No swimming - just a whole lot of learning!

I knew this day would come - I finally got a flat tire (the back tire - a pain to remove!) while biking this morning. So, I pulled over and stumbled through the steps I learned a few weeks ago at a MN Tri Club Flat Tire Clinic. Andy held the instructions for me and took this oh-so-flattering picture. He felt like he was getting dirty looks from other lady cyclists but I really needed to do it on my own. Twenty minutes later, we were on our way.

I was originally supposed to swim this morning but the MN Masters race day set-up would have taken my whole morning (arrive at 9 a.m., swim at 10:30 a.m.) and I didn't want to miss a ride with my honey. So, I skipped the swim and we had a great ride from the capitol, out the Gateway Trail and back on the Bruce Vento trail. We ended up at the Saint Paul Farmer's Market and I still got home in time to clean some toilets. Yea.

The Saturday Seven was an exciting six uniform shirts and a uniform fleece from my Youngest Daughter. She is going into high school next year (hard to believe!) and needs the older girls' uniforms. Off they go to the other family in our school carpool. It's odd to think we won't ever need the classic "Catholic Schoolgirl" uniforms again!

We ended up the day with a great long walk (not really a substitute for a run but fun anyway) and now its time to knit and watch the news. I am still working on the green baby blanket and the red bag. I did get the "No Sheep for You" book from the library and it has some great patterns. I am looking at a cardigan pattern using Queensland Collection Cotolino yarn but it seems like a hard to find yarn. Anyone know where to get some?



Pedaling off into the sunset . . .

Socking it to the "Girl from K.N.I.T.T.Y"

These aren't my feet - they are the ridiculously large feet (she knows I love her!) of one of my daughters - but these are my socks!

Yes, just taking a "Dr. Who" break and ignoring my family's demands for companionship got my socks finished. Now, I am back to the "Miss Violet's Pink Ribbon" socks of yesteryear. Yep - I gave up on the "Pink Ribbon" pattern and frogged it all last night. I am going for a quick and dirty ribbed sock so I can get this finished before July. The sad thing is while I've knitted about three pairs of socks since the start of the L&V Sock Marathon, I just realized that I've added about FIVE skeins of sock yarn in that time. I've never been interested in running a marathon - I just didn't realize that there would be so many distractions and roadside attractions to slow me down!

I got a great glimpse into knitting with other fibers last night at the MKG meeting with Amy Singer. Yep, the "Girl from K.N.I.T.T.Y" as she called herself! I didn't buy the book there because there was a line and they all sold out but I am definately going to check it out. Her information about other non-wool fibers was really informative and it gave me a little insight into why my "1824" yarn had so much droop.




I THINK it's just too heavy for the pattern, even though it was from an 1824 pattern book, so I am going to wash it and check out the shrinkage. If that doesn't work, I will take off the sleeves and reknit them. If it still doesn't look good, then, I might just knit it again in another cotton. Or, maybe, make a pillow out of it.

Happy Father's Day!

I never thought I would have to stoop so low for my Saturday Seven but . . . here it is. Seven pairs of little boy's size 2-4 T underwear. I could never give away men's underwear (that would be gross!) but Youngest Child outgrew these in a wink and I know someone whose boy is toilet training. Here they are - good as new.

I think my husband is just so grateful to have someone to give his tools to that this would be a perfect Father's Day card for him. In celebration of the day, we are cooking out tonight and the Girl Contingent is making cookies for dessert. That and listening to the Backstreet Boys in the kitchen. VERY LOUDLY. They are all goofballs - but they're the fruit of his loins so Husband Dear loves them all madly.

Happy Father's Day, dear! And Happy Father's Day to my own Dad who is on a trip to Scotland and Ireland and who should be on a flight from Edinburgh to Belfast right now. See you soon, Dad! Take lots of pictures!

Row that boat ashore . . .

Like many of my projects, I've put off this project to the last minute. The Minnesota Knitters' Guild is collecting hats and slippers for the Ships Project. I put off knitting my hat until absolutely the last minute. Hence, the two inches of hat on my knee! I probably will finish this tonight but . . . that depends how much ice tea I drink!

I am really looking forward to the next MKG meeting - 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 19th - because Amy Singer, the editor of Knitty will be the speaker! She is going to discuss her new book, “No Sheep for You: Knit Happy with Cotton, Silk, Linen, Hemp, Bamboo and Other Delights,” published by Interweave Press. I am not allergic to wool or animal fibers but I am not very comfortable knitting with other fibers. I am hoping to pick up a few tips on inproving my skills.

