Dawn Brocco's Life and Design Blog

new afghan pattern coming!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 16 May 2008 00:27:00 +0000

There's still 2 rooms to prime, paint and set up, then clean the whole place, but I'm feeling better now that the carpeting is in and these 3 rooms are put back together. For a long while there, there was little feeling of completion. I can't stand things being *in the works*. I need to have things DONE, and yesterday, if at all possible!

This flows over into my knitting, naturally. I am a product knitter. I could not knit on some interminable thing, that I'll never wear, just for the heck of it, like so many finished needlework canvases that just end up rolled up in a drawer.

So, back to work - as in pattern work - at least until I have to repaint more woodwork.

Here's the preliminary pattern cover page for the afghan I've been mentioning - Irish Chain Afghan. Still tweaking the photos...

Worked in Cascade's 128 Tweed yarn - NICE yarn - can't wait to design something else in it!

The cross-hatching created by traveling stitches add visual and knitting interest to a garter stitch knit. Pattern should be ready in a couple days, and naturally, like all my patterns, it has charts AND text directions. And it is actually portable, so a possible project for summer knitting. (And then it will be ready for use this Fall!)

carpeting, stripe tips

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:02:00 +0000

carpeting

Sorry, it's been awhile. From Saturday through to late last night, we were putting in the carpeting in these 3 rooms, and continuing cleaning the storms and original windows - there's 40+ large 6/6 windows in this house, so cleaning them takes a long while.

We discovered that ripping up the old carpet, the padding, pulling all the staples, then vacuuming up the mess took more than we thought, before we could get to the new pad and carpet.

Just this morning, I got to put my office back together - oh the wiring! - and repaint the baseboards in 2 of the rooms. We don't remember that it took this long to do the last time, but that was 13.5 years ago, and we were alot younger and sturdier.

Hubby now says that if the next house needs carpet, we're hiring someone and I don't blame him. Moving all the furniture out then back in is enough.

Getting down to the wire house-prep-wise, but are both wearing VERY thin from all the work. Buyers better like what we've done or I'll scream or burst into tears - take your pick.

knitting

I love stripes. They're fun, they're easy and they can brighten any plain bit of knitting. So, when I start batches of socks for CIC, inevitably, there are many striped pairs, as I struggle to use up my leftover yarns.

But no-one likes the jog as you change color. Even if on the center sole, it's still there to irk you! I employ no special (read: hard to remember) technique. There are 2 ways I've found to deal with the issue, tho 1 method works a bit better than the other, but both are easy and will, hopefully, be of help to stripers.

Getting even stripes

So, I thought I'd show you these tips (which will also be uploaded onto my techniques page as soon as I can).

We'll start with 1 and 2 row stripes for now. Here's the first tube I knit, and I'll show close-ups as I go. (The swatch is knit, but not washed or otherwise blocked.)

This first closeup below shows 1-row stripes, where the new color is twisted with the old color at the beginning of rounds:

The new color is just brought up from under the old color counterclockwise and then knit - same as one would use when working intarsia. This leaves a very apparent jog.

These stripes are more even. Not perfect, but an improvement:

All one needs to do is twist the yarns counterclockwise after the first stripe, then clockwise after the 2nd stripe, then counterclockwise, then clockwise. Just reverse the direction of the twist at the beginning of each round. I found that this technique looks best with multi-round stripes.

Here's 2-row stripes, with yarns twisted in the same direction at the beginning of each round. This too leaves a jog (bottom 5 stripes below):

So what if we just twist the yarns when starting a new color, but don't twist them when beginning the 2nd round? (See top 7 rows of stripes in photo above.)

This smooths out the stripe join, as well, and I've been using it for years, but below is an better solution, I think.

Here's 2-row stripes, where the direction of the twist is alternated at the beginning of each round:

It works for 3-row stripes, as below, and should work for any larger block of stripes:

As you can see here, once you insert single-row stripes, it becomes a tad less even, just like the *corrected* 1-row stripes, but still less obvious than the original 1-row stripes:

By adding just 1 more row to the striping sequence in each color helps immensely in attaining an even stripe across the ending and beginning of rounds.

If you're wondering, as I did, that if twisting the yarns all counterclockwise made the jog, then maybe twisting them all clockwise wouldn't create a jog, well, here's what happens:

it keeps one color flicked to the front, to be seen on the fabric's right side.

When you put your work down but now can't remember which way the yarn was last twisted - look at the join. If the unused yarn is showing at the right side of the work, then the last way it was twisted was clockwise.

If, however, the unused yarn is secured to the wrong side of the work, the last round was twisted counterclockwise.

Now to work on getting those 1-row stripes more even....

more house prep, today, Erma Bombeck

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:52:00 +0000

9 pairs done for CIC so far.

more house prep

Scrubbed then let dry the back porch and stairs, then gave the decking the 1st coat of paint. Might rain today, so need to wait til tomorrow at least to put on the 2nd coat.

Am waiting on hubby to do the priming and painting in the last 2 bedrooms, so I can repaint all the woodwork - oy!

