Easter Spaniel

My Holly!  She joined the family 8 months ago and is still a joy.

Captain Tinyarn

600 yards, 32 grams, superfine cormo.

Red Lantern, Part 2

I finished my scarf!

 The gray color of the "in progress" picture is more accurate.  The sun was setting when I took the "finished" picture.

Red Lantern

The last musher to finish the Iditarod gets the title of the "red lantern" and I am going to be one of the last in my knitting group to finish.

I had to bail out on the Mush! socks as they are just too small. However, I have been diligently working on the change ringing scarf for most of the "race" as a backup project and if I turn the damn computer off and pick up the needles I think I can finish today.

I would really rather play WoW all day but I am going to a party in the afternoon and won't have knitting time.

WIP Wonderland

Everywhere I turn I see a partially completed knitting project.  Today I stuck to working on the cowl at work as the pattern was the simplest one.  The scarf got stuck on a cable and the socks are at the ankle / heel and very tricky just now.  In addition, the sock pattern has not been printed out so I can work on them only when I am actually sitting at the computer.

However, the mushers are still mushing on the Iditarod trail so I will work for a couple hours on the socks tonight.  I am at that place where I think they are too small, so hate to "waste" the effort in proceeding, but don't want to rip back to the toe.  At least it isn't snowing.

Staying on the Trail...

I am knitting my Mush! socks tonight and watching YouTube videos of sleds & sled dogs. Progress is being made!

I had an equipment malfunction; my single 24" needle came apart at the join and I can't find my superglue.  I tried a few rows with DPNs and that worked fine, but the pattern is really designed for circulars.  Instead of buying one long one, I am trying it with two 9" needles. It is a bit fiddly but I think it is working fine.

Oh, cowls.

I am procrastinating on my myriad knitting projects that have deadlines and happily zipping along on a cowl.

















Oops.

It's a Wrap

My friend Martha is writing a book.  I want to read this book.  How else to convince your favorite budding author to spend more time editing?  Knit her a wrap to keep the chill away!

I began in December, finished in January and then promptly waited almost two months to do the finishing work and sew on buttons.  Par for the course here at Chez Picky, but today I was able to give her the wrap and it was a big hit.

Project: An Author's Friend

closeup of borders and cute ducky buttons

Full size, about 25 x 50 inches

Mush!

Today is the start day for the Iditarod and I am in a Ravelry knitting group to participate in the Iknitarod so we get to start our projects as well!  I haven't knit along with this event before but have been looking forward to it for months. You pick a project that you want to work hard to finish before the end of the race (when the last musher crosses the finish line).  I learned that this is a variable time / date, not a set time, and that adds to the challenge.

The chatter on the thread has been focusing on blue / white / gray yarns and fibers to represent the ice and snow and sky of the Alaskan countryside and there has also been a bit of chatter about the Northern Lights. I want my project to combine these things and found a great sock pattern to try. The gloves are in the same color family, but I can finish one glove in far less than 2 weeks, so I wanted a loftier goal.

The pattern is Skew and is free from Knitty.com.   Perfect!  The yarn is a skein I just couldn't resist and am really, really looking forward to knitting. It is soft, springy and drop dead gorgeous.

Finn McMisile from Woolen Mill St yarns

The start of the race is in less than an hour; time to get my materials together, make sure I can live stream the race and make some more coffee! 

Not knitting

An action shot of the gloves I am supposed to be knitting, except I put them down for a scarf, then I put that down for a pair of socks...

The socks will be done tonight, then it will be time to finish the scarf, then I can go back to the gloves.

Just in time for spring.

Alpacalooza

Last weekend I demonstrated spinning at an alpaca show in Norco.  It was really fun.

 There were alpacas

 There were inquiring minds

 There were spinners!

 Even more alpacas

 And there was  yarn!  Above, some alpaca /merino I spun.  Below, some llama.

A New Hope

Peerie, 2/21

A few weeks ago I had a really difficult week. I was missing Dozer, I had just lost Kiwi, I gave away two cockatiels, work was stressful, the sky was still dark all the time and I was just really sad.  I had the other birds, the cats, Holly the new dog, but it was not a good situation.

I saw someone with a pet rat over at the Dickens Festival (we were sitting in the spinning booth) and got the idea that it was finally, finally time to become a rat owner again.  After Dixie passed away in 2002 it was just too painful to think about replacing her.  But now the idea of a little warm furball on my shoulder seemed right. 

Enter Peerie, a young rat from the feeder tank at the pet store.  He joined the family on 2/9 and was about a month old.

Peerie, 2/16

He is handsome, friendly, curious and (as of Friday) clean and good smelling.  Yesterday we graduated to him riding on my shoulder while I walked Holly around the block. 

I have been much happier in the last few weeks, work has been a little better, the pets are still bad but that is nothing new.  I still snuggle the cats & dog all the time, but this little rat has really filled an empty place in my heart.  I hope we have a good future together. 

Fab-ruary

I'm still knitting the gray scarf, but started some gray socks today and earlier in the week swatched some gray yarn & brown yarn for a shawl.

I'm trying to get a little bit of tidying done each day.

I went to both days of a spinning demo this weekend.

I am reading a little each day.

The cat went to the vet for a checkup and the dog got her new license.

So far February has been productive and satisfying.

Ringing in February

My Change Ringing (Plain Bob Minor) Scarf is about half done. I feel like I have been knitting forever!  But it has only been about 3 weeks.

Empty Nesting

I sold two cockatiels today.  I know they are going to a good home, I know I had too many and it was getting overwhelming, but I miss them already.  It was very hard to unload their cage to a stranger in a parking lot and drive off.  They went to a friend of a friend, so updates might be forthcoming, but it was still sad to hear them calling out for me as we drove away.

