Knee Healing As Winter Takes Hold

I have to back up a little first, because there is one little bit of confusion here about Sunflower heads.

What eats dead Sunflower heads?  Not just the seeds, but the entire head?  As you can see, before the snow came, I discovered that the heads on my Sunflower stalks were completely gone, and it looks as though they were bitten right off the top of the stem.  Any suggestions?  I would love to hear them.  I've never had this happen before, never!

On Tuesday,  (Dec. 1) the sun was out, so I headed off to our nearest Walmart (28 miles away).  My TV has been going bad for over a month.  The picture was getting darker and darker from day to day, and the wavy lines were getting wavier.  The last thing I wanted was to be snowed in on the hill without a working TV.  And in this house there is only 1 TV.  But as luck would have it, this is a very good time of year to be shopping for a TV, and that is what I did.  First I did some research on the Internet (it saves a lot of hoofing) and narrowed down my choices.   I got to Walmart, went straight back to Electronics, picked out my TV, and within minutes a very nice young man was loading it into my car.  I had to wait a few days for a friend to come over and hook it up for me and haul the old TV out for the trash man.  But that was not really a problem.  I had my TV, so I knew that eventually it would be up and running.

It is a Phillips 32" HDTV with 760 P and all that other good stuff.  The picture is gorgeous, and it weighs very little.  I had no problem carrying it into the house myself.

On Friday, Dec. 4th, I went for the Synvisc One shot.  I wasn't doing much running around after that.  I was barely able to function at all the first few days, but with the help of some good drugs and patience, I am doing much better now.  The worst part was being unable to bend my knee without being in extreme pain.  Trying to sit was very difficult, and for several nights sleeping was a battle too.  I just could not find a comfortable way to lay my leg.  I still have some problems with that, but I am bending the leg fine now, and getting around pretty good.

The day after I had my Synvisc One shot, it snowed.  We got about 4" at the time, and since then it has been much too cold for it to melt.  Winter has begun in earnest.

As you can see, there was a bit of digging out to be done.  Lucky for me I have very nice "neighbors" that do help watch over me.  So not long after I took this photo, I cleaned off the car just in time for my "neighbor" to come by and plow out the driveway for me. He even drove the car out of the driveway so he could clean up the driveway real good for me.   I say neighbor with a smile because for most of you, your neighbor lives within a few doors down, fairly close.  My "neighbors" often live a 1/4 or 1/2 or even a mile or more away.  But in a rural community that is a neighbor too.

I have several bird feeders set up in the big flower bed, a squirrel feeder in the apple tree, and for the fun of it, I bought two suction hangers for the window beside my computer.  There I have a suet block hanging on one, and a little bird feeder on the other.  They see a lot of action these days, especially when there is snow on the ground.  The visitors are practically non-stop during daylight hours.  My Rosie, who has never been outdoors, has discovered birdwatching.  She has learned how to use my chair to give her a front row seat to the best bird and squirrel show in town.

 

I apologize for the picture being so dark, but with the bright snow in the background, it was impossible to get a brighter shot of Rosie.  That is a Starling on the suet block, in this photo, but we have several other varieties that visit on a daily basis.  Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers, Tufted Titmice, Chickadees, Nuthatches, Juncos, grey and red squirrel and at night the flying squirrels.  Rosie loves to sit and watch.  Sometimes she even talks to them.  :)

Now, on the knitting front.  After all this is a knitter's blog, right?

I've been busy knitting Winter Sets for one lovely young lady and 3 adorable little boys.  You already saw the pink set for the young lady.  These are 2 of the little boy sets.  I mailed the blue set out a couple days ago, and forgot to get a photo of it, but they are all basically the same set, just different colored yarn.

The yarn is Patons SWS soy wool stripes, using US8 needles.  A Twisty Scarf, generic hat and mittens.  Both of these are browns, the one on the right has some lighter brown and blue in it, and the one on the left has blue and rust blended in.

In the center is a soap sack and a spa cloth I knitted for my BFF Kate.  And at the moment I'm working on a discloth too.  The green yarn is Spa by Naturally Caron.  A silky soft bamboo blend, is what the label says, and I agree.  It is very soft.  I am using some of this with some Lion Brand microspun to make the dishcloth. 

I got it in my head a while back that although cotton does great for dishcloths and washcloths, but how would Lion Brand microspun work?  It is so much softer.  I felt it would make a much nicer bath cloth, and if that worked, why not for doing dishes too?  I like a nice soft dish cloth just as much as a nice soft bathing cloth.  So I whipped one together real quick, and it works great.  Now I have one for the bath and one for the kitchen, and I'm going to make a set for my friend Kate too.  And yes, they are very absorbent as well.

Guess that is all for now.  Today we are having a typical Winter storm.  It started as snow, and we got about an inch before it changed over to sleet.  According to the weatherman it was then supposed to warm up and turn to all rain.  Of course he is in Scranton, about 50 miles south of here.  He might have rain, but I have ice.  Yes, the snow turned to rain, but the temperature was 30ºF the last time I looked, so now everything is covered in ice.  Maybe it will warm up through the night.  I hope so.

Have a great week and HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!! 

Once again, out of commission!

On Friday, Dec. 4th, I saw an Orthopedic surgeon and received a SynviscOne shot for my right knee.  I've had the Synvisc 3 shots in the past, with no problem.  But now they have 3 in 1 shot, so rather than being injected 3 times, I opted for the SynviscOne this time.  Big Mistake!!

According to their FAQ's you can resume normal activity immediately following the shot, just no heavy-duty stuff for a few days.  Heck, I barely walked out of the Doctor's office without falling over, the pain was so bad.  Now, I can stand on my leg for a short time without pain, but just try bending it.  It can't be done or I'll be screaming.  So here, 4 days later, I have to sit down keeping my right leg straight.  Try sitting on a toilet that way!  So I am also not on the computer either.  Just the time it is taking to write this has caused more discomfort than I am comfortable with.

As soon as I can, I will try to get back to everyone.  But for the time being, I'm out of commission.
Have a wonderful Holiday Season everyone.  :)

MIA for a while - Back now, I hope!

I have been "gone" for a while, and yet right here.  Just so busy I have not had the time to read my blogs or post to my own.  I am in the process of getting a new kitchen. 

Talk about turning your life upside down.  The bedroom I worked so hard to clean out and fix up is now the receptacle for everything that had been in the kitchen. For one week my bedroom stood in for my kitchen.  I put the microwave and coffee pot in there so it was convenient to get to.  Dishes were washed in the bathroom sink.  Nothing new to some of you, I'm sure.   I have started putting some things back, but I can't really finish up until the workmen are completely finished.  There is just a little left to be done, but enough to hold up the return moving. 

At the same time, I am de-cluttering as well.  What is no longer used or needed, but in very good condition, is going to either Good Will or the Salvation Army.  The "stuff" that is just that, stuff, is going into the trash.  I have found things that in 22 years I don't remember ever using, and to be honest, until I emptied out the kitchen, I didn't even know I had the item.  Specifically a very cute little Corning-ware casserole dish with lid.  But I am sure if I didn't know I had it, and didn't need it over the last 22 years, I definitely can live without it now.  Don't you agree?  This is why I have not been posting.  I will try and do better from now on.

On to something I have done.

Since I have no grandchildren, I am borrowing my BFF's grandchildren this year, and knitting them each a Winter set.  Hat, mittens and Twisty Scarf.  The hat is a generic 2x2 rib patterned hat, and a basic generic pattern for the mittens too.  The scarf is Twisty Scarf by Natalie Wilson.

The wool is Patons SWS soy wool stripes,color 70312.    I used a US 8, 24" Harmony Options needles for the scarf, US 4 for the mittens and US 6 for the hat.   I also did not follow the scarf pattern exactly.  The pattern is for a 16 stitch or 28 stitch wide scarf.  When I knit to the 28 stitch pattern, I ran out of yarn.  And the 16 stitch was just a hair too thin, so I modified it just a bit and went with 20 stitches wide, following directions for the 16 stitch version.    I had more than enough yarn and it is wide enough for an 8 year old girl.  I chose this pattern for a scarf because of the keyhole feature, making it much easier to keep it on and covering the neck as intended.   I have a few more sets to knit, and then my Xmas knitting will be done.

A while back I had knitted the Multnomah scarf by Kate Flagg, as a grab-bag gift at our last meeting of the Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild this past Saturday, Nov. 21st.  Well, I got a little confused, it seems.  It was suggested that for next year's final meeting  that we bring a hand-made gift item for a grab-bag exchange.  So I was just a bit early with my gift.  All wrapped up too.  So now it will sit on the shelf until next year, and I just hope I remember where I stashed it when I need it again.  haha

Now to something more seasonal. 

 

When my Xmas cactus decides to bloom, it really blooms.  The first  flower opened up the day before Halloween, as I mentioned a few posts back, and it has just opened more and more daily.  It gets no special treatment.  I water it once a week, year round.  And it sits in the same spot year round as well. 

 

The adorable little flying squirrels have continued to visit my little bird feeder by the window, daily, after the sun goes down.  I guess it is quite likely they have been raiding my bird feeders for years, but I just didn't know about it.  All of the other feeders are away from the house and It would be impossible to see anything feeding at them after dark unless I had spotlights set up on them, which I don't.   I'm really glad now that I bought this new feeder to hang on my window, or I would have lived my entire life missing this wonderful little visitor.

I guess that is all for today.  I want to wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Take care and keep well.  :)

A Week Of Surprises, But Little Knitting

I have not had a very productive week where knitting and spinning are concerned.  But Mother Nature has kept me busy filling bird feeders and suet holders.  And sent me a few interesting visitors as well.  I've had little critters that I've never seen all the 22 years I've lived in this home.  I don't know what that is telling me about the coming Winter, but it has been fun and amusing just the same.  First I discovered 2 chipmunks.  Never saw them anywhere around here before, but I have them now.  I couldn't miss them, as they were right on my window sill raiding my little bird feeder I had suctioned to the window.  Later in the day I noticed another redish creature, but bigger than the chipmunk and without stripes.  This one turned out to be a red squirrel.  I've seen red squirrels before, but never anywhere around here where I live.  So that was the second surprise.  The third suprise was a nocturnal animal that I have never seen in all the 67 years of my life, other than on TV documentaries.

In the above photo (taken through 2 panes of window glass, in the dark, around 8 PM EST) are two (2) flying squirrels.  The one is easy to see, the other you have to look a bit harder.  He is inside the feeder and most of what you see is his fat white belly.  At the very top is the tip of his head sticking out of the top of the feeder.  He just lifted the roof and climbed right on in.  It was so dark I could see nothing at all, but the feeder swinging in the wind.  I could hear a lot of tapping.  I had to get a flashlight to actually see the little critters, but the light didn't seem to bother them in the least.  They just kept right on eating.  :)  I can't tell you what a thrill this was for me.  I knew flying squirrels existed, of course, I didn't  know they existed in North America.  I had to Google to find out what these little critters were, but I recognized them immediately.  And they are more than welcome to raid my feeder.  I've waited a lifetime to see them.  I am hardly about to chase them away now.

On the flower front, my faithful Xmas Cactus began blooming the day before Halloween.  I have no idea why it has the blooming habit that it does, but I love it.  This particular cactus has been blooming on and off for 6 months every Winter/Spring for many years.  Usually starting right around Halloween, and continues until Memorial Day or thereabouts.  It will bloom, rest for about a month, and then bloom again. 

 

This is the first blooming, and it is quickly filling up with buds right now.  It will bloom again for Thanksgiving, then Xmas, and again around Valentines, then Easter, and finally end it's blooming season around Memorial Day, as I mentioned above.  Why it blooms so often, I don't know.  But I would seriously miss this plant if anything were to happen to it.  I have 2 large ones, and I am always rooting cuttings for friends.  It is such a lovely plant, I enjoy sharing it with anyone that wishes to have one.

Now, on the knitting front.........................

This is called "Peachtree" Etoile from Star Bug Knits.  It is 80% superwash Merino, 20% nylon yarn in fingering weight.  I am certain it is either hand dyed or hand painted, but I can't remember which.  I purchased it at the Endless Mountains Fiber Festival in 2008, so it has been waiting long enough to be knit up.  The color is simply mouthwatering, it is to luscious.  I couldn't stand to leave it waiting any longer.  I have 2 other yarns that I bought that year to make socks with that are still waiting patiently.  And they are both just as gorgeous, although different in color.  I will be making sure to knit them up over the winter months.  I can always use another pair of wonderful socks.  :)

I have to tell you all that this blogger is one very accident prone lady.  If you recall, last month I fell hard and seriously bruised my ribs and sternum on the left side.  Well, this time I've fallen and bruised the ribs on the right side. 

I was in the basement, cleaning out a chest freezer, and found 2 bags of frozen tomatoes on the very bottom that I wanted to use in a stew.  Since I couldn't just reach down and get them, I stood on a cinder block and reached down, and my foot slipped and I crashed down on the rim of the freezer, bruising the right side of my chest area.  So now I am nursing very sore ribs once again, but on the opposite side.

Then to add insult to injury I crocheted up a pot holder for a friend to use as a sample to show her how I make them.  She had asked for directions, but didn't seem to understand what I was saying.  So I crocheted one to show her with.  I love to crochet for a change of pace now and then, but crochet is not good to my arthritis.    Then to make matters worse, I was playing around with knitting in the Continental way, with the yarn in the left hand.  I have knit in the English manner for 61 years, but I like a challenge.  And I have been wanting to learn to knit the "other" way.  But every time I do it causes stress to the left wrist and a lot of pain.  It was no different this time.  Between crocheting the pot holder, and knitting a dish cloth Continental style, both using the yarn in the left hand, I am now forced to wear a brace, and I'm taking some pretty strong pain medication.  I had a miserable night with very little sleep thanks to the pain I subjected myself to because of my own stupidity and stubbornness.   I think it is about time I accept the fact that there are just some things I can not do or should not try to do.  I've lived with English knitting for 61 years, I guess I must accept that is works best for me, and continue.  And the next time I need something from the bottom of the freezer, I need to use my handy reaching tool.  After all, that is what I bought the thing for.   

So for a while there will be little or no knitting being done.  I need to rest my left hand so it can heal.  That Netflix movie subscription I have is going to come in real handy for about a week.  :)

I hope you all have a great day. 

Take care and keep well.  :)

My FIRST PAIR of Toe Up Socks.........Thanks Wendy Johnson

I have had several friends ask me, "how come you only knit from the cuff down?"  And I tell them, it is because of the short-row heel.  I've tried doing short-row heels on 3 pair of cuff down socks, and every pair has tiny holes in the heel that, for some reason, I am not able to avoid.  I have practiced making them as well, trying different methods.  But for me, there are always holes,  AND I had noticed that the majority of toe-up socks that I saw, were all using short-row heels.  So...........no toe-up socks.

Then one day, while visiting Wendy Johnson's blog, I left a comment about how much I liked the look of her socks, but I had not yet accomplished a toe-up because I was unable to manage a short-row heel.   I was  surprised, but very pleased, when she responded to my comment and mentioned to me that many of her patterns did NOT use a short-row heel, but used a standard flap heel.  I was therefore surprised, and shamed that I had not really noticed that fact while looking at her socks.  I was also then inspired then to give it a try.  I did just that, and I can now say that I CAN KNIT A TOE-UP SOCK, and they are a perfect fit.

                               Wendy Johnson's Double Eyelet Rib Socks w/flap heel.

The yarn is Koigu, 100% merino, very tightly twisted.  So much there were many kinks to smooth out.  The needles were Knitpicks Harmony circular needles, 40" - 2.50 mm (US#1).  Because of the yarn, the double eyelets don't really show very well, but they look great up close, and I am very happy with them.  And I must say, there are short rows using in turning the heel, but I dare anyone to find a hole.  For some reason, it is as smooth as the rest of the sock, and not a hole to be found, even where a few short rows were actually done.   I will definitely be knitting more toe-up socks in the future, and I am very thankful to Wendy Johnson for pointing it out to me, that not all toe-up socks have short-row heels, and by doing that she encouraged me to try.  I think I can honestly say that if she had not written, I most likely would have continued knitting all socks from the cuff down, and would never even tried them from the toe-up.    I can now say that I knit them from the cuff down because that is my preference, not because I can't do them any other way.  And yes, now that I have tried both methods, I still prefer knitting from the cuff down.  But it's always nice to have options.  Don't you agree?  :)

On the home front, for the first time ever, I have a "resident" chipmunk!

I couple days back, as I stepped out onto the porch, I was so surprised to see a chipmunk dashing across the porch and slipping out of sight in a flash!  I've been keeping my bird and squirrel seed in old cleaned out kitty-litter buckets, on the porch.  And I found that something had been gnawing through the lid of one of the buckets.  I think it must have been this little critter.  The gnawing has stopped, so I guess he gave up, finding it a bit too difficult to get through and get to what he wanted.  But he sure came close to succeeding.

Look at that little face.  Stuffed to the gills!!!  hahaha    My bird feeders are weighted to allow the smaller birds access, but if a squirrel or Blue Jay lands on them, they close up the access to the feed, and the critter can only get to what is laying on the lip.  Obviously the chipmunk is either too light to close up the feeder, or there was sufficient food on the lip for him to satisfy himself.  He sure looks full to me!  :D

Off Kilter - But Persistant

Things have been a bit off around here the past couple weeks.  I felt like I had hit a wall and couldn't recover.  Personally, I think I was having a little problem with depression.  I was so lethargic, and couldn't even enjoy my knitting and spinning.  But this old dog does not lie down to die.  Whether I was "in the mood" or not, I forced myself up and dressed every day.  I forced myself to keep knitting and spinning.  The thought of "wasting daylight" is just something unknown to me.

I am so happy to say that the moment I opened my eyes this morning, I knew it had lifted and I was truly myself once again.  I don't know if it was the constant bleak and rainy weather that triggered it, as I have always been negatively effected by cloudy skies and foul weather.  Or the impending first anniversary of Lew's passing, which is Nov. 10th.  But something grabbed me, and drug me down, and I am very happy and relieved that I have fought my way out of it, and succeeded.  Maybe it was getting to see the little Channel Island Allen (S.s. sedentarius) hummingbird, Phoebe, out in Orange Co., Ca, setting on her nest again.  I watched her raise her baby Jewel back in May, and have been waiting for her to nest again.  I have been following her on Facebook, so when I read she had begun to set on her eggs, I popped into the live feed to see her.  It sure was a sight for sore eyes.  And I really look forward to watching her once again, raise her young to fledging.

Anyway, during this bleak time I did keep busy, and I do have a few things to show you just to prove that.

This is a Spa Cloth, knit in the round.  Using Bernat cotton and a 4mm (US#6) - 24" circular needle.  The pattern can be found in the January 2008 issue of Creative Knitting Magazine, page 6.  I made a mistake, I see, at the end of the petals.  Two of them were not crossed over on the tips, as they should have been.  But it was a fun knit, and a new way of making a wash cloth.

I also have a new book to add to my knitting library.  It's "Mary Thomas book of Knitting Patterns."  Something to help me as I play around with a little designing.  Even if just to find something different in a sock pattern maybe?  Who knows.

I have also been working on my Wendy Johnson "toe up" socks, and I'm nearly finished.  I have about 3" to go on the leg of the sock.  So I will have that to show you soon, just not quite yet.

And there has been some spinning.  Two bobbins are full with grey alpaca, and I have begun the 3rd bobbin with the black wool.  And then I will be able to ply a few more skeins.

