Flutter By Pretty Butterfly

Pret-ty. :) I stopped and picked up my size 1 and size 2 (US) circulars today so that I could decide which I liked better, but I swatched on the size 1's and I'm happy.
Can you say Knitter Bunny's Better Butterfly B?

The color isn't accurate, its more variegated than this, but its been super rainy in the land of the Knitter Bunny. Pictures outside are just not possible.

Did I mention this is silk? Mmmm, silk. Sundara dyed silk. Mmmm.

Vote now oh, Knitters of the Blogiverse, do you like today's butterfly or Tuesday's better?

When Bums Go Numb

Is your bum numb?

The cane rotten?

Problems with your bottom falling asleep in the chair?

Employ the new "Knitter's Friend" bum awakener.

Step 1: Get up to go to the bathroom.
Step 2: Set socks down on chair.
Step 3: Return from bathroom.
Step 4: Forget sock is on chair and liberally plop bum onto DPNs.
Step 5: Attempt to extricate bum from DPNs while suppressing scream.
Step 6: Remind self never to let bum fall asleep again or use this
method.
Step 7: Continue to work on sock and laugh when knitter three rows down uses the "Knitter's Friend" method.

Note: The above mentioned method is free for your use one time only. All subsequent uses of the "Knitter's Friend" method will cause the incursion of a non-refundable trip to the emergency room. Results may vary.

Feeling the Love Again

This is much better. I can't decide if it looks like the violet I was going for or a butterfly. :)

A few little modifications and I think this will be the pattern I use. I have to alter it slightly. I want a little more rounded look. Then I'll need to swatch it in the silk I plan on using. If all goes well (cross fingers, toes, arms, legs, and eyes people!), I will be casting on for this shawl this weekend.

Update on Monica's mom: the surgery went well and she will be in the hospital a few days recovering before she can go home.

Knitter vibes totally work.

Funny Bunny and Serious Bunny

Funny Bunny:

What's this?

Maybe I'll tell you later. ;)

Serious Bunny:

Monica's mom is having surgery tomorrow, like serious surgery, so good knitter vibes appreciated.

Thanks.

I'm loving it (you know, the Ribbon)

I wanted to do a post with really nice pictures of the shawl since I got it back from the fair last night, but I didn't have a picture helper today. So what you're getting is my pathetic attempt to show off the full size as well as the pattern of of my shawl while taking the picture myself. It, didn't quite work as I had planned.

Shawl draped fetchingly on the deck post.
Shawl spread fetchingly along the deck rail.
Shawl spread fetchingly between the hand rails on the deck to show off its impressive size.

I also made a little swatchie-poo of the first lace pattern I created, plus an alternate version. It's dry blocked on a pillow here.
I'm not feeling the love for this pattern. Time to try the next pattern. I'll keep you updated as I try new patterns in my quest to create the perfect shawl in memory of grandma Carleen.

Quick, Quick, Like a Bunny

Sock!

Dad's socks, coming along very nicely, if I do say so.

I'm off to Charlotte, MI for a bunny show. See you Sunday.

Who Knew I Had So Many Books?

Well, I asked. You responded and the consesus was . . . Give Us the Books!

This will be a picture heavy post! If you can't read a title drop me a line. I'm going to post the pictures of what I have and list of what I want. :) He he, more like what I NEED.





















Want more? Click the flickr link here.

Books I want in no certain order (and some aren't even published yet):
Cables Untangled:An Exploration of Cable Knitting by Melissa Leapman
Inspired Cable Knits: 0 Creative Designs for Making Sweaters and Accessories by Fiona Ellis
Yarnplay: Colorful Techniques and Projects for the Creative Knitter by Lisa Shobhana
The Alden Amos Big Book of Spinning by Alden Amos
Elizabeth Zimmermann's Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman
A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
A Treasury of Knitting Patterns by Barbara G. Walker
The Vogue Knitting Stitchionary Volume Three: Color Knitting: The Ultimate Stitch Dictionary from the Editors of Vogue by Vogue Knitting Magazine
Finishing Techniques for Hand Knitters: Give Your Knitting that Professional Look by Sharon Brant
Spin to Knit: The Knitter's Guide to Making Yarn by Shannon Okey
Never Knit Your Man a Sweater (Unless You've Got the Ring) by Judith Durant
A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swansen
KnitLit the Third: We Spin More Yarns by Linda Roghaar and Molly Wolf (editors)
KnitLit (too):Stories from Sheep to Shawl . . . and More Writing About Knitting by Linda Roghaar and Molly Wolf (editors)
plus, the Harlot's next book, you know bookbookbook 4

Happy Days

I found a class that I think will be much better. It's a class in the foundations of distance learning. We'll be developing a module and learning how to design adult instructional online courses. Sounds kind of cool to me, know why???? Because I can create an online course that will demonstrate how to SPIN or KNIT or CROCHET. Yeppers, I'm excited. It will be open to anyone who wants to view it. :) That makes me very happy.

