Socktober 09 – the First

October has arrived, cool, crisp, and vibrant. I haven’t in the past participated in Socktober on any level, but this year – dreadfully wanting in sock knitting – I figured I’d make a point of knitting socks this month.

Specs: Noro Stripes
Pattern: … basic sock with stripes
Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock in S236 and S240

Yardage: .36 of S240 and .21 skeins of S236
Needles: 2.25mm dpn
Cast-On: Oct. 1.09
Bound-Off: Oct. 5.09
Notes: the stripes are 6 rows, and each sock has a different colourway for the main colour

Specs: Road Trip Trekking
Pattern: plain vanilla with short row heel
Yarn: Trekking XXL colourway 51

Yardage: .51 skeins
Needles: 2.25mm
Cast-On: Oct. 6.09
Bound-Off: Oct. 8.09
Notes: Nothing to report really, this is the first time I’ve used this yarn, I like it well enough

Specs: Caroline
Pattern: Carolina
Designer: Monkey Toes
Source: Ravelry download

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock in S236
Yardage: .54 skeins
Needles: 2.25mm
Cast-On: Oct. 9.09
Bound-Off: Oct. 11.09
Notes: I eliminated the most bright tealy green, but otherwise rather like this colour progression

I’ve also been working on both of my scrap blankets, they are progressing slowly, but surely. And a few more Christmas presents are done.

Specs: E’s Mittens
Pattern: my own design
Yarn: Briggs & Little Heritage and Briggs & Little Regal, Bleached White and Lilac
Yardage: only partial balls each, less than half

Needles: 3.5mm
Cast-On: Sept. 22.09
Bound-Off: Sept. 25.09
Notes: These were set up so that the gusset does not stick right out of the side, but partially to the front. A. thinks the flower on the back looks like the Transformer’s logo.

Specs: Beret
Pattern: Raisin
Designer: Raven Jakubowski
Source: Ravelry download
Yarn: Knit Picks, Wool of the Andes in Spruce
Yardage: 1.36 skeins

Needles: 3.25mm and 6mm
Cast-On: Sept. 26.09
Bound-Off: Oct. 5.09
Notes: I tried 3 different patterns, before lighting on Raisin, which only took a night to knit. I really like the pattern and will probably make another.

Mom and Dad have returned from Italy (bringing back the camera, hence the post). Tomorrow I start work, which is going to seriously cut into my knitting time.

I’ve been listening to audiobooks, audible.com is having a sale this month on classics. I bought a couple of favourites and am enjoying them exceedingly. I finished Tale of Two Cities. And now I’m in the midst of the Count of Monte Cristo, which I haven’t re-read in years though it is one of my favourites, I’m loving it- enjoying the things I’d missed and forgotten, savouring things as they unfold, and crazy anticipating certain points to unfold.

Of Cats and Bags

I have more FOs and more patterns. In my Christmas knitting this year there were plans for a number of market bags, to be filled with sundry items (like soaps, wine, other knitted items…). Emboldened by the success of my scarves I determined to try my hand at bag designing. The resulting four bag patterns are published together in one PDF, which can also be found on the Free Pattern’s page.

Pattern: All Points Bag

Level: easy (requires knitting: in round, yo, k2tog, ssk, and s2kp and crochet: ch and afghan st)
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (70% Tanquis Cotton, 30% Linen, 123 y/50g), 2balls, in Habor colorway
Needles: 4.5mm circ
Size: 14″ x11″ unstretched
Gauge: 4.5sts/6rows = 1” in stockinette st
Description: Bands of eyelet lace alternating with stockinette, mitered bottom, crocheted strap.

Pattern: Zig-Zag Market Bag

Level: easy (requires knitting: in round, yo, k2tog, ssk, and s2kp and crochet: ch and afghan st)
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (70% Tanquis Cotton, 30% Linen, 123 y/50g), 2balls, in Coffee colorway
Needles: 4.5mm circ
Size: 14″ x11.75″ unstretched
Gauge: 4.5sts/6rows = 1” in stockinette st
Description: Zig-zags of eyelet lace, mitered bottom, crocheted strap.

