Damn, it is COLD!

I haven't had much time to knit. We are packing up the house. We just got back from Boston. Boston is COLD. I didn't have a hat so I knit one on the plane. Problem was I didn't finish it until we were back in balmy Northern California. I am sure that it will come in handy in the weeks to come. Did I mention that it was snowing? I am sure that I looked like an idiot as I stuck out my tongue to try to catch a snowflake. I have only seen falling snow one other time. The real estate woman that was dragging us around (we saw 15 houses) must of thought that I was an idiot. Oh well.

We did find a house that we want to put an offer on. It is beautiful. 4000 sq feet on an acre in a wooded neighborhood. Soooo, I have to suck up the fact that I have a horrible hacking cough cold and get going on getting all my stuff together. This is better than waiting for Mr Yarn to get a job but it isn't too much fun. The fact that we have a 165 Saint Bernard that we may have to take to temporary housing (read: hotel with a kitchen) AND two cats is going to be...what is the word for it?....HELL.

The winner is...

Rich got an offer that he is accepting in Boston. Looks like I will be eating lots of clam chowder. The adventure begins...

Living in a house from the 1800's

I love my old house. There are tons of great things about it like the original stained glass, and the original fixtures, and high ceilings, and that it is made out of REAL 2 x 4's that are redwood. I love the original old floors, and the original glass that is still in all the windows. I love that there is a cupboard in the kitchen that used to be for ice to keep things cold, and that the original built in is all rickety and old but authentic and wonderful. Then there are all the things I hate. I can't stand that there is not ONE closet in this whole house (what did those people do with their clothes?). The same windows with the original glass that I love I also hate because it is drafty. I can't stand the small small rooms. I can't stand that there are NO closets (oh, I already said that). So everything has its good sides and bad.


The thing is that I am starting to get itchy to fix it up. We did the huge backyard thing a couple of years ago, and who knows if we are going to be staying here (I hope we do). I figure that I am going to fix up the bathroom. If we move it needs to be fixed and if we don't move it will be a nicer bathroom for us. So the question is how the hell do I move that tub? Heavy? Uh, cast-iron heavy. I don't know where to start. If I take this wallpaper off I know (call it psychic) that the walls might be crumbling under there. I want paint. I hate wallpaper. So, it is daunting.



Since most the rooms in my house are bright victorian type of colors I also think we should paint. I have been watching too many TV shows with names like "Sell My House". Muted and safe colors they say. Ha! Check this out (and please excuse the mess, I didn't know you were coming over)



A smashing peach color that I have been too lazy to change (yeah, I have lived here for 4 years, so?)



This room is really brick red but I sorta like the color that it is in the picture!

and last but not least



This is really orange and not lemon yellow but I never said I was a photographer.

So you get the gist of what I am saying. Sell "as is" or Navaho White?

Stinking Rose of England

I am still working on this puppy. It goes on and on. I would say that I am more than 3/4ths done. I work on it almost every day and hopefully one day I will be done with the damn thing.

In the moving front. Still don't know where we will end up. Choices now are: Boston, Texas, Boston again, Wisconsin more than I can hope for right here in the Bay area. Miracles do happen now and then. Don't they?

A promise is a promise

I promised my friend Leigh that I would make this sweater for her husband and by god I will! Argh. It is going pretty fast and will need a hell of a blocking, but I think that it will work out. I did this K Fassett sweater back in the 80's for myself. That sweater is sitting in a cedar chest. This one will look fine on Don.

Food fun

I decided to do something other than knit and so I spent my day in the kitchen making Blood Orange Marmalade. I have to say that I have canned lots of stuff but this one had to be one of the most labor intensive marmalade/jams to date.

On the knitting front...
I finished Pearl Buck but can't get a good picture of it. I am sending it off to mom because it will look way better on her. It is too cropped for me and just not my style.

Hope everyone has a great Holiday. I will be spending mine being a curmudgeon.

Pearl Buck

Finished the back of the "Pearl Buck Swing Jacket" out of the Winter 05 Interweave knits. Fun knit but I think that the cable design could be a bit more sophisticated. I would rechart it but I am just too damn lazy to have to think about it right now. I am just an idiot who mindlessly knits away on patterns that were done by others. As soon as I get my brain back I am going to start designing some for myself.

Time for another hobby!

I have decided that I want to play the Dobro. I do! When the dust settles and I know where we are moving I am going to buy one and take lessons. May be a while till I invite you over for a concert but it is the desire to play that counts.

On another note, Dr. Yarn is on his way to Boston. Another interview. Next week is Dallas. Week after that is New York. I am thinking that we may end up in Wisconsin...



then again, I won't count the chesse until we hear one way or the other on Friday or Monday.

Reynolds Whiskey Retro Sweater

I have been a knitting fiend. I finished another sweater. That makes two in one month. I have started another one for Mr Yarn! It is the "Avast" mens cardigan. I think it will be the perfect sweater for him.

Looks like we aren't going to Michigan afterall. Who knows where we will think we are moving next. Could be India?

Tangled Yoke is done!

I finished something! This one only took a couple of weeks. I love this sweater and was motivated to get it done because I actually want to wear it. I don't wear most of what I knit but this one is going to be on the "favorite comfortable sweater" list. I had a hard time getting good detail shots of the sweater but use your imaginations.



I started another sweater that I really wanted in my winter closet collection. I think it will get lots of use this winter as well.



I bought the kit at Stitches last year. It is Reynolds Whiskey: A Vintage Collection. It is a fast knit and I should have it done in the next couple of weeks.

So, Mr. Yarn didn't get the job in Alameda and we are thinking that we are really going to have to move. Who knows where...

I am laughing WITH her...

Poor Lily came back from "spa day" with much of her tail gone. It was for her own good but it looked so pathetic that it made me give her an extra biscuit for the humility she endured. I do like the little puff that they left behind so that she didn't feel nude.

More done on "Tangled Yoke". Not much more to do on it.



Mr. Yarn is going for an interview in Kalamazoo. You heard me...

I had to move on

No, I haven't given up on the "Rose of England" but...

I had to move on for a while. I still work on the Rose from hell but since it keeps getting smaller instead of bigger (Yeah, ripping is my friend) I decided to do something a bit less complicated. The "Tangled Yoke" is from the last issue of Interweave Knits and is a perfect winter sweater. I will be done with it soon and will be able to wear it in the gloomy days ahead.

On the Mr Yarn job front: Looks like there is a possible interview for him right here in Alameda. PLEASE ask your favorite deity to look over us and help him get this job. This would mean that we get to stay right where we are and that is a goooood thing. I love it here.

A picture is worth a thousand words

I can't get a good picture of the "Rose of England" because it is all bunched up on the needles. I am at least 1/2 way through.
This picture pretty much sums up how we are all feeling around here. Evan took this picture of Lily but since I am Evan's mom I felt that I could swipe it for my blog.

My friends get me in trouble!

Off I went to the retreat up in Santa Cruz with my pals. On the way up we stopped at Knitting Arts where Jan kindly opened up the shop for us. Gail being the enabler that she is talked me into making this vest in the new Rowan magazine. Ok, maybe she didn't have to push the issue but still... I did this much while at the retreat. The retreat was really fun and relaxing. The nuns ran the place and it was right on the beach. I thought it was pretty funny when one of the sweet nuns came over to the common room we were drinking margarita's (thanks Donna for those festive drinks) and told us that we would need to keep it down because Mass was starting next door.



I then spent Sunday with Laurel and her husband and Rich and friends from a knitting list that I am on. It was a blast but Laurel MADE me start this by simply handing over the yarn that she accquired for me for this shawl. Mean mean woman...

So, now I have these two projects started but of course I can't finish them until the Rose of England is done. Don't ask about where that is as far as done.

"Rose of England"

Well I am sorry that I haven't blogged in such a long time. I guess that I don't have much to say. It has been a hard and sad few months. My close friend Jean passed away after a long illness and my whole world has been a bit upside down. I could go on and on about what this person meant to me but I won't.

I will move on to the knitting side of my life. I have been knitting this for months. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a pretty fast knitter. This is not much to show for 2 months of knitting. I have taken more time ripping than I have knitting on this. I am determined to finish it though. In many ways this "Rose of England" pattern by Kinsel has kept me sane. It is a type of meditation (although frustrating) that has kept my hands and mind busy through a really hard part of my life.




