birds

It's a typicall snowy day here. It seems to be doing a lot of snowing this year. But you know the birds have really come out in force to eat from the feeders.

Bender's Game

Bender’s Game….aka…hilarious version of Fellowship of the Rings crossed with Dungeon and Dragons.

While watching it I finished off square 47.


These are the squares from the last two weeks. I needed to be on 42 last Friday and 49 for this Friday. Right on. Wait the movie also includes Star Wars. Hilarious!!!

The Truth

Let’s be honest for a minute…knitting squares at Christmas time isn’t the most exciting thing to do. I know I know that’s not what you wanted to hear but it’s true.

Instead I worked on my mother’s secret present which I didn’t finish and socks. Imagine that, me knitting socks.

I can’t seem to stop and they’re so mindless and wonderful. And then you get to have heel fun and then they’re mindless again. I just love to knit my socks… and I’ve begun to consider the possibility of knitting socks for other people. I had thought socks were a $25 yarn plus 20 hours of knitting, @ $10 an hour which…that makes for a $225 gift and who knows if the receipt will like them or if they’ll fit or wear them or ruin them in the wash. So I had said no socks for anyone but me. Now I’m up to 12 pairs which really is enough for one person but I’m not about to stop sock knitting. I seem to have sock knitting perfected and can whip out a pair in less than a week if it’s a simple pattern like Monkeys. So perhaps I’ll knit the family and some close friends some socks. We’ll see.

What do you think about knitting socks for a sock knitter? Is that odd? I have a pair from my mother-in-law and I love them just as much as the others. Would another sock knitter feel the same or would they be like, “thanks a lot for giving me something I make myself”? I’m not sure.

But either way here are the socks I’m working on right now…Denna Socks. They are my own design and it took hours to come up with something that suited this two color yarn. I’m beginning to realize that I like either highly variegated multi colored sock yarns or simple tonal colors. Designs are easily lost in contrasting two color sock yarn.

I’m also working on some socks using the Knitpicks Bare yarn that I dyed last fall. I since learned that wool and silk will shrink in the washing machine. And then continue to shrink each time you wash them. My Perrin socks that I knit in October immediately after dying the yarn looked like this (on the left).

After 6 or 7 wearings they look like this (on the right). They’re about 2” shorter than they used to be, the lace on the cuff and picot edging has closed in. The foot itself barely fits me and they are nearly felted without any stitch definition. They are also dense and cushy. I just wish I had known this would happen and could’ve saved myself the time of intricate lace work.

So this second pair in the Knitpicks Bare will be for me since I’m sure to hand wash them. I’m also compensating by knitting them on larger needles and even looser than normal. Which is a funny concept since I’m the loosest knitter I know. I like to tell myself that just means I’m relaxed about it.

Yesterday Pamtastic stole me off to Webs. I threatened to only spend her money. It didn’t work, it never does when it comes to yarn. I was pretty good and mostly got sock yarn. Shopping with other people’s feet in mind is hard work.

I definitely had a color pallet in mind as I was shopping…yellow and black, but somehow the greens snuck in there as well.

Merry Christmas

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Everything we need!

“Boyfriend we need 7 wine bottles and 7 zip lock baggies” I yelled down from the laundry room mid-win-cozy-felting.

The Boyfriend in his typical mode of transportation, that of a five year old in stockings, came running and slid across the floor, appearing in the laundry room door way to proclaim…

“We have everything we need, except for…everything we need!”


After further discussion it was determined that we did in fact have everything we need he just needed to look a little harder.

Now its fudge making time which typically involves sampling and wrapping presents, so on a sugar high I felt the need to share with you all that…

“We have everything we need, except for…everything we need!”

Blogging From Bed

Here I am on day four of a wonderful cold. Last week my friend who was moving away came to knitting with a bit of a cold and being as she’s the only sick person I’ve been in contact with, it’s clearly all her fault!

As soon as I realized I was getting sick I took Cold-EEze to try and head it off. It didn’t work since I’ve been out of commission for the past two days. The Boyfriend is a trooper, sleeping on the couch and making sure I have the right kind of tissues, drinks, and food. Now if only the TV people would cooperate and show Law N’ Order nonstop I’d be all set. It’s been ages since I last watched TV without the DVR and yesterday in my cold medicine stupor I repeatedly tried to fast forward through the commercials.

As if the Ice Storm and a Cold weren’t enough, we’ve now had about 8” of snow dumped on our heads. It’s been beautiful to watch coming down and hopefully no one will have to travel in it. I was actually laying here last night, watching the giant snow flakes, envisioning the lovely knitting photos I could take in the morning with snow covered trees in contrast to my brightly colored knit socks. I think I’m going through knitting withdrawal.

In the Seven Squares a Week Challenge, I should be at 35 squares as of yesterday. I currently have 41, so I’m well ahead of the challenge. I did do a large square this week which takes four times as long as a regular square.

Power Shoe Cozies

We have power! I’m human again with my computer on my lap sitting warmly in my living room. K&K opened their home and their hearts to us. They treated us like family for three days. I feel like we can not thank them enough.

Many including my office, still do not have power. There’s been talk of a “black Christmas” as some towns need to have the entire power system rebuilt. Thankfully we do not live in one of those towns. Nearly all the Christmas shopping has been done, anything that could be purchased online was.

And President Bush got a shoe thrown at him. How funny is that? I was surprised by his reflexes and then wondered what took the Secret Service so long to get in front of him. January 20th can’t come fast enough. Although I do feel a little empathy for the man. How must it feel knowing so many of your own people are counting the days until you’re gone? I’m sure when he dreamt of being President when he grew up that didn’t include being the least popular president.

Cozy’s are 70% finished. I have 6 of the 7 knit and just need to felt them. (Secretly I love the color work one, in the upper left corner and may not want to give that one away so it might need to be 8 cozies) I hope The Boyfriend got all the wine already so I can block them on actual wine bottles.

And in blanket news: here are 6 of the large squares. I'm really enjoying work on them. But still unable to attach more than four squares together.

No Power

Day 3 without power. Hidding out with K&K. Hope you all have power and are warm!

What happens when you have four adults and a 2 year old trapped in a house all day?

Well first to get this scenario the power has to be out in the young couple’s condo. The young couple must spend 10 hours without heat or electricity at which point, the wife says, I can’t feel my fingers and the boys are cold. The young couple packs up themselves and their two cats and head over to their friend’s house where there is plenty of power but no internet. The friends have a very shy two year old daughter. The friends have already taken in another family with two small children that speak fluent Japanese. There are three children under five so the place is hopping until bedtime when the tears started falling. The young couple seek sanctuary in the basement with the cats.

The next morning the other guests leave but the young couple is still without power. So the four adults amuse themselves the best they can while the wait for the power to come back on. As the day wares on the little girl and the wife become “best friends”. They sing and play with flashlights. They watch Little House on the Prairie and play with yarn. They even eat ice cream together until at last it’s time for the little girl to brush her teeth and go to bed. Neither of which are things she’s interested in doing and instead she’s found an intense fascination with the Things Remembered Catalog.

Eventually the wife offers to brush her teeth with the little girl. Together they sit on the floor in the living room brushing and drooling as they “clean those dirty teeth”. It was an amusing sight for the other adults. I’m sure my dentist would be proud.

Knitting by Candle Light

This morning I snapped awake at 6am even though it’s my day off. With nothing better to do, I jumped up and got ready for the day. I headed downstairs and saw a sheet of ice had covered the world as we slept.

As I walked toward the kitchen the power went out and it was black. In New England the lazy winter sun doesn’t grace our sky’s until well after 7 and with the cloud cover it might as well have been midnight not 6:30am. I lit the gas stove for tea and found some candles. With my yarn and needles in hand I pulled up a chair by the back door listening to the rain fall and knitting by candle light

In other news…I’m pleased to announce that I have 31 squares for the sock blanket. 7 more for this week should been 28 so I’m doing well. I have only knit four squares together out of fear of commitment. I don’t want to attach them all because I’m not the best at envisioning the end results. With my luck I’d end up with clumps of contrasting colors in an unattractive fashion.

Also have two finished wine cozies. I’m working out the design and will offer it free in the near future.

I’m a schmuck!

I have a really good friend. She’s funny, and witty, and we have a great deal in common. She makes me smile, granted a lot of people make me smile but I enjoy her company.

A few months back her life was less than cheery. And being a schmuck I backed away because it wasn’t as much fun to spend time together. Now she’s re-organized her life and made the decision to move which lifted a great deal of stress and darkness from her life.

Tonight was the last time I’ll see my friend for a long time and it was just like the old times. We laughed and finished each others sentences. We shared inside jokes and knitting humor. The night flew by too fast. I even shoved her at one point and told her I was mad she’s leaving, because there was so much fun yet to be had. Tonight I had MY friend back. My friend who likes the same music, tv shows, movies, books, actors, and on and on until I begin to think we're two peas in a pod. I’m a schmuck for letting the hard work of friendship get between us.

