January 18, 2011

What should have been just another day at work morphed into a summer vacation day, courtesy of snow followed by sleet followed by freezing rain, followed by rain. Seems like the entire state of Connecticut had the day off; at least the public schools did. What's a woman to do, but stay at home, where it's safe and relatively un-slippery, and knit?

Husband's new Market Bag

This safe, dry knitter finished the second of two market (aka string) bags, using up virtually all of some unidentified hand-dyed cotton boucle´ for which there is no other aesthetically pleasing purpose. The first of these bags is going to the safe, dry knitter's husband, who is in dire need of a new (well, replacement) string bag, as he (the husband) trashed another string bag (just how does he DO this? how do you unravel a string bag with grocery items?) that the safe dry knitter had graciously knitted for him last year.

The second string bag is going to the safe dry knitter's father for his 84th birthday. The safe dry knitter is not quite sure that the octogenarian dad will know what to do with the string bag, but the octogenarian's wife will, so that's okay.

Dad's Market Bag

Now to summarize the other knitting that's happened since the Tucson post. After finishing the Pimpelliese scarf, I cast on for the famous "Citron", using Sanguine Gryphon's Sappho I lace yarn. I finished that on the plane from Tucson to Chicago. I'm please with the finished product, and look forward to wearing it one of these chilly winter days.

Citron Shawlette on the blocking board

Detail of Citron Shawlette

 After casting off Citron, I began Romi Hill's Merope, the first in her 7 Small Shawls to Knit booklet. I used Swan's Island Sock Yarn in a lovely, subtle ice blue color. That shawl screamed on the needles, at first (it starts with 3 stitches, so of course it's fast!), knitting up so quickly that I was on Row 70 before I knew it. The finished shawlette gave me my first experience at blocking lace, and just as every lace knitter has ever explained, the process seems magical - you start with a lumpy bunch of stitches and end up with a crisp, defined piece of art!

Merope on the blocking board - pinned to within an inch of its life!

Detail of Merope

Merope

Merope after blocking

Merope Shawlette

Edge detail of Merope

Interior of Merope shawlette

After finishing Merope, I cast on a pair of vanilla socks for Zig's birthday. Yes, he's already gotten several pairs of socks from me, but you can never have TOO many pairs of socks, right? Right?

Horned Lizard and Sock

Zig's Vanilla Socks knit in Opal yarn

Well, I began this post 3 days ago, but life interrupted, so I'm posting on January 21st, 2011. And guess what? It's ANOTHER snow day (which is why I have time to write) here in northwestern Connecticut. It's lovely as it falls, covering the old, dirty snow with a layer of lacy white, but shoveling awaits, when and if the storm stops.

What's next for knitting? I just finished the South Seas Table Runner - it's soaking before I block it on the board. Still working on Rowan's "Brea", a pair of "Tree of Life" mittens, and Robyn Gallimore's "Bunny Hop" socks. More soon on all of these projects!

Tucson Knitting, So Far

It's pretty obvious that I have more time than is usual. It's a rainy day here - VERY rainy for the desert - and we're all just hanging out for awhile before venturing out and about.

Pimpelliese looking purple

I cast on for Pimpelliese last Thursday at Bradley Airport while waiting for my flight to Chicago's Midway en route to Tucson. At the time, I was battling (and losing) an attack of stomach flu, so I didn't get very far. But I've since gotten better and have completed this lovely, simple, easy-to-memorize shawlette. It used less than 1 skein (100g) of YarnAddict Easy Care Merino sock yarn (sorry, it's been discontinued) that I received as a prize from Rachel of the Knitcents podcast. Thanks, Rachel! The color is a lovely variegated orchid, but it has a way of looking either very pink or very purple in these photos.

Pimpelliese looking pink

After completing that shawlette, I immediately cast on for the previously-viral pattern, Citron (from Knitty) using Sanguine Gryphon's Sappho I lace yarn in the "Bright-Voiced Nightingale" colorway, purchase in October at Stitches East in Hartford. I'm about 25% done - seems like more, but it grows exponentially as it's knitted. Never thought I'd succumb to the virus...I still haven't knitted a Clapotis, and it seems like I'm the only Raveler who hasn't!

Citron in Sappho I (sorry for the blur)

Citron in Sappho I - what is it with these weird color differences? I'm not changing any lighting or camera settings!

When (if) I finish the Citron while still away from home, no worries - I brought yarn and the pattern for Romi Hill's Merope shawlette from her Seven Small Shawls To Knit booklet. Here's the yarn - it's Swan's Island Sock Yarn in a lovely ice blue.

Swan's Island Sock Yarn for Romi Hill's "Merope" shawlette

That's it for now. No plans to visit any Tucson LYS's while here - there's no room in the suitcase for any stash enhancements.

The Christmas Season

It's been a tough - and very weird - autumn. My sister was dangerously ill in October (thankfully, she's much better now), and ever since then I've been under the weather myself, hit by a variety of ailments, the latest being a nasty stomach flu that I fell prey to on the very day I was scheduled to fly to Tucson for the holidays. Needless to say, the flight was a horror. But that's all over now, and all I'm contending with today is a chest cold.

Christmas has come and gone, and with it, a plethora of knitted gifts. As always, some were appreciated more than others. That's why I find myself knitting fewer gifts each year - if they don't get it, they don't get it! Get it?

Here are a few of the things I knitted:

Ornaments

I downloaded a pattern for Christmas ornaments knitted with sock yarn. Dug out scraps of sock yarn - mostly Koigu - and found some sparkly silver novelty yarn for the "sockets". These came out pretty well, and I gave them to friends.

 

The trick is stuffing them evenly so they don't look all lumpy.

The biggest Christmas project was a tree skirt that I designed myself. I had intended to surprise Zig with it, but it was too big a project to work on only when he wasn't home. I hoped that he would be his usual unobservant self, but one evening he asked me what I was working on, so I told him. He was really pleased, and loved what I'd done thus far. I finished it with time to spare, and it looks fantastic under the tree, even if I do say so myself!

 

 

Fair Isle Christmas Tree Skirt - not a great photo, but our old laptop (the one with all the good pics of the skirt) - was stolen.

Jess and her stocking along with a horrible pic of Stu - nice shorts, son.

I knitted Stu's girlfriend Jess a stocking this year. She was really happy about it. I also gave her a pair of self-striping socks, and the "Lena" scarf knit from yarn purchased at Stitches East this year from Kitchen Sink Dyeworks.

Jess and Penelope with the Lena scarf!

Johanna's Coffee Press Cozy

I gave both of my dear friends Pam and Johanna  a French coffee press with a "snuggly" or cozy:

Pam's Coffee Press Cozy

 

 

 

 

Pam's was knitted from String Theory sock yarn; Johanna's from Lollipop Cabin sock yarn (both with doubled strands).

 

 

 

 

There was other stuff, too - I used Mason-Dixon's pattern for felted Christmas trees and knitted a small forest to surround my cottage tea cozy - but again, the pics were on the stolen laptop. I do have them on CD, I think, but that's back in Connecticut.

"Snotlings" Stitch Markers. The name belies their incredible cuteness.

Last but not least, my son Abe presented me with the world's coolest and most unique (uniquest???) stitch markers!

Hedgehog Puppet

Here he is. I am in love.

Hedgehog Puppet

The Day After

As promised, photos of the haul.

Needle-Felted Pumpkin Kit.

Cashmere Fingerless Mitts Pattern Springtide Farm

2-ply Cashmere from Springtide Farm

Yarn Bowl from Jennie The Potter

Yarn Bowl - interior

Yarn Bowl - exterior

Yep - it's a genuine Jennie The Potter item!

Soho Hat pattern from Springtide Farm

Deep Ruby 3-ply cashmere for Soho Hat. Yarn (or should I say treasure, from Springtide Farm.

Okay, this is NOT from Rhinebeck. But I just got around to taking the photos, okay? Crown Mountain Sock yarn "Apollo" in "Locomotive Breath" colorway. Remember? Jethro Tull?

Apollo label

More details from the Apollo label. This information could save someone's life someday.

And the cutest for last. Fiber Craft Studio's Hedgehog puppet kit. I think I'm going to go knit this RIGHT NOW.

Hanging With The Rock Stars

The 2010 New York Sheep & Wool Festival is in full swing. Well, it might not be swinging as I write, since it's probably closed up for the day, but it WAS fully a-swing earlier today. Son Abe, friend Pam, and I drove over early today. We cruised through ALL of the barns, ate lamb ravioli, lamb chops, and lamb crisp. Only kidding - the latter was actually made with apples. Hmmm...lamb crisp....

Sorry. Where were we? Oh, yes, the fest! I haven't kept strict count, but I'd say this is at least the 10th year I've gone. But this year saw a number of firsts:

1. Pam bought tickets online so we cruised through the entrance gates. Go, Pam!
2. Materials purchased were more ceramic in form than woolly.
3. I couldn't finish all of my apple crisp.
4. I went to the Ravelry meetup! I went Ravelry meetup!
5. I went to the Ravelry meetup!

Here I am with Ravelry Bob, the canine boss of Ravelry.

Now, you might think that this is Ravelry Bob icognito, but it's really Ysolda Teague! I know, I know, THE Ysolda Teague. Now that's who I'm talking about when I say rock-star! 

But that wasn't all, not by a long shot. Here I am with Granny G from Crafternoon Tea With Granny G, one of my favorite podcasts. How I love her voice, her knowledge, and her baking. It was truly a thrill to see and hug her.

 

Pam and I had a fine time hanging out with the several hundred other Ravelry enthusiasts.

 

Abe snuck off to the side to grab a photo of the official photo.

He is a fine son - when I chickened out on asking Rainy Day Goods for a photo, he tapped her on the shoulder as I was wandering away, and dang if he didn't get the shot.

6. Yes we're still talking about firsts. We stopped at the Fork in the Road.

More later on acquisitions, which include but are not limited to: cashmere, roving, and hedgehog makings.

Hedgehog makings???

A Paradox Wrapped Inside a Conundrum

Okay! They're done! And they fit! And I love them! Yahoo! And the best part? I still have 2/3 of the main color skeins, and 85% of the mitten lining color skein!

Now I'm starting "Brea", a Rowan pattern designed by Marie Wallin. I'm not using Rowan Lima (WAY too pricey) - instead I'm using my favorite workhorse (but still lovely) Cascade 220, in a heather gold shade. Beautiful. Not too far in yet, but it's easy (idiot?) knitting, perfect for TV viewing.