The House of Sun and Fog

I like the change of seasons. Just not every other day. We had the most beautiful Sunday. It was clear and warm and the sun was shining all over the place. We went to the Farmer's Market and it was almost like Summer. The fruits and veggies were a rainbow of magnificent colors. I was overwhelmed by them and could not resist the urge to capture it. The only indications that it was Fall were the trees and the color of the flowers.

And then we start the week and we have fog, drizzle and cold like Fall rolling into Winter. The only good thing about it is that I can stay inside and play with my yarn projects. I finished the purple Ribbed Lace Bolero and started another one in Pale Green Tesoro 100% wool. It is so soft, I love the feel on my hands.

I have also been trying to get a few more gifts for the bath sets that I am doing for several friends for Christmas. These little "Tribbles" are addicting.

Ravelry Withdrawal

Is there such a thing? I am not sure but I think that is what I felt the other morning when I went through my ritual of online reading and tending to my different sites. All of a sudden this cute little mug flashed upon the screen. This isn't the home page. It was a mug shot of "Bob" telling me he was in the server. I had to laugh at first but then I realized I would not be able to post my new project. And I would not be able to read the forums and I would not be able to look for any more patterns. So I went away quietly and took care of my other business and knitted for awhile. Luckily when I came back in the afternoon the home page was there, so I really don't know if there is such a thing as "Ravelry Withdrawal" and I don't want to find out if there is.

I did make wonderful progress on a new project the Ribbed Lace Bolero. I am doing it in Plymouth Encore Worsted in a very nice deep purple. It is a gift and I am thrilled that it is going as fast as it is because maybe I can do a few before the holidays. I am down to the last sleeve on the blue mohair shrug.

Ravelry Help

I am continually amazed each day that I use Ravelry. It is such a "closely knit" :>) community of people from everywhere that come together because of their joy spelled "obsession" with knitting and crocheting. All the areas continue to grow with the posted wealth of knowledge and sharing. I posted a request for some suggestions for gifts for my 4 girls for their upcoming birthdays and Christmas and within 7 hours I had more than 30 items to pick from. Many were items recommended by girls the same age as mine. What more could you ask for? I now have several more items in my queue and I'm excited about some of the items because they are not only quick but cute. I have started the Cropped Cardigan with leaf ties from Knitty Spring 2007 in a beautiful royal blue mohair that I had left over from another sweater I made several years ago. That is another big plus to most of these projects. They use very little yarn and there are lots of substitution possibilities. I may get through all my gift projects after all.


I have also been reading with great interest the thread about the new Holiday VK issue. Wow. Not much in the way of grey area in that discussion. I can't wait to get to the bookstore to take a look at all the "love it/hate it" items.

I was listening to a older Cast On podcast last night, Woolly Wonders and the monologue by Franklin Habit, so moved me that I wanted to copy it and put it on CD to enclose with the gifts I give the year. It was so touching and such an important message about the ones that came before us.

Ann of Green Gables came to the end yesterday afternoon. I immediately felt like a friend had left so I started Anne of Avonlea. I have to say that the reading by Annie Coleman has spoiled me to anyone else. I guess she is just going to have to read all of them for the KAL-RAL along. Annie, do you hear me?

Varied or Harried???

I have been having quite a varied or is that spelled "harried" week. Trying to catch up on all my blog, book, magazine, Ravelry Forum, etc. reading and posting. It's like you start one place and then there are about 40 different links that you have worked through but you forget where you started or you realize that you were looking for something, and then it starts all over again. What's a girl to do. Now besides my podcasts, I am also listening to Anne of Green Gables with the RAL-KAL. I am listening to the version recorded by Annie Coleman from St. Louis, MO which is posted on Librivox.org. It like being transported back in time. I am so hooked that I want to rent or buy all the movies and TV series and watch them with my girls. I am not sure they would find the same joy as me, but then I could be wrong. We all sat up in the bed on Monday and watched Akeelah and the Bee with equal enthusiasm.
It seems like now that the girls have a longer school day, I still don't have enough time to get to everything. I have been trying to work my way through some of my UFO's as well as get some of my Christmas gifts done or at least started. I have finished a pile of face cloths and bath mitts in different color combos sets to go with some handmade soaps and bath salts. The girls love to make the salts and color and scent them. They look lovely tied up with an organza bow. It is better if I work on the girl's presents when they aren't around because they know me well enough to know if it is something I would wear or not!

