October 2011
2 posts
5 tags
Little Blue Penguins Need Help
So I saw over on the Juniper Moon Fiber Farm blog that there are Little Blue Penguins in New Zealand that are in serious need of sweaters to help them post oil spill cleanup.
It sounds like timing might be key, so any fast knitters who want to knit penguin sweaters and send them to NZ check out Susan’s informative post here. (She includes the patter instructions!)
There is also information...
4 tags
Back in Block
I’ve been pretty bad about updating the blog here. I’ve got lots to catch up on but I figured I’d come back with my blocking shawl!
The Juneberry in my Magestic Blend Windy Valley Muskox! Merino, Qiviut & Mulberry silk in a lovely lavender color!
It turns out that I needed about 2x as many blocking pins as I have (I added some sewing ones after this) and I think that even...
July 2011
1 post
2 tags
Social Netowrking Props →
I think many of us who use Ravelry feel it is the best social networking option (and can quickly become a critical part of our lives). Hopefully the more it is written about the better the owners will do (because they are awesome) and the more small social networking sites will be developed that are actually good.
If you’re not a knitter and want to be I am easily convinced to teach you....
May 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Spring Mayhem
I really have nothing new to report with my knitting. I’ve been devouring the Maggie Sefton knitting mysteries and the Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse books. When I say devouring I mean at an average rate of 1 a day.
Other than that the trees really whalloped me this year and now grass season is starting. I have been exhausted and drippy. Not so awesome. Despite that my fella and I...
3 tags
Insanity Continues
So on the Saturday before last (Friday night really) I had only this:
And then, earlier tonight I had this:
Those are vintage washable wood buttons from Gather Here in Cambridge and the sweater was knit on size 6 addi turbos in Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in the Vera colorway. I got exactly 6 stitches per inch. Every time I think of the colorway I think of this.
Now that I’ve...
April 2011
2 posts
2 tags
BSJ Extravaganza
So, my Spring has been kinda busy. Like crazy busy.
Last month the fella and I went skiing with a good friend of ours. We drove up to Sunday River where the plan was for the 2 guys to go downhill and for me to cross country ski or skate or sit in the lodge by the fire and drink tea (or something stronger) and read/knit and perhaps even nap.
Turns out a couple things happened.
Skating rink was...
3 tags
March 2011
2 posts
3 tags
Happy Notes
I had a little chrisis with my Juneberry, but I was able to frog back and fix it sucessfully. Qiviuk is fantastic to work with.
Spring is really here in Our Fair City and in addition to crocuses and those mini-irises I can’t remember the name for I saw some Robins doing their thing. Birds are often right about Spring.
After a 16 year hiatus I have been downhill skiing again. Yesterday....
3 tags
Quick Shots
So I’ve been late in my promise of pictures. To make up for it I’ll post some knitting ones too!
First: Witch Hazel in bloom!
Next: Images from a real first and accomplishment
More on those later… perhaps I’ll even block them and take more pictures.
Then, last night, I started in on something truly stealth while on the bus to NYC
Those are my new Blackthorn...
February 2011
4 posts
5 tags
Spring Beginning
There is a Hamamelis blooming near my work. It’s in a slightly sheltered spot, but it’s in full bloom.
It’s blooms bring a message: FEAR NOT! Spring is on the way… eventually!
It surprised me today, I’ll bring my camera tomorrow. Maybe I’ll get pics of the BSJ that just needs seaming as well.
2 tags
Is Februay Done Yet
While I have high hopes for 2011 being better than 2010, and January lived up to that expectation, February has been one heck of a month.
I’ll post some knitting pictures and happy things soon, but not quite yet.
Perhaps when I have caught up on my course, recovered from my cold, gotten rid f my lovely cold sores on my face, cleaned, cooked, and come to terms with some personal family...
3 tags
Grandma's Lessons
Some of my favorite things I learned from my Grandma
It is perfectly acceptable to pass on a double yellow
Compost is pretty much the best thing ever
Driving a standard is the only car to drive
Always peel towards yourself
The best flaky pastry is always made with Lard
Sleeping with the windows open is good for you, even in the winter, when it is wicked cold. Just wear a hat.
Always wear a...
1 tag
New Project Pull
I’ve been trying very hard to dedicate knitting time to the giant afghan. It’s getting closer to being done and I MUST finish it. We’re reaching lateness of ridiculous proportions.