As you can see, there needs to be quite a bit of spinning done before the black wool is ready for plying.  But I make sure to spin a little every day, so eventually I will get it filled. 

OK, I think it's time I get back to checking on that little "Mommy" Hummingbird.  Oh yes, if any of you are interested in taking a peek, please do.  You can see her here:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/Hummingbird-Nest-Cam

Stop in the chat room and say hello too, if you have the time.  :)

Have a good day.  I plan to.  :D

Socks And Shawls

OK, I have finally completed my first TOE UP sock.  A Wendy Johnson pattern, called Double Eyelet Rib socks.  Using Judy's magic cast-on, I couldn't believe how easy it was.  And here I have put off making them this way because I kept thinking I would mess it up.  Thank you Wendy for such a nice easy pattern.  For a first time toe-up, it was great!!

The yarn used was Koigu KPPPM, painter's palette premium merino, no color name given, just a dye code P124, and dye lot 164.  It is very tightly coiled, and on just the one sock I came to kinks in the coils that had to be smoothed out.  I did not like that, so with all the other beautiful yarns out there, without the kinks, I will not be buying any Koigu in the future.  I know many really like this yarn.  And I will concede it is very soft, and feels great in the hand.  But I don't like the kinking.  The pattern called for US size 0 needles, but to get gauge I had to use 2.5 mm (US1) needles.  But this sock is a perfect fit.  Now to complete the second sock.  I have cast on already, so in a few days it should be done.

I also finished my Multnomah Scarf by Kate Flagg. 

This could very easily be working into a shawl just by adding extra rows of each element.  This was the easiest scarf I've ever made and I am more than happy with the end result.

I have it spread over my KnitPicks blocking squares right now.  I did not pin it out, since this just needed a gently smoothing and a little tug on the curves to emphasize them.  When it is fully dried, I will take it outside and photograph it in natural light.  I think that will show it off better.

The yarn is 100% Prime Alpaca, from Times Remmembered.  I don't have a web site for them,  but they are in State Hill, NY, and can be reached at timesrem@frontiernet.net.

The yarn is Peruvian Tweed, the colorway is Carmel Twist, a sport weight yarn.  I used a 40" circular needle, size 3.25 mm (US3) and it was very comfortable on this size needle.

OK, I'm off to finish my other sock, do more squares for the baby blanket, and finally finish the teddy bear.  Then I can start all over with a few new projects......  :)

Have a wonderful day!

Talk About Surprises!

Remember all those items I had started on while recuperating from my fall?? Well, I had this wonderful cloth bag my friend Wendy had given me, and I had put all of my WIP's in this bag to keep them from being scattered about or laid upon. So what does Miss Rosie do? She climbs in the bag and lays on them!!

Remember that "toe-up" sock, designed by Wendy Johnson, that I was going to try? Well, I've passed both critical areas. The toe and the heel, and it should be smooth sailing from here on out. It's looking pretty good, even if I do say so myself.


The double eyelet patterning on the instep doesn't show as well on a colored yarn such as this, but I am enjoying it just the same.

The other day, Tuesday, to be exact, I popped in to Wendy Johnson's blog to see what was going on, and read that she had finished the pattern for the Stacy Shawl, and she had a link on her blog to Stacy's store on Etsy where you could purchase the kits. I just couldn't help myself. I "peeked" in to see what was there, and found the shawl kit paired with some of the most gorgeous green yarn. And when I placed my order, this was the one and only in this green. Now, can you believe this? The kit has arrived in my mailbox ALREADY!! I was so surprised this morning to find it so quickly.

The yarn is "Tempted," a hand painted yarn made of 80% superwash merino, 10% cashmere, and10% nylon. I can say this, it is VERY soft. And I just adore Wendy's shawl pattern. I will finish my other projects first, but I will be starting this shawl as soon as possible.

I also had ANOTHER surprise in my mailbox this morning. And this surprise was totally unexpected at any time, let alone now. A little booklet of dish/wash cloths from a little shop in Austin, TX, called the Hill Country Weavers. This wonderful surprise gift was sent to me by a dear lady, Corinne Schillinger. Corinne has recently returned from Austin, where she and her hubby had been visiting their son for a short time. Corinne is the Mother In Law, to my BFF's daughter. And we have been corresponding for several months now. We both have a love of knitting, and it was such a sweet thing for her to do, so I have sent off a thank you right away. Thanks again Corinne!! I love my little wash cloth booklet!!!! :)


Well, it wasn't just the mailman that was bringing surprises this day. Mother Nature decided to bring one too, but this one is not so warmly welcomed. It would be if this was late November or December. But not this early in October. For Pete's sake, it's not even Halloween yet!!! Oh well, who am I to tell Mother Nature when to do what? So..............at 12:45 PM this 15th day of October, 2009, it BEGAN TO SNOW!!!!

Here, a little Tufted Titmouse is enjoying the black oil sunflower seeds in this feeder. Over the last weekend I filled all of my bird feeders, put out the suet hangers, and set up the squirrel feeder. There are three squirrels that have been frolicking all over that feeder.

Later today, the snow finally started to settle on the ground and began to accumulate on the trees that still have leaves, which are few and far between around here. So this is my maple behind the house. It is very green still, so I hope the branches don't get ruined with the weight of this snow.

And this is the apple tree that is across from my window, where I sit at my computer. The squirrel feeder is in this tree, right there below the branches on the left side of the trunk.

As I leave you, the snow continues to fall and accumulate. Tomorrow I might have some updated photos to share. Now I'm going to curl up and watch a good movie! Have a good night.

:)

Cable Motif Soap Bag - to knit

Over the weekend I was playing around with a bit of rose colored cotton. I knit a washcloth using a pattern from Knitability, called Dishcloth Duo. You can download the free .PDF file here. It is a wonderful dishcloth, but it also is a wonderful bath cloth as well. I've been using these as bath cloths for a short while now, and I was amazed at how nicely they lather up and stay lathered. But they also rinse out very easily too.

Anyway, I recently purchased a couple bars of hand-made soap, intended as a gift for a friend. I didn't want to just hand her the soap wrapped in a brown paper bag, so I asked myself how difficult can it be to knit a simple soap bag? So I began to knit a simple bag, and then decided it was just too plain, I wanted at least a little design on it to make it pretty for her. So I added a small cable motif to the front and back of the bag. You can find my instructions for the Cable Motif Soap Bag here.

Now, the link provided should take you to a .PDF file in my Google Docs. If I understand how this works correctly, you should be able to access the file and download or print the file, whichever you prefer. This is the first time I've used Google Docs for something like this, so I hope I've done it right. Otherwise I may have to find some other way of doing this. Good luck.

Update on other items started but not yet finished.

The baby blanket continues to gain more squares. I'm using this same washcloth pattern, so if you make one you will quickly see why I like it so much. It is so easy to do but makes a very nice piece of cloth.

The Wendy Johnson toe-up socks will have to be frogged and started over. I chose to use the needles she recommended, without checking gauge and they are much too big. So I just need to go down a size and try again. I didn't have that much done, so it won't be a real problem at this stage.

The Multnomah Scarf is coming along quite well. I've spent more time on this and I now have 2 repeats of the feather and fan edging done. Eight more repeats to go and it will be finished. It is going very well.

Note: I have tried the link and it seemed to work just fine. And I have also listed it on the side bar under Free Patterns.

Have a wonderful day. :)

The Result Of A Fall

Last Thursday, a week ago now, I was taking the trash out to the road, so it would be ready for the trash man when he came to collect the following morning. As I started to pull the cart I had the 2 trash bags sitting on, I caught the back of my foot on the tongue of the cart, and I went flying. Now most of you know that I have an artificial knee, and as I was falling I realized I was about to crash land on that knee, and I will do anything to have that NOT happen. So I twisted to avoid hitting the knee, and came crashing down on my arm, shoving it into my chest, and doing a serious number on the muscles of the chest wall.

