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Front Page News
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Here it is, the six day sweater. We had a nice overcast evening; perfect for photographing those tricky oranges. Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Neck Down Pullover by Diane Soucy Yarn: Araucania Nature Wool Chunky, color 108 ~7 skeins Needles: size 9 + 7 (Addi Turbo circs + Brittany dpns) Size: I knit the small but at a slightly larger gauge to hit a target size of medium. Actual finished size = 45" Etc: Minor pattern wrangling due to gauge variation. Reversed the decreases on the sleeves....
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You may know him better as my knit model. He's such a good sport. He's modeled knits made for people larger than I, or things made for me when I'm having a bad hair day and don't want to pose. He's my gaming partner, cycling buddy, yarn hoarding enabler, knitting companion, blog instigator, carpooler, and sweetie pie. He's a lot of other things too but I promised him that I'd maintain some of his mystery. I spent the weekend spoiling him rotten. Now that he's received...
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Last week I posted the Counterpoint scarf that I made for Rob . We took a quick but adequate photo on his birthday when he received it and I planned to get a better shot during daylight hours. Well that turned out to take a long time. Thank the deity of your choice for digital photography. I could not have afforded to take as many shots as it took to get even a decent one. I'm not a great photographer. I think most of the pix that I post are pretty decent, but it takes from a handful to a couple...
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This is the baby blanket that I finished early this week. Rob came home from Northeast Heritage Music Camp with the camera, so now I can show you my newest FO! Pattern: Basketweave Baby Blanket from Vogue Knitting on the Go: Baby Blankets Yarn: Lion Cotton Ease, orangeade Needles: Size 7 (Addi Turbo 32") Size: 33 x 33 Etc: I originally got the yarn for Rusted Root, but realized it was way too heavy for a summer top. So I made this blanket instead. Last night I headed up to join Rob for dinner...
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The best part about making gifts for people who don't read my blog... Is that I can show my projects to you right away! That's Djevellue for Addie, daughter of my friends R & D. I picked up a skein of Socks That Rock from Juno when she last destashed. Since the skein was from when the STR yardage was shorter it was thus not enough yarn to make socks to fit me - unless I wanted short cuffs which I don't. I loved the yarn and the color and so I've had my eye out for a pattern to...
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Vermont Sheep & Wool Festival was this weekend. Yesterday me and the boy went to pet sheepies and bunnies, fondle and procure fiber-y goodness and create general mayhem with friends. I forgot to bring the camera for the 4th consecutive festival, but Norma did a pretty good job of documenting the highlights in a fly by sort of way. I'm pleased with my purchases: the Hebrides sweater kit from Mostly Merino (website not up yet), 3 sk of Maine Organic yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery , 5 sk...
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A good friend of mine, Lisa Cox, has just started blogging , while starting a grassroots run for president . This gives you an idea of her energy level and verve for multitasking. Personally blogging while running for President. That's virtually unheard of , and may be the edge she needs to overcome the Romneyatch political juggernaut that has swept her state . Lisa's still figuring out the little niggling details, like inserting images, hyperlinking, and universal healthcare, but if I know Lisa,...
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My team placed 25th in the Dragonboat Festival last weekend. We were 24th going into the finals, the top 25 teams (out of 77) got to compete in the final round. Our poor showing in the last heat was for the most part due to timing. It occurred less than an hour after our previous heat; we hadn't had as much time to recover as the other teams. After the initial disappointment of coming in last in a heat for the first time all day, we bounced back feeling proud that we'd made the finals. Not...
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You may recall the Rainbow socks that I completed about a month ago. I had a good-sized pile of yarn leftover, possibly even enough for another pair for me. Weighing the remains determined that I only had ~80% as much yarn as I used for the first pair. So I decided to make an appropriate sized sock to use up the yarn. My plan has been to give them to the first person whom they fit which is why I've named them Cinderella socks. Of course I will select who gets to try them on; they won't go...
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I am pleased to report that I have a new fiddle. I am, however, sad to announce that I needed to go out and get a new fiddle. The image shows the new wee sleekit beastie in repose. The new fiddle is a four-stringed Aquilla model by Bridge Instruments in the UK. Yes, it's black, and oddly shaped. The body is made of a carbon fiber composite with kevlar added to the front plate. Unlike most electric fiddles, this has a hollow body resonating cavity, so it is nearly as loud as a traditional acoustic...
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My Uncle Bill Bauer died last month, and this has hit me pretty hard. His diabetes had flared up pretty hard over the last decade, forcing him into early retirement. As a priest, early retirement is not a good thing, as the church houses you as long as you can say the occasional mass, but doesn't pay you enough to go out and buy your own home once you retire. Bill was a brilliant man, from a brilliant family that seemed to marry the best of faith and reason, and combined with a remarkable empathy,...
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Last weekend I went to Falcon Ridge Folk Festival . I've been going there on and off (but mostly on) for almost 15 years. It's a weekend filled with music and dancing and camping and mud and sun and friends. I was delighted to see some old favorites like Eddie from Ohio , Wild Asparagus , Arlo Guthrie , Richard Shindell . And to discover new favorites: Red Molly , Tidal Wave . And danced until I had blisters. And then danced some more. There was also knitting. I finished my socks. That one...
