My Feet Have Wings

I am an admitted enthusiast. I get on a kick with something and I just can't stop. (Some might call it compulsivity.) Lately (for a few years, actually), I've been quite enthusiastic about Fluevog shoes. I suppose I'm a collector, of sorts. Some other knitbloggers are, too (hello Marisol!), which is confirmed by the presence of a Fluevog group on Ravelry. (Okay, there are groups for almost everything on Ravelry, so it's really no wonder.) On Sunday I was swinging through the listings on eBay and happened upon a pair that called to me. (I know, used shoes--eeeew---but this pair could not have been worn more than once or twice given the condition they are in, and they were a sweet deal.) I think they look pretty fun with a pair of Monkeys:

I must note that these got to me from Kissimmee, FL in one day, USPS Priority Mail. And, my mailman--who has been hailed here as the nicest mailman ever--thanked me for getting a package! The guy really seems to like his job, even if things are not so great at the Postal Service these days. Mail volume is down (which, from an environmental standpoint is a good thing), and they reported a huge loss last quarter. They're talking about cutting Saturday delivery, and I think a lot of people are concerned about their jobs. (Some of the people who work at my local post office don't seemed to be concerned about their jobs--or much of anything for that matter, but that's another story. I try to avoid the actual post office as much as I can.) All-in-all, when the mail works, it's a pretty great deal.

Anyway, I digress...they are from the same Angel "family" of shoes as these boots that I wore last night when I was slogging around in the rain downtown:

My other 'Vogs are mostly of the 3" heel variety, but I'm kinda feeling the London-y, Punk-era vibe of these right now. Plus, it's still cold here in Chicago, so closed shoes with socks feel pretty good.

Because I know that bathtub drying racks are the BEST, most flattering places to photograph knits, here are some pics of the Chococami:

It was not getting dry on the blocking mat (what with all the moisture in the air and no airflow through the mat), so onto the rack it went. The patterned stitches are starting to "pooch" more as the water evaporates, so maybe it will be okay after all.

Yesterday's Craft Dungeon experiment was pretty cool. I have a veritable smorgasbord of yarn samples, and I wanted to see how they each took color. I took my mini skeins, "labeled" them with a semi-elaborate system of cotton ties, each with a different number of knots corresponding to my list of samples, weighed them, and calculated the depth of shade I was going for. Then they all went into the hot tub together. It was so interesting to see how the characteristics of each yarn changed (undyed yarn looks very different than dyed yarn which "blooms"), and how each fiber took up the color differently. Here are just a few of the mini-skeins strewn across my desk:

If only high school chemistry had been this much fun!

The Hurrier I Go The Behinder I Get

The title is one of those Pennsylvania Dutch phrases that you see on kitschy trivets in tourist traps in PA Dutch/Amish Country (Lancaster, PA, and surrounding areas.) It's not something I've ever heard any of my Dutch relatives say, but it seemed to apply because projects are being completed, but photos are lagging seriously behind. For example, here is a (kind of blurry) pic of the cowl described in the last post:

Today I wove in ends and soaked my Chococami. It is a mash up of a Chickami and the Chocolate pattern on the cover of the latest Verena that I worked up in Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Truffle. All seemed to go well until I dunked it, and then the lovely puckery part (the element that attracted me to the design in the first place) kind of...deflated. It flattened right out. I'll have to see what happens when it's dry. It might still be fine, just different than originally intended.

While Chococami was soaking, I cast on for the Classic Elite Sprout Center Detail Tank. (Is that not the longest name for a tank top ever?!) I'm using some Araucania Nature Cotton picked up on the cheap from Webs. (I found out that an old friend that I recently reconnected with is moving to Northampton. Sounds like a Webs pilgrimage--I mean a visit with my friend--may be in my future!) It's going quickly which is good because bulky cotton is not the most fun to knit with, though it is producing a nice fabric. I'm also planning to make the Sprout Tee in the same yarn before this summer top mania I seem to be in passes.

