Tag Archive for ‘schnauzers’ at adam knits!

Tag Archive for 'schnauzers'

An Earnest Plea 19 Mar 08

Dear Mr. Postman,

I just want you to know how much I appreciate your tireless effort to deliver the mail, be it rain, shine, snow or sun. Everyday, despite the risk of losing your fingers, you gladly insert letters into the mail slot, no matter how ferocious the growling Schnauzers may sound. You work hard to make sure that I receive every single “no strings attached” credit card offer thrown at me by the crumbling loan industry. You don’t bat an eye when I hand you a big box filled to the brim with yarn, no matter how strange it may seem to you. And I can always count on you when I need a bit of ~~crack~~ yarn to brighten a dreary day.

So even though I am deeply appreciative of your years of dedicated service, I can’t help but be a little disappointed today. See, I’m awaiting a very important package right now, and I’m not sure you fully understand the weight you bear with this particular parcel. It all started last week, when I was innocently checking up on my Flickr friends, when I came across this photo. My heart lept. Could it be? No way. Surely they’re sold out, I told myself. But something from deep within told me to try anyway. It was with trembling hands that I hastily clicked “Add To Cart” and then “Checkout”, hoping to claim my bounty before someone else. 30 seconds later it happened.

I had acquired a Fiddlehead Mittens Kit. The most coveted pattern and yarn combination ever unleashed upon the Internet would soon be mine. I was as elated as Ralphie, when his father pulled out one last box to reveal a Red Rider BB Gun.

So you can imagine how my level of excitement and anticipation has been building all week, since the kit shipped on Monday. I was sure it’d be here today, waiting for me to come home, but I can’t seem to find it.

I checked the outside mail box.

I checked the indoor mail slot.

I checked the front porch, the space in between the front and screen door, and the side of the house. All I was able to find was this lousy credit card offer.

Don’t think me a fool either. I ship a whole lot of stuff with the Postal Service, and I am very attuned to how long a Priority Mail package should take to arrive. I’m very good at reading in between the lines of your cryptic delivery status messages, and I’m almost certain that my mitten kit is in New Mexico. You may say that it arrived too late to get placed on your truck today, but I say that’s not good enough. This is not an offer for Propecia we’re talking about here. This is a very sacred package, which definitely warranted a trip back to the station for a pickup.

Because I’m a nice guy, I’m willing to give you one more day. And maybe, if you’re really diligent about bringing my impulse yarn purchases this year, I’ll knit you a pair of socks to keep your feet warm this winter. Does something like this suit your fancy? It certainly does mine.

So get some rest tonight, because you have a very important job to do tomorrow. Oh, and if you could tell a colleague up in the WA area to make sure that my mystery gift gets delivered tomorrow, that’d be g r e a t.

PS: If you do not deliver the goods tomorrow, I will be forced to let my attack Schnauzers follow you back to the station to retrieve it. Dallas would love nothing more than to give you a huge wet willy.

Sincerely,

Adam

Published

Adam

in knitting, patterns, schnauzers, socks and works in progress

Sun, Snow and Sprained Ligaments 08 Mar 08

22 Comments

I think this picture about sums up last weekend’s ski trip.

What could be better than 2 days of skiing with temps in the 40s and a nice cool breeze? (This is key, because the sun makes the snow nice and soft, but the breeze keeps it from going to slush.) In case you’re curious, we skiied at Wolf Creek Ski Area, in Pagosa Springs, CO. Some of the best snow in all of CO (they’ve gotten 41 feet total snowfall this winter, the most in 20 something years), and only 4 hours away from Albuquerque. And the best part? My Uncle has a house up there, so all the creature comforts, including home cooked meals and sack lunches are included. Not a bad way to spend a weekend in my opinion.

