tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-169752842012-01-24T21:00:25.802-06:00Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.comBlogger1411100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-18903320857988124322012-01-21T16:29:00.000-06:002012-01-21T16:29:33.442-06:00

Oh, goodness. It's been a very long while since I've been here. I finished my Diamond Fantasy Shawl. It's beautiful, and I haven't worn it yet. Hmm... need to find something to put together with it. It is unblocked in this photo (sorry). Also completed all 3 Camp Loopy projects last summer, and earned the completion prize, a skein of Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin, in Blaue Tinte (blue). The

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-10453427486300997022011-06-08T16:47:00.000-05:002011-06-08T16:47:22.907-05:00

I have been doing some knitting!  I have finished a small shawl called the Reflection Shawl (Ravelry link). The yarn is Fleece Artist BFL sock yarn. More details on my Ravelry project page. Fiber friends: if you're not on Ravelry, please join! It's a wonderful place to share projects, get ideas, keep track of your stash & what's going on in the fiber world. You can spend as much or as little

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-52249046943106126782011-06-06T21:20:00.000-05:002011-06-06T21:20:56.712-05:00

I have been married to this man for almost 29 years. He is retired from the Army and is teaching JROTC (high school). He does this with his students several times a year. Today, he invited his family to join in the fun.  Our son has done this before, but this was the first time for both of the female members of the household. The kids are ready to go:  I thought about chickening out, but they

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-86598336645046063462011-06-01T08:56:00.000-05:002011-06-01T08:56:09.043-05:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-40470493622679521762011-03-12T10:54:00.000-06:002011-03-12T10:54:11.532-06:00

Another link I wanted to share -- a Washington Post article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/09/AR2011030905233.html

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-42784656728264361872011-03-12T09:56:00.001-06:002011-03-12T09:56:51.374-06:00

Hello again! This blog has been long-neglected, and I have to admit I haven't been reading anyone else's blogs regularly. There are only so many hours in a day, and many of the things I would like to do just don't get done. Teaching -- creating lessons, grading student work, trying to figure out yet another way to present the lesson as the first (second, third...) try didn't quite work -- takes

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-90755447119094678212010-12-17T13:35:00.000-06:002010-12-17T13:35:15.890-06:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-59455580312627185792010-08-04T14:15:00.000-05:002010-08-04T14:15:45.749-05:00

Here's what my morning looked like: This picture was on the homepage of the Des Moines Register for awhile this morning. We're here for a conference my husband is attending. The text below was a hotlink to the article on the site. Heavy rains caused flash flooding, which in turn caused a storm drain to collapse. My car has been towed, and will likely be totalled. The water was up over the hood

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-71962778120422826822010-07-12T11:16:00.000-05:002010-07-12T11:16:00.968-05:00

Goodness, has it been that long again? I do appreciate those of you who have the patience & fortitude to keep checking to see if I've posted anything. First and foremost, I'm still working on writing curriculum. Well, you and I both know that I'm really procrastinating more than actually working on it, or it would be done by now. Why do we have to reinvent the wheel? And the format in which

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-65367648050215307692010-05-08T12:01:00.000-05:002010-05-08T12:01:37.225-05:00

Well, thank you for checking in. Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Currently feeling a bit like a big snowball rolling downhill, gathering debris & more snow as it gains momentum. The school year is coming to a close. Seniors have one more week. Graduation will be the following Friday. In the meantime, the seniors' last week is also the week we are doing End of Course (EOC) testing (those state

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-80692144527628632222010-03-24T21:01:00.000-05:002010-03-24T21:01:54.699-05:00

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-77952965803594154842010-03-20T12:55:00.000-05:002010-03-20T12:55:31.813-05:00

My high school history/government teacher said that we use the word "up" too much, that it is redundant in most cases. I don't think a post titled "Catching" would make much sense, though. Over a month has gone by since my last post. It's been a busy time. The Olympic knitting project was a fail. [But Afghans for Afghans is doing a part 2 for their youth campaign, with an early May deadline.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-80105557952181475982010-02-14T07:25:00.002-06:002010-02-14T07:26:43.953-06:00

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-20507544219015793292010-02-13T11:42:00.005-06:002010-02-13T12:29:53.010-06:00

Before the opening ceremonies, I gathered my yarn, needles, and books:Here's my progress, after 3 hours.It would have been about twice as much, but I misinterpreted the directions for left twist (LT): "K the second st tbl, then k the first st and sl both sts off needle." I stuck my right needle into the back loop of the second stitch from the front of the work (going between the 1st and 2nd sts),

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-23984330831529985652010-02-01T13:58:00.003-06:002010-02-01T14:56:07.107-06:00

At this rate, we'll be in school till June. For some of you, this may be a cause for confusion, as you're always in school till June. We started school on August 19th, a good 2 1/2 weeks before the traditional after-Labor-Day start that seems to be more common on the East and West coasts. For whatever reason, our district never builds snow days into the calendar. They tease us with Spring Break,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-38491672927223716642010-01-18T20:38:00.004-06:002010-01-18T21:28:35.436-06:00

