Quiddity

Sigh of Relief

Following an extraordinarily wet October, this first week of November has been beautiful!  The sky is so clear, and the air so dry, that the sunlight actually hurts at times.  But I'm not complaining.  The days are warm, nights cool, and each day is prettier than the one before.  Most of the leaves have yet to turn, but no matter, it's definitely Fall.

 

I have yet to return to my sadly neglected sweater knitting, but have finished a lace scarf (which needs blocking before having its picture made,) a secret project, and two pairs of socks.  Here are the latter.

 

• Blueberry Waffle socks.  Actually, they started out as something else - a pattern I found online.  But once in progress, I realized that the stitch pattern was the same as the Blueberry Waffle, so that is what I call them.  As in most cases, I used only the stitch pattern, and my own variation on the gusset/flap/toe part.  
• The yarn is Purlescence Yarns 'Purl Up & Dye,' purchased at Sock Summit.  This is lovely yarn - the hand is soft, and the colors rich.  I'll be on the lookout for more.

 

• These are Thuja socks, one of my favorite patterns.  I've made several pairs for myself, but these are (shhhhh!) for Jim, for Christmas.  He asked me why I never knit him a sweater.  Well, he doesn't wear them!  Then he asked for socks.  That I can do.  This pattern was originally designed for men, and I agree it's perfect for that - although I enjoy mine, too.
• The yarn is from The Sanguine Gryphon - 'Skinny Bugga!' in the Black Swallowtail colorway.  I think it suits the pattern and the purpose beautifully.  As always, Bugga (skinny or otherwise) is fabulous. 

Maybe we'll have a chance to drive to the mountains tomorrow.  If so, and if the leaves cooperate, there might be some pretty pictures to show next week.  In the meantime, I'm still knitting.

New Tricks

But first, a rant!  When I was a kid, Christmas did not begin to be marketed until Thanksgiving Day.  Santa arrived at the very end of the big Macy's parade, and that was the big kick off.  Of course, now, Christmas seems to creep in earlier and earlier.  Macy's (and other stores) have their Christmas tree and decoration departments open in September.  I don't like it, but should be used to it by now.  I'm not.  And it was especially jarring to go to Target on Saturday and see MERRY CHRISTMAS plastered all over the windows!!  Come on - we hadn't even given out the Halloween candy yet!!  And I also hate seeing things like this.

 

It's just too weird.  I know, I know, there's no helping it, but it does tend to make me more Grinch-like than normal anyway.  Seems like one of these days they won't even bother to take the Christmas stuff out of the stores at all.  Sigh.  Ok, rant over.  On to something much nicer.

On Friday, I spent the whole day at Knitch, taking knitting classes.  This was special for two reasons.  First, Knitch has moved, and this was the second day in their new location.  While I do miss the old shop, the new one is big, bright, full of wonderful yarn, and we can still gather around the big tables to knit.  If you haven't been yet, hurry over to see how great it is!  Second, the classes were taught by Jared Flood.  You know - Brooklyn Tweed!  I'll start by saying, WOW!  Jared is such a nice guy, and also a fabulous teacher.  I came out of my classes with quite a few new pieces of knowledge, all of which will serve me well in the future.  I can't recommend his classes highly enough.  If you get a chance to sign up for one, do it!

The first, "A Taste of Lace" was just that.  It incorporated the crochet hook method of provisional cast on (my favorite), several different lace motifs, and decorative knitted bind offs.  Along the way, we also learned blocking techniques and a new to me method of doing the SSK stitch.  Here's the little lace sampler we knit in class.

 

It still needs to have a border knit on, and as soon as I sit down with a few pattern books, I'll finish it off.  

Here's a photo of Jared imparting his wisdom to the class.

 

Hmm, what is that over his shoulder?  Oh, it's the shawl I brought for show and tell.  And what else could that be but his fabulous design - Girasole!

