Livin' La Needle Loca

...again? Wow, this week went fast! Here is your last Eye Candy for August... This is a Voluptuous rose from the front yard. This bush seems to be plagued by something that discolors the edges of the petals when the blooms are fully opened. This bloom shows the beginning signs on the right-most petal. But it's still beautiful. Still plugging away at the scarf and not much else to report. Lately, it's been all about work. Up this three-day weekend (yes!), I'm going to put away the spinning stash that is strewn across my craft room...in that last mad rush for Ravelympics, I rooted through everything looking for a 2-ounce chunk of fiber. Since I'm getting a little bored with the scarves, I think I'm going to start another project....whether it's another knitted thing or a cross stitch thing remains to be seen. Have a good one!

...I spent a lot of time working off-site. By the time I got home, I was too tired to blog. I'm taking it easy craft-wise because my hands are still sore. I'm just knitting along on my Silk Waves scarf; it's about 28 inches long now. Here it is modeled by Borg (my office moose): It is a soothing knit, with an easily memorized pattern. Not much else to report...when I have an time-critical work project, all my energy gets focused on it and everything else falls by the wayside. [sigh] I'm really looking forward to the long weekend. (sleep...yeah, that would be good...)

...here are the specs for the last 3 yarns I did for Ravelympics 2008. They are listed in the order completed. First up, Apricot Orchid: ...and the close-up: Specs Started 8/21/08 Finished 8/22/08 Apricot Orchid 2 Falkland top (4.5 oz) from Yarn Wench Spun and Navajo-plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yards : 162.9 WPI : 10 average Next, Plum Smoke: ...and the close-up: Specs Started and finished 8/23/08 Plum Smoke 2 Falkland top (4.1 oz) from Yarn Wench Spun and plied on a Lendrum DT wheel Yield : 180.2 yds Navajo-ply WPI : 14 The final yarn is Aster: ...and the close-up: Specs Started and finished 8/23/08 Aster Merino-Tussah top (2.0 oz) from Chasing Rainbows Spun and plied on a Lendrum DT wheel Yield : 128.4 yds Navajo-ply WPI : 11 The yarns have all had their baths and need to be re-skeined. I need to recheck the WPI on these last 3 yarns because I think at least one of them changed radically after washing (and it was kind of late at night when I checked the WPI). I'm going to be bu...

Ravelympics recap: Handspun Heptathlon : 6 entered +1 late entrant; 7 done Scarf Stroke : 1 entered; 1 in progress WIPs Wrestling : 3 entered; 2 done I completed everything for Handspun Heptathlon, but at the cost of my remaining WIP and my scarf entry. I knew there was no way I could finish either one by the end of closing ceremonies, so I chose to concentrate on the spinning, which I knew I could finish. Originally, I was only going to do 6 yarns, but when the Husband reminded me that a heptathlon was seven events, I thought I'd try to squeeze in another one if I had time. And I did manage to squeeze in an extra 2oz Merino-Tussah top. Sirena got quite a workout in the last month and I'm giving her a much deserved rest after I clean her up and give her a coat of Beeswax and Orange Oil. As for me, I need more Ibuprofen and some ice for my hands!

...don't think all of my Ravelympics entries will make it by 8:59 am on Sunday morning! I can probably finish the two yarns by then, but not the two scarves. I just don't have enough time (and I do like to sleep!). For today's Eye Candy Friday, here is a flower collage. Picnik paid subscribers got to play with the new collage feature. Here's mine: It's very cool... Last night I started my 5th yarn for Ravelympics. This is another Falkland top from Yarn Wench , called Orchid Orange Sunglo (oops, wrong one!) Apricot Orchid: It's turning out a lot paler than I though it would, but I like it. I have one bobbin done and another started. We'll see how far I get on it tonight! The Silk Waves scarf is about 20 inches long now and I still have a ton of yarn. I need a minimum of 40 inches to make a decent scarf and it's just not going to happen between now and Sunday morning. And I haven;t even touched the Morning Surf scarf in a week...oh well! And of course,...

...I'm beginning to see Sirena in my dreams. LOL! I finished another yarn late Monday night. This is Deep Night yarn... ...and the close-up: Specs Started : 8/17/08 Finished : 8/18/08 Deep Night 2; Falkland top (4.1 oz)from Yarn Wench Spun and Plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yield : 36.4 yds beaded; 145.7 yds not beaded; 182.1 yds total WIP : 13 The little skein you see at the bottom of the pictures was beaded using a Navajo-plying beading technique from Knit-R-Done . It's a very cool method, but a little time-consuming. Since my goal was to spin 6 (!) yarns for Ravelympics, I decided to ply the remaining yarn without beads. This is definitely a technique I want to use when I have more time—it's very cool how it keeps the beads in place. I went to Monday Knit Night at Full Thread Ahead and worked on my Silk Waves scarf. It's very pretty and it's a quicker knit than the Morning Surf scarf. I have a feeling I may finish only one of these for Ravelympics...oh, well. Ove...

