I have a fairly severe reaction to the dark part of the year. I have an inclination to hibernate. On many evenings, by 7:30 at the latest, I'm yawning and ready to climb into bed. I can easily sleep 9 - 10 hours a night and still be tired the next day. This always eases as the days lengthen. Usually I see a change once I am able to leave the office and find it isn't completely dark already.
But, for the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, I fight back. Dating from when my sons were very young, after we'd moved into this house where we've lived for over 20 years, I started a tradition of listening to the Paul Winter Consort's Winter Solstice Concert on public radio and wrapping gifts, therefore staying up waaay past my usual (and certainly way past my winter unusual) bedtime. I visited St. John the Divine Cathedral a few years ago, and saw a Paul Winter Consort concert here in Waterville one time, so can easily picture what the Winter Solstice concert is like.
I think there have been son-related activities and events preventing this observance in the past couple of years, but tonight I fought back my urge to go to bed early and am nearly done wrapping gifts. My sons are home from their first semester at college, but both are out with friends. Don helped me mix up a batch of English fruitcake but headed to bed while I baked it off. That's OK. The longest night almost begs for solitude. But, I'm not really alone. Lydia, the youngest cat, likes to be close by, so I have good company. And, I have longer daylight to look forward to tomorrow. The first step toward summer!
ON MY NEEDLES
I am about to start the decrease for the wrist of the lace shrug I'm making for my mother. I can just about knit the pattern with my eyes closed now.
The pink socks need to have the toes grafted, but otherwise are done.
The Norwegian Woods shawl, in cream-colored Silky Alpaca Lace, is going agonizingly slowly at this point. I'm in the first repeat of the last of the three main sections. Now there are 357 stitches per row, and I can usually only get through two rows at a sitting as it takes so long now. But, it is beautifully soft and will be absolutely gorgeous when it is done. My first full shawl!
And, what will definitely be a late gift for Don, a nightcap made of purple (eggplant, really) cotton from the Franklin Habit pattern in Knitty. It is a little hard on my hands -- the cotton yarn and the #0 needles. But I love the pattern.
NOT YET ON MY NEEDLES
I have a $50 Visa gift card that I got for filling out a health assessment online through work and haven't yet spent it. I think I'm going to use it to buy yarn to make a Vivian Hoxbro Nihon Japanese Kimono sweater from her book, Shadow Knitting, in the purple/blue colorway. It looks like it will be more affordable if I buy the Harrisville Shetland yarn on cones rather than in skeins. If that is true, I think it will be my Christmas present to myself, with yarn purchased from Halcyon Yarns -- maybe on the way home from dropping my son off at the airport on Saturday (he's going back early to go to Florida on a training trip with his diving/swim team -- we are not feeling sorry for him).
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Wall Street Ought to Take Up Knitting
Knitting is a calming, productive way to manage stress. Personally, I'm tired of hearing about the hysteria on Wall Street and Main Street over the financial crisis. I work with people who check the market several (that's putting it mildly) times a day and worry about every few points it drops and bewail the losses. I, however, take much pleasure in imagining all those suits in NYC calming themselves down by picking up their pointy sticks and some yarn. Don't you think that could improve things? I've lived through these down cycles before and my meager financial investments always have rebounded. There isn't anything I can do about the situation, so I think I'll just knit. Luckily, my stash is deep enough that I can keep busy until the market recovers. And, if necessary, I can wait a long time because I also have a deep stash of quilting fabric. I'm golden.
The empty nest is beginning to feel more comfortable. I still have a regular crying jag on Saturday mornings, usually after Don has left to do his Saturday things. Silly things set it off, but it doesn't last long. I think it may have as much to do with how tired I am by the end of the work week as it has to do with anything else. Maybe this will be the first weekend it won't happen.
Instead of knitting, however, I'm finding myself to be on a cleaning out binge. First, I cleaned Zeben's room over the summer, with another cleaning needed after he was home for a week before going to college. Then, I cleaned Nate's room. Dust was thick on the bookshelves and books and junk on the shelves. Trash was in the closet and on the floor. I opened a big trunk he keeps in his room and it had a full load of dirty socks in it -- pee-uuw! The floors in both room have been washed, the beds made, and I can get to the windows for the first time in a long time. The linen closet in Nate's room is now organized so I can find things (now that I can actually get to the closet). Now, though, I need to get busy and, finally, paint the woodwork and wallpaper or paint the walls. That should keep me busy this winter.
This past weekend, I cleaned out a cupboard and the pantry shelves on our cellar stairwell wall. The impetus was an infestation of flour moths but the result was a lot of old stuff thrown out and a much-easier-to-find-things-in cupboard and pantry. One more cupboard to go, this weekend.
Now to organize and clean out the basement, garage, sewing room, porch, files & records, photos, recipe files, and..... yarn!
ON MY NEEDLES
Norwegian Woods Shawl #2 in Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in off-white. This one I'll make in the bigger version.
Lace shrug for my mother -- Knit Picks lace weight in blue & gray variegated. This is my second shrug from the Gathering of Lace pattern by Meg Swanson. No errata for this pattern!
A friend gave me two cones of purple pearl cotton and I found a lace bag in Gathering of Lace that called for pearl cotton. It has a series of hearts down the center of each side. I'm hoping to have two done by Christmas to give the daughters of our friends who are also twins and also freshmen in college. So far I'm about half way through the first one.
The pink socks turned out to have problems. To begin with, I forgot to make the second size instead of the smallest size. Also, somehow I lost some stitches and wanted to do a different heel than the one in the pattern. I ended up pulling them both out and starting again. I'll be happier with them in the end.
WHAT I'M READING
I just started The Mezzo Wore Mink by Mark Schweizer. This is the 6th in a series of hilarious novels in which the main character is both the Chief of Police for a small North Carolina town and the Episcopal Church organist. He's also a fan of Raymond Chandler and attempts to write his own mystery stories. Each one of these books has at least one belly laugh out loud episode (involving pirates, clowns, helium filled naked women balloons, competing "living creche" scenes with collapsing sets, a massage parlor called the "Upper Womb," an escaped gorilla, and really loony Episcopal priests and religious education directors), which makes them very therapeutic to read. Our church choir has invested in the full set and has happily shared them. A new member of our choir, a retired priest, is currently working her way through the first couple of books -- she decided she'd better read them after we regaled her with our desire to put on a Pirate Eucharist based on one of the books.
The empty nest is beginning to feel more comfortable. I still have a regular crying jag on Saturday mornings, usually after Don has left to do his Saturday things. Silly things set it off, but it doesn't last long. I think it may have as much to do with how tired I am by the end of the work week as it has to do with anything else. Maybe this will be the first weekend it won't happen.
Instead of knitting, however, I'm finding myself to be on a cleaning out binge. First, I cleaned Zeben's room over the summer, with another cleaning needed after he was home for a week before going to college. Then, I cleaned Nate's room. Dust was thick on the bookshelves and books and junk on the shelves. Trash was in the closet and on the floor. I opened a big trunk he keeps in his room and it had a full load of dirty socks in it -- pee-uuw! The floors in both room have been washed, the beds made, and I can get to the windows for the first time in a long time. The linen closet in Nate's room is now organized so I can find things (now that I can actually get to the closet). Now, though, I need to get busy and, finally, paint the woodwork and wallpaper or paint the walls. That should keep me busy this winter.
This past weekend, I cleaned out a cupboard and the pantry shelves on our cellar stairwell wall. The impetus was an infestation of flour moths but the result was a lot of old stuff thrown out and a much-easier-to-find-things-in cupboard and pantry. One more cupboard to go, this weekend.
Now to organize and clean out the basement, garage, sewing room, porch, files & records, photos, recipe files, and..... yarn!
ON MY NEEDLES
Norwegian Woods Shawl #2 in Classic Elite Silky Alpaca Lace in off-white. This one I'll make in the bigger version.
Lace shrug for my mother -- Knit Picks lace weight in blue & gray variegated. This is my second shrug from the Gathering of Lace pattern by Meg Swanson. No errata for this pattern!
A friend gave me two cones of purple pearl cotton and I found a lace bag in Gathering of Lace that called for pearl cotton. It has a series of hearts down the center of each side. I'm hoping to have two done by Christmas to give the daughters of our friends who are also twins and also freshmen in college. So far I'm about half way through the first one.
The pink socks turned out to have problems. To begin with, I forgot to make the second size instead of the smallest size. Also, somehow I lost some stitches and wanted to do a different heel than the one in the pattern. I ended up pulling them both out and starting again. I'll be happier with them in the end.
WHAT I'M READING
I just started The Mezzo Wore Mink by Mark Schweizer. This is the 6th in a series of hilarious novels in which the main character is both the Chief of Police for a small North Carolina town and the Episcopal Church organist. He's also a fan of Raymond Chandler and attempts to write his own mystery stories. Each one of these books has at least one belly laugh out loud episode (involving pirates, clowns, helium filled naked women balloons, competing "living creche" scenes with collapsing sets, a massage parlor called the "Upper Womb," an escaped gorilla, and really loony Episcopal priests and religious education directors), which makes them very therapeutic to read. Our church choir has invested in the full set and has happily shared them. A new member of our choir, a retired priest, is currently working her way through the first couple of books -- she decided she'd better read them after we regaled her with our desire to put on a Pirate Eucharist based on one of the books.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Music (and Knitting): Good for the Soul
Yesterday we got a last minute invitation to a barn concert at a friend's farm in Skowhegan. We were en route to UNH to visit our son (and take him a few necessary items, such as a sweatshirt, as it is starting to get cold in the evenings here in New England) when we got a call from DH's friend's wife -- apparently the invitation was to be delivered earlier in the week but Don's friend forgot. Any-who, we were planning to be back early anyway, so were able to get to the party right on time.
These friends live outside of Skowhegan on a dirt road. We wound our way along in the dark until we got to a field where everyone was directed to park. We then walked about 100 yards further down the road to the barn. There were torches burning around the barnyard and the barn doors were open, revealing the 3-person bluegrass band that was the evening's entertainment. The horses were in their stalls behind the band and seemed not to care that anything unusual was taking place.
A table had been set up for the pot-luck dinner/snacks that everyone brought. There was a fire burning in a fire-ring a bit further into the woods and people were setting up lawn chairs in front of the barn and by the fire. It was a thoroughly charming and warm group of people and such a cozy, neighborly setting. We even ran into someone we knew from home (about 20 miles away).
At various points through the evening people were inspired to dance. At the band's break, there was even a limbo going on, followed by the Twist. All we needed was someone to call a square dance, but no one 'fessed up to knowing how. DH and I danced a few times, chatted with old and new friends, and had a long discussion with an enthusiastic student of history and political science at UMaine (our hosts' son and daughter are both students at UMO and had brought friends)about medieval history and African politics.
When we finally decided to head home, we used moonlight to help us find our way back to the field where we had parked. What a lovely evening.
Also on the musical front, church choir has been back in practice the past two Thursdays and we sang at our first service of the season this morning. It really does make a difference in the mood of the service to have an enthusiastic choir. Our interim priest seems to be very appreciative too, which is nice.
Then, at coffee hour my friend brought a project she's been working on to show me. She is studying for the priesthood and has a friend from the seminary who is about to be ordained as a Congregational minister. She has been knitting her friend a stole and I've been able to watch the entire creative process unfold. She bought the yarn on one of our knitting boondoggles to Webs last spring. I've oohed and aahed over swatches and been consulted for some problem solving. It is nearly done and is quite beautiful. It was a lovely treat to look at and kept me from the calorie laden treat table on the other side of the room.
All of these things are tangible reminders of how very fortunate my family and I are in this life we lead. I feel nourished and renewed -- isn't that what a weekend should do?
ON MY NEEDLES
I got up early this morning and put a few rows in on my yoga mat bag -- I'm nearly to the the point of putting a bottom and then the strap on it.
Braids cardigan -- haven't touched it since the trip to take Nate to college.
Norwegian Woods Shawl. I'm doing this pattern again, but this time in cream wool and silk yarn and will do the larger size -- truly a shawl and not a scarf.
Mom's Shrug. I'm making a shrug for my mother from the same pattern I made one for my sister from. It has been a treat to go back to this pattern -- my hands remember it and it is going very smoothly. As a side benefit, I asked a friend at church if I could borrow her copy of the book the pattern came from as I wanted to re-photocopy the pattern and enlarge it (these eyes just don't work as well as they used to and I need to get my prescription updated). By the time she brought it to me, I'd already found another copy to look at, but she said she'd been given another copy and so was giving me her extra copy! Now I'm slobbering over a number of other lace projects -- all of which just have to wait until I get a few other things done.
WHAT I'M READING
Zeben gave me a book about the Mitford novels as an early birthday present and I'm working my way through that at night.
And, I downloaded the second Amelia Peabody mystery and we started listening to it on our way home from NH yesterday.
