Gotcha!

Yesterday I received a copy of Zen & The Art of Knitting from my Secret Pal. Thanks!
After subjecting the last two envelopes to intense forensic examination, I am now 99.995% sure that my pal for SP5 has been Aimee from Slave To The Needles. So yeah, if I'm right she's soooo busted and I'll reveal how I figured it out once she 'fesses up.

There hasn't been as much knitting going on around here as there should have been this weekend. I am pretty sure I'm not going to finish my super secret project soon enough, but I'm going to keep on trying.

Knitting & Spinning In Public

Yesterday I took the Babe wheel with me and met Miranda at Sweet Bay early for SNB. She's going to borrow it for a while to play with. I figured we'd probably get some stares and more than the usual "what the heck are you doing?" type questions from people. We spent about two hours plying some of her yarn, then me spinning some and showing her how to do navajo plying with it, then her running some yarn she'd spun on her drop spindle through the wheel to practice treadling and to put some more twist into the yarn so it wouldn't try to fall apart on her when she plied it. There were only one or two people asking questions, but I'm told there were a lot of double takes and curious looks through the doors into the room we were in. The door was behind me so I don't know. I think I might bring my other wheel every once in a while and spin there some more.

I spent pretty much my entire day yesterday knitting and spinning in public. I had to go for my yearly girly checkup and it took THREE HOURS to get in to see the doctor. ugh. I knit almost half of the second pink sock and the first sassy stripes sock I'm making for my Mom is ready to bind off now. Waiting rooms are hellish, but at least it wasn't 110 degrees and I wasn't sweaty. haha

I think I'm going to start a secret project tonight. I have pictures of the sassy stripes sock and of my progress on the entrelac stole that I can show you this weekend, but if I'm going to finish this secret project by it's deadline then I'm going to have to not knit on anything else until it's finished. I don't know if I can do that. If I can't then the intended recipient may get an IOU or a target gift card instead depending on how much progress I'm able to make in the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck.

 

Update on the MIL situation: She's still doing ok. They say she should be out of the hospital in 6-8 weeks and by that time we hope to have things set up so she can be released directly to the retirement home. We've found a buyer for their house and closing is set for about three weeks from now. The buyer is an investor who plans on flipping the house and there isnt a big time crunch for how fast we get everything out of the place as long as it's within a reasonable period after the closing. That means we can get the Dad all moved and set up in the retirement home, then have our big estate sale and clear everything out right about the time Mom gets released from the hospital. Hopefully old people logistics hell will end around mid-September and I'll get my husband back. yay!

This week has been BUSY...

Steve's Mom had her surgery on Monday, and they've already moved her to the rehab wing of the hospital. If you ask her she'll tell you she's doing horribly and in a lot of pain and stuff, but the doctors say she's doing really well for her age and considering her other conditions etc.
We've been working to get their house all cleaned up and sold and I've been working to make space here at our house for all of Steve's stuff he had been keeping over there. I have to make a place in the yarn room for his computers and in the patio room for his big ugly Soloflex machine and in the garage for all the mountaineering junk.
On top of all that I've had to be at work an hour early all week to fill in for someone who is on vacation...Oh, did I tell you the place I work isn't air conditioned and it's been 95-102 degrees F this week? It's an air conditioner factory. Ironic, yes?
Getting up just an hour earlier has been super hard to get used to. I'm finally feeling ok with it though and I think I'll try to continue to get up at the earlier time even after next week when the guy comes back. I'll use that time to walk on the treadmill and watch the news and stuff. That's my current plan anyway. If I do that maybe I'll be ready to climb mountains this time next year.
So due to all that there hasn't been a ton of knitting going on. I'm almost done with the first of the socks I'm making for my Mom and still working on the second pink sock. I'm 25% done with the Entrelac Stole. It looks like it could easily be a pillow cover or the front of a sweater at this point. I love it. It looks very impressive and is crazy super easy.
Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes and things. You guys are awesome. :)

I'm Goin Nowhere

I took down the countdown thingie that used to be here.
We can't go to Colorado now.
My Mother-In-Law fell and broke her hip yesterday. We still don't know how long she'll be in the hospital or even if she'll make it through the surgery they have scheduled for her Monday morning. All we do know is that there is no way she'll be home any time soon and able to get around enough to watch after my Father-In-Law who has Alzheimer's and can't be left alone. Husband Boy has had to be at their house watching after him.
This all sucks bigtime for everyone involved. Least of all me.
I'm thinking I'll cancel my planned vacation days and hope that we can go somewhere next year(MD Sheep & Wool perhaps?)

Coolest Ghost Ever

From the Menger Hotel's website (San Antonio, TX):
A lady sits knitting in the original lobby of the Menger Hotel. She wears a dated blue dress and a beret with a tassel. Her glasses are small and metal framed. An employee asks "Are you comfortable...may I get you something?" The lady replies "no" in an unfriendly tone and disappears.

Weirdness
OK, first up is the crazy crochet poodle. I have no idea who made this thing or more importantly WHY anyone would make this thing. It seems to be vintage early-mid 1980's judging by the style of 2-liter bottle cap it has and the yarn it is made of. I think it's "Dazzle" which was this funky acrylic yarn with sparkles that my Mom used to use for various early 80's crochet projects.
My friend Candy bought it from a local thrift store to be our SNB mascot. She cut a hole in the poodle's 2-liter bottle so we can fill it with prizes and trade it around as a sort of doorprize every week or two. I need to find some stuff to stuff it with so it can go to someone else on Wednesday.
OK, so here it is in all it's glory:

Here is it's creepy and oddly expressive head:


Spinning
Hey! Look who turned up!

It's Angus McYarn! He's holding up my first attempt at Navajo Plying. This fiber was a sample wool/silk blend I picked up in Bentonville when I got my Bobbins. I wasn't thinking about doing this with it when I spun it so it is kind of thick and thin. That means after plying it this way it is running worsted to super dooper chunky:

There are less than 20 yards probably. I have no idea what I'll end up doing with it, but it was nice to learn on.

Knitting
I decided to frog the seed stitch noro scarf that has been hanging around unfinished since about this time last year. It was originally intended for Ian's Dad, but since he recently moved to San Antonio I don't think he'll be needing it. haha
The yarn I was using for the scarf is going to end up part of the recently started Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole from the Scarf Style book. Here is my progress so far:

I don't think I will do the fringe the same way the pattern calls for. I feel like it is too wispy for the heaviness of the yarn I'm using. Maybe I'll do some kind of crochet border? I haven't decided yet.

I have some things I need to show you guys.

My way bulky first attempt at Navajo plied yarn

The Crochet Poodle (why?? why??)

The Lady Eleanor Entrelac Stole (Yes, I started another thing. Shut up.)

An almost finished Branching Out scarf

A finished 1st Geek Sock

A started 2nd Pink Sock

Zines and goodies from my Secret Pal (Thanks! Those were spiffy.)

The thisclosetodone Klaralund

 

but

 

Pics are still trapped in my camera until later this evening so you just have to wait.

I wish I could find my gnome. Angus McYarn seems to be missing. I suspect the cats.