House & Garden Update, etc.

Weird... the blogger posting interface has completely changed since last I posted... methinks I do not like this new interface!

Anyway, it's been a bit, so here's what's been going on.

Two weekends ago, Saturday, I went out and had a little retail therapy:

Among other things, I bought myself: a composter (yay), some solar garden lights (marked down that week for clearance... I can't remember if it was $30 or $40 for the ten pack), some plastic containers that fit the funny shelf in the front hall, a flower pot, stuff for the garden (although the place I went was sold out of much of what I wanted... dang!), and some perennials because they were on sale:

One even came with an extra, an interesting little lichen:

Of course, the garden isn't ready for them (especially since I couldn't get the stuff I wanted to amend the soil), so they've been sitting in their pots since then. :P

Sunday (two weeks ago) I went to Sheeples for Open Farm Day with a friend and some of her family:

Of course, we missed a turn, and ended up visiting a really pretty marsh area on the way there:

(I think I want to paint that.)

At the farm day, I finally finished spinning some singles that have been in progress for *ages*, and started two-plying them. I can't remember if it was that day or shortly thereafter I finished the plying:

(Plying is *much* faster!)

Last Saturday I was working overtime, so no gardening got done, but I did get out last Sunday. Dad was over too, and hauled away a bunch of his junk. Again, I forgot to take "before" photos. Here's the "after" of one of the piles he was working on:

(Those who know the state of the back yard before will know how impressive that photo is.) I was going to work on getting my perennials planted last weekend, but, somehow, things never quite turn out how I plan. When dad said he wasn't going to take the axle because the raspberry canes were drooping over it, I went to work on (again!) tying up the raspberries. I also inspected and cut out any stems that looked to be infected with the raspberry borer (did I remember to post about that? I figured out why I kept finding the canes broken: raspberry cane borers!) and burned them in my dad's stove:

Of course, before I could burn them in the stove, I had to shovel out all the ashes that were in it. I put them where the pines are, to balance the pH:

(I still need to dig the ashes in, they're just sitting on top for now. Of course, burning green stuff produces *lots* of smoke, so I was well smoked by the end, and mom came over to see if my house was on fire.

I ran out of string before finishing with all the canes:

(I had more upstairs... I was using leftover bits of kitchen cotton, but I didn't feel like taking my shoes off to go get more right then. I did tie them up that night after dinner, though, since they're right under a streetlight. (Of course, I found one more infected cane doing that, but I didn't want to start the fire going again, so I just put that one in the trash.)

I also got my composter put together:

Yay! Then I looked at how empty it was, and on Wednesday I was coveting all the yard waste my neighbours had put out for trash pickup. (However, today I started doing some yard clean-up, and my composter doesn't look *nearly* so empty... in fact, I suspect it's not all going to fit before I'm finished!)

So, that brings us to today. The bosses decided against overtime today (yay!), so I slept *late*, then washed my mango tree (it still has lingering spider mites, *sigh*), then went out into the garden. I took lots of "before" photos, in case I ended up working on not quite what I planned. Of course, what I *did* do took forever, so there wasn't much light for *after* photos!

Hmmm... looks like it's already a long post, and the next bit is also long, so I guess I'll do the rest as a "part two".

Monkeying Around

I finally have a second sock monkey, this one for myself:

Henna

I got a henna "tattoo" at an anniversary/fundraising party tonight. :)

A Tale Of Two Calendars

Just over two weeks ago, I got a phone call. It was a courier, explaining he couldn't get in my building to deliver a package. A package? I didn't order anything... who sent me something to my old address?

I let him know my new address, and how much longer I'd be home.

Package received, I opened it up. It was a Crochet-A-Day calendar. Odd... I didn't remember submitting any crochet patterns. From the invoice, it didn't look like something a friend had sent me. I went through the whole calendar, but couldn't find a pattern by me. Then I had a vague recollection of submitting a knitting pattern. Sure enough, when I looked up the accepted patterns on the knitting calendar, I found mine.