These friends live outside of Skowhegan on a dirt road. We wound our way along in the dark until we got to a field where everyone was directed to park. We then walked about 100 yards further down the road to the barn. There were torches burning around the barnyard and the barn doors were open, revealing the 3-person bluegrass band that was the evening's entertainment. The horses were in their stalls behind the band and seemed not to care that anything unusual was taking place.
A table had been set up for the pot-luck dinner/snacks that everyone brought. There was a fire burning in a fire-ring a bit further into the woods and people were setting up lawn chairs in front of the barn and by the fire. It was a thoroughly charming and warm group of people and such a cozy, neighborly setting. We even ran into someone we knew from home (about 20 miles away).
At various points through the evening people were inspired to dance. At the band's break, there was even a limbo going on, followed by the Twist. All we needed was someone to call a square dance, but no one 'fessed up to knowing how. DH and I danced a few times, chatted with old and new friends, and had a long discussion with an enthusiastic student of history and political science at UMaine (our hosts' son and daughter are both students at UMO and had brought friends)about medieval history and African politics.
When we finally decided to head home, we used moonlight to help us find our way back to the field where we had parked. What a lovely evening.
Also on the musical front, church choir has been back in practice the past two Thursdays and we sang at our first service of the season this morning. It really does make a difference in the mood of the service to have an enthusiastic choir. Our interim priest seems to be very appreciative too, which is nice.
Then, at coffee hour my friend brought a project she's been working on to show me. She is studying for the priesthood and has a friend from the seminary who is about to be ordained as a Congregational minister. She has been knitting her friend a stole and I've been able to watch the entire creative process unfold. She bought the yarn on one of our knitting boondoggles to Webs last spring. I've oohed and aahed over swatches and been consulted for some problem solving. It is nearly done and is quite beautiful. It was a lovely treat to look at and kept me from the calorie laden treat table on the other side of the room.
All of these things are tangible reminders of how very fortunate my family and I are in this life we lead. I feel nourished and renewed -- isn't that what a weekend should do?
ON MY NEEDLES
I got up early this morning and put a few rows in on my yoga mat bag -- I'm nearly to the the point of putting a bottom and then the strap on it.
Braids cardigan -- haven't touched it since the trip to take Nate to college.
Norwegian Woods Shawl. I'm doing this pattern again, but this time in cream wool and silk yarn and will do the larger size -- truly a shawl and not a scarf.
Mom's Shrug. I'm making a shrug for my mother from the same pattern I made one for my sister from. It has been a treat to go back to this pattern -- my hands remember it and it is going very smoothly. As a side benefit, I asked a friend at church if I could borrow her copy of the book the pattern came from as I wanted to re-photocopy the pattern and enlarge it (these eyes just don't work as well as they used to and I need to get my prescription updated). By the time she brought it to me, I'd already found another copy to look at, but she said she'd been given another copy and so was giving me her extra copy! Now I'm slobbering over a number of other lace projects -- all of which just have to wait until I get a few other things done.
WHAT I'M READING
Zeben gave me a book about the Mitford novels as an early birthday present and I'm working my way through that at night.
And, I downloaded the second Amelia Peabody mystery and we started listening to it on our way home from NH yesterday.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
All Gone, But Not Forgotten
Dropping son #2 at college was actually more difficult than we'd imagined -- especially for my husband. A few miles from campus he asked me how I felt. I replied, "sad," and he didn't say anything, but a few minutes later (I was driving) I looked over and he was raining tears. And we couldn't find any tissues.
We went and spent the night at my sister's house, and went to my parents' house for a barbecue the next day, so didn't get home to our empty house until Sunday night. We watched an episode of Northern Exposure (we're working our way through the quirky series we were avid fans of in the late 80's) and went to bed -- exhausted.
On Wednesday evening, I finally stepped into Nate's room and got the urge to start cleaning. Today, Saturday, I spent most of the morning in there -- throwing several bags of trash away. Both boys' rooms will be cleaned out by the time they come home again, though I doubt we'll get to do the painting and wallpapering that those rooms desperately need before they come home for fall or even winter break. But, I feel a sense of accomplishment, just being able to walk through the rooms without impediment.
I actually really love both the thought of being organized and the act of cleaning out rooms, closets, boxes, etc. For some reason, though, I'm not as good at keeping things organized once I've cleaned them. That is especially true of my knitting stuff. I haven't settled on a happy way to store needles, for example -- especially round needles and the bamboo flexi-needles that are so much gentler on my wrists. And, my yarn stash needs more space than I currently cram it into. My plans for cleaning out our house involve a kind of complex domino set up. Cleaning out the boys' rooms will give me room to overflow into as I clean out and organize other rooms. Besides yarn, I have lots of books to organize.
So, I'm thinking about my boys a lot as I sift through the detritis left behind in the rooms they've occupied nearly their entire lives so far. No surprises yet, just lots of trash and good memories.
ON MY NEEDLES
I started a shrug for my Mom, using the lace shrug pattern from A Gathering of Lace. I made one for my sister some time ago so I'm absolutely sure there are no mistakes in this pattern! I'm using a Knit Picks variegated yarn in blues that they no longer sell. I bought three batches of the yarn when it was on close-out and hope to make, eventually, a third one of these for myself at some point.
Pink socks are coming along. I've decided to ignore the pattern directions and use the heel I like from another pattern. I may have made them too small, but we'll see how they turn out.
Braids Cardigan -- I worked on it on the way to NH. Hopefully I'll have enough yarn to complete it and won't have to rip it out to make it shorter.
Other stuff -- I just downloaded the Knitting Daily pattern for Vivian Hoxbro's potholder and made a square out of some scrap yarn. I figured that the only way I'd understand the pattern would be to actually do it step by step. Fun!
Being back to work and the activity of the beginning of the school year makes for much less knitting time!
We went and spent the night at my sister's house, and went to my parents' house for a barbecue the next day, so didn't get home to our empty house until Sunday night. We watched an episode of Northern Exposure (we're working our way through the quirky series we were avid fans of in the late 80's) and went to bed -- exhausted.
On Wednesday evening, I finally stepped into Nate's room and got the urge to start cleaning. Today, Saturday, I spent most of the morning in there -- throwing several bags of trash away. Both boys' rooms will be cleaned out by the time they come home again, though I doubt we'll get to do the painting and wallpapering that those rooms desperately need before they come home for fall or even winter break. But, I feel a sense of accomplishment, just being able to walk through the rooms without impediment.
I actually really love both the thought of being organized and the act of cleaning out rooms, closets, boxes, etc. For some reason, though, I'm not as good at keeping things organized once I've cleaned them. That is especially true of my knitting stuff. I haven't settled on a happy way to store needles, for example -- especially round needles and the bamboo flexi-needles that are so much gentler on my wrists. And, my yarn stash needs more space than I currently cram it into. My plans for cleaning out our house involve a kind of complex domino set up. Cleaning out the boys' rooms will give me room to overflow into as I clean out and organize other rooms. Besides yarn, I have lots of books to organize.
So, I'm thinking about my boys a lot as I sift through the detritis left behind in the rooms they've occupied nearly their entire lives so far. No surprises yet, just lots of trash and good memories.
ON MY NEEDLES
I started a shrug for my Mom, using the lace shrug pattern from A Gathering of Lace. I made one for my sister some time ago so I'm absolutely sure there are no mistakes in this pattern! I'm using a Knit Picks variegated yarn in blues that they no longer sell. I bought three batches of the yarn when it was on close-out and hope to make, eventually, a third one of these for myself at some point.
Pink socks are coming along. I've decided to ignore the pattern directions and use the heel I like from another pattern. I may have made them too small, but we'll see how they turn out.
Braids Cardigan -- I worked on it on the way to NH. Hopefully I'll have enough yarn to complete it and won't have to rip it out to make it shorter.
Other stuff -- I just downloaded the Knitting Daily pattern for Vivian Hoxbro's potholder and made a square out of some scrap yarn. I figured that the only way I'd understand the pattern would be to actually do it step by step. Fun!
Being back to work and the activity of the beginning of the school year makes for much less knitting time!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
One Down, One to Go
We dropped our eldest son (eldest by 1 hr 42 mins) at Allegheny College this past weekend. It turned out that there were more tears in the anticipatory period than in the actual experience, though none of the three of us were dry-eyed at the very last good-bye. But, none of us were sobbing either. All in all, we're all three very sure he is at the very best place he could be -- I'd love to work there or be a student there myself!
Our youngest son goes off to college (University of New Hampshire) this Saturday (thankfully they didn't have to go at the same time). This one is only going to be 2 hours away, while the first involved 13 hours of driving in each direction. I think our relief at getting through the first one is going to make this one a bit easier. Tonight at dinner he asked me if I cried a lot last weekend -- I asked if he was trying to figure out how much I might cry this weekend and he grinned at me. I assured him I had saved some tears for him.
I still remember the moment, just before Christmas one year when I was a young teenager, when I realized that, at least for me, the anticipation is usually greater than the realization for most experiences. I'm a big anticipater (anticipator?) -- I enjoy the planning ahead, the imagining of my experience, the looking forward to events, and just the sense of all of the possibilities that lie ahead. That is also reflected in my knitting. My stash is full of anticipated projects. The stash is out of hand when I revel in anticipation so much that it gets ahead of my ability to actually start or finish projects.
Of course, I managed to fit a side trip to Webs and Northampton (for lunch) into my trip -- we were going right by, after all! DH and son were happy to see the easy chairs in the front of the store and I kept my promise not to spend too much time drooling and buying but did manage to get Misti Alpaca Lace in heather green for my next Sivia Harding shawl.
ON MY NEEDLES
Well, the Pi Shawl was going great (now that I have the correct chart) on the trip out, but on Saturday night I lost control of one of the repeats, tried to drop that section down a row or two to get it back and it just didn't work. So, I frogged the whole section back to the safety line once again. I think I'm really just going to put it aside for a while and start another lace project to keep me going for a while.
I am almost up to the armholes for the Braids Cardigan, and am working on a pair of pink self-striping pair of socks. Those two projects will keep me happy for a while, I think.
WHAT I'M READING
OK, we're talking books on tape here -- I can't read in the car or I get sick, so with all the time I've been on the road, I'm not getting much reading time. I downloaded an Amelia Peabody mystery for the trip. We all enjoyed it immensely and it made the travel much more enjoyable. While it was a mystery, we mostly enjoyed the British humor in it and very much enjoyed the reader. I'm going to download the next one tonight.
Our youngest son goes off to college (University of New Hampshire) this Saturday (thankfully they didn't have to go at the same time). This one is only going to be 2 hours away, while the first involved 13 hours of driving in each direction. I think our relief at getting through the first one is going to make this one a bit easier. Tonight at dinner he asked me if I cried a lot last weekend -- I asked if he was trying to figure out how much I might cry this weekend and he grinned at me. I assured him I had saved some tears for him.
I still remember the moment, just before Christmas one year when I was a young teenager, when I realized that, at least for me, the anticipation is usually greater than the realization for most experiences. I'm a big anticipater (anticipator?) -- I enjoy the planning ahead, the imagining of my experience, the looking forward to events, and just the sense of all of the possibilities that lie ahead. That is also reflected in my knitting. My stash is full of anticipated projects. The stash is out of hand when I revel in anticipation so much that it gets ahead of my ability to actually start or finish projects.
Of course, I managed to fit a side trip to Webs and Northampton (for lunch) into my trip -- we were going right by, after all! DH and son were happy to see the easy chairs in the front of the store and I kept my promise not to spend too much time drooling and buying but did manage to get Misti Alpaca Lace in heather green for my next Sivia Harding shawl.
ON MY NEEDLES
Well, the Pi Shawl was going great (now that I have the correct chart) on the trip out, but on Saturday night I lost control of one of the repeats, tried to drop that section down a row or two to get it back and it just didn't work. So, I frogged the whole section back to the safety line once again. I think I'm really just going to put it aside for a while and start another lace project to keep me going for a while.
I am almost up to the armholes for the Braids Cardigan, and am working on a pair of pink self-striping pair of socks. Those two projects will keep me happy for a while, I think.
WHAT I'M READING
OK, we're talking books on tape here -- I can't read in the car or I get sick, so with all the time I've been on the road, I'm not getting much reading time. I downloaded an Amelia Peabody mystery for the trip. We all enjoyed it immensely and it made the travel much more enjoyable. While it was a mystery, we mostly enjoyed the British humor in it and very much enjoyed the reader. I'm going to download the next one tonight.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Errata
I frogged my Shetland Tea Shawl back to the safety line. I'd put off the frogging for weeks, keeping the shawl in "time out," as some knitters like to say, but just taking out the knitting that was obviously not working felt good and I started back in on the shawl instead of putting it aside for a while as I'd planned.
Well, twelve rows into the Diamon Madeira chart, it became apparent that the problem had NOT been with me. I wasn't inattentive or unskilled when I worked on this the first time. How do I know? My very attentive and careful second knitting has given me the same misshapen diamonds I got the first time!
Hmmm, I thought, what am I doing wrong? Hmmm, I thought, maybe there is something wrong with the way I'm reading the chart. Hmmm, I thought, maybe there is something wrong with the chart!
I've just gone online and downloaded the "errata" for the book the pattern is in. Yep, not only is there a note about moving the pattern over one stitch on 8 of the 36 rows -- the chart is completely different!!!!! No wonder 1) the pattern didn't look anything like the one in the photograph and 2) I couldn't even get the pattern straight.
Wouldn't it be nice if life offered you a chance to publish your own errata periodically? As I transition into a different phase of parenting, I worry that I have missed something in preparing my sons for the "real world." As they stumble through the pains of becoming an adult, I wish I could have given them something that would make it easier -- even though they make it abundantly clear that they need and want to make their own mistakes and not direct their lives completely on my and my husband's pontifications about our own discoveries of how things should work or be done.
Could I please go back and re-do the parenting experience and get it right the way I'm going to pull out that Diamond Madeira pattern one more time and strive for perfection? No. Maybe that is why I find knitting so comforting in a family and work life that doesn't allow do-overs. Knitting comes with a chart to follow -- you know what the result will look like if you just follow the pattern. Well, most of the time you do. But if it isn't working, take my advice and don't assume you are the problem -- look for the errata.
ON MY NEEDLES
Yep, that green Shetland Tea Shawl is still on the needles. I'll try to go back to the safety line one more time so I can knit in the car on our way to PA this week.
Some progress on the pink socks.
No progress on the braids cardigan.
Plans to get back to the Sunset Circle Jacket and the Tilted Duster.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Baby Poonan. I just need to sew on the buttons. And, I just learned about a former student who is pregnant, so I need to cast on another baby sweater right away.
Well, twelve rows into the Diamon Madeira chart, it became apparent that the problem had NOT been with me. I wasn't inattentive or unskilled when I worked on this the first time. How do I know? My very attentive and careful second knitting has given me the same misshapen diamonds I got the first time!
Hmmm, I thought, what am I doing wrong? Hmmm, I thought, maybe there is something wrong with the way I'm reading the chart. Hmmm, I thought, maybe there is something wrong with the chart!
I've just gone online and downloaded the "errata" for the book the pattern is in. Yep, not only is there a note about moving the pattern over one stitch on 8 of the 36 rows -- the chart is completely different!!!!! No wonder 1) the pattern didn't look anything like the one in the photograph and 2) I couldn't even get the pattern straight.
Wouldn't it be nice if life offered you a chance to publish your own errata periodically? As I transition into a different phase of parenting, I worry that I have missed something in preparing my sons for the "real world." As they stumble through the pains of becoming an adult, I wish I could have given them something that would make it easier -- even though they make it abundantly clear that they need and want to make their own mistakes and not direct their lives completely on my and my husband's pontifications about our own discoveries of how things should work or be done.
Could I please go back and re-do the parenting experience and get it right the way I'm going to pull out that Diamond Madeira pattern one more time and strive for perfection? No. Maybe that is why I find knitting so comforting in a family and work life that doesn't allow do-overs. Knitting comes with a chart to follow -- you know what the result will look like if you just follow the pattern. Well, most of the time you do. But if it isn't working, take my advice and don't assume you are the problem -- look for the errata.
ON MY NEEDLES
Yep, that green Shetland Tea Shawl is still on the needles. I'll try to go back to the safety line one more time so I can knit in the car on our way to PA this week.
Some progress on the pink socks.
No progress on the braids cardigan.
Plans to get back to the Sunset Circle Jacket and the Tilted Duster.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Baby Poonan. I just need to sew on the buttons. And, I just learned about a former student who is pregnant, so I need to cast on another baby sweater right away.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A Project Finished - Nearly
After stopping and starting this project several times over the past few months, it is done! I've finished wallpapering the room we call "the fireplace room" -- basically a sitting room, but not our "living room," even though I spend more time in this room than just about any other. I was very definitely stalled until my sister came to visit a couple of weeks ago and helped me get it going again. She helped me get through the most difficult wall of the room and to a place where I could manage the rest of the project completely on my own. I put the last tiny piece (at the corner of the triangle wall below the stairs) in place this morning -- hurrah!
This last section of wall looked like it would be a piece of cake to do, but when I looked more closely, I decided I should remove the old wallpaper or the new would actually stick out further than the edges of the wood trim. Once I got going on that, I realized that there were 7 or 8 layers of wallpaper on this wall!! Of course, most of the top 5 layers came off easily, but those last two layers involved spraying with water and patiently scraping section by section. Then a bit of sanding, and a layer of wallpaper primer, and, finally, new wallpaper.
Now I need to paint the bricks around the fireplace -- they are bright white and need to be toned down a bit with the creamy Cottage White we are slowly using throughout the house on trim as we replace the trim around windows, etc. And, I've painted the window trim, but not the windows themselves, so should get to that soon. And, I'll have to think about what we'll have on the walls. So, I'm nearly done, but it feels great!
Here's a photo of wallpaper and my knitting corner (all cleaned up for the moment).
ON MY NEEDLES
And, between bouts of scraping, I got one sleeve of the Poonan Baby Sweater done and am about 1/3 through the second. My hands are a bit achy from scraping, and from going bowling after scraping all day, but it doesn't seem to slow my knitting down.
PODCASTS
Working my way through Pointy Sticks (up to #6)and Cast On (up to #9). I'm up to the present with Knit Picks, Ready,Set,Knit, and Stash and Burn. I had my ipod on my little speaker thing that I found at Marden's for $5 a couple of years ago and so Don has been hearing some of these podcasts while I was wallpapering. He enjoyed the music but I think was a bit surprised to hear that knitting is a subversive social activity.
This last section of wall looked like it would be a piece of cake to do, but when I looked more closely, I decided I should remove the old wallpaper or the new would actually stick out further than the edges of the wood trim. Once I got going on that, I realized that there were 7 or 8 layers of wallpaper on this wall!! Of course, most of the top 5 layers came off easily, but those last two layers involved spraying with water and patiently scraping section by section. Then a bit of sanding, and a layer of wallpaper primer, and, finally, new wallpaper.
Now I need to paint the bricks around the fireplace -- they are bright white and need to be toned down a bit with the creamy Cottage White we are slowly using throughout the house on trim as we replace the trim around windows, etc. And, I've painted the window trim, but not the windows themselves, so should get to that soon. And, I'll have to think about what we'll have on the walls. So, I'm nearly done, but it feels great!
Here's a photo of wallpaper and my knitting corner (all cleaned up for the moment).
ON MY NEEDLES
And, between bouts of scraping, I got one sleeve of the Poonan Baby Sweater done and am about 1/3 through the second. My hands are a bit achy from scraping, and from going bowling after scraping all day, but it doesn't seem to slow my knitting down.
PODCASTS
Working my way through Pointy Sticks (up to #6)and Cast On (up to #9). I'm up to the present with Knit Picks, Ready,Set,Knit, and Stash and Burn. I had my ipod on my little speaker thing that I found at Marden's for $5 a couple of years ago and so Don has been hearing some of these podcasts while I was wallpapering. He enjoyed the music but I think was a bit surprised to hear that knitting is a subversive social activity.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Damp Season
I'm borrowing a phrase from our Bishop who is retiring in another month. In the spring I, along with many other members of our parish choir, sang at an Evensong that began Bishop Chilton's retirement activities. In her remarks, she described it as the beginning of her "damp season."
Last May/June was an exceedingly damp season for me. All of the whirlwind of my twin sons' graduation activities was punctuated by tearful moments --some of which caught me by surprise. Tears would just sneak up on me at odd moments. Of course, it didn't help that I was quite exhausted from the academic year which was full of uncertainties and ups and downs that took a lot of energy. But, I'm not much of a cryer and not given to dramatics so I appreciated Bishop Chilton's description.
I'm heading into another damp season. I've been caught tearing up a couple of times and had an out and out sob or two this morning when I pulled the "Back to School" circular out of the newspaper. I realized this morning that I'm no longer a "mommy." Not that I've really been mommy for a long time -- my sons are, after all, 19 years old and have been taller than me for several years now. I guess I just hadn't thought about it that way.
I still, however, fill the mommy role when needed. When one son was having a damp night, parting ways with one of his best friends who is going to college in Oklahoma and won't be home until Christmas, I found myself administering hugs, going out for ice cream, and making to-do/to-buy lists with him even though what I really wanted to do was go to bed. Every mommy knows that after dark is when the emotions come out with teenagers!
We head for western Pennsylvania next Thursday with Zeben. We'll visit with friends along the way, which we're all looking forward to. I'm sure the trip home will be exceedingly damp -- Don will have to drive the first leg. But, to make the whole thing better, I'm planning a side trip to Northampton, MA to have lunch and stop in at Webs (though I haven't mentioned this to husband or son yet). Maybe we can stop there both on the way out and on the way home! I'm also starting my packing list and heading it up is my knitting. I'll need a project I don't have to give a lot of thought to as well as a project that will focus my attention. Not a problem -- I've got plenty to choose from!
My other son's drop off to college comes a week later and is just a couple of hours away. He's rooming with a friend from home, so there isn't the anxiety of trying to get there first to choose the best bunk (as they always wanted to do when going to camp). I'm already scoping out yarn stores in the UNH area, though.
ON MY NEEDLES
I started to frog the Pi Shawl, but realized that I had a safety line in place between the section I was having trouble with and the previous section. So, instead of frogging completely, I went back to the safety line and have started the problem section over. I'm just going to take my time and not try to rush the section as I had been doing. Each row has 574 stitches and 41 repeats of the 14-stitch pattern. I am trying to get 1/3 or 1/2 a row done each day, at which rate it will take a minimum of 72 days to get through. This, however, will be a good car project when I need to have something to pay attention to. It isn't a very appealing project on the needles -- like all lace knitting, it is bumpy and lumpy and hard to imagine as a lovely, lacy garment.
I re-started the Braids Cardigan, deciding to make the longer version instead of the shorter version. This is a project which doesn't take a lot of attention all of the time. I'll need to pay attention briefly when I reach the armholes and when I do the neck and button bands or pick up the stitches for the sleeves. But, the knitting is very straightforward.
I've got a pair of socks going -- the Uptown Boot Socks from the Favorite Socks collection. I'm using a Regia self-striping yarn in pink, fuschia, orange, red, and grey. Sounds garish, but actually is quite nice. I think I like the fact that I started the top with the fuschia. Starting it with the red would have given it a whole different feel.
The front and back of the Poonan Baby Sweater is done and I've started on the first sleeve. You pick up the stitches from the body and knit to the wrist, so when the sleeves are done, all that will be left is to sew the side seams. I spent some time this morning weaving in ends so that I don't have to deal with them when I finish the sleeves. The pattern has a few oddities I don't love, so I have a feeling I won't make this one again, but it will certainly make a good baby gift.
And, I'm still working slowly on my yoga mat bag. I may take that one our trip too. I'd love to have it done for the beginning of yoga classes on campus after Labor Day.
OFF MY NEEDLES
I've finished and blocked the Swallowtail Shawl. The points didn't come out on the edges, though. Either I bound off too tightly or I didn't pull on it enough when blocking. A friend blocked hers (same yarn, different color) and the points were great. I may have to re-block it, though it is quite pretty as is.
WHAT I'M READING
I succumbed to temptation and bought several books through the Interweave Hurt Books Sale. They are all in wonderful shape, so I'm not sure how they came to be in the sale. I'm intrigued by Vivian Hoxbro's Shadow Knitting. I've been working my way slowly through In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool which describes the qualities of wool by sheep breed. I'll feel ever so much more knowledgeable when I go to the Common Ground Fair this fall! I haven't yet looked closely at the Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters book and the other two books I got were reference books on finishing techniques and crochet (not being much of a crocheter, I always have to relearn it when I need it). Too bad I can't read in the car -- I'll just have to knit!
PODCAST UPDATE
I've found a couple of new podcasts to listen to. The latest is Pointy Sticks. As usual, I'm starting from the beginning and am only up to #5, which is from April of 2006, I believe. She has the best music I've heard on any knitting podcast, including one song in the first show about Ikea, which I can't wait to play for my sisters!
Last May/June was an exceedingly damp season for me. All of the whirlwind of my twin sons' graduation activities was punctuated by tearful moments --some of which caught me by surprise. Tears would just sneak up on me at odd moments. Of course, it didn't help that I was quite exhausted from the academic year which was full of uncertainties and ups and downs that took a lot of energy. But, I'm not much of a cryer and not given to dramatics so I appreciated Bishop Chilton's description.
I'm heading into another damp season. I've been caught tearing up a couple of times and had an out and out sob or two this morning when I pulled the "Back to School" circular out of the newspaper. I realized this morning that I'm no longer a "mommy." Not that I've really been mommy for a long time -- my sons are, after all, 19 years old and have been taller than me for several years now. I guess I just hadn't thought about it that way.
I still, however, fill the mommy role when needed. When one son was having a damp night, parting ways with one of his best friends who is going to college in Oklahoma and won't be home until Christmas, I found myself administering hugs, going out for ice cream, and making to-do/to-buy lists with him even though what I really wanted to do was go to bed. Every mommy knows that after dark is when the emotions come out with teenagers!
We head for western Pennsylvania next Thursday with Zeben. We'll visit with friends along the way, which we're all looking forward to. I'm sure the trip home will be exceedingly damp -- Don will have to drive the first leg. But, to make the whole thing better, I'm planning a side trip to Northampton, MA to have lunch and stop in at Webs (though I haven't mentioned this to husband or son yet). Maybe we can stop there both on the way out and on the way home! I'm also starting my packing list and heading it up is my knitting. I'll need a project I don't have to give a lot of thought to as well as a project that will focus my attention. Not a problem -- I've got plenty to choose from!
My other son's drop off to college comes a week later and is just a couple of hours away. He's rooming with a friend from home, so there isn't the anxiety of trying to get there first to choose the best bunk (as they always wanted to do when going to camp). I'm already scoping out yarn stores in the UNH area, though.
ON MY NEEDLES
I started to frog the Pi Shawl, but realized that I had a safety line in place between the section I was having trouble with and the previous section. So, instead of frogging completely, I went back to the safety line and have started the problem section over. I'm just going to take my time and not try to rush the section as I had been doing. Each row has 574 stitches and 41 repeats of the 14-stitch pattern. I am trying to get 1/3 or 1/2 a row done each day, at which rate it will take a minimum of 72 days to get through. This, however, will be a good car project when I need to have something to pay attention to. It isn't a very appealing project on the needles -- like all lace knitting, it is bumpy and lumpy and hard to imagine as a lovely, lacy garment.
I re-started the Braids Cardigan, deciding to make the longer version instead of the shorter version. This is a project which doesn't take a lot of attention all of the time. I'll need to pay attention briefly when I reach the armholes and when I do the neck and button bands or pick up the stitches for the sleeves. But, the knitting is very straightforward.
I've got a pair of socks going -- the Uptown Boot Socks from the Favorite Socks collection. I'm using a Regia self-striping yarn in pink, fuschia, orange, red, and grey. Sounds garish, but actually is quite nice. I think I like the fact that I started the top with the fuschia. Starting it with the red would have given it a whole different feel.
The front and back of the Poonan Baby Sweater is done and I've started on the first sleeve. You pick up the stitches from the body and knit to the wrist, so when the sleeves are done, all that will be left is to sew the side seams. I spent some time this morning weaving in ends so that I don't have to deal with them when I finish the sleeves. The pattern has a few oddities I don't love, so I have a feeling I won't make this one again, but it will certainly make a good baby gift.
And, I'm still working slowly on my yoga mat bag. I may take that one our trip too. I'd love to have it done for the beginning of yoga classes on campus after Labor Day.
OFF MY NEEDLES
I've finished and blocked the Swallowtail Shawl. The points didn't come out on the edges, though. Either I bound off too tightly or I didn't pull on it enough when blocking. A friend blocked hers (same yarn, different color) and the points were great. I may have to re-block it, though it is quite pretty as is.
WHAT I'M READING
I succumbed to temptation and bought several books through the Interweave Hurt Books Sale. They are all in wonderful shape, so I'm not sure how they came to be in the sale. I'm intrigued by Vivian Hoxbro's Shadow Knitting. I've been working my way slowly through In Sheep's Clothing: A Handspinner's Guide to Wool which describes the qualities of wool by sheep breed. I'll feel ever so much more knowledgeable when I go to the Common Ground Fair this fall! I haven't yet looked closely at the Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters book and the other two books I got were reference books on finishing techniques and crochet (not being much of a crocheter, I always have to relearn it when I need it). Too bad I can't read in the car -- I'll just have to knit!
PODCAST UPDATE
I've found a couple of new podcasts to listen to. The latest is Pointy Sticks. As usual, I'm starting from the beginning and am only up to #5, which is from April of 2006, I believe. She has the best music I've heard on any knitting podcast, including one song in the first show about Ikea, which I can't wait to play for my sisters!
Monday, July 28, 2008
Distractions
I held out until just about the last minute, but ended up signing up for a class at the annual state quilt show. The quilt show has, for many years now, been my own personal mini-vacation. It lasts three days and offers a plethora of opportunities to take classes, attend lectures, view beautiful quilts, and spend money at enticing vendor booths. And, it takes place only 21 miles from my home, so I don't have to go to the expense or bother of staying in a hotel.
In past years, I've gone a bit over the top and taken three day-long classes in three days. Last year I only did two, which gave me a full day of viewing and shopping, and that was really quite nice. When the class list came out in February, I was in the midst of planning the Knitting Boondoggle to Webs in May, and reserving my spending money for yarn, so I didn't sign up for any classes at all. As the show neared, I was trying very hard to imagine only going for one day as a viewer, but took a few minutes to look at the class list site and, of course, found a class with openings that looked like it needed me to take it.
I'm glad I did. It wasn't rocket science, but got me to dig out my sewing room a bit (including starting to organize my yarn stash which was creeping out into the center of the room)and clear off my cutting table. Spending a day sewing bits of fabric together has renewed my interest in returning to a couple of projects I haven't touched since last summer -- such as the Star Quilt for my sister.
So, I can see that I'm going to be distracted from my knitting for a while. But, the knitting can travel with me, and even though I won't be attending as many sports events as an empty-nester, there will still be some since I'm married to a teacher. And, I can knit and watch movies with DH.
Add to this that when I offered to knit something for my mother, she said she'd rather have a quilt! I didn't see that one coming. I was sure the woman who knit many a sweater for many other people would love to have something beautiful knit for her. But, truth be told, I've thought about making a quilt for her for some time, but wasn't sure she'd want one. Now I know. Now it is out in the open and I can have her input on size, color, etc.
Now to work on the problem of finishing projects!
OFF MY NEEDLES
Two Baby Surprise Sweaters are done and buttoned and ready to give as gifts at a family reunion this weekend. Hopefully they'll fit the intended recipients!
ON MY NEEDLES
I've finished the back and am more than half-way up the front of the Poonan Baby Sweater from Berroco, using Berroco's Comfort DK -- the DK weight version of the yarn I used for the Baby Surprise Sweaters. This baby is due in December and since the parents like the color red, and it will be a Christmas month baby, I'm using a lovely dark red color. Hopefully you can see the cable pattern in this photo:
I need to get back to the last section of the Swallowtail Shawl. Those "nupps" involving "knit 5 together" require concentration and being in a particular place. I can only do them on the arm of my knitting love seat (pictured below -- half the couch is mine, half belongs to the cats -- in the winter you'll often find all three of us together here, but not in the heat of summer). Maybe I'll make time for it this week.
I need to frog the Pi Shawl and get it off my needles before it sinks to the very bottom of my knitting project basket. I'll find another project for that yarn sometime, but this isn't it.
And, I'm making another Baby Surprise Sweater, using some red and cream yarn that was in the big yarn purchase my mother-in-law and I made. There's some pink too, so I'll try to spread the cream out between two sweaters and then I'll have a couple of baby sweaters "in reserve." It is such a great project to take along as it is just garter stitch, requiring only a bit of attention every other row to add or decrease a couple of stitches.
WHAT I'M READING
Not much, really. Except I'm still working my way through Eat, Pray, Love on tape. I didn't really like this book until I got at least half-way through it. Now I'm liking it enough to want to finish it. I've got an Amelia Peabody mystery waiting in the wings and am now thinking that it might be good to save for the drive to PA we'll be taking to drop Zeben off at college (13 hours drive each direction).
In past years, I've gone a bit over the top and taken three day-long classes in three days. Last year I only did two, which gave me a full day of viewing and shopping, and that was really quite nice. When the class list came out in February, I was in the midst of planning the Knitting Boondoggle to Webs in May, and reserving my spending money for yarn, so I didn't sign up for any classes at all. As the show neared, I was trying very hard to imagine only going for one day as a viewer, but took a few minutes to look at the class list site and, of course, found a class with openings that looked like it needed me to take it.
I'm glad I did. It wasn't rocket science, but got me to dig out my sewing room a bit (including starting to organize my yarn stash which was creeping out into the center of the room)and clear off my cutting table. Spending a day sewing bits of fabric together has renewed my interest in returning to a couple of projects I haven't touched since last summer -- such as the Star Quilt for my sister.
So, I can see that I'm going to be distracted from my knitting for a while. But, the knitting can travel with me, and even though I won't be attending as many sports events as an empty-nester, there will still be some since I'm married to a teacher. And, I can knit and watch movies with DH.
Add to this that when I offered to knit something for my mother, she said she'd rather have a quilt! I didn't see that one coming. I was sure the woman who knit many a sweater for many other people would love to have something beautiful knit for her. But, truth be told, I've thought about making a quilt for her for some time, but wasn't sure she'd want one. Now I know. Now it is out in the open and I can have her input on size, color, etc.
Now to work on the problem of finishing projects!
OFF MY NEEDLES
Two Baby Surprise Sweaters are done and buttoned and ready to give as gifts at a family reunion this weekend. Hopefully they'll fit the intended recipients!
ON MY NEEDLES
I've finished the back and am more than half-way up the front of the Poonan Baby Sweater from Berroco, using Berroco's Comfort DK -- the DK weight version of the yarn I used for the Baby Surprise Sweaters. This baby is due in December and since the parents like the color red, and it will be a Christmas month baby, I'm using a lovely dark red color. Hopefully you can see the cable pattern in this photo:
I need to get back to the last section of the Swallowtail Shawl. Those "nupps" involving "knit 5 together" require concentration and being in a particular place. I can only do them on the arm of my knitting love seat (pictured below -- half the couch is mine, half belongs to the cats -- in the winter you'll often find all three of us together here, but not in the heat of summer). Maybe I'll make time for it this week.
I need to frog the Pi Shawl and get it off my needles before it sinks to the very bottom of my knitting project basket. I'll find another project for that yarn sometime, but this isn't it.
And, I'm making another Baby Surprise Sweater, using some red and cream yarn that was in the big yarn purchase my mother-in-law and I made. There's some pink too, so I'll try to spread the cream out between two sweaters and then I'll have a couple of baby sweaters "in reserve." It is such a great project to take along as it is just garter stitch, requiring only a bit of attention every other row to add or decrease a couple of stitches.
WHAT I'M READING
Not much, really. Except I'm still working my way through Eat, Pray, Love on tape. I didn't really like this book until I got at least half-way through it. Now I'm liking it enough to want to finish it. I've got an Amelia Peabody mystery waiting in the wings and am now thinking that it might be good to save for the drive to PA we'll be taking to drop Zeben off at college (13 hours drive each direction).
Thursday, July 24, 2008
My sister filled this out on her blog and I enjoyed reading it. You can do it too!
A Simple Woman's Daybook Entry
FOR TODAY July 24, 2008...
Outside My Window...it is clouding over and threatening to rain (again). It has been a day of alternating showers, downpours, and sunshine. Lots of variety in today's weather. Best of all, it isn't too hot and there promises to be nice weather for the weekend.
I am thinking...about the workshop I just signed up for at the last minute at this weekend's state quilt show. I usually take a full slate of classes but didn't sign up for any this year. Just today I noticed that an interesting one had space left in it and a quick e-mail got me into it. Now I need to scurry to get all the materials together.
I am thankful for...Financial Aid! I'm about to pay our first college bills for my twin sons and am so thankful for the help they are getting with the costs.
From the kitchen...where I'll have to cook dinner tonight since it will probably be raining when I'd want to put something on the grill. I think I may run down to the farmer's market and see what I can find. Cooking for two is so much easier than for four -- as long as there are leftover for one son to have when he gets out of work at 7:30.
I am wearing...a summer dress as I just came home from work. But no stockings!
I am creating...baby sweaters at the moment. I spent my lunch hour buying buttons for two baby sweaters I'll be giving away next weekend. I have another one started for my niece's baby due in December. I've also got a lace shawl nearing completion and plans for lots of other projects.
I am going...to the Maine Quilt Show tomorrow morning!
I am reading...The Thief Lord, a children's novel that takes place in Venice -- someplace I'd love to visit. I'm also nearing the end of Eat, Pray, Love as a book on tape. The next book on tape will be an Amelia Peabody mystery -- but I may save it for the drive to western PA to drop one son off at college in a few weeks.
I am hoping...that I won't miss my sons too much when they go off to college this fall. They are ready, we are ready, but it will still be an adjustment and I've been blithely saying I'm prepared for the empty nest and hope I won't find myself crying a lot.
