Impatient Knitter

Single Skein September Kicks Off!

2011-09-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

It was 9/1 by the calendar, but for me the day does not officially begin before I have had my coffee. Even so, I cast on my first project for Single Skein September on my morning commute. It is a gift, so no details or photos here. Fellow Ravelers can check it out on my project page. If all goes well, I will have all of my holiday gift-knitting done by the end of the month, all with yarn from deep stash.

And here is a recent FO, this is Gudrun Johnston's Simmer Dim, which I finished last week. I did it in one skein of Schaefer Yarn Company's Heather, in the Ingrid Bergman colorway. I love how it turned out, and I have already worn it several times (including today!). I thought I might run out of yarn, but there was enough to set aside for my Babette Blanket remnant stash. Additional details on myproject page.

Bag Review: Namaste Cali Laguna

2011-08-29T12:46:00.000-07:00

Laguna bag in action on Caltrain.

NB: This review is completely independent; I have no affiliation with Namaste. This review is unsolicited and I did not receive any consideration for it. I just love the bag. A lot.

I own several knitting bags; they hold yarn beautifully in my home, but seldom get taken out on the town. It is the usual Goldilocksian list of reasons: too big, too small, handles are too short or too long, it has too many pockets or too few pockets. Though they are all attractive and useful in their ways, none of them were work appropriate, or able to hold both commute stuff and knitting. In the end, if I wanted to take knitting with me, I put it into my GoKnit Pouch or a plastic bag, and put it in my commute bag, with the result that I either had knitting with me and didn't knit, or when I needed desperately to knit, I hadn't put any in my commute bag.

This might be a good time to confess that I am, in fact, a bag ho, and not just knitting ones; bike bags and regular purses of every description feature in my collection. Both my general obsession and my hyper-specific commute needs led to the purchase of my Laguna.

I bike to work. Anything heavy, big, oddly sized can go in my panniers. My bag of choice needed to be able to accommodate the usual purse stuff, ipod, book, plus 1-2 small knitting projects, a KnitKit, my Plymouth interchangeable needle set, and occasional other bits and bobs. Coffee and lunch go into the panniers regardless, as they do not play nice with knitting. Because of the bike thing, it also needed to be worn cross-body for the ride, and I wanted to have handles for toting it around the town.

As if all of that wasn't specific enough, I wanted a bag that was stylish/nice enough for a professional office environment (especially workday to networking mixers and the like), not too heavy, and easy to rootle around in. My regular handbag was a cross-body with handle, but heavy and honestly way too nice and spendy to be slung around by a cyclist on the go. It also wasn't particularly conducive to knitting due to a zipper and the shape of the bag.

My Laguna (in the Eggplant color) arrived last week, and I have taken it on my commute for several days. It has performed beautifully: it holds all I need it to hold, and is much lighter than my regular handbag -- even with extra stuff in it. I can carry it cross-body without a problem, and the handles are comfortable. My only note on the handles is, they don't work well for sliding on to the forearm (which I have a habit of doing); you will want to hold these in the hands.

Aesthetically, the bag is very attractive and well made. It is just slouchy enough for my more casual style, but still polished for work. The Laguna transitions easily from bike, to office, lunch, shopping/errands, and after-work activities. It worked great for me at the weekend as well; I took it to a meeting (where I did not knit -- but it doubled as a briefcase for the agendas and whatnot) and then light shopping and lunch after.

A note on the pockets: I have not found knitting bags with loads of pockets that helpful, especially those with pockets/sleeves for straight needles, as I tend to knit with circulars. For me, the Laguna has the perfect pocket system -- the outside ones are great for the phone, clipper card, keys and anything I need to get to right away. There is one interior pocket that the KnitKit fits into perfectly (I don't carry any other tools besides this and my Plymouth interchangeable needles; hence no need for a multitude of tiny and/or specialized pockets); the inside zip pockets (one big one divides the bag in half; the other is on a side) hold general purse stuff. By the way, dividing the bag in half is a great feature -- I keep all the knitting stuff on one side, and my wallet, sunglasses, etc. on the other.

In sum, this was a smart purchase for me, and I plan to carry the Laguna most days.

FO: Laura

2010-12-01T13:15:00.001-08:00

Pattern: Laura, by Joan McGowan Michael/White Lies Designs
Yarns: Kit purchased from White Lies Designs; but substituted the MC for Nashua Handknits Creative Focus Superwash; added another silk-mohair blend from stash to carry along with the silk-mohair provided in the kit.
Needles: US 7 & 8, Knitpicks' Harmony interchangeable circulars
Notes and additional photos are available on my Ravelry projects page.

FO: Rasta Cowl

2010-11-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Rasta Cowl by Nell Ziroli for Knitch
Yarn: Malabrigo Rasta in Arco Iris (1 skein)
Needles: US15 Denise Circulars

Road tested, literally, this baby this morning. I bike to work and it is very very cold in San Francisco now. I, however, was super-warm from about the collarbone on up. Easy pattern, lightning-quick knit. Perfect for winter-gifting, or for yourself.

FO: Artfibers Lengthwise Scarf

2010-11-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Kit from Artfibers includes a sampling of several yarns and instructions for knit or crochet versions of the scarf. It was a great buy at $25 and I was able to revisit favorite yarns and try ones that were new to me.

I ordinarily go for pinks and purples, for which there were several kits available. For some reason, the way these yarns sat next to each other in their little bag really appealed to me, so I ended up with some non-me colors, and I love the result. It is good to knit outside the box sometimes.

This was a fun and very fast knit. I got'er done in two days. If you still have a gift to do for the holidays....

Modifications: I used a long-tail cast-on with two of the yarns provided (as in Cheryl Oberle's Knitted Ruana, if you happen to have a copy of Folk Shawls). If you tend to bind off tightly, I would use a much stretchier bind-off. Even using much larger needles, my bind off was too tight. But as I loathe unpicking bind-offs, I have decided that the swirly effect is very arty.

SF's Festive Atmosphere

2010-10-27T14:16:00.001-07:00

FO: Ishbel

2010-10-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

For my MLB post-season knitting (GO GIANTS, ahem) I made:

Pattern: Ishbel
Needle: US5 Lantern Moon "Destiny" Circulars
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Firebird

A fun, easy and fast knit. I love how the colorway knitted up. Excellent therapy for the nervous baseball watcher (I get crazy nervous on critical pitches; the Beard nearly gave me a heart attack every game).

Back in Business

2010-10-01T15:27:00.001-07:00

Just a short note to say that I am back in business! My previous employer had a prohibition on personal blogging, which is happily no longer an issue.

And my grand-reopening news is to report on my first visit to Artfibers since their San Francisco store closed. In case you did not know, they are back in the city, at 266 Sutter Street, 3rd Floor. The space is fantastic; very open, with lots of wonderful light. The yarn is arranged in pull-out bins as before, each set topped with delicious swatches to inspire you. I bought two cones of Ming in black for a sweater for my lovely mother in law, and a lengthwise scarf kit for myself. It contains several different yarns, so it is a fabulous way to sample yarns you may not have tried before.

They have a number of new (to me anyway) yarns; if I hadn't had my heart set on Ming for the sweater, I would have had a very hard time choosing. Both Safa (chunky cotton) and Lingo (sportweight linen) will be on my list for spring/summer knitting. And I don't think I will be able to resist the thoroughly swoon-worthy Yaqui for a cozy winter wrap of some kind.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to head up there RIGHT NOW and buy some yarn!

Alas, none of my most recent FOs involve knitting. I recently became obsessed with needlepoint and have been doing loads of that, and got back into cross-stitch, which may have been the first fiberish craft I ever learned.

You can make a ladybug of your very own, by heading up to Needlepoint Inc. (conveniently close to Artfibers!!). The canvas is 13 mesh, and I used Silk and Ivory for most of it, plus Treasure braid for the eyes, antennae and accents. The cross-stitch piece is Greek Island by Michael Powell from CrossStitcher issue no. 224 (a thoroughly excellent British magazine).

Happy Stitching (of all kinds!) to all!

FO: Sweet Pea Coat

2008-11-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

Pattern: Sweet Pea Coat by Kate Gilbert

Yarn: Cascade Lana Grande, 9 balls and change from Creative Hands in Belmont, CA

Buttons: Vintage glass from General Bead in San Francisco, CA

Blocking: Wet block with spray bottle

This project has several "firsts" for me: moss stitch, pockets and collar. All went well and I had a great time. The moss stitch was fun; I love the texture it created in this yarn.

This is definitely my best finishing effort to date. I took a class with Nancie Wiseman last year at the Knit & Crochet Show, which helped a great deal when it came to completing this sweater. Her book is an excellent resource, too. I did everything right this time: checked gauge and didn't fake it, joined new yarn at the selvages instead of in the middle, took my time seaming, ripped out mistakes, followed the pattern to the letter, and actually measured and checked the schematic when I blocked. I definitely feel that all of the effort paid off in this knit.

NaFro[g]SweMo

2008-11-17T08:30:00.000-08:00

Anyone else think it is just a wee bit nuts* to try to knit a sweater in the month of November when, in all likelihood, we are frantically trying to complete holiday gifts?

*Full disclosure: like everyone else, I am participating in NaKniSweMo.

However, my sweater-knitting month has taken an odd turn. I vowed, initially, to finish Juno entirely and complete the back of Malt (scroll down; which would make it NaCroSweMo as it's crochet, but whatever). Failing that, I would knit myself another ribwarmer (scroll down).

No sooner had I made the above-mentioned vow that it occurred to me that Juno really ought to be frogged. The knitting is uneven since I pick it up for a row or two, and then put it back. I dislike my cast-on (idiotically decided to use backward loop!? WTF, woman?). Most critically, however, I don't think Scottish Tweed is quite fluffy enough. The sweater looks holey, even though I do have gauge and everyone else in the world has done it in Scottish Tweed and come up with a perfectly good sweater.

So, I cast on a new ribwarmer in two shades of Not-Really-That-Big Kuryeon sometime last week and got a few ridges into it (switching the colors every other row, or something) and put it in one of my numerous knitting bags.

On Friday afternoon, I found myself poking around Twist Collective and swiftly fell in love with Gytha (to knit sometime), Vivian (to knit fairly soon) and Sweetpea (knit me now, knit me now, knit me now). I had no bulky weight yarn in the stash, so I subtly persuaded my husband to take me to Creative Hands on Saturday ("I'll go with you to the car wash if we can pop into Creative Hands after").

With 10 balls (all they had) of Cascade Lana Grande in a beautiful foresty green (and two hanks of Kraemer Yarns' Fountain Hill -- how'd they get in there?), I was out of the shop in about 10 minutes and spent less than $100 (a personal record). I couldn't wait to get home to cast on Sweetpea and see how far I could get before we left for our play (Ionesco's Victims of Duty at the Exit) later that evening.

I was nearly done with the waist shaping when it was time to go. The play was short and we were keyed up when we got back, so I knit some more before going to bed. After breakfast and dog-walking on Sunday, I knit and knit and knit and reached the start of the armhole shaping. I held the sweater up to myself and felt a hot creeping sensation start up my neck and ripple across my scalp. The thing was. Humongous.

It wasn't gauge. It was knitter's dysmorphic disorder. I had a crazy moment of deciding to knit an extra large (despite the fact that I am a medium, and only bought yarn enough for a large -- I like to have an extra ball, just in case). I had gone through the whole pattern and highlighted all the info for a size extra large without anything striking me as odd.

Even when I realized my beloved Sweetpea would be too big, I nearly just picked up the needles and kept on knitting. After all, I was really far along the back and all that work would be for nothing. But then, the creeping sensation came back. If I went on knitting the too-big sweater I would love but could never wear, I would surely run out of yarn.

It was 1:30. The Niners game had started. I paused and watched that new quarterback whose name escapes me for a second. Whyever did they get rid of Jeff Garcia? He was no Steve Young or Joe Montana, but he was decent. In this fleeting moment of zen, I decided to frog. My husband looked at me out of the corner of his eye and said, "uhm, do you want the tv on? 'Cause I am going to go read...." I muttered something that sounded like "no" and he took off for the bedroom and his book.

Whereupon I cast on all over again for the right size, and sat there on the couch for the remainder of the day. I paused for dogwalking and dinner and then returned to my knitting. In about 8 hours, I knit the entire back of Sweetpea, made both pocket linings, and got through the bottom moss-stitch border on the right front.

Whew!

Yes, We Did.

2008-11-05T15:41:00.000-08:00

I belatedly join the chorus of joy proclaiming Barack Obama the 44th President of the United States of America. I love this photo:

And belatedly crawl out of my cone of silence to write again. Too much has happened to catch you all up, so let's just start fresh. I have returned to work in my beloved San Francisco. MUNI still sucks, of course, but what can you do.

And now, from the "No you di-int!" files, my joy at Obama's victory is dampened indeed by the passing of Proposition 8 in California. I urge everyone who believes that marriage is for all who desire to be committed to the person of their choice (not just for some) to speak out against its passing and continue the fight.

There are sound legal reasons to invalidate Proposition 8, which are better articulated by others. To that end, I urge you to read the Writ for Petition of Mandate Challenging Proposition 8, available here.

When rights are taken away from one group, they can be taken away from any, or all of us.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

--Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemoller

Snapshots

2008-04-25T21:39:00.000-07:00

Still here people. Busy with the new job, lacking internet access at home, until now, etc., etc. As dialup goes, it ain't bad -- I can knit while waiting for my favorite blogs or Ravelry to load. Being a canny knitter, I realized that I could knit while waiting for pages to load. Being a bit of a distracted klutz, I realized that I should probably stick to straight stockinette or garter for such interstitial knitting

But podcasts are an issue.

When itunes told me that it would take 5 hours to download, I realized I would have to schlep the laptop to the library to Bogart their DSL connection once in a while.

Been quilting more than anything else these days. It has been an interesting experience. You get so used to knitting and crocheting and being passably, or even better than passably, good at them, and then you try something new. The swearing starts, the dog hides on the other side of the bed....

My first quilt is full of mistakes. But I am looking forward to the second, and doing it better. And looking forward to the third, and doing it even better. Which is good.

Also, friends, adding quilting to your repertoire adds a whole other category to your stashing!

Next up: a report from the San Jose Museum of Quilting and Textiles. I know. I can't wait either!

I left my snaaaaaaark in San... Fran...cisco

2008-03-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, well not all of it.

I got a new job starting March 17, and will no longer be commuting to San Francisco. And therefore, will no longer be taking MUNI from the Caltrain depot to downtown. Consequently, I will no longer have to utter the following on a regular basis:

1. Oh no, you aren't taking up the entire escalator or anything. By all means, stay right where you are.

2. You do remember that some dude got shot at the Metreon for standing on the "walking" side of the escalator, right?

3. Sure, we all stop and sort out the meaning of life before getting on the escalator.

4. My God. What is that unholy stench?

5. Why the fuck are we still sitting here? (At one time, I considered having t-shirts made)

6. Look, just punch the guy already.

7. Yeah, next train in two minutes my ass. Those signs lie you know.

8. Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, this is ridiculous!

9. But I did get to listen to ALL of Mahler's 6th Symphony this morning.

10. Yes, it is perfectly acceptable to body check me as I am trying to get off the train. This will surely help YOU get on the train even faster.

11. I don't mind if you invade my personal space (ok, I do), but if you could possibly refrain from poking me in the ass with your umbrella, that would be greeeaaaaat.

In sum, MUNI, thank you for the ride that should only be 12 minutes, which usually takes 20, for which you should plan 30, and which took a whole hour (that was Mahler's 6th day) on Monday morning.

My Fuzzy Valentine, and Other Stories

2008-02-19T09:02:00.000-08:00

Knowing of my yarn-fast, DH gave me a gift certificate to Creative Hands for Valentine's Day! It was in an amount that would render any knitter speechless as she contemplated all of the woolly fantasies that she might be able to realize.

What you see before you are:

RYC CashSoft Aran for a couple of Fetchings
Tahki Donegal Tweed Homespun for a Sunrise Circle Jacket (Pattern available at Knitting Daily website; need to sign in or register).
Cascade Sierra for the Wedgewood Blouse (scroll down)
JaggerSpun Zephyr for Scheherazade

These yarny delights are sitting atop my first quilting project (now basted together and awaiting marking and quilting), all fabrics from Anna Griffin's "Dorothy" collection. I am still debating whether to quilt by hand or machine. Probably machine, assuming I can wait until my special presser feet arrive. Impatient as I am, it seems unlikely that I will give up the vigil and quilt by hand.

Since I put in some time on Juno, and finished Whimsey (pic below) on Sunday, I allowed myself to go ahead and cast on a Fetching. It's a great pattern, though cables on DPNs are a bit fiddly. Perhaps because I am knitting on US2 needles in order to get gauge. Yes, US2. Even so -- quick knit and I hope to finish them this week.

Knitting in the Rainforest

2008-01-29T11:54:00.000-08:00

We are back from Costa Rica! We had a great time, and yes, I did knit. I had sorta hoped for an action shot of one of our cute resident lizards hopping over my scarf-in-progress, but it was not to be.

Knitting was, understandably, reserved for airport-sitting, boat-awaiting, airplane riding (except for the little planes -- not enough room, and too nervous!).

And knitting does not mix well with hiking:

Or boat rides through mangrove swamps:

Or monkeys. Definitely not monkeys:

Probably not sloths:

And certainly not waterfalls:

But it appears to work well with plants:

And it is, of course, perfect for coming home.

Wanna win some yarn?

2008-01-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

Thought you might. Go here .

For reals, this time.

2007-12-28T09:50:00.000-08:00

With apologies to Leigh Hunt.

The Impatient Knitter (may her stash decrease!)
awoke one night from a deep dream of fleece,
And saw, next to the night light in her room,
Making it large, and like the Leaning Tower, loom,
a pile of yarn, tumbling to the floor of wood.
Contain the yarn though the Knitter should,
she lacked the space, not an inch under-bed.
"What thinkest thou?" she asked within her head,
And, with a sigh made of all things woolly,
Decided, "It is time to embrace it fully..."

.... and knit only from stash in 2008, and not buy any more freaking yarn in 2008. I have a fabulous stash, and no need to keep buying yarn when I could easily knit and crochet for years on what I have. I fell off the wagon spectacularly this year. Somehow, the resolution to not buy yarn except for the Knit and Crochet Show turned into not buying yarn until the Knit and Crochet Show, meaning that, after the show, I continued on blithely purchasing yarn.

And no more fiber. I don't spin enough to justify the mounds of fiber I have.

Resolved, I will:

1. thoroughly examine the stash and determine if anything is suitable for donating.

2. actually donate any yarn designated pursuant to item 1, rather than just take it to work so I can ship it during lunch, only to take it back home skein by skein when I decide I still want it.

3. review the status of all WIPs and UFOs and determine whether I will actually finish them or not, and frog those I don't plan to finish.

4. finish all other WIPs and UFOs, and only start new projects when an existing one is completed.

5. allow myself one final splurge in 2007 before the new regime kicks in (complete with pix for you, dear readers).

5. Air the stash and re-sort into bags by weight/project type.

Now THAT explains it.

2007-12-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Which Historical Lunatic Are You?
From the fecund loins of Rum and Monkey.

"Born in England sometime in the second decade of the nineteenth century, you carved a notable business career, in South Africa and later San Francisco, until an entry into the rice market wiped out your fortune in 1854. After this, you became quite different. The first sign of this came on September 17, 1859, when you expressed your dissatisfaction with the political situation in America by declaring yourself Norton I, Emperor of the USA. You remained as such, unchallenged, for twenty-one years.

