Frog Is A Four Letter Word

So I am unbelievably excited to be moving to Chicago in the spring! Get me outta here! I have been working on my house like mad and I think I've chosen a realtor. The packing, purging and painting will take up most of my October.

But this Sock Wars stuff has really sold me on socks, in fact I put my name in the pot for Socktoberfest! I have a pair of socks that has been waiting to be finished for, like, two years. And thanks to my brief fling with fingerpuppets I have oodles of solid sock yarn and teeny tiny needles. I also bought more sock yarn last week. So I was planning on working on socks in October anyway, why not.

Here's the part where I display my loosening grip on reality...

My garage, attic, workshop and closets are JAM PACKED with shit that has to be donated or packed. I have all my pictures and personal effects to pack up so I can paint my entire house. I have more yard work than I can accomplish to give my house "curb appeal" and I have to buy and erect a fence to keep my dogs at the bf's house. But instead of doing all of that, I am knitting socks because, hey, the stash needs to be packed up, too. And actually the more finished objects I knit out of the stash, the smaller it will be. So instead of buildings full of stuff, why not get rid of a 50 gram ball of yarn?

Makes perfect sense to me!

The Sock Wars socks are progressing nicely. This alpaca makes it such a pleasurable knit! (By the way, check out Jenna's recently completed alpaca socks and adorable shoes.) In this pic I have finished the leg portion and started the heel flap (HAHAHA, I just mistyped that 'hell flap' which may prove to be more accurate!).



When the pattern was posted, I started rewriting it for toe-up, then I was like, "Laura, you're stupid" because let's not make things harder than they have to be. But you can see I did use the two socks on two circs method and it is interesting. At this point I still like magic loop better, but let's face it. I have yet to finish a second sock with magic loop and that may be its achilles heel.

My assassin has already contacted me for my address so I fear my doom is nigh. However, my Kill Bill marathon should arrive via netflix tomorrow and that will provide me with some quality weapon-knitting time. Until then, I am watching a little bit of young Russell Crowe and hoping the mail is really slow from Ontario. Haha.

Well my first swatch on #3's for Sock Wars was a bit big so I did another one last night on #2's. Neither of these makes for good blog photos, but that's all I have at the moment.



Isn't that the blandest photo ever? Well, whoever my target is won't think "bland" since the yarn is baby alpaca! It was the only yarn I had in my stash of the right weight, plus it will be a sweet JOY to knit. And my target can always dye it after I assasinate them. Today the pattern we must use for Sock Wars will be released and it's kinda fun that I can check my email every so often while I'm working on my sewing job.

I am going to miss this "make my own schedule" thing when I have to get a real job. Speaking of jobs, I just started a p/t job at a nearby florist/garden center/christmas shop. It's a total treat--I get to decorate christmas trees and play with flowers and kitties for half a day!

This weekend's in-flight knitting is brought to you by Leftovers!



I made up these wristlets using leftovers from N#6's Madeleine sweater and those itty bitty japanese circular needles I found a while ago.

So I just got back from a huge day at the beach with my bro, sil and niblings #3, #4 and #6. Tonight I will continue swatching for Sock Wars so to keep you entertained, here are some links for various cool things I saw, bought or did in Chicago. Most of these are from Renegade.

I bought some lip balms from Biggs and Featherbelle. Turns out they're from Maryland. Hey ladies!

I picked up some hand-dyed cotton and a cute crochet pattern from Lampe's Lumps.

Got a little map pin from EKRA.

Found a felting kit at Felt Cafe.

Kate Gadd had some gorgeous glass pendants and it was hard to choose only one.

I found a gift for hip N#1 at Rotofugi.

If there were a Sprout Home anywhere near me I would have the bitchingest yard ever.

Spent quite some time browsing Caravan Beads.

We hiked to Knit1 for a trunk show and I bought a few things, surprise!

I think Knitting Workshop was nice, but honestly it was so fucking hot in that store, I could not stay.

The artform that is fondue dining is practiced masterfully at Geja's Cafe.

