Lucky Find

There are advantages to working in a library.

There are advantages to being someone who knits in public and works in a library.

There are advantages to being someone who knits in public while working in a library.

I was down at the reference desk today, when one of the Library Foundation members walked down carrying a book.

"You knit, right?"
"Yes."
"And you like old books, right?"
"Yes..." I look askance at her.
"Well, I found an old knitting book in the donation room, and I thought you might like it. I thought I'd give you first dibs." She smiles.

Immediately visions of ill-advised 80's and 90's knitting pattern books flit through my mind.

"Well, thanks. I usually don't get older knitting pattern books because the designs aren't current. But I'll look at it. What is it?" I hedge.
"Here. The patterns are old, but the book looked kinda neat." She hands me the book.

It wasn't at all what I had feared.

It was a treasure.

It was the Complete Guide to Modern Knitting and Crocheting by Alice Carroll. Published in 1942. The patterns were old, but actually surprisingly fashionable. I am thrilled.

Totally worth the $1 that I had to put in the Foundation Donation box.

Knitted Jewelry

Blondie's birthday present included (in addition to breakfast and a sisters only slumber party) one handknit of her choice.

Since I was already making her a satchel for graduation/going away, and since she is going to college in Florida where it isn't super cold, she decided to go with knitted earrings.

I used the Bijouterie pattern from Knitty. They were surprisingly simple to make. (Although, at first, the wire kept breaking, and it came off the spool in a horrible twisty slinky-like mess.)

I gave them to her at her going away party on Sunday. Here they are in her ears!



(By the way...she made that face on purpose)

Mad Skills

I have apparently impressed my brother with my mad knitting skills.

Last night Sis-In-Law and I were discussing some requests she has for handknits. We also talked about some of my current projects. I mentioned I was knitting earrings for Blondie.

"What? Earrings? How?" Sis-In-Law asked

"They are made out of wire and beads." I explained.

She turned to Brother. "Did you hear that? Super Knitter is knitting earrings!"

Brother looked up nonplussed. "Of course she is. She's Super Knitter. I wouldn't be surprised to hear her say she was knitting a computer." He made twiddling motions with his hands. "Knit knit knit...How much RAM did you need?"

(The only question I had was which would be easier to knit...a MAC or a PC?)

Keepin' On Keepin' On

Blondie leaves on Sunday night.

She is going to Florida for college, and won't be back in NorCal until Christmas. (She is spending Thanksgiving with her brothers on the East Coast.)

Her going away present is a satchel. A hand knit felted satchel adapted from the pattern in Hip to Knit by ???.

I made myself one a couple of years ago, that I came across when unpacking for the apartment. I love it, so quickly started using it again. Blondie saw it, loved it, and asked if I could make her one in emerald and forest green. (Mine is teal and turquoise.)

I of course agreed...I am a push over, and she was VERY sick at the time. I just can't seem to tell the kid "no"!

Now I have 3 days left to finish it. (including felting)

And I am not done.

The problem with felting is that you have to knit the pre-felted item a lot BIGGER than it will end up being. A satchel is not a small thing. The pre-felted pieces seem to be going on and on and on and on and on and on and on...you get the idea.

Its not even hard knitting. There is just a lot of it.

I am starting to hate emerald green!

Post Script to JoNo's Hat

I meant to post pictures of JoNo's hat after I added the green ties.

I ended up going with a green that was more lime than neon...mostly because it was what I had in-stash. (I love the kid, but I am not buying yet another new skein just so I can add strings to his earflaps...)

To make the ties, I cut 6 lengths of yarn, approximately 24 inches long, and threaded three through the bottom of each earflap, so that 6 ends hung down on each side. Then I braided them (2 ends per braid segment), knotted them off, trimmed them, and fluffed the ends.

I forgot to take a picture, but it ended up not mattering. JoNo wore the thing all night, and several times over the next week or so, and happened to post oodles of pictures of himself on facebook. So I stole a couple:

Celebrating 26

I spent my birthday with Brother and Sis-In-Law yesterday. It was grand.

I extended the celebration by one day when I went to the store to take advantage of the 20% birthday discount.

I had to go on my lunch break, since they are only open 10-6 on Mondays, and I work 9-6.

I went in with a plan...a great plan...a plan that I had every intention of sticking to:

1. I was only going to spend babysitting money, all other funds have to go toward living expenses. (check)

2. I would only buy yarn for specific projects, none of this buy-now-figure-out-what-to-do-with-it-later business. (check)

3. I would be very selfish and only buy yarn for projects for me. After all, it was my birthday!(check)

4. I would NOT buy sock yarn since I have scads of it. And had received a lovely skein of Alpaca Sox as part of my birthday present from the parents.(ummmm....)

5. I would NOT buy anything Noro. I don't need Noro. I need to branch out. (double ummmm....)

Well...3 out of 5 isn't bad!

Here's the swag:


The noro will go toward a coffee cup cozy for me...since I currently use one that I just never got around to gifting.
The sock yarn will be used in a sock pattern from Knitty.

Close Call

I look forward to my birthday every year for many reasons.

Not the least of which is the discounts I usually get at yarn shops/quilt stores/restaurants, etc.

My FAVORITE LYS offers a 20% discount on your birthday! Woo-Hoo!

...except, my birthday is tomorrow...which is Sunday...when the shop is closed...

Sorrow. Disappointment. Frustration.

So I called them up and asked how to proceed. I was told, and I quote:

"We realize that people are born on days we aren't open!"

This astute observation means that I can come in the day after my birthday (when they ARE open), show my driver's license, and still get my discount!

Joy! Excitement! Anticipation!