CHANCE OF DRIZZLEI have a hard time with drizzle. It means a gray day mostly spent indoors but no real rain. Now the word,"
mizzle" I adore. It just sounds cool. Shades of Jane Austen without any zombies thank you very much. I like my Jane neat.
Summer is over and most of fall too. As we head into gray days with or without mizzle or even decent rain one needs cheering up.
Some cheerful Day of the Dead fabric. Sounds a bit odd. Dead - Cheerful. Pretty fabric that I am going to use to make a vintage apron. My project for next summer's sew-in. The Enabler has already whipped up some Day of the Dead pincushions. It's our theme for the silent auction.
Another item for Sammy.
Baby Sophisticate, a free pattern on Raverly. An easy, fast knit yielding a rather adorable little shawl collared jacket. Knit on size 5's using Lana Grossa Royal Tweed in an unidentified colorway (also using two other colorways for the buttonband touches). The color in the photo is way off. I still need a decent camera. It's a warm red-brown with small flecks of color. I liked the yarn a lot. A merino with a real twist to it. Great knitting for watching TV.
The Classic silk open cardi moves along. One more sleeve to go, a lot of seaming then the picking up along the front for the ribbed collar. It's going to be close going with perhaps not quite enough yarn. I was too embarrassed to take a photo when I seamed the two sides of the back together. Made a nice tube, a possible dog coat. Both fronts were sitting right there in front of me. Brain fritz-out. Alas, not that uncommon these days.
KITTENS
Yes, we have kittens. They chew, they mangle, they poke things (a lot of them knitting related) down the sides of the couch not to be seen again for a long time. They swing off of curtain pulls, they chew patterns through sheet protectors. They tumble through the house play flighting. They fall asleep - plop! They are adorable and growing like mad. 3.5 lbs last time I checked. Instant Purr Machines.
THE GARDEN
The garden needs *so* much work and I am so *uninspired".
STRETCH NO MOREI've given up trying to do a garment out of the Sundara Aran silky merino. Don't get me wrong, I love the yarn but I've also knit so many test samples that have stretched from here to Timbuktu that I'll use it for something like a shawl or an afghan. In fact, while cruising patterns on Ralvery (one of my most favorite things) I found an afghan pattern that called to me and bought the book used on Amazon.
Gorgeous Knitted Afghans
Imagine a photo of the book here.The Lace and Pearls
Imagine a closeup photo of the pattern here.Like all books this one has things I like and dislike. I'm not big on fringes or huge pearls dangling off of things. I've yet to fall in love with bobbles either. But, those details can always be adjusted to suit ones fancy and taste.
If you haven't noticed, there are few, well, actually, no photos. My dear Fujufilm has broken yet again. It has been mailed off and my old Canon brought out of retirement. I discovered that the rechargeable batteries didn't. Age creeps up on us all and somehow the household was currently experiencing a shortage of batteries. Some very deep scrounging around produced three rather vintage double A's and cannibalizing a small hand held recorder produced another ancient battery. Thankfully, there was just enough charge to take take a few photos of knitting.
The Minnowknits bib overalls.
Done at last. 3/4 done in the newborn size and frogged due to excessive baby growth.
There was a pm comment from The Enabler about how my nails needed some Red Hot Pink. so I did a little Photoshoping. A bit more on the red rather than pink side but why be so picky?
Little dragon buttons. A pain to button up but so very cute.
Size 4's and about 5 skeins knit in the Year One size (let us hope they fit and that he hasn't just grown right past Year One's). Lana Grossa Multicot Print in some sort of colorway that was mostly gray with some purple shades. The purple stained my fingers and made my bamboo needles dark. I switched to metal and they had to be washed now and again otherwise the yarn just wouldn't slide. It was AmaZINGly splitty but despite all of this I rather liked it. I bought it at the annual sidewalk sale at Meadowfarms.
One of the insidious things a LYS can do is have a sale rack. An annual sale is nice but a regular, you just don't know what is going to be there so the rack just
calls to you as you walk in. What knitter can resist finding yarn at half off? I can't. I don't NEED 14 skeins of linen/cotton but it is HALF OFF!!! Discontinued!! SOLD!! Despite my deep desire to knit from stash (it having now overflowed it's original storage area) I still find myself picking up yarn on sale.
