Aloha

Sorry for the long silence. I'd write, but I'm here:


More photos, stories and knitting (thank god for 10 hour flights!) when I get back. Mahalo!

Vote!

I've managed (for someone with some crazy politics) to stay pretty politically neutral on this blog. But I did just want t send out a reminder -- no matter your politics, don't forget to vote today. Change starts at home, real action takes place locally. Make a difference and make yourself heard.

Today I start my trip north. No knitting content today, but I will leave you with another anniversary. A year ago, I found these cute fuzzies in the middle of the road (weren't they so tiny?). Can't imagine life with out them.

Happy Acquiriversary, Hank and Phoebe!

Three blind mice

It has been pointed out that perhaps my stress might be causing stress in others. I would hate for that to happen, and since I have nothing else to share right now, I leave you with my mice:


Pattern: from knitwhits (thanks mom!)
Yarn: Scraps of Manos and Lambs Pride
Needles: Lantern Moon US 8 straight needles, and Clover Bamboo US 7 dpns (for the i cord)
Notions: Cat Nip (thanks Sprite!)
Begun: 6 November 2006
Completed: 6 November 2006

Thoughts: Woo hoo! You can meet them all (yes, they are named)


Name: Harriet
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, in a beautiful shade of purple


Name: Edgar
Yarn: Lambs Pride and a smidge of pink Manos
Note: Edgar is a gift for Spitey's cat, Flea. Spitey tells me that Flea lost his tail today at the Vet, and I thought he might need a pick-me-up. Since I'll be in Philly this week, I can hand deliver it.


Name(s): Abigail (on the left) and Amelia (on the right)
Yarn: scraps of Manos for all
Note: Neither of the As have been stuffed yet. They just came out of the washer today, but I couldn't resist the cuteness of Amelia's little multi-colored ears!

And lastly,


Name: Silas
Yarn: Manos

Silas belongs to my little kitties. They loved him right away. He doesn't stand a chance.

Absent Minded Professor (or why I knit mice)

Folks, I'm turning into my worst nightmare. Today, I have lost my tea (lost my TEA!) five times. I set it down, I do something else, and then I have to spend five minutes figuring out where I set it down. I heated up some lunch, and then forgot I had heated it up, worked for another hour, realized I was hungry, and found it (cold) in the microwave. I can't concentrate on a single knitting pattern that doesn't invovle needles larger than 5s and straight knitting and purling. No patterns. No colorwork. No decorative edges (this is why I still have a sock incomplete, a mitten almost finished, and two fingerless gloves that only need decorative stitching). The only thing I can knit right now? Mice. Knitted mice. See? Here's one (pre-felting):


They take half an hour to knit, then I have to felt them up, stuff them, and voila! Happy cats. I made three today. They are a compulsion (and a good way to use up the scraps of manos that I can't bear to throw away).

Proof that I'm nuts? My best friend from college, Melissa, is getting married on Thursday (Nov. 9). This is a kind of sudden thing... it's a city hall wedding (no, she's not knocked-up; just impulsive) taking place in New York conveniently the same week I'll be in Philly (I'll be in Philly from Nov. 8 - Nov. 13... these dates are important). Unfortunately, I can't go even though I'll only be two hours away because I have to give a colloquium at my University. But a few days ago (Nov. 2), she sent out an e-mail to all of us girlie friends asking about the possibility of doing a "bachelorette" party on Saturday. This is what she wrote in her e-mail -- "on Saturday." And I'm thinking, "Hot Damn! That works out perfectly! I'll be in Philly... I can just hop on the train and be in the city and even if I miss the wedding, I'll make the bachelorette party). Anyone catch the flaw in logic here? I spoke to Melissa yesterday, early evening, and told her my plans to come to NYC on Nov. 11th. She seemed a little confused and then said something I didn't understand about how we could have dinner and drinks with another friend of ours that night. I figured "Ah, Melissa! Crazy and loveable. She's so distracted with wedding stuff, she didn't process that her bachelorette party will be that saturday." Yeah. It wasn't until my mom pointed out tonight how strange it was for Melissa to have her bachelorette party AFTER her wedding that I realized that I'm totally insane. Her bachelorette party was yesterday. Sigh.

If you stuck with me through that ramble, you're too kind. I'm a little off my rocker. These grant applications are killing me. If I have to sit in my cage, oops, I mean office, one more day I'm gonna scream. And I have to sit in my office for two more days. I keep trying to remind myself that in a week, I'll be on a plane to Hawaii. But there is just too much to be done between now and then (insert sound of head being hit against desk here).

Thank you all for your kind words on yesterday's post. It means a lot to me to know there are people out there willing to listen to me ramble and offer advice on all things knitting and personal.

P.S. I made a dinner that comes out of a bag and says "just add water" (about as complicated as I feel like I can handle) and I burned it. Oh god, I better finish these applications before I burn the whole house down!

One Year

One year ago today, I packed up everything I own into a U-haul, said goodbye to the city I love, the friends I love, and the boy I love and headed south to face the unknown in Virginia. Not for a moment, not even in the long, dark, cold, and incredibly lonely first few months I lived here, have I ever regretted this decision. This year has been one of incredible growth for me. I’ve learned so much – about music, about other people, about life, and about myself – since I moved here. I’ve learned to be alone, sometimes for days at a time, and love it. I have gained an appreciation for solitude and silence. Which, in turn, has given me an appreciation for the appropriately timed loud, late, and irresponsible ruckus. I’ve become an infinitely better musician, dancer, and scholar. I’ve gathered a vast body of knowledge about things natural. I’m a better cook. I read more. Thanks to a distraction-free lifestyle, I knit more. And thanks to this blog and the friends I have made through it, I have become a much more knowledgeable knitter.

All year, I have tried to look forward, to appreciate the present and focus on the future. So, it’s strange to be sitting on the other side of this year, finally looking backward. Part of me is so excited, because I live here now. I went from being a visitor, an outsider, to a community member. My priorities have changed and I’m independent now. I feel stronger, alone. But then part of me feels so sad – I still feel longing for the life I left behind. It has been so challenging every time I’ve returned to Philly. I’m reminded of what is gone, what I had to sacrifice for this growth -- the friends who have moved on, the love I lost, the coffee-shops and bookstores and bars that I used to frequent… I don’t know. I can’t help but be nostalgic. In the end, I’m not sure I’ve found my place in the world yet. But maybe I’ve learned how to be patient and wait.

Anyway, what with the stress of finishing grant applications and getting ready to go out of town for a month, I've been all about the comfort. I made chicken soup from scratch earlier this week (is it weird that I love deboning a whole chicken?) and made the comfort dinner of all comfort dinners last night:


That's steamed cabbage and sweet potatoes topped with onions and wine-sap apples caramalized in bacon fat. A weird mix of nouveau German and Irish cuisine (made even weirder when I drank it with an English style American stout, but whatever...) but hot damn! it was good.

Then there's academic comfort:


Nothing makes me feel better than knowing this puppy is backed up.

And lastly, knitted comfort. Despite the fact thtat I have five projects so close to being done, I could probably finish them in an evening, I can't seem to concentrate on anything that isn't really simple. So instead, I made this:


Pattern: My own (if you can call it a pattern -- its just sand stitch with "hidden" decreases)
Yarn: Manos del Uruguay, color #113
Needles: Clover bamboo dpns, US 7

Thoughts/Meditations: Two years ago, this skein of Manos was the reason I started knitting again. I went with my roomate to Sophie's to hear Debbie Stoller speak on her book tour for Stitch and Bitch Nation. Afterward, I walked around the store, looking at things, touching things, and then I saw this skein of Manos and NEEDED it. I bought it, some size 8 dpns and that evening relearned everything I had known as a kid (and then some). The next day, I experienced my first morning of compulsive knitting, sitting on my bed for hours, listening to NPR (I do this all the time now). Within three days, I had my first hat. I loved it, but it was too big. I tried to wear it around, and then finally acknowledged it wasn't very useful. A year later, I ripped it out. I've not been able to use the yarn for anything else... it's too special. Two days ago, I went out to get my mail and realized that over night winter had hit. It's COLD now. So I pulled out the yarn, sized down my needles, decreased the number of stitiches and knit another hat. Guess what? It's a little big :) I think that's because it's stretchy. I LOVE it. All my hair fits in it. It's alternately a little hippy (totally, totally not my style) and a little 1930's (totally my style). Most importantly, it keeps my head warm. I also think it has magical brain power... I wear it at my desk while writing, and I feel smarter.

What do you think?

Remember my frustration from the other night? Here's my solution:


I used a little bit of complimentary Lorna's Laces to bind off. I did it on both gloves. It solved one problem which was bothering me -- the bulky bind off got in the way when I tried to play banjo with them on. But... I don't know. Does the color variation look weird?


