You must forgive me

For the awful photo.

All day yesterday and last night I was camping out with my Brownie Troop in a local backyard. We had a great time, but, of course, are exhausted and underfed (the adults, I mean). J and I even slept outside by the fire instead of in the tents!

We got 2 Try-Its and an outdoor skills patch!!

Then I came home and blocked Rogue:



The sweater is somewhat longer than it should be, but I don't really mind. I probably should have made the next smaller size, but I didn't want it to be close fitting (this time, anyway). I would definitelty knit this sweater again as I love the cabling and the instructions are great. But, of course, if it looks like a** tomorrow I may change my mind.

Self designed sweater is at the bottom border. That sweater is a bit smaller than I want, but the yarn will relax with washing, so I'm going to stop here. If it ends up still being small and I have any yarn left (I will), I will take out the bind offs and make it longer, mostly sleeves. At the moment the sleeves are too short, but my swatch gauge was different before and after washing. We'll see. It's not the longest sweater in the world, but it is as long as my ancient purple one (falling apart) which has patch pockets, which I want to add at the end. It's been great fun and unless this one also looks like a**, I will knit more based on it with some details. This is the simplest top down raglan in the world; no bells or whistles.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Go Waxman! Go Leahy!!

A Little Excitement!

If you're wondering why I haven't posted for a few days, we've had a little excitement over here...

DH and M's film, having been nominated for an award at the San Fernando Valley International Film Festival...

WON!!! For Best Foreign Language Film!!!!



We are so thrilled and hopeful that this will be the beginning of a great success with our film production company.

Did you see it?



The Gala Awards Ceremony was wonderful, too. Good food, funny presenters, lovely tablemates. M's parents were also able to travel from Washington, D.C. to attend with us (pictures later). M's mother, an Italian fashion designer, not only brought me a BEAUTIFUL outfit to wear, but is commissioning some handknit hats from my handspun yarns for a RUNWAY SHOW in the fall!!

Anyway, when they announced our film, I shrieked like a banshee! I will post a link to the You Tube video when I have it, if you want to see, but we are all smiles, still.

Obligatory knitting content: I finished my Madtini socks, after having been eliminated after about 24 hours.



This pattern was perfect for the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport that had been marinating in the stash for about 6 years, I would say. Sometimes you just can't knit that birthday present yarn! And everyone says it pools something awful, which doesn't generally bother me. But this pattern breaks up the colors nicely and does well at 7 spi.

Thanks, Sock Madness organizers, for the fun! I plan to continue on at a slower pace but just knowing that I can knit a 56 stitch pair in three days makes me feel better about gift sock knitting. DD's teacher's yarn should arrive tomorrow or Friday...

Hope you are having as nice a week as we are!!

Sock #1 finished, though

Thanks for the comments, folks! They make my day!

I'm out! UPDATED

Go for it, Victoria!

I'll keep knitting these, though, they're very cute!

UPDATE:

After I told my children I didn't win the contest, this is what DD presented me with:



How sweet is that?!?! I cried, I admit it.

Thank you, my dearest girl.

Sock Madness, Round 2

Sorry I haven't had time to post photos of anything yet! I've been working like a fiend, trying to transcribe 7.5 hours of interviews in 10 days of work time (and am keeping up but barely). And knitting a really cute sock very quickly, I must admit.

Self-designed Barbara Walker sweater is about 8 inches past the underarms!

Rogue is still unblocked.

Pix on Tuesday (or before if I finish the socks).

My opponent is already WAY ahead of me, so I have very little confidence. But I do like the sock and my long-marinated Lorna's Laces looks GREAT in this pattern, if I say so myself. I discovered yesterday that I was wearing the exact colors in the socks, so these won't go to DD's teacher either. But she's up next, especially now that I know I can knit a pair in three or four days (on 56 stitches, anyway).

More later!

Have a lovely weekend!

P.S. Please send prayers (or good thoughts or whatever) to Elizabeth Edwards!

The Only Reason

The Only Reason not to testify under oath is so that you can LIE.

