Less Trash and more Updates

More to recycle in Tucson = "Less Trash". Excellent!!

A year or so ago, our curbside recycling was expanded to handle rigid plastics like ice chests, 5-gallon tubs, and old plastic lawn chairs. Larger stuff that I'm Very tickled will not be laying about in the landfills for centuries.
A few weeks ago, we received a notice from the city that they were expanding the types of recyclables that could be handled via curbside recycling.
Excepting plastic bags, basically the new rule is "If it’s plastic, recycle it.".

Alllll recycle numbers of plastic are accepted now!


 Oh, plastic bags? A few years ago, several Grocery stores in Arizona began collecting all manner of plastic bags and shrink wrap.
I was pleased to find this website associated with our City Recycling that offers guidance on how to dispose of pretty much anything - via curbside recycling, hazardous waste, or donating reusable goods to various organizations.
We're doing better.

Updates: The Little Brother (Diabetes Update).
The Little Brother is also doing better! He's back to work, he's walking better, and slowly gaining strength. He has hair on his legs again {wry grin} - the body tends to shut down "unnecessary" systems when under stress. That his legs are hairy again is a very good thing. Recent doctor appointments indicate his eyes are responding well to the treatments and his endocrinologist recently lowered his insulin doses. Pret-ty darn good!

Updates: Los Gatos
The monster cats are doing well, although they seem to be putting on some (more) weight.

(Due to food-bowl grazing or are they preparing for winter??) {sigh}
We changed their food to the "7 years +" version (Gryphon still has access to the "under 7" version). They seem to have adapted well and are spending more time streaking around the house with kitty-happy-feet and then snoozing in very charming positions.

Mikale and Nikoli win paws down for sleeping in interesting positions. 

Gryphon, uh, testing how well this paper bag is constructed.

CooPurr...More happy-feet moments and several instances
 where he looks a lot like a cat-calendar model. ;-)

Updates:

Meself - health.
"Life Happens". The stuff found in the annual mammogram was removed this last week. It seems I did pretty well with anesthesia (no real nausea) so the biggest challenge was my profound fear that I wouldn't wake up and the DH would be left with a ridiculous amount of yarn and books to dispose of.   I'm a bit tender, still waiting for the final biopsy results, catching up on some stuff I taped last year, and doing some knitting.

Meself - knitting.
As previously noted, I had some challenges during the Ravellenic games.
The Little Brother's Tardis Socks are pending the arrival of the new yarn. {sigh}

I did earn a few Ravellenic Medals.
Also as previously noted, I did finish my first Ravellenic project, The Squishy Cowl.

My 3rd Ravellenic project was also completed - the Baby Surprise Jacket (BSJ) by Elizabeth Zimmerman.
Although, I must confess that for all the ripping/tinking I did on this project, I could have knit 3 jackets.
{wry grin} I would say the majority of the issues had to do with my ability to count...or to stop doing increases.
Here's how it looks when the knitting is done, before it is folded into the surprise:

And here's the folded version. Hence the "Surprise". After the above creative wavy bit of knitting  - it folds into a Baby jacket.

Buttons were chosen from the button stash and the shoulders seamed up (a few times).

I do have to confess (some more) the seaming up took me a couple of tries {sigh}.

Today's model is a ceramic cat finished by the DH's Grandmother.

This is a "Note to Self" picture I took so I could skip some of the un-seaming challenges the next time I make one of these jackets. (i.e. my interpretation of which stitch to use in the seaming technique suggested by the very nice ladies at City Knitting in their BSJ Knitting Nugget videos (also included in the Raverly BSJ Wiki page)).

The stitch marker is in the obvious stitch beneath the cast on row. However, when the
stitch where my needle is  positioned is used in the seaming, it leaves less of a seam-ridge.

The delays in finishing the BSJ didn't leave a great deal of time to work on the Tardis-stand-in project before the end of the Ravllenic games.

But I've been knitting on the Spacious Show and Tell Moebius Bag (designed by Cat Bordhi) list last week and it is nearly done. Actually, the bag is done. I'm knitting the pocket. There will be a fulling day in my future.

Meself - California Quilts and another Whaling wall.
And this last "update" is fodder for a blog post of it's own.
More a little later;-)

I took it as a sign and ordered new yarn.

So....the Ravellenic games are afoot and yesterday I attempted to work on the 3rd of my three planned Ravellenic Game projects.

Yep, attempted. I seem to mostly "attempt" to work on this project - The Tardis Socks.

This pattern offers me the opportunity to try a little stranded color work and make spiffy socks for the "Whovian" Little Brother.

As previously noted, I started these socks in December 2012. I was at the base of the cuff when I found a knot in the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Yarn. (Not the norm for BMF, in my experience.) 

I just needed a few more yards/rows to get to the color work section so rather than cut out the knot and join yarn in the 1st inch & a half of the sock, I started the cuff over.

(Plot note - this knot is now viewed as Sign #1.)

