contagion

I admire those who blog every day. How do you do it? Since my last post...

Summer arrived. I know this because we had our town road race (no member of my family looked this cute across the finish line, btw) and the daylilies bloomed.
School ended, and the concept of "working" from home went down the drain faster than you can fling a fully loaded backpack across the room yelling "DONE!". Until camp and summer programs start.
We headed south to the beach in Delaware for some family togetherness, since attempting anything productive during this limbo period is futile .
Before I left, 3 more miters and one started in just slightly more subdued tones. Couldn't take it along, since that'd reveal the surprise to my parents. In truth, my dad wouldn't notice if you were knitting an atom bomb but my mom'd be all over it, wondering what stitch you'd chosen to convert the plutonium.

I returned to the socks, but not without a complete insurance package.

Funny thing happened on my way to the magic loop. Before I cracked the pamphlet I decided to knit my stitches from the dpns, where I'd knit about an inch of cuff, onto the circs. Predictably by the time I got to the third needle, things were getting tight. I figured I'd pull up some cable to ease it, then I'd figure out what the "magic loop" procedure was all about. Well, duh, that was it. I offered the pamphlet to my mom who was looking on skeptically at the whole operation.

My mom is an ace knitter. She should be, her mom owned a dry goods store in the South Bronx in the 1930's-50's. Grandma gave sidewalk knitting lessons, with neighborhood women perched on milk crates. (and yes, I wish I could go back in time to that). But she doesn't love knitting in the round and hasn't knit socks since she was a teenager.

One quick bike ride to the lys, and look what happened.

my weekend knitting theme song

If I had one, would have featured Mick Jagger and started out " I Can't Get No......"

Half finished home improvement disrupting projects scattered anywhere I set my eyes. Two sons making me crazy with their plans (and lack of interest in mine). Escape into knitting was required. What?
Only two more miters and I realized the mail hadn't brought more yarn. I was flat out, unless I want a square that is all cream colored with maybe 4 rows in mixed colors.

I returned to my Opal Rodeo sock. I was just about up to the toe decreases when I tried it on. I knew it was a little snug, knew I wished the cuff a bit longer...but I didn't know about the big honking hole in the gusset/ankle area. Where did that come from? Upon closer inspection, a tiny dropped stitch, no doubt off the end of one of my traveling dpn toothpicks, had started to run, creating a stinkin' hole.

Three strikes against this sock , out I ripped. This did not make me any happier. Return to the Rodeo is now at about an inch.

Without wasting any more time (ha) I re-read a socks on circs tutorial, still didn't quite get it, took a leap and ordered a long circular needle. I was ordering more Shine Worsted , anyhow.

This last was, admittedly, satifsying: my 15 year old was seen by friends in one of his squoosh hats, and now they asked if I might, please, maybe, could I, if I had time, make them one too. Are there sweeter words? Aside from, can I help clean up the yard, sure I'd love to go to the festival with you and then I'll go study for finals. I didn't for the record, hear those last three phrases this weekend.

I wandered through the homestead looking at the half-mulched front yard (ran out of chips), the living room where I decided to reaarange furniture and talked Dave into helping me get rid of a truly disgusting old sofa, only to realize its replacement wasn't ready yet (frame only), wandered up my my office where I'd stalled reorganizng a shelf last week - what has gotten into me???- didn't even look at the unweeded back gardens. Felt like a lunatic.

Until I finally saw that fat old full moon Saturday night. A-Ha! Ended the weekend on the beach with a beer and my little bit of sock.

Peony, mint & false Indigo bouquet from the yard. Very satisfying!

comments on comments/comments on miters

I have a comment problem. I love getting comments (except from those who want to sell something or enlarge non-existent parts of my anatomy) but there's something about my settings that many come with a "no reply" tag address. I can't Use My Manners and write back to you.

This may give the impression that I'm either incredibly lazy or incredibly rude. In truth I may be a little of both but if I could write back, I would. Sometimes I can sleuth it, channeling my inner Harriet the Spy. Some are just dead end links. So..that said. I apologize. Keep them comments coming.

To answer pressing comments: Kay asked if my sisters would get response time while the afghan collaboration is chronicled. My answer: are you kidding? Uh-unh. They don't even know I have a blog. sshh. Its just a matter of time before one of them hits it while surfing. Anyway. They would only seize it as an opportunity to correct me and reveal how insufferable I am as an older sister. So, in short. no.

Elysbeth (I can only find you here, do you have a blog?) asked to see more of my bag. You betcha. She called it fab and she's right. You can keep your handbags, purses, clutches, baguettes, evening bags. Give me a nice capacious tote anyday. This is one of my favorites, it reverses from vintage floral to a red denim but I almost never flip away from the retro flower side. Credit due, as with most of my nicer accessories, to the tighter miter sister who gifted me with it a couple of years ago. The company makes a lot of bags with retro fabric , go look but I warn you, you'll buy something to carry your summer knitting in.

On to my miters. Layed out randomly.

No one warned me how addictive these are. Once you get to the middle of one, the finish is just minutes away, thanks to quickly diminishing size. Talk about the thrill of victory, they just pop right off the needles. I am also having a hoot with the colors, so inaccurately captured in these photos. Combos that I thought I'd hate, look good. The hues change with proximity. I don't see boredom setting in for a good long while. The main reason I don't have more - aside from a full plate o'work and family demands- is I've almost used up my first order of yarn and am dragging the sticks till the next order gets here. Square eight is on the sticks for me.

Lulu is on her second, I haven't seen 'em but she warned me that they are presently more "homemade than handmade'. This was a major mantra of our mom's when we were growing up, you were always aiming to cross that thin line into handmade. Kind of an outdated saying, as homemade now means you have the luxury of time at home, but it used to be an insult, as in you couldn't afford storebought.

Nevertheless she's saying she's got issues with her miters. As in some have holes. The other two knitters join in when school ends June 18th. I'm not worried. And neither is Lulu. Says she, steely glint in eye "well, I may not do so great with the squares but when it comes to laying the whole thing out, I'll know exactly where to put each one"

my sister has a tighter miter

Prologue: My bright idea. My sisters, my niece and I will make a mitered throw for my parents. Surprise our mom who knits for everyone.
This'll be in the spirit of Mason Dixon Knitting - a collaboration, two of us Yankees,
the other two south of the divide line in the DC area. We ignore history. The last collaboration - a parody song for an anniversary party- unleashed levels of sisterly sniping unseen since we used to share a bathroom and steal each others' clothes. (usually they took mine. For the record..I still want that vintage mexican jacket back).

The rules: We agree there are no rules. We will use the same yarn & pattern. Choose any colors you want. No quota of squares per person. No hard deadline. No telling anyone else that their square is ugly.

The personae: We are all in the visual arts professionally. warning warning! We have Opinions on Things Visual. We grew up knitting but only one of us knits all the time now. One of us used to work as a textile designer/illustrator. One of us is more experimental with materials than all the others. One of us is still in high school and is slightly freaked out by her mom and 2 aunts bickering like 12 year olds.

Scene 1:
My front lawn, late Saturday afternoon. I've already persuaded the sister who doesn't relax enough to watch me garden, take a long bike ride and have a glass of wine .That last one wasn't so difficult, persuasion-wise. We crack the book, take out the freshly arrived yarn. We cast on. We sip wine. Lulu develops some problems. The pattern says size 6 us needles gets gauge, she is using 7's. I am on size 5 because I almost always need to go down a size. A few rows in, Lulu's miters are looking funny. She can barely move the yarn, its squeaking she's got it so tightly pulled. She accuses me of telling her to keep the knitting on the tight side. I, of course, deny. We then have an extended conversation about why its pointless to try to guess gauge when you've only knit 3/4 of an inch. I tell her to measure when she gets to 4" or better yet, consider her first square a swatch and we'll measure when we finish them. She further claims I'm not demonstrating the ssk well.
We sip more wine. We admire the stripes.
she: what color will you do next?
me: ummm, I don't know. I guess I'll see what I'm in the mood for.
she: but , only two colors, right?
me: No, I might use more. Remember, we agreed, no rules on colors?
she: But you will keep the stripes uniform, right? No skinnier?
me: oh, I think some split stripes will look cool
she: No! the pattern says 6 row stripes
me: remember, we all agreed, no rules...
she: (and here's where the conversation starts to devolve )
You know. Saying No Rules is Making a Rule. You are making a rule.
me: (with attitude although I guess she's right on a technicality but you didn't hear me say that ) well. I'm am not promising my stripes will all be the same thickness.

We restrain ourselves from sticking out our tongues. I breathe deeply and contemplate the nature of collaboration and sisterhood.
Any Family Psychology PhD candidates looking for thesis material? Sign on now!

cue that cloying disney song that celebrates our planetary interconnectness

Because I had a comment from Kathy in Juneau. So I check out her new blog Knitting Weather. I like her knitting, I look at her profile and then I realize. I knew her. In real life. From a long time ago, in our hometown on the cloudy shores of Lake Ontario. What a hoot. Go check out her site, I mean, how many knitters in Alaska do you know?
(so, are you humming the song? Is it stuck in your head yet? Did you know there's a name for that?)

On the sock front, pair #2 is coming along ribbingly. I might have 3 bear syndrome with my sock knitting. You know: the first pair was too big, the second too small and then my next will be just right. Let's hope. Anyway I do like how this one looks, and it fits the water bottle well. We'll see how it does on my foot. I've learned a few things about myself . I like heels, they are the entertainment value of the sock, and I really need to learn magic loop because I drop many stitches during transport. Accordingly, I learned it would be a very good idea to have a nice small crochet hook because a big one is as useful as my stubby fingertips in trying catch the drops.

Knitting time is little, its the time of year when things are flying everywhere. Testosterone. oh. my. god. I grew up in an all sisters family. Spring is sprung and the hormones of 12-15 year old boys gush forth in a manner that means all impulse control is gone. I just try to grab the needles, look at the stitches and not think about too much.

identity crisis (or just call me The Little Sock Knitter That Could)

id crisis a: In yarn stores, sometimes the owner says, "hey take a look at the wonnnnderful sock yarns". To which I reply, "oh, they are beautiful but...I'm not a sock knitter".

Scratch that, with a full pair complete. I am a goner. Thanks to the practice on the first, the second has a more polished toe and tighter stitch. Its a better fit but I have to do something about ankle baggage. And! I have the floor and the shoes to go with them. Thanks again Cate. (for the yarn, not the floor & shoes).

id crisis b: I have too much of the Question Authority left in me to think self-patterning yarn a Good Idea. Variegates, oh yes. Noro color changes, love 'em. But self-patterning just seems so... german.Oh look, what's that language on the ball band ? Anyhoo, scratch that, too. All that.Less than 30 rounds in I am LOVING this Opal Rodeo yarn.

id crisis c: I haven't actually been doing much knitting because, like every May, I get my Little Engine That Could head on and decide that this year I really will get the yard under control and do some landscaping. This small mountain was living a half mile away unwanted, so we've moved it here piece by piece and I can be viewed, when its not raining too hard, in my front yard with a pitch fork trying to dig out an area it can edge. These are big ol' heavy New England stones, and though my manly household has helped some, I'm doing the heavy lifting on this project. And I am not speaking figuratively here, sisters. I've been secretly thinking of myself as Rock Chick. I hope she doesn't mind.

sockku

cherry blossoms bloom
memories of poems assigned
compelled write of spring


first handknit sock. look!
much self congratulation
alas: big, baggy

soon to be a pair
winding yarn al fresco is
a special delight

casting on same size,
the extra bowl of ice cream:
knowing bad choices made.

so near a yarn store
a flat tire's stress diminished.
the sea is full of fish.

new leash on life

Before I go totally off-topic, I must report my giddy sock enthusiasm remains full force as I approach the toe, grinning like a fool. I realize its a size too large and it'll be a baggy sock. But that's OK. I like baggy socks.

However, the next pair...any suggestions for a sock pattern that stays up well? I think I want something more than plain ribbing & stockinette. Nothing too challenging,though, like that Pot-a-Whatta-Mus. Don't ask how long I browsed sock patterns online earlier today, OK?

Ok, now to the magic.

Meet Gordo
He is big & hairy & mostly lovable. He is the dog version of a frat boy, always ready for a party. Gordo joined our family about eight years ago from a dog pound, shortly after our dear old dog died. For a while we thought he was just settling in, and its hard to be the replacement model. Over time he's calmed down, and he's smart, with a lovely thick shiny fluff coat and friendly smile. Which is probably what's kept him in our good graces, most of the time. His fatal flaw:he has never, ever, ever - despite daily walks, yelling, sporadic serious training attempts, much upper arm muscle development and wrenched shoulders - walked well on a leash. At 70 pounds of unbridled enthusiasm, he can yank over most adults in a swift lunge. He always wants to be the lead dog, and that gets unpleasant when you are halfway down the street and there, at the other end of the block, is another canine.

