Treats!

This week I achieved one of my personal goals when Brenda Dayne invited me to be a guest on Cast On! YAY!

So I'll be chatting pretty much non-stop this week on the podcast, Brenda could hardly get a word in sideways, and you're free to listen in.

Of course, actually GETTING the interview done was a bit of a hurdle. We're having a section of our basement floor opened up for a new drain (remember the roots-in-the-sewer-line problem this summer?) and during one of our interview periods THIS was the sound throughout the house...

While you're listening, if you're so inclined, take a moment and consider donating to Brenda's cast. She does a professional quality podcast that many folks enjoy, and that takes a lot of time and not a little money (bandwidth, etc.) Even just a tiny bit makes a big difference - think of it as the knitter's community rent party! And you'll get a sock pattern...

Creative Knitting
It was also a HUGE treat to get my copy of Creative Knitting and see the very kind profile Bobbie Matela wrote. We had a lovely lunch at TNNA back in June (when I was practically bald... I swear, everyone thought I was getting chemo, not Gerry...)

Bobbie is such a warm and easy-to-talk-to person. I'm sorry she's gone from CK, but glad that she's at Coats & Clark (and working with Nancy Thomas - lucky women - I think they'll make a pretty dynamic duo!)

REDUX
The Sideways Spencer Redux group is moving along well - excellent questions are coming in from the participants, and I'm working right alongside them!

Yesterday I cast on while waiting for Gerry's Physical Therapy, then I took a few hours later in the day to luxuriate in the Malabrigo Merino Worsted Peach Tree that I'm using.

I'm making my size (famous last words - I'll probably just end up felting the darn thing down to Hannah's size during a midnight laundry session...)

Speaking of felt - I've been playing around with different felting techniques - stretching fabric before felting, after felting, shaping the felted fabric, etc. This hat is nowhere near where I'd like it to be, but it was a good experiment for the brim - and Hannah looks adorable.

Bag Swag Hag
At TNNA I visited the Namaste booth - I really like the beauty of their needles and used them in some of the shots for Twist & Loop. I'm SO THRILLED that they have delicious bags now!

We chatted for a bit - they're such lovely folks - and surprise! I just got a gorgeous bag in the mail last night!!

If there were one bag I'd like to have, well - I just got it! (and I'm not usually a purse or bag nut - I like them, I use them, but I don't run to them like a lot of folks do...)

That was so kind - and this bag is amazing - I feel like I'm set for life! I'm totally blown away - Thank you, Kelly! I feel positively guilty for getting it. But not guilty enough to send it back...

Surplice Siesta
I took the day off from the surplice (have I mentioned lately how much I love this yarn - oh, yeah, I have...)

I had finished one sleeve and just wasn't happy with the drape of it (the cap looked skimpy) so I ripped the last 5" out last night and I'll rework it today.

Multi Tasking
I really LOVE having several exciting projects to dance between, it keeps my mind nimble and keeps me from getting bogged down. Right now I have the Spencer sample, the surplice, a hat I'm going to work up in Shaeffer and a facemask I'm fiddling with... It's COLD here...

I find that when I move from one project to another, I have to reacquaint myself with the pattern. This is a good thing, because it allows me to be as close as possible to the mindset of someone approaching the pattern fresh.

I find odd mistakes or unclear instructions that might not have leaped out at me if I just kept my head down and barreled through one project at a time.

I don't always have this luxury - sometimes there's a deadline and I have to be single minded - but this is a nice little episode of creativity I'm experiencing now, so I'm basking!