Big Love

or...10Things I Learned From Dogs


1. Dogs can fill your heart with love until it's spilling over, then they will fill it some more.
2. Big dogs equal big lovin'.
3. The sound of your car's exhaust system will become hard-wired into your dogs' brains, causing them to wake from a sound sleep as your car rounds the corner onto your street.
4. Dogs will lick the tears from your face when you cry, nuzzle your neck with their noses until you giggle, and knock you over with their big hairy hugs.
5. There is no such thing as lonely with your dog at your side.
6. Dogs are somewhat easier to train than men.
7. Dogs will walk right by a fresh cold bowl of water to the bowl of water on which the seat was left up by the aforementioned man.
8. Dogs are never ungrateful.
9. Dogs will help you with your diet by eating the extra servings, will exercise you until you drop, and will still love you when you don't lose an inch.
10. A dog will teach you your own humanity

...in memory of a little yellow poodle who is right now wagging her tail, and waiting for her owner in heaven

No sheep for you...one year

MSWF...I didn't go. Just as well. Saved myself a pile of money. Who needs more yarn? Ouch! No throwing sharp objects! You could put somebody's eye out with that! Thanks Stephanie
for the heads up on the Juno pattern instructions. I'll just be over there in the corner ripping out the back. Sigh.

500 words or less

Frank looks longingly at the creatures of spring...

I have been off pursuing another passion...cycling. Have you looked at the prices of bicycles lately? Sheesh! It's amazing the advances that have been made in materials and design, but wow! So one evening I was on the Trek Bikes website (desperately seeking cheap bike) and happened to see that they were looking for women to represent their Women Specific Design line of bikes.
I happen to think their geometry is the most comfortable, and have always been a fan of Trek. I mean, hey, they are good enough for Lance Armstrong, right? Anyway, they were looking for five women to basically test Trek equipment, and write about their cycling experience on a blog, or website. How cool would that be?? I said, HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE? That's like Rowan saying, let us send you all our new yarns in every color, a bunch of patterns and needles to knit the stuff up, and all you have to do is talk about it on a blog. Are you hearing me now?
All they wanted was 500 hundred words or less describing why I should represent Trek WSD, and three photos. I worked for two whole days to hone my 729 word essay down to 500 words. (imagine that) The deadline was April 30th, and I emailed my response in last night at 11:53. (imagine that) I know my chances are only slightly better than winning the Power Ball, but like anything else, my chances are zero if I don't try.

And then there is the garden... I live in a townhouse so my garden plot is about a quarter mile away, down a precarious set of stone steps (remind me to tell you about the time I fell UP those steps and was attacked by two very angry rose bushes), through a small park, down some more precarious stones steps, around two tennis courts, through two gates, and about fifty feet back. I'm totally not kidding. You can picture me trudging down to the garden with shovel, hoe, tarp, etc. Sunday I carried five (count 'em, FIVE) forty pound bags of composted cow manure a quarter mile, down a precarious set of stone steps, through a small park, down some more precarious stone steps...ok, you get the point. One. At. A. Time. I'm a little sore today. I also smell oddly like farm animals.

The knitting goes, although slowly. I have completed a few pentagons on the cabled bolero. Not happy with the way I am stitching the pentagons closed, so I will get back to that later. And I started working on Juno (thanks a lot Stephanie and Victoria) in Rowan's summer tweed. Pictures next time, I'm only about six inches in. I think the gauge is working out okay (famous last words), but it looks a teeny bit small. I'll probably wait until I get the entire back completed before I admit that it really is too small. p.s. Anne, I was at favorite LYS on Saturday where I picked up the Rowan for Juno. A little bird there told me you were on your way to Maryland this weekend.

Was that 500 words or less?

Mother knows best

At least in my case, that's true. Why I never learned to just accept that speaks to my foolishly stubborn and petulant nature. Case in point? The ex-husband, for one. Snap! She called that one! (but that's another sto-ray) Or how about the whole "don't put anything in writing that you wouldn't want the whole world reading"? Uh huh. Then along comes the internet? You see what I mean.

Mom is second generation Italian. Catholic, of course. Brought up in an era where God was vengeful in the form of nuns with names like Sister George, who carried wicked rulers. I mentioned the whole ex-husband thing, right? So tonight is the monthly meeting of Divorced and Separated Catholics. Mom wants me to attend. She wanted me to attend last month for the presentation of "The ABC's of Annulment". And the month before for "How Catholic Singles Have Fun Without Turning Out the Lights". No, I'm totally making that one up. Anyway, each month I get a reminder call from Mom the week before the meeting, then a call the day of the meeting. Promises are made on my part...I will try my best to attend. But something always comes up at the last minute. Like tonight? I had to come home and attend to my blog, drink beverages made of crushed grapes, and eat chocolate truffles (it's the new endorphin blaster diet).

All kidding aside, I'm still a practicing Catholic. But I'm also a live and let live kinda gal. As long as you're not a hater, or someone who likes to torture helpless animals, I'm probably okay with you. Which brings me to the knitting point...

Okay, so my adorable niece became engaged last October, and is getting married in July. To an adorable guy whom we love to call Bobby Bling. Bobby got that name one year when he was new to the family and was attending his first (maybe second) Thanksgiving dinner. As he reached for the mashed potatoes, his three pound, two ounce gold bracelet fell out from his shirt cuff and yours truly trilled "bling" to the enjoyment of all. Yeah, humiliation of boyfriends is de rigueur in our family. He loves the adorable niece to death, treats her like the angel she is...and it's all good.

So I'd been drooling over the cabled bolero on the cover of the Winter 2006-2007 Vogue Knitting, and decided it would make a lovely gift for the young bride to wear on her
honeymoon. The yarn (Nashua Cilantro in a creamy white) was in the stash and all signals
were go. Then...over Easter dinner, Bobby and Niecey made an announcement. They are with child. Do you see the tie-in yet with my mother? Are you guessing where this is going? Yes, Mom was not pleased. Mom was not happy. Mom did not understand why Mr. Bling couldn't keep it in his pants for a few more months.

Now, I'm not saying it's right, and I'm not saying it's wrong. What I am saying is, it's done! The horse, as it were, is out of the barn. So my thought is--let's be supportive of two people who intend to pledge their love and lives to one another, and are thrilled to bring a child into this world in general, and their family specifically. And of course, knitting-wise? Bo-nus! The cabled bolero is now a stroke of genius. Not only does it say special wedding or shower gift, but it leaves plenty of room for THE TUMMY. And...I get a new little body to drape with adorable and toasty knitted garments.

The bolero is a series of cabled pentagons knit together. I was going to show you a picture of my first completed pentagon, but Blogger is unwilling. That's okay. Had to rip out the second one because I lost a stitch somewhere and it just seemed easier to start again. The yarn is yummy--70% cotton and 30% polyester. It has a very soft hand, and a bit of springiness. I'm knitting down one size so it will be a snug, stretchy fit.

Venus (pictured below) in the Frogging entry, is on hold until I can visit a knit shop and enlist some help. Not that I can't do it myself, but it will probably go easier if I ask for help. Example--I only learned by talking to knitters last week that I should have used a life line so if I had to rip I would have placeholder to rip to. Glad to know there is always lots more to learn!

Friday the 13th forecast: Continued stash growth...

...resulting in occasional yarn cake precipitation from the top shelf of "current WIP" closet. "Current" being defined as: no need to pull down the attic steps or crawl about in cat hair underneath the bed.

It's been a fun week so far, starting with a Monday evening knitting guild meeting, which was preceded by a visit to LYS and the addition of some Habu 100% silk that has been calling my name. Karen Levine from Heartfelt Knits demonstrated her bramble stitch at the guild meeting. Here's a picture of the stitch sample done in the Habu silk (sorry, it's not a good shot of the stitching). I love that yarn! It's very stiff, almost like a linen or hemp, so it holds the stitches beautifully. Karen used the bramble stitch in the center of a scarf, but I can also see it as an edging, or transition between the body and hem of a garment. The Habu silk is beautiful, but not suited for a garment unless it's combined with another softer yarn, or made into a jacket (IMHO). I don't know what it will become, but I, of course, had to have it!

Tuesday night was Happy Hour with the work crew. No need to elaborate on that. Except to say that on my way out (I was the first to leave) my heel slipped on the slippery hardwood floor and I went down, to the general amusement of the bar crowd and loud guffaws of my work mates. Brilliant! The funny part (to me) was that I jumped back up, with hands overhead in the universal "I'm good" position, and strode confidently out the door because I was so afraid people would think I fell due to overconsumption.

On Wednesday night there was a cotton Yarn Tasting at another LYS. It's a fun way to meet other local knitters and have a "hands on" experience with a some new yarns.We came away with a shopping tote and a knitted shopping bag made from our yarn samples.
Once again I imbibed in some Habu yarn, this time Gear Linen,
which is VERY stiff and should make an interesting purse or bag. I also added to the library: One Skein by Leigh Radford of IK.

Last night was an exercise night, because the stash closet isn't the only place that's got some extra junk in the trunk (if you get my drift). I do wish I could master the art of knitting while speed-walking. Maybe on a treadmill, but definitely not on the street, which is where I usually walk. Have I mentioned I have a history of falling? My friend N, who knits only occasionally, and who attended the Yarn Harlot event with me here in Pittsburgh, has asked me to help her pick out yarn, pattern, and needles to knit socks while she is traveling next week. Stephanie, you have another convert. (Another One Bites the Dust playing in my head...)

