Fall in the Field

We beat the average by a week!

Average first frost date for the Kalamazoo area is September 29. We had our first frost this morning, September 21.

On the first dog walk of this chilly morning, I was blundering around the field just long enough for everyone to pee. As I thought about going inside and drinking my coffee, my bleary eyes spotted the white stuff on the ground.

We turned the heat on for the first time today. It's that time of year.


This is usually the last loop of one of our dog walks.

At the end of the path are two nest boxes, but not for much longer. They're too close to the trees in the background making them unattractive to the bluebirds I'm trying to attract.

For the last several years the tree swallows have used one of the boxes, so I've been slow to move them. This year they both housed wrens.


This is a wren nest.

The wrens fill the house so full with sticks that I don't dare raise the door and monitor the nest during nesting season.

Even when I think the wrenlings have fledged, I can never be sure there aren't eggs or new little wrens in the box. After the wrens build their pile of sticks, the box is out of service for the rest of the year.

The wrens won't like the boxes once they're move to a more open location. The bluebirds and swallows can have the boxes back in the spring.

Knitting Basic Socks

Several readers asked for more details on the Basic Blue Socks, so here is (hopefully) everything you wanted to know about knitting basic socks.

Yankee Knitter Designs Classic Socks for the Family
Eight years ago, I ordered this pattern. If one knows knit and purl, it is possible to learn everything you need to know about how to knit a basic sock from this leaflet, including how to use double points, turn a heel, pick up the gussets, and kitchener up the toe.

I know that is true, because this pattern was my one and only sock knitting teacher.

As well as being an excellent tutorial, it has numbers for fingering, sport, and worsted weight socks for the entire family, baby to daddy, done in stockinette, k1p1 rib, k2p2 rib, or k3p1 rib. Once you get the basics down, it's a great reference for the rest of your sock knitting years.

Yankee Knitter patterns are sold at many yarn stores, including Web's.

Bob's Boring Birthday Socks, totally basic k1, p1 ribbing on cuff, are straight out of the men's worsted weight pattern in the Classic Socks Leaflet with only one small addition.

Instead of switching to solid stockinette for the top of the foot, I extended a few of the purl channels down to the toe. Totally optional.


My blue socks were knit on 38 stitches. I've knit so many socks, I don't need a pattern, but I know these socks vary little from my old standby, the Classic Socks Leaflet.

After the k1p1 ribbing, I switched to a wider ribbing for the rest of the cuff.

Back: k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3, p1, k3 (19 stitches)

Front: k2, p1, k3, p1, k5, p1, k3, p1, k2 (19 stitches)

That is basically k3, p1 ribbing except there is a 5 stitch stockinette panel down the center of the front and down each side.

S is for Solidago

Solidago: genus for the many species of goldenrod. In Latin, Solidago means "to make whole" because it was/is believed that goldenrod has healing properties.

In September the goldenrod grows above all the other numerous wildflowers and weeds in our back three acres and boldly pronounces itself ruler of the field with waves of bright yellow.


The tallest is about five feet high. I aimed the camera straight forward at my eye level for this picture.

Because Solidago is so showy, it is often blamed for autumn allergies actually caused by the green, unobvious ragweed.

According to botanists, Solidago pollen is too heavy to go airborne and be an allergen. They claim the only way to get goldenrod pollen on the nasal passages is to stick the flower up one's nose.


The late summer Solidago pollen is important winter food for many species of bees, hornets, and wasps. It is high quality, protein rich, sticky, and easy to collect.

The field is one big buzzing. There are so many bees, I had no problem getting this nice picture of one with bulging pollen sacs. (The pollen sacs are the orange things just behind and under the wings.)

Blue Sky and Blue Socks

Although I'm not an official member of the Saturday Sky gang, I keep taking sky pictures and wondering why I never though of doing it before I read about it.

Sometimes it isn't even Saturday when I'm clicking pictures of the blue, or not so blue, sky. And I love looking at everyone else's sky pictures, even though most of them look like sky I could see here in Michigan. There's just something about the sky.