The sock languished through the months the Little Brother and I were spending at the hospital/pursuing healing because I felt I needed to "sit down" to setup/start my first stranded color work when I had some uninterruptible/focused time. 
(Some of you are making "been there/procrastinated that" noises 'bout now, huh? 
Others of you are snorting "You have cats! There is no such thing as uninterruptible/focused time with cats in the house..." * ) 

And then I chose this WIP for the Ravellenic Games and the rules had a requirement that WIP (Work in Progress) entered in the Games not be worked on after May 15th. 
(Really?!? May 15th until July 27th?!? {sigh} OK.). So I waited. And waited some more - even after the Little Brother moved back to his own apartment and I began to find some uninterruptible/focused* time. But there are always other projects to knit upon...

So, yesterday, I was happily loitering at Kiwi Knitting and I had brought the Tardis Socks to work on during the Sock Club knit-time. 
I pulled out the pattern, figured out what my next step was, pulled out the black yarn to border the "Police Box" letters and....  
(Plot note - this moment is now viewed as Sign #2.)
(Plot confession - I have to take responsibility for not considering this when I bought the black yarn....)
And - I thought "Gee, the black Cascade Heritage Sock Yarn is much thinner than the Blue BMF Arts Yarn." Uh-oh. 

Yeah, I tried knitting with it and the color contrast was great but the Heritage was thinner and I thought the socks might have issues with several inches of color work in a thinner yarn bracketed  by the heavier Socks that Rock yarn. {sigh}

Blessing for the day: I was in a Yarn Store. I had options. 

And I found a couple more options but not both black and white in a wool super wash. 
The Cascade Heritage 150 that was a very good match to the weight of the BMF Yarn I had and, Lynn, the owner of Kiwi Knitting offered to order me the Black and White Cascade Heritage 150 I needed - and she did so. 

(Plot note - the following moment is now viewed as Sign #3.)
'Bout then, I noticed this: 

Did the number of needles in the picture above strike you as odd? 
Yeah, me too. The look on my face must have been interesting. The project had been put/pulled in and out of the project bag for the last hour or so....and that's where I found the needle. 
These were new Knitter's Pride Cubics I purchased last December to try out the "square" needles for the first time and only used to knit the few inches of cuff you see pictured here. 
They didn't travel far as evidenced by my attempts at knitting these socks. 

Moments later, I added up the signs and thought this project is NOT getting done for the Ravellenic games. 
And my eyes went back to the skein of Tardis-worthy blue Cascade Heritage 150 in the sock yarn section of the store. It has more yardage for the Little Brother's bigger feet and there is absolutely no doubt that it will match the Black/White Cascade Lynn is ordering for me. 

And I bought the Blue Cascade Heritage 150, deciding the Blue BMF Arts Yarn would belong to a different project. 

Epilogue/Silver Lining/Another sign?
Epilogue 
The rest of the new Tardis Sock yarn is on order. I've e-mailed the Knitter's Pride folks to see if there are any options to my buying another circular needle to replace the broken one. 

I'm going to pull in this neglected WIP as my 3rd Ravellenic Game project: The "Spacious Show & Tell Moebius Bag" I started in the Cat Bordhi Mobius Class I took last November. I put it aside for Christmas-knitting deadlines and it's been waiting patiently for me to return. 

Silver Lining
When I walked into Kiwi yesterday, literally the first thing I saw was this lovely skein of Manos del Uruguay. I was instantly smitten and it came home with me yesterday (a Cat Bordhi-esque fulled item is plotted for this yarn). 

I'm also thinking the residual Black & White Cascade Heritage 150 yarn might become a pair of Cat Bordhi Zebra Socks. Hmmmmm. 

Another sign?
I must confess...I am still being challenged by the Baby Surprise Jacket. No, with the goodies and clues I found on the Raverly BSJ Wiki page, I've got a pretty good grip on the pattern. But last night I had to rip back pretty much all the knitting I'd done on the jacket earlier in the day. I came up with too many stitches when I was putting the stitch markers back in after knitting the center section for 10 ridges. Near as I can tell - I over-increased. {sigh}

The colors are laying out well, though. 

It could be another sign. A pretty basic message, I think. 
Counting stitches whilst subjected to massive yarn fumes in LYS and surrounded by fascinating  knitterly chat is a lost cause. 

(Please note: Bonus spacing in this blog is a gift from Blogger and 

is not intended for dramatic effect.)

A Cat Bordhi Weekend...well, mostly

What to say about this weekend?

I am profoundly tickled. 
My arms hurt some. 

My brain was not entirely boggled - which surprises me. 

I need to go update Ravelry with alllll the new projects I can't wait to start - and the ones I started during the classes I took this weekend. 


(Caution - extreme knitterly content. I had a blast!)

So - about 6 months ago, folks started alerting me that a "Knitterati" was coming to teach in Arizona. I reviewed the class options and registered for two classes.

I am profoundly tickled. 

Cat Bordhi came to Arizona this month. She was teaching up in Phoenix and then came to Tucson to teach at Kiwi Knitting this last weekend. (Bonus! She brought us some rain too!!)

I am a profound admirer of Ms. Bordhi's very clever mind and amazing, fun, and beautiful patterns. 

I've made a variety of Moebius-based items from her books "A Treasury of Magical Knitting" and "A Second Treasury of Magical Knitting".

Heather Ordover got me started on Moebius knitting in July 2008 - also at Kiwi Knitting! (Heather does the nifty Craftlit podcast and can also be found on Ravelry & Goodreads.)

Back in 2008, I made a moebius scarf for practice and then worked my way through (with guidance from Heather) a pretty spiffy Trifold Knitter's Bowl - in a variety of purple feltable yarns from my stash.

From there I knit and felted/fulled a variety of Moebius Baskets and bowls. 

(Um...pictures are pending...(seems I put them somewhere "safe")...but you can see a lot of them on my Ravelry project page. (Well, if you have an account. Sorry).)

However, the opportunity to take a moebius class from Ms. Bordhi herself was irresistible so I registered to take her "Magical Moebius Knitting" class given on Friday.

I must say, getting to hear Ms. Bordhi explain Moebius knitting with all the background, experience, tips, and charming humor was stellar. 

I'd done my "homework" and refreshed my memory on the Moebius Cast-on but choosing a class project was a bit more challenging. I wanted to knit something that was a little beyond where I'd already been - but I didn't want to make myself miserable (or look like a blithering idiot) during the class. After plotting 4 new moebius projects**, I settled on starting a "Spacious Show & Tell Moebius Bag" during class with a skein of dark green variegated LanaLoft from my stash. (Stash-busting!!)
(I love Lanaloft - it felts beautifully and doesn't come with the mohair fuzziness and shedding of the Lamb's Pride. But yes, the stash busting for this project will include some Lamb's pride.)

Ms. Bordhi offered a wide range of tips and information regarding...the cast-on, project options, moebius structure (I especially loved the "equator" reference to the cast-on row), how lace moebius knitting creates an opposite-slanting parallel pattern, wool options, the shrinkage tests she'd done, how to test for felt-ability (separate strands down to near-fluff & try spit-splicing - if it doesn't felt, it's not wool, not a felt-able fiber or is superwash), and felting clues and how-to info (hang onto your top-loader washer and put projects into a well built/sealed fabric bag to keep the felt fluff out of the mechanics of your washer (the Yarn Harlot explains why here - from experience)).

I was especially intrigued to hear more about how certain yarns felt better doubled (Cascade 220) and that the Brown Sheep Wool felted more densely when knitted very loosely than when doubled.
I did a poor job taking notes. {sigh} I guess I could try to take the class again another time...{happy prospect!}.

Cat did some of her close-up demonstrating outside in our lovely "Fall" weather. The knitters in the class were a charming, colorful, knitterly, and intelligent group. Some of them were known to me from the Tucson Handweaver's and Spinner's Guild and from other knitterly events and classes.

(Everyone was concentrating fiercely to learn the Moebius Cast-on.)

There were a variety of scarves and baskets started in the class. Inspiring. I had not realized the entrelac-like structure of the Undulating Moebius Scarves. That's a whole 'nother level of fascinating!! I'm also tempted to knit one of the lace moebius scarves/wraps and I'd like to see if I have any yarn in the stash that would work for a "Lost Trail Cape.... Yep, the blather demonstrates the level of inspiration (start-itis) this class inspired. 

K. Trying to move on. The class was grand and lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

I did not take the Saturday class, "Finding the Fountain of Fresh Knitting Ideas", fearing my knitting was not up to a "design" level. I heard from friends who did take the class that is was also very inspiring, a great deal of fun, and that it offered some extremely interesting perspectives and thought processes.

My arms hurt some. 

Nope - the general aches and pains I had on Sunday were not related to extreme or prolonged knitting.
I helped my little brother move on Saturday. {wry grin} Complete with boxes, chairs, bed, dresser, bungee cords to keep everything in the truck...and a bit of a drive.
Slightly out of the ordinary exercise can inspire aches and pains. It wasn't too bad, but I noticed my muscles some on Sunday. 

My brain was not entirely boggled - which surprises me. 

I was back at Kiwi on Sunday for Cat's "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" class. I've had the book that supports this sock structure for years, but had not yet really explored it and had certainly not knit any socks from it. Earlier in the week I had done some studying of Ms. Bordhi's videos relating to the book's techniques: increases, decreases, wraps, and a refresher of Judy's magic cast on.

In the class and a little bit Sunday evening, I knit two sample socks ("Upstream" & Foxglove") and a very small basket that allowed us to practice the new heel turn (no gusset stitches to pick up!!!).
I plan to finish knitting the matching pairs of the sample socks to gift away as baby socks but there are sooooo many patterns and variations on the basic sock structure to explore.

I finally got to use my spiffy alphabet stitch markers from Jeds Joy - and they were much admired by my table-mates. It rained pretty steadily Sunday so there were no "Fresh Aire" demonstrations behind the shop - we were indoor knitters that day.

