Oy!

Kris flew out to NY on Wednesday to do sound at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival for the Circus. He was supposed to fly home last night but his flights were canceled due to weather. They were supposed to get him out today. He just called, his flights were canceled AGAIN! Grr.. the best they can do is get him on stand-by for a 6am flight tomorrow morning, so he extended the rental on his car and is driving home. He should be home by early afternoon tomorrow at the latest. (sigh)

I did finally block the Not-Quite-Straight Scarf and I'm very pleased with the results...

before blocking

after
detail photo

As biased-knit scarves go I prefer the snowy triangle scarf, but this is still quite lovely and certainly very easy to do. I really like knitting on the bias with variegated yarns.

I'm also making good progress on the Wheat-Ear Cable Yoke sweater for Autumn. I've finished the front & back (up to the join)and am about 1/4 way through the sleeves (knitting both at the same time). Gotta get this finished by the 13th for her birthday!

And, the second batch of yarn arrived today for the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I went with the Scarlet that is stated in the books rather than the burgundy that was used in the movies and most used when knitting Gryffindor items.
Avada, what do you think? This is a pretty good representation of the color (on my screen at least; it's definitely scarlet). If it's too bright for you I have no problems sending it back and getting the darker color. :)

Oh! I also got my downstream pal's Sockapalooza package shipped off to Germany on Saturday! Domestic packages are supposed to go out this coming weekend, so I should receive my package sometime next week! Squee!

HP Swap Update

I just received the most adorable stitch-markers for my Gryffindor pal from an Etsy shop! Hee! Since this isn't a secret swap, I'm not going to show you yet. You will all have to be patient & wait until the swap is over!

I also received the first set of Gryffindor colored yarn I ordered, which is beautiful, but I think I'm going to hold that for my sister since there isn't enough to make tall socks with and I doubt I would get the same dye-lot if I ordered another skein. Therefore a new order has been sent off to Diagon Alley and I am eagerly awaiting my return owl so that I may get knitting!

Powerful

This is the most effective PSA I've ever seen.

Amnesty International

Finished!

I finished the final Harry Potter book around 1:30 this afternoon. I think it was a fitting ending to the series. For those who have not read, or have not finished, this book yet fear not, I will not give anything away.

I laughed, I cried (a lot), and was greatly satisfied to see some of my theories pan out.

I can't believe this is the last book. I will sorely miss the anticipation of a new chapter, but cherish every word she has written.

J.K. Rowling, you have my profoundest thanks!

Incommunicado

I've got my wrist band & will be one of the first 100 people at Borders to get my book. HEE!

Until I've finished, I will sequester myself away from all radio, television & internet lest some detail be inadvertently gleaned.

Now I just have to hope there won't be some idiot who gets their copy & starts shouting out details while I'm in line!

And, just for fun an HP meme...

You scored as Hermione Granger, You are Hermione. You are academic, intelligent, and reasonable. On top of this, you are highly concerned with justice, scorn the small-minded prejudices of others and work hard to defend the under dog. Many times you may find that your heart and mind are constantly at war with each other. Hermione Granger 72% Bellatrix Lestrange 66% Luna Lovegood 63% Harry Potter 56% Neville Longbottom 56% Severus Snape 50% Albus Dumbledore 47% Draco Malfoy 44% Oliver Wood 44% Percy Weasley 44% Sirius Black 38% Lord Voldemort 34% Ron Weasley 31% Remus Lupin 31% Harry Potter Character Combatibility Test created with QuizFarm.com

Happy reading! :)

Breezey Socks

2nd pair of sockapalooza 4 socks finished! :)

Pattern: Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy in Rose.
Needles: #1 dpns

Notes: I dropped the needle size down from the recommended #2s to #1s & am very glad I did. It would have been far to open otherwise. No other modifications were made.

Thoughts: Fun pattern, although I'm not very fond of the lace work in this.. it's just uninteresting. LOVE the cabled heel and will have to start incorporating that idea into other patterns!

I liked the yarn & will probably use it again. Its a little splity, but no more so than I expected based on the fiber content. I think it works very well with the pattern.

Overall I'm very happy with the results. I hope my sp likes them as well. Now I just need to pick up a few goodies for her package & get it ready for mailing. I'm going to try and get it out next week, before the Aug. 2nd ship date, since she lives overseas.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

I have joined another exchange. This one is great fun! You are sorted into a Hogwarts house and are assigned a secret pal based on what year you are in (I'm a first year). You then knit a pair of socks for your pal in their house colors! Hee! If you want to join in the fun, go to Hogwarts Sock Swap Two and follow the instructions. Sign-ups started on July 14th and will end once there are 150 participants!

Now here is my completed questionnaire...

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw!

2. Shoe size? 8 1/2

3. Foot Length? 9"

4. Foot Circumference? 8.5" at ball of foot

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.

1. Brittany
2. Empress
3. Lantern Moon

I prefer longer rather than shorter needles. I'm most in need of size 0, 1 & 2 needles.

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length? I'm always up for new needles! I prefer wooden or bamboo, don't like the feel of plastic and metal needles tend to hurt my hands. As for specifics, surprise me!

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference? I prefer the movie colors (blue & silver).

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? No fiber & food allergies. I have cats & a dog, but my house is smoke free.

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? I am in the US & am willing to have an international partner.

FOs, WIPS & Yarn Porn - Oh My!

Things are finally settling down a bit. We were away for the 3rd weekend in a row and I'm really worn out. However, I've done a fair bit o'knittin.
Behold!
The first Breeze sock for my sockapalooza 4 pal. I'm nearly finished with the second sock and hope to have it completed within the next few days. I really like the way these are knitting up. :)

This is the Not-Quite-Straight Scarf. It's knit on the bias and I started it while in Cold Spring. I completed it yesterday and will post the final pic once it's been blocked.

This is the yarn used for the above scarf. It was obtained by a swap on ravelry. It's a handspun/handpainted yarn that was originally purchased on ebay. Lovely pastel colors, that are surprisingly vibrant.

Finished socks made with Calmer. The pattern was self-designed using a Shetland Feather lace panel on the sides. The socks are very stretchy, which is a necessity in any socks knit for my mom. However, I'm not entirely thrilled with the design. Oh well, mom loves them.. and I highly recommend using Calmer for socks.. sooo comfy!

From this lovely little yarn shop in Chicago, the following were purchased...

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
in Bittersweet

Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
in Mineshaft

Frog notions holder by Clover
(too cute to be resisted)

The yarns will be used for socks for Autumn & Kris, since they picked out the colors. Can't decide if I will be hanging on to the frog or if I will be gifting it in one of my sp exchanges.

Yarn Of The Month Club

I recently joined the Yarn of the Month Club and received my first package on Friday.

The samples are all linen blends and not yarns that I would typically knit with.

This is Cinnabar by Louisa Harding, 30% Viscose/25% Cotton/15% Acrylic/10% Silk/10% Linen.
Very rich colors on this yarn, but definitely not a yarn I would ever buy. It looks like the type of yarn they make tassels out of for very expensive, very stuffy draperies. (bleck!)

This is Damask by Rowan, 57% Viscose/22% Linen/21% Acrylic. I have to say I like this one & am anxious to knit up a swatch. The colors are very rich & jewel-like. The viscose content makes the yarn somewhat silky. It's a very pretty yarn that I probably would have never picked up otherwise.

This is Kidlin by Louet, 53% Kid Mohair/24% Linen/23% Nylon. Very soft yarn. However, the plys are not holding together well. I think it would be a nightmare to knit with, although the finished product would probably be quite lovely. I am reserving judgment on this one until after swatching.



This is Korella by Gedifra, 53% Linen/47% Acrylic. This yarn is quite lovely. The acrylic content tones down the roughness you get with some linens. First impressions are that it would give very nice stitch definition.

All in all my first batch of samples is somewhat a mixed bag, but I guess that's the point! I'm really looking forward to future deliveries! :)

WIP, FOs & other Yarn porn will be up in the next few days.

Running Off With The Circus

That's what I did this week. Saturday morning I flew into Laguardia Airport, honey picked me up and then we drove down to Bethlehem, PA for the Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams concert at Godfrey Daniels. It's a neat little venue (only seats about 100) that reminds me a lot of the old Ark. The show was great! Unfortunately, their AC wasn't working so it was hotter than hell in there! (sigh)

After we finished packing up honey's gear, we drove 3 hrs to Cold Spring, NY (the circus' hometown), which was the actual destination of this trip. You see, the circus was putting on a free show in their town gazebo on Sunday that honey really wanted me to come out for. I'm so glad I did! Here are some pics from Sunday (click for big)...

This is our room. We stayed at the Hudson House Inn. Absolutely lovely inn! Highly recommend to anyone who is going to the area. The food is delicious and the beds are super comfy!

The view from said room. That's the gazebo where the concert took place. Nice location, huh?

A couple shots of the stage before the show.

The fire department fife & drum corps started the concert off. Here's a shot of them playing with the circus.
These are the views from the square in front of the gazebo. The water you see is the Hudson river. The town is located in an area called the Hudson Highlands (which is the same region as Rhinebeck!)

This show was amazing! Such a lovely setting & the crowd was really appreciative!

We spent Monday leisurely exploring the town & hanging out with Tink, Joziah, Sharkey & Tony. Absolutely wonderful people! This is the first time I've really had to spend with them. I've gone to a few shows & have exchanged a few pleasantries, but never really had the opportunity to talk with any of them. The are just lovely, sweet people. The genuinely care for each other & about what they are doing. I'm so thrilled that they've adopted Kris into their tribe. I sincerely hope things work out so that he can do sound for them full time & not have to work a day job.

Oh, and yes we checked out the real estate market for the area... :)

I was going to post some knitting content, but I think this post is long enough. I will save it for later. Besides, we're off to Chicago this weekend to meet our niece Sofia & my mil at the train station (they are riding in from Seattle).