Randonymity, Tales of the Neighborhood, Those Cats

A winner, flamingos, and a very odd billboard

May 23, 2006 Chris 34 Comments

Congrats to Heide, who was lucky random number 68! Her caption was “Fibery, mousey goodness. Yum!” Heide, drop me an email with your address if you haven’t already. Thanks to everyone for playing and for the kind words on my blogiversary! You so know that there will be other contests in the future…

Yesterday was lovely here in Minneapolis – sunny, not windy, and warm but not too warm (too warm is coming this weekend). I took my camera along as I walked around Lake of the Isles after work and quickly realized that it’s pretty easy to take Project Spectrum May pictures right now, since everything’s very green.

This heron is my favorite statue near the lake.

I’m quite fond of little Peavey Fountain.

Curious about what the sign says? It’s worth a read – not every fountain is a memorial to horses who died in World War I.

This house on the southwest side of Lake of the Isles has a flamboyance of plastic flamingos in its front yard every year. The flamingos “migrate” around the yard during the summer, clustering in fanciful arrangements.

This picture wasn’t taken around Lake of the Isles – it’s a billboard near work that amuses me no end. See those cats? They’re statues! When the billboard went up, there were only a few cats. Each week, more cats are added. Very clever advertising strategy.

“Give me a break, Mom. Why would cats be that interested in a fishing lure that’s obviously not for catching tuna?”

Knitting, Randonymity, Those Cats

Unpaw that Addi!

May 22, 2006 Chris 26 Comments

Last chance to participate in my 6-month blogiversary contest – follow the link before 6 pm CDT today (May 22) and leave a caption comment to play. I can’t believe I’ve already been blogging for six months – my, how time flies. To everyone who stops by to visit Chaos and I, and to everyone whose blogs I visit – you have all enriched my life immeasurably! Thank you.

The Knit Wit has been writing a ghost story about me, but things aren’t looking so good at the end of Part 2… If I suddenly stop posting, it’s her fault for finishing me off in the graveyard!

Jane posted about a nifty blogging event happening on Wednesday, June 7 – A Day in the Life, inspired by the book This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America.

In addition to the Lace from the Black Lagoon socks I’m working on (in the homestretch – doing the cuff on the second sock!), I’m also working on a pair of plain socks from Meilenweit Cotton. Inspired by JennyRaye, these will be biking socks for me. I had two singleton balls of this yarn, so I’m doing toes, gussets, and cuffs from one color and foot and heel from the other color. There’s a bit of green in them, so they’re nominally Project Spectrum, too. (Please note that the red blobule you will see in the following pictures is simply a red fur ball, not SRM!)

“Socks, socks, I love socks! Let me just slip this sock off your foot – you won’t miss it at all.”

“Oh, wait, I love these pointy things – so handy for cleaning between my fangs, where all that tuna gets stuck.”

“What’s your problem?! You don’t use these things to clean your teeth? Your loss.”

Alongs

J is for…

May 20, 2006 Chris 18 Comments

June, my paternal grandmother, who died when I was 17 and too young to appreciate her. She was a seamstress, making both gorgeous quilts and much of my kindergarten wardrobe (plaid polyester bellbottom pantsuits were so in). I am sure that her being a “maker” was passed on to my dad and then to my brother and I, and if she were still here, I would give her a hug and tell her “thank you.”

Randonymity

Bountiful randomnymity

May 19, 2006 Chris 36 Comments

I keep forgetting to mention the yarn I picked up at Shepherd’s Harvest… I bought a ball of Trekking 144 (further complicating my decision for Trek Along with Me) and 992 yards of black laceweight alpaca (further complicating my decision for The Amazing Lace). I also picked up some Country Classics one-shot acid dyes for Jeanne and I and some Cotton Fleece that I had ordered from Earthsong Fibers – the Cotton Fleece is going to be a log cabin baby blanket (from Mason-Dixon Knitting), but I’m still waiting for two of my colors.

Last night my friend Lisa and I went to a play. We saw a great production of Little Shop of Horrors, put on by the homeschool theater company Theatrix. You can still go see it tonight or Saturday night! Neither Lisa nor I had seen the movies, so we were surprised at the twists and turns of the storyline. The tickets were a gift from the wonderful Eileen (thanks, Eileen!!) and after the show, we got to meet her very talented son, the Vampire, who was the Voice of Audrey II. The Vampire surprised me with a bag of goodies from his mom (who I will hopefully meet someday), which leads me to this:

Sorry about the crap photo – it was late… On the far left is a great book called Cameo Cats, which was a surprise gift from Mama Tulip! (More on that book in a minute.) In the center are the treats from Eileen – some kitty treats for Chaos (which he actually liked, shockingly – he’s a chowkitty who doesn’t usually like cat treats – go figure),

*sniff sniff* “Hmm, could this be… tuna? Sort of?”

gluten-free cookies, mix cds, and organic dark chocolate espresso beans for me. Thanks, Eileen! On the right, Project Spectrumy goodness from Kelly and Sockies of Celtic Cast On.(Detail picture below.) Kelly made me the cutest bracelet with a clasp that’s a cat playing with a ball of yarn (hmm, wonder where she got the idea for that?!) and matching earrings. For Chaos, a crinkly fluffy ball and a very fancy featherbutt mouse – exotic Canadian cat toys! All of this arrived in a green envelope with a cute green and pink card – Kelly is great with the Project Spectrum fun touches. Thanks, Kelly and Sockies!

A bit more about Cameo Cats from Mama Tulip – it’s a gorgeously illustrated book with poems and quotations about cats. Chaos found it interesting:

“Hmm… Smells like… Canada!”

“Definitely Canada.”

I wonder why this book reminded Mama Tulip of us?! Thanks, Mama Tulip!

Randonymity, Those Cats

Bounty (not the paper towels)

May 18, 2006 Chris 20 Comments

Actually, this is Bounty – the UK Edition. Tomorrow we’ll have Bounty – the Canadian Edition. But first – head on over to 144 Inches of I-Cord, where Jen is having a contest to help out Kirsten of Gluten-Free Knitting. Kirsten’s heading to Croatia in a few weeks to help outfit a ship for the ministry she’s part of. If you know me, you know that I’m not a religious person. But I do respect people like Kirsten who live their beliefs in a passionate and peaceful fashion. To help Kirsten out, I’m donating one of the prizes you can win – another skein of Sunburst Treadsoft sock yarn and a Chaotic Cat mix cd.

Which reminds me – there’s still time to participate in my 6-month blogiversary contest – follow the link before Monday, May 22, 6 pm CDT and leave a caption comment to play. I’ve been enjoying the very creative and funny captions that have already been left!

Monday I was very crabby and crampy… and then I received a fun package from MrsPao in the UK. Look at all that chocolate – that is so what I needed to perk me up! Thank you, MrsPao! She also included some tasty coffee, the mind-bogglingly named Uncle Joe’s Mint Balls (“Keep you all aglow”), furry mice and a ball for Chaos, a great mix cd, and a very cute Project Spectrum green cat.

Check out the cover of The Meow Mix – pictures of Mrs Pao’s many cats!

The Furry Orange Mouse (FOM) and Furry Red Mouse (FRM) are already a hit around here.

“What mouse? I don’t see any mouse.”

“See? No mouse.”

Project Spectrum, Those Cats

Project Spectrum May: A green-eyed monster

May 17, 2006 Chris 52 Comments

“I’m camoflaged! You so cannot see me, so quit pretending you can.”

Alongs

Please ignore this unless you are my Dye-O-Rama buddy or are morbidly curious about esoteric aspects of my personality and life

May 16, 2006 Chris 16 Comments

By special request…
Specific to this swap:
Your favorite colors? black, purple, emerald green, royal blue
Preferred yarn weight (Fingering, Sport, DK, maybe even Worsted)? Fingering
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I like both. Heck, I even like semi-solids.
If your buddy is able to do so, would you like a variegated, self-striping, or self-patterning yarn?
Stripes rock, but I know they are a beast to do!
Would you be interested in a wool blend sock yarn (nylon, tencel, silk, acrylic, alpaca, etc.)?
Please no cotton or acrylic… I love silk and/or wool. And I’m perfectly ok with handwashing socks.
Imagine the perfect colorway. What would you name it? Funny, Scout already asked me this. Chaos, of course.
What was the biggest appeal to you for joining this dye-along? Goad me into expanding my creative endeavors – I haven’t dyed any yarn for ages! Plus the name is terribly clever.
General yarn/fiber questions:
Have you dyed yarn/fiber before? Yes
If so, what’s your favorite dye and method? One-shot acid dyes (with citric acid in them) seem to be the easiest to use. I’m still playing with methods, trying different things out. I hated Kool-Aid – way too stinky and the smell just won’t go away…
Do you spin? Nope, not even tempted.
Have you knit socks before? Oh, yes…
Do you use sock yarn for just socks or in other patterns too? I’ve knit a few baby sweaters from sock yarn, but am not pleased with any of the patterns I’ve tried so far.
What are some of your favorite yarns? Brooks Farm Four Play, Sundara superwash sock yarn, Schaefer Anne, Trekking
What yarn do you totally covet? Regia Silk and Brooks Farm Four Play
Favorite patterns? I just knit the One Skein Baby Bolero (with modifications) and would definitely do that again. The toe-up sock pattern I use (and just plug stitch patterns into) is a huge favorite. I fantasize about knitting Eris someday.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? Some of the stunning, simple, and elegant lace shawls I see, out of silk and cashmere and whisper-soft wool.
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? Addi Turbos – I’m all about the speed, baby.
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I’d have some silk, because my name has some silk, so it’s perfect.