• Jared has nothing to fear from my photography skills, but here it is, resting in a chair at the new Knitch. I finished it just before going to Sock Summit in August, but it took me until this Wednesday to finally get it blocked.  Nothing like the motivation of meeting the designer to get me going.
• Knit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Heavyweight, Raven color "Tligit."  I used just over three skeins, and the shawl is approximately 63" in diameter.  It's a versatile piece that can be worn as a shawl, thrown over my lap as a blanket, or even on a table as a decorative cloth.  I love it!

The afternoon class addressed the steps involved in designing an Aran sweater, and included a lesson in steeking.  Again, Jared gave us quite a few tips that will hopefully lead to a lot fewer mistakes in my future sweater knitting.

We began by knitting a cabled swatch, complete with a five stitch center panel that would be the steeked area.

 

Then, a guide line was run up the middle.

 

Using a crochet hook, the contrast yarn was anchored to the bottom, then drawn through each stitch on either side of the guide line.

 

It looked like this when completed.

 

The guide line was removed and I was ready to cut!

 

And there it was - two separate pieces!

 

If I had gone ahead and picked up the stitches a few in from where the green yarn is and knit a button band, you could have seen how easily that cut edge curls to the back and lays flat.  It's a thing of beauty.  See how nice Doug's is? 

It was a wonderful way to spend the day, and I'm just thrilled with how much I learned.  Thanks to Jared for sharing his knowledge and love of knitting with us!

 This week, the rest of our renovations projects should begin.  That means a lot of upheaval again, but because I have to be here with the workmen, a lot of knitting time too. I'm counting on it to provide time to finish my cabled sweater.  Just one front and two arms to go.  Although, given what Jared taught us about ease, I'm beginning to fear it might not fit.  Fingers crossed!!

SAFF 2009

Well, another SAFF has come and gone, and I have the yarn to prove it.  Once again, it was a blur of shopping, friends, and fun.  Really, the best part of SAFF is getting to spend time with good friends from both home and far away.  I'm sad that this is the only place I get to see some of these people, and vow to make more frequent visits happen in the coming year.  Although I hear it rained buckets on Friday, Saturday and Sunday were both splendid.  Fall waited for this weekend to show its best colors, the sky was bright blue, and despite chilly evening temperatures, both days were perfect.  

Of course, between shopping and visiting, there was time to visit the animals.

 

 

 

Here's something I bet you haven't seen before - a llama pulling a cart!

 

I wish I could have gotten a picture of his (or was it her?) face when they were putting the harness on.  He was quite "what do you think you are doing there?"  But once hitched, he was very cooperative, and it looked like a pleasant way to take a ride.  

Saturday, I spent most of the day shopping the market with my friend, Greta. After we had worn out our feet, we sat and knit for a while with friends.  That evening, there was a big gathering for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.  This year, we took up almost all of the main dining area.  I wasn't quick enough with my camera, or there would have been a picture below of a certain yarn vendor (<cough> Sanguine Gryphon <cough>) dancing with the waiter, after having Happy Birthday sung to her.  Never mind that it wasn't her birthday.  She took all the celebration in good fun, and looks very nice in a sombrero, too.  (I'm sure if you look around the blogs, you'll come across someone who was faster with the camera than I.)  Sunday was more shopping and knitting, before heading home.  That day, I focused on buying gifts for friends, which was a lot of fun.  Obviously, you won't be seeing that haul here.  [edit to add - see Gryphon dance here.  Thanks, Katey!]

So, I suppose you want to know what I got.  Ok, here we go:

This is a very cool product.  A series of four colorways that, if knit in sequence, make a lovely gradient.  Can be used for socks or a small shawl.  I'll most likely do the latter.

 

Speaking of The Sanguine Gryphon, I sort of fell down in her shop, and came up covered in yarn.

 

 

 

 

Some of Dragonfly's yarn fell on the pile there, too.

Gaia Lace.  Enough for a pretty scarf

 

And Dragon Sock

 

My friends, Brittany and Wayne have lovely yarn.  This one is a blend of merino, cashmere, and silk.  I bought one just like it as a gift for a special someone, too.

