Looking back at 2008

I started 2008 with some knitting goals. I wanted to learn new things (see fearless knitter badge) and I wanted to knit more for myself. On both counts I am pleased with what I have accomplished.


Here is the tally for my knitting in 2008:

6 hats
5 pairs of adult socks
2 scarves
2 bags
1 pair baby socks
1 adult sweater
1 child sweater
1 shawl
1 poncho


That is 20 knitted items in all.


Among these items were:
9 gifts
2 swaps
2 for charity
7 for me!!


This is a much improved percentage of knit items for me to keep compared to last year.
2008 35% for me
2007 12.5% for me


The items I made for myself are a lace stole, a fair isle cardigan and 5 pairs of socks. Not bad.


And I feel like I really did learn a lot of new things this year. I have learned how to do stranded knitting, and I even enjoy picking the colors. I cut my first steek this year. I worked with lace weight yarn for the first time. Additionally, I have tried hard to know when to give up a project. I frogged 7 projects this year--not including the 4 "swatches" for the swap scarf I made.


All in all, I'm pleased with my progress this year. Now to think about challenges for 2009.
Wishing you happy knitting and all sorts of other good things for 2009.

Everlasting Bagstoppers

After months of looking at these unfinished little bags, I finally got the sharp needle out. They just needed handles. I had bought the ribbon--just had to get down to the sewing.

Well, on Saturday I did not let myself knit until the handles were sewn on. Yes, I still have a sore spot on the knuckle of my thumb where I kept jabbing myself with the needle, but the bags are fully functional now, and actually in the mail heading towards my sisters, who I hope will find good uses for them.

Even with the delay to sew, I managed to complete the second sleeve of the circles yoke sweater this weekend. I cast on for the body and I'm getting ready to turn the hem. Hopefully, I will have a new sweater soon.

My Christmas cactus bloomed on time this year :)

Since the last post

Of course I had to rerun the analysis after adding the last post--and now I have been reanalyzed.

ESTP - The Doers

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Hmm--this one, not so much, unless by "physical out-door activity" they mean walking out the front door, opening the garage (I don't have a garage door opener, ya know) and driving to work. I guess the typealyzer post threw off my posting vibe. And maybe by "keen on starting something new" they mean casting on new projects. And by "problem with sitting still" they mean constantly wiggles yarn between needles. Ah well, at least I'm less creeped out. As I said, back to knitting content.

Typealyzer

Saw this link to Typalyzer on a friend's blog, and I thought I'd give it a go. You put your blog address in, and poof you are analyzed. Here is what my blog says about me:

The analysis indicates that the author of http://neknitter.blogspot.com/ is of the type:
ESFP - The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don´t like to plan ahead - they are always in risk of exhausting themselves. The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation - qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.


Hmm--you think maybe all the knitting content is a hint about the soft fabrics??? Exhaustion--sure feels like it these days? Do you think I can direct the upper management to this analysis the next time I get asked if I would like to move into the managerial track?? Do you think maybe there is a reason that I am the unofficial mentor to my entire dept???? Really, this thing was a bit creepy.

BTW--submitted the first official draft of my thesis to my committee yesterday--about 10 minutes before we lost power. Seems it all got through though--and I have a few days to let my brain relax, and maybe actually knit!!! After I get my holiday cards in the mail, of course--sigh. We'll see how badly it gets torn apart, so that I can turn around and make it better :)

So, I promise some more knitting soon--especially since I have started a new sweater!! Yes, even during this week, when I had absolutely no time to knit at all, I managed to complete the entire arm of a sweater--amazing. Sometimes, I forget that knitting worsted weight can seem like magic--especially since my last sweater was sport weight!!

Mom's hat and scarf

Finished the hat/scarf set for my Mom.

Here she is modeling the hat.

And here is the scarf.

My great revelation in doing the decreases, for this essentially 1x1 ribbed hat is that k3tog and p3tog are my friends.

No time for more as I have eggplant to cook for a family gathering tonight, assuming the roads are clear enough for us to get there.

My scarf has arrived!

And isn't gorgeous!

As part of the Monthly Adventure Holiday swap, I sent Jinann some yummy Malabrigo, and she knit this beautiful scarf for me.

I love it. Soft and cuddly, pretty and elegant. Now I need to make myself a hat with the yarn I have left.

Also included in the package were some adorable Christmas ornaments and a key chain from the Norwegian bazaar she attended over the weekend. They are heading up to land on my Christmas tree.

Next post--will be about the hat and scarf I'm working on for my mom. I made a lovely discovery about decreasing 1x1 ribbing.

And the winner is . . .

Katrina!!

Woohoo! I know where to find you--so I will leave a little something on your desk on Monday. If you are lucky, you might not get it for a while--since as I understand it, Monday is your due date!!!!! But if you do go past your due date, at least you know a pretty skein of Sunshine Yarns handpainted 75% merino/25% silk in Sunflower, will be waiting for you on Tuesday.

Thanks to everyone for reading all my silly knitting/life stories.

What might a collector of fiber fear?

What does strike fear in the hearts of fiber lovers everywhere? How about this:

Yes, some crazy thing has been happening recently. It has been warmish, but really not that warm. Thousands of seemingly identical moths have been hovering around the outdoor lights and the windows. They seem to love the fluorescent kitchen light, as seen above.

I stupidly left the light outside the door on the other day, and when the boys came home a bunch of fluttery friends came in with them. Well, I've been vacuuming them up since. Let's hope I've gotten them all. I shudder to think of what they might like to cuddle up with in my stash!

Blogiversary

It just struck me that it is December (crap, how did that happen), and that I started this blog in December, so I took a peek back--and today is exactly one year since my first post!!

So, as a celebration of actually sticking with this for a year, I'm offering a prize to any readers that might be out there. So if you are reading right now, post a comment. On Friday I'll pick a random comment and send that reader a fibery prize. Mention in the comment if you are a sock knitter or not--that will help me sort through the available "prizes".

I don't have very many readers--so your chances of getting some fibery goodness are pretty high :)

Connor's caps

Here is the collection of hats that I sent out to Wisconsin today.

Thanks Lisa, Mary and Paulette!

November knitting

While it seems I haven't been doing much knitting in November, I think it is just items with deadlines that did not need a lot of brain power, and so I just focus on them to get them done, without thinking about them too much.

I've already written about the scarf for the swap. The other deadline knitting that I have been doing is for Connor's caps. More info can be found on Chocolate Sheep's blog--but in brief, her son's classmate Connor was diagnosed with cancer and is currently undergoing treatment. His school is having a hat day (some of the kids are shaving their heads in support), and Chocolate Sheep was hoping to collect hand knit hats in the school colors to distribute for hat day. So, I knit a couple of hats in gray, blue and gold (in snuggly warm Berkshire), and so did a few of my knitting buddies. I'm collecting the others tonight and sending them off to Wisconsin before Thanksgiving--giving them time to get there before hat day.

So the month of November was spent knitting hats and a scarf. Now that those are done, I'm not quite sure what to do. I picked up that second everlasting bag stopper I started a while back. I'm about 1/3 of the way done. Mindless knitting. That will keep me occupied for a bit. But what to do next. I haven't done any socks in a while. I have some yarn that I bought for a sweater. I've got an interesting recipe for a tank type top (get a jump on summer items--maybe it will be ready in time to actually wear for the season it was intended).

Decisions, decision . . .

Photo contest

As a way to raise money to cover some of the cost of shipping for prizes in the Monthly Adventures group, one member thought it would be fun to create items for sale. She thought that calendars would be fun, and so the photo contest was born. We submitted our photos, yarny and otherwise, for voting by the group. The most loved photos were put into the calendar.

I submitted a few photos, and several made it into the calendar. As a runner up winner (with the 2nd or 3rd most loved photo) I won a one page calendar. It arrived in the mail today.

I will bring this to work. I'm sure it will make me smile more often.

Ruffle rib scarf

It took me quite a while to figure out what to make with the Blue Heron Beaded Wool. Although it is wool, and should have a bit of stretch, the binder used makes the yarn pretty unstretchy. I tried several patterns before I finally used the Misti Chunky Ribs & Ruffles Scarf pattern. This was a pattern some one used for a scarf for me, and I liked it.

To use it with the beaded wool I had to make some modifications to the pattern, since the pattern was written for a chunky yarn, and beaded wool is worsted. The pattern repeat is 4+3 so, I cast on 108 stitches.

When done, this gave me a scarf that was 5 inches wide, and 60 inches long, using one ball of yarn.

I like the way this turned out, and I hope Jinann likes it too!

Lose the U IV

The Monthly Adventures group doesn't just do swaps. They also do KALs/CALs and are around for general support (knitting and otherwise). We have had an ongoing Lose the U Monthly KAL, where you post your UFOs, and try to finish them by the end of the month. We give each other encouragement, and at the end of the month there is a prize!

I won the prize for October--for finishing Hanami. This is a random prize, so everyone who participates and finishes something that month can win.

And what a great package it was:



A great little DellaQ project bag, a handy knitters emergency kit (with handy measuring tape), with the worlds cutest crochet hook, tea , teacup, chocolate, toe up sock pattern, stitch markers, sheepy key chain (on my car key already), hand lotion, lavender sachet, eucalan samples–pheww I thinks that’s everything.


I think the crochet hook is super cute!


J is already putting the cup to good use--can you smell the cappuccino?

Scarf swap

It has been a busy month, lots happening, but not much time to write about it. I hope to do a little catching up today.

The Monthly Adventures swap group is having a big anniversary swap (yes we have been swapping yarn and other goodies for a year). We send yarn (and goodies local to our area) to our swap partner, they knit us a scarf, and send it back with more goodies.

Here is the package I received, with goodies from Jinann in Virginia.

The yarn to make the scarf is a Blue Heron yarn, Beaded Wool–my knitting buddies call it blue heroin, although they are addicted to the sparkly stuff.

As you can see, the Swallowtail Shawl pattern was included–the swallowtail is the official insect and butterfly of Virginia! I received some Bay Lime soap-smells yummy. Unicorn Fiber Wash, and Rinse (I’ve never used this type before). Some very pretty stitch markers made by a friend. DARK CHOCOLATE (yummy). A package of lemon ginger tea (more yum). A postcard of the Shenandoah Valley in Autumn. A pretty note book to keep in my knitting bag. Two nickels :) on one side is Thomas Jefferson, famous Virginian and on the other side his home, Monticello, a must visit if you are in the state of Virginia. And deep in the center of the ball–a skein of Blue Ridge Yarn hand dyed in Virginia. What a great package!

Stay tuned to see what I made with that Blue Heroin (er Heron).

FO--Hanami

Done done done done done!!! does happy dance

Thanks Paulette, for the blocking wires! I think I will stop by the local welding shop and say "can you give me some of these?"

Magic Ball

I hope everyone had a fun Halloween.Yesterday I received my magic ball swap package. Wrapped around some lovely Blue Heron yarn, that I will be using to make a scarf and sending back to my partner, was a whole bunch of fun stuff.
Here is the ball.
And here it is unwrapped.

We were supposed to include items that represented out area/region, and my partner did a great job. As you can see, the Swallowtail Shawl pattern was included–the swallowtail is the official insect and butterfly of Virginia! I received some Bay Lime soap-smells yummy. Unicorn Fiber Wash, and Rinse (I’ve never used this type before). Some very pretty stitch markers made by a friend. DARK CHOCOLATE (yummy). A package of lemon ginger tea (more yum). A postcard of the Shenandoah Valley in Autumn. A pretty note book to keep in my knitting bag. Two nickels :) on one side is Thomas Jefferson, famous Virginian and on the other side his home, Monticello, a must visit if you are in the state of Virginia. And deep in the center of the ball–a skein of Blue Ridge Yarn hand dyed in Virginia.

I have two scarf patterns in mind for this yarn. I need to start swatching to see which would work best.

I have time to work on the scarf because my Hanami is done!! Yes, I bound off yesterday morning. Now I need to block it. I think I really need blocking wires to do the job right. There are some local welding shops that I think may have what I need. If that doesn't work out, then I will order a kit from Knit Picks--but I really don't need a yard stick, or pins, so I hope I can get what I need locally. I'm not going to list it as an FO until it is blocked--I want to post a pretty picture of it.

Scarecrow Wig

Thinking about being a scarecrow for Halloween? Well, there is still enough time to whip up a warm and cozy scarecrow wig.

I used 1 1/4 skeins of Encore worsted, in yellow. For crazy scarecrow hair, you can mix colors.
Size 7 needle
Size G crochet hook

Cast on 84 stitches
Join and knit in round, in 1x1 ribbing for a few rows.
Switch to stockinette stitch (knit each round) until it measures 4 inches from the edge.
Begin decreases
row 1: (Knit 10, K2tog) repeat to end
row 2: Knit
row 3: (Knit 9, K2tog) repeat to end
row 4: Knit
continue in this way, alternating a decrease row, with a plain knit row, until you have 7 stitches left on the needle. Pull yarn through remaining stitches.

Now comes the fun part. Turn hat inside out, so that the purl side is showing.
Cut a bunch of yarn, approximately 6 inches long--to do this, I loosely wrapped the yarn around my hand (as many wraps as I could manage) then carefully cut the yarn (don't snip your hand!).