This was our SW Michigan sky this morning. Although we had sun today, there is an autumn chill in the air. No doubt it won't be long and the leaves will be on the ground and the snow will be flying.


Pattern: Bob's Boring Birthday Socks - Totally basic k1, p1 ribbing on cuff

Yarn: Opal 6-Ply #1253 stranded with Knitpicks Essential Dusk to make a worsted weight gauge

Needles: Addi Turbo 5

Gauge: 5 stitches/inch

What's to say about these socks?

They are just what Bob likes and he is going to love them and wear them often. That was my mantra as I knit them. When I wasn't chanting the mantra, I was wondering if there would be enough yarn left to make myself a pair. . . .


. . . and there was - almost.

I had to finish the toe of the last sock with the gray from a different 6-Ply colorway. Since I wasn't trying to get the socks to match, it was OK.

These socks are an experiment to see if I like wearing socks this heavy in the winter. I'm wondering how they will feel in my boots and if they will be noticeably warmer than my fingering weight wool socks.

R is for Red Juice

Oops, I'm late with the Letter R.


This is going to sound like an ad, but I have no affiliation other than being a very satisfied Red Juice user for the last five years.

I found the Clean Team while doing an internet search for something to help my pathetic housekeeping skills.

Red Juice is a powerful all purpose cleaner made from all natural ingredients such as soybean extract, palm kernels, seaweed, and palm oil. It is pH neutral, non-toxic, odor-free, and completely biodegradable. Safe for use around food.

Spray it on, wipe it off, no rinsing.

We use it for almost everything including muddy pawprints, floors, walls, woodwork, laundry pre-treating, greasy stove tops, and killing ants.

Red Juice comes in a 32 ounce bottle of concentrate which makes 20 bottles of heavy duty spray cleaner. The spray bottle has lines on it for measuring the ten to one dilution of the concentrate.

When I have a big job like wiping down cupboard doors or washing a wall, I mix up a batch of Red Juice in a bucket and throw in a wad of cheap, thin, white terry washcloths to moisten them with the Red Juice. After using each washcloth until it is too dirty to use anymore, I toss it in a pile and take the next washcloth from the bucket. I use a separate, dry rag to dry where I've washed. When done, I admire the cleanliness and throw the rags in the washer.

If you go to the Clean Team web site and are tempted to order more than the Red Juice, you won't be sorry. I especially love:

• Blue Juice, the concentrate to replace your window cleaner.
  
  
• Sh-Mop, rather like a Swiffer only the handle is longer, the pad is much larger, and you wash and reuse the pads over and over again. Before putting a pad on, I soak it in Red Juice for a greasy, very dirty job or Blue juice for a quick wet mop.
  
  
• Toothbrush, so extra heavy bristled that you would never use it in your mouth but perfect for around faucets and any other place you have little groves to clean.
  
  
• Heavy Duty Scraper, looks like a putty knife but is made of plastic so it doesn't scratch. I keep one in each room. Especially handy in the kitchen for removing baked on food. I keep the kitchen scraper handy in the dish drainer.

Grumble Grumble

Grumble 1, The Weather
We in Michigan are not accustomed to having day after day of dark clouds and drizzle. I've lost count of the dreary days, but I know the weekend was this way so we're at least on Day 5. Therefore, we're in grumble mode.


Sunny doesn't like to be wet.

Since she can't talk, her frequent naps are her method of grumbling about the weather.


Grumble 2, My Knitting
I would like to be knitting some Christmas socks for dog trainer Gail. My plan is to use Opal Magic and see if I can get something that looks like a paw print in the wide color band.

Instead, I'm knitting on Bob's Boring Birthday Socks, given that name because the yarn is boring and the pattern is boring.

I would like to be playing with my new yarn and trying to come up with a new toddler sweater pattern for CIC.

Instead, I still have two sleeves to knit on my second Lopi Cozy in Cables Sweater.

Also, I really need to take some knitting time and use it to sew Grasshopper together. Sewing is not my favorite thing, but it would be fun to wear it now that it's cool outside.