I've got two other projects on needles right now, both in Cotton Fleece. I'm making my second Green Gable, this time in a bright blue. I made my first one during the time of the original Green Gable zeitgeist, and it was always too big. I tried to shrink it a bit in the wash, and from that point on it fuzzed like a milkweed pod. Eventually, it got thrifted. I'm experimenting with sizing on this one, and I hope I get it right. I'm also making the Leaf Tie Cardigan by Stephanie Japel.

WWKIP Day was damp, but there was a good turnout anyway. It was originally slated for Millennium Park, but it moved to the Cultural Center because of the rain. (If you are ever in Chicago and haven't already done so, you must visit Preston Bradley Hall in the Cultural Center to see the Tiffany Dome, and then pop over to Macy's (formerly Marshall Field's) to see the Tiffany Dome there, too. Gorgeous.) Hop over to Lynnette's post for the touching story about the pianist bound for Iraq who gave an impromptu mini-concert for a room full of knitters.

Cowl Weather

It is cold here. I'm actually contemplating firing up the boiler again, it's that cold. And damp. And gray. Bleh. It's so cold that I put down my (clearly anticipatory) warm weather knitting and made a cowl yesterday. Chicago weather, however, is a cruel, cruel mistress, and she will be cranking up the heat at some point, and you can bet that I'll complain about that, too!


Speaking of the cowl, the Chickadee is one I've wanted to make for some time. I used some of the Malabrigo that I dyed recently, and it is so delish. The pattern is a keeper and has started wheels turning for new ways to use linen stitch. It is a bit time consuming, and because the fabric doesn't have a ton of stretch, it has limitations. However, I love how it can make a yarn, especially one that might have a tendency to pool, do something really fabulous.

On Friday, I posted that I'd decided (somewhat reluctantly) to go to my 25th high school reunion. One of the people I looked forward to seeing was my friend, Bill. We were close all through high school. We hung out, talked on the phone, confided in one another about our respective relationships, took a memorable trip to the Jersey Shore, and kept in touch for a while after graduation. I saw him at our 10-year reunion where we caught up and agreed we should stay in contact, although we didn't because he was in PA and I was in IL, and that's how things often go. This week, I found out that on Friday, the same day I decided to go to the reunion, Bill passed away. I'm going to miss seeing him, giving him a hug, and saying, "We really should stay in touch," even if we weren't actually going to do it.

Knot Again

With time quickly running out, I set aside last night to knit my Barn Raising Square for the blankets that will be raffled/sold at Sock Summit to benefit Knitters Without Borders. I've got a big bag full of fingering weight odds and ends, so I found a small ball that I liked and started knitting. Not long into the process, I hit a knot. Taking it as an opportunity, I changed colors. Then I hit a knot in that yarn, so I went back to the original color. Then, I hit another knot, so for the heck of it, I changed color again. This little square had more ends to weave in than a fair isle sweater! FYI, the blue/gray color is Piece of Beauty BFL in "Glacier" (love, love, love her colorways and base yarn), the pink/light green/baby blue is My Small Wonders in "Olivia's Favorite" (bought to make my niece, Olivia, a pair of socks), and the dark gray with neon flecks is some yarn I dyed in a class at Michigan Fiber Festival a few years back. (The knots, by the way, may have been my doing, not the yarn makers'. I think I combined multiple bits and bobs at one point. Why I did that, I'll never know.)

Here's another goody from the Craft Dungeon. It reminds me of Day Lilies and Oriental Lilies, so I'm calling it Lily Smashup. (Sorry the pic is fuzzy. After owning my camera for years, I finally found the macro settings and then took a cruddy pic anyway.)The color combo is kinda weird, but I like it. It's a pretty thin fingering weight, and there is a lot of it--more than 1300 yds.--so I may make some kind of shawl-y, wrap-y thing with it.