It’s not super portable, or good to work on when I’m tired, so I have my summer socks I can be working on. (1.6 socks done!)
I did just cast on for a BSJ, but that is for...
6 tags
The Next Decade
I am a week and 2 days into experiencing a whole new decade of my life. My 30’s. I’m wicked psyched!
To herald in this momentous occasion Vogue Knitting Online Live was held in my honor. (This is a bit of an exaggeration baldfaced lie, but it did help convince me to go to NYC for my big day.) I originally planned on signing up for a shetland colorwork with Jared Flood of BrooklynTweed...
January 2011
8 posts
3 tags
Pattern Choice Help
Calling to all of you with opinions! (though I may not listen) I would love some help deciding on which shawl to knit with the yarn I bought myself over the weekend. (Tales of the weekend, NYC and adventure to follow soon.)
I went to the marketplace at the Vogue Knitting Online Live event at the Hilton in Manhattan and walked away with this:
That’s right folks! Qiviuk! (Which is from...
2 tags
4 tags
January 11-12 Storm Complete
Well there’s tiny little flakes here and there, or perhaps it’s just other snow blowing. There sure is enough of it! However, it appears the storm is OVER!
As it was winding down I took these pictures:
It’s a little hard to tell but there is a car just about buried across the street in the first picture.
Now, about 24 hours after the pre-storm pictures we have this:
...
2 tags
January 11-12 Storm Progress
The storm started well after I went to bed last night, and was well underway when I woke up. (I got to sleep in a bit since work called a snow day last night, which is the 2nd time in history for them.)
Before I went to bed t looked like this:
And now it looks like this:
We’re getting closer to a break in the storm before we get the final bits. Perhaps later I’ll go on an...
3 tags
WatchYarn Monster! Hungry for yaaaaarn! (via engadget and sent to me by my “big brother”)
2 tags
Cesar's Birthday
So Cesar stole some time from February and then moved the start of the calendar year to his birthday (or something like that). I always feel a little like the start of our new year is fairly arbitrary.
I often like to think of the start of the new year in the Spring. However, when coming up with new ways to look at one’s life any arbitrary date is actually fine I guess. I’ve decided...
2 tags
Nerd Fun in Montague →
It’s a LARP based on Changeling: the Lost. Knowing one of the 3 people setting it up… it is bound to be fun, adventurous, and spirited.
Note: My sister may be the biggest nerd I know and I wouldn’t have her any other way!
December 2010
7 posts
3 tags
Botany Stamp Excitement
2011 USPS postage stamps have been announced and Asa Gray is on the docket! I am more than a little thrilled that the “father of American botany” is getting recognition in his 201 year.
(Taken from http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2010/pr10_125.htm)
American Scientists
The third American Scientists stamp issuance honors chemist Melvin Calvin, botanist Asa Gray, physicist...
3 tags
Knitting Groove is Back
So yesterday morning I was feeling a bit off and the fella, in full vertigo-recovery-style, helped me get my groove back. I hadn’t knit since before Christmas and was having a hard time getting back into it. After all, there were chores looming everywhere.
He achieved this task by having me walk him to the local sub shop down the street so he could pick up lunch and then from there sent me...
1 tag
No delightful fire here
But the snow has let up and this morning we have a crisp blue sky. Looking forward to going out later and seeing the blinding world. And freezing, windy world! Sure it may say high of 35, but with 20+mph winds gusting to 40 it may feel like a whole -1 out!
Yesterday just before dusk I went out and stretched my legs and surveyed the neighborhood. Pretty fun really.
This is the view of across...
3 tags
I might have a problem
It might be time to admit I have a problem, and it is bordering on addiction. I love tea. Sounds innocent enough till I look at how much I love having and collecting different teas. I faced this realization Christmas morning before I put the stew together. I needed to put some things in the cabinet and realized it was a mess. On cleaning it out I started putting all my teas in a pile. (I had...
2 tags
Hats & Holidays
I managed to get a couple pictures of the hats I made for the Canadian Twins. I made the 10 cable Cabled Baby Hats and love the way they came out. Nice and stretchy and super soft (the Cascade Cash Vero helped with that!).
I also managed to decorate for Christmas on Christmas Eve while the fella was resting. He wanted to help but came down with what the doctor says is a form of positional...
