Bad dog!!!

Look what I found when I got home last night! Not nearly in this tidy of a bundle, mind you, but strewn all over the livingroom floor! That darned Tink! She is like a cat. She hasn't fussed with yarn balls for a long time but she had company yesterday and I guess the temptation must have been too much? Who knows. But this is the companion ball of Koigu, my second Crusoe. What a mess it's going to be to try to rewind it. Maybe I should just dip it in starch and make it a piece of art.

I got the sleeves on holders for my Noro raglan last night and a few rounds of the body going. I tried to take a picture this morning but for some reason the color came out too crazy to even fix with Phototshop. I'll try again. It's certainly colorful.

I don't know how much knitting I'm going to be able to do this weekend since I'm taking care of my friend's little boy while she's on a weekend with her sisters. Lucky for me he's busy with football and birthday parties but there will still be "quality" time for us. Give me strength.

Why is this so hard?

I am having such a hard time with the Ogee Tunic! I am on the 5th row of the sleeves. The 5th row of that silly little motif that is driving me crazy!! I work for about an hour on it or less even and I'm fed up. And I am still not entirely sure I'm doing it right, which is also making me crazy. It doesn't seem like such a difficult thing - p2tog. But there's a YO to deal with and the yarn is small and the needles are not very sharp. It's hard! I can't see if I'm doing it right even. I'm going to read the Knitting Nature KAL and see if anyone else mentions it. I haven't seen anything so far.

I'm wearing my Green Gable today. This is the best fitting thing I've ever made. I'm kind of using it as a pattern for the Noro thing I'm knitting. I'm just about ready to put the sleeves on holders. It's going to be bright, that's for sure.

It continues to be amazingly beautiful here. Yesterday was nearly 80 and today another beauty. Things have been so nuts that I haven't been to the grocery store so I had nothing to bring for lunch today and for dinner last night has left over ribs and chili! Omar took a look and said "Shell! That sure doesn't look like your kind of meal". Yummy though. Om got his own place but stayed with me last night. I imagine once he gets his bed he'll be gone. It's been nice having the company. Tink doesn't talk much.

No stress ....

well, almost no stress. I took yesterday off to deal with some issues and managed to get everything handled but didn't get all the time off I was hoping to get. Oh well. I did nearly finish my sock. And Monday night I finished my first pair of Fetching using some Cashmerino I had laying around. My SP8 had also given me yarn specifically for Fetching and so I will definitely be making another pair. I tell you, that pattern was right on. I had about 20 inches of yarn left. Aren't they nice? And doesn't my new phone take MUCH better pictures than the other one?

I worked on my Noro sweater last night after starting the Ogee Tunic once again. I have figured out that even when I thought I was knitting YOs correctly I wasn't. I have finally finally come to understand (I hope!!) that you don't knit the wrapped yarn but instead put your needle into the base of the real stitch. I was always knitting into the back of the wrap and letting the stitch fall when it should be the other way. I finally worked that one out with this p2tog stitch in the Ogee Tunic hem motif. It's still difficult but not impossible. I did a couple rows and stopped to work on the easy in the round project. At least I know it's doable now and I can work a bit now and then when I feel like a challenge.

The weather is breathtakingly gorgeous and it's supposed to be nearly 80 today. Seattle in September - can't be beat.

Another fabulous football weekend

I swear -- it's been just amazing! The Huskies beat UCLA! 3 and1! What a game. And then yesterday the Seahawks just ran over the Giants. And that stadium was sooooo loud! I had different seats yesterday - the chairman gave me his four seats. They're up higher than my regular seats. And it's a whole different world up there, let me tell you. Totally different. Anyway there was a woman in front of me and I noticed how ratty her hair looked. It wasn't until like the second half that I noticed it was a hideously bad weave! Check it out. You can't really see the details here (even though this camera phone is MUCH better) but you can see the different colors. Just ridiculous!

