Crossing to Safety Part 8: So long beautiful summer of '08!

Remember you should "double click" on the photos to get the details throughout junknitting...

Summer in the northwestern Midwestern woods just doesn't get any better than this!

Crossing to Safety Part 7: No electronics!

Crossing to Safety Part 6: Or how I spent my summer vacation.

Crossing to Safety Part 5

We actually really do like each other!

And yes, Fred wears socks regardless of the weather or the conditions!



























Poor J.D. What on earth happened to his arm?

Crossing to Safety Part 4: Palin Purchases

Yes, it says "Abearican!"
















And "Rightgeous Gangsta!"

Crossing to Safety Part 3: Can he do it?

J.K. checking out the safety factor...Roger concerned...S.D. is confident.
















S.D. is analysing the situation, still confident.


















Such grace, such form!

Crossing to Safety Part 2

Roger wants to help!

Crossing to Safety Part 1

No More Facebook For J.K.

Dear Reader,

I tried facebook and quite frankly I found it a little creepy. I am going to stick with good old blogger. It feels more original...and as most of you know J.K. and Fred are loners, so "networking" is really not our deal. We would rather be trees. After all, Roger always said his dad was the "Lorax" who speaks for the trees!

A Few Firsts at the Lake

First meal at The Table.


First Fire in The Fire Pit.
First time Junknitter had to borrow Fred's shorts!

It's Fred's birthday!

A sweet secret about Fred, is that he was born on his mom's birthday. Happy birthday Fred's mom!

Run With It

I have this favorite running jacket (picture at the left). The fit is perfect and very flattering so I thought I would copy the measurements and make myself a sweater with the same fit. I had to knit this sweater three times. At one point I simply knit straight from one sweater to the next. Fred didn't take any photos but that is when he started telling me I was a serial knitter. Fred is in Poland this week, so he isn't here to photograph J.K. in the actual sweater. I really like it except for one thing, I wish I had started the neckline later so it was higher up around my neck. Maybe if I remember I will have Fred take a photo when he returns. Love to hear comments if anyone is out there. The back of the sweater is longer than the front.

Slip into These

Here's How

Knit four soles:
Cast on 7 stitches marking the middle stitch with a contrasting color of yarn or pin. This marks the middle of the toe.
row 1 - K all (mark as right side)
row 2 - K1, M1, K to last stitch, M1, K1 (M1=(Make 1 stitch) insert left needle, front to back, under horizontal strand between last stitch knit and next stitch making a loop, knit this loop through the back.)
Repeat rows 1 & 2 until there are 17 stitches.
Work even o n17 stitches until there are 41 ridges, including cast on ridge, end ready to begin right side row.
Decreases row: K1, SSK, knit to the last 3 stitches, K2 tog, K1. (SSK= Slip Slip Knit) Slip next 2 stitches (one at a time) onto right needle as if to knit but do not knit. Slip left hand needle in front of stitches and knit together from this position.)

Knit 5 more rows.
Repeat decrease row.
Knit 5 more rows.
Repeat decrease row every remaining right side row until 5 stitches remain.
Next row (wrong side) K2 tog, K1, K2.
Turn
Slip 1, K2 tog, PSSO (Pass the slip stitch over the knit stitch). Bind off 1 remaining stitch.

Next pick up 73 stitches around toe. I count down 36 ridges on each side from middle cast on stitch and place a marker. Starting on the right side knit in 73 stitches around toe.

Using short rows to create a wedge for arch:
Knit 18 stitches
turn
Knit to end
turn
Knit 12 stitches
turn
Knit to end
turn
Knit 6 stitches
turn
knit to end
turn
knit to other side
Knit 18 stitches
turn
knit to end
turn
Knit 12 stitches
turn
Knit to end
turn
Knit 6 stitches turn
Knit to end
Knit three more complete rows.
knit to

