tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-325938282011-10-23T12:31:44.068-06:00Knitting in the shadows of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah.Cheryl S.noreply@blogger.comBlogger2071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-62535109441926077282007-07-09T12:01:00.000-06:002007-07-09T12:03:52.830-06:00

It's moving day! I've got a new look, and a new name.I'm moving my blog from Hither-n-Yarn to Cabled Sheep.Please visit me in my new home.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-43394939007485375152007-07-08T14:44:00.000-06:002007-07-08T14:47:09.198-06:00

The valley is full of smoke today, I guess it's from the huge fires in southern Utah. So what do you do on such a hot, smoky day in the valley? Leave it for the mountains, of course. If you can find them, anyway. Today they were barely visible through all of that haze.My stepdaughter is visiting from New Jersey and heads home this afternoon, so we took her up to Silver Lake for a cooling break

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-4263826068829775542007-07-07T09:33:00.000-06:002007-07-07T09:49:18.714-06:00

I've started on the "Curved Shawl" from Victorian Lace Today, using the Jade Sapphire Lacey Lamb used in the book, but I'm knitting with US2 needles instead of US3 since I knit loosely and don't want to run out of yarn. Sheesh, it's like knitting with thread. In fact, I used quilting thread as lifelines. But the yarn is amazingly stretchy and elastic. I'm hoping that it will be the perfect

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-67654705746079477362007-07-01T17:06:00.001-06:002007-07-01T17:06:28.139-06:00

The vest I was making for my husband is finally done - or at least "mostly done". It's still buttonless, and I'm going to add pockets as well. They're already made, I just need to sew them on. The buttons will have to wait until I have time to go shopping, but he probably won't wear it buttoned anyway.He picked out the kitchen string crochet thread for the vest, and I used a free pattern for Aunt

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-60381880480063536632007-06-29T07:26:00.000-06:002007-06-29T07:31:12.076-06:00

For Friday Flowers... a lovely white columbine hosting a guest.This will be a busy weekend for me, since my stepdaughter is coming into town and then we'll be off next week for a short cruise. Packing for cruises is always difficult, since you need to take such a variety of clothes. And, of course, it takes even longer when I have to try everything on to make sure it still fits...

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-43389822441705576892007-06-26T07:31:00.000-06:002007-06-26T07:36:11.381-06:00

Saturday morning we went on a beautiful hike in Millcreek Canyon to White Fir Pass. This is an "easy" hike, but since I haven't been hiking for a while, it was a good way to start. The path was shady all the way up to the pass in the morning, which made for a pleasant uphill climb. Going down it was mid-day, so the path was sunny, but it still wasn't too hot. There were lots of wildflowers and

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-91616943082130927212007-06-25T14:23:00.000-06:002007-06-25T14:39:11.460-06:00

It's not that I haven't been knitting, but it just hasn't been too often lately. I've made good progress on the vest for DH, so at least he's happy about that. I also started the Motorcycle Chica Gloves from Interweave Knits, Summer 2007. I thought they might be good to keep in the car for those days when the steering wheel gets too hot to touch. I also cast on and knitted a few rows of the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-80675164163681735592007-06-23T16:37:00.000-06:002007-06-23T16:37:00.034-06:00

Ah, June. What a beautiful month! Gardens are in full swing, both flowers and veggies. It really feels like summer. The spring veggie crop is winding down now, but the summer crops are just beginning. This is a round variety of zucchini - it's nice because the plants don't get as large as a typical zucchini, so they won't take over my yard the way the spaghetti squash do.June is also the month

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-65238545097252143622007-06-22T13:32:00.000-06:002007-06-22T13:38:29.711-06:00

I just adore having flowers in the garden, so I was excited to join The Woolen Rabbit in her Friday's Flowers pictures. This is a daylily in my front yard, with English lavender in the background. I love the orange and purple together. I had lavender and daylilies at my previous house, so I had to plant them together again.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-48065034264430799962007-06-22T07:43:00.000-06:002007-06-22T07:45:42.857-06:00

Do you think I could train my cat to do this?

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-84813031402121282152007-06-20T12:09:00.000-06:002007-06-20T12:10:21.502-06:00

I'm finally getting my stash a little better organized. It doesn't have a permanent "home" yet, so for now it's just located in the guest bedroom. Our longer-term plans are to clear out some space in the basement where I can spread out a bit more, but until we can find the time to go through all the boxes of crap valuable items and sort through everything, this will have to do. Unfortunately,

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-21798405528512398822007-06-19T08:47:00.000-06:002007-06-19T08:50:50.361-06:00

I had the great pleasure of going to Estes with a group of fun grrls. The ride there and back was a bit cramped, since we had five people packed in a Subaru Outback, but we made the best of it, and much knitting was done. It was a long drive there and back to just spend one day at the market, but of course, that wasn't the point of the trip. This was my second fiber festival, and by far the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-3994425924302705902007-06-18T10:13:00.000-06:002007-06-18T10:14:46.333-06:00

Psst! See that tall person over there in the rest stop parking lot? That's that kidnapper woman. You know, the one we read about in the Purling Dervish news. Quick - you go alert Hilda Von Cisterne. Chip over here is going to try leaping on her as she walks by us on the way to the restroom, and hold her at bay until Hilda can enlist Moxie's help to FREE JOHO!

