To rib or not to rib?

That is the question.

Here is a cuff - should I continue the rib on the instep or just knit stockinette?

I'm not following any pattern, so the choices are open.

Then these arrived today (yippee!!)

and I am ready to begin Embossed Leaves (again).

What do you think - Blue

or Burgundy?

And really, thanks for letting me rant yesterday.

I needed to vent.

Oboe, Music Store Rant!

There is no knitting content here, just a rant.

School district buys (very nice and expensive) oboe from big music conglomerate in Texas. Same big music conglomerate has been claiming big box stores are hurting their business by selling cheap instruments (not oboes, thankfully). Big box sues music store and wins, so music store is now bankrupt and out of business.

In the meantime, lovely oboe cracks. Music teacher (me!) tells band director it needs to be repaired. Band director calls music rep still servicing the schools and is told that since the music store bought the oboe from the manufacturer, the warranty applied to the music store and not the final purchaser of the oboe. (Think cars here, people). Hello!! Are you nuts???

So I call the manufacturer and am told of course the oboe is covered under warranty and they will happily repair it for free. I guess the band director is happy, although when I gave him all the necessary information he didn't even say thank you. (That is another rant for another time.)

Now - the music store claims the big boxes were hurting their bottom line but you know what it really was? Their lack of professional and knowledgeable employees. Their hiring of idiot employees who freely dispense misinformation! I get so crazed with the ridiculous state of customer service that seems rampant in so many businesses here. Is it just in the US or is it everywhere??

Okay, I'm done now. Thanks for listening.

Spinning around

Tuesday was my last of the three beginning spinning classes with Leef. (boo hoo hoo - she is so wonderful) My assignment had been to bring 2 spindles of yarn - one white, one brown so we could ply. Here is the result of my effort:

It came out thick and thin - very organic! I have more to spin and more to ply - so maybe I will knit a chunky hat from this. Beth - it is corriedale. I have totally enjoyed this new endeavor and now I must make time to continue improving my skills and to take the intermediate classes. I also thank you for your encouraging comments. You are really spurring me on.

Monkey socks were so much fun and elicited so many responses - they took me 2 weeks to knit (I am not a fast knitter). I really enjoyed the pattern and if you are thinking about knitting them - go for it! They were a very satisfying project.

Here are the most recent socks:

They are a basic 2X2 rib which will continue all the way down the foot using Fortissima Cotton Colori (which I think has been discontinued!) and #1 DPNs. I realize I like simple after complex. It keeps me from getting bored to change back and forth.

The next will be another pair of Embossed Leaves - they are so beautiful and such a nice pattern, but I am awaiting the arrival of some Pony Pearls #0 DPNs. I plan to use Knitpicks Essentials or Gloss and both seem like they want #0s.

Hope your day is fantastic!!!!!!!!!!

Love Monkey

Loved knitting Monkey!

I did use the star toe from Embossed Leaves 'cos it is the right shape for my toes.

Yarn: Lorna's Lace Shepherd

Color: Sand Ridge

Needles: #1 DPNs

Pattern: Monkey from Knitty

Thanks, Beth and Sharon for your nice comments. I am really enjoying the spinning so far.

Sorry Beth, I do not know what that fiber is - I will ask on Tuesday.

1st handspun

I finally had some time and so here is the first handspun:

Tonight and tomorrow I will fill a spindle of white for my Tuesday lesson that will be plying.