So, after a year of saying I wasn't going to my *significant number* high school reunion, today I found out that an old friend is coming all the way from Estonia to attend. Until a few weeks ago, it had been more than a decade since we'd been in touch. (Ah, the magic of Faceb00k.) We had managed to stay in contact for about 10 years after high school, which is kind of amazing since he was back at home in Sweden (he was a foreign exchange student), and we'd had one of those nasty high school breakups near the end of the year. (I broke up with him (with good reason), returned my prom dress, bought a different dress and then went to the prom with a different guy.) Despite bad feelings on both sides, we managed to patch together a pretty decent friendship before he left the country. (Even thinking about high school feels so, um, high school.) So anyway, I think I'd better suck it up (and suck it in) and go to the reunion. I told my husband that I would eat only iceberg lettuce from now until August 21. I've seen recent pics of some girls from my class, and they look good, some even better than they did back then. The guys...not so much. The whole thing gives me anxiety. High School Reunion, brought to you by the letter X, because without it, you couldn't have Xanax or Spanx, and you're going to need both.

Another Day in the Dungeon

Day two of stash reorganization. I'm almost done, though there a few odds and ends on the first floor that need to migrate back toward their friends downstairs. While I was arranging things, a few more skeins cooked up in the dyepot and are now dripping away, awaiting their turn to be re skeined.

So, here are a few pics of yarns dyed earlier in the week. I'm calling this one Greens n Roses:

Here are the three that were together in the dyepot hot tub:

I find it fascinating how different they all are. The worsted weight (middle pic) took up the most color and displayed more blended colors, especially greens. The fingering weight (top) came out pretty much as I'd hoped it would. And the Malabrigo (bottom) is the least intense. It's almost Martha Stewart-y in its shading.

Yesterday I was concentrating on blues and greens and blues, fuchsias, and purples. They're still drying. Today, I experimented with green, purple, blue, and orange. I'm pretty pleased with the results, though they are not colors I'd normally put together. Pics to come.

I'm about to run out to the farmers' market that is supposed to be set up in my neighborhood. Last week it wasn't, so we'll have to see. When I get back home I may do some handpainting now that my work table is cleared off.

Notes from The Craft Dungeon

I started out the day with a plan to reorganize the sock yarn stash. (Well, the part of the sock yarn stash that isn't BMFA, because that's all set, kept in its own special bins.) It got overwhelming very quickly, which is an indication that perhaps I have...wait for it...too much sock yarn. Eventually the feeling passed, and I actually decided to tackle the whole stash. It's a good idea to go through it now and again, not only to check on its health and well-being, but to decide if perhaps I have grown apart from some of it. Because I catalog on Ravelry, I rarely have those "I had no idea I had that" moments. I did, however, have some "I'm not sure I love you anymore" moments, so look for some bargains coming soon to my stash page.

While stash tossing, I also simultaneously continued to experiment with kettle dyeing. Kettle dyeing is much less predictable than handpainting, I've discovered, especially when you use more than three dye solutions or solutions with unpredictable blending results. But mama, that's where the fun is. (Sorry, I may have just planted an earworm.) One experiment was to put three different yarn bases in the same batch. It was amazing to see how the dye take-up was different for each base. Pictures coming soon!

The other night I decided to finally do some sewing, and I started playing around with a bunch of(intentionally) felted sweaters. I got this crazy idea to make a sock shaped bag using the felted material. (Yeah, I own that I had Sock Summit Fever.) So, it's late, and the husband comes down to the craft dungeon to find out what I'm doing. I show him the sock bag and he tells me that I "officially have too much time on my hands."

Sadly, I must report that it is not going to be a good year for the tomatoes. Many of my starts did not do well when they were transplanted to the garden. The weather has been weird here, with big, booming thunderstorms and cold fronts assaulting them. They were all heirloom seedlings, and I just think that some of them aren't as hale and hearty as the more common varieties. Some may hang on, but I'm going to have to buy some replacement plants (horrors!)

Deadline Approaching

For those who have read about the contest being hosted here on this very blog, one of the projects I mentioned is closing in on its deadline. Squares for the Barn Raising Quilt are due June 9. I need to get mine done! (Remember, the prizes will be good!!! I know for sure that some STR will be involved.) I'll be highlighting some additional charity knitting opportunities in upcoming posts.

I'm getting some fun knitting done, but pics are scarce. I am currently wearing my Chickami, but since winter doesn't always leave these parts until June, I might be better off wearing my Bzzz Queen of Bees Hat. It's chilly here. (Sometimes I get a kick out of what the Weather Pixie is wearing down there in the lower left corner of the blog. I love that she changes her clothes with changes in temps--and that she sometimes is accompanied by a black cat--but one of her outfits looks like full-on S&M gear. Weird and funny.)