In knitting news. I've been practicing the twisted German cast-on that Theresa uses for the "Here There Be Dragons Socks." I used it for the first time with those socks and decided that I wanted to use it on a pair of socks for my dad. I'm happy to say that I remembered how to do it without having to look it up. Woo hoo! I'm using the Knit Picks Memories in Yukon, but I don't have much done yet, so you'll just have to wait a few days for a picture.

Will's socks? Who asked that? I don't know what you're talking about. Ok, maybe I do. The first sock was, um, giant. I did it yet again. I cast on too many and realized it was probably a bit big after about 6 rows. I ripped it out. Hopefully I can restart it in the next few days, but I need to do some swatching for the Carleen shawl this weekend. I have grand ideas, but no real way to translate them yet. In case you haven't figured it out, I've never designed a shawl or a pattern with lace. Hee hee, oops. So, I'm a little ambitious, at least the three headed duck stopped. . . HEY quit that! The d*mn duck is laughing at me again. (The three headed duck would be the second cousin twice removed on the three headed chicken's grandfather's brother's niece's great-aunt's side.)

Ignoring the duck, I've been thinking about what knitting books I have in my library. Ok, I've really been thinking about all of the fiber books I have in my library. Is anyone interested in finding out what books I own and what books I am thinking about buying? Or (more importantly) can you give me a review of books I'm thinking of buying? I'll admit to dark secrets involving the purchase and subsequent . . .

You didn't really think I would give it away did you? Let me know what you think and if I get a consensus I will post my book collection tomorrow.

Don't forget to hug your bunny! (Funny story about that sometime. Remind me in a few weeks to tell you about my first bunny.) :)

Raggies :)

Raggies 17 and 18.
The whole colorful gang.

I'm going to cast on for a sock tonight.

I'm not sure that my class is going to work out on Tuesdays. The professor has all group projects with a project due every week for the semester. He kept saying that he didn't want to make extra work for us. Um, he's making more work for me. You all know that I judge rabbit shows on the weekends. That pretty well knocks out Fridays and Saturdays for me to work on projects. Monday nights are now class nights from 6-9. I'm working a 40 hour week. So what does that leave? Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. He won't be posting his group questions until Thursday nights. They are due on Tuesdays before class.

Huh, do you see a problem? We've eliminated Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. So really if I don't get it done the night he posts or on Sunday. I'm in trouble. Darn professors. Making it easier, fooey. He's making it harder.

So, anyway, I may have to find another class to take in order to meet my class requirements, and still keep my obligations at the rabbit shows.

Oh, and poor Will. His room mate decided to move in with the girl he's been dating for 6 weeks. This left Will alone in the house, which is fine because the room mate still has to pay for his half unless he can find a sub-leaser, BUT the stupid room mate had the power turned off yesterday and didn't tell Will until 4:30 last night. Will's name wasn't on the bill, so his power was shut off today. The power company doesn't think they will be able to restore power until Friday. Yeah, that's right, Friday.

So, lovely day all around.

Curtis is knitting on his first raggy though. :)

Inspiration

I've been thinking. You know, about knitting. What is it that inspires you? What makes you want to get up in the morning and pick up your needles and knit?

Do you knit for therapy? Is it more of a communing with the women who have done this before? Why do you feel the need to knit?

I'm almost compulsive about it. I don't think that I could knit just one row and be happy. I need to knit at least four or five rows to feel like I have accomplished something. My mother doesn't knit. Neither of my grandmothers did. In fact, there hasn't been a knitter in my direct family line since my great grandmothers. And really, they weren't heavy into the knitting. One was a quilter, one was a sewer, and one liked embroidery and needle work. The fourth one? I don't know as much about her.

So what is it exactly that draws me to knitting? I used to read books constantly, now I substitute knitting. I know there must be some reason that I feel the pull of yarn and needles. The sweet feel of yarn slipping through my fingers, the gentle click of wooden needles, and that final satisfaction of a finished object. I love the sensual aspects of knitting. Smelling wool or silk, feeling buttery fleeces, and feasting on the vivid colors of dyed yarn, I feel sated in a way that isn't entirely physical.

I yearn after skeins and needles and patterns that I didn't even know existed before I came to college. I take pride in teaching other people this art. It just makes me happy.

