Yarnmaven

"Will This Thing Ever End?"

I said as I sat watching the Democratic debate last night from Austin, Texas.  Of course, this particular campaign season is unusually long already, but that wasn't what I was complaining about.  At least not at that moment.  I was wondering if I would ever finish the clapotis I was working on.  Honestly, I do not know how S t a c i managed to make, what, ten of them!  The thing puts me to sleep every time I pick it up.  I love the yarn, I loved my former scarf, I want this knit really bad, but the stockinette is killing my productivity.  However, I persevered, since I was on the last ball of yarn I had, I knew the end was near - one way or the other.  As Tom headed to bed after 11pm, I dropped the last stitch and wove the 2 tails (Gawd I love spit-joining) and didn't even bother to block for a FO photo.  I am tired and happy in the photo.  It's over.  I have my Clap and I can now start something else, maybe tonight.  I still have one clap to make, I have the yarn, perhaps I should start it and save it for work meetings - ususally I reserve socks for those since they are unobtrusive, but meetings are perfect for boring knitting.  Oh yeah and I got new glasses.

Last weekend while shopping with a friend at Hobby Lobby, I rounded a corner in the yarn department and ran smack dab into an endcap filled with  Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool sporting not only a new ball band, but a whole new color!  How did I miss this news?  I love this yarn and I also love brown.  Now I have to figure out what to make with it.  They are marketing it as  a felting yarn, but it makes great sweaters and at $8.99 for 465 yards, it makes my tightwad self want to do a happy dance. 

I also did a little sewing last weekend.  I made a purse organizer for Kandis, which I failed to photograph and while Abby slept over at Grandma's house (Tom was too sick for us to go on our planned date), I made a dress for her doll.   Butterick pattern B3329, I got the fabric at Walmart off the $1 a yard table, I think this cost less than $2 to make including the little rosettes.  The skirt is a dusty rose colored faille and the bodice is a chocoalte brown velveteen with piping at the collar and sleeves.  I love the color combination.  My mom said she thinks she had a formal just like it in college.  I am constantly amazed at the odd things you can find on the $1 yard table there and many are perfect for doll clothes. 

My Moo cards arrived in the mail so I am set for SXSWi, just around the corner.  Last year I organized a SXSWi Knitter's Meetup at HCW that was tons of fun, but this year, I have not had time to plan or promote and I don't know if I will, but if one happens sporadically, I'll try to be there.  Otherwise, I'll have knitting with me in all the panels.  If you see me, say hey.

If you are registered to vote in Texas, March 4th is primary day and if you vote Democratic either early or on March 4th, keep your ticket and go to the Caucuses, this is gonna be a lot of fun. 

Love Day

Yeah, whatever.

Big News

I made a hat.  And I'm keeping it. 

Pattern:Mikey Cap from Kris Knits
Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Mountain Twilight (gift from Kandis)

It calls for one skein, but I ran out of yarn just at the end, under the brim so I used some leftover from a previous sock project.  You can't really see it.  I wonder if I don't knit looser than I thought?

It was a fairly quick TV knit.   A neutral tweedy yarn would have been nice too.  I think I can wear this hat.  Oh, it's not going to keep me from freezing to death, but it's cute and I like it.  For a change.

I did also pick up some Patons Classic Merino in a nice grey and I'm going to have another stab at Bonne Marie's Bucket hat, with mods.

I got my new IK in the mail the other day.  These issues keep getting better and better.  I think Eunny Jang may be some sort of genius savant.  There are several designs in this isse that I want to make, just like the last issue.  I will definitely have to renew my subscription. 

Man, I hate it when that happens.

