Regarding the last post, I've had several people ask me how I ended up on crutches.  It was a freak tap dancing injury.  Yes, really.  A tap dancing injury.  It was about 20 minutes into class and I simply stepped forward to do a half pivot turn and pow. The major part of that word is "ow".   Luckily DH was right next to me and there is an MD in our class so first aid was immediate and comprehensive.  Recovery will also be comprehensive just not as immediate -- a few more weeks and stretching and I should be just about back to normal. 

Milestone:

DD#1 and DD#2 went to their last day of school as 4th and 1st graders respectively.


And came home as 5th and 2nd graders!



And so then there was knitting as my dupa is still spending a significant amount of time on the couch waiting for calf muscles to heal. Here are a few of the fruits of those labors.....

FO #1


Pattern:  Beer Gloves by Kurt Fausset
Made for:  Mr. Rose, DD#2's 1st grade teacher although I altered the pattern name to the ubiquitous "fingerless mitts" so as not to cross beer drinking with 1st grade teacher.  Probably overly cautious on my part.
Yarn:  Elsebeth Lavold silky wool in gray.  1 ball
Mods:  I left off the textured pattern in the palm as no one would really see it anyway.

FO #2


Pattern:  Basic Socks
Yarn:  My own handspun* from Soul Windows roving from Spunky Eclectic 80% wool, 20% nylon
Yardage:  I had about 230 yards total so very basic socks with fairly short legs.
Needle:  US 3 with a CO of 48

FO #3


Pattern: Under the sea by Sharon Hart
Yarn:  Ocean Currents in Casbah (80% merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon)  Total "yum" on the yarn -- extremely soft (cashmere) and squishy
Needles: US 1
Size: Made the medium
A word about toe-up socks:  Seems a rather awkward construction (OK, that was 5 words)  Knitting from the cuff down just seems a whole lot easier particularly where heels are concerned.   I heard a lot of complaints about short row heels as they tend to be narrow but those fit me just fine.

And some spinning pics:



BFL that I dyed and spun -- I had expected stronger colors based on the way the roving looked.  I like the pastels but it wasn't really the look I was going for.



Merino/tencel (tencel adds the shiny bit) that I'm spinning to be socks.  I actually have 8oz of this so I could make some socks with some more complicated patterning.

Phew...that's about it for the knitting and spinning except for the 3 sock projects I've started in the last week.  As much as I love knitting, I'm ready to get up off the couch and start moving some more!

*Mr. Spellchecker didn't like "handspun" and suggested "hands pun" which is something I'm not even sure is possible. 

Here's the picture to explain the lack of blogging in the last couple of weeks.....



And I have to say, ripping calf muscle and being on crutches....well, just blows.  My DDS swooped in to help while DH had to travel. Then DH swooped back and has been doing double duty while I hobble slowly about the house.  Thank you DDS and DH!!!!!  (And yes, the crutches are resting on a giant hedgehog pillow.  We love it and it gets moved around the house frequently.  I'm always surprised how often we find ourselves thinking " You know what would make this position really comfortable?  A giant hedgehog pillow." )

We had dance rehearsal and recital this weekend and DH,  DD1 and DD2 all did wonderful jobs.  (I was supposed to be dancing with my DH in our recital.    next year! )  Here are my girls, looking way grown-up in their tap and jazz costumes respectively.



DD1 danced to Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and DD2 danced to Playground

Trying to see the glass as half full (or at least with a few drops in it).....My biceps and abs have had quite the work out the last couple of weeks with the crutches.  And, having to sit with my leg up has resulted in lots of knitting time so at least I have something to show for logging so many hours on the couch.

Here are a few of my FOs



I finished some socks made from my own handspun yarn.  The roving was corriedale from the February shipment of the Spunky Eclectic fiber club . 



The roving originally looked like this and I pulled off the colors into mostly brown, yellow, and orange groups.  When I spun the yarn, I was hoping for a more gradual color shift but I think they came out fine and they are wonderfully warm and soft.  They'll make perfect fall socks.  (Pattern:  The Yarn Harlot's vanilla formula for socks.)

I also have finished a couple of washcloths for end-of-the-year teacher gifts. 