Or, you just might use that math you learned in high school.I am currently working on the Tudor Grace pattern by Anne Hanson. It is the January KAL project for The Loopy Ewe's Spring Fling. I was fortunate enough to get a spot at this year's Fling, to be held April 22-25 in St. Louis. I didn't get to go last year, but I did attend the first one the year before. I was the last person to arrive,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-64065756379167680062010-01-16T11:43:00.002-06:002010-01-16T12:02:56.544-06:00

I am working on approximately a dozen or more projects, as usual. I just dropped in to invite anyone reading this to join a new Yahoo Group; Andrea of BadCatDesigns is going to do a KAL for a Pi shawl (circular, using Elizabeth Zimmermann's Pi shaping). The charts will be posted at SnowQueenShawl. She'll be closing the group when membership reaches 400, so get over there! Description from the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-86268672637337315982009-12-26T16:32:00.002-06:002009-12-26T16:50:23.682-06:00

Not really snowed in, but we checked highway conditions between here and home and decided to stay another day. For the 1st half of our trip, the map shows that the roads are partially covered. And the snow continues to fall, here. So we may be here longer than Plan B dictates. The boys are out trying to start the vehicle right now. Not sure what's wrong. We went to the movies last night (Sherlock

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-78366767043709118612009-12-24T19:56:00.003-06:002009-12-26T18:17:10.179-06:00

We are on stop #2 of our whirlwind tour of the families. We had a wild family gathering at my parents' house yesterday. My sister and her husband and 3 children, my brother and his wife and 2 children, my husband and I and our 2 children, my parents and my aunt (mom's sister). Gift exchange was rather wild -- like a swarm of locusts. Dad came through a few times with a trash bag so we wouldn't be

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-35290712856014126072009-12-15T21:11:00.002-06:002009-12-15T21:15:48.998-06:00

Just because I am seeing so many 12 Days of Christmas promotions, contests, etc. I thought I'd point out to anyone who might care that the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas day, not on December 1st, or December 12th, or 13th.Carry on.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-26005046799280353242009-06-07T21:55:00.006-05:002009-06-07T22:24:00.456-05:00

Maybe I can forgive my less-knowledgeable younger self. The squares for the Manos afghan have different row gauges, anywhere from 22 to 28 rows to 4". And yes, that first square with the most rows is the one with the 28 rows to 4". That makes me feel a little better. But the biggest row gauge is the staghorn cable square, not the light blue beaded rib square. I still haven't figured out what to

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-42284538163584241952009-06-06T18:26:00.004-05:002009-06-06T18:42:38.622-05:00

I'm already sorry I dragged this Manos throw out yesterday to try to finish it.I started looking at the different sizes of squares, and then started counting rows. Out of seven completed squares, 2 have matching row counts. That would be the top one on the left, and the bottom one on the right. Believe it or not, the short squatty square on the bottom left has more rows than any of the others.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-17474580748746257992009-06-05T22:34:00.003-05:002009-06-05T22:54:55.244-05:00

In some sort of order, my finished objects include:my testing for certification to teach high school maththe Lacy Chunky Throw, andmy second year of teaching.It got a little crazy there toward the end, but I persevered.Also finished: my husband's tour in Iraq. He is HOME!If I were a more introspective person, I would summarize the past year, or even the 4 months or so since I blogged last. But I

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-68654005457332713432009-02-03T14:10:00.004-06:002009-02-03T14:55:12.520-06:00

We heard a loud crashing noise on Saturday, and looked out to see this:There's a tractor, baler, and mower under there somewhere. I called the after-hours claims department for the insurance. One of their local offices just got their electricity back yesterday, and I'm sure there are people with much more pressing concerns. We have a roof over our heads, lost power for only two hours Tuesday

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-46701385268855928032009-01-29T16:03:00.002-06:002009-01-29T16:33:19.037-06:00

...make me appreciate my handknit wool socks!This mess started Monday evening as a "wintry mix". It continued all day Tuesday, as I began to wonder how there could be that much water in the sky. Sometime late Tuesday, it turned into snow, and we woke up Wednesday to about 2 1/2" of snow on top of at least 4 or 5 inches of icy stuff.Those wool socks came in handy this afternoon (this is snow day

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-31561059733886010942008-11-11T20:32:00.002-06:002008-11-11T20:47:33.842-06:00

My grandmother, Dad's mother.1931, high school graduationMother's Day 2004Her time on earth ended today; she would have been 92 years old in a couple of months. Rest in peace, Grandma Lucy. See you again someday.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-3804083001243874952008-11-05T22:02:00.003-06:002008-11-05T22:15:32.050-06:00

This is not my cat or my yarn or my house. I just found it hysterically funny.Life has been extraordinarily busy. I am doing a little bit of knitting, have started a few new projects in the past couple of weeks. Quick things like fingerless mitts, hats.School is busy, busy. We get a day off tomorrow because the septic system has backed up. I was prepared for a substitute tomorrow anyway, as I am

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-63692923015278560652008-09-06T08:38:00.005-05:002008-09-06T10:04:26.762-05:00

Yikes, another 7 1/2 weeks have gone whizzing by. School started August 20th. This is my second year teaching. I have to finish my certification this year, before my temporary certificate expires. I am a junior class sponsor, which means there is prom to plan & funds to raise. So far, we seem to have a pretty good group of students who are taking ideas and checking into possibilities for prom

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-5184928950712944682008-07-15T09:58:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:34:51.476-06:00

Good question. Lots of catching up to do.Psychology course: Done! And I got an A, but this time I worked for it.Then I went and signed up for a program called Passport to Teaching, which will allow me to get certified without taking any more college courses. I just need to pass two tests -- one on Professional Teaching Knowledge, and one in my subject area (Secondary Math). This is a lot less

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-89806701744425093162008-05-24T13:50:00.000-05:002008-05-24T14:18:25.965-05:00

School is out for the summer! I didn't know how crazy the last few weeks of school would be. My kids would always come home and tell me, "We're not doing anything." I didn't realize the teachers were running like little hamsters on exercise wheels. At least, that's what I've felt like the past few weeks. We had final exams scheduled on Monday - Wednesday last week, a short schedule (25 min.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-61252532260121716892008-04-05T10:51:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:52.344-06:00

Yesterday felt like Saturday. We didn't have school -- it was our last remaining day of Spring Break. The earlier part of the week we were in school to make up snow days. And flood days.I had made an appointment to take my car in to the dealership to take care of a recall. But since the nearest VW dealer is 150 miles away, in St. Louis, I wanted to make sure they went over it and took care of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-78670338853620428952008-03-18T21:02:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:53.660-06:00

We're in one of those areas of the country that got 12" of rain on Tuesday and Wednesday. In fact, school dismissed early on Tuesday, and was cancelled Wednesday and today. This has been a weird year of weather and cancelled school. One of our neighboring towns, in fact, made national news -- Piedmont, MO is just about 30-40 minutes away. This is very hilly country, criss-crossed by creeks of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-69054761888026062752008-02-25T17:42:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:54.267-06:00

We had only 2 days of school last week. No school on Monday, President's Day, back to school on Tuesday & Wednesday, another ice storm on Thursday, so no school Thursday or Friday. So, lots of knitting time! There were widespread power outages with the ice storm that hit on February 11th, but we only lost power for a little over an hour while we were asleep Monday night. We didn't lose power at

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-43969711722805103532008-02-14T11:18:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:55.289-06:00

We went to school Monday morning, the freezing rain started, and we were dismissed before 1st hour was over. The precipitation continued all that day, and there was no school on Tuesday. It stayed cold and gray, and nothing melted on Tuesday, so no school Wednesday. The sun finally came out (briefly) on Wednesday, but the temp. never got above freezing, and our country roads and gravel parking

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-34472521468194169832008-01-31T13:18:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:55.781-06:00

It started snowing during 2nd hour today, and it wasn't too long before the decision was made to dismiss early. By a little after 11:00 a.m., we had the kids on the busses, and we were in the parking lot cleaning the snow off our vehicles. I brushed the snow off the back window, worked my way around the car, and had to brush off the back window again before I got in the car. I don't think we'll

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-79689270701967633912008-01-08T22:43:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:55.949-06:00

We're having a "spirit week" at school -- this Friday is Homecoming. It's a small school, no football, so we do a Homecoming basketball game in January. Today was crazy hair day.Cell phone picture taken by my son. Don't click & make it bigger -- you'll pixellate me! The child's almost a foot taller than me, hence the looming down angle.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-14480565878085171412008-01-04T18:43:00.000-06:002008-01-04T18:53:24.088-06:00

T.G.I.F. And I mean that most sincerely. Around 2:00 this afternoon, I'd have sold you my Algebra 1 class for pocket change. But I'm all better now. Figured out what they're going to do on Monday. They'll enjoy it. Lots. Really, it will help them learn what they weren't paying attention to today.Second quarter grades are in the computer. I just have to do something about a couple of kids who

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-8143704347110571292008-01-01T10:22:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:56.465-06:00

It's snowing, but I don't think that was in the forecast. It doesn't even show up on the radar map. I wouldn't mind if it continued, but our College Girl was planning to drive to St. Louis today, to spend a few days with friends.This is what a 19-year old thinks we looked like in the '80s.Her Sunday School class had a New Year's Eve '80s-themed party last night. I spent a good chunk of the '80s

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-5082823715524419842007-12-31T14:59:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:34:57.298-06:00

Two months? I've not been here for two whole months? Sorry, and thanks for checking in....After tying up a few of those things that have to be done by the end of the year (paying property taxes, renewing license plates for the pickup, mailing Christmas cards), I am back at the house, steeling myself to grade the final exams I gave a couple of weeks ago, and then enter the grades in the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-46302124938473188212007-11-01T08:46:00.000-05:002007-11-01T09:00:34.685-05:00

I took a deep breath and had my little frogging party last night. The best part was that all of my felted joins held, and I have one big ball of black yarn, instead of several smaller ones. I went down 2 needle sizes (from 10.5 down to 9) and cast on again. The only problem I foresee now is that I'm likely to be a little compulsive about knitting this until it gets back to the length it was

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-78471227385616086712007-10-31T18:36:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:57.772-06:00

