Bron's Blog II

And.... We're Off!

I got my Secret Pal yesterday & I know it's going to be lots of fun. I've never "met" this person before and it will be great getting to know her. :) I'd love to say more but....dang, this "secret" part is hard! ha!

Maia's Poncho...I'm back to my start-to-frog point and it wasn't too painful at all. A few more inches & then I'll decide what kind of edging I'll do. I'm keeping track of the pattern - it's a variation on my "Signa's Bed Cape" so I'll post what changes I made on Monday.

You know what I wish? I wish that Debbie Bliss' Cotton Denim Aran came in larger balls than 74 yds. Or I wish cool patterns would take fewer balls. Sigh. I got Elann's August newsletter and even at their reduced prices, the Cotton Denim Aran would still be a little on the pricey side for me. But....I think I'm in love with the Berrocco Uxbridge Tweed. I'm going to check the yardage requirements for that cardi I started by Melissa Leapman. If it's feasible to do with the Uxbridge Tweed I'll stop working on what I have & wait 'til I can get the new yarn on Elann. Has anyone worked with the Uxbridge? I checked Wiseneedle but found only one so-so review. Let me know if you love it or hate it...before more of my cash wings it's way to Canada!

Pride Goeth Before a Frog?

Well...more like inattention goeth before a frog.

Now, keep in mind this is for a 6 yr. old girl:

Wingspan = perfect (I tried it on both of my boys...shhhhhh! Don't tell anyone- they'd be mortified!) Length = not-so-perfect.

Obviously I need to make an A-line shape rather than a spiffy triangle. In my haste enthusiasm and recklessness knit-by-the-seat-of-my-pants daring I momentarily forgot over-looked my high-school geometry. Sigh.

But aren't the colors pretty? It's Homespun in "Pacifica."

I'm going to frog back to where I joined to knit in the round and then the ratio of increasing will be 2:1 rather than 1:1. Double sigh.

In other news, I brought out my Santa Fe Shawl for one last look, then ruthlessly pulled the needles from the knitting. Lisa ....mea culpa. My first mini-knit-along & it just doesn't work out. I think part of my problem was the yarn choice - I'm just not going to get the blocked measurements I need to make it work. It's just too dang small...and I don't know anyone I could give it to if I finished it with those dimensions. I do still like the "yarn + pony beads = shawl" idea, so I might do something with the materials at a later date.

Warning: Political content....

John Kerry told me exactly what I wanted to hear last night. He mentioned not using the Constitution for his own ends, not trampling our rights in a rush to reshape the country to his own vision. He quoted Abraham Lincoln, "I don't say God is on our side...I hope we are on God's side" ....not starting wars unless every other avenue has been exhausted....

I know it's campaign rhetoric, I know he had to make it sound good...but dang it, it worked for me. DH is disgusted with every candidate that comes down the pike..."They're all alike, all no-good!" But just this once I'd like this one to be telling the truth....

LIFO & FIFO

Anyone who's taken an accounting class recognizes those terms. LIFO = Last In First Out and FIFO = First In First Out. Two methods of handling inventory.

I think I need to invent some new acronyms for handing stash....FILO = First In Last Out ....or maybe GICOW? = Going In Coming Out When? Or maybe this: IWOW = In Whenever Out Whenever. Yeah - I like that last one!

Here are latest acquisitions:

Amy bought some of this awhile back with, I believe, this pattern also:

Ever since I saw it on her blog, it's been in the back of my mind to add some of this mohair (with the pattern) to my next Elann order. So when I ordered this:

I tacked on the mohair & pattern, no prob. The best thing is, the mohair is off my mind & on my shelves. :::wink:::

The Outback Mohair is more pastel than I thought it would be but that's ok - I still like the color. I like the pattern too - "Simply Stunning Lace Shawl" by St. Seraphina Knits. I'm tempted to order another 3 skeins of mohair to make a gift for someone....we'll see.

I ordered the Lara Cotton because I loved it so much for the Baroque Jacket. This colorway is called "Wine Shadows" and I'm very pleased with it. The color changes are quite muted and this will make a very pretty "something." :::grin::::

I rented a couple of movies yesterday and needed something to knit while watching ('cause I just worked on Doug's sweater & was kinda bored with it.) So I cast on for Maia's Poncho. Yeah - another project....it's really not as crazy as it sounds. I'm already through one skein of Homespun & this should only take 3. I'm modifying my bed cape pattern for a little girl's poncho and so far it's going very well. I should be finished by Friday or Saturday and I'm feeling quite smug that I'll have a Xmas gift done in July (barely). :::grin:::

By the way..."Hellboy" was much better than I thought it would be - the boys really liked it too. :) Now, "Dirty Dancing, Havana Nights"....well....they just shouldn't have bothered! Sheesh.

Secret Pal 2 Excitement

I really am looking forward to being a Secret Pal. I'm going to go set up my anonymous email acct. today...hehehehe. I'm still concerned about postmarks, but - oh well - I figure a "don't ask, don't tell" policy should apply to this project. I can't wait until our pals are assigned....I already have an idea of what I'm going to make as a "big gift" but I need to know favorite color/colors!

A side benefit of all this is the Secret Pal 2 webring - lots of blogs there that I didn't know existed so it'll be fun getting know a new bunch of people. Although I *know* so many people now I'm starting to feel guilty that I don't spend more time reading blogs & commenting. Sigh. It's a Catch-22....you want more people to find your blog, comment & become cyber-buddies, but the more people who do, the more time it takes to reciprocate. Ah, well- if the only problem I have with this knitting blog is too many friends, I won't complain one bit!

Last night I stopped work on the Flower Basket kerchief and re-started it with only one strand of alpaca. I gained two things: a much lacier, drapier fabric, and this time through I haven't made any errors. :::wink::: It's amazing how much alpaca is on one of those cones. I could probably make mini-shawls for every member of Secret Pal 2!

Since I have no real knitting progress to show off, here's a gratuitous doggie shot:

And one of a double rainbow last night...

That's the bottom of our driveway, yucca on the left, children on the right. :::grin:::

I'm expecting some minor stash enhancement sometime in the next few days (one batch will probably arrive today) so I'll be back to yarn pics very, very soon. One or two of you might wonder what happened to my yarn moratorium. Well....I stuck with it fairly well for 2 months and I was very proud of myself for doing so. But I really *have* gotten quite a few projects completed in the last 6 weeks or so and I figure it's time for a little splurging again. The best thing about self-imposed restrictions is that you can lift them any time you darn well please. Hehehehehe

Happy Hump Day!

Magazines, kerchiefs, lace and charts

When Roxi picked up a copy of IK Fall 2004 issue, she immediately had to cast on for the cover sweater.

When I picked up my copy this Sunday, I immediately had to cast on for this:

The pattern called for laceweight alpaca but gee - I had fingering weight on my shelf and in the same color! (Remember that cone my Father-in-law brought back from Lima?) I was SO excited - I wanted to make that scarf! I looked through the pattern and found, much to my horror, my old nemisis....a chart. Not only one chart, but three! Sighing heavily I got out my tablet & prepared to write out the chart instructions. But....

Only a few symbols were used in the chart...I already had them memorized....the lace pattern is pretty simple...heck, the WS rows are all purl! And suddenly, while I contemplated the main body chart, something dawned on me and I had a minor knitting epiphany.....I realized how to read those pesky red "repeat" boxes.

You know - I think of myself as a fairly intelligent person but those boxes always had me stumped. If you look over chart reading instructions, they always say, "red box = pattern repeat" and nothing more. For some reason I could never figure out what the heck that meant. Kind of like the mental block some people have with the "no stitch" solid black box. No instructions ever said, "On your second time through the chart, repeat the pattern within the box twice; on your third time, 3 times; and so on."

I decided the lightbulb going on was a sign so I cast on and knit....and knit...and knit:

Oh yeah...totally chart-read, babe! (I realize that even with a spiffy new camera tan yarn on dark brown carpet isn't the best choice...sorry 'bout that!)

I feel much as I did when I was cabling & inc/dec on the dreaded dpns.... I can do it, just don't expect me to become a sock-knitter. I feel that I can do simple charts, just don't expect me to knit from one having more than 6 symbols...that's probably my memorization limit. :::wink:::

I'm up to 4 repeats of the dreaded red box but heaven forbid someone interrupt me while I'm counting! It's like riding a wave - you have to have to go 'til the end or you wipe out big time.

Here's hoping you all have a mini (or major) knitting epiphany of your own this week. Old dogs should always keep *trying* to learn new tricks!

Ceeeeeelebrate good times, Come on!

With all due respect to Kool & The Gang of course!

But after the frustration of last week, I'm in one helluva good mood...and here's why:

I fixed my computer! Just little 'Ol Me. I was so happy the boys & I did a Conga line across the living room last night...honest! Turns out that the Earthlink update to their 2005 version told my browser that every site I visit is "restricted"....restricted sites didn't have Javascript enabled on my computer. To add insult to injury, the update took away my ability to do a blanket Javascript enablement (that dang little "custom level" button wouldn't highlight (and still won't). Soooo...I've had to enable Javascript under "Restricted Sites" and that seems to have done the trick. I can now do my banking on-line again, use Typead and my image hoster, Inkfrog, leave comments on people's blogs....etc.,etc.,etc.

In the meantime, a "Come back to AOL 9.0" disc arrived in the mail on Friday. No - I don't believe in coincidence. So right now I'm test-driving AOL to see how I like all the new features. I left them because I was constantly knocked off-line and web-sites loaded slowly...even for dial-up. We'll see if those problems have been fixed.

In other celebratory news, Baroque Jacket is finished!!!

To recap, this pattern comes from Stitch Diva Studios. That link will take you to her eBay auction. I used Elann's Lara yarn - 100% cotton in a sport weight - and a size F crochet hook. That was two sizes larger than called for in the pattern, but smaller sizes just didn't work for me with that yarn thickness. It was fine, however, since the largest size jacket (41") came out just fine with the F hook - no adjustments were needed.

Instead of the ribbon closure, I crocheted a chain and threaded it through the triple-crochets of the front bands. Works great and I think the look of lacing goes well with the design. I expect to be invited to Anne Rice's mansion in New Orleans any day now. :::Grin:::

The pattern is very easy to follow as long as you pay attention to how each section is set up. The only problem I ran into occurred with the sleeves - as written, they were too tight for my arms. I added two extra motifs and that solved the problem. There were a few other minor things that I changed on the fly but overall the pattern was spot-on.

I have some other crochet projects percolating in my brain, but for now I'll go back to "Denim Breeze" when I get the urge to hook. ::::wink:::

I pulled out Pueblo Shawl & knit a few rows:

I want to get this one finished because I have two other shawls I'd like to make this fall and I'm anxious to get started!

I also have several more inches complete on "Sensational Shirttail":

I'm considering whether or not to continue on "Rust Cardi" or abandon it in favor of a more challenging Lavold design. But more on that in a later entry. Now that I can use Typepad again, I'm afraid I'm going overboard! Soooo....

Happy Sunday/Monday!

Aaaaargh - more computer woes!

Just wanted to let everyone know - especially those with blogs I haunt - that I'm no longer able to leave comments on anyone's blogs. I'm pretty sure it's due do Javascript being permanently disabled on my computer...among other things.

I'm trying to get it fixed, but I doubt I'll hear from a tech until next week. Until then rest assured that I'm still reading, but I won't be commenting. :)

Now for some reason I seem to be able to leave comments on my own blog...go figure.

Oh - and I've lost my entire list of email addys too.

All these minor annoyances are adding up quickly to a big PITA.

Let me tell you - AOL 9.0 is lookin' mighty good these days.

So what's a girl to do? Throw the computer out the window? Heck, no!

I'm shutting it down & going knitting!

The Good, The Bad, The Not So Ugly...

Bad things that happened this week:

1. Computer problems...spyware....download failures...Earthlink runaround...

2. Download of "Spyware Blocker" continues to be thwarted for no apparent reason, even after several "fixes" and an actual technical advisor calling *me* to help.

3. Downloading the new version of Earthlink played havoc with my cookies & cookie settings.

4. MANY hours later, end of patience with above mentioned crap reached.

Good things that happened this week:

1. I decide to think outside the box, take matters into my own hands, strike out on my own, walk the road less traveled....

2. I downloaded a free Spyware detection/fix program from the internet.

3. 33 separate bits of Spyware are detected & destroyed on my computer.

4. I highly recommend "Spybot" if you are having any trouble with spyware or even if you aren't. It's free & cleared up my problem in no time flat.

5. The Earthlink tech who called really DID try to help and was very pleasant.

6. I GOT A NEW DIGITAL CAMERA! WOOHOO!

I can now take closeups:

And detailed shots (with true color!!!!):

And use fun effects like black & white:

In the middle picture you can see the body & one sleeve of the Baroque Jacket. Besides the fact that I had NO time to crochet OR knit today, I went into knitting withdrawals yesterday & had to put aside the crocheted jacket in favor of "Sensational Shirttail" & lots of good moss stitch & cabling. :::Grin::: I should, however, have the jacket finished by Monday - if I don't have those pesky knitting withdrawals again!

This is enough for one post - have a great Friday!

Don't Hate Me 'Cause I'm Ugly

We have a new chair:

Pro: It's a rocker/recliner that works perfectly

Con: It's a very bright orangey salmon color

Pro: It's the perfect size/configuration for me to use as a knitting chair.

Con: It's a very bright orangey salmon color.

Pro: It was free.

Ok - the "pros" win. :::grin::: With a quilt draped over the back & a throw pillow on the seat, it really isn't too bad. Now we just need to rearrange the living room furniture - replace the loveseat I use as my "headquarters" now - and we'll be all set. Hubbie needs to find a recliner for himself & we'll be all ready for middle-aged naps in the afternoon. Hehehehe

The Baroque Jacket is coming right along. I did have a bit of a time with the sleeves. I won't go into what was wrong, but I ended up fudging on my set-up row to make it work correctly. Then I got about 6" into the sleeve & tried on the jacket. Unfortunately, it was very snug on my upper arm so I ripped & re-did. I added motifs to make the sleeve larger and now the sleeve is looking & fitting the way I envisioned.

I took a pic of the jacket but it didn't turn out at all. I think my digital is finally giving up the ghost. But, here's the good news, I've gotten the green light to go ahead & get a new one. Woohoo! So sometime in the next couple of weeks you'll access my website & suddenly see clear, rich pics with true color. I know, I know, it's just overwhelming. Hehehehe.

Colin is going with a friend to ABQ's one & only amusement park today (to ride the new "Rattler" roller-coaster) and Dylan wants me to take him to the mall so he can do something fun today too.

Here's hoping you all have a fun day too....think of me....walking around...the MALL!!!!!! AAAAAaargh!!!!!

Secret Pal 2 & Other Stuff

I managed to get in under the wire for the 2nd round of Secret Pals. Heidi, over at Step Into My Thimble is hosting. That link will take you to the Secret Pal 2 page and you can get to her regular knitting blog from there. There are over 130 people thus far and the deadline is this Friday, the 23rd. I hesitated before signing up - I think if I get someone who actually reads my blog they'll figure out who their secret pal is just from the NM postmark on their goodies! But I finally decided that heck, even if you figure out the identity of your secret pal it'll still be fun. :)

Yesterday I mainly crocheted. This Baroque Jacket is going much, much faster than I anticipated. I'm finished with the two fronts, the back and am almost finished with the bottom portion. Just the sleeves and some mesh on the front & I'm done! Soooo....give me a day or two before my next entry & I'll have another FO to show.

There is one thing I'm going to change on the pattern. With all due respect to the designer, I really don't think the ribbon ties in front are quite *me*. So I've decided to do lacing. I'll crochet the chains & thread them through the front meshes. I may have to do a row of smaller chain spaces so the lacing looks like it's supposed to be there (and anchor it more firmly) but that won't be a problem. This way I'll be able to "loosely lace" over the bust & hip area while drawing in the waist - it *should* work. :::crossing my fingers::::

Meridia update - I've quite taking the drug. I simply couldn't function any more needing two naps a day and feeling tired the rest of the time. For the moment I'm taking an OTC diet aid (ephedrine free) and exercising more. I've lost another 2 pounds so hopefully this method will work for awhile. Obviously my body chemistry & Meridia didn't meld at all. I'll wait a couple of weeks and if I stall out again I'll go back to the Dr. for his next suggestion. Since my goal back in January was 70 pounds in 12 months, technically I'm pretty much on schedule.

I just find it very hard to be patient. ha!

Happy Tuesday everyone. :)