Where did the time go?

Wow. It's nearly October, and I am not at all ready for it. October is generally my busiest month of the year, and this year is no exception.

First, we have Pearl and the Beard! They'll be at the Beachland Tavern on Wednesday, October 3, and they're lots of fun. Example:

And bonus yarn!

I am really looking forward to the show, and hope lots of my fellow Clevelanders can make it!

After that, there's the North Coast Tour de Stitch, so my mom and I will wander across northeast Ohio visiting cross stitch tours. Oh, and there is coincidentally a production of Xanadu that weekend, so we'll have to catch a performance. I doubt we'll get to sit on the stage this time, though.

The next weekend will be spent in University Circle, at a Kirtlandia meeting and at the art museum for a knit-out.

Then it's off to Rhinebeck for a week at the Fred Compound! It will be great to see so many good friends again. We'll probably trek into NYC at some point and explore another bit of the city.

What else? I don't think I have anything planned for the last weekend in October, but you never know.

As usual, I am a slacker about posting. I have added 10 pages to my flickr photostream since my last post. Wow, that's a lot of knitting. And lots of Zuzu pictures. Finished the cowl to match the mitts, but still haven't sewn on the buttons. I have the buttons, so that's a good start, right?

Finished the fifth cowl in the Great Cowl KAL, and decided that I really disliked the yarn. Thankfully my coworker liked the finished object, and I was very happy that the cowl found a new home.

In April, went to Gretchen's wedding in NYC! Congrats, guys! My husband agreed that NYC is not as terrible of a place that he thought it would be, and perhaps we can go back someday, because we only touched on a fraction of what the city has to offer.

I wanted to wear a blue dress to the wedding, and knit a botanical garden shawl to match. Unfortunately, I ended up wearing something else, and the shawl is now on loan to Ewes d'Bleu as a shop sample for Lace Lux yarn.

While in NYC, I needed a walk-around-and-knit project, so I made a black hat my husband, as he can always use more hats.

Oh, yes. When we got back from NYC, Zuzu was diagnosed with diabetes. We started giving her shots twice a day. I got rather good at it, and if she was sleeping she might not even notice the injection. After a while, her kitty torture was reduced to once a day, and more recently she was declared normal enough to go without shots (just after I bought a box of syringes, of course!) Apparently diabetes in cats sometimes resolves on its own. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to go back to once-a-day shots eventually, but we'll see. Anyway, knit Lancet, and since I am most familiar with the word "lancet" as what is used to draw blood for glucose testing, I referred to my project as "my junkie cat."

Gratuitous cute kitty picture!

Also knit a Wingspan, because it was perfect for kauni. Wore it to a class with the Yarn Harlot, and while it is a bit bright for her taste, she ended up knitting one, too. (She also called me and Mary weird, but hey, we never claimed to be normal. And apparently the weird had more to do with our butterfly headbands than anything else.)

What else? Went to Maryland Sheep and Wool for a day in May. Also had to visit the Great Lakes Fiber Show since it's so close to home. Made the Like Honey cowl. From the end of May to the beginning of June, knit Thao, Undine, finished a slightly modified test-knit of Stepped Laceline Shawl, and Vlad.

They've all found good homes, although I am a huge slacker and still need to mail Thao to her permanent residence.

Apparently I've been knitting a lot of Liz Abinante designs. She designed the cowls, and Lancet, and I also did Vouissour and Squinch.

Oh yes, in June I walked in a Color Run. And of course my hands could not be idle, so I have a hat. Also walked in a Color Me Rad with my sister in August, so she has a hat, too.

Did a very quick test knit of Dash Mitts, and may need to make more as Christmas gifts.

Still playing along in KALs, and did Nefarious Web, the TTL KAL, the Summer Solstice KAL. Did Madame Phelps (quietest KAL ever!), although still haven't blocked it, and am still slightly peeved that my "500-yard" skein of merino-tencel was more like 360 yards. The designer used 440 yards for her project, so I thought that 500 yards should be plenty. Nope. Needed to rip back the endless short rows, and didn't really add a ruffle at the bottom.

I love how this turned out!

I really disliked blocking the edging. Sent to a friend and she is welcome to re-block at will.

Given to a coworker who retired.

Finally finished my Ka'ana. (Love it! So soft and squishy, and the colors are gorgeous.) Needed some relatively instant gratification so started (and finished) Red Sumac. Got sucked into the endless garter stitch that is Color Affection. Finally finished my travel socks Finally made a Jayne hat.

Can't forget Zuzu's mane.