My "Ah-Ha" moment from the class: the book basically covers variations on where to put the increases for the instep/arch rise. Increases on the sole of the foot - on the top or all on one side. The designs in the book were inspired by the increase placement options and it's fun and amazing! It makes sense that this is the first book in a series...where to stop was probably the hard part of writing the book! The heel turn utilizes concealed wraps that minimize holes or gaps and do not require us to pick up stitches to join the heel to the instep stitches. And the basic structure works well with toe-up or top down. I have always been intrigued by the Coriolis Sock pattern and now I have a hands-on clue regarding how to knit it and why the pattern flows the way it does, emulating the Coriolis effect of the earth!

Another "Ah Ha" moment was looking down our table to see all the Lorna's Laces Cat Bordhi Ah-Ha Learning Yarn. The bright colors and short color changes work well to isolate the parts of the knitting stitches and make it easy to see what you're doing or what Cat was demonstrating. I like primary colors and rainbow-y stuff so I did finally succumb to purchasing some of this yarn for this class. Seems like quite a few other people succumbed as well:

I learned another toe-up sock technique - the garter-stitch toe. I'm not finding a link to explain this stretchy/easy toe-up start option...it is similar to something a friend of mine does to start all of her toe-up socks (excepting she does it in stockinette stitch) so you-all may already know this. Basically, you cast on 6 stitches and then knit 12 rows of garter stitch. You pickup 6 stitches on the remaining 3 sides of your garter-stitch square and then start knitting the toe of your sock - in the round.

Cat noted that although the Magical Knitting treasuries are out of print, she does expect to release them (possibly with some updates) as e-books in 2012.

If you haven't already reviewed the patterns/techniques in her new e-book, "Cat's Sweet Tomato Heel Socks" - please take a gander. The samples she brought and the quick tour she gifted us with during our Sunday class indicates that her innovative ways of looking at and simplifying Sock architecture continues. "Impressive" is a very pale description of Cat Bordhi's mind.

Oh - and making tendrils to add to your knitting is a variation on a weaving edging technique...and it's entirely spiffy!!

I could go on for quite a while about the class and the techniques and the patterns. However, I will attempt to rein in my enthusiasm and finish up this (already very long) blog entry. 

** I need to go update Ravelry with alllll the new projects I can't wait to start - and the ones I started during the classes I took this weekend. 

Plotting for the moebius class stirred up other projects: I've resurrected a plan to make a "Somersaulting Rim Trifold Bowl" for a friend. She has a striking Zebra painting in her entryway so a black/white Trifold bowl came to mind when I first visited her house. I'm am newly smitten with and plotting to knit/felt "Felted Foursome" basket with more of that purple yarn that seems so abundant in my stash (and it'll kinda go with the Trifold Knitter's Bowl...).

Then there's the lace moebius scarves/wraps I'd like try and the "Lost Trail Cape...and about 9 patterns from the New Pathways book...

Hmmm - seems the Cat Bordhi classes should come with a warning label: "May cause extreme Start-itis and possible stash-enhancement. 

Especial thanks are offered to Ms. Bordhi, Heather Ordover (for getting me started on Moebius knitting) and most especially to Lynn Davis at Kiwi Knitting - for her shop, excellent taste in Yarn and for being such a great hostess even when she didn't feel well. Thank you!

To Play "Catch-up" or not...that is the question.

Where to start? How to start?
(I guess those questions would be the start...)

2009 was amazing and taxing. Blogging, crafting, exploring Ravelry, family loss, taking a lot of pictures and knitting classes, inheriting the little black monster-cat, and even taking an amazing trip to Portland.
I was expanding my comfort zone some. Not always on purpose.

2010 is paradoxical and I'm feeling pretty clueless.

Big Brother.
The unexpected passing of my sister-in-law last August has shifted my reality. I've been spending more time with my big brother. I think I've been of some use and sometime useless.

I am finding the big brother - who was my hero as a child and who was sensitive, perplexing, and devastated at the loss of his first wife to Cancer - is now, after the loss of a 2nd wife to Cancer, a very different person than I had thought.
I admire some aspects of his current personality - how spiritual, intelligent, and generally calm he is. (Actually, he was always pretty calm and intelligent.) However, I have profound issues with some of his political perspectives and the lack of tolerance he has for things that are important to me. Which means he's probably not too tickled with me, either. His perspective of politics, the world, ecology, taxes, and...well most every topic I can come up with...is dire and there is ALWAYS a conspiracy at the core.
I suspect some of it some of it is the influence of a friend of his and maybe a lot of it is the grief and, I think, depression.
It is entirely possible he has always been this way and I just didn't have a frigging clue.

I don't know how to explain it or make a difference. My tolerant political leanings and semi-tree hugging mentality doesn't inspire any respect from himself.
(Dark humor - I just got the irony of referring to my older brother as "Big Brother" considering his opinions. Ha.)

Enough of that bit of emotional baggage. I'll keep trying to be there for him, but I need to separate the little sister blind-trust that is beating the hell out of my self-worth and come up with a healthier perspective. Bleh. Sigh.

Kitties.

