Roses

Dontcha hate it when you go somewhere to do something in particular, and you can't get it done? I had to have another CT today with the dye stuff, so while I was in that town I went to the DMV cuz our plates run out on Friday. This time I have to pay ($193.60!). For the past eight years or so Nova Scotia volunteer ground search and fire people get a set of plates free for one vehicle. So Hubs retired last month, so we need a non-fire department plate. I had everything with me, renewal notice, permit, insurance card. Well, there's a form he has to sign cuz they're giving him a different plate. I don't think I ever get anything accomplished at the DMV in one trip, except maybe driver's license renewal. The DMV in town is only open two days a week for like four hours at a time, so I guess if he isn't home Friday to do it I'll be walking til Tuesday.

One last gripe with the DMV -- we don't plate the camper since it moves once a year or two. I can buy a plate for it by myself no problem. However, since we only move it once a year or less, we just get a day permit to move it. It's like $10 or so, BUT we BOTH have to be there in person to get it. I think that's a money grab to make you pay more for the full plate. It is the government after all.

Onto knitting business, I finished up the roses for Bea. The pictures aren't great. I used Patons Classic Wool leftovers from slippers and mittens. (old rose, burgundy, that's red, and bright red)

Other than that I have a baby kimono in this stuff finished. It's now blocking and will need the ties added. It's really cute, but I did the 6 month size which said it required one skein, and I needed another one. It looks bigger than 6 months, too. I will have to measure it. I followed the pattern exactly. Maybe I knit looser than I think. Dunno. I found the hats I made from this yarn ran big, too. I have enough left to make another one of those cute hats, too.

Anyhoo, time to be productive. I'll have my own Knit Nite at home tonight (as per any other evening!). Nova Knitter's place is being invaded by card players tonight. It's her Hub's turn to host.

Happy knitting!

Buckthorn Stripes

EDIT: OMG! OMG! OMG!! It's been dead at work all day, which is typical of Saturday. I had a busy spell for about an hour. I noticed about 10 minutes ago that someone left a blue Shoppers Drug Mart cloth reusable shopping bag in the chair out front. Just a minute ago I went for my green reusable Sobeys shopping bag with my knitting in it, and it's gone! OMG! I'm sure the person will be back cuz their bag has a telephone in it, a discman, mail, and other things. I looked to see if I could find out who it belongs to, but I have no idea. I don't even know which person it belonged to. AACKK! Whew! RELIEF! Another store in town just called -- the lady just realized what she did and is on her way back. The worst part was it has Marti's book in it. Mental note to keep stuff behind the counter, even when it's slow. Bag is exchanged, everything is a-o-kay. My heart is just beating a mile a minute still.

Blogger and Flickr are acting weird on me this morning. I tried to post the exact same way I always post photos, but for some reason it's coming out wonky. (I am at work, so I will have to check when I get home. Maybe it's the way this machine is set up, even though I've done it before here.)

I finished my first ever pair of toe-up, short-row-heel socks. I still prefer top down, heel flap. My SRHs are getting better. There are no holes, I just would like them to look a little neater. I suppose that will come with practice. The best thing about this method, though, is not worrying about running out of yarn at the toes. Also you can use up every little bit of yarn, which is what I did. These are a men's 9-11, I'd say. You can see they're quite long in the toe for my ladies 8 foot (men's shoes I'd wear a 7).

As you can see in the pictures, I messed up the sequence of the stripes. There are two shades of brown, and I didn't check one I started the second sock to make sure I was in the right place. I thought I was, and by the time I checked it against the first sock I was well into the foot, so that was that. At least with this yarn it isn't a big difference. Everyone that knows me knows that I'm matchy-matchy.

Buckthorn Stripes

Patons Kroy Stripes

started October 15

finished October 24

2.5 mm needles

provisional cast on of 10sts

worked toe increases up to 60sts

heel done over 30sts

vanilla sock started toe-up with short row heels

The recommended needle size is 3.25mm. I would definitely stick with smaller needles, it makes a nice thick feeling fabric.