 

What's not to like about 100% alpaca?  And I couldn't resist the color.  Enough for a floppy hat, I think.

 

I saw these ladies at Sock Summit, but waited for SAFF to get this skein of their Sock Summit "Dye for Glory" entry.  Ooh, green!

 

Just two non-yarn purchases.

 

This lovely shawl is 50% alpaca/50% acrylic, is very lightweight, soft, and warm.  My friend Meg has one, and I admired her's so much, I had to be a copycat.

 

Every year, I love to see the Jacob yarns and fleece.  This time, I bought some yarn.

 

If you notice, the skein on the right is a bit thinner than the other two.  It also has about twice as much yardage (300 yds.)  I'm thinking it would make a lovely scarf - but not a knitted one.  I'm planning on doing this with it --

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That's right, a loom!  A Schacht 20" Flip loom, to be exact.  I've always admired woven fabric, and decided that it was finally time to give it a try.  Mine is still in the box, which is why I've swiped the photo from the Schacht site.  But it won't stay there for long.  I have some errands to do this afternoon, and then I'm hoping to pull it out and get started.  I'm thinking that this will be a great way to (very quickly) work though my stash, especially the sock yarn.  Any of you weavers out there have any tips, tricks, helpful books you can share? 

So, that was my great weekend adventure.  I had a wonderful time, and am already looking forward to going next year.  And Claudia - no getting sick then, either!!  (I hope you are feeling much better by now.)

Rhinebeck Goodies

No, I didn't get to go to Rhinebeck this year (due to circumstances beyond my control.)  But my cousin, who lives about an hour from there, did.  And she sent me presents! A cute little alpaca bear and some fiber.

 

 

It's hard to see the labels but this is Hog Island Sheep fiber.  Hog Island sheep are considered a "critical" sheep (I think they mean rare, not that they are overly judgemental) and there are only 200 of them at this time.  I bought some of this last year, and am looking forward to spinning this year's batch.

Our window project is done, but unfortunately my sweater is not.  I have completed the back and one front, but put it down to finish a lace scarf that has been languishing in the knitting basket for too long.  I wasn't going to get the sweater done in time for SAFF this weekend anyway, so decided to wait until I wasn't feeling rushed. There is another pair of socks, however.

 

Here's the stitch detail.

 

• Tesserae Socks by Anne Hanson.  This is a clever pattern.  Basically a rib, the public side weaves in and out, while the private side is a basketweave.  Very interesting.
• Gale's Art sock yarn.  Gale is a local dyer, and I'm pretty sure she is only dyeing roving now, so I'm lucky to have this.  It was a birthday gift from my friend, Claudia.  I love the color and the yarn was very nice to work with.

This weekend is the annual Southeastern Animal and Fiber Festival (SAFF) in Asheville, NC.  We consider it our local festival, since it's just a few hours away.  Usually I go up on Thursday night and come back Sunday, but this time I'll be there only Saturday and Sunday.  Claudia was supposed to go with me, but she came down with a bad illness (hopefully not the swine flu) so if Jim doesn't want to go, I'll have the luxury of a whole hotel room to myself.  Frankly, after the craziness that has been my life for the last several months, that sounds pretty appealing.  At any rate, I'm looking forward to seeing lots of friends, shopping, petting animals, and going out for a fun dinner Saturday night.  Be sure to say hi if you see me wandering about the arena.  I'll be the one with the glazed look in her eye from the fiber fumes!  And hopefully a new loom under her arm.  See you next week - with pictures.

AhhhhChooo!

