Un Shrunk

Firstly, I am feeling better today. Both happier and more even tempered. I know it is due to the placebo effect of starting my meds (which will take 3 weeks to kick in), but I am enjoying it for now.

I went to see the therapist this afternoon and as I was leaving told her I cannot come back due to the expense (which is true. I have an electric shut off notice waiting in the car for me to write a bad check tonight). The irony is not lost on me that I left her exactly like Kip left me - I did not tell her that I thought she never listened to me, that she only wanted to talk about herself, and that I am hugely relieved never to see her again, but rather used an excuse about myself (I'm broke) that, while true, is not exactly the whole truth. Am I a bad person? Is this my way of exercising control over someone I can't communicate with? The amount of money involved is 25% of my income, which is a Big Deal no matter what else is going on.

Knitting content: I finished (and photo'd) the Rum Runner socks on Tuesday at long last. I will wear them to the RiverSpinners meeting on Saturday, or at least bring them for show and tell. I worked on the burgundy Icarus shawl (also photo'd) in doctor's offices yesterday and got quite a lot done. It is a soothing knit. I may have accidently started a scarf for the security guy who watches over the yoga center (I don't know his name, but I always wave or say Hi), as it is getting nippy and breezy in the evenings. It is nice to have the will to knit again. I was pretty worried last week when I couldn't even look at my knitting bag.

I realized yesterday that I left y'all hanging on my reporting about my vacation to Maui. The rest of the pictures have been put on the computer and I will have a little visit with Flickr soon, so there will be an interesting post soon. Or colorful, at least.

Good News, Bad News

The good news is that I must be feeling better today because I perked up when I got my Loopy Groupie "heads up" email and I went browsing through the new yarn listings at The Loopy Ewe.

I think we can all guess what the bad news is.

Maybe They Won't Notice

I managed to pull myself together and have a pretty decent weekend after all. Friday I met Ruth and we had dinner and pie. It was awfully yummy - pumpkin cheesecake can smooth over a lot of hurt feelings. Then I finished up some soapmaking, did some laundry, and valiantly tried to watch "Lady Jane" with Helena Bonham Carter, Cary Elwes and Patrick Stewart. I ended up finishing it last night. It is a movie about Jane Dudley, who was briefly Queen of England between the reigns of Edward and Mary, Henry VIII's children. I can't tell you how historically accurate it was, but it was pretty good. A little slow in sections, but not terrible.

Saturday was Lace Day, hosted by the Freeway Lace Guild. I sold some soap and some hedgehog cards, and visited with lacemakers large and small. I worked on the RumRunner sock a bit and drank all the coffee I could find. Some new RiverSpinners came and tried their hand at bobbin lace for the first time; Fran and I were happy to bring them into the fold *bwah ha ha*

Sunday was the Southern CA Handweaver's Day, and it was chock full of goodies as usual. The vendors took up 3 rooms this year. People were very interested in soap, and that is always good for the ego! I saw several friends and acquaintances and had a good time chatting with them all. I drank even more coffee than the day before and in the cacophany of wool offerings, I may have had a minor wool accident. I'm not sayin', and no one took pictures. Laurie Lawson at Capistrano Fiber Arts and Sandy and Elff at Red Fish Dyeworks / The Weaver's Cottage had particulary yummy colorways in both fiber and yarn. Una from Wooly Walkers brought some beautiful felted items for dispay and for sale.

I worked on the RumRunner socks all the way through the leg and was all set to start the cuff ribbing when I realized that my pattern notes (I had done some decreasing on the first sock) were still at home. Drat. Always prepared, I brought out my Icarus shawl-in-progress and soldiered on for a row and a half until it was time to pack up and trot home. With only 2" of k2, p2 ribbing to finish, I should be wearing these socks by the weekend. Whee!

Chipper if it Kills Me

Last night I had a good, distracting time at the Riverside Arts Walk. Two other Riverspinners joined me and we demoed spinning, plying, and drop spindling. I managed to wind off 2 skeins of sport weight BFL for dyeing (200 yd) and have some left over. Then I started spinning some laceweight merino / tencel in bright greens. Denise was working on a golden retriever fur hat and spinning up more yarn for that, which impressed the onlookers no end. Margie dazzled by spinning up some laceweight merino / tencel in deep reds on her drop spindle. It is going to be very pretty.

Today I have a proposal due at 2pm and then I have the rest of the day off *thank you Boss*. I will get the buttonholer to the sewing machine shop so they can make sure it works, I will get some dyeing, soaping and ironing done, I will meet Ruth for pie, and I will be in bed at a decent hour so I can get up early to drive to Torrance.

And the BEST part of yesterday was the fact that my chocolates from Tien arrived and they are spec-tacular. It is difficult to not eat them all at once, but the note does say that they have to be eaten within a week, so I will make sure that they are gone by then. With all the sad things this week, a box of chocolates is well-timed and much appreciated.

And while my cell phone did not leap in my purse this morning, the camera did, and I WILL take pictures of knitting today at lunch. I am eager to show off my progress and prove that this is, indeed, a knitting blog.

Progress?

Quilting progress: I turned in the sewing machine to the shop yesterday for a checkup. I should get it back next week. Last night I sewed (on the loaner) the first rail fence blocks together and then all the new strips together. Today I have to find / make / buy an ironing board and press all the seams and sew the strips to each other to make new blocks. This is coming together crazy-fast, but I imagine it will languish in the "pieced, not quilted" stage.

Spinning progress: I worked on plying some BFL singles two nights ago and will finish tonight at the Arts Walk demo. If I hustle and remember my niddy-noddy, I can measure out 200yd skeins and get them dyed for the So Cal Handweaver's event on Sunday. I also measured out 4oz rovings to dye, but have run out of cling wrap to wrap them in. I will add it to the list with the ironing board and cat litter. Imagine the look on the cashier's face! And maybe a little Cherry Garcia ice cream.

Soaping progress: I bagged up finished soap last night and watched some Law & Order. I miss working with soap. Spending time with Mr. Fixit took away from my soap duties, and while it is not the same as snuggly time, soap is comforting in its own way. I bagged up Lime, Pumpkin Spice and Vanilla, and will have autumn theme soaps and peppermint guest soaps for the weekend. That reminds me, I should inventory hedgehog soaps tonight! I am really looking forward to the soap shows this weekend. It will be good for me to see other crafty people and maybe get some spinning in if it gets slow.

Knitting progress: Well, I haven't picked up the needles on any of the three current projects since I got back from Maui, but I haven't started any new projects either. In fact, I have felt so sad this week that I can't even bring myself to buy comfort yarn! I don't know if that is good or bad, exactly.

Today is shrink day. I am not real excited. The cost is driving me crazy (!) and I am pretty sure I am going to need to go back on meds at some point, which requires a whole other shrink and then the cost of the meds. I really just want to give up on the whole thing and stay unhappy. I know how to handle unhappy. Or I like to think I do - there may be disagreement on that. For the last month or so I have been trying to stick to a new theory: "I am doing this because it is good for me", which applies to way more things than going to the shrink (like getting up, eating, not eating only cake, cleaning the bathroom, washing the car, and returning the library book that I forgot was due today), and I invoke when I know I need to do something and I just don't wanna because no one will see or no one will care.

I thought I was starting to feel better today, but I realize the tone of this little blog entry is pretty down. I am in a mental/emotional place where I have a really short fuse (really.short.) and no energy to talk to anyone more than twice in one day. So I have been snappish and sour and I know I should care but it is all I can do to put my clothes on and get in the car in the morning. And since I made it to work (on time thank you) I suppose I should get something done today. Sigh.

Vacation Recap: Part 2

Tuesday dawned bright and mild; a good day to go on an adventure. After a yummy brunch, we went to the ocean (just a few feet away) and played in the surf, laid in the sun, and generally relaxed. Around 11 we piled in the car and drove to the Tedeschi Winery. It was serene, gorgeous, and welcoming. We tried several yummy wines and brought a few home. My favorite was the Raspberry Dessert wine. We didn't have time to take the tour, but I hear it is lovely.


Our defenses down, we crossed the street to the Ulupalakua Ranch Store and had some lunch. I had the Maui Cattle Co cheeseburger and it was fantastic. They also have local elk-burgers, but they were sold out by the time we arrived. They are trying to build a market for local-grown, grass-fed beef on the island, instead of shipping the cows to feedlots on the mainland. This beef was sweet and flavorful, the burger made right there on the porch for us. Add the relaxing (to me) Hawai'ian muzak, the calm cloudy day, and the greenery all around, and I think it might really have been heaven.

The highlight of the day was the trip to the Surfing Goat Dairy . We took the 3:15 Farm Chores tour, and got to bring in the goaties from the pasture, learn how to milk a goat, watch John milk very fast with the automatic milking machine, feed some goats, play with the babies, and taste some amazing goat cheese. It was a blast. The goats they keep for milkers are all hand raised and very friendly. They keep Saanens and French Alpines. I bought a cute t-shirt and some yummy cheese (feta, sun dried tomato, and mango flavored).

After those adventures, it was time to turn in to the resort and have some dinner. There may have been a spot of laying by the pool / beach too. I did make some progress on the burgundy Icarus shawl and Mandy's sweater over the course of the week, while in the car and during odd moments in the hotel, watching Law and Order. Hey - it was my vacation, I could watch TV if I wanted!

And again, there ARE pictures, but they are trapped in the laptop.

Vacation Recap: Part 1

We arrived in Maui on Sunday night and stayed in Kihei at a lovely little place. I particularly enjoyed watching the birds - even the parking lot birds were interesting! I saw zebra doves, a purple breasted dove, mynahs, sparrows, and a cardinal. We breakfasted at Denny's (outdoors!) and watched the ocean while we ate.

We drove south along the beach until we got to the lava fields, where we could go no further. We visited an 1838 church and graveyard and dipped our toes in the ocean at Makena beach. We also visited Big Beach and the red sand beach. Lunch was found at a roadside taco stand which had great ambiance and fantastic food.

In the afternoon we settled into our room in Ka'anapali. I forget where the rest of the afternoon went - wading in the ocean or a well-deserved nap, I think. We also browsed the brochures and Maui books in the room and discussed what we wanted to do over the week. We walked to the corner store and got some supplies for dinner and then watched "The Claim" which was one of the Netflix I brought. It was okay. I think I ordered it because it has Sarah Polley (from "Go"), but it was a very slow, convoluted story with a lot of poorly defined flashback sections. It was beautifully filmed, but hard to figure out what was going on and unsatisfying in the end. The credits say it was based on Hardy's "The Mayor of Casterbridge" which I have heard of but never read.

PS. there are pictures, apparently I hit publish by mistake. I will try to upload the pictures tonight.

Sniffly

I am hanging on. Thanks for all the well-wishes. There are parts of his explaination that I am not posting about (although some of you have heard), because I don't want to be unfair back, no matter how I feel I have been treated.

If anyone can go back and cancel this last mercury retrograde - which is about when he says his passion ended - or at least bring about an early close to it, I would appreciate it. In fact, read the entry for this MR, as it is scarily accurate about what has happened.

Abandoned...again

Kip left me yesterday. He picked me up from the airport, took me to breakfast, drove me home, and dumped me. He said I have problems and he just doesn't care about me anymore.

Maui

I'm here, it's gorgeous. Today we snorkeled. There are fish in the ocean! Who knew?

Recharged

I went out to dinner with Mr. Fixit last night. He is just as cute as I remember. We had yummy health food and a cranberry-apple cobbler (a la mode) for dessert. We had a review of my therapy session and I think I can get used to this honesty and sharing business.

There was some netflix watching in my week - I got disc one of "A Fine Romance" with Judi Dench, and it is OK but did not grab me right off. 4 episodes later I was still not grabbed. I like "As Time Goes By" far more. I also managed to watch "Vanity Fair" with Reese Witherspoon and *yay* Johnathyn Rhys-Meyers. I had forgotten he was in it. He plays a bad man. He is really good at that. I liked it quite a bit, especially the costuming. It was spectacular. There was a little incongruity when she was gifted with a parrot "from India" that was actually a blue and gold macaw (from the Amazon). Considering the extravagance of the settings and costuming AND the fact that the director is a native of India, I could hardly believe the props people couldn't scare up an Alexandrine Parrot or an Indian Ringneck (like my own Kiwi-bird). Perhaps they were not as big and splashy as the blue and gold. At home I have "The Claim", and two more things arriving Saturday, but I suspect they will have to wait until I get back from vacation, unless I want to watch them on the laptop.

Open spinning is tonight. I don't know that I will bring spinning to work on, but it will be a good time anyway. Progress can always be made on Mandy's sweater. I have spinning to do, but my empty bobbin for my Majacraft Millie is AWOL, and it is technically plying that needs to be done.

I get on the plane Sunday afternoon. If you break into the house, you have to sweep up under anything you steal.

Mish Mash

I am title free at the moment. I will try to think of something brilliant before I hit "Publish". Yesterday I managed a 1/2 day off as my computer tanked and ALL my tasks require it. Today I have a computer and a smattering of programs, NO saved email and NO internet favorites. We shall not speak of the personal files I meant to back up. It makes me a little sick to think on it.

Las Vegas was great. There are *gasp* no pictures. Sorry kids. I sold clothes with a vengeance and drank lemonade like there was no tomorrow. There were many men in kilts and none of them turned my head (as well it should be) even as much as Mr. Fixit in a greasy jumpsuit, working on the van. I may have bought some jewelry and a woven throw with ravens on it (big surprise there) and I needed another pouch as I forgot my new one at home. Sigh. But basically I was too busy or exhausted to shop. This year they had the vendors on one side of the lake and the guilds on the other, and I really liked it that way. I would have liked to spend more than 2o minutes over there though.

This week has been filled with preparations for Hawaii (read: laundry) and angsting about my appoinment with the shrink today. Long story short, I did NOT want to go. But I did. I was not too happy there, but the dust has settled over the last couple hours and I am feeling much more chipper. I have "homework" which I feel silly about. I have also spent some quality time sleeping (alone, sadly), and visiting with the pets, who have missed me, and who I feel really badly about leaving for an entire week. We have been watching some Netflix and eating fast food in the evenings for our quality time.

Monday night was quilting class. I had homework there too, which I did last night. It was to sew (no thread) along the lines of an index card to practice my 1/4" seam and sewing in a straight line. I got to do some fun things like break and change the needle, change the presser foot and guide plate, go to the store and buy thread, set up my spool thread, and fiddle with the bobbin thread. But, try as I might, I just can't get the needle thread to pull up the loop of bobbin thread. I gave up after a while and it will just have to wait. I was bummed, as I really wanted to get some strips put together.

The Rum Runner socks continue (I am on the leg of sock #2), as do Mandy's sweater and SG1. If the gods are with me, there will be a new Booty Club box on the porch tonight. I could use some comfort yarn.

Teaser

My appointment went well, I had a good time in Vegas, I am bone tired and at work anyway. More in a little bit.

Inside My Head

I go to see the therapist this afternoon. I am counting the minutes. Yesterday was pretty low and while Mr. Fixit cajoled me into joining the rest of the human race again, it is not really his job to fix me. He is patient and supportive and prods me when I need it, but not too much, and generally keeps me going on days like that. I want there to be fewer of those days, though. It wasn't so long ago that I was satisfied being sad all the time - it doesn't seem so bad when it is your everyday state - but I have been a lot happier lately with spinning group, lace group, knitting group, soap activities, and yoga stuff, even before Mr. F came along, and I want that to be my new everyday state. Thanks to all who leave comments, by the way, I love to read them. I check my blog stats and know people are reading (thank you!) but feedback is always appreciated.

Whew.

I did manage to finish the foot and heel of Rum Runner sock #2 yesterday, but had to stop when I got to the leg pattern section. While I have the pattern memorized, I forgot which row to begin on. I suppose it isn't the end of the world, but I would like them to match.

I also managed to make it to yoga. It was slow deep stretch night (Wednesday always is) and Barbara was the sub. I really enjoyed her style and when I have a free weekend (2012 maybe) I want to go to one of her regular classes. I also picked up a flyer for a concert thingy on 11/16 and paid my bucks for the home practice class on 10/28. There is a link to Inland Yoga in the sidebar if you would like more info.

Tonight is a flurry of activity before I leave for Las Vegas in the morning. Packing, feeding pets, laundry, appointments, gas in the car, wash the car, get directions, go to the bank, go to the pet food store. I hope to have a fun weekend though, even if I will be working. It is always fun to work with Don and Andrea at Whimsy, though.

The Yarn Harlot posted her pictures of the finished Mystery Stole #3. I am hip to knit it. But not yet. Not only is my plate full, I may have made plans to go to a quilting class on Monday night. Anybody wanna come along?

Temptation

I forgot to post this tidbit yesterday. Tien Chiu, a woman whose blog I read with great interest, is riding in the AIDS Lifecycle again. Be sure to check out this post and sign up as a sponsor or just wish her well!

Little Miss Sunburn

Ow. Ow. Ow. My poor little nose. At least I didn't get burned until the last race. Darn those Trans-Ams! The windburn is starting to ease, though.

Otherswise, a good time was had by all. Amazingly, I managed to catch up to Mr. Fixit around Encinitas and followed him the rest of the way to Coronado. There was a little excitement when a tire blew out on the motorhome just as we were coming down off the Coronado Bridge, but it happened in a "good" spot where we could pull out of traffic and feel safe. Ish. It was man vs. Winnebago, but Mr. Fixit prevailed and we were rolling again shortly, headed right for the reception and cocktails.

Saturday dawned bright and cheery, and it was off to practice for The Boys. Jamie had a little issue with the Berkeley, and had to spend the rest of the day tinkering with it, but it was up and running by that evening. Mr. Fixit raced the little red racecar and I was impressed as always. To unwind, we went into town in the evening and had some pizza (Village Pizza in Coronado *yum*) and some beer and generally had a grand time.

Sunday was more practice and more racing. This time I knitted on Mandy's sweater (SG1) during the morning and after lunch I stayed in the stands and watched races for most of the afternoon. They are getting more and more interesting as I understand them better and can keep track of what is going on. It also helps to have good earplugs so that I am not in pain or deaf by the end of the day. I finished the first Rum Runner sock Saturday morning, and continued working on #2 while I watched. I finished the toe and 6" of foot by the end of the weekend! Gotta love that stockinette foot. It was fun to have people come up and ask what I was making and / or reveal that they too are knitters. I saw one woman quilting! I am threatening to start a group called the "Crosley Crafters" for interested parties.

After all the cars ran, it was time to go to the reception, which was swanky as usual. They take good care of their drivers! The USS Ronald Regan was our host and after the awards ceremony and nibbles we got to wander around the flight deck and ask questions. Mr. Fixit was enthralled and I was wishing for my knitting, but it wasn't too cold or windy, and I learned lots of neat things, so it was still a good time. I even saw a shooting star.

We each made it home safely, tired but happy after a fun weekend. I didn't hit all of my knitting goals, but I made some progress and I got to spend lots of quality time with Mr. Fixit, which is always my favorite part of the weekend. Even better than admiring the Tiger Sunbeam. Way to go, dear!

Zoom Zoom

We are off to the races. Mr. Fixit has his racecar, I have my knitting, life is good. More on Monday!

The Incredible Shrinking Woman

I am going to see a therapist on Thursday. I am excited and scared and can't really remember, now that I am a little happier, what it was that was bothering me so much in the first place. I am sure it will come back to me *ha ha*

Rum Runner sock #1 is nearly finished. Just another 1 1/2 inches on the ribbing, I think. It is my "the computer is slow at work" sock, knit in the spare moments when I am trying not to double click until my finger falls off.

Mandy's sweater continues. Progress has been slow this week, as I have taken the opportunity to work on Secret Gift #2 (which is going swimmingly). But I want to have both sleeves finished by the time I get back from Coronado this weekend.

After a couple weekends at home(ish), I am off gallivanting again. This weekend Mr. Fixit is racing at the Festival of Speed, next weekend I am at the Las Vegas Renaissance Faire with Don and Andrea of Whimsy. The weekend after that, The Soap Plantation is heading to Maui for a week or two. It is fun to go on vacations and adventures, but I have enjoyed being a blob at home these last couple of weeks.

And About Time Too

I finally figured out how to give my posts titles. I am a happier girl now.

It's Like Crack

My new favorite place is Etsy. Man-o-man. Only the need to pay the rent is restraining me. I may have had a knitting bag accident earlier this week.

My wierd moodiness continues. Everybody is right, I need to get out of this job, but I never take / find the time to go interviewing or I am so ground down that I don't feel like anybody would want me. That is a terrible way to live my life. It may be shrink time again. Or maybe I can get my doctor to write a note that I am required to sit by a window during the winter...

Martha read to us about fear in yoga class Wednesday. Geez that woman in on-topic. But it was good to get out and visit with classmates and do a little stretching. I am going to make it to Ashtanga on Sunday. I am I am I am.

Craft progress continues on the Rum Runner socks. I am well into the leg of sock #1. The cable pattern disappears into the color, but I like them anyway. Progress is stalled on Mandy's sweater (secret gift #1), but I think I will find a little quiet time this weekend to concentrate on it. I am going to pick up the fabric for secret gift #2 tomorrow and am really, really excited about it.

I also dug out the Blue BFL roving and singles and spindle (Bossie featherweight) and plied up a spindleful at Market Night last night. It was very satisfying. I started this project with the intention of making a lacy summer shawl, but it has been languishing for a couple years now. I hope that the happiness that Some People will feel about my spinning from the stash will blind them to the fact that I was not knitting on their sweater.

All righty. I had better get some work done today. Then I can go home and play Chocolatier until 3 am. Or WoW. I wonder if I even remember my password....

Missed You and Happy Mabon

It seems as if I have been offline forever! There was some excitement this weekend in Mr. Fixit's neighborhood that resulted in a total lack of electric, gas, telephone and cable. We still had water and cell phones though. We went out to the Haute Cakes Cafe in Costa Mesa for breakfast, did some visiting with friends, knitted, and did some maintenence on the cars.

There was a bunch of crafting progress over the weekend. I finished the Saffron socks on Saturday and have less than 2 yards of yarn left - just what I intended. I went to my Hedgehog Lacers meeting and worked on my bobbin lace project - a moon in burgundy, salmon, and gold. I made good progress and worked on it Sunday when the power was out. I set up shop in the driveway. Luckily the sun was out. I worked on Secret Gift #1, which really isn't a secret anymore. It is Mandy's birthday sweater. I am still in denial about Secret Gift #2, which is still a secret and for which the challenge of finding fabric is still giving me nightmares. I hereby resolve to work on the sweater exclusively until the first of October and then work on SG#2. I also found some time to work on the Rum Runner socks. I finished the heel of sock #1 yesterday and started the leg pattern. It is slow going with with teeny yarn and size 0 needles, but it is my comfort knitting when I just need something to do and not think too hard about. Yesterday I visited with the pets and even worked on my inkle loom project - a woven drawstring / strap that I began maybe 5 years ago? Geez. I thought about ditching it, but got out the lint roller and have resurrected it. My weaving skills have really deteriorated. But it is fun, it got easier as I went along, and it got me into the bird room to enjoy their company.

I totally love the fact that it is fall now. Fina-freaking-lly. It rained Friday and Saturday (both drizzling and pouring) and it made me ecstatic. We left the window open and fell asleep listening to the music it made. Mr. Fixit made me cocoa (with milk, even! I shall never again doubt that I am loved), pumpkins are everywhere, I broke out my fall jewelry, and soon the lone maple tree by my work will change color. I am ready to hunker down at home and get snowed in. Too bad I have to go to my day job still. Something is messing with my mood, though, making me hyper sensitive when anything does not go my way. I hope it is a short-lived phase. But I have lots of fun things to look forward too - Coronado with Mr. Fixit, Las Vegas Ren Faire, the Soap Plantation's first annual trip to Maui, Halloween / Samhain, Lace Day, the Fall Into Knitting Retreat, Thanksgiving dinner, the trip to Mexico, and Yule / Christmas. Must focus on the positive!

Dammit.

I am the kind of person who does not do something if everyone else is jumping on the bandwagon, no matter how much I like it. I like things that no one else knows about so I can feel special. I put off joining the Ravelry wait list for a long time. I scoffed at those who were already in. I said, how much fun is it to look at other people's yarn? But I signed up. There were many thousands (thousands!) of people in line ahead of me. Then I waited for my invitation. For 2 months. I'll just look around and not like it, I said. I don't have to stay.

Well, it came today. I went, I looked, I was blown away. It is fantastic, amazing, gorgeous, and inspiring. And that is after only 20 minutes. I sense some photography in my future. This is worth cancelling my Netflix subscription for.

GO. Go get on the waiting list NOW. If you are already in, add me to your "friends" if you like me (pickyknitter75).

I hate it when everybody's right.

Loomacy

Remember that pile of sticks a couple posts back? It is mostly assembled into a 45" Walling floor loom. Here, for your consideration, is my Single Girl's Guide to Assembling Your Loom.

1. Lay out pieces. Move them around. Put them back. Flip them all over. Put them back. Go to bed.
2. Next day, pretend you do not see them in the living room.
3. Third day, look at laundry pile, get motivated to assemble loom. Rearrange pieces.
4. Put all cross beams in finger tight. Decide I am a ninny.
5. Decide to tighten nuts with the wrench. Have to flip loom frame over to reach bottom nuts. Forget that the 4 beams and 2 frame pieces weigh the better part of 50 pounds by now and are 5' square.
6. Flip loom over again. Put in cloth beam. Discover that it doesn't fit, and holler at the dog "I just screwed them all in!". Dog blinks, not helpful. Undo all cross beams to widen frame. Have to flip frame over to undo my wrenching.
7. Flip loom over, put in cloth beam. Retighten nuts.
8. Flip loom over, realize treadles are now resting ON the cloth beam and will not touch the floor.
9. Flip loom over, unscrew nuts, widen frame, pull out cloth beam, drop treadles, put cloth beam back in, screw frame together.
10. Flip loom over.
11. Put in warp beam. Have to step inside loom and lift over back beam because I forgot to allow for warping room behind the loom. Make mental note, move entire contraption to middle of room.
12. Go make soap from 7pm - 9pm.
13. Retighten all nuts with wrench.
14. Wrestle with castle. Step inside loom (again). Do not fall over. Get castle lined up, and realize it nests INSIDE the frame. Take castle back out, set aside. Do not step on cat, dog, or catch foot on frame.
15. Flip loom over, unscrew one side of frame (4 points). Remove cloth beam and warp beam. Set aside
16. Flip loom over, get inside with castle. Slide castle into place and slam the bolts in to hold it. Congratulate self on not needing two helpers. Decide the directions are written for wimps, block all memory of flipping the loom over from mind. Replace cloth beam and warp beam.
17. Tighten nuts finger tight. Remain in denial about lifting the now over 100 lb loom up to screw in bottom frame nuts.
18. Place harnesses in castle. They are numbered, thank the gods.
19. Put reed inside beater. Place beater over loom frame.
17. Look quizzically at the leftover pieces.
18. Repeat step 1.

