Take back the Knots!

At last a cause I can get behind!

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Veni, Vidi, Knitti

Veni

Upon reveiwing the yarn in my stash as part of an exercise in tidying up the floor of my sewing room that coincided with the introduction of the stacking crates recently acquired at Joann’s for the purpose of reining in the containers spread all over, I started a new bag for felting. This bag will be knit with 4 skeins of BONGO by Tahki, which I wound into 4 balls of yarn the size of large honeydews or small watermelons. The thought is that their sheer volume of wool warrants knitting up to make room in the stash.

So classic pattern for felted bag, knit a rectangle and pick up all around to knit in the round. I plan to knit in the round until I run out and then add some kind of handle made with something else entirely. I don’t know what yet.

I had taken a quick picture this am, but it is not on my phone now. I will have to inject the photo later for your viewing pleasure!

Vidi

Upon receiving my Summer InterWeave Knits, I found this pattern for the Icarus Shawl which I plan to knit with my Shadow, but in two colors. Here is a photo of the pattern so that you can see what I am going to be making.

Now there are some complaints on KR about the photo being fuzzy, but I looked at the charts etc and just like the pattern, so I am going to knit her up!

Now, you should know that I have a sampler of Shadow from Knit picks that I got, and I have one skein of each color including a couple of colors that I do not care for.

What’s a girl to do? Well, if she dyes, then she can take the 2 skeins required for the shawl and overdye them in the same pot, getting two skeins of similar color for a two-toned shawl. Since the shawl is knit from the top center out, the bottom edge will have a different color that will be quite attractive.

Now the question is:

What color to overdye the two skeins of Shadow? To start with the skeins that are willing to dive in the dyepot are colors Oregon Coast and Redwood Forest. I am thinking that a green overdye might be good, but blue might be bettter for the simple reason that these colors lean toward a gold and the combination should yield a nice greenish color. I hope. Big leap of faith of course.

Knitti ( to conquer by knitting)

I have conquered the sugar and cream that I dyed a long time ago by knitting it into a bathmat for my bathroom, since the one I had disappeared to god knows where, but probably is accompanied by socks (not handknit).

Veritable hordes of rogue socks.

Here it is, the bathmat knit with 5 strands of S&C. Do you know how hard it is to knit with 5 strands of that stuff? Good thing it was bulky or I would have had to fall upon my knitting needles in some kind of bizarre ritualistic knitting hari kari.

Janet, No Wed has not fizzled out….I think folks are just busy. Since no one was at Borders, I went to F-Knit to see what the story was. They have a big older group, but many seem to be newbies….they kept trying to ‘help’ me with my knitting.
Missing you on Wednesday eve.

Calendar Moment

The Young Touch Cotton Shirt, A little clunky and the color it’s shown in turns me off, but other knitters would love it….it’s a soft beigey flax color. Not thrilled about this one, it will not find itself OTN for me.

Annie ain’t got anything that is much better.

I guess that since I don’t care for these I will need to find something online to rave about so that I don’t sound like a Curmudgeon!

AHA! here is something….thanks so much Purl Drops for the reference to PersnicketyKnitter’s zigzag scarf. It really is loverly, and even looks like it’s not too difficile! And it’s red to go with my new appropriately red Prostitute bag!

What more could a girl want!??!

One Skein Pal, where are you??

I am a little bummed. I signed up for both the Interweave One-Skein Swap, and Secret Pal 8.

I did receive a e-card from I believe my Secret Pal, which was really cute. (Thanks Secret Pal!), but have not heard anything from my One-Skein pal.

So One Skein pal, where are you? Please leave a comment and let me know that you are out there. If I have my pals confused, please also let me know!

Pleeeeeaaaase!

Celebrating 10 years of corporate prostitution!

Yesterday I was recognized for 10 years of prostitution at my work. I say prostitution, because they get to tell me what to do and where to go for money. I got a choice of lovely celebratory gifts including various watches and decorative objects. I chose the freshwater pearl bracelet as the least of all evils.

And then yesterday during a big town hall, I received a lovely certificate, card from my manager, 10 year paperweight, and another gift.

The gift is a lovely knitting bag. (the admin knows my passions) The one downside is that it is RED……those of you who know me, know that I don’t really do RED, and that I have enough RED in my life on the top of my head. Years of being called RED by complete strangers have turned me from the RED path to the Dark Side.

