The Things I Do.

Like try something new. Well, sort of.

I've done a Norwegian design before, but I've never done a Dale of Norway design before. Above is my Sapporo (if you click on the link - I'm making the same design as shown in the last picture)! I've only been labouring on the black stocking stitch part for 2 years (ok, to be fair to me, I did go months without even thinking about it, let alone work on it), but I brushed off my Continental knitting skills, and zipped through the last 4" or so, and *finally* reached the chart. Yay...! At first, I wasn't too sure if I like how it was looking. Probably because the colours of the lice design at the start of the chart looked a bit too confetti-ish to me. I like all of the colours - deep red, burnt orange and yellow, but together, they just looked...funny (and not ha ha either)... against the black. But, now that I'm working the chart, and the snowflake design is starting to show up, I'm liking it much more. And you know what? I guess I'm used to the very symmetrical motifs of Fair Isle, where it begins and ends quite sensibly. Norwegian designs? Free for all. The front ends where it ends, and the back starts where it starts. And if it doesn't match up at the sides? Oh well. I have my magic centre stitches marked, and that is apparently as important as your future retirement plan.

Oh. And the yarn I'm using (Dalegarn "Falk")? All I can say is that this sucker better block out and nicely. If not (to quote Lorraine), you may just read about a giant fireball seen in the east end of Toronto.

Look what I've got goin' on this morning!

No. Not cooking with chocolate. That ain't chocolate, let me tell you. It's a big hunk of henna for my hair. I haven't henna'ed my hair in years; I've been a slave to the caustic chemical stuff for awhile now. Lorraine told me about the Herbatint she started using, and that started me thinking on using something different to cover my greys. My many, many greys.

So, auburn henna it is.

"Oy, that stuff smells funky..."

She's got that right. I have another hour and a half to go with this stuff on my head. And it is no exaggeration when I say that I smell like a latrine.

The things I do to cover those greys...

"Why do you have cling film on your head? You'd better not be going outside like that."

"So anyway, I told Guido that no way was I going out with him if he didn't at least brush himself and that he'd better not be thinking of getting fresh with me because I have 3 brothers who would not hesitate to give him the beat down of all beat downs if he even tried getting frisky with me and even though there are times when it seems that I don't like being around Gandalf and Malcolm I really do it's just that you know. They annoy me."

"...uh huh..."

And in other knitting news. The things you go through to give an Aran the justice it deserves.

I was so happy, and all ready and psyched to report on a finished back, but when I put Fulmar down on Friday night, I saw that a couple repeats down - I'd messed up the centre cable. I might have vomited just a tiny bit. You can see it, on the left side of the middle portion of the centre panel. *sigh* So. Looks like it's one step forward and two steps back for Fulmar, as I remove the needle and painfully frog until I reach that row (should be oh, about 25 rows, but really, who's counting). And it's not just the centre panel. There are a total of 3 of those panels along the back, and I messed up all 3 of them on that row.

Ouch.

At least Malcolm isn't bothered by it.

"What is this "Fulmar"? Do I know this project? OK, later. Sleepies now... *yawn*"

Crazy Crazy

See Malcolm.

"Hi!"

See Malcolm climb window.

"Wheeeeeeeeheeheeheehee! Lookatme!!!!"

"MALCOLM! Get DOWN!"

See Malcolm realize he's busted.

"Uh oh."

"Sorry Mom."

"Wow, even I didn't pull that, and I was THE puller of all things pulled in my time. Good one kiddo!"

"Gandalf! Don't encourage him!"

"So you see Mae, all you need is a really good head start, a big jump, watch that you don't smack your head on the blinds, and BING! You're up there! Easy peasy lemon squeezy."