I got to meet a few other twin cities knitters last week at the Twin Cities Knitting and Crafting Moms play group. This is an offshoot of the Yahoo Groups' TCKnit Message Board. Youngest Child loved playing with the kids and I got a little of my baby blanket worked on. A very little!



After my fun-but-not-so-thrilling showing on Sunday at the Manitou Tri, I've been trying to run, bike or swim almost every day as part of the final countdown to the Lake Harriet One Mile swim on the 23rd and the Minneman Triathlon on June 29 and my knitting has really been suffering. Generally, I've been asleep ten minutes after I hit the chair.

Sunday's time? 1:54:48. That's about 20 minutes slower than last year but it was 26th for my age group. The scoop on the swim was that it was about 200 yards more than marked. I knew it seemed long! And the worst part? I finally came down with swimmer's itch. Yucky red welts. I am officially Bubonic Sally.


There was no Saturday Seven - I have a pile of stuff, but no time to sort it. We'll have to have the Sunday Seven instead.

Knit where I can, when I can

Well, I generally knit wherever I go. Participating in Saturday's World Wide Knit in Public, won't be that hard for me. I take my knitting in the car, to school meetings, the dentist, to friend's houses, the park - wherever.

On Saturday, I will take my knitting along when standing in line to pick up my pre-race packet for Sunday's Manitou Sprint Triathlon. I'll take it with me to the graduation tea at Trinity School at River Ridge (I'm the tablecloth person) and I'll take it to the library as well. That is basically my Saturday!

All I am working on is - oh, please, oh, please - finish the green sock! Yes, there is a baby blanket and, yes, there is a shawl - but I really just want to FINISH THE SOCK!

From socks to swimming . . .

Looking over my photos recently, I realized that I haven't been posting very many pictures of knitting. I've been so busy with family visits, swap sewing, the end of the school year, school events as well as ramping up my training for the first tri of the year. I'm afraid that I've been using a lot of my "Free" time for sleeping!

Today I swam a mile in White Bear Lake and then biked the 14 mile course for the Manitou Triathlon. After lunch, I did laundry, took kids to the library, got dinner together and will be leaving shortly for two back to back student evaluations. I'll finally get to sit down and knit after Youngest Child goes to bed - I have a date with "The Return of the King" and my green socks.

In the meantime, I thought you'd enjoy seeing Oldest Daughter's first completed sock.



It just killed me that she used so little of the Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn - she chose to make anklets - but she said, "That way, I'll have lots of yarn to darn with!" Can't argue with that logic! Now, she just needs to finish the next sock - she must be related to me.




Here's the swimming photo - my Tuesday Efficient Swimming class took their act on the road and hoofed it to White Bear Lake. I started off in my wetsuit but found it was much easier for me to swim without it! Maybe next spring . . .

Okay, this seemed smaller on the page . . .

When I first saw this pattern, it seemed small. In fact, I worried that it wouldn't be big enough. No problemo - my sock partner could have six or seven socks in this bag.

It started out inside out - the grey is the lining . . .



The black stripes are the sides and handles of the bag . . .



Ta Da!



As for the Saturday Seven . . .




I could joke and say it's the "Bottom of the Barrel" for me - seven pairs of pants, shorts and skirts. What's the point of having clothing that you are physically unable to wear - not now or even 20 lbs ago. They are in good shape and someone can use them. Off you go, little (very little!) pants, fly free!

A peak at my HSKS work in progress . . .

By the way - this week's qustion for points: Who are the two people speaking in this quote and what book is it from? 5 House Points are riding on it!

"I'm not trying to say what she did was sensible. I'm just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."

"You should write a book, translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

- Hermione and Ron, discussing Cho [ch.26 The Order of the Phoenix]

I think I need to skip ahead and re-read this one. I am really having to search for quotations from this book. I have a lot of tattered holes in my memory of TOofTP. I must have stayed up too late and dreamed I was actually reading it!


Well, onward and upward. Here's a peak inside my HSKS bag - I didn't get to sew it on Memorial Day weekend but I did cut it out. I spent much of today ferrying children around (Note to Self: Get those girls their Drivers' Liscenses!) but when I was at home, I was sewing.




There are two inside pockets - one dark green and one polkadotted - and one outside pocket. There are handles as well as backpack straps. I tried to make it roomy - and it is!

I am going to have to make myself one of these bags! They are cute!



This is an Amy Butler pattern called the Vintage Style Backpack Tote. Basically, grab a yard each of three or four contrasting yet complementary fabrics and you are set! I NEED to get it all in the mail tomorrow.

Time is moving onward - but where is my map?

Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night.

-Unknown



If there was a harried look in this sheep's eyes, it would be me.