Did I mention that the bag is RED? Other than that, it is a perfect knitting bag, deep, stands by itself, nothing to snag yarn on and cool round handles.

In fact, my boss made the comment that it was very RED but was a great knitting bag. (She too knits).

It’s looking like a candidate for alteration….I am thinking fabric paint, or possibly dye, although it may not be cotton, and thus probably undyeable. So any alteration suggestions are welcome.

Annie’s Attic Moment

Can I just say yuck? Imagine fabric strips crocheted into a three thingee utensil holder. It could have been cute if the fabric had been cute, but no such luck. It just looks clunky. Too Bad.

Calendar Moment

Since I have been remiss in posting this week, Monday was a pretty plain toddler striped sweater, Tuesday a square hackey sack knit in a square, and Wednesday was the Royal Quilting Vest, and today…..**drum roll please**…..

Today we have the Summer Cloche made with lime yarn and a pink CP Squiggle yarn embellished by some kind of flower in a third color. Cute idea, but I would definitely do a different color than the designer used.

So good day, all, from a 10 year prostitute carrying a RED knitting bag, filled with blue and purple yarn.

The Yarn Report

Because inquiring minds want to know…..Here is the London yarn report, wherein I disclose my treasures.

For Left Coast Knitter, here is the ill-boughten goodies:

Colinette Prism in Caramel

Rowan Calmer in a pretty beige. Not my color, but looks loverly on her.

Rowan Linen Drape, which I think is discontinued, and was a steal at GBP 1.99 a ball, or about 35 dollars for the bag of 10. It is part linen and part viscose.

And here is my ill-gotten booty:

Rowan Linen Drape in Navy

RYC CashCotton in aqua-10 balls.

Colinette Giotto in a turquoise and green colorway that I don’t know the name of at the moment. I think I got 6 balls of it.

Colinette Prism in Ischia again 5-6 balls of yarn.

One ball each of Colinette Giotto and Prism in color Strawberries and Cream for a shawl knit from the top out alternating the yarn every 2 rows. I have now run out of the yarn and picked up some Kersti and something else to continue the shawl. The new yarns in are some greens. We shall see how they work out, otherwise I may go back to the drawing board.

Here is a close up of the shawl in progress…

And here is the picture of the ill-gotten booty as a whole! Before you all have collective heart attacks, you should know that I don’t go to the yarn store very often, I tend to shop at shows like Stitches and while travelling.

I don’t know why, perhaps I’ll die.

“How was London?” he asked.

Well it depends on which day you ask me.

Saturday, wherein we arrive in Londontown:

I can’t believe that my room at the Radisson Edwardian Mayfair will not be ready for an hour. Off we go then, to walk outside in Green Park. Wow, its kind of nice, I just wish I was not ready to fall over. Oh, look there’s Buckingham Palace. Wait I thought that the guards were outside the gates, well then, no point in trying to see the changing of the guard, then is there? Too bad, I left my camera in the bags back at the hotel or I could take a photo of the palace. Oh well, back to the hotel for some rest, since the room should be ready.

OOOOHHHH…look at the flowers….imagine huge banks of tulips and lavender and other flowers. Photos to come after my dear husband gets the film developed for me.

Did I mention that everyone is out in the park…not a free bench to be found, and folks laying on the grass. There were even couple sleeping together on the benches. No. Really. They were asleep in each others arms. A bit odd really. Are they Londoners or visitors?

Sunday, wherein we wake well-rested:

Well I got a nap and a decent night’s sleep. Almost I feel human. Up I go, and out the door to the yarn shop. Six times I walked back and forth in Islington looking for the right road. Four times before asking the way, and then a couple more for good measure. Cute shop, not a lot of yarn on display but after asking there was more downstairs. Oh Joy! I walked out with one skein each of Colinette Giotto and Prism in Peaches and Cream, as well as two lots of the same yarns in different colorways for some summer shells. I also got LeftCoastKnitter some Colinette per her request. I will let her agonize a bit over what I got her! But I do have to say that I took forever in the shop to decide….mostly because another customer was there with her 7 month old son who kept distracting me with adorable coos and the Throw the Toy Down to be Picked Up game. After all I was separated from my dear daughter for the first time in her young life and it was just heartbreaking to see a baby about her age…..and they are EVERYWHERE. God, what was I thinking on agreeing to take this trip?!

Ah, well, off back to the hotel and then maybe wander around London a bit.

Hey, there are those open top buses! Twenty quid for the whole thing with on and off as much as you like. Okay, let’s do that then!

Look kids Big Ben, Marble Arch., Piccadilly, Covent Garden up that way, Oxford Streets with 300 shoe stores (poor Left Coast Knitter will weep when she reads this), Westminster Abbey, Tower Bridge, Eye of London, Tower of London, not in that order. No sorry we don’t sell tickets to the Tower after 4pm as it is just not worth, no you missed the stop. Yes you can get off here….Piss off!

13 quid for access to the Tower. Nope ain’t worth it tonight. Maybe I can come back tomorrow.
But in the mean time, check out the shops, change money (1.92 USD/GBP). Hmmm maybe I should have changed money there, what is there rate? Damn 2.01 USD/GBP?! The pound sterling has not been two dollars for like twenty years. Damn Bush and Big Oil!
Alright then, some chips and then back home. Meeting my colleague for dinner, and need to be back there.

I just had to take a picture of this. This, ladies and gentlemen, is Henry 8’s GINORMOUS codpiece. Overinflated ego, indeed!

Back in the room now, and hmmm….where is my novel? I left it right there on the bed. Well I will find it later.

My colleague wants Chinese, big surprise! Chinese then in Soho.

Back to the hotel, and turned the room upside down for my novel. It is nowhere to be found. Well I have to pump, but have no book, I guess I am pumping to the TV. That bites.

Monday, wherein we find adventure:

I got through the night, more or less, with my phone chiming at 1am or so, and of course not getting back to sleep at all, so up at 5 to get dressed and pull myself together to run out to the Victoria Thistle to catch the tour bus. I got there at like 5:25, and was informed by some woman, who must have been the concierge that I could sit down in the back….as if I needed permission to sit in a chair. It was odd, both for the way it was phrased and how I reacted. Another couple came in for the same tour, and we waited and waited and waiter. Finally at about 6:15, the damn bus pulls up….You know I could have used that time, for Oh-I don’t know, some sleep, some breakfast.

Oh, and it’s raining. Hard.

The other thing was that I am quite sure that the taxi driver stiffed me…..I gave him a 20 pound note for a 7.80 bill, he made change for 10 pounds. It’s not the first time that it has happened, and may not be the last, but it really pisses me off.

So I get on the bus, sit down and proceed to do. Nothing. I have a whole bunch of knitting, but not a stitch coming from my hands. I just want to do nothing at all. I did finally get out the Disco gauntlets—-I am talking about the Disco sock yarn….you know self-striping, with a silver strand throughout.

We stop for a bit on the road once outside London at what is basically a rest stop, for coffee, the bathrooms and a bite, and then hit the road again.

Finally, about 8:30 the rain stops. It’s still icky outside.

8:45 the sun comes out and you can see it in the distance even from the road. There it is.
A ring of standing stones in the middle of a plain.

The tour guide, who is a history professor normally but helps out with Astral Tours when things get busy, briefs us on how things will proceed. We will wait for the previous group to move out of the monument then we get a chance to take photos before we all go in. Normally, you don’t get to go in, because they have restricted access to the monument in order to preserve it, but since we are on a Stonehenge Special Access tour, not only are we there before the tourist hordes, but we get to go inside the ring fence. I should mention that the guide’s name is Robin and he is quite tall, broad, but extremely soft spoken. The whole tour, he called me young lady, apparently because he thought that I was like 23. I love that folks think that I am several years younger than I actually am. I guess it makes me seem so much more interesting, since I have packed a lot into my 23 years.

For those of you who may not believe that I was there, here is a picture of me actually TOUCHING the stones. Actual photographic proof that I was there, and all my children get is this stupid T-shirt. HA HA

We pulled up and walked out to the Monument, with Robin filling us in on the history. I wish I had had him as a history teacher, because he was quite good at it, and easy to listen to. Everyone got photos of it and then we descended on it, in it, around it.

Now I have to say that I did not know what to expect. At NewGrange, I was very creeped out, as if someone was standing behind me the whole time, but with naught but empty space there.
Stonehenge felt CLEAN. I can’t think of any other way to describe it.