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-35899620567179223142007-06-14T17:12:00.000-06:002007-06-14T17:20:09.332-06:00

I'm in love! I totally heart my Posy Sock Sack from Knitnana. It arrived in the mail today, just in time for me to take it on the trip to Estes Park Wool Market. How's that for perfect timing?How do I love thee, let me count the ways:1. Totally cute2. Backpack-like strap, so you can sling it over your shoulder3. Stands upright and open by itself, so you can leave your skein of yarn in the bag and

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-54871472676280379872007-06-12T08:20:00.000-06:002007-06-12T08:44:19.672-06:00

Did you try to make a cocktail with your laptop and wine? Just for Carrie - or for anyone else who finds themselves in a similar fix:The wrong way to fix your wine-soaked laptop.The right way to fix your wine-soaked laptop.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-6417183934314351662007-06-11T09:03:00.000-06:002007-06-11T09:11:49.784-06:00

The weather was fabulous this weekend. Bright, sunny, and very clear. Larry and I met up with Margene and Smith for a delicious breakfast at Silver Fork Lodge, followed by a walk around Silver Lake. (See more fab photos on Margene's post.) It couldn't have been better weather for it - warm sun and slightly cool breeze. Smith even lent me a hat - next time I'll remember to take my own.My Huevos

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-51817844194524299412007-06-10T19:50:00.000-06:002007-06-10T19:55:41.696-06:00

I finished the Valpuri top this weekend. I had a bit of a struggle figuring out how to deal with the cables at the shoulders on the front and back, so I just sort of faked it. I got smarter for the sleeves, and charted out the pattern and decreases, so I could figure out what to do with the cables when I started decreasing into them. If I made this top again, I'd certainly do the same with the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-45171983480481105962007-06-07T19:09:00.000-06:002007-06-07T19:13:05.354-06:00

I got my newest DSW Rewards $10 coupon in the mail today.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-75110249555697665222007-06-06T12:43:00.000-06:002007-06-18T09:54:05.827-06:00

What are these, besides being part of my lunch today? Hint - I picked them in my yard yesterday. A box of Tazo "Zen" tea to the first person to leave a comment with the correct answer.Update: Nicole was the first to guess correctly. Saskatoon Berries, or Serviceberries (Amelanchier).

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-2978827620144694102007-06-05T07:13:00.000-06:002007-06-05T07:13:53.877-06:00

I took Susan's "Create Your Own Sock" class because although I've only made a few pairs of socks, I wanted to try new techniques, and not just be a "one trick pony".The lace design I selected for the sock pattern was "Horseshoe Print" from "The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches", adapted for knitting in the round. Between the lace pattern and my reason for creating the sock

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-1972073496766660812007-06-05T07:01:00.000-06:002007-06-05T07:42:16.685-06:00

Check out our weather report for today and tomorrow. Sheesh. Well, we need the rain.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-85071574786272865792007-06-04T07:43:00.000-06:002007-06-04T07:43:53.767-06:00

Here she is, in all her glory. Or should that be "him"? There are a few irregularities here and there, but nothing I can't live with. I'm very happy with it, and I love how it drapes. Although it took me months to complete, there were long stretches when I didn't work on it at all. The pattern was well-written and easy to follow, even though I'm fairly new to lace.And how much yarn was left? Well

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-80636314649057128672007-06-03T14:29:00.000-06:002007-06-03T14:33:59.305-06:00

Yes, it's true! Icaraus is finally, finally off the needles and blocking. I haven't ever blocked a triangular shawl before, so I don't know how great a job I'm doing, but I think it will be OK. Whew - I can't tell you how good it feels to finally have this project done. I'm excited to see how it looks when it's dry.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-25152588976534494522007-06-02T09:55:00.000-06:002007-06-02T10:09:04.729-06:00

And now for a pictorial tour of the Conscious Gourmet cooking retreat which was held at Menla Mountain Retreat in Phoenicia NY (in the Catskills), about 20 minutes away from Woodstock. On one of the evenings we went to the Bear Cafe just outside of Woodstock. It was a wonderful restaurant, I'd highly recommend it. I had pan roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes, and it was incredible. And

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-51876569338980909992007-05-31T17:33:00.000-06:002007-05-31T17:40:22.612-06:00

I was hoping to post more about my culinary retreat, but today my dad sent me an old photo of my mother from 1964 - knitting no less! So today you get family instead of vacation. May I present my beautiful mother in 1964, and in 2007.My mother was the one who taught me how to knit, and I only wish I had some photos of the beautiful sweaters she made for me and my sister when we were little. Or

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-16677083924050975682007-05-30T07:56:00.000-06:002007-05-30T08:02:38.000-06:00

Whew! I got back last night from a lovely week's vacation with my sister. My bedroom looks like my suitcase exploded everywhere, which isn't far from the truth. It was pretty full when I started, and was bulging when I returned.We went to a cooking retreat in the Catskills (near Woodstock), but there weren't any flights that would work to get me to the resort by 5pm on Friday, since no matter

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-41962717841073236472007-05-24T20:35:00.000-06:002007-05-24T21:22:20.404-06:00

