Catherine's Wheel crocheting

 Last fall someone e-mailed me to ask if I had written the pattern for my crocheted toe up Catherine Wheel socks which she saw on the blog. I said no, but I would write them up when I finished the Shetland Lace Sampler.

So it's time.

The first CW sock I started is the green Trekking one - I am working on the instep there. I started the brown/orange ones about an hour ago to double check my directions for the toes. The crumpled CW black and rainbow sock at the right is the original sock I rescued from my sock thief Guppy. It's a bit worse for wear. I'll tie a knot in it and leave it on the table so he can steal it back. (size D crochet hook - these crochet hooks are too old to have the mm sizes on them!)

Before I started crocheting the CW socks I thought I would crochet a top down raglan cardigan (or vest...) of the CW stitch to refresh my memory (size F crochet hook). I dyed some of Grayce's natural sportweight a year or so ago and thought I'd dig it out of stash and use it. I'm using my favorite handspun raglan sweater as a pattern.

To the left of the sweater are 2 balls of 2-ply fingering Shetland (River Bend Farm's Faith 2009) I've been spinning/plying for a week or so. I wondered if a helper had "borrowed" the 3rd ball of handspun but after massive search (followed from place to place by cats) I found the missing ball hidden behind the monitor on my desk. Hmmm. Since I had helpers when I moved the projects out of the study to the kitchen to photograph, I suspect someone helped themselves and the ball rolled behind the monitor. I had the bag with the handspun on my desk out of (I thought) temptation's sight.

I thought you'd like an unedited shot of 2 of my helpers. That's Jesse on the rug. His green jingle bell which he tried to attempt a trade for one of the balls of yarn is behind him where I rolled it back.

 I'm also working on the 3rd motif ("Magenta" by Kyoko Takagi from August 1993 Magic Crochet) for the curtains - size 6 steel crochet hook/size 10 crochet cotton. Teddy just can't resist doublechecking whatever I am photographing.

We've had high winds (and more scheduled for today before the snowstorm moves in) so had to retrieve some yard stuff, tie shut a gate (gate post broke) and M rebuilt the garden shed. I always say this is the windiest winter ever but I think this week really was.

And no tree service made it out to remove the ash before the spring bulbs erupted - and the half dead tree withstood the winds that tore apart the shed. Makes you wonder, doesn't it, about the tenacity of life.

 Last night or rather early this morning (12:30) Tazzy erupted into a frenzy of shrieking and fur raised. I sprang out of bed - half asleep - and thought since she was sitting behind the drapes in the window sill that one of the local tom cats was on the arbor shelf staring at her. I let the dogs out but they just did their business and came nonchalantly back inside. I figured the cat ran when I turned on the yard light so we all went back to bed.

The Tazzy alarm went off again. I really hate that heart stopping shriek. It's always worse in the dead of night. This time, I pulled back the drapes, lifted her dozen pound body off the window sill and opened the window to say "shoo!".

A fat grey body followed by a lovely ringed tail waddled off.

A raccoon.

The first I've seen here.

Tazzy resumed her window staring (I don't know what she is watching) and the rest of us went back to bed.

 

Comments

[Anne]

"help" sometimes isn't. Good thing they are cute, eh?

We've got plans for some major yard work this year. I need to get an arborist out to tell us for sure if the big pine by the front door has to go or not. :(