Relocation Complete
OK, this part is for anyone who is interested in continuing to read about my personal dramas. If so, please email me at jrberry63 AT woh DOT rr DOT com to receive URL and password info.
The rest of you, keep watching for knitting content. I promise there will be some. In fact, I'm happy to report that there was plenty of knitting this weekend. I worked on the 2006 Christmas Scarves (yes, that's not a typo), the Nancy Bush Traveller's Socks, and the Waving Lace Socks.
I finished Sock #1 of Waving Lace. Ends woven in, toe kitchenered. All I gots ta do is wash and block. Oh, and knit Sock #2.
As for the Travellers, I noticed a big gauge discrepancy between them and the Waving Laces. The Wavings were knit on size #1 Crystal Palace DPNs. The Travellers were cast on to size #0 Addis. The Travellers were at least 2 inches wider than the Wavings, which actually fit.
I decided to swatch (OMG, stop the presses) AND (sit down) wash/block the swatches.
It appears that I need to do these on size #000. Or whatever those teensy tiny blue Susan Bates hypodermic needle-type DPNs are that I scavenged from my needle stash.
Good grief.
In other news, Friday afternoon was lovely, and I finally spent some time playing with my horse. I even rode around bareback for awhile. It was good.
Labels: breaking news, FOs, the big secret, WIP, Xmas
A Tiny Reveal
OK.
Things have progressed enough that I feel it's safe to pass along a tiny clue as to the nature of the Big Secret.
It has to do with imports.
I'm importing something very special from Nebraska that will hopefully make many positive impacts upon my life. It's something I had before, a long time ago, but lost in space and time. By some miracle of fate, I've found it again. It has been rediscovered. This import will be arriving within the next two weeks. Maybe by the end of the week. Depends on the loose ends that need to be tied up first and how fast they can be tied up. I may be travelling to Nebraska to assist with the import process.
Since I know you're all wracking your brains trying to figure out what the heck could be imported from Nebraska that is so special it warrants a veil of secrecy the size of George Bush's brain (in opposite proportions), I'll refer to an
earlier post. Those of you with eagle eyes should be able to figure it out. Yes, you can post your hypotheses in the comments. :-)
(If anyone is reading this who already knows everything, no telling! Let's keep the fun going.) More on this topic later on. Da doo ron ron ron, da doo ron ron.
PS: I know I missed Tuesday InsaKnitty again, but you'll all have to excuse my absence. I'm cleaning the house like a madwoman in order to make room for the Import.
Labels: the big secret
Minor Update II
KnittingHorrible. I washed and blocked all 16 of my TKGA Master Hand Knitter L1 swatches over the weekend and to my utter horror, learned a tragic lesson in gauge and
why it is so important to wash and block gauge swatches before beginning any projects.My swatches GREW. Enormously.
My four-inch swatch became 5+ inches upon hitting the juice. Dear God. No amount of scoonching and squinching would make them conform to anything close to four inches.
With much resignation, I dug out smaller needles and worked up two swatches of garter and stockinette and washed and blocked. Huh. I used the same yarn—different color—and needles one and two sizes smaller... and got two swatches that are perfectly four inches. Shouldn't one be smaller? (Or was I distracted watching
Sid & Nancy for the 45th time and didn't notice I used the same size the second time?)
I IZ KORNFUZZED.
Oh, well. I guess I'll reknit a couple on the #7's in the off-white yarn and see if the results match. This means, sadly, that I will not make my self-imposed deadline of one year by mailing them on the 31st. Oh, well.
HomefrontCleanliness. Organization. Words that, when used in a sentence along with my name, used to invoke giggles from my friends. I'm pleased to report that the small bathroom has achieved a state of dirt nirvana. It is CLEAN. It was swept AND mopped. OK. So I've managed to sweep and mop an entire 24 square feet of a 1400 sq ft house, to take out five bags of garbage, and to sweep up dustbunnies from the kitchen and utility room. It's a start. One room down. Nine to go.
The Big SecretGetting closer to The Reveal. The timetable shifts now and then, but otherwise it's going as planned. My phone bill may be enormous. Is 7.5 hours a long time to chat?
MusicSuccess! The drum tracks for the test file arrived, my bass part went down easily, I uploaded it to the brand new Wiki the keyboardist set up (we are SO techie it's disgusting), and the guitarist has downloaded it and is working on his aspect. I just picked up a copy of
Cubase Studio 4 recording software, and I'm learning to use that. Why, when I have a 24-track digital recording machine? Uh... because everyone else on this project has it? So file transfer will be easier. Move over, graphics software. The audio software has taken over.
Other Changes
Somebody actually made it to the gym four times in two weeks. Somebody actually might stick with it this time. It helps that the community center is so nice, clean, modern and accessible, and that there is rarely anyone in there during the hours I prefer (I like to workout pretty much alone).
Labels: boring household crap, music, the band, the big secret, TKGA Masters Level One
People Are Strange But Some Are Fun
So I just got a call from a cousin in Southern Ohio regarding my grandma's house. Apparently, because we are selling off "the family home", my sister and I are in deep doo-doo and everyone is mad at us. I had called this cousin last week to ask questions that might help us with the decisions surrounding the house sale. I picked this cousin based on the strength of the cousin's relationship with my Mother.