If you're an American Idol fan, you may want to step away from your computer now. Or at least stop now and point your browser elsewhere. My apologies in advance.My sister made me watch American Idol last night. Live - no ff'ing. Just a lot of WTF'ing. Sorry, but I just don't get it at all. I don't have a problem with the general concept of the show - having singing contestants perform, and having

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-64155326207198638772007-05-22T22:04:00.000-06:002007-05-22T22:05:15.437-06:00

My first sock from Susan's "Create Your Own Sock" class is finished, and I'm very happy with it. I got done with it right at the end of tonight's SnB session. Perfect timing! I like how the lace pattern I chose broke up the stripes in the yarn, and the yarn I used was great to work with. Hopefully I took good enough notes that I won't have any problems making the second sock to match!

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-72456497560267046072007-05-20T11:41:00.000-06:002007-05-20T11:46:17.833-06:00

Yesterday was a great fiber day. First, I headed up to the Snake River Fiber Fair in Idaho Falls with Margene, Susan, and Eliza. After a nice day of talking, knitting and shopping, we returned to Salt Lake with a car load of goodies. And when I got home, I was pleased to find a package from Carrie containing the beautiful Austermann Step yarn I won in her dish cloth contest, and she even sent

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-92082921327654451372007-05-16T16:58:00.000-06:002007-05-16T17:00:11.651-06:00

I just finished my homework for Susan's sock class. I have my sock knitted down to the heel, plus a few rows of a different yarn knitted up to use for whatever heel techniques Susan will be showing us. I really like the Spunky Eclectic Super Nova yarn - it feels so nice and is working up beautifully.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-3285498095081806652007-05-15T07:40:00.000-06:002007-05-15T07:43:40.654-06:00

May is probably my favorite month of the year. Spring's in full swing, and at the end of May is Memorial Day, signaling the start of Summer. My birthday's in early May, which also helps make it a special month - and it was even better this year since my retirement was effective on May 1st. It's a glorious time to be working in the garden. The early veggie crops are starting - I've already been

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-32274530758579100812007-05-14T08:53:00.000-06:002007-05-14T12:41:58.730-06:00

Yesterday Susan gave me some fresh sorrel and tarragon from her garden. I love cooking with fresh herbs, but had never used sorrel before. And although I have some tarragon in the garden, I planted it last year from a small pot, so the plant is still pretty small.So last night I did a little 'net searching to figure out what to do with the sorrel. It looks somewhat like spinach, but has a strong

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-582725307273786382007-05-12T13:04:00.000-06:002007-05-12T13:09:39.703-06:00

Here's the start of my sock for Susan's "Create Your Own Sock Class". I'm using Spunky Eclectic's Super Nova yarn, in the "Road Trip" colorway. It's superwash sportweight merino, with 10% nylon. What a nice yarn! It took me forever to pick out a knitting stitch to use for the sock, especially since it's a variegated yarn. But I finally made a decision, selected a cuff pattern to go with it, and

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-85726064803541059862007-05-10T14:04:00.001-06:002007-06-05T08:09:36.381-06:00

And yes, I did finish my Soylent Green socks. Not that I have much need to wear worsted weight socks right now, but they were good practice. And tonight I'll be taking a "Create Your Own Sock Class" at my LYS, taught by none other than Susan Lawrence. Heather and Eliza will be there too, and I'm sure it will be fun.Yarn: Cascade 220 superwashPattern: Garter Rib, from Sensational Knitted

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-11525312535402872262007-05-10T13:10:00.000-06:002007-05-10T13:42:12.138-06:00

I saw this on both Lauren's and Heather's blog, and I'm jumping in, too. I'm surprised at how many of the items I've already done.Put the things you've done in bold, and the things you haven't done but plan on doing some day in italics. Plain text for the things you haven't done and don't plan to do:Afghan/Blanket (baby) I-cordGarter stitchKnitting with metal wireShawlStockinette stitchSocks:

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-49950387210566181452007-05-08T15:55:00.000-06:002007-05-08T15:59:12.294-06:00

That's the only explanation. I'm really not a "shoe person". I hate shoe shopping. I hate hate hate hate shoe shopping if there are any shoe salesmen involved. Which is why I rarely buy shoes, and why when I do, I usually go to places that have no shoe salesmen. So why is it that I absolutely cannot walk into a DSW without coming out with shoes? And not just one pair, but several? This wasn't a

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-3688876438051841672007-05-08T09:18:00.000-06:002007-05-08T09:28:57.140-06:00

I went to the Kaffe Fassett slide lecture last night, and it was positively amazing! I'm not quite sure what I expected the lecture to be like - I suppose maybe tips on putting colors together or something. Instead, he talked about how he got started knitting and quilting, and showed how he gets his inspiration for his designs. For example, an image stacked whiskey barrels in Ireland might end up

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-23677923801408007872007-05-07T11:42:00.000-06:002007-05-07T11:44:04.045-06:00

I'm still making (very slow) progress on Icarus, but at least I'm finally to the last lace chart! Yes, I know, there are still many hours to go. But at least it feels like I'm making progress.On another note, I won Carrie's dishcloth contest! I won, I won, I won! OK, so it only meant that I was the name drawn from the bowl, but still, it's the first blog contest I've won. Cool. And Carrie, if you

