moonfrog

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had a lovely evening with my family. There was even a very decadent cake filled with cheesecake and decorated with a princess and a frog! How perfect is that? Well, I’m nothing like a princess, but I certainly felt like one for the day. Oh, and I ate the frog. Yum!

I enjoyed all the fun with my internet friends, too. It is such a strange thing to have a community of friends that I have never met, but it somehow makes me feel part of a much bigger world.

The question I get asked more than any other by my fellow knitters is what pattern do I use for my scrubbies. I’ve written about this before, but never in a very clear and thorough way, so let me do that now. (You really would not believe how many times I have written this out in emails to individuals — and I don’t mind, but it will be easier to refer to this post in the future.)

First, I use this Dishcloth Duo pdf pattern. I follow the directions for the scrubby, but I use a size 17 needle for the big scrubbies or a size 13 for the smaller ones.

Instead of using cotton yarn, I use nylon tulle netting. I buy six-inch rolls at JoAnn’s in colors that match my dishcloth cotton. (I still get excited about how the tulle matches!) The tulle rolls are not on the JoAnn website, I’ve only found them in the store. It’s called JoAnn Craft Essentials Tulle Spool. It has 20 yards and usually makes two scrubbies. I just push the cardboard tube out and cut the roll in half. That gives a three-inch wide strip.

When I weave in the end, I sew through the middle to flatten the ball and then weave the end in some more. And that’s it. Happy Scrubbing!

Working a lot means the easy knits are getting the attention this month. Commuting to our job site gave me time to finish this chemo cap and to start another. A few more rows have been completed on Shedir, but it will probably take another week or two to finish.

I’m getting antsy to start something new, so I will try to get my hats done quickly. And what do I do when I want to knit something new? Why, I order more yarn, of course! And since it is my birthday, I can certainly excuse a few more skeins. I couldn’t resist this close-out sale of Debbie Bliss Cathay. I have my eye on Tahoe, from the latest Knitty. Happy Birthday to me!

Now I want to say a big Thank You to all my blog friends for celebrating May with me. Once again I used the handy random integer generator to pull up numbers to match the comments….

Chris from Stumbling over Chaos and Adrienne from Haunted Turtle Knits each won a birthday skein of Cherry Tree Hill yarn and some tea. I couldn’t get a decent picture for the life of me, but you get the idea.Chris will have first pick since her number came up first.

I’m happy to be able to share my good fortune with two fine internet friends. Chris keeps us all up-to-date on where all the blog contests are happening, as well as entertaining us with Mayhem and Chaos. We all need a bit more chaos in our lives, right?

Adrienne watches over Caps for a Cure as one of the moderators. Her cheerful posts and her dependability make her indispensible. She also is one of the administrators of Knit the Classics and does a fabulous job there.

On Saturday, I received some knitty goodness from Cassandra as part of the Monthly Dishcloth Exchange. She sent a bright and lovely cloth (it has already taken the plunge right before this picture!) and some really cute stitch markers. Here’s a closer look.

They have clasps that open so I won’t knit them into my projects. I’m always afraid I’ll do just that. There was also some mint tea in the package, but that disappeared into the kitchen to wait for the tea kettle to whistle.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope you have enjoyed this May celebration as much as I have. Now it’s on into the busy summer!

I started another portable project to take along with me since Shedir takes more concentration. This is the purple Calmer yarn that wanted to be Shedir, but is now a chemo cap made from this pattern, which is one of the KALs for Caps for a Cure. It’s soft and stretchy and easy enough to knit, although I do have to be careful not to lose my count. I am enjoying it, and the decrease rows are coming up quickly.

I haven’t abandoned Shedir and will give a progress report on that next week, along with a birthday present to some lucky reader.
Sarah sent me a sweet prize for answering a question on her blog. I didn’t even get the right answer, but she sent me some goodies anyway. Aren’t those cute frog candles?! And I’m sipping some of that Chai tea as I write. Yum!

I was just looking at this yarn last week, too. I made a hat from it last year and have some left over, so I wanted more to make another hat or some socks. I like how this yarn stripes. This is perfect! Thanks, Sarah!

The random number generator has selected the winners of the Elann Esprit yarn. Jen, who likes Fresh Pesto, and Batty, who didn’t pick a color yet. Elann has a great feature for doing gift certificates. An email address can be entered and a credit is automatically added to the recipient’s account. Fast and easy! I’ll be contacting the winners shortly.

All the free audiobooks I listed on the last post have found new homes. Thanks for taking them off my hands! I will send them out after the long weekend.

AudioBook Blurb: The Subtle Knife is book 2 in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. It heads off into another direction and a what seems to be a separate adventure. Before long, the two stories come together seamlessly. I was a little unsure if I liked the introduction of new characters and settings until it became clear that they all worked together beautifully. It also becomes clear that Pullman writes this series from an atheist’s viewpoint, so I would not recommend it to someone who might find this offensive. Otherwise, it is an excellent tale.

What a great response to my little yarn give away! I will determine the winner of the Elann Esprit by random number generator on Thursday. There will be more yarn going out next week to those who have taken the time to comment this month. Thanks for all the fun!

Be sure to check the end of this post for some more free audiobooks that I am giving away!

I promised myself that the name Shedir would not be mentioned again until it was actually being knit. Well, the ban is lifted! I have completed 30 rows of the new incarnation.

The yarn is still Rowan Calmer, but it is a different color than the first attempt. I kept thinking how disappointing it would be if I ran out of yarn after doing so much work, so I ordered two more balls. The pink was in the same dye lot as the ball I had, so that decided the color.

I’m still using a lifeline every 10 rows or so and a stitch marker at each repeat. I set up my magnetic board to keep track on the chart. The knitting is easier this time around due to all the previous practice. For the first dozen rows of the cable pattern I was tinking often, but it is going smoothly now. I want to finish this by the end of the month so I can get some other hats done, too.

• Seven or Eight Random Facts

It seems that my time has come. I was tagged with the Random Meme twice in one day. Rebecca and Sherrill tagged me within 3 hours of each other. One was for 7 facts, and the other was for 8. Let’s see how far I get.Here are the rules:
1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

• I love to swim, although I don’t do it enough anymore. Being in water feels like a second home to me. I can even do an eskimo roll in a kayak, which is turning it right side up when it is upside down.
• After getting married and leaving home at 18, I didn’t own a TV until my children were teenagers. We did lots of fun things and my kids learned to love reading.
• I stopped reading fiction after my sons were born, since I can’t put a good book down and it is best to get some sleep before spending the day with two active young boys. I’ve only started reading fiction, except what I used in my high school classes, in the last two years, since I quit working full time.
• I quit cutting my hair when I was 11 years old. It has been long ever since, except for a couple years recently when I lost half of it after surgery, so I cut it up to my shoulders. It’s very slowly growing back, and is about 6 inches from my waist, where it usually stops naturally. It might never make it.
• I used to live very naturally — grinding wheat to make bread, canning foods, gardening organically, spinning yarn, using herbal medicines. I’ve veered away from that lifestyle to some extent, but think I am slowly moving back to it. It feels like who I am.
• My children were born at home and schooled at home until junior high. I started a preschool in my home so I could stay with my children and still work.
• My last name came down from my Swedish great grandfather. Someday I’d like to go to Sweden to see where some of my ancestors lived. My great grandmother (whose family was from Wales) lived in a fine house on Long Island. I have relatives I don’t know in New York. On the other side, I still have relatives in Texas. I’ve met many of them. Their ancestry is not so well documented.
• And one more… I tend to be introverted, rather quiet except with friends. On occasion I shock people who don’t know me well with my playful and unrestrained behavior.

• Whew! If you managed to read through all that, consider yourself tagged!

AudioBook Blurb:

Four free audiobooks are yours for the taking. These are all on CDs. I bought Lolita new, the rest were used. All are in good condition. Follow the links to find out more about them.

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

Veronica by Mary Gaitskill

Saul and Patsy by Charles Baxter

My review of A Walk in the Woods is here. I enjoyed Saul and Patsy, but it is more of a character study than a story. Lolita is a difficult read because of the subject matter, but worth reading on an intellectual level.

Feel free to email or leave a comment if you would like any of these audiobooks.

Another chemo cap is almost complete. The Caps for a Cure deadline is two weeks away, so I’m concentrating on getting a few hats made quickly. This is another Elann Esprit cap, hanging out with one of my favorite frogs. I’m using Esprit and Esprit Print to form the stripes. All that is left are the decrease rows. Next up is a kid’s cap. Any suggestions for a pattern?

In honor of Caps for a Cure, here’s my next Marvelous Month of May give-away: Leave a comment with your favorite Elann Esprit color or combination of colors, and you will be entered into a drawing to win enough of that yarn to make either socks or a hat. Here’s a link to some patterns for Cascade Fixation, which will work for Elann Esprit. So throw your name in the hat for a chance to try this stretchy yarn.

Ali is having a goal-setting contest on her blog, Skeins her way. So, of course, I must set some goals . . . .

Things To Knit (or Crochet) This Summer (with links to previous posts)

• Two adult chemo caps and two children’s chemo caps
• Shedir (I still have high hopes! The ribbing is done.)
• Sahara — either knit it or rip it, that leaves me an option!
• Manos Wildflowers Vest
• Two more adult chemo caps and two more children’s chemo caps
• One pair of socks
• Spin wool The Bearded One bought me

That’s a pretty ambitious list for me. I’m going to allow myself to swap out another project for any one that is on the list that I decide not to tackle over the summer. You can enter the contest until the end of May.