The pattern for this one was written rather than charted so it was fun to watch the pattern emerge.   (Still needs to be blocked.)
Yarn: Tahki Cotton Classic
Pattern: Apples for the teacher from Ravelry by Rachel van Schie



The brown one was knit from organic, naturally colored cotton and it is surprisingly soft for cotton.   (Also still needs to be blocked.)

Yarn: Pakucho organic cotton from Peru from Elann.com
Pattern:  My own interpretation of Vandyke eyelets from Karen Hemingway's book Super Stitches Knitting

I have two more projects that are just about done -- just some basic finishing.  So I'll post about those in a few days.

Yes, potpourri!  And, yes, I had to look up how to spell "potpourri".  I botched it badly enough at first that Mr. Spell Checker thought I meant "papyri" which is the plural of papyrus.  I don't know as I would be able to work the word papyrus into my blog much less papyri.  Hmmm. OK, now it's a challenge, so watch.

Anyhow....

So, I spun a little...



(The Soul Windows colorway by Spunky Eclectic - wool/nylon, 2ply about 220yds from 4 oz.)

Knit a little...



(Ice Queen lace cowl from Knitty.  I still have to block the lace which will stretch it out considerably and make the pattern much more obvious  but I couldn't wait to take a picture of it.  The beads are attached to live stitches as you go with the tiniest crochet hook you'll ever see.   Trying to get the beads on the crochet hook is much like trying to separate sheets of wet papyri -- quite difficult.  (Hey! Did you see me work in "papyri"? I did it! Gold star for me!  Na na na na boo boo.  Every blog worth its weight should occasionally include a good "na na na boo boo".   )


Dyed a little...



(I started to do a little dyeing with Jacquard acid dyes rather than food colors.  Don't panic -- "acid" sounds like I should be wearing some kind of Dr. Frankenstein get-up with beakers bubbling in a lab but anticlimactically,  the "acid" is only white vinegar.  Here's some BFL roving I dyed that I'm just ridiculously pleased with.  Ask my DH, I keep wandering in to the kitchen to watch the roving dry...which actually is more interesting than it sounds.)

And planned a little....



(I dyed the yarn on the left, which despite the picture is much more of a peacock color than blue.  I think this may be my next sock project from Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn. 

And because we have waited so long for spring, I give you pictures of some of the flowers riotously in bloom in my front garden...


Azaleas, ferns and an way over ambitious clover.


More azaleas.


Even the little primroses are in on the act.

I'm not talking people here (so just settle down -- no need for anyone to get too scandalized) but, oh, I am talking a new spinning wheel.  A new spinning wheel!  A new spinning wheel!  (Anywhere you put the emphasis in that last sentence -- it still sounds just as good!)  My family surprised me with a new Kromski Sonata in walnut for Mother's Day -- they know me so very  well and support me in my fiber centered obsession hobby.  (Thank you DH, I know you led the pack!) 

Isn't it a machine of beauty!


Folding wheel with a bag so I can travel with it.  Double treadle.  Scotch tension.  Adjustable orifice height (Hey, I can hear you snickering).  Large bobbin size (I can still hear you snickering...).   Three ratios on the standard flyer (6.7, 12.5, 14 to 1). And a very manageable 11.5 lbs. 

And it spins as beautiful as it looks!

I took this pile of sparkly fluff  from the Wool Peddler on Etsy.



and turned it into these beautiful singles



Wow.  I need to take a moment........ <breathe>

Thank you.

OK...other Mother's Day images

My beloved crew (My DH too. But he is taking the picture)...


Our annual Mother's Day pilgrimage to....


It's comforting to know that some places haven't changed since 1975.


(Just out of frame to the left is the fully functional disco ball hanging from the ceiling.  This fire hall must have one heck of a bingo night!)  And they make a mean chicken BBQ!

Oh and did I mention I have A NEW SPINNING WHEEL! 

PS:  Don't worry Miss Louet -- you'll always be my first.

Here is a series of pictures of some things you don't see everyday....  (I've got a bunch of them so sorry for the picture heavy, not very cohesive post.)  Anyhow...

I give you....

a squirrel eating a bagel



...half a watermelon in the Erie Canal (Who eats a half a watermelon and thinks "I know. I'll pitch the leftovers in the canal."?)



...cute mama duck and ducklings (also in the canal)



Group of adorable shutter bugs



....chickadee on DD1's hand


...owls, close-up


Paper chromatography  (Remember that from high school chemistry??)

in the living room                                                                           and in the kitchen
      


and at the science fair.


And....
How many dads does it take to pick up an unfortunately squashed squirrel from in front of the house?


First DH is wearing a glove on his pick-up-the-squirrel hand. Second, it may look like the squirrel is going in the bag but immediately after I snapped this picture my DH did something quite unexpected.  See if you can guess by way of an anecdote.

Anecdote:
There are two kinds of men in the world.  The kind who chase 10 year old girls with dead squirrels and the kinds who don't.  My DH is a member of the former group. 

There are two kinds of women in the world.  Ones who will yell from their porch during the ensuing mayhem,  "Honey, how many times do I have to tell you not to chase people with dead things?"  and those who wouldn't.  I'm a member of the former group.

What must the neighbors think?


And because I can't leave with a picture of a dead squirrel.  Lastly, I give you
....Baby bee booties made for a teacher who is due at the end of May.


Pattern:  Bee shoes from 50 Baby Booties to Knit By Zoe Mellor
Yarn: Patons Drive-me-to-drink Micro Spun
(Not actual name of yarn but a definite contender for a yarn that splits so much -- the plies just fall apart.)
Colors: Yellow and Black (obviously)
Needles: US 4 (Probably would have been better with US 3)
Mods:  Added a K2P2 cuff to hold booties on baby's feet.

How about now?? I think the weather is just about to break and I can pack away all the hats, mittens, scarves, cowls, and gloves.  I think.  Today the high is supposed to be 41F.  Tonight the low 37F.  Tomorrow the high is supposed to be...get this...seventy freakin' six!  That's 76F.  That's nearly a forty degree difference between low and high for the day.  I figure there's going to be some wind in there somewhere but that's ok.  After that,  warmth for days.  Not that I don't love my woolies but when we go out as a family, that's 5 hats, 10 mittens, 5 scarves and boots to schlep.  That schlepping has been going on since October and I could use a break from keeping track of that many bits of outerwear.

Now just because I'm storing away warm snuggies doesn't slow the production of more knitted warm snuggies.  Here are a couple recently finished items.  They hadn't made the blog before this because they had to be delivered as Easter gifts and the deliveree reads this (Hi, DDS!).



Pattern:  Bella Mittens by Marielle Henault  (from Ravelry)
Apparently these are mittens worn by the main non-vampire character in the movie Twilight.  Although, since the subject matter was vampires, the mittens in the movie are gray not magenta and lime.  Not very vampirey colors.
Mods:  Fewer stitches in the wrists and longer thumbs. Same mods I always make for mittens made for my family.  (Really our hands are quite normal looking in person.)
Yarn:  Malabrigo in Melilla about %80 of a skein.
Needles: US 7



Pattern:  Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt from Interweave Favorite Socks
I can see why over 2200 people have made these socks -- fun pattern with lots of stretch.  Due to the stretch, they look much better on feet than off.  Off, they look a bit like a deflated overstretched balloon. 
Mods:  Added ribbed cuff.   Longer toe.  It made the last leaf a bit elongated but I needed the length.  (This is also a common mod I have to make for socks for my family...apparently we have long pointy toes too. *
Yarn:  Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in green
Needles: US 1

And, lo, look at these socks!


These socks I made with my own handspun yarn which gives me an almost blushing sense of pride.  These started out as just a pile of fluff and now they are socks!  Magic!  Really slow magic but magic none-the-less.

From here

   

to here


to socks.  Cool.

Pattern:  Basic toe-up socks.  First time I've done a gusset in a toe-up sock.  Seems an awkward construction to me.  There's a lot of re-jigging to get the heel in the right orientation to the foot.  There's also a lot of ripping back involved to get the sock the right length if you don't start the heel in the right place.  Ask me how I know. 
Yarn:  Mine!!  Super wash BFL from Susan's Spinning Bunny.
Needles:  US 1  (Cuff 56 stitches)

*  Frequently I have to make the same kind of modifications to knitting patterns for my family.  The usuals are:
socks: narrow ankles; longer, pointy toes
mittens:  longer fingers and thumb, narrower wrist
hats:  bigger all the way around
sweaters:  longer arms, shorter bodies

Based on these, one would think we're are truly an odd looking bunch.


