I was really surprised to hear that a lot of you have experiences with screaming or kicking during dreams.  It was nice to hear I wasn’t alone in that.

Since I finished my Henley (WOOHOOing over here still) I’ve started another summer top — hoping to get it done before the cool weather comes this way.  I’m knitting Nicole by ChicKnits.  Since Annie’s middle name is Nichole, it’s hard for me to type Nicole without the “h” but I try.

I’m making a bit of progress and it seems to be going more quickly than the Henley went because it’s all in one piece.  That always seems faster to me.  And I won’t have to knit sleeves either.

I’m using Longmeadow by Valley Yarns (60% cotton and 40% microfiber)   (WEBS link; Ravelry link)  I’m enjoying both the pattern and the yarn.

I’ve also been spinning some merino fiber I bought.  It’s mainly green with reds, yellows, browns, & blues in there, too.  It will be gorgeous I think when it’s all spun and plied.

I haven’t been knitting on St Brigid because the temps have been in the mid to high 90s around here and we don’t have air conditioning and that’s just a little too warm, even for me, to have wool in my lap.

Have you seen the preview of the fall VogueKnitting?  It looks like it’s going to be one to snap up immediately?  I also snapped up the fall Knitscene (which I don’t usually buy).  This fall is looking good.  Can’t wait to see the new IK preview.

Happy Knitting everyone!

Thanks for all the nice comments on my Henley.  I am sooooooo glad it’s finished and I don’t have to knit on it anymore, but on the other hand I’m very happy with the finished product.

Today here was strange.   It started with waking up from a nightmare.  I was on a college campus, presumably as a student, and I had Shelby with me but Annie was missing.  So Shel and I went looking for her.  Since Shel’s legs are only about 3 inches long I was carrying her to make better time.  We were going along and a wolf started coming toward us.  I made a threatening noise and it backed off for a second and then pounced on Shelby who was in my arms.  Right as it was coming at us, I screamed “HELP”

Apparently THAT wasn’t just in my dream.   I scared the hell out of Jody and Hannah.  He had been about to get out of bed but ended up staying there with me until he was sure I was ok.  I’ve mumbled in my sleep before but never screamed.   When I got up and saw Annie I told her never to run off like that again.  *laugh*  Poor dog.

It was hot here today, too.  So we decided to spend time in the pool.

We might have looked silly, but that sure did cool us down.  We spent at least an hour or so in there laughing and splashing.  Sometimes I wonder about us.

Other than that, I’ve been spinning a bit and I started knitting Nicole in a pale yellow 60% cotton, 40% microfiber yarn.

And this is the second of the highchairs he’s made for his daughter’s twins.  This one is made out of walnut.

A storm is moving in so I’m shutting down for the night.  Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Pattern:  Henley Perfected by Connie Chang Chinchio, printed in Interweave Knits, Winter 2007, Size:  35 inch

Yarn:  Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, Color 59

Needles:  US 4 for body, US 3 for hems and buttonbands

Notes:  I love the way this fits.  I love the yarn.  I love everything about this.  Yes, I’m gushing I love it so much.

I didn’t love knitting it very much.  The pattern wasn’t as fault.  I’m just not overly in love with knitting lace and trying to figure out decreases in the lace nearly drove me insane.

Over all, I’m very happy with this.

Working on the button band now.  Then the neck band and then… I can’t even finish the sentence for fear I’ll jinx myself.  But I’m so close I can taste it.

In other news, Jody finally gave me the cutting board he made me out of walnut and maple.  I’ve been needing an inbetween size.

It’s really pretty in person.

Other than that, I’ve just been knitting and spinning and playing with the girls.  I completely tired Hannah out today playing tug.  Here she is tired but smiling.

I know I keep saying it, but I’m getting close to finishing Henley Perfected.  I didn’t work on it at all last night, though.  My goal is to have it done by this weekend’s end.  (Figure the odds.)

The weather is HOT and HUMID and HAZY (yech — the three H’s) but I managed to get a mediocre picture of the newest yarn I spun and plied.

I was also playing around on other spinning trying to learn how to do Navajo plying.  I think I’m getting the hang of that.   But I have a really hard time not breaking my singles.

And just in case you’re wondering — this is my bike.  It’s almost 15 years old but it’s got nice low mileage on it.  heheheh

Gosh, I’ve been wanting to post but I have no pictures.  I’ve been spinning some and knitting some but have pictures of neither.

I’m getting SOOOOOO close to being ready to seam up my Henley and put the finishing touches on it.  But I didn’t do much work on it Saturday or Sunday so no purty pictures.

