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Decision time

My one year blogiversary of KitKatKnit will be this Thursday. I am so pissed at Blogger that I think that might be the day I go to another blog provider like TypePad. I'd ask for comments from TypePad users but you won't be able to comment because this new Beta-Blogger sucks. I wonder how many other users are making a move right now!?!?! I think since I have so few readers I can get by with the 2GB of bandwidth per month but not sure about the 100 MB storage.

Other decisions then. Do I stay KitKatKnit or do I make a name change for 2007. Cristina came up with a great new name when she moved to Typepad. She's now String Theory. Time for a cuppa coffee and some creative thinking!!

Holiday Meme

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate with brandy.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Wrapped.
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Nothing on the house, colored lights on tree.
4. Do you hang mistletoe? No.
5. When do you put up your decorations? Somewhere around Hubby Dave's birthday.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Seafood lasagne on Christmas Eve for the Feast of the Seven Fishes (Italian tradition. The seven stands for the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. )
7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I have two. My Dad worked graveyard shift when I was young and my Mom was the PTA president for years. So Dad always got roped into playing Santa for my school. And my Aunt Helen was a professional gift wrapper at Sterns Brothers Department Store in Bergan NJ. We didn't care about the contents. The wrappings were magnificent. One year my present came with a snow covered sleigh on it!!
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? No idea.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We open one only because Hubby's family used to open all except the Santa presents on Christmas Eve.
10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas Tree? Messy mix.
11. Snow! Love it or Dread? LOVE IT
12. Can you ice skate? Yes I can but I do not.
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Engagement ring, Christmas of 1981.
14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Family
15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Pumpkin pie
16 What is your favorite holiday tradition? Giving the special present last.
17. What tops your tree? A Waterford crystal topper.
18. What is your favorite holiday book? The Worst Christmas Pagent Ever
19. What is your favorite holiday movie? Toss up between A Christmas Story, White Christmas ("Sisters, Sisters" can't be beat) and Holiday Inn
20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy? Yuck

One down one to go

My plan worked just fine. So there. ~grin~

Saturday Sky for 12/17/2006

Toes Up Tits Up?

Seven casts on before I was satisified that a figure-8 cast on was going to work. I didn't do it wrong from the start, I just could see what was wonderful about it. Then the pattern I chose used M1's and I kept getting a hole where I didn't want it. Tried two other casts ons, went back to the figure 8 and said screw the M1's and did the K1 in front and back increases. I am about 3 inches into the 6.25 I need before I start increasing for the gusset. The perfect time to frog the whole damn thing and go back to my original plan. Not only that but I may go down to 36 stitches cast on vs the 40 my gauge swatch indicated I do.Somehow my partial Friday off and my Saturday sped by. (I'll be at the office tomorrow) Last night we were guests at the Lockheed Martin Christmas party. It was pretty darn good as those things go. Up until the point where they started karaoke. Then we sped out of there (only to get stuck in post hockey game traffic). I ran a couple of errands today and have nothing to show for it. I was almost ready to start chili verde with pork for dinner when Hubby Dave requested Chicken Garlic Pizza. I called the new Garlic Jim's pizza place and they quoted $23.99. I had a $9.99 coupon for the same pizza at Papa Murpheys' so I ran into town yet another time.Like father

Like daughterHubby Dave leaves for Washington DC in the morning. He is busy figuring out what knitting to pack. He hasn't started packing his other bag. Priorities!! Tomorrow is his birthday so I think we'll celebrate tonight rather than at 4 am. He is scheduled to return on Thursday, weather willing. He's glad he doesn't have to fly through Seattle to get home. Graham is driving to Portland with Beautiful Girlfriend Rachel's parents to go pick her up tomorrow. I should get lots of knitting done!

My bad

Oh please please please forgive me for thinking that the Blogger upgrade was going to be a good thing. I couldn't figure out till I talked to Cristina why no one had left witty comments about my last few blogs. Cristina told me she hadn't been able to in any way shape or form. Crap, I knew right away what had done it. So far, the best I can figure, is that those ASS-HATS (or Ass Clowns as Cristina more delicately put it) at Blogger made it so you have to sign up for a Google/Blogger Beta account before you can comment. Shit. Sorry.

Neverending roving

Maybe it's because the National Finals Rodeo is over (my favorite sport for spinning) but it seems like I keep spinning and spinning on my Rambouillet/Targhee/Merino blend and getting no where! Or maybe it's because I am really interested to see how it is going to come out plyed with the grapey goodness singles.

Excuse me, I'll be right back. Spit Spit Spiiiittt. I need to go make a cup of tea. I just had a sip of the coffee pool coffee, pre-doctored with fake creamer and it is the worst I've had in a long time.