Nothing to do with knitting/yarn/fiber in any way but seemed kinda fun:
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Food’s a bit tricky, since I’m gluten and lactose intolerant. I’m fond of Endangered Species dark chocolate bars, like the cocoa nibs and the blueberry.
What’s your favorite animal? My cat Chaos…
Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? Heh… Chaos, domestic feline, black shorthair, 2.5 years old
If you were a color what color would you be? It depends. I like black for its elegance and simplicity (really, if you have only black shoes and purses – life is simple). I like jewel tones of purple, green, and blue for their breath-taking intensity. That said, I could see being a funky black and hot pink or fuschia colorway.
Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s). Mine’s a black Eddie Bauer 3/4 sleeve pullover that has the perfect amount of waist shaping to be flattering but isn’t clingy.
What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? I’m a waterfall junkie. Love ’em. Also, I adore snowy egrets.
Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life. Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.” – Richard Bach, Illusions
“Look inside yourself for the answers – you’re the only one who knows what’s best for you. Everybody else is only guessing.” – Charles de Lint, Trader
Do you have a wishlist? A formal one, like Amazon.com? Nope.
Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? I don’t watch TV. I love to read and listen to music. I’m addicted to soy mochas, no whipped. I am very sensitive to perfumes and scents and don’t do well with scented products.

If you survived through all of that, here’s a gratuitous, somewhat dyeing related cat picture.

“I’m trying to get set up to wind yarn here. Why are you bothering me with such trivialities?”

Dyeing, Those Cats

Belated Mother’s Day wishes

May 16, 2006 Chris 34 Comments

Belated Mother’s Day wishes to Chaos’ mom, Riley (black, below), from Chaos (not pictured) and his brother Diablo (white, below).

Some semi-solid yarn I dyed over at Jeanne’s a week ago. These were two skeins of white Lamb’s Pride Superwash (a truly unpleasant yarn), soaked in vinegar water in loosely twisted hanks (as pictured below, but not so tight), then liquid purple Jacquard acid dye was dumped into the vinegar water. As the dye kept exhausting, I would add more dye and swish things around a little bit. I like the effect enough that I’ll try doing this again sometime.

I have my dye buddy’s yarn all set, but I’m not going to post pictures of it until it’s sent and safely received. Moving right along – remember the blindingly bright yarn from my dyeing class at Shepherd’s Harvest? Here’s how it looks after a few turns on the old niddy noddy – socks? Or a crazy bright baby sweater? Hmm… Anyway, I think we might have been using Cushing’s dye in the class – it was in those little cellophane envelopes and we used vinegar to set it.

“Here, Furry Orange Mouse… come to Papa.”

Tomorrow, more on the two new mice that arrived from the UK yesterday! Furry Orange Mouse (FOM), above, and Furry Red Mouse (FRM), below. FRM might indeed be hiding from someone…

Dyeing, Festing

Warped yetis and other images from Shepherd’s Harvest

May 15, 2006 Chris 42 Comments

Hee hee – no, I did not bring home a llama from Shepherd’s Harvest on Saturday! I’m pretty sure that neither Chaos nor the downstairs neighbor would’ve approved. Plus, that llama looked like a spitter to me, too.

I’m bummed that I didn’t run into anyone I was hoping to run into! I got back to Building B a bit late (around 1:30 pm) and didn’t pull my knitting out because it was too flippin’ cold to knit. Or for the spinners to spin, apparently, so the Spin In area where we had all planned to meet never got set up.

I enjoyed the class I took on dyeing self-striping sock yarn Saturday morning. Here’s the warping board we used to create the long skeins – yarn was atached at the upper right corner, wrapped back and forth to the lower left corner, then back up. I think this setup makes skeins with a 20-yard loop size, but you could obviously make much longer skeins, too.