No longer. We have been touched by magic. It said "satisfaction guaranteed" and because it was less than $ 10. I thought it worth a try. This product , the Anti-Pull Harness changed my dog owning, skeptical shopping life. Gordo walks like a trained dog. He doesn't act like the new harness bothers him in the least, there wasn't any pain or woofing. This is a dog who would just about strangle himself pulling on a choke collar, huffing and coughing while passersby said helpful things like "heh, heh, who's walking who?".
Magic, I tell ya.

watch out for the falling scales

I see all now.
Friday AM on the 9:29 out of New Haven I became a sole sister. I am knitting a sock.

I never planned not to, they just never called to me. My change ? At 6 AM Friday, I was prepared in every way for my noon presentation in NY. Train schedule , meeting confirmed, I'd been up till late the night before stressed out screaming at my family thoughtfully reorganizing my portfolio.

But! I forgot I didn't have any easily portable knitting on the needles. A one hundred minute train ride is kntting time not to be wasted, right? Two skeins of Koigu sock yarn I won in a MamaCate contest had been marinating since the fall, I had a Yankee Knitter basic sock pattern (I figured her patterns are always straightforward and reliable) and some skewer like dpns. I grabbed it all, off I went and that was that.

Now I get it. They are small, portable, they reveal their structure and shape so quickly. What's not to love? The leg is a perfect little canvas to try new stitches on, the whole thing is a good excuse for buying wild variegated yarn that'd look dorky as a sweater. Do you hear the zeal of the newly converted? I'm worse in person. You should have seen me waving it over a son's bowl of cereal demanding admiration at early o'clock today. ("yeah, mom, I see its a sock, I get it. uh..Bus. Gotta go.").

I can't help but feel cosmically supported in this. I mean, Cassie's sewing up beautiful sock knitting kits in a whirlwind of inspiration (when she first blogged about it I thought, why? um, because its nicer than a ziplock that gets all poked through of holes by those little dpns in your purse) and Juno's destashing sock yarn to drool over.

A footnote (sorry). Does all Koigu do this ?
Its like two separate colorways. Amazing.

shine on

Under the influence of a few days off, a scarf is done. It came out beachy.

Not quite an Opera Scarf as in the pattern, which disappeared from the Blue Sky site but you can find it online elsewhere. Just be aware it comes out chunkier than it says it will, this version in KnitPicks Shine sportweight . I've mentioned how whatever I'm making looks like my environment? I'm powerless over this impulse. So when I finished the knitting seaside in Delaware, I figured it needed something along the edges, maybe small shell buttons, to elevate it from the crafty look. A skein of Trendsetters Vixen at the yarn store nearby looked perfect. This is the impulse that's lead me to buy more bright flowery sundresses over the years than I should admit to while there, just right for happy hour on the porch by the crashing waves. That look silly when I return home to life in my land of wrinkly muted natural fibers and faded denim.

I'm not recommending Shine for any lace projects but I applied another skein of it in worsted weight to just one more hat for the teenage son. (You can tell his age by the grafted on earbuds.) I like this yarn for a solid knit. I like it a lot for ribbed beanie hats. I'm thinking it might be just right for a summer afghan project, part of the MDK not-so-secret mission to cover America in mitred squares. Except, of course, for territories blanketed by Log Cabin.

Feeling rested, I got the Saddle Seam Pullover back on track , too, with front and back split this time for the same size outcome. If you've seen anyone else working on this baby, can you send me the link? There's only one little chart for the 6 row repeat of the stitch pattern. Now that I'm working on the split back, I'm using the chart that I was reading right-to-left every row, to go back and forth, with purls and decreases every 4th row. I guess my mind is supposed to be nimbler than it is, I wish there was a graph with the decreases charted. As usual I didn't read through the whole pattern until I was well into it, and discovered that in a few rows I'll be using the same dinky six row chart but also doing some short rows to form the neckline shaping. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

finding inspiration in all the right places

Heads up, you knit book authors. Get invited to be the guest at a Masters Tea at Yale, like Annie Modesitt did last week.

Lovely setting to hear about the life and work of knitter, while sipping tea and nibbling on goodies from real china, on comfy sofas in the richly wood paneled room. A real treat, a room full of knitters, I met Kat and got to pet one of Lauren's top secret fall designs.

Annie was a pleasure- I expected someone ruffly & trilly based on her romantic designs and immense talent with decorative elements. I should have known from her blog that she's a friendly, down to earth, tell-it-like-it-is -with -a -sense -of -humor person. My type of speaker. Her message: do what you want the way you want to do it, if its making you happy, then you're doing it right. This applies to both Knitting and Life.