Here's the inside of the hand (I got both gloves to look the same).

That crumb in the photo drives me crazy -- what I get for eating cookies at my desk.

Should I use a little of the same yarn to create a similar effect on the bottom of the glove? I'm feeling a little ambivalent. If these weren't commissioned, it wouldn't bother me so much. But she bought the yarn and everything. Hmmm...

Tiny

I interrupt your regularly scheduled programming to bring you this:


The cutest tiny baby lamb EVER.

My friend Greg (known to those who love him as "Jellybean" or sometimes, just "Jelly" for short -- don't kill me, Greg!) is doing fieldwork/living in Chilean Patagonia. If you think it's pretty where I live, you should see where he lives. Really. You should. He's a kick ass photographer (and a funny guy, to boot).

Voyage from afar

** Disclaimer** for those of you who hate yarn-gift-related "bragging", you might want to skip this post. I don't mean it to be a "lookee what I got?" post, but rather more of a "amazed at the insane generosity of (almost) strangers" post. Take it as you will.

To make up for yesterday's frustration, today I was greeted by a welcome visitor: Leif Erikson stopped by on his adventures in the new world. I'll admit -- I knew he was coming. Kirstin was worried that I would be off in warmer climates when he arrived, so she double checked (through Amanda) before shipping him off. But this knowledge made the anticipation almost unbearable. And when he arrived, it totally made my day.

First of all, I want to say that I'm so psyched that I got the Leif Erikson box. I have always had a soft spot for good ol' Leif, ever since I was wee and my dad told me that he was actually the first to discover the so-called New World. I loved it that his name was Leif (probably because, at the time, I thought it was "Leaf". How hippie of me). I loved it that he was the underdog of explorers. Why doesn't he get his own holiday? Well, today we celebrated Leif.


Kirstin was TOO kind. The box was so full, it was bursting (no kidding! When I pulled it out of the USPS packaging, things were falling out. She had to use rubber bands to shut it), and full of all kinds of goodness. I am not to embarassed to admit that I actually teared up while opening it. How can someone who has never met me know me so well?


There were delicious things (K, I already ate two of those cookies... hot damn! They are something else! And oatmeal raisin is totally my fav):


There were musical things: (Those CDs are awesome and the magazine? Well, let's just say it's been so long since I've been in touch with the popular music scene that I've been a little confused when all y'all in the blogosphere start talking about the Decemberists. Who are these people? Well. Now I know).


Most importantly,there was yarn. Beautiful, beautiful yarn (Woolarina superwash sock yarn):


And yarn related goodies (those little pins are the cutest!):


Check out the way those stitch markers match my yarn:


I just want to say that Kirstin hit the nail on the head. I own no stitch markers. I always use random rings or earrings. Sometimes rubberbands (that's some hillbilly ingenuity). I love these. I started a project just so I could use them (don't worry, it's Christmas related). And the Yarn Harlot book? God, I've wanted one for ages and couldn't justify buying one because I've got so much work-related reading to do. This is gonna be one rockin' plane ride to Hawaii.

This was my first yarn exchange/gifting/secret pal type thing, and I'm just floored. Thank you so much!

And thank you from the kitties, who despite never expressing an interest in catnip before, went totally crazy over the stuff you sent. Phoebe was sniffing out the box minutes after I brought it in the house. When I tried to take the bag away from her after snapping this picture, she actually grabbed my hand. Sweet things.


Stay tuned to check out Leif's adventures in the mountains before he heads off to his next port.

Exercise(s) in Frustration

I came so close to having two FOs in one day. And then, disaster struck. I knew it was coming, I was just in denial. I watched that skein of yarn get smaller and smaller, and the voice in the back of my head said "There isn't enough. You're going to run out." And yet, I ignored it. I kept knitting. And now, two rows from finishing -- two measly rows (one cable and one bind off, that's it!) -- and I am essentially out of yarn.

(And yes, that is a glass of whiskey next to my knitting. You'll understand why by the end of this post).

There is nothing to salvage -- no ends to use from the first glove (they seem to have disappeared, though I have cut off tails from every other project I have ever undertaken in a jar on my desk). Now what? Do I wait and order another skein from Knit picks? Do I bind off (shudder) in another color? These aren't for me. They're a commission from a friend. They need to look good. My knitting "reputation" (such as it is) is on the line. I'm frustrated.

