Yarn swaps = destashing...right?

Wrong. Well...maybe it works that way for some people.



I wandered into my LYS yesterday for an advertised yarn swap. I'd brought along two skeins of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarns (really pretty, but in a color I seldom use).



I walked out with five skeins of Shetland wool! It's not sock yarn, so I think it counts as Stash Enhancement. (I was encouraged to do this by the shop employee...she's an enabler even when not selling the stuff.)

They're the same weight, and might work together in a project. Good for simple fair isle, especially with a bit of white or cream or black to balance things out.

I can always rationalize yarn acquisitions

Arctic Summer

No, I haven't gone on another trip. I'm just making a general remark about the lousiness of office heating and cooling systems. Not many work properly.

This is especially noticeable in offices that have been created out of one large space. Ours is now made up into cubicles, rooms, hallways and offices. Though lighting is sometimes altered, and décor, it's just too much to expect that the ventilation systems will be updated as well, in my experience (here and elsewhere).

So...a vent pours icy or hot streams of air into one area. People there freeze or boil or are grateful, if they tend to their own extremes when deciding on Perfect Temperatures.

I'm in the freeze crowd. Generally I wear goosebumps year 'round, with a garnish of purple mottling under my very fair skin. It's worst in the summer because I refuse to wear wool trousers, long socks, boots and three layers in June or July or August.

I cart sweaters everywhere I go, I complain (a lot) and I cozy up to any available space heater.

When I run my own little work world things will be different!

Swing Out

I did go dancing last night. It took some effort to drag myself out, but I am so glad I went.

Dancing itself was great, but the best part was seeing all the new people, and watching them light up on the dance floor.

A girl who's learning to lead asked me to dance; I thought she'd seen me leading earlier, so I asked if she wanted to lead or follow, and she was delighted that I lead, too. Half through the dance she started to follow, and at song's end I spun her 3 or 4 times.

She was amazed, because apparently most leads spin her off her axis and she can't balance. I showed her the technique and explained why it works. God, it felt good to pass that on!

My general technique needs a lot of work these days, especially balboa. But that's okay, I know where to begin.

Back into the Swing of things

A million years ago (okay, about 10) I learned to swing dance. First, East Coast (6 count). Then Lindy Hop. Balboa. Bal-Swing. I lead and follow all except Bal (at this point). No, I never saw that Gap commercial.



When I got into the scene, it was in full swing (pun intended) and I was out two to six nights a week, dancing like a fool, dressed to the vintage nines, and having the time of my life.



Things simmered down, as they do in the natural course of time, and people stopped dressing up. The clubs stopped having swing nights. There were only a few (usually non-club) venues, but I always made it out at least once a week.



Then I moved to Rhode Island. New place. New (tiny at the time) scene. Husband who said he loved to dance...but that turned out to be all talk. Yes, I even coaxed him into some private lessons. Nothing did the trick.



I've been here for four years now, and hardly ever go dancing.



There are very nice people around, but the whole feel is quite different. Dance studios or old social halls provide the venue. Many who have a ballroom or West Coast swing background (not to bash them; it's just that the resultant dance style and lead or follow is quite different from mine). No bar, no one in vintage clothing (except for me, that is). I just don't enjoy it to the same degree.



Even so, I miss it: socializing, getting great exercise that's more like therapy, the whole bit. So I complain a lot and dance very little, but last Saturday I took a workshop again.



It was very good to dance again; I don't think I've done any dancing since March, and no dancing in town since perhaps October.



I've developed some bad habits, but the instructors were great, pointing out things I can work on myself, and also sending some nice compliments my way.



Today, Wednesday, I've decided that I'll go to the Thursday dance. We'll see...

WWII in 2008: Reading, PA

It was hot.



How hot was it?



Well, (I wish I had photographic proof) we caught Joe with his head in the cooler.



But here's the link to the album.



http://s38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/Reading%20WWII%202008/



We didn't get great pictues, but it does give you an idea of the thing.



