Not So Fancy Nancy

Well, at least I had knitting time!

Thanks for all the good thoughts and kind comments. Again, please forgive me this time for not answering individually. Still trying to get back on track and can't sit for a long time comfortably.

My procedure went well. They forgot to tell me not to eat, so I got to have it without sedation. FYI - I don't recommend being totally awake on the OR table. It's so reassuring to have the support staff discusses their weekends while you have a drill in your spine and the doctor is correcting their drug dosage math and instrument layout. At least my doc was on topic and I got to see the stuff from my disc which was so thoughtfully described by an onlooker as "ewww, looks like a booger". Not the A-team that morning, but my doctor is very good, so I held that thought. Seem to be recuperating well, but at this point only time will tell.

So, I had the first 72 hours post-op to spend "restfully" and got very good at knitting on my back and side. Bunny sweater is on the edging (no pics today - needs blocking), Klaralund is ready for seaming and Clapotis II is done and already worn.

I love how this turned out! I did choose to block it to make it a little wider and shorter since the yarn tended to pull long. It's incredibly light weight and yet cozy across my shoulders.

The Lavold Silky Wool doesn't have the bounce of the merino, but it's got it's own kind of beautiful drape. The yarn handled well and knitted up quickly and while the stitches are intentionally loose (this yarn calls for US 6 needles) they are reasonably consistent for this type of "natural" yarn and the ladders hold well.

When I feel better I will add a photo wearing it. Will also post final measurements in the Finished gallery soon. I followed the pattern and used 3.25 balls of the on US 7's.

Klaralund is in the final stages. Wow these 28" x 18" sleeves took forever! Actually, as you can see, I did alter the sleeves to add shaping at the wrists. I was terrified I wouldn't have enough yarn (have finished with about 1/2 ball remaining), and also didn't want the sleeves too big on my short body. But, I must admit I still have my fingers crossed as to how this will look on me. Think that's why it's been on my dining table for a day waiting for seaming? This photo is during my wet-block of the sleeves. Couldn't recommend it too highly for this pattern to get the exact measurements before seaming. It's not printed with a schematic, but it's pretty easy to make one. Then you can alter it as I did for your hips and wingspan.

For you experienced knitters this may be obvious, but I want to share my "discovery" -- use a quilter's ruler for blocking. I was using my other favorite find - a freebie paper tape measures from IKEA (I've got one in every knitting bag) - but it got wet and the first inch disintegrated (note to self, paper is water soluble). Grabbed this out of the closet to avoid trudging upstairs to find my sturdier tape measure. Wow! It's perfect for getting two pieces just right and exactly the same. Also helps when tugging the rows straight. Save your Micheal's or JoAnn coupon and get one of these babies!

I soaked the Noro Silk Garden (about which I've complained so much) for several hours in wool wash (the no-rinse kind) and it did loose some of the stray matter and soften nicely. I did a lot of manipulation with the blocking and it seems to have really improved the fabric too.

Here it is ready for seaming. Maybe tonight. That kind of position - sitting and leaning over - isn't very comfortable so I'll do in in stages. For those of you not familiar with the pattern, the sleeves go up and across the bodice and the bind-offs form the neckline. In this photo the back is folded to keep from falling off the table - it's the same as the other side laying flat. It's a cool design. We're supposed to have rain tomorrow so I know I'll kick myself if it's not done - this may be one of my last chances to wear it until next year.

Catchin a few Zs - projects in hibernation

I've decided to get in front of my knitting queue. I seem to start projects half way through the season, and as Risa says, I'm always getting distracted by shiny pebbles. Well, I know that I will always pick up pretty stones at the beach, but I feel the need to organize the ones I've already brought home.

So, in the spirit of taking control, I'm deliberately putting some projects in the "Z" category. I am going to get each one out, figure exactly where it is and leave myself instructions for the future. I'm going to admit that I probably won't remember that I made that critical change to the pattern that I've not written down (yes, I knit, like so many things, by the seat of my pants). Then, with everything duly annotated, I'm going to put them in storage marked "get out in September". Then maybe I will have them ready for wearing next winter. Because it's not going to happen this year. What's going to happen this year (if I don't take action) is that I will be knitting wool in May, get bored and still not finish anything, then be behind on the spring and summer projects I've got in mind. Time to break this cycle. Time to take charge.