There was one downside to the weekend, in that I came home slightly crippled. After all the talk about how I’m totally coordinated with skis on, I went and sprained a ligament in my knee. It wasn’t even on a difficult run either! We were heading in for lunch on the first day, and I was shushing along, and I managed to cross my tips (Rule 1 of Skiing: Don’t cross your tips), and BAM! I fell over, and there was enough slope that I got downward momentum and had a nice little yard sale. (When you lose your skis, it’s known as a yard sale)

I didn’t think much of it, and fetched my skis and went on my merry way. Later that day my knee was a bit stiff, but I figured I just needed to stretch it out. My knee begged to differ, and complained vehemently about getting out of bed the next morning. I was able to still ski on it, as it only really hurt bad right when standing up, i.e. getting off the chairlift. However, the car ride home was pretty brutal. I’ve definitely spent a good portion of my evenings last week with an ice pack, and I think I’m finally over the hump. It’s still tender after sitting down for a while, but I think I’m almost on the mend.

So the moral of this story is: don’t tell everyone on the Internet how amazing at skiing you are, and then sprain your knee. Although, you really should have seen me on that 2nd day, I ripped it up, even with a bum knee. ;)

As far as knitting, I was a busy bee last night. I finished a secret project that is so cute, I have to not implode every time I see it. I’ll be shipping it off soon, so once the recipient has it in hand, I’ll show it off. But be warned, the pictures will be dangerously cute.

I also finished up the sock that Emma is modeling for you, which is the mate for a sock that the very talented Mega knit for me in a swap. I’m quite enamored with the pair, and will take pictures as soon as I give them a nice bath.

That’s about it for me, I think I’m going to pretend it’s not cloudy outside and take the dogs out for some running around. I think they definitely have Spring on the mind, as much as I do these days, so I know they won’t mind getting out of the house a bit :) Have a good weekend!

Published

Adam

in a nerd's life, dallas, emma, knitting, schnauzers, snow, socks and works in progress

Putting It All Together 10 Nov 07

24 Comments

Thank you all for the wonderful comments on my knitting anniversary, and the encouragement for my portly pooches! They’re doing quite well, and after a nice haircut, Emma is not as pudgy as initially suspected. I suspect Dallas is mostly a giant hairball too, he just hasn’t gotten his haircut yet. A few more weeks of regular evening walks and I’m sure they’ll be back to their skinny supermodel selves. And extra walking is something they certainly don’t mind. :)

I did just receive the BFL yarn yesterday, so I’ll pick the winners from the contest in the next blog post. I’m quite flattered that so many people think I’ve been knitting much longer than 2 years, but I assure you, any perceived skill is merely ridiculous amounts of practice. My friends and family deserve the credit, since they’ve put up with me knitting non stop for this long! (I think those warm hats and socks might have something to do with it…)

Also, if you haven’t picked up any Yarn Nerd from The Loopy Ewe, there’s still a few skeins left, so get on over before it’s all gone!

I’ve been hard at work this week, trying to get my Seamless Hybrid finished before the onslaught of winter, and I’m starting to make progress. I finished the 2nd sleeve this week, which means I’m now ready to start the yoke, and join the body and sleeves together.

I’m very close, but still, I haven’t been able to find time to sit down and start on the yoke. I want a nice block of uninterrupted time, since it’s the first time I’ve done anything like this, but I couldn’t seem to find that in my schedule this week. I think I might retreat to my favorite coffee shop tomorrow morning for a bit of solitude with my notes and the wool. It’s shaping up to be a good weekend. :)

I also got a bit of mail love this week, in the form of a stunning sock from Megan, as part of a single sock swap. She knit me the first sock, and sent me some yarn and the pattern so I can knit the second one. It’s an I Love Gansey sock (modified to have diamonds instead of hearts, you know, since hearts have cooties), knit up in a lovely chocolate shade of Rowan 4-Ply. It’s super squishy, and I can’t wait to knit the mate! Now if I can only find the time to cast on…

Megan also sent me this amazing sock cube from Schrodinger Originals, which has become my de-facto European Carryall for my knitting. There’s just something so awesome and so geometric about keeping your knitting in a sewn cube, it’s like storing structure inside structure, math inside math, etc…

So thanks Megan, you rock! I can’t wait to knit the second one; now if I could just finish the other socks and sweaters and shawls first!

