The Acorns are Falling!

Nature's BBs is what they are. Get beaned with one or two -- it smarts!

It also means that it's the middle of August. Even if I didn't have a calendar, I would know this: hailstorms of acorns means school will be starting soon, the State Fair will be sooner and that means that summer is nearly over. Already. Too soon! Especially this lovely summer, with its warm sun and lovely breezes. These were sprawled across the back fence a couple weeks ago. I like the bug:




And, my handsome boy. Is that gray in your brow?

Too Many Projects?

Celtic Memory talked about this in one of her last posts, that the hangover had arrived after (over?)indulging in startitis. If she's like me, she perhaps had reached that point of too many projects, not enough time and if you work on this one, it means you can't work on that one, but maybe you should be working on this other one, in this basket.

If this has never happened to you, a) I'm not sure I believe you, b) but actually, I admire your discipline and dedication; nevertheless c) you might have to offer some verification.

Unlike Celtic Memory, I am not pledging in front of God and the entire Internet to finish all of them before starting another, but I will lay them out and show them for who they are:

First, the Lopi sweater, begun for David this spring. The back is now an inch or so from being done. The poufy crease betrays where it's been folded for the last month or so:


This nondescript clump is going to be this duster, made with Tahki's Quartz, a linen blend. Mine will fit a bit looser and will be left open. This photo picked up a greenish cast — who knows why — the color is similar to honey or straw:


Tah-dah! This is the body of the Gaelic Mist; I've just finished the cable portion, and knocked off part of another row while waiting for these pictures to load.


This bring-along project is the best use I've seen for sock yarn (says the non-sock knitter). It's a skein of Chugiak, a tightly twisted merino from Pagewood Farm. They call it ArmyGirl, but I call it every color of apple that you've ever seen. The colors are so fun! And this pattern is a perfect indulgence. Gotta pay attention, though, with all those YOs.


When I want something soft, soft in my hands, there is this:


The Sugar Jacket, from Marianne Isager's book, Classic Knits. There is not a clunker in this book, and is worth having for that reason. With the size 2s, the garter stitch is saving the day. Can't quite see the colors here, either. I'm using two shades of yellow-green that are just a tick apart. The plan is to make it for the shop. I'd best get crackin'.

But, there is this little diversion:


Meet BoingBoing. He's very busy, except when he's crashed and having a growth spurt. Clover, the grumpy old kitty, has another name for him, but I can't print it here.

Been Gone Too Long

Oh! It's been longer than I thought. I got distracted by, well, just about everything, I guess. Suffice it to say that the layoffs, contractions and other
bloodletting plagueing the newspaper industry also have been eroding the workings of my employer. The unpleasantness and tension are not interesting to write about, let alone read, so let's consider it a vacation, shall we?

This picture of one of my favorite urchins arrived a few weeks ago:


That's NiNi! Modeling the sweater I made for her several years ago, when she arrived at her new home. Alice Starmore's Mendocino, it finally fits! Clearly, I overshot on the size, but that's all right. Thumbs up to you, too, love.

I found this link in an email buried down in my inbox. Maybe everyone has seen it already. According the message I got, this was filmed on March 23 at the train depot in Antwerp, Belgium. The 200 dancers had rehearsed ... twice. I have no way of verifying this, but it's fun to watch, nevertheless.

Do Not Try This at Home

No knitting content today. Just this jaw-dropping video (it's about 8 minutes long):

The Easter Bunny Bandit

Guess who ate the chocolate Easter rabbits.


At least he didn't get sick, even if he probably deserved to.

Some Lopi Love

Well, here I go again. Another a) cabled b) sweater. It isn't my fault! Whoever gave me the gift card that I've been carrying in my wallet — and they know who they are! — share the guilt. Luckily for one of them, he will also get the sweater. It's an old Lopi pattern from Reynolds. I'm not the only one who likes it; it's also in the Best of Lopi, which in addition to a big ol' juicy TYPO in some display type (not that I noticed), has some lovely things in it.

Knitting notes: There are a couple of errors in the pattern which are easy to sort out. Also, since no one in my house needs to be grabbed around the rear, I skipped the size 9 needles for the ribbing and went straight for the 10.5s. Hang on, I'll show you. I seem to be dogged by some technical difficulties:






There. That's better. Lopi is hardy stuff!

A Recount of My Very Own

Al Franken and Norm Coleman have nothing on me. I, too, have been counting and counting until I get the result I want. In my case, 298 stitches to set up the body of my Gaelic Mist sweater. Who thought it would be such an ordeal — their situation or mine — to get the necessary number. Unlike them, however, I seem to have gotten on with things:


I was knitting merrily away when I got distracted by a ... book: "The Beach Street Knitting Society and Yarn Club." Unlike others I've read that have knitters as main characters, it's, um, novel, in that neither the characters nor their conversations are wooden and might even border on realistic. They're certainly likeable. The bonus is that the reader does not have to be a knitting knerd to enjoy it (But you do get extra credit if you can identify the yarn and needles on the cover).

This video is making the rounds. Most certainly enhanced in places, but it's worth the work of slogging through this post: