Treats for them, Knitting for me.

We only got one pair of trick-or-treaters :o( Oh well, the rest of the candy will go to the office tomorrow. I'm sure it'll disappear there ;o)

We watched North by Northwest (Yay Netflix!) while we sat in the front room. I could definitely see Jimmy Stewart in the same role as Cary Grant... but that is bias. The kits loved having the door open (screen door closed). They watched moths flutter in the porch light and cars race by on Poplar Street. J even put a little bench by the door so they could sit together.

I made the kittens a knit mouse last night. I had a certain unidentified grey yarn in my stash they kept 'stealing'. I decided if they liked that particular yarn, it wouldn't take much to make a toy for them. The resulting mouse was an instant hit. They fought over it so fervently that I already have another one on my needles!

Today's Finds (early morning excursion in town)

Thrift Store : New/old magazine Fall 1981 BH&G 100s of Needlework and Craft Ideas (lots of sweater patterns!) (donation) Odds&Ends Store: J.P. & Coats 1952 Baby Book of crochet and knitting (4page leaflet, 50 cents).

Plath posted that the new MagKnits was up! Thanks! There are some interesting patterns there. Holly will have to be added to my 'Beyond me' projects.

I have went to Knitpicks and made up my 'order list' about three times - and, each time, deleted it all. I keep saying 'I'm not worthy!' I have my 'much-too-fine' yarn purchase to use still... trying that out on size 8 bamboo needles (my on-the-way splurge from our trip to the Fernbank Museum in Atlanta )

And, overall, I am feeling very grateful for what I have. While I was in the thrift store this morning, I overheard a displaced family (from the hurricanes, maybe?) talking to the storekeeper. She was helping them find clothing, etc, and talking about finding work. The grandfather was keeping their beautiful little girl busy while they talked.

I started thinking how I was here in this store for a knitting magazine. Compared to clothes, food and shelter - a magazine is a luxury. I've heard of some people (even in our town) that weren't grateful of the help they have received. These people were grateful, well-spoken and looking to work and strive to get their lives back.

By choice, J and I do not have a lot of 'possessions'... although we are not complete minimalists, either. Everything we owned, came with us to Tennessee in two pick-up truck beds and a small pull-behind trailer. We still haven't found the need to unpack it all. Not everyone can live like that -- especially if they have kids.

I'm not sure what I can do to help, at least besides my spare change, at that particular shop. I have been looking at Children in Common's socks to knit. That's a reason for wool yarn!

It is such a beautiful fall day!

These are some colours in a batch of oak leaves.
If only I could dye some wool these colours...

Notes for later...

from Unravellling thrift store finds ...

Cotton is the easiest to determine by touch but acrylic can imitate the look and feel of wool so it's sometimes hard to tell those two apart. If you bring a mystery sweater home drop an inch of the yarn into a jar and cover it with bleach. Put it in a very safe spot (like a high cupboard above the stove that kids and animals can't get into) and label the jar BLEACH/POISON. Wool will eventually dissolve in bleach. If the yarn has dissolved after a few hours or overnight then you have a wool sweater, if it looks unchanged then it's acrylic.

How to 'properly' wash a wool garment.
Another article on laundering handmade garments.
A Wool Cape.
How to Gauge your Knitting Stitches.

Cotton sock yarns?...

Daily Observance :
When Willowpede lies stretched out - she is 31 inches tip to tip.
I just happened to have a measuring tape beside me for the ribbed hat when she fell asleep in my lap. She is going to be a BIG cat... : 4:00pm

I'm starting to think about Christmas presents, and I have a dilemma. I'm the only one in my family who likes wool (odd huh?). I don't really want to buy low-quality Wal-Mart yarns for giftmaking, either. Last year I made my mom a long blue wrap out of Simply Soft yarn, but I was thinking socks or something more useful this time around.

I've been looking up some different types of yarn out there -- because my mom insists that wool is too itchy. I used to think so too! I slowly "walked" my way up using Dale of Norway's Baby Ull merino... so soft for wool.

Now I love almost all wool! I guess the supersoft merino convinced my skin wool was good!

I was looking up different kinds of sock yarn. Cotton Colori and/or Sockotta seem to be the best alternatives to wool. I would have to buy them online though.

Sally is quite busy being a resident lapwarmer. When she is not in my lap, she is curled up near one of my ankles. Willow has picked up a strange habit of sleeping in a box by the wall... I'm not sure why. She has her Greta Garbo moments.. or was it Bette Davis? I forget. **it was Greta Garbo**.

What do you keep your knitting needles in? : I saw a post on this at another site. I keep mine in a hot pink wine-bottle cylinder. I bought it at Michaels when I worked there. A lady I talked to about yarn said she had kept hers in one and it was working great. The only hitch I have with it is that the lid doesn't close with 14" needles. I keep my dpns and crochet hooks in an old checkbook box, away from the four-pawed wonders.

Book Wish List : Knitting in the Nordic Tradition... used is still 65-75$!! Our library at Fargo had a copy. I learned how to use DPNs and my sheepfeeding mittens out of this book!

Interesting site links :
Tote based on the French Market Bag
Knitted Bunny!


Current Pet Peeves :
1. People who post acrylic yarn in the wool category at Ebay. Read the label.
2. Sitting in a public library trying to read a cashmere sweater article that is directly opposite of a lingerie ad ON BOTH PAGES. (Real Simple magazine.. what were they thinking?)

ok.. I vented, ;o)

Wool Cravings

We try to live well below our means -- but I am feeling wool cravings! I made a wool shawl last year out of Cascade 220. AtM, it is a cherished object. I felt the yarn was expensive at the time (lys splurge), but it has lived up to every anticipation. J is envious - he says our culture won't let him get away with wearing a wool shawl or cape ;o) He nudged me a bit more on learning how to make him a sweater. I have to master increases first!

Today's Adventures :
I am trying to get a large amount of wool off of ebay - but not trying too hard.

We went to the storage center and pulled out another load of boxes. We were looking for our ceramic mixing bowl, and didn't find it :o(

When I made a set of long curtains for a doorway here in the house, the kittens invented a new game. It consists of attacking any movement behind the curtain, whether it be human foot or kitten tail.

Willowpede channels Confucious:

"Spearing cat accidently on DPN may well be in future..."

Sally keeps jumping into my lap at high speeds while I knit socks... this is worrisome.

Salamander 'AllBall'

For lack of other knitting pictures, I dip into the 'cute kitten' bag again.
J says this sleeping position reminds him of the name Koko the gorilla gave her first kitten -- 'AllBall' AllBall was a Manx.

Whenever one of the kittens is sleeping this way in my lap, J says 'You have an AllBall' ;o)