Emmy keeps bringing beautiful yarn from her stash to knit night and giving it away. Even better than half off.
Not on sale though I wish.
I suspect that Gail must be in cahoots with The Enabler. She brings various yarns that she has bought to knit night and showing them to me.
This rather terrible photo is of two skeins of Eidos from The Sanguine Gryphon. I'm making Demure from it. My first somewhat lacy shawl. It's intended for my stepson's girlfriend but it might be awfully hard to pry this out of my fingers. I ADORE the yarn. They have the most charming website too. I want more of this and I want it NOW.
I did my annual Celtic Festival in Sebastopol. Lots of photos on the memory card! Inaccessible!!! It was outrageously hot all weekend long. I went over to Petaluma with my gf and we again enjoyed what a wonderful LYS Knitterly is. I bought yarn that *will not stretch* for my continuing efforts to make the Silk Open Cardi. The left front (my fourth? fifth?) did not stretch and I'm almost finished with the back. Success may be just over there near the counter. Wish me luck. It's a linen cotton blend in a pale blue. Linova, Colorway 2474 . Thankfully, it doesn't split very easily and isn't making my hands cramp like the Lana Grossa did. Cotton, so lovely, so difficult on the body to knit with.
Kittens
The kittens continue to thrive and I have no photos to prove it. I would happily show you all the puncture marks all over my body, the chewed off earbud from my Zune, the nibbled ziplock bags, the carpet covered in toys, shredded pieces of paper....well, you get my drift. They are adorable. They are getting Very Big. They are pretty much sure about what happens in the litterbox. We are grateful.
I BLAME THE INFORMATION AGE
I seem to be unable to read a pattern correctly, probably because I tend to skim then just jump in. So, I got to spend a lot of time scratching my head wondering why I kept ending up with too many left over stitches as I did the shoulder shaping on the Classic Silk Cardi. Finally, focus! - it's 28 bound off at the neck and 24 on each side. Not the other way round. Duh!
Then things got even better. I washed and blocked the back and it grew from 25 inches to 36. Now, this is gorgeous Sundara Aran Silky Merino and I loves it but it is driving me bananas.
I suspect that there is a great afghan inside this yarn waiting to come out, NOT a cardi. Sigh. So much knitting, so little to show for it.
I did three left fronts trying to see if I could control the stretching by using a smaller needle. Cascading down...6, 5, 4... Seemed to stretch a little but only by an inch. Why is this happening to me.? I've cruised Ravelry and other folks are blithely tossing off amazing FO's with no apparent problem.
I knew it: It's ME. I am also frogging the baby overalls but that's because by the time I finish them (and the weather is cool enough for anything more than shorts and a t-shirt) the baby will be too BIG. I'll knit the one year size and hope I can get them off my needles before Sammy grows into year two sizes.
The Squeakers
We've taken to calling Oscar and Owen, "The Squeakers" because, that's what they do. We're weaning them right now and they really, really like the bottle so it's not being much fun for all involved. They eat kitten food and various other bits and pieces (tuna juice, fish, chicken fat on dry food) so they're more than ready. That and they've chewed off all the nipple tips so no more bottle feeding. They continue to be adorable as only kittens can. Thankfully, everyone but Otis seems to be taking them in stride. I hope he comes around to accepting them as members of the household. He does have the most amazing growl though.
I am off to the Sebastopl Celtic Festival this coming weekend. I'll get to go over to Petaluma and visit Knitterly again. It's an amazing yarn store. Perhaps I'll find some yarn that cries out to be made into a cardi. I bet I do!
IN ADDITION, LET ME ADD...
...two kittens. You go out for some groceries and as The Enabler said, "Tra la! tra la! To the grocery store I go. Carrots, kitten, cabbage, milk, spam, kitten, celery, bleach, dishwasher soap..."
Oh yeah, right.
Total pets:
One slightly freaked out rat terrier.
Three adult male cats going, "Huh?"
Two clueless kittens.
Total:
5 cats
1 dog
Okay, all together now, really, really fast.
Omar, Opie, Ollie, Otis, Owen, Oscar (and Ozzie, now deceased).
