.

September Is Not Even Halfway Thru.....

2010-09-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

.....and we've already gotten quite a few things done!

To start September off, we took a trip down to San Francisco to visit with family and celebrate a wedding. We had such a great time.

And both the kids proved that, unlike their parents, they are excellent dancers!

We got home on Labor Day and then got down to business prepping for the first day of school. And it was a biggie since both the Incredible Digit Girl AND Boy would be getting on the bus the next day.

(Big Sis kindly explained the Kindergarten jacket/backpack area for her brother)

They're both enjoying their new classrooms and getting used to the routine. It's all old hat to Digit Girl but for Digit Boy it's all new. He really impressed us by memorizing his six digit lunch payment code in just a few days.....and in time for him to get hot lunch in the cafeteria on Friday.

In addition, the first day of school also brought our Digit Boy's 6th birthday!

For a little extra fun, his dad got the trick candles so the kids just kept blowing and blowing and laughing and laughing!

(and, no, there isn't really something coming out of his nose......I don't think so, anyway)

Luckily, for the Incredible Digit Husband, the plant maintenance shut-down coincided with the first week of school. So not only did he get to be present for all the "firsts", he and I actually got to have a "fancy" lunch at a restaurant downtown. Yippee!

And to top the week off, I went with a great group of people and participated in the Warrior Dash - Northwest. And, yes, as their website states, it was one of the "craziest, frickin' days of my life".

Basically, it's three miles of hills and valleys with an obstacle course. The race completely kicked my butt and it was totally worth it. I definitely didn't set any time records: I was actually the last time in my age group. However, in the overall category there were about fifty people behind me. Considering I did very little (no) training and fell off one of the obstacles (my hip and knee are still a little tender), I feel pretty good about just finishing. The Incredible Digit Boy and Girl were pretty impressed by my layer of mud

(did I mention the mud pit with barbed wire to crawl through?)

but only the Digit Girl was asking when she could participate. Luckily, the age limit is fourteen and older so I have several years to be in good enough shape to keep up with her.

(Thanks to M & M for the Warrior Dash pics!)

Not Quite A Year

2010-08-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm definitely coming in under the wire of a full 365 days........I had at least a few months before I hit that milestone. And, no big surprise, once I viewed the neglected blog I found several features not quite working. So I did a little much needed maintenance and was back in business.

Last year brought a few changes. The Incredible Digit Husband spent a few months on the job hunt and luckily found a very good position within six months. We felt very, very lucky that it hadn't taken longer. I was lucky enough to be offered a part-time job during that period, too, so we adjusted our schedules to make sure we had plenty of family time during the week.

Now, we are counting down the days until the Incredible Digit Boy joins the Incredible Digit Girl at their elementary school. He'll be starting Kindergarten and is so excited. Since I will now have roughly seven hours a day to myself a few times a week, I'm really hoping to spend the first few weeks getting organized......fingers crossed ;-)!

And with that extra time keep on the road to posting more regularly.

(a visual momento of my road trip with my mom and aunts this spring)

Knitting for Men, Pt. 2

2009-11-26T00:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I finished the hat for my sweet husband and......he's even worn it! It wound up being just a simple 4x2 ribbed hat and I decreased in pattern so that the ribbed sections continued on all the way to the top. I used Berroco Pure Merino in Black (of course!) and I am very happy with how it came out. I love using this yarn for just about anything anyway.

Now it's on to a pair of fingerless mittens for my dear Mom who is a greeter at Wal-Mart and gets so cold every time the door opens and closes. I've chosen the Whither Mitts and will do a matching neckwarmer in the same pattern to keep her even warmer.

I'm using Lana Gatto VIP Sport which is a blend of 80% superfine merino and 20% cashmere. Yep, Mom is totally worth it!

I'm up making a few desserts for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. We've been invited to the home of some very dear friends who always include us in this holiday feast and all of us here are looking forward to the gathering. Hope you all enjoy this day of thanks wherever you are!

Knitting for Men

2009-10-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

So recently, I decide that I would like to make my husband a hat. I figured it was about time that the man who so willingly supports my knitting hobby (addiction) is rewarded with a hand knit item. I purchase a skein of yarn in a nice wine heather shade and ask him if he'd like a hat in this yarn. It matches his winter coat pretty well so I think, hey, I'm golden. He says....."how about black". Ok, another reason to buy yarn. I can do that. So then I start working on finding a pattern.

I ask "Would you like a cabled hat?"

"Huh?", he says.

"You know, a hat with cables", I respond.

His answer, "Are those the twist-y things? I'm not so big on those."

Ok, so at this point I think to myself that I have a fair amount of knitting skill, I work in a yarn shop and I sometimes help other people figure out a problem when they hit a snag in their knitting. I had envisioned making my husband a really intricate cabled hat. I had self-centered daydreams of co-workers and friends asking him "Where did you get that great hat?". So now, I have come back to reality and accepted the fact that I will be knitting a stockinette hat....... in black.

But, hey, there's still a skein of soft wool in a lovely wine heather color just waiting to be turned into fabulous Celtic knots.....with braids......and ropes..........where are my needles?

No More.........

2009-09-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

......training wheels on her bike. The Incredible Digit Girl decided that she had just about enough of leaning to one side and wanted to try riding without the extra "help". She took to two-wheeling just fine and we can hardly keep her off her bike.

First and Five

2009-09-09T13:39:00.000-07:00

As in First Grade......

......and Five Years Old!

I'm blaming Facebook.........

2009-09-03T10:45:00.000-07:00

.....for the utter dearth of entries here from the Digit household. Yes, it's true. I most certainly drank the Facebook kool-aid and have been posting regularly in the land of near instant gratification. All kidding aside, I am seriously overdue for even just a few words here.

The summer has been treating us well and the kids have definitely been having a great time. I have been pretty busy, too. I've worked several knitting/fiber related shows including, Sock Summit, the most recent (and largest). I'm probably the only person who has waited this long to post their pics/write about attending. As always, I worked for the fabulous Morgaine at Carolina Homespun and helped out at Stitchjones for the wonderful Sharon. I didn't take many pictures but Morgaine is below in the long gold-toned coat and her lovely wife Lann is at the checkout/register. They are such awesome people.

Next is another angle of the very large Carolina Homespun booth. The yarn on the closest corner is Curious Creek fibers. Christine of Curious Creek does a great job of dyeing and has some of my favorite shades in tone-on-tone colorways.
I was also luck enough to meet and work with the lovely Jen of Spirit Trails Fibers. She is just a sweetheart and dyes fiber and yarn in the most amazing colors. Honestly, her product just glows.
Next is the wonderful Sharon (center) of Stitchjones along with two of our knitting group buds - Angela and the elusive Kerin, who we don't see as often as we would all like.
I then stopped by the Abstract Fiber booth to say hello to Susan. I had knit a sock sample in one of Cindy's newest patterns, Come Sail Away, using Susan's sock yarn in the merino/tencel blend so I wanted to come take a look.

I also volunteered at the Sock Museum at Sock Summit which I enjoyed. I liked the historical items the most. The picture below is of two pairs of Civil War style socks - North and South right next to each other. Chris Lanning the person who put the whole museum together explained that the soldiers didn't have uniforms in the way we would think of them today. They had certain guidelines for color and garment style that they had to follow and provide what they could.

I didn't buy much as I was working a lot at the show but the skein below just about jumped off it's display and came home with me. It's from Royal Hare yarns and the colors just make me happy every time I look at then.

And I couldn't pass up the Elemental Affects Shetland yarn dyed by Judith MacKenzie McCuin. It's going to be perfect for a pair of multi-color mittens.

Oregon Flock & Fiber is coming up near the end of September. I attended my first last year and loved it. Can't wait to go this year. I'll have a few items for sale. More on that later.

The biggest change in my schedule has been my new part-time job at All About Yarn - a great yarn shop in Tigard, Oregon. The owner and my co-workers are a great group of people and I'm really enjoying my time at the shop. I'm there on Tuesdays and Fridays so if you're in the area and in need of some yarn (who isn't?!) stop by and say hello.

How To Make A Spinner Cry

2009-07-06T15:17:00.001-07:00

This mess of a ball is what I was trying to finish this morning. I was plying a single merino/tencel strand that I had wound into a center pull ball. Well, the outside strand of the ball had been winding sort of funny but I thought it was still okay to work with ......... WRONG!! After plying for only a few minutes the outside strand starting unwinding in big chunks and before I could stop the whole mess was hopelessly wound together. I made the fool-hardy attempt to somehow start pulling it apart. After this literally brought me to tears, I gave up and threw the whole thing in the trash. I wouldn't normally classify myself as the weepy type....but this morning was definitely the exception.

I was very disappointed by losing so much effort but then I reminded myself that I have six ounces of this fiber left. Plenty to work with. I'm taking a little time out from the wheel, though.

Black Sheep Gathering

2009-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

No, it's not a meeting of disgraced family members. It's a fiber festival here in the Pacific Northwest. I'm off to work a few booths and fondle lots of yarn and fiber. I get to use my spinning wheel for "work"......gotta love that.