On another front... Mr Yarn is going for an interview in Montreal this Sunday. I am not going to sit home and fret this time. I will be off for a girls few days of knitting in Santa Cruz. I think I can use some wine and laughing about now.

Hold the press!

I can't do it. I just can't. I got the last clue for the Mystery Stole 3 and I just can't finish it. I was going to finish it and give it to my mother, but I don't want her wearing it. I really think that it is unattractive. I thought that I would like something that was asymetrical, but I don't. The join is clunky and looks like it could have been a mistake but it isn't. I am sad to say that I really do not like the look of this one. I still think that Melanie is a VERY talented pattern maker but this is just one of those things that comes down to personal taste. Oh well.

Not much else happening here at Casa Yarn. Lots of stress and saddness. My best friend Jean passed away on Monday after a long illness and still no word of where Rich's and my butt will end up workwise. Meantime I just keep knitting on crochet cotton making this tablecloth (Rose of England). It is almost like I am going crazy little by little and this is my occupational therapy. If I could make you believe how many times I have ripped out this thing you would know that it is a project of futility.

Meantime.....I knit on.

Really bad picture but oh well

Here is the Mystery Stole 3 Clue 5. I have about 6 more rows to go before I am done with this clue. I am sorry that it is such a horrible picture but I just don't have the energy to really do it justice. You get the general gist of it I am sure. I will post another picture when I am completely done with this clue. This "stole" will be going to my mother. I am not thrilled with it so far.

Mystery Stole Clue 4

Ok, here is Clue 4 finished. It is looking really pretty but I was too lazy to block it out so the picture isn't too good. Oh well.

Love that sound!

There is nothing like the sound of yarn hitting your front door when the mail person heaves it at the porch. Today I was greeted by my new purchase of the Bee Fields shawl which was written by Anne Hanson of Knitspot. The yarn was by the talented Wooly Wanka



Can't wait to do this one. Makes me think of Stephanie and her bees. Did I mention that Stephanie mines the best honey in the whole world! Is it called mining for honey? I dunno what it is called but I am a honey addict and this is some of the best stuff I ever tasted.

Welcome to my neurosis

Yeah, things around the "Yarn!" household are still tense. So, how do I cope? I knit 2 complicated things at once and throw in a mystery knitalong for kicks.

I have gotten further on Morrigan but have put it down for the week so I can obsess on other projects. I will go back to good ole Morrigan next week. Here it is up to this point:



What else did I start you ask? Ho ho....I started a tablecloth to pass on when I am old. It is called "The Rose of England" and is in its infancy on the needles. I might have started it over 100 times up to this point but reluctantly put in a life line that in the last two rounds of rip-o-mania has saved me from having the pleasure of starting it all over again. We all know that working with thread on double pointed 0's and only 10 stitches is fun but I rather not do it over and over again.



and last but not least the Mystery Stole Clue 4 (which I have two weeks to do so I am in no big hurry. It is a repetitive pattern.

Hope

A few years ago I started reading a blog written by a father (Robert Rummel-Hudson) about his little girl. She has a disease that is rare (Polymicrogyria (PMG)) and it is about their journey after the diagnosis. He is now coming out with a book about that journey and I hope that everyone goes out and buys it. You can read his blog here

Shuylers Monster

Robert's writting has always kept me going back for more. Check it out.

Mystery Stole Clue 3

I am now seeing the priate more than ever but the shawl is pretty. So I am very conflicted. No way I am not going to finish it but I will have to give it to one of my piratey friends. I can knit an eyepatch to go along with it for that "special birthday gift".

Thanks Carol in NoVa!

Carol kindly pointed out that there was errata to Morrigan. My heart sunk and I almost couldn't hit on the link to see what it was. Luckily for me I am a robot when it comes to knitting and I instinctively fixed the error without giving it any thought to what the directions ACTUALLY read. Here is the link in case you are inclined to knit this sweater:

http://nosheepkal.blogspot.com/2007/07/red-alert-error-in-morrigan.html

Now I feel really stupid for not slowing down enough to realize that it was a TRUE mistake and not MY mistake. I also can not tell you how relieved I am that I am an idiot that doesn't follow directions.

