Finished size: woman’s large
Yarn: Paton’s Classic Merino in Palais, Taupe, Wedgewood & Faded Denim
Needles: Size 13 (Denise set)
Pattern: Fiber Trend’s Felted Clogs
mods: none

Started: 10 October 2007 …
Finished: 20 October 2007
made for: myself

I love them! I almost overfelted them, but managed to save them in the nick of time. They fit perfectly (though they’re still a bit damp after drying overnight. yeah, I love them that much, I can’t not wear them right now.) The pattern confused me a bit at first, but like many things in knitting, once you just accept and follow the pattern, it works out as it should. These knit up pretty quick - I can see why people find them addictive and make them for everyone they know. (I’m contemplating making them for next year’s holiday gift theme. will have to see if my sister thinks they’d wear them…) I’m also wondering how they’d work for ghillie-covers at feiseanna - probably would need non-slip soles added to prevent killing myself.

Here’s more pics:

Finished size: kids medium/large
Yarn: Pingouin Pingofrance II (from SP9)
Needles: Size 3
Pattern: basic mittens from Ann Budd’s Handy Book of Patterns
mods: none

Started: 1 October 2007 …
Finished: 19 October 2007
made for: Yarn Cafe’s Knittin’ Mittens project to benefit Sharing and Caring Hands

I bought this at the Nicollet Mall farmer’s market on the way home from work Tuesday. I think she likes it. If we’re lucky, I won’t fry it to death in the heat we’ve had lately.

In other news, I am a sheep. I joined Mystery Stole 3 Friday afternoon. after a bit of a stash dive, I chose some pink 2-ply wool laceweight that I got in the box of coned yarn at the thrift shop last year.

I ended the swatch early after missing a YO and not being in the mood to fix it. (which was probably not the best of ideas in retrospect - would have been good practice for the actual stole).

I then set out on a bead-hunt. I had to pick up some library books, so Maple Grove was the destination. I stopped at the The Bead Bag in Elk River, since it was on my way, and I ended up choosing some beads there. I have no idea what color to call them, they’re iridescent, kind of a blue with a pink reflection. Funny story - when I asked where I’d find the size 8 beads, after being pointed to that section, I was asked what I was planning to make. When I said a knit stole, she found that interesting because another person had been in earlier looking for the same size beads to knit a stole. Makes me wonder if I have a knitting neighbor working on MS3 as well, or if she’s working on something else. (If that might be you, please say Hi)

so then it was on to Maple Grove (after a stop at the Rogers Library). I stopped in JoAnns to grab the needed uber-tiny crochet hook (a size 12/1mm. egads, is that tiny!) and was then going to pop into The Amber Bead to check out their selection. Turns out they are no longer at that location. Rather annoying, since I was on their website before I left to check their hours and it didn’t mention that the Maple Grove location was closed. No notices on the building either, which makes me think it’s been closed for a while.

in other news, some yarn arrived today. I saw a pic of a FO on someone’s blog once upon a time (clapotis, maybe) and they had knit it up in Lorna’s Laces color Aslan. I liked the way the colors knit up, and being unable to resist most lion-themed things, decided I had to have it. and now I have some - in the Shepherd Sport weight.

in other knitting news, I’ve started another K-chan bag and a third one is in the queue. this time I’m using Bernat Felting Wool (think it’s new - it’s not on their website yet) and size 11 dpns. It’s bugging my wrists though - I think it’s from using 5 dpns and so I’m holding things awkwardly. or something. so it won’t be a marathon like the first one. but I’m about halfway done (not counting the i-cord straps)

somebody (we won’t name names here) left the door to the garage open this morning. wouldn’t be a problem, except the garage door was also open (since we leave close to the same time, it’s easier to just leave it open and the 2nd person closes it). so I’m gathing things and heading out, and notice that the door is open. not just unlatched, but open. which can only mean one thing.

so I go into the kitchen and attempt to summon Kashka by meowing. (it usually works.) no luck. so I head outside, walking slowly around the deck, all the while scanning the yard, hoping that she didn’t squished by the neighbor’s horses or a car. thankfully she wasn’t. she was crouching (the scared crouch, not the gonna pounce version) around the far side of the deck. she was rather cooperative and I was able to follow her to get her to run into the house. we have a little chat, I go to grab something, and realize that a) I didn’t close the door, and b) she was headed back in that direction (I thought I saw a blur head in that direction). so I throw my stuff in the car and head back outside to the same spot. this time she’s sitting on one of the decorative rocks (I’m not sure if she was thinking of jumping up onto the deck or just being cute). we go in and have a little chat and then I head to work.

I’m thinking I need to either dig out her harnass and leash (yes, I have taken her outside before. I think that’s why she was close to the house) or else find her one of those outdoor cat playground things (like this maybe?)

so yesterday, I get a call from dh - come home as soon as you can, the cat’s trapped in the wall which wall? the mystery wall. WTF!?!?!

the mystery wall… if you are looking at the outside of the house, there’s a spot where the wall juts out a wee bit. inside the house, the wall is flat. we’ve been joking a bit about what might be behind the wall. gold? dead bodies? a portal to another world?

Kashka has yet to divulge the secrets of how she got into there. my guess - she wandered into the bedroom closet, managed to open the door into the crawlspace (which, incidentally, is over the mystery wall), found a hole, and fell/crawled down. dh thinks this is patently impossible, as there was a board propped against the crawlspace door to keep it closed (and her out, should someone be foolish enough to leave the closet door open). me, I think it’s possible. when we first moved in, she managed to open the cupboards in the bathroom and trap herself inside. the board leaning on the door isn’t that heavy. she’s small. I’m pretty certain she could pull it off without disrupting the board completely.

so anywho, we had to bash a hole in the wall to try and get her out. she was having none of it - she kept looking up as if to say - that hole in the ceiling is how I got in, and I’m going to figure out how to get back out. despite the fact that she can see me (well, my head at least) sticking into the space between the walls. after many attempts (this took, oh, a good hour), we managed to use the end of a curtain rod to pull her towards the hole and get her out.

so now, there’s a hole in the wall. and a cat living in the bathroom until we can get the hole repaired. dh isn’t too pleased with her. she’s not too pleased with being trapped in the bathroom. (despite the fact that if I’m in there without her, she’ll be pawing at the door and sticking her paw under the door in an attempt to get in.) no worries - she has most of her kitty comforts in there (litter box, food, water, kitty condo, scratching box. I suppose she could use a toy.) we kept her in there while moving in so she wouldn’t escape. it’s ‘her’ bathroom.