Have a happy day, no matter how you celebrate. :-)
14 February 2017
10 February 2017
Cold Weather, Warm Feet, Another FO
Well, after it being 60+ degrees on Wednesday, then an snow/slush storm yesterday, today is just plain cold! But cold and sunny, and FRIDAY, so I'm not complaining. I had my return visit to the dr today to get x-rays on my ankle to see how/if it is healing, and got good news! She said it's healing really well, and that I can use one crutch now instead of two, and that I should start regularly putting more weight on it. She also said that before I go back to see her in another four weeks, she wants me to take the walking cast off every few days and do some basic range of motion exercises. HOORAY for good news!
As I was waiting for a taxi to take me to my appt, I did think about how my right foot was extra cold, due to the low temperatures, but also due to the fact that the walking cast is open at the toe. I had on a pair of Smartwool socks that are cozy, but standing still while waiting meant that I really felt the cold. you know?
I hate it when my feet are cold, which is why I am always wearing slippers and socks around the house. I think that whenever I get to wear my latest FO, my feet will be nice and cozy!
Here are the second pair of socks I've finished for by Box o' Socks! As it turns out, it's a good thing I'm only doing this on my own, and not "officially" because I'd be disappointed that I couldn't count these towards the goal of 12 socks for the year. I took a look at the Ravelry group, and one of the requirements is that all socks for official KAL be fingering or sock weight. But since I'm doing my own thing, these definitely count!
Project: Winter Berry Socks
Pattern: Wisconsin Winter Socks, by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams
Yarns: Lorna's Laces in the Mixed Berries colorway - Shepherd Sock Multi and Shepherd Worsted Multi (one strand of each held together for each sock)
Needles: US 5 (cuffs) and 8 (rest of the socks)
Modifications: None
Notes: The resulting socks are cozy, comfy, and it's great to have a nice pair of warm knee socks included in my box for 2018. The yarns were both great work with, no knots, uneveness, or other things that can make it annoying. But as I've mentioned before, I absolutely HATED this pattern! It was written in a faux folksy, chatty tone that made simple directions seem way more complicated than they were or needed to be. I know this is a popular pattern, so maybe I'm the only one who thought it was faux folksy, or who is driven nuts by that, but as soon as I finished the second sock, I put the pattern booklet right into the recycling bin, because to use a popular expression, "Ain't nobody got time for that."
It's been a while since I used worsted weight yarn to make a pair of socks, and I forgot how quickly they go, so that was a bonus!
In the end. I am really happy with these, and they are safely tucked away in Bridget's Box o' Socks. I am so glad I'm doing this because I know next January when I open a box of new socks waiting for me, it will make me all kinds of happy.
Now it's time to decide what's next. Definitely another pair of socks, and something else ... specifics to be determined.
Are you up to anything interesting this weekend? The Tim is working on Sunday, but tomorrow we may venture to a nearby Kohl's since we have a coupon and we need some new towels. That will be an exciting outing for me, and a chance to get out and do something other than go to and from dr appts and work. You know you're jealous of my thrilling plans, right???
Have a good one!
As I was waiting for a taxi to take me to my appt, I did think about how my right foot was extra cold, due to the low temperatures, but also due to the fact that the walking cast is open at the toe. I had on a pair of Smartwool socks that are cozy, but standing still while waiting meant that I really felt the cold. you know?
I hate it when my feet are cold, which is why I am always wearing slippers and socks around the house. I think that whenever I get to wear my latest FO, my feet will be nice and cozy!
(with the cuff folded)
Here are the second pair of socks I've finished for by Box o' Socks! As it turns out, it's a good thing I'm only doing this on my own, and not "officially" because I'd be disappointed that I couldn't count these towards the goal of 12 socks for the year. I took a look at the Ravelry group, and one of the requirements is that all socks for official KAL be fingering or sock weight. But since I'm doing my own thing, these definitely count!
