Sunny socks V.2

From the previous post: the yarn displayed on the table was Socks that Rock in Sherbert and Chapman Springs. They were purchased last October. Chapman Springs is currently available on their website. Sherbert, I've heard, can be ordered if you call Blue Moon directly.


This sock photo is from two days ago-- I'm currently working on a round toe, so I'll be able to finish the first LL sock tonight.

I've made this red onion and peach chicken curry concoction for the past two weeks. Anyone have a great curry recipie to try?

Toby prefers his usual Iams or greenies to curry...

Sunny Socks

Well, at least the sun's out at my house:

Lorna's laces sport bittersweet, truly basic sock in railroad stitch-- and a heelflap! (I haven't knit one of these for a long, long time.)

Usually my mood is quite elevated-- but I've been a little cranky lately. This is how I've been cheering myself up:

Mutant Amaryllis, part 3

As the first set of blooms starting to whither away, further surprises appear from the second stem. Yes, SIX blossoms have appeared. Six! This is truly a mutant amaryllis. How can knitting occur with such a strange and wonderul distraction?

Honestly, I've been watching 24 on DVD. I'd rate it's addictive qualities as three times more potent than sock knitting.

Hello. My Name is _________

...and I'm a yarn-aholic. Only one month, and I've fallen off the wagon! Can you spot the ugly truth below?

Before I would have said, "Well, I knit my only sweater's worth of Noro before-- so I'm just going to replenish the stash". This year I don't have the same excuse!

It's Noro Sakura, color #1. Lt DK, lovely striping, gorgeous spring-summer yarn. There's enough for a tank below. I'm not sure how to fit this purchase into the loopholes. Yes, it was on sale (Webs, once again.) Yes, it's more than four skeins. No, it's not exactly a sweater's worth...

So, I'm going to donate knitted items (Hats, scarves, mittens) to the Paul & Sheila Wellstone Elementary School in downtown St. Paul. If you're in the Twin Cities area and would like to join in, let me know. I'll make deliveries through the month of February.

[Renee thought this would suffice as penance. What do you think?]

On a Lighter Note...

Last week someone asked if Basenjis really do clean themselves like cats:

Toby was too bashful to show his bathing techniques.

Cranky Pants

Yes, I'm wearing my cranky pants today.

1. Wait for Metrotransit bus that never showed: 30 minutes. Winter freeze warning wind-chill factor: -10 degrees. Feeling my toes again: priceless. [I take the bus to work]

2. Purchased Favorite Socks last night at the Yarnery. The Austrian Sock pattern notes read: "Uberlieferte Strickmuster aus dem Steirischen Ennstal (Traditional Knitting Patterns from the Enns Valley of Styria) by Maria Ehlbacher is available from Schoolhouse Press."

LIARS!!! I've been trying to find these books (series of three) for the past 9 months! As far as I can tell, the last copies in North America were sold in Canada early last July... one week before I began my quest for the books. Meg Swanson (EZ's daughter, Schoolhouse Press) kindly responded to a few emails over the past year. She met with Maria in Austria last August. The books are out of print, and original plates have been destroyed. At this point Maria is not interested in reprinting them-- and Meg has not received a thumb's up for creating opti-copies of the text. I did find a few copies on Germany's Amazon site in October, but thought I'd perservere and eventually find copies somewhere on this continent. Thus far, it hasn't happened.

If any of you in blogland know of copies for sale-- or run across them on Ebay, Amazon (etc.) please let me know.

[During the holidays I was given Liesl Fanderl's Bauerliches Stricken series to quell my Austrian/Bavarian twisted stitch obsession. They're lovely, and the books are still widely available.]

3. (Related to #2) the Minnesota Knitter's Guild is holding their Yarnover drawing today and tomorrow. I've thought about joining, but never have. I truly regretted it when I saw that Meg Swanson is teaching a class called, yes, "Bavarian Twisted Stitches" this April. (Guild members have first pick of the classes.) I've talked to the Yarnover organizer, and she feels that there will be space in the class for non-members. I've never taken a knitting class before, but am truly hoping to take this one. My registration is in the mail. Here's hoping! *fingers crossed*

Dreary mid-winter days

So yes, the January UFO was finished last night. Sorry about the poor lighting, it's dark and cold in Minnesota these days.

Oh, but what's this? February's UFO, perhaps?

It's Patrick by Black Purl. The designer is from Wisconson, so we're nearly neighbors. I started the sweater *ahem* last February, and messed up on the shoulder shaping-- so set it aside. Neither sleeve has been knit, either. So, there's a bit of ripping and a good deal of knitting left. It's the largest size... I didn't measure the intended giftee (a 6'3" man), and really wish I did. He doesn't have a 53" chest, and I kept thinking, "It's ribbing. It'll fit". Oh, it will-- but measuring would have saved a great deal of time. (It's 42" unblocked) The yarn is a machine washable, organic wool- Cestari.

Last month's cheating sock #1: Lorna's Laces Sport in Bittersweet. I'm knitting them on US 1s (Crystal Palace dpns. Love em') It's rail road rib of 4x1x1x1

The mutant amarylis continues to grow. The second mega-blossom shows signs of another 5-part bloom.