theraineysisters knitting and so much more

March 5, 2007

From Sally — Final Pictures of Feather and Fan

Filed under: Feather and Fan Shawl — surly @ 8:42 pm

I should have put on heels and a swirly dress to show off the shawl post-blocking, but I didn’t. Here are a few final photographs of the grey behemoth.

A close up of the cable detail (which I did every three pattern repeats):

A shot of it folded in half around the shoulders:

A twirling shot:

On another note:

I should have put on heels and a swirly dress to show off the shawl post-blocking, but I didn’t. Here are a few final photographs of the grey behemoth. A close up of the cable detail (which I did every three pattern repeats): A shot of it folded in half around the shoulders: A twirling shot: On another note: A few months ago, I wrote about the new Knit Picks needle sets. (You can see my post on them here.) I was quite happy with them, but after an incident last night I thought I should issue a brief warning/update. Having finished the grey shawl, I wanted to cast on a new one to have on the needles. I decided to use one of that set and laboriously cast on 624 stitches. As I was knitting the first row, the needle came apart. You screw the cord to the needle, and sometimes the needle will come unscrewed. That wasn’t the problem last night, though. Instead, the cord actually pulled out of the metal piece that you use to screw the cord into the appropriate needle tip. Because of the type of cast on I was using and the fact that the yarn was 100% silk, my entire cast on was lost. I’m sure Knit Picks will replace the cord for me, but right now I’m not sure I even want them to. I’m trying to make the lost hours of casting on into a positive: I wasn’t that happy with the cast on specified by the pattern so I am going to use a different one AND I think I will switch to an Addi Natura (bamboo) needle because the yarn is so slippery. I rarely knit with bamboo or wood, but in this case I think it’s a good idea. Sadly, I don’t own a needle in the right size and length, so I am temporarily stymied. Back to Eris I go.

From Susan — How Embarrassing!!

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 7:12 am

OR, how “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” bit me in the a**. 

I stopped in my LYS yesterday and a couple of newbie knitters were in front of me at the register when I checked out.  They were saying things like, “I had no idea I would spend this much!  What will my husband say?” 

Well, of course I had to chime in (rather tongue-in-cheek): “Don’t tell him.  What business is it of his anyway?  My husband and I have a ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy about this kind of thing.”  Blah, blah, blah.

As I got in my car, I noticed that my phone was flashing — indicating a missed call.  I picked up the phone and my husband was on the phone trying to talk to me.  The upshot was, I had accidentally called him (at work no less!) and he was overhearing the whole conversation!  He was asking me why I kept saying, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and, “Where are you — why did you call me and not talk to me??”  It was pretty hilarious!

Lest you think my husband is a jerk from whom I have to hide my knitting expenditures, he’s not — he couldn’t care less.  He is a very sweet and supportive man, and treats me way too well if you ask me!  But it was too ironic and funny!

March 3, 2007

From Sally — The Feather & Fan Shawl Is Blocked and Drying

Filed under: Feather and Fan Shawl — Sally @ 6:00 pm

Whew. That was a lot of pinning. A lot. It’s probably already dry — I had to keep spraying it just to be able to finish blocking. But I am leaving it pinned for a few more hours lest I suffer the nightmare of “springing back.” Here are some photos of it being blocked.

I stood on a chair to try to get a better shot, but I couldn’t get the entire shawl in the photograph.

Here is a close up.

In answer to Susan’s question: it’s about 63 inches in diameter.

From Sally — The Feather & Fan Shawl Is Finished (almost)

Filed under: Feather and Fan Shawl — Sally @ 12:28 pm

The crocheted edge is finished and the shawl is happily soaking in a tub of lavender-scented Eucalan — just waiting to be blocked. Here are a few photos of the almost finished shawl.

This one was taken when I had cast off somewhere between a third and half of the stitches:

Here it is in all of its pre-blocking glory:

And here are two skeins of a beautiful hand-dyed 100% silk laceweight yarn from Sundara — my next shawl. The color is a bit darker and deeper than it looks here and because it’s silk there is more sheen as well. It’s really what I call “Kate Spade” red. Click here to see the color a bit better.

March 2, 2007

From Susan — Winter Wonderland!!

Filed under: Back Story — lv2knit @ 9:47 am

Remember this from December 31, 2006?

Outdoors002.jpg

Now it looks like this!

Winter007.jpg

I LOVE IT!!!  The snow is so deep that it’s over our dog’s back — she’s a large Yellow Lab.  She “swims” through the yard to do her thing.

Debbie Downer (aka, my husband) went off to work, so we are alone to have the kind of fun described by the commenters of yesterday.  I had already told my youngest that it would not be all fun and games if we had a Snow Day — that she would have to shovel out her room, etc.  But it did bother me that John did not let them savor the moment, ever so briefly!

I am going to be knitting, eating, drinking copious amounts of coffee, talking to Surly on the phone, watching TV (either live, or movies) and doing some fun things with the girls.  And I plan on running through the snowbanks like a young girl, flopping into the snow and getting thoroughly doused. 

