Surprise for the Harlot?

Last night on my walk, I had an idea.  I have been wanting to meet Stephanie, aka The Yarn Harlot, for a while.  Now that she’s coming down into my neck of the woods, I wanted to find a way to thank her for visiting Kansas on her book tour.  Here’s my idea…everyone who visits at the Wichita, KS stop will bring her a small bottle of your favorite local BBQ sauce, and a couple bucks for postage.  Since she’s not going directly home afterwards, and I don’t think she’d want to carry 100 bottle of sauce on the plane with her, I’ll take the sauces and box them up and mail them up to her.  Any leftover $, I’ll slip in the box before mailing off and it can go toKWB .  I know she won’t be cooking up a big pot of ribs, but the sauce can be used for beans and other vegetarian things.  Or, she could use it as a prize when she starts giving stuff away again.

Or, second thought, Kansas is the Sunflower State.  We can all bring her a packet of sunflower seeds for her to plant next summer.  I know Toronto only has like a 2 month summer, but sunflowers grow so fast.

What do you think?

Roller Rink Time

Well, maybe not.  My skates came today.  I tried them on.  They fit quite well.  I tried rolling around the house a little.  It wasn’t pretty.  I think I’ll be practicing in the garage before I do any street skating.  I don’t remember sucking this bad when I was 9.

I finished sock #1 last night.  1/2 of the broadripple socks for the fair are done!  And it’s beautiful.  Today, I have to finish seaming up the top for Amiya and do the straps.  Shouldn’t take long.

Grandpa 60’s hat

worsted weight yarn, about 1/2 skein

size 8 circulars and dpns

Cast on 100 st.

Work in K2 P2 ribbing for 6 to 8 inches.

K2, P2tog around.  75 st total.

K2 P1 around for 8 to 10 rows.

K2tog, P1 around.  50 st total.

K1, P1 around for 5 rows.

K2tog around, switching to DPN’s when needed.

K around.

Alternate last 2 rows until there are 7 stitches remaining.  Cut yarn and draw through all remaining loops.  Weave in ends.

Attach pom pom, or for alternate top…

When 7 or so stitches remain, use G hook to crochet ch’s of 10 to 15, sl st in next loop around.  This can be done twice for a fuller look.

She’s coming!

I am so excited! I found out that the Yarn Harlot is coming to Wichita! Yay! Hubby has already offered to drive me and the boys out there and even offered to take them somewhere so they won’t be climbing the walls at wherever she is. I can’t wait!

On another note, the top for Amiya is pretty much done. I finished the ruffle yesterday and got it attached to the other top and pinned them both out. Today will be sewing the pieces together and adding a little chain for the straps/ties.

This is why I moved away from Florida?

It’s at least 90 outside. I want to make the kids play outside, but if I don’t want to be out there, why should I make them?

Almost done with the little top for Amiya. Working on the last ruffle, then I should have the rest of today for blocking it. Will sew it up tomorrow or the next, then add some simple chain st for the straps. That way Steve can deliver it when he goes down to FL this weekend to try to save his reunion.

The broadripple socks for the fair are looking great. I turned the heel on #1 and am currently working the gusset decreases.

Can’t sleep

Yeah, check out that time.

Didn’t do much knitting today…I am trying to catch up on the Potter books before the last (boo hoo) one. I finished book 5 this afternoon and started on #6. Again. I had already read them, but I wanted to re-remind myself of all the details before starting on #7.

Lauren’s birthday poncho was very well received. I will try to get the pictures off my e-mail over to here.

Going to give the sleep thing another go.

Fair socks

After very much knitting and ripping of several sock patterns, the winner is Broadripple from knitty.com. I am loving the way the slight varigation in the yarn is showing up in the knitting.

On another note, the frosting hat didn’t work. I wanted to make it look like a pixie hat, so I started the decreases fairly soon, so to make the hat a bit more pointy. I think that the hat wouldn’t even fit my cat. Solution? Rip out the frosting doo-hicky I put on top in place of a pom-pom, rip out all the white where I decreased too soon, and re-knit the white a bit taller. Then we shall see.

For now, it is charity knitting Sunday, so I plan on working on a simple Grandpa 60’s hat.

Bad Rug

I am a bit upset. The cotton rug that I have been working on for a least 2 years, off and on, was finished about a week ago. Russell and Patrick helped me by handing me the fringes I had cut. Then, last night, someone spilled something on it. So, since i was already doing a cold water wash in the laundry, I tossed in the rug. THE WASHING MACHINE ATE MY FRINGE!

The sad thing is, that it didn’t even eat evenly. The ends somehow lengthened and the middles are now about 1/2 inch long. Or rather, 1/2 inch SHORT.

At least the rug’s ok.

Mittens and hats and poncho’s

Yesterday, as per my “Sunday’s are for charity knitting” rule, I finished another pair of mittens, except for sewing up one of them. I also started on a hat, Grandpa 60’s pattern, in the same yarn. It’s a great kid’s yarn, variegated with very bright colors. The mittens look great. If there’s enough left over after the hat, I want to make another pair. We’ll see.

Frosting’s on sale this week at HL, so I can get that for the mitten/hat duo I’ll be making for the fair. I plan on using frosting for the cuff and something from my stash for the hand. Same thing on the hat:frosting for the brim, the fold-over part, and stash yarn for the cap part. I think it should look real cute.

I have to get Lauren’s little poncho in the mail today, so I’ll try to get a picture of it before I send it off. Then I need to finish the little top I’m making for Amiya.