Summer is for Dishcloths

I'm refusing to make another summer cardigan or tank top this year as I will probably only manage to finish it right before fall hits. It really is too hot at the moment to continue my plan of knitting with wool. So I drug out my box of cotton dishcloth/washcloth yarn from Christmases past and decided to make some ballband dishcloths for my sister-in-law's birthday. After digging through the layers of hemp from the washcloths I gave away last year to the cotton left over from the dishcloths I gave away the year before, I unearthed my favorite tiny calculator I used to keep in my knitting bag before it disappeared. I stood there holding it in my hand trying to fathom why I needed it to knit dishcloths and then I remembered timing my self knitting a couple of rows and then calculating how long each would take me to make multiplied by the number of remaining recipients I had on my list to--shudder--. I really don't want to go through that again this year. Signing up for the year long gift along on Ravelry did nothing to motivate me into starting on this years batch of washcloths early. So I've decided to sign up for the Ravelympics under the Gift Knitting Pentathlon and see if I can crank out a few. My goal is 16 in 17 days.

Finally a Great Day at the Ballpark

First time in I don't know how long we had an absolute perfect day at the game. Got there early enough to score good parking, enjoyed an edible hotdog (purchased outside the park).



were not surrounded by drunk fans of the other team or seat kicking socially stunted teenage boys.



and our beloved Mariners did not embarrass themselves in the slightest.

Fall Collection

I had this grand scheme to knit exclusively for fall and winter during the late spring and entire summer months. For once when the cold weather finally creeps in I will actually have something to wear before the tail end of the season. A great idea until it hits 85 degrees and I'm sitting with an almost entire Tangled Yoke Cardigan on my lap. Rowan Felted Tweed is glorious stuff. The 25% alpaca content makes for a surprisingly warm sweater given its lighter than air weight. It does not, however, glide easily through sweaty fingers. The weather finally turned hot just as the end was in sight and only the button bands remained. I pushed on. I was a little unhappy with the floppiness of the first attempt at the button band so ripped out and went down to a size 1 from a size 2 needle (main body knit in size 3 and went down to size 2 for arm ribbing and accidentally picked up the smaller needle again when doing the yoke, but liked the results so went ahead with it). Finished up left side, was on bind-off row of right side before I noticed I did the second button band in the larger needle size. Arrgh heat make me stooopid. 1 row button holes do not frog easily. Finally finished though.

Other Stuff I Did Other Than Blogging

Wore my new hat to a weekend at Hobuck


Where we hiked to Shi Shi Beach

Brandy enjoying time with her new friend



found an intruder in the cabin



Finished my first ever century

Ok I Suck

Okay I Suck at this blog thing.... Stuff that happened during my
blogging awol It was super cold from May through June around Seattle in fact colder than Siberia I was able to get a lot of use out of my completed Central Park Hoodie

Other "Summer" knitting:



1) Finally finshed a Shedir that had been languishing around for ever. This is my second one. The first one ended up way to big to give to Cancer Care Alliance, ended up gifting to someone with lots of hair. I left off a pattern repeat in this one and looks about right. It seems to be fitting the melon it's wrapped around in the picture.
2) Some plain knucks out of Kroy sock yarn I've nicknamed "Hobo Gloves". These came in handy during a Mariner's game. I stuffed handwarmers into them.
3) Rockin' Sock Club's Leaflings. I wish I had made these longer
4) My first ever completed stranded project. Kauni yarn hat called "Hat with Small Leaves" from
a Ruth Sørensen pamplet called Knit A Hat.