I'm still here, and believe it or not, doing some knitting. Unfortunately, I've been in denial regarding my gauge on this project for awhile, and have finally concluded that I'm going to have to rip. Rats.This is the body of the Ski Jacket, from Veronik Avery's book Knitting Classic Style: 35 Modern Designs Inspired by Fashion's Archives. Nice, n'est-ce pas? Only problem is, it's supposed to be

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-19758353714484165552007-10-01T17:34:00.000-05:002007-10-01T20:06:41.799-05:00

I have an odd sense of freedom right now. You and I both know I'm probably deluding myself. There is surely something I should be doing.I'm going to a new teacher workshop tomorrow, so I had to have stuff prepared for a substitute. As long as I was doing that, I got my plans done for Wednesday, too. Mondays are when assignments are due in my college class, and today's has been turned in. I have

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-89135332151819476622007-08-28T20:23:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:34:58.221-06:00

I have survived the first 2 weeks of school. This has brought such a huge change to my daily (used to be "lack of") schedule. Up & out of the house by 7:30 a.m., I teach 6 classes and have one planning period. 4th hour seems to be a good hour for planning, as it gives me a break right in the middle. I am teaching 4 different classes, all of them fairly small, fortunately, but it's been a long

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-7822881572019741872007-08-13T18:20:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:58.696-06:00

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Honourable Lady Julie the Sanguine of Divine Intervention Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title I dunno -- it seems to fit. Well, kids, I'm about to be a teacher. We had new teacher orientation on Friday, and today & tomorrow are "Professional Development Days" for teachers & staff. The kids will come to school on Wednesday. People keep asking me if I'm

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-43787703773034276092007-08-03T22:27:00.000-05:002007-08-03T22:51:54.411-05:00

All done with my Geometry course! The final exam has been completed and posted. I'm so relieved, I considered a little yarn-shopping reward. Then I realized we usually reward academic performance, not just survival. I have an A in the course so far, but that's without 2 of the 4 tests graded, the big software project, the paper we wrote over a month ago, and a dozen or so homework assignments.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-89471473153454816112007-07-31T10:04:00.000-05:002007-07-31T10:13:53.359-05:00

As it turns out, what looked like light at the end of the tunnel was really the headlight of an oncoming train, in the form of a ginormous final exam, posted today, due Friday by midnight. The good news is that the test originally due tonight is now due Thursday. Uh, what?I'm going to go have lunch with the women from my Sunday School class, and then I'm going to come home and be a geometry head

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-49139162565389075152007-07-30T17:03:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:59.074-06:00

My inner geek spent some 4 hours today playing with Geometry software (Geometer's Sketchpad), finishing the big project that is due Thursday by midnight. One big sigh of relief. There's still a test due tomorrow by midnight, and a smaller homework assignment due Wednesday night. I have done quite a bit of the test. Sometimes I need to take a long thinking break after I start writing a proof. [

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-51056835388408410132007-07-28T21:48:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:34:59.362-06:00

I would rather knit than do geometry. No surprise there. I did 10 rows of MS3 today, then worked on my way-too-long-on-the-needles Big Black Socks for Socks for Soldiers. I have never made a sock that took more than one 50g skein of fingering weight yarn before. Right now, they look like Big Black pedicure socks.The legs could be an inch or so shorter -- at the time I was knitting them, there was

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-33763667990544436902007-07-27T19:19:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:59.648-06:00

It seems like it's been all geometry, all the time, around here, but really it hasn't. I am just 20 rows into clue 4 of MS3 right now, but I hope to pick it up and do 10 rows a day between now & when the next clue comes out on August 3rd. That's also the last day of my geometry class (hooray!).Our crazy kitten reminds me of those little alien creatures on Buzz Lightyear. I just picture them

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-80244650384241526982007-07-21T19:41:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:34:59.806-06:00

I did 30 rows of Clue 3 on Thursday, and the other 20 yesterday morning, so I'm caught up, not that there's a schedule. Clue 4 was released yesterday morning, 135 rows long; we won't get another clue for 2 more weeks. This one has added to the mystery -- a major change in the pattern on the last row, and we've been told to put in a lifeline at row 287, even if we don't use lifelines. Nothing

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-28492653608916388372007-07-19T17:28:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:00.563-06:00

Mystery Stole 3, that is.I'm taking a day off from Geometry. Next homework is not due until Tuesday. So I did the last 20 rows of Clue 2, then the first 10 of Clue 3. Once I'm done here, I may just kick my son out of my chair and do 10 more rows. Clue 4 is going to be posted tomorrow.I got paperwork in the mail from the school district today. W-4 forms (federal and state), retirement system

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-76122319382271742142007-07-16T21:33:00.000-05:002007-07-16T21:41:57.686-05:00

Today is our 25th wedding anniversary! Where have the years gone? It really doesn't seem like it's been that long. Wish I could find a picture from July 16, 1982. It would be pretty funny.Our daughter is working at the local Forest Service office, as she has the past 2 summers. Last week, she finally got certified as non-operations personnel for wildland fire supression. That means she can go

