Wednesday Meanderings

Let's begin today's post with a picture of my backyard.  I love this tree.  This tree is the reason I bought the house.  For those of you with eagle eyes, yes, there are lots of weeds along the fence and under the tree.  No, I am not in any hurry to go out in the blistering heat to pull them.  They'll wait.  They'll grow larger.  They'll still be there.


Meet Zoe.  Yes, she is fat.  No, she doesn't seem to mind.  Zoe is really Poppy's cat.  Poppy found her when we were out walking one day and made me bring her home.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.  Anyway, Zoe thinks she is a dog, has a delightful sense of humor and let's face it, a tummy that you just want to tickle.  She likes to sprawl around like this and so I felt it was only fitting that it be the pose we used to introduce her on the blog.

Meet my spider wort.  Isn't strange and wild?  I planted one little shoot several years ago and now it is taking over the front flower bed.  Having regaled you with my distaste for gardening in a previous post, it is obvious the plant will have free reign and do as it pleases.  As long as it smothers the weeds, it is okay with me.
Notice anything missing from this post?  Yep, no knitting.  On the needles I have 3 socks, 2 sweaters, 1 wrap, 1 cardigan -- I want to cast something new on the needles.  Obviously I have a bad case of startitis.  And I still haven't played with my new spinning wheel. Meh!

Well, I've blathered on a bit about nothing.  Have a great evening all.  Perhaps tomorrow will bring some exciting blog material.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Okay, deep cleansing breaths, I'll be fine -- squeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.  Sorry, I just can't stop.  You see on Saturday I was lucky enough to go to TNNA in Columbus -- Erika, you rock!  The yarn, the giants of fiber art, the rock stars of knitting, the yarn, the yarn, the yarn.  OMG!  3 days later and I am still giddy with the excitement of it all.  Heidi of Stitch Cleveland and I hung together and walked the show floor.  She knows everyone, I swear.   She is also uber cool and it was just more fun than humans should be allowed to have -- really!!! Hard as I tried, I was like a kid in a candy store.  Everywhere was fabulous yarn -- books -- designers -- yarn stars: Shannon Okey, Sharon of She Knits, Vivian Hoxboro, Cookie A, Nora Gaughan, the Yarn Harlot, Franklin, Lucy Neatby, Nora of Nonni, Maggi of Maggi Knits, and so many more I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  What an amazing experience.  

Knitters of the universe the Fall collection will be yummy.  Get those needles ready for some amazing knitting and crocheting -- just sayin!

On the Pug Posse front, all are well.  The heat we've been having lately is really hard on them, but we are adjusting.  Of course, I'm going to get an electric bill that will break the bank because by adjusting I mean I've cranked up the air conditioning and decided comfort beats food. 

Sunday started our sale at River Colors and it is a good one.  Five year anniversary!  Wow!!!!  The Sunday regulars were in -- I just love that group.  They come every Sunday and knit and chat and just are a total delight.  There was lots of yarn fondling and shopping and yes, I also weakened and got some Silke Tweed.  Enough for a sweater and a shawl -- I was weak, but I am not sorry.

Hope you all are having a great week.  I'm still high on TNNA fumes.  WOW!

Thursday's Random Ramblings into Friday

In all my pug gushing, it occurred to me that I failed to pay proper due to Her Royal Highness Princess Popperina Bossy Pants aka Poppy.  She is the matriarch of our posse and does her best to keep the pugs in line.  It is a tough job but she is very very good at taking care of business.  This is a rare photo since she is usually curled up in my arms which is why you rarely see her in photos.  The pugs believe she is a pug and she allows them this folly.  She is a champ.

Since blogger has deemed my photos uploadable, here is the finished Show your Colors Shawl in Claudia Handpaints John B Colorway.  I used 4 skeins and still the shawl seems a bit dainty to me.  I am not dainty -- do you see a problem?

