Teeny-tiny

Right now I'm working on a project for someone else's book.
I'm trying to use Habu silk & steel - the stuff on the thumb. I can't get a gauge I like.
I'm currently on 3-0 with 3 strands of yarn & still can't get a stitch pattern to show.
I'll go as low 4-0, but if that doesn't work, I'm switching yarns.

The other yarn in the photo? Nettle from Habu.

My plates are all back up in the air & spinning. I twas good to take a break and let the world simmer back down to a rolling boil.

The balance - sometimes sick is good

Mostly I feel like the Cat in the Hat, balancing a variety of people, places and things.
Lately, I've been thrown a curve or two - my mother's dementia worsening due to a drug issue, Andy's traveling schedule ramping up.

We all know what happens in the next picture of the Cat, he adds more things and everything crashes down into a huge mess.
It's taken me many years to figure it out, but finally I've figured out just how many curve balls I can hit & keep going.

Isobel woke up last night with a stomach bug, it kept us up until 2. I woke up this morning & started my period.

I decided to step off of the balancing ball for the day. I canceled my mother's doctor's appointment, canceled play dates, meetings, everything.

Instead, I'm caring for the kiddo, and doing little projects around the house. Stressing 0%.

I put everything down instead of letting it crash around me. It's good.

The Haul - photo heavy

30 knitting magazine & pamphlets from the late 50's - 1972

A treasure of the good & goofy.











Knitted suits on size US#6 needles - 6 sts to the inch.
Note the holy (to me) ruffle on the orange suit,

















Boys, boys boys! With manly objects, of course.


















I actually like this sweater. But, what I really like is that he's decked out to ski & is standing next to a barbecue in someone's backyard.

















Is that a knitting needle in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?



















The knitted bun cover.


















Always tuck your sweaters into your pleated dress pants to ski!

















Vogue from 1968. Chunky knits were big. Is "Instant Fashion" is the 1968 code for "Quick and Easy"?

Please note the cost of the magazine 75 cents.
I just bought Vogue Knitting - $6.99. WTF? No I didn't look at the price before I checked out & no I wouldn't have bought it, had I seen it.
I've been ranting about the price of knitting magazines (and books) to my near & dear- like they care. But who can afford to knit these days?
Please no speeches or spreadsheets on the cost of producing magazines & books. Who's making the mad cash? Not any designer, knitter or editor that I know.

Sorry, off of the soapbox.




Eddie Albert got tired of his Green Acres.



















Love, love , love this photo (sweater's cute too). She looks like her girdle is so tight she can't sit up all the way.
















The best? If you loose a knitting needle you could use one of her eyebrows - ummmm pointy!

Deadline approaching

The deadline for Big Girl Knits 2 manuscript is is fast approaching. I'm in my part of writing mode (Amy & pass all back & forth - including neurosis).

For whatever the reason I can only actually 'write' - letters on the page for 2 hours - no more I just shut down.
But I am constantly writing & thinking & rearranging in my head. So I am and will be a walking talking space cadet until the manuscript is out of our hands. I frequently find my lost keys in the fridge, for example.

Do not expect sense out of me unless you ask me if a particular sweater will make your ass look fat - then expect at least an hour's explanation of why & what you can do about it, and of course ,why you need a new bra.

I was the recipient of an incredibly generous knitting gift. My blogless friend and uber lactation consultant, Barbara, gifted me at least 30 knitting pattern pamphlets from the 60's that were once her aunt's.
Here's one - the cover is the best thing. There's more, but that's for tomorrow, Scarlett.

ROTFL

This was in our paper tonight : )

Behold the Lady B

Behold the greatest knitting bag - the Lady B by Lexie Barnes

It's $130, but worth every penny.

It looks like a post-mod bowling bag.
It's big, but not schlumpy.
Handles long enough to go on your shoulder.
Big outside pocket - big enough for a magazine or a skinny-ish book.




This color is called Viona. I call it Gauguin visits my Avocado kitchen.













Tons of pockets inside. Here's one side. The inside color is shiny penny. See the flap at the top? When you overstuff your your bag (who me?) this flap protects your knitting from the zipper. sweet!








More pockets on the other side, for needles or.....













Oh, yes! That's an 8 inch handspindle (Grafton)













The bag is big enough to hold a whole sweater, even a jacket, maybe a coat with some amount of stuffing.

What's in it in this picture - 3 stitch guides (8.5x11), my big Abra circ holder, a sock in progress & a lonely ball of Koigu. The bottom of the bag isn't even unfolded all the way.

I *heart* this bag.

The count is over 500

Here's my damage from yesterday - it's all fiction.
Next up art books, kids books & the stacks in the bedroom.









Here's the total so far, way over 500 books


I'm sure there's some deep psychological reason I'm doing this, but all I know is that it feels good.
And now I have room for different books. : )







Behold, empty shelves!















The best knitting bag EVER & I'm lucky enough to have a friend who gave me one for Christmas!
I'll give you a tour tomorrow.

Nursing humor

I love these photos. The sincerity on the baby's face just kills me.



Today I'm culling fiction books.

Book & lace report

Believe it or not - that stack is almost 200 books.
Even better it's almost all cooking & house/interior design books.
All going. There's a separate stack for giveaways for specific people.
Our cookbooks went from 6 shelves to 2. It feels good.
We've both been in the book business for 15 years (read free books). I still can't say no to freebies , and don't really feel right unless every room in the house has book shelves filled with books. Next fiction & kids.



On the lace jacket front, I'm up to 14 different pattern swatches. I held a few open for you below. Yes, I will block when I'm done & I'll even reknit the ones I really like on different sized needles.
I love this yarn, but it's proving challenging because it's dark & it's variegated. But I will win.
I've got some cable/lace swatching to do next.
I want to use several different stitch patterns in the jacket.
All the lace patterns are from Japanese stitch books ( I have 3).
No, Shannon, you may not have them.

When you can't knit - read!

My overclogged head won't allow me to look down to knit. So I've been reading like crazy



St Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

Southern Gothic with adolescent angst, more than a wink to Geek Love, and it's set in the Florida Everglades.
I limit myself to one story a day.











Micro fables, fiercely articulate & totally bitchy















Patricia Wentworth was a contemporary of Agatha Christie, her Maude Silver is a retired governess & obsessive knitter. People tend to get murdered when she's around.











I've also been listening to all of the Artemis Fowl series. I thoroughly enjoy reading fantasy aimed at the 8-12 range.












The entire series is ready by Nathaniel Parker.
A.k.a Eliz George's Lynley on PBS.
He does a mighty fine Irish accent.








I decided this is the year to really cull my books. Any tips to part with my paper babies? I usually pare down by subject, but I'm not sure that will work this time. I do know that I will probably never read a 600 page bio of James Joyce again & I think I'm willing to part with it : ).

Threadbear take me away!

By last Friday Carla & I were thoroughly sick of the holidays & our families so we escaped to our favorite oasis , Threadbear.

We brought the essentials - Zingerman's & Guinness.

We bitched & moaned & laughed with Rob & Matt for half the day & went home relaxed.
Ahhhhhhh.




Of course I bought yarn! Enough to make a lacy jacket out of Jitterbug in Copperbeach. I even crawled around on the floor at the shop until I found Rob's secret back stock stash.


The photo doesn't do the color justice, but I wasn't going to miss out on sunshine in Michigan in December.

No, that's not a scarf that's several days worth of swatching lace patterns. I started with koigu before I had the Jitterbug. I haven't hit on the one yet.

The kiddos have bestowed a rotten achy, mucusy funk on me. The one that starts by filling your ears & ends up a big cough. Hub's out of town, so I've been doing caffeine during the day & hitting the NyQuil at night - I love that stuff. I love the moment you can finally breathe & the feeling that you're sinking into your mattress as you fall asleep.

Welcome 2007!

Well, hell it's 2007!

I have New Year's Inertia & so do all of my friends. Complete & totally inability( and desire) to get back in the swing after the hols.

Yesterday I sat on the couch for the entire day, actually the entire family sat or draped themselves on the couch. We started with the Rose Parade, moved to a variety of British mysteries (me), then Ninja Warrior, then the Rose Bowl.

Granted I had those kind of womanly cramps that you get when you haven't exercised in a month and are sliding into home with the perimenopause. My heating pad is my best friend.

I'm with the other million bloggers who cite the Wonderful World of Knitting as my favorite thing of 2006 - the people, the yarn, the book Amy & I published.

What will 2007 bring? Another book is due, that's my only for sure. Not going to do resolutions this year. I know I'm going for all around health, as usual. I want to go to SOAR. I want to clean out my stash & my books. I want to cook new things. I want to spin & knit more. You know same as it ever was.

I have yarn whorish photos to share & some vintage knitting love, but I'll think about it tomorrow!