What inspires me to knit? What causes me to get up every morning and sigh over my yarn and needles? Even after all of this thinking and pondering and wondering I still don't know.

What I'm curious about is, do you know what it is that causes you to crave knitting?

More?

Raggies number 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16. I swear I only have a few more to do and then I am swearing off of raggies for a while.

I may also have raggy number 17 on the needles. :)

I've been coming up with ideas for my shawl and perusing various shawl patterns. I want this shawl to be special with as few of my usual screw-ups as possible. Any help designing my pattern will be appreciated as I start to put it together in the next two weeks.

There will also be a contest after labor day. Just a little heads up. :)

Ha! I got your goat.

You may have noticed that I've been a bit preoccupied lately. My posts have been a bit, eh short, and a little um, distracted. I have a good reason for this. I swear. It's around here somewhere.

You see, I had this project that I needed to finish. I took a class in weaving last year here at Purdue University and I had one final project on the looms this summer. I designed it myself, warped the loom, and started weaving it.

Then I had to start again.

Um, the goats were looking more like llamas. Slight adjustment and we were back to goats. Only by this time it was the end of June and I had all of those Indiana State Fair projects to do. So the project slipped away until last week when I was down to the wire. It had to be off of the loom before Monday. Why, you ask? Monday is when classes start again and there will be other people that need the loom. I was only borrowing it you know.

This is what I've been working on. I still need to finish the edges and sew the rod in. Yeah, I could have woven it in, but I didn't have a rod with me and I wanted it FINISHED.

Here's a little closer shot. And the quote in the middle a la Knitter Bunny.
How many fiber arts does the Knitter Bunny do? Are there more? This Knitter Bunny she's a sneaky person. She never even mentioned that she knew how to weave.

I don't know what you're talking about. Look! Silk lace from Sundara.

Footies on the Move

Finished footies. Cables are cool. It took about 2.5 skeins of Alpaca With a Twist. I'm thinking I'm going to make another pair of these.

I also started another raggy, um yeah, that's number 12. He he. I'm sick, sick with the raggy virus.

Curtis is also staying with me. He's interested in learning to knit. Yes, I'm going to teach him. I can't wait.

Signing off. I must go feed the bunnies.

Making My Day

Dear Kristi,

I had a fairly gross day today and was so happy when I got home to find your package. I know that I was fairly reticent about receiving a present. I truly did just want to surprise you with the signed book.

However, I can not thank you enough. I had to pay bills (among other things) and kept your happy yarn by me the entire time. It made the pain (of watching my bank account drain) somewhat bearable. I'm looking forward to swatching it and deciding just exactly what I will make out of it.

Then again, it may become "core stash" because of the special memories it will always bring me.

Thank you,

Kelli

The Obsession Continues

Raggy number 11.

I really do think I may have a problem.

On to other knitting news. I'm working on my second cabled footie, while not much has been happening with the curtains.

I have a few rounds of Will's cabled socks done, but I'm worried about the size. What is the percentage that you have to add back to your original number to compensate for the cables in a knitted piece? I know that they pull the fabric in which causes the piece to have less width unless you compensate for it.

Classes start next week and I have a night class on Mondays. Blogging on Monday nights may become fairly hit or miss, but I might be luckier than I'm anticipating. I'll do my best to keep the routine that I've been following this summer. I feel so lucky to have stumbled into this blogging business and made so many great friends. So, um, thanks.

Ba da da boop, Cables!

Cabling is fun. Cabling makes me happy. I love how this looks too. I used Alpaca With A Twist Landscapes in the Cable Footies pattern from One Skein by Leigh Radford.

La la la. I'm off to cable, cable, cable. I'm off to cable tonight.

(Sorry about the blindingly white chickie legs. I don't tan. Not that I couldn't tan, I just don't like to.)

State Fair Happenings

Ok, just the knitting stuff. I volunteered with the Rabbit Ambassador program today and got to go see my projects in the Home and Family Arts Building.

The socks didn't place, but they looked very pretty nestled among the other entrants in the display case. (Those specks in the picture? Those are dirt specks. I'd rather have it on the glass than on my socks though!)

My knitted "knucks" didn't place either, but after seeing my competition I know why. Wow! There were some beautiful handspun projects exhibited at the Fair this year. Check out the scarf with the blue and purple ribbon in the next picture. Oooo la la!

See the lonely red skein? I think I need to make it some brothers and sisters so it isn't as lonely. It didn't place either, but I wasn't expecting it to.

Surprise! My plied silk skein placed second in its class! Look closely, there at the top with the loooooong red ribbon. Yea! I won a second. But where's my shawl? You know, the one that I was blocking at midnight on the floor. That shawl. Well, that shawl was even more of a treat. Imagine my delight when I saw this.