Friday was fine until we got to Avis car rental. Nightmare line; we missed our dinner reservation. It was tough parking in the middle of the city, too. No one was in a very good mood for a while.



But the Capital Grille was still open, and we dined there with Joe & Theresa, after a lightening change.



We got to Reading in the afternoon, and wandered around in sunblock, hats, and under parasols and umbrellas. No sunburn for me, but I acquired plenty of new freckles, and apparently looked like I was about to pass out.



No dance this time, the band was on a break when we got in, and the neverending "Who's On First" was on. We went straight to the French Village and didn't look back!



Maurice the proprieter was very helpful, and our tempers improved a lot! The Café Napoléon really was great, and we chatted with some interesting people. Such a mix...French villagers, Nazis (Yeah. I still don't understand how the fascination can outweight the shudder factor, but each to his own, yes?), GIs, and civilians milling around together in perfect accord.



Sunday we dropped by again for a while, and then headed out to see our friends in Ambler. They didn't make it this year, what with a new baby to consider. As well as a sturdy little toddler. It seemed a bit much to them in this heat, so we went out to see them on the way to Philadelphia, and then dropped by to see Joe's dad.



Another whirlwind, and a good one.



Knitting? I've been working on a baby hat to match the socks...which I found! AND I found the pearls. (Lesson? Don't believe your spouse when he swears that he checked all of the pockets when he unpacked the luggage...but be grateful the lost have been found, all the same!)

Here again, gone tomorrow

Or something like that.



Now that we're back from TX, we'll be off again for another brief vacation. We're going to Reading, PA, for the MAAM WWII re-enactment weekend.



http://www.maam.org/maamwwii.html



I've gone before; once with my old boyfriend Joe, and most recently in 2005, with DH. The weather is usually awful, in some fashion, but it's always fun.



There are hardcore WWII re-enactors: soldiers, French villagers, some civilians in the "Homefront" area....those of us who dress in period clothing...and plenty of gawkers who mix it up with the 20s and the 60s but still find it all fascinating.



We'll be there for Saturday and part of Sunday. On Friday we're flying to Philadelphia and meeting Joe (Yep. Same fella) and his lovely wife Theresa...the one for whom I made the Monkey socks...for dinner in a cafe full of singing opera students.



Saturday we'll drive to Reading, walk around all day, run out for dinner, change, and come back for the hangar dance.



As per usual, I doubt I'll manage to post the photos we take, but I'll sneak in some links, at least (providing we remember the camera!).

I will certainly be bringing my knitting; I have a "new" vintage bag that I love, and that goes with me, but I haven't decided yet whether to start a new project as well. It should be vintage, ca. 1940. Socks would be the easiest thing; I wouldn't even need a pattern, of course.

But...some swine stole the baby socks I made on the TX trip. Right out of the suitcase. He or she also took some jewelry that was packed; yes, I was a FOOL to pack it. I know. I will always regret it. And I will never again pack any good jewelry. I've never done it before. Just once...and I'll always pay.

Happy Birthday...29 again.

It's actually tomorrow, but (a) that's a Saturday and (b) we'll be in TX, visiting family.



The presents have been lovely: books, a DVD set, a CD, Chanel No. 5, a reproduction Whiting and Davis purse (20s style), and a knitting diary.



But the best part is this: tomorrow I am going to a movie and lunch with my mother and sister. It has been 19 years since I was with them on my birthday. We're going to see Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Of course. You didn't think I'd miss out on Indy, did you? (I remember going to the last one...my ex and I were not exactly swimming in cash, and planning a chain-restaurant dinner and a movie took some forethought, but we had a very nice time.)



New Yorkers in TX. The mind boggles, doesn't it? But the economy is decent down there, and they manage, though my sister misses the trees and the mountains something fierce. ALL New Yorkers, too, except for my youngest nephew. Even the oldest nephew was born in New York State. My BiL and his mother (also down there) are from New York, too.



