Black and Red

So. Yeah. I finished my Twilight-cover-art-inspired socks last evening. What do I do now? It's kind of like after I finished reading the Twilight Saga, nothing else appealed. Others I've talked to in rl are the same way (not all of them, but enough women I consider to be sane are saying the same thing). What knitting project is next?

I really want it to be Shipwreck, but that's a pattern that's not suitable for knitting during odd down moments. It's going to be a committment. Tom suggested that I save that for condo knitting this summer. I'll probably work on it in the car on the way down and back. I went ahead and rolled one hank into a ball. I've got a couple thousand (I hope) 6/0 glass beads in red, black, and silver-lined clear. I really have no idea how to determine what color I want where on the shawl; I'll have to figure it out as I go, I guess, since I'm not going to use the 5000 beads that the pattern calls for. I don't want a stripe of all red, or all white, or all black, or red and white, or red and black, or whatever when I get done with it. I'm really going to have to think when I knit this one. No mindless tv knitting.

I went to Ravelry and printed off page after page of discussion of this shawl and its challenges. Fortunately, the designer has been an active participant and clears up a lot of the issues.

I can't get the entire chart to print, but she has each section written out, so with luck I won't need a chart. I really mess up when I used even a simple chart, so I'm glad that she spelled them out.

So, I've got three hanks of Bloodlust All That Glitters yarn dyed by yarnlust, dozens of vials of beads in three colors, the two needles necessary to start the project, and alllllll of those pages packed away in a plastic shoe box to take to Florida in June. I may have to start the center long before then; it depends on how stupid I'm feeling. If a simple chart kicks my ass, I cannot imagine what this heirloom-quality lace will do to me.

I've never before felt like I just have to knit something. There are lots of patterns that appeal to me, but never has one jumped into my brain and taken up residence there. The very first time I saw Shipwreck, I knew that I had to knit it. I also know that it will probably take years to finish (hello? 5000 beads), and that's okay. I'll probably end up using it as a decorative table cloth most of the time. By the time it's done, we should be living in South Florida permanently, so I might be able to wear it during a cold snap.

But that leaves me without a current project. I cannot rest until I find something that I want to do and get it organized. I have two hanks of Twilight-cover-art-inspired worsted that I want to use to make a neck warmer and a hat, but I just can't get too enthusiastic about that now. I haven't seen a hat pattern that I really, really want to do with it, so I'll wait.

I dug through my stash of Claudia fingering and came up with some gorgeous red and gray sportweight. There are four separate hanks of it; I'm just hoping that I have enough to finish a pair of socks. I started knitting last night using a pair of size 1 dpns; it's heavier yarn, but I didn't want to go any higher in size because they look like they'll be nice and squooshy on the feet. I think it's Claudia's Buckeyes colorway, which, oddly, is very similar to christinamariepotter's colorway for the cover of Eclipse. This got my mojo rising and I cast on. This isn't to say that I won't be ordering more yarn from christinamariepotter (on Ravelry and etsy) for each of her colorways from books 2-4. Must. Have. Them.

I finished books 2 and 3 of P. C. Cast and Kristen Cast's House of Night series. I'm now reading the fourth book. They're light and cute and a quick read. But they are not Twilight.

I am so doomed.

I'll try to add photos to this post after lunch. Tom is substituting in and English class today and he's going to bring me a big Pepsi. I might want to check my weight tomorrow morning; I've been drinking more Pepsi than sugarless tea lately.

Two of my sisters, Betty and Joan, are planning to fly to Ft. Lauderdale at the end of June and we'll have a Sisters' Week in the Keys. We've long dreamed of doing this, but scraping together the money for the four (or three, as Nancy will be with friends that week) of us to fly, get a motel on the beach, and eat for a week has eluded us. With a free place to stay and our own gourmet chef (Tom), we're going to make out like bandits. (No, Google search, we sisters will not make out.)

Another FO and a goodbye

I'm on a roll!

Tonight I knit a hat for Dad in Claudia's chunky Santa Fe, which is a colorway that is unfortunately no longer available. It was discontinued before I worked for her. It's my favorite of all her colorways, although it's difficult for me to "just pick one".

Still no photos. I am lazy.

The main reason I knit it in chunky for Dad is that he took my aunt's elderly German Shepherd wannabe (Cindy was about 40 pounds and probably not purebred, but she was all Shepherd in her actions and devotion) outside three times a day for ages. No matter the weather, Dad went to Dorothy's house, 2 doors up, and took Cindy outside. Cindy was 14, old for a dog her size, and old for the abuse she went through her first two years.

Cindy was a neighbor's dog, but they didn't care for her well, if at all. Cindy would break free if chained and had a route around the neighborhood. She'd go to kids' houses, say hello, then head on to the next stop. When she had puppies and they reached the appropriate age, she took them to neighbors' houses. My aunt and uncle would call Cindy's owner and say she was out, but Cindy was always roaming. Finally, my aunt, who is a dedicated animal lover (it's in the Jinkins' genes) took Cindy into the house, had her neutered (with her owner's blessing), and kept her.

Cindy was a queen for the next 12 years of her life. She was mild-mannered, ruled the roost with a firm yet just hand, and took attention and love as her due, which she deserved. She was beautiful, a small German Shepherd, and devoted to Dorothy and George. She was the perfect dog for them.

Except when she had to go in the car. Cindy hated being in a car. This was the only time she was at odds with Dorothy and George; they loved to travel, but Cindy. Didn't. She won, of course, as was her due. She gave back so much love that they overlooked that one flaw. The only time they made her get into a car was when she needed to see her doctor.

This morning, Cindy took her last ride. She could no longer hear, could barely see, but she kept going until last night. Dorothy knew it was Cindy's time when Cindy could no longer stand up or go to the bathroom once she and Dad were able to get Cindy outside. So she gave Cindy that final gift, a ride to the Rainbow Bridge.

It's so sad that it had to happen right before Christmas. George passed away just a couple of months ago, and now Cindy. But Dorothy has her cats, and I honestly wouldn't be surprised if another lonely, neglected dog comes along and claims a place in her home and heart.

Goodbye, Cindy Cinderella. Look for Roo; he'll show you the ropes.

Casting on and actually finishing things!

This has been a pretty productive long weekend for me. After a very nice Thanksgiving dinner with my side of the family, I got out the yarn and started knitting.

Since we're keeping the thermostat lower to save money, I knit myself a pair of fingerless gloves. They really are warm, but I quickly discovered that it's really awkward knitting while wearing them, so they're for reading or using the computer.

They're made of Claudia's Felt Me, don't know the colorway. I'll have to be careful not to felt these simply by using them! They took about half a hank; I'll have to find out how much is in a hank of Felt Me. It's some that I got when I worked for her, some that was thrown out. I can't figure out why; there are no knots or obvious defects in it. The pattern is Wristlets; I found it online and can probably find it again if anyone is interested. They're very simple to make, and they're nice and warm.

Next I made a hat for B2. It gets terribly cold in Orlando, you know; if it's below 60, he's freezing. So he gets a hat and a scarf. I finished the hat in one evening. It's made of Claudia's worsted, Deep Blue, and some fingering, possibly Tea Cup, something like that. It's nice and thick, and B2's ears will be warmer during that nasty Orlando winter.




The scarf is Rainy Day Scarf, http://yarndemon.googlepages.com/rainydayscarf. I love the pattern. It's easy to knit while watching tv and it actually looks complicated. It's 4" wide and will be about 4' long when it's finished. I only have maybe one pattern repeat left to knit. It's from Claudia's worsted, Deep Blue,and it's so gorgeous and squishy and warm.

So that's my weekend. Cold, yes, but productive. For once.

Last weekend's FOs

Sweater for the United Yorkie Rescue: That is not the way the picture is oriented, but Blogger did it. I don't know how to fix it on here.





I finally wove in the ends of my Red Wagon Socks. I love this colorway and the pattern ((black)hearted). Claudia's fingering lacks enough yardage to knit this pattern (with the ruffle on the top adding quite a bit of yardage) so I used some KnitPicks fingering that almost perfectly matched to finish the toe of one and start the ruffle on the other.



Oh crap. Pretend I turned that photo. Actually, the orientation of the original is correct, but Blogger uploaded it that way, and it takes too long for this computer to upload that I'm just going to leave it. But it's going to bother me big time.

And finally, *drum roll* I finished the Claudia Never-Ending Test Knit, all but the blocking, which I'm putting off because a) I've never blocked anything before and b) it's going to be a big-ass pain. Too bad, because the last week has been beautiful with low humidity, very unusual for this time of year.




Not an FO, but a new knit: I started these socks a few days ago and have gotten quite a bit done on the first one. I took this photo before I spent a few hours on it yesterday. Made of Claudia's Buckeye fingering.

Three count 'em three FOs

This past weekend I actually dragged out some old knitting and finished it.

I finished the Red Wagon socks, which pretty much involved weaving in a bunch of ends. I also finished crocheting the beaded edging on The Never-ending Test Knit; now it "just" needs to be blocked. And I started and finished the Agnes Sweater from Corinne Neissner's Doggie Sweaters book.

Photos will follow, when I have the use of a computer that will let me upload the photos in less than an hour.

Another FO!

I finished those (black)hearted socks yesterday on the way home. YES!!! Goal achieved!

In the truck just after I finished them:

And on my feet today (shoe shopping in Ft. Lauderdale--a dream! Three pairs.):