Starting with the first row above the ribbing, I used the crochet hook to hook each piece of yarn to a purl bump. I attached one to every other purl bump. Then I moved up 3 rows, shifted over one purl bump, and repeated the procedure. By shifting over, this keeps the "hairs" staggered, so they don't all line up. Continue this way until your wig is full.

You can make the hair on your wig longer by making the strands as long as you like.

Although this scarecrow wig was made for a preschooler (who never wore it--he thought he looked too girlie), it also fits me,
as well as my parents. For an adult, you might consider working the hat until it is somewhat longer (maybe 6 inches) before beginning the decreases.
This could also be used for Raggedy Andy hair (do kids still know who Raggedy Andy is?)

Fall Colors

Finished up a bit more dyeing. This is gift yarn. I was in a Fall mood when I made it. Who knew you could get colors like this with Kool Aid.

I started with this:
And got this:Similarly, I started with this:
And made this:

Look the same? Well here they are side by side--one is bit brighter. More pumpkin, less brown.

Back to the dyeing board

So I've been playing around with Kool Aid again this week. Here is what I've got to show that is both dry and reskeined.

I started off with this pink sport weight sock yarn. I had bought it from Webs a while back, on sale, thinking I might use it for my niece.


Then I thought, well there is enough there to make socks for me--but the color isn't quite right. It finally hit me that I can fix that. So off to the cupboard to see what I had in the Kool Aid department.

After a bit of playing around, I ended up with this:


Much improved, I think.

Stripey Mock Cable Hat

I used twisted stitches and some lovely squishy wool to make this hat for my son. Although it was made for a preschooler, it is stretchy enough to fit me (and my husband—although our son has told him not to wear it, “because you’re gonna stretch it out!”)

5 colors of heavy worsted weight/aran yarn
I use Valley Yarns Berkshire
A—Navy
B—Burgundy
C—Olive
D—Gold
E—Cooper

Needle size 8—or what works best for you (this is one needle size down from the recommended needle size)
Gauge—unstretched, 5 stitches per inch

RTwist: K2tog and then work first stitch again before removing stitches from left needle to the right needle

Cast on 80 stitches using color A.
Join and knit in the round.
For the first 10 rounds:
K1 (P2 K2) repeat until 3 stitch remain, P2 K1

then
Purl one round

Still working with color A, switch to the following the pattern, keeping track of the color changes noted below

Row 1, 2 and 3: P1 (K2 P2) repeat until 3 stitches remain, K2 P1
Row 4: P1 (RTwist P2) repeat until 3 stitches remain, RTwist P1

Color A—10 rows
Color B—10 rows
Color C—8 rows
Color D—6 rows
Color E—3 rows
Color A—3 rows
Color B—3 rows
Color C—3 rows
Color D—3 rows
Color D—3 rows

Or chose a color pattern that you prefer.

End on a row that does not include twisted stitches.
Turn work inside out and do a three needle bind off, so that your tube looks like a rectangle. Using the tail of the yarn, thread into a yarn needle and attach one corner of the rectangle to the other corner—the side where you started the bind off.

Weave in ends. Flip up brim.
Enjoy your nice warm hat.

Hint: Before I switch colors, I used the Philosopher’s Wool technique of weaving in Fair Isle to “catch” the new color of yarn in the last knit stitch (before the color switch). This secures the yarn so that your tension stays even at the color switch. This is the Third Stitch in the video.

My Mom, the knitter 2

Look quick--I have figured out how to put up the video.

My Mom, the knitter

I was showing my Mother how to do a Log Cabin blanket this weekend. And I took the opportunity to take some pictures (and video also) of how she knits.

I haven't looked a the video yet, but she is so fast it is nearly impossible to see what she is doing once she gets going. But here are some snap shots of her hands.

Notice the completely different way of holding things. Keep in mind all she is doing is knit, knit knit each row. This is not purling, at all. See how the yarn comes from the front, not the back. With a flick of her thumb she is flicks her way through the row. (I have no clue how she purls--maybe I'll get that on film next time)

The tension of the yarn is from holding it around her neck as well as the fingers of her right hand. She's got the yarn wrapped around her right hand fingers, then it goes around her neck, before getting to the actually knitting. When she is sitting comfortably (not standing by the window trying to catch some light), and prepared to knit for a while, the yarn actually goes through a safety pin that she pins to her shirt.


I never could figure out what she was doing. Still can't.

