FO: Strangling Vine

Finally.

After many stops and stops, a lot of procrastinating and even more T-Pins, I finally blocked and finished my Strangling Vine scarf. I unpinned it before Chicks with Sticks at Bluebonnet tonight, so I could take it in for a proper FO photo shoot.

I used US size 2 aluminum circular needles from my Boye Needlemaster and less than one skein of Handmaiden Sea Silk in "Capri." I used more than half the skein, but I still have enough left for a small project.

If you look closely, you can see little irregularities around the edges from the T-pins, but it's not very noticeable. In fact, it looks like I did it on purpose to add some sort of semi-picot edging.

The pattern is free, but the designer asks that you perform a Random Act of Kindness in exchange for using it. For my RAOK, I donated a small amount to the Night of Too Many Stars telethon to benefit the New York Center for Autism. It's a good cause. (And Comedy Central has Jerry Lewis beat when it comes to telethons.)

I hope it stays this well blocked. It stayed pinned down longer than it had to, because I was procrastinating on taking out all those pins.

I got plenty of compliments at Bluebonnet, and Suna even took some pictures for herself.

I can't wait until it gets cold again, so I can actually wear it.

Breakthrough

It's another too tired to blog kind of day, but I did make a breakthrough that I had to share.

That's my Strangling Vine scarf, all pinned down and sprayed with water. (I'm blocking with the pin and spritz method.)

All I have left to do is wait for it to dry (which may take a while) and trim snip the loose ends. I wove in the ends before I pinned it down, but I didn't cut them. I read somewhere that this was the way you should do it with lace.

I bought a fifth box of T-Pins at Hobby Lobby after work today. I wandered around for a while, and discovered that they already have some of their Christmas stuff out. That made me smile.

While at Hobby Lobby, I was tempted by a skein of my beloved Wool Ease Chunky in purple, a rare shade. Normally Lion Brand Wool-Ease Chunky is only available in a few neutral colors. However, I abstained, deciding I'd rather save my money for other things.

As you can see, I had to put the pins in sideways at the end because I was so close to the wall.

Suna offered to lend me her clocking wires, but as far as I've come, I decided not to start over from scratch. But next time, I want blocking wires.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

It may look like I'm done blocking...

...but I'm not.

*sigh*

I went to Jo-Ann and got a fourth box of T-Pins. But I'm still don't have enough for the very edge. I may have been able to take some of the pins off the sides, but this project has been special since the beginning. I'm not going to skimp on the blocking now that I've come this far. I've already fudged the end because I was about to run into the wall, and I don't want to unpin the whole thing and move it. (Yes, the pins are in the carpet.)

While I was at Jo-Ann, I saw that the striping version of Jo-Ann Sensations Angel Hair is on clearance. In between that and the coupons for the Fourth of July weekend, I'm having to use restraint.

I also got a good look at Spa and Country from the new Naturally Caron line. Caron is the latest craft store brand to offer up baffling blends of luxury fibers and acrylic. (Bernat has some similar yarns in their Natural Blends collection.)

Intriguing, but I'm saving my money for The Knitting Nest's Tom Hanks Birthday Sale.

One more box to go...

I wanted to post one last picture before bed. This is how far I got on blocking my Strangling Vine scarf tonight. I still need one more box of T-Pins.

A Million Little T-Pins

The Finishing on the Firsts Ravelry group got me going, but I still haven't finished blocking my Strangling Vine scarf. I'm farther along than last time, but I still have a long way to go.

Just before I took this picture, I had started on the third box of T-Pins. My goal is to at least finish the third box tonight. I think it will take at least four to finish. I don't know if I have fourth lying around, or of I'll need to buy another box.

I know that's a lot of pins, but other knitters have told me there's no such thing as too many pins when it comes to blocking lace. (Or maybe it was blocking in general.)

In other Ravelry news, I joined the "Tour de Fleece" group, and I plan to do some Navajo plying during the Tour de France. I haven't been spinning much since I got stuck while plying my Merino. I'm hoping this will get me going again.

For the parting shot, I made some good progress on my Broken Scarf today, and I', realizing that striping the two skeins was the right choice. I'm also taking suggestions for a better name.

I'm not dead yet!

Here's proof that I have been swatching on Sunday. On other days as well. I just haven't officially posted it. I'm waiting to block.

This is the Classic Elite Soft Linen that I bought at Gauge. I'm also working on swatching the Cascade Greenland I bought at Wildfiber.

I also haven't given up on Strangling Vine, which I have been mistakenly calling Strangling Vines. Originally I was going to wait until I blocked this scarf and my Noro Striped Scarf before moving on to the next project, but at this rate, I think I'll settle for simply rewarding myself for finally going grocery shopping.

I am kinda-sorta using the ruler blocking technique I found in this KnitPicks PDF. However, I couldn't find the right size ruler, so I'm using this one foot by one foot square from my Mom's quilting supplies. It helps, but I can't quite use the technique in the PDF.