3 tags
As promised
Some pictures.
In my allergic to beer better become a cider connoisseur fall studies I started taking notes on different ciders I tried and even took a couple pictures. I haven’t documented Wood Chuck (too sweet), Original Sin (nice and tart), or Magners (nice, pink, can only manage 1) but have instead started with larger single bottles.
J. K. Scrumpy’s Farmhouse Cider
1. All...
2 tags
Lots of Hats
I’ve been delaying posting anything because I want to have some pictures to show, but maybe by posting I’ll force myself to take some pictures.
I worked hard and 2 weekends ago finished the Flora hat in Manos silk blend. I have to weigh the yarn to see how much I used of each. Even going down to a size 5 left the hat a little loose. It’s ok though, no need to knit it a 3rd...
November 2010
2 posts
2 tags
D'oh! Follow Up
So, with a lovely 112 stitches the hat is still too big. But 110 is too small.
I’ll tear the whole thing out again tomorrow. Perhaps this yarn + me will never equal a hat for my fella. Especially since right now I am tempted to set the whole lot of it on fire.
I won’t though, that wouldn’t be nice.
2 tags
D'Oh! The story of swatching
You know, I should realize that if I take the time to actually swatch for something that perhaps I should listen to the numbers a bit.
I swatched for making the fella a long-promised hat. My gauge is a bit big because I’m holding 2 strands of yarn (Valley Yarns Williamstown) so I have 14 stitches over 3 inches on size 7 needles.
This means that if the fella has just under, say, a 24”...
October 2010
6 posts
1 tag
Rhinebeck Yarn!
Well, since Missy asked*, I might as well show you my modest yarn purchase. :)
I only bought 2 skeins of yarn. They are both Silver Moon Farm Superwash yarn in fingering weight. They came in 8 oz hanks (which each have 1120 yards)! Can you even believe it?! I couldn’t! They have a website they are in the process of updating and setting up a store for and you can of course check them out on...
3 tags
Rhinebeck 2010
Saturday and Sunday 16-17 October 2010 was the NY Sheep & Wool festival in lovely Rhinebeck NY. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, go check their website. Rhinebeck the town is a lovely NY town, just south of Red Hook on the Hudson River. It is nestled in the Catskill Mountains to the east of Catskill park area. If you have not been to that area I would recommend...
4 tags
Visiting an Old Friend
The road to the NY Sheep & Wool festival in Rhinebeck was paved with visiting old haunts. I used going as an excuse to also head out the the area of my undergraduate school and where my sister lives.
So, on the cool and cloudy Friday before Rhinebeck I spend a bit of time visiting the Durfee Conservatory.
The conservatory was first built in 1867 as part of the fist land grant college in...
4 tags
Recap and Catch-up
One week ago I ran the BAA 1/2 marathon, and this is evidence that I even finished it! It was long with many hills, but those hills were lined with cheering spectators. Sometimes it feels like the farther back in the pack you are the more they cheer… which is why I am sure I end up in the back of the pack.
If you live in the Boston area and have needed to go to JP for anything you have...
2 tags
The Route
Here is a route map of where we are running on Sunday. http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/ma/boston/360128216488379658 Note it is by the Green line (D & E) and the end of the Orange line at Forest Hills. I hope (fingers crossed) to be running 11 minute miles, which means I’ll be going by the Fenway area around 9.20 (give or take).
You can see the official course map here. And if...
1 tag
Running update
By this time 4 days from now I will have already finished running 13.1 miles, had a big lunch and be taking a nap.
In the mean time terror interspersed with work, ultimate frisbee, and lots of knitting.
Knitting counts as race training, right?
September 2010
3 posts
1 tag
Countdown jitters
I just realized the race is in 19 days. Right now my longest run is still only 7.08 miles. I still need to add 6.02 miles to that distance.
WHOA!
I am totally screwed right on track so long as I don’t slack off.
3 tags
How to Fail at Going for a Run
How to fail at going for a run (in my case while training for a 1/2 marathon)
Get up psyched to run
Plot out the perfect running course including a new fun route, new scenery and a new distance you can’t wait to achieve
Get your gear on and go!
Run at an easy pace to not tire yourself out on the new route and longer distance, no need to be too tired with a mile to go
Get to just past...