These last two weeks have occured on overdrive. School events, class parties, triathlon training, bike rides, visits to St. Louis, graduations, parents' visits - augh. There is just too much going on! And I am responsible for making it all happen!

There is some knitting - the green sock creeps onward. I swear that some Penelope is ripping it back every night. Six more rows. And six more rows. And six more rows. The darn marker does not appear to be budging.

I've also started a baby blanket version of Evelyn A. Clark's "Edged with lace" simple shawl. I'm using some "on hand" Cascade 220 Superwash in color 802. This looks like a muted green when viewed online - but trust me, it's really GREEN! Eyecatching, pirate-parrot, some-sort-of-hosta, maybe-a-tropical-fish GREEN. It's for the "fetus yet to meet us" of a swim friend and she doesn't know if it's a boy or girl, so I think green will make a great baby blanket. Not a sweater, though. It's too loud for a sweater.

Right after I cast on, I found out another friend brought home a brand new baby boy and now I will have to hustle up another sweater. Maybe a hat? Hmm.

I am still working on a red project for my mother - but since she's visiting, I can't work on it in front of her.

Tomorrow, I am taking the third bike ride of the weekend. I'm definitely worried about the Manitou Tri on June 10 - I don't think I am at full athletic capacity yet - and I need more time on the bike. Unfortunately, my legs are telling me that they want off that crazy thing.

What I'm really looking forward to is working on my HKSK bag. I found the right green colors and thread and I am using an Amy Butler pattern for a backpack/tote bag. I want to get the package in the mail and off my hands THIS week. I wil take some photos of it. I wish I was getting this cool exchange!

Yesterday's Saturday Seven is completely boring. When cleaning frantically after my trip and before my mother's arrival, I cleared out bedding and towels.

Boring things like two blankets, a bedspread and four towels. I may take a picture. Or maybe not. They are so dull that I'm worred that no one would buy them at a rummage sale. Not great stuff - but not trash either. The kind of stuff you would give to your first born for their first apartment. Unfortunately, that would be about five years in the future and I don't have the storage room. Look out, Saint John the Evangelist's Big Sale, here comes trouble!

Technically, it is now Memorial Day. Have a lovely holiday, spend time with your loved ones and remember those who have served in the Armed Forces.

Taking it on the road - again.

Luckily, I've been setting aside items to give away for some time - assembling seven items to be named later. As I am on the road, visiting my sister in Saint Louis, I don't have access to my photos. But they do exist! One lace curtain, one pair of running shoes, four of Youngest Child's shirts and one book, "March." The curtain was a stop gap curtain for the top of my stairs. I bought the fabric and simply hemed it as a curtain when we moved into this house thirteen years ago but I never replaced it. Finally, I am sewing a new one. The running shoes were purchased by mistake. After giving them a fair go, I decided to replace them and passed them over to my Middle Daughter. The book was last month's Monday Night Book Group offering. I read it and enjoyed it but I have no room for it on my bookshelf. Perhaps I'll Book Crossing it? The clothing and the curtain will go off to a rummage sale at a local church.
In the mean time, I'll be knitting away in Saint Louis. I brought my green socks and my flower basket shawl to work on. Unfortunately, I think I lost my copy of the shawl pattern at my niece's volleyball game so I'll be sock-ing it all the way home. No chance to visit any yarn stores but plenty of knitting time and that is allways a treat.

Syttende Mai!

Hurra for Syttende Mai! I'm not Norwegian but am filled with envy over those great knitting patterns. I've been eyeing these patterns by Mary Ann Stephens over at Kids Knits for a while. Maybe when Youngest Child is in school full time? Finishing the Tiger Lily jacket would really be a reason to celebrate!

Midnight and the gauge isn't looking any better . . .

You know how you hear stories about how the girls (or guys) all start looking better after midnight? It's not true about gauge, either.

After settling everyone else down and finally wresting control of the TiVo from Middle Daughter, I sat down to knit a circular gauge swatch in the Cheer. A couple of taped CSI shows later, I have a neat little cuff, sleeve, hat-like nubbin. It still doesn't look any better this late and in this form than it did in the sampler swatch form.

At the most, I can get 4 1/2 stitches with some places 4 and 3/4 stitches. All I want is to get 5 stitches to the inch and I am doomed, doomed to have to ammend the directions. I just want to forget the math, to just follow the crowd, to just want to go where Elizabeth Zimmerman leads.

By the by, I knit an inch or so of my swatch (70 stitches) in ribbing and then stockinette on a size 4 Addi Turbo 16 inch circular needle. This is all so that when you knit your next gauge swatch, you can laugh and laugh at a person who knits so ridiculously loose. Lazy. Relaxed. Whatever.

