SparkCrafted

Nobody puts Baby in the corner

2008-07-02T18:31:00.008-04:00

By now, most of you know Bob, the overgrown fern that we inherited when some friends of ours blew this two-light town and headed west. At the end of last summer, we made the mistake of splitting Bob into 4 (or was it 6?) plants. Don't get me wrong, Bob was due for some aggressive changes, but I think we would have been better off if we'd waited until April to split him. Bob and the gang of Boblings has been looking pretty sad.

I'm hoping that'll all change, though, since we recently moved Bob and the gang out to the front porch (I'd love to have him in the back yard but we're still waiting on the masons to finish fixing our fucking wall). Life in the back yard has typically been very, very good to Bob (ignore the wine in the foreground and focus, instead, on those voluptuous fronds).

So far, Bob's been pretty content sittin' on the porch, which is good because I kinda needed his old corner for something new:

Just like all the good things in life, I wasn't exactly looking for a Jensen spinning wheel (a Matchless, maybe)... it just sorta found me. And, I couldn't be happier! Most nights, I come home from work and while Mike works at the dining room table (60+ hour weeks are starting to wear him out), I spin a few ounces. While I'm spinning a fairly consistent and thin single now, I'm saving up to buy the high-speed kit to further improve my lace-spinning skills. Some people try to get more miles to gallon; I want more yards to the ounce.

In other spinning news, my spindle collection has exploded in the last few months. When I visited Amy and her shop back in May, I bought a couple. Then, just a few weeks ago (as in, when I picked up the wheel), I bought another spindle. Last night, I taught my neighbor to spin on a drop spindle, effectively reducing my spindle collection by one. And while 7 or 8 spindles isn't much, I have in mind at least that many for purchase. And let's not talk about the 3rd wheel (it has been found and it might just come to my house to live for free)...

In completely unrelated crafting news, I cut off all my hair. I'm sporty a sassy, fresh 'do and I can't tell you how much cutting off 10" of hair has done to improve my attitude! Besides needing the style change, though, my hair was getting hard to handle (tangles!) and dried out (tangles!) and was just generally becoming a pain in the ass (TANGLES!!!). I've yet to get a good picture of my sassy self, and ETA - apparently I don't know how to make Flickr cooperate right now...

Happy 4th to my fellow Americans! We'll be spending part of the holiday weekend cleaning the basement and the other part of the weekend celebrating my birthday. It's good to be an almost firecracker baby!

Customer Service, #1!

2008-06-10T12:16:00.002-04:00

Years ago, I cut my customer service teeth spending summers working for Home Depot. I didn't really know what I was getting into when I applied for the job other than I would be working in the nursery and making the most money of my life. Prior to my job at the Depot, I would often declare that I hated people and never wanted to work with or talk to or deal with people - it was my excuse for not being a bank teller or a grocery store cashier or anything remotely social. For whatever reason, though, I applied at Home Depot and my life actually changed. I know, that sounds so dramatic and so propaganda-y. But it's true!

Before my Home Depot days, I never gave customer service a second thought. And, even when I was actually working at the Depot, I don't know that I fully appreciated customer service from the other side. Sure, I earned merit badges for outstanding service and co-workers throughout the store knew who I was, the lowly seasonal employee that was outstanding in outdoor garden. My department dubbed me the Garden Angel after one particularly satisfied customer wrote the store manager and described me as such. And while most mornings, I dreaded going to work (5am, with forecasts for 95+ degrees, and everyone and their brother guaranteed to come to the store that day and buy buy buy), I did my job and I did it with pride.

I think a large part of the reason I'm now in public service is because of my time at Home Depot - for better or worse, I discovered that I excelled at helping people and that their satisfaction was the ultimate measure of my success. I strive for the same today, though my customers are a much more varied bunch. And, I expect outstanding service wherever I go - I feel like I can truly demand it given that I'm a leader in customer service myself.

So what's this all leading to, anyway? Well, a fiber-y customer service story!

Rhinebeck 'o7 found me searching for a pair of hand-carders. I have to confess, I did very little price research and instead focused on what brand I thought I wanted. A number of bloggers had written about Ashford carders, so I figured that was the way to go. With minimal searching, I found a pair of hand-carders at Fiber Kingdom's booth (they were in the Building 22, the white and green barn sorta in the middle of it all). The salesperson told me I was getting a good deal on last year's model and that I was paying last year's price. Satisfied, I forked over my $65 and bagged the set.

I wandered the festival grounds once more and where I'd previously not been able to find carders there suddenly seemed to be hand carders everywhere. Curious about the price difference (I mean, if I was paying last year's price, then surely this year's price is a doozy!), I started picking up random Ashford hand cards. And, I quickly discovered that most other places were pricing their sets $10-15 less than I paid for my deal. By the time I finished my last go-around, I knew I'd paid way more than I should have. I convinced myself, though, that it was okay (partially because time had run out and the girls I was traveling with were ready to head home), stuffed them in the few spare centimeters that remained in Jody's trunk, and rode home on a fiber high.

Later, as I was photographing the Rhinebeck haul, I realized the carders I'd bought were in less-than-new condition. Under the price tag, the wood was a different color, the effect of being covered from the damage of sun, dust, and hands. There was also some white paint splatter on the cards. Knowing that I'd already paid a lot for the set, I was fired up enough to compose an email to Fiber Kingdom. I fired it off and saved it to my drafts, reread it the next day, made it more civil, took a deep breath, and hit send. The worst that could happen, I believed, was one of two things - my message could go ignored, or the response would be a curt "too bad".

I waited for a response and a few days went by with nothing. Knowing that most of the known world does not have nearly the same email obsession that I have (my cell phone is now email capable and oh dear god, how did I live before this?), I vowed to wait at least 2 weeks before giving up or trying again. That time passed and I got no response. Happy enough (but not satisfied) with the purchase, I proceeded to blend some of the small batches of different fibers I'd purchased at Rhinebeck - bamboo, rayon, and merino:

By Christmas, I'd partly forgotten and mostly given up that I'd ever get a response from Fiber Kingdom. I told myself that the pricing discrepancy (I later found the same hand carders for as low as $42.50 new online) was forgivable, that I'd done my part to support a small business, and that maybe next time, I'd be a little more selective. And then I promptly stopped carding, bitter about the whole thing because I thought I was a better shopper than that...