My sister and her son came Saturday afternoon. I cooked and they visited Gramp. Sunday the boys and I went to the game and Kelli visited and cooked and we had a bazillion people over for dinner when we got back from the game. They're going for one more visit and leaving this afternoon. I sure wish she could stay longer and help me. She did come up with some really great ideas for fixing up my yard and she says she'll spend some time in the early spring and do it. That would be wonderful because I am just totally lame when it comes to that kind of stuff. I love flowers and a beautiful yard but I just don't know how to make it happen.

I finished up one of the Fetchings and started the second one, which I believe I will finish up tonight. They will come in hand in a few weeks, even though it's 75 degrees today and supposed to be sunny all the rest of the week. I notice that it's a little chilly on my morning bike rides. It won't be long now -- it is actually autumn -- when I'm back to long pants and an extra shirt.

The WIP parade

I worked again on the Noro raglan last night and got a GREAT deal of satisfaction in starting a second ball of yarn after frogging and reknitting the first ball 3 times. I want to work on my other little projects though because they're all so close to completion. I need to stop being afraid of picking up the stitches for the thumb of the Fetching, don't I?? And my Koigu Toe-up Crusoe sock looks done to me. I was going to keep knitting until I had used up the entire ball but I think it would make them too high. I'll try it on this weekend. The thing is I have to have a few hours to devote to it because when I finish a sock I always start the second one right away even before I tuck in the ends so I don't end up with the unfinished sock syndrome. And that's how it's going to have to be for the Fetching as well.

Anyway -- pictures: The foot looks very weird in this picture but it is perfectly fine. I love making toe up socks because they fit so well. And this newer heel - lllllove it! I think the next socks I (make after doing the second Crusoe) I will use the pretty pink yarn my SP8, Sherrill, sent me and do a lacy one. These socks are going to be super warm because of all the stranding.

Here's Fetching. The purple strings coming out are the threads holding the thumb stitches. This is a super fast knit, especially done on two circulars rather than DPNs, although I'll be using them for the thumb. They're going to be useful for football games.

And finally -- my very bright Kureyon sweater. It looks garish in this photo. The yarn isn't QUITE that bright but I took the picture with my new camera phone and didn't fiddle with it too much in Photoshop. It is indeed going to be very very colorful. I hope I have the nerve to wear it. Nah, I'll wear it. It'll be perfect with a black skirt or pants.

I will have company this weekend plus the football game Sunday. Hope I can get something finished.

Screwed by the time zone

I don't often find anything in the Hirschner's "Hot Buys" email because most of their yarn is crap. However, they had Noro on sale for $4.49 a skein!! Are you kidding me? I am all over that! However, Hirschner's is an east coast outfit so by the time I clicked on their link - like 8 am - all of the Noro is gone. ALL of it! Sold out. How annoying is that??

Nonnahs has a link on her blog for a cute little animated short about an obsessed knitter. It's kind of creepy but not that far from reality,eh? I sure wish *I* could knit that fast.

I was really going to town on my raglan cabled sweater last night. Almost back to the point where I ripped it out. Maybe tonight I can get further than I have yet. ;-) I don't know when I'm going to get going on my Ogee Tunic again. I've got my socks, my fingerless mitts and this sweater. Maybe when I finish up the Fetching I will start it. Again.

My nephew has found a house to share with another guy so he's going to move out next Wednesday! Too soon! I wanted him to stay for a few weeks anyway. Oh well. Probably for the best. I drink too much cheap beer when he's around.

Oh I am ecstatic!

I did get it! Thank goodness for Google and for other knitting blogs. I Googled for "cables along raglan increases" and came up with lots of useless stuff but one blog, Schmeebot has pictures of her Knitty BPT and the closeups of the sleeves. Bingo! So last night I stayed up until almost midnight and restarted my Kureyon sweater. Here's a picture of it seven rows in -- I've done one cable. It's going to be just gorgeous! I only hope that I have enough yarn. I'm pretty sure that I do.

So ... doesn't that picture look better? The reason I was up so late last night is that I got a new phone - a pink Razr AND a pink Bluetooth headset to go with it. It took me hours to get it all charged and the SIM card copied and the Bluetooth set up and a few voice dials entered. I am still working on the camera and video(!) camera setup but this picture isn't bad. The color is a little off is all. Unfortunately I just killed the battery! I didn't have it in the charger last night because it said that the battery life was much longer than my other phone but I guess I didn't take into account all the chatting I was doing last night and the emailing, etc. I had it in the car charger this morning but after a couple conversations and pictures ... it's dead. So I'm sitting here with a great new phone and no juice!!! Ah well, it's good for me to be unconnected for a while.

Ah hah!!

You have to do the cable between the increases!! Ah hah! Ah hah!!

I feel relaxed

Finally. What a relief to get Dad squared away at the hospital. I ran errands and then just cooked and relaxed and watched football last night. Oh, and worked a bit more on my first Fetching. I'm nearly done with the first one. I am little concerned about picking up the stitches for the thumb. I knit them on waste yarn as instructed but used very thin waste yarn. Oh well, I'll just jump in. I'm sure it'll work out fine.

I also charted what I have been trying to do with that raglan Noro sweater I'm winging. After charting it out a couple times I see that it's not really possible to do what I am envisioning. So, I think what might work is to p3 k2 p3 starting one stitch before the increase or one stitch after it (only on the body stitches, not the sleeves) and then every six rows do a twisted stitch on the k2, which should give it the appearance of a cable. At least I hope so. I don't have to have to rip it out a 3rd time. And I want to get this going so I can take another run at the Ogee Tunic.

It was pouring rain this morning. Shadow came down for a doggie date today - A's wife brought her down at 6:15 am right in the middle of a downpour! She was soaked but she and Tink went romping through the house. It'll be good for Tink to have company all day and the same for Shadow.

A football football football weekend

It was a wonderful football weekend! Omar took me to the Husky game on Saturday. They played Fresno State and won! For the first time in years the Huskies have won two games at home! They are 2 and 1. This is huge for this program after the years of suckage. The stadium was almost as loud as Qwest Field. We just had such a fun time!

And yesterday was the season opener for the Seahawks. They won too. My left ear is still aching from the noise. The guy sitting next to me was on full obnoxious mode - must have been drunk because I don't remember him being that obnoxious last season. Anyway, he kept whistling! You know, that high pitched whistle that makes your ears ring? I traded places with Amie for the second half. I couldn't take it. Plus I had a bad sinus thing going on so I was fighting a headache. Fighting it with beer. ;-) I won.

My nephew spent the evening (and the night, I guess) with my dad and I just relaxed at home and tried to do some knitting while watching more football. I am just stymied with the cables along the raglan increases. I'm going to have to rip it out again because they still don't look right! They don't look like cables. I think that I should have charted it out and that's what I'm going to do next. If I can see the stitches on a graph I'll be better able to plot the traveling cable. I am figuring that my problem is that I'm starting the purl stitch before the 4 stitch cable one stitch too close to the raglan increases. If I start it out 2 or even 3 that might fix the problem. Again, I'll have to look at a graph. So I was wanting some instant gratification. I started a pair of "Fetching" on two circular needles rather than the DPNs. Looking good so far. Man, it goes fast!

Taking off at noon to take Dad to the hospital. I will feel much better once I get him there and under some professional care. Then I can take a deep breath. I mean one that's not a sigh.

And lastly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Secret Pal 8, Baa Bonny Belle

Not much of either ...

Neither knitting nor ranting. Things are just bizarre right now. Work = crazy. Personal life = crazy X 2. I am just SO thankful my nephew came back when he did. Yesterday the sweet boy saved my sanity by driving my dad to get his pre-op blood work and EKG and then taking him to the lawyer's office to sign some papers. It was a huge load off my mind. I am still very nervous but I'm trying to put things in perspective. It's got to be ten times worse for Dad.

