Good Wool for All

Final posting

2008-03-15T13:05:00.000-07:00

Not like anyone's reading this drivel but all future postings will be on my new blog.
Lost City Knits

Come visit.

This week began with three finished socks without mates. Three? Three.

2008-03-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Written last week but since high speed internet hasn't made it down our dirt road I'm finally posting!

It’s greenhouse time on our farm. Twelve hundred baby lavender plants, roughly as tall as my pinky finger, line the floor of the hoop Quonset style greenhouse. Because of the fluctuating temperature in Oklahoma during the late winter the greenhouse must be monitored for temps and even humidity. A few hours span of time can swing the outside temperature from 65 to 32 degrees – like Sunday night.
Expecting cold winter weather I headed to the farm as Christopher’s father returned to the city Sunday afternoon. I was loaded with groceries and lots of knitting. In my bag were all three socks plus the Huck Lace Shawl, which I planned to frog and begin again. One of the last things I did before leaving Tulsa was to check iTunes for podcast downloads. The little whirling arrow began to download the new offering from Lime and Violet, and Cast On as well. I smiled as Chris looked over my shoulder at my laptop as I slightly delayed my departure. He knows. He teases. Thank the gods he tolerates my insanity about knitting.
Nearly 48 hours of alone time to knit by the fire. I’m a lucky woman. I know.
Shortly after dark the winds began. Then the rain arrived. As I watched the red and yellow band of storms nudge across the radar screen on the television I re-cast on the Huck Lace Shawl. Instead of the indicated 36 rows of garter stitch I opted for 24. Call it impatience or an attempt to make up for past mistakes. The Malabrigo Baby Lace doesn’t like to be frogged. It had already felted or fulled onto itself, so the stitches fought their release from each other. I decided to let them win the tussle and snipped the working yarn and tossed the whole four inches of knitted shawl into the trash - with a small pang of regret.
The wind howled and I stepped out to the porch for firewood to feed the Wood King. It’s an ancient mammoth pot bellied beast of a stove. Not efficient I’m told but I’ll take character over efficiency. It pops and crackles and keeps us warm and happy, inside and out.
Lime and Violet (or Violet and Carin as the case may be) entertained me as I kept the TV on mute and watched for occasional storm updates. After several hours of increasing wind and trips to the porch for wood, stepping over Martha, our not-so-bright farm mut, I gave up the endless bouts of Dish searching for the satellite. The storm would continue its path eastward from Tulsa toward Lost City regardless of what info or security the radar offered.
My eyes were tired so I put the shawl down and crawled into bed with Tolstoy. Over a thousand pages into War and Peace and I’m still happy to pick up the tome. It wasn’t long before I caught my head nodding and thought it best to flip off the bedside light.
Around 4am I woke to feed the beast. Only a few red coals remained so I stoked the fire and flipped on the TV to see if there were any alerts. The storm had passed and satellite access was possible again. Finding nothing new going on the weather world I flipped over to DIY to see if I could actually catch Knitty Gritty. In our area the Dish Network people have the audacity to line most of the daytime programming with home improvement how-to shows and anything regarding sewing on during the wee hours. Unfortunately Knitty Gritty doesn’t air on Mondays at 4:30 am as it does on the other days. Thwarted! Tonight, maybe I’ll set the alarm.

Socks, socks, socks. And some thumb sucking.

2008-02-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

I’ve been busy knitting not posting.

My first Rockin’ Sock Club shipment arrived and the first sock is finished. The yarn is lovely and bright but in all honesty the yarn doesn’t show off the pattern. I like both, the orangey-red Dragon yarn and the Serendipity pattern. I’m considering frogging the first sock and reknitting it in my simple toe-up sock pattern to show off the color and striping. Then maybe use a solid yarn to show off the Serendipity pattern.
I frequently see waste in ankle down sock patterns. My foot is small (size 5 on a really good day) so there is always left over yarn, especially if the sock is a shortie. So the first RSC sock is composting on the couch until I decide.

Recent excitement is a sock pattern of my own design. It’s currently being test knit by several kind knitters and myself. It’s my hope to submit it somewhere for publication once the kinks are all worked out.
Test knitters are great – they’re like editors. Putting what’s in your noggin on paper in a cohesive fashion takes practice and someone asking, “what did you mean by….” They don’t get paid – other than in yarn – and have to be really good sports if they’re willing to tackle a first time designer’s efforts at pattern writing. I’ve been very lucky. Meredith and Susan have my utmost gratitude.