BIG PURPLE RIBBON! I won the knitting sweepstakes! I had the best knitted piece out of 18 knitting categories! There is even a prize. Whee! This was my first year entering knitting at the State Fair. I'm delighted, ecstatic, crazy happy, and I called Ms. Cygknit just to celebrate.

I'm cracking a bottle tonight. Celebrate with me and sniff the yarn.

A Cabling Will We Go

Dear Rams,

If you are reading this. You are right.
Yes, the cables do cross different ways. I was deciding how I liked it and proving that yes, I am an idiot, and yes it is very easy.

When All Is Fair and Bright and True

Or just when yarn arrives. :)

Sundara sock yarn in pretty blue. Mmmmm, pretty "Moonshadow" lace weight from Spin 'n' Stuff. I have oodles of this. I love it. You should feel it. You should smell it. You should see it in person. I love this yarn. I almost didn't post about this because I'm covetous. I want all of her yarn for myself. My good sense has prevailed however, because the yarn bounty should be shared by all. Seriously, check out her wares.

Ann and Kay, you Queens of the Mason-Dixon knitting, you smart-*ssed ladies of the washcloth. If you ever read this, I want you to know . . . these are wash clothes 9 and 10. It's like a disease. I CAN'T STOP!!!!

Ina Carleen Norfleet Fairchild

I know that several of the other people for the Day of the Dead KAL have posted about what they are going to do for the KAL. Kristi is making small stuffed animals in memory of three of her grandparents. Terri and Katherine are both making dolls for their DOTD KALs in memory of lost loved ones. I've been struggling with what I want to do. I never knew my maternal grandmother. She died when my mom was in her 20's and before my parents were married. I would like to connect to her in some way.

I think that I would like to design and knit a shawl in memory of my grandma Fairchild. She loved antiques, pictures, pecan pie, strawberry waffles, her chihuahua Chico, and jewelry. She traveled extensively with my grandfather and really loved spending time with my mom. She wasn't a particularly crafty person, she wasn't particularly artsy, but she loved pretty things whether it was a wildflower or a marble topped dresser.

My best memory of my grandma Fairchild is a picture of her in a red shirt standing next to a large bush with flowers on it. She looked so happy in that picture.

For this knit-a-long in memory of my grandmother, Ina Carleen Norfleet Fairchild, who I never knew, I will be designing a shawl, in lace, with things that remind me of her.

When I have a chance I will get a picture from home and post to the blog.

Mmmm, pretty

Silk. I love silk. I love silk even more when its named Bunny Hug. Silkworker silk colorway "Bunny Hug" destined to (hopefully) become lace for a pretty scarf or small stole.

After my rant about my curtains I thought that I should subject my readers to the horror that is my eye burning curtains give you a picture. This is what I've been looking at for four years. New curtains are a must. I'm pleased with the scribble lace so far. We'll see how it looks in a few days. I might decide that it is not quite right and scrap it, but so far so good. The pattern is super easy to memorize too which makes me very happy.

As for the dog, I set a yarn holder on the couch today and it has not been touched. I can live with this solution. A clean couch and I only have to move one small thing. If only it will continue to work.

Stash is fully recovered and expressed her thanks tonight by licking my fingers, for over a minute. I'm not sure why I felt the need to sit there and let her ticklish little tongue slurp my fingers, but I was fascinated by the fact that she wasn't satisfied by a tiny lick. She grabbed my fingers with her little claws and used them as a little reminder when I tried to pull away. As long as I let her lick away she didn't put pressure on my fingers. Very interesting stuff I tell you.

Where have all of the bunnies gone?

Oops! I haven't posted bunny pictures in much too long.

Black Dutch baby bunnies still in the next box. They opened their eyes mere hours before this picture.

Also, two more Christmas projects finished. The scary bright orange stocking cap for Will to hunt in. If he's going to hunt, he's going to be as safe and warm as I can make him. I also finished another wash cloth. We're at eight now. Tonight I'm going to start swatching for the scribble lace curtains. I have yarn wound and needles ready. I can't wait to see what it looks like. I have the ugliest curtains in my house. They actually have parrots on them. Yes, parrots. A beige background with tropical leaves and these pastelish parrots. (Who wants to look at pastel parrots every day?) It is time to replace them, holy sh*t how did I put up with these curtains for four years is too long to look at these ugly curtains.

I may have bought some lovely patterns too. Say maybe Mountain Peaks? Miriam was having a sale on her patterns and oh, what lovely patterns. I didn't even know that she was out there and when I stumbled on her blog, saw the patterns, and found that she had a sale. That was the beginning of the end. I bought four of her patterns. Shameless isn't it?