After a while, we gathered together again and left for a pub breakfast in Salisbury Town, think full Irish Breakfast, and then off to Salisbury Cathedral to see the Magna Carta. Both were nice, and the Priest at the Cathedral called for prayer while we were there, which is fine, but I have to say that I am used to the Lord’s prayer in the Catholic sense, where it is recited with virtually no pauses. This priest kept pausing for effect, which totally messed up my recitation.
There was a translation of the Magna Carta, which is significant as the inspiration for the US Constitution and associated documents, but upon reading the translation, I was very surprised to see what was included. The clauses were very specific, and yet they were in there for a reason, being the items were big issues at the time.

Anyway, thereafter, we went back to Stonehenge to check out the shop, and off we went back to London. Everyone by this time was wiped out and fell asleep in the van, which is almost unheardof for me. I just don’t sleep well in Trains, Planes and Automobiles, however I am getting better now.

Monday Afternoon, wherein we distinguish between the best part of the trip and the other parts.

Upon getting back to the City, I again searched for my book. Nowhere to be found. So I called the duty manager of the hotel (mind you the room is like $300 USD equivalent a night.) to complain and basically got a shrug and the comment that they would check with housekeeping, who disavowed any knowledge of course, not that I thought they had stolen it, just that it get swept up in cleaning by accident. My book never showed up, the hotel never did anything but talk to the housekeepers, never did replace my book at twice the price in London, or even accepted any responsibility.

I then went out for a bit more of the bus thing thinking I could take it to the Tower of London. The guides on the Big Bus Company assured me that we would be there in less than 30 minutes so that I could catch the last tour of the day at the Tower. Repeatedly.

It took 70 minutes. I arrived pissed. These folks that do this job know the conditions, and how long it takes. Instead of telling me that, they just kind of brushed me off so that they would not have to deal with it.

And the best part, the absolutely best part was that the Tower was really boring. Now I know that the Brits that read this are probably really proud of their Tower of London, and so I will qualify it a bit. I don’t like the touristic routine…..you know, Big Ben, Palace, etc etc. Not because of the monuments, but more the history. I just don’t enjoy the more recent versions of history. But if you want to talk about medieval or older history, I am all over it. The rest is just kind of boring. I think it really comes down to the whole Man vs Man thing which I find uninteresting. Man vs Nature really give me a tingle as the Brits would say, and Man vs. The Unknown is another good one for me. Also Man trying to fathom the Divine is also interesting. (I was not raised to be a religious person, and so now as an adult I wrestle with the idea of sanctity and faith that runs alongside religion, because they are foreign.)

That said, there was one part of the exhibit where they showed the cutting of the Cullinan Diamond and the various diamonds that the cutting yielded. That was really interesting! But really, my husband would have enjoyed it more than I did, although I have to say that seeing Liz I’s rooms for her visit would have been nice too. They may have been there, I just did not find them.

Alas, here lies the problem with whirlwind trips.

Tuesday, wherein we go to work:

Did I mention that I got my 5am wakeup call again, despite canceling it twice last night, and did not get my 7am wakeup call? I never did go back to sleep.

Right enough, today off to Croydon on the train and tube, meeting everyone that we can that day, but particularly the key person in London with whom we will deal. Finally as I come up on my 10th service anniversary, I get to meet the people that I have been working with all these years. There are some familiar faces of course, where folks have come to the States, but everyone else is literally coming out of the woodworks to find us and say hello. I have to say that I am enjoying the little ego boost at having people seek me out for the introduction.

Off for beers in the pub and to find some dinner.

Wednesday, wherein the wakeup call takes on new meaning:

Again with the frigging 5 am wakeup call. Only this time, I fell back to sleep and managed somehow to sleep through the 7am alarm on my phone, right through the time I was supposed to meet my colleague at Victoria Station. So I am rested, but 30 minutes late for my meeting in a building I can’t locate.

Did I mention that I walked in late, and turned out to be the ONLY Woman in the room, for the entire day?

Busy busy days, but then my contact in the vendor office took me for drinks and dinner in the city at Sri Siam City Café near London Wall, for those who know it. The meal was lovely. He then packed me off in a cab back to the hotel!

Funny thing though, we are going along and as we turn I see that we are on Newgate. So I asked the driver if Newgate Prison was around? After he picked himself up off the floor of the cab at an American knowing Newgate Prison, he pointed it out and continued to chat about London. For those who don’t know Newgate Prison was the debtor’s prison for a long time for those who defaulted on the equivalent of credit cards at the time.

