Extravayarnza

We now once again have working Internet service!
I think the biggest news from this week is our new shelving unit for the store's back room. Previously we had a hodge podge of shelves that didn't hold boxes well, now I have a customized unit that holds at least 4 times as much as the old one did!

It took 2 days to get all those screws in and the shelves up, then I got down to filling them up. I wish we had taken a before picture, the difference is truly amazing.

My other really big news is a finished pair of 'Karma's a Bitch' knee socks. Scout dyed this yarn a month or two back & I've really enjoyed knitting these socks. I had about 500 yards & used all but the last yard or two on these socks. They were knit toe up with a short row heel on size 1 needles. Despite the fact that I have shapely legs I only increased 6 stitches on the legs. The amount of spring in the yarn makes these stay up quite well.

To keep in the vein of socks, I have been working on some Christmas Stockings.

This first one is a store bought stocking I customized for a customer. I don't usually show this sort of thing on the blog, but I'm really happy with how the duplicate stitch worked up.

I've also finally started knitting the next wave of our family Christmas stockings. My Grandma (the one who taught me how to knit) used to knit these for the family. Now I'm attempting to knit a few for new members of the family plus one old one. My dad lost his stocking before I was born & his mother wouldn't knit him a new one. I am knitting him one for Christmas, but like her, I'm only ever knitting him one. He looses it again & he's out of luck!  So, here's his new stocking with one of Grandma's. The eye's and nose will be duplicate stitched on later... (I also choose to photograph is with a different stocking than I based the pattern off of so it's not exactly the same as this one anyways)

Next, I had a new session of my thrummed mitten class start on Thursday night so I took advantage of some new yarn at the shop. This pair is knit in Rowan Tapestry with Camel/Silk roving!

To close things up I'm issuing a warning to make sure small children aren't looking at the screen.

My brother decided to break out his old Teddy Rupskin. He needed a bit of work to clean up the tape deck & get all the workings of the face going. Teddy needed some major surgery to get going again & I couldn't resist a few pictures.

Teddy was a pretty complex toy, especially for being 20 years old. Now we just need a new cable to connect Grummy, a Christmas hat for Teddy, and we get to listen to the wonderful Christmas story book.

A Big Thank You to my Secret Pal! You've once again come through with a fantastic package. I was so excited to unwrap the gifts.

Once again I totally love the yarn you sent. It looks really nice with the blue from the last box... I may see some colorwork in it's future.

This time the postman got a fair trade as my newest pair of socks got send on a bit of a vacation. The little hank in the corner of the picture is all the yarn I had left! Isn't the mini sock so cute?

My Dad's Christmas Stocking is just about done. I have to wait till Saturday to add a hanging loop & duplicate stitch on his name. This pattern is so hard to photograph because the face goes all the way around the stocking. But I hung it up with the others to try & give you an idea of how it looks~

Dad's is the first stocking to be knit completely in Wool rather than acrylic. It's all wool for all future stockings!

Lastly, you all got to see the storeroom renovation in the last couple of posts. The next major project at the shop is to reorganize the patterns. Were going to the system of having one of each pattern in the binders, then you find them in the filing cabinet to purchase (like getting a sewing pattern at JoAnns). If you stopped at the shop anytime in the last 3 days you most likely saw this view~

By the end of the day Wednesday all will once again be well in the world of patterns.

This spring I knit several Double Knit scarves as gifts, you can find them here & here.
Tis the Christmas season & inspired by a scarf I saw in the latest Magknits I pulled out my graph paper once again. I knew from experience that soft yarns don't work for shadow knitting, but they do work in double knitting. Plus I know someone who totally deserves one more hand knit gift & would wear a piano scarf.
One Octave in I had a pleasant surprise...

When I was fingering scales on the scarf I noticed that it's fairly close the size of a real piano keyboard. I can just barely catch an octave on the corners of the keys. That's a real bonus.

