Restless Knitter

It’s really hard to sum up SAFF with one word. If I had to choose just one, it would be AWESOME! but that word doesn’t fully explain the joy of seeing missed friends, spending time with them, the laughter, the shopping, the animals, the beautiful scenery, and just plain relaxing.

If you want to see some pictures, they’re here. As much as I’ve tried to write up a proper post, it ends up being too long and I delete it. So in a nutshell:

• Left at 1am Thurs morning, arrived at hotel around 10:30 or 11:00am
• Started a sock in the airport, slept a bit on the plane
• Room wasn’t ready until 2:30 so knit in lobby
• Shopped on Friday, spent more than I should have
• Much fun at dinner
• Weaving class Saturday morning
• More shopping after class, someone stop me!
• Blogger/ravelry meetup (where I was too shy to talk to anyone, ugh)
• Early to bed Sat night, early to rise Sun morn (4:15, yuck)
• Delayed flight to Atl
• 20 min to run to flight from Atl to LA
• Home

Maybe I’ll write up a proper post in a day or two.  For now, check out posts made by ESC and Grace.

Saturday, the Ventura County Handweavers & Spinners Guild held their annual open house, sale and show. While hubby and his mom were doing some sightseeing, I did some sightseeing of my own. I swear, this just followed me home. All on it’s own accord, with it’s little rubber feet.

The lady was selling it because she isn’t interested in 8 harnesses, she does what she wants with 4. I bought it because I’m interested in 8 harnesses and this was a cheap way to find out if I really want that many. (And, there were two other people who appeared to be ready to slap down their money and I was afraid it was going to get away from me. Nothing like a little competition to make the heart grow fonder.) In one of the first Handwoven magazines I bought, there was a dog collar that was made with an 8 harness that I’ve wanted to make. I’ve already slapped a little test warp on this one to see if I like the mechanics of a table loom. Just from my little play session, I think I’ll like a floor loom better (you were right Janice) but this one will still provide some entertainment. If not, I’ll sell it and move on. The loom itself is a 10inch 8 harness maple loom by Montana Loom and I paid less for it than most of the 8 harnesses I’ve seen on EBay.

The Secret of Chrysopolis is no more. Amazing what one little dropped stitch can do. I attempted to fix it and found myself with one stitch where five had previously been. Instead of adding more frustration to my life, I said a nice goodbye, promising to come back to it again someday.

Today has brought us a new adventure in California weather. It’s windy. Hurricane force winds in some area. Winds up to 80 mph. Don’t even attempt to fix your hair wind. I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto. But with the wind comes something else

Dust, or dirt. I took this picture and came inside to upload it and start a post. In that half hour (I’m slow), it changed to look like this

Most of the sky looks like this behind our house. In front of the house, it’s still blue. Scratch that. It was blue, now it’s hidden behind a veil of dirt.

Edited to add: I know better than to listen to the “dirt” source. That isn’t dirt, it’s smoke. There are 7 fires surrounding us.  Don’t I feel stupid.

I tried another new thing to me, I’m on a roll!

I’m a little disappointed in the picture. When you are looking at the piece straight on, you can’t see the design at all. No matter what angle I moved the camera to, it still slightly shows the pattern.

I know it’s dark but it was really the best pic to show the design. I intended this to be a dishcloth but it came out a little long, making it look not so much like a dishcloth and more like a small place-mat. I’m still calling it an FO.

The other new-to-me thing I tried was the slip-stitch/mosaic knitting. Both of these techniques are fun and I can see them being very useful for some stash busting. I have a lot of one skeiners around here that could be used, even if it is just to make scarves.

Instead of trying to surprise the daughter with a design, I told her what I wanted to do and asked her if there were any patterns that she didn’t want showing up in the shadow knitting. Dog paws were out. She’d feel like a little kid, she said. Me, I’d wear dog paws, because I’m 5. Stars are okay so I’m on the hunt for a good star chart.

As more of the SoC clue 1 pictures come in, I see that mine isn’t the only one that’s airy. Maybe there is hope for it yet. Thankfully, I am lazy am a procrastinator was smart enough to not have ripped it out. I’m going to finish clue one (finally, a decision!) and re-examine it then. But not this week because the MIL is here and that chart is one that needs some hefty concentration.

Let me just point out a few links for you while I’m here and have nothing else. FYI, all links open in a new window/tab.

This one was pointed out on AntiM’s blog (Mouse, for some reason I thought of you when I saw this entry). What I wouldn’t give for that kind of imagination. I have imagination, mind you, it just isn’t for this fun stuff. Right now my imagination is telling me I’m going to get a ticket for driving with expired license plates and what lie am I gonna tell mr. policeman when he asks me how long I’ve lived here. I don’t think I hate it here or I don’t know where the dmv is yet are going to be valid reasons not to have new plates.  And I’m a tad afraid I’ll fail the written test, with good cause.  I got a 68% on the online sample test.  Excuse me for not knowing for how many feet I should use a turn signal.  Be thankful that I use one, unlike some of the assholes around here.  Anyhoo, let’s hope that all stays in my imagination.

I started reading Miss Doxie after Catherine pointed her out. Look at Sept 26. I’m a sucker for animal pictures and that one is just adorable. Also, I want my dog to do cute things like that. But I will love her anyway even if she doesn’t.

And last but not least, I don’t know how I came across this one. It was one of those where I went to one blog, followed a link in the sidebar, followed another link in a sidebar, etc and ended up at Boobs, Injuries, and Dr. Pepper. It caught my eye simply because Diet Dr. Pepper is about the only thing I’ll drink (though lately I’ve become quite the fan of Seagram’s Tahitian Sunset). Anyway, she cracks me up. When I’m having a bad day, I know where to go for a laugh.

Now, go over to Janice’s blog where you can see some pretty blue yarn she spun herself. Scroll down and she points you to the Yatta song. I first heard/saw this a couple of years ago when I played Everquest and I’ve loved it ever since. Yep, I’m weird.