And this weekend is rip-out-and-put-in-3-rooms-of-carpet weekend. My beloved loveseat needs to go into the parlor, leaving me with naught to sit upon. I'm not comfie on the couch, which we've decided will remain in the family room. So, knitting will need to take place in the parlor, where there is no tv - aack! Silence may be golden, but I like the tv for background noise - oh well, the sacrifices ya gotta make to sell a house.

Today

More CIC socks - I get addicted to the little things - 24 sts worth in heavy worsted. They go so fast and I can do them in my sleep, so not much thinking is required - thank goodness. And those 10 skeins of LPW in Cherry Swirl should be here today.

I was in the mood to get them yesterday, so it was a letdown when they didn't come. You know how it is when you say to yourself, what would make today a great day? And the answer is, to have that yarn I ordered in my hands!

I'll start on the afghan pattern today - I know, it's about time - but I have a feeling I won't get the best photos taken until the large, corner bedroom upstairs is put together. It's the brightest. But I have 2 other bedrooms with large enough beds to display the afghan on - so I'll keep my fingers crossed. (The loveseats are too small and our sofa is in the wrong colors - too busy a background.)

I should be getting excited about starting new designs - but we're getting down to the wire, house-listing-wise, so I can't seem to manage any steam for designing. At least not until we're on the market again.

Erma Bombeck

I used to read Erma Bombeck's books. I wish I could turn life's difficulties into light-filled humor, as she did, but it's not me. I was born complex - deeply serious, and at the same time, innocently child-like. The combo is interesting to live out, but not as difficult as one might think. All of a sudden, a Bombeck-esque book title hit me - If life is a comedy, then why don't I get the punch line?

Sounds like something she'd write.

Shamwow and Mom's meatloaf

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 07 May 2008 14:21:00 +0000

We're an old married couple. We have a large past, and continued present, of course!, that serves as a ripe breeding ground for mots. I think laughter is the most critical thing in a marriage - at yourself, at each other, at others, and at life in general. Ya gotta be able to laugh about it all to keep that bond going strong.

We've taken notice of the new Shamwow commercials and have begun making fun of them. So, I'm lying in bed, a bit too warm, as is likely lately, and hubby says he's thought of a new use for the Shamwows - I could line them up on my side of the bed on top of the bottom sheet, so when I get those drenching night sweats, I don't drench his new miracle foam mattress topper and bed sheets.

To which I said, that I could just stand up in the middle of the night and mop myself up with a Shamwow. But then he got grossed out about who's gonna wring out the buckets of sweat from these these things. But I said this was clean sweat, not working sweat, so it wouldn't be gross. He looks at me in amazement, as the Irish in me is always making up stories so things fit the way I'd like them!

Then, conversation makes its way to food and the children, who are no longer children. Apparently, I made terrible meatloaf, whilst they were growing up. I don't remember my meatloaf as being that bad (actually I don't remember it all all - it was only meatloaf, for pete's sake!), but they all do.

Hubby remembers a specific repeated interaction with my son, who, as he sat down to dinner, asked who made the meatloaf. So pleased was he when hubby had made it, but if the answer was, mother, he'd go, Oh, and slip down a bit in his seat.

So we were remarking about how we enjoy cooking and fine dining (when we can afford it) and remembering certain really nice meals we've had in the past at the Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, but how this appreciation for good food hasn't rubbed off onto the children, yet, anyway. Til we realized it's probably my meatloaf's fault!

More CIC socks, more house prep, great yarn sale

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 06 May 2008 00:21:00 +0000

8 pairs of socks for CIC are done. More to go.

I just ordered 10 skeins of Lamb's Pride Worsted in Cherry Swirl from Diane at Pollywogs Yarn & Fiber. She posted a sale (WHAT a sale!) for the LPW and LPW superwash on Knitswap and I couldn't resist - warm wooly socks for moi, warm wooly socks for CIC, and some holiday gifts. Didn't want to spend the $ at this slow time of year, butcha gotta take advantage of the really good bargains when they come along!

Today, I spread out 8 bags of mulch in the front beds after I weeded them, and primed part of the back porch railing, amongst 2 loads laundry and various small loads of handwashing and the usual household chores. It's 8 pm and time to sit and knit socks.

More painting tomorrow. I've painted enough houses (how many times over?!) and apartments for 4 people - seems to be my lot in life!

too cold to paint, so CIC socks!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 04 May 2008 01:29:00 +0000

The afghan in Cascade's 128 Tweed wool yarn is blocking on 2 sheets on the wool carpet in the (presently unused) parlor. I'll be sure to start the pattern soon.

It's lovely. Warm, soft, large - 45" x 60", a real, curl-up-on-the-sofa-underneath-it-and-nap afghan!

This dank, nasty, cold, wet, rainy weather makes the other end of the house too cold to hang around in and paint woodwork.

So, as I'm on a mini-sebattical from painting, I began a batch of socks for the current CIC sock challenge, which goes to the end of June. I began Wednesday and am on my 5th pair so far - all using up the odds of ends from other projects. I'll post a group photo of the socks, when I'm ready to mail them out. Nothing fancy, just as colorful and thick as I can make them.

In between projects?, don't know what to knit?, need something simple to work on? - consider making socks (small child sizes) for CIC, in WOOL please, and make some very cold feet warmer!

afghan done, clearing out, house prepping continues

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 01 May 2008 23:21:00 +0000

I finished the afghan the other day. I need to work on the pattern, but I can sometimes need a break between finishing the actual knitting and beginning the pattern. This time can be fraught with instability. Do I start another design right away? Do I go hog wild on housework and avoid designing for a few days?

This time, I decided, quicker than quick, to go through and toss all my knitting mags. I hang onto knitting mags forever. Even upon threat of death I won't let them go.

Once in awhile I would sell issues I'm really not interested in, but ever since the PO did away with Bound Printed Matter, postage is just too high for selling relatively heavy magazines.

But, all of a sudden I had the urge to LET GO.

(Maybe my subconscious knows we're actually gonna get to sell the house this time around, and so, it's warning me to lighten up the moving load?!)

So, I just flipped through them all - and there were plenty!, ripping out articles or patterns that inspire me and then filled one of those boxes that hold 3, 1 gallon jugs of spring water with mags.

Then I went through my 2 design binders. Another holds measurement charts, so this one wasn't touched. But my inspiration binders were filled with clippings from years ago. 90% got tossed into the recycling box.

Things are lightening up.

Next is the top shelf in my office closet. Old binders, plastic paper sorters, boxes that various electronics came in. Most is going.

I've already begun going through the yarn manufacturers' binders. Some are so old and the color cards SO outdated, it's just a waste of space.

I don't throw these out. I rip the yarns off the cardboard sheets they're mounted to and throw out the yarns. Then I recycle the cardboard or paper sheets. It's time-consuming, but more ecological. And, even better, if the paper sheets are useable on one side, I save them for scrap paper. Eventually they'll get recycled, or I'll use these scrap paper sheets for working out pattern details. No use wasting good paper.

I've been doing this since high school, as my family can attest. There'd be a huge pile of schoolwork/homework papers of the previous year in my closet - all used on one side. It's just too bad there was no recycling programs back then.

On the house prep for relisting front

Got another bedroom put together. I painted all its woodwork the other day, as well as the entire hall's (6 doors and baseboards), and our closet doors, and painted its closet doors today.

Here's the 2 rooms that have been renovated

This is the smallest of our bedrooms, about 9' square with a 5' x 7' nook in the rear. To the left, out of view is an old wood dresser with 2 of the lamps whose shades I yarn wrapped in pale yellow. The yellow counterpane afghan and pillow was a design in - House of White Birches' "101 Knitting-To-Go-Projects", called Golden Ferns Counterpane Afghan and Pillow.

This is the 2nd bedoroom upstairs, 10' x 14'. We had to strip 8 or possibly 9, layers of wallpaper, then spackle, sand, spackle sand, ad naseum til the walls were smooth, then oil primed, 2 coats of paint and all the woodwork repainted. A lot of work to get a plain-looking room!

These 2 lamps also have my yarn-wrapped shades. Hard to see, but atop the bed is a handspun, indigo-dyed check blanket I wove eons ago. The check bolster is in Shetland wool yardage I wove, again, eons ago.

No curtains on the windows, no area rugs on the floors - the simplest and freshest I could come up with, to appeal to the widest buying audience.

*Only* 2 more bedrooms to do (hahahaha), bath door to replace, 2 doors to put up on my office and yarn/shipping room, reshellac a few large rooms' floors and upstairs hall floor, repaint a few rads, put new mulch in the front beds, rake the willow fronds from the lawn in front of the pond, and, of course, rip out and put in 3 rooms of carpet, then touch up paint on 5 more windows, baseboards and 5 doors, once the carpet is in, and rearrange some furniture - all in, what?, a week, 10 days?

It's greening outside but not inside

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:22:00 +0000

Obtaining plants has been proving to not be the easiest thing. All the taller (3-5') plants were either too weird, too wide, or too costly. And there was nothing like a rhododendron or dieffenbachia or even a fern to be found. Not that we could see, anyway, so I'm calling the nursery today to see if they do, indeed have said plants.

I just want to green up the rooms some. without having to put cut flowers in all the rooms before each showing - not asking for the moon.

And outdoor plants - well I got some wax begonias for the 2 urns on the porch,

but the flats of impatiens looked tiny for $12 each. And I'd need about 20 flats to give any kind of presence to the front beds. The hanging begonia baskets were $4 less than if I bought individual plants, so I'll just carefully extricate them from their baskets, no biggee.

We did manage to get more mulch - whoopdidoo - and his new grill (happy husband).

I'm did more painting yesterday - 2 windows, 1 door and frame and a baseboard section. 5 more doors and bits of baseboard await me today.

Here's what's been popping up almost overnight

Lilacs budding

Bleeding Hearts and I don't know what is behind it

We just call it the white bush

Happy Spring Blooming to all!

preparing for warmer seasons, more house prep

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:52:00 +0000

preparing for warmer seasons

It was SO warm the other night, I couldn't sleep, nearly at all. Wide awake at 2 am, I went down to sleep on the sofa, which was no better. I was entertaining all kinds of thoughts as to where I could sleep.

I thought about the cool kitchen floor, but that would startle hubby in the morning.

I thought about the basement, but it's too yucky.

I even thought about sleeping out on the back porch, off the kitchen, but figured it would be my luck to be peed on by some birds.

Ya'll know I need it cold in the bedroom - 57 is perfect in winter, I'll take 60 in spring and summer, but try and get 60 in spring and summer - ha!

We have a window fan, but it's not enough on a warm night. All our oscillating fans have slowly been dying over the years, but we haven't replaced them - til now! I found a deal on Vornado 12" oscillating fans and ordered 2. Shoulda been here yesterday, according to the tracking info The Fedex truck went past this house 3 times! and no fans. But they came today.

Surprise!

In Pieces!

If I'm feeling inclined later, I'll give them a go, otherwise, Mr. Mechanical can do it tomorrow.

We also need to sell the jet-engine-loud AC we bought last year and find a quieter one - before summer hits and I lose my mind from lack of sleep.

Of course, when I went researching online for an AC that actually says it's quiet, dontchaknow that the one we have is the same model! They've got to be kidding!

house prep work

Hubby finished up all the spackling, sanding, priming and painting of walls and ceiling the other day in bedroom 2. We need to keep a momentum going if we're ever gonna get done and relist the house, but with only meager sleep, all I could manage was to scrub the woodwork. Today I vacuumed and mopped the wood floor, then painted half the woodwork in that room before I tired out - doesn't take much these days.

To add to yesterday's uselessness, I spent hours working a crochet edging on the new afghan, then decided I didn't like it and ripped it off. I've figured out what would look better, and have begun again.

This weekend? Gotta get 4 tall (small tree-sized) indoor plants, 5 small indoor plants, mulch for the front beds and tons of impatiens mixed with wax begonias or coleus, if I can. Hubby's finally getting a new bbq grill, as his present (very old) one is an eyesore out back.

We don't make a habit of buying pricey home items until something actually kicks the bucket, but this is being financed by his birthday gift $, one of those store gift cards you get after racking up points on a credit card, and some dough from selling some radiators he had and can't use He's been wanting it so long, I'm glad this works out. He'll be a happy griller and the prospective buyers won''t go - eww, look at that rusty old barbeque they have!

He's still shopping around for carpet. But that's not gonna happen this weekend. It'll probably be next weekend's entire focus, as I need to dismantle my office - no email, no internet - aack!, as well as my shipping room and the family room, then put it all back after he's done laying the carpet. I see exhaustion coming!

Nappy Time, Designing

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 21:33:00 +0000

I never used to nap.

Napping was for old people. Well, I must be old, because napping has become an inviolate part of my days. I'm sure it's just the hormone fluctuations, but it is weird to just lie down on the loveseat and be out like a light for an hour or so.

Hubby, in particular, finds this new behavior to be very funny, as I never napped in my life. I was always a busy bee from morn to bedtime. Now, every time he sees me stretched out, he laughs.

Designing
I'm finishing up the 5th panel for the new afghan design. Then comes seaming and the edging.

And as I am nearing the end, my mind has been wandering to worsted wt. wool yarns. I'm thinking about working up some colorwork designs, and have been trying to decide on a yarn. I always begin mental work on new projects before finishing the one I'm on.

I'm also trying to steer clear of heavy worsted wt. yarn - my fav - and use worsted, so to be more desirable to knitters.

One of the best pair of mittens I've ever knit for myself - see below - used Lamb's Pride Worsted. Nice snug gauge of 6 sts/1". I adapted EZ's Winter Spruce pattern, from Knitting Around. The traditional Norwegian flap thumb never appealed to me nor felt comfortable, so I changed it to a gussetted thumb, for better ease of movement.

But these days, there's also Ultra Alpaca, Aussi Worsted, Naturally Nazareth and Lana D'Oro to consider. I'm guessing the alpaca blends will add some haze to the fabric, just like the Lamb's Pride, which may or may not be desirable. The Aussi Worsted is soft, the Naturally Nazareth is sturdy.

The only yarn whose retail price I'm not sure of is the Lana D'Oro, as I'm only finding one online shop that has it, but it's in a 50 gr put-up, when my brand new color card says it's in a 100 gr put up. So, I'm at a loss as to the real put-up and price. If that online shop is right and it's $8.50/50 gr, that's too pricey, not when the Ultra Alpaca is the same mix, same price and 100 gr. Anyone purchase it recently and can give price and put-up?

still prepping house, new mattress topper

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:38:00 +0000

It's heading for the 70's today and staying a few days - wahoo!

Does that mean lolling about in the sun - not on your life - it means slate walks get scrubbed, the garden gets cleaned up (even tho I'll not be planting again this year), the front of the house and the porch gets hosed off, the 7' long front door mat gets cleaned, the front hall hooked rug gets a soaking, and I can open some windows and begin the touching up of woodwork and window trim around the house.

Today, DHL delivered the 3" Serta memory foam queen size topper for our bed, from Overstock.com. We've been needing a new mattress, as hubby in particular is feeling the effects of the one we have, but the budget doesn't have room for such an expense, not with our needing to spend dough getting this house ready to sell. So, when I saw the 3" topper at 64% off, I couldn't not get it. Who knows, maybe he'll like it enough not to need a new mattress for a long while yet.

But where did they leave the very heavy box? In front of the garage! Not on the front porch or even the back porch. So, little ole weak me hauled the box from the garage, up the back steps into the house, through the house, up the stairs, down the hall, then proceeded to extricate it and the 2 pillows which came with, from the box and slowly let it unfurl (as the instructions say) on the other queen bed, to air out.

I tried it out. I think it will do his bod good, though it might take awhile getting used to the mattress adjusting to one's every move!

Off to work, as it's only - aack - 13 days til May 1st.

Long time no write

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:53:00 +0000

This past Saturday was my birthday - 49 - am sliding into AARP-land - no, no, no, no, no!!

Hubby took me shopping. Shopping is always a hit or miss thing and most often, it's a miss. But I did get half the things I needed - another bra in white just like the one I have in black, which is almost infinitely comfortable, as in I can wear it most of the day without it bothering me! I've never had a comfortable bra, 'til now, and what a treat it is, I can't tell you.

And, finally, after a couple of shopping failures, a pair of size 6 straight leg pants - really soft fabric, covered waistband - how I hate itchy bits at he waist! - and, just the right length, which they called "short". Ahem, excuse me, I'm not short. I'm 5'4", which is average.

I also need shoes and a dress for those blue-moon occasions when I need to look nice. I tried on the large floral Isaac Mizrahi cotton dress in Target. Loved how it fit, liked the pink color of the flowers (though bright) but the green they used was far too acid for me. If they had just had a muted version, more old-fashioned roses, instead of the on-acid dipped version....

And shoes - ha - both Kohl's and Target had nothing. So, a 50% success, and that''s as much as I can usually hope for.

Sunday was a waste - from 3 pm to bedtime spent in peri-M hell. It continued on Monday and surely will test me later on today/this evening as well. Doesn't matter what I take or which cream I use. When they say that peri-M and M majorly change a woman's life, they ain't joking - I cant work at all when I'm laid up with this nonsense, never mind write a blog post! I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

On the knitting side of things, I bought 3 patterns from a long-standing *country-style* designer, to see how she sized for children. I had read a forum post from a fan who loved the way the sweaters always fit perfectly, no matter the size. So, I wanted to see for myself.

To my horror, a stranded lice-patterned (traditional-style) pullover was knit in PIECES. The sweater is a folk sweater, Norwegian-derived, always knit in the round. How many knitters WANT to knit colorwork on WS rows for the whole thing?

If you knit it in the round to the armholes, you then have 2 choices, knit the yoke back and forth or add armhole steeks and continue around. I prefer the latter. I think the latter scares too many knitters, STILL, after ALL these years! I mean, knitters have been doing it in wool knits for eons, so why do knitters fear that it won't work?

If you choose the former, at least the amount of flat knitting is far less than if you knit the entire thing flat.

I could go on about the patterns, but I won't. I rarely (like this is the only time) buy other designers' patterns, so I'm not familiar with the formatting, style and verbiage of other designers' patterns. It does make me very proud about the quality of my patterns, though.

Off to see how much I can get done today before crashing and burning....

sock tree, need garden feedback

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:08:00 +0000

As I don't like walking through the dog's area to get to the line to hang things up, I'm more likely to pin up socks and small things on the lilac bush off the kitchen entrance. Hubby thought my "sock tree" would make a good blog photo, and I was willing to oblige.

Work continues on house prep for relisting, but I'm stuck on the front beds. I know I said I was gonna put in masses of impatiens. But now I'm, #1 - not sure it wouldn't look too uniform and #2 - the beds really need a massive tilling and de-rooting of the maple trees' surface roots that have taken over and I doubt I'm gonna have the time to do bed renovation.

In past years, we've just put red cedar mulch in the beds and left them plantless, instead, putting plants in the 2 large white urns up at the porch entrance. I'd undo the beds completely, except grass isn't going to grow fast enough, never mind blend in with the lawn as it is.

For an idea of the size of these things, the 2 front-walk-bordering beds are each about 2.5' wide and 30" long from porch to street, with a 15' ell each along the front of house - it's a lot to plant, and worse yet, it's only part-shade and some parts of the beds get more light or sun than others. If only the roses weren't choked out by the maples...

Then I thought, why not place low rectangular planters (esp. white ones, to match the house trim and the 2 large urns) on the beds, spaced evenly down all lengths, and fill them with the impatiens, keeping the red mulched beds in their untilled state?

Would this look goofy?

I don't have nearly enough gardening mags or tomes to see if it's been done before. I'm thinking it might look interesting, but need some feedback about the idea! I don''t want a goofy first impression on the house! I'm trying to sell it, not make people laugh at it!

The Last of Potter

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 14:45:00 +0000

I know I'm probably the last person to read it, but yesterday I began the Deathly Hallows, reading from early afternoon to bedtime, then finishing the last few chapters this morning. Hubby watched, in amazement, yesterday, as I read, and read and read, devouring the 759 pages. This is how I read. It's the way I read as a child - all weekend long. Then, like waking up from a dream, thrust back into daily life.

Which, for me, today, means cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, then starting the 4th of the 5 needed afghan panels.

Hubby has a friend here today who's helping with house prep for relisting - namely, cleaning all the storms inside and out - no small job with 40+ windows on this house.

So, off to clean, though my head is still in Potter-land...

Early April

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:32:00 +0000

Early April here in the mid-Hudson Valley is nothing to write home about - no greening up yet, no flowers, not even the Forsythia. Soon, but not yet.

The only difference between early April and winter (besides the lack of snow) is that the pond has defrosted, which means the peepers are at it every night. It's not noisy by the house, but as soon as you walk past the garage and turn the corner, the cacophony hits you! It IS nice to finally hear the birds chirping again - winter is so quiet.

It rained today and I was lucky to catch some droplets hanging on the white lilac buds.

Back to knitting on the 3rd of 5 panels for the new afghan design.

April's Gonna Fly By

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 22:30:00 +0000

It's spring, alright! Snowing yesterday, rainy, then sunny today and 54 degrees.

This will be mad rush month, though rush is a relative term. And I'm not talking about new designs, which will soon retreat into the background of my life. It's to prep the house for relisting.

I'm not capable of rushing anymore without it taking its toll, so maybe I should say that we're aiming for as many FP's (finished projects) as possible. But glitches always rear their heads.

The fireplace insert idea isn't working out - antique fireplace dimensions are not the same as modern insert sizes.

And putting in the pantry with appliances may not get done, simply from the lack of free time. We DO make generously optimistic TO DO lists, but need to accept that we're not young anymore with endless energy and optimal health.

But there's still tons to do, even without these 2 projects. I love April (as it's MY month, even if it still tends towards nasty weather here), and I do fear it will go by in a wild blur this year, for all the work we have waiting.

It's not a month for looking down and enjoying much green, which isn't there, as what IS there is winter's mess - all brown, dead leafy, twiggy, branchy, and willow frondy. Add strewn gravel from snow plowing. Add piled up road grit, sometimes so high, you'd never know we have bluestone curbing at the road. Add kicked over and broken bricks lining my front garden beds, from shoveling and just the fact that brick is porous. All of which needs cleaning up.

One has to look up at the change in light and be content with that, until May's greening takes over, if we survive to see it!

new designs

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:03:00 +0000

I have 2 new designs to entice you - a shawl for spring and early summer use, knit in a DK wt. alpaca yarn and a cabled wool hat - a lightweight spring and summer project (less than one, 3.5 oz skein's worth), to work up for holiday gifts.

Spring Lace Wrap

Knit in Kraemer Yarns Alpaca, DK wt. Uses just 2 skeins.
PDF is $5. Hard copy also available.

Interlocking Cable Hat

Knit in Kraemer Yarns Naturally Nazareth. Pattern in 2 sizes. Uses just 1 skein.
PDF is $6. Hard copy also available.

Happy Knitting!
Dawn

new afghan, wrapping shades, on the up

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:34:00 +0000

new afghan design
Jean, owner of Cascade Yarns, liked my new afghan design and is sending me the yarn. How wonderful and gracious!

It'll be worked in their Cascade 128 Tweed, but the more budget-conscious (I understand!) can use their Cascade 128 solids, at less the price of the Tweed. The Tweed, however, adds pizzazz and depth to the design, so DO consider it. No more design info forthcoming, as I'm sure you can understand!

lampshade wrapping
I've been tackling the lampshade issue. Finally decided to wrap them in wool yarn. So, it's been a few days of winding small balls of yarn and winding it around the entire lampshade, covering the original fabrics, while not getting it caught on the clip or frame. I used worsted, heavy worsted and chunky, tho each shade got just one weight of yarn, natch.

Most are natural-color, 2 shades are lemon yellow, 1 is blue, but with the light on, it looks purple, so I gotta cut off the yarn and redo.

4 ozs. of chunky yarn covered 2 small (bedside-sized) lampshades, so it's much cheaper than buying new shades, or buying enough yardage of nice ribbon. I've done 6 so far, need to redo one and have 1 more to do. I've used Eco and Aussi Bulky - leftovers from designs.

feeling better
It's too soon to say for sure, but this new transdermal cream I'm trying *seems* to be working to help keep away the extended cold spells, extended hot flashes and soaking sweats. But it's just been a few days. We'll see how it works over the long haul and what adjustments will be needed. Would be nice to regain some semblance of my former life!

Garnstudio yarns, fighting the chills

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:41:00 +0000

Yet more designer goodness came in today's mail! Feast or famine around here.

I mentioned the other day about wanting to try out some of Garnstudio's (Norwegian) yarns. So, I ordered 1 each of the 4 yarns I'd be most likely to use and one of the Trend plastic ckns. I haven't swatched any yet - other things to do. Great prices on yarns and ndls.

The bright blue Paris cotton is a multi-ply unmercerized yarn - so it's soft in the skein, and I've read it knits up to make soft garments. The blue color I could not resist. It is my second fav color, as it brings out my blue eyes!

The Eskimo is a single ply wool roving yarn, very soft, looks to be the thickness for a Lopi/Bulky Lamb's Pride substitute.

The Alaska is a bouncy 3-ply wool. It should make great cables.

And finally, the 2-ply Angora-Tweed. This was a daring move on my part, as I'm usually terribly allergic to angora in yarns. But we can outgrow allergies, so I thought I'd test myself and the yarn!

Where to get them - NordicMart.

