Crochet All Day

So I'm A Bad Mother

2008-07-03T20:20:00.004-05:00

Offspring went for her second tattoo today.
What's that? I haven't shared her first tattoo? Ask and you shall receive:
For milady's right shoulder.

Tattoo number two she went with the Greek goddess Artemis (of whom I know little) on her left calf. You should probably know that Offspring is a complete wimpazoid, but she took it pretty well (better than the Stray did watching, it seems...either that or he's laughing at her):

I only got a shot after the outlining was done. I will get more shots tomorrow.

I know, parents shouldn't be so excited about their child getting a tattoo, but she's a good kid. She put a lot of thought into what she wanted (both times.) And I've got 6 of my own, so who am I to argue?

For my fellow citizens, I wish you a happy 4th.
Countdown 1,000: 85

Thursday Thirteen

2008-07-03T10:28:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since I did one of these, but I'm feeling inspired. So without further ado I give you...

Thirteen Reasons Why The Loopy Ewe Rocks
1. Sheri's handwriting. You get a personal note with every order (even when Sheri is out of town.) Her penmanship is great!
2. Instant gratification. I received an order before the paypal payment showed up on my online banking statement...really!
3. Aromatherapy. The yarn smells good...even after being in a box!
4. Frequent Shopper benefits. (Although this is a double edged sword since every time you go to your account, you can see how much you've been spending on sock yarn.)
5. Cute Overload. How can you resist the little sock wearin' sheep?
6. Enabling. I've gotten a little sample card with every order. (Again, another double edged sword, since I now have to order more yarn.) Being new to sock knitting, I don't know what's out there. The little cards really help.
7. Easy shopping. Her website is user friendly...and I mean if the user is my cat. It loads quickly, easy to navigate, very easy to continue shopping after adding an item to the cart (make that three double edged swords). I am impatient and if it's difficult to shop from a site, I won't go back.
8. Color me pink (or blue, or red). You can search by a wide range of colors. Sometimes I don't know what yarn I want or what pattern. All I know is I want a pair of pumpkin orange socks.
9. Goal Setting. If you order 5 times, you get to be a Loopy Groupie. Shopping for a purpose...yeah, that's what I'm doing.
10. Presentation. Getting a box from Sheri is like Chanamas. Everything is wrapped so prettily (word?). No "shove it in a box and get it outta here" from them! They pay attention to detail. Even though you know what you ordered, it feels like a big surprise as you unwrap the tissue paper (and The Loopy Ewe stickers are precious...see number 5.)
11. The Element of Surprise. To add to the Chanamas feel and to keep you from losing sight of your Loopy Groupie Goal, a little "extra" is added to the first five orders. Cats are also entertained by the dance inspired by the "extra".
12. Patriotism. Now more than ever we need to support small US businesses. In this economy, I am simply doing my part. (This appeals to my husband so he doesn't grouse so much.)
13. Time Management. Now that I've found my one-stop shopping site for all my sock knitting needs, I've got more time for knitting!

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Countdown 1,000: 86

Continuing the Theme

2008-07-02T11:04:00.003-05:00

Since I'm all about "Speak No Evil" lately, I want to continue the discussion and add that one should speak no evil about fellow knitters/crocheters.

In recent weeks I've seen the following statements made on the 'net (which, by the way, IS public.)

"I'd rather poke my eyes out than knit a dishcloth"

"Good knitters can knit with 5 DPNs"

I've also heard disparaging remarks about crochet and yarn choices.

We're in this together people! Why must we judge others? Yes, I understand that speaking badly about another crafter ranks low on the "threat to world peace" scale, but if we can't be nice to people with whom we share a common bond, then how will we ever learn to play nice with folks with whom we have nothing in common?

Some of these nasty comments have left me wondering if there are crafters out there who are only in it to feel superior to others. Please tell me this isn't the case.

Do folks really not realize that comments like these can offend or hurt? How awful for the poor soul who works for days to complete a dishcloth only to have someone say "I'd rather poke my eye out than knit a dishcloth." Some folks (like me) like to knit for pleasure. They are perfectly capable of using 5 DPNs but choose not to. And you know what? They are good knitters. The folks who can't use DPNs. Well, whaddaya know...they're good knitters, too!

