Back to Hufflepuff - true and unafraid of toil!

I'm in HSKS Hufflepuff! Go Badgers!

The Sorting Hat's Description:

These belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal.
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil.

And you know - Cedric Diggory was a Hufflepuff, right?



Mmm.


The rest is really just for my swap mates:

My Potter Name is Penelope "Daisy" Clearwater.

Rav ID: Humbledaisy

I am allergic to: sleep.

Pets that I have: Zelda the dog

My favorite yarn: Mountain Colors, anything with alpaca

If you are a Ravenclaw, do you prefer the film colors or the book colors? No - I've been expelled and now reside in Hufflepuff.

My favorite flavor: Orange.

My favorite holiday: Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas: Oh, Halloween, it's the best!

I would like to receive a: (Sock kit, scarf kit or yarn dyeing kit) I think a sock kit or the yarn dyeing kit.

List your favorite brand of needles or hooks, including size and length: Lantern Moon sock stix, size 1 or 2, 5 inch length.

Is there a brand that you are dying to try?: Casbah sock yarn, Vesper sock yarn, black bunny, local alpacas, Signature sock needles.

I've participated in HSKS: (How many times have you participated in HSKS swaps?) 1.

Do you have a birthday during this swap? If so which day? No.

Foolish Girl . . .

I didn't want to be greedy and only picked up two skeins of Persia Color at our last MKG meeting. Well, those are long gone - I'll be searching out two more skeins to finish my scarf set.

But all this searching for yarn sent me to my yarn stash for my next project - probably something from my new copy of "A Fine Fleece."



Perhaps something from Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Aran weight in Cheer?




A scarf or shawl made from Rowan Felted Tweed in the Sigh colorway?



Or maybe another knitted bag in Rowan Big Wool?

I'll have plenty to ponder - rainy weekends are good knitting!



The Saturday Seven for this week was easy - I was already in my knitting stuff. I picked up these patterns and needles at last year's Yarn Over at the Mall of America. I'll be sending them on to Interim House.

Oh, maybe not too late to be a Ravenclaw?

Everyone enjoys playacting a bit. Especially if there is a Hogwarts Sock Kit Swap involved.

In celebration of the spirit of playacting, I would recommend viewing the following short Friday Film from Snag Films. Lots of heroism but probably not much knitting . . .

Old friends and new ones as well

My self photos are terrible. When this is the best standing-on-the-piano-bench-taking-my-own-photo I can produce - it's just sad. For some reason, I found that I never photographed my Puggy Shruggy. My only change would be a short row raising of the neckline but that's just because I don't actually like shrugging.



The edging is kind of fun, however, and the real thing hangs nicely. The alpaca yarn, however, stretches a bit as I learned when Oldest Daughter (Muscles Flannigan, I'll call her) wore this and stretched it.




The New Friend was a little Bingo yarn that I bought at the Yarnery (on sale) for a scarf from A Fine Fleece. It will probably be for the Get Set for Winter program.

Come for the Convention, stay for the Classic!

That would have been a great slogan for the Saint Paul Bike Classic on Sunday! Although, I'm not sure how many Republicans were in the crowd . . .

It was one big biker party. I saw bike jerseys advertising everything from beers, bars, the rock group Kiss, prayer and Pirates in Tight Pants. I felt positively bland in my yellow bike jacket. It was chilly and windy but things cleared up and we beat the rain home. Mr. Daisy and I did the 30 mile loop and even stopped to "Bike with a Ranger" along the Mississippi River. I think Mr. D. might be a little sore but I loved it.



Here, Mr. Daisy contemplates life's big questions - and drinks some yummy Peace Coffee.

Today was my first full day home without Youngest Child - he's at all day kindergarden. So, I vacuumed, did laundry, and spent a few hours learning how to the star stitch. I was so dense - maybe more coffee next time!

I've started my scarf for the Minnesota Knitters' Guild "Get Set for Winter" charitable knitting project. I'm working on a "Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks" scarf from A Time to Knit. I'm using some Austermann Persia Color (multi colored) and Schoeller + Stahl Elfin in navy blue - both yarns were donated to MKG members by Steven at The Yarn Garage in Rosemount. Stop by and say "Hello" and "Thanks" some time - it's very nice yarn!

So far, so good.

Saturday fiber goodies

Sometimes you just have to get your fiber goodness where you can. I was out on a birthday-promises shopping trip with Middle Daughter and I found the best skirt pattern today at Crafty Planet.



She hasn't been too keen on the ones I've made for her before so I'll give another one a try with the Cute Skirts from Favorite Things. I also found some lovely fabric and Youngest Daughter bought a craft book. So, I'm guessing I'll be saving my knitting for the evening hours and working on sewing again.




I do love the shifting cable-esque pattern of the Gentleman Socks. With the lovely cool weather, I tried to find a fall leaf to set off the colors of the Trekking yarn but my trees haven't started to change yet.



Today's Saturday Seven was culled from my daughters' closets. Four sweaters (sacrilege!), a tank top, one tee shirt and a pair of tan pants.