The Raven Clan/Haida yarn that I gave Chris for Xmas has been transformed into one sock – almost finished. Really – finishing them should be priority since they were a holiday gift but not a stitch has been added in several weeks.

For Valentines Day I knitted Hillarey a pair of the Maine Morning Mitts from Clara Parkes, A Book of Yarn. I love Clara’s Knitter’s Review site. Her book is fabulous too. But really – I don’t get all the raving about this pattern. The thumb sucks.
Admittedly I’ve only made one other pair of fingerless mitts, my own design, that originated when a pair of socks didn’t want to be socks and somehow transformed into mitts. Wished to hell I’d written down those instructions but alas – I didn’t. I managed to create a really good thumb. A thumb that didn’t suck.

In sock avoidance this past week I cast on the Huck Lace Shawl from Morehouse Merino Knits. I’m using Malabrigo Baby Lace in a dusty maroon that I bought at Taos Sunflower. The pattern calls for a size 5 or 6 needle. Because I had a lace needle in 5, I began with that but after the first 36 rows and the first repeat of lace, I just don’t think it shows the pattern very well. So… it’s composting and will probably be frogged this week and cast on with the size 6 needle.

That’s a lot of composting. But as a farmer I know composting is good. It does miraculous things like turn shit into things of beauty.

Hopefully I can get my test knit sock finished this week – and really should – unless all hell breaks lose. Then I can get back to the other socks and shawl.

Small things

2008-02-08T20:11:00.000-08:00

When the new baby (my great-niece) arrived in town for a few hours, I flew into action. On the ride to Tulsa Chris suggested, jokingly I believe, that I knit a pair of baby socks. I've been knitting socks all week, his Giftmas socks and my STR socks. More socks??? Of course! We stopped at Loops and I snagged a skein of Koigu in bright pinks and oranges. I made up the pattern as I went along, based on my standard toe-up pattern. At one point Chris asked if the sock weren't too small. "She weighs less than six pounds!" I said as I turned the heel on the first sock. I looked at it and thought - it's huge!
My Hillarey was less than six pounds. Her foot was tiny.
Reassured I knit on. Two baby socks = just under five hours. Continuous knitting, except for two quick phone calls. I finished with 45 minutes to spare before we were due at Hideaway Pizza.
We arrived and before long I got a chance to see Sydney's toes. Yep, the socks are huge! But I think the parents liked them (maybe it was the check below the socks).

In Praise of Purl

2008-02-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

In Oklahoma at our farm we had snow yesterday, just a bit, but snow nonetheless. As soon as the ground was white, we put on boots and walked along the bank of the creek while big fluffy flakes fell on us. It was cold, wet, and delightful. I love the cozy feeling I get when we return to the farmhouse and I stand in front of the old Wood King pot-bellied stove. Happy and content - that's the best description.

For days I've been worn out with knitting on the Gray Cable Sweater. Miles and miles of stockinette. But the body is nearly done. The sleeves and gigantic cable neck trim remain. I've been avoiding them though.

Instead I cast on a design-free purse. Just a big rectangle knit on straight needles in yes - stockinette. It'll be a messenger bag when finished and it requires very little thought beyond sewing seams and attaching a shoulder strap. Funny - I was so bored after all the stockinette on the gray sweater on circs that I was leery of starting this bag. But the yarn is bright and purling on the wrong side is actually enough relief that it's going along fine! I'm using Jane Addams, Schaefer Yarn .

My first shipment from the Rockin Sock Club arrived! But I can't show you that now can I??

Twenty Three Years Ago

2008-01-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

I pushed. I moaned. I ate crushed ice and lemon balls. I pushed and moaned some more.
After one good scream from me, I heard one good cry from you.
I knew my life would never be the same.

Now twenty-three years have passed and you still amaze me.

Like last week when you said, "Instead of an ipod, can I have an acetylene torch for my birthday?"

I love artist people.

Missing him...

2008-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

I've got to say -
the man I love writes the most amazing cards.

It's almost worth being alone for a week to receive one in the mail.

Next Project!

