Needless to say when I announced my focus word this year,  I didn’t expect it to be tested so soon.  Over a week and a half ago, I was in the shower doing my normal routine of waiting for the dishwasher to finish its cycle, starting the washer, hopping into the shower between the fill and the rinse cycle (it makes me be faster) and something horrible happened.  At first I just thought it was the toilet starting to act up again so I poked my head out of the shower and glared at it.  Like that was going to be of any use, but once I stuck my head back into the shower, I noticed that something wasn’t so right with the bottom of the shower.  Let me remind you, I’m blind like a bat and might be able to distinguish color blobs when without my sight enhancers.  So I quickly wrapped up my shower and stepped out to a slightly soggy bathmat and a toilet that was refusing to behave.  Off I ran to the main bathroom, which is still in shambles (ok maybe not that bad, but I would rather be showering in there than the utility room) with the unfinished tub surround and noticed the throw rugs in there were wet.  I suddenly realized that THAT THING we had been warned about by the neighbors was happening.  Our SEWER was dead.  We are one of the few remaining homes on our street and in our area with the old pipes.  Now you wonder how can a SEWER go bad in a 50 year old house when it should be built with metal, clay pipes or concrete.  Well lovely folks, this is a paper town.  You know what that means.  Of course not, but basically it means they try to use paper for everything.  Our pipe from the house to the street was made of thick cardboard coated in tar.  Not really a material built to last, but it was a depression era invention.  Use what you have right?

Normally I would be freaking out about the cost, the time, the lack of usage.  Oddly I was at PEACE.  Yes I was.  A weird errie peace.  I normally can’t stand things to be torn up, out of place and not clean.  Plus I tend freak out that we will be broke and completely in debt at any moment.  Thankfully I don’t do the bills any more so I actually haven’t had those …. um …. manic paranoid freak-outs about money lately.  I love math but actually working with money that’s mine is a bit rough on me.  We actually are in a great place financially, which is a huge blessing.  On top of that 2 checks arrived in the mail.  One came right after the plumber came out to confirm our diagnosis of sewer failure for exactly the amount we paid and the second was a bonus from churchable’s company for meeting safety goals and turning a profit in the last year, which is amazing with all the downsizing of his mill and the economic climate at the moment.  I was shocked.  Everything was paid for by blessings in the forms of little tiny checks.  Ya’ll might call this providence or happy chance, but I say GOD is good for sending this to us.

Churchable with the help of a few scouts dug out the sewer (thankfully it wasn’t oozing), put in new better pipes and fill it back in over the last week.  We did it for less than half the lowest quote and that was with paying the scouts dig and fill in the ditch.  I’m so amazed that Churchable got it done so quickly.  I think he was too and he’s excited to start back on the stalled bathroom project.  So I might just be able to have a shower in the main bathroom by my birthday.  Maybe.  That might be wishful thinking.

Now lets share happier thoughts (ie the knitting):

I barely had any time to knit this weekend with teaching my first class. Sorry for the passworded post above but I needed a way for them to be able to access the handouts in case they lost them or they wanted to print out another copy for personal use. So in between teaching and holding a flash light for Churchable as he dug into the night, I knit the toe of the yellow sock. I also got a bit further on…..

I think I might have gotten a row or two done. Not to sure since its slow going. I love it and will be so happy when its done but its not the fastest knit for me, since I have to knit continental style and I normally throw because I’m more consistent in gauge and faster with stitching as a whole.

As I predicted, the wheat-ear remix has fallen by the way side. I’ve found more interesting things to occupy my interest, like my friends new pattern that she wanted me to test knit for her.

I even got to use some yummy Malabrigo DOS. A new sport weight test yarn that I’ve heard rumor will become new yarn line for Malabrigo. Its lovely and squishy and great for so many different types of projects. I plan on designing a lightweight sweater vest in it.

So the pattern is by my friend ZZwhitejd, she is in love with cables and has designed several patterns that are very creative and cute.  One even won the Malarabrigo Design Contest that was held in October, which has a prominent position on the front page of the Malabrigo website.  These mitts are so lovely that upon finishing the first mitt, I didn’t even want to take it off.  I did because I didn’t want to get it dirty while I cooked dinner.  Tomorrow, I might just go around one mitted so as to enjoy the feel.  Great job Jenny!!!

These are Fingerless Mitts for myself. I really liked the ones that I made Memo.

Fingerless Mitts (Interweave Knits, Fall 2005)
Yarn: Noro Transition
(55% Wool, 10% Silk,7% Cashmere,7% Alpaca, 7% Angora, 7% Camel, 7% Kid Mohair)
Color: Color #2 – blues and greens
Gauge: 14st and 20 rnd = 4″ on size10 US
Comments: Super Easy, It took me about 2-3 hours to do each mitt.

Dog Sweater – I have been commissioned to make sweaters for our breeder.

Original Pattern
Yarn: Noro Transition
(55% Wool, 10% Silk,7% Cashmere,7% Alpaca, 7% Angora, 7% Camel, 7% Kid Mohair)
Color: Color #2 – blues and greens
Gauge: 14st and 20 rnd = 4″ on size10 US
Comments: Fast pattern but I did have to frog it 4 times before I got the proportions just right.

Baby Shoes for a friend who is expecting.

Pattern: Vogue Knitting Baby Knits Two
Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted(85% Wool / 15% Mohair)
Color: M-11 White Frost and M-69 Old Sage
Gauge: 14st and 20 rows = 4″ on US size 10
Comments: These were finished in 2 hours. Super fast. I held two strands together to create the approximate gauge. And just happened to have leather yarn in my stash from Turkey.

I thought I would get you an update on what I am working on. On Friday I will show you what I have finished if anything at all.

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This is my Wicked that I am KAL with the Sexy Knitters Club. I have one sleeve done. I have sort of stalled on this project because I dislike the way the sleeve finished when I BO on Saturday afternoon. So today I unknit it to an inch below BO edge and knit up a k2,p2 rib. I am much happier with the results. I modified the sleeve in that I added 12 sk2togpss every eight rounds at the underarm. I like closer fitting sweaters and with such a thin yarn, a tighter fit felt more appropriate. Maybe if I was doing the worsted weight I would keep the same dimensions.

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This is an entralec sock that I am working on. I am so excited for the Spring IK to come out since it has a sock pattern of this variety by Eunny Jang. I have been totally excited to finish this but I realize I need to pay attention to it rather than just knit so it is more of a focus piece.

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This is my own design for hand warmers using sock yarn and intricate cabling. I am really into cabling but I seem to have gotten my self saddled with mostly complicated patterns and so I am not giving this the attention it deserves.

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And this is my Eiffel that I am KAL with the Sexy Knitters Club, which has not gotten much further than a say or so after I cast on. I thought my Wicked would be better travel knitting and the linen yarn is hurting my hands if I knit for too long so I have to take breaks.