Add that to the fact that I was knitting these as a break from the frustration of grant applications. I'm down to the wire getting these completed before I hop on down to Hawaii (let's not even talk about the fact that I haven't written my conference paper yet). I used to think that word limitations were frustratingly nitpicky (when I first wrote that, I typed "knitpicky"). My new nemesis? Character limitations. As in, describe your dissertation in 800 characters (including spaces). Do you have any idea how little space that is? To give you an idea, here is my 800 character summary:

This dissertation focuses on the relationship between music and place in the Central Appalachian coalfields. I explore ways in which the contemporary performance of bluegrass and old-time music is tied to social and cultural politics (stereotype, tourism, coal mining, and protest) and ways in which the construction of place (through migration, personal narrative, history, and tradition) shapes musical performance. Unlike historical studies of Appalachian music, this dissertation studies the impact of social, political, and environmental challenges on musical performance. I consider the range of meanings attached to this music, examining the tension between the musical and the political, the dimensions of revivalism and activism, and the connection between place, music, and power.

That's not a lot of space to describe what I suspect is going to be a close-to-300-page dissertation. Sheesh. It's driven me so batty that when I first started typing this post, I was editing for characters (do I really need two spaces at the beginning of that sentence? If I reword that, I can cut a few characters... Are commas really necessary there).

AAACK.

Things that are not frustrating? The joys of knitting with Malabrigo. Oh heaven, it's like knitting with clouds.


This was the beginning of a sleeve, used (Elizabeth Zimmerman style, since we're all crazy about Zimmerman) as a way to check gauge. I was gonna knit myself a hourglass, but now I'm not sure. This will get ripped out while I enjoy just thinking... toying... scheming for post-christmas personal knits.

And thank you all for your kind words about the Huron Mountain Socks. I'm pretty pleased, all in all. High maintenance socks that were totally worth it.

Back to counting characters... Happy Halloween to everyone!

Happy Halloween!

It is a glorious morning. A glorious morning to top a stack of glorious days. The sun is so bright, crisp and clean in the morning post-daylight savings... It almost makes up for the fact that it's dark as pitch at 6:30 p.m. This morning it's warm. It's so warm I could take my FO pictures outside without a coat at 8:00 a.m.


Pattern: Huron Mountain Socks, from Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Knit picks Gloss, in "Cocoa" (2 skeins) and "Woodland Sage" (1 skein)
Needles: inox dpns, US size 1.5 (not quite a 2, not quite a 1)
Begun: Oh, I don't remember... 22 August?
Finished: 30 October 2006

Modifications and Thoughts: Well, the only modification I made was to add the two color stripe to the bottom. This turned out to be the biggest pain, because I had to carry the "sage" behind the brown across the top three out of every four rows. But I love the way it looks:


Total payoff. And they are so comfortable. And so warm. I highly recommend "gloss." It's a dream to work with, especially for colorwork (it's very forgiving post-blocking). I'm a little apprehensive about how it's going to wear -- I'm worried about pilling. But in the meantime, they make an attractive (if a little ... bright?) pair of warm winter socks.

Home in the Hills

Dickenson County


This is the view as you come over Dante Mountain*, the mountain the separates Russell from Dickenson Counties. I drive over this mountain pretty often and every time I remark to myself, "God, that's beautiful! One of these days, I'm gonna stop and take a picture." But I never do. Today, as I drove over, the view was magnificent (those mountains in the distance form the Pine Mountain range, which marks the border between Virginia and Kentucky and initiates the Cumberland Plateau) and the light was perfect. And this time, I did stop. Of course, I had to drive half way down the mountain to find a good place to turn around and, as is the way with these things here, in the minutes it took me to turn around and come back up, the light was gone. I took the picture anyway. It just feels like home.


This is the home I came from. I love how, no matter where you take the picture, all photos of "The Lawn" at UVa look like college brochure photos. I took this from the steps of Cabel Hall, the music building, looking up toward the rotunda. I love the Lawn in the fall... all of those trees turn bright yellow. It reminds me of my best friend from high school, but happy memories.


Knitting has been accomplished. One down, one to go. These are a modified "Fetching," altered to accomodate music-making (the thumb really gets in the way) and will be gifted to a friend (who I think I'm going to see this weekend, thus the rush).

I'm almost done with Huron #2 and, you can see in the background there, I'm making my way down the ankle of Conwy #2. TCB.**


* For all y'all yankees, that's pronounced "D-ain't." There's the saying, "If you say 'Dahn-tay' then you ain't from Dante!"

