The Lion and the Lamb

More finished (and almost finished) objects

I've finished my Flickering Flame socks, and am almost finished with Charlotte! Unfortunately, I'm not posting this from my own computer, so am not in a position to post pictures. I'm now trying to figure out where to block Charlotte. Too bad I didn't finish it a few days ago. I am now house sitting (again) at a house with a nice deck in the back. I could have blocked it on their picnic table, or even their hot-tub cover, and let the sun do it's thing! As it is, this is my last day here. I'm just sending a post prior to packing up and going home. I'll probably either use my bed during the day, or borrow a card table and block Charlotte outside.

Kersti is the reason I haven't yet finished Charlotte. I spent last weekend eagerly working on a pair of Kersti gloves (OK, still working on the first glove). The only "pooling" I've noticed is that the black/dark gray part of the colorway has formed a spiral until it reaches the palm. The other colors proably spiral a little, as well, but the black is the most pronounced. I love the softness of Kersti, and would like to try some of the colorways I've seen in Blogland. I may even make a sweater of it, or maybe some socks as Sharon has done. Although I haven't compared, I suspect Kersti is similar in gauge to the Schaeffer Little Lola I've used before. I'll post pictures of all of this (I hope) in the next couple of days.

As to my upcoming projects, I ended up frogging the "Robbie socks" I mentioned a couple of posts ago. I had not gotten very far on them. I will go back to them after I've gotten a few other objects out of the way. With the exception of Kersti, I haven't yet started any of the projects I mentioned in my "knitting queue." But with only 3 works actively in progress, I've done a lot on all of them.

I now have another unscheduled UFO to do. Several months ago, I machine-knit a Knicks sweater for my boyfriend's friend in Poland. Longtime readers of this blog may remember a mention of it. For the past couple of weeks, DBF has been in Poland visiting this friend. He returned with the sweater, in which the sleeves and bottom need to be lengthened. Luckily, the bottom ribbing was done from the stockinette down, then bound off (as opposed to your standard hand-knit ribbing, where the cast-on edge is the bottom of the ribbing). So I can probably undo the cast-off edge, put it on circulars, and finish from there. My one concern is that the bottom ribbing will be about 4-5 inches, which I've seen on women's sweaters once in a while, but I don't remember ever seeing this on a men's sweater. I'll also need to make a swatch (or 2 or 3) to compare gauge. Since it's machine knit, I can't go by what needle size I used before. But, it should be a short knit, just an afternoon or evening (or workday), and I can now post a picture for you.

Well, talk to you all later. I now have to get everything home, so I can get ready to go to DBF's high school reunion.

To my Secret Pal

Thank you, Secret Pal, for the nice e-mail, and I look forward to getting the parcel you mentioned. Like, I suspect, most of the Secret Pals, I hope I don't sound too greedy in this list, but here are my answers to most of Heidi's suggested Secret Pal questions:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? Since entering Blogland, I've discovered several "high-end" yarns I like, but I wouldn't turn my nose up at acrylics either. The only kind I don't like (or only in small quantities) are the "eyelash" and "sparkle" yarns used mainly in scarves.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I don't know how to spin--yet, but I do crochet.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Not many. Smoke is the only one out of those mentioned.

4. How long have you been knitting? Since I was a teenager in the early '80s

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) The best way I know of to describe my favorites are the "watery" or "breezy" ones. That is, they have names like "Spring Rain" or "Ocean Breeze". I also like homey, kitcheny scents, like vanilla, and some of the gentler flowery scents, like rose and jasmine. The ones I shy away from (ironically, considering the first two I mentioned) are the ones suggesting tropical food and drink, such as coconut and pina colada.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes (more than I should)

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I also enjoy paper crafts (such as scrapbooking and making cards), baking, and (I know this is a stretch) writing.

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if you want to make her a CD) My favorites are 80s and soft rock, but I'm open to almost any kind of music except heavy metal or rap/hip-hop. I do not have MP3 capability.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? I like just about anything around the color wheel, but my favorites are in the "blue and green and in-between". Also, I prefer "true" or pastel versions of the colors over neons or muted/heathered versions.

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I am single and have two beautiful kitties.

I hope this gives you some ideas, and that I didn't sound too greedy. Have a great day, and I look forward to the next few months.