Since Charlie is sleeping, I'm happy to tell you that we are now up to $1483 for our Get Your Guts in Gear charity ride, which benefits those who battle Crohn's Disease and Colitis. Thank you again for all of your support!!
Because GYGIG is still a small organization, with only a few volunteers recording donations and uploading data, there is a lag time of 1-2 weeks when donations are reported to us. I am worrying that if you have donated and have not received a thank you from me right away, that you might think me rude...please know that chances are I do not know about it just yet. The Texas riders were also given priority, because the Texas ride (Austin-La Grange) is this weekend. If you're in the neighborhood of the ride, please go out and cheer them on (I'd love a photo too if you can get us one). Our first prize drawing (see #4 on this post) for the $21 gift certificate to a yarn or bike shop of your choice, will be next Friday, March 30!
On the knitting front, I'm making steady progress on the lace edging, and have gotten to the decrease rows of the camisole. I'll have a photo soon. Does anyone know what the "backward" version of an SSK is? As I'm purling the back side instead of knitting the front side on the circular needle, I need to reverse the directions. K2Tog is likely P2Tog, but the SSK has me stumped. The mystery project is also coming out nicely!
On Tuesday I met with a new-to-us real estate agent, to discuss the possibilities for trying to sell our house again. Last fall, we had it on the market for 3 months, with a lot of traffic, but no offers. There are currently about 250 comparable homes on the market in our city, compared to about 20-40 in the towns where we would like to move. Though spring is not the best time for us to try to sell (I'd love to wait until after the GYGIG ride in June), we may not have a choice. What complicates things, in my mind anyway, is that our house was built in 1927. It has some of the modern updates (thermal windows, vinyl siding) but of course you can't make walk-in closets or open floor plans where they don't exist. I'm hoping the pretty stained glass window and beautiful oak woodwork will somehow overcome that! :)
According to The Knitting Answer Book, the opposite-side stitch progression to SSK is SSP:
"Slip the first stitch knitwise, slip the second stitch knitwise, insert the left needle into these two stitches knitwise and slip them back to the left needle together.
"Reinsert the right needle and purl the two stitches together. This makes a decrease that slants to the left, and it is identical to SSK when worked on the wrong side of the fabric."
Posted by: sprite | March 22, 2007 at 11:56 PM
Good luck selling your house. We moved into a 1920 home and just gave up and converted a bedroom into a closet.
Posted by: Jane | March 23, 2007 at 12:34 AM
Congratulations for doing so well with your charity!
I sold my house last year and I have to say that it was right up there in one of the top ten of miserable experiences. Each time someone wanted to see the house I had to come home and take the dogs out. I let the cats stay though. It was quite and ordeal but it worked out in the end.
Posted by: Felicia | March 23, 2007 at 05:13 AM
Cute pic of Charlie! Looks like he really enjoys the bed you made for him!
Posted by: Sarah | March 23, 2007 at 09:35 AM
Like sprite said, use SSP. You can also use p2tog tbl. Try them both and see which one you like the best. I personally prefer SSP.
Good luck with the house selling this year! My fingers are crossed for you. Hopefully your new Realtor will do a better job than the last one did!
Posted by: Laura | March 23, 2007 at 09:41 AM
Be sure your decreases "point" the right direction - K2tog leans right, while SSK leans left - you might have to reverse what you're doing, since you're working on the wrong side - in other words, do the SSP where the patterns wants a K2tog, and a P2tog where it wants the SSK. I'd cast on about 20 stitche with some different yarn, and do a couple pattern rows to test it, just to make sure.
Posted by: debsnm | March 23, 2007 at 10:35 AM
Good luck with selling your house. My house is about 25 years old and I don't have walk-in closets either. Wish I did though!
Posted by: Karen | March 23, 2007 at 10:39 AM
Charlie sure has a nice bed! I can tell he loves it!
I did the slip, slip, (both knitwise), moved the stitches back to the left, and then purled through the back loop. It will make sense when you try it.
Posted by: hege | March 23, 2007 at 11:29 AM
I"m thinking this will be the time, Debby...Spring. We have two showings today, and again on Sunday! I'm shocked at the difference seasonal timing makes.
I have a feeling if I were looking at your little 1927 house, I'd fall in love with it's charming layout and small closets!
Posted by: Lynne | March 23, 2007 at 01:10 PM
Poor worn out Charlie! Glad to hear that you're doing well with donations. Maybe it's time to get a status of St Joseph for the house selling...
Posted by: Chris | March 23, 2007 at 01:33 PM
Congratulations on your GYGIG fundraising! I think a house built in 1927 is WAY more desirable than newer houses. I just don't see any character in them. There are 2 houses for sale on either side of us and I've seen a lot more activity in the last week or two than we saw all winter. We'd like new neighbors so we're hopeful. ;o)
Posted by: Sonya | March 23, 2007 at 06:49 PM
Hope all goes well with the realtor! Glad that GYGIG fundraising is doing well too!
Posted by: tiennie | March 24, 2007 at 01:57 AM
Good luck with selling your house. I didn't know what the backwards version of the SSK was either so its been interesting to see all the comments you got on this.
Posted by: kendra | March 24, 2007 at 07:06 AM
In the car business we say "There's an ass for every seat". I don't know what the real estate equivalent would be, but I'm sure there is someone out there that is searching for a 1927 house with thermal windows and oak woodwork!
Posted by: Nancy | March 24, 2007 at 10:13 AM
Well if I was in your area, and int he market, I know I'd be in love with those features. But I love old houses, they have so much more character.
Posted by: Rebekah | March 25, 2007 at 02:31 PM
Congrats on your fundraising total so far. Amazing!
Posted by: Julie | March 25, 2007 at 03:52 PM
Sounds like a really nice old house - why do you want to move?
Posted by: Kim | March 27, 2007 at 02:58 PM
I like to think that owners of old houses have a reason for living in them... I'm sure the right person will come along soon. And my house says to your house: What are you so worried about young whippersnapper! Why, I was old enough to vote and go to war before you were even born! (He's from 1906, what can I say, turning 100 made him a bit of a curmudgeon.)
Posted by: Meg | March 29, 2007 at 01:12 AM
Oh my, Charlie looks so cute! I just want to pick him up and cover him with kisses!
Congrats on raising so much money!
Posted by: Holly of HollYarns | March 30, 2007 at 04:12 AM