PippiKneeSocks.com

Sit down, pour yourself a cuppa, and pass me the earplugs, will ya?
I’m awaiting a propane delivery, so I can get some dyeing done. Until then I figured I’d flash the latest things to come off the needles…
More Mitts.

3.2 oz 2 ply handspun,
hand dyed, hand cleaned Montadale x Leicester & nylon
with a ply of handpainted domestic
DK wt. on US 3s & 5s

Mr.Pippi heckled them. (But he always heckes my knitting, I hardly every pay any mind to it…)Saying they were too pointy and the thumbs looked like sausages.
Next pair, I’ll go with the afterthought thumb. Thanks Mr. Pipps!

And to prove it hasn’t been all mitts all the time here over at the love shack

Some fulled slippers in Noro Kureyon #88 on US 10s
I tried to get a photo of them in their natural habitat, but, urggg.

And, (yep, one more!) I got on the bandwagon…
Calorimetry from Knitty

I made a few changes..
I cast on 98 st with a handspun DK wt. single on size US 2s (yes, you read that right, US size 2)
I really love the button… Of course, it is from Moving Mud.
I tried my best to get a good close up of it.

Curse you flash photography!
*shakes fist at sky*

Today is my kick off of Project Spectrum V 2.0

Three cheers for Lolly!
I’m normally not a big -along-er, but, I loved the first version and I’m back for more!!!

Have a happy Groundhog day!
I heard the when he came out he made a comment about global warming.

for the past few days, i’ve been thinking about that phrase when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and how it applies, or doesn’t apply to me. i used to think i was a tough cookie; but it seems that i am not doing well under pressure lately. (i used to do really well with deadlines; and in fact, excel.) but, me, the un-tough version, i’ve just been running around here like a decapitated chicken.
amy boogie said the other day; “My gardens are as ignored as the housework. Makes me wonder what I do all day long.” ~ this pretty much sums up the scenario here. i swear, months have gone by and i’ve wondered what on earth i’ve accomplished. i really don’t know where my time goes. i do know that i should have better use of it. (i swear, i’ve tried to whip myself into submission; but it doesn’t work. i think i need to swipe mike e’s ADD medication from his medicine cabinet. (just kidding, dad, you can start breathing again.) but, you know, when i get thinking like this, it does no good. yesterday i didn’t think about it. i didn’t dwell in unproductive guilt. and i got a bunch done.

~
some handpaints

both sport and lace weight. ~ i’m going to keep that one on the far right for myself.

~
some washed carded & dyed churro (with corresponding tinkles~ black tinkle!!?!)

i don’t have plans for any of these yet. i just got motivated to dye them up.
~
and some washed churro fleece

~
i had no intention whatsoever to wash up any fleece yesterday.
but, once again, i was forced to.
while i was on the front porch flick carding some wool, my son, went around back, truned on the garden hose and decided it would be a good day to clean out the mudroom. i found his “cleaning event” fairly quickly; but the damage was already done. two inches of water on the floor of the mudroom. the above fleece was stored in the mudroom in a burlap sack. on the upside; the mudroom floor got mopped, and another pound of this churro is washed. on the down side, last night, i totally collapsed.
if i could only be this productive every day.
but then again, i think my body would rebel. i have a fever and i’m feeling ‘flare-y’ and my arms and ears appear to be sprouting some new rashes. a total downer to be a slave to not only my mental limitations, but my physical ones as well. ha.

now, who wants to come over and help me clean the house? i’ll send you home with some washed rare breed wool. (and possibly one very spirited 2.5 year old boy; in ‘like new’ condition.)
♥

monday mornings are always difficult. coming off the high energy family centered weekend. back to ‘work’ or whatever. not that i ever stop, i’m like a perpetual motion machine, even if my cogs are broken and my sprockets split. even if i can’t settle and focus on one project or dream up another one; i’m constantally runing about this wee house like a chicken who just got decapitated.
what makes things harder this am, i had one of those dreams.. you know the ones; they burn a hole in your heart. even after you wake up, you are still taking those feeling with you. wondering what it all means. this one involved homemade blue berry jam, levitation, knitting, a play, and of course, love. i chock it up to getting too much sleep. i went to bed at 11.

some interesting things happened this weekend. i managed to wash and proceess (and spin) some more of my churro fleece.

navajo-churro
merino
falklands
tinkle
~super dooper!
and then i took these

hand-dyed falklands
hand-dyed tinkle

and created these:

baby face
about 250 yards, bulky + wt.
i think it would make a excellent baby sweater or pinwheel blanket

i know a few couples who are TTC, and a few preggo ladies now; so it was like a prayer, mantra, or what have you; for all of them. *sticky vibes*… i’m very tempted to put it in the stash specifically for a knit item for one of those babies. it also helps me come to terms with wanting yet another baby! (OMG! i can not believe i just admitted that outloud! someone, please slap some sense into me. my logic tells me that it is all because bells is going off to school in the fall & bird boy is finally weaned. three children would insure my spot in some institution, that would be definite. haha.)

moving on….
clearly i have a new obsession with raw wool.
i scored this, on saturday.

it is the greasiest thing i’ve ever encountered. full of hay and burrs too.
although, not as dunged up as my churro. (but dung you can pick out and wash out, those pesky bits of hay, AYE!)
i think i’ll pick the burrs out, wash it once to get the pounds of lanolin out, and send it off someplace to get processed.
not having a picker is the main reason i don’t want to do this one. plus a professional washing is really needed.
since our mill has been sold to a maine company, and it will be at least a good 6 months until the new one opens; i might send it off to still river mill. i’ve heard great things about them from many people.

i’ve also had bitchin mittens on the brain this past weekend. living in the frozen tundra of vermont, making ‘art’ mittens seems almost blasphemous. but, i’ll try. i’ve narrowed it down to 10 ideas. hah.
speaking of the weathers, (well, i really wasn’t now was i?) but, the sun, the sun! where are you sun!??? it isn’t raining today,(the sun isn’t out, either…) but to the west there is this big patch of black clouds. why, why all this rain??? and cold? i had to cave and turn on some heat last night! it is driving me crazy, plus it really puts a damper on my tag sale addiction……

ass alarm has been ringing!
love and blueberry jam,
♥