Yes, I'm Still Here

PARIS

Paris
A wonderful city
A place for lovers
Paris
A city to dream wild
Paris
In that river the boats are moving with lovers inside
Watching that beautiful sky above the river
And the moon from that beautiful sky
Is shining in
The river
Paris
A city that never sleeps
Paris
The romance is in the air
Paris
The lovers are feeling the love that are in the air
Paris
That smell of the roses the lovers can smell
Paris
This is the sign that spring is here
Paris
Spring is the most beautiful time of the year
Now that winter has finally gone to sleep
Paris
The lovers welcome spring with open arms

Aldo Kraas

Paris was indescribable - in all positive ways - therefore, I won't attempt to describe it. But I'll be putting photos up on Facebook, a few at a time, and who knows? I just might insert a few anecdotes in here, now and then, if the mood strikes.

But what about the knitting, you ask? And the handspinning? And the exercise? Well, I'm back with lots of things to show and tell.

First off, I have photos to show of six different fibers spun up during the winter of 2012, that I FINALLY got around to washing, thwacking (to set the twist) and drying in the bright sun.

This side: "Change", "Angkor Wat", "Nightmare" - all Spunky Eclectic fibers

This side: "Night Owl", "Little Periwinkles", "Headache" - all Spunky Eclectic fibers

Washed, Thwacked, and Drying

Unfortunately, I've already added all these to the spinning "mileage" gadget, but I do hope to make some significant progress on what's been waiting for me so patiently - the "Tartan" fiber that I'm more than 50% done with.

String Theory Seri leftovers

As for knitting, I (as always) took more yarn/needles/patterns with me to Paris than I ever could have knit in a month, and I didn't even finish the Tour Eiffel shawlette I had hoped to wear while there. But it's finally off the needles, as of today, and is washed and blocking as I type. I knitted this using String Theory Yarn's "Seri" in their "Carina" colorway, and I LOVE it. The 100-gram skein had 1120 yards in it.  I measured (on my handy yarn meter) the leftover yarn, and I still have 400 yards left (maybe a yard or two less than that) for another project. Thank you, String Theory!

Tour Eiffel Shawlette is off the needles!

Tour Eiffel Shawlette detail

The center of this photo shows the motif captured in the shawl.

This was a delight to knit. Natalie Servant's directions and charting were clear and complete. The finished product is soft and feather-light - perfect for these (way too chilly) spring days.

I thought the graphite color was going to be a perfect match, but realized, when actually there, that the real tower is painted brown. Oh, well. A shawl knitted in the true color would be UGLY. Mine is BEAUTIFUL.

Now I am trying to finish up the second of the pair of vanilla socks I began way back in (gasp) February. So much for the lofty goal of knitting two pairs a month in 2012. Eiffel Tower shawls take a long time, as do Fair Isle Malthese Flower shawls (I'm ALMOST done!). And I'm still plugging away on the tangerine string bag for Zig.

I lied. Here's a Paris story. I made my way one afternoon to Lil Weasel, a tiny yarn shop in the Marais. I was the only customer, and I allowed my lack of French to scare me, but I did manage to ask for, and purchase, several items, including two colors of yarn actually produced in France. (It seems that there isn't much of this.) The shop was lovely, welcoming, colorful, and very well stocked with Cascade and Malabrigo.

Lil Weasel Yarn Shop, Paris, France

Mauve Fonty "Gueret", a DK- weight yarn made in France

Red Fonty "Gueret" from Lil Weasel

Gorgeous Malabrigo destined to become a Pimpelliese scarf

The Gueret yarn will, I think be knit up into "Saroyan" and "Brandywine" scarves.

Well, that's about enough for now. Oh, yeah - exercise. We walked more than 50 miles while in Paris, and since we've been back, I'm back in the saddle with weights and aerobic activity.

Spring!

75 degrees in the shade on West River Road this afternoon. All I can say is "Wow". Our windows are open, and we got sweaty on our brisk walk this morning. It's top down weather!!! Dare I call this "the winter that wasn't"?

Lots of exercise lately, in the form of weight lifting, aerobics video, walking, and dancing. Yes, we danced last night at 41 Bridge Street in Collinsville. We saw The Revelations featuring Tre Williams - a fantastic blues/soul band that rocked the house for 3 hours. We danced in the mosh pit (well, calling it a mosh pit is a BIT of an exaggeration) and were purely happy. My left knee is mad at me now, but it was worth it.

Lots of knitting, too - I've reached the top of flower section of Malthese Flowers and have begun the border, a fairly simply grid. I machine-stitched, using tiny stitches, two lines of stitches through the steek - will have to do a bit more later but the bulk of the shawl is protected from the dread scissors.  I hope to be able to cut the shawl open later this week.

Tour Eiffel is coming along, as well. I've decided to knit the small version, so it's going to be more of a scarf than a shawl, but I think that'll be easier to wear.

Socks are slowly creeping. I knitted on them during a teachers' happy hour celebration after work on Friday, and also at the concert venue last night before the music commenced.

In other news, our living room coat closet has been emptied, cleaned, weeded, and sorted through. All the hats, gloves, and mittens now actually fit INSIDE the basket they live in.

Last, but not least, and better late than never:

St. Patrick’s Day

By Jean Blewett

There’s an Isle, a green Isle, set in the sea,

     Here’s to the Saint that blessed it!

And here’s to the billows wild and free

     That for centuries have caressed it!

Here’s to the day when the men that roam

     Send longing eyes o’er the water!

Here’s to the land that still spells home

     To each loyal son and daughter!

Here’s to old Ireland—fair, I ween,

     With the blue skies stretched above her!

Here’s to her shamrock warm and green,

     And here’s to the hearts that love her!