I am currently listening to the audiobook Son of a Witch, the follow-up to Wicked, one of my favorite books. I love the Wizard of Oz to the point of distraction, and the backstory that Gregory Maguire created is brilliant. (Definitely not a read for the kiddos, though. The musical left a lot of the adult content out.) There have been a number of references to spinning, and I am always amused by that.

Speaking of spinning, we did have a few warm days recently, just perfect for me and the cats to spend the afternoon on the balcony with the spinning wheel. (I have a workshop in a month that requires sharper skills than I currently have, so I am on a bit of a mission.) Occasionally, keeping my older cat, Pitch, away from the pre-drafted roving becomes a battle of wills, but we usually work it out. I think he likes the smell of alpaca because he once appropriated an alpaca shawl. The cat survived, but the shawl suffered permanent injury.

Off to knit a Barn Raising square!

A Lesson in Dyeing

I just got home from a tour of the Lorna's Laces studio which is just a few minutes from my house. (Yes, there were bargain basement-priced acquisitions!) It was very interesting to learn a little bit about Beth's approach and technique in comparison to what I learned from Tina at Sock Camp. There were a lot of differences, actually. Vinegar or no vinegar. Dish soap or no dish soap. Pre-soak or not.

The more I learn about dyeing from what I've been reading, seeing, and through first-hand experimentation, the more I realize that, aside from a few important details like making sure the dye is set by heating to a proper temperature for an appropriate amount of time, the rest is open to interpretation. Different things are going to work for different dyers and different yarn bases. There is a bit of magic involved, however. (Some may call it chemistry, but I prefer magic.)

I've been dyeing down in the craft dungeon for a while, and some good things have come out of the dyepot. There was the recent success I had by overdyeing Blue Moon Twisted in Falcon's Eye using various blues, greens, gray, and purple:

The other day, I decided I wanted to make the Bzzz Hat for Queen of Bees. After searching for the right colorway, I decided to make my own using some natural Malabrigo-like yarn I had stashed. I used two different golden-y yellow dye solutions to get this result, which I have named Honey Butter:

I'm on a bit of a tear at the moment, and I have a wildly unrealistic list of projects I'd like to accomplish. There are a bunch of warm weather items that I'd like to make before the snows set in again. This week I cast on my friend Bonne Marie's Chickami pattern. It would be finished if I hadn't done something so entirely stupid, not once, but twice. I missed a paragraph and leaped ahead in the pattern. Each time I made a different error because I skipped a different paragraph. Ugh. I'm using Cotton Fleece (which I had planned to use for a number of summer projects), and I am realizing that it is contributing to some pain in my right elbow and hand. Looks like I am going to have to alternate projects with some bouncier fibers. It's a good thing that my list of service projects, most of which will be wool, is as long as my list of personal projects, so I'll be able to switch back and forth.

My Second Favorite Man From New Jersey* **

*post not knitting related at all
** I married a man from NJ

I am WAY to young to have a bucket list (*ahem*), but when I do have a bucket list, I will be able to cross off that I have seen Springsteen do Jungleland live. Everything else from here on out is gravy. (I was at the concert at the United Center last night. I was the one in front of the four drunk girls who paid over $100 a ticket (plus a bazillion $8 beers) to scream to each other and take pics of themselves with cellphones through the whole show. They. never. stopped. yelling. Does the fact that I just complained about screaming girls mean that I am old enough for a bucket list? Nah...)

I just went back through old set lists from shows I have been to (I love you, Internet, where things live on forever!) and have started an Excel spreadsheet of the songs I have heard at which concerts. It's the fangirl version of stashing on Ravelry, I guess. (Looked, I slipped in some knitting content!)

Do-Gooder (There will be prizes.)

My first words when I woke this morning were, "Today is Maryland Sheep and Wool, and I wish I were there." I hope those of you who are there are having or had (if you're reading this later) a wonderful time. I'm only the tiniest bit jealous!