I e-mailed the publisher to tell them they sent the wrong calendar, and that I had moved. They said to keep the crochet calendar as a gift, and that they'd get a knitting one out to me.

A surprisingly brief period of time later, I came home to a message on my answering machine: DHL wasn't able to deliver a package, and could I call to make alternate arrangements. Hmmm... I hadn't seen any "missed delivery" slips...

I call. They had my old address. I give them my new address, and put a note on the door that they are authorized to leave the package.

Next day: nothing.

Day after: nothing. I call again, checking the address. "It can take 24 hours." "It's been 48!" "Uh... 24 to 48. It should come tomorrow!"

Day after that: phone call, they can't get in my building. "I already called to say I had moved, and gave the new address!!!" "Sorry, that wasn't written on the package." (Uh, maybe you should check the computer? They probably couldn't write it on the package because you hadn't brought it back in!) *sigh*

Get home tonight: package! Come inside: phone message: "could you leave a signed note so we can deliver your package" ?!?!?!!!

Since I have my package, I decided not to return the call.

My pattern is May 27 - 30. Enjoy! :)

Sock Monkey

I knit one of these several years ago for a friend. I meant to knit a second one for myself, but didn't get around to it until now.

I was knitting on him this morning on the bus, when two ladies got on and admired him. Then the inevitable: "You could totally sell those!"
Me: "I'd have to charge a lot to make it worth my while."
Them: "No, you can actually charge quite a high price!"
etc.
Finally, I do a bit of mental math, based on how long I think I've already spent, how much is left, and at what hourly wage it *might* be worth my while to knit them for profit.
Me: "I'd probably have to charge something like $80 for it to be worth my time."
Them: "Oh. Um. ...but I guess you're using really nice yarn..."
I didn't tell them that I hadn't bothered to factor in the yarn, since it doesn't use much. Or the fact that the pattern might not allow sales for profit. They did stop with the "you could sell those" conversation, though.

(Next time someone suggests I sell the socks I make, I'll let them know they'd be $350. To those I give socks to: "You're welcome. *You* are worth my time.")

Shower Gift

My stepbrother and his fiancée received a whole bunch of candy-apple red Kitchenaid appliances (mixers, blenders, etc), so I made a pair of hand towels and felted potholders to match:

I like them. :) (The fiancée seemed to like them too.)

The buttons are from my stash (I actually found my main button stash in the mountain of boxes!)... I had a choice of matching buttons that didn't work as well, or buttons that went well with the grey yarn. Since they won't both be out at the same time, I went for the latter. (Apparently I was silly for pointing that out at the shower. Whoops.)

New Mittens

Another thing I'm feeling unreasonably pleased about:


This pair of mittens I just finished. Crochet top, knit ribbed cuffs. These are now the light mittens that live in my spring/fall/rain jacket, for those cool, would-be-nice-to-be-wearing-mittens days. (My old pair is probably around ten years old now, and is getting thin. I've already patched them once using yarn that I begged off someone with some in their stash. I feel guilty about begging for more. They're pre- "save leftovers for patching" mittens.)

Um...

...I think I still have a problem... wtf?

Whoops

I keep thinking I'm good at math, and then I do something like this:

This is a second pair of "Double Mittens with Angora Lining". I'm not fond of after-thought thumbs (buttonhole thumbs? ...whatever they're called), so this time I decided to modify the pattern to have a thumb gusset. I looked up how many stitches wide the afterthought thumb was, then calculated how many increase rounds I'd need, and thus where I needed to start the gusset.

I reached the point you can see in the photo, when it dawned on me: I had calculated how to get enough increases for the width (13 stitches), not the full circumference (26 stitches).

Whoopsie!

Now I'm trying to figure out what my options are... besides ripping back half of what I've knit, of course. *sigh*

Christmas Tree

Tonight I decorated Mom and B's tree:


While going through the ornaments, I checked the stained glass ones I made way back when I was a kid:



I'm thinking the reason I couldn't remember if there were two or three is because only two (the bird and the house) were still intact and able to hang. The sailboat needs some repair.

