An Interesting Number-Crunching Experiment

DSC00324, originally uploaded by anniemaude.

You remember this little guy. He was being knit while my brother and I raced across country to pick up the tent trailer this month.

Well, today I am wearing the pair of Watermelon Summer Sox to work. They are super comfy, made out of the Vesper yarn and look great with my standard black work garb.

I got to thinking about knitting socks for profit and if there is any money in it, after all it only took me 19 days to finish this pair. :-)

So here is my calculation. Let me know if you think I should knit these to sell or just for LOVE.

Completed one pair of socks in 19 days, average knitting time per day = 3 hours. 19X3 = 57 hours X Colorado minimum wage for 2010 $7.28/hour = $415 plus the cost of yarn $24 = $439.

I hope everyone is knitting for their best reasons~!

FO Report: A Finished Pair

I know you are thinking that I am still in the GO mode. To tell the truth, I am and working on the plan for the inaugral camping trip. However I am knitting as well.

I finished my second Vesper sock and they are an almost matched pair. I like the way the second one (pictured on the right with Loopy) turned out and will plan to do that again when I get some more Vesper yarn. I also want to try them with the solid toes and heels with the matching yarn you can get.

Guess I will be stalking Knitterly Things again for an update in July to see if I can get some more fun yarn.

I hope everyone has things to check off their to-do lists~!

More Shop Samples - Getting Started

The next projects on my needles are all about my fourth quarter classes. I have cast on the mitten (top right), it is in a plain gray Wool-Ease to show how they are a good canvas for decorating when you are done knitting them.

Then I have a modification of a braided scarf which I will do a headband for class, we can actually get to the braiding within the class time.

And on the left is the materials and tools for the twined cowl that I will be teaching as a basic twined knitting class.

Not shown is the mitered or modular knitting technique that I will be teaching, the blocks created can be used for a one-of-a-kind scarf or lap robe from leftover yarns.

These projects should keep me busy for the beginning of July since they are due at the shop by July 20th.

I hope everyone is finding fun things to keep them busy~!

Book Review: American Pie

This is a great book. I have finally finished it after six years. The longevity has to do with I would only pick it up and take it on a travel with me. Then I read just a few pages each trip.

It was a good book for that because it was really lots of little stories combined into one book jacket.

There are some yummy pie recipes in it as well. Her use of real encounters and history of an area made it a wonderful read. I recommend it highly.

Now the book is off to Crestone to be passed around by the knitting book readers I know. I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.

My New Favorite Pattern - The Gnome Hat

I discovered a great pattern at Etsy and had to have both the child and adult version. This is a well-written pattern and produces a wonderful hat.

It is the Gnome Hat by pumkinhaus. You can find it either at ravelry or at her shop on Etsy.


The pattern calls for Lambs Pride Bulky, however I made this first one with two strands held together of Lion's Brand Wool-Ease so they can be washed. My first one I started and finished today is a child size small. Duckers thinks he looks "too cool for school" in it.

I plan to make more of these for unspecified folks for unspecified reasons (secret knits), I can't tell you yet, but will blog about them again in the future.

New Reading Tool: nook

As most knitters find, it is difficult to read a regular book and knit at the same time. I found that to be the case as well. And with my limited time open for leisure activities my knitting wins out over reading a book.

Since I am coming up on my fourth anniversary of knitting I thought it was time to try to conquer the read and knit. Up until now I have relied on audiobooks from the library to keep me up to date with the recent book releases. I have listened to some great books. However there are many others that I have not gotten to read because they are not available in audio format.

So, I have managed to read a hard book in the car at lunch with some fancy manuevering to keep the pages open while I knit along. It is more like book-wrestling than reading but I have managed to finish a long delayed read this past week.

As a treat to myself, (Christmas, birthday, and my July un-birthday) I went out and bought a nook - the Barnes and Noble version of an e-reader. I spent a month researching which one was the best choice and, with the help of some good customer review sites online and the gang at Ravelry.com, I finally chose the one that will give me the largest range of options as well as some audio capability and personal documents along with knitting patterns (pdf format).