Meet
Oscar
and Owen.
Age? Uncertain other than far too young to have been parted from their mother. The giver away-er said they were old enough but by evening time they were very hungry and not at all chewing or lapping anything. Out with the eyedropper and off to the pet shop the next morning for powdered cat milk and bottles with nipples.
Happily, they are sucking it up like pros and doing all the things kittens should. That is, mostly sleeping, vaguely understanding what the litter box is for, biting each other's tails (mostly Oscar to Owen - Owen seems to be rather less developed), grooming, and generally complaining that there isn't a nipple in their mouths at all times.
This will all pass in time.
It better.
BK*
The second neck scarf is done and buttons procured but not quite yet sewn on.
Autunno di.vo. Needle size, um, size....I really don't remember. 7? One skein total.
The denim overalls from Minnowknits progress. I had to frog about 5 inches when I realized that I had done the bottom in two pieces when I should have combined them. I really couldn't quite tell from the pattern notes and resorted to going over to Fibers to see how their display was done. If I was in charge of patterns there would be a Very Thorough Review of Pattern Notes along with detailed photos of what the thing looked like. You know, the way The Twist Collective does theirs.
I have noticed that my ability to hold a bottle or two of formular, corral a wiggly kitten or two and deal with the other parts of my life seems to have decreased my ability to knit. Something must be done.
*Before Kittens
Sammy Comes Clean.
Cute? You bet.
THINGS YOU REALLY DON'T LIKE TO SEE ON THE WAY HOME
Driving back from the bay area yesterday, feeling dozy and ready to be home after an emotional weekend attending Katrina's memorial I snapped awake when I started seeing large amounts of smoke off towards where I live.
After getting off the freeway and heading north (
ish) on the local highway it became apparent that it wasn't likely that my home was in danger of burning down but this thing was between me and it. If I had been 10 minutes earlier I could have probably slipped through as the road block was being erected. As it was it looked like a war zone. Flashing lights of emergency vehicles, smoke and wind whipping past with bits of debris. So, back up I went to the freeway and then up and around the fire through some very rough and narrow back roads. It's now fairly contained but 60 structures, half of them private homes were lost. Probably because someone threw a burning cigarette out their car window. Around here it's not only saving your home but getting your pets and livestock to safety. Thankfully, it's something that there is an emergency plan for and critters are taken to safety fast.
I stayed with the every lovely Kate who took good care of me. I was expecting the usual 20 degree difference in
temperatures (Fog! Lovely, cool fog!) but hit a heatwave. Not fair at all though we did get to walk on the beach at Half Moon Bay.
I took her to meet Sammy for the first time. Sammy is wearing my booties. How cool is that? One of the hooded bath blankets was hanging up (and damp from use!) in the bathroom. I just love it when things I make are used.
Sammy is turning into a bruiser. 14 lbs so far at two months and growing fast. He still sleeps most of the time and make the cutest little noises.
It's All Gail's Fault.
Last Wed. I was hogtied, tossed into a car kicking and screaming and taken to MeadowFarm for their annual sidewalk sale. Yeah, right. I put up SUCH a fight!
Silk and some Mountain Colors
Twizzle.
di.
vo. I use this yarn a lot. I've already turned the red/pink into another neck warmer - a present for my cousin in Canada. After the button, a photo!
Some Lana
Grosso cotton. I've started a
Minnowknits denim jumper. I like the yarn a lot but it is staining my fingers and bamboo needles. It will be interesting to see how much dye bleeds out when it's washed.
Random Cat Pictures
A curious Otis.
Not A Tan Line
The dog days of summer are rather dusty. After walking Omar this is what my legs looks like.
Garden Stuff
The hardy banana is producing its first cluster of bananas. Inedible but still so cool.
The veggie portion of the garden continues to churn out lots of produce. Extra tomatoes are cut up, lightly stewed, then frozen for lovely soup and sauces come winter time. There's a touch of fall in the air though. Soon it will be long pants and sweaters.
EULOGY FOR A FRIEND
Yesterday my dear friend Katrina died from ovarian cancer. She fought long and hard before losing. She knew she would in the end but she was never anything but upbeat yet realistic. She went about her business as her health allowed and always looked forward to what life had to offer her. She was the happy recipient of my various offerings of knitted hats and experimental scarfs. Some of them were
quite experimental!
