Friday, October 5, 2007

Last night while riding in our golf cart, my sister my boyfriend and I went to the far back of our property (I have 3½ acres of land). Normally we just drive around picking flowers and watching the clouds and checking on our neighbor's overgrown vineyard. Which, next year I think we are going to clean it out. They don't know this yet. Our neighbor is a 93 year old German woman who had to have her eye removed this summer due to an infection. Wouldn't some fresh grapes be nice? Anyway, last night as the sun was setting we went to the back to drive around and when we got to the very back, we stopped. There was a doe and a fawn just staring at us. All 5 of us were completely frozen. We turned off the cart and sat perfectly still. The doe walked towards us, all the while keeping her eyes on us. The fawn was prancing around behind her, completely distrusting of the strangers who interrupted their dinner. For probably a good 15-20 minutes we sat in the cart watching the deer. All the while they crept closer and closer and ate grass and stared. This was the closest I've ever been to a deer while not driving, at the zoo, or to a dead one on a wall. About 100 feet away from two of the most gentle, docile creatures I have ever seen. A helicopter flew over and the deer darted towards the woods. There I noticed what had been there the entire time, an opening that resembled a wooded cave. My sister and I dared to get out of the cart and take a few steps towards the animals when they weren't looking. JR (this will henceforth replace "the boyfriend" as I think he deserves a more respectful title lol) is 6'4". I'm not sure a deer could have handled that. My sister is 5'11" and I am 5'3"... Did I mention that this is my 5 years YOUNGER sister? Heh. The fawn went into the woods and the doe stayed in the field, though cautious. Nipping the trees and almost putting on a show for us. Turning to go into the woods, and turning and coming back out. She came back to the field and started eating again and after a few moments the fawn came out. Then another fawn came out. Three total. All of them eating and watching us and playing in the field. It was probably 5 minutes after the third came out that they all went into the woods for the night. The three of us went back to the house in awe that an animal so skittish would allow us to observe so closely and not run away. After a 60 mile drive to and from work in rush hour traffic, plus driving my sister to school... That seemed to melt any and all of the hostile feelings and stress that had built up throughout my day. I am still completely amazed and I could have kicked myself for not having my camera. But who normally takes a camera on a golf car ride? Not I.

Knitting is moving along... I made myself a list of what I want to get done in the order I want to get them done...

SNB Devil Hat - It'll be finished this weekend. Gotta finish the crown and add the horns. If I have time before her birthday I'm going to take the spare yarn and make some quick matching wristwarmers.

Clapotis - I am on the third repeat of Section 2. I ended up getting This yarn in Blush Heather and so far so good. Very very slight variegations in the yarn, but just enough to give it a sense of depth. If I do two repeats a day, it will be finished in two weeks. Less if I work on that predominantly on the weekends.

1up beanie and Kittyville Hat - 1up beanie is over halfway done, I just have to finish the colorwork on the last half of the mushrooms and then the crown. Definitely going to be longer than the space invaders beanie. heh. That one's a little short. The kitty hat is for my sister and she wants it in grey. I think i'm gonna toss in some pink on the ears for her. Nice little Surprise. I'll be working on those simultaneously since I bought another US 7 16" circ. I still haven't used it... I planned on casting on last weekend... but blankies got in the way. :(

JR's mitt - He told me to make this at the last possible second since it doesn't take that long and it's still in the 70's here. That's okay, I live by Cleveland, OH. The weather changes every 10 minutes anyways. :P

The cursed blanket from the depths of hell that somehow sucks the life out of me as I make it - I dunno why. Intarsia isn't hard. I know how to do it, it looks good. So what the hell is making me procrastinate so much!? Everytime I want to pick it up, I look at it and think about how it's a vampire of energy. Why? Why does is a blanket so hard? I'm knitting it on big needles. It's a nice, soft yarn to work with. The pattern isn't THAT hard. Sure there are a lot of color changes... Black, Light Grey, Dark Grey, Red, White... But really. Someone motivate me... After I finish the above things. :)

And last but not least... my socks - Yes. I am making socks. Isn't that great? Me. A sock knitter. I guess to be a sock knitter, though... you'd actually have to complete a pair... or more. Well. I am trying. I have never used such tiny needles (US 1) and when it comes to knitting I have some patience, but it runs very thin when I seem to knit and knit and knit and get nowhere. This sock, however.. Has taken to me. The yarn has taken to the sock. Grumperina's Jaywalkers are liking the yarn... which I forgot the name of and I know it's wool with something else. Bad me. Losing the ball band. >_< I plan on working on these when I don't feel like working on any of the above. I hate wearing socks, but I want to knit myself some. Ironic. So as you can see, I am excited to make them but not at all in a hurry to wear them. :) I will let you know, and hopefully post pics because I will have my camera and I have nothing but a haunted house and some cleaning planned for this weekend.

Other than that I am making the no-sew blankets (after I post pics, I'd be more than happy to post a tutorial if interested.) and I JUST learned how to make pin cushions! :D Now I am on a mission to find the cutest Japanese fabric I can find to make my very first and my super special pin cushion... and also to find some that I like for Christmas presents.. and maybe to sell since they aren't too hard. I am afraid of sewing machines. Mine will be hand stitched. :)

Also on my mission I am attempting to locate 2 skeins (at the very least one skein) of Bernat's Camouflage yarn in the Snow Ghost colorway. How depressing would it be for JR to get to the end of his skein and not have yarn left? :( We checked Joann (stores, I am going to check online when I finish this post), Walmart, and Pat Catan's. Nothing. I don't like Michael's, but for him... I would check. Sigh. The things we do for love. :) Hopefully my next post will be few words and all pics!