the reason why you should plan your posts

So, I don't have much to show you after that last post. I mean a few more rows on a grey sweater, even if it is the lovely Pearl Ten, is not so riveting.

Bleak outside doesn't do much to inspire. My view from the dogwalk this morning.

Here's what I'm doing to counter attack the bleak. Planning classes for spring and summer. (Links soon, but I can tell you they include a 3 session class at Webs, yay!) .  Pinning outfits to Pinterest to brainstorm  clothes for a photo shoot in March for a yarn company I adore. (Overalls, I hear are making a comeback. I adore overalls. Neon...not so much. Trying to be open minded).

All with liberally sprinkled breaks of blogreading to take me away. Want to share a transcendant one? Go read lori times five today. aaaaaaaaah. Much better. 

(Actually, go read her any day. I am so lucky she took my class in Santa Barbara last March, or I might not have come across her blog, and got to know her a little.  I  promise you will be inspired by her knitting and her photography and her world).

1 FO, 2 wip, 13MO

Some kind of weird alphabet soup.
 
The FO, a birthday present for sister Lulu, who collects pincushions. Improvised from scrap yarns-- they may all be Cascade 220. She loved it, though I decided it was exactly halfway between hackysack and decorative toiletpaper cover.  Not sure I want to slip down that slope.

wip #1: another Bigass Granny square blankie underway, (Marla, you better look away if reading this) .  I like to think working on this is the intersection where deep winter meets cabin fever.  So many colors! Such a fine way to use up started skeins and play around with how colors interact. Plus, once it starts to grow? Warm lap.
wip #2: I cast on for this Shellseeker sweater for myself in..October? Not sure why it is not done yet. In Malabrigo Rios Pearl Ten, that queen of all the Malabrigo colors. Is it gray, is it eggplant, is it brownish blackish purple? No stripes for me, though. I tipped the neck with mostly red handspun, because you can do that when you knit your own sweaters. I'd like to stick with this sweater and get 'er done soon.  March is the month of our sweater discontent around here, as the winter seems like it will never end.

13 MO. Can't resist.

my vintage valentine

Look! I came across this old photo of us while searching for something else entirely.

 We were moving into our first apartment together, Valentines week, in college. "Coupla hippies", groused a son when I showed it to him. (That's his main complaint about us now, too). I guess we haven't changed that much?  Suddenly I want to own a flannel shirt again. Dave still does...

For Valentines 2013, we played hooky part of the day, which somehow feels more special than rushing out to dinner. We swung by the newly renovated Yale University Art Gallery.  It's one of the real perqs of living around here. It's  free,  with  a fabulous collection--and wow, the reno is spectacular. After viewing a few favorites in the collection (some Albers, f'rinstance) we went to the Indo Pacific Art gallery.

It's amazingly fiber-rriifc. (yeah I do think that is an art term). Like this? it is an ancient  Indonesian high priest's staff.  Love that ball of yarn topping it. There was a lot about spinning, spindles , cotton yarn , looms , tools and a swift too, in display cases.

 I don't know much about weaving but it doesn't take a scholar to be awed by this.

Chickens, also valued by the high priests.


The Valentine activity I didn't quite pull off: I was going to knit bulky reverse stockinette hats for everyone with a big heart on each, in dusky colors so it wouldn't be too cutesy-poo. Maybe with a large pompom and even edge crochet for the girls. 

I'd figured out the pattern: knit flat and seamed, intarsia heart.  And the  yarn: Berroco Peruvia Quick .  Time wasn't on my side, but I did make up this nice chart. I'll share it with you.

I love this knitting graph paper, how it shows the stitches instead of misleading squares.  It's from Laylock.org   If you don't follow her site,  go check her out. Great stuff!

we're so chill we wear mitts

Last weekend, no not the one that dumped 36" of snow on me, the one before, I had the honor of teaching a Photography for Knitters workshop for  The Village Knitter . 
This is what it looked like when we strung up a temporary clothesline on Main Street in Babylon NY. 
And here is Stephanie, aka Crooked Knits, shooting. Let's play a game. How many handknits can you spy her wearing? The funnest, if I can mangle English here, part of the workshop is usually the part where we bust out of the room and go all hands-on, giving everyone a chance to try some of the hints tricks direction photobullying I have been laying on them during the slide talk part. This group didn't let a few degrees fahrenheit stop them. 
A class so cool they had to cover themselves in wool. It was a blazing good time, in direct contrast to the icy wind blowing off the Atlantic a block away. Afterward, I ended the day knitting and yucking it up at Ann and Katy's yarnshop , my sponsor, The Village Knitter. This is the kind of yarn shop you hunker down in. Big open table to sit at. Great selection of yarn. Super friendly owners and workers. Talented knitters and raucous conversation. We are already planning a spring/summer Photo for Knitters adventure, to take advantage of the lovely photo opps for knitwear in the town, while not suffering frostbite at the same time.

 On a not unrelated note--you can't ignore the snow here this week, mostly because we have run out of places to put it.

This is not a special pile or even the tallest on the street, it's just your basic corner. Good weather for knitters though. Suddenly everyone loves a wool mitten.

• • • • • • 

I'm brewing up a few more workshops between now and the summer-  in New Haven CT, Maryland and Massachusetts. Want one at your guild, shop or group? Give me a shout.

alternative

Instead of speaking of the weather, let's go straight down to  speed post. (If you haven't been following, Kay and Ann over at Mason-Dixon Knitting have blazed the form).
First up, a lighter, and even quicker Decibella:
 
Modified from the original pattern, it's knit on size 11 needles, using 1 skein each of Berroco Peruvia Quick in Gris Marengo and Rosa. Cast on 60 inches, and off you go. It's a one day knit, if, say, it is raining on top of the weekend's 38" snowfall and you don't feel like going out. The stitch  never fails to entertain, it is so much easier than brioche, and the stripes reverse themselves on the wrong side. Not that there  is a wrong side... Anyhoo, this is still  voluminous cowl, if you want something even more everyday, I'd say cast on 42 stitches and take it from there. Half-day knit! Times saved for shoveling!

Over on Ravelry there are some nice lighter weight versions too, take a peek.  Although in my experience lately, being able to hide in your cowl has some advantages. 
original version, for comparison sake.

an agenda

Blasting through with a quick post of TwoThings I Need to  Tell You Before It is Too Late.
1- This Saturday Feb 2nd : Photography for Knitters workshop with yours truly, for The Village Knitter in Babylon NY on The Island. The class was moved out of the shop and down the block to the library, giving me room for a couple of extra seats. It's close to sold out but you can still join us. Do it!  It's going to be an excellent way to spend the afternoon 12:30-4:30. Your Ravelry Projects page will thank you.

2- I just know you want to be reminded that Saturday is also Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Usually I have a party but since I'll be driving to LI, and the rules require eating ice cream before noon...I will have to celebrate in Babylon. I think I've persuaded Ann to join me. Hee-hee. You should too. I hope there is excellent coffee ice cream in Babylon. With sprinkles. That's all I'm saying.  
Both photos © mine, of course.
Top photo: the Cabled Cowl, a fab bulky project from Wear With All. Every time I look at this photo I wonder why I haven't knit one or six, yet.
Bottom photo: An embellished tree stump at Fiber College in Searsport Maine. I don't know what the doily is made from, fiber-wise- but it had been there a while I think, and was getting silvery from the elements. This kind of beauty is just all over the place there.