First, I promised a picture of the Shmocks.

shmocks

Done with Blue Moon STR med weight in Loch Ness, Basic two at a time toe-up, plain foot, short row heel, and 4×1 ribbed cuff. He wears them, and asked all on his own about how to wash them, so I am guessing he likes them. I think they look a bit funky and am not sure what the hell I did to make the wraps so bulky, but they’ll be hid in his Doc’s most of the time, so it’s all good.

And now, the good stuff.
I have been aware of turtlegirl76 for a while now. After all, there really aren’t that many knitblogging turtle lovers out there, and the intartubes makes us more interconnected. But I don’t read her blog regularly, and in fact, I only stumble across it now and then, read a bit, and then continue on my merry way. But yesterday while perusing, I saw something that made me think, “Dear God! She’s fucking brilliant!” So, I am pointing you there today. Specifically I am telling you to click on her free patterns link on her header and then scroll down to number 5. Row Counters. Simple, easy, no brains involved row-counters.

Seriously. Go read. Download her tutorial and peruse it. I’ll wait.

So now that you are back… Neat, huh?
I made some last night.
I plan on making more.
Should I ever find myself in a swap again I will most definitely make some of these to give.
Hell, I may make some to give to random knitters I see on the street.
I like them that much.

counters

These people are my friends.

(And they ask why we don’t go to Defcon!!!!!)

I have begun to think I am anti-social. Don’t misunderstand, I do have the social skills and can be perfectly social when I choose to be, but most of the time these days, I just don’t choose to be. I think that if it were not for shmoo, I would probably be living a very solitary life.

I had lunch with Kim this past weekend and we went to knitting group after as well. (I have been a member of this knitting group for about 6+ months now, and this was only the 2nd time I have gone. ) And while at lunch with Kim we were talking about the type of friend we were, and I realized I am possibly a sucky one.

Here’s what it’s like to be my friend: I don’t call you. I don’t invite you to go anywhere or do anything with me. I might comment or email on your blog now and then, but that’s it really. If you call me, or ask me to go somewhere with you, I’ll happily talk to you, and possibly agree to go/meet you somewhere, but I don’t generally initiate meetings and doings. I’d go so far as to say “don’t generally” is a nice cover for “hardly ever”.

It’s not that I don’t like people. I do. I think maybe I am lazy. Or just getting more reticent as I get older. I dunno. But I don’t think it’s a good way to maintain friendships.

Actual knitting should be posted sometime at the end of this week or next week. I have been working on shmoo’s socks again, and am past the heel, and since I am past the heel I figure I should just go ahead and finish the damned things.

This was the view from my office today.

I worked from home, because the key people I normally need to be able to interact with were either out of the state or out of the country. And I have to say, it was a really nice, and productive day.

In between client issues, I made soap.

I took photos of my ongoing projects, and some recent spinning. (Where I attempted to do the wrap and roll technique until I was sick of it and then Navajo plied the rest.)

And I packed up my HHHH swap box to be mailed out tomorrow. I hope my pal enjoys her package.

Oh, and yesterday I got an order of new books.

And I love the aprons and potholders in these books. Now I just have to pick the first ones to make.

Wow, is it Thursday already? I totally meant to post this on Monday or Tuesday, but it would seem I suck and lack time management skills.

I haven’t been very productive knit-wise lately and it’s bothering me, but with my arthritis flaring up, it’s not like I am going to get a much done, so in the interests of instant gratification I whipped out a Reverse Bloom Washcloth.

Reverse Bloom Washcloth

This pattern was the reason I learned how to knit. I had already been making soap for a while and the pairing of a handmade soap with one of these luxury cloths was just too much. I WANTED one. I didn’t actually learn to knit and knit one up for the first time until a year later, but this pattern will always hold a place in my heart. Also, they are pretty damned nice to use.

Speaking of soap….last Friday night, after getting pissed off in WoW, I decided to take the night off from gaming and make soap. I wanted to try swirling 4 colors. Unfortunately, the entire pot basically instantly set up as I was adding in the colors to the pot for the swirls. Which meant I just had to make the best of it and mix it all up for as uniform a color as I could get, and it turned out a deep dark blue. So while the smell is nice, and the oils used in it are nice, it’s not the prettiest stuff by any means. It’s also a bit soft. And the lather is blue. And it turns the water you are washing in blue. And I have 3 pounds of the mess. The blue doesn’t stain anything (it’s just a powdered oxide) and it all rinses off, but I hate soft soaps, so I am not pleased. Kids should like it however, as they can mush it up in their little foamy blue hands when they use it. Now I just need to find some kids to shove it off on. BUT! I’ll try again when my new fancy silicon lined soap mold gets here, and it’s due to be in tomorrow, so woot!

Bloom with soap

These days, I often forget I have a blog. Can you tell? In fact…. I managed to fail to notice that I received my 500th comment recently, when I had made a mental note that it was coming up and to pay attention to it because I wanted to do something special for that person. Well, it’s late, and I don’t have much fan-fare to go with it, but…..

Kris of Bockstark Knits (or Spins…) was my 500th commenter AND it was her first time commenting when she did it. I haven’t finished making my lil something something that I planned on giving to the 500th commenter yet, but it’s coming, so expect an email from me in the near future asking for your snail mail.

….So I finished spinning my HHHH yarn. It was lovely fun. I just kinda relaxed and ended up working on my long draw and woolenish style of spinning. I freely admit that most of the time I spin almost totally worsted, but I have been thinking about trying to put a little more woolen style into things when I can, and it seems my hands are catching up with my brain on this one.

