100 bottles of beer

Oldest Son was in Detroit Metro Airport about 4 hours longer than scheduled. His flight was delayed twice and I was SO distressed thinking that it would be cancelled. Friday afternoon I was so anxious for Husband to get home. I had been frantic for a couple of hours and thought that having him home would provide the relaxing qualities it usually does. Wrong, having him home and having me explain what had been happening was awful. The tears came even though I tried to be stoic, which is my natural Norwegian nature. It took about an hour of Husband at home before I was able to get a hold of myself.

Oldest Son was originally scheduled to arrive in New York at 10PM. It was 2AM before I received the call from my mom that she had the boy. It had been a long couple of days. PLEASE do not repeat the process come Monday.

The good stuff? With the girls camping and Oldest Son in Cooperstown meant that Husband and I had just 1 child all weekend. Husband and I spent some time trying to arrange a fun weekend. In the end it was decided that something for everyone would be the way to go. So this morning we set out on the Brewery, Yarn Shop, Toy Store adventure.

I am guessing that you do not read this blog for the local Toy Store and Brewery information. Please, correct me if I am wrong. You are here for the yarn. I have good news. The first yarn shop I stopped at was Cultured Purl. A very nice shop in Issaquah. They did not have anything I had not seen before, but the staff was very nice and beyond helpful with the other customer in the store. I was tempted by Malabrigo, which I have not yet knit, but did not find a color to grab me, so left empty handed.

The next store I visited was Fiber Gallery. WOW! This is a small store, but full of things I had never seen. Yarn made of paper, plastic, hemp in many forms, silk and cotton like I have never seen, ....the list is long. In the end I purchased

This is planned to be the Baltic Sea Stole. I have never knit with 100 Bamboo, I hope I do not have to change my mind once the project is started. I also purchased The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. This is a book I have checked out from the library over and over. Every time I read it I get something new because I am a different place in my fiber adventures. I am so happy to actually own a copy of the book and it has inspired me to get back to spinning.

Here is the biggest find of the day. It is one I did not purchase today, but will be back for soon. The PERFECT knitting bag. For a very long time I have been making a mental list of things that I would like to see in an everyday purse/knitting bag. While I held on to hope of one day finding and being able afford such a bag, I did not think it would happen. Today it happened. The bag is the Executive from Namaste. It is everything I want. Big and sturdy enough to carry a full Nalgene water bottle and hardcover book. Holds my regular purse stuff in a separate zippered compartment. Has a big open compartment for knitting. A nice outside pocket for patterns and magazines. Feet on the bottom and expander snaps. This is it for me. It is not real leather, but close enough and affordable. I did not grab one because I was undecided whether to chose brown or black. I am 90% sure I want brown and will head back to Fiber Gallery to buy one. I am also open to the possibility that I will want a black bag in the future.

Say Hey

Thank you Tan for that nice note of encouragement. You are right. He is 16 and not likely to do anything daring. He is a REALLY smart boy and all will work out just fine. Right now he is on an airplane I have about 3 hours before I can begin fretting about his connecting flight.


While I did not really want to leave the house last night. Sitting around wringing my hands about today would not have been helpful. It probably would have included too much wine and not enough sleep. So I packed up my knitting bag and headed to Stitch & Pitch. 12 of us attended together. If I were a good blogger I would have brought a camera and been able to show you a picture of the lot of us sitting there knitting. But I am a bad blogger who never has a camera at hand. It was a lot of fun and the yarns were oh so tempting. One of my companions succumbed many times to the yarn fumes. I managed to get away with this.

This will be socks for Oldest Son as a Hanukkah present. It is not the softest yarn, but the colors are true and it knits up into nice manly Mariner stripes.

I also picked up a shawl pattern Yeah, like I need another one of those.

It is by Ellen Gowey of Village Yarn & Tea and she named it Stole'N Bases. The pattern is perfect and needs to be knit up in time for next year's Stitch & Pitch.

Ellen also designed the Touring Wrap for this year's LYS Tour. She is one to put onto your radar screen.

what a difference a day makes

As of about 3PM on Wednesday I was prepared to take Oldest Son to the airport Friday morning. The plan was for him to fly into Detroit and then onto Syracuse. His Grandparents where also flying into Detroit to meet him and then off to Syracuse. From there they would rent a car and drive out to Cooperstown. This weekend is the Hall of Fame induction.

