Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Pakistan Fundraiser

Pakistan and the horrible floods there seem to already be slipping off the radar, despite the dire need for assistance.

It's killed 1700 people already--and that doesn't include deaths that will come with crops having been destroyed, homes having been destroyed, and diseases that run rampant following natural disasters. It could take six months for the waters to recede in some places and it's disrupted the lives of 18 million people.That's more than twice the number of people living in NYC, twice the number of people living in LA County, 360 times the population of the town I live in.

The humanitarian need is great.  So here's the plan.

Please donate to one of the non-profits helping. I'm linking to suggestions, I don't care which one.  
Oxfam
Doctors without Borders/Knitters without Borders
Red Cross

Let me know you donated: email me, Rav Mail (PhireAngel), track me down on Twitter (@hedgielib) or Plurk (@hedgielib).

My email is MyFirstNameMyLastName@gmail.com (see below)

For every five dollars you donate, I'll add your name to the list one time. Or you can just let me know you donated and I'll put you in once.

Let's go for a month. So closing date will be October 15.

If you'd like to add prizes to this please to shoot me an email.

Abigail Goben

Prizes from me:

1 skein of Bugga! Sock Yarn in Oleander Hawk Moth.  It has cashmere people--sooooooo squishy!

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A hat! Handknit by yours truly in the Sockhead Hat pattern, this is made of BMFA Socks that Rock in the Lucy colorway. Get a Christmas gift out of the way or keep your head warm.

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Please let me know if you have any questions, if something isn't clear, etc. And please, spread the word.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Pool Cookies...

When I was very young (under six), one of my grandmothers lived in a condo that had a pool. I only vaguely remember trips to said pool, but I do remember my favorite snack: Pool Cookies.

My grandmother would get packages of wafer cookies (not those--just for visual): the ones that came in strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. We'd try to take them apart and scrape off all of the filling. Chocolate was, of course, the favorite, though pink wasn't far behind.

I had originally gotten this skein of Yarn Pirate from a de-stash with intentions of making a shawl. I started a Yvaine but it was pooling like crazy. And since it was the right colors, I figured pooling might not be horrible, it did look like the cookies after all.

So I grabbed the Little Leaves patter by Jennifer Jones and cast on.  This is a much neglected project but it goes into the Kiwanis rotation occasionally and it's gotten some work here and there.

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And it's pooling/striping in a really strange way--it almost looks like DNA spirals if you let your vision go fuzzy for a second. (When I put the pics up on Ravelry, someone else said the same thing--so apparently I'm not totally off my rocker!)

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I'm not sure how long it'll get, I'm just working til I run out of yarn. And it's way too bright for me. I wear pink, I even wear pink and brown, but this wouldn't work with anything I own. So I'll block it and put it in the gift bin.  A couple people have commented positively on the yarn. I'll keep them in mind.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Still on the Needles

So y'all remember I started those mitts that were on a 9" circular and were going to be so cool....

And when I lost the 9" circular somewhere between work and the Food Coop?  Yup, it's gone.  After finishing Mitt 1, I'd stuffed the yarn/needle into my purse so I could cast on Mitt 2 and it completely disappeared. I turned my purse inside out.

So it's back to DPNs and I have to say I do still love them, even as fun and funky as it was knitting in a teeny weeny circle.

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I don't really have any other news about it. It's not top priority so I'm doing a few rounds here and there but I think it'll be a while before it's done.  Right now it's sitting on the computer desk, mocking me. 

And since I enjoyed Stephanie Japel's City Shawl once...why not again?
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It's a stashbuster and I have a lot of worsted weight yarn that could stand to be all used up.  I'm just waiting on one more skein of EcoWool for City Shawl #3

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Start to Finish...

One of the lovely things to come out of the now ended Lime and Violet was Round the Twist with Carin. She does a lovely weekly vlog and I've tuned in most regularly over her first year. When she celebrated her one year vlogiversary she had a drawing of some stash for lucky commenters and I was one of the winners!!

Carin generously mailed me a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in the Lucy colorway. Lucy, of course, being WendyKnit's lovely cat.
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Cristi has been making Sockhead Hats and I have to admit a smidge of jealousy. They looked so fast, so comfortable, so another option for those random skeins of sock yarn lying about. (BTW--Cristi is raising money here for a Diabetes Walk if you're so inclined)

So...I managed to combine a faded podcast, a current videocast, a yarn store, and two other blogs into this one project. Social media overload!!

And it's done!

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Project: Sockhead by Kelly McClure
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Medium Weight Lucy Colorway
Modifications: Went down 8 stitches because I went up a needle size. Probably could have gone down four more stitches but it's okay.

I liked it so much...

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I'm on Sockhead the second...

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Miscellaneous Cat Photo

A Feline Wrap

This happens pretty often at Chez Hedgehog--ending up with a gray feline neck warmer. Gypsy also likes to hang out draped over one shoulder, which makes it challenging to type.

Monday, September 6, 2010

And Ends to Weave Before I Sleep....

Two projects off the needles! I just need to weave in ends.

I finished two more shawls:

First up was the second Yvaine shawl--the Garden View. Ultimately, eh it's done. I wasn't enamoured of it at any point but neither did I grow to hate it. I simply knit it. 

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Pattern: Yvaine on Feministy
Modifications: I followed the general idea presented with alternating seed and stockinette but not really to any specific numbers. Also--yarn overs instead of the m1s because I was getting funky sizes. 
Yarn: Yarn Love in the Juliet base.

Second:

In a fit of ooh, it's on sale, I bought a bag of Louet Gems Worsted.  Not enough to make a garment out of, which was a dumb move, but considering it was orange and that's not one of my favorite shades... why did I buy orange yarn?  Yah I know.  I had aspirations of knitting something for the Blonde but in reality--she has a newborn, she's not going to want something else that requires handwashing for a bit. 

And then I was stumbling about patterns in search of something to use my EcoWool up with and found Stephanie Japel's City Shawl.  Simple, effective, and burns through yarn.  And I had enough Louet Gems, if I doubled it.  So why not cast on a bulky weight shawl in the hottest month of the year?

I worked pretty much until I ran out of yarn and I'm happy with the result. I've not blocked it yet and I have the feeling it's going to grow.  But here it is pre-blocking. 

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It's simple, triangular, and looks great with jeans.  I haven't decided if it's going in the gift pile or if I have to rethink my wearing of orange.  I'm leaning towards the gift pile.  I'm sure at least one or two friends will speak up in wish of an orange shawl.  

Pattern: City Shawl by Stephanie Japel
Yarn: Louet Gems Worsted (4 skeins)
Modifications: Couple extra rows here and there, the pattern is forgiving

A Redo

 I started this pair of socks on New Years Eve just before 2020. I finished them in May 2020 , amidst a lot of optimism about what I'd a...