I've been busy...

...chasing a Rhode Island Red and knitting. Chickens first: One of the young hens has become an escape artist. Just about every day, we find her out of the coop running all over the country side. And she is fast. We've barricaded every nook and cranny and she still makes it. Other than sitting outside and waiting for her escape, we think she simply flies out of the enclosure. I've retied the netting we had over the enclosure last year. That did keep her in for one day, but today she was out again. So tomorrow we'll put some chicken wire over the small area that is not covered. Of course, once she is out she wants to get back in again by sticking her neck through the fencing, but she's grown too big. You'd think if she can fly out, she could fly back in. But nooo we can't do that because we like being chased around the yard. What has my life come to? Being entertained by chickens. Don't answer that; it is only a rhetorical question.

Knitting second: I've finally put the ends away and washed the pair of socks I had knitted. I used an old ball of Opal sock yarn; since it no longer had a label, I have no idea what the pattern was called. But the yarn is a deep plum and black. The pattern I used was Anastasia from pepperknit.blogspot.com

The pattern is quite simple and can be adjusted to just about any size. On top of that, it complements a busy yarn. Unfortunately the URL does not seem to work any longer (at least not for me).

This sock had everything I don't normally do: Toe-up and short-row heel. The next time, if there is one, I will start the toe with less stitches, since the toe section is too wide and not deep enough. I chose 12 stitches because that's what I normally have when it's time to do the Kitchener stitch. I will try 8 stitches the next time. I also don't particularly like the short row heel. I have a rather high arch and the heel never seems long enough. I did try the heel that was in the pattern, but it was way off. I did modify the pick up of the wraps when the second part of the heel is made. Most instructions tell you to pick up both wraps. I've always found this too cumbersome and leaving a little bump. Therefore, I only picked up the bottom most wrap. This made a pretty neat looking heel.

Pattern : y/o, ssk, yo, ssk with 11 knit stitches in between and offset by one stitch every other row so that the pattern spirals.

Short row heel

The "shawlette" or scarf I've been knitting with Brown Sheep yarn is finished. I still need to wash and block it as soon as my aching back allows me to, or, alternately, buy a blocking board that I can put on my kitchen table. Me thinks the second option is a better solution.

I've also started another scarf with Knit Picks Shadow lace yarn. The color is Campfire. The pattern is called Honeycomb and is from the yahoo group "weihnachtsgeheimnis" (Christmas secret). OK folks, don't laugh at me. What can I say? It takes a Yahoo group to get me started early on Christmas presents. My normal MO is to do my Christmas shopping on December 24, so I think I'm doing really well.

Upcoming projects: The Icelandic lace shawl from an old Piecework issue which has been republished on Interweave's Knitting Daily web site. The yarn is ordered. And it'll be all mine for the cold winter which will surely come to Michigan and the Cherry Blossom Shawl from Interweave Knits Spring 2002 issue. And, this is the yarn I will use for the Cherry Blossom Shawl, courtesy of Poppy Yarns, aka my daughter.

Well folks I've bored you long enough. So "Knit on!"