NuttyIrishmanKnits

All That & A Bag of Chips

My husband is an ox.  Our family has always said if Andy's back ever goes out we are all in deep pateuky.  I thought I'd show him off a little from our recent excursion through Brown's Canyon, an eighteen mile stretch of the Arkansas River, known for big rapids.  The Arkansas River is running really high right now through the Rockies.  And Brown's Canyon, a typical level 3 course has been upgraded to a level 4.  These shots are of our raft going through Zoom Flume, famous for it's spinners and strainers, and of course, Pinnacle.  Pinnacle is a big hunk of granite right in the middle of the river that you want to avoid at all costs.  We, of course, managed to hit it dead on. 

That's my guy in the front left of the raft.  I'm in the back on the right.  It was right about here that our guide Jamie (back left, green helmet) started letting out a few obscenities.  That's how you know it's gonna be good, right?

 

 Still in it...

If you look 10 o'clock from Andy's right hand... that's fellow rafter Ray's helmet.  Ray was riding shotgun with Andy, meaning they are sitting side by side! 

Think these guys look a little scared?  Shoot, this was nothing.   I was completely composed.  You might also notice I'm absent from this pic?  Well, I can assure you I was completely composed.  You'll just have to take my word for it.  ;-)

Sunday Morning

Who says you can't train a man?  Nothing to talk about this morning, just showing off my guy's mad camera skillz.  Oh, and a damn good cup of coffee.  This is a proud moment.



Ravelers can see my finished Dashing Mitts here.

To fix or not to fix? That is the question.

Well, the votes have been cast, and I am plugging along on my second Norwegian, with deliberate mistakes. You can't imagine how that hurts to write that. Deliberate mistakes? Who on earth makes deliberate mistakes? Apparently me. I do. I admit it. And my brain is in lockdown. I cannot stand to make mistakes, so with knitting, I am always willing to go back and frog. Even happily I would dare to say on some occasions, because I know it's for the good of the knit that I'm doing it. (Remember when your parents said, "This is going to hurt me a lot worse than it hurts you..."?) But this time, I found a glaring boo-boo after I had completely finished the mit. I left out a line! Waaaay back near the beginning. So I was forced to make the choice, do I knit the second mit correctly? or do I deliberately mess it up so it will match the first? AHHHHHH!

I called in reinforcements at the yarn shop and they were direct and to the point. "You gotta mess it up, girl." I appreciate their candor. And I can tell you when I got to that particular line today I wanted to cry. Now I know what my parents meant. But I'm making significant progress now, and can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

And I've been yarn shopping a bit. Recently I keep hearing the term "Yarn Diet" coming up. First time I actually gasped! I already watch what I eat, run, (drink way too much coffee). Now there is a Yarn Diet? If I can't gorge on great yarns what's the point? When it comes to yarn I say carpe diem! Or better, seize the yarn!

Like this great Kona Superwash hand-dyed from Henry's Attic, called Minoan Temple. Yummy.

Or fun Cotton Jeans from Royal Yarns. I picked this yarn for a project I'm starting very soon for Annabelle. Annie inherited my son Ben's Thomas the Tank Engine trains. And, according to her brother, is a "Junior Conductor." I've been wanting to knit her an official conductor's hat for some time, and knew I wanted to use Kiddie Cadet from Kathryn Ivy. This design will be perfect, and the yarn certainly resilient for my junior conductor!

And finally, a great pick-me-up for a frustrating knitting day...

The mailman brought my February issue of Country Living AND I found a new purse at Target! Now that will bring any perfectionist up out of the drama, and get her looking forward to finishing that mit!