She also revealed that she is the fastest knitter in North America. Certified. In the 30 seconds before I asked where such a title gets named, I had a fantasy of a carnival event at a state fair, compete with barker and bullhorn. "Alive, Alive, Alive, Fastest Knitter, Thats Right, Try to Beat the Flying Needles" I guess I like sideshows too much. Turns out its at a staid trade show.

More inspiration just a day or so later. The Mason Dixon Knitting book. Love it. Of course, being a fan of Ann & Kay, I knew I would. Now I've been seized by the desire to knit afghans. I can even see the beauty in a....dishrag? Help me. Suddenly, I'm debating the merits of Log Cabinning versus knitting the more portable squares to seam later.

And seeing mitred squares, everywhere:

a coupla weeks in which nothing went as planned

Just when you think planets are aligned, the ducks are in a row, the pegs are fitting their holes, the gears are meshing, it all just gets skewed. That's it. The cosmos just says a big Skew You! As the old Italian ladies say at the supermarket, whadya gonna do?
Its not always bad. Its just different.

A few unplans from the past week or so:

Spring sprung! With it the Passover seder which was at my house. We thought, why not make it small and simple? Suuuure. Three kinds of kugel, six desserts, two entrees and all those odd side dishes that you never ever make except for this holiday later, a Seder meal it was. For the record, Charosets? I maintain should be eaten all year round. Gefilte fish? Once a year is just right. And hold the fish broth jelly. puh-lease.

Unplans in the knitting department:
With much work distraction, I hardly fit in any knitting, except late at night, very tired. I split the front & back for the Saddle Seam Pullover. A couple of entries ago I worried it might play a trick on me. No need, I played a trick on myself. An inch or so into working the front, something seemed...off. I'd started the sweater in size med-large but counted off the split back in size Large, resulting in a front that was 20 stitches less than the back. When you find out this sort of thing after midnight you have one choice only. Put it down and walk away.

Feeling quite uncalm , I looked to what I could knit mindlessly. A simple spring scarf. A simple stitch pattern, the same row over & over.

On size 8 needles, not looking so airy.

On size 10 1/2 needles. Better. I think the pattern image shows a much wider version than the actual pattern decribes as 23 stitches across, and it'd have more drape in the Alpaca Silk it calls for. I was going to tear it out and make something else but after I shot it for the record here, I realized it'll be fine. Soothing, too.

On the slate for the next few days: keeping an eye on several 6th grade couples coming over at a son's request. Yes, that's right. Sixth grade couples. He's one of those kids. Annie Modesitt speaking in town tomorrow and I plan to be there, as soon as all the puppy eyes go home.
Then I'm heading down to the beach in Delaware for a few days of spring break with the Guys. I will knit mindlessly in the car down on my cottony scarf. I will tear back the Saddle Seam Pullover and get it back on track, stopping to admire it every eight stitches or so, noting any size changes. Oh, and I've got my reading all lined up, too.

Is there anything better than a book that speaks to you????

worth a dekko

Hit the Destash Mountain button over on the sidebar. Finally! A way to unload share the beauty of that vintage pink mohair blend. Go on. Why not?

good things

......come in Swedish packages

which around here usually means something from Ikea , with a name like Ooglurp and inscrutable diagrams involving an allen wrench.
Not this time.
This time I was the high bidder on an item I've been vying for, losingly, for months. All the way from Sweden, and it arrived in a way befitting its name. So satisying.

Also, good things from KnitPicks: Shine Worsted arrived. I was expecting Terracotta to be less rosy. Seen here lounging on the rust colored pullover that's cleverly hiding any progress no matter how many rounds I add. I suspect its planning an April Fools joke on me, so that April 1 it'll suddenly be ready to split for the armholes. I'm playing along.

Once left to its own devices, the Terracotta next to Shine Worsted in Cream went back to the color scheme I'd thought I'd ordered and anyways, for the price this is amazing yarn. Not really shiny at all, very soft, no rough cotton burn, no squeak on the needles. I could see a summer Ribby Cardi out of this.

Here it is, the last hat of the chilly season, modeled by a head sized 'lope. Not that I'm calling my son a melonhead but it was a good stand in. This is the 13th adult sized hat I've made since October. I think I'm ready to move on.
I'd wear it inside out if it were mine.