sprite writes
broodings from the burrow

October 5, 2006


membership, northwest rain, and salvage
posted by soe 11:55 pm

Three beautiful things from the past week:

1. In honor of Museum Day, the Smithsonian offered their basic membership for a mere $12 a year. Since membership automatically nets you a copy of their monthly magazine, I have to say that’s an amazing deal (and a delightful surprise, since I only went into borrow their bathroom during the National Book Festival).

2. The weather in the Pacific Northwest has been rainy and conducive to fungus growth, so Rudi’s dad called up last weekend to let us know we should expect a box this week. It arrived in time for last night’s dinner and was filled with a couple pounds of chanterelles, a mushroom known for its taste, its yellow color, and its price. Rudi cooked up a simple mushroom omelet for dinner — and it was utterly delicious.

3. Two days ago, I began to worry that I wasn’t going to have quite enough yarn to finish the sock I’d been knitting. So last night, I decided I’d better find the leftover from the first sock. (If it’s more than two inches long, I tend to save it…) I peeked into the notions bag where scraps often end up. I dumped out the knitting basket. I went through every container in the pie safe. As panic began to set in (actually, it was more like resigned despair, since I knew that in order to fix this problem, I’d have to undo the first sock’s toe and knit them both in a different yarn), I decided to check the notions bag one more time. I caught sight of a pink piece of yarn — there it was! But would it be enough? It wasn’t much more than a yard… Ultimately, the toe was a bit shorter than planned and I held my breath as I Kitchnered the toe closed, but I made it. And the yarn from the cast on will be used to used to fix the gusset hole, leaving me, by my guess, with less than three inches of yarn total remaining from the two skeins I bought. That’s cutting it close!

Category: knitting,three beautiful things. There is/are Comments Off on membership, northwest rain, and salvage.


a game of pick up sticks
posted by soe 2:26 am

I don’t have anything on the needles right now.

Admit it — you just gave a little gasp right then, didn’t you?

Strictly speaking, of course, it’s not entirely true. There are a couple of wraps on big gahonkin’ needles tucked away, waiting for it to really cool off again. I mean, they’re mohair. That’s just not 80 degree knitting.

Oh, and there is that half-finished washcloth that I saw when I went into the knitting basket tonight….

There are several projects not yet done: The Daisy baby sweater that needs another sleeve. The purse I knit up earlier this week that needs to be blocked and assembled. The sock I finished tonight that needs its end sewn in and the hole in its gusset minimized.

There are projects in the wings: A second blue sock. A reknit hat. Socks. Christmas presents.

But there’s nothing on the needles to take with me to work tomorrow. How disturbing is that? Let’s hope I don’t resort to drastic measures like this knitter.

And tomorrow night? You’ll find me hunkered down on the couch with a new project on my needles and the Mets game on tv. We apparently just eked out a win in this afternoon’s game, but a win is a win is a win in the playoffs. I’m sure tomorrow’s game will be great!

Category: knitting,sports. There is/are 2 Comments.