It was raining at the time, so as I lay there in the wet grass, getting wetter myself, I realized that I could breath OK, so apparently no broken ribs. Just pain, a lot of pain in my chest. I was able to roll over and get up with the help from my "other" knee. I finished taking out the trash, and as soon as I got into the house I just collapsed in my chair and stayed there. It was just too painful to do anything else, for the time being.

Now I finally did see the Doctor, and either I severely bruised or may have torn the chest muscle, but there is nothing to be done for it but several days using an anti-inflammatory to keep the swelling down, and rest so it can heal. Since I couldn't do very much, I knit. So now we have several pots in the fire and nothing completed just yet, but it'll happen eventually.

First, this Teddy Bear by Debbie Bliss. I have a lot of baby yarn laying around, so I started making this adorable little bear. His body front and back, head and snout are done. I am now working on a leg. So we are well on the way with this one. The yarn is Bernat Softee Baby.

This was a dishcloth pattern that is so easy, and again, with all the baby yarn I have, why not make squares to put together as a blanket? So this is the start of a baby afghan. I probably have quite a ways to go here, but it has a good start and I am enjoying working on this. I love this pattern. The yarns are all by Bernat; Softee Baby and Baby Jacquards.
I was reading Ev's blog, Strings N Things, and she had knit this gorgeous scarf by Kate Flagg, called The Multnomah Scarf. Hers is a lot more colorful, but it looked like something I could do fairly quickly, so I downloaded the pattern from Ravelry (it's free) and I am making it as a gift. In November my Woodland Weavers and Spinners Guild will meet for the last general meeting this year, and they make a bit of a party of it. Everyone brings a dish to pass, and they have a grab box of gifts, and every gift must be hand made. So mine will be the Multnomah Scarf. The yarn is Peruvian Tweed, 100% Alpaca in fingering weight. I would guess I have about 1/3 of it done at this point.
And this is my first pair of toe-up socks. I'm using the pattern "Double Eyelet Rib" by Wendy Johnson. I used Judy Becker's "magic cast-on" to get started, and I'm happy to say I "got it" on the first try. The toe is finished and I have begun the eyelet ribbing on the instep. Last night we had a storm with rain and very high winds. The electricity went out as I was working a set of pattern rows. I was determined to finish all of the rows before putting it down, so I sat knitting with a flashlight sitting on my shoulder, to light my hands as I knit. I got the set done and no mistakes either. The yarn is Koigu, and I am liking the pattern so far, but not the yarn. I've already had to smooth out several kinks in it as it is spun very tightly. It feels nice, but I don't like kinked yarn. I'm not too far on the socks, but hey, it's a beginning, and this is a totally new experience for me. Although, with all the socks I've knit over the past several years, it's about time, wouldn't you say? :)

On Tuesday I gave you a view behind the house of some very lovely, and brightly colored trees. This is what they look like now. They are almost totally bare. After yesterdays storm and high winds, I would say Fall is well advanced in my neck of the woods. I captured our Peak during it's last hours in existence. After yesterday, it is no more. There are more leaves on the ground and covering the roads now, than are on the trees. My tallest Sunflower was blown over and uprooted, and about half of them now have no petals any longer. they are a sorry sight. But this morning, as I walked down the driveway to the mailbox, I noticed that my Dahlia has a brand new bud beginning to open. Hope springs eternal! LOL

Medical update.................the Naproxen has been working very good, and today I am feeling much better. There is still some minor residual pain. No doubt there is still some healing to be done. But it is much better and I am able to do much more now. So today I laundered all the bedding for both bedrooms, and made up the beds. Then I got the rolls of plastic that I purchased 2 weeks ago, with the staple gun, and I have closed off my attic, completely. It is a "finished" attic, with two rooms and a store room, that I don't need right now. No more heat is going to be wasted now. Took out all the burnable trash and set that alight. And I sorted through a lot of yarn, and put it in storage containers by color and dye lot. I got a lot done today. Now night is falling. Time to go back to my knitting. I wonder which project I'll work on tonight?

Have a great weekend! :)