CooPurr is still a gentle, sweet giant. He weighed in at 18 pounds today at the Vet. (He recently discovered where we've been feeding Gryphon kitten chow and CooPurr thinks high-calorie kitten chow is quite yummy.)

Gryphon is nearly a year old. He is handsome, rambunctious, ornery, chews like a puppy {ugh}, and makes me laugh pretty much all day.

He and CooPurr play well together and dash all over the house.

Gryphon is determined to be the Alpha-cat.

CooPurr doesn't really care who is Alpha-Cat.

But when Gryphon was being particularly obnoxious and bite-y last week - CooPurr put up with it for a while and then, with great restraint, made his opinion known. Gryphon was a little slow to catch on. CooPurr patiently indicated "NO" (like 7 times) ...and then the claws slowly come out to prickle Gryphon's forehead where CooPurr had been holding him at bay with one big silver-edged paw.

No damage done and Gryphon finally got a clue and went off to attack a kitty condo.

On Easter, I had to let my BobCat go.  He was about 19 or 20 years old and had been having Thyroid/Kidney/weight/intestinal issues since December. The Thyroid thing kicked in coinciding with a change in meds so it took a little over a week to step back to the old dosage, reduce the dosage, take him off the meds to find out the sudden loose BM and weight loss had nothing to do with his Mega-Colon meds.

I would get him stabilized and then he would have another bout of weight loss.

He ate REALLLLLLY well the week of Easter but Saturday and Sunday he was seriously failing, wasn't purring or comfortable, and we took him to the Vet Sunday night to let him go.

CooPurr and Gryphon have been doing their level best to be charming and entertaining at all times, but BobCat had my heart and I miss him terribly.


Such a happy blog today - sorry. Such is life just now.

Internet Community.
During the above, I had been sporadic in my Ravelry visits, blog reading, and obviously absent on my own blog. {understatement}

However, I have gotten somewhat acquainted with iTunes!

I purchased a used iPhone from my Big Brother. The phone part is disabled so I essentially have an iTouch with a Camera. I have purchased just a few applications (Apps) .
I tend to study a lot before I buy.
(Why yes, the first Apps I got were knitting-related. Truly- you're not surprised, are you?)

The iPhone has A LOT more memory than my recently-upgraded MP3 player. And we won't get into the improvements it has over my very ancient Zire PDA.
(The DH was glad to receive the MP3 player as a gently-used bit of fun technology. I cleaned off all the podcasts, audiobooks, Opera, musicals, and most of the Josh Groben to leave him a selection of Vince Guaraldi, classic Jazz, Eric Clapton and Journey to get him started.)

I so GET the iTunes infatuation now.
I think they need to re-vamp their search engine and step in when people don't fix buggy apps in a reasonable time period, but other-wise - pretty darn spiffy.

Probably my favorite thing - it is SOOOOO easy to get Pod Casts. {happy sigh}
I'm sampling a lot and subscribing to the ones that tickle my heart and fancy.
I'm "living in the past" of these pod casts - listening from the beginning up to current day. I'm nearly "back to the future" on a few of these, my favorites:

• Knitmore Girls Podcast - Charming, fun, educational, and the mother-daughter relationship of these two special ladies is heart-ful! They make me smile and are inspiring some seriously adventurous start-itis.
• Sticks and String - "A podcast by an Australian bloke who knits" - interesting, excellent taste in music, and a lovely resonant voice - yes with a nifty accent. He also makes me smile with a genial humor.
• CogKNITive - I was referred to Dr. Gemma by the Knitmore Girls and she is funny, intelligent, and very interesting. It's kind of like hanging out with a comfortable, good friend who is really well-adjusted. {wry grin}
• Craftlit - the ever-spiffy and way-more-famous-than-I-had-a-clue, Heather Ordover, presenting crafting and life insights as well as a really cool Literary Professor intro/interpretation of some excellent reads. I started over from the beginning and re-listened to "Pride and Prejudice". {Excellent book - love the humor!}
  (I have to wonder if Heather and David Reidy of Sticks and String have ever interviewed each other. Two such lovely voices in one podcast would be a treat!)
• Gives Good Knit - We first met Tika on the Knitmore Girls podcast and she's gone and started her own podcast. This girl READS voraciously! I really like the goals she sets - inspiring. I do like her book reviews as well and she might be somewhat responsible for my recent reading binge.
• Here's to Ewe - these two ladies have so much fun pod casting. Both have great laughs. I'm still in the early casts but their fibre focus is on our end of the country (West). I'm also becoming quite intrigued about the Knitting Guild Association Master's Program. (Being pursued by one of these pod casters and also by Tika from Gives Good Knit.) Hmmmmm.
• Weavecast - feeding my starving Weaving aspirations. So much to learn. Most especially - how can I dress/use the loom without Gryphon eating my warp and ending up at the Vet. {oy}.

I'm going to stop here or this post will overdose on Pod Casts.
(Which wouldn't be such a bad thing, really...)
Anyway - lov'n iTunes and ... (don't tell my PC) I'm definitely leaning towards an Apple in my future.

Knitting. (You KNEW this topic would be in here somewhere...)

