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Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Dinner time!

OOh, please pardon the blurry pic!  These are stitch marker sets, on small lanyard hooks attached to a jewelry hanger.  Disco makes these!  She uses several sizes of rings, so if there's a size you'd like to see just tell me in comments -- sizes are in mm, mostly jump rings.

My title today is a reference to the Harlot's phrase, "Done like dinner", 'coz I'm done with the departmental ruffle scarves!  The last two will be given today, to coworkers I rarely see.  Next up is an experiment, to see if a neon orange ruffle yarn from Red Heart Sashay can be tea-dyed to look more like Vols orange, which is a bit more muted than the neon shade.  Yep, I know some Tennessee fans, and I'd like to make some things for them -- but finding that ruffle yarn in orange is a trial!  Whether or not the tea dyes the orange into a more suitable shade, I'll be knitting that yarn with a very white ruffle yarn into a super scarf for the fan.  And after that, NO MORE RUFFLE SCARVES!!  I'm pretty burnt out on 'em....

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Weekend WIP update

The 3rd skein of Europa Tweed has been joined into the (endless!)broken rib scarf, putting this project at about 55% done.  Just in time for the weather to warm up, of course.  I'm tired of working on this, and want so very much to move on to the Gramps Cardigan (Kate Oates, TotToppers).  MW at work wants this cardi for her two year old grandson, who's a bit big for his age.  I'll make the size 4, so he can wear it for a while.  Such an adorable little sweater!  Then I hope I'll still be in the sweater mood, and can make an Aidez for myself.  I may get that done by my birthday....if I don't get distracted.  I have a whack of yarn set aside for a sweater for the Plaidman, too.  Still haven't settled on the exact pattern, but one of Martin Storey's looks good for it. 
Disco is getting a bit more active in her quest for employment.  Plaidman & I have a standard response anytime she asks for something, "Get a job!"  She's got ideas to go somewhere and do something interesting -- "Get a job!"  She wants bacon in the fridge -- "Get a job!"  I think it's working.  Next we'll have to teach her to drive. 
Oh, I bought another cute pattern off Ravelry.  I remember when I first got on Ravelry, and saw the wealth of free patterns there, and thought gosh I'll never have to pay for a pattern again.  But so many of the paid ones are so lovely; still, I should just stop 'coz I'll never have enough time to knit all I've got in my library already. 

Friday, January 10, 2014

Happy happy joy joy

Jan 10 214  Goodness, I started this almost a week ago but never got further than the title.  Which, btw, refers to getting all 17 coworker gifts done & delivered Dec 30!  Win!  So many folks were so surprised, since I'd gone around before Christmas and handed out candy filled mini-stockings -- guess they thought that was all I was doing.  And had lots of very positive responses, and got to know another coworker a bit better -- she's a knitter too!  She said she hadn't told but one or two folks that she knits, so when she opened her little gift sack and saw the yarny stuff within, she thought one of those folks had given her some yarn.  Then she pulled it out of the bag & was doubly surprised to find a scarf.  HeeHee!  So good to know my "people" are represented well in our organization (there are at least six yarncrafters within our walls).
Ok, you know I was desparate to get Disco's cooperation on this project.  Saturday after Christmas I had all the scarves knit, ends corralled, all ready to go.  My plan was to put each into a plain brown paper bag, fold down & punch holes in the top edge, and tie each closed with yarn.  Those plain brown bags just refused to stay plain.  That evening Disco & I got all "Girl Scout" crafty on the bags, with glitter glue and stickers and colored markers ... it was a mess, but so much fun!  No two were even remotely alike.  Unfortunately, I never took one single picture of the scarf collection or of the gussied-up bags.  Blogger fail, for sure. 
Last weekend I had a bizarre dream; guess what it means?
      
Dramatis Personae: (no lines -- this occurs in silence)

The Plaidman

TomTom

Myself

DiscoDame

Background:

TomTom is a neutered ginger tabby.  He’s slim, and has just about the longest tail I’ve ever seen on a housecat.  He’s a sweet little guy!  Loves attention & playing with string toys, and has always been just a little bit shy of The Plaidman. 

The Plaidman is a retired blue collar workin’ man.  He’s never intentionally harmed a pet in his life, and can’t imagine any justification for doing so.  He’s a quiet dude, but as the only other male in the household he’s viewed by the pets as the Big Dog. 

Action:

So, in the dream, Plaidman has taken a real shine to TomTom.  They are buddies, practically inseparable.  I’ve no idea how I know this (in the dreamworld), but “it is known”.  Plaidman & I are lying in bed, and TomTom is curled up with his buddy.  Disco knocks on the door; I know it’s time for us to get up & go do… something.  I get off the bed, and turn around to see Plaidman throwing off the covers.  TomTom is at the near edge of the mattress, and starts a great stretch.  Plaidman rolls onto his knees next to his little pal, and does the same cat-stretch.  I realize that they are too close, when I see Plaidman’s growing a stripey ginger coat all down his back.   They’re not tiger stripes, no sir.  Plaidman is turning into a very large ginger housecat. 
End Scene
Whaaaaat???  Is he trading in his beloved plaids for stripes?  Will I have to train him not to wear clashing stripes (like I trained him not to wear more than one plaid at a time...oy vey!)?