Smatterings

  • Monkey’in around

    It’s summertime.  Knitting projects (and the new Harry Potter) take up the after dark parts of the evenings, if I have enough energy left after the long days.  It is still early enough in the season to be light by 5:30am.  Cats want to go out and explore, I love seeing the day come in.  The coffee pot is set to brew for 6:00.  That way I can laze in bed, listening to the creatures around the pond while gazing out the window at the changing light, and wait for the smell of fresh hot coffee to tell me (all of us) that it is time to open the door and greet the day.  What it means is that progress on the MS3 and Monkey socks has slowed.  I’m good with that.  It is choice.  High summer is force. 

    As my usual sock alterations go, changing the patterning down the top of the foot is the one that I take the most time considering.  I want smooth and I need a nice transition.  For the Monkeys. I tried a couple ways.  If I were to do them again, I might change again.  The first thought was to continue the center pattern down to a point.  It looked good while I knitted it.  When I tried it on my foot, it was too contrived, something didn’t work for me. 

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    I eliminated the side patterns and did one more repeat of the center pattern, then just switched into the stockinette.  Nothing fancy, probably the most obvious.  It works for me.  If I were to knit these again, I might carry the two lines of yo’s down the foot.  I could drop the stitches back and work my way up again to check it out, but that takes up knitting time.  They are socks after all, and this part will be in my shoe.  Enough Monkey’in around.

    A note for all of you who asked to be put on an email list for the sock yarns.  I think I’ve answered all of you. The yarn is done, most of you have replied and it has been mailed out.  I’ve got a couple more colors to put up, probably a bit later today. 

    7 responses to “Monkey’in around”

    1. Carole

      The point looks good on the needles, I’m surprised it didn’t look as good on your foot.

    2. margene

      Love the color of your Monkeys. How wonderful to hear the world outside from the comfort of your bed.

    3. Kathy

      I like the pattern with that yarn — looks great. There is an email list for sock yarn?!? I’d love to be added 🙂

    4. Beth S.

      I’m very intrigued by what you’ve done here! You’ve stopped the pattern right at the top of the instep, right? So that the “point” just extends onto the foot a tiny little bit? That sounds lovely. 🙂

    5. claudia

      Patterning down the top of the foot doesn’t really bother me. Granted, I don’t have that many patterned socks, but still.

    6. Manise

      E-mail list? Yes, please. Like the Monkeying around of the pattern.

    7. Laurie

      Me too on the email list. Even though I’m trying to swear off yarn til Rhinebeck. Please be sure to do a top of foot shot when you finish the monkees. I would like to see that modification.

  • walk with me wednesday

    …to Mr. Muskrats home.

    Much earlier this week I set out to do my "Walk with me Wednesday".  This time, again setting out by kayak across the pond, to find the home of the Muskrats.  Lately, they have been more active than usual.  I don’t know how big this family has become or even if it is a family.  It is impossible for me to tell if I am seeing one, two or many.  Always the one, swimming to or from the biggest island then back to one side of the pond or the other.  Often, I see a green plume of grasses waving high above the water as the muskrat returns, swimming from the bank nearest the spillway.  It could be nesting material, dinner, or food for the larder.  Maybe a little Muskrat Love?

    There are three islands in my pond.  The big island, the small island and the long island.  Original, huh?  Today, I’m off to the big island.

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    I bank the kayak and step out.  I’ve brought water shoes knowing I must watch were I step and onto whom.

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    When the kids were young, they camped on the island.  After dark, they would paddle over to the camp.  We’d cheer them on and light the way with the largest spotlight we had. 

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    On the point my foot kicks what remains of the stone campfire ring.  The island needs to be cut. 
    Out of sight of the house and just where I expect it, is the muskrat’s front door.

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    Pretty nice place, I’d say.  Beautiful view, the waterfront. 

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    It seems the muskrat isn’t the only one who likes this view.  On the bank above the doorway, I find that the otter have also made their home.  As it was a snow cave, all that remains are, well…remains.  Piles of scales and bones.

