216. Aren't You Bored With Me YET?! Go On, Get Outta Here!

Sheesh.  Still here? 

What do I have to do to drive you away, hm? 

I kid.  I do.  I'm just feeling a bit on the crazy side.  All this lunching and time off are getting to me, I think. The Butterfly Who Lunches had lunch with the great Ann yesterday, at a little cafe that was conveniently near my favorite garden place.  Honest, it was HER choice!  But what a nice coincidence.  Ann made me YET ANOTHER pair of earrings.  The girl is nuts, but in a good way.  Cookie, don't read anything into the pursed-lips expression in that photo in her blog.  I was having a GREAT TIME.

I went to the above-mentioned garden place after lunch to find that grow beds were on sale.  Oh, dear. I bought two more.  Also, blueberry bushes were buy-one-get-one-free.  Well, how could I turn that down, especially since the husband just said yesterday that he'd like to fill "that hill" with blueberry bushes? Translation:  He would like ME to fill the hill with blueberry bushes. So the hill is getting pretty full now. 

I held back on getting the rain barrels that were also on sale.  I can't have everything.  Right?  (Or can I?)

While in Sandyville last week, I bought a few little meaningful trinkets.  One such thing was a very special pot for the bay laurel plant from Dave.  I wanted something really nice, and I think I found it at one of Sandy's local farm stands. 

Here it is, posing with some very special yarn I also bought, in Sandy's garden next to the baby kale I planted there. (No, I did not buy the yarn in Sandy's garden.  I know some smart-Alec was going to harass me with that. Once in a while I revel in my right to use bad grammar. It makes me feel all "bad girl" and like I'm living on the edge.)

I potted it up with the little bay laurel the other day and it's settling in happily:

The yarn up yonder is going to become a Swallowtail shawl.  I can make this declarative statement because I'm not going to be the one knitting it. Cookie is.  She is some kind of awesome, that Cookie, and she's been churning out Swallowtails at a heart-stopping pace. My yarn is very pretty -- gold with flecks of red and other interesting stuff.  I hope Cookie is not too uncomfortable knitting outside her usual color range.  Wait, is "pink" a range?  I'm just getting around to mailing it today, Cook. At this rate, you'll have it knitted before the yarn actually gets there. 

Are you still here, or have you clicked out due to boredom?

Go on.  Get outta here.  Don't you have something better to do?! 

Oh, wait, before you go: 

Could someone please explain to me what those holes are doing in my knitting?  It couldn't possibly be lace.  Because I don't do lace. (Come to think of it..... I knit?)

So in the time that Cookie has produced another Swallowtail, I've knitted all of six inches of a scarf.  That just doesn't seem fair.  Since I took this photo, I steam-blocked the edging and added a few more stripes.  God, I love this thing, and man, did that yarn steam-block gorgeous. 

The edging is "Fancy Leaf Edging" from Knitting On The Edge.  The yarn is Jessie's merino/bamboo/nylon, the needles are US 5 Denise needles.  I love my Denises.  I know other people have issues with them, but once again I follow the beat of my own drummer:  I just love them. I tried Addis for this project -- horrid.  Too slippery, and yet not slippery enough (how can that be possible?) and I kept losing stitches, and the points were too dull.  I tried Aeros.  I love the tip and the surface of the needle, HATE the cord.  It kept on curling up, tangling up the work, and hitting me in the face.  The Denises work so beautifully for me and the cord behaves like a nice cord ought to.  I do wish the point were just a teensy bit sharper, but that is only for the knit-three-togethers-through-the-back-loop, of which there were only five in this entire piece -- one per leaf motif in the lace.  There will be five more when I do the edging for the other side of the scarf, but I can live through it.  I could NOT live through knitting the entire scarf with that Aero curly-cranky cable,  or losing stitches that fly off the Addi.  So Denise, I salute you!  I know umpteen dozen people are going to tell me I need the new Addis with sharper points and/or I need to buy some Knit-Picks Options or use bamboo needles with more cranky-ass cords.  Well, you know what?  I've got a small fortune tied up in all this stuff that I hardly ever use.  I might get some someday, but right now I am quite happy with my Denises, thank you.   

I have a bad feeling about this scarf, though.  It was intended to be a gift for my student, remember?  Somehow, though, I can better envision this around MY neck, not hers. I love, love, love it.  I think I'll give her a jar of pickled beets or elderberry gum instead. 

Comments

[naomi]

Nope, not bored yet.

(Besides, you're showing *knitting*! That's pretty novel these days. ;) )

[naomi]

The scarf is very pretty, by the way.

[Cookie]

Who is that glamorous lady in the great earrings and stylish sunglasses?

Ya know, you'd get more knitting done if you weren't off being a Butterfly who lunches. ;^)

xo

[jessie]

I am only slightly horrified that you do not bow before the Addis, my beloved needles. Love the scarf though. And you know, my next pair of socks is going to be striped merino/bamboo/nylon, thanks to you. That scarf looks great! Okay, maybe I should do the striped scarf thing, too. Hmm...

[Nora]

I salute you for being a woman who makes do with what she has, and I think the scarf would indeed become you. Cookie will make short work of that beautiful gold yarn - you'll have a lovely Swallowtail in no time.