The Only Reason not to have a transcript is so that no one can FACT CHECK your testimony.

The Only Reason not to have an open hearing is because you are AFRAID of public scrutiny.

The Only Reason to refuse to testify is because you know you are GUILTY.

Any more questions?

Please, please, please, DO NOT CAVE!!! He has no credibility, he has no legal standing, he has no precedent, he has no capital!!! Attack!! Attack!! Attack!!

Since you asked (but, sadly, not yet)

The next post will be blocking photos of Rogue and progress photos of new sweater designed by me (or do I have to give Barbara Walker the credit as I am following her formula RELIGIOUSLY).

But today I sang two solos in church (twice) and worked for an hour and now am off to GS cookie boothing for the last time this year. When I get home, I will work some more and then I hope be blocking that Rogue. Joy tells me Tuesday will be my last chance to wear a wool sweater this year, although I hold out great hopes for all three camping trips, especially sleeping in the Arctic at Sea World. I hear it's very cold in there...

Anyway, very busy with other stuff and hoping to get the green sweater completely finished before Sock Madness starts up again!

Have a lovely day!

I should be sewing up Rogue

But I'm obsessed with my self-designed sweater. I have reached the bottom of the raglans and am hoping that one ball will do for each sleeve.

More later!

Thanks, everybody!

Thanks to all of the good vibes coming my way, they had a copy at our library and I'm good to go!

Woo-hoo!

Frustration

I have the yarn, I have the idea. I've swatched and achieved fabric that I like. I need the circular needles, that's fine. But I have...

MISPLACED THE BOOK!!

I cannot find my copy of "Knitting from the Top." That I was planning the green sweater from just the other day. Disappeared into wherever these things go (must look in the dryer!). Ho hum!!!

Send me some vibes, people, I need my book!

And I even cleaned since then (maybe that's the problem)!

Rogue Update

The knitting is finished!! The sleeve caps took more than an entire ball of yarn. I'm sure glad I ordered two.

Swatching for my bulky Girl Scout green cardigan in Knitpicks Wool of the Andes Bulky. Looks like 10's will get me 3 spi, which is what I want. I'm going to do a Barbara Walker top down v-neck cardigan and hope for the best. I'll knit the sleeves as long as I want and then see how long the yarn holds out for the body. Seed stitch borders. Wish me luck!

No news on when Sock Madness will start up again. But my division is closed and I am eager to get back in the swing. Problem today is I need some mindless knitting for this evening's Junior training class. Ancient felted bag? Probably S2K socks, instead.

Have a lovely day!

Whew! I made it!

Now there are fourteen finishers in my Division...

And I am one of them!!

In other news, more yarn has arrived to finishe Rogue and although it is not the same dye lot, it looks fine to me. I've asked everyone in the house what they think, to be hypercritical of the color, but even DH says it will be fine. So now that the Round 1 is over, I can knit sleeve caps today. This sweater may get finished yet! The closest guess to today is Joy, but I have to sew the thing up, as well so good luck, Joy! If I don't work tonight you're probably the winner! More later!

If only it weren't 100 degrees this week, I could wear the socks or the sweater (they don't go together at all!) but sweater may have to wait for camping out on the 30th.

Congratulations to all who finished in time and all who tried their best! You're all wonderful! And to the organizers!!

Finished!

Started 7:00 a.m. PST Saturday, March 10
Finished 10:00 p.m. PDT, Monday, March 12

There they are. Now I wait till morning to see if I made it. I doubt it, though. And there's no way I'll make round 2, as there were 11 knitters faster than me, at least. But it was fun to find out I could knit a pair in 3 days!

Whew!

OMG!

11 people in my division are already finished! I just turned the second heel!!!

Can't...blog...must...knit...again...

Apparently, I've used that title before!

Here are my Sock Madness Round one socks as of Saturday night at 5:30 p.m. PST:

I now have another half a foot.

