Purl Side of the Moon

Obscured by Clouds

A super quick post.  I guess some of you might want to see some actual knitting instead of just spinning.  I made a hat this Saturday out of the gorgeous Alchemy Synchronicity.  This stuff is incredible. 50% silk and 50% merino.  Yum. It glides through you hands and I can only describe it as it feels like you are knitting clouds.  I chose an unusual colorway for me. See (picture from Knit Happens site):

Now I like all these colors, but they are not colors that look good on me.  But the Irregulars disagreed and said that these colors looked better than all the other colors available at KH shop. 4-Ply Katie was making a hat as a shop sample in this shade. I loved how the colors pooled and made a cool design of big patches of the colors that swirled perfectly around the hat.  I used the Fiber Trends "Everyone's favorite Hat" pattern.  I had to go down in gauge because the normal size is too big for me.  Well the change in gauge obviously  was perfect for the way this yarn is dyed:

(Man, taking a picture of yourself sure isn't easy.) Yep, no pooling or blocks of color. It was in perfect round by round stripes.  Perfect. Couldn't get more perfect.  A knitters dream. Well usually....See, the shop sample that pooled had lots of white and a bit of turquoise to counteract the orange and green.  It was enough to make the colors work for me.  But now, I've got mainly an orange, green and brown hat.   How many knitters out there get upset because their yarn DIDN'T pool?  I know it's silly.  Don't get me wrong, I still LOVE this hat.  It is soooooo soft, silky and comfy.  I'll deal with the poor color for luxury.

OK...for you spinners...I finished and plied the grey wool.  I'm just too lazy to take a picture of the two skeins from it.  One turned out balanced...the other, I way over plied and it twisted right up.  ARG. I've found that if I slow down and concentrate on plying; I screw it up and overply.  Oh, and I got some more "practice" yarn in the mail today!!!!   Take a look at these big fiber clouds!:

Pimentos and Olives...or is it Olives and Pimentos. I absolutely love this color way!

Cold Winters night.

The fiber (Australian top) is from Holly Springs Homespun And yes, I've started spinning it and it has been my most favorite fiber to touch my finger.  It is very soft and silky.  It's like magic spinning it.  I've started with the pimentos and olives. I can't wait to see how this colorway looks spun up and plyed. I'm going to just spin it randomly. Also, Kathy, the owner  of HSH, is absolutely fab and gives fantastic service for mail order.  I totally recommend trying them out as a fiber source.  I will definitely be ordering more of this hand dyed in other colorways.

I'm off to bed.  I'm really sorry that I haven't replied to all my emails. It's been a bit nutty catching up on everything from the holidays.  That and the wheel has kind of sidetracked all my free time.

Remember When You Were Young

Whew, what a holiday! Turkey (and a zillion calories worth of other food) was eaten and whiskey sours were drank...and drank some more.  They get me every time.  We spent the holiday with Jeff's family and then stopped by and saw my family for a quick visit in the evening.  Friday I spent the day with my Mom and Aunt.  We went and saw "Walk the Line."  It was fabulous.  I love me some Johnny Cash!  Reese Witherspoon did a great job as June Carter Cash and the girl has got a hell of a voice too.  I had to laugh that both my Aunt and Mom would see other performers characterized in the movie and ask, "Who's that?" and I would instantly name them all. I felt like I was on Jeopardy or something.  At one point, I had to question if they really grew up in that era; It really wasn't that long ago. Hmmm...I have a lot of the same genes in my body...Is there going to be a day when someone acts the part of Bono, and all of a sudden, I will not remember his name? The best part was we were in a theater that just opened that day, so we were the only ones in the whole theater and we got to chatter, quip and quiz eachother out loud.

So (finally) on Saturday I got to do a bit of knitting.  I have finished the one-half of Lizzy and half done with the other.  I also got to go up to Knit Happens and hang with the girls.  I started and finished a new project on Saturday.  It's a beautiful (and luxurious) hat made of some Alchemy Synchronicity.  That stuff is definitely the ultimate fiber-crack. I chose to do the hat because at Knit Knite , 4-Ply Katie made a shop sample and once I touched it, I had to have one.  Speaking of 4-Ply Katie, this past Weds. was her last Knit Knite with us.  We are very sad to see her headed off to Romania. Katie is always a great source of witty humor, support and an incredible knitter and teacher of all things yarn. We'll miss you Katie!:

So today, while all the football games were on, I pulled out a sampler pack of fiber I had gotten a long time ago at the Earth Guild in Asheville, NC.  It is a fantastic little bundle of about 15 or so different animal and plant fibers. I started off with some domestic top (which was probably some Corridale) to continue my practicing.  I'm definitely getting back what I call my "spin zen."  This is when all my body parts are coordinated and it just flows.

So I finished up the bag of this fiber and look Liz no twist!  Not perfect, but pretty darned balanced! (Wendy shot):

Wow...plying really is easier on a larger ratio!  Yep, the last skein I did before, I forgot to change the ratio and I was treadling like a mad woman!  It was a lot easier and prettier when I did this one.  Here's a shot of the skein with its fiber buddies:

I then started on some scoured and carded grey wool roving. This was very greasy and not so easy (pleasant) to spin. But it's looking good. I've done one bobbin and will start on the other tomorrow.  I made a deal that I was allowed to spin in between work I needed to get done today.  So I've been going back and forth all day.   And now, it's time to finish up the report I'm working on before heading to bed.  Hope ya'll have recovered from your holiday weekend! 

You're Going to Make It If You Try

I've been having some fun here at the Purl Side household.  Since Liz and Max's visit, I've been totally inspired to dust of my wheel and start spinning again.  So, on Sunday, I pulled out some practice wool and started spinning to get back in the motions. Tonight I finished spinning up some more "it doesn't matter if it turns out ugly" wool and tried to remember how to ply.  So may I present, my first "real" skein of yarn:

Yeah, this skein is not all that pretty,nor is it at all balanced. But I'm pretty happy with it since I haven't really spun in quite awhile...When did I start this blog!?!

Now to clarify, I have spun one other skein of wool, but that doesn't really count (at least to me) since it was the wool that I learned to spin on in my spinning class. I'll have to try finding that funny looking impression of some yarn.  Since then, I spun a couple bobbins of singles to practice, but  I never made them into skeins.

So of course, I had to order some fun roving to continue practicing on. Something with more color for interest.  Wool that would not force me to ruin my favorite roving in my stash that I have reserved for when I get better.  I can't wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, I'll continue working on my practice wools. (Liz-You didn't see everything! But it wasn't really worth dragging out.)

Well, I'm heading to bed. I really hope all of you have a great Turkey Day with friends and family.  Me, a few whiskey sours* should get me through it all.  Be safe if you have to drive!

*  Whiskey sours is something Jeff's Mom and Sister have taught me to drink. After finally agreeing to join the gals in their routine before dinner social cocktails of whiskey sours, I now know why his mom and sister are always so "bubbly" and down-right rambunctious by dinner time. His sis makes one potent drink(s).  I swear it could easily be used as a homemade oven cleaner. And man, does it hit you fast.  I love how at first you just sip them, but by half way through your drink all your taste buds have been stunned and paralyzed, allowing you start taking swigs like a pirate from a rum bottle.   All in the name of family fun, right!

Meeting Face to Face

So Saturday, the lovely Liz and handsome Max came and visited Marley and I. 

We had such a grand time.  It was the first time that I planned a meeting from someone I met through my blog and it was a great experience.  Of course Marley thought it was the best because Max, one of her blog dog friend, was super cool and a lot more fun in person!  Of course she liked meeting Liz too:

Liz came around noon and we had a bit of brunchy foods while the dogs got spastic with each other other outside. They proved to hit it off as well as Liz and I did.  We blabbed for a few hours then went for a walk through Old Town to visit Knit Happens.  I would love to say we got a lot of knitting done but we were so busy talking and playing with the kids, we forgot to knit.  But Liz brought her spinning wheel and showed some of her expertise while giving me some spinning pointers.  I brought out all my fibers and she fell in love with one of my rovings.  So she instantly spun up a sample of it that made us go gaga.  Then we knitted it and were both in love it!  Wanna see?

Liz has certainly inspired me to start spinning again.  (Which I did a bit of today.)  Of course my yarn doesn't look anything as beautiful as hers. I'm going to keep practicing so I can spin up the rest of the fiber roving we started.  I'm very excited. And I've got a backup; if I can't get to the point of doing it justice, Liz has promised to spin it for me.

Well we ate pizza, the dogs finally started passing out, we tried on each other's knit wear.  (Liz's sweater is awesome!) and after a bit of yawning and realizing it was 11PM...Liz and Max had to pack up and head home. 

Here's a shot of all of us together:

But here is what we really looked like the most of the time:

Yes, quite a bit of laughing.  It was great hanging with you Liz!  Thanks so much for the presents (Liz gave some beautiful handmade soaps, a bookmark and a skein of Opal sock yarn.) I can't wait to come visit you and starts some of the plans we made!  Marley of course is anxious to see Max again with his brothers.  It should be quite interesting!

Wasters of Life and Limb

I have a confession.  I have been holding out on you guys:

I started on Lizzy.  And before I knew it, I had the back and almost a full side done.  God bless projects of stockinette stitch.  Granted, most of the time I'm bored senseless doing it, but lately with my schedule and living off a few fried brain cells in the late evenings, it's the best thing since margaritas.  Mindless knitting...got to love it.

I need to stop doing my posts this late when I'm so tired.  I just read my last post.  Can I speak English?  Or at least write it.  Sad.

Warning...Politcal Rant...

So, I've been sitting all day and night watching the House of Representatives squawk about appropriations and budget bills. It's 1:40 AM and its still going. I'm waiting for the final vote on the budget before I can go to bed.  After this long a period of watching the partisan bullshit slinging, I feel disgusted and want to puke.  Too much for even me.  I could write about all the political crap that peeved me this week to no end.  Frankly, I'm too disgusted to rehash it.  There are too many items, it would take too much time, and it hurts to relive it. That , and my anger will take over too much. Yes, I'm bitter.  Thank God they are going home soon for a couple of weeks...Hopefully, I will recover and the nauseousness will subside. As long as I'm on a rant...Dude, Cheney, have you lost your mind???? Let me give you a bigger shovel so you can dig yourself in a hole faster?  Why would you say such things? (No, I'm not really surprised.)  We live in the world of digital recording, video, podcasts, internet media. Hmmm...just leads me to think you just really don't care.

Same shit, different day.  Then again, there is still 36% that is still condoning this behavior.  Look out folks, Rove is back! With playbook in hand, he's concentrating cleaning up the mess the kiddies made while he had to spend his time concentrating on how to save his own ass.

I've got lots going on this weekend. Especially a special visit from a very special person and one of her four-legged children.  Marley is just as thrilled and can't wait!  We'll be sure to get lots of pictures and blog about it on Monday!

Baby Blue

This week has already started off crazy.  Sorry, my eyes are droopy, it's 2:35 AM and I know more about Alaska's oil pipeline than I ever wanted to know...but I'll leave you with these.

Master Kesler is showing off that he finally fits in the sweater that Aunt Shelley made for him...My, Debbie Bliss* sure can make this little man look "Styling" and has stunning baby blue eyes:

 

Babe in a sweater:

Another babe in a sweater:

Yes, Marley very often loves to crawl in my sweaters.  She gets cold very easily and will often fall asleep this way.  She often forgets she's a canine instead of a marsupial.

