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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
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!
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Where has the time gone?
Well, I can't believe it has been over a month since I've had time to write. After Thanksgiving, I came down with a nasty cold that knocked me out for most of a week (between cold and stomach bug, I used 5.5 sick days in November!), and then I've been playing catch up ever since. Add in the holiday demands and still sharing a computer with two teenagers and you get the picture -- I've been out of the picture!
Not only have I not written in a long time, but apparently I've been leaving some questions unanswered, according to one of my comment writers. My apologies. I'll try to rectify the situation (having fans carries a lot of responsibility -- especially when they are your sisters!).
Yes, the tilted duster is from the cover of the Fall Interweave Knits magazine and is designed by Norah Gaughan (pronounced "gone," I think). I'm going with an inky blue color, though, instead of the purple everyone associates with it. Sorry to make you have to Google things -- I'll try to put in links more often. (As an aside, I'm enjoying reading Norah Gaughan's blog about the design process -- she works for a yarn company called Berroco.) And, I decided to link my blog and my Ravelry name, so can be identified as "Journey Knitter."
In my knitting life, I'm especially enjoying my new knitting group at work. Due to my crazy month, I was a bit slow in organizing the second meeting, so was grateful for a member/colleague who nudged me along and helped me get the second meeting together last Thursday. I left with a smile on my face, though it was funny that everyone was so excited about sharing that we were all talking over each other and jumping from one topic to another. We've decided to meet on the first Thursday of each month. I shared my new favorite book, The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Knitter's Review's Clara Parkes (who lives in Maine) and it caught the interest of several people -- one of whom asked me to e-mail her husband and suggest it as a Christmas gift!
In the rest of my life, one son has been accepted early decision to his first choice college, Allegheny College, in western PA. He'll be a 12-hour drive away, but, having visited with him last spring, I'm confident it will be a wonderful place for him to go to college. One down, one to go. The other son is due to hear about his early action application to UVM any day/minute now. You can cut the tension around here with a butter knife.
ON MY NEEDLES
My main project at the moment is the lace shrug I'm knitting for one of my sisters for Christmas. She knows that I'm knitting it but doesn't know what color. I can reveal here that is is a variegated color combination -- I ordered three different colors and my sons picked one of them out for her. I'm a little more than half done and am just about to admit that it won't be done in time for Christmas (I should be knitting instead of writing this blog post!). I made huge progress on it the week I was home from work for 3 days with my cold, but can't afford to take more time off at this point. But, it is looking substantial enough to be able to wrap up for Christmas day. The pattern is from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson.
Zeben's socks -- I actually got past the afterthought heel and am working up the legs/cuffs. I worked on them during the High School holiday concert the other night, but dropped a stitch on one before I got very far into the Golden Compass movie I went to see this afternoon and had to put them aside.
The other project on my needles is a new one since Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law took me shopping to Sakonnet Purls in Tiverton, RI and bought me a couple of knitting treats to celebrate my "big birthday" last October (they were traveling in England in October, visiting my niece and celebrating my father-in-law's birthday). I was salivating over the Cabled Tea Cozy pattern in The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes and she bought me the Malabrigo wool to make it. She also bought me Lantern Moon rosewood sock dps that I will be using to make mittens from the same book that I had bought Baby Ull for a few days earlier. The mittens are not on my needles yet, but I've done one side of the tea cozy and started the second side.
ON MY COOKING LIST
Since I don't have time to read anything at the moment (other than the latest edition of Interweave Knits and Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazines), I'm deep into Christmas cooking. Tomorrow, I'll be making Date-Filled Cookies (like the ones I used to snarf down at my grandparents' house at Thanksgiving), Festive Cookie Dough (from which I make the chocolate chip and dipped in chocolate crescent cookies that are beloved by family and friends), British Fruitcake (my neighbors aren't making it this year, so I'm picking up the slack -- believe it or not, one of my 18-year-old sons told me I have to make it because he "LOVES" fruitcake!), and Sugar and Spice Pecans. We've already been through batches of butter/sugar cookies and Chocolate Sour Cream Drops (another recipe from my childhood). Plus, I'll be making a big batch of American Chop Suey to keep us warm through the big snowstorm we're supposed to get tomorrow. Yummmmy!
Not only have I not written in a long time, but apparently I've been leaving some questions unanswered, according to one of my comment writers. My apologies. I'll try to rectify the situation (having fans carries a lot of responsibility -- especially when they are your sisters!).
Yes, the tilted duster is from the cover of the Fall Interweave Knits magazine and is designed by Norah Gaughan (pronounced "gone," I think). I'm going with an inky blue color, though, instead of the purple everyone associates with it. Sorry to make you have to Google things -- I'll try to put in links more often. (As an aside, I'm enjoying reading Norah Gaughan's blog about the design process -- she works for a yarn company called Berroco.) And, I decided to link my blog and my Ravelry name, so can be identified as "Journey Knitter."
In my knitting life, I'm especially enjoying my new knitting group at work. Due to my crazy month, I was a bit slow in organizing the second meeting, so was grateful for a member/colleague who nudged me along and helped me get the second meeting together last Thursday. I left with a smile on my face, though it was funny that everyone was so excited about sharing that we were all talking over each other and jumping from one topic to another. We've decided to meet on the first Thursday of each month. I shared my new favorite book, The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Knitter's Review's Clara Parkes (who lives in Maine) and it caught the interest of several people -- one of whom asked me to e-mail her husband and suggest it as a Christmas gift!
In the rest of my life, one son has been accepted early decision to his first choice college, Allegheny College, in western PA. He'll be a 12-hour drive away, but, having visited with him last spring, I'm confident it will be a wonderful place for him to go to college. One down, one to go. The other son is due to hear about his early action application to UVM any day/minute now. You can cut the tension around here with a butter knife.
ON MY NEEDLES
My main project at the moment is the lace shrug I'm knitting for one of my sisters for Christmas. She knows that I'm knitting it but doesn't know what color. I can reveal here that is is a variegated color combination -- I ordered three different colors and my sons picked one of them out for her. I'm a little more than half done and am just about to admit that it won't be done in time for Christmas (I should be knitting instead of writing this blog post!). I made huge progress on it the week I was home from work for 3 days with my cold, but can't afford to take more time off at this point. But, it is looking substantial enough to be able to wrap up for Christmas day. The pattern is from A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson.
Zeben's socks -- I actually got past the afterthought heel and am working up the legs/cuffs. I worked on them during the High School holiday concert the other night, but dropped a stitch on one before I got very far into the Golden Compass movie I went to see this afternoon and had to put them aside.
The other project on my needles is a new one since Thanksgiving. My mother-in-law took me shopping to Sakonnet Purls in Tiverton, RI and bought me a couple of knitting treats to celebrate my "big birthday" last October (they were traveling in England in October, visiting my niece and celebrating my father-in-law's birthday). I was salivating over the Cabled Tea Cozy pattern in The Knitter's Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes and she bought me the Malabrigo wool to make it. She also bought me Lantern Moon rosewood sock dps that I will be using to make mittens from the same book that I had bought Baby Ull for a few days earlier. The mittens are not on my needles yet, but I've done one side of the tea cozy and started the second side.
ON MY COOKING LIST
Since I don't have time to read anything at the moment (other than the latest edition of Interweave Knits and Fons and Porter's Love of Quilting magazines), I'm deep into Christmas cooking. Tomorrow, I'll be making Date-Filled Cookies (like the ones I used to snarf down at my grandparents' house at Thanksgiving), Festive Cookie Dough (from which I make the chocolate chip and dipped in chocolate crescent cookies that are beloved by family and friends), British Fruitcake (my neighbors aren't making it this year, so I'm picking up the slack -- believe it or not, one of my 18-year-old sons told me I have to make it because he "LOVES" fruitcake!), and Sugar and Spice Pecans. We've already been through batches of butter/sugar cookies and Chocolate Sour Cream Drops (another recipe from my childhood). Plus, I'll be making a big batch of American Chop Suey to keep us warm through the big snowstorm we're supposed to get tomorrow. Yummmmy!
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Feeling Good Again
Whew -- I should have known that when the boys get the stomach bug, it is only a matter of time before Mom gets it! Don succumbed first, a whole week after Nate was sick, just when I was thinking we'd get off scot-free. And I woke up sick the next day. One day of everything coming up, and then a day of feeling like the stuffing had been knocked out of me.
On the bright side, I had taken my knitting bag (with the Braids sweater) upstairs yesterday and just didn't even have the energy to go up and get it, so I sat down and finished the sleeves of the Jean Frost jacket, AND went on to complete the collar! All of the pieces of the jacket are done. Now I just need to decide how to block them. As mentioned once before, I've never been one for blocking at all. For this sweater, you block the individual pieces and then sew it all together. I've not really enjoyed this sweater very much. I started another sweater with the yarn and didn't like it, so frogged it and started this one instead. Even so, I've told myself several times that I'll probably find this a great addition to my work wardrobe. Now to get myself to block it.
Feeling better today, I went for a long walk this afternoon. I decided to walk downtown and visit a couple of my favorite shops, knowing that they would be starting to put up holiday stuff. I was in Kmart earlier today and there were canned Christmas songs being played, which was a real turnoff. But I can get into the warm fuzzy holiday stuff in a small shop. Then I went to my LYS and decided to purchase Peruvia to make the Tilted Duster (Nora Gaughan, Fall 2007 Interweave Knits -- cover). I'm trying hard not to buy the color yarn in the pattern photo in IK but every color I picked out, they didn't have enough in stock for me to make it! Hmmm, is there a message there? I picked out a denim blue and they'll order it for me, but I'm OK with working on other projects in the meantime. The nice thing about this store is you can pick out your 8 (or whatever) skeins, purchase one or two at a time, and they'll hold the rest for you. That way, you are only spending a bit of your allowance at a time, instead of writing a big check :)
In addition to Don and I recovering from the flu, our kitten, Lydia, was spayed on Monday. She is acting like she is feeling better, but is still wearing the collar to keep her from licking her incisions. The funny thing is, she isn't much for self-grooming -- we give her a weekly bath and she gets more grooming from our older cat, Pandora, than she gives herself. But when we take the collar off a couple of times a day, she can't stop licking her healing spots. We take it off and give her a luxurious neck rub, and then she goes right at herself until we put the collar back on. Hopefully she'll only have to wear it a couple more days. There are five more days of giving her her medication (antibiotics) -- I'll be glad when that is over! Luckily, she doesn't seem to be holding anything against us. And, she's appreciated my sitting around the last couple of days so she can keep me company.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Vine vest is done -- just needs blocking.
The Jean Frost jacket is knitted -- just needs blocking and assembling.
ON MY NEEDLES
The Braids cardigan is coming along very nicely. I really love the Colrain yarn and will definitely do another project in it.
Zeben's socks have gone nowhere, but I think I'll take them with me to a concert tonight.
Haven't touched the feather and fan scarf. I'll get to it eventually, but am itching to get to bigger and better lace projects.
NEXT UP
I've ordered lace weight yarn from Knit Picks (on sale!) -- some in handpainted colors and one plain, neutral color. My first project will be the lace shrug from Meg Swanson's A Gathering of Lace. What a nice project to wrap up in when the winter really sets in!
I need new mittens. And, I should start a pair of socks for myself as the sock yarn is starting to pile up -- three different ones waiting as we speak. A Tofutsies in variegated light and medium blues, an Aruncula Ranco in smoky purples, browns and greens, and a Knit Picks Gloss in burgundy. Now to pick a pattern! I just got Favorite Socks for my birthday, so will look there first.
On the bright side, I had taken my knitting bag (with the Braids sweater) upstairs yesterday and just didn't even have the energy to go up and get it, so I sat down and finished the sleeves of the Jean Frost jacket, AND went on to complete the collar! All of the pieces of the jacket are done. Now I just need to decide how to block them. As mentioned once before, I've never been one for blocking at all. For this sweater, you block the individual pieces and then sew it all together. I've not really enjoyed this sweater very much. I started another sweater with the yarn and didn't like it, so frogged it and started this one instead. Even so, I've told myself several times that I'll probably find this a great addition to my work wardrobe. Now to get myself to block it.
Feeling better today, I went for a long walk this afternoon. I decided to walk downtown and visit a couple of my favorite shops, knowing that they would be starting to put up holiday stuff. I was in Kmart earlier today and there were canned Christmas songs being played, which was a real turnoff. But I can get into the warm fuzzy holiday stuff in a small shop. Then I went to my LYS and decided to purchase Peruvia to make the Tilted Duster (Nora Gaughan, Fall 2007 Interweave Knits -- cover). I'm trying hard not to buy the color yarn in the pattern photo in IK but every color I picked out, they didn't have enough in stock for me to make it! Hmmm, is there a message there? I picked out a denim blue and they'll order it for me, but I'm OK with working on other projects in the meantime. The nice thing about this store is you can pick out your 8 (or whatever) skeins, purchase one or two at a time, and they'll hold the rest for you. That way, you are only spending a bit of your allowance at a time, instead of writing a big check :)
In addition to Don and I recovering from the flu, our kitten, Lydia, was spayed on Monday. She is acting like she is feeling better, but is still wearing the collar to keep her from licking her incisions. The funny thing is, she isn't much for self-grooming -- we give her a weekly bath and she gets more grooming from our older cat, Pandora, than she gives herself. But when we take the collar off a couple of times a day, she can't stop licking her healing spots. We take it off and give her a luxurious neck rub, and then she goes right at herself until we put the collar back on. Hopefully she'll only have to wear it a couple more days. There are five more days of giving her her medication (antibiotics) -- I'll be glad when that is over! Luckily, she doesn't seem to be holding anything against us. And, she's appreciated my sitting around the last couple of days so she can keep me company.
OFF MY NEEDLES
The Vine vest is done -- just needs blocking.
The Jean Frost jacket is knitted -- just needs blocking and assembling.
ON MY NEEDLES
The Braids cardigan is coming along very nicely. I really love the Colrain yarn and will definitely do another project in it.
Zeben's socks have gone nowhere, but I think I'll take them with me to a concert tonight.
Haven't touched the feather and fan scarf. I'll get to it eventually, but am itching to get to bigger and better lace projects.
NEXT UP
I've ordered lace weight yarn from Knit Picks (on sale!) -- some in handpainted colors and one plain, neutral color. My first project will be the lace shrug from Meg Swanson's A Gathering of Lace. What a nice project to wrap up in when the winter really sets in!
I need new mittens. And, I should start a pair of socks for myself as the sock yarn is starting to pile up -- three different ones waiting as we speak. A Tofutsies in variegated light and medium blues, an Aruncula Ranco in smoky purples, browns and greens, and a Knit Picks Gloss in burgundy. Now to pick a pattern! I just got Favorite Socks for my birthday, so will look there first.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Time Flies
I'm finding it hard to believe it is November already, even though the weather is finally beginning to act more like Fall in Maine. I made an appointment for a student to meet with me next week and realized it will already be halfway through the month!
I took the train to Boston and back for a work event and got lots of knitting done on the Braids cardigan. Actually, I slept most of the way down on Thursday morning because I'd been up a half-dozen times during each of two previous nights -- my sons had the stomach flu and still appreciate having Mom check on them. Zzzzzzzzzz
I used Interlibrary Loan to borrow A Gathering of Lace and Victorian Lace Today -- ah, what pleasure to peruse! I've added quite a few projects from both books to my Ravelry queue. I don't know which I'll get to first, but need to go to the Knit Picks site and order lace yarn on sale -- I can make several of my favorite projects for about $16-20. Not bad!
Speaking of money, I attended a Financial Aid Information Meeting last night at the high school. Gosh, things are going to be tight for the next few years. Zeben got an estimated aid letter from Allegheny. The FA Director at Colby said it was a very generous offer, but it still looks like we and the boys will have to cobble together quite a hefty sum each year. She reminded us, though, that one thing to take into account is money that you'll save by them not being at home. Just lunch money alone is $120 a month! And now that milk is over $4.50 a gallon, just that will be a big savings. Add in the hot water costs, electricity, and food and maybe Don and I will be able to scrape along. Since they won't be able to take a car with them to college, maybe we can cut back on insurance, too. We won't really know what all of this looks like until after we submit the FAFSA in January, so I suppose I shouldn't worry too much about it now. I did nearly empty the mutual fund today in order to pay down our home equity loan so that we'll be able to cut back on our monthly payments there, too. We'll get there somehow.
I was proud of myself in Boston, however. I did do a bit of shopping, but resisted buying yarn when browsing in Windsor Button on Temple Street. What looks kind of like a dingy JJ Newberry's, turns out to be a wonderland of yarn and other needlework stuff. I really wanted a skein of Fiesta La Boehme (in Quince) but resisted -- at $30 I'd be afraid to use it and would probably need 2 skeins to actually make anything. I'll just enjoy drooling over it.
ON MY NEEDLES
The Braids Cardigan is progressing nicely. I really like the Valley Yarns Colrain I'm using -- it has a beautiful feel and lustrous look to it. The color is Grape Jelly, but most people think of Burgundy Wine when they see it.
I picked up the jacket today and plan to leave it out where I'll pick it up more often. Really, how long can it take me to finish the caps of the sleeves?
I finished the Vermont Bag in Artful Yarns Shakespeare. It still needs to be sewn together and then I REALLY need to felt everything waiting to be felted: another Vermont Bag, a Fiber Trends bag, a cat bed, and this new bag.
Feather and Fan Scarf -- haven't touched it in a couple of weeks.
Finished, but not blocked: The Four Seasons Vine Lace Vest in Berocco Comfort (a freebie pattern from the Classic Elite site).
Waiting in the wings -- several skeins of sock yarn, including Tofutsies!
WHAT I'M READING
The Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning book has given me a good review so I can get my spinning wheel back in action. I bought some roving over Labor Day weekend at "Done Rovin'" in far Downeast Maine but was having trouble spinning. This book has helped immensely, though I have yet to sit down and try it again.
The Glass Castle, loaned to me by my mother, is about a really whacked out family, the memoir of one of the children. Good reminder that my own family is pretty tame!
The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes. So far I've just browsed, but am about to delve into it.
I took the train to Boston and back for a work event and got lots of knitting done on the Braids cardigan. Actually, I slept most of the way down on Thursday morning because I'd been up a half-dozen times during each of two previous nights -- my sons had the stomach flu and still appreciate having Mom check on them. Zzzzzzzzzz
I used Interlibrary Loan to borrow A Gathering of Lace and Victorian Lace Today -- ah, what pleasure to peruse! I've added quite a few projects from both books to my Ravelry queue. I don't know which I'll get to first, but need to go to the Knit Picks site and order lace yarn on sale -- I can make several of my favorite projects for about $16-20. Not bad!
Speaking of money, I attended a Financial Aid Information Meeting last night at the high school. Gosh, things are going to be tight for the next few years. Zeben got an estimated aid letter from Allegheny. The FA Director at Colby said it was a very generous offer, but it still looks like we and the boys will have to cobble together quite a hefty sum each year. She reminded us, though, that one thing to take into account is money that you'll save by them not being at home. Just lunch money alone is $120 a month! And now that milk is over $4.50 a gallon, just that will be a big savings. Add in the hot water costs, electricity, and food and maybe Don and I will be able to scrape along. Since they won't be able to take a car with them to college, maybe we can cut back on insurance, too. We won't really know what all of this looks like until after we submit the FAFSA in January, so I suppose I shouldn't worry too much about it now. I did nearly empty the mutual fund today in order to pay down our home equity loan so that we'll be able to cut back on our monthly payments there, too. We'll get there somehow.
I was proud of myself in Boston, however. I did do a bit of shopping, but resisted buying yarn when browsing in Windsor Button on Temple Street. What looks kind of like a dingy JJ Newberry's, turns out to be a wonderland of yarn and other needlework stuff. I really wanted a skein of Fiesta La Boehme (in Quince) but resisted -- at $30 I'd be afraid to use it and would probably need 2 skeins to actually make anything. I'll just enjoy drooling over it.
ON MY NEEDLES
The Braids Cardigan is progressing nicely. I really like the Valley Yarns Colrain I'm using -- it has a beautiful feel and lustrous look to it. The color is Grape Jelly, but most people think of Burgundy Wine when they see it.
I picked up the jacket today and plan to leave it out where I'll pick it up more often. Really, how long can it take me to finish the caps of the sleeves?
I finished the Vermont Bag in Artful Yarns Shakespeare. It still needs to be sewn together and then I REALLY need to felt everything waiting to be felted: another Vermont Bag, a Fiber Trends bag, a cat bed, and this new bag.
Feather and Fan Scarf -- haven't touched it in a couple of weeks.
Finished, but not blocked: The Four Seasons Vine Lace Vest in Berocco Comfort (a freebie pattern from the Classic Elite site).
Waiting in the wings -- several skeins of sock yarn, including Tofutsies!
WHAT I'M READING
The Teach Yourself Visually Handspinning book has given me a good review so I can get my spinning wheel back in action. I bought some roving over Labor Day weekend at "Done Rovin'" in far Downeast Maine but was having trouble spinning. This book has helped immensely, though I have yet to sit down and try it again.
The Glass Castle, loaned to me by my mother, is about a really whacked out family, the memoir of one of the children. Good reminder that my own family is pretty tame!
The Knitter's Book of Yarn: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing, Using, and Enjoying Yarn by Clara Parkes. So far I've just browsed, but am about to delve into it.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Time to Blog
Today's title is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Obviously, it has been a couple of weeks since I posted anything, so it is time to do that, but it also has to do with finding time to do it. Sharing a computer with two teenagers makes it difficult to get my turn. So, I've been making notes in my Moleskin about blogging topics. Hopefully I'll get to some of them sooner rather than later!
For a year or so, I've been thinking about starting a knitting group on campus. A colleague thought it would be a great idea, but it took me a while to get around to it. Well, I finally got around to it and had 7 enthusiastic knitters attend the first one this past week. I had offered to share information about the internet knitting community, so found myself talking more than was necessary, but I think we'll do more knitting and sharing at our next meeting. Yes, they want to do it again! At our next meeting we're going to bring our favorite knitting books.
I spent last weekend traveling with one of my sons to visit colleges and sat up late through the last two ALSC games to make sure I didn't jinx the Red Sox by going to bed before the game ended so got lots of knitting done. One of the projects I put a lot of time into was a prayer shawl which suddenly had a purpose, unfortunately. My youngest cousin lost a 6-month-old baby very suddenly and I wanted to get the shawl blessed this week and send it off to her on Monday. So sad. As always, seeing someone else's misfortune brings clarity to the blessings in my own life, which include two healthy young men, my sons.
The other knitting problem I'm facing is that I've been invited into Ravelry! Yes, it is very exciting, but the problem cropped up when I went in to register and needed to pick a username. There is a warning to choose carefully as it is the name you'll be known by in the Ravelry community and that is what has me stumped. What do I want as a name? Here are the ones that have come up: CateinMaine (my son says someone will try to stalk me), Cateroo (an old nick-name -- sounds too young for a 50-year-old?), JourneyKnitter (refers to my blog), or NanaTalbot (my grandmother's name), or something else. LavendarLady crossed my mind as I can't seem to stop being drawn to anything purple or blue. I've got to make a decision very soon -- I hope my invitation hasn't lapsed!
ON MY NEEDLES
The prayer shawl needs to have the fringe put on before church tomorrow morning. It is a deep, mottled purple yarn (Lion Brand, can't remember the name) -- soft and textured. So, I guess this is actually "off" my needles.
I started the Vine Lace Vest from a pattern on the Classic Elite site and am using Berocco's Comfort in a poison green color. It has gone together very quickly and all I have left is a little ribbing around the sleeve openings. It is a birthday gift for my sister-in-law since my son told me there was no way would my niece be interested in it ("Too old-looking," I think he said)! I like to pick yarns that can be washed for many people I knit gifts for, though I prefer to knit with natural fibers myself. The Comfort, however, has been quite nice to work with.