Around 3PM on Wednesday I received an email from my Mom telling me how excited she was to see Oldest Son tomorrow. Tomorrow? He did not leave until Friday morning. How would she see him Thursday night? Did she think I would not get the email until Thursday? I better call.

Turns out that all those months ago when Oldest Son wrote the Cooperstown trip on the calendar he had written the wrong day. He was indeed schedule to leave TOMORROW! OK, we can do this. A little last minute running around and we are set. He has a charged cell phone, plenty of cash, his insurance cards, salt water taffy...he is set.

We get up Thursday morning and I flip open the computer to check his flights. Cancelled. Yep, cancelled. His Grandparents are already on their way, they had no idea his flights were cancelled. The airline tells me they can not get him out until Friday. Another airport? No. Another airline? No. Oldest Son is VERY disappointed.

So far this morning his flights are good. But now he is not meeting people in Detroit. What if something goes wrong? I am frantic with worry. I know he is capable of switching planes but what if they decide to cancel again? Frantic I am.

under the table and dreaming

Chair Booties

Is this not the cutest thing ever?!?

I call them Chair Booties, and they rock! Pictured here is all STR medium weight. Some of the colorways, like Monsoon, are recent favorites. Some, like Peas Blossom and County Clare are a joy to revisit.

While it only takes about 20 minutes to make a Chair Bootie, it is not the ideal portable project. For instance, if you work on one while at the Orthodontist, someone from the office will ask you what you are knitting. You will explain that you are knitting a little sock for your dinning room chairs. They will smile and nod and then quickly head over to their computers so as to check your files to see if there is something they need to know.

On the plus side, I made a whole set while watching Hair with the kids. I have 3! teenagers in my house. Has it been awhile since you have seen Hair? Me too. I was quite surprised by the whole Fellatio Cunnilingus Masturbation song, as well as the LSD scene. It lead to some lively conversation at the household.

Knit, knit, knit...

coffee in bed

Dropped that last visitor off at the airport this morning. Whew! It was a great trip and we will miss most of them terribly, but there is nothing like having your house back.



I noticed on my ticker that almost 200 people have visited this here blog. I think a goodie is in order for whoever 200 turns out to be. Time to pull a few things out of the stash and figure out how to make this contest work.



Here is what has become of Husband's black sock.






While I loved the way the herringbone ribbed looked, I did not like to knit it. This afternoon I measured progress and realized I had a good 3 inches before the heel flap. "What if I only do the pattern for the leg and work plain for the foot?" That train of thought was working for about 5 rounds. ENOUGH, I have begun a new sock working off the old. Pattern? Do not yet know. Suggestions are welcome. Its a man's dress sock.

under pressure

Most of the company flew out this morning. They are people I enjoy and I will miss them. The person left in the house, not so much. I will put my nose to the grindstone today to avoid long conversations. Long conversations with this person tend to leave me angry.




BIG camp meeting this Sunday. There is much to plan and prepare. 4 days should be just right.



Since the last post Youngest daughter is sporting a Herbst Appliance. She could not eat anything that required chewing for 4 days. She is good now. This afternoon Oldest Daughter will be at the Maxillofacial Surgeon for a consultation. OY!

Now for the good stuff.



Fleece Artist Sea Wool from Loopy Ewe.

This is Brick and a bit more Terra Cotta colored than is showing up on my computer. MMMM

Here we have Hercules. A little more color changes than I was expecting, but very beautiful. Both of these skeins are destined for holiday gifts.

Lastly, Husband asked for some plain black socks for work. This is as plain as I can do black without going nuts. The little criss cross pattern came from out of Folk Bags? Not sure, but it makes knitting plain black Kiogu a very nice.

While looking for pictures for this post I see that I have FO's to show. That will have to wait, I really do need to get back to work. 2 more days until I get my house back. Wish me luck!