Onward I go, calculator in hand, to fight the good fight and make Youngest Daughter her sweater.

BUT, just to leave you on a high note. I went to the sock yarn swap at the MN Knitters' Guild meeting on Tuesday and scored a beautiful skein of Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn in Peacock. Lovely and soft. I also got a skein of Lana Grossa Meilenweit Safari. Also nice but a little more manly in pattern. Definite Husband sock yarn. Now, if I could just finish my Green Socks, I could move forward with some of these other delicious yarns. Not now, however, I am about to meet a really good looking bed. I didn't make my "finish before midnight" deadline but I have one more minute to go . . .

It's MY gauge, dagnabit!

I have been thinking about an Elizabeth Zimmerman type sweater utilizing some Rowan Yorkshire Aran DK yarn in Cheer and have been knitting a swatch using my Knitpicks needles.

Swatching the exact same gauge, apparently! I took EZ's gauge advice to heart and made a neat little sample of stockinette stich starting with a size 8 needle and working my way down to a size 4. Even thought they look different and (more importantly to me) feel different, each section is almost exactly the same. Possibly only 1/8 of a stitch difference between sections.

That's why the rectangular swatch is being turned into the circular knitted swatch. Otherwise known as a hat. Hopefully with 5 stitches to the inch.

There was a Dalek in my garage

but it's gone forever. My husband sold it! Selling something is even better than giving it away. Just let me at the rest of the your stuff, honey.

The rest of our Saturday Seven came from me and Youngest Child. My wicking teeshirts still wicked just fine - but they shrunk. Out to the rummage sale. The boy's jacket and "Oh-so-cute" Keen sandals - over to Baby Karl. They were great but Youngest Child is growing like a Bad Weed - oops, I meant a Beautiful Flower.



Well, today was the day of days - my Oldest Daughter's big track meet AND her big dance. Me? I got to talk about knitting at the Minnesota Knitters' Guild table at Shepherd's Harvest. I also got to meet Lorraine from Of Faith and Fiber - it sounded like she had a relaxing and profitable afternoon! I discovered that she had also knitted the "Flower Basket Shawl" by Evelyn A. Clark and she had some great information about the needle cord length I'll need by the time I get to the end.

Tomorrow is my traditional Mother's Day visit to Shepherd's Harvest - I can't wait. We eat Kettle Korn, browse the vendors, check out the llamas, pet the goats (I really want a goat!) and, finally, buy a little fiber. I'm going to look for items for my HSKS partner - she's a Slytherin so I'll be checking out green yarn, sock needles, etc.

Enjoy your weekend!

Revisiting Elizabeth Zimmerman

Sometimes, it takes a while for a good idea to sink in. A few weeks ago at the Minnesota Knitting Guild's Yarnover, a spring knitting workshop, I took at class from Meg Swanson. It was kind of a review of Elizabeth Zimmerman's percentage system for creating sweaters. Ms. Swanson had tons of photographs and real knitted sweaters that she used to illustrate various kinds of necklines, increases, hems, etc. I'd probably seen most of the sweaters before but seeing them in person was great.

It was a real eye opening kind of class! My first knitting book was "Knitting without Tears" and I have several other of EZ's books. So much is about guidelines rather than patterns. I forgot how much I appreciated that. I've been searching for a pattern for Middle Daughter but nothing was clicking. Now, I think I am going to adapt one of Elizabeth Zimmerman's designs with a few changes for MD's tastes.

So, I picked up the DVD of "Knitter's Workshop" and I have been watching a little every day. Now, I finally got a copy of the accompanying book (from the excellent library at the Textile Center of Minnesota!) and I am so enjoying it. Ideas are flowing - or they will after a little more sleep!

Saturday Seven . . . and good tidings!

Big to little, today's Saturday Seven were very simple. The chairs and one clip on sunshade for a child's wagon went to Freecycle, the children's dishes and the boots went to a rummage sale, the book on cd, "The Land Between the Seas" by David McCullough goes to a collection of books-on-cd for troops overseas and the bike shoes and triathlon suit are going to be posted on my tri group's list. Something for everyone!

The good news is that Miss Ariel's dress is the Grand Prize Winner for the Mall of America's Final Cut Prom Dress Contest! They will be producing her dress for next year! Congrats to a great girl!

This week's question . . . and a visiting knitter

- Time to join the Potter Army! Knitting Division, needles at rest.

This week's HSKS quote is from chapter one of " Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and it is Voldemort speaking to Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail)

"...for that, you will have your reward, Wormtail. I will allow you to perform an essential task for me, one that many of my followers would give their right hands to perform..."