DH has worked three days out of the last four while the kids have been home on a four day holiday so I've not been able to sit for long. Did this blog overhaul in bits and pieces, so I apologize if you came through when it was in turmoil - at one point the banner filled the entire screen. Wanted to learn my new Photoshop and I didn't need no stinkin help files or tutorials - not me. Knew certain features were there somewhere, just had to find them.

This is the design I will keep for a while, though the banner image will probably be created again since it lost resolution with the obsessive number of adjustments I made. Please let me know if you have a problem with the way my blog uploads on your PC.

Look for photos and project updates tomorrow when the kids go back to school. I've got Clapotis II started. I've got new yarn and projects. I'm looking forward to Spring baby!

Life in mid-project

My little foray into Birch aside, I've been such a good knitter this week. Anyway, Birch was an existing project, so that's acceptable. No new projects started. No new yarn purchased. No sir-ee, I've been just knitting along in that mid-project zone. The place where you know the pattern, you know the yarn, you're not sick of it yet, but you've passed that first phase of young love and the end is not in sight. Still, I'm determined to stay the course and knit on to the finish.This is Clapotis beginning repeat 7/12 of the straight section.

This is now my public knitting project. Between the dropped rows, the gorgeous yarn and the stitch markers I always get some sort of comment. Met another fiber person at Emily's first dance class today when I pulled it out in the waiting area - she came across the room to see it.

Rogue is still lovely too, but I'm a little worried. I should know by now to knit the medium since I always seem to grow my gauge between swatching and knitting. Transferred half of it to another set of circs today to try and get an accurate measurement and my fears were legit - it's running more than 6" over. 54" instead of 48" is too big, even for me who likes em loose. Considering not widening back to the original CO width (it has hourglass shaping up to the armholes), but taking it down to the medium size stitch count, then shaping everything from that point up as a medium. Other thought is to knit the sleeves in the round then join at the armpit and convert it to a raglan from there. Haven't thought it through yet or done any math, but I must do something about this width or my shoulders will be swimming in it. Watch this space for tears and drama.

Project Update - Rogue

This is going to be a week of knitting. Just knitting. More knitting. Keep knitting. Going to finish something before I start anything else. Will blog noticeable progress, otherwise, you'll find me knitting. Oh, and doing other stuff I'm supposed to do like mothering, volunteering, visiting with friends and housekeeping, really. Notice housekeeping is last though.

In that vein, here's my first project update:

Rogue is fun and easy. Check back with me on that when I'm doing the neckline and hood, but for now it's easy. Knitted while watching Harry Potter (Azkaban) with Rachel again yesterday and am now ready to open the cable back up again. She kept wanting me to "Look!". Honey, I've read the book to you twice and have seen this movie three times - I can knit and listen - really. Still trying to decide if I want to do the kangaroo pocket. A little worried about yarn qty. May add it later.

Ode to Lavold

This will be short as I'm going to knit and hang with The Emilator (aka Emily who gets creatively destructive when bored). Just wanted to answer in the blog some questions I've had over time regarding Elsebeth Lavold yarn.

I live in Encinitas CA, which means I need a lot of lighter weight knits. Fair Isle and bulky sweaters, mittens, hats and real scarves aren't too practical around here for more than about 20 days a year and I've got my share now. I've vowed for the new year to avoid the oh-so-tempting bulky yarns and patterns and focus on making things I can wear for three seasons. This is were the Elsebeth Lavold comes in.

I've bought three different yarns from her collection and love each of them ... so far. I qualify that because it's early in our relationship and we're in that first blush of love stage. We all know love can take some bad turns, which I will post about if that happens. 

I'm not posting particular links below or photos of the colors because her yarn is widely available in LYSs and on line. Check my WIP and Waiting photo albums for pics of the yarn I've bought and the Liv and Rogue on the needles. It's pretty affordable with good yardage for the type of fiber listed. Most sweaters should run you $45-65. These are the ones I've bought so far:

Silky Wool:  65% Wool, 35% Silk and knits at 5.5 on US #6's. I'm enjoying knitting with this. It is fine, and my current project is a darker color, so I found that I made picking mistakes in low light when I was tired. Otherwise, it flows nicely and knits up faster than you may expect. The wool percentage really helps balance the inherent stickiness of this type of silk and makes the stitches more even and the fabric smoother while keeping that natural look of silk. The fabric also has nice drape and you can tell it will be cool/warm depending on the temp, which is perfect for me.

