clumberknits

Promises, promises

2007-10-01T05:58:00.000-05:00

I made a commitment to keep this blog current and I have failed. For weeks now, I've wanted to write about finished objects, sock wars, Monkey Hooters and balls, WIPs, pattern errors and startitis.

I admit that much of the delay has been due to not having any photos. I had planned to take pics of my gorgeous Monkey Hooters swap with Weezalana. Never happened. Thus, no post.

A confession: Ravelry has contributed to my blogger inadequacies. Uploading my photos, WIPs, queue, and FOs to Ravelry made it less pressing to write about them here. I hope to change that, because I truly enjoy the interactions that I have had with people who comment on my blog. And of course not everyone is yet on Ravelry.

I'll try to do better. It's my crazy season at work -- not much time to breathe til mid-November. But I'll try. Really.

And Rhinebeck is just a few weeks away. So I'm sure that I'll have lots to talk about after that weekend.

A Thing of Beauty

2007-09-05T10:09:00.001-05:00

I spent my weekend organizing yarn.
To most people, of course, that sounds like the fourth level of Hell, I'm sure.
Me? It makes me all giddy and trembly inside.

Prior to this, my yarn was in plastic bins, various bags, boxes and containers. It was impossible to find anything, and I didn't remember what I had. The closet was a mess -- office supplies, spare electronic parts, and tons of old craft supplies, rubber stamps, paints, scrapbook stuff -- almost nothing that had any hope of ever being used in the next couple of years.

Now, after a long and dusty weekend, it's gorgeous.
Finally, I can see every skein of yarn that I own.
All of my WIPs and "hibernating" projects are organized.
And best yet, every skein has been entered into Ravelry, so that I can tell at a glance if I need yet another skein of blue/green sock yarn (I don't, and won't for several years).

The white cabinet in the center of the closet is mostly ofice supplies -- envelopes, packaging materials, etc. Only the top two drawers are given to knitting: the top drawer holds all of my needles, and the second drawer my notions, stitch markers, etc.

And yes, I'm going to leave the closet doors off, because it just looks so darn pretty. I can't stop gazing at it all.

On sabbatical til mid-August

2007-07-17T15:40:00.000-05:00

I meant to update before I left, but didn't have time.

I'm on vacation until mid-August. The family and I are driving cross-country.
I thought that I'd have lots of car-time to knit, but I've been too fascinated by what's out the window -- I've only knit about 10 rows on my Grandma's sock.

I did find some yarn in a Native American Trading Post in Arizona, but it was made by Brown Sheep, so I passed. The weavers there use it to weave amazing rugs. I want to learn how to weave.

I'll update if I have any knitting news, but really, I can't imagine that I will get much knitting done for at least another week.

I love to plan, but will I stick to those plans?

2007-06-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

I've been in a whirlwind of knitting lately, though very little knitting itself is actually getting done. Instead, I'm scheming and plotting my list of vacation knitting projects.

We (the family and I) are heading out on a 6-week long roadtrip next week. We are driving from Massachuetts to California and back. Since Studley Knit-Right does most of the driving, this means many potential knitting hours for me.

Reality, of course, says that I cannot take my entire yarn stash with me, so that I can cast on at a whim. I need to plan ahead. Reality also dictates that I pay some attention to the family while en route. So the goal this week is to get a number of projects together: yarn, needles, photocopy or printout of the pattern, each in a self-contained project bag.

Choosing projects has not been easy. There are specific criteria, as follows:

I must first finish Grandma's Waving Lace Socks,and my Yarntini striped socks.
Projects for car knitting must be able to be put down at a moment's notice, to break up a fracas in the back seat, or take advantage of a bathroom break.
It will likely be very hot where we are going, so materials need to be considered.
Projects for hotel knitting can be slightly more complicated, but must still be knittable on a hotel room bed, in a room with 2 small children, a husband, and probably a television.
I will be at my Grandma's house for about a week, with very little to do but knit, so I can choose a larger project for there. But I still need to be able to converse while knitting.

Here's what I have so far:

The 2 unfinished socks
Clapotis
Linen Stitch scarf - no pattern, just a stitch pattern made into a scarf.
Chevron scarf
Plain stockinette socks out of self-patterning yarn
Monkey socks
Nine-to-Five socks
possibly a hat -- but will Malabrigo be too hot to knit with?
Fetching or Eric's Glovelets

I realize that I'm most likely overestimating my ability to get things done. And yet I still feel that there's something missing from this list; that I'll want something more. Something different, that's not socks. But I don't know what that is.

I also realize what a sheep I am .. most of the patterns on this list are the most popular patterns in the knittingverse. And Nine to Five socks are well on their way to exploding in popularity. Oh well. I never said I was original.

If you have any suggestions for other projects, please let me know. I've got lots of yarn to wind.

Littleton, MA: The World in Stitches

2007-06-22T17:10:00.000-05:00

The World in Stitches describes itself as "The largest counted thread, needlepoint and knitting shop in Massachusetts". Truth be told, I haven't yet run into another store that carried as much needlepoint and counted thread merchandise, so it may well be true in that regard. But still, I think the phrase is a bit misleading unless you parse it carefully. They have a lovely knitting selection, it's true -- but hardly one of the largest.

With that out of the way, let me tell you about the shop. It's a bit hard to find, and with no active website to provide directions, I drove by several times before I found it. It's in a big yellow building that houses a variety of offices and shops. The World in Stitches is on the second floor, and just finding the entrance proved a challenge (it's around the back, in the middle corner). Once you go up the stairs (I admit that I failed to look for an elevator; my apologies), the store is clearly marked.

The layout is, like so many yarn stores, unique. The entire store is a warren of individual rooms -- this could have easily been a doctor's office in a previous life. The front room is given over to a display of needlework (excuse my ignorance -- I think it's needlepoint, but I really have no idea). I think the owner described it as a 'trunk show,' but I didn't inquire further. I was after the yarn.

Walking further into the store, there is a doorway, through which is the counter/cash register on the left. Mentally, I thought of it as the area where you'd hand over your co-pay after your physical exam. It was here that I was met by a very friendly woman, who I believe was the owner. She greeted me with a big smile and asked if I was looking for anything in particular. When I told her it was my first time in the store, she gave me the shop tour.

In one room is the classroom, with a large conference-style table. The next room is the sale room -- she flicked on the lights, and told me that this was one room I had to know about. That room also featured some toys, so I'm guessing that children are welcomed. The sale room had an assortment of odd-balls, some of which were very very nice, and also some superbulky variegated yarn, and a full bag or two of some very nice alpaca.

The owner explained the organization of the yarn, which is mainly together in a large room off to the right. It's divided pretty much by weight, and only a few of each yarn are on display; they will fetch additional yarn from the store-room. It was fairly well-organized, with price sheets near each fixture, though I did notice some balls and skeins priced individually as well. Prices seemed to be in range with other stores. Because there were single balls of multiple colors mixed into each bin, nothing seemed to jump out at me. Often I am first attracted to a splash of color, then texture, and then I fondle the yarn. Without that draw of the color, I wasn't as "touchy" with the yarn as I usually am.

Lines carried include Encore, Cascade, Classic Elite and Rowan. They carry Lobster Pot yarns, which are dyed here in Massachusetts, and a lovely line from Idaho called Steadfast Yarns, which the owner said was Brown Sheep yarn that was individually hand-dyed. The store also carries a wide range of Manos. Sock yarns include Regia, and a line of yarns from Universal Yarn Co. called Wisdom Yarns that reminded me of Opal, but softer. They also had quite a bit of Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn.

I spotted a small fixture of needles and notions -- Addi Turbos were really the only needles I remember seeing, though I'm certain there was a selection of straight needles somewhere. The shop has an extensive selection of patterns, well organized into binders. When I commented on the quantity, the owner told me that she'd been in business over 30 years, so they had amassed quite a number of patterns. So if you're looking for an older, hard-to-find pattern, they might just have it here. Numerous samples are strewn about the store, often unmarked as to pattern or yarn, though the owner is knowledgable and will give you the details if you ask.

Overall, I'd say that as a local yarn store, this shop is okay, but I wouldn't travel far out of my way to go there. Still, if you do, you should definitely check out the Steadfast Yarns ... it was very, very nice, and I almost bought some for myself.

The specifics: the store seems to have a website that is under construction, so I'll post the details here. As always, call first before you go to verify that the hours have not changed.

Location:
256 Great Road, #16
P.O. Box 1285
Littleton, MA 01460
phone: (978) 486-8330
email: twisinc@verizon.net

Hours:
Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Tuesday nights, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Closed on Sundays

Middlebury, Vermont: Vermont Beads and Fibers

2007-06-16T18:32:00.001-05:00

Every once in awhile, I enter a store (of any sort, really) that makes me forget the stress and craziness of life, take a deep breath, and relax. And sometimes, I visit a store that is put together just-so and I leave energized and inspired. Vermont Beads and Fibers is both of those.

I had only a few minutes to stop in, and in all honesty, I was running late and shouldn't have even considered stopping. But I can't resist a yarn store, and I was walking by, so in I went. The second the door shut behind me, and I took a deep breath of what I can only describe as "yarniness", I felt myself relax. I was immediately drawn to a display of project samples for upcoming classes. I wanted to sign up for each and every class -- the projects (especially a pretty sock) were creative, different from other class projects I've seen elsewhere, and very inspiring.

The shop carries an interesting selection of yarn, including some local yarns. They don't have full lines of many vendors, but a carefully chosen selection: Dale, Cascade, Plymouth, Lorna's Laces, Mango Moon, and Great Adirondack were companies that I saw represented. The yarns are displayed in an attractive fashion, and there is a definite concentration on natural fibers. A very good assortment of sock yarn is housed at the back. Samples hang around the store, and they are lovely and interesting, and well put-together.

And then there are the beads.

So a little back story: At another store, I had purchased a skein of Great Adirondack Sirino. When I bought it, the yarn band did not include gauge information, but I loved it anyway, so I bought it without a real project in mind. I found the perfect project in No Sheep For You: the River Rock scarf, which includes beads.

Of course, I have never knit with beads, and didn't know what to buy or how to do it, so I put the project on the back burner to deal with later.

So here I was in the perfect store: a yarn store that was also a bead store. Close to 1/2 the store is beads. And the woman working in the store was so friendly, that I felt very comfortable explaining my project. She took the time to help me, especially when I said I didn't know the exact weight of the yarn -- she brought me skeins to feel to see if it was similar to the Sirino, then helped me find beads that would be just right for the project. She told me how to pre-string the beads, directed me to the Beading Needles, and I just know that if I had the yarn with me, and the time, she would have sat me down and helped me start the project.

I was running short of time, so I looked around just a bit, bought my beads, and while I was at the checkout, all of that inspiration just got to me. I fell in love with some yarn from Laughing Tree Farm, a locally-produced Merino in luscious colors. But I had no real use for it. I fondled it, over and over. Then I saw a sample hat knit out of the yarn (also incorporating beads) and just had to make it. So I bought the yarn, which came with a free pattern for the hat, and picked out some beads to go with it.

(the green beads go with the green yarn; the purple beads are for the River Rock scarf)

The particulars: on-street parking in front of the store, though when I was there the street was under construction so things were a bit odd. There may be a public parking lot; I got a spot directly in front of the store, so I didn't explore further. The store is closed on Sunday, and open from 10-5:30 on other days. Wednesday evenings there is Community Knitting from 5:30-9, and it appears all are very welcome. As always, check with the store for changes to the schedule.

I would have loved to have spent more time in the shop--there is a table at the back of the store for drop-in knitters, and the atmosphere was so inviting that I would not have hesitated. However, I shall have to wait until my next trip to Middlebury. I do fully intend on making more time to spend at Vermont Beads and Fibers.

Inspired, in over my head, and done!

2007-06-11T06:29:00.001-05:00

Inspired:

I was so engrossed in the class that I neglected
to take many photos. Sorry Lucy, this was the best.

On Saturday, I took a class with Lucy Neatby at Cornwall Yarn Shop in New York.The class was alled "Scintillating Socks", and it didn't disappoint. Though I'd previously knit one of Lucy's sock designs (Mermaid Socks from Cool Socks, Warm Feet), I learned a lot in thes class. The Garter Stitch short row heel, which I had done twice before, seems much easier now that she's walked me through it. I also learned the Channel Islands Cast-On (love it!), a cool stretchy way to bind off, and probably a million other things that I can't come up with right now.

Over My Head:

A selection of Lucy's double-knit delights.

Saturday's class was so fabulous that I managed to wiggle my way into Sunday's class with Lucy, called "Seeing Double." This class was all about double knitting -- something totally unfamiliar to me. It was brain-bending. I am now more determined than ever to learn how to knit Continental, so that I can do two-color knitting by holding one color in each hand. Had I been able to do that in class, I would have made a bit more progress than I did. Still, I learned a lot, and enjoyed myself. Lucy is a fabulous teacher, and when I'm ready to try the double knitting for myself, I will get her DVD and I'm sure that most of it will come right back to me.

Done:

The Uglyshawl! Meri is in the hospital again, this time for about a week as she undergoes some treatments, so I buckled down and finished the shawl. I know that she will overlook the aesthetics and take it for what it is -- a surrogate hug when I can't be there. In truth, this pic makes it look a bit more attractive than it appears in reality, and yes, I did weave in all those ends before I sent it off to Meri.

Over all, a great and very productive weekend. If you haven't had the chance to take a class with Lucy Neatby, do take the opportunity if you can. she's a great teacher, and obviously loves it. And if you can't ... her DVDs are a bargain at under $30, and with running times around 2 hours plus, they are well worth the money. It's not quite the same as having her live in class, but about as close as you can come.

More yarn store reviews coming soon!

Live from Vermont ...

2007-06-05T07:12:00.001-05:00

...it's me!

Where have I been? Working. And that's about it. Doesn't make for very good blog fodder. I am in the midst of 'Hotel Dementia' -- where one hotel looks just like the next, and I get confused every time I go to my room because it's always in a different place.

On the knitting front, I've barely touched it. I finished the World's Ugliest Shawl, but it needs a good blocking. I haven't yet decided whether or not I will give it to the intended recipient. Grandma's socks are still on the needles, with one sock done and the other only about 2 repeats in to the Waving Lace Pattern ... I have a long way to go with those. And my Yarntini socks have been relegated to the back burner, as I concentrate mainly on finishing the Heartbreakingly Cute Kimono from Mason-Dixon knitting. The baby shower is this weekend, but I won't be attending, so I do have a bit more time.

But don't stop reading me. Coming up, more yarn store reviews (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New York!), photos of my WIPs, and a thoughtful, more serious essay on Knitting Celebrity. Or maybe craft celebrity, I'm not sure. And OK, maybe not groundbreaking, but I do have some thoughts about it, which will be more fully developed after this weekend.

Needham, MA: Creative Warehouse

2007-05-26T10:13:00.001-05:00

Creative Warehouse is a yarn experience like none I've ever had. Tucked in the corner of an industrial park, the shop truly lives up to its name. The store is located just a few minutes off Rt. 95, and the driving directions on the website are clear and thorough. The store is marked outside with a cheerful sign saying "open", so I found it easily from the parking lot.

The first thing that struck me was a sign on the door: Yarn of the Day, 20% off. It listed the yarn (which of course I now forget), but I thought it was a cool idea.

The entrance of the store is, in a word, overwhelming. Picture a mountain of yarn (most of it in bags), as high as the very high ceilings, tumbling off shelves onto the floor. It's a warehouse, all right, and it feels like one, too.

The next section of the store features the cash register area, and the pattern area.
Patterns are spilling out of spinner racks and wall racks, and there are more patterns than I've ever seen in before in one place. They are organized and labeled with pattern type (shawls, scarves, afghans), but it's still quite overwhelming.

Then, moving back into the store, more yarn. Much more yarn. Yarn everywhere. Brown Sheep, Cascade and Encore, but also Jamieson, Colinette, Berroco, and many brands that I'd never heard of. Sample garments hang from racks and bags are interspersed throughout, but it's still a lot of yarn. I'm not quite sure how it's organized -- if I had to guess I'd say by weight. I was pulled to one fixture that contained some luxury yarns: Schaefer Elaine, cashmere and wool blends, Great Adirondack hand-dyes. Across the aisle was sock yarn -- Sockotta, Trekking, and Colinette Jitterbug. There were a few hanks of Mountain Colors Weavers Wool quarters there as well.

Several people were sitting at a large table in the middle of the store. A staff member saw me browsing and asked if I needed any help. When I told her it was my first time in the store, she welcomed me, and told me that they were looking at new fall yarns -- I should come over and take a look with them. I went over and realized that they were meeting with a yarn rep, and she was asking customers for input as they sat and knit.

When I asked about pricing, she handed me a price list and explained how it was arranged. I carried this with me as I shopped through the store. Yarns seemed to be priced pretty close to suggested retail, except for 'final sale' yarns that were discounted. She also told me that they were having a sale, and handed me a coupon for 15% off all yarns, needles and books, good through the end of the month.

Then I found the books. Lots of books -- even some that were out of print. I found Charlene Schurch's Knitting Marvelous Mittens, which I had been trying to find without paying the $100 price that the book sells for online. That alone made this trip worthwhile.

The notions wall features needles by Addi, Lantern Moon, Brittany, and Clover. These are self-serve and easy to browse. Other things the shop carries: knitting bags, and lots of them. Hanne Falkenberg kits, SOAK fabric wash, shawl pins, reading glasses, many kits of all kinds.

At the beginning of this review, I described the shop as "an experience" and that's really the only way I can explain it. At first glance, you may think that there is nothing there that interests you, and that's it's too confusing and cluttered to shop. But once you get in, you are there for a long time. There's so much to look at that it's sometimes hard to concentrate.

But what truly impressed me about this shop was the friendliness and helpfulness of the staff. I'd have to say that it was the best welcome I'd ever received from any yarn store. It's the kind of place where you feel like a "regular" from the first hello. I will definitely return.

Canton, MA: Sheep Street Yarn Shop

2007-05-24T11:51:00.000-05:00

I chose a Tuesday afternoon for my first visit to the Sheep Street Yarn Shop, and found it to be very busy. When I entered this tiny store, I counted 7 people, plus myself. Two or three were staff, and I suppose that being busy is a good thing for a yarn shop, but I found it very difficult to navigate the store and browse in comfort. There were several times that I had to step over something (knitting bags or baskets of yarn) or lean across another customer to reach a yarn. The store is somewhat cluttered, and I didn't get a real sense of how the yarn was organized.

When I first entered the store, it felt like everyone was talking and then shut up when "the stranger" entered. I'm sure it didn't actually happen that way, but it was a bit unsettling. It took quite some time before anyone acknowleged me, and that was with a "can I help you?" that was not exactly effusive and friendly.

Sheep Street specializes in luxurious natural fibers, and the selection does not disappoint. There were several brands of alpaca and cashmere yarns, as well as higher-end wools. Manos, Schaefer, and Classic Elite, and Mission Falls yarns were featured prominently, and I also saw quite a bit of Debbie Bliss and Cascade 220. The sock yarn selection appeared to be small and I didn't find anything of interest -- I think I noticed Trekking and Opal or Regia or one of those fairly common variegated yarns that come in large balls. They have Louet listed on their website as one of their suppliers, but I did not find any Louet sock yarn, just Euroflax Linen.

A few shelves and baskets of yarn had "sale" tags, and I lucked out and stumbled into (literally) a basket of Cascade Fixation yarn that was 50% off. I scooped up 8 balls.

The book selection is fairly small, but is up to date with many of the current releases in stock. Patterns are organized in binders at the front of the store, but I did not take a look because there was no comfortable place to browse. The small table near the front of the store had bags on yarn on it, and someone sitting and knitting.

Needles and notions are located behind the register; they carry Brittany needles (I found my precious Brittany cable needles!), Addi Turbos, and the Lantern Moon Sox Stix.

The staff was polite, but not very welcoming or friendly. Questions were answered perfunctorily, and more than once the person stopped in the middle of helping me to answer someone else's question, or to pay for their lunch delivery. When I told the woman who was helping me that I was a new customer to the store, she did not say "welcome", provide information about the store or classes, etc. My purchase was rung up, they put my name in their customer database, but they did nothing to encourage me to come back. There was a little bit of discussion about what I was going to do with my yarn, which was nice, but it came well after my initial impression, and I still didn't feel that they were really interested.

Free parking is available at the back of the store, which is convenient. According to their website, the shop is closed on Sunday and Monday, open til 7pm on Wednesday, and until 5 on the other days.

Though it's not terribly far from my house, I think that this is the type of store that I will keep in mind when I need a certain yarn that I can't find locally elsewhere ... and I will call first to see if they have it before making the 1/2 hour drive. They do have beautiful yarns, but I don't see myself going in often and browsing, as it wasn't a terribly comfortable or welcoming environment.

A note on comments here

2007-05-23T21:19:00.001-05:00

I've just installed Haloscan for comments here on my blog. Unfortunately, as part of the install process, all existing comments on the blog disappear. I knew that going in, and I'm ok with it.

I think I've responded to everyone who has commented, but if for some reason I missed you, I'm sorry.

Feel free to leave me new comments so that I can test out this new comment thingamabob and see how it works!

Thanks!

Sometimes it just feels right

2007-05-23T07:29:00.001-05:00

The minute I saw the Catalina shawl over at the Posh Yarn blog, I knew I had to knit this. Designed by Gabriella, it is the perfect pattern to use with my Malabrigo Laceweight. And best yet, Gabriella doesn't think it will be too difficult for a beginning lace knitter.

Now if I can just get some of these other projects out of the way so I can cast on this beautiful project!

Sock in a day -- I did it!

2007-05-18T22:37:00.000-05:00

OK, I'll admit it's a little bit of a cheat .. an ankle sock in Cascade Fixation knit for a 5 year old foot. I did up the degree of difficulty by trying a new short row heel (Priscilla Gibson Roberts' version, which I took from the Priscilla's Dream Sock pattern in Interweave's Favorite Socks book).

It took me somewhere around 8 hours from cast on to kitchener. I didn't keep track of time too carefully, as I knew I'd be able to finish in the allotted 18 hours.

Sadly, it doesn't fit. Thankfully, it's too big rather than too small. But I also realize that my gauge in ribbing (2x2) is w-a-y looser than my stockinette gauge. I think I should have gone down one needle size for the entire sock, and maybe 2 or 3 needle sizes for the cuff. At least, I think that's the problem. If it's something else, or if you have other suggestions, please tell me.

I really loved the yarn-over short row heel. I am going to try it in the next pair of socks I knit for myself.

This is also the first pair of socks I've knit where I didn't follow a pattern from start to finish.

Pattern: none - 2x2 rib and stockinette cuff, yarn over short row heel, stockinette foot, and traditional toe.

Eesh, am I really going to do this?

2007-05-17T08:18:00.000-05:00

When I started blogging, I swore I wasn't going to fill my blog with memes. And I'm not. But I saw this one on Sandy's blog, and thought it was a great way to document where I am and all of the things I still want to try. Regular posts will resume tomorrow, and I will have the meme thing out of my system.

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

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/Blanket
I-cord
Garter stitch
Knitting with metal wire
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 banana fiber yarn
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Twisted stitch patterns
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Two end knitting (note: I have no idea what this is, so I don't know if I've done it or want to)
Charity knitting
Knitting with soy yarn
Cardigan
Toy/doll clothing
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Slippers
Graffiti 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
American/English knitting (as opposed to continental)
Knitting to make money
Button holes
Knitting with alpaca
Fair Isle knitting (note: just a tiny bit, once)
Norwegian knitting
Dyeing with plant colors
Knitting items for a wedding
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cozies…)
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
Fulling/felting
Knitting with wool
Textured knitting
Kitchener BO
Purses/bags
Knitting with beads
Swatching
Long Tail CO
Entrelac
Knitting and purling backwards
Machine knitting
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Stuffed toys
Baby items
Knitting with cashmere
Darning
Jewelry
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Writing a pattern
Gloves
Intarsia
Knitting with linen
Knitting for preemies
Tubular CO
Freeform knitting
Short rows
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/arm warmers
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

My first Meme

2007-05-16T19:16:00.000-05:00

Mrs. H. tagged me. I think it's my first tag, so I'm going to do this, because it's a pretty good one.

Here are the rules... Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those tagged need to write in their blogs the 7 facts, as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

1. I am mayonnaise-a-phobic. I can't eat anything that has been touched by the smallest molecule of mayo.

2. I don't hold my pencil "properly." Because of that, I have never mastered chopsticks, because everyone says to "hold it like you hold a pencil." Doesn't work for me.

3. I don't like to tell lies, because it seems that then they come true. When I was in fourth grade, we went roller skating for girl scouts. I didn't feel like skating, so I pretended to twist my ankle. But when I pretended ... I really did twist it. Since then, I've been on crutches 3 times because my ankle has never been right. So now I think twice before telling a lie. I never "call in sick," because I know that I will then get sick. Sadly, this won't work if I tell a "good" lie. If it would, I'd tell you that I just hit the lottery.