Personally, Wormtail is my least favorite character. But I have found out who I send my swap kit to - she's a Sytherin (boo, hiss) and now the game's afoot!

In real life, I went to a multiple-college "Meet and Greet" kind of thing with my daughter last night. I guess I am the farthest thing from a "helicopter" parent as I sat there and knit all evening as she went from table to table and collected information.

I did meet another knitter/mother from St. Peter, MN, who told me all about her great local yarn store, the Tangled Skein. I saw this store at Yarnover a few weekends ago and took note because they carry Green Mountain Spinnery's Mountain Mohair. I've been thinking about some of their patterns but because I've never seen the yarn in person, I was hesitant to commit. It sounds like another road trip will be necessary!

I mostly worked on my green sock (toe decreases!) and she worked on a baby sweater. When I pulled out my "Flower Basket" practice shawl, however, the visiting knitter was very helpful. She had knit it before and gave me a little advice. Unfortunately, by the end of evening, I had to frog some of the work I'd accomplished on the Grinnell trip. This time, I put in a "lifeline" - that's where you thread a yarn through the stitches to create a visual marker - and it's been easy sailing since then.

Roadtripping to Iowa

Yesterday, I travelled to Grinnell, Iowa to visit Grinnell College with my Oldest Daughter. While I think it made her list of places to apply, I am not sure it really is "The One" for her. While she toured and attended class, however, I got to wander around town and even found a quilting/yarn/fiber store, the Grinnell Fiber Works.

It was an excellent quilt shop and had some really cool supplies for dollmaking but they were selling off their yarn and knitting supplies. So Sad. Unfortunately, their remaining yarn was very hit or miss and their sock yarn was Not On Sale. If you really want people to buy things, you have to make it worth their while! I did end up buying the last copy of "Socks: A Spin-Off special publication for knitters and spinners" from Interweave Press.



This looks like it will be a very handy book for using up handspun yarn!

On Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap business - here's the HSKS Questionaire!


1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? I am a Ravenclaw.

2. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. My very favorite is ChiaoGoo Bamboo Needles, size 2, 6 inch length. Second choice would be Takumi Bamboo, size 1 or 2, 7 inch length. I don't have anything else yet but I think I would prefer something shorter (like the ChiaoGoo 6 inch length) and I wouldn't mind wood or metal. I already have lots of bamboo because I always loose one or two of each set!

3. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? Oops - I forgot this one - I wouldn't mind a new style but I don't want anything longer than the 6 inch length. I am finding the Takumi Bamboo a little "catchy" with my sock yarn so maybe something more slippery?

4. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I like the book colors (blue and bronze) better than the movie (blue and silver) but I don't have a strong preference. I don't like either in sparkly or shiny.

5. If your pal decides to send candies or chocolates are there any that you don't like? No!

6. What are your favorite scents? I like plant scents over food scents. My favorites are things like Thymes' Frazier Fr handlotion, Root Candle's Fig. and I wear Fresh's "Sugar" and "Lemon Sugar" perfumes. I use those brands as an example but I don't expect them. I love finding less expensive, fresh, woodsey scents!

7. Do you have any allergies? No.

I am so looking forward to this swap. I had a hard time resisting picking out a bag pattern this weekend but I didn't want to limit myself when it came to the swapee's colors.

Let the games begin!

Today is the kind of day when your interests collide. I'll have to put together a bullet point list in order to cover all my bases.

- Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap: A trivia question for 5 House Points.

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" "You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness." Who are the two people in this conversations?

Albus Dumbledore and Lord Voldemort speaking in "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", chapter 36. Points, anyone?

- Triathlon Training: I bought a wetsuit! Not so bad as I imagined but it is so nice here that I can't wait to swim outside. I know, it's like 58 degrees water temperature but people swim the English Channel without wetsuits when it's 60 degrees. No photos will ever be published of me in my wetsuit.



- Bike Riding: I am taking a clinic today to learn how to change a flat bike tire. It's amazing how nervous you feel when you are learning a new skill. I keep saying to myself, "You are a college graduate, you can knit sweaters, you can swim a lake, this will be no problem!" but it doesn't really make me feel better.

-Baby Sweaters: Finished! I thought I had to sew on the buttons but since I knit it a la Elizabeth Zimmerman (buttonholes on both sides of the sweater!), I can just mail it on to my friend. No baby yet so I am actually ahead!



-Sock Knitting: Last night when I was actually at the movies (a "so bad it's good" Vikings vs. Native Americans saga called "Pathfinder"), I started the foot portion of my sock. I had my pattern book open with a little "Owl Lite" clipped to my shirt and since there were about 4 other people at the film, it wasn't distracting at all. Until I dropped a stitch. That was distracting. No pictures yet but it's early yet! I can't wait to get through and start working on my Evelyn Clark socks. Must. Resist. Temptation. Finish. Socks.