The ndls are light. The cord wasn't kinked as some others are. The tip is tapered to a blunt end - at least in the size 10.5. They don't have ckns that go down beneath size 9. They have straights that do, but I never need/use/buy straights. A ckn can do it all.

The only other package I really need to come in is the Estriol I bought the other day. I'm gonna try it along with the progesterone and the herbs and extra vitamins I'm taking, as it's not that cold out, not too cold in here, but I'm bundled up for a trip to the Arctic.

I tend to take a Lopi afghan, that I made for a mag years ago, and wrap it around my legs on top of the fleece pjs I wear, to try and keep warm. I'm thinking I need to find millends of thick wool blanket yardage and make a wool robe, or just get a down-filled robe. Unless the Estriol finally takes care of these incessant daily chills.

You know, I used to love coffee. Been drinking it since I was 15 or 16. With the Peri-M, I had to stop - had bad reactions to the caffeine.

So, yesterday I tried a cup of instant decaf, and 3 sips later, tossed the cup and poured a glass of my fav juice these days - V-8 Fusion. Blech. I don't like the taste of coffee anymore. Amazing.

design progress, lampshade covers

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:42:00 +0000

Still working on the shawl and hat patterns. There's always several days' worth of photo retaking, til I get ones I like/best show the garment. That's where I am now.

The 2 hanks of red Berroco Glace I needed came in yesterday, which means now I can't wait to start the summer top design. I know, red isn't exactly a summer color, but it's MY color! and will look great with the white and black summer skirt I have, as well as the white jeans (if I can take them in). Gotta take the skirt in as well. It's a 10 and I've turned into a 6.

I may do the design in white or natural, as well. That goes with everything summer!

And even more designer goodness came in today's mail - the 5 color cards and 3 hanks of Cascade 128 from Cascade Yarns. Jean is wonderful about getting yarn and cards to me and quickly, considering they need to go from WA to NY.

The 128 is the same great Peruvian wool as the Eco and Eco+, but a smidge loftier, or maybe it's my imagination. I can't wait to use the 2 tweed colors and swatch for the afghan design I want to do. It's based on a quilt design, but with a twist.

I've also begun work on the lampshade covers. I've tried muslin at 1x, 1.5x, and 3x the circ of the largest end of the shade, but I don't like any of them - too undefined, too soft, too full.

I've done covers in wallpaper, folded and single hole punched in each fold with a length of matching yarn run thru the holes and tied. But, I don't want to use the wallpaper remains I have on hand. It figures, right! I'd knit them all, but I haven't got that kind of time! Must let the brain cogitate about this.

summer design, Garnstudio, house supplies

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 15:20:00 +0000

Still not completely over this cold, but much better.

I AM working on the shawl and hat patterns and photos - maybe another few days to a week and I'll be ready to release them both.

And I swatched for a summer top design. I know, I rarely design summer things, but I've got skeins of Glace that were a kind gift from a shop, that I just HAVE to do something with. I only have 5 hanks though, and a top will need 1-2 more, so I traveled the web and found a destasher on Ebay who had the same color at about 1/2 retail price, so I bought 2. As for dyelots, I'll alternate skeins, if the lots aren't the same. I like the silky feel of the fabric - will probably have to use less slick ndls than my preferred Addi's, though.
I've also found an online shop for Garnstudio/Drops yarns - Nordic Mart. Several of them interest me, so I think I'll get one of each of the interesting ones for swatching, and a pair of their Trend plastic ckns. I've been wanting to try them out. Garnstudio yarn prices are very reasonable - only wish they had bamboo as well!

As for today, going to Kingston to get wallboard (to repair part of the ceiling in one room that had been repaired by previous owner in his inimitable inept fashion), interior doors to replace the crappola ones the previous owners put on these bedrooms (now my office/studio), which we removed long ago, once the kids left home. Also, folding closet doors and rosettes, if they have them, to back the 6 white porcelain knob sets hubby's finally getting to put back where some of these modern metal knobs are (put in by previous owners).

I mean, I understand why they had to remove most of the rimlocks with the nice porcelain knobs, as they had turned this lovely old farmhouse into apartments and needed modern locking doorknobs, butcha'd think they'd save the rimlocks and knobs. Just put them in a box in the basement. Ha.

Also a stop at Joann's to get some pinking shears - gotta get going on those lampshade covers.

A Knitting Glossary

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 21:12:00 +0000

Well this lovely cold laid me up all day Saturday - I hardly budged from the loveseat. Sunday was better, but only slightly more productive. So today, I wanted to hit the pavement running, or at least plodding. I'm settling for plodding, which is the speed at which I seem to be going, thanks to continued congestion and headache.

I had begun to swatch an afghan idea over the weekend, but then wrenched it from its Addi ckn and frogged it. It looks like I need to get it down on graph paper and make it work there before casting on again.

Amazingly enough, the afghan is worked in garter stitch, which some of you might know I can't stand. I think for as much as EZ loved it, that's how much I can't stand it. It's counter-intuitive to knit a knit stitch into a purl stitch - the purl stitch fights it. But, with a large enough ndl, it doesn't fight you as much and is actually knittable. And for some designs, it is preferred.

