Seeing Blue

Tucker did pretty darn well for himself at these past three shows (as you can tell by the photo!) We did a lot of driving, and he was definitely tired at the end of a day (as was I), but I am very proud of him. The first ribbon was in Snooker at the USDAA trial - "Named after the billiards game popular in Great Britain, snooker is a point-basis class wherein a handler develops their strategy for accumulating as many points as possible during the allotted time by performing the obstacles in "Snooker" sequence, which is defined by color. The snooker class consists of an opening sequence immediately followed by a closing sequence, both of which must be performed in the overall performance time allotted by the judge." Put simply, you have to define your own course while also building up as many points as possible done in the fastest time without any faults or knocking any jumps. Tucker's time was not the fastest (the second place dog beat him by 2 seconds) but he had the most points by far (49 vs 36).

His other two blues came from both of his Open Jumper runs at the AKC trial. We just moved up a level in competition after our last trial, so these were his first two runs at this level! He did so well on tough courses. We have a little break this weekend, but then are back at it every weekend in October! A little time off to do some polishing and training.

The needles did see a little action this weekend. The front of smocking is chugging along. I have another inch to do before I can start the armhole shaping. I'm anxious to get it finished and put together as the weather has turned quite chilly these past few mornings! Plus, my next sweater will be that purple cabely number (in beige). Have you seen the new Fall Cable KAL? Lots of nice, cozy cables there! Both the sweater (must come up with a good name for it!) and my current socks qualify for that one.

Speaking of socks, I did start the Aran Sandal Socks. I then frogged them. Three times. Enough said. The pattern had 4 different cables as well as 2 twists in it. I could not keep track and it took me over an hour to do one row. Not good. I am now happily knitting socks of my own design using the DNA cable pattern. I'm working the cable down the back and heel of the sock, as well as one down the front of the foot. I figure since my sister will be working in the medical field, these would be perfect! The Kona is knitting up wonderfully. So squishy and soft. I forgot how much I loved it.

The color was an interesting experiment. We knew we wanted one skein of red and one of purple. We did the red first as it was a pure color right from the dye. After a little math, we calculated how much powder to water and started dying! We soaked the yarn first, then mixed the dyebath, and added it in. We simmered until the solution was clear and then drained.

The finished product:

The color matches the swatch on the color card exactly. I love love love it! I think it is destined to be a pair of Denmarks. After having great success with the red, we moved on to the purple. She wanted more of a blue purple, so we mixed accordingly. The first try ended up a little dark, but still a beautiful plum/eggplant color.

The third try (should be a charm, right?) we aimed for a less saturated solution of purple - I knew the cables wouldn't show up on that dark of a color, so we aimed lighter. I think we did pretty well!

So pretty. The only issue we had was with the red mixing with the blue. We put the yarn in and it looked just light blue. We added more red solution and it never turned any redder - perplexed, we simmered and stirred. Turns out we forgot to read a little blurb in the instructions about the red tending to congeal when mixed. It was all in there, sitting in an icky slimy blob at the bottom of the pot. As the heat came up, the red dissolved and worked just fine. Lesson learned!

The socks are working up pretty quick thanks to the Kona yarn and the very nice DNA cable pattern. Simple, but enough to hold my interest!

It doesn't look like much yet, but it's coming along! I definitely wont' make my September sock for SAM2. Oh well. There is always October and Socktoberfest!!! I participated last year, but not with the sock enthusiasm (erm...obsession) that I have now.

Stairs and new Stash!

I've finally managed to download and format all the pictures! I didn't realize how many I had taken over the few days I was down in Maryland. I'll save the good yarny stuff for the end - need something to keep you reading!

My sister's new apartment is just too cute. It's in an older building in downtown Baltimore. She can walk to a Dunkin' Donuts (I took advantage of that every morning!) as well as several grocery stores. The
inner harbor is only about 3/4 mile away. It's a great location! Since it is an older building, there is of course, no elevator. She is on the third floor, so that meant lots of stair climbing!

There are hardwood floors throughout, and lots of windows to let in plenty of sunshine. The bathroom floor has vintage hex tile too!

We got all her things moved in (thank goodness she didn't have anything bigger than a TV!) and unpacked. It is a great place - I can't wait to visit her soon!

I also went to a great Knit Nite meeting. I finally met Sarah in person and it was so great to get to be able to knit and chat with her! The whole gang was there, and the time flew by. The famous dyer Mama E was there and had a skein of her Chocolate yarn (I believe that was the colorway name) and I just couldn't resist. It ended up coming home with me! You don't see brown sock yarn too often, and the color was just so pretty.

Since we're on the subject of stash enhancement, I did pick up a few other skeins on the drive down. The Fabric Place in Connecticut was closing, so all their yarn was 25% off. I browsed around, but nothing really jumped out at me until I came across some orange baby wool. It's superwash, and a great orange color, and ended up being about $3 per ball. The bargain of the day, though, was some Baby Zarina yarn I found that ended up being mismarked. The color is what attracted me first - a brilliant, bright blue. The price sticker said $4.99 on two of the skeins - the rest were marked $9.99. I brought them, as well as the baby wool up to the register and they ended up giving it to me for the $4.99 minus the 25%! What a deal!

Not bad!

I also managed to dye up my cone of Henry's Attic Kona. I still need to snap a few pictures of the dried yarn as the color changed a little. Post fodder for next week!

Tucker and I are off to another trial Sunday through Tuesday, so all will be quiet here for a few days. I did end up frogging the beginnings of a sock I started with the Cabin Cove merino/tencel. I just didn't like how it looked (or I really messed something up and didn't notice a few rows earlier!). I do, however, have another sock on the needles.....

Back, but still recovering

I'm back from Maryland, but I'm still wading through my emails and blogs, and have to upload my pictures so I can post! It was great to get my sister settled into her new place (which is so nice!), and see everyone at KnitNite!!! More coming soon.....

Sleeves, Smocking and Socks!

I made some decent progress on smocking this week. Both sleeves are now done, and I just need to do the front. With a bunch of car travel time coming up, I'm hoping to make a large dent in it!

Now that smocking is approaching the last part (the front is all I have left to do) I'm thinking towards my next project. I found this sweater in an old (Winter 01/02) Vogue Knitting and thought it may work well for the bag of Rowan Cork in a beige color I have.

It's not as "cabley" as the Rebecca sweater I was originally thinking of, but I think I may like it better - what do you think?

I managed to finish another pair of mittens this week (a larger kids size) - I still have to weave in the ends and give them a block, but they are pretty cute. Made out of a friend's handspun, she is going to sell them in her shop.

They are similar to the green and off white pair as they really have that "handspun" rustic look to them.

The updates will not be as frequent here for the next few weeks - I have an agility trial this weekend, My sister is moving to Baltimore next week, so I am off to Maryland on Monday early morning, come back Wednesday, a day trip on Thursday, and then have an agility trial next weekend along with another one Monday and Tuesday! Life around here is going to be pretty hectic for the next month or so! The trip to Maryland is extra exciting - not only do I get to help my sister settle in, and see my cousins, but I finally am going to be in town for the Monday night edition of Knit Nite! I knit with this great group a while back, and we've been conversing through email and blogs ever since. It will be nice to be able to chat and knit with them in person!

September and October seem to be the big months for agility trials. I have one pretty much every weekend from now until November! There are also a few big ones coming up towards the end of the year. The one I'm looking forward to the most is the huge AKC trial at the Bayside Expo Center in Boston. The Bay Colony Dog Show is not only a 4 day agility trial, but a huge breed show as well. I went last year as a spectator with Terri, and am really glad to be competing this year! Over 12,000 dogs compete in the breed shows over the 4 day event. It is quite a spectacle!

As my sister is starting a new job, I promised her a pair of socks to commemorate it - since it is in the medical field, she'll be wearing clogs some of the time, so she wanted a pair of socks with heel patterning. After looking at quite a few patterns, she decided on the Aran Sandal Sock from Socks, Socks, Socks. They have some great cables down the heel!

They are done in a heavy fingering/DK weight yarn, so to make them even more custom, we are going to dye part of my cone of Henry's Attic Kona in the color of her choice using our new Washfast Acid Dyes from ProChem! We divided up the cone into equal 5.25 oz skeins - it was a bit of a chore, but not horrible. By my calculations, they should be about 367 yards each. Plenty for a pair of sport weight socks!

It will be our first foray into acid dying, and we have the three skeins to do. I'd like a nice rich, red skein for some socks at a later date. The third skein color is still up in the air - a light blue maybe, or pretty light pink? Something for the Denmark sock that will make the pattern pop. I really love that sock! Another cone of this is a definite order if the co-op comes up again! I never realized how many of Nancy Bush's patterns are for heavier weight sock yarn!

Another pattern I found in the same book is the Austrian Patterned Knee Socks. With the recent knee sock craze (I still need to make a pair for my ever cold feet and legs!) these are some of the more complicated, patterned ones I've seen.

They are beautiful. I doubt I will ever make them, but I do enjoy daydreaming over the picture! Maybe one day if I learn to cable without a cable needle and get up enough guts, I will attempt them. Right after I do the Norwegian Stockings....(ha ha!)

Ravin has been adjusting to life with us just fine - he seems very comfortable, and his training is going great! He's a smart boy! (excuse the possessed eyes in the photo! Darn it for getting dark out so early!)

Smock On!

As promised, a little demo/tutorial on smocking. This is not the "formal" way to smock (which I believe is done after the knitting is completed) and I am sure there are other ways out there - I am definitely not professing to be an expert by any means! This is how I'm doing the smocking for my sweater thanks to Veronique. It's simple, easy, requires no extra needles, and looks pretty darn good at the end. (This is my first attempt at a tutorial - please let me know if you'd like any improvements or further explanation!)

So, away we go!
1. Determine the number of stitches you are going to smock (here, I will smock six stitches)

2. Place the right needle after the last stitch you would like to smock. Here, I am putting it between stitch #6 and stitch #7 as I want a 6 stitch smock.

3. Wrap the working yarn around the needle just like you were knitting a stitch.

4. Pull the loop through the knitting.

5. Place the newly formed loop in front of the first stitch on the left needle.

6. Knit the new loop together with the first stitch (or purl together - whatever the pattern calls for). Make sure you give the yarn a good tug to tighen up the smock loop as you knit it.

7. Continue in pattern, knitting or purling the stitches as needed within the smock, then the rest of the row.

8. The finished smock! (on the right needle) It looks like it is already down a few rows, but becuase it is wrapping around stitches, it tends to sit a little low.

9. What it looks like after some rows above it are complete.


I hope this helps clarify how easy (and kind of fun!) smocking really is!

On the sock front I'm at a point of indecision as to what to start next....there are just way too many great patterns out there! (Have you seen the new Cablenet pattern from Knitty? I love heel patterning!)

Knitbloggers are the best!

I had a little yarn swap going on with Sarah. She saw the skein of Cherry Tree Hill brights that was causing me fits, and offered it a new home. In exchange, I was to get a skein of Merino/Tencel sock yarn from Dave's Cabin Cove. I got the package on Saturday and it was truly a sight so see!


Not only did she send me the beautiful yarn (it is so soft and has a nice sheen to it - I think I may be using it next for something!) but also some really pretty stitch markers that I can really use - I have a few mittens on the needles and the stitch markers I'm using are too big!

She was so thoughtful to include the extras, along with a little note. Thanks Sarah!!!!!!

Sad to say that pretty much no knitting was done this weekend. It was a crazy few days of working at the kennel, heading our for a day long training session with Tucker (Ravin tagged along), birthday parties and dinner at a friends. What a whirlwind! I really want to get back on track though. I have about half a sleeve and the front of Smocking to finish, along with a pair of kids mittens for my friend again out of her handspun. I also am having SERIOUS sock withdrawl. After the Cabin Cove yarn arrived this weekend, I really need to start one soon! I was thinking of using it for the Denmark sock from Knitting on the Road. I have always loved the pattern and there are so many beautiful ones out there! Fingers crossed I can cast on today.