-Saturday Seven: No real rhyme or reason but I have filled up my giveaway box. I keep a box in my laundry room where I put donations. That has been a real help. Usually, when I'm folding laundry, I realize that something is outgrown or not being used and I just put the clean item aside right there and then. (This week: two cookie tins, a weight lifting belt (not mine!), a curtain, a bag of women's clothing from the Dear Daughters, a bag of Youngest Child's outgrown clothes and a copy of "The Friday Night Knitting Club." This last book goes to a knitting friend but everything else goes to charity. Bye Bye!

In for a penny, in for a pound - or joining the Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap

Sort me!

Yes, I can never resist the "witty and clever" label. Sucks me in, everytime!

So, now I have to come up with:

1. A handmade (by me!) kit bag in your pals House colors- this can either be knitted or sewn, but you must MAKE the bag!

2. Sock yarn in your pals house colors

3. A pair of new knitting needles

4. A stitch marker in your pals house colors - handmade or purchased

5. A sock pattern

If you haven't already guessed, I am pretty sure that my sock pattern will be by Evelyn Clark. I'll have to wait on the sock yarn colors for a while. I'll have to think over a few of those other items for a week or so . . .

In the meantime, my green socks have recovered from the frogging incident and are past the heel (whee!) and the baby sweater is ready to photograph! Let's go knitting!

Mr. Muggins pays a visit

According to a little on-line research, to mug is to drink, and, in literature, Mr. Muggins is a drinker. I am both a coffee and a tea drinker. Unfortunately, this nicely insulated travel mug fits none of the cup holders in either of our cars. So, when the tea or coffee inevitably spills on me, it is always still very hot. Off to the rummage sale with you, Mr. Muggins.

My other Saturday Seven have already left Chez Daisy. I gave the gate and the carseat to a friend with a toddler.








The books, all fiber related, I donated to the Textile Center of Minnesota's Garage Sale last week.



I have been mostly working on my green socks this week - sadly, there was a significant amount of frogging involved.



That little blue marker showed where I made a significant pattern error. I was almost up to turning the heel so I am more than a little blue. What a Muggins!

Today, however, I was at the Knitting Guild of Minnesota's Yarnover. This day of classes was just great - I took a lace edging class where I learned some new skills and a great design class from Meg Swanson. Both classes gave me a ton of new ideas for working out of my stash. I've been having some concerns about the "Take a deep breath" sweater that I've been working on from the Webs site. I think I am going to incorporate some of Elizabeth Zimmerman's ideas to change the neckline. We'll see how it works out . . .

Come on over to my house - and meet the Winners!

Which Hogwarts house will you be sorted into?

Just recently, I discovered that I would be a Ravenclaw if I were at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, I am not participating in the Hogwarts Sock Swap (it looks like fun but I didn't get there in time to sign up) but if I were - I would so be a Ravenclaw. I've always liked them - they seemed a little more sophisticated and not so into sports. Supposedly, Ravenclaw values intelligence, knowledge and wit. Many are good looking (ah, if only!) and Cho Chang is a Ravenclaw. She always seemed so sensible.

I even like their colors - blue and bronze. Maybe I'll have to come up with a Harry Potter house scarf or some house socks to fill up my time until the next book comes out. Eagle stitch markers, anyone?

As for winners - the Grand Winner of the First Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest!

The Knitting Coxswain from Ariel and Celeste.



Now, Celeste tells me she is actually a coxswain for the Minnesota Boat Club but I don't really know if her scarves get caught in the oars. Note the downtown Saint Paul skyscape in the background! Congratulations girls! I will send out your skein of beautiful Lisa Souza "Violet's Pink Ribbon" sock yarn. I don't know how you will share this but it would be perfect for a simple pair of socks. Perhaps you can rotate wearing them?

The Second Place winner is:

Gymnastic Peep or "Look at me! Look at me!"



Note the clever use of crochet hooks as the uneven bars! This entrant, the Fair Melissa, sent three variations of the Wit-Knit Observer at various sports. I'll send out her second prize - the "Knit your own Mrs. Beeton Wrist Warmers" kit. She'll be able to make her own pair of lovely, ruffly wrist warmers as designed by Brend Dayne. The kit includes a skein of Artful Yarns' "Heavenly" in the Trumpets/1477 colorway, a skein of Rowan's Kidsilk Haze in the Liqueur/595 colorway and a tube of matching size 6 Czech seed beads.

