GO TEAM!!

Way to go STEELERS!! Heading to the Super Bowl again, let's see if we can make it our own for the 7th time. Pup & I talked on the phone after the game, both of us just tickled to see Franco & Rocky come up to congratulate "the boys". The Jets couldn't keep from tripping on their own feet, except for about a 10-minute interlude of having "it" together. I should have taken some pictures; both DiscoDame & I were in team gear. Pup has another bit of memorabilia that he wants to send, which will likely wind up in Disco's room. Her door has "Steelers Nation" and a logo displayed.
Of course, I knitted during the game--it's got so I really can't watch TV without some knitting in my hands. I'm still working on the Diamond Chain Lace stole, but I'll have to put it aside for a while as I have a commission for the Sgt. He'd like two more hats just like the two I've already made for him, thank you. Wouldn't be a problem if I could just locate the dang pattern! It's basically a watchcap, with ribbing that is first increased then decreased so that the large ribs are leaf-shaped. I'll have to go on Ravelry & see if I can find a link to the pattern on my projects page.

Better today

I made it home in one piece, after leaving work very early. Go here:
http://knittingwithsandrasingh.blogspot.com/2011/01/desmondus-sock-kit-giveaway.html
and win yourself a lovely sock kit! Yum, cables & lace!
No photos of the stole yet, but I may be able to talk Ms. Amanda into modelling her hat & mitts.

I may not be the brightest bulb...

I came into work today. We're in the middle of a winter weather advisory, but you know me, I hate to miss work. It took me an hour and half to get from home to work, and I was pretty much terrified the whole way. The main drag in our neighborhood was in better shape than the interstate; I think that gave me a false confidence. Now I wish I'd packed jammies and a change of clothes -- I seriously rather check into a hotel out here, than try to get back home in the dark. I might still do just that, after a quick trip to the drug store to see if I can pick up clean socks & undies, & a toothbrush! That will put a dent in the budget.
The stole is coming along swimmingly, except for a few "tinks" to put in missed yarnovers. I've decided to add a different lace as an edging, to make the thing wider. The plan now is to get a section about 3.5' long, finish it with garter ridges, then pick up the cast on edge & knit in the other direction in the same way. The edging will be worked separately & sewn on. I'll try to get a WIP picture soon. I was on Ravelry over the weekend, and noticed that the Lacette isn't listed on Paton's website anymore, but there are a lot of Ravelers wanting to sell or trade theirs. Not too sure I actually want anymore, but it's good to know.

So long, 2010

Whew! I thought that year would never end. Here's hoping 2011 will be a kinder, gentler year for the Plaid Patrol, and for all & sundry out there in the 'webs. Just a few days before Christmas, I re-read the Yarn Harlot's "Fallen" post, and it still cracks me up. I believe that's in Dec 2008, if you'd like a laugh.
So, what will I resolve for the new year? Gah, I hate resolutions. But I just saved a copy of a "10 Goals Planner" from the Home Made Simple site, so I suppose I'll have to come up with some goals.
Just got done reading Dog Boy by Eva Hornung -- what a disturbing tale! Don't want to drop any spoilers here, but the end is a shock.
***
Ok, I started this post Monday and here it is Thursday, but it wasn'tready to be published. Had a very strange experience yesterday: I got an ocular migraine. Yes, it made the six o'clock news,"Woman who 'never has a headahe' gets migraine; details at 11". Seriously, this was so weird -- I'd had a minor headache for a few days (stress due to overwork, minor sinus issues, etc), then I got this visual disturbance. It started as though I'd looked into a bright light (no, not THAT one!),with that glare-y look to everything. Then it got brighter but more focal, with a blue-white, moving, jagged line through my visual field. I was a bit concerned, and awfully glad it waited until after I was at work instead of while I was driving. So I found a friend who had some aspirin, thinking it might be a cerebrovascular incident (aka stroke!), and told her what was happening--turns out she'd had it before, and that was reassuring--she's still kicking, so I figured I'd survive. Then I remembered a similar incident that occurred about 3-4 years after I'd started working for the pathologists (the same folks I've worked for, for 20 years now!), only I went completely blind that first time. Well, not completely, but near as: it was like looking thru dirty broken glass. So, what in the world makes a body pitch a migraine once every 17 years? Anyway, I got online & looked it up, more reassurrance that I would live thru it, and very quickly my vision returned to near-normal, with just a hint of the glare remaining for most of the rest of the day. But I felt absolutely beat last night, couldn't wait to put my weary head down on the pillow. I still had a bit of the headache this morning, but it's less now than it's been in days, thank you Jesus. Plaidman thinks I should call the doctor, but she's a ditz who'll probably tell me to put the lime in the coconut. Why bother?
^^^
In knitting news, I went to the JoAnn Fabrics & Crafts in Franklin and found two more skeins of the Serenity sock yarn--not for socks! I'm knitting a stole, with a strand each of the Serenity and Paton's Lacette (which appears to have been discontinued). The Lacette is 25% mohair, the rest being acrylic and nylon, and surprise! it's washable in the machine on cool & delicate. It's teaching me about mohair...like, don't use a center-pull on this stuff!
Well, gotta go back to work now. Happy New Year, all!

Failure to fly

Well, I gave it the best shot I could, and tried to get enough small presents made for all in my dept. at work, but I was still trying Thursday morning! Without complete success -- I'm still lacking about 5 gifts. I just can't see bringing in enough goodies for just "some" of fellow serfs. So...now what? I will bring in the mitts featured in the last post, for Amanda. Wouldn't you know, Wednesday she had to tell me how useful & handsome her hat was, and how glad she was to have it! The rest of the finished gifts will go into a bin for next year's holiday gifting. And I WILL continue to knit up some small items to add to the bin.
I'm likely to add another craft soon: I save up my old, beautiful calendars with the intention of learing how to make the pages into small boxes. My sister-in-law makes these, as well as her own Christmas cards. I have expressed interest in learning the craft, but so far no response. I plan on checking it out on the Innerwebs.
DiscoDame came thru at Christmas, with some more handmade stitch markers in the larger sizes! One set is just so clever; instead of beads, she used small buttons! A clever way to use some of the immense excess of buttons we have.

More FO's

Yeah, baby! We like this kinda party! Erm, I mean, I have really enjoyed the mini-vacation I just had -- I worked last Wednesday, and didn't come back until today!-- I did some knitting (of course), and I actually finished & photographed some more fingerless gloves. Presenting another (!!) pair of my own design, the Cob Stitch Fingerless Mitts in Lion Brand Wool-Ease:


And just who it that Mysterious Model? None other than the fabulous DiscoDame, with a different prop. Makes her look intellectual, doncha think?
I've started on yet another pair of fingerless gloves/mitts, the Twisted Chain Link Fingerless Gloves (you can use that title to find the pattern on Ravelry). The charts are wonky: written instructions for rounds 3 & 10 include purl stitches, but they're not on the chart; the stitches represented on the chart appear to read from left to right which is weird because aren't most charts set up to be read the same direction as the stitches are worked -- right to left? Anyway, after several attempts to reconcile the chart to the written recipe, I've decided to ignore the chart. I figure the pattern was probably written down first, then charted but not proofed. So the written instruction is likely (more) correct than the chart, right? Stay tuned for further developments.
You know, I have been entering just about every blog giveaway I can find--so it had to happen: I won one! I will tell you all about it in another post, when my prize arrives. I can say, I'm tickled; I never win anything. That's why I don't buy the Power Ball & Mega Millions tickets; I can just about gaurantee the big $ isn't coming home with me!
Oh, Disco had a disappointment last night: I had just about decided to let her frog my Olympics vest, but when she pulled it out of hibernation, I saw how little was left to do--so it's still intact, only needing a few more rows on the back, a couple of seams, and the front edge/neckline.

Wondrous light

Ok, I got the neatest picture the other day, purely by accident. Disco was modeling some of the FOs from my last post. We'd decided to "dress up" our photo shoot with nice scarves and a few props -- Disco has a large handful of very large marbles, which looked nice in her palms while she wore the mitts. But the photograper (moi!) didn't realize just how reflective those things were, until editing the pics. Check this out, you can see me in each of these marbles (click on pic to make bigger):

Every one of the pics with the marbles in it also has my self-portrait. Kinda cool, eh?