...but I got a lot of spinning done! First, the Ravelympics count: WIPs Wrestling : 3 entered; 2 done Handspun Heptathlon : 6 entered; 1 in progress; 3 done Scarf Stroke : 1 entered; 1 in progress In addition to the yarn I finished Friday night, I finished this one Saturday: and the close up... Specs: Started and finished 8/16/08 Reef 1 Falkland top (4.1oz) from Yarn Wench Spun and plied on a Lendrum DT wheel Two Falkland singles plied with Copper rayon thread Yield : 105.4 yds WPI : 8 I spun these singles on Sunday: This is Deep Night 2 Falkland top from Yarn Wench . I experimented with beading as I was Navajo-plying the yarn. I'm not sure whether I like it (and it takes a lot of time!), but here's what it looks like so far: I also made some progress on the Silk Waves scarf: Also this weekend, we said good-bye to the Daughter—she's back in Baltimore gearing up for year 3 of her PhD program. It was nice having her home for a while and we'll miss seeing her fly in and ...

...this is the Plumcopper yarn: and the close-up: Specs: Started : 8/10/08 Finished : 8/15/2008 Plumcopper Merino-silk top from Yarn Wench Spun and plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yield : two skeins Navajo-plied, 220.4 yds total WPI : 13 (average) Also, I cast-on a Silk Waves scarf [ Ravelry ]at lunchtime yesterday. I decided that I didn't like the look of the capelet (for me anyway) originally intended for this kit, so I changed it from Shawl Relay to Scarf Stroke. I also sent my Alternates "home" (read: delete) as it will be a push to get everything done as it is...if work wasn't escalating right now, I think I'd feel differently! Onward!

...two in one! I've been spinning away on my second yarn for Ravelympics and I'm almost there. Last night I finished spinning the second bobbin and started plying the first bobbin I'd finished earlier in the week. This is the Plumcopper yarn ( Yarn Wench merino-silk top): I should be able to finish this tonight. (Then I'll only have 4 yarns left to spin...ACK!) I haven't done any knitting in the past couple of days. What little time I've had for crafts, I've used for spinning. However, I need to get back to the last WIP I've entered in the Ravelympics and I still have to cast on the little shawl (scarf?) I signed up for...yeah, I'll be busy this weekend! In my continuing fascination with the sky and clouds, I took some pictures last night as the sun was setting. This first picture shows our apricot tree in silhouette. The other trees and shrubbery are in our neighbor's yard. The Husband teases me about taking so many sky pictures, but when you ...

..I finished another WIP. But first, here's my Ravelympics count: WIPs Wrestling : 3 entered; 2 done Handspun Heptathlon : 6 (+1 alternate) entered; 1 in progress; 1 done Shawl Relay : 1 (+1 alternate) entered; 0 started (oops!) I finished the Wisterious Bootees that I started back in April. Here's the picture: Specs : Finished : 8/12/08 Pattern : Saartje's Bootees by Saartje de Bruijn Yarn : Dream in Color Smooshy in Wisterious Needle : size 5 Size : large (cast on 35) I'm happy I finished the second one, but I probably won't being knitting this pattern again for a while. It's an easy knit and the pattern is very easy to follow,. I simply didn't enjoy knitting the straps and I don't like how they turned out. Why knit something if you don't enjoy it? After work, I'm meeting up with a fellow Raveler to help her with her Ravelry profile and show her some of the cool stuff you can do. After that I'll go home and watch the Olympics and spin aw...

...too many to go! My count is: WIPs Wrestling : 3 entered; 1 done Handspun Heptathlon : 6 (+1 alternate) entered; 1 done Shawl Relay : 1 (+1 alternate) entered; 0 started (oops!) First up, I finished the Plumthorn yarn: ...and the close up: Specs : Started on the spindle : 5/22/2008 Finished on the wheel : 8/9/2008 "Plumthorn" Wensleydale top from Pigeonroof Studios (gift from Terry) Spun on spindle and wheel; plied on wheel Yield : 440 yards, 2-ply WIP : 16 I also finished one of my WIPs: Specs : Finished 8/10/2008 Artyarns Supermerino in color 107 Pattern : Baby socks from Cat Bordhi's Foxglove class at Stitches West 2008 Needles : US 5 Originally, I intended on knitting the second sock to make a pair. However, when I looked at the completed sock, I wasn't happy with the size or how it looked, so I knit a complete pair. Friday night, we went to downtown Redwood City to watch the opening ceremonies. As it turned out, we did not stay to watch the ceremonies because...

