Nada

I got nothing today. Really.

All the knitting on Pavillion is finished, but I desperately need to buckle down and end-weave so I can block, seam and do the neckline. End-weaving procrastination has prevented me from getting anything new on the needles.

Softball socks are done. Yarn is wound for their replacement on the needles, but that’s far as I’ve gotten.

The store sample BSJ is finished, minus the shoulder seams. Yarn for a new BSJ is also wound, but I haven’t cast on.

Yarn for my next sweater (vest with MadTosh) is ready for swatching, but I haven’t done that yet either.

Yesterday, I went down to the store and got Sandy to help me with a little crochet project. I blame Cristi for this. It’s 100% her fault.


That’s literally the only thing I have on the hooks or needles at the moment. So I shall distract you with shiny new (better) pictures of the loom. Keep in mind, I have no idea what I’m looking at, aside from the fact that the cherry wood is beautiful and I did figure out how to put it back together so it looks just like it did at Obi-Wan’s house (that’s how I’ll refer to the woman who sold me the loom and will, hopefully, help me figure out how to use the damn thing)

Rut-Roh Shaggy

Um … uh … what is there to say?

That's my living room.

I kind of bought a loom.

I split it with my mom.

We’re the third owner(s) of this particular loom, which is long out of production. It’s a Norwood 850 Cherry wood loom, sold with all of the previous owner’s accessories. The whole shebang is in the picture, with highlights including a 14-yard warping board, a McMorran Balance, and a metric crap-ton of things I can’t identify (yet). And a box full of books.

Chances are outstanding that I’m in WAY over my head, but hopefully it will be fun to doggy-paddle out of the pool before I drown.

And if I wind up in the insane asylum, point to today as the day the madness started.

Oh, and wish me luck. I think I’m gonna need it.

Softball Socks 2010 • Now with More NCAA Championships!

This is the third straight year that I’ve knit “softball socks.” These were started while I was attending the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, although it was too damn hot to do more than a tiny bit of knitting while I was there. Basically, I cast on the first toe, got the sock into the round and put it away until I could spend some quality time with my good friend Mr. Air Conditioning.

Turtle Daddy sock blockers!

These socks rekindled both my sock knitting mojo and my love for a plain stockingette sock.


I don’t need pattern stitches to keep my interest. I think there’s a beauty and serenity to just going “knit knit knit” in the round. Nothing changes while life swirls around you. Although I did change needles for the cuffs, going up one needle size to make these socks easy on/off.

Toe pic!

I used my very favorite toes for this pair, the garter toe. They could not possibly be easier to execute, and they fit perfectly every single time.

New Pathways arch increases/heel turn

I used my Zen Yarn Garden “Represent” yarn, which was Roxanne’s entry into last summer’s Dye for Glory contest. My BruWins certainly did “Represent” while I was knitting these socks. Softball won its 13th national championship and baseball has played itself into the NCAA Championship Series for the first time in program history (best-of-three begins tonight against South Carolina)

I loved watching the rainbow of colors pass over my needles, as you can see on the bind-off.

Once again, I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off for these socks. I love how the colors flow on variegated yarns when I use this bind-off. Plus, it does exactly what it says it will. It’s very stretchy!

All in all, I’m very pleased. And yeah, you can expect another ZYG pair of plain ‘ol stockingette socks up next on the sock needles.

Softball Socks 2010

Pattern: Riverbed Master from New Pathways for Sock Knitters by Cat Bordhi
Yarn: Zen Yarn Garden Superwash Sock
Colorway: Represent
Yardage: 430 yards
Needles: US 1/2.25mm for feet, US 1.5/2.5mm for cuffs. 16” Hiya Hiya with “2 circs” method
Started: 6 June 2010
Finished: 27 June 2010

Ilanaaq

Since my crazy friend CelticQueen decided to stand in line at The Fold on Saturday morning at Maryland Sheep & Wool, I told her there was one colorway she should purchase for me if it was available


The minute I saw the Socks that Rock colorway Ilanaaq go up on the website back in February, I knew I had to have it. It has actually gone “on vacation” already, so I’m glad I got it when I did!

The color was released at the beginning of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. Ilanaaq is a stone landmark that was built by humans at Whistler in Vancouver and it was the basis for the logo for the Vancouver Games. This colorway is based on the colors in that logo.


I like that this is a full-spectrum variegated yarn. Many more colors than the usual variety. And it’s kind of like Pride, but with purple and slightly less saturated colors.


Most likely, this will eventually become a pair of socks. Eventually. For now, I’m happy to just have it in my stash.

RT does TNNA

Two Sundays ago, fresh off of my Oklahoma trip, I drove Roaming Tigger and LYS co-worker Valerie out to Columbus, Ohio, for a day at TNNA.