The bunny didn't make it.  I am so dissappointed and Abby was so broken up about it.  I was really surprised, we only found it on Friday, but she acted like it was her life-long companion.  This has me thinking...maybe we need to get her a pet rabbit, a bonafide domestic bunny rabbit that is okay for her to hug on and big enough to stand up to the Inside Cat.  I had a rabbit once many years ago.  I never brought it in the house, so I never trained it to use a litter box and don't recall if it was even cuddly.  I suppose it's possible to find one that has been well socialized.  Anyone out there with a pet rabbit, or advice on what to do?  I never expected her to attach so quickly to a wild animal.  Our cat is a little stand-offish and isn't THAT cuddly.  Anyone think I'm over-thinking the need for another mouth to feed?  I told her that she could help me bury it tonight if she wanted to.  That seemed to be important to her.

What the Cat Dragged In

Life without my laptop has become gruelling.  I got a trojan horse extortion virus whatever last week and there was no way to remove it so we had to reformat.  Only we can't find my original disk from when I bought my laptop.  I think I have decided to go with Linux.  I am so tired of all the issues we have had with M$ that I can't even speak about it anymore.  I have burned an Ubuntu disk and we'll see what happens from there.  I may be hitting my limit of nerdiness - if anyone professes to greater techno-nerdiness than mine, please feel free to weigh in.

We have a new pet.  I heard a noise outside the other night (while Abby and Tom were at the Father/Daughter Dance), and thought perhaps another 'possum was trying to eat Gypsy's food (Gypsy=formally feral outside cat - we also have run of the mill inside cat, Katrina).  When I went to the back door, Gypsy was there with something furry in her mouth.  She put it down when I scolded her.  As soon as I was sure it wasn't a rodent, I picked it up to examine it.  She hadn't even broken the skin, it was fine, except for a little cat saliva on the neck.  It was a juvenile cottontail, eyes open and all haired over, so I figured it was safe to give it normal rabbit chow.  It currently lives in the cat taxi until it is big enough, or fast enough to outrun the cat, then it will be set free.  Abby keeps bugging me about holding it.  I suppose that was inevitable.  Tonight I may let her hold it for a minute. 

Contest winner - Katy(blogless) gets the magazine.  Thanks to all who played.  Knitting has been slow, Now I remember why I didn't make more Clapotises, as much as I loved my old scarf, the endless stockinette stitch is sleep inducing for certain.  I think I might be halfway, I'll have to count the skeins that remain. 

Garden - With temps in the 70's an 80's over the weekend, and the appearance in the Walmart Garden Department of bedding plants, I am afraid I may have bought and planted the earliest veggies I have ever dared.  Tomatoes and tomatillos went in the ground.  I also bought seeds for two kinds of beans and some leeks.  I may be tempting fate, but some people get started really early here. 

Big Fat Super Tuesday Contest - Bons Temps!!

Today is Fat Tuesday.  Yay!  I made King Cake.  I used the Mam Papaul mix - it is delicious - I just added a little cinnamon to the praline filling.  Next to chocolate, I like nothing so much as cinnamon.  The mix even includes a little gold plastic baby to hide under the cake.

Besides Fat Tuesday, it's Super Tuesday and politics is another thing that gets me going, so perhaps tonight we will see how things shake out.  I don't want to make predictions, but I think that on the Dem side, we are going to have a good old fashioned convention with an undertermined outcome until all the delegate heads are counted.  Should be fun, regardless of who you champion, this election is going to be VERY historic. 

I started a Clapotis over the weekend to replace the beloved Clap I lost in a dark parking lot last year.  I'm using the same yarn from Paradise Fibers, the same colorway, it's a nice BFL and only costs 3.99 per skein.  

While looking for a specific pattern last night, I discovered I had 2 copies of the  Knitter's Spring 2007 issue and decided to throw an impromptu contest to give the extra one away.  It's got several VERY cute sweater patterns for warmer weather.  If you're missing this issue in your collection, just leave comments and I'll draw for a winner.  You have until Friday, February 8th at midnight.  This could be a nice Valentine treat for some lucky knitter.

In the meantime, think positively about politics, and laisez les bons temps rouler y'all!