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!!!

As predicted, I’ve grown bored with the Wheat-ear pullover now that I’ve reached the waist. To my brain its all downhill from here. I probably can power through and get the body done for my class that I will be teaching in about a week on sweater fit. I’m loving the sweater but its time for more challenging things.

So I’ve powered through several rounds of the Tapestry, that was till Tuesday afternoon when I accidentally broke off my thumbnail to the quick while sorting the stash. Since then I really haven’t been up to much knitting. I think I can remove the bandage in the morning and enjoy a weekend of knits.

Because of my thumb injury and a conversation with BFF CareBear, I decided to bite the bullet and finally warp up my loom that’s been sitting around the house since before Churchable and I got married. The warp has been hanging out since December so that bits not so tardy. Well I’m totally thrilled to be doing my weaving, I’m not as far as I would like but then I did have this pattern to complete. Maybe I can assign one day a week to weaving something akin to the Yarn Harlot’s tuesdays are for spinning.

Don’t forget about the blog contest.

I’ve made steady progress on the wheat-ear pullover. I might have made more progress if I hadn’t left it at a friends house on Saturdays. I have cast on the underarm stitches since this raglan has a snug arm fit. I’ve also finished the cables, so its time to figure out the bust dart shaping.

I’m wondering if my neckline will be snugger than the pattern pictures, but we will see after the top is blocked. The cables shine, but I’m ready for the simple land of stockinette.

My tapestry cowl didn’t get much action this week, because it takes a bit more concentration than I can muster some nights and my usual methods of keeping track of my place on the chart keep popping off so I’ve basically been losing my place and tired of re-doing sections. I need something else, like maybe a set of pattern tamers.

When Minty released the Tapestry Cowl, I knew I needed to knit it but I needed to find just the perfect yarn for it.    Little did I know that the perfect yarn would land on my doorstep at the end of September.

This beautiful yarn is my Magnolia Society yarn club September offering.  Its a beautiful multi-dimensional brown called Black Madeira FIg.  Its Madelinetosh Glazed Sock.  This color is so beautiful;  Just 4 weeks early I was lamenting on the Malabrigo Junkie group on Ravelry that I really craved a nice deep fig color.  So when I opened the package, I was over the moon with happiness at the color.  I knew immediately that this would become a tapestry cowl.  I even had the perfect skein of yarn to pair with it from the same dyer sitting in my stash patiently waiting for its fate.

The citrus sock was my first ever purchase of Madelinetosh yarn over a year ago from woolgirl.  I just hadn’t had time to cast on a lucious orange sock for myself.  I feel this is the perfect marriage of pattern, yarn and color.  I can’t wait till I’m finished.

My only hesitation is that the older yarn  (citrus) looks like it is a bit thinner than the September yarn.  Does anyone know if Madelinetosh switched sock bases in the last 12-14 months.

My other project, which is getting much more attention, is my Wheat-ear Remix.  I’m doing a mini-KAL with RobinM the other moderator of the Sexy Knitters Club for our cable technique KAL, which we are running right now.

Its the Wheat-ear Cable Yoke pattern from the cover of Interweave Knits Summer 2007.  We are changing it from being knit in pieces from the bottom up to top-down in one piece.  So far I think its looking amazing and that it seems to be fitting my dress form properly so I hope that when I get to the armhole “Bind-Off” that it fits perfectly all over.

Pattern: Chocolate Creme Square-Neck Top by Joan McGowan-Michael from Knitting Lingerie Style Raveled Here
Yarn: Knit Picks Comfy  – 3 Skeins in Pomegranate & Nashua Handknits Cilantro – 1 skein in white
Needles:  US 6 (4.0mm) & 7 (4.5mm) Knitpicks Harmony Interchangeable Needles

Mods: I moved the waist up higher and added one more bust increase before the underbust finished.  I knit this is pieces to see if I could knit a shaped fitted garment in pieces.  I think it worked out well.

Facts to Remember:  That I like my hems to be a bit longer by 1-2″.  I should also remember to trust the designer when she says that this number of short rows gives you a _____ cup difference.  I made the cup size smaller than I am.  I should have done the right size because it rides up just a tiny bit and bugs me.  I love this top but with the length and wrong cup size, it won’t get as much wear as I would like out of it.

Plus I need to remember to post my FOs sooner.  This is from the Sexy Knitters Club 3rd Quarter and we are just about ready to wrap up our 4th Quarter KAL.

Things I loved:  The color and the feel of the yarn.  The yarn is super comfy.  Plus I’m in love with the Cilantro, I can imagine it in some really cool designs.

This week has been productive.  I have finished and blocked two items.  As you will notice from the WIPs on the right side, I have finished the secret squirrel project.  At least the knitting of it, I still have to finish the pattern, but its a huge relief off my shoulders.

I also finished a Christmas present and have moved onto another present.  I also have been practicing with my photography white box.  I’m getting awesome photos.

My most recent cast on is from Rosemary Hill’s most recent book: Elements of Style.  I noticed that these would be a perfect present for a family member and immediately ordered the book while away over Thanksgiving.  I also knew I had the right yarn in my stash, because I had purchased some Habu Silk Stainless A-21 while in Houston, Texas from Twisted Yarn.

