The Lion and the Lamb

A Hunting I Will Go

Saturday, I decided to head up the coast and check out a couple of LYS's in Encinitas. Earlier this month, Amy mentioned Common Threads on her blog, and I thought I'd check it out for myself. I also discovered The Black Sheep online. I left The Black Sheep empty-handed, but saw plenty of yarn I'd like to try sometime. I think I could be persuaded to go back in the future. ;) Parking was a bear near Common Threads, but well worth it. I ended up leaving with two skeins of Lamb's Pride, with vague ideas for a future felted bag (try saying that 3 times quickly!). I also bought some more Koigu for another Charlotte! I decided I'd use the same first color I'm using in my current Charlotte, but this colorway will lead through the orange family and into blue. I've unofficially named it "Coral Reef" but don't want to step on anyone's toes if there alread is a colorway by that name. My mother's favorite color is blue, so I think I'll give her that Charlotte and keep the one I'm working on now. I'll post pictures tomorrow or Wednesday. I've also seen online a couple of possibilities in La Jolla, but that will have to wait for another weekend.

I actually had no business buying anything for my stash right now because I already have plenty of projects, and because this is an expensive time for my car. No, it hasn't broken down, but this is the month for it's final payment--which turned out to be almost twice as much as each payment leading up to this. This comes at the same time as my registration renewal. Then next month, I start paying on a new insurance policy! I have the option of making a small monthly payment, but I usually prefer to make a couple of larger ones early on in the policy and have it off my mind for the rest of the time. But August should be better, without the car payments over my head!

I got home from the yarn shops, intending to work a little on each project, starting with the Homespun Sweater Jacket. Then I found myself working a few rows more of it, then a few more, until I finished the knitting part of it! One thing I did like about working on this project was that Homespun's Corinthian colorway forms stripes, which the Modern and the Gothic didn't. I took a break from this project on Sunday, but at work on Monday I finished the seaming. I now only a crochet edging and I'm finished!

Sunday, I decided to reward myself with Charlotte. I've gotten enough into the rhythm of the pattern now so that I can watch TV while I work on her. And I found the perfect DVD for the purpose for 9.99 at Target. It was (what else?) Charlotte's Web. I also watched an old episode of the Waltons, which guest-starred a Charlotte (Charlotte Stewart, who later played Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie). My boyfriend (who tutors in reading) also told me that he has assigned Charlotte's Web to one of his students. If I weren't already working on Charlotte, I just might take all of these together as signs that I should. I have just finished row 70, and will post more pix soon, but I'm too lazy tonight.

Portraits for the Camera Shy

It sounds like the webmistress Another Knitting Blog is as camera shy as I am. But through this site, she, I, and others like us can post our pictures (or reasonable facimilies thereof) to our weblogs. It gives different choices for various parts of our faces and hair. I think this looks at least a little like me, only better:

My hair is actually a little redder than this, but not nearly as red as the "red" choice for hair color. And the cat "I" am holding bears a passing resemblance to Scarlett, but she is cuter and less stiff looking. Instead of my real picure, I think I will post this to my "About Me" page.

Come, Ye, to the Fair

On Wednesday, I had the day off from work, and spent the afternoon working the Stitches from the Heart booth at the San Diego County Fair. This year's theme was "Seusscentenial"; it was all about Dr. Seuss, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birth (March 2, 1904), and I got a couple of pictures of the entrance, and a Cat in the Hat sand sculpture nearby:

Once in the fair, I found the booth in the Home and Hobbies section. I worked alongside a woman by the name of Judy. I thought I was to relieve her, but as it turned out, both of us worked most of the afternoon, each covering for the other for a brief lunch break. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the booth. If I go back to the fair another day, I may sneak one in later. At the booth, we had a display of preemie-sized hats, to demonstrate what the group does. Volunteers make items (including hats, blankets and sweaters) for premature babies. These are sent to hospitals around the country. We also had knit and crochet patterns available, as well as sheets demonstrating the basics of each.