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    Lots of piles.

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    Lots of scales.  This location looks directly across to the other location that I monitor all winter on snowshoes.  Now I know.  Next winter I have two spots to check.

    Someone is watching me, time to leave. 

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    12 responses to “walk with me wednesday”

    1. Manise

      Love your walks. Good to see you finally have some sun 🙂

    2. Beth S.

      I like Paddle With Me Wednesdays even better, I think. 🙂

    3. Pat K

      How idyllic! So much to watch and so much beauty to look at!

    4. Marianne

      There is more than enough to eat in the pond by the looks of those piles !
      I don’t know if the muskrats that live in the pond are the same kind we have over here, but here they consider them as a plague. That’s because they are “supposed” to damage the dikes we have, so they are hunted. I always wish they could live in peace ! Lucky muskrats in your pond.

    5. cyndy

      The pond looks beautiful in summer. I am amazed at the size of those piles of scales…(and seriously wonder about myself, as I find them strangly attractive! They are just so full so texture!)

    6. Sneaksleep

      I second what Beth said! Thanks for sharing all the wildlife and natural beauty with us all!

    7. Carol

      Beautiful scenes. The scales are pretty amazing. I envision them just pitching them out of their little pond side cottage…My daughter has just purchased a kayak…hmm you know what that means, and a kayaking I go. Hers looks like yours. I am going tomorrow night kayaking with her and friends on Wickford Harbor in a borrowed kayak.

    8. elizabeth

      Yes, nature has a way of reclaiming space if left undisturbed long enough. We’ve canoe camped twice and I’d love to go again, if the drought would just end. Thanks for the walk!

    9. Ruth

      I love coming with you on your excursions – I agree – Paddle With Me Wednesday is particularly lovely! I only ever canoe camped once – in the far north, and it was an uncharted river, and on the second day the canoe got smashed to bits by some particularly nasty rapids and we wound up being winched out of a dense forest by military helicopter. Your way looks much more enjoyable.

    10. Kim

      We live across the street from a pond and last week Mr. Muskrat managed to find himself squished in the road in front of my house….ewww!

    11. Carol

      That was fascinating! Thanks for the great walk!

    12. Karen

      I love your trips too. Thank you for sharing with us. Do you scrapbook your photos? You certainly could, with the dialog just as you’ve presented here.
      Thanks again!

  • my week, in review

    It has been such a cock-eyed summer. Everything is out of whack.

    I’ve been on the computer so much in the past week or so that I had forgotten that I hadn’t posted until my Dad wrote and asked if I’d dropped off the face of the earth.  It has become increasingly apparent to me that I need to have a better online store.  Using Typepad together with the ballandskein website works well enough but has limitations when it come to inventory control.  Now, when orders come in, I must manually remove them from the number of skeins available.  It works fine until two people want the same item and I’m not on the spot to update the count.  I’ve searched around looking for an affordable shopping cart program.  Zencart looked like a choice I might be able to manage.  Yeah, right. Not so far.  I’ve set about trying to learn a bit about CSS.  I didn’t even know that CSS existed until last week.  If I learn enough of it to get Zencart up and running I’ll be happy.  So far, I’m pulling my hair out. 

    The temps and the rain have kept the garden from doing anything.  Look at the temperature swings during the last 10 days. 

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    The only thing growing is the squash.  The animals are taking what little manages to grow.  We’re hopeless when it comes to vermin control.  The not so little ground hog, and maybe his / her family is so unafraid that we were charmed when we should have been wary.  The broccoli is disappearing nightly.  In spite of 5 lines of solar electric, which due to the total lack of sun until yesterday (when I found I could grab it comfortably), has had no effect.  Apparently the ground hog understands photovoltaics and the effect of the sun.   I think  we’ve had 8-9 inches of rain.  The field is squishy, like it is in May after the snow melt and the fire pit has over a foot of water in it.  I have terracotta planters that have a green "patina", the kind that sometimes take years to establish.  If we depended on what we grew to survive, I’d already be too weak to post.

