Not So Fancy Nancy

Dog Days & the Mysteries of Gauge

Summer is just dragging on around here. Let's get this additional proof of my weirdness out in the open -- summer is my least favorite season. Always has been since childhood, without a single year of deviation since. Not saying I don't have fun in the summer - of course I do - but I've never been sad to see it go. Yeah, like I said, I'm weird. In the past week we've gone to the beach, taken evening walks, gone to the park - I am getting out in it - really. I think I'm just a change addict. I love all the promise of a fresh start that Autumn brings. Now if I could only order up a bit of Autumn around here...

Luckily our modified year-round school ends later and starts earlier. My emotionally high-maintenance DD has been in third grade for a week so we've already had a week of AM and homework drama. Won't bore you with details (I am already bored, no need to share). She's generally excited about school, loves her teacher and is completely capable of the work. Good news is that a short chat with her teacher this morning reassured me that this problem does not show in the classroom. Great, it's me. Why does it always have to be Mom?

At least my plants like me:

That one on the bottom has the most amazing blooms. The "legs" are 6 - 8" long! Took that one with the straight needle for a reference point we knitters understand. We bought it out of bloom, so this has been a surprise.

I've not got many fiber thrills to show. The Koigu shawl continues to grow, but as the pattern is the same I'll wait for more photos.

I did try to CO my Philosopher's Jacket this week. One mystery of knitting is how sometimes I can reduce needle size, and reduce it again, and still get the same gauge, just with tighter stitches and a sore hand. What's up with that!?!

This pattern uses a st st hemmed cuff, which I think is a nice detail for keeping the fair isle at the wrist from showing and getting caught on things. The turned under part is knit on US 5's (the body on 8's) at 21/4 in. I'm getting 16 st/4 in ... maybe 17 if I manipulate it a bit. On 5's! It's obviously huge just looking at it. And it was uncomfortable to knit the Aran weight yarn on 5's. Going to do the math and redo with fewer CO stitches. We'll see if this means the whole body will have to be recalculated.

Their instructions say to knit the sleeves first, take your gauge, then knit the body size that best renders your gauge to the final measurements you want, so I've got some wiggle room once I get a reasonable sleeve opening set up. Still, their patterns are boxy so I want to be careful and not end up looking like I'm wearing my big sister's jacket. As it is, I've put this aside for a few days.

The sewing continues. Here's my second bag.

Yeah, we wear our pj's as long as possible around here as you can tell by my little Vanna. I like how it worked up and the size is perfect for a project on straight needles and a magazine or book. Yes, I know the pattern is upside down - at least it is on both sides. Planned for it the other way, but must have turned the pieces while cutting. Guess there's a good reason to mark direction huh? Anyway, thankfully it's fabric by a quilt designer, so the pattern reads well from any direction. That streak in the photo appeared while manipulating it - oh well. You'll just have to ignore it because I am. That's the kind of mood I'm in today. Almost afraid to knit anything challenging because I'd probably let the pattern go to hell with barely a shrug.

Thanks to you all for the very nice comments on my Portland post. Looks like we're not the only ones who enjoy that city. And big thanks for your compliments on my sewing efforts. I've been carrying that bag around since then and love it.

Just got the latest Pottery Barn catalog and I'm feeling so damned stylish that I might just have to take a lie down! Amy Butler is certainly keeping up with the industry with her stripes and floral combos. The cover bedding is a nice match for my first bag. Never thought I'd be on the front end of current fashion with my little whims.

Going to rip off these tied boxes - they look dead easy (famous last words). I found this "home decorating" fabric (on the right) on sale at JoAnn's to make boxes for the girl's rooms. If it works I'll sacrifice my fabrics. Watch this space...

This is my dinning table right now. Working on Ditty Bags for the girls with Kaffe and other prints. Sorry it's a little out of focus. We're having a very gray day around here and I'm too lazy to get out the tripod. Ya get the feeling there's a theme? LAZY!

