Sereknitty

I’ve been knitting, although not blogging about it.    DH and I went to Sock Summit in Portland the first week of August.  While there, I bought sock yarn….a no brainer.  I also picked up Jared Flood’s Girasole pattern and the yarn for it.  I started knitting it on the way home (a 4+ hour drive) so I was able to make some good progress.  The pattern was an easy knit, short pattern repeats that are easily memorized.  I blitzed through it and then hit the wall when I got to the knitted on edging.  Again, an easily memorized 6 row repeat that seemed to go on endlessly as I worked my way around the outside circumfrence of the shawl.  I worked on it off and on throughout the Kitsap County Fair but spent more time demonstrating spinning than I did actually knitting.  Progress was slow.    Although I made my Girasole out of a fingering weight yarn the project was not easily portable and therefore when I made a trip to San Francisco the first week of September, Girasole stayed at home.  Back from the trip I took up Girasole with renewed energy and finished it and blocked it on Labor Day weekend.  I haven’t photographed it yet.  Photos will follow soon, I promise!!

I have not blogged in more than 18 months.  I’ve thought about it, I’ve continued to read blogs but haven’t felt the urge strongly enough to sign in and create an entry of my own.  Previously I had used this space to document many aspects of my life, as a way of keeping family living elsewhere up to date with what was happening.  I’ve decided to resurrect and  repurpose my blog.  I will use this space to document my fiber hobbies…. no personal info, no family updates, just a journal of my travels in the world of fiberarts. Work leaves me much less time for spinning and knitting and other crafts.   The quantity of finished items I create is less but I continue to look for new challenges and create objects that give me much satisfaction and pleasure.

For me, crafting is not about the finished project in as much as it is about the journey there.  I love the challenge of working with new mediums and techniques and mastering them at a high level.

How does that saying go?  A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush….  I got to try that out this morning when we were letting dogs out at 6:00 am.  DH left the patio door open and in came this little fellow.  

He flew around the kitchen and living room, finally landing on something.  I walked over and he sat still and let me pick him right up.  A quick photo shoot and back outside he went. (I’m using the generic “HE” as I didn’t inspect closely enough to even be able to indentify sex by feather coloring).

Since I’m uploading photos I will include a few other “feather” related photos……my completed and blocking MS3 stole.

The stole was knit with a fingering weight Maine Line 100% wool yarn.  I used crystal mirror lined clear beeds.  They don’t show up well in the photos but add some glisten in person.

One final photo for you.  DD#2 plays in the high school Jazz Band.  Here she is at their first “gig” of the season.

• my husband, strong yet gentle, smart, funny, fun and always on my side
• my children for being who they are; making me laugh and cry, forcing me to grow, keeping me young at heart
• my parents; for giving me what they could, helping to make me who I am
• PNW weather; it doesn’t snow much
• USCIS for wading through the paperwork and approving my work permit
• friends; for listening, advising, coaching and cheerleading
• the whippet and our other pets; for bringing me more joy than words can express
• life as it is; enough to eat, a comfortable home, reliable transportation, good health
• the men and women of the US military who are giving of themselves to ensure the freedom and safety of everyone here at home

We had a great “turkey day”.  It was quiet, just the four of us.  DH and I spent most of the day in the kitchen preparing the  feast and grazing as we went along.   I had envisioned the girls spending the day along side me, learning how the “favorites” were made…. it didn’t happen.  Maybe at Christmas…. or next year.  They just weren’t into it.  At their age I was so totally into cooking.  I learned my grandmother’s secret recipes and by the time I was in my late teens could prepare them almost as well as her.

We spent a quiet weekend, reading, watching movies, knitting and time on the computer.  DH and the girls went back to work rested and relaxed.  I can’t imagine a better time.

This past weekend marked Homecoming Newcoming for the new high school that the girls go to.  They went to the dance together, DD#2 with her boyfriend.  A good time was had by all.  I know I may be just a tad biased but, our girls looked classy and elegant.

I joined the Secret Pal 11 exchange earlier this summer.  As in most swaps pairing of partners is relatively random in nature.  The “gods” were shining on me the day I was paired with Swaperalla (the name my swap partner has given herself).   She has been kind and giving of herself and I was grateful to have her as a partner without ever receiving a package.  She has really taken time to get to know me and I feel a connection to her.  She has a good sense of humor and has shared freely of her caring and wit.  She has also sent me not one but TWO fantastic packages.  This is package number two….

Swaperella pointed out to me in the last email she sent prior to the package arriving that she hadn’t sent any sweet treats this time to balance the bumper crop of gastronomical delights sent in the last package.  I love surprises and have learned over time to not have preconceived ideas of what surprises could be….. but I have to admit that I was wondering what would arrive.

The package arrived yesterday and DD#1 was as excited to open it as I was.   We laughed out loud at a couple of items…. the “Instant Canadian” spray in particular. DD#1 did think the matches were particularly appropriate for me as well but is concerned about how I’ll use them.  I love, love, love the sari silk yarn.  I’ve looked at it often and for a number of reasons have always had to forego buying it.    Now I can look at patterns in earnest and Swapperella made sure I could make just about any project I desire by sending 6 glorious skeins of the stuff.

Thank you Swaperella for caring.  You could not have sent the things you did without taking the time to find my me.

