Bullwinkle

Despite my tag line, I’m going to start with Knitting.  I’ll get to the dogs (and the dirt) tomorrow.

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Back when I carpooled to work, a friend and I would discuss the men in our lives and their ability to never finish home repair projects.  Not leave undone; but in order to fix X they had to take apart Y and in order to do that, they needed to replace Z … There seemed to be some critical mass of unfinished projects that was necessary before anything could be “done” (and cleaned up and put away).  The Critical Mass Theory of Project Completion was born.  To explain the phenomena is part practicality (a new Z is far heavier than the old and therefore ABC needs updating) and part psychology:  if you finish everything you won’t have anything to work on.

That is Startitis Justified.

I abandonned the Sundara Bird of Paradise socks.  For whatever reason these were not meant to be, for now.  I had a horrific time getting them started and when I got to the heel, I realized it wouldn’t fit.  Frogged.

I finished the last 10 rows of the toe on my second Opal Tiger Stripe Jaywalker socks and kitchenered it on the train this a.m:

Yes, they are fraternal.  I decided I was o.k. with that.

I cast on the STR Monsoon socks.  I’m going to do a basic top down garter rib leg; heel and toe to be determined (rather than the pattern sent.  Not as a reflection on the pattern sent, just it didn’t work out so good on the last sock.  I’m going for success this time.)  I knit on this for only a few rows today and the color is not as dark and gloomy as I expected.  The green is brilliant – it reminds me of the skunk cabbage in the woods. These will be my North Fields Socks (because that is what we call the woods).  One thing I did like from the Sundara pattern is the direction to cast on with two threads so I tried it again on these socks.

Sometime last week, when I I was futzing with the Morpheus scarf (which is frogged btw, for lack of proper pooling.  I’ll wait and pick it up again …)  I cast on for a log cabin blanket with some samples and leftovers:

The shaping looks a bit wonky in the picture, but not so much in real life.  And, since a blanket won’t be commuting knitting for long so I had to figure out a felted bag I needed.  This isn’t the one I want. ( I want something to hold my notebook in a soft leather briefcase). But for commuting knitting I cast on for a French Market Bag from Knitty.  I’m using this in Color 8.  (There’s only colors 1 -6 on the site.  Color 8 is a dusky purple, coppery rust, and bright green.

In the interest of Full Disclosure (are you still here??):  I tucked the ends under in this.  (Nope, it wasn’t actually finished when I last showed it.  And it didn’t get mailed on Friday either.  /sigh  post office issues.)

And since I don’t have a scarf, or lace, or Color on the needles:  I wound this:  Claudia Handpaints Sportweight Linen in the Carousel colorway.  It will become a one-skein triangle scarf.  I have some misgivings about this – I generally don’t like triangles – but I can’t see this becoming anything else.

Bob’s Vest?  Baby Sweater?  Nope.  It wasn’t that quiet.   

Score:  2 froggings, 2 finished items, and 4 Cast-ons.  Even Steven.

Wow.  Really?  Parts 6 & 7?   The goal is to get these in the post tomorrow.

First Up:  The Dulaan Avalanche Hat by Peggy Mccune

Its a quick simple knit on size US13/ 9 mm needles (and size US11′s/8 mm for the crown). 

I love I-cord top knots and crown shaping.

I was at a conference in Salt Lake City, in March of 2006.  I had something dark to work on (I don’t even remember what – probably socks because these are my standby for portable knitting.)  During the sessions, people kept turning out the lights (something about projectors and slides, whatever), I couldn’t see.  Maybe I was turning a heel?

I contemplated the many items I brought to possibly work on.  It must have been a dark time because there was only dark or non-portable projects.

As soon as I could, I ran off to Black Sheep Wool Co and explained the dilemma.  As if I could listen without moving my hands.  (Notes?  Who needs notes?  I had hard copies of all the slides.)  We came up with this — the Wavy Scarf from  Knitty  (done in Cascade Quatro in color 5011).  I believe I finished it shortly thereafter, but its never been worn.  So, its going to Mongolia. 

p.s. The pattern suggests a row counter.  I didn’t use one.  It may have been useful.

"You’re not gonna make me where that?  Are you?"

(Picture intense post)

Preconceptualization is a trap.  It is the picture in your mind of what the finished product will look like.  Rarely, and most frustrating, is the product as good as the image. 

I purchased the Morpheus Scarf kit from Morehouse Farm in Nov 2006.  Almost immediately, I caked the yarn and cast on.  I could not get the desired pooling.  I purchased the black and white colorway (as shown in the scarf kit photo).   It is a very simple dropped stitch pattern.  I didn’t really need a pattern, I needed the yarn that was only sold with the pattern.  The skeined yarn was white on the ends and black in the middle.  I liked the yin/yang effect.  I wanted pooling.  After several attemps, several more needles sizes, and much disappointment and cursing; I tossed it aside to be attempted another day. 

I came across the yarn and the pattern a few days ago.  I decided it would be the perfect scarf to wear to MDSWF (because I think like that.  Really.  And I’m not a fashion maven. I have work clothes (boring and blah) and I have dog/gardening clothes (jeans and old Tshirts/sweatshirts.)  Occasionally, I need to think in terms of "casual wear".  So I think, "I’ll make this scarf.  It is miles of garter stitch (once past the setup) and I can do that."

With some trepidation, and offerings to the knitting muses, I carefully unwound a part of the skein on the floor, around two cans of expensive dog food.  Yup, still white on the ends and still black in the middle. 

I carefully measure.  (I even measured the width of the cans and remeasured without the cans providing tension on the strands.)  54" is what I got.  (I considered calling Morehouse Farm and asking if they make 54" skeins.  I did not.)

I cast on again – marking the center of a white section.  This is the point,  where I needed to turn around and be going back.   I started with the suggested needle size (10.5/6.5 mm) and the suggested number of cast on stitches (53).  I ended up needing more stitches or it wouldn’t work. 

I frogged.  I estimated.  I cast on again.  The first turning point was good, the return was way off.  Rinse repeat.  It occurred to me (on the 3rd or 4th cast on) that cast on stitches may take more yarn than regular stitches.  I did not research.  I did not swatch.  I just grabbed some scrap yarn and chained about 100 stitches.  Then I did a provisional cast on – beginning at the start of a white section, through the white, through the black and halfway into the next white section (80+ stitches).  I knew this was more than I needed, but hoped it would allow the first row of knitting to have the desired pooling, which means that the next row might, and the next …

As I knit back across, I again marked the center of the white section at the end of the first row.  At that point, I turned around.  (There were 74 stitches in use.  I made it 75 and turned.)  As I reached the end of the second row, I was still lined up.  Now if the black "pool" zigs and zags across the scarf, I can live with that.

It started pooling and is now fading.  I don’t have a good feeling about this.  The jury is out.

Enough black and white, how about some color?

My cherry tree.  I looked out the bedroom window today and it made me smile.

A volunteer violet in the front lawn.  I wonder if it can be transplanted/saved from the mower?

Tulip.  (I may have figured out what’s wrong with the camera:  the battery (which can be replaced, but I doubt it is worth it.))

Dafodils.  What’s missing from the pix is the soggy squishy (rain-logged) ground, the gusty blustery whistling wind, and the dirty, dripping, happy dog.  But I can fix that last one: