Lace!

So since I have oodles and oodles of time, I decided that I should start up some more time consuming projects :)

This is the Storm Water Shawl from Handmaiden. I actually purchased some Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn in this gorgeous blue/green colourway, but decided that this Cherry Tree Hill Yarn was calling out to me when I was putting my latest acquisitions away (if it's neatly put away, it doesn't count right?). The repeats are pretty easy, but I think I may have shifted things over for a couple of repeats. I've been counting, and I wonder if it is that I'm not shifting things but that the pattern is shifted over one? Well, when it's blocked we will see how it looks.

Pico is the most well behaved cat around yarn. I know she really really *wants* to play with the yarn, and barring one small mishap (she knows what I'm talking about), she has been really good about staying away from all the temptations scattered around the house.

Also decided to try out some of the hand dyed stuff that I have been producing. Last week I did a bit of purple and green on some Treehouse Yarn that felt very very nice and squishy. I have never really been fond of mostly white socks, but I thought I would give it a try.

I'm still not fond of the mostly white, but I'm willing to finish the socks to see how it goes. On the plus side, I really like this Treehouse Yarn. It's squishy, knits up fast, and is only splitty when I have messed up and need to frog or redo some bits.

Some random Pico pictures.

Pico squishing herself into the first Kitty Pi I made for her, even though she barely fits, she loves sleeping in it. She was really concerned one day when I moved the Kitty Pi out of her reach. Nothing makes her happier than to be sleeping in her little Kitty Pi right at my elbow while I'm madly typing away at the computer. Once in a while, she will reach out with one paw, touching me on my arm, and suggests changes to what I've typed. (No, I refuse to admit that I'm turning into an eccentric cat lady)

Some Heirloom tomatoes from the farmers market. Aren't they gorgeous? Pico certainly was interested in them.


On the plus side, I've finished the Berry Bush socks!. They turned out slightly larger than I wanted them to be (ie my Bro's size 10 feet can wear them comfortably), but they are nice and squishy and I like how the colours wrap and pool on the body of the sock. I'll have to take some pictures at some point.

Busy Bee

So many things to try and do these days, I wish each day had 50 hours so I could get everything I want to do done.

So as I hinted at before I've decided to try some entrelac, but to make it more challenging (because I'm a glutton for punishment), I've decided to try to do reversible entrelac for the scarf. A scarf is something that needs to have 2 sides that are both attractive. So far it's going well, but I am quite worried that I haven't purchased enough yarn to finish the scarf.

Gorgeous Rowan tapestry yarn

Initial cast on - baby triangles!

First row complete!


I'm going to see if I can keep chugging on with this project, hopefully I can finish a couple of rows each week, but I'm not holding my breath on that one. It's a gorgeous yarn, very nice to knit with, the pattern isn't difficult, but I HAVE to finish off some of the WIP that are at 80 or 90% complete before I can focus my attention back on this scarf.

Berry Bush socks - getting closer. They look absolutely huge in the picture and in real life. I love the colours, but the yarn is a tad scratchy, I think these will be winter socks, perhaps I'll try fulling them slightly to see how that goes, but I seem to recall that the yarn is actually superwash. This pair of socks has been flying along. Everytime I pick them up, I see lots of progress in little over an hour. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to do ribbing and that might slow me down a bit, hopefully I'll finish them this coming week.

Something new for me to tinker with for a bit. I saw a pattern that I absolutely LOVE. I don't wear skirts often, but I think I may have to make an exception for this one. The pattern is from the stitchdiva and is her Hairpin Lace Skirt Pattern. The colours she has in there are wonderful. The way it flows, even the shoes are wonderful. I am not sure I'll do it in the ribbon yarn she suggests however that colour just sings to me. My biggest worry about this skirt is that it will get caught on things. I guess I'm just going to have to be more ladylike when I wear this skirt.

I was thinking black at the top, darker olive green gradually turning into a nice lighter olive green. Not sure how that will look but I'm willing to experiment a couple of times.

I started to learn/practice doing some hairpin lace today and I must say that it's going well. The little loom thing is not the nice (read between the lines, expensive) model but it does the work well. It was a little bit confusing at the beginning because I'm not a crocheter, but I'm picking it up pretty fast. I'm up to my second panel, I think I'm going to make a little shawl, scarf thing just so I can practice the skill, so that when I do the skirt I know what I'm doing.

Finally, the last item I have started this weekend. My first Lizard Ridge square, well actually it's my test swatch. I've decided that I'm going to do my lizard ridge afgan in mercerized cotton. I love how this cotton looks, and I have never figured out what to make with it. So this will be it. It comes in many many wonderful colours, and Pico doesn't seem to want to eat it as much as she wants to eat things made of wool. here is a little picture of Pico modeling the square while eating a treat out of her first Kitty Pi.

Local Wildlife!

So to entertain Pico while I am at work, I have been trying to lure some more wildlife into my patio area. I started with some dried cobs of corn that the bag in the store assured me squirrels loved to nibble on. I put out about 6 cobs on the patio and waited to see what would happen. The squirrels came and were really cute, sitting there nibbling at the corn. The cobs of corn were too big for them to run off with the entire cobs, so the squirrels came and went.



Next morning, the cobs were GONE! So I put some more out the next day, and that evening Pico was stationed at the screen door staring intently out into the darkness. Flashlight in hand, I went to investigate and found 3 racoons making off with the corn cobs!