Seems I picked wrong.
Not a very nice call.
It was one of those calls where the words sounded nice, but you could feel the revile rolling off of the person and the bitterness and anger and downright ball of snark being directed at me.
I guess if we sell off Granny's home, Sister and I become persona non grata in the family.
Another of my mother's cousins down in Florida spoke with me a month ago. She is a very nice old lady. She shared with me the difficulty (emotionally) that she had with selling off her own large property down there—then she warned me. She said nobody in the family wanted her house, but because she sold it off, they were all mad at her and no longer speaking to her.
Oh, well.
They have had every opportunity to make us an offer. If they can't, or don't want to, and it gets sold to an "outsider", then they'll just have to live with themselves because I am not going to jeopardize MY future because of the threat of family snobbery. Let them snub me. If that's the kind of people they are, then maybe my Mother's family isn't as nice as we've all been lead to believe.
It is interesting how the TRUE personalities of people emerge following a significant death or life transition.
Hmmph.
In other news, things are still progressing on the Big Secret Front. The funny thing is, it seems really huge to me, but I'll bet once the secret is out, everyone who is currently on pins and needles will deflate and say, "OH. Is
that all it was?" Or not. Time will tell.
It was quite a rowdy, enjoyable time last night at the Yarn Haven Tuesday InsanKnitty (yay we picked a name!)! Finally I got to meet
Becky! It was so crowded that
Karen,
Sarah Lou, Becky and I moved to the porch. The weather was lovely—a tad muggy but not too hot—and the innuendos and crazy stories were flying! Thank you Becky for righting my wrong. Silly me. I'd cast on and was knitting on a chemo cap in the round and put it down to go to the bathroom. When I returned, I picked it up wrong (or was laughing too hard to realize what I was doing) and accidentally short-rowed myself. I noticed the ribbing looked wonky after a few rows. Becky was kind enough to undo and reknit my work for me.
Anybody know if there is a big market for Gorilla-Butt Shavers?
Labels: estate nonsense, family time, knit night, the big secret
Minor Update
The Big SecretSo far, things are moving along nicely. There are good reports arriving from points West. The timetable appears to have moved up by a couple of weeks—fingers crossed. It will be great.
KnittingI know I haven't posted many photos here lately (of yarn, anyway). As a reward, I'll post some of my latest Stash Acquisitions, just for sticking it out this long. ;-) I have completed all 16 of my TKGA Masters Level One swatches. They just need washed, blocked, woven in ends, labelled, and packaged up. I'm in the middle of the hat. Yes, it's a low-key knit. But that's OK, as my mind is still a ball of mush and thinking (ie doing cables) is difficult for me right now. If I keep at it, I'll make my goal and have this out the door before the end of the month.
I'm also still working on the Waving Lace Socks and have added the Spiralling Sock from one of my KALs to the list. Too many socks. Not enough time!
MusicHurrah for me, I've written a song. I'm 95% certain the latest edition of the lyrics is the final cut; but that could change depending on what my muse decides. (My muse being that great creative force in the sky.) Why this is monumental is because I haven't written a song since my parents became ill, let alone pick up my guitar. But I got all the recording gear set up, and Ron had emailed me some music needing lyrics, and one of them really struck a chord with me (no pun intended). I work in spurts. I listen, I hum along, I see where the melody wants to go. Then I mumble any snippets of words that come to mind. When it stops freeflowing, I stop, put it away, and let it marinate. I've been humming this song to myself for a week straight, watching it write itself in my head. I'm pretty satisfied with the latest version of the lyrics, but I'm not sure I've quite said what I want to say exactly how I want to say it.
Still, it feels good to be back in the swing of it again.
HorsesDo I have horses? I seem to have forgotten again.
CatsAll fine and furry as usual.
Estate BSStill BS. But we're close to finishing up. Good, because I'm so tired of it. I want it wrapped up and the spoils dispersed equitably and ASAP. I've been living under the black cloud of this stuff for a full year now, following almost a full year of watching the parents go downhill. It's time for a positive change. It's time to get out from under the cloud, back into the sunshine, and live again. My horoscope swears that as of or around September 28th, I'll enter a fantastic period that'll last through May 9th where basically everything I ever wanted will arrive. Buh-RING IT AW-won!
LotteryHopefully I have the winning ticket tonight. We'll see.
That's all, folks.
Oh, yeah, pictures.
Dalegarn Tiur for the Winter Garden Socks (from Knit Socks!)
Sleeping Dragon Sock Yarn in Roses & Chocolate
Twisted Fiber Arts Arial Sock Yarn in Regiment
Hopefully these are visible and clickable. First time using Flickr to post (usually I use PhotoBucket). This is just a taste of what I snagged at Threadbear two weekends ago. Yuuuuumy. Sock yarn.
*sluuuuurrrrp*
Labels: cats, estate nonsense, horses, music, stash enhancement, the big secret, TKGA Masters Level One