I think the Knit World needs a Miss Manners.

Countdown 1,000: 87

Karma

2008-07-01T22:54:00.001-05:00

Twice in the last 7 days I've made some catty, snippy remark about someone and not 15 minutes later I run into them. Ok, I get it. I'll shut up now.
Countdown 1,000: 88

SOS 2008: Holy Smokes! Two Pairs Down!

2008-06-30T00:07:00.004-05:00

This is unbelievable. Spain wins and I finish another pair of socks (at 11:45 PM.)

Behold:

OOOOH

AAAAH

The lighting is really bad since my house is a dungeon and I'm forced to use the flash. I just didn't want to wait until tomorrow and daylight to take the pictures.

I blocked one to see if there was a difference in feel and fit. I think there is, but it may just be psychological. Bat enjoyed the blocking process at least:

Iz mah sock.

Countdown 1,000: 89

Yay!!!!!!!!!

2008-06-29T19:53:00.001-05:00

Countdown 1,000: 90

Weekend In Review

2008-06-29T11:46:00.003-05:00

The weekend isn't officially over, but I don't plan on doing anything more, so I feel safe in giving you a wrap up.

The Family and I went bowling on Saturday! I really stink! Final standings were:

1st Place: Hub-a-Dub
2nd Place: The Stray
3rd Place: Offspring
Distant 4th Place: Yours truly

I begged off the last 8 frames. My fingers were hurting and I let everyone know that I was not sacrificing my knitting for bowling. The Stray took over my turns and did very well (but still left me in Distant 4th so that should let you know how badly I bowl.)

My knitting karma has not been so hot the last 36 hours. As I've mentioned, I had to frog the first attempt of my Garter Rib socks. I did finish the second attempt around 6:30 last night, but I bound off too tightly. I had to frog and fix the cuff, and I'm still not 100% happy, but I'll make do with a 90% satisfaction rating.

Offspring wanted to go to Panera to work on her cross stitch so I agreed. (I was in the mood for a cherry pastry.) I took my Gift of Friendship (Rav link) scarf with me. Since the recipient-to-be is allergic to cats, I do not work on this at home. I keep it tucked away and work on it in cat-free zones (I realize there will still be some cat hair...but not as much as if I were sitting on the couch and Arnold came up and sat on the yarn.)

I've been doing quite well on GOF, but last night I missed a #$%& yarn over and had to go back and fix it. The powers that be must be rewarding me for knitting for someone else because I was able to frog and fix WITHOUT A LIFELINE. Pure miracle.

And that's about it for the weekend. Really exciting stuff, huh? The European Cup Soccer final is today. I'm hoping that between that and the rain, I can finish (or come close to finishing) the second sock of pair 2.

Countdown 1,000: 91

SOS 2008- A Setback

2008-06-27T17:33:00.002-05:00

I knew it was happening, but I ignored it. I thought if I kept knitting, everything would be fine. But at 3 AM, just as I finished turning the beautiful Andersson Heel, I could deny it no longer.

The sock was bulletproof and too small.

There was nothing I could do, but frog and go to bed.

I awoke refreshed and ready to start anew. I reached for my trusted Addi Turbo 1 1/2 (2.5 MM). I don't know why I didn't reach for them to begin with. They are my friends.

If I ignore my family, forgo food and sleep and drink plenty of coffee I think I can make the July 4 deadline on the SOS Ravelry thread.

Countdown 1,000: 92

We Interrupt the Regularly Scheduled Craft Post...

2008-06-26T23:05:00.003-05:00

¡Viva España!

Countdown 1,000: 93

The Real Brains Of This Operation

2008-06-26T21:57:00.004-05:00

Okie Schmokie, peeps. Confession time. I've decided Nichole is my blogging muse. I use her comment response system and her summer o' givin' button. Oh, and the new tagline above the banner? Totally her quote.

Maybe she and I need to get a Mason-Dixon bloggy thing going...except we aren't separated by the MD line.

Ok, Nichole. You're the brains. What will our hook be?

Summer of Socks Update
I cast on my second pair last night.

This picture does no justice to the yarn (nor does my knitting.) I just swoon every time I pick this up and start knitting. Be still my heart.

Dare I hope to post a second pair to the SOS Ravelry thread? Can I finish this pair before July 5?

Nichole (yeah, her again) and I have been back and forth about knitting speed and she mentioned that even if she knitted every spare moment it would still take forever for her to finish (I paraphrase). I'm on summer vacation. I've got a lot of spare moments and it still takes me a long time to finish. When I went to bed Tuesday, I had just finished the heel on my second Kermit. I sat down Wednesday and knit from 9 AM to 12:30 and finished. It took me 3 1/2 hours to knit 77 rounds! And that was what I considered "fast" knitting: Easy pattern, fast yarn (slippery) and fast needles (good sizing, likes the yarn.) This sock will be a little slower: Easy pattern, but slower yarn (wool) and slower needles (smaller than I'm used to.)

And there are folks posting their THIRD pairs!

Envy. That's one of the 7 deadlys, isn't it? I'm Jewish. Does that make me exempt?
Countdown 1,000: 94

New And Improved Flickr Meme

2008-06-26T11:16:00.002-05:00

This is the classic Flickr Meme with a new "spin" (*ahem*) Now, it's all about the yarn. Kudos to Robyn.

The Questions
What is your first name? Sara
What is your favorite yarn? Bamboo/Cotton Blend
What was the first thing you made with yarn? Afghan
What is your favorite color? Robin's Egg Blue
Which crochet or knitting designer do you have a crush on? Elizabeth Zimmerman
Favorite handmade gift you have received? Doily
Dream project? A sweater that fits
Favorite notion? Rubber Bands
What will you crochet/ knit next? Socks
What do you love most about yarn? Its squooshy
One word to describe your craft. Zen
Main inspiration to craft. Peace

How to Play:
Type your answer to each of the questions above into Flickr search.
Using only the first page, choose an image.
Copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker over at FDs Image Maker.

My results:

1. Sara dans la Brume, 2. Sexy Yarn - Crystal Palace "Panda Cotton", 3. kalafghan 003, 4. TWINS..., 5. BSJ-Guinness3, 6. Sunday Blues, 7. ...i will give you lots of kissies and love bites, 8. Rubber DoF (Strikk), 9. 133: SOTTS will make you jump!, 10. P I N K, 11. Japanese painting, 12. yawn

Countdown 1,000: 95

Kermit the Socks

2008-06-25T12:27:00.003-05:00

I finally finished my rpm's, but I've decided "Kermit" is a better name for them.

I'm really pleased with this pair. I still have a little perfecting to do when it comes to heels (and that pesky gap at the gusset,) but I'm getting there.

Pattern: rpm
Yarn: Panda Cotton by Crystal Palace Yarns (59% Bamboo, 25% Cotton, 16% Elastic Nylon)
Color: Fern
Amount: 1 ball per sock, with plenty to spare from each ball
Needles: 40" Addis 1 1/5 (I think 2.25 MM, but don't quote me)

Did I mention how excited I am? I may never get the hang of sweaters, but I am lovin' the sock knitting!
Countdown 1,000: 96

I Declare Today To Be Good

2008-06-24T21:38:00.003-05:00

The big news of the post: after teaching Spanish for 10 years, the state of Alabama has declared and certified that I may now officially teach it and that I am considered Highly Qualified in accordance with No Child Left Behind (even if we have to drag them kicking and screaming along with the parents who think teachers are incompetent and that's why their children can't learn and it has nothing to do with them thank you very much.) I gots me the official paper in my hot little hands.

Now, for the fun stuff. After fighting skeins and hanks and Hub-a-Dub's refusal to let me use his hands as holder, I bought a swift and ball winder a while back. I had my first occasion to use both today.

Things did not start out well as I discovered that every table I owned had too wide an edge. But I remembered an old card table the in-laws gave us that we never use. It's a really nice piece made of teak. It folds up with the chairs tucked away inside. Quite fancy actually. So everything is ready to go:

Had a bit of a false start in which some rogue yarn got up under the swift and got nice and twisted up. I also discovered the swift needed to be a bit behind the winder. So I set up again:

Meanwhile,

Ash crept closer:

and closer: and closer still:

As I finished, he finally got up the nerve to investigate:

When I dyed this yarn a couple of summers ago, I didn't know how I felt about it. But now that it's wound up in a tastycake I quite like it.

I think it yearns to be a sock...but I've been known to not listen to my yarn.

Countdown 1,000: 97

Summer o' Socks- May The Knitting Commence

2008-06-23T23:00:00.004-05:00

I was invited to this swell kick-off party Saturday night so off I went at midnight to cast on. I finally decided on rpm for my first SOS sock. I'm just not feeling a multi-hued yarn for the Tangled Vines.

So midnight (CST) arrived and I cast on for the sock, finished the ribbing and went through 2 9-row pattern repeats. Here's the progress pic I took Sunday morning:

I sat down Sunday and screwed up the heel, so I started over again. I finished the first sock this evening and I've already cast on number two. Hopefully, I finish the second one a little faster. I'm doing my own heel and toe thing since the pattern is written for 2 circs and I prefer the Magic Loop. Hub-a-Dub was impressed it wasn't a striped sock. I guess my next pair will have to be solid colored.

I'm trying not to get down on myself and my slow speed. Folks are already posting completed pairs over at Ravelry!
Countdown 1,000: 98

Summer o' Socks-Kick Off Celebration For One

2008-06-20T21:59:00.002-05:00

Dear Self,
You are cordially invited to the 2008 Summer of Socks Kick Off Party
Date: June 21, 2008
Time: Midnight
Location: The Living Room
Dress: Jammies
In lieu of gifts, please bring the Panda Cotton in the Fern colorway and the pattern for rpm

Countdown 1,000: 99 (woot! double digits!)

Clickety Cllickety Clickety

2008-06-18T21:40:00.004-05:00

Andrea is the proud new owner of the SOG Giveaways!

I know it's hard to understand: just givin' away stuff. I've got 20 years of stuff lying around and I just find it easier to give it away. No strings, I pinkie swear.

In other news...
I really appreciate all the nice things y'all had to say about Cherry. I promise it is a trick of the camera, but the sweater did not look good on me.

See the guy on the right? Now compare it the original, un-edited "me in the sweater pic":

I will concede that the hairdo may have more to do with the similarities than the sweater. (And I need a gardener.)

Yes, I know. Too hard on myself yada yada yada. (I'm pretty sure "don't whine so much" is becoming a Don't on the Rules of Good Blogging list. I'll have to keep this in mind for future posts.)

I do appreciate how much positive reinforcement you've given me over the years. Please insert sappy, mushy thoughts here. (Any fans of Flipping Out around? I could invite you to a mandatory We Appreciate You Cocktail Party...)
Countdown 1,000: 100

'Tis Better to Give

2008-06-18T10:58:00.004-05:00

I forgot how fun swaps were! I'm madly putting together a package for the Pamper Me swap at Crochetville. After a few starts, I think I finally know what I'll make for my partner. I want to post a picture, and I took a close-up thinking it wouldn't reveal too much, but now I think it does. Guess I'll have to wait.

Now get ready because it's time for:

I have two offerings today.
1st: A set of Little Boxes

Please note that one pattern is missing from the Little Box of Knitted Throws. Be the first to e-mail me and claim them. Offer expires June 25.

Next up: A book of crochet patterns.

You know the drill: click fast! Offer expires June 25!

Now, I am going to go enjoy an empty house.
Countdown 1,000: 101

Swap Swap Gals-The Questionnaire

2008-06-18T10:46:00.004-05:00

Please excuse me while I totally beg to be a part of this: Swap Swap Gals
Please let me in, pretty please?
Hobbies?
Crochet, Knitting, Reading, Sleeping

Crafts?
Crochet, Knitting

Favorite Colors?
Seriously, anything.