I'm taking a half-day at work, and Monday is a holiday (Memorial Day to Americans, formerly Decoration Day). We leave this evening, and will return on Monday night.



The cat sitter will be coming in to look after the boys, and a friend in the area will also stop by to play with them...they need their human fix, and they love their Auntie Jen.

RI Wool and Sheep Festival, 2008

We finally got there, no thanks to Than Chai (aka Destructo the Wonder Kitty).

Perhaps I've mentioned it before, but little Than-Than chews things. Sometimes he swallows them, and this time he did both. We found some of the evidence (well, his brother did, and showed me) that not only had he done both, but he got rid of it again.

Problem was, he was acting as though he hadn't gotten rid of ALL of it. He was droopy and quiet, and hunched on all four little paws instead of curling up in a ball.

Being good Cat Parents, we arranged for him to go to the vet. DH took him. She couldn't find anything by palpitating him, and fuzzy bits from his toys wouldn't show up on an X-ray.

She pumped him full of fluids, gave him some feline version of Peptid AC, and they came back.

We finally left for Bristol, around 2:00 p.m. or a bit later. The RI Wool and Sheep Festival is quite new; this year is the second one, and I didn't go last year.

I am very glad we did go this time. The setting is gorgeous. Incredible. It looked like picture postcard Imaginings of New England.

The vendors were friendly and chatty, and as it's a working (Colonial era) farm, there were chickens clucking all over the grounds, beautiful horned cattle in the enclosures, sheep, donkeys, and a horse. Also, two very friendly cats--a tortie and a tiger.

I haven't taken pictures of the loot yet (and worse still, didn't bring the camera when we went!) but I got sock yarn, we bought balm, honey, soap, alpaca yarn....it was lovely.

http://www.coggeshallfarm.org/

The Dollar Cart

I love libraries. I always have loved libraries, and my summer vacations consisted mostly of staggering out of the downtown branch in Schenectady, NY with a pile of books balanced precariously under my chin.

My husband and I live right across the street from a branch of the library, and it's an amazing resource...not only for books. We check out magazines, DVDs, and CDs. The request system in Rhode Island is sophisticated; I can search online by key word or title or author...even publication date..and choose what I will.

On top of that, these libraries accept a constant stream of donations and sell many off at a few large sales yearly. But in order to keep things manageable (I imagine) there are also "dollar carts" set up, at least in our branch. $1.00 for a hardcover, .50 for a paperback. Pay on the honor system (which I think is wonderful). Metal boxes with a slit on top sit on the uppermost shelf. Drop your coins or stuff your paper through, and the book is yours.

Yesterday my husband walked across to return some books and glanced at the carts on his way out. He found the books posted at the top. For $1.00 each!

I like the bags book...it's got a wacky sheep backpack that looks like it could become a wonderful kid pillow, and other useful things. But the baby blankets book is great. I found a simple cable blanket that will make an elegant shawl, and a second one, by Norah Gaughan, that will be just right for the aran superwash I bought for the co-worker baby present.

The Vogue Knitting On the Go series is charming, and most books have at least one pattern that I like. The format is good, and there's practical advice at the start of each one. I've got five or six of them at this writing, and I won't pass up the chance to add a few more to my collection.

I was up late last night, working the first pattern set for the shawl. It's going to be lovely.

The Lost Are Found

Some of them.

Photos of last year's FOs (Finished Objects, for you non-knitters, if any). DH told me he had uploaded them to the laptop, so for your viewing pleasure...

Soysilk Branching Out (blocked with points) from soysilk obtained in a swap with Seven of Knitty.

DH's crazy Chess Socks.

My favorite white anklets.

Yellow Checkerboard Socks.

The green socks since eaten by Than Chai (you know, Destructo). (I need to frog the one he didn't eat, but so far I haven't had the heart.)

I knit socks, don't I?

The Red Sox anklets will show up soon.

Spring Fever and Baseball

I have both. Almost.

