Snow and Spring

We were promised (threatened) with 1" by morning and snow showers throughout the day. It's cold sunny and not a flake to be found. My photography book won't be here for another week, so I am struggling with the camera manual and learning a few things. Plus M gave me a link to a website that is helping.

Above is my gauge swatch for the Atalanta sweater. As you can see, when you have a cat, they simply must be at the center of everything. The second picture is the first one I took. The first picture is after I made adjustments to the camera color setting to more truly represent the colour of the yarn. I also did a white balance adjustment before shooting.

I've knit the bottom of the swatch on size 5 dpns; the blue strip starts the size 6 needles using magic loop. The yarn is cotton. I will measure the swatch when I finish; wash; block, wait for it to dry and measure again. I'm excited because this sweater not only has 7%positive ease in the bust but it instructions for bust darts are included in the pattern and it is knitted top down so I can try it on as I go.

Both socks

Right Sock w/heel flap

Fleegle Heel, Left Sock

The photos above are the toe up socks. The right sock was knit using Wendy Johnson's Toe Up Socks with a Difference pattern: gusset on the bottom; traditional heel flap. Notice the extra fabric both around the heel and on the top of the foot. The left sock was knit using the Fleegle Heel. No extra fabric at the top or around the heel and ankle. I'm sure I could make adjustments in the number of stitches to get a better fit with the heel flap (the gusset is nice and cushy). The disincentive is the Fleegle Heel is fiddle free right off the pattern page.

The nice thing is although these socks were knit more experimentally than originally planned, they really are comfy on. I'm a handknit sock convert.

2012 The Movie: Spoiler Alert

This wasn't as dreadful as all the reviews I heard led me to believe it would be. What would have made it so much better is if they'd done a better set up of the premise up front establishing all the characters' relationships and also let the viewer in on what had actually been planned at the G8 Summit in the beginning of the movie. The crazy person who knows what's coming role wasn't that convincing because Cusack seemed to be the only one tuning in. I think most of the audience didn't get the irony at the end. The special effects were really astounding.

The annoyances were the cliche Mum's in another relationship because Dad was too absorbed with something else to pay attention to her or the kids (who are now either clingy or angry with him). The character with an Alexander Haig-sized ego who "takes over", lacks humanity, and gets it in the end.

Toupie's First Video

Just ordered and received the neatest thing: Rocket Air. It clears dust (and in my case crumbs) from your keyboard, camera lenses; in short, it’s an environmentally sound alternative to canned air and more effective because it doesn’t get cold and stop working and there's no detachable nozzle to lose. I bought the large size because I tend to munch and compute.

I stumbled on this case for data keys when I bought my 8GB key for knitting patterns.

Today was like yarn Christmas:

I bought a skein from The Uncommon Thread:
Colourway: Squirel Nutkin
Fibre: BFL Sock 400m/100g/437yds 1.33ft.
I had to look up Squirrel Nutkin. Clearly, I never read Beatrix

Potter.

Also today came my samples of Knit Picks Aloft. Knit Picks is no longer doing color sample cards, so members of the forum on Ravelry offer to do samplers. 5 yard samples of each colour of the yarn are sent to those who subscribe. I couldn't get really good piccys because of the furry beast who lives with me. This is a stunning yarn. I can easily see Jade Aloft combined with Gloss Lace Peapod as well as a half dozen other combinations.

The four skeins I ordered from 62 Degrees North came. I know it’s bad, but I think I will sit down and knit a swatch tonight.

Of course someone furry had to get in on the act.

Innocent looking, isn't he? Don't let that handsome face fool you. He's adorable but bad.

No Flap Top Down Heel and Gusset

In green above are pictures of a no flap heel and gusset from Gerdine Crawford-Strong for cuff down socks. To quote the Ravelry entry:

This technique is ideal for self-patterning Fair Isle or striped yarn. You can continue with one skein of yarn without creating any distortion of the yarn pattern at the ankle or heel without switching to another skein.

Hence, the photo of the Tucson Socks which show massive pooling around the ankle and heel using the traditional heel-flap and gusset method.

