A busy, busy day - oops, week

The week started out with a triathlon - a lovely day and I saw a lot of friends there - 

Then a trip to a tea room with my daughter and her friend and her friend's mom. A lot of laughing - especially when they discovered that the flower garnish was edible. 

Thursday was opening day at the State Fair and we were there from breakfast on. For some reason, the weaving and spinning displays are always displayed really well. 

Most of the knitting is displayed in very cramped quarters. For example, these two items were very cute - but they needed a little space between the two.

This is probably one of the least fattening items at the fair!

And I dare you to find a fair that has both a President Obama quilt and a Spam rocket - next to each other.

I spent some of my time this week plying this cute pink (Merino, I think) yarn. I'm also onto the first sleeve of my Mr. Greenjeans cardigan.

This week's Saturday Seven - two sweaters, two tee shirts, a cardigan, a hoodie sweatshirt and a skirt. Thank goodness Middle Daughter cleaned out her closet.

The Big Day!

Today was the MiracleKids Triathlon at Lake Ann in Chanhassen. 

 

Having a great day out with some of the other almost-900 kids there!

He swam 

and biked

(That's him in the white and red shirt coming down the entrance into the transition area after his bike ride.)

and ran

and raised $535 dollars for the Miracles of Mitch Foundation. Thanks so much for all your help!

A good time was had by all!

If you'd like to see all the photos, there is a slide show here on my Flicker photograph page. Enjoy!

Knitting-wise, I'm three-fourths of the way through the waist ribbing on the MGJ cardigan and it's been very fun. I'm hoping to start some sleeves tomorrow, after my own triathlon - the Saint Paul Triathlon. 

Saturday Seven? No photos yet but it was two sweaters, a pair of shin guards, a pair of soccer socks, a mixer blade, and two tee shirts. Very dull stuff.

Just in case you felt like you've read this before

Apparently, I write like Cory Doctorow.

See?  They gave me this to prove it!

I write like
Cory Doctorow

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Now, which book should I choose?

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom?

For the Win?

I must appeal to young-adult knitters - or adult knitters who are young at heart!

Not really Irish - but faking it very well!

Last Thursday, I was listening to an edition of  the Clockwork Cabaret podcast and heard them discussing some very yummy cupcakes called (of all things) "Irish car bomb cupcakes."

The creator based them on a cocktail drink that I've never tried but believe me, the cupcakes are very rich and very tasty.

Middle Daughter and I must have been craving some chocolate because we gave them a try.

The cupcake batter has Guiness in it, the ganache filling has Irish whisky and the butter frosting has Bailey's Irish Cream in it.

Middle Daughter did say, "All my icing is going to have Baileys in it from now on!"

Our icing was tasty - but not as pretty as the original's.

I was trying out a new icing kit and let's say - I need more practice.

They are so rich I had to limit myself one a day. Everyone had one. 

After two days, I had to freeze the rest so we wouldn't overdo it.

Saturday's Seven was shorts, pants and polo shirts from Youngest Child. Fall must be just around the corner!

More knitting today on  Mr. Greenjeans. I'm on the cabled ribbing right now - my dream gift would be a cable needle on a necklace. I have lost two so far!

Time flies

when you're trying not to sweat. Things are hot, hot and hot here. In fact, the other day at the beach - too hot to knit. And for me - that must be hot! 

When in the air-conditioned indoors, I have been working on the Mr. Greenjeans sweater - now in the Small size - and it's working out well.

Youngest Daughter or Youngest Son wasn't around to model this one so I set up my dressmaker's dummy with my measurements. And it's looking like a good fit!

I particularly like the yarnover increases at the shoulder - very tidy.

I actually managed to pull together a Saturday Seven last week and since I was dropping it off at my local church rummage sale, I decided to snap a picture. Five teeshirts, one pair of jeans and a pair of pajama pants. Let's just say "Someone" won't be missing them from her dresser drawer!

If the weather permits this weekend - we will probably be out and about doing something fun. Hopefully, you will be as well!

Funny how things catch up with you

I really thought I would have at least one pair of socks done by now. 

The Vampire Boyfriend Socks? About two inches. 

The Hedgerow Socks? Almost to the ankle.

The Mr. Greenjeans cardigan? Ripped back, cast on again in a smaller size 

and about collarbone length.

Not even a neckwarmer size!

With my hand now officially declared fractured and in a brace, knitting has become difficult. 

And you know why? The yarn catches on the velcro on my brace!

 Knit, knit, knit - pull the yarn out of the brace - knit, knit, knit. Just a little tedious! 

And purling? Oh, man - purling takes forever!

I'm thinking of wearing a sock over my brace (which, ironically, I wear over a sock for padding) to speed things up.

On the bright side, spinning is absolutely no problem. I don't know why but it doesn't make anything sore and I've been using my time wisely.

Once upon a time, GFMelissa gave me this unpleasantly dirty, messy fleece.

It wasn't her fault it was a dirty fleece - someone had actually given it to her about six months before. And, bit by bit, last winter, I cleaned it and washed it and carded it. 

Over the last two weeks, I spun and spun and finally ended up with a pretty basket of yarn.

From left to right, starting inside the basket were three skeins of a soft black/gray, one skein of steel or dark gray; then outside the basket, two skeins of black with coarse long white hairs, one bobbin of light gray singles and then two skeins of dark brown/grey. 

Enough for a traditional gansey - if you don't mind itchy rough wool. 

There was one more bag of dark, extremely VM'd ("vegetable mattered") wool left but I think I'm going to pitch it. Or something. Maybe I'll need it come the nuclear winter but . . . maybe not. 

As for the basket o' yarn, I'm not really sure what I'll be doing with it. The Minnesota Knitters' Guild has a charity program knitting hats and gloves -  this may be the stash for that. 

But I did feel very good about getting it all out of the fiber stash and into the yarn stash.

One of the things I was doing while spinning was watch Eddie Izzard comedy films. Uniquely British and a bit foul mouthed but very, very funny! 

*And for the Saturday Seven - socks. Seven small pairs of sports socks. Even I have bad weeks for giving things away!