The Third Place winner is from Sonia:



The Little LYS (Local Yarn Store) on the Prarie - Or, "What would Laura knit?"

This one grew on me. It seemed a little plain at first but then I looked at what all the peeps were doing and it made me laugh. There is even a little spinning wheel! Sonia will be receiving a skein of "Malabrigo Chunky" in the burgandy colorway. Perfect for a pair of Voodoo Wrist Warmers from Knitty!

There were two more entries that deserved Honorable Mentions as a tie:

Luke with his "Shauna and her knitted thong" and Mary with her "Mrs. Lavender in the Conservatory" - I am working on getting their pictures posted here but . . . even technology sometimes fails ;)

Both of these dioramas are very witty - the games that people play with their knitting! I'll give them the choice of yarn or chocolate as consolation prizes.

You can see all the entries at the Flickr.com Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest where all the entries, including multiple views of the same subjects are posted.

All the entries were great - some very funny indeed - and many had actual small scale knitting going on. One thing I learned? Toothpicks do not make good knitting needles!

Peeps Extensions give me nightmares.*

"Then to cheer himself up, he took out from its case on the dresser a strange little set of knitting needles which looked as though they were made of straw and began to knit. And the noise he created made Lucy want to cry and laugh and dance and go to sleep all at the same time."
- "The Lion, the Witch and the the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis.

Okay, okay - Mr. Tumnas didn't knit, he played a flute for Lucy but he had to know how to knit because he had a cool little scarf. Plagerism aside, I am extending the deadline for Peeps dioramas until tomorrow morning. Like many other people, I put off until tomorrow what was supposed to be done today.

Although, after my kids and I made dioramas last night (I'm not in the running for anything but my Knitting Daughters each made a Peeps creation on their own and entered the contest), we turned the Peeps into S'mores on the grill. After a snowy week here in Minnesota, warm spring evenings after a sunny day are every reason to celebrate!! I'll begin posting the entries on the Peeps Flicker page and I'll name the winner on Wednesday.

Hooray for Spring!!

*I did have nightmares about Peeps last night. Something about not knowing how to post the pictures. Silly but enough to make me wake up worried!!

One cool promdress, seven weekly givaways and an amazing amount of yarn!

Try humming that to the tune of "The Twelve Days of Christmas."

This twisted jingle is just one example of what a busy, busy week of knitting and spring break will do to a mom. Some people get to relax on their break - I was about to cut it short in order to get my normal life back.

I'll start with the yarn. On Friday, I volunteered to sort and price yarn for the Textile Center of Minnesota's annual Garage Sale. I never saw so much yarn in my life. We had tables of unfinished objects (complete with needles and patterns), bags of wool for spinning, boxes of weaver's warp (? - could have been weft, I don't know), and a couple of tables FULL of boxes of prebagged yarn. Usually, bout $2-$7 worth in each gallon ziplock - sometimes more if the yarn was still in its bag form from the yarn shop. You know, ten balls of Blankety Blank's finest wool in their shop bag. Plus the baskets and boxes of skeins of yarn underneath the table. I've seen less wool in a yarn store.

The crazy thing is, I stopped in today at the sale, paid my $1 admission fee and there was almost no yarn left. I found only one UFO bag and it was an acrylic baby sweater. In the end, I bought one lone $3 bag of various green half-skeins, no labels or anything, to make mini Christmas stocking ornaments. Where did all that wool go?? There was a line halfway around the block for the bag sale, which was about to start, and they were eager to get to the rest of those tables of fabric, knickknacks, patterns and unidentified fiber tools. Hmm - scary.

Knitting-wise, I was trying to finish up the baby sweater I'm making because I needed it for today's baby shower. If I had only one more knitting day in this week - I could have done it. As it is, I am binding off the hem and finishing up the arms. Photos to appear later this week.

The one cool promdress is courtesy of one of my daughter's friends, Ariel P.

Miss P. entered a prom dress design contest for the Mall of America on the spur of the moment after spending a lot of time looking for a suitable dress for her own spring formal. Her school is fairly strict about modest dresses - nothing Amish but nothing strapless, either - and she was having a hard time finding something she liked that wasn't sparkly or pink or orange. "Those must be the hot colors this year, " Ariel said, "but they weren't for me."

When she saw the contest written up in the newspaper, she decided to give it some thought. Now, Ariel mentioned this is where her math homework came in handy. It turns out she had several designs already doodled - she meant designed - in the margins of her math notebook. After a little studying for calculus, she found the perfect drawing in her notes.

She spent a few hours working out the details and sketched it out over her lunchhours. Despite all that hard work, she decided to enter her drawing at the last minute. According to Ariel, it was really a matter of thought. "I really knew what I would want in a dress and even what the colors were," she said.