Spending days lacking energy and being sick means listening to the tv more closely than I usually do. Usually, it's just background noise, as I don't like a quiet house, unless I'm really whizzing around cleaning (which, in my current peri-M state is laughably in the past). Well, even with cable, tv can get quite boring, so I've been putting in my A Knitting Glossary DVD.

If ever there was a techniques reference a knitter needs, it's this. Sure, there's lots I know already, but there's also tons of stuff I've yet to try. Many hours of knitting brain-expansion await the viewer of this DVD. NAYY. Get it at Schoolhouse Press - where else?!

Sick, Snow and Shops

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:21:00 +0000

2 days ago I was knocking on wood that all I had was a sore throat, from hubby's being home and sick around me. That night, it immediately moved into a head cold. So now I'm head colding and peri-Ming - yay!

And what's with all this snow? More expected tonight and tomorrow - up to 10". We just had 6" and 8" before that and 6" before that, yada yada ad nauseum. The only good thing is it's good for the well come summer. But it also means more shoveling tomorrow.

So, in my hot flashing, sweating, sneezing, dizzy-spelling, brain fogging, nose blowing state of being today, I shall attempt laundry, dishes, pattern-writing and uploading these shops to my retailers page - wish me luck:

Ch'naca Farm Fiberworks
101 Skipjack RD, Suite 14
Prince Frederick. MD 20678-3460
410-535-4344
Nancy Donley

Sea Needles
780 Garfield Parkway
Bethany Beach. DE 19930
302-539-0574
Ginny and Elaine
Email:gb@seaneedles.com

Gazebo Plus
7 Village Row
New Hope, PA 18938
215-862-0740
Joey Crognale
Email:info@gazeboplus.com

Not Exactly What I Had in Mind as an Antidote to Our Boring Lives!...

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:59:00 +0000

It was supposed to flurry yesterday, then rain. Well, not by us. It snowed steadily all day into the evening. After 6" or so, it decided to rain some, but not enough to make all the snow go away, Just enough to make even heavier frosty snow to plow and shovel.

And in the midst of this, the power goes out. Comes back on for 5 minutes then goes out from 6:30 pm to 12:10 am.

This is NOT what I had in mind when I bemoaned the boring week we've been having!

Because once we turned on the oven for heat and lit 2 candles in the kitchen and 2 in the family room, real boredom was about to begin. Not enough light to read by, knit by, or do the crossword by. Hubby is still sick, so playing a board game or having any in-depth conversations was out.

So what did hubby, moi and Pickles do the entire evening - doze on the couch and loveseat. Well, hubby dozed, I was having one of my cold, then hot and sweaty peri-M sessions. 11:10 finally came and the dog and I went to bed upstairs in the 48 degree bedroom - the cold, at this point, felt GOOD to me, really good.

Pickles doesn't sleep on our bed - he has a chair in the corner, covered with a flannel sheet and a small felted wool blanket, so he can be cozy. He used to sleep on son's bed, before he went off to college, which was hysterical, as the dog has a thing about taking up as much space as his 35 lb body can manage to steal from you. Son was and is tall and needed all of the twin bed to himself.

But I've had to sleep with that dog, when I was sick, on the queen bed in the guest room (as Pickles won't sleep where I am NOT!), and he managed to nudge and kick me all night long, until I was nearly hanging off the edge by morning.

So, nope, no doggies in our bed!

Now, hubby doesn't like the room quite that cold, so he stayed on the couch. But, naturally, just as he was dozing off, the power came back on, so he came upstairs as well.

Now I've got piled up dishes to wash, laundry to do, shoveling to do - ugh - then printing to do for shop orders whose checks are in the mail to me. I don't know yet if hubby's going to work today. Will see how he feels after he plows the driveway and 2 parking areas. That usually kills him, when he's feeling well enough - with a cold, all bets are off.

And so far, knock on wood, my sore throat is remaining just that and nothing more. The peri-M is MORE than enough to handle, thank you!, I don't need to get sick on top of it, especially with him at work and not being able to fuss over me the way I get to fuss over him, because I work at home!

So, I guess the gods wanted to show me how boring life can REALLY be. Fine, I get it. I'd still prefer a little happy excitement now and then!

Boring life rundown

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Brocco) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Hubby's been home sick.

I'm getting a sore throat - no, no, no.

Dog got a haircut - ours and his big excitement for the week.

Am waiting on a delivery from Hanes.com shipped 2/10. It was sent USPS and I think it's lost or it went to a neighbor, who's kindly kept the order, but they won't reship until March 4th.

I've got 2 new hat design samples done, though I ripped and reworked the shaping many times. Gonna try one or 2 more in another yarn.

It's the most knitting I've done in ages in such a short time, but with hubby encamped on the couch nearby, occasionally napping, I can't turn on the printer or do anything noisy, so knitting it is.

Am already looking to the next design - don't know what it will be yet, but I'm thinking I'll play around with turning some colorwork into Bohus. It's one of the few areas in knitting I admire, but haven't explored yet.

Back to our regularly scheduled boring life. Now if a UPS truck would just come and drop off a few bales of yarn! and the winter VK (my sub lapsed and I haven't been able to get out to get a copy), I could get up a fair bit of mid-winter excitement!