It's official, I'm totally obsessed with knitting, yarn, and sheep. I've been working on my final project for my painting class. It's a series of 3 paintings that all go together. Mine is an abstract (to the point of graphic) look at knitting.

Painting One is pretty much finished~

Painting 2 is close to done~

(Painting 3 isn't ready for a debut just yet...)

Trent & my new plant were both being very corporative this morning so I have a bit of eyecandy to show off.

My pretty Succulent is slowly blooming. 8 days under my care & she isn't dead yet. This is looking up!

To reward those of you who have read to this point... I got lots of comments and emails on the last post after scout mentioned the socks being famous. She's filming an episode of Knitty Gritty next week & my socks are going along as an example of her yarn all knit up. I know I'll be excited to see the episode & I'll let you know when it airs (it will be a while, they film these things quite far in advance). For any of you living under a rock, Stephanie is over there now filming an episode! This is going to be an exciting group of episodes.

So, I needed a bit of a blog break... I had nothing to say for a few days, then I've just been so tired I just wanted to crawl in bed. Tomorrow I'm having an EKG to try to determine what, if anything, is wrong with my heart. I may have blood drawn too, just depends on how I'm feeling. I hate having blood drawn.

Anyways... I have one last installment of Christmas Stockings for the year. This weekend the 'Design your own Christmas Stocking class I taught finished up. Check out these awesome stockings we designed!

I also started up a class that's a hat pattern designed to use any size yarn with no gauge swatch & that's sized to fit as you go. I have knit myself so many hats that didn't fit. When I came up with the pattern for this hat I was just so pleased to finally have a hat that stayed on my head. I am currently working on refining the class notes & writing up the pattern.
The first hat was knit with 2 ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky~

The second one is knit with 2 hanks of Noro Silk Mountain for the brim & Alpaca w/ a Twist Highlander for the crown.

I've already started on a third hat with Socks That Rock Heavyweight, one of my students is using Louisa Harding Kashmir Aran, and another is using a worsted weight wool blend, so I think we've got a pretty good spread of gauges tested.

In other news, I received my Bottle Swap package today from the Sock of the Whenever group. My pal (I'm so sorry, I left the card at work & I can't remember your name) really overdid herself. She made me these amazing note cards & send some great spa soaps & lotions. I absolutely loved it!

As a last thought I'll leave you with a view of the amazing Banana bread I baked last night. I ran out of some ingredients, so I improvised a bit. I only had half the needed brown sugar, so I used regular sugar as a replacement. Then I added a few dashes of cinnamon, used 1/2 olive oil & 1/2 vegetable oil, then since I was a tad shy of the needed about of bananas I used a bit more milk. I don't know what did it, but the bread was so good. I think from now on I'm definitely using the cinnamon & the olive oil.

So, the EKG went fine. Actually it was kinda cool. I wasn't expecting to get a sonogram of my heart. Got to be one of the neatest things I've ever seen. There was color & audio & everything. Now it's just the waiting game to find out what the results were. I know I need to drop a few pounds anyways, so I've signed up for two dance/fitness classes that start in a month. And there's the continued diet improvement that's been ongoing for a few years now (slowly but surely... I'm a picky eater to begin with... diet change is more difficult than pulling teeth). By the way, the new word on the street is Vitamin D. Lots more of it, everyday. I've been told that it may play a role in MS, diabetes, cancer, and lots of other bad things. My daily dose was raised from 400 to 1200.

So, I did knit today. My Piano scarf is now up to 4 octaves. I need to decide if I want to knit 7 octaves (like a piano has) or go to 8 (when I will run out of yarn).

I also started a new project~

The pattern is Steam from d-made
The yarn is Kid Silk Haze in Majestic (589)

This is going to be a cute 2 ball scarf using reversible cables. So far I'm totally loving it.
It's kinda interesting because until a month ago I had not only never knit with Rowan yarns, I don't think I'd ever even touched a single ball. Don't ask me what rock I was living under. I'm now a true convert. I love the Rowan.