Secret Gift #1, day 2

Ah, the wide open feeling of starting a new project. Everything has a bit of a rosy haze to it. The knitting will proceed swiftly, I will not run out of yarn nor have so much left over that I am annoyed, the cats will not "help" with the knitting, and I will not balk at the making up.

I chose an easy place to start. It will be a good warm up for The Serious Knitting and might even enable me to take A Knitting Shortcut later (please please please please please). Progress is swift when the rows are short.

Secret Gift #2, day -1:

Still need fabric. Sigh. I can order it online and be done with it, but will it be the right color? And I will have to wait for weeks. The other option is driving all over creation with the pattern in hand, trying to find a shop that stocks it and then praying to find the right color. Meanwhile, I can get the other materials. If I rememer to take the pattern with me to the other shop. This is the one I panic about getting finished on time. I got the cold chills when I realized it will have to go to a secondary crafter after me for the finishing up - adding 2-3 weeks to the finish time.

Must not stress out over Secret Gifts. Must craft with patience and love. I can always buy gift cards at the last minute.

Other Knitting - progress on the saffron socks continues. I think I will be able to knit until I use up every darn inch of the yarn. The rum runner socks are on hold until I finish the saffron socks - I am so close!

To Tide You Over...

Until I free the pictures from their purgatory, here is a quick synopsis of my Renaissance Weekend with Mr. Fixit. Friday- mad dash to finish laundry and dinner at Ruby's (mmmmm). Saturday - long drive up to Gilroy / Casa de Fruta, some knitting progress on the Saffron socks, an amazing amount of chatting about all things great and small, a fabulous time at the faire until closing, and passing out, exhausted, at 6:30. Sunday - part 2 of a fabulous time at the faire, a pleasant peasant lunch, and a long drive home, marred only by a headache so intense it made me cry. Advil came to my rescue and the last 1/3 of the trip was filled with chatting.


Tonight, I have a date with this:

Lucky me!

Some Days I'm the Bug...

I am drowning in the Sea of Urgent Proposals for Which I Have No Information today. The only bright spot is that I might get to drive one out to the client tomorrow, but the flip side of that is, will I get back in time to get my stuff together before we go out of town?

On a brighter note (literally), progress has resumed on the Saffron socks. I ripped out both heels yesterday and added a 1/2 inch of knitting to each foot. Then I reknit the heels and tried them on (cleverly, I knit one heel and tried IT on before I changed its mate) and they fit fine. Knitting on the leg, resuming the lace pattern, has commenced.

The RumRunner socks are my constant companion, as I am in the easy stockinette part still. I think I might get to turn the heel this weekend on sock #1. I even went back today and started a notecard so that I can make the second sock to match. It would be fabulous if I had enough yarn to make knee socks. How (Yarn) Piratey is that?

I am making plans for my upcoming craft projects. The autumn projects are Secret Gift #1, Secret Gift #2, finishing my bobbin lace moon, getting two finished cross stitch pictures framed (one for Halloween and one for Yule) and the ubiquitous woven rug. The winter projects are "Aud" (the gray sweater-only 1/3 of both sleeves, a collar, and the making up to finish), the bobbin lace fan, a fair isle sweater, and a secret weaving project for Yule gifts (2008), for which I want to spin the warp and the weft.

I am looking forward to Faire weekend with Mr. Fixit. He is new to Faire and I hope he is not too shocked. I can't wait to see my friends, eat a meat pie, drink some Guinness, sing some bawdy songs, watch the "Bold and Stupid Men", and all the other things that patrons get to do. Maybe the butter churn man will be there. Oh, and chocolate dipped strawberries.... mmmm.

Monday AGAIN?

I actually sat down with the spinning wheel this weekend and got some spinning done. At our RiverSpinners guild meeting Saturday, Dizzy Ruth guided us in making up spinning sample cards. We spun lengths of singles on each of the different whorls on our wheels, at loose, regular and high tension. Then we folded them back on themselves and attached to index cards with notes about what whorl and tension combination we used to get that yarn. It was good practice in both record keeping and making a repeatable yarn.


Then Sunday Mr. Fixit worked on the transmission from the tractor he found at a yard sale on Saturday. It was quite impressive, what with the hammering and blowtorching and welding. I occupied myself with plying up a bunch of yarns that I wound off of some Ashford bobbins that had been lying around for... far too long. I accepted that I was not going to pick these projects back up, and the best thing to do was to ball up the singles and ply from both ends of the balls. Now I have a bunch of obediently labelled skeins of useable yarn AND 4 empty bobbins. The chain-plied silk came out particularly lovely, and I think the brown romney will go well with the yarns that are set aside for The Rug Project. Speaking of TRP, Denise has loaned me Deborah Chandler's weaving video and I hope to watch that this week and get the loom warped and the yarn wound.


Knitting progress was also made on Rum Runner sock #1. I am making a stockinette foot, so it is a great travel sock.


We have been watching movies lately; some good, some not so good. "Gosford Park" is always a favorite of mine, and I caved in and bought the dvd. The 'making of' features were very entertaining. "Brokedown Palace" fell into the less-than-fabulous category. I picked holes in the plot, there were some really slow sections, and the ending was not very satisfying. "The Tesseract" (with the esteemed Johnathan Rhys-Meyers *yum*) was so scattered that I just gave up halfway through and mailed it back. It is told in a disjointed manner, which I can accept, but I just couldn't relate or feel for the characters. "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was fun to watch.

Fall Into Knitting!

Do You Like Knitting? Do You Like Trying New Things? Take a Dive with us and... Fall Into Sock Knitting!

Come join us November 16-18 at the Redwood Hollow resort in beautiful La Jolla, CA, for three days of instruction in knitting toe-up socks. Celebrate Autumn and take some time to relax and pamper yourself before the holidays. Participants will learn how to use a provisional cast on and double pointed needles to begin a sock from the toe up and work it in the round, work short row heels and toes, and fit their socks to their feet, all while relaxing and reviving with other knitters. Bring your knitting needles - a special sock pattern and hand dyed sock yarn will provided.

Do you already have a knitting project to work on? We welcome you to spend the weekend with us at a reduced rate. Join us for food, games, sharing, and KNITTING.

Schedule:
Friday: 4 pm check in. A light dinner will be provided and we will start the weekend with our first session from 6-9 pm.
Saturday: Our morning session will run from 8-12 and our afternoon session is 1-5. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided, and we will go into town for dinner. After dinner there will be games and plenty of time for extra pointers and catch-up knitting.
Sunday: After breakfast we will have a short session from 8-10, as checkout time is 10:30. A small excursion into La Jolla will allow us to continue knitting as needed. (TBD)

Retreat Pricing:We have two cabins available which each accommodate up to 6 people. You can choose to have a room to yourself or share with a friend!
Shared King – Retreat and Class - $275.00
Shared King – Retreat Only - $230.00
Shared Queen – Retreat and Class - $250.00
Shared Queen – Retreat Only - $205.00
Solo King – Retreat and Class - $425.00
Solo King – Retreat Only - $380.00
Solo Queen – Retreat and Class - $375.00
Solo Queen – Retreat Only - $330.00

A deposit of 50% is due by September 28th, with the balance due by October 26th. The last day to cancel and receive a refund is October 15th.

Need more information? Ready to reserve your spot? Please call us at (951) 347-6572, or send an email to lisa@the-soap-plantation.com or mandy@the-soap-plantation.com (or leave me a comment with your email in it).

We look forward to seeing you in November!
Lisa and Mandy

I Never Thought it Would Come to This...

It was too hot to knit this weekend.

I am ashamed, but at least my UFOs are not all sweaty.

Knitting Scout Badges

I saw these over at MimKnits and had to go have a looky-loo. I am in love! I know what I am going to do with my Winter now, since I am not taking another class at the local community college.

Except for the divorce badges - let's not rush things.

All The Things I Love

I had a fabulous weekend once again. The festivities began on Thursday during Market Night when I got to open my Yarn Pirate Sock Club box. The yarn is gorgeous, in a sock yarn base I have not tried yet, and the goodies are pretty fun too. I will wait to announce so it doesn't spoil anyone else's surprise!