• I got to take two classes with Gwen Bortner at Purls - she does excellent documentation for her classes.
• I purchased my sister-in-law's sock club membership at Purls. They provide a sock pattern (sometimes a published pattern, or a new, custom pattern, or a pattern from Knitty) to compliment the new sock yarn before it is available to the general public. We get first yarn-dibs and a discount on the sock yarn, and yes, some stash enhancement has occurred.
• I ALSO joined the Blue Moon Fiber Arts 2010 Rockin' Sock Club. I've received 2 of my 6 sock club packets. Each has two patterns (amazing patterns thus far, I must say) and a skein of lovely Socks that Rock Yarn in a special/new colorway. I am a teeny bit disappointed to find there is a definite leaning toward the pink end of the color spectrum featured in the first two skeins. Ok, the first one is more like a fuchsia and I'm rather fond of it. The 2nd one - is definitely pink and... leaf green - and the hackles of my pink-aversion are up. However, my mother-in-law and an good work friend LOVE those colors and I could make some serious points knitting socks for one of those more fond of pink than myself. I am hoping the next delivery will not be pink-oriented. We shall see...
  (Disclaimer - I am aware that my pink-aversion is peculiar to me {and a few other ladies of stellar good taste ;-) } and that it is in direct contrast to one of the most beloved female stereotypes. Just think of it as "more pink for you". )
• I participated in the 2010 Winter Ravelympics AND I received 6 medals for finishing 2 "WIPs" - Works in Progress, and for starting and finishing 2 projects from scratch:
1.  WIPS Dancing Event - finishing the Seamingly Simple Vest (I'm really tickled with it!)
and a knitted beaded bracelet!

2. Felting Event and Bag Jump Event - Knit and Felted this Bucket Bag (love the colors)
3. Felting Event and Bobsled Event (knit for pets) - knit and felted this Moebius Cat bed for CooPurr  (yes, but Gryphon helped me take the before-felting pictures).  

I think that's about enough blathering for now. If you made it this far down, you are a brave, intrepid soul! Blessings be on you and yours.

Sock Summit 2009 - Part 2 - Classes, Marketplace, & Opening Ceremonies

Simpler times - Revisiting my Sock Summit Trip. My humble apologies and a request for understanding for the delay. Life happens.

Minor Field Trip...
I slept reasonably well after travel, registration day/mini-skein trading evening. The Red Lion Hotel has an interesting ventilation system whereby at a certain temperature they vent in outside air to cool the building. Snuggly cool.

Cindy popped over to invite me on her trip to Trader Joe's. Her plan was a sound one. Food budget was part of the yarn budget. So if she picked up the fixin's to make most of her meals - more funds for yarn. Smart woman.
We hopped on Max and traveled back up the train line to where we'd seen a Trader Joe's as we passed by the day before. I hadn't broken my fast just yet, so we enjoyed a breakfast panini at Panera (a yummy bakery in the strip mall just down from Trader Joes). Yep, it's NOT a good idea to enter Trader Joe's with an empty stomach.
I picked up some water, Gingeroo Cookies (yum!), and one of the pesto chicken wraps of which I'm inordinately fond.

Sock Summit Classes!
Back to the Convention Center for my 1st class: Judy's Magic Cast On with Judy Becker.



Here's the lady herself - kindly participating in a "sock" picture.
(Yep, Joyce's socks were Sock-Summit-Blessed).

SPIFFY concept, Judy's Magic Cast-On! I came out of the class with a serious yen to cast on some toe-up socks.
The back of my brain reminded the impulsive front of my brain: "And just how do you plan to do a heel turn backwards when you haven't conquered your top-down heel turn angst yet?".
Oh.
Yeah.
Good point.
However, I do have the handout from Ms. Becker adorned with my notes. I think it'll be ok (and decipherable) when I try a toe-up sock. Bonus - she taught us a Circle Cast-on too!

I had an hour before my next class, but I wasn't yet hungry after the breakfast panini so I went outside to sit and enjoy the Portland Weather.





Look at the lovely green-ness right outside the Convention Center.






A light breeze and cloud-cover - lovely.


Sitting outside at noon is not something I could comfortably do in Tucson this time of year without earning a sunburn and a lot of perspiration.









Gingeroos and knitting in a pleasant, cool outdoor setting. Happy Sigh.



T'was a charming interlude - unfortunately interrupted by a young lady soothing a need for nicotine. My getting-older lungs will pitch a major fit identified by annoying coughing for hours if I get a good lungful of someone's nicotine-fix.

So I headed inside and found a table with some nice knitterly-types that were quite willing to allow me to share their space and we traded show-n-tell on our projects. The welcome got even warmer when I shared my Gingeroos! Seems other folks have the same great taste in ginger cookies!

I began to realize I was at an event where I had a strong, vital, shared interest/passion with pretty much everyone in the building. It's a bit heady and feeds the soul to be around so many people with which you have an instant connection and ready conversation is always available.