And, then there is Peerie Brocade. After twelve inches on 248 stitches, I haven't touched it in several weeks and I'm not looking forward to getting back to it. I'm not sure if it's the project or my current mood, but there have been occasional thoughts of frogging it and using the yarn for CIC knitting.

Sleepy Weekend

This Sunday afternoon sky shot tells the tale of the weekend. Overcast and chilly. Good napping weather.

In March, 58 degrees (14 C) would have us Michiganders throwing off our jackets and hunting for our shorts. In September - like today - a high of 58 degrees just feels cold.

Even though the sky has looked like rain for the past two days, we've only had a few very light, quick sprinkles. The ground is dry.

According to the National Weather Service, it's going to warm up a bit tomorrow and rain. We won't be seeing the sun until Wednesday.


Pattern: Bob's Boring Birthday Socks - Totally basic k1,p1 rib with flap heel

Yarn: Opal 6-Ply #1253 stranded with Knitpicks Essential in Dusk

Needles: Addi Turbo 5

Gauge: 5 stitches/inch

My plan to knit worsted weight socks for Bob's birthday using 6-ply Opal and a strand of fingering weight sock yarn is working great. The socks are cushiony and soft but hopefully will wear as well as my Opals - which seems to be forever.

I spent most of this dreary afternoon knitting on them instead of taking a nap. Even though the knitting is totally boring, the thought of warm feet this winter is making me think I need a pair of these, too.

Stay Away Kitty Kitty

In recent years there have been cougar sightings in Michigan, some with DNA species verification of hair or scat.

Since a few of these sightings have been in my county/township, I'm very interested in following the ongoing battle between honest, credible citizens who are reporting the sightings and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) who are reluctant to admit such thing is possible.

When the MDNR says "Though the information indicates the presence of a cougar it still does not confirm the presence of a breeding population in Michigan.", do they think the public is so stupid they think the cougars just roam here and don't mate here?

Mom's Cast is Off

The cast is off!

We celebrated with lunch out.

Mom celebrated with a nice wet shower.




This morning we arrived at the orthopedic surgeon's office very anxious to get the blue cast removed and move on to the next step in returning to normal.

First the Fiberglas was cut top and bottom with a sound wave saw. Then pried open with a special pliers and gently removed. Once again she could see her arm.

The doctor was happy with the x-rays. The arm is mending and no surgery is required. The break that he suspected might be a problem is looking better than he expected. All good news.




For the next month, she has a removable splint.

Check out the finger swelling. They hurt, but not as much now that the cast is off. I'm hoping the swelling goes down this weekend and the pain decreases enough so she can get a good night's sleep.

The hand is not functional, but she'll be working on that problem.

Monday is her first appointment with Holly at "Hand Therapy". This should be interesting. Or, as Mom says on her blog,

"I look upon life as an ongoing adventure."

I think this is one adventure she doesn't want to repeat.

Cozy In Cables Toddler Sweater Pattern

Sweater is knit in the round from the bottom up. The sleeves are picked up at the armhole edge and knit down in the round.

No seams. No sewing required.

The back and front are the same.

Yarn: 250 yards of bulky weight wool. Sweater in picture was knit with Reynold's Lopi.

Needles: Size 10.5, 24 inch circular plus your preferred needles for knitting sleeves in the round: 10.5 double points, second 10.5 circular (for 2 circular method), or long 10.5 circular for Magic Loop.

Other needs:
cable needle
2 stitch markers
A second circular of same or smaller size OR a large stitch holder
tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Gauge: 3 stitches per inch. 4.5 rows per inch. (Approximate gauge is OK for CIC. It will fit some child who needs it.)

Finished Size: Toddler size 2. 24 inches at chest, 13 to 14 inches in length.

Abbreviations:
k - knit
p - purl
C4F - cable 4 to the front. Put 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold in front of work (toward you). Knit the next two stitches, then knit the two stitches off the cable needle.
C4B - cable 4 to the back. Put 2 stitches on a cable needle and hold in back of work (away from you). Knit the next two stitches, then knit the two stitches off the cable needle.
k2tog - knit two stitches together (right slanting decrease)
ssk - slip knitwise, slip knitwise, return slipped stitches to left needle and knit them together (left slanting decrease)
RS - right side
WS - wrong side

Body of sweater from ribbing to underarm
Cast on 74 stitches, loosely.

Join and place marker (left side marker).

k1, p1 ribbing for 37 stitches.
Place marker. (right side marker)

Continue k1, p1 ribbing in the round for 2 inches.
End at the left side marker.

Circular Cozy In Cables Pattern:
Round 1: (k6, p2, k4, p2, (k1, p1) 4 times, k1, p2, k4, p2, k6) twice, once across front and once across back.
Round 2: (k6, p2, C4B, p2, k1, (k1, p1) 3 times, k2, p2, C4F, p2, k6) twice.
Round 3: (k6, p2, k4, p2, (k1, p1) 4 times, k1, p2, k4, p2, k6) twice.
Round 4: (k6, p2, k4, p2, k1, (k1, p1) 3 times, k2, p2, k4, p2, k6) twice.

Work Circular Cozy In Cables pattern for approximately 5 inches, ending at the left side marker after Row 3. (Total length, ~7 inches.)

Knit Row 4 of Circular Cozy in Cables Pattern across 37 stitches of sweater front.

Put the 37 front stitches on holder or slip onto a second circular needle, removing markers.

Upper Back
Continue around working Row 4 of Circular Cozy in Cables Pattern across 37 stitches of sweater back.

Turn work.

Flat Cozy in Cables Pattern:
Row 1: (WS) p6, k2, p4, k2, p1, (k1, p1) 4 times, k2, p4, k2, p6
Row 2: (RS) k6, p2, C4B, p2, k1, (k1, p1) 3 times, k2, p2, C4F, p2, k6
Row 3: (WS) p6, k2, p4, k2, p1, (k1, p1) 4 times, k2, p4, k2, p6
Row 4: (RS) k6, p2, k4, p2, k1, (k1, p1) 3 times, k2, p2, k4, p2, k6

Knit Flat Cozy in Cables Pattern until measurement from underarm to top measures 6 inches, ending after Row 3.

Neck Ribbing
Row 1: (RS) k6, (k1, p1) 12 times, k7
Row 2: (WS) p6, (p1, k1) 12 times, p7

Work a total of 4 rows of neck ribbing ending after Row 2.

Leave stitches on needle or place on holder if you need the needle to work the front.
Do not bind off.
Cut yarn, leaving 6 feet of yarn attached to sweater for later use in binding off.

Upper Front and Neck Ribbing
Join yarn to start a WS row.
Work same as upper back and neck ribbing.

Shoulder Seam and Bindoff
With right sides together, bind off 6 stitches on the first shoulder using 3 needle bind off.
Without breaking yarn, bind off VERY LOOSELY across the outside (away from you) neck edge, stopping with 7 stitches remaining on needle.

Turn vest and bind off 6 stitches on the second shoulder using 3 needle bind off.
Without breaking yarn, bind off VERY LOOSELY across the remaining neck edge and weave yarn into first shoulder bind off.

Turn vest again and finish binding off the first edge weaving yarn into second shoulder bind off.

Make sure the neck opening will pull over your head before you cut and weave in the ends.

Sleeves
Starting at underarm, pick up 24 stitches before the shoulder seam and 24 stitches after the shoulder seam.

The four stitches centered on the shoulder seam will be the cable and need to be on the same needle. (The entire cable pattern with the purl stitch border is 8 stitches, but only the actual cables stitches need to be together on the same needle.)

Place first marker 4 stitches before the shoulder seam to mark the start of the cable. Place an underarm marker at the center underarm.

The Sleeve Rounds start at the underarm marker.


