Hot

It's hot in New England today. The bank thermometer read 92 degrees. But people are out and about enjoying the sun and heat. At lunch I took my beach chair across the street to the town common and enjoyed my leftovers and a cold drink. I worked on my sock for soldiers and got another 4 inches knitted. It was just nice to sit in the shade, not worrying about anything, watching the kids run and play in the grass and just knit round and round.

Knitting, it's a great thing.

Some assembly required

It was a lovely day today, warm and sunny with just a little breeze in the air. I had done all of the housework and swept off the patio so I could sit outside and do a little crafting. Ada the Haitian solenoid and Daddy Bunny got finished today. They both went together quite quickly and look really cute. Daddy has more family members that need knitting but they are going together slower. I have some others to put together first. It's fun sitting outside and sewing. The cats kept me company for a little while and enjoyed their times in the sun. The rest of the day they lazed around and slept in the sunny windows or on comfy blankets. So back to work on the next project. Socks or sewing? Knitting keeps winning out these days.

Shaun the Sheep

I assembled and finished Shaun the 9 inch tall sheep today. All of the animals are going into my work, box by box with and without stands. It's fun looking at them all and remembering making them. I still have more to finish up and others to find in the attic. It's going to be a great exhibit this summer.

Unknitting and some finishing

I started off my crafting time by unknitting, using my swift a sock that was 50% finished. It was hard to do but it had to be done. I had knit the gauge totally too tight and the sock could not be saved. I was supposed to have 8 spi but I knit 10 spi. Way, way too tight. You couldn't get the sock on your foot. I was knitting while anxious or upset and it shows. The moral of this tale. "Don't Knit Angry"

So I skeined up the yarn, tied it up and soaked it in my sink for a little bit and it's now hanging up in my shower, weighted down, drying up. I'm hoping this will take the kinks out of the yarn. I've never done this before but have read about it so I'm hopeful it works. In the meantime I'm working on the mates heel and it is knitting right on gauge.

Next up was finishing another project that I've been trying to get to the last couple of days. My problem was my helpers lying right in the middle of my work desk. Magpie, the cat would lay down and then push at my hand for cuddling and attention. But in the end she was good help and settled down to just nap.

Here she is giving me guidance on attaching the ears and the front paws. I love that she just wants to be where I am. She helped me next when I was finishing a teddy bears face. She kept playing with the yarn and just having a good time. It's nice to have a helper right at hand.

Meetings and Knitting

I had a meeting this morning and I arrived a few minutes early there being no traffic. I got settled and pulled out my SFS sock project out of it's camo bag and set to work. More people arrived and a women sat next to me and pulled out her knitting and got to work on a shrug. Across the table I could see another attendee pull out her project. A few people came over and asked about my project and were interested to learn about SFS.

I knit throughout the meeting but still took notes and answered questions. I left with 9 inches of sock and a feeling of accomplishment from the knitting and knowledge gained from the meeting.

I haven't heard of any specific knitting etiquette for meetings. I know I only work on small projects, with quiet needles that don't click and clack away. It gets put down or put away if anyone asks. So far I've never had an issue with this. I think people expect it of me now and like to see what the finished project will become. Meetings and knitting just go together.

SFS

I watched the movie "the Hurt Locker" over the weekend and it made me think of all of those soldiers over there that needed to know, that we here, back in the states, still care and think of them. So yesterday I cast on for a pair of olive drab socks in Regia Stretch yarn. It's the favorite yarn for Socks for Soldiers and I'm knitting a men's pair. It doesn't hurt that I had an appointment to go to today and a meeting on Friday in which to get some knitting done. I've almost knit 4 inches on size 00 needles. It's soothing knitting a sock. It's just round and round for about another 8 inches so I don't have to keep track of rows or a pattern. Take anywhere knitting.

Patience and Pets

I didn't have to go into work today until 1 pm so I thought I'd sit at my work desk, watch some daytime tv (regis, the view, martha) and assemble some projects, thus getting them out of my to be done basket and up on the shelf finished. I had already cleaned the house and did the laundry the day before so there was not excuse.

I hadn't counted on my 'helpers' though. Magpie my black furry cat came up and laid down right in the middle of my worktable within minutes of me getting set up to work. She purred and purred and looked cute and begged for a cuddle which I gladly gave her. She just rolled around, getting fur over every thing. After a while I picked her up, gave her a final cuddle and put her down on the floor.

Next up was Sailor the male cat. He got his pet and went away to get ready for his nap time. I had pulled out yarn to make some socks and was printing out a copy of the pattern when out of the blue the little cat, Sadie, flew up and attacked the printer. I had to physically pull her off the printer and she watched the remaining pages spit out from the back of my office chair, mesmerized by the whole endeavor.

At this point I thought I'll just go downstairs with my basket of stuff and watch tv in a comfy chair before going to work. My knitting, drink and other accessories went into the basket and down the stairs. The entire gang of cats followed me down. I put the basket down and immediately Magpie was climbing into it getting settled for her nap. I just gave in and took everything out of the basket (she adjusting herself nicely) and finally got to knitting.

Final count, Sailor in his favorite chair, Sadie in her favorite chair, Magpie in the basket and little Fern in her kitty carrier, all napping and content. Me I got about an inch worth of my newly cast on sock done as well as my gauge swatch so all in all it was a productive morning. I do love the entire little gang.

Preparations

I spent last night making stands for the circus mice set. They are very nice foam core rounds with large red stars on them. We thought this was most appropriate for the circus and made the ringmaster mouse look very happy and dashing.

Then I went into the attic and found the box of Tinker Toys. With that I made a trapeeze for the acrobatic mice. It looks like something a mouse would have made. Now I have to figure out how to attach the mice so they swing together (their paws are a little short) and stay on the trapeeze bar. A little hidden wire and they'll be set.

I have some wooden embroidery hoops to use for the circus rings, a lion from the Noah's ark set will be in the ring with ? some mice. I've printed out a circus background so they'll look nice in the display case.

After the circus set is sorted out, it's on to the medieval mice. They need a castle set. I'm thinking of the Harry Potter Lego sets for this display. A few balconies and maybe a throne will do . This set will need stands with stone paths on them so they'll blend in.

The Dickensian set is after them. I've printed out wooden flooring for their stands so they can look like they are in a mansion decorating a Christmas tree.

I've got a lot to prep in the next 3 weeks, and I haven't even finished assembling Bob the Builder or the dachshund. This month is going by faster than ever but I'm looking forward to getting all of the toys together and putting them in the display cases. Even I am amazed at how many there are in total.