This weekend The Soap Plantation was booked at Summergrass, a bluegrass festival held in Vista. I took Friday off work to go down early and help set up, but the motor home had other ideas. Even after it got coddled through a smog check and had a low tire replaced, it decided to be cranky and have a second leaky tire. Mr. Fixit threw in the towel and the lovely and talented Mandy held down the fort at Summergrass on Friday with her nephew and the flying screaming monkey. I spent the remainder of the day with Mr. Fixit. We visited his friend and they worked on a piston for the racecar (I brought knitting) and we went out for lunch. We tried the new Pei Wei in Tustin and I tried some Orange Peel Chicken. It was very tasty and pretty swanky for fast food. After we were done, the guys went back to work in the garage and I played a little Chocolatier and then lay down for “a minute”. I think it was dark when I surfaced again.

Saturday we got an early start and headed down to Vista. The day was easygoing and fun. We sold some soap, heard some good bluegrass, ate some yummy snack food (Mr. Fixit woos me with root beer floats. I am powerless before them), and I actually got a little spinning done. I plied 2 oz of some Merino/Tencel lace weight yarn that had been sitting on the bobbin since June and it came out very pretty; a nice peachy-orange. Then I fired my Millie up again and started on some BFL roving. I am spinning it heavier, and, gee, the bobbin fills up fast when one is not spinning lacewieght! It felt good to be spinning again. I have been focusing on knitting for the last couple of months and the change was refreshing.

We packed up for the night around 8, found our hotel, and had a tasty dinner. I am pretty sure staying in a hotel ended up being a better bet than putting gas in the motor home for the weekend.

Sunday morning dawned bright and partly cloudy, until I looked toward Escondido and saw the wall of black clouds. eek, the soap! I wailed. We drove through the deluge, arrived at the site, and I was relieved to see that the soap was high and dry. We had the farm breakfast and the sweet old ladies were flirting with Mr. Fixit right and left. We got ready to open – bluegrass fans are a devoted bunch and I did not think that the show would be cancelled – and the deluge returned, soaking the site for over an hour. We still held the high ground and were nice and dry and toasty under the pop-up tent. Soap sales were slow, but the visiting and entertaining were alive and well. Everything was bright and sunny again by noon, and Mandy joined us for the afternoon. Denise came over and tried her hand at spinning on a wheel – and did quite well!

We packed it in about 5 and headed for home. Mr. Fixit and I stopped on the way to meander around Dana Point and we had a nice time – we saw stingrays and fishies and all manner of seabirds. Lots of folks were out walking their dogs. We admired the boats and picked out the ones we would have if a) we won the lotto and b) we had much interest in boating. Then it was a fish & chips dinner at the Harborside Café, which was excellent, and watching the moon rise and the sun set. I think I may just be the luckiest girl in the world.

Sock-servations....

The "saffron" socks: these are coming along quite speedily (when I knit on them). I measured the foot quite carefully before decreasing for the heel, but I tried them on today and still they are going to be 1/2 - 3/4 short. Tonight I will be ripping back, adding more length, and re-heeling. Once that is done I just have to pick up the lace from the front and adjust stitches (if needed) to fit my leg. Easy Peasy. Knitting them does make me hungry for Mac-n-Cheese, though, as the yarn is Kraft yellow.

The "painted desert" socks: Sigh. These have been waiting on a fitting and evaluation. I found some time to do that today and the foot is a smidge loose and the leg is a smidge snug. I will try them on again tonight before deciding if I am ripping all the way back to the heel. Sigh. The yarn is so darn gorgeous, I suppose it won't be too difficult to knit them again.

The "rum runner" socks: Sock one is in progress. I started it when I needed some non-lace knitting at the races last week. I love the way it is knitting up, but progress is slow due to the size 0 needles. This is the Yarn Pirate Sock Club yarn from last month. I suspect that this month's yarn will not be distributed to me until the Rum Runners are done, which is just as well.

The "watermelon tourmaline" socks: no progress. Sock 2 is still a skein of yarn, not even balled up yet. Damn you, feather and fan. I just can't face knitting another whole sock in it.

I have a soap show this weekend at the Summergrass bluegrass festival, and perhaps I will be able to squeeze in some knitting during the sets.

Yes, This is a Knitting Blog



Much to my surprise and delight, I had a fantastic weekend at the Monterey Historics. We started seeing neat old / rare / interesting cars on the drive up the 101 Wednesday night, and it was neat to see Lambourghinis, Ferraris, Porsches, Astin Martins, and other great cars on the road to and from the event each day. Mr Fixit and I picked up our tickets and set up our "pit area" on Thursday, and I learned something right away: it is not to be referred to as "the encampment". Sorry, faire folk. I also learned that "helping" is subjective. We drove the racecar over to tech inspection and we saw Al Unser, Sr, which was pretty exciting. That evening there was a brilliant reception and much visting with Mr. F's friends. The wine was never ending and high quality. I learned that I love crab cakes with a burning passion.

Friday was warm up day for the drivers and the racecars. Jan and I watched them race from the driver's lounge and the view was spectacular:

The view of Mr. Jan, anyway. Here is the view of Mr. Fixit:

Clearly I needed to practice with the camera a little more. However, I did catch him coming past the start/finish line:

The rest of the day we moseyed about, socialized, and watched races from the Corkscrew. In the evening we went to Fisherman's wharf to see what we could see. There were boats, and crabs, and starfish, and seagulls, and sea lions, and then we saw this:

I realize the picture is teeny, but believe me when I tell you that this is a momma otter with a baby otter coming along for the ride. We watched them swim past all the boats, closer to shore, when momma let the baby float while she went to go dive for dinner. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen. That pretty much made the trip for me.

Saturday we looked at more cars. Some Bentleys:

Some H-Mods:












A Cheetah:

















... and we went out for a lovely fishy dinner with friends and family on Saturday night. I was not brave enough to try the grilled baby octopus. Sorry to disappoint.

Our big race day was Sunday, right after lunch. I got to come along for the drive up to the pit for the warmup, but for the race itself I watched from the Corkscrew:

















To celebrate the end of a great weekend, we chilled a bottle of Champayne:

And got ready for the awards ceremony. The Daniel Boone hat was the hit of the party:

On the way to pick up the trailer, I saw a bobcat, and we startled a family of California Quail. We heard accounts of foxes near the campsites - wow.

It was a great weekend. I had so much fun. I met great, friendly, interesting people and can hardly wait to see them again. I got to spend some quality time with Mr. Fixit and how can that be bad? He did a fantastic job driving us home early into the morning, and I drug myself to work nearly on time.

Knitting did occur. I promise. I now have 5 socks on the needles instead of 4. Nothing was finished however, and I have to say it was because I was having a blast. Whee!

Quickie

Thank you for the kind words about the Adamas shawl. I am quite pleased myself. It did get worn this weekend and is surprisingly warm for such a wispy looking thing.

I am back from my trip to Monterey and here at work. I am also running on 2 1/2 hours sleep last night (we got in at 3am) and about 4 hours the night before that, so am a little loopy. I will work on a long chatty post *with pictures* for later today or tomorrow.

We had a fantastic time and I can't wait to do it again at Coronado in October.

Block-head.

Last night it was likely 100 degrees in the house until about.... 2am. What is the perfect activity when you have the combination of new sheets, a trip to Monterey where it will be 65 degrees, and you live in an oven? Shawl blocking, naturally. The Adamas shawl (finished lo these many months and shoved in a drawer) went for a swim last night while I banished the furry children from the bedroom and unwrapped and installed brand new sheets on the bed. I resisted the urge to lay down and conk out, and started blocking the shawl instead. It actually fit, much to my surprise (or I did not block severely enough), and needed fewer than all the pins I own. It was a race to see if I would finish pinning or it would finish drying first, but I think it came out quite nicely.

*edit for project notes* For this project I used Alpaca with a Twist "Fino" and size 4 circular needles. It blocked out great, and ended up a hair over 6' across the top.

Goats Goats Goats

A lovely weekend was had by all... although it is being rapidly forgotten under the pressure of hating my job. Saturday Mr. Fixit took me for a bike ride, we had a soap planning meeting (there is a Big Announcement coming soon), we had our RiverSpinners meeting and I made some progress on the "Painted Desert" socks, and afterward I splashed in the pool. Two words: pool noodles. Sunday Mr. Fixit and I went to visit his friends who keep goats - nubians and alpines and la manchas, oh my! They were adorable and entertaining, and a good time was had by all. Then it was back home to battle the ants and watch some "Sunset Tan". Monday morning came far too soon.

I made much knitting progress on each of the "Painted Desert" socks. I think tonight I will take the stitches off the needles (onto a safety line of some ilk) and try them on. The pattern pulls in more and is less stretchy than I anticipated. I am hoping that I can increase by 2 st inside each of the motifs to accomodate the above-ankle, below-calf section of my leg. I would like to get them done before the "Summer of Socks" is over! I have no plans for the "Fall of Finishing Projects", although that probably isn't a bad idea...

Today I managed to work the toe of the second "Saffron" sock... and realized I left my "365 knitting stitches" perpetual calendar at home. I know exactly what motif I want on them, I just have to turn to the correct page. They are a heavier yarn on #2 needles, so should knit up quick and easy.

I made an effort to put fun events and soap / fiber shows over in the sidebar, but I don't know that I have succeeded. I will keep fiddling with it to the best of my ability.

Trigger Happy

You would think, that if I were bored all day at work, that I would be spending my doodle time constructing a fascinating, intelligent, amusing blog post with details, pictures, and links for all to enjoy. But you would be wrong! Instead I click on the same 5 blogs all day, hoping for an update on other peoples' knitting progress. Sigh.

The gray socks are DONE. I just need to get the ends woven in, pictures taken and uploaded to the blog and flickr, and the SOS post made to add them to my entries for the "most socks" contest. I am quite pleased with the way they turned out. After all my worrying that I would be short, I find that I have plenty of yarn left for a cell phone cozy or two.

The socks in the Painted Desert colorway are moving along nicely. Both heels are done, the leg pattern has been chosen, and I have over and inch of leg done on sock #1 already. I had to decrease to make the pattern come out right, and am getting some color pooling, but I am going to run with it. I really like the pattern I picked (chevron & feather) and will love them no matter how they came out.

I swatched some yarn from Sweet Georgia in the "Saffron" colorway yestrday. I thought it was time for fluffy yarn on #2 needles (= almost instant gratification) . I cast on this morning and had a toe done before I got up. I have had this yarn marinating in the stash, and find now that it is almost a perfect match for my Steelers sweatshirt which Mr. Fixit brought back from Pittsburgh. Hopefully the socks will be just as soft and snuggly.

Fat and Happy


It was a great weekend. Friday we had open spinning night, and Scott knit on his trivet and I knit on my Painted Desert socks (alternating between the two). Denise had fun spinning stories and job hunting advice. It is so nice to just sit and knit and talk and unwind from the week. I don't know why knitting is soothing, but I know it works and I like it!


Saturday was my exciting and much-anticipated trip to BlizzCon in Anaheim, and it did not disappoint. I got to try the new WoW offering: "Return of the Lich King", listen to presentations and Q&A sessions, and generally soak up the atmosphere. I am only a beginning WoWer, but I kept my mouth shut and my ears open and think I learned a lot. There may be a trip to the coffee shop tonight :) I did NOT ride the mechanical pachyderm thingy.

Sunday Mr. Fixit and I went yard sale-ing in the midday and washed the car and went to see "Harry Potter 5" in the evening. The movie was pretty good; I think it moves faster than #4 and it included many of the things I found interesting in the books, including Harry finding out how his dad treated Snape and Hermione's explanation of all the things girls think about.

Knitting did occur! I fixed Gray sock #2 and have gotten most of the leg done. If I push myself I could finish it tonight, but I think walking the dogs and then a 7pm bedtime might be in order. The Painted Desert socks are both about 6" long (toe to end of foot), so it is nearly time to turn the heels and make a commitment as to whether or not I want a pattern for the leg. The yarn is so striking it might not need one.

Stupid Day Job

I have finished the toes and am working up the feet of both Painted Desert socks. They are a smidge big, but I am not ripping them out to decrease by 4 measly stitches (1/2"). I am thinking ahead to my "cuff treatment" and am thinking about using the picot edge again. As for the actual knitting, I am watching it closely becase I love, love, love, love this colorway. It is burgundy, gold, electric blue, and shades thereof. The yarn is from Stone Barn Fibers and is the "painted desert" colorway. Pictures soon.

My homework for tonight (besides laundry, dishes and catbox*) is to look up the Spin Off article by Sara Lamb on spinning a silk warp. I have visions of silk/alpaca scarves for holiday gifts.

*And as for the cat, he got stuck in the garage again. I rescued him last night (he gets in and can't get back out the same gap), he came inside and wolfed some cat kibble, and then tried to run outside again. What a nut.

Bad, Bad, Naughty Zoot

Gray sock #2 is grounded. I was happily knitting lace and watching "Law & Order" last night, when I suddenly and without warning had too many stitches. Or maybe it was too few. There is a very unattractive blob of a lacy diamond on them though, and it is going to have to come out. I dislike ripping lace (doesn't everyone?), so it stayed home today.

My lunchtime knitting was the Painted Desert socks. I finished the toe and pick up the provisional stitches on #1 and cast on for #2. I am halfway through the toe of that one. I am going to knit them at the same time (2 sets of DPNs, separate balls of yarn) so that they do not go the way of the Watermelon Tourmaline sock. It would be tragic if this became the SOSS - Summer of Second Socks - when I have not had a problem with second socks in the last couple years.

The Heel is Turned...


...and knitting progresses on the lacy leg of the 2nd gray sock. Meanwhile, I started the toe of the Painted Desert sock a couple days ago, just to give myself some plain stockinette knitting for those times when I am not capable of working lace.


"The Simpsons Movie" was fantastic! It is on my "must see again soon" list. If you go to see it, stay through the credits.


This weekend I am going to BlizzCon. I hope they don't check to see how long it has been since I last played World of Warcraft. Perhaps tonight after yoga I can find some WoW time.

Asleep on my Feet.

Hi Everybody, I am back from Lambtown and still recovering. After a trip to the auto shop to have the car checked out (while I knit the foot of the second Gray sock), I drove up Friday, listening to a new book on tape on the way ("The Sunday Philosopher's Club" by the author of the "Ladies' No 1 Detective Agency" series). My first sheep sighting was at 6:09pm, so I knew I was finally getting close. I located the park and scoped out my location, knowing that I wanted to get in early, get set up fast (and first), and get out for breakfast before the show opened.

Saturday morning at 5:55am I was unloading the car and setting up the booth. I had a nice spot, got out to IHOP for breakfast and more knitting by 6:45, and came back well before we opened at 9. It had all the makings of a great show: the sun was out, Carolina Homespun was my neighbor, Gail from the limeade booth kept me in limeade and lamb taco salad all day, I met lots of great people and was happy to see several folks who have come by every year. About 6 I started putting everything away and loading the car right back up. I stopped to visit with some friends who own Fanfare Farms and The Loom Room, and then went back to the hotel to collapse. It had been a hot, sunny, and busy day.

Sunday I packed up and headed off to Courtland to see the Pear Fair. I only got a little bit lost. The Fair was fun: two soap vendors to examine, fruit butters to sample, music to listen to, pear-aphernalia of all types, and an exhibit of old photos of life in the Sacramento Delta and tools used (and still used) to harvest, sort, pack, and package pears. Then (as I had soap melting in the car) it was back on the road and another book on tape to entertain me. With the help of a blended cinnamon dolce latte, I made it home right around 9.

Miles driven: 988
Socks knit: 1/2
Sheep spotted: Jacobs*

Tonight's big adventure is a trip to see "The Simpsons" movie with a friend. I hope I stay awake!

Mr. Fixit is back in town and I was quite pleased to see him yesterday. We have plans to watch "Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift" this weekend... the plot may be thin, but the cars are very shiny.

*it's a sheep and wool joke.

Lambtown Loometh

I am chugging through work* and counting down the hours until I can leave for Lambtown. It will be the 4th year I have been there representing The Soap Plantation - where does the time go? I think I may actually be able to resist buying fiber this year... unless I see something really extraordinary. I don't have any Cormo fleeces, you know.

Knitting is progressing. I finished Gray Sock #1 on Tuesday while at the Redlands Bowl watching "Brigadoon". Go see it! It runs through this weekend. I started Sock #2 while I was there and have finished the toe and begun the instep, lace pattern and all. I love, love, love this yarn. Pictures soon, if the hotel has wireless internet, or if by some miracle I finish all my pre-trip chores before 10pm.

*I only wish I was chugging beer. Sigh.

New Favorite Soap!

Move over, goat's milk soap, you are being replaced in my house with honey soap. Wowsers! It is smooth, creamy, foamy, and has a light finish. I may have to take tomorrow off work and stay in the shower all day.

We did make up a special batch of 4oz bars of the Honey soap in "honeysuckle" scent last night and I will be taking them up to Lambtown unless there are any takers here!

Knitting progresses on the Gray socks - I started the cuff this morning and worked on it at lunch. I should cast it off and start the mate tonight. Meanwhile, here is a picture of the finished, hemmed "Wild Honey" socks.

Where Does the Weekend Go?

I had a nice little weekend. I am trying to finish the first Gray sock and am almost there. There was some trouble with knitting the lace in the round, and neglecting to put a row of plain knitting between each lace row. I also desperately need to get some pictures of the finished socks up on Flickr for the Summer of Socks contest.

Saturday a friend and I went to see "Ratatouille" and I give it two thumbs up. The animation was amazing, the story was pretty good, and the rats were adorable. I have had many a pet rat in my day and they got the personality bang on. I have a minor quibble with the plot: if the point of the story is that a rat can cook because "anyone can cook", why does the story depend on the human assisstant NOT being able to cook? Can't he learn from the rat? I am willing to pretend that he (the human) just didn't WANT to learn.

Sunday we made soap, soap and more soap, and then I dyed some wool for Lambtown. Tonight is rinsing, rinsing and more rinsing.

Mr. Fixit is in Ohio and headed westward. Hooray!

Today's Pick is... The Angelfish Socks!
Sock on foot...


















Socks at bus stops...




















Right now the socks are at the coffee shop, but they are feeling a bit shy just now.

The Yarn is in the Mail

My Yarn Pirate Sock Club box is out the door and is winging its way to me as I speak. I am very excited. I wonder if I am required to keep the bird on my shoulder when I am knitting with YP yarn? I am drawing the line at the peg leg, though. Awaiting new yarn is an excellent motivator for finishing the second "Angelfish" sock. Although I realized that I am already on the 5th fishtail repeat and have forgotten how many I need to match sock 1.

Luckily I brought the yarn for the second "Watermelon Tourmaline" sock and the ball of grey yarn to restart the Italy socks (yes, they did take a dip in the frog pond) to work today. The grey/Italy socks were just not working up like I wanted, so I swatched on bigger needles and I think size 2 (not size 1) DPNs are the way to go. I was concerned I would not have enough yarn to make a pair, and the bigger needles should make it go further. Further, I have re-evaluated having the lace on the instep and think I will put it on the leg only.

7/17 SOS tally: Wild Honey (pair) - done. Watermelon Tourmaline (single) - done. Angelfish (pair) - only final repeat and cuff to go on sock 2, done tonight. Grey/Italy - starting over from scratch.

Soap news: Lambtown is racing towards us and the soap re-stocking has begun. Last night we made 4 batches of soap and I think there are another half dozen waiting in the wings. I made a list of specialty soap to make, and we will be making new and exciting lotion too. Closer to home, we have posted the summer soap class schedule on The Soap Plantation site, and you can still find us every Thursday at Downtown Market Night.

My plans for tonight involve finishing the Angelfish socks and going to the San Diego Zoo, which stays open until 10pm these days for Nighttime Zoo. Getting home at 11:30 seems so early, compared to the bedime hours I have been keeping lately.

Weekends are for Knitting.

There was much knitting progress this weekend. I finished the Watermelon Tourmaline sock on Saturday at our Riverspinners meeting. I also unearthed my swimmy suit and joined the other knitters (and non-knitter) in the pool. It has been far, far too long since I splashed around.

Sunday I started the first "Angelfish" sock. I knit. And knit. And knit. And knit some more. Before I went to sleep, I had a finished sock. Gotta love those size 2 needles. I put the "fish scale lace" pattern up each side of the leg (May 31 from the 365 knitting stitches calendar), and am quite pleased. I started its mate today and was 1/3 of the way through the foot by the time I got to work.

All the morning knitting was done between 6:30 and 7:50, as I took the bus to work after dropping off the car to get evaluated for repairs needed before it will pass its amazingly long overdue smog check.

Mr. Fixit took 3rd in his race and I am quite pleased.

Pat on the Back

I picked up the "Wild Honey" socks last night, sewed down the hems, and worked in the ends. Now they are done, done, done. And the most amazing bit? You won't believe it is me saying this of my own free will... the sewing up was easy and it was fun. I'll wait while you all pick yourselves up off the floor.

Then I managed to crush down the start-itis that was brewing, and worked some more repeats of the "Watermelon Tourmaline" socks. I started them a week ago tonight, and I am really ready to move on to sock #2 of the pair.

If you are in town, you should come to Market Night and make fizzy bath salts with us. It is easy and fun.

Fast and Furious

Progress on the Watermelon Tourmaline socks would be better if I did not have to rip out 3 repeats of the feather and fan pattern last night. Curse you, yarnovers! I am not looking forward to the second sock, for while I adore this yarn and this colorway, I am not a big fan of the row of purls in the F&F pattern. I will knit until I run out of yarn; it should be soon.

And one on the foot...

It's About Time, Too.

The "Wild Honey" socks are (mostly) done. All that is left is to sew down the picot hem (see that line of holes? Those will be adorable picots soon. ) They were lovely to knit and fit like a... sock. Go buy yarn at Cider Moon or the Loopy Ewe.

So Close! Yes, there has been knitting! No, there are still no pictures! I am about 12 rows short of finishing the second "Wild Honey" sock, and then I just have to sew down the hems (they have a picot top). Knitting went speedily when I had a chance to sit and do it on Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon.

I think I will cast on a new pair tonight at Market Night if things are slow (which, of course, I hope they are not), and get the toe done. Which colorway, you ask? I don't know yet. It might be about the right time for "Watermelon Tourmaline" from Stonebarn Fibers (courtesy of the Loopy Ewe, who else??). We will see what ball of yarn floats to the top of the sock yarn bag.

Progress on the gray socks is still slow - I managed a quarter of a round in the drive-thru this afternoon. I am severely worried I will not have enough yarn for 2 regular height socks. I suppose I will just have 2 medium height socks. Or they will go into the frog pond and become a scarf. It will not be torture to knit this yarn over and over, as it is so soft and lofty.

Things with Mr. Fixit are going well, but my knitting time has been severely curtailed (and don't even ask about WoW or Netflix or keeping up with SOS blogs. Way behind on all counts). He leaves for vacation this weekend (wah), but it means that knitting will regain its #1 priority. How many knits would a knitter knit if a knitter could knit knits?

Back to Real Life. I had a wonderful, lazy weekend. There was some knitting, but it was not the all-knitting-all-the-time extravaganza I thought I could pull off. I did finish the first "Wild Honey" sock on Friday night and am well into the foot of sock #2. The gray socks are languishing, poor dears. Perhaps I will show them some love tonight.

Instead of knitting I managed to start the process of making my car extremely spiffy. I got the hood and front sides claybar-ed and waxed, and did half of my first oil change (the easy half, thank goodness). I also managed to spend some very quality time with a friend this weekend and that is never a waste of time that I could spend knitting. Sometimes I can even knit and talk at the same time. Imagine that.

Petsitting continues. I am growing attached to the cat and the dog. And shhhhh, don't tell my dogs that the petsitting dog gets walked. Daily. Sometimes twice. And I enjoy it.

Movies? We watched "Rize", "Definite Article" featuring Eddie Izzard, and did not manage to make it to "Ratatouille", although it is still on the must-watch list.

Why yes, I have been knitting. I am still working on the gray sock (with lace!), and began a second sock out of the Cider Moon "Wild Honey" colorway. I am forgoing a lace pattern on this one - the colors are so beautiful and striking on their own, and it makes a good "take anywhere" sock because I am not constantly checking a chart. I still did a lot of explaining how a provisional cast on toe-up sock comes together (I am using Wendy's generic sock pattern). People are amazed. I will make an effort at pictures tomorrow.

I had an excellent time at the AGSEM this weekend and only got a little sunburned. At movie night we watched "The World's Fastest Indian" with Anthony Hopkins and it was indeed a heartwarming tale. There were some close calls, though! It was a beautiful clear, chilly night with an intensely bright half moon, and it felt nice to be out in the open air, snuggled in a blanket, there at the tractor drive in.

Not much else to report here at the moment. There are some things in the background that are not ready for blog publication yet, however. Tonight's big excitement is getting the car washed and my hair cut. Woo.

Pick of the Day: "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel. I am listening to "shaking the tree" (a best-of CD), and am so in love with this song.


I have been knitting away on the Zarina sock. I am putting lace up the instep, and am using "lacy diamonds" as the pattern. It is July 29 on the 365 knitting stitches perpetual calendar. Have I mentioned how much I adore this yarn? It is lovely.


Last night I sat down with every intention of knitting from 7 until bedtime. I put "Rize" in the dvd player, and spent the next hour absolutely mesmerized (and not knitting). It is a documentary style film about a dance style in the "ghettos" of greater Los Angeles. It was so far out of my realm of experience, and these young people (jeez I am getting old) were so talented, that I could not look away. Every time I thought to myself, ok they have talked this part of the subject to death, the story would move right along to the next point, which was nice of them. I recommend it to anyone who wants a change of pace (if you are a boring white girl like me). It was really quite interesting, enlightening and entertaining.


Then I put in a Law & Order disc and was back in my element :)

Remember how I was in love with the HBO show "Carnivale" a few months back? You know how I adore the Steam Engine Museum? Check this out and be amazed and impressed. I was! http://www.agsem.com/carnivale.html

One Toe. That is my knitting progress so far today (all at lunchtime). I am pleased. This yarn is amazing (the label says Zarina, Filatura di Crosa, and Merino - extrafine). It is soft soft soft, and squashy, and very round (it is a cable of 4 2ply yarns). It is so luxurious to knit with that it is hard to knit at top speed. I keep slowing down and closing my eyes. My boss chose well when she brought two balls of it back from Italy with her.

Tonight we are not going to be at Market Night, so I am going sundress shopping (it is summer, after all) and then I am going to knit into the wee hours. Last night I finished spinning up the "peachy" merino / tencel roving and watched Eddie Izzard "Unrepeatable" (1994). It was great.

I have had the BEST week. I can't wait for this weekend, and yet I also love looking forward to the weekend so much that I hope it takes its time getting here.