Did you know that the London cab drivers have to study for 3 years in order to become a cabbie? Only drivers in the world that have to study. He also makes better money than I do, where his income last year was 70,000 GBP, which is about $140,000 in US dollars right now. He does however have to buy or lease a new cab every 4 years which eats into a bit, but it’s still a good living!

Thursday, wherein we run all over the outskirts of London while working:

This morning, back to Croydon, then on to Bromley in the afternoon, lunch at the Bromley Conservative Club, and then a long presentation in the afternoon, followed by introducing myself to God and everyone. Well really, God knows me well, but what the heck?
I had plans to meet with an old friend to have dinner, which fell through as he was ill. I then tried to make plans with the other vendor contact that I wanted to meet, who went to hospital on Thursday evening and missed our meeting. My travel partner ate on the way back to the city so I was on my own. So I did what every girl would have done having had 3 dinner plans failed. I grabbed my book by Barbara Sher “I Could Do Anything, If I Only Knew What That Was” and went to the hotel restaurant for dinner.

Amba was the restaurant. I have to say that for some reason, this meal was extremely enjoyable. I started with a glass of French wine, since most of what we get is Californian for some strange reason. The wine was a smooth red from Bordeaux with nice legs and a clear fruity aroma, perhaps peaches or apricots? Then I had appetizers. The first was scallops with roasted peppers and a pureed pea garnish which sounds off, but was lovely. Then I had quail breast salad, with little quail parts grilled to perfection and delicately spiced. All of this wrapped up with a poached rhubarb dessert against the waiters recommendation of the bread and butter pudding.

Sorry, don’t do pudding.

All in all, a very pleasant satisfying meal in which I did strike up a conversation with a couple of Americans at the table next to me. The son was just returning from 3 months in Rome by way of Berlin, and back to Pennsylvania. I wish I had done a study abroad. I had wanted to, but we could not afford it.

Finally, I was able to get a ticket for Coriolanus at the Globe Theater for Friday night, which was Opening Night for the season.

Friday, in which we continue to meet people up to the very end of the day and then set out on our own:

But then finally getting out of the office for the weekend, I naturally headed straightaway to Finsbury Park to buy yarn. Specifically Rowan yarn, having reviewed LeftCoastKnitter’s SP8 questionaire wherein she specifically enjoys Rowan yarns. More on this in the Yarn Report to be announced.

Having completed my shopping, I headed straightaway back to the hotel, to get dressed for the play, after getting the concierge to help me with calling home on my calling card. Then off to Coriolanus at Shakespeare’s Globe, which is the first play of the season called The Edges of Rome. I was seated on the Upper Circle, row D seat 4. Even though I was in the nose bleed section and could not hear all of the dialogue and did not know this play, which if you see Shakespeare, you know that you really kind of need to know the story, I still followed the story well, was engaged easily and stayed engaged. It was a great show, with the players moving in and out of the audience in the Yards, and Coriolanus’ death taking place in the Yards. It was a lovely show, that I really enjoyed, and easily ties Stonehenge for the high point of the trip.

I then walked across the Ladies Bridge so named as it was built during WWII when the men were off to war, and through London City in search of a tube station.

Saturday, wherein we head home to see our family:

Up early enough, packed the bags and then set of in search of the spaceship, which we did eventually find, but they were by that time preparing to take it away to some ultra top secret classified bunker wherever they keep the ultra top secret classified bunkers in the UK. I did also see a giant little girl, and a giant elephant preparing to rampage through the city, as well as six cars sewn to the pavement.

It was such a relief to get home from this trip and see my children. My son did not seem to miss me too much.

My little girl’s face lit up when she saw me, and she wanted just to be held. I got some very nice baby hugs where her little body just melted into me and tried to become a part of me again to make up for being apart. Since then she wants to nurse constantly, as if she can ever make up for the 8 days that she did not see me in the space of an evening or two. But the worst part is that little shock when you see your children again after a separation and all the little changes are so apparent to you, how long his legs are and how manly he is looking at the robust age of 5-going-on-6, and how the little rolls of fat just above her baby knees are going away now that she is walking so much, and how her roly-poly face is not quite so roly and a little less poly.

But alas such is the way of the jet-setting world traveler life.

Sigh. It’s good to be home.

The London Report is UP!