The Bearded One shared an interesting article with me from his Thunder Press, motorcycle event magazine. Each year, a group called the Gypsy Riders sponsor a women’s ride in support of the Arizona Institute for Breast Health. Their recent endeavor, as reported in Thunder Press, took them to the English Rose Tea Room for lunch, a spa, a lingerie shop, and a chocolate and wine lounge. Now that is right up my alley! Motorcycles, tea, and fighting cancer, all in one event!

Speaking of tea, I am really enjoying getting to know my Knitters Tea Swap 3 Pal, Ingrid from Nova Scotia. Being geographically challenged, I’ll take the opportunity to find out more about that area, across the country from my own. Don’t they have a beautiful coat of arms? This year’s KTS3 is not a secret swap, so we know our partner. We also send and receive from the same person. This is giving us a chance to really connect with our partners this round.

AudioBook Blurb:

The Golden Compass is mesmerizing. It alternates between adrenaline-laced action and thought-provoking theorizing. Deep-thinking readers find plenty to stimulate the brain waves while adventures keep the “pages” turning. The different renderings of the human soul’s form intrigue me and keep me looking for the next incarnation. The meanings of the symbols on the alethiometer (the golden compass) give plenty to think about in themselves. Although there are definite sides to the struggle — good and bad — it is not always clear right away where each character fits. Even the main character, Lyra, wavers between the two at first, but she is the heroine and I expect she is the epitome of the good — although that is still to be seen.
I have started on the second book in the series, The Subtle Knife. It is taking me to new worlds. My imagination is reeling!

(Click the three photos above for links to the source.)

Even though this lovely feline has shared our home since we captured rescued her when she was about eight weeks old, I still consider her wild. This is her favorite place to be in the house, sitting on the arm of the sofa next to my son. She adores him, but still won’t sit in his lap. And in a misplaced show of affections, she started licking the computer he was using. And she gave it quite a bath, too.
Should I try some mineral supplements or something? A salt lick? This is just weird. We certainly enjoy Pesto, but she is one wacky kitty. What strange things do your cats do?

Thanks for your input on my Golden Compass daemon from my last post. It has been fun watching it change. These kinds of games make me think about my personality traits and I think that is healthy, especially if it helps me to improve myself or strengthen my good qualities.

I’ll draw the winner of the starry blue stitch markers (see last post) on Sunday.

The mail lady brought some fun things to me recently. I won second place in a contest Paula held and she sent me the book Knit Scarves! It has some fun designs to try this fall. Thanks again, Paula!
I also received some sock blockers from The Loopy Ewe. Don’t the Horcrux Socks look great on them? I love them! I ordered some for me and a large set for The Bearded One. These will certainly make handwashing my socks much more enjoyable. The pair I made with Socks That Rock are getting a bit fuzzy and I promised myself it would be handwashing only for my precious handknit socks.

My little bit of knitting this week resulted in this Doily Style Dishcloth. Once the fiddly middle is done, it’s a simple, repetitive knit. I like the lace background. It was relaxing and I realized that I have missed knitting dishcloths. I also made a scrubby to match, using larger needles than usual — size 17. I like the size of this one and made a new one for my mom, just in time for Mother’s Day. I’ll put it on top of her package like a bow. She won’t use dishcloths anymore since she likes these scrubbies so much.

AudioBook Blurb: Would you like any of these books on tape? (Cassette tape editions)

Finding Happiness by Emma Blair — an enjoyable, but forgettable story.

The Tallow Image by Jane Brindle — horror story that I didn’t read for fear of nightmares.

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton — Battered binding, but tapes are good. A classic.

Let me know if you’d like any of these. They just need a new home.

When I saw the beautiful graphic on Sarah‘s blog that lead to a quiz from The Golden Compass** movie, I had to take the quiz myself and find out what my outer soul or daemon would be. To my surprise it came up with a daemon that has the same name as my grandson. Weird, huh? Anyway, I only have a few days left to get your input about my daemon. Follow the link below to a description of what a daemon is and to answer a few questions about my daemon, then take the quiz and find your personal daemon.

Golden Compass Daemon

(** The Golden Compass movie is based on the book of the same name and is coming in December. The book is one of those children’s fantasy books that is enjoyed by adults as well. The marketing campaign is very artistic and inticing.)

And as a thank you for your input, throw your name in the hat for a chance to win these pretty blue star stitch markers. I’ll draw the winner at random on Sunday.