We had a wonderful time and are expecting lots of really awesome things to come into the store over the next few months. Pictures aren’t allowed on the show floor, so here’s a little bit about what else we did that day.


We were lucky enough to get rock star parking when we pulled up to the Columbus Convention Center at 9:45 on Sunday morning. Yay for free parking on Sundays! You can see the entrance to the convention center right across the street. I don’t think it would have been humanly possible to park closer.


After a few hours on the floor, it was time for lunch. We all headed across the street to the North Market and everyone picked the food they wanted for lunch. Oh, and we had ice cream. But I’ll get back to that.


There was a Lorna’s Laces ad on the display at the end of the crosswalk to enter the convention center.


For dinner, Michelle and Janice took us to their favorite Columbus restaurant, Lemongrass. It was yummy.


And then, of course, we needed more ice cream. Jeni's! On my first trip, I had Salty Caramel and Dark Chocolate. The second trip, I had Buckeye State and Honey Vanilla. All of it was really yummy.


All in all, I’d certainly do it again, given the opportunity. I’d love to take a class or two next time, but if I continue to go to the softball World Series, it’s going to be tough. But who the hell knows what I’m going to be doing a year from now, so I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Meanwhile, I can’t wait to show you some of the stuff we got at TNNA, once it comes into the store!

More of the Same

Hi there! I had planned to get a TNNA post up this week, but Monday and Tuesday both kind of went kerplooey for various and assorted reasons. So here it is on Wednesday and I’m feeding the blog during the USA-Algeria World Cup match. I blame any typos on my very split attention.

So I finished the first Softball Sock and started the second one. Currently just a few rounds away from heel turn #2


And I’m also moving along on the Baby Surprise Jacket for a store sample. I want to put more time into this, but I try to remember that since I can’t work on my socks at the store, I shouldn’t work on the BSJ during “my” time. But I still do, a little bit.


Finally, since we haven’t seen her in a while (and she was outside while I was taking WiP Wednesday photos), Sydney says hello!

Hi, puppy!

Miss Babs

Yes, there is more Maryland Sheep & Wool swag to show off. Better get it done now so I have YPF space once the stuff I saw at TNNA starts coming in to the store. Yeesh. Anyhoo …


One of the “stampede” booths on Saturday was Miss Babs. I took a pass on Opening Day, but strolled by on Sunday. Not too crowded, so plenty of room to paw the stock and pick something.


I originally picked something different than this skein, but then I wandered over to a “booth extension” and found a different base yarn and this colorway. After consultation with Miss Babs herself, I confirmed that this base was a bit heftier (and therefore more to my liking) and switched gears.


It’s the Miss Babs “Yummy” base, which is a 3-ply superwash. The Cleopatra colorway in this base is 335 yards and 5.2 oz. Once again, I don’t know what I’ll make with it, but it’ll be something cool. I’m sure about that!

Rewind

Let me ‘splain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up: Buttercup to marry Humperdink in leetle less than half an hour …

So I alluded to a few facts of my last fortnight in Oklahoma and Beyond. We’ll do bullet points to catch up from there to here.

• It was hot. Really hot. Triple-digits with high humidity hot. I did a lot of sweating and drank my body weight in water. It was hot.

• The Worldwide Leader in Sports hijacked the air conditioned portion of the stadium that had been the press box for pretty much the last 20 years. So all of that hot? I was outside in all of it.

• I wrote a TON while I was there. If you care (and I don’t expect you to) you can find most of my posts HERE.

• The team I worked with for eight years won the whole shebang. Awesome. And I managed to make air (on TV) during the championship celebration. Yikes!

• I did my “Favorite things in OKC” again. Decided I didn’t need a new photo essay on the same subject.

• Also ate at Cattlemens with my friend Graham. If you look at the reflection in the door of the guy taking a picture of the door, that’s Graham. Heh.


• After my team won, I had a scheduled free day. I went down to Norman, Okla., and had lunch with a friend, then went to the aforementioned L&B Yarn Co., also in Norman.

• Leslie, the “L” of “L&B” is awesome. We chatted for about an hour while I stitched along on my Softball Socks and the store is so cool. Much fun!!! Here’s a little photo gallery:


Front desk with register and computers


Tigger with the Farmhouse Yarns section


Tigger with the Sekku. A laceweight Noro in pretty colors


Tigger with (most of) L&B’s sock yarn selection


A really bad photo of a really awesome lounge area.
There’s a TV with DVD player above the chair on the left.
• You’ll see my L&B purchase soon in a YPF near you.

• Then I headed northward to the Gourmet Yarn Co., which is close to Lake Hefner on the north side of Oklahoma City. They have changed locations since the photo shoot here, but the vibe is still the same.