It's been such a crazy week, filled with bouncing kittens (yes, I've removed the screen from the window...), and crazy work deadlines. I have to say - that's what has kept me busy most of the week. There was knitting. Oh yes. But most of it was of the "...not again...!" variety. Where you end up re-doing the same row/round/cable twist over and over and over again. So, I decided to keep it simple. I pulled out Sapporo, my long suffering (I seem to have a lot of those) Dale from eons ago, and just work on plain ol' stocking stitch. Lots of it. Not enough to start the patterning, but enough to keep me out of trouble. It's about all my frazzled brain could manage.

By next week...well, we'll see. I think I may have something of interest to show you. I just hope I can manage more than just plain stocking stitch this next week. :D

"Those people Mom works with are just not cool at all. Not cool. I oughta go straight over there and really give them a piece of my mind. Or not. I'm good here."

Princess Line

It's starting to look more Princessy.

It's not a particularly difficult pattern. Although ask me when I'm duplicate stitching whether I still think so...

(Question: Do I do the duplicate stitching before or after blocking?)

I like that you can look up from your knitting and realize - hey! I've completed over 40 rows! That's one quarter of the chart! It's actually starting to look like something now. And it's much more interesting. I'm starting to feel more comfortable with the charts. The secret really is making sure you're lining up your current row with the previous one. Also, there are areas that duplicate the same stitch pattern as the row below. So, it's not been too bad. The jury is still out on the yarn though. I certainly has a lot of pop, but it's pretty springy. I'm used to good 2-ply Shetland wool. This seems a bit more "processed", and has more bounce back than I'd like. Anyway, I guess what matters is the final product, and I'm very intrigued at how it's turning out.

I'm only getting a couple of days or so a week in though, and that's usually on the weekends. At the end of the work day (at least these past couple of weeks), I've been too tired to concentrate on the chart. And of course, if Malcolm is extending the Kitty Post-Dinner Witching Hour, I tend to not be able to get much in.

"Uh huh. So what else did the vet say?"

"Um, something about how I have to drop these baby teeth first, then she told Mom I'd be good to go. But I don't know where. And that they're definitely there. Whatever they are."

"Oh. Well. Looks like you'll being singing soprano soon."

"Really?!! Is that fun? Will I like singing soprano, Gandalf?!!"

"It's a gas, kid."

The boy had his last booster shot on Friday. He wasn't able to get them all at once - when they gave him his first round in November, he was so tired afterwards for 24 hours that he barely ate. So, we decided that for his boosters, he'd get them one at a time. Much like Gandalf, he's not phased by the vet's office. He doesn't much like getting poked at, but he doesn't mind being in the carrier, or in the office. He'll be going in for his neutering in February, but first, his baby teeth need to fall out. His adult teeth are already in, and the baby ones are about to fall out. Once they do, he's good to go.

"Guess it's about time I have the Talk with the boy."

"What we gonna talk about, Big Daddy?!!"

"Girls and stuff."

"Oooo, girls are groooooooss!! Except Mae! They have cooties and Gandalf says they can be really moody and stuff."

When Chris was visiting last September, she commented that Malcolm is a bit of a drama queen. That he is. He will whine and whine until one of the other guys gives in to him - usually it's to take over a sleeping spot. Mae is the only one who rarely gives in. He doesn't seem to mind. She can be so crabby with him, it amazes me when I turn around and see scenes like this.

"Well. I suppose it could be worse. Don't know how, but it could."

"...zzzzzzzzzz...love...my...big...sister...mmphhh...zzzzzzzz..."

Deep down, WAY deep down, Mae knows he's a sweet boy.

Well Hello There!

What do we have here??!

Why, it's a COMPLETED St. Aula! Finished yesterday, and blocking in the photo above. I will take a nicer picture once it's dry, but I really wanted to show her off. I couldn't be happier!

Those familiar with the design will probably wonder about a missing piece - the hood. I was never 100% sure I would add the hood. Luckily, it's the last piece to be worked, and I had already completed the neckline when I decided to give it a go. I worked a few inches of it, and then pinned it to the neckline. It fit fine, however I found it to be a bit bulky around the neck. As I was not blessed with a long, graceful neck, I decided that having the bulk of the hood under my chin would not look particularly flattering. Not to mention how hot it would end up being. So, hoodless it is.