I did buy myself something today. I saw a beautiful sock knitting project carrying case on someone's blog I was perusing and I just had to have one. Went to the site on ETSY , JapaneseHandmadeEtc, and wouldn't you know it, she had none in the colorway I wanted. So I shot her off an email and told her to let me know when she would be posting some more in my colorway. She sent me a return note this afternoon and had one done and reserved for me. I am such a "Happy Camper" or should I say a "Happy Traveling Sock Knitter".

Got to get working on the girl's birthday gifts. I have one in the end of November and another the beginning December. Does anyone have any suggestions for items that are big with teens right now? Has to be big and bulky or at least on big needles. I have made a couple of pair of Fetching gloves from Kitty Summer 2006. This pair is in a very pretty deep forest green of unknown origin. Less than a single ball in my remainder bag, but that is what I love about this pattern. It takes so little to make such a nice item. Quick, too.

Knit, Laugh, & Free Yarn Besides!

I went to see Kristina Wong in "Wong Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" last night at La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley. I took my granddaughter with me. She was too young for the adult content of the humor which just went over her head. She was, however, entertained by Ms. Wong's action, and had lots of questions which is good. I thoroughly enjoyed the play and was warmed to see someone, anyone, who is willing to discuss mental health out in the open. Her interpretation of the trying to get help without insurance was right on point. A pathetic statement for this country's health system. It was also refreshing to see her give kudos to knitters like she did. Knitting was alive and well in the audience and she gave away free yarn to all the knitters. (I got a nice ball of blue cotton that will make a nice face cloth.) I try to keep a good stash of those available for gifts with handmade soap. It was well worth the cost of the ticket. Check to see if she is coming to your "neck of the woods" and have a great night out with your knitting buddies. www.kristinawong.com

With all the Fall issues of knitting magazines out now it is making it difficult to stay focused on my current project and not want to queue another six or seven projects. I am really trying very hard to finish all the UFO's and destash but it is hard when you open up Knitter's and see Jade Empire. This is the first cardigan that I have seen in a long time that I wanted to cast on immediately. I also was really intrigued by the Ruffled Fichu and I have never been interested in knitting lace because I like end product satisfaction in a short period of time. I have seen several patterns that my girls would jump at like the short cropped hoodie in knit.1 and the Trench Coat is very appealing as well.

I had a little time to kill before the performance so I dashed into Joann's to pick up some fabric for Halloween costumes that we are working on, and I found 6 skeins of Joann's Bellezza Collection, Tesoro, in pale mint for $2.37 a skein. What a deal for 100% wool. I see that it is in a lot of stashes, on Ravelry, so I hope that might mean that it is at least worth knitting. I am thinking that it would be enough for the Cloud Bolero that I would like to do for one of the girls for Christmas.

I finished my second pair of Fetching. I think I will just start stashing these away as well, for the upcoming rash of birthday and Christmas presents I will be needing. They are very popular among the teenage set.

Welcome to My Life of Knitting

What's a Blog? What's a Wiki? What's a Podcast, What's Ravelry, and who the heck is Brenda Dayne? It wasn't so long ago that we were all asking the same questions, and then almost like osmosis, we not only knew the answers, but we were staying up later than our kids and fighting for computer time just to indulge in stash enhancement, free online patterns from Knitty, and reading blogs from here to the Falkland Islands. Now we shop at Etsy and EBay as well as our LYS. We listen to Brenda in the morning and Lime and Violet in the evening or some other combo that entertains us while we knit away.

I feel like a whole new species of people has just emerged from hiding, and we learned that we speak the same languages, "Knitese" and "Yarnese". Now no one can shut us up because we just want to keep talking, and sharing and making up for lost time. All this time we thought we were minorities, hiding in the house because some one might call us a "Granny" or "Provincial" or worse, just because we liked to knit and fondle yarn. All it took is something called the Internet for us to find our "people", our brothers and sisters.

For now, I am going to feel my way and see if there is a way to turn some part of my avocation into a vocation so I can spend more time with my "people". Come and visit often and share your thoughts.

Here are a few of my latest finished projects as Eye Candy . See you soon.

ID

This is my third pair of Koigu socks, in the BasketCase Pattern. I love the way this yarn feels on the feet.



This is a pair in Lorna's Laces "Mixed Berries" done up in the famous Blueberry Waffle pattern.




These have become my new favorite style winter sock. Noro Kureyon in a simple 2 x 2 rib pattern. I do them on size 3 DPN's. They fluff up so beautifully with the first wash. Rain nor sleet nor just cold air can get to your toes in these.