I'm also working my way through another Vermont Felted Bag (a Webs pattern and an earlier knit-along on Ready, Set, Knit) using Artful Yarns' Shakespeare. It doesn't feel as sturdy as the Berkshire handpainted (a Webs Valley Yarn) I used for the first one. It is a one-ply, loosely spun variegated yarn in a beautiful combination of blues and nearly turquoise. I'll finish it this weekend and try to get all my felting projects felted at once. If I like how this one felts, I'll order some more. The colors are great and the price is right (on closeout at Webs).
I haven't touched Zeben's socks, the feather and fan scarf, or the jacket in a couple of weeks.
Feeling like I'm getting to the end of a couple of projects, though, allowed me to cast on for a new one. The Cabin Fever "Braids Cardigan" out of Webs' Colrain in Grape Jelly. I cast on during a meeting yesterday, but didn't get far until I got home and could concentrate. I took it with me to a football game last night, but it really was too cold to knit and it was an interesting game, so I'm about to put on the teapot and pick it up for a while this rainy Saturday morning.
For a year or so, I've been thinking about starting a knitting group on campus. A colleague thought it would be a great idea, but it took me a while to get around to it. Well, I finally got around to it and had 7 enthusiastic knitters attend the first one this past week. I had offered to share information about the internet knitting community, so found myself talking more than was necessary, but I think we'll do more knitting and sharing at our next meeting. Yes, they want to do it again! At our next meeting we're going to bring our favorite knitting books.
I spent last weekend traveling with one of my sons to visit colleges and sat up late through the last two ALSC games to make sure I didn't jinx the Red Sox by going to bed before the game ended so got lots of knitting done. One of the projects I put a lot of time into was a prayer shawl which suddenly had a purpose, unfortunately. My youngest cousin lost a 6-month-old baby very suddenly and I wanted to get the shawl blessed this week and send it off to her on Monday. So sad. As always, seeing someone else's misfortune brings clarity to the blessings in my own life, which include two healthy young men, my sons.
The other knitting problem I'm facing is that I've been invited into Ravelry! Yes, it is very exciting, but the problem cropped up when I went in to register and needed to pick a username. There is a warning to choose carefully as it is the name you'll be known by in the Ravelry community and that is what has me stumped. What do I want as a name? Here are the ones that have come up: CateinMaine (my son says someone will try to stalk me), Cateroo (an old nick-name -- sounds too young for a 50-year-old?), JourneyKnitter (refers to my blog), or NanaTalbot (my grandmother's name), or something else. LavendarLady crossed my mind as I can't seem to stop being drawn to anything purple or blue. I've got to make a decision very soon -- I hope my invitation hasn't lapsed!
ON MY NEEDLES
The prayer shawl needs to have the fringe put on before church tomorrow morning. It is a deep, mottled purple yarn (Lion Brand, can't remember the name) -- soft and textured. So, I guess this is actually "off" my needles.
I started the Vine Lace Vest from a pattern on the Classic Elite site and am using Berocco's Comfort in a poison green color. It has gone together very quickly and all I have left is a little ribbing around the sleeve openings. It is a birthday gift for my sister-in-law since my son told me there was no way would my niece be interested in it ("Too old-looking," I think he said)! I like to pick yarns that can be washed for many people I knit gifts for, though I prefer to knit with natural fibers myself. The Comfort, however, has been quite nice to work with.
I'm also working my way through another Vermont Felted Bag (a Webs pattern and an earlier knit-along on Ready, Set, Knit) using Artful Yarns' Shakespeare. It doesn't feel as sturdy as the Berkshire handpainted (a Webs Valley Yarn) I used for the first one. It is a one-ply, loosely spun variegated yarn in a beautiful combination of blues and nearly turquoise. I'll finish it this weekend and try to get all my felting projects felted at once. If I like how this one felts, I'll order some more. The colors are great and the price is right (on closeout at Webs).
I haven't touched Zeben's socks, the feather and fan scarf, or the jacket in a couple of weeks.
Feeling like I'm getting to the end of a couple of projects, though, allowed me to cast on for a new one. The Cabin Fever "Braids Cardigan" out of Webs' Colrain in Grape Jelly. I cast on during a meeting yesterday, but didn't get far until I got home and could concentrate. I took it with me to a football game last night, but it really was too cold to knit and it was an interesting game, so I'm about to put on the teapot and pick it up for a while this rainy Saturday morning.
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