You are Dishcloth Cotton.
You are a very hard worker, most at home when
you're at home. You are thrifty and seemingly
born to clean. You are considered to be a Plain
Jane, but you are too practical to notice.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

bah...I tried to be something more interesting, and it didn't work. I guess I'm stuck with this...true as it probably is, it's a bit boring, eh?

whew!

Steve is totally an enabler. Which is fabulous. His response to "more yarn is coming" was "when and how much and will someone be home to pick it up?" Of course, since his hobbies are wood- and steel-working and computers, spending $16 isn't really very much. I love KnitPicks. Where else can you spend $16 and get eight skeins of nice yarn??

And while I wait out the decision on the mitten drama (to frog or not to frog - Steve wants me to just finish them already), I went ahead and added a new project to the rehearsal schedule.
The Snowman Christmas stocking. I started it last night (CO-Round 12) and am around Round 47 or so already! It actually looks really nice so far! The back "seam" doesn't quite match up, but I think that's just a charting thing and the fact that it's knit in the round. 16" circs are still a bit too long for it, although once I got an inch or so of knitting on it, it seemed to be alright. I tried switching to some dpns for a bit so the yarn wouldn't get stretched too much, but that seems to be more of a problem (brand new bamboo needles, the yarn doesn't slide on them for anything!) so I'll probably straighten the circs out (something I failed to do in my excitement to start this one) and transfer it all back again. Man, it looks good so far! I think I'm going to try the short-row heel and toe, since I enjoy doing short-rows and the afterthought heel makes my head hurt just reading the instructions.

Oh, and when Shadow gets here (and I have enough FO's done that I can justify starting a new project) I'm going to start Tiger Eye stole. I'm going to take the lace pattern and repeat it three times across. This way I can fold it and use it as a scarf if I want, or shake it out and have a nice wrap or whatever.

Self control...

Is something I apparently don't have. In the slightest. I know I'm on a budget. I know I have at least two trips home (aka lots of airfare) in the next three months. I know I have enough projects ALREADY to last me until New Year's. So what do I do? Place a friggin' order at KnitPicks. Five skeins of WotA (Spruce and Cloud) for some felted mittens (we'll get to that drama in a moment) and a baby booga, and...three skeins of Shadow (Jewels) for ME! For my Tiger Eye stole! So =PPP! It was only $16 total...I mean, really, you can't get acrylic that cheap at Wal-Mart, much less 100% merino wool, right?! So it's really a bargain! Really! (sigh...drool...working with real yarn again...I don't have the aversion to acrylics that some people do, and it definitely has its uses and practicality...but spit splices...felting...ahh....)

Oh, and the whole mitten thing. Sighgrumblemoancomplainwhine. I'm about halfway through the thumb gusset on the second mitten. For the third time. I really don't like the way the knitting is looking on this one (the second one is supposed to be easier, right??), and when I went to try the first one on for reassurance, I noticed the same irritants on that one. I know that they're my first pair, and there is bound to be mistakes on them, but I don't want to give these as gifts. It's loose and holey, and...ugh...trying to decide if I want to just finish them and then I'll keep them for the occasional mitten use I have, or frog it and use the yarn for a multi-dir diag scarf for my mom instead. But, I am still planning on giving her mittens for Christmas. Felted ones. Because felted ones don't have holes, and aren't loose, because the stitches all get felted together. Plus, they're made on much bigger needles and much fewer rows. So hopefully they'll go faster. So that's the plan for that.

Now to go explain to Steve why more yarn will be arriving on our doorstep soon. Any good excuses out there?...

projects!

So, I've decided that I'm going to CO the first Christmas stocking after I finish the second mitten, and CO the hat after I finish Rainy Day. Both of which should be soon, as I can get 18 rows done on RD per night on the bus to and from Solvang, and if I actually sat and worked on the mitten, I could probably have it done in a day or two. After I finish the hat and RD, my non-afghan Christmas gifts will be done (except for my gift elf, when I get paired), and I'll splurge and order a skein of Bearfoot and make the Tiger Eye scarf for myself. I don't normally "do" scarves, but it might be nice to have something to wear in the cooler months. I'm still going to get the cashmerino, or Snuggly, and make some kind of stole/scarf for myself as well, but that may end up being a Christmas present to myself. I'm going to CO for the top down raglan (using up some Simply Soft I have stashed - maybe it is acrylic, but it's not scratchy, and at least I'll get some use out of it and learn how to do a decent top finally, even if I never wear the darn thing afterwards) after I finish the Christmas stockings. The two afghans will get done when they get done. Hopefully before Christmas, but if not, I'm not going to stress over it. I mean, I'm still planning on working on both of them on a regular basis, but it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

drool...

So, just out of sheer curiosity, I checked out Mountain Colors' Bearfoot (what the Tiger Eye scarf was originally made of, and I love the colors in the pic). DROOL!! What absolutely gorgeous yarn!! I especially love Larkspur and Lupine, but really, if anyone wanted to give me any of the colorways, I would be thrilled. I've heard nothing but good things about it from KR peeps, too. $21/skein is a bit much, though. I'd only need one skein for the scarf, but if I wanted to make a stole out of it, I'd need at least three skeins. Maybe this will be my holiday present to myself. I found one site that had it for $19.50, but they didn't have the Lupine or Larkspur. If anyone ever sees it on sale, let me know...please...

back to the grind

started teching in Solvang tonight. Damn, but it's cold there. It's California. It's not supposed to be cold here. Apparently no one explained that to the central coast/Santa Ynez Valley region, because it's always cold here in the evenings. Sigh. Tech went smoothly, and we're looking pretty good for getting Thursday night off. Too bad there's no Law and Order on on Thursdays. Maybe there will be some on TNT. It'd be perfect to have another L&O/knitting evening. Especially since I just got my Christmas stocking patterns in today!! So excited, I can't wait to try them out! I haven't gotten to knit anything today so far, although I did manage a couple rows on Knitted Stripes over the weekend. It's already fairly late, so I shouldn't start anything new and potentially complicated tonight, so maybe after I get my KS rows in tomorrow I can play for a bit. Not going to get any Winter Night squares worked on until at least Sunday, after the show and I have finally settled back down into our respective paces.

I got to wear one of my scarves tonight. Just boring ol' stockinette stitch on size 15 needles and doubled yarn. It was actually made for someone else, but I never got a chance to give it to her, and the opportunity passed, so I kept it. I knew it'd get cold in Solvang tonight, so I tried to do a "saavy day fashion scarf" thing with it (with fairly successful results) at the office and then actually used it tonight. So I guess I do use scarves. I was thinking that maybe whatever lacy thing I end up making may do better as a stole, so I can use it as a scarf if I want, or a wrap. Will play. Still thinking about using Tiger Eyes as a stole. Saw another leafy pattern scarf today on KR that would translate well into a stole as well. Maybe I'll get the KnitPicks Shadow for the Tiger Eyes and the Cashmerino for the leafy one and have TWO stoles...ooo...must get holiday knitting done first! I actually had to stop myself from buying some new circs so I could start a top down raglan with some spare skeins of Caron Simply Soft. Just to practice the technique with, you understand, and of course to reduce stash. Really. Sigh...

home again, home again...

Jiggity Jig!! Yay, I'm home! Just until Tuesday, but still...sleeping in my own bed...curling up in my own chair...cooking my own food (that jambalaya really hit the spot tonight)...having Steve handy for cuddles...getting kicked off my pillow by the cat (who has currently decided that in retribution for not getting to sleep on "his" side of the bed last night, he must now perform the role of hot water bottle/fur coat in my lap)...the simple joys!

I've been fairly ambitious with my knitting of late. I've gotten four squares done on the Winter Night during the show this week. I did get busted by one of the actors for knitting during the show, but as long as I'm still focused on the show, they don't care. I've done a couple inches on Rainy Day and Knitted Stripes, and have even cast on and done two inches of the ribbing for the second mitten!

Oh, and after much internal debate, and a bit of regret, I've given up the idea of using the cashmerino for my first sweater...I'm going to use it for a stole or wrap of some kind for me instead. Definitely something lacy, but casual enough I could wear with jeans when the evenings get cool. I really really love the Tiger's Eye lace that ChristinaC posted on KR recently, and me and Suz spent a good half hour deciding how we would make it into a stole (neither of us are much into scarves). I'm not sure if the cashmerino is the best fit for that lace, though. I really love the shadows and shifting colors in the website pic, and was toying with the idea of getting some KnitPicks Shadow in Lost Lake for it. May have to find some other wrap pattern for the cashmerino...maybe Cozy or Ella or Cat's Paw? Or something else...I want something light and elegant, and preferably a solid color. Found some other great shawls and stoles and wraps, including the "Tri-aran-angle" on Knitty.com, but that's a bit heavy for what I'm looking for right now. Definitely in the future, though, especially if I do more work up in Santa Maria...oh, and I will still do a top down raglan...soon...but I have to find a nice cotton blend first, I think. Maybe some of the cotton cashmere...

swatches

The ribbing and date portion of the 1945 Christmas Stocking. I still think it turned out well. I'm also going to try another chart pattern (a snowflake one that Steve's mom gave me) and make sure that this is not a fluke, and I really can do this, but I don't think it will be much of a problem. Please forgive some of the camera shakiness, it was about midnight when I took the pic, and I was tired and excited.

Hail, Hail to Old Purdue...

This blog has been rightfully changed to Old Gold and Black in honor of the football season. Go Boilermakers!!

Hail, hail, to Old Purdue
All hail to our old gold and black!
Hail, hail to Old Purdue
Our friendship may she never lack!
Ever grateful, ever true,
As we raise our song anew
Of the days we spent with you
All hail our own Purdue!

Hey, I *Can* Do That...

So I tried out the whole charting and color changing and all that intimidating-ness for the 1945 Christmas Stocking. It's not so bad! Actually, I had no problems with it at all! Pics of the swatch will be up tomorrow, when I can take my laptop to the library and connect, but honestly, I think it looks pretty darn good, and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I thought it would be! So now I'm preening. Maybe it's egotistic, but I only did the date (which I thought would be the hardest, with all the stranding), and since it turned out so well, I'm not going to do the rest of the stocking. I'm going to save the yarn because....after talking with Steve and his mom this weekend (and seeing the gorgeous stockings she has made for her family), we decided that we would go ahead and order the patterns from here! Steve and I liked the snowman and the holly, when we showed his mom, she liked the evergreen and the cabin, so we ended up ordering all four! I guess she collects patterns like a fiend, I should probably start asking her before I buy any more! Plus I got the original pattern for the stockings she made, and I will probably use some of those charts on a couple of my Christmas presents now. So, even though it was a sad reason to go up, it was fun in a knitting sort of way.

drama rant

Ugh, I actually had to WORK today. Why does theatre have to be so...well...dramatic? I know actors have a born flair for it, the good ones, anyway, but do they have to use it offstage? I had to put an understudy on TWICE this weekend, and last night the poor girl had FIFTEEN minutes' notice because the primary actress couldn't decide if she could do the show or not (after telling me this at half-hour). FIFTEEN! I hate having to call someone in like that. Luckily, she is a true pro, came in, was ready on time, and did a fabulous show. This morning, we made the call one and a half hours before the show started. So at least it wasn't completely last minute. The understudy is doing a phenomenal job, and I feel bad that we have to keep her dangling, wondering whether or not she will go on. Apparently, this has been an ongoing problem all summer as well, so now some of the higher-ups are starting to look more closely at it. I know the actress has legit physical concerns right now, but as they say, the show must go on, and if she needs to back out, take some time, and get her body and her life back in order, I have a replacement already here who I would not feel the slightest hesitation putting onstage. Heck, she's already done it, fabulously I might add, three times, and we've only done nine shows so far! Unfortunately, the drama is starting to create some rumblings among the cast, so we need to get that settled soon. One more week here, and then we go to the outdoor theatre, where it will be cold and damp and slick, for three weeks. If she's sick now, it ain't gonna get any better in Solvang, I can guarantee! Ah well. To top it all off, over the weekend we've also had a broken mic, a spot op 20m late to his call, mics falling off, and a broken glass water pitcher backstage, as well as patrons having some problems in the house. Is it a full moon or something?? Things were just really crazy this weekend!

I finished another Winter Night square the other day and am a bit more than halfway through the second one. I'm just keeping that bag of project up in the booth for now, since it's the only place I'll probably work on it. I've gotten a couple "Can you really knit and call a show at the same time?", and the answer is yes. If it is a simple knit or purl stitch, non-ribbing, I don't have to look at my hands, and I can watch both the show and my book. Granted, it's slower, and there are times that I have to put the knitting down completely, but it keeps me from waving my pencil around or sitting on my hands to keep them from fidgeting. I feel better when I knit, or at least have the needles in my hands, as it makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something outside of work.

Now, just to cap off the weekend, I get to go home, do laundry, and then spend tomorrow (my weekends are Mondays and Tuesdays) up north with Steve's family for his grandmother's visitation and funeral. I'm going to spend the evening knitting and playing games between laundry loads, I think. Definitely time to de-stress...I may work on the charts and start the simpler Christmas stocking tonight. Or CO the second mitten finally. I'm kind of in the mood to cast something on. Have to do two more rows on the Knitted Stripes first, though. Steve says the pattern he was thinking of is more similar to these. I really like the Holly and the Evergreen patterns, but they're a bit intimidating. I know I *can* do it, but I want to do it *well*, too...

oh yeah

Forgot to mention earlier that My Way and I are finally settling into a decent enough rhythm that I can start knitting during it, which I find exciting. The light board op (LBO) has been a bit worried that I was going to stab him with my pencil, I think, since I was getting into the habit of waving it around in time to the music. I didn't have anything *better* to do with my hands at the time...I tried working on Rainy Day last night, but I have to look down too much to make sure the ribbing hasn't gotten off. That is going to be my office/preshow project, I think. Tonight, I'm going to try to go back to Winter Night #2, since it's straight garter stitch. Suz came up and sat in the booth and worked on her shrug last night. I was jealous =) We're both very excited about the new fall Knitty that just came out. I want to make that little bear...so adorable! I really love Josephine and Ella, too..(I know, I have GOT to stop adding things to my list!! At least until I get a few more projects done!!)

mrph

Alright, the Michaels here in Santa Maria sucks. They have a lot of yarn, but none with a great color selection, and definitely none in the colors I want for the Christmas stocking. Bah! Will try Wal-Mart. I just want some cheap acrylic to try this pattern out with! Is that so much to ask?!?! Apparently! (Another note on the Christmas stocking saga: Steve told me that the pattern that I found is a "simpler" version of the ones he was thinking of. He is going to try to get the full pattern from his mom this weekend. I'm still going to try the one I found, just to get used to doing charts and mid-row color changes! Hence the reason I don't want to spend a ton on the yarn...yet..and all my practice yarn is at home in Anaheim. Double bah!)

I had a vision of knitting one of the Incredible Custom-Fit Top-Down Raglan sweaters out of some of the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino I saw in the shop the other day. Now I want to do that, too! Holiday knitting first! First! Then, on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, after presents have been opened, and between getting up for just one more bite of turkey (or that fabulous chocolate and lemon whatever it is that my aunt makes like a dream), I can lounge about, smiling indulgently at the people I gave presents to, while working on something for MYSELF! Mine! Hahahaha! I think I want the baby blue cashmerino...

Okay, I'm done now =)

Wishes

So I figured up last night that in order to have the Knitted Stripes done by Christmas (109 days away), I will have to do at least three rows a day. If I do four rows a day, I could have it done before Thanksgiving. That is oddly motivating. Of course, four rows of 267 stitches each is still over a thousand stitches a day, but who's counting, right? I'll just have to put in some good music, or movies, or games. And four rows...I can totally work on other projects as well. Like the second mitten that I still haven't cast on. Or the Winter Night that has only has seven or so squares done. (On that note, if I do a square a day, which is actually less than what I was averaging in an evening working on the first Winter Night afghan, I'd be done before Halloween.)

I did go to the yarn shop yesterday, and have fallen totally in love with one of the Manos del Uruguay colorways. Well, okay, three of the colorways (Wildflower, Caribe, and a deep purple/red colorway that I can't find the name of). It's so expensive, though. $13-$16 for one skein! Ouch! No offense to Beck and 'Manda, but their baby boogas will probably not be made from that, as much as I would love to. I'll probably end up going online and getting KnitPicks' WotA for those. I love going to the yarn shop, but it's so much cheaper for me to buy things online. Sigh. Someday I'll be rich and will buy all the yarn I want. And if I don't have a project for it, I'll just look at it and admire how pretty it is. I'm also in love with Snuggly (don't remember the company) and Debbie Bliss Cashmerino. So soft...maybe after I get some of my holiday stuff done, I'll pick some up and do a shawl or wrap with it.

I think I'm becoming more of a yarn snob. Patons has some great colorways (no idea what I'd do with any of them, but they're pretty), but I was surprised to find myself thinking "Acrylic...eww, no...make something that color in wool or cotton..." even though most of my current projects are still acrylic or acrylic/wool blends. I think working with the Noro Kureyon on the first booga spoiled me. Now I want to do spit splices and such instead of annoying things like weaving ends in, or joining yarn, or...well, you get the idea.

Mittens!

So I was knitting along the other day, and suddenly a mitten dropped into my lap! It's not perfect, but it does fit well enough, and it looks nice. The second one will be better! I was excited.

So I finished the first mitten last night, and what did I do today? Spent the morning working on the Knitted Stripes afghan, weaving ends in on it. I boggle myself sometimes. I really have to find a good tutorial on weaving in ends as I knit to save to my computer. I wonder if I gave myself bad luck by not casting the second mitten on immediately after binding off the first.

Haven't touched the Rainy Day scarf for several days. Haven't touched Winter Night in longer, but for some reason, I decided that the Knitted Stripes is going to be my next project...until I get bored with it again. Might go to the LYS on Broadway today to soothe my conscience a little. I really want to pick up some of the Cascade 220 and do the Baby Boogas for Becki and Amanda, and Steve and I decided that some handmade Christmas stockings would be nice to decorate the apartment with this year, but I should finish (completely) at least one more project first. Then that will be my reward! I can at least go pick out colors now, though, right?...

My Way!!

PCPA Theatrefest proudly presents My Way, a swinging Sinatra revue, opening TONIGHT at the Marian Theater in Santa Maria, CA!!

Man, I can't wait to show this one to the public. This is such a FUN show!! During our preview last night, we had one older couple in the audience actually get up and dance together during "Young At Heart"! It was so sweet! The audience is going to LOVE this show!

Been busy with the show (and some of the ensuing backstage drama - we had to put in an understudy for preview last night, as one of our guys went out with a throat infection, yikes!), so I haven't gotten much stitching time in, but I'm ALMOST to the hand decreases in the mittens. Probably just four or five more rows! They're a bit big for my hand, but I think they'll be alright for Mom's. If not, I'll have Dad use them and make some felted clogs for Mom. I've been looking for an excuse to make those things anyway. I think I am going to have to add some stitches to the thumb gusset, though. I'm afraid it is going to be wayy too small when I start working it up. Pics will be up soon...maybe after this weekend.