As I knit the sample, I realized immediately how this prevents pooling and eliminates the need to switch skeins. The only thing for it was to frog the Tucson sock back to just before the heel flap. So in went the lifeline and the ripping began. There is still some pooling, but nothing like the great gobs of colour I had before.

The pumpkin socks are coming along. I've completed the heel on sock one and am now knitting the leg. It is slow going with the 00 needles because my fingers get tired.

April 7 begins the top down KAL. I'm doing the Gansey Sock. I will be doing the Strong heel and probably a three-needle bind-off for the toe. I haven't decided on the yarn.

I am trying a new recipe for curied cauliflower. If it works, it will post it.

Like a lot of people, events in the world so far this year have kept me glued to the news. What I have most appreciated is the ability to see and hear via the Internet events from the viewpoint of peoples in the region instead relying on the reporting from the national networks or CNN. Al-Jazeera has been incredible covering events in the North Africa and the Middle East.

Hull or Husk

Today started out warm and rainy. It rained all day getting progressively windier and chilly. Not a very appetizing day for a smoke break, but when I went out after lunch, I discovered the ledges of the tree boxes were covered in bits that looked remarkably like the hulls or husks from popcorn...you know, the yellow transparent bits that get stuck in your teeth. Looking up at the trees, what had been closed buds were now opened budding clusters. The wind and the rain had knocked the hulls or husks off the buds.

It was a wonderous discovery and I realized that I'd never bothered to investigate buds before.

Traffic, of course, was a bit snarled. Riding public transport you are always dealing with what arises. The first bus I got on this evening had the heat on. The second bus had the AC blasting. I was grateful to get a seat, but not to feel like a birdseye vegetable by the time I got home. A large mug of African Rooibos tea soon took the chill off.

I discovered African Rooibos quite by accident. I was looking for Lapsong Soochong and there wasn't any on the shelves. So I picked up theAfrican Rooibos instead. Now I have at least three cups every evening.

Speaking of drinks, I had a Diet Pepsi last week. First time in about 8 weeks. It tasted like chemicals. Even the bite of the fizz, which I used to love so much, was a turn off.

I'm quite wacked this evening. It's been an action-packed week: Losar Celebrations on Saturday; I volunteered to aid at Contentment in Everyday Life on Monday; I coordinated this month's Learning to Meditate class on Wednesday and I've been getting up early these last two mornings to watch the Karmapa's Spring Teaching.

I am almost at the point of starting the gusset on the Pumpkin Socks.

Metro Yarn Crawl

Woo Hoo! This is going to be fun. The Metro Yarn Crawl

I've added Knit Meter to the blog more as encouragement to knit down the ole stash. It will also be nice to see how much I have knit by the end of the year.

The big inroads need to be made in lace weight. In 2009 I bought some lace weight samplers and closeout colours. I've started another Ishbel but I need to do something challenging like a Swallowtail, since nupps are something I want to conquer.

Next is the stash of Palette. Again, the samplers and kits got me. I think I will do fingerless and other mittens as well as socks and a few hats.

I should knit a kitty bed for Toupie.

The KP Shine Worsted will be snuggles for kitties up for adoption.

Tonight I stir fried veggies for lunches this week. I shouldn't be surprised, but it really is remarkable how much is saved by taking lunch.

Daylight Savings Time starts this Sunday. It will be nice to have sunlight to lengthen the evenings.

March Socks

Mistresses Seasons 1 and 2

Okay, this is bordering on TV trash and I'm the first to confess that with the exception of Jessica, the decisions made by the other three well-educated women in this series haven't made me just cringe. But it's all great mindless fun and a bit soapy and let's face it: I can't wait for season 3 to be released in the US. Of course a big part of the attraction for me is being able to watch an entire season at in one go on Amazon....

And knitting my March kal sock while I watch. I think I've made a mistake in the toe increases: I increased twice on each needle instead of twice each round. So the toe is pointed, but I stopped once the point covered my ring toe or at 74 stitches. After knitting an inch, I still wasn't getting negative ease, so I decrease 10 stitches. I'm using Knit Picks Gloss Fingering with size 00 dpns. It's making a very dense fabric that hugs my foot like a glove.