What is it about khakis that makes my girls hate them so? Oldest Daughter had to buy a pair just to be able to volunteer over at the RNC this week. None of them have any for everyday wear. OD claims it is because they have worn twill dress pants as part of their school uniforms over the years.

I have many, many pairs of khakis in various shapes and sizes. I can remember the Preppy phase of the 1980's - that's when my sisters and I would go to Kmart to buy the Dickies brand of men's twill pants because they were cheaper than the Gap brand.

Ah, to again have a butt that would fit in men's cut pants!

For all those hockey moms (known and unknown)

Oldest Daughter doesn't play hockey anymore (the plate from her broken leg makes the skate boot uncomfortable), so I'm out of the category but we still have hopes for Youngest Child. Enjoy another Friday Film!

Happy Birthday Blue Eyes!

Or as she said today, "Quit watching those protesters and pay attention to ME!" Completely understandable: we had a long ride home from school today through all the convention ruckus and I think she was ready for a cupcake.

An unfortunate choice of names . . .

I took this photo with my cellphone camera while driving to school this week. Perhaps their advertising company didn't think this through?



Getting started with my Gentleman's Socks did take a bit of thought (and time - I kept miscounting my cast on of 80 stitches!) but I think I've got the pattern underway. It's a subtle, shifting kind of cable that runs through a repeat of four lines. It is important, however, the keep track of what line you are on.

It's not too hard, however, to knit while watching the convention and its attendant sideshow on television. I never imagined hearing the words "Saint Paul, Minnesota" and "anarchists" in the same sentence. Ah, well, a side effect of democracy.

It's in the bag - again.

I blocked the bag, sewed it together, added the handles and a black and white lining, tangled with my first magnetic bag closure and, Ta Da, a handbag!




Both of my older daughters immediately asked for one of their own so I might be making more for Christmas this year! Unfortunately, the pictures of the lining didn't turn out - picture black and white flowers and a little yellow pocket. Just right for my phone. I don't know why I didn't finish this project earlier - it was very easy.

One more project to labor on

I picked this project up again after a long delay - I think I started it in 2005. I was hoping to finish it as a WIP wrestling event for the Ravelry Olympics but it just didn't happen. It's the Cranberry Bag from 25 Bags to Knit by Emma King. Anyway, I finished the beaded front and the plain stockinette back and tomorrow I will do the handles and the blocking. I've picked up a little fabric for a lining and I'll be working on that this Labor Day weekend. Maybe I'll get a bike ride in as well! Quite a slow down from last week's "Fun-o-rama!"



One of my favorite displays at the Minnesota State Fair's Creative Activities building was this section from the Minnesota Weavers' Guild. I think I will plan better and spin something for next year's fair. As for the weaving, I don't have a loom but I am plotting to find space for one - a small one, just one small 20 inch Ashford Rigid Heddle loom. What's the harm in that?



For this week's Saturday Seven, check out Just one part of my morning's work cleaning out Middle Daughter's room. As long as I don't touch The Doll, she doesn't mind the clean out. Three pairs of old jeans, one pair of shorts and tee shirts galore - already out the door to a church rummage sale.

Friday Films debut today!

I think I am going to make a trip to the Snag Films vault a regular Friday feature. Today's topic: Manga!



And, in that spirit, I wish Dear Husband Mr. Daisy,


誕生日おめでとうアンドリュー!

(Happy Birthday Andrew!)

Back from the void . . .

Well, between rolling up to the finish of the Rav Olympics, trips to the fair and taking Oldest Daughter to college, I am officially exhausted.



I finally finished the Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise jacket - and I don't know what I would have done without Meg Swanson's video. It was not hard - just really easy to make mistakes if you are knitting before bedtime. I was fighting one lost stitch the whole time - and found it in the middle of the left front right when I was sewing up. No way was I going back! Luckily, a little duplicate stitch straightened everything out! Just a reminder, this was made out of Happy Sock yarn and I used two skeins (really one and 7/8 of another) with a size four bamboo needle. I think the perfect yarn for this is really hand spun - I was originally inspired by a jacket in the October 2007 Spin Off. The next one will be hand spun for me!




The Supermen in my life! Saturday was a perfect day for the Minnesota State Fair. Rides, great food and the Creative Activities building, the Holy Grail of knitting. I didn't enter anything this year but I saw some old favorites . . .



Shelly Kang's "The Blankie" popped up once again. That is one big piece of knitting - she put many hours of sweat and skill into that!



I also stopped by the Minnesota Sheep and Wool producers booth for my annual shop fest. We had so much fun at the Fair as a family that Mr. Daisy and I went back sans children on Monday. That's when I really got to browse!



And, since my other daughters are also in school, I decided to clean some rooms. One bedroom per day is about all the cleaning I think I can handle - a pair of boots, a ball cap, a hair clip, two pairs of jeans, a pair of shorts and one, far-overdue-to-be-removed night light.

Now, back into a relapse of simple knitting. I started a red bag aeons ago and now it's time to get it done. This could have been a WIP Wrestling event from the Rav Olympics but the to-ing and fro-ing on the Baby Surprise Jacket killed this event. Ah well, it could be a Christmas present!