Within a month you had decreed the dissolution of Congress. When this was largely ignored, you summoned all interested parties to discuss the matter in a music hall, and then summoned the army to quell the rebellious leaders in Washington. This did not work. Magnanimously, you decreed (eventually) that Congress could remain for the time being. However, you disbanded both major political parties in 1869, as well as instituting a fine of $25 for using the abominable nickname "Frisco" for your home city.

Your days consisted of parading around your domain - the San Francisco streets - in a uniform of royal blue with gold epaulettes. This was set off by a beaver hat and umbrella. You dispensed philosophy and inspected the state of sidewalks and the police with equal aplomb. You were a great ally of the maligned Chinese of the city, and once dispersed a riot by standing between the Chinese and their would-be assailants and reciting the Lord's Prayer quietly, head bowed.

Once arrested, you were swiftly pardoned by the Police Chief with all apologies, after which all policemen were ordered to salute you on the street. Your renown grew. Proprietors of respectable establishments fixed brass plaques to their walls proclaiming your patronage; musical and theatrical performances invariably reserved seats for you and your two dogs. (As an aside, you were a good friend of Mark Twain, who wrote an epitaph for one of your faithful hounds, Bummer.) The Census of 1870 listed your occupation as "Emperor".

The Board of Supervisors of San Francisco, upon noticing the slightly delapidated state of your attire, replaced it at their own expense. You responded graciously by granting a patent of nobility to each member. Your death, collapsing on the street on January 8, 1880, made front page news under the headline "Le Roi est Mort".

Aside from what you had on your person, your possessions amounted to a single sovereign, a collection of walking sticks, an old sabre, your correspondence with Queen Victoria and 1,098,235 shares of stock in a worthless gold mine. Your funeral cortege was of 30,000 people and over two miles long.

The burial was marked by a total eclipse of the sun."

Only thing I would do differently is up the fine for utterers of the foul and blasphemous "Frisco."

The Winter of Our Mishegoss

2007-11-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

Eh, I couldn't come up with anything appropriate that sounded like "discontent." So mishegoss, dear readers, is what you get.

Long story short, I am back. I took a break to devote some time to thinking about some career-related stuff and ultimately decided that, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I am happy with my life over all. No one is 100% happy with a particular aspect of their lives 100% of the time. What matters, in this case, is the big picture. And as I am very nearly perfectly happy with my life most of the time, nothing of consequence needs to change.

And then Thanksgiving happened, which was delightful, but also involved me dashing about making appetizers, and then I got an inexplicably hot nut to do Christmas shopping which, you won't believe it, is pretty much done.

And now, brains unscrambled, I shall get back to my knitting. As usual, I have waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too many WIPs crammed into various baskets and hideyholes. In fact, my Ravelry notebook claims that I have 9 knitting projects and 1 crochet project in various states of undoneness. That is an unprecedented 10 WIPs and I am thinking of starting Clapotis, well, pretty much now, since I have taken to carrying my Plymouth Bamboo Sister Set everywhere for just this sort of eventuality. It might not be that great of an idea, given my obviously chronic startitis.

While you're here, I thought I'd let you know of some upcoming features on the blog:

- Product review of the Lamb's Tail Strandholder for you spinners out there. I am forever getting up to get more fiber (ok, and another glass of wine) while spinning and I thought to myself, "there has to be a way to keep the yarn from going all crazy while I am doing that." Turns out, there is. When next I take to my wheel, I will let you know how it works.

- A special and revealing 100th post!

- *gasp* Crocheting!

- A handbag lining tutorial!

Happy crafting to all, and to all a really awesome weekend!

Sushi, Johnnie Red and Sierra Nevada

2007-11-09T09:01:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, we have occasion to reflect on what sorts of behavior are truly unacceptable, and which are more like petty indignities that, while offensive or unpleasant, are unfortunately part of living and/or working in a big city. It sucks that we have to put up with them, but there's nothing you can reasonably or safely do about them without being a jerk (or worse) yourself. Pushy people on the train? MUNI late (again!)? The woman who won't stop discussing the ailments plaguing every single member of her large extended family? Fellow citizens who are as yet unaware of the wonders of deodorant? The scary dude two seats away? Let it roll off your back and stand at the other end of the car. It isn't the big deal it feels like, and besides. You haven't had your coffee yet.

Being yelled at by someone, especially at work, is an obvious example of something that is truly outrageous and unacceptable. Beyond the pale. Fortunately, it only happened to me once, and it was one of those things in which the yeller had clearly lost his shit and made himself so ridiculous, that even as a fleck of spittle flew in slo-mo out of his mouth and toward my forehead, I was very tempted to laugh. I had no qualms about rearing up to my full 5'2" inches to get nose to chin with the guy and tell him he was wrong, I was quitting, and P.S., telling a colleague that you and I are running away together is sexual harassment. Done.

Here's the thing I think is worse than that: being spoken to as if I am the dumbest person in the world. In the tone you would probably reserve for the one you think the most dull-witted among your household staff. The one whose mopping skills you would viciously criticize even though you've never mopped yourself. You on your cellphone, walking next to one of our colleagues, and me at my desk in total stupefaction. There's really no defense to that kind of tirade. I went for a sincere-sounding but not obsequious apology with a dash of genuine astonishment. After hanging up, I cried. I dried up. I went to the train station, whereupon I asked the guy at the shop which of the Johnnie Walker minis was better, and by the way, I'll have a Sierra Nevada as well.

I was still too rattled to read (I'd also left my ipod at home), but I happened to have knitting in my bag -- another sushi wallet for a gift. I brought it to find a matching zipper at Britex, and now it was here to keep me occupied until I got home.

I don't talk much about work on the blog, so you'll have to trust me when I say that the phone episode is one facet of a larger issue. I feel better now, but I think I'll take the cue from Rabbitch's sandwich.

Good weekend ahead, though. Tomorrow is the baby shower for the recipient of the BSJ and Embellished Hat, and I can't wait to watch her open them.

FO: Sushi Wallet

2007-10-18T12:56:00.001-07:00

Yarn and Pattern: Sushi Wallet kit by Pick Up Sticks
Purchased at: The Knit and Crochet Show, Oakland CA 9/30/07
Needles: Clover Size 10 Straights
Lining: Britex Fabrics, San Francisco, CA (from stash)
Beads and findings: General Bead, San Francisco, CA (from stash)

Notes:

Unable to decide between the "mini sushi" and "maxi sushi" versions, I did a little bit of both, embellishing the sushis with orange and yellow beads (like the roe that sometimes tops sushi). I actually decided to make lots of sushis in one go for future wallets and in case of felting weirdness. There is plenty of yarn included in the kit, so go nuts with the sushi.

I always line bags, however small, so I chose a kinda-coordinating fabric from stash and went to town. The final addition was the bead-charm zipper pull. When I found the "sorta looks like sushi" one in my stash, I swooned.

It was a fast, fun project. The kit would make a great gift for a knitter, and the FOs nice gifts for your friends. Roomy enough for a little evening clutch, methinks.

Cape-d'oh!

2007-10-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that I got an A in 11th grade geometry? This is the only math class in which I got anything higher than a C. In fact, I am sure I earned (yes, earned) a D at some point in some horrific math class. I had to drop out of Pre-Calculus senior year to avoid an F.

Despite that solitary A, there is apparently one fact of geometry which eludes me: pentagons have five sides. This is how I know Norah Gaughan is a scientist. She knows pentagons have five sides and designed her capecho accordingly.

This is why, when I cavalierly took out one pentagon in the top row of my capecho to make it smaller (thus more fitted), I failed to realize just how drastically I was throwing off the configuration of the lower row and, thence the sleeves.

I still think I can save it. It might look weird and be a bed jacket forevermore, but as soon as I take it out of the naughty basket, (a) I will take pix, as damning and laughable as they may be; and (b) try to fix it.

In the meantime, I will finish up my Sushi Wallet (felted and awaiting zipper and sushi sewing-on), continue on the Cap Shawl (pic below) and promise never ever again to bend the laws of geometry.

The Weekend in Pictures

2007-10-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

I went to the Knit and Crochet Show in Oakland this weekend. It was momentous not only because I took Friday off for the occassion, but also because it was the one exception I made to my yarn fast. I fully expected to gorge myself on all the yummy yarn I could stuff into the ginormous goodie bags we were given -- there were plenty of opportunities to do so -- but I did pretty well. I bought only things I really wanted, after thinking about them carefully. All but the laceweight are for projects I had been kicking around for a while. [ETA: Oooh, I just figured out what to knit with the laceweight! Muir. Totally.]

Back: 4 skeins of Rio de la Plata, hand-dyed, handspun wool from Uruguay (for Adult Surprise Jacket)

Right: Two skeins of Argosy Zen 4 Ply, hand-dyed cashmere (for feather and fan scarf of my own devising - kinda like the chevron scarf concept, but lacier). The lone greenie behind them is a ball of Moda Dea washable wool, the one gem from the goodie bag. I am going to use it in the Knitted Ruana from Folk Shawls.

Left: Weavette hand-held loom

Center-ish: Sushi Wallet Kit, Yarn Place "Graceful" Laceweight in a subtly variegated green.

Front: Unfortunately you can't see these too well. These are Abalone shell buttons, one of which is destined for my Capecho. I couldn't decide between them, so got both.

The three tweedy hanks are Peruvian Tweed, 100% alpaca, light worsted, for a Pi Are Square Shawl. I got tons, actually, so there is at least one other project in there too. On top of them are a hank of Tilli Tomas "Rock Star" with glass beads, and a hank of Tilli Tomas "Pure and Simple," both going into my Knitted Ruana. The needles are Asciano rosewood, handmade and absolutely gorgeous. I am saving them for the cashmere f&f scarf. On the plate are antique pewter buttons for my Juno sweater, a Gita Maria sheep shawl pin, and an Abalone/ebony shawl pin.

I also had classes on Friday (Fine Finishing with Nancie Wiseman) and Sunday (Disaster Recovery with JC Briar). Both were excellent. I had never taken a knitting class before, and being a self-taught knitter, I had a lingering belief that there was no knitting skill I couldn't teach myself if I wanted or needed to do so. However, there is something about being in a classroom setting that forced me to do things step by step, and not try to devise shortcuts for doing things by the book. I found I got better results than I might have done on my own. I also found that I have a little more confidence and less resentment about finishing things properly, now that I have seen for myself that it can be done, and isn't as painful as I imagined. The excellent results are worth the additional effort.

Among other things, the Disaster Recovery class inspired me to finally recondition some yarn I'd frogged a few months back. It is the Andean Silk I am using for my Capecho. I doubt I will need it for the Capecho, but it would be a nice addition to the Knitted Ruana when I get to that.

Debut and FOs

2007-09-18T09:52:00.000-07:00

Introducing, our first (yes, first. Yes, we're Luddites.) digital camera! Today, it will be bringing you three FOs and my latest WIPs.

In Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted (color Layette), we have:

BSJ (two skeins).

Be-ribboned hat (less than 1 skein).

In Blue Sky Cotton (pale pink), we have an embellished hat (less than 1 skein).

The hats are all basic roll-brim hats, no pattern required. Calculate your gauge and you're off to the races. The embellishments were unearthed from my ribbons & lace stuff stash.

I don't know about you, but Startitis hits me in the fall. Something about the weather change and the knowledge that, very soon, I will want to be warm and snuggly in wool. And so I give you three recently started objects. Top to bottom: the Icarus Shawl by Miriam Felton in Schaefer Yarns Andrea (Renata Tebaldi); Cabled Bolero (aka Capecho) from VK Winter 06/07, by Norah Gaughan in KnitPicks Andean Silk (Cornflower); shortie socks in Sophie's Toes (June Wedding).

Georgia on my Mind

2007-09-04T12:40:00.000-07:00

Just back from my Virtual Vacation to Georgia, courtesy of Anne, who sent me a marvelous box of yarny goodness, treats and souvenirs.

The highlights of my vacation:

- A beautiful hank of Alpaca with a Twist's "Fino," in the very color I would have chosen for myself from the famous Knitch in Atlanta;

- Also from Knitch, their signature coffee from a local roastery, which is wonderfully smooth tasting. It was perfect for our Labor Day Blunch (this is the meal that takes place when we wake up at noon on weekends).

- The coolest souvenir keychain ever;

- Box of Toblerones, which was opened pretty much immediately for medicinal purposes when the packaged arrived on Friday morning;

- Peach salsa, which beat my previous favorite (Mollie Stone's Chipotle Salsa) in a comparative tasting this weekend;

- An array of postcards, the one of the Georgia Aquarium was a big hit. DH and I will have to make a point of going in real life -- he said it is the best aquarium in the country;

- A cookbook chock-full of southern deliciousness. Just the inspiration I needed to finally make fried chicken. I keep saying I am going to do it. And hushpuppies. I adore hushpuppies;

- A fabulous large (as all mugs should be) mug of Atlanta;

- Sweet Pea-scented body lotion. Sweet Peas are among my favorite flowers (I had them in my bridal bouquet), and this lotion smells absolutely lovely;

- A gorgeous-smelling sachet, which shall grace my office.

Thank you, Anne! I loved my package!

Into the woods

2007-08-24T12:29:00.001-07:00

In which I no longer have to reach for upsides and get in a plug for my favorite basketball team.

I have been experiencing the onset of acute Germanophilia for a long time now. It all started with the innocent charms of German Rieslings, which led us to joining the San Francisco Chapter of the German Wine Society, and then to planning a trip to Germany (probably looking at 2009 for that one).

Closer to home, we have been seeking out German restaurants. Ideally, authentic German restaurants. With good atmo and a traditional feel. It was starting to look like a tall order. Not, like, Tim Duncan tall. But taller than the average dude.

So, when DH happened upon the Tyrolean Inn on the internets, our ears pricked up and we decided to head down there in the very near future. It is far enough away that we booked a room in a B&B for the weekend as well. The restaurant and the B&B are walking distance (okay, staggering. I like to end the meal with a nip of Goldwasser) from one another, and tucked among the redwoods. I cannot wait.

Hump Day

2007-08-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the contributions to the list of bay area yarn shops. I have gotten a bunch from several quarters and just need a good stretch of time to plug it all in. I will try to roll out an updated one early next week.

Speaking of updates, isn't it weird that life updates tend to fall into the same three categories, i.e.:

The good;

1. My mom is doing much better, and could be back home this weekend. There were some issues with her blood chemistry/compatibility with the anti-coagulant medication that have kept her in where they can observe her progress more closely.

2. Haven't been knitting nearly as much as I would like, in an effort to not stress my wrists. I am focusing nearly all of my energy on the BSJ, which is much much fun:

The cows are loving it. Look how cute they are. You can get a herd of your own here. This is from a couple weeks back; I'm actually just about to the bit where you knit on the center stitches for a while, and then do the picking up bit.

3. My poisonous mood of early morn has given way to a slightly sunnier disposition. This is probably to do with going to the gym (finally!) which I hate to admit because I rather dislike going to the gym and eagerly await the day when doctors come out of the woodwork telling us exercise is bad and we should all stop doing it.

4. I scored lunch (nice made to order turkey sandwich, banana, diet coke) for five bucks and change! Am I overreaching for good stuff? Probably.

The Bad (in which I nevertheless look for upsides);

1. Laundry night. Well, actually, laundry night has a shiny new allure since we started bringing a bottle of wine and glasses to the laundromat. We usually bring some K&L find that wasn't very expensive and we have never had before... and often turns out to be very good. And it is togetherness time which has been thin on the ground lately. So it's mostly goodish.

I am leaving it here anyway, because if there is anything as tedious as going to the gym and hamstering away on a cardio machine, it is doing laundry.

2. Our disposal de garbage decided to stop working for the second time this year. So, I get to sit around on Saturday waiting for someone to swing by and fix it. Nice that, as renters, we don't have to fix it ourselves though. Also, knitting and/or spinning time!

and the Ugly.

Ah, MUNI (San Francisco's craptacular public transpo, now styling itself as SFMTA). To me, it will always be MUNI, which is onomatopoetic for that foul stench that sometimes hangs out at the Pine/Davis/Market street intersection.

Ironically, I take MUNI to and from California's greatest public transportation thingy: Caltrain. Caltrain, where civility mostly reigns, you can have a drink (spirituous or not), and generally remain un-annoyed/appalled from San Francisco all the way to Gilroy if you so desire. MUNI, on the other hand, is the transpo equivalent of experiencing a deep, burning rectal itch during a refined social event. There's nothing you can do, so try not to think about it and hopefully it will go away.

I am considering getting a bike and riding from home to Caltrain, and then from Caltrain in SF to work. I have never been a fan of the two-wheeled torture device present-day humans call the "bicycle," but I think I could get used to it, considering the alternative (which is MUNI. I already ruled out hiring a car and driver).

A Knitterly Tour of the Greater Bay Area

2007-08-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

As part of a whole other project, I wound up compiling a selected list of yarn/fiber shops in the San Francisco Bay Area (to include San Francisco, the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Monterey).

I do not have any entries for the north bay counties (e.g., Marin, Solano, Sonoma, Napa, etc.). If you have any recommendations, I'd be delighted to include them.

In the meantime, HERE is the first draft of something I hope to continue updating. Enjoy, and happy shopping!

Whoo.

2007-08-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your kind thoughts!

My mom had a stroke a couple of weeks ago. At first, we weren't sure what was going on, so there was a lot of panic and worrying about what It was. Fortunately, as these things go, it was pretty mild and the prognosis is excellent.

With all the long BART and car rides, ER sitting, ICU sitting and waiting room sitting, I finished that herringbone lace scarf I have been "working on" for months. In progress pix are on ravelry (jendickinson is the name), and FO pix coming soon to the blog and ravelry. It looks great. I even put beads on the fringe.

My mom is still in the hospital, and my jenny-do list is long. More later!

Offline for a while

2007-08-06T10:04:00.000-07:00

Just letting everyone know I will be offline for a while -- taking a break from blogging, Ravelry & the KR forums while we deal with a family emergency. I will still be checking email once a day, but that's about it.

I am hopeful that all will ultimately be well, but if you would keep us in your thoughts and prayers....

--J.

Believe it or not....

2007-07-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

The yarn fast is intact. With encouragement from Jessi and some friends on the Knitter's Review Forums, I rescued some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted (in square basket on right) from my box of yarns to destash, and it is slowly but surely becoming a Baby Surprise Jacket. I had worried that the colors were too girly, so I didn't even consider using it until the KR folks urged me to rethink my stash and see if I could come up with alternatives to falling off the wagon.

Why slowly on the BSJ? Because I am consumed by reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It didn't arrive until FRIDAY due to some shipping slo-mo. I thought I was being smart, the whole pre-ordering thing, getting it cheaper than I thought I could locally, avoiding lines and stuff. Turns out, all of my local bookstores had it at the same price as online, and as long as I waited a day or two, I easily could have avoided the crowds. Oh well.

I actually didn't start reading in earnest until Sunday, though. I went to a party on Friday and spent most of Saturday recovering from the party (and going to the SF Zoo with DH). Sunday after our errands, however, I dug in and read nearly 400 pages from the afternoon to bedtime.

Anyway, the yarn is working up so nicely in the BSJ (pix to follow soon, promise), I can't imagine why I wanted to destash it. I am actually rethinking a couple of other things in the destash box. I am embarrassed to say, all Colinette yarns I bought on an expensive whim (a ribbon I loathed working with, and a chenille that I semi-disliked working with, and a mohair I liked well enough, but didn't see using on its own). I am now thinking they would be nice ones to include in the Ruana from Folk Shawls - just a little bit of sparkle amid some more traditional wools/wool blends.