One of those things

I have gotten to a spot on Morrigan that has been a goal for the last (mumble) few weeks. I am at the spot on the sweater where I am going to be dividing for the front and back. Normally this wouldn't be that big of a deal but since I am working on the "lesson on futility" sweater it is a big deal to me. I am going to finish this damn sweater. I am. Then I am going to turn around and give it to Laurel so that I won't have to look at it again. Yes, I am a sick woman.

Mystery Stole Clue 2

No, really! All I can see (and it won't go away now) is a pirate hidden in this mystery shawl. It sorta wrecked the whole lace thing for me. I mean what would a pirate be doing in my lace shawl. I can't stop knitting it now because I have to see if there is also a ship or somethin.

Har, mateys...

Gypsy Shawl

I finished Evelyn Clarks "Gypsy Shawl". I started this up at the knitting retreat and just finished it. I went way out of my comfort zone on the colors and maybe it wasn't such a good idea. When Annie saw it she shrieked "Ew, what IS that?" I got told that it was very 80's. It is. I probably won't be wearing it anytime soon.

I just downloaded and started the Mystery Stole Clue 2. I am not off to a very good start but then again I haven't had enough coffee yet.

Mystery Stole clue 1

So I just finished the Mystery stole clue 1. It took me one day to get this far. I didn't work on it nonstop so I feel that it wasn't too hard. I don't want to post the picture here in case you don't want to see it and have it not be a surprise. If you do want to see what it looks like then follow the link. I am using black Zypher on size 4's.


Link to Mystery Stole Clue 1

Fessing up

I went on a knitting retreat last week. It was at "Sleeping Lady" which is a beautiful retreat place up in the Cascade mountains in Washington. It was put on by Karen at "Acorn Street Yarns". I had a great time with my friends. We may have made a couple of stops on the way up there. We went to Tricoter and another shop (sorry can't remember the name). Tricoter was having a "sale" which means that their prices were in the normal range. I might have gone a bit overboard. I also bought most of my yarn at the retreat itself.

So here is the loot that I brought back



What we have here is "Socks that Rock" in colorway Lagoon (shut up I fell for the overpriced sock yarn because of the color).
I also bought some Cashmere because it was on SALE. It is Cashmere Silk by Jade Sapphire in colorway Cashoflouge. I actually bought 2 skeins of the stuff. The ball of yarn with those two is a yarn that Gail gave me because she knows I love those colors.

WAIT! There is more



I bought LOTS of Zephyr because it was there and I love it. I bought black and white for the Mystery Shawl and also for the Hanami shawl that I am going to do. I bought this other laceweight yarn because the pink was so light that it was almost white but I think that it has Lolly's name written all over it. This yarn is "Baruffa" by Lane Borgosesia. The green in there was perhaps an impulse buy.

WAIT....a little more



More Zephyr and Silky tweed. I got started on the Gypsy Shawl by Evelyn Clark. She was at the retreat and I had the honor of meeting and talking with her for 3 days. What an incredibly talented and sweet woman.

and last but not least...



Required reading. Now that I don't have the shop I don't want to miss out on patterns.

So, that is it. I had a great time and may have gone a little wild in the yarn department but I considered it therapy.

Bad blogger...bad!

Not much to be talking about or showing so the blog fodder has been slim.

Here is a picture that Evan took out the window at Annie and Tim's wedding.




TA DA! Here is Morrigan AGAIN. I redid it on size 1 needles and I hope this post doesn't jinx it and I have to start over the 4th time.



So I am off until Monday to a knitting retreat up in the Cascade mountains. Sleeping Lady. it is put on by Acorn Street Yarns. Drinking and knitting for 3 days sound help my head.

Meet Ricky!

This is Ricky. He is our Granddog. We are babysitting while Annie and Tim are on their Honeymoon in Brazil. I think that someone may not be as happy about that as we are



So...on the moving to another country front... We aren't going to Scotland. The nice people who told Mr. Yarn that he all but had the job and to send his formal application (Fedex'd it no less) never emailed or called or anything. When Mr. Yarn emailed them to see if they got the application came back with an email that they were done with interviewing and they were sorry to inform him but...yadda yadda yadda.