BTW... I also love my new Dansko shoes. I think I may of freaked the UPS guy out (rushing out the door to meet him in my pj's and all...) Aren't they just fab!

Hi,
Deadline time again. Finals are all done! But I had some socks that needed a bit of attention...

Yep, Thrummed socks. Not even slipper socks. Real, where them in the day, keep out that winter snow, warm & toasty at work, fluffy, downy, socks.
The yarn is Tofutsies (soon to be available from South West Trading Co.)
The roving is a special type of Merino called Optimum that has been stretched finer than cashmere (also from SWTC)
The pattern? my own, to appear shortly in the SWTC book that will accompany Tofutsie sock yarn!

For those of you who haven't been converted to the wonderful world of Thrums...
Thrums are little bits of wool roving (wool before it's made into yarn).
You take a bit of wool, make it into a ring, squish that ring flat & felt the middle. The end result looks a bit like a bow tie. They can them be added to all kinds of projects, mittens, hats, slippers, earmuffs...

How to add them? Sorry, you'll have to be patient and wait for the pattern for that answer.

Okay,
It seems like I may have yet another computer driven hiatus from blogging.
You wouldn't believe the amazing pile of S*** that's happened in the  last 24 hours that culminated in the computer being dead.... D...E...D... dead.

I've been trying to post for several nights now. I really wish I had Stephanie's skill at making this all humorous with stories of closets & blue shirts but unfortunately I'll just have to try to not to sound like I'm complaining too much.
So, the last few nights the bandwidth thief (aka man of the house) has been effective eliminating all bandwidth from my use. No Blog, No Email, No Internet. Very annoying.
Apparently one of the first things he downloaded was the new Microsoft Office & installed it on our main computer. One thing that I wish computer guys would understand is that us normal people don't always want the latest & greatest versions of programs. We're happy with the ones we have, often we long for features that the previous version had & we've lost.
The new Word had all sorts of cruel & ingenious tricks up it's sleeves. Mainly in all sorts of new auto formatting that had deep hidden menus to better hide their off boxes. Hence my store stuff that should have taken only an hour last night took 4. I'm sick, I'm exhausted, I went to bed & slept hard.

Then the  power went out. Killing my alarm clock. Letting me sleep my blissful healing sleep well beyond when I needed to be to work. Nothing like waking up to your mother screaming at you from floors away. Like it was my fault my alarm didn't go off.

Then the topper. No more computer. It's Dead. Due to the Word fiasco last night I didn't get all the price stickers made so I have boxes of yarn that can't be priced until the computer is brought back to life. More boxes will probably come in the week or two it will probably take Apple to fix it.

I'm sorry for posting this all here. I just need to get this out somewhere where I won't get screamed at.
Umm... happy thoughts... My pattern for Thrummed Socks was sent on to SWTC last night (pre computer death) & they loved it. I just need to finish knitting the second sock for their pair & then a second pair for myself. The first pair was rather traditional looking, so I might either go with deep rich tones or fun crazy bright colors for the second pair. I tried the first sock on under my Danskos and they  fit just fine in a shoe. Victory is Mine!
My EZ hat pattern has been test knit by 2 knitters, I've knit 4 hats from it in several sizes, and with a bit of formatting it will be ready to go. Oh!!! wait the picture may still be in my camera. (all my photos I was planning on using the last few days are locked in the computer of death)
You've seen the adult hats, but here's the baby version knit with Louisa Harding Angora (held doubled)

It fit Trent perfectly. He even wore it long enough for me to go in the other room, get my camera, get the settings right, focus on him, & as I clicked the shutter he went crazy and flung it across the room. A cat in his finest form.

Well, thanks for letting me blab. The last bit put a big smile on my face. The first time today that's happened.

Okay,
I'm I'm my Mom's laptop for a while while the main computer is being repaired. So, blogging will be happening!

I want to let you know about a couple of my new patterns.
First off,
My Streamers Hat that I designed for the SWTC Karaoke hat book is currently making it's way to your local yarn stores. You can find photos & more information on this post.
I hope to have copies by the end of the week.

Second,
I want to show off my Thrummed Sock Pattern I designed for the Tofutsie Sock Book.
It's called Tufted Tofutsies~

I had a mini photoshoot this weekend, but alas the photos are locked on the broken computer. Let me tell you though, the look great with the Danskos (and they are so warm!)

The Tofutsies sock yarn is amazing to knit with too. It has enough wool to be lofty & lovely to knit with, but the soysilk adds a wonderful gleam. All the colors should be arriving with the Hat book, I can't wait to choose the color of my next pair.

I'm leaving you with the view from my Dad's house Sunday night. He lives in this quirky old house on the river. He's the last house on the street & right next to his house is a cool round swimming pool in the park. His whole backyard overlooks the river & the power plant. To some it might be a big turn off, but the 3 smokestacks have always fascinated me since I was a kid, plus the power plant makes the most amazing reflections on the river at night.

Next time I need to do a photo shoot for a pattern I need to remember the wooded park, the round pool, and the amazing view of the river. Sometimes I forget that there really are beautiful places in Lansing.

A little Holiday Meme that's been making it's way around... I don't do tons of these, but this one looked fun~
1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate, preferably with white chocolate liquor

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? Always Wrap!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Big  old fashion colored bulbs on the tree, white icicle lights on the house

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope.

5. When do you put up your decorations? Generally the week following Thanksgiving, then again when the tree falls over (that's practically a holiday tradition).

6. What is your favorite holiday dish?  It's a tie between Russian Tea Cakes & Fruit Pizza (giant fruit tart)

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Oh Gosh, the strongest holiday memory is the year my Dad almost killed my little brother (don't pull your kids sleds behind your pickup truck people...) I can't say I'm really fond of that one though. How about when I got this cute little gray Persian kitten under the tree?

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?  I don't think I remember a time when I didn't know the truth. Didn't mean I didn't enjoy pretending though.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Nope, Stockings first thing in the morning, then breakfast, then big presents.

10. What kind of decorations are on your Christmas Tree? I have lots of 'old fashion' glass ornaments. My favorites are those colored cracked glass ones, plus I have glass icicles & animals, and a few newer metal 'art' decorations

11. Snow! Love it or Dread? If it's cold I want snow. The only thing I don't like about snow is when it hangs around too long and gets all gray and dirty by the roads.

12. Can you ice skate? Sure can! I assisted (student trainer) our High School hockey team for 3 years & they taught me to skate. I love skating!!! 

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My younger brother always finds the best gifts for me (and it's never something that I ask for, but that I do really need). He had his old digital camera fixed & gave it to me one year (hence I have decent quality pictures for this blog. My old camera was 1.2mega pixels!). Then another year he got me a garage door opener remote for my car (previously we had 3 cars, but 2 remotes...)

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Seeing my family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert?  See holiday dish above...  

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? The Stockings my dad's mom knit for us.

17. What tops your tree? I have a silver wire star with a big light in it.

18. What is your favorite holiday book? I guess it would have to be 'Night before Christmas'

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song?  Carol of the Bells

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yummy?  I like the traditional red & white peppermint candy canes.  

The mighty Trent glooms over his prey. With great intent & stealth his moves in for the kill...

Poor little Ms. Mousie pincushion doesn't know what danger lies only feet away~

Will she escape or will it be off to Mousie death camp?

Trent & I noticed this afternoon that the supply of his favorite toy was running dangerously low. Due to the apparent shortage of fur mice with the all important rattle inside we stooped so low as to clean! A few mice here, a few more there, then we hit his favorite hiding hole.. under the oven. Over 50! little toy mice. At least I don't need to worry about buying any for a long time.

Tonight I finished a big project for me & here's one more quick photo before they get packed up in the morning & sent off to SWTC.

Now it's down to a few last minute Christmas gifts to finish & I can get knitting on my very own pair of Thrummed Socks (they are so warm... I need a pair to keep.)

Today is the Winter Solstice. The day when night is at it's longest and light begins to once again win the battle. I can sure tell you it's not winning today, but slowly it will return.
On this short gray winter's day it seems like a good time to look at a few year end projects & give a bit of an overlook of 2006...
My last bit of Christmas Knitting is officially finished; knit, ends tucked in, blocked, and even has my tag sewn in.

This spring I came up with a basic Double-knit scarf pattern. It features a 'color in your own pattern' chart & when it's released I'm planning to include sample charts for the 4 scarves I have/will knit from it. The 4th and final Double-knit scarf is now sketched out & will be the most complex of them all. I'm planning on using 3 or 4 colors (2 at a time) in a water garden design.
This scarf was knit in Alpaca with a Twist, Baby Alpaca, 2 balls each of white & black.
This particular scarf would be a great first double-knit scarf. There is very little switching of colors in one row. Only 2 of the 3 black key rows require you to switch the main color once in the row. The pattern is also really easy to memorize! Especially if you're familiar with the order of keys on a piano.
I'm also working away at my very own pair of Thrummed Socks...
It's Socks in a Box~

I'm using my own hand-dyed Superfine Merino Roving & Art Yarns UltraMerino 4.
The box is from Namaste Needles. They come with a big candle, but my circular needle & all my sock stuff fit in it much better (plus the candle can't be used while in the box)...

Okay, and if you'd like to see my answers to the Year in Review Meme just click for the extended post.

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday. I know that my time spent with family & loved ones was absolutely lovely. (most of my family was smashed on wine by 2pm... add that to Grandparents who filter what they say less and less as they get older & it makes a very interesting Christmas dinner).

I managed to get quite a bit of knitting done. My favored project for the family gathering is my Steam scarf out of Kid Silk Haze. She's about a foot long now. Considering the number of stitches wide it is & the itty bitty needles I think this is commendable progress. (The real accomplishment was not making any mistakes knitting after enjoying 2 glasses of wine)

I also finished up the first of my Thrummed Socks. I love the way the hand dyed thrums turned out on the inside.

Now to wait until the new year when I teach the class to knit the second one. Sigh...

To tide me over I'm knocking another one of those long awaited second socks off my list. The second of my Diamonds Forever socks (one of my first sock designs). Technically I've knit 2 of these, but the first one was in pink & gray cotton/wool the one I'm knitting a partner for is a brown marled Jawoll.

Doesn't look like much yet, I know... but hopefully in a few days it might look a bit like this sock~

Pretty soon I'll have no more of the dreaded heel flap & gusset socks to knit. I hate how those fit my foot, and I don't particularly enjoy knitting them... It does suit this sock pretty well though doesn't it?

I figure with the new year approaching that it's the perfect time to reincarnate an old unloved project.
When I started my Harry Potter Scarf over a year ago I hadn't even read a single of the books... I still haven't. (after the last book comes out I'm planning on picking up the series, so I'll read them eventually) I have seen bits and pieces of some of the movies. I just thought it looked like a cool scarf. Unfortunately it's a scarf with a lot of labor and for me it just wasn't a labor of love. I just was wishing that I was knitting a sweater with the yarn, it was so pretty & soft...
So yesterday the scarf became well... it unbecame...

I swapped out the yellow for a pretty pink ball of Louisa Harding Impressions. Then I pulled out a pattern from my cue line... The Perfect Sweater!
This also works with my Resolution of knitting myself some basic wearable sweaters.
I love how the contrast works with the picot hem!

My only real change to the pattern so far is my usual routine of knitting in the round as much as possible. I'm also planning on knitting the V-neck version.