Happy Birthday Kaisha and Norbert - both 7!

Kaisha is Brandon's brother's daughter and oldest. She is currently in the first grade, and just turned 7 today. The Pasha Penguin and one of the cupcakes were made for her. We didn't see her tonight but will get them dropped off to her this weekend. Here's the finished Pasha:


I must say that getting Pasha completed was a challenge. The knitting part wasn't difficult at all. It was sewing the front and back pieces together that was a bit of a challenge. I think that it might be possible to do it in the round and intarsia like for the white and black halves, not that I'm going to rush out and do this brain twisting feat soon.

I'm crazy, I have eight projects planned for the month of October as part of the Malabrigo Junkies group's Holiday Stockpile 08. Here's the description if you want to join the insanity:

Holiday Stockpile 2008

Since the Holidays are fast approaching, and there’s always a birthday or newborn baby sneaking up on us, why not be prepared? Starting October 1, 2008, we’re going to encourage knitting for others - as one of the most generous groups here on Ravelry, it’s time we show our generosity off the boards too! Whether you’re knitting for your own family, friends, a homeless shelter, your favorite charity, preemie babies, your local hospital or nursing home, or simply stuffing your closet with things to give away (or keep for yourself - you need a little self-charity too!), this October is the month to do it!

Of course, there are those Competitions:

Prize winners will be selected for the first and second place in each of the following categories. Each category has been given it’s own board - just click on the name up here to find out more about it! The rules are category specific, but in all the categories there are some basic guidelines:

* The project must be made out of Malabrigo (some contests are worsted-specific, others will let you use anything)
* You must start this project no earlier than October 1, 2008
* All entries must be entered into your notebook. We prefer that you have pictures, but, if not, make sure you’ve got good documentation on your project pages!

Most Generous Member
One-Skein Wonder
Achievement Award
Prettiest Packaging
One-Skein Design

And, after all this, who could forget the PRIZES?

First places in each category will receive a skein of Malabrigo Merino Silky and a skein of the new MALABRIGO SOCK YARN! In some categories there are additional secret prizes!

We’ll also be doing five random drawings from participant threads for a skein of sock yarn! So everybody has a chance to win!"

I'm using the contest to my advantage. One I got to buy a few skeins of the mmmmmMalabrigo yarn crack for knitting delight and share with family members in the form of hand knit gift items for Christmas giving. I'm done with some of them early allowing me to get started on the other planned projects in a timely manner. I have gifts planned for people and yarn matched up with projects. I'm really ahead of the game this year and hopefully not going to have delusions of ability to finish them like a certain Yarn Harlot. ;^)

Norbert too had a lovely birthday for a dog. He got to go out and check out his yard for any interlopers and scared off a large bird, think it might have been a heron, from the pond this morning. Slept on his favorite perch and his boy went to the store and bought him two new mini-balls for his fetching pleasure. There were a couple of pork rawhide bones too, but the balls had his full attention. Nessa enjoyed hers over the next hour. I've spent the last half hour throwing them for him, so he's happy. We hope to have him for another 7 years and more.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. We plan to be over at OFFF for opening at 9am. I have hopes of a mill end or two from Blue Moon and have a few things to look for from Village (camel, yak and natural bfl), plus all the other vendors. Possibly a lamb sandwich and then heading to the Memorial Coliseum for the Halloween Bazaar for the boys.

Wednesday night Bobbie showed me how to navajo ply with her green. I have some yarn barf to show for it. I'm thinking of using it for the top of the pumpkins. With Pasha done, I need to finish up my Leapfrog Moss Grid Hand Towel. It's also a gift item, so working the list already.

Yarn, Squirrel & Flowers

Well I couldn't resist. I spent Monday afternoon spinning the Schoppel Wolle pencil roving singles up and now have "Caribe" because of the turqouise blue-green color reminded me of pictures of the Caribbean:

I'm going to take the 2 oz of merino/tencel with me tonight if I actually do other spinning than the Navajo plying that Bobbie is going to teach me with her green.

I received my Knit Picks replacement needles this afternoon too. So back to working on Kaisha's Pasha Penguin. I'm half way through the back so just have the front to finish. I fully expect to have this ready for Friday to drop off for her birthday along with the cupcake. It's also Norbert's 7th birthday on Friday too.

I've mentioned the suicidal squirrel before. I spotted him/her this afternoon making forays into the actual yard rather than along the fence line. Clearly in search of nuts but rather bold and daring all the same with my two squirrel hunters in residence. Here he is in the yard:

I think Nessa heard me saying the 'squirrel' word while talking with Brandon and looking out the kitchen window where the crazy rodent was checking out the grass because I heard her stick her head out the patio doorway and saw the squirrel scamper for height. She lead the CHARGE! and Norbert joined her for barking at the base of the trees:



My sunflowers aren't lasting as long as the daisy's or other store bought flowers. They do have their little baby flowers blooming though:

Spinning & Fish

I've done a few short stints at the wheel since getting it on Wednesday and after Bobbie's tutorial on how to use it. Today I backed pretty much all of that off the bobbin and started over. I'd noticed that it was pretty loose on the bobbin and you could see that in the yarn. I then spent about an hour with the Schoppel Wolle pencil roving I picked up at Knit/Purl. Since it is pencil roving it's almost pre-drafted. I still did a little bit more. There's some thick and thin going on but I think when plied it might end up being a fingering weight.

Here's what I have right now:


Brandon and I picked up the pond fish on Friday after work. Four came home with us that night and it was a bit of work just to get them. I think the longest orange one is about six inches long. Mary also sent us home with some 'lettuce' and 'hibiscus' plants. I put them in quotes because those are what my memory came up with and I'm not sure if that's the 'real' name for them. Saturday she gave a call to Brandon, but he's down in Lincoln City helping with the roof, so Norbert and I ran over to pick up two more fish and a palm and iris that she thinned out of her pond. I really should have taken the camera to get a shot of her pond - very pretty. These are the shots I have of the first four fish in the pond:



The fish are pretty skittish still. The two new fish - one red, smaller than the others and a white with yellow headed one that she thinks is female so that we too can have babies next year. The dogs are curious about the what's in the pond, right now anytime anything comes near it they dart for hiding under the plants.

Nessa is stressed by Cedi. Cedi has a nasty habit of resource guarding the kitchen and since she's taller than Nessa, she just finds it easier to hide out in the bedroom. I did take her out and got her a doggie cone at Dairy Queen last night that she did enjoy and shared with Norbert. I'm sure she would be counting the minutes until both dogs are gone if she could do that. ;^) Norbert is much more relaxed about them and hanging out on the back of the couch.

In case you were wondering, I've taken the Beach Glass Basket Rib Handtowel out of my projects. When you dread knitting something, you shouldn't. So it will get frogged once again and become a Seafoam Hand Towel I have in my queue. Damn boucle.

I also discovered I can't count. I have five nephews, I had four fish. So I whipped up another one yesterday while watching TV:

I've also started work on Kaisha's Pasha Penguin. The feet are knitted as well as the wings. Cast-on for the body, it's two pieces. I foresee this as a quick knit, it's going to be all the seaming up that will take some time, of course.

I'm going to check with Knit/Purl to find out if they have more of the pencil roving so that I can either ply it with the same colorway, or a complementing one. Question is, drive or MAX? May have William practice the drive down before his drive test on Tuesday. I'll have to get in touch with Kim to see if I can get the third bobbin for her so that I can ply.