33

That’s how many repeats I have done on the Kelp Forest scarf, which will be part of a silent auction next weekend.

That’s right…next weekend. And since it turned out to be a bake sale and silent auction, I heard myself telling Mr. Beth I would also contribute two loaves of Irish Soda Bread for the cause.

I don’t know what I’m thinking lately, I truly don’t. I have about a dozen knitting projects in progress and feel bored with all of them. I’m stalled on the book, which I should really be working on while I’m having intermittent Internet connection problems. I’m for some reason fantasizing about starting a baking career.

Maybe it’s just a midlife crisis, or post-Spring-Break mental trauma. The kids went back to school this morning after about 1,342 days off, my mother ended a weeklong visit with us yesterday morning, and it’s raining all day long today, enough to pound the last of the snow down into the water table, where it will surface downstream and wipe out the farmlands. W00t!

At least I’m pretty sure I’ll get Kelp Forest done in time. It should have 7 or less repeats to go, and with creative planning I should be able to finish it at Late Night Knitting this Friday night. That means it will be held up for display and admiration, and Heather will ring the big bell out on the porch. Not that I want some recognition or anything.

Really need my Late Night Knitting this time… the last date got cancelled because of a big snow that whipped up quickly. This date also features a big “spring cleaning” sale. Maybe I’ll just wrap up all my outstanding projects (yeah, right) and buy enough yarn to make something nice for me.

Please post, please post, please don’t dump me off the Internet Tubes!

Stranger in a strange land

So….I spent the weekend in Michigan. On the surface it may not sound like much fun to anyone else. Get up before dawn, ride (and never drive) across parts of three states to go to a tool show, pass within a stone’s throw of the University of Michigan (for a Columbus, Ohio, native this is somewhat creepy), watch a Will Ferrell movie, and eat takeout in the hotel room. But I think if you had met us, and all our children, and understood exactly how long it’s been since Velcro Boy (Jack, dear, I’m talking about you) was pried from my leg, you’d know how special we could make this.

Here’s what we rode in. Every time people were staring at us and I thought it was because I was knitting in public, I had to stop and think, oh wait, it’s probably just the truck. It even had California plates, so we were utterly conspicuous wherever we went. When the engine got revved it sounded like a chainsaw convention. However, the amenities were terrific. Dual climate controls, heated seats, a GPS navigation system, neon interior lighting…. once I got over thinking I had to haul myself into the cab via a knotted rope, it was quite comfortable.

I got a TON of knitting done riding in the truck. I took only two projects: Kelp Forest, and the supplies for my second salt and pepper sock. And all I worked on was Kelp Forest. As we cruised towards Ann Arbor the first time, I was doing a felted join in the car. As by the time we were cruising past it headed west on Sunday, I realized I really had memorized the pattern. I got 20 repeats out of the first skein, and probably won’t need more than two skeins. It feels great to know I’m more than halfway done.

I also had a secret — not one but two pairs of socks for Mr. Beth, to be given as anniversary presents. To skip ahead, he loves them, and has declared them The Best Socks In The World, even if they don’t fit exactly (or, in the case of the Patons Kroy jacquard, don’t match exactly).

The tool show was…a tool show. It was kind of like going to a quilt vendor expo in a fabric mill’s warehouse, without a show of finished quilts. So at least I had something to compare it to, as DH worked the booths and found sales guys to talk to about their latest boxes, tools, and hardware.

That didn’t take long, and when we were done it was off to Howell to visit Beth at The Spinning Loft.

A spinning class had just finished when I let myself in, so I just wandered around and talked to her friends while she took care of business. I wanted to touch everything, but managed to restrain myself.

There was fiber:

And there were many bags of woolen locks:

There were skeins of locally spun yarn:

There were spindles:

And there was Beth, who didn’t want her picture taken again:

And the very first thing she asked me, when we got to sit down, was: “Have you seen what’s been happening on the Mystical Creations Yarn thread on Ravelry?”

We had a good meetup (even though I discovered I had to get to know my spinning goddesses better), and then it was time to buy a souvenir. I finally decided on the winter issue of Wild Fibers (always wanted to check it out, and it seemed like time) and a big fluffy cloud of BFL to spin up…someday. I knew it was the right one to buy when Beth rubbed it against her face before ringing it up.

Then, at the last second, she grabbed a baggie and put it in the bag too. “You just have to have this.” A little baggie stuffed with Merino top.

Oh yeah…I gave her some chocolate, too. We’re good buddies now, Beth-her and Beth-me.

The rest of the evening included, but was not limited to, going out to see Semi-Pro without children, going to Meijer without children, and picking up carry-out from Outback to eat while we watched the Australian Grand Prix without children.

Sunday morning included going out to breakfast without children, driving within a stone’s throw of the University of Michigan stadium without children, and stopping at a winery for a tasting without children. And we bought wine too! I felt like such a grown up.

We got to talk, and plan, and just do stuff together. Maybe next year we can do it again.

ETA: I have been trying to post this all day. !@#$%!!

Don’t occurrence the yarn!

I had been wondering where all the spammers were. Today I checked the spam bucket and got a delightful surprise — I’m being copied to various other Internet Tubage. Not with credit, mind you, but still. Don’t have time to fight it, so there it is.

When I clicked on one of the copies, my post showed up, credited to someone else, on a blog that purported to be about family issues, but really just hosted advertising for digital photography supplies (I think). Looks like they’re doing this to lots of other people, and it was a recent post of mine, so I don’t think it will all be around for very long.

The other post that was pirated was the one in which I taught James how to fingerknit. But it took me a while to figure it out, as it apparently got translated into another language, then mistranslated back into sorta English. Any of my polyglot friends want to take a guess at the middleman tongue? Here’s the end result:

…the inner nonfigurative I managed to designate on was my possess beginner’s anxiety most knitting. His emotion was priceless. “Don’t occurrence the yarn, Jack! Don’t occurrence the yarn!!“ “Mom, Leenie’s completely unraveling the ball of yarn!” “I am SO MAD!!!”

No more for me, thanks, I’m full.

In knitting news, I finished not one but two secret projects. (I also updated my previous post with more spinning details, so do scroll down.) I mostly battled my computer, which seems to have contracted some sort of virus. It can hold its internet connection for only so long, then loses contact one site at a time until the whole online thang collapses like a house of cards.

Don’t ask me what I’m doing here, anyway. I need to put away clothes and do more laundry and vacuum the floors and clean out my van and PACK. Off to Detroit tomorrow!

Next week: Anthony Bourdain, Top Gear, March Madness, Biggest Loser, and TOP CHEF! And yeah, that book I’m writing. See you Monday.

Feeling better now, thank you!

Actually, I’ve been feeling fine lately, except for cutting my thumb open yesterday, but that was just a stupid thing and we won’t talk about it. It’s not affecting my knitting, so I hardly notice. sniff

I’m talking about the ninth anniversary of Eldest’s birth. Woo-hoo! He packed off to school this morning with a box full of Snickerdoodles, as the poor boy forgot that his birthday fell within Lent when he gave up chocolate this year. (It’s been rough.)

My gift to you — no birth story! (You’re welcome.)

Coming up instead, computer permitting: yarn pictures from last week’s drop spindle class, and a preview of my exciting, almost-wedding-anniversary trip to romantic Detroit.

Well, this is it — two tiny balls of drop-spindled, hand-plied yarn. I forget what the fiber is! I was just happy to pick out something green.

I was also happy that I didn’t drop my Celtic Wonder Spindle. The instructor was a little worried — when we stood to spin, she folded up her puffy winter coat and put it on the floor in front of me, to break its fall if necessary.

My hands learned a lot, but have not had one more second of practice since. Ugh. Yes, I know it doesn’t take a lot of time to do a little spindling, but there’s just so much else going on.

On the other hand, I have a Fiber Opportunity this weekend, as Mr. Beth (or Mr. Chocolatesheep, by your preference) and I travel to Detroit to cover a tool show. Without the kids. Whatever shall we do? Oh, yes, arrange a meetup with another Fiberbeth, the Beth of Three Sheeps to the Wind (see blogroll). She just so happens to have a fiber store.

Funny how that happened. I’ll take pictures for you.

Where’s that box?

Eek, it’s March already, and the Harlot will be here in late April. If you are the one with the HOT box, please e-mail me! I’d like that hat to get done in time to present it to her in Madison. I have moved since I started that project, and haven’t heard from anyone on the list in a while…. so I hope it hasn’t made its rounds and been delivered to the Dead Letter Office of Stevens Point, Wisconsin.

Another quickie…I started another blog. I know, having this and Backyardiknits and a Ravelry account just wasn’t enough, I just had to go and start Steele Knitting. I’ve updated my blogroll slightly so you can go check it out. (Or, since I went to all the trouble to make a link, you could just click on the link. Your choice.)

Knitting? Oh….nothing to report, and we’ll leave it at that.

F double I double B double E double RRRRR

Here are the goods! In retrospect I don’t really have that much fiber. It just seems like a lot because I don’t know how to do anything with it yet.

First fibers first… practice fiber sent to me by cyberfriend Lauren, along with her Louet handcards. Sheesh woman you are too generous! As you can see, it is in a state of Pre-Yarnbarf. I left it just the way it was when I ripped it from the spinning wheel bobbin.

Next, I went to the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival last fall.

I had money.

Bad idea.

First, I bought my literal “three bags full” of fiber from a Border Leicester named Wookie. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because my knitting and spinning enabling friend Brandy bought the rest of the lot and learned spindle spinning on it practically on the way home from the festival. Here’s a little bit of it. Couldn’t turn it into anything last fall either.

Then, of course, I just had to buy Jacob Sheep fiber. If you put “heritage” or “heirloom” in front of anything, I want it. I just do. Sentimental Cancerian or First Class Sucker? I’m not sure yet. But I love the way it looks right now, and can’t imagine how beautiful it will be when it’s spun. Yeah right, as if I’m going to touch this before I know what I’m doing.

Finally, I bought this at Susan’s Fiber Shop. I wanted something colorful so that when I did start to learn how to spin, there would be some color changes to keep me interested and attentive to my work. I’m not crazy about the caramel color that crept in, but the rest of it reminds me of Easter Eggs.

I also bought this at Susan’s Fiber Shop — and a fat lot of good it’s done me so far. Maybe this Friday I’ll learn how to do something productive with it. Sorry about the blurriness — I think I’ll have to clamp it in something, then back up and zoom in to get a clearer picture. But you can get the gist of it.

And since you’ve made it this far, here’s a bonus picture. Over the last few days, the snow has melted to reveal all kinds of things, from dead grass to tree limbs to slabs of ice cast aside months ago by the snowplow.

Here I’m standing between the house and garage, literally atop the garden, looking down into a swampy lowland. At sunset tonight, before I loaded up the van to drag everyone to a scout meeting, it looked for all the world like a frozen ocean.

I suppose….

…I ought to post.

Hmm.

Everyone’s been sick, most of us are getting better, I’m knitting (and un-knitting, and re-knitting) things I can’t talk about or display, I’m barely keeping up with reading other people’s blogs, the house is a wreck….

Oh wait. That’s not new.

But one thing that’s new, is that I signed up to take a beginning drop spindling class. This Friday night at the Sow’s Ear. Sure, it’ll take two hours out of my Late Night Knitting time, but I have been told I deserve it, and I believe that.

I’ll use today’s beautiful (and much appreciated) Natural Light to take pictures of my current spindles and fiber stash to share with you all. With any luck, I’ll be posting Yarn Barf pics on Saturday morning.

However, I have been checking Ravelry several times a day. In case you’re not on yet to follow along with the current soap opera in the Yarn forum, I’ll just say this: Friends don’t let friends buy yarn from Mystical Creations.