Dear Denise

Yes, I know that I swore that you were the best knitting needles around and promised to be true to you forever. But then Lt. Nate's sweater came along and, well, it's really heavy and there's lots of it and, well, using you was just making knitting a chore. I kept wondering why my hands and arms were stiff and achy in the morning after working on the good lieutenant's birthday sweater. Sorry, Denise, but it was because the yarn just didn't flow smoothly around the cord and got hung up on the little joins. Then the ultimate downer...I pulled to move the sweater around the cable and one needle came off and I dropped a bunch of stitches. That was the last straw. So, I've found another.

Yes, amid lots of cursing and fuming I picked up the stitches, put down the sweater and immediately ordered a set of Knit Picks Options. I just had to see if they lived up to all of the hype.

They do.

Wow.

They're absolutely fabulous. Lt. Nate's sweater is winging along. I'm finally about ready to join the raglans and work down the body. The yarn moves smoothly and easily around the little cable and the needles are sharpish, even on these size 10s. These needles make knitting a real joy. I've already gone back to order more, because I'm one of those people who always has 3 or 4 projects on the needles, which is easy to do with the Denise Interchangeables. It will be just as easy with the Options. Whoopee!!! These might even give my beloved Inox circs a run for their money. I'm going to give them whirl on some sockies.

I won't get rid of my other sets (I have 2). Yet. They will go back in the needle drawer for a nice long rest.

Look, there's Lt. Nate now!

This and That

So, I may be a Gryffindor. I guess that's great. Is there anything I can do to save the day in this last book that we're all eagerly anticipating? Looks like I'm qualified!
The last Harry Potter book hasn't come out, and I wonder how it will all end. I'm still not over the murder of Dumbledore at this time, although I must admit that it wasn't entirely unexpected that he would be "killed off." Harry's on his own, now!!!
We should not expect JK to write any more Harry Potter books, but I do hope that she stretches her extraordinary literary talents to another series...maybe another genre? She shouldn't stop writing. (If I had her money now, I'd do whatever I wanted, so who am I to tell JK what to do?)
I think I'm getting bored here on summer vacation. I miss oldest, who is out doing Army stuff, but not out of reach. He's so great. I guess I'm ready to get back to being a third grade teacher here pretty soon.
Lots of knitting and crochet going on. I'm past the heel on my Buckeye socks. They're knit in that lovely Blueberry Waffle stitch in the Claudia's handpainted socks Buckeye colorway. I love them and hope that they won't be too big for me. Oh well if they are, I'll give them to Sister Baby or my Mother who both have enormous feet. (they both are size 9 plus and I'm a 7 1/2. What gives?
Isn't it nice to have options?

I'm a Gryffindor

The sorting hat says that I belong in Gryffindor!

Said Gryffindor, "We'll teach all those with brave deeds to their name."

Students of Gryffindor are typically brave, daring, and chivalrous.
Famous members include Harry, Ron, Hermione, Albus Dumbledore (head of Hogwarts), and Minerva McGonagall (head of Gryffindor).

Take the most scientific Harry Potter Quiz ever created.

Get Sorted Now!

Wow! I'm in good company! Now, where's my wand?

My new Title

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Grace Lady Susan Wike the Undulant of Giggleswick on the Naze Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

The Frustration Continues

Now that I'm able to blog with ease, the d*** camera cord won't work. (Sorry for the ***s. My mother might read this and frankly, I just don't want to hear it) So I've got lots going on and lots of time to tell about it, but no way to post pictures. GRRR. Yesterday was my 46th birthday and I dropped a couple of pretty obvious hints about a new camera. I don't think anyone was listening, though.
I've been working on an original crochet wrap sweater design using KnitPicks Shadow Oregon Coast, with 2 skeins held together. One sleeve is done and the other well under way. I've decided to try to finish some original patterns all in crochet or combining crochet and knit. The ideas are really flowing right now for some reason and I've just got to start making them reality. Now that WC is moving out (ok, I know, AGAIN) I'll have the huge basement at my disposal. Jewelry Guy bought 4 big sturdy rectangular tables which will be for my sewing machines, cutting out patterns, all of my yarny stuff. There are three rooms down there, and I think he wants to fix one just for me. Isn't he great? Or is he just sick and tired of picking his way through yarn bands, yarn ends and WIPS sitting everywhere? He's usually too nice to say.
So along with the Oregon Coast sweater--oh, funny connection--I used to live in Gold Beach Oregon and scooted up and down the coast all of the time. For this reason I'm thinking about designing a few projects each with a name of a place that I remember on the Oregon Coast. We'll see if that really happens! Anyway, along with Nesika Beach (see, I've already thought of a name for t his one) I'm working on what I plan to call a BUTT cover. You know, for the Big Ugly Teacher Tote? I'm a teacher and I've seen some pretty awful tote--usually emblazoned with #1 Teacher and lots of apples and gingham. Just turn that sucker inside out so the pretty stuff is in and make a BUTT cover. The prototype is mandarina (orange), amarillo vivo (yellow) and verde citrico (green) all using Sinfonia cotton from Hobby Lobby. I'm thinking about trying to shrink the cotton once I'm finished. Wonder if that will work to make the fabric stiffer.
Oh, my kingdom for a camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here I am!

Yes, here I am! Back from the dead! No, really, I've been slogging through the nightmare that is dial-up. The family came to the point where I was the only one with the patience to invade the internet, but not the patience to try to blog with any regularity, so I just quit the blogging circuit. No, not the blog reading circuit. That has remained, but not in such abundance as in my old Roadrunner days. Now comes the miracle of Wild Blue that makes the internet and blogging easy even in the country surrounded by miles of cornfields and German Baptists (who don't have tv, radio, internet, but do have little hats, capes and lots of farm equipment) So because of this miracle, I'm back to blogging with a vengeance. I've missed it.

Knitting and crocheting are still a passion. I've joined the Year with Elizabeth KAL using her wonderful Knitter's Almanac as a loose guide for knitting projects. I opted for the Pi Are Square shawl from Knitting Around rather than the Pi shawl. I'm also well into 3 pairs of socks in, oh, you know, the old standbys...Koigu, Claudia's handpainted and Tofutsies. I would like to join a crochet design contest, but just can't seem to get started. Maybe once Jewelry Guy goes back to work I'll be able to focus more.

Tomorrow I hope to post some pictures. It's been an eventful couple of months. Hopefully Blogger will cooperate. Glad, glad, glad to be back in the blog world!

Coffee and socks

I can't believe it! I'm Espresso??? I always thought of myself as a Latte.

You Are an Espresso

At your best, you are: straight shooting, ambitious, and energetic At your worst, you are: anxious and high strung You drink coffee when: anytime you're not sleeping Your caffeine addiction level: high

What Kind of Coffee Are You?

I've been working on those pretty socks for my artsy friend. There is no label for the color, but I would call it Rosewood. You see the warmest tint of pink in the brown. Also I love knitting this weight of yarn--they go so quickly.

Happy New Year!!

Hi, Everybody!

What a nice holiday! Altlhough I can't believe that it's been so long since I've blogged, I can finally say that we are settled in nicely in our new house. We just love it. Seems that absolutely nothing can be a big problem or give me much stress when I have this place to come home to in the country. DH and I love to do walkabouts with the dogs. We just stroll around, looking at the trees, speculating about what plants are here and enjoying the QUIET! Many have noticed that we should have done this while the kids were little. Well, we didn't/couldn't at the time. I guess the two of us will just have to enjoy ourselves in our dream house!

We had a great Christmas. All of the kids were here, maybe for the last time. We also added two new family members: Bubba, the afficianado of fine yarn,

and Sophie Louise, who is too elegant for just one name.

Sister Baby and WC got gift certificates for the Humane Society for Christmas. To their credit both elected to adopt older cats. It's been a smooth transition for all--pays to adopt cats that already know how to use the potty box! I think this was one of my more successful gifts. Rotcy got a Sable Fabulous Fur throw, which he really loves. I wonder if he'll be able to take it with him when he deploys. Even though DH was warned against buying me jewelry (he did buy me a new house, after all) I got a gorgeous sapphire necklace and a citrine necklace. Some people just never listen. Just for that, he will be hence be known as The Jewelry Guy. (that's what everybody calls him, anyway)

On the yarny front, I finished a few gifts before Christmas. I crocheted a V-stitch scarf out of Malabrigo for my aide at school and a "Calorimitry" headband from Knitty for my friend in the neighboring classroom. I also made a snazzy beret from Wendy's pattern over at Knit and Tonic for the art teacher. Now she can really look like Picasso! I finished a pair of mittens for me from Patons Classic Wool--which I now love. Why didn't anybody tell me how easy mittens are? Now I'm working on some socks for said art teacher. She ordered some brown socks and thanks to the sale rack at Lambikins Hideaway, I was able to oblige. I'm also finding out the joys of knitting socks with sportsweight and worsted weight yarns.

Have to go--former neighbors just dropped in!