Decrease rows for toe:
I use stitches markers so you don't have to count continually. I think stitch markers are very under utilized. I like these little rubbery ones I have found in green and purple.
Row 1: K7, Place marker, SSK, K17, Place marker, SSK, K6, SSK,place marker, K1, place marker, K2 tog, K6, K2 tog, place marker, K17, K2 tog, place marker, K7.
Row 2, 4, 6 knit all stitches
Row 3: K7, SSK, K16, SSK, K4, SSK, K1, K2 tog, K4, K2 tog, K16, k2 tog, K7.
Row 5: K7, SSK, K15, SSK, K2, SSK, K1, K2 tog, K2, K2 tog, K15, K2 tog, K7.
Row 7: K7, SSK, K14, SSK, SSK, K1, K2 tog, K2 tog, K14, K2 tog, K7.
Row 8: Wrong side, knit all stitches.
Short rows to turn toe:
Row 9: K29, K2 tog, and turn
Row 10: K10, K2 tog, and turn.
Continue decreasing every 10 stitches and turning until all stitches are knit together off each side. With 10 stitches left on the needle, loosely cast off all stitches.

For heal band pick up a stitch on each remaining ridge around the back of slipper. About 38 stitches. Knit 4 ridges and loosely cast off.

Crochet sides together and over arch. Crochet heal rim, and then crochet second sole onto slipper. I use a single crochet for all.















To felt: Put slippers in either a front or top loading washing machine, and fill with the hottest water. Agitate until you get desired size. I trace the feet I am making the slippers for on to a piece of 1/2" foam insulation board, cut out the feet, and insert the insulation board feet into the slipper for a perfect fit.

Big Difference Between 10.5 & 11 American

Dear Reader,

As of late, Junknitter has been perfecting her slipper pattern. Didn't like its bulky aspect, Junknitter has little approbation for them. While perfecting this pattern Junknitter accidentally knit a slipper on a #11 instead of #10.5. Be forewarned dear reader.

Junknitter is finishing three pair. They are much refined, and will post completed slippers once felted. Junknitter will also include the patter.

Junknitter's Stations

Dear Reader, This is the perch on which Junknitter sits each night and knits to her heart's content. There is just about everything a person could desire. There is a glass of delicious ice water, my iPod on which I am currently listening to "Shirley" by Charlotte Bronte (hence the "Dear Reader") my transistor AM/FM radio so I can listen to "On Point" and the CBC's "As it Happens" without disturbing Fred, who is reading on the couch to the left (not pictured), and a knitting kit that has everything you need to knit what ever you can imagine. I love this place. I love my home. My mom gave me the stuffed dog, because my boys are allergic and I desire a dog so desperately. Otherwise, life is good.

Kool Kats!

Junknitter's dream dog...tried to steal him, but was not successful.

Baby Sister Learns to Knit

"Are you twins?" they ask at the local butcher shop..."NO!" Junknitter proudly replies..."I'm actually three years older."

But she, the sister, is no less wise. Showed her how to knit and she picked up like a pro. Shlubs and all.

While visiting the baby sister, she gave me a book on our family's history that was published in 1954 and tracks one side of the family back three hundred years, to the "midlands" of jolly old England...it explains a lot about the stock Junknitter comes from. One old guy had a wife, Elizabeth, and they had six children. Elizabeth died when he was 83. He was so lonely for her that he married another Elizabeth who was 30 and bore him six more children! This was in the early 1800! He died happily at 96. Coincidentally Junknitter is one of six! All of us with impressive double chins, and royal foreheads.

Another Wildlife Front Porch Adventure

This was a very long and snowy winter in Junnitter's hometown for all mammals I would wager. Sometime in late winter Junknitter saw a raccoon staring at her while she was "working" at her desk. Again, she called out to Fred, "Fred, there's a raccoon staring at me and I think he/she is living under our porch." Fred said, "Expletive deleted raccoon." Each night Fred would say, "If you see that *&$%!@ raccoon come out from under the porch go put these stakes in the ground to block the hole." Junknitter's thinking, "Jah, righto Fred, in your dreams." Plus Junknitter loved the little masked bandit. Then, today, Tuesday, May 6, Junknitter came home to an empty house. She saw Fred pull out of the neighborhood right as she was stepping off the the number 72 bus. She tried to track him down, called his mother...but he was not there. While she was chatting with her mother-in-law Junknitter spied something rather large hanging out on her bird feeder. *&#(@*%$! raccoon. Now it is war!

P.S. Fred was at his Tuesday night corso di Itliano.

For another wildlife front porch adventure check out September 2007 posts.