Yes, I am doing a completely shitty job of blocking, but I don't mind.  I am, in fact, a process knitter and the finished products are not what I enjoy about the craft.  Don't get me wrong, sweaters, socks, etc. are lovely and I appreciate them, but my joy comes from the process.  By the time I'm at the blocking stage I've mentally left the project and wandered off to knit something else.  My bad ;-)  

So I started Anne Hanson's Alhambra -- Have I mentioned how much I love love love  Anne's designs.  Look at this -- yum, yum, yum.  Yes, ahem, it will requiring blocking when finished.  But let's not dwell on that just now.  Now we must frolic in the joy that is this fun and lovely pattern.  The yarn is Blue Moon Fibers Raven Series.

The flash washed out the color, trust me it is lovely. 

Well, I'm off to battle the laundry.  Have a wonderful weekend, hug your puppies and hope your knitting is to gauge.

Weed Warrior

At the last minute, I requested the remainder of this week as vacation and thus, spent portions of today battling the weeds which have taken over my "flower beds."  When I first bought the blue cottage I had fantasies of a cottage garden with flowers everywhere and singing birds and just a small plot of green, flowery loveliness.  But then life smacked me in the head with certain realities:  1.  I am not 16; 2.  my body does not like to garden; 3. my knees really hate gardening; 4. bugs bite me when I garden -- I hate being bitten by bugs; 5. there are more weeds than there is time to whack them into oblivion or even momentary submission; 6.  no matter how much yanking, clipping, digging, stomping, swearing you do, there will always be weeds you missed -- big honking 10 foot weeds that you'd have to be blind to miss, but yet, you missed.  Sigh!

The day spent hunting the wild weed was not fulfilling.  Yes, I filled a yard bag with yard waste.  Yes, I lots of little itchy bites where little nasty itchy bite creating bugs bit me -- I am really bitter about that.  Yes, I have mud on the knees of my jeans, dirt under my nails and mangled cuticles.  No, I am not happy about any of those things.

To break this incredible funk, I tossed the gardening stuf back in the garage, stomped in the house and spent some quality time with Mad Madam Mim -- my spinning wheel.  Isn't she beautiful?  I love her.  She made me very happy.  

Then I started thinking -- aren't these guys way cuter than flowers?  And they produce fiber.  Trader Joes sells cut flowers pretty cheap.  I could plop some of those cut flowers in a vase and get my flower fix and then I could fill my yard with these!

Now that is a lot of cuteness in small packages and they produce FIBER -- yes, I know I already said that, but  . . . fiber - spinning wheel - knitting -  happy Kimberton.  See, it works.  The neighbors might be confused but I'll just claim they are "designer dogs" -- hehehehe.   This little fantasy should help me get through the next few days as I attempt to clean my house.  Housework is just indoor gardening.  Yuck!

On a happier note, I finished the Show your colors shawl.  It is blocking and should be adorning my shoulders just about the time the weather decides to hit 90 with 100% humidity.  My, I'm a snark tonight -- blame it on the weeds, I am. 

I'll put a photo up tomorrow night.  Right now Blogger doesn't want to upload my photos -- bugger.  Happy Wednesday!

K

Yarn Madness

Well, after a glorious day at the Great Lakes Fiber Show, my stash has been enhanced, my credit cards and bank accounts are smoking from the action and I am an exhausted and happy fiber addict.  First, I bought a hitchhiker spinning wheel and met a glorious spinner (Hi, Susan) who really took me under her wing while I made the decision to make the spinning leap.  Pictures will be forthcoming.  I got to meet ANNE HANSON and CHRIS  of Briar Rose Fibers --OMG!!!  Rock stars of knitting.  Of course I made an absolute ass out of myself gushing and drooling and having them sign my yarn bag -- yep, I did!  And you know what, I would do it all over again.  What a thrill to meet such talented and wonderful folks.  I love fiber people -- they are the nicest folks EVER!

There was lots of roving (and yes, I HAD to get roving -- I have a spinning wheel).  There  were sheep and alpacas and border collies and fiber folks and it was just the best day ever.  My buddies Madeline and Joyce were with me -- total enablers, trust me.  Honestly, if I didn't have to work on Sunday, I would have gone back to the festival.  It is better that I didn't.  Who knows where I would have found the funding for day 2.  hehehehe.

On the pug front, the boys are fascinated by the spinning wheel and so, of course, I have to place it out of sniff/chew reach when not in use.  That was one of the deciding factors on the hitchhiker -- small and easily portable.  The top of the TV is a good spot -- I get to gaze lovingly at the wheel and they can't get to it.  (Says a lot about my decorating style - no?)  The weather has been perfect for pugs -- not too hot, not too cold and they have been getting lots of attention on their walks.   Yesterday a woman saw us as she and her husband were driving by.  She made him pull over so she could jump out of the car and get some pug love.  The boys now expect everyone to shower them with hugs and kisses and are deeply offended when folks walk by without paying homage.  

For those of you worried about my school work -- I did get all my homework in on time, but it severely cut into my spinning time.  Today I must do a bit of housework -- yuck -- but I plan to spend some quality time with my new wheel.  I'll keep you posted.  Happy Monday!

My Bad

Oh my, I have fallen under the seductive spell of yarny goodness once again.  Really, I was just sitting here reading  my favorite blogs when I fell off the yarn diet wagon -- again!  Knitspot is the home of the most amazingly beautiful lace patterns ever created.  In addition, the designer, Anne Hanson, writes patterns that are clean and fun and fabulous.  So there I was, drooling over her new May patterns and the yarn she used and BAM -- I was at this site -- Woolen Rabbit -- clicking away, tossing lace weight yarn into my cart with wild abandon and CHECKING OUT!!!  Sigh!  See, I like to fantasy shop online so I go to sites and shop as if I were a bazillionaire but I don't check out.  It amuses me, fulfills the need to add to the stash, without actually adding to the stash and the crushing credit card debt.  But every once in awhile -- okay, more often than not -- I hit the checkout button.  Now, if the merchant does not use Paypal, I am able to back out since I'm pretty lazy and don't want to go find the credit card.  BUT, if Paypal is an option, wham/bam/it is a sealed deal, madam!  Of course, I then had to go back to Knitspot and purchase the May patterns since I now had all this lace yarn on the way.

Now, the really sad part of this is that classes start on Monday and I am teaching sock knitting classes over the summer in addition to my Monday-Friday job (which pays for the yarn addiction) and I'm not sure exactly when I am going to have time to knit all this lace.  But at least I have it at the ready. 

I am still working on the toe up socks using the Glacier Lake pattern.  It is a great pattern and the sock is looking good.  A truly enjoyable knit and a pattern that I can do while riding the train to and from work.  My kinda happy sock pattern.

I am also still working on the Spunky Eclectic Show Your Colors Shawl.  I am doing it in Claudia Handpaints John B colorway that I bought at River Colors, but I think I am going to end up using 4 skeins instead of 3.  No worries, I took the precaution of buying 4.  Yes, this knitter has run out of yarn before running out pattern -- I just hate when that happens.

The pugs are pacing so it is potty break time.  Won't they be surprised to find out it is raining -- they hate rain.  Best go before I have "accidents" to clean up.  Have a great Saturday and happy knitting and hope you all get lots of pug kisses.

Friday at Last

Still no pics -- too lazy to find the camera.  Sorry!  Great arrivals in the mail today -- more sock yarn from the Loopy Ewe -- I LOVE THE LOOPY!!!  A fabulous bag from  www.mymichima.com.  It is a fabulous bag.  Perhaps even the bag of my dreams!!!!!!  Could I be a little obsessed with the exclamation points this evening????  Why, yes, it does seem to be out of control.  My apologies.  But this bag is to die for!!!  Trust me, it rocks.  It is the Santa Bag.  I love it.  Long strap, plenty of pockets  -- it is everything I hoped for and more.  Go, buy, you'll be happy you did.

On the knitting front, still working on the toe up sock. It is looking good and will make a photo debut soon.

The pugs are busy watching the hood -- no one is allowed to walk near the blue cottage.  Dirty job but someone has to do it.

Tomorrow I'm off to the Westside Market.  Photos may be taken.  We'll see.  Happy Friday All!