Back to the Real World, HA!

Yes I have finished reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. That darn thing called "work" was getting in the way of my reading pleasure so it took me 4 days and much fear that someone at work would let something slip. Thankfully, everyone kept their tongues and I was able to read it for myself. I do have to count myself luckier than Jeff though because right after we got the book he had to go out of town for work again and there was no time for Harry at all. He finished yesterday after reading all day straight.

So the knitting has been constent although not prolific. In late June finished the silk clapotis and then quickly decided to give both the mohair (from last year's SAFF) and the silk (Art Fibers) away as gifts to my friends Julia and Ana. I hope they liked them. I'm still in love with the Clapotis pattern and am looking for somemore fantastic fiber to make another. Perhaps the next one I will keep for myself. I still have the first one I made from the hand spun.





After I finished the clapotis I promised myself I would work on my unfinished Rouge....though I shouldn't promise myself things like that because I reached right over Rouge to my Briar Rose fiber and started "Looking Glass Top" from Interweave Knits Summer 2006. All the pieces are completed and I'm ready to block. I am coveting a blocking board since the only space I have to block is on the floor with towels over the carpet. Maybe a christmas present for myself. I'm blocking the sweater today. It is on the floor behind me as I type waiting to be pinned down. The pattern called for making the front in three pieces but I said the heck with that and knitted the thing as one. I also didn't like the "hole" at the bottom of the v-neck (probably what it gets its name from) but oh well. So its just a regular v-neck. I'm crossing my fingers about the size. The last few items I have knitted have been too big, so I went against my size leanings and knitted it smaller than I thought was wise. It might turn out that you get to have this top. We shall see. I still have half of that giant skein left so I could still make something else.

Sea Socks? J says, "sure" though I don't think he is very excited about it. I think I could do frequent flyer miles too. Maybe that will make J perk up. What about D? Is he interested in spending a cruise with a bunch of knitters and a scientist?

I did get both the Spin Off Magazine and the Llama you sent. I absolutely love the Spin Off Magazine and I have been buying them one by one, tempted to subscribe but didn't take the pludge yet. Thank you.

Asheville? How wonderful! Everytime we travel anywhere else I spend several weeks lamenting that we are in LA. I'm probably driving Jeff crazy with the, "let's move to -----" and "how about ------ as a place to move next." It will slowly ebb off until the next time we get out of here for a weekend, then I'll start it again. I like our place right now but the thought of


...a garden
...a workshop
...4.32 acres
...space
...quiet
... and less people

ah well, that will have to wait for a while. At least another year and we've got a lot to do to get our place fixed up.

I've started a Lady Eleanor. Good Lord was it a pain in the neck to get that started. I don't know what my brain and hands were doing. I had to frog the thing at least 4 times after getting 12 inches in. It looked like crap. I was reading the instructions all wrong, over and over again. I finally, finally figured it out and then decided my needles were too big and at the time I was at my mom's house with no source (so I thought) of different needles. My mom came to the rescue with a pair of Susan Bates metal straights. I was not thrilled about knitting a big heavy shawl on straight but after the 1st several entrelac rows I was set. The metal knits very fast and the weight doesn't seems to bother. I'm now 3 feet in. It's going to be a long one. I'm knitting with Noro Kureyon (Greys and Greens). A friend at work told me it was an old lady color but I'm beginnning to really like my inner "old lady."