Cindy found me there and some Stitch Marker Trading ensued! I had brought all of 3 to trade - and I traded with Cindy for a "Beer-goggle Strawberry stitch-marker (so named because "it would take beer-goggles for this to look like a strawberry").
I also traded for a coffee bean, and a fimo-flower stitch marker:




I was out of Stitch Markers, but Cindy was trading all weekend - she'd come prepared!

I think Michelle (?) gifted me with the blue glass bead one.








Cindy and I were both registered for the early afternoon class: Hooked on Beads with Sivia Harding.
I, foolishly, did not take any pictures around this class - and there was so much to see!

IndiaJoy arrived to take this class with Sivia Harding. I'd seen IndiaJoy in conversations on Ravelry and I'd been struck by her humor, kindness and she lives in India. Fascinating blog! I haven't read too far back but the view into another country and culture - with a fibre perspective - is very interesting.

Indiajoy was equally as charming in person, wearing a kind of "pillbox" hat from India literally dripping with Stitch Markers. She'd begun making them months ago, long before folks thought to try and setup a stitch marker trade. She noted having them attached to this particular type of hat was in alignment with how the hat was used in India to advertise/display wares for sale. And she graciously accept one of my mini-skeins for a "Joy" Stitch marker.
(Why yes, a picture of IndiaJoy would have been truly excellent here {kicking myself again}.)

Sivia Harding was charming, elfin, knowledgeable, magical, adorned in beautiful knitting, a very good teacher, and her class was great fun and I came out of it with a serious yen to knit some socks with beads. And the samples she brought...lovely and inspiring!
I had another conversation with the back of my brain and didn't start Joyce's 2nd sock with beads in the leg...

Pre-Marketplace.
Next on the schedule was the opening of the Sock Summit Marketplace at 4:30 and I had some time to kill - but not enough to comfortably go "off-campus" into Portland.

I believe this is about the time when I let go of the Yarnia dream. I'd wanted to travel to the Yarnia store where they create/ply yarn for you from the strands of your choosing. But I'd realized I wouldn't quite have time and reality had set in - I had NO clue how much yarn to have made. Next time I'm in Portland, though...

I went back to the hotel to partake of 1/2 of the Chicken Pesto Wrap. I came back to the Convention Center and found Mary Ann in the main seating area and I sat down to knit-a-spell. Cindy rejoined us after she'd attended another class. I met some more lovely folks and was particularly taken with a young lady wearing a Serenity Shirt!




(I have the same shirt...)
(yet another sign of intelligence and excellent taste!).

She was also a familiar Ravelry name. In the non-Raverly world, I got to meet Robyn.







She had leetle, tiny Jayne hats she'd knitted and was trading for Stitch markers.




As previously noted, I was already out of stitch-markers for trade. However, Robyn generously gifted me with a mini-Jayne hat AND a temporary Serenity tattoo (did you notice it above in the Stitch Marker picture?). I definitely owe her a stitch marker....

A Very Little of the Marketplace.
Before we knew it - it was time for the Marketplace to open so we queued up:



You're looking at this picture with your head cocked to the left, huh? ;-)




Being that this blog entry is already pretty darn long...I'm going to post pictures of the yarny delights I acquired in the next Sock Summit blog.
The Yarn Fumes were PROFOUND - and I only took ONE picture inside the MarketPlace on Thursday night. Sad, I know, but, well, the yarn fumes...it's hard to explain...everything is a bit fuzzy (and punny).

Here is the ONLY picture of my Thursday night Marketplace adventure - the first stall I visited and one of the yarns on the top of my list:


Lolipop Cabin Yarns.









I was in search of one of the Dye for Glory Entries: Toasted Marshmallow on the Wonderland Trail.

This is Ialiuxh and her husband, creators and purveyors of the yarn I was seeking.
{I'm scum, I forgot his name...but any guy that supports such creativity is an good soul in my book!}

I was their very first Sock Summit Customer and sale.
I'm a little tickled about that.
And I got to order my Toasted Marshmallow yarn to be delivered in a few weeks.

More on the Marketplace in the next blog.

I stayed so long at the Marketplace, they were flashing the lights at us to remind us the Opening Ceremonies were about to begin.
Told ya - yarn fumes. Intoxicating!

Opening Ceremonies!
There was a Silent Auction setup outside the ballroom benefiting Doctors without Borders, one of my favored charities.
I dashed through the first table without bidding on anything. Found 3 intriguing things on the 2nd table, upped the bids on those 'uns by $10.00, and dashed into the ballroom.

And there was Cindy! Inviting me to sit with her and several of the knitters I'd met at the airport.   Blessings.
We filled small plates with cheese, meats, and fruits, admired the knit-works-of-art walking by, and were simply delighted to be there.

Another apology - seems I can take pretty decent pictures out of an airplane window - but across a ballroom seems to be beyond my abilities. I took a lot of pictures that didn't look too bad on the tiny camera screen. On the computer - not so great.
Here be the pictures that weren't entirely lost causes...but they're pretty bad...


We were welcomed by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Tina Newton to the first ever Sock Summit.
And we were delighted. They did build it - and we did come.

