Mr Poopers Day Out

Becky randomly stated to me that she was reading the Submissive Wife forum on Ravelry & being nosey I had to poke around. I guess being a UU I don’t quite understand that, but it’s ok. It makes me glad that I have the choice not to be submissive, and it makes me also glad that they have the right to.  It’s not how I would choose to live my life, but I’m thankful I have the right to choose.   I am thankful every day that I don’t have to live a certain way, or think a certain way and be prosicuted for it.

Faith is always a hard subject. My mother always taught me that there were two things that we do not ever talk about with people we don’t know all that well.  Politics and religion.  We all believe diffrent things, even as people of the same faith.  We are all human with vast imaginations, views, thoughts and ideas.  It is hard when there are people who like to tell you how wrong you are, but as long as they are living a good life, doing harm to none then I will gladly let them tell me how wrong I am.  I don’t have to agree with it.  That is the beauty of life, and of our freedoms.

This year the Mr and I will be celebrating our 5th anniversary. (I think we may have been suckers to fate because not only is this the Mr’s 30th year of life, it’s also his parents 35th year of marriage too.  So many big events in one year, and we are guaranteed that every 5 years it’s going to be a big deal all around, in the next 5 years, it will be our 10th and his parents 40th!)

The Mr and I don’t really celebrate our anniversary.  We are not an uber romantic couple to begin with (he “proposed” over the phone when he was living in CA & I was in MN, and I received my ring in the parking lot of a Home Depot after picking him up from the airport) maybe it’s because we had a super short (ie 4 months) courtship, maybe it’s because we worked together for 4 years of our marriage, or it means more to me that he cleans out the cat box without me asking than it does to ever receive flowers? I don’t know. We love each other unconditionally & feverishly, but I guess we try to express it every day rather than in grand gestures.  Maybe because we were soooo broke the first year of our marriage?

The point is that we have cruised quite easily and quickly through almost 5 years of marriage.  Now that we work at different companies we are able to take a full week off work and go on vacation. This year we have planned it around our anniversary.  But where to go?

We have been thinking about Sanibel Island FL, but since we now again live every day in a temperate beautiful climate, would it be as wonderful to go to Florida?  Then we thought about Flagstaff AZ because I have never as an adult experienced the Grand Canyon.  I kinda thought Santa Fe NM would be fun.  I’ve always wanted to go to Boston (but maybe not for a full 10 days).

I just don’t know. Any ideas? We are definitely not tropical people. We enjoy crisp much more than any other weather.

Veronique wrote the other day of keeping a mental list of things she wanted to buy. I think we all do this to some extent. Some of us (ahem, me) might be a little more obsessive than others about it.

Hello boots. I love you very much.

I have been on the look out for engineer inspired brown boots since I was 15. That’s 10 years of looking for these boots. If I had been blessed with a smaller foot size I probably would have easily found them & gotten over it already. But as it is, my shit kickers are a size 12 so it’s not always easy to fofill my shoe dreams. Idealy I’d love to prance around in Sarah Jessica Parker via Carrie heels but with two patela’s that don’t like to stay where god put them it’s just not going to happen.

So what’s a girl to do? Obviously she picks the oddest shoes to add to her collection. I have blue suede loafer style doc’s, flame embossed boots (I bought them in NYC in 97 before they were cool!) a tri color suede pair of fluevogs, bright red doc 12 eyelet boots, and a fantasticly chic pair of white boat shoe inspired lacoste tennies. These ugly engineer boots are just the icing on my delusional cake.

Best side of this whole deal? I found them at Nordstroms Rack. Do you all have the Rack? It’s discounted Nordstrom’s stuff. Awesomely cheap sometimes!  Also I have to say, if you have a hard to fit foot Nordstom’s is one of the best places to go, they have usually up to a size 14 womens in store, even on their dress shoes. Macy’s doesn’t even go above a women’s size 10 in store. Nice huh? Bet you didn’t know that. I can’t think of any way to make a women feel more rejected & unwanted than say that to her in a snotty tone. Especially when my average shoe costs me 120+ dollars.