I love having two doggies but when I got an hour to relax last night and knit ... well anyone with pets will tell you that knitting and doggie affection do not mix! I took the doggie love. Who can blame me?

And they slept!

Yay! The doggies slept like they had been playing all day ... which of course they probably had! I was very thankful we didn't have another restless night like Tuesday night. I only woke up because it was raining so hard! Pouring! The dogs had taken about half of the dog toys outside last night and so I had a yard full of soggy stuffed animals and tug toys. I love having two dogs around though.

There was no knitting yesterday except for the hour at lunchtime with my knitting ladies. My nephew surfaced after a few months fishing in Alaska and he's staying around for a while and staying with me for the time being! I love having him around. He's sweet and funny and loves my cooking. When I asked him what he wanted for dinner last night, saying I'd cook him whatever he wanted, all he said was "Shell, everything you cook is great. Just no fish!" So I cooked up a couple steaks ... a huge treat for me ... and we watched football and South Park and Family Guy episodes I had recorded for him on the DVR. Now that's entertainment!! Today he's going to take Dad around on some pre-op errands. I hope. His cell phone isn't operating yet and I don't have a land line at home to call him so I am hoping he remembered to set his phone alarm.

As I said it was raining hard last night and this morning as well. But as luck would have it, it pretty much stopped at 7:30 when I got on my bike to ride to work. I was very grateful because I hate wearing those stupid rain pants. Not only do they look ugly but they're uncomfortable when it's the least bit warm. Anyway, I got onto the campus and was about half way through when my tire started making a strange noise and I got off the bike - flat tire. Normally that wouldn't be a problem because there is a bike shop here on campus but they're closed until fall quarter starts, which isn't until the 25th of September. So. I'm screwed. No phone to call Omar to have him come pick me up. Maybe I can get my bike to the shop down the street .... I'll make a call. Keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't start pouring rain again.

The dogs must be crazy

OR ... My adventures in doggie sitting. Last night Tink & I welcomed Shadow into our little home for the rest of the week. Shadow is another terrier - I can't quite remember which - but she's just a little taller than Tink, smaller head, brown, rough coat. Anyway, a sweetie. She plays with Tink quite a lot because her "dad" works with me and he comes by to visit and let the dogs play often. Also Tink stayed with her while I was up at Steve and Ginny's last weekend, so they are used to each other and love to play. Their dynamic is a little different than Tink and Jasmine, though. With them Jasmine is definitely the more submissive. With Tink and Shadow it's less obvious. While they're both a bit submissive I think in this instance Tink is the "bottom" usually, but it switches back and forth. So, we got ready for bed and I put Tink on the bed, then Shadow. Then Tink jumped off. Then Shadow jumped off. This went on for a couple more rounds and then it looked like Shadow squatted like she was peeing! I didn't see anything obvious, as in a puddle on the duvet but as I was looking I wasn't paying attention to what Tink was doing. THEN I looked over at Tink who was in a piddle squat and really letting go! I mean..... she was really going! WTF??!! I yanked the duvet off the bed, hoping that it hadn't soaked through to the down comforter or worse yet, the feather bed. whew! Dodged a bullet there but .. my duvet!! It's dry clean only. I could not believe my eyes! What was that about?? I have no idea.

After I stopped screaming we tried again and I got them to calm down for a while, but Tink still was up and down and off and on and under the bed. I picked up a bone in the living room and put it away, thinking that maybe she was distracted by a treat. Like she didn't want Shadow to get it or something. She didn't really calm down until after midnight. I am hoping that tonight won't be a repeat performance. I'm draggin' today.

AND I got wet coming into work as well. Rain. Well, really kind of a dense mist, but wet all the same. I changed from my shorts into my long pants after I went outside, it was coming down that hard. I am wearing my brown Green Gable sweater today with a light blue suit. Looks good. I washed in in the machine on the "hand wash" cycle and it came out beautiful! That funny spot in the front though, where I thought I had dropped and stitch and made one and then went back ... well, it still kind of shows up, but not so much as before. Hopefully a couple more trips through the washer and it'll be fine.