She was an avid hiker and a great lover of the outdoors. Part of her childhood was spent in Alaska and she traveled extensively all her life. Always simply - fancy inns and hotels were not her style. She was a Quaker to the core.
I met her in 1992 by a funny series of events and ended up renting the back part of her house for nearly 10 years leaving only upon my marriage. She saw me go through one very hard breakup and eventually into a very happy marriage along with pulling a career together. She seemed to always like me for who I was though we came from very different backgrounds.
I did many a hike with Katrina and her partner Dave. There was one particularly lovely one where my husband and I met up with them at Lassen. (Correction: It was Mt. Rainer.) In my mind's eye I see acres of flowers with glorious mountains covered with snow. The wildflowers that years were spectacular. Then there were the two times we did the Palisades above Calistoga. The first time it started raining 4 miles in and I was not all that well prepared. When Dave would wander back to cheer me up, still full of pep and enthusiasm as the rain pelted down I had a vague, crazed thought of bumping him over the edge of the the trail but I liked him too much and honestly, I just didn't have the energy.
The second time we were much better prepared, and of course, it did not rain. Still, towards the end of the 11 miles I was in the back limping along with a lovely blister and Katrina was at the head of the queue striding along with that incredibly wonderful smile of hers. They could hike me into the ground any time, any place despite being 15 years older, and in Dave's case, closer to 25.
Dave died earlier this year though in some ways he died some time back. The delightful person we knew and loved had faded away with the onset of Alzheimer's. He was the sort of man who patted trees as he went by. Katrina continued to drive him to hikes and even camping before it became too much for the both of them.
To say that I am going to miss her hardly sums up the void of her passing leaves in my life. One of the saddest things about aging is seeing friends pass away and the emptiness it leaves behind. Well, she wouldn't want me to be making a fuss. It just wasn't her way. I was fortunate to know her and be her friend.
FIBERS AND FRUIT 
Lately there has been a fair amount of new fiber around Chez Earin's. Some fabric too along with a couple of new toys. (I can't really explain about the tomato.)
I have fallen in love with this little gadget which was a birthday present from my knitting buddy (and good friend) Gail. It has almost everything a well stocked knitting basket needs. I loves it.
One of the Auburn Knit Night Knitters (say that three times really, really fast) was cleaning out her house recently and brought various items including yarn to knit night. I scored some yarn and a lovely pair of sandals. (Noro's "Silver Thaw".) She was making a shawl and just didn't feel the love. I'm not quite sure how much but something like 5 skeins. AKN had it's first annual pool party and it was so much fun that I didn't take a single photograph though I did polish off the rest of the potato salad. Not only do we knit we're darn fine cooks too.
After a fairly long period of back and forth emails on Ravelry I purchased a HUGE amount of Rowan California Cotton (discontinued alas) that I adore. I always enjoy the various emails one has with complete strangers all over the world talking about yarn. I think I'll have a very good time with this yarn.
The froggie was my birthday gift from Kate who has a very fine blog at long last. Froggie is a tape measure and I adore him. (Link to her blog when I find it. Done!)
Some Colinette superwash sock yarn destined to become a baby item. Or socks. Or....who knows. I also bought some Mountain Colors superwash sock yarn in a lovely varigated purple that's around here somewhere... I started some Baby Monkey socks in it but it's so dark I am having difficulty seeing the stitches even in a good light.
The Monkey socks are finally done. What a cool pattern.
Garden Stuff
The garden continues to be bountiful. These little pumpkins are so tasty. I'm going to grow a lot more of them next year.
These English cucumbers are now bread and butter pickles.
...and tomatoes. We have lots at long last.
On the Baby Front.
I continue to make baby items for little Sammy. This fabric was turned into baby bath blankets.
I'm about to do the sole of the second sneaker bootie. The photo doesn't really show that the white yarn has sparkles in it. Diamonds on the soles of his sneaker booties. Way cool.
Next up. Finishing off more UFO's (yeah, the Pink Mimosa) and sewing up a table cloth to go with my new placemats.
