Where are you Elmo?

Last week I realized that my Persian cat, Elmo, was missing. Elmo never goes outside (OK once he jumped out the kitchen window through a ripped screen, landed on Nero (our 150 lb dog), then jumped back in so fast you would have sworned there were springs on Elmo's feet). It took me a day or so to be sure Elmo was actually missing because sometimes he just goes off somewhere in the house and makes himself scarce for awhile. But I realized his calling cards were not in the bathroom sink (Elmo doesn't care for the litter box), so I started looking for him everywhere, worried that he was shut in a closet, or stuck inside the duvet cover of a comforter. I am not making this up. Elmo got "lost" inside bedding one time. What I finally found was an open window, with no screen, in Jim's study. I was so mad, upset, frightened, worried about Elmo! Much as I wanted to let Jim have it, I also realized, he had a few bigger worries on his mind right now.

I think Elmo had been gone since last Tuesday. We had a hectic weekend so I really couldn't get involved in serious cat searching for a few days, plus I kept hoping he would just show up again. Sunday evening, I broke down and realized he was not coming home, so I made posters and stuck them in the neighbor's mailboxes. No one would mistake Elmo for a stray cat who normally lived outside; I really hoped he had just adopted a new family that had better cat food than we did.

Early yesterday morning, ~4 am, I couldn't sleep, thinking about how to find my fur ball cat, so I got up and looked on line for a Persian cat rescue. It was easy to find the site for Northern California (http://www.persiancats.org/about/) and there was posted a picture of "Teddy" a blue Persian who looked exactly like Elmo, who was at a "kill shelter" in Solano county. For a minute I paniced until I realized that a cat who found it too much trouble to walk to the litter box when the bathroom sink is right here, was unlikely to have ended up in a shelter 100 miles from his home. Elmo had not been found. I headed for the kitchen to get a glass of water, thinking of poor Elmo starving in the woods or eaten by a coyote. I was feeling guilty for shoving Elmo from in front of the computer screen last week when I was trying to work. My "cruelty" had surely driven him to escape out the open window, looking for a family that actually cared!

When I entered the kitchen, my other two cats, Zoe and Oscar, came running out, thinking breakfast was early. Heartless animals who didn't even seem to miss their housemate, Elmo. Then I stopped because there was a thin, soft "meow..meow". Elmo? Right outside the family room door was a bedraggled blue Perisan cat. I couldn't believe it. My Elmo had survived a week in the wilds of California! Elmo accepted a few hugs, then squirmed out of my arms and ran to the cat food dish. He is again "playing the piano" in the middle of the night, leaving cat droppings in the sink, and blobs of gray fur on the kitchen counter. Boy I really missed that cat!

2004 Update

Yes, it has been a few months since I posted. Guess I am not much of a blogger, but I decided to at least present my list of 2004 projects. I was amazed to see that I had a total of 32 items for the year! So here goes:

2004 Knitting Projects

1. Seaman's scarf in blue silk/wool
2. AbFab afghan, Colinette in greens/yellow
3. Ribbed striped hat, in blue and beige
4. Another ribbed hat, same pattern, same yarn
5. Cardigan in red/blue Deco-ribbon
6. Garter stitch scarf in blues
7. Simple socks
8. Pullover, Hunter, in Rowan Summer Tweed, blue
9. Scarf, Eros in purple/green
10. Tank top, baby blue cotton tape
11. Child's aran sweater, Rowan cotton glace, light blue
12. Longitudinal scarf, red Deco-ribbon/Splash
13. Shawl, Mountain colors raspberry
14. Hearts baby hat, Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran, white/red
15. Lamb baby blanket
16. Fern pullover, frogged # 8 and made this sweater instead!
17. Bucket hat, in Debbie Bliss denim
18. Cardigan "Air", Rowan Calmer in coral
19. Hat, "Aura"
20. Booga Bag, Noro Kuyeon
21. Black and white striped scarf in Debbie Bliss alpaca silk
22. Cardigan, "Eloise" in Noro Blosson, #5 color
23. Garter stitch scarf in leftover Mountain colors yarn
24. Cable scarf, pink
25. Ribbed scarf
26. Sophisticated fisherman's scarf, black
27. Matching mittens, Debbie Bliss cashmerino aran black
28. Wave scarf, Anny Blatt angora super and Victoria, pinks/blues/beige
29. Scarf, double wrap stitch in blues and black
30. Fuzzy scarf, Eros and something fuzzy, black and gold
31. Bow tie scarf, Mountain Colors, rust
32. Man's aran sweater, Rowan Polar, rusty red

Most of these items were successes, although there were a few failues. One obvious failure is the Hunter (by Kim Hargreaves) in the Rowan Summer Tweed. I enjoyed the yarn and like the color, but the fit of the sweater was too boxy. But then I frogged it and made another sweater, so that isn't a huge failure. The bucket hat is another questionable one; the hat is much too big and the cotton yarn doesn't have enough body for the hat. That has sunk to the bottom of the yarn stash bin, awaiting its final disposition (should I pull it apart or wash it in hot water to try to shrink the hat?).

On the positive side, I love my Eloise sweater out of Noro Blossom and I wear it more than anything else I have made. The baby blanket with intarsia lambs (several white lambs and one black lamb) was a big hit with the recipient. My husband really likes his new aran sweater out of Rowan Polar, and it was fun to make, other than it was so BIG compared to my own sweaters!

Projects in progress for 2005

Right now I have two projects on the needles:

1. Wave and shell shawl in Dune. I have been working on this for a few months when I can't think of anything else to do. I alternatively love the yarn colors, and then I decide the colors are ugly. But it is a nice project to just pick up and knit some on when I don't have anything else to do.
2. Irishnaan sweater for me. This is a detailed, complex pattern by Alice Starmore. I think it is really quite beautiful, but I have only done about 5 inches on the back.

I have yarn available for several more projects and am periodically helping Kendall with her scarf projects. Still I like to be working on at least three things at once so I will probably cast on another one soon. Once its on the needles I will record progress.

"Air" apparent and other projects

"Air", the sweater I am knitting in Rowan Calmer, is progressing nicely. I have finished the front, back, and two sleeves. What's left? Well the collar and pocket flaps, of course!

I also completed knitting on the Booga Bag, in Kureyon. http://www.blacksheepbags.com/booga_bag.html This really is a fun project so far. It is easy to knit and fun to see the stripes of color develop. Despite my teenaged daughter's comment that the bag is really ugly, I am undaunted. I like it and recommend this project to less experienced knitters who want to progress beyond scarves.

Next step for the bag is felting, which I hope to find time to do this weekend. One concern I have about the felting process is that I have a front loading clothes washer, so I can't stop it in the middle of a cycle very easily. I'm not clear on how long it takes to felt an item even though I have read several articles about it. So in my typical fashion, I have decided to just plunge in and try it! So watch for further updates to see whether my reckless approach works.

Watch for pictures soon!

Completed Basil in a blue tweed. This is the first time I have frogged an entire sweater to make another one, but I figure if I like knitting something the first time, it will be just as much fun the second! 

I wanted to wear a new sweater!

Basil from the Rowan Summer Tweed Collection (page 24) is now finished. This yarn started its life as "Hunter" (page 19) which is finished, wore a couple of times and decided I didn't like the loose, boxy fit. Since I really do like the yarn and the color, I figured I should make another sweater with it. So I studied the drawings of the sweater shapes carefully and then selected Basil since it has a more shaped at the waist fit. The sweater is very simple to knit and the Rowan Summer Tweed seems to become softer and more comfortable to wear after washing.

Closeup of the sleeve shows the rolled edge and the nice colors in the Summer Tweed yarn. 

Here I am, giddy smile and all

First post...so much to say?

Welcome to my knitting blog. I have to wonder why I am starting this project. I already have more WIPs or planned knitting projects than I can possibly finish; so when will I have time to write about knitting also? But I do need a place to keep some records of my projects, both successes and failures, so here goes. Also I love to read knitting blogs, so I hope someday to become proficient enough at this blogging thing to entertain others!

For now, here are my WIP:
1) Aura, from the Rowan Calmer book. I am using Calmer in a lovely coral/pink color
2) Wave and fan shawl using Trendsetter Dune. The color is a mixture of purple, gold, blues, autumn colors, with a metallic gold thread
3) Ladder scarves, which a loath making but all my friends adore getting as presents.

Watch for future updates including photos, once I learn how to post them.