The Fair

We spent some time at the Topsfield Fair over the weekend. A good time was had by all. We saw the birds (and even fed some),
the giant pumpkinsand some lovely veggie art.
We also went on some rides (but for some reason, it won't let me upload any more pics).

We were part of the scarecrow school for the parade--funny thing about being IN the parade is that you don't get to see THE parade. Interesting concept, to be there the whole time and miss the entire thing.
My hand knit scarecrow wig was deemed to be too girly, and so was not worn. I still may post the pattern--someone else might want a scarecrow wig--you never know.

We also spent some quality time watching the carding and spinning. Oh, and the fried dough was good--if not quite $5 (!!!) good.

38,516

gulp
That is the current estimate of the number of yards of yarn in my stash. Yes, me--the one who denies having much of a stash at all. And this does not include some of those partial skeins lying around. Whoops
I guess I better get knitting.

To get your own estimate, make sure your stash in Ravelry is updated, then use the export to excel button. From there it is a simple task to sum up the total yards (or meters if you prefer).

Oh crap--I just calculated the number of miles of yarn.
1 yard = 0.000568181818 miles

So I own approximately 22 miles of yarn.
gasp

More yarn to get me through the winter

So, I stopped by Fabric Place again. And although there was even less yarn there than there was last week, I managed to spend twice as much. How does that happen?

Well, I bought enough Reynolds Wash Day Wool to make myself a sweater--I was thinking the Tangled Yoke. I also bought enough Hempathy to make a tank top, or something.

And then, I could not resist the Malabrigo--and bought two more hanks of the beige worsted weight.

Hey, you know, I'm doing my part for the economy :P

pssst

Hey said in a loud whisper
Do you know where my green yarn is?? You know the one I posted about a few days ago? I left it on the futon in the office and it's not there anymore. You didn't move it did you? Because no one I live with admits to touching this yarn--and yet, it is not where it should be. I have looked under (and around) that futon about 5 times so far, and I'm still thinking I might have missed it, somehow. I guess that is why I keep looking under there.

Well, if you see it lying around let me know.

The Malabrigo

Just a quickie to show off the Malabrigo--by request. They are worsted weight, although I would call them heavy worsted. I think I can make two hats with them. The colors go nicely together.
For now, they are getting acquainted with the other worsted weight wools in the stash.

Fabric Place--going out of business

So by some miracle, I left work exactly when I should have--well it was not a miracle, I was doing something in IT, which is practically in the parking lot, and I had my stuff with me, ready to run out the door. As a result, I made it to the road, where I found not much traffic--and with 90 minutes to get where I was going, I had plenty of time to make a quick stop at the Fabric Place--where all yarn is now currently 25% off.

At first I wasn't finding anything of interest. A lot of Classic Elite stuff that I've never used, some Berrocco . . . Then I found the Hempathy, which I have used, in a few nice colors. So I picked some up. Once you start carrying around a handful of yarn that is just an open invitation to keep picking more up. Let's just say I left the store $57 lighter, but I did make my first Malabrigo purchase! And some Silky Alpaca Lace too!

Will try to take pictures--but now it is time for bed.

Green socks begin

Last night L finally got to wear a pair of socks I made for him a long time ago. They are crazy colors, and I made them long, thinking they would fit the following year, but it is two years now, and he only just barely fits in them. I made them with sport weight yarn, not realizing it was sport weight. I usually knit socks on a size 1 needle. These were knit with a size 2--they probably should have been knit with a size 3. They are pretty bullet proof.

In any case, this morning he came down stairs and asked if I could make him another pair of socks. "Sure", I said. "But I want them to be greeeeen", he said. No problem. Off we go look at the yarn. Well, in my big pile of sock yarn, we did not have an appropriate (acceptable to an almost 5 yr old) green. I had some in a worsted weight, but other than for sleeping, I didn't think he would wear such thick socks.

So I suggested we dye some up. He was all for it. I still have plenty of natural fingering sock yarn. But I was also reorganizing my stash (had to move the cabinet it was in this past week) and as I was putting things back I found a yarn I had bought to make socks for him. It is Regia Silk. I have 50 grams, but it was a light brown/beige color. Hmmmm, maybe this would do. I asked him about it, and it was fine by him.

Now I know this is thick yarn, and I will knit it accordingly. I will probably split the hank, and knit toe up to make sure I use as much as I can. Some simple rib pattern--but I digress.

So we pull out the Kool Aid. Wouldn't you know--only one package of Lemon-Lime. Think, think think--but plenty of Lemonade and Berry Blue. He informs me that yellow and blue make green, "Max and Ruby made green with yellow and blue, well really it was Ruby".