2008-01-08T09:19:00.001-08:00

Pattern Cable Trim Pullover from Fall 2006 Vogue
Yarn Berroco Salt & Pepper Ultra Alpaca (dark gray)

I'm not fond of ribbed waists and wrists. They are just not flattering unless you are uber thin. Which I'm not. So I'm thinking a simple folded under hem on sleeves and body will be better suited for my frame. I may lengthen the body of the sweater by maybe an inch as well.

The yarn was originally bought to make the Marcel's Sweater in the Interweave Favorites book. But while swatching I realized that the legend for the chart had five blank squares. Five! I've emailed Interweave, twice, requesting errata but so far no response. In the middle of the night this sweater popped into my noggin. First thing this morning I checked the yarn requirements (they used Blue Sky Alpaca) and I have enough of the Berroco! I even have the right size needle. Now how good is that???

IK emailed the corrections to the Marcel's Sweater and should have them posted on their website any day now. If you can't find it - email me and I'll get them to you!

Combatting an old adage of excessive consumerism

2008-01-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

I no longer believe in the old saying that the one who dies with the most wins. Really - I don't.
Long ago I uttered these words to my sister - and now cringe when she repeats it.

At time I've looked at my stash in frustration. And really it's not much in the way of "STASH". In my purse I've have carried an index card around for months now that has 12 inch fringes of yarn that I'm trying to match for a fair isle sweater in fingering weight.

I don't need to die with the most.

What I would like is to knit with beautiful yarn. And make beautiful, well fitted garments for myself and those I love. That implies - to me at least - less stash - more FO's.

Well - that's the crux of the whole knitting experience now isn't it?

Having said that.....
I bought yarn yesterday while Sis and I were at Gourmet Yarn . The new Best of Interweave has several garments that called my name but I chose only one in keeping with my new goals of less stash, more FO's. The Marcel's Sweater by Veronik Avery is my first new project of the year. The yarn is Berraco Ultra Alpaca in DK weight, colorway Salt & Pepper.

First thing is to learn a new cast on. The Tubular Cast On.

Year End Knitting

2007-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

The Notre Dame de Grace by Veronik Avery from the Summer 2007 IK is almost complete. The body, which was originally about 1 1/2 inches too short, has dried on the rack and is a good length. The sleeves are knitted and ready to attach. Maybe later today I'll accomplish that final task.

The yarn is an organic wool from Full Belly Farm. It is a nice gray/brown color that while it doesn't scream "look at me!" does provide a comforting casual look.

I am greatly impressed with Avery's design. It is one of the very few patterns that I've knit without changing a thing and without finding a single error. Yesterday I went searching through back issues of IK for other sweaters by the same designer. And yes, the next sweater will be another Avery offering - but with one change. For now though I'm anxious to finish the Notre Dame.

Here is a nice photo.

2007-12-27T07:39:00.000-08:00

Mending the Tattered Web of my Heart the World

by Jane Mara 2006

from the 2008 We’Moon Datebook

I am mending

the tattered web of my heart, the world,

with plush emerald yarn

of compassion and generosity.

I darn holes torn by blame and judgement

with soft and sturdy strands

of kindness and understanding.

May I repair jagged rips

torn by despair and grief

with braided grasses of gratitude

and deep purple reeds of acceptance

of things as they are.

And where anger and fear

burned gaping holes,

may I reweave

with golden threads of forgiveness,

gleaming copper cords of courage,

and strong silver strands of trust

in the mysterious and holy unfolding

of what is greater than I can know.

To strengthen

this web of my heart, the world,

I send out these healing threads,

to anyone who needs them,

anyone at all

in this whole world.

Pre-coffee ideas

2007-12-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

The following organizations should exist...

The Society for Promotion of Good Wool

The Society for Outlawing Acrylic

It's like a Booty Call...

2007-12-01T18:39:00.000-08:00

I'm calling it a Knitty Call.

It's a yarn not like anything you're normally attracted to. It's a bit wild. It's funky. You've only got about 100 yards. Something fast and easy is required. You laugh a bit naughtily as you turn your back on those things that are waiting for you.

In an afternoon spent in front of the fire you get creative. A third of the way through you know it's a mistake. But you keep going. It's there - you can finish it today. It won't be carried over to tomorrow. It's just a day of knitting. It's just a scarf. Not real commitment. Nothing like a sweater in fingering llama or a lace shawl. All the knitting for other people is done already. This is just a bit of indulgence.

You finish and toss it over your shoulder as you head out for pizza. It's not that cold so you leave it on the car seat. As you finish your beer you're already regretting the energy wasted. It wasn't satisfying. It meant nothing. You know you're better than that.

The first thing you do when you get home is snip the edge of the scarf and thread the end through the loop of the ball winder. As you turn the handle the entire experience is unraveled. It's over. Nothing remains.

You vow never to do that again.

Red Tail Hawk

2007-11-28T06:09:00.000-08:00

Last night my sister came over. After dinner we fondled the yarn.

I hadn't had a chance to show her all the goodies from Taos yet. Now I know most knitters enjoy perusing the stash and fondling the softness within but does it always result in the urge to cast on something new? I've slapped my own hands again because I've got to finish one more gift before I can begin anything else. The hat that I'm knitting should be done fairly fast. So to compensate myself for such strength and self denial I decided to just photograph the temptation. And maybe it'll just snuggle up in my knitting tote beside the olive shawl.
The colorway is Red Tail Hawk from the Barefoot collection at Mountain Colors.
Beautiful huh? I bought one 100 gram skein, which is usually enough for a pair of socks (I have small feet!). But this morning I had the bright idea of gloves and short socks. The colors are just so rich they deserve to be seen.

A Knitter's Nightmare

2007-11-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning with the shakes.

In my dreamworld I'd opened the front door to a blinding light and three uniformed police offers. After groaning and requesting a few minutes to gather a bag of essentials to take with me to jail they kindly said they'd wait for me at the patrol car. The blinding light was turned off and I closed the door.

After grabbing a tote bag, Chris helped me gather my favorite Levi's, my ditty bag of meds, comb and contact solution, my most often worn sweater, all of my wool socks, six pairs of panties and my journal. We went downstairs and I pulled a big thick book from the shelf and turned to the couch where my knitting bag sat.

That's when I screamed!

Oh CRAP! They're not going to let me take my knitting needles to jail!!!

Now I don't think I'm in any danger of jail but I have a good idea of what Knitter's Hell is now and it gives me the shudders.

FO - not to be confused with an offensive gesture

2007-11-26T18:21:00.001-08:00

We finished our bike tour the week before Thanksgiving. I'd taken one project with me. There isn't much room when all of your belongings for two plus weeks must fit in one medium size pannier. Normally I chose socks for travel knitting but on the needles was a second sock and it was more than halfway finished at that.

I'd bought some Malabrigo Baby Lace, colorway Olive, at Taos Sunflower with the thought of a simple shawl from the Morehouse Merino Book. Short story - it is a great travel project. Two skeins and the circular needle takes up very little room. The project isn't especially fast since you end up with oodles (185) stitches on the needle at the widest part. It's very simple though and no instructions need to be carried. By the end of the two weeks I'd gotten to the halfway point with my sporadic motel room knitting which was balanced with reading and journaling in the evenings.

As soon as we got back home though I blazed through the last gift sock on the needle, then picked up Christopher's navy blue pullover sweater. It too was almost finished. The body was complete, one sleeve finished and the other 2/3 done. All stockinette. Sometimes it's damn hard to find the umph to tackle that last little bit. But I gave myself a stern talking to. No more knitting for myself until all of the knitting for others was complete.

Within four days after our vacation ended I had two FO's! Chris's sweater fits great and I think he'll actually wear it! I slapped myself on the back and ate a piece of chocolate.

One more item on the list for holiday giving, a hat for Chris's dad. I fussed around with several choices of yarn and decided on a nice brown and gray Superyak from Karabella, colorway 61444. It's coming along well. I've got a three inch rib foldover and have started in stockinette now, which will go really fast.

Then....I can get back to my shawl and even my sweater. It's the Notre Dame de Grace pattern from IK using the brown/gray organic wool from Full Belly Farm.

Magic

2007-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Travel is magic. I’m not the first to discover this nor will I be the last.
Last week I took a pilgrimage. Designed as a knitting adventure, I loaded up my Jetta wagon and drove from Tulsa, OK over seven hundred miles to Taos, NM to attend the Taos Wool Festival. Alone. It’d been years since I’d road-tripped alone and I was eager for adventure.
The Low Road into Taos is harrowing, especially for someone like me who suffers from vertigo. I arrived tired and worn out in Arroyo Seco, the location of my hostel, The Abominable Snowmansion. After a great sandwich at the Taos Cow followed by a cold beer at Abe’s I crashed in my little cabin for the night. The next morning I trekked the 150 feet to the shower beyond the teepees, camp garden and summer kitchen. The slight nip in the morning air told me fall was near. Perfect for buying wool. Organic wool, hand spun wool, hand dyed wool. The good stuff.
The wool festival wasn’t until Saturday so I had the day to explore. Within driving distance of Taos there are more sights to see and experiences to have than can be realistically tackled. Hiking trails are everywhere, the pueblos, the Rio Grand Gorge Bridge (where two eighteen year olds recently leapt to their deaths holding hands – or so I was told at Abe’s), earthships, llama hikes, river rafting, casinos… and the list goes on and on.
I hadn’t made advance reservations so touring Georgia O’Keefe’s home wasn’t possible. But I’d heard so much about her I decided to drive two hours (back down the dizzying Low Road!) to Abiquiu and visit the Ghost Ranch, stopping on my way back at Oje Caliente, the mineral springs, for a soak.
Once I found my way to the Ghost Ranch (formerly called Ranchos de los Brujos or Ranch of the Witches) I stopped at the office and bought a map of the hiking trails on the property. Everyone is familiar with O’Keefe’s painting of flowers but it was her love of the New Mexico landscape that fueled creativity in the later years of her life. I walked, sat and watched as the landscape changed colors over and over again. From salmon-rose to dusty-plum arose cliffs that towered over the terrain. I couldn’t keep up with the changes and I knew better than to try. The Ranchos de los Brujos offered an inspiring show and I was willing to play along.
Finally thirst drove me back past the labyrinth and the zen garden to the office and museum. It was too late for a soak so I drove – again—up the Low Road, this time feeling stronger and at peace as I entered Taos. Dinner and some rambling through Taos shops ended when dark clouds gathered threatening rain.
The next morning I was working to contain my excitement as I headed to Kit Carson Park and the Taos Wool Festival. My goal was enough yarn for two projects and maybe a bit more if my budget allowed. I was enthralled by the natural dyed yarns presented by Leisel Orend of Earth Hues. I bought a few skeins, not knowing what they would become. Then I wandered around more through the huge circle of tents offering buffalo yarn, llama and alpaca yarn, fluffy clouds of sheep’s wool for spinning, felted or knit clothes and hats, spinning wheels and drop spindles, and a stage where you could see a sheep sheared in three minutes.
Exhausted I dropped onto the grass with a cold drink to people watch. The crowd was 80% female. As I sipped my drink and gazed at the people milling around I was struck by the difference between the women here and those at home.
Young women have youth on their side, smooth skin, and curves that haven’t been thickened by mothering. They’re always beautiful. But I realized that in the days I’d been in and around Taos it was the older women who were striking. Rarely seen were the chopped off old lady haircuts and polyester pants that I’m accustomed to seeing. Gray hair was worn long and with pride. Skin slightly weathered and tan, but not from hours spent under artificial light in a coffin-like bed. Women, fifty, sixty and beyond walked with grace and ease. They were the beautiful women in Taos.
I was reminded of the week before when a young friend found her first gray hair – just a week after her thirtieth birthday. Hysterics. Seldom had I moaned or complained about my own few silver strands and I realized why. I was looking forward to being like the Taos women. Stronger with each year, more graceful with age, and more beautiful than I could ever have been when young with smooth skin and narrow hips.
Before I left the festival, I walked back to Leisel Orend’s tent. In total I bought seven skeins of yarn, all dyed natural with plants. (I even bought some seeds to begin my own dyers garden.) No two skeins are alike, but as I laid them out that night I realized they were the colors of the Ghost Ranch.
The Ranchos de los Brujos had worked it’s magic on me. I can see myself at sixty striding around in a hand knit jacket the colors of Taos, long gray hair that flies with the wind, strong and beautiful.