To piggyback on my post about the square I did for Afghans for Afghans, I have decided what my next charity projects will be. Knitters for Obama (Ravelry Group) currently has two service projects in motion. The first is to provide hats, gloves, scarves, etc. for LGBT youth living on the streets, and the second is providing stuffed toys for children in foster care in Chicago and throughout Illinois. In addition, Melanie Falick has a post on her blog about Barn Raising Quilt Squares (from Larissa Brown's Knitalong book) that will be assembled into blankets to be auctioned or raffled at Sock Summit. So, it looks like I have some knitting to do!

Okay, remember when I said that there would be challenges that entailed prizes? Well, here is the first one...I challenge you to a knit/crochet service project-off. (Think of it as a calorie-free bake-off with yarn.)

• The charity is of your choosing, but it must be a charitable organization or cause. Sorry, gift knitting doesn't count for this challenge.
• The project must be new, not one you have already completed or that you currently have on the needles/hook. My intention is to get more projects going.
• Multiple items will be counted separately. So, for each hat, toy, blanket square, etc., you make, your name will go into the drawing. (Baby/kids socks/booties count as one item; adult socks will count as two. Baby blankets and sleeved garments will also count as two.)
• You have until July 4 to make your item(s). (It's an easy date to remember.)
• Email me with your name, Rav name (if you have one), the name of the charity, description(s)the item(s) you made, and links to any pics you post on Ravelry or your own blog. (Please do not attach any picture files to your email.) You can email me at PurlsBeforeWine(at)gmail(dot)c(0)m or PM me on Ravelry at PurlsBeforeWine. No need to wait until July; go ahead and send me the info as you finish your project(s). Please title your message "Do-Gooder" so I don't miss it!
• I promise that the prizes will be really, really good. Really. One prize will be drawn at random, and another will be awarded for an entry that moves me, makes me laugh, that I really, really love, or some other subjective criteria. (There will be some objectivity--it won't just be because I know you. I might know you, but that won't be why.)

I know my readership isn't huge, but I would love for you to help spread the word, not for my sake, but for the purpose of generating some positive movement. Most of us are so very fortunate to live in the circumstances we do, to have the time and funds to knit/crochet (even if it isn't always with the luxury fibers we'd desire), to have roofs over our heads (even if they sometimes leak when it rains alot), to sleep in clean beds (when the cats don't have hairball issues in the middle of the night--there's an ugly little snapshot into my world right now), to have a warm meal (when we don't forget to turn the crockpot on *headsmack*), and so on. No one's life is perfect (actually, I think Hugh Jackman's wife's life looks pretty close to perfect from where I sit, but maybe he leaves the toilet seat up or snacks on raw garlic something equally annoying), but a lot of us have it pretty good. Let's do something to make someone else's day a bit better. Are you in?

Lucky...Squared

I am pretty lucky. I have lots of time to knit, more yarn than I could knit in my lifetime, and I get to take lots of wonderful fiber-related classes and go on fun, fabulous fiber-y trips. Life--as related to my favorite pastime/hobby/addiction--is pretty great. In recognition of that, I have been making a concerted effort to direct some of my energy into projects for the benefit of others. So, when a thread on Ravelry popped up to make squares for an Afghans for Afghans project in memory of Kay's husband (she of Mason-Dixon fame), I threw my hat in the ring, so to speak. One evening of podcasts (some knitting-related and various NPR offerings) plus a skein of stashed Kureyon and I have my 10"x10" square. I hope it brings comfort to the family receiving the blanket and Kay's family, as well.

I'm curious...what are your favorite knitting charities? And stay tuned for a couple of knitting challenges; there will be prizes.

And...Jazz Hands

Next year, Sock Camp is going to be awash in Shawl That Jazz(es).

Earth Day

Tomatoes grown organically in my backyard last summer.

This year I am commemorating Earth Day by:

• walking to the pet store to buy natural cat food--taking my own shopping bag, of course.
• waiting eagerly for my new worm bin to arrive.
• anticipating the day I can safely transfer my vegetable seed starts into my garden.
• having taken part in a park clean-up on Saturday.
• making a donation to the America's Wetland Foundation.

