toys are good food

Greenie Beanie

I *heart* Silk Garden.

No, really. If I was single and mammals and materials could mate, I'd so have an affair with Noro Silk Garden. "Why not marry it then?" you might ask. Well, sheesh. If (wo)man and wool could have relations I doubt that I could commit to one brand, style, fiber, or colorway. Human - that's easy. I lurve me my Matty Bonez and neither need nor want anyone else. But yarn? Oh, yeah - I'm a 'ho.

Anywho, back on topic. I am currently knitting myself a hat, er... beanie from Noro Silk Garden in color #50. (What does #50 mean in terms of the color spectrum - heck if I know, but 50 it is.) Silk Garden is a variegated silk, kid mohair, and lamb's wool blend that is slightly thick 'n' thin schlubby. This particular colorway is full of royal purples and indigos, earthy blues and browns, and most likely the entire spectrum of "berry" color descriptors. But the yarn started out on green. Not just any green, however, but Kelly/leprechaun/emerald-friggin'-fairy green. Quite bright and quite beautiful.

The great thing about Silk Garden is that you don't know how the colors will go. What wonderment will magically be pulled from the skein next? I am currently working rows of a color that I can only describe as "remember as a kid when you would catch lightening bugs (aka fireflies or glowworms) and then scrape the light up parts onto a stick* - that color" green. Kind of mix of Mountain Dew® and Shrek®. Early spring grass stains on new (white) Keds®. As I knit, I can imagine the scent of freshly mowed grass and early morning dew.

As for the hat, it's the Silk Garden Beanie pattern from And she knits too! site. I'm knitting it in the round on US #6 dpns. I am admittedly not that good at dpns, but can only hope to get better as I trudge on.

I promise to post a pic in the next day or two, when I get a second. (Plus an exciting color chart that makes me giddy and silly.) So, who else has colors tied to memories, passages in books, scents, and dreams?

* Come on. You know you did this. Sure, it seems mean now, but it wasn't done out of cruelty just curiosity and wonder at that bit of beautiful magic these insects carried.

Moving Day Approaches

The lack of articles recently has probably made you wonder, "Have Nancy and Matt run out of things to blather on about?" The answer is definitely not!

We are in the final few days packing madness before we are in the new digs. For now, ponder the photo I took this morning of our living room floor.

Ponder Points:

• Will he really pack his converse in bubble wrap, or is their living room just a gigantic mess?
• In the grand scheme of things, am I the shoe, or the bubble wrap?
• Where can I find bubble wrap to pop?

Answers to these questions and more will be unpacked, unwrapped and discovered in the following weeks. Stay tuned.

Something to keep the chill off

Most of the time a project determines the fiber. But some times the fiber demands a project. Such was the case with three skeins of Berroco® Uxbridge Tweed I picked up at the Ewe's clearance rack a few weeks ago. (Did I mention that I heart their clearance rack?)

Not only that, but I heart Uxbridge Tweed! This stuff is lurvely. It's thick and warm and cushy; the texture is great and it doesn't reject pattern stitches. And it's no calm, snooty tweed - nope, it's jazzed up with some bits of color, like orange in my oatmeal & brown goodness. Pretty sweet, huh?

I first saw Kathy knitting with it and admired it then, so when I saw these three little skeins of yummy I had to pick them up. And they wanted to become a scarf. A mistake-rib scarf. And then a matching hat. (For this, I had to locate and purchase another skein at full, retail price from another store. Harrumph.)

I still have a bit more and it's crying out to become fingerless gloves, but I'm not listening. My other yarns are starting to call out to be heard now, too. All in good time, my lovelies. All in good time.

Click the pic for a closer look. This hat and scarf set is for my bro in MD. I hear it gets cold there.

Oh, the shame

We are getting ready to move to a house. (Yay!) And although I usually "enjoy" the packing process and the chance to de-clutter, this will be the first time having to move a stash. (Of yarn, silly!) And not only yarn, but fabrics too.

See, I've only recently taken up knitting, sewing, and quilting these past 2 1/2 years. So my stashes have been static (growing, but never moving). In the attempt to organize as I go, I did something crazy. I laid out my all my yarn on my bed. For all (Matt) to see.

Now, before you click to see the pictures, let me warn you (and perhaps chase off a few oglers and rubber-neckers out there) - there's a lot. To get a better understanding, all this yarn fit nicely into two 30 gallon tubs. 2 THIRTY gallon Rubbermaid-ish totes! Two hundred and twenty-seven liters of yarn! 227. You've been warned.

As I started laying out my yarn from my three or, um... seven storage places, Marie PussPuss jumped up on the bed and declared herself queen of all the land (or at least the bed).

I tried to organize the yarn as I went; UFOs on the left, wool up by the pillows. The kitchen cotton and CottonEase® grouped together on the right. Bags and bags of multiple skeins of the same yarn placed around the outer defenses. And the seemingly endless amounts of single skeins and novelty yarns wherever they fit.

I seem to like Lion Brand®, although there are some pricier yarns invading the territories. (See how Marie cuddles up to the Noro in the first pic.) Most of the large batches of yarn (in the bags at the foot of the bed) are some of the rumored riches from Pamelalala-land. Others are from v. good sales at Hobby Lobby and the like.

Marie just dares you to comment on the yarn stash. Got somethin' to say, buster? I didn't think so. Now she dismisses you.

Okay, to make matters worse I was the the Woolie Ewe this weekend and did the unthinkable. Yep, bought more yarn. I wasn't planning on it, really. But how can you go to the Ewe and NOT buy something?

I wandered around a bit, touching all the fibers and chatting w/ Chris, Angi, and Aubyn (hiya, gals!). I did pick up a few balls of Reynolds Cantata from the clearance section. (Mmmm - I heart their clearance section.) I didn't really feel the inspiration until I found a cute, cable sweater pattern for my nephew. Then I picked some Plymouth Encore Colorspun in a great red color with shots of other colors running through it. Nothing as crazy as a variegated yarn, just a bit jazzy.

To everyone so kind as to ask after Mrs. Slocomb, thank you. She is doing much better and is back to her hating ways. (That's the best sign of health for her.)

It's an Amish thing

A bit belated, but worth it! Apparently some Amish do use electricity and computer to surf the 'net for... ? Cow teat balm? Barn raising ideas? Beard grooming tools on eBay?

Matt's ease into the Amish style and look is a bit too spooky to me, but that's Halloween. (He he - "Amish style" he he he.)

I Voted!

Yup. I voted today. As did Matt. (Or at least he was right behind me in line, I guess I didn't really see him mark anything on the ballot. But I'm pretty sure...) Besides, we were up late last night researching our votes and making personal cheat sheets, er... notes to take with us. Damn, we'd make Jon Stewart proud!

I am a little disappointed that we don't get "I Voted Today" stickers anymore. It is such a little thing, but brings so much joy.

Oh, and the ballots here are a bit different - you use a fine point Sharpie® (provided) to fill in the circle for whom or what you're voting. (And no, you don't get to keep the Sharpie®.) V. similar to scantron tests from school days, but with the Sharpie® and not a #2 pencil. (Can you tell I have a Sharpie® fixation?) When completed, you send the form through an electronic ballot box, which verifies - what? I don't know. But I do know that this morning Matt was voter #98 and I was #100. Yay!