Fast forward to April, when out of the blue, I get an email from Sylvia, proprietress of Fiber Kingdom. For whatever happy reason, my original message had been overlooked. Sylvia, having discovered and read my message, was prepared to exchange the over-priced, stained carders I'd bought with a pair of Louet fine hand carders. She wrote that she wasn't sure how the set I bought ended up at the booth, but that they weren't supposed to be there and she wanted to make it right. After much back-and-forth on email, as well as along the Northeast coast (I went to Massachusetts and Maine for almost a week), I arrived home late last night to my brand new Louet fine hand cards. I was so ecstatic that I nearly forwent sleep for fiber blending...

You'd think the customer service gone right story would end there, but it doesn't. Inside the package, Sylvia had enclosed a check to cover the shipping for the set I'd returned! That's the extra step that restores my faith in Fiber Kingdom, completely and totally. I mean, as soon as I saw the Louet package on my dining room table last night, I was prepared to blog about the wonderful turn of events. Finding the unexpected shipping refund was, well, unexpectedly wonderful. Sylvia and the bunnies at Fiber Kingdom can count me, finally, as a wholly satisfied customer.

13 weeks later...

2008-05-21T14:26:00.003-04:00

... and we are officially a two-cat household.

It's hard to get a good picture of Penelope because she's always moving. Also, because she's so tiny and light-footed, it's hard to know where she is until she's right up on you. That's not a problem for Mike or me, but it is a huge problem (still) for Chico... So, we put a pretty belled collar on Miss P. Now, every time the bell tinkles, Chico slinks away to hide.

Aside from the fact that the Little Girl wants to eat eat eat all the time, the only other problem we've experienced is, well, not really a problem so much as it is just typical cat behavior:

It's been tough dealing with two cats, and we're still not 100% integrated - Chico continues to be thoroughly miffed that he has an intruder in his house. That intruder? She spent last night sleeping in-between us all night. For the most part, though, the fighting and attacking have stopped (also, the random "I'm scared shitless" literally has stopped. THAT'S good...). Penny recognizes Chico as top cat and the worst confrontations now involve him hissing at her and her tucking her tail down and backing away.

This weekend, we'll reclaim the study - that's where we've had Penelope set up the last few months. And once we've got the work on our bedroom completed (another few days!!!), we can make plans to update the electrical in the study. Progress, people! We have progress!!!

Big wheels keep on turning

2008-05-19T16:12:00.002-04:00

I may have bought a new wheel.

Actually, there's no may about it - I DID buy a new wheel. And while I had been shopping for a new wheel, I wasn't shopping for this particular wheel....

Insert picture here

I'd show you a picture, but I don't have the wheel yet! It's still in Maine!!! And I've spent the last 8 days trying to figure out how to get it here. Relay from seller to sister to me? Maybe. Shipping? Maybe. Crazy road-trip? Maybe. Vacation? Maybe.

Unknown courier driving south? Maybe - I mean, are any of you willing to drive a portion or the entire journey from Maine to Philadelphia?

The ironical (as Martin would say) thing is, the wheel used to live in New Jersey prior to moving to Maine - that would have made acquisition easier. :-) Still, Maine's not that far away and I know that soon, I'll have the new-to-me wheel in my house. I mean, I kinda have to have it now - I've got a spot for it, picked out a name for it, and have spent countless hours *squeeing* in expectation.

In somewhat related news, the craft room is on the verge of being reclaimed as a... craft room! We spent the weekend painting the master bedroom and all that's preventing us from moving back in is the last coat on the trim and a good scrub of the floor. THEN, I can get back into the craft room and put up shelves and organize fiber and stash yarn and luxuriate in a room of my own.

Upcoming - Matchy Matchy in Real Life, the New Wheel, Kitty Kat Update, and Vacation - all good stuff!!!

3 margaritas and a screwdriver walk into a bar

2008-05-01T23:22:00.002-04:00

I'm back from ME - but still in Mass. WOWWEE WOW WOW. Dear Amy King, I love you. The End.

Seriously. Merino cashmere blend. Spindles. Merino bamboo blend. Wrongly curved CVM label (think of what vowel a V most closely resembles....). WHEELS! I didn't buy one, but I totally know what everyone is saying now about the Julia. OMG. She's a lovely, lovely wheel.

We hit Kittery, ME, for outlet shopping (J Jill! New pajamas! - don't ask how the other set got ruined after one night of sleeping here.... ) before returning to my sister's apartment and now I'm making a list of what to buy at WEBS tomorrow.

I think we're all going to bed. Or, at least 2/3 of us are going to bed. I'm going to couch. I don't know if that is a step up from sleeping on the futon or not.....

Celebration time!

2008-04-30T06:54:00.002-04:00

I'm off for a week of needleworkin' fun! It's the annual Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, NH. It's also the annual visit-my-sister-10-miles-south-of-Nashua-and-stay-for-free. Mom and I are getting ready to go to the airport (hopefully my spindle will clear security...).

Other plans (besides taking cross-stitch classes and drinking) include visiting WEBS in Northampton, Mass, the Kittery Outlets in ME (mom was a new Coach bag...), and Miss Amy all the way up in Lisbon, ME. Word has it that pants are optional up that way. :-P

So while the rest of the knitting world travels south to MDSW, I'll be snuggling up with my best girls, literally laughing my ass off, and enjoying every minute of it.

Have a great week, everyone!!!

New addition

2008-04-21T16:44:00.002-04:00

As we pulled up to Kirsten's on Friday night, she bounded down the steps and greeted us, asking how we were. I made some sort of stressed gesture, as if to indicate that riding on the back of the motorcycle stresses me. And as I was doing that, I thought, "But that's not true!"

I love riding on the back of the motorcycle. And, since Mike got the little Honda back up and running a few weeks ago, I've had ample opportunity to indulge. Riding back from West Philly on Friday night, I closed my eyes as we came up on Kelly Drive, nestling closer to Mike. Doing this makes the curves are non-existent and our bodies move together naturally. Twilight rides are different; they make me feel like I'm sneaking out, like a good girl gone bad.

Saturday afternoon, after taking care of some business in the morning, we took a ride out Rte 23 to Conshohocken. I couldn't help but look up in wonder at the wisps of clouds and the pristine sky. The heat from the bike, Mike's body, and the pavement is sweatless, endurable, pleasant. The smell of the bike as it idles, gasoline and oil, grime and grit, fresh sweat and leather, is nostalgically erotic and basic.

I waffle between wanting my own bike and being content with sitting bitch. Today, I feel rebellious and butch - there's something infinitely confidant about a woman on a bike. When we stopped by the Triumph dealer in Manayunk Saturday afternoon, my eyes were drawn to the T100. It's probably too large a bike for me, engine and size both, but it's a looker. I keep joking, with myself and my neighbor, that I'll buy his Honda CB200, which is smaller than Mike's Honda CB350. Then again, I don't know if I want to mess with another vehicle that's as old as me (or older). Nor do I know if I really want to learn how to shift a motorcycle - it just seems so complicated. I understand how it works (1st is one direction, the rest are another), but I don't know that I need to prove to myself that I can do it.

Now, if I were 2 or 3 inches taller, I'd be spending my spare weekends learning to ride the CB350 since we now have this:

1979 Triumph Bonneville Special

It doesn't run, but it will (*fingers crossed*). Mike's now the fourth owner, after the bike spent all of its previous years in the same family. It's fairly intact in terms of original parts and it should clean up rather well. I'm trying really really really hard to use this as my bargaining chip for elevating my house to a two-wheel house, but I think he's still too stunned to make sense of anything beyond the fact that he currently has TWO MOTORCYCLES....

All fiber, all the time

2008-04-14T19:13:00.007-04:00

Subtitled, "I wish!"

Over the weekend, I finished up one spinning project and started another.

First up, the FOTM for March, Mud Season:

194 yards of sproingy, squishy Navajo-plied merino. Mike said it was my best yarn yet. He just wants me to stop bringing cats and yarn home. At the same time...

I was aiming for a sock-weight yarn, but that end result still eludes me. This is light worsted and feels like a hank of Cascade 220 and looks like Araucunia Ranco Multi. I could knit up some instant-gratification socks with it, or I could just sit back and admire the fine job I did for another few weeks...

Speaking of sitting back, guess what's back on the road?

Aw, yeah! The Little Honda That Could is running pretty well these days. Could this mean that the Ghia isn't too far behind?

After thwacking the merino, I got started on the next fiber endeavor:

I carefully split the roving by color - red for rage, blue for tears, and chocolate for CHOCOLATE--then split each color into pencil roving sections. The blue and the brown I left at its original length, the red I split in half. I then lined up the little corriedale muffins in an attempt to achieve some sort of pattern.

My hope is to spin a consistent 36 wpi single (so far, mostly so good), Navajo-ply it (clearly, I'm all about the Navajo plying lately), and have a randomly striping yarn. The colorway, incidentally, is called Time of the Month and was dyed by the Fiber Queen herself, Miss Amy Boogie. Word on the 'net is she's doing a special boy color next... I better get my spin on so I can get in on that fiber action!!!

Let's get ready to RUMBLE

2008-04-14T18:17:00.005-04:00

In this corner, weighing in at a sturdy 17.2 lbs, we have Chico "Meanest Cat in World" Bean:

And in this corner, from the wilds of North Philadelphia, we have 6.9 lbs of pure evil girl cat genius, Pen-nellllllllllllllll-a-peee Sparkssssssszzzzzzzzzzzz:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday was the first real attempt we made at cat integration. We've spent almost the last 8 weeks doing a delicate cat dance wherein we supervised any and all visits (well, except for that first night when she broke out of her isolation room and waltzed into the bathroom while I was in the middle of a onesies...). We reassured Chico he was #1 in our lives, and gave him extra treats, extra snuggles, extra sunshine-on-the-deck time, extra lunchmeat, and extra popcorn (he LOVES popcorn and will snuggle right in between us while we snack on it and patiently wait his treat). Still, we fully expected the full integration to be nothing less than problematic.

We expected any or all of the following to happen:

bite wounds on one or both animals
scratches on him from her (he's declawed, she's not)
death of one animal (which, as Mike put it, would actually solve our problem)

This is what actually happened: NOTHING. Okay, so that's a bit of a lie. SOMEthing did happen, but nothing that we predicted. After breakfast, we released her from her isolation and went about our day - Mike had work to do, I primed the bedroom in phase I of Operation: Get the Fuck Off the Futon. By lunch, no blood had been shed. By dinner, the worst of the day had been when both cats tore off from the basement all the way up to the craft room (note - this is the futon room, too, so not only is it crammed with crafts, but it's got a futon open in it and it's only a 9x11 room to begin with... Add in two pissed off cats, and you can understand why I feared for my yarns' safety.).

I know this is only day 1 of probably another month of animal issues, but for the first day, it wasn't nearly as horrible as we expected. In the interest of getting sleep last night, we did re-isolate her, and Mr. Bean came to bed with us eventually. And that return to normalcy is a really big good sign - my concern was that he'd hate us and hold this whole incident against like a goth-y teenager being forced by her mom to wear pink to prom (I'm not talking about myself.) (No, really....) (OK. Maybe a little.). But, he didn't clam up or hide out or run away. And this morning? He was actually a little loving. Who knew?

Miss Penelope, despite her 6 months or so living on the streets, is really a lap cat. She loves to be *in* your lap. She also loves to explore everything and does not like going back into her room at night (Mike has a scratch on his face, I have a bite on my hand). Worse than all that, though, she's in need of a desperate yarn-training... I was calculating yardage on some handspun yesterday (194 yds, Anj! Not 300+... What were we thinking?) (Also, that yarn'll get it's own post) and she ATTACKED as the yarn came out of the center-pull ball. Oh, kitten-at-heart, you shall learn how to behave around yarn. Or, you'll go back to the streets....