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-52157378163415784872007-07-14T22:32:00.000-05:002007-07-14T22:51:16.288-05:00

How about both? Seriously, my geometry assignment a couple of days ago linked to this web page: Crocheting the Hyperbolic Plane. Go have a look. Scroll down to see crochet instructions. Keep scrolling to find pictures of actual, um, whatever they are. Maybe I could get extra credit if I make one ;-)Actually, my grade right now is an A, so no worries... yet. He's a bit behind on grading the

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-2385987650278611922007-07-12T17:45:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:35:00.990-06:00

"Can I help?"Only 3 more weeks. So far, so good.I've even managed to do some knitting. This is clue 1 of Mystery Stole 3. Clue 2 was posted last Friday, and I've done about 6 rows of it (out of 50). Next clue will be posted tomorrow. It's not a race, it's not a race. Besides, I have a geometry test due at midnight tomorrow, so I need to get that done first. My little helper (in the photo above)

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-35896170841667380812007-06-28T12:15:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:01.335-06:00

It seemed like the experiment on the Mermaid Socks was working; I decided to stick with the pattern on 36 sts and do stockinette on the other 42. I did 16 rounds like that, then a short-row heel, and took another look at it. Hmm, the fishtail pattern stopped spiralling. Put it aside. Went to run some errands. Mulling it over, I realized that I could solve the problem by shifting where I start

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-56840957524562798432007-06-27T15:54:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:01.516-06:00

I started these socks last summer -- they are the Mermaid Socks from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks Warm Feet. Blithely ignoring her instructions to swatch, I cast on the multiple of six that is closest to my "usual" sock cast-on. So I went round and round on 66 stitches, did the heel, and started the foot. Tried it on -- way too tight. Ripped it out, did the gauge swatch and some calculations, and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-55144203607279916102007-06-26T16:42:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:02.240-06:00

And in today's mail, we have 490g of Kauni, to make this gorgeous sweater. There's a knitalong for it, too. This yarn came all the way from Germany in 8 days.The June sock kit from Susan's Spinning Bunny, containing a beautiful merino/tencel blend in a color called "roses for you".4 oz. each White and Ebony Zephyr from theknitter.com. These are my options for MysteryStole3, along with bead

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-72378455390303778522007-06-25T12:45:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:03.787-06:00

The consequences of a major yarn buying binge have started to arrive in the mailbox. Today's mail contained my 6th order from The Loopy Ewe. I'm now officially a "Loopy Groupie". In addition to the yarn I'd ordered, I received a tote bag, a bonus ball of sock yarn, and some "Loopy Kisses". And since I'd already earned a $25 store credit with my first 5 orders, I applied it to this order, as

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-38844992144979174942007-06-21T20:56:00.000-05:002007-06-21T21:09:54.625-05:00

Baseball, anyone? I had heard of Stitch n Pitch, but didn't know much about it. Then I got an email from a not-so-local yarn shop, saying they had tickets for a game in St. Louis. So I started thinking, checking the date & time, asking the family if they'd be interested. We live about 150 miles south of St. Louis, but that would be "our" MLB team. My daughter called me from work today to ask if

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-54408788145499317252007-06-13T19:22:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:04.327-06:00

I am taking a geometry course online, the last 3 hours of math I need to complete the math requirements for certification (I'm going to be a high school math teacher this fall). It started yesterday, with an endless reading assignment that made me want to poke my eyes out with a dpn. There was a homework assignment, too, due tonight at midnight. I got it turned in 7 hours before deadline. Take

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-89329526801698228842007-05-26T11:21:00.001-05:002008-12-11T12:35:08.246-06:00

Today is our college girl's 19th birthday.She got her grades a few days ago -- 3.5 GPA! Especially impressive with her list of extracurricular activities. Great job, princess! We're proud of you.We've just returned from a family reunion in honor of my grandmother's 90th birthday. We had a total of 31 people at a lake resort in southwest Missouri for 5 days -- 3 of her 4 children, with spouses, 6

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-77948973856121045622007-05-16T09:57:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:08.453-06:00

These are the Snowflake eyelet socks, from Susan's Spinning Bunny. They were the January shipment for her Sock Hop sock club. I'm just a little behind ;-)The yarn is a lovely soft angora/merino blend. The eye-of-partridge heel works well with this design.I was fingerprinted yesterday, for my background check for the school district. I was surprised and relieved to find there was no ink involved

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-60635389129291581562007-05-12T15:23:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:08.863-06:00

Why is it so hard to keep this up to date? Maybe I need to have a certain time each day that I do a blog post.Absorba has been done since about 2 weeks ago. I immediately put it to use, and the family seems to like it. It's very thick and soft underfoot. I've even washed & dried it -- I think it took 3 dryer cycles to get it dry! (I dry everything on low heat, so maybe it wouldn't have taken as

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-35340486709317041412007-04-18T13:46:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:09.189-06:00

My KnitPicks Options needle set arrived today! As soon as I got it organized, I put together the size 15 needles with a cable to make a 32" circular, and picked up the poor, neglected Absorba. It has been on hiatus since the connector broke on the Denise needle I was using. I was able to add another section to the bath mat. I think one section a day is going to be a good pace -- the exaggerated

