Terrific Tuesday

Success! I have finally figured out how to use the lucet (lucette) I picked up at the handweaver's show a couple weekends ago. It took several viewings of a couple different YouTube videos before I cracked it, but now I am merrily making cord. It is so rythmic that I find it difficult to stop.

Almost done with Martha's sweater - just finishing up the neck band and then I need to tackle the sewing up. Not my favorite part, but I have my eyes on the prize - a finished object for my good (and cold) friend.

Another lightweight day at work today. I could get used to this. Looks like we will have Thanksgiving off, but will be working that Friday and Saturday for month end. Whee.

In the pet realm, the dogs got a treat of canned food tonight and I am still on "shed watch" for the snake. She is growing up so fast!

Mild Monday

Finished knitting the body of Martha's sweater today; only the neckband remains for knitting. After that comes blocking & finishing and delivering! Snuck in a couple rows on my own version of the same sweater last night. Only one or two more rows to go until I need to make the sleeves.

Played some quality WoW yesterday and today - upgraded the PvP gear, got my tailor levelled to 500, and tonight put half a level on my hunter. It is amazing that one makes progress if one applies oneself.

Went to the gym tonight and read a few pages of _Don Quixote_ on the reclining bike. I put in a solid 30 minutes and am feeling good. I go in to work late tomorrow, so I have a plan to go to yoga in the morning and later call to see if I can get into the Holiday Bazaar that they are hosting in December.

The snake is getting ready to shed - I will be excited to see if her coat pattern changes after this shed. Baird's hatchlings don't look anything like the adults, but I don't know what the in between stages look like. Only one way to find out!

11-11-11

Obligatory "cool date in history" post today. It was actually a pretty good day - lots of cheer at work and good knitting progress this evening. I fed the snake, finished another book, started the last skein of yarn for Martha's sweater, watched some programs on Netfix and patted the dog on the head.

I had the bright idea to have a card weaving workshop with my No Idle Hands friends/ group and now I am at that stage of preparation where I realize I have no idea what I am doing. On the other hand, fun is the important part... and I did a little prep work this week so it shouldn't be a total disaster.

No World of Warcraft this week, as I am trying to finish up the sweater, but I sure do miss it.

Mid Week Update

I am still knitting on the sweater for Martha. It is getting smaller and smaller! Odd, because it is also getting larger and larger. Managed to find the extra skein of yarn today, so I am no longer worried that I will run out before the end.

Worked on a gauge swatch for the mitts for Margaret, size 2 needles are definitely the way to go. Next step: determining size and casting on. Some math may be involved.

I haven't touched the spindle or my darling World of Warcraft, but have found a little time to do some reading on a mediocre book that was a free Friday offering from Barnes & Noble. It is just barely good enough to keep my interest.

Time to evict the cat off the laptop, find a movie on Netflix and get knitting!

Fiber Frolic

Tonight I buckled down and added some more rows to Martha's sweater. I could even finish it some day. I'm still loving the pattern, the yarn, the color and am motivated to finish my own (in the same pattern) when this one is complete. There has been a nip in the air this week; definitely time for handknits. I need to make some typing gloves to use at work as it has been just freezing in the office and my hand flexibility and coordination is slipping away.

Sunday was the annual Southern California Handweaver's show & sale. I am never happier than when I am surrounded by fiber. The Yarn Harlot calls it wool fumes - she may be right. I saw several friends and acquaintances and had some nice long visits (some nice short visits too). There were some "classic" vendors and some new folks, all with interesting and beautiful wares. Fiber, patterns, finished goods, accessories, beads, yarn, equipment; it is all "home" to me.

Fran decided she wanted to try out a navaho spindle and it looked so fun that I gave it a whirl too. It is just spinning off the point (like my charkha), only upright. It came pretty easily but I don't know that I would ever want to finish an entire project on one. Maybe if I had a navaho rug loom to go with it...

I brought home some fiber (mohair, of all things) to spin and experiment with and finally took the plunge and bought a lucet (a tool for making cordage). I resisted the firey orange roving, but fell for some orange silk yarn and have plans to make some lucious socks... or maybe gloves! At some point I got out my spindle and spent some time spinning the merino / silk blend I bought last year (also my Tour de Fleece project) and remembered how good it feels to have fiber in my hands.

Spinning Saturday

I haven't done a great deal today, but I did touch the spindle and made a small amount of progress on the Tour de Fleece fiber from this summer. It seems like it is taking forever to spin, but I think the real problem is that I am not actually doing any spinning these days. I will take it with me to the Handweaver's Show tomorrow and it can be my walking around project. A fitting one too, as I bought the fiber there last fall from Capistrano Fiber Arts. I haven't spun the other roving that I picked up last year, nor knit the silk socks I bought yarn for, but it is safely stored away (moth free) and I will get to it in good time. Hopefully this year I will be able to get a drive band for my spinning wheel and get back to some production spinning over the winter. I suppose it is a little embarrassing that I didn't just mail order the drive band at some point over the year, or even make a new one from some rug warp or linen thread. I'll live with it.

It was a pretty quiet Saturday all around. I did some tidying in the morning, played a little WoW, picked up bird and cat food at the pet stores and even brought home a mouse for Velvet the snake. If I can manage to throw some laundry in the washer and pay the rent, I will call it a full day.

Knitting Wednesday

I have been adding a row here, half a row there on Martha's sweater for the past couple weeks. It was supposed to be finished by August 1st, but I have fallen far behind. It did not help that I had to rip out half of it to fix the fronts and then I injured my wrist and was sidelined for 4 - 5 weeks.

Anyway, I sat down tonight and added some rows while watching a movie and I think things are back on track. Time to start worrying that I am going to be short on yarn before I get to the end!