What happens when you take 8 knitters and a cat to Rhinebeck?

They get drunk on the yarn fumes for starters.
Friday morning we left bright and early. Arguably I was a bouncing ball of energy, too excited to sleep and ready to go an hour ahead of time. I know, I’m always late so your amazed. Meow Meow Head packed light and was able to fit all of her stuff in just one car which was good, it left the rest of us plenty of room in the other. Having visions of the trip back from Pennsylvania with Lulu last fall, I opted to ride in the non-cat car. When we arrived we were all pleased with the house. It was beautiful and spacious and modern enough for me to be comfortable.
Two trips to the train station later, we had all of our party and were ready for a nice dinner in Rhinecliff. Then we were off to bed and up early to head to the fair grounds. Having been last year, Meow Meow Head and I were adamant that we be out of the house by 8:30. This naturally meant that I was up at 6 “trying” not to wake people up while I got ready so we could get going. The day was a blur of smiles and yarn. I will just leave you with some of the highlight words…

• Socks That Rock yarn
  
• Artichock Freda-French-and Fried
  
• Katie’s Sylvie Jacket
  
• Dips
  
• Si Captian Baseball Hat and Meathead Hat
  
• Flashing The Decedent Fiber Lady with my Hey Teach Sweater
  
• Joan going back for Pam
  
• Cheeses
  
• Kissing Llamas
  
• Knitted Bob Costume
  
• NY Style Pizza
  

Day two was rainy but that didn’t stop us. I think we all bought some Crème Brule from Decedent Fibers. And on Day three with our Rhinebeck hangovers, we headed home via Webbs. What a crazy group of ladies!!!!

Gathering of Seacoast Knitters

Last night we had an incredible gathering of Seacoast Knitters. For the last 2 months we’ve been secretly knitting blanket squares for the a baby blanket for one of our members. The Communicator is due on her own birthday, in early July. We adapted the Maja Blanket to match the gauge for the Louet Riverstone Yarn that The Enforcer chose. Riverstone is a 100% wool but it does have a very bright color pallet with a nice cushy hand. We were attempting to create a blanket that was 5 squares wide by 5 squares long, approximately 40” square, the perfect size for the baby, whose sex is unknown. That meant that each of us needed to knit two squares. Each square involved 3 different colors. Everyone bought a skein or two and we all proceeded to swap colors to ensure that everyone had colors that looked good together. Some skeins were mailed to Illinois and New Jersey for departed members to contribute. Others drove 45 minutes to the nearest yarn shop and bought skeins for the group. Some missed the buying opportunities but were able to eek out another square by combining the leftovers of others. And still others knit four or five squares to be certain we’d have enough.

The assembly party was here last night. This condo has never been so full. Thirteen Seacoast Knitters turned out in support of our friend. I was astounded by the support for The Communicator and the support of each other. It’s one thing to knit a square or two. That’s 10 hours of knitting time to give away. Knitters are generally charitable and willing to pitch in. But as a general rule, knitters do not like to sew. Amidst the grumbling about sewing some learned new techniques while we all forged ahead stitch by stitch assembling what will be a rainbow of love for the baby.

I’m certain she’ll be thrilled when she sees it and in turn, we will all be thrilled by her reaction to our efforts. It is wonderful to be part of something that brings so many of us together, so many people that were previously strangers. Brings us together not for the love of knitting but for the love of this community we’ve created. A community centered on knitting but filled with kindness and support.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Apple Picking

Yesterday was the third annual apple picking day. The weekend before we were married, our friends K&K took us. We’ve gone every year since. The four of us do not change but the difference in their daughter is amazing. The first year she was strapped to her mother’s chest and spit up all over her. Last year she road in a stroller biting an apple with just two teeth.

This year she walked along eating an apple and holding her father’s hand. At one point she informed him, “Daddy your hands are cold!” We had a laugh at how well she constructed a sentence at such a young age. And of course political jokes followed, as they always do when The Boyfriend is with K&K.

That afternoon as we made apple bread and apple crisp, MacOban proved that he is in fact my son. After the baking it was time to watch sports…7 hours of football and baseball = sleepy Samurai. I called it a night early and dreamt about what I could knit with my newly dyed sock yarn. I skienned it up this morning but am feeling compelled to finish the light blue sweater that I ripped off the bottom 4” so that I could lengthen it.

I’m about ready to turn the heel on the first of the Diagonal Cross-Rib Socks. One sock cables left while the other right. I’m a bite concerned about knitting both at once and ending up with two socks that do neither.

Now I’m off to attempt, Nakid-Knits “Tofu Jerky”. I’m skeptical yet curious…

Will the blue ever come out?

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Although I used gloves during the dying process and I was very careful not to touch anything without them, I still miraculously ended up with blue dye under several of my finger nails. .
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I dyed two skeins of merino-silk sock yarn. I was definitely going for the cool colors as you can see. I was surprised by how long it took to dye, but then again we did at least 20 skeins.
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If I were to do it again, I would mix 4 or 5 dyes all in the same color family rather than having so many options. What do I mean if, when I do it again is more like it. The dye was absorbed really well and some of the girls got some vibrant yellows and chartrus colors. I’m not sure how you’d get a lighter shade of purple? Less dye I guess.

Give me the Chemicals

Being at camp is exhausting! Actually it’s relaxing but the sun and fresh air seem to have tired me out. It certainly couldn’t have been the knitting marathon or the relaxing atmosphere.
The girls and I had a great time.

The Common Ground Fair was and was not what I expected. After hearing so much about it in high school and then college but never going, the fair had attained mythical status in my mind. This did not bode well for the Fair as I think anything would’ve fallen short. I knew it would be a crunchy-alternative type fair with hippies, organic and vegetarian food. I did not realize that the entire state of Maine would turn out to see it at the same time I did. Rather than the low-key non-commercial event I expected, I found long lines, throngs of people, and over priced food. Admission was $10 just to be on the grounds, an eggplant wrap was $7, Fried whole wheat dough was another $6 and water, $2. You see where I’m going? This seriously cut into my yarn allowance.

As we walked through the fair squeezing all the yarn in beautifully sun and natural dyed colors, we concluded that we like chemicals in our yarns. While merino is merino, it’s not the same from the organic farmer as it is with a nice wash and softener. My brain glitches at this thought, aware that those chemicals may not be healthy for me or the people who applied them. Like recycling, it feels like I should take care of the planet and buy the local less processed item, but you know what? Knitting is my passion, it’s something I love to do in large part because of the tactile sensations. If I were to use that scratchy wool I wouldn’t knit, I’d become a fidgety basket case with an explosive temper, not exactly the ideal environment for my nervous Chihuahua. So I’m going to be irresponsible and continue to buy my yarns, from Peru, India, China, etc. I’ll recycle, support my local businesses, drive a fuel efficient vehicle, conserve electricity, and refrain from eating meat but I draw the line at my knitting. I couldn’t help but think that that scratchy wool was what gives non-knitters such a poor impression of wool. I wouldn’t want that stuff anywhere near my skin but give me a nice wool-alpaca blend, merino, or Malabrigo from the LYS and I’ll gladly wear it all day without a thought of itching.

That being said, I did by some “glamour bunny blend” 30% angora bunny yarn that is amazingly soft. I wanted to take all the bunnies home with me. I also found people selling the balsam pillows like my AP has. She’s had the same one for 15 years and every time I go to her house I touch it and enjoy the scent. Those pillows will always make me think of her home. And I couldn’t resist the transformation print of yarn to cats. I’ve definitely done my fair share of knitting cats and knitting for cats.

Mac’s Sunday Morning Shenanigans!

Mac’s Sunday Morning Shenanigans!

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Both boys were in fact running around crazy. Linus kept jumping into bags and Mac spent some time hanging on the door.

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While Mac and The Boyfriend was playing around I finished what he is calling a “Teletubbie hat”. I absolutely love this pattern. It's called Meathead and it's so simple. I might just knit a million of them. But seriously how cool would it be to see one of my hats walking down the steet? It's not likely since the charity is a hospital but I can always hope.

Then I moved on to finishing the baby socks and matching hat for the first baby in the next generation. So cute! I hope the family understands that they are handmade and should be treated with love and passed along to future babies when he’s finished with them.

Lastly we were off to friends house (OK I know that's not gramatically correct, but I can't say a friend since they are both friends and then where does the ' go when it's multiple friends house? How is the ownership expressed? I hate spelling!) for some beer making. I don't have any idea what we'll call this one. While they did all the heavy work I of course knit. Yes that is a dish of Texas Caviar in the front. So yummy! Thank you SSK Podcast for that wonderful recipe.

Sweetie's Nemesis -the bat

Last Night I gave away the super secret birthday project I’ve been working on...Sweetie's Nemesis -the bat!


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I’d say Batgirl was pleased to receive the prototype of Sweetie’s Nemesis. He’s been officially named Christian Bailey the Bat.
I think it’s a fitting name and hope it makes her smile whenever she sees it.

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Everyone who sees Sweetie's Nemesis, loves it, including Dad. I knew he did becuase he got a silly smile on his face and informed me that Yoda doesn't have wings.

The pattern is now available for purchase in my Etsy shop. I hope everyone knits there own Nemesis for Halloween. There will be more patterns posted to the shop later this week.

Back From The Edge

Leaving after work on Thursday we raced the sunlight and headed into the heart of darkness. Well not really, it just felt that way to me. I was a bit nervous as we drove an hour outside of cell phone range, an hour away from restaurants, and an hour from any sort of hospitals. I pushed those thoughts from my mind and played with one of the two pieces of technology that would accompany me into the woods, my camera. The other of course is the trusty Ipod. So there we were rushing into the woods and I was clicking away taking this and other fun photos.

We did not beat the dark or the rain, which meant the bonfire was a no-go. Instead, we acquainted ourselves with a little game called Settlers of Catan. For all you Futurama fans out there, I kept singing “We’re Settlers of Catan” to the tune of “We’re whalers on the moon”. As you can see the Girly Beer was also engrossed in learning the rules of this addictive game.

The next afternoon we had a bit of a slapstick comedy routine. At least I felt like it as I sat on a rock knitting while the others played on the shore, skipping stones and enjoying the scenery.
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Here you see, one of my companions decides to throw the biggest stone into the water.
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Together they admire the ripple.
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Then as his attention is elsewhere The Boyfriend puts the rock back in its proper-responsible position, out of the water where future visitors are sure to see it and not ram their boats into it. I watched and chuckled.
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The second evening we had sun and another round of Catan. Anxious not to miss our opportunity for a fire, we started it well before dark and dinned outside.

There was a conflict between The Boyfriend and I over the appropriate use of sticks and fire poke-age. I felt there could not be enough poking and demonstrated this at every opportunity, saying “pokey-pokey” with a smile and hearing my father's voice when I was a child walking slowly saying “come on pokey-pokey.”




The Boyfriend confiscated my stick on several occasions and all agreed there should be no sitting without knitting for me, far too fidgety.




As we drove home today I continued to work on my Undulating-Rib socks (I’m in love with the Claudia Hand paint yarn). The Boyfriend snapped this picture of it look you can see him reflected in the rearview.

Amongst mice, sleeve burning marshmallows, waterfalls, cribbage, flatulence, brick-wood-wheat-sheep-oar, cooking, poking the fire, and “that’s what she said” I discovered that we really do have a wonderful pair of friends. So often the daily grind and different interests cause us to loose track of what caused the paths of our lives to intersect to begin with, nothing more than the pleasure of just being ourselves together, to relax together, and being able to just laugh together.

And yes, I did survive and even enjoy the wilderness.

I might even do it again sometime, (as long as there's indoor plumbing).

Farewell

Last night we said farewell to a friend. I didn’t realize how hard it would be. Of course I know how close we are and how important this group has become to each of us but I didn’t realize just how sad it would be as a piece of the pie is removed. While we wish our Katie K the best of luck in her future she will be missed.

Radio silence has been maintained in large part due to a killer cold. I did nothing but sleep for 36 hours (which means no work on the Vest). A piece of the cold still lingers but I’m hoping to annihilate the last of it today as I rest up for a weekend in the woods. The Boyfriend and I are heading to the great woods of Maine to stay in a cabin with friends. While it sounds fun, the prospect of no electricity for 3 days is somewhat disconcerting. I’ve packed plenty of stockinet for knitting by the campfire. The boyfriend informed me that I must not forget to pick up the makings for S’mores today, or the entire weekend will be a bust. I’m glad he has his priorities straight.