I’ve been thinking (even though it’s spring) how grateful I am for all the wooly acoutrements I’ve knit and acquired (even though it’s supposed to be warm by now) because the temps have been low, the skies grey, and the general atmosphere windy and raw (even though it’s supposed to be freakin’ spring!).  I mean really, I never thought I’d want my stole, mitts, socks and hat in the middle of May, for goodness sake.  But oh, am I ever glad they’re available - and not even charging me overtime for use well beyond their usual appointed season :)

Funny, these accessories have become old friends in a way that no store-bought item ever has - not since I passed through the end of puberty, anyway.  I expect this is something knitters (and crocheters and spinners and weavers, etc...) experience commonly.  In my head, it’s related to the old adage about he who cuts his own wood being twice warmed.  There’s not just the article to wear (or snuggle in or under), but the satisfaction of knowing that the only reason it’s even there is because you made it.  So there is both the satisfaction of creation and the warmth of wearing.

One of the results of the contuned cool weather is that the flowering trees in this part of the country are only now showing their blossoms - about a month late.  But with the forsythia and the lilacs (which are right on time - I always thought it was kind of the lilacs to bloom for my birthday since I love them!) there’s quite a show going on outside right now.  The acre behind my father’s house is filled with young apple trees and it looks like an ocean of flowers, pink and white, undulating gently in the breeze.  Of course it will all be over in another week or so but it sure is amazing - for a littlw while amyway :)

I’m going to be 54 on Sunday.  I was born in 1954 and while I don’t think these two figures are any more than coincidentally significant, it amuses me :) Dad, by the way, will be 85 on Saturday.

Most of what I’m doing craftwise these days, and there isn’t much at that, is crochet.  Between my constantly tearing eyes and my partially numb fingers, it seems to be the best I can manage at the moment.  I do try knitting every once in a while, but it is very slow :) I’m seriously hoping things will improve over the next few weeks.  I’m glad to have crafting I can manage, but I do miss my knitting.

Anyway, I just thought I’d drop in and wish everyone a happy spring.  I do miss the blog and look forard to the time when I can resume it on a regular basis!

It has come to my attention via notices from kind Ravelry folks that the blog had been hacked.  To what end, I have no idea.  However, some bot (probably) found its way into every .html and .php file and attached a wad of code for its own nefarious purposes.

I don’t know what nefarious purposes - for obvious reasons, we didn’t run the code to see what it would do.

The situation should now have been taken care of - by dint of Myria’s hard work.  There shouldn’t be anything left to cause any problem.  However, I strongly advise you to run a virus scan and a malware scan as soon as possible on your own systems.  The following links will bring you to sites where you can download free scanners of various types, should you not have any already installed.

Antivirus

Avast Antivirus Home Edition
Avira Antivirus Personal Edition
AVG Antivirus

Malware

AdAware
Spybot Search and Destroy
Spyware Blaster

The Malware items are less about viruses than about keeping your system clean and free from spyware and the like.  While not absolutely necessary, they are very useful.

Further, and for what it’s worth, the scuttlebut has it that there are a couple of things you can look for that could be evidence of an infestation by this virus (Frame.Z).  Check in your C:/Program Files directory for a directory called Bravesentry.  Also, look in your root directory for an .exe file that consists of a longish string of numbers and or letters.  Should you find them, run your antivirus software and do a full scan.

In fact, you should do that anyway :)

I hope this hasn’t and doesn’t cause any undue problems.  The situation should be fixed on my end so there should be no further issues.

And thanks to those who alerted me to the situation!

We have baby degus :) They are just a week old and beginning to get brave about venturing out of the nest.





We were hoping the litter of pups would be small - three or four maybe…





Myria thinks she has counted eight…

We will be bringing them to the pet shop when they are weaned - at about 5 or 6 weeks.  In the meantime, they are delightful to watch :) There’s nothing like having babies in the house!

Resume break :)

I guess the time for a sort of semi-hiatus has come round again.  I have neither the focus nor the dexterity to knit much - though I keep trying :) Crocheting is less difficult and less painful, but I’m not doing much of that either.

So the blog (and Chatters) is going to take a spring vacation.  I will likely be posting things from time to time, but not on anything like a regular basis.  I will continue to correspond and to comment on blogs and, hopefully in a couple of months, things will be getting back to normal.

Have a wonderful spring my friends - I appreciate your kindness and patience more than I can say!

Sorry folks - I can’t seem to get the chat room working properly so I’m afraid there won’t be any chat this evening.  I know some of you have already stopped by and I thank you for the effert and humbly apologize for the problems.

We’ll try it again next week, eh?

I don’t crochet very often these days, knitting having filled my fiber craft needs fairly well for that last few years :) However, with the completion of the afghan, I have realized that, for the time being, crochet is easier on my hands.  So I went through my wools and wool blends.  I have lots of ones and twosies of - big surprise - pinks and purples.  I also have several hanks of a medium, heathery blue-green that would compliment them.  I had in mind making another blanket.

However, after testing out a couple of patterns, I couldn’t settle on anything that especially tripped my trigger.  Maybe I didn’t want to make another blanket?

And then, this morning at about 5:00, I woke up with the word scrumble running round and round in my head.  And so, since I couldn’t go back to sleep, I turned on the lap top and went in search :)

This site, Crochet by Sylvia Cosh and James Walters offers a series of tutorials as starting points for scrumbling which is a sort of free-form fabric or item creation often using crochet but sometimes including knitting and other fiber arts.  There are separate sets of instructions for US and British crocheters.  Prudence Mapstone (Knot just Knitting) is also a seminal figure in the field.

There is also an extensive gallery of the work of various talented people ranging from whimsical to fine art.  Kay Adolphson’s Ancient Future and Jeanne Taylor’s From Little Acorns are amazing pieces of art and not what most people think of when they consider crochet.

I confess, given that this is a free-form style, the idea of tutorials and instructions make me a bit nervous.  I mean, how can anything free-form have rules?  But I suppose there are basics for everything, so I will read and learn what I can and I will look at the magnificent work that others have done and be inspired.

And I will play :)

See the “Knitting Chatter” button on the side bar for more information.

Chatters is on for Saturday evening!  Bring your knitting (or crocheting!) and join the fun :)

Happy Spring - and have a great weekend!
Chatters is on for Saturday evening!

This was completed by 8:30 last night :)

This is Chris Simon’s Flowerburst Square and a nicely designed piece it is.

Materials:  Red Heart acrylic in various pinks and purples, cream and black.
Hook:  Size I/9 (5.5 mm)
Finished size (square):  12” x 12”
Finished size (blanket):  60” x 72”

I have no idea about actual amounts because I was using left-overs, for the most part, and trying to use up colors.  I worked with what I had available and didn’t measure anything beforehand.  I will admit, however, to being absolutely abysmal in judging how much yarn I’m going to need - especially for crochet so, in the end, I did have to purchase more black yarn in order to finish the squares’ borders.  It goes without saying that I bought twice as much as I ended up needing :)

Maybe I should make another blanket?

Happy Monday!