Pie Fight or "Sage Advice"

Episode 28

I Production Scheduling

1. Production
2. What's in my Tea Pot
3. QC Inspection
4. Materials Sourcing
5. After 5
   II Production
   1. Ruffled and Ruched Scarf by Pam Powers
   1. Side A misdone and the provisional cast on has been unraveled and Side B has begun. It's gonna be a close call with the yarn on this. Which is really heart breaking because I really love it. The color is lovely and it's soft and squooshy. I am a bit worried that the yarn isn't stiff enough to make the scarf stand up like it does on the dress form in the photo's. Yardage is also going to be a close call. At this point I think I've given up on the flower being knit out of the same yarn. I've been mentally going through my stash thinking if there is something in a coordinating color to make the flower out of. I'm thinking that one of the copper pot woolies colors may e a good match. I have one more row of increases before the ruffle repeats for length.
   2. Top Down Raglan Baby Sweater by Carole Barenys - or AKA guilt knitting. This is a cute and simple baby cardigan. I spent some time surfing through ravelry looking for a quick knit that would fit the yarn I had picked up at Micheal’s Loops and Threads Snuggly Wuggly in daffodil dots. This cardigan is worked from the top down and has a seam detail worked in purl stitches. I've finished the raglan increases and have work to about an inch below the arm separation. So far so good. It looks adorable. 2 more button holes and the ribbing to work and then I get to decide if I'm knitting a hat to go with.
   3. Christmas Knitting : 41 days til Christmas Super Secret Christmas project 55% done. No forward momentum on the Christmas ornaments this week. Loopy Appaloosa sweat not yet cast on. Pattern for a new Nate hat found via the ladies at day care. They found a free Crocheted Mohawk hat that I'll be modding to be in Nate's School colors. (red, Black, and White.) Still Struggling to not add anything additional.
   III What's in my Tea Pot
   1. Yogi Tea Bedtime Organic

IV QC Inspection

1. Ruffled and Ruched Scarf by Pam Powers I was working on this last night feverishly with the aim to either run out of yarn or finish it. Somehow I got off on the rib patter and I have a few ribs in the ruffles that have purl stitch in them. I didn't have a crochet hook handy and it was once again my magical QC hour of Midnight to 1AM so I put it down and I have yet to pick it up again today. I don;t foresee any problems with just dropping down reversing the stitch and hooking back up but it always seems that my est laid plans are the ones that never workout the way they should. I'm really hoping that Murphy's law doesn't kick in ( I really think I may have been Murphy in a past life...) and I run into trouble fixing the errors and then having the all fixed run out of yarn. Knock on Wood!

V Materials Sourcing

1. Still on the wheel is the 4 oz of Jacob from the Ann Arbor fiber expo. I'm finding more and ,ore veg matter and pulling it out of the roving as I go. I'm really happy with the colors and the spring the singles have. I'm thinking this will hake a lovely hat for my self. :)
2. I stopped into Stitch piece and Purl last weekend to finally pick up another skein o Ultra Alpaca to finish off my brea bag. When I was in there I saw Interweave's Knit and Spin magazine on display and picked it up. I get daily emails from interweave and I had been wanting this magazine for a while also on the “to Buy” list is the Jane Austen Knits magazine... <insert Austen fangirl Squee's>
   1. Abby Franquemont demystifies Roving, Top and Sliver and the differences between. Most of this article are things I knew. She did touch on silk hankies and the exact mechanics of Puni vs rolag. Plus I love Abby! (Abby's tag line puts her in Ohio???? I thought she was in Michigan! Trying not to sound stalkerish)
   2. All kinds of general info articles in the front everything from wool washing, to choosing a first wheel, to selecting the correct whorl for plying.
   3. The reason I bought this was for the fleece lined mitten pattern by Rita Buchannon. Though I think I may have been better off buying the thrummed mitten kit from Knitpicks. I know have the know how to make the fleece lined mittens but the kit would give me essentially a pair of mitten for the same price. I know picky, Picky.

4. Reasons I'm really happy I bought this...

l. Lace cuff Mohair Mittens by Carol Huebscher Rhoades

a. I need a pair of these! They look so soft an fuzzy and I love the way the tops come to a point in the center. It's not a full on triangle wedge but more organic and reminiscent of the curve found on onion domes. (think St Petersburg, Russia)

b. Three Rib Beret's by Jacqueline Fee especially the She Knit a Raspberry Beret variation. A cute beret pattern to have in one's back pocket.

c. Priscilla Gibson-Roberts short row heel method Which is printed as an except of Priscilla's dream socks. I always like new ways to turn heels and decrease toes. I have my favorite but who knows I may find a new one I like better. This one should make an hour glass shape and should be gap-less. Should be worth a try on my next pair of socks.

d. The Baby Bunny Sweaters by Linda Loeffelholz I may not make the whole sweater but the charts for the adorable bunnies will definitely make their way onto something. I have a few bunny lovers on my gift lists (Not Christmas! Definitely not Christmas!) I know these will be appreciated as an embellishment for a hat or a bit of whimsy on a scarf,

VI After 5

1. Hockey season is in full swing. I seem to have forgotten how much time hockey eats up out of the schedule. I've also forgotten how much time the boosters try to get the parents to donate. Team dinners, fund-raising, volunteering for chuck a puck and heaven know what else. <URGH> I hope once we get past the beginning of the year insanity that things will settle down. I had brought my Super Secret Christmas project with me because I had dropped of Nate about an hour before the game. (There's a lot of equipment that has to be put on and they run before they get dressed.) I thought I had time to work and the Booster's thought otherwise and I was drug into a fund raising meeting. <Sigh>
2. This past Friday Was veterans day so I've been watching the history channels series on the Revolution on Net flix. My inner revolution / history geek is really enjoying this and Joe is enjoying that I've en watching it on the laptop with headphones on so he can remain blissfully ignorant and watch what he wants. Maybe it just hadn't sunk in in my past geekery but I found it especially fascinating that Washington’s command was questioned for so long. In popular history they really don’t mention that sort of thing. If you're a veteran or love one be sure to tell them “Thank You” for their service from me.
3. Thanksgiving is two weeks away and I'll be spend the next few days getting my shopping list together so that I won't have a 4^th container of sage in my spice cabinet. Hopefully this year I'll be ahead of the game and won't be running around like a maniac on Thanksgiving morning and instead will be watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade in my PJ's with my Boys.