• That night, my friend Karen and I went out to dinner, then hit Peachwave, an evil place. Tigger had yogurt


• I had intentionally scheduled my trip so I did NOT have to wake up at the crack of dawn. I had an 11:10 a.m. flight last Thursday. Which was canceled. Due to mechanical failure. Which meant another night in Oklahoma City on Delta’s dime. And an a new flight at 5:55 a.m. on Friday morning.

• If you need it eat in Oklahoma City, put Poblano Grill on your short list. Best fajitas and margarita I’ve had in a very long time. YUM!

• Got on the 5:55 a.m. flight on Friday morning. Flew to Detroit. Got off the plane in Detroit. Flight to Pittsburgh was canceled.

• Parked myself at Chili's and watched the South Africa-Mexico World Cup opener while enjoying a 10 a.m. cheeseburger for lunch


Cool fountain in Terminal A at DTW, the Detroit airport.
• Finally got on my 1:40 flight to Pittsburgh. It took off over two hours after I was supposed to land at Greater Pitt. The plan decided I was stinky and gave me a shower on the way. The bulkhead of the plane dripped during takeoff and landing. Lovely.

• Of course, my bag did not arrive with me in Pittsburgh. It was delivered to my house around 10:30 that night.

• Saturday I woke up and worked a full 10-5 shift at Bloomin

• Sunday, I drove to Columbus, Ohio, and spent the day at TNNA. Separate blog post for that one.

I think that’s about it. Even if it isn’t, that’s plenty for one post!

WiPping Away

Not dead or sick or anything, just really, REALLY tired. Getting home from Oklahoma was almost as much of an adventure as the tournament itself (CliffsNotes: 2 canceled flights, a 24 hour delay, late checked bag, extra night in OKC. Ugh). Throw in very full days of obligations on Saturday and Sunday, a morning appointment on Monday (plus the time-sensitive half of my to-do list) and hopefully you understand why I slept and knit all day yesterday (Tuesday).

I did start my Softball Socks during the tournament. There was a grand total of ONE day where it was reasonable enough weather-wise (in the shade) to do a few stitches, so I made sure I got my socks started. I would have been so sad if I didn’t have a pair of Softball Socks that I knit during the tournament that my Bruins won!


Once I got going on the socks, I got some big chunks done pretty quickly. I knit for about an hour at L&B Yarn Co. in Norman last Wednesday (RT took a store tour. I’ll blog that soon) and while walking around at this big thing on Columbus on Sunday (I’ll blog that too).

In other news, I’m working away on a store sample


My very first Baby Surprise Jacket! It’s a Crazy Zauberball. Hopefully once I’m done with the sample I’ll be able to teach a BSJ class. Yay!

I’ll try to get blog posts on recent adventures up soon. Life is certainly calming down, so I should be able to feed the blog more often. Yay!

Busy Busy Busy!

Hi! I’ve been doing my best not to melt in triple-digit temperatures in Oklahoma City. I really love attending this event, but I wouldn’t recommend spending 7-10 days almost entirely outside in Oklahoma in June. It is HOT!


Roaming Tigger and I have been really busy. We started out on Tuesday night at an event at Frontier City. ‘Burghers, you can think of Kennywood, just about 1/3 the size and with a western theme.


When you lend your camera to a friend, you never know for sure what you’re going to get back


And even when they’re a little bit silly (see above), It’s always good to see friends you haven’t hugged in a while.



I’ve been blogging my little heart out, and had the opportunity to write on Coach Wooden yesterday. Here’s that link.

I’ll try to post a little bit here and there between now and when I get home, but no promises.

Far, Far Away

Yeah, I’m Far Far Away from my only truly active WIP at the moment. As in it’s in Pennsylvania and I’m in Oklahoma. My Pavillion is just a few short rows away from having all four pieces completed, but I simply ran out of time before my trip to Oklahoma City.

Here’s a crappy midnight-on-Monday-night photo to show you just how close I am to blocking/sewing/finishing:



See? Sooooo close!

I have my softball socks with me (ZYG Represent!) but I haven’t picked it up yet. I spent two hours in the hotel bar drinking (water … no, really!) with friends last night and today I started my week of baking slowly to death today. I have some OKC stuff to share. Hopefully I’ll be able to pull that off tomorrow!

Oh, and the best news so far? The waitress at the hotel bar decided she really likes me and has vowed to take good care of me all week. She’s about to deliver a water while I use the free wireless in the lobby and blog for pennies. Gotta blog fast, I’m meeting a different group of friends for dinner in less than an hour! (I’m exhausted and tired, but I really love being here for this event. I’ll shut up now.)