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-2890127830794647862007-05-04T08:41:00.000-06:002007-05-04T08:42:14.146-06:00

Remember my test sock? I'd made a couple of versions until I came up with something I liked. I had knitted one complete sock that wasn't quite right - I decided the heel flap just wasn't long enough. So now that I have the pattern the way I want it, I need to knit the second sock. I'm just cannibalizing the old one to knit the new one. Yes, I know I should properly reclaim the yarn, but I'm just

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-68757975752588474452007-05-03T08:44:00.000-06:002007-05-03T08:47:32.070-06:00

It was "raining cats and dogs" last night, but that's not what this is about.A couple of weeks ago at SnB, we were discussing cats and dogs. A couple of the grrls said that although they love their cats, they're much more 'bonded' to their dogs. I've had both cats and dogs, and although I prefer to own cats, I'd have to agree that I felt a greater affection for the dogs. I think my preference in

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-77598376638592388192007-05-02T21:54:00.000-06:002007-06-05T08:09:36.381-06:00

I wanted to join Carrie's Springy Washcloth contest, but have been so busy that I wasn't sure I'd be able to get one done. But this afternoon I sat down, cast on, and in about 3 hours, had a nice new wash cloth. It's the Doily Style Dish Cloth, made in Classic Elite Flash, color 6146. Or, instead of using it as a wash cloth, it could be used as a lightweight hot pad to help protect the table from

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-59121407486149286002007-05-02T10:04:00.000-06:002007-05-02T10:09:26.456-06:00

To have found such a great group of grrls in my local SnB. Look at how they spoiled me last night! There's wonderful sock yarn - JitterBug from Eliza, Trekking from Heather, hand-dyed Balland Skein from Margene (plus Scharffen Berger chocolate and Cute mints!), and Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Co. from Mim (sportweight - hmmmm... socks? Forest Canopy?). Now that I'm feeling like I'm comfortable

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-89585699792984557172007-04-30T09:13:00.000-06:002007-04-30T09:23:30.886-06:00

Well, I still haven't been knitting. But I guess I could at least show you how far I've gotten on Valpuri. I'm starting the shaping on the back for the sleeves, so at least it won't be long before the back is finished. Whenever I get back to it, anyway.In the meantime, I had a great weekend. My dad and stepmother were in town from Georgia for the NCAA championships, which just happened to be

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-46603733196454679322007-04-28T12:58:00.000-06:002007-04-28T13:14:56.178-06:00

I'm afraid there's still no knitting content today. I've been busy day and night this week, and no knitting occurred. But the good news is that yesterday was my last day of full time employment [applause, loud cheering]. After a 2-week "vacation", I'll be going back to work at my office on a part-time basis for a few months in order to ease their transition. But that meant moving from my large

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-8268643219291969922007-04-26T07:02:00.000-06:002007-04-26T07:06:08.951-06:00

I hope y'all don't eat chicken nuggets. Or feed them to your kids. Stop this madness that is fast food.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-65281424284467731532007-04-25T11:04:00.000-06:002007-04-25T11:11:23.452-06:00

I definitely like having negative ease for the socks, which means I can't use the suggested number of stitches following the directions in Sensational Knitted Socks, which don't allow for any negative ease.This is how I calculated the dimensions for my test sock, which I made from Cascade 220 Superwash (for faster results!):My Foot: 9 3/4" long from back of heel to toe 8 3/4" foot

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-24081840068906621022007-04-25T10:08:00.000-06:002007-04-25T11:04:26.641-06:00

Thanks for all your sympathy on my Raynaud's. I hate being a whiner, and almost didn't post about it, but it helped to vent. I have a few ideas of things I might try - one is that I have (or at least had) a leather thimble that I bought for quilting, and I thought maybe I could try wearing it on my index finger for padding. I haven't been able to find it yet, but I still have some boxes to dig

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-84550939259303393672007-04-23T18:00:00.000-06:002007-04-23T18:08:02.333-06:00

I've mentioned before on my blog that I have Raynaud's Syndrome, where the tips of my fingers turn white when cold. Up until a couple of years ago, I'd only had a few episodes ever. Last winter I had probably 6 to 10 episodes. This winter it was several per week - a very dramatic increase. I had an ANA blood test a year ago after telling my doctor about the Raynaud's episodes I'd had, and the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-68527665983717521332007-04-22T13:39:00.000-06:002007-04-22T13:41:28.172-06:00

For years, I've had a Meyer Lemon tree that I've schlepped in and out of the house each spring and fall. Usually I'm rewarded with several nice juicy lemons each winter. A few years ago I decided to add a Valencia orange tree to my collection. I'd get flowers, but no fruit. Finally, last summer, I noticed a single orange on the tree. For months I watched it grow. After bringing in the trees last

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-4960989272963995082007-04-20T07:54:00.000-06:002007-06-05T08:09:36.382-06:00

Just had a couple of moments this morning for a quick Dollar-and-a-Half snapshot. My husband says he prefers the cardi without the t-shirt underneath. I don't think I'll be sharing that photo with you, though.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-58267065306658420172007-04-18T17:55:00.000-06:002007-06-05T08:09:36.382-06:00