What with all the doggie excitement I didn't do much knitting last night. A few more rows on the Noro sweater. I need to take a couple more deep breaths before I tackle my Ogee Tunic again. Now that I'm pretty sure what I did wrong I'm not so scared. Maybe I'll just cast on 20 stitches and try the motif again to make positive sure I've got it. I can't stand the frustration or pain of doing it wrong again. I scanned the charts from the book yesterday and blew them up a bit before printing them. One of the ladies in my Wednesday afternoon knitting group suggested coloring each code block a different color - the cable backs and cable fronts and twisted ... they're just too hard to see, what with the only difference being a line slanting one way or another. I HATE those charts. I would be happy to just have written out instructions and I was thinking of translating these into written ones but she suggested the coloring approach and it might work. I'll give it a try anyway.

September in Seattle

Need I say more? Absolutely gorgeous weather. Supposedly we're looking at rain later this week but right now it's 70 and blue sky. I had to run errands from 10 to 1 and so at least got out in the bright of day. I dressed for a little too warmly -- I didn't expect it to get so warm.

I worked long and hard yesterday ... yes, again!! .... and so by the time I got done with my chores around the house and walking the dog and reading the paper it was 6:30 so I didn't get much knitting done. I frogged what I had started with the Noro and cast on again. This time I started a p1 k4 p1 ridge to go along down the raglan increases and every sixth row I'll do a back crossing 2 stitch cable. I *think* that'll be what I'm looking for. I don't want to take this thing apart again so as long as it doesn't look like a mistake it's staying in. While browsing yesterday I found this link for a Kureyon Club. I didn't join. I was tempted, I'll tell you, but I resisted.

Tonight Tink's pal Shadow is coming to stay for a few days. It'll be fun!! I love having two dogs.

Talk about frustration!!

I was very excited to start my Ogee Tunic this weekend. Saturday I got all comfy, turned on the football game and cast on for the sleeves (I do two at once). The pattern immediate starts out with a motif that is repeated four times around each sleeve. It's an easy 18 stitch repeat involving YOs and p2 tog. I repeat - easy. So if it's so easy why the heck did I have to rip it out 5 times. Yes my friends - FIVE times. My left hand was aching so badly that I put it away and worked on my socks for the rest of the evening. I went back to it Sunday thinking that perhaps my needles weren't pointed enough -- see the problem I was having was getting the needle point through the two stitches to p2 tog. I changed to my Denise needles and cast on one more time. After five rows I still was coming up with wrong stitch counts and having a hell of a time getting my needle through those two stitches to purl them together. I put it down and thought I'd go to the LYS to see if I could find more pointed needles. In the meantime I started a raglan top down with my Noro Kureyon. At 4 am this morning the light went off. It's the YOs. I always have trouble remembering that you're not supposed to put your needle into the wrap on the front of the needle, but into the back of it. This has got to be like the fourth project I've done with YOs and each time I forget and have to start over because I put my needle point in the front of the stitch and the holes are too small. So now I'm excited all over again about starting the Ogee Tunic but I think I'll work on the Kureyon project this evening anyway.

I have always wanted to make a raglan sleeved sweater with a little cable along the edge of the raglan increases. You don't want to make a fancy pattern with Kureyon because the yarn itself is so beautiful so I thought this way I could add a little interest with the small cable and not take away from the beauty of the yarn. Problem is I'm winging it and the cables didn't come out the way I had planned so back to the drawing board. I will just take the needles out and start again. I've only used one skein and working in the round that only is a few hours. I don't feel bad about ripping it out because it's going to be one gorgeous sweater.

