Today's title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Obviously, it has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, so it is time to do that, but it also has to do with finding time to do it. Sharing a computer with two teenagers makes it difficult to get my turn. So, I've been making notes in my Moleskin about blogging topics. Hopefully I'll get to some of them sooner rather than later!
For a year or so, I've been thinking about starting a knitting group on campus. A colleague thought it would be a great idea, but it took me a while to get around to it. Well, I finally got around to it and had 7 enthusiastic knitters attend the first one this past week. I had offered to share information about the internet knitting community, so found myself talking more than was necessary, but I think we'll do more knitting and sharing at our next meeting. Yes, they want to do it again! At our next meeting we're going to bring our favorite knitting books.
I spent last weekend traveling with one of my sons to visit colleges and sat up late through the last two ALSC games to make sure I didn't jinx the Red Sox by going to bed before the game ended so got lots of knitting done. One of the projects I put a lot of time into was a prayer shawl which suddenly had a purpose, unfortunately. My youngest cousin lost a 6-month-old baby very suddenly and I wanted to get the shawl blessed this week and send it off to her on Monday. So sad. As always, seeing someone else's misfortune brings clarity to the blessings in my own life, which include two healthy young men, my sons.
The other knitting problem I'm facing is that I've been invited into Ravelry! Yes, it is very exciting, but the problem cropped up when I went in to register and needed to pick a username. There is a warning to choose carefully as it is the name you'll be known by in the Ravelry community and that is what has me stumped. What do I want as a name? Here are the ones that have come up: CateinMaine (my son says someone will try to stalk me), Cateroo (an old nick-name -- sounds too young for a 50-year-old?), JourneyKnitter (refers to my blog), or NanaTalbot (my grandmother's name), or something else. LavendarLady crossed my mind as I can't seem to stop being drawn to anything purple or blue. I've got to make a decision very soon -- I hope my invitation hasn't lapsed!
ON MY NEEDLES
The prayer shawl needs to have the fringe put on before church tomorrow morning. It is a deep, mottled purple yarn (Lion Brand, can't remember the name) -- soft and textured. So, I guess this is actually "off" my needles.
I started the Vine Lace Vest from a pattern on the Classic Elite site and am using Berocco's Comfort in a poison green color. It has gone together very quickly and all I have left is a little ribbing around the sleeve openings. It is a birthday gift for my sister-in-law since my son told me there was no way would my niece be interested in it ("Too old-looking," I think he said)! I like to pick yarns that can be washed for many people I knit gifts for, though I prefer to knit with natural fibers myself. The Comfort, however, has been quite nice to work with.
I'm also working my way through another Vermont Felted Bag (a Webs pattern and an earlier knit-along on Ready, Set, Knit) using Artful Yarns' Shakespeare. It doesn't feel as sturdy as the Berkshire handpainted (a Webs Valley Yarn) I used for the first one. It is a one-ply, loosely spun variegated yarn in a beautiful combination of blues and nearly turquoise. I'll finish it this weekend and try to get all my felting projects felted at once. If I like how this one felts, I'll order some more. The colors are great and the price is right (on closeout at Webs).
I haven't touched Zeben's socks, the feather and fan scarf, or the jacket in a couple of weeks.
Feeling like I'm getting to the end of a couple of projects, though, allowed me to cast on for a new one. The Cabin Fever "Braids Cardigan" out of Webs' Colrain in Grape Jelly. I cast on during a meeting yesterday, but didn't get far until I got home and could concentrate. I took it with me to a football game last night, but it really was too cold to knit and it was an interesting game, so I'm about to put on the teapot and pick it up for a while this rainy Saturday morning.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Birthday fun
Well, the "Big Birthday" is tomorrow. My personal celebration always includes taking the day off from work. This year I made it a long weekend by taking Friday off too. I tried not to have an agenda for my time off, other than having a few things such as doing laundry and cleaning the bathtub on my must-do list. I ended up spending more time than I might have planned on Friday spending a bit of my allowance on yarn. I looked through the patterns I've been wanting to do and went shopping online. I also spent some time accumulating a list of books I'd like to buy (almost all knitting books) and whittling down the list to an affordable one. It was great fun! And when the boxes arrive, it will be fun all over again!