My Dollar and a Half cardigan is done, and I'm quite happy with it. Even though I reduced the sleeve length by only doing 2" of ribbing instead of 4", they're still quite long - down to my knuckles like in the pattern photos. When I blocked the body of the sweater, I pulled it out more widthwise (reducing the overall length), which I wouldn't do with the sleeves because I wouldn't want them any

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-88413151022007929272007-04-18T09:08:00.000-06:002007-04-18T09:17:45.291-06:00

Knitting is now complete on the Dollar and a Half Cardi, but it still needs buttons and to have all the ends woven in, so stay tuned.Go-backs on previous blogs:The strawberries at Costco this week were delicious (and gigantic). Much improved over the wretchedness of the last ones. BTW, the Red Papayas have also been excellent, but they need to sit out for several days until the skin is mottled

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-44074085911583726112007-04-16T07:34:00.000-06:002007-04-16T07:35:43.699-06:00

The sleeves of my Dollar and a Half are finished and blocking. Now hopefully it will all go together OK. I hope it's dry by tonight so I can work on it.In the meantime, I decided to start another project. I was in the mood to make some sort of top, and I wanted it to be a fairly quick project. Berroco's Valpuri seemed to fit the bill. It's made from a heavy worsted yarn (I'm substituting Rowan's

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-42787553865789106282007-04-15T09:46:00.000-06:002007-05-14T20:10:24.924-06:00

APRIL! March teases us with a beginning peek at Spring, but in April, it's in full bloom. Tulips are my favorite flower, and April is when they start showing their beautiful colors. There's something about the simple lines of tulips, both flowers and leaves, that really appeals to me. I would absolutely love to take a trip to Holland one day during tulip season. How glorious that must be! Acres

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-79284421726537194282007-04-13T19:28:00.000-06:002007-06-05T08:09:36.383-06:00

Well, not quite. A long time ago I bought a bunch of Moda Dea Sassy Stripes yarn, thinking that it would be cute for some baby clothes. But then I ended up making a scarf for myself, which I really like, especially with blue jeans. A couple of weeks ago I found two more skeins of the yarn in my stash, and I thought it would be fun to make matching socks. I got the socks finished, and although I'm

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-84580709012918527452007-04-13T07:20:00.000-06:002007-04-13T07:19:52.762-06:00

Baaaaaaa.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-5065480933043476302007-04-12T08:20:00.000-06:002007-04-13T07:20:46.399-06:00

I'm especially proud of the last one.You Are 12% AbnormalYou are at low risk for being a psychopath. It is unlikely that you have no soul.You are at low risk for having a borderline personality. It is unlikely that you are a chaotic mess.You are at low risk for having a narcissistic personality. It is unlikely that you are in love with your own reflection.You are at medium risk for having a

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-61509019625008740792007-04-11T15:39:00.000-06:002007-04-11T15:42:11.701-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, Heather had a little cancer scare which fortunately turned out to be nothing. After being told she didn't have cancer, she headed over to our LYS to purchase some sock yarn. Pink sock yarn. Was it a subliminal choice of color? Who knows.But this week I had my own breast cancer scare. I had my annual mammogram on Monday. Yesterday the hospital called to tell me the doctor

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-9048988161393968122007-04-11T09:48:00.000-06:002007-04-11T09:49:17.364-06:00

No knitting has been done in the past few days, because my sister has been visiting from Massachusetts. Last night we were sitting around talking at my mother's house, and I was looking at the titles of some books on her shelf that were from the Better Homes and Gardens "All About Your House" series, published in the mid 80's. (You know the type - decorating tips on window treatments, storage

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-7139518578202540032007-04-07T17:11:00.000-06:002007-04-07T17:14:53.484-06:00

The soil in the main garden area was finally ready for work, and what a beautiful day for it - sunny and 68. I dug up the gardens to loosen the soil, then tilled in some fertilizer and raked everything out.Now it just needs to sit a few more weeks before planting, and I still have to figure out what I'm going to plant. I had fun with the corn last year, but fresh local corn is so widely available

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-28106473313533857902007-04-07T15:55:00.000-06:002007-04-07T15:57:38.477-06:00

Dollar tried to kill me last night, or at least drive me insane. I was working on the decreases on the fronts (neck and arm). The decreases at the armhole weren't bad, but the neckline was driving me crazy. I knit, unknit, reknit, and re-unknit until I was ready to scream. I think overall I spent more time doing the top part of the fronts than I did on the whole back piece. The designer did say

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-25553302452357836762007-04-05T21:05:00.000-06:002007-04-05T21:07:11.665-06:00

Mine grows (hopefully) under plastic. I'm a big fan of "Square Foot Gardening". These are my blocks of rainbow-colored carrots (Purple carrots? Who knew!) hopefully germinating under their little plastic covers. Peas, spinach, lettuce, arugula, and chard are also tucked into their beds nearby. Thank goodness for raised beds - the rest of the garden is still too wet for digging.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-48643567115384437762007-04-02T22:16:00.001-06:002007-04-02T22:17:09.877-06:00