While there, Judy worked on a knit baby blanket, and I worked on some crochet hats of scrap bulky yarn (Lion Brand Homespun Baby and Red Heart Baby Clouds). I just made the pattern up as I went along, and I made 3 hats during the afternoon (thus fulfilling, for one month, the third goal I made in my April 10 entry). Though we just met that day, Judy and I bonded over our craft, and compared notes on LYSs we both knew. Some people who approached the booth though we were neighbors!

Not long before we closed down for the night, a woman approached the booth. Not a knitter or crocheter herself, she watched both of us work, seeming fascinated. After a few minutes, she sat down with us, and tried a few stitches. Judy taught her how to cast on, and knit a row, but then needed to leave. I'd intended to close up and leave soon after Judy, but as it was, I stayed 15-30 minutes late, to teach our guest how to make a crochet chain and single crochet. I have the feeling that, if someone were staying at the booth all evening, she would have stayed too. But I did give her the the "How to" literature, and referred her to Michael's or a LYS for lessons where she could really take the time to get to know the craft.

After closing down the booth, I walked around to other displays at the fair. It has 3 tents for merchants, and I've found some fascinating products there in the past. This year, however, I was good with the money. When a product did interest me, I took a flyer or business card from the merchant. That way, I can give myself a "Do I really want/need this?" cooling off period. I try to make that period last at least one month for every $25 dollars the product costs. By the end of the day, the only thing I bought, other than food, was a $4 bar of soap made of camel's milk. But, to be honest, if anyone had been selling anything yarn-related, I'm not sure I would have had such willpower. Oh, and I also bought a hot tub with a built-in DVD player (just kidding, but I did see one there).

I got home to find my Charlotte's Web kit waiting for me! But I was too tired to make do more than read the directions and decide on my order of colors:

I have made progress on Charlotte since, but I'll save that for another post.

Knitting at the Movies

It's been a week and a half since I've blogged, but that doesn't mean I haven't been knitting. I'm almost two thirds of the way done with the Homespun sweater jacket. I think passing the halfway mark has given me a second wind on it. Each day, I try to work ten rows. When I'm finished with those, I allow myself to work on one of my "want to" projects. At this rate, I should be finished within a month, but will not have put my other projects on hold for it. I've finished one Flickering Flames sock, and worked the first couple rounds of the other. It seems to be taking a long time, but I think this is because I've been putting it aside too much for other projects. And I finally started on the Everyday Cardigan (after being in its Knitalong over a month)! I've swatched for the Cloverleaf in the Six Sox knitalong, but haven't yet cast on for the socks. I see others are just starting too, so I'm in good company.

And I finally worked up the nerve to try knitting at the movies. It was a drive-in, but we could say baby steps. Last Friday, I saw that the two drive-ins in San Diego County were each showing Shrek 2 and Harry Potter 3 as a double feature, and I asked my boyfriend if he, his sister and her husband would like to go. DBF enthusiastically agreed, but his sister and BIL declined. And for DBF to see a movie so soon after its release is unusual indeed. Each of us likes to go at different times relative to a movie's release. He's the more practical of us, preferring to wait until a movie has been out a couple of months, get in at a discount rate (maybe even a discount theater), avoid the crowds and have his pick of seats. I, on the other hand, prefer to see a movie when it's new. I want to be able to talk about it and read others' opinions before everyone else has tired of the movie and moved on. And though I'm an introvert in most respects, I love to see a movie in a crowded theater, with hundreds of people experiencing the movie along with me (laughing with me, oohing and ahhing with me, etc). So usually, for us to attend a movie together takes some compromise.