These are going to be perfect for the Gold Dust Gala (which is country inspired this year)

No pictures, sorry. But HA! I just tried to get my foot in them as I have passed the heal & NOPE! IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN! lol. Great. I meant this for my mom for mothers day. I think I will probably finish these off & find her another diffrent pair & give these to one of my small footed friends. I think you’d need to have a size 8 or smaller foot for these babies. God, sometimes you can really think you are a fantastic knitter & then BAM! you are proven that you are still a dope. Nice.

Another pair of yellow socks. I wish I could say that I didn’t have more yellow in the stash, but well, yellow is pretty right?

Yarn: ArtYarns Supermerino 3.5 Skiens
Needle: Size US 4 DPN
Pattern: Kerttu Socks
Mods: Well, another sock pattern that wouldn’t commit to a heal, but knitters are nothing but resourseful. Math was used & all worked out well. Details of the heel flap, turning of the heel & gusset treatements can be found here. I added more leg repeats than called for because since I was already thinking of making these slippers I thought the longer the better.

 
Obviously I didn’t notice that random cap by my feet when I took the picture!

Over all I loved the pattern, loved the yarn and loved when they were done. I don’t know how well these are going to hold up though, the yarn already seems to want to fuzz.  I plan on putting suede slipper bottoms on these as to not slip & fall flat on my face when yarn meets tile. (Because, if you know me, you know it WILL happen)

The patterns was extremely easy to memorize and I love the effect of the fake cables down the front. Especially when they are stretched out. This is one of those patterns that looks way more complicated than it really is. So you look like a master knitter for something that really wasn’t hard. I love when that happens

All in all an enjoyable knit. A good way to use up some DK or Worsted weight yarn you all might have in your stash. You know the ones that are to much to make just a hat but to little to make a scarf? This is a nice alternitive. You won’t have to use as much yardage as me either because I’m doubting you have my big foot issues

I’m a copy cat. Thanks Cassie!

I’m # 912

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In an email from my mother in law…

“We are looking for two people with Vans or SUVs to transport the band Emerson Driveback and forth from the Marriot to the fairgrounds the night of the Gold Dust Gala.  Would you and Matt be interested?  You could use the Volvo and your car.  You would have to be available from about 4:30 on and several times through the night.

You have to wear a t-Shirt that says I am with the band.”

Sometimes my life seems so weird to me.  A nobody girl from Minnesota sure has grown into having some amazing opportunities.

 
As you can see, they don’t fit me! This was before washing them so it was ok

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (what’s with all the p’s) Color P85697 (I’m guessing). They remind me of Hollyhocks though 2 skeins.
Needles: Size 2 US DPN’s through out
Pattern: Leyburn Socksby Mintyfresh
MODS: I used a completely different toe cast on (Judy’s Magic Cast On from Withershins pattern in knitty) because provincial and I are not on great speaking terms. Yeah, we will talk if we are forced to, but for the most part we like to look the other way and pretend that the other one doesn’t exist. I used the same (But not exactly the same) gusset/heal combo as withershins too. Math is below as my sock is not as big. Yes, knitting math, I love it, I’m disturbed I know. The pattern calls for 72st for the leg. Since these socks aren’t for me I chopped that down to 66st and continued upward.

Verdict: I loved these socks the moment I saw them on ravelry. Mintyfresh’s version is lovely, elegant and gives me little knitting heart palpitations. I made the mistake of showing a 1/2 done foot of this sock to my MIL and she claimed them (not directly but saying “I LOVE the pattern & I EVEN love the color” is enough). So doing some more math because I don’t have a normal sized foot I made them for her. I wish I could model them for you but there is no way I’m getting my foot in them.  

ONE thing I would have wished about this pattern is I wish the designer would have committed to a heal instead of sending us off in the wide world of the interweb to search our own. Thankfully other people (smarter than me!) remembered where to find just the gusset & I followed their leads. I think this would be a great beginer pattern if it only had a heal. 

This pattern actually slowed my knitting down to a crawl when I first started it. Seriously, a crawl.  It was like you had nailed Speedy Gonzalez’s tail to the floor. It was that slow. I was really worried about the float tension but they seem to have worked out well. I made sure & stretched it farther than I thought it needed because, there’s going to be a foot in there.

One thing I learned? Koigu, dear, I’m sorry, but I’m not a big fan. You were so lovely & squishy in the skein and even wound, but knitted in sock form you leave me flat You seem extra flat & lifeless and if you didn’t come in such amazing fabulous colors I would say “Be gone offending Koigu, your very existence disturbs me” but you do come in great colors. Very “Preita” colors, so for now we part as good acquaintances, maybe in the future we can put aside our differences and become more. And maybe there will finally be peace in the middle east. Maybe.

If you are not a weirdo like me & like doing the fine symmetry of knitting math I have laid it out for you.

Gusset:
Round 1: Needle 1 knit till one st before end, M1, K1; Knit needle 2 in pattern; needle 3 K1, M1, k till end of round.
Round 2: Knit
Repeat 9x
Turn Heel:
Row1: knit 12, M1, K1, W&T.
Row 2: P17, M1, P1 W&T
Row3: K 15, M1, K1 W&T
Row 4: P13, M1, P1, W&T
Row 5: K11, M1, K1, W&T
Row 6: P9, M1, P1, W&T
Row 7: K7, M1, K1, W&T
Row 8: P5, M1, P1, W&T
HEAL FLAP:
Knit 13st SSK Turn
P 23 P2tog, Turn
Sl 1, K1till one st before gap, SSK, turn
Purl to one st before gap, P2tog, turn
repeat until you have 35 total st left for needles 1 & 3 (“sole st’s” which now becomes back of leg)

Also I have a WIP. I’ve been banging out socks so fast that I rarely have WIP photo’s for you these days. But here is one. Kerttu in Artyarns Supermerino. I’v finished the first sock & have started the second one.

These are another pair of big socks. First, they are knit in DK weight yarn on Size 4 DPN’s & second, since super merino comes in wimpy 104yd skiens I bought 4. 2 for each sock. I will have a little left over but not a whole bunch. I’m going to get some slipper bottoms to sew on to these for house socks (And this is honestly not the last yellow project you will see out of me in the coming posts. Yellow and me are having a little bit of an affair).

I also tried in vain to burn my inlaws kitchen down this weekend. See, my mother in law has a habit of putting random left overs & pizza boxes in the oven and I have a habit of just pre-heating the oven with out looking. 1 smouldering burnt out pizza box & mealted cake box later we decided that the smoke detector batteries deffinately need to be replaced. Thankfully I didn’t ruin my inlaw’s brand new double convection oven in the process. O_O

THIS made my day If you aren’t Unitarian it might not make much sense, but being raised in this ideology it does make chuckle.  I also have noticed lately a cross over in Unitarians and Jews. A random little combination, but I think it actually works well.  I don’t have much for Love Thursday, but I do have the funnies.

This one in particular is my favorite.

Once upon a time, there was a man who had no religion, but was a very good and honest fellow. At death, he found himself in heaven. A kindly looking gentleman was waiting for him. Said the gatekeeper of heaven, \”What religion are you sir?\”

The man said, \”I have no religion.\”

The gatekeeper said, \”Well, where would you like to spend eternity, then?\”

The man shrugged. \”What are some options?\”

Together, they strolled through the halls of heaven, looking in different rooms. In the first, a great congregation knelt before a great glowing figure, their faces to the ground and their hands outstretched. The man didn’t think that looked too good.

Next, they stood outside a large sanctuary where a preacher was preaching loudly, to many \”Amens\” and \”Hallelujahs.\” St. Peter put a finger to his lips and said, \”And at this door, we need to be ver-r-r-r-r-r-y quiet.\”

\”Why?\” asked the newcomer.