The power of the swatch

2008-04-09T15:31:00.002-04:00

I think I might almost have learned my lesson this time. You know, the lesson about swatching and test-felting that swatch if the final object is supposed to be felted? Oh, and that little caveat that is mentioned in each pattern that calls for hot water, agitation, and soap? The one that says something like felting times vary depending on wool, washer, and moon phase? (I added the moon phase part). Fellow felters, take heed.

The before shots I took are trapped on Mike's camera. This is an after shot. I don't like the handles and feel that they are too long and too weak. I'm thinking about busting out with some grommets and recycling the straps to run lengthwise rather than along the sides.

(Watch the caption on that one if you click through as it's NSFW)

Overall, I'm fairly happy with the yarn for this bag (I used Bartlett's Fisherman 2-ply). I was concerned that yarn would felt and yet retain some of its initial roughness. It felts up with almost a mohair effect, though. Of course, I have to shave the bag (oh, that sounds naughty) and trim any ends that I missed snipping pre-felting.

Prior to installing the grommets (and, by the way, I love grommets!), I'm going to make a lining for the bag. The upside of having it over-felt is I should have more than enough fabric to do a full lining. Lemons --> lemonade, right? I have tomorrow off, so I might spend some time with my sewing machine then. Hopefully, I can have the whole thing done within the next week so it can see some use before summer.

Secret garden

2008-03-22T09:51:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went down for the count with a case of bronchitis coupled with some other infection-exasperated afflictions. In addition to staying home from work for a week, I also did not a lick of spinning! Yes, that's how sick I was....

The good news is, though, I wasn't too sick to knit. And knit I did:

PhillyKnitters is doing another round of Secret Pal, and in my first package, my pal sent me some sock yarn from Spirit Trail, along with a note to finally knit some socks for myself. Of course, when I saw the yarn, I instantly thought, "These would make great socks for Mike!!!"

My pal also included the pattern (one from my Ravelry.com queue, no less!), and Mike didn't seem to be too enthusiastic about having a "girlie sock". So, I cast on for myself from the beginning. This figure-8 cast-on is my best yet and the foot worked up quickly. The heel even came out nicely, though I think the short-row eyelets are more of a happy accident and less of a pattern plan.

The cable pattern on the leg is really neat--I like the way the reverse stockinette works up in the middle of the cables. I will say that I've had some problems with my version of the pattern (don't know if it was an early version, or if I just got a misprint)--the chart is keyed wrong! I don't have it handy to explain exactly what's wrong, but had I followed the chart as keyed, my cables would have tilted in the wrong direction entirely. A couple of bottles of NyQuil and several naps later, I re-keyed the chart and everything came out beautifully.

Modifications I've made:

A deeper heel. I think the pattern specifies short-rowing to 16 stitches, I went to 12. No reason other than I got carried away.
The 5-stitch cable that runs up the leg (3 cn f, k2, p last st from cn, then k2 from cn) is supposed to be over 4 rows. I misread the chart* and made it over 2 rows. It's a little tighter, but I think it lends a vine-y look to the sock.
In an effort to use up as much of the yarn as possible, I mirrored the cable pattern from the center of the largest cable and then increased 6 stitches over several rows before switching to a k3, p1 ribbing.

I'm nearly done the first sock. It's now become my part-time knitting since I'm back on the wheel. Still, I like the colorway and the yarn and every time I pick up the sock, I feel like peeping through a keyhole into a secret garden.

*The confusion stems, in part, from working from another chart that shows each row as opposed to the chart for the Keyhole Cable Sock which only shows RS rows.

Getting felt up

2008-03-10T16:49:00.004-04:00

One of my current WIP is the Celtic Tote from Winter 2007 IK. In terms of knitting and craft goals for '08, this one might not have made the written list. However, I've not really ever knit from a chart. By "not really", I mean, I've knit from a chart, but it's been very, very basic (think: knits and purls, nothing much else), and only after I translated the chart into written instructions. So. I've not really ever worked with a chart.

I'm more than halfway done--maybe as much as 60%. The back, sides, and bottom are complete and I've cast on for the front.

The yarn is Bartlett's Fisherman 2-ply. I picked it up on the way up to my sister's place last year in Sturbridge, Mass., I think it was the Quilting Cabbage? Anyway, I got the yarn, some fabric and bag pattern all at the same place and promptly left this yarn to hibernate in the stash. I can't even remember what the other bag pattern looks like... Maybe I am only imagining I bought the pattern--I can't find it in my room, though to be honest, the craft room? Right now, it's a bit of a mess.

I'm really enjoying the IK pattern. A couple of times, I've had to stop and think about the way the pattern was written, but I've mostly been able to plow right along with this project. I have run into a problem with the set of Addi circs I'm using--there seems to be a burr or something on the tip of one and it interferes with my knitting speed. I tried using my Denises instead, but the yarn works better with metal needles. Fickle, fickle fiber!

The yarn is definitely rustic and not for anti-VM. Every yard or so, there's some variety of VM, most of which I've pulled out. I think the yarn label mentions something about being spun from soft fleeces, but overall, I'd rate the yarn as best for outerwear or felted items.

The only modification I've made so far is I decided to end the cables on the body of the bag rather than let the cables travel up and along the handles. I felt (ha!) like that was a detail that might get lost in the process and like the idea of a contained motif.

The bag should be ready for the felt cycle in about a week--then I have to dust off the sewing machine and see if I can still wind a bobbin and sew a lining for the bag. I'll add pictures to the set on Flickr as I get them.

Other WIPs: Keyhole Cable Sock (one is nearly to the heel! Magic Loop and toe-up!), low-twist worsted weight singles in spinning, and cashmere meets Icelandic.

Goodness gracious, it's lace!

2008-03-04T07:15:00.000-05:00

Because three fibers on the bobbins, two on the drop spindles, 1 bag, 1 sweater, and 2 socks aren't enough WIP (and I haven't even mentioned the cross-stitch and embroidery projects), I decided over the weekend to cast on for the Leaf and Acorn Lace Scarf, offered through Elann.com. I bought a lovely fingering weight alpaca from a fellow Raveler and couldn't wait to start using it.

Three days later, I'm ready to be quit of it--both yarn and pattern. I'm on my ~~third~~ fourth attempt to get this underway, having now knit the same 14 rows and checked off the same 14 rows as done and counted the same 14 rows to make sure the stitch count is matching up with the pattern. And everything is perfect, and then I get to row 8 and everything goes to shit.

*sigh*

I might give this pattern one more try, and hopefully that sticks--I have to repeat row 8 5 (or, as my original intent was, 6) more times. Plus, if row 8 is so bad, what am I going to think of the remaining 52 row-repeat?

Meet Penelope!

2008-02-28T07:29:00.004-05:00

After months of watching this little girl cat roam the corner of my second bus-stop, I decided to take action. Even if all I could do was get her off the streets and into a foster home, I felt that doing so would be better than leaving her to beg for food and shiver in the cold.

I rescued her a couple of weeks ago (two weeks as of tomorrow) and after getting the all-clear from the vet (she's healthy, non-feral, and spayed), we began the integration process. I also realized that I had to take her in as my own kitty because, well, she picked me.

Chico showed some initial signs of acceptance by taking a serious sun-nap on the towel I'd used in the cat carrier for the new kitty.

Penelope has been almost nothing but the sweetest thing ever. She's nearly always purring, she's rolls on her back for belly rubs, she rubs her whole body on you if you sit still for a second, and she's 100% litter trained.

There's a few other shots here, and as the cats get better about living with each other, there will surely be some pictures that make you go "Awwwwww". Last week we focused on keeping Penelope in a room of her own while Chico was free to roam. This week, we've spent the evenings hosting supervised visits. I've learned that my big mean Chico (you know, the cat that hates everyone so much he's The Cat Most Likely To Destroy The World?) is, well, a pussy when it comes to dealing with Penelope. And Penelope, at less than 7 lbs, is a scrapper of a cat and will scratch you while she's purring.

I've been told that things are progressing well, so that's encouraging.

Believe it or not...

2008-02-25T08:56:00.003-05:00

...we're still talking about Rhinebeck!

While in the middle of the Ravelry/blogger meet-up (near the Building o' Wine and the gem and minerals AND The Fold building (I should become a cartographer)), I fell into an interview for the podcast Let's Knit 2gether. I was drawn to Cat's Clapotis like a moth to the candle, and before I knew it, we were rolling.

Somehow, I managed to not sound super-nasal or like a total tool (except for my answer to the first question... All the way from Philadelphia... As if that's some distance. Anyway, aside from the fact that I'm in the podcast, it's actually a nicely done piece AND there's the added benefit of revisiting Rhinebeck '07, if only for a few minutes.

I'm towards the end, after a spinner in a hot pink shirt with fiber to match and before Subway Knitter!

Here's the link to the webpage if the movie doesn't work for you.

Year-end FOs

2008-01-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

I've fallen out of the photo-taking habit. Actually, that's not altogether true. I take photos, I just leave them trapped on my camera because by the time I get home most nights, all I want to do is spin. Yup. I have a problem.

First FO to mention: 4-ply handspun hat. I used Spunky Eclectic's Fiber of the Month for October. I split the roving length-wise into 4 1-oz sections and then spun it to about heavy-fingering weight. I plied it and managed to preserve most of the color changes. The resulting yarn knit up nicely on US10 dpns. Here's a shot of the hat as it blocks on my alien head:

And here's a wistful shot:

The next FO is the Natalya Gauntlets by Jody (she recently redesigned her site and I can't find the pattern!!!). As much as I loved knitting this pattern, I loved working with the yarn more! I used Mission Falls Merino Superwash, and my stars, am I ever in love with that yarn now. It is the embodiment of smoosh.

The only modification I made was minor--I mirrored the cables so that they would twist complementary to each other. My favorite part of the pattern was the thumb gusset--for whatever reason, that detail just made me happier than happy. Neither of these details is readily evident given the sumptuous darkness of the yarn.

More later--I'm battling Flickr and the home PC to get all of my stash shots uploaded before week's end.

Knitting (and spinning) resolutions

2008-01-16T10:15:00.000-05:00

A little late, but better than nothing, I've been musing on some crafty resolutions. I'd drawn up a big, overwhelming list and then realized that everything fits into one of four categories (LOL, I started with two...), which I've detailed a bit more below.

First, challenge myself to learn new techniques.

Afterthought heel - I'm working on a plain ol' toe-up 2x2 ribbed sock (Austermann Step, yarn I fondled thrice before making it mine). To make it a little more interesting, I thought I'd give the afterthought heel a try. I've read some stuff online and it seems easy enough, plus if the heel wears out (I haven't had that happen yet on any of the hand-knit socks I wear), I can replace it.

Intarsia - I queued Buster a couple of months ago and haven't gotten much further than the preliminary color decisions. Part of this is because I've become more of a spinner lately, part of this is because I'm a little timid to try colorwork, and part of this is due to the fact that I'm still having issues with properly finishing sweaters, which leads me to my next goal.

Finishing - whether I try to finesse something ala over the edge or just want to knit and finish something that actually fits in all respects, I still need to work on finishing a garment and having it work. I'm not asking for perfection or store-bought replicas, but I would like to be able to wear the sweaters I knit rather than stare at them in the closet and scoff.

Spindle-ply - I can spindle-spin a pretty fine single, but when it comes to plying, I either turn to the wheel, or leave the singles as is. There's no reason for having not spindle-plied yet other than I just haven't done it.