cross posted on TBP Staff blog

Progress - of a sort

2007-09-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

At the terribly-sad-excuse-of-a-local-fiber-fest held in Kelleyville I managed to purchase some wondeful sock yarn in a dark colorway with navy, plumb, and gray merino from The Fiber Lady. It's a fine smooth yarn with a bit of bamboo. Because the skeins are quite light, I decided to go toe up.
Toe Up - finally I'm a fan of this crazy risky adventure. Sure it's the way to make sure you have enough yarn but most of the patterns I've attempted were brutal and ended up stabbed with pointy sticks while foul words were uttered. BUT! The in the Summer 07 IK Ann Budd takes pity and really breaks it down for us. The Eastern Cast On is a bit like holding chopsticks. If you're a sushi fan this will be a slick and easy maneuver to learn.
The first section of the heel is worry free. The second section of Ann's heel seemed a bit cumbersome to me, I adapted my standard decreasing from ankle down socks. Works like a charm!
These socks are my portable project. I was afraid I'd forget the zippy heel instructions so I transcribed them onto a 3x5 index card to carry in the baggy of yarn which I keep tucked in a back pocket of my messenger bag purse.

I'm also working on the Notre Dame sweater from the same issue of IK. I love this sweater. The yarn is organic wool from Full Belly Farm. The first few yarns were a trade for some simple sewing. Then I bought enough to complete the sweater from Full Belly. The back is done, and the front is almost to the point of beginning the placket at the neck. I've asked Hillarey to make a fun button. Maybe this weekend I'll get the placket and collar completed - okay maybe not - but I'm hopeful.

Heading West

2007-08-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Last week I booked reservations at the Abominable Snowmansion in Taos. In October. During The Taos Wool Festival!

I'll be going solo and am excited about the trip - the journey and the destination! I'll camp the first night on the road, and the last night on my way home.

Honestly, I'm not certain what to expect. Wall to wall sheep, fleeces, and yarn? Knitters as far as the eye can see?

Ohhh the thrill of it all!

Yesterday at the farmer's market I bought a nice skein of llama yarn to start a pair of socks for the kiddo's giftmas. Maybe it'll be my traveling socks for our vacation. We'll be heading out on the tandem in November. Pedalling for four weeks, from Muscatine, Iowa to Baton Rouge, LA. I can't imagine four weeks without knitting. Socks seem like the best choice.
I'll add a photo of the llama yarn tomorrow.

A few more...

2007-08-05T20:20:00.000-07:00

At forty-eight I finally feel beautiful.

I'm petrified of mice and rats. Irrationally so.

My first vehicle was a dirt bike. I was thirteen. My second was a street legal motorcycle, it was a yellow Yamaha.

My first car was an International Harvester Scout. I'd love to have another one.

My dreams are symbolic and important to me.

I used to destroy my journals. I never want anyone to read them but I don't want to destroy them. It's a dilemma.

I like to dance wildly but only if no one is watching.

The first thing I wrote that was published was in my high school paper. My words pissed off half of my senior class.

Eight random facts about me...

2007-08-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

My friend Diane at Thriving and Transcribing tagged me on this meme to share eight random facts about myself. It wasn't easy and I kept editing. This is the thoroughly tame version.

Loving a man that doesn’t want to make me fit into a box has made me free.
My daughter, Hillarey, makes me say “Wow” more than she knows.
I’m planning a solo pilgrimage to Taos in October, to buy yarn.
Shopping for clothes makes me miserable.
I’m a writer and book reviewer for The Beltane Papers.
Someday I’d like to spend an entire year living at the farm, using electricity only for water and a radio.
In 2001 I drove over 900 miles to see the Celtic rock band Seven Nations.
My only goal in life is to be a good person. Some days are harder than others.

Maybe I’ll do this exercise in my journal with -
eight things that I keep secret
eight things that few people know about me
eight things that make me cry
eight things that make me happy
eight things that piss me off

Words fail to describe how I feel...

2007-06-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

My daughter Hillarey returned yesterday from her solo jaunt to Santa Fe & Taos. Along with visiting galleries & museums, camping, making friends, and visiting a college(!) she managed to make the front page of the newspaper and buy some wonderful handspun cria alpaca (a skein for each of us!). My kiddo amazes me. She really does. I wish I'd had the gumption at 22 that she does. She has a spirit that is creative, free, and earthy...
I could go on but words fail me

Instead I'll share a couple photos of what she brought home.

Icarus - RIP

2007-06-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

New life for a previous project.

Last year I knitted the Icarus Shawl. It was my first full blown attempt at lace. Handspun yarn of unknown yardage. I was delighted with the yarn. It was a novice's folly. Over and over I kept revising the pattern because my gut just knew I'd run out. Well - you can read the story below if you're so inclined. I'm not about to relive the horrors.