4. My husband and I were born one day apart. I'm the older woman. My mother and his father were also born one day apart.

5. I placed 8th in the Westchester County Spelling Bee. I didn't want to win, but I really really wanted to come in 2nd, because the prize was a television. The word I lost on was "vouchsafe". I couldn't believe that it would really be spelled just like it sounds.

6. My cousin and I had the exact same name, including middle name, until we each got married. We are one month apart in age.

7. (this is harder than I thought). When I was 7, I wanted to be a nun.

OK, now I'm tagging Knitchick, Katie, Michelle, Jeanne, and I think I'm going to stop there.

Have fun! I look forward to reading about you all!

I'm Knittin' Ugly!

2007-05-15T09:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, that's "knittin'" and you need to say it that way .... "I'm knittin' ugly!" Or maybe, "I'm knittin' ugly!"

'Cause this shawl ... it's U-G-L-Y.

I've made some mistakes with this shawl. For one, I used size 11 needles instead of 13s. So it's too small.

But the yarn? So not my fault. Looks lovely in the ball. Looks lovely in a striped scarf. In a v-shaped shawl that starts at the center back and works out? Noooooooo.
(Okay, maybe it is my fault that I chose the wrong yarn. It's not my fault that that was the only soft and non-scratchy bulky yarn available at my LYS. But that's a rant for another day).

The ladies at knit night have convinced me to try and save it. We'll see. It has done its job: gave me something to do while I waited and worried, so I didn't feel so useless.

The doctors' plan right now is to release Meri from the hospital on Thursday after a heart biopsy to see if the rejection has lessened. So I'm not going to be sending her this piece of straight-out-of-1982-thick-and-thin-lumpy-granny-afghan-like ugly knitting, since she'll (hopefully) be home before it's done.

Photos soon -- when I've saved it or trashed it, whichever comes first.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

2007-05-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

Sincere and effusive thanks to those of you who commented and emailed after my last post. It is wonderful to know that my friend is in your thoughts and prayers.

And I truly appreciate the encouragement you gave me in my quest to knit for Meri. While I decided not to chance the cashmere socks (too risky since I didn't know if I'd have enough yarn), I am knitting.

A shawl. Which I think is better anyway. I wasn't making the "prayer shawl" connection, but it is, indeed, my version of a prayer shawl.

Once it's done I will post pics.

Thanks!

If I could knit faster, I wouldn't feel so helpless...

2007-05-11T22:15:00.000-05:00

I have a friend. No, she's far more than that. I have tried for decades to describe this relationship, and I can't. Something like friend/sister/mother/aunt all rolled into one. We're not related by blood, but that's the only thing that makes the definition difficult. She is part of our family. She does not live near me, and we talk only sporadically, but we are as close as ever.

My "friend" (I think I'll call her Meri, which isn't her real name) is in the hospital. Three years ago, she had a heart transplant. It is miraculous that she is still with us today; it was a matter of days, just waiting for the right heart. She almost didn't get one. The transplant went well, and she has been able to regain an almost normal life. After almost 3 years, it seemed that she was out of the woods. I saw her less than a month ago at my brother's wedding, and she looked fabulous. She was laughing and dancing and smiling and it was so good to see her.

Last night, I got the call that Meri was in the hospital. It appears to be rejection of the heart. On a scale of 0-4, with 0 being the best and 4 being oh so not good, she is at a 3.5. None of us really know what that means. They are doing everything they can to try to figure out what's going on, because everything else appears normal. They are confident. We are worried.

She'll be in the hospital at least until Monday, when she is scheduled to have more tests. It will probably be longer than that.

My first instincts last night were to knit her a pair of socks. Last time she was hospitalized, I was not a knitter. Now I am, and I understand the desire to wrap the people you love in comfort, through knitting. I have 2 balls of worsted weight cashmere sitting here on my desk, and I want nothing more than to have them knit up and in FedEx's hands.

But I know that I am too slow. I don't know if this is enough yarn. It's only 1.2 ounces. I can steal some different cashmere from another project that is somewhere in my UFO pile, I suppose. But I don't know her foot measurements, or even her shoe size. I think it's a 9, but the steroids she's on now will change her weight and measurements. And if I did nothing but knit all weekend, it would still take me too long. I feel totally helpless.

Invisible email, hooray!

2007-05-11T06:10:00.000-05:00

Since I've started reading blogs, I've been frustrated by Blogger's inability to allow blog owners to respond to comments via email. If a person has a blog hosted through Blogger (as I do), and you leave them a comment, there's no easy way for them to respond. They can answer you in their own comments, but there's no guarantee that you're going to check back. They can go to your blog (if you have one) and leave you a comment there, but that's awkward (and the approach I've tried to take).

I've finally hit on a solution for my own commenting. I don't trust the common practice of including email addresses by spelling them out: me at yahoo dot com. It is, after all, common. And that means that any day now there will be spambots that can translate that into an actual email address.

So my solution:

Over on the sidebar of this blog is a link that says 'email me.' I've set up a (free) account with Contactify, which provides me with a secure email link that does not reveal my email address. The email through that link is forwarded to my email account.
(One note: when you sign up for the Contactify account, it will ask for your email address and a password. You don't have to use your email password -- it's just a password for Contactify so that you can go in and edit your email address if you ever change it. So use any password you like.)

So if I've left a comment on your blog, the URL in my comment will lead you over here ... and you can email me directly through the link.

Not a perfect solution, but more elegant than others I've seen. I hope others will start to include similar email links on their own blogs.

Old Saybrook, CT: Saybrook Yarn

2007-05-10T19:30:00.000-05:00

Old Saybrook is a lovely little town on the Connecticut shoreline, which has a antique shops, bookstores, coffee shops and restaurants galore. It is also home to Saybrook Yarn, which is right on Main Street in the middle of all the retail goodness.

The store is larger than it would seem from the outside, and is relatively comfortable to browse in. There are some odd nooks and crannies that feel a little bit tight, but overall, I did not feel claustrophobic. I'm not sure how I'd describe the atmosphere except to say that it felt "nondescript." How's that for verbal acuity?

I chose a weekday afternoon to visit the shop. When I entered the store, I immediately noticed a table in the front of the store, where a staff person was sitting and pricing merchandise. I am guessing that this table is used for classes and sit and knit groups, but today it was being used for store business.

Staple yarns include Plymouth Encore, Brown Sheep, and Tahki Cotton Classic. They carry a complete line of Classic Elite yarns. I found some specialty yarns that I had not seen in many other stores: Lobster Pot cashmere, Sheep Shop, Mountain Colors, and Clekheaton.

They had a small selection of sock yarn: Jawoll, Tofutsies, and Austerman Step. This is the only store where I saw sock blockers for sale (the blue FiberTrends version). The Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn was located with the rest of the Mountain Colors line, not with the sock yarn, so don’t miss it (don’t worry, I didn’t, and a skein came home with me).

The store features an extensive clearance yarn section in the back. I didn't spend much time there -- I was after the "good stuff."

I liked that there were many swatches and samples. It appeared that they had some Classic Elite samples on display, almost like a trunk show. I'm not sure if this was a temporary loan arrangement, or if the garments were knit by store staff. The store also features a very nice selection of books and patterns. In notions, their double-pointed needle selection was light, and the store staffer told me that they were in the process of transitioning from Crystal Palace Bamboo to Brittany Birch. However, they did have Addi dpns, which I had never seen before. I asked the staffer how they were to use, and she actually went out to her car to bring in her sock-in-progress so that I could feel the needles out of the package. I love that customer service! (And I bought the dpns...) I also found some very nice needle/crochet hook rolls that appeared to be made locally and were reasonably priced (about $20). There was a bit of "knitter's jewelry" at the cash register that would make a nice gift for a secret pal.

The staff was friendly and helpful, but never pushy. They have a frequent buyer program, and will track your purchases for you so you don’t have to carry a card. They do have classes (check the website) and a sit n’ knit night on Thursday. On-street parking is valid for 2 hours, (I had no trouble finding a space directly in front of the store on a weekday afternoon) and they are located just 5 minutes off Rt. 95. The store is open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Saturday, and til 9pm on Thursday. They are closed on Sunday.

I’d say that this store is certainly worth a trip if you combine it with lunch or an antiquing trip and want to spend a lovely afternoon in Old Saybrook. While I don't feel the need to stop in every time I am near the store, I can see myself coming here a couple of times a year to see what’s new and different, and soak in some of that CT Shoreline air.

2007-05-08T07:39:00.000-05:00

Over on the Knitty board, Everwhelming Liz came up with an interesting challenge: can you knit a sock in one day?

My answer: I doubt it, but it will be fun to try!

I am taking a vacation day from work on May 18th, and I'm going to give it a shot.
I will be knitting an ankle sock for The Belle from Lorna's Laces in the Hawaii colorway. It's real sock yarn, not worsted, so while the ankle sock might be perceived as a "cheat", it's not. That's what The Belle requested, long before this challenge was conceived.

Thing you can do it? Go to Liz's blog to get the rules, and to sign up!

I'm such a geek. (yes, it's knitting related)

2007-05-06T08:21:00.000-05:00

During the course of planning our cross-country vacation, we've decided to buy a portable GPS unit for the car. I've used one before in rental cars, and I've always wanted one but never had the justification to buy one.

But that alone does not make me a geek. No, what makes me a geek is that I have plans. Oh, do I have plans. And my plans will make this GPS absolutely knitting related.

See, the GPS unit above (Garmin Nuvi 360) supports some really cool, customizable features. One is that you can create your own Points of Interest file and upload it to your GPS. Now I'm not intimately familiar with how it works, but it appears that I can upload a file of local yarn stores (LYS) so that I can find those stores when I am in a particular location.

But that's not all. This GPS supports something called "GeoTours", with audio As you're driving down the road, if you've downloaded a particular audio file in advance, that audio file will begin playing when you are near a certain feature. For instance, if you are in Washington DC and are near the Lincoln Memorial, an audio file will begin to play, giving you the history, etc. of the Memorial.

And you can create your own GeoTours.

Can you imagine this for yarn shopping??

I would set it for a certain distance (10 miles, maybe?), load a file of knitting stores, and record a brief clip. As we drove within 10 miles of any of the knitting stores in my database, my voice would announce, "Knitting store nearby! Need yarn?" Or, better yet, I can solicit brief audio reviews of the LYS from online knitties, so that as I'm driving in Florida, I can have Knitchick tell me that I must take a short detour to Chez Casualle and why.

Oh, the possibilities.

We haven't bought the unit yet, but when we do, this is almost certainly a project that I will undertake (much to my family's delight, I'm sure, she says sarcastically).

Wishful thinking

2007-05-03T22:09:00.000-05:00

Who knew that less than a year after I learned to knit, I'd already have a line-up of projects that exceeds my life expectancy?

I treated myself to a little shopping spree at Webs today (could not resist the great deals!) and then spent the rest of the drive home mentally tallying all of my planned projects -- for which I have the yarn -- and despairing of my slow knitting pace.

I started as a "process" knitter -- it was something to do while I watched TV, etc. But now I am getting project lust, and want to have finished items.

The wishlist as it exists right now:

Mason-Dixon Baby Kimono for a new family member due in July (Blue Sky Organic Cotton)
Socks for The Belle (Lorna's Laces Hawaii)
Clapotis for me (Brooks Farm Fourplay)
Linen stitch scarf (Cider Moon Giddy)
Clapotis for mom (Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb)
Top Down Cardigan for me (Debbie Bliss DK Alpaca Silk)
Top Down Cardigan #2 for me (Berger du Nord Silk)
Lace Shawl for me (Malabrigo Laceweight)
Hourglass Sweater (Malabrigo)
Ribbed Striped Noro scarf (Noro Silk Garden - 2 colors)
Ela's Favorite Hat for Bean (Noro Silver Thaw)
Velvet Scarf from Scarf Style (Muench Touch Me)
Ela's Favorite Hat for me (Noro Silver Thaw)
Lacy hat for me (Louisa Harding Kimono)
Cable and lace hat from Runway Knits (Malabrigo chunky)
Mittens for me (Malabrigo chunky)
My So-Called Scarf (Malabrigo Seleccion Privada)

Notice something missing? SOCKS!! Besides the pair I owe The Belle, there are no socks on the list! Why is that a problem, you ask? Because I have enough sock yarn for 50+ pairs of socks!

hopeless.

Secret Pal strikes for the last time!

2007-05-01T07:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the postal person delivered my final package from "S. Pal" -- the name she used on the return address. I didn't figure out who she was, even though she used the same return address on every package. I poked around a little, made a fool of myself by emailing someone else and asking "are you my secret pal?" but never did expend too much energy to find out. All I knew was that she was from North Carolina, and called herself "theunknowable" in her messages to me.