The fiber was from Creatively Dyed’s etsy shop. 4oz 50/50 Merino/Bamboo. About 173 yards of Navajo plied. It reminds me of Sweet Tarts now that it’s done. I am almost sad to be sending this off because I am curious as to how it will knit up. But send it off I will, as soon as I finish up gathering together the rest of the package. I even made a project card for my pal so she can try to recreate the same thing I did to have more yardage if she wishes.

And now I’ll stop with the typey typey and just leave you with some photos.

singles

plied

prewash

wash

skein

I have ordered the fibers for the HHHH spinning thingy.   I have a plan!  My plan is to have 2 4 oz. batts of the same fiber.  I’ll spin my 4 ozs and then send the matching 4 ozs to my downstream pal, so she can try to spin to match for having more yarn if she wishes, or do something entirely different and have it match color-wise.    I read that my pal has trouble with Navajo Plying, and since that’s my favorite method, I figured I could do that and then supply a project card with the details of how I spun it if she wants to try and match.

Now I just have to wait for it to get here and get it spun!

I made a new summer themed project bag last Wednesday.

summerbag

And I finally made the checkbook cover I had in progress for ages. The Back/Outer shell is crocheted in single stitch with Berroco Suede in a nice green color. I love it! Shmoo even complimented me on how well the lining matched!

ckbkaction

ckbkback

ckbkclosed

ckbkinnards

Work is crazy, I am playing too much WoW, and not crafting enough. (But it’s so nice to finally be able to do runs with people instead of just watch them do stuff without you!)

However….
I bought a new sewing machine on Friday. The Huskystar E10. I have managed to get it unpacked but have yet to even put it through it’s paces on scrap fabric. Maybe I’ll get to it tonight.

Just when I thought I wouldn’t have a post this week due to long meetings downtown at work, HHHH puts out a questionnaire for me to answer. Serendipitous!

1. How long have you been spinning? What skill level do you consider yourself?
Over 2 years. Intermediate- Novelty/Art yarns are still a huge challenge for me, and I am often not sure what I’ll do with them when I am done.

2. What kinds of yarn do you create (singles/2-ply/3-ply/art yarn)?2 ply lace-fingering, and 3 ply sport for socks mostly.

3. What do you spin with (spindle/wheel/both)?
Mostly wheel now. I do keep my spindles and a bit of wool at work for really shitty days though.

4. What are your favorite fibers to spin with? Anything you don’t like?
My favorite right this very moment is bamboo. Merino/Tencel is always an “ooooh, shiny!” for me too. Really, anything.

5. Who are your favorite crack dealers fiber sources (etsy or otherwise)?
Etsy sometimes. Usually I just stock up at MSW, and then order other things during the year as they catch my eye. Most likely I will order from Creatively Dyed and The Ranch on Etsy next, and possibly Materials Whirled online. I really need to spin up what I have now before being tempted elsewhere however.

6. What kind of fiber do you want to try?
silk, but I already own some, just haven’t gotten around to it yet.

7. Is there any techniques you would like to learn?
The wrap and roll technique that was in Spin Off recently.

8. Do you dye fiber? If not, would you like to learn?
I have done.

9. Do you have fiber prep tools (and like to use them) or would you prefer ready to spin fiber?
I have combs, but generally just use prepped fibers. The combs come in handy when something goes wrong with the prepped fiber however. (I once had some bfl age rather badly in my stash.)

10. What do you do with your handspun? What projects have you completed?
Give it away. Make socks or Lace. Pet it.

11. Are you in need of any spinning gadgets (WPI Gauge, threading hook, etc)?
not really, I don’t use the ones I have that often

12. What colors “fall into your shopping basket”? Any colors you just can’t stand?
I am a sucker for blues and watery type colorways. But I also end up with a lot of brown/green because those are colors that shmoo likes.

13. What is on your wheel/spindle right now?
Erm….some Bamboo from Loop

14. What other crafts/hobbies do you have?
Knitting, Soaping, Sewing

15. Other than crafts, what are you passionate about?
I play a lot of WoW, and listen to a lot of audiobooks.

16. Do you have an online wishlist?
Nope.

17. Is there anything that you collect?
Little turtle figurines.

18. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What magazine subscriptions do you have?
I have subs to IK, SpinOff, and Piecework.

19. When is your birthday?
In Nov.

20. What book or movie character do you most resemble in personality?
No idea.

21. What is the climate like where you live around this time (need to know for careful shipments of anything meltable)?
Hot and humid.

22. Tell us one weird fact about yourself!
I always have painted toe-nails, but hardly ever will I paint my fingernails. And when I do, it’s with clear or a very very pale cream.

Favorites
favorite painting/picture(link):
Leighton’s Flaming June
Really, I have a strange fondness of all the Dutch and Englishmen who painted Greco-Roman scenes in the 1800s. But it all started with Leighton.

Candy:
Those mint 3 Musketeers

Food:
anything not fish or mushrooms really.

Drink:
Sweet Iced Tea.

Movie(s):
Hard to say…we don’t watch a ton of them.

TV Show(s):
House, CSI, Bones, L&O: CI

Book(s):
Stuff by Eddings, C.E. Murphy, Garth Nix, Maria V Snyder, Christopher Moore, Tamora Pierce, Lois McMaster Bujold. There’s more but that’s off the top of my head.

Guilty Pleasure(s): Those cheesy reality competition shows. You know, Bravo hosts a crap-ton of them. Project Runway, Top Chef, Shear Genius. Currently I watch the New Elle Woods one on Mtv too. That’s probably the one I feel guiltiest about.