The Stars are God's Daisy Chain . . .

Black Hart Irish-Style Dry Stout - found at Trader Joe's.  I've put off noting this one down because I wanted to make sure I was writing about this beer, and not how I wished it was a Stockyard.
It's more bitter and subtle than Stockyard.  It's more of a black coffee and bitter-sweet chocolate note that doesn't draw attention to itself, with a burnt toast flavor pervading the whole.  I do like it, but it took me a couple of them (on different days) to appreciate it on its own merits.  (I'm new at this this.)

Stockyard Oatmeal Stout - found at Trader Joe's. It has flavors of chocolate, coffee, and the caramelized flavor of toasted oats. Very dark and not highly carbonated.
I like to sip one of an evening instead of dessert. One beer has a lot less calories than a slice of cake, for example, and it doesn't interfere with your lace knitting if you sip to enjoy, as well as being far less sticky and having no crumbs. :D

Moylan's Kilt Lifter - found at their brewery/restaurant in Novato, CA, and also at BevMo. Rich and flavorful scotch ale, red and tasty. I like it with food or on its own to enjoy. I need to get another six of these . . . it's been a while. :D

Smithwick's - found at Trader Joe's and BevMo. An Irish red. It's not bad in itself, but it makes me think how I'd rather have a Moylan's Kilt Lifter.

I made a fishy!

 
 

. . . that turns into a sushi!

 

He's all hand-spun, and mostly hand-dyed, as well.   :D

Last fall, I dyed this stuff.  I was never super happy with it .  It was supposed to be a soft pea-green, rather than something resembling decomposing zombie entrails.  It was too fine to get rid of in a quick-and-dirty type knitting project and too pale and beige-y to interest me in trying.

"

Last week, I finally reskeined it and put it back in the dyepot:

Much better!  It's still not the color I was looking for, but it's something I can live with.  I dyed it in the hot-pour method with green Kool-Aid, then added some Wilton's blue, red and neon green for interest.

I'm thinking fingerless mitts . . . .

I made a chicken for donnavieve .
      
( Here's some vague and somewhat snarky notes on how I did it.Collapse )
Daughter wants one now, of course.

This is what I learned today from a friend in corrections, as it was boasted to him from an inmate who was busted for it.

1.  Never give your address to a travel agency.  Guess who now knows you'll be gone from your house and precisely how long?

2.  Never give your address to a jeweler.  And pay in cash.  Guess who now knows where an expensive bauble is to be found, and who knows how many other goodies?  The guy doing the boasting had *five* jewelry store flunkies in pay to call him up whenever someone bought something good.

D:

A baby sweater, that is.  A friend's shower is this Friday. 

I'm pleased with how the stripes mostly match up even though the sweater is pieced, rather than knit in the round.



I have learned:

1.  That Sockotta is much better for an easy-care baby sweater than for socks. (It's pretty much 50/50 wool/cotton so it's thick for a sock yarn and not sproingy enough.)

2.  Do NOT use snaps on a knitted garment.  The knitting resents it mightily.  Use real buttons or hooks-and-eyes instead.