SOS08 OVER

On my feet, but really, too small:


Summer of Socks 2008 has ended. I finished one pair of adult socks a day before the final deadline. I used Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's basic sock pattern, Magic Stripes "Denim stripes" sock yarn (now discontinued), and size 0 double-pointed needles (one sock) plus size 1 circular needles (the second sock).

SOCK ON VACATION

As part of Summer of Socks 08, there was a "Socks on Vacation" competition. I signed up for it, and (while in Tucson and Phoenix) took some pictures of my only SOS08 completed sock having a good time visiting the sights. We were supposed to submit a single picture by Monday, August 18, and the resulting collection of entries would be then voted on. We got home in mid-afternoon and I rushed to the computer to upload and format a suitable picture and send it off to the moderator. Unfortunately, though I saved it as a jpeg and sent it as an attachment, she apparently received it as an "ink" and could not upload it. [I was using Opera as my browser and I should have tried Mozilla, I realize now]. I was (and still am) crushed--I think I had a really good picture to submit. Disqualified by technical difficulties! There was no time to try something different. Maybe next year.

Here are the pictures I took of SOCK ON VACATION:
Sock outside Colossal Cave near Tucson [Sock bunny-eared by my oldest grandchild, Rachel]--this was the one I submitted:


Sock IN Colossal Cave:


Sock at the Phoenix Airport:


Sock at the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson:


Sock on Rachel's ballerina-pointed foot (it was really too small for her):

RAVELYMPICS OVER

Ravelympics ended today at 10:59 a.m., DST. I had entered 10 potential medal winners, but only crossed the Finish Line for 6. I ran out of time, so 4 entries were DNF.

Events:
WIPS Wrestling: 2 medals, 1 DNF (1 each for Team Chicago and Team Illinois)
Sock Put: both entries DNF
Scarf Stroke: 2 medals (both for Team Illinois) and 1 DNF
Homeandstuff Hammerthrow: 2 medals (1 each for Team Illinois and Team Chicago)

Now I have to finish my SummerofSocks 2008 entries--1 week to go.

RAVELYMPICS STARTS FRIDAY

Glutton for punishment--that's me! I signed up for The Ravelympics on Ravelry--a challenge to do projects during the Beijing Olympics. For most of the events, you cannot cast on until the Opening Ceremonies and you must finish by the time the torch is put out at the Closing ceremonies. The only exception is the event called WIPs Wrestling which is to finish projects that need finishing, but that have not been worked on recently (since mid-July, at least). I'm on two teams--Team Chicago and Team Illinois and have signed up for 5 projects each--10 in all. Some of this time will be spent traveling to Phoenix/Tucson so I took into account plane/terminal time.

My events are:
WIPs Wrestling--3 projects
Sock Put--2 projects
Scarf Stroke--3 projects
Home-stuff Hammerthrow--2 projects (dishcloths)

I'm currently trying to finish some other projects--my first pair of socks for SOS'08 (I'm closing in on the toe decreases on the first sock), an EZ Surplice Sweater (only buttons left to attach) and a Mystery Blanket (needs edging and it looks like it will be I-cord) for Baby River, and adding the real edging to the Heirloom Pineapple Afghan (this one can wait).

I'm in training now [gathering materials, etc.].

My daughter Karin is also participating for Team Seattle.

RIBBON WINNERS AT KANE COUNTY FAIR

I had entered 18 craft and needlework projects in the Kane County Fair this year, but only completed 15 in time. In fact, I was sewing the strips together for the afghan on the way to the fairgrounds on Tuesday, and crocheting a temporary edging for the top and bottom as well. I finished a few miles from the fair site. Here are pictures of the finished entries with their corresponding ribbons (all items won something):
Tam A (see February 11 entry below):

Tie-Dye t-shirt (this year's project done at the Library):
front



back


Welcome Door hanging--plastic canvas Craft Group project:


Pineapple Afghan from 50 Sensational Crochet Afghans and Throws


Closeup of pattern


Christmas ornament--quilled angel from Quill-a-Way Christmas leaflet:


Magnetic Fridgie--Shoo Fly quilt block:


Beaded Snowflake Earrings from All Info about Jewelrymaking:


String Art Greeting Card:


Knit Vest--Rick Mandragon's Bias Knit Vest pattern (Knitting Universe):
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Christmas ornament--Bargello needlepoint


Christmas ornament--beaded from Mill Hill kit:


Needlepoint picture--"counted canvas" from Cross Stitcher, June, 2006:


Christmas wall hanging:


Christmas ornament--crocheted snowflake:


Christmas ornament--cross stitch patchwork heart:

FINALLY CAST ON FOR SOS08

I finally cast on for my first Summer of Socks '08 project on Sunday night. My original plan was to use 2 circulars, but one of them is currently in use for a baby sweater. I had a set of 5 size 0's double pointed, so I'm using them. I am finding I like 5 easier than 4. The pattern is Yarn Harlot's basic sock pattern and the yarn is Lion Brand's Magic Stripes "Denim Stripe"

SUMMER OF SOCKS 2008 BEGINS

I signed up for Summer of Socks 2008 on Ravelry, hoping to force myself to make a real pair of socks.  Eligible socks were to be cast on no earlier than Saturday, June 21.  However, I still haven't started.  One reason is that Fair entries will have to be priority until mid July.  Then, too, I will need to use my size 0's and and one of my circulars is being used to make a sweater for Baby River--still awaiting his arrival.  I may cast on just to cast on, but I'll have to use (gasp!) double-pointed needles (!).  [I'm trembling.]

 I'm also reading overdue books and books for Summer Reading at 3 libraries, learning how to make computer games using Game Maker and Scratch (for a potential teen program at the library), and working more hours.  AND, our air conditioning is still non-functional (all the coolant had leaked out and the "hole" is still present and possibly not fixable).

I did roll up my yarn--Magic Stripes' "Denim Stripes"--into 2 balls.



We sent in our Kane County Fair entry forms today.  I listed 18 crafts and 17 food entries.  We'll see what I get done by July 15.

SUMMER HAIKUS FOR WENDY J.

Wendy Johnson has set up a challenge contest asking that commenters to her blog write a haiku about summer.  [She had 428 comments as of today!]  The one I submitted was this:

Black monsoon curtains
dust devils spin to escape
enfolded, drenched, gone

Some of the others I came up with were:

Dust devils race by
black monsoon curtains roll down
exterminated

Dervish dust devils
black monsoon curtains race them
obliterate all

Promise of summer
warm fragrant breezes caress
strawberry flowers

For some reason, I forgot 5-7-5 and did some 3-7-3 and 3-7-4, etc.:
Deadline looms
fair entries still not finished
weave in ends

County Fair
dust heat racing pigs 4H
blue ribbons

Every time I visit
Tucson monsoon rains pour down
still too hot

SRPs
tie-dyed hands recording sheets
BBQ's

Monsoon rains
eradicating dust devils
withering thirsty still

SRP
tie-dyed t-shirt time again
where's my prize?

Obviously, I won't be publishing a book of poetry anytime soon.  It was fun,though.

THREE TAMS--TAM B

I actually finished this one in less than one week in February.  I ran out of the ombre yarn and had to finish with a blue that was very close.  Still not  as tam-ish as I had expected.  Pretty, though.

Side view


Top view:


The ombre yarn--greens, blues, purples


Worn with ribbing rolled up


Inside the tam (neat, huh?):


Worn as a tam (sort of):


 I started Tam C, but got bogged down in the currogated ribbing--tedious.

THREE TAMS--TAM A

I had been working on a vest made with Red Heart's "Gemstone", but discovered that my second (and third) skeins had a very different colorway than my first had--same color name, different dye lots. The one I had used for the vest back had navy blue, and darker colors than the other skeins, which had no navy at all. You can kind of see the difference in this picture:


So, I had to stop work on it until I could find more yarn closer to my original (which I did find on Friday at Michaels). Anyhow, I wanted to knit something small, and remembered the tams in the new Winter issue of Knitty, which fortuitously used small amounts of ombre-type yarns. I have several orphan multicolored yarns in small amounts. I started one with size one needles for the ribbing (I have to go down 2-3 sizes to get guage) and a grey-white-green-rust kind of yarn with an off white; the ribbing seemed too tight and the white in the ombre got lost in the white of the background. I frogged it and started another using size 2 for the ribbing and size 3 for the main part and found a small ball of this multi


with an ecru-ish main color. The colors look great together:


It took about a week of obsessive knitting, but I finished it Sunday.
The hat from the side, stretched:


The top of the hat:


Since it is acrylic, not wool, I can't really block it. Here's how it looks on me as a tam:




If I pull it down like a cap, it goes down to my nose! Though I could fold the ribbing up.

BEDROOM SHAWL

Last winter I started to make an Elizabeth Zimmermann "Ribwarmer" vest (from The Knitting Workshop) with this nice grey yarn I had in my stash. I loved the way it felt--even though it's acrylic--but I ran out and couldn't find any more, not even another in a close shade. I had been doing a bit of nightly knitting before going to bed, sitting up in bed propped up with pillows, but my shoulders were chilly. So I decided to use that yarn and make a simple triangle shawl with the grey yarn--essentially a garter stitch washcloth pattern (k1, kfb, k to end) until I ran out of yarn. I got to 150 stitches across and bound off. It was nice and warm, but a teensy bit smallish.

Inspired by the way Wendy Johnson had added the lace edging to her Pinwheel Sweater, I thought I could add a lace edging to make it a bit larger while also learning how to attach lace and do more lacework. I looked through a lot of books and online, with limited luck in finding an edging that you attach as you go and that turned a sharp corner. Then I took A Gathering of Lace out again and found an edging (Shaped Triangle) that looked like it would work--though I had to adjust a bit for the much smaller number of rows (and a number that did not divide appropriately)--lots of graphing! I didn't have any other grey to even come close in color, so I first tried a very light,clay-ish shade. I got one side done--and ran out of yarn and didn't have any more.



Frog time!. Then I thought I'd try a pink (didn't like any of the colors I had) or a blue--and found this one skein of turquoise acrylic yarn, a bit fuzzy and very soft. After much ripping out at the start, I got into the rhythm--and remembered to use life lines. I finished it today--with one inch left over after binding off. I had tried putting on the top edging (with a slightly darker turquoise yarn), but didn't like the way it was coming out. It is not meant to wear in public, just at home.

RECIPE BOXES

Although I have two entire bookcases of cookbooks, I also have a few recipe boxes. The one that is in active use is this wood one (I don't know if it was a gift or from a garage sale), but it is relatively new, maybe from the last 5 years:



I also have these two Rice Krispies recipe boxes--there may have been 3 or 4 at one time--that were from an offer on the box. They were meant to go to some of my children (one or two might have the other boxes) and they contain duplicates of a few recipes--another project never finished!:



I used to have more boxes (a Land-o-Lakes one and a Sylvester & Tweety Pie one, but we had a kitchen fire ten years ago and I lost most of my recipe boxes and recipes.

Here are two recipes that are used. This first is from a friend who served it at several meetings hosted at her home and is one of my favorite Sloppy Joes recipes; she says it was one of her mother's recipes, so probably from the 30's or 40's:

Hambeques

1 lb ground beef
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1 c. stock or water
1/2 c. chopped green peppers
2 Tbs "fat"
1/2 c. catsup
Salt, pepper, cinnamon, marjoram, allspice, paprika, and 1 Tbs worcestershire sauce. [to taste, but I used 1/2 tsp for each spice; once I also added 1 Tbs brown sugar]

Brown the onion and green pepper in the "fat". Add meat and fry. Add liquid and catsup. Add seasonings. Simmer c. 15 minutes. Thicken with flour [I used c.1/2 Tbs] mixed in water and cook 5 more minutes. Skim off fat.

One great aspect of this challenge is finding recipes you've forgotten about. Here's a family favorite that I should have made for the annual Cookie Exchange Party. It is from a Ladies Home Journal Christmas issue originally (70's or 80's):

Cheesecake Dreams

Base:
1/3 c. brown sugar , packed
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1/3 c. melted butter

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until well combined. Reserve 1/3 c. of the mixture. Pt the remainder gently into a greased 8" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Filling:
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/4 c. sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg

At medium speed, beat the cream cheese and the sugar together until smooth. Beat in the remaining ingredients. Pour over the baked crust; sprinkle with the reserved crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack; cut when cool.

This recipe can be doubled and put in a 9" x 13" pan.

5-HOUR SWEATER FINISHED FOR PJ

I sewed on the last button on Wednesday and Rudy took it to Harper for Margaret to pick up at her department office on Thursday. I hope she takes a pic of him wearing it. I think the navy and orange (Go, Bears!) will look better on him than the green lacy set I made before he was born.

I'M ON RAVELRY!

I got accepted at Ravelry (a new yarn-related forum/blog/project-source-database/community, etc.). I didn't have to wait too long to get in, either. My Ravelry name is (predictably) "LizzieHelen".

RED AND GRAY SPIRAL HAT

I'm finally putting up the picture of the red and gray version of the spiral hat, the one I made for Yvonne. This one turned out too snug. I have to make her a new one, too.

KNIT SPIRAL HAT

This is the hat I knit last year during The Apprentice and American Idol. The pattern is from Handknit Holidays: Knitting Year-Round for Christmas, Hanukkah, and Winter Solstice by Melanie Falick.



Although every time I measured it seemed to be in gauge, it turned out huge. I gave it to Fabien, but he gave it back saying it was too big for him(!)--and he didn't like the I-cord top. I was going to frog it, but, instead, I donated it to PADS. I hope it fit someone and kept them very warm.

I made the hat again, much smaller, in red and gray for Yvonne--with just a plain top. [Picture later] I'll have to make something else for Fabien since I'm tired of the pattern.

[This has been a test of putting phots online again; I think it worked.]

BEEN BUSY, ETC.

Hard to believe it's been so long--5 months--since I last posted here. Part of the reason is that I wanted to post pictures of projects I was working on, so I kept putting it off. Unfortunately, after our move in April, the printer--which handled the photo editing--refuses to be recognized by the computer. If you try to access it, it says there is no printer, but if you try to install it, it says it's already there!!!!!! I also tried to upload to the Microsoft program on the computer itself, but it kept saying "the scanner or camera is already in use"(?????) Then, of course, I got really busy at work, finishing stuff for the Kane County Fair, planning and working at the Art Show in Elgin, reading books for three Adult Summer Reading Programs, and trying to keep unpacking at the new house. And my husband--who said he would fix the problem--got extremely busy, teaching a Summer Math course as well as taking an Organic Chemistry course AND working as a software consultant. This semester, he is working full time and teaching 2 classes at Harper--you can tell he's retired (!). Meanwhile, my camera is filling up with pictures of projects, artists, and our trips to California and Arizona this summer.

Currently I'm working on socks-to-be-felted from Cat Bodhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles--so far it's been easy enough (I never made socks before) but I'm running out of the wool I started with; they'll probably end up two-colored. For my AAUW craft group we've been making "Gingham" coasters from plastic canvas and I'm making a box to hold them. Also, as part of the 50th Anniversary of Elk Grove Village , local artists and some of our staff were asked to decorate black metal book ends. I got mine late, but got several ideas and finished 2: one decorated with blue and white flat-bottomed glass marbles (on sale this week at Michaels and Hobby Lobby) and one with broken discarded cd-roms in a mosaic effect (very cool!). I'm still working on an embroidered set and probably a pieced one as well ("Broken Dishes"). We'll see. So far 22 sets have been finished and are on display at the Library. We may have a silent auction for them on October 15th at the Open House.

MORE BOOKS READ (CONTINUED AGAIN)

Of course, I also read Romances, too. In keeping with the just-finished season, I read a couple of Christmas-related books:
The Brides of Christmas, a collection of three novellas by Jo Beverly, Margaret Moore, and Deborah Simmons, all set in the Middle Ages--all three were interesting and touched on different aspects of the Holiday celebrations of the period
To Marry at Christmas by Kasey Michaels--a reprint of a story from the 80's, really too sugary for today's tastes (a department store buyer and the son of the owner meet and at once (it seems) decide to get married)
A couple of the books were by very popular authors:
Red Lily by Nora Roberts--the conclusion of the In the Garden Trilogy, a nice finish to the ghost story and the romances
All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz--good romantic-suspense occurs when a young lady returns to her hometown at the request of a long-ago friend only to find her dead and the mystery of her own parents' death re-opened.
The rest of the romances read since January were historicals:
In Pursuit of a Proper Husband by Glenda Garland--a widow is attracted to the widower husband of her deceased friend, but secrets get in the way of their romance in this well-done Zebra Regency
Alas My Love by Edith Layton--a former street urchin, sent to Australia, has returned to England after amassing a fortune and sets out to find his possible family in this well-written story by the always reliable Ms. Layton; a most unusual hero
Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister-- another wacky "Regency" by the very amusing MacAlister, full of outrageous characters and malapropisms, misunderstandings and sensuous romance
Just Say Yes by Myretta Robens--charming story of a vicar's daughter who is attracted to a land steward who is really a Lord.

Since I started this topic, I have read a few more books:
Let It Be Love by Victoria Alexander--the latest in the Effington Family stories has moved on to the grown children of the original Effington characters; here Jonathan reneges on a promise to marry a desperate young lady, but then falls in love with her while they write a sensuous book about Gods and nymphs
This Rake of Mine by Elizabeth Boyle--a schoolteacher meets up with the man who had ruined her reputation by kissing her in public years before and gets involved with spies and murder as her three young lady charges attempt to match-make; I didn't like the hero at first, but he became more likeable as the book went along
Forever by Jude Deveraux--a Kentucky girl with the power of "True Persuasion" helps a Montgomery to solve the mystery of his parents' disappearance years before, while confronting witches in this unusual paranormal romance
Shadows in the Dark by Elaine Cunningham--a former vice cop now PI specializing in finding lost children is herself sought by evildoers as the heiress to enormous Powers (strong hints as to her heritage come from a character called Ian Forest who owns a club called Underhill) [a real page-turner!]

MORE BOOKS READ (CONTINUED)

I turned in my log sheet for the STDL Winter Reading Program and got a nice lined notebook and attached pen as the prize.

Most of the books I read seem to have been mysteries (including the Native American related ones for STDL). I've taken a liking to the Aaron Elkins mysteries and read three since January:
Curses!--Gideon Oliver takes part in a dig at an ancient Mayan site in the Yucatan Peninsula where a previous scandal at the site 5 years before is revisited when a dig member is killed
Icy Clutches--Gideon Oliver investigates when the remains of victims of an avalanche in Alaska are discovered
A Glancing Light--museum curator Chris Norgren takes on verifying the authenticity of recently recovered art stolen by the Nazis in WWII
I also read a couple of books by Donna Andrews from her Meg Lanslow series (very funny):
We'll Always Have Parrots--when the unpopular star of a fantasy tv series is murdered at a fan convention, Meg must cope with escaped monkeys and parrots, rabid fans, temperamental actors and writers, and a fencing demonstration (in skirts) as she tries to find the culprit
Owls Well that Ends Well--Meg and English professor/actor Michael have bought a house "as is" (full of junk) and hold a gigantic garage sale that becomes a media circus when an antiquarian bookseller is found dead in an antique trunk.
I read, finally, as well, the latest books by several popular authors:
The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell by Lilian Jackson Braun--not much mystery, but still a cozy read as the town of Pickax celebrates its sesquicentenary.
Murder at Five Finger Light by Sue Henry--Jessie Arnold is stranded on a lighthouse island with a few other people while a murderer stalks them; lots of surprises.
S is for Silence by Sue Grafton--Kinsey Milhone investigates the disappearance of a woman and her car that occured in the fifties, 34 years previously.
I also read (and enjoyed) the latest [before March, anyway] in the Blackbird Sisters series, Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die by Nancy Martin--impoverished socialite Nora's obnoxious Society column writer boss is found dead on her porch and her mob-connected boyfriend is a suspect. I liked Veronica Heley's latest, too, Murder by Committee, an English cozy featuring Ellis Quicke, a widow finding her way as an independent person and still trying to rescue her selfish daughter who has been involved with a shady entrepreneur who is murdered. Lastly, I read a first novel by Elizabeth Becka, Trace Evidence--a Cleveland based forensic specialist, Evelyn James, gets personally involved in the deaths of two young girls, one who has been drowned after being thrown in the river with her feet encased in cement and one who has been strangled after escaping her cement shackles; not too gory, but very intense ending.

MORE BOOKS READ SINCE JANUARY

For the Elk Grove Winter Reading Program we only had to read three books: one set in the past, one in the present, and one in the future. For the first two I read two Christina Dodd books:
My Fair Temptress--impoverished former belle is assigned to teach an apparently foppish weakling how to be a "man" and win a wife
Close to You--conclusion of the Prescott trilogy, TV reporter is being stalked by the man who killed her parents and separated her from her siblings when she was a baby.
For the third I read
Jack McDevitt's Seeker--27th century antiquarian Alex Benedict and his pilot Chase Kolpath look for a derelict ship purported to belong to a long lost colony from Earth.

Some of the other books I read also fall into the SciFi/Fantasy categories:
Mel Odom's Lord of the Libraries--the exciting conclusion to the Vault of All Human Knowledge series wherein ex-Librarian Juhg and Wizard Craugh rescue Grandmagister Wick and prevent the Goblinkind from overrunning the world
Christopher Paolini's Eldest--continues the quest of reluctant Dragonrider Eragon to help dwarves and elves to vanquish the renegade Dragonrider, King Galbatorix
Catherine Asaro's Charmed Sphere--mages Chime and Lord Fuller use their flawed powers to help save their kingdom from their ambitious neighbor and his own evil mage
Mercedes Lackey's and Rosemary Edghill's Music to My Sorrow--unseligh elves, corrupt tv evangelists, mesmerizing rock bands, grasping parents, and more confront Bard Eric Banyon and his friends

A couple of the books I read don't really fit into a genre:
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke--humorous fictional account of a British executive's attempt to work at a French firm and to live in Paris
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason--four Princeton seniors attempt to help solve the mysteries of a famous Renaissance book [that actually exists] while coping with school deadlines, women, social duties, and a murder [fascinating page-turner; I read this while in France and on the plane home]