A Very Strange Summer

It has been so dry. When it does rain, it's wierd like "Florida rain". I can look out the window and the sun is shining and it is raining - but only in the back yard. Several days ago, with thunderclouds looming above, I checked the weather and was delighted to confirm with the radar image that it was indeed going to rain. It was around 10am. I promptly made arrangements to go see a movie with Piper. (No warm sunshine, no guilt about sitting in a cool dark theater for the afternoon - Its a Michigan thing) Within moments of telling her we were going to see 'Underdog', the sky started to lift. No little sprinkles, no mist, no nothing. By the time we were out of the theater at 2, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was blazing hot - again. It was slightly overcast today. I did a little work in the garden - which is doing surprisingly well thanks to our sprinkler kicking on 3 times a day. It started to sprinkle A LITTLE at one point and I was so surprised at something wet falling from the sky, I thought a bird had pooped on me.

Next wierd event is this Japanese beetle thing. Late spring, I noticed these really pretty, iridescent beetles hanging out near our little wading pool. They were interesting enough to bother me to get online to see what they were. That's when I found out we were in trouble. (See link above) Within a very short period, they had taken over. Our grape vines, rasperry bushes and hops look like lace. Nasty little creatures they are. We discovered the beetle traps at Kmart somewhere toward the end of July. That's when I noticed our neighbors had the traps too.... Now disposing of the VERY FULL traps - that's another post. YUCK!

Weird weather, and bugs aside, this is my second post- drivers training summer. I have spent a lot of time A) fearing for my life at blinking red light left turns and B) enduring 50 minute journeys which normally take 25 (I prefer the latter to the former). Throw in a manual transmission and you have a recipe for gray hair and chest pain. Today, while turning left on a green light (Heather was driving) another car blew through the red light into the intersection going probably double the speed limit, the driver, talking away on her cell phone. Thank the fates, Heather saw her at the last minute and turned into the lane she wasn't blazing into. She kept her cool, I nearly crapped my pants seeing as how she would have plowed into my side of the car. We had the pleasure of catching up to her at the next red which she actually stopped for. She didn't even hang up the phone while I screamed at her out the window for nearly killing us.

Piper will not go out of the house. She doesn't want to go to the park, to the splash pad or to the beach. She does not want to shop or go to the library. She will barely play outside and won't even go in her pool. I am very distressed by this. Another strange aspect of this summer that I can totally not relate with or understand. I wasn't even allowed in the house when the sun was shining in the summer. I know it's different here and now, but this is a a tough phase. I hope the new school year will turn her around. We'll see. It's nearly here.

I think I'll go knit socks now. Nothing strange about that.

Rain, rain, please stay!

It finally rained today. Not much - definitely not enough - but it did rain. It is so dry that the leaves are falling off the trees and the grass is like straw. Not just a little dry, but brown and possibly beyond repair for the summer. I don't think I've cut it since the second week in July ( not too sad about that). There are no mosquitoes either, which is quite strange (not complaining about that either). The question is, will we be making up for this sometime this fall or looking forward to record snowfalls this winter?

I finished the Interlacements - tiny toes socks.





















This yarn was awesome! I absolutely loved working with it and also the way the color turned out. I used the fish scale pattern again but threw in some variations with a longer cuff and the star toe which I preceded with several rows of stockinette stitch so that you could see it a little better. They turned out quite nice!

Thanks to my Piper who modeled them for me. She also modeled her new smile....















She has lost 6 teeth in as many months and only 2 1/2 have grown back. If this trend continues, we are going to be eating a lot of soup!!

Finished Projects

I've been productive....

Here are the finished Black and White socks. Made these from JaWoll superwash yarn. Note to self: The improvised star toe that I did on these socks was not good. This was accomplished by dividing toe stitches equally on to four needles and then k2tog at the end of every needle every other round to 8 stitches. It made it way too pointy (like a fish nose) and I don't imagine these will be too comfy in a pair of shoes. I am chalking these up to a learning experience. They are pretty though!























The 'Easter socks'
















Doesn't the colorway remind you of Easter Eggs? Made from Online supersock yarn - Tropic. I started each one at the same point in the color progression, as you can see the colors line up all the way to the toe. However, I used the 'bulls-eye' (afterthought) heel pattern and obvioiusly didn't remember to pay attention to the starting point in the yarn. So the heel for each sock is ... um... unique.


Last but not least:
















The 'Booga bag' Made from Noro and the result of the class that I took at Ewe to You yarn shop. This was my first felted thing, and I think it turned out pretty well. It did get a little bit smaller than I anticipated but is still the perfect size to put a small project in (socks) and tote it with me. I really like the colors as well. I'm keeping this project for me!!

That's it for now. Everything else I have is a long way from being done (except the hourglass socks) and I don't have a lot of ambition right now. I started new socks last night with the interlacements yarn, but I don't even know what I am going to do with those.

NEWS FLASH!

Chris just called - he's in Sheridan - and he wants me to visit! You know what that means? I have an excuse to go through Lansing where Thread Bare Fiber Arts Studio lives. Hmmmmmmm..... I may have just gained some ambition.