AudioBook Blurb:
After seeing a recommendation on Amy’s Knitty Blog for this series on audiobook, which includes The Golden Compass, I used my monthly book credit at Audible to order this book. (Okay, I ordered the whole series!) I’ll let you know how I like them. You can find more information on the series by following the links on the Knitty Blog. The movie promo is at Golden Compass Movie.

May is my favorite month of the year, full of flowers and sunshine (and lots of rain in my neck of the woods.) It’s also the start of some serious motorcycle riding, especially this year as I’ve taken on the role of activities officer in my local Harley group. It is also my birthday month, and I plan to celebrate it all month long this year. Want to join me and the Bearded One as we take a wild ride through May?

Although I have cut my blogging back to once a week, and don’t plan to increase that significantly this summer, I want to add a bit more to the content this month. There are many things I just don’t get around to sharing. So look for some fun things each Thursday through the Marvelous Month of May. (I’m going to try to make my posts on Thursdays — by midnight PST!)

First thing up: I will be giving away some audiobooks this month. Each week there will be a book that I bought (usually used) and read that will go to a new home. Most of these are books on tape, the old cassette versions. The first person to ask for it will receive it.

This week’s book on tape is called The Pilot’s Wife, which was one of Oprah’s book club choices. I traded some other audiobooks at my local used bookseller and brought this home, only to realize that I had already read it back in the days of hardbound books. (Yes, I actually used to turn the pages to read!) This is yours for the asking. It comes on six cassettes.

I am also going to add a weekly feature to the blog called AudioBook Blurb, which you will find at the bottom of this post. It’s a review of the book I’ve listened to most recently. I’m going to try to make it a habit.

Watch for other give aways or contests this month — as yet to be decided. I think it is time to clean out my stash! Spring Cleaning — one more thing to love about the month of May!

One of my favorite swaps is happening this month, too. Susie is offering Knitter’s Tea Swap 3, and I am happy to be one of the hosts. Sign ups start on Sunday May 6 with a limit of 150 participants, so sign up early! This swap always leads me to trying new and delicious teas, as well as meeting some great people.

May Day was a special day for me, knit-wise. My Horcrux Socks are done! After dawdling for six months on my last socks, these were on and off the needles in two and a half weeks! They are so cozy — my first time using Lorna’s Laces. The worsted weight went so quick and I really, really wanted to wear them, so I pushed to finish. These will keep my feet very warm inside my motorcycle boots.

Susan’s pattern, which features a lace design in the shape of Harry Potter’s scar, was fun to make and is available on her blog, or in the fingering-weight version on the Six Sox KAL for members. I modified it just enough to knit these on two circular needles, two at a time. Kudos to Sheron for her great tutorial on 2 socks on 2 circulars! I knit these on size 5 needles — one Addi Turbo and one Knit Picks Options. I found that each needle has its pros and cons and they are equal in my book. The Addis have a join that allows my tightly-knit stitches to move from the cable to the needle more smoothly. The KP Options have a slightly sharper point for working the lace easily and very flexible cables. I also added a five-stitch repeat to accomodate my wide feet and keep the socks thick and squishy.

This is the first sock pattern I’ve managed to knit along with the Six Sox KAL since the Sixth Sense pattern, almost a year ago. Those socks are the only ones I’ve made with the Socks That Rock Club yarn, even though I’ve been a member for two years! I see more — and faster! — sock knitting in my future.

Last but still dear to my heart: Every quarter I do a dishcloth swap for the Monthly Dishcloth KAL — never missed one yet. I don’t usually make the bi-monthly KAL dishcloth anymore since I don’t really have anyone to give them to and have plenty for myself, but the swap is a perfect outlet for some quick-to-finish dishcloth knitting. (Not to mention the lovely cloths that I receive and cherish.) I was actually debating with myself whether to participate this time with my busier-than-usual schedule, until I got a personal reminder from Andi, the owner of the Monthly Dishcloth KAL. She didn’t want me to ruin my perfect record! Now how sweet is that? That’s the next project on the needles. It will also be my entry in Carrie, The Barefoot Cobbler’s, dishcloth contest (scroll down to April 21.) I’ll show you my new cloth next week.

AudioBook Blurb: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro was a slow-moving listen with the air of a personal journal. I found it too realistic to think of as science fiction, but the plot certainly contains a futuristic ethical dilemma. Many of the details, however, brought the reader right back to the roots of our culture. Although some people view it as a cautionary tale about going too far with science, the author’s underlying story was actually about our tendency to view the world as a much nicer place than it is in reality. Ishiguro’s writing reminded me of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

This is an eerie tale that left me pondering how we live our lives for days after reading it. Beyond the sadness, it reaffirmed the need to live life actively, without wasting it. Life is short. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who like a work that unfolds slowly with plenty of time to think about life’s meaning.