Will she be eliminated in Round 1? Will she care? Can she knit a stockinette sock in less than two days? Yes, it turns out. In fingering weight yarn. However, having followed the pattern like a good little sheep, they are a bit too small for me. So after it's over I will either make them longer or give them to mom. Mom is pretty likely!

I cannot believe how many people finished by Sunday morning. I had a Brownie meeting to run, for goodness sake! And boothing! And Church! And children at home! And annoying houseguest! Don't you people understand!?!?!?

Oh, sorry, that's my panic showing.

Later!

The Word of the Day

A new word for the lexicon:

typocrite ('tip-uh-krit noun): A typical Republican hypocrite.

1 : a typical Republican who fakes good by putting on a false appearance of virtue or religion
2 : a typical Republican who fakes good but acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings
3 : a typical Republican whose need for self-gratificaton extends to the public sphere

Thanks poputonian at Hullabaloo!

Houston, we have a problem.

I'm on row 61 of the Rogue sleeves. I have one ball of yarn. One. For both sleeves. Will I eke them out or (HORRORS!) need more. I've called Knitpicks and begged for the same dyelot but they are not confident. I have another maybe 1/3 of a ball that got something spilled on it earlier which I will also use. Maybe I will get there, maybe not. AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!

In other news, DD's 2nd grade teacher REALLY wants a pair of socks and I am a sucker for a direct request. So by the end of the school year, some blue handknit socks will be gifted to her. I'm planning to change one of my Sock Madness yarns to the skein of blue Trekking I have in the stash (she definitely wants blue) and attempt to kill two birds, as it were. As if I'm not going to lose in the first round.

No pix today, too lazy.

Have a lovely day!

Doing the Happy Dance!!!

GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY! GUILTY!

Bye-bye, Scooter!

Say hi to Abramoff and Cunningham and Ney for us!

Merry Fitzmas!!!

Not to make you jealous or anything...

Okay, go ahead be jealous. I have the best S2K pal ever!!

Today I received a gorgeous package from Loribird:



The yarn is her handspun, merino/tencel, 390 yards, and absolutely beautiful! Lori spun it a little thicker this time (to stop my complaining over 10 spi). Now, I would like to point out that I wasn't REALLY complaining; I was just despairing over how long it would take me to actually be able to wear the socks. The color changes are lovely and the yarn is very soft. This new yarn, however, is also shiny!

The roving is Merino/Silk dyed by Lori in colors that I just love, orange, purple. The funny thing is I thought I ordered a colorway very similar to this from Amy Boogie last month to be sent with my Spunky Club roving and Amy sent me Leaf Peep instead. But I love Leaf Peep, too so I just took it in stride. Now here comes the very thing I was lusting after! Thanks so much!

These beautiful gifts were accompanied by (I can't believe she sent this much stuff!) Jasmine soap and pearl stitch markers. I've only ever used little loops of yarn for stitch markers so these are luxurious!

Anyway, for my very first Secret Pal exchange, I've been just so very lucky to have Loribird as my angel!!

In other news, Rogue's sleeves are cast on. I want to finish them by Friday night. I make no claims, however, that I will get it sewn up before Sock Madness starts so the contest will continue...

When I'm avoiding Rogue, I'm spinning some of my Crown Mountain Farms roving in Love Me Tender:



It looks better than this picture and I can't wait to have a pair of socks out of it. I'm spinning it pretty thick so maybe I can wear them before it gets too hot out here. And since I have a plying head for my wheel now, I'm spinning two bobbins to ply together rather than one and then Andean plying.

The Spunky Club roving is so lovely this month. Amy has spun it two ply, I'm planning on a Navajo ply to keep the colors separated. But I don't know when I will get to it, with the contest, the sweater, the sock yarn and that bright laceweight ahead of it in the queue. But soon...

Have a lovely day!

Nancy's Traditional Sock Division

This is my division for Sock Madness!! Soon we will begin! Soon I will be eliminated!

And yet, I am excited about this. I do, in fact, have room in the queue this spring for this event and will do my very best, around kids and work and volunteering and all. At least socks can be taken anywhere!

Wish me luck!