So I eagerly ripped in to this package to find out who it was. Zimmie!!!

I must say, Zimmie knocked herself out with this package. After spoiling me with luscious sock yarn for the last two packages, she decided that I needed this:

Coffee and chocolate, of course, because who doesn't need that. And the thing that looks like a yo-yo in the photo -- that's a VERY cool tape measure, with it's own neck strap, so I don't lose it like I have every other tape measure I've owned. And last, and best, a GORGEOUS bag to use for my sock knitting! It is perfect in every way. I would have bought this myself if I had ever seen it -- my colors exactly, and oh so pretty. I truly, truly love it!

Quick update, since it's been a week

2007-04-27T06:21:00.000-05:00

I've been a bad blogger as of late, I know. I'm about to enter the busy season at work. However, I didn't want to let an entire week go by without a post, so here's a down and dirty update.

In no particular order, here are some things of note:

My brother's wedding in Virginia was very, very fun.
Driving home in the Nor'easter was not. Thought we were going to float away on the Merritt Parkway -- loads of flooding and cars off the road.
I only knit about 2-3 hours of the drive down, and not at all on the way back.
Both Yarntini socks are past the gussets. However, they are now on hold, because
My grandma (who taught me to knit, sort of) asked for a pair of socks.
I'm trying to get those socks done for Mother's Day. I'm using the Waving Lace pattern from the new Favorite Socks books by Interweave. So far, they are the quickest socks I've knit.
I'm at the gusset on sock #1. I cast on Friday -- so about a week.
I hate knitting the gusset part of a sock. Hate it.
Made our room reservations for Rhinebeck! Yay! Making it a family vacation with my knitting buddy and our families.
We informed our families that we needed the 1st half of Saturday to shop, unaccompanied by family members. Then we will rejoin them after lunch.
Failed to pass up a sale at Chez Casuelle that resulted in the purchase of enough Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb for a clapotis. This one will be a Christmas present, so that's a deal, right? Total justification.
Hating the Pony Pearl dpns right now. Splitting at the tips of 2 needles on the first sock knit with them is NOT right. Haven't decided if I'm going to call customer service (if there is such a thing).

And lastly. My favorite photo from the wedding. The is The Belle, in her Flower Girl dress ...

An Ode to Cider Moon

2007-04-20T14:45:00.000-05:00

It started with this:

One skein of Cider Moon's Istanbul colorway, purchased from Sheri at The Loopy Ewe.

After it arrived and I saw just how beautiful it was, I decided that I wanted to do solid colored cuffs, heels and toes on the socks that I am going to knit from this luscious yarn. I emailed the folks at Cider Moon, asking if they had any colorways that would work with the Istanbul yarn. Jacki was happy to give me two suggestions. Cider Moon had just updated their site, and I couldn't decide. And so, to my shopping cart, I added Raspberry Twist, and Victoria:

But of course, I couldn't leave well enough alone. By the time I checked out, my order looked like this:

You can just see the solids peeking out from the back of the pile. Sitting proudly in front are Giddy, Apple Crisp, and Fern Cliff. Apple Crisp is in their 'Flurry" line of yarns, while the others are all in 'Glacier." The Flurry line is a tighter twist, more reminiscent of yarns like Koigu. I wanted to try it, and just couldn't resist the colorway. Here, take a closer look -- it just glows:

My order was shipped immediately, and sped through the mail blindingly fast. When I opened the package, I oohed and aahed at the loveliness of the yarn. The package included a handwritten note from Gail, one of the owners. But whenI got to the bottom of the box, I gasped aloud. The folks at Cider Moon had decided to prey upon my weakness. They sent me this:

Adorable little sample bundles of yarn -- each identified by color name and yarn type on the invoice. (I'm not going to tell you which colors they are. Go see for yourself. I heard rumors that they were going to update the shop soon, including their new Blizzard line that uses Louet Gems as the base yarn.) I will tell you that the pink and black yarn in the back is called Jackie O., and Cider Moon donates 25% of the retail price to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure Foundation. So go buy some of that.

Oh, and my original reason for ordering -- yes, I found the perfect match.

What do you think? I hope that the solid color accents will highlight the gorgeousness of the variegated yarn. Unfortunately, I have a few projects ahead of these socks in the queue, but I can't wait to get them knitted up.

Happy Birthday to Me, again!

2007-04-10T15:17:00.000-05:00

That's 3 skeins of Brooks Farm Four Play, in the Wines & Blues colorway. They arrived in the mail yesterday. This yarn is destined to become a clapotis. And yes, I bought it for myself. Studley Knit-right didn't know what to get me, so I took the pressure off and took care of it for him.

Thank you to Elizabeth, Nell, and Jody for the birthday wishes.

Jody wrote:

3 inches of sock to drive all the way to Virginia?? How can that possibly be enough to keep you occupied?

OK, I'm a slow knitter, but not that slow. I guess I wasn't clear. Once I turn the heel on sock #1 (hopefully done by tomorrow), I will have the entire foot (7" or so), plus I will also have 3" of the leg left on sock #2 before I get to that heel. So, 10" of stockinette, plus 2 young kids in the back seat, should keep me occupied the entire ride.

Speaking of the socks:

Aren't they pretty? I just love the yarn (Yarntini 4-8-15-16-23-42).

Happy Birthday to Me!

2007-04-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

Fran's Chocolates: milk and dark chocolate with gray and smoked sea salt. My favorite chocolates in the world (so far). And today, my breakfast.

Another photo-free blog post!

2007-04-08T21:33:00.000-05:00

The good news: I found my camera.
The bad news: the batteries are dead, and I don't have any more AAs in the house.
So you miss seeing us in our Easter finery.
This year, that was our pajamas.

This is the first Easter since college that we didn't have a meal with extended family. We were invited to my sister-in-law's, but then her kids came down with strep. So we stayed home, baked cookies for my brother's wedding next Saturday, played video games, and just hung out. I did cook a ham for dinner, and of course the girls stuffed themselves with lots of chocolate, so some traditions remained intact.

We did get all dolled up last night, though. The four of us went to Pot Au Feu for a special birthday dinner (mine tomorrow, Studley Knit-right's on Tuesday). The girls were amazingly well-behaved. They've eaten in "fancy" restaurants before, but I was a little concerned about how they'd do with French food. They shared an omelette au trois fromages -- and didn't really care for one of the three cheeses. But they did like the french fries, and loved the Smoked Bluefish Pate appetizer. Of course the hit was the dessert course -- creme brulee, and pot de creme au chocolate.

I haven't done much knitting. I started turning the heel on Yarntini sock #1 tonight, in preparation for our trip to Virginia this weekend. I don't want to try turning the heel while riding in the car, or chatting with relatives at the hotel. So I'm trying to get the 'trickier' parts out of the way. I still have about 3" to do on the leg of sock #2, so I think that will be sufficient car knitting.

In the meantime, I've become obsessed with the Jan dress designed by Wendy Bernard, available at The Garter Belt. I'm trying to figure out what yarn to use. I had never checked out The Garter Belt, thinking that it was patterns for knit lingerie, etc., but I saw this dress on someone else's blog and fell instantly in love. I think it will look adorable on both girls.

I'm off on a business trip tomorrow, but then I promise I will get batteries and photograph my sock!

Where, oh where, has my camera gone?

2007-04-04T10:00:00.000-05:00

Oh where, or where can it be?

I'm a bad blogger. Knitter, too. And now an entry with no photos. Shame on me.

I had a week-long business trip, and knit for only 3 hours on the plane. It was difficult to find the motivation to knit in my hotel room when I'd have a glass of wine or two at dinner, or a margarita after hours. On our one free afternoon, I chose a nap over my sock.

The good news is that I have the cuff/leg done on one sock, and half of the leg done on the other. I'm knitting both separately but at the same time on dpns. The yarn is wonderful -- Yarntini in the 4-8-15-16-23-42 colorway. I wish I had my camera! They cheer me up so every time I look at them.

My schedule doesn't appear to be opening up any time soon; lots of travel for work, more travel to attend my brother's wedding ... but I am already planning my next several knitting projects. Is that terrible? Because while I haven't been motivated much to knit lately, I have been motivated to buy yarn. The last few weeks brought me the following:

3 skeins of Vesper Sock yarn
2 skeins of Socks that Rock Lightweight
1 skein of Austerman Step
1 skein of Fiesta Ballet
2 skeins of Malabrigo Laceweight

I also received a fabulous early birthday present from my friend, who got me 3 more skeins of sock yarn (2 Regia, one On-Line) and Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush.

So yes, there are more socks in my future. I think I have enough sock yarn for 45 pair. At less than one pair per month, well ... you can see where I'm going with that.

But today is The Belle's 5th birthday. So after I cook her specially -requested Birthday meal (breakfast for dinner -- pancakes, eggs and bacon), I will spend tonight putting the pompoms on her scarf -- finally.

Blue Screen of Death

2007-03-21T20:22:00.000-05:00

No, not my computer, my Tivo.
Specifically, my DirecTivo.
And I'm in mourning.
Because DirecTV no longer supports Tivo, and instead has their own DVRs.
Studley Knit-Right went to Best Buy to get another (because there is no way we can live without two: one for us and one for the kids).
And frankly, it sucks.
I'd almost consider switching to cable, but I know that the Comcast DVR isn't any better.

I bought a Tivo the very first day they hit the stores, in 1998. I was pregnant at the time, and knew that if I ever wanted to watch TV again, I had to buy one. And so I did, not caring that it cost $600 for a 14-hour TiVo. Ten minutes after hooking it up, we knew that we could not live without it.

The one that died, well, that's was our third TiVo, and second DirecTivo. It had lived through a major power surge that fried our home stereo and a bunch of other things, and it has been limping along ever since. Unfortunately, it was the kids', so they've lost the recordings of their favorite shows, and we need to start from scratch.

It's a sad day in the clumberknits household.

Smooth peanut shaped remote that bongs, I shall miss you.

Confession is Good for the Soul.

2007-03-20T17:38:00.000-05:00

My name is Clumberknits and I'm a sockyarnaholic.

That's all.

It's all in the details ...

2007-03-18T09:42:00.000-05:00

So Friday night's post saw me humbled, unable to cast on properly. But I've been called "stubborn" on occasion, and thus, I present to you, this:

Pattern: Ela's Favorite Hat from One Skein Wonders by Judith Durant
Yarn: Noro Silver Thaw
Gauge: 4.25 sts/in
Needles: Size 7 and 8 as called for in the pattern
Started: 3/16/07 Finished: 3/17/07

Cute, right? Trouble is, it was supposed to be a hat for me.

The problem: I didn't pay close enough attention to the details in the pattern.

There was nothing in the descriptive text that stated if this was an adult hat, child hat, or baby hat. The book encompasses all types of projects, and the photographs of the projects show only the item, not the item actually being worn by a human being. So the only tip-off that this was a child's hat was in a single line:

Measurements: Approximately 18.5" (47cm) circumference

Now, if this were a sweater pattern, that would have been the first line I read. But it was a hat, and looked kind of adult-like in the photo, and so I ignored that line completely.

And the Belle has a new hat.

Not a terrible thing, since I still have not put the pompoms on her scarf, and so she has yet to receive a knitted object from me. And she likes the hat.

But I am still hatless.

On the other hand, I loved this yarn, and since it's on closeout at Webs, I'm going to buy more. I'll try to modify the hat pattern for myself, and maybe make a scarf, too.

In a better turn of events, my Secret Pal timed her package perfectly to arrive on St. Patrick's Day. In the package was a bag of Dove Dark Chocolates, a cute notebook with a green cover (that has already made its way to my knitting bag), the book Knit One Felt Too, and this lovely handpainted sock yarn:

Thanks so much to The Unknowable.

Coventry, CT: The Knitting Nook

2007-03-17T10:19:00.000-05:00

The Knitting Nook is a store that seems focused on community. This message comes through strongly on their website, which features the following statement on their home page:

Knitting is known to induce a calming effect – you are encouraged to bring your stash and/or project and join us! We make a pretty decent cup of coffee and have a comfy sitting area for you to fully enjoy the social aspect of knitting together. If we are open – you are invited!

The store is located in a small strip mall just off of Route 44 in Conventry, CT. It is very conveniently located between Hartford and the University of Connecticut, about 7 miles from UConn. The have very interesting business hours: they are closed Sunday through Tuesday, but are open from 9am to 9pm on Wednesday through Friday, and 9 to 6 on Saturdays. While I think the expanded evening hours are terrific, I am not sure that I would be too happy if I ran short on yarn on a Saturday evening -- I'd have to wait until Wednesday to get it. (OK, who am I fooling? I of course have enough stash that I could find something to knit for a few years before I'd really need to buy more yarn.)

Upon entering the store, I was immediately charmed by the lovely seating area to the left. It is arranged living-room style, with a couple of sofas and easy chairs arranged in a conversational setting. I could easily see myself sitting and knitting with a few friends , or striking up a conversation with a new knitting pal by just taking a seat. On this afternoon, there was nobody sitting and knitting there, and indeed, I didn't really see anyone in the store from my vantage point at the front door.

After my appreciation of the seating area, my next impression was one of extreme order and cleanliness. This store is spotless. Everything is in its place and there is no clutter to be found anywhere. However, that does not mean that it is sterile. The atmosphere is cozy and comfortable -- and really, really tidy. Yarn is arranged in free-standing fixtures that break up the store into comfortable browing areas, so that you don't really feel you are in a boxy strip mall store. Most yarn is shelved by brand, with baby yarns, luxury yarns, sock yarn and "staples" together by fixture.

As I browsed, a staff person walked out to greet me. She told me that there was a class going on at the back of the store but that if I needed any help, to feel free to come get her. I had not seen nor heard anyone in the back of the store, so I was surprised that a class was going on. I liked the fact that it was at the back of the store; often, the classes or groups are in the front or middle of the store, and I feel like I am intruding when I am shopping. The setup of the store is very conducive to shopping even while such a class is in progress.

The focus on community is carried through the store's yarn selection. The first fixture when you enter the store is stocked with local yarns. These are farmhouse yarns that, as a sign points out, "haven't left Connecticut." The producers are small local farms, and each was labeled with a bit of information about the farm, type of wool, etc. If I were vacationing in CT, I would certainly be justified in buying some of that yarn as a local souvenir. Yarns from Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont are also featured.

Yarn brands carried by The Knitting Nook are Schaefer, Brown Sheep, Debbie Bliss, Filatura, Frog Tree, Cascade, Noro, Malabrigo, and Dealegarn. The sock yarn selection was fair, with many colorways of Trekking, Sockotta, Tofutsies, and Cherry Tree Hill.

The store features a very nice selection of books, and a few binders of patterns. These again are very organized, and it is easy to find what you are looking for. Most of the "hot" knitting books were represented in quantities of 3s and 4s, and most of the standard classic texts appeared to be in stock as well.

A small fixture houses needles from Clover and Addi Turbo, and another small spinner features notions such as tape measures, stitch holders, etc. The back wall behind the cash register highlights beaded row markers that are made at the store. These are the type of markers that can be worn as a bracelet or hooked onto a knitting bag; as you knit a row, you slide a bead from one end to the other to keep track of where you are in your knitting. At a price of $12, I thought these were a nice addition to the store, and I happily purchased one for myself.

The Knitting Nook has an extensive class schedule (this link opens an excel spreadsheet), for both kids and adults. They feature multi-week Learn to Knit and Intermediate knitting classes, multi-week project classes, and single-session project workshops. Current offerings include 3 different sock classes! There are also drop-ins, private lessons, and free charity-knitting sessions. Classes are conveniently scheduled for both daytime and evening hours.

I can easily see this becoming a favorite neighborhood knitting store for those that live in this area of Connecticut, and a destination for travelers in search of local Connecticut yarns. If I ever have some time in between meetings as I travel through Connecticut, I plan on stopping and spending some time knitting on one of their sofas. I suspect that I will be very welcome.

Home, and humbled

2007-03-16T15:37:00.000-05:00

A change in travel plans due to the weather made it possible for me to be home today, when I should have been in Connecticut. We've got about 2 inches of snow on the ground so far, and I'm not sure when it is supposed to end.

It seems strange to think that it was 73 degrees F. just a few days ago.

The snow and cold weather made me want to knit a hat. I desperately need a new hat, and I had the yarn (Noro Silver Thaw) and the pattern (Ela's Favorite Hat, from One Skein Wonders), but hadn't gotten around to knitting in before the weather had turned warmer. So today, I picked it up and cast on.

And cast on. And cast on again. Then cast on one more time. Then frogged it all and put it away til next year.

First, I did a long-tail cast on using a tip I read on Loxosceles' blog here : use both ends of the ball to cast on, so that you don't have to worry about your tail being too short. Brilliant, right? It was, except that when I joined the round, my stitches were twisted. Rip rip. Once I ripped, however, I ended up with a long piece of yarn that was not joined to the ball. So I cast on again, using my "old" way. Tail was too short. Rip. Cast on again. More twisted stitches. A Moebius hat, how lovely! Frog.

Here I am knitting socks, starting lace, looking at cool patterns, and I can't even join a hat in the round. Argh.

Back to my socks. They make me happy. I'm about 3" into the cuff, using my lovely Yarntini in the 4-8-15-16-23-42 colorway. The bright green makes me happy, especially since tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day.

Round and Round, the Mermaid goes ...

2007-03-11T10:10:00.000-05:00

Behold, the never-ending Mermaid Socks! Pattern from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks, Warm Feet. Yarn is Fearless Fibers superwash merino, in the Glorious Green colorway. The socks were knit on size 1 and 0 dpns. Cast on was January 27, 2007 -- socks were finished on March 9, 2007.

The knitting of the socks was a bit of a saga, so if you just want to ogle their loveliness and keep away from the drama, you may click off now. You have been warned.

These were knit for Meg Weaver, my partner in the Knittyboard Sock Swap. Meg said that she liked "plain" socks, in solid, heathery, or lightly variegated colors, and that her feet were always cold so she liked wool. She preferred short row heels. She thought that maybe she'd like a twisted rib or eyelet rib sock. Easy, right?

When the rules of the Sock Swap were posted, we were told to sign up in one of three groups based on socks that we have knit before this exchange:

Sock Newbies (0 pairs)
Sock Beginners (1-5)
Sock Pros (5+)

I signed up for Sock Beginners (1 complete pair of socks, plus two Christmas stockings that I only half-counted because they were knit flat and seamed). My partner informed me that she had been knitting for 13 years (!) but was kind of new to socks so she signed up for beginner as well. But immediately I felt the pressure.

I had 3 wonderful skeins of Fearless Fiber yarn, including 2 almost solids, in brown and green. So I decided to swatch and do a "practice" sock with the brown, then make Meg's socks. I could not find one solid definition of "twisted rib," so decided to try a couple of different ones. I swatched and didn't like them. I then received Cool Socks, Warm Feet in a book swap, and instantly fell in love with the Mermaid Socks shown in the book. They were ribbed, and it was twisted (well, spiral, really). It had a short-row heel (which I had never done) that looked a bit easier than the ones I'd seen with picking up wraps, etc. And better yet, I had also just purchased the 2 Lucy Neatby Sock DVDs, and much of the sock is demonstrated by Lucy herself on these DVDs.

By that point, two weeks had gone by, and I was feeling the time pressure. I disposed of the "test" sock and went right to the main event. I cast on, and knit. And knit, and knit, and knit. I saw reference on some blogs that this sock took a l-o-n-g time. So I knit, and knit, and knit. Turned the heel with only minimal problems, though it took 6 hours of my life. Began the foot. And then, about 8 or 10 rows into the foot, the knitting emerged from behind the needles, and ... CRISIS! The pattern did not match up. The ribbing was off by two stitches. I tried to convince myself that it wasn't that bad, that it was a design feature. I kept knitting. After a few inches, I could no longer live in denial. It was right on the top of the foot where it met the ankle -- the most visible part of the sock. I was afraid to frog in case I couldn't recapture the stitches, and I did not want to relive those 6 hours turning the heel again. I waited a few days until I could go to my knitting class and enlist the help of my instructor, who is now dubbed Saint Mary of the Golden Needles.

Mary saved my sock. She helped me rip back and pick up the stitches in the proper manner, and then she did much of the un-knitting for me, since she is about 1,000 times faster at it than I am. She guided me through determining the proper place to resume the pattern. She answered my stupid questions like, 'is that a yarn over, or a mistake?' She has my eternal gratitude.

The rest of the sock, and the next, went mainly without incident. It just took a long, long time. And my work schedule was not only packed, but involved much travel, which took away from my knitting. In all, I was 10 days late for the February deadline. Considering that I lost close to that amount of time with my error on sock #1, it's not too bad.

Oh, and remember my frustration that the leg of the sock was too short, despite having measured and re-measured? Well, when I received the socks that Meg knit for me, I was delighted to see this:

They are identical in height. Insert large sigh of relief here.

Overall, these were a fun knit, even with the stress I put on myself. I learned a lot, and really pushed myself. I'm not sure that I would have continued on, if these were for myself ... or at least, I would have lived with the error. But in the process of fixing the problems, I learned better how to read my knitting, how to think before blindly following the written pattern. I also learned how to weave in ends as I go, which is a skill that I will use going forward.

And I will make them again, using a self-striping yarn -- what this pattern was really designed to highlight. Next time I think I may reverse the pattern on one sock so that they spiral toward each other, or away from each other (depending on which sock goes on which foot). But I will definitely knit them again.

Sockety Goodness!!

2007-03-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

I remembered last night about 10:00 that we had neglected to bring in the mail, so I sent Studley Knit-right out to get it. He returned with a package from the talented Meg Weaver, my partner in the Knittyboard Sock Swap. I opened the package with great anticipation, and was delighted to find, these:

Meg has provided full details on her blog entry. I'm not sure what her favorite short row heel is, but it fits me wonderfully. The socks are warm and comfy and lovely. The colors are perfect! Thanks, Meg.

Shortly before I sent Studley out to get the mail, I cast off the socks for Meg. That's right, they are finished!! It's been a long month of knitting on those socks, to the exclusion of all other knitting, and I'm thrilled and relieved at the same time. It will be a little difficult to part with them, but I am going to mail them out on Monday. Once she receives them, I will post pics and details here.

Martha's Vineyard, MA: Heath Hen Yarn and Quilt Shop

2007-03-09T09:01:00.000-05:00

I chose one of the coldest days of the year to explore Heath Hen Yarn and Quilt Shop. The store is located in Vineyard Haven on the island of Martha's Vineyard, and is a short walk from Main Street and the Vineyard Haven ferry. The store is a bit off the beaten path, so I got directions from the hotel. Even on this frigid day, the walk was reasonable: about 10 minutes from my room at the Mansion House Inn.

It wasn't the most beautiful walk that one could take on the island, but I had a mission: I needed yarn. I was in danger of finishing the sock I had with me, and I couldn't imagine being caught on the ferry home with no knitting.

The shop is located in a small plaza with a seafood/takeout store, a toy shop, consignment shop, and some offices. When I walked in, there was one staff person who was helping a customer, so I slipped in unnoticed. The store consists of two rooms: the first room is dedicated to quilting and cross-stitch, and the second room to knitting. There is a pass-through window on the wall between the two rooms, and through that window I could see many sample garments hanging, and I knew immediately that my yarn was in there.

The store is cozy, with wide plank wooden floors and a calming color scheme on the walls -- exactly what you'd expect for the Vineyard. It was warm and smelled of wool: just the thing I needed on this very cold winter day.

The yarn room was organized by type of yarn. The "staples" such as Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride, Jamieson, and Cascade 220 are to your left as you enter. There were about 5 colorways each of the Jamieson and Cascade 220, and maybe 10 colorways of Lamb's Pride. I also saw some Rowan Tapestry on that wall as well. Below eye level were lower-end staples, mainly Plymouth Encore.

The bulk of the display space, however, was given over to Berroco. The entire back wall and center "island" display area were almost completely devoted to Berroco yarns. There was some novelty yarn, but most of it was the more "conservative" of the Berroco line, such as Foliage, Pure Merino, Cotton Twist, Memoirs.

The sock yarn selection was slim: 3 colorways of Jawoll Jacquard, and approximately 5 colorways of Opal. I didn't pay too much attention to their selection of baby yarns, but it was not overwhelming.

I appreciated seeing many of the samples that the store had on display. A log-cabin style afghan that I had seen on the web and didn't care for was actually quite nice in person. I was disappointed that the samples were not labeled with the pattern name or source.

Yarns seemed to be about standard retail price. The store carried a very small selection of knitting-specific notions, such as stitch markers, darning needles, etc. -- nothing I hadn't seen elsewhere. The knitting needles are kept behind the cash register, which I found a bit odd. I spotted Clover bamboo, Pony Pearl DPNs, and Addi Turbo circulars. I think you just ask the staff for the needles you need.

I don't know much (OK, anything) about cross-stitch or quilting, so I can't really evaluate the store on those grounds. They had an assortment of fabric and sewing notions, but I can't speak to the selection. There were some cute cross-stitch kits displayed behind the counter that were Martha's Vineyard specific. If you are vacationing on the island and like cross-stitch, it might be a nice souvenir. The local theme was carried into their selection of buttons and shawl pins, many of which had a seashell or nautical theme.

When I made my purchase (2 skeins of Jawoll jacquard sock yarn in a colorway I'd actually been looking for), the shopkeeper was polite and businesslike. There were two other customers in the store awaiting her assistance, so perhaps that was the reason, but I was surprised that she didn't ask if I needed needles, or try to chat me up in general. In fact, I don't think she said much beyond telling me the amount due. Perhaps in the summer tourist season there is more friendliness.

Overall, I don't think the store is a place that I need to visit again, unless I am desperately in need of a project while on Island. It's nice enough, but I didn't find there to be enough of a selection. However, (and I think this is important to note), business and the economy on the Vineyard are very slow in the off-season; the quantity and selection of yarns may improve considerably in the summer months, during the height of tourist season. For that reason, I am not going to issue a star-rating for this store, because I'm not sure that it would reflect the reality in July.

The store offers both knitting and quilting classes. Please check their website for address, hours, class schedule, etc. Keep in mind that winter hours may be very different from summer hours.

Please pardon the interruption while I scream

2007-03-08T14:57:00.000-05:00

I am *this* close to finishing the socks for my swap partner. Just need to finish decreasing for the toe on sock #2.
I tried sock #1 on my foot, and I love it.
The only problem: I made them too short in the leg part.
They are ankle socks.
I measured, I really did.
She said she didn't like her socks more than 7" from the bottom of the heel to the top of the cuff.
So I went a little shorter.
But I guess I went *too* short.
Argh.

Caecilia42 is the Winner!!

2007-03-04T23:39:00.000-05:00

Caecilia42 is the winner of the Tofutsies sock yarn for commenting about what she'd like to see in yarn store reviews.

Caecilia42 doesn't seem to have a blog and didn't leave her email address.

So, Caecilia42, if you're out there, let me know how to get in touch with you, so that I can get you your yarn! I've turned on comment moderation, so if you want to post your email address here in the comments, I won't make it public for the world to see.

Thanks to all who left comments. I hope to have my first review up next week!

Planned Lateness due to Stress

2007-02-25T14:04:00.000-05:00

I'm heading out for a four-day business trip, and am frantically trying to get everything done before I leave. That means not only packing my clothes, files, work stuff, etc., but also means laying out a week's worth of school clothes, making sure the family has food to eat, etc.

I will also be missing the Bean's birthday on Tuesday. That makes me sad. I trust the rest of the family will be able to make it extra special for her.

There is just not enough time to do everything, so that means some things have to be put off.

Among those:

Choosing the winner of my blog comment contest.

I appreciate all of the responses to my question, "what do you like to see in LYS reviews?". I wish that I could figure out how to reply to each one, but blogger doesn't let you email from the comments. To be fair, if any more comments come in after today, they won't be eligible to win the sock yarn. I will do the drawing when I get back on Friday.

Finishing my Sock Swap partner's sock on time

I've been knitting like mad, but unless I blow off everything else today and just knit, it's not going to get done by February 28th. Of course this has to be the shortest month of the year, right? I'm driving on my trip, so there will be no airplane knitting. And evenings will mostly be spent working, so I can't even plan on more than a solid hour of night-time knitting. I really hate not making this deadline. And with the Bean's birthday party next Saturday, I can't even count on the weekend. So Meg, I'll have to say ETA will be March 15th at the absolute very latest -- hopefully sooner.

Needless to say, I won't be updating the blog much this week. I hope to have time to squeeze in a visit to one yarn store, and do a bit of knitting ... but mostly, it's all about work.

Scenes from a Maine Vacation

2007-02-24T20:21:00.000-05:00

I'm knitting madly on my Sock Swap socks, hoping to get them off the needles by the last day of February. I know that I won't be able to mail them to my partner in time, but I'd like to fulfill the first month of the two sock KALs I am in.

We had a lovely few days in Maine, sledding, skiing, and just spending some family time together. I didn't take many photos, but here are a few.

On the way home, at hubby's insistence, we stopped at Patternworks
I will do a full review in the coming days, but let's just say that it's a very nice store and I spent quite a bit of money on impulse items.

Now back to the socks ....

Queen of Rationalization

2007-02-17T20:17:00.000-05:00

This past week, I visited 3 yarn stores that were new to me. Since I've decided to post thorough yarn store reviews, this was not recreational shopping, but part of the job I've chosen to take on. In order to thoroughly evaluate the staff and customer service aspects of these yarn stores, I was forced to make a purchase at each location.

The damage:

Trekking 100 sock yarn, Louet Gems Opal sock yarn in 2 colorways, Mountain Colors Bearfoot sock yarn in Brick colorway, Addi dpns in size 0 and 1, and a crochet hook case made by Lantern Moon for my sock dpns.

I also was fortunate enough to catch the etsy update for Yarntini:

I didn't notice until tonight that 1/2 of my sock yarn stash is in shades of blues and greens. Oops.

Now I really must get knitting on the swap socks so that I can knit up some of these for me!

Each One Teach Two

2007-02-14T09:04:00.000-05:00

I have a close friend that I tend to drag into my current obsessions. We met through scrapbooking, and then when I got into rubber stamping, I taught her to stamp. When I started playing with polymer clay, I quickly got her hooked. When I sold my work at craft fairs, I quickly got her into doing craft fairs, too. I'm sure she will admit that she goes along willingly, but it's just funny how I manage to pull her along.

So last summer, when I returned home from visiting my grandmother, I called her up. "Guess what?" I said. "I learned how to knit and I am totally obsessed."
I was thrilled when she said that she and a friend had been discussing that they wanted to learn how to knit, too. So at that point, all bets were off.

At that stage, I knew how to cast on, knit, purl, and bind off. That was it. We made plans to meet so that I could help her choose yarn and needles and teach her to knit. We decided to meet at Michael's Craft Store during my lunch hour. In retrospect, it was crazy, because I had a meeting right after lunch, but I wasn't going to wait any longer to have a knitting buddy.

I did some Googling to get some tips. I came across the Craft Yarn Council's Each One Teach Two site, which had some great ideas. The program encourages knitters of any ability to teach 2 new knitters, who in turn will teach 2 more, etc. I was heartened by their advice that you don't have to be an expert knitter to teach. Specifically, the site states:

You don't have to be an expert knitter to teach the basics. Whether you've been knittting for two weeks or twenty years, you can join the Craft Yarn Council of America in its new campaign—EACH ONE TEACH TWO. If you teach two people, and each of them teaches two more people, and those all teach two more—well pretty soon everybody will be sharing your love of this fun and rewarding skill.

Since I had been knitting just a shade more than 2 weeks, I found this very reassuring.

I had planned on spending 5 minutes in the store to choose yarn and needles, but, well, it was quite a bit longer. And then I thought that she should have a book to help her when I wasn't around, so we browsed the book section for a bit (ended up with Knitting for Dummies, which is the book that helped me to learn).

When all was said and done, that left 10 minutes for the knitting lesson. I hopped into the passenger seat of her minivan, and demonstrated the cast on. Then I taught her the knit stitch. Thankfully, she picked it up right away, because at this point I was going to be late for the meeting. I abandoned her in the parking lot with her yarn and needles, and rushed off to my meeting. Later that night, or perhaps the next, I went to her house and taught her to purl.

I realize now how lucky I was that she "got it" right away, and just how rare that is. My Monday night knitting class has had 5 brand new knitters in the last month or so, and none of them seemed to "get it" until at least week 3 -- and that is with expert teaching. My friend has zoomed on to be a prolific and fearless knitter, with more FOs in 3 months of knitting than I will have all year. She's now tackling Janet Szabo's Taste of Aran afghan, with great success.

Two weeks ago, while we were visiting, my mother expressed that she would like to learn to knit. I gave her some yarn and needles, taught her to cast on and to do the knit stitch. She made the usual increase mistakes on the first couple of rows, but then by row four was knitting with very even tension and accuracy. At row 10, she put it away, saying that she would do more another time. When I called her two days later, she had just picked it up again, and said that it was going well. I was amazed, since I had to knit constantly for two days before I felt that I was getting it. I haven't seen her progress, since she lives 4 hours away, but I'm confident that she is doing a fine job.

Again, I'm really lucky. Either that, or I'm a great teacher, LOL.

So, I've done my part, teaching two. If you haven't already, grab a friend and share the obsession. And once they've learned ... print out this certificate from the Craft Yarn Council for your "student" and make it official!

Happy Valentine's Day!

A contest .. up for grabs, one skein of Tofutsies sock yarn.

2007-02-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

I am about to embark on a crazy travel schedule for work. I intend to hit as many yarn stores as I can while not being late for meetings. We are also planning on heading to Maine for vacation, though I don't know for how long. I plan on getting in at least one full day of skiing, since I have yet to test out my new boots and skis this year. If the snow arrives as promised, I will be a happy girl.

So, in light of my travels, I thought I would post some yarn store reviews. What kinds of things do you like included in reviews? What don't you like? Do you read reviews of stores that you are not likely to visit any time soon? Leave me a comment with your thoughts about LYS reviews, and you may win a prize. Up for grabs is one skein of Tofutsies sock yarn in the 724 colorway:

I may have another prize as well, depending on the number of comments.
I will do a random drawing on Sunday, Feb. 25th.
So let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

My Sock is Saved!!

2007-02-12T23:01:00.000-05:00

Or rather, my sock swap partner's sock is saved. It will probably still be late (deadline is Feb. 28th), but at least they will look good. I took myself off to the yarn store on Saturday to beg my knitting instructor to help me figure out how to save it. And Mary came through, as I knew she would. I aspire to be the kind of knitter that Mary embodies: patient, kind, and the ability to spot and fix the error no matter what mess is made.

So now I am in love with the socks again, and I continue on. I promise that I will load pics as soon as my sock partner receives the socks, but since I want them to be a surprise, the photos will have to wait.

All Day I Dream About Socks

2007-02-07T13:08:00.000-05:00

Title of this post courtesy of Larry Keller, who in 7th grade informed me what the ADIDAS on my sneakers really stood for .. and no, it wasn't 'Socks'.

So I have truly and irrevocably screwed up my Sock Swap partner's first sock. I know exactly how I did it, but I don't know how to un-do it, short of frogging past the entire heel. Since the heel took me 2 solid knitting evenings (approx. 5 hours) to finish, I just can't do it again. I mean, I can, but then the socks would be delivered in April. I'm hoping that with blocking it won't be quite so bad. I would try to duplicate it on the 2nd sock, but I don't think I will be able to deliberately make the correct mistake. Argh!!

In better news, today's mail brought some knitterly goodies: My first issue of Interweave Knits (which I bought weeks ago, but it was the first in the subscription, I guess). Some Knitpicks dpns (size 0, 1 and 2). And the new book, Favorite Socks, which I love love love. (also something for my downstream secret pal, but I won't post that here).

And I'm still basking in my bargains from Sunday's Super Bowl sale at The Yarn Garden -- 41% off all yarn. I was decadent and decided to indulge in some Meunch Touch Me -- 4 different colors, to be exact, for a total of 13 balls. This will make some lovely Christmas presents for next year, and of course, a scarf for me.

Purple Monday

2007-02-05T08:29:00.000-05:00

I am so grateful to my Secret Pal ... last week was just one hellacious day after the next, and she cheered me up to no end with her notes and private messages.

I was able to de-stress at my mom's this weekend, and then came home to this great box of loveliness, courtesy of my SP:

Here we have:

A gorgeous skein of sock yarn from Lux2Night . I know just the pattern I want to make with this. I need to finish my sock swap partner's socks first, but I can't wait to cast on with this yarn.
A package of Chocolate Turtle flavored coffee (chocolate turtles are one of my favorite candies, so I'm eager to try this).
A great big bar of Lindt White Truffle -- also one of my favorite treats.
2 fabulous sets of beaded stitch markers. SP, did you make these yourself?

Here's a closeup of the stitch markers. They sure beat the blue and red plastic rings I've been using.

Thank you so much, SP!

Knitterly Vibes Welcomed Here...

2007-01-27T23:40:00.000-05:00

So tonight I cast on for my sock-swap partner's socks.
I am in love with the pattern so far, and I'm praying that these turn out.
I have about 3" done, and it is to the point where I am just starting to see the pattern emerge -- not enough to be 100% confident that it is working out correctly.

Choosing the pattern was a major ordeal; I went from one, to the next, to the next.
I thought I had settled, so I cast on a practice sock, just to make sure that it would work, and fit.
I made mistake after mistake, and ended up ripping it out after about 4".
Not the pattern's fault .. definitely mine.

Through serendipity, this morning I stumbled on the perfect pattern.
Since I don't have a lot of time (they are due to my partner on 2/28, and I am traveling the last week of February, so I have a self-imposed deadline of 2/21), I decided to throw caution to the winds and skip the practice sock.

So, no visuals. She knows where my blog lives, and it's a surprise.

But here's a photo from a week or so ago that I never posted. My belated Christmas present ... what a treat to not have to hand-wind yarn, using one of the kids' chairs as a swift. Isn't it gorgeous???

I've also engaged in a bit of shopping over the last few weeks, which I should probably confess. Purchases include:

A blocking board (yay!)
A set of antique sock blockers from ebay -- aren't they cool?:

A sock yarn assortment from Elann.com (what a bargain -- it's the self-patterning fake fair-isle type, at $4/ball -- perfect for making socks for the girls).
Knitpicks Gloss for socks.
The Imbas celtic sock kit from www.nysfarm.com. I had planned on casting on for this on St. Patrick's Day, but the instructions look to be a bit over my head right now. These may have to wait a bit.
A ball of Tofutsie's sock yarn in pink, for the Belle.
Some new crochet hooks -- I keep losing mine.
1 skein of Malabrigo chunky to make myself a pair of mittens.
2 skeins of handpainted alpaca, destined to be some warm socks for me.
And I signed up for 2 cable classes with Melissa Leapman, author of the fabulous Cables Untangled.

Gee, on second thought, it might not be so good to spell it all out like that. Yikes.

Finally, show and tell!!

2007-01-23T16:01:00.000-05:00

They are done!!
My first "real" socks ever.

Yarn: Knitpicks Simple Stripes, in the Sunset colorway
8 sts./in, size 1 dpns

Pattern: Charlene Schurch's Garter Rib Socks pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. However, I omitted the garter rib and did plain stockinette.

Time: approximately 3 weeks. I don't really remember when I cast on.

Notes: They fit Bean's foot perfectly; the cuffs are slouchy because she wanted ankle socks, and I didn't adjust the number of stitches at the cast-on. I think that if I had knit these to fit at her calf, they would probably be OK -- but I'm not positive. She likes them, regardless.

They are "fraternal" socks, in that the stripes don't match ... I tried, and came within 2 rows of matching, but then the 2nd ball of yarn did a weird thing and changed pattern on me. It's OK, she's been wearing mismatched socks (intentionally) since Christmas, so these are not any different.

Point of interest: I finished sock #1 but did not graft the toe before finishing sock #2. So the other night, I had 2 socks with just the toe graft left. Coincidentally, I had that day received in the mail Lucy Neatby's Sock Techniques DVD. On that DVD, she demonstrates her "toe chimney" method of finishing.

Being that these socks were for a non-picky 7 year old, I decided to experiment. The first sock was finished using the toe chimney method. The second sock was done in the traditional Kitchener stitch.

Here are the results (sorry the photos aren't clearer; I hope you can see the difference).

photo 1: toe chimney method
photo 2: kitchener stitch method

Prior to this, I had only kitchenered worsted weight toes. They came out just fine. So when I was working the toe chimney, I was thinking that it was too fiddly, was taking too long, and might not be worth the extra effort. Then I kitchenered the second toe. What a mess. I was so afraid of pulling the stitches too tightly that I left a huge gap in the first stitches. If the Bean had worn it like that, she would have put a toe through it on the first wearing.

I was later able to adjust the stitches by tightening along the entire toe, which ended up taking even longer than the toe chimeny method. And frankly, Kitchenering on the tiny needles with tiny yarn was far more fiddly than the chimney method. So I think that from now on, it's a toe chimney for me.

Dear Knitty SP8:

2007-01-21T17:56:00.000-05:00

Dear Knitty SP8:
I know that I haven't updated my blog in awhile. I've been crazy busy with work, and finishing up these socks. They should be done tonight. I will do a full, lengthy update tomorrow.

Meanwhile, my favorite chocolate in the whole world is Fran's Chocolate covered caramels that are sprinkled with grey sea salt. Yum! They are too pricey, though, so anything chocolate and caramel mixed is wonderful. I've never said no to a Snickers bar. :)

In Which We Meet Studley Knit-Right: Revisiting the Past, Part II

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

A continuation of older net posts explaining my beginnings as a knitter; presented here to keep the archive complete. Part I is here.

Original post date: October 12, 2006:

OK, so part II of the story. Grandma taught me to knit and purl and sent me on my way. I proceeded to purchase KNITTING FOR DUMMIES, in a quest to figure out , well, everything.

Being spatially challenged, however, I found myself unable to translate the diagrams in the book (or any book -- I tried several) into actual motions. Enter DH. It went something like this:

"hon, can you help me figure it out?"
He grumbles and comes over to where I am sitting in a tangle of yarn.
"Give me the needles and the yarn," he says.
He looks at the book, and 1-2-3, does exactly what is pictured in the diagram.
"Now do it slower and show me," I say.
He does. I try it. I (mostly) grasp the concept.

This happens over and over, in the course of a few days.

I head off to the yarn store to replace the icky aluminum needles and Red Heart acrylic yarn. I get some bamboo needles (size 7) and Lion Brand wool. When I get home from work one afternoon, DH has half of a scarf done in 2x2 rib. Me, I'm still struggling with the purl stitch.

Off to the yarn store I go for some "professional" instruction.
"Show me what you know," the owner says.
I demonstrate what Grandma, DH, and KNITTING FOR DUMMIES has taught me.
"Oh," she says. "You knit that way.
That being Continental.
"I don't know Continental," she says. "I won't be able to help you much."
At this point, I'm not locked into anything, since what I was doing wasn't all that great anyway -- so I then became a 'thrower'.
I still get aggravated when I think of that ... shouldn't a knitting teacher at least be able to demonstrate both styles?
So I go home that evening, having a better grasp on my knitting and purling (literally -- she showed me how to hold the needles properly).
DH had ripped out the 2x2 rib scarf, and had started another -- this time it was the beginning of a cable scarf from Scarf Style.
If looks could kill ....

Since that time, DH has started and frogged more projects that I can remember. 3 scarves from SCARF STYLE, a hat of his own design (complete with seed stitch diamonds that he graphed out), a sock, and who knows what else. He likes the challenge ... and then he cruises along until he makes a mistake. Once the mistake happens, he rips it out, and starts something else. He is too bored and frustrated to start the same project over. There's good in that, though. DH has expensive tastes in yarn. And when he frogs ... it becomes MINE.

Note, 1/7/07: The knitting adventures of DH, whom I have sinced named Studley Knit-Right, will be continued in another post, as soon as I can steal his one FO and photograph it.

In Which We Learn to Knit: Revisiting the Past, Part I

2007-01-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

Before I decided to start a blog, I posted a few things on a knitting message board that introduced myself, explained how I got started, etc. In the interest of posterity, I am recreating those posts, here. Entries may have been edited a bit for clarity.

Original post date: October 12, 2006

I started knitting in August, on a whim, when I was visiting Grandma in Michigan. Grandma's 89, and an amazing seamstress ... so when I mentioned that I wanted to knit, she offered to teach me. She has arthritis and can't really knit anymore, so I'm glad I got her when I did! Of course, Grandma learned to knit so many years ago that she forgot what it was like to be a beginner, and wasn't sure why my 20-stitch cast-on quickly grew to 44 stitches. And I was using aluminum needles with Red Heart acrylic wool in a lovely shade of beige. Not the most conducive for knitting.

So back home, I quickly scoped out several of the local yarn stores, got some instruction (questionable, but that's another story) and have been happily knitting along ever since.

Finished objects: 1 scarf (Noro Kureyon, garter stitch, kid sized)
1 hat (first time on circs and double points)
1 hat (seamed up the back, icky chenille yarn, didn't fit and so was thrown away).

On the needles: Irish Hiking Scarf
Vertical striped garter stitch scarf for my youngest DD
2 socks on 1 circ (magic loop) - about 1" of each cuff done, put away until after the New Year
"Fuzzy Greenie" -- Instant Jacket pattern for a class I'm taking (my first sweater ever).

In the queue: Scarf for future SIL from elsebeth lavold Chunky AL
Scarf for my brother in Classic Elite Blithe
Branching out
FT Felted clogs for one of my DDs.

Note, 1/7/07: The 2 socks on 1 circ are still in hibernation, and will be frogged because I was doing them on #3s and won't like them; All of the items listed "in the queue" did not happen.

Not at all knitting related, but I found it amusing ...

2007-01-05T23:31:00.000-05:00

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Pretty darn accurate. I guess I've lost the little bit of midwestern speak that I know was still there in 7th grade (when I got laughed at for misprouncing the word 'Albany').

A Mishmash of knitterly stuff ...

2007-01-04T11:28:00.000-05:00

I have neglected to post about my knitting-related Christmas presents, mainly because I didn't think to photograph them until after dark, and no light = bad photos. But today, I remembered.

From hubby:

A set of KnitPicks Options needles. I love, love, love them. I later ordered the needles sizes that aren't in the set (13, 15, 17) and then the "standard" (noninterchangeable) 1, 2, and 3 circulars for Magic Loop.

Oh, and hubby told me to order a ball winder as well. He didn't know what kind to buy. So I ordered the ball winder, and of course needed a swift, so I got that as well.

I will need it to wind up my gift from Santa:

That's 8 skeins of Lorna's Laces. Santa had a little helper, who heard about a great deal on this sock yarn, and so it was handed to Santa unopened, who then placed it under the tree. I especially love the Black Watch colorway (the one on top of the pile).

In other news, my last two days have been spent trying to knit socks. Now that I'm feeling the pressure of the Socktopia KAL, I put everything else aside to concentrate on socks. As usual, I jumped right in, to rather diastrous consequences.

First, I decided that I would try 2 socks on 2 circulars, per the Queen Kahuna Crazy Toes and Heels book. I read through the book a couple of times. It made perfect sense, intellectually. I love the idea of a truly well-fitting sock, and something about toe-up appeals to me. And since I have already had Second Mitten Syndrome, I know that I'm a shoo-in for Second Sock Syndrome.

Well, it was not to be. First, I wasn't sure exactly how many stitches to cast on. I was making socks for the Belle, who is 4. Based on the measurements and calculations, I figured that I would need to cast on 7 stitches on each needle, per sock, but in the book, the author says that if it's for a child, use 5. So I cast on 5, and started working. I was supposed to increase to 20 stitches on each needle. It took about 5 rounds before I figured out that I was doing the M1L increase wrong. After I had increased to 16 stitches on each needle per sock, it still looked really small. Not having made a toe-up sock before, I decided to keep on. And with that, I picked up the wrong needle, and knit all of my stitches off the needle onto the other circular. Bad move.

I was faced with either moving the stitches back onto the other circular (and figuring out exactly how to do that so that it still worked), or frogging. I chose to frog.

While I love the idea of 2 socks at once, I don't love wrestling with the 2 yarn balls, untangling, etc. And since this is the second time that I've failed at using 2 circs, I think I will give it up for now.

I didn't have the longer needles for Magic Loop (they are en route from KnitPicks), so I decided to bite the bullet and cast on 1 sock on dpns. Here is the result so far:

Not too bad. I found the shorter dpns easier to work with, at least after the first couple of rounds. I am going to continue on with this sock. I wish I had another set of size 1 dpns, so that I could just cast on the 2nd sock and work on both in bits and pieces. My LYS doesn't have the shorter size dpns. But so far, so good.

How I spent the first day of the year

2007-01-02T07:29:00.000-05:00

I finished these, finally!

I did the complete second mitten today, from cast-on to bind off. I hadn't intended on that, as I already had about 4" of the ribbing done, but I got so frustrated with the dpns and this yarn that I frogged it all and started again on magic loop. I knit most of the day -- it took a lot longer than I remember mitten #1 taking. I finished at 11:15.

They are OK -- the stripes almost match up (I think they are off by 2 rows). The second mitten has some problems, especially where I needed to pick up the stitches at the base of the thumb. It's a good thing that it's for a 7 year old -- one who will probably lose at least one of the mittens before the winter is over. I didn't sweat the details, just wanted them done.

The Bean was very excited when she came downstairs this morning and found the completed pair of mittens at her breakfast spot. Too bad that it's 45 degrees today.

