I Win

before you read on, does anyone else have problems keeping their spaces between paragraphs in Blogger??? I make spaces and they keep disappearing!!! ugh.

(ok, now go read my giant run on paragraph)

I can finally close the book on our mouse infested grill from Lowes.

The exterminator had come and laid all these bait boxes around the place. He told me the mice get hungry and eat the poison, and then get really thirsty and go outside to die. I was informed I'd find green and blue mouse poop once they were snacking on the bait and then I'd see them no more. I'm skeptical, but he said it happens all the time. So, lovely - looking forward to it. Not really clear on how they know the dying is supposed to take place out of doors, but hey, if it works, right?

Yep, imagine my dismay when two weeks later, I'm still seeing little black turds around. Not a single blue guy. And when every night when I sit down to knit and watch TV and the little dudes begin running - kitchen, across by the TV and down into the dining room walls - then back. Sometimes under the sofa. They even go and SMELL the sticky traps and decide to walk (scurry?) off.

So I call the guy back and explain that our mice aren't so into the poison thing. Maybe just not hungry? Maybe, just maybe there's another approach that doesn't hinge on eating? Nope. He lays down a bunch more bait boxes, gives me some more fold up sticky traps, reminds me it's free to call him if I need to again, (and again and again?) and leaves.

ugh. But then I had a brilliant plan. I made a Line of Death. I peeled off the sitcky traps and left them unfolded, in a line across the floor - right in the path their nightly route. Not FIVE minutes later they walk right into my fabulous trap....Ta Da.

It's been almost a week now. No poops and no mice.

yep, I'm that good.

The game above we got at a rummage sale yesterday morning -

complete with all the pieces for a quarter! Meant to be.

Just TELL me it looks bigger

Because it looks the same to me. I think it measures about 3'x3', but it's just slogging along now. I did stop binding off and picking up after each stripe like the pattern tells me to (why did I ever?) I just put the stitches on a holder now, way easier, plus I'm using less time AND yarn.

Speaking of yarn, I felt pretty pathetic with my unanswered plea up on the blog, so I deleted it and went off to buy yarn. Convinced I would spend no money on the project, I went off to Micheals - a store I never consider when I get my yarn itch. BUT, gotta say - the yarn snob in me is a little humbled. That cotton ease is nice stuff. And only $5.99 a skein. The sugar and cream works really well with the Debbie Bliss and it was about $1.5o ea. I'm still not sure I'll turn into a Lion Brand fan, but there were some good little bargains in there amongst the fun fur. I just might go back someday.

so anyways,... here's round two, which I'll add to the other stuff.

When it runs out, she's done.

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And a little sidebar, remember this Miss Bea's Cardigan? Almost two years later, it fits!

OK, Maybe I'm Getting A Little Bored

But it's so pretty.

And I really am going through a lot of stray skeins from the stash! This particular skein is some leftover Debbie Bliss Denim Aran from 2 summers ago, when I knit Craig's sweater. And unknit, and reknit, and gave to Johanna to once again reknit. It's amazing yarn. Almost makes me want to make another sweater out of it.... almost.

I'm at the point where I can't bring the blanket out, so it's a TV project. Which has freed up all kinds of time around here for other things. We're painting a bedroom and moving things around over school break. Maya will have a hot pink and orange bedroom soon. Just like this:

really, the same pink and orange on the walls. It's awesome.

I love the half and half rainbow effect. Here's the blue side.

and Cass, I will definitely show you how, next time I see you!

Going and going and going

Just like the Energizer bunny...

This log cabin blanket thing is fun - I'm definitely hooked. Zoe has already claimed the blanket and is watching every strip knit up. It's a great easy knit, perfect for TV and child watching.

I'm not getting bored and I'm not sure why - after all, it is garter stitch and garter stitch and more garter stitch... (Maybe by the end of the thing, i'll be singing a different tune, but for now, each new stripe is fun!

Some of my fellow Knitsmiths might recoginze their old skeins in the mix - since more than a few of these were from our various swaps.....

The 2 bags of yarn don't aren't getting any smaller. I keep adding new skeins to the mix every time I use one up - a great way to use up the strays in the stash.

But I may be looking for extra skeins by the end -- Debbie Bliss cotton DK anyone?

And hey, if I'm using up so much of the stash, It's OK to add a little, right? This was too good a bargain to pass up. Aubergine Peruvian Wool - 10 skeins. I can't pass up purple.

ugh

Indecision and cold weather. I'm guessing the two are related.

It's supposed to snow again tomorrow!