10 1/2. That's how many hours until I can start knitting for the SOS. I have stocked up on Loopy Ewe yarns, Knit N Stitch yarns, yarn from Italy that my boss brought me, yarn from the stash and my birthday present was a membership to the Yarn Pirate sock club, so I should be set. I have been winding balls all week (I wind by hand) and making gauge swatches over the last two days. I have spinning on the spinning wheel that can be made into socks at a moment's notice. There are fleeces in the closet if I get desparate.

Darling Wendy is having a contest for folks to guess how many pairs of socks she will make over the summer. I have sent in my guess, although by September I will never want to see another skein of sock yarn again. Maybe that is the real way to restrict yarn buying - overdosing.

My official "Knit This" sock list:

• Zarina superfine merino "gray"
• Mountain Colors (for M) "Tamarack"
• Marks & Kattens Clown socks (for C)
• "Watermelon Tourmaline" from Stone Barn Fibers
• "Saffron" from Sweet Georgia
• "Painted Desert" from Stone Barn Fibers
• "Peppermint Mocha" from Claudia
• "Wild Clover" from Cider Moon
• Online Supersock
• Pink socks (for K)

Wish me luck!

Miss Popularity. That's me.

We had a nice weekend at the AGSEM last weekend. The weather was beautiful, the chili dogs just kept coming, the spinning was easy (wound off another 800 yards of yarn to dye), and life was good. If I was less uptight, I would be bouncing up and down in my chair asking "how soon til we go back?" over and over. 3 more days. Only 3 more days. Loopy (from the Loopy Ewe) had his picture taken with Abraham Lincoln for the "take Loopy on Vacation" contest. Who is more famous than Abraham Lincoln??

The Summer of Socks begins on Thursday at 5am Eastern (that's 2am Pacific for me) and I am in the blocks, waiting to knit. Last week I matched stitch patterns to colorways, last night was spent winding skeins of yarn into balls of yarn, this morning I started on the gauge swatches. It is going to be all knitting all the time at my house. And in the car, and at work, and at lunch, and at market night. My goal is 12 pairs in 12 weeks. It's a big goal. But I really like knitting.

Watched "Van Helsing" finally... it was ok. It went better when I remembered that I queued it up because David Wenham (swoon) is in it, but really I just only looked up from my ball winding when I heard his voice. Eddie Izzard should be waiting in my mailbox tonight. A good thing too, because I don't think I can knit and laugh at the same time. I can, however, spin and laugh and wind balls of sock yarn and laugh.

Ta Da! The Mermaid scarf is done! I have not blocked it yet though (I needed to sleep on my bed last night instead of dry lace on it). It is called the Mermaid because of the fishtail lace borders and the "foaming waves" center panel. I will add some sort of edging on the other side of the fishtails when I write up the pattern.

This is a small section. I love the way the colors undulate across the width of the scarf.

I am quite tickled.

So Much Fun, so Little Laundry.

I stayed at the coffee place, playing WoW, for an embarassingly long time last night. But I bought my coffee, no one asked me if I was leaving soon, and the woman on the other side of the room was there before and after me. I am on my way to taming a pet (and you know how I like pets), I finally joined a group, and it was only a little intimidating. It sure is easier to kill things when there are 3 people. I made sure to leave the computer unplugged last night and today so that it will not be tempted to skip yoga and play WoW instead. I miss yoga.

When I came home, I watched "National Treasure" with Nick Cage and Sean Bean. That's Boromir to you hip people. I am only on the edge of hip, because it took me 2 hours to place his face. Anyway, it was an entertaining romp, but not high art. I enjoy the Dan Brown and Clive Cussler books more.

I have a picture of the cotton samples from the weekend for you:

From the top, that is navajo (chain) plied organic brown cotton (courtesy of Eileen - when I tried it broke and broke and broke), organic brown cotton singles, 50%cotton 50%wool blend singles, Upland cotton singles, and a dyed cotton singles. That is also the order that the samples were covered in the class. The brown cotton was my favorite. It looks just like all that camel down I was spinning earlier this year. The upland cotton, which does NOT come from Upland, was my least favorite. I think it was the preparation (draw sliver) that was my stumbling block. Or maybe because it was the 3rd sample and I was getting tired and frustrated.

Altogether, I am inordinately proud of my little heap of skeins. I made 2 skeins of angora yesterday at the Lace In, and then last night I worked on the dyed pink cotton a little bit. Again, it was late and I was tired, so it isn't very even, but at least I sat down and practiced.

The plan for today - have a GREAT day at work (affirmations, people), do some laundry, go to yoga in evening, and practice on the charkha at some point. I don't want to hear any comments about my lack of knitting progress.

The Best Weekend Since October 1998.

The cotton spinning workshop, with Eileen Hallman (New World Textiles) on Saturday was GREAT. The students had fun, the teacher was happy, everybody was able to spin by the end, and lunch was a success. Ruth lent me her camera and I took oodles of pictures which came out well. I purchased Eileen's dvd for further lessons, a special shuttle for weaving with the freshly spun threads, and some replacement spindles as mine are crap. I cannot thank enough everybody who participated, who had a great time, who brought or helped eat the snacks, and who stayed to tidy up after eventhoughyoudidn'thaveto. I can hardly wait to do this again with the advanced class!

Afterward, Anne, her fiancee Scott, and I went out for Thai food for a belated birthday dinner. We shared ginger delight and yellow curry *mmmm* It is called Best Thai for a reason (1735 Spruce St, Riverside, CA *cash only*). Then it was back to the house for presents - Scott got two knitting books and I got two knitting books which are FABULOUS. I had this crazy grin all evening. I got home about 9, put in the "spinning on a charkha" dvd and fell asleep to it. A good day.

Today was great too. I went to the Lace In hosted by the Hedgehog Lacers bobbin lace guild. I did not take any classes, but rather manned the soap booth and practiced spinning on my charkha. Cleverly, I left behind the cotton I meant to spin today. I found some angora (rabbit) fiber and spun up a couple skeins of that. Everything went well until I hit matted spots - then it was a bear to draft. It was great to see all my bobbin lace buddies AND people bought soap. Randy made up some really neat Goat's Milk - Honey - Oatmeal soap that was gorgeous and sold out quickly.

No knitting progress to report, but I will try to post pictures of the weekend's completed skeins tomorrow. Right now I am going to play a little WoW and then watch my accumulated Netflix - "Ray" and "National Treasure". What a double feature!

Walking on Sunshine... or maybe just stepping on her tail. No new knitting progress to report today, friends. Yesterday I managed to limp through the work day, play a little World of Warcraft, go to yoga and meditation, and go to bed.

Today is going a bit better than the rest of the week - maybe I got a little closer to my center yesterday at meditation. I am always so glad when I stay. And last night 20 minutes did not seem all that long. I love it when Micah gives us a little speech before we start and we all compare notes afterward. It makes me realize that the things I feel / think are normal and I am right on track.

Tonight you can find The Soap Plantation booth at our Downtown Market Night (in front of the California Building) and also over in the ballroom of the Life Arts Building as part of the Riverside Arts Walk. Get out! Smell some soap! Go check out Kelly and Gil's pictures of Africa!

Home Again, Home Again. We are back from Scottsdale and the soaply festivities. We had a really successful show - met great people, saw some great presentations and got fired up again about the bath and body business, sold some soap, and knit like the wind. We have some big ideas for the Soap Plantation in the next few months.

We wandered by the Grand Canyon Deer Farm outside Watkins / Flagstaff on Monday and fed the deer. It was a good time. They had a baby reindeer which totally made my weekend. I asked after the llama's fleeces, but they are already going to a spinner.

I loved driving through the desert (or, more accurately, watching the desert pass by through the passenger window) - California desert, Sonoran Desert, the pine trees in Flagstaff, the just plain desert in Barstow. The saguaros were blooming, the air was clear, and it was pleasantly warm (for those of you who know me, you will know this means it was around 100). I even saw quail around the hotel where the convention was. They are just too cute for words, with their little topknots and very determined manner of walking.

Progress on the mystery scarf project was satisfying and rapid. I never want to knit anything but fingering weight cashmere forever. I will be so sad when this project is done - but I can't wait to wear my scarf now that Air Conditioning Season is upon us. I really will post a picture someday.

Progress on poor Icarus was slower - the yarn is too fine for knitting while the car is moving and the cobweb weight merino was too scratchy (!) after a whole day of knitting with cashmere. I want it done and displayed over at Knit N Stitch soon, so I will be getting back to it shortly.

School is DONE for the semester. I took my final exam tonight and did okay - okay for someone who did not study because she was at a soap convention. I am taking the summer off and then I will see about fall.

Netflixing has also been slow (see the excuse I used for school), but I managed to finish "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest". I was watching, paying attention, covered in cats, and when I said to myself, finally! now we are getting to the heart of the movie! the credits started rolling. It seems that #2 is just a lot of set up for #3. Luckily I have gift certificates and a theater across the street. I will go see it soon - Thursday perhaps.