Published

Adam

in gifts, knitting, patterns, schnauzers, sweaters, techniques, weekend!, works in progress and yarn nerd

The Secret Lives of Dog Models 04 Nov 07

57 Comments

Dallas and Emma? It has come to my attention that you’re not quite the svelte dogs that you used to be. I know that shaggy is the look for dog models these days, but that’s a bit more than a winter coat you’re both growing. Dog modeling is a human eat human business, and you can’t keep up if you’re rolling around like little lard balls. It’s either lose the weight, or get replaced by some newer, hotter dog models, like that vixen of a Chihuahua down the street. It might seem rough, but it’s business baby. There are plenty of dogs who would kill for a spot on this blog, and just because you were on Cute Overload doesn’t mean you can sit around all day stuffing your faces. I can’t have my lovely knits being shown off by anything but the hottest dogs.

And hey, don’t you stick that tongue out at me! I will break you, you hear? You’ll never work on this blog again! Sheesh.

Yeah, so the dogs are a bit chunky these days. And stupid me, I didn’t even notice; it took my Mom (who hadn’t seem them in a few weeks) to point out that they had grown a bit in the lateral direction. So I guess it’s more walks and no more wet food. I’ll have to be strong, especially when Emma gives me that pitiful look when I serve her dry food only. Sorry sweet cheeks, it’s dog model fat camp for you.

In less superficial news, I recently gave my shelf in my home office a yarn upgrade, and it makes me quite happy. Up to this point, all my yarn was stored in bins on the ground, and well it was about high time the stash had a more central place in the office. So I reorganized my shelf and banished a bunch of engineering books to the bottom, since yarn is way more fun than reading engineering books.

Two shelves of yarn might seem a bit pitiful, but it’s a beta lambda* for me, the man who used to only buy exact yardages for a project, without ever buying “unnecessary yarn”.

*(a beta lambda is the official nerd unit of measure for a “butt load” of anything. it’s metric, so you can have a kilo beta lambda, which would be an obscene amount of yarn)

You may also have noticed that there are 2 big cones of the much coveted Valley Yarns English Tweed on the bottom shelf. I sat on that page for days, watching the available pounds go down, until it was too dangerous to not buy, so I picked up a cone of Light Sage and a cone of Lichen. At least one will be a Cobblestone, and I’m not sure about the other one.

In addition to giving my stash a central location for fondling, I also finished a sock this week, right after the Socktoberfest cutoff. I’m still counting it though, since technically it was done on the 31st, I just didn’t like the toe, so I replaced it with a different one a day later. That brings my grand total of Socktoberfest socks to 2, and non-matching even. Not the most prolific sock knitting month, but then again, it was a prolific yarn dyeing month.

This one is a single sock for a swap, wherein I’ll send the sock and remaining yarn to my pal, who will knit the second sock for herself. It’s a fun idea, and a great way to knit a complicated sock and ensure that you will end up with a pair.

The yarn is Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino, in the lovely Pumpkin shade I’ve been posting all over the blog these days. (I love me some Pumpkin), and the pattern is Cookie A’s Thelonious. It’s a nice combination of lace and ribbing that isn’t too hard to knit and looks really nice with a semi-solid yarn.

Oh, and I almost forgot, it was my 2 year knitting anniversary a few days ago! It seems like it’s been way longer, but the calendar doesn’t lie. Maybe someday I’ll be celebrating my 60 year knitting anniversary :)

So, leave some encouraging comments for my fattycake models, and I’ll pick 3 winners to be the recipient of some hand-dyed Yarn Nerd goodness. I have some tasty BFL coming in soon, and I’ll be happy to dye it up any color you like.

That’s it for me peeps, have a great Sunday!

Published

Adam

in contests, dallas, emma, finished objects, gifts, knitting, nerdy, schnauzers, socks, sweaters, the stash and yarn nerd

He’s Got Legs…(You Know the Rest) 24 Aug 07

33 Comments

Ok, we have a lot of ground to cover today people, so grab some coffee and hunker down. This could take hours. You know, metaphorically speaking. And you know how we roll when there’s lots to cover at Adam Knits…bullets!

from the "oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into" department:

You may have seen this little announcement, already, but if not, this is news to you. I’m proud to announce that Yarn Nerd is the newest indie dyer at The Loopy Ewe! So now all you crazy Loopy Ewe fans can get your Yarn Nerd fix, along with all the other great yarns and stuff that Sheri stocks. I’m really excited about this, and am looking forward to breaking into the wholesale market. And if the response I’ve gotten so far is any indication, I think this will be the beginning of a great thing. I’ve admired Sheri’s shop for a while, and I e-mailed her to see if she was interested in Yarn Nerd, and got an emphatic yes. I’m hoping to have the order finished in a week or two, so you should be able to grab some soon.

There are a few ramifications (hehe, I love that word) for the Yarn Nerd shop, mostly since I do need to sleep occasionally. At least for the next few months, all 900 MHz Merino will be dyed up for The Loopy Ewe, so if you’re looking for it at my shop and can’t find it, that’s the reason. I am planning to bring back some of my other yarns though, which means that I should have 1500 MHz Merino in stock by mid-September. I’ve had a lot of requests for this one, and it’s one of my personal favorites, so I’m excited to be bringing it back. It’ll be available in your favorite colorways, or as a custom creation with Create Your Skein. Plus, to satiate all you spinners (including me!), there will be a lot more roving being thrown about in my dye kitchen, so keep your eyes out for that.
from the "spindles are fun! I don’t need a spinning wheel, really! so stop tempting me!" department:

I spun up the last of my roving stash (don’t worry, I promptly bought more…), and I’m definitely getting better at the spindle. I’m starting to actually draft while the spindle is spinning, rather than stopping, pinching, moving my hands up, etc. I think this lovely 2 ply speaks for itself :)

Hello Yarn Corriedale in the Granita Colorway. Isn’t it lovely?

I also received my newest fiber purchase yesterday, a lovely BFL top from Flawful Fibers, in the Safari colorway. This picture, although terribly cute, doesn’t really show off how lovely and subtle this roving is. I can’t wait to spin it, but I’m also worried that I won’t be able to do it justice. But my desire to spin it outweighs my worry of flubbing it up, so I press onward. Yarn Ho!

"do these braids make me look fat?"
from the "I wish I could show you my sexy biker calves, but that might be a skosh inappropriate" department:

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on the biking, but I’m still going strong. I’m averaging around 4 days a week, and occasionally getting a weekend ride in as well. The benefits are many: hot legs, less gas tank fillups and a bunch more energy. And coupled with the fact that the Albuquerque bus is now free for UNM students, I can ride down to the park & ride a few miles from my house and take the bus to campus on school days. In fact, I’m loving the bike so much, I went and put a new one on layaway. There were some killer end of season deals, and the store happened to have one model of the bike I wanted in my size left, so I jumped on it. Hopefully I can pay it off by the end of September and start riding it! It’s a svelte 24ish pounds, compared to 40 something for my brother’s bike (that I’ve been riding), so I should be a speed demon on the new bike. Watch out ABQ, here comes Adam with his hot legs! (I wonder how many times I can say hot legs in a blog post…)
finally, from the "yes I do still knit, I’m just very lazy about taking pictures of the knitting these days" department:

Here’s some socks that I finished while on vacation, and I figured it was about time to give them the spotlight. I really love these socks, since they have all my favorite colors (you should see my closet, it’s a red and black explosion). I went for the no frills method, with a short row heel and a simple pattern, but I think they’re awesome. They definitely make me feel like a rockstar. And they match my red shoes. Oh yeah.

"there’s no place like home" eye candy

Pattern: Basketweave (6 stitch) from More Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino in Love and Peace or Else
Needles / Gauge: 8 stitches / in on US #1’s. Knitted Magic Loop style.
Construction: K1, P1 ribbing, then patterned over the leg, short row heel and round toe. Easy Peasy!
Completion Time: 3 weeks (July 22 - August 10)