Sleeve Rounds Without Decreases
Round 1: knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to underarm marker
Round 2: knit to first/cable marker, p2, C4F, p2, knit to underarm marker
Round 3: knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to underarm marker
Round 4: knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to underarm marker

Sleeve Rounds With Decreases
Round 1: knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to underarm marker
Round 2: k1, k2tog, knit to first/cable marker, p2, C4F, p2, knit to three stitches before underarm marker, ssk, k1
Round 3: knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to underarm marker
Round 4: k1, k2tog, knit to first/cable marker, p2, k4, p2, knit to three stitches before underarm marker, ssk, k1

Knit the 4 rounds of Sleeve Rounds Without Decreases one time.

Knit the 4 rounds of Sleeve Rounds With Decreases until 20 stitches remain.

Knit the 4 rounds of Sleeve Rounds Without Decreases until sleeve measures 8 inches, ending after Round 3.

Sleeve Ribbing
k1, p1 for 4 rounds.
Bind off.

Knit second sleeve same as first, substituting C4B for C4F.

Wash the sweater in mild soap (I use baby shampoo).
Lay out flat to block and dry.

Copyright Marguerite Byrne, 2006.
Send comments and corrections to knittingviolet@gmail.com

Yarn in the Mail

It's been a while since there has been yarn in the mail, but the maillady delivered this week.

Knitpicks has a new, bulky weight Wool of the Andes. I bought 5 skeins of Grape and 5 skeins of Sky.

CIC knitters are always looking for reasonably priced wool yarn to knit up for the kids and this qualifies at the good price of 3.99 for 100g/137 yards. The Knitpicks free shipping on orders over $40 makes it a super price.

Task one is to knit a few swatches and pick a good gauge. The label says 3-3.75 sts=1" on #10-11 needles. Knitter's intuition tells me to start with the #10s. I'll report on my results.

Task two, after determining a good gauge, is to write a CIC toddler sweater pattern for this yarn. Please don't get too anxious, we're probably looking at October for the pattern to be published - still in plenty of time for the September/October/November sweater and vest challenge.

The red is worsted weight Wool of the Andes in heathered Firecracker. It looked like an irresistible color online, but the actual skeins are disappointing. The heathering is hardly noticeable and the red is not bright. It's more like a barn red.

Instead of looking at these skeins and saying WOW, I just said OK. It will make nice CIC socks. And maybe I'll be more impressed with the color when it's knit up.


Time for some autumn birthday socks. DH Bob likes his socks worsted weight.

Years ago Patternworks carried a worsted weight wool sock yarn with 20% nylon that wears like iron. Bob still has all his socks knit with that yarn and he wears them daily. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name or manufacturer of the yarn, but I've done enough searching to assume it is no longer available.

My yet untried Plan A is to run solid color fingering weight sock yarn along with this 6 ply Opal from Simply Socks Yarn Company to make a worsted weight sock.

They need to be done by October 2 and I don't have a Plan B. The pressure is on.


Speaking of pressure, there are CIC knitters chomping at the bit to use the new Cozy in Cables sweater pattern.

It won't be much longer. The pattern is in draft mode and the second test sweater is almost done.

With all the new yarn to play with and the birthday sock deadline, I'm highly motivated to get it finished. If the evening goes smoothly, the pattern MIGHT be posted tomorrow. I'm trying to hurry. Honest.


Only two more days until Mom's cast comes off. 10:00 on Friday morning, so that's less than 48 hours away.

We're not expecting life to instantly return to normal. There will be stiffness, soreness, and weakness to deal with. But there can be a real long, hot shower, an end to the itching and finger swelling, and the beginning of being comfortable. Maybe even a good night's sleep for her.

Mom and I are both looking forward to Friday.

Sleeve and Sky

Pattern: Cozy in Cables Toddler Sweater

Yarn: Reynold's Lopi, 100% Icelandic Wool

Color: 738 - Red with multi flecks

Needles: Addi Turbo 10.5

Gauge: 12 stitches/4 inches in SS

This is the pattern I'm knitting and writing for the CIC_Knit List sweater/vest challenge. Very simple. The body is knit in the round from the bottom up. There is a three needle bind-off at the shoulders. The sleeves are worked in the round from the top down after picking up stitches along the edge of the armhole.

