One Short of a Full Set of DPNs

Sometimes I have really good ideas to get around a problem. Most of the time, however, the great idea doesn't come until I have wasted at least an entire evening. If I am on some kind of deadline, even self imposed, the good idea will only come after entire weekend has been obliterated. Yes, I am leading up to telling you about how I was brilliant, but only after I was stupid for about 6 hours first, on a night when I really wanted to make some progress.

The first brilliant idea was to use this superwash wool.



that was handpainted by this grandchild


to make fingerless mitts for said grandchilds mother. Brilliant, heh? We can give them to her for Christmas and it will really be from BOTH of us. This is such a fantastic idea that I jumped right on it!

Sunday I swatched and began the first mitt. Not following a pattern, just sort of knitting along and counting the rows so that hopefully the second mitt will be the same size as the first mitt. That is the plan anyway, we'll see what we actually end up with. Jessica already has a pair of mismatched handknit socks from me. Perhaps the mitts will complete the set. Then again, I might get lucky this time.

Everything seemed to be going along just fine. Progress was being made. The mitt came along to work with me. I figured it is straight knitting and I can get a row in here and there waiting for meeting to start and what not. I even knitted straight through one really loooooong meeting and got all the way to the final ribbing before binding off.  Woooo Hoooo maybe I can finish this up and start the second mitt only one day after casting on the first mitt!



Maybe I was just not supposed to be making this much progress. Maybe it was a little uppity of me to even think about beginning the second mitt that evening. Maybe I'm just getting older and losing my mind. It wasn't until I got home and pulled the mitt in progress out of the bag that I saw it. I had left the fifth DPN on the desk at work.

OH NOOOOOOOS. Well, I figured I had another set in that size. I have TONS of DPNs in a big vase in the craft room. An hour with the vase and the needle sizer proved that this particular size (6) is probably the only size that I didn't accidentally buy duplicates of. How can that be possible?

I gave up. I did dishes, which is a total waste of time by the way. I mean really, what is the point when they just get dirty again? I did a little laundry which is the same as dishes, really. I do have that shawl that is still on the needles, but I want to concentrate on gift making right now. If I get sucked back into the lace shawl I'm afraid it might be new years before I come back out of it, and there's Christmas to make! I was frustrated at the sudden screeching halt in the rapid progress I had been making. I was pissed at myself for setting the needle on the desk at work. What was I thinking? I put the rest of the project in the bag. The ball o yarn. The nearly finished mitt with spikes. Even the little container of stitch markers made it into the bag, but oooooh no, I think that for some reason it was ok to just put the final item next to the keyboard? REALLY??

It was about 10pm and I was chin deep in bath water when the brilliant idea came to me. If I would just do this ONE thing I could continue working on the mitt! Got out of the tub and into PJs really fast to get to it. Maybe I could finish this mitt tonight after all!

The brilliant idea was to use one smaller DPN to hold stitches that were not being worked. I would knit around till I got to the place holder needle, then move it to another spot further from where the actual knitting is taking place. It worked beautifully! The mitt was long enough to begin the 1X1 ribbing for a few rows before binding off. I was going to make it!

That is when it happened. I got to the end of the first row of ribbing and everything went bad. The last stitch in the row should be a purl. I had an even number of stitches (6 on each needle) so the 1X1 ribbing should work out perfect, but it isn't.  OMG  How did this one needle get 7 stitches on it? CRAP

Looks like I cast on one to many when I was making the thumb hole.... aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrghhhh
Rip it Rip it.

I will finish these mitts. I will finish these mitts. They will not defeat me.

The Day I Was So Far Ahead It Wasn't Even Funny

Wow, I know I won't be able to keep up the pace, but day two of Christmas knitting and we have a second gift finished! There wasn't any knitting to speak of on this one. It's a neck scarf that I wove on a triangle loom. This one is for Mom. I did most of the weaving at her house and she really liked the colors of this yarn.