Pattern: Lean to the Right Bag

Level: easy (requires knitting: in round, yo, k2tog, and crochet: ch and afghan st)
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (70% Tanquis Cotton, 30% Linen, 123 y/50g), 2balls, in Royal Plum colorway
Needles: 4.5mm circ
Size: 14″ x12″ unstretched
Gauge: 4.5sts/6rows = 1” in stockinette st
Description: Continuous rightward leaning spiral (right-side up that is), spiral bottom, crocheted strap.

Pattern: Lean to the Left Bag

Level: easy (requires knitting: in round, yo, ssk, and crochet: ch and afghan st)
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (70% Tanquis Cotton, 30% Linen, 123 y/50g), 2balls, in Harbor colorway
Needles: 4.5mm circ
Size: 15″ x12.5″ unstretched
Gauge: 4.5sts/6rows = 1” in stockinette st
Description: Continuous leftward leaning spiral (right-side up that is), spiral bottom, crocheted strap.

I’m always surprised by how much this kind of project stretches. They are fast (not one took more than a couple of days), simple enough for tv knitting, but interesting enough to be enjoyable, and each one uses only 2 balls of Cotlin. I think I’m going to need to order some more Cotlin and make a couple for myself (since apparently I can never have too many re-usable bags).

And of Cats… we got a kitten on Friday the 11th.

His name is Simon Templar (a near second place was Big Ben, but A. decided on Simon) and he is about 5mos. We adopted him from the SPCA here in Moncton. We looked at a number of others, but he was the calmest and most friendly (and given teh crazy that can happen here clam and friendly is important). We brought him home and … he promptly hid for nearly 24hrs (giving everyone a scare… imaging him trapped in wall or something). I found him when I was watching something in the theatre (at that point he was hiding behind a giant framed picture of the hands from the Creation of Adam that is leaning against a wall at the back of the theatre). I caught him and brought him upstairs where he was confined in the bathroom for a day and then gradually allowed access to more and more of the house. He is now roaming the whole house happily. He enjoys attacking the flowers on the chair in the living room and galloping the length of the house. I don’t know how he feels about Bertie trying to teach him colours and to count…

Too Much To Explain, Let Me Sum Up

I’ve been a busy beaver on the knitting front (and have also not neglected the zombie… wonder of wonders).

I’ve got another four FOs to add to the list (or check off the list depending on how you look at it…)

Specs: Christmas Mittens 09 – The Revenge

Pattern: Herringbone Mittens with Poms
Designer: Elli Stubenrauch
Source: Ravelry download
Yarn: Briggs & Little Heritage (Bleached White and Mullberry)
Yardage: about half of each skein

Size: um… maybe between a women’s medium and large…. I have no idea…
Needles: 3.25mm dpn
Cast-On: Sept. 7.09
Bound-Off: Sept 12.09
Mods: um… well – I didn’t use pompoms, I made things a little longer and a little wider (with 2 additional border sts on each side), and I did the cuff last (I did the first mitten with a ribbed cuff, hated it and cut it off and knit the stockinette cuff down from there, used a provisional cast-on for the second mitten and did the cuff like the first one).
Notes: I like the herringbone part, I’m not crazy about thumbs placed right at the side of mittens. Carrying one yarn in one hand and one in the other really does mean no twisting, how awesome…

Specs: Sophie’s Twinkletoes
Pattern: Twinkletoes
Designer: Chloe Sparkle
Source: Knitty, Winter 2006

Size: Toddler
Yarn: Knit Picks Cotlin (Black)
Yardage: 27g
Needles: 3.25mm
Cast-On: Sept. 15.09
Bound-Off: Sept. 16.09
Notes: These are really cute, and super easy – now if only they’d fit…

And the other two were an experiment in things pattern-designer-y. Not only the knitting, but the writing up and the posting somewhere aspects have been explored. So I give you:
Pattern: But I’m Biased

Designer: … me
Source: here… (and it is also on the new Free Patterns page here)
Yarn: malabrigo, Worsted (100% merino) – Wide: Holly Hock, Narrow- Stone Blue
Yardage: one fully skein
Needles: 5.5mm

Cast-on: Wide- Sept. 13.09 / Narrow Sept. 14. 09
Bound-Off: Wide – Sept. 14.09 / Narrow – Sept. 15.09
Blocked: Both – Sept. 15-17.09

Notes: This pattern also looks really cool in this yarn unblocked. I’d like to try another where I do not wet block it (which is my standard practice for blocking) and try steaming or damp-towel to reduce the curling inherent in the stockinette, but without opening it up as much.  (The last picture, above, is unblocked.)