I am hearing...the rain -- the skies just opened up again, but it is slowing down quickly. And the rumblings of surround sound in the living room as my husband watches the end of a suspenseful movie (he's on a Denzel Washington kick this summer).
Around the house...are our two cats. We've just been encouraged by the vet to put them on a diet (especially one of them) and while they just had a bit to eat, they are pacing around hoping for more.
One of my favorite things...the patio my husband built last summer and the flower gardens we've been working on around them. I can see it from where I'm sitting, looking through the beautiful, old-fashioned screen door my father just built for us.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: the quilt show will, hopefully, inspire me to clean out my craft room so that I can actually use it. During the school year, I call it the "dump room," as everything that isn't where it is supposed to be ends up in there, somehow. Then, every summer, I clean it out and try to get organized. I'm thinking I'll have the boys' rooms to put the overflow in this year, so maybe I'll be able to use my room as intended this year. Sunday is my quilt workshop, and next Wednesday I'm taking a daylong class in Excel. Everyone seems to know how to use Excel except me at work, so I'm doing some catching up.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Doesn't she look content and comfy?
A Simple Woman's Daybook Entry
FOR TODAY July 24, 2008...
Outside My Window...it is clouding over and threatening to rain (again). It has been a day of alternating showers, downpours, and sunshine. Lots of variety in today's weather. Best of all, it isn't too hot and there promises to be nice weather for the weekend.
I am thinking...about the workshop I just signed up for at the last minute at this weekend's state quilt show. I usually take a full slate of classes but didn't sign up for any this year. Just today I noticed that an interesting one had space left in it and a quick e-mail got me into it. Now I need to scurry to get all the materials together.
I am thankful for...Financial Aid! I'm about to pay our first college bills for my twin sons and am so thankful for the help they are getting with the costs.
From the kitchen...where I'll have to cook dinner tonight since it will probably be raining when I'd want to put something on the grill. I think I may run down to the farmer's market and see what I can find. Cooking for two is so much easier than for four -- as long as there are leftover for one son to have when he gets out of work at 7:30.
I am wearing...a summer dress as I just came home from work. But no stockings!
I am creating...baby sweaters at the moment. I spent my lunch hour buying buttons for two baby sweaters I'll be giving away next weekend. I have another one started for my niece's baby due in December. I've also got a lace shawl nearing completion and plans for lots of other projects.
I am going...to the Maine Quilt Show tomorrow morning!
I am reading...The Thief Lord, a children's novel that takes place in Venice -- someplace I'd love to visit. I'm also nearing the end of Eat, Pray, Love as a book on tape. The next book on tape will be an Amelia Peabody mystery -- but I may save it for the drive to western PA to drop one son off at college in a few weeks.
I am hoping...that I won't miss my sons too much when they go off to college this fall. They are ready, we are ready, but it will still be an adjustment and I've been blithely saying I'm prepared for the empty nest and hope I won't find myself crying a lot.
I am hearing...the rain -- the skies just opened up again, but it is slowing down quickly. And the rumblings of surround sound in the living room as my husband watches the end of a suspenseful movie (he's on a Denzel Washington kick this summer).
Around the house...are our two cats. We've just been encouraged by the vet to put them on a diet (especially one of them) and while they just had a bit to eat, they are pacing around hoping for more.
One of my favorite things...the patio my husband built last summer and the flower gardens we've been working on around them. I can see it from where I'm sitting, looking through the beautiful, old-fashioned screen door my father just built for us.
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week: the quilt show will, hopefully, inspire me to clean out my craft room so that I can actually use it. During the school year, I call it the "dump room," as everything that isn't where it is supposed to be ends up in there, somehow. Then, every summer, I clean it out and try to get organized. I'm thinking I'll have the boys' rooms to put the overflow in this year, so maybe I'll be able to use my room as intended this year. Sunday is my quilt workshop, and next Wednesday I'm taking a daylong class in Excel. Everyone seems to know how to use Excel except me at work, so I'm doing some catching up.
Here is picture thought I am sharing...
Doesn't she look content and comfy?
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Photos at Last
My Norwegian Woods scarf made from one skein of Misti Alpaca Lace (yummy to knit with!):
And my first Baby Surprise Sweater knit in Berroco Comfort in navy and lime green:
Now I'll need to go take some more pictures!!! Many thanks to DH for talking me through this.
And my first Baby Surprise Sweater knit in Berroco Comfort in navy and lime green:
Now I'll need to go take some more pictures!!! Many thanks to DH for talking me through this.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Suddenly Summer
The last few months have been quite a blur. I should have blogged, but really things were going too fast and furious. I was looking forward to having this computer all to myself once the boys' laptops for college arrived, but then one son, in his need to move everything from old computer to new, completely wiped out the contents of the family computer -- that is, everything except what was in his area of the computer and saved to the hard drive. My iTunes and iPhoto were completely wiped out, though I was relieved to find that most of my photos had been downloaded to my iPod, so I still have them. And Nate was able to back-fill my iTunes from my iPod, so all I had to replace were my podcast subscriptions (resulting in finding new ones -- more on that later). So, it was a few weeks before I could face the computer at all, even though it is now all mine.
I usually take a couple of weeks off in June and then start my two months off in the summer. This year, though, I had too much going on in June, including a conference in Chicago the last week of the month, and am now working two days a week in July and August. By the end of June I was completely and totally exhausted -- worn out by the events of the end of the boys' senior year, the beginning of their summer jobs, and the transition we're going through at work. I did have a 6-days off stretch at the beginning of July and on the first day, I felt like a balloon with a slow leak. DH even noticed that I got progressively limper as the day went on.
But, two days a week is manageable. I'm finally sleeping through the night, without waking up to my head spinning over something out of my control (the computer debacle was the focus of a few nights' wakefulness). I actually slept 10 1/2 hours the other night and actually felt the stirrings of energy this morning! How nice to start to feel like myself again!
I have been finding time for knitting. In May, a friend and I went on a "knitting boondoggle" to celebrate our turning 50 this past year. We signed up for a class with Cat Bordhi at Webs and spent a weekend in Northampton, MA. Well, actually, the hotel room was a few towns away as Smith College had their graduation that weekend. We drove directly to Webs on Saturday, and did some shopping at their annual tent sale which happened to be the same weekend. Then we walked into town for lunch at the restaurant that Kathy and Steve have mentioned on their Ready, Set, Knit podcast. We poked around in the shops -- what a great little town -- and bought celebratory similar woven shawls (which I have worn numerous times already). We had dinner in an Indian restaurant and saved the leftovers to bring for lunch during our class the next day.
The class was about knitting creativity and was meant to encourage us to think out of the box when approaching knitting design. I learned how to make a mobius scarf and proceeded to make one out of some ribbon yarn I didn't know what to do with but loved the colors. I also fell in love with the lace scarf/shawl that Cat was wearing and ended up purchasing the pattern -- more on that later too. During class breaks, Cathie and I did some more shopping and ended up with our big purchase of the weekend -- we invested in blocking boards. I went straight home and made a lace scarf for my mother for mother's day and blocked it on my new board.
ON MY NEEDLES
I got frustrated with my pi shawl and though I haven't done it yet, am planning to frog it. I don't know if it is the pattern, the yarn or me, but it just wasn't meant to be. But, I wasn't ready to give up on lace, so I ordered the Sivia Harding pattern for the Norwegian Woods Scarf/Shawl and it went together beautifully using one skein of Misty Alpaca Lace in blue. I even found the right size beads at Joann Fabrics. All that is left is to block it (on my new blocking board).
Since that lace project went so well, I started right in on another one. This is the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits. I've gotten through the first pattern and am in the second, which is going slowly due to the "knit 5 together" stitches every other row. But, it will be beautiful and I just need to get back to it.
I've been distracted by knitting two of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jackets. I have a cousin and the daughter of a cousin who had babies last winter that I'd like to give something to. In the past, I've been more ambitious and made baby quilts, but that isn't going to happen this time. The first sweater was an absolute puzzle as I didn't know which end was up until I'd gotten almost all the way through the pattern. It was knit on faith alone. But, even on faith, it is a quick project. The first is in green and navy blue and the second is maroon and navy blue -- both out of Berrocco Comfort. I promise that in the next week, I'll learn how to put up photos on my blog! Anyway, one is done and the other is about half-done. It is lovely garter stitch mindless knitting.
The other project I'm involved in at the moment is socks for Don, my DH. He complained that I never make anything for him, so he picked out the yarn from my stash and I got a lot of the knitting done while at the conference in Chicago. I'm knitting them at the same time, though on separate sets of double pointed needles (I didn't have a 40" needle of the right size available to do the Magic Loop) and took the time to find the same starting point in the self-striping skein so that they actually match pretty well in the stripes. I did a K3 P1 rib just to add some interest to the knitting, but other than that they are pretty straightforward, cuff-down socks.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
The main project on my list is to clean out my "sewing" room. I've spent hours in the past couple of weeks cleaning out Zeben's room. He has a summer job on campus that includes a dorm room, so he "moved out" about three weeks ago. I warned him that I was going to "shovel out" his room when he moved to campus and he was agreeable. What a mess! I won't give details, but I really did need a shovel (in the form of a dustpan). Now that it is clean, I can use his bed to put my blocking board out (maybe I'll block that Sivia Harding shawl today!) and use his room as a place to put things while I clean out and rearrange my sewing room.
I usually take a couple of weeks off in June and then start my two months off in the summer. This year, though, I had too much going on in June, including a conference in Chicago the last week of the month, and am now working two days a week in July and August. By the end of June I was completely and totally exhausted -- worn out by the events of the end of the boys' senior year, the beginning of their summer jobs, and the transition we're going through at work. I did have a 6-days off stretch at the beginning of July and on the first day, I felt like a balloon with a slow leak. DH even noticed that I got progressively limper as the day went on.
But, two days a week is manageable. I'm finally sleeping through the night, without waking up to my head spinning over something out of my control (the computer debacle was the focus of a few nights' wakefulness). I actually slept 10 1/2 hours the other night and actually felt the stirrings of energy this morning! How nice to start to feel like myself again!
I have been finding time for knitting. In May, a friend and I went on a "knitting boondoggle" to celebrate our turning 50 this past year. We signed up for a class with Cat Bordhi at Webs and spent a weekend in Northampton, MA. Well, actually, the hotel room was a few towns away as Smith College had their graduation that weekend. We drove directly to Webs on Saturday, and did some shopping at their annual tent sale which happened to be the same weekend. Then we walked into town for lunch at the restaurant that Kathy and Steve have mentioned on their Ready, Set, Knit podcast. We poked around in the shops -- what a great little town -- and bought celebratory similar woven shawls (which I have worn numerous times already). We had dinner in an Indian restaurant and saved the leftovers to bring for lunch during our class the next day.
The class was about knitting creativity and was meant to encourage us to think out of the box when approaching knitting design. I learned how to make a mobius scarf and proceeded to make one out of some ribbon yarn I didn't know what to do with but loved the colors. I also fell in love with the lace scarf/shawl that Cat was wearing and ended up purchasing the pattern -- more on that later too. During class breaks, Cathie and I did some more shopping and ended up with our big purchase of the weekend -- we invested in blocking boards. I went straight home and made a lace scarf for my mother for mother's day and blocked it on my new board.
ON MY NEEDLES
I got frustrated with my pi shawl and though I haven't done it yet, am planning to frog it. I don't know if it is the pattern, the yarn or me, but it just wasn't meant to be. But, I wasn't ready to give up on lace, so I ordered the Sivia Harding pattern for the Norwegian Woods Scarf/Shawl and it went together beautifully using one skein of Misty Alpaca Lace in blue. I even found the right size beads at Joann Fabrics. All that is left is to block it (on my new blocking board).
Since that lace project went so well, I started right in on another one. This is the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Knits. I've gotten through the first pattern and am in the second, which is going slowly due to the "knit 5 together" stitches every other row. But, it will be beautiful and I just need to get back to it.
I've been distracted by knitting two of Elizabeth Zimmerman's Baby Surprise Jackets. I have a cousin and the daughter of a cousin who had babies last winter that I'd like to give something to. In the past, I've been more ambitious and made baby quilts, but that isn't going to happen this time. The first sweater was an absolute puzzle as I didn't know which end was up until I'd gotten almost all the way through the pattern. It was knit on faith alone. But, even on faith, it is a quick project. The first is in green and navy blue and the second is maroon and navy blue -- both out of Berrocco Comfort. I promise that in the next week, I'll learn how to put up photos on my blog! Anyway, one is done and the other is about half-done. It is lovely garter stitch mindless knitting.
The other project I'm involved in at the moment is socks for Don, my DH. He complained that I never make anything for him, so he picked out the yarn from my stash and I got a lot of the knitting done while at the conference in Chicago. I'm knitting them at the same time, though on separate sets of double pointed needles (I didn't have a 40" needle of the right size available to do the Magic Loop) and took the time to find the same starting point in the self-striping skein so that they actually match pretty well in the stripes. I did a K3 P1 rib just to add some interest to the knitting, but other than that they are pretty straightforward, cuff-down socks.