I know I will get behind on the gift making really quickly and sometime soon. I know that it will be just like every other year. It always ends with me forgoing sleep, food and other things to get my ambitious list almost complete. But right now I am so far ahead! It's not even the 15th of September and I have two gifts finished. This is unheard of and I will revel in it!



I'm marking this in my diary as the day I was so ahead of schedule it wasn't even funny. I'll need to look back on this day in a few weeks. I'll need a good laugh.

She Knitted as Texas Burned

Oh lovely September. Back to school shopping, the turning of the leaves, the smell of wood smoke in the crisp cool air. Don't ya love those first weeks of cooler weather, when it is still a relief from the heat of summer, before the cold gets old and summer seems like a long lost dream. The coming months lay before us full of wonderful sweater and hat wearing potential. Yeah, I love it too. Sure wish it would begin.

I would like to pause at this point to make three points.

1. We are nearly halfway through September. 
2. It is currently 10 PM.
3. It is 100 degrees on my back porch.
4. WTF

Sorry, that was four points.

Why is this happening when there's Christmas knitting to be done? Is it some kind of curse? Is it climate change? Do I need to move North to Montana to get away from this? Is it cooling off in Montana right now like a normal September? If not I guess we'll have to consider Canada.

Finished knitting the first Christmas present. It isn't finished, but the knitting part is done.
The first item is a loose neck warmer. I made a funky art batt at fancy fiber farm then spun it into thick and thin lumpy yarn. There's wool, sari silk and mohair curls in this one. Man OH man, the knit fabric is unbelievably soft.



It isn't finished. The plan is to make custom clay buttons to connect the ends with. The knitting part is done though. There's ONE.

To Click or Not to Click

Knit Picks sent the notification email. The Summer Seasons Shawl is up on the site. . . ON CLEARANCE.

My cart? Don't look at my cart! Ok, so there's a shawl in my cart. It doesn't mean anything until I click the purchase button. I'm just seeing what it looks like in my cart. Looks nice doesn't it?

Maybe I'll just play around adding items to my cart till I get to the free shipping. Just for fun. Doesn't mean anything till I click the purchase button.


Oh, look! I don't have this spinning book by Lexi Boeger (Pluckyfluff). I'll just put that in the cart too.  I know I don't need it. It is just for fun. We are just playing with the cart.

 I should throw a couple of the sock knitting WIP  holders in the cart too, while I'm at it. Scooter chewed mine. If you knit socks and you don't have one of the Knit Picks sock WIP holders... well ... just get some. That's all I can say. Your life will never be the same again.

Ya know, if I start the summer shawl now I just might get to wear it next summer. I'm just sayin'.

What's Up With Nectarines These Days?

I love nectarines. Loved em since I was a kid. Yummy peach sweetness without the itchy fuzz.

If you climb up a peach tree in the summer, stuff yourself with yummy fresh picked peaches, reclining on the branches lulled into a low doze by the buzzing of the bees, peach juice running down your chin, neck... arms, you will end up soooooooo itchy! Even scrubbing in the shower and soaking in a plastic wading pool will not stop the horrid itching. (ask me how I know) But, nectarines sweet nectarines. All of the goodness with none of the itchy side effects.

Last summer I purchased nectarines several times. They looked lovely though a bit hard and needing to ripen up a bit. I would bring them home and set them on the counter to get softer and juicier. Strangely, when they finally softened up a little and I took a big bite I found that they were mushy and rotting. ewwwwwwwwwwww

This summer I have purchased nectarines twice and they are the same as last year. This time I sliced one up before it got soft and found that it is quite edible though not the correct texture! It is firm and a little crunchy even. I ate two this way with no ill effects. The third got a little softer from sitting around waiting his turn and was mushy and rotting.

So, what the Hell happened to the nectarines? What did they do to them! Are these a new strain that they developed to stay hard so they transport around the globe without bruising? If so, when did it take over all nectarine production? Are there any of the old GOOD nectarines left?