Favorite Animal?
cat, cat, cat, and cat

All Dislikes?
injustice, racism, rudeness, asparagus

Favorite Candies?
payday candy bar, zero bar

Favorite Smell Goods?
lavender, vanilla, cinnamon, peppermint

Other things you may like or may not like?
Can't think of anything. I'm pretty laid back about anything. Just please don't send scorpions or other creepy crawlies.

Countdown 1,000: 102

Hopped Up On the Queue

2008-06-16T13:20:00.003-05:00

The nice thing about summer vacation is I get more time to piddle around at Ravelry. I am just discovering the beauty of the queue. (By now, no one should be shocked that it's taken me this long to figure out the capabilities of the queue.)

When I first got to ravelry, EVERYTHING went into my queue. Now I know better. Most things go into my faves. Yesterday I cleared the queue and now all that's left is what I actually plan to start making in the next few months. During yesterday's Father's Day cleaning I put all the yarn for 4 projects in its own box or bag. I also put the pattern with the yarn. I'm set for the next few weeks.

Before yesterday I had the following projects in mind:

one of these three sweaters,

Tiramisu,

either Tangled Vines or RPM:

and the Organic Guernsey:

But Offspring got so excited about the Cherry, that I decided to bump that one to the front of the queue. My other projects will have to wait.
Countdown 1,000: 103

A Blast From The Past

2008-06-15T20:10:00.004-05:00

Let me direct you to this post from November, 2005.
Scroll down and read a bit.

Right before the last paragraph.

That MALE.

It was The Stray. How's that for weird?

To bad he never learned to knit....

Countdown 1,000: 104

Cherry Is Done!

2008-06-15T18:19:00.006-05:00

I cast off Cherry:

I am not willing to call this a failure since Offspring went crazy for it when she saw me in it. I'm going to frog this one and make hers with the yarn. After all, it is Crimson Tide red and I won't be using the sweater. I'm thinking I'll use a size 8 needle for hers so I'll have to pull the calculator out to do some math (again.)

I'm discovering that much of my sweater disappointment comes not from my knitting, but from my choice of pattern. I do not pick patterns/shapes that are flattering on me. For instance, I have pretty broad shoulders. Cap sleeves tend accentuate my linebacker silhouette (at, least the seem to when I look in the mirror.) Both Cherry and Juliet* have cappish sleeves. V-neck sweaters and cardigans tend to look better on me. Most sweaters that I wear tend to be sleeveless or long sleeved. (Is anyone thinking V-neck vest?)

Also, most of my weight is carried in my belly. The last thing I need is to use bulky yarn. I am promising myself right now that I will only use worsted and lighter from now on. (Knit So Fine might be purchased somewhere in the future.) Although I am self-conscious about my tummy, I liked the fitted look of Cherry. The picture doesn't show it well, but Cherry carved out a little waist-line curvature that normally isn't there. One of the things I never liked about my Mondo Cable project was the cable running right over my belly. I'm wondering if I should have used a plain stockinette stitch instead.

The more sweaters I make the more I learn. One day, Sara, you will be successful.

As for the other week-end activities, Hubster was vile and requested that I clean the craft room as my Father's Day gift to him.

Guess who I am...
I have to own up to it; the room really had gotten out of hand.

Just don't tell Hubster I said that.

I forgot to take a "before" shot, but I did remember the "after" shots:

I think that the fact that it still looks messy gives you an idea of how big the ~~pile of crap~~ craft supplies problem had become.

The only thing that made the whole clean-up bearable was the fact that he requested Offspring clean her room, too. *snicker*

*I refuse to be photographed in that one
Countdown 1,000: 105

Successful Blogging

2008-06-15T00:20:00.002-05:00

You may or may not know that I have recently been obsessing over my blog.
Do people like it?
Do they read it?
Is it visually appealing?
Is my writing up to snuff?

I've trolled the internet and I've read many articles. I've also read numerous responses at the Critique My Blog group on Ravelry. Here are a few common Do's and Dont's:

Do's
Lots of pictures (notice the last two posts had an image?)
Be original (notice the last two images are not?)
At least 100 words (anyone know if blogger will do a word count for me?)
Post regularly (erm...do June, July, and August count?)
Interesting posts (crap.)