UPCOMING PROJECTS
The main project on my list is to clean out my "sewing" room. I've spent hours in the past couple of weeks cleaning out Zeben's room. He has a summer job on campus that includes a dorm room, so he "moved out" about three weeks ago. I warned him that I was going to "shovel out" his room when he moved to campus and he was agreeable. What a mess! I won't give details, but I really did need a shovel (in the form of a dustpan). Now that it is clean, I can use his bed to put my blocking board out (maybe I'll block that Sivia Harding shawl today!) and use his room as a place to put things while I clean out and rearrange my sewing room.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Seduced
Color is my downfall. Yes, I love the feel of fiber, love the design of pattern created by knitting, etc. But it is color that makes me swoon. Sometimes I go to the yarn or fabric store just for a color infusion and don't even buy anything -- especially in the winter or when I'm feeling down.
I was seduced once again yesterday by color. This time it is in the form of fabric. A colleague of mine makes quilts with big pieces, big, wild prints, and does them entirely by hand -- the piecing and the quilting. I haven't "loved" all of her work, but am mightily impressed by it. Yesterday, she was showing another colleague and I some fabric she'd ordered for a couple of projects. The fabric came in "packs" of fabric cut for a specific quilt in a Kaffe Fassett book. One of the packs she received was not the one she ordered. I fell head over heals in love with the fabric and ended up buying it so she wouldn't need to ship it back to the sender.
This fabric is a real departure from my usual fabric choices. The prints are big. Some are kind of wild and abstract. Some are large florals. I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to quilting. But, oh, the colors! It will be spectacular.
Now, all I need is time! But, I'm definitely feeling the quilting itch after a winter dedicated to knitting.
Ah, fickle love.
I was seduced once again yesterday by color. This time it is in the form of fabric. A colleague of mine makes quilts with big pieces, big, wild prints, and does them entirely by hand -- the piecing and the quilting. I haven't "loved" all of her work, but am mightily impressed by it. Yesterday, she was showing another colleague and I some fabric she'd ordered for a couple of projects. The fabric came in "packs" of fabric cut for a specific quilt in a Kaffe Fassett book. One of the packs she received was not the one she ordered. I fell head over heals in love with the fabric and ended up buying it so she wouldn't need to ship it back to the sender.
This fabric is a real departure from my usual fabric choices. The prints are big. Some are kind of wild and abstract. Some are large florals. I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to quilting. But, oh, the colors! It will be spectacular.
Now, all I need is time! But, I'm definitely feeling the quilting itch after a winter dedicated to knitting.
Ah, fickle love.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Beyond Capacity
Earlier today Don went to hang a coat in our mudroom and came back into our bedroom to hang it in the closet because the mudroom hooks were filled "beyond capacity." Hmmm, I thought, that is a good phrase to describe a lot of my life lately. My house is too full of stuff. My list of things I want to knit, sew, weave, make, or read is longer than I can possibly accomplish. My calendar is full of activities -- especially as it is the downhill slope of the school year. I'm physically tired from travel for work and family (I chaperoned the high school art student field trip to Boston and visited 6 museums in 2 days -- fun, but tiring). Life is simply too full.
I continue, however, to not feel that old friend depression hanging around my heart, which is the bright side in all of this. So, maybe I'm "at capacity" rather than "beyond."
WHAT I'M KNITTING
I finally am knitting a pi shawl! I'm knitting Meg Swanson's Shetland Tea Shawl in a mossy heather green Alpaca Cloud from Knit Picks. I'm currently struggling a bit with the Diamond Madeira section of the lace -- it will be a tough 36 rows, I think. Then I'll knit the border on sideways, which will be an interesting challenge too. I have two friends knitting lace shawls at the moment too -- we all decided independently to do it.
I'm still working on the yoga mat bag, even though I haven't been to yoga in several weeks. I've been away on Tuesdays and then last week it was our first warm day and I couldn't resist the chance to get outside in the sunshine.
I've put the Bird-in-hand mittens aside for a later time. It is definitely not mitten season anymore (even though there is still snow behind in a few places in the shady part of our yard behind the house. I grilled salmon outside tonight!
The prayer shawl I'm working on is nearly done. I put the fringe on the beginning end and have the fringe pieces cut for the finishing end. We have 8 or 9 teenagers at our parish who will be graduating from high school this spring, and we have 9 people knitting shawls (which could also be used as scarves). This is one of them. We're making them out of a Cherry Tree Hill yarn that is a mixture of wool and silk and came in enough colors that every one of the shawl/scarves is a different variegated color. It is soft and beautiful to work with.
WHAT I'M READING
I finally subscribed to Audible.com and am "reading" Eat, Pray, Love. A friend commented that the author is incredibly self-indulgent. Ah, to have the chance to be young and self-indulgent again! It just makes me want to travel. So far, I'm enjoying having the book read to me, though. Now to decide what to get next month! Do you think I'm being rather self-indulgent?
I continue, however, to not feel that old friend depression hanging around my heart, which is the bright side in all of this. So, maybe I'm "at capacity" rather than "beyond."
WHAT I'M KNITTING
I finally am knitting a pi shawl! I'm knitting Meg Swanson's Shetland Tea Shawl in a mossy heather green Alpaca Cloud from Knit Picks. I'm currently struggling a bit with the Diamond Madeira section of the lace -- it will be a tough 36 rows, I think. Then I'll knit the border on sideways, which will be an interesting challenge too. I have two friends knitting lace shawls at the moment too -- we all decided independently to do it.
I'm still working on the yoga mat bag, even though I haven't been to yoga in several weeks. I've been away on Tuesdays and then last week it was our first warm day and I couldn't resist the chance to get outside in the sunshine.
I've put the Bird-in-hand mittens aside for a later time. It is definitely not mitten season anymore (even though there is still snow behind in a few places in the shady part of our yard behind the house. I grilled salmon outside tonight!
The prayer shawl I'm working on is nearly done. I put the fringe on the beginning end and have the fringe pieces cut for the finishing end. We have 8 or 9 teenagers at our parish who will be graduating from high school this spring, and we have 9 people knitting shawls (which could also be used as scarves). This is one of them. We're making them out of a Cherry Tree Hill yarn that is a mixture of wool and silk and came in enough colors that every one of the shawl/scarves is a different variegated color. It is soft and beautiful to work with.
WHAT I'M READING
I finally subscribed to Audible.com and am "reading" Eat, Pray, Love. A friend commented that the author is incredibly self-indulgent. Ah, to have the chance to be young and self-indulgent again! It just makes me want to travel. So far, I'm enjoying having the book read to me, though. Now to decide what to get next month! Do you think I'm being rather self-indulgent?
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Unravelings
I've been sleeping pretty well lately, but the other night I woke up chewing on something that I was upset about and ended up coming downstairs for about an hour. I picked up the Pi Shawl I'd started the day before, found a mistake, and ended up unraveling the whole thing (I hadn't gotten very far anyway). It almost seemed that the act of unraveling that piece of knitting helped me unravel the problem I was having. I re-started the shawl and got myself back to the place where I had been, but with no mistakes just as I got completely over my upset and found myself ready to go back to sleep. As usual, as I unraveled the problem, I realized that there were other issues that were also bothering me, causing me to blow the issue I'd been chewing on in my semi-sleep out of proportion. As I unraveled the knitting, I also realized that I hadn't been happy with my original cast-on, and ended up being glad for the excuse to start over. Funny how often knitting mirrors my thought process.
Anyway, an hour with my knitting and the girls (our cats, Lydia and Pandora)gave me back my peace of mind and my sleep. My husband solved the presenting problem for me the next day and life goes on.
When I teach knitting, students are often horrified when they have to "frog" their knitting (for my non-knitting readers, that is the sound when you have to "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" -- knitting joke). One of the local teachers is fondly known as Roberta the Ripper! I, however, rarely have an issue with frogging. I don't love it, but it does allow you to wipe out a mistake as if it never existed and replace it with something better (or at least more acceptable). Sometimes I do get mad at my knitting and have to put it away for a while before I can face frogging, but sometimes that act is just as healthy for my mental health as any new knitting can be.
OFF MY NEEDLES
I finished my snail mittens. Even though the first day of spring passed this week, it is still cold outside and I'm enjoying the mittens. The blue and yellow doesn't go with all of my jackets, so I may have to make another pair.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm through the first skein of two for a prayer shawl I'm knitting for church. It is good easy knitting -- very calming.
I'm knitting a Japanese Vines scarf, from a pattern I found online and had to buy. I may have to make a few of these for gifts -- they are fun to knit and easy to carry along. Check out http://mimoknits.typepad.com/knitting/2007/09/japanese-vines.html
I'm also trying to knit the Bird in Hand mittens from Kate Gilbert, but the Cascade 220 yarn seems to be too big. I'd like to try some DK weight yarn, but may just put them aside for a while. A member of our knitting lunch group is trying to make them also and says they are way too much work for a pair of mittens. I think they'll be fine, but as the weather warms up, I'm not inspired to get serious about them.
What I am getting serious about is a lace shawl! I've been wanting to do one since starting to listen to the Knit Picks podcasts last summer. I used ILL to borrow Meg Swanson's A Gathering of Lace book and am working on the Shetland Tea Shawl in a mossy green Alpaca Cloud from Knit Picks. The shawl is based on EZ's Pi Shawl instructions (Meg is EZ's daughter). I'm working on the first lace pattern section right now, getting ready for the next increase row which will take me from 150 stitches to 290 stitches. The next lace section is 48 rows,and then the number of stitches will double again as it just keeps getting bigger.
WHAT I'M READING
I've borrowed from the library A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt. It was a bit hard to get through at first, but I'm now finding it fascinating. Essentially, knitting is very old (older than crochet), but so little knitted fabric has survived, it is quite hard to really get a grip on how it came to be and when. Socks were probably the earliest items anyone knit.
Anyway, an hour with my knitting and the girls (our cats, Lydia and Pandora)gave me back my peace of mind and my sleep. My husband solved the presenting problem for me the next day and life goes on.
When I teach knitting, students are often horrified when they have to "frog" their knitting (for my non-knitting readers, that is the sound when you have to "rip-it, rip-it, rip-it" -- knitting joke). One of the local teachers is fondly known as Roberta the Ripper! I, however, rarely have an issue with frogging. I don't love it, but it does allow you to wipe out a mistake as if it never existed and replace it with something better (or at least more acceptable). Sometimes I do get mad at my knitting and have to put it away for a while before I can face frogging, but sometimes that act is just as healthy for my mental health as any new knitting can be.
OFF MY NEEDLES
I finished my snail mittens. Even though the first day of spring passed this week, it is still cold outside and I'm enjoying the mittens. The blue and yellow doesn't go with all of my jackets, so I may have to make another pair.
ON MY NEEDLES
I'm through the first skein of two for a prayer shawl I'm knitting for church. It is good easy knitting -- very calming.
I'm knitting a Japanese Vines scarf, from a pattern I found online and had to buy. I may have to make a few of these for gifts -- they are fun to knit and easy to carry along. Check out http://mimoknits.typepad.com/knitting/2007/09/japanese-vines.html
I'm also trying to knit the Bird in Hand mittens from Kate Gilbert, but the Cascade 220 yarn seems to be too big. I'd like to try some DK weight yarn, but may just put them aside for a while. A member of our knitting lunch group is trying to make them also and says they are way too much work for a pair of mittens. I think they'll be fine, but as the weather warms up, I'm not inspired to get serious about them.
What I am getting serious about is a lace shawl! I've been wanting to do one since starting to listen to the Knit Picks podcasts last summer. I used ILL to borrow Meg Swanson's A Gathering of Lace book and am working on the Shetland Tea Shawl in a mossy green Alpaca Cloud from Knit Picks. The shawl is based on EZ's Pi Shawl instructions (Meg is EZ's daughter). I'm working on the first lace pattern section right now, getting ready for the next increase row which will take me from 150 stitches to 290 stitches. The next lace section is 48 rows,and then the number of stitches will double again as it just keeps getting bigger.
WHAT I'M READING
I've borrowed from the library A History of Hand Knitting by Richard Rutt. It was a bit hard to get through at first, but I'm now finding it fascinating. Essentially, knitting is very old (older than crochet), but so little knitted fabric has survived, it is quite hard to really get a grip on how it came to be and when. Socks were probably the earliest items anyone knit.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
February Knitting
I'm on vacation! Despite officially taking this whole week off from work, today I finally feel like I'm on vacation. I worked on Saturday (a big alumni-student event I've been planning and managing for what seems like months finally came off without a hitch on Saturday -- woohoo!), spent Sunday traveling to and from Massachusetts to see one son's All-Star Cheering team compete, Monday at my other son's (last) State Swim Meet (so happy to see him have a great meet!), and yesterday at the girls' State Swim Meet. Tumbled into bed at midnight last night and realized, I'm on vacation!