They read us the proclamation from the Mayor of Portland declaring August 5th through 9th Sock Knitting Week.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Tina Newton (ST1) told us the Story of how the Sock Summit came into being. It went something like this - the two of them taking turns and telling their part of the story:

It turns out Cat Bordhi was the original source of the concept. "Wouldn't it be nice if...".

ST1 noted that they'd brought up the concept and talked about it numerous times.
"Kind of like how you talk about running away to Belize..."

One day, Tina called up Stephanie and said "I did something.".
Stephanie asked "What?".
Long pause.
Tina again: "I did something...".
Stephanie is becoming mildly alarmed and asks again "What?".
Another pause.
Tina offered "You may not ..."
Stephanie is beginning to consider the cost of a ticket from Canada to Portland because obviously something is seriously wrong..."Tina!?!"
Pause.....
"I rented the Oregon Convention Center."
"What?"
"I rented the Oregon Convention Center."
"You did WHAT?"
"I rented the Oregon Convention Center for that sock thing we've been talking about."
I believe Stephanie noted some expletives may have been offered at about this time...

They went on to explain how much of the Oregon Convention Center they rented...
and then rented some more...and "Oh, we also need the ballroom..."
and then they needed some more room and rented More space.

Apparently there was some rampant disbelief at the concept of all that space being needed for:
"Knitting?".
"Yep.".
"For ... socks?".
"Yep, sock knitting.".
"Socks you wear on your feet?".
"Yes, socks you wear on your feet."

AND....
"You need more loading dock space to unload...Yarn?".
"Yes."
"But yarn doesn't take up much space really, does it?".
(When I correlate this ignorant comment to my own scary stash...oy.)

I must commend the patience and restraint of the ladies that gifted us with the Sock Summit.
It couldn't have been easy to deal with such reactions month after month and not throttle one of these muggles, not even once, not even a little bit...



See - not great pictures.








(I didn't realize until now that Lucy Neatby was right in my line of sight! Kewl)
{grin}

(This is actually a little later in the ceremony, after they'd called up the rest of the Sock Summit crew so we could thank them and show general adoration.)

They introduced all the Teachers. Barbara Walker got a Standing Ovation!



There was some good natured, general harassment.











And a lotta love.







One of the ST2 ladies (apologies, I don't know everyone on sight...) was asked to read the back of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's shirt.



“Knot Hysterical Productions”








Some reference was made to the next Sock Summit - but nothing conclusive or promised.
We'll see what the future brings.

Once again, the intrepid Cindy enhanced my Sock Summit experience.
She wanted to go thank one of the teachers for a blog about choosing a spinning wheel - and we met all sorts of Knitterati. I think Cindy knows most everyone and their specialty on sight.

We did speak a few moments with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and Tina Newton.
I expect they were still in the glow of the amazing first day of the Sock Summit and the crowning glory of the Opening Ceremonies - and the fatigue was catching up with them some.
They had their priorities straight. Accomplishing the goal of a lifetime,





Food,

beer,










and comfort.








They were kind enough to gift me with a sterling Sock Summit memory:




(Cindy did the honors.)








I found my Tri-fold Knitter's Bowl teacher from Tucson, Heather Ordover!
It was SO lovely to meet someone I admired that I actually knew. Sounds odd, huh?
Heather is a warm, kind, rather brilliant person.




And she has a GREAT smile.







(An Aside...Heather was in NY during the 9/11 attacks. Some of her amazing and poignant comments on the subject are here.)

Here is a picture of our "Hooked on Beads" teacher, Sivia Harding.



With Cindy!
(Notice Cindy's beautiful Clapotis?)






As previously noted, I was a bit overwhelmed by the Knitterati. And I can be profoundly geeky - to make some of these moments truly embarassing and quite  memorable.

This clever lady intrigued me - wearing what appeared to be a hand-woven tunic - and spinning cheerful apple-green thread that matched her shirt!
I sensed a kindred spirit because I was walking about crafting as well (knitting on Joyce's sock).



She allowed me to take a couple of "action" shots of her spinning.

Too fun!










She was very kind and responded playfully to my teasing if she dressed to match the roving or vice-versa?
She said she always matched her spinning!
A fair effort was made to convert me into a spinner, too.



She was very graceful and I enjoyed speaking with her.


I wasn't even too geeky!


I found out later, this is The Denny McMillan.
{wry grin}




I met SOOOOOO many nice people. Cindy gifted me with that.
I wouldn't have gone up to speak with all these amazing, talented people.

I think Heather tried to help me put it into perspective:
"We all put our socks on one foot at a time.".

The Opening Ceremonies were great fun - Barbara Walker summed it up nicely when she said {near quote} “Stephanie and Tina should take their comedy routine on the road. They could call themselves the “Knit Wits”.”

Oh - the Silent Auction!
I got back out to the tables after most of the offerings had been packed up.
I apologized and asked if the organizers could check to see if I owed them any money.

Bless their hearts - they went through everything still on the tables and packed away.



And they found I'd won all three of the items I'd bid upon!!





Details in the next SS blog.
Night.