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-22384598801166061942007-04-12T16:03:00.000-05:002007-04-12T16:27:30.715-05:00

The insanity, that is.I spent some time yesterday looking for whatever helpful hints I could find about making Absorba (the bath mat) on the Mason Dixon KAL blog. One comment contained a warning that the knitter had broken the connector on her Denise needle while picking up stitches to start a new section. I happen to be using Denise needles, as well, so when I was picking up stitches this

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-5773820734880917662007-04-11T12:58:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:10.664-06:00

At least I hope it's temporary. I have way too many projects going. I want to be project monogamous, but still I persist in starting new ones.Last night, I started Absorba from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I ordered the 3 cones of Peaches & Creme double worsted weight direct from Elmore-Pisgah online. Colors are eggshell, ecru, and earthtone ombre. Using size 15 Denise needles. Large needles and bulky

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-59937610435253357582007-04-06T22:20:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:12.180-06:00

I have actually been home since Sunday, but busy catching up on reading email & other people's blogs. And then there was the little glitch in getting the pictures off the xD card and onto the computer, but I got that sorted out.Projects completed while I was away:The Fleece Artist socks for my daughter, the Princess. Color: Rose; Pattern: Central Air from BlueMoonFiberArts.Baby Cable Rib socks in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-40505848259867845372007-03-17T09:36:00.000-05:002007-03-17T09:38:52.341-05:00

I'm off on an adventure for a couple of weeks -- don't know if I'll have internet access (maybe if I had a laptop...), so I'll catch up with everyone when I get back.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-71155602422938818612007-03-15T21:41:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:12.783-06:00

This is what our little corner of the world looked like early yesterday morning.And I got the "Mad stripes" socks finished. The original pattern was called "mad cow", because the designer used a black & white variegated and a solid black for the stripes.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-63592648077828073192007-03-13T13:04:00.000-05:002008-12-11T12:35:14.897-06:00

Well, time flies...First up, we have cashmere socks. I had ordered yarn samples from ColourmartUK, and they also sent a 50g ball of fingering weight yarn. So I started a sock, and tried to order more of the same yarn. Unfortunately, they didn't have any more, so I got some that looked similar. Obviously, it's darker, and obviously, these would have looked better with the dark yarn as the heels

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-70847405324326917732007-02-22T18:45:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:35:15.448-06:00

I finished the Winter's Eve socks on Saturday, and wore them on Sunday. They are beautiful socks! (They hadn't been washed yet -- I think the little holes in the toe shaping will close up after they're washed.)That's our old Sam dog on the right; the black spot where he seems to be looking is Shortstop, our (female) black lab. On the left in the background is the machine shed with large round

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-90514104462444943762007-02-15T18:42:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:35:16.260-06:00

So, I didn't go string beads for the second sock. I made a hat, instead. Voila:The yarn is Noro Transitions, color #19. The pattern? Basically, measure your head, multiply by your gauge, cast on about an inch worth of stitches less than your head circumference, knit about 2", increase that inch worth of stitches, knit until the hat is tall enough (leave the edge rolled), then do the top

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-2012440413280769572007-02-14T11:42:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:35:16.509-06:00

Just in time to celebrate, here is the Winter's Eve sock, pattern by Sivia Harding, for the December 2006 Rockin' Sock Club. Yarn is STR (of course!) lightweight in Mustang Sally.Try clicking to make it bigger. I can't seem to get a picture where the beads show.Unfortunately, I am not wearing this today, as there is only one. Gotta go string the beads for the second one.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-7715217230958088462007-02-11T15:55:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:35:16.678-06:00

Mmm, pretty...But what could it be? Look carefully, there's a little surprise in the purl ribs.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-52850414301791942522007-02-07T16:20:00.000-06:002008-12-11T12:35:17.240-06:00

I decided I need some pink socks -- sort of a Valentine's Day inspiration. So I went stash diving, and this is what I found:Clockwise from top left: KnitPicks Gloss, Burgundy; KnitPicks Sock Garden, Star Gazer Lily (discontinued); Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, Get Knitted (this was a special colorway dyed for this seller, and I don't find it on their site right now); handpainted sock yarn from

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1170808616644461922007-02-06T17:14:00.000-06:002007-02-06T18:41:14.050-06:00

The yarn (merino/angora blend -- yum!) & pattern for these socks came from Susan's Spinning Bunny. She started a subscription sock club last fall, and I managed to snag the last full-year subscription. I don't even remember how I found her website, but when I saw these socks, I just had to join! I started them right after the kit arrived, but was in the middle of Christmas gift knitting, so I

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1170197607434796382007-01-30T16:29:00.000-06:002007-01-30T17:05:00.386-06:00

Today has been a sorting & thinking day. Now that one big project is done, I am looking at what to concentrate on next. I keep all sorts of knitting-related lists on my Palm Treo, and as I went through the yarn & projects stored in little hidey-holes and some out in the open (trying to excavate the coffee table), I added things that I had forgotten to add to my inventory as they arrived, and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1170087562910682702007-01-29T09:32:00.000-06:002007-01-29T10:19:29.836-06:00

Leda's Dream is finally finished. While she is bathing in Soak, I have made preparations for her blocking. Loaded the woodstove, carried in more wood to feed the stove for the next several hours, as the most direct route from the wood pile to the stove would take me directly over the living room rug where the stole will be blocking, and we wouldn't want to try to step over the stole balancing a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1168722430848924212007-01-13T14:30:00.000-06:002007-01-13T15:07:10.966-06:00

I have managed to keep up with my decision to do 10 rows a day on Mom's stole, and have just finished the 4th of 5 chart repeats. Each repeat is 84 rows, so I'll be done in something over a week! There are about 20 rows after I complete the charts, plus some edging, so it'll be several extra days, but the end is in sight!I have been working on other things, as well. I thought my daughter would

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1167238560001074242006-12-27T10:42:00.000-06:002006-12-27T11:06:14.106-06:00

After a four-day knitting hiatus, I finally pulled Mom's stole out to work on last night, and I did 10 rows before I went to bed. Before I put the knitting down, however, I started calculating how much was left to do.... I'm on the 2nd of 5 chart repeats, each of which is 84 rows. I have 20 more rows in this repeat. That makes 272 rows, plus 21 more rows of edging before the knitted-on border. At

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1166935205803128022006-12-23T22:01:00.000-06:002006-12-23T22:40:05.853-06:00

Well, I have finished my Christmas knitting.... except for Mom's stole. Still haven't touched it except for the half-dozen rows I did right after my last post. I think Mom's going to get something else (not knitted ~gasp), and I'll give her the stole as soon as it's finished.I made 1 hooded scarf for a niece, 2 ski masks/helmet liners for her brothers, felt clogs for my sister (their mother), my

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1165078270369775802006-12-02T10:32:00.000-06:002006-12-02T10:51:10.416-06:00

I am faced with a bit of a dilemma -- too much Christmas gift knitting! I don't know what came over me this year. Most of it is smaller stuff that can be done rather quickly. Then I have one big project that I actually started in June, didn't finish in time for Mom's birthday in mid-July, and thought surely I had plenty of time to finish it by Christmas. It sat untouched from sometime in

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1165035656218474012006-12-01T22:30:00.000-06:002006-12-01T23:00:56.930-06:00

This is what I found when I took off my shoes the other day. It's the first time this has happened. These are just over a year old, the Amble pattern from SixSoxKnitalong. The yarn is Jaeger Matchmaker merino, and I decided not too long after I'd made them that it would have been better to have used a size 0 needle instead of the size 1's I used. A firmer fabric would probably have been more

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1163517701018113982006-11-14T08:53:00.000-06:002007-01-13T15:18:22.990-06:00

More felting projects, inspired by the November theme at Romancing the Yarn.The Sophie bag, from MagKnits. I used just under 2 skeins of Noro Kureyon, color #92. I had used part of one of those skeins to finish the Big Booga Bag I made earlier, and was starting to be concerned that I wouldn't be able to finish Sophie. In fact, I had less than a yard of yarn left at the end.Second pair of felted

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1162922045006527052006-11-07T10:58:00.000-06:002006-11-07T11:54:05.233-06:00

I have been watching the squirrels run across the yard with walnuts in their mouths, storing them away for the winter. Meanwhile, I have been some kind of nut, squirreling away yarn for the winter. I got 3 packages yesterday, and when I was in the post office picking them up, one of the girls my daughter used to play softball with said, "Wow, I guess you haven't been here in awhile, either."

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1162252773315940112006-10-30T17:59:00.000-06:002006-11-07T10:58:08.656-06:00

The new STR Club kit arrived in today's mail!  I love the color: Pink Granite. Shades of cream, rose, and gray.  The sock pattern is called Marble Arches, and looks like a faux cable, with a short-row heel (my favorite heel).   After a very busy week/weekend, with 4 late nights, today was mostly a resting and catching up on email day.

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1161969971824430382006-10-27T12:22:00.000-05:002006-10-27T13:55:39.003-05:00

One leisure sock finished, the other past the heel and headed toward the cuff. Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns Navy Olive. Pattern: baby cable rib from Sensational Knitted Socks (link in sidebar). The yarn was donated by Claudia to Socks for Soldiers, and has been passed out to SFS members to be made into leisure socks for soldiers.This charming little bag was created by MzMar, who has other

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1161663345050688942006-10-23T23:11:00.000-05:002006-10-23T23:23:38.243-05:00

What kind of knitting needles are you?You are interchangeable.Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every eventuality covered and every opportunity just has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and every day is a new beginning. You are good at so many things, it's amazing, but you can easily lose your place and forget to show up. They have row counters for people like you!Take this quiz!