I would love to make some grand gestures like putting solar panels on my roof, installing an on-demand hot water system, or planting a roof garden, but those things may be impractical, at least for now. In the meantime, I try to do what I can to preserve our resources by recycling, installing fluorescent bulbs where it makes sense to do so, and using a front-loading washing machine. I think this will be the year we finally replace our drafty, dirty, inefficient windows with more energy-saving versions, so by the time winter rolls back around (though I'm not entirely sure it has actually left as the weather people were calling for snow last night), we might save a bit on heating.

I was planning to go see Earth which was opening in theaters today, but I heard the directors on Fresh Air this morning, and I got weepy just hearing them describe one poor little elephant's fate. That one may have to wait.

Channeling My Inner Pioneer Woman

There was more fleece picking today. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder with an iPod and SPF 45. Between the VM* and the BM**, sheep are dirty little devils. I also attempted washing some of the picked locks. After researching various methods, I decided to try cleaning the wool by laying it into the colander part of a salad spinner. (In case you're ever over for dinner, this is a spinner just for fiber-y pursuits, so no worries about wool in the watercress.) I filled the bowl with very hot tap water (ours is turned up pretty high) and dish soap, and then gently lowered the colander of locks into the water. After just a few minutes, it was remarkable just how much lanolin and other muck dissolved. (The first dunking also produced an odor that is not how you want your kitchen to smell--ever.) I would then lift out the colander, dump the water into a bucket (lanolin + other ick + my home's 100-year-old plumbing = a potential plumber visit, so the back yard is now fragranced with eau de Bridget), and repeat until the water rinsed clear and the wool smelled more like wet yarn and less like wet barnyard. The locks are currently drying on a sweater rack in the bathroom downstairs. I can't wait to see what they look like when they're dry.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be cleaning up a city park in celebration of Earth Day and our President. (Why is it that I will do that, but I can't stand dusting my own living room?) Hopefully I'll also have both a few hours of good sun and the energy to continue working on the fleece in the afternoon.

In other matters, as if Ravelry wasn't enough, I have fallen victim to the timesuck that is Faceb00k. My downfall comes as a result of an impending high school reunion, and a significant one at that. (That doesn't mean that I'm actually going.) One thing led to another, and all of a sudden, hours are flying by looking at who has friended whom. Halfpint never had these kind of distractions. (OMG. I just G00gled "Laura Ingalls Wilder half pint" out of curiosity and discovered that she Tw1tters. Srsly. WTF.)

*vegetative matter
**Yes, that BM. No, I'm not going to spell it out.

Supercrafty

It was perfectly lovely here in Chicago, so I took advantage of the warm temps and lack of a breeze to set up a table in the backyard so that I could skirt and pick the fleece I received from my sheep. Bridget is a Coopworth that two of my friends adopted for me for Christmas last year, and she was recently shorn and her fleece was shipped to me. The somewhat smelly box had been languishing for a couple of weeks while I decided what to do with it. After some initial research, it looked like the best course of action was for me to attempt the first steps of processing myself, and then send it out to be finished. I have never had a raw fleece before, so this is an adventure--a dirty, stinky adventure. I'm not even halfway through picking it, and I was at it for over 2 hours. (Not knowing what I am doing has a good deal to do with that.) I am fairly certain that I am either discarding too much or too little.

(I took this picture after about 15 minutes of picking; rest assured I did have more finished than that little pile in the corner!)

After I got tired of picking poo and other icky things out of greasy wool, I decided to dye some yarn for Samro's Shawl That Jazz. (Sam was a fellow Sock Camper, and her pattern just skyrocketed to fame because a certain well-known knitter from Toronto just made one and blogged about it.) I bought the BMFA Falcon's Eye Twisted from a Raveler's stash at a pretty good price with the plan that I would alter the color once it arrived. Here it is in its original form:

and here it is after I finished with it:

Anyone interested in gardening out there? My friend is going to be on Martha Stewart tomorrow! Jerry (who is married to one of my dearest friends, Amy) is a landscaper with a really great sense of aesthetics. It's no wonder that he's getting this terrific opportunity--he's incredibly talented. The segments were filmed earlier in the week (Amy says taping went really well), and they will be on tomorrow (Friday.)