At three stitches/inch, the Lopi knits up thick and quick. Many yarns called "bulky weight" would be way to loose and limp at this gauge. Once the Lopi gets washed and blooms, it will be warm and fluffy - ready to keep a cold child warm and cozy.

That little, innocent looking sleeve took three tries before it turned out the way I wanted it.

The first time I knit it, the decreases ended a little too soon. Just a little. I thought the sleeve would be better if the decreases shifted four rows toward the cuff. But it really was acceptable the way it was. If I wasn't knitting this to write up as a pattern for others to use, I never would have frogged the sleeve and started over.

When I was almost done with the sleeve the second time, I noticed the stitch count was not equal on both sides of the cable. I had carelessly worked the decreases one stitch off center of the underarm. When things that are supposed to be symmetric are not symmetric, I frog. So the almost finished sleeve got ripped out a second time and I vowed to pay closer attention.

Third time was the charm. One sleeve done, the instructions written down, ready for the second sleeve. I WILL NOT think about the fact that I have already knit three sleeves for this sweater and it should be done.

Once the sweater is finished, I will write up the pattern, print it off for myself, and knit a second identical sweater in blue to proof the pattern as accurately as anyone can proof their own writing.

Although I hoped to have the pattern posted before the long weekend is over, it isn't looking likely. However I do plan to keep my other knitting in the bag and only work on the sweater pattern until it's done.


This corner of SW Michigan is having a beautiful, sunny, cool weekend. When I took the dogs out for their early morning walk it was only 52 degrees. Now, in the middle of the afternoon, it's 72 degrees. Beautiful.

End of Summer Lament

It's a busy but boring week. My brain seems to be in shut down mode and only thinks about what needs to be done instead of thinking of stimulating blog topics.

In a few minutes, I need to jump in the shower, get in the car, drive to Kalamazoo, go through the Wendy's drivethru at noon, pick up Mom and take her for a shampoo after we eat chicken sandwichs and Frostys.




I owe Granddaughter Kimmy and friend a day at Full Blast before school starts. School starts next week, so tomorrow is the day. How's that for cutting it short?

So tomorrow I will be driving about 100 miles round trip and spending the day listening to the screams of happy/unhappy/thrilled children and paying outrageous prices for everything with a smile on my face. Just call me Grandma ATM.

Where did the summer go?

Fortunately, there is hope for future blogging posts.

New yarn is on the way from
Simply Socks Yarn Company and Knitpicks.

Our new CIC challenge for September, October, and November is sweaters and vests with a special request for more sweaters than vests to keep the kids warmer. At the request of the CIC_Knit List list Mom, I'm writing a sweater pattern for Cozy in Cables. That has taken over my knitting time for the moment and I hope to have it posted before the long weekend is over.

Monday Mitts and Musings

Saturday Sky
This was the sky on Saturday, and Sunday. All weekend it looked like it was going to rain any minute. A couple of times it managed just enough drops to wet the surface and keep the humidity at a steamy level. Never enough to give the plants a good drink.

Today, Monday, it is finally raining a decent amount, coming down slow and steady.

Peerie Brocade
I have another 50 row pattern repeat done on the 248 stitches of the Peerie Brocade sweater. I won't bore you with a picture that looks just like the last one only twice as long. Instead, here is a picture of Kristen's lovely, newly finished Peerie Brocade.

She knit it a little shorter than the pattern and I think I'll do the same.

I enjoyed my first visit to Kristen's blog Audioknits to see her Peerie Brocade and I stayed a while to check out all her beautifully executed finished projects before adding her to my Bloglines list.

More Mitts

Pattern: Diamond Handwarmers from CIC knitter Ruth

Yarn: Elann Peruvian Highland Wool, worsted weight 100% wool in Autumn Peach.

Needles: #4 24" Addi Turbos

Gauge: 5.5 stitches/inch, 8 rows/inch

The CIC_Knit List one month mitt challenge ends on Thursday, so I used the rainy time over the weekend to finish up a fourth pair of mitts in Ruth's diamond pattern, for a total of five pair of mitts to send in to the distribution site.

The other mitts are pictured here and here.


Sweet
Just because one can never have too many pictures of loved ones who live far away, here's a recent shot of Son John and Granddaughter Sydney Anne. They're loving each other just like I used to love John when he was a sweet baby.

Now I love him differently, but not any less. With the pride and respect I have for the man/father/husband he has become, I think I love him even more.

Mom Report
(Previous Mom posts here and here for anyone who needs to catch up on what happened.)

We're in the doldrums of broken arm limbo. Mom patiently ices her fingers, elevates her arm, takes painkillers, and occasionally has a bad night and complains.

I fetch food, do laundry, pay bills, chauffeur, and whatever else needs to be done to get through this time. Her apartment is a booby trap of containers with unsecured lids so she can get into them when I'm not there.

Eleven days until the cast comes off. We don't expect life to immediately return to normal, but we do expect a wonderful, long, hot shower for Mom and the beginning of the end of this experience.

Q is for Quatrefoil

From Wikipedia:

The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.

In July, 2004, I looked down and found these two, almost perfect four-leaf clovers.

Although not usually superstitious, I took this as a good sign and almost immediately received some great news. Son John and daughter-in-law Anne were coming to visit the middle of August, 2004. They live across the country in Idaho and it would be their first visit to Michigan in six years.

The big day arrived.

After we greeted each other and settled in for a chat, John asked what good luck I got from the second clover. A rather strange question. I couldn't think of anything better than his and Anne's visit from Idaho, so I told him I didn't know.

That was the right answer! He told me the second clover worth of good luck was due to make me a grandmother around April 4, 2005 in Idaho.


So now, August 2006, two years later, I fondly remember that second four leaf clover. Here's a recent picture of the joy it brought.

Doggy News

As a member of the Purling Puppies Webring, I'm obliged to occasionally write about my dogs and post pictures. Since there is no knitting news, this seems like the perfect day to catch up on the doggy news.

Glory, our big, black lab mix, loves the blackberries in the back field. She has been known to eat them right off the bush, but she likes it best when someone picks them for her.

Everytime we go for a walk I feed her a few. She's going to be disappointed when the season is over.

The little white spots on her are seeds. She's been banging around in the brush and weeds trying to find a rabbit.


Yesterday the dogs went to the groomer and, for the last time this summer, Pappy had a haircut.

Last spring after Pappy's first haircut of the year, a woman at doggy school who takes breed standards way too serious (my opinion) took me to task. According to Miss Doggy Police, Papillons are NOT supposed to have their beautiful long hair cut and people who get haircuts for their Papillons shouldn't be allowed to own them.

She also informed me that Pappy was certainly embarrassed to be sheared like that.

I found her lecture so ridiculous that I couldn't even get mad. It was all I could do not to laugh in her face.

If anyone reading this is inclined to agree with her, let me defend Pappy's haircut.

Pappy is an eight year old rescue dog. He's not a show dog, he's a family dog. Several times a day he goes for walks in the weeds where he is likely to pick up ticks, sticky seeds, and burdocks. He delights in diving into brush piles in search of rabbits and other rodents.

He loves to go to the groomer and I've seen no sign that he's ashamed of losing his long fur for the summer. Short hair is more comfortable for Pappy and much easier for me.


Sunny has lost four pounds since April. Last night at doggy school, Gail the trainer checked Sunny over and declared her thin.

Tonight, for the first time, she got a maintenance serving of Canidae dog food - a third of a cup instead of her diet portion of a fourth of a cup.

We will continue measuring her food and watching her weight very carefully to make sure she doesn't gain the weight back.


All three bluebirds are thriving. Today is the last day I will open the nest box before they fledge.

Once they get to a certain size, there is a danger they will jump out if the box is open. This little guy might be ready to jump out now if he wasn't so tired.

Yesterday I saw their mom bring them a baby garter snake. Yum yum.

Dusty Teal Has Spoken

The dusty teal Peruvian Highland Wool has spoken. It wants to be this sweater, the Peerie Brocade Cardigan from Fall 1999 Knitters designed by Charlie Hada.

