Playing Catch Up

As noted in my last post I've been busy, busy, busy.

A few weeks before the holidays, Tim and I took a ride to Kinderhook to pay a visit to Year Round Yarns. Where I purchased some Plymouth Suri Alpaca

On the way back we stopped at Wholly Cow Restaurant for dinner and had the best BBQ I've had north of the Mason-Dixon Line.





And to keep this fiber related, I did knit at the table.



The Suri Alpaca was purchased to make a hat for my friend Judith. The hat is not yet finished.


But that's okay, because our plans to see Judith on New Year's had to be moved because she was having some stuff go on with her apartment. We'll catch up later and the hat will be given. Since I have extra yarn, maybe a pair of mittens? Fingerless gloves?

On the subject of fingerless mitts, I made two pair. A goth version of Fetching


And another pair of my own design that remind of a Chanel suit I had a long time ago (in another life)


They are for two young friends, Maggie and Janet.

In the meanwhile an 11 year old girl in foster care wanted a pair of mittens, a hat and a scarf. Her favorite color is purple. We figured not many kids in foster care get hand knits, so....


We hope she had a very happy Christmas and stays warm throughout the winter.

At some point we went on a Yule Tree expedition, which included a Hay Ride


A magical grove


Freezing (if not for our wooly hand-knits)


And warming ourselves with hot cocoa around a bonfire (while waiting for the snow and ice to melt off our tree)


And the day ended with a beautiful sunset


The following week, I received email from my niece,


who is studying in Paris. At a museum, she saw some wool

And, naturally, thought about her aunt and took pictures, which she sent to me.

The week after that, was Tina's (formerly Pheonixfiberworks and now Rows Red) annual Yule and Yarn party. It was held at the Muddy Cup in Hudson (where it was hastily moved to after the discovery that The Muddy Cup in Catskill was closed for renovations), where a splendid time was had by all.





Tina is wearing the cowl that was my gift to her:


Since then, I got a chance to hang our with both my nephews and my niece who isn't in Paris


As well as my sister and brother and their spouses.

I've had a chance to spin.

416 yards of laceweight icelandic wool (singles)




And 4 oz of Carolyn's handpainted merino in the Jammy colorway.




And, I've finished a pair of socks for myself. These are Tina's "Baby Fern" socks, made with Pace Step yarn.


And, finally, for those of you who don't know why I'm called the Cat Whisperer, I leave you with this:

Holiday Knitting

This could be a post complete with pictures and links and all sorts of wonderful stuff. But it's not. Because I'm buried under a pile of Holiday Knitting.

Notice that I capitalize Holiday Knitting? I do that because it has taken on Monumental Importance.

Because you see, I'm making ______ for _______. And also, _______ for ________ and _______ for ________ and _________ for ________.

If that wasn't enough Tim is making _______ for _________, _______ for __________ and we're both working on a hat and scarf set for a little girl in foster care who wants that for Christmas, in purple.

Not to mention another ongoing project for _________.

How many of these things are done? Hmmm. I've ripped out the ________ for _________ no fewer than 4 times. Then decided that I just didn't like the yarn in that pattern. So, I decided to make ________. But Tim was using the right needle tips on a _________ for ________, so I started it on a size down (since I tend to knit a little looser, anyway. But 'ya know what? I'm wondering now if that yarn is right for that pattern, or is just to heavy for the size 7 needles. Maybe I should recast on with the 9's (obviously the 8's are being used.)

Another's day knitting to be frogged.

Have we taken on more than we can chew... er... knit? Possibly.

Every year I swear I'm going to start in July. Every year I get started somewhere in October. All would be good, if suddenly, mid November, I didn't add 5 people to the list of knitted gift recipients.

So, obviously, I'm going to go knit. If I don't pop up until christmas, at least you'll know what I'm doing.

Where I've Been

Mostly I've been sitting on my ass doing nothing. It truly amazes me that one fractured toe could sideline me so completely. Actually, I got back to work on limited basis, two weeks ago, and that has kept me busy.


As those who were at Rhinebeck saw, I finished Tim's sweater in the nick of time:


When I say in the nick, I mean it. At 10:30 the night before Rhinebeck, the sweater came off my needles.

Unfortunately, that's the last Finished Object that I have to share. I have 4, soon to be 5, projects on the needles and while I'm working on at least one of them every day, I feel like I'm making no progress at all.

I'll try to grap photos of WIPs to satisfy everyone's photo lust.

Did You VOTE Today?

Today's election might just be the most important election we will see in our lifetimes. So many issues are in flux: Women's Health Rights, Marriage Rights for ALL People, the Economy, the War in Iraq (and Afghanistan) and maybe, soon, Iran.

Who you vote for today will shape the history of this country. You will be shaping the history of this country.

Of course, I want to tell you all to Vote Obama/Biden, because I think they're the best choice for this country, but more than anything else I believe that voting is the most important privilege we, as citizens, have.

We saw, in 2000, how just a few votes could make a difference. 2004 was also close. We're hoping that 2008 will be a landslide, but you just never know.

So, if you're registered, get out there and vote!!! You'll be glad you did.

Remember, if you don't vote, you forfeit your right to complain.

Startitis and Knitted Gifts

Ooh do I have a wicked case of start-itis. I have started 3 projects in the last 3 days. Considering that I'm a fairly monogamous, sometimes a little polygamous, knitter, the idea of 3 new projects and one continuing project on the needles is a little overwhelming. To me.

I know, there are lots of people who regularly have that many, and more, project on the needles, but it's a new behavior for me. Usually, I have one fairly boring knit, that I can talk through and not have to pay too much attention; and something more complex that I can watch TV through, but not necessarily make conversation. I have both of those on the needles now. Plus I've added a beaded lace scarf that is taking all my attention (at the moment. That may change as I become more familiar with the pattern), and another beaded lace scarf that is going to be a present for someone (I'm not sure who...yet).

Which brings me to the next point. Knitted Gifts. Who to knit for? Who will appreciate it? Who won't...and why not?

These are the questions that rattle around in my head whenever I start a gift project. See...I like to give knitted gifts. Probably for the same reason I like to cook for crowds of people. It's a way I get to share my love. However, just like I won't cook beef bourgingnon for a vegetarian, I'm not going to spend the time and energy (not to mention the yarn) on a project for someone that won't wear it.

I had this conversation with someone a little while ago. This person said that while s/he would love and appreciate the time and effort put into such a gift s/he would probably not ever wear it. And while I appreciate knowing this, it makes me so incredibly sad that I will never have the joy of spending hours handcrafting a gift for someone I love...because honestly...I make garments to be worn, not stuck in a drawer and "appreciated."

Honestly, I don't understand why someone would prefer to wear something constructed from the cheapest materials possible, made by a machine operator who earns 30 cents a day, over something that was hand-knit, custom fit, and crafted with the best materials available, including my own handspun, handpainted, 100% 'soft as a baby's ass' merino wool? Is it that we all have visions of reindeer sweaters knit out of Red Heart acrylic yarn.

Maybe I have too much time on my hands. Maybe I know the difference between having my feet go through the sweat/freeze/sweat cycle of nylon socks vs. the warm, toasty and DRY sensation of wool socks. Maybe because I know that during the time spent knitting something for someone, I think about them - what they mean to me - what I mean to them, and somehow all of that gets knitted into the garment. Whatever.

I don't have any of these answers. So for now, I'm going to go downstairs and work on something soft and wonderful and beautiful.

The Doctor Says

My toe is definitely broken. ;-)

Yeah, we knew that. He looked at the pictures and looked at the toe. He looked at me. Apparently the doc in the ER did a fantastic job of setting the break. Hooray!!! Also, I have two separate injuries.

1. There's the fracture in the distal (furthers away from the body) joint.

2. I "jammed" the proximal toe joint (where it meets the metatarsal), hence screwing up the ligaments and the reason I have pain there as well as the fracture sight.

Fortunately, that should just heal over time. In fact, both will. The bad news is that I already have some arthritis in the proximal joint and will probably develop arthritis in the distal (fractured) joint. Oh well. I'll be 50 next year. I guess arthritis is par for the course.

As for work. I can work when I feel like I can work. As a massage therapist that means I have to be able to stand on my feet for an hour at a time, 3 or 4 times a day. I'm not there. Maybe next week.

I can drive as soon as I can put a "closed" shoe on. I'm not there yet either.

On the knitting front.

I have cast on for Mr. Greenjeans which will be knit with Plymouth Galway Highland Heather in a dark green, color 703 on the color card. I got the yarn at Rhinebeck on Sunday. It's very soft and I hope will make a snuggly cardigan.

I have also cast on Falling Water Scarf in Tina's hand dyed merino laceweight, colorway Lady Sapphire. I love the rich blues, and it has been patiently waiting for me to clear room in the queue.

Also, I'm about to cast on Waves of Grain (which I think is drop dead gorgeous). I'll be using my own laceweight100% Merino, spun from Carolyn's Flames colorway.

I'm also working on the socks. Still. They were put aside when I realized that I couldn't finish them and Tim's sweater before Rhinebeck, and the sweater won. I have been trying to pick them up but have too bad a case of "startitis". Obviously.

There's litle more I can do these days but knit and listen to audiobooks...and write (but I haven't been in the mood). At least this week. Next week might be different.

More later....

Rhinebeck!!!

Saturday was Rhinebeck! Thanks to my incredibly wonderful husband, I got to go, broken toe and all. Tim dropped me at the main gate, I hobbled from there to the Wheelchair Rental kiosk, and then got pushed around for the rest of the day. I had to get up a few times, in order to get into some of the booths, but for the most part I was able to sit in the chair all day.

For those who are not fiber afflicted, Rhinebeck is the NE Fiber Event of the Year. I look forward to it all year, and I would have been disappointed beyond belief had I not been able to make it.



Where else can I get the chance to see wool (still on the hoof, in some cases),



andLLamas and Alpacas



and angora bunnies AND all of my fiber friends

(although these are not all of my fiber friends) That is (l to r) Diane, Eric, Tina and me in the wheelchair.

We also saw, but didn't get pictures of: Jess and Risa, Carolyn (with whom I'm planning a surprise for someone). We had lunch with Tina and Kristina and her mother, Marian (who don't blog)


And we got to do all of this among the beautiful scenery that is the Hudson Valley in October.


Of course, I stayed about an hour or two too long, and had to ride home with my foot on the dashboard, and go immediately to lie down (with my foot elevated on 4 pillows) when I got home. Was it worth it? You bet!!! I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Stash pictures will have to wait until one of two things happen: I get better or Tim decides to photograph the stash.

Tomorrow is the Dr. appt. We'll see what he has to say about my toe.