Oh, I know there are tons of other fun things I could show you, but I have to save something for a slow news day!

Hey gang, I'm back from Chicago and had an awesome trip! I'll write up a bit more of what I did in a while, but I am DYING to show you this birthday present I made for M. I gave it to her this weekend so now I can share it with you! (Knitting will be back tomorrow.)

I started with a regular ole t-shirt from Target. One of the cool things about making stuff for M is that she's so much smaller than me, there's no chance of me stealing the gift when it's done. Because I SO would have on this one!



Then I made hundreds of teeny tiny resists--yes, this is shibori, or tie-dyeing. Horsey people will know exactly where I got my cheap, tiny rubber bands.



Folks, this took fucking forever! But I love the results so much, it's worth it. Doesn't this look like a work of art all by itself?



Then I assembled my supplies for discharging, not dyeing. Big stainless pot, rubber gloves, dye-only utensils, thermometer, synthrapol, thiourea dioxide and soda ash. What you don't see in the picture are all the open windows, fans and mask I was wearing. Dude, discharging stinks!



I presoaked the shirt and heated about half a gallon of water to 185 degrees, then added my chemicals. Then I put the shirt in and stirred it around until it started changing colors (about 7 minutes). It was kinda grey and yuck-yuck, but I had thought of overdyeing as an option, so no big deal.



So I plunged it into a sink full of ice water and BAM!!! it was a gorgeous shade of green that couldn't have been more perfect! It still looks a wee bit grey in this pic, but it's also because it's wet.



So I washed it with synthrapol, removed the rubber bands and washed it a few more times. Did I mention discharge stinks?



I love the way it turned out. When you discharge something you bought pre-dyed, you really have no clue what it will discharge to, which to me is great! I thought if I didn't like the color it discharged to, I would leave the rubber bands in and either pole wrap it or put more bands in and overdye it. But this green with the orginal purple is so perfect.



I hope M wears it to yoga and takes lots and lots of custom orders because I thoroughly enjoyed this technique and result. Xmas gifts anyone?

I'm packing for my Chicago trip and naturally I must decide what to knit. My plane knitting will be something really tiny--a belt out of my leftover hemp (souvenir yarn from my last trip to Chicago!) on my tiny bamboo dpns I used to make my fingerpuppets. My other knitting will be my Mold vest. I'm on the front and it's mindless ribbing. I'm too concerned about lost/damaged luggage to pack my pneumonia shawl (all that work!) and my ebony needles.

I will start swatching for Sock Wars when I get back next week. Yarn Monkey has let us know what yarn/needles/gauge we will need to build our weapons. I think I have appropriate dpns but I really wanted to do magic loop. I guess I'll have to buy a new needle at one of the many shops I'll visit in Chicago. Darn.

His mother named him Quincy Ronald Briggs after the traveling evangelist she regrets not running off with.

The army named him Sargeant after seven years of commitment.

His enlisted men just call him 'Stache for his fabulous handlebar, but never to his face of course. That would get you latrine duty for three weeks.



I ran into Sarge while working in my yard last night. The bits of Ernesto that we got here uprooted several of my shrubs and I was replanting my yellow buddleia when I found him. He has a buddy--a civilian, mind you--under the downspout on the northwest corner of the house. I found that one years ago, but chose to leave him in his original place. Click here for a closeup of the facial hair. Dandy, no? And those soulful eyes...

Anyway, I finished the back of my green vest tonight. I was trying to think of a name for this project, "Hmm, what's fuzzy and green?" So let me introduce the Mold Vest.



It's a crappy picture, but oh well. It's just the back, nothing exciting yet. I've been working on this when I need a break from the teeny thready yarn of the pneumonia shawl. The vest is done on #10 needles, so it goes quickly. Mmmm vests.

What are you knitting right now?

Since I'm helping my grandmom now, I see her every week and we laugh and laugh and she gifts me with amazing knowledge like how to pick produce and the secret to baked macaroni and cheese. G-mom is the best cook ever and I don't have the heart to tell her that this awesome wisdom is completely lost on me. But I listen and nod my head and promise her I'll go right home and make lamb gravy. (Fuck! Just typing "lamb gravy" is making me so hungry for the dinner she made Sunday night. Divine!)

