One down, four* to go

I finished up Oldest Daughter's Drapey Tam (really called the Simon Tam) - the Berroco Ultra Alpaca and the Rowan Kidsilk Haze made for a wonderfully soft hat.

The ribbing is pretty but - a little odd. You build in new ribs as you increase the stitches (to make the tam shape) but then you quickly begin removing those stitches as you decrease. So there are some wedge shaped sections that I didn't expect.

Unfortunately, I didn't have anyone to try on the hat for me - Youngest Daughter being off at college and all.

So I got Youngest Child out of bed (he wasn't sleeping - just reading!) and bribed him with a glass of water to model for me.

It still didn't work for me. So, back to the drawing board.

My version of Jack McBrayer wearing a tam.

See the amazing resemblance?

Photo http://www.buddytv.com

And finally, making its first appearance since 2010, I actually cut off the extra weft from my Cotton Dish Towel and sewed up the edges to make it actually usable. This has been hanging around my sewing room for ages.

I do not like weaving with cotton - it sucked the moisture out of my hands, even just handling the woven material. Good for a towel, I suppose.

I had a hard time getting the cut yarn tails to stay woven in, though. My favorite part? The reversible pattern.

AND never one to forget the Saturday Seven -

Four sweaters, a wool skirt, a terrible throw pillow and a brain quest set. I really, really tried to find a use for these but nothing worked out. The pillow was no good for sleeping with, the skirt was un-alterable, the sweaters either didn't fit or were quite old and Youngest Child - no longer in second grade. Off it all goes to SJTE's Huge Sale.

* The other four? This is the year of finishing up my darn UFOs - the Turn of the Glass cardigan, the Lopi Challenge Sweater, the Sailor's Delight Socks and the must-finish-before-I-die River Grass Gansey.

Shawls vs Sweaters

Partner in Crime, GFMelissa tempted me to come out scootering with her this past week. She looked much better (color cordinated!) so I used her picture instead. We puttered over to a local coffee shop and had a little knitting consult. 

You see, we had a little agreement this summer - she would knit a lace shawl and I would knit a Lopi sweater. Well, the shoe has fallen. She's started her lace shawl (the Skywalker shawl) and I am now doomed to start the Hans Lopi sweater.

I love the Lopi designs but - I'm not sure about the yarn. Let me confess, I actually bought the yarn for this sweater years ago. 

I actually dug out the box of Lopi yarn that I bought (from Webs) and I believe that it says "2007" on the label.

I only bought enough of the main yarn for a size 6 and Youngest Child now wears an 8 so I'm going to buy some two more skeins for the sleeves.

So, it's time to break out the size 6 needles and the dustbuster - Lopi yarn sheds like a son of a gun! - and get knitting.

I did finally finish up the Holden Shawlette.  I just needed to wake up and knit. The picot edging was particularly snooze inducing.

I like the floppy look of the edging but I didn't like the time it took to knit.

Besides knitting here and there during the last month, I've been sewing again. 

Holiday banners 

and gift bags.

I found this cute fabric on Spoonflower.com. Middle Daughter has a thing for elephants so I may be making something for her next package.

I've still been collecting Saturday Seven's - this week is tee shirts and sweat shirts. 

Now, on to the next set of projects!

It was a dark and stormy night . . .

on the way home from the Minnesota Knitters' Guild. It was one of those nights that you only read about - windy, dark, spitting rain and lonely.  Since I've been re-reading the various permutations of Sherlock Holmes, it was particularly apt!

As for the rest of my life, not particularly mysterious. A bit trying, though.

Our September MKG meeting is always our largest meeting with a huge number of members bringing in their State Fair submissions and presenting them along with the most humorous part - reading aloud the judges comments.

With such terrible weather, we had fewer participants but each one had several items. We provided bottled water but pots of tea or coffee - or possibly bottles of wine! -  were what we really needed to keep staff and guests from running out of steam.

 I would also not recommend starting a lace pattern late at night, whilst laying on a couch and watching television. My entire knitting this past weekend was removing the misplaced laced pattern that I added in before finishing the main body of my Holden Shawlette.

Before I went away for the weekend, I did find the time to choose a Saturday Seven - and drop them off at GFMelissa's house for her youngest child. Pants, shirts, a robe and a stuffed animal. Enjoy!

Not quite out from under the bed but . . .

close enough. Three girls go off to college and I get to clean up. And that means clean out! This collection - books, pants and sheets.

More pants (these are little boy's pants, though) clipboards, pencil cases and shoes.

More jeans and sheets.

Pants, shorts, sweaters and tee shirts.

An afghan, tee shirts, a book, a pair of kid's sunglasses and a camping table.

Socks, sewing patterns, sports bras and swimming goggles.

This little box full of . . .

toddler toys and animals. Just consider this as seven weeks of Saturday Sevens all at one time.

And back on the knitting front - still crawling along on the Holden Shawlette. One small feature I didn't quite pick up on - the lace pattern doesn't start until you work your way up to 193 stitches. Me? I'm at about 120. Ho, hum until then.

This was originally going to be a travel project and right now, I'm thinking I'd better get working on the Turn of the Glass cardigan. Next week's chilly weather speaks "cardigan" to me! The Holden can wait.

Especially as I've recently received a request. A knitting request for a Dr. Watson Sweater. This pattern for a variation on this sweater. Oh, my, it's going to be a busy autumn!

One tiny thing . . .

Hey you!

Yes, you! What are you doing over there?

Just modeling the latest Cabled Chemo Cap!

It's been a busy summer - lots of little things means very little finished knitting. And definitely nothing for the State Fair! :(

But, I have picked up my crochet hook again - and yet another book to see if I can teach myself!

