Cat under the covers and SOS

Berocco Remix Strawberry before washing



Berocco Remix Strawberry after washing

Lady Kina so far

Toupie under the covers



 My Lady Kina has entered the SOS (sea of stockingnette) stage. I was actually able to knit several rows before and after my eye surgery on Friday. Knitting is SOOOO comforting when you are stressed. And I was stressed. The one question I always meant to ask and never did was exactly what the set up would be and how the surgery was done. Well it didn't live up to my Dr. Frankenstein concept of laying on a table and with a giant laser beam (usually used for shooting down asteroids) being beamed into my eye. It was all quite simple, except for twinges, painless; and over in less than 10 minutes. I'm now on anti-inflammatory drops 3x/d. Going to bed was an adjustment the first night: I've had to readjust my life to make sure I get the three sets of drops in at reasonable intervals before bed.

I wound the second ball of the Rowan Creative Focus and I don't think I will do it with subsequent balls as I continue the sos on the Lady Kina. I've noticed that there are thick and thin places in the yarn now. I've readjusted my knitting to compensate for them.

The Berocco Remix is an amazing yarn. 100% recycled fibers It is 30% Nylon, 27% cotton 24% acrylic10% Silk and 9% Linen. It is soft on the hands to knit. I read the reviews and had the same experience of it growing after washing and drying. It did bleed a little. I knit the sample in size 8, 5 and 7 needles. The bit knit at size 8 produces the most drapey fabric. Size 5 produces a firm but not stiff fabric. I'm seriously thinking about the Gansey Skirt for this yarn. As well as perhaps, one of the lap blankets I'm knitting for AKF walk.

Toupie, as you can see from the piccy, was using my grandmother's bedspread for a blankie while sleeping (until I showed up with the camera) under the covers before I got in bed last night.

Life and Knitting

Snow and sleet overnighit followed by freezing rain this morning. Not much accumulation but with that combination quantity is never the issue. I only listened to the local weather for about three minutes this morning. I turned off the radio the minute they started going to reporters based at various locations to report on "conditions."

Kitty, of course, had to see what all the fuss was about.

Piccy's of my Lady Kina. I've bound off and knit one sleeve. Getting ready to knit the back, bind off and knit the other sleeve. I have to confess, until about noon today, I’ve been knitting on faith and trust the the instructions were right. It seemed there were too many stitches and that this was going to be enormous. For the 100th time, I reread the instructions for where I was in the knitting and I where I needed to go and realized that I was at the point where it was time to place the stitch markers and start binding off for the sleeves. It was doing those steps for one sleeve and draping the knitting over my shoulders that showed me that so far this fits!!! I haven’t been this excited since I knit the heel and gusset on my first sock.

I'm really enjoying the Rowan Creative Focus yarn. It's a bit loosely spun, the alpaca content makes it hairy, but I'm glad I am knitting more of a vest with it than a sweater because it is going to be a garment that will keep me warm.

One of the bad things about shopping on the Internet is that since you don't bring the items home in hand, you often forget what you order. I bought several books with just lucious patterns and information. A Fine Fleece, Fresh Fashion Knits, Two Sticks and Strings were all purchased used but are in perfect condition. I also purchased Knit Fix from the KP sale, which has already helped me solve a consistent problem I've had with my knitting.

Because of a major meeting at work this year, I won't be able to participate in the AKF Steps That Count Walk. After looking at washcloths, discloths, cotton swifter covers, I've settled on knitting a couple of lap blankets for kidney patients that can be auctioned off at the walk.

I opened Netflix today and one of the recommended Watch Instantly categories based on my selected criteria was Critically Aclaimed Movies about Mid-Life Crisis. I was gobsmacked. Who wants to watch films like that on a dreary Saturday morning?

Wednesday, I was naughty or What a difference three inches makes

Finished the first of the mitered gloves last night. Using 8" size 5 dpns was slowing down my knitting, so yesterday on my way to meet some peeps for lunch, I did two things:

1. Cashed in my change, which netted a cool 105.35
2. Went to Looped Yarn Works for 6" #5 dpns; 24" #9 and #10 circular needles and to hopefully find a mohair yarn for cowl.

Now this was easy because the bank is on one side of the street and Looped is on the other side. :)

I looked at the sale table (always my undoing at Looped) touched one yarn and walked away. Found one skein of Rowan Kidsilk Haze in a wheat yellow colour. Wandered to the front room, turned right and there was Rowan Creative Focus in Golden Heather. A little history, I've moved this particular yarn in and out of my Webs basket over the past two weeks. As of 11:15 yesterday, it was out of my basket; and I had dismissed it on the premise that I don't need more yarn. It's gorgeous. It's a soft wool and alpaca blend and the color is amazing next to my skin. I scooped up one skein and headed to get my needles. I also bought a copy of Interweave Crochet Winter 2011 which I am still digesting.

Went off to meet the peeps for lunch. It really is so nice to have friends that you can be completely yourself with, who are as interested in you and your life as you are in them and their lives. We can be bitchy, supportive, get angry for and with, laugh with and at each other never disturbing that deep current of love and respect that we have for each other. Because there was a bit of to and frowing about where we were going to eat--we almost always end up at the same place--we decided before leaving Nicola's to have our next lunch at Grillfish on January 26.

I have been eating at Nicola's for about seven years, mostly eating the buffet which at $11.00 including beverage and a pasta dish, is really one of the best bargains in town. But yesterday was cold and blustery and I wanted something warm. I tried the Fusili Luciana. OMG, what have I been missing for seven years. Al dente roti with sundried tomatoes, shrimp and a sprinkling of fresh arugula in a marscapone and white wine sauce.

What a difference three inches makes! I was easily able to whip through and finish the first mitered mitten last night. Have cast on for the second mitered mitten. Saturday morning will be devoted to doing EZ's thumb trick. Oh yeah and btw, after arriving home and petting Toupie, I logged on to Webs and bought 7 skeins of the Rowan Creative Focus in the Golden Heather colourway.

During my week of knitting, I've been tidying (in a rather uninspired way), cooking, playing with Toupie, and watching a few series on Netflix. I rewatched Ken Burns's Jazz series. It still hasn't infused me with an appreciation of jazz after circa 1940. It still seems to me that the conversation that is jazz started to speak a foreign language that I can't understand.