Not only am I fasting, I am on the verge of actually using things that were firmly in the layer of stash I might not ever use. I can't believe it.

Dude!

2007-07-26T08:38:00.001-07:00

I totally rock! Thanks, Jessi! And I nominate:

Is it kosher?

2007-07-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

We just found out that some friends of ours are pregnant! YAY! Naturally, the happy parents divulged all of the pertinent details with little prodding (boy, due in January). Now, I have a question for you all.

Can I make an ex post facto exception to my yarn fast and buy something boyish for a baby surprise jacket? I am not exaggerating when I say I don't have anything remotely appropriate in the stash. I swear on a stack of addi turbos that I won't buy anything else. Just something lovely for the new boy in our lives? What do we think?

Shawly, you jest!

2007-07-24T09:24:00.000-07:00

If there is some kind of therapy for compulsive punning, let me know. I will voluntarily check myself in, as long as I can bring my knitting with me, and DH can visit any time.

I have three shawls on the go. Is that crazy? I cast on Icarus (scroll down) last night, with some Schaefer Andrea that has been burning a hole in my stash ever since I bought it on impulse at Urban Knitting Studio several months ago. As impulse purchases go, a 1000 yard hank of laceweight isn't a bad deal, even at 60 bucks a pop. The thing that sold me is that the color is called Renata Tebaldi. I love yarn, I love opera. It was in my basket faster than you can say "La Boheme." The colorway is a beautiful blend of deep pink, red and greeny-brown, and I think it will work up nicely, since Icarus has those bands of stockinette before you get to the lace edging.

The Cap Shawl is going well. I am nearly done with the center spiral -- only 18 more rounds to go before I start the second chart. In a way, I think of this as my first "real lace" shawl. The others were in heavier yarns on bigger needles, and this one is true laceweight on smaller needles. It even looks different: more rumpled and Ramen-like than my fingering and sportweight shawls. I think the magic of blocking will be even more evident with this one, and I am looking forward to it. I might give Russian string-blocking a whirl this time.

Finally, my Alfabeto shawl is a nice, easy one to pick up when I don't feel like concentrating, but really want to work on a shawl. I am following Clara's pattern in plain stockinette until I get bored with stockinette, at which point I will probably switch to dear old Feather and Fan to create a lacy, scalloped edge. I adore how the colorway is working up: no flashing or pooling, just a pretty shaded, dappled effect. It's gorgeous.

Resistance is Successful

2007-07-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

No new yarn will be assimilated.

I frogged the Cardigan for Arwen. It is a lovely pattern, and I surely will get around to making it one of these days. I liked the yarn, too (KnitPicks Andean Silk in Cornflower), but after I blocked the back (ages ago, mind you) and realized it blocked out way bigger than the size I was making, I knew I was courting, if not outright disaster, than at least a really humongous sweater.

No, I didn't swatch. I cast on 20 or so stitches, did a few rows, and measured that. I didn't block the swatchlet, because I pulled the thing out and cast on the back.

In thinking of what I would do with the yarn (because, y'know, I don't have enough WIPs...), it occured to me that I could make EZ's Surprise Jacket (adult version), but wouldn't it be more fun with some other colors of Andean Silk for stripes? Off I go to the KnitPicks website, to check out the other colors. And, miracle! I didn't buy any. Even I couldn't stretch the "to finish a WIP" rule to cover additional yarn for a project that was not truly in progress, and indeed, I might not actually follow through with. Also, I didn't think any of the other colors went that well with the Cornflower.

I want to do the Surprise Jacket in a hand-dyed multi anyway. From stash.

Viva Las Vegas!

2007-07-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

Cheesy as it sounds, that might be my favorite Elvis song. Not on its merits as a song (which are admittedly few), but more for the celebratory sense of a trip to Vegas.

We're back. We left Wednesday night and got back yesterday afternoon. It was a great trip. In no particular order, nine highlights:

1. The room was great. We had a spa room at the Excalibur, which in addition to the joy of soaking in our own hot tub whenever we darned well pleased, is a perfect location for other attractions.

2. We saw a baby dolphin at the Mirage. He was.... just ridiculously cute. They named him Sergeant Pepper, which... eh. I guess you would have to be a Beatles fan (which I am not). We nicknamed him Boing Boing which definitely fit his bouncy, playful demeanor.

3. We got to pet stingrays at Mandalay Bay's Shark Reef. They were sooooooooooooooo cute! Not that into being petted, quite honestly, but most of them were okay with a little stroke on their backs. I think the handlers trim their barbs so they can't sting people. The Shark Reef is actually a very cool aquarium, with lots of interesting creatures. The eponymous sharks are plentiful and scary, but there are also sea turtles (huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge!) and a lot of pretty little fish.

4. Finally went on the Manhattan Express, the roller coaster at New York New York, which I hadn't gotten to on any previous trips to Vegas. It is scarier than it looks. Not the scariest coaster I have ever been on, by any means (I famously repeated Hail Marys on one at Six Flags), but pretty freaking scary for a 30-something who hasn't been on a roller coaster in about a decade. I was totally game up until we sat in the car, and it occurred to me that this might not have been such a hot idea after all. The same thought occurred to me as we approached the foot of the first hill. I stated, very matter-of-fact as if discussing the weather, "oh shit!" and off we went. After two big drops, a corkscrew thingy, and two sets of several little hills, we wobbled off the ride, with jimmy legs and a powerful thirst after screaming ourselves dry.

5. Had quite possibly the best dinner of my life at StripSteak in Mandalay Bay. This is a Michael Mina restaurant that very successfully marries haute cuisine with classic American dishes. DH's prime rib was a perfect example: accompanying the meat were a demi-glace "au jus," and horseradish creme fraiche. DH asked me what the au jus was, being thicker, richer and glossier than the usual au jus you get with prime rib. I tasted it and geeked out on how you make demi-glace, why it tastes like that, and why it is so shiny.

Me, I got a big filet mignon with a veritable slab of foie gras on top. Not just a wee little slice, but a piece the size of a toddler's fist, grilled just until the inside was gooey and plopped atop my steak.

They started us off with a complimentary appetizer of french fries deep-fried in duck fat, which I must sadly report were absolutely fabulous. There were three versions, each with a different seasoning and paired with a coordinating dip -- the truffled one was my favorite, of course.

6. Agent Provocateur makes the best bras ever (Forum Shops at Caesar's). So beautiful, such a perfect fit, and so expensive that I was nearly moved to tears.

7. There are wine bars on the strip, believe it or not. The best one is 55 Degrees at Mandalay Bay. Details will follow on our wine blog later in the week.

8. We aren't big gamblers, actually. Other than a couple of sports bets, we didn't do much gambling. We finally resorted to it in earnest to kill time before dinner at Stripsteak on Saturday night. I played video poker for about an hour on the same 20 bucks. We didn't win anything, but it was a good run.

9. We saw Jubilee at Bally's, which was very good. The production was high quality, and it struck me as a very classic Vegas show. And, really, when all the showgirls line up and do that kicking thing in perfect unison, it is quite impressive.

And now, for the obligatory knitting content. I haven't been knitting much lately. I have had some wrist and hand pain, and am trying not to stress them more than is strictly necessary. Accordingly, I didn't bring any knitting for the plane, and I am probably going to be knitting less over the coming weeks until I get some strength back.

I am also officially on a yarn fast, due to the aforementioned shopping at Agent Provocateur and the decrease in knitting. I will not be purchasing any yarn for myself for the rest of the year. Two exceptions: 1. running out of yarn on a WIP; 2. the Knit and Crochet Show in September , for which I already registered, and then only for a (as in one) planned project. No impulse buys. I will keep you posted!

Monday. No, Thursday. It's Thursday, right?

2007-07-05T10:02:00.001-07:00

Really? I am pretty sure I have said the F-word, and there is a pic of a middle finger, too. Hunh.

Friday Whinge

2007-06-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

If you don't mind, I need a bit of a whinge.

Has everyone's week just sucked? It can't just be me. It can't. The only solution for now is yarn shopping, more yarn shopping, Rishi's Citron Oolong, and refocusing on happy thoughts like the weekend, and vacations (virtual and actual). Rescue Remedy Pastilles don't hurt either.

Thanks to my VVS pal for making contact -- I am so excited I can hardly sit still. I loved your e-card!

Actual vacay is a long weekend in Fabulous Las Vegas, week after next. As for knitting, I am taking nearly the same projects I took on my last trip, which was to Las Vegas as well (actually Henderson, for a friend's baby shower): the Sylph scarf, and a sock, albeit a different pair. Airport/airplane knitting is the best. Nothing passes the time or relaxes the nervous flyer like knitting. EZ was right.

Blogiversary

2007-06-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Yes, folks, a year ago today, I created this blog and posted my first entry. I perused that entry in a "taking stock" sort of way, and was amused to discover that I only completed one of the planned projects (Pam Allen's Floral Gathering Sac) and one of the WIPs (Koigu socks). The rest, I either didn't start, or unceremoniously frogged for various sound and good reasons.

But I have done a bunch of other things that I truly love and enjoyed knitting. My favorites include EZ's ribwarmer, the Children of Lir Stole, and Stefanie Japel's minisweater. It's been a productive and wonderful year in knitting. I am a better and choosier knitter than I was a year ago.

A huge thanks to everyone who has read the blog this year, and to everyone who has taken the time to comment.

Now, for some updates:

1. Moth

The be-moth'd yarn was not able to be dry-cleaned (it was actually going to be a gentler wet-cleaning process, according to the guy on the phone). This was deeply annoying to me when I first learned that they weren't going to be able to do it after all (despite calling ahead to avoid this very result), but whatever. I had begun to question the need to dry-clean anyway, and I think another round of dry ice-bombing will do the the trick. The yarn that was in other, moth-free, areas has been sucked into space bags and even more liberally salted with lavendar.

2. WIPs

The stuff on the needles is largely progressing well. Juno, especially, is chugging right along. The back is done, and I have both sleeves on the needles now. I plan to do the collar next to break up the monotony of 2x2 ribbing, and then do both fronts simultaneously to finish her up. It's a fast knit, and I am looking forward to wearing it when the weather turns cold.

The Cap Shawl is in the naughty basket at the moment. How simple eyelets can screw me up so badly, I will never know. I wanna say to it: "I did make Children of Lir, you know. I am not an idiot." I do like the pattern, though, and especially adore (ok, worship) the yarn, so this is still definitely a front-burner project destined for finishing. I'd like to have it done in time for the upcoming opera season, which starts in September. For anyone else, that would be plenty of time. But with me and my WIP proliferation, you never know.

Artfibers' Tsuki ROCKS, by the way. I have never (!) used Kidsilk Haze, so I can't compare. But when you can get a whole cone of Tsuki for less than the called-for amount of KSH and support a local institution, why even go there? It's a lovely yarn to work with, with a pleasant silky hand, and just enough of a mohair halo (not so much that it's really hairy). Also, working from the cone means the only ends you have to weave in are your cast on/off tails, and the bit where you broke the yarn to cast on the edging. I might try to fiddle my way out of that one, though.

Everything else is on the backburner, though I will always pick up a sock when I want something small to work on -- either to take on the road or just to fit in a couple of rows.

3. Yarny goodness

If you are in or near San Francisco, head on down to the Ferry Building (which you should do anyway - good gourmet shopping, the Farmer's Market, bay views, good eats...) and grab some organic wool yarn from Big Belly Farm, available at Capay Organic. According to the description on the band, the wool is "washed, dried and spun through a gentle, natural process." The yarns are undyed, so the colors are wonderfully sheepy creams and browns. The wool is a blend of Merino, Rambouillet, Lincoln & Suffolk sheep.

The yarn I bought is a 2 ply, probably DK weight, 250 yd/4 oz hank for 14.95. They also had a chunky 2 ply, and I thought I saw a lighter weight singles as well. I didn't closely examine them all (I was too excited for that), but I think all of the weights were sold in hanks of the same yardage for 14.95.

The yarn is soft, but durable-feeling: not like buddah, but not scratchy either. Me, I think it would be perfect for an Aran or gansey, so that's what I will be making. Leaning toward gansey, as I think the brown I chose would be more suitable for that, for some reason.

BSJ Ideas? Picture Heavy

2007-06-22T15:28:00.001-07:00

1a. Rowan 4 Ply Soft, wedgewoody blue (2 balls in front; 4 total in stash) and sprucey green (on top of the yellow Lisa Souza on left; looks more blue in pic). There's some KPs Memories in there too (3 cakes stacked next to the blue 4 ply soft).

Not pictured: a deep orangey Rowan 4 Ply Soft that is very close to one of the shades in the KP Memories.

1b. KPPPM, the blue and green are potentially boyish, and could coordinate with the blue and green 4 ply soft in the pic above (would not use the KP memories in that case). What about the two skeins on the ends? Could I mix coordinating multis and solids in an appealling way? Downside, I originally bought these for the Charlotte's Web Shawl (although I have been reconsidering that project).

2. In basket on right -- Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Layette (this was a WIP but since frogged). Is this too girly, though (cream, yellow, bluey lavendar)? Upside, I have PLENTY, no plans for it (was considering de-stashing it to a charity) and it is superwash.

Step 3: Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin and Tonic!

2007-06-15T08:38:00.000-07:00

What did you do last night?

Why, I waged war on moths.

Step 1. Empty accursed basket onto floor. Take yarn out of doors and beat each skein senseless over a beach towel.

Step 2. Pop newly-tenderized yarn into 20 gallon heavy-duty ziploc bags. Toss in (with BBQ tongs, please) 1/2 lb chunks of dry ice. Close bags LOOSELY and transport GINGERLY to bathtub. Go here for a more scientific (albeit gin-less) explanation of this step.

Step 3. Prepare gin and tonic to desired strength in pint glass. Sit on couch with the Yarn Harlot while the ice does its thing. You will find the chapter entitled Moth particularly relevant.

Step 4. When the ice is nearly gone, zip up bags and watch (hand rubbing and evil laugh optional) as the gases slowly fill them, thereby annihilating the wretched, horrible, foul moth**f***ers that had the unmitigated temerity to take up residence in your beloved stash.

Step 5. Go out to dinner with your husband. Try not to natter on and on about the moths. Note that your husband was very supportive and totally willing to help you carry out step 6 the following day.

Step 6. Though the fumigation should have killed any adult moths, their festering eggs and (permit me a small gaaaaaack here) larvae, I am not taking any chances. Tomorrow is Peninou day. After which, I plan to get an ice cream at Foster's Freeze.

The dry cleaning will not only clean the yarn and assure that the skeins are totally moth-free, their spanking cleanliness will help repel moths in the future. As soon as the skeins are back home, they will be popped into space bags, and then into some other container that has yet to be purchased.

Rolla-coastaaaaah.... of yaaaarn.

2007-06-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

What a week! On the best and most fantabulously wonderful end of the spectrum, today is mine and DH's first wedding anniversary! We're heading to one of our favorite neighborhood haunts for pizza that reminds us of Italy (Pizzeria San Remo in the charming downtown of San Carlos). Saturday, we will be heading to Harris' in San Francisco for steaks, martinis, and wonderful wine. He sent me the most gorgeous roses I have ever seen and sniffed.

The yarn front has been so upsy downsy, I might be motion-sick. I fear all the wonderful and good might be offset by the enormous emotional weight of a teeny wee beastie. To wit, a moth. One floated drunkenly out of my stash last night. The main stash in the living room, which is, in the horrific 20/20 vision of hindsight, stupidly stored in a wickery hamper thing with nary a bit of armor. I salted my precious lovelies with sachets of lavendar and blocks of cedar without a thought of these foul winged invaders. I cavalierly failed to vacuum as much as I should, and dusting? Pfffft!

My shoddy housekeeping and careless ways have come home to roost in my beautiful and expensive stash. My hope is that the fluttery bastard I saw was just leaving after freaky moth sex with his chick (later babe! I'll call ya!), and no eggs have been laid, or if they have, none have hatched. For it is the absolutely revolting-looking larvae that eat the yarn. If the evil poxy eggs have hatched, I hope it hasn't been for long.

In any event, the entire stash is being picked up by Peninou for careful inspection and gentle (but effective) moth-killing and cleaning. There are no limited wars, people. The costs will be high, but the yarn must be saved. It is tempting to go the DIY route to save a little money and have the satisfaction of actually doing something about it with my own two hands. Until my own two hands touch. Ohmigod. Lar. Lar. Larvae. But this way lies folly.

I did cry, by the way, when the enormity of the danger to the stash dawned on me this morning. I am not ashamed to admit it.

Let's turn to the good stuff, shall we?

Rheingold arrived yesterday, my kit being in the Dunkeld colorway. This will likely be the only yarn not going to Peninou since it was nowhere near the scene of the crime.

Jessi sent me the most stunning array of hand-dyed loveliness ever collected in one box. Also not going to Peninou, as it is sitting under my desk at work. These shall be my sole comforts.

Got my shawl pin from Romi. Thank heaven there aren't any sterling moths.

Today is the Yarn Harlot's birthday. I am hoping that the gift of her presence to the yarn world somehow renders all moths sterile.

Off to wage the moth war. Wish me luck.

Yarn for Thought

2007-06-12T08:29:00.001-07:00

If you are reading this, consider yourself tagged as well! Answer the following questions in your blog, and leave a link in the comments. Here's where it all started. I was asking myself something like these very questions when I was walking Pepper last night. Something about dog walking leads me to ruminate. Hmmm.

#1 Is it about the finished item or about the process of knitting? Some of both? Has your focus changed one direction or the other over time?

It used to be about the FO. Getting it done, and if it was done imperfectly, or even bizarrely, that's ok. Now, it is still kind of about the FO. I still want something to show for all the time I have put into a project, but the journey really is half, or even more than half, of the fun now. I find myself enjoying the process more, and wanting the experience of new techniques. Not just learning them, but feeling the subtleties of a given technique in my hands.

What is really funny to me now is, I enjoy the long middle period of a project more than anything else. That part in which you are knitting and knitting and knitting, and finishing is really far off. It is my favorite part. Starting is exciting, but comes with frustrations, like trying to get gauge, or worrying that the yarn isn't working out as well as you'd hoped.

As I get nearer to finishing, I get antsy and obsessed about finishing RIGHT NOW, often struggle through the finishing (especially if there is sewing up involved). And then, when it is all done, I have sort of a post-project depression until something new seizes me, and the whole thing starts anew.

The only truly perfectly enjoyable phase for me is the middle. So, I think it is mostly about the process of knitting for me these days.

#2 How do you view mistakes? Do you think they give your project character? Is it important to have one, as my Aunt says, because only God is perfect? Or would you rip all the way back to row 5 of your husband's finished sweater knit on size 3 needles to eradicate a mistake no one else would notice?

I will let a mistake go if all of the following are true: it isn't structural (i.e., the garment won't fall apart because of it); it is unnoticeable; and it is several rows back. I don't shoot for perfection, but I do shoot for something pretty close to it. If it is worth doing, it is worth doing correctly, and to the best of my ability/sanity, that is what I try to do.

#3 Would you rather knit a project that is comfortable for your skill level, or do you prefer a challenge that requires you to figure out new things?

Challenge. I will ease into new things, but once I feel I am ready to try something new/more difficult I don't hesitate to do it in some form or another. I will often return to something simpler, though, and find that return very refreshing. I also try to do simpler projects in an innovative way to keep them new and interesting. EZ's garments are great for that, and I have (re)discovered how much I like garter stitch if it is done in an unusually constructed garment. I recently made a ribwarmer and was amazed at how quickly the knitting went because I couldn't wait to see how it all worked. I am looking forward to making a Bog Jacket for a similarly eye-opening experience.