Good luck, little birds. 

Vacation

I took last week off and did a lot of relaxing.

I finally hit level 90 in World of Warcraft (4 months after release) and am quite excited. Now I am raising a cloud serpent to be a flying mount. He is so cute.

I crocheted a potholder which sees use daily - no more grabbing the teakettle with an old sock.  I also crocheted a spinning wheel bobbin for my Quidditch project for the Harry Potter themed knitting group. I have also been knitting on a cabled scarf and a glove # 1 of a pair.  I have finger and the thumb to go.

Holly (the new dog) went to the vet and got shots, spayed, dental cleaning and a microchip.  Her recovery has been smooth and we are taking walks again.  This morning I stopped by the car to grab a hat and she took a running leap right into the passenger seat!  Before, she was shy about getting in the car and had to be forcibly removed from the driver's seat. I guess going to the "spa" (vet) for the day really agreed with her.

Fritti (the 15 1/2 year old cat) also went to the vet and got a new prescription for some antibiotics; they must be working because his sneezing seems much reduced.  Kiwi the parrot passed away, I miss her a lot but we had a great last month together and her passing was very quiet and peaceful.

Yesterday afternoon I finally made it back to archery and had a really great time.  No one else came out, so I was able to look dumb & practice & get good tips from the hosts.  I left feeling much more confident and will be back again soon.

Last night I found all the equipment and materials for my OWL and BROOM projects (HP knitting group again) and swatched so I could submit my proposals by the deadline. I  am making laceweight yarn from some cormo roving that is wonderful and soft.  I found three bags of it, but when I got them together, they are clearly all different shades of white (see below).  However, I made my swatch and I think that I have plenty of fiber in each color, so I think I will use the one in the front (bright white) for the project. Overdyeing would also be an option, but I have my heart set on a white shawl.

Holly photobombing my spinning picture

Closet Clean Out

Closet stash diving day 2: found 3 bobbins for my Majacraft wheel, although the yarn on them was an almost total loss. I think I can salvage some of the pure angora, though.  Underneath the brown romney on one bobbin was some wool / soy silk that I had been sampling. Pleasantly, I found the matching roving over the weekend. Good to know I have a bobbin already started.

Found the bag of cormo I was looking for, it has some moth damage but should be about 80% salvageable.  When I put it with the bag I have set aside, there should be plenty for my winter OWL.  I think there is another bag of it somewhere... I will leave that stash dive until tomorrow.

Big surprise, found four missing skeins of finished yarn in perfect condition. Two are matching yellow ingeo. One is a dove colored merino & silk blend and one is a graduated gray to purple 3 ply in blue faced leicester that I designed, dyed, spun & plied. That one I had been thinking of recently; I think it will look well as the center of a circular shawl.  I just need to find one where I can bind off when I run out of yarn without any buckling. There is no skein tag, but I think there is about 400 yards.

Also found a crap ton of red heart acrylic and 6 cents as well as the pink silk sliver I was looking for and some green & yellow dyed merino top I had forgotten about. The pink silk was an experiment in dyeing from a workshop many years ago.  I had relegated it to "purely ornamental status" but I think I can use it in a class this term.  It will be interesting to spin and see what I get anyway.  The green / yellow / blue merino is actually from a different dyeing class (with Nancy Finn) and my inspiration was Kiwi, my indian ringneck parrot. She is still with me and the top isn't getting any younger; I may have to spin that up too.  Maybe into a parrot hat.

And I found *another* half pound of cotton sliver.  Will it ever end?  I am trying to get it all into one location, but continue to find so much I will need a bigger box quite soon.

New Year's Beach Party

I love my new WoW guild (I love my old guild as well).  I plowed forward in the face of apathy and we had a really fun beach party.  Not everyone came, but those who did were really into it. Thank you, Midnight Forerunners!

Pictures are blurry because, well, my character was drunk.

The End Already?

Wow, time really got away from me. After Dozer passed away I then lost the African Grey parrot (Stormy) to a seizure and the next week one of the parakeets died (Skye).  What a crappy month.

Right now everyone is hale.  The indian ringneck (Kiwi) has been moved out to the computer desk & the play cage and I am trying to stuff her with food as she is thinner than I would like.  It is fun to visit with her, although I miss Stormy calling me "HEY! Girl! HEY!" all the time.   I also moved Wavey the parakeet in with Opal the parakeet and they seem to have come to a room mate agreement.  It is too early to say if they like each other, but the nitpicking has lessened. 

This year I read some books, knit some things and played some World of Warcraft.  I went to gardening every week I was supposed to.  I watched some movies, took an online class and adopted a dog that was pound-bound.

Next year?  Maybe finally apply for a new job, maybe go back to making soap, maybe get serious about honing my German language skills, maybe knit some things, read some books & play some more WoW.  Walk the dog more and do the dishes more as well. 

And blog more.

Moving Forward

I'm making it through each day, getting up, going to work, checking FaceBook & Ravelry and finding things to smile about. 

I'm taking pleasure in showing more attention to some of the other pets (Kiwi parrot particularly) to remind them that I love them and to remind myself all is not lost.  Kiwi is looking thin, but I am making mixed veggies and keeping the dish extra full and hope to see a positive improvement soon.  She has been a good bird for almost 10 years now and deserves to be spoiled.

Finished reading "The Hobbit" during a lazy Sunday in bed this morning; soon I plan to go see the new movie. 

The new term of the Harry Potter knitting group (soar, Ravenclaw!) starts on Jan 1 and I have spent a lot of time on the forums visiting, reminiscing and planning projects for the next term.  I have some lofty goals and a lot of yarn at my disposal.

Hope you are all well out there in internet land.