I solved the problem of what to do to really celebrate turning 50. As I've mentioned before, I considered a spa day or a dinner party, but ended up electing to plan a knitting trip in the spring. I've been listening to the Webs podcast, Ready, Set, Knit, and decided that a trip to Northampton, MA would be just the ticket. We'll go in May, when they are having their anniversary sale, and I'll see if I can plan it for a weekend when there is a class or event that I'd like to attend. We'll find someplace to spend the night and a good place to go to dinner and just have fun. Planning that far ahead will allow me to save up some of my allowance for the spending -- ah, I feel the tingle of anticipation already!
I remember one Christmas when I was a teenager, when I had the opportunity to be home alone (or, all my younger brothers and sisters were in bed and my parents were out -- it was pretty rare to actually be alone in our family of 7), when I realized that anticipation is often as good as, if not better, than the realization. Planning my knitting trip so far ahead gives me the best of both. Plus it solves the problem of figuring out when to fit it into an already busy fall.
Speaking of anticipation, I'm only about 1500 people away from being invited to join Ravelry! I hope it really helps me organize my stash in a usable way. I'd really like to be an organized person, but somehow it never seems to stick.
I also made a dash to my LYS (Local Yarn Store -- an acronym I learned from reading the "New Guard" interviews in the 25th anniversary Vogue Knitting magazine) yesterday, under the guise of taking a walk, and picked up yarn for a gift for one of my nieces for Christmas. The other thing I did while shopping online on Friday was look at the Classic Elite yarn site. I had spotted a pattern photo in the Webs (paper) catalog but didn't want to buy the whole book unless there were more than one pattern I liked. (Yard Goods, here in Waterville, had the book and I bought it -- Celebrating Classics by Classic Elite.) Anyway, I found about a half dozen free patterns (there were lots of patterns to choose from) that I liked and downloaded them. One of them would be an easy, pretty gift for a teenage girl -- the Four Seasons Vine Lace Vest. YG didn't have the Four Seasons yarn, but I opted for Berocco's Comfort (machine washable!). Then, today I took my ipod for a walk and Steve Elkins was talking about Comfort on the podcast I was listening to. Funny how life often criss-crosses itself in that way.
Anyway, even though the "Big Birthday" (that's what my husband wrote on our family calendar) isn't until tomorrow, we celebrated with my parents and one sister and one brother yesterday. It was a lovely day and we had a leisurely lunch and afternoon together. I'm working my way through my favorite birthday cake -- white cake with brown-sugar frosting (really more like penuche fudge than frosting) and enjoying knowing that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. And now, I think I'll take my next piece of cake into the living room and pick up my knitting!
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm up to the cap on the sleeves for my Jean Frost jacket. I thought I was going to be very close on the yarn, but discovered another skein in my big yarn basket. Phew!
I bought a ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino recently to make the Fetching fingerless gloves since the pattern claims you can make a pair in one weekend with one ball. I didn't get them done in a weekend, but I do have one hand done and have started the other one. (The pattern is free at Knitty.com.) We like to keep our bedroom quite cool, but also like to read in bed before going to sleep, so these will be wonderful for the winter. Now I should make a matching shrug. The yarn is just beautiful -- so soft.
The Vine Lace Vest is being knit in a poison green (that's a color that is popular in quilting). I'm not sure I could wear the color myself, but it is fun to knit with it. I've started the back and got about an inch of the 4X4 ribbing done before I had to go to bed last night. I was up late the night before and couldn't stay up to knit or listen to the late Red Sox game against Cleveland. It is probably my fault they lost but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
I haven't touched the feather and fan shawl in a week or so, but am not in a hurry.
I tied in the ends on my poncho which I started last spring. To get the correct gauge, I knit it rather more loosely than my normal stitch and may end up wishing I'd knit it tighter, but it is warm and pretty in Brown Sheep's berry heather (not the real name) color.
Zeben's socks are languishing. I need to have him try them on, but never seem to think of that when his feet are clean. Teenage boys' feet are not something you want to have your knitting touch unless they've just come out of the shower!!