*  The Hooded Sweater from Debbie Bliss's Special Knits.  What a great, simple, fast pattern that looks absolutely adorable!

Between Friends

There's something to the term "lucky dog."  I've got one. Nothing is more amusing than when your dog starts getting mail. Jeff opened the door the other day and walked back in with a box.  He assumed it was yarn that I ordered from somewhere.  When I turned and excitedly said, "No! That's for Marley." Given his confused expression, I replied that it's "blog-dog thing."  See, Abner (and Basil) got their Mommy (Rebekah) over at Knit Knack sent Marley a congratulations gift for winning her big race.  Marely of course just loves her some Abner, and is a very lucky dog to have him as a blog-dog buddy, but she's a super lucky dog to have such a thoughtful blog-dog friend to send her prezzies!

See, this is what she got:

A whole lunchbox from Three Dog Bakery full of doggie treats!!!! Marley wanted to send out a big, big thank you to Abner and his family for being so absolutely cool!  And she also thinks that Abner is an absolute genious to include a cookbook that is nothing but recipies for doggie treats that of course her Mommy will HAVE to make for her.  She also thinks the BBQ Rib treat is the best one in the box.  THANK YOU SO MUCH Abner, Basil, Rebekah and Nick!!!!!  You are super sweet and made this little dog and her owners very happy.  And for you Abner...here's pics of the special event...

PIPER GETS FULL RIGHTS TO FIRST INSPECT ALL PACKAGES...MARLEY'S NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT IT BUT, HEY, CAT CLAWS DON'T FEEL GOOD ON NOSES...

OH...THERE'S SOMETHING GOOD IN HERE...SOMETHING REEEEAAALL GOOD!

DAMN, I SEE IT, I SMELL IT, BUT THIS PLASTIC WON'T LET ME TASTE IT!

AH, COME ON MOM, QUIT TAKING PICTURES AND USE THOSE THUMBS FOR SOMETHING USEFUL!

IT'S AAAAALLLLLLL MINE!

And for those of you that lasted through all of that...Someone was island-hopping this weekend (finally).

It's a Battleground

May I announce, the new DEMOCRATIC Governor of Virginia ...Tim Kaine!  Woo hoo! Kaine won a super tough race. I think the best thing about it is I don't have mud-slinging misleading ads being played every ten minutes.  I was getting sick of seeing them from both sides.  This campaign got very nasty and I think it's been a complete shame that the real issues couldn't have been brought to the public eye and discussed.  What a waste of a lot of money just to buy time to attack each other.  Unfortunately when campaigning, once the attacks begin, the only thing you can usually do is to attack back.  I've worked in and very closely with campaigns for over 10 years now.  I am always sickened by this type of campaigning.  But for the past few years, I've never seen it so bad...I'm shocked at how ruthless it has gotten.  It's always been a bit ruthless, but it's really gotten out of control. Campaigning has become a terrible new animal (beast) that is destroying the potential for so many good people to decide to serve in a political office. Who would want to step up and deal with having every part of your life wide open for exploitation. It's really a shame.  But I have hope that things will change.  I think the citizens are getting sick of it.  At least that's what I'm hearing.  Hopefully, it will start squashing the decision to campaign (and politic) this way.  I think that yesterday was a big message.   *** Or should I dare say a "mandate"* ***  JOKING!  I have hope; A lot of hope now. With this and several other things that I've been seeing lately. I feel relief more than anything. Yes, relief...for a whole lot of reasons.  I'll spare y'all my "great American" speech, and leave it with a quote by my buddy Dylan says..."The times, they are a changin'."