** For all of you not well versed in Elvis-lore, that means "Taking Care of Business." Oh yeah. TCB.

Desperately Seeking a Cardigan

Still in Charlottesville... I can't resist the call of the coffee shop. It's so much nicer than working in my home-office (as nice as my home office is). And at home, no one wakes me up in the morning the way my dad wakes me up at home -- "Jennie! The coffee's ready!". Sigh. I need to get an automated coffee maker. Because I can't stay at home forever.

Yesterday, I went browsing at my LYS. It's hard to browse yarn. I walked slowly through the whole store, touching everything, comparing colors, thinking. But I left my wallet at home (probably a good thing?) and so I didn't buy anything. But I got ideas... Ideas like: the Katia Mississippi 3 cotton/wool yarn is awesome. And comes in the best baby colors ever (things like green, and deep burnt orange, and things other than pastel pink and blue)... I wonder if it would make good socks?; or, Baby Cashmerino is soooo much more decadent than I remember it being...; or, Claudia's Handpainted yarn is so squishy, but do I really need more sock yarn; or, Cascade 220 feels really soft and comes in the most beautiful shade of heathered red.

Most importantly, however, I realized that I need to knit something other than socks and mittens -- something that doesn't come in pairs and that covers a part of my body other than the extremities. In short, I want to knit a sweater -- a cardigan, to be specific. I have knit sweaters before, but never anything in pieces. I crave a pretty cardigan, something young and flirty, a little vintage looking, with shape, pretty buttons, and cables. I want cables. And a shawl collar (I love shawl collars). So I'm asking for pattern suggestions. I've been trying to scan the blogosphere for ideas, but haven't found anything. Anyone seen anything out there that is pretty and a 'must knit'?

I hear rumors that it snowed in Kentucky last night, but here in Charlottesville it's just cold, cold cold. I'm rushing to finish the Huron socks... I wore the finished one around the house while I knit the second last night. It's surprisingly warm.

Stepping back from the ledge

It's been a while. A week ago, I left the mountains to go to my parents house for what was supposed to be a short trip to use the library. The short trip has been extended to a trip of indefinite length because I forgot how useful it is to have a library in the same place you are when you're writing a chapter. I've been going a little crazy -- I leave for Philadelphia (where I will go before I leave for Hawaii) in two and a half weeks. Between now and then I have to write my paper for the Hawaii conference AND I have grant applications due right before I get on the plane, one of which requires part of a finished chapter. I was not ready to write a chapter quite so soon and this has caused several anxiety-induced panic attacks in the last few days because now I'm getting down to the wire. While I generally work well under pressure, and while I have no doubt that somehow I will get all the work done, I think I don't need to explain how un-fun all this has been.

Anway... all that is to explain why I haven't written, although I have been knitting. Stress knitting is an amazing thing. Last night, I hit the breaking point with my draft. Everything I wrote seemed like utter crap, even the stuff I thought was good two days ago. I couldn't figure out how to make my point, and the whole thing seemed like chaos. I called my friend Jennifer, freaked out a little, e-mailed her the draft, and then decided that what I needed was a break. So turned off the computer screen, poured myself a glass of wine, and watched "A Few Good Men" on Bravo while knitting a sock. Nothing like knitting in a circle to calm the wild beast of my mind. By the time Jennifer called me back with comments on my draft (surprise, surprise -- it was no where near as bad as I thought it was), I was relaxed and ready to work again.

I've done no yarn shopping here in Charlottesville, but I have acquired a lot of new yarn. I went through some old trunks with my mom, looking for a good dress to wear to the Masquerade Ball at the Appalshop next weekend. What I found instead was my mom's old yarn stash. Some of the yarn was acrylic, which we're gifting away (I'm a yarn snob... no 100% acrylic yarn for me!), but some of it was some really nice wool, and some of it might make some warm socks this winter. I know that I have spoken about the skill of my grandmother's knitting, but I didn't know until this week how gifted my mom was as a knitter. She doesn't knit anymore, but there were pieces of sweaters and half finished projects in the trunk that were beautiful. I've inherited them all (some without patterns!) and intend to finish them (have you seen my list of WIPs? At this rate, I'll finish them when I'm sixty!). I'll try and post pictures later today.

And hopefully, I'll have several FOs to show you by the time I get back to the mountains. Fingers crossed that I make no more mistakes on the Swallowtail! In the meantime, I leave you with a picture of the fingerless gloves that Jennifer made one evening last week (she's writing her dissertation, too. Can you tell? We both take pictures of our knitting with our computers). I keep telling her she needs to get her own blog, but she resists. I think these are awesome. I'll get some info from her on yarn/needles/etc.

mmmmmmmmmh.....