BTW, my apologies to those who read my last post on that first evening. As you well know, I forgot to run spell check. You're in on my dirty little secret. I was brushing my teeth at midnight and had one of those sudden "Oh @#$%!" brain flashes. Now you know why I failed my high school Senior English paper (pre-PC).

Yarn Harlot, Oregon, Sewing & Koigu

Funny how for a mom, a week's vacation adds a week's housework before and after -- doesn't add up really does it? Didn't help that for the week before departure my kids had swimming lessons and camps each day and, of course, needed all those "favorite" clothes washed and packed by 5 AM Saturday morning. For once I'd like to start a vacation with more than 3 hours sleep.

I loved Portland! Oh joy - other people do wear skirts and comfortable shoes and little to no makeup. I saw so many women of all ages who seemed comfortable looking like individuals. I live in So Cal, but it's by accident and for the time being I'm stuck here (DH's job is what he's worked to achieve and I support his desire to see where it goes). I long to live somewhere from the Bay Area north. I know, there are many worse places to be "stuck", but on the whole this is not the best match for my pale, rain-loving, mall-hating self.

Portland on the other hand, does get rain, but then, they grow stuff like this:

We took the kids to the city's farmer's market on Saturday morning after we landed and walked away with cheese, bread, honey, jam, berries and other tasty treats.

Drove over to my in-laws in central OR. On our first full day my MIL and I went to Sisters which is famous for quilting. I found just the kind of fabric I've been looking for at The Stitching Post. They do a fantastic job arranging the bolts in creative, inspiring ways. I had a ball choosing Kaffe Fassett, Amy Butler and Valori Wells (the owner's daughter/partner) prints for the bags I want to make. Finished the first one today. I've never used a sewing pattern, have never made anything other than simple quilts and never used satin stitch, so I'm happy even with it's imperfections. Certainly a learning experience. The handles were the worst and looked truly horrible before I had the ah-ha moment of satin stitching around them. This fix will work much better on the next one when I plan for it from the beginning.

When I posted last about using Amy Butler patterns Colleen commented that they "suck scissors". Jackie said they were good for a beginner (hey, that's me) and notes that the instructions were "step-by-step (redundant is the word I've seen elsewhere.)". Since the pattern was already on order I decided to try it for myself. Yes, the instructions were simple to the point of redundancy, the pattern almost over-simplified (out-of-skew line drawings - measurements would have been just fine for the simple rectangle shapes) and making the handle as instructed using the Timtex sucked, but I give Butler points for leading me through it like a friend. I needed a hand to hold. I wasn't too traumatized - it was much like following a knitting pattern. I like sewing because I get to screw up ... and fix it or forget it ... much faster.

We left the kids for four days! Spent the first two days in McMinnville visiting vineyards (this is Amity), walking, and talking. We needed uninterrupted time to work through some thoughts, which is next to impossible with small kids. Of course thoughts flow more freely with a little lubrication. I found I don't like inexpensive Pinot Noir but found it greatly improves when you move to the reserve bottles. It pays to fork out for the reserve tastings. But not really, as then you end up wanting to buy the reserve wines. Didn't need to know that. The area also produces a lot of nice dessert wines, which I like, so there was something on every tasting list for me.

After the countryside we had two days in the city. What a great town! Lots of art, trees, good restaurants and cool shops. Portlanders walk and bike the city streets and seem happy, or at least very courteous, which is all I ask - your happiness is your own affair, but I appreciate courteousness. It was pushing 100 F those two days, but reasonable humidity and cool nights kept it tolerable.

We stayed at McMenamin hotels both in McMinnville and Portland and really liked them both. Hip and cheap. Here's our room at the Kennedy School in Portland (click any of today's pics to enlarge). I'd highly recommend them if you like beer and funky environments.

Portland has a lot of yarn stores. During our explorations I stopped by a few of them. If the shelves in these stores are a good indication, Portland knitters obviously love Rowan - bonus points there.