Camp Condensed

Triple Eagle

By now, many of you have read others' accounts of BMFA's Sock Camp, and what you have read is true: it was a really, really good time. All of the changes that were made since last year (new venue, less people, more free time to knit, spin, walk, relax, etc., yoga classes taught by Nathania Apple) all added to the experience. The hotel staff was great, the food was really wonderful, and the rooms came complete with giant jacuzzi tubs and gas fireplaces. It was heaven with yarn and pointy sticks.

Port Ludlow Resort

All of the classes were fab. JC Briar offered a cast off class, Stephanie, aka The Yarn Harlot, taught a class that used production knitting techniques to improve speed, Cat Bordhi introduced a brand new, super-secret sock architecture which will be in her upcoming book, and Tina Newton taught a dyeing class. Yep, that's right, dyeing with Tina Newton, The Depraved Dyer. (Tina also gave a "behind the scenes" slide show of BMFA as well as Oregon Coast pics she uses as inspiration to create colorways. It was truly a highlight of the week for me.)

My Three Skeins from Dyeing Class

This year's camp homework was to make a sea creature, with bonus points given for crabs, since this year's mascot was a crab. I made these Peekytoe Pedicure/Yoga Socks:

One of my favorite parts of camp was that I felt like I'd had a chance to meet and have at least a brief conversation with almost everyone. A slide show featuring everyone's pictures, complete with knitting secrets that we "confessed" on paper the first night, was a fitting, funny, bittersweet closure for the event. My secret:

"I would knit a hell of a lot faster if I didn't stop to admire my work at the end of every single row. I am a vain knitter."

Twice in a Day

I was missing my blogging mojo for a while, but I think it's back...for today, at least.

While I was gone, had a couple of out-of-town jaunts. I went with the husband to Madison. He was on business so I tagged along. I hit a couple of LYSs, one of which I recommend highly. Lakeside Fibers is a lovely shop with a fab cafe tucked in behind it. On a cold, windy day, it is a bit of a hike from downtown Madison (it was me and the ice fishermen out by the lake), but well worth the effort. The cafe has WiFi and serves salads, soups, baked goods, and wine.

I also took a trip back to PA to visit friends and family. I have finally discovered the key to visits home: keep moving. I stayed a maximum of two days in any one place, so I didn't have time to get tired of anyone, nor they of me. (Wasn't it that famous Bostonian-turned-Philadelphian, Ben Franklin, who claimed that fish and guests both smelled after three days? I shower daily, but you get the point.) I also managed to squeeze in quick stops at Rosie's Yarn Cellar and Loop on the way to the airport. I also got to see my cousin's baby in her "Blu" jeans. It was nice to see a gift knit "in action."

My Journey Wheel has arrived, and I am trying to get used to it. It is a very cool piece of engineering, and I can't say enough about the Bosworths' customer service. I really am happy to own one of their creations.

My friend, Liz, and I took a field trip out to The Fold. It was great to see Toni again, and Liz was able to find the perfect yarn for a project she was planning. If you are ever in the Chicago, do make the trip out to Marengo. It is a bit out of the way, but so worth it.

My new dietary restrictions have gotten easier (or I have become more resigned, and having to buy a smaller pair of jeans didn't hurt.) There are a few cravings that still get me (the sound of a cocktail shaker practically brings tears to my eyes), but I am mostly making do. I did find a recipe that I have made twice that you might want to try, Harvest Wheatberry Salad. I do not add the sugar substitute (it's not needed), and I have made it with both dried cranberries and dried cherries, and both taste great. Go easy on the cinnamon, especially if you have good, strong stuff from somewhere like Penzey's or The Spice House. It's crunchy (from the walnuts and celery), chewy (from the wheatberries), tangy (from the lemon juice), and sweet (from the cranberries or cherries.) It's good stuff. (The page takes a while to load when you click on the link.)

