the one thing they share…

Yes, we’re sick. We’re all sick, according to the kids pediatrician the kids have the swine flu. Anyone with these symptoms, (fever of 99.8 not higher, maybe lower), croupy cough, headache and runny noise they are calling it the swine flu. Not confirming it mind you, which makes me wonder if this whole swine flu thing is really bad as they are saying it is. The older kids got it first, and when Allysa starting showing symptoms I called in and asked (demanded, whichever) for tamiflu, she has asthma. She has a bit of a cough and so far hasn’t gotten as sick as the others, Kailey has a cough and runny nose. So far its been pretty mild, and they seem to better. I’ve been filling them with fluids and disinfecting every.thing. And yet, I still got sick.

The one thing they share.

Its pretty darn comforting though is to wrap myself up in a handknit worsted weight shawl (even if it has a bit of cat hair, oyi) with a hot tea, and cuddle with my littlest one. Even better when the shawl is full of memories of previous knits and knitting friends. The multicolored handspun was a prize from Gabby, the green was leftover from Bryce’s drive-thru sweater, and the dark purple is leftover from my February lady sweater. I still haven’t blocked it, so I’m sure it will grow a bit more when I do.

Started July 5 2009
Completed July 29 2009
pattern Feather and Fan comfort shawl.
yarns- Targee DK handspun from the Gabby Knitter, Dream in Color Classy in vino veritas, Queensland Collection Kathmandu DK in 433 foresty green.
needles- US 9 (5.5 mm)
raveled here.

The one freaking thing they share….

PS I’m completely aware that sweatpants and a pink corduroy jacket don’t “go” together.
PPS. I’ve been knitting away on my TTL’s mystery socks because I would really like to finish them before Socktoberfest is over.
PPPS. Not actually going anywhere lends itself to more knitting time. So does ignoring the mountain of laundry cause your sick. 😉
PPPPS. Like my “new” reading glasses? (I say “new” because I’ve had them since August, it has become harder to read the computer screen and other things upclose….)

sheep and wool love

Why is it that re-entry from any sheep and wool festival is so hard? We make a long weekend out of the occasion since we spend it at my parents house and it gives us some extra time to visit. Especially since we won’t be going back up until Spring. Someone here has learned her lesson about driving 320 miles North during the winter months, there is a very high probability that one will be driving in a Nor’easter. And that’s no fun. I really enjoyed myself this year, there was one purchase that I had been planning for and stopped early. That would be the natural white merino from Greenwood Hill farm. Nothing can beat this stuff, its amazing and after a short convo with the owner not only is it because their sheep are pure breed merino’s its because of their diet too.

and of course a stop at creatively dyed for some sock yarn (like I *need* more), and Autumn house farms where I found the blue bulky for a really great price. Mom and I wondered the barns some more and I picked up some hand dyed roving, and then we met up with Karen and her husband for lunch.

pst, I knit up that little ear warmer real quick its raveled here.

It was a good lunch even though my pot pie kinda sucked. Way too many peas. Some how we missed the meet up again this year, I had it in my head that it was at 1, not 12. Yeah, next year cause I missed seeing bunches of people. Mom and I wondered around some more before Dad came over, I purchased some amazing Cormo from Foxhill farm, which I had no clue was in Lee, 15 min from my parents. I can’t wait to knit with it! We saw Kim at the big sock, both mom and I knit for a bit on it. (Kim will be at stitches east too with the big sock, booth # 526)

We walked around some more and saw the sheepies,

Before we made our last purchases of the day and went home

The kids and I stayed till Tuesday morning before coming home to PA. Boy did I miss sleeping in my bed, and drinking real coffee from a coffee maker not freeze dried astronaut coffee (love you Dad, just not your coffee so much). Its good to be home even though the kids are sick with possibly the swine flu. I sort of disagree with our Dr, since he just read their complaints and said anyone with these complaints they are calling it the swine flu. Their fevers having gone over 100.4 and they have this horrible croupy cough that sounds like bronchitis. I’m pushing liquids like crazy, and am starting to sound like my mother more and more.
Since the kids are sick and we are holed up in our house there has been more knitting,

Allysa’s thorpe, rav link and owl mitts for her too rav link.

the more I knit with this awesome stuff, malabrigo, the more I want a sweater out of it….. even though it will pill like mad..

sweater for Rhinebeck ’09

nothing like a fantastic new sweater to break the blog silence… It’s been crazy busy here, but really when is it not? Kids are keeping me busy with all their sports, Girl Scouts has started up again and Corra is a Jr again, and Allysa is now a daisy. Anyway, this year I thought of knitting a sweater for Rhinebeck a little bit sooner than I did last year. I knew, absolutely new that I wanted to knit wisteria from the twist collective. The only problem is the smallest size is a 37, that’s 4″ to big for me! Thankfully its written for a worsted weight, so by knitting in a lighter gauge I’d get a smaller size. I really wanted to use Madelinetosh tosh worsted in logwood that I purchased from yarn4socks during an amazing sale, after I knit a few gauge swatches I had my mind made up. Some people say its a worsted, other say its a lighter worsted and I have to agree with them. On US 8’s it was WAY too loose. So lose you would be able to see through it, on 7’s it was still pretty loose. On Us 6’s it was perfect. So amazingly perfect. Wouldn’t you say?

I can’t express how happy I am with this sweater, so very, very happy.

I plan on wearing this baby to Rhinebeck this weekend. Tomorrow I finish packing up and Friday morning bright and early (ie 9am) the kids and I start off to my parents where we’ll stay for the weekend. I’m really looking forward to Rhinebeck this year. No so much for the stash adding, but for seeing all my knitting peeps. I’ll probably be wearing my pink vest over this, and if its raining I’ll be wearing my blue LLbean jacket over it, and my blue wellies (that Mike totally hates but he’s not going, and don’t get me started the shoes he was buying himself for the past 2 years).

There was a bit here that I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish this in time, since I put this sweater down to finish up Daddy’s mittens in time for his birthday. I’m still in shock that I was able to finish one sleeve in a day. A day. And do laundry. And cook. And play with the kids. Yeah, I’m shocked. The other sleeve took 2 days. There was much more to do, and I actually had to get dressed and leave the house.

nakniswemodo #11 (I’m up to 12, but have only finished 11. I have lots of pictures to take)
Pattern- Wisteria by Kate Gilbert
Started September 18 2009
Completed October 13 2009
Yarn- Madelinetosh tosh worsted in logwood 4.5 hanks around 1,012 yards.
Needle- US 6 / 4.0 mm
raveled here.
note about the yarn- oh, love. It has such a nice hand, and knits up into a wonderful fabric. I was a little disappointed that there where bits where it wasn’t spun very well, and bits where it was slubby. But over all I will purchase this again. In fact I’m thinking about what colors I want next! I knit the yoke with one hank, then after the sleeves I started alternating every 3 rows with another ball until I got down to where you start the bottom cables. I didn’t do this on the sleeves.
mods- smallest size knit at a smaller gauge to make a smaller sweater. I thought all the increases where in with the cables, not all of them but most. If you are looking to make this pattern smaller you could also leave out the increases after the cables are done and before the sleeves are put on hold. One really important thing to remember when you knit a sweater at a tighter gauge is not only is your stitch gauge smaller but your row gauge too. Because my row gauge is 8 rows per inch and the pattern is 6 rows per inch I added 2 rows on each time the pattern said knit __ rows even. Also knit 7 extra rows before starting the cable on the bottom. If I didn’t the sweater would be 1” to short. Don’t think I’m all smarty pants, because I forgot this on my first sleeve and it was too short, I had to re-knit it to make it longer. Not a mod, but I color coded my cable charts to make them quicker to read. It’s easier for me to remember a color than a symbol. I find this makes reading more complex cable charts easier.

Its such a good feeling when a sweater comes out just as amazing as it does in my head. Such a good feeling.

PS. If you see me at Rhinebeck, please do say hi!
PPS I’m so excited for a day to shop for yarn with out kids, I’m already halfway packed.
PPPS I really hope it doesn’t rain. Gotta find that lil mini umbrella. Methinks its in the car…