On the knitting front: I have been working on Oregon and will probably finish the second sleeve this weekend.  I still cannot figure out how Marina finishes two sleeves in less than a week!  I am at the point where I am doing my decreases every 3 rounds instead of every 5, so it is getting smaller much faster.  Once you get to the Large Leaf Border, it seems to go faster, too, because it becomes more interesting — then there is the ribbing :(.  And the front bands.  And the neckband…..aaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!

Re: Eris — this is what I pick up when I need a break from Oregon.  It has been progressing slowly and will speed up once Oregon is finis!! 

I must knit!  TTFN

PS — by 11 am youngest daughter had shoveled her room — now we need to do a mountain of laundry!!

March 1, 2007

From Susan — A Real Live Snow Day

Filed under: Uncategorized — surly @ 11:35 pm

When I was growing up in Minnesota, school officials had to build in at least 3 or 4 “Snow Days” into the school calendar every year, and they got used.  My kids have had very few, if any (I tried to remember one, and nothing recent comes to mind).  Snow days have become a thing of the past, like rotary phones!  Until now – tomorrow is an official, bona fide, out-and-out, for real SNOW DAY!!  I am as excited as my kids, because I told them at work today that if my school district called a Snow Day, I was staying home.  Man oh man, I am happy!

My husband, the perennial killjoy, did not give the kids 2 minutes of joy before telling them they could clean the house tomorrow.  Au contraire, Debbie Downer!  Though a small cleaning effort may be foisted upon us out of necessity, we are going to enjoy our Snow Day — or what good is it? 

My Knit Snow Day has officially begun ;)!!

From Sally — Miles to Crochet Before I Sleep

Filed under: Feather and Fan Shawl — Sally @ 5:26 pm

I knit the last stitch of the Feather & Fan Shawl this morning. Thanks to all of you for your understanding of my need to knit those last four rows. Checking off the last row of the chart was very satisying.

Then I realized I could not find a crochet hook approaching the size I need for the crocheted cast off, despite the fact that it feels as if I buy a crochet hook every time I step into a yarn store.

My response was to go get a salt scrub and a massage (in part to alleviate the pain and tension in my shoulder from knitting the shawl in the first place). Feeling way too relaxed to drive legally, I nevertheless made my way to the closest local yarn store. They did not have a single crochet hook in stock. In any size. Say what? I did finally find the crochet hook of my dreams across town at their sister store. I am now starting the very slow — especially for me — process of casting off the grey behemoth. I am not a great crocheter; I find it clumsy, awkward, and tedious. If practice makes perfect, I’m bound to improve. (Get it? Bound to improve? ‘Cause I’m binding off. Yeah — I know it was lame.)

From Susan — This Will Date Me!

Filed under: Uncategorized — lv2knit @ 8:12 am

A No Knitting Post

A number of older “stars” are going to be on American Idol to be mentors and judges.  Some have retooled their early hits to accommodate the aging baby boomers who make up their fan base:

    1. Herman’s Hermits — Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got a Lovely Walker
    2. The Bee Gees — How Can You Mend a Broken Hip 
    3. Bobby Darin — Splish, Splash, I Was Havin’ a Flash
    4. Ringo Starr — I Get By With a Little Help From Depends
    5. Roberta Flack — The First Time Ever I Forgot Your Face 
    6. Johnny Nash — I Can’t See Clearly Now
    7. Paul Simon — Fifty Ways to Lose Your Liver
    8. The Commodores — Once, Twice, Three Times to the Bathroom
    9. Marvin Gaye — Heard It Through the Grape Nuts
   10. Procol Harem — A Whiter Shade of Hair
   11. Leo Sayer — You Make Me Feel Like Napping
   12. The Temptations — Papa’s Got a Kidney Stone
   13. Tony Orlando — Knock 3 Times On The Ceiling If You Hear Me Fall
   14. Helen Reddy — I Am Woman, Hear Me Snore
   15. Leslie Gore — It’s My Procedure, and I’ll Cry If I Want To

   16. Willie Nelson — On the Commode Again!

I am such a sucker for bad puns!

Speaking of oldies, I had the craziest dream last night.  Through a series of events I met my younger self.  I said to the Young Me, “I’m you, from the future.  This is what you’re going to look like!”  The look of shock and disappointment was a bit off putting!  I kept thinking, why don’t we have more in common?  The Young Me was describing things in her life (which of course should have totally matched MY past) and none of it was correct.  Even her “date” was no one I had gone out with before.  Come to find out, the Young Me had overheard someone talking about a job opening at a different hospital at that time.  Young Me went for the opportunity and got the job.  It changed everything for her — her friends, where she lived, etc.  I started kind of freaking out in the dream — not that one small decision could change everything (because I believe that is true — See Gwyneth Paltrow’s “Sliding Doors”), but why didn’t my present life match up?  It was the coolest dream I’ve had in a long time and very cool that I remembered it in such detail when I woke up!! 

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