I have laundry, chores, and homework to do before I head out for Sock Camp on Monday. I'm sad that my camp-buddy, Liz, won't be going, but I'm looking forward to another trip to the PNW.

Color Study

One of my assignments for Sock Camp is to make a study of the colors to which I gravitate. Over the years I've noticed that I love combinations of dark reds and greens. When I was a kid, we used to pass a house on the way to the mall that had dark red siding and green shutters (or maybe it was the other way around), and my mother always commented that she loved how it looked. I never thought much of it (I was hung up on the architecture, which I didn't love), but clearly it struck a chord with me, too. (I also love blues and greens together, but don't most folks?)

Sea Slug Hat

Thanks, y'all, for the supportive comments. Every day I get a little less pouty about things. And, hey, I got to torture my first waiter today.

I got the new Vogue Knitting and was intrigued by the EZ Snail Hat. I guess I hadn't noticed it in The Opinionated Knitter (I think that's the correct book), but the pics in Vogue piqued my curiosity. Still on my service project knitting binge, I grabbed the last skein of Lion Brand Woolease Thick and Quick in the house (it's one of the washable "go-to" yarns that I use for charity knits) and cast on. This thing flew off the needles--about 2 hours of knitting. Maybe the color wasn't the best choice for this particular project, though; it kinda looks like a slug. I'm not sure how many people who don't know who EZ is would really want to wear it. (There are some pretty "interesting" designs that get a pass in the fiber community but seem a bit strange to non-yarny folk.)

I'm making great progress on the Ribby Pulli that had been hibernating for a while. If I put my mind to it, it could be done by the weekend. After that, I want to cast on a sweater that was reverse-engineered at the Cat Bordhi retreat I attended in October. (The pattern isn't public yet, but there were plans to do so.) The process was really fun. Someone brought a thrifted sweater with really interesting construction, and Cat and Judy Becker (of Judy's Magic Cast-On fame) dissected it and wrote it up. I'm not sure how it is going to look on me (it reminds me of something I would have worn in the late 80s or early 90s, but I don't think it's dated, actually), but I want to make it as a kind of souvenir of that really great week.

Aptly Named

Isn't it true that you never want anything more than when you are told that you can't have it? Well, that's the way it is for me, at least.

Basically, the genetic train wreck that is me is dangerously close to derailing (sounds dramatic, no?!), and I am having to give up a number of things I love in order to continue down the track. The occasional Sazerac Cocktail, gone, ditto the Sidecar. Red Velvet Cake, you are banished, and take those potatoes and pretzels with you. The medical hammer has come down, and basically I am on permanent South Beach Diet in order to stave off some not-so-fun medical consequences. The good news: I could end up a skinny bitch. The bad news: I may not be kidding about the bitch part. (The drag is that I drink rather moderately as it is (average two drinks a week), and there is no bottomless cookie jar here at the house, so when you think that you eat reasonably well already, to find out that you have to be even better is a bit of a blow. Hell, beets, a vegetable I love, are on the "avoid" list. I already eat whole wheat pasta, and that isn't helping. Damn.) So, Purls Before Wine it definitely is. Grumble, grumble, bitch and moan. There are many worse things to suffer, but it still sucks. At least I can still eat (non-fried) oysters, so get out yer shuckin' knives, boys, cause I am all over those slippery little devils. Unfortunately, I will now be one of "those people" at a restaurant. "Um, can I get the roasted root vegetable without the parsnips and the rutabagas? Oh, and light on the olive oil. Is there sugar in that dressing? Can I just get oil and vinegar. Do you have brown rice? No bread. Just berries for dessert." I apologize in advance to event planners, waiters, waitresses, and line cooks everywhere. I didn't choose to make your job more difficult on purpose--believe me.

There is knitting and spinning to report, but they lack proper visual documentation, so I will post about them later in the week.

Just had to vent into the series of tubes for a moment. I promise that this will not become the "what I wanted but couldn't have or my blood sugar will spike" ranty-type bloggy thing. I'm sure many of you deal with similar and worse situations with a great deal more dignity and stoicism than am I. *End of temper tantrum*

We will soon resume our regularly scheduled high-in-fiber blog diet.