But for some reason, blogger is not cooperating at all. So for my dear readers, I am providing the link to the London Report.

Other news:

I heard from my Secret Pal today! Yeah! She sent me a really cute e-card, which inspired me to send nice cream to my secret pal and one-skein pal! Thanks Secret Pal for the card!

I have to say that Annie ain’t showing nice things lately, so that I almost don’t wanna look. But here I go.

Click, Click.

Okay, that is scarey. Picture a crocheted rug with alternating squares of fringed stuff. Oh, the humanity…..

The calendar has Rosa d’Amore to knit. This pattern gives you the option of making a small tea rose or a larger cabbage rose. It is pretty, and there is quite a bit of information on which yarns to use to make them, as well as some additional pictures in different yarns. I may try out this pattern if I can find some yarn that is appropriate.

Cheers.

Knitting Slump Alert! Alert! Alert!

I think I am in a knitting slump. But this one is different. This is I have a number of projects that are cool, and I am working on, but I don’t want to knit.

Okay, so maybe not so different from the previous knitting slumps.

It could also be my projects. None are mindless knitting which I really enjoy. The two big ones are kind of along the same lines, with multiple balls of yarn.

The first one is the Colinette Shawl, which involves switching yarns every two rows (yes, I am carrying) between the Prism and the Giotto. Lots of switching going on, which admittedly is not so easy when my little girl who apparently is an aspiring knitter is grabbing the ball and running away, only to find that she is wrapped up in it somehow even though she has had her hands on it for less than 3 seconds. Yes, toddlers can tangle themselves in your yarn in less than 3 seconds. Then I spend 10 minutes trying to get my ball back not to mention trying to untangle my now-shrieking child from the yarn.

And invariably, this is the moment that my son has deemed propititious for asking for something like a Batman Suit, which does not actually exist in the world making it really difficult to satisfy the request before he collapses into a pile of little boy goo at the injustice of it all.

No, really, I can’t imagine why I am not knitting that much.

And the second project, wherein we simultaneously knit 5 balls of Sugar and Cream into a much needed bath mat, presents similar issues, but the biggest one is that taking one stitch involves large arm movements while ensuring that all 5 of the strands are being worked as one, which is not as easy as it might seem at first glance. As challenging as that is, the resulting fabric is quite spongy and cool, and would be GREAT for all those household rug needs such as the kitchen, the bathroom, but especially in the hallway in front of the door. It is cheaper than a house alarm but would foil any robber as he stepped onto that rug which would then slip out from under him, smacking his head on the door jamb, for which he would sue me.

Maybe I will look into that house alarm.

Today’s knitting calendar shows a Diagonal V-Neck Shell, done in Cool Stuff by Prism. The good news is that it requires only 2.5 full skeins, putting the cost at about 200 dollars a shell. Sorry, I prefer not to sell my children into slavery in order to knit. I know, you’re wondering where I get these crazy ideas, since we all know what children are worth these days. Think of the yarn you could buy, you are thinking, and without the kids around you could knit more.

Yes you are right. The moral high road sucks.

I guess I shall console myself with Annie’s Feline Monitor Perch. After all, who doesn’t want their cats looking down on them from the top of the monitor.

This day has come unknit.

It is amazing how tired a good night’s sleep makes you when you have not had one in a long time.

DH took the baby last night and I fell into bed exhausted at about 10, which is REALLY early for me these days, and did not wake up til the far side of 6 am, making it 8 straight hours with no programming breaks!

Yeah!

Almost I feel like I can do anything. Well except for the fact that I am really tired.

Annie is showing the following:

Okay, no I am not putting that on my blog, sorry, it is too much fug. Picture a wrap in red white and blue stripes. Bleeccchhhhh! I do have to admit that the dark blue ribbon it’s tied with is kind of nice though- in the interest of finding something nice to say about it.

Not even the calendar is nice today with an extremely basic hat.

It is just an Unknit day.

Beat me baby!

I am beat. Tired. Fatiguee. Regardless of the word you use, I am beat.

I am still trying to get over jet lag, and back on the time zone, as well as dealing with DD who for some reason is waking several times during the night crying but will settle with milkee. DH thinks that it is just she wants to be held, I am not sure that is it. She also has had congestion for about a week and a half, which is worrying me a bit. Maybe I should call the doctor and make an appointment.