This is how far I've gotten as of now. I've already used an entire box of T-Pins.

The ruler is helping me keep things straight, but I think it's still a little uneven. This is why I really want a blocking board like this one. I know I can use plaid sheets, but the board would also let me put it on my bed or increase the width of my table. Right now all my blocking takes place in the closet.

On that note, it's time to do some more pinning.

Startitis

A lot of people are using March to finish up lingering project. However, I seem to be letting them pile up. I have Startitis and I'm not doing anything about it.

It's time for a WIP round up.

This is the first time the Rainbow Socks have made an appearance on my blog. That's because they are a birthday gift for my sister, and since I've already done the old wrap-a-pair-of-unfinished-socks-for-a-gift trick, I can now reveal them to the world.

These socks have had bad mojo so far. They were slow to start, I kept forgetting them at home as I was trying to make the birthday deadline, and they keep coming off the needles. (I need to get my dpn holder thingy out again.) Although I consider myself pretty good with short rows, these aren't quite right, which is causing puckers. (Even after reading this helpful tutorial.)

Each short row section is supposed to have four unworked stitches left in the round before finishing the section. The first short row section was fine, but ever since then I end up with either two, six or at one point three stitches left. I kept counting them over and over again, and everything added up.

But just now, as I was getting the socks out for a picture, a needle came out (again) and suddenly I was stitch short and I have no idea where it went.

So these are going into time out until I can input from my sister (to see how picky she is) and my Mom (to figure out where I went wrong.)

I've dubbed these two Boogie Time watches "Even More Boogie Time" To differentiate them from all the other Boogie Time watches I've made. These are really late Christmas gifts.

As you can see, I've cast off, but they still need to be sewn up. However, the real problem has been finding a watch face that will work for a boy for the striped one. (No luck at all the thrift stores I've checked so far.)

Way back in January, I talked about "starting" the Candy sweater from Knitty? Yeah, I haven't made it past the swatch. I haven't even blocked the swatch. (And I want to be sure to block the swatch to be sure of the gauge before I do the math....yada yada yada.)

Strangling Vines continues to get the most attention these days, even when there are birthday gifts to knit, etc. It is a total luxury project, and it's just for me. (And it will be less puckery after blocking.)

This isn't even counting the "inactive" projects, the secret design I have planned, my plans for Silk Cotton that are forming in my head, the projects I owe other people that aren't technically "gifts," etc.

And with all this going, what am I going to work on before I go to bed?

I'm casting on (or at least winding the yarn for) Fetching to join all the Malabrigo March Madness on Ravelry.

Bits and Pieces

This link came up on my Gmail today. I have no idea why. And are these really any better than band aids?

I’m having all sorts of computer problems tonight. For now, I’m blaming the weather, because that does not require tech support from my cable company. Some sites just don’t want to load, including Blogger. (I’m typing this on a word doc so I can cut and paste later.)

Quote of the day:
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” – Robert Frost (recently seen on Knitgrrl’s blog)

Hi, Mom. *waves*

Excuse me, I caucused.

Caucus sounds like a dirty word, doesn't it?

I got home a little while ago after my electoral evening. As of this writing, CNN projects Hillary the winner of Ohio, but Texas is still up in the air.

As I mentioned yesterday I had a hard time deciding between Obama and Clinton. I consulted friends who had done their research (lazy, I know) and I read this blog entry. (Thanks for the link, Patita.) And I was still undecided, despite all the pro-Obama stuff coming my way.

After work I had to fight traffic and head down to South Austin, since I'm still registered at my parents' address. By the time I left work, I had decided to vote for Hillary, partly because of her health care stance, but mostly because of some gut feeling. With the candidates touting such similar platforms, I felt like this was the best way to go.

I brought Strangling Vines with me, which was not an ideal project for standing in line, considering the counting involved. I had to unknit (or "tink") several times.

The line to actually vote was pretty short. I only worked one row before it was time to dig out my ID. I was actually starting to feel a little resentful. It felt almost like there was peer pressure to vote for Obama, as if he was the popular kid. But at the same time, his popularity may make him the strongest candidate.

That's about the time I saw our neighbors down the street walk in. My family has known Johnny and Yvonne for years. Yvonne came up and hugged me and ask if I was going to Caucus. I said I didn't think so because I was undecided, which sounded stupid considering I was about to vote in less than five minutes. She said she had to tell me something to help me decide. We debated whether or not to step outside. Finally she whispered in my ear.

I was expecting another Obama endorsement, but instead she said something about needing a woman if we're ever going to get anything done. I forgot her exact words, but the important thing was that I suddenly felt confident of my choice. I had to move up in line and I told her I'd meet her when I was through.

