Blogger Ate My Post

And I'm right peeved about it. Not that it was Pulitzer material, but it was a nice chat about moving my favorite college freshman-now-sophomore out of her dorm at the University of Dayton. I remember thinking that afternoon that I should've had that irksome pedometer* along, for all the walking I was doing.

She was remarkably organized with her packing, so while she filled bins, I schlepped the full ones out to the truck. Back and forth, back and forth and back and forth some more. I got very lucky when I scored a parking spot close to the door. This was the view from where I parked:


The line went past the horizon and filled the two parking lots that are just out of view. For all the commotion, there was little to no chaos. And not one bit of crabbiness! People held doors, shared vacuums, helped pick up a tipped luggage dolly (thanks again, everyone), and eventually we made our last trip out of the building. We drove back to Mamaw's house, and it felt so good to sit down. And then ... o-o.

My favorite college-freshman-now-sophomore had forgotten her fish in the lounge. This wasn't just any ol' beta -- it was a gift from her Pi-Phi big sister. So back to the dorm she went.

The next morning, I decided that my reward for being such a good helper mommy would be a quick field trip:



In Centerville's historic district, it's a cozy place -- two customers are company, three a crowd -- and arranged a bit differently than most shops I've been to. Instead of being arranged by weight, most of the shelves were arranged by color. It reminded me of the rows of paint chips at [insert your favorite home improvement center here]. Being on a strict yarn diet these days, I didn't buy anything, but I nearly caved when I saw a basket of this.

There wasn't a soul there when we arrived, the door wide open. I had just started poking around when the owner returned. She'd been next door finalizing her bets on the Derby. "I only bet on the Triple Crown races," she said. "I win just enough to cover my losses."

------------------------------------

* we have to use them as part of a pantywaist, ridiculous wellness program we have to complete to get a discount on our health insurance.

A Bind Off Requires a Cast On or Two

Finishing Mr. Denney's sweater left me nearly giddy with options for what to do next. Most urgently, there is the Gaelic Mist, which, um, I can't find. How bad is that?!? Normally, I would be a bit panicked, but it will show up. And then, there's the perpetual project — the red Jo Sharp vest, which technically is not withering on the vine because i do want to finish it, but it sort of is. I really dread sewing that collar/front panel. Dunno why, really, other than that it will take forever. It certainly shouldn't be difficult. So, opting for the path of least resistance — oh, come on, you do it, too — I cast on for two/II/2/ii/ sweaters. The first, the V-neck pullover from Knitting Pure and Simple. The yarn, purchased here, is soooo nice. I know what you're thinking. It is not gray. It's navy:



The second cast on? Hamish, from this book, which I can't find anywhere on the Rowan site. There are several lovely, gotta have 'em patterns in this book, and thanks to LaurieM, who sent me a few leftovers a couple years ago, I am finally getting started. For some reason, there were passersby when I was trying to take pictures:



This last photo best represents the colors. I am going to try the blue/grey as a thin stripe around the hems and near the bottom of the body.


What do you think? Suggestions welcome!

In the Pink

The good news is that Mr. Denney's sweater has not fallen apart. The better news is that I liberated another set of needles over the weekend. This:


Became this. Or, uh, these:


I promised to send them to my favorite college student, but they're pretty swell, and I'm tempted to keep 'em. The pattern is available here and also on Ravelry. The pattern calls for size 8 needles, but I used 6s, perhaps because I didn't have my glasses on when I cast on? I can't say for sure. They knit up nicely, regardless. The only intentional change I made, and this is pretty small beans, was to use a lifted increase instead of the M1 for the thumb gussets. If I make another pair (and I like them well enough to do that, by the way), I might change how the main cable ends. The yarn is Malabrigo worsted, which I got on sale here, one of the two swell yarn shops within five minutes of my house. The model? My favorite high school sophomore. Thanks, Laurel! Love you! Now, go finish your homework.

Scenes from a Snowy Day

Last week, while certain someones -- Barb! Ruth! Lynette! -- were frolicking in Scottsdale at the Arab Nationals, I stayed behind and soldiered through another 14 inches of fresh snow. I can complain about the weather with the best of them, but there is nothing else like a crisp, sunny winter day:


Queen Keltie, in repose:


A mysterious heap o' snow in paddock 3. There was absolutely no clue how that got there:


Mickey, missing Ruth desperately. cough.


And Finnegan, thinking that maybe I'd forgotten to take his picture:

Christmas in March

It took long enough, but it's done! Woot! Woot! The tardy Lopi sweater! I overshot on the sleeves a little, but Mr. Denney will just have to cuff them. I'm not ripping. He doesn't seem to mind. In fact, I think he likes how it turned out. Now, just turn down the wattage of that smile, woodja?



Here is today's Henry photo, at no extra charge. He loved napping as close to the working portion of the sleeves as he could:

Ah, March ...

I thought it would never get here. March, that is -- not that the next cold blast will pay any attention to the calendar. Neither did a copy editor, apparently. Or maybe next week really will be peculiar:

How About A Droid App?

Still slogging away on the Lopi sweater -- the new joke is that it would be finished by now if Mr. Denney only had one arm. He doesn't think it's funny. The good news is that there are only six inches left on that second sleeve. The bad news is ... there is six inches left on that second sleeve. Here's what happens when one plays with a new-found Droid app: Retro Camera, using the pinhole effect. Behold a sleeve:



Here's what happens when one is chatting with the farrier and doesn't really feel like driving home just yet: