Blog Worthy

As the Yarn Harlot said in her Nov. 19th post - sometimes the blog just writes itself. Oh yes - how true that is. I've been busy w/life, work, etc & haven't felt the urge to post until a visit to my parent's house this past Sunday.

Wow - so much blog material.... where to begin?

How about here:
My stepmother is very generous & likes to make things for the family. Before she married my dad, she was a professional designer - trained in Japan (she's Japanese). So - she often hems pants for me (I'm only 5'2"), etc. However, sometimes she comes up some interesting projects. For instance - she felt my husband needed an apron. Yeah right.... Wade needs an apron like a 'fish needs a bicycle' (verse from the U2 song "Trying to Throw Your Arms Around The World"). But of course, she didn't use just any material to make his apron. She used this:
Yes - nothing screams masculinity like an apron made with Transformers material. She's a crafty, creative one - that stepmother of mine. :0) Wade was a great sport & wore it during our entire visit & for the hour long drive home. He's a good son-in-law. Wade wants to me to make it clear that he can and does (upon occasion) cook...

Next up: Eau De Skunk...
Did you know you can purchase essence of skunk? Yeah - neither did I. One of the reasons my father decided to retire in Alaska was the opportunities for hunting and fishing. He's since expanded that to trapping. He's planning on trapping marten out at the cabin, so he made these:
The poor critter doesn't stand a chance - food is placed in the top of the box, a scent stick (smothered with the eau de skunk) is inserted into the box, and the trap is set at the bottom. When the marten enters the box to get to the food - SNAP! - Bye-Bye little marten. Sorry.... For the record, I'm not a fan of wearing fur, etc.

And then - after the critter has met its demise, my dad removes the skin and slips it on to one of these:
Frightening how similar it is to a sock blocker! When I mentioned this, my father & brother shot me interesting looks, but trust me - it works on the same principle: slip the skin onto the blocker & let it dry.

Knitting Updates:

Finished These:

(ignore the snoopy band-aid)

Fetching - knit using yarn from the stash. What a cool & fast knit. Well - it's fast as long as you remember the last cable row on Fetching #2 & don't have to "un-bind-off" and re-knit. I figured I've made progress as a knitter as the thought crossed my mind when I discovered my error that I could just leave it be & reknit an entire new one. Not that it would have been faster to do so; it's just going back to fix mistakes is just so humbling. I'm planning on making more pairs for gifts. I'm considering altering the pattern to include a removable mitten top. I figure that would be more practical for Alaska's cold weather.

Started these:

They are the pattern "Child's French Socks" from Nancy Bush's Vintage Sock book. I'm stash busting & using a ball of Colinette' Jitterbug that I purchased during the road trip this summer.

This is the progress I'm making on Nobleknits Fair Isle Mystery Hat. The outcome isn't much of a mystery to me as I surfed the web to see the finished product after I completed part III of the pattern. My colors are slightly different, but oh well. I love how they work together & I love the Mission Falls 1824 wool. However - I was informed by my knitting pal Mags that a true fair isle uses only 2 colors of yarn at any one time. On some rows I'm using up to three. Mags also passed on to me a nifty way of preventing long ugly looking floats. Take a look...



Making Progress on this:
The modified Broadripple using STR lightweight Spot Rock On. I'm trying to finish these by the end of the month to receive credit for November in the SAM4 & to send off for Sockin' it To Maggie.

Don't ask about the Minimalist Cardigan...

As you can see - my KADD (Knitters Attention Deficit Disorder) still rules my world. I'm looking forward to spending fun times with my family & friends tomorrow & indulging in some productive knitting time.

Weather update:The weather has taken a turn - warm Chinook winds are gusting through Anchorage & melting the glorious snow we received two weeks ago. Argh... Snow doesn't stand a chance in 45.7°F temperatures. So much for the Thanksgiving skiing plans...
Happy Thanksgiving to All!