I'm making good progress on the fronts of the Dollar and a Half cardi. I'm doing the cable pattern for both sides, but I've flipped the cable twist on one side to be a mirror image. I'm doing both sides at once because I figured it would be easier to keep track of the decreases for the arm and neck. Even though this is a pretty quick knit, I'm afraid there's not much chance of me having it done

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-23470114793450352412007-04-01T14:35:00.000-06:002007-04-01T14:38:23.123-06:00

This isn't the greatest photo, but I'm nearing the end of chart 2 of Icarus, and it's exciting to see the shaping that's starting to take place.I love how Miriam has designed the pattern so that it isn't just a border pattern attached to the main pattern. Instead, the lace grows naturally from the body into the border, like seedlings growing and stretching and eventually forming into beautiful

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-69320352470238112502007-03-30T18:35:00.000-06:002007-03-30T19:18:09.375-06:00

Heather jumped on the interview bandwagon, and I asked her to interview me. So here are her questions and my answers:1) Who taught you to knit? How old were you? (Stole this from Mim interviewing Jacquie)My mother, who used to knit a lot of our clothes. I think I was about 12 or 13. I knit one sweater (which I still have and still wear once in a while), and then gave it up. I started

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-47100558639799843052007-03-28T19:07:00.001-06:002007-03-28T19:11:15.646-06:00

I finished the back of the Dollar and a Half Cardigan. Or at least I think. I'm going to block it and see if I think the fit will be right before I start on the front pieces.That leaves me free to work on Icarus tonight. Yippee!

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-20279394249483342302007-03-28T16:30:00.000-06:002007-03-28T17:08:39.913-06:00

I will not be defeated. Not by some stupid tasteless strawberries.Arming myself with the Internet and one of my favorite websites, I searched for strawberry recipes and came up with this one for Strawberry Bread. It sounded pretty good, and I actually had the ingredients on hand (very important - I had no plans to leave the house on this cold, snowy day). Although I really like to cook, I rarely

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-4007384345820179192007-03-27T18:17:00.000-06:002007-03-27T18:18:53.657-06:00

Don't be fooled by those beautiful, big, red strawberries at Costco. These must be ones that have been genetically modified to be red long before they're ripe. I guess I'll be making something out of them that has a lot of sugar in it.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-1131031660858647002007-03-27T07:08:00.000-06:002007-03-27T07:11:50.670-06:00

Yipee!! I'm finally into the lacy bits of Icarus. OK, so I'm only one row into Chart 2, but at least I'm finally there. Now I'm energized! Too bad I won't be able to work on it tonight. Maybe if I skip SnB tonight. (Nah, what am I saying?) Besides, I have Dollar and a Half to work on tonight. I guess Icarus will just have to wait until tomorrow.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-57504161685367928572007-03-25T11:09:00.000-06:002007-03-25T11:20:57.034-06:00

I'm making good progress on the Dollar and a Half Cardigan. I decided to go with US-7 needles, and I'm just going to hope it works out okay. So far it seems like it will. It's knitting up quickly, so I'm hoping I'll be wearing it for Easter.I was planning to work on Icarus last night, but after a couple of glasses of wine, I figured I'd better stick with this. Once you've done the lace pattern

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-80068615370617984922007-03-24T11:44:00.000-06:002007-03-24T11:46:44.911-06:00

The "Margene Sock Kit" is now available at Gardiner Yarn Works. But hurry, there's only a few left.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-73084559438569894762007-03-24T09:38:00.000-06:002007-03-24T09:51:52.716-06:00

Have you been over to Mim's to congratulate her on having Icarus selected for the cover photo of The Best of Interweave Knits? A well-deserved recognition - her designs are awesome. We'll have to have a little celebratory toast (with our latte's) at SnB next week. That's one talented grrrl.So now, I think I really need to get going on finishing up my Icarus. I really am making progress, only a

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-68775867302276657232007-03-22T19:07:00.001-06:002007-03-22T19:10:58.026-06:00

I decided to go ahead and try another swatch for the Dollar and a Half Cardigan with larger needles (US6). This one actually came out pretty close - the lace gauge was larger, but the stockinette didn't really change as much as I expected. It was close enough that I started working on one of the fronts pieces, to see how it would come out. I think it will work! But just for fun, I think I'll

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-47529696288185944642007-03-21T16:38:00.000-06:002007-03-21T16:46:47.200-06:00

I swatched for the Dollar and a Half Cardigan, but I'm afraid I've come up a bit short.The instructions only give the gauge for the lace pattern, not for the reverse stockinette. But certainly the two should be about the same width, and the photos look like the lace and stockinette sections are about the same height. Since they're the same number of rows, I can only "guess" that the gauge for

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-28626083403533932492007-03-19T18:14:00.001-06:002007-05-14T20:10:24.927-06:00

THINK SPRING! That's what comes to mind in March. The crocus, snowdrops and daffodils are starting to bloom, the days are longer and warmer, and how can you not start to feel wonderful after the doldrums of Winter. Yes, there will be days that are cold and rainy or snowy, but they don't last long. And the first few flowers in the garden always bring such joy and promise.Of course, it also means

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-29437110968464827342007-03-19T18:04:00.000-06:002007-03-19T18:22:14.724-06:00