...which coincide with the Summer Olympics opening ceremonies in Beijing that started at 5am PST. While I did not cast on for one of my new projects, I did get up at 5am and work on my spinning WIP, the Plumthorn Wensleydale top. I decided to finish this on the wheel to make things go faster. Here is the second bobbin. I have just a bit more to spin and then I can ply it. I do love how this is turning out! Tonight, the Husband and I are going to Redwood City to watch the Opening Ceremonies, which are being telecast outdoors on a big screen. We're meeting up with one (or more?) of his co-workers, so it should be fun. I am taking one of my knitting WIPs to work on. Tomorrow, we have a date to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit at SF MOMA. I love her work and am really looking forward to it! We plan on having a late lunch after the exhibit at Thirsty Bear (yummy!). After that we have no plans, so we'll just play it by ear. Have a great weekend! And just because you need a flower picture...

...cuz there are no new pictures to post. I am working on the Montego Bay Wrap. I am resisting casting on another project or starting a new yarn—I need to wait for Ravelympics to start! Maybe I should just read... On my way home last night, the sky looked dark and ominous close to the horizon. Above that it was blue skies and white clouds. I couldn't get a good picture of the contrast, but here's what part of the sky looked like: Off to finish my work deliverable...back Friday with Eye Candy Friday.

....all together now: I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride my bike I want to ride my bicycle I want to ride it where I like... OK, now that you have Queen stuck in your head , here's a picture of my bike: I want to take another picture when it's more light outside—in real life, it is more teal. However, I wanted to document the bike before I took it out for its first ride this morning, just in case. I don't think I mentioned that one of the tires was flat yesterday when I was going to ride it to the gym. The Husband fixed it so I could ride it this morning. (I know, what a guy!) For now, I'm just riding it to the gym and back four days a week. That's 2.2 miles for a round trip, 8.8 miles a week. Not a lot, but at least I've eliminated one car trip for the four days...every little bit helps!

...some things went as planned and others didn't. As planned, I finished the Midsummer Paradise socks. And they fit perfectly, see: The pattern was easy and makes a great fabric. Sundara used a different type of toe (don't know what it's called) that doesn't require the Kitchener stitch. My only regret is that the subtle color changes in this yarn don't show off the stitch pattern very well; a multicolored yarn might. A closer picture: Specs: Started : 6/16/08 Finished : 8/2/08 Blue Moon Fiber Arts , Socks That Rock Lightweight in Midsummers Night Bird of Paradise sock pattern from the Petals Collection by Sundara Yarns Needles : US 2 (2.75mm) on the cuffs and toes; US 2.5 (3mm) on the rest Fits my size 9M foot Modifications: Knit 5 inches of cuff instead of 6 inches After finishing those socks, I was at a loss of what to do next. Most of the stuff I want to spin right now is marked for Ravelympics, as are a lot of my WIPs. Usually, I can easily move right on to th...

...yeah, I can't believe it either! Summer is not nearly long enough anymore... Today's Eye Candy Friday is a mix of pictures. In the category of "we just need a cat picture once in a while", here is Miss Sombra in a typical pose: She's always whining about something... Some flower pictures from the garden. Dianthus... Gnome Purple... and Ageratum. I went stash diving last night looking for more spinning candidates for Ravelympics [ Ravelry link]. Look what yumminess I found! This is Kilkenny 2, a Merino-Silk top... Andromeda 2, another Merino-Silk top... Plumcopper 2, also Merino Silk... and one of my favorite color combinations, Deep Night 2, a Falkland top. These are all from Yarn Wench ; I adore her colors! I don't know which to choose...they are all wonderful! Decisions, decisions! Up this weekend: finish the Midsummer Paradise socks. I have finally finished knitting the feet and am ready to do the toes! I am also going to look at my soap supplies and s...

...I'm separating the recap from Eye Candy Friday. Look for another post following this one. The Recap: Finished: 7/27 Plum Honey Light yarn [ Ravelry ] Yarn Wench Merino-Silk top (4.1 oz) in Plum Honey Light 1 Spun and plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yield: 273.8 yds Navajo-plied WPI : 12 (Worsted) 7/20 Guerrilla Girl yarn [ Ravelry ] Tempted Yarns Merino-silk top (4.0 oz) in Guerrilla Girl Spun and plied on Lendrum Folding wheel Yield: 208 yds. Navajo-plied WPI : 12 (Worsted) 7/5 Mermaid yarn [ Ravelry ] Yarn Wench Falkland Wool top (4.2 oz) in Mermaid 2 Spun and plied on Lendrum DT wheel Yield: 394 yds., 2-ply WPI: 14 average (Sport) Worked on: Midsummer Paradise Socks (knitting) [ Ravelry ] Spinning Plumthorn (Wesleyan) from Pigeonroof Studios [ Ravelry ] Spinning 4 oz of Angora Cottage 70% Merino and 30% Silk roving in purple [ Ravelry ] Started: 7/6 Guerrilla Girl merino-Silk top (spinning) 7/10 Morning Surf Scarf (knitting) [ Ravelry ] 7/21 Plum Honey Merino-Silk top fro...