At exactly 10:13 am pdt I cast off my MS3 stole.  I’m delighted!  I’m going to wait until later this week (read, payday) to pick up some blocking wires and finish the blocking of this baby.  Melanie, thank you!  The pattern was a delight to knit.  The instructions were clear, concise and awe inspiring.  Photos of the blocked stole to follow later in the week.

While there has not been much blogging in progress, there has been much some knitting.  I’ve been working diligently on the MS3 Stole by Melanie at Pink Lemon Twist.  The knitalong ended at the end of August in that the clues were released and thousands of knitters completed their stoles.  You will remember that at that time I was up to my eyeballs in the details of KHS Grand Opening Ceremonies.   I was well off of the pace but continued to steal time here and there to work on it.  I only worked on it when I could give the piece my undivided attention.  I didn’t want it to come to a painful and bitter end by my rushing through and making a irrepairable mistake.

As of October 25th here is my version of Mystery Stole 3.

I’ve highlighted each row in the chart as I’ve completed it.  I’ve made minor errors in counting but have caught them in the same row.  The only frogging I have done have been part rows.

I’m knitting in Maine Line and using a clear, mirrored size 8 bead.

My stole is being knit with a variation to Melanie’s original pattern.  It was lengthened during the “cat paw” stitch stage and the side border continued across the end prior to the wing being started.

The yarn I am using is heavier than laceweight but will give me the stole size and weight that I was looking for.    When stretched between my hands the fabric becomes light and airy.  I can’t wait to finish the knitting so I can actually block it and perhaps wear it this coming weekend to the Swing Dance and Silent Auction that the KHS Jazz Band is performing at.

This rant is coming to you on behalf of 3 very unhappy LG VX8500 Chocolate owners.  On June 1 of this year my family became eligible for  new cell phones under the “New Every Two” plan with Verizon.  At the time we were choosing phones for myself and my two daughters, the “Chocolates” were popular in the Pacific NW. There were lots of commercials promoting them, and they do look pretty slick. There was a deal on, and we ended up getting 3 - a Mint (Green) Chocolate, and two of the original brown/black chocolates. Carrier is Verizon Wireless.

 Flash forward to mid-October. One brown phone is broken - the charging port broke off and rattles internally. DD#2 is hard on equipment, it seems. Not covered by warranty, and we didn’t buy the extra warranty or insurance offered by Verizon. We called LG about the broken port. Their reply was basically “you can send it in, and we’ll get around to looking at it in a few weeks. If we can fix it, you’ll be charged approx. $95 for the repair.” 

So DD#2 got my Mint Chocolate, and I got a new Samsung phone (that I like better).

DD#1 had her phone die over the weekend - it won’t charge the battery. An Internet search finds a lot of people with similar tales of battery/charging problems with the VX8500. Claims that the charging port is flimsy, etc.

DH and DD#1 went to the Verizon Wireless store for “technical support”. That’s where they look at your phone, tell you it’s broken, and that it’s not under warranty. Then the tech support rep stares at you to see what you’ll do. In this case, there’s a little paper dot that’s supposed to have Xs or dots or something on it. These aren’t there, so supposedly “the phone got wet”. Never mind that the battery has a similar indicator and it’s pristine. The phone got wet, so it’s not under warranty. When asked what could cause the wetness, since the phone hadn’t been immersed in any liquid, the tech “support” person said “If you take it into the bathroom when you have a shower, or if you have it in the kitchen when you’re cooking, or leaving it in the car in the heat or overnight, or stuff like that.” The manual mentions the car stuff, but not the shower or the kitchen…

 Prior to these phones, we had 4 very basic Samsung phones for 2 years. They didn’t have cameras, we didn’t use them for texting. DD#2 managed to run hers through the wash one time, but not the dryer. See note above for DD#2 and relationship to equipment…  Those phones lasted two years with a minimum of problems by the end. There were some cracks near hinges and some spots on the screens, but the phones stayed working.

These LG phones, at least the VX8500 Chocolates, are a HUGE disappointment. My new phone is a Samsung, and we’ll make sure that any other phone we get is anything BUT an LG. We’ve got one that’s physically broken and can’t charge, one that’s apparently got a “problem” in the charging circuit and won’t charge, and one left that has to charge multiple batteries each night so that the girls have operational phones during the following day. All on phones that aren’t 5 months old.

There! I’ve said it. I can’t tell you that it’s made me feel better, I’m still looking at replacing 2 phones. Thanks for listening.

My Secret Pal 11 partner sent me a nice little package.  I was pleasantly surprised when the postman came to the door with it.

My Pal went all out in treating me.  Not only did she come up with some wonderful dark and decadent chocolate but she found wonderful licorice allsorts and Dutch double salt licorice.  Cranberry and orange fudge….how can you combine my favorite flavors like that in a manufactured product?  Pal, you must have shopped forever to come up with these goodies.  The “piece de resistance” were the gummy slugs that she sent.  Anyone who has lived or visited the Pacific Northwest has seen our slugs……  they are disliked at best, vilified by many and generally smushed and disposed of.  These babies were tropical flavored and were disposed of promptly. :-) 

Swapperella, as my pal is known did her homework and not only sent a small glass adorned with a sheep, she sent a sheep filled with bath gel and adorned the entire outside of the box with sheep and rolling hills.

She completed the package with cool cucumber eye pads for soothing sore eyes after a long day of (insert any number of tasks here).  Some wonderful purple colored roving for spinning and something I have wanted forever…..  a WPI tool.

Utter delight!  What can I say, except THANK YOU!  You made my day!