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1161287105223801402006-10-19T14:16:00.000-05:002006-10-19T14:45:19.986-05:00

"So," says our local postmistress, handing me yet another box of yarn, "do you knit sweaters, ...?" As she trails off, I blithely answer, "Sweaters, socks, lots of stuff!"To which she responds, "I'm asking because I don't think I've ever seen you wearing a sweater you've made."Pause.Hmm."Well, to tell you the truth, I guess I haven't made very many sweaters. Mostly socks & shawls, parts of

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1160412893952859132006-10-09T11:17:00.000-05:002006-10-09T11:54:54.033-05:00

We've just returned from a lovely weekend in Mountain View, Arkansas. The kids (my son and the team he clogs with) performed at the Ozark Folk Center on Friday & Saturday. They were quite well-received, and we enjoyed the musical performances as well. All of the music is from before 1941, when the first recording was made using an amplified guitar. The instruments were fiddles, guitars,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1159314478414954992006-09-26T18:00:00.000-05:002006-09-26T18:47:58.553-05:00

Thank you for your kind words of condolence. My husband keeps assuring me that it could have happened to any of us, at any time. I really thought that UPS or FedEx was going to run over her someday. She chased those trucks out of our yard and halfway to the gate whenever they came.Kai was a stray who found us several years ago. My husband and son were clearing fence row in one of our fields,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1158959231548023852006-09-22T15:21:00.001-05:002006-09-22T16:17:53.496-05:00

Things were going along fairly well today. I finally finished one Big Black Sock for Socks for Soldiers. I made a men's large (shoe size 11 - 12), and weighed the sock when I finished it -- a whopping 96 grams! It's sportweight yarn, but still.... So I now have a guideline for winding the rest of that ginormous 2 lb. 13 oz. skein into manageable chunks.It took me most of the morning, but I now

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1158605414173792162006-09-18T13:08:00.000-05:002006-09-18T14:38:42.230-05:00

Right in the middle of my short-row heel, I heard & felt a crack! Then I was holding 2 short pieces of needle. Fortunately, I was able to pick up the stitches & continue the heel without losing anything, which is quite an accomplishment. I've had short-row heels come out quite wonky without any help from broken needles. I found the phone number for Brittany (these are Brittany birch needles) and

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1158080148254128672006-09-12T11:20:00.000-05:002006-09-12T11:55:48.493-05:00

I got a lovely package yesterday, my order from The Loopy Ewe. My first-ever skein of Fleece Artist Merino (sock yarn) in Mahogany -- gorgeous fall colors! They will probably be my next socks, as soon as I finish the Scales Skin socks. I just need to find the right pattern! The new Knitty is out, with a couple of sock patterns I like (Cable Net and Diamante, or there's always Sensational

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1157841876525034062006-09-09T17:14:00.000-05:002006-09-09T17:44:36.556-05:00

Another hour on the Big Black socks brings me to about 8.5" on the leg; I'll need about another hour to get to the heel. Three hours of work so far:Yesterday I was browsing the ColourMartUK eBay store, and remembered that I had ordered samples from them a few months ago. Along with a generous supply of samples of various weights, they sent 50g of fingering weight cashmere. Sounds like a sock to

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1157639664496316522006-09-07T09:15:00.000-05:002006-09-07T09:34:24.590-05:00

I got a little ahead of myself on those socks. The yarn is sportweight, and when I did a gauge swatch I got 6.5 sts/inch. Which would make an 80 stitch sock over 12" around. I looked at the specs for the fingering weight socks and recalculated for my gauge, and restarted with 64 stitches. A couple of hours worth of work:Yes, that's a lot of ribbing. The Army's new socks are ribbed all the way

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1157052316482303222006-08-31T14:09:00.000-05:002006-08-31T14:25:18.256-05:00

Here's my first 20 minutes of work on a Big Black Sock for Socks for Soldiers:That's 80 sts cast on, and 3 rows of K2P2 ribbing. This is going to take awhile.I looped the ginormous skein of yarn around the back of a kitchen chair, and I'm just unwinding as I go.Another hour's worth of knitting while listening to a podcast yielded half a diamond. Today I was listening to About Time, which has,

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1156970502286257012006-08-30T14:46:00.000-05:002006-08-30T15:41:52.120-05:00

It's a dishcloth! Started it last night (only the cast-on and part of the 1st row) and finished it a couple of minutes ago. It's the ballband dishcloth from Mason-Dixon Knitting; if you don't have the book, the pattern is also printed inside the label on Peaches & Creme cotton yarn, available at your local Wal-Mart. Obviously, a very quick little project. Why did I do it? I started it thinking

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1156633963497153492006-08-26T18:09:00.000-05:002006-08-26T21:07:17.246-05:00

So I dug out a WOOP (work out of progress, thank you Sheri, for the new acronym), and started to work on it. The yarn is Manos del Uruguay. Here's the pattern:It was copyrighted in 1997, written by Anne Simpson. I can't find any links to it where it might be currently available. I probably bought it about the time it came out, and started working on it. As you can see, it was intended to be a

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16975284.post-1156428778124859962006-08-24T08:58:00.000-05:002006-08-24T09:12:58.133-05:00

I found this when I got up this morning. It had been on the coffee table, and didn't have crunchy knots attached to it when I went to bed last night.I'm pretty sure this is the culprit:She doesn't even try to look angelic! She has lived with us for about a year and a half, since someone abandoned her at the end of our road. In all that time, she has shown no interest in knitting. Never once

Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18443682747370299287noreply@blogger.com5