Spinning, general - I want to spin more consistent singles. I'm good at this with the spindle, but on the wheel... Well, sometimes I just go a little nuts and let the fiber go where it takes me. That's great for practice, but not necessarily for practicality. So, I'll eventually order a spinner's control card so I can better manage the width of the single as it's spun. The Woolery has one for about $10.50; I'll get on that soon enough.

Second, I want to spin to knit. Any fiber that isn't married to a project (even as vague a project as "socks"; it doesn't have to be a specific pattern, though that would be helpful) should either get hitched or get lost. Some of the projects in mind include:

Spin up the Coopworth I bought at Rhinebeck and make it a two-ply. It might be pushing it to also expect to knit socks from it, but that's the plan down the road. I actually bought this with the intention of making socks for Mike, so this will likely be a subdued pattern.
Spin up the gorgeous merino and make a vest out of it. (See resolution about finishing techniques above...). The vest I'm planning on right now is the XOXO vest from TKBOY.
Spin the STR silk/merino (LOCH NESS!) as finely as possible, make a snuggly scarf.
Card, spin, dye the locks, bamboo, and rayon. The different fibers will take the dye at various levels, which should create a lovely semi-solid skein in the end. All told, I'll end up with about 4 oz of this blend. I think in and of itself, the yarn will be the project.
Finish spinning the two plies for Brooking. Make Mr. Greenjeans.

Perhaps the hardest task I've assigned myself for the year: fix what I knit. Part of this relates directly to the issues I have with properly finishing a sweater (I rush the body, I think blocking will perform an incredible miracle...). Part of it is related to the fact that sometimes, sometimes, I can be st00pid.

Fix the Wicked sweater I bastarded from the good folks over at Nashua. This may involve simply picking up the bottom hem and crocheting a round to help things lay flat. Or, it may be a frog candidate.
Fix Anastasia. Is she a sweater? Is she a vest? Sit down, calculate the sleeves, and make the damn thing work already!
Fix the top-down raglan turtleneck with cabled details. Provided, of course, I have enough yarn--I think I need a skein of Malabrigo Pearl. Ravelry tells me I don't. Ravelry can be a big ol' liar-head. If I don't have another skein, then I'll just have to frog the sweater AGAIN and make it into something that frakkin' works once and for all.
Fix the Shapely Tee I made for my mom--I have half a skein of that Jo Sharp and I need to fix the armholes. Knowing now what I do, this should be easy-peasy. I'll get to that next month. :-P
Fix the RPM socks I made for Mike... They're not for me, they're not for me, they're not for me... EVEN IF THEY DO FIT!!!

Lastly, organize the stash and its related stuff. Ravelry is my friend, right?

Inventory the stash: yarn, fiber, and handspun (which *is* yarn, but it's also special...)
Inventory the books. I have nearly purchased an already-owned book on more than one occasion.
Inventory needles. Why do I always seem to buy the same size? Also, what size DON'T I have?
Keep a running list of what I don't have and think I need. Evaluate that list periodically and shop from it wisely.
Keep my notebook over at Ravelry up-to-date. I've really not used the site to its fullest. I need to take photos of my stash, keep projects updated, and mingle with the other Ravelers.

I'm hoping that by 2009, my little hobby will be less like Audrey II and more under control. It's not so much that it's out of control now (some might argue otherwise), but the semi-stress of managing things bothers me. Some projects I don't even tackle because it would just be too much work to even start them. With the exception of the last category, these resolutions should be fairly fun to keep. I mean, I've basically just resolved to knit and spin more. What's so bad about that? And, if I'm going to be completely honest, the prospect of whipping my (I nearly called it collection) stash into shape is actually quite appealing. If nothing else, I'll gain an idea of what I don't have and what I might be able to get.

This weekend coming up is a long one for me (sweet honey and sugar, I cannot wait). I'm hopeful that I can start tackling the organizational goals then! Stay tuned...

'tis the season

2007-12-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

...for procrastination!

The Christmas Meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags?
A few years ago, I was on this "I will make my own wrapping paper" kick that resulted in me spending about $100 on brown craft paper, rubber stamps, and stamp pads. Then, I spent a few years carefully coordinating wrapping papers--colors, patterns, themes, etc. I still wrap, but the stamp pads have long since dried out and the paper is so mis-matched, it's funny. I use gift bags for hard-to-wrap items, like wine. Or gin. For some reason, I give a lot of gin. Go figure.

2. Real or artificial tree?
Last year, we had a real tree for the first time in ages and it was WONDERFUL. It was also much more gigantic than we'd anticipated. Note for future reference: saving the dried up tree to use as firewood? Not the most brilliant idea.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving, or the following weekend.

4. When do you take it down?
I try to have to down by the Feast of the Epiphany if only to keep the neighbors from talking smack on me. I have, however, left the tree up as late as February (if by February, I mean early March. That was a bad year all-around, though).

5. Do you like eggnog?
No. No matter the amount of rum or brandy used.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
Gosh. I can't remember just one. I have fond memories of the rocking horse, the stuffed poodle that my Uncle Jon had "wrapped" in a garbabe bag, and loads of Barbie stuff.

7. (I'm adding this) Favorite gift received as an adult?
A piano. And not so much the piano (I do love it), but the way I had to "unwrap" it... Mike sent me on a scavenger hunt that started somewhere under out Christmas tree and ended 2 or so miles away at my parents' house. He'd hidden clues behind stop signs, in the tree, all over the apartment, and at my mom's.

8. Do you have a nativity scene?
I think we had one when I was growing up, though I might be thinking of one that my grandmother has.

9. Hardest person to buy for?
It varies from year to year. Some years, I have no idea what to get my dad. Other years, I'm at a loss as to what to get my husband. I always come up with some ideas, though--even if it is with only days to spare.

10. Easiest person to buy for?
ME!!! Actually, that's not true. I'm the worst to shop for because I'm so dang picky. My mom is usually the easiest to shop for, and usually the first on my done list.

11. Worst Christmas present you ever got?
A monogrammed tote from Lillian Vernon. It was garish. And hardly a tote seeing as it barely fit a book in it. Somewhere, someone else is sporting that bag...