While I wish her all the best and success in her future, I’m so sad to see my friend leave. I’ll have to settle on my Beelzebub and "No more rhymes now I mean it!" to make me smile and remind me of my friend.

Christmas Trees

This morning as Linus and I were sleeping in, The Boyfriend was getting ready for work. While we were innocently dozing, The Boyfriend entered the room and requested that I knit him SEVEN wine cozies for Christmas gifts. Seven! 7! Seven in less than 20 days. Felted wine cozies for coworkers and professors. I roused enough to say “Well good morning to you. And your crazy!” Of course I’m just like him since I’ve immediately started knitting them.

I finished the first one off with Mum & Memere, at coffee. We went to see the Festival of the Trees display. Such lovely themed trees but nothing I’d ever want as my main Christmas tree.

Did you know we have two trees this year? Yup, after Christmas last year I bought a narrow, prelate, 9 foot tall tree to replace our sad little 5 foot tall one. So this year The Boyfriend wasn’t ready to let go of the little one so he setup both. The big one in the entry way and the little one in the living room. I love the big one with it’s simple white lights. He loves the little colorful one. I have to be sure to light them both every night to keep us both happy.

There’s nothing like a new pair of socks

This morning I finished off the “My Friend’s” socks that I worked on during the debate in which McSame repeatedly addressed the audience as “My Friends”. They were part of the Socktobar sock frenzy. And now they are part of my finished sock collection.

This marks my tenth pair of socks. I like the shorter length cuff. It’s hard to see in the photos but the cables spiral away from each other. The pattern is from Favorite Socks, the Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks. I used Mind’s Eye yarn that is 70/30 Wool/Tensel blend. It feels like cotton to me. It has a slight sheen and very soft hand. Love Love Love Them!!

Here it is…Friday

And I’m very pleased to report that I have a grand total of 22 squares for the sock blanket. I needed 21 by the end of Friday. Placed edge to edge they take up about 12” x 12”. This is going to be a long project! Yesterday I learned that my partner in crime has fallen behind in her square count. Hopefully some public taunting will motivate her to catch up!
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Tonight we had another Seacoast Knitter depart. She’s be a Mid-West Knitter now. She’s holding up the blanket that was one of the super secret projects I’ve been working on. Everyone knit a square that expressed their feelings for her.

I knit the Knitters square and a second lace square. The lace is something I've always said I'd never do. SImilar to socks. And she pushed me to knit socks and you know I loved them. So I decided to knit lace for her incase I would love that as well. I didn't but at least I attempted it.

I hope the blanket keeps her lap warm for years to come and provides an instant hug from us all when she needs it.

Strudel!!!

Check out my snazzy new hat!!! “MeKint”, knit it for me for the Seacoast Knitters hat swap. I love how unique it is. It’s the Strudel
Hat by Woolly Wormhead. And it’s purple alpaca!!! Perfecto!
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Here we all our with our new hats. What a crazy group of ladies. I love them all so much!!

Wheel of Time

You Scored as The Brown Ajah You are best suited for the Brown Ajah. Dreamy eyes, and ink stained fingers are the mark of this Ajah. These Aes Sedai are the historians, librarians, scientists, and engineers of the White Tower. They are in charge of the Tower Libraries and as such are usually more negotiable than probably anyone else. These Aes Sedai are usually so caught up in their studies and research projects that they are oblivious to current events in the world. The Brown Ajah 90% The White Ajah 70% The Green Ajah 60% The Yellow Ajah 60% The Blue Ajah 50% The Gray Ajah 50% The Black Ajah 35% The Red Ajah 35%

Another year wiser?

Last night marked my 28th birthday. As you can see I’m another year older but just as silly as usual. The Boyfriend got me a zip and snap blanket. I feel like a penguin wearing it but man is it toasty.

Although I’m not a fan of birthday’s, at least not since I turned 25 and realized I’m not a kid. The Boyfriend was firm with me this year, “the day will come weather you want it to or not, so you might as well use the excuse to do something you want.”

It made sense so we did dinner with friends plus Mum. I had a very nice time.

Melody sent me a wonderful Birthday poem,
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Happy Birthday to you.

You are a Michaud.

You make pretty knits.

And to boot they all fits!

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Yesterday I finished felting the final project. Pencil grips for my aunt's students. 30 of them in a variety of colors and sizes. Which now leaves me with 10 hibernating projects. I know for the normal person that seems like a lot but for me, that’s amazing. Decagon Decision was a success!!

Onto the Seven Square Challenge. This will be a weekly challenge to complete seven sock blanket squares each week, one per day. I’ve already been working on the blanket for 17 days and currently have 15 squares. So I should have 21 squares by this Friday.