While bicycling today and knitting in my head (does every knitter do that?) I decided to completely rip out the shawl. Recover the yarn, wash it gently, re-skein it, dry it, put it on the swift and have fresh yarn. I've an idea of how to measure it in the process too.

My current plan for the yarn is a nice stole. Something lacy with a center panel that will be just a good repeat pattern. When I finished the first knitting object (see how I no longer call it by it's name?) I bought a skein of complimentary lace yarn from Knitpicks and that will be the outer border of the new stole.

Hiatus

2007-06-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Obviously I've been on hiatus - not from knitting but blogging. It's hard to fit in blogging along with the rest of my life. Okay - I'm just lazy sometimes.

Old business -
The hoodie for the kiddo was finished for Valentines Day. It turned out well and she wears the dickens out of it when temps are fitting.
The cool knee socks were a stocking gift that was a big hit. After several attempts I gave up on the pattern that Vogue printed and did my own thing with the standard sock pattern using Cascade. Then I embroided her favorite herb (cough cough) up the side of one sock and around the top of the other.

Completed during hiatus -
A nice triangle shawl with beads using Louet Gems. Several pairs of socks. A drop stitch scarf from bamboo bought in Paris. (oh yeah that was one of the reasons for hiatus! Vacation - Christmas Day in Paris, New Years in Amsterdam, and some fine chocolate from Belguim sandwiched between the two.)
Here are two goofy photos of the shawl -

Currently on the needles -
Socks for Christopher's father using Louet Gem in Indigo with a Maroon stripe around the top. One down, the other about an inch long. I'm doing these toe up. After several tries using the Eastern Cast On in the new IK I'm pretty happy with the result. It's a bit like eating with chopsticks - tricky stuff with disaster just a breath away. What I didn't like about the pattern was the heel. Totally sucked. I ended up creating my own pattern, I'll post it sometime soon.
Also OTN is a sweater for Chris. It's a basic navy blue raglan sleeve. Not exciting knitting but very nice and mindless knitting.
For Moi OTN I've recently begun the Notre Dame sweater in the new IK. I'm using some quite yummy wool that I traded some basic sewing for. It's a nice subtle gray organic Rambouillet (sp?) from Full Belly Farm. The double seed stitch really shows off this simple yarn. I've asked the kiddo to make me a cool button for the neck when it's finished. She's an incredible metalsmith and there's no telling what interesting design she'll create.

In Dream Status -
The Equinox Yoke from IK. I bought serious luxury alpaca in Paris - four fall colors, fingering weight. From Lisa, the llama lady at the farmer's market, I bought a equally yummy sable brown llama in the same weight for the body. The Equinox has an intricate fair isle that calls for about four more colors. I'm on the hunt and not in any hurry.

WOO HOO!
The mail just arrived and so did my three back issues of Wild Fibers Magazine! Enough blogging...time to drool!

You know you're loved when....

2006-10-29T20:12:00.000-08:00

Your boyfriend asks if you want a cup of cocoa. When the teakettle whistles you finish the stitches on the sock needle before going into the kitchen. He hands you a cup he just finished stirring. You look into the cup and he’s already added the nutmeg. This, my friends, is love.

OTN - or not as the case may be

2006-10-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

OTN
For my daughter’s Giftmas gift, the embroidered stockings in Vogue. Third attempt, frogged twice. The toe up pattern has a frustrating fitted foot so I rewrote it top to toe. The top had an awkward fit so I rewrote it with less “waviness” and am 2/3 finished with a sock that fits wonderful. Finally!

Not –OTN
Per request, the hoodie for my daughter – again scheduled for Giftmas. The first attempt at the Rogue – frogged. The hand spun, hand dyed yarn didn’t show the cables very well. She and I decided a simple non-cabled hoodie would be better. Still, I need more skeins. Although the spinner said, "call me if you need more". She’s not responding to email or phone. (Yes, I knew better.) This week we buy new yarn. I’m still holding out hope that I’ll have it finished by mid-December. (Don’t pop my bubble.)

Predicament

2006-09-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

83 stitches remain on the needle.

12 inches of yarn remain.

I should be in tears but I saw this coming.
I frogged my my swatch just before the center stitch and tied it on. But that wasn't enough. I'll go to the knitting cafe tonight and see what Stephanie has that might be close to the hand dyed that I've been using.

KAL button

2006-09-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure if this is going to work - but here's the Knit A Long button.