For this double feature, however, he was all for it. We decided to go to the drive-in in the south part of the county, because it was playing Harry Potter first (that way, if Shrek wasn't up to snuff, we could leave). We allowed for plenty of time, but with a few delays getting on the road, it looked like we would just arrive on time. That is, until the traffic jam at our freeway exit. Frustrated at the standstill, DBF drove to the next exit and doubled back--only to find another traffic jam. It turned out this was no lookyloo traffic for an accident. The other drivers all had the same idea we did, and were lining up to get into the theater! About fifteen minutes (I'm guessing) into the movie, we gave up and headed for the other drive-in theater, in the east part of the county. There were no lines to get into that theater, we did have a little trouble finding an empty space once we got there. We arrived about half an hour (I think) into Shrek 2 (when Shrek and the donkey first meet Puss in Boots), and we got to see all of Harry Potter 3.

I brought along the Shapely Tank and spent the movie and 2/3 working on it. I was working on the waistline of the tank, which was plain stockinette stich, with an increase every few rows. I wouldn't have dared try one of the short-row sections in the movies, but the point where I was made for the perfect movie theater knit. I could do most of the knitting by feel, and when I did need to see (like to count rows or make sure I had not dropped a stitch), I opened the car door for a few seconds and checked by the dome light. DBF was wonderful. I kept asking him if the dome light was disturbing his view, and he insisted it wasn't. He was quite impressed that I could knit in the theater. Though I haven't yet tried to knit in a regular movie theater, maybe I'll try that soon. At least I can bring knitting for the wait in line on some blockbuster opening night. I don't think I'll have the nerve before Spider-Man 2, but I have about 11 practice months before Star Wars 3.

For a knit that is definitely not for the theater, I have decided to knit Charlotte. Instead of making another sweater jacket, this time, for my mother, I decided to make her a Charlotte. Thank you for your advice on picking colors and getting yarns for Charlotte. I will definitely try Patternworks catalog, and see what LYS's (I found a couple in La Jolla and in Encinitas) have Koigu for future works. For this time, I used some of my tax refund to order the pattern and yarn from Threadbear. They no longer had the Daylilies I was admiring, so I got Bermuda. I was afraid of being behind, but I see that Renada and Tiffany are both just starting too. I hope to get my Charlotte makings by late this week or early next week, and look forward to starting.

Well, I'd better get to bed. I have tomorrow off from work, but will be manning (womaning?) the Stitches from the Heart booth at the San Diego County Fair. More on that later.

California Knitting

I just want to thank all of you for your support with my "obligation" knitting project. You all had some good advice I will take to heart. It was also nice to hear from others who know the time a project takes. To a non-crafter, my post probably would sound selfish. One thing I neglected to mention in my last post was that I taught SIL how to knit late last year. Actually, I gave her the tools to learn, and offered my help when she is stuck. However, we've never gotten together to work, and I have the feeling she hasn't taken to it as much as most of us knitting bloggers. She's made a scarf or two, but hasn't worked her way up to making a sweater. Had I thought of it when she first asked me to make her mother a sweater, I might have made her a deal: I'd do the sweater if she'd work on her own knitting enough to learn that pattern--so she could take up the needles for any other relatives, friends, etc who might want that sweater-jacket.

The good news on the pattern is that my next row involves a major stitch decrease, so the pattern should go more quickly (or at least seem to) from here. OK, done with that subject, except to say this: Had I been able to predict the big Charlotte Craze of Blogland, I might have offered to make her a Charlotte's Web shawl instead!

This leads neatly into my next subject. I originally wasn't going to make a Charlotte, but I keep reading about how interesting the pattern is, how soft and luxurious Koigu is, and how well they go together. Logic gives me several reasons not to get involved:

1) Koigu is expensive, and getting hard to find (at least in those pre-set colorways I keep hearing about).

2) I have too many other projects, both on the needles and waiting in the wings.

3) By the time I do receive the yarn and start casting on, the rest of Blogland will have moved on to another popular project, and I'll want to get in on that one, too.