\”Because,\” St. Peter replied, \”those are the Southern Baptists, and they think they’re the only ones here.\”

In another, a great congegration knelt before a fellow hanging from a big cross. The man didn’t think much of that either. And indeed, in every room, the man found less than satisfactory situations in which to spend eternity. So, finally the gatekeeper said, \”Okay, there’s one last option.\”

The walked down the hall, and the gatekeeper opened the final door, behind which were a great congregation dancing in a big ring around a huge coffeepot singing \”Coffee, coffee, coffee!\”.

And less we forget

What two things do UUs and Dracula have in common?
They both have origins in Translyvania and they both shy away from the cross.

Another one bites the dust, another one down, another one down…

Ok, sorry, I seem to have an awful lot of Queen on my ipod at the moment. Weird.  Anywho. Another pair completed. My size 2 dpns are as warped as my fingers. Luckily, unlike my weird curvy fingers (Thanks mom!) my needles are easily fixed again and again. I wonder if I keep fixing them and then keep warping them back if it is actually making my gage diffrent? The only way to see would be to knit with some metal dpn’s and good lord, that’s just not happening.

With the speed that I knit, specially in that lovely knitter’s zone out, I would most likely cause a spark, which would of course land in the various fiber tuffs I have rolling around & I would go up in smoke!  Nope, not that bamboo is all that much safer but I’d rather not take my chances.

Yarn: Jitterbug in Velvet Leaf (I know, again, but I think this is almost the last of it!)
Needles: Size 2 DPN’s throughout
Pattern: Childs French Sock from Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Mods: I only did 8 pattern repeats on the leg instead of the 11 called for. After finishing the first sock I really wish I would have dragged the pattern down into the heal flap I thought about it, but for some reason got lazy or forgot when I got there.

 
I sweesh the rooster!

Verdict: I like them. I’m not in love with them. I think they are pretty, but the heal seems large and I didn’t really like the treatment of it. I should have brought the side pattern repeats down the heal flap and I can’t deside if I should have used a size 1 needle for the whole sock or not. I almost think it would have been to tight, but it’s risking being a little large. All in all a pleasure to knit, I may even do them again.

 Second topic! I received a package yesterday from my good friend Cassie filled with knitting project bags. I’ve been begging her to make some with her fantastic sewing skills & fancy machine & she actually did. One is for me & the rest are up for sale.  I tell you, I was expecting something just like what you can buy already. Something in a pretty fabric but we all know the quality. It’s not the greatest & you KNOW it won’t last. But we are suckers for pretty things right?

So when I saw these bags I was really happy, but then I picked one up. I tell you I was floored. These bags are all fully lined. Lined not with chinsey fabric either, with nice sturdy pretty canvas. You know what that means? It means that your DPN’s or your straits WON’T POKE THROUGH THE BAG (to stab you or maybe that’s just me). The whole construction is fantastic & I’m really excited about them.

I’ll tell you, that front pouch can hold a whole sock project. (Cassie, if you want to put a little loop on future ones for a wrist to fit through maybe out of the same canvas it would be AMAZING!). & it zippers shut. I can’t tell you how many bags I’ve looked at that have Velcro. Yarn + Velcro = one pissed off knitter.

The back bags are cinched shut with draw strings and I can’t tell you how much I was able to get in one. Let’s just say that if you wanted to, I’m sure you could fit a sweater project in there. But if you were just going for a sock or scarf you can fit all your notions in there too!   (Oh & you can see I’ve acquired some new sock yarn. Yes I could fit 3 skeins easily in the back bags just FYI).

I think you all should buy one. Seriously. I am probably going to commission a larger tote & a circ case. OH! she made me a strait needle case too & OMG I will take full pictures tonight. It’s so pretty & USEFUL! For being a non-knitter (for now!) she sure thinks of everything! If you want one (and I’m sure you do, drop a comment here or email her at cshook AT mailbot DOT com.)

Anacapa Ladies: I have 3 more if you are interested.