A Curious Statistical Anomaly

Occasionally, or as often as I can find a way to fit it in, knit happens. I finished the other pair of socks I was working on, except for sewing in the ends and writing up the directions. They actually came out pretty nice — more on them later in another post.

So, I bought some Red Heart Heart & Sole with Aloe. It’s a self-stripping yarn. Fiber content is 70% Superwash Wool and 30% Nylon. It feels pretty nice — smooth and easy to knit with. Haven’t had much problem with splitting. But I’m a bit disappointed in that the strips have these blobs of off color mixed in so the entire sock looks like a stripped sock that’s been washed a bazillion times. So, it is going to have that lived in look right from the start. You can see what I mean about the color smears from the photo.

I’m just using the standard sock pattern, nothing fancy. Actually, this is what I do so I don’t need a pattern. Guess I’ve finally made enough socks I don’t use a pattern when I do the plain vanilla ones like this. I’ve been in a bit of a brain fog lately so I needed something to do when I felt really off — something I could focus on that (hopefully) wouldn’t need a lot of concentration and would make me feel like I’d at least done something with my time other than stand around trying to figure out what I was supposed to do now that I found myself standing in this room instead of that one.

Things are looking up. I actually feel my brain rebooting and coming back on line. The pressure dropped and the headache/migraine eased off and I got my Celebrex Rx refilled. The joints still ache, especially the knees and hips but my fingers are fine and my arms and shoulders are lots better. Once it gets back in my system I should be nearly back to normal.

I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire and once the brain is back on line and running nearly optimally, I’ve got to get cracking on them.

I found out what the reddish mystery bird was in my Bird post. Today RefDesk had an article on Birds Shifting North During the Winter. The RefDesk had a picture of the Purple Finch along with a photo and it looks like one of our mystery birds — so I’m calling it a purple finch from now on.

Sometimes, serendipity just bring the answers to the questions of life — the trick is to recognize them.

Okay, this is not a science or geek post so those of you not interested in the art and craft of knitting or fibery goodness can move along. But I knit. I’m working on about six projects now. Yeah, I’m flighty and I knit with the mood. I’m nearly done with some socks I’ve been working on of my own design.  That will be another post later.

But back on topic, I heard about this knitting book a while back, quite a while back actually, and it sounded interesting, but nothing special. Now it’s out in the stores and I hadn’t had a chance to see the book itself. The bookstores near where I live and a bit farther a field are light on the craft sections and finding anything is a bit hit or miss because most jumble the crafts all together and I haven’t figured out their shelving system because it isn’t alphabetical by Author or by Title or any other method I can suss out. And no the craft books aren’t even shelves by topic with all the knitting in one area and the crochet in another and quilting in another and so on — jumbled together. So, I hadn’t seen it when I saw the notice that it was out and that usually means out of sight out of mind.

However, Knitting Daily yesterday had this YouTube video with the author talking about the book. I found it on YouTube so you can have a peek if you don’t get Knitting Daily.

My reaction? Wow. I like all the patterns they showed except one and it would take minimum changes to make it one I did like. So, imagine my surprise when today after shopping we stopped in the book store and they have one copy on the shelves. I actually got to take it down and get a closer look. I just flipped through the pages but I liked all the patterns — that’s got to be a gazillion to one chance. Fact is, once I get to actually sit down and study the book I’d probably find that even though I like the pattern it wouldn’t look good on me. But, really a pattern book that I like everything in is unusual enough.

Now it’s on the top of my Wish List. It will more than likely be the next knitting book that I get. What I like most is that the patterns all look like items that you could wear every day and feel special. And that’s mostly what knitting is about — making things that are special and/or make you feel special but are functional and beautiful. On a quick peek — this seems to be one of those books with a higher percentage of “meeting my criteria” than usual.

Finally, got my act together enough to do a blog post. It’s been a heck of a week starting last Thursday when I appeared to be coming down with a cold. Then came the weather changes and the migraines to put the cherry on top. The last two days I’ve actually felt human again and have started to get caught up on the job stuff, the volunteer stuff and my stuff.

This month’s coffee cup, I’ve had for a while. It’s sort of a girly tea-time cup and saucer but I wasn’t feeling well and I thought why have things if you never use them. I enjoy utility matched with beauty or silly or fun. So, I washed it out and started using it. The words around the edge say “Home is Where Heart Is” and the design is by Mary Englebreit. I love her artwork — it’s so bright, alive, funny, and homey. I usually get a big calendar for the kitchen and a small one for the desk. This year I also got a small one in a folder for my purse (my PDA died a while back and hasn’t been replaced and the blackberry and their ilk don’t really seem to be built for people who wear reading glasses who might not have them on all the time.

I digress. The only problem with this cup is the size — it means multiple trips to the coffee pot (and I only have half a pot each day). Smaller cups also mean they cool faster too. But drinking out of it makes me smile and I love putting it down with a quiet clink into the saucer. So, I’m a happy person this month.

I’m also in my copious amounts of free time — NOT — working on a sock. I’ve had this sort of vision in my head and I’m trying to get it to translate to the knitting. So far I’m on my third try with this sock. The top looks good but when I switch to the ribbing it looks sort of okay but not great — I’m still thinking about what to do with that. It fits okay. At first I thought it would be way to big but it fits nice up the calf.

Unfortunately, the heel is a bit loose. Seems to be okay when I try it on but I won’t really know until I walk in it for a while but I’m debating now on whether to keep going or rip it out to just above the heel flap and decrease some stitches on the first row of the heel flap or narrow down just above it. It’s something I’ll need to decide on soon but after ripping it all out twice already — I can do it again.

Besides, once I get this sock all figured out the second one should be a breeze and then I’ll post the directions here so any of you so inclined can give it a try. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten a couple of knitting books to read but trying to fit them in for reading when I’ve got so many books I need to review this month is going to be a real challenge. I figure if I get all the review books done and written up I can move to one of these new books.

So, far for review in SFRevu, I’ve read The Sharing Knife: Horizon by Lois McMaster Bujold. This one ends the Sharing Knife sage and is the fourth in the series. For Gumshoe Review, I’ve read The Book of Old Houses by Sara Graves and A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair. These will be in the February issues of the zines. I’ve started Oolong Dead by Laura Childs (also for Gumshoe). At least as far as the reading goes this month, I’m having a lot of fun.

Well, I’m off to finish a chapter, have a hot chocolate, and get to sleep. Hopefully, I’ll have a dream where I figure out what to do about my sock. I’m open to suggestions — not necessarily to follow the suggestion — but to take it/them under advisement.

You’re probably wondering why I have a cup as the image for this post. Well, this is the new December coffee cup. There was a bit of an accident with the original December coffee cup. I was making bread and opened the cupboard to get out the measuring cups when the cupboard exploded. Well, it didn’t actually explode but it seemed like it to me as things just fell out of it shattering an heavy eight ounce glass and breaking my December mug into 6 pieces. The glass was the worse as it left splinters of glass all over the cupboard, the floor, and the small rug in front of the sink. Luckily, I had shoes on. But it took quite a while to get all the pieces and slivers (and cup/glass contents wiped up). But finally, it was a shoe free zone again — except I’d lost a cup I really, really liked. This weekend I found this cup and it seemed like a fair replacement to help me keep in the Christmas spirit.

We’ve had the tree up since December 1st. I thought I’d finally get a photo in of it. We found a nifty tin Santa tree topper (actually it’s a table topper). Hyperion and I have never been able to find a tree topper that we think is more than so-so and this was a compromise to replace our star ornament that we’ve been weaving over the upper branch to use as a tree topper for the last few years. This Santa is made of painted tin and is cone-shaped so it fits on the tree top. It also matches with most of our ornaments. We have lots of Santa ornaments interspersed with some ornaments Hyperion made as a child, some bear ornaments (of various types), and then the rest are sort of homespun/natural type ornaments. All of the ornaments are ones we’ve collected over the years and have meaning for us or made us smile, laugh, or giggle when we saw them.

Bear-Making Part two:
When last you saw the bear I was making it was the various parts — flat. I’ve now got them all sewed together: arms are arms, legs are legs, and the body is one piece. I’ve also stuffed the body/head and limbs. The seams are still open in the arms and legs so I can add in the large buttons that I use for joints.

What’s left to do now is to sculpt the bears face, add the buttons into the interior on the arms and legs and connect to the bear for joints so that it can sit or stand or be positioned. The button go inside so that the child can’t pull them off and eat them. I also use large buttons so that IF for some weird reason they get out of the arms or legs they’re too big to swallow and choke on.