She also gifts me with special things she "wants to make sure get in my hands", like the Le Creuset pot. It's like she's executing her will before she needs to, but it works this way and she has peace of mind. This week I was cutting a slipcover for her (photo essay to follow!) and I bragged about my precision scissors I use. So she told me to go upstairs and look in the bottom drawer of some dresser.



These are all pinking shears from one of my departed great aunts (not the quilting one). Her mother worked for a tailor and taught her how to make her own kick ass clothes, which she did all her life. The woman even made her own winter coats! Anyway, the black handled "Wiss" ones feel the best in my hand, but need to be sharpened. And the pink handled unidentified ones cut the best. The silver "Griffon" pair are far too tiny for my hand and the Fiskars are so-so and need to be sharpened. Bleargh...just imagining the bill for sharpening pinking shears. Perhaps I'll just have the Wiss' done and put the others in "the collection".

Oh, and if anything would make you want to move to London, this would. Michelle opened Stash Yarns earlier this year and is looking for some part time help!!

The title isn't talking about tailoring my next sweater to fit my oxlike shoulders. Nope, it means I'm going to Chicago--City of Big Shoulders--again and this will be my last trip as a visitor! How awesome it is to say that! Next time I plan a trip it will be in a MOVING VAN, PEOPLE!!!

There are so many things about the town that just suit me. And M and I have noticed--even though it's sometimes a little eery--that I can find my way around anywhere, anytime in Chicago, but I'm hopeless anywhere else! I'm even smarter there--must be the crisp air!

So naturally this means visiting the knitters and yarn shops that I missed last trip. Lynette, that means you! And any other Chi knitters out there, give me a holler! So on our last trip, M and I checked out Loopy Yarns, Nina and Knitter's Niche. What should we put on our Must Visit list this time?

Oh before I forget, we'll be in town Sept. 14 through 18, so we'll be hitting RENEGADE, AW YEAH!! Will you be there? I'm so stoked and M is already planning to buy an empty suitcase once we arrive. I smell xmas presents! We were even contemplating trying to be among the first 500 people to show up to get a goody bag, but it all depends on how much liquid was consumed the night before.

Speaking of xmas presents and buying stuff from cool artists, I got some really stylin' prints from Aimee Ray at Little Dear. I planned for them to be gifted to Nibling #2, but she may never know! Mwaa haaa haaa.

And since the pneumonia shawl doesn't make for good progress pictures, here are some pics of this colorful week in my kitchen. Some tomatoes I canned for my grandmom...



A sugar baby...



And some salsa I made and canned along with a big pot my grandmom gave me.



The pot is something French and I'm told it's good. I'm sure you foodies out there are jealous, but I'll only manage to burn things in it. C'est la vie!

Oh man, sorry I've been out of comm. Having stupid computer issues and hopefully this holiday weekend I'll get them straightened out. I guess the way some people are attached to their cell phone or tv I am attached to my internet--do not mess with my internet! Anyway...

Last weekend I left my knitting bag at my mom's and she called me and left a message even before I got home, "Hihi. You left your knitting here, what do you want me to mail to you?" Don't you love that? She didn't even suggest anything like giving it back to me when I see her this weekend, oh no. She knows. "The post office opens at 8:00 so make sure to call me and let me know before then. K, byebye!"

So while I was waiting for the pneumonia shawl and my precious ebony needles to make it back to me, I finished up a charity blanket and got to the heel on my second sock of the infamous First Pair of Socks. It's warmup for Sock Wars! Also in that bag was a project that you haven't heard me talk about yet. It's a vest, surprise! Haha. I bought the yarn for my birthday last year (sorry, I know the pics are missing) and I figured if I start it now, it will be done in time for vest weather. I'll be getting that back from mom on Monday, so I'll show you a picture.

Take it easy!