I’m hoping once the zombie is out of the way (think after Christmas… or in the winter some time) that I can start playing with some of the ideas I have for other designs, but this was a good way to experiment with the various aspects of pattern publishing with something super brainless.

I also received a Knit Picks order and have already cast-on one of several of the market bags for this Christmas, but that will have to wait for another post.

The hits just keep coming

or what you can accomplish during Star Trek marathons…

FO: Mom’s Christmas Mittens

Pattern: not really a particular pattern, used a combination of sources on mittens in general and thrummed mittens
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Yardage: about 1.5 skeins (well, 2 with nearly half a skein total weight left over…)
Thrums: Briggs & Little Country Roving in natural/white (I used about 1/2 a disk… these mittens are well thrummed)

Needles: 4mm
Cast-on: Aug. 29.09
Bound-off: Sept. 2.09
Notes: I matched the stripes almost perfectly (which resulted in a slightly longer cuff on the second mitten), the mitts are very puffy and should keep mom’s hands warm. I’m really pleased with them, if they are a bit silly, someday I’ll get around to knitting myself a pair. I rather liked working with the Silk Garden, there was one knot in one of the skeins, thankfully it was at the point in the skein that is still in the ball of unused yarn.

And another- Soapy’s Sherwood

Pattern: Sherwood
Designer: Angela Hahn
Source: Knitty, Fall 2006
Size: 4

Yarn: Briggs & Little Soft Spun, in Wedgewood
Yardage: about 2.5 skeins
Needles: 3.5mm circs (and dpns)

Cast-on: Sept. 2.09
Bound-off: Sept. 7.09
Finishing: Sept. 7.09
Mods: um… well I pretty much winged the collar, not that it really required much thought.
Notes: I really liked the design and the ribbing made a really stretchy fabric (as in I could put the body of the sweater on… it was knit for a 2 year old…). The instructions for the sleeves confused me (it took a minute or two… or more… to realized I was suppose to knit back and forth for the first 8 or so rows to use up the gusset stitches); otherwise it was clearly written and very fun to knit. I loved not having any seams to sew up at the end.

Seriously, this part fits me… not esp. flattering I’ll admit, but I can put it on…

Also, I’ve been back to various yarn suppliers (ie. Zellers which sells B&L here and Cricket Cove). I picked up some malabrigo worsted weight merino, for possible cowls, scarves, etc. and some more B&L worsted for mittens. I’ve decided that double knit mittens will be sufficiently warm, regionally traditional, and challenging for the rest of the Christmas mittens.

I’m starting to think maybe I need a sweater in the Mullberry B&L…but before I spend any more time on that… the zombie is calling

Productivity

All things considered this has been a productive few days. I’m making progress on the zombie, from which I am taking a break to blog. And there have been FOs and progress on WIPs. And I got my library card, New Brunswick has a fully integrated province wide library system… what a fantastic idea! I’m going to have fun just requesting things from all over… not that I have a lot of time for reading right now, but I can order Terry Pratchett from anywhere in the province!! (More about the library in a minute.)

First FOs.

Specs: Mom’s Neck Thing (and yes, her birthday is in March… and yes, I just finished her present…)
Pattern: Button-up Neck Warmer
Designer: Mavis Adam
Source: Spin-Off, Summer 2009

Yarn: Dye-Version Bamboo Sport
Yardage: about 1/2 a skein
Needles: 5mm
Notions: 4 purple buttons from Fabricville, Moncton

Cast On: June 24.09
Bound Off: June 25.09
Finished: Aug. 31.09
Notes: I tried a couple of other patterns before settling on this one. The pattern is great, interesting stitch pattern, texture, and very very quick. I just might have to knit one with handspun…

And a Christmas present that is now finished ahead of time… rather than an IOU…
Specs: Dad’s Maritime Winter Headgear
Pattern: Gussetted Helmet Liner
Designer: Ellen M. Silva
Source: Ravelry download

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash, in navy blue
Yardage: 200yds
Needles: 3.75mm and 4.5mm circs
Cast On: Aug. 31. 09
Bound Off: Sept. 01.09
Notes: The pattern instructions look way more complicated than the actual knitting is. I really liked the project, the construction was fun a good mix of mindless (7″ of 2×2 ribbing) and complicated. It also knit up really really fast.

I really don’t know what the dinosaur arms are for…

I continue to make good progress on mom’s mittens, I’m at the decreases for the top of the mitten already. (And I’m going to need more roving for thrums if I’m going to make mittens for the kids… or I could do double knit ones… those would be nice and warm…).

Back to the library, our library (Moncton Public) has old issues of Vogue Knitting, from the 80s and 90s, all bound nicely as hardcover books. I’ve decided to take them out a few at a time and flip through them for shits ‘n giggles. This week I have Fall and Holiday 1986. Here are some highlights:
*Articles by Elizabeth Zimmerman, one (Fall) on meeting up with knitters in England on a trip home and the other (Holiday) on afterthought thumbs in mittens and thumbless mittens for joggers.
*An article on knitters in literature
*Discussions of: short rows (used more for shaping edges than fit – but given it was 1986… lack of shaping makes sense); cap sleeves (presented as useful because of … fashions becoming fitted…?!); understanding cable charts; using beads in knitting; men knitting; different cast-ons; finishing techniques for machine knitters; an international project to knit a world map in patches
*lots of patterns that are… not in keeping with my sense of aesthetics… including plenty of: plunging backs, massive shapeless pullovers, huge shoulder pads, and giant intarsia Christmas trees, cats, and geometric shapes. In fact the only two patterns in the combined volumes I’d consider knitting are 13 and 14 from the Fall issue, which are … 1940s and 1950s patterns, only barely modified.
*some interesting varia: a large number of ads for knitting machines; ads referencing Casablanca and Marilyn Monroe; an overwhelming focus of patterns on women’s sweaters hardly even a vest to be seen let alone anything else; ads or reviews for books I recognize (the Harmony stitch dictionary, the Fox & Geese & Fences and Flying Geese & Patridge Feet books, Knitting the Old Way, The Ashford Book of Spinning)
*The more things change the more they stay the same: letters complaining that the “once beloved” magazine has gone downhill; familiar names (and faces) in designers and yarn companies

It is kind of fun to look at them (particularly given I was under the age of 10 for the whole of the 80s and therefore cannot be held accountable for anything I wore then…), and I think it will be an amusing if not also occasionally informative exercise.

Pre-Season FOs

It is currently pre-season… for football (yeah!!), for Christmas knitting, for school here (which starts next Tuesday), and fall, which appears to have asserted itself this week; and FOs are piling up, which is never a bad thing. This weekend I finished S.’s hood, a BSJ, and the first of 8 thrummed mittens for Christmas.

Specs: Little Red
Pattern: Little Red
Designer: Erika Flory
Source: For the Love of Yarn

Yarn: Briggs & Little Heritage, in Red
Yardage: 2 skeins
Needles: 4.5mm circs
Notions: one set of pewter claps
Cast-on: Aug. 25.09
Bound-off: Aug. 28.09
Finished: Aug. 29. 09
Mods: I added some decreases to the hood, in order to shape it as the point just wasn’t doing anything for me. I’m not really sure exactly what I did at this point, but basically I decreased at about 7″ over the centre sts until I had only 18 or 19 stitches either side (not counting the border), these were then three-needle-bound off as in the pattern.
Notes: This was fast, cute, and fun. I just hope it fits her… The yarn is rough and tough, and should be warm and wear really well.

