of black. I am going to have it layered into roving. The two bags weighed up to about 13 pounds in the grease, with some dirt in it. I should still get a big wack back. That didn't count as a purchase, I was paying for services.
I did find my yarn for another Color Affection: a creamy white, a light blue heather, and a dark blue heather. All fingering weight, all luciously soft. Yum.
A few other sundries, including a red tote with adjustable handles, and lots of pockets. One side has a embroidered picture of a knitting sheep. The other just side just says "I knit so I don't kill people.". I had to have it.
And, oh yes, I bought an inkle loom. But it was a real bargain.
I am wriggling in anticipation of my jaunt to the Michigan Fiber Festival tomorrow. And torn between knowing I will be doing some serious coveting and that I must show serious restrain.
I have plans of looking for fingering weight in three colors for another Color Affection. And maybe a book if I see one I can't live without.
I am also worried.
I am not good at restraint.
But for now, here is a picture of my Peek A Boo Fingers mitt, number 1.
After two weeks of rather frantic knitting on the Summer Games shawl, it has been a slower paced time this week.
I dabbled with a sock, started some time ago. And I did quite a bit on my Duchess of Cambridge featherweight cardigan. I think I may try to concentrate more on that, now that I have decided on 1x1 ribbing for cuff and waistband.
These past two days I have found something different. My co-worker/boss lady has problems with her fingers in the cold.
So looking around on Ravelry, I found some mitts. They are long and fingerless, but you fold the top ribbing down to use your fingers. And left unfolded, you can tuck your fingers down in the wool to keep them warm.
A win-win.
After stash diving, I found some Plymouth Boku and made a test. After Sandy test fits this first one, I will find some snuggy warm alpaca worsted and make her a pair.
It was down to the wire, but I managed to cast off my Summer Games Rumpus shawl at 6:30 this evening. Thirty minutes to spare before midnight in London.
Woo Hoo!
I kind of like it.
It was not without some last minute drama. I ran out of yarn with three inches left. I used another that I had used several stripes earlier that was close in color. If I hadn't spilled the beans here, probably no one would have ever known.
Don't tell anyone, okay?
Only six and a half rows before casting off. Yup, I actually counted.
Six long, long rows.
That happens when you double the stitches down one side and back up the other side of a large triangle. And then double them again.
I am beginning to doubt my ability of finishing on time, which is supposed to be midnight in London. Especially since I have to work four hours today, and get groceries. Plus cooking and all that stuff.
Wish me luck. You nay not heat from me till later.
You know, after midnight, London time.
I have just a couple more transition rows in my light gray shetland to go before I start the ruffled edge on my Summer Games Rumpus shawl.
I decided I would be well served by a slightly longer needle before I double the stitch count when I start the ruffle. So, just past the midpoint, in going from my 40 to 47 inch cables on my Knit-Picks Harmony needles, I capped the tips (in a brief stroke of brilliance) and lay it out on the bed.
See the picture below. But let me just say, I love this!
And it has great length and drape. I know, cuz I tried it on. I hate a skimpy shawl.
And so, on with the Games.
I have been knitting mightily. I planned on posting this picture, taken at Knit Nite, last night. But after opening my mail, I got distracted.
Stretched out, the wingspan is close to 70 inches., I think a bit more of my current color, then a stripe of light gray shetland. I have one large ball of a tweedy burgundy. I think I will use that for the edge. Ruffled, I think. I should be almost ready for that tomorrow.
A while back, in early July, I was moaning because Ann Budd's new book "The Knitter's Handy Book of Top Down Sweaters" was not available when originally stated. According to Knit-Picks it wouldn't be in until after the latest book sale was over.
Drat.
But, just in case, I kept checking their website. And before the sale ended, it was there!I hardly need to tell you I pounced.
Of course, even on sale I had to get the free shipping. So I also got these other two books:Cast On Bind Off, with 54 methods, and The Principles of Knitting.
Now if you will excuse me. I have some reading to do.
As you can see in the picture below, I finished the Stripe of Doom. After several false starts, it finally went well.
It's amazing how much better it goes once you have a row or two done so you can read the knitting as you go along
Now I am back on the transition rows, using the darkest color: the black Angora kid and white Romney lamb.
And that delightful pink is my next stripe. Alas, I no longer have the label from the roving it was spun from. But it feels more like merino, no mohair or icelandic in this.
A bit of retreating in the Summer Games shawl. I had finished my tenth stripe using my leicester combo yarn. The fleece just shimmered, even before processing and spinning. All went well with that stripe. The trouble has been with the tenth stripe.
I picked a pattern from Amy's recipe style pattern and plunged in.
Hmmm, too fussy. So I tinked back two rows. And mind you, this section is fuzzy Icelandic. About as fun to unknit as mohair.
So I ruffled through a stitch directory and picked an easier one.
Or so I thought. After finishing the crucial first lace row, I started the mostly plain row. And promptly ran into trouble again. So after more tinking, I went through and marked each repeat. And I continued to mark each section as I finished knitting it.
So I am continuing, once again, the first pattern row.
I hope soon to continue with the rest of this. And only a week left of the Games. I'll see if I can enjoy the thrill of victory. Or real defeat.
