How Hot Is It?

In case you haven't heard, it's hot. It's humid. It's beyond humid. No kidding, it's steamy:


Behind the fog is some Sulka, a single-ply from Mirasol, one of two recent (small) cheats on this summer's yarn diet. It's on sale, so how I could resist? This is what it looked like before the humidity and before it visited the ballwinder:


It's lovely and I can't stop squeezing it. And, it matches Kitten's eyes.


Four hanks -- about 55 yards each -- should be quite enough for a cowl, this one, in fact. One skein into it and I could be in love. Think Lopi gone uptown.

Equally uptown is Rowan's Cocoon. It was another departure from the yarn diet -- yes, again -- but it was just a couple of skeins. (Don't start with me. Two skeins is not 10-plus, which is what I'd get for a sweater) It raced through its WIP phase and is quite happy as a hat. Moon, from Kim Hargreaves' "Cherished."


The only reason I blocked it was to flatten out and accentuate the pattern. I had no idea it would get even softer! Kitten was most pleased with the result:

Somewhat Knitting Related ...

Two links came across my screen lately that are worth sharing. The first builds the case that sheep aren't dumb.

The second is today's dose of cleverness. Because a sense of humor is always appreciated. No squinting.

This is included here because I was sitting on the back step when I saw it and took a break from my knitting to get it into a vase:

Aubrey's Sweater

The neighbors had a baby about a month ago, so of course, they were the target of recent enthusiasm. Some Calmer -- you say kiwi, I say apple green -- had been taunting me at the shop, and at last! A Genuinely Legitimate Reason to break this summer's yarn diet! It was nice in the hand, minimal snagging, just a bit of stretch. Yum. And, it was perfect for my go-to, most-excellent pattern.


Knitting rarely goes without incident, and this time was no different. No names, of course, but a certain knitter forgot to put in the buttonhole. Thank heaven for large snaps, just sayin'. In addition, it didn't occur to said unnamed knitter -- whose own babies could only be described as, well, jumbo -- that this baby might be tiny, er, normal. In other words, this is a big baby sweater. Or a big-baby sweater. Hyphenate or not, your choice.

Anyway, little Aubrey might be 2 or 3 before she doesn't drown in it.

Smiley Riley

Today was a difficult day.


Sweet Riley. We tried to make sure that the last eight years of your life were better than the first two. Wait for us. Good boy.

Any Stephen Wright Fans Out There?

I don't know about about you, but I've been needing a good laugh. Happily for me, someone sent me these gems from Stephen Wright, odd and hilarious:

The World According to Stephen Wright
• I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place.
• Last week, I went to a furniture store to look for a decaffeinated coffee table. They couldn't help me.
• What's another word for "thesaurus"?
• When I get real bored, I like to drive downtown and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask if I'm leaving.
• When I was a kid, we had a quicksand box in the backyard. I was an only child . . . eventually.
• I bought some batteries, but they weren't included. So I had to buy them again.
• For my birthday I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.
• I have a switch in my apartment that doesn't do anything. Every once in a while I turn it on and off. One day I got a call from a guy in France who said, "Cut it out!"
• I replaced the headlights on my car with strobe lights. Now it looks like I'm the only one moving.
• I wrote a song, but I can't read music. Every time I hear a new song on the radio, I think "Hey, maybe I wrote that."
• I got my driver's license photo taken out of focus on purpose. Now when I get pulled over the cop looks at it (moving it nearer and farther, trying to see it clearly)... and says, "Here, you can go."
• I went to a general store, but they wouldn't let me buy anything specific.
• I turned my air conditioner the other way around, and it got cold out. The weatherman said, "I don't understand it. It was supposed to be 80 degrees out today." I said "Oops . . ."
• I put contact lenses in my dog's eyes. They had little pictures of cats on them. Then I took one out and he ran around in circles.
• I spilled Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
• My neighbor has a circular driveway. He can't get out.
• I bought some powdered water, but I didn't know what to add.
• I put instant coffee in a microwave and almost went back in time.
• I have an answering machine in my car. It says, "I'm home now, but leave a message and I'll call when I'm out."
• I bought a house on a one-way dead-end road. I don't know how I got there.
• I have a hobby. I have the world's largest collection of sea shells. I keep it scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen some of it.
• I Xeroxed a mirror. Now I have an extra Xerox machine.
• Last week I forgot how to ride a bicycle.
• My school colors were clear.
• I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wakeup letter.
• I'm taking La maze classes. I'm not having a baby, I'm just having trouble breathing.
• When I was in high school, I got in trouble with my girlfriend's Dad. He said, "I want my daughter back by 8:15." I said, "The middle of August? Cool!"
• My girlfriend's weird. One day she asked me, "If you could know how and when you were going to die, would you want to know?" I said, "No." She said, "Okay, forget it."
• I went for a walk last night and she asked me how long I was going to be gone. I said, "The whole time."
• My buddy got busted for counterfeiting. He was making pennies. They caught him because he was putting the heads and tails on the wrong sides.
• He's in a minimum security prison now; he's on a whiffle-ball and chain.
• Hermits have no peer pressure.
• Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories .
• There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.
• How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't live there?
• Did Washington just flash a quarter for his ID?
• I just got skylights put in my place. The people who live above me are furious.
• Imagine if birds were tickled by feathers.
• I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing "Happy Birthday".
• I accidentally installed the deer whistles on my car backwards. Now everywhere I go, I'm chased by a herd of deer.
• I got stopped by a cop the other day. He said, "Why'd you run that stop sign?" I said, "Because I don't believe everything I read."
• It doesn't matter what temperature a room is, it's always room temperature.
• Yesterday, my eyeglass prescription ran out.
• I'm a peripheral visionary.
• I make my own water - two glasses of H, one glass of O.
• Ballerinas are always on their toes. Why don't they just get taller ballerinas?
• The other day, I went to a tourist information booth and asked, "Tell me about some of the people who were here last year."
• Why in a country of free speech, are there phone bills?

Clever is the Best -- Always

This wee video is making the rounds today. It's by Lorna's Laces. (I think I will have to finally get some of that yarn.) Enjoy:

Shades of Pink

A couple quick fixes of spring! At the barn:


And in the backyard. If only they were ever-blooming.