Someone Stop Me

Wasp Nest on Our Garage Door

Hello!

Yes, that is a wasp nest (or perhaps hornets' nest) I found on our garage door.  EEEEEK!

I want to say thank you again to my daughter, Moogie, for taking time out from her busy schedule to guest blog for me.  In the fall, I plan to spend a few days in Portland with her, and we can go to some of the places she wrote about.

WIP's

Warning, there are photos of the SolidSocks Mystery Sock Clue 1 in this post.  If you don't want to see it, please don't scroll down.

I have been very busy with my knitting.  I cast off quite a few things last week, and of course immediately cast on some new projects.  What is wrong with me?  or am I just like every other obsessed knitter?

This month for Sock Knitters Anonymous, the challenge is to knit a pattern that is Underappreciated.  The rules are:

"patterns that have up to and including 15 or less projects listed on the pattern’s project page including all active, hibernating, frogged and/or ugh! projects. In the case of one pattern being translated into alternate language versions, the combined total for all the versions must be under 15. Every pattern page has a link in the lower right to all that designer’s patterns. For this challenge, please make a point of checking out the designer’s other patterns to make sure there are no additional versions!"

There are also 2 designers you can choose from, if you don't want to do an underappreciated pattern (or can't find one).

One of the designers is Anne Campbell, who designed Circle Socks, a pattern I have long admired and wanted to knit when I had time.  This pattern really needs a variegated yarn, so if I chose it, it wouldn't count for Solid Socks (whose challenge color is green).  OOOOO and I love doing two-fer projects and getting credit from both groups.

Solid Socks, in addition to the color challenge, has a mystery sock challenge every two months.  This month the designer of the Mystery Sock is YarnYenta (Heatherly Walker).

So what to do?  How can I decide?  I am trying to finish the Belinda Jane Doll from Flutterby Patch for my niece, M's 4th birthday this month.

I'm working on the Echo Flower Shawl for my mom.  I am on the 11th of 13 repeats of the main section.

 I'm making the 5th of 21 Spa Washcloths, idea from the Liz Marino Gift Knits Club.

I'm working on a pair of Better than French Vanilla Socks for my son, J.

I'm knitting a chemo hat for  Sharing Our Gifts.

and am making 2 afghans with 2012 BAMCAL.

So, what do I do?

I decide to make BOTH SOCKS!
Really, someone should stop me.

I have cast on and am about 1/2 way through the first clue of the Solid Socks Mystery sock.  It is called Rombikiri.  I am using the gorgeous Granny Smith colored yarn (remember, the challenge is GREEN) by Huckleberry Knits that I bought during the Puget Sound LYS Crawl at Apple Yarns, in Bellingham, WA.  I loved that shop, and loved their sock yarns.

  I bought a 2nd skein of apple themed yarn there, also from Huckleberry Knits, called Honeycrisp.  Have to say, that is one of my favorite apples, and the yarn's colors really give the feel of the fruit.

I have not cast these on yet, but I have separated the skein into 2 balls (so I can knit 2aat), and am hoping to start them soon.  I just need to get that doll finished!

I have made huge progress on the doll, and can't wait to have her all done.  I am also sewing some quick ballet costumes for my sons' studio performance this Friday.  So, I have somewhat limited time to knit.

EEK!  Why am I making two pairs of socks this month?

Because I love to knit socks.

Where in the World is f1bercat?


I knit another 5 miles today on my spa wash cloths.  I am not pedaling very fast though.  I am trying to watch my speed and not the timer or the mileage as I knit, but I have slowed down a bit from before I got the flu, and just can't seem to get the speed back.  It really doesn't matter how fast I ride, because I am trying to work up to 30 minutes of riding.  The miles don't really count.  Right?  Why must I compete with myself?

I also walked .5 miles while reading The Game of Thrones.  I got a tiny bit antsy because I would rather be Knitting!  ( I love to read, but just can't seem to focus lately), but reading really helps me last.  I am trying to work up to 1 mile a day walking.  I will need to get faster or I will be on the treadmill forever!  I'm so out of shape, that I am very very slow right now.  At least I feel good and not super sore after my "workouts."


View Larger Map

Look, I made it to Milwaulkie.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet one, two, three pairs of socks at a time

blurry photo of a deer in our backyard

 

FO Friday

Purple Iris 2012.05.25

FO

I have a few Finished Objects to share with you this week.

FO 1
I was working on an afghan square using Broomstick Lace for the Harry Potter Knit/Crochet House Cup Group  (HPKCHC) on Ravelry.  This was for the "Flying" class.  One choice of prompts for May was to crochet something using broomstick lace as a way to get to know your  broomstick.  I had heard of broomstick lace, but never tried it.  The group requires squares of at least 8 inches, so, I made four 6 in squares, and then joined them into one 12 in square that can be incorporated into one of the afghans I am already making.  I decided to use red, white, and blue yarn, and make it for my son, J's, University of Arizona Afghan.  The broomstick part was relatively easy, but I had a bit of trouble keeping the framing stitches, well, square.  Hopefully, it will block into a square.