Lots of pics from Black Sheep Gathering and WWKIP day to follow soon. If you'll be in Eugene for the fiber festival this weekend, look for me at either the Stitchjones booth with the fabulous Sharon or at the Carolina Homespun booth with the wonderful Morgaine.

Nothing In Particular

2009-06-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right.......haven't posted in over a month and still don't have a particular focus or point to this post. I'll just wing it.

Hmmm, what's new. Let's see. My children are turning shades of brown with all the playing in the sunshine. We've been going to the fountains and setting up sprinklers for their amusement. One of their favorite places to go is Jamison Fountain. They can't get enough of the place.

Even the walk back to the car was fun......

......and scenic.

All in all a very enjoyable day!

On the knitting front, I've got a couple of secret projects that can't be mentioned for a few months (very cool stuff, I must say). Also, there are two patterns of my own that I will self publish with in the next few weeks. Plus, I'm really looking forward to WWKIP Day. One of my patterns will be included in the goodie bags for our local WWKIP event in Hillsboro. After that Black Sheep Gathering is on the horizon. This will be my first year attending and I'm really looking forward it. Plus, I will work the vendor booth for Carolina Homespun thanks to the wonderful Morgaine. Lots and lots to keep me busy!

Knock, knock, knock.....

2009-04-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

.....yes, the lights are on and there is indeed someone home.

It's been a bit of "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride" around the Digit household lately. Suffice it so say that life/the universe/whatever gave us a little kick in the pants recently and we've been making the needed adjustments here at home. Luckily, the four of us here in the Digit household are, for the most part, healthy again. A few sniffles here and there but nothing like the last couple of months.

I could go over a long laundry list of things that have been going on but no. Look at these pretty pics of our garden instead.

We also got our veggies planted as evidenced below.

We've got Walla Walla Onions, a Northwest variety of garlic, Hood strawberries, a variety of lettuce and a few herbs. We also planted some seeds for tomatoes, sweet peas (just for flowers) and a funny French type of carrot that is a little round globe instead of the normal long tapered variety. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rather brazen squirrel in my yard will stop digging up the soil. I've already secured my title as "crazy neighbor" after I screamed semi-obscenties (my daughter was present otherwise I would have gone for the full f-word variety) at the afore-mentioned squirrel when I found him digging around in the onions. The squirrel merely looked up, finished his/her digging and then jumped to the dogwood tree as I finally got close enough to throw something.

On a more enjoyable note, the Incredible Digit Girl and I attended the yearly Beaverton Women's Club Tea. Dear friends of ours are related to the organizers and we always get invited to join their table. It's a fun event with dozens of raffle prizes. The best part is that each year the funds are applied to a scholarship that is awarded to a woman in the local community. The recipient this year is a single mom with two small children. With her scholarship she is completing a micro-electrical engineering degree. Who knew that eating tea sandwiches and chocolate could help someone support their family? There was also a very enjoyable speaker, Leigh Anne Jasheway-Bryant. She is a writer of stress management books and also teaches related courses. Bascially, though, she is just hilarious!

Finally, since the law states that I must feed my children, I'm off to make lunch. Enjoy your day wherever you are :-) !!

I Hate the Flu

2009-03-23T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is all I have to say to my germs. "Aloha.......Aloha, HARD!"

(Sorry, couldn't get around the auto commercial that plays at the beginning.)

I Sheared A Dog (and other firsts)

2009-03-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, that's right. I sheared a dog. A cute little poodle named Jack. His mommy Carissa, better known as the proprietor of The Cupcake Factory, had been curious about using his furry coat for spinning. My contribution to the experiment was to offer my clipper set to the project. Notice how springy and fluffy his "hair" is on top of his head.

That is what he looked like all over until we did this:

Luckily, Jack's got plenty of fluff left to keep him warm and Carissa has plenty to experiment with as evidenced by the bag below.

But the main reason I was there was to pick up the 3.7 pound Alpaca fleece that I purchased.

It's a beautiful multi-colored fleece that I'm processing a few different ways (another first!). I separated one pound each of the dark brown and the lighter "apricot" shade. Those two pounds are going to Fantasy Fibers for professional, machine processing. The remaining 1.7 pounds is going to be hand-processed by me - plenty to practice. I've already done a little under 100 grams myself and I'm really happy with how it came out. I got most of the guard hairs out and it has spun up really soft. Yeah!

Speaking of Alpaca, I found some dyed Alpaca fiber in the most unlikely place....Cost Plus World Market! I should admit it was the Incredible Digit Girl who first spotted it. We were wandering through the store when my daughter said, "Look, Mommy, fiber!". How cool is my kid!

What a deal! I got ten different colors of hand-dyed alpaca for $12.99. This was definitely the first time I found spinning fiber at a retail home decor store. It may be a very temporary item, though. I could not find it listed on their website to post a link :-( .

And, last but certainly not least, is my most exciting first. The current issue of the KnitPicks catalog has two original designs by yours truly.

The first is the Arrow Knee Sock which is a lace-y sock pattern in KnitPicks Gloss yarn which is a merino/silk blend that is very soft and has a lovely sheen.

The second is the Dellarobbia Legwarmer in KnitPicks Swish DK yarn ... a soft and squishy merino yarn that I really enjoy using. This pattern also has an optional foot section to make the legwarmer into a warm and comfortable knee sock. Perfect for cold winter days.

Many thanks to K & K (you know who you are) for giving me the opportunity to design these two patterns!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T11:49:00.000-08:00

Weather Report......

2009-02-06T15:44:00.001-08:00

......courtesy of the Incredible Digit Girl. I couldn't help myself. I thought it was quite poetic for a six-year-old. I'm her mom...I get to brag.

Thirty Lashes With Some Wet Handspun

2009-02-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

Oy, has it been too long since I posted here and I definitely have some info to share.

Let's see.....fiber first. There are a few exciting things coming down the pike for me. I have two, count 'em two, patterns to be included in the upcoming catalog for KnitPicks! I can't wait to share all the details. Just a few more weeks.

I also have a few new patterns for Stitchjones. The lovely Sharon has been traveling far and wide to get her fabulous yarn into more shops in the Northwest and beyond. I have been adding a pattern here and there using both her worsted and sock weight yarns. So far, in the Dyepot Worsted there is the "Sunset Highway Scarf"

and the soon-to-be-released "Lefty Lucy, Righty Tidy Scarf" which gives the option of tilting the pattern in one of two directions (I'll get pics up soon). There is also a lace scarf in the works that will be made using the amazing Glam Sock yarn that Sharon makes in such lovely colors. There will also be some errata forthcoming on the Little Feet sock kits. I was in such a hurry to get these to Sharon that I missed a few things that need to be corrected. My apologies!

There is also a neckwarmer pattern of mine that is available through Abstract Fiber. Susan, of Abstract Fiber, has included my Lace Slip Neckwarmer in bookmark form for handouts at various fiber/knitting shows. I spun up a small sample amount of her fiber in the very pretty "Sea Turtle" colorway and had enough for a project. Luckily for me, Susan liked it enough to include with her handouts! Here's a pic with giggly model, Rachel.

In December, Tammy invited me to join the Ravelry group, "The Twelve Days of Spinning". With everyone's schedule being busy during the actual holidays, though, we didn't start until the 6th of January. There were a few different categories but I chose the "Spin from Your Stash" option 'cause we all know I've got plenty of fiber stashed in my house. I only got six completed but I'm very happy with the results. Starting from the top here is:

Abstract Fiber Superwash BFL in "Shady Glade"

Come In Spinner 100% Aussie Merino in Cairns. I cannot express adequately how soft this is!!

This little sparkly is a hand blended mix of Pink Merino, Wine and Purple Bamboo and coordinating Firestar. I purchased all of the contents at Northwest Wools.

Crown Mountain Farms 50% Tussah Silk/50% Baby Camel in Natural Ivory/Beige. Very shiny and soft.

Crown Mountain Farms Baby Huacaya in Natural Dark Brown (undyed).

Woodland Woolworks blend of Teal Corriedale Wool and Brown Alpaca fiber.
And last, but not least, a partial quantity of Stitchjones Merino in the Earth Angel colorway.

I have it spun up but need to take pictures. You can't see it in the photo but there's a very pretty pale blue that just glows in the finished yarn. Oh, where the heck is my camera?!

And, as you have already noticed, there is music on my blog. I saw/heard music on both Angela and Sharon's blogs and couldn't get to the Playlist.com site fast enough. By all means, turn it off if it's not your cup of tea :-). Otherwise, rock out a little while your looking at all the yarn-y goodness.

A Great Start to A New Year

2009-01-12T08:55:00.001-08:00

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Oops, I Did It Again......

2008-12-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about any pop-princess drama. I just waited too long to post again.

It has been simultaneously busy and not-so-busy around these parts. The busy part is, of course, getting ready for the holidays and keeping the kiddies busy for an extended winter break. The extended winter break caused by the "Arctic Blast of 2008" as the local news shows are calling our winter storm. The winter storm has caused the not-so-busy schedule of no school and sometimes no driving. I have no problem with sitting on the couch in my jammies with some knitting in my hands and a movie in the DVD. A little boring for the kiddies. The Incredible Digit Boy and Girl have been having loads of fun in the snow, though. We're expecting a large dose of snow and freezing rain this weekend so that should give them a little more entertainment.

I was very lucky that my Mom arrived for a visit before the snow. While she thought the snow was pretty she really had no desire to walk around in it. This was as far as she wanted to get.

We moved to Southern California when I was a baby so those New England winters are a long forgotten memory for her. We had a lot of fun while she was here. I wish the visit was longer. I was not-so-secretly wishing that we would get more snow on the day of her departure.

We have had some other visitors. The local little critters and birds have been partaking of some water from the fish pond. I always leave the little bubbler fountain on so the water has a bit of fresh air. So, even though the 22" deep pond is covered with a 4" layer of ice, there is still water bubbling out of a small opening at the top. This morning I saw two finches standing on the ice and drinking out of the bubbler. Plus, there's been a few larger birds and the ever-present squirrels hanging around. I figured I'd better add some bird seed out, too.......kind of like a round-the-clock Vegas buffet.

I do love how the neighborhood looks in this weather, though. It makes all the houses look like little colorful packages in the snow. When we had our house painted a little over a year ago, we chose a kind of bright shade of green. I wanted to see a happy shade on the house....especially during our sometimes (mostly) gloomy winters. That choice has paid off this past week. The green walls, red door and colorful lights have made me smile every time that I am outside.

How to Embarrass Your Children

2008-11-24T07:53:00.000-08:00

Save pictures like this to share with your childrens' friends during their formative teenage years.

I thought there were only two of the dolls when I took the first picture. This was not the case as clearly evidenced by the second picture.

As I moved his blanket and opened the curtain for more light, the Incredible Digit Boy moved back to show the true number of his little Barbie harem. At least he's not lacking in confidence.

Little Feet

2008-10-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

I have not posted much knitting progress lately. Mostly because just about all the projects I'm working on are of the "super secret" variety and I cannot share any info as of yet. Once I can, though, there will be some nifty stuff to see. Take my word for it.

There is, however, a particular project that I have not mentioned. I am lucky enough to collaborate with the amazing Sharon of Stitchjones. She of the dazzling handpainted yarn and fiber. We worked together recently on a new product she is offering: The Little Feet Kids Sock Kit.

Sharon has created a series of fun colorways for little people (my daughter has already chosen her favorite). My contribution? Four fun sock patterns to mix and match for girls or boys. Click on the links to check them out: Bows & Arrows and Chutes & Ladders.

These are fun and fast projects that will keep little feet and toes toasty warm. And, most importantly, will take a ride in the washing machine thanks to the Superwash sock yarn. So, if you'd like to surprise a little one or a knitting friend, keep these kits in mind.

The Birthday Girl

2008-10-15T10:24:00.000-07:00

Our smart little cookie is now six years old!

Her Dad and I are so proud of her. She's such a talented kid. She's been doing so well in school and, most important, really enjoying her class time. We're so happy that she loves to read. If I can't find her, she's usually sitting in a comfy corner somewhere in the house or in the back yard reading a book. The Magic Tree House series is her absolute favorite.

All proud parent bragging aside, she really lives up to her blog name:

The Incredible Digit Girl!

What The Heck Has She Been Doing?!

2008-10-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Making a baby quilt for a cousin in San Diego.

Building a firepit in the backyard of the Digit Family Ranch.

Building a pond in the backyard of the aforementioned ranch. Still needs to be painted.

Walking to the school bus stop.

Taking my children to Karate class with Sensei Marilyn.

Enjoying the joint birthday party of the Incredible Digit Children at the Portland Children's Museum. We couldn't keep them out of the water room.

No, I did not make this cake.

The talented baker at the Fred Meyer Bakery made this cake.......and it was goooood!

Spinning with my fellow PDX Knit Bloggers at the Oregon Flock & Fiber Festival.

Brought the Incredible Digit Children the next day to check out all the furry & woolly creatures.

They liked the Jacob sheep with their four horns instead of two. Although the Incredible Digit Boy looks pretty ambivalent about the whole scene in the picture, he really did have fun.

Enjoying a little "Glow In The Dark" Bowling at a children's birthday party. Believe it or not that picture was taken at roughly 4:00pm. Seems like it should be 10:00pm.

and, finally, watching my children climb trees in our backyard. If I focus on taking the picture, literally and figuratively, then I don't focus on wondering if they're going to fall. Nobody fell.

And that is what the heck I've been doing all this time. :-)

Four Years Old !

2008-09-07T20:09:00.000-07:00

The Incredible Digit Boy turned four years old today. He's grown so much and has changed so much in the last year. It's hard to believe the time goes by so fast.

For his birthday lunch, our son requested that we all go to Chuck E. Cheese. We ate pizza and there were plenty of games. Both the kids had a great time and it was fun to watch them enjoy themselves.

Once we got home it was time for naps. Not only so that the kids could be rested but also so that I could make the Incredible Digit Boy his birthday cake. He requested a dinosaur theme so I went a little overboard (as usual) and included a lake and lava-erupting volcano. Luckily, there were plenty of plastic dinosaurs around the house to decorate with (after being washed, of course).

Next on the agenda was a few gifts. A variety of race cars and much needed clothes (he grew over an inch in the last three months) from his lovely grandparents on the East coast.

And a wonderful book from his Godfather and Auntie in New York. This book has some really incredible artwork by Basquiat and lovely poetry by Maya Angelou. Plus, it has dinosaurs(!) so our boy was very happy.

It didn't take long for him to say he couldn't wait until he was five. To which his father and I both responded very quickly that it is very nice just to be the age you are. He didn't seem very convinced.

First Day of School

2008-09-02T16:16:00.001-07:00

The Incredible Digit Girl is officially a Kindergartner. She attended her very first day of elementary school today. I dropped her off, went with her into the classroom and got her all settled in. She even got to ride the bus home. Since we're the first stop from the school it wasn't a very long ride. I asked her how she liked school. Her reply?

"Recess was awesome!"

I'm Still Here

2008-08-21T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Other Side of the World, Pt. 2 is coming soon, I promise. That post will have to wait just a few more days, though, because I'm doing this. Go ahead and look. I'll wait.

Yes, this is definitely a very ambitious undertaking. I will honestly say that I could have (and should have) trained more. But our team is making the effort to complete the race, support our team-mates and have fun. I will be walking a total of about 11 miles which will be broken up into two sections. I'll try to get some pics posted soon (after the second half of the New Zealand update, of course). Wish me luck and strong ankles!!

And last, but not least, our team name: Will Walk For Wool.

The Other Side of the World, Pt. 1

2008-07-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

We were recently lucky enough to enjoy a wonderful vacation in the beautiful country of New Zealand. The Incredible Digit Husband's family (on his father's side) get together every few years for a family reunion and New Zealand was the destination for this reunion. I am happy to say that both of the Incredible Digit children did great on their first trans-pacific flight. 12 hours plus another 2 hours on a plane is not easy for a three- and five-year-old but the in-seat entertainment screens helped a lot.

We started out in Christchurch. We saw this tower during a walk in town.

The next day we started our official tour in the coach. Since we had a large group of twenty we were able to have the coach to ourselves. Plenty of room for knitting.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see more of town as it was overcast and rainy. There is a very nice Arts Center, lovely gardens, and beautiful canals that one can "punt" down in boats. Maybe next time.

One our way from Christchurch to Dunedin our Coach Captian/Driver, Brian, asked if we would like to make our first snack stop at the Ashford Cafe in Ashburton. I, of course, said yes (probably a little too loudly) because "they have spinning wheels there". They also have a very nice selection of yarn, spinning fibers, coffee and treats. The lovely woman below helped me in my selection of some very soft possum-merino spinning fiber. I also indulged in a tussah silk-merino blend, as well. The rest of our group enjoyed some hot drinks and sweet pastries in the cafe. As they say, a good time was had by all. Our next stop was Oamaru. A charming coastal town which reminded me a bit of Astoria, Oregon. The town is also home to a colony of blue penguins that can be viewed in day or night tours. The buildings in the area are just beautiful. Plenty of older architecture that has been lovingly cared for and restored. The four of us from the Digit household had a very enjoyable lunch in a nearby park (or garden as they call it in NZ) across from one such building....a lovely church.
Our final destination on this day was Dunedin. Our first stop was at the Cadbury factory. We got a tour and a great explanation of the different steps in processing of the chocolate. We also got lots of samples! Since we were the last group of the day our group leader was being very generous with the chocolate. So much so that the Incredible Digit Boy wound up with a bag full to overflowing. I would fly back to NZ in a heartbeat just for the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate bars.

During our time in Dunedin we were able to see two historic homes....Larnach Castle and Olveston House. Two amazing homes with fascinating histories. The story of Larnach Castle is steeped in soap opera style family dysfunction. It would be too much to list here but, trust me, it's worth reading about here. Our guide, Winnifred, truly made the story come to life. We really were hanging on her every word.

After the tour we were treated to morning tea in the grand ballroom. The scones with cream were soooo good.
Now, unfortunately, Olveston House did not allow any photos to be taken inside so here's a shot of the front with most of our group (minus five who were exploring the grounds). The unique thing about this location is that all of the original items used by the family/owners of the house are all still there. The surviving daughter of the family was the last to live in the house which was willed to the city after her passing. Not to be missed. To be continued..........

We're Back.......

2008-07-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

......and still getting used to being home. Between the time/day change and being gone from our home for three weeks, it's taken more time than we would have thought to get back on a normal schedule. Photos will be forthcoming soon. New Zealand was our destination and was absolutely beautiful. Lots to share about the trip......including a pic of a muscled sheep shearer (maybe named Nick) for Bobbie and Sharon.

That Which Can Now Be Named

2008-06-25T11:19:00.001-07:00

I know, that was very Harry Potter of me. But I'm so excited now that I can post about a few of the "secret" projects I have worked on recently.

First off, are two patterns that I tested for Gardiner Yarn Works . Both are for the upcoming line for Fall of 2008.

#1 - The Star Mesh Scarf

Fantastically modeled by the Incredible Digit Girl, this scarf is lace-y and light yet warm from the soft wool of Shibui Sock yarn I used. It is only a four row pattern repeat but has the look of a more difficult design. I will definitely knit this pattern again and might even use the yarn called for in the pattern - Handmaiden Camelspin.

#2 - Kids Stripey Raglan

This pattern was just a blast to knit. I actually completed this project fairly quickly and, thanks to the great design, had only two small underarm seams to sew. This particular sweater is a size six and being modeled by the son of a good friend. I plan on knitting another in a size four so The Incredible Digit Boy will have one to wear this coming winter. I used Ella Rae Classic yarn for this project. It was a good choice. A nice worsted weight with good stitch definition.

Now the next project was very exciting for me. It's definitely not a pattern I would have chosen for myself. It's the Flow Motion sock by Cat Bordhi. This is the first of her patterns I've tried and I have to admit I was a little intimidated by the design (lace-y, toe-up, and two at a time).

I'm happy to say that the socks came out very well and can currently be seen here. Just goes to show that all types of yarn can make lovely socks.

Nothing in Particular

2008-06-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

I'm nursing a little bit of a cold and am not in the most creative of moods. I blame the extremely crappy weather we are experiencing here in the Pacific Northwest. I was watching a newscast last night that described this month as June-uary. We're definitely more winter than summer right now.

So, since I'm lazy, here's a few recent pics from the Digit household.

The Incredible Digit children standing proudly in front of their Nana's artwork hung in her own home.
Group photos from our visit with family in San Diego. One of my husbands lovely cousins, Carla, graduated Summa Cum Laude from SDSU with a degree in Nursing. We are all very proud of her.
Another group photo of the more immediate family...us with my husband's parents and brothers. It really is so nice when we can all be in the same town if only for a few days.
Following the family visit, the Incredible Digit Husband travelled to Yokohama Bay, Japan for work. It was a very short 48 hour stay, but his hosts there did take him out for a bit of sightseeing. This beautiful statue is one of the most impressive of the sites that he visited.
It is the Great Buddha of Kamakura. According to Japan-Guide.Com:

"The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha this is located on the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second largest Buddha statue in Japan."

The site goes on to explain that though the statue was originally housed inside a large temple, a tsunami tidal wave in the 15th century destroyed the building and the Buddha has stood in the open ever since.

While I did miss him during his trip, I wish that he had been able to stay another day or two and explore the area a little more. Oh well, we'll just all have to go as a family one day in the future.

On the knitting front, several of the projects I'm working on cannot be discussed in this forum yet. I was lucky enough to get pattern for the Malabrigo Slippers by CoCoKnits. They are adorable house slippers that can be customized with different accessories on the front.....including a separate panel made to look like penny loafers which can hold an actual penny. Too cute. I have some Izu yarn by Shibui Knits that I'm going to use. I'm also going to check out the stock at Stitchjones yarn for some additional combinations.

But now I'm going to relax on the couch, drink the tea that my wonderful husband made for me and, most likely, doze off for a bit. Cheers!

Tag, I'm It

2008-06-03T08:27:00.000-07:00

I recently got tagged for a meme by the lovely Sharon of Stitchjones so here is all the pertinent info.

1) What was I doing 10 years ago?

I was living in Tujunga, CA, working as a full-time temp for the Kaiser Permanente Sales Dept, taking a Two-Dimensional Design class at Pasadena City College, and participating in the Without Alarm II Art Exhibit which was held in the empty Los Angeles City Jail (also used for a myriad of TV shows and movies). Oh, and not to be left out: nursing my poor little Jack Russell Terrier back to health after being attacked quite badly by another neighborhood dog. All while the Incredible Digit Husband (then boyfriend) and I were getting ready for our imminent move to Oregon.

2) What are five things on my to-do list today? (no particular order)

1. Pick up a classmate of the Incredible Digit Boy and take both to their preschool class.

2. Look for a coffee table for the living room.

3. Make and drink very strong coffee.

4. Shower - because my hair looks like a Nick Nolte mug shot.

5. Say a prayer for a dear friends grandmother who has been diagnosed with uterine cancer (join me if you like).

3) Snacks I enjoy?

Punschrullar - a Swedish Apricot Marzipan confection available at your local Ikea

Pan Dulce - Mexican sweet bread available at Su Casa Imports or Grande Foods both in Hillsboro

Any kind of dark chocolate but especially with an orange flavor added

Any kind of cake - I'm not choosy

4) Things I would do if I was a billionaire?

Buy a house for my mom so she could stop renting.

Set up college funds for my niece and four nephews.

Donate large sums of money to art programs for homeless/low income children and teens.

Buy and customize a large studio/workroom for all my craft stuff. It would by my office :-).

5) Five places that I have lived (besides Oregon)?

Exeter, New Hampshire; Yuma, Arizona; Paramount, California; Eagle Rock, California; Long Beach, California.

Family Fun Time

2008-05-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

We have been having some very warm, summer-like weather and decided that a little family adventure was in order. The Incredible Digit Husband suggested that we have lunch at BlueFin Sushi near Portland State Univ. in downtown PDX. This a "conveyor" style sushi restaurant and Saturdays are always a good day to go there since all plates are only $1.50 the whole day. They have a great selection and the service there has been very good every time we've been.

After lunch we headed to the playground down the block. We got some great pics of the Incredible Digit Girl

the Incredible Digit Boy
of both of the munchkins (one of whom was doing a Gene Simmons impression)
and with their Incredible Dad.

After the park, we stopped by Otto's to pick up some German/Euro style sausages (bratwurst/british bangers/danish medisterpolse) for grilling at home. (Did I mention that my husband was born in Wisconsin?) It was our first time there and we were really impressed by their selection. They also have a sandwich counter that was turning out some mighty appetizing food. The big plus: I noticed that a bowl of ice was provided for a couple's bottle of white wine while they ate their food. Gotta love that.

Now by the time we got home it was time for naps all around. We girls, though, could not sleep. So I did what I've been saying (complaining) that I'm going to do for quite some time.

I cut the Incredible Digit Girl's hair.

It needed to be done but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Her hair goes all the way down her back.

But I bit the bullet and separated her hair into two sections and measured to make sure it was long enough for donation.
Then I hyperventilated a little bit and............cut both sections! No more long hair and some uneven short ends.
I took my time and really made sure I was even on each side as I was cutting. It helps that my Mom is a hair stylist from way back. I must have picked up some skill through osmosis. Once all the trimming was done, this is how my very patient daughter looked.

She is very happy with the results (thankfully!!) and I am pleased that I didn't make any glaring mistakes. Even the back came out okay.

While I am looking forward to not having to comb out tangles and knots, I do miss the long hair a little bit. I think really, though, I'm just a little overwhelmed by how grown up she looks all of the sudden. Wasn't she just born?!

Has It Really Been Almost A Month!?!

2008-04-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

Clearly, I'm not the most regular of bloggers. The good thing is that I do make up for my lack of quantity with some quality pics and info.

So what's the word? Well, it is freezing here today in our neck of the woods. Snow is being forecast for the low foothills surrounding our little valley area and it was a whopping 34 degrees this morning when we checked the weather forecast. This is in sharp, sharp contrast to last Saturday which was almost 80 degrees for the high. A beautiful, sun-filled, cloudless sky kind of 80 degrees. The Incredible Digit children were particularly enjoying themselves in the backyard.

And I got some very pretty pics of flowers from our garden and trees.

And while the Incredible Digit husband was working in the front yard getting it in order, I got to do this.

The wonderful Sharon of Stitchjones dyed up this beautiful roving, Emerald & Spruce. I wound up splitting it into three sections. The first I spun up and plied end-to-end for 2 ply. The second batch I spun up with a little Angelina in the the same color family to give it a little sparkle. The third batch I'm thinking of spinning up as thin as possible and plying with transparent or metallic thread per the excellent suggestion of Bobbie at Tiggywinkle Knits.

I also visited Abundant Yarn and Dyeworks in Sellwood. What a great place. There's an overflowing supply of yarn and fiber and a great little cafe. The Incredible Digit children especially enjoyed the bubbling foot soaking fountain in the corner of the cafe. It took all of about two seconds for each of them to have their shoes & socks off and their pant legs rolled up. While there, I picked up this roving.

I've gone and lost the label so I can't say who created this luscious stuff, but the color combinations are so pretty.

This pic shows the two different plying methods that I chose. Looking to your left, my friends, is a batch that has been Navajo plied to maintain the color changes and create a thicker yarn. The batch to the right has been plied end-to-end for 2-ply and the colors "barber pole-d" for a little more texture.

On the knitting front, I've been lucky enough to get a few test knits. I've already finished two for a pattern company based in Portland and I've got another small project for (wait for it).....KnitPicks!! For all you non-knitting people, KnitPicks is basically Target for knitting/crocheting/yarn people. Once the patterns/images are available to the public, I will post my versions here.

Before I sign off, here are a few pics from Easter. My kids "clean up good".

You Put Your Left Foot In........

2008-03-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

......and you spin it all about!

That is what I've been doing for the last few weeks - besides all the other Easter/dance recital/soccer/swim craziness. I've been trying to improve my spinning skills on my "new-to-me" castle-style spinning wheel.

It's a lovely, lovely wheel made with beautiful birds eye maple.

Now I would not have this wheel if not for the wonderful Bobbie of Tiggywinkle Knits and her husband Toolman. They were going to sell this wheel and knew that I had been eyeing the Craigslist and eBay postings for a reasonably priced model. Needless to say, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse and this lovely wheel came home with me. I can't say enough about their generosity. Thank you so much for thinking of me to be this wheel's new mama. This isn't just a used wheel....it is a hand-made piece that Bobbie and Toolman bought from the grandson (!) of the person who made the wheel. It's notable to mention that this grandson was in his sixties when he sold the wheel. It wasn't in this good of shape when purchased, though. Toolman worked his woodworking talents to bring it back to its glory. And it spins like a dream. It really, really does :-). And I have proof (click on image to enlarge).

First off is two shades of Corriedale roving blended together and then spun. This, and the rest of the yarn here, was plied end-to-end into 2-ply.

Next is 100% Merino wool pencil roving in shades of green and turquoise.

I found some undyed Blue Face Leicester at the Knitting Bee and......

hand dyed it in honor of one of my favorite singers, Mr Robert Plant. He of the flowing blond locks, faded denim and flower-y man-blouse.

It spun up and plied very nicely but I think next time (I still have some of this fiber left) I will Navajo ply it to keep the colors truer.

I have also paid a visit to Northwest Wools in Multnomah Village in SW Portland. Great, great store with a good variety of fibers. This little gem is a mixture of bamboo (dark teal and turquoise), Merino wool (chartreuse green), and Angelina sparkle-y fiber (yellow-green). I mixed all the different fibers by hand to get the colors as evenly dispersed as possible.
It spun up well but was a little slippery because of the bamboo. I had enough done to knit this little coin purse. It's basically a rectangle knitted up in stockinette stitch with decreases on one short end to create the point. I'm sewing it up the sides and will add a button for the closure. I think a visit to the Button Emporium is in order.

Now I'll just have to take my foot off the treadle more often and post more progress. Luckily, the next several days we'll be home for spring break. Yea!

See That Girl, Watch That Scene.......

2008-03-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

......check out our Dancing Queen!

The Incredible Digit Girl had her first ever dance recital last night. In the video clip she is the second dancer to come out onstage and is dressed in a purple top and red pants. It was a little hard to get more detail in the movie but she was very happy and smiling through the whole performance. The instructor for the class, Katrina O'Brien, is so great with the kids and really helps give them a sense of "having fun" onstage.

I'll update with more pics soon!

Meet-Ups and Milestones

2008-02-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

The Meet-Up

I've waited far too long to write about the new yarn store I visited recently with other PDX Knit Bloggers. A group of us went to Yarnia in SE Portland (thanks to Tiggywinkleknits and Toolman for driving!). Yarnia is unique in that you don't just find a couple of skeins to buy. You find dozens upon dozens of these cones.

You can then combine up to six of any cones to make a completely unique yarn that includes all the fiber types, colors, and weights that the purchaser prefers. The bookcase above shows only a small, small variety of what the store has to offer. Definitely check their website for more pics and info. The basket below contains my choices.

The two magenta pinks and the purple lurex (shiny strand) became this bulky weight yarn. It's a combo of a silk blend, an acrylic boucle and the lurex for a little dazzle. It kind of reminds me of Indian Sari Silk yarn.

The other three cones plus one I added after I took the picture became this blend. It is four strands: one light pink linen/cotton, one ecru linen/cotton, medium pink rayon and one pink lurex strand. The overall effect is a light lacey type of yarn that will one day become a lovely summer shawl/wrap......once I figure out the pattern, that is. I've been combining lace edging and insert patterns but haven't hit the mark quite yet.
That's okay, though, 'cause I've got a few projects this month that I am really very excited about. For one, the above mentioned Tiggywinkleknits sent out the call to the PDX Knit Bloggers for donations for a charity auction benefitting a very brave young boy named Thomas who is battling cancer. I designed a not too complicated pattern from my stitch dictionaries for an evening wrap that hopefully will bring a few dollars for this boy and his family. This family needs all the support it can get. If you're in the area and want to attend the dinner and auction, click on Thomas' name for his website and check the "Events" section for all the details.

Secondly, I'm also really excited about my first venture in test knitting for a local pattern designer. Not gonna say who, not gonna say what. Suffice it to say that I think the buying public will really like this pattern when it finally comes out and that I will be posting photos galore at that point.

Soooooo......back to the needles for me. I've got some work to do :-)!

I Blog In My Head Every Day

2008-02-14T14:19:00.001-08:00

I was having that conversation with Tiggywinkleknits at Knit Night last night. During the course of any day, I'll usually see/read/hear something that I feel is blog-worthy. Unfortunately, with two small children, sitting down and completing that process can be a little challenging. But, in my head, I blog every day.

So, what have I learned recently? That there is a small price to be paid when one joins a knitting group that includes several spinners. While you may steadfastly announce that spinning is of no interest to you, after watching others in your group create lovely yarn in beautiful colors you may find yourself in a daze standing in front of the drop spindles and roving in your local yarn store. I now own three drop spindles and have been drooling over the spinning wheel in my favorite antique store.

My first attempt at spinning was less than successful. While I spun up a couple of thick single yarn strands with okay results, my attempt to ply them together resulted in this tangled mess.
Luckily, with practice, I got better.

This hank was particularly satisfying. I started by separating the roving into two equal batches. The first batch was relatively thick but the next batch came out so much thinner that I could actually ply three strands. The color combinations really worked out well. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to get a hat out of this amount of yarn.
And for my final thought........Happy Valentine's Day to you all! May it be filled with goodness and lots of chocolate. Oh wait, chocolate and goodness are the same thing.

Pixie Dust

2008-01-29T16:00:00.000-08:00

A lovely little red-haired girl we know recently had a birthday. I wasn't quite sure what to get for her until her aunt mentioned that she likes Tinkerbell and carrying purses around the house. So I combined those two things together and made her a Tinkerbell purse. It's basically a rectangular tote with a squared-off bottom. I was really happy with the way it came out and will definitely think about using this idea again for other little girl birthdays. For all the supplies I went to Joann's. The sparkly green fabric was in the "prom dress" section and worked perfectly. I was very lucky and found the green and hot pink flower trim to add a little extra color and texture. The icing on the cake was the iron-on Tinkerbell patch. I used the glue gun to make sure that it didn't come off, though.

And since it's been very cold and snowy around these parts, I knit up a little hat to go along with the purse.

She'll be the only toddler in town with a "ladies who lunch" look about her.

Please Stand By

2008-01-25T12:12:00.000-08:00

We have been experiencing technical difficulties. For a few weeks now we have had trouble downloading photos from our camera. Luckily, the Incredible Digit Husband got it working last night. So on with the show.

I have been very lucky. I say this because the knitting group which I have joined, PDX Knit Bloggers, is filled with wonderfully creative and smart people. Once a week I get to sit with this group and soak up their creativity, vibes, brainwaves (whatever you want to call it) through osmosis. So again I consider myself lucky in getting to participate with this group in the PDX Yarn Crawl organized for a large group (35!) Seattle knitters.

Not only did this group come to check out our local yarn stores, but their fearless leader Charissa arranged for discounts at said yarn stores for all who participated in the crawl. We started out at Dublin Bay Knitting Co. (www.dublinbay.net) where I found these buttons and this lovely yarn (on sale!). Our next stop was Knit Knot Studio (www.knitknotstudio.com). This shop is a little on the small size and by chance a few of the small groups wound up here at the same time....totally overwhelming the space. The owners couldn't have been nicer, though, and everyone was so high on yarn fumes that no one minded waiting. While waiting, I fell in love with the Rayon Metallic yarn from Blue Heron Yarns (www.blueheronyarns.com). It's the center yarn in the pic below.

Trust me when I say that this photo does not do this yarn justice.

Our next stop was Knit-Purl (www.knit-purl.com). I love going to this shop. The people are always so helpful and, more importantly, fun! There is the lovely and talented Theresa (who I hope wouldn't mind being sideways at the moment...gotta fix this).

Plus a whole lot of amazing yarn! They recently received a shipment of Kauni yarn in many different color combinations - all beautiful.

I narrowed down my choices and bought a skein of Malabrigo Chunky in blue and one of Shibui Knits DK Alpaca in a medium green shade called Wasabi. Appropriate since sushi is one of my favorite foods and I really needed a second skein for the scarf I'm currently knitting. Also included is the free(!) skein of Shibui Knits Sock Yarn that I received just for being a member of the yarn crawl.

For a knitter to come to Portland and not visit Knit-Purl would be a mistake. The window displays alone are enough to get you into the shop.

Then, having shopped 'til we dropped, the PDX Knit Bloggers hit Starbucks for a little refreshment. From left to right, with their blog identities, are Judy (persistentillusion.com), Bobbie (tiggywinkleknits.blogspot.com), yours truly, Duffy (fiberqat.blogspot.com), Melissa the hidden one (teaknit.blogspot.com) and Angela (girlywithatwist.wordpress.com).

So with plenty of yarn in my bag and caffeine in my system, I made my way home with plenty of ideas for a new project. There's just silly little problem of finishing the other projects that I have going all at the same time.

Tooth Fairy Alert

2008-01-10T08:58:00.000-08:00

The mystical and mysterious figure known as the Tooth Fairy has visited our home for the very first time. The Incredible Digit Girl is now minus one upper front tooth - with a little help from the neighborhood dentist. Unfortunately, the tooth had to be pulled because of an infection. The wacky part of the story is that the infection was caused by an injury that occurred in July of 2006! (Imagine the sound from Scooby Doo when those crazy kids go back in time to explain the story).

It was a sunny summer day when our sweet girl fell mouth-first onto the bottom of our desk chair. The kind of rolling chair with the base of five "arms" that extend out. Did I mention that the chair is made out of very hard wood? Combine all those together and this is what you get.

Luckily, it didn't take too long for the swelling to go down and the tooth only discolored a tiny bit over time. So imagine my surprise when I found an abscess last month on her gums over the same tooth. The dentist ultimately determined that the tooth would have to come out. So yesterday, with a little help from a red clown nose dispensing a low level of nitrous oxide, the infected tooth was removed.

The Incredible Digit Girl calls this lack of a tooth the "open door" in her mouth. Sympathetically, I let her join me for Knit Night with the PDX Knit Bloggers last night. She even joined in the knitting with her small round knitting loom. It was an enjoyable evening. Our resident songbird Duffy made the excellent tip that Digit Girl could now slurp spaghetti through the new opening in her teeth. To top it off, I let my girl pick out a hank of hand-dyed Merino goodness in the Xanadu colorway (you know you just started singing the song - imagining yourself as Olivia Newton-John on roller skates) from Sharon aka Stitch Jones (www.stitchjones.com).
This picture doesn't really do the yarn justice. Check out her website for a better pic of this yarn and all her other lovely products.

And now back to the real world where two small children would desperately like to eat breakfast.

New Year Catch-Up

2008-01-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

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Belated Happy New Year! An appropriate greeting for my first post of 2008. 2007 went out with a bang. Since Thanksgiving, we've had friends and family visiting us here along with a trip to sunny Florida to visit with some of the Incredible Digit Grandparents. Of course, leaving the rainy and snowy Pacific Northwest in winter to visit sunny beaches is absolutely not a hardship. Ironically, one of the places we visited in Florida was ICE! at the Gaylord Palms Resort. This is a really spectacular exhibit of ice sculptures created by the same Chinese artists that create the Harbin Ice and Snow World every January in China's Zhaolin Park. My brother-in-law treated us all to the experience and we enjoyed every minute of it. Although, the Incredible Digit Girl was not too cheery by the end. Since it's an indoor display, the indoor temperature is a whopping 9 degrees. Although the organizers do provide some toasty warm parkas, our Digit Girl got progressively colder and crankier the longer we stayed. I couldn't get even a grin out of her by the end of the tour....as evidenced below.

A chipper child doing her best Thumbelina impression.

A happy boy going down the ice slides.

A cold and cranky girl and impatient boy posing with Santa on his home turf.

In contrast to my daughter looking and feeling "blue", I have found out that I am orange. I was visiting the blog of a fellow PDX Knit Blogger, Girl With A Twist, and found a survey she had posted titled "What Color is Your Soul Painted?". Since I'm usually intrigued with all kinds of colors, I took the test. I like that I'm on the "warm" side of the spectrum.

What color is your soul painted?

Orange

Your soul is painted the color orange, which embodies the characteristics of balance, heat, enthusiasm, flamboyance, playfulness, aggression, over-emotion, danger, desire, strengthens the ability to concentrate, attraction, adaptability, and stimulation. Orange falls under the element of Fire, and symbolizes glory and fruits of the earth.

Click Here to Take This Quiz

Quizzes and Personality Tests

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

We at the Digit household hope that your Christmas was wonderful! We have spent a very low-key day just enjoying the warmth of our home. Even more warm as we got a light dusting of snow in the middle of the day.

This month has absolutely flown by. Between traveling and welcome visits from family members, I have been very lax in my postings. I do have lots of new pics to share: kids, knitting, travel, and Christmas. I'll get those up soon - along with a few new videos.

For now, hope you all are having a relaxed evening with friends and family.

The Flu Has Drained My Brain

2007-12-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Now considering that being the mother of a three- and five-year old has taken it's toll on my grey matter, this flu that I have has definitely put me down for the count. Luckily, no one else in the house has caught this bug and I'm keeping my fingers tightly crossed that they don't.

Aside from the flu annoyance, we've been enjoying our fall season. We had a great outing at the Crystal Springs Rhododendren Garden

While we were there, we saw one of our favorite "residents" who I've named Punk Rock Duck. All he needs is a Clash-London Calling t-shirt to complete the look. He's definitely got a "been there, done that" way about him.

On a more fiber related note (yarn, not food), a few weeks ago I went to a PDX Knit Bloggers Knit-A-Thon that was big fun. Knitting, snacking, and a bit of almond flavored sparkling wine. I had a blast. Got to see so many great projects by other members. Two members even brought their spinning wheels and were spinning such beautiful yarns before our very eyes. So much fun. The icing on the cake was the yarn swap. I brought some of my hand-dyed yarn

and I got this lovely wool in exchange.

I think this will be the yarn that I will use to make the socks that I mentioned in a previous post for the Incredible Digit Girl. They'll look bright and happy on her little feet.

A Relaxing Thanksgiving

2007-11-22T17:12:00.000-08:00

We at the Digit household are having the best day. We got up late (8:00am is late for those with kids), watched some of the parade and the Packers game (they won!), played with the kids in their (clean) rooms and then all four of us took a nap. Doesn't get much better than that. So since I just noticed the video feature on Blogger, I'm going to try and post a few videos of the Digit children. Let's hope this works. The grandparents are going to love it. Happy Thanksgiving!

12 Car Pile-Up

2007-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

That's what my knitting projects have seem to become. I have way too many on the needles (is that possible?). I usually start something new even when I'm almost completed with an existing project. So either I get bored easy or I'm trying to be competitive with.....myself.

Here's another Raglan Sleeve Easy Jacket. I got the pattern off of the Ravelry site and absolutely love the ease of the design. This is my second jacket with this pattern and I wanted to be a little more daring with the color. I usually overthink my color choices and wind up with a more conservative look. This time I challenged myself to "just do it". I'm still not completely confident with the final design but the mom of the young boy who shall wear the sweater was very happy with it so I'll deem my experiment a success. The best part about this sweater? I found the yarn (Lion Brand Boucle) at a local Dollar Tree. So I have enough yarn to finish this sweater, make a hat and a scarf - all for only $9.00 dollars.

Another second attempt project. This time the Ribbed Baby jacket by Debbie Bliss. I actually started this and then frogged it because it was coming out too big (this happened the first time I used this pattern). I am now on gauge and in the right size. So far, so good. The yarn is amazing - Dream In Color Classy Superwash in Cool Fire. It's so soft and squishy. Nice and cuddly for a little baby.

I've finished two different color charts for the Princess Crown hat and now have to make a choice. I switched to Bernat Satin yarn for this attempt. The Lion Brand Jiffy I used for the last one was just too fuzzy. Little, errant strands wound up everywhere.

Now this next project I really do have to finish. It's a Christmas present for a family member. I used super-soft and warm Debbie Bliss Cashmerino yarn in a rich dark brown. I think the gift will be a hit if I just "work up to my potential" (that's what was written on my report cards quite often) and get it done.

So the whole time I'm taking pictures of my various projects the Incredible Digit Girl is watching me. She eventually puts her feet up and says "take a picture of my feet". So I did. Looks like she could use a pair of socks. Guess I'll have to start looking for a pattern.

Shouldn't be too hard. There's about a ka-jillion on Ravelry. Or I could look through my newly acquired copy of this book.

I was lucky enough to catch a stash sale held by the talented Bestitched. I'm so happy to have this book. It's a great combination of patterns and historical info. I would love to make the Evening Stockings for a Young Lady for the Incredible Digit girl. I guess I'll consider this pattern stuck in traffic behind the pile-up of existing projects.

The Digits Have Been Busy

2007-11-04T19:51:00.000-08:00

With all of our family/friend visits recently, this blog turned into a travel log of sorts. Back to the knitting!

First, there's the Ribbed Jacket by Debbie Bliss. I used Bernat Satin yarn in Camel. Now this was supposed to be for the 12 month old size but, obviously, I did not get the correct gauge. No matter. The Increcible Digit Girl likes it just fine and it fits her perfectly. I added ribbed cuffs on the sleeves and a few rows of garter stitch at the bottom edge.

Then, for a young friend of the family, I made a Princess Crown Hat. I used Lion Brand Jiffy yarn for this one. Pink, grey and a little purple. I was a little disappointed at how high up the crown wound up. I've actually recharted and am making another for the young girl's sister. Hopefully, that will work out more as I had envisioned. Eventually, I'll post the chart for all to see and, hopefully, use.

This next project is the Raglan Sleeve Easy Baby Sweater by Linda (Linda's Lists) which I got off the Ravelry website. It's such a great pattern and it worked up fairly fast. I did get the gauge that was needed but I just made it too big for the recipient. So her older cousin was the more appropriate wearer. I used Cleckheaton Country Silk 8 ply (really nice Australian yarn) in this slightly heathered pink color. The best part about this yarn? It was in the sale bins at The Knitting Bee for only $2.99 a ball.

I was lucky enough to go to the last Yarn Tasting event at Knit/Purl and got to try so many luscious yarns. Unfortunately, I failed miserably in my attempt at mosaic knitting. So I found "Slip Stitch Knitting" by Roxana Bartlett at the library and dove in. With the help of the book, I did achieve what I would call an elementary-level understanding of the process and tried it on these two hats. The yarn is Aspen by ggh - a 50/50 merino/acrylic blend. It's a bulky weight that worked up fast. It's nice to have quick results when learning a new technique.

Next up on the slate. Finishing off another Raglan Sleeve Sweater, another (smaller) Ribbed Jacket and a Garter Stitch Rib scarf.

Costume Central

2007-11-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Halloween is one of my favorite days of the year. We get to dress up, eat candy and run wild around the neighborhood.....who doesn't love that. Of course, now I get to watch the Incredible Digit Girl and Boy do all of the above. Now, I will be the first to admit that I get a little crazy/obsessive when it comes to Halloween costumes. So when my kids tell me what they want to be, I dig through the fabric/craft stash and get out the sewing machine. I also wind up staying up too late and cutting the schedule too close but, what the heck, it's only once a year.

Of course, I can honestly say it was completely worth the effort. The kids looked adorable, they hauled in the candy and had a blast with their friends. Doesn't get much better than that.

A Milestone Birthday

2007-10-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

The Incredible Digit Girl recently had a birthday. She is now five years old. FIVE!! Yes, it's a cliche to say but where did five years go? Seriously, I was just at the hospital giving birth, wasn't I ? When her Dad and I talk about the day she was born we always think about how open and curious her eyes were just minutes after being born. Then we remember how sunny and beautiful it was that day - like the sun was shining just for her.

Here she is, just a few days old

and now.

Smart as a whip and a beauty inside and out. I'm trying not to think about how quickly the next five years will go by.

ArteCarmelita

2007-10-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

The talented ArteCarmelita, my Mom, came to visit recently, too. We had a great time just bumming around Portland but since she had never been to Seattle we decided to make a day trip up north. The weather was ideal and there are plenty of pics to share.

Of course, we had to go to the Space Needle .

She is a big Frasier fan and was definitely disappointed when I explained that the condo tower on the TV show doesn't actually exist in real life. The giant mosaic definitely compensated.

The artwork around the Space Needle is so inspiring. Everywhere you turn there is some sort of sculpture and most are interactive and touchable. The Experience Music Project building was a highlight.

Hard and angular on one side, soft and organic on the other. Somehow the architect made it all work together. Pretty amazing.

No visit to Seattle is complete without a trip to Pike Place Market .

It is such a vibrant place to visit. There are food, flower and goods vendors all around. Including the famous Fish Market where fish are skillfully thrown from one side of the counter to the other. I approached one of the employees for a picture with my Mom and the Incredible Digit Girl and Boy thinking that he would just stand next to my family. As I got out the camera, he reached for a huge fish to pose with and gave a postcard-worthy smile.

Talk about customer service. As you can see from the photo, the Incredible Digit Boy wasn't sure this photo-op was such a good idea.

And as if the Seattle trip wasn't exciting enough, we were gifted with a clear view of the imposing Mount Ranier as we left Puget Sound.

Of Wine and Roses

2007-10-13T10:58:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to have all the members of the Incredible Digit Husband's immediate family here at our house at the same time. It had been two years since we had all be together and we really enjoyed each other's company. My Mother and Father-in-law, I know, were particularly happy to have all their children in the same place even if it was for just a few days. There was also a group of long-time family friends that were in the area at the same time, as well. We took advantage of their presence to do a little sightseeing here in the Portland area. First stop was the International Rose Test Garden in the hills above downtown Portland. An amazing garden which seemingly has every known rose variety.

The Rose Test Garden is a such a pretty place to stroll and get lost in on a summer afternoon.

Next stop was Pittock Mansion .

A few miles and one hill over from the Rose Garden, this spectacular home was built in the 1800's by a local captain of industry. Now the mansion is amazing but it's the view that is really spectacular.

Not only can you see all of downtown Portland and the surrounding neighborhoods but on a clear day Mount Hood, Mount Adams, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Rainier can all be seen from this location. Now you have to pay a fee to go inside the mansion but wandering the grounds and the view is free!

After the sights and sounds of Portland, we all came back to the Digit home for a meal.

We were happy to share a few of the things we've come to love about the Pacific Northwest: Wild-caught salmon, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir and a late-summer evening on our own deck. Now it is not lost on me that the last line makes me sound like the type of pretentious food and wine snob of whom I would normally make fun but.......that was a great night with great people so I'll take the "snob" hit.

Getting Caught Up

2007-10-13T10:27:00.001-07:00

Balance to the universe has been restored.........my computer has been repaired. Ok, that was a little high-handed but, woo hoo, I can finally get caught up here in the Digit Zone. I have wanted to get more pics of the recent family visits posted and here we go.

In a previous post I mentioned a fishing outing. We had so much fun. Along with the visiting grandparents, we took the Incredible Digit Girl and Boy to a local stocked trout farm up in the hills a few miles down the highway. It's called Hornings Hideout and along with the fishing they have paddle boats, a playground, and even a large bandstand for concerts. The kids had a blast and were very excited by our catch.

Between the four adults and two children we caught five fish.

Of course, the truly fun part was the fish cleaning that had to be done before we went home. Yes, that was sarcasm. Now cleaning fish is not exactly a pleasant experience but I have to say we did enjoy the trout dinner later that night. My mother-in-law and I cooked up a very enjoyable meal and we all agreed that the flavor of a freshly caught fish was much better that store-bought. However, for day-to-day convenience I think I'll stick with the stocked (and alreaday cleaned) seafood section of my local Fred Meyer .

The Downside to Technology

2007-10-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

How much do I love my computer? Quite a bit actually. I love that I can access all the great photos of my children and family, stay in contact with family and friends, listen to my favorite music, read about world events (okay, let's be real - celebrity gossip), find patterns/read blogs/write patterns for knitting/crocheting/beading....I could go on and on. But when said computer stops working a sizable chunk of my day-to-day life comes to a huge, messy, screeching halt. Blood on the highway, people. And, yes, the realization does come and I'm shocked by how much I have come to rely on my box of circuits for a substantial amount of information and functions. Even the Incredible Digit Girl is bemoaning her lack of time on the PBS Kids and Holly Hobby websites. Of course, the Incredible Digit Boy joins the fray in child-like solidarity.

So now, we await the call from the kind people at the Apple store the way family members await news from a doctor about a loved ones surgery. Did it go well? Will there be any lasting side effects? Will I be able to find out which young Hollywood starlet will be going to rehab next? I suppose while I'm waiting I could do something productive like read a book, finish dyeing my next batch of yarn, organize my beading work area for the holiday inventory I need to finish. Or....maybe I'll just spend some time with my husband and play with my kids.

Bad Blogger, Bad Blogger

2007-09-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Ok, that was me chastising myself for taking so long to write a new post. My head is bowed low in forgiveness to the blogging gods on high. In all seriousness, I have taken far too long to write here at the Digit zone. We've had family and friends here to visit and have been having the best time seeing the sights of no less than three different counties here in Oregon. Have a seat.....it's going to be a long post.

First on the agenda, taking the Digit Kid's paternal grandparents to the A.C. Gilbert Discovery Museum in Salem. Three converted victorian houses which contain (but are not limited to) an educational and fun "China" room,

a bubble room with every variety of "wands",

and a child-size performance stage.

(Juliet or Rapunzel? Take your pick.)

Did I mention the 20,000 square feet of outdoor play areas? Now, there were a lot of great play zones outside but judging from these pictures the Incredible Digit Girl and Boy liked the swings the best.

A must see destination for those with kids. To learn more visit www.acgilbert.org.

All this fun and only in one day. The next adventure involved a stocked trout lake and some worried worms. More on that soon.

I must also add a shout-out to the Incredible Digit Boy's godfather in Brooklyn. Said godfather sent his godson a treasured gift of his own artwork. The greatest part of the artwork? It's wearable (and proudly worn by Digit Boy the entire day on his birthday).

To see more great artwork, visit http://tezukurizhizn.blogspot.com/

Labor Day

2007-09-03T08:52:00.000-07:00

This holiday holds a few different meanings for me.

The obvious: A three-day weekend that gives our family one more day to spend together.

The intended: The people who work all those jobs that we may take for granted. Which leads me to think about my father who passed away two years ago. He was a truck driver. I know that many people don't like being close to big rigs on the highway but we all like that there is laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc., at the local supermarket. Without those big rigs and the people who drive them those convenient items wouldn't be on the store shelves. So let's give those truck drivers on the highway a break and some space on the road. They're just trying to get home to their families, too.

The special: Once I became a pregnant woman, Labor Day took on a whole new meaning. Especially on Labor Day three years ago. Sure, we had a nice three-day weekend enjoying the warm and sunny weather. A mere 24 hours later we were experiencing the endurance challenge that is child birth. A short challenge, luckily. I was sent to the hospital around noon for observation on one of their monitors and a little after 4:30pm The Incredible Digit Boy was born. He was definitely in a hurry to get out into the world. That attitude hasn't changed. He still is in hurry to go everywhere and we, his parents, wish the time would go slower.

Waning Days of Summer

2007-08-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Still busy around the Digit household but found time to enjoy a little summer fun. Filled up the pool for The Incredible Digit Girl and Boy. They loved it and I loved taking pictures of them.

And summer is not complete without a game of "baseball".

I have found time to work on a few knitting projects. I've got a sweater I'm working on using Manos del Uruguay Cotton Stria (pics to follow soon). I got the yarn in the 50% off sale bin at The Knitting Bee (a great yarn shop that is less than three miles from my home - see link below). Also, I saw a good friend yesterday and remembered that she will become an aunt for the first time in September. So I went back to The Knitting Bee and got this:

A hank of Lorna's Laces Shepherds Sock yarn in the Sherbet colorway. Perfect for a newborn baby girl. I also got a free pattern with my purchase for a cute baby hat. Yeah for me! I don't have to hunt around looking for a project. Gotta love a full service yarn store.

The Knitting Bee

Busy Little Bees

2007-08-22T15:33:00.000-07:00

The whole Digit clan is busy getting the home ready for the upcoming arrival of parents and siblings from both sides. We're really looking forward to the visit and have been sprucing up the abode. The backyard has been the focus so far and it's coming out great.
We found a swing that was 40% off the already low clearance price so it was a steal. The kids (and us parents) just love it.

We've also been adding and re-arranging some plants for a better flow around the lawn.

And, last but not least, we finally came up with a lighting solution that was inexpensive and created a relaxed garden feeling. The flash on the camera kind of washed out one of the pics but you get the idea.

We don't get to see our family that often so being able to have so many here at once is going to be a treat.

Surprise Part Two

2007-08-14T07:33:00.000-07:00

Shockingly, I have finished a knitting project in record time. I started the Baby Surprise Jacket last week and definitely "surprised" myself by finishing it so soon. I did get a little confused by the pattern and found a cheat-sheet on the web to help me along. In my haste I forgot to take a picture of it before I sewed up the seams. I used two hanks of Lorna's Laces Superwash Shepherds Worsted yarn in Watercolor. When I say used, I really mean it. Check out the pic that shows how much I had left after all was said and done.

It will be bound for my lovely niece once I convince the Incredible Digit Girl that she really is too big for the sweater.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

2007-08-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

Isn't that what Gomer Pyle used to say? Guess I'm showing my age. Anyway, I finally broke down and got Knitting Workshop by Elizabeth Zimmerman. I've started the (popular, phenomenal, genius - pick a word) Baby Surprise Jacket. For those of you not aware of the pattern - this is a little jacket that looks like some kind of wadded up dishcloth when knitting and miraculously turns into the cutest sweater ever after a few origami-type folds/seams. I was a little intimidated to try it because the pattern is written in a more intuitive, rather than descriptive, style. But ...... so far, so good.

Since it seems like I'm forever starting new knitting projects, here's finally a few pics of the multi-color sweater vest that I've posted about previously. It came out better than I had hoped.

A Little Effort, A Big Payoff

2007-08-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

I've been looking to buy a yarn swift lately and have been really discouraged by how much they cost. Even eBay listings were out of my budget range. I started looking online to make one and hit paydirt at the Crafty Diversions blog (link below). The instructions and pics were so helpful and easy to understand that I was able to finish the project in one afternoon. I'll need a little more practice lining up the adjustable peg holes for the next one. It's not fancy but it sure does the job. Once it was done, I wound two hanks of yarn in a matter of minutes. What a relief to not pay retail!

Crafty Diversions Yarn Swift

Germs & Sleep

2007-08-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

Germs have set up camp in our home. Unfortunately, both the Incredible Digit Girl and Digit Boy have been sick this week. We've been taking it easy and taking lots of naps. Hopefully, they'll both feel better for the weekend.

With all this going on, my Digits have not been as Busy as I would have liked. I'll have new projects to discuss and new pics to post next week. For now, I'll leave you with a bit of Eye Candy for Friday. A great family we know just recently went to Hawaii (their first trip!). They had a great time and we've been daydreaming about our own trip there a few years back. Since I have no project progress to show, let's enjoy some "island time". Aloha!

Mellow Monday

2007-07-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

Generally, Mondays are a little manic. I'm happy to say that today has been a nice, casual day. Took the Incredible Digit Girl to school, took the Incredible Digit Boy and Digit Dog to the park, picked up Digit Girl and, thankfully, went home to do nothing in particular. A nice change of pace to be sure.
Also nice, the Hand-Dyed Shawl that I'm making with the Muted Berry Lacewight (KnitPicks) yarn. It took a while to find the right pattern....which meant I frogged it a few times, unfortunately. The winning design? The Isobel Scarf by Cider Moon. I tripled the width to make it a nice, comforting shawl. It's got a great drape already and the 100% merino wool means warmth without weight. Can't wait 'til it's done.
Last but not least, an updated pic from last Friday's school field trip. Gotta love the County Fair!

Isobel Scarf by Cider Moon

Cotton Candy & Farm Animals

2007-07-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't guessed from that title, we're going to the Washington County Fair today. Since it's a pre-school field trip, the Incredible Digit Girl and Digit Boy will it enjoy it even more with all their friends to share the fun. If truth be told, I enjoy it just as much (if not more) than my children.

In a more creative vein, the multi-colored sweater vest is done (see "weekend" post below). Once it is gifted, I'll be able to give the soon-to-be Mom this blog address. I've started a lace shawl with the Muted Berry yarn I dyed with Kool-Aid. It took a while to choose a pattern so we'll see how it goes. And Jewelry Mania will begin soon. I've got to start getting my inventory ready for the holiday season. Plus, I've got an idea for a jewelry/hand-dyed yarn combo that I think might be a good seller. I'll keep you posted!

Washington County Fair

Shameless Self-Promotion

2007-07-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

I logged onto my Ravelry account yesterday and found a nice little surprise waiting in my message box.......a request to use one of my project pics as an example for a crochet pattern. The pattern is Baby Dress by Ann E. Smith from the book "Crochet for Kids: Sweaters for Infants, Girls and Boys". I should qualify this statement by explaining that my Baby Dress, so far, is the only project listed but, hey, my dress is being used as the example. Yeah! I had made the dress for the Incredible Digit Girl when she was a baby. I need to learn how to link to other sites but until then: www.ravelry.com (for those with an account) or Amazon.com for the book. :-)

Need A Weekend From My Weekend

2007-07-23T07:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a action packed last few days! I'm definitely ready for my regular weekday routine and some knitting time while the Incredible Digit Girl and Digit Boy nap later. I've been working on a sweater vest for a friends soon-to-be-born baby boy. I've finished the main body of the vest and now just need to finish the armhole ribbing. I've used Manos del Uruguay Stria Cotton in a couple of colors. This has been a fun project. Only my second stranded color project but I'm looking forward to more.

Kool-Aid Results

2007-07-19T07:29:00.000-07:00

Muted Berry and Fruit Salad. Those are the names I gave to the two hanks of yarn I dyed yesterday. I'm happy with the results and definitely learned a lot. In my haste and excitement, I think I wrapped the warp board incorrectly for Muted Berry. The yarn still unwound ok but in a weird inter-layered way...if that makes any sense. Fruit Salad I just kept a simple circle wind and that was much easier to wind back into a hank. I used Knit Picks Merino Fingering and Lion Brand Wool. Can you tell which is which? Not hard to do, I know. I posted yesterday that I should have used the title "Stained Digits" after dyeing the yarn. The picture is a little washed out but my fingers were a very bright red. Can't wait to try the process again......with gloves.

My First Post

2007-07-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Hello there. I've finally decided to dive into blogville. Thanks to Ravelry for inspiring me to make myself more electronically visible.

I should have titled this first post "Stained Digits" since my fingers are a bright shade of red. Why, you ask. Kool-Aid in various shades of red, orange and yellow. I received my first hank of KnitPicks Bare Laceweight in 100% Merino and couldn't stop from trying out the Kool-Aid method of dyeing. And since I couldn't stop there I threw in a ball of Lion Brand Wool for fun. Photos to follow soon. Too excited to get the blog started to wait for photos.