Also, this amazing little green gadget. Above, it's closed.

Here, it's open. It's an Ottlite Mini Flip! I got mine in green but there will be a pink one as a door prize at the next (August 16, 2011) Minnesota Knitters' Guild! Be there or squint . . . 

On the Saturday Seven front - things have been pretty slim pickings. Until Mr. Daisy cleaned out his closet. You just have to love a man who neatly packs up all his old dress shirts to give away!

On the non-knitting front, I've been listening to lots of "Harry Potter" audio books, sewing skirts for my daughters and getting Youngest Daughter ready to go off to college. 

I've enjoyed having them all home from college but it is definitely time for them to find their entertainment elsewhere. I just spent a raucous lunch hour with them, trying to explain the plot line of "Baby Island," This book by Carol Ryrie Brink was one of their absolute favorites when they were little but they didn't remember it at all. 

When I got to the part about milking the goats, Youngest Daughter said, "You milk my goats, I eat your baby!" Not the audience the author was looking for!

I'll be AWOL from blogging later this month when we start the Traditional Parental Migration. We are road tripping from Minnesota to Pennsylvania, visiting relatives and dropping one daughter's college gear off then taking off for Maryland for Youngest Daughter's move-in day. Then back to Pennsylvania where we bid adieu to Middle Daughter.

Then back to  Minnesota where we will welcome the Fabulous Miss H. (a longtime family friend) who is coming to Macalester College for her Freshman year. Then, our own Oldest Daughter starts her senior year (and we move her into her new dorm!) and then, finally, Youngest Child starts third grade. Whew! 

I sense a run on Vodka Tonics starting about September 6th!

Blue skies ahead . . .

watch out for the scouts!

Yep, when the rain finally cleared out this weekend, I spent Sunday biking around Minneapolis with Mr. Daisy, Youngest Child and his Bear pack or den or whatever they call it. Thankfully, everyone came home alive.

Although I've been still working on the "2-at-a-time" sleeves of my Turn of the Glass cardigan, I've progressed the most on my second Cabled Chemo Hat for the Minnesota Knitters' Guild.

Since I can't clean my children's rooms (they would notice!) or get them to clean their rooms, the Saturday Sevens have really slowed down. Just wait until they leave for college again, heh heh.

A Fistful of

BFL!

First off, I hope you had a Happy Fourth of July. Lovely hot weather here topped off with a great fireworks display on the river.

Things were busy around here with a sci-fi convention for my daughters (and me, I confess. I went for the Torchwood and Dr. Who panels), one heck of a lot of spinning for Tour de Fleece (8 oz BFL spun and plied) and hat knitting.

It's not terribly fine spinning but I've been using the bulky head for my Lendrum and I'm not that familiar with its weight and ratio.

The skein on the far right is the biggest - I decided to spin two full smaller bobbins into one. I haven't counted the yards yet.

I finished my service project hat for the MKG. This was my trip knitting project along with 

this teeny tiny Splish Splash washcloth from Evelyn A. Clark.

I finally took three shopping bags of Saturday Seven clothes from Oldest Daughter over to the local rummage sale. I didn't photograph or count but it was way over seven items! How does she get that much extra stuff in her room?

Again and again . . .

the knitting remains the same. Yep, the knitting is almost the same. Just more rows, more cables, more hard to photograph sweater.

I did get out of the town this weekend visiting relatives. On the way back, I turned around to see 

this:

a smiling, sleeping boy with his hand in the lego box. Sweet!

I did have seven things (already given away) for the Saturday Seven.

Two pairs of shoes, a string bag, a sweater, a t-ball hat, a pair of shorts and a blouse.

Just some boring old knitting . . .

I read a blog recently where the author said she regretted taking so much time off from her blog. I really don't regret anything but not knitting.

Life is just rolling along here and my Turn of The Glass cardigan is also inching along with me. It's a bit too large to carry everywhere and if I knit it at home in the evening, it is a given that I will have to rip something out.

So, just to recap:

Saturday Seven on 5/21/11:

Seven pairs of shorts and pants. Some mine and some are Middle Daughter's. They've already gone over to the neighborhood rummage sale.

Turn of the Glass Cardigan:

This photo shows the design increases and decreases. I'm just above the waistline here.

This photo is the right color - but you can see why I don't knit this at night!

Move along now - nothing to see here!

Finally, the sun!

We had a busy weekend at Chez Daisy. Some garage painting and some yard work really ate up the available time. But, at least we made room for . . .

Mexican Food!

We took a Mexican food cooking class at Cooks of Crocus Hill and it was delicious! Excuse my terrible photos - the lighting was very bright where we were sitting.

My favorite part was the Avocado Soup. 

My knitting has not been so successful - just rows and rows of the Turn of the Glass cardigan. Not enough, though, to take a good picture. 

My Saturday Seven (shirts, shorts and socks) already went over to GFMelissa's house. Her Youngest Child is now enjoying the fruits of my closet cleaning.

Easter means

family, pie and . . . Farkel. 

Of course, for Christians, Easter is also the high point of the liturgical year. No pictures of that but you might be interested in this site where many people are sharing their Easter stories.

After the pie, we spent a little time looking for an "holiday" movie. You know, they used to show some sort of "big" movie like The Sound of Music or The Greatest Story Ever Told on Easter night. Not anymore, apparently. We had to make do with a great documentary on Netflix about Robert E. Lee.

I've been inching along on my Turn of the Glass cardigan.

Since we are mostly just lounging about this weekend, this week's Saturday Seven were some "free" toys my son has collected over the winter. They went to a rummage sale in the neighborhood.

Happy Easter!