WHAT I'M READING
I just finished the first book in the Sunday Philosopher's Club series, lent to my by my Aunt Alice. I'm not sure what I think of the book (my aunt and I love the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by the same author), but thoroughly enjoyed the scenes of Edinburgh in the story. I lived in Edinburgh for 7 months in 1981/2. I was a CSV (Community Service Volunteer -- a youth voluntary program in Britain), working in a psychiatric hospital, and loved being there. I think the neighborhood that the main character lives in is close to the neighborhood I lived in, Morningside. It was one of the most formative experiences of my life, so I'll probably read more of these just to get those peeks of Edinburgh.
And I've just started a book my mother lent me, called Shoutin' into the Fog: Growing up on Maine's Ragged Edge, by Thomas Hanna. From the introduction I get a hint of self-pity, but am keeping an open mind. I grew up near the coast myself, so am always interested in stories about the area.
I solved the problem of what to do to really celebrate turning 50. As I've mentioned before, I considered a spa day or a dinner party, but ended up electing to plan a knitting trip in the spring. I've been listening to the Webs podcast, Ready, Set, Knit, and decided that a trip to Northampton, MA would be just the ticket. We'll go in May, when they are having their anniversary sale, and I'll see if I can plan it for a weekend when there is a class or event that I'd like to attend. We'll find someplace to spend the night and a good place to go to dinner and just have fun. Planning that far ahead will allow me to save up some of my allowance for the spending -- ah, I feel the tingle of anticipation already!
I remember one Christmas when I was a teenager, when I had the opportunity to be home alone (or, all my younger brothers and sisters were in bed and my parents were out -- it was pretty rare to actually be alone in our family of 7), when I realized that anticipation is often as good as, if not better, than the realization. Planning my knitting trip so far ahead gives me the best of both. Plus it solves the problem of figuring out when to fit it into an already busy fall.
Speaking of anticipation, I'm only about 1500 people away from being invited to join Ravelry! I hope it really helps me organize my stash in a usable way. I'd really like to be an organized person, but somehow it never seems to stick.
I also made a dash to my LYS (Local Yarn Store -- an acronym I learned from reading the "New Guard" interviews in the 25th anniversary Vogue Knitting magazine) yesterday, under the guise of taking a walk, and picked up yarn for a gift for one of my nieces for Christmas. The other thing I did while shopping online on Friday was look at the Classic Elite yarn site. I had spotted a pattern photo in the Webs (paper) catalog but didn't want to buy the whole book unless there were more than one pattern I liked. (Yard Goods, here in Waterville, had the book and I bought it -- Celebrating Classics by Classic Elite.) Anyway, I found about a half dozen free patterns (there were lots of patterns to choose from) that I liked and downloaded them. One of them would be an easy, pretty gift for a teenage girl -- the Four Seasons Vine Lace Vest. YG didn't have the Four Seasons yarn, but I opted for Berocco's Comfort (machine washable!). Then, today I took my ipod for a walk and Steve Elkins was talking about Comfort on the podcast I was listening to. Funny how life often criss-crosses itself in that way.
Anyway, even though the "Big Birthday" (that's what my husband wrote on our family calendar) isn't until tomorrow, we celebrated with my parents and one sister and one brother yesterday. It was a lovely day and we had a leisurely lunch and afternoon together. I'm working my way through my favorite birthday cake -- white cake with brown-sugar frosting (really more like penuche fudge than frosting) and enjoying knowing that I don't have to go to work tomorrow. And now, I think I'll take my next piece of cake into the living room and pick up my knitting!
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm up to the cap on the sleeves for my Jean Frost jacket. I thought I was going to be very close on the yarn, but discovered another skein in my big yarn basket. Phew!
I bought a ball of Debbie Bliss Cashmerino recently to make the Fetching fingerless gloves since the pattern claims you can make a pair in one weekend with one ball. I didn't get them done in a weekend, but I do have one hand done and have started the other one. (The pattern is free at Knitty.com.) We like to keep our bedroom quite cool, but also like to read in bed before going to sleep, so these will be wonderful for the winter. Now I should make a matching shrug. The yarn is just beautiful -- so soft.
The Vine Lace Vest is being knit in a poison green (that's a color that is popular in quilting). I'm not sure I could wear the color myself, but it is fun to knit with it. I've started the back and got about an inch of the 4X4 ribbing done before I had to go to bed last night. I was up late the night before and couldn't stay up to knit or listen to the late Red Sox game against Cleveland. It is probably my fault they lost but I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer.
I haven't touched the feather and fan shawl in a week or so, but am not in a hurry.
I tied in the ends on my poncho which I started last spring. To get the correct gauge, I knit it rather more loosely than my normal stitch and may end up wishing I'd knit it tighter, but it is warm and pretty in Brown Sheep's berry heather (not the real name) color.
Zeben's socks are languishing. I need to have him try them on, but never seem to think of that when his feet are clean. Teenage boys' feet are not something you want to have your knitting touch unless they've just come out of the shower!!
WHAT I'M READING
I just finished the first book in the Sunday Philosopher's Club series, lent to my by my Aunt Alice. I'm not sure what I think of the book (my aunt and I love the Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series by the same author), but thoroughly enjoyed the scenes of Edinburgh in the story. I lived in Edinburgh for 7 months in 1981/2. I was a CSV (Community Service Volunteer -- a youth voluntary program in Britain), working in a psychiatric hospital, and loved being there. I think the neighborhood that the main character lives in is close to the neighborhood I lived in, Morningside. It was one of the most formative experiences of my life, so I'll probably read more of these just to get those peeks of Edinburgh.
And I've just started a book my mother lent me, called Shoutin' into the Fog: Growing up on Maine's Ragged Edge, by Thomas Hanna. From the introduction I get a hint of self-pity, but am keeping an open mind. I grew up near the coast myself, so am always interested in stories about the area.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Indian Summer
Last week the weather was hot -- unusually so for fall. Not as hot as it sometimes gets in the summer, but hot nonetheless. This was a challenge for me. I have July and August off from work (ah, the joys of a 10-month contract!) and therefore don't really have any summer work clothing. Even if I did work those months, I'd probably be wearing shorts anyway. So, I perspired my way through the week. Not exactly conducive to knitting, either.
But, the fall weather has returned and thoughts turn to holiday gifts and knitting. I've made quite a bit of progress on my jacket sleeves -- all that is left is the caps. As someone who sewed a lot of my own clothes in my younger years, I'm fascinated by many of Jean Frost's jacket patterns. They are definitely knit, but the more tailored shape means that the pieces look as if they were cut out of a sewing pattern. I'm not in love with the jacket I'm making, but had the right yarn for the pattern and am sure it will be a versatile wardrobe addition (lt. gray, cardigan). When I finish the sleeves I'll just have the collar and button bands to do. Then my plan is to actually follow the instructions on blocking. I usually ignore the need to block and end up being somewhat dismayed by the outcome of my hard work, but this time I want to do it right.
My other knitting progress has nothing to do with any of my current projects. A year or more ago, I had conversations with two different colleagues at work about the idea of starting a knitting group on campus. I'm finally following through on that idea and put an invitation out yesterday on the General Digest. In two weeks, I'm sponsoring a knitting lunch. It isn't a class, though I've invited beginners to come if they'd like. Rather, I'm hoping just to bring knitters of all levels together to share projects, solve challenges, and enjoy each other's company. I've had four people say they plan to come -- one saying that she hoped it would help her work on a sweater she wants to do but fears she may find too challenging -- exactly the kind of thing I was hoping would attract people!
I've offered to bring information to the first meeting about the knitting community on the internet -- videos, podcasts, blogs, etc. I don't know whether I'll mention this particular blog to them, but I may hint about its existence. With any luck, this will be a regular monthly meeting at lunch time on campus. Maybe I'll offer to replicate it for students in the spring.
I've also volunteered to teach a knitting Inspirations Course during Jan Plan. I've done it in the past a couple of times, but haven't been available to do it the past two years. I don't know if they already have someone else lined up, but I put in my offer. I am still in touch with a couple of students I met in one class nearly 6 years ago -- a side benefit of teaching.
ON MY NEEDLES
Besides the Jean Frost jacket, I've put some time in lately on the feather and fan scarf. It isn't hard and is growing steadily. I find, though, that I have to do the complete 4-row pattern every time I pick it up or I wouldn't know where to start the next time.
I haven't touched Zeben's socks. I'm just about to the heel, so will need some time to pay attention to what I'm doing. I'm taking a long weekend to celebrate my birthday this weekend, so maybe that will yield some quiet time.