I’ve been itching to play with this yarn since I was introduced to it in art school.  I think I prefer knitting with it than I would weaving with the yarn.

My other present will be knit with the above yarn.  I love the subtle color.  I’m going to be making Riverstone in the Age 4 size for Dog Boy so that he has room to grow.

Way back in April, I asked Dog Boy if he would like me to knit him something and he told me a thweater. When pressed for a color, he simply stated, “light boo.” Hopefully his youthful love of light blue is satisfied. I made sure to get the least purpley skeins of this yarn.

I, on the other hand, have not progressed far on my Christmas sweater endevor.  Our KAL deadline for the Sexy Knitters Club is next Wednesday, but I doubt I will be done by then.  As an administrator of that KAL, I know what is planned for the upcoming year and I might be given grace to finish later.

Its been a long 2 weeks since I posted last about my WIPs. That week before Thanksgiving, I ran around like a crazy squirrel storing up nuts for the impending doom. Ok well thanksgiving is not doom but great awesomeness with yummy treats. The doom is Black Friday. I really dislike it and try to get all my Christmas shopping done before Black Friday arrives.

Well in that crazy squirrel panic, I got myself really really sick. I think I’ve finally kicked the bug in the teeth. It was a nasty nasty sore throat that took my voice and my will to do anything. During this time, I got to meet my new niece Rose, one of my test knitters Erica, and a few malabrigo friends from the Junkie group on ravelry (WannaGarden, SFcorgi, & Kimberli). It was an awesome time even though I was sick and grouchy and Churchable got seriously annoyed at me. I don’t really do well as a sick person without her homeopathic remedies (I’m extremely allergic to most otc medicines).

By the time we got back on Saturday night about midnight, I had a killer headache that wouldn’t leave until last night.  Thank goodness it went away because it meant I finally got a chance to work on the secret squirrel project in the bag above.  I’m a bit further and I’m puzzling out how to explain it in the pattern.

I’ve been plugging away at my Sexy Knitters Club pattern. I’m in love with this pattern and I can’t wait to wear it. Hopefully its not too hot. I’m worried because Malabrigo sweaters with long sleeve seem to cause me to overheat easily. I guess I could learn to wear dresses and shorts more in the winter so that I can enjoy my sexy knits.

Snow White is a fabulous pattern and ysolda has been great with the pattern support plus she reformatted the pattern and now it is delightfully easy to follow. The old pattern made my head spin as I tried to scan it and figure out where I was. Now I can quickly scan and figure out where I am or where another SKC member is and needs help.

Mostly the Secret Squirrel Design Project has been worked on, but ….. The cowl was started because I needed something easy for a dinner party. Snow white was started because I was annoyed after frogging 5 days of work on my Secret Squirrel Project. Now 5 days later I’m back to where I was on Friday, but much calmer.

First up the second sock that was cast on this weekend,

CareBears sock has progress to movie knitting length. We will be going to see Indiana Jones soon at the pub theater and I intend to knit on this while there. Any more thoughts CareBear on the colors?

The Sexy Knitters Club has nominated Joan McGowan-Michael for the 3rd Quarter KAL. I have yarn for at least 5 patterns that I love but I doubt I will be able to knit all of those with Ravelympics and a vacation to Hawaii during August and September. I am knitting the Chocolate Creme Square-Neck Top from Knitting Lingerie Style. I am using Knitpicks newest yarn Comfy with trim in Nashua Cilantro. I am enamored with both yarns.

I started my mom’s Christmas present. I need to have it done by the time I leave for Hawaii or at least have it almost done when I board the plane on September 7th. I am knitting her a pattern that she picked out of Knitting Nature by Norah Gaughan. If you are interested in what pattern check out my ravelry notebook.

I got the body completed on Saturday. Finished the Hip ribbing that needs a very cool button and a good blocking to look better.

I started a sleeve yesterday. My goal was to do it top down and attach it to the body since I have eliminated seams by provisionally casting on everything. I would not let myself go to sleep until I finished the sleeve cap. I went to sleep quite happy because it fit perfectly.

We have a new person interested in yarn in this house. Mr Bun was sniffing around the sock yarn box yesterday. I pulled out the camera to catch what I hoped was a cute picture of the bun sniffing yarn. Sadly I catch a heinous crime by the grumpy bunny.

Sorry the picture is blurry. He is fast.

He tried to steal a skein of STR out of my box and dig in it. Jesh, I thought only my needles were endanger of being harmed by my animals but no it seems the bunny can not be trusted around an open box of yarn.

Since I have shown you a crime to sock yarn, I will put you at ease that I am not leaving the stash out for bunnies to make snarled messes out of, but rather to knit with them. My BFF Care Bear had a birthday on Sunday. I have had yarn in my stash for her birthday socks since April, but had not asked her for her measurements.

Unfortunately, she reads my blog and looks at my flickr page so ya’ll get to see a picture with the colors scrubbed out.  I tried a new toe with this pattern and I think I really like it.  It has a really cool look to it.

Other than that Knittymuggins and I have started the Sexy Knitters Club’s first all ravelry nominations.  Go check it out.  We have eleven designers nominated this round and hope to have more soon.