Change of Seasons

We have changing weather every day. There is a bit of hot summer in there, but really just changing. I worked nights this weekend- it's good to sleep on a rainy day. This is my turn around day. If I had flown across the continent, this is the day I would unpack, do laundry and answer emails. I am not too badly jetlagged, but my reliability is a bit shakey. Usually I have to be careful about picking up my knitting on my cranky pants day because I start ripping. But last night I was comforted by the Woodland Shawl and watching Bones all by myself. Thd dark Cascade Heritage sock yarn did not stymie me because of my new lamp. Yay.

This morning I figured out the Ten Stitch Blanket. I'm using blue fuzzy yarn my sister bought to make sweaters for her little boys. They are grown and getting married now and she destashed when she moved to the ranch. I think it will please her to have the yarn used for a special co-worker's third son.

My baby is going to camp to be a counsellor this summer. She is almost packed and we should have left 15 minutes ago. Sometimes I think if she had a better mother, she'd be ready. But I also try to give her the space for her big personality. They love her at camp and have known her since before she was born. I nursed up there pregnant (twice). I'm nursing the last week in July, my birthday, as I did so many years in a row. Must start packing.

All Knits

Whoot highspeed internet. Finally got the knitting shots on blogger. D was on the phone for over half an hour again after our kind Scottish contractor came out to say there was nothing wrong on our end.

In other news, the Maltnomah shawl is growing. I hope to make the lace much wider as I have more yarn than it calls for. I now call this the Coquihalla colourway because Erin didn't name it. I was lucky to find 2 balls.

Can you see the green shiny beads. They are subtle but they will add nice weight as with my Ophidian.

Sweet Georgia is queen! She wins the miss congeniality as well as most beautiful for this merino silk 50/50. And Ishbel loves her.

Planning ahead for MIL's 70th. I made her sister a Kiri of magenta Kid Silk Haze. I know she will never wear a shawl, but probably would like to "have" one. I'm going to knit this Panda Silk in Meandering Vines Shawl. I look forward to it, even if it only comes to one party, its debut. I romantically dream she will one day wear it to the weddings of my children. As long as I can pad my dreams from reality. I will knit anyway.

Are You There Blog? It's Me, Angie

I finally managed to get some photos on the blog. I'm praying that is holds. Telus is coming today and I have to vent my rage before I talk the the technician who has no fault in this scramble. Last Friday I slept till 2 (worked nights) then we travelled the almost 3 hours to Kamloops. There was teenager angst, but I think it was worth it to have our family together and spend time with my sister at her ranch.

Emily picked eggs right away, she loves the chickens. I bought extra to donate to my friend, Bev who is selling bread to support an orphanage in her old community in Jamaica. On Saturday Julie took us out for a ride. This is me brushing up Chex. Until last spring he was a very well behaved stallion. Julie has several nice foals from him. Now he is a well behaved gelding. Thanks D.

Everywhere you look there is a changing vista. The hollow emptiness of wide fields and changing sky. It's very cowboy. I wonder if I could paint any of this?

We stopped for a snack and just let the horses graze like they do in the movies. Her horses are so well trained, they just hung around and grabbed at the unusually green grass. They've had lots of rain, too. This was their first warm and sunny day, but the sky was closing in with thunder heads.

Thanks for a great ride. We stayed for supper and got home really late, but it was lots of fun. Hope your solstice party is a hit.

Trying To Post

We have had no internet for days. Imagine my suffering!
Right now I'm trying to download pictures of our trip to the ranch and it keeps crapping out.
There has been knitting but the pictures won't stick. I even bought some banboo and silk today for a September birthday shawl.
I have been able to read a few of your blogs, but I want to put my pictures up!
Yesterday started being summer. Maybe tomorrow will start being the 21st century.

Gansey Gone Awry

Warning: Those of you who are queesy may always think twice before accepting a dinner invitation at our home. I am a nurse and my husband is a dairy vet- and I can gross him out! But this is a tale of a sweater that tried to carry on forever and bit me in the end. See that three stitch steek? It is not enough. A small steek is 5 stitches. Watch and learn.

I sewed each stitch to the one above it by hand because I grew up embroidering and making stuffed toys out of my older sisters fabric scraps while watching Bugs Bunny. I lived in that kind of home where the four of us would shout "Mice!" and pick up scissors and thread.

After the hand stitching I crocheted the steek because I'm pretty comfortable with crochet although my hand is no longer- a horse back riding injury.

The trick is to crochet the furthest leg of the v. Why didn't I do that? Can I plead debilitating allergies, or allergy medication? Don't know. Don't do it. Wouldn't do it again.

You think these stitches are bad? I took the whole knitting vomit to my friend Jean's knitting circle and soon discovered whole swathes of unhinged stitches. Oh yah, then the crochet cord pulled out of a whole row. Screw it, I said with my tea getting cold and scones in my teeth. I'll blanket stitch the bastard. I should have done that in the first place, although it made it gapey and rippley.

Could the selvege be salvaged?

Gratuitous gore.

Yes. I sewed the seams- without tears or alcohol!! And nephew # 6 got the sweater this weekend and said, "Oh, sure, now that it's hot." But you have to know him and he did say thanks and put it back in the bag. He wasn't expecting a gift and I think he liked the colour because it's one of the only ones I've ever seen him in. I have to follow up with the wool specs (Patons Classic Wool) and the washing instructions: don't even think about it and don't let your mother. I'll do it myself.

So it has flown the coop, leaving me scarred and shaking and turning to merino silk lace. Whew! Next time I'll.. what am I saying?!!!

New Window

My computer is back. Actually he put all my stuff in a new faster, slicker computer. There will be glitches as I figure out the new pathways of Windows 7. I have to reinstall a few programs, but what a relief.
You missed the steeking debaucle. There will be pictures, but they'll come with a warning. I managed to surf the interweb a bit and comment on a few blogs, but it was like being shackled. I missed y'all.
Today is cooking turkey and packing to go to the ranch in Kamloops for a bit of a birthday party for D. But tonight I work nights. Whew.
Emily has her two final exams for grade 11 tomorrow before we go as well. Whew.
I am knitting on the Ishbel in Sweet Georgia blackberry merino lace. I'm still on the Slip Jig Rockin Sock Club. The new shipment came and I went "meh". I'll do the Raven next instead. I'll probably swap this cream with barely colour.
Because I'm working nights, I very cleverly anticipated not being clever and cast on the Multnomah shawl in the Zen from Twist of Fate. It's mostly garter stitch and I like what it's doing with the variegation. Sorry no pics just yet. I'll try to interface with the camera and the new computer when I get back from the ranch. Thanks for hanging in there with me.

Crash and Burn

I am posting from D's laptop because my computer is in the tech hospital. So sad. Very disturbing and rather irritating. Everything was backed up and it crashed during a scan, so I have hope.
But I have no pictures to show you the finished "Mixed Greens" shawl I made for our camp director. I gave it to her lastnight after a gruelling board meeting and I hope it brings her some comfort. It makes me cautious to be happy about my home and marriage and job and good fortune. I pray her path will get a bit easier.
I am also in the process of steeking the giant grey gansey. I sewed (by hand) all the stitches down either side of the stitch I will cut. Then I decided to crochet as well. Just to be safe. I need to measure the sleeves against my resident over 6 foot tall young man to see if they're long enough. Then I'll cast them off, cut (yes cut) the steek and start the finishing.
The Ishbel cast on like a dream and I'm in heaven over the Sweet Georgia silk/merino. Yum. This makes up for the loss of cupcakes and cookies somewhat as I try to shed one size before the summer wedding.
Also happily skipping along is the Slip Jig sock from the Rockin Sock Club.
So I have no reason to dwell on the carcass of my computer. I will take a drive in the suddenly summer weather and then enjoy a lazy afternoon on the deck while our plumber upgrades our toilets to fancy shmancy low flush. Isn't I exciting?
Reporting from the desk of the wreckage.