A few brave souls out there asked about how I did the smocking. I'm hoping to get some pictures today and put up a mini-tutorial on it. The original directions came from Veronique, and they are easy once you get the hang of it. So, some smocking smackdown tomorrow....

Put on Those Sunglasses!

I got my Supersock from Cherry Tree Hill this weekend (the Labor Day Sale) - boy is it bright!


I really, REALLY love the colors though. Being all solids, they will make some of those great patterns pop! There are quite a few Nancy Bush socks I'm dying to try, and these will be perfect!

The trial was great this weekend. Tucker got his Novice Agility Jumpers title, so he can now move up a level in his next trial! He did really well and at one point turned on so much speed, he had to jump out of the ring to make a turn wide enough! It's a nice change from a few months ago when he was literally walking around a course.

Ravin is settling in - I'm waiting for that Aussie "pep" to kick in - he's been Mr. Mellow so far, and I know it can't last! He is starting to feel a little more comfortable and his real personality is beginning to peek through. He is such a sweetie.

Smocking made about 5" of progress this weekend. With the rain and such, I didn't get as much knitting done at the trial as I had hoped. Since then, I have been completely exhausted, and have crashed as soon as I get home. Tonight is a new start though - I TiVo'd Nip/Tuck last night, so I plan on getting some good knitting time in!

And Ravin Makes Three….

With so many visiting dogs coming in and out over the past year, when I was approached to take a dog for agility training, I figured, “what’s one more dog?”. So, meet our newest addition - Ravin!

He is a 3 year old Australian Shepherd who has finished his AKC confirmation championship, and has sired several litters of puppies who is now looking to add some performance titles to his name. From what I hear, he is a fun boy with lots of energy and drive - something perfect for agility! We are starting from square 1. Being a show dog, he doesn’t even know “sit”! (he does know “stand” quite well though!) Aussies are very intelligent, and I have no doubt he will learn very quickly. I have never met him in person, but I have talked at length with both the owner, and someone who has used him to sire a litter of puppies and he sounds like a great boy. I’m excited to start a dog from the ground up again and use the training skills I acquired in training both Tucker and Otis. I think the boys will be happy to have a new foster brother to play with! He is only here until he earns himself some agility titles, so it will be at least a year or so, but it’s not a permanent addition. Ravin arrives Monday evening - I can’t wait!

Tucker and I actually (finally!) have a trial this weekend! It’s a 3 day long one, and though the forecast is for low 60 degree temperatures and rain, I’m still excited. He has progressed a lot over the summer break, and I’m looking forward to running him again!

For some knitting content, I finished up a pair of mittens out of the handspun my friend’s mom sent me.

They are nice, rustic, chunky, comfy mittens - just what I was going for. I actually ended up doubling up the yarn as it was almost a DK weight. I was pretty worried I may run out, but came in just under the wire. Hats and more mittens are on the agenda for the rest of the handspun - I have a cornflower blue, more off white and a nice grey to play around with. They’ll make some nice dog show knitting!

Another surprise came in the mail -

I ordered the basic colors of Washfast Acid Dyes from Prochem. I got Blue, red, yellow and black. I figure we can make pretty much any color from the four basics. I am being patient though, and waiting until my sister arrives to try them out on my cone of undyed sock yarn. I also got a color card - glad I didn't have it first - there are way too many beautiful shades on it! I see a day of dying in the future!


Smocking is also making steady progress. The second sleeve is on the needles with a few inches of progress. I stopped finishing the back as the instructions were kind of vague as to "introducing" new smocks at the beginning of rows - I wasn't sure which rows or how often, so I am going to make the smocked sleeve (one is smocked, the other is plain ribbing) and see how it matches up. After reading the description, I know the design flows from the back to the sleeve, so I'm hoping finishing the sleeve will clue me in to where to put smocks on the top of the back.

Looking forward to a nice long weekend at the trial, and welcoming in our new resident on Monday! Have a great long weekend everyone!