12. Mail or email Christmas cards?
We have a core of about 25 or so family members that send us cards, so we reciprocate. Every other year, I get motivated enough to find the addresses of friends and send them cards. This year, though, Mike's doing the Christmas card thing. I am equally relieved and fearful.

13. Favorite Christmas movie?
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story.

14. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
I've actually bought Christmas presents as early as June and July, though invariably, I end up giving the recipient the gift early *and* still giving another gift at Christmas.

15. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present?
YES--and not that long ago, either.

15. Favorite thing to eat on Christmas?
Growing up, we would go to my grandmother's for breakfast and eat red gravy and biscuits. I like that memory, or at least my version of it. I think I'd enjoy having a Christmas breakfast in bed at home--we haven't spent a Christmas at home in years.

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
For the longest time, I was a clear-light purist, but in the last couple of years, the twinkly colored lights have spoken to me. I don't know what they're saying, I just know they are speaking. To me.

17. Favorite Christmas song?
"I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas". And I didn't even know I LOVED it until I heard it while my Mom and I were shopping a few weekends ago.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
We've got a traditional routine where we drive south and spend Christmas Eve with his family and then drive over to my parents to spend Christmas Day. It's not far from home, and yet... it is.

19. Can you name all of Santa's Reindeer?
Without singing their names, maybe not.

20. Angel or star on top of tree?
Since we're not decorating this year, I don't honestly know WHAT we've got. We've had both at some point, though not at the same time.

21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning.
Well, we open gifts with his family on Christmas Eve--does that count? We usually don't exchange gifts ourselves until late Christmas Day, though this year will be a leeetle different.

22. Most annoying thing this time of year?
People thinking that buying more equals giving more. Or, that getting more means you were "a good girl".

23. Do you decorate your tree in any theme or color?
God, all this stuff I used to do.... We've had plenty o' themed Christmasses: there was the year of the hay on the tree (it actually looked great), the candied fruit year, the dried fruit year (different fruit), the green-on-green year, the Hallmark year, the blue balls year, the we-need-more-white-lights year, and so on.

24. What do you leave for Santa?
If Santa's lucky, I give him a nice little going away present on December 23, if you know what I mean.

25. What's your Christmas wish this year?
A snow day on December 26th would be nice.

breaking rocks all day

2007-12-12T19:22:00.000-05:00

Wow. I can hardly believe that I've been without a post for over a month.

I still don't have any Koigu, though I did pick up some Claudia's Handpainted, some Cascade 220 (for felted clogs), some Lorna's Laces roving (Black Purl), and I scored about 2 pounds of natural colored unknown wool from my good friend Sam.

In the last month, I've gotten a new boss, dealt with a semi-major plumbing issue, had my roof serviced, hosted the local knitting group's monthly Stitch 'n' Bitch, cleaned the holy hell out of my house (which included, among so many other things, shredding documents for 3 hours straight. Enron much?), and succumbed to the tempation that is sleeping late, as brought to me daily by my heated mattress pad.

I'm spending those last few minutes before dream-time reading Alden Amos' Big Book of Handspinning and having the predicted reactions: "I know that! It makes sense!" "I didn't know that, but damn, it makes sense!!!"

I was knitting on a sock for my mom until I poked my left pointer finger senseless. While that heals up, I'm knitting the first of two pairs of felted clogs. I've knit them before and forgot how quick a knit they are! I also forgot how much counting was involved until last night. We were on the couch, Mike was tuned into Deal or No Deal (it's SO his show), gabbing away about this and that when I sighed a Great Big Sigh and sniped, "I'm trying to count here!"

I've asked Santa for a blocking board and some Noro sock yarn. How about you?

The next to last thing I need

2007-11-06T11:37:00.000-05:00

I need Koigu. I need it bad. I've been playing with some Lorna's Laces Shepherd's Sock (the Vera colorway) but no patterns are really clicking with that yarn. Then, as I cast on and worked the ribbing for a fourth sock, I remembered Broadripple. I knit a pair of those using Koigu, though the colorway is lost (the label MIGHT be in my craft room. It might also be some other place, like, say, the garbage.) and the socks were a gift for a friend... So I suppose I could justify a pair of those for myself. And, if I can use up the two skeins of LL that I have, well, I should certainly permit myself to buy a couple skeins of KPPPM, right?

I'm currently tackling the Rainbow socks from MagKnits, using OnLine's Supersocke 6-ply Winter in colorway 887--that's a combination of cinnamon, earth brown, royal blue, grey, cream, and mustard yellow. I picked it up at Rosie's back in late July when Mom and I were killing time before going to the theatre. There was a ton of this yarn in the sale bin and never one to either leave a yarn store empty handed OR pass up at least an earnest glance through the sale bin, I asked Mom to pick out a skein and I'd make her socks. Figured now was as good a time as any to start THAT project. So far, I'm enjoying this pattern and think it's a really neat way to work with the self-patterning yarns. A little unpredictable--and the end result looks kind of hard. Plus--short rows? Who doesn't like short rows?

I made it!

2007-10-25T13:42:00.000-04:00

I've been sitting on this for a while, out of laziness and distraction. I'm still hoping to spin up and ply enough of this to knit Mr. Greenjeans (with mods, of course).

Merino from my two favorite sources: Brook and Amy. I'm calling this 2-ply Brooking--it has a woodsy, quiet feel to it and it's homage to two great ladies.

There are four photos total of Brooking--you can find the other three here.

Rhinebeck ramblings

2007-10-25T12:46:00.000-04:00

I've been watching the Rhinebeck boards on Ravelry and reading the things that people will do differently next year, provided they don't, uh, pull wool over their eyes. There's not a lot I'd do differently--I made a list this year and got just about everything on it, I stayed within a free-form sort of budget (my budget was less about how much I could or couldn't spend and more "that's on my list, I bought it, so what does that bring my total spent to?" kind of thing), and I eased back into work with a day off on Monday.

