Monday, September 28
New yarn and a book too
It's meh birthday, happy birthday. It's meh birthday -
Being a woman of a certain age, I don't need a party, a cake, a hat and streamers. I went to the yarn store yesterday, to treat myself a day early:
When I got home, I cast on for the 12765th Clapotis to be posted on Ravelry. Alpaca Lace on size 4 dpn (using 2). I'm almost ready to put in the 17th marker. 12764 other knitters know that I am almost done with the increases.
A few more days and I will have an ooh la la neck warmer. Just in time since it's getting cold.
Being a woman of a certain age, I don't need a party, a cake, a hat and streamers. I went to the yarn store yesterday, to treat myself a day early:
When I got home, I cast on for the 12765th Clapotis to be posted on Ravelry. Alpaca Lace on size 4 dpn (using 2). I'm almost ready to put in the 17th marker. 12764 other knitters know that I am almost done with the increases.
A few more days and I will have an ooh la la neck warmer. Just in time since it's getting cold.
Saturday, September 26
Cast on in haste
repent at leisure. Knit with regret. Knit with dread. Knit forever.
I bought MDKOL last October when Ann was at Loopy Yarns, bought the boatload of yarn for the Libery afghan immediately, and even wound some yarn on the bus home. I was done with the facing by the time I went to bed. I was excited!
This all came to a slow halt in the cold light of day though. Two-stranded knitting has a certain rhythm. Slow. The pattern reveals itself in due course, after a lot of knitting. I knit through the top of the artichoke, the flame, the tree - call that shorter motif what you want, you don't see its full glory for 46 rows into the pattern. 46 rows x 200 stitches, two strands of yarn with size 8 needles
I am in awe of all those ravelers who have already completed this afghan, especially those with a deadline but I had to move on. Notice all those projects listed above Liberty to the right -
Now that the Chicago air has a certain crispness and all schools are back in session, I have pulled out the afghan again. After spending so much time an established part of the fireplace, I had moved the bag to my new yarn closet. I had to think exactly where I had rearranged the project to sit. Nothing had been done. Alas, there was as little as I thought.
One week of ignoring my a4A project, the blessing of the animals project, and everything going on around me, I have finally finished the full repeat - 20% complete. I moved the progress bar on my Ravelry entry. Yoo hoo! Only 4 more repeats, 80% of the afghan, to go.
I bought MDKOL last October when Ann was at Loopy Yarns, bought the boatload of yarn for the Libery afghan immediately, and even wound some yarn on the bus home. I was done with the facing by the time I went to bed. I was excited!
This all came to a slow halt in the cold light of day though. Two-stranded knitting has a certain rhythm. Slow. The pattern reveals itself in due course, after a lot of knitting. I knit through the top of the artichoke, the flame, the tree - call that shorter motif what you want, you don't see its full glory for 46 rows into the pattern. 46 rows x 200 stitches, two strands of yarn with size 8 needles
I am in awe of all those ravelers who have already completed this afghan, especially those with a deadline but I had to move on. Notice all those projects listed above Liberty to the right -
Now that the Chicago air has a certain crispness and all schools are back in session, I have pulled out the afghan again. After spending so much time an established part of the fireplace, I had moved the bag to my new yarn closet. I had to think exactly where I had rearranged the project to sit. Nothing had been done. Alas, there was as little as I thought.
One week of ignoring my a4A project, the blessing of the animals project, and everything going on around me, I have finally finished the full repeat - 20% complete. I moved the progress bar on my Ravelry entry. Yoo hoo! Only 4 more repeats, 80% of the afghan, to go.
Saturday, September 19
Blessing of the animals
Hyde Park Cats will have a table at the Rockefeller Chapel's Blessing of the Animals on Sunday, October 4. This is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi who wrote in the Canticle of the Creatures: "All praise to you, Oh Lord, for all these brother and sister creatures."
I would love to have my kitties blessed but I won't be able to attend. Instead, I am working on a basketful of these, available for a contribution:
Made according to the directions for the Christmas ornaments in Handknit Holidays, these are stuffed with fiberfill and catnip for that extra kick. I have plenty of small balls of sock yarn to create these little treats.
I would love to have my kitties blessed but I won't be able to attend. Instead, I am working on a basketful of these, available for a contribution:
Made according to the directions for the Christmas ornaments in Handknit Holidays, these are stuffed with fiberfill and catnip for that extra kick. I have plenty of small balls of sock yarn to create these little treats.
Monday, September 7
IBOL
When I read about the Iraqi Bundles of Love last week at WoolGathering and then again at Mason-Dixon Knitting, I thought, what a good idea. I wish I had enough stuff to fill a box.
