clumberknits: November 2006

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Knitting with burlap in bed

OK, it's not really burlap, it's Lopi. My fingers can't tell the difference -- they are sore and scratchy. And I don't think I've endeared myself to the housekeeping staff at the hotel where I am staying.

I'm working on the Christmas stocking ... 15 rows left before I divide for the heel. Since I have one more stocking, and an Irish Hiking scarf, left to knit before Christmas, I am knitting rather frantically. So when I checked into my hotel room, I was rather disappointed to see that there was no good knitting chair in the room. The desk chair has arms that would make me hunch my shoulders. There is also a bench, but I wouldn't last ten minutes sitting there. So I am relegated to knitting on the bed.

However, the room was also freezing when I first entered. It was 64 degrees F. when I walked through the door. Anyone who knows me can attest that I am not comfortable unless it is at least 70 degrees. So while the room warmed up, I crawled under the covers and began to knit.

Dark green Lopi + white hotel sheets = thousands of tiny dark green fibers littering the bed. It looks like a green dog has shed all over the bed.

Thank goodness there are two beds in the room.

Knitzophrenia

I believe that I suffer from Knitzophrenia. I know that many (most?) knitters have the inability to complete one project before starting another. But my symptoms are more severe. My Knitzophrenia involves knitting for others, especially at this time of year. It is starting a gift, making a good amount of progress, and then changing my mind and beginning to knit something else entirely for that person.

This has happened to me three times this season. Seeing that it's my first Christmas as a knitter, it has me rather alarmed.

I began a lovely Brioche neckwarmer for my brother from Classic Elite "Blithe" -- baby camel that was simply luxurious. I couldn't quite get the hang of the pattern -- so I changed to a basketweave. I completed more than half of it, and just really didn't care for it -- the fabric was too 'flat'. So I switched to a Scrunchable Scarf made from cashmere. I have about 24" done -- and then on Tuesday I had a brainstorm: Christmas stockings. My brother is getting married in April, and I suddenly decided that he and his fiancee need Christmas stockings.

So now the neckwarmer is abandoned and a stocking is on the needles.

Of course, that also means abandoning the Irish Hiking scarf that I have on the needles for my future sister-in-law.

The Cape Cod Seashell Scarf that I am making for my mother (from Frog Tree alpaca) is taking way too long. It's my first lace project and I need full concentration to work on it. That's a rare thing in my life right now. So I'm giving it up, and will make her an Irish Hiking scarf from some lovely reclaimed cashmere that I bought at the LSS.

Of course I can't just finish the Irish Hiking scarf that I was making for my brother's fiancee and give that to my mother instead -- that would be far too easy. Mom needs cashmere.

And there you have it: Knitzophrenia. Will any project actually get completed in time for Christmas? Stay tuned....

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Well, one hand will be warm.

First-ever mitten finished!!

Knitting class was very busy last night, with a couple of new knitters needing a lot of the instructor's attention, but I did manage to finish. It's definitely a newbie mitten .. I can see the dpn ladders, and the thumb is a little wonky; the top of the hand is a bit too pointy for my taste as well.

This is for Bean, but it almost fits me ... my fingers hit the edges of the mitten, but it definitely fits width-wise. I did try it on the Bean, though, and she says it fits fine. There is growing room at the top.

This is, alas, only the first mitten of a pair.

Yarn is called 'Stripe' .. I need to dig out the ball band to get the manufacturer's name, as I couldn't find it on Yarndex. It's a worsted weight self-striping yarn, and I really like it except for one issue which you can't see in the photo ... at one point in the strip repeat, there is a small "flash" of dark blue -- maybe 4 stitches worth, but not in a row. It looks like a mistake. In fact, when she tried it on, Bean noticed.

Monday, November 20, 2006

Traveling Companions

I had to work on Sunday, and now have to get ready for Thanksgiving, so I see precious little knitting time in my future. Aside from my 2-hour knitting class tonight, where I hope to finish up the first of Bean's mittens, I'm not sure how much time I'll have with my needles until Thursday night.

I just discovered that I will soon be doing much more traveling for my job. Traveling, in my world, does not mean jetting off to exotic locations -- rather, it means long hours in the car, fast food meals between appointments, and too much coffee. Except that now, since I have started knitting, it also means more time for knitting podcasts!

I first discovered knitting podcasts about a month ago, and have been spending many lovely hours catching up. I'm slightly obsessive about listening to them in order, from the beginning (or at least as far back as I can find episodes). It does mean that I drive in something of a time-warp. One moment, I am experiencing the burgeoning springtime in Wales with Brenda Dayne of Cast-On, then it's summer in Boston with It's A Purl Man -- all the while it's a cold and gray November outside my window.

I'm a bit apprehensive about being totally caught up, though. I'm not sure that there are enough knitting podcast hours to sustain me in my travels. Already I am feeling a void, as I am current with Lime 'N' Violet and Knitty D and the City (say what you like, I don't really find that many similarities between them, and enjoy them both). I'm nearing the end of the backlog for Pixie Purls and Pointy Sticks. I have hope, though -- I just listened to the first installment of Sticks and String, which was a treat, and I would like to think that more new knitting podcasts are in the works.