Saturday, June 14, 2008

Knitting Goddess Mystery Shawl

Well, I got the first clue for the mystery shawl. My first problem is that I'm not sure which yarn to use. I have a very pretty deep blue cashmere/silk blend that is soft and pretty and a purple/green/cobalt tensel that is also beautiful. I've knit the beginnings of the shawl in each but still can't decide. The tensel is a lot easier to work with than I expected. I have a week to live with both of them before the second clue comes in. Maybe one of them will tell me what to do before them.

Tomorrow I'm having my parents over for a cookout (but eat in) for Father's Day. Dad is 92, can't see much, can't hear much, can't taste much and can't get around too well. But I've made his favorite food. Potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans and Mike will grill steaks. My sister will bring a cake. We'll have a good time; they'll stay about 45 minutes. They are so uncomfortable being away from home.

Monday is my anniversary - 3 years. Tuesday is my sister's birthday. Wednesday is my parents' anniversary - 72 years.

Hope the yarn speaks up loud enough for me to hear it over all the bustling around.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Another Mama

I've got a lactating raccoon that's been visiting my birdfeeders every night. She looked pretty thin and ragged, so I've been putting out cans of cat food for her. Yeah, I know, I'm just asking for trouble. But she looked like she needed help.

I've finished my daughter's sweater and started one for my stepdaughter. I should be able to finish it before the Mystery Shall Knit Along starts on June 14.

Today I tried dying yarn again. This time I used a wool yarn that I had spun myself. At first I tried laying it on plastic wrap and putting the dye on it, but the results were very splotchy. So I over dyed the yarn. It took forever for the pot to come to a boil, but the resulting yarn is beautiful EXCEPT for one place on one of the skeins where I had a piece of string tied too tightly around the skein. It didn't take the dye there - so it has white spots. Damn. I'll have to figure out how to fix that.