I'm still standing

Right now there are 11 people living in my not so big house. 5 of them are unable to leave shoes off in the house. This had led to much secret floor washing. 1 of them does not understand that a closed bathroom door means you should knock before walking in. This would be the oldest person in the house, not the youngest who could be forgiven.

There are more people on the way over for dinner. Send good karma more wine!

torn between two lovers

For a week I have had crazy allergies. Drugs were not working. Even when I doubled the dose or took more at intermittent times during the day. Just now, as I got up to blow my nose, again, I think it may in fact be a cold. Yes, the allergies are still there, but if this is only allergies I am seriously screwed.

Husband's family begins arriving next week. It is going to be tough. Normally I am excited to see them, but they are not traveling alone. "Have to mind my manners" Father-In-Law will be here before they arrive and after they leave. I just do not know what to expect. Other than a butt-load of work to get ready for them.

I have made good progress on the front flower bed, but there is still much to do. Husband finished the built-in bookcases yesterday which means I need to get painting. He still needs to finish the shelves, but the hardest painting are the cases.

Then there is the normal housecleaning that proceeds guests. I will also need to purchase more sheets, blankets and pillows to keep everyone comfortable. Often I use sleeping bags, but it will be WAY too hot for that next week. Father-In-Law will be on a cot in the computer room. The kids will be on fold out mattresses on the floor of the upstairs kid room. Brother and Sister in Law will be on the fold out couch. Brother and Sister in Law are traveling with their Brother and Sister (in Law) and kids. I have no idea where they are staying. I hope it is not here. We have a not so big house.

There is much wine to buy.

Tomorrow morning I will put it all aside for a trip to the yarn store. I have some yarn to return, if I can find the receipt. I would also like to pick up some calm sock yarn. I am at the toe of the second Solstice Slip. Once they are done it may be time to set socks aside for a week or so and concentrate on the Russian Stole.

Are you doing the Mystery Stole? I am torn. My name was added to the list weeks ago as a "just in case". Until last night I had not thought about it again. Then I saw pictures. Then today there was Stephanie's blog. Now I am torn. If I were to do it it would be in a fingering weight, not lace, and no beads. The fact that a link to the yarn is provided is a bad sign. As pretty as it is I really should finish the Russian Stole before casting on for another big lace project. Torn.

sail on

This afternoon it hit me. I am SO done with the wild variegated sock yarns. Of all of my recent socks my 2 favorite are not solid, but their colors changes are so subtle that they look solid from a distance. Up close the colors melt together and are beautiful to look at. So, I will be finishing up the current Solstice Slip socks and then I will be on the hunt for beautiful solidish yarns. Yarns that do not scream from across the room. Yarns where there is no worry about pooling or striping. Yarns that are not afraid to be quiet.

take me out to the ballgame

Here are the Plain Ol' all finished and ready for Husband's feet. Actually it is only one. Husband put them on before I could get a picture.




He proclaims them to be perfect. "Like standing on silk".
Dream In Color Smooshy Sock Yarn, color Cloud Jungle, size 2 Crystal Palace.


Then there is the first sock of Solstice Slip. This is a fun pattern to knit. Goes pretty fast if you do not use the cable needle and I always avoid the cable needle when possible.





I am glad I made the choice to switch to plain ol for the foot for 2 reasons. #1 I do love the way the colors look worked on the plain stitches. #2 Being able to constantly work on it while watching Oldest Sons' baseball game on Sunday kept me from yelling at the umpire working the plate. Now, when the boys were little I would never have done such a thing. I am a warm, fuzzy, everybody wins kind of person. I have spent many years saying, its just a game and we are all out here to have fun....but now the boys are young men, Senior League, and they know crappy umpiring when they see it, and this was an All Stat Tournament, and the the umpiring was VERY, VERY bad. Call a foul ball fair?...just keep knitting. Call a ball that bounced off the plate a strike?...just keep knitting. First you call him out and now you say he is safe?...Knit, knit, knit. Call the final out of the game and then change your mind and bring the teams back out onto the field?...KNIT, KNIT, KNIT. It really was too much for me.


Last picture of the day. My new storage space. Fiber on top. Tools in the middle. It is a joy to open and grab things.



Yes, that is my puny stash. Do not stare with your mouth open, its not polite.