So, here are some of the details - St. Aula from Virtual Yarns, size Small, knit on 4mm needles. I used Mara as my primary colour, and Machair as the pattern colour. This was not a difficult project at all. Only 2 colours were used throughout, and the chart was only 12 stitches. The one thing I did not like, and really, it's my own issue, was knitting the sleeves on DPNs. It made for a cumbersome knit, and made the whole sweater far too attractive to the Little Dudes. They just loved all these flying parts and needles... Anyway, as I said, that was just my own pet peeve. But, if you do your colourwork sleeves on DPNs, and plan on knitting St. Aula, you may want to learn the 2 circular or magic loop method for them. Just sayin'.

And! That's not all I've been working on.

Doesn't look like much now... It's my selection for the "Knit a Norwegian" KAL that Lorraine and Jewel are hosting in Ravelry. The guidelines are - knit a Norwegian-designed sweater, with traditional Norwegian methods (so, knitting without add-in steeks, for example). I've chosen to knit the "Princess Line" sweater from the book Norsstrikkedesign, mainly because this KAL was not limited to just Dale of Norway designs, and I had the yarn in my stash. This Norwegian (because I just can't give myself a break), is a doosy, and I don't anticipate a quick finish on this one. A thing I like about working from this book? They don't sugar-coat the instructions. It's simply "cast on X, work this sequence, decrease Y on your last round, and then work the chart for your size. Oh, and don't forget to decrease and increase as indicated on the chart." Which is the way I like my patterns to be. A thing I don't like about this book? The charts are TORTURE. This particular design features all-over patterning, and unlike Fair Isle, it does not repeat every X stitches. So, the entire chart for the entire sweater (back and front are alike) fits on less than one page. Enlarge it you say? I've tried, and it's not really working out. Not to mention that the charts are in colour. So. Whatever. I'll figure something out as I go along.

"Hey Mae? You awake?"

"*sigh* I am. I wasn't, but I am now."

"Mom sure gets chatty when it comes to knitting! Do you think she'll teach me to knit?!"

"I thought you wanted to do taekwondo?"

"Yeah. That too, but knitting looks cool! It's all pointy sticks and swearing!!!"

There was a brief incident when I turned my back for 15 seconds, and came back to Malcolm going to town on poor Princess Line. Fortunately, it was early on, but I still had to rip back around 5 rounds of ribbing (or 1500 stitches, as Carrie pointed out...) in order to get all the pulled stitches back in line.

One thing I can absolutely guarantee you though. Atticus will not be using Princess Line as a blanket should it happen to fall to the floor.

"I hear a buzzing. Or is that a voice? You want me to what? Move? I don't think so."

My poor Central Park Hoodie fell off it's hook. If a sweater falls in the hall - Atticus will definitely hear it.

If it weren't for the ear sticking out at the bottom of the picture, you'd probably have no clue what the picture is of.

Have a great week everyone!

Happy New Year!

Here's to happy, healthy and successful 2010!

The Little Dudes want you to be as relaxed and happy as they are, and as content in your home as they are in theirs.

I'm looking forward to a year full of new knitting experiences, and plenty of finished pieces... More on that next week.

In the meantime - we here wish all our friends everywhere the best year ever in 2010!

"Happy New Year everybody! Thanks for making me feel so welcome!"

"What's your resolution, kiddo?"

"Atticus, I'm gonna do my best to try and not play with poop. I don't think Mom likes it very much."

"I don't think anyone does. Dude, that's just gross."

"Well, what's your resolution then, Big Daddy?"

"I have none. You know, at 11, I'm pretty happy with my life, so it's all good. I thought about maybe exercising more, but nah. I'm good."