Silky Tweed:  40% silk, 30% cotton, 20% merino & 10% viscose and knits at 5.5 on US #6's. I've not gauged this yet, so I can't say how it knits.

Angora:  60% angora/20% wool/20% nylon and knits at 4.5 stitches per inch on U.S. #8's. This is an aran weight yarn that could be adapted to a lot of patterns. The angora of course has some fuzz, but it's pretty well controlled by the wool and nylon. I'm not getting noticeable shedded bits on me when I knit. It's so, so soft and cushy, but again, the fiber mix gives definition to stitches, so I'm able to get good cables out of it. I didn't see anything in her pattern collection for this I wanted to make now, but it's perfect for Rogue so far. Definite thumbs up.

The Silky Wool and Tweed are the most practical for me. I like that they have the same gauge so I can look for patterns that will fit either. Her Viking Collection is a great booklet with at least two patterns that I'm making. She's got other pattern books I'm interested in too, but haven't bought yet (NY diet and all).

Stash & Knitting Books - match made in heaven

So, I buy yarn and I buy books, but it seems rarely the two do meet. Until this year. 2005 will be different.

I will stop looking over the horizon, through the latest catalogs, websites, magazines and eBay to see what there is to see. I will be Dorothy. Not Dorothy looking over the rainbow, but Dorothy after the wizard is revealed. I will look in my own backyard, or closet, or chest as it may be and find that my dreams really do come true right here at home. Well, can't say I'll stop looking, but I will stop buying (for a while).

So, in the spirit of a fresh new year, here are my last purchases for 2004:

Here is our lovely August showing Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Tweed. 40% silk, 30% cotton, 20% merino & 10% viscose. Perfect for SoCal. Love the color. And it was on sale at KnitPicks  - 12 skeins for under $60.

I've got this cardigan from her book in mind. The basic pattern is a broken rib, which I like from both a texture and knitting standpoint. The knot work cabling she uses adds great visual interest in what is otherwise a simple knock-about cardi. This counts 1/2 way toward my resolution as it uses a book I have.

Stopped by my lys to pick up needles. Got yarn to go with them.

These are my first pair of BrySpun needles, so I will let you know what I think. I hope the tips will make picking lace easier. And yes, that's more Filatura Di Crosa College yarn. Just love my Flower Basket so I'm going to make another while the pattern is fresh in my brain. This color is so different that I feel both will be useful. I really enjoyed wearing my pink one over the holiday. Guess this too counts as 1/2 a resolution-meeting project since I do have the pattern...

Now, for the 100% resolution-meeting ideas:

Bought this Rowan Yorkshire Chunky on sale last spring. It's got a tight spin that makes it more cord-like than I'm used to handling, but I'm determined to use it. I just love the color. Have tried a few swatches over the year with no luck, but I think I've found a match. Carriebelle made a nice Big Sack Sweater I like, and when I saw hers I realized I already had the book (Stitch n Bitch) on my shelf. Got gauge so I'm on my way. Double resolution met!

A few weeks ago Froggy inspired me to look for this Sidar Denim Ultra after reading her praise for it and seeing her creations. It must be discontinued because it was almost impossible to find on the web. Got lucky and scored 13 balls through an eBay sale in just the color I wanted for less than $5.75 ea including shipping (yeah), so the knitting gods were definitely smiling upon me. Now, what to do with it?

Well, just a day or so ago my mom was telling me that she is finishing up this simple cardigan sweater from Mindful Knitting and saying how much she enjoyed making it. I could use a pattern that was more meditative and less demanding. Swatched the Sidar and it got the ball band gauge with #15s, but the pattern gauge with #13s. I actually prefer the look of the tighter stitches. Like the Lavold cardi above, the pattern isn't particularly trendy/stylish, but it so fits my real life job of matriarch.