#4 What is something you really want to make but haven't yet? What holds you back? Is it money, skill level, time, fear of the unknown or something else?

Nothing specific. I think I am on track toward making everything I feel I really have to make. I know I won't hit all techniques/projects in my lifetime, and it is unlikely that I will truly master any one in particular. I love the idea of being a master knitter, the one who knows nearly everything there is to know, but I started too late for that, I think. It makes me a little sad, actually, but I am realistic about it, and just keep knitting.

If there is one thing I feel I must do and haven't yet, it might be a wedding ring shawl. I don't think I am held back on doing it. I get a little closer with every lace item I make.

Virtual Vacation Swap Questionnaire

2007-06-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

1. If you could visit any state in the US, which would it be and why? That's hard. Maybe Montana. I always thought someday I'd have a big ranch with sheep and alpaca and that might be a good place to do it. It is supposed to be very beautiful. I love big open spaces and outdoor activities.

2. If you could visit any country in the world, other than your own, which would it be and why? Germany. That will be our next big trip, so it is pretty all-consuming/at the forefront of my mind right now. We love German Rieslings, and are anxious to check out the regions where the grapes are grown. Also, just generally, I love traveling in Europe, and it's one country there I haven't been to yet. The people you meet, the different foods, architecture, arts/culture are all appealing to me.

3. Have you ever driven across several states/provinces/countries? Yes, on road trips from Greencastle, Indiana to Austin, Texas. We did it a few times (from our college town, to my best friend's home town and back) and I don't think we did it the same way twice. My favorite stop was Memphis. It's a cool town. The people were nice, and the BBQ was superb.

4. Have you ever visited someplace you consider exotic? Where was it? Eh..... not really. Going to Costa Rica in January, and I think that will be exotic, because we will be in the rainforest for most of it.

5. What was your favorite "travel" vacation? Why? Easy. Our honeymoon to Italy in September of 2006. We were gone a month, and I felt like, in each city, we saw nearly everything we could have seen, and it was very well-paced. We weren't rushed at all. DH planned the entire trip, and did a great job. More details on our trip here and here.

6. Have you ever played tourist in your own home city/state (if international, country)? Explain. Yup. When my best friend visited me, we did the tourist thing through San Francisco, CA, which no native SF-an would ever dream of doing on his/her own. It was great fun. Chinatown was probably the fave. We had great dim sum on the cheap, and you can wander in and out of shops forever.

7. Are you a museum visitor, beach comber or an amusement seeker? Museums if in a place with great ones. Amusement seeker everywhere.

8. What's your favorite type of yarn? Wool. Animal fibers generally. Aran/Worsted and lighter for weight.

9. What's your least favorite type of yarn? Synthetics (except for smaller amounts in blends, e.g. nylon content in sock yarns) and novelty yarns.

10. What items do you like to knit? I knit a little bit of everything, but my favorites are lace shawls, socks, hats and sweaters.

11. What do you pack, knit-wise when you go on vacation? Shorter trips: socks and a scarf or hat(s). Longer trips, might add a shawl or sweater piece. Any trip that involves the possibility of yarn shopping, I pack my Denise set for swatching new purchases.

12. What other crafts do you like to do other than Knit? Spinning and needle felting. Occasionally sewing and beadwork.

13. Are you allergic to anything? (Yarn wise or treat wise). None to yarn/fibers. Allergic to walnuts.

14. What is your favorite color? Least Favorite? Absolute favorite color is pink. Close favorites are blue, green and purple. Least favorites are more a matter of tone, e.g., love rich browns and moody greys, but not blah ones.

15. Sweet or Savory (Treat not personality)? By a hair: savory.

16. Anything else we are forgetting to ask that you think your partner desperately needs to know? Nope!

Weirdest thing

2007-06-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Last night's commute, I didn't get mad, even though MUNI was having problems. And it wasn't because I was happily knitting away. It was because I was listening to the freshly downloaded greatest hits of Journey.

I blame it on VH-1. On Sunday, we were flipping through the channels and landed on VH-1 during a countdown of the "40 most Softsational Soft Rock Songs," or something like that. Naturally, Journey was on the list (with Open Arms) and DH and I started naming Journey songs -- DH even sang a couple. I made myself a mental list of songs to download at the next available opportunity.

So, on Monday evening, I listened happily. Though I tried my best to be visibly frustrated and annoyed at the transpo delays, I JUST COULDN'T DO IT. Every time I tried to make a scowl and roll my eyes, I smiled instead. It was the weirdest thing.

The other weird thing that happened was a massive cleaning binge last night. Not only did I dust furniture, I dusted the objects that sit on said furniture. *boggle*

But tonight, tonight my friends, will be all about knitting. Jessi and I are going to knit Cookie A's German Stocking together (both in Champagne , which we chose completely independent of one another), so I want to wind those skeins tonight and swatch. I am also hoping to successfully swatch (again) and cast on my Dale of Norway, since I finally tracked down some 000 circs. That's how loose a knitter I am, people. A sweater on 000s.

Here she is.....

2007-06-01T13:34:00.001-07:00

Children of Lir. Finished. I am beyond words. I really love it. I actually got all misty watching her dry. Which I did, for a good 10 minutes while DH watched Law & Order reruns. The horrible cramp I got in my legs whilst blocking was totally worth it

Specs:

Pattern: Children of Lir Stole, from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls (Martha Waterman, Interweave Press)

Yarn: Lisa Souza Sportweight, 2 balls (some leftover) in Violet's Pink Ribbon

Needles: Clover Bamboo circulars, size 10

Measurements: before blocking, approximately 22 in. wide by 49 in. long; blocked to 26 in. wide by 72 in. long. Blocked with wires and T-pins.

What I learned: stitch markers between repeats is very helpful. Put in your lifeline before you screw up the first time. Don't knit lace while watching the Masters Tournament.

Changes I made to the pattern: used garter stitch for the borders instead of seed stitch. I slipped the first stitch of every row wyif to create a smooth edge. I also worked it end to end, rather than start in the center with the provisional cast on.

Smartest thing I did: wrote out each line of the pattern repeat on an index card. I then punched holes in and put them on a ring (I used a massive shower curtain ring because that's what I had handy) in order. This helped me keep track of rows, and I didn't get bogged down reading the pattern, which is not charted. I used a paperclip to mark the next row to do when I put the project away for the day.

Concluding thoughts: I really enjoyed this pattern. The results are smashing, and though it looks complex, the pattern repeat is really very logical, and do-able for someone relatively new to lace. The yarn is gorgeous - very soft and a joy to work with.

Ahem. MemeMemeMemeMeeeeeeeeemeeeeee.

2007-05-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Bold for stuff you've done, italics for stuff you plan to do one day, and normal for stuff you're not planning on doing.

Afghan
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire - never again. Ever.
Shawl
Stockinette stitch
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Knitting with camel yarn
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Hat
Knitting with silk
Moebius band knitting
Participating in a KAL
Sweater
Drop stitch patterns
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Slip stitch patterns
Knitting with bananafiber yarn
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting - WTF?
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Baby items
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffitti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Continental knitting
Designing knitted garments
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Lace patterns
Publishing a knitting book
Scarf
Teaching a child to knit
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Knit lefty style (backwards)
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colours
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies, coasters...)
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items)on two circulars
Olympic knitting!
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Knitting with dpns
Holiday related knitting
Teaching a male how to knit
Bobbles
Knitting for a living
Knitting with cotton
Knitting smocking
Dyeing yarn
Steeks
Knitting art
Knitting two socks (or other small tubular items) on two circulars simultaneously
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting - isn't all knitting textured? But if you mean, like Ganseys....
Kitchener BO - insert movie reviewer from In Living Color: "hated it!"
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching - as in have I done an actual, honest to God swatch, bound it off and kept it? Once.
Long Tail CO
Entrelac Knitting
Purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with selfpatterning/selfstriping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Knitting with cashmere
Darning - as in weaving in ends? Yes. As in socks, I use the yarn harlot's method.
Jewelry - never again. It was hell. Hell, I tell you.
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern - still working on it. It is harder than it looks.
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mits/armwarmers
Pillows
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Rug
Knitting on a loom
Thrummed knitting
Knitting a gift
Knitting for pets
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Hair accessories
Knitting in public

Jury Duty: a Knitter's Verdict.

2007-05-21T09:28:00.000-07:00

I was on jury duty last week. It was a very knitterly experience for me. I made excellent progress on my mock cable sock during our breaks. This is the second time I have made this pattern, and it might well become my "standard" sock pattern (NB: you may need to register). I have so much trouble getting gauge with socks, and this pattern has been a winner with both STR and Knitpicks' Memories, which are totally different yarns. I've heard a lot of knitters say they get weird looks or comments when they knit in public, but my fellow jurors were pleasantly curious and interested. It was nice.

And, there is a yarn shop near the courthouse by the name of Cottage Yarns. Go now. You will love it. The owner, Kathryn, is very welcoming, and we had lovely chats on both (!) of my visits. I came home with some Euroflax linen for the tuxedo blouse in the new IK, and two skeins of Mountain Colors "Bearfoot" probably destined for a pair of knee socks.

She stocks an interesting variety of yarns. Some things I'd never seen (Karabella Lace Merino), a vast selection of basics (Cascade 220, Galway, lots of Brown Sheep, Encore), and some seriously yummy luxury yarns (Joseph Galler Alpaca, oh mah gawd; lots of Karabella, like Boise and Margrite). She also had the Malabrigo laceweight; this was tempting, but for some reason, I didn't see myself using laceweight singles for a shawl. I am not sure if it would withstand the vigorous blocking I like to inflict on lace.

The actual work of jury duty was worthwhile, too. A very interesting experience. It is a pain to be taken away from the regular routine, but if you can set aside the time, I'd recommend doing it when you have the opportunity. For me, it was a valuable lesson in how 12 reasonable people can disagree, and that doesn't mean anyone's an idiot. It is totally possible that we can all hear the same story and have a different take on it. Getting everyone to come to an agreement can be difficult, but it gets done all the time. We did it. The most surprising thing was that I truly did go into the deliberations with a totally open mind. Usually, I am snap judgment girl, and I fully expected to have an opinion as soon as the closing arguments were done. In actuality, it took a good 20 minutes of talking with everyone before I could form an opinion. Everyone else's thoughts were really helpful to me in figuring out my own position, which is an absolute first. Working collaboratively was a refreshing new experience.

Delicious Anticipation

2007-05-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

There's a priority mail flat rate box sitting under my desk. It arrived this morning, brimming with a delicious sense of anticipation and possibility. It is a box full of pure potential, and one big knitting dream so close to realization. Oh, and several balls of Daletta and the Emilie cardigan pattern. It will be my first Dale of Norway sweater, and I am actually choked up thinking about how beautiful this sweater will be, and how much I am looking forward to knitting it.

Atkins for knitters. P.S. It doesn't work.

2007-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Perhaps inspired by the hyper-specific fad diets we're seeing these days, in which one obsessively (and, dare I say it, irrationally in some instances) denies oneself one category of food, I considered going on a sock yarn diet. Socks seem to take a me a long time, and I have quite a few lovelies stockpiled already. So, it seemed logical that I might reduce my purchasing of just sock yarns and see how that worked. Unlike dieting with food, for me, a holistic approach to yarn dieting would be doomed to a spectacular and public failure.

It has probably already occured to you, dear readers, that I've got this bass-ackwards. Most people don't even consider sock yarn stash, so why on earth would I attempt a sock-specific yarn diet?

The Universe is wondering the same thing. She proved either your point or mine, when she waved this under my nose and made me buy the last skein of the Bordeaux colorway. I nobly resisted for approximately three seconds before cavalierly dropping the skein in my cart. The thing that's bugging me is not that I bought yarn when I wasn't supposed to but rather, does it mean that:

1. Sock yarn doesn't count as stash, so what on earth was I doing trying such a specific diet (which, by the way, only lasted the four hour span between getting up this morning and happening upon the yarn)?

OR

2. This kind of thing is exactly why I shouldn't be buying any more sock yarn for awhile.

Vote in the comments!

Okay, everyone! Back to your knitting!

2007-04-27T08:17:00.000-07:00

[WARNING: BMFA "ROCKIN' SOCK CLUB" SPOILER]

Dateline: Bay Area, CA, approximately 5:05 pm Thursday, where a local woman has just recovered from opening a package labeled "Rockin' Sock Club." Mrs. Dickinson, along with thousands of people worldwide, have received similar packages over the last few days. Reports of hysterical whooping, fainting, and even running naked down the street waving hanks of hand-dyed sock yarn have flooded newspapers and police stations in villages and large cities alike.

Mrs. Dickinson stated that she had expected the package at her office, and reportedly stalked the mail room guy until he threatened to get a restraining order against her. Efforts in this regard proved futile however, as in order to comply with the order, Mrs. Dickinson would not be able to come to work at all.

Accordingly, she was stunned to arrive home, and find the much-desired package in her mailbox. She yanked it out, scattering junkmail, and ran upstairs to her apartment, keys at the ready. She even turned off the Cast-on podcast mid-essay in order to be completely ready to open the package and bask in its contents the second she entered the apartment. Mrs. Dickinson stated that she "never turns off Cast-on" unless and until she "absolutely [has] to."

When Mrs. Dickinson opened her package, she was left with only two words: "Holy crap," which she uttered so reverently that a flourish of trumpets could be heard in the background. The beautiful Merino/silk yarn then emitted a golden glow. The next thing Mrs. Dickinson recalled was being awakened from a deep swoon by her dog Pepper, a 60 pound Blue Heeler, who was more than ready for her w-a-l-k.

--------------

My pinky has healed. I will commence knitting the April socks tonight. Stay tuned!

The Wrath of Pinky

2007-04-24T09:23:00.000-07:00

I dissed the Pinky in an email to my brother. Who, as it turned out, is a Pinky. He replied saying, "hello, Middle Finger. I see the assassins have failed." But I was not without injury. The assassins succeeded in breaking a wine glass in my hand as I was washing it. As a result, I sustained a frighteningly deep cut to (oh, the irony) my left pinky finger.

It gets worse. I knit in a more or less continental style. Though the index finger and thumb of my left hand play the starring roles, my left pinky is a supporting actress in that it curls inward around the working yarn, providing the gentlest bit of tension. Though the cut has mostly healed, my pinky is sore and doesn't like to curl as much as I need it to curl. I cannot knit until it is in complete working order.

Sunday night, while DH watched the Warriors game, I twitched like a little kid hopped up on Mountain Dew and Halloween candy and then dragged by her parents through The Large Museum of Deeply Boring Things That You Can't Touch. Ordinarily, I would have been knitting.

I have resorted to scrapbooking. Which, by the way, I dislike. It isn't a craft. It is essentially a chore, much like weeding or tidying the drawer I call "the tool drawer," and DH refers to as "that damned drawer full of junk." I am buoyed by two facts: (1) that this particular endeavor is the organization of our honeymoon photos, and revisiting them truly is enjoyable; and (2) unlike our wedding albums, I have dispensed with the hardcore scrapbooking methods. The vast majority of the pages are devoted exclusively to the photos, and I am making separate pages for the relatively few scrappy bits I saved from the trip. I am nearly done.

However, in support of my longed-for return to knitting and consequent avoidance of the hardcore, cult-of-scrapbooking wedding albums, I propose the following list of reasons...

WHY KNITTING IS BETTER THAN SCRAPBOOKING:

1. Knitting requires very little set-up or take-down. Pull it out of your bag or basket, and you are ready to go.

2. Knitting does not require a vast array of tools and materials. You need yarn, needles and a relatively small selection of helpers like crochet hooks, stitch markers and cable needles, all of which can be comfortably contained in a box or basket.

3. Knitting is portable. You can do it almost anywhere, which also means that almost any idle moment can be filled with crafting.

4. Knitting requires very little space in which to work. You can do it in one small corner of your sofa, or a cozy chair. Scrapbooking takes about half of a dining room table at minimum, with papers, templates, photos and scissors scattered about.

5. You can't wear a scrapbook.

6. Knitting does not make your fingers sticky with glue, or involve papercuts. Though we joke about knitting-related injuries, I do not personally know of any actual person who has been injured by her tools or materials.

7. Knitting does not resemble tidying, organizing, sorting or cleaning in any way, shape or form.

8. Knitting consists of a small, compact series of rhythmic movements, often creating a feeling of relaxation and calm. You can watch TV or let your thoughts wander, if you're working on a simple project. Scrapbooking is all reaching, cutting, gluing, placing and sorting. There's little rhythm to it, and if you want it to look halfway passable, your complete attention is required.

9. You can wing knitting and undo bad execution without ruining your materials. Wing a scrapbook, and your mistake often renders your materials unusable.

10. Scrapbooks tend to look best with a lot of planning ahead, i.e., choosing coordinating papers, building around themes, and designing specific pages. This is optional in knitting. If you don't like this much planning, most of it can be done for you by an expert in the form of patterns, the selection of which is vast and readily available.

If I missed anything, please add more reasons in the comments!

Well, duh.

2007-04-19T14:48:00.000-07:00

You Are the Middle Finger

A bit fragile and dependent on your friends, you're not nearly as hostile as you seem.
You are balanced, easy to get along with, and quite serious.
However, you can get angry and fed up with those around you. And you aren't afraid to show it!

You get along well with: The Index Finger

Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

Two comments:

1. For some reason, I am overcome with hilarity that The Pinky is my nemesis.

2. I have a working hypothesis that 80% of people who take this quiz suspect that they are The Middle Finger, and look forward to confirming same. 10% are disappointed that they are, in fact, another finger.

Ask the Impatient Knitter

2007-04-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

Q: I am knitting a lace shawl. When is a good time to put in a lifeline?

A: I shoot for about the halfway point, but typically end up putting in the lifeline before that, inspired by having to painfully tink back a bunch of rows, obsessively counting stitches at the end of each, to the last row I did correctly, whereupon I emit a sigh of relief and stuff the project back in its bag. If all my knitting instincts are in good working order, I put the lifeline in the next time I pick up the shawl. If I have failed to learn my lesson, the next time I pick up the shawl, I brazenly knit on, sans lifeline, until I need to be reminded again.

We shall see what happens tonight, when I hope to pick up my Children of Lir Stole again. DH is meeting a friend for drinks, and to watch the Warriors-Trailblazers game. It will be an ideal time to get in some mileage on this project. The last time I picked it up was during the final round of the Masters tournament, which was not a very good choice on my part, as I actually wanted to watch the tournament. One good birdie putt is a recipe for dropping stitches, forgetting your place in the stitch pattern, or missing yarnovers. Take my word for it.

In the meantime, I have been knitting mostly on the Ivy sweater. The Karabella Breeze is working out beautifully. It's crispness shows the stitches to great advantage, especially the cabled section at the bottom. I am about 3/4 of the way up the back. Here's what I love about this sweater. The first few cable repeats were like getting to base camp: "are we there yet?" Then, I got into the rhythm of it and became positively addicted to the cables and couldn't wait to start the next repeat. By the time I got done with them, I was ready for a little rest, and the stockinette started right there. I expect that if this gets old, it will be just in time for the armhole shaping, after which it is a quick trip to the neckline and bind-off. Yay!

For Kurt Vonnegut

2007-04-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Lots of knitters out there already missing you.

Peace on your journey, friend.

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

2007-04-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Until today, the last time I won anything, it was a gigantic bag of fertilizer at the county fair when I was 5 years old. My parents were thrilled, as they'd been wanting to re-do the lawn, but I was S-O-L.