On Saturday evening I have two tickets to the PawSox's first Stitch & Pitch. For those of you not in the know, it means the ballpark will be flooded with needleworkers of all flavors, knitting, crocheting and otherwise stitching madly, yelling at the umpire, and (we hope) not dropping a stitch.

I might be on my own; I got two tickets because I didn't know whether the seating would be assigned (I know it wasn't in the old days, but now...who can tell!) and I figured if Batty or anyone else spoke up for it, we'd sit together.

If it's not claimed I'll donate it back. That's another thing. The people who organized this are also sponsoring a table for charity donations. I am not a selfless knitter. I want to knit for ME and MINE for the most part...but who doesn't love the warm fuzzies from helping out? This makes it easy. So...the scarf I knitted 18 months ago for another charity (which didn't make it into the post) will find its new home that way.

DH won't be there. He's not a fan anyway, though he knows more players than I do. But if you possess mainly testosterone, apparently there's No Choice. Gotta be able to talk the talk, even if you don't go there!

I'm geeked. I've bought my little t-shirt, a Sox hoodie, and am just rows away from the toe of my second Red Sox anklet. They'll be done before Saturday!

Maybe I'll remember to take the camera and get some photos. I really should. And who knows, if I ever remember to blog from home, maybe Blogger will like my computer photos better than my online batch.

Play ball!

May Day!

Okay, that was yesterday. Still....it's been a Week. As I don't think my "day job" should be part of this, I'll leave it at that.



I'm not doing a whole lot of knitting right now. I did spend most of yesterday evening trying to find cute (but not twee) baby patterns. I'd love to make a dress.

Nope! Not us; a colleague at the office. And as she's the daughter of an antiques dealer, and her mother was a knitter, she gets it. Well-worth knitting for.



I have nearly an entire slim bookcase stuffed with knitting books. You'd think something would catch my eye.



No.



There are plenty of vintage patterns, but they're fine gauge, and I want to make too many things this year to be caught up in a project that takes a couple of months to finish. There is a Knitty pattern I like; several in fact. That might be the way to go. (Sorry, I can't remember the names of them off the top of my head...oh. I lie. Tulip Toes is one. The other is a dress, very cute and bright.)



Some of the free patterns on the Net are cute, but I don't know...I want to be sure that I have the right yarn. The mother-to-be has an 18 month old son, works full time, and this coming girl will keep her busier than ever! It's got to be machine washable or it'll never be worn. Cascade 220 Superwash is probably the best bet, but I have only blue and rust in the Stash right now. My LYS doesn't carry it. The machine washable worsted they have is 75% acrylic. The colors are excellent, but I've tried knitting with it. Too squeaky for me, I shudder just thinking of it.



The Presto Change-o baby sweater from Jimmy Beans is adorable (I made one last year) but I'd like to do something else. I don't know, though...maybe I should make that and just change the front panel a bit. Or make multiple panels. It really is a fantastically practical and cute pattern.

Still no images!

But I did finish the shawl. (It's on my lap right now, and I wore it yesterday with its gorgeous enameled pin in the shape of an autumn leaf.)

No blocking so far. I actually put it on right after it was finished. Impatient? Just a tad!

I will take some photos soon and you'll at least have links to them. Blogger is a pain; images from the web (my own album on Photobucket) aren't posting.

Now time doth waste me

...or that's what it feels like, these days.



I'm not kvetching, really. It's just that the days are so short! There doesn't seem to be enough time to keep house, work, knit, be with people (even my husband...and after all, he lives with me!) and learn new things.



"Learning new things" takes a back seat too often. I need to learn more about code and various ways of posting images, because I know you don't want to have to click on links all of the time just to see what I'm talking about.



Last night I did take the time to dig into a few books to learn about new ways of casting off. I am finally on that portion of my Ultra Alpaca shawl. It's my own design, and I tried about four different ways of casting off.

• CO in pattern. (Nope. Tried it with a needle one size larger. Nope.) Too tight, too flat.