Specs: NE BSJ
Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket
Designer: Elizabeth Zimmerman
Source: Knitter’s Almanac (supplemented via Wiki pattern page in Rav)

Yarn: Galway and Galway Heather (Red, White, Grey and Heather Blue)
Yardage: not sure, I was using up leftovers from the stash, but I think I used the better part of a ball of blue
Needles: 4.5mm circs
Notions: 3 football helmet buttons from Michael’s
Cast-on: Aug. 28.09
Bound-off: Aug. 29.09
Finished: Aug. 29. 09
Notes: I used the ssk k1 k2tog, p the k1 on the reverse decreases and kept the stockinette ridge going for the increases. The striping pattern is (in ridges not rows): 1R, 1W, 1R, 13B, 1W, 1R, 1W, 7G, 1W, 1R, 1W the rest B. This pattern is really fun, I foresee many more in the future.

I also finished the first mitten of my thrummed mittens for Christmas, which has been an interesting experience. First off – the mitten is huge and looks insane, like a cross between boxing gloves and oven mitts… But they’ll be warm damit! It fits mom (yeah!) – seriously she has mutant long fingers… I started the second one last night, and am at the beginning of the thumb gusset (I’m modifying the tutorial from the Yarn Harlot with a Briggs & Little pamphlet and making some of it up as I go along, so far so good). I might have over-done it a bit on the size of my thrums, but far be it for me to under-do anything… though I am thinking of making them a little less intense for the other pairs.

I’m thinking narrower thrums might have made clearer heart shapes…

Under the Weather

or rather under the influence of the weather, I have begun the annual ritual of preparing for Christmas, more specifically preparing my knitting plans for Christmas. Naturally, this involves trips to yarn stores and online yarn orders.

Notice I said “trips” to the yarn-store… Earlier this week I made my first foray out for Christmas knitting supplies, a simple trip to Cricket Cove. Where I got yarn for mittens for mom, a hat for dad, mittens for E., a sweater for my god-daughter, and roving for thrums for mittens for various members of my family. I got it all home, and as one does, immediately took pictures for Rav. While doing so I realized something… something I should have noticed AT the store… namely, the yarn for the sweater was not all the same dye-lot. *facepalm* Two skeins of 801 and one of 803, and naturally there was a noticeable difference between the two, which I hadn’t noticed in the store. So… I got back in the car and went back to CC with the non-matching skein to exchange it (thinking along the way that it was stupid and presumptuous of me to only bring that one assuming they would have more of the 801…but apparently the Fates found my daring worthy of reward as there was, in fact, another skein of 801). In the end, I returned home victorious and reminded to ALWAYS check the dye-lot.

The two original skeins of 801.

I have grand plans for this years knitting which include:
* one toddler sweater (which occasioned such adventures as were related above)
* 4 pairs of thrummed mittens
* 1 helmet liner style hat
* 1 beret
* 4 market bags
* 1 BSJ 9mo-1yr sized
* and two yet to be determined projects, though I am debating the possibility of knitted Nativity figures, or moebius cowls…

Before Christmas, I have said god-daughter’s birthday, knitting for which has been the primary (knitting) task of this week. I currently have blocking one of these, which I will post FO specs of once it is finished blocking and I have found and attached a clasp. I’m planning a pair of Twinkle Toes to go with it, but the yarn for that is part of a forthcoming KnitPicks order.

Actually, the list doesn’t look so bad when I lay it out like that… and having the bulk of the birthday knitting done gives me hope for the rest. Now the question is, what to start on next? The sweater because it will require the most work? Mittens because they are fast and I could start piling up things that are finished? The helmet liner because there is only one? The BSJ because my intended striping pattern requires some thought?

Other bits of random:
*I have re-engaged the zombie-thesis in earnest, now that the invasion of company has subsided
*I was back at my spinning, just as the Christmas planning bug bit me, and now it looks like the spinning with languish again until after the Christmas knitting is done. (One day I will finish this particular spinning project and then I will start on a hand-spun hand-knitted lace shawl, really… I will… one day.)
*In honour of my new home province, I have embraced things Briggs & Little for this bout of knitting, the mittens (with the exception of a pair in Noro for Mom) are all going to be B&L, and the birthday and Christmas presents for god-daughter will be in B&L. It is sturdy, reliable, comes in lovely colours, is widely available here in NB, and is wonderfully priced.