Then I guess I am off to the races!

~~~Yippee~~~

My Family

Of oboes, that is.

On the left is the oboe.

Next is the oboe d'amore. It sounds a third lower than the oboe and is used mainly in older music like Bach and Telemann, although it was used in Ravel's "Bolero" (the theme from the Bo Derek movie "10").

On the right is the English horn or if you prefer, the cor Anglais. This is even lower in sound than the oboe and the d'amore and used frequently.

I regularly play the oboe and English horn, althought this weekend is a Bach Cantata in which I will be playing the d'amore.

Just thought you might like a peek....

Sock Tease

I have been Monkey-ing around with these all week:

They are Monkey by Cookie A. from Knitty in Lorna's Lace Shepherd in Sand Ridge using #1 DPNs. I really like this pattern - not at all hard and really pretty!

I hope to be done with them in the next few days. Life has been very busy - played with Ft. Worth Symphony and Willie Nelson on Saturday. Also had two lovely church services on Sunday.

My three students have been gearing up for All-State and the rest of the crew are playing solos in chamber music contests over the next few weekends.

I will have some spinning pics soon - lessons have been great, but I have not had time this week to "practice." Work has really been getting in the way of my play time!!! More details to follow.....

Music Weekend

I just love do it yourself projects! Thanks for you thoughts on the yarn meter. I think it turned out just fine and it was easy! So go for it and make you own. Think of all the nice sock yarn you can get with the savings! Next on my DIY list are sock blockers from here.

We have the pleasure of performing with Mark O'Connor this weekend. He is an amazing fiddler who has composed and performs his own classically oriented works. I played with him last year and was totally impressed with his musicianship and lively personality. It should be a fun weekend at Symphony.

On Christmas Eve morning, we performed in LeeAnn's church - so here are Ceci, LeeAnne and Jim doing our thing.

I have begun Monkey but don't have any pics yet. They are a quick and easy knit.... I will take pictures after the concert tomorrow.

Yes Patrice, it was Bass Pro Shops. The brand is Shakespeare and I think the cost was $12.99. It was the less expensive one. You can find it on line here.

Have a great weekend.

Socks and Yarn Meters

Thanks for all the sweet comments. My cousin loved his hat and wore it running the very next day. Mom has been showing her friends the socks - I think she is really tickled by them!

One of Mom's friends asked for pair of socks. I had this Lion Brand Magic Stripes in my stash and found I was not too fond of the yarn or the colors. So these are going to NY for another octagenarian lady:

Magic Stripes Ocean, #1 DPNs, knit in a Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks, the heel is from Sally Melville Purl Book. I didn't model because these are too big for me.

There was a thread on KR about the speed at which we knit. I feel I am a slower knitter, a process knitter. But I CO the first sock last Thursday pm and finished tonight. So that makes 10 days for whatever that is worth!

My DH bought me a line counter (aka yarn meter) from a big fishing store for Christmas. I turned it into this:

Knit Picks sells one all set up for $49.99. Mine cost $12.99 (for the meter) and $.99 for the little wooden base. The rest of the wood came from our garage.

Here is a side view:

I used a 7/16" wooden dowel and two 3" pieces of 1X1 inch wood. I drilled holes in the 1X1s as well as the bottom of the 5" x 7" base (from Michaels) and screwed them on. I hollowed out the top of the 1X1s with my Dremel and glued the dowel on. The meter itself clamps right on and can be tightened down so it won't move. This is the exact same meter that is sold for the big $$. And yes, I shamelessly copied the KP version. No guilt here :-)

One last item: I go for my first spinning lesson Tuesday!!!

I will let you know ....

Mom, Hat 'n' Socks

Although Mom was here, I put in a busy knitting week. Didn't get too much practicing or reedmaking done, but we did cook, bake, eat, play Scrabble (she whomped me!) and knit.

The first pic is of that Ribbed Cashmere Hat on Shrodinger's blog. My cousin is a runner and wears hats - I hope it fits. My DH thought is was fine for him.

I used Sirdar DK (acrylic, wool, nylon blend) and #6 needles.