If you don't mind a bit of humorous anti-war sentiment, you may enjoy this. If you do mind it, then sorry, but I have nothing for you here.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-1016508913489386022007-03-18T13:52:00.000-06:002007-03-18T14:10:06.640-06:00

Yesterday's catch. Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Pink-a-boo, hopefully to become the Dollar and a Half Cardigan from the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits. But I have some concerns about getting the two different front halves of the cardi knitted and blocked to match, since they're different patterns. And the suggested yarn for the pattern is a linen blend, so I'm not sure how well the Brown Sheep will

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-71901581615662504842007-03-17T12:16:00.000-06:002007-03-17T12:20:37.202-06:00

Paradise Bakery finally opened downtown on Thursday. I've been waiting impatiently. I had lunch there on both Thursday and Friday, and breakfast this morning. Yes, overkill I know. There's already one open in Sugarhouse and one in Bountiful, but I was too lazy to get to those when this one was going to be so close. There's also one opening up on Ft. Union in a few months.Thursday I shared an egg

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-29037839683822083192007-03-17T11:53:00.000-06:002007-03-17T12:00:57.239-06:00

I haven't had too much time to knit lately, but I've been doing a little bit of test sock knitting, trying to find out what dimensions work best for my feet.I find that most of the directions I can find on fitting socks are not quite detailed enough for my brain. For example, even just in how to measure your foot. When you measure the circumference of your foot, do you do it while standing, or

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-29618824838663831392007-03-13T21:59:00.000-06:002007-03-13T22:09:32.001-06:00

It was a festive night at SnB tonight, with four birthdays to celebrate. Though Debbie and Gwen didn't show up - naughty grrrls! We decided to draw names and give out their gifts. No, just kidding of course. But Margene and Anne had to hire pack mules to haul out their booty.And of course, there was more food than you can believe. And Susan was the only one who brought something healthy - a nice

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-20629573035749168612007-03-12T19:19:00.000-06:002007-03-14T19:04:28.647-06:00

So what do you do when you come home from work after the new, earlier Daylight Savings time is in place, and it's beautiful, sunny, and in the mid-60's? Why yardwork, of course. No digging in the dirt yet, of course, but since I have no lawn and lots of perennials, I have a lot of cleanup to do. I don't bother doing much cleanup in the fall, so there's always lots of dead leaves, stems and

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-35230678800636058412007-03-11T18:52:00.000-06:002007-03-11T19:01:35.375-06:00

Here I was, all excited that I'd finally completed the first chart of Icaraus and was ready to start the lace, only to take a look at the instructions and see that I still need to work rows 19-34 one more time. Darn. All that anticipation! I didn't really get bored with doing the main section, it was more "relaxing". But after thinking I was so close, these last 16 rows are going to be hard to

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-74741957487855452932007-03-10T17:22:00.000-07:002007-03-10T17:25:10.745-07:00

Nothing much to report today. I only have 2 more rows of Chart A on Icarus, so I'm anxious to get moving on that. But I really need a project I can work on at SnB. I have a few lace projects I want to work on, but the coffee shop is just too dark and I'm too distracted for that. So I'm swatching some of the yarn in my stash to see what I can come up with.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-57858473991058775002007-03-08T22:22:00.000-07:002007-03-08T22:27:55.687-07:00

That's the pizza at Setebello, the new pizza place just south of Red Rock Brewing Co. Their pizza is Napoli style, and made to the exacting standards of the Vera Pizza Napoletana (VPN), an international non-profit trade association, whose objective is to promote and protect the authentic Neapolitan pizza. At the present time, Setebello is one of only 16 VPN members in the U.S.If you're a fan of

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-70748973029741860962007-03-08T08:13:00.000-07:002007-03-08T08:24:41.686-07:00

A few days ago, Margene asked people to share their secrets with her. I left a comment with one secret, but here's another. Every time Rabbitch says in her blog "At least my vagina didn't fall out", I cringe. Because one of my secrets is that I'm afraid of that happening. Truly.It all started years ago when I first read "All Creatures Great and Small", one of my all-time favorite books. If you

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-55426224081660436292007-03-07T16:52:00.000-07:002007-03-07T17:08:13.846-07:00

OK, I know it doesn't look like much. Yet. But I finally was able to make some good progress on Icarus. This was a great project for the airplane, because the body of the shawl is so easy and I didn't need to have a chart. So I finally have hope that someday it will grow up to look like this. Same yarn, same color. And hopefully, just as gorgeous.On another note, I picked up a ticket for the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-50417589742048472352007-03-06T07:15:00.000-07:002007-03-06T07:19:47.421-07:00

And now a break from our regularly scheduled programming.My stepmother sent me this video, which was evidently a skit from SNL. I'm thinking I should get one of these. Well, on second thought, maybe not.Warning: it's a bit "naughty", so clickers beware.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-23709036905183037592007-03-05T20:36:00.000-07:002007-06-05T08:14:00.333-06:00

I was able to spend a lot of my vacation relaxing and knitting. Most of the time I was working on the VLT scarf. I'd originally hoped to have it done BEFORE the trip, but when I could see there was no way that was going to happen, I saved it to work on during the cruise. And I managed to finish it the very last day, so I could wear it on the last night. Whew - I wasn't sure I was going to make it

