This looks to me like nothing so much as the eyes of those freaky macramé owls from the 70s



It is, however, evidence I’ve been working.

Something that tastes Really Good: Bigelow Cinnamon Stick hot tea with Coffee Mate Cinnamon Vanilla Crème coffee creamer. Only 25 calories.

Portrait of a Great Big Sweater Blocking



Sure doesn’t look like much yet. I wanted to get a good block so I dunked it thoroughly in the bathtub and spun it twice in the washing machine before I pinned it out. I don’t know how long it will take to dry. I’m disappointed that the “kinks” in the yarn didn’t block out better. I knit the new sweater straight off the old one without washing out the yarn even though I know that is Really Bad Form. I didn’t do it strictly out of laziness: the three plies that make up Rowan Plaid are barely twisted together. I was concerned the typical routine of ripping, winding and washing was going to be too hard on the yarn. It may turn out to be a mistake.

It upsets me that it is going to be spring soon and I haven’t gotten done much of the winter knitting I wanted to do. All winter long, though, I’ve been feeling Half Dead. Actually, the last time I tried to give blood, they wouldn’t let me give because they thought I was Half Dead, too: low iron, low blood pressure, low heart rate, low body temperature. So I took my exhausted self to the doctor Friday and he says I’m anemic. No surprise there: for months I’ve been walking around looking like an extra from Buffy the Vampire Slayer when they were still doing the Dead White Vamp Makeup. But it does give me a bit of an excuse for why I mostly only nap all the time these days. I assume after he takes out some of my blood tomorrow and thoroughly analyzes it, I will get some medicine and then I will get better. Watch This Space for a flurry of Finished Objects.

Somehow, this was the only photo I managed to get of the completed Masterpiece Baby Blanket before I gave it away



This is the photo illustration that appeared with the pattern, “Star Light Star Bright,” Interweave Knits Winter 99/00



and I am gratified to say mine looks just like that one. The pattern specs called for white even though the actual blanket looked yellow in the pic. I liked the look of yellow so I bought buttermilk colored Baby Ull. The pattern also specified 8 balls of said Baby Ull and, let me tell you, that is Just Enough. I was cutting off my ends to use for seaming yarn while I was sewing on the edge. I think I had about twelve inches of yarn left. (I just used a plain whipstitch to put the edge on and, since it was garter to garter, it looked just fine.)

I have noted in my sidebar that the boys on Battlestar Galactica irritated me last Friday night, but Major Shepherd on Stargate Atlantis ticked me off completely. He defied Dr. Weir*, undermined her authority and made a big fool out of her in front of the entire team. I guess it was good drama because the conflict was entirely in character for both of them and it has sewed the seeds of future storylines, but I was mad just the same. It is too bad there is no satellite TV on Atlantis. Dr. Weir could watch Battlestar Galactica and benefit from President Roslin’s example in dealing with Arrogant Military Men.

*Part of Dr Weir’s problem is her title. She’s supposed to be in command of the city and they call her “Doctor.” She needs a better name.

Just How Big are Rowan’s dyelots?

As previously mentioned, I bought 6 Plaid in Phoenix in November and used them for the project I Do Not Like. (One of the reasons I decided to make up that pattern was that it took 6 balls.) When I was moping around feeling sad because I made something I hated, I went through all my books and mags to find some other use for the yarn and hit upon this



which I Like Very Much (so far) and began immediately. When I read the materials list, it looked like I was going to need 2 more balls of Plaid, so I gambled and order them from Woodland Woolworks in Oregon. They came today and --YUP -- same dyelot. So do they mix up huge dyelots at Rowan or am I just lucky?

That design I’m making the Plaid into now is from Rebecca #26. It’s on the cover, actually. I’m close to being done and here’s some irony: I may not need the extra balls after all.

Further on the subject of Rowan: I got my Rowan International New Member packet today. The Introductory Free Kit of the moment is a “Freda Poncho” pattern, which is rather ugly, with 4 skeins of plum-colored Cork, which is gorgeous. Looking forward to having Mag #37 delivered to my p o box this month.

Got more Knitting News, but why waste it all in one sitting? Perhaps I’ll be able to blog again tomorrow. (The key seems to be to get up before the sun to use the internet after Husband uses it all night.)