Anyway, Graham is almost done with the scarf for his beautiful girlfriend Rachel. I should be able to take a picture of it tonight. He commented that it sure takes a long time when the rows are 220 stitches long. Didn't take him long to figure that out did he! Then he is planning on some more Stupid Sock Creatures for various friends.

Ok was it just me or did anyone else think of the Noni Lattice Bag when they saw the picture of this cute little Himalayan kid at Knitty.com?

Ooh, Ooh, Ooh

The Winter 06 Knitty.com is up!!! So far I like the Venezia pattern the best. Cabin Cove Dave is featured in one of the articles on hand painted yarns.

Not Deja Vu

Same scarf, same yarn, different colorway, different knitter. Graham is knitting the Shape-It scarf for his beautiful girlfriend Rachel for Christmas. This was one evenings work while he multi-tasked, knitting while watching a movie on his laptop and IMing with Jared all at the same time. That's my boy!!
Ruby says, "Mom, if you'd clean the nose and paw prints off the inside of the dining room window I would have a better view of the birds at the feeders you know."
Ruby had an afternoon of viewing Dark Eyed Junco's , Bewick's Wrens , House Finches and House Sparrows. Ruby wants to know how they keep their little legs warm if they don't have fur?

It's beginning to look like a Knit Night Christmas

Friday night was our annual knitting group party at Cassandra's. That's Cassandra in the center of the picture holding the pink end of Jeane's scarf.Thanks for hosting again Cassandra!! It took quite a while for everyone to wander away from the great food.
The drink of the evening (aside from all the wine) was the very festive Crantini. Yup a cranberry based martini. I was the designated driver (as usual) so I only had a single sip. It was wonderful.And the wild gift exchange was fun as always. I got a scarf pin kit that you knit from wire and fun scarf yarn. This knitting bag was made by JoAnn. And the final winner of it was Cassandra. We all wanted it!

Grapey Goodness

One America's Next Top Model and two National Finals Rodeo nights equals 4 oz of grapey spun goodness. I wish I'd put the receipt or card from the person that I ordered the roving from. Such nice quality and lots of kink in the locks even after it was carded and dyed. I think it will make very sproingy sock yarn. I ordered 4 oz of a Rambouillet, Targhee and Merino blend from Yakima (70 miles NW of me) so it should be here by Saturday. It's yellow to green to blue to purple and I'll ply it with the straight purple.

Nothing to do with knitting but...

I am just cracking up looking at these!! My PBJs and egg salad sandwiches when I was growing up were just so boring in comparison.

A gallon of purple roving

Last night's TV with its airhead content was perfect for spinning. The finale of America's Top Model (uber-airhead) and the National Finals Rodeo. I choose a gallon ziplocked bag of purple roving that I'd bought off ebay or etsy earlier in year and decided it was going to turn into socks. Duh, forgot to weight the contents before I split the roving, but so far have spun just about half of it and have come up with half a bobbin. So I'm thinking I must have 4 oz total (spun and un) and I think I average about 4 oz on a bobbin. I'm planning on then spinning a matching amount from one of my Dudley Spinner roving for some Twisted Sisters inspired sock yarn.

I was hoping that Santa Hubby Dave noticed from his knitting chair how much I was suffering last night by having to stop every minute or so and adjust the pinch clamp on my Lendrum. ~sigh~ a Woolee Winder would make my spinning life so much easier ~sigh~. If he doesn't notice, it will be my first priority purchase after the new year.

Restless Inventory

UFO's:

• Rib and Cable mitts 70% done
• Baby Cable Rib socks 55% done
• Wasabi Top Secret 50% done

Projects I should start because I kind of promised them for Christmas:

• 1- Betsy's black angora gloves

Time spent at LYS on my way home from work last night, looking at a wall of Cascade 220 to knit the new Noni Adventure Bag before I gave up and drove home empty handed:

• 45 minutes

Number of knitting needles I needed to order last night before I can start my toe up experiment:

• 2 ea US5 16" circs.

Number of fingerless mitt patterns I printed looking for the perfect one to use my Painted Tiger yarn on:

• 7 patterns

Number of times I cast on after gauge swatch for garter rib mitts from Weekend Knits before I knitted 2 inches and figured out that wraps were a pain in the ass:

• 1

So what am I going to do tonight?

• Spin!!!!

Too late to the meathead table

Did anyone happen to download the Meathead KAL pattern before the KAL was closed? I know Larissa is writing a book about it and that's why the pattern is no longer offered. But I was thinking that Graham and all his friends would love designing and knitting Meatheads during their Christmas breaks. I'd love to have pictures of them in their finished hats before they all go back to their universities. If you remember, last year it was tons of "Stupid Sock Creatures". Can anyone help? thanks in advance!

