WWKIP Day

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World Wide Knit In Public Day is tomorrow. Here's where you can find the group meeting closest to you. If you don't have an event near you, join the virtual group.

Mittnz update: As a group we've made or purchased almost 34% of our goal of 1000 mittenz in the mail by October 1. BTW, our definition of Mittnz is not just handmade ones. Purchased handwarmers of any size are welcome, too. So if you're out yardsaling, perusing second hand stores or dollar stores, keep the cold hands out on the South Dakota prairie in mind. I know you're hot and sticky now, but....
After looking at all the Garter Stitch Blanket pictures, and reading the pattern in Knitter's Almanac, I couldn't help but cast one on yesterday! This is not going to be a huge queen size one like Jared's, just a smaller baby size one. Like a lot of EZ's patterns, it's fun to watch it turn corners. Such a creative person, that Elizabeth Zimmermann! This is really a fun project and Jared's right. Knowing there are 24 sts or less in each row knitted makes it feel like it's a much smaller project than it is.

I did some work on the February Sweater, too. I also remembered why I don't knit lace very often. I loose my place in the pattern so easily. No the rows, but all the steps in the pattern. I can memorize it, but if I'm knitting with family, TV or book around, I can easily slip into either random variations of the sts in the pattern, or just st st. Creates frogging issues. And the yarn is brushed so it tends to stick to itself. But it's growing!

I wanna buy it!For any Diana Gabaldon fans, this property is about 60-70 miles as the crow flies from Ft. William which is where Jamie was imprisoned and abused by Jack Randall.

Frogs and February Sweaters

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I spent all my knitting time trying to get the yarn and needles to cooperate. It just wasn't gonna happen. At 6:00 pm I finally frogged it for the third and final time, cast on with a different yarn, and got as far as I was when I got up yesterday morning. But now it's all nice and even and pretty....I'm using YOs as my increases here as I thought a little ribbon woven through the eyelets would be pretty.

Had a really busy day yesterday. Youngest Daughter had outpatient surgery so there was the delivering and retrieving of her, her scrips, a trip to the Food Bank*, and to the grocery store.

The new issue of Knitty.com is up. I like, in no particular order, Ziggy, Autogyro, BYOB, Helena,

Jared, at brooklyntweed, has done it again. He made EZ's Garter Stitch Blanket from The Opinionated Knitter. (Ravelry) He did his in one color, but here's a pic of a scrap one, a pic of another "in progress, and finished. This one goes on the "To Knit" list after I finish my Log Cabin scrapghan. The selling point? "The beauty, to me, is that throughout the entire process you always have 24 stitches on your needle. Always. And there is nary a purl stitch to be found. Netflix Knitters Dream Project? Yes!" says Jared.

Ray's got a new t-shirt:

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GRANDMA'S MISSING

THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA
The computer swallowed grandma. Yes, honestly its true!
She pressed 'control' and 'enter'And disappeared from view.
It devoured her completely,The thought just makes me squirm.......
She must have caught a virus Or been eaten by a worm.
I've searched through the recycle bin And files of every kind;
I've even used the Internet, But nothing did I find.
In desperation, I asked Jeeves......My searches to refine....
The reply from him was negative, Not a thing was found 'online.'
So, if inside your 'Inbox,'My Grandma you should see,
Please 'Copy,''Scan' and 'Paste' her....And send her back to me. :)

*The Food Bank is not just for the very poor. It's a good place to get basic staples (and sometimes a treat) at a very good price. Sometimes there are famous brand names, sometimes store brands, and sometimes brands not recognized. However, its all good food, none of it is past it's sell date. It's a good way to supplement your food dollar (or is it food fifty cents now?). I came home with five grocery sized bags of food for $40. Lots of canned goods, staples, boxed mixes, even some Stove Top!

Hatz and Sweaters

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I finished up Hatz 11 yesterday. Had to frog back to the beginning of the decreases as I'd dropped a stitch.

I gave in to temptation and CO on a February Sweater! It's an EZ pattern in Knitter's Almanac. Here is a pic of one knit by Linda. Isn't it sweet?
Mine is being made from leftover yarn from the Baby Cargo Pants I made last year. I have the first part of the yoke done and a list of people lined up to help me if I run into problems with EZ's very concise cryptic directions.

It was over 100 degrees here yesterday. Look what was going on in Montana! Knitting Iris shares more pictures.

Crazy Aunt Purl has made a Pledge:

So, from right now [May 17th] until December 31, 2008 I am not buying anything inessential AT ALL. There are two exceptions: 1) Presents for other people and 2) I already bought and paid for some office furniture back in April that has yet to arrive, so that doesn't count as new spending but will arrive sometime during the moratorium.

The rest is just the essentials, food and necessities and that's it. Simple. I'm going to do this for the rest of the calender year....And that's when it clicked with me, finally, and I decided to drop out of consumerism entirely for the rest of the year. I'm just done with it.

It's funny, I've lived most of my life like this. Except the new office furniture part. Now, I'm NOT complaining. I went through a period of time wanting lots of stuff. And at one point, I gave into it. I had more rubber stamps than...well...Amelda Marcos had shoes? Really alot. And when I left my husband, I sold the rubber stamps for next to nothing. At that point I realized having it all wasn't all it was cracked up to be. No one cared I had all those stamps, including me.

So since then, I've tried to be careful creating huge stashes of things, whether it's yarn, needles, fabric, clothes. They are just not necessary...for me.

Simple Abundance is a great book to read if you find you are wanting to downscale your life and your attitude. It's not about how to get rid of "stuff" buy why you should and what will come of it. It's amazing how much "stuff" weighs you down. It take discipline to use what you already have and then decide if you can "do without" or replace it in a smaller scale.

Nature abhors a vacuum. Once you start getting rid of "stuff" you'll be surprised at the things (tangible and not) that come in to fill the emptiness.