Chat Back for Juy 23

Responding to comments left since the last time I did Chat Back.

Jan asked . . .

Did it (Metro) take long to knit?

It took much less time than I thought it was going to take. The tweed is a heavy, 4.5 stitches/inch, yarn and it slides on and off the needles like a dream. Plus there is no sewing except for the back of the collar.

---

Dorothy asked . . .

Do you have trouble managing 3 strands at once?

Three strands is no problem as long as the three balls are kept separate and only joined as they go through your fingers.

Once upon a time a long long time ago I learned the hard way that it doesn't work to wind the strands together into one ball before knitting.

---

Rita asked . . .

Is this the same pattern you used for the red hat you made for yourself and your mom last winter?

Yes, it's the same very basic pattern I used for my simple Red Hat.

I figure the two most important things for charity hats: 1) It should be warm and cover the ears and 2) It should be flexible in size.

---

Judy S. asked . . .

Did you find anything good at the library? Have you read Cutting for Stone? Or any of the Maisie Dobbs series?

Thanks to your suggestion I’m now on the library waiting list for Cutting for Stone.

I enjoy Maisie Dobbs and see there’s a new one, The Mapping of Love and Death, that I haven't read yet. I’m on the list for that as well.

The Maisie Dobbs books are written by Jacqueline Winspear and are best when read in order.

The book I blogged about on Tuesday was terrible. Silly plot, stupid dialog, and bad grammar and spelling errors. It was so hot I didn’t want to move from in front of the fan, so I kept rolling my eyes and reading, but really, how do people get these things published?

---

Nobody asked . . .

How's your jaw doing?

And why would you? It's been a little over two months since I had an infected, undeveloped tooth bud removed from my jaw. It was wedged between the roots of two teeth and near my right side facial nerve.

The endodontist said it would be six months until the jaw was totally back to normal, and I have no reason to believe he was wrong about that.

The good news is that there has been very little pain for the past two weeks. Parts of my jaw are numb and occasionally start tingling like when your foot is asleep. It's only been ten days that I've been able to smile without discomfort and I'm never sure if I have food on my chin or not.

I found this picture on my camera after it was too late to post it - but it's never really too late to post it. This was the outside of my face the day after surgery. Even though I don't have enough sense to not post this picture, you'll be happy to know I do have more sense than to post a picture of the inside stitches. Couldn't get my mouth open, anyway.

Wednesday Wings - Young Oriole Learns to Eat Grape Jelly

Simple Woman's Daybook for July 19

These writing prompts are available from Simple Woman's Daybook where each Tuesday we're invited to join in celebrating the beauty of everyday moments around us.

FOR TODAY July 19, 2011...

Outside my window...
It is very hot. We're in the middle of a multi day heat wave with each day forecast to be a little warmer until we hit the 100 degree plus mark on Thursday.

I am thinking...
Although I love hot water heat via radiators, my next house/condo/apartment is going to have ducts and central air conditioning.

I am thankful for...
We had no downed trees and retained power after last week's derecho that caused considerable damage and long lasting (up to 5 days) power outages in SW Michigan. Every time I leave home going north, south, east, or west I see clean up efforts underway. We ended up with three sticks in the yard. Not sure how that happened, but I am thankful.

From the kitchen...
Have ingredients for homemade chicken noodle soup, just need the time and energy.

I am wearing...
Not much. Baggy denim shorts and a tank top. It's very hot today.

I am creating...
Hats. I've been combining three strands of left-over sock yarn and knitting charity hats. The goal is to blend the colors so the hats will be attractive. There is no question that they will be warm.



I am going...
To Goodwill again tomorrow. My goal is a box a week as I slowly sort through areas of the house that haven't been sorted through in a while. Amazing the amount of stuff I'm finding that I don't care if I ever see again.

I am reading...
Just started A Stitch Before Dying by Anne Canadeo. "Where friendship, knitting, murder create the perfect pattern."

Since I haven't read the first two mysteries in the series, I have no idea if it's a good book or not.

I am hoping...
That my blogging funk is over.

I am hearing...
Pappy panting in my ear. It's cooler toward the rear of the house and we're about to go there.

Around the house...
The Rose of Sharon bushes are in bloom. We have too many to count. Some are appreciated, some not. They self seed and pop up all over so some are weeds. But how can I not love a bush the hummingbirds love?



