Olivia is six today. She is the drama, the flair, and many times the fun in this family. Her laugh is something that can only be experienced. She loves life. She loves clothes. She is usually the first to share, the first to apologize, the first to cry and the first to laugh, which she does with her whole soul. She is genuine, kind, sensitive… And she LOVES people. In large family gatherings, Liv’s the one off in the corner with the aged relative, enraptured as they prattle on and on about things. She can approach any situation from numerous angles. Particularly if she doesn’t like the response she got from her previous attempts. She’s a thinker, and she’s quick. She’s incredibly perceptive. Fun is her motivation, and she takes us all with her. We love you, Liv. Happy birthday!

I have a question. When picking up stitches to knit, do you pick up existing stitches on your needle and then follow it up with knitting the new yarn, or do you poke the needle through to the back, grab the new yarn, and pull it through one stitch at a time? I was reading one of my FAVORITE knitting books, The Knitter’s Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, and I happened upon a technical section illustrating how to pick up and knit stitches. I’d never done it that way. I’ve always picked up the required number of existing stitches, and then gone back and knit with the new yarn. It’s usually a pain in the neck because the stitches get really freaking tight as you go along. What do you do?

I’m still happily knitting on the VCC. (Vogue Cable Cardi). I’m almost sad, seeing how close I am to finishing. I’m into the armhole of the last piece. I need to get blocking so I can start seaming right away. And, as far as the cable pattern being wrong…. It’s even more wrong than I originally thought, and the new way of being wrong really does bug me. Dangit. I’m still going to finish it as is, but I’m annoyed. Plus, at the fiber fair on Saturday, I saw a hat with the EXACT cable, and it was worked correctly. Kick me while I’m down, thank-you-very-much. Oh well. I still think the cardi will be gorgeous. I still like it. I realized, after posting my rant on the subject last week, that I had decided I needed to knit this cardi after looking at Shana’s progress pics, not the magazine photo. Her progress pics show the cable knit exactly as mine is. So I shouldn’t have anything to complain about. Right?

Mmmmmmm, the fiber fair. It’s called the Shepherd’s Extravaganza. Based on the name and location, I expected it to be bigger. Still, I had a glorious time and according to Nate, (who was off entertaining the girls- see face paint above), I spent over two hours talking to people, feeling fleece, and petting sheep. My appetite has been whetted. I’m anxious for another one. It is fun to talk to people about tools, fibers, projects, experiences….. To see vibrant colored rovings next to beautiful natural wools. The fleece that was available for sale had been judged and graded, with judges comments and rating attached to each bag. That was quite helpful. I didn’t come home with a fleece, which was only mildly difficult whereas if I owned a wheel it would have been nearly impossible. A really old man was doing a drum carding demonstration. There was a Great Pyrenees breeder there with her dogs. It was my first time seeing a Great Pyrenees in person, and I realized that my Abner is nearly as big. Wow. I also saw Border Collies herding geese. That was both fascinating and hilarious. Those dogs are amazing, and geese are awkward and comedic. I had a blast.