Frogging again! (sigh)

Knitting away on the Venus last night when what to my astonished eyes should appear? The lacey holes have moved one stitch to the right. Wha? Huh? Okay, so I rip down 10 rows or so, and apparently when I picked the stitches back up I must have reversed direction; meaning, front is now back and back is now front. Argh!!! I'm pretty sure this had nothing to do with the adult beverage I was consuming while knitting.

Ripping again. But not right now. Right now I am taking a deep cleansing breath. Do it with me...inhale pink, exhale blue. (I dunno what that means--girls good, boys bad?) And again, inhale...exhale. Okay, we're good. But I'm still not ripping yet. I'm going to peruse the new eye candy purchased at LYS Yarns Unlimited yesterday while in the area having the toes done. Yep, nothing like a pedicure on a 30 degree day, and then a little shopping in flip flops. It's the new look--felted wool sweater, wool coat, flip flops. Toes look great, though (thanks Darcy).

Back to the eye candy--I purchased the latest Rebecca magazine
which has at least five "must do" projects (not committing to when, mind you) and 3 mac & me patterns. Have you seen these ruffled head wraps? Just adorable! They are shown in wool, but I can definitely see them in cotton, or cotton-lycra for summer.

The good news is that I only purchased patternish materials, no yarn. I'm holding out for the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival the first weekend in May. Shoutout if you're going.

By way of introduction

I am a Pisces. This will explain a lot. We are a creative bunch. Artistic, imaginative...okay, some might say dreamers. I have a stash of yarn. And fabric. And dyes, jute, wire, string, ribbon, paint...did I mention lots and lots of yarn? Then there is the sewing machine, the knitting machine, the serger, several cameras—Polaroid, SLR, Rangefinder, digital, all with coordinating film, chemicals, software and printers. Oh! And books, magazines, patterns, designs scrawled on cocktail napkins, not to mention in the pages of my journals. I did say I was a Pisces, no?

I start a lot of projects. They turn out fabulously in my dreams. Every couple of years I finish something. But hey, I have a lot of stuff going on; there’s the whole full-time job thing. That can eat up a good ten, twelve hours a day. Then there's the two hours a day spent reading other people's blogs, and marveling at how talented and prolific a people you all are. So instead of gettin' busy on some of my UFO's I am writing about them. Here. But you understand all that. Perhaps even wonder when I am going to stop chatting and start showing you the goods; after all, you've shown me yours.

Uh-kay. Here goes.

This is Venus from Rowan's A Midas Touch book(let)
for their Glimmer Print yarn. I'm using a cotton from
THE STASH whose name has long since been lost. You can't tell in the photo, but the shade is a lovely light blue. She's my project of the moment. The lower body is knit sideways in one piece.


Interesting, because the body on this sweater from Yarnplay is knit the same way. It's knit in Noro Kureyon in a green/blue/brown colorway. Here is the back, still in process (of course). We had a good run, she and I, through the pre-Christmas gift knitting season. She really thought we would make it through to the end. Maybe, for just a moment, I did too. But alas, she waits for me in the attic cedar closet, just another UFO.


I was hot and heavy into socks for a bit this year, having completed of yummy pair of alpaca boot socks for a "special" friend's Christmas gift, with great success. Not sayin' whether the success was in the sock-making or in the recipient's reaction, but the first words he spoke (after "these are great!") were, "how should I wash them?" Yeah, I know--a keeper. Here's one sock (on the left), knit down to the finely turned heel, using dreamy Claudia Handpaint sock yarn in Passion Fruit with a simple Lorna's Laces pattern. The picture doesn't do justice to the beautiful striping. The pair were actually destined to be "pedicure socks" for my sister's birthday in March. Yeah.



I was knitting this green sock (on the right) when the Goddess who is Yarn Harlot came to speak in Pittsburgh. It is made using Jitterbug, which I lllove to handle. Rrr, rrrufff, rufff, rrrr...oh, sorry! The photo does no justice to the rockin' green shade!


Then there's the Debbie Bliss ribbed cardigan with ruffles from Vogue Knitting Spring/Summer 2003, knit with Debbie Bliss wool cotton.
I have ripped this one out three times--once, when the back was almost complete. (I have trouble estimating my true measurements.)
This one would have fit Gov. Arnold back in the "juicy" days.



Here's the Debbie Bliss pattern for Noro (I dunno--
one of the Noro books) made with Kureyon. It's done. Two more rows on the left sleeve and off the needles! Sew her up, already Knitizen!
Nah, she's been two years in the bag. Literally. Wait! I just noticed the body on this one is knit sideways too! Are you sensing a trend?




Finally, here's a beginner's project from quite a few decades, I mean, years ago. Look at those cables! I think it was abandoned because I ran into technical difficulty with the decreases on the chart. I didn't even know how to read a chart back then! Thinking it will make a lovely little bag or something. This really should not be wasted!


Well, hey! Great having your company whilst strolling through the UFO closet. I still have time to knit a few rows on Venus before lights out.