Can I have a minute to myself, please?

Puddin is experiencing the shock-and-awe of being trapped in the family room while I spend time alone. (Don't worry...the sucker in me couldn't hold out for long.)

Gus & Trixie don't mind. They spend their time scattering toy bits around the room and jumping from couch to couch. Trixie also likes to watch Big, Big, World on tv. I think she has a crush on Snook.

blah, blah blah...not even a little sock

Is it the cold, wet, gray weather? Maybe the fact that I never received my cocoa swap package...now 10 days late. Or the fact that I've been picking up overtime lately. Whatever the reason, nothing has been very interesting to me lately. I started some child-sized boot toppers to see how two sock yarns would look together.

Not great, not terrible. I don't like it well enough to make the mate, so I picked up underneath and turned it into a sock. It still won't get a mate. It will live out its life in the Christmas Stocking collection (a.k.a. the Single Sock Stash).

I'm also getting overwhelmed by unfinished projects. Something drastic has got to be done. I don't know WHAT has to be done, just something...

Puddin's Mini-Me on Thursday

I love shopping for clearance the day after a holiday. Here is Puddin examining her new post valentine buddy.

It reminded me of this picture...the day Pud got a brother.

Fortunately, Gus' guts didn't end up all over the living room floor. Mr. Valentine was not so lucky.

A few more scrumbles

After I realized that the VERY BLUE yarn matched the muted blue in the scarf, I went on a stash safari. I found a pom pon yarn with the same color. Then I found exact matches for two other pom pon colors. By the time I'm done I think this scarf wil be....not quiet.

Hat complete.

That was quick. I finished it the same night.

Yarn Smackdown Calisthenics

On Ravelry today I signed up for the Yarn Smackdown. Knit a hat in a race against another knitter. It's set up as a single elimination bracket with both knitters and crocheters. Apparently you do send off your unfinished hat if you are eliminated, because the rule is that if you only knit (or only crochet) and you get a hat that you can't finish, you frog it and start over your way.

I picked up this red wool yarn super cheap this week. Somebody thinks that red won't sell after Valentines Day. My gain. Since I don't know any specifics about the hat to knit, I'm making a basic EZ cap to send to Warm Woolies for practice. Hats are so easy to make but I don't like to wear them. Better to wrap a scarf/shawl over my head, I think. If the hat I receive is mostly wool I'll send it, too.
BTW...Warm Woolies (think shivering orphans) http://www.warmwoolies.org/ is having a contest to boost knit donations. If you send 25 sweaters, vest, or socks for the children in 2008 they will send you a gift box of yarn & notions worth at least $50. And the patterns they use are simple and easy to knit. Did you know that after the first piece you send, they will supply the wool for the rest of your donations? If you only knit in acrylics...they need tons of baby blankets.

Reluctant Dog on Thursday

Puddin says "I can hold it a little while longer...I don't want to go outside. You try walking barefoot on packed ice when it's 20 degrees!"

I hate big trucks.

And you 4-wheel drivers, mocking me with your uphill driving.

Isn't the snow pretty? No. It is not. It is not snow, nor is it pretty. It is 2" of alternating layers of sleet and freezing rain. It's been 2 days and we are no closer to melting or clearing the road. This is the veiw downhill.

And this is my driveway, covered with rock salt and cat litter. I still cant make it uphill. To leave my home, I had to drive downhill IN REVERSE and slide into a (thankfully) empty crossroad. And NO... the sliding and the reverse were not part of my plan.

Scrumble bits

Last night I practiced freeform. Some is knit, some crochet, depending on whether I had a straight edge to attach to. This was worked in the log cabin tradition...nothing sewn on. I just picked up and kept going. It's a fabulous way to use up the tiny bits of handspun that I have left over. Each of these was knit with the entire (teeny) ball of yarn I saved. Some were only a yard, but it is impossible to throw away handspun. I even save a few inches. It is shredded and carded into tweedy yarn with fresh wool.
I started with a bit of my favorite scrap. It is the pink & brown bulky in the center. I am not able to spin bulky anymore.

Scrumble Scarf: The crazy quilt for yarn

The point of freeform knit/crochet is that you don't have to follow a pattern. Just follow your fancy. My fancy is a very lazy beastie. I've just finished a simple brown & teal garterstitch scarf. The last foot has increasingly large holes as a framework to attach the scrumbles. While I like the randomness of adding various scrumble shapes haphazardously, sewing them only to each other seemed like it would strain the more delicate shapes. Also, my inclination is to choose floral and organic shapes. The scarf is the trellis on which they will creep.
When I made a crazy quilt doll blanket, I sewed the bits onto a base of muslin for stability. This is the source of my notion. Not everyone does...but it makes me feel safer.
Color-wise I'm not yet sure which way I'll go. I read somewhere that if you use less than 10 colors, take care that they go well together. But if you use more than 20 colors, it will be an agreeable riot.

More stitch markers

This could get addicting. I still have beads, but I'm out of toggles and head pins. Somewhere I have old thrift store jewelry for bead harvesting. Must acquire more.

Starting another Project

Super simple garter scarf? Yes and no. I keep thinking about freeform/scrumbles, and I'm itching to start, but where? Since I am much too lazy to plan a project with any hope of completion... I will fake it. I'll make an easy size 13 needle garter scarf. Then I can embellish the ends with freeform knitting & crocheting. That way it will (hopefully) get done quickly and I can stop whenever I like without abandoning it to Area 51 (UFO Central).

I've been making stitch markers

I needed stitch markers to send with my cocoa swap box. Since I don't live near a shop that sells them, I decided to make some. I searched online for directions, and everything I needed was at Micheals (which is only an hours drive away). These are some that I kept.

A Mouse in the House

I made him for my cocoa swap. I boxed up the goodies, but forgot to put a note inside identifying myself. Guess I'll have to send a card separately.