I've played with and swatched Skein 1 of my Jo Sharp Soho Summer into about 20 different ideas so far. We've given up on the eyelet vest for now. My final thought is that I still want to knit it, but maybe for fall, out of something with a little give to it. The cotton might end up pretty shapeless and creased with the ribbing at the waist if I use this yarn. And I need to address the shaping around the shoulders, which has been pointed out as a potential problem by a sympathetic, yet anonymous blogger - (thanks, whoever you are)

I've been thinking about the Hourglass Cable Sweater from Jo Sharp 2. Here are some bits of the pattern, and a gauge swatch. I've also thought about doing the Ladder Stitch Cardigan again, although the gauge is pretty off. To make up for that, I might use the cardigan pattern for Soho that's in Jo Sharp Summer - just change the neckline and add the front detail so it looke like the ladder one. I've been flipping through my old IKs and books - I'm also eyeing the Max Azria sweater, but I don't think the yarn is right.

It's knitters block. ain't it? But I think it's because it's still cold out. So, I'm going to try a Log Cabin Blanket! Cozy and warm, but still cotton.

One last dip into the Debbie Bliss Afghan Stash from my mom, and ....

maybe, just maybe, I'll use it up this time.

As for mice and yarn, very little satisfaction on both fronts.

We're apparently a last bastion of mouse courage over here. Even with the motherlode of poison floating around, we seem to be the Rodent Alamo. Every night I sit down to watch TV and they do a few laps. Kind of funny, but pretty distracting - I keep looking out of the corner of my eye. And every morning I wake up and evaluate what's on the counters --- now is that a burnt bit? Or....? Oh crap! (literally) They are supposed to be blue once the little buggers eat the poison, but apparently they're not buying it yet. Tiny black turds. Lovely.

I'm going through the 409 like a banshee. My house has NEVER been cleaner. We've done the cabinets, the junk drawer, the tupperware area, and even swept the basement...(I can't even remember the last time we did THAT) It leaves precious little time for knitting and childcare!

And on the sublime yarn, I stopped by Wild and Wooly to check in with a frustrated Jackie. No answers, and no sweater back either. I mean jeez, with the cold weather around there, that thing might have been worn enough to justify the crazy pilling if only I HAD IT TO WEAR by now. Hopefully my visit will give her a little oomph for a more angry call?

It's all about options

I made sure my new scarf would match both my purple winter coat AND my minty green cordouroy spring jacket. (it's not as white as it looks here)

Unfortunately, I'll have to choose the winter one for now.....

but a girl's gotta have hope.

Maybe by this afternoon?

Lacy scarf pattern from Rebecca. This is my third one!

when life gives you lemons,

you make lemonade.

When Boston gives you 23 degrees in April, you make one more scarf.

This is the lovely Terra I bought in Salem at Seed Stitch.

See the gorgeous color? A light minty blue and lavender.

And you covet some things for spring.

This is a new sweater by Max Azria - think it will cost more to design and knit or to buy it outright? Anyone know a cheap drapey, natural looking soft cotton, small gauge.

Here it is belted..

hmmmm.

More ladybugs

with round asses this time.

It's Zoe's new sweater! ta da

It's taken a while to finish because the original yellow yarn I was using was kind of nasty. I ignored it at first, but then realized she'd be hopefully wearing this as much as she wears the green and blue one with the flowers and since she's SOOO easygoing about this stuff, I went for a softer yarn.

I ripped out the few inches of yellow and ladybugs, and went to Wild and Wooly for more Cascade 220. So... it fits, it's soft, and there's room to grow (cuffs on the sleeves this time)

It's snowing (ugh, yes snowing) here, so pardon the dim light on the photos.

And I left San Francisco for this....?

The ladybugs themselves are different shades of red, that's not the light.

I decided to use some leftover Kureyon bits that were appropriately ladybug colored.

Each one is a little different - one's pinker, one's orangey red and one's red red. Their dots are also different, I'm guessing each will have a name by tomorrow, so they needed personalities.

I liked adding the Noro - it puffs out a little, which gives the bugs some "shells".

I didn't feel like a whole row of them, so just one on each side.

And above Zoe's own adorable round ass, one more of the ladybug variety.....

PS. No new Sublime updates- am waiting to hear. Way less mice around these parts. We steel wooled all the holes in the floor where our heating pipes go, so I guess even if we have our micey friends, but they can't find us up here on the Other Side of the Brillo....

I've only knit a little

castle gate.

We've been busy on our castle around here. It's the big 2nd grade project. After a whole month of planning and building, Maya's new home is ready. Built mostly out of sugar cubes, with some felt, fake grass and stones. She requested a gate for her main entrance.

Koigu. 10 sts across, 2 inches of drop garter stitch on #1s, and put on a toothpick. It might be the most satisfying project I've done in a while....

(amazingly, the mice never noticed it!)

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