• Elastic CO. No, I didn't like the flatness of the edge.


• Elastic CO with a larger needle...no...


• Small picot CO. Yes. That one. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it, and it adds just enough stretch and curve to work with the edging.

I'm still trying to decide whether to add a knitted-on or crocheted-on border. Nothing too airy, I don't want it catching on things. It's meant primarily to be warm.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0954.jpg

Also...I've heard that in spite of being half wool, it really grows when wet blocked. I like big shawls, but the holy terrors are entirely too fascinated by woolly things, especially Than Chai. I could leave out anything, even pure alpaca, and Thai Shan wouldn't do a thing except sniff it politely and walk on.

Would it have time to dry overnight in the living room, even with a space heater next to it?

Time, time, time....

CT Wool & Sheep Festival, 2008

It's a lovely festival. 99 years old and going strong!



DH & I met up with Zantimissknit and her DH and had a great time. First face-to-face meeting for us all. They're terrific company......and terrific enablers! (Mr. Zanti has had some practice, too.) And as Zanti mentioned, the husbands had quite a lot in common. We had a comedy team and shopping to keep us busy.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0982.jpg



Here we are with some of the loot!


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0981.jpg



The festival is smallish, but nicely laid out, with sheep and fiber and all. I got 4 skeins of gorgeous alpaca (knitted at a tight gauge it will make fabulous socks); one lovely coppery skein with glints of gold metallic thread (maybe enough for a lacy head scarf); 12 skeins of vintage yarn (30s and 40s!!); handmade soap...DH found a fantastic pair of black & white socks and 2-tone green fingerless gloves. I also bought fingerless gloves in a dusty cocoa color.



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0983.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0986.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0987.jpg

I also got in some good knitting time today. Finished the first Red Sox sock & cast on for the second; started the heel flap on the first Twisted sock for DH, and finished tinking back on my shawl. Quite a bit got done on the Retro Redux shrug too.

Small it might be, but we really enjoyed it. Including the lamb burgers.

A friend of mine (who was pushing me to blog in the first place) has also suggested I start adding some reviews to the mix. I used to write reviews and articles at Port Halcyon, a now-defunct online vintage magazine, so it's not unfamiliar territory.

Keep your eyes peeled. It could happen!

Backstory, Part II

I have a lot of catching up to do on all things, but especially things Knitty. Well, knitty. They're not all connected with the magazine. I did knit the Vegan Fox:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0904.jpg


(And promptly lost it. No kidding. But I found it again at the end of the year, and gave it to Jen for Christmas. She loves it, I'm happy to say.)


Her husband got another hat, too. Here's DH modelling it. This one is my own design, and I'm pretty pleased with it. At that gauage it's also a great starting point to make a cloche. The yarn is vintage (1970s) ragg wool I found at my favorite thrift shop. It didn't even take the whole skein!



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0881.jpg


What else...oh, yes. It was the Year of the Sturdy Shawl. This one began as a stole for my MiL. Then I decided it was for me. Then my boss saw it and fell in love with the colors (she's a blue-eyed blonde) and we made a deal; if she paid for the yarn and promised to never expect something knitted again, I'd make it for her. My pattern...and her request was that I not publish the pattern, ever! Oh, well. She loves it, though, and wears it a lot.



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0696-1.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0697.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0695.jpg


Then I made a silk/cotton blend for my MiL (she's very allergic to wool).



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0892.jpg


My sister saw it when she and the boys were up for a visit in July, and just flipped out. So I went out and found more silk/cotton blend yarn and made a slightly different one for her! (No photo, I forgot to take one.)


What else...more wacky socks for DH. Checkerboard heels. He loves them. (Forgot to take a picture of those, too...maybe one of these days before he wears them out.)


I also made more socks for myself, and Branching Out for my friend Jen (in soysilk I got in a swap with Seven (Knitty); she got THAT as her birthday present instead of the Vegan Fox.



I also made one in laceweight merino for me. The yarn for that came from a frogged thrift shop sweater.