Last night I started my triangle Giotto and Prism shawl. I don’t have a picture, but basically cast on 8 st, and doing 4 yo in every row, 2 in the middle and 2 at the ends of the row. Then every two rows, I am changing yarns, so that there is 2 rows of Prism, then two rows of Giotto. I was going to post pics of the yarn, but cannot find the color on the internet so it will have to wait until I can take a pic at home.

While going through my digital photos, I stumbled across this one. That is a small school bus with a second story and balcony off the back built of wood. The picture is a bit fuzzy because I was driving at the time, but you get the idea. Who drives something like this?

I am also continuing with the gauntlets. I am now on the ribbing for the second gauntlet, which I will continue for some time, and then start to increase for the thumb which will be inserted as an afterthought. For those of you having a hard time picturing it, here it is!

Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, those needles are 12″ Addi Turbos which are just the right size for this kind of project, although they do need to be broken in a bit, and you will not hold the needle with your hand, but just your fingers. A bit of a change to get used to, but no fussing with dpns and the needles don’t come out of the stitches either.

Today’s Calendar Moment

Today we are looking at the Asymmetrical Lace Poncho, which is pretty much a rectangle sewn partially together on one side. Pretty standard poncho, but it is knit is Interlacements Carolina which is pretty, with a very open mesh stitch pattern. I don’t care for this style of poncho all that much, as I find that the fit is some what lacking in the shoulder.

Annie is showing this today, which appeals for some reason, although I can not put my finger on it. Maybe it is the advent of summer here that is making a bag appeal. Did I mention that it comes with various other cases, like a PDA case, phone case, water bottle holder, etcetera, etcetera.

On second thought, perhaps it is the svelte silhouette of the model behind the bag that I want…..

Hot! Hot! Hot!

For the record, my car says it’s 97 degrees Fahrenheit here.

No, my car does not speak to me, and neither do I hear voices….it’s that little temp thingee on the dash that reads 97.

Two weeks ago, it was rainy and cold, like Winter. Now we have been jettisoned straight into summer, at least it feels thus since I was in the UK, and being in a furrin’ country always throws things off for me.

Not a lot happening on the knitting front, mostly just stitching along on my silly gauntlet, and more decisively lusting after Folk Shawls.

Alright, let’s talk about shawls. These are the ones that I like:

• Litla Dimun and Stora Dimun
• The Irish Shawls, particularly the Diamond Shawl
• Heartland Shawl
• I have knit the Prairie shawl before and it just gets better. I actually have some Giotto and Prism in Peaches and Cream that I plan to make into one of these, but alternating the two yarns. Of course in two Colinette yarns, it does not look very frontier at all!
• I love the Icelandics, but not in the yarns shown.
• The Wool Peddler’s Shawl
• The Highland Triangle is also lovely.
• The Butterfly Shawl is nice too. I would love to knit this one for my mother who loves anything Native American, and the story would be a good one for her as well. I think that she is actually a reincarnated Native American.

Jeesh! I had better get knitting, hmmm?

I am actually thinking of making one of the Dimun shawls first since they are pretty plain, and should be a good entrez into the world of lace. Anyway that is the big thought today.

On the calendar today is the Pyramids and Triangles Placemats. They are knit in a cotton yarn, the pattern is nice, but I would prefer it in a sweater.

Annie’s Attic has a rather blase baby blanket today, but the free pattern maniac posted this on KR today, and I just love it! DD needs to grow really fast so that I can knit it for her! I suppose that I could possibly resize it, but then I would be serious, and I am only ever serious on Tuesdays. Since it is most definitely not Tuesday, I am afraid I cannot be serious today.

Oh! a few other thoughts. I called DH after looking up the California Shakespeare Festival and suggested that we do this this year. HE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GREAT. The plays in the series are As You Like It, the Merry Wives of Windsor, Restoration Comedy and the Merchant of Venice. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, they have a tasting before the show, where local restaurants bring in food for tasting FREE! And since I can only ever be serious on Tuesdays, and since Shakespeare is quite serious, we plan to get tickets for Tuesdays!

I went swimming at lunch today! Yes, hard to believe I know, but nevertheless I did peel myself away from you, dear reader, long enough to get a few laps in. It felt really good, even if the water was cold. And I signed the child-units up for lessons, so that they too can learn to survive in the water! The little one is an Inia, and the big one a Polliwog in the YMCA swim lingo!