Yesterday I knitted the last row of the edging. Now the bind off is all that remains. I weighed the yarn ball and I have a whopping two grams remaining. It's supposed to be a loose bind off. Hope two grams is enough for a loose bind off.
It'll be great to get this project off the needles.

Torture

2006-09-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm in the middle of Chart 4 of Icarus. My eyes are shot from squinting at the fine lace. I've decided to buy a cheap pair of reading glasses to finish this shawl. I've - almost - sworn off ever doing this fine of lace again. One shawl is enough right?

Then I was reading the Harlot's blog and followed the link to MimKnits. Miriam has designed a pattern called Hidcote Garden Shawl. I'm a lavender farmer and was harvesting Hidcote this morning. I can't imagine the shawl in any color other than the deep hue of purple that our plants produce. I may have to torture my eyes a bit more. Maybe one shawl isn't enough.

http://www.mimknits.com/wordpress/

Knitting Math or the Intrepid Knitter

2006-08-27T16:03:00.000-07:00

I sat and looked at my shawl.
I recounted stitches.
I weighed the ball again,
I read the pattern over.

Nothing changed.

The math doesn't lie. There isn't enough yarn to finish.

So what's an intrepid knitter to do? I'm altering the pattern. If I dismiss knitting rows 1-8 of Chart Four the feathers may line up close enough to make it work. This requires some tweeking with increases but it should leave me enough yarn. I've used just over a gram per row in the last few rows.

So instead of 24+ rows remaining I'd have 16+ rows. I also have a swatch that weighs 2 grams. If it comes down to the last row - I can frog the swatch.

Hopefully I'll have pictures up of the shawl soon. We're having technical issues with the digital camera.

Reallity strikes a low blow...

2006-08-25T17:24:00.000-07:00

Chart Three is complete.
24 grams of yarn remain.
24 rows plus finishing remain.

Deep breathes....

2006-08-19T17:22:00.000-07:00

Chart Two is finished, finally. Halfway through the chart I encountered a rough patch, even on the so-called rest rows. I unknitted and reknitted on almost every row after row eight. Sometimes more than once. It wasn't fun and it wasn't pretty.
Finally I broke the pattern into sequences and began tallying each repeat of each sequence so I could stay on track.
The details - Chart Two ended with 356 stitches, the top measures approx. 62 inches and just over 40 grams remain.

Breathe....Breathe...
If 14 rows of Chart Two used 12 grams of yarn and I have 40 rows remaining...

I'll use approximately 34 grams to complete Chart Three and Four. Then there are the last rows and the bind off.

It's going to be very very close.

Fancy Socks I want to make

2006-08-14T08:11:00.000-07:00

The socks in the new Vogue Knitting are so fun that I want to learn to knit with multiple colors at once. The level is stated as difficult....

The embroidered socks are simply toe up stockinette. What's so difficult about that I wonder?

On the needles

2006-08-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ahh my first post on a knitting blog.
Currently on the needles is the Icarus Shawl from IK. (the photo was taken a week or so ago) The yarn is a hand spun, hand painted wool that I purchased from the spinner (Hummingbird Hill Farm) at the Herbal Affair, a large plant and herb festival held every spring in Sand Springs, OK. It's an odd place to purchase yarn but everything they had was sumptuous. The colors are soft blues and purples.
I weighed the skein after balling it and got 125 grams. I was using my soap making scale so I'm not sure about exactly how many yards per skein. The ten yard test was between one and two grams. My scale doesn't measure half grams. The skein could be 600+ yards or 800. Crazy. The skein wrapper was of no help since it said there were 300+ yards. I just finished the end of Chart One and have 52 grams left. I feel like I owe the spinner another $30.
Now I'm sort of shaky worrying whether I'll have enough yarn to complete the shawl. This is way too much work to not finish it or to short change the project with somthing "close" to the original yarn. It's really more of a panic than the shakes.
I thought I had finished chart one earlier this week. Then I reread the pattern. Repeat rows 19-34 before beginning Chart Two. A real let down. Then the let down moved into crankiness. Knitting angry isn't pretty - it can also be downright dangerous. Needles can fly without reference to the pattern. Stitches can be dropped. Projects can be stuffed into the bottom of the knitting bag to be forgotten after countless hours of work.
As my boyfriend said, "Don't knit angry."