<Giggle> 

Actually we're quite normal looking...



most of the time.

Just to remind us to appreciate the warm weather when it comes (and maybe even stays for more than one day), we had snow last night.  I woke up to my DH whistling "Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland" in the kitchen.  Gotta love that guy. 



I thought it would melt by the afternoon but it's still here.....  (and, yes, it is that gray out at noon)

OK, so ignoring the snow, we went to the NY State Odyssey of the Mind Tournament in Binghamton this past weekend.  Megan's team from her elementary school placed 1st in the regional competition in the vehicle problem, so they were invited to compete at the state level.  On the way there, we stopped in Ithaca and explored the Science Museum....


"How tall are you in geologic eras?"  "Oh, about Triassic.  And you?"  "Pennsylvanian."


How much fun can you have with air jets and balls?


A lot!

Here's Megan's Odyssey team preparing to present their long term problem.  They have been working on building a vehicle (a hot dog train propelled by a reversed vacuum) traveling through environments (the digestive system).  What a creative group of kids!



Their vehicle fit within the regulation dimensions....rather easily.


No new knitting projects to share until after Easter as all my recent work has been on Easter gifts. 

1.  It's not like I eat like this all the time.  Actually only about twice a year, the days after I serve corned beef with all the accoutrement.  After delays due to what appeared to be the flu (fat lot of good all those flu shots did us), we finally were able to get together with the rest of the family (Hi Mom and Dad!) to have our rather belated St. Patrick's day celebration.  Anyhow here are the ingredients for my corned beef hash breakfast and, oh, it was so good.  Not pictured, vinegar to drizzle over the steaming concoction.



2. And now from the files of   "What?  Was that irony?" 

Here is an ad we received in the mail earlier this week.  I call your attention to the asterisk at the end of  where the ad proudly exclaims, "NO EXCLUSIONS!".  They appreciate us so much that they used an exclamation mark and there will be NO EXCLUSIONS  to this sale.  None. 



Well, except.....



I believe that  even if you list exceptions in itty bitty print, it doesn't change the fact "exclusions" and "exceptions" are synonyms.  And saying "NO EXCLUSIONS" and then listing the exclusions is a bit silly and made everyone in the family chuckle.  Probably not the desired effect of publishing the ad.     Of course, giving the powers-that-be at JCPenny the benefit of the doubt, maybe they feel that their customers have lovely countenances and smell just fine and need no extra help in those areas and are gently encouraging us to spend our money on other items.

3.  On the knitting and spinning front,  I finished the first pair of socks ever with my own hand spun year and I'm totally in love with them.  The colors look just like the setting sun and they feel great.  So I went from this yarn



to these socks...
       

Fiber:  The Sheep Shed, 4 oz merino/tencel bought at Rhinebeck in Oct 2008
Yarn:  2 ply fingering
Needles:  US 1
Amount: I had about 360 yds and I used about 300 yards
Gauge:  7 1/2 stitches/ inch
Pattern:  Ann Budd's textured rib from Fall 2007 Spin Off magazine
Mods:  Changed the ribbing to K2 P2 for extra stretchiness.

I like their fraternal twin-ness.  (Yes, I know that's not a real word

And one last closeup.

St. Patrick's Day was wonderful -- after that things took a bad turn in the form of a nasty virus.  I came down with it last Thursday and by Sunday evening, everyone in the family had it including my Dear, Dear Sister who had come to visit us. (I'm sorry, DDS.  So, sorry. You were the bright spot in the whole weekend.)  It's not like we didn't know it was coming; we saw it hit every kid on the street starting at the east end.  Unfortunately, it marched its ugly congested/feverish/coughing head right to our doorstep.  Yuck.  Well, although we are still pegging the use-of-kleenex-o-meter, we are all on the mend. 

So for your entertainment and because I have no knitting or spinning content to speak of, here is an amusing YouTube.  Even if it's a total fabrication, it's really clever.  Enjoy.

For your St. Patrick's Day enjoyment!!