I chose the handspun. Very much worth the 28 year wait.

The minds, they are a'changin'

2007-04-02T09:47:00.000-07:00

(With apologies to Bob Dylan: Sorry, dude. I can't resist puns. Or whatever it is that's in the title).

Sarah would like to know whether I've changed my mind about anything.

It is a worthy question. I am a pretty rigid person, usually. My mind, once made up, will generally stay that way, if not forever, close enough to it that you'd have to wait around a really long time. The times I have changed my mind are so rare and golden that I should start a hall of fame for them.

1. Ch-ch-ch-changes

One that leaps most readily to mind was my prejudice against science fiction books. I liked some TV shows (okay, just Star Trek, the Next Generation) and movies, but for some reason, the concept of the science fiction book conjured up all sorts of childishly mean-spirited images around the theme "dorks reading bad fiction." My husband once pointed out that, sure, there's a lot of crap out there, but some good stuff too, and anyway, Jane Austen was no great shakes, either.

After I recovered from this (!), he handed me a copy of Sirens of Titan, by Kurt Vonnegut. With its finely drawn characters, acerbic wit, and a dog who travels the space-time continuum with his master, I was happily engaged in this book from page one. What sets this book apart, however, are the grand themes that surface as the plot unfolds. The denizens of Amazon.com have given it a much more knowledgeable and thorough review than I ever could, so I shall direct you there for more information.

But Sirens probably isn't true sci-fi. Certainly not as I defined it in my knee-jerk aversion to sci-fi. So, I stuck my toes in a little deeper with the Ender series, by Orson Scott Card. There are a bunch of these, starting with Ender's Game, which in the grand tradition of series, is probably the best one. It certainly got me hooked enough to read up through the fourth book. After that, I was a little Ender-ed out, but I could see myself re-reading some of these, or continuing at some point.

Very basically, Ender is a young boy, and an outcast in society, for a big reason that is clear from the get-go. He gets recruited into an elite military school at younger than the standard age, where the kids train to be the best warriors possible in order to kick the butts of the aliens who kicked our butts a decade or so previously. From this fairly simple premise, Orson Scott Card got 3 really good books, and 1 mostly good book (and the rest I can't speak to) without having to thoroughly exhaust his bag of writerly tricks.

Though less in the way of grand themes, there is definitely a lot to hang your hat on intellectually, e.g., dystopia, family dynamics, ethics of war, cultural differences (esp. in Book 4)... and so long as the action is interesting, the characters are engaging, and the writing is good, I am up for pretty much anything.

2. Turn and face ...

More significantly, answering Sarah's inquiry got me thinking about why I had this prejudice. There is no logic to it at all, which makes it a true Capital-P Prejudice. I never had any highfalutin standards for my reading material, and though I do read what you might call literature every once in a while, I never thought of myself as being literary. I have read romance novels. I have no business talkin' smack about people who read sci-fi, y'know?

I will readily confess my other ____-snobs, i.e., wine snob, music snob, yarn snob..... But a book snob, I am not. If DH asks you where his Star Trek novels went, don't tell him they're in my book basket next to the bed.

3. The strange...

As for yarn, I am changing my mind about cotton. My second sweater was a white cotton tunic from a Spring/Summer issue of VK, maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I believe the pattern called for Classic Elite Weekend Cotton. Back then, I was a new knitter, and pretty much everything I made was either a Lion Brand Pattern or kit, and I used the requisite Lion Brand yarn. When a pattern didn't call for Lion Brand yarn, I substituted. This wasn't a conscious thing. It was an access thing. I didn't make much money, there weren't lots of yarn shops where I was living, so I knitted with what I had.

For this cotton sweater, I chose a Lion Brand cotton (and I can't remember the name - it might have just been called Lion Cotton), and knitted away at K1P1 ribbing (ouch!) for ages until the sweater was done. It looked good, actually. Not as light and summery fabulous as in the magazine, but respectable, especially for one's second sweater.

It was also massively heavy and had all the drape of a hunk of siding. It wasn't very soft to knit with or to wear, so into the closet it went, until I ended up packing it into a bag of clothes I donated after losing my "living at home during law school" weight. I never touched cotton again. I bypassed it disdainfully in yarn shops, and found the Spring/Summer issues of knitting mags to be utterly devoid of anything knittable. I might have liked the pattern, but I wasn't touching cotton with a 10-foot needle. Nope. Not me.

That might have all changed. A few weeks ago, while browsing in Urban Knitting Studio for a light pretty something to make into a springy shrug (I was thinking silk, or maybe microfiber), I fell in mad crazy love with Blue Sky Cotton, from the wonderful folks who make Blue Sky Alpacas yarn. It was the shade that called out to me: a very light petal pink, so delicate it is only found on babies' toes. I had to have it. I didn't care what it was made of. Okay, I did kind of care, but when I picked it up and felt how soft it was, I was sold.

I started knitting with it this weekend, for another iteration of Stefanie Japel's Minisweater (made my first one a couple of weeks ago, and now I am addicted). Ladies and Germs, it is like knitting with cotton balls. I love it. I love that stitches don't squish up together like wool does, and leaves the fabric uneven. It really is just a touch uneven, and in such a charming way that I am not sure I want to block it.

I probably won't change my stance on eyelash yarn any time soon, but stay tuned for further developments.

Stitch 'n Bitch Calendar: a Quarter in Review

2007-03-28T10:15:00.000-07:00

Toward the end of last year, I got it into my head to buy a page a day calendar for my desk at work. Naturally, I gravitated to the two geared to knitters: The Stitch 'n Bitch Calendar (hereinafter "SnB"), and the Knitting Pattern a Day Calendar.

I dithered between them; an informed decision was hampered by the fact that none of the places I went to had them out for display. I asked other knitters what they thought of previous editions, and got a few general opinions. I ultimately settled on the SnB because it was more than just patterns, and I figured that even if I didn't knit any of the patterns, I might get some useful tips.
Given my moderate expectations, I am pleasantly surprised thus far.

1. Patterns

Patterns appear on Fridays, and of the 13 that appeared this quarter, I liked about 1/3 of them and am currently knitting 2: a simple lace scarf (the one in Artfibers Sylph that is helping me keep the shreds of my sanity together), and a feather and fan wrap that uses three gorgeous Colinette yarns and was designed by Helen Kim at Urban Knitting Studio.

Ordinarily, I am a big one for planning projects in advance, and usually consider the yarn purchases extremely carefully. This is certainly true for long-term, "big" projects. I am a little more spontaneous when it comes to "on the go" and quick projects. So, it was fun to have suitable patterns at hand and feel inspired to look for yarn and start them soon. When the scarf pattern appeared, I bought the yarn the same day on my lunch hour, knowing that I would want something both simple and entertaining for some upcoming travel.

There is a third pattern that really stands out for me, which was a big surprise. To my way of thinking there are two types of knitters. Those who knit entrelac (or are willing to give it a whirl), and those who don't (or aren't willing). I was firmly planted in the latter category until the entrelac pouch pattern appeared on the calendar last week. As soon as I saw it, I said, "I have to knit that. It is the perfect first entrelac pattern and I love it." It uses one ball of Noro Silk Garden, which I have yet to try, and I think it will be fun.

For me, that kind of inspiration - something that gets me to try something I never thought I would try - is worth the price of admission.

2. Tips/Techniques

A number of useful things, but the best aspect of this is that I can take the ones I want and file them, and recycle the rest. It is very convenient. By way of comparison, I get a tips and tricks e-newsletter that is chock-full of great information. Frankly, a lot of those tips are more amazing and fabulous than some of the tips in the calendar, but I tend not to print things out right away, and I hate slogging through old email. As a result, I end up just deleting these emails when my inbox gets full. I have to hope that the most relevant of the email tips somehow stick in my head.

3. Favorite Yarns

I like this feature more for the yarn pr0n factor than anything else. It isn't particularly useful to me, as I am unlikely to go out and just buy yarn without a pattern in mind. Although I filed a couple of these pages away because the yarns were unique or particularly lust-worthy, for everyday knitting it is far more likely that I will either use the yarn specified in a pattern (if I like it), or look for a substitute in my LYS before turning to my very slender file on yarns. It's gotta be pretty spectacular to make it into that file -- those are yarns so rare and fabulous that I could see myself buying them in reasonable quantities if I happen upon them.

It was really cool, though to see mentions of my favorite yarns, especially Artfibers Kyoto.

4. Websites

This would have to fall into the "meh" category for me. Most were sites I already know about, and the few new ones weren't that interesting to me. We can all search the internet to find what we want, or get recommendations from other knitters. A calendar page featuring a website doesn't seem like much of a value-add.

5. Other content

The calendar also features quotes and knitting-related anecdotes. I LOVE quotes, and there were a number of good ones in Q1. The thing I liked about them was that most were not specific to knitting, but had to do with creativity or happiness, or something else that most crafty folk would identify with. Two were destined for my refrigerator, which is a good ratio for these things. Realistically, you don't want to collect loads and loads of quotes because then you have too many to display (and it is a little dotty to keep a file, unless you're a writer or something). A few pithy ones are all you need.

Similarly, the stories weren't the sort of things I would save or file away, but they did provide a pleasant moment between tasks at work, or first thing in the morning over my cup of coffee.

Overall, I'd give the SnB calendar a B+ for Q1. I probably will post a review at the end of each quarter, much more concise than this one, since there won't be much background. Just the highlights.

A Rash of Stash

2007-03-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

Lots of talk about stashes lately. Lots of talk. Folks de-stashing, cataloguing stash, knitting from stash, justifying stash, measuring stash, reading stash....

I like reading stash, because it is one of those fluid concepts that have always appealed to my liberally art-ed brain. It's the classic essay question that consists of one sentence describing the topic, followed by one word: discuss. Just dive in, bang around for awhile, and out comes genius. Or, what you hope is genius anyway. You could write a poem if you felt like it, and it might work. Not on the bar exam, but pretty much everywhere else.

But the other boats, I missed. I wasn't even on the pier. In fact, I was probably sitting at the cafe next to the pier having a glass of wine after a successful yarn shopping excursion. Except for a de-stash to charity around Thanksgiving, and a stash re-org after the New Year, I haven't seriously addressed the stash question in my home apart from, apparently, adding to it.

Here's the thing. On an individual level, I get it. Knitter has too much yarn and commits to knitting a bunch of it before buying anything new, or Knitter has yarn she knows she will never knit, and finds a recipient for same. I find it curious, however, that so many people are seized by the same impulse at the same time. De-stashing is all the rage. De-stashing is the new knitting, or new yoga or new... something?

Ordinarily, I'd start ruminating about why this is the case. What is it about all of these Knitters that draws them to De-stashtown, while I am heading the opposite way, to Los Altos, home to two great yarn shops? Why was everyone knitting Clapotis, and my impulse to do so began and ended at printing out the pattern? It's really beautiful, and in a yummy yarn, and I love pretty much anything that could reasonably be called a shawl; yet I was so off the Clapotis bandwagon, that I didn't know it was pronounced Clap-oh-tee. How did you all know that? Here I was, six years of French classes under my belt, calling it Cla-paw-tiss.

The answer doesn't truly lie with all the de-stashing, Clapotis-knitting Knitters out there. They are all doing it for various worthy and perfectly unassailable reasons. I am not doing it for the same reason I have not done many, many other things:

I am not a joiner. You could have tattooed it on my forehead in Kindergarten (someone threatened this to my parents, I am sure), and it would still be relevant today. I am considering putting it on my tombstone.

One of these days, though, I might get around to somehow cataloguing or quantifying my stash in some way. Of course, I'd do it and never keep it up to date, but that's another story.

By the book....

2007-03-21T10:53:00.000-07:00

Somewhat belatedly, here is my inaugural entry in the Read Your Stash Project .

Before I was an obsessive knitter, I was an obsessive reader. That tapered off a bit when I didn't have a commute. I lived walking distance from my office, and somehow, it didn't seem wise to wander through the Tenderloin and the Financial District with my nose in a book. The former might get my ass kicked, the latter would annoy all the other Fi-Di denizens because I would be in their way. Either could get me hit by a car.

Since I moved to the suburbs and acquired a really quite lovely commute on Caltrain, reading has been back on the agenda. Usually something light and funny, but occasionally I crave something more serious. On my current reading list is Kristin Lavransdatter, by Sigrid Undset. This classic medieval romance was written in 1928, and earned Ms. Undset the Nobel Prize for literature. It is also the first serious work I have fully committed to since finishing The Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie two years ago.

The Moor's Last Sigh took a lot out of me. It gave me something, too, but reading it was such a tremendously emotional experience that upon finishing it, I cried good and hard for a solid 30 minutes. It is at once the saddest, most affirming, most vivid and most wonderful thing I have ever read. I think on some level I will never read anything that perfect ever again. It is a difficult thing for any other book to live up to.

After that, I re-read some old favorites, picked up a few authors I hadn't read before (Carl Hiaasen became a favorite), and occasionally tried something serious again, only to put it down after a few pages.

Knitting sometimes works that way for me, too. I commit to something large, time consuming, and/or complicated and spend about 90% of my knitting energies on it until it is done. After that, I alternate among some smaller, simpler projects, with perhaps a mediumish project in the background. At some point, the urge for something on a grander scale kicks in, and the cycle starts anew. It is a shorter cycle, I think, than for books, as I knit a lot more than I read most of the time.

But I have digressed. One of the things that strikes me about Kristin Lavransdatter is the time period in which it is set. Kristin lives in the 14th century in Scandinavia, a time period in which everything was made by hand, and in a place that has given us some of knitting's most treasured classics. Kristin actually doesn't knit (at least not so far), but she, along with her mother and sisters, spins and weaves. The cloth they make marks the significant moments in their lives (a wedding dress for Kristin, her trousseau, swaddling cloths) and is a part of their daily lives as well (bedding, tablecloths, everyday clothing).

For most of the people in the world today, the things we make are not a necessity of every day life -- not in the sense of "if we don't make it, we won't have clothes." In fact, crafting has become somewhat of a luxury, whether that luxury is time, money for supplies, a wealth of options from which to choose, or a combination of these. Happily, handmade things do still mark the significant occasions in our lives. Weddings and babies are both heralded with what most of us would consider our greatest masterpieces (wedding ring shawl, anyone?) and sweetest whimsies (like the watermelon hat I recently made for a friend's baby shower).

The act of making these things, however, might have an element of necessity, in the sense that this act gives us something adaptive and useful that we otherwise might not have. It gives us patience waiting in line, it gives us solace when we are too overwrought to read or listen to music. It puts us in touch with something traditional and handmade in a world that is increasingly detached from tradition and focused on mass production. Perhaps in this last way, making something by hand is a revolutionary act. How many of you have been knitting, crocheting, or cross-stitching in public, and encounter someone observing you who seems a completely shocked?

For me, the solace of crafting (in my case, knitting) has a particular relevance. At its most mundane level, it is something that helps me calm down when I am anxious, or feel better when I am upset. One time, it was a necessity for me. I was at work one morning last summer, when I got a call from my mom. It was a call I had been dreading for weeks, as my grandpa had been in the hospital with cancer for some time. She gave me the news we had all feared, that he had died, and then we hung up. I was literally incapable of speaking through the sobs, so I instant-messaged my boss to tell him I needed to leave.

On the train home, my book was useless. It may as well have been written in hieroglyphics, for all I was able to read of it. I had, however, been knitting my first-ever sock during my commute, and that is what I reached for when I needed something, anything, to keep my eyes downward and the tears at bay until I got home.

Reading Kristin Lavransdatter, I wonder if Kristin finds solace in her work. If spinning, for example, produces something her family needs, as well as gives her solace for her troubles. Ms. Undset does not really say. Kristin seeks solace in her faith, more than anything else. She is pious, and her faith is demanding. It requires obedience, atonement, and self-examination, which seem to add sometimes to Kristin's inner turmoil. Spinning and knitting, even with their occasional snarls and tangles and dropped stitches somehow avoid causing more troubles for the troubled. They soothe by giving the troubled person something external to focus on.

Mantra

2007-03-20T15:29:00.000-07:00

First of all, I wanted to send a shout-out and thank you to the recent commenters, Sarah, Kate and Denise. Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment! Its so nice to see the bloggers I read regularly find their way here as well.

Now then, I have a friend named Katherine who likes to refer to her angry self as the "Wrath of Kath." She once suggested that I might start trotting out my "Zen of Jen" on suitable occasions, but let's face it: I just don't have it. But I might be learning it; three recent episodes have reinforced the zen-ness of knitting in my otherwise completely zen-less brain.

Episode 1: last Friday, lunch hour.

It was a stressful day at the end of a stressful week. I decided some knitting refreshment was in order, so I headed out to meet my knitting buddies at the usual place and time (we meet occasionally on Fridays at lunch).

I do virtually all of my knitting at home, after I have had a chance to unwind. By the time I pick up the needles, I am already in relaxing mode. Similarly, at previous lunch hour knitting meetings, work has been relatively calm, and I have been able to slip pretty readily into knitting mode. Not this time. My needles couldn't seem to find a comfortable place in my hands, and my pattern seemed confusing at first. This latter bit was particularly telling, as I'd been knitting on this scarf for a few days now, and it is a herringbone lace, which is easier (!!) than even the ol' feather and fan. Seriously.

It was the first time I had ever noticed the difference between my state of mind in Work Mode, and my state of mind in Knit Mode. Truth be told, Work Mode is kind of a twitchy klutz who can't focus unless 500 things are happening at once. But I kept at it, and sure enough, Knit Mode got up off the chaise longue, stretched a bit, and picked up the needles. I felt a steady wave of calm suffuse my body, followed by an internal click, after which I was knitting along at my usual rhythm. I was amazed.

Episode 2: on airplane Friday night.

I used to be a great flyer. But as I got older and had more to lose (and after 9/11, too), the whole concept of flying seemed really scary to me. So scary, in fact, that when I landed in Las Vegas for my bachelorette weekend (Memorial Day Weekend, 2006) I actually had a panic attack. The whole show came out on stage, with shortness of breath, racing heart, overwhelming feelings of impending disaster and, of course, shnuffly tears accompanied by mucus, all dancing merrily together in a long chorus line. Hoooboy.

I did more or less successfully fly to and from Italy last September without much in the way of panic, but then, DH was with me and I'd had a couple of drinks. It was also really late at night and I was exhausted.

So, the true test came on Friday, March 16, when I flew to Las Vegas for my dear friend's baby shower (no, it wasn't that we were all going to see Thunder from Down Under, she lives in Henderson). I had fortified myself with a glass of way too buttery Chardonnay, but the main thing is, I had my knitting on board (the aforementioned scarf). Though I had to put it away for landing, I was able to draw on that zen-like feeling to short-circuit my fear. For some reason, planes coming into Vegas do so really fast, and continue at what feels like the same lightning speed when they meet the runway.

When I felt the panic rise, for rise it did, I found myself repeating the stitch pattern in my head over and over again: "knit two yarn over purl two together, knit two yarn over purl two together...." Before I knew it, we were at the gate, and I was ready to disembark. Crisis averted. The lesson apparently stuck, because I didn't have a single bit of panic on the way back Sunday.

Episode 3: Today's lunch special is yarn.

A bit of a crazy morning got me thinking that I'd like to knit at lunch today. I headed up to Artfibers with the now famous panic-averting scarf, which I am knitting in their Sylph yarn. After checking out their new roving, Miso (of which I bought 100 grams), I sat down in a chair to knit. And you know what? This time, I didn't have any problems switching from Work Mode to Knit Mode. Knit Mode just happened. Zen just happened.

Wine Pairing: What to Drink With Yarn

2007-03-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

For those who are both wine lovers and knitters, at some point you will face the following dilemma:

You have had a long and difficult day at work (or you have had a wonderful day and feel like a little celebration). In either case, perhaps some grape-derived refreshment is in order. However, you always knit in the evenings. It is how you unwind, so to speak. Also, you have a sweater on deadline. A sweater with cables perhaps, or a tricky bit of shortrowing somewhere. In other words, the wine cannot interfere with your ability to knit. Maybe the yarn is cream-colored, too, and wouldn't look too hot with splotches of your favorite Pinot Noir. There's hand-dyeing, and then there are wild accidents. What are you going to do?

I have your answer. German Rieslings. They are low in alcohol, often complex, tannin free (no headaches, for those who have sensitivities to red wine) and come in both sweeter and drier styles. They have an unparalleled quality-to-price ratio. The drier ones can pair extremely well with food; everything from seafood to your favorite Chinese or Thai takeaway. My husband and I drink quite a bit of Riesling. It is defintely his favorite white wine, and is near the top of my list as well (the only thing that beats it for me is Condrieu -- a wine from northern Rhone made from Viognier).

The only sticking points are that these can be a little hard to find, and the terminology can be daunting. Oh, and if you don't care for white wines, you are out of luck. But for the rest of you, check out this helpful guide to German wines, as well as some of our experiences with Rieslings.

I would even say that the act of knitting is kind of like drinking a good German Riesling (I have to keep saying "German," by the way, because there are some made in other places which, sad to say, do not compare with the real thing). The palate entry is like casting on. You've just started, and although you know what you are making, you don't have a sense of what it looks like yet. As the wine expands on your palate, you start the stitch pattern. The flavors and stitches take shape and show their beauty and complexity. There are some tricky bits, and you don't quite know what you are tasting. The flavors are somewhat elusive, and you're not sure what your pattern is telling you to do either. At this point, you just need to have a little bit of faith. The wine and the pattern will reveal themselves in the fullness of time. Ultimately, you will finish, where the flavors will linger a bit, leaving just their memory on your tongue, and every time you pick up your shawl, or sweater, or hat, you will look back on the minutes, hours and days you spent knitting it, and smile.

Salut (and happy knitting)!

A Knitter's Lent

2007-02-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

In addition to the more usual observations during this time, Lent has become a factor in my knitting (and now spinning -- more on that in a moment). I am devoting most of my knitterly efforts to the Violet's Pink Ribbon Knit-A-Long and sending healing thoughts to Miss Violet. I also found a these readings that touch both the yarn and the spirit:

Spinning a Yarn

Linen Spinning for the Shroud of Turin

Both are excellent articles. I love anything that delves into the historical, technical, "how things are made," particularly relating to fiber arts and textiles. I thought the piece was really absorbing. Spinning a Yarn is simply beautiful, and the author perfectly describes the productive-yet-calming-yet-'wasting time'ness of spinning.

I had entertained the idea of not buying yarn during Lent, but this was apparently too much to hope for. I popped in to Nine Rubies Knitting in downtown San Mateo on Saturday. I didn't go crazy - just a few skeins of sock yarn - but yeah. The Lenten Yarn Fast will now have to get serious.

This was the first time I had been to Nine Rubies. It is an absolutely beautiful shop, and the staff was very welcoming and helpful. I love the way the yarns are displayed, and the needles and notions are tucked into handy corners throughout the shop. My favorite features are a backroom with a big table for social knitting, and a fantastic area in the front bay window -- if Jane Eyre was a knitter, she would have secreted herself in this spot for a bit of quiet knitting (instead of in the window seats behind the curtains with a good book). In this auspicious spot, I found some Tilli Thomas yarns (which I didn't buy), and some Schaefer Anne (which I did) as well as a great selection of books. I wouldn't hesitate to send other knitters, local and visiting, to this shop. I know I will definitely be back.

This is in contrast to the yarn shop I popped into the previous weekend, also for the first time, and to which I will probably not return. I don't necessarily feel like I have to be greeted and welcomed with great fanfare when I enter a shop, but even to me, this place seemed a bit chilly in that regard. Not chilly. Impersonal. It had the feel of the temporary headquarters for a political campaign. More like a conference room than a yarn shop.

Though they had some things I would most definitely buy (Koigu, for example), the prices seemed high, so I gave the old pocketbook a rest. The yarns were arranged by colors in bins along the wall.... which can make a pretty sort of gradation or palette around the shop, but makes it cumbersome to shop for anything specific. Most folks I know aren't looking for "a red yarn," they are looking for "something in a worsted weight," first, and then start considering color. The selection of needles and notions was not very wide, and again, I noticed that the Crystal Palace needles (which I buy regularly) were about $3 more than I usually see.

So. Spinning. A few weeks ago, I started spinning with a spindle and fiber I got from Hello Yarn. It definitely took me a bit to get used to handling a spindle, and though I am by no means adept, I have enjoyed it and I have spun two small hanks of pretty regular singles. It was enough of an introduction to inspire teaching myself to spin on a wheel, and purchasing a wheel. I chose the Kromski Prelude; I can't wait until it gets here.

In other news, I frogged the EPS sweater, for two reasons. First was yarn choice. I love the yarn (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted), and will certainly use it in something else -- just not a sweater. Probably a small throw.

I finished my mock cable socks a while back. They turned out absolutely great. In fact, I am wearing them right now. I haven't cast on any new socks, although I have been wanting to. I think I will save it for my first shipment in the Rockin' Sock Club.

ruh-roh.

2007-02-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

I counted up all of my UFOs and determined that my WIP list in the sidebar is a wee bit inaccurate. I cheated and only included what I conveniently consider the "active" projects, and the smaller ones that I start and finish pretty quickly, like the gifty scarf, and anything that sounds really impressive, like Fir Cone. This is the complete, annotated list, as of today:

1. EPS Sweater (nearly done)*

2. Mock Cable Socks (nearly done)*

3. Cascade Fixation socks (not a whole lot of progress, but for DH and definitely a keeper)

4. Ivy sweater from Knitty (just cast on - but definitely a keeper)

5. Reversible Cable Shawl (might be frogged - think yarn would be better in another, albeit unspecified, project)

6. Children of Lir Stole (loving it, good progress)*

7. Fir Cone Shawl from Folk Shawls (cast on only; might be frogged; think would be better in slightly heavier yarn -- this is a true laceweight)

8. Fair Isle golf club covers (1 nearly done; planning set of 3).

(*) denotes "active" projects.

I think that is everything. I hope so, as I clearly already have a problem. I used to keep it strictly to three, but I have gone a little crazy over the last few months.

Here is the plan:

A. Finish UFOs 1, 2 and 6.

B. Do not cast on anything new, including socks. No matter how strongly I might feel to the contrary, the Sophie's Toes (June Wedding colorway) and Lisa Souza Sock! (Jonquil colorway) are included in the moratorium.

C. Frog 5 and 7. It sucks, but it is time to face reality. The Anny Blatt fine kid could be a gorgeous twinset, and I really should have a slightly heavier yarn for the Fir Cone. The Lisa Souza laceweight will be better served in a different project, or even a couple of projects. Maybe matching triangular shawls for me & my mom.

D. Keep 3, 4 and 8, bumping them up in the queue as 1, 2 and 6 are finished.

Hat's On to DH!

2007-01-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

I made a hat for DH for his birthday. My first handknit gift to him, and he loved it! It is the ribbed watch cap from Lisa Myer's "The Joy of Knitting." I did it in Rowan CashSoft Aran (black, of course) on size 7s. There are two reasons for this: firstly, he doesn't have a large head (marry small people - your projects will get done so much faster) and a slightly heavier worsted to make a slightly larger hat didn't seem necessary, and second.... well, second, this yarn is just about the softest thing you'll ever touch.

I used about 1 and 2/3 balls to make the hat, and it came out great.

Let me rephrase. It came out perfectly. I was so pleased with its technical perfection and beautiful symmetry that I actually made DH bend down a bit so I could examine the top of his hatted head and note the way the decreases flowed into one another, and the ribs met so neatly at the top.

This is in contrast to my regrettable sock-toe grafting moment a couple of days before DH's bday, which involved swearing, tossing and shoving of things, and peevish (albeit temporary) refusal to partake of the mozzarella cheesesticks DH thoughtfully cooked up for us. I have come to a realization about myself: I suck at grafting. This means:

1. I must master grafting, probably by doing swatches instead of attempting on actual socks, and probably when DH is out doing other things; or

2. I must find viable alternatives to grafting, such as toe-up socks, three-needle bindoffs, etc. Am I a real sock knitter if I don't graft?

But I digress. I did close the toe, albeit not so fabulously. I am going to take it out and re-do with the three-needle bindoff. The good news, though, is that I did cast on the second sock immediately (and without twisting, which was all but guaranteed given my vile mood).

At the moment, I am working almost exclusively on SBT2 (nearly done), and a gifty scarf. Okay, there are also ocassional assignations with a certain EPS sweater, and a reversible cable shawl. Oh, and DH's golf club covers. The gifty scarf is going superfast - it is the ideal commute project, and I am taking it to my lunch-hour knitting group on Fridays.

Girls in the Hood

2007-01-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

My sweater plans added up to way too many hoodies, didn't it? Definitely doing the Central Park because I think the Jo Sharp is so perfect for it. Because it is kind of similar, I will probably forego Arwen and find something else fabulous for the Knit Picks' Andean Silk.

The Noni bag is still unfinished. I did some light embroidery and beading on the flowers, and sewed them to the bag, but I still haven't done the lining. I have a hard time motivating myself to drag out the sewing machine on a weeknight, but I just might do it during this week.

Weekends have been busy with other things - family gatherings, wine-related events, and the NFL playoffs. I am disappointed that the Patriots lost to the Colts. Not altogether surprised. But now that the Colts are in, I'd like them to win the Superbowl for Tony Dungy - definitely think he's earned it.

Even so, lots of knitting is getting done, including a couple of gifts, and row upon row of my EPS sweater. I want to get that done before I really really start on any other sweaters.

That's about it!

Bag Lady

2007-01-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

The floral gathering sac was officially done as of last week. Seaming and weaving in the ends took the better part of two evenings (that danged intarsia!), and the lining took literally all of one day. I decided to go close to all-out on it. The only departure from the plan was to make the pockets simpler. I am happy with how it turned out. I'll try to get some diagrams and pix up, in case anyone out there could use them.

I will say that using interfacing for the bottom and strap really helped to stabilize the bag a bit, and I don't think it will stretch much, if at all.

Last weekend, I finished knitting the Noni Garden Party Bag. It was an easy and actually pretty fun knit. Because I had so many WIPs, it took a lot longer than it should have, but I did have a good time with it. I am a tad disappointed in the (mostly) finished product, though. Even though I knitted at gauge, I had the hardest time getting the thing to felt down to the finished measurements. I gave up at about an inch larger around, and an inch taller. The flowers didn't felt down to the tiny cuteness in the picture, either. Maybe I give up too easily but like I said. I am done.

My bag just isn't as cute as the pictured one. The colors (green bag with blue flowers) seem off, even though I used the yarn and shades recommended, and my mohair fuzzed, but doesn't have that lighter, kind of curly look that the model bag does.

I am going to do the assembly tonight, and then it is officially done: a little beadwork on the flowers, a simple lining (structure/stability not being much of an issue....) and the handle. I will probably like it more after all of that is done.

The Non-Finish Line

2007-01-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

Because you can't really call it finished until... you know... it is finished. I am done knitting the Floral Gathering Sac. I grafted (!!) the strap and did the slip stitch crochet bit and left the rest to post-blocking. The pattern didn't say to block, and maybe Pam Allen's didn't need blocking, but mine sure did. After pinning it gently to a towel on the floor late Saturday night, I became conflicted:

Did I want it to dry fast so I could weave in the ends and sew up? And then do the lining, inside pockets and whatever else I thought I might do? Or....

Did I want it to dry slow so I didn't have to face all that was left to do, and get in lots of knitting in the meantime?

It is cold here, so the thing is taking ages to dry. I even put it outside during the relatively warm afternoon, and in front of the heater in the evening (until Pepper laid down on it - the heater being her favorite feature of the apartment). With all of these efforts, it was still damp when I left this morning, which leads me to conclude that the Universe enjoys procrastination as much as I do.

In the meantime, I started some mitts to wear at the office when my hands get cold (in the same Rowan Kid Classic as my office poncho), got in a few rows of the Noni bag (I did indeed run out of yarn before the decreases at the bottom, but I have more on the way), SBT2, and the EPS sweater. Oh, and I swatched for the Central Park Hoodie in the Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran Tweed - got gauge on the first go with that one, too. It was a productive weekend.

In the realm of non-knitting productivity, I packed up the Christmas ornaments and decorations, and we took the tree out. We had planned to take it out pointy-end forward, but because of the way we picked it up, it ended up going butt-forward, thereby scattering the maximum possible number of needles per square foot. I actually didn't care about that until I started vacuuming.

We have a pretty expensive vacuum. Like most high-end things (human beings included), it can be quite sensitive. The thing practically choked on all the needles, and I had a temper tantrum (first one ever witnessed by DH) trying to undo the clog. I did get the bright idea to sweep up as many of the needles as I could, and then resumed vacuuming without further incident.

I've said it before, and I will say it again: this year, let's go away for Christmas.

Ga-hay-hay-auge!!!

2007-01-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dude. I got gauge on the first try last night. I feel like the Sir Isaac Newton of knitting. It is for the Ivy wrap sweater from Knitty. I am using the Karabella Breeze I bought from the Knitters Anonymous de-stash to benefit TSF.

I am sensing a sweater binge coming on. I have to finish the Floral Gathering Sac this weekend, and then my sweaterthon will continue in earnest. I have the EPS sweater chugging along, now Ivy cast-on, plus sweaterly plans on the to-do list for 2007, including: Enid and Arwen from the Winter 2006 IK, Central Park Hoodie from KnitScene (in Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran Tweed, also from the KA de-stash), the hoodie from White Lies Designs, and I might toy with doing something out of the Winter VK after I have had a closer look at the issue. I like the white turtleneck from the Northern Lights section. It is pretty, and unique but still wear-able.

In other knitterly plans, I want to make bears for the Mother Bear Project this year. The bears are just adorable, and the pictures of the kids who got the bears (in the Winter IK) totally sold me on the idea. The kid holding his bear and giving a thumbs-up is a boy after my own heart.

Getting 2007 Off to a Proper Start....

2007-01-03T09:22:00.000-08:00

What did I do on New Year's Day? I knitted. I knitted like crazy. Like it was going out of style. Like my stash was on fire.

What did I work on? The Floral Gathering Sac, which is so close to being done, I can taste it!

How many more cliches am I going to use? None. Sorry about that.

When I picked up the FGS again, after much time had passed, I was maybe 1/3 the way up the body. I am now at the base of the strap. I should be able to finish it this weekend. Colorwork, even with the attendant juggling and fussing with yarn, seems to go by really fast.

I am delighted with the bag and cannot wait to use it. It is my style exactly, which is to say, boho fabulous. I am a touch worried that the fabric is uneven, but this should smooth out in the blocking. In an unprecedented step, I even washed my swatch to test for colorfastness. I wouldn't ordinarily do this, but hand-dyed yarn plus intarsia suggested a need for caution. The darker yarn bled the teensiest amount in mega-hot water, so the bag should be fine in cool water.

Being an erstwhile seamstress of considerable accomplishment, I am tempted to go all-out on the lining: interfacing, pockets, the whole shebang. I tend to bottle out on these sorts of big plans, but I think it would be very practical for a bag that is intended to carry a lot of stuff. We'll see.

Post-Christmas

2006-12-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

Knitting has been accomplished in little bites - between cleaning, cooking, present-buying and the usual holiday stuff. I didn't knit any gifts this year, but I think I will for next year. Starting very, very early. Not January 1 early, but probably sometime in the first quarter of oh-seven.

Most of the progress has been made on the EPS sweater (body still chugging along, one sleeve nearly done, the second sleeve started) and the mock cable socks. People love to talk about how quickly they get through a pair of socks. Maybe I am a slow knitter, but they seem to take me a long time. I am creeping up on the toe of the first sock, and I have been at this for a while now. It is fine, though. I love socks, even if they take me longer than just about anything else.

I am in denial about the Noni bag. This one should have been superfast, but I can't knit at anything that uses multiple strands and big needles for very long. This is definitely one of those projects that is all about the finished product. Anyway, the denial is that I am nearly done with the body, but I am sure I will run out of yarn at some point soon - perhaps even before I start decreasing for the bottom. Apparently, the denial is some adaptive trait to keep me out of my LYS, which is silly. Just because I dropped $150 on Jade Sapphire Cashmere-Silk the last time I was there doesn't mean I should stay away does it? Everyone knows laceweight doesn't count as stash because it is so little.

I need to pick up the Floral Gathering Sac again - another one that is sort of about the finished product, although I am not hating intarsia... not my favorite thing because of the multiple pieces of yarn.... but not evil and horrid either. It needs to get done, though; I started it in August after all.

Les Grenouilles

2006-12-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Trans: the frogs.

We have frogs hopping about our place and justly, if reluctantly, undoing knitting. I frogged the Cherry Blossom Shawl. It needed to happen. I made a couple of little mistakes that probably wouldn't have been noticeable, and then a couple of biggies right in a row - not really fixable after you've done a few rounds in mohair, know what I'm sayin'?

I am going to give it another go in the same yarn - but after I have finished up a few other WIPs and I can really focus on it.

I am slowly working on the North Sea Shawl from the Folk Shawls book. Doing the ends in my Schaefer Andrea (Renata Tebaldi colorway) and the center panel in a coordinating shade of Artfibers' Tsuki. I think it is going to look great. Both yarns, the Schaefer especially, are a little spendy, so I am going to work it until I run out - make the most of them.

In a more fun and happy vein, I have had a lovely time putting together a gift for the exchange we're doing on the Knitter's Review forum. The items in my package have added up to a lovely theme that I think my giftee will like. Good times.

Signing off for now - I doubt much blogging will happen until after the first of the year.

Mojito Night at Casa Dickinson

2006-12-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

So much going on, none of it knitting-related or suitable for retelling on the blog. Suffice it to say that I made mojitos last night and we sacked out in front of the TV until bedtime.

I finally broke down and bought a swift. My previous ball-winding system involved just the winder, a chair, and lots of cursing. Substituting the swift for the chair reduced, but did not entirely eliminate, the cursing. So, even that yarn-related activity was a touch stressful, since I decided to wind every hank in my stash in one go. I didn't make it all the way through.

I am a touch knitted-out these days, but I am sure I will get back into the swing of things soon. We were house-bound last weekend, so much, much knitting was accomplished. It was probably time for a break, so I can continue my projects with renewed enthusiasm.

The Wow Moment

2006-11-21T09:42:00.000-08:00

I realized I had forgotten to sew my "knitted by hand" label on the inside of my poncho. I did that, and then tried on again - the first try on after blocking. I ran to the mirror, where I had my Wow Moment. The poncho looked so cute, surely because it had been blocked, and probably because it was over a closer-fitting, smooth top (I had a thick, long sleeve tee on for the first, pre-blocking, try on).

I was so delighted with the poncho that I packed it for the office this morning, figuring I would be cold at my desk (I often am, plus I feel a cold coming on, and I am wearing a top I always feel cold in). Let me tell you, I am still delighted, and I am warm.

