Oogyknitter

Hello on Taco Tuesday! (although here it will be Pizza Tuesday!)  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here. I cast on for the first pair of the yoga socks last evening, and this yarn is going to work out just fine: I'll have to find my notes about the best way to navigate through the pattern, but for now it's just K1P1 ribbing for as long as you want the cuff part, then K2P2 for as long as you want the leg part and are ready to make the opening for the non-heel.  I cast on 64, which is conveniently divisible by 4 and also makes socks that fit most folk. Now that Autumn has arrived, I need to start organizing the rest of my holiday knitting as well.  I keep forgetting that I need new yarn for my dad's slippers (remember he is starting on the annual subscription plan, even though he just got a pair in July - that was the catch-up pair), and I just ordered some yarn for the Dissent Cowl yesterday, ugh.  I also cast on for what might be the last felted coast...

Happy Monday!  I hope your week is off to a safe and healthy start; we're good here. I finished Clue 1 last evening and wanted to show you a (very bad and overexposed) pic: You can't really tell from this pic, but the bottom part in ribbing is the Koigu light purple and the light color at the top is the gray.  I think the flash was a bit overenthusiastic for this purpose. So I'm stuck until Friday with this project.  I think what I'll do next is measure the dog for the new crocheted sweater.  I also need to cast on for the yoga socks.  There's never a shortage of things to knit around here! We met the Ws again at the park today.  It seems that Benson had forgotten that he'd met them already, so we had to re-introduce.  It worked out fine.  There were two husky-like dogs playing in the tennis court, one got loose and came over and for a moment it looked like Benson wanted to play.  That's a good sign.  We weren't ready to introduce anothe...

Hello on this Summery Sunday!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. I wanted to show you the sculpture that Benson built for me last evening: He is emphasizing the similarities - our two hobbies, squeak-fetching and knitting - while also providing a commentary on the differences - rubber and wool.  It speaks to how we can all find common aspects, even with the most diverse perspectives. It didn't take this smart dog very long to figure out that if he wanted us to throw that colossal toy (because he refuses to play with any others except for the ones he shreds and/or eats), he had to capture our attention by putting it on or next to the things that seem important to us - computer keyboards, knitting projects, dinner, etc.  You can see at the edge of the photo where some drool got on the chair - there were earlier versions of this that he dismantled (temperamental artist!).  That's how I knew this one was for me - it's on my knitting. Speaking of which - I be...

Hello Saturday!!  I hope this finds you safe and well; we're good here. I'm not naming it Another Bloody Cowl, but I did cast on for the Casapinka Cowl KAL yesterday, after deciding that the Koigu will be Color A:  I've since knit a few more rows, so I'll have an update for you next time! Also in this pic - you might recognize the coaster.  I found one that I'd made but had somehow overlooked when everything got felted, so I just threw it in the wash and dryer a couple of times.  It needed a bit of shaping, but once I'd wrestled it into place and it dried, it's been off and running! I actually think I have enough yarn for one more coaster (different colors), and with this laissez-faire method of felting, I just might knit it up and throw all caution to the wind again! Also in this pic is a cocktail I made using a kit from a subscription I got myself for my b-day.  Each box features three different recipes using the same base liquor, and they provide all the ...

Sure Happy It's Thursday!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. It seemed like doing a gauge swatch was a bit overkill for my first try at a dog sweater - it's small enough that I can just rip it back and start over with just about as much effort.  So I cast on!  It's top down, so I can try it on Benson as I go: I'm thinking of this more as a prototype to see if I can get his dimensions all squared away - he's got a burly chest but teeney little hips.  I'm also not sure if he'll try to rip it to shreds, or if he'll like it!  So it will be an interesting journey either way. I hope to cast on for the Mystery Cowl tomorrow, and at some point the yoga socks as well.  Not much else going on here otherwise!

Guess what day it is??????  I hope you're well; we're good here! With the exception of the yarn for the yoga socks (which I'm going to try first to make sure I like it), I have identified the yarns for my next two projects: the Casapinka KAL Cowl, and my first dog sweater. For the cowl, we need about 175 yards of each of four colors.  Here's what I found in the stash: Clockwise, beginning in the upper left, they are: Valley Yarns Huntington, in Seagull; handspun (feels like a wool/mohair blend); Koigu Premium Merino in color 2163; and JaggerSpun Zephyr in Claret.  The last two listed are the oldest; I remember buying the JaggerSpun on sale about 20 years ago!! Also in the deep stash, I found an old Mary Maxim kit that I think someone had given me, so it's also seen it all: I plan to use the blue, but might break into the other colors for some accents.  We'll see how it goes.  I first have to measure the dog, that will be fun. Not much else going on, which is alw...

Happy Taco Tuesday, and indeed it was!  I hope this finds you well and safe; we're good here. The Casapinka shawl (more like a scarf, I think, but that's OK) KAL is coming to an end, and I've just bound off the last of it.  There are a kajillion ends to work in, and the thing really needs to be severely blocked, but I really like it a lot and can't wait to wear it!  It's so easy to throw a scarf over any top I'm wearing and look sharp for a video call of any kind. Casapinka is moving quickly into another KAL, this time it's a cowl, it begins this Friday, and it lasts for four weeks.  I've signed up, of course, and have selected some lovely stash yarns for it.  I'll take their pic very soon so I can show you! Also, the September Gift pattern is - more socks.  Which actually kind of works out, because I was just thinking about holiday knitting and I plan to make two pairs of yoga socks (no toes or heels) for our popcorn-stringing friends, even though t...

Sure Happy It's Thursday, and hoping this finds you well!  We're good here. I know it's been a while, but there's really not much going on that you want to hear about.  The Oogyparents have come and gone; we had a great visit even though Benson treated them like they were invaders, so we had to do some interesting canine sequestering for the long weekend.  Another training goal, LOL! And, although I was prepared to work on Clue 6 of the Casapinka KAL, it turned out all for the best - the clue has been delayed by a week, and I really didn't have much knitting time inbetween with everything else going on.  I did do some work on an interesting scarf (that may become a cowl, we'll see how it all turns out) that once was very challenging but now is easy thanks to a few years of good experience inbetween! Here is the other gift I presented to Oogymom - she loves these:  I really like this pattern, because it has a self-button thingey.  I otherwise end up hunting ...

Hello on the day after Labor Day!  I hope you're safe and well; we're good here. I realized after my last post that I had mis-remembered what clue number we're on!  I was really working to complete Clue 4 in anticipation of Clue 5, not a week behind all of that!  I suppose I'm in denial about this coming Friday being Week 6 and the final clue of all!  Where did the time go? Well, I can show you where some of it has been going: Casapinka has started to refer to these as tapestries, and of course she is spot-on!  I never really saw this as a shawl but expect that I'll wear it as if it were a large scarf.  It will look completely different after blocking, but for now I'm just enjoying the knitting and watching the colors and patterns emerge.  At the point I took this pic, I was already a couple of sections into Clue 5. You also caught me with an ice cube melting in my Manhattan.  I'm too lazy to swirl them over ice, so I just plop a cube right in the...

Hello on this sunny Sunday!  I hope this finds you well - we're good here! I made the decision on Thursday, the day before Clue 4  for the Casapinka KAL was scheduled to arrive, to switch over to the market bag project, because my parents will be here in four days - eeek!!  I finished the knitting yesterday and it went for a swim earlier today: Of course, after looking all over for the loose ends to work in, didn't one hide out on me until the thing was in the sink??  You can see it right there near the button.  Of course, I can work it in later, I'm just annoyed that I missed it! You might recall that I was lukewarm about this project - I still am, really.  I'm no fan of market bags, but my mom does like to frequent one locally and I thought this might help her with some of the gathering of what she is picking up.  The yarn color is lovely, and the button is beautiful.  So not a total failure. I'll be getting back to the KAL very soon, and I hope...

Happy Tuesday All!  It's Chili Tuesday here, and I hope you're all well.  We're good! For some reason, I decided to give my crockpot a late summer workout.  Yesterday it was an experiment - risotto.  Who ever heard of such a thing?  Well, I have to tell you - it wasn't perfect, but it beats the crap out of standing there stirrimg for about 30 minutes straight.  Today it was the turkey chili with tequila and lime - which went perfectly with risotto leftovers, and a bit for the freezer.  Tomorrow it's pulled pork, with the last chunk and the bone.  Nothing too fancy, but a nice basic recipe that will also freeze well. It was warm today, and very humid, yet the dog headed for the sunbeam in my room:  This was one of the few times today he wasn't in constant motion.  We found him a new toy, so now he has two that are functional (all others have either been dismissed or disembowled). I really do need to make him a sweater for winter if he's h...