Saturday Sky and fun time wasters.

[Edited to Add: Just me fixing the photo. Apparently it didn't want to show up.]

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

I hope to one day be this, instead of just wanting it.

You Are a Natural Entrepreneur

You're creative, driven, and full of great ideas. You could be the next Richard Branson, Warren Buffet, or Oprah. Keep with your dreams, even if people don't understand or respect them. Someday you'll have too much money to care what they think!

Are You a Natural Entrepreneur?

Sounds like me. I'm big on the indifference thing. Why waste so much energy being mad. Say what you think/feel then let it go.

Your Wrath Quotient: 12%

Revenge, anger, rage? They're hardly words in your vocabulary. If someone wrongs you, you move on. You rather be indifferent than upset.

How Much Wrath Do You Have?

You Are 24% Bitchy

You're a pretty sweet person, and you're definitely not prone to bitchy outbursts. Sometimes, though, you can't help thinking mean thoughts about people. But at least you don't act on them!

How Bitchy Are You?

Sorry about the double post. Apparently if you start a post a long time ago and save as draft, then finish it and post it at a later date, it posts it to the day you started it. So I had to copy and paste onto today's date and republish.

Knitting here, knitting there.

I looked around my living room this morning and you know how things just seem normal until that one time you look and everything just seems to show up more? Well, there is knitting or yarn related stuff on nearly every surface in my living room. My poor Mr. must love me very much.

The computer desk is covered yarn and unfinished projects, the buffet has little pots if Wilton's food dye and a couple of knit baskets from my first foray into pattern writing (I'll make one with a nice yarn and put it up one of these days). One still needs it's handles sewn on. One end table has a little body shop toiletries bag full of notions and the other is buried under knitting books and printed patterns and we don't want to go into tubs and boxes of yarn in the corner behind it. Well, we do, we just don't have the time this morning since my coffee just finished and the little Mr. will be here any minute.

I am still plugging away on the dancing slippers. They are crazy fast knits with a nice slippery, stretchy yarn like Paton's Katrina. When you knit through the back loop all the time, slippery yarns are way more fun because you can speed up. No fears of the stitch falling off the needle since you are pushing it back on every time. That would be why it was so much easier for me to walk and knit than it would be for most of you. I am nearly done with them though. Three pairs and one single finished, one more pair and one single to go.

I got a bit of "Knit something different" going on though. Another Ballband. Wow, viva la difference. I haven't knit a Ballband something or other in what, a week? I'm going to have start going to meetings. "Hi, my name is Dorothy and I'm a knitter. It has been four days since my last Ballband and I am very tempted right now."

On the other hand, I may have to go just to break myself of the cotton addiction never mind what I am knitting with it. Another baby kimono. No, still no news for me in that department. I do have life changing news, just not that kind.


Sadly the Mr. and I sat down and did up our finances. Sigh. We have come to the conclusion that if we are ever going to be able to pay off the debt we have, sooner than the payment schedules and maybe even be able to fix up this place or holiday one of these years (his parents are dying to see Girly and haven't been able to since she was 11 months old), I have to go back to work. I do want to be able to get out and do more than I currently can, but I don't want to.

I have never left Girly with anyone other than the Mr. and my family either. She'll still have her cousin at her daycare, but no Momma! She is excited, me, not so much. I have until September to get used to the idea and find a job. Ah well, I would have had to do this next fall anyway so might as well rip off that bandaid and get it over with. Having more money to spend on yarn won't hurt my feelings at all. Being able to holiday instead of just getting his holiday pay paid out to fix stuff would be a nice change too. I love to travel and miss getting to go here and there.

If you are interested in making my Wrapped in Cables scarf, you will need two skeins of Misti International Pima Cotton Silk or a nice drapey yarn in a worsted weight with approximately 350m/382yds, 5.5mm(US 9) knitting needles and a cable needle or this video by Wendy of Wendy Knits on cabling without a cable needle. I think a drapey yarn would be easiest to use, but if you wish to try a springy yarn with a lot of body, feel free. Just keep in mind that you may need to go up a needle size or two to prevent bunching around the cables.