Each year I buy wood from my dry cleaner's husband. Jennifer has been my dry cleaner for over ten years (and a husband and a few boyfriends!) and she is just the sweetest woman and she has the cutest accent. Because I don't have a boyfriend in residence at the moment, her husband won't deliver wood to me because he would have to haul it up the driveway with only little ol' me to help and he doesn't want to do that. He told Jennifer that I couldn't do it myself. So how sweet is this? She told her husband to put my wood aside and make small bundles and she will bring it up a few bundles at a time. So Saturday I went by to give her a check. I was wearing my Flower Power Shrug knit in Kureyon and she went nuts for it. I told her I'd teach her how to knit. She sits there every day just watching TV. What a bonanza of time! Can you imagine being able to knit at work?!!?? She keeps saying she can't do it but I think I'll cast on for her and bring her some yarn and needles and let her give it a go. Perhaps she just needs somebody to show her rather than try to get it out of a book.

He's back ... or he never left!

My scary, crazy neighbor was out watering his planter box when I got back from visiting my Dad last night. Eeeeuuuuuwwww! I was SO hoping he'd be long gone. The car(s) are gone from the front of the house but that doesn't mean anything since they can park cars in the back and often have one of their 2 back there. Maybe she's gone and he stayed? I don't know ... that doesn't sound right since he was alluding to the fact that he wouldn't be around anymore, I think. He just smiled and waved like we hadn't had that bizarre interaction a few days ago.

I feel like I can take a deep breath this morning. I don't have people lined up at my office door, I don't have anyplace I need to be this morning either. Just me and my computers and tons of work to do, but I can spare a few minutes to blog. It was a chilly ride in this morning and it is very cloudy, almost looks like rain. Hopefully it'll hold off until I get my run done. It's kind of nice for a change. If it's icky this weekend I won't feel bad about just hanging around the house knitting and watching football. Tomorrow the Huskies are going to play Oklahoma on national TV. Not a good thing considering how the Huskies have been playing these past few years. On the other hand, it would be a nice way to stage a comeback. And then Sunday -- tada! The Seahawks start their regular season in Detroit.

Last night I almost finished the ribbing on my Green Gable. Tonight I should be able to bind it off and do the sleeves and I'll be able to wear it next week. I want to start my Ogee Tunic this weekend. I am going to do the sleeves first, both at the same time. That way I can get used to the first motif and recheck my gauge without committing to the front. I know I would hate to rip out the front of the garment but the sleeves -- not such a big deal. I was itching to knit on something different last night and almost started "Fetching" but I wanted to use two size 6 circulars rather than the dpns and the second 6 was being used by my Green Gable so I buckled down and worked on that instead. I only have two WIPs - my Crusoe-esque socks and the GG. I could also start the plain sweater I'm going to make with my Noro but I don't think it's a good idea to have two BIG projects at a time. One sweater, one pair of socks and a little something else -- tank or fancy hat or like that. (Who says there are no rules in knitting?)

Every year I forget

I forget just how stressful and insane the first week of class is. And this year it's even worse because, while she was often times the worst secretary in the world, I am missing the secretary for the little things she would do for me now. I hit the ground running and don't stop all day unless I think about it -- like now. Stop. Breath. Blink. All will be fine next week - or at least not so frantic.

Good news - I have an appointment with a counselor next week to talk about these issues with my dad. Even just talking with her for a few minutes today put my mind at ease. She told me not to freak out, that she can help me, which is SUCH a load off my mind! Plus my nephew has informed his mom that rather than head down to SoCal when he gets back from Alaska (Sunday), he's going to stay up here and help me and be with his gramp! What a good boy he is. I don't feel so alone in all this any more, which is really good. And I'll have good news for Dad when I go visit him tonight, which is also good news.

When I was up visiting Steve and Ginny I got a little wasp sting on the bottom of my foot. They had an exterminator spray them so it was in its death throes but stung me nevertheless. Here it is Thursday afternoon (this happened Monday morning) and my foot is still itching!! It's driving me nuts. I can't take Benedryl during the day because it makes me too sleepy. I took one last night when I got home from my hair appointment and I was out like a light before 10. Stress combined with the Benedryl I guess.