My kitty is so tolerant! On the needles now I have yet another KAL, Malice in Wonderland. I am slightly disappointed in this one, as the ads implied something a bit more complicated. Yes, it will be huge, and I will probably keep going, but I'm not sure if this one will live with me or if it will find a new home. Working on Spring Thaw in some amazing yarn. Silk and cashmere. Incredibly dreamy stuff. Talk to Rain and get yourself some. I would really like to finish that today, but of course it depends on how much longer I stare at the computer! Current meeting knitting is Afternoon Tea. We'll see how much longer that lasts.

Waiting room picture, not my magazine.

Anyway, I should get back to knitting and laundry. Funny how laundry never ends. One last thing: I looked at my project page to do this post, and sensed a theme. Can you see it?

That's all, folks! Catch you on the flip side!

Laundry Interlude

Taking a break from laundry. It is March 3, and that means spring cleaning, right? Time to wash all of the linens! Also, someone remind me to clean behind the big chair more often than once every few years, please.

Apparently no one wants a chocolate covered twinkie. Maybe I will send it to Tallahassee to be saved for the zombie apocalypse.

What have I been up to since the last post? Let's see...

Took an intro stained glass class. I want to learn more!


Finished the Linaria bipartita socks.



Finished the third cowl in the Great Cowl KAL.



And the fourth!



Waiting for the fifth. Also had a bit of an incident with the third, in that when it came out of the water after its bath part of the edging came undone. Need sunlight to fix it, and haven't had sunshine on a day that I have had the time to fix it. I'm confident that I can do the repair, but I just need lots of light for it.

Finished a pair of fingerless mitts, and got a good start on the matching cowl. Need to take a picture of the cowl-in-progress. I think I have 24 rows to go, maybe? Then to pay someone to sew on buttons...



Worked a bit more on the numma numma KAL, but am still way behind on clues. Too many other things to do, and this doesn't really have a deadline.



Picked up my Sugared Violets again, as I didn't read the pattern well enough and had rotated it out of meeting knitting. Turns out it could have stayed meeting knitting for another twenty or so rows. Oh well.



Latest meeting knitting has been the Trout Club scarf, Wavy Baktus. I'm about halfway done.



Well, I think the dryer has stopped, so it's time to deal with more laundry. Have fun!

Another contest!

Happy Half-Price Chocolate Day to everyone!

Stopped by Malley's to celebrate, and picked up a box of chocolate covered twinkies along with the discounted chocolates. I think I will offer one chocolate covered twinkie as a prize in a contest. Leave a comment to tell me why you deserve a chocolate covered twinkie and maybe you will win! They look very interesting, but I won't be eating them due to the whole beef fat in the filling thing.

Let's see, what have I been knitting lately? Finished the Knitterati mystery shawl.



Started the Hazel/Hunter KAL, and am nearly done with the first sock. (Picture is outdated.)



Finished the second cowl in the Great Cowl KAL with more kool-aid dyed yarn.



Started the numma nuuma shawl KAL as well. Will work on it a bit more tonight.



Finally got the last part of the summer shawl KAL, so I can finish. I'm not sure about how the leaves are all dangly, though. I like the idea of leaves dangling somewhat, but I think I'd rather have them halfway dangling (as shown in the sketch) rather than dangling by the "stem." May need to swatch and experiment before finishing this one. No real deadline, though, so it can wait a bit.

In Zuzu news, she has recently discovered that she likes seaweed. She also had an encounter with Kitty Foe the other day.



I made a no-sew fleece pillow, and Zuzu adopted it before it was finished. She started climbing on it when I was tying the fringe, and is sleeping on it right now.

Anyway, should get back to the needles. Must finish projects!

Let's KAL, shall we?

I am finding myself being drawn in to KALs this year. Signed up for a Fronkenshteek KAL last year, and because I am a slacker, am just finishing that now.

Signed up for Janel Laidman's Knitterati club, and have been working on the mystery shawl from that. Thinking about casting on for the socks, too.



*Really* looking forward to casting on for the Hazel Knits/Hunter Hammersen KAL. Need to finish Fronkenshteek first.

Also got sucked into the Great Cowl KAL.



Have also been knitting some non-KAL items, such as a hat for the Trout Club auction. (Check out my Borrowed Buddha!)



Also knit a lovely slouchy hat for me.



Went on a scarf kick for a while and made a Hitchhiker and a Spectra.





That may be it, so far. January was a good month for staying in and knitting. Today was a lovely day for sitting outside in the sunshine, which is very unusual for February. New possible goal: knit a mile a month. We'll see how long that lasts.