So far I have some free e-books in classics and Mark Twain's travel books, plus several samples of things I might want to read in the future. It is a handy device for travel and for at home knitting when TV is just too boring or I am out of new movies to watch.

And the ability to put my pattern on it that I am using when I travel is an added plus. I hope everyone is finding ways to enjoy their leisure time~!

What I Knit To This Week

Currently I am working to finish the pair of Watermelon Summer Vesper socks that I started on my trailer fetching trip.

While I am happily knitting away I have finally finished reading American Pie by Pascale le Draoulec. It has taken me six years. It is a great book and now I am passing it on to the readers in Crestone to share around.

And I have watched: The Spy Next Door with Jackie Chan - very fun; Lost City Raiders with James Brolin and Ben Cross - interesting premise; The Young Victoria - good; The Volcano Disaster - B-rate; and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - fun Brit teen film.

I should have this sock finished next week and can move on to the next project on my list. I hope everyone is finding fun ways to complete their projects~!

Note: picture is of creative ways to use old fuel oil cans in Stanberry, MO.

Restaurant Review: The Ute Inn

While I was out looking for campsites in Teller County I found a great little place for breakfast.

It is on the main drag in Woodland Park with parking in the back. It is the Historic Ute Inn. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, with a full bar and music most weekends, especially during the summer.

If you are in the area, stop in and enjoy what they have to offer. And while I was there, the artisans of the area were setting up for the weekend and this really cool travel trailer was on display.

Enjoy your adventures~!

OTR: Searching for the Perfect 1st Campsite

I have spent some time looking for the best campground and the perfect site to celebrate dad's 90 years in August.

It will be great fun to cook out and sleep in the woods with the family and Pedro. He will be practicing with me over 4th of July weekend in my folks yard to see how he takes to the sleeping in the trailer. I imagine the first nights will be more sleepless as he spends them looking out for other nocturnal activities.

All in all, I am looking forward to weekends of camping adventures.

After the campsite picking is the next most important thing: what to bring for knitting to camp? The choices are another pair of socks, of course, or mini handmits, both can be done on two circs and are easy to take everywhere and put done mid-row if necessary.

I am excited about some vagabonding in my future. I hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far~!

OTR Finale: The Sock Who Traveled

I finished the first one of the Vesper Watermelon Summer Dream socks made from Aquamelon by Vesper Sock Yarn.

I cast it on June 10th and finished it on June 19th. It was knit using Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circs method and the Lion Brand Basic Sock pattern. It was a fun knit in and out of the car.

JAWS: 35th Anniversary

Who would believe it?! I went to see this movie in what is now an antique movie theater in Easton, MD on the Eastern Shore, when it was released. I was working as a lifeguard that summer and after seeing this film could not swim in the chlorinated pool without seeing those teeth coming at me. I have loved shark movies ever since. Congrats to Speilberg for his first blockbuster and continued success!

OTR - Home Again

Now its time to outfit the trailer and get ready for our first camping trip. I think we are considering a short, local adventure to celebrate Dad's 90th birthday. We are planning lots of fun outings in the future because there is so much to see and do in our own state.

I hope everyone is planning fun activities for their summer adventures ~!

OTR - Last Leg

The last part of the trip saw edges of ugly storms and more interesting ideas for things to see in Kansas.

I started this day with breakfast with my friends in Missouri. They happily accepted the Pedro offerings I had for them and showed me around the area where they live. I wish I had more time to visit and will be planning a trip to see them again in cooler weather.



The rest of the day was spent driving and dodging storm clouds. It was beautiful and amazing to see the plains state of Kansas. I will be home tomorrow and get to see my bestest pussycat soon.

OTR - Homeward Bound

There has been evidence of lots of water across the Midwest during this trip, creeks, rivers brimming with water, and fields underwater. Amazing how the weather creates and impacts everything. And wherever I have been the big topic of conversation is the weather and how to deal with whatever that day brings. People are so resilient out in the heartland. It is a lesson to all of us to take it as it comes.

I visited my brother's town where he currently lives in King City, MO. There are windmills everywhere, the really big ones that are helping create electricity from what Mother Nature gives us. They are huge.

I am headed home tomorrow across the plains expecting big storms along the way. Up until now we have either been ahead or behind the big storms but I think my luck is about to run out. I hope to see the historic river road outside of Manhattan KS and visit a yarn shop in Gove KS as weather and time allows.

I am also stopping to the visit the friends that are getting the Pedro gifts in the AM for breakfast. Will post more afterwards.

OTR - Riverboats and Twain

Today found us in early because we stopped to visit Hannibal MO, the home of Mark Twain. This is one of the places I have always wanted to visit. We parked the rig down near the riverboat tour that they offer and, amazing, we found Huckleberry Finn birds on the Mississippi River. See them floating on the log raft?

Then we took the tour of Mark Twain's Museum, home and other related buildings, including the famous fence. It was really fun. We also checked out the great campground that is adjacent to the cave tour. I think I have convinced my brother to take his family camping there in the near future. It is a beautiful setting with trolley service to town to visit all the tourist attractions.




It was a fun place to visit and worth another trip because there were lots more things to see and do.

OTR - Hilly Drive and Trailer Pick-Up

We had a wonderful drive through the hill country of West Virginia and Maryland today in pursuit of the trailer, over rain-soaked rivers and through woods.


We saw some beautiful rest areas and really full rivers from all the rain that we have managed to avoid as it has been behind, ahead or gone around us.


We changed the call sign of our trip to Colorado-bound at noon in Hagerstown, MD and, with trailer in tow, headed back to overnight in Grove City, OH. There we had the best thin crust pizza ever from Donato's, delivered to our room at the Microtel.




So much to see and do out here in this part of the country. Wish we had more time to spend exploring however we made each day an adventure with little things that make the journey from point A to point B memorable. Thanks to my brothers for making all this happen for me! You guys are the best~! :-)

OTR - It's All About the Ice Cream

Hot weather and muggy is the weather report for the second day on this road trip. We had lots of miles to drive to make it to the last 4 hours before we met the trailer owner to do the exchange in Maryland, so it was decided that this was the day to stop for dessert first.

I have heard the Midwester's rave about Jeni's Ice Cream in Ohio and discovered that we were driving right by one of her shops in Bexley, Ohio around 4:30 p.m. with 65 miles to drive to the motel. So we stopped and went in to cool off.

We tried five flavors and decided that we might have to find this ice cream at one of the specialty shops they supply or order it online for special occasions. The flavors we tried were: Honey Vanilla Bean, Wildberry Lavendar, Peppermint, Queen City Cayenne, and Meyers Lemon Yogurt.

All were spectactular and the service was wonderful. Definitely an experience to savor, so if you are in the area, make that stop and relish dessert anytime of the day.

OTR - Trailer Fetching

I left Colorado with the threat of a cold and rainy weekend while I went East to pickup a pop-up tent trailer so I can do some weekend camping with the family.

With all the rain we have had this Spring the countryside across the plains to Kansas was green and wild flowers beginning to bloom.



I found lots of ideas of things to see and do in Kansas across I-70 for future trips within the first 75 miles into the state. Not too far for a camping weekend from where I am.

Before I got to where I was meeting my brother I took a spontaneous side trip (this type of unplanned deviation from the trip plan is called Notion Strike, something I learned from my mother when I was growing up) I ended up in Wamego, KS at the Oz Museum and the Oz Winery.


It was a great side trip before my arrival in Kansas City. The wine was good, very grapey, from local Kansas grapes. The museum was very well done with all things Oz.

It was a fun side trip and I met up with the family at the Kansas City Airport for dinner and a quick visit. We will be off to Maryland/West Virginia in the early AM.

Build a Kitty Workshop

Now that all the parts are knitted it is time to assemble my version of Pedro from Dangercraft's Greta the Captivating Cat pattern. She writes a great pattern and I had a lot of fun knitting this one for my friends in Missouri. I will be posting their receipt of this gift middle of June when I see them there.

I have another mini project I am making from this pattern that will be a really fun item. It is a screen wiper. I had the idea from Dangercraft's Bunny Nuggets pattern and retrofit this one to look like Pedro as well. What do you think?