Today Don and I are heading to Boston where we have the use of a condo (courtesy of his Dad) for two nights. We're going down on our own today and the boys are going to join us on Thursday for the second night. A real mini-family vacation. Of course, leading up to this family quality time, one son is going through a rough patch, so hopefully he won't be sullen and hard to be with the whole time. They are just both so ready to fly the nest, but are stuck with us for 6 more months.
I can relate to son #2's situation. Son #1 (birth order) applied to college early decision and got in (phew!). He's been SOOOOOO much easier to live with since then. Son #2 has yet to get his applications completed, though, after a big argument a few days ago with his parents, he has made some progress. He's in a foul mood that only knowing where he will be next year will soothe, but that soothing ain't goin' to arrive for some time. Mom & Dad are expecting him to cope, or at least act like he is coping. Growing up is such a pain in the neck!
OFF MY NEEDLES
I finally finished my "Fetching" fingerless gloves. I didn't like the way the cast off top curled up when I cast off loosely, so went back and re-did the cast off on the first one and then quickly finished the second to match.
ON MY NEEDLES
I've been working on the Norwegian Snail mittens for a few weeks. I finished one last week and then made quite a bit of progress on the second one sitting at cheering and swim meets the past few days. It shouldn't take me long to finish them.
I picked up the Braids Cardigan again that I put down in the fall to work on Christmas knitting. The body is now done and the button band is next. Then you pick up and knit the sleeves from the top down. The Webs Colrain yarn I'm using is so lovely to touch -- I'd like to get some of their lace weight version of it sometime!
I'm stalled on socks. I'd like to use the Smooshie yarn Don gave me for Christmas, but can't decide what pattern to use. I'd also like to spend some time on the socks in the Cat Bordhi book he got me, but that takes way too much concentration and I just don't have the time or energy for it. A knitting friend is going to town on that book lately and I'm envious. Maybe over the summer. In the meantime, I'd really like to find a sock pattern that I'd like to do. Maybe when I get back from my vacation.
Oh, and I fell head over heels for Nora Gaughan's Heartfelt pattern (see "before" and "after"). I bought one skein of Peruvia in red and have made three so far (the pattern says you can get about 15 out of one skein. It has me starting to think about my plan to have a table at the high school craft fair next December. I'd like to sell baskets and knitted Christmas ornaments: mini-socks, mini-mittens, mini-hats, mini-sweaters (I've been collecting patterns from various sources), and now mini-felted hearts.
WHAT I'M READING
Not much. The February Living Magazine, daily devotions in Foreward Movement, oh, and the book Introvert Advantage. The latter was recommended by an introvert friend to share with my husband. Interesting stuff.
Today Don and I are heading to Boston where we have the use of a condo (courtesy of his Dad) for two nights. We're going down on our own today and the boys are going to join us on Thursday for the second night. A real mini-family vacation. Of course, leading up to this family quality time, one son is going through a rough patch, so hopefully he won't be sullen and hard to be with the whole time. They are just both so ready to fly the nest, but are stuck with us for 6 more months.
I can relate to son #2's situation. Son #1 (birth order) applied to college early decision and got in (phew!). He's been SOOOOOO much easier to live with since then. Son #2 has yet to get his applications completed, though, after a big argument a few days ago with his parents, he has made some progress. He's in a foul mood that only knowing where he will be next year will soothe, but that soothing ain't goin' to arrive for some time. Mom & Dad are expecting him to cope, or at least act like he is coping. Growing up is such a pain in the neck!
OFF MY NEEDLES
I finally finished my "Fetching" fingerless gloves. I didn't like the way the cast off top curled up when I cast off loosely, so went back and re-did the cast off on the first one and then quickly finished the second to match.
ON MY NEEDLES
I've been working on the Norwegian Snail mittens for a few weeks. I finished one last week and then made quite a bit of progress on the second one sitting at cheering and swim meets the past few days. It shouldn't take me long to finish them.
I picked up the Braids Cardigan again that I put down in the fall to work on Christmas knitting. The body is now done and the button band is next. Then you pick up and knit the sleeves from the top down. The Webs Colrain yarn I'm using is so lovely to touch -- I'd like to get some of their lace weight version of it sometime!
I'm stalled on socks. I'd like to use the Smooshie yarn Don gave me for Christmas, but can't decide what pattern to use. I'd also like to spend some time on the socks in the Cat Bordhi book he got me, but that takes way too much concentration and I just don't have the time or energy for it. A knitting friend is going to town on that book lately and I'm envious. Maybe over the summer. In the meantime, I'd really like to find a sock pattern that I'd like to do. Maybe when I get back from my vacation.
Oh, and I fell head over heels for Nora Gaughan's Heartfelt pattern (see "before" and "after"). I bought one skein of Peruvia in red and have made three so far (the pattern says you can get about 15 out of one skein. It has me starting to think about my plan to have a table at the high school craft fair next December. I'd like to sell baskets and knitted Christmas ornaments: mini-socks, mini-mittens, mini-hats, mini-sweaters (I've been collecting patterns from various sources), and now mini-felted hearts.
WHAT I'M READING
Not much. The February Living Magazine, daily devotions in Foreward Movement, oh, and the book Introvert Advantage. The latter was recommended by an introvert friend to share with my husband. Interesting stuff.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Knitting Along
Well, best laid plans always go astray (or something like that). Only one student and one staff member showed up for my first knitting class. With a flurry of e-mails, I managed to scratch up 3 students for the second (2 new and the lonely first class student). So, I spent the first and second class teaching the knit stitch. A few days after that we arranged to shop at Yard Goods -- that was really the highlight of the month. They were so much fun to let loose in the yarn store. Two of the three made it to the third class, and we didn't have a fourth class because all three were done with their Jan Plan class and were leaving campus the day of the knitting class. With any luck, the four of us will get together sometime after the semester starts as they all bought yarn to make a hat with and I promised to help get them started on it. So much for my lovely syllabus!
But, it was a good way to get my feet wet again in teaching knitting. The second class definitely went better than the first. To teach something, you have to be able to break it down into small parts and struggling through the first class got me to focus my attention on my own knitting more so that I could see all the parts. How does wrapping the yarn around your finger really control the tension? What role do each of the fingers play in the larger motion that is knitting? Since I'm usually more of a "big picture" person, it was a good reminder to pay attention to the underlying details -- not just in my knitting life.
I have a tendency to just "knit along" through life -- often concentrating on the next line of directions, the next section of the pattern, getting through a part of the project so I can move on to the next part -- and let some of the details slide. When I try to pay attention to the details, I often feel bogged down and distracted. Maybe I'm just trying to look at the details as separate entities and need to try to see the parts they play in the whole.
Speaking of knitting along, I'm doing the Ready, Set, Knit knit along. I discovered their podcasts last summer and have done two of their knit alongs long after everyone else was done with the project -- the Vermont Felted Bag is one and the other is the Tilted Duster which I've started but not made much progress on. This knit along is the Hemlock Ring Throw. Jared, of BrooklynTweed, has taken an old doilie pattern originally intended to be knit of crochet cotton and upsized it to a bulky yarn. I'm right on schedule with the podcast, which means I'm knitting along with lots of kindred spirits whose presence I can only sense, but not see. Kind of fun!
I need to be careful that I don't knit along in my usual way and miss out on all of the details of this next few months. I also can't allow myself to get drowned by the details and miss the big view. I need to look at life one motion, one stitch at a time, and savor the experience.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Shrug is done and delivered! And it fits!
ON MY NEEDLES
I took the bind-off out on the one Fetching fingerless glove I'd finished. The pattern said to bind off loosely, but it was so loose that it just curled down into the palm. Not liking the way a project goes often results in it being put aside. Now that I've made a step toward fixing the problem, I hope to finish them up. I also found a male-appropriate pattern called "Dashing" on Knitty.com and will make a pair for my husband (sometime before next winter).
The Tilted Duster is on hold. I plan to do the fronts simultaneously and know I'll need to concentrate to manage the mirror image increases/decreases so haven't had a chance to work on it.
I've been knitting a few rows at night on my Lacy Yoga Mat bag. I'm about half-way up the body of the bag. I've been taking a yoga class at work every Tuesday this school year and there has just been one added at lunch on Fridays, so I could be going twice a week -- I'll need to get this bag done!
The Hemlock Ring Throw is the Ready, Set, Knit Knit Along project. I'm doing it out of the recommended yarn, Cascade's Eco Wool in a natural medium brown. It is knitting up quite quickly and is a lot of fun after working on other projects with fine yarn.
I also started the Norwegian Snail Mittens from the Knitter's Book of Yarn. I bought the Baby Ull yarn at Sakonnet Purls over Thanksgiving. Instead of kiwi green, I'm using yellow. The welts at the cuff were quite challenging, but now that I'm past them, it is going along nicely. I started out on dpns, but went and bought a 40" size 0 round needle and am loving the magic loop technique!
WHAT I'M READING
I've just gone through a quick "knitting novel" reading phase. I used interlibrary loan to get ahold of Knitting (Anne Bartlett), The Knitting Circle (Ann Hood), and Back on Blossom Street (Macomber). I've got Friday Night Knitting Club (Kate Jacobs) on order. They are all pretty light reading and kind of fun. The knitting store in The Knitting Circle is, I think, modeled on Sakonnet Purls, the shop I visited at Thanksgiving in Tiverton, RI.
But, it was a good way to get my feet wet again in teaching knitting. The second class definitely went better than the first. To teach something, you have to be able to break it down into small parts and struggling through the first class got me to focus my attention on my own knitting more so that I could see all the parts. How does wrapping the yarn around your finger really control the tension? What role do each of the fingers play in the larger motion that is knitting? Since I'm usually more of a "big picture" person, it was a good reminder to pay attention to the underlying details -- not just in my knitting life.
I have a tendency to just "knit along" through life -- often concentrating on the next line of directions, the next section of the pattern, getting through a part of the project so I can move on to the next part -- and let some of the details slide. When I try to pay attention to the details, I often feel bogged down and distracted. Maybe I'm just trying to look at the details as separate entities and need to try to see the parts they play in the whole.
Speaking of knitting along, I'm doing the Ready, Set, Knit knit along. I discovered their podcasts last summer and have done two of their knit alongs long after everyone else was done with the project -- the Vermont Felted Bag is one and the other is the Tilted Duster which I've started but not made much progress on. This knit along is the Hemlock Ring Throw. Jared, of BrooklynTweed, has taken an old doilie pattern originally intended to be knit of crochet cotton and upsized it to a bulky yarn. I'm right on schedule with the podcast, which means I'm knitting along with lots of kindred spirits whose presence I can only sense, but not see. Kind of fun!
I need to be careful that I don't knit along in my usual way and miss out on all of the details of this next few months. I also can't allow myself to get drowned by the details and miss the big view. I need to look at life one motion, one stitch at a time, and savor the experience.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Shrug is done and delivered! And it fits!
ON MY NEEDLES
I took the bind-off out on the one Fetching fingerless glove I'd finished. The pattern said to bind off loosely, but it was so loose that it just curled down into the palm. Not liking the way a project goes often results in it being put aside. Now that I've made a step toward fixing the problem, I hope to finish them up. I also found a male-appropriate pattern called "Dashing" on Knitty.com and will make a pair for my husband (sometime before next winter).
The Tilted Duster is on hold. I plan to do the fronts simultaneously and know I'll need to concentrate to manage the mirror image increases/decreases so haven't had a chance to work on it.
I've been knitting a few rows at night on my Lacy Yoga Mat bag. I'm about half-way up the body of the bag. I've been taking a yoga class at work every Tuesday this school year and there has just been one added at lunch on Fridays, so I could be going twice a week -- I'll need to get this bag done!
The Hemlock Ring Throw is the Ready, Set, Knit Knit Along project. I'm doing it out of the recommended yarn, Cascade's Eco Wool in a natural medium brown. It is knitting up quite quickly and is a lot of fun after working on other projects with fine yarn.
I also started the Norwegian Snail Mittens from the Knitter's Book of Yarn. I bought the Baby Ull yarn at Sakonnet Purls over Thanksgiving. Instead of kiwi green, I'm using yellow. The welts at the cuff were quite challenging, but now that I'm past them, it is going along nicely. I started out on dpns, but went and bought a 40" size 0 round needle and am loving the magic loop technique!
WHAT I'M READING
I've just gone through a quick "knitting novel" reading phase. I used interlibrary loan to get ahold of Knitting (Anne Bartlett), The Knitting Circle (Ann Hood), and Back on Blossom Street (Macomber). I've got Friday Night Knitting Club (Kate Jacobs) on order. They are all pretty light reading and kind of fun. The knitting store in The Knitting Circle is, I think, modeled on Sakonnet Purls, the shop I visited at Thanksgiving in Tiverton, RI.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Teaching Knitting
On Tuesday evening, I will meet with 14 people interested in learning to knit for our first class. Although I asked to limit the class to 10 people, somehow 14 are signed up so I'm sure the first class will be chaos -- hopefully they are 14 patient learners! Two are males -- my first male knitting students outside of teaching my sons to knit in the 5th grade.
