Yarn, Yarn and More Yarn

Well, maybe not really! But, my yarn choices have arrived, and Anne has wound two skeins of it for me. Very pretty! I have two more that she can do up when she is in the mood. I still have to decide on a pattern, and try out the sock tube gauge deal. I think Jo's suggestion is perfect, and I will definitely have to try it out. I also have been on a bit of a non-knitting jag. I think I will definitely get over it for the Knitting Olympics. I think it is wild that there are now over 2000 knitters on the list, and more still being added!

I am sure there was something more I was going to write about. Oh yes! Jo's comments about the things going on at the park that she will be volunteering at! The sheep, but more specifically the lambs, were adorable! See her blog if you haven't already! The Floats, Knits and Purls one! I am fighting to maintain a disinterest in spinning, despite having wanted to learn for years and years. It gets hard, especially when I hear/read about it so much now! Maybe once my life settles down a little bit more, the boxes are unpacked---yes they will be! Really! The day will come that there will not be a box of stuff left in the house, and anything that is boxed will be nicely packed and labelled and stored over the garage! So there! Ha ha.

Oh well, it is something for the future, in any case! I sure don't dare let Anne get sucked into spinning! Although, she does go into these things whole-heartedly, and I am sure she would excel at it, as she does most everything she tries!

All Signed Up!

Well, I am sure Steph, the Yarn Harlot, had no idea what she was starting, when she blogged her idea of a Knitting Olympics, to run in conjunction with the upcoming Winter Olympics! I sent in an email to sign up, and have been checking the list on the "Olympics" page watching for all the names to appear on the list! Today is finally the day. Anne has been on for a while, and I have been since not too long after Anne. I saw Anne's friend Kimberly listed too! Today I finally saw Jo's name, and also Anne's good friend Tandy! The total number to date is finally listed again too, and it is a mind staggering 1366. Pretty darn impressive, I think!

I will knit my first sock, as I think I have already mentioned. I am still thinking about patterns, yarn, etc, although not too hard yet. I did order yarn, two kinds, so I can decide once I see them (Anne had things she wanted to order too, and was anxious to combine the order and get it in!). Anne has also offered me sock yarn from her stash, and one of those might win the battle, you never know. I had thought of "training" by knitting the little practice sock listed in one of Anne's sock books, but have had second thoughts. Since my entry is knitting my first sock, I don't think knitting even a little practice sock is quite right. However, I do think I might use that pattern to cast on and try knitting in the round using the different sock options---4 dpns, 5 dpns, 2 circulars, etc, and see what I like best. It would be a shame to lose knitting time by finding the one that I randomly chose doesn't suit me. And, I think that is well within the framework of "training"!

I haven't done any knitting lately. I am still sneezing and coughing more than usual, although not nearly as much as I was. I don't want to risk any allergy reactions again before things are more settled. There is always plenty to do in the house, so it sure isn't like I sit around doing nothing!

I do have a feeling that I had best decide on a sock pattern, find out which needles I will want to use, etc. The Olympics will be here before we know it!

Knitting Olympics

Okay, Okay, I know when I am beaten! I should have known that between Anne and Jo, I would get sucked into the Knitting Olympics. I did resist for a while. I figured it was fine for Anne, Jo, Stephanie (aka Yarn Harlot), and hoards of other knitters to do it. But, I was in a quandary as to what kind of project to tackle, and it was easier to bow out and not do anything. However, Jo emailed and asked if I was up to it, and Anne twisted my arm--gently! Anne did have a good suggestion, since she had already looked at the list on the Harlots Knitting Olympics blog, and I decided I can try a sock. That may sound wimpy, but I haven't ever knit a sock, and I have no idea how long it might take me. I did do a large Christmas stocking once, a very simple pattern, but that was years and years ago, and I have no idea now just how long it took me to do it. So, a single sock is my aim. If I find that I complete it way too soon (not bloody likely, but who knows?), I will add the second sock. Does that sound fair?

Meanwhile, no knitting, quilting, or anything crafty has been coming from me. Anne continues to knit almost all the time, when she isn't eating or on the computer, and sometimes she does actually knit while on the computer. Go figure. She has posted, renamed, and made other changes to the blog formerly known as "The Daily Drudge." I guess I will have to change its name on my blog links!

Back to me though. I guess I am still sneezing and coughing just enough that I hesitate to mess with anything that could cause further allergic reactions. Which is actually another reason I hesitated about the Knitting Olympics. Anne has offered me sock yarn from her stash, and I will probably accept that kind offer, since after all this time, perhaps there will be less chance of smelly chemical eminations coming from the yarn? We will hope! Meanwhile, I have Christmas stockings to knit, and Winnie the Pooh wall hangings and quilt to complete for the adorable grandbaby, Michelle. I really haven't forgotten you, darling. Grandma is just really slow, and Tia (Anne) did get sick, and and and.....

Yarn, Yarn, All Over The Place!

Anne and I finally made a trip to the base on Thursday for the first time in ages. Our timing was good, as it was the BX's last day of a sale on Rubbermaid storage containers!

Anne has quite a collection of yarn in her room, in bags, in a stacked storage cube thing, here and there. She mentioned that she was having trouble with her eyes itching whenever she was in her room. She does test as allergic to dust mites, and we figured yarn in the wild has to be a good dust collector. So, the plan was to corral the yarn into storage containers!

Now, you see why our trip to the base was such good timing! We got a number of the latch-top type containers, in three different sizes. The yarn is now corraled, and is no longer out where it can collect dust mites! Hurrah! Her room is also a bit tidier, but that is just a side effect--haha. It is amazing how much yarn will fit into these containers--that natural yarn "squishiness" really comes in handy! Next on the to-do list will be to get her closet into more "organizationally friendly" mode. It would sure make her room more "user friendly" to say the least.

I don't remember now if I had mentioned that I finished the hat at pt the other day and have started another one? The newest one is smaller, same pattern but my own modifications. We will see how it goes. Pix will really be coming eventually!

No New Episodes

Pix will be coming, of the baby blanket, the hat I am working on (almost done), etc, but for now, just an item for those of you who may not have heard. I wouldn't know about it but for some of the quilt shop newsletters I get online.

HGTV has declined to purchase new episodes of "Simply Quilts", hosted by Alex Anderson. All the episodes shown in 2006 will be repeats. I don't always watch the show, and I don't always like the guest she has on---some types of quilting just don't appeal to me. However, I usually enjoy the show, and it has exposed me to all kinds of techniques, interesting patterns, interesting quilt designers, etc. I would hate to see an end to new episodes. If you feel the same way, there are online petitions that can be signed, and there is an address for snail mailing an actual letter. Real letters often carry more weight than the online petitions do. I mailed a letter yesterday!

Here are the links and address:

petition HGTV

petitions/Simply Quilts

HGTV
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9721 Sherrill Blvd.
Knoxville, TN
37932