Still, there are a few things I could do next year:

I don't need to go to the STR booth first thing. Don't get me wrong--it's lovely, lovely stuff and I enjoy being part of the tradition, but The Fold just sucks me in and threatens to clean out my wallet. It's a fiber vortex!!!
Do price comparisons before going to the festival. I think I got burned on one of my purchases and I vacillate between crying "The NERVE!" and accepting the price as fair enough, all things considered. This really applies more to equipment moreso than fiber.
Take more pictures! I only brought the camera in the second day because I didn't want to lug it around the first day. I don't feel like I missed any shots, but it might have been nice to get a few more shots in--Boogie, Ella, Anj, Jody, Christy, the Ravelry t-shirt march, the sheep that wouldn't stop bleating....
Be a little more social. A few people recognized me because I'd posted a picture of my squirrel tote here and on Ravelry. I remember at one point, a pair of knitters recognized me and I was a bit grumpy. I had no reason to be grumpy! Must have been a yarnover--you know, a fiber hangover?
Knit something in lace, like a shawl or a cardigan, to better prepare for the unpredictable weather. The forecasted highs were in the 70s for both days and both days seemed to fulfill that promise--in the sun. Shady areas were delightfully cooler. I made out nicely with my Clapotis on Saturday, and I think a cardi over a tee would be a perfect additional option.

My goals to achieve before next year:

Spin up the Liberty Ridge Merino and use it to knit one of the vests in Clara Parkes' book.
Knit at least one lace shawl OR one cardigan.
Abandon any Rhinebeck sweaters or shawls if I haven't started on one before August 1.
Knit at least 3 pairs of socks--the Jaywalkers and simple 2x2 ribbed socks are getting lonely without any other handknit socks to keep them company.

Rhinebeck is it for me--I'm pretty sure I've already got plans that take me in the complete opposite direction the weekend of Maryland Sheep and Wool--so, I've got months to prepare for next year.

Let me count the ways

2007-10-24T13:26:00.000-04:00

Where we stayed.

The way I roll.

And I do my little turn on the catwalk.

God damn you, Loch Ness Monster!

Baby camel. Tussah silk. If only my bed were stuffed with this stuff...

The big purchase. Already put into use...

I *heart* Golding spindles.

Gorgeous weather!

More photos, including lots of foliage shots, are here.

I had such a great time at Rhinebeck this year! Part of that was hanging with good friends--thanks, Jody, for driving, thanks, Michelle, for cooking an amazing Saturday-night meal, and thanks, Christy, for knitting socks! There's much more to thank you three for, and I'll do that in my own way. I saw so many more people this year than last year--Anj, Ella, Amy Boogie, Sharon, Min, Min's friend (Rachel?), and more... I caught glimpses--I'm sure of it--of Vicki, Black Bunny Carol, the Harlot, and dozens of other bloggers and Ravelers, including Jim Bob Spins. Once again, I was somewhat overwhelmed by the festival as a whole--the fiber, the food, the friends. It's not a big secret that I've been struggling with some personal things lately, and Rhinebeck was just what I needed.

I stuck to my list and got nearly everything on it, save sock blockers. I even got a shawl pin from Moving Mud--that was a last minute purchase after a Ravelry-button-wearing fest-goer tipped me off--THANKS! I don't think I even saw Moving Mud the first 3 times I went through the barn they were in. The one thing I found myself wanting at the end of the trip, besides the iced coffee I was denied at a stop on 87 (what kind of coffee place in a rest stop runs out of coffee? Seriously.) was a Turkish spindle. I think I'll wait on that until Christmas or my next trip up to Maine. Or, if I get a really bad itchin' for one, I'll just call over to my girl Brook. It could be the plan!

The Anastasia sweater, for those asking, didn't get donned the entire weekend. Turns out I should have modifed the pattern--the arms need shaping. Not more shaping, but shaping period. Fortunately, the body fits great. The arms shouldn't be any big deal to frog and reknit, and I'm confident that I can do this by Christmas. For now, though, I've got spinning fiber up to my ears. This is really the good life.

Can you feel it?

2007-10-18T10:38:00.000-04:00

Less than a work-day's worth of hours to go and we will be hitting the road!!!! No more sleeps! Everything still needs to be packed!

BUT! I finished the sweater!!!!

It's blocking...

I haven't tried it on all seamed up, though I did try it on with one sleeve done. The body fits, the sleeves make me feel goofy, but I'll elaborate more when I post about the pattern itself.

If you're going to Rhinebeck and want to say hey, look for my bag:

It has SQUIRRELS on it. It's awesome.

Have a fantastic weekend, everyone. Hope to see some of you in Dutchess County.

When nobody's watching

2007-10-10T11:30:00.000-04:00

Most of the details have now been lost to consciousness, however, I had to share parts of my bizarre dream last night. The subject: Going to Rhinebeck.

For whatever reason, I was flying to Rhinebeck. The girls (faces mosaic'ed in my dream-world) and I were all packed and running down a hotel hallway to one of our 8 rooms (there were only, like, 5 of us, though). We got to the room and all jumped on the bed, sighing sighs of relief. Then, we each went around and shared our secret purchase that we were planning. One girl wanted to buy a pound of silk yarn. Another was looking for orifice hooks. I forget what I was looking for or what the rest of the dream girls were looking for, but at some point, we started to compile a list of all these secret must-haves. I don't know why these things were secret, they just were.

After writing lists for over 30 minutes, I began to get super-anxious--we were going to miss our flight. What time did our flight leave? How long would it take us to WALK to the airport (none of us drove, for some reason)? What about security? And checking bags? And what if we miss the flight? Could we get on another? I got so worked up in my dream that I actually woke up sweating!

I certainly hope I've not just had a vision!

In other Rhinebeck excitement--I have a sleeve. One. Sleeve. I cast on for the other this morning (on the bus, no less), so I should have TWO SLEEVES by... Friday night? We'll see. If I'm not caught up in a whirlwind of finishing this weekend and early next week, I will post about how much I dislike this pattern. Don't get me wrong--the sweater is turning out to be beautifully knit. The pattern? Borderline crap. You'll see.