LIQUIDKITTIES

Here’s the WIP that has me so quiet….my handspun Sheep Heid hat. All 9 required colors spun in natural colors by me! The tan in the brim is a baby camel mix. It is sooooo soft.

I am super proud of my colorwork. This only my second foray into fair isle knitting. I think my “floats” on the back side are probably a little short, even though I think they’re plenty long when I am knitting them. I probably won’t aggressively block this project because of that. It’ll still be an awesome hat when I’m done.

This is being knit as a challenge set forth to my knitting group to spin and knit this hat out of natural colors of fiber as opposed to purchasing the yarn. You can see (some) more detail on my Ravelry page. (not much detail, though. I haven’t gotten to the place in my spinning where I keep track of wpi or ratios.)

The link to the Ravelry page for my project is here.
The link to the pattern page is here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

…so I can put this grosgrain on the button band.

Isn’t it adorable? All sheepy? I got enough for two sweaters. I love it that much.

Now, to knit the dang sweaters. That will have to wait until I move!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The first Christmas gift (of two) is off the needles! This is the second time I have said this, but…. This is the last scarf I will knit (I say this after having fallen in love with the Quixote Scarf in the latest Interweave Knits). Let me explain.

When working on this scarf, I proved the existence of the Knitter’s Black Hole, in which all your knitting gets sucked and no progress is made. I had marked at the 24″ mark and was measuring from there. At some point in time, I had measured and only had one inch to go! I knitted for half an hour, measured again, and to my dismay my tape measure told me I had an inch and a half to go.

Expletives.

Luckily, an hour later, I measured again and was a row over my 36″ mark. Yay!

Check pattern (it’s Loxley by Stephen West).

It was only supposed to be 32″ long.

Expletives.

But, I think it’s best to be longer.

And, here’s your picture!

(this is the back)

(the cats really like it)

(this is the front of the hood)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

…not a kitty was stirring, not even for a mouse.

And I am watching Gone With the Wind. Wow, what a movie to watch when you need help being thankful. This dawned on me when Scarlet Is having her “With God as my witness, I’ll never go hungry again” monologue.

This year has been really, really difficult. God has tested me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. But….

I have never gnawed on a radish until I wretched due to my hunger level.

I have never come back to my home to all of my worldly possessions having been stolen.

And my Mama dead.

And my Daddy now insane.

And nothing but Confederate bonds to lean on.

Whats more, I have always lived in a climate-controlled home, with at least one cat who loved me, and with a warm bed to sleep in. Always.

These things I am thankful for.

Also, I am thankful for my very dry sense of humor I inherited from my father. Thanks, Daddy, for making my life a little more humorous. Because, really. There are no green beans.

And I’m thankful for my friends that think I’m funny, too.

Every year I have included my husband near the top of this list. And this year is no exception. God made us to be partners through this life, and I’m so grateful. He (my husband) gets my humor, too. (I threw in the clarification there when I realized it sounded like God got my humor and so gave me my husband. This is not the case. Paul is not a dry humor joke. He’s wonderful.)

Learning. What’s better than learning something new? And fine-tuning those skills you already possess?

And I’m thankful for Miss Toes delivering her baby Pippen the kitten to us. He’s been nothing but a blessing and a joy-bringer. Lap cats are the best!

I, of course, am thankful for my family, friends, job, home, health… All the usual suspects. The things listed above just stand out to me tonight.

I hope everyone reading has a safe and fulfilling Thanksgiving. Love your family, let your friends know you care, and be sure to laugh hard at whatever makes you want to.

Especially if it’s my dry humor.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Oh. My. Goodness. What did I pick up today? The coffee sweater of doom.

This sweater has a long, crazy history. I bought this lion brand homespun yeeeeears ago with a flyer for said yarn that had “easy to knit” sweaters and decided my first sweater would be from it. While I love crocheting homespun, I do not enjoy knitting it. So that first sweater got thrown to the side and quickly forgotten. In the Stashbust2010 push, I found it, picked out a different pattern (the Torino bulky sweater), enthusiastically cast on with no gauge swatch, finished, cast off, and giggled for a long while at how big it came out between my armpits and the neck. Having worked up the nerve to rip it back months later, I pulled it out to the ‘pits and started the yoke over with smaller needles and a few less rows. It has now been sitting next to my bed for ages half done.

I decided today I needed a quick-gratification knit. And remembered this sweater. It’s very close to done and is nothing but knit stitch. HELLZ YES.

It still smells like coffee. Thanks, Frodo. Can’t wait to get it washed.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

I have come to the realization that I am not Superwoman, and there are not roughly 60 hours in a day.   Also, working 40 hours a week is a lot, really, when balanced with making 2 sweaters in 2 months, and a Christmas scarf, and some Christmas socks.  Also, that I am not motivated to post pictures of WIPs or FOs on rainy mornings.

Modified goals.

1.) With this new-found realist mentality, I am going to have to say: I am not going to meet my sweater goal for 2011.  And I am OK with that.  I made 2 fanTASTIC sweaters this year (hopefully I’ll get to post nice FO pics of them in the coming weeks, provided my “photographer” and the weather cooperate).  And, I have 1 more fabulous sweater-vest-thing on the needles and 3 more planned with patterns printed and yarn purchased.  So there.  Hah.

2.) I want very badly to think I can post weekly, but I don’t have the brainspace or engery for it.  When I do have that brainspace and energy, I want to put it toward other things.  I have some ideas as to how I can make posting a more regular thing, and will try to implement them in the near(ish) future.

Now that’s out of the way, lets talk about what this website was originally about: my liquidkitties.

Starting at the top:  I had a sad thought about the original liquidkitty, Sam.  I found his collar with nametag when cleaning and organizing my desk this weekend.  Since we haven’t buried his ashes yet, I put it in the box to be buried with him.  I don’t really think he would have wanted that; the collar was the last thing he wanted.  It was in my desk, not on him, right?  But that’s how it’s going to be.

Frodo.  Frodo has this weird cough-thing right now.  Vet said lungs sound good, no snot, so did an xray.  Lungs look AWESOME.  So probably a hairball.  We’re now on weekly hairball treatments!

Miss Toes.  Yeah, she’s pretty liquid.  She sure did flow right into our house!  She’s not as much of a lap-cat now that she knows we’re a done deal.  But that’s ok; she sleeps on the foot of our bed and talks to us.  Today she was headed for the door to meet me when I came home from work.  So she’s doing well.

And then, there’s Pippen.  The most sweet, loving, face-nuzzling cat I have ever had.  He makes my day.  He has yet another upper respiratory infection but the vet had a plan to try to break our cycle.  I swear, if he was a child, we’d be talking about ear tubes at this point.  Hopefully her plan works.

And that’s that from Casa de Amanda.  See ya later for more thrilling tales!  (Hah!)

If you haven’t noticed, to keep myself on top of things I am going to try to post on Wednesdays and/or Fridays each week. It will keep me from having really picture heavy posts, and keep you entertained! Today’s FO (Finished Object) is my first skein of yarn spun on my new Little Gem, Stormy. Also of note, it’s my first navajo plyed yarn! (a short explanation can be found here). Most of the spinning took place while on my retreat to SAFF and the plying took place at home.

So the fiber is an alpaca/merino blend dyed by none other than Space Cadet Creations, in the fantastic colorway Rhubarb and Custard. It came out sport/worsted weight. I think. I haven’t measured it yet.

Sorry for the iPad picture; was feeling a little lazy. If I decide I don’t like the picture, it could get replaced in the future.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Here’s my most recent WIP (work in progress). I cast on Monday for the Lacy Top from the Paton’s website (ravelry page here, can be viewed by non-members). Since I ended up having to order yarn for the Augusta cardigan, this was cast on. I am using Naturally Caron’s Spa, a bamboo/acrylic blend. It’s splitty, but nice. Here’s your photo. Happy WIP Wednesday!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

So, this morning I had the sudden realization I need to knit two sweaters in two months to reach my knitting goals for 2011.

I had a mini panic attack.

Then I thought about throwing in the towel and resetting that goal for next year.

And then I decided that’s crazy.  I have sweaters made out of bulky yarn in my queue.  So I should do it.

I sat down and spent half an hour with my ravelry queue, and decided on the Augusta Cardigan from New England Knits (a book which was a Christmas gift last year).

I have even decided to make it out of Stitch n’ Bitch Alpaca Love.  Which is available in big box stores at reasonable prices.

Ok, so there was crazy, then sense.  Now, back to the crazy.  I have decided to try to knit this in one piece in the round then steak.  If you are one of the uninitiated, steaking is the process of cutting your knitting. So, I would knit a tube, then cut up the middle where the button band would then be knitted on.  While this avoids having to purl too much, it’s a little…crazy.  Especially knowing that I am knitting on a time crunch.  But I really think doing it all at one time will cause me to get the knitting done faster, but will slow down the finishing process.

Please save me from myself.

So as not to overwhelm, I am going to break the last week and a half up into several posts.  First things first: let’s talk about SAFF 2011.  For those of those not inducted, this is the Southeast Animal and Fiber Festival, a large gathering of fibery-type people, vendors with yarn, fiber, and accouterments, and animals.  Eighteen women and I rented a vacation home for the weekend and enjoyed Asheville , NC, and the surrounding areas.  There were all sorts of food adventures: Irish pubs, custard, Italian, Mexican, Southern breakfast.  There were many laughs to be had.  There was one big yarn barf to be untangled (thanks to the squirrel cage swift).  And, of course, there was stash enhancement.  I’ll keep it short.

I know, I know.  You’re going to say, but Amanda, you don’t really spin so much!  And to that I say, I am learning that spinning can go a lot faster than I once thought.  And that gnomes don’t come spin for me.  I have to do it.  And I’m better than I thought.  So, my stash was enhanced.  From upper left clockwise: a batt from (someone… I swear I’ll come back and link to her page) that is just so soft, two fat ounces of an anogra/merino/bombyx silk blend (it feels like I imagine a cloud would feel),  Urbangypz merino superwash in colorway Danielle, and Urbangypz merino/seacell superwash blend in Hot Froggy (how can you NOT buy something named that?!?).  I also got some fantastic sushi-themed stitch markers from the urban gypz.  So fabulous.

Again, clockwise from upper left: Unique Sheep Verve.  This yarn is in four mini-skeins of 100 ys each, and when worked in the numbered order, give a gradient effect.  Looking very forward to working this yarn.  Next, Brooks Farm Willow (merino/bamboo blend) in a brown colorway (for the milk run shawl, will drape like nothing you have ever seen!).  Next, more Brooks Farm, this time in Solo Silk and in two colorways (will be either the Taygete shawl or the Kleio shawl, if you have a preference tell me in the comments).  Finally, an alpaca laceweight with a crazy amount of yardage from Under the Dark Star, who apparently doesn’t have a website?

I also got a fantastic shawl pin.  You’ll see it sooner or later, I’m sure.

The one thing I wish I had a picture of to show you is the most epic rat tail ever to grace the earth.  One of the waiters at the Mexican restaurant where we dined on Saturday night had your typical Hispanic hair, and when he turned around, my retinas were seared with the vision of his bleach-blonde six inch rat tail.  Oh my goodness.