I had to fill out a voter registration card, change my address, yada yada yada, and then I voted. I admit I skipped most of the other races, but that's probably more responsible than voting for people I have never heard of.

Then I joined Johnny and Yvonne down the hall, in line for caucus. I hadn't planned to caucus, but Yvonne gave me the confidence to stand by my decision. I'm lucky I ran into her.

Johnny and Yvonne were in a hurry to leave by 7:30, so they made it a point to be first in line so they could sign in and leave. Apparently, signing your name under the right candidate is what matters. You really don't need to stay for the rest unless you want to be in the running to be an actual delegate.

I worked more on Strangling Vines and the line grew behind us. The head of the precinct said he had never done a caucus with more than about 10 people. We had a line out the door, and we changed rooms twice, ending up at the theater. The polling place was at a middle school. Johnny teaches there, so he lead the way.

They had to wait until the last vote was cast before we could go in and sign in. Finally, we were instructed to get in two lines, one for Clinton and one for Obama (There was actually a third line for other candidates and people who were undecided. I didn't see anyone in that line.)

There was a little trash talk, but all in good fun. "Isn't it funny that the Clinton line is on the right and we're left," one Obama supporter said. "That's because Clinton is right," I responded.

I signed in just after Johnny and Yvonne. I considered staying, but decided it was time to go home.

I just checked CNN again, and they are projecting Hillary the winner in Texas, although it is close.

Whether Obama or Clinton wins, I'll be ready support the democratic candidate when the time comes. I think we have two strong candidates, and either one will serve us well.

It's good to have choices.

Things that cut into my yarn budget: A New Cell Phone

A funny thing happened on the way to Bluebonnet on Wednesday. I bought a new cell phone.

I actually never made it to Bluebonnet. My phone (the one on the left) had been dying for the past week or so. When I charged the battery, it would only last a short time. I passed a Sprint store on my way out to Cedar Park and decided to drop by. I ended up leaving with a new phone (the one on the right.)

It's a fairly simple phone. It has a camera, but no other frills to speak of. I spent about $40. After the rebate, it will cost me about $10. (I signed another 2-year contract with Sprint.)

There was an $18 activation fee, but in the long run, I'll probably save money. My new plan is actually better than the last one. I didn't pay for any frills there either. I still pay 20 cents per text ,I rarely send text messages) and I didn't pay to send the pictures via phone.

I need to buy a cord so I can download my phone pictures. I took a few at Gauge today. (They got in some Handmaiden!)

I spent a long time at the Sprint store, where the salesman referred to me as "Ma'am" when he talked to his boss. ("Ma'am would like to change her phone number." "I want to make sure Ma'am does not lose her contacts." etc.) My phone was dying, and they had trouble transferring my phone numbers to my new phone. I finally said I'd just take it home and do it myself. For a while I was worried I'd never get my contacts, because I couldn't keep the phone on long enough to access my contacts. (Despite the fact it was supposed to be fully charged.)

I'm actually glad I did it manually. I left behind so many old numbers. It was a way of letting go of the baggage of old bosses, old landlords, old insurance companies, old doctors and other people I'm glad to be rid of.

I changed my number because I was still using a Florida area code, even though I 've been back in Texas for about a year and a half. If you need my new number, e-mail me at sallyvillarreal AT gmail DOT com and I'll send it to you.

My last phone was...unusual. I've had it since 2004. It got weird looks, even when it was new. It was supposed to be extra tough, so I'm a little nervous about the lack of thick plastic and rubber on this new phone. I think it's time to make a cell phone case.

There's also the matter of ring tone. After four years, I was trained like one of Pavlov's dogs to jump every time I heard the Muppet Show theme. Now I'm trying to find a new one. I may break down and pay to download one. I think it's worth it to have a ring tone that you know for sure is your own.

Parting Shot

I'm making progress on Strangling Vines

Pre-Oscar Post

I'm heading to Lyndsey's house for a small Oscar party, but first I have pictures from yesterday.

Mmmmmmm....Handmaiden Sea Silk. *drool*

Mom has an old ball winder, but no swift. So we struggled to wind the 437 yard hank, and had to take the thing apart at one point because the yarn got caught. But what can I say, a yarn this nice deserves cake. (*grooooooaaaaaannn*)

I finally settled on the Strangling Vines pattern. Here is my crummy swatch. (I was impatient.)

Despite my hasty swatching, I'm happy with it so far.

Mom got her Spindolyn this week, and I got to try it out. I was tempted to buy one when I was struggling. However, now that I'm getting used to the drop spindle, the Spindolyn seems more difficult to use. There isn't much weight on the fiber, and I had difficulty getting enough twist in the yarn. It's definitely for spinning fine yarn.

This is a very unflattering picture of me using the Spindolyn. (Try to ignore the fact that I look like Jabba the Hutt.) I posted it because it does a good job of showcasing the Spindolyn itself.