Griswolds Update

Remember the pic of the house a mile from me with half the lights up early? Here it is in it's full glory. Retina searing isn't it! Heide commented that I should bug Robin Dodge about dyeing more of the Rainforest at Dusk colorway. Robin actually does have an additional 175 yds available at Etsy. I had just been thinking a small scarf/gaiter from this, one of those shorties from One Skein (shown on a guy in the book in off white) and finding a jeweled scarf pin or stick to go with it (for me). Plus I am not sure how soft this wool is going to wash up. I'm planning on soaking it and softening it up before I knit something with it. It's a little on the stiff side. Don't get me wrong, the yarn is beautiful!! Robin also has a colorway called Wine and Roses that is very rich too.

Chris and Rae think I am a total nutcase not wanting to learn toe up. Well I'd learn it in a heartbeat but I (up until last night) hadn't seen a toe and heel that I liked. After hours of searching last night I came up with 2 patterns where the heel and toe meets my expectations.

The first one is called "You're Putting Me On" by Judy Gibson. See, the heel and toe look just like the ones I put on my top downs. I'll just need to rewrite the pattern for 2 circs. Judy calls for US5's which should work pretty close for the Lavender Sheep Sea Turtle yarn I plan to use. The second was the "Crazy Heels and Toes" by Queen Kahuna.
I treated myself to a new pair of Birkenstock Arizona's (off ebay, nice and inexpensive) to wear with all my winter socks. I'd been wearing Birks since the Arizona was introduced in the early '70's, getting them resoled and recorked and occasionally buying a new pair. Living in Boulder CO back then you could find nice hippy dippy shoes like Birks, Earth Shoes, Fyres and Roots. Just hadn't replaced my oldies lately.

Rainforest at Dusk

I'd forgotten to load this last acquisition picture. It's handspun hand dyed by Robin Dodge at Etsy.com. I loved the colorway and the description so I just had to have it. 100 yds at DK.. Now I need to see what I can do with it! According to Robin the fleece was Friesan sheep with just a tidbit of alpaca thrown in. I photographed it on the last of our front yard snow.

TLTLTU

Yup, too lazy to learn toe up. There has got to be a better way. Only because I can knit my regular socks without a pattern. So has anyone tried this? (anyone that is as lazy as I am?) I mean why mess with a good thing you know. Probably will only work with socks where the design work ends at the start of the heel flap. I think I'll be trying this with Sea Turtle.

1. Split your yarn into 2 even balls (I do this by weight, others do it by yardage)
2. Provisional cast on the number of stitches needed for gauge and knit 2 rows of stockinette
3. Knit your sock down from heel flap start to the toe, and graft
4. Pick up provisional cast on and knit remainder of ball in pattern design, ribbing or stockinette for cuff.

Saturday Sky for December 2

By now you are all familiar with the view from the front of my house. This is basically what it looks like 4-5 months out of the year. Pretty bleak! Yes it's bleak in the summer too since there are no trees but extra bleak in the winter. Our skies cloud up in November and stay pretty cloudy till March-ish. Sometimes lighter grey, sometimes darker grey. Usually without any entertaining weather to go with it. At least else where when it looks like this you get rain or snow to go with it!

Biscotti and FO

When it's cold out I like to cook. Last night's dinner was Sweet Potato and Sausage Hash. Let me tell you - there aren't very many leftovers from that meal! (and it wasn't me that ate it all) This afternoon I baked biscotti. I couldn't find my favorite, tried and true recipe. The one I used only came out OK, not great. But I'm sure they'll be snarfed down. Tonight I made chicken and dumplings. Yum!Tried Christmas shopping over the weekend and ran out of budget about the time I ran out of ideas. My Dad's birthday is Thursday, I'd knitted him the green cabled neck gaiter but need to get something else to go with it before I ship it.

When I was at Best Buy I found software to take DVDs and burn them for loading on to my video iPod. Got it, works great. So what was my first movie? Disc One of Sister Wendy's American Collection. You do know who Sister Wendy is don't you??

Then tonight I sat down and finished up the Shape It Scarf. As soon as I find someone to model it, I'll post a picture. Can't decide whether or not to block it. The wool is so lush with out blocking that I may just tie in all the loose ends and call it good.

Recent FO's and recent acquisitions

Lavender Sheep Hand Dyed Sock Yarn

Painted Tiger Hand Dyed

Lavender Sheep Hand Dyed Handspun Worsted to Bulky

My handspun 80 yds, mixed content. Not yet washed and set.

Toddler Hat and Mitten set in Mountain Colors 3 Ply

Sock one, baby cable rib. Mountain colors Elderberry