I'm still really itching to do a lace shawl, so may have to take my blog commenter (my sister) up on her offer to pick one out for me to do!
WHAT I'M READING
My new Interweave Knits arrived. I used to subscribe to it for my mother and then she would pass the copies along to me. She's stopped knitting so I stopped subscribing. I'd buy it once in a while in a bookstore. This summer, though, I signed up for Interweave's Knitting Daily e-mail newsletter and at the same time subscribed to the magazine. It is well worth the investment. I'll give you a rundown of my magazine subscription list in another post -- I'm a magazine addict.
I also picked up the 25th anniversary copy of Vogue Knitting. What a tome! I'm working my way through the articles at the moment. I just finished the interviews of the "old guard" of knitting and am about to start reading the interviews of the "new guard," including the author of Knitter's Review who lives right here in Maine! Vogue patterns are often just a little too, well, stylish, for me, but I'm definitely enjoying this edition.
But, the fall weather has returned and thoughts turn to holiday gifts and knitting. I've made quite a bit of progress on my jacket sleeves -- all that is left is the caps. As someone who sewed a lot of my own clothes in my younger years, I'm fascinated by many of Jean Frost's jacket patterns. They are definitely knit, but the more tailored shape means that the pieces look as if they were cut out of a sewing pattern. I'm not in love with the jacket I'm making, but had the right yarn for the pattern and am sure it will be a versatile wardrobe addition (lt. gray, cardigan). When I finish the sleeves I'll just have the collar and button bands to do. Then my plan is to actually follow the instructions on blocking. I usually ignore the need to block and end up being somewhat dismayed by the outcome of my hard work, but this time I want to do it right.
My other knitting progress has nothing to do with any of my current projects. A year or more ago, I had conversations with two different colleagues at work about the idea of starting a knitting group on campus. I'm finally following through on that idea and put an invitation out yesterday on the General Digest. In two weeks, I'm sponsoring a knitting lunch. It isn't a class, though I've invited beginners to come if they'd like. Rather, I'm hoping just to bring knitters of all levels together to share projects, solve challenges, and enjoy each other's company. I've had four people say they plan to come -- one saying that she hoped it would help her work on a sweater she wants to do but fears she may find too challenging -- exactly the kind of thing I was hoping would attract people!
I've offered to bring information to the first meeting about the knitting community on the internet -- videos, podcasts, blogs, etc. I don't know whether I'll mention this particular blog to them, but I may hint about its existence. With any luck, this will be a regular monthly meeting at lunch time on campus. Maybe I'll offer to replicate it for students in the spring.
I've also volunteered to teach a knitting Inspirations Course during Jan Plan. I've done it in the past a couple of times, but haven't been available to do it the past two years. I don't know if they already have someone else lined up, but I put in my offer. I am still in touch with a couple of students I met in one class nearly 6 years ago -- a side benefit of teaching.
ON MY NEEDLES
Besides the Jean Frost jacket, I've put some time in lately on the feather and fan scarf. It isn't hard and is growing steadily. I find, though, that I have to do the complete 4-row pattern every time I pick it up or I wouldn't know where to start the next time.
I haven't touched Zeben's socks. I'm just about to the heel, so will need some time to pay attention to what I'm doing. I'm taking a long weekend to celebrate my birthday this weekend, so maybe that will yield some quiet time.
I'm still really itching to do a lace shawl, so may have to take my blog commenter (my sister) up on her offer to pick one out for me to do!
WHAT I'M READING
My new Interweave Knits arrived. I used to subscribe to it for my mother and then she would pass the copies along to me. She's stopped knitting so I stopped subscribing. I'd buy it once in a while in a bookstore. This summer, though, I signed up for Interweave's Knitting Daily e-mail newsletter and at the same time subscribed to the magazine. It is well worth the investment. I'll give you a rundown of my magazine subscription list in another post -- I'm a magazine addict.
I also picked up the 25th anniversary copy of Vogue Knitting. What a tome! I'm working my way through the articles at the moment. I just finished the interviews of the "old guard" of knitting and am about to start reading the interviews of the "new guard," including the author of Knitter's Review who lives right here in Maine! Vogue patterns are often just a little too, well, stylish, for me, but I'm definitely enjoying this edition.
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