Alabama has had record-breaking sustained temperatures over the past several weeks. It’s been Excessively Hot even by South Alabama Standards. I blame the heat for my recent reluctance to knit anything but CounterPain Squares.
Ten.
Ten more and I will be “caught up” to my goal of 52 squares this year.* Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot is going on this week.
Even though my recent accomplishments are less than impressive, several things have happened over the last month or so that I might have forgotten to mention.
I made an afghan.
Hmm. This is a lovely photograph of the wrong side of the afghan.
Why I thought an afghan was a good idea at this particular time of year, I really couldn’t tell you. But there is Snug (the link goes right to the pdf) in Patons Shetland Chunky. I like the yarn – especially for an acrylic/wool blend – and it comes in some very nice colors like Butter. I am thinking of using it for the tree skirt and stockings in Handknit Holidays. Much less expensive than Lopi and much less dangerous to store in the attic.
Our Annual Yard Kitten was found by the Critter Sitter while we were at camp. She is a little calico, had to have part of her tail amputated (it was broken), is named Ivy and lives at the vet where she is spoiled (Critter Sitter works at our vet – all of these events took place while we were out of town). When we got home we took her a We’re-So-Happy-Your-Home-Is-Not-With-Us-Six-Cats-Are-Plenty Present. William Henry is happy that he is still the baby.
The Mary Esther Edition of the RubySapphire Sock Club arrived!
William Henry tore the hole in the bag to get to the candy.
That’s my pattern in there! I made it myself! Now I spend a lot of time worrying that I managed to make Many Serious and Tragic Mistakes in the pattern that will cause everyone to blog about what a terrible pattern writer I am. All I know is that the pattern works fine for me – I’ve made it twice!
Maude behaved beautifully at the pet adoption on Saturday and may have found herself a new family! We are going on a Home Visit tonight to see how she gets along with the resident beagle. I very sincerely hope that this goes well – they have a fenced back yard and everything.
I remembered** the fourth Individual Merit Award for Dish Rag Tag! It’s Miss Congeniality! I will start taking nominations/votes from Participants after half the boxes have made it back to me (I will make an announcement). The winner will be based upon the number of nominations/votes an individual receives.
As a quick update – when I checked on tags this afternoon, the Rapid Rag Relayers lead the pack with 8 tags! But Hip-knit-tized, POST knITS and Running Ragged are right on their heels with 7 each! Don’t forget to send in (that is: email me) your Dish Rag KIP pictures and submit your finished Tag Dish Rags for the other Individual Merit Awards.
*Not necessarily a square a week – just 52 in one year. But you have to keep a handle on things and if I have any hope of hitting that goal, I should have around 32 at this point.
**After I looked it up in my notes.
Um, Emily? An afghan is a pretty impressive accomplishment!
UGH!!! I KNEW I was forgetting something…..PICTURES!!!!
How exciting to see your pattern in print! I love the color of that afghan. It’s just too hot to knit here in New Orleans too, miserable…
congrats on the home for Maude… and even better yet, YAY! for not having yet another cat. WH is for sure the baby of the family 🙂
Counterpanes are lovely… can’t wait to see it all laid out.
Nice job on the afghan!
Whoo hoo! My team is in the lead, hopefully we can keep it up. I have a great group of gals.
Hope Maude’s new home pans out. The afghan is beautiful, but I can’t believe you knit it in summer!
Your afghan is lovely. Don’t know when you find all the time. Thanks again for an EXTREMELY well planned race… you thought of everything!!!
Oh Emily the counter”pain” is lovely. Now if we could all get together and knit at the same gauge each of us could make a square for you. I hope you have something else up your sleeve as dish rag tag has been a blast. I am having serious let down now that I am finished with my part. This and MS3 all ending at the same time. I have pleanty of knitting but love the motivation and the friends of these knit alongs.
Joan
Congratulations of the fabulous sock pattern!
Go Maude GO! Im very sincerely hoping for you too!
Waiting for the bx……Im next in going the dishtance after carrie in MI. THis is very fun. Thank you for taking the time to organize a fun event. I hope NO ONE gives you any grief. Seems those who criticize haven’t the time or inclination to run things themselves.
There’s always one. So dont take it to heart if you get ANY complaints.
THis is a wonderful game. I’ll take a picture I promise.
Girl I can SO UNDERSTAND the heat/knitting combination 😉 The squares are looking lovely!
mmm, Rubysapphire–good stuff. Bet your pattern is fabulous!
I cannot BELIEVE you blamed William Henry for stealing the candy!!!!
Maybe, someday, it’ll cool off enough to make use of that afghan!
Aaaw, a yard kitten! What a charming idea – though I see your point about the six being enough. Of course wasn’t it really “Eight is Enough”? ;o)
Way to go on those Counterpain squares. Terribly hot here in GA as well. Always happy when WH is happy. : )
I just have to say how much fun Dish Rag Tag is and I can’t get over how well it’s being run!
Congrats on your pattern and a potential home for Maude! I am so ready to be finished with the hot weather. It looks like you’ve done more knitting than I have. Your afghan looks lovely, even if it is the wrong side. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for Maude.
Congratulations on not acquiring another cat! I’m right there with you – thought long and hard about keeping my last find, but now that she’s at the perfect home (my neighbor’s (!), where I get to visit her, and she has a whole house to run in, and an old dog to play with), I’m pretty happy with my decision. Same with the dog, Penny, who found a home, serendipitously, with my sister Sara, who apparently needed a project dog. Who knew?
Hey there! I am so glad I found you again. I am sorry to post this here but I couldn’t find an email address. I was the owner of Sober Knitting but I no longer have that blog. I do have a few knitting blog entries at my new place though if you see fit to add me to the Alabama KnitBlogs again.
Thanks and happy knitting!
That’s the counterpane pattern my grandma used for her best afghans. That’s how we knew she was a brilliant knitter.
Hi Emily! Darlene told me about your site when I met her in the LYS today! I found out about the Dish Rag Tag too late, but hopefully I can get in on the next round (if you do another one). 🙂
Lovely afghan, btw!
Maude got a home? Wonderful! I love all the counterpane squares and the afghan! Watch your mailbox I sent you out a pkg today. : )
An afghan in summer is no easy task. Nice.
BTW, I’m so happy I not only received my Rag Tag box but also sent it on it’s way with new goodies in good time. Yay, for the Rag tag band of Knitters! [ok we’re behind, but we’re consistently moving forward] 😉
This is totally bizarre, I know, but I dreamt about DT last night. The finished ones were coming in as shown by a blue upright bar that moved from left into the “completed” graph.