Tree Bark Sock & Spinnerati! and more......

Saturday was another full day of fibery fun. I was zipping along finishing up Cindy/Susan's Tree Bark Sock test knit as well as planning to spend a few hours spinning. Spinning was a blast! While I didn't try the long draw spinning with cotton, I did take pics. I put them into a collage, determined by Picassa, so don't complain if your pic is small and someone else's is big!

They were using cotton poonis or cotton supima sections to try out this new spinning skill. I think there was a lot of success and frustration. I only had the one bobbin so didn't try my hand.

After Spinnerati I met Brandon at Tosis Restaurant for dinner before heading to Cosmic Monkey Comics for the Boo Yaa Awards. Tosis had lots of older people as mentioned in the article I linked to, but don't let that stop you from going there. I ordered the beef tips and was unpleasantly surprised to find green peppers in them. So I set the plate aside and was nibbling on Brandon's french fries. I'd had a cup of soup and a slice of bread so was going to make do. The manager/owner, older Greek sounding woman, spotted the plate and came over to check on what was up. I explained that it had peppers in it and that I couldn't eat them and that I was just going to take it home for the dogs. She insisted on having a cheeseburger made for me at no charge. The proceeded to watch over the cook hurrying him along and then finishing it up and presenting it to me herself. In general I don't eat cheeseburgers (I know how unAmerican of me!) but this was pretty good. I think it really makes a difference if real cheese rather than the cheesefood crap that others use is why. I'm impressed that there are still places like this around!

We found close parking to Cosmic Monkey Comics and then spent the next half an hour waiting for things to start. They were supposed to start at 7pm but didn't get rolling until 7:30pm. As promised Brandon had no problem with me finding a corner to call my own and start knitting. There I was on the floor (no seating for this event apparently) knitting away on my Holding Hands Scarf and I had one lady ask me the name of the stitch I was using - star. Then an older male couple asked me "is everything ok?" Puzzled look, "yes, is there a reason why they wouldn't be?" I replied back. "Well you're sitting over here knitting on the floor." I replied, but the deal was that the DH got to come and I got to knit, "I'm knitting, so I'm happy." Couple wanders off with confused looks on their faces.

Then during one of the breaks the photographer on hand spots me and checks that it is okay that he takes my photograph. Sure, why not? DH has also, so what's one more? ;^) (Not sure if it will make the light of day somewhere.)Then I spot Rick Emerson with his wife. So my hand slips into the coat pocket for the camera phone so that I can kinnear him. I send the photo to Brandon who later shows it to Rick. Rick doesn't know what 'kinnearing' is but tells me that he's 'honored' to be in with the likes of Greg Kinnear. Also throws out the word - creepy, but then is horrified that he may have offended me. (It will take a bit more than that to offend!) Brandon listens to Rick's podcasts every day or live when he gets the chance.



I ended up having my headache (started earlier in the loud echoing meeting room during spinning) come back with a vengeance and so I take myself and my knitting home so I can finish the sock. This is where it turns out to be serendipitous for us to have two cars. I could leave and Brandon could stay.

Back home to finish up the Tree Bark Sock test knit. I had found a few things in the pattern for Cindy to clarify and I got to learn a new heel flap - eye of partridge. This is a nice fast knit and the yarn is yummy to knit and wear. Okay, it's hard to get the total feel out of one sock, but you know what I mean. Yarn is Abstract Fiber Super Sock in the Burnside Bridge colorway. The sock!
Delivered to Cindy Sunday morning for more photos and such.

Busy Week!

Tuesday night I went down and hung out at Ava Roasteria with Carissa, Queen of the Cupcakes, and Sheliaknits. Nancy and another girl were there too but I'm terrible with names and it didn't stick. We ended up in the one and only booth in a surprisingly busy establishment. I worked on the booby sock while Shelia shared Madrona experiences and Carissa tried to find a stitch pattern to create a sock. Carissa is doing monthly meetings and I'm looking forward to next month's.

Wednesday was a very full day with spinning in the afternoon at Starbuck's. I had fun with Tammy and plying. Picked up the yummy yak/merino and more camel. I finished up the bit of camel that I had leftover from last week. I'll be spinning the second two ounces on Saturday at the Spinnerati meeting at Central Library. We're also going to learn about long draw techniques. I may just have to watch as my second bobbin is currently out of commission. I'd found this strange round black plastic piece of few days ago. Put it some place safe. Then discovered that it's the bushing for the waiting bobbin. So do you think I could find that safe place I put it in?

Thankfully, Sharon (Stitchjones) is visiting family in Spokane and is picking me up a replacement one from Paradise Fibers. $1.75 is cheaper than buying a new bobbin ($29) for a borrowed wheel. ;^)

When I came home I saw that neighbor Dwight had filled up his yard debris can with wood from his flutes. I spied that there were wood bits that would be big enough for some new niddy-noddys that I'm asking Brandon to make for me. One for me and a couple to sell I think.

Wednesday night I tried to finish up the preemie hat test knit for Karen but things were jumping at Haggen's! We had lots of people there and lots of fun/interesting conversations going on. When I took a look at it I saw a couple of mistakes in the results so I frogged it and recast on. I finished it up this morning before going to Insomnia for the Thursday afternoon knitting:


While at Insomnia I cast on a sock that tests the pattern (Tree Bark)with Abstract Fibers sock yarn. Susan has a Portland line of yarns with bridge names and I'm using the Burnside Bridge colorway in her Super Socks line. Very nice yarn! I also got to pick out a skein of sock yarn as my payment. It's from her Mighty Socks line called Constellation. I need to have the sock done in time for Cindy to photograph and get the pattern pages ready for them to go to Stitches West. These yarns along with the rovings and some charity yarn and I'm feeling fiberlicious this week:

The sock is flying on the needles and is a fun knit. I also get to try out a new heel style so learning something new too!