Remember winter?

near the top of Carnedd Daffyd
Originally uploaded by yawdogs

Not quite as hilly in Minnesota but the rest rings a bell. Remind me to get started on my mitten knitting . . .

In the meantime, I am still here and still frantically knitting away on my Rav Olympics baby sweater. Darn babies, always needing more clothes, and silly families, always wanting to take me away from my knitting with silly things like trips to the State Fair and taking children to college and making them dinner.

I found this on a flickr page linked from author Christopher Fowler's blog. If you really want to see what some people do to their families, read a little of his stuff.

From a dark and stormy night . . .

- although a lovely moon to light it by! -



to a bright and sunny day at Lake Independence. That's me in the blue and white swim suit right up at the front of my wave in the YWCA of Minneapolis' Women's Tri today in Maple Plain. It was a lovely race with a great swim but a very hilly bike course and run route. It was all up hill, if that's humanly possible! I recommend it - try it next year!



Yesterday's Saturday Seven had four small parts - books - and three large parts that I forgot to take a photo of: a television, a crib and a crib mattress. Thank goodness for Freecycle!



Finally, I've started my Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Sweater. I started it once with the Pagewood Farms bamboo yarn but I went back and used Plymouth Yarn's Happy Feet instead. Hopefully, I can use my rest time this week working on finishing it up. Back to the Rav Olympics!

One event down!

A Sockput for Team Minnesota!

I was shooting to finish these by midnight but the toe decreases went slowly. So, just as I watched the USA women's gymnastic team get their team Silver medal, I was kitchener stitching the toe. A complete Sockput for the Ravolympics and Team Minnesota!

It's a lousy photo, I know, but don't forget that I shorted the leg portion by 1 and 1/2 inches. That's why the leg and the foot look almost equal. The yellow marker shows where I started knitting from this afternoon. Perhaps I'll take some photos of the sock in action for another post.

Now, off to bed and tomorrow, the scarf!

Inching along

I was trying to get a good photo of the lovely instep - gosh, that Evelyn A. Clark writes a lovely pattern! - but this will have to do. I'm working on getting through most of the foot tonight. I'm hoping the mens' and women's swimming tonight will spur me on. I'm getting ready for my last tri of the season on Sunday and it's making me a little antsy. Supposedly, you're supposed to taper but that just makes me worry . . . maybe the knitting will help!

A good Olympic start!

You would think that during the Rav Olympics, I would be doing nothing but knitting. However, I only managed to get a few inches in between yesterday and today. But I am at the heel, so, I'll be moving on before you know it. I think it's harder to knit and watch the Olympics because they are so darn exciting. Even beach volleyball has been fun to watch! And as for my favorite, swimming - go Phelps, go!



Cleaning-wise, I decided to re-alphabetize my cd drawer - something that I do about once every three years - and these tapes and cds just didn't make the cut. Off to the rummage sale!

Now, time for a little sleep . . .

Now, something for the other foot!

While on my trip, I finally finished sock #1 of my Go With the Flow socks. I've started sock #2 but it's really my knit-about-town-project. A little here and a little there and I'll be done in no time!



After getting all the trip laundry and home-again-cleaning out of the way, I spent this afternoon preparing for the summer deluge of tomatoes, pickles and dilly beans. My favorite is making applesauce but that isn't until autumn . . .



This Saturday Seven included another drive by - a drive by bundt pan! When we got back from our trip, there was a copper bundt pan on my porch. Not mine and not one of my neighbors' either! That, plus two tank tops, an bad swim suit choice, two old lenses and a filter for my husband's discarded camera make for an eclectic haul. I'll offer the lenses on Freecycle but the rest can go to charity.

On a knitting note: I hope you have had a chance to check out the Twist Collective. They have some really cool patterns and I like the idea of them maintaining copyright to their work. I recently heard an interview with a designer whose early patterns are all unavailable because the magazine that published them went out of business. What a bummer. So, check out what the Twist Collective has to say on that subject!

Home from the hunt!

Well, the family trip to Pennsylvania is finally over - lots of miles covered, relatives visited, weddings completed and a trip to the Mercer County Race Park. Oh, and two lovely yarn shops!



My husband used the search feature on his phone and found Cornerstone Yarns in Richfield, Ohio. Their brand new website helped me find it and the owner kindly sold me some beautifully dyed spinning fiber and some Opal sock yarn. I'll write this one down on the road atlas. A friend of mine lists all the Dairy Queens along her route so at least my stops are calorie free.



We had a quick stop in Western Pennsylvania to tour Grove City College, where Youngest Child made a friend.

Other stops included races at the Mercer Raceway Park to see our favorite car - 711.

While in Grove City, I stopped by Wolf Creek Yarns (website-less right now!) where I scored a copy of the Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jacket with Meg Swanson DVD as well as some lovely Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn. I've already started a baby surprise jacket and watched the video!



I also used all that travel time to finish my "Simple yet effective shawl" for the Wrapped in Care project. But I'll still have plenty of work to do on the Baby Surprise jacket and my old friend, the blue Go With the Flow socks as well as finishing up Youngest Child's patchwork quilt and training for my last Tri of the summer. August already, who would have thunk it?