I did try to take some purty pictures of my spinning but they didn’t really come out.  The flash washed out the colors and when I didn’t use the flash the shots were blurry and I just wasn’t proud enough of the yarn I spun to drag out the tripod.

Hopefully soon I’ll have FO pictures.  My fingers are crossed anyway.

I’ve finally updated my progress meters over there —–> to indicate how I’m doing on my WIPs.

Annetrelac Socks — Progress on these is BARELY coming along.  I knit a round here and a round there, but no real progress.  I have pretty much decided that I will give these to my mother for her birthday in September, so I will have to actually start knitting more than one round a week.

Fiber Trends Felted Clog Slippers — I’m just finishing up the first slipper.  These are really quick despite how long they’ve been on the needles.  For the most part I can get one slipper done in a few hours.  I just haven’t gone back to them in a while.  My current slippers have a hole in the heel so these really need to get back to the knitting queue.

St. Brigid — I’m really enjoying working on this.  I find cables to be soothing and relaxing.  Unfortunately, I’ve really been trying to make progress on other projects right now.  I’m just short of halfway done with the back.  The goal for this is to have it ready to wear this October.  It should be doable.

Henley Perfected — I’m pretty darned sick of this.  I am astonished at how long this is taking.  I started knitting this on my birthday (April 13) because it was birthday yarn.  I absolutely love the yarn — silky wool.  And I like what the sweater will end up being.  However, it’s a project that puts me to sleep — literally.   I have started the second sleeve and I’m about 4 inches into it.  The goal for this is to have the second sleeve completed by the end of the month, leaving only the seaming and the placket work.

BYOB (Bring your own bag) — This is a simple market bag from the Summer 2008 issue of Knitty.  I’m using cotton yarn and pretty much only knitting on this when nothing else really holds my attention.  The goal for this is to have it done sooner or later.

Claudia will be doing the MS Ride this coming weekend — please consider sponsoring her.  She’s giving away lots of great prizes for those who donate.  Claudia also has created a monster in me.

When Jody and I lived in Denver almost 15 (!!!!) years ago, he bought us bikes.  I never rode mine.  Never.  One of the “features” on Claudia’s blog is a tally of the number of trips that knitters make using alternate forms of transportation.  I wanted to be part of that so I wrangled my bike down from the hook in the garage, aired up the tires, checked all the brakes, gears, etc., and began riding again.  Now not only am I using the bike for most of my errands (we’re lucky enough that we live within biking distance of many places), I’m also choosing to ride the bike instead of doing the Death Machine at the gym.  I’ll leave the Death Machine for bad weather days.

And so this post won’t be devoid of pictures, I’ve finally started to make headway with my spinning and it’s STARTING to look like yarn instead of some snarled mess.  I’ve done a few skeins since this (all in the same color since I’m hoping to make a vest from it) picture but they all look the same.  Except if you could see them close up you’d notice that the yarn is getting more even but in the pictures you can’t really tell.

Happy Thursday everyone.

Thanks everyone for all the kind words about Alex.  We are so lucky we had her in our lives no matter how short the time.

This was the first weekend without her and this weekend was also my spinning class.  And I came home with this.

I really stink at spinning.  Let’s get that out in the open right now.  The class was a two day class and both my husband and the instructor were surprised to see that I went to Day 2.  Things were a little better on Day 2 once I committed to buying Grace.  Yep, I named her.  With the purchase of Grace I also got a pound of fiber for free.  I’m hoping to get the hang of spinning on all the fiber we got as part of the materials for the class because I have some plans for the pound of brown fiber — but that’s going to require that I actually spin it evenly.

I’m STILL working on Henley Perfected.  I’m working on the first sleeve. I only get a few rows done before I start to nod off.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’m riding my bike more lately and the exercise is wiping me out or if it’s the sleeve that’s putting me to sleep.  It’s a really cute blouse but I JUST WANT IT DONE!

And that’s all the news that’s fit to print from Twiggyville.

Alexandra Grace Maple went to Doggie Heaven today.

Pattern:  Ribby Shell by ChicKnits

Yarn:  Amerah by SWTC, 100% silk, 5 balls and about 10 yards of a 6th

Needles:  US Size 6

Notes:  This is  a really cute top and it went together quickly.  I’m not crazy about the back neckline — it seems unfinished to me, but I can live with it.  I will live with it since I plan to make another one except in the fully ribbed version.

I’m not in love with this yarn.  It’s rough and hopefully after a good bath it will soften up.