OK...Knitting, right!  Well here's a tell all couple of pictures:

NOW YOU SEE IT:

NOW YOU DON'T:

Well the knitting at least.  Purl Side hasn't been very lucky at making that raft off sleeve island.  Sadly, this wasn't the first time I've ripped major parts of this sleeve; It is now the third.  Yep, Purl Side's brain has definitely turned to jello.  After making miscalculations on sleeve size, I knit the bottom part of the sleeve too long.  Of course I didn't figure this out for quite awhile. So I ripped back to shorten the sleeve.  Close to completion of attempt # 2, I still hadn't shortened the sleeve enough.  Then on this last time.  I realized I had been screwing up the cap directions.  I could have probably gotten by with it. But it drove me crazy to know that it was not really right. 

So evidently not everything is changing. I remain smack-dab in the middle of sleeve island; the tide keeps bringing me back in. 

She Will Make It to the Island

So as I was saying yesterday, I knitted.  All day I had been sitting at work thinking how badly I wanted to knit.  I came home with urge flaring...I couldn't wait to hit the couch and have my fingers flying over the wool.  Thoughts of all the "on the needles" projects were streaming through my mind like a slide show. Which one do I want to work on?

Socks...Hell no; despite the tons of gorgeous skeins of sock yarn I've purchased the past few months, I needed something bigger, more substantial.   Plus socks are the only thing I've been knitting the past month when given time.

Turkish Cape...Nah, Too much thinking. It's a hassle to fair-isle back and forth.  And I'd have to go and reread on how to knit fair-isle backwards if I really wanted to try  an easier method.

Lizzy- The noro silk cardi.  Nope, I would have to pull out the project, read the pattern, decide on all the alterations I'd need to make so that the sleeves fit my short arms, do a gauge swatch, find my addi's ...forget it.

My silky-wool shawl...Nah, not up for lace. My brain needs a break.

Martha, the pink beaded rowan cardi.  Maybe...it's not that complicated, I'm almost done with the arm-shaping.  But I just am not feeling it. 

What I kept coming back to in my mind was my Must Have Cardi.  Rember that?  The one I was knitting when I started this darned blog.  Well the weather is chiller and I so love me some aran. 

Do you multi-project people ever put one down and forget where you were on it when getting back?  You sit and study it, trying to figure it out...Kicking yourself for remembering nothing but your thought that you would not forget where you were the last time you sat it down. Dread starts seeping over you that it's just not worth it to restart right now.  Guilt that once again you have a project well on its way to being done, but the oomph to deal with a little thinking is prohibiting you from doing so.  After all, all you wanted to do was knit. Maybe another project would be less burdensome.

Well I stuck it out.  I found the pattern, and thankfully found my notes on how I had altered some decreases. I  figured out that the reason I stopped and took a break from the project in the first place was because I had made a mistake and needed to fix it.  Finally, after all that brain power used...it was time for my fingers to take over.  And that they did.  I was jamming.   That and I got back that overwhelming feeling of how much I loved to knit.  How relaxing and methodic it is. How gratifying it is to see inches of material to appear under the needle one row at a time. 

Well I've got lots of inches at this point.  Never-ending inches.  It's a good thing I'm enjoying rediscovering the pleasures of knitting...Cuz I'm on a island baby...One you can't escape from it...Ain't no one saving your arse and there ain't no one to vote you off.  The only way you are getting off is to knit yourself off...

Marley doesn't like sleeve island either:

Here's a better pick of he sleeve.  Just a couple more inches then I get to start the arm caps.

Steps Have Been Taken

I knitted. 

I mean, I sat down and knitted, alot. 

I didn't open my computer; I didn't blog;  I didn't answer the phone; I didn't make dinner or work late.  I came straight home, pulled out a project and knitted to the point that my eyes couldn't stay open anymore. I deserved it.  Jeff even walked in from work and went "Whoa!"  This past month the most intense knitting I've been doing is sock knitting.  Even then, I've not worked on it more than spurts.

It felt good, like riding a bike. It made me feel like I'm slowly getting back to normal.

So, stay tuned tomorrow I'll do a proper post and  what I decided to knit on.