2 tags
Fixing Pro
So it turns out I am becoming a bit of a pro at fixing mistakes in cables when I am knitting. Not the kind of pro that can actually figure out how to gran that dropped stitch and weave it back up through the complicated maneuvers, but the kind that can drop back a whole section just to grab that dropped stitch.
That’s right, I have to keep relearning my lesson about working on the afghan...
August 2010
2 posts
3 tags
Busy Bee
So in addition to doing some running life has been pretty busy.
There was a post-apocalyptic party
And there were 2 different ultimate tournaments. The most recent was a 2-day that resulted in a total of 6 games and over 9 hours of frisbee.
Here’s some evidence from our first day of games. We were still pretty energetic then and there is evidence I actually learned to throw forehand...
2 tags
10 week count-down: 10
In 10 weeks I run the BAA 1/2 marathon. 13.1 miles.
I think I’m crazy, but at least I’m not the only one. I have 3 other people I know running it as well.
Today I officially started my training with almost a 4.7 mile run. Considerably shorter than 13.1, but it means I have to add less than 10 miles total to my distance in 10 weeks. That’s less than a mile a week. How hard could...
July 2010
3 posts
7 tags
Vacation Wrap-Up
So I have now been home from vacation for exactly 1 week. It sure doesn’t feel that long ago, and it feels like ages ago. It was a wonderful time.
We started out heading out to Northampton to pick up the last member of our ragtag crew. I had shotgun for that leg and had the Madelintosh sock yarn ready to go to start the Kai-Mei socks. (Which I did cast on in the car.)
While there we...
3 tags
Knitting Comic Strips
I stumbled across these through a friend.
This I really should have tried on vacation, except all out kayaks were single person ones.
And here is the end of the extreme knitting montage. I may need that on something. Wish I could get the 2 strips put together on something even.
Happy Friday
3 tags
Vacation
From the Oxford English Dictionary:
I. 1. a. Freedom, release, or rest from some occupation, business, or activity. b. Without const. Freedom or respite from work, etc.; time of rest or leisure.
That’s the plan! The fella and I are going on vacation with about 8 of our friends. We’re headed to a house in VT where a friend is oh-so-graciously hosting us with a lake view and...
June 2010
3 posts
3 tags
Fells Fungi Fun
Today the rain managed to hold off and allowed for a beautiful hike in the Middlesex Fells. (Check it out.) A friend and I went and started off near the Botume House and then just followed the fire roads and some of the trails so we ended up walking by Spot Pond and then over along another smaller pond. For that part we followed the blue Cross-Fells trail for a ways, which had some fun ups and...
2 tags
Fast Friendships
So one of the deals working within academia is that people move around a lot. People in the field all know this and you make friends very quickly. Wonderful brilliant friends you feel like you have known your whole life. After almost no time you hang out a ton, laugh, cry, tell stories and secrets, and almost feel like a family. It’s like a friendship with the candle burning on both ends as...
4 tags
LOTR Knitting Adventure
So now that everything has reached its final destination I feel it is safe to write about my LOTR Ravelry swap. Oh boy have I been itching to!
So, for those of you unaware, I love the Lord of the Rings almost as much as I love the Hobbit. Therefore, when there way the option to participate in a swap with this theme I had to. My partner, however, put me to shame with her LOTR/Middle Earth love and...
May 2010
2 posts
3 tags
too hot to blog
I was going to give you some MoBot photos or even some photos to my little adventure to Harrisville NH (great yarn there!) however it is way to hot to use the computer. This is it folks. Gotta love New England May’s… totally unpredictable.
For example May 25, 2002 it was beautiful and warm but not too hot. A great day to see TMBG at the Hatch Shell… with a new fella and his...
3 tags
Belated St. Louis 1
So some time ago now I went to St. Louis and then promised a recap of my trip. I failed to follow through. Forgive me.
So, the thing about this short 4 day trip to St. Louis (end of March/beginning of April) is that is was really quite full. I mean, some of you will probably think we didn’t do near enough, and if we had rented a car we might have done more, but it sure seems like we did a...
April 2010
3 posts
2 tags
Strange Sorrow
I have another brief post I was working on, but it doesn’t feel right for now. Then again nothing feels right now. Now I have that strange post-wake feeling, the one where you’re tired, and happy to have seen family, and sad, and numb, and tired and sad. You’re trying not to really think about what is happening to the people in the middle of it all, let alone yourself. You...