In all the times I've looked through this magazine, I never paid much attention to this pattern until last weekend when it popped out as just what the yarn and I needed.

No changes to the pattern are planned. I think it's going to make a great long, heavy, warm sweater to wear whenever I need something to throw on with my jeans.


The overall pattern repeat is 50 rows consisting of five different ten row horizontal knit/purl motifs.

This is my swatch after washing.

The sweater pattern gives alternate instructions for calculating a version in any size for any gauge. How handy. I was a little disappointed that my swatch hit gauge right on and I'll be able to use the numbers provided instead of figuring my own.



The body is knit in one piece. This picture shows the right front, the side slit, and a small part of the back.

There are 248 stitches on the needle.

I almost wrote that it takes forever to knit a row, but that can't be true since forever is a long long time and it's obvious I've managed to knit more than one row. Now I'm curious how long a row does take. Next time I sit down to knit, I'll time one.

Sky, Pain, and New Project

It gently rained all last night. The morning was cloudy and misty, but by this afternoon when I took this picture the sun was shining and the sky was blue with fluffy white clouds.

That yellow tinged vegetation on the bottom of the shot is goldenrod just starting to bloom, a sure sign that autumn is not far away.

Pain
Last week was a painful week.

Sunny's spondylosis flared up so we visited the vet on Monday for pain meds. She's better now and we have an adequate supply of painkiller on hand for next time.

Mom's broken arm decided to swell and be painful. We spent Friday morning in the orthopedic doctor's office getting her cast cut off and a new one plastered on. Mom also received an adequate supply of painkiller.

New Project
On the knitting front, Grasshopper is done. Well, the knitting is done. There is still the sewing together to finish.

Time to swatch for the next project.

I thought I was going to knit the Aran Sweater with Set-in Sleeves using Dusty Teal Peruvian Highland Wool. Since I prefer nice, vertical ribbing around my hips instead of horizontal garter stitch, I graphed out a ribbing that was 10% less stitches than the body and would merge into the body cables.

After swatching the ribbing and about six rows of the body cables, I could hear the yarn telling me it did not want to be this sweater. And I did not want to knit this sweater with this yarn. The color is too dark to showcase the cables and these cables are too labor intensive to knit if they can't be seen and appreciated.

So I frogged the swatch in the picture.

Then, I asked the yarn what it wanted to be and it told me:

I want to be a warm, cozy cardigan for you to wear with your jeans. Since I match the color of your jeans, you would wear me often, over any color shirt.

Why don't you look for a pretty cardigan pattern that isn't stockinette and has little or no cabling?

This afternoon I had a pleasant time looking through pattern books and knitting magazines. I think I found the perfect cardigan for this yarn. I'm planning to swatch tonight. I'll let you know how it works out.

Grasshopper Almost Done

Pattern: Grasshopper. Making it up as I go along. Original inspiration was the Larkspur Lace Pullover in the Spring 2005 Cast On, but no part of Grasshopper is exactly the same as Larkspur. I named it Grasshopper because it's green and it jumped into my knitting lineup when it wasn't expected.

Yarn: Knitpicks Andean Treasure, 100% baby alpaca

Color: Lagoon

Needles: Addi Turbo #3

Gauge: 6.25 stitches/inch, 8.5 rows/inch in pattern

Now that FLAK is done, I've been working on finishing Grasshopper.

The front and the back are both complete. The short rowed shoulders were seamed with a three needle bind off before knitting the neck, a knit 3, purl 3 ribbing to match the lower ribbing and coordinate somewhat with the stitch pattern.

The sleeves have eyelets in and after the lower ribbing. I wanted matching eyelets on the front but not around my hips, so I knit a diamond of eyelets in the spot where there would have been a vee neck if Grasshopper had a vee neck.


One sleeve is done and the second sleeve is almost done. Hopefully Grasshopper will be blocking by the weekend.

As always, the alpaca is a joy to knit. I wish I could get a good picture of the gorgeous heathering in this yarn. It's green (obviously) with subtle flecks of yellow and very subtle flecks of turquoise.