And then I finished the ever-so-bright socks from the gift Collinette yarn:

They were a great fit - for both Mom and me. But Mom liked them so much, I gave them to her. Picture a 5', 86 year old white haired lady in black velvet pull-on pants, black loafers and these socks! She looked pretty darn cute!

I was surprised how fast these knit up after all the socks I knit with fairly involved patterns, these were QUICK! I knit 12 rows of 2x2 ribbing, stockinette leg, ribbed heel, stockinette foot and a star toe on #1 dpns.

Our lives have returned to our normal craziness, so I will come see you more often. I missed you all :-)

Socks and Students

SOCKS

Happy days are upon us ~ here are the finished Pomatomus

They were a fun knit - Lorna's Lace Shepherd in Sherbert with #1 DPNs and a good fit! I was given some Collinette jitterbug (see last post) and will begin some easy socks now. Less concentration is sometimes a good thing.

STUDENTS

Once again they made me look good. The 2 who placed first in their respective regions went on the the area competition Saturday and placed first and second. In Texas, that means they will go to the All State convention next month. The All State organization picks only 16 oboists from the entire state. And two are my students!

The third, who was first on English horn in his region will know tomorrow if he goes - they take only 4 from this huge state.

I am lucky to have such great kids to work with. All the kiddos did really well, regardless of how far they got in these auditions. It is a real priviledge to know and work with these young men and women.

GOOD AND BAD

Last week I flew to NY to get Mom here for a 2 week visit. All went well until our layover in Chicago O'Hare Airport. I had the poor judgement to eat. By the time we got home, my tummy was unhappy. Let's just say I have never been so violently ill as I was later that night and into the next day. It took from Friday until today for me to recover from the results of the food poisoning I endured after eating the SALAD (it wasn't even junk food) at OHare.

And the really good part - Mom is here.

Fiber and Food

FIBER

Our wonderful LYS Woolie Ewe is having it's annual sale. I was able to get these lovelies at a nice discount. And thanks to my fabulous students who gave me gift cards, it didn't cost me a cent!

Thank you, thank you dear students.

We have Sirdar DK on the left in a luscious heathered teal (for my DH's sweater), Hempathy in Rose on the right for me! and Lorna's Lace Amish and Sand Ridge in the front. The bright colorway in the back was a gift - Jitterbug by Collinette in Lapis. I am ready for socks!!!!

FOOD

Here is the quick and easy recipe for the Chicken Cacciatore I made on Christmas Day:

1 chicken, cut up and skinned

1 onion, sliced in rings

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz (more or less to taste) quartered fresh mushrooms

2 stalks celery, sliced in 1/2" pieces

2 cups tomato sauce

Italian spices (whatever you like)

Olive Oil

Red Wine - a couple of "glugs" (optional)

In an electric skillet (or large skillet) put in some olive oil and cook onions and garlic in until tender. Remove and save.

Brown chicken pieces.

Put the onions and garlic back in, adding the rest of the ingredients.

Cover and simmer until chicken is tender.

Serve with pasta and a salad.

Yummy!

Merry Sockmas!

Oops, I mean Christmas.

I am like the turtle in the old fable. I move slowly ('specially with being busy with work) but will finish quietly and calmly. Working them two at a time is very slow, but satisfying.Here is my Pomatomus progress:

We finished (performing in) one service this morning and have two more tonight. The free-range chicken and fresh pasta are languishing in the fridge and the tomato sauce is on the stove cooking for tomorrow's Chicken Caccitore dinner.

Merry Christmas from the two of us to all of you.

1 FO, 1 WIP, 1 New Project

The FO:

Streaming Leaves

Fiber Trends Pattern #AC-80, Classic Elite BamBoo yarn (3+ a bit more skeins)

#5 Lantern Moon Needles

I think my friend will be surprised!

Here is the WIP:

Airy Scarf from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts."

I don't know how it will block; this is Patons Lacette.

It is a blend of 36% Acrylic, 39% Nylon, and 25% Mohair.

I really like the color and there is a bit of shiny that will look great against a black top!

This is also a gift.

Hope I get it done - the deadline is quickly approaching . . . . . .

