Etherknitter

*Catbox typo (Lynn again)

My July 31st deadline for organizing my life arrived, and departed in a brief, quiet burp.  I did know that it was unrealistic.  However, it helped in my continuous battle with entropy.  (I love that word, defined by dictionary.com as a measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.  The only word I love more is hysteresis.)  Most of the house is organized or in the finishing stages.  My knitty litter is under control*.  The only unorganized stash sits near the fiber room because it lacks a box.  The Rubbermaids are full.  I have vowed to buy no more Rubbermaids.   This represents about five pounds of fiber, purchased over two years.

We will not discuss my study.  It would surprise no one to hear that stuff from other parts of the house have been unceremoniously dumped into the study.  That allowed me to define that other room as done. 

Yes.  I know this is the pea and the shell game.  I'm good with that. 

Spunky BFL, colorway Thunderstorm/Bruised Spinner/Postsurgical Wound was tw0-plyed as planned.  I loved the single, the two ply is good.  It is a touch overplyed, so will go into the pile of yarn that needs twist taken out or more twist put in to finish it. 

I bought BriarRose BFL top late last year off the website.  When it arrived, the colors were more subdued than the picture on the monitor.  I wasn't disappointed enough to return it.  I trusted Chris Roosien's color sense. 

I loved the BFL top.  Silky.  Smooth.  It literally acted like good tussah silk.  The single wasn't exciting.  I divided the 10.5 ounces into three bobbins (spit splice x1).  Then I joined them in a standard three ply (no chains).  Oh.  WOW.  Is it a spinning law that if you don't like the singles, you will love the plyed yarn?  And if you love the singles, the plyed yarn will not create equal happiness?

Triple H

What can a knitter do when it is 90 degrees, 90% humidity?  Fighting it is futile.  It takes megwatts of electricity to cool a spinning room to wool-handling temperature.  That is not green.  Few complaints have been registered in Etherknitterland over the weather.  Winter was great.  (I know that to have snow THERE, one must live with snow HERE.)  The spring and summer rain was free water!  From the sky!  No crazymaking water bills from my town, which sets its charges as if every year is a drought year.

(The Water Commission told us to conserve water.  Scarce resources.  Too many houses, too much demand.  We conserved. 

Then they sent a notice that we conserved so well, they weren't making enough money. They had to raise the water rates.  Made me want to poke my eyes out and die.)

I started Mystique shawl (Tilli Thomas Voile de la Mer, colorway Atmosphere).  Thin yarn, big needles, not fun.  I finished row 6 yesterday, admired my knitting, then cried out in pain.  Mr. E, always helpful, suggested I photographically preserve the debacle prior to the frog pond.  I could not tell if I dropped one stitch or two.  If I had been happy with the work, I would have used it as an exercise to practice fixing lace.  The yarn is now sitting in a quiet, reconstituted ball by the bedside, confused as to its next purpose. 

So I embraced/tolerated/participated in summer over the weekend.

FiberRevival.  Pumpkinmama's t-shirt made the sardonic me smile.  I have clearly not recovered from the two weeks of new resident tutorial, which ended Friday.  Despite sleep, my brain is still fried.  I cut a wide swath of social faux pas across the Revival.  I apologize.  I think it will all be okay, but it is not my usual style to rely on the kindness and forgiveness of friends.

The 'pacas were as adorable as always.  I so want one.  Or two.

August is a farmstand overflowing with locavore harvest.  The annual Tomato and Corn Festival was worth the trip, and the heat.  Nothing beats foot-stomping, rhythm-slapping bluegrass on a day hotter than a greasy spoon's griddle. 

Carole's and Grumperina's vacation plans include planning knitting projects.  What do you knit on planes if you are bored with socks?  What kind of knitting do you stuff in your carryall? How big a project is too big?  Do you use cheap needles in case you lose them in the sand? Is mindless knitting too mindless for a whole week of knitting?

And finally, a Triple H day, stick-your-head-in-the refrigerator lunch:

In this order, in a shallow bowl -

1 generous handful of blueberries, washed     1 container of Fage yogurt, 2%                          maple syrup to taste                                              sprinkle with raw organic pecans and dried currants

An email conversation, or why I was not at Sock Summit

Lynn:  So what are you going to do with yours [Spunky's Thunderstorm BFL] once it's spun up?

Etherknitter:  Have yarn.   Srsly, though, it is calling to be thin and beautiful (*sigh*).  I'm thinking two ply to not muddy the colors.  So thin and two ply sounds like it wants to be a scarf.

Lynn:  cough You could weave with it, which is what I'm planning on doing.

Etherknitter:  So far, in my next life.  Piano tuner, after working on the piano (She loves inspecting my wheels):  "I hope your spinning hasn't cut into your piano time." 

Etherknitter:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.

Lynn then sent me this:

Abby Franquemont:  I hope your piano playing hasn't cut into your spinning time.

Laurie:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.

Garden Club president:  I hope your spinning and piano playing hasn't cut into your gardening time.

Laurie:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.

Trainer at the gym:  I hope your spinning/piano playing/gardening hasn't cut into your exercise time.

Laurie:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.

Boss at work:  I hope your spinning/piano playing/gardening/exercise hasn't distracted you from real work.

Laurie:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.

Mr. Etherknitter:  Hi, I think we've met before.  I hope your spinning/piano playing/gardening/exercise/work hasn't cut into your commitment to this relationship.

Laurie:  *cough* Of course *cough* not.


The FiberRevival on Saturday, August 15th marks this knitter's revival as a human being.  It is the time of year when the new residents appear.  The task takes most energy, all available time, and complete patience, just like knitting.

There actually IS an FO.  Pictures have not yet been acquired.  Calibrachoa (Million Bells) will serve to distract until I can put it all back together.