Hopefully, I’ll get to the face sculpting and connecting the arms and legs sometime soon. Meanwhile, this little proto-bear sits there looking forlorn and a bit lost.

Baby sweater:
Last time you saw this project it was on the needles and only down to just below the arms. I’ve got it finished except for blocking. I crocheted around the edges and added a crochet tie. I like ties rather than buttons on baby sweaters whenever possible so the baby can’t pull the buttons off. Okay, okay — so I have a tiny bit of a problem with baby safety issues. These ties, since their in one piece with the edging that goes all along the outside edge of the sweater, can’t be just pulled free and swallowed by baby. (PS: I think the mom-to-be reads my blog so pretend it’s a surprise when this shows up at some point as a gift. Okay?)

So, I’m now on a roll with finishing things off. I’ve still got some green fleece to spin, three sweaters on the needles, a lace scarf on the needles, a pair of socks, and a pair of mittens (which I might give up on). So, it’s a toss up when I’ll find the time but I’m trying to fit the knitting into the spaces where I have wait time (usually for downloads). However, I finally found my wire book holder so I can knit and read at the same time. But, it only really works well for hardcovers and trade paperbacks. So, I read all those first this month, and now I’m into the paperbacks so the knitting is on hold again.

Anyway, after the excitement of exploding cupboards and smashed cups, several very bad fibromyalgia days (where I could barely move), I think I’m back to being mostly normal and may be back to posting again.

I seem to be in a nesting mood lately. Maybe it’s because Christmas is this month and that brings to mind hearth and home, family, and love. Today I made bread and soup for supper.

I also worked on the baby sweater for a friend’s impending family member. I’d gotten a copy of 101 Luxury One-Skein Wonders. It seemed like a good way to use up some yarn that I bought just because I loved the feel of it. Most of the time these single skeins are not enough for anything big but they felt so wonderful to the touch that I succumbed to purchasing the one skein that I could afford. The problem is those single skeins just go into protective baggies and sit until I go through my stash and take the time to touch and pet them all over again. It’s not like you can put a wonderful skein of yarn on display under glass and have visitors not think your just a few degrees off plumb — so they sit in the stash unseen and unappreciated except my me.

101 Luxury One-Skein Wonders seemed like a good way to actually use some of these yarns, turning them into useful items to be worn and and displayed in more socially acceptable manners. However there are some limitations to the book.

There are a few shawls but mostly the projects are ones that can be made using the yardage in one skein. Of course that yardage changes depending on the yarn weight: lace weight 217 – 1662 yards; superfine weight 164 – 875 yards, fine weight 55 – 315 yards; light weight 54560 yards; medium weight 77 – 650 yards; bulky weight 65 – 478 yards.

The book is set up with the photos in the front. A couple of the photos are of the same item with different weight yarns. All the photos are in color and clearly show the product, but you only have the single view. So, you can’t see what the back of the item looks like or what it would look like open or displayed differently.

Next the patterns are listed by yarn weight with a notation as to what page to find the photo on. None of the patterns have a schematic of the item (this isn’t important except for sweaters, usually baby sizes). Directions list Size/Measurements, Yarn requirements, Needles needed, Gauge, and any other supplies you might need. Stitch patterns are usually text though there are some charts. (I wish everything had charts as well as text but then I’ve gotten fairly good at turning text to charts on my own.) The instructions seem clear for the patterns that I read through. I started the Baby Bamboo-Merino Sweater and so far the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

The book also has an Appendix with a list of all the designers with a short bio for each one; sizing guidelines that would be extremely useful for any knitter; a list of the abbreviations used in the book, a Guide to Yarn Weights, a Glossary with illustrations for some of the words/techniques, and an Index of patterns.

The sweater that I started is made from Naturally Country (75% Microdenier Acrylic 25% Merino Wool, 3 Ounces/85 Grams, 185 Yards/170 Meters, Color: Sunshine). I loved the feel of it in the store. It’s washable and dry-able, so good for a baby and very, very soft. The only problem I’ve had is that it splits fairly easily at least with my needles (sharp points). I did have two skeins so I could leave the body on the circulars and knit the sleeves separately. But I, just this afternoon, finished the body and now just have to do the crochet all along the edge. So, I think two skeins are needed for this but then the pattern said it needed 265 yards anyway so that looks about right.

I can’t seem to find my crochet hooks so I’ll probably do a big search tomorrow and post a picture when I’m done.

