PSA - Fiber Festival Events in Tennessee

Harvest Days and Fiber Festival
10/28/2006 (October 28th, a Saturday)
Cannonsburgh Village, 312 South Front Street, Murfreesboro, TN. 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Celebrate the arrival of fall with old-time music, clogging and traditional fiber artists. Free admission. Contact: Cannonsburgh Village, (615) 890-0355

Lazy Kitties and knitting

Sally got cold this morning.
It was only 69 degrees in the house
but she's a Southern Cat.
Willow was noticeably lazy, as well
trying to look comfortable on my grandfather's secretary desk.

Knitting project travels back and forth to work.
Knitting in progress - skein draped over arm.

I'm working on the grey shawl at home, since it is large and ungainly now. The small lace shawl can travel back and forth to work easily - and doesn't require any sizing or try-ons (like socks), just knit away.

My first Soctober project will be to finish my Vacation socks. I have half of the foot and toes to finish on the second sock.

Green Scheme

Thank you Sheryl!
Sheryl's 'green scheme' Knitflix package arrived late yesterday, while we were on an office supply run. Such great goodies! A pretty sock pattern page, absolutely gorgeous Fleece Artist yarn (in a great project bag), yummy treats and a movie I have never heard of! It looks like a comedical mystery... intriguing :o) This yarn should make excellent socks -- I was thinking about looking into a green yarn for socks, and here it is! Thanks again Sheryl!

7/4 black kitten
click to enlarge

Willow cried at me this morning from the kitchen window - and after crawling up into the window with her - I saw why. Fourth of July black kitty is still alive and well - hunting around in the nearby buildings. S/he was much too smart for the trap, and they have finally taken it away. I'm glad to see s/he is doing well - not too thin, and obviously a good hunter!

In other news: We're starting to gear up on supplying IT services to a new commpany - and that means lots of work. We presented the proposal to them yesterday (it's a non-profit, which means we are working with slim budgets) and took a trip to Jackson to get some of the equipment that would have cost $$$ to have shipped from anywhere.

Knitting: Got a copy of Vogue Knitting Fall 2006, for the socks - wow! More work on the Grey Shawl - it might get done this weekend.

Sock Questonnaire

Why I'm doing Soctoberfest

Second Sock Syndrome Dwells Here.
I need motivation to finish some pairs of socks!

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? Or in a class?

I learned from Socks 101!

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

A pair of striped socks of Cascade 220 - I really didn't know what I was doing, and they ended up being slightly big, then slightly tight after they were washed once. :o( I did my next few pairs in Wool-Ease, which held up for a while.

What would you have done differently?

Not sure, I think the trial and error process works well with my brain ;oP Trial and error would go a lot faster if my long rabbit-feet were smaller!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

KnitPicks Palette (fingering weight, 100% wool) was pretty good for making nice stripey socks - I'm using my TeaSwap Bernat SOX right now, and it is nice and carefree.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

4 or 5 dpns, all the way. I love the size 2 dpns I'm using at the moment...

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short row?)

I use the heel flap - it's all I know. I'd like to try some other types later.

How many pairs have you made?

6 pairs complete, 4 socks that don't have mates, and one more pair with the second sock as a WIP.

My swap partner got her Knitflix!

Sheryl received her package! I had ordered a lovely chunky wool yarn from overseas (via Ebay) and it never arrived... even though it was more than three weeks in the waiting.. *sad* Oh well. I still got the package out on time with some things I hoped she would love, and she says she did :o)

I sent some contest yarn out of my stash, which I know she will make into something beautiful, and some of the yummy angora rabbit yarn (which is wonderful to work with).

Our photos from Linuxfest are up at our office website.

And - I've been knitting:

This yarn, I can't describe it - fuzzy warm, 'hairily' soft, not exactly scratchy...but not ooh-soft like alpaca ... anyway I like it!


I lost my glasses last night at the lake - and spent what must have been over an hour looking for them. They were finally found using a flashlight to look in the leaves!

Before Linuxfest, we bought some little kitty pop-up tents for our girls, (because Mouse at the office loves hers). They were an instant hit!





This morning Willow sat in them by the window to watch birds, then came to tell me all about it - at 7:30 am... ahh the joy of being a nightowl and living with "earlybird" cats ;o)

The Yarn Shop, Columbus Ohio

This was the most fun I've had in at least a couple of months ;o) The ladies here were so friendly, and informative! I also chatted a bit with a nice lady (who prefers to be Internet-anonymous) who is seen knitting from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Simmple-as-Pi(e)? Shawl. The Yarn Shop is in Columbus, Ohio, in the Kenny Centre Mall.

There was a lot more yarn than you see here -- and I came in to buy some yarn to add on to the Theatre Shawl. One of the ladies found a great match in colour, fiber AND size - of which I bought 5 skeins. I was really surprised and delighted when Mr.J and the boss also chipped in for 3 skeins of Rowan Tapestry wool (as seen on the table - one of the ladies was knitting with it, and it was beautiful!). I spent more here than any other craft store trip ever, excluding my wedding planning!

Great knitting tips too : 'Loosen up, your knitting is extremely tight for that size of needles.' 'You're knitting continental, but holding the yarn in front instead of in back -- it's not really that weird.. there are so many different ways to knit.'