Stained Glass Class

I've wanted to take a stained glass class for ages. I'm not sure why I didn't. Back around kindergarten I remember doing a bit as part of an art class I was in. It was in the copper foil method, and we assembled bits of broken glass into various things. I think I made a house, a seagull, and a sailboat. (I'm saying "I think" because I remember all three items, but I thought I had only made two... so one of these things is wrong.) I should find out in a week or two when I put up mom's Christmas tree. (They're a bit broken now, but they're still in with the rest of the ornaments.)

Recently I decided to look at what was available locally. I discovered there was a one-day, no-experience-necessary "Lead Came Christmas Ornaments" class. Count me in! Since a friend was half price, I checked with a friend who also likes crafts. Amazingly, there was still space in the class, and I signed the two of us up.

Today was the class, and I made six ornaments:

(I realize there are seven there, but the candle was made by my friend, and she gave it to me as an early Christmas present. Isn't it pretty?)

Of course, I had *intended* to make a bunch of ornaments for presents... but I'm rather attached to most of these. (I might be able to part with one or two... maybe.)

I still need to wash these to remove the flux. I figured I'd take a photo first, in case I somehow broke one.

More Workshop Photos

I made more progress on my Adelie penguins Monday night at art class.

I really love how this is coming out.

This is also something I did at that workshop, but forgot to photograph before:

It's ink dripped on yupo paper, then spritzed with water.

Finally, on Sunday, I took a "painting with fiber" needle felting class.

I didn't get very far, but we got to keep the supplies, so I can finish later. I had brought some of my own photos to work from, but then decided the class was really designed for us to follow the instructor's provided pattern.

Beret's Blocked

One for me:

One for my grandma:

Julekuler

I knit my first Julekuler (Arne & Carlos Christmas ornament):




Of course, since I didn't check the gauge before going yarn shopping, this ended up rather large... about the size of one of those large navel oranges or a grapefruit.

I'm going to try the same yarn on smaller needles to see how it looks.

Crafty Stuff

The other night I whipped up a potholder out of some leftover Malabrigo to see how it felts. (It seems like sacrilege to felt Malabrigo. However, I have ideas for a Christmas present... should I finish it in time.)

I tossed it in with two loads of laundry yesterday (I forgot to leave it in with the third), and it definitely still needs more felting. Results to come.

I also finished a beret for me out of Royal Alpaca:

(I haven't blocked it yet.) It's the Meret, but with my "own" lace pattern (modified from a Barbara Walker edging), more rows, and a nub at the top. So I guess it's just the stitch count and the brim that's from Meret. But it's not the regular Meret brim, it's the alternate one listed that knit-along knitters used. So I guess it's not really a Meret, is it? Whatever it is, it's done (except for blocking), fits, and should keep my head warm in a (hopefully) non-hair-squishing way.

Now that the needles from my beret are free, I've started a present for my grandma.

I'm heading over to my mom's for Thanksgiving soon. I made the cranberry sauce.

Thrift Shopping

It was a long week, ending in a long day. I was going to go to a spinning group today, but decided I needed to sleep until I woke up, and not to an alarm. By the time I was up and dressed, it was too late to go spinning, but early enough I could go to the MCC thrift shop on Watt, and properly check it out.

Mom and I both think this category is funny:

(Especially since it's misspelled.)

Hey! I took that shops class too:

(Since my father is a pack rat, I somehow doubt that mine has ended up in a thrift shop, though.)

I was tempted by this folding rocker:

It's actually my height. :) It's good wood, although it could do with either reupholstering, or cleaning the existing upholstery, plus reattaching the braid. It was $75. I decided against it... I have no space, no time, and little money.

I thought some of my knitting friends might be interested in these sock blockers, so I took a photo to post on Ravelry:

I've never seen resizable ones before!

This rocker is just like some chairs we have up at the lake:

Except ours are regular chairs, and painted black. (With the paint chipped & worn.) This one is $125... I wonder how much ours are worth? (Priceless... they belong at the lake!)

