Oogyknitter

TGIF!!  I hope you're all well and safe; we're good here, although up to our ears in ridgeback adjustment!! This has been my view for the last three weeks while we continue to orient, train, gang up on, and otherwise manage Benson's orientation: Notice the knitting on the bottom.  Not a lot of spare time these days!  And that's Oogyhubby's laptop in the background.  We look like a small newsroom, with yarn! (At meal time, everything just gets swept to one side.  And then swept back again!) So every day we make a bit of progress with Benson, and every day there is some new thing.  I won't call it a setback, because he really does need a lot of confidence- and trust-building, but mysterious things like being afraid of the fan, or not wanting to walk with Oogyhubby.  He'll get there.  It's only been three weeks, and I think he's already calmed down a lot (although there is still a long way to go!). Other than that, things have been quie...

TGIF - we made it to Friday, folks!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. I thought I could take immediate action yesterday when Neuro threw down the gauntlet about Casapinka's KAL, but I could only get halfway there without an emergency digital exchange with Webs.  Here's what I have that I think will be super fun: The dark purple on the left is Berocco Ultra Alpaca Fine, which is wool/alpaca/nylon 50/20/30.  I have no idea why I have it, but so far it's resisted all other attempts. The two on the left are handspun.  I have it in my head that I wanted to make very special socks with them, so I'm thinking there's a synthetic in there as well as wool and probably silk, too.  The middle one is a little washed out with the flash.  They're a bit on the heavy side of fingering, but I think they'll do well for this shawl. I don't have a lot of stray, tonal, random skeins of fingering/sock weight lying around, even potentially approp...

So Happy It's Thursday!  I hope you're well and safe; we're good here. Neuro just threw down the gauntlet - a Casapinka KAL for the month of August!  Remember what happened last year, when it led to a months-long obsession with cowls?  Who knows what will happen this time! I need four skeins of fingering weight yarn in contrasting colors.  I'm thinking a couple of stash dives ought to yield some contenders.  Stay tuned!! In the meantime, I have all of 1B knit up (obviously ends not worked in or blocked yet): You might notice that this pic was taken on our dining room table.  I've been working downstairs for the last couple of weeks to help Benson acclimate to our house and schedules.  I've got a whole semi-circle of yarn, computer, books, and a drink (well, coffee and water until the magical cocktail hour arrives!). Benson continues his adjustment with us, and we're learning more about him too.  He loves ice cubes, and take...

Hello on Taco Tuesday!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here.  Although no tacos today :) I have a couple of topics for you today that consist of a two-word description. First off - blurry dog. Yes, it's a lousy picture, but I thought it was also fairly accurate, he's always whipping his head around to see what's going on or to hear something a little better. Benson has also been a lot different since we went to and from the vet last week.  I'm certain it's because he thought we were dropping him off there (like he'd been dropped off at the shelter), and when he came home with us he couldn't believe it.  Since then he's been a lot less manic (although right now he's running from window to window fretting about Oogyhubby, who is outside doing some work) and a little more lovey. Secondly - crocheted slippers.  That's the July gift pattern .  Double ugh.  I just finished making a pair, and don't feel like making anot...

TGIF!  I hope this finds you well; we're all good here. We've had our hands full with our new little brown guy.  He is small but mighty, smart but willful, brave yet timid.  He did permit me to take one quick pic of him with the coasters, with flash! The angle isn't quite right for Crash Bandicoot, but I think there's some potential there! Here are the coasters more appropriately posed: I think it's technically correct that, if you can still see the stitch definition, they're considered fulled rather than felted.  I'm OK with either - they'll still save the furniture from water and heat marks from beverages! I also fulled/felted my dad's slippers; they have a little bit more drying to do, so I'll take their pic when they're not stuffed full of Wegmans bags. If they're on schedule again this month, the July gift pattern will be posted on Tuesday, so there will be a chance to consider something completely different! So w...

Happy Sunday!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here! This is what we've been up to since Thursday afternoon: This is Benson.  He'll turn three on September 8th, and this is his first knitwear modeling experience.  We saw his furrowed face on our humane society's web page and had to meet him.  Oogyhubby got him this great bed and has taught him how to squeak balls and chew on hard bones. We're all learning from each other.  I found out from his medical records that he's a cross between a Rhodesian Ridgeback and a lab.  We'd figured out the lab and hound part, but were thinking more of beagle due to his size - he's very petite and right now a streamlined 38 pounds.  And Ridgebacks have a ridge of hair along their spine that grows in the other direction - Benson's fur is all aligned. What he does have is the Ridgeback hound personality - stubborn, willful, wanting to chase things, and getting into trouble when he's bored. ...

So Happy It's Thursday!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here! I finished a couple more leftovers coasters last night: They still look like crap, unfinished and all, oh well.  I've got yet another one started, and might be able to squeak out one more after that with the remaining yarn of this type. As I continue to work on these proto-felted objects, my yarn instincts kick in - be careful, don't get it too moist (with sweating!) or use too much friction, it might....  Oh, felt.  Duh, that's exactly what I want to do!  Good summer knitting, this proto-felting! It's super hot and humid here today, there are heat advisories and warnings all over the place!  We're hiding inside, moving from room to room where there is AC.  I hope you're in a cool place too!

Guess what day it is????  Already!!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here. I know that wearing a scarf today is one of the last things we want to do here in the Northeast, but I wanted to be sure to share this cute fella with you, another one of the projects completed when my parents were here last month: This guy came as a kit - all of his appendages were pre-made, all I had to do was knit the scarf part and sew on his head, tail, and legs.  Yah, sewing.  My mom did that part.  Nothing is going to fall off this scarf!  He looks a little bewildered from this angle, but it's only because he is wondering why it's so warm already this time of day! I did a bit of slipper knitting yesterday, so things are coming along.  Soon that will be down to just the sewing as well, ack! Right now I'm setting my sights on the weekend, when it is supposed to be a bit cooler.  Perhaps the wildlife are doing the same.  In the meantime, ...

Taco Tuesday, anyone?  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. The first four little squares from Voila went for a swim this morning.  I thought they looked like little flags all laid out on the blocking board (aka playmat): So a couple of predictions, and we can refer back to these when the project is done in about ten years. I had to unblock these down to 4 inches square, they really wanted to be 5 inches.  That means that my gauge is a bit larger than what the pattern calls for.  I don't think I'd like the texture of the squares if I move one needle size down, so I'm going to stick with the #7s.  I suppose I could have just blocked these all to 5 inches like they wanted to do, but they will probably end up somewhere in the middle anyway. The consequences of knitting larger than gauge is getting something larger than planned, and it also runs the risk of using more yarn.  This pattern notes that the yarn supplied in the kit is very close ...

Hello on this Monday!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here! Before I completed the latest of the felted coasters, I needed to refresh my memory about how to accomplish applied i-cord.  Having done that, I can now show you the latest, although still pre-felted: I have no idea what this will look like once it's felted, but the colors sure are fun, aren't they? I needed to do some backtracking on my dad's second slipper.  I'd misread the instructions for the first slipper, and so I needed to revise the second accordingly.  I don't think it will make that much of a difference, but I did want them to at least match each other!  I'm back on track now to keep moving on this project! I ventured out for my weekly grocery shopping trip this morning, and I have to say that the store was very quiet and mostly well-stocked.  The beer section appears to be creeping down into the bulk foods section, which is curious, but maybe the demand is hig...

Hello on this sunny Sunday!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here. I realized yesterday that I need to revise somewhat the naming scheme I've been using for the Voila project.  It is actually (shocker!) a bit more organized than what I've been doing. The project consists of 18 large blocks, each one has 12 squares.  So yes - the total amount of 4" squares in this project is 12*18.  I'm not even going to attempt to do the math in my head (and I'm in a bit of denial about just how many there are!) - let's just say somewhere around 250.  If I make one square per day, we're not even talking about a complete blanket until some time in - March?  Anyway, it's all about the process here. Each of the 18 blocks has a number, 1-18.  Each block has three columns, A-C, and four rows, 1-4.  So the very first square I made should have been named 1A1 - Block 1, Column A, Row 1.  The second was 1A2.  I knit 1A3 and 1A4 yesterday: ...

Happy Saturday Birthday, U.S.A.!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here! I still have some things to show you from the Great Finishing when my parents were here, but of course in the meantime here is the second little square from the Voila project: This one is more obviously not blocked, but since these are made with wool, they'll block beautifully.  I'll do a few at a time, should be super quick and fun. I've come up with a couple of different ideas for the back of this blanket.  Of course I won't need them for another 10 years, but at least that will give us that to look forward to!  The first is that I just get a giant piece of fleece and use that for the back.  Benefits: sturdy, easy maintenance, cost-effective.  Detriments: would have to sew on with thread, border could end up a little weird. The second idea: just make a giant granny square log cabin with coordinating yarn.  Benefits: the thing would be two layers thick...

TGIF!  Although it feels like a Saturday for some reason!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. I thought I'd share a picture of this little cutie: This is the first square from the first block of squares for Voila.  Each is only four inches square.  The pattern assumes you're finishing the afghan with a piece of fabric or something on the back (like a quilt?), so it tells you to knot the ends and not worry about working them in.  I do need to figure out how I'm going to handle the back of it, so in the meantime I'm going to let them hang.  I won't wait too long, however, because they will add up quickly. For posterity - this square fits in the uppermost lefthand corner of the blanket.  So in ten years you'll be able to identify it, LOL. For what it's worth - I'm just about finished with the knitting on my dad's first slipper.  Of course none of the sewing is done, but that will have to happen, too. The farmer and a help...

So Happy It's Thursday!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. I thought I'd take a quick picture of the project that followed me out of the basement yesterday: The good news: it's all garter stitch, so squooshy!  And I can use some lovely wooden straight needles (#7).  And it's fairly modular. The bad news - the thing is comprised of a billion small squares in many colors. Its official name is Viola , but I think I'm going to call it Voila - because that will be the word I utter when it's finally finished, ten years from now!! I thought I was well on my way to making the first square last night, but I mis-counted.  Let's call it a practice square, shall we?  I ripped it out and am ready to start over now. The farmer returned yesterday in the early afternoon and whisked the field.  He took that tractor away with him, so today all we're left with is another tractor, some kind of second attachment, and a hay truck.  I expect ...

Guess what day it is????? I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here. And - it's July 1st!  Where did June go? OK, this is the last of them for now.  I know you've seen it many times before in process, but now it's finally complete and drying: I also went down into the Deep Stash to retrieve a book, and something else came back out with me.  Let's just say there's a 7th project that's joined the ranks, and it's a doozy. I was balls to the wall the last few days, so I'm going to take some time this afternoon and evening to knit and read - mostly my dad's slippers, and hopefully finish a book.  Chippy the chipmunk has taken to hanging out on the stone wall, deck fence, and Adirondack chair. It's so close to the window by the dining room table, I can see his little racing stripes.  No wonder they're so fast!!