Scarf instead of slippers.

I am still going on the slippers. They are a bit addictive so it's a good thing there are five little girls who want dancing slippers.

My ISE 4 scarf finally made it to my pal Jenn! Now I can show it off and tell you the Saga of the Scarf.

Originally I had another design in mind for a completely different yarn. You may recall I had bought some silk from Elann first. The problems came in when I dyed it. The original yarn was a pale orange and I overdyed it using some Terra Cotta Wilton's dye. It came out looking beautiful. It also turned my hands a bright pink. I tried setting that colour at least four times. Sadly, every time I picked that yarn up it turned my hands pink. I began to dislike the yarn. A lot. Finally I was running out of time to get this scarf knit and had to admit defeat.

Fortunately Lynne of Threads in Time in Thunder Bay was great about sending up yarn before, so I phoned down for more. She didn't have any Misti Pima Cotton Silk in stock, but she ordered some from her supplier in Quebec and it arrived at my house in 2 weeks. Lynne rocks and the day was saved or so I thought.

The design I originally had in mind did not look good with this yarn. Sigh. Back to the drawing board. I am apparently too stubborn and egotistical to use a pattern already out there.

Another couple of days of knitting this idea and that idea finally resulted in me cursing and crying in the corner deciding that simple really is better with a heavier yarn like Misti Cotton. I still wanted reversible and my pal was hoping for cables or lace. So both it must be. At last an little idea crept into my thick skull and the beginnings of a scarf I loved took shape.

I present ... Wrapped in Cables.

A lacy cabled scarf that is completely reversible.

The lace is identical of both sides and the cable has only one difference,

which way it twists.


I wanted to put the pattern up here for all to use, but Paypal really killed me with all those fees and I am dead broke. I need to make some money if I want to be able to buy yarn and stuff to help me play with it. I will be test knitting the pattern to make sure I have it written right and to help me finish the chart. I should have it up in my sidebar for a small price on Monday.

Here a slipper, there a slipper...

The is what one ball of Paton's Katrina can do. There is still a little left and since this is a repurposed ball of yarn, I think I might have gotten another at least half a slipper out of it if I had the stuff that was too wrecked use.

Girly wanted to make some slippers too. I told her that I can't make the little Mr. a pair of pink dance slippers (I could and he would happily wear them but, his father might kill me) so she asked for her red yarn to make him a pair. Awww!

Doing a Mama proud. "Here's my knitting..."

La dance de knit.

What's this?

Any ideas now?

I hope for them to soon become a pair of these. My Mother made these for Girly and she loves them. She and her cousins think they are dancing slippers and have been fighting over who gets to wear them. Also they are getting a bit tight on Girly. I have four balls of Paton's Katrina. It's going to be all slippers all the time around here for a while.


Now I must go. The sky is getting very dark and the lightening is flashing more often. The power may not last long although I am hoping that it will.

My Swiffer Wetjet Cover.

Pattern notes:

1. P2togb = purl two together through the back loop as opposed to the front loop.

2. If you don't like making the Ssk stitch, knit 2 together through the back loop.



Materials:

2 balls dishcloth cotton in contrasting colours (or clashing colours if that's all you have, you're making a broom/mop cover not haute couture). You can also use up your leftovers on these, which is what I did and why mine has so many different yarns. Just change colours when you feel like it.

4.5mm/US 7 knitting needles.

2 - 4mm/US 6 DPN's.


Tapestry needle and a cold one or three if you've used a lot of colours.



For the cover:

Cast on 57 stitches and work in the Ballband Dishcloth Pattern as set here.
Changing colours as desired or as necessary in my case. Work a total of 7 repeats of the pattern rows.

Cast off.



For the Ties:

On the cast off row; pick up 9 stitches at about the 6th stitch from the end working in toward the centre. Knit one row with contrast colour. Add in main colour and knit one repeat (K1, S1, ...) of Ballband pattern rows.

On the knit row at the end of the repeat, Slip one purl wise, k1 through the back loop, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch, k to end (8sts). On the purl row of the repeat, p2tog, p2tog, p2togb, p2togb (4 sts).

Begin another repeat as: Ssk, S1, K2tog (3 sts). Next row, K1, S1, K1. Next Row, P1, S1, P1. Next Row, K1, S1, K1. Next row, knit across (either knit this row with one DPN or slip them to a DPN after).

Begin i-cord. When i-cord reaches 10". cast off by K3tog, cut yarn and pull end through.

Do that three more times. One more on the cast off row, two on the cast on row.

Now pour yourself a cold one and begin weaving in all those frickin' ends.

Warning: Strange things may get Swiffered if you drink and clean. Save the cleaning for a sober day or assign a designated cleaner.


Does it do the job? You tell me.

NOw to figure out how to put my own cleaning solution in the solution bottles. It shouldn't be that hard though. Hmmm... that sounds like a guy's famous last words before the repair person gets called.

Swiffer Sweeper covers I found on the 'net.

This is a good alternative for those who just want a quick knit without all those crazy ends to weave in. It would also fit over those new sweepers with the vacuum on the front of them where mine wouldn't since the tie would get in the way. You would need to add some width to this by casting on a few extra stitches and some length in order for it to fit on the Wetjet.

Here is another one that is very similar but with flaps that button. It isn't wide enough for the wetmop but that would not be hard to change. Just cast on the same number as mine and keep the flaps at the same place as hers.

Another note here. The two scarves that I posted about yesterday, were an editing update so I can add the patterns to Ravelry. I'm a designer there! The scarf for my ISE 4 pal has yet to make it to her. Sadly I couldn't make her two, I had way too many yarn issues. More on that when she gets the scarf. I am very pleased with that design and am working on the chart and pattern now to make sure it's right.

Dear Katy,

This is the only frolicking I'm allowed to do until I am 50.

Love,

Sister Golden Hair

(Don't know what I'm on about? See comments on this post.)

Saturday Sky with a little pretty.

Despite the rain last night, the Saturday Sky says...

It's going to be a nice one today.

Huh?

I am having one of those dull, fuzzy in the membrane days. I am just barely here this morning and the coffee ain't workin' no more... (sing that bit country twang style).

The cotton is in a fighting mood. Yesterday I wanted to start a new dishcloth and the ball decided it did not want to play nicely.

I got it untangled and started anyway. I win again. Good thing I don't mind games like "Find the End" and "Follow that Thread".

I have no gardening mojo this year. Fortunately my yard doesn't know that. It gave me a ton of flowers anyway. My meadow is getting more and more colourful everyday.

Even in the back forty where the grass is a bit too thick for the Devil's Paintbrush, there are flowers. Honeysuckle. Apollo would eat it if he could. Foolish mutt.

Have you ever seen a purtier property line?

Ha!

I win! It nearly kicked my arse, but I beat it! I need a life. I am now reduced to competing with cotton yarn. Sigh.

A test knit. I have to retest because I have a tendency to just fix something if it isn't coming out right and that doesn't help with finding pattern errata.

Another test. It came out great and and it's easy!


1 big can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peaches and cream corn, thawed (ETA: It's a variety of corn if you can't find it, substitute sweet corn)
1/2 med green pepper diced
2 med vine-ripened tomatoes diced (leave out the bits of seeds that fall off in dicing)
1/2 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/2 jar of salsa (whatever level of heat you prefer)
1/8 cup of zesty Italian dressing
1/8 cup lime juice

Gently toss all ingredients in salad bowl. Refrigerate 1/2 hour to let flavours blend. Serve.

I think this would be great with leftover cubed chicken or some spicy beef strips in it too.

Stitchin' fur reel!