Oh, and did I mention I just bought these off Ebay?

Monday Markers

Oh my - it seems the week has come and gone already! I have been immersed in the Nutcracker for days. It was a *very* long week, but I always love to play the ballet. I was on 2nd oboe and English horn, so I got all the big juicy solos (on EH)! And my principal oboe was Sillyewe!! We had a great time - she is a fine, fine player and lots of fun.

On opening night, she gave me these little lovelies:

Handel's Messiahs begin Thursday and go all weekend, but I should have more time to knit this week. I plan to get the Streaming Leaves finished for my friend. And Argosy in the new Knitty is beckoning me to knit her for another friend. Monkey (in the same issue) look nice too. Uh-oh, I just picked up the Holiday 2006 IK and there are the most lovely Bells and Whistles Socks.

Oh boy, I really need some self control now!

Note to self: Must finish Pomatomus before beginning Monkey and the Bells and Whistles.

Enjoy this sunny and warm Monday.

High Tech PomotaNOTamus

Here is my high tech method of keeping track of knitting from charts.

Notice the teeny, tiny original that I can't for the life of me see:

I blow it up and color code the stitches.

Then I use a piece of posterboard for the guide.

Please notice the high tech bobby pins to keep it in place.

To count the rows, here is my solution:

I do have to remember that I am using a ballpoint pen, so I must be careful and close it each time or move it to a safe place.

You can see where I frogged (the crossed out part on the left sock.)

And after 14 rows, here is what we are looking like:

Now you know the secrets to a NOT high tech household.

Have a great weekend~

New Day

Today is a new day.

Here are the bats I received from Grafton Fibers:

They are Wensleydale hand dyed wool ..... I can't wait to try them!!

Streaming Leaves is nearing completion, one more skein to go:

Pomotomus Socks are moving slowly. I love the pattern, but time limitations are holding me back right now:

We are in full swing of the busy holiday music season. Nutcrackers last weekend, Symphony this weekend, more Nutcrackers next week, then a week of Messiahs.

I can only squeeze a bit of knitting in late at night. But that is okay - busy is good!

Enjoy your week.

Happy Thanksgiving

May your Thanksgiving be filled with blessings and joy.

Sampler

Cotton, Merino and Silk
oh my!
Alpaca, Cashgora and Camel
to try!

My favorite postman brought me this yummy sampler from Hello Yarn just in time for my 1st spinning lesson tomorrow morning. Perfect timing, ya think??

Here is the start of Pomotomus from Knitty - only 3 rows so far .......

This is Lornas Laces Shepherd in Sherbet on #1 DPNs. I am a fairly loose knitter and always have to go down a size or two, I figured they would be right for the gauge. These are some itty-bitty needles but surprisingly easy to manipulate.

Any exciting plans for Thanksgiving?

DH and I are going out for dinner. I have cooked for the past few years, but since there are just the two of us, we always have way too many left-overs to eat. Nutcracker Ballet begins Friday, and we are busy working this and all weekends (now until Christmas) so that made the decision of dining out an easy choice for this year.

We will put up our Christmas lights Thursday morning and be outwardly ready for the season. Inside is a different story. Last year we were not in such a festive mood, so the interior decor was minimal. I think I will put up quite a bit more this time since I am feeling pretty darn good!

I just love garlands of green and bright white lights weaved throughout.

Back to the Land of the Living

Good Morning! Thanks for all your well-wishes. I am finally feeling almost normal again. Sharon - I hope you are better now too. That was some ugly virus going around!! It kept me under the weather for over a week. I hardly ever get sick so this was a very unpleasant awakening for me.

I forgot to take my knitting with me over the weekend, and was feeling so poorly, I probably wouldn't have done anything anyway. But - I this week I finished this little set for a friend who is due in December:

This is the Child's Placket Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. The matching hat (free pattern) is Bev's Baby Seed Cap . I used Simply Soft in Country Peach with #6 circ for the sweater and #3 dpns for the cap.

Enjoy the rest of your week- and stay well!