But that id of mine (remember Psych 101?) says "I want! I want!" I've decided that, for now, I'll buy the pattern (only $5 or so), and then I'll see if I still want to make Charlotte. If I do, I'll buy the yarn (in individual colors if necessary). I see there is a Charlotte Knit-Behind, where people have until April 15, 2005 to finish their Charlottes. Can one of you Charlotteers tell me where I can find a list of colorways, and which color numbers go in each? Or is that listed with the pattern? If not, I'll make up my own. I'm thinking in blues, greens, teals, and maybe a little purple. Or maybe I have too much in that family. Maybe I'll try something in the yellow family, like the Daylilies colorway I saw on the Threadbear website.

I also just joined yet another brand-new blog ring. When Kerstin announced she was starting a blog ring for New England knitters, I started thinking about opening one for those in the opposite corner of the continental United States. But then I wondered, should I make it for Southern California, all of California, or should I open it to surrounding states as well (and which surrounding states?)? I had also started mentally designing buttons. But while I was in the thinking stage, Jen and Laura had the same idea, and were more proactive than I. In short, I've just joined their blog ring, California Knit Blogs. Here is one of the four buttons they've designed for the ring:

As of this writing, this ring has 18 blogs, including mine. Any other California knitters want to join us?

I'll end, not with a quiz, but an acronym for my name. I've seen this acronym generator on several craft blogs, but Kristine's was where I first saw it.

M	Mesmerizing
E	Elitist
L	Luxurious
A	Arty
N	New
I	Ideal
E	Energetic

Name / Username:

Name Acronym Generator
From Go-Quiz.com

Hmm! With the adjectives it chose for me, maybe I should make a Charlotte!

Obligation Projects

Over a month ago, Annie wrote in her blog about how she sometimes finds herself going out of her way for people, because she has trouble saying no, and doesn't like to be seen as mean. Reading this, I started thinking how I sometimes have the same problem. She cited a couple of examples in her everyday life, but I sometimes find it creeping into my crafting life! I'd like to bounce this situation off my fellow crafters, and see if anyone has any advice.

I'm thinking specifically of the sweater jacket among my current projects. About a year and a half to two years ago, I made myself a sweater jacket (of Lion Brand Homespun in their color Modern). I loaned it to my sister-in-law, who liked it so much that I offered to make her one (This time using Homespun's Gothic color). I finished that one in January. Soon after, SIL asked me to make another for her mother (my brother's MIL). She did ask nicely, but she happened to ask right in front of her mother, so I felt awkward saying no. I'll have to say that I am flattered that so many people like my work, but by then, I was more than ready to move on to other projects.

I did agree to make the sweater, but now I find myself almost resenting it whenever I work on it, and thinking of how much I'd rather be working on the Everyday Cardigan or Shapely Tank for their respective knitalongs. I should also say that SIL did offer to pay me for making the sweater. I don't know whether she meant for me to earn a profit on the sweater, or just to reimburse me for the material, but I wouldn't accept more than the latter. And at this point, it's more about the time (taken from other projects) than the money. This is especially true since I've joined the blogging community and discovered craft-alongs (Craft-along is my private term to cover not only knitalongs, but also their counterparts in crochet, spinning, etc. But if anyone knows a more official term for the same, please let me know.)

SIL also comes from a large, close-knit (no pun intended) family, so I'm bracing myself to be asked to make yet another for this sister or that aunt or cousin, then another, then another, etc. If this occurs, what would be the nicest way to say no? Or should I be proactive and tell her that after this, I'm no longer available to make this pattern to order? If so, what would be the nicest way to tell her?

I hope I don't sound too whiney or ungrateful in this post, and I don't want to be selfish or mean. For anyone still reading, I thank you for your patience and (I hope) understanding. Thank you also in advance for any input you have, whether it be advice, empathy, or even telling me to buck up and shut up!

As a reward for your patience, here is yet another quiz with results, courtesy of Renada:

You are bamboo. Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and
enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You
love the craft and beauty of traditional
things, and you value the comfort and
experience of knitting as much as the results.
But while you are reveling in your warm cozies,
don't get stuck. Warm is wonderful, but so is
the whole wide world!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
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