The Holidays with the Little Dudes

In past years, I've spent Christmas with my sister and sister-in-law, but this year was different. They live in Nova Scotia now, and are building their new house, so Christmas this year was spent quietly and quite happily at home with my little family. We didn't get a chance to wish all our friends a Merry Christmas last week, but you know they were thinking it.

It was Malcolm's first Christmas.

"OK Santa, here's my list! Some crinkly balls, a real mouse to chase around, a red fire truck, um, tae kwon do lessons, a blankie with Batman on it, a puppy, some more crinkly balls so I always have a supply when I lose them...oh! And a role in the next James Bond movie! What? Why am I sitting in this warm thing? Mae told me too. She said that when the door closes, I'll able to see stars!"

So he didn't get a real mouse. Or a puppy. Or tae kwon do lessons... Or most of the stuff on the list, but they did get some crinkly balls! And some tasty treats from the vet's office (sssshhhhhh, don't tell them). There may or may not have been an attempt to dress Atticus up as Santa, but he was not in the spirit this year.

"How is that different from any other year?"

Did everyone have a good holiday?

"Oh yeah... Eating and playing on Christmas Day is sooo tiring..."

"Why can't Santa be a girl?"

"Santa's a dude."

"Santa could be a girl."

"Santa's a DUDE."

"Yeah, well you just don't want to think that maybe because it takes so much organizational skills and pre-planning and stuff that Santa would HAVE to be a girl. Let's see you do all of that present-making stuff!"

"I thought Mom was Santa."

"DON'T SAY THAT!!! Santa's real!"

"I didn't say Santa wasn't real. I said maybe Mom was Santa."

"Mom! Gandalf is saying you're fat!"

"I'm confused about this Santa business..."

I know quite a lot of places had a LOT of snow and cold this year - we got rain. Lots of rain and wind. Usually when the barometric pressure drops this time of year, I get a migraine. This time around it blocked my ears and gave me vertigo. I've never had that happen, but I'll take it any day over the headaches.

Oh! And I did knit.

And there's more to St. Aula's second sleeve. Gotta love the power of blocking, because that sleeve sure looks pretty crumpled. As much as I love St. Aula, I'm really not enjoying the process of stranded knitting a 2nd sleeve with 3-ply yarn. Everything is that much bulkier and harder to maneuver. But, it knits up quickly, so who knows how much I'll have done next week. I also worked on Dunadd, which I realize now I didn't photograph...whoops. Now that is some pretty impressive cable work, let me tell you.

Wow, this is my last post of 2009! Where does the time go?! And, this is my 200th post!

Thanks to everyone for reading this year. For all of your encouragement and kind words, I'm very thankful. I've learned more about knitting from my blogger friends than any book could have taught me.

Be safe on New Year's Eve!

The Week In Pictures

The hazards of tomatoes (fresh and just purchased) on the counter.

The hazards of leaving a plant dangling from an accessible location.

"Do it again Big Brother, that was COOL!"

The culprit.

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

So I swept up the mess, and decided to store the garbage bag in the bathroom for the time being.

I really need to pay more attention to fast moving objects before closing the bathroom door.

"I got locked in the bathroom! That was COOL!"

*sigh*

But, there were new discoveries to be made.

"Hello? Snow?! I'm Malcolm! Wanna play Bop Your Head on the Window? Over and over again? OK. You try to catch me, and I'll try to catch you! Yay!"

There was progress.

"What the hell is the squirt doing here?"

"He's fine. I'm fine. Relax, Mae. The more you run away from him, the more he thinks you want to play. Then he chases you. Then you hiss. Then he chases you. Then you whack him on the head. And he still chases you. You guys are lame."

"Yeah, well he'd better not come over to my side of the blanket..."

And there was some discipline, Big Daddy Atticus-style.

"Get off my chair."

"No!"

"Off.My.Chair."

"NO!"

"Fine. I'll just sit on you then."