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0667.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0671.jpg


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0668.jpg


The Jimmy Beans Presto Change-o sweater was for a colleague's first grandchild (I subbed with Cascade 220) and the Fair Isle baby hat (my own design) was for a new employee's first child. (Don't believe what everyone tells you, the darned thing ended up being too big for her to wear before winter ended!)



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0684.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0886.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0885.jpg


Oh, I made a silk/mohair blend collar and belt, inspired by a 1921 pattern for a sweater collar. The buttons are the real deal; pure Art Deco.



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0940.jpg


This skating scarf and hat set pattern came from the same Bucilla Bear Brand knitting booklet. I added the lining and the trim. The scarf is about 7' long! And almost too warm. But I love the way it looks.



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0950.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0959.jpg


Last year I also made a couple of "Three Hour" sweaters, from a free pattern that used to be available online. It's from the 30s. Three hour my foot, but I finished each one in three days. That's pretty good!



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0679.jpg


Another mohair shrug, too, from the 1963 Spinnerin pattern I used for my very first sweater. Just as annoying to follow the pattern...and the end result was just as wonderful. (Still don't have a photo.)


Oh, yes, and the Y****** socks I made for my BiL were a huge hit with the nephews. They requested Nascar socks! *sigh* So Flattered Auntie fought over the design (and sizing...a small 6-year old and a big 10-year old and a strange mix of Fair Isle and intarsia...). But they were done on time for Christmas. I started the damn things in August!



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0859.jpg

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0866.jpg


I made some toys for co-workers (my own patterns):



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0711.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0707.jpg


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0677.jpg


A hot water bottle cover (my own pattern):



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0670.jpg


These are the Monkey Socks (Cookie A.'s pattern, from Knitty) that I made for Theresa:


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0971.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0970.jpg


I'm still on the board of the Robert Benchley Society, I'm proud to say. So I need to get going and do my judging for the annual contest! This year we are very lucky indeed; Bob Newhart is our finals judge! It's a real honor.


DH and I decided to attend part of the Wodehouse Society's gathering this year. It was held in Providence, and called "Divine Providence". I don't know when I've met funnier, more charming and well-read people. It was an evening and a half of pure fun! We still haven't attended any regular meetings in the area, though. There's a new president and apparently things are still falling into place for the year.


We also went to the California Art Deco Society's bash at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite. The Ahwahnee is an Art Deco treasure, built in 1927. Parts of it have been renovated to an unrecognizable degree, but the common areas, for the most part, are still stunning. The music was out of this world, and so was the food in the dining room. Here are a few pictures:


http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0961.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0960.jpg



http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0957.jpg


Whew...some summary! That's all, folks. For now.

It's been a long, long time....

Well over a year, in fact! I won't 'splain, I'll summarize.



Busy year. Lots of working, lots of yarn. And knitting.



In August, on the 6th, we lost our darling Than Chai (Mr. Yarn Couch). He was the dearest, sweetest, kindest animal I've ever known. Not a day goes by that I don't think about him. Pancreatic troubles...my poor boy. He was so dragged out, but sweet to the end. The staff at the vet's were nearly as upset as we were. When the doctor called to tell me he was gone, she was crying.



Here's the good news: on August 9, some Siamese kittens were born, in a cattery in MA. Sutton Meows (she handles them from birth and socializes them).



Fa Sing and Than Chai now rule the roost.

Here are some links to photos:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0838_edited.jpg

(Murdering the alligator; Than Chai [aka Destructo, the Wonder Kitty] finished the job a few days later.)

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/000_0873.jpg

(The blue point is Fa Sing; seal is Than Chai.)

A Very Knitty Christmas

Obsess, and they will listen!

My DH, mother and sister all came up trumps. DH got me the Jane F. Neighbors Reversible Two Color Knitting (I've been taking it out of the library time and again since the spring). As it's out of print and highly desirable, it took some work on his part. And I am VERY grateful!