Now, however, out of the field of over 200 designs, she is one of six finalists and one of two students in the contest. The winner gets her dress made by Mary L. Couture at Bloomingdale's for Prom 2008.

Since she became one of the finalists, Ariel's already busy days (she's a good student, organized a Latin Club, rows for the Saint Paul Juniors Rowing Team and is learning the bagpipe) includes her first really big sewing project. She has to produce a size 6 model of the dress for display at the Mall of America. As of right now, she says, she's doomed to spend more of her time ironing than sewing.



Front and back views of Ariel's dress.


Can she pull it off? Well, it's really a matter of public opion. A la "American Idol," Ariel's chance at fame involves readers stepping up and voting for her dress at :


The Mall of America Prom Dress Design Contest.


You can vote more than once but only once a day. And you check on how her dress is doing in the contest.

As for her own Spring Formal, Ariel is planning on wearing another dress, made with her mom and using pattern she bought at JoAnn Fabrics. A simple purple -pink fabric. And no glitter!


(Those giveaways? The Saturday Seven? It's amazing what you can find when you work your way down to the bottom of the ironing pile. Out the door -



two tablecloths, one old polo shirt, three skirts and a pair of jeans.)

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Wendy, forgive me for I have sinned . . .

New Yarn. I broke down and bought New Yarn. Please forgive me, Wendy of Knit-from-your-stash. I just couldn't resist.

This is what happens when you listen to those happy podcasters over at Ready, Set, Knit!. You end up getting sucked into the Anniversary Sale products at Webs. That's right, not only did I sin, I did it with America's Yarn Store.

I have had a copy of "The Best of Lopi" pattern book for, like, forever, and I pull it out to read about every two weeks. With Lopi yarn on sale at Webs, what can I say? It was late, I was tired, he was so good looking. And, now, about one week later, I get a little reminder of my late night fling at Webs. Enough yarn for two sweaters at barely $70.

Enough reminiscing.

You know what I have been researching today? Wetsuits. Triathlon wetsuits for swimming in the freakishly cold lakes of Minnesota 2007. It's so cold here the ice is coming BACK IN on Lake Minnetonka. It is also snowing. Has been all day. Gaack.
I am swimming in the Manitou Sprint Triathlon on June 10 and if I am going to get any open water time in, it means a wetsuit.

Why can't I knit one?

Look, the knitters are coming!

It must finally be spring - the knitters are swarming.




So, after we poured into the hall and filled every seat, we sang "O, Canada" in both French and English. This sweet music lured the elusive Stephanie Pearl McPhee from her hiding place behind the curtain and the party began. She was funny, thoughtful and very, very tired. By the time we got to the signing table, she just looked beat. Although, in this picture, she is definately looking the better of the pair!



I am holding her sock and she's got my sock. The colors are almost the same but SPM's sock had much better knitting mojo. Everyone wanted to hold it and see it. I did wonder, however, if my sock would magically become longer. One quick look, however, told me the sad news. Not a millimeter longer. The Yarn Harlot did say, however, that she regretted having to sign her "freakishly long" full name on every book. It appeared she was considering, "Cheers! xoxo, Steph" as her new sign-off.

My sock was put aside more often than not this week, when I remembered I had a baby shower to go to next week. That means "Baby Sweater Overdrive" - back to Lillie's Little Sweater in Nature Spun's Bamboo. I think I am going to put in the buttonholes on both sides this time - that way the new baby's Mom can sew on the buttons to match boy/girl customs. You know, "girls are right" for girl's sweaters.



I am also putting off listening to the "Ready, Set, Knit" podcast until I can get my neckline for their Take a Deep Breath sweater cast on and ready to knit. I think I can get that part done this afternoon. I am finally going to use up that Rowan Yorshire Aran Tweed in the Cheer colorway for this sweater as something for one of my daughters.

Today's Saturday Seven was just a simple offshoot of Spring. Growth! Youngest Child grew over the last year and, other than the fact that he apparently has a navy blue shorts statch. he contributed seven items of spring clothing - four pairs of shorts, one sports bag, one pair of boots and one pair of tennis shoes.



Look, the blue shorts are leaving! Happy Spring!

Calling all peeps!

Just a reminder that the Flicker group for the Lazy Daisy Peep Diorama Contest is now up. Members can comment on photos but I will do the photo posting. All photo entries have to come here first.

Check it out at:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/lazydaisypeepscontest/

Remember, as Criosa says, the contest runs past Easter, so you can get your peeps on sale!

Now, lets get down to the serious business of stalking the Yarn Harlot in the wilds of Minnesota!