back to reality: the Gotti bear

What with all the driving and visiting up & down the East Coast you'd think I'd have whipped out most of that Ribby Cardi . Au contraire. I did manage to step out of the box a little. Attended a party several notches up the swank scale than we're used to, spent an afternoon shooting pool, had a work related meeting with people who I really really wanted to meet with in Baltimore, toured the Liberty Bell in Philly, wandered Fells Point in Baltimore and ate with gusto at our friends' new pizza place in Princeton NJ, Ianos Rosticerria. (if you are in the area, check it out and ask for Iano).

So..about that Ribby Cardi. The back is complete. I won't bore you with a photo, it looks like your basic back. But look at what Stephanie Woodland Sprite did to hers- love those stripes & collar tip.

Here's what happened to my kntting time: the jolting realization that I'd invited a dozen friends over this Sunday for a knitting happy hour to benefit The Mother Bear Project. And guess what? Some of them can't knit, some are beginners, and I'd never even tried out the pattern. oops. Out came the perkiest polyester acrylic known to humankind.
As I sewed him up, I was sitting there talking to myself, wondering exactly where the line is when cheerful becomes gaudy. As I feel pretty strongly I've crossed over. My niece walked in. After I'd repeated it a few times, she shook her head and said, "I like him, and he doesn't look like a Mafia guy to me". yeah, he's a made bear.

out & about

out & about
Posted by: gzucker.

Grazing my way back home, on the mid-winter, mid-Atlantic, ezisus family breakout tour. Tomorrow its Philly, with a stop in New Jersey. Knitting all the way. Details when I get home.

feeling rusty?

Maybe I am.

This is what I'm working on: an Elsebeth Lavold design, Torgeir, in her Silky Wool yarn. The color: Ferrous Red, which is rust in plain English. I love this yarn, and when Dave took me up on the offer to make him a sweater, after a decade long lapse from his last handknit, I cast on.

Life being what it is , my mind sometimes...drifts. And the varying cables & motifs drift with it. So its knit 4 rows, rip back one half. huh.

The obvious solution: start a more simple-minded sweater, for nights when I'm feeling more simple-minded. Who am I kidding? Its an excuse to make myself a Ribbed Cardi, in the darkish orange shade, (seen larger in the accidentally blogged solo photo post preceding this one). Which you'll notice, can also be called...rust.

Its heading off in the car with us for a long trip later today, so should look noticeably more sweater-like next week.

Good thing this definitely unrusty hat is waiting on the sidelines:

ribbycar

ribbycar
Posted by: gzucker.

a Change of Pace

Last month the Regularly Scheduled Knitting was interrupted.
First for this:
Loopy #2,
from Knitty.
The Loopy#1 was a funkier, colorful Finlandia Kidsilk in spring green with orangey-pink Berrocco HipHop. It went to my sister Lulu , she wears her shawly-scarf with panache. I received waay more knitland credit for this than deserved. Its gossamer silky fuzzy web and bumpy loops make people drool.
But who doesn't love excessive compliments? So, I made # 2 for a more sedate friend, in steely blue KidSilk with a darker HipHop color.

Then a long train trip came up, New Haven to Wash DC. Figuring the stranger next to me wouldn't be into the rhythmic poking of my straight needles, I gave in to the fingerless mitt urge I'd picked up online. On pokeless dpn's.

First, a pair of earthy crunchy fingerless mitts from the Midnight Knitter pattern that came out so,um, earthy crunchy that I followed them with these, in Lambs Pride wool from old leftovers.

They looked pretty cool but went to a silent auction, where they inspired a tiny bidding war, going for $22. (the earthy crunchy pair went for the more earthy sum of $7. I'm not proud to admit I tried to make believe I didn't know them personally).
Then I made myself a pair, trying a ribbed pattern, in variegated mystery wool. Finally, these for Mr. Cool, my 11 yo son with an indecisive design sense (had a chart for the skull motif, I winged it on the G. I like a little imperfection, it keeps the hand in handmade....)

do ewe know more than me?

If only I could figure out how to get this image on my blog title, I'd feel that I accomplished something this afternon. blog-fog. If any one can point me to a tutorial , please speak up. The fact that I spend my working time delivering images competently to publication seems to have no effect here.

The Ribbed Cardi is started, in Cascade 22o, in almost the colors I had in mind. I, along with what seemed every other knitter in a 50 mile radius, was crammed into a 35% off sale last Sunday, so I'm happy withthe hues:
Cardamon & dusty rose? Aged pumpkin & furry tongue ? Whatever. The body gets the darker color. Can't wait to see it grow.