The Knitting Goddess

I think the knitting Godess is mad at me. I'm not sure why. It could be that I just went on a 'vacation' and didn't knit a single stitch after my husband took the wrong road on the way there. I was, after all, not driving. I thought I should be knitting - he thought I should be navigating. He won. But I did try.... It could also be that I never- yes I said never - have knit a swatch to check my gauge. I've been knitting for just over a year now and have never done it. But I really don't knit much more than socks or mittens - do I really deserve the wrath of the Godess for that?

Why do I think there is a problem?

1) I haven't been able to knit anything with a chart without making at least one mistake per row. That doesn't amount to much progress, or at least progress that looks ok.

2) I am actually getting tired of knitting socks. I didn't think this would ever happen - really.

3) I really don't have any desire to go to my LYS.

4) I've been thinking about my sewing machine, and am actually caught up on housework ( if you don't count the closets)

On the other hand, this could be some weird side effect of that "spinning virus" (See previous post). Because my heart does quicken at the thought of a pile of roving. Hmmmmm.


Just keep knitting, just keep knitting, just keep knitting, knitting, knitting.

Got Class?

It makes me happy when someone asks me what my plans are for the day and I can say "I have a class"...

Last Saturday was the second 'sock of the month' class at Beyond the Rainforest. I love that place. The classes are relaxing and I enjoy getting the chance to have some adult conversation. Especially adult knitting conversation. We learned the star toe which I put at the end of my hourglass sock. I wasn't crazy about the way it turned out, but I think I will like it better with a different sock pattern. Phyll, our fearless leader, got us all excited about next months sock which, to me, looked somewhat like a mock cable pattern. Not sure what yarn I'm going use for that one yet. I did buy some Interlacements -tiny toes which I am very excited about. So excited, though, that I don't think I'll be able to cast on and knit the cuff and then wait until next month for the pattern that we will be working on.

Yesterday I had a class(more like a private lesson as I was the only one there) with Cathy who is one of the owners of our brand new Grand Blanc yarn store Ewe to You Yarns. It was Great! I learned a couple of new techniques, got to sit in peace for two hours and knit, and had a very nice chat with the folks in the store. However, after 'class' I made the mistake of talking with Carrie who was sitting there with a pile of roving and her brand new spinning wheel making gorgeous yarn. She made me touch the silk and wool blend that she was working with and showed me what she was doing. I think I may now have a spinning virus. I haven't stopped thinking of all the possiblities spinning my own yarn would allow. maybe if I stay away long enough the 'bug' will go away. We'll see.....

Here is a picture of the "Booga Bag" that I'm working on

I'm using Noro yarn - Kureyon which is a pleasure to work with

This is my first felted project! Can't wait until it's done. I'm going to buy a zippered pillowcase today. I hear that's the best way to go.

School's Out For Summer

It is the first Monday of summer vacation. I am already stressed out. We started driver education this morning at 8 sharp (well, not really sharp...we were late and had to stand in the back and face the scolding eyes of the five instructors). Molly was noncommital about being "excited" when we arrived there. But sometimes I forget that it is definitely not cool to be excited about ANYTHING except boys when you're 15. She was decidedly more upbeat when the day was over. She got to drive, along with two other teenagers in the car and they all survived. The schedule is insane, and sleeping in - the one thing I did have to look forward to - is now a joke. Class starts at 7am. Oh well.

Piper started her art class. She hated it. She claimed that everyone was staring at her and the teacher was swearing at them because they used too much paint. However, despite my disappointment that I may have just lost my 1 hour opportunity to knit on Mondays while waiting for the class to let out, I plastered a smile on my face and insisted that it couldn't have been THAT bad. She insisted that indeed it WAS that bad and she would not be going back. We'll see. I could have spent that 60 bucks on yarn and taken her to the park every Monday afternoon.

Knitting...well, I just keep plunking along one stitch at a time and try not to get too irritated when I have to count everything15 times while trying to explain where someones shoes are, what snacks are available, yes I'll drive you there and no, you can't spend the entire day with your boyfriend, etc.etc.

Counting down till September......

Missed Yarn Opportunity

My husband is in Lansing without me. Normally, this would not be a problem, however, several weeks ago I discovered Thread Bear. An amazing yarn store which, I swear, is nearly as big as my house. I've only been there one time, but that was all it took. Since then, I've been trying to come up with a reason (for the non yarn addicts in my house - I don't need a reason) to get in my car and drive for an hour (one-way) and spend an extraordinary amount of money on something that is 1) not for the house 2) not for the kids 3) not a bill 4) not groceries. This would have been the perfect excuse. He is there for a seminar, I could sit in the yarn shop and wait for him to finish up around noon and then we could have a nice lunch together. Alas, he left before I could get the last kid on the bus.....

Oh well. The last days of school are now upon me. I am thinking that if I don't finish up some of my projects now, they may still be waiting for me come September when they all go back. I need to update the KIP list. I started my sock of the month class on Saturday, hence a new project. I do have one sock completely done but needed a little break so I started this cute little tote bag. It's about half done as well. Better get knitting.....