Since that didn't work all that well, and a racoon would make minced meat out of little Pico, I thought a bird feeder mounted high enough that the racoons can't get at it would be the next best thing!

I installed a really nice little bird feeder on my patio door. I had some difficulties trying to figure out where to put the birdfeeder, since if I put it too far to the left, I wouldn't be able to open the screen door (the bird feeder attaches with those little suction cups. As well the squirrels would be able to climb the side and get at the bird feed. So nicely centered seemed to be the plan.



Little did I know that the squirrels are very very talented. I spent one afternoon watching the squirrel launch him/herself from both sides (climbing up the frame of the window and up the screen door) at the birdfeeder, hanging upside down and stealing a bit of birdfeed then falling to the ground. And getting up to do it all over again. Pico was enjoying (?) the show, very much interested in the ongoings. She launched herself multiple times at the squirrels, and bounced off the glass many times. I feel for her little nose, it must be very sore, but it was very very entertaining to watch.


Next morning, I find the birdfeeder on the ground. The squirrels have managed to figure out how to release the suction cups, and have consistantly knocked the birdfeeder down every day I put it up.

Last night, I was woken up by a crash, worried that Pico had had something fall on her, I rushed downstairs only to see something outside the patio window, and the birdfeeder on the ground beside it. Grabing a flashlight to see if I could scare what I thought were racoons away (I have had racoons eat the corn I left out for the squirrels), I was confronted with a humongous rat like thing!



Scary thing! Turns out it's an opossum, my very first time seeing one, and I got to see it from less than 6 inches away through a pane of glass. Very cool. Not so cool that it ate all the bird seed I left out.

So now I'm not sure what to do, I can't put a birdfeeder on the window (squirrels have figured out how to get at it), a bird feeder sort of on a ped is not good (squirrels AND racoons AND opossums), hanging from the tree (squirrels)...

I did manage to get some little birds to come to the patio to pick at the bits of seed that the rest of the wildlife missed. Maybe I should just give up on the feeders and sprinkle bird feed all over the patio for a more freeform feeding of ALL the wildlife in my backyard.

Catching up on WIPs, pictures and finished works

Well I finally got my ass in gear and documented most of the projects I have in the works and hopefully I'll be good about making sure I keep this picture diary up to date with the latest projects.

Dying Yarn with Koolaid


First attempt with a heavier yarn. I think I'll make a heavier pair of socks for my mom. She asked for a heavy pair. Normally I wouldn't consider making socks from something this heavy. I'm really not sure how much yarn is in these 2 skeins, but they are 100% wool.



This was my second attempt at dying yarn. Turned out pretty much like I wanted it to turn out. very promising if I say so myself. The colours are a little too bright, I couldn't get my camera to take accurate pictures with the flash, and it was too dark to take pictures without a flash. This is enough sock weight yarn for 2 pairs of socks, and one set of skeins has already found it's forever home with Erica.


This was my third attempt at dying yarn. I am not fond of the colours, and really don't know what to do with the yarn. It makes me think of bruises, I wonder if I should overdye some green and yellow on to it and call it "black and blue". Enough yarn for 2 pairs of socks. I thought perhaps it would look nicer wound into center pull balls, but I still don't like these colours.



Fourth attempt was inspired by a pair of socks that I saw online. Normally I don't really like yellow, but those socks were sooo pretty, all bright yellow, green and a touch of blue. Good for 1 pair of socks, need to find a nice pattern to use for this. Not sure who I know would accept and wear a pair of socks in these colours though. I do like how they turned out, they aren't quite as green in real life.

Completed projects.









Scarves 1 and 2 - Random Ribbon yarns. These went so fast, each one was done in under 4 hours. I can see why people like doing these scarves. Next time, I think I would do them slightly thinner and slightly longer.

Berger du Nord - Charmant - Fetching fingerless gloves for Mom. Pictures don't do them justice, they are soooo soft and squishy. The cabling doesn't show up well in the pictures either :(


Art yarns - grey socks - Not sure who these are for, but doubled up the heel and toe for us people with rough heels and hard toenails :)I love the yarn, but next time I think I'll use one size larger needles, these are pretty stiff. Perhaps it's time to invest in some sock blockers...



Works in progress

Cascade Fixation - Mushroom - Toe up socks - These are my first attempt at toe up, and I tink I messed up the increases, however since the yarn is very stretchy it is very forgiving once the socks are on my feet. They look a little odd when they are just sitting there. Thoughts on cascade fixation. I love knitting with this yarn, it goes very very fast for most of the sock, except when you get to the ribbing... OMG these balls of yarn are endless, I have been knitting forever and expected to run out way before the point where I am now. Not to mention no matter how much I knit, those 2 little balls don't seem to be getting smaller at all! I love how these feel on my feet. These babies are staying here with me.



Kitty Pi #4 - Using a cool thick/thin yarn, and I'm not sure how big this thing will end up being. I sort of wish I had a couple sizes larger needles to do this one on, I think I've knit it way too tight, but since it's going to be felted, I don't think that matters that much, but it would have been easier to knit on larger needles. I'm considering adding a lip to the edge so that Pico can curl up under it but I'm not sure how I would block it. We will see.



I have several new projects in the works, perhaps I'll get some pictures up tomorrow.

Random Pico picures.

She's not that happy in this picture, she's pretty much used to wearing her little harness, but the camera flash bothers her.