    Sammy, in a sweet cat / bad cat effort , brought me a present.  A gift of something I cherish.  A hummingbird, left dead on the floor.  I cried.  I tried to explain it to him, again.. no birds, never NEVER, and especially NOT a hummer.  Bad Sammy, I love Sammy, BAD.   

    The MS3 continues.  Clue 3 is nearly finished.  I’m already slipping behind.  It could have been done by Friday.  It wasn’t a hard clue. Evenings were so busy.  Tuesday Night Knitting group, Wednesday night, the new Harry Potter movie, Thursday night traveling…. Friday.. Doctor WHO. Time and the summer are flying by.

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    I’ve got a new item on the menu.  I’m working on a spindle plying box.  Here’s the first prototype.  It will take two spindles or sleeve holders to slip my spindle sleeves onto if I don’t want to keep tying my spindles up waiting to ply.  The more I play with the spindle sleeves, the more I like them.

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    BTW.. Today is just right!

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    14 responses to “my week, in review”

    1. claudia

      32 F?? Ouch. I had no idea it had gotten so cold up there. Good luck with CSS. Better you than me, baby.

    2. Carrie

      Crikes. We have 88% humidity today, which is nearly unheard of for our part of the country. Blech.
      If I remember correctly, Melanie won’t be posting a clue next week, so as to allow the Harry Potter readers who are less obsessive than I a chance to schedule reading AND knitting time. So you can catch up. Or in my case, start.

    3. Manise

      Sorry it’s been such a cock-eyed summer for you. I hate that kind of wet weather in which very little grows and in which all the vermin have taken ridiculous advantage of the spoils and then to have a precious hummer offered up as a prezzie? I would cry too! Hugs.

    4. Kristen

      One of my cats brought me a hummingbird a few weeks ago- sad. I thought they were too fast for cats to catch; I mean I’ve never seen one sitting on the ground or perched on a branch.

    5. Kate/Massachusetts

      Does Sammy wear a collar? If yes, tie one of those little round silver bells to it. It will warn the birds.

    6. cyndy

      Well- at least it looks like you will get some elderberries! (little bit of wet won’t stop them!)
      I like the prototype…it looks like it would work just for for the Great Wheel cops too (but the sleeves might be a little large) —

    7. Laurie

      I wouldn’t mind more rain, but you can keep 32 degrees.
      Our hummer(s) have been resting on the bamboo stakes for the climbers, for minutes on end. I keep wondering if they are healthy, as I’ve never seen them do it this much. Vermin are vermin, no matter how friendly. My resident chipper is getting destructive.

    8. Kim

      The nights have been really cool here too….but the days have been reasonably warm enough, although my tomatoes are still pretty green.
      We had to completely fence in the garden, digging some under to keep the ground hogs out….so far, so good (knock on wood)

    9. Carole

      It’s cool and rainy here today and I agree it’s been an odd summer temperature-wise. Good to hear from you.

    10. Sara

      Lovely plying box! I like the knot-wood. Too bad I’m not a spindle person (someday I will rememdy this).

    11. elizabeth

      I’m sorry about the hummer. Birmingham just amended their leash laws to include cats. Yes, that’s right – starting 10/1, all cats within the city limits are subject to being impounded if caught outside without a leash. We’re still deciding how to break the news to our free range kitty.

    12. Sneaksleep

      I missed you!! Sorry to hear about the crazy weather and CSS frustrations. And the hummingbird. 🙁 Send some of your rain down our way, would you? The grass around here literally crunches when you walk on it these days.

    13. Beth S.

      Have you thought about selling on Etsy? Lots of hungry knitters are on the prowl for handpaints over there…
      And I’m so sorry about the poor hummimgbird. 🙁

    14. Carol

      We learn lots having blogs don’t we? You’ll get it, just takes practice like everything else. Sorry about the birdie, Sam meant well. Your shawl is fabulous! Where has the summer gone?

“Our lives are dyed the colors of our imagination.” ~ Marcus Aurelius

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