It's been crazy around here this week as workmen take out, disassemble, reassemble, and reinstall all the windows on the first floor of our house - all twenty-two of them.  Plus the front door and two sidelights.  They started on Monday and are about half way through the job.  This is actually a very green project, because we are not replacing the windows, but retrofitting them.  Our house is almost 100-years old, which means the windows are not only single-pane glass, but also incredibly leaky, and basically inoperative due to either broken pulleys or too many layers of paint, or both.  When each window is completed, it has a new spring loaded tension system, double-pane Low E glass, and almost all the original wood remains intact.  Plus, the casements have been insulated, as well.  I'm looking forward to being able to sit in my chair this winter without an afghan draped around my neck to stay warm.  It should definitely help our heating and cooling bills, as well.  Another plus is having windows composed of much better wood than is generally available now, and also saving resources that would have been used to construct completely new windows while ours would have ended up in the trash dump.  It's a win all the way around - except for my sinuses.  They workmen are really good at keeping things as tidy as possible, but having the windows empty, combined with the inevitable dust, has kicked my bodily defenses into high gear.  I'm trying to get out of the house whenever possible, but will be glad when this phase of our renovations is over.  

At any rate, having to be here to keep an eye on things has been a boon to my knitting.  I'm almost done with the back of my sweater, and completed another project, as well.

 

• Shedir chemo cap.  This is for the mother of a dear friend.  She's just been diagnosed, so I'll hang onto it for a while.  Sends lots of good vibes for her, please!  This is a very nice pattern to knit, not at all complicated and very quick.  However, I almost always come down the last few inches of the yarn, so if you make one, it might be a good idea to have a second ball on hand.
• Rowan Calmer in "Disco"  It's a pretty pink, and I love how it shows the cable definition.  I usually hate knitting with cotton, but the addition of acrylic makes this yarn have a nice elasticity similar to working with wool.

 Have a good week.  I'm planning on lots of horseback riding, knitting, and an end to sneezing (hopefully!) 

Ahead of the Curve

As it stands now, my Christmas knitting is done.  I might knit Jim a pair of socks, but that remains to be seen.  Clearly, I'll have lots of time to knit in the coming weeks, as workmen move in soon to begin the inside renovations we are having done.  The major upheaval will be the window repair/replacement, which is scheduled to start on Monday and continue for at least two weeks.  Hopefully, we can work out a rational removal schedule that will leave only one room exposed at a time.  Keeping the cats out of the way is a big concern, as I don't want them escaping through open doors or windows.  Hope they won't mind some litter box roulette.

 Now to the knitting.  Since they are for Christmas, I can't reveal who these gifts are for, but merely present them for viewing by all.

First, the Hap Blanket, a nifty pattern by Ysolda Tegue.

 

• I used Plymouth Encore Chunky so the blanket would be easy to care for.  It took about 3-1/2 skeins of the main color, and 1-1/2 of contrast to make this 40"x40" lap blanket.  It's a fast and easy pattern, and I really like how it came out.  I might have to make one for myself soon.

Next, the Butterfly Beret, a free pattern on Ravelry.

 

• This clever pattern uses just one skein of Rowan Felted Tweed.  The colorway here is Ginger.  I've been wanting to try this yarn for a while, and found it very nice to knit with.  The butterfly stitch pattern was a new one for me.  If you look, you can see it around the hat's edge.  When worn, there are six rows of butterflies, and the beret has a nice "flop."

Right now, I'm working on another pair of socks, and have a lace scarf in progress.  But the scarf isn't thrilling me, so I'm thinking of starting a sweater for myself.  I have some lovely alpaca purchased at Stitches South this spring that would make a nice cardigan.  Time to swatch and find a pattern.

We are having amazing weather this weekend.  Hope yours is a nice.

Who Turned Off The Heat?

I don't know who did it, but a big thank you is in order.  After a final heavy rain storm on Saturday night, it seems Fall has put in its first appearance.  We are now enjoying clear, breezy, cool days and nights.  Cool enough to be able to wear a sweater in the evening, which is great.  It won't last, but I'm enjoying it while I can.

The mad knitting pace continues.  I have three finished items, but only one picture to show right now.

• Shifty socks.  This was a fun pattern to knit, and I think it works really well with the yarn.
• Abstract Fibers Supersock in the "Pheasant" colorway.  In real life, they are a darker hue, but this comes fairly close.  One of my Sock Summit purchases, this is a really nice yarn.  I love the colorway, and the fabric is soft and sturdy.  