Don'ts
No embedded music or sounds (No worries there, I don't even know how to do that)
Not too many flashing images (notice, no women showing the boobies here)

Whoops! Sorry! Honestly, I don't know how they got in here (Damn boobies.)
Czech ur speiling. Maek shur ur grammer can't be don sucking*

Now, I'm going to temper all this with a few thoughts of my own:

Most teachers will teach using a method that reflects their learning style. So, a teacher who learns by listening is most likely to lecture; who learns by seeing, video or other visual means.

In a similar way, my blog reflects my reading style.

As a reader I...

avoid long posts (like this one is becoming.) You know, the ones where you keep turning that mouse wheel? I subscribe to about 80 blogs. Even if only half regularly update, I could be reading quite a while. (Keep in mind, there is no time for blog reading at work. I am not a teacher whose students dutifully pick-up their worksheets at the beginning of class and turn them in at the end.)
crave pictures (I can do better with this). There's truth to the old adage "A picture is worth a thousand words"
like consistency. I'm not good with change. A new template every week makes me sad. And I've tweaked a bit, too, but I think I'm pretty much set from now on. It's starting to feel like a comfy robe.
also dislike blatant grammatical and spelling errors (and I don't mean those "snap I typed it too fast" common errors)
like to see my name in print and linked. That's why I try to link up to folks regularly. This might constitute "dropping links without reason" but I'm not sure.
appreciate regular updates. Like pictures, I could do a better job.

Most importantly, there is this concept:

I mainly blog for me. No, I don't want to exclude or annoy the very nice people who read my blog, but I also don't want to get so wrapped up in blogging "rules" that I stop enjoying myself. This is especially important since my blog is NOT my livelihood. I am not promoting a book, business or otherwise. Just lil' ol' boring me.

Thanks for reading.
Countdown 1,000: 106

*And I quote from a published best seller:

" Jewelry's left but Helen's knitting is stole?"

1. Shudder
2. Credit: Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton (and I totally blame the poor woman's editor who probably didn't even have the ball to drop.)

WWKIP-NOT!

2008-06-14T09:54:00.005-05:00

Here in Alabama there are 5 WWKIP events. Two in Tuscaloosa, and one each in Huntsville, Jacksonville and Troy. When last I checked on events, only the two in Tuscaloosa were listed. Alas, I have discovered too late the one in Troy.

But it doesn't really matter. Hubby said with the price of gas, there was no reason to drive 45 minutes (the distance to Troy...the closest.) He said he would buy me a lawn chair and set me up in the front lawn. He also reminded me to wave to anyone who drove by. He's a laugh riot (but he's adorable and loves to clean the kitchen...so I'll keep him.) Actually, I would take him up on it...if it weren't hotter than...well, you get the picture.

My KIP will be done at the 11:45 showing of The Hulk. Anyone care to join me? Auditorium 4. I'll be there!

Countdown 1,000: 107

50 Book Challenge #9- It Counts!

2008-06-14T00:13:00.002-05:00

Say what you want, but reading The Opinionated Knitter counts toward my total.

Elizbeth Zimmermann was an amazing woman. It's times like this that I wish I was better at expressing myself. If you read no other part of the book, read the final pages. Quotes from knitters far more eloquent than I express it better than I ever could.

Anytime I work on an EZ pattern, I'm in awe. I keep thinking "It's just garter stitch, but it's not boring!"

EZ is even one of my post categories!

Countdown 1,000: 108

In The Interest of Post Inflation

2008-06-13T23:51:00.004-05:00

I will create an entirely new post instead of editing the previous one.

Since I have joined 2 swaps (that's my limit. When I'm done with these, I may find another swap.), I needed some handy way to remind myself of the deadlines. Enter the My Notes gadget for iGoogle!

Could someone please tell me why I was at Yahoo so long? No wonder Offspring thinks I'm a dinosaur. She's been using Google for years! Boy, I feel so slow.

Countdown 1,000: 109