"Oooof...Big Daddy! I was here first!"

"I'm bigger. And older. So move."

But in the end, you can always count on moments of peace.

"OK. Malcolm, we've been through this. I'm a dude. I do not have boobs."

Pictures shamelessly provided in hopes you'll not notice the lack of knitting pictures. There was knitting. But it feels like there has been no progress. I mean, a sleeve's a sleeve. And a sock is a sock. I'm aiming to have...oh wait. I'm not going to jinx it. Next week...

Lost and Found

Usually when I start looking for one thing in my stash, I end up finding something else. Actually, I'm not the one who found it -

"That would be me!"

I was searching for some red yarn I knew I had stashed along with my sock yarn. (Don't ask why, I don't remember now...). Pulling everything out of the sock yarn bin only asks for trouble with the guys. Malcolm decided to stuff himself into a plastic bag, and managed to pull this out.


A lone burgundy sock. I'm not sure why I have just one sock sitting in a bag at the bottom of my sock yarn bin. There's nothing wrong with it - it fits, there are no dropped stitches, the yarn is Fleece Artist Merino Sock Yarn, which is soft and the colour is great. Sure, it's top down, but that's OK too. I'm not sure why it ended up in a bag at the bottom of the bin, but I decided to finish up the second one. Even though I'm already working on another pair of Fleece Artist socks right now.

So it'll almost be a 2 for 1 deal when I'm done. Both skeins of sock yarn were gifties from my sister and SIL. A few years ago they stumbled upon a yarn store in Nova Scotia (where they now live. Not in the yarn store, in Nova Scotia. That would just be weird. But not for me. For them.), and thought - "hmmm, what is this Fleece Artist yarn? Must be local. Won't Brigitte like it if we brought her some local yarn from Nova Scotia?!". For non-knitters, they made excellent choices.

"Since when do you knit socks?"

Since I discovered the right yarn to use. I've learned over the years which wool is best for working with - and maybe I've become a bit of a yarn-snob as a result - and now I'm learning about which sock yarn I prefer using, and those that produce the best results. After all, if I don't like the yarn I'm using, I'm not likely to complete the project. I'm late arriving at the sock party... So, I'm actually giving myself a break from the big projects, and working on socks a couple of nights a week. And - sometimes after a long day at work, socks are about the only thing I can concentrate on.

There's more to it now, but here's the start of St. Aula's sleeve #1. This is such a beautiful design - a perfect example of 2-colour stranded knitting producing maximum results. I've been finishing up a few stealth projects as well, so - yes, that's what I have to show for myself.

Luckily, Malcolm has gotten into napping after dinnertime, leaving me with a few hours to knit without having to peel him off the body of the sweater, or try to unclench his jaw from around the stitch markers. What is it with those things?!! There's only one other cat in the household who does that...

"I love you, man."

Now that I have the last of my stealth knitting completed, I can finish up St. Aula. Oh, and work on *cough* Dunadd *cough* when I'm not in the mood for stranded knitting. (Ooooo, how gorgeous is this!)

"If I were in California, I'd be doing this cuddle action with my Auntie Carrie. She needs cuddles right now."

Unproductive

"This is my impression of Mom this week. "Oooooooo, I feel crappy! Ooooooo, I need to lie down! Oooooooo, this sucks!" She was sick with the flu."

"And this is my impression of Mom not knitting. "Ooooooo, can't concentrate!" She hardly did any knitting."

"And this is me. Really starting to worry that Mom will be too out of it to feed me. I mean us."

"And this is me, acting all tough in the face of the nasty flu virus! Stay away from my Mom, you...you...stupid flu virus! Yeah! I'm a tough guy!"

"But, mainly we did our best to make sure she took care of herself, and rested up. I think she's still a bit tired and sore, but she's getting better! Here, we're showing her how to rest up. It's important to renew your energy you know. She'll be back next week, hopefully having knit some."