My haul:

That's 17 assorted glass containers (tea light holders, shot glasses, etc.) for mixing paint (I'll still need more to run a workshop), two plates, 30" of fabric that felt like wool, a doily, a decorative plant watering thingy, and some garlic bulbils. All for $5.90. :)

When I took the price tag off the fabric and opened it up, I found an unused label in the folds that looked like it belonged with the fabric:

Googling, I found this kit, which comes with 30" of wool fabric. A good sign! I snipped off a bit of selvedge anyway, so that I could do a burn test. Set-up:

After holding a match to the narrow point:

It's self extinguishing! And the ash was brittle, not like melted plastic. :) I pronounced it wool.

I'm very happy with my haul!

Square One

Square? Check.

12 inches? Check.

Suitable for a man? I would think so.

Exactly as pattern described? That would be boring. (Right?)

Challenges overcome: hook one size smaller than pattern called for, and the green yarn is actually DK weight. Plus I ran out of cream. (The danger of using scraps.) Would you have known it wasn't intentional, if I didn't tell you that? Okay, even if you did, it still looks nice, right? (If you say "no", I'm going to tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Especially since this "horse" doesn't need food or housing.)

Felted Lamp Shade

darklamp

Wow!

Hip To Be Square

A friend of mine, R, learned to crochet a month ago. After finishing a pair of slippers, she decided to tackle an afghan. (She is fearless.) She was finding the instructions for one of the blocks a bit confusing, and so asked me to help her figure it out. The directions were rather complex, and so I decided to make it myself, to figure it out properly. So, I dug some leftover superwash wool out of my stash, and had a go at it.

Another friend of mine, P, is helping to make a comfortghan for the son of an online friend who had a rather nasty car accident. The squares are 12" (what this one is supposed to be, but is working out a bit smaller... but an extra-wide border will fix that), no colour restrictions, no fibre restrictions. Assuming I finish in a reasonable amount of time (which it is looking like I will), that's where this square will end up.

Two "good deeds" with one square... not bad. :) The fact that it uses up some stash yarn leftovers is a bonus!

Lovely Day!

This morning a friend picked me up, and we drove to another friend's place for spinning group.

Across the road, there was a flea market, so we stopped in for fun. I got a kick out of this old "wool winder":

Definitely hand made! The hooks are bent nails. I found an antique shoe stretcher for $2. (My grandma usually needs her shoes stretched, and mine could often use it too.) Plus it was neat, and only $2. (I left the $10 "wool winder" behind... I don't think I could use it.)

Then we continued on to the spinning group, where there were lots of animals to pet as well. :)


The llamas didn't come close, but Mikey the dog loved attention. And, of course, as the person allergic to cats, I was the only one who had the barn cat jump onto her lap. (Thankfully it jumped back down when I looked at her and said "NO".)

We spun outside (some in the sun, some in the shade... I chose shade), had lunch, then spun some more. (Some people knit, but that's okay too.)

It was a *beautiful* day, and not too hot. :)

After I got home, I had a nice nap (I didn't go to bed early enough last night).

I watched a movie I got in the "previously viewed" bin, it was quite enjoyable.

About an hour ago, I went out to take out some getting-stinky trash (I had shrimp for dinner last night), and did a little star-gazing. There were some clouds, but the rest of the sky was quite clear. I saw one shooting star (Perseid?), Cassiopeia, Polaris, Ursa Minor, part of the big dipper, and what I'm guessing was a satellite (moving south to north at a constant speed, but not an airplane) and possibly the space station (something extremely bright, to the left of the moon, apparently stationary). The police helicopter also circled overhead several times.

Hmmm... googling, it says that the space station isn't in geosynchronous orbit, so the bright thing isn't the space station. I tried looking it up on a star chart, but am having trouble wrapping my head around the placements. (I think I'd need to take my laptop outside, and hold it above my head... but I'd rather go to bed now.)

I hope you had a lovely day too! (I suppose tomorrow I'll have to actually cross something off my list... or at least tackle the dishes that have, somehow, once again stacked themselves up.)