On another note, does anyone know how to keep a dog off of the couch if you never catch her in the act? All suggestions welcome at this point.

Overloaded

I walked in on this and had to take a picture. I admire Dot for trying to accomodate all of the kittens at once, but whoa! How many kittens can she fit in there? They are 8 weeks old after all. It's about time to wean them.

I like how she's got one paw on the back of two different kittens too.


Gratuitous kitten shot. They finally sat still for me. I even caught the black boy in mid groom of the Fluffy black and white girl. Hee hee

There has been knitting going on. Here are the finished ankle socks for Mom.

That's 7 raggies and 1 pair of socks done for Christmas. I started a few more Christmas projects, you know project monogamy was just not my thing. Which may be why I now have three WIPs and I desperately want to start another one. :)

PS Kristi and CygKnit, I haven't forgotten your packages, I've just been a little distracted.

Stash is Okey Dokey

Stash has a clean bill of health from the vet. She had a specific kind of parasite that commonly infests wild rabbits. I'm not sure where she picked it up, but I do have quite a few wild rabbits around as I live in the country.

Since I removed the parasite on Wed. and flushed the wound with peroxide, she was already on the mend. The vet checked her over and she will be just fine. Apparently its more common in this area than in my parents. I had never seen or heard of it before.

I'm glad that she is fine and on the mend. She is very comfortable and except for a small scab she is healed, even the swelling is gone.

I also had a good time showing goats, but we loaded out very late last night. I was up into the wee hours of the morning. Luckily I had my knitting with me and finished the second sock for Mom for Christmas. I also made a fast Ipod cozy for Curtis who was showing goats with me. He was very interested in the process and might be another addict convert soon.

Hope your weekend is going well. I'm going to play with Stash for a while. She deserves some loving for her patience.

Quick and Dirty

Ok, maybe I'm the only one who is dirty. It was a busy day of showing goats today. I enjoyed myself thoroughly and got quite dirty. I also taught my new friend Laney to knit. She was a natural from the get go. I'm taking her a skein from the stash tonight to get her started. She also lives just five miles from a yarn store at home. I sense a new addict knitter.

I came home tonight to take care of the bunnies and check on Stash. She is doing better, but I'm afraid she has some infection. I have an appointment for her at the vet's office on Saturday morning. She is still eating, drinking, playing, and has no fever yet. Except for the swelling on her neck, you wouldn't know anything is wrong with her.

I have to get going. It's back to the fair for some more showing tomorrow.

Sad things

My roommate's mom is in the hospital. I'll give you more details when I have permission.

Someone I knew back home had a fatal accident. She was sweeping and jostled the closet, a gun fell and fired, killing her. Her husband thought that they had cleared the gun of bullets.

I picked up one of the kittens tonight and thought she had an abscess that was exposing. I squeezed it to remove the pus and got something far more disgusting instead. I'm treating her for infection, the puncture wound, and the maggot that came out. I'm not sure how she injured herself, but she acts like she has no problems. I will be taking her to the vet when I return from State Fair.

The injured short haired girl. I cleaned out her wound with peroxide. She doesn't seem to be in an awful lot of pain. No heat, just swelling and some blood. If it gets worse, I've given Monica permission to take her to the vet while I'm gone.

The Fluffy Girl.

All of the other kittens are fine. No other injuries to report or see. So if things keep going well, Stash, as I've been calling her will be right-o very soon.

I'm off to show goats at the State Fair. I may be hit or miss blogging from the Fairgrounds. I will post updates about Stash's condition as I am able.

Reliving the Miracle

I didn't get a chance to post the rest of my pictures from this weekend. For you, my wonderful readers, I give you knitters on the move.

Knitters congregating.

The knitting line.
Um, that wasn't the end of the line. The line actually wrapped around the room and down the aisle beside me. This was just the first third approximately.

Did I mention the finished objects from this weekend? No? Well, three raggies, and one ankle sock are how long it takes to drive from Will's to Monroe, to Ann Arbor, to wait for the Harlot, hear a great speech, wait for my book to be signed, and drive from Ann Arbor home. I'm pretty pleased with the raggies. This brings my total to seven!

The ankle socks are something I just threw together. I did a K2P2 ribbing and a short row heel from memory with the Harlot's usual toe shaping and her alteration. (skip the last knit row between the final two rows of decreases at the toe) It turned out pretty well don't you think?


This? I don't know what you're talking about. Just because I had a coupon from my LYS burning a hole in my pocket doesn't mean I stopped there and bought a book and some yarn. Nope, not me. ;)