One of my favorite things...
My family. From left to right: granddaughter Kimberly Louise, daughter Heather Louise, mother Margarete Louise.



A few plans for the rest of the week:
Today I'm driving Mom to her annual cardiology appointment. We hope it's a non-eventful meeting with ice cream afterward.

Wednesday is grocery shopping day with a stop at the library to stock up on books to read in front of the fan until temperatures get back to bearable.

Thursday is hair cut day.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...
No matter how hot it is, the creek water is always cold and refreshing.

Coming Out of a Blogging Funk

I apologize to the many readers who have been concerned about me. I've been in a blogging funk. When it's time to sit down and write a post, I've read a book and/or taken a nap instead.

For now I plan to keep blogging, but not as often as I see how life unfolds.

Since I'm a goal setter, I'm going to try for three posts a week.

Tomorrow, Lord willing, there will be a Simple Woman's Daybook. Wednesday there will be a Wednesday Wings with an adolescent Oriole learning to eat grape jelly.

Made Myself Some Mona's - Kind Of

Last week when I sat down in my knitting spot late in the evening, I was tired and needed something easy to knit. Looking around, I spotted the leftover Dorothy's Destiny from Mom's Birthday Monas. It wasn't going to be enough for a complete pair of socks, but I knew I had two other little balls of left over Dorothy's Destiny across the room in a bin to finish the foot.

I quickly sketched out the Mona stitch pattern reducing the stitch repeat from 16 to 14, so I could knit a pair for myself on 56 stitches, cast on, and started knitting without ever having to get up out of my seat.

These will never be prize winning socks because the change in dyelots is very obvious.


I do like the 14 stitch repeat pattern very much and will use it again.

This is a very pretty stitch pattern for as much ribbing as it has in it and the ribbing sections make for a nice snug fit.

Pattern: Mona from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A. modified for a 14 stitch pattern repeat.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Dorothy's Destiny.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.

Metro Finished

Metro was a quick and pleasant knit. I love the feel and look of the City Tweed. If this sweater doesn't pill excessively, I'm sure I'll use City Tweed again, maybe in the Sport Weight version.

The comments on Shirley's Metro, mentioned she had a challenge getting the bottom of the sweater to lay flat and not roll, so I decided to put a short section of ribbing on the bottom.


One challenge I did not meet was the Kitchener of the left collar to the right collar.

My favorite basic knitting how-to book is Knitting in Plain English by Maggie Righetti, so that's where I went for guidance on grafting ribbing together. Maggie said:

Grafting ribbing can drive even an experienced knitting instructor up the wall. Sometimes I have gotten so frustrated with it that I have used the double bind-off method instead.

Since my aching jaw was driving me up the wall as high as I wanted to go, I went right to the double bind-off.


Another pattern attribute Shirley warns about is the tight sleeves, so I used the sleeve pattern for the next size up. They're still a bit tighter than I'd like.

On the other hand, I learned many new (to me) techniques on knitting set-in sleeves top down that, in my opinion, improve on the Barbara Walker method. That alone was worth the price of the pattern because I love knitting sleeves directly into a sweater instead of trying to neatly sew them in after the fact.

Pattern: Metro from the Fall 2010 Twist Collection by Connie Chang Chinchio.

Yarn: Knitpicks City Tweed, Heavy Weight Worsted. 55% Merino wool, 25% superfine alpaca, 20% Donegal tweed.

Color: Dungarees.

Needles: Options #7.

Gauge: 4.4 stitches/inch, 6 rows/inch in stockinette.

Mom's Monas Finished

Done, and done a day before needed.


I wasn't sure I was going to like this stitch pattern when I started these socks, but I do like it very much.

The ribbing travels every twelve rows, but it still works to supply a nice snug fit. The overall effect is a pretty lace pattern that isn't going to sag and bag. So, now I have another favorite Cookie A. sock pattern.

Pattern: Mona from Knit. Sock. Love. by Cookie A.

Yarn: Stalwart Sock from Slackford Studio. 75% Superwash Merino, 25% Nylon 4 Ply Fingering Weight Sock Yarn.

Color: Dorothy's Destiny.

Needles: Options 2.50mm circulars.