Sometimes, Knitting is Hard

2006-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Not just from a technical standpoint, either. Sometimes, it is a grind. It was a mixed bag for knitting this weekend. Let's start with the good stuff:

1. The shawl had a night out on Saturday. She went to a play at Stanford, and took DH and I along for the ride. Alas, the theater was too warm for it, but she draped over me elegantly anyway. It was freezing outside, though, so she obligingly made a big, cozy scarf around my neck and over my coat for the walk to the car.

2. I finished the Very Harlot Poncho. I am pretty happy with it. I didn't really have a "wow" moment, like I did with the shawl, but I do like it, and I think it will be nice to have for those cold days in the office.

3. I made a beautiful swatch for Eunny's Print O' the Wave Stole. It is the most wonderful swatch I have ever seen.

4. I put in a few rows on the Floral Gathering Sac, EPS Sweater, and the Noni Garden Party bag.

The bad:

I frogged the scarf I am making for my mom. I lost my place on a row (which annoyed me, because it is a pretty simple pattern), and in trying to count to where I was supposed to be, I discovered an error. I also wasn't happy with how the edges were looking. The pattern says to slip the first stitch on every RS row. This side looked great, but the other side looked uneven and I couldn't stand it.

I overreacted - all I needed to do was frog back a row or two, but instead, I frogged back to the garter edging. It is just as well, I suppose. Now, I can slip the first stitch on the WS rows and both sides will look nice.

And the ugly:

I decided to wind up some KnitPicks Alpaca Cloud for the Print O' the Wave. It didn't go well. It went all tangly toward the end and I couldn't fix it. Most of the ball wound up just fine. But I lost maybe 3 yards in the tangle.

I wish I could say it as pithily as DH did - but after I summed up the weekend as "a complete waste of perfectly good knitting time," he said something like, our failures make our triumphs even sweeter. And he is right - it was just what I needed to hear, and I have a bunch of things on the needles that I really enjoy. It will be a wonderful moment to see each of them finished, too.

Ohh, ohhh, it's magic!*

2006-11-13T09:22:00.000-08:00

I finished the garter lace shawl yesterday. I am thrilled of course, but before I go into detail, I have two observations:

1. Yep, blocking lace is magic, as often said by lace-knitting aficionados.

2. It is also a massive pain in the ass, which is occasionally hinted at by lace-knitting aficionados, but is seldom said plainly. You heard it here first.

Let's rewind a bit. I had started an edging (Little Bit O' Lace from an obscure book of otherwise undistinguished patterns called 101 Knitting on the Go Projects**) what seems like ages ago. I knitted and knitted and knitted on it and made... some progress. I was about 3/4 of the way down one side, having, the whole time, worried that I had too many picked up stitches and the thing was going to be all wavy (I was winging the edging - as written, the shawl was not edged).

Unwilling to face the music, I picked the shawl up reluctantly here and there, knowing the edging would be all wrong, knitted a few desultory rows, and put it down again, in favor of my lovely, welcoming and non-judgmental poncho, or one of many small, quickly-finished projects.

Sunday, I cut bait. Sunday, I frogged the edging. I did a little subtle crochet around the edges and blocked it. After much fussing, pushing, shoving and, yes, swearing, it is now pinned out on my favorite beach towel, and two more towels, because the shawl is now quite large. Eminently wearable, but large. After gazing at it for a while, I realized, not only was frogging the edging a good decision in general, a big shawl like this one only needed a little something on the edges, not a major edging. Upon blocking, I am now sure that "Little Bit O' Lace" would have turned into "Ginormous Swingy Curtain of Lace."

I plan to knit lots more lace, this time with borders and edgings, all properly picked up. I will probably continue to swear during the blocking phase, but I can't deny that it is magic.

---------------------

* You know? I hate that song. But it seemed an apt title.

**I am actually planning to do the Golden Ferns Counterpane at some point, but in a less startling color, such as sagey green. The model is in an insane yellow shade.

Knitting at Tiffany's

2006-11-06T12:02:00.000-08:00

Another one from the I Wish I had a Camera Phone files. Note to self: maybe I really should get a camera phone.

I was coming back to the office from my dentist, at 490 Post. As is my wont, even if I take the bus to the appointment, I always walk back via Post Street so I can look in the windows at Sak's and Tiffany. This also reminded me that it is nearly time to take my rings in to Tiffany for their cleaning.

Just as I thunk that last thought, I noticed that the pieces in Tiffany's windows were displayed on balls of yarn and knitting needles!! Unfortunately, I didn't have time to go in and say how thrilled I am, but I will make a point of doing so when I take my rings in this week.

Maybe they are coming out with a knitting-related keyring.... Eeeep!

Onward and, uhm, aroundward

2006-11-01T14:18:00.000-08:00

I love knitting in the round. Love it love it.

I started SBT2 last night and it is going swimmingly. Without giving too much away, let's just say that this will be good practice with a system that will generate a larger item of the same type using some yarn I recently bought. How is that for vague? Maybe I am too anal about the secrecy thing.

Anyway. Apparenly, I wasn't anal enough about my size 5 dpns, because I can't find the things anywhere. I might have to buy another set.

In other circular news, I finished a watch cap for my brother, to celebrate his move to Arizona, a new job, and starting school this month. I started it on Friday, finished it Sunday, and mailed it off to him today. It was a fun, easy knit, and something I'd been meaning to make for him for ages.

Famous Quote

2006-10-30T09:01:00.000-08:00

"Honey, can we swing by Creative Hands on our way home? I just need a needle for a project I am thinking about."

-Me (and possibly knitters everywhere).

I got the needle. I also got 7 hanks of Lorna's Laces "Shepherd Worsted" for an EPS sweater, Kookabura Wool Wash (which, actually I don't count. Everyone needs laundry soap, right?), and the pattern and yarn for the Noni "Garden Party" handbag (green and blue version).

It must have been the delicious feeling of finishing two projects in quick succession: Secret Baby Thing ("SBT") 1, and a watch cap for my brother in Cascade 220 (black, of course. Pattern is the one from The Joy of Knitting). I also did several rounds of the poncho, and a couple rows on the edging of the garter lace shawl. That one, my friends, is slow going.

Having some gauge issues on SBT 2. I had chosen the yarn first, to coordinate with SBT 1 (same maker and fibers, similar colors, different weight), thinking that a pattern I had would make a great SBT 2. It didn't. I couldn't get gauge no matter what I did. I tried some other patterns, and had similar results. The only way I could get it even nearly right was to use needles so tiny that the fabric could have been used for a bullet-proof vest, or needles so big that it could have been a fish net.

So, I am making up my own pattern, based on the gauge I get for the fabric I like. Wish me luck.

Book Review: Knitting Under the Influence

2006-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

By Claire LaZebnik

"To live and knit in LA" - cover blurb.

I enjoyed this book immensely. It has all I am looking for in a light read (mostly funny, occasionally serious, fairly realistic, happy ending); and then some, because the main characters are (obviously) knitters. The book is better written than the usual offerings in this genre, and the characters were very relatable. I found myself identifying with Lucy, amused by Kathleen's antics, and sympathetic to Sari, but also wishing she'd let go of some of her baggage. All in all, it was fun hanging out with these girls for a while. And got me wishing that Charlotte on Sex & the City knitted in more than that one episode.

The best aspect of the book, from the knitter's perspective, is that the knitting was good. The girls' projects were described well, there were lots of knitting moments, as the girls met weekly just to knit. Their project choices sounded pretty cool, and I liked how they corresponded to each girl's personality, as well as to whatever was going on in their lives at the time.

I'd read Maggie Sefton's mysteries and found them just okay - which might be due to a number of factors. Being a former Los Angelina, Knitting Under the Unfluence definitely grabbed me, as well as the fact that these girls are all around my age. They knit a lot of the stuff that I knit and they do it constantly. I couldn't say the same for Sefton's novels. I didn't much identify with Kelly Flynn, the heroine (too anal), and even though the LYS they all hung out at sounded REALLY COOL, the knitting just seemed to be kind of an add-on, whereas for the girls in Knitting Under the Influence, it was a big part of their lives and their friendship.

A Book to Hug

2006-10-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

How I ever knitted without Elizabeth Zimmerman's wit and wisdom, I will never know. I started reading The Opinionated Knitter on the train home last night, and was so taken with it that I actually hugged the book. A proper hug, too, with a big squeeze and eyes shut tight. I wrinkled the cover, but that's okay. The thing is, her tone is so conversational, and she says things that make me exclaim, "ohmigawd, that is SOOOOOOOO true!!!!!" It's great. I love it.

I started Secret Baby Thing 1 the second I got home, practically. It is whizzing by, and I will probably finish it tonight. I am thrilled with it, and also knocked out by how tiny it is. The instant gratification of knitting small things with simple shapes is refreshing - especially with an endless shawl edging waiting in the wings. That's more of a weekend project anyway, right?

Saving Graces

2006-10-24T14:54:00.000-07:00

There are two to this otherwise... uhm... less than stellar day.

1. The yarn I ordered for baby things for a Dear Dear Friend arrived today (decscriptions of said Things are a secret, to be revealed only upon completion of Things and delivery to DDF).

2. I scored the only copy they had at a book outlet of Knitting Without Tears. Only 10 bucks. It is the Crown Books outlet in Embarcadero Center no. 4. Most books only $5.00.

I am excited about the Things. This is my first baby-to-knit-for, and she is long awaited by her parents. It will be a wonderful experience, if you will forgive the vast and inadequate understatement.

And, obviously, the Knitting Without Tears was a startling gap in my knitting library. I am glad to have it, and to have gotten a good, unexpected deal.

Wall-Eyed Knit Fit

2006-10-23T08:33:00.000-07:00

It was a big weekend for knitting. Ironic, given how unseasonably gorgeous it was outside. We were housebound for most of Saturday waiting for a repairperson. DH got to watch some sports, and we watched a couple of movies while I quietly knitted away on my two most neglected UFOs, the Floral Gathering Sac and the Very Harlot Poncho. I made great time on the poncho - stockinette in the round with four increases every other row is pretty awesome, I have to say. The Gathering Sac, I worked until the intarsia got more complicated/tangly and then put it down to pay more complete attention to The Sure Thing.

DH was out most of Sunday playing golf, so I turned to the shawl. I'd finished picking up stitches during the week and was finally ready to knit on the border. I got up bright and early, walked the dog, made a pot of tea and settled in. I had neglected to swatch the border I planned to use (I know, bad bad), so when I sat down to do it yesterday morning, I wasn't prepared for the utter frustration that resulted in the scattering of my toolbox contents (owing to my sweeping it off the coffee table) and the consuming feeling of black hatred that I momentarily felt for the shawl. I actually couldn't wait to finish the !~$#%&*+=?!!!@ thing so I could get my revenge by blocking the living daylights out of it.

The chart was weird. I read it the way you're supposed to read lace charts, and it didn't look right; I figured (rightfully no doubt) that this was user error, so I payed really close attention and still messed it up. I read the chart the wrong way next time, and, unsurprisingly, the swatch still looked screwy. This was complicated by another issue. I was looking at the "wrong" side of the shawl; the chart I had only worked if I was starting on the "right" side. After going through a couple of other possibilities, I decided on the mega-easy but surprisingly cute "Little Bit O' Lace" from 101 Knitting on the Go Projects, which I can't remember buying, but for which I am now deeply grateful.

It had a set up row, and then a repeat of two rows, which put me in a good position if I still wanted to start on the wrong side. After a successful swatch, I got to knitting. The little rows seem to whizz by, but progress overall is slow. I am about 2/3 of the way down the first side, and I worked on it pretty steadily. Still, I am happy with how it is going.

And we won't tell anyone about my little temper tantrum. ;)

Step Away From the Yarn, Lady.

2006-10-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

I finished the main part of the garter lace shawl last night! It turned out really well, and I am very happy with it.

Naturally, I immediately started picking up stitches for the border. I got about 2/3 of the way down the first side and was overcome by dizziness. Not sure if it was the enormity of accumulating some 500 stitches on the needle, the constant downward staring + intense focus, or the fact that I was still recovering from the wine tasting we did on Saturday. Anyway - I set it aside for the evening and have decided to take it slow, since this is my first shawl with this type of construction. I can't wait to see it after blocking, though.

The plan is to do a row of eyelets, and then a scalloped edging.

Also on the needles are a couple of neck cozies from the Koigu pattern - one in KPPM and the other in Artfibers' Liana. I had planned to finish these for Christmas gifts, but I started feeling all pressured and antsy about it, and fell into a vortex of "well, if so and so gets a handknit gift, then I need to do handknit gifts for everyone else, too." As the Yarn Harlot puts it, I could feel "It" coming on (in October!) and I just couldn't go there. If I finish them for Christmas, great. If I don't, they will be "just because" gifts. Or next year's birthdays.

The thing is, knitting is what I do to relax. It should be, you know. Relaxing.

Lexie, I Adore You.

2006-10-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

I hope that doesn't weird you out. I just had to say it. I can't contain myself. I cannot hold back my utter delight at my new Lexie Barnes Lady B knitting bag (in Dutch Treat fabric), which just arrived on my desk. It is the most wonderful non-knitted object I have ever beheld.

(And they sent me a gift - a small pouch in the Little Miss Perfect fabric!).

The Injured List

2006-10-12T09:14:00.000-07:00

I burned myself last night. Stupidly, which is the way I always burn myself. It's a pencil-eraser-sized wedge on my left thumb. Which I sortakinda use for knitting. I kvetched endlessly to DH about how I wouldn't get any knitting done, and then cast on a Koigu neck cozy (you can get the pattern free from Patternworks with any KPPM/KPM order) and worked 28 rows.

There was no way the thumb (which is better today) would have been able to take the now endless rows of the shawl, but I figured something little would be okay. And the cozy is a good commute project.

I massively overreacted to the burn, by the way. I often overreact to things, especially stupid things like using a potholder with a hole in, and consequently burning myself. But ever since we got back from Italy, it has been worse. Re-entry is difficult. Thank goodness for knitting therapy.

Why, you're welcome!

2006-10-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

From the "I Wish I Had a Camera Phone" files, I give you the following:

(Seriously, I don't have a camera phone - and never gave a damn until this happened.) On Saturday, DH and I took BART into San Francisco to have lunch at the Ferry Building, and then go to a tasting of 2005 Rieslings at Dee Vine Wines on Pier 19. I knitted both ways - the way back a little slower due to consumption of Rieslings, followed by glass of Champagne at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant.

After searching, first, for a car which had functioning air-conditioning, and then for a seat on such a car, we ended up behind a crocheter. I, of course, whipped out my knitting (A Very Harlot Poncho, in Rowan Kid Classic) and got down to business.

Upon exiting the train at Millbrae, I noticed a sign above one of the seats - at first glance, it looked like one of the ordinary ads or BART promotional things. But this was extraordinary indeed. It THANKED Knitters, Crocheters and Needleworkers for riding BART. And it listed Knitters first. Wooo! I was so surprised and delighted that I stared at the sign for a good two seconds before DH had to remind me that we didn't want to go back to SF, but instead, to the grocery store and then home.

In other news,

1. The pashmina cobweb I ordered from kpixie was on my desk when I got in this morning. Somehow, the word "cobweb" failed to prepare me for just how tiny this yarn is. There are two hanks of it (totaling 2000 yards), and all cuddled up together in the tissue paper, they are no bigger than a hamster. Yup, two hanks = one hamster. Not sure what I will do with it yet. It needs to speak to me after I have some more lace under my belt.

2. I have a new FO - the flower pin from The Wool Peddler. With all the big stuff on the needles, I needed a little instant gratification. And it used up some remnants of Sanskrit (Artfibers' recycled silk) I had lying around. I finished one, and have enough to do one more. I am using a vintage glass button for the center of each flower. It took like an hour, which included watching bits of the Law & Order SVU marathon and sipping Charamba, a good and amazingly cheap red from Portugal. Will put pix in the gallery very soon.

3. I started Thackeray's Vanity Fair a while back, and just couldn't get into it. The story is fantastic, but I have issues with Thack's style - he does all of these little asides along the lines of "this being a novel, bla bla bla," and "I myself took this road and found it pleasant...." not actual quotes, but you get the idea. They irritated the daylights out of me.

There were bits in which the characters knitted, which I liked, and that gave me an idea. On Friday, I went to the bookstore and bought the three Maggie Sefton books they had - all mysteries, starring knitters as the armchair detectives. The first one ("Knit One, Kill Two") is pretty good. The writing isn't great, but the knitting is nice, and it is a perfect read for the commute, when I am not knitting.

Like the Fruuu-its of the Devilll.

2006-10-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

Evillll. Yes, everyone, I am feeling a little evillll this week. But in a good way, I assure you.

This feeling has led me to a new knitting endeavor. What was once just a sardonic expression shared between friends will soon become a knitting project and, ultimately, an article of clothing.

I give you: the Bitch Cape. As in, "The Impatient Knitter really has her bitch cape on today."

It will be a basic black (of course) cape/capelet, with a colorwork design on the back, most likely featuring a skull, the letter B, and some flames. I am going to do sketches this weekend and see what I can come up with.

The very first finished Bitch Cape will go to my Best Friend, who I believe coined the phrase, and takes great pleasure in every utterance of it.

Hats Off To The Impatient Knitter

2006-10-02T08:37:00.000-07:00

The Beatrice hat is done! I finished it on Saturday. It took practically no time at all - just a few hours over a couple of weeknights. I was good and blocked it pretty much immediately. I'll put pix in the gallery after it's dry; in the meantime, I am happy to report that it is adorable.

The shawl is chugging along. I probably clocked a good six hours on it yesterday. The model in the pattern measures 28 inches from point to top, and I am about six inches shy of that now. I tend to like bigger shawls, so the work could continue for a while yet.

In any event, it will be done in plenty of time to wear to the opera. DH got us tickets as a surprise. To see my very favorite, La Traviata, in San Jose in February.

For Whom the Frog Croaks

2006-09-28T15:43:00.000-07:00

It croaks for DH's socks. Or, to be precise, sock.

This, perhaps, might have been foretold much earlier in the tale. To start, I did 2x2 ribbing around the cuff and from the beginning, realized that I'd messed it up. There was a spot of 4 stitches in stockinette. I left them and went blithely on.

I am less appalled at my utter disregard for fucked up knitting/rookie mistakes than I am at thinking I was apparently willing to give substandard socks to my wonderful DH. I am also a bit perplexed at my willingness to do this from a marketing standpoint. You see, I have a wee suspicion that he might need some convincing that knitting is actually a worthwhile endeavor, and further, that once he gets a knitted gift from me, he will want lots of knitted gifts from me. Shitty socks will hardly advance my cause.

But this isn't the worst of it. I did a round while waiting for the train to the airport, and a curious thing happened. I am knitting with two circulars, and rather than switch needles, I just kept on knitting with the same one, putting all the stitches on that one needle (non-knitters be advised that this is not what's supposed to happen).

I fixed this immediately, and in fiddling all the stitches around, I noticed two conspicuous and inexplicable holes in the knitting. Not dropped stitches. Not moths (cotton socks only for DH). Just. Random. Perfectly round. Holes. From nowhere. In plain stockinette.

So, they must be frogged. I'd rather do DH's golf club covers anyway (in Wool of the Andes).

Next on the frog list is the sideways scarf I started and promptly crammed back into the stash. This is the one that was supposed to use up the luscious: Colinette mohair, cashmere remnant, and recycled silk. I am not sure what will become of these. Suffice it to say, DH's Socks Take Two, will probably be done before any of these become a project.