Dear Coffee,

I don't know what to do. I know you're no good for me. My friends keep telling me you're bad for me, that I can do better. Somedays, you're there for me. You're perfect -- not bitter, but warm and energizing. But you're inconsistent and don't always treat me right. Too much of you and you make me jittery and my stomach hurts. When I go without you, I feel depressed and don't want to get out of bed. I know the obsession is unhealthy. I know that tea treats me the way I deserve to be treated -- gentle, soothing, concerned for my needs.** But I just can't kick you, Coffee. You're like a habit to me. This last week without you has been hell. Please take me back. I can't live without you.

love,
Jennie



** For those of you equally addicted to Grey's Anatomy -- I know, I know, I follow trends. I had to buy the season pass from iTunes just so I could stay in the loop -- does this make tea my Finn and coffee my McDreamy? If so, that would explain why I still looooove McDreamy (Sorry Theresa. I know you and the Anatomy Lab girls love Finn and hate McDreamy, but Finn was a total fop. Then again, I've never really liked nice guys all that much. That might explain why I'm single...).

Stupid, stupid...

There are a few arenas in which, as a knitter, I am stubborn and persist in willfully ignorant idiocy. For example, I never swatch. Ever. It was only after a million pairs of socks that were slightly too big or slightly too small that I started measuring my gauge before I'd turned the heel and realized they didn't fit. Today's idiocy? My refusal to use (or even really learn what it is) a lifeline while knitting lace. I understand, from other people's intelligence, that a lifeline saves your ass when you make a mistake knitting a garment that includes a million holes, such as, for example, the Swallowtail shawl. Maybe if I had sucked it up and learned, I wouldn't be in the predicament I'm in now, which is noticing three rows too late that the nubs are off on the left side of my shawl. Now how do I fix this? Can I tink back without making a bigger mess of it? Can I emotionally handle having to redo all those nubs? Can I flub it? It seems like it might be flubbable. What do you think?

the way things should look:

the mistaken nub (click on the picture for comments):

Edited to say that blogging has it's rewards -- I posted those pictures, then looked at them for a minute, looked back at my shawl, and realized I had made the mistake in the row I was knitting, NOT three rows back. So there... do you think I'm using a lifeline now? Ha! That would be smart!

But, I'll leave you with something sweet:


Nothing tastes better than local honey.

Frost

When I woke up this morning, I felt snuffly and achey and knew that I needed tea. In order to make tea, I had to go out to the car to get the gallons of water I was too lazy to bring in yesterday. I stepped onto the porch and was greeted with frost -- our first this year.



Everything was so beautiful and sparkly... As soon as the sun hit it, though, it was gone.

Looks like the sickness did a little "fake-out." I felt good yesterday, but it's back with a vengance today. I've been through three pots of tea already. But finally --finally -- I got some writing done on my dissertation that I think I might keep. Fingers crossed that this is a sign of things to come -- I want to have a draft of this "mini-chapter" by Friday.

I got some knitting done in between writing stretches. I'm up the wrist and into the oak leaf pattern on mitten #2, made it to the first decrease on the second Conwy sock, and did my first round of "nubs" (a.k.a. p5tog) on the Swallowtail shawl. Hmmm. Let's just say that addi naturas do not make for good 'nub making' needles. I used the size 0 dpn from the socks to pull that purl stitch through. Tedious, but worth it in the end. I love the little pearl of yarn it creates.

One

One lonely sock


One lonely squirrel mitten (my first, by the way)


One more repeat of the budding lace chart before the blue blob gets to try K5tog


One attempt at a knit scarf (my first. I've never been a big fan of knitted scarves. I dislike that they aren't reversible -- even the beautiful patterns. I prefer woven ones, but I fell so in love with the sand stitch from my wrist rest that I had to try it)


One very cold hand from


One very stupid photographer who decided to take photos outside in the cold while sick and who got sick while attending


the last one of the Fiddler's Conventions of the year, where she


won (close enough) another second place ribbon (and $50 this time!)


The Morehead Convention was so much fun. Beautiful fall weather, a full moon, pickin' around camp fires, moonshine, dancing, good eats and, of course, a perfect opportunity to wear my old lady night gown in public (you can't tell, but I'm also wearing hand knit socks... the canal du midi socks came in very handy this last weekend).


Woo hoo!

Hopefully soon I'll have two of something!