FO 2
I finished the fish hat that will be a wedding gift for my nephew, A, in June.  I had already finished the gift for his bride to be, the pair of Better Than French Vanilla Socks that I made with the Liz Marino Gift Club, earlier this year.

I had originally thought to make them matching socks, and I am making another pair of socks with this pattern, but not for my nephew.  I decided that I would make him something completely different.

A hat that looks like a dead fish.

It seems a perfect wedding gift for a 30 something year old man.

FO 3
I also finished the MOCK (mystery sock) that I was knitting with the SKA (sock knitters anonymous) and SolidSocks Groups.

The challenge for the Potions Class in HPKCHC was a riddle:

What you see before you is this;
When one does not know what it is, then it is something;
but when one knows what it is, then it is nothing.

The answer to this riddle is "a riddle."  But, I thought that "Mystery" would also be a possible answer, so I have submitted my mystery socks to the group, hoping that I will get credit for them.  As far as I can tell, you only need to do one class every month, but in order to be "sorted" into a house, you need to accrue points, and you get points by completing assignments.  So, if there is a way to get points for something I am making already, I plan to submit and see how it goes.

. 
FO 4

My final finished object for this week is my laundry.

I folded all of the clean clothes on the love seat!  Only unmatched socks are left:

No Where in the World is f1bercat, today.  I spend the whole morning trying to organize our trip to California for my nephew's wedding.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet 4 FO's at a time.

2012.05.25 Foxglove

Pay it Forward with Crafting!

2012.05.04

(Warning!  Spoiler Alert!  If you are doing the SKA Mock for May by Rose Hiver, and don't want to see it in advance, there is a photo of the cuffs at the bottom of this post)

1.  Pay it Forward

Yet another thing to give me a reason to craft - as if I needed one! I saw this post at Kara's blog {lbk creations} , and knew I had to participate, and I think I am her first commenter, so I hope I get to be one of her three! I've copied this from her:

If you’re interested in participating here’s the info:

I will send a surprise gift to the first three commenters on this post. The gift will be handmade by me. It will be sent sometime in the next 365 days. A year seems like a long time, but that’s what makes it a surprise gift. We all love getting surprises in the mail, right?

1. In your comment, tell me your favorite color or colors.
2. To sign up and receive a gift, you must play along, too. Pay it Forward on your blog, by promising to make a surprise for the first three people who comment on your blog post.
3. You must have a blog.
4. After commenting here, you must re-post this or something similar to your blog in 48 hours. If not, I choose the next person who comments.

Please leave me a way to get in touch with you - an email, Facebook, or Ravelry ID. Something. I will send to anywhere, so don't hesitate to join in!

2. New Follower

Hello to my newest follower, Barbara!  So happy to have you officially following.

3. Finished Objects

Yes!  I have actually finished my Liz Marino Gift Knits Club Snuggly Socks (Better than French Vanilla - or for short, French Vanilla Socks).

Over last weekend, I cast off these socks and my Squash Blossom Lyra's Socks.

I HAVE to finish the fish hat I am making for my nephew, A, for his wedding.

I HAVE to finish the placemats for my sister K's, housewarming gift.

I HAVE to finish the Coco the Cat (and her clothes) I am making for my niece, and god daughter, M's birthday.











I HAVE to finish the RED HOT SWEATER for Tony!  (no photo as I have not been working on that)!

I love these so much, .

 I immediately cast on another pair

and, another pair of socks for SKA/SolidSocks May challenge.

 At one point, as I was counting the cast on stitches (why can't I count to 36?), I actually thought that I need some one to be my Interventionist and say to me, DON'T DO IT!  But, well, I really want these socks.  The SKA/SolidSocks ones are a Mock (mystery sock) by Rose Hiver (Love her designs) in Cascade Heritage Socks Turquoise, and are for ME.  The French Vanilla Socks are in some Cascade Heritage Hand Painted sock yarn that I bought last year at Churchmouse Yarn and Teas.  They will be for my son, J.

Addicted to socks.

4. Top Photo

As the blossoms are just about finished on my Fuji Cherry for the year, I will be switching my top photo to my Chinese Poppies and Black Bart Irises.  I am not sure if I will alternate the two plants, or exactly how I will show their progress from bud to flower.  Probably I will do the poppies first, as they are just about ready to bloom, and the Black Barts are a bit behind.  I need to find something to show the scale of these flowers.  I'm thinking...

but here they both are today:

Chinese Poppy

Black Bart Iris

 Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet sock after sock after sock after sock