So we used 3 packages of Lemonade, 1 Berry Blue and 1 Lemon-Lime. Here is what we started with:


And here is what we got.


It is still drying. There are some spots were I tied it off too tight, and a bit of the beige still shows through, but overall, I am pleased with the results. If necessary, we can always over-dye it with a bit more green, once I get some more in the house.

Not a bad morning project!

Waiting for my book

Today I did a presentation at work. It was for the group in our London office, so to fit into all the other meetings we have in the mornings (to accommodate the time difference), I offered to do it relatively early this morning. To make my life easier I chose to do it from home, so that I would not have to leave my house at 6am to make sure I did not get stuck in this wonderful September/back to school traffic. So I rolled out of bed, pulled on my sweatpants, sat at my desk and gave the presentation via WebEx.

Now my office has this lovely little program where you can thank others for whatever reason you want. You have three "Thank You awards" a year that you can give to anyone, for any reason. You don't need any sort of director approval, like you do for larger awards. My colleague in London sent me a Thank You award for going out of my way to give this presentation. I'm always tickled to get a Thank You award. It is a little thing, but it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. With this warm and fuzzy feeling, I spent a few minutes reading my favorite knitting blogs, thinking about what I would do with my award.

The award choices are: 2 movie passes, a bottle of red or white wine, a $15 iTunes give card or a $15 Amazon gift certificate. I usually go for the Amazon gift certificate. So, I was thinking about books and reading/commenting on the Mason Dixon blog and I realized, my book should be arriving, I received notice that it had shipped. I preordered this book months ago--I think with the last Thank You award I received. So off I go to check the order status.

It says the book has been delivered. I run to the door--no book. I run back to the computer, and looking more carefully, I realize I had the book shipped to my office!! Drat! I should have been at the office today--but I'm not, so my book is sitting there waiting for me. And not only that--Friday is my usual work from home day--so I won't be getting the book until Monday. So much for preordering. Sigh

Well, at least I can order up something new :)

A knitter's confession

I threw out something that I knit.

There I said it. Phewww. It wasn't something I could continue to wear, and in fact it had gone unworn for about a year, but still, thinking about it has me in a tizzy. I spent my time on something, made it with my own hands, and then I just dropped it in the trash.

The item in question was a pair of felted (fulled?) clogs. The Bev Galeskas pattern, you know it. Everybody made these things, and is still making them. Well I made them with some bulky Lambs Pride, recycled from the first knitted item I ever made, a drop shoulder sweater that never fit right, was itchy, and ended up with a big mouse nibble right in the front, even though I had it sealed in a spacebag (see Wendy, I really did live with the mice--grrrrr). I don't think I ever even took a picture of that sweater, and the only picture I have of the clogs is this, not even felted yet:

I made the clogs in the spring of 2007, and wore them all through the summer of 2007 (I always wear slippers in the house). They were a bit slippy, and I thought, maybe I should get some of those nice leather soles?? Then I wore a small hole in the bottom of one, then the bottom of the other. I thought, hmm, maybe I will patch that up and hand felt it--but never did. The holes got bigger and bigger until really all I had was the top of the clog being held together by the edging. Silly really. So I stuffed them in a corner, and wore my LLBean clog slippers.

Now, you have to understand, I am tough on slippers. I have no idea why this is so (other than I wear them A LOT). I do not hike mountains in them--I just walk around the house. But if you saw my current pair you would know what I mean. Friends come over and say, "Well we know what to get you for Christmas/your birthday/replace your slippers day". Did I mention this is my 3rd pair of these ($50!!!!) LLBean slippers??

I wonder if maybe my felted clogs didn't hold up well was because they were knit with one strand of bulky yarn--not the two held together of worsted that is recommended in the pattern. Or maybe, I'm just a slipper killer. I don't know. I've got a lot of that Lamb's Pride left, I could try again, but there are so many more fun patterns in the queue.

So I just had to say, I threw away one of my hand crafted articles of time, money and knitted love--and I don't even feel bad about it. Is this the first step in recovery for a knitting packrat???

Wallace & Gromit

Tonight we played Wallace and Gromit.

L was Wallace. When I asked why he was Wallace, he said, "cuz I'm just crackers about cheese. And you're Gromit".

When I asked why I was Gromit, he said, "cuz you're just crackers about knitting".

Smarty pants. The hardest part about being Gromit is that he can't talk--although he has very expressive eyes. In addition, Wallace thinks he's the boss (Gromit knows who the real boss is).