The details:

Pattern: An amalgam of two -- a basic mitten pattern was given to me by the LYS when I purchased yarn. However, it was knit back and forth, and I wanted to do a full project with dpns (ha!), so I converted it to in the round (with the help of my knitting instructor). When it came time for the decreases, I used another pattern that I found on the web to figure out how and when to decrease.
Yarn: Martifil Stripe 7934, less than 1 skein ($16.00 per ball). It's really nice yarn, if a little splitty. There are few places where there was some dark blue "flashing" in spots (you can see it on the right mitten in the photo). Not my fault, though The Bean noticed right away, saying "you made a couple of mistakes." I made more than a couple mistakes, but this was not one of them.
Needles: size 5 & 7, dpn (mitten #1) and magic loop(mitten #2)
Time: Hard to judge. Mitten #1 took a couple of days, and mitten #2 took most of one day.
New techniques learned: picking up stitches for the thumb (not so successful on my own -- mitten #1 was done under the guidance of my knitting instructor; I fudged mitten #2 and it is pretty messy.

Happy Un-doublepointed New Year

2007-01-01T13:24:00.000-05:00

I hate dpns.
There, I said it.
I know I'm not alone, but I really despise them.
I wanted to love them.
I love the idea of them; there is something both traditional and zenlike about knitting on bamboo dpns, round and round and round.
But the idea of love does not a love make.

I just frogged the Bean's second mitten, which was on dpns. I'm starting over on magic loop.

Since I just signed up for the Knittyboard Sock Exchange, I need to master socks by February 28th (the date I need to send my socks to my partner). I don't have time to mess around with dpns. Immediate gratification is the key, and so magic loop (or maybe 2 circs) it shall be.

She's not REALLY a knitter

2006-12-30T23:46:00.000-05:00

Despite my earlier post, below, proof that The Bean is not truly a knitter. Yet.

The backstory: From time to time, I do a little bit of mystery shopping. You know, I shop "undercover" and then report back on how good or bad the service was. It's not a lot of money, and kind of a pain in the neck, so I don't do it too often -- and when I do, it's total "fun money" for me to spend as I wish, no matter how impetuously.

The email: Tonight, I got an email from a company that I do mystery shops for. The shops usually pay $25 each, which is a lot. Tonight, they had a last minute cancellation and needed 3 shops covered -- and they were willing to pay $65 for each shop. I jumped at the opportunity, put on my shoes, and went to say good bye to the family. I knew that I wouldn't be back for bedtime, so I gave Bean and Belle their hugs.

The conversation:
Bean: Why do you have to go out now?
Me: So I can go make some quick money to buy yarn.
Bean: Yarn??!! How about food, or something we need? Sheesh.

(note to Child Protective Services: if we had any more food in this house, we'd need to build an addition. Really, she's not starving, and even has more than one pair of shoes).

The best gift ever ...

2006-12-30T22:42:00.000-05:00

It was a bountiful Christmas, filled with family and friends. And though I'm still cleaning up the remnants, I wanted to take a moment to post about my favorite gift. This was given to me by my 7 year old daughter (known here as the Bean). She has been taking knitting lessons for about 2 months. She's not a very motivated knitter .. I think she likes the idea of knitting more than the knitting itself. But somehow, some way, she managed to knit me a gift in secret, with just a little bit of help from DH. It's an iPod cozy (with room for accessories, though not by design). She knit the entire piece herself, and DH helped with the seaming and the design of the drawstring closure (clever!). The buttons were the Bean's idea ... DH sewed them on. There is one on the front and one on the back, and they are perfectly aligned.

The Bean proudly informed me that there were no mistakes. I'm not looking too closely -- to me, it's perfect.

For my own sanity, I present ...

2006-12-21T08:40:00.000-05:00

a list.

Planned knitting for the first quarter of 2007

Down Under sweater from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for Older Kids
Hourglass sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts
Riding the Rails sweater from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for Older Kids
Clapotis or Fir Cone Wrap out of Claudia Handpainted silk
Socks - my goal is 3 pair.

But before I start those projects, I think I am going to attempt to make Fetching
My hands have been freezing while knitting lately. I'm not quite sure why, but I need Fetching.

Mmmmmalabrigio -- done!

2006-12-20T14:22:00.000-05:00

Since I've started reading message boards and blogs devoted to knitting, I noticed that posts about Malabrigo yarn would always read 'Mmmmmmmalabrigo'. I never quite understood just what was so wonderful. But this scarf made me see the light.
It's done and blocked, in plenty of time to give to Mom for Christmas. She has blue eyes, and this should set them off nicely.

Finished size: 5" x 60" after blocking
Pattern: given to me by a LYS when I purchased yarn. Basically it's a 2 cable scarf, with seed stitch border.
Yarn: Malabrigo, 1 skein
Needles: size 7
Time: cast on Tuesday evening, finished Monday evening.
New techniques learned: this is the first pattern I've done where I didn't need to refer to the pattern -- I could "read" my knitting and knew what to do next. I also tracked rows (6 row repeat) by looping a piece of waste yarn on the end of the needle (one loop per row in the repeat).

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care ...

2006-12-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

(click photo to see a larger version)

Done and blocked!! These are gifts for my brother (striped) and his fiancee (Fair Isle) as they celebrate their first Christmas as an engaged couple.

Pattern: from Nicky's Knitted Christmas Stockings, by Nicky Epstein
Yarn: Lopi
Needles: size 9
Time: approximately 10 days for each stocking, mostly evening knitting
New techniques learned: Stranding (2 and 3 color), duplicate stitch, short rows, Kitchener stitch
Adaptations: The original pattern called for Wool-Ease and size 7 needles, so these worked up a bit larger than the ones shown in the pattern. The ones in the pattern are approximately 22" long,and mine are 24" long. The Fair Isle Snowflake stocking had a fair isle chart for the snowflake but mentioned that it could be done in duplicate stitch, which is the route I took.

Notes:

These were really fun to knit, and I'm a teensy bit sorry I have to give them away. They look quite nice hanging from my fireplace.

The pattern was very clear and easy to follow. The booklet starts out with one main stocking pattern, and the other stockings are all variations on the main pattern.

I love the way they look in the Lopi, but I didn't actually like knitting with the Lopi. Eventually I got used to it, but at first it felt like knitting with burlap, and it hurt my hands.

These are knit flat and then seamed. I still have yet to knit a traditional pair of socks, so I'm a bit sorry that I didn't do stockings made in the round, but I still learned short rows to turn the heel, and I kitchenered the toe (not too bad -- it might be more difficult on regular socks because of the thinner yarn, but I thought these came out fine).

The Fair Isle at the top of the stocking wasn't as difficult as I had feared, though it was slow because I'm a thrower and was trying to carry both colors in my right hand -- it usually ended up with me dropping the unused color and picking it up again when needed. I still managed to knit a bit too tightly, so the top pulls in a bit in the Fair Isle section, but it's not too bad and it blocked out almost totally. The neat thing about the pattern is that the top of the stocking is 10 rows of the green, and then a turning row -- the top is then turned in and tacked to cover the loose strands of the Fair Isle. It made it much easier because I wasn't quite so worried about the strands. Our current Christmas stockings (knit by someone else) are all Fair Isle, and the strands make it almost impossible to pull our goodies out smoothly.

The duplicate stitch took me just about forever. I had to rip it out a few times because I was off a stitch somewhere, making the pattern lopsided. At one point I wised up and just covered my mistake with another duplicate stitch in the original green -- it doesn't show at all. And the strands from the duplicate stitch are a bit messy on the inside.

I can't wait to make stockings for our family.

It's being blocked!!!!

2006-12-18T21:23:00.000-05:00

One thing that is quickly becoming evident: I will need to improve my knit photography skills. I tried to take a pic of the Malabrigo cable scarf pinned out and blocked, but the photos were simply awful.

And anyway, what is newsworthy is that fact that it *is* being blocked.
I finished at about 5:00 this afternoon, just before I left for my knitting class. It was the perfect length pre-blocking, though a few extra inches won't hurt. I asked Mary whether or not I should even block it, since it was meant to be a narrow scarf, but she thought it would make the cables pop.

In class I started Bean's second mitten. It has been so long since I did the first that I have mostly forgotten what to do, so it will be slow going again. I don't love dpns.

2006-12-18T00:23:00.000-05:00

It's killed me.
I know that a never-ending skein of Malabrigo is a good thing to most .. but not me, and not tonight.

Six more inches ... argh!

2006-12-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

I'm going to finish my mother's scarf tonight if it kills me.
Send caffeine.

Can't resist a sale ...

2006-12-17T10:41:00.000-05:00

I had a little shopping spree today. I know, not the best thing to do a week before Christmas, but I just couldn't pass up the sale. Sakonnet Purls is having a pre-2008 sale, and everything in the store was at least 20% off.

The reason for the sale is interesting in itself ... Rhode Island recently passed legislation that would impose 6% sales tax on yarn and fabric. Until this point, both had been considered tax exempt. What this means for yarn sales in the state remains to be seen, but when neighboring states do not charge sales tax on these items, it might hurt business. Rhode Island is small enough that people can get to a neighboring state in less than 1/2 hour.

So here's what I bought:

7 skeins of Malabrigio to make the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. 2 skeins of Malabrigio for a scarf and hat for myself. 2 sets of Lantern Moon rosewood needles (sizes 7 and 8). The book Hats On by Charlene Schurch (best hat book for all ages that I've found so far). And the best ... the one thing that kept pulling me back to fondle:

100% silk laceweight from Claudia Handpaint, in the Walk in the Woods colorway. This will be a shawl for myself, to wear at my brother's wedding. At least, that's the plan. I need to find the right pattern to do this yarn justice. It's amazing. And it was 20% off. Would you have been able to resist??

I think I'll make it ...

2006-12-14T11:56:00.000-05:00

This is the 3rd or 4th project that I've started for my mom, but I think I finally have settled. This is a 2-cable scarf pattern that I got free when I bought Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran at Nancy O Boutique in Ridgefield, CT, a yarn store that I visited in my many travels.

The scarf on display in the shop was made of cashmere, and at the time I had only been knitting for a few weeks -- certainly not long enough to justify a cashmere purchase. So the lovely woman in the shop recommended the Cashmerino Aran, which felt like a dream.

Well, I swatched it up on Monday night, and I just didn't care for it at all. It might have been OK if I had gone down a couple of needle sizes, but I was knitting at Borders with my friend and didn't have other needles with me. And the yarn wasn't nearly as soft knitted up as in the ball.

So I did what any good knitter would do -- I went to the yarn store in search of more yarn. And I found the yarn that I had been reading about for months -- Malabrigo. It felt wonderful, and at $10.50 for over 200 yards, I thought it was a deal. I bought two hanks, and I adore it.

The pattern is great -- I put the printed pattern away after the first 6-row repeat. Because it's narrow, it seems to be working up pretty quickly. I hope to finish it by Sunday night.

As for stocking #1, the duplicate-stitch snowflake is complete, and the foot is seamed -- I just need to finish seaming and add the hanging loop.

Quick, photoless, update (now with photo!)

2006-12-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Stocking #2 is finished!! Completely, including seaming and the attached hanging loop.

Stocking #1: almost half of the snowflake is on .. hope to finish the rest, and seam, tonight.

Photos when both are done, and my living room is decorated, so I can shoot the stockings in their preferred setting -- hanging on the fireplace.

Progress!!

2006-12-02T00:11:00.000-05:00

Stocking #1 is nearly complete ... I just have to duplicate stitch the snowflake and then seam it up. I survived Kitchener stitch!

I'm going to hold off finishing it until I finish Stocking #2, just in case I run out of time before Christmas. I think Stocking #1 looks OK without the snowflake, and the duplicate stitch seems that it might be a bit time consuming. So I'll go back to it when I'm done with #2, which is just striped.

Knitting with burlap in bed

2006-11-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

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

2006-11-26T11:09:00.000-05:00

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....

Well, one hand will be warm.

2006-11-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

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.

Traveling Companions

2006-11-20T07:14:00.000-05:00

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.

The vital statistics ....

2006-11-17T13:09:00.000-05:00

Months knitting: 3
Number of Finished Objects: 3
Number of current WIPs: 5
Number of unstarted projects that must be finished by 12/25/06: 4
Number of skeins of sock yarn owned: 16
Number of socks knit: 0
Size of yarn stash currently being housed: approximately 47 skeins
Average number of hours spent surfing knitting sites and blogs: 3 hours per day
Average number of hours spent listening to knitting podcasts: 2 hours per day
Average number of hours spent actually knitting: 2 hours per day

2006-05-24T12:32:00.000-05:00

YARN STORE REVIEWS
(last updated 6/16/07)

Connecticut:

Conventry: The Knitting Nook
Old Saybrook: Saybrook Yarn

Massachusetts:

Canton: Sheep Street Yarn Shop
Martha's Vineyard: Heath Hen Yarn and Quilt Shop
Littleton: The World in Stitches
Needham: Creative Warehouse

Vermont:

Middlebury: Vermont Beads and Fiber