September 27, 2004

Queen of the world.

I'd like to take a moment to point something out. Even if you don't give a rat's arse about the Thrum-a-long....See that!!! It's a link! A link to a page that I made. All by myself.
That's right. ME. Now look down the side of the blog...see that? Links to thrum-a-longers! Names! Centred! Who do you think did that? Right again. ME!
I have an odd urge to scream things like "Who's your Daddy!" at the screen. I'm sure it will pass.

(I'd like to take a moment to apologize most sincerely for the profusion of exclamation points. I'm very excited. Really. I understand that they are annoying to read, and I'm disappointed in myself for using them. I do believe however, that successfully handcoding html and navigating the mystic realm of moveable type for the first time, by yourself with only a book and your wits to guide you, is the moment that exclamation points were invented for.)

The blog and I would like to thank Donna and Julia for the tips and links that made this incredibly satisfying moment possible. I'd also like to acknowledge Ken, who enhanced the learning curve by turning his cell phone off on Sunday. (While I was briefly pissed at him for being unreachable while I was in my own personal hades of Movabletype/html...it is the fact that I was unable to guilt/harrass him into doing this for me that has lead to this most fulfilling of blog moments.)

I was so happy when it finally worked that I laughed out loud and made the cat look at it.

If I missed you on the list of Blog-a-longers just let me know. I can fix that.
(Really, I can. I'm the html queen of the world.)

While ranting around the house alternately screaming and typing things into the computer this weekend, I actually knit.

latvianmittens

That's right. I coded html and I finished the Latvian mittens. (I reiterate...Queen of the world).

I finished the Fleece Artist mittens, and there was so much left over that I knit a hat to go with....

famitandhat

Meg is happily modelling them for us, and (in case you can't read it) is wearing a tee-shirt that says "I dress this way because it bothers you". (I am ignoring the fact that a kid who is wearing that shirt may have too much sass for her mother to be the Queen of the World. Did I mention that I coded html?)

I started new mittens, these ones are Swedish, part of a stunning gift from Susanna

newmit

but I'm starting to feel like it's an unhealthy obsession, so let's just glide right over that.

Thrum-a-long Madness - day one.

After a stunningly successful dye episode in the kitchen, (Queen of the world, I tell you) I deftly defended my fleece from the fibre-stealing squirrel in the backyard, carded and combed and I have this to be the thrums for my mittens.

thrumplan

Yes, I know. How many mittens are you making Steph? I got a little carried away.

Day one:
Assemble materials.
One skein Briggs and little "Heritage" wool (worsted weight)
60 grams carded fleece or roving.
dpns in 3.25 and 4 mm.
One bottle Screech, official drink of the 2004 Thrum-a-long. (Just in case)

screech

Cast on 40 stitches, distribute on the dpns in a manner which pleases you, and join in a round. Work in K2, P2 ribbing for 6cm.

Switch to the 4mm needles and knit 3 rows, increasing 5 stitches evenly around the first round. (45 stitches)

Thrum Round: *K2, thrum 1, repeat from * around. (If you don't know how to thrum, go here)
Next round: *K2, knit into the back of the next stitch and its thrum, repeat from * around.
Knit 3 rounds.

Your work looks like this:

dayone

Repeat these last five rows twice, then then first two rounds once. Then wait until tomorrow and I'll do the thumb. (I'm not holding out on you. I haven't exactly figured it out yet)
If anything seems frustrating, administer tea or coffee and re-attempt. If it still doesn't work, use a shot of Screech and re-attempt one more time. If it still eludes you, email me and continue to drink screech until I email you back or you no longer care about mittens. (Caution: with screech that really doesn't take long)


Posted by Stephanie at September 27, 2004 2:53 PM