Yes, matriach. I'll close for the year with another 2005 resolution:  When someone asks me what I "do" I'm now answering "I'm a matriarch." Beats the hell out of housewife or at-home-mom (talk about twisted English - moms are moms). I am taking my rightful place as ruler of this family. It seems everything in this household revolves around me so I'm demanding the respect that is my due. Can you tell I'm reading about Elizabethan London? Bessie had no problem demanding respect and I'm taking her lead (without that pesky virginity clause).

If you like well-researched historical fiction, try these books by Phillipa Gregory:  The Queen's Fool : A Novel (which I'm reading now) or The Other Boleyn Girl. When I was in the hospital a friend brought me The Other Boleyn Girl and I was totally enthralled, even through my morphine haze. Thanks Linnea! And oh my, the thrill beyond thrill of finding an author new to you who's published a long list of books! My other new thrill is Liza Picard. Her Elizabeth's London : Everyday Life in Elizabethan London is a perfect companion to The Queen's Fool. She also done books on Restoration and 18thC London.

Won't be posting again until Monday. Happy New Year!

Patton's Mosaic poncho almost done

When you hear the words "let's find her tiara and tutu" coming through the closed door you know you might actually sneak in five minutes of knitting. Right now my 7-year-old Rachel and a neighborhood buddy are dressing up Emily like she's a doll. Ems is a very willing mannequin because at least she's in the middle of it. A little girl has to make sacrifices to be around the big kids sometimes.

Transferred the poncho to 47" circulars to check the sizing on Emily. Hoped to get away with casting off at the end of the current ball, but it's not to be. More important to get wear out of this next year too. Needs about 3 more inches (she's tall).

Speaking of Celtic, or Viking at least, here's the back of my Lavold Silky Wool sweater. It's reverse stockinette, so photographing it is a challenge. I think the dark sky is in my favor with this one.

Felted Bags and Silky Wool

My bags are usable now, though I probably will felt them both again. I like the shape and size of both. The little doctor's bag is perfect for small projects and the large one holds an entire sweater.

Just had to go pick up the Silky Wool today. Isn't this lovely? And affordable! Can't wait to see the drape of this.

Didn't find a color I wanted for the poncho and with two kids in tow didn't want to try the other yarn store. Some other day. Nap has claimed Em and R's on a birthday movie trip, so I'm going to go recline and knit. Finally worked out my Noro Blossom sleeves last night, so I'm going to cast those on. In the mood to finish some things.

I laughed, I cried...

Ran into Black Sheep today to exchange defective metal needles (rough tip has always scratched, but I didn't know better when I first started knitting). Even though they were several years old, the owner was great and gave me a new set. Problem solved. Now, did I turn around a walk out the door? That just wouldn't be natural would it?

Looked around and there it was:  Elsebeth Lavold's book Viking Knits Collection with this pattern I've looked at in a catalog again and again. And I love the feeling of her Silky Wool. It's the perfect weight for our weather here. Bought the book, but we could only find 5 skeins of the verdigris color that I want. Then the owner called me later to say she literally tripped over the shipping box just after I left and they have it ready for me. I laughed. My knitting life was good.

Then I came home and finished a swatch for the Flower Basket Shawl from the previous Interweave Knits. I want to use a single strand of heavier yarn and I got gauge. I laughed again.

The knitting gods must have heard my laughter and considered it hubris. It wasn't excessive, really. I was just happy, not arrogant. Really. And certainly not now. Not when I have this:

7:45 PM   8:00 PM

Yes, that's my toddler's poncho off the needles and back into balls. Sad isn't it? I should be happy that I couldn't fix a mistake. I'd missed a increase and spent a good 45 minutes digging down to try to recreate the stepped increases. Learned a lot (trying to be positive here), but it just wasn't fixable because there wasn't enough yarn to make the missing stitches - it was needle-breaking tight. Took a breath and pulled it off the needles. And guess what, it was all wrong. Way too tight, way to pointy, going to ruffles (from the pointy tightness). A mess. I cried. Then I took a photo, then I got up, got the ball winder and cleaned up that mess.

Kept remembering all those team-building seminars from the 90's that my big company loved to send us to. The speaker (always so slick, so smooth) invariably began with a motivational story that enumerated the times some person failed miserably before picking themselves up to try again and become famous enough to be a shining (i.e., rich & successful) example to the rest of us poor saps. I'm sure there's a poster with rock climbers or eagles flying (or eagles flying over rock climbers) for this one.

As it is, I'm going to go back to the pattern I'd already picked for this yarn. Berroco's "Susy" uses Pronto, which has the same gauge/weight as the GOA and I've got the right amount for this cardigan (without the flowers).

Will have to find something soft with drape to make the poncho. Maybe the Lamb's Pride Superwash Bulky. Same gauge, washable, affordable.

The knitting goes on, with me a little humbler.

Embarrassment of Riches

Busy day, but I feel downright motherly. Spent the morning at my 2nd grader’s school in Art Docent training. PTA funds a program that brings fine art into each class 10x a year. We work with watercolors, clay, etc and send a portfolio home with each child at the end of the year. I really wanted to do it this year after not being able to last year, so here I am. We (parent funding again of course) just bought a kiln so the kids can work with clay, so we had a demo by the artist/dad who’s in charge of that. I’m intimidated but excited too. I’ll have to put some time into this, but with almost 10 years ahead of me volunteering at this school I figured I might as well choose something and make it my own. And now I’m morally free of fundraising committees – YEAH.

Oh, and we made brownies, which are cooling downstairs and waiting for me to finish this (incentive if I ever heard of one). Uber mom.

Shelia requested the numbers for the Artful Yarns Cinema I’m using in my pullover, so here they are in the order of the repeat: 188, 186, 193, 197, 204, 191, 194. Total aside: Shelia must have good taste as she also listens to Radio Paradise. It is aptly named. If you like a variety of modern music excluding rap, teeny-bopper pop and plain ol’ crap, it’s the radio station you’ve always wanted but could never find on the dial. And she liked my sweater, so there you go, good taste.

The pullover is a simple st st knitted side-to-side with two colors held together, changing one color every four rows. It’s fun to watch the colors come over your needles and the repeat gives you a goal to keep you going . The link above takes you to a commercial web site for WEBS that I think is well organized for looking at this yarn and its patterns. One site error though – #204 (orange) is Nurse Rachet, not Nurse Rachel. Much more meaningful.

I bought this kit at my mom’s LYS where they kitted it for a class. HandKnitters in Louisville KY doesn’t do internet sales, but I know they’ll take phone orders (a very nice mother/daughter team run the shop), so if you can’t find it at your LYS give them a call.

I started my colors at a different point in the repeat because I’m shortening the arms. It’s knitting up pretty quickly with the only time consuming part being starting and stopping colors – should be even faster on the body. I weave in as I go or I might never sew this baby up. It’s a lot softer and stretchier than it looks, but I am worried about how susceptible it will be to snagging. This is a lot of money to get trashed within days. This may have to be a sweater I wear out by myself (yet another reason to escape alone – honey, I need to take my sweater out and you know how sensitive he his about children and pets).

After my school meeting I rewarded myself (does volunteering deserve reward? aren’t brownies enough?) with a trip to one of my LYS. Yes, in an embarrassment of riches, I have two well-stocked fiber stores in my little town. Sneaked a peak at the new Interweave Knits Scarf Style while waiting for my copy to arrive and tried to pick my first project for the knit-a-long. If you haven’t seen it yet find a copy, or take a flier as I did and order it sight-unseen. Lots of truly knittable projects with a nice diversity of styles. It’s a keeper.

I bought this Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool for the balloon cable project. Everything I buy is colorful and a lot of it some shade of red or orange, but I realize I need to watch becoming a Symphony of Reds (I’ll explain that some day). This is a really good oatmeal shade and the silk content makes it light enough to wear around here. I read this review of the yarn on Knitter’s Review and had it in my mind to consider. Then, just the other night, for no reason in particular, I was looking at her Viking Knits book, so there you go – it’s yarn destiny. It’s no use questioning yarn destiny. I gave up on that long ago.

Total aside, why the link above to a non-knitting book? Well, history is another passion and as I was driving home from the yarn store that title popped into my head and I couldn’t figure out from where for a few seconds. It’s a great book – the main source book for Girl with a Pearl Earring, (which or course if you haven’t read, you should, and no, the movie doesn’t count, not a bit). Simon Schama is one of my favorite history writers – he tells a good story – this is not your high school history teacher who drove you to counting ceiling tiles to stay awake. He also narrates a great video series on the history of Britain.