I got more done on my sock at the hair place. That is going to be one hot pair of socks! The stranding makes the fabric thick and cushy and warm. One of my lunchtime knitting pals gave me the information and sign up sheet for the knitting retreat in November. I sure want to go, but I need to see how things are going to shake out with Dad first.

Okay, that was my break. Back to it.

My strrrrange neighbors

Yesterday morning as I was biking down my street I saw my next door neighbor out walking. This was early - like 7:30 am. He is usually a night owl, getting up and out as I'm coming home from work, typically. If I get up in the middle of the night I can many times hear him playing his flute or guitar or something. He and his wife have lived next to me ever since I've lived there, which is since December of 1992. Also I had heard what I assumed was his wife leave the house even earlier. Anyway, I called out to him and said, "Boy, you're up early!". His reply? "Well enjoy it because it's going to be the last time you see it". I was taken aback. Now quite honestly, he's not a pretty man, so I don't know what exactly I was supposed to be enjoying, right? It is the way his paunch bounces as he walks down the street? The cute, greasy little rat tail hanging off the back of his head? What was I supposed to be enjoying??!!!

When I first lived there I would hear them fighting something awful. I heard things hitting the walls, screaming and shouting. And then they quieted down. She works. He smokes pot and sleeps all day, from what I can tell. I hope this means he's leaving and she's staying. She's nice, although pretty quiet.

Not much knitting done last night. I got the new Knit1 and went through that. Nothing that I am dying to make but I like looking at patterns. I'm not all that crazy about knitting stuff in Lyon Brand Yarns, mind you. The the patterns are sometimes cute.

I've got to get my run in early so I can meet and knit at lunch. I brought my toe up sock.

Can I have a hallelujah!

Oh joy and rapture, I finally found a heel for the toe-up sock knit on two circular needles that I llllllove!! It's not too tricky - you just have to use a third needle to pick up gusset stitches one time. I think it looks much better than the short row heel. I am doing a modified Crusoe and I realized that I should have made a little two stitch border before beginning and ending the pattern on needle one because when I started the gusset and turned the heel you could see where the stranding stretches and doesn't look good. Oh well, live and learn. I don't think I've knit a perfect pair of socks since my first one because I keep experimenting. Oh but this is it, I think. When my camera is back home I'll take some good pictures.

So that's pretty much what I did with my day and evening yesterday - got way into knitting that sock. I did also manage to try on my Green Gable and it's just a perfect fit. I need to do another few rows - an inch or so - but I might be able to wear it this week. AND I swatched for my Ogee Tunic and found that the size four needle and the Elann Devon weren't making gauge. I changed up to a size 7(!) and that worked out perfectly, stitches and rows! yay! I was not looking forward to working with size 4 needles. Sevens feel so much better in my hands. I was looking closely at the pattern chart. Yuk, I hate reading charts! I do much better when the rows are written out so I'm considering doing it for myself. It's such a long and complicated chart. It's hard to decipher the symbols for all of the different cables and twisted stitches.

Anatomy started today and I realize it's nearly 12:30 and I haven't stopped for a second all morning. Zoom! That's the way to make the day go by, huh? Hope the afternoon does as well.

A third!

The shrug is done.

Number 2

Still needs a button but I call it done!

Ta Da! FO number one!

Same dyelot and yet what a difference! Three to go!

Weird AND annoying!!

Dang! I have sent two postings from my phone with pictures of FOs and I just now notice that they haven't come through! I just looked at my phone and both of them have error messages. I wish I would have looked sooner. Oh well, I'll resend them after I'm done with this entry. My digital camera is at work because I'm going to be taking pictures of faculty if/when they come by so I have been taking pictures with my phone as I finish things. I got socks done and started a toe-up Crusoe with that green Koigu I had started my two at a time socks with. It looks good. I wish my camera phone was better. I'll just have to take a picture of it later with my camera.

I had lunch with my secret pal 8, Sherrill who drove all the way up to Seattle. She is just as sweet in person! I am so lucky to have gotten another great secret pal. We sat outside and it was such a nice day. She let me whine about Mr. G and was gracious enough not to look bored. (He called me from the road last night -- from Salt Lake City. The flying didn't work out in Oregon because it was too windy so he was just driving back to New Mexico. He COULD have stayed in Seattle and driven up during the week, don't you think? Huh?? Ah well ... ) Anyway, I think this next time around for Secret Pal 9 I'm going to be an Angel because I can't imagine I could get so lucky again. First Nonnahs and now her - it's too much to think I could luck out again. ;-)

I was thinking about work last night as I was driving up to have dinner with Steve and Ginny and realized that I forgot to put in a place for the students to enter their names for the first quiz of the class. Duh. Glad I thought of it before Tuesday morning so I can fix it now. Then I think I'll finish Kate's shrug and then swatch for the Ogee Tunic. I also received the Noro Kuryeon I ordered from Webs on Saturday. They are about as fast as Elann! That Noro is going to be a plain raglan sweater to let the beauty of the yarn show. Maybe a teensie twisted stitch at the raglan increase but nothing more. And then all I have to do is finish up my Green Gable. Oh, maybe I'll try that on after I finish the shrug and before I swatch for the Ogee and then I can maybe finish the Green Gable as well! Woohoo!

Okay so -- fix the quiz and toss in some laundry and get to knittin'!

Let the loooooong weekend begin

Last night I started my nice long weekend. Went to the Seahawks pre-season game. They handily beat the Raiders. Finally they were looking like the Seahawks of last season and that was great! I had, of course, other plans for this weekend but they have gone south (literally) along with Mr. G. Let's all now say b'bye to one of my least favorite mistakes. Will he be telephoning to say goodbye? Shall we make bets? Well the day has just started. I really have no clue if he'll step up or not. I think if he doesn't I'll do it, just to bug him.

So I have made pampering plans. It's a stunning day - not a cloud in the sky. Tink didn't let me sleep very long since she was alone all day and long into the evening last night so it's not yet 8:30 and I'm almost ready to get dressed and go in search of a nice cup of coffee and a scone or something. At noon I have an appointment for a massage. My friend R is an attorney who does some bartering. One of her clients is a massage therapist so I get gift certificates on every gifting opportunity and I have a few stacked up since the masseuse doesn't work on weekends and therefore I must have a weekend day appointment. A nice massage, then I'll run out to see my dad and do a few errands for him, then I'll have all afternoon and evening to start my FO extravaganza weekend. I MAY bind off the socks and cast on for a new pair. Or maybe I'll bite the bullet and finish up the cardigan and then while I'm watching movies tonight finish knitting the shrug for K. See? Lots and lots of fun things to do today and tonight. Plus which I've got 3 Netflix.

Tomorrow I get to meet my Secret Pal. Isn't that cool?? She lives close-ish to Seattle and is coming up to have a late lunch with me after my manicure and pedicure tomorrow (another pampering appointment). I am so looking forward to that. She has been an awesome pal. Now if Nonnahs could just fly up we could have a Secret Pal weekend! I have been thinking about SP9 and I have decided that I am going to volunteer to be an angel this time around. I have been so lucky 2 times out of 3 that I'd like to spread a little of it around.

This weekend marks the end of summer for just about everyone. My busiest time of year at work and football season as well. I am getting my wood delivered on Sunday. Not that I heat my house with wood but I have fireplaces upstairs and down and I found last year that $100 of wood really made a difference in the amount of heating oil I went through since I managed to keep warm downstairs without turning the heat on for quite late into the year. So I'm going to try it again this year. It's cosy too. Oh yes, I'd much rather have a cuddling companion but hey, can't have everything. (And the kid in me is saying right now, WHY?? Why can't I have everything?? I want everything. )