Lint is a hip shop with a nice selection and seating area, but they could use better lighting and the owner and helper gossiped loudly behind the counter the whole time I was there (not the deadliest sin, but it's a turn-off for me).

Knit Knot was a small corner shop in the Pearl District with an attentive owner judging by her conversation with another customer. Can't say much more as I was just dashing by on my way to feed the meter.

Knit/Purl had very good light streaming in from the windows on two sides, a nice selection of Debbie Bliss and Noro and the owner also seemed very involved as she helped a newbie select a project and classes. Some interesting small company yarns in stock. Bonus is that it's located on the same block as Josephine's Dry Goods, which has a heavenly selection of fine fabrics and a very helpful mother/daughter team behind the counter. I fell hard for a Liberty of London print. Hit the ground even harder when I heard the price, but it was too late. Will wait to stitch it when I feel a little more confident.

I loved the Yarn Garden. Across the river in SE Portland, they were by far my favorite regarding selection and service. This is their coffee shop. The yarn and notions are in three other rooms (or four?) and I saw just about every brand on the shelves.

Even though I said up front I was only looking for one ball, the clerk cheerfully offered to go to the stockroom and unpack about 10 colors of Koigu for me to find the best shade to add to my shawl, Wish I'd had this color at the start to work in at the top, but I think it will do OK. Picked up a pair of the new Bryspun circulars too, but haven't tried them out yet.

Don't know if it's because I'm old, or Southern, or worked in a lot of service jobs (or all of the above), but I really care about good service. I don't need or want obsequious treatment, but I like it when someone seems to realize that yes, they are there because of me - the customer. In return I try to be reasonable and tip well. Seems fair to me.

I highly recommend Yarn Garden.

Remember, my husband was with me, so we had to do other things besides look at fiber and fabric. Spent most of the time in galleries in the Pearl District. Finally found a painting for a space that's been blank for almost five years. Poor Brian was feeling pretty sick by late afternoon (there's yet another reason I don't eat oysters), but was a real trooper and drove me back into the city to see Yarn Harlot at Powell's (I wasn't on the rental car contract).

Powell's is indeed wonderful - I'd love to go back and browse in the future. As it was, I arrived with about 5 minutes to spare and was claiming one of those dreaded dead center front row seats when I heard my name. Took me a second because I imagined myself turning to wave across the whole audience only to find the person next to me was "Nancy" too. But Jaime was saying hi - to me! Blogging is too cool when someone spots you in a crowd so far from home. Jaime's been working on a recycled silk UnBiased Bag and I've been watching her progress since I have some stashed for that project. It was so much more fun to sit and chat while waiting. I recognized her Tivoli in Cotton Ease -- a very blogging moment indeed (a finished pic is on her blog).

My husband had left the camera in the car (didn't have the heart to be frustrated with him given his state), so she took this for me. Thanks Jaime! Thanks for waiting around too. I managed to be dead last to get my book signed. I gave my first copy to my mom long ago and wanted another. I'd been in the middle of a lace row when Stephanie ended her talk and stayed seated so I could "just finished this row." Paid a price for that -- turned around to find the line snaking around the room behind me. If I'd known it was going to take so long we might have left since I knew Brian needed to get to bed, but he wanted me to have the full "Harlot" experience. Brian was a good sport and we looked over their great collection of architecture books while waiting.

So here we are:  Two short women in Birks. Stephanie wore hers because she had nothing else (great story though) and I had packed 4 pairs of sandals and still wore mine everywhere so I could keep up with my fast walking husband. Don't we look like guilty kids hiding candy? I have no idea why we both had our hands behind our backs. I think we were both just tired. I'm really impressed at how well she presented. Stephanie dear, it's not luck. Making a room full of people laugh out loud for an hour is a gift. Doing it each night for over a week far from home is work. You have a gift, and you work at it - that's anything but luck. Thanks for sharing yourself with us.