Big Weekend

Lorrie's wedding is on Saturday and I am so thrilled. I get to live vicariously through her because she is doing all the things I didn't get to do for my wedding, and I don't have to do any work to experience this. Fun things like grandpa playing polkas on his saxophone as we get dressed for the wedding, this is what I am most looking forward to. I also am thrilled because after the rehearsal I don't have to drive anywhere and will be driven.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures from September:

Ava at her 1st Birthday Party

Bob the Llama at Llamafest 2007

I just had the power go off... I'm glad that this has auto save.
Two weekends ago Jim, Michelle and I went to the Michigan Renaissance Festival. (For Free!!)
I had a great time with one notable exception, the man in this picture. He was the most boring thing I've ever seen there in all the years I've gone. It was a Falconry Exhibit on the main field where they do the jousting and he lectured for 40 minutes before he even had the birds do anything and kept saying snotty comments about the people in the audience eating the giant turkey drumsticks. What the hell?? I hope that he doesn't get invited/hired to come back because he was awful. But I like this picture.



As for knitting I made another cotton shopping bag with the handle/strap of my own invention and this one is much better than the first. It is already in use holding my curlers and makeup for the wedding. I'll have to take another picture of it all loaded up.



I've been working on 3 things:

Frost Flowers & Leaves





Pomatomus Sock (with accessory cat)




Something Red

I won a prize from a blog contest, this gorgeous ice cream colored sock yarn from Jess of mikknits

I think I'll try the Monkey pattern with this, I'm not sure so any suggestions are appreciated.

This was fun

You Are Japanese Food

Strange yet delicious. Contrary to popular belief, you're not always eaten raw.

What Kind of Food Are You?

Cats in Skirts

One of my favorite blogs ever is having a contest and I HAVE to enter. This requires a Plan of Action to be outlined, then executed.

PLAN
1. Find sweater/skirt
2. Find cat1, cat2 & cat3
3. Put skirt on cats
4. Run fast taking pictures
5. Maniacal laughter (step 5 can be out of order)
6. Enter contest
7. Blog about it here

OK that is the plan, now onto execution.
I found the "sweater" and a couple of cats, then went all fancy and actually wove in the ends of the "sweater."
Cat 1 and Cat 2 were easy to find and the first photo shoot was accomplished with a minimum of whining and more an attitude of inevitability and a hope that I would get it over with quickly and leave them alone to poop and sleep.
4 minutes elapsed time

Cat 3 is hiding, not because of his upcoming modeling career, but because he stunk up the front closet and I believe is ashamed of himself. I must remember to light a candle after the photo shoot is completed.
20 minutes elapsed-still can't find cat 3
25 minutes- found cat 3, he is 2 feet above my head on a shelf. I must now contemplate alternative extraction methods because my first idea is unworkable (tall husband at work for another hour).




Extraction:
First idea: shake food jug- nope
Second idea: move canned cat food around- nope
Third idea: open can of cat food- yup roasted salmon with wild rice worked like a charm

30 minutes
Now I must isolate Cat 3 and remove him from the food area
31 minutes
Fashion photography completed, with only mild clawing and major whining of the third model. There was also some running and chasing by both the photographer and the model.

Results:

Azriel is resigned yet ornery.




Lucretia is starting to make the unhappy noise.



Lucretia believes that the fit and colors do not flatter her, she request something pink or blue to go with her eyes.



Kelvin is running, yowling, tripping, falling and trying to get to the salmon all at the same time.


This was even more fun than I expected.

Why do I keep doing this?

Even with all this help,
I keep starting things.

Everlasting Bagstopper (1)
Something Red
Frost Flowers & Leaves
Sock Club Socks
Everlasting Bagstopper (2)




Pattern: Everlasting Bagstopper from Knitty
Yarn: leftover cotton washrag yarn, lion brand, peaches & creme, sugar & creme
Needles: denise 6s 11s and 8s as well as double point 8s
I really like using one 11 and one 8 to make the openwork portion of the bag, it doesn't hurt the hands as much.

I braided 3 I-cords to make the handle, it is too short but a cool idea that I'm going to use on the second one. The handle doesn't stretch that much and is really sturdy as well as neat looking.






Pattern: Something Red by Wendy of knitandtonic
Yarn: Blue Sky Cotton
Needles: denise 7s
This is the softest cotton, but it is still cotton and gets to be hard on my hands after a while. I've made another pattern of Wendy's and loved the construction and total lack of seaming. The color is the exact one used in the original pattern.





Pattern: Frost Flowers and Leaves from A Gathering of Lace
Yarn: Jagger cone 2/8
Needles: Addi lace turbo 4s, Knitpicks 4s I had to get the knitpicks needles because I ran out of space on the addi's. This pattern is incredible. I'm on the second repeat of the second chart and each round is taking around an hour but I am still loving it. It is all consuming and the only thing I want to be knitting right now. This is going to be huge.






Pattern: Summer of Love Socks, August Sock Club pattern from Blue Moon
Yarn: Blue Moon lightweight in Flower Power
Needles: 1s
I've made one cuff, blocked it and then have done nothing at all with these. The yarn is awesome, the pattern is interesting and different, but I want to finish a pair of socks that I started in March before I get back to working on these.