My mother got me the Knitting Pattern A Day Calendar (I already have it at the office) and also Nicky Epstein's newest, which is just gorgeous. Her books are the ne plus ultra for inspiration. My sister and her crew got me Barbara Walker's Second Treasury, which is my favorite.

DH also got me Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. Might not keep that, I don't care much for her writing style, and do prefer my DPNs. The patterns are charming, but I usually make up my own, anyway. And I got my selections from Crafter's Choice. They screwed up the order and are being anything but helpful about an exchange, so I will probably order the book they didn't send, which will fulfill my obligation, and close the account. With luck I can swap the one they did send for yarn!

DH was completely surprised by the hat. He could not believe I'd managed it almost under his nose. And then he got right up and tried it on immediately. That's the way to take a present! I finished his striped sweater vest, too. On Christmas Eve! So (after he insisted on trying it on) I wrapped it and put it under the tree.

The socks I started on Thanksgiving are a bust—for me, anyway. The heel is too narrow. (For me. That's just crazy!) Haven't decided whether to frog or do the second one and trade or gift it.

But I brought some new sock yarn and Sensational Knitted Socks in with me today. As well as DPNs in sizes 1, 2 and 3.

Oh, I did finish the Checkerboard Socks for Theresa. They'll be here on Friday, I can't wait 'til she opens them!

Christmas is well in hand.

The only thing to finish is a pair of Checkerboard Socks (my own pattern) for Theresa. She and Joe were visiting when I finished my own pair and she coveted them madly. As they're coming to stay for New Year's on the 29th, I'm in good shape—mid heel flap on sock #2.

After that I will probably pick up the sweater vest for Jimmy (ran into finishing problems, due to a pattern error). But now I've got the right needles, and it's just a matter of neck and armscye ribbing:

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e111/lindydiva/JimmysVest.jpg

I would really like to have it for him by New Year's, but "we'll see". Still, considering that most of it was done by August, it's overdue!

After that, I need to start the Vegan Fox for Jen's b'day (February). I've already got Alaric's Fetching done. His birthday is January.

Stash-diving next. I've found some incredible things in my new favorite thrift shop. Just yesterday: 4 skeins of black worsted. It's mill spun, but local. And beautiful. A whole $4.99 for all 4 skeins!

The big pull right now is some Lamb's Pride I found at the same place. That, plus a cone of mohair (all together now, "same place!") are looking like a mittens/hat and something set, in Fair Isle.

Stash, and birthdays

First: DH's surprise hat is done. It turned out very well, and he never caught a glimpse. Now it's wrapped and under the tree.

So ALL the real Christmas knitting is done. There's one more thing I'd like to make before New Years, though. We have friends coming to stay on the 29th, and they're as nutty over vintage as we are. Theresa saw my checkerboard socks as I was Kitchenering the toe of the second one, and she even asked to try them on. So I think I'll try to make her a pair, probably in the gray yarn. I'll cast on tonight or tomorrow, as soon as I dig out the pattern and wind the yarn (it's my own pattern). I'd also like to make a tie for Joe. Real Art Deco stuff. I've got some great vintage patterns, and not long ago we found some beautiful laceweight Shetland that would be perfect. But Jimmy (DH) wants to choose something for Joe himself, so we'll see...

Last night I finished a modified version of Fetching http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTfetching.html for my oldest nephew. No cables at the top, and a plain bind off. His birthday is next month, so that and a gift card will take care of him.

On the way home yesterday I stopped at my favorite thrift shop and found some great yarn, including 4 skeins of Lambs Pride in a dark red, all in the same dye lot! Also a cone of mohair (I think...haven't done a burn test yet), and what looks like a wool/silk/cotton blend, plus some beautiful gray tapestry yarn, 100% wool. The LP and the mohair would be enough for mittens, and hat, and a scarf; some kind of simple Fair Isle pattern. And very Christmassy! Maybe I'll come up with something for me. I adore LP but usually it ends up gifted to someone else.