I've actually put together a syllabus (go ahead and laugh!). I'll concentrate on casting on and the knit stitch the first night. We'll expand to the purl stitch and fixing common mistakes in the second class. Then we'll talk about scheduling a field trip to our local LYS, to talk about possible projects. In the third week we'll do increase and decrease and binding off. And week four we'll keep knitting and solving problems, but will also talk about color, fiber, spinning, Ravelry, Etsy, Fiber College, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, free pattern sites, books, knitting groups and other knitting community topics.
As lovely as my syllabus and plan is, I also know I have to be able to let it all go out the window as I learn how the group and individuals in the group approach learning to knit. This is important because I don't want any of them to walk away feeling that my agenda is more important than their opportunity to learn this wonderful skill. I especially hope to have a chance to get to know each student individually -- I do so enjoy the opportunity to get to know students when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves.
Wish me luck!
ON MY NEEDLES
OK, I caved and started another new project. The summer 2007 IK had a pattern for a yoga mat bag -- something I could definitely use! I'm using a soft sage green in Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece.
I got another couple of inches done on my sister's shrug yesterday while watching a cheering competition -- my first. One of my sons joined the cheering team at school this fall and is now captain of the winter competition team. Yesterday was a "mock" competition, meant to help prepare the teams participating for the real thing starting next week. It was a good intro for me, too, as I've never been a cheering Mom before -- and, of course, a wonderful opportunity to knit!
I've also made some progress on Zeben's socks by taking them to the last two swim meets. They are the only project I have at the moment which don't take too much concentration and allow me to knit and watch the races. I could work on the shrug yesterday because I only had to really concentrate for a few minutes at a time and it was easy to put down what I was doing and give my full attention to each performance.
The back is done for the Tilted Duster. I'm going to try to do the front pieces simultaneously, but that will require some concentration as the directions are different for each (they are mirror images). The yarn is beautiful to work with and it moves along very quickly -- especially in contrast to the lace and sock yarn projects I've been working on!
I've actually put together a syllabus (go ahead and laugh!). I'll concentrate on casting on and the knit stitch the first night. We'll expand to the purl stitch and fixing common mistakes in the second class. Then we'll talk about scheduling a field trip to our local LYS, to talk about possible projects. In the third week we'll do increase and decrease and binding off. And week four we'll keep knitting and solving problems, but will also talk about color, fiber, spinning, Ravelry, Etsy, Fiber College, blogs, podcasts, newsletters, free pattern sites, books, knitting groups and other knitting community topics.
As lovely as my syllabus and plan is, I also know I have to be able to let it all go out the window as I learn how the group and individuals in the group approach learning to knit. This is important because I don't want any of them to walk away feeling that my agenda is more important than their opportunity to learn this wonderful skill. I especially hope to have a chance to get to know each student individually -- I do so enjoy the opportunity to get to know students when they are relaxed and enjoying themselves.
Wish me luck!
ON MY NEEDLES
OK, I caved and started another new project. The summer 2007 IK had a pattern for a yoga mat bag -- something I could definitely use! I'm using a soft sage green in Brown Sheep's Cotton Fleece.
I got another couple of inches done on my sister's shrug yesterday while watching a cheering competition -- my first. One of my sons joined the cheering team at school this fall and is now captain of the winter competition team. Yesterday was a "mock" competition, meant to help prepare the teams participating for the real thing starting next week. It was a good intro for me, too, as I've never been a cheering Mom before -- and, of course, a wonderful opportunity to knit!
I've also made some progress on Zeben's socks by taking them to the last two swim meets. They are the only project I have at the moment which don't take too much concentration and allow me to knit and watch the races. I could work on the shrug yesterday because I only had to really concentrate for a few minutes at a time and it was easy to put down what I was doing and give my full attention to each performance.
The back is done for the Tilted Duster. I'm going to try to do the front pieces simultaneously, but that will require some concentration as the directions are different for each (they are mirror images). The yarn is beautiful to work with and it moves along very quickly -- especially in contrast to the lace and sock yarn projects I've been working on!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
A New Knitting Year!
Happy New Year!
This year promises to hold a lot of adventure for me and my family. Both of our sons will, I believe, graduate from high school in 5 1/2 months and go off to college in 8 1/2 months. Fortunately, we are all pretty positive about those impending adventures. As one son replied when I said "2008 is here" at midnight on New Year's Eve: "Thank God it is finally here!" Of course, he's the one who was already accepted early decision to college and knows where he'll be next fall. The other three high school seniors in the room appeared to feel a bit less confident about the future -- looking forward to it, but not as certain about what it holds and where they'll be.
I didn't get my one knitted Christmas gift done by Christmas. 62" of lace is a lot more than I thought it would be, but I'm about 13" from finishing. Luckily the recipient liked the colors (my sons picked the color out of three possibilities) in the variegated wool, so I didn't have to offer to re-knit it in another colorway. I may use one of the other colors to make one for my mother, but it won't be for Mother's Day -- maybe her birthday next September.
Before Christmas, as I think I mentioned in another post, I ordered Peruvia for the Tilted Duster. I've resisted casting on while working on Christmas, but gave in yesterday after working on the lace shrug all of New Year's Eve. Peruvia is a lovely wool -- the color is an inky blue. I think the sweater will knit up pretty quickly, which will be nice. I was inspired to make the sweater after hearing a lot about it on Ready, Set, Knit -- they did it as their fall Knit-Along. I went back to the first podcast about the project last night -- in essence, I'll be a time traveler, knitting along with people who've already left that space and time.
Today I spent some time putting together my "syllabus" for the Inspirations Jan Plan class I'm teaching on knitting. We'll meet 4 evenings during the short term of January at the college where I work. I've done it in the past, but not for a couple of years. I'm still in touch with students I met in the first class, where I was helping the woman who had taught the class for years. She was going through chemo at the time and having a second person helped her out and I had the fun role of helper without the responsibility of making the class go. I learned a lot from her, but also had lots of time for chatting and getting to know the students. One just e-mailed me today to let me know she'd gotten her first acceptance to law school!
Anyway, I'm still not completely sure whether I'll teach everyone the continental method or the English method. I've heard pros and cons about both and have taught the English method in the past, resorting to the continental method for lefties. I need to do a bit of research about which may be better ergonomically for the wrists and hands. Personally, I love the continental method. I was a belly-button knitter, dropping my needle every time I threw the yarn in the English method my mother taught me. I'm a faster knitter in the continental method and can now knit in the dark or without looking (as long as it isn't too complicated)-- I distinctly remember knitting a mitten during a Harry Potter movie a couple of years ago.
I'll certainly be introducing them to the knitting community online, which will be a new component to the class. I'll also be relying on my Knitter's Book of Yarn to share information about different fiber choices. And, I think I'll try to organize a "shopping trip" to our LYS -- probably between the 2nd and 3rd classes, to help students pick out yarn and projects. It will be fun!!
ON MY NEEDLES
My cardigan sweater has lain fallow since November. I'll get back to it when I finish the shrug.
The shrug is close to being done. I just started on the 4th skein of yarn, which is the last skein. So, that means I've knit more than 1320 yards so far. The third skein had a couple of problems -- knots in the middle and one place where the order of the variegation was reversed at a knot. Strange. The colors are pink, fuschia, and purple, called "Sweet Peas," Gossamer lace yarn by Knit Picks.
Zeben's socks -- I'm past the heel and working on the leg and cuff. The heel is an "afterthought" heel, so I put in placeholder yarn and will go back and do the spiral heel once I finish the legs.
The Tilted Duster! I've got the first 4" of the upper back and am about to do the arm decreases. I reviewed the podcast about the back and am going to try the sloped cast off technique after carefully writing down the instructions.
And, the tea cozy from The Knitter's Book of Yarn -- look here for a photo of one that someone is working on: http://notplainjane.blogspot.com/2007/11/all-cozy.html Mine is a deep aqua blue and lovely pale camel in Malabrigo worsted.
WHAT I'M READING
Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters!! What a neat book! I've made my first test small sock and need to do the second one, but am particularly looking forward to doing a cool sock called "Spiraling Coriolis" which has a band that spirals up the foot and leg. A photo of a pair is at http://public.fotki.com/barneysue/knitting-1/52pairplunge/october011.html, knitted by a woman who appears to have knit a different pair of socks each week for 52 weeks -- and people think I'm obsessive about knitting!
This year promises to hold a lot of adventure for me and my family. Both of our sons will, I believe, graduate from high school in 5 1/2 months and go off to college in 8 1/2 months. Fortunately, we are all pretty positive about those impending adventures. As one son replied when I said "2008 is here" at midnight on New Year's Eve: "Thank God it is finally here!" Of course, he's the one who was already accepted early decision to college and knows where he'll be next fall. The other three high school seniors in the room appeared to feel a bit less confident about the future -- looking forward to it, but not as certain about what it holds and where they'll be.
I didn't get my one knitted Christmas gift done by Christmas. 62" of lace is a lot more than I thought it would be, but I'm about 13" from finishing. Luckily the recipient liked the colors (my sons picked the color out of three possibilities) in the variegated wool, so I didn't have to offer to re-knit it in another colorway. I may use one of the other colors to make one for my mother, but it won't be for Mother's Day -- maybe her birthday next September.
Before Christmas, as I think I mentioned in another post, I ordered Peruvia for the Tilted Duster. I've resisted casting on while working on Christmas, but gave in yesterday after working on the lace shrug all of New Year's Eve. Peruvia is a lovely wool -- the color is an inky blue. I think the sweater will knit up pretty quickly, which will be nice. I was inspired to make the sweater after hearing a lot about it on Ready, Set, Knit -- they did it as their fall Knit-Along. I went back to the first podcast about the project last night -- in essence, I'll be a time traveler, knitting along with people who've already left that space and time.
Today I spent some time putting together my "syllabus" for the Inspirations Jan Plan class I'm teaching on knitting. We'll meet 4 evenings during the short term of January at the college where I work. I've done it in the past, but not for a couple of years. I'm still in touch with students I met in the first class, where I was helping the woman who had taught the class for years. She was going through chemo at the time and having a second person helped her out and I had the fun role of helper without the responsibility of making the class go. I learned a lot from her, but also had lots of time for chatting and getting to know the students. One just e-mailed me today to let me know she'd gotten her first acceptance to law school!
Anyway, I'm still not completely sure whether I'll teach everyone the continental method or the English method. I've heard pros and cons about both and have taught the English method in the past, resorting to the continental method for lefties. I need to do a bit of research about which may be better ergonomically for the wrists and hands. Personally, I love the continental method. I was a belly-button knitter, dropping my needle every time I threw the yarn in the English method my mother taught me. I'm a faster knitter in the continental method and can now knit in the dark or without looking (as long as it isn't too complicated)-- I distinctly remember knitting a mitten during a Harry Potter movie a couple of years ago.
I'll certainly be introducing them to the knitting community online, which will be a new component to the class. I'll also be relying on my Knitter's Book of Yarn to share information about different fiber choices. And, I think I'll try to organize a "shopping trip" to our LYS -- probably between the 2nd and 3rd classes, to help students pick out yarn and projects. It will be fun!!
ON MY NEEDLES
My cardigan sweater has lain fallow since November. I'll get back to it when I finish the shrug.
The shrug is close to being done. I just started on the 4th skein of yarn, which is the last skein. So, that means I've knit more than 1320 yards so far. The third skein had a couple of problems -- knots in the middle and one place where the order of the variegation was reversed at a knot. Strange. The colors are pink, fuschia, and purple, called "Sweet Peas," Gossamer lace yarn by Knit Picks.
Zeben's socks -- I'm past the heel and working on the leg and cuff. The heel is an "afterthought" heel, so I put in placeholder yarn and will go back and do the spiral heel once I finish the legs.
The Tilted Duster! I've got the first 4" of the upper back and am about to do the arm decreases. I reviewed the podcast about the back and am going to try the sloped cast off technique after carefully writing down the instructions.
And, the tea cozy from The Knitter's Book of Yarn -- look here for a photo of one that someone is working on: http://notplainjane.blogspot.com/2007/11/all-cozy.html Mine is a deep aqua blue and lovely pale camel in Malabrigo worsted.
WHAT I'M READING
Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters!! What a neat book! I've made my first test small sock and need to do the second one, but am particularly looking forward to doing a cool sock called "Spiraling Coriolis" which has a band that spirals up the foot and leg. A photo of a pair is at http://public.fotki.com/barneysue/knitting-1/52pairplunge/october011.html, knitted by a woman who appears to have knit a different pair of socks each week for 52 weeks -- and people think I'm obsessive about knitting!
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