[margene]

Oh yes, give jam. It's made by you, too. You'll love the scarf more than she will. I am a little shocked that you're knitting again, but thrilled, too!

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Have you tried dipping the cranky Aero cable in boiling water for a minute or two? It teaches them a lesson (seriously, it relaxes the plastic's tension). I've never tried it on Aeros, but I've done this to other brands. I'm all for making what you have work for you...or else into the pot!

[Carol]

Gorgeous scarf. Give her the jam instead!

[Chery]

You crack me up! Elderberr GUM!!!

[Elizabeth]

Knit the poor student a scarf!
If not this one, then knit again!
We know you can knit
and now we know you can knit lace
and so you're committed.
(Or we will have you committed, whatever...)

[Roxie]

So what's the thrill about blueberry hill? More grow beds? It's getting to be a habit with you, isn't it?
And knitting! Waahoo!

[Evil Stacey]

/faint
Knitting? LACE!?!? Here? (just kidding!) That Cookie is something else with the Swallowtail. I think you may have a problem getting rid of us freaks. We like you. You're not people.

[Marcia]

I ordered a bunch of stuff from Norma's Favorite Store yesterday and forgot to order a mini bed for inside the greenhouse! (What would Norma plant for late fall if she had an unheated little greenhouse?) I'm with those who say Options needles, by the way, and you don't have to make a really large investment, ya know! They are my absolute favorite needles, although with something straight like a scarf, I still like my old Susan Bates gray things. Hate Denise with a passion.....

[Leslie]

Lace??? Norma??? my goodness, never thought I'd see that happening, but then again, Norma, you are a woman of many sides :)

p.s. If you love those Denise needles, keep using them! My favorites are my vintage Marcia Lynn nylon circulars from the 50's.

[Cheryl S.]

Knitting! Knitting! I vote you keep the scarf. And the earrings are perfect with your hair and blouse.

[KittyMommy]

Nope, not lace knitting, but highly trained Lace Moths, not to be confused with their evil cousins who just eat yarn willy-nilly. Lace moths are basically your synchronized swimmers of the moth world, making nice even patterns on the ends of scarves and such for card-carrying non-lace knitters.

[marie in florida]

your garden is my vicarious garden. wish i could be there to help ya pull weeds. i have a book to recommend to you. "the Botany of Desire" by Michael Pollan. it's about a few plants and how they changed the world. apples, tulipss, maijuana and the potato. it's a breezy interesting read and i learned quite a lot.

[joan]

I have a bunch of that yarn in the same color and dye lot even. What would Cookie do if I sent it to her? Worlds largest Swallowtail maybe?

[Evalyn]

There I was, innnocently reading blogs when it happend. A link to a garden supply site where stuff is on sale. Raised beds will be mine. I told them to put it on Norma's tab, K? Seriously, I didn't even get the part about blueberries or rainbarrels. Just as well.

[Barb]

Can't get rid of me that easy (bad grammar and spelling come naturally for some). Looks like lace to me:)

[Beth S.]

Knitting! Yay! :-) :-) :-)

Keep the scarf if you like it that much (and I can see why you do!) I'm sure there's something else in your stash that your student will love. Or, failing that, the beets... ;-)

[sandy]

I don't think you should knit for her. NO ONE loves your knitting like you do. Really. A GAP scarf will keep her as warm. Give her jam. Right from y our heart but not your needles. I'm serious.
I love the bay laurel in the pot! LOVE! It is a perfect fit!
Cookie will LOVELOVELOVE that yarn. xo

[Judi]

Hmmmm, I have LOTS of needles, LOTS I say. And my Denise needles (two sets) are in use almost all the time. The 13s and 15s are perfect for bulky yarns and slide so nicely. There is nothing better for doing a Bordhi mobius either. I also have Knit Picks and love them absolutely to pieces too. No need for the oh so expensive Addis in my house.

I don't do summer, everything out there either burns me or makes me itch and sneeze. I garden vicariously through your blog and I must say we are being quite productive this year.

Enjoy the butterflying, it will be "back to work" in no time.

[Holly]

Does Ann Etsy? I am an earring addict, totally! Love all those earrings that were on her blog. I might just have to get some blueberry bushes going here. They've become my favorite fruit this summer, I just can't get enough of them! And Jessie's yarns are gorgeous. I purchased one awhile back but have yet to cast on for another pair of socks as I want to finish the ones I'm currently knitting. I also have Denises and love them, however I scored some "old fashioned" slippery metal needles at a garage sale this weekend--a whole container's worth for $4--hope I can get used to knitting with them, even not they're pretty enough to look at :)

[Dani B]

Haven't you boiled your aeros? One pot just off the boil, dip cords in til pliable, then straighten. Not only takes the packaging kinks out, seems to make them more pliable generally (or is that just me?). Possibly one of the best knitting tips anyone ever gave me!

[Kate/Massachusetts]

If your bay is happy, it will grow very quickly. I bought a sprig about 3-4 years ago and the plant is now over 3 feet high and has bushed out into a half-dozen branches. Next Spring when it is time to repot, just give it the biggest honking pot you can find and let it grow! I love my bay!

[Jane]

Ok, so your knitting finally got me back to commenting on your blog. Love the veggies, but I'm SO not a gardener. It's such a pretty beginning, and I think you should definitely keep it. The scarf that is (and the garden, too.)