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-82148171613590206812007-03-05T19:48:00.000-07:002007-05-14T20:10:24.930-06:00

OK, I know this post is a little late. I'd planned on posting it right before leaving town on vacation, but with my unexpected ISP problems, I wasn't able to. The good news is that the problem was taken care of and I've got my DSL access back tonight.Anyway, February is my favorite Winter month in Utah, because the coldest weather is over, and you can see signs of Spring. We may still get lots of

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-853765317669532512007-03-04T10:47:00.001-07:002007-03-14T18:58:07.356-06:00

We just got back from the most wonderful cruise we've been on so far - an 11-night Caribbean Cruise on Celebrity Cruiseline's Constellation. The destinations were supposed to be Grand Cayman, Aruba, Panama, Costa Rica, and Cozumel. However, the day we were scheduled to dock in Costa Rica was the day they were having strikes and demonstrations regarding Free Trade agreements, not to mention the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-62343649157563740782007-03-04T08:38:00.000-07:002007-03-04T09:16:12.610-07:00

I have the misfortune of using a local ISP that was evicted from their office on February 16th due to some sort of dispute with their landlord. Unfortunately, that was a few days before I left for a 2-week cruise. We hoped that the service would be back in place by the time we got home. And it was, sort of. The company is back online, but our DSL modem won't connect. And of course, there aren't

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-67950162434850223822007-02-15T18:33:00.000-07:002007-02-15T18:38:26.044-07:00

I've been knitting like crazy on Susan's new sock pattern. I'm all caught up and ready to Kitchener. I'm very, very tempted to just go ahead and finish them, because I think this is the first pair of socks I've made that aren't too big. But I'll wait impatiently for Susan's "fool-proof" method.Aren't they cute? I feel like Miss Sushi Toes. The only problem is trying to get shoes on my feet with

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-30106248541858841342007-02-12T18:15:00.000-07:002007-02-12T17:55:27.152-07:00

After seeing this on Stitch-n-Snitch, I knew who I'd be even without bothering to take the test. No surprise here: You scored as Hermione Granger. You're extremely hard-working and will not feel satisfied with yourself unless you've given everything your all. You're very intelligent and make good use of your witty remarks and astounding ability to insult people. You tend to be a stickler for the

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-21501642455785285002007-02-11T11:06:00.001-07:002007-06-05T08:14:00.333-06:00

I finally, finally finished the second garter-rib sock. DH is very pleased (he's wearing them today), and was really impressed at how well the stripes matched.Pattern: Garter Rib Socks from "Sensational Knitted Socks"Yarn: Plymouth Sockotta (45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon)

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-24279475180498421892007-02-10T20:59:00.000-07:002007-02-09T12:00:33.991-07:00

Blackberry cobbler. Berries from Costco, recipe from Allrecipes. Hot out of the oven. Soon to be topped, of course, with a bit of vanilla ice cream. What could be finer on a chilly, rainy, February evening.

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-75045899806688325382007-02-09T10:30:00.000-07:002007-02-09T03:26:02.181-07:00

Here's my progress on Susan's seriatum socks. I'm ready for the next step! I had to leave work early last night and just made it home in time to pray to the porcelain god. Blech. I couldn't do anything last night besides lie down and feel sick. At midnight I finally had a good stomach purging and felt enough better that I could finally sleep. I still feel pretty crappy today (no pun intended -

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-10330867711374095492007-02-07T14:36:00.000-07:002007-03-13T22:11:29.819-06:00

For lack of any real knitting progress photos, I'll instead show you the new Elizabeth Austen knitting bag I picked up at "Tuesday Morning" for half price. I'm very happy with it - it's a nice size, and has lots of pockets inside for needles and accessories.I've had a really hectic couple of weeks. I had closed on two different real estate transactions last week, both of which have been real

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-87284569170086790972007-02-04T17:58:00.000-07:002007-02-04T18:05:27.534-07:00

I've just been drooling over the preview for the Spring 2007 Interweave Knits. I will certainly be purchasing this one. Maybe I'll even finally sign up for a subscription. Seeing the nightie in the staff projects section reminds me that someone got to my blog recently by searching for "knitted lingerie". Gee, I'm sorry I disappointed whoever it was. But in case anyone ever comes back here looking

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-24878445696544881152007-02-03T11:53:00.000-07:002007-02-03T11:57:38.171-07:00

I haven't blogged much this week because A) My internet service was down for a couple of days and B) Although I've been knitting away, I'm still working on the same projects so there isn't really anything new to show. I've also been incredibly busy with some personal stuff this week.I did get out to see Volver last night with a friend, and we enjoyed it very much. She's from Spain, so it made her

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32593828.post-76103168928997824482007-01-26T17:25:00.000-07:002007-03-13T22:11:29.819-06:00

This week I gave formal notice to my HR department that I plan to "retire" on May 1st. Yes, I know, I'm not "old enough" to retire. That's the beauty of starting work when you're six. Well, ok, I was a little older than that. But still, it ain't bad to be able to retire before the age of 50. Of course, I do have to use a big chunk of my 401(k) account to buy some service and make it happen. But

Cherylnoreply@blogger.com6