Oh pleez. Who am I kidding?
On the floor of DD#3's closet, under her high school collection of discarded clothing and purses bought on impulse, was a box containing a tangled mess of acrylic yarn as well as this
In the spirit I received this bounty - I had no yarn, wanted yarn, would take any yarn, and used a lot of the yarn - I am passing it on to others who will appreciate having yarn.
Shifting a whole box out of the apt is enough incentive to get to the post office across the street from my office, get back home at lunch, stuff the box, and mail it at the end of the day. IBOL box postmark deadline is 9/8/09.
Oh pleez. Who am I kidding?
On the floor of DD#3's closet, under her high school collection of discarded clothing and purses bought on impulse, was a box containing a tangled mess of acrylic yarn as well as this
In the spirit I received this bounty - I had no yarn, wanted yarn, would take any yarn, and used a lot of the yarn - I am passing it on to others who will appreciate having yarn.
Shifting a whole box out of the apt is enough incentive to get to the post office across the street from my office, get back home at lunch, stuff the box, and mail it at the end of the day. IBOL box postmark deadline is 9/8/09.
Sunday, September 6
What I did on my summer vacation
Labor Day! Summer's over. I have a few more weeks before the quarter begins but the time is filled with an all-day meeting, orientation, and getting ready for all of the above.
I managed to use 5 weeks of vacation this summer. I knew it was possible. Not much me time but good to have that balance lowered. At the end, no one wishes they could have spent more time at work.
I made small projects this summer. All three girls are on their own in apartments shared with other people. Mitered kitchen towels! Here is one that I got a picture of before sending it on its way:
DD#3 wrote on her list of things to pack: the towel my mom made me. I asked her to take a picture and I need a picture of DD#2's towel also.
I have re-named this file on Ravelry, "Mitered kitchen towel collection."
This looks big but it only took about 3 days, crocheting in my sit-down time:
One of my 5 weeks was spent driving DD#3 to NY - that left an empty bedroom! I found a partial afghan in the closet when I cleared out the detritus to make room for the stash of yarn previously living in the corner of our bedroom. Lion's Brand Homespun, seemed to be short 2 skeins so I re-worked it with the unrelated 2 skeins in the bag. Double-stranded with a size Q hook. This yarn is just an optical illusion. As long as the yarn is in the same family, you can mix and match without worrying too much about stark contrast. This is my first addition to the gift pile.
Then there is Ishbel.
Ishbel is the perfect scarf but I am not in love with the final trim. I am very happy to have finished this, with its own secret ingredient at the end, and I wear it a lot, but when I tried to make another one, my hands refused to move forward after getting to 173 stitches. So we have "Variation on Ishbel."
The body was mistakenly knit in garter stitch but to the specifications of Ishbel. The trim is from Gossamer Webs, a knit-on trim that really is flawless - the technique, not the knitting. I will have to use graph paper to plot out the center medallion as the last phase.
I managed to use 5 weeks of vacation this summer. I knew it was possible. Not much me time but good to have that balance lowered. At the end, no one wishes they could have spent more time at work.
I made small projects this summer. All three girls are on their own in apartments shared with other people. Mitered kitchen towels! Here is one that I got a picture of before sending it on its way:
DD#3 wrote on her list of things to pack: the towel my mom made me. I asked her to take a picture and I need a picture of DD#2's towel also.
I have re-named this file on Ravelry, "Mitered kitchen towel collection."
This looks big but it only took about 3 days, crocheting in my sit-down time:
One of my 5 weeks was spent driving DD#3 to NY - that left an empty bedroom! I found a partial afghan in the closet when I cleared out the detritus to make room for the stash of yarn previously living in the corner of our bedroom. Lion's Brand Homespun, seemed to be short 2 skeins so I re-worked it with the unrelated 2 skeins in the bag. Double-stranded with a size Q hook. This yarn is just an optical illusion. As long as the yarn is in the same family, you can mix and match without worrying too much about stark contrast. This is my first addition to the gift pile.
Then there is Ishbel.
Ishbel is the perfect scarf but I am not in love with the final trim. I am very happy to have finished this, with its own secret ingredient at the end, and I wear it a lot, but when I tried to make another one, my hands refused to move forward after getting to 173 stitches. So we have "Variation on Ishbel."
The body was mistakenly knit in garter stitch but to the specifications of Ishbel. The trim is from Gossamer Webs, a knit-on trim that really is flawless - the technique, not the knitting. I will have to use graph paper to plot out the center medallion as the last phase.