I made this a while ago because I was tired of going through half a bottle of Swiffer solution every time I washed the floor. See all those ends? That's why it hasn't been in use yet. I made it as a tie on instead of a button on, since I figured I could also use it on the sweeper that way. Now, I am down to my last quarter of a bottle of Swiffer solution and I'm thinking I can't be squawking about all the chemicals and crap being pumped into the earth, air and water if I am part of the problem, so... time to weave in ends and start using it. The good thing is that it can be used in a bucket of hot water as a cloth too. After all, the Swiffer sucks at getting into corners and up against the wall.

Any guesses how many times I had to rip and restart the lace portion of this? There are times where knitting the way I do really puts a crimp in trying new things. I had to rip it twice due to decrease stitches leaning the wrong way, then I had to rip another two times due to yo's not looking right. Then once more because I managed to make a mess of the first row of lace which makes all the rest wrong, even if they were done right. Five times. Good thing I am frickin' stubborn. Ain't no warshrag gonna kick my behind!

Total absence of the knit.

It was a perfect kind of day. Not too hot, not too cool with a good wind to blow the bugs away. The sun was shining some of the time. Rain clouds kept blowing past us so we never really got much more than a spit before the sun came back out. My yard is a bit wet to play in right now so we went down to the walking trail after the kids went home (one car seat and three children = no go nowhere) to walk for a bit and play for a while.

Girly says the bridge is not over the creek, it's floating.

This to me is the epitome of the '70's. Flowered shirt, plaid sundress and sandals. We were having a photo shoot. Mommy, I'm going to run, you take my picture.

I'll run this way, you take another one.

Now I'm going to run that way, you take another one.

Bright and colourful today.

How different colour combinations make a huge difference in the end reactions.

Nice.

Wow! I really hate when I run out of a yarn I can't find anywhere. Who would have though it would be so darn hard to find Bernat dishcloth cotton in Navy. What's up with Walmart lately? They only had variegated yarns and the majority of those were those giant balls. My LYS doesn't carry a large selection of dishcloth cottons because most of the people around here get theirs from Walmart. Hopefully that will change now that she knows they don't have any solid colours anymore.

I wasn't big on this colour combination at first, but now it's starting to grow on me. It's a pretty spring bouquet. Mostly daffodils with some snowdrops, crocuses and irises thrown in for splashes of colour.

Dish Rag Tag is now closed. She had well over 10 Canadians try to sign up and far more than 200 in the U.S. (What do you call someone from the U.S. if you think American is the wrong handle? After all, Canada and Mexico are also in North America which makes us as American as anyone in the U.S. Not to mention all the countries in South America who could also be considered American.) I am doing the organizing on this side of the border so the package will start with me and end with me. I am not an official participant though. Hopefully we can get a lot of groupies for our team and maybe next year we can have more than one team in Canada. If you are on Team Canada, start thinking of team names and if you are techno-savvy, blog buttons for us would not go unused. Team participant buttons and groupie buttons. You can e-mail them to me at knittingintothecold at gmail dot com. Also, participants can e-mail me there too so I know who's playing and where you are. We need to play geographically to try and keep our costs down. There will be forums set up over on Yarn Miracle's site and we can chat there, but we need to start planning soon since we are already at a disadvantage with our insanely expensive, unreliable postal service.


My daisy finally opened. It is pretty darn windy though so I had to hold it still for this shot.

My lilacs opened too. I didn't think it was going to, but surprise!

All bugs, all the time and maybe a bit of sky.

First the Saturday sky. A beautiful day and I am most glad of it since all but two errands in my running around list are done which means we can just relax and play outside for a while.

These are the reason I like that the Mr. can't cut the grass much more than once every two weeks. It looks like a meadow out there. Note that in the upper left corner they abruptly end. We do keep the grass around the dog run cut especially during the spring when ticks seem to be at their worst.

There ain't no ... wait, there is a bug on me!

Hey, what's that? What are you doing?