Project: Winter Berry Socks
Pattern: Wisconsin Winter Socks, by Carol Anderson and Kristi Williams
Yarns: Lorna's Laces in the Mixed Berries colorway - Shepherd Sock Multi and Shepherd Worsted Multi (one strand of each held together for each sock)
Needles: US 5 (cuffs) and 8 (rest of the socks)
Modifications: None
Notes: The resulting socks are cozy, comfy, and it's great to have a nice pair of warm knee socks included in my box for 2018. The yarns were both great work with, no knots, uneveness, or other things that can make it annoying. But as I've mentioned before, I absolutely HATED this pattern! It was written in a faux folksy, chatty tone that made simple directions seem way more complicated than they were or needed to be. I know this is a popular pattern, so maybe I'm the only one who thought it was faux folksy, or who is driven nuts by that, but as soon as I finished the second sock, I put the pattern booklet right into the recycling bin, because to use a popular expression, "Ain't nobody got time for that."
It's been a while since I used worsted weight yarn to make a pair of socks, and I forgot how quickly they go, so that was a bonus!
(with the cuffs up)
In the end. I am really happy with these, and they are safely tucked away in Bridget's Box o' Socks. I am so glad I'm doing this because I know next January when I open a box of new socks waiting for me, it will make me all kinds of happy.
Now it's time to decide what's next. Definitely another pair of socks, and something else ... specifics to be determined.
Are you up to anything interesting this weekend? The Tim is working on Sunday, but tomorrow we may venture to a nearby Kohl's since we have a coupon and we need some new towels. That will be an exciting outing for me, and a chance to get out and do something other than go to and from dr appts and work. You know you're jealous of my thrilling plans, right???
Have a good one!
07 February 2017
About Podcasts
Hello all, here's hoping your week has started out OK. It's supposed to be in the 60s today in Philadelphia, and then on Thursday, we are supposed to wake up to freezing temperatures and 3-5 inches of snow. Sigh. This wimpy winter weather here is making me think we are doomed for this summer. Usually when we don't have a regular winter, the summer is deadly hot and humid. I am truly hoping to be proven wrong ...
Anyhoo, I was just wondering if any of you are podcast listeners/fans. I used to enjoy audio podcasts, because I could listen while doing any number of other things. But it seems that most podcasts today are video podcasts, which mean that a) you need to have your computer/tablet/whatever with you, and b) since you are "watching" you need to pay closer attention to see what is being talked about or shown. Which, at least for me, means that I need to be actually sitting down, planning to watch and pay attention. At first this really annoyed me, but I've gotten used to it to some degree. I still miss audio podcasts, but I do enjoy actually seeing what people are talking about.
During evenings or weekends when I sit down to knit, I've started using that time for podcasts. Also, in the morning when I get to work, I listen to some of them while clearing out e-mails that have accumulated while I was gone. I get to work anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half before anyone else, and clearing out e-mails usually takes about half an hour, so it's nice to have "company" while I'm doing that.
Here are some I've sampled recently. All of these are on YouTube, and a few have become favorites while others are still being "tested."
Grocery Girls
YarnGasm
Once Upon a Corgi
Tea and Possibilities
Along the Lanes (Dee told me about this one, though she hasn't done a podcast for a while)
SaratogaKnitting
By the Lakeside
Sew Sweet Violet
Knitting Envy
Brooklyn Knitfolk
Saralovesockwool
Little Bobbins
The good thing about podcasts are that they make you aware of patterns, yarns, and notions that you may not have heard about otherwise. The bad thing about podcasts are that they make you aware of patterns, yarns, and notion that you may not have heard about otherwise ... ;-)
Case in point: The Knitter's Chatelaine. These were mentioned on one of the above podcasts (Tea and Possibilities, I think), and I looked them up. And then became obsessed. I am going to treat myself to one for my birthday, I just have to decide which. Actually, I think it's a brilliant idea. Not that I don't have plenty of other little containers/bags for this kind of stuff. but these do appeal to me, and my birthday is coming up, so there!
What about you? Do you have any podcasts that you like and/or recommend? I'm still experimenting with most of the ones I come across, but I have found some that "click" with me (and some that definitely do not!).
Even better - do YOU have a podcast?? Let me/us know in the comments!
Unrelated to this topic, here is a photo my niece Lauren sent of her family. If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you may remember when we went to Mexico for her wedding about 6 years ago. Well now she and Ben have two kiddos (and she has a friend who is a professional photographer, so her photos are a lot different from the rest of the family's photos!). So here are Lauren, Ben, Parker (5), and Ari (2) somewhere near where they live in the San Francisco area. You can see that some of us clean up pretty well. :-)
See you next time!
Anyhoo, I was just wondering if any of you are podcast listeners/fans. I used to enjoy audio podcasts, because I could listen while doing any number of other things. But it seems that most podcasts today are video podcasts, which mean that a) you need to have your computer/tablet/whatever with you, and b) since you are "watching" you need to pay closer attention to see what is being talked about or shown. Which, at least for me, means that I need to be actually sitting down, planning to watch and pay attention. At first this really annoyed me, but I've gotten used to it to some degree. I still miss audio podcasts, but I do enjoy actually seeing what people are talking about.
During evenings or weekends when I sit down to knit, I've started using that time for podcasts. Also, in the morning when I get to work, I listen to some of them while clearing out e-mails that have accumulated while I was gone. I get to work anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half before anyone else, and clearing out e-mails usually takes about half an hour, so it's nice to have "company" while I'm doing that.
Here are some I've sampled recently. All of these are on YouTube, and a few have become favorites while others are still being "tested."
Grocery Girls
YarnGasm
Once Upon a Corgi
Tea and Possibilities
Along the Lanes (Dee told me about this one, though she hasn't done a podcast for a while)
SaratogaKnitting
By the Lakeside
Sew Sweet Violet
Knitting Envy
Brooklyn Knitfolk
Saralovesockwool
Little Bobbins
The good thing about podcasts are that they make you aware of patterns, yarns, and notions that you may not have heard about otherwise. The bad thing about podcasts are that they make you aware of patterns, yarns, and notion that you may not have heard about otherwise ... ;-)
Case in point: The Knitter's Chatelaine. These were mentioned on one of the above podcasts (Tea and Possibilities, I think), and I looked them up. And then became obsessed. I am going to treat myself to one for my birthday, I just have to decide which. Actually, I think it's a brilliant idea. Not that I don't have plenty of other little containers/bags for this kind of stuff. but these do appeal to me, and my birthday is coming up, so there!
What about you? Do you have any podcasts that you like and/or recommend? I'm still experimenting with most of the ones I come across, but I have found some that "click" with me (and some that definitely do not!).
Even better - do YOU have a podcast?? Let me/us know in the comments!
Unrelated to this topic, here is a photo my niece Lauren sent of her family. If you have been reading my blog for any amount of time, you may remember when we went to Mexico for her wedding about 6 years ago. Well now she and Ben have two kiddos (and she has a friend who is a professional photographer, so her photos are a lot different from the rest of the family's photos!). So here are Lauren, Ben, Parker (5), and Ari (2) somewhere near where they live in the San Francisco area. You can see that some of us clean up pretty well. :-)
See you next time!
04 February 2017
A Sunny Saturday Sunny FO
Even though it's very cold here in Philadelphia (in the teens, and that's not counting wind chill), today is a beautiful, sunny day! I would love to take a walk, but though I can get around pretty well, even a walk around the block would likely make me feel cold for the rest of the day, since I'd be moving so slowly. So I'll admire the sunny day from indoors, and just be glad it looks so pretty.
Believe it or not, I have a second FO to show off! This astounds me, since I usually am lucky to have one thing finished by early February. But the combination of being rather home bound and not having the ability to do my usual chores due to a certain degree of immobility, has meant a lot of knitting! So here is my latest finished project.
Project: Bluegrass Baa-ble On a Sunny Day Hat
Pattern: Baa-ble Hat, by Donna Smith
Yarns: Fibre Company Canopy Worsed, in the following colorways: Tanager (blue), Lemur (gray), Orchid (white), and Turmeric (yellow)
Needles: US 4, US 6
Modifications: A friend had made one of these using the size 4 and 6 needles, and said they made a better fitting hat than what the pattern called for, since everyone was complaining that the resulting hat was too big. So I took her advice and used those needle sizes as well. I also did a 2 x 2 ribbing because I thought I would like it better than the 1 x 1 ribbing called for in the pattern.
