I'm Back!

. After several months of physical therapy and prescription drugs, an orthopedic surgeon said the only thing to do was total knee replacement. So, ... finally April 12, my new knee was in place. Not being able to sit for long lengths of time ... I was told to get up every 20 minutes and walk for 10 minutes ... which I faithfully did for the first six weeks after surgery. This summer I have event gone for a couple of "short" bike rides around town. Most people who saw me walking then, couldn't believe how well I was doing. I would like to say that was my reason for doing so was just to feel better ... NOT! I wanted to be ready to go with my daughter, Alcariel on Ravelry, to the Estes Park Wool Market in early June and then to Portland for Sock Summit 2011 in late July. Estes Park was okay, but I did use my cane a bit for support especially when standing in one place for longer than a couple of minutes. All this time, my knitting was severally affected by my not being able to sit for a couple hours each afternoon or evening.




We just returned last week from Sock Summit ... I was able to keep up, most of the time, when walking places ... met friends made in 2009 at the first event ... renewed those acquaintances this year ... made new contacts in the knitting world ... participated in classes and listened to lectures ... exchanged "sweet corn" stitch markers with other participants ... knitted in the convention center's lower hallway each day ... and started to make plans for the 2013 event that was "rumored about" at the meet-up. The best thing was the marketplace with many beautiful yarns, needles, bags, patterns, etc. that have come to live in our house, at least until the yarn is all knit.
I did finish a Dane Shawl in the ST-1 (a colorway chosen by Steph (the Yarn Harlot) and Tina (from Blue Moon Fiber Arts), the two bravest ladies to take on such an event for the second time. Here's the blocked shawl and also a close-up. It was orange, rust, green, and a golden yellow knitted in BMFL STR lightweight. I did purchase a sufficient amount of yarn in the 2011 colorway chosen by the same two ... for a shawl for the next conference ... haven't picked the pattern yet.

More snow ...... more time to knit!

No, I haven't disappeared ... I have just been neglecting my blog. This is partially to keep Christmas gifts a surprise partnered with a very busy fall in my job - teaching Spanish 1 to 80 students, all but four freshmen.


Early in fall, I asked dd to pick a color of Wollmeise from my stash for her Christmas socks. I then asked her to choose some patterns that she would like .... from Cookie A's Sock Innovation. She marked 4-5 different patterns. As she was choosing, I heard her say, "These are stockinette on the foot which would work in my nursing shoes." So ... I chose that pattern "Sam" with Wollmeise 100% merino in the True Love colorway, 2AAT on ml. Started them the end of September and finished them in a month (I do have 2-3 pairs of socks ON most of the time).
Then, as a surprise, I decided to knit the Gail shawl (aka Nightsongs) . I chose a colorway that I had received as a member of the Wollmeise sock club last year, the colorway Okzident, a blend of blue, green, charcoal. I finished the edge with STR lightweight in the Thraven colorway, it blended quite well. I followed the pattern using US #7 harmony circ from KP, but didn't care for the tightness of the bind-off. The pic above is with that bind-off. So, after Christmas when dd had opened the present, I frogged the bind-off and did my usual loose bind-off. It had a lot more stretch to it and should bring the points out farther. DD said that she would block it, but if she doesn't want to, I can get it from her later this month and do it then.

When dd and I were at Sock Summit in August, I purchased a some Krazy Zauberball in the U boat colorway (navy, green, light and dark gray) especially for dh since he is a WW II history nut. When I started knitting the socks in October, it was really overcast ..... hardly had a sunny day all month. In November when the sunny, colder days came, some purple appeared in midst of the navy .... dh doesn't like purple. Well, I continued on and only let him know they were his socks when I had him try one on after the heel turn, just to make sure it worked for his high instep. His comment, "They're so soft and beautiful." Well, he really likes them. The dd of a coffee friend is a full-time elementary teacher as well as mom to three children (15, 12, 7) and her husband has been deployed to Iraq since last summer. She has been having a tough time around the holidays, so I decided to knit her the Magic Shawl from Rav with Noro Silk Garden in colorway 251 on size 10.5. Her dh surprised her by coming home for 10 days, arriving the Sunday after Christmas. I've finished the shawl and each of the coffee ladies will write a little message to her to include with the shawl. She can choose to read them all at once or read one whenever she needs a little "hug" from her dm's friends.

Oh, an explanation about the title ... in the past two weeks, we have received three substantial snowstorms complete with blizzard winds and very cold wind-chill temps. We are in the midst of the third one right now. The two previous ones each dropped about a foot of the light fluffy snow that hasn't ever settled or crusted over .... each little wind we get blows it around. That is the case today and tomorrow. The ditches are full in the countryside, so that a danger for those traveling ... the highway east of town is blocked by several semi trucks. I do like winter and the whiteness of the snow. Hope I still like it after the next two months .... usually a time when we get a lot of snow.
Happy knitting. TLGB

RSE4 Scarf Is Done!

I've been in all the Ravelry Scarf Exchanges and also was an angel. This scarf, however, had me stumped for a couple of months ....... I knew what yarn I was going to use for Starrypurplehaze, but the patterns I tried, all three, just didn't work. Then, I decided to try a pattern I had received recently .... BINGO! ..... just perfect. On July 28, I started the scarf for the 4th time and just finished it this afternoon ...... it's blocking as I blog. I can hardly wait to get it off the blocking board ..... I have a 4x8 ft. piece of 3/4" styrofoam insulation that I use ..... It stood up amazingly well with all the pins I use when I block. 9-8-09 Scarf has been received, so here's the pics. I'm also trying to get the Gaia Shoulder Hug done for a friend. It only takes one skein of Noro sock yarn. A lady was knitting one at the SS, so I went in the marketplace, found the yarn at Paradise Fibers, and ran the pattern off in the lobby of the hotel. Then I discovered that I had left my notebook with all my circs at home. It was the first thing I started when I returned home.

Then I'll do the socks for an elderly retired teacher ......, she and her husband come every morning for coffee and a bagel/scone/sweet bread at the Daily Grind here. She and her dh, both in their early 90's, still live at home without outside assistance. They are amazing people! DD has already completed Art's socks and I do have Helen's about 3 inches down on the legs. I do both on ml, so once I get started, they will go fast.

I'll then do the socks I started at Sock Summit for my Toe-Up for the Stubborn class. I have the magic cast-on mastered and am halfway up the foot, but now I have to study the "formula" sheets that Deb, knitpharm on Rav, gave at her class. I'm honestly looking forward to getting busy on them.
That's all for now. Happy knitting! TLGB!