I'll get photos of the other two projects soon.  Both are Christmas gifts, but I don't think either recipient reads this blog so I'm fairly safe in posting them.  (And sorry for using the "C" word so soon, but that holiday is quickly approaching, much to my chagrin.)

On the wedding front, we nailed down the band and the photographer.  Cory came over this evening with three more cake samples for us to taste (a thankless job, but someone has to do it.)  I don't know how many more places they are going to, but that should get decided soon, too.  Now if we can just get him and Laura organized enough to send out the invitations, we'll be in good shape!  As for my waistline, well that seems to be a lost cause.

  

Now That's More Like it!

Such a lovely sight!  It's been a beautiful day, sunny and very warm, and I got out and made the most of it, running errands and just enjoying the no longer cloudy skies.  Unfortunately, it looks like more rain is bearing in on us from the west, but for now I can look up and see the blue, blue sky through the window, and that's good enough for me.

I also seized the opportunity to get some pictures of my latest finished projects.

First up, a simple K2, P2 rib scarf.  

• I call this the "Very Long Scarf" because it is about 100" long.  I wanted something I could wrap and wrap around this winter, and this will certainly fill the bill.
• The yarn is a souvenier of our trip to Colorado in 2007.  I got the chance to visit The Yarn Studio in Minturn, a fabulous little shop full literally to the rafters with all kinds of wonderful yarn.  This is made from three skeins of Muench Black Forest Naturwolle, a bulky single similar to Manos del Uruguay.  I loved the colors in the skein, and how they more or less striped in the scarf.

Another yarn pulled from the stash yielded this.

• Logan River Wrap from the Interweave Knits Winter 2007 issue.  Designed by Miriam Felton.  Blocked size is 18"x93"  That seems like a lot of knitting, but the pattern was easy enough to memorize, and yet changed enough to keep it interesting.
• Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran Tweed, in the "Blueberry" colorway.  The actual color is like that of a ripe concord grape, a lovely deep purple.  Mostly merino, there is also a bit of silk and cashmere, each of which added a different feel to the yarn.  Soft and very warm, it also feels very cotton-like, without the strain that 100% cotton causes while knitting.  The drape is fabulous, as well.  I can't wait for it to cool off so I can start using this wonderful wrap.

Ok, I think I'll go take a walk before the rain rolls in again.  Can't waste all this glorious sunshine!

This Isn't Funny Anymore

We've all been disgusted about the rain over the last two weeks, but now it's gone way beyond that.  In the last twelve hours, my area of town has had six inches of rain, but other areas of the metro area have received more than fifteen!  So far, twelve people have been swept away to their death by flooded creeks, and there has been an uncounted amount of property damage.  Interstate highways are closed due to flooding, and most metro area schools are closed tomorrow.  I've lived in Atlanta since 1962, and never saw anything like this.  In fact, the weatherman was just saying that this has been a "historic" amount of rain.  And more heavy rain is expected overnight and into the day tomorrow.    

Fortunately, our house is fine - so far.  We are getting some water into the basement, but nothing is down there except the furnace and hot water heater.  As long as the sump pump keeps working, we will be ok.  And hopefully, all the big trees around here will stay upright!

With all this rain, I've been getting a lot of knitting done, but unfortunately haven't been able to get any good photos.  So, just to have something to show, here's my birthday gifts from my family.

From Cory and Laura, a stack of books.

That bottom one will hopefully inspire me to do some spinning!

Jim knows I love gadgets, and he came up with a really fun one.

This thing is so cool!  We got a video of the cats, but I'm going to have to wait for better weather to really put it to use.   Then again, maybe I should capture one of the big downpours.  That might be interesting.  

It was also the birthday of cake.  First, the blueberry cheesecake on Thursday, then chocolate cake on Friday.  On Saturday, Jim brought home yet another cake - red velvet with cream cheese icing.

It was yummy, but I am caked out!!

That's it for my birthday this year.  It was definitely a great one.  When I come back, I'll have two projects to show off.  Hopefully the rain will stop soon!

Going Under for the Third Time

For all that's holy, please make it stop raining!  I know we've had five (or more) years of drought and really need the rain, but enough is totally enough.  The last couple of days, it hasn't just rained, it has deluged.  The rain comes straight down in heavy sheets for sometimes 40 minutes at a time without letup.  Coming home the other night, water was up to the bumpers of the cars in front of me, and I could only hope they wouldn't stall out, and driving uphill made me feel like a salmon fighting its way upstream. Thank goodness for the high clearance of my SUV.  It's so bad here, a creek overflowing its banks carried crawfish onto the local Little League field.  While the sun actually came out Friday afternoon after a week of this monstrous rain, it's been back to pouring like crazy all morning.   Maybe it's time to check if Noah is in the backyard starting a building project.

The soggy weather aside, the last two days brought a lot of sunshine into my life another way - through the best friends ever!  Today is my birthday, but I got to celebrate both Thursday and Friday evenings at the weekly Knitch knitting groups.  On Thursday, my friend ESC, who knows the depth of my yarn stash, brought me the very welcome gift of cheesecake.  Blueberry preserve covered cheesecake.  YUM. MEEE! 

 I had two pieces, and didn't care that I had to go home to cook dinner.  

The next evening, the Friday night knitters threw me a party, complete with a huge chocolate cake.

Five chocolate cake layers filled with luscious white cream.  Oh boy!  I limited myself to only one slice this time.  It was a big cake, and even after serving generous slices to everyone, some still lurks in the fridge.  I believe it will be making a return appearance at Knitch on Sunday.  A woman has to show some restraint.

Then presents, followed by a great dinner at a local Chinese/sushi restaurant.  More YUM. MEEE!  I have absolutely the best friends ever.  Hey, they even invited my husband, who ate the cake, watched me open presnts, and tolerated enjoyed all the knitting until we headed out to dinner.  

It was Claudia and Nell

Meg, Haley, Jim, Diana, and Brett

Nancy and Kat

Pat and Doug were there, too.  Don't know how I missed getting their pictures.  

These wonderful people gave me not just the gift of their laughter and friendship, but also some lovely presents.

Brett, who is in design school, sewed a kitty tunnel for Sock and Mittens.  I put it on the floor when I got home, and Mittens immediately came to investigate.

Is dis for me??

 But even though Socks is a lot smaller, he always lets Mittens know he is not the only cat in the house and immediately staked his claim.

They have yet to figure out the "hey we can get inside here and wrestle" aspect of the tunnel, but they have enjoyed both resting and playing on it.  Thanks, Brett!

Claudia arranged for the cake, and brought these for me, too.

Gale's Art sock yarn.  I'm absolutely going through a green phase right now, so this is perfect.  And there are three projects in the sewing kit I want to start immediately.

Meg presented me with lovely Koigu and a kitty notepad.

From Diana, a lovely needle gauge keychain.  I love this gizmo - I'm always scrambling around trying to find my gauge, and this one fits nicely in my little gadget box.

Pat, who spent the summer in California, crafted these beautiful stitch markers for me.  And sewed the little bag, too.  Both will get a lot of use.

Nell and Haley said a little bird saw me swooning over the shop sample of Nell's fingerless glove pattern, and fulfilled my dreams for my very own.  The yarn is the ever fabulous Artyarns Cashmere 5.

And Nancy brought this beautiful bouquet of white flowers.  Not only lovely, they smell wonderful, too.

Thanks again, everyone.  You really, really are the best!

So, today, the actual date of my birth, I've been relaxing at home, just knitting and watching old movies on tv.  Later, Cory and Laura will join Jim and I to go out to dinner.  I have a feeling there will be more gifts, but frankly, with all the wonderful friends and family I have, what more do I need?