pjbknit

Happy Blogiversary to me and Happy Earth Day to Y'all!

So, today is my third anniversary with Typepad. Let's give away prizes! Leave me a comment on this post by Friday, April 25th at 12 p.m. Central, and we will select three winners at random. (DH will close his eyes and point.) First prize will be a handsewn sockie bag! From Trek's pattern.  For this, I will let the winner select fabric from a few choices. (I have been in an Asian phase lately) Second prize is a hank of handpainted turquoise and purple silk/merino yarn, enough for a scarf. Thrid prize is four hanks of sportweight yarn, ranging from cream, pink to burgundy. (Photographing these items is one of those things I have been meaning to do. One is actually photographed, but still in the camera.)
I will be in Birmingham at the Alabama Library Association's annual conference until Friday. Hope to find where Knit Nouveau has moved?  (Shows how long it has been since I went there.)

A Lot of Stuff, and a Little Knitting

Seeing Cristi's beautiful vest (go look at it.) inspired me to pull out my mystery Fair Isle project. I don't remember what it was supposed to be. I started it 10-15 years ago. (Longer than some people have been knitting.) Anyway, then I packed it away. It is mostly Reynold's Candide. I sold the rest of the yarn. Figured I would not finish it. I have a vague memory that it was going to be a scarf, maybe. Turtlegirl suggested I make a round bolster pillow. I wonder how it would felt. Could I cut it (would that be a steek, LOL?) and knit another side and make a purse, maybe?

The patterns came from this book, I remember. The authors are Mary Smith and Maggie Twatt. It says printed and published by the Shetland Times. Ltd. I got it in Washington, DC when I lived there from 1989-92. I taught myself to knit in the round on dpns when I lived there.

I also finished half the leg of my second Saxon braid sock to match Samus. This is Knitpicks Essential Tweed in Marine Blue. I have to be in the mood. I put aside another second sock for this.

The iris are blooming next to the garden. We put the tomato plants out in the garden yesterday, and have been mulching and watering and placing cages. I got squirted with the hose and got dirt all over me.

What Sock?

I did work on it a little, after  I finished my Kureyon-chan. I called it my Harlot bag. The one skein of Kureyon 209 is a souvenir from Knitch when Stephanie was there in September. I have to admit I did not notice this pattern in MagKnits, but spotted it on Chris' blog, Stumbling Over Chaos. I might make a couple more before felting. Oh yeah, I thought the colors looked tropical. We grew the prop, too.


I drove home during a tornado warning. I did go to the library basement for a few minutes, but as it was closing time, DH said to leave to beat the rain. When I was a couple miles from home, the tornado sirens went off. I heard them over radio and the Birmingham TV station whose weather report I had tuned in. Then the sound on my radio went off. OMG,  I was looking around for the tornado when my cell phone rang and the Accord's hands free system came on. After my initial panic, I found the phone button and talked to DH. I got home right before the downpour We had wind and rain, no bad storms.

Too Big

Wasn't it Stephanie Pearl-McFee who said that gauge swatches lie? I thought my cotton shell was looking a little large and decided to slip it onto two circular needles in order to try it on. It fits me like this, too. Sigh, guess I will go back to CPH's hood. Has anyone knit the hood and front ribbing in one piece, instead of two?

In a Red Mood

Well, purple is in the family, right? H is for Hoodie. I have gotten about six inches or so done on the hood for CPH. The cables show up a lot better outside in the sun.

The other reds. I got the LG 8350 from Verizon in January, coincidentally. It goes well with Basque Red.  They also communicate well with each other using Bluetooth, after an initial struggle. (Computers!) The nail polish's name had something about scarlet and affair or something. Yes, I wiped the footprint off the freshly detailed by the Honda dealer bumper.


I left the dealership and drove straight to Lowe's and put 120 pounds of topsoil in the trunk. Had to dismantle the brand new cargo net. Looks just like the one on the Web site, except for the cardboard box of crap from the last Accord. (The net may not be in there right-like the nav system, Bluetooth and voice commands, everything has a learning curve.) The little white thing in the lower right corner? It's a Honda logo. (Why it costs more, right?) There is reflective tape on  the top, and it zips closed. Nice. The cargo net was promised by the dealer, who still owes me a tank of gas. It poured down rain this morning, and the road that I take to work has not been repaved yet.. See the dirt on the freshly detailed back bumper?

Last but not least, a little green. The baby tomatoes have been transplanted into large pots. They are a couple of feet tall, and gangly

All Sorts of Things

So I have gotten to the hood for CPH. I think I don't need to worry about running out of yarn anymore, I have lots left for the hood and ribbing trim. Whew

My Wee Tiny Sockie for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap is finished. It seems to brighten up a cool overcast day.

Peanut is tired. This is the best shot I could get, as the camera and I don't hold her interest enough to make her look up.

But, my FIL can sure hold their interest with a dog biscuit. DH entitled this shot, "High Priest of the Bone-bone addresses the congregation."

L to R: Buddha, Junior (DH's namesake), Trellis and Susie. Honey and Peanut, MIA,  get spoiled too, don't worry.

Knitting, and Flowers

Hey, remember the Central Park Hoodie? I finished the right front last night, and it is blocking now. Next step-hood!

Hey, Deb, it's spring now, the Japanese magnolia is blooming!

The peach trees are covered with blossoms...

There are pink and white petals everywhere!

Hot Cocoa Swap and One Sock

I got my Hot Cocoa Swap package today, from Nelda the Knitting Nurse! It was full of chocolate and goodies, including the cutest little knit kitty-cat. There is Bellagio hot cocoa, bittersweet and mint, too. Also a mug in the center of the photo, with hearts and a red inside. We sampled the chocolate, and might have hot cocoa and Outrageous chocolate covered marshmallows later.  The yarn is from Yarn Oddity, by Ms. Pixie Riot "The Birds will Still be Singing." Click for larger.

Look at the stitch markers!

I also finished one of my Annetrelac socks the other day, when I needed a break after finishing the back of CPH, blocking here:

The sock, in Thank Ewe sock yarn colorway Winter Chill, posed with the daffodils. I think the camera focused on the daffodils, but this was still the best shot.

Closeup of entrelac to make up for blurriness:

Finished

Just the back of CPH, that is. Better photo later. It is rainy and dark today.

I also made cupcakes today

Random Thursday

I rushed home today to make DH a sour cream pound cake for Valentine's Day, and to get a photo of the progress (armhole shaping) on CPH, since I have nothing else going. I took some artfully composed photos on the woodpile, and had a dispute with the Nikon Coolpix over the flash and blurred photos w/o the flash. I noticed there was more light reflected off the hood of DH's truck, so I present the back of CPH on the hood of an F-150. Elizabeth, it is a 4-wheel drive. It is not shaped funny in the center, the circ needle's cable has a twist..

My Christmas cactus is blooming for Valentine's Day.

Sunset Monday over Bibb Graves Hall at Jacksonville State University.