The Burning Question

2006-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

(I was tempted to say The Purling Question. Is that too much? Too stupid? Too "huh?"?)

So. Did you get any knitting in?

I am happy to report that I did. In Praiano, I swatched the wool I got at Beatrice Galli. We were in our room, waiting for dinnertime, or, more precisely, aperitif time - when we could head down to the cafe with enough time to have a glass of wine, but not so much time that we were tempted to have two. Or three (restaurants in Italy open for dinner at 7:00 if you're lucky). DH was watching Polish TV, so it seemed like an opportune time for knitting. I'd had the foresight to pack my Denise kit, which, by the way, I adore. We're making a totally adorable hat with the wool. It's variegated pinks and grays, and knitted up it looks almost like girly camouflage.

I suppose the Polish TV requires some further detail. DH isn't Polish, and does not speak Polish, but happily, Polish TV speaks English. They had on some hilariously bad American cop show (which I don't recall ever seeing aired here), and left all the English voices in. A Polish guy talks over them, but you can still hear the English. It's the same guy for all of the dialogue, which I would think would be confusing, but maybe not.

We flew home from Naples, the nearest airport to Praiano. To get there, we'd taken a ferry from Positano - opting for a too early one because it was direct, rather than a later one that made lots of stops. This added up to a good few hours of knitting time in the airport, which I devoted to my garter lace shawl. I couldn't find my toolkit, but I knitted anyway and mercifully didn't drop a stitch (which would have required the crochet hook in the toolkit). After I'd put the knitting away for the duration, I went rummaging for my lip balm, and then found the tool kit.

I was, by the way, required to pack all of my knitting things in the checked baggage, so my 20+ hours in the air was spent reading, apart from a short nap on the flight out from SFO. Read some good books, though. I finished a Steven Saylor mystery I had been reading before we left, read all of The Devil Wears Prada (LOVED it), and bought a third book in London (Left Bank, by Kate Muir, which was brilliant) for the flight home.

Travelogue

2006-09-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

We're baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

We got in Sunday afternoon, and crashed pretty much immediately. We both went back to work Monday, and it's been a bit of an adjustment. ;)

We had a fantastic trip, and great weather, apart from a couple of days of rain in Rome - no big deal, since we could easily make those "museum days."

The highlights....

Florence:

Most relevant to the blog, I made my one yarn purchase here, at the Beatrice Galli Yarn shop. She's on a little street just off the Ponte Vecchio (Oltrarno). She was SUPER nice, and although I hadn't really planned to buy yarn, I did, after all, wander into her shop, which I had looked up in advance. I did good - only two balls of a pink and gray wool/cashmere blend. It is wonderfully thick and thin, and squashy. It wants to be a hat.

We made it to all of the artistically/architecturally significant churches. My favorites were: San Miniato, dating to the 9th century and located on a hill high above the city. It was very quiet and peaceful inside, so when I dropped a Euro coin into the offering box, it sounded almost like a door slamming. It was one of those places you walk into and are immediately impressed with a feeling of how spiritual it is. Santa Croce, also very spiritual, and lots less crowded than the Duomo, had beautiful frescoes by Giotto, and wonderful stained glass. San Marco was notable for its old monastery, which you could visit. Each cell had a fresco by Fra Angelico, all of which were remarkably well preserved - they could have been painted yesterday.

We also saw some fantastic art, including Michelangelo's David, and some of his unfinished (and therefore all the more haunting) sculptures at the Accademia. For art, though, the best museum in Florence is the Uffizi, which was originally built as offices for one of the Medicis. Two of Botticelli's most famous paintings are there - the Venus, and Primavera, both of which are absolute knockouts in person.

We had some good meals in Florence, too - lots of pizza, each different and delicious in its own way, as well as a trip to the Mercato Centrale, where some of the city's best bakers, butchers, greengrocers, and other food artisans are gathered under one roof. We put a lovely picnic lunch together there, including wild boar salame (a local specialty), and the best focaccia I had ever tasted. It was wonderfully olive-oily and had red pepper flakes mingled in with the herbs.

We had a day trip to Fiesole as well, a small town outside the city. There is an old Roman amphitheatre there, as well as a museum. It is still an active archeological dig, but you could still walk around most of it! From there, we walked down tiny, twisty streets to another town, San Domenico, where we had a glass of Pinot Grigio in a cafe before catching the bus back to town.

Florence was a wonderful city to just walk around in. It is beautiful and feels like a smaller town. I loved the way art and a sense of aesthetic harmony were woven into daily life. We went nearly everywhere on foot, and after a week, felt like we had lived there, we knew it so well. It was very romantic, exactly as I dreamed Italy would be.

Rome:

Rome was a bit of a shock at first. Its main train station, the Termini, seems as big as an airport, and contains everything you might conceivably need, from last minute postcards, to newspapers, even a grocery store. This is definitely a big city. I had dubbed it "Los Angeles on the Tiber," but this isn't quite fair. The top sights here are breathtaking, to say the least. I was stunned that they actually let you wander around ruins (we saw the Colosseum, the Forum, the Palatine Hill, as well as took a day trip to Ostia Antica). Ostia was amazing - the buildings are remarkably intact, and you can easily imagine it as the bustling port city it was before the Tiber changed course. In the market, there are mosaics outside each shop, indicating what was sold there.

Some of the most significant, and spectacular, artifacts of ancient Rome are housed in the Musei Nazionale, which takes hours to go through. We had a great half a day there, checking out statues, mosaics that are amazingly intact, and even a whole room that was re-assembled inside the museum, with walls painted to look like a garden.

We took a bit of a break from the ancient sights to see the Galleria Doria Pamphilj - this is a private art collection, in a beautiful palazzo. The family still live there, but the rooms containing the collection are open to the public. The collection is impressive for its diversity, including religious subjects by Italian painters, portraits, and my favorites, landscapes by Claude Lorrain. The rooms, of course, are beautiful too, with fabric-covered walls, ornate furniture, and parquet floors that creak quietly under your feet.

My favorite sights (besides our room's luxurious bathtub - a rarity in affordable European hotels) were easily the Vatican Museums (includes the Sistine Chapel) and St. Peter's Basilica. There are no words to describe the incredible collection of art, the exquisite painting of the Sistine Chapel, nor the sheer awesomeness of St. Peter's. So many of the churches we saw still served their nearby communities, and in my favorite ones, you could still feel how the spirit of these communities filled them, and welcomed you in too. St. Peter's, however, is meant to be a church for the world, and you feel that as soon as you walk in the doors. The largeness of it is overwhelming, but in a good way.

Michelangelo's Pieta is there, and we got as close as possible to it (it is behind bulletproof glass now because some maniac broke off part of it with a hammer; they were able to repair it with a piece of marble from an unseen part of the statue, but it obviously has to be protected). There is an unfinished one in the Accademia in Florence, too. The finished Pieta is, obviously, spectacular, but in a way, I preferred the unfinished one. You could get closer to it, and the fact that the figures aren't entirely revealed drew me in and gave the piece a certain emotional resonance.

In a sad, yet beautiful experience, we were also able to tour the tombs of the Popes, and saw John Paul the IIs, where a number of people were gathered, praying, crying (self included), or simply gazing in silence. Also there is the tomb of St. Peter, which us under the Papal Altar in the church itself. You can kind of see it from the church, but in the tombs, you can see right into it. Again, something totally indescribable - and amazing to think that the altar was built right above his grave, so many years later.

Our best meal of the trip was in Rome. A neighborhood called the Trastevere is home to many of Rome's most authentic restaurants. It has a lively, bohemian spirit, and it was a fun place to wander and people-watch. We had our quintessential Roman meal there, featuring one of the city's signature dishes: roast chicken and potatoes. This simple sounding dish was actually exquisite: the light and crispy skin of the chicken, the incredibly tender, moist meat, all infused with the flavors of rosemary and fennel. The potatoes were roasted as well, and so soft they were like butter. Fabulous. We paired this with a Barolo that was a perfect complement to the food. We followed it up with a cheese plate and a rich, decadent dessert wine from the wine bar next door. When I dreamed of going to Italy, this was what it tasted like.

Praiano:

The last days of our trip were on the Amalfi coast, which is dotted with cliffside towns along the Mediterranean Sea. We stayed in Praiano, which is one of the smaller and higher towns. It is beautiful and very quiet. Tourists do stay here, but many venture out to other towns, so it felt almost like we had Praiano to ourselves. The locals were the friendliest, kindest people we had met so far.

Relieved from itineraries, we found ourselves in a comfortable routine of breakfast, morning hikes or swims, late lunch with the house white (always light, crisp and citrusy), usually followed by a nap. Since dinner was on the later side, we hung out on our balcony before heading down to the cafe for an aperitif, and then to dinner. Being a seaside town, local seafood was plentiful, and the local wines were both delicious and a stunningly good value. After two days of this, I said to DH that we could easily retire here. :)

So now we are back, with our best memories of Italy, and our full endorsement for you to go there too, whether it is your first time, or your sixth.

Ciao!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

2006-08-30T11:43:00.000-07:00

But before I go, I updated the gallery with some RFOs and my shawl-in-progress. I am taking that and DH's sock on the trip. I decided against the floral gathering sac, much as I love it, because I didn't want to deal with charts and have to take lots of yarn with me (I might be bringing some back, after all).

Will be back 9/25.

Arrivederci!

Official List of Current WIPs

2006-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is it, a list of current projects that I will likely finish (and not rip out to do something else with the yarn).

1. A Very Harlot Poncho, in Rowan Kid Classic (color Peat).

2. Garter Stitch Lace Shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls (Interweave Press) in Rowan 4 Ply Soft (a gray blue color).

3. DH's black socks, in Cascade Fixation.

4. Socks for me, in Shepherd Sock.

5. Floral Gathering Sac.

Recently finished: 24x24 inch Snuggle for the Peninsula SPCA.

Shopping List for Italy

2006-08-17T14:16:00.000-07:00

Our honeymoon is in two weeks. In addition to great meals, breathtaking museums, awe-inspiring churches, constant romance, and the enjoyment of Italy's natural beauty, I am planning some knitting-related shopping.

1. Better prices than in US on any Italian-made yarns?

2. Yarns that never make it to the US.

3. Subset of item 2 - if we happen upon a farm with fiber-bearing animals in residence, and yarn is for sale.... hoo boy.

4. Holtz and Stein needles. These hardly ever make it to the US. I am hoping they are more prevalent in Italy.

The Covet List

2006-08-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is my list of most-wanted yarns, kits, projects and other goodies. Some items more reasonable than others.

1. Ozark handspun. Lots of it, pretty much any colorway. It would be one spendy sweater.

2. Lorna's Laces: Helen's Lace, Heaven, Lion & Lamb, Shepherd Sock

3. Noni "Midnight Garden" Handbag kit

4. Lacey Lamb - a wide selection for many shawls

5. Carstarphen Sea Island Cotton - more shawls

6. Pretty much every shawl kit from Fiddlesticks Knitting

7. A Dale of Norway, undecided which pattern

8. Holtz & Stein ebony circular needles. I am going to keep my eyes peeled in Italy. I might luck out.

9. Lexie Barnes knitting bag

The Grace of Lace

2006-08-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of. It generally went really well on Friday and Saturday. I knocked out over 100 rows of the shawl, and I am extremely happy with it. I dropped two stitches, and discovered exactly how difficult it is to rescue them when you're working lace. The first - eh, I probably should have ripped back and re-worked that row. But it doesn't look awful, and I think any unevenness should be resolved in blocking. By the time I dropped the second one, I was able to fix it pretty easily, and it looked much better than the first one.

I almost never drop stitches, but I am trying not to freak out over it. It happens to us all.

My more long-term concern is with my needles. I have used Clover bamboo from day one (except for my occasional dalliance with my Addi Turbos), and I really like them for most projects. But I am thinking that the tips are too blunt for lacework. It took some trial and error for me to be able to do the K2tog comfortably, because I had to keep digging the tip in to the stitch. I finally got it to work by changing my angle on the needles, and it isn't damaging the yarn. But it would be easier with sharper tips.

I recently fell in love with the Crystal Palace bamboo, and will probably acquire a major collection of them. Their tips are sharper, the cords more flexible on the circulars.... I am just not sure whether I should run out for a pair of size 6s to finish this shawl, or keep to the Clovers until the end.

Even with the little issues, I found myself enjoying the knitting at a deeper level than usual. I really got in to the feel of the wool (Rowan 4 Ply Soft, which is delicious), the rhythm of the pattern (fun, easy to memorize, pretty quick to work, even as the rows got longer), and the sense of accomplishment as the shawl started looking more and more like, well, a shawl.

The color is a soft blue-grey, and I think it will go with nearly everything from jeans to a black dress.

I did change the pattern a bit - I upped the needles to a size 6 (from the recommended 5s), and added two lace rows to the repeat, for a more open look. I am also going to add a smallish border.

In other news, I got in a few rows of the Snuggle, but only a few; I found that the chunky yarn and consequently larger needles made my hands hurt a bit. I also worked a few rows of the Floral Gathering Sac. We're on British Airways, so it is looking like our flights will be knittingless. I don't feel like I should "save" the work on this for the honeymoon, but I might bring a couple of smaller projects for our train travel in Italy. DH isn't looking forward to being bookless, either.

All in all, it was a quiet, nearly worry-free weekend, thanks to the knitting. Even so, when DH got home, I attacked him with a fierce hug, while the dog danced joyfully around us, bending herself in a "U" shape, head and butt being nearly parallel (which we refer to as Pepper being "beside herself").

Conserving My Energy

2006-08-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't worked on DH's sock in a few days. I think it might be because I am planning to knit more or less nonstop for approximately 24 hours, beginning this evening, and I want to be completely fresh for the marathon.

It's just a theory.

DH's grandmother died, you see. With all of the travel issues, and our need to keep things calm on the homefront before our honeymoon next month, we decided that just DH would fly out for the memorial, and I'd stay home with the dog, keep an eye on things and all of that. He is coming back tomorrow night.

I have to confess, I don't do well emotionally when he is away. I probably do less well when I am away, and he is home. When I am at home, I just worry. When I am away, I worry and also become peevish. Not good. In either case knitting is, if not the cure, at least a very good homeopathic type remedy.

I ended up frogging the Snowdrop Shawl. I don't think the yarn was quite right for it (needs something more gossamer), and I probably wasn't fully ready to do a relatively detailed lace pattern and increases at the same time. Instead, I am using the same yarn for the Garter Lace Shawl from Traditional Knitted Lace Shawls, by Martha Waterman (Interweave Press).

It will be pretty and satisfying to make, and hopefully give me a good foundation from which to move on to more complicated lace shawls. It is triangular, so I can gain experience doing increases with a simpler lace pattern.

The book is pretty good; I picked it up at the library last weekend. Waterman gives a lot of interesting detail on the history of making shawls, and includes useful tips, like how many stitches you should have on the needles if you're going to knit in the round on circulars. First time I had ever seen a list like that, and it is a great thing to have. She also tells you about the different ways shawls can be constructed, in a way that I found very clear, and easy to picture (I am very visual; I would have a hard time knitting something and being unable to see how it would evolve into the finish product).

I wasn't super thrilled with the shawl patterns, though. She doesn't chart most of them and gives the yarn requirements in ounces, rather than meters or yards. I suppose that doesn't matter too much, as the patterns generally did not appeal to me, the two exceptions being the Garter Lace that I am working on, and The Children of Lir. Lir is really beautiful and intricate looking (even though it uses only one lace stitch pattern, and a seed stitch border).

Whatever its shortcomings (which truly aren't that many or serious), the book is worth picking up, even buying, for the stitch library. It doesn't include every lace stitch ever invented, but they are all good ones (certainly enough to inspire you and get you started on just about any shawl you would want to make). Unlike the shawl patterns, the stitches include both written instructions and charts.

I am concerned about being able to knit on the honeymoon. Obviously, I am concerned about terrorist threats as well, but that seems more remote to me than being told to drop my knitting in the bin at the security checkpoint, and never seeing it again. If I don't knit.... I don't know what else I will do for 10+ hours (because I never sleep on planes).

Initially, I had wanted to fly through Heathrow and Gatwick, thinking that changing planes and going through customs would be easier in an English-speaking country. Now I am rather wishing we were going through Frankfurt instead.

The Face of My Enemy

2006-08-07T13:59:00.000-07:00

I have seriously slacked on the name change front. Wanting to be Mrs. Dickinson is easy. Making it officially so is a little more difficult, especially for the patience-challenged. I went up to the Social Security Administration office in Chinatown today, sans appointment, on the theory that… what? There wouldn’t be a line? Even I am not that delusional. I don’t know what my theory was. In fact, I don’t think I had one.

I didn’t bring my knitting and it hardly mattered. No amount or quality of knitting could have made that wait anything less than harrowing, long, tedious, awful, insane, epic and, last but not least, ridiculous (my favorite wait-related adjective). I could have been knitting the most complicated Aran sweater in the most gorgeous cashmere ever created, and I would have felt every second of the hideous wait. Even the security guard said, “it will be very long,” in the wise way of a man who knows of what he speaks.

Apparently, while appointments are theoretically available, it would require calling the SSA’s toll-free number. The wait on hold is the telephonic equivalent of the wait in one of the SSA’s offices. He advised me to come back later in the week, closer to closing time. If it is still intolerable, I will mail in my stuff and hope to high heaven that my original documents come back to me.

Assuming I don't run for the hills, I will probably need more than DH’s socks to keep me busy. I started the Snowdrop Shawl and it is going pretty well, I have to say. I think the Rowan 4 Ply Soft is going to work. It probably will be less gossamer than the original version, but still a nice shawl when complete.

I finally passed the halfway point on the Snuggle. We rented a couple of movies, and a garter stitch Snuggle is exactly the kind of thing you can do with your eyes on the small screen. I paid so much attention to the movie (Match Point) that I was able to predict quite a few plot points before they were revealed. And before I knew it, I was on the decrease side of my Snuggle.

As for the other movie, if I were a famous film critic/knitter, my review of V for Vendetta would consist of one sentence: “this movie is a perfect choice if you are working on a project that requires your fullest attention, such as The Yarn Harlot’s ‘Snowdrop Shawl.’”

The Boat I Missed

2006-08-03T14:49:00.000-07:00

Dude, I could have knit myself a wedding dress, assuming I’d started it before I even met my husband. Okay, maybe it wouldn’t have taken that long. But it would have taken a seriously long, long time. It sure is pretty, though. And I suppose if I start now, it would be ready in time for a renewal of vows ceremony.

A couple of boats I am planning to catch:

1. A wedding shawl for a dear friend. Maybe Eunny’s Print O’ the Wave?

2. Baby things for another friend, to be started the moment she announces those three blessed words (“we’re having a baby,” for anyone going “huh?” right now).

Some more lacy, gorgeous things on the horizon:

1. KnitPicks’ Adamas Shawl in Shadow (color is Vineyard).

2. Knitty’s Branching Out Scarf in Artfibers’ Tsuki (in a gorgeous, deep, mossy green).

In other news:

The sideways scarf is looking good, although I probably won’t use all of that mohair. I am not sure what else I might do with it. Maybe a headband, kinda like The Dream Swatch Headwrap.

I learned a very valuable lesson this morning. Knitting while half-asleep is a bad idea. I stayed up later than usual last night, was too lazy to make coffee this morning, and thus headed off to the city totally uncaffeinated. I don’t like sleeping on the train, so I pulled out my sock. It was easily the slowest knitting I have ever done, and I dropped a stitch, which usually only happens when I am sleepy. Note to self: if you want to knit in the mornings, set up your coffee the night before.