Football Season Means FOs

I’m back (again) from an eventful trip to the greater Boston area (does that work for you guys? Sufficiently not Boston, but still helpful to those who don’t have a clue where Marlborough or Hudson are?) While there (and traveling there and back again) I finished reading an amazing book, Shock Troops by Tim Cook, on the Canadians in the last two years of the the First World War. It is mammoth (serious, I’m surprised they didn’t make me declare it as a weapon…), well written, engaging, and very detailed – I recommend it for anyone interested in the Great War, and to all Canadians, since we really should know more about this period in our country’s history.

While there, I had an immersion experience in community theatrics, as I learned how to run sound for the Insert Life Here Studios presentation of the Scottish Play. I’ve never touched a sound board before, I’ve never used a microphone… good thing I learn fast. It was a ton of fun and the kids were awesome. I’m going to embed two videos which relate to the production. The first is Macbeth doing the alphabet for me at the cast party, as I half joking had him do a sound check this way once, and it was fun so we kept doing it (btw- Mackers, massively talented young man, you should hear him play guitar or piano and sing). The second, is the Porter scene from the last night of show. This scene was always fantastic and hilarious, but last night they were especially funny as it was gag night.

The Macker’s alphabet, which just makes my day. Watch out Sesame Street here comes Macbeth!

The Porter scene, the wonderful comic stylings of K. and S.

And in the midst of everything, Hell Week (wherein I learned that tech is mostly guessing, lots of things about sound, and that medical tape comes off easier on the days there is no air-conditioning), Baby J. refusing to be born until I’d left the country, a slug invasion, and the book, I still got some knitting done. I brought my second Kai-Mei sock to work on, and while it didn’t get finished there, it is finished now.

Specs: Summer of ‘09 Socks
Pattern: Kai-Mei
Designer: Cookie A.
Source: Sock Innovation

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock
Colourway: S233 (blue, green, black, and … pink…)
Yardage: 85% of the ball…
Needles: 2.25mm Harmony dpn
Cast-on: July 18.09 (in the car on the way to PEI for the first time)
Bound-off: August 8.09

Mods: none
Notes: I love the lace panel and it is making me think about shawl/scarf design.

And, as the title suggests, there has been football knitting. Sunday was the Hall of Fame Game, so naturally I needed something to work on. I dug out the leftover yarn from Dad’s Patriot’s Sweater and cast-on a hat, and then – since I didn’t have another easily portable project I took the hat with me to the knitting group last night… and since it was almost done when I got home… I finished it last night… so that makes two FOs.

Specs: Patriots Hat
Pattern: Celtic Beanie
Designer: Nienke Paap
Source: Son of Stitch n’ Bitch

Yarn: Galway and Galway Heather
Colourways: dark blue (heather), red, white, and grey
Yardage: very little of any… maybe half a ball of the blue and grey, and not even a 1/4 of a ball of the red or white

Needles: 4mm circs
Cast-on: August 9.09
Bound-off: August 10.09

Mods: Instead of just two colours, I used all four of the colours from the Patriot’s sweater and did the ribbing in red and white, and the body of the hat in blue and grey. I also did three rows of plain after the ribbing and before the chart and three after before the shaping. It worked for what I wanted, a Patriot’s hat, but I probably would stick with two colours in the future, or possibly only a 1×1 rib if I was using other colours…
Notes: This worked up really fast and I enjoyed it, I think there’ll be more double knitting in my future, and possibly another one or two of this pattern.

Now I need a new football project… maybe I could resurrect one of the two shawls that are languishing in the UFO pile.

FO and Travel Plans

I have actually finished another project, yeah!

Specs: Wrought Iron
Pattern: Ironwrought Scarf
Designer: Anna Dalvi
Source: Ravelry store

Yarn: Dye-version Silver (Merino, Silk, Nylon, and Sterling Silver), 100gr/421yds in the colourway Midnight
Yardage: about 95% of the skein
Needles: 4.5mm circs
Cast-On: July 6.09 at knit night
Bound Off: (in this case, grafted the ends together) July 17.09
Blocked: July 19-21.09 (the theatre is not the best place for quick drying of blocking projects…)

Notes: This is my second of this pattern (the first is here), and I foresee many others in my future. It is a great pattern, neither too complicated nor too boring, it makes a skein of fingering weight go a long way, and it is beautiful. I got 19 repeats of the central chart on this one, as with the first. This colourway ran quite a bit, but is still very very dark and vibrant.