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I finally organized my yarn. I found a few treasures that I forgot I had and a few that I had forgotten where I'd placed them. Best of all I got inspired to knit with what I have. I also found some pre-blog FOs. Since I've been organizing rather than knitting, it gives me something to show off! For a couple of years, an LYS ran a promotion whereby they invited their customers to bring in a particular winter garment to be included in a seasonal display. At the end they randomly gave prizes...
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Why do I procrastinate on finishing? This lovely little kimono was knit + seamed at least two months before the baby for whom it was knit made her arrival. So why did I wait until after she was born to sew on the frog? That's all it needed - a 10 minute task. The pattern calls for a ribbon closure. While beautiful it seemed too fussy to me. So I used a frog instead. Pattern: Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono by Cristina Shiffman in Mason-Dixon Knitting Yarn: Cascade Sierra, purple (color more...
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So after reading Emily , Norma , and Naomi 's posts with pix from VT Sheep & Wool fest, I felt like a slacker for not having posted any pix yesterday. Unfortunately, as I mentioned already, I forgot the camera, so you'll have to go see Emily for sheepie pix but here's most of my haul... Green Mountain Spinnery Maine Organic worsted in an adorable little bag. The skeins are typical 4 oz sized, the bag is Lilliputian. Gurdy Run Farm and Woolen Mill 3-ply alpaca/wool. This is the stuff...
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Why is it that two skeins laid side-by-side can look exactly the same, but when you knit them up, they look like this: I suspect that the baby won't notice, right? Right? Finished the seaming tonight. Now it just needs a little swish and block and some buttons and it'll be ready for Fall's chilly breezes. Darn! I meant to take photos of the adorable buttons, but I forgot. You'll just have to trust me that they're perfect....
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It may seem like I've been finishing a lot of stuff lately. Not so much though when you consider that yesterday's scarf posting was knit back in May. Finished these yesterday. Pattern: My basic toe-up sock pattern with an afterthought heel. Yarn: Gurdy Run Woolen Mill 3ply alpaca/wool blend. 1.25 sk Size 3 needles, Brittany dps. Etc: Made as a Solstice gift for ************. Modeled by Rob . (If they won't fit Rob, they're not for you. Sorry.) I decided not to tip the cuffs with the...
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What's that? You say I don't knit anymore? Admittedly, it's been pretty slow going. I had that finishing frenzy in March, then I started Lizard Ridge, then I was swamped with end-of-semester work, then I was training for the Vermontreal (my bike vacation). Through it all, I started a baby blanket, a hat and a sock. More on the hat and sock later in the week. Rob is away at band camp and took the camera with him, so I have to make the pix I have last as blog fodder until he returns. I...
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I submitted my final project a couple of hours ago. Yay! I was so stuck on the ACL for DHCP - I kept using the dhcp pool as the source address range, when duh - the client doesn't have an address yet if it's sending a DHCPDISCOVER so the source address needs to be unrestricted. And that's all I'm going to say about that. For the next 3 months it's knitting, cycling, reading, kayaking and not much else. Wheee!...
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The Cinderella socks are finished. I *think* they'll fit the person I had in mind but I won't know for about a month when I see her next. The yarn is leftover from a pair of socks that I made for me. I'm not thrilled with the short rows, the same technique I've been using all along made small holes in these. I'm not taking them out again; I'm chalking it up to my sock knitting learning curve. Fortunately, I've discovered a new short row technique that not only looks better,...
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Shelagh said: "You have amazing restraint!" in reference, I believe, to my intent to knit a washerload of knits before felting my Lucy Bag. Hmmmm, perhaps. I guess my cheapskatedness is stronger than my need for immediate gratification. But because my need for gratification is not insignificant, the Lucy Bag in waiting motivated me to make the replacement green mitten for Dulaan (not pictured) and a kitty pi (pre-felted) shown here in its native environment in front of the heater: Those...
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Lovin' this warm weather. Though I feel rather sluggish because I didn't take the walk I'd planned for the weekend. Instead, I've been on a finishing frenzy all weekend. I actually only finished 2 items, though 2 others are *this* close. I seamed the Baby Kimono, now it just needs a closure. Another pair of glovelets are almost done, but I decided that I want the recipient to try them on before I finish the second one. I used this pattern for my aunt a year + change ago. I started this pair for me...
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I went to bed thinking I had another half skein to knit to finish her off. When I woke up, I got thinking about Grumperina's reminder in her latest post about the fact that scarves usually grow with wear. So I decided to try it on before knitting this morning. The length was in the middle of the perfect range! AND I had left off at the perfect place in the pattern to start the end triangles. So I did. I call it Baby Eleanor because it's a scarf sized version of Lady Eleanor. I love the size...
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So this evening Rob is out on the deck grilling up some chicken and asparagus for our dinner and calls in to me in the house, 'Come outside, there's a balloon!' So I did. I said to Rob, 'It's going to fly right over our house!' If didn't quite, but it sure came close! We live near a popular launch for hot air balloons, so it's not an uncommon sight. But this is only the second time I've seen one fly so close to my house. The first time , Rob had the camera. The...
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