Comments: This hat was fun to knit, though also challenging. It is only about my third fairisle project, so there is definitely room for improvement, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The pattern is very straightforward, and the two biggest challenges for me were the chart, which printed so lightly, it was difficult to tell the contrast in yarns used in any given row. Fortunately, The Tim fooled with it, and got it both clearer and larger, so I could read it more easily (not being a chart person most of the time, I can get easily flummoxed by them!). The other challenge were a few rows where, instead of only two yarns at a time, you were using three. I'm not sure I did it "correctly" but I got it to work, so that's fine with me. :-) I had downloaded the free copy of this pattern a few years back when it was available for Shetland Wool Week; I notice it's a paid-for pattern now, so maybe the charts, etc are clearer, who knows?
This was yarn I had purchased for to make this pattern a few years back, so it counts as knitting from stash, which also pleases me. I have enough left for some other smallish project too - if nothing else maybe some stripey mittens.
I found that having a fairly simple project, like basic socks, and another more "thoughtful" project, is working pretty well for me. Sometimes, I am not really in the mood to read, so I'll pick up the project that needs more of my attention and work on it while listening to music or an audiobook, or when I'm not 100% engaged in something we might be watching. This hat didn't take me long (~2 weeks of non-monogamous knitting), but I did have to pay attention to the chart, so I'd usually work on it when I was alone.
If you've been thinking of trying this pattern, I'd recommend it. The chart was understandable (once I could actually see it better) and it was fun to watch the sheep appear! And it is a good way to practice some fairisle on a reasonable scale.
That's it for now. I hope you have a good weekend, whether or not you also are having a sunny day.
Believe it or not, I have a second FO to show off! This astounds me, since I usually am lucky to have one thing finished by early February. But the combination of being rather home bound and not having the ability to do my usual chores due to a certain degree of immobility, has meant a lot of knitting! So here is my latest finished project.
Project: Bluegrass Baa-ble On a Sunny Day Hat
Pattern: Baa-ble Hat, by Donna Smith
Yarns: Fibre Company Canopy Worsed, in the following colorways: Tanager (blue), Lemur (gray), Orchid (white), and Turmeric (yellow)
Needles: US 4, US 6
Modifications: A friend had made one of these using the size 4 and 6 needles, and said they made a better fitting hat than what the pattern called for, since everyone was complaining that the resulting hat was too big. So I took her advice and used those needle sizes as well. I also did a 2 x 2 ribbing because I thought I would like it better than the 1 x 1 ribbing called for in the pattern.
Comments: This hat was fun to knit, though also challenging. It is only about my third fairisle project, so there is definitely room for improvement, but I'm really pleased with how it turned out. The pattern is very straightforward, and the two biggest challenges for me were the chart, which printed so lightly, it was difficult to tell the contrast in yarns used in any given row. Fortunately, The Tim fooled with it, and got it both clearer and larger, so I could read it more easily (not being a chart person most of the time, I can get easily flummoxed by them!). The other challenge were a few rows where, instead of only two yarns at a time, you were using three. I'm not sure I did it "correctly" but I got it to work, so that's fine with me. :-) I had downloaded the free copy of this pattern a few years back when it was available for Shetland Wool Week; I notice it's a paid-for pattern now, so maybe the charts, etc are clearer, who knows?
This was yarn I had purchased for to make this pattern a few years back, so it counts as knitting from stash, which also pleases me. I have enough left for some other smallish project too - if nothing else maybe some stripey mittens.
I found that having a fairly simple project, like basic socks, and another more "thoughtful" project, is working pretty well for me. Sometimes, I am not really in the mood to read, so I'll pick up the project that needs more of my attention and work on it while listening to music or an audiobook, or when I'm not 100% engaged in something we might be watching. This hat didn't take me long (~2 weeks of non-monogamous knitting), but I did have to pay attention to the chart, so I'd usually work on it when I was alone.
If you've been thinking of trying this pattern, I'd recommend it. The chart was understandable (once I could actually see it better) and it was fun to watch the sheep appear! And it is a good way to practice some fairisle on a reasonable scale.
That's it for now. I hope you have a good weekend, whether or not you also are having a sunny day.
02 February 2017
Don't Drive Angry, Phil
Happy Groundhog Day! I love Groundhog Day, the event and the movie.
Everyone always gets so worked up about Punxsutawney Phil, but I find it highly amusing. I feel sorry for Phil when the "town fathers" pull him out of his space and hold him above the crowd, but otherwise I like the idea of Phil, and the idea that he can predict the weather.
As for the movie, the incredible ridiculousness of it pleases me. I guess it also helps that I like Bill Murray ... and because I think we all know someone like Ned Ryerson. Right? Right?
But anyway, moving on, today is Think Write Thursday, and the topic is Hello, February.
So - Hello, February! I am happy to see you, because of things that happen during the month, and because of hopes I have for what could happen.
I know a lot of people whine about Valentine's Day, but I love it! Growing up, it was always a big deal in our house, not as the lovey-dovey kind of thing, but to let friends and family know yow were thinking of them. And currently, not only is it Valentine's Day, but it's also the birthdays of Jetsam and Pip, so even more reason to celebrate.
And then, it's always nice to have a long weekend from work because of Presidents' Day. :-)
I like that February is different, because it has fewer days than other months. It's distinctive that way.
I am *hoping* that when I go to my dr's appt on February 10, that I will find out that my ankle is healing the way it is supposed to, and that I can soon get rid of the cast.
I am looking forward to going to "Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs" at the Kimmel Center here. The tickets were one of my Christmas presents, and I think it will be fun. We both really like Alan Cumming, and I think we'll have a good time.
And I am looking forward to more cozy days, when I can be at home and knitting, reading, or whatever else I feel like doing. I like this time of year even though most people just want to get past it.
February, since January ended up being a bust for me, I'm hoping I can feel like I'm getting a good start with you. I have some goals for the year I'm hoping to organize, so that I can actually work on them, and I'm hoping that even if the state of the government doesn't improve, that I'll be better able to deal with it and still take care of myself.
I'm glad to see you. :-)
Everyone always gets so worked up about Punxsutawney Phil, but I find it highly amusing. I feel sorry for Phil when the "town fathers" pull him out of his space and hold him above the crowd, but otherwise I like the idea of Phil, and the idea that he can predict the weather.
As for the movie, the incredible ridiculousness of it pleases me. I guess it also helps that I like Bill Murray ... and because I think we all know someone like Ned Ryerson. Right? Right?
But anyway, moving on, today is Think Write Thursday, and the topic is Hello, February.
So - Hello, February! I am happy to see you, because of things that happen during the month, and because of hopes I have for what could happen.
I know a lot of people whine about Valentine's Day, but I love it! Growing up, it was always a big deal in our house, not as the lovey-dovey kind of thing, but to let friends and family know yow were thinking of them. And currently, not only is it Valentine's Day, but it's also the birthdays of Jetsam and Pip, so even more reason to celebrate.
And then, it's always nice to have a long weekend from work because of Presidents' Day. :-)
I like that February is different, because it has fewer days than other months. It's distinctive that way.
I am *hoping* that when I go to my dr's appt on February 10, that I will find out that my ankle is healing the way it is supposed to, and that I can soon get rid of the cast.
I am looking forward to going to "Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs" at the Kimmel Center here. The tickets were one of my Christmas presents, and I think it will be fun. We both really like Alan Cumming, and I think we'll have a good time.
And I am looking forward to more cozy days, when I can be at home and knitting, reading, or whatever else I feel like doing. I like this time of year even though most people just want to get past it.
February, since January ended up being a bust for me, I'm hoping I can feel like I'm getting a good start with you. I have some goals for the year I'm hoping to organize, so that I can actually work on them, and I'm hoping that even if the state of the government doesn't improve, that I'll be better able to deal with it and still take care of myself.
I'm glad to see you. :-)
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