I also cast on another project, a pair of Kai-Mei in Noro. I finished the leg of the first one on our trip to PEI on Saturday, and am now well into the leg of the second sock. These are coming with me as my travel knitting.

I need travel knitting because tomorrow I’m shipping off to Boston (and for the sake of the clarity Em. thinks I overlook – I will not be staying in Boston, only flying into Logan, whence I will make my way by subway, train, and car to the great metropolis of Marlborough, MA). My time will be divided between chilling with Em., J., and their lovely relations and the production of Macbeth being staged by friends (it is going to be at Marlborough Middle School July 30, 31, and Aug 1 – if you are around come see it!) I’m helping with tech, lights and sound from what I’ve been told. It promises to be a fun and education couple of weeks.

In other, less interesting news, I got my haircut – with layers and shaping and all those grown-up haircut things. The stylist not only blow-dried my hair, but even straightened it – a feat she fully understood why I do not undertake alone or often once she had completed it (it wasn’t my idea, she wanted to put the layers in after it was dry and straight.) I’m going to try to preserve the ironing as long as is reasonable, and then I’ll have the surprise of seeing what it looks like when it curls after getting wet…

Settled In

Since I’m rather distracted and not a little bored and since someone asked, I figured I’d do a little post-move update. Particularly since today I just cleaned my room, therefore it is photograph-able… I thought it might be a good idea to clean it and the library up (and move my computer into my room) since starting this weekend we have company staying with us… among other places in the library. (I will actually be bailing out and heading back to Boston for our busiest week of company – I can’t wait!)

The snow has melted (and as of … today… it is warm and sunny outside) and we have unpacked almost everything, and found almost everything (though if someone knows where the last box of comics is, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know…). So, this is mostly a photo entry (my apologies in advance the right sides are getting cut off…)

Here’s the front of the house, notice the Muskoka chairs, A. painted them this week.

Things are blooming (and have been despite the rain and cold), and everything is very lush and green (it ought to be… all that rain….). The kids are enjoying the outside, well when not running away from the bugs… I have taken to wearing flip-flops since you never know when you’ll need to squash something.

The tree house and some of the gardens.

The view from the top of the driveway of the back yard.

The yard would be perfect for all those parties we used to have… but it is a little far for people to come… I’m trying to convince people they should come here for Labour Day… road-trip, meet George, hang out here, great view, lots of space, movie theatre… but so far, not a lot of luck.


The view from the deck.

Inside. We’ve clearly moved in and things are feeling (and looking…) lived in.

Dining room.

Living room – you’ll notice we own a lot of books.

The stairs are still a death trap.

The basement is not used a lot by the adults, though we are expecting more furniture to arrive soon and it will see more use once the invasions commence.

Movie theatre, the only part of the basement that I visit regularly.

And, as promised, the rooms I live in most of the time.
My room now is furnished and cluttered, proof that I do live here.

The closet, which does close, but which I won’t promise things won’t fall out of when you open it – mostly just the foam blocking squares…

The sink… which is still odd to me, but which I’m trying to make feel loved by surrounding it will appropriate dresser and vanity clutter. And my computer ‘desk’ set up.

Part of my library… books on the wide shelf, dvds on the narrow one

E. box sets of DVDs… two deep…

Books, also two deep… the very top is all academic journals, the other upper shelves are fiction of various descriptions, the bottom ones are non-fiction, oversized, and knitting/spinning

The library, the swinging shelf doesn’t really swing any more, it is too heavy…

Heavy, but full of purpose.

My academic books are all in the library.

The language shelf – all text (editions and translations), language resources, and dictionaries.

The reference shelf – all academic/reference books, mostly medieval and classical studies related.

So that is the tour… looks different from last time, eh?