But, it looks like the book is a keeper and will be useful for some of those other single skeins that I have.

I’ve been knitting again. Feels good to get back to the needles. Over the last week, I’ve managed to knit the back, front, two arms and one and a bit legs. Actually, I finished the second leg just now but I’d already taken to the picture so I’ll do a revised one tomorrow after I sew up the seams.

I’ve made this bear several times. It’s the Whidbey Bear pattern from Bear Brain Enterprises. I’ve made the bear from all kinds of different yarns. This time I’m using one strand of Lion Brand Jiffy in dark grey and one strand in light grey. I’m also using one strand of Lion Brand Fun Fur in multicolors (grey, black, white). So it makes the bear sort of fuzzy but totally washable. Depending on what yarn you use the size of the bear changes from very small and petite to quite large. The resulting bears make great gifts for nieces and nephew, charities, and the babies of friends.

The pattern is well written with no errors that I have found — well, a few user-errors but that’s my problem, not theirs. Of course every bear you make is different because you have to sculpt the faces and add the nose and eyes. I’m hoping to document the making of this bear this time and thought I’d put it up here just in case someone else was interested.

What you see is the pieces just lying on a floor. Hopefully, tomorrow I’ll get a chance to sew the different parts up so it looks like a body, arms and legs. We’ll see if tomorrow goes as planned.

Today is November 14th, and it’s my birthday. Not a great event in the scheme of things but it is a time when I usually reflect on what I’ve done over the past year and think about what I plan to do in the coming year. To me birthdays are more like new beginnings than New Years Eve.

Looking over the past year, I’ve done a lot. The acupuncture has helped in reducing my pain so that I can function almost normally. I still have trouble concentrating at time and I certainly couldn’t do a standard nine to five in an office. I need breaks, lots of them and working from home fits that bill admirably. The problem of working at home is motivation. I’ve tried various methods of staying on track and keep refining and tweaking and hopefully will get even more focused and efficient over the coming year.

I’ve fallen behind on the NaNoWriMo word count. Don’t know if I can make up the difference by the end of the month. However, I have learned that if I push myself I can keep from fiddling with what I’ve already written. I hope to push through on this book even if I don’t make the end of the month word count. It’s been a good experience so far and I may do it again next year.

I’ve a lot to be thankful for. I’ve made some great friends over the past several years. One of my failings is in not expressing just how much people mean to me and how precious they are. My goal is to be much better at keeping in touch and following up with friends and family.

I’ve got unfinished projects all over the house: three pairs of socks, two sweaters, three spinning projects. I’ve somehow got to manage to schedule time for these. Lately, I’ve been working on one of the pairs of socks while watching movies. I did manage to start these socks on circular needles knitting both socks at the same time. I’m feeling pretty chuffed about that. When I’m done I’ll be done with that pair at least. But I still have a ways to go to get to the heel (toe up by the way).

So another year older, maybe wiser, maybe not — but working on acquiring knowledge — knowledge of myself, the world (its people and cultures), and just about everything else that strikes my fancy.

Well, it’s been a wonderful day for me. I stayed up last night until after Obama gave his speech. I thought it was extremely well said — spurring the nation on to the work that must be done over the next several years. McCain’s concession speech was also very well done — I think if the tone and sentiments of that speech had been the same throughout his campaign there might have been a different result last night. But I’m happy with the results we got.

On another note, I haven’t done a knitting post in ages and ages. I’ve got about four projects just sitting in their corners waving their needles and whining piteously when I walk by. I really got to get some time to sit and knit. But since I haven’t I’ve been feeling a bit at loose ends. My wonderful husband reads online comics and this evening had me read Questionable Content, it was a knitting related comic today.

I’m trying to imagine a nine-dimensional hypercardigan — hmmm. If one of those dimensions is time does that mean you could wear it from the moment you cast on or from the moment you think of casting on instead of waiting until it’s finished. It made me giggle anyway so thought I’d share.

I’m also coming down with something. I haven’t got it but I’m on the edge of getting it — cold or flu or something. I’ve got this wimpy cough — sort of a cross between a polite throat cleaing and a hack. It sounds so fake it bugs me but I can’t help doing it. Got a big jug of orange juice and some tea with echinacea. I’m hoping to get over this whatever sooner rather than after it gets worse. This will teach me to skip getting my flu shot