I think I've finally decided on the shower gift to knit for Hub's cousin's shower on November 22. She doesn't know what she's having, and I have been humming and hawing over what to make. (They keep asking if I'm knitting something -- oh, the pressure!) I am going to borrow this book from Marti and make the top-down cardigan with maybe this bonnet (in a plain version) and some socks to match. I will use Bernat Jr. Jacquards, and I'm leaning towards the City Kid colorway. I just have to wait for the yarn order to arrive hopefully this week. We only have one skein of it left, and I need two. (I think I'll buy that book -- maybe get it for myself for Christmas. I think it would be well worth owning.)

So I'll leave you with the Cannon Loach -- the Oldest One saw him resting like this yesterday and said he looks like he's being launched from a cannon. I read on the internet that loaches can act really weird with barometric pressure. It's suppose to be rainy and nasty tomorrow, so maybe it was a sign. He was extremely active last night -- the most I've ever seen so far. Quite entertaining, for a fish!

Happy knitting!

Clogs

Fiber Trends Felted Clogs

men's medium

Patons Classic Wool in black and dark grey mix

Started October 13

Finished October 20

I'll be making these in my sleep, I think.

Got one of the toe-up, short-row-heel vanilla socks finished. It's a men's 10/11. You can see it's too long for my foot! I tried my regular cast-off, but it was way too tight. I ripped it out, did it again even looser, still too tight. To the internet I went in search of an easy stretchy cast off. I found one that was quite simple, and it worked like a charm.

K2. Slip these 2 stitches from right needle back to left needle. K2tog. *K1, slip these 2 stitches on the right needle back to the left. K2tog. Continue from * the entire way around.
My SRH are getting better. Still, I think I prefer top down, heel flap.

Got a few too many projects on the go. Hope to have a couple of them finished in the next day or so. I work the weekend, so I'll have a fair bit of knitting time then as well. I'll leave off with some random shots. First up is the Littlest One. He came home from school the other day, put on the Oldest One's mp3 player, and was out like a light.

Jewel escaped from me the other day and ran off in search of the neighbor's dog, Allie. There is a brook in the back of their house (it also runs up behind my parents' place, very small, great source of entertainment when I was a kid). As you can see, she decided it was a nice place to play, too. Little brat. She is definitely NOT a lady.

Needless to say she ended up in the tub. She doesn't not like to have a bath, but too bad for her! She is nice a soft now. Had to take a bucket and rinse the tub out, it had a layer of mud in the bottom. She likes to bury things. I wouldn't let her take her big Milkbone outside the other day, so she found some place else to put it.

Lastly, I took some orange cranberry loaf to work the other day and didn't take the can home. This is what I found when I went to work on Tuesday.

Happy knitting!

Woodsy Wilderness

We took the dog and the kids for a walk today along a trail at the border of our county and the next. We hadn't been out there for a looonnnggg time.

Most of the leaves were on the ground by now. Shoulda went a couple of weeks ago.

Hubs held her back so she could get a drink only. If she had her way she would have been in the brook and into a mess. (Which she did the other day when she took off from me. She went into the brook behind the neighbor's place, got totally filthy, and required a bath. I have pictures I'll have to try and remember to post next time. She's nice and soft and smells good -- for now.)

Forever looking to see where Mother is.
No stamina.

She's got even less.

Then we stopped in a little fishing village on the way home.

I took way more pictures, y'know me. I really need new batteries. I think these ones have been recharged to death.

Knitting content next post, I promise. I should have my toe-up, short-row-heel men's vanilla socks finished soon, as well as yet another pair of felted slippers.

Happy knitting!

Happy Thanksgiving, Fellow Canadians

Today is Thanksgiving in Canada. I hope everyone had a nice holiday and didn't eat too much! I got turkey dinner twice. Last night was supper with BIL and SILs. Today was with my parents, but Hubs had to leave for work shortly after noontime, so he missed out second time around.

We finally had the signs redone at the store. There were oodles of stuff on them that we don't do any more. The mini labs are both gone now, to the landfill they went. (Both were broken, everyone is gone digital, so that's that. The film developer went on strike first, then the picture printing lab went down about two weeks later. Big bucks to fix, especially the second one. When I first started there almost 10 years ago we'd do like 40 films a day in the summer. Now we're lucky to do 10 a week, if that. The chemicals would go bad from sitting, so they were costing way more to run even when in working order. It will be strange to not develop film any more, but since the last year or so especially the machines have been more grief than anything it will be a nice relief. I threatened a good many times to wheel them across the parking lot and dump them into the river or beat them to death on the spot.)

The Boss Lady wished she would have had the Bernat and Patons signs made bigger on this one. They didn't come see the signs as they were being redone (on a Sunday, we aren't open) or she could have gotten them to make it bigger then. Too much hassle now. Still, they look good, they did a nice job. I'm glad the huge "1 HOUR PHOTO" is gone. I had two people want one-hour processing the day before the signs were changed.

Got a couple of FOs, too. I'm on a felted slipper kick, as you can see. First up are the pair for the Oldest One. Started September 30, finished October 13. I used Patons Classic Wool in evergreen mix and made the ladies small.

The next pair are men's medium, started October 9, finished the 13th. I used Patons Classic Wool in chestnut brown and wedgewood.

Guess I have to squeeze in a pair of socks soon. I don't want to cut it so close to the end of the month like I did the last time for SAM6.

Happy knitting!

Warm Hands Ilene

Ilene Bag

Started October 1
Finished October 5

Size 4mm and 5.5mm needles.

(Either 5.5 or 6 -- needle wasn't in the package, and

I couldn't find my doo-hickey to measure it.)

4 skeins Bernat Handicrafter Cotton in sage green

I started it at Knit Nite, so I accidentally made the bottom garter stitch instead of stockinette. Too much gabbing on my part. I switched to 4mm when I got to the ribbing and handle. Lots of room in this, that's for sure. The "full" shots have four large towels stuffed inside. I can see making more of these, they'd make good gifts.


I also have some more FOs. These are for Warm Hands Innu Knits. (Ravelry link here.)

My Basic Hat Pattern

Started September 17

Finished October 6

Briggs & Little Atlantic 3 ply

violet, scarlet, peacock, and paddy green

The red and green striped is kinda Christmasy. I'd like to send my package off by Halloween, and I'd like to try and get a couple of pairs of mittens to go as well.

Just a short post for now. It's Fire Prevention Week, and tonight are the fire truck rides. (I started this post earlier today, now it's 6pm.) Never fails, it's always quite chilly the night of the rides. The hoodlums are ready to go. The Littlest One won a coloring contest in his class, so he got a bunch of stuff I didn't have time to look at yet, and he also won a coupon for a free pop and bag of chips at the kiddie dance tonight. Needless to say that I need cash to buy the same for the Oldest One.

Happy knitting!

Fainting Goats

This is freaking hilarious, I laughed til I cried. I'm probably way behind on this, but I'm watching Mythbusters right now, and this was on it. The first video is the clip they found on the net and tried to see if it was real or faked.



This second clip is when Mythbusters tried it.



It's such a shame for the poor little things, but that has got to be one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time! I want one!

Happy knitting!

Little Clogs

Children's Felt Clogs

Started September 18

Finished October 1

Child Large for my Littlest One

Patons Classic Wool in bright red and a bit of old gold

Hard to get him to stand still long enough to take pictures before they get full of dog fur! Followed the pattern to the letter. I put spots of dimensional fabric paint on the bottoms for some grip since we have hardwood floors in the living room. They're very slippery! It helps some, I think, but it was hard to tell since he ran back and forth from the kitchen to the living room trying to slide on purpose. The color is more accurate in the picture of him with the dog.

Working on a pair for the Oldest One and an Ilene Bag at the moment.

Happy knitting!

Cable Socks

Finally finished my September socks, cutting it close to the wire for me. I started these on September 19 and finished them on the 30th. They were made for a co-worker (who's feet these belong to) as a total surprise to her. She's going away on a bingo weekend on Friday, and these are packed away for her "lucky socks". They are made with Patons Stretch Sock in the kelp colorway, and the pattern is cable socks from this book. So far I've knit with this stuff twice, and neither pair were for me! I do have some in the stash gifted from Nova Knitter that will be mine, all mine.


Happy knitting!