This sucks. So new places to wonder about is an interview he has in San Diego (bleck, I am not a big fan of SD) or an answer to see if he is going to go interview in a place in Lexington, Mass. (he had a 2 hour phone interview yesterday).

This more than sucks...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I have to start....oh is this hard to say.....
I have to start Morrigan over. I totally lost track of where I was on the 45 charts (ok, it isn't 45 but it feels like it) and there is no going back. I messed up big time. So, I will chalk it up to having to pay better attention and I won't give up. I will start over. 3 weeks of work down the drain.

Just tried it on when I took it off the needles. The smallest size is too too big. Good thing I found out. Have to go down a needle size!

Morrigan Sweater

I have been slaving away (because there isn't anything else I should be doing and it is a perfect escape) on the Morrigan Sweater that is in "No Sheep for You" It is a beautiful sweater by Jenna Wilson. Not for people that don't like to concentrate on a pattern until their brain is almost to the exploding point. I have ripped, I have cussed, I have thrown the thing across the room. Still with all that being said I always have been picking it up again determined to finishing it. It is beautiful. Not a fast knit but well worth the blood, sweat, and tears.

What have I been doing?

We have been trying to get our backyard ready for a brunch that is going to be here the day after Annie and Tim's wedding. So, we felt we ought to pretty it up in the backyard. We had to strip all the old gunk off of the Teak furniture. We then oiled it all to make it look like new. Landscaper coming to prune and clean didn't hurt either.




Besides being caught up in wedding stuff and feeling nervous because I feel like there should be stuff I am doing to help, I have knit my sister a shawl because I love her. Not only that but she has made me all my jewlery for the wedding (it is beautiful).

So, the countdown begins this weekend. The wedding is one week away. When it is done and Annie and Tim are safely sipping exotic drinks, I will start to think about all the stuff I want to get rid of in this house in case we move to Scotland. Oh, and think about getting the house ready to sell.

Thank god for Viognier.

Scotland

Mr Yarn is on his way home from Scotland where he interviewed at the University of Dundee. If he got the job it looks like we will be living in a new country soon. Scary, but at least I know where my next yarn is coming from :-) Who knows, maybe I will be able to have my own sheep.

My kids!

I got this picture back from Annie's shower and I love it. The shower was really fun and Annie got to eat her own face on the cake. What could be better?



This is from Evan's graduation. He graduated from Emerson in Boston and we went there last week. It is wonderful to see Annie getting married and Evan graduating but it is hard to see them so grown up.

Time just goes by too fast.

Oh yes I am knitting!!!!!

I still haven't figured out the new camera and I probably won't for a long long time because I am crazy stressed with out of work husbands, daughters wedding, sons graduation. Not that this is any excuse but I am am am knitting!



So this is the "Granny Smith" aka pain in the ass sweater. I must have ripped out this puppy a million times. Maybe it was just me. I love how it came out even though the picture sucks. I am wearing it over the dress that I am wearing to Annie's shower in L.A (the one where all my x-inlaws will be at looking at me).

and here we have a lovely shawl that I made out of incredible cashmere that I ripped off (not really she gave it to me because she would give me anything I wanted because she is the most generous person in the world) from Laurel. I used up the stuff *I* had for another project so I stole this from her for this one. I don't know the name of the pattern but it is in the Victorian Lace book. Ok I am rambling...



Again, not the best picture but oh well. I better go. I sound like I am a crazy person...bwahhhhhaaaaa

Bad picture but...

Not a great picture. This is the fichu that I knit for Annie. It is from the Victorian Lace book (XRX). It was a fun knit. It was a pain to block out and I still need to steam the collar. I am knitting though. I am sewing together the